2103 AoBFF Festival Pass:
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FOUNDERS HALL THEATER
St. Francis College 180 Remsen St. Bklyn NY 11201
Subway: N,R to Court St. 2,3,4,5 to Borough Hall
A,C,F to Jay St./MetroTech
MARONEY THEATER
St. Francis College 180 Remsen St. Bklyn NY 11201
Subway: N,R to Court St. 2,3,4,5 to Borough Hall
A,C,F to Jay St./MetroTech
MAP
TUOHY HALL AUDITORIUM
St. Joseph's College 245 Clinton Ave.
Bklyn, NY 11205
Subway: G to Clinton-Washington Aves.
RESCUE! BROOKLYN
Documentary, 110m, USA
Directed by Charlie Spickler
World Premiere
7:30PM
Founders Hall Theater
RESCUE! BROOKLYN is a documentary film about SEAN CASEY ANIMAL RESCUE and their integral connection with the Borough of Brooklyn and New York City as a whole. Sean's "community first" approach toward how he runs his shelter and how he interacts within the neighborhoods of Brooklyn and the New York City area, are what make SCAR not only unique, but also the success that it is. Success is measured by impact and not dollars, and SCAR is very successful. While Sean is well known in the New York area, what he is doing should be the model for No Kill shelters all over the country. I hope this documentary will inspire others to take up the fight and do what Sean is doing in their own communities.
RESCUE! BROOKLYN, is the brainchild of Brooklyn based filmmaker Charlie Spickler, who is not just a filmmaker, but a pet owner who has adopted from Sean Casey.
About the Director:
Charlie began his life in the entertainment industry as a theatre / film electrician. This led to a 10 year career as lighting designer. Charlie’s work was seen everywhere from Off-Broadway to Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. Then like all good creative people he decided what he really wanted to do was direct. Charlie’s film directorial debut “Whacked”, a 21 minute comedy starring Bryan Callen (MadTV, OLD SCHOOL, BAD SANTA, WORLD’S DUMBEST), is the story of a filmmaker who borrowed money from the mob to make a film and now can’t pay it back. Shot on 16mm in 2 days, “Whacked” has won several festival awards including the best short film at the 1998 Ohio Independent Film Festival, Special Selection at the Ohio International Film Festival and the Silver Award at the Atlantic City Film Festival. “Whacked” is being distributed by Big Film Shorts. Charlie is currently in pre-production on a Sci-Fi Feature film called “Marie’s Zero Gravity Bar and Grill starring Amber Benson (Bufffy the Vampire Slayer) and Jonathan Woodward (Firefly and Buffy as well) slated to go into production in late 2013. Charlie is a partner in C Squared Pictures; a full service production house located in Brooklyn, NY.
Sean Casey with John the dog at the beginning of his long recovery.
CASUAL ENCOUNTERS
Comedy/Drama, 80m, USA
Directed by Will McCord
World Premiere
7:30PM
Maroney Theater
No matter how alone or strange one may be, internet sex personals provide an anonymous setting to divulge one’s most secret and intimate desires. post an ad about your kinkiest desires and you’re bound to receive dozens of replies from like-minded people – some genuine and real and others deceitful and predatory. CASUAL ENCOUNTERS tells the stories of five lonely people who look to make a connection and have their fantasies fulfilled.
About the Director:
Will McCord is a graduate of Columbia University’s MFA program in screenwriting and directing. He’s made numerous short films and low-budget music videos that have screened at festivals internationally, including New Directors/New Films, at Anthology Film Archives and Miami, among others. They have aired on New York’s PBS station and been written up favorably in the New York Times, Indiewire and the Daily News. He has a script optioned by writer/director/producer George LaVoo (A DOG YEAR, REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES) and was chosen as 1 of 25 filmmakers to participate in the new IFP/Film Society of Lincoln Center program Emerging Visions, held during the 2011 New York Film Festival. He has just completed his first feature, CASUAL ENCOUNTERS, which was shot by Bobby Webster, DP of the 2011 Oscar winner, GOD OF LOVE.
RAISING FILMWAX
20m, USA
Directed by Heather Freudenthal | WORLD PREMIERE
Adam Schartoff is a long time Brooklyn resident- a film journalist and lover, but at a relatively late stage in life, decided to start his own independent film series. This is a human portrait of Adam, and the dedication and work that goes into making his film series run smoothly. His film series, specifically focuses on independent films, primarily from Brooklyn or New York based filmmakers, with the intention of getting these films more exposure. His passion, while inspiring, is almost detrimental to his personal life, as he puts all his time and energy into his film series, leaving little time for home life.
