FILMS/SCHEDULE
Thursday, April 25
3:00 p.m. The Gift of the Game (USA, CUBA)
**SOLD OUT**
Author and director Randy Wayne White returns to Cuba despite swearing he would never go back after the Muriel Boatlift. Twenty years later, White sets out to resurrect a children’s baseball league founded by Ernest Hemingway many years before. The film shares the tribulations and what it took to get the people and equipment in place, not to mention talking the American government into allowing them to go. Throughout their trip, White and the guys saw kids playing baseball everywhere with homemade bats and balls. The bats would be hand carved out of tree limbs and they would fashion balls out of anything they could find. It was amazing to see the love of the game there.
3:00 p.m. Out of the Woods: Life and Death in Dirty Dave’s Homeless Camp (USA,FLORIDA)
Michael Arth, Director
‘Dirty Dave’ Grimsley is a hard-drinking leprechaun with the gift of gab, a heart of gold and nary a pot to piss in. He runs a homeless camp in the woods waiting for Volusia County, FL to donate public land for a community of services for adults who fall through the cracks..
This no budget documentary was filmed, narrated and edited over a four-year period while Arth was trying to get approval to build Tiger Bay Village.
6:00 p.m. Bittersweet Monday (USA)
Jaime Lee, Director
When longtime best friends, Jeremy and Monica say their goodbyes before Jeremy’s big move, they find themselves holding onto more than just their friendship. Separately in committed marriages, the two find themselves in an overwhelming emotional shift, exacerbated by the circumstances that bring them together and alone again.
6:00 p.m. Joe Papp in Five Acts – Documentary (USA)
**SOLD OUT**
Directed by Tracie Holder and Karen Thorsen, PAPP is the story of New York’s indomitable, streetwise champion of the arts–founder of the Public Theater and free ‘Shakespeare in the Park’–who introduced interracial casting to the American stage and nurtured an entire generation of artists, along with their works – from HAIR to A CHORUS LINE.. Featuring MERYL STREEP, JAMES EARL JONES, KEVIN KLINE, CHRISTOPHER WALKEN, MARTIN SHEEN, OLYMPIA DUKAKIS, MANDY PATINKIN, NTOZAKE SHANGE and many more greats of the stage and screen.
9:00 p.m. Red Tide (USA, FLORIDA)
**SOLD OUT**
Directed by Dino Gallina
Alex Nikoladis is a young thug and rebel released from prison, returning to the water off of Florida’s west coast to dive for sponges as his deceased father had. The town he knew has declined due to Red Tide, an algae bloom that has killed the industry. His older brother sold their family’s sponging boat and is involved in illegal drug trade. Alex struggles to stay straight, but falls back into this dangerous world to make money and buy back the boat. Tension among the brothers and a fiancé causes a struggle over drug addiction as they seek a way out or risk drowning in the ‘Red Tide.’
9:00 p.m. The Playback Singer (USA)
Suju Vijayan, Director and Writer
The story of an aimless, would-be, jungle-gym architect who finds his existence disrupted and his marriage upended when his prickly, Indian, B-movie playback singer father-in-law comes to visit and overstays his welcome. A family drama spiked with comedy and music, which gets to the heart of relationships and of the challenges of finding our place in this world.
Friday, April 26th
3:00 p.m. Uprising – Documentary (Egypt, USA)
Fredrik Stanton, Director and produced by an Academy Award-winning team including the executive producer of Taxi to the Dark Side and the editor of Inside Job.
This is the authoritative behind-the scenes view of the Egyptian revolution from the perspective of its leadership and key organizers, their struggle for freedom against tremendous odds, their sacrifice, and the courage and ingenuity that allowed them to succeed. A story of profound hope and courage rewarded, it features four Nobel Peace Prize nominees, several Egyptian presidential candidates, the former foreign ministers of Egypt and Jordan, and former US Ambassadors and White House officials, along with never before seen footage at the heart of a region that is especially important and fragile.
3:00 p.m. Shorts Package#1
Total Run Time: 102 minutes
The Dance, Directed by Fabio Breccia.(Italy) A dance across the threshold of the supernatural – A young couple’s date with destiny is tragically altered by the actions of a careless driver.
Trained, Directed by Anthony Jerjen. (Switzerland)A young boy thinks he has psychic powers and eventually becomes a professional magician. He decides to stop a train using the power of his mind in order to boost his failing career. He is standing on the railway as the train is rushing towards him. But will he succeed in stopping the train?
About Time, Directed by Joseph Megel.(USA) A young man, raised by his father after the death of his mother, finds himself stalled in his life and unable to pursue his dreams of pursuing an acting career. Performing in a play in his hometown, he meets an older actress who acts as a catalyst.
