I Am Yupik (Dir: Daniele Anastasion, Nathan Golon) 17 min
A 16-year old Yup'ik Alaskan boy leaves his tiny village and travels across hundreds of miles of frozen tundra to compete in a basketball tournament and bring pride to his village.
Yuuyaraq (Dir: Lisle Hebert) 28 min
The story of how Alaskan Yupik culture was impacted by Westernization and the decimation caused by the influenza epidemic of 1918.
Run Time: 59 Min.
On Time (Dir: Xavier Neal-Burgin) 8 min, USA
Renee Johnson, a mother living in South Central LA, must make a difficult decision when she's late for her job interview.
Virgin Territory (Dir: Debbie Von Ahrens) 15 min, USA
Virgin Territory is sex-positive, queer, and questioning coming-of-age story about a teenage girl who decides to have sex for the first time and commences her journey of sexual exploration.
Payday ( Dir: Szilárd Bernáth) 22 min, Hungary
In Eastern Hungary, powerful insurers keep residents of the poorest Roma communities in a permanent debt spiral. Young parents Feri and Gina try a different strategy to get relief from local boss Simon.
No Touching (Dir: Adam Davis) 13 min, USA
In a shady haunted house attraction where the performers are assaulting female patrons in order to make a name for themselves, the tables are turned when the performers attempt to take on two women who bring a new level of terror as they do some ass kicking of their own.
My Mom and the Girl (Susie Singer Carter) 20 min, USA
Dinner with friends takes a dark turn and leads a retired jazz singer suffering with Alzheimer's and her caregiver to a proverbial crossroads on the streets of East Los Angeles where they encounter The Girl and the three very disparate -- desperate -- women pull each other back into the light.
HEAVEN'S FLOOR, Directed by Lori Stoll 86 min. Canada
Heaven's Floor, based on a true story, is the journey of a Los Angeles photographer on the brink, who is rescued by her future daughter, while stranded in the icy wilds of the Canadian Arctic.Julia (Clea DuVall) meets expedition leader Jack, (Timothy V. Murphy) who convinces her to join a photographic journey to the frozen tundra. Despite growing tension with her husband Ed (Toby Huss), Julia goes. Her trip evolves into a life threatening disaster. Ill equipped, she is abandoned. Darkness Falls…
Julia is rescued by an eleven-year old orphaned Inuit girl, Malaya (Katie May- Dunford) and taken to a small Inuit community. Julia stuck for days, discovers the dark underbelly of Malaya’s world. She is troubled by her inability to rescue Malaya from a childhood that closely resembles her own, and decides to save this girl.
The expansive north is replaced by the crowded south, Malaya alone, unwanted by Julia’s husband and overwhelmed by the coldness of Los Angeles concrete, attempts to return to the Canadian Arctic, forcing Julia to make a decision that leaves us wondering, who really saved whom.
MEET THE PATELS is a laugh-out-loud real life romantic comedy about Ravi Patel, an almost-30-year-old Indian-American who enters a love triangle between the woman of his dreams ... and his parents. Filmed by Ravi’s sister in what started as a family vacation video, this hilarious and heartbreaking film reveals how love is a family affair.
Fresh out of a breakup with his secret white girlfriend, who his parents knew nothing about, and freaked out that he’s almost 30 and single, Ravi goes on a family vacation to India with his head and heart spinning.
Ravi is willing to do whatever it takes to find love—but there’s one tricky detail to consider: In his family, everyone has the last name Patel. Patels marry other Patels. It’s not incest, it means they are from the same 50-square mile radius in India. Struck with how overwhelmingly happy the marriages are of his Patel family and friends, Ravi enters a fool-proof Patel matchmaking system and embarks on a worldwide search for another American Patel just like him.
HAPPY LUCKY GOLDEN TOFU PANDA DRAGON GOOD TIME FUN FUN SHOW Directed by Carrie Preston. USA (75 min)
Directed by Emmy winning comedic TV star Carrie Preston (True Blood/Good Wife/Crowded). East Meets West in this live stand-up comedy, sketch, and rock n' roll/spoken word concert film focused on Asian American themes: immigration, bowl cuts, math nerds, the model minority myth. And Hello Kitty everything. (Strong Language. Adult cultural themes. Some curse words)
Meet Slanty Eyed Mama: two good Asian girls gone bad-assed. Virtuostic electric violinist Lyris Hung (who has also played with Jay-Z, The Indigo Girls and Bono) and Comedian/Actor Kate Rigg (who appeared on 3 seasons of the Dr. Phil Show, and recurred on Fox's Family Guy) started their collaboration while still students at the Juilliard school where they began experimenting with funky urban asian spoken word, comedy and rock and roll. Upon graduation they began touring the world-- performing multimedia concerts celebrating the Asian American experience. Invited twice to the Smithsonian with previous shows, featured on PBS, LOGO, Pacific TV, and headlining major music and comedy festivals they are a force to be reckoned with! For this film, they bring their 'Nuyorasian' flow (New York streets meets Asian American style) to the stage as a live concert mashed up with edgy stand up comedy and wild sketches all shot on location around New York City. They take on some of the biggest issues and cultural tropes forming the Asian immigrant experience with a crazy sense of humor and and musical medit-asians on contemporary culture. TV Comedy star and award winning director Carrie Preston (a fellow Juilliard alum) directs with an eye for the absurd, the heartfelt themes under the music, and the immediacy of live performance for a truly unique film experience.