SCREW YOU, BLOOMBERG-GARDENS
8m, USA
Directed by Ilja Willems | WORLD PREMIERE
Audrey Silk, a retired police officer in Brooklyn, grows her own tobacco in her back yard. She produces her own cigarettes in order to avoid the city high taxes. She feels that smoking is a personal choice and no government can create rules to keep her from smoking.
INTO NOISE
11m, USA
Directed by Janna Kyllästinen | NYC PREMIERE
This city symphony of urban and natural imagery exposes the layered sounds of New York through poetic, frantic imagery and soundtrack. Mixing together original and archival material, the film explores the science of hearing and emotion, and the ways in which noise affects us. The film follows the filmmaker in her attempts to cope with urban noise in New York, taking the audience on a journey finally leading back to her homeland left behind, seeking a sense of harmony and belonging.
IF THESE KNISHES COULD TALK: THE STORY OF THE NEW YORK ACCENT
55m, USA
Directed by Heather Quinlan | WORLD PREMIERE
On the surface, 'If These Knishes Could Talk' is an exploration of the New York accent: what it is, where it sprang from, and how it's evolved over time. But scratch that surface and underneath you'll find that the accent is just a starting point to delve into a larger question: What does it mean to be a New Yorker? Is it the accent? The swagger? All of the above? And how much of that swagger does New York still have, now that its high rents are stifling the accent and paving over the grit? If this trend continues, the Big Apple's voice may be indistinguishable from that of any other large American city. And then what would it mean to be a New Yorker?
So we've gathered some accent experts, official and non, to weigh in on what it means to tawk the talk in a city that may be slowly trying to quiet the noise--from actors in the Throggs Neck, to wiseguys in Dyker Heights, to Puerto Rican abuelitas on Avenue D. In-between, we'll explore what the future may hold for the accent with the changing waves of immigration and the continued flight into the suburbs.
We first meet 33 year-old Jack Hall in the midst of an exciting transitional period. Diagnosed with mental illness at the age of 19, he’s had some rough times over the years. But, after having gone through dozens of arrests and hospitalizations, he’s brought himself to a point where he has a steady job, a stable place to live, has achieved a high level of recovery in his illness, and is ready to move on. At the opening of the story, Jack is just two weeks away from moving out of his group home and into his own apartment. But Jack’s plan soon hits serious obstacles: the rent for his new apartment is suddenly raised to be more than he can afford, and he finds himself faced with a common problem: not enough money. In addition, he must prove his readiness to the doctor in charge of his release. Jack interacts with many people during his journey. From the group home nurse who helps him, to the psychiatrist who doesn’t really think him ready to leave; to a friend on the street, a hustler to whom Jack turns for advice; to the bad guys from his past; to an eclectic and wonderful group of fellow residents, Jack is certainly not alone in his struggle. What would be a simple goal for most of us is no less than life or death for Jack. However he can, by whatever means necessary, Jack needs, more than anything, to find his home.
STARRING Gbenga Akinnagbe (The Wire) Tawny Cypress (NBC's Heroes) Danny Hoch (Nurse Jackie, Henry's Crime) James McDaniel (A Soldier's Play, Edge of America) Joe Morton (The Brother From Another Planet, Terminator 2-Judgement Day) Isiah Whitlock, Jr. (Gun Hill Road, She Hate Me) and Victor Williams (Deacon on The King of Queens, Blue Bloods)
About the Director:
A DGA assistant director for many years, Jono Oliver has had a career in film and television production that has included more than 40 projects, including the films The Great Debaters, Notorious, Guess Who, Barbershop 2, John Tucker Must Die, Snake Eyes, Last Action Hero, and Soul Food. Jono grew up in Brooklyn before attending Stanford University where he received a B.A. in Political Science. He currently lives in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
HOME
Drama,112m, USA
Directed by Jono Oliver
NYC PREMIERE
7:30PM
Maroney Theater
THE DARK
16m, USA Directed by Justin P. Lange NYC PREMIERE
A lonely young monster with deadly black eyes encounters a kidnapped and abused young boy whose eyes have been sewn shut.
Justin P. Lange is a director and screenwriter currently pursuing his MFA at the prestigious Columbia University Graduate Film Program in New York City. He is currently hard at work developing the script for the feature length version of THE DARK.
THE DOOR
13m, Australia Directed by Richard Termini WORLD PREMIERE
Tom, a brooding, well-heeled young man, moves into an up-market new home where he is seduced by an enigma. There is a door he cannot open.Tom begins to hear mysterious sounds and feels as if he is being called into action. Events cause him to question his own sense of reality as unexplainable images enter his dreams. Tom faces his fears and challenges what may not be real.
SHADES OF YELLOW
6m, USA Directed by Garette Henson WORLD PREMIERE
After the loss of his mother, shut-in Louis is psychologically pinned between the
familiarity of the past and the uncertainty of his future.
Garette Henson - Director/co-writer - Garette Henson has been living in Brooklyn for five
years but grew up in Los Angeles working as an actor in film and television. Difficult as
it was to part from a life of constant rejection, Garette couldn’t ignore his absorption with
the other side of the camera. Garette’s work frequently dwells in the realm of subjective
and psychological drama, as he explores the relationship between expressive camera
and subtle story. Garette received a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College, and is
currently in his 3rd year at Columbia University in the M.F.A. Film Program. “Shades of
Yellow” is his third short film.
CHILLING VISIONS: 5 SENSES OF FEAR WORLD PREMIERE
Chiller TV premieres its first-ever original anthology film at the Art of Brooklyn Film Festival!
For 5 Senses of Fear, Chiller teams with six up-and-coming filmmakers who will write and direct five short films based on the human senses:
SMELL – directed by Nick Everhart
Left by his wife and stuck in a dead end job, Seth Kyle’s life defined undesirable, until a mysterious saleswoman shows up at his door offering him “a scent to die for.” Armed with a new air of self-confidence and a never-ending barrage of attention, Seth quickly learns that the smell of success comes with a deadly price.
SIGHT – directed by Miko Hughes
Unsatisfied with his own version of reality, an optometrist develops a machine that can harness the visions of all his patients. In an attempt to show his favorite patient’s abusive boyfriend the error of his way, the doctor injects a series of viciously brutal images into his mind, leading to a visceral bloodbath of reality and hallucinations.
TOUCH - directed by Emily Hagins
After a car accident leaves him stranded in the middle of nowhere, a 12 year old blind boy stumbles into the stomping grounds of a sadistic serial killer. Using his memory and strong sense of touch, he must navigate through the unfamiliar territory as the killer quickly closes in.
TASTE – directed by Eric England
A street-smart hacker is brought in for a job interview with a mysterious corporation. He soon learns that the company is led by a man-eater with impeccable taste that doesn’t take “no” for an answer.
HEARING – directed by Jesse Holland & Andy Mitton
While researching an urban legend about a song that’s long been thought lost, a group of friends piece together all the existing recordings of it, bringing it back to life for the first time in decades. Before long, they discover the bone chilling truth of what happens to anyone that listens to it and why it was buried for so long.
LUMINARIS (7m, Argentina)
Directed by Juan Pablo Zaramella | NYC PREMIERE
Luminaris is an animated short film made using the pixilation technique, combining
real actors interacting with animated objects and time-lapse sequences.
The film tells the story of a man living in a world controlled and timed by light. Every
morning, the inhabitants of that world are woken up and pulled to their jobs by
sunlight, as if this was some sort of magnet. The main character has a routinary job
in a factory that makes electric bulbs. But he has something else in mind that could
change the order of things.
Juan Pablo Zaramella (Director and creator) Is one of the main Latin Américan references in animation. After his graduation at the Instituto de Arte Cinematografico de Avellaneda as an Animation Director, he started directing and animating his own films. All his independent shorts have been awarded all around the world.
In 2010, Annecy International Animation Festival presented a special program with
all his works.
BLUE TEARS (1m, USA)
Directed by Joe Paul | WORLD PREMIERE
A woman's transformation from human to alien.
Director Joe Paul has had several of his films featured on the independent film circuit including "Estupido", "Cup of Joe", "Nuberu y Mujer del Sol", "Boor of No Importance", "Sasquatch Boge" and "Six Pack to Go".
YELLOW TRAILER ART GALLERY TRAVELING OUT OF TOWN (3m, USA)
Directed by Edward Kimball | WORLD PREMIERE
This film is of The Yellow Trailer Art Gallery (a mobile art platform) rushing through the New York City streets and highways at night and includes high-speed travel on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. Notably, the movie was produced incorporating five super 8 projectors and a digital projector simultaneously at work. The resulting visual collage was recorded and remixed. The movie is intended to be seen on the large screen. The film is short in duration with intense rapid fire imagery. The production is an expansion of a process Kimball explored in live performance at UPI's Photoville 2012 at Brooklyn Bridge Park and at the DUMBO Arts Festival - 2012.