New Era, Directed by Zachary Taylor. (USA) When a young girl from a small rural town, isn’t spending her days taking care of her elderly friend, she daydreams about exploring the rest of the world. Bills, her job and other expectations keep her from her ambitions, prompting an opportunity to hear about her friend’s life lessons and regrets, so that she may live fearlessly.
Still Thrones (USA) Student Film directed by Ian McCullough recounts memories of a man and his relationship to his strict father as he struggles with the reality of becoming a father himself. If having a child was such an impending sacrifice of one’s own life and dreams, than for what did his father have him?
Fabula, Directed by Agustan Falco.(ARGENTINA) One summer afternoon, on the bank of a river, a boy and a girl meet each other. Landscape and distance will become the stage for a possible beginning.
Waiting on Millie, Directed by Jon Barr.(USA) A poor but lovable waiter struggles through the most important dinner service of his life, trying to outwit a wealthy customer, a heartless maitre d’, and a prankster chef, in this tribute to silent comedies.
The Cowboy (El Caballero)(USA) by Xavier Santiago is about a man at the end of his rope. Recently released from prison and stuck in a gritty Latin America city with few friends and only haunting memories. On the night he plans to end his suffering, a mysterious woman alters his reality on life, love and pain – changing his perspective.
Statue,(USA) Student Film directed by Andrew Bryan. Most of us would not choose to spend our afternoon in the French Quarter getting heckled by drunk tourists. But for a ‘living-statue’ street performer, it’s just another day at the office…until a beautiful girl starts playing her guitar down the street. Statue is a silent love story that explores the power of unspoken attraction between two people and how they interact despite limitations in communication.
7:00 p.m. Between Us (USA) Feature Film
Directed by Dan Mirvish
Starring Julia Stiles, Taye Diggs, Melissa George, David Harbour
In this darkly comedic drama, a newly married New York couple meets with old friends in their huge Midwestern home. Despite their wealth, the hosts are in a bitterly destructive marriage. A few years later, the couples reunite in New York, but the tables are turned as the young couple struggles with parenthood and finances, only to discover their old friends even more successful and much happier than before.
7:00 p.m. Shorts Package #2
**SOLD OUT**
Total Run Time: 116
Gus, (USA)directed by Joe Pomarico and starring Sal Richards, is a true story is about a youngster amazed by his grandfather’s ability to paint. When given a chance to learn, it changes his life forever. As he matures, so does his artwork which expands into the field of filmmaking.
Chocolate Fetish,(USA) starring Elizabeth D’Onofrio, Tim Ross, and Christina Cupo, and created by Lis Anna, uses modern technology to portray the silent film era, while portraying a woman’s decision to leave her philandering husband or deal with his infidelity.
Crackpots,(USA) Student Film directed by Shaunna Borman and starring Mark Konrad and Neil Levine, takes an interesting turn as a psychiatrist encounters a patient suffering from a delusion that he is, in fact, the doctor, believing entirely that the psychiatrist is actually the one suffering from a delusion.
The Collegians, (USA)Student Film directed by Bryan Lewis, alumnus of Alabama State University, is a swinging drama based on the story of trumpet legend Erskine Hawkins during his college days in the Depression. As a young trumpet sensation with a big ego he learns the hard way what it means to be a member of the Bama State college band. Horns wail as the group plays the night way, trying to raise the money to save their school.
The Day I Kidnapped Tom Cruise,(USA) Directed by Bradford R. Youngs. When an aging and desperate filmmaker fails to make it in Hollywood he does what any filmmaker would do, kidnap Tom Cruise.
The Last Session,(USA) directed by Chad Gurdgiel, is about a young, practicing psychologist whose own delusional state begins to compromise his profession. This film teeters on the brink of reality as we watch the events of one unfortunate night unfold. Directed by the producer of last years “Best Feature Film”, The Descending, directed by Kyle Thompson of Red Flight Pictures
Posey, (USA)directed by Billy DaMota starring Sally Kirkland, Ray Wise, Jason Stuart and Erica Rhodes, is a film about Alzheimer’s disease and one woman’s struggle to deal with the darkness she finds herself slipping into.
Dream on Fire, (USA)directed by Michele Seidman, has relevance to us all. What happens when creativity is imprisoned? This project serves to remind us of the true value of artistic expression in our lives. May it remind the world that great thinkers have been jailed and tortured just for their ideas.