DROKPA Directed by Yan Chun Su 79 min.China *
Set in the high plateau of eastern Tibet, Drokpa is an intimate portrait of an extended nomadic family whose life is on the cusp of irreversible change. With rare access to a small community of nomads living on the vast yet rapidly degrading grasslands on the eastern Tibetan Plateau, DROKPA, meaning nomads and nomadic culture in Tibetan, reveals the unprecedented environmental and social-political forces the nomads are facing. Richly observed daily lives and family relationships are at once deeply personal and illustrative of the universal issues of gender, freedom, adaptation to a changing climate and the resilience of human spirits.The Super Salmon (Dir: Ryan Peterson) 25 min
A radio-tagged salmon in Alaska makes a journey that defies scientific record, on a river slated to be dammed for electricity. The Super Salmon follows the eponymous fish's journey from the sea to the Susitna's sparkling, icy headwaters. Along the way we meet the river, the dam, and the people fighting for a way of life and a bright future.
We Eat Fish! (Dir: Daven Hafey) 27 min
"Alaska remains home to some of the cleanest waters, healthiest salmon runs, and wild, abundant seafood left in the world. These resources, at the heart of our economy, culture, and way of life, are what make Alaska strong.
The Clean Water Act sets out a formula for protecting these precious resources. A key factor in the formula is how much fish and seafood a state’s residents eat. Ignoring the reality that many Alaskans subsist on wild, healthy seafood, the State of Alaska has arbitrarily set this number outrageously low.
“We Eat Fish!” explores how much fish Alaskans eat, and why it matters to our water, our seafood, and you."
Find Me (Dir: Kitty Mahoney) 24 min
After the death of his father, a young man falls victim to the darkest parts of his own mind. Submerging himself in these memories, he is forced to explore his guilt, his impact on those he loves, and question the value of his life
Walt and Sea (Dir: Frank Sun) 6 min
A story about an Alaska fisherman navigating the bay and find his luck pulling in his day of catch.
Run TIme: 82 Min
Planet Outtakring (Austria) Dir: Michi Riebl , 90 min
Any idea how to start a revolution? This Austrian comedy follows the inner workings of the inner-city Viennese community of Outtakring, as a young hustler, a foreign exchange student and residents get creative together to pay off loan sharks and restore pride to the district. Revolutions often start with one idea...
EL CHIVO Directed by Rod Murphy. 79 min, USA
El Chivo ('The Goat') is what the indigenous Tarahumara of Mexico's Copper Canyons call Ultra Runner Wiill Harlan ever since he won their 50 mile Ultra, a race made famous by the bestseller 'Born to Run."Some Kind Of Quest (11 min) Dir: Andrew Wilcox, USA
What happens when artwork becomes life’s work? When creator becomes a caretaker? SOME KIND OF QUEST, from Sylvain Labs, Greencard Pictures and director, Andrew Wilcox, is a film that invites you into the singular world of Northlandz, a 52,000-square-foot model train installation just 75 minutes outside of Manhattan, and into the ornery mind of the man—and steadfast wife—who brought it all to life.
The Blindside ( Dir: Karan Ananth) 3 min, INDIA
Pranaya Murthy, a 60 year old 'extra' from South Indian film industry, is still hoping to get his dream role.
The 100 Years Show ( Dir: Alison Klayman) 29 min, USA
Carmen Herrera, a spunky and distinctive Cuban-American painter coming up on her 100th birthday, is finally achieving the recognition that eluded her for most of her career.
I'll Wait Here ( Dir: Harry Buerkle) 8 min, AUSTRIA
The film follows a day in the lives of my grandparents as they are adjusting to life after my grandfather has gone blind after an accident.
Starring Austin Pendleton( Dir: Gene Gallerano) 18 min, USA
The most famous actor you've never heard of.' Austin Pendleton is that quintessential character actor you might recognize. We follow Austin as he reflects on his life and craft, while his A-list peers discuss his vast influence and dogged determination, and what it means to be an original in today's celebrity obsessed world.
Run Time: 84 min.
THE SLIPPERS Directed by: Morgan White. 91 min, USA
The Slippers traces the unbelievable history of The Ruby Slippers from The Wizard of Oz. They have been bought, stolen, and coveted by many, and are the single most desired piece of Hollywood Memorabilia.
SHU-DE! (DIR: Michael R Faulkner) 85 Min, USA
Following in the footsteps of Paul Pena (Genghis Blues), Beatboxer, Shodekeh, travels across the world from Baltimore, MD to Kyzyl, Tuva, Russia to take part in a festival celebrating the 50th Birthday of the legendary musician, Kongar-ool Ondar. While there, he collaborates and competes with some of the worlds best Tuvan throat singers in pursuit of a goal to create an oasis of unity with music. Music is the language in this exploratory documentary filled with rare recordings and open landscapes.
Demimonde (Hungary) Dir: Attila Szász 88 min
The story of three women – a famous prostitute, her housekeeper and their new maid – living in Budapest of 1910s, whose passionate, bizarre and complex relationship can only lead to one thing: murder.
Speaking from the HeART (Dir: Mary Katzke) 11 min
Speaking from the HeART is a short-film that shares the story of Raymond "Ramond" Severence who was abandoned as a child in the Arizona desert, raised on a reservation, and who eventually ended up in Alaska. Unable to fully communicate his story through words, Raymond has found a way to speak about who he is with the help of The Arc of Anchorage art program, Sparc: a creative place.