SOME FUTURE NIGHTMARE (5m, Argentina)
Directed by Jeff Zorrilla | WORLD PREMIERE
The increasing number of natural disasters that are occurring as a result of global warming unites people around the world under a common existential crisis. The actions of each country have global consequences. A storm in one area of the world has effects on the consciousness of those thousands of miles away. This film uses as a narration an Argentine poet’s dream with Super 8 images of the destruction of hurricane Sandy in New York to raise the question of human connection in a time of global crisis.
SEED STORY (12m, USA)
Directed by William D. Caballero | NYC PREMIERE
As night falls, an abandoned parking lot comes to life, inhabited with inch tall plastic junkies and homeless figurines. Simultaneously, a host of miniature children play with a new addition to the lot; a newly grown seedling. As the kids play innocently, a group of adults approach and claim the plant as their own.
As the plant grows, the adults are quick to make it their own. First, it becomes almost godly, worshiped through Christian symbolism. The adults are quick to proselytize around the lot, winning converts and killing nonbelievers, but upon returning to the plant, they find it being worshiped by a Muslim-Esq culture. This results in war quickly ended by a thunderstorm which washes them away as the plant grows into a yellow blossom. Next, business minis are quick to capitalize on an oil slick washed up on the area around the blossom. They transform it into a polluted refinery, gaining money off of the suffering of the locals. After the entire area is covered in oil following an accident, the locals stage an ‘Occupy’-style protest, only to be met with totalitarian force leading into an age of war and fascism. As they are led by the dozens to the gas chambers, it is up to both the plant and the children to make a stand and save the adults from themselves.
BLANKET P. SNUGGLEMOP (1m, USA)
Directed by Paige Bradley | NYC PREMIERE
Charcoal drawing lines come together to form a girl with a ghost for a head and a blanket for a dress. She pulls a red thread out of her cave of a mouth, while the narration speaks to who she is and what she can do.
MOON HOOCH - TUBES (4m, USA)
Directed by Iemi Hernandez-Kim | BKLYN PREMIERE
A trippy animated music video.
FRANKENSTORM: FROM ACROSS THE EAST RIVER
5m, USA) Directed by John Mattiuzzi US PREMIERE
FRANKENSTORM : From Across The East River is a visual and emotional account of the night that ended in the horrifying Con Edison explosion, darkening half of Manhattan’s skyline. This short form, experimental documentary hovers along the East River, at the Williamsburg Waterfront in Brooklyn, where hundreds of spectators flocked to absorb the amusements of an approaching superstorm.
Inspired by experience, John Mattiuzzi is a fine artist, filmmaker, actor, and VFX
artist who utilizes any medium necessary to bring life to a concept. After graduating from SUNY PURCHASE, in the College of Art + Design he codirected, La Americana an award-winning feature documentary (aired on National Geographic, Al Jazeera, and PBS.)
In 2012, John received his MFA in Computer Art from the School of Visual Arts in NYC. He took the opportunity to bridge his documentary style with fantasy in a semi-autobiographical,
paranormal parable called THE COMPOSITOR which had its world premiere at the 2013
Slamdance Film Festival.
DELIRIO (8m, Cuba)
Directed by Alejandro Enmanuel Alonso Estrella and Lazaro Omar Lemus Lugo | US PREMIERE
Delirio enters and translates the waking dreams of myriad citizens as they imagine the future of their city. In this new dream dimension, the city appears oblique, fragmented in crystals and mirrors of water, reverberating amid shadows that elongate, gestures, noises, voices, walls, and, above all, time. The dream and real cities become intertwined and confused when the veil is lifted and we discover that we are awake. Or are we?
PROGRESS (2m)
Directed by Mike Rader | WORLD PREMIERE
This is from series of animations done on a cell phone. The animations were drawn over a book of photography of New York Landmarks by artist Robert Gambee. The book was found in the dollar bin at New York's Strand bookstore. The animations are daydreams about growth in the New York City area. Mike Rader has lived and worked in Brooklyn for almost 20 years.
FIGURE #1 (13m, Spain/USA)
Directed by Chus F. Sarrión | WORLD PREMIERE
Rebecca Poulsen, was born filled with disgust to human contact. Isolated in her home surrounded by her bizarre artistic creations, her biggest dream is to exhibit her sculptures at The Gallery. After being constantly rejected by the gallery owner, She decides to try something innovative by building Lus, a humanoid doll that will radically change her career and her personal life.
Chus F. Sarrion is a multidisciