WINTER FILM AWARDS
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2021 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
WELCOME TO THE TENTH ANNUAL WINTER FILM AWARDS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL W i nte r F i l m A ward s Is N ew Yo r k City. Like t he cit y it self, we showcase t h e eclect ic d ivers it y a n d exc i tem ent of the i ndependent art s world. We are a n a l l vol unteer, m i nor i t y- and women-owned registered 501(c)3 n o n -p ro f it o rgan i zat io n founded i n 2011 i n New York Cit y by a group of filmmakers an d e nt h u sia st s . We recog ni ze exc el l enc e and diversit y in cinema, wit h a special emp h as is o n su p p o r t in g wom en a nd under- represented filmmakers and a focus on nurt uring e m e rgin g f i l m ma ke rs f rom a l l genres f rom around t he world. Our mission is to promote d ive rs it y, b r id ge t h e oppor tuni ty di vi de a nd prov ide a plat form for under-represented ar t ist s an d a var i et y o f genres, vi ewpoi nts a nd approaches. We believe t hat only by seein g o t h ers ’ sto r ie s can we understa nd ea c h ot her and only v ia an open door can t he und e r re p re se nted ar t i st enter the room .
#WFA2021
Fo r o u r 2 0 2 1 Prog ra m , Wi nter Fi lm A wards is proud to screen an o u t stan d i n g sel ec ti on of 91 f i l ms, including short s and feat ures, a ni m at io n , doc um enta r i es, com edies, romance, t hrillers, dramas, music v id e o s an d h o r ro r. F i l m ma kers com e f rom 28 count ries; 25% of t he films are made by f irst-t im e d ire c to rs , h al f a re c reated by women, 53% are created by or about people of co lo r. W inte r F i l m Awa rds i s l ed by George Isaacs (CEO & Founder), S teffanie F inn ( E xe cu t ive Di rec to r ) , Lesl ey Si ga l l ( Trea surer ), J oseph Mauceri and Vaughn Murphy. Wi nter Fi l m Awards is grateful for t he t ireless support of o u r te am : Fer na ndo C a m acho, Mao Hanada, Ky le Kankonde, Lillian Kre p p e l, Kenya M a c ha do, Dawn Mecca, Michael Murray, F ulden Kolo glu O n e r, Va s ht i Pe rs a ud, Jessi ca Peters, L i sa Wilf and Neal Williams.
THANK YOU
Th a n k yo u to Wi nter Fi l m Awa rds staff, volunteers, screeners, judges, writers, p an elist s , f r i en d s an d hel pers! T hi s event couldn’t happen wit hout our army of helpers ! An d f i n a l l y, tha nk you to our 80+ amazing sponsors, part ners and venues whos e s u p p o r t ma ke t h is event possi bl e. W inte r F il m Awa rds 2021 O ff i c i a l A rt work was designed by Cherise Lavah. Th i s p ro g ra m i s suppor ted, i n pa r t, by public funds from t he New York Cit y D e p ar t m ent o f C u l t u ral Affa i rs i n pa r tnershi p wit h t he Cit y Council. Winter F ilm A ward s is m ad e p o s s ib l e by t he New Yor k State C ouncil on t he Art s wit h t he support of Gover n o r Kat hy H o c h u l a n d the New Yor k State L egislat ure. Ti c ket s are $ 12.50/In Adva nc e, $16 .50/Door, $5/Door wit h S t udent ID. S creen in g b lo cks run 1 ½ to 2 ½ hours a nd i nc l ude a mix of short s and feat ure-lengt h films. Scre en in g b lo c ks in c lu de a 20 m i nute Q &A S ession wit h t he filmmakers. Ti c ket s can be purc ha sed at https://w fa2021.eventcombo.com
WWW.WINTERFILMAWARDS.COM PAGE 2
WINTER FILM AWARDS
KATHY HOCHUL
September 23 - October 2 2021 Dear Friends: It is a pleasure to send greetings to everyone gathered for the 10th Annual Winter Film Awards International Film Festival, celebrating the growing indie film community in the metropolitan region. Nowhere is the diversity of our population more visible than throughout the dynamic communities in and around New York City, with their richness of cultural and social settings. reflecting this energetic lifestyle are many artistic, entertainment, and social events, and Winter Film Awards proudly captures such wonderful creative spirit in welcoming the independent film community to this dynamic festival. This 10th annual festival highlights the vision of emerging indie filmmakers, notably providing a venue for women and minorities whose works are inspired by personal experiences and insightful stories, yet produced on low-cost budgets. The featured works of these filmmakers take on distinctive subjects and moving themes, with screenings of full-length productions, documentaries, and shorts that touch the hearts of audiences of all backgrounds. I applaud everyone involved in what promises to be another great event showcasing many powerful works from the independent film community. Warmest regards and best wishes for a very successful festival. Sincerely,
KATHY HOCHUL
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2021 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
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WINTER FILM AWARDS
WFA 2021 PATRON OF THE CINEMA Heather Buckley, film producer, writer, historian, dedicated preservationist and founder of inclusive film studio Black Mansion will receive the Winter Film Awards 2020 PATRON OF THE CINEMA AWARD at the Saturday, October 2 2021 Awards Ceremony as part of Winter Film Awards 10th Annual International Film Festival. The WFA Board of Directors is pleased to honor Heather Buckley for her work. She is a rare spirit whose passion for film led her from a career in advertising to become a dynamic force in the independent film community. She is a unique soul who provides her support and knowledge whenever she finds passionate independent filmmakers in need of assistance. Her passion and drive clearly embodies the qualifications of what makes a PATRON OF THE CINEMA.
WFA2021 FILMS
A Savannah Haunting (Sun Sep 26 6:00PM) A Wicked Eden (Sat Sep 25 4:45PM) Anacronte (Mon Sep 27 5:00PM / Mon Sep 27 3:00PM) Arachnarche (Sun Sep 26 1:00PM / Mon Sep 27 3:00PM) Baitullah (Mon Sep 27 5:00PM) Big Girl (Wed Sep 29 5:00PM / Tue Sep 28 3:10PM) Bottleneck (Sun Sep 26 3:30PM / Thu Sep 30 2:30PM) Care Package (Thu Sep 30 8:30PM / Tue Sep 28 3:10PM) Cell 364 (Sat Sep 25 2:25PM / Wed Sep 29 3:00PM) Cha (Tue Sep 28 8:30PM / Mon Sep 27 3:00PM) Cops Are(n’t) Colorblind (Sat Sep 25 9:30PM / Tue Sep 28 3:10PM) Cuckoo! (Fri Sep 24 9:15PM) Departure Song (Mon Sep 27 5:00PM) D-lemma: The Hard Truth (Mon Sep 27 5:00PM) Doria (Sun Sep 26 3:30PM / Thu Sep 30 2:30PM) Encounter (Thu Sep 30 5:00PM) Eulogy (Tue Sep 28 5:00PM) Folk Singers from Outer Space (Wed Sep 29 5:00PM) Fowl Crossing (Thu Sep 30 5:00PM / Mon Sep 27 3:00PM) Freedom (A New Jerusalem) (Tue Sep 28 5:00PM) Gay As In Happy (Sat Sep 25 12:00PM / Wed Sep 29 3:00PM) Gon, The Little Fox (Sat Sep 25 12:00PM / Mon Sep 27 3:00PM) Handscape (Fri Sep 24 6:30PM) Hansel (Sun Sep 26 6:00PM / Thu Sep 30 2:30PM) Hate crime (Sun Sep 26 3:30PM / Thu Sep 30 2:30PM) Hayelala - Getting Older (Thu Sep 30 5:00PM) Hear Me Out (Sat Sep 25 12:00PM / Wed Sep 29 3:00PM) Henet Ward (Tue Sep 28 5:00PM) High Flying Jade (Sat Sep 25 7:10PM / Wed Sep 29 3:00PM) Highland Home (Tue Sep 28 5:00PM) Home Time (Mon Sep 27 8:30PM) I Have No Home (Mon Sep 27 8:30PM) I’m An Electric Lampshade (Sat Sep 25 9:30PM) Innerverse (Fri Sep 24 6:30PM / Tue Sep 28 3:10PM) iScream Stories (Sun Sep 26 3:30PM / Thu Sep 30 2:30PM) Jesus Kid (Fri Sep 24 9:15PM) Kakatshat (Sun Sep 26 3:30PM / Thu Sep 30 2:30PM) Kintsugi (Mon Sep 27 5:00PM) Klondike (Wed Sep 29 5:00PM) Koreatown Ghost Story (Sun Sep 26 3:30PM / Thu Sep 30 2:30PM) Lancaster Park (Thu Sep 30 5:00PM) Last Call: The Shutdown of NYC Bars (Sat Sep 25 12:00PM) Looks Good On You (Sat Sep 25 2:25PM) MeTube: August Sings (Tue Sep 28 5:00PM) Mime (Sun Sep 26 3:30PM / Thu Sep 30 2:30PM) Mishou (Wed Sep 29 8:30PM / Mon Sep 27 3:00PM)
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Miss Alma Thomas (Sat Sep 25 2:25PM / Wed Sep 29 3:00PM) Mister Sister (Thu Sep 30 8:30PM) More Than Miyagi (Sat Sep 25 7:10PM) Musician (Fri Sep 24 9:15PM) My Mama, A Man (Sat Sep 25 2:25PM / Wed Sep 29 3:00PM) Names for Snow (Sat Sep 25 12:00PM / Wed Sep 29 3:00PM) Noisy (Mon Sep 27 8:30PM / Tue Sep 28 3:10PM) On/Off (Fri Sep 24 9:15PM / Mon Sep 27 3:00PM) Open the Earth (Sat Sep 25 4:45PM / Wed Sep 29 3:00PM) Pemmican (Sun Sep 26 1:00PM) Proxy (Wed Sep 29 5:00PM) Röckët Stähr’s Death of a Rockstar (Fri Sep 24 6:30PM) Sin Cielo (Wed Sep 29 5:00PM) Since August (Wed Sep 29 8:30PM) Skrzykot (Sun Sep 26 3:30PM / Thu Sep 30 2:30PM) Spirit Quest (Mon Sep 27 8:30PM) Stage V (Mon Sep 27 5:00PM) Stay (Fri Sep 24 9:15PM) Sticker (Sun Sep 26 1:00PM) Tag (Thu Sep 30 8:30PM / Mon Sep 27 3:00PM) The Badger (Sun Sep 26 1:00PM) The Camel Boy (Thu Sep 30 5:00PM) The Children of Allen Funt (Sun Sep 26 3:30PM / Thu Sep 30 2:30PM) The Evening Thread (Tue Sep 28 5:00PM / Mon Sep 27 3:00PM) The Life of Bella (Thu Sep 30 5:00PM) The Mark (Sun Sep 26 3:30PM / Tue Sep 28 3:10PM) The Narcissist (Wed Sep 29 5:00PM) The Puppet (Sun Sep 26 8:30PM) The Reckoning of Darkness (Sun Sep 26 8:30PM / Thu Sep 30 2:30PM) The Red Pad of Courage (Fri Sep 24 6:30PM / Mon Sep 27 3:00PM) The VV Vlog Ep. 2 “How to be a Feminist” (Tue Sep 28 5:00PM) The Welcome (Wed Sep 29 5:00PM / Tue Sep 28 3:10PM) The Winter (Wed Sep 29 5:00PM / Mon Sep 27 3:00PM) The Witches of Bushwick (Sun Sep 26 3:30PM / Tue Sep 28 3:10PM) The Wound (Fri Sep 24 6:30PM) This Beautiful Journey (Sat Sep 25 2:25PM) Throat Singing in Kangirsuk (Sat Sep 25 2:25PM / Wed Sep 29 3:00PM) Till The Petals Fall (Thu Sep 30 5:00PM) Touch (Tue Sep 28 8:30PM) TrainFish (Wed Sep 29 5:00PM) Two Little People (Mon Sep 27 5:00PM / Mon Sep 27 3:00PM) Unborn (Tue Sep 28 5:00PM) Who Got Balls: Jeffrey Cariaso (Tue Sep 28 5:00PM) Your Eyes are No Longer the Same (Thu Sep 30 5:00PM) You’re the Kinda Guy (Wed Sep 29 5:00PM)
2021 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
ABOUT THE FILMS HORROR
A SAVANNAH HAUNTING
UNITED STATES ENGLISH SUNDAY SEP 26 6:00PM-8:15PM
103 MINS
“A Savannah Haunting” centers around a family who moves to Savannah, Georgia to escape the memory of their young daughter’s tragic drowning. Once in their new home, the mother begins to experience chilling phenomena that lead her to believe she is being haunted by her dead daughter. But an old African American voodoo priestess with ties to the home’s slavery past warns there may be darker, more sinister forces dwelling beneath the house. The family is torn apart as the haunting turns each of them against the other. Will they discover what is inside their home before it’s too late? William Mark McCullough, part Native American, who works as an actor, director, writer and producer, has been directed by Academy Award winners and acted opposite many stars: Glenn Close in the Ron Howard drama “Hillbilly Elegy”; Tom Cruise in “American Made”; Channing Tatum in the Steven Soderbergh comedy “Logan Lucky”; and Mahershala Ali in “Free State Of Jones”. He earned his degrees from Mercer and American University. Mark and his partner, Alexis Nelson, founded Fort Argyle Films. Directed by William Mark McCullough Produced by Alexis Nelson
DOCUMENTARY
A WICKED EDEN
CANADA ENGLISH SATURDAY SEP 25 4:45PM-6:55PM
ANACRONTE
ANIMATED ARGENTINA ENGLISH 15 MINS MONDAY SEP 27 5:00PM-6:45PM / MONDAY SEP 27 3:00PM-4:45PM