9:00 p.m. Quite a Conundrum- (USA)Feature Film
Directed by Thomas Phillips
It should have been a normal day of sex, fun, alcohol, hormones and debauchery for Tabitha and Mimi, two privileged twenty-somethings who care about nothing but themselves. An unexpected and devastating event occurs at a nighttime pool party. As the alcohol begins to wear off and the body count rises, all hell breaks loose and there is no turning back. It gets a little more than crazy, dangerous, insane and scary…chaotic debauchery personified.
9:00 p.m. LOVE: As You Like It (USA) Feature Film
Directed by Marika Sonja Cotter
As in Shakespeare’s romantic comedy, take a wild ride through San Francisco’s artistic and culturally diverse Mission District as a group of dynamic characters struggle with what it means to love, and to be loved. Using Shakespeare’s original language, the film follows two cousins as they throw off the shackles of childhood, disguise themselves as hipsters and run away to the city in order to experience life and love at its fullest. As they encounter a motley crew of San Francisco misfits, this is a film for those who, like its characters, once were blind and now find themselves in a deep love with that special person who has been right in front of them all along.
Saturday, April 27th
3:00 p.m. Shorts Package #3 Family-friendly, rated PG
Total Run Time: 84 minutes
Sugar and Spice – (USA,FLORIDA) Local Film, directed by GUSTAVO SAMPAIO
Two little girls compete for a cupcake in a game of cards. But one of them has a little devious plan and a bag of tricks.
Color Me Invisible-(USA) Student Film, directed by Nasya Kastelik, was created by 32 elementary, middle, and high school students and deals with the pressure students feel to change who they are to fit in. Students go before a high council to be marked and placed into one of three groups, the reds, yellows, or greens. Once placed, students abandon their previous identity, including former interests and friends.
The Girl with the Red Balloon, Islander Film,-(USA,FLORIDA) directed by Kaylania Chapman. What does a homeless woman, and young girl and a red balloon have in common? In this short tale, love and redemption is revealed by when three strangers meet and faith, hope, and love bring joy to those less fortunate.
Our Forever Friends,(USA) Documentary by award-winning director Gary Lester (SAFE HAVEN: THE WARSAW ZOO) stars Beverly Washburn (OLD YELLER) and Charlie Carson (WEIRD FLORIDA). Love story explores emotional bonds between humans and their animals. The film visits an animal education center, a shelter for unwanted horses, and an old-age nursing home especially designed for animals in need of a comfortable place to spend their final days.
3:00 p.m. Mr. Laughs-(USA) Documentary
**SOLD OUT**
Written and directed by Gregory Principato, the film peeks into the life and career of 40-year entertainer, Sal Richards. “It’s really a love story, about a boy from Brooklyn who had a dream to be in show business,” Mr. Principato explains. “It’s also about how the love from his family has helped him to strive and be the acclaimed performer he is today.” Narrated by Vincent D’Onofrio
6:00 p.m. Blind Pass,(IRELAND, USA) Drama/Thriller
Directed by Steve Tatone and starring Armand Assante, Chris McKenna, and Danielle White. Shot entirely on location in Southwest Florida and Ireland, the film follows the journey of a young, wealthy woman who learns she’s going blind and the psychologist who struggles to save the girl from following the path of her demanding father who died from an apparent suicide after battling the ravages of MS. Along the way, the doctor/patient relationship is stretched to the limit as we learn that both characters are deeply flawed from their life experiences and are hiding dark secrets that neither of them dare reveal…lest circumstances spin completely out of their control.
6:00 p.m. The Show Must Go On: An Intimate Portrait of The Flying Wallendas-(USA)
Documentary
Produced and Directed by Paula M. Froehle
The Great Wallendas were headliners with Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Circus during the 1930s ‘40s. Still performing, for Fox television’s Guinness Records Primetime, the Wallendas assembled an 8-Person, 3-Level Pyramid. To secure their record, they added 2 more family members to form the first and only 10-Person Pyramid. Once in Akron, Ohio, the wire slipped and all four members fell to the wire, yet they were unhurt. A reporter who witnessed the accident said, “The Wallendas fell so gracefully that it seemed as if they were flying,” under the headline “THE FLYING WALLENDAS.” Watch the story of the family with that name to this day.
9:00 p.m. Joe Papp in Five Acts- Documentary-(USA)
PAPP is the story of New York’s indomitable, streetwise champion of the arts–founder of the Public Theater and free ‘Shakespeare in the Park’–who introduced interracial casting to the American stage and nurtured an entire generation of artists, along with their works – from HAIR to A CHORUS LINE.. Featuring MERYL STREEP, JAMES EARL JONES, KEVIN KLINE, CHRISTOPHER WALKEN, MARTIN SHEEN, OLYMPIA DUKAKIS, MANDY PATINKIN, NTOZAKE SHANGE and many more greats of the stage and screen.
9:00 p.m. Shorts Package #4
Total Run Time: 78 minutes
The Rhythm Club Fire, (USA)Directed by Bryan Burch is about the 2nd deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history . The manager of the club boarded up the windows and doors leaving only the front door open. One way in and one way out.
Hans, (USA) directed by Harris Cohen tells the story of ten-year-old Hans Roenau and his family fleeing Vienna when the Nazis invaded. They sought refuge in Shanghai only to face another invasion by the Japanese. Still, Hans grew up to become a inspiring photographer with a sunny disposition and an easy charm.
Our Rhineland,(USA) Documentary Student Film, directed by Faren Humes. In 1937, under the Third Reich, Germans of mixed race are being rounded up and rendered sterile. Two sisters struggle over how to react – one yearns to fight, while the other copes. Their bond must be stronger than their differences if they are to overcome the horror of the Reich.
Heartbreak Pills,(USA) directed by Brendan Walsh is a light comedy about a woman who gets dumped by her boyfriend. Plagued by despair, she discovers a special pill that cures her broken heart yet causes some unexpected side effects.
Strain, Directed by Yin Chang. (USA)Childhood best friends hit emotional crossroads when only one is chosen to join the popular clique in high school. The friendship tries to survive, but on the night of the big Spring formal, loyalties are tested, ties are severed and friendships end with devastating consequences.
The Company, Directed by Kevin McDermott.(USA) Want to get away from it all? Ever dream of starting over in another town, another city or even another country? For a fee, an organization called The Company will provide you the documents necessary for your brand new life.
Sunday, April 28th
3:00 p.m. Local Films Package A
**SOLD OUT**
Run Time: 85 minutes
Tommy and Theresa, Islander Film, directed by Mark Stolzenberg. A wacky comedy about a man who will go to astonishingly great lengths to win back the woman he loves. The characters are a husband, a wife, a therapist and a film director. Starring local Actress, Judy Copeland.
Dear Danielle, Directed by Amy Lyn Howell. The life of Landon is influenced and calmed by writing letters to a little girl he met as a child.
Loose Ends, Directed by Donald Reynolds. Particular pairs of strangers attend a group therapy session, precariously unaware of what their stories have in common…
The Siren, Islander Film, directed by Laurie Neinhaus. A beautiful woman confronts the “other” whom she believes has played a part in the disappearance of her fiancé.
With These Hands, Islander Film, directed by John. G. Heim, raises awareness for the struggles at hand in the agriculture industry.
Killer 3D- Directed by Steve Vallo. An intense ride to the grittier side of life in the underworld. Two friends (a hitman and his dealer) have a deal going down…who will survive?
Miss Conception- Directed by Karl Bergstrom. A New York Art Gallery employee decides to steal from her boss and move across the country to start her own gallery. Her plan unravels during her journey to buy art in Florida with an assistant who discovers her plan.
3:00 p.m. Local Films Package B
**SOLD OUT**
Stuck, Directed by Mitch Glass. A young woman locks her keys inside of her car, which happens to be parked behind the only other two cars in the parking garage.
Gary, Directed by Mitch Glass. A lonely middle-aged man with a dead-end job tries to reconnect with his soon-to-be ex-wife Claire. He creates an elaborate, handwritten book of memories they share together, in hopes of persuading Claire to give him one more chance.
Lovers Key: A Journey Through Florida’s Carl E. Johnson State Park
Directed by John Bennett; Original music by Marc Vee.
A look at one of Florida’s most scenic state parks, filmed entirely on cell phones. Witness classic native plant and wildlife species found on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
The Right Friend, Directed by Gail Kowatch. Still numb from a painful loss, a woman has to make a decision that could have tragic repercussions. She has the assistance of two friends who offer her differing advice. Meanwhile, signs everywhere provide gentle guidance.
The Plan Has Changed, Directed by Ted Souppa and Dale Metz
A woman uses mental projection from the future to prevent the brutal assault of her younger self.
Love Letter, Directed by Taylor Hill
A boy buries a love letter in the sand.
6:00 p.m. People’s Choice Winner
6:00 p.m. Between Us Feature Film
Directed by Dan Mirvish
Starring Julia Stiles, Taye Diggs, Melissa George, David Harbour
In this darkly comedic drama, a newly married New York couple meets with old friends in their huge Midwestern home. Despite their wealth, the hosts are in a bitterly destructive marriage. A few years later, the couples reunite in New York, but the tables are turned as the young couple struggles with parenthood and finances, only to discover their old friends even more successful and much happier than before.