The Interior (Dir: Jonathan Rattner) 22 min
January, the Alaskan Interior, 56 dogs, 4 humans, 5 hours of sunlight. This observational work - shot on both 16mm and digital video – is a sensory journey that follows Brent Sass, an award-winning dog musher, and his community of dogs living in isolation in the rural inland of Alaska.
Run Time: 80 min
The Happys (USA) Dir: Tom Gould & John Serpe, 87 Min
Twenty-one year old Tracy walks in on her newly minted 'movie star' boyfriend having sex with a man. After assessing her limited options, she returns to Mark with a deal—if he agrees to marry her, she’ll forget the whole thing ever happened. Mark accepts her terms, but neither fully understands the sacrifices they have to make. Their relationship quickly deteriorates, but Tracy’s world blossoms when she befriends the quirky residents in her Los Feliz neighborhood. As she discovers her sense of self and true passion for cooking, Tracy is a catalyst that forces everyone around her to grow and connect in unforeseen ways. The cast includes Janeane Garofalo and The Walking Dead's Melissa McBride, with an original score by Patrick Sansone (Wilco).
Incredible stories from brave souls.
The Learning Alliance ( Muhammad Umar Saeed) 9 min, Pakistan.
Collecting garbage for earning and paying their fees for school. Three brothers who are changing their future by studying and at the same time selling garbage in Lahore, Pakistan. The Learning Alliance is a portrait of children with dreams and their struggle towards achieving it.
No Ordinary People I: Herbert Heywood (Dir: Michael Burton), 2 min, USA
Herbert Heywood was a child laborer in Fall River, Massachusetts who was photographed by Lewis W. Hine on June 21 1916; exactly 100 years prior to the completion of this 90 second animation.
The Soul of a Tree ( Dir: Mari Walker) 17 min, USA
The Soul of a Tree follows the paths of two men whose lives intersect in shocking and unexpected ways. Bill Vaughn is an Idaho farmboy when he first meets George Nakashima, a Japanese-American citizen interned during the height of WWII. Over forty years later they reconnect when Bill picks up a book written by George, titled The Soul of a Tree.
A Woman and Her Car (Dir: Loïc Darses) 28 min, Canada
December the 31th, 2003. Lucie decides to write a letter to the man who abused her from the age of 8 to 12 years old and resolves herself to bring it to him in person, wherever he may be.
The Last Book Store (Dir. by Chad Howitt) 12 min, USA
Battling against the rise of eReaders, the fall of large bookstore chains, and his own personal obstacles, Josh Spencer opens “The Last Bookstore.”
Hello, Cuba! Life Along A Neighborhood Street (Dir: Reuben Aaronson) 20 min, USA,CUBA
After more than 50 years of embargo and isolation, little is known of the everyday lives of Cubans living only 90 miles away from U.S. shores. This short film captures the spirit of everyday Cubans living along a quiet street in Havana.
The Other Kids (USA) Dir: Chris Brown , 95 min
A raw, intimate look into the struggles of six small-town teens on the verge of high school graduation, THE OTHER KIDS is a bold and original hybrid of fiction & non-fiction in which real teenagers collaborated with director Chris Brown to tell their own gripping, personal stories.
Walk With Me: The Trials of Judge Damon J. Keith tells the story of ten extraordinary years, four groundbreaking cases, and one unconventional federal judge, whose rulings forever changed the face of civil rights in the United States.
It may be the greatest story you never heard.
Judge Damon J. Keith was first appointed to the U.S. District Court in Detroit, in 1967, only three months after race riots tore apart the city. A rookie judge and an African American, he faced controversy almost immediately when, in an unusual confluence of circumstance, four divisive cases landed on his docket—all of which concerned hidden discriminatory practices that were deeply woven into housing, education, employment, and police institutions. Keith shook the nation as he challenged the status quo and faced off against angry crowds, the KKK, corporate America, and even a sitting U.S. President.
As Judge Keith was reshaping civil rights at the local level, his rulings began setting precedents for change across the nation. Ultimately, the Supreme Court upheld every one of his decisions. There would be no going back.
Walk With Me is deliberately structured as a tapestry, rather than a chronicle, in order to create balance between an intimate portrait and interesting legal history. In his own words, the Judge recounts the significant emotional events that shaped his life, how he came to his decisions on these groundbreaking cases, and his thoughts about the impact of those rulings then, and now. The film interweaves Judge Keith’s life with those of his colleagues, his contemporaries in the struggle for civil rights, his daughters, and most movingly, the people whose lives were changed by his decisions, whether he ruled in their favor or against them.
Now 93, Judge Keith still serves on the US Circuit Court of Appeals; a living embodiment of nearly a century of US history. He was once an ordinary “colored” man; a janitor whose personal struggles reflected those of a nation first coming to terms with civil rights. He became a fearless and extraordinary judge whose rulings resonate with surprising relevance in a nation still arguing about ‘”which lives matter” almost 50 years later.
Holly Kane is an experimental psychologist, whose research into mind-control techniques is driven by a fear of insanity. As she experiments with drug-fuelled subliminal programming, two very different men come into her life. One is young and handsome, the other old and powerful. But neither of them are telling her the whole truth. When Holly steps up her experiments on herself with more sophisticated equipment and more powerful drugs, she descends into paranoia and madness.
THE AGE OF CONSEQUENCES (Dir: Jared P Scott) 80 min, USA
'The Hurt Locker' meets 'An Inconvenient Truth', THE AGE OF CONSEQUENCES investigates the impacts of irreversible climate change, resource scarcity, mass migration, and pandemic conflict through the lens of US national security and global instability.
Bear With Us (USA) (Dir: William J Stribling) 95 Min
Bear with Us is a modern farce about a guy who attempts to propose to his girlfriend in the most romantic way possible, but his meticulous plan starts to fall apart when a ravenous bear stumbles upon their charming cabin in the woods. It's a total comedy of errors that takes a close look at just how far we'll go to preserve our relationships.
An exciting exhibition of live performance music paired with the longest-surviving feature-length animation film, created in 1926 by female German filmmaker Lotte Reiniger. Using the silhouette technique, with paper and scissors, each frame is a work of art!
Miles and Karina of Seattle, WA, brings to AIFF the charisma of their original score to delight audiences of all ages with their performance! A Not-To-Be-Missed Event!
The Adventures of Prince Achmed. 66 mins.
FIRST GIRL I LOVED Directed by Karem Sanga. 86 min, USA
The funny and touching story of Anne Santos, who has decided it’s not worth coming out as a lesbian at her LA public school — until she falls in love with Sasha Basañez, a star athlete even more in the closet than she is.
Heredity (Columbia) Dir: Carlos G Vergara Montiel, 100 min
Tati and Pedro live a mundane life until Pedro wakes up psychologically regressed into a child. Looking for a cure, Tati takes Pedro to his childhood home, where he reconnects with his family--who he doesn't remember--and plays and is as happy as when he was young. After his mother sees him in the middle of a crisis, she reveals a secret that sets Tati and Pedro on the trail of his father. Closure with him may be his only hope.
YOUTH IN OREGON Directed by: Joel David Moore. 100 min, USA
YOUTH IN OREGON is a dark comedy about a man who agrees to drive his cantankerous father-in-law cross-country, with the hopes of talking him out of getting euthanized.
BEST AND MOST BEAUTIFUL THINGS (Dir: Garrett Zevgetis) 90min USA
In a celebration of outcasts everywhere, a precocious young blind woman disappears into quirky obsessions and isolation. With humor and bold curiosity, she chases love and freedom in a surprising sex-positive community.
*Director Garret Zevgetis in attendance*
REAL BOY is the coming-of-age story of Bennett Wallace, a transgender teenager on a journey to find his voice—as a musician, a friend, a son, and a man. As he navigates the ups and downs of young adulthood, he works to gain the love and support of his mother, who has deep misgivings about her child’s transition. Along the way, Bennett forges a powerful friendship with his idol, Joe Stevens, a celebrated transgender musician with his own demons to fight.
Screens with the Animated Short, "Arrival"
How To Lose Weight in 4 Easy Steps (Dir:Benjamin Berman) 7 min, USA
A four step guide to losing weight - kind of.
20 Matches (Dir: Mark Tapio Kines) 10 min, USA
A young woman, her face illuminated only by match light, tells the story of an Austrian serial killer who murdered 20 immigrant women - one per year.
Thunder Road (Dir: Jim Cummings) 13 min, USA
Grand Jury Prize Winner at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. Officer Arnaud loved his Mom.
Gorilla (Dir: Tibo Pinsard) 14 min, France
Hollywood, 1952. Henry Corso performs a costumed gorilla on horror movies and adventure movies. For Jungle Jenna, he must terrorize the leading actress lost in a fake jungle, but scaring the woman he desires is going to be particularly tricky for the gorilla man.
GOODBYE DARLING I’M OFF TO FIGHT* Directed by: Simone Manetti. 73 min, Italy
After a painful breaking up with her boyfriend, actress Chantal Ughi found that Thai Boxe fighting was a way to get out her anger, and to fight ghosts from her childhood. She moves to Thailand for five years and becomes the world champion.
THE CINEMA TRAVELERS Directed by: Shirley Abraham ( 96 min) India
Once every year, traveling cinemas bring the wonder of the movies to faraway villages in India. Seven decades on, as their lorries and cinema projectors crumble and film reels become scarce, their audiences are lured by slick digital technology. Filmed over five years, The Cinema Travellers accompanies a shrewd exhibitor, a benevolent showman and a maverick projector mechanic who bear a beautiful burden - to keep the last traveling cinemas of the world running. A Cannes-award winning documentary.
On Time (Dir: Xavier Neal-Burgin) 8 min, USA
Renee Johnson, a mother living in South Central LA, must make a difficult decision when she's late for her job interview.
Virgin Territory (Dir: Debbie Von Ahrens) 15 min, USA
Virgin Territory is sex-positive, queer, and questioning coming-of-age story about a teenage girl who decides to have sex for the first time and commences her journey of sexual exploration.
Payday ( Dir: Szilárd Bernáth) 22 min, Hungary
In Eastern Hungary, powerful insurers keep residents of the poorest Roma communities in a permanent debt spiral. Young parents Feri and Gina try a different strategy to get relief from local boss Simon.
No Touching (Dir: Adam Davis) 13 min, USA
In a shady haunted house attraction where the performers are assaulting female patrons in order to make a name for themselves, the tables are turned when the performers attempt to take on two women who bring a new level of terror as they do some ass kicking of their own.
My Mom and the Girl (Susie Singer Carter) 20 min, USA
Dinner with friends takes a dark turn and leads a retired jazz singer suffering with Alzheimer's and her caregiver to a proverbial crossroads on the streets of East Los Angeles where they encounter The Girl and the three very disparate -- desperate -- women pull each other back into the light.
The Holly Kane Experiment (UK) Dir: Tom Sands, 102 Min
Holly Kane is an experimental psychologist, whose research into mind-control techniques is driven by a fear of insanity. As she experiments with drug-fuelled subliminal programming, two very different men come into her life. One is young and handsome, the other old and powerful. But neither of them are telling her the whole truth. When Holly steps up her experiments on herself with more sophisticated equipment and more powerful drugs, she descends into paranoia and madness.
Monsters (Dir: Steve Desmond) 13 min, USA
Jenn lives in an underground bunker with her family, protected from the monsters that now ravage the world. This is the day that she goes outside…We've Forgotten More than We Ever Knew (USA) Dir: Thomas Woodrow, 89 min
In the aftermath of an unknown calamity, two survivors travel through a hostile wilderness, guided only by a long-distant memory of home. When they encounter the ruins of a vanished society, everything they know is called into question, threatening their relationship, their memories and their future.
Donald Cried (USA) Dir: Kyle Martin, 85 min
Coming home has never been less fun.
Holly Mititquq Nordlum
(Iñupiaq) Is an artist, born in Kotzebue, Alaska. Throughout her childhood Holly developed an appreciation for her culture, arts, and life in the arctic. Holly attended the University of Alaska, Anchorage and completed a Bachelor of Fine Art Degree, since she has been an award winning multi-media artist and activist, and was a 2016 Sundance Time Warner Fellow.
Tupik Documentary
Il Campione (The Champion ) Dir: Boming Jiang. 12 min, Italy
Would you be able to laugh for five whole minutes? This is what Carmelo says people can do with his weird Smile Machine, the one he shows around fun fairs. He challenges people to laugh for five entire minutes without any interruption. One morning, everyone passing by his unique machine takes the challenge, with an unexpected winner.
Fresh Chocolate Bar (Dir: Elizabeth Elston). 4 min, Australia
A love poem to a chocolate bar.
Thunder Road (Dir: Jim Cummings) 13 min, USA
Grand Jury Prize Winner at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. Officer Arnaud loved his Mom.
I'll Wait Here (Dir: Harry Buerkle) 8min, AUSTRIA
The film follows a day in the lives of two adorable grandparents as they are adjusting to life after he has gone blind after an accident.
Starring Austin Pendleton (Dir:Gene Gallerano) 18 min, USA
'The most famous actor you've never heard of.' Austin Pendleton is that quintessential character actor you might recognize. We follow Austin as he reflects on his life and craft, while his A-list peers discuss his vast influence and dogged determination, and what it means to be an original in today's celebrity obsessed world.
A Reasonable Request (Dir: Andrw Laurich) 9 min, USA
A desperate son reconnects with his estranged father to ask an unspeakable favor that will change their lives forever.
Curmudgeons (Dir: Jake DeVito) 17 min, USA
A pair of senior citizens have a relationship that shocks both their families in this potty mouthed but endearing comedy.
Death$ in a $mall Town (Dir: Mark Jones) 7 min, USA
A mayor has a unique way to revive the fortunes of his small town that had been losing citizens, businesses and tourist prior to his taking office.
Pickle (Dir: Amy Nicholson) 15 min, USA
Let us reflect on the brief existence of Pickle the fish. Although he could not swim, he was lovingly cared for by a couple that kept him propped up in a sponge. Along with an obese chicken, a cat with a heart condition, and a paraplegic possum, his life is a celebration of man’s eternal capacity to care for all creatures. He will be dearly missed.
Run Time: 103 min
Heaven's Floor (Canada) Dir: Lori Stoll, 86 min
Heaven's Floor, based on a true story, is the journey of a Los Angeles photographer on the brink, who is rescued by her future daughter, while stranded in the icy wilds of the Canadian Arctic.We're Still Together (Canada) Dir: Jesse Klein, 82 min
A bullied, overweight teen is rescued by a manic single dad and together they set off into the city at night. At house parties, dive bars and backyard pools, with teenage crushes, estranged wives and daughters, Chris and Bobby come to know each other, and try not to lose themselves.
Money (USA) Dir: Martin Rosette, 85 Min
Two wealthy businessmen are about to get away with $5 million in ill-gotten money until their plans are revealed by an uninvited house guest.
Incredible stories from brave souls.
The Learning Alliance ( Muhammad Umar Saeed) 9 min, Pakistan.
Collecting garbage for earning and paying their fees for school. Three brothers who are changing their future by studying and at the same time selling garbage in Lahore, Pakistan. The Learning Alliance is a portrait of children with dreams and their struggle towards achieving it.
No Ordinary People I: Herbert Heywood (Dir: Michael Burton), 2 min, USA
Herbert Heywood was a child laborer in Fall River, Massachusetts who was photographed by Lewis W. Hine on June 21 1916; exactly 100 years prior to the completion of this 90 second animation.
The Soul of a Tree ( Dir: Mari Walker) 17 min, USA
The Soul of a Tree follows the paths of two men whose lives intersect in shocking and unexpected ways. Bill Vaughn is an Idaho farmboy when he first meets George Nakashima, a Japanese-American citizen interned during the height of WWII. Over forty years later they reconnect when Bill picks up a book written by George, titled The Soul of a Tree.
A Woman and Her Car (Dir: Loïc Darses) 28 min, Canada
December the 31th, 2003. Lucie decides to write a letter to the man who abused her from the age of 8 to 12 years old and resolves herself to bring it to him in person, wherever he may be.
Welcome To The Last Bookstore ( Dir: Chad Howitt) 12 min, USA
Battling against the rise of eReaders, the fall of large bookstore chains, and his own personal obstacles, Josh Spencer opens “The Last Bookstore”.
Hello, Cuba! Life Along A Neighborhood Street (Dir: Reuben Aaronson) 20 min, USA,CUBA
After more than 50 years of embargo and isolation, little is known of the everyday lives of Cubans living only 90 miles away from U.S. shores. This short film captures the spirit of everyday Cubans living along a quiet street in Havana.
THE LEAGUE OF EXOTIC DANCERS Directed by: Ramu Rau. 90 min, Canada
Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Rama Rau (The Market, Aftermath) and produced by Emmy Award-winning producer Ed Barreveld (Herman's House, The World Before Her), League of Exotique Dancers explores vintage Burlesque’s world of fun, frolic, and feathers, yet also turns the spotlight on the poverty, racism, and sexism that were rampant under all that glitter.With a blast of brassy jazz and a spin through the glitz of modern Las Vegas, Emmy® Award-winning Storyline Entertainment and award-winning director Rama Rau’s documentary League of Exotique Dancers sets the stage for a provocative and eye-opening “backstage tour” of the golden age of Burlesque through the colourful lives of unforgettable women who made it glitter.
Our guides are none other than inductees of the Burlesque Hall of Fame, all titans of tease and each possessing a way with words as uninhibited and captivating as her routines.
Tantalizing tales and expert tips from the frontlines propel an action-packed journey through Burlesque’s heyday that also covers its gradual demise, concluding with an upbeat celebration of its rediscovery and revitalization by a new generation. What emerges is a full-figured portrait of Burlesque-era striptease artists, one that goes deeper into the culture and is more nuanced than many familiar screen depictions.
Burlesque not only transformed the lives of our characters, some of whom regularly worked with each other, it also reflected the rapid changes in mid-20th-century North American society—a side of Burlesque culture rarely explored on screen.
League of Exotique Dancers peels off the layers of glitter to expose the sexism, racism and widespread stigma faced by Burlesque striptease performers and, indeed, the wider array of working women in that tumultuous era.
Illuminated by well-known and rare, never-before-seen, archival material and accentuated by a soundtrack and original music that captures the mood of the era, League of Exotique Dancers is all about its characters. Intimate interviews—held in homes and former haunts, filled with humour and heartbreak—reveal what keeps these formers stars busy today: driving a hearse, running marathons, designing flannel nightgowns, a hypnotherapy practice . . . they’re still full of surprises
THE 6TH FRIEND Directed by: Letia Clouston. 85 min, USA (*HORROR*)
Six college best friends throw their own private graduation party when the stoner of the group orders in something special from her drug dealer, who sticks around and joins their party uninvited. Before the night is over, a horrible vengeance will be wreaked upon him. Five years later, the girls gather once again and endure a night of far more horror and bloodshed that is inflicted upon them this time.
DROKPA* Directed by: Yan Chun Su 79 min, China
Set in the high plateau of eastern Tibet, Drokpa is an intimate portrait of an extended nomadic family whose life is on the cusp of irreversible change. With rare access to a small community of nomads living on the vast yet rapidly degrading grasslands on the eastern Tibetan Plateau, DROKPA, meaning nomads and nomadic culture in Tibetan, reveals the unprecedented environmental and social-political forces the nomads are facing. Richly observed daily lives and family relationships are at once deeply personal and illustrative of the universal issues of gender, freedom, adaptation to a changing climate and the resilience of human spirits.EL CHIVO Directed by: Rod Murphy. 79 min, USA
El Chivo ('The Goat') is what the indigenous Tarahumara of Mexico's Copper Canyons call Ultra Runner Wiill Harlan ever since he won their 50 mile Ultra, a race made famous by the bestseller 'Born to Run."
I Am Yupik (Dir: Daniele Anastasion, Nathan Golon) 17 min
A 16-year old Yup'ik Alaskan boy leaves his tiny village and travels across hundreds of miles of frozen tundra to compete in a basketball tournament and bring pride to his village.
Yuuyaraq (Dir: Lisle Hebert) 28 min
The story of how Alaskan Yupik culture was impacted by Westernization and the decimation caused by the influenza epidemic of 1918.
Run Time: 59 Min.
The Happys (USA) Dir: Tom Gould & John Serpe, 87 Min
Twenty-one year old Tracy walks in on her newly minted 'movie star' boyfriend having sex with a man. After assessing her limited options, she returns to Mark with a deal—if he agrees to marry her, she’ll forget the whole thing ever happened. Mark accepts her terms, but neither fully understands the sacrifices they have to make. Their relationship quickly deteriorates, but Tracy’s world blossoms when she befriends the quirky residents in her Los Feliz neighborhood. As she discovers her sense of self and true passion for cooking, Tracy is a catalyst that forces everyone around her to grow and connect in unforeseen ways. The cast includes Janeane Garofalo and The Walking Dead's Melissa McBride, with an original score by Patrick Sansone (Wilco).
Speaking from the HeART (Dir: Mary Katzke) 11 min Speaking from the HeART is a short-film that shares the story of Raymond "Ramond" Severence who was abandoned as a child in the Arizona desert, raised on a reservation, and who eventually ended up in Alaska. Unable to fully communicate his story through words, Raymond has found a way to speak about who he is with the help of The Arc of Anchorage art program, Sparc: a creative place.
The Interior (Dir: Jonathan Rattner) 22 min
January, the Alaskan Interior, 56 dogs, 4 humans, 5 hours of sunlight. This observational work - shot on both 16mm and digital video – is a sensory journey that follows Brent Sass, an award-winning dog musher, and his community of dogs living in isolation in the rural inland of Alaska.
Run Time: 80 min
Some Kind Of Quest (11 min) Dir: Andrew Wilcox, USA
What happens when artwork becomes life’s work? When creator becomes a caretaker? SOME KIND OF QUEST, from Sylvain Labs, Greencard Pictures and director, Andrew Wilcox, is a film that invites you into the singular world of Northlandz, a 52,000-square-foot model train installation just 75 minutes outside of Manhattan, and into the ornery mind of the man—and steadfast wife—who brought it all to life.
The Blindside ( Dir: Karan Ananth) 3 min, INDIA
Pranaya Murthy, a 60 year old 'extra' from South Indian film industry, is still hoping to get his dream role.
The 100 Years Show ( Dir: Alison Klayman) 29 min, USA
Carmen Herrera, a spunky and distinctive Cuban-American painter coming up on her 100th birthday, is finally achieving the recognition that eluded her for most of her career.
I'll Wait Here ( Dir: Harry Buerkle) 8 min, AUSTRIA
The film follows a day in the lives of my grandparents as they are adjusting to life after my grandfather has gone blind after an accident.
Starring Austin Pendleton( Dir: Gene Gallerano) 18 min, USA
The most famous actor you've never heard of.' Austin Pendleton is that quintessential character actor you might recognize. We follow Austin as he reflects on his life and craft, while his A-list peers discuss his vast influence and dogged determination, and what it means to be an original in today's celebrity obsessed world.
Run Time: 84 min.
Money (USA) Dir: Martin Rosette, 85 Min
Two wealthy businessmen are about to get away with $5 million in ill-gotten money until their plans are revealed by an uninvited house guest.WALK WITH ME Directed by: Jesse Nesser. 100 min, USA
Walk With Me: The Trials of Judge Damon J. Keith tells the story of ten extraordinary years, four groundbreaking cases, and one unconventional federal judge, whose rulings forever changed the face of civil rights in the United States.
It may be the greatest story you never heard.
Judge Damon J. Keith was first appointed to the U.S. District Court in Detroit, in 1967, only three months after race riots tore apart the city. A rookie judge and an African American, he faced controversy almost immediately when, in an unusual confluence of circumstance, four divisive cases landed on his docket—all of which concerned hidden discriminatory practices that were deeply woven into housing, education, employment, and police institutions. Keith shook the nation as he challenged the status quo and faced off against angry crowds, the KKK, corporate America, and even a sitting U.S. President.
As Judge Keith was reshaping civil rights at the local level, his rulings began setting precedents for change across the nation. Ultimately, the Supreme Court upheld every one of his decisions. There would be no going back.
Walk With Me is deliberately structured as a tapestry, rather than a chronicle, in order to create balance between an intimate portrait and interesting legal history. In his own words, the Judge recounts the significant emotional events that shaped his life, how he came to his decisions on these groundbreaking cases, and his thoughts about the impact of those rulings then, and now. The film interweaves Judge Keith’s life with those of his colleagues, his contemporaries in the struggle for civil rights, his daughters, and most movingly, the people whose lives were changed by his decisions, whether he ruled in their favor or against them.
Now 93, Judge Keith still serves on the US Circuit Court of Appeals; a living embodiment of nearly a century of US history. He was once an ordinary “colored” man; a janitor whose personal struggles reflected those of a nation first coming to terms with civil rights. He became a fearless and extraordinary judge whose rulings resonate with surprising relevance in a nation still arguing about ‘”which lives matter” almost 50 years later.
JACKSON (Dir: Maisie Crow ) 90 min, USA
What does life look like in a place where the anti-abortion movement has made access to legal abortion nearly impossible? Since the passing of Roe v. Wade over four decades ago, the self-labeled “pro-life” movement has won significant legal, cultural and political battles.
Set against the backdrop of the fight over the last abortion clinic in Mississippi, this film is an intimate, first-of-its-kind look inside the issues surrounding abortion through three women who stand on all sides of this debate and live at a turning point for reproductive healthcare in America.
How To Lose Weight in 4 Easy Steps (Dir:Benjamin Berman) 7 min, USA
A four step guide to losing weight - kind of.
20 Matches (Dir: Mark Tapio Kines) 10 min, USA
A young woman, her face illuminated only by match light, tells the story of an Austrian serial killer who murdered 20 immigrant women - one per year.
Thunder Road (Dir: Jim Cummings) 13 min, USA
Grand Jury Prize Winner at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. Officer Arnaud loved his Mom.
Gorilla (Dir: Tibo Pinsard) 14 min, France
Hollywood, 1952. Henry Corso performs a costumed gorilla on horror movies and adventure movies. For Jungle Jenna, he must terrorize the leading actress lost in a fake jungle, but scaring the woman he desires is going to be particularly tricky for the gorilla man.
Happy Lucky Golden Tofu Panda Dragon Good Time Fun Fun Show (USA) 85 min, Dir: Kate RiggLyris Hung
East meets west in this live stand-up comedy, sketch, and rock n' roll-spoken word concert film centered on Asian American tropes in Western Culture: immigration, bowl cuts, math nerds, the model minority myth and Hello Kitty everything. Starring comedian Kate Rigg and the electric violin fueled poetic punk duo Slanty Eyed Mama. #badass #comedychicks
No Light and No Land Anywhere (USA) Dir: Amber Sealey, 90 Min
With Lexi’s career and emotional state in shambles, her marriage faltering, she abruptly abandons London life and travels to LA to find her estranged father. Armed with only a retirement home address, she checks into a seedy hotel and embarks on a Sisyphean search for missing pieces of her past. Discovering siblings she didn’t know she had, being thwarted at almost every turn, finding her father ends up being an unexpected letting go of herself.Planet Outtakring (Austria) Dir: Michi Riebl , 90 min
Any idea how to start a revolution? This Austrian comedy follows the inner workings of the inner-city Viennese community of Outtakring, as a young hustler, a foreign exchange student and residents get creative together to pay off loan sharks and restore pride to the district. Revolutions often start with one idea...HUNKY DORY Directed by: Michael Curtis Johnson. 88 min, USA
A comedy-drama about a drag queen and his kid.
PEELERS Directed by: Sevé Schelenz 96 min, Canada
A small town strip club owner must defend her bar, her strippers and her life when violent infected patrons show up on the final closing night.THE SLIPPERS Directed by: Morgan White. 91 min, USA
The Slippers traces the unbelievable history of The Ruby Slippers from The Wizard of Oz. They have been bought, stolen, and coveted by many, and are the single most desired piece of Hollywood Memorabilia.
The Super Salmon (Dir: Ryan Peterson) 25 min
A radio-tagged salmon in Alaska makes a journey that defies scientific record, on a river slated to be dammed for electricity. The Super Salmon follows the eponymous fish's journey from the sea to the Susitna's sparkling, icy headwaters. Along the way we meet the river, the dam, and the people fighting for a way of life and a bright future.
We Eat Fish! (Dir: Daven Hafey) 27 min
"Alaska remains home to some of the cleanest waters, healthiest salmon runs, and wild, abundant seafood left in the world. These resources, at the heart of our economy, culture, and way of life, are what make Alaska strong.
The Clean Water Act sets out a formula for protecting these precious resources. A key factor in the formula is how much fish and seafood a state’s residents eat. Ignoring the reality that many Alaskans subsist on wild, healthy seafood, the State of Alaska has arbitrarily set this number outrageously low.
“We Eat Fish!” explores how much fish Alaskans eat, and why it matters to our water, our seafood, and you."
Find Me (Dir: Kitty Mahoney) 24 min
After the death of his father, a young man falls victim to the darkest parts of his own mind. Submerging himself in these memories, he is forced to explore his guilt, his impact on those he loves, and question the value of his life
Walt and Sea (Dir: Frank Sun) 6 min
A story about an Alaska fisherman navigating the bay and find his luck pulling in his day of catch.
Run TIme: 82 Min
GOODBYE DARLING I’M OFF TO FIGHT * Directed by: Simone Manetti. 73 min, Italy
After a painful breaking up with her boyfriend, actress Chantal Ughi found that Thai Boxe fighting was a way to get out her anger, and to fight ghosts from her childhood. She moves to Thailand for five years and becomes the world champion.
Bear With Us (USA) (Dir: William J Stribling) 95 Min
Bear with Us is a modern farce about a guy who attempts to propose to his girlfriend in the most romantic way possible, but his meticulous plan starts to fall apart when a ravenous bear stumbles upon their charming cabin in the woods. It's a total comedy of errors that takes a close look at just how far we'll go to preserve our relationships.
SHU-DE! (DIR: Michael R Faulkner) 85 Min, USA
Following in the footsteps of Paul Pena (Genghis Blues), Beatboxer, Shodekeh, travels across the world from Baltimore, MD to Kyzyl, Tuva, Russia to take part in a festival celebrating the 50th Birthday of the legendary musician, Kongar-ool Ondar. While there, he collaborates and competes with some of the worlds best Tuvan throat singers in pursuit of a goal to create an oasis of unity with music. Music is thWe're Still Together (Canada) Dir: Jesse Klein, 82 min
A bullied, overweight teen is rescued by a manic single dad and together they set off into the city at night. At house parties, dive bars and backyard pools, with teenage crushes, estranged wives and daughters, Chris and Bobby come to know each other, and try not to lose themselves.
Demimonde (Hungary) Dir: Attila Szász 88 min
The story of three women – a famous prostitute, her housekeeper and their new maid – living in Budapest of 1910s, whose passionate, bizarre and complex relationship can only lead to one thing: murder.
The Happys (USA) Dir: Tom Gould & John Serpe, 87 Min
Twenty-one year old Tracy walks in on her newly minted 'movie star' boyfriend having sex with a man. After assessing her limited options, she returns to Mark with a deal—if he agrees to marry her, she’ll forget the whole thing ever happened. Mark accepts her terms, but neither fully understands the sacrifices they have to make. Their relationship quickly deteriorates, but Tracy’s world blossoms when she befriends the quirky residents in her Los Feliz neighborhood. As she discovers her sense of self and true passion for cooking, Tracy is a catalyst that forces everyone around her to grow and connect in unforeseen ways. The cast includes Janeane Garofalo and The Walking Dead's Melissa McBride, with an original score by Patrick Sansone (Wilco).