Anacronte and the Sorcerers of Evil must fulfill their destiny by putting humanity’s happiness to test in a struggle that has each of us as winners and losers. Emiliano Sette is the scriptwriter of the series “The clown Plim Plim, a Hero of the Heart” aired by Disney Junior for 22 countries in Latin America, Discovery Familia USA, and Itay. He is the winner of the Martin Fierro 2012 Award for Best Children’s Cable Program. Raúl Koleris the director of the animated short film “Reflejos”, winner of the Infancias Awards. He is also the director, screenwriter and executive producer of “Anacronte”, a CGI 3D animated short film that has won more than 130 festivals and more than 350 selections worldwide. Directed by Emiliano Sette & Raúl Koler Produced by Emiliano Sette
ARACHNARCHE
ANIMATED UNITED KINGDOM ENGLISH 4 MINS SUNDAY SEP 26 1:00PM-3:15PM / MONDAY SEP 27 3:00PM-4:45PM
A doll faces her fears when a spider invades her dollhouse. However, something far more terrifying lies beneath the surface. Emma Jordan is a Washington-based stop-motion animator whose fascination in bringing the inanimate to life led her to study at Arts University Bournemouth, where she formed her crude and creepy style while living across the street from the grave of Mary Shelley. She believes that the best art is the kind that finds elegance and beauty within disturbing ideas, and hopes her work can achieve this effect one day. Directed by Emma Jordan Produced by Emma Jordan & Rebecca Jane Wood
96 MINS
Goddess Snow and her close friends Ceara Lynch, Princess Rene, Astro Domina, Princess Meggerz and Sarah DiAvola have built a supportive underground punk scene of fetish content creators, empowering each other, their clients, fans and the rest of the adult population to engage in the fight for a shamefree, consensual, and safe exploration of one’s sexuality. Dancing between the worlds of online fetish content creation, and in-person domination sessions, Goddess Alexandra Snow has built a thriving empire which supports the empowerment of women, sex workers, and anyone who has ever felt like a misfit. Naddine Madell is a producer, director and writer. She has produced or directed several short form projects: “Computer Potato” (2013), “Consolation Prize” (2014), “Who is Riley Oakes?” (2015), “The Parent Council” (2018), nominated for Best Web Series at the 2018 AMPIA awards, and “ageLESS” (forthcoming). As a writer she has been nominated for and won several screenwriting awards and works as an AD and Production Coordinator. “A Wicked Eden” is her feature-length film debut as a director and producer. Directed by Naddine Madell-Morgan Produced by Naddine Madell-Morgan
SHORT
BAITULLAH
INDIA HINDI MONDAY SEP 27 5:00PM-6:45PM
7 MINS
Millions of children are engaged in child labour in India, in an increasingly growing number every year. And with that, millions of childhood dreams are never realised as a result of a lack of education. “Baitullah” is the story of one such child, with a dream, surviving in the maddening metropolis of Mumbai waiting for someone to notice. Jitendra Rai has built an excellent reputation in the theatre community in Mumbai. He has worked extensively with NGOs that are related to children’s issues and is highly active in conducting theatre workshops with children. He has worked as an assistant director on films including “Stanley Ka Dabba”, “Hawaa Hawaai” (with Amol Gupte) and “Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola” (with Vishal Bhardwaj). Jitendra is a gifted visualizer and has written many films, of which “Baitullah” is very close to his heart. Directed by Jitendra Rai Produced by Jitendra Rai
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WINTER FILM AWARDS BIG GIRL
CELL 364
WEB SERIES UNITED STATES ENGLISH 8 MINS WEDNESDAY SEP 29 5:00PM-6:45PM / TUESDAY SEP 28 3:10PM-4:45PM
DOCUMENTARY FRANCE GERMAN 4 MINS SATURDAY SEP 25 2:25PM-4:30PM / WEDNESDAY SEP 29 3:00PM-4:45PM
This is not another goddamn, fat girl self-esteem journey. Katie is a plus-size woman who loves herself despite living in our diet-obsessed culture. In this stand-alone episode, an homage to Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin, shopping for a party dress becomes a hero’s journey of epic proportions for a plus-size woman in the city. “Big Girl” is Alyssa Cartee’s award-winning directorial debut. As a senior producer/editor on the creative team at Newsy, she recently produced the creative and promotional work for “A Broken Trust”, a documentary about the lack of justice for Native American sexual assault victims. She studied Journalism at Mizzou’s J-School and spent four years in commercial post production. Alyssa is a co-founder of Brazen NYC. Directed by Alyssa Cartee Produced by Elaine White & Alyssa Cartee
While Germany sits as one of the major democratic models, an ex-prisoner of the Stasi delivers from his former cell a frightening testimony that questions the sustainability of our contemporary democracies. After a master degree of cinema at Roma Tre and at the Sorbonne and INA in Paris, Mathilde Babo directed the two short films, “Même Pas Peur” and “After the Spring”. She has directed work for Arte and RTBF. The Swiss-Belgian filmmaker Zoé Rossion has directed several award-winning films and radio documentaries which have been selected in numerous festivals worldwide and broadcast on various tv/radio channels. Her work mainly deals with social and postcolonial issues. Directed by Zoé Rossion & Mathilde Babo Produced by Francois Morisset
BOTTLENECK
ANIMATED UNITED KINGDOM ENGLISH, PUNJABI 8 MINS TUESDAY SEP 28 8:30PM-10:30PM / MONDAY SEP 27 3:00PM-4:45PM
HORROR SWEDEN SWEDISH 8 MINS SUNDAY SEP 26 3:30PM-5:45PM / THURSDAY SEP 30 2:30PM-4:45PM
Three women are gathered for an act of vengeance. They spin a bottle to determine who should perform the deed. Their plan goes wrong and an unexpected threat appears. Måns Berthas was born in Sundsvall, a small town in Sweden. From his early years he had a strong interest in film, literature and music. He started to direct short films with a borrowed VHS camera. Måns has worked within different genres and he has directed a number of award-winning documentaries and shorts. In 2015, he directed “Champion”, which debuted at Göteborg Film Festival. He also directed “Bitchboy” and “Vila i frid (Rest in Peace)” 2016. “Bitchboy” had its world premiere at the Seattle International Film Festival in 2016 and was awarded with the Special Jury Mention. In 2017, Måns directed “A Swedish Classic” and in 2018 “Isle of Capri”. Bottleneck (2019) is his latest short work. Directed by Måns Berthas Produced by Måns Berthas
CARE PACKAGE
SHORT UNITED STATES ENGLISH 7 MINS THURSDAY SEP 30 8:30PM-10:45PM / TUESDAY SEP 28 3:10PM-4:45PM
In the midst of a global pandemic, a drag queen sends his ailing sister a surprising care package. M. Rowan Meyer is a NYC-based screenwriter/ producer. In 2020, his period pilot “Lemonlight” won Best Comedy at the Austin Film Festival, his religious pilot “Cloistered” received a staged reading at Sundance, his animated series “Chlora & Phyll” was optioned, and he released his self-produced medical pilot “Patient”. He was awarded ISA’s “Top 25 Screenwriters to Watch” in 2021. Rowan is currently In pre-production for his short comedy “Diving In” which received funding after winning the “Emerging Screenwriters Shoot Your Short” Grand Prize. Directed by M. Rowan Meyer Produced by M. Rowan Meyer
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CHA
Bibi is plagued by memories of the past, and her granddaughter Simran is starting to notice. In resolving to teach Simran how to make Cha, they are pulled into the past, to Bibi’s memories of one fateful day in Delhi, 1984. Gagandeep Kalirai is a director and animator who identifies as a member of the diaspora. After graduating in Animation from the University for the Creative Arts, Gagandeep went on to win the Limelight film award for Best Student Documentary for her animated short “Another Girl”. Passionate about combining animation and documentary, Gagandeep aims to bring light to issues within ethnic communities that the wider audience is rarely privy to. Directed by Gagandeep Kalirai Produced by James Bowsher
COPS ARE(N’T) COLORBLIND: CHANGING THE NYPD FROM THE INSIDE AND OUT
DOCUMENTARY UNITED STATES ENGLISH 23 MINS SATURDAY SEP 25 9:30PM-11:40PM / TUESDAY SEP 28 3:10PM-4:45PM
Racial profiling by police is a recurring problem in our society for people of color. Our documentary film shows two main characters, Demitrius and Niaja, who experienced racial profiling as young teenagers. Demitrius was followed, stopped and searched based on what he was wearing. While this experience affected Demitrius’ identity--how he dresses, walks and presents himself it also made him curious about black history and the roots of racial profiling. Cops Are(n’t) Colorblind was collectively directed, filmed, and edited by students in the Educational Video Center’s Youth Documentary Workshop. These students were Temis Anthony Cantos, Demitrius Doward, Nyla Cepeda, Laye (Dany) Diakite, Geordy (Geo) Eduardo Mejia, Niaja L. Nazario, Diana Pagan, Jhonatan St. Phard, Taliya Hughes, Mikey Rosa, Moesha Martinez, and Shaniya Fletcher. At the time of the making of the film, they attended high schools across New York City, including Cascades High School, Lower East Side Prep, City-As-School, Brownsville Academy, and Independence High School. Directed by Temis Cantos & Demitrius Doward Produced by Nyla Cepeda & Niaja Nazario
2021 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL SHORT
CUCKOO!
NETHERLANDS DUTCH FRIDAY SEP 24 9:15PM-11:50PM
8 MINS
DORIA
HORROR UNITED STATES ENGLISH 15 MINS SUNDAY SEP 26 3:30PM-5:45PM / THURSDAY SEP 30 2:30PM-4:45PM
Absurd comedy about a lonely man who lives inside a cuckoo clock. Every hour, he straps himself into his ejection seat and shoots through the doors of the clock. “Cuckoo!” he yells, “Cuckoo!” His work is of vital importance. The old lady who sits under the clock needs to take her medication exactly at the top of every hour. One day the man has the opportunity to win a substantial sum of money in a radio quiz. He loves gadgets and wants to buy a new computer. The only problem is that he can only dial in at the exact time he’s supposed to sit in his seat. Jörgen Scholtens is an actor and movie director. After five years of acting in different Dutch movies and television shows he gathered a film crew to make his first short movie. His film “Masterclass” was announced one of the best 48hour-films worldwide in 2018 and was screened at the Cannes Festival in 2019. In 2019, Jörgen made his first film with a fair budget. This resulted in the film “Cuckoo!”, which was selected in the Dutch Film Festival as one of the best debut films. Directed by Jörgen Scholtens Produced by Jörgen Scholtens & Jimmy Groeneveld
When Doria welcomes a familiar guest, she plunges into a struggle for her art and sanity. Danica Gabriele is a director, writer and actor who loves classic literature, history, weaving original stories and twisting familiar tales. She is set to complete her Master’s Degree in Text and Performance (a joint program at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and Birkbeck, University of London) this year.
Directed by Danica Gabriele Produced by Danica Gabriele
ENCOUNTER SHORT
DEPARTURE SONG MUSIC VIDEO
GA SETUBAL
BRAZIL PORTUGUESE MONDAY SEP 27 5:00PM-6:45PM
4 MINS
Ga Setubal is a singer, composer and and multiinstrument musician from São Paulo, Brazil. He was a member of the band Pitanga in Pé de Amora and worked with Trupe Chá de Boldo, O Terno, Garotas Suecas and Rafael Castro. This music video is his first single. Deco Farkas is an artist, animator and muralist from Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Directed by Deco Farkas Produced by Juka Tavares
SHORT
D-LEMMA: THE HARD TRUTH UNITED STATES ENGLISH MONDAY SEP 27 5:00PM-6:45PM
D-Lemma: The Hard Truth is a short mockumentary that flips the script on the male-dominated discussion on women’s healthcare. Tammy Hineline is a Marine Corps veteran and freelancer. She spent nine years in the USMC as a Combat Photographer/Videographer and has worked on multiple projects from small news packages to large productions featuring Medal of Honor Recipients and the Commandant of the Marine Corps. Her film work has gotten awards in several competitions including the GI Film Festival, Military Videographer of the Year, and from the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. Directed by Tammy Hineline Produced by Stephanie Kline
18 MINS
Araceli takes care of her lifetime partner Lulu. Julian, a teenager exploring his identity, lives under the watch of his conservative mother. A sudden event will draw an unexpected path between the old couple and Julian. Ivan Lowenberg has been a grant holder of the National Fund for Culture and the Arts twice, and won the Hubert Bals Fund to develop his debut film, “La castración” (2011), which later won Best Foreign Language Film at the Winter Film Awards in 2013. His last short film “Encounter” (2019), won at Morelia Films Fest, was nominated for the Mexican Academy Awards and qualified to be considered for the Oscars. He is currently post-producing his second feature film. Directed by Ivan Lowenberg Produced by Ivan Lowenberg & Ricardo Goria
SHORT
15 MINS
ENCUENTRO
MEXICO SPANISH THURSDAY SEP 30 5:00PM-6:45PM
EULOGY
UNITED KINGDOM ENGLISH TUESDAY SEP 28 5:00PM-6:45PM
6 MINS
Moments before his funeral, a father’s dark past threatens the fragile peace between two brothers. Mateo Willis is a BAFTA and Emmy award-winning filmmaker, working in documentaries, commercials and drama. His career began as a cinematographer on landmark documentary series including the BBC’s “Human Planet”, “Planet Earth 2 & Blue Planet 2” and “Our Planet” for Netflix. He transitioned into directing and has since made films for National Geographic and Netflix. He is based in the UK. “Eulogy” is Mateo’s first drama. Directed by Mateo Willis Produced by Basil Stephens & Fred Robinson
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WINTER FILM AWARDS FOLK SINGERS FROM OUTER SPACE
WFA FILM CHALLENG UNITED STATES ENGLISH WEDNESDAY SEP 29 5:00PM-6:45PM
6 MINS
GAY AS IN HAPPY: A QUEER ANTI-TRAGEDY
DOCUMENTARY CANADA ENGLISH 3 MINS SATURDAY SEP 25 12:00PM-2:10PM / WEDNESDAY SEP 29 3:00PM-4:45PM
A news bulletin ushers in an other-worldly hootenanny of toe-tapping, alien, feel-good fun. At least until the authorities learn the truth .... Made for the WFA 2021 14-Day Film Challenge Victor Hollingsworth is an award-winning character actor adept at both drama and comedy. Also a writer, director and producer, Hollingsworth heads up Speed Monkey Studios, a Nashville-based film and video production company.
An experimental autoethnographic documentary about queer joy, resistance, and resilience in the face of abuse, trauma, and transphobia. Jordana Valerie Allen-Shim is a Toronto-born, U.S.raised award-winning writer, director, and editor of Korean and Jewish descent whose work has been featured in over 115 film festivals around the globe. She is also a dog mom, She-Ra and ABBA superfan, and aspiring graphic novelist. Her life goal is to dismantle capitalism but she is also intent on telling bold, disruptive stories about queer women and non-binary people of color. Directed by Jordana Valerie Allen-Shim Produced by Jordana Valerie Allen-Shim
Directed by Victor Hollingsworth Produced by Victor Hollingsworth
FOWL CROSSING
ANIMATED CANADA ENGLISH 5 MINS THURSDAY SEP 30 5:00PM-6:45PM / MONDAY SEP 27 3:00PM-4:45PM
When colorful birds from all over the world land at the border crossing of a fictitious country, they get hit with a slew of insults by the two nasty vulture guards, and are denied entry. Prejudice is in the air. A comedic parody on a serious subject. Authenticity, humour and love are Nancy Snipper’s mantras. She’s led an eclectic life which is expressed in her art - acting, music and writing have converged at various times in her life. Nancy is a singersongwriter with 3 CDs, and has written a novel, a poetry short story collection and eight children’s books, including “Les 5 Sens en Folie” which won a Mr. Christie nomination. Directed by Nancy Snipper Produced by Nancy Snipper
FREEDOM (A NEW JERUSALEM)
MUSIC VIDEO UNITED KINGDOM ENGLISH TUESDAY SEP 28 5:00PM-6:45PM
When Gon, a playful orphaned fox, finds that young Hyoju has lost his mother, he tries to comfort him and make amends for his own earlier mischief by secretly bringing small gifts to the boy every day. But Hyoju doesn’t realize who is behind the anonymous gifts, and the two are headed for a heartbreaking climax. Takeshi Yashiro joined Taiyo Kikaku Co., Ltd., a Japanese TV-CM production, after graduating from Tokyo University of the Arts in 1993. He has worked as a director mainly for commercial films and is one of the top “stop motion” animation specialists. He not only directs but also creates the art and sets by himself. He especially likes creating hand-made, story-telling pieces. Directed by Takeshi Yashiro Produced by Masaaki Oikawa & Takanori Toyokawa & Toru Ishio
5 MINS
Freedom (A New Jerusalem) is a historical snapshot, showing how the killing of American George Floyd became a global movement and focus for the antiracism movement across the world. We see how the BLM sentiment has brought together all human beings, no matter their race, gender or nationality. Alan Coulson wrote two new Judge Dredd movies based on the 2000AD comic book character and has written novel adaptations and original screenplays for producers worldwide. He has directed over 30 music promos, as well as live events and short films and directed the slow motion sequences in the hugely successful film “Gone Fishing”. After directing his first feature film “Ashes”, he is now preparing his second feature “Forgotten” about a man trapped in a Kafkaesque nightmare. Directed by Alan Coulson Produced by Maria Ellis
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GON, THE LITTLE FOX
ANIMATED JAPAN JAPANESE 28 MINS SATURDAY SEP 25 12:00PM-2:10PM / MONDAY SEP 27 3:00PM-4:45PM
SHORT
HANDSCAPE
CHINA CHINESE, SIGN LANGUAGE FRIDAY SEP 24 6:30PM-9:00PM
19 MINS
Contemporary Shanghai, summer. Xia Qing, a boy who has been wearing hearing aids due to hearing loss, has a deep love for dancing. He gains so much joy just from copying Martha Graham’s hand gestures in a dance magazine. A kid with a precocious nature, he sometimes paints his pinky nail red just for that glimpse of beauty. Yet all these passionate pursuits are misunderstood and questioned by his single, deaf mother. Given the opportunity to audition for his favorite dance company once in a blue moon, he has no choice but to return to his body--He seeks his mother’s approval and longs to overcome this obscure self-identity crisis, through the silent language on his fingertips. Yiru Chen film director, poet. She graduated from NYU Tisch of School of the Arts with a major in Film and Television Production and minors in Psychology and American Sign Language. She is pursuing her master’s degree at Columbia University, Teachers College for Deaf/Hard of Hearing Education. Her films have a unique style and they always incorporate the explorations of humanity, culture, as well as the connections between the civil and universal emotions. Directed by Yiru Chen Produced by Kaiwen Chen
2021 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL HANSEL
HEAR ME OUT
HORROR GREECE MODERN GREEK 17 MINS SUNDAY SEP 26 6:00PM-8:15PM / THURSDAY SEP 30 2:30PM-4:45PM
DOCUMENTARY DENMARK ENGLISH 16 MINS SATURDAY SEP 25 12:00PM-2:10PM / WEDNESDAY SEP 29 3:00PM-4:45PM
A young boy is trapped in a Gingerbread House which hides a gloomy world underneath, while his mother is desperately trying to find the gate that will take him out of there. Vivian Papageorgiou has a degree in Cinema Studies from Athens University, a Master’s degree in Cinema from Nouvelle Sorbonne Paris III, Cinema Directing from Stavrakos Cinema School, English Literature from Aristotle University and Interior Design from Dimitrelis School of Arts. She is a Sarajevo Film Festival talent alumni (2016) and her script “Hansel” was at the Pitch. In 2018, her script “Lost & Found” won the Greek Film Academy Award. She is working at the University of Athens and is in script development of a feature documentary. Directed by Vivian Papageorgiou Produced by Mina Dreki
“Hear Me Out” is a short documentary about the Ghanaian community journalist Helen Udanbila, who manages a local radio programme which seeks to give a voice to the young girls and women in Saboba, Northen Ghana, Africa. The documentary is produced in collaboration with Ghana Friendship. Mathilde Brandi is a young Danish upcoming filmmaker with an immense eye for visual storytelling and an ambitious approach to documentary filmmaking on a budget. Together with a strong all-female production team, she has created “Hear Me Out” as a compelling short documentary that investigates how much we can change just by giving people an opportunity to use their voice. Mathilde Brandi has a degree in Film and Media studies from the University of Copenhagen. Directed by Mathilde Brok Brandi Produced by Sofie Dalhoff Saabye
HATE CRIME
DELITO DE ODIO
HORROR SPAIN SPANISH 6 MINS SUNDAY SEP 26 3:30PM-5:45PM / THURSDAY SEP 30 2:30PM-4:45PM
Sara has been captured by two neo nazis who hate her for being a lesbian. So, obviously, she is about to lose her temper. Pablo Vara is the writer and director of one of the segments of the feature film “Al Final Todos Mueren”, starring among others Manuela Vellés (“Caótica Ana”), Javier Botet (“Mamá”), Macarena Gómez (“Carne De Neón”) and Miguel Ángel Muñoz (“Al Salir De Clase”). He won the award for best webseries for Segunda clase and won the Calle 13 Award for his short film “Teen Wars”. Pablo is also known on the Internet for creating emblematic characters such as Captain Galaxy and Jack Peligro. Directed by Pablo Vara Produced by Pablo Vara
MUSIC VIDEO
HAYELALA - GETTING OLDER ISRAEL ENGLISH THURSDAY SEP 30 5:00PM-6:45PM
5 MINS
After finishing his mandatory military service, Matan Portnoy went backpacking for a year with his best friend, Roy Maayan. The pair travelled to India, Nepal, Burma and Thailand and fell in love with the landscapes, people and cultures encountered. Matan and Roy felt a deep need to translate their lifechanging experiences into a personal, visual creation and found no better way to do so than making a music video for the amazing band, Hayelala. The song describes exactly what they felt as they came back home - “Getting Older”. Matan Portnoy is a filmmaker based in Tel Aviv, Israel. In 2020, Matan graduated from the Screenwriters Program of the Sam Spiegel Film and Television School in Jerusalem. In 2018, Matan was hired by the IDF Spokesperson’s unit to direct a celebratory music video for Israel’s 70th Independence Day. The video hit 6 million views. “Entropy”, a narrative short written and directed by Matan was selected and screened in 15 festivals around the world and won awards in 5 festivals. Directed by Matan Portnoy & Roy Maayan Produced by Matan Portnoy & Roy Maayan
SHORT
HENET WARD
EGYPT ARABIC TUESDAY SEP 28 5:00PM-6:45PM
22 MINS
Halima, a Sudanese henna painter, goes to see Basma, a young Egyptian bride, to prepare her for her wedding. Under the eyes of her daughter Ward, the encounter between the two women grows from complicity to suddenly unveiled tensions. Morad is an Egyptian Filmmaker, born in 1988 in Cairo, Egypt. He studied film directing at Cinema Palace in 2008. He started his career as an assistant director and his last film as an assistant was Ayten Amin’s “Souad” which was selected in the official selection in Cannes Film Festival 2020. Morad began his directing career in 2019 when he wrote and directed his first short film “Henet Ward” that had its world premiere at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival. Directed by Morad Mostafa Produced by Yusuf Sawsan
HIGH FLYING JADE
DOCUMENTARY VIET NAM ENGLISH 22 MINS SATURDAY SEP 25 7:10PM-9:15PM / WEDNESDAY SEP 29 3:00PM-4:45PM
“High Flying Jade” is the true story of a bipolar woman from Los Angeles who moved to Vietnam and joined the circus in Ho Chi Minh City. In the US, Jade was an air traffic controller but repeated attempts at suicide culminated in hospitalization. She was eventually diagnosed and treated for bipolar disorder. Now, she tries to manage her unique brain chemistry with learned-mindfulness and focused aerial training. We meet her one week before the opening night of her first ever performance in a real, big top circus. Katherine Sweetman is an artist, filmmaker and media technologist with work distributed in major film festivals; broadcast on major TV outlets including Cox, Brighthouse Networks and Time Warner; shown in galleries and museums including The Getty Center, Los Angeles. Katherine has an MFA from the University of California, San Diego, and a second MFA in Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California. Directed by Katherine Sweetman Produced by Jayjit Dasgupta
PAGE 10
WINTER FILM AWARDS MUSIC VIDEO
HIGHLAND HOME
UNITED STATES ENGLISH TUESDAY SEP 28 5:00PM-6:45PM
5 MINS
A young girl exploring her family’s attic discovers a trunk filled with memories and a timeworn journal. As she opens the cover and begins to read about a long-ago romance, the girl is transported to another time and place, where the wonders depicted within evoke a musical tribute to one woman’s true love. Award-winning filmmaker Dan Schaefer makes his directorial narrative debut with “Highland Home”, a music video and short film based on an original song by Kurt Rosenberg, for which Schaefer also created the film’s story. Previously, Dan has directed several documentaries including popular sports doc “Mania”, about the Portland Trailblazers, and “Figaro! Living in the Moment of a Character”, about two music schools brought together for Amadeus Mozart’s comic opera. Directed by Dan Schaefer Produced by Zach Stevens & Brent Rogers
WEB SERIES
HOME TIME
UNITED KINGDOM ENGLISH MONDAY SEP 27 8:30PM-10:25PM
4 MINS
Made during the CV19 lockdown and commissioned by Multistory as part of their project “Stories in Isolation”, “Home Time” tells a child’s simple point of view during a congested and manic period. In the midst of a nationwide lockdown, a school-boy is just a boy. Now that school has been taken from him, his realisation of how much he loved his teachers, classmates and the routine arises and he poetically awaits the day he can return. Bhulla Beghal is an artist/filmmaker based in Birmingham, United Kingdom. His emerging style is a sense of fragility and delicacy which has been applied to social impact projects focusing on end-of-life care, domestic abuse, and in this case, the 2020 lockdown. Directed by Bhulla Beghal Produced by Bhulla Beghal
MUSIC VIDEO
I HAVE NO HOME
UKRAINE UKRAINIAN MONDAY SEP 27 8:30PM-10:25PM
3 MINS
This is the tale about a young boy who travels with his imaginary friends in search of a way home. Will he find a place to stay or is his journey really the meaning of life for him now? Volodymyr Vlasenko is a film director from Ukraine. He is a multi-disciplined visual artist using innovative technologies, techniques and tools to tell engaging and emotional stories. Among his audiovisual works are “Somewhere” (2013), “Story of R32” (2014) and “One Who Taught Us to Fly” (2016).
Directed by Volodymyr Vlasenko Produced by Volodymyr Vlasenko
I’M AN ELECTRIC LAMPSHADE
DOCUMENTARY
UNITED STATES ENGLISH SATURDAY SEP 25 9:30PM-11:40PM
96 MINS
“I’m an Electric Lampshade” is an offbeat, heartwarming portrait of the world’s least likely rock star. This documentary-narrative hybrid feature tells the story of Doug McCorkle, a buttoned-up, mildmannered corporate accountant who, after retiring at age 60, puts his marriage and life savings on the line to chase his wildest dream. Shot in the United States, Mexico & the Philippines, the film features a strong cast of undiscovered talent from across the globe. Like Sean Baker’s “Tangerine”, the cast is a menagerie of real people portraying versions of themselves, bringing an authenticity to the film that would be impossible to fake. The result is a mind-bending musical odyssey in the tradition of Stop Making Sense and Searching For Sugar Man. John Clayton Doyle is a multi-disciplinary artist known for his experimental use of movement, unconventional casting and meta storytelling. John’s work has been presented at The Brooklyn Museum, MassMoCa, Alvin Ailey Citibank Theater, Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater & Clemente Soto Velez to name just a few. John is the co-founder and Artistic Director of Harlem Dance Club, an arts organization that builds community by breaking down perceived barriers through the use of music, dance & visual arts. Directed by John Clayton Doyle Produced by Doug McCorkle & Jacob Krupnick
INNERVERSE
WEB SERIES UNITED STATES ENGLISH 10 MINS FRIDAY SEP 24 6:30PM-9:00PM / TUESDAY SEP 28 3:10PM-4:45PM
Innerverse presents various characters, and explores how their personal life experiences shape their belief systems and perception. Stacey Larkins is an award-winning filmmaker, writer and musician residing in the New York City Metropolitan area. She has shot, written, directed, composed music and edited short films that have played in numerous film festivals in the United States and internationally. Her films have been licensed by Shorts TV International and Aspire TV. She has also written work for theater that has been produced by theatrical production companies in New York City and the U.K. Directed by Stacey Larkins Produced by Stacey Larkins
ISCREAM STORIES: A COUPLE OF NIGHTMARES
HORROR PHILIPPINES ENGLISH, FILIPINO 6 MINS SUNDAY SEP 26 3:30PM-5:45PM / THURSDAY SEP 30 2:30PM-4:45PM
A couple on their anniversary freaks out when they both experience the same oddly vivid nightmare. Jules Katanyag is a writer, director, producer and a media entrepreneur. His first film, “Si Magdalola at ang mga Gago”, won the Jury Prize at the Cinemaone Film Festival. Some of his recent TV works were filmed during the pandemic. He is a co-owner of Digital Dreams Inc, which has produced films, series and short-form content such as the “iScream Stories”. He is usually developing concepts, writing and dreaming. Directed by Jules Katanyag Produced by Danzen Santos Katanyag & Aloy Adlawan
PAGE 11
2021 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL FEATURE
JESUS KID
BRAZIL PORTUGUESE FRIDAY SEP 24 9:15PM-11:50PM
88 MINS
KLONDIKE
WFA FILM CHALLENGE FRANCE ENGLISH WEDNESDAY SEP 29 5:00PM-6:45PM
Eugenio is a western writer experiencing difficulties. His most famous character, Jesus Kid, is getting bad sales. His salvation seems to appear when he is hired to write the script for a movie. Aly Muritiba was born in 1979. He graduated with a degree in History, specialist in Communication and Culture and studied Cinema. Aly is author of the short films “The Factory” (Oscar short list 2013), “Pátio” (Semaine de la Critique Cannes 2013) and “Tarântula” (Venice,2015). His feature films, “To My Beloved” (2015) and “Rust” (2018), have received several awards and were screened in many festivals, including Sundance and San Sebastian. Directed by Aly Muritiba Produced by Antonio Junior & Sergio Marone
HORROR CANADA INNU-AIMUN 8 MINS SUNDAY SEP 26 3:30PM-5:45PM / THURSDAY SEP 30 2:30PM-4:45PM
In 1829, while portaging, a young man abandons his kukum (grandmother). Years later, he and his son are camping by the haunted spot where she was abandoned. Eve Ringuette is from Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam, an Innu First Nations band government in Canada. She has previous film experience as a production director, but “Kakatshat” is her directorial debut. Eve wanted to use Innu references in a horror film.
Directed by Eve Ringuette Produced by Odile Joanette
KINTSUGI
GERMANY GERMAN MONDAY SEP 27 5:00PM-6:45PM
A gold digger is getting unexpected help to deal with thugs. Made for the Winter Film Awards 2021 14-Day Film Challenge. Nicolas Ellef learnt cinematography by himself. He made his first short-movie in 2011, at age 17. Today, he directed more than 40 short-films and 1 fulllength movie.
Directed by Nicolas Ellef Produced by Agnès Hoang
KOREATOWN GHOST STORY
KAKATSHAT
SHORT
7 MINS
HORROR UNITED STATES ENGLISH 15 MINS SUNDAY SEP 26 3:30PM-5:45PM / THURSDAY SEP 30 2:30PM-4:45PM
In this supernatural horror tale based on a Korean ritual starring Margaret Cho and Lyrica Okano, a woman entertains a macabre offer that would let her pursue her dreams, for better or for much much worse. Teddy Tenenbaum & Minsun Park are a team with combined experience in features and television. They have written separately and together, and currently write both as a team and as solo writers. They specialize in genre writing, including horror, thriller, and action, typically with a humorous edge. With Minsun’s background as an Asian-American woman born in Korea and Teddy’s experience as a White dude from Ohio, they cover a lot of bases. Directed by Minsun Park & Teddy Tenenbaum Produced by Minsun Park & Teddy Tenenbaum
25 MINS
Lea, a therapist specializing in the treatment of victims of sexual abuse, is unable to follow her own methods after she herself suffers an assault and plunges into the abyss of her own psyche. It is a journey through the inner realm of a violated woman, where reality and fiction, truth and dream intertwine. Born in the Soviet Union, Nadja Bobyleva moved to Germany at the age of nine. For the past twenty years, she has worked as an actress in film and television around the world. She made her directing debut with “Father. Mother. Me”, in 2017. Her latest film “Kintsugi” was screened at numerous international festivals and received awards, including Best Director and Best Short Film Drama. Directed by Nadja Bobyleva & Konstantin Schraps Produced by Nadja Bobyleva & Konstantin Schraps
SHORT
LANCASTER PARK
UNITED STATES ENGLISH THURSDAY SEP 30 5:00PM-6:45PM
17 MINS
On the fringes of society, in an end of the road trailer park, a single mother assumes the worst of her daughter. After destroying what she believes to be incriminating evidence, she becomes lost in the desert where she learns that not everyone is as they seem. Lynda Reiss is an award-winning short film director. Born in New York and raised in the UK, she has travelled the world, been a nanny for the elite, a Prop House owner, and a single mom. After a successful career as a Prop Master on projects such as “American Beauty”, “True Detective” and “Stranger Things” she made her first short, “Ready To Go”. Lynda is a fellow of the Sony Pictures Directors Program, and is who you want standing next to you when you are shooting in some crappy alley at three in the morning. Directed by Lynda Reiss Produced by Lynda Reiss & Ashley Hillis
PAGE 12
WINTER FILM AWARDS LAST CALL: THE SHUTDOWN OF NYC BARS
DOCUMENTARY
UNITED STATES ENGLISH SATURDAY SEP 25 12:00PM-2:10PM
59 MINS
A small tavern in Queens, New York becomes the meeting spot for young hopefuls who move to NYC in pursuit of their dreams, forming a bond of friendship and building a neighborhood community spot likened to “Cheers”. Everything changes as COVID-19 transforms Queens into a major hotspot in the global pandemic; Sparrow Tavern is closed and its staff are among the tens of thousands of service workers laid off across the city. Observing strict COVID protocols and using remotely operated cameras, director Johnny Sweet creates a powerful testimonial that documents the psychological impact of COVID-19 on a group of young adults working in the hospitality industry, as well as the healthcare workers tirelessly fighting the virus on the frontline. Born and raised in NYC, Johnny Sweet was recently nominated for an Emmy for Best Long Sports Documentary for “Quiet Storm: The Ron Artest Story”. Sweet was an Emmy Award winning feature producer at ESPN for 10 years and in 2016, Sweet directed his first long form documentary, “Vick” which won the Associated Press Sports Editor Award for journalism, his second APSE award. His second film, “Quiet Storm”, a documentary about the life of Ron Artest, was released in 2019 on Showtime. Directed by Johnny Sweet Produced by Bryan TwZ Brousseau & Lisa Edward
LOOKS GOOD ON YOU
MUSIC VIDEO
DENMARK ENGLISH SATURDAY SEP 25 2:25PM-4:30PM
3 MINS
A singer’s flashback of a love story from when he was 18 years old. He daydreams about how his love got dressed up before their date and suddenly she is there. This project is made by students from Nextkbh FTP HF1 Autumn 2021. They made this music video in cooporation with singer Ronni Garner as their final school project.
MIME
HORROR NETHERLANDS DUTCH 7 MINS SUNDAY SEP 26 3:30PM-5:45PM / THURSDAY SEP 30 2:30PM-4:45PM
A dimension-shifting mime player is disturbed in his peace by a student fraternity. His response is unexpected: by using the fourth wall, he turns their world on its head; literally. However, his powers are useless to achieve romance. Ruwan Heggelman started making short films after experiencing the amazing “Shaun of the Dead” way back in 2004. At the age of 13, he finished his first zombie film and his journey to become a film director had started. “Mime” serves as a pilot for a full-fledged (web) series or feature film. Heggelman and his team are currently looking for parties to collaborate with. Directed by Ruwan Heggelman Produced by Marijn Van Der Ploeg
MISHOU
ANIMATED GERMANY ENGLISH 8 MINS WEDNESDAY SEP 29 8:30PM-10:35PM / MONDAY SEP 27 3:00PM-4:45PM
The lives of four lively Arctic hares take a turn after discovering a strange new creature Milen Vitanov was born in Prague, raised in Sofia Bulgaria and graduated in Animation from the University of Film and Television HFF Konrad Wolf in Germany in 2007. His shorts have been selected by many international festivals and have received numerous prestigious awards. Together with a group of fellow graduates and friends, he co-founded the Talking Animals Animation Studio in Berlin.
Directed by Milen Vitanov Produced by Milen Vitanov & Vesela Kazakova
MISS ALMA THOMAS: A LIFE IN COLOR
DOCUMENTARY UNITED STATES ENGLISH 20 MINS SATURDAY SEP 25 2:25PM-4:30PM / WEDNESDAY SEP 29 3:00PM-4:45PM
Directed by Nextkbh FTP & Ronni Garner Produced by Nextkbh FTP & Ronni Garner
METUBE: AUGUST SINGS ‘UNA FURTIVA LAGRIMA’
MUSIC VIDEO
AUSTRIA ITALIAN TUESDAY SEP 28 5:00PM-6:45PM
8 MINS
The third part of the internationally award-winning MeTube short film series. This time the intergalactic music nerds August and Elfi conquer the opera stage and orchestrate their final adventure in an opulent manner. Daniel Moshel was born in Germany and currently lives as a writer/director in Vienna. “Login2Life” (2011) was his first feature-length documentary, which premiered on the German ZDF broadcast station and a successful festival circuit. He is one of 4 directors creating the 2014 ZDF TV-show named “House of Love”. Directed by Daniel Moshel Produced by Daniel Moshel & Eugen Klim
PAGE 13
Alma W. Thomas broke color barriers on and off the canvas, yet did not receive national attention until she was 80. Born a generation after slavery, Alma Woodsey Thomas grew up in the South, in a home where education was a priority. At 16, with racial tensions high and no further schooling options, her family moved to Washington, DC, where she started her incredible life of firsts: the first Fine Arts graduate from Howard University (1924), the first African-American Woman to mount a solo show at the Whitney Museum of American Art (1972), and the first African-American woman to exhibit her paintings in the White House (2009). Cheri Gaulke is a pioneer in the feminist art movement in Los Angeles. Her work has been presented in film festivals internationally, in galleries and museums, and alternative settings including buses, churches, and prehistoric temples. Initially known as a performance artist, her work addresses themes such as the body, religion, sexual identity, and the environment. Directed by Cheri Gaulke Produced by Jon Gann
2021 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL MISTER SISTER
FEATURE
CANADA ENGLISH THURSDAY SEP 30 8:30PM-10:45PM
109 MINS
A suicidal man from Milwaukee is given a second chance at life in NYC, working as a drag MC while learning courage from the caring LGBTQ+ community in order to pursue his dreams, including a relationship with a tap-dancing single mom. Mars Roberge is a Canadian-American dual citizen filmmaker, born in Toronto and living in Los Angeles. A film production graduate of York University, Mars is a multi-award-winning director, producer, screenwriter and editor, known for his narrative feature “Scumbag” (2017), feature documentary “The Little House That Could” (2013) while also exhibiting work at galleries in Beverly Hills (Sur Le Mur), Harlem (Chashama) and Tokyo (ARS) alongside Keith Haring, Lincoln Townley and Grace Jones. Directed by Mars Roberge Produced by Mars Roberge & Kenneth Shaw
DOCUMENTARY
MORE THAN MIYAGI
UNITED STATES ENGLISH SATURDAY SEP 25 7:10PM-9:15PM
89 MINS
The Oscar-nominated actor, best known for his role of Mr. Miyagi, left behind a painfully revealing autobiographical record of his much-too-brief time here on earth. “More Than Miyagi” traces his journey from being bed-bound as a boy to the bright lights and discrimination of Hollywood. Deep inside that sweet, generous, multi-talented performer seethed an army of demons that even alcohol and drugs couldn’t mask. Kevin Derek attended Columbia College in Hollywood, earning a BA in Motion Pictures and has studied under the tutelage of some of the best in the business. He has extensive experience in the movie industry both as a producer, director, and editor and is a two-time TELLY Award Winner. Kevin has dedicated his life to the art of karate and holds a black belt in three different styles. Directed by Kevin Derek Produced by Oscar Alvarez
NAVAZNDEH
IRAN PERSIAN FRIDAY SEP 24 9:15PM-11:50PM
NAMES FOR SNOW
DOCUMENTARY CANADA INUKTITUT 6 MINS SATURDAY SEP 25 12:00PM-2:10PM / WEDNESDAY SEP 29 3:00PM-4:45PM
This short follows Rebecca Thomassie, an Inuk woman, around Kangirsuk as she learns the 52 Inuktitut words for snow. Rebecca Thomassie is an Inuk of Kangirsuk, in Nunavik Canada. She participated in Wapikoni workshops to document traditional knowledge of the different ways to name the snow, and taught them to her daughter to ensure the sustainability of her culture.
Directed by Rebecca Thomassie Produced by Odile Joanette
SHORT UNITED STATES ENGLISH 10 MINS MONDAY SEP 27 8:30PM-10:25PM / TUESDAY SEP 28 3:10PM-4:45PM 20 MINS
Mahmoud is a very very short man, just one meter tall, who wishes to play a two meter tall instrument like a Contrabass. He finds he cannot reach until ... Mohsen Mehri Darouei is a filmmaking student and “Musician” is his second film.
Directed by Mohsen Mehri Darouei Produced by Mohammad Hassan Mortazavi
“My Mama, A Man” is a short documentary about Julie Middleton and her desire to spend a day as a man. When Julie was a child she was desperate to be a boy, when she hit adolescence she felt she lost that boy inside of her. Now Julie is approaching her 60th birthday and she has made a list of 60 things she wants to do, and right near the top of that list is to be a man for a day. Director Helena Middleton’s award-winning debut short film “Kin” had its international premiere at Palm Springs International Film Festival and won the city prize at the Festival du Court-Metrage. Her second short “My Mama, A Man”, screened at BFI Flare Festival 2020 She most recently directed a trio of music videos for singer/songwriter Sam Brookes. Helena is also a freelance theatre director and founding member of internationally acclaimed theatre company The Wardrobe Ensemble. Directed by Helena Middleton Produced by Rosanagh Griffiths & Edythe Wooley
NOISY
MUSICIAN
SHORT
MY MAMA, A MAN
DOCUMENTARY U NITED KINGDOM ENGLISH 9 MINS SATURDAY SEP 25 2:25PM-4:30PM / WEDNESDAY SEP 29 3:00PM-4:45PM
Sam gets on the subway to get home. He catches the eye of April. The two of them discover they have way more in common than where they’re heading. Sometimes you need a noisy place to have a quiet conversation. Cedric Hill has won multiple honors and distinctions as a writer, director, and producer of both film and theatre including the shortlist for the 2016 Academy Awards for short film. In 2005, he founded To & Fro Productions, a film company dedicated to telling gripping stories with depth and sophistication. As executive producer of To and Fro Productions, he wears many hats - from developing scripts, creating budgets and casting to writing, engineering production strategy, and directing. Directed by Cedric Hill Produced by Pandora Scooter & Daniel Phillips
PAGE 14
WINTER FILM AWARDS ON/OFF
ANIMATED ARGENTINA ENGLISH 7 MINS FRIDAY SEP 24 9:15PM-11:50PM / MONDAY SEP 27 3:00PM-4:45PM
Endless distractions threaten to destroy creativity. Nicolas Villarreal is an award-winning animator who was born an raised in Argentina. He has worked for several Animation studios including Walt Disney, Sega and PlayStation. His films “Nieta”, “Pasteurized”, “The House of Colors” and “Things are Looking Up” have all being awarded. He is currently working on his first feature film “The Aces”.
Directed by Nicolas P. Villarreal Produced by Nicolas P. Villarreal
OPEN THE EARTH ABRIR LA TIERRA
DOCUMENTARY MEXICO SPANISH 19 MINS SATURDAY SEP 25 4:45PM-6:55PM / WEDNESDAY SEP 29 3:00PM-4:45PM
On December 11, 2013, Víctor Álvarez Damián and other young men were arrested amid a joint security operation led by the local police of Veracruz, Mexico. Their whereabouts remain unknown to this day. Perla, Víctor‘s mother, has been looking for him since then. “Open the Earth” portrays her painful and tireless fight to access truth and justice. Alejandro Zuno graduated from the Film School of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. He won the ARIEL-Mexican Academy Award for best fiction short film and many other prizes with his film “Oasis”. His first feature film “Newborn” will combine the topics he has addressed before: gender identity and sexual diversity. Directed by Alejandro Zuno Produced by Jérémy Renaux
MUSIC VIDEO
PEMMICAN
FRANCE FRENCH SUNDAY SEP 26 1:00PM-3:15PM
UNITED STATES ENGLISH WEDNESDAY SEP 29 5:00PM-6:45PM
12 MINS
“Proxy” is a sci-fi drama short set in the not too distant future. In a world where people hire “Proxys”- humans trained in the fine art of standing in for a lost loved one, a family member that has passed, a husband or wife that left, or an estranged daughter or son - Victoria tries to navigate the life of being one of the highest in demand proxies in the city while at the same time struggling with her own demons. This short explores the delicate state that is the human condition and the attempt to find succor in a time where rent-a-humans abound. Sophia Banks is an award-winning director, who shot her debut feature,”Black Site”, an action thriller starring Jason Clarke, Michelle Monaghan and Jai Courtney in Australia’s Gold Coast, in February 2021. Banks’ debut sci-fi short,”Unregistered”, starring Dylan Penn and Trevor Jackson, premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival and she has recently partnered with Anonymous Content to produce her latest short film for television. Directed by Sophia Banks Produced by Jessica Bradham & David O’Donnell
RÖCKËT STÄHR’S DEATH OF A ROCKSTAR
ANIMATED
UNITED STATES ENGLISH FRIDAY SEP 24 6:30PM-9:00PM
92 MINS
In the year 2164, when rock ‘n roll is banned, a group of underground rebels, led by a mad scientist, attempt to start a non-violent revolution by waking up the docile masses via a cloned rockstar sent on a guerrilla tour to “rock n roll them free from the tyranny”. But they soon find out, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. Röckët Stähr is a singer/songwriter/composer/ pianist/guitarist/bassist living in Brooklyn, NY. “Röckët Stähr’s Death of a Rockstar” is his first feature film which he wrote, performed most of the parts for, and spent 8 years animating entirely on his own, having never previously animated anything in his life. The entire project took 13 years to complete, and is the world’s first feature-length animated rock opera. Directed by Röckët Stähr Produced by Röckët Stähr
4 MINS
An old school-style video game character, with the face of Gaël Faye, assaulted by existential questions, is on a quest for meaning. He begins an in-depth and psychedelic journey through a destructive and genesis virtual scenery, the character’s quest makes us question our relationship with the world, our humanity, our obsolescence, our future. Kelzang Ravach spent his first 11 years without his parents, alone in the wild with 60 other children, in a research laboratory working on the super-saïen human capacities. And his name is Kelzang. For him, reality and fiction are two worlds that always share a bond. He created Temple Caché with Marion Castera in 2018, a company and place where he can create stories mixing strange things, reality, life and sci-fi, absurd and poetry. Directed by Kelzang Ravach Produced by Temple Cache
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PROXY
HORROR
SHORT
SIN CIELO
UNITED STATES SPANISH WEDNESDAY SEP 29 5:00PM-6:45PM
25 MINS
In the U.S.-Mexico borderlands, two teenagers pursue young love in a region where violence may be inescapable. Jianna Maarten Saada got her degrees in Storytelling as a Director at the American Film Institute’s Conservatory program as well as Columbia’s prestigious Creative Writing program. Maarten Saada was nominated by the Atlanta Film Festival as Filmmaker to Watch. She enjoys building complex multi-layered worlds firmly rooted in reality by way of the characters who inhabit them. She resides in Los Angeles with her Poochon Atticus. Directed by Jianna Maarten Saada Produced by Daria Suvorova & Salaud Morisette
2021 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL FEATURE
SINCE AUGUST
UNITED STATES ASL, ENGLISH WEDNESDAY SEP 29 8:30PM-10:35PM
103 MINS
A young recovering drug addict confronts her demons by befriending the grief-stricken deaf mother she mysteriously spies on, but instead forges a much deeper friendship than she ever anticipated - one built upon the shared trauma of the women’s pasts. Told in ASL and shot on a DSLR camera, “Since August” is a uniquely intimate story of healing and redemption that bears witness to the power of visual storytelling. The film showcases a diverse cast and crew of international women with the representation of a deaf actress in the role of Vedette. Diana Zuros comes from a photography background and perceives filmmaking as a visual storytelling vehicle - the fewer words used to convey an idea, the better. Her first feature film “Since August” told in ASL is the proof. Diana is fascinated by an illusion of contrasts that life has to offer and strongly believes that our mission as humans is to bring together and unite the two extremes of the spectrum. She’s written and directed experimental short films, theater productions, PSAs. Directed by Diana Zuros Produced by Diana Zuros & Levan Zuroshvili & Nino D. Gordeli
SHORT
STAY
HORROR GERMANY ENGLISH 3 MINS SUNDAY SEP 26 3:30PM-5:45PM / THURSDAY SEP 30 2:30PM-4:45PM
Something disturbing is brewing out there. Strange figures appear. They are gathering. What do they want? Is it a menace or is it the salvation? The rise of the grouse king begins. Natalie Plaskura has a diploma in photodesign studies and studies directing and cinematography (MA). Her short films “Intrusion” (2012) and “Faint” (2014) went to several film festivals around the globe.
SPIRIT QUEST
UNITED STATES ENGLISH MONDAY SEP 27 8:30PM-10:25PM
Old friends Tip and Brent go on a hallucinogenic mushroom trip through the desert to face their fears, doubts, and failures in hopes of coming to enlightenment... even if that just means learning how to change a tire. As a filmmaker in Los Angeles, Brent Lydic has directed and produced digital content with over a half billion views. He has launched several successful series including “Man at Arms:Reforged”, “Super-Fan Builds” and “Interns of F.I.E.L.D”. This is his first feature film.
21 MINS
Directed by Maria Winther Olsen Produced by Maria Winther Olsen
SHORT
87 MINS
VER HER
FAROE ISLANDS FAROESE FRIDAY SEP 24 9:15PM-11:50PM
STAY is a short film depicting two people going their separate ways. A story about connecting while departing. About loneliness in togetherness. A love story about sharing, taking, losing, wanting and not wanting one another. Selection of previous works: “HAS#TAG”, Faroese documentary-series; “NINA”, 2018, Faroese-Danish Feature Film; “Sum Einglar Vit Falla”, 2014, FaroeseDanish Short Film
SKRZYKOT
FEATURE
18 MINS
Lydia attends a bereavement group for people who have lost a loved one to cancer. As she hears the different stories of loss around the group and how grief has manifested itself in so many different ways, she is triggered to remember different memories during her father’s illness where each stage of grief affected her own life. Phoebe Garcia Pearl is an LA native. She attended The Boston Conservatory majoring in dance but left to became a Radio City Rockette at the age of 19. Since leaving the company in 2016, she has redirected her career to focus on acting and directing in TV and Film. She wrote “Stage V” to pay respect to her father’s memory and also to create a piece of art that people far and wide can relate to. Directed by Phoebe Garcia Pearl Produced by Leeann Ortiz & Phoebe Garcia Pearl
SHORT
Directed by Natalie Plaskura Produced by Natalie Plaskura
STAGE V
UNITED STATES ENGLISH MONDAY SEP 27 5:00PM-6:45PM
STICKER
MACEDONIA MACEDONIAN SUNDAY SEP 26 1:00PM-3:15PM
18 MINS
After an unsuccessful attempt to renew his car registration, Dejan falls in a bureaucratic trap that tests his determination to be a responsible father. Georgi M. Unkovski was born in New York City in 1988 , after which he spent most of his youth in Macedonia. At the age of 22, he graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology - Eastman’s School of Photography, with a degree in Fine Arts. Shortly after his graduation he moved to the Czech Republic to pursue his passion in film making and enrolled in the post-graduate program at renowned university of FAMU in Prague. Directed by Georgi M. Unkovski Produced by Ivan Unkovski
Directed by Brent Lydic Produced by Brent Lydic & Tip Scarry
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WINTER FILM AWARDS TAG
ANIMATED UNITED STATES ENGLISH 5 MINS THURSDAY SEP 30 8:30PM-10:45PM / MONDAY SEP 27 3:00PM-4:45PM
This story is a sarcasm to today’s society. This is a made up world, representing the stereotypes or tags of everyone, all labeled with different tags since birth including gender, body shame, social class, student score and job stereotype. People are tagged by others while they tag others in turn and are defined by these tags and hide their true selves. Ziyi Wang is a New York-based Artist and Filmmaker. She is currently working at Baidu as animation designer and SFK as part-time portfolio instructor. She graduated from SVA BFA animation(2021), and is going to Columbia university for graduate study. Her works have been recognized and screened in numerous awards and festivals worldwide. She also participated in multiple animation and game projects. Ziyi strives to create eye-catching dynamic pieces. Directed by Ziyi Wang Produced by Ziyi Wang
THE CHILDREN OF ALLEN FUNT
HORROR SPAIN SPANISH 18 MINS SUNDAY SEP 26 3:30PM-5:45PM / THURSDAY SEP 30 2:30PM-4:45PM
Within the walls of a white room, five people live in confinement. Every day, they are forced to participate in a vote that will allow the winner to achieve the promised reward of going outside. One of them will have the opportunity to achieve it. David del Río Teixeira and Miguel Varela Vazquez are first time directors.
Directed by David del Río Teixeira & Miguel Varela Vazquez Produced by Gente Mala Films & -
THE EVENING THREAD
ANIMATED CANADA ENGLISH 10 MINS TUESDAY SEP 28 5:00PM-6:45PM / MONDAY SEP 27 3:00PM-4:45PM
An old woman prepares to die. Accompanied by her granddaughter, she reflects on the memories of her life, and on the profound experience of being human, before taking the next step into the unknown. Iris Moore is an artist and animator based in Victoria, British Columbia. Primarily a visual artist, she uses stop motion animation to tell fantastical stories that turn an eye inward on psychological and emotional exploration. Her animations are made using watercolor and paper cut-outs, and are created entirely by hand. She has been featured in over 80 film festivals worldwide and has one 11 awards. Directed by Iris Moore Produced by Iris Moore
THE BADGER FEATURE
GOORKAN
IRAN PERSIAN SUNDAY SEP 26 1:00PM-3:15PM
94 MINS
Right before Soodeh Sharifzadegan’s second marriage, her 11-year-old son, Matiar is kidnapped. After considerable effort, Soodeh is forced to ask for the ransom money from her ex-husband. After Matiar’s release, Soodeh, being curious, comes to the sudden realization that it was all her son’s plan to provide the grounds for his father’s return. Kazem Mollaie started filmmaking with short films in 1999. He holds a B.A. in Cinema Directing from Soore University of Tehran. Mollaie is a member of several organizations including the Iranian Young Cinema Society (IYCS), the Iranian Alliance of Motion Picture Guilds (Khaneh Cinema), the Board of Directors of the Iranian Short Film Association (ISFA) and the Directors Guild of Iran. Directed by Kazem Mollaie Produced by Sina Saeidian
THE CAMEL BOY
SHORT
L’ENFANT CHAMEAU
FRANCE PERSIAN THURSDAY SEP 30 5:00PM-6:45PM
15 MINS
Somewhere in the desert, a little boy is plunged by force into an intimidating and completely foreign new world: the world of camel racing. Will the distant hope of seeing his mother again give him the strength to overcome his fears and find his place in this hostile environment? Chabname Zariâb was 7 when she emigrated to France from Kabul Afghanistan with her parents. She grew up in a very literary family and studied law in Paris, then real estate before becoming an expert in building damage. In 2011, she published her first novel, “The Afghan Pianist”, winner of several literary prizes. She then turned to writing documentary screenplays. Directed by Chabname Zariâb Produced by Bien Ou Bien Productions
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THE LIFE OF BELLA SHORT
RAUNIR BELLU
ICELAND ICELANDIC THURSDAY SEP 30 5:00PM-6:45PM
16 MINS
Bella is a struggling writer who gets a job assisting an elderly lady. She soon discovers that this job is a lot harder than she thought. Will she give up or gain a new perspective on life? Anna Karen Eyjólfsdóttir (also known as Anna Karen Knight) is a first time director. She studied acting in New York in 2015 and has tried to put herself out there as an actress. She studied directing and screenwriting in Iceland; to open up more opportunities , she wrote, produced, co-directed, starred and edited “The Life of Bella”. She still pursues acting but continues to write screenplays for herself until she gets her big break. Directed by Andri Már Enoksson & Anna Karen Knight Produced by Anna Karen Eyjólfsdóttir & Ármann Bernharð Ingunnarsson
2021 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL THE MARK
THE RECKONING OF DARKNESS
HORROR UNITED STATES ENGLISH, JAPANESE 15 MINS SUNDAY SEP 26 3:30PM-5:45PM / TUESDAY SEP 28 3:10PM-4:45PM
HORROR UNITED STATES ENGLISH 27 MINS SUNDAY SEP 26 8:30PM-11:10PM / THURSDAY SEP 30 2:30PM-4:45PM
A young single mother struggles against ominous forces, whom she believes are bent on taking her infant daughter. This chilling female-driven narrative stars three phenomenal women from the de facto Netflix Ensemble, Catherine Curtin (“Stranger Things”, “Orange is the New Black”), Kana Hatakeyama (“Orange is the New Black”, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”) and Maho Honda (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”, “Maniac”). Devin E. Haqq is an IFP alumni and a Semi-Finalist for the HBOAccess 2020 Directing Fellowship. He directed the feature film “Ambition’s Debt”, which won the 2017 Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature at the prestigious American Black Film Festival (ABFF) and the 2018 Paul Robeson Award-Honorable Mention at the Newark Black Film Festival. He recently produced the short film “Cupids”, which had its world premiere at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival as part of the 8:46 Films Initiative. Directed by Devin Haqq Produced by Korey Jackson
The Year 1818: Set on a remote island at the extreme north of the British Isles, a mysterious man named Victor washes ashore, seemingly the sole survivor of a shipwreck. He is restored to health by the local inhabitants but guards the secrets of his haunted past and of an evil which has found its way to this remote world, hell-bent on vengeance. So starts the dramatic and violent chain of events in which the tale of Victor’s sinister experiments gradually emerges. Cinematized at an early age, Christopher has worked steadily in the motion picture business since moving to Los Angeles in 1987. He secured his first job with legendary visual effects pioneer Douglas Trumbull, and has contracted his varied abilities with over 100 production companies and producers, often working as a post-production supervisor, director, writer and editor. His vast experience has allowed his skills and imagination to become cinematic reality. Directed by Christopher Kulikowski Produced by John Paul Pettinato & Christopher Kulikowski
THE NARCISSIST
MUSIC VIDEO UNITED STATES ENGLISH WEDNESDAY SEP 29 5:00PM-6:45PM
Official music video for “The Narcissist” by Brady Watt, Westside Gunn and DJ Premier. Concept and animation inspired by the lyrics. A narcissist experiences life and death through his various incarnations. Jim Warren is a musician and animator living in Lowell, Massachusetts. In addition to film work, he plays in the bands Inspector 34, Squash, and Dad Doxxxer.
Directed by Jim Warren Produced by Jim Warren & Brady Watt
THE PUPPET HORROR
KATHAPUTALI
NEPAL NEPALI SUNDAY SEP 26 8:30PM-11:10PM
THE RED PAD OF COURAGE
2 MINS
118 MINS
Trapped in an abandoned royal palace, a young prince must confront the unsettling secrets of his family’s past, escape evil forces and battle dark magic in order to survive. Veemsen Lama is a Nepalese film director based in London and Kathmandu. After serving some time in the British armed forces as a Gurkha soldier, he joined film school in London to study film production. His short films including “Maya” and “Chyanti” have won numerous awards in BAFTA and OSCAR qualifying film festivals. “The Puppet” is his debut feature film. Directed by Veemsen Lama Produced by Prithvi Rana Magar
ANIMATED UNITED STATES ENGLISH 4 MINS FRIDAY SEP 24 6:30PM-9:00PM / MONDAY SEP 27 3:00PM-4:45PM
On the day that all girls dread, Sam encounters the inescapable bloody monster on a trip to the bathroom at school. With nowhere to run or hide, Sam is losing hope - until the arrival of a bad-ass female warrior. Together, they must don their red pads of courage and get down to lady-business to demolish the bloody thing. Chelsea Low is a vivacious filmmaker and graduate from FSU’s College of Motion Picture Arts who likes to create fun, shocking, and inspiring films with her twin sister. Being bi-racial, her goal is to tell meaningful stories that bring hope and representation for people who don’t fit the mold of one race or the other, but belong to the human race. She wants to create thrilling films that are inclusive and empowering to all! Chelsea’s last name might be “Low” but her ambitions are high! Directed by Chelsea Low Produced by Chelsea Low
THE VV VLOG EP. 2 “HOW TO BE A FEMINIST”
WEB SERIES
UNITED KINGDOM ENGLISH TUESDAY SEP 28 5:00PM-6:45PM
5 MINS
“How to Be a Feminist” is a three-step-tutorial for women who want to be sexy but also have an opinion. As Valentina explains how fashion, femvertising, and occasional queerness can set a woman free, one wonders how much of that freedom is piloted by the media and multinational corporations. Sophia Carr-Gomm is a UK-based Director. Her first short film “The Wider Sun”, premiered at the BFI Southbank and has been screened at fourteen film festivals internationally. Sophia was awarded Best Director at Oslo Independent Film Festival 2018 and “The Wider Sun” was voted as Best Short Film by Take One Magazine. Her latest short film “Mine” has just been entered into film festivals and she is currently in development for three more short films, with her eye on her first feature film script. Directed by Sophia Carr-Gomm Produced by Carlotta Morelli
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WINTER FILM AWARDS THE WELCOME
WFA FILM CHALLENGE UNITED STATES ENGLISH 3 MINS WEDNESDAY SEP 29 5:00PM-6:45PM / TUESDAY SEP 28 3:10PM-4:45PM
A deadly threat stalks the streets of NYC. Travelers beware. Torin Scott has spent the past decade bouncing around the globe, sometimes with a camera in hand. He moved to NYC two years ago and has since begun to pursue more narrative work. He is passionate about storytelling, visual aesthetics and the creative process.
Directed by Torin Scott Produced by Torin Scott & Alex Pires
THE WINTER
THE WOUND SHORT
ZAKHM
IRAN PERSIAN FRIDAY SEP 24 6:30PM-9:00PM
13 MINS
A 9-year-old girl menstruates after an earthquake and loss of her family. She knows nothing about what is happening to her, and thinks she has been wounded. Sahar Nourmonavar was born in Shiraz Iran. Sahar met a filmmaker friend and became interested in scriptwriting, then began to take film classes and attend screenings at the Film Society, which deepened her love for cinema. Sahar passed a scriptwriting course with Asghar Farhadi and a directing course with Shahram Mokri. She is currently a student at Karnameh Institute of Arts and Culture that was founded by Negar Eskandarfar. “The Wound” is her first short film. Directed by Sahar Nourmonavar Produced by Sahar Nourmonavar
ANIMATED CHINA ENGLISH 5 MINS WEDNESDAY SEP 29 5:00PM-6:45PM / MONDAY SEP 27 3:00PM-4:45PM
This is one of four short films in a series called “The Seasons”. Each short film represents a feeling related to a season of the year. “The Winter” applies traditional paint-on-glass animation depicting a story between a peasant and a mysterious deer in a snowy forest. Xin Li is a Chinese-born animator and filmmaker based in Shanghai. He specializes in the traditional method of paint-on-glass stop-motion animation. Through this technique he explores tranquil and often intimate moments of life through abstract narratives. Directed by Xin Li Produced by Xin Li
THE WITCHES OF BUSHWICK
HORROR UNITED STATES ENGLISH 19 MINS SUNDAY SEP 26 3:30PM-5:45PM / TUESDAY SEP 28 3:10PM-4:45PM
“Witches Of Bushwick” centers around a young woman who is about to be initiated into a modern coven. When things - inevitably - start to go wrong, the witchy influencers find that they are no match for the actual supernatural. Catherine Delaloye is a Swiss filmmaker. Based in New York, she started her career in London working with Richard Curtis and Russel Brand while working as a writing assistant for various shows. Joe Pardavila is an actor, writer, director and producer born and bred in New Jersey. He studied Sketch & Improv Comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade and was a founding member and actor in the New York based sketch comedy group, Clip Show. Directed by Catherine Delaloye & Joe Pardavila Produced by Joe Pardavila
THIS BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY YEH SUNDAR SAFAR
DOCUMENTARY UNITED STATES ENGLISH, BENGALI, & HINDI 70 MINS SATURDAY SEP 25 2:25PM-4:30PM
Escape “remotely” or “virtually” from home to India! Find local treasures with Rohini Chandra in the regions of Delhi, Haryana, & Kolkata where no commercial tour guide will take you. As your special tour guide, Rohini takes you to the country where her parents were born and brought up. Through the artistic perspective of her eyes and heart, this travelogue reveals the fresh & personal moments that travel can bring with exuberant joy and life lessons. The rustic & new India is now at your fingertips! Rohini Chandra is a free-spirited artist and storyteller and is based in Los Angeles. In addition to filmmaking, Rohini sings and acts. She intends to break social barriers through the arts for the greater good. Directed by Rohini Chandra Produced by Havish Ravipati & Virginie Drout
THROAT SINGING IN KANGIRSUK KATATJATUUK KANGIRSUMI
DOCUMENTARY CANADA INUKTITUT 3 MINS SATURDAY SEP 25 2:25PM-4:30PM / WEDNESDAY SEP 29 3:00PM-4:45PM
Eva Kaukai and Manon Chamberland practice the Inuk art of throat singing in their small village of Kangirsuk. Their mesmerizing voices carry through the four seasons of their Arctic land. Eva Kaukai and Manon Chamberland were born in Nunavik Canada and grew up in Kangirsuk. With Wapikoni Mobile, they were able to use sound and video to express thier reality, culture and attachment to the land through throat singing.
Directed by Eva Kaukai & Manon Chamberland Produced by Odile Joanette
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2021 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL SHORT
TILL THE PETALS FALL
UNITED STATES ENGLISH THURSDAY SEP 30 5:00PM-6:45PM
14 MINS
Isla comes home to find social workers at her door. After talking to her mom, Isla learns they want to take her away because her mother is not fit to care for her. Thinking she can help her mom get better, Isla takes her to a secret play spot to enjoy the afternoon together. On their way home, Isla is injured while Annie is distracted, bringing another round of social workers’ threats. The next morning, Isla leaves a clue for her mother and runs away to her secret spot, hoping to reunite and stay together. Alyssa Angeles grew up in Minnesota where she started making music videos in high school. She went on to direct a documentary following the creative process between eight strangers. She moved to Los Angeles to continue her study of film and graduated from the New York Film Academy, where she directed multiple shorts and a music video which premiered through Paper Magazine. She continues to explore her voice as a director, as well as her passion for art and design as a production designer. Directed by Alyssa Angeles Produced by Mitali Khare
FEATURE
TOUCH
UNITED STATES CHINESE TUESDAY SEP 28 8:30PM-10:30PM
97 MINS
Fei Fei, a married Caucasian western woman living in China suddenly meets Bai Yu, a Chinese blind masseur. Against all odds, Bai Yu and Fei Fei come together in an intense love affair. When Fei Fei pulls away from the affair, Bai Yu grows obsessive, possessive, possessed. Finally, the characters find the demons they’ve created can only implode in a clash of mixed desires and violent impulses. Aleksandra Szczepanowska is a New York-based filmmaker. Prior to “Touch”, her first narrative feature, she wrote/directed/produced short films with her artistic partner Jean Luc Ormieres, including “Let it Ring”, which premiered at the Montreal World Film Festival in 2013, as well as “Naked Soles”, a mystery drama shot in Paris, sponsored by UniFrance, which won Best Short Film on Polish FilmWeb in 2012. Directed by Aleksandra Szczepanowska Produced by Aleksandra Szczepanowska
TRAINFISH SHORT
ZUGFISCH
GERMANY GERMAN WEDNESDAY SEP 29 5:00PM-6:45PM
13 MINS
Majorie loves the ocean, but has never actually seen it. In regular therapy sessions she tries to overcome her fear of trains. When she buys a goldfish that seems to share her longing for the ocean, she slowly starts to face her past. But is her connection to the fish strong enough to go on a train and take him on his last journey to the ocean? Christian Ewald was born in Dannenberg / Elbe, and is now married with two children. He studied at Hannover University of Music, Drama and Media and graduated with a degree in Acting. He is a stage fencing choreographer, actor and director for theater and TV, and was a festival manager for the Göttinger Short Film Festival. Christian has been teaching scriptwriting at the University of Göttingen for the past 10 years. Directed by Christian Ewald Produced by KnockWood Films GmbH
TWO LITTLE PEOPLE
ANIMATED CHINA ENGLISH 3 MINS MONDAY SEP 27 5:00PM-6:45PM / MONDAY SEP 27 3:00PM-4:45PM
This hand-painted short animation depicts a story of two little people living in a wheat field. They grow together until the day the man left. The relationship between two little people keeps growing in the woman’s heart. Xin Li is a Chinese-born animator and filmmaker based in Shanghai. He specializes in the traditional method of paint-on-glass stop-motion animation. Through this technique he explores tranquil and often intimate moments of life through abstract narratives. Directed by Xin Li Produced by Xin Li
UNBORN
SHORT
UNITED STATES ENGLISH, HINDI TUESDAY SEP 28 5:00PM-6:45PM
16 MINS
Set in a small town in California and inspired by true events, “Unborn” is the story of a pregnant mother of two girls who feels the pressure to abort the pregnancy in order to fulfill her family’s desire to have a boy. Jaswant Dev Shrestha has worked in India’s prominent movie industry for numerous years before moving to America to pursue his childhood dream of working in Hollywood. In 2019, he received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Director of a Documentary from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Heartland Chapter for his documentary film “Festivals Of Tihar”. Jaswant is the first Nepali-American filmmaker to receive such an honor. Directed by Jaswant Shrestha Produced by Rashmi Rustagi
WHO GOT BALLS: JEFFREY CARIASO
WEB SERIES
PHILIPPINES ENGLISH TUESDAY SEP 28 5:00PM-6:45PM
9 MINS
In this episode of the “Who Got Balls” series, basketball genius Jeffrey Cariaso or “The Jet” in Philippine basketball, gives us his perspective as a team player, coach, and entrepreneur. Jet Leyco is a critically-acclaimed filmmaker and journalist based in Manila. He made four feature films in different genres that were exhibited in various film festivals around the world, including the International Film Festival Rotterdam and the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival. In all of his films, Jet mixes dreams and realities, memories, comedies, and tragedies, black and white, red and blue, and always thinks of you. Directed by Jet Leyco Produced by Danzen Santos Katanyag
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WINTER FILM AWARDS YOUR EYES ARE NO LONGER THE SAME OS SEUS OLHOS NÃO SÃO MAIS OS MESMOS
WFA FILM CHALLENGE BRAZIL PORTUGUESE THURSDAY SEP 30 5:00PM-6:45PM
5 MINS
After the human race has been determined to be hostile to planet earth, an alien race called The Shenon must protect all planets in the universe and hatches an elaborate plan to exterminate the human race. Several Shenons were sent to earth to gather information to help in the invasion, but one believes that this is not the best solution and is willing to go against his people to stop the invasion. Shot on an iPhone 12Pro for the Winter Film Awards 14-Day Film Challenge. João Andrade Medeiros is an economics and film student in São Paulo, Brazil. João lived most of his life in a small town in the interior of São Paulo called Embu Guaçu. From a very young age, he has been interested in cinema and at the age of 15 he started making short films with his friends. The following year, he chose to study cinema in an elective film at school, where he wrote his first screenplay that was filmed. Directed by João Medeiros Produced by Guilherme Rafaini
MUSIC VIDEO
YOU’RE THE KINDA GUY
UNITED STATES ENGLISH WEDNESDAY SEP 29 5:00PM-6:45PM
5 MINS
Michelle Rose’s original 1950’s-themed song about being involved with a handsome guy who you know is no good, but you’re so infatuated with him that you overlook his many flaws. Michelle Rose is a senior at Berklee College of Music. She loves to act in, dance, plan and co-direct her own music videos for her original songs. She took a semester of music video editing and hopes to become more involved in other areas of video production, besides planning & directing. Joshua McGrane is a videographer who specializes in weddings. music and event videography. His creative career started in a band and he branched out into writing songs and videography. Directed by Michelle Rose & Joshua McGrane Produced by Joshua McGrane
PROFESSIONAL SOUND EFFECTS FOR GAMES, MOVIES, TV-SHOWS AND MORE
VISIT WINTERFILMAWARDS.COM FOR DETAILS ABOUT OUR FILMS! w w w. b o o m l i b r a r y. c o m
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2021 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
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WINTER FILM AWARDS
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2021 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Rosco is proud to support the Winter Film Awards. Congratulations to all of tonight’s winne winners and nominees.
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WINTER FILM AWARDS
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2021 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
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WINTER FILM AWARDS
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2021 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
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WINTER FILM AWARDS
DISCUSSION PANELS & WORKSHOPS
Winter Film Awards believes that education is the primary means for the emerging filmmaker to get ahead in the industry. We are delighted to offer the following educational opportunities. All panels and workshops are free and open to the public.
PRODUCING 101
September 27, 2021 7:00 pm - 8:15 pm @Cinema Village, 22 East 12th Street You have your script, your actors, and your gear, but what about a producer? Producing is as an important art form as cinematography, production design, and casting. The right producer can make all the difference in the world! You’ve directed a short, maybe pulled off a micro-budget independent feature, and you think you might want to focus on producing ... what are the ins and outs of really being a producer and what are some of the skills you haven’t even thought about that you might need, or what do you need to be looking for in a producer for your next project? We’ve gathered a group of talented and hardworking producers to discuss the profession and offer some guidance about bringing on the producer who is right for your project or the experience you need to become a producer in today’s independent film industry.
LEGAL ISSUES FOR FILMMAKERS with MARIA MILES September 28, 2021 7:00 pm - 8:15 pm @Cinema Village, 22 East 12th Street Laws related to copyright, employment, licensing and contracts are super-confusing, but as a filmmaker you absolutely must know how to protect your work. Join us for an active discussion about what you need to know about the law. How do you find the legal information about standard documents all filmmakers need? When can you rely on google vs when should you really should get an actual lawyer involved? How can you avoid the most often experienced legal issues? What is covered by copyright? In which cases do you need a contract with locations, music and actors? What do you do if you get sued? What are the milestones in film production where legal issues must be considered?
STORYTELLING + TRANSMEDIA with JEFF GOMEZ September 29, 2021 7:00 pm - 8:15 pm @Cinema Village, 22 East 12th Street Transmedia storytelling (also known as transmedia narrative or multiplatform storytelling) is the technique of telling a single story or story experience across multiple platforms and formats using current digital technologies. Starlight Runner President and CEO Jeff Gomez is a leading expert in the fields of brand narrative, story world development, creative franchise design, and transmedia storytelling. He specializes in the expansion of entertainment properties, premium brands, and socio-political themes into highly successful multi-platform communications and international campaigns. Join us for advice on creating and fostering transmedia storytelling with your projects!
YOU CAN DO IT ... TAMING THE WILD WEST OF DISTRIBUTION with DAN GURLITZ September 30, 2021 7:00 pm - 8:15 pm @Cinema Village, 22 East 12th Street Dan Gurlitz, the owner of Soundview Media Partners, will be discussing the wild west of film distribution as it stands today including such subjects as ... The Elasticity of Physical Media, The Digital Boom and the Who/What/Where of Availability, The VOD Vernacular: What are All Those Acronyms? and The Impact of the Pandemic on Film Distribution.
ENHANCE YOUR NARRATIVE WITH COLOR with ROSCO LABS October 1 2021 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm. Check WinterFilmAwards.com for venue information. Introducing color to a story can enhance your visual narrative, even on a small-scale budget. Award-winning Filmmaker and Rosco/DMG NYC rep, Marttise Hill, will discuss using gel filters and full color LED fixtures to create visually cinematic stories. Marttise will showcase Rosco’s extensive line of gel lighting filters, progressing into how Rosco integrates many of the gel colors within the DMG Lumiere LED MIX technology.
POWER PITCHING, POWER NETWORKING ... MASTER THEM BOTH with JIM ARNOFF October 1 2021 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm. Check WinterFilmAwards.com for venue information. This interactive workshop will give you the career coach/talent agent’s secrets to networking and pitching with results. Learn the tools to make the strongest connection quickly, create the most memorable interaction and how to followup effectively. Gain insights on how to lose your shyness, insecurities and uncertainty around networking. Build your own brand of networking that will set you apart, embrace your personality and make networking effortless. You’ll learn what it really takes to make a powerful pitch. What are the pitfalls to avoid at all cost? How can you master the art of pitching with your own style and personality? Hear tips on how to prepare, how to read the person you’re pitching, how to pitch as a team, how to engage, how to anticipate every question. If you ever wondered what it really takes to network for powerful connections and gain the confidence to pitch with results this workshop is for you.
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2021 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
All Screenings & Panels take place at CINEMA VILLAGE, 22 East 12th Street between 5th Avenue & University unless otherwise specified. THURSDAY SEP 23
SUNDAY SEP 26
WFA 2021 Opening Night Kick-Off Bash & Networking Party 7:00PM FREE 21+ w/ID
1:00PM-3:15PM FILMS
3:10PM-4:45PM FILMS
2:30PM-4:45PM FILMS
Arachnarche Sticker Pemmican The Badger - Q&A -
Made in NY Shorts Matinee
Horror Shorts Matinee
SEE WEBSITE FOR VENUE
3:30PM-5:45PM FILMS FRIDAY SEP 24 6:30PM-9:00PM FILMS The Red Pad of Courage Handscape The Wound Innerverse Röckët Stähr’s Death of a Rockstar - Q&A 9:15PM-11:50PM FILMS On/Off Musician Stay Cuckoo! Jesus Kid - Q&A -
SATURDAY SEP 25 12:00PM-2:10PM FILMS
Documentary Day
Gon, The Little Fox Hear Me Out Gay As In Happy: A Queer Anti-Tragedy Names for Snow Last Call: The Shutdown of NYC Bars - Q&A -
Bloody Sunday Shorts
Skrzykot The Children of Allen Funt iScream Stories Doria Hate Crime Kakatshat Mime Bottleneck Koreatown Ghost Story The Witches of Bushwick The Mark - Q&A 6:00PM-8:15PM FILMS
Bloody Sunday
TUESDAY SEP 28
Big Girl Innerverse Care Package The Witches of Bushwick The Welcome The Mark Noisy Cops Are(n’t) Colorblind 5:00PM-6:45PM FILMS
Shorts Block
The Evening Thread Unborn Highland Home Who Got Balls: Jeffrey Cariaso MeTube: August Sings The VV Vlog Ep. 2 Eulogy Freedom (A New Jerusalem) Henet Ward - Q&A 7:00PM-8:15PM DISCUSSION
Hansel A Savannah Haunting - Q&A -
Legal Issues for Filmmakers with Maria Miles
8:30PM-11:10PM FILMS
8:30PM-10:30PM FILMS
Bloody Sunday
Cha Touch - Q&A -
The Reckoning of Darkness The Puppet - Q&A MONDAY SEP 27
WEDNESDAY SEP 29
3:00PM-4:45PM FILMS
3:00PM-4:45PM FILMS
Animation Shorts
Documentary Shorts
Looks Good On You Miss Alma Thomas: A Life in Color Throat Singing in Kangirsuk My Mama, A Man Cell 364 This Beautiful Journey - Q&A -
The Winter On/Off Fowl Crossing Anacronte Cha Arachnarche The Evening Thread Mishou The Red Pad of Courage Tag Two Little People Gon, The Little Fox
Gay As In Happy: A Queer Anti-Tragedy Names for Snow My Mama, A Man Hear Me Out Throat Singing in Kangirsuk Miss Alma Thomas: A Life in Color Cell 364 Open the Earth High Flying Jade
4:45PM-6:55PM FILMS
5:00PM-6:45PM FILMS
Documentary Day
Shorts Block
The Winter The Welcome Folk Singers from Outer Space Klondike You’re the Kinda Guy TrainFish Big Girl Proxy The Narcissist Sin Cielo - Q&A -
2:25PM-4:30PM FILMS
Documentary Day
Open the Earth A Wicked Eden - Q&A -
7:10PM-9:15PM FILMS
Documentary Day
Anacronte Baitullah Departure Song Stage V Kintsugi Two Little People D-lemma: The Hard Truth - Q&A -
5:00PM-6:45PM FILMS
Shorts Block
High Flying Jade More Than Miyagi - Q&A -
7:00PM-8:15PM DISCUSSION
7:00PM-8:15PM DISCUSSION
9:30PM-11:40PM FILMS
Producing 101
Storytelling + Transmedia with Jeff Gomez
Documentary Day
Cops Are(n’t) Colorblind I’m An Electric Lampshade - Q&A -
8:30PM-10:25P FILMS Noisy Home Time I Have No Home Spirit Quest - Q&A -
8:30PM-10:35PM FILMS Mishou Since August - Q&A -
THURSDAY SEP 30
iScream Stories Doria Kakatshat Koreatown Ghost Story Bottleneck The Children of Allen Funt Mime The Reckoning of Darkness Skrzykot Hansel Hate Crime 5:00PM-6:45PM FILMS
Shorts Block
Fowl Crossing Your Eyes are No Longer the Same Till The Petals Fall The Life of Bella Encounter Hayelala - Getting Older The Camel Boy Lancaster Park - Q&A 7:00PM-8:15PM DISCUSSION
You Can Do It… Taming of the Wild West of Distribution with Dan Gurlitz 8:30PM-10:45PM FILMS Tag Care Package Mister Sister - Q&A -
FRIDAY OCT 1 1:30PM-3:00PM WORKSHOP
Lighting For Frugal Filmmakers with Rosco Labs SEE WEBSITE FOR VENUE 3:30PM-5:00PM WORKSHOP
Power Pitching, Power Networking….Master Them Both with Jim Arnoff SEE WEBSITE FOR VENUE
SATURDAY OCT 2, 7:00PM
GALA RED CARPET AWARDS CEREMONY & AFTER PARTY CLUB 230 FIFTH 230 FIFTH AVENUE 7-8PM - RED CARPET 8-9PM - CEREMONY 9PM - AFTER PARTY FREE, 21+ w/ID
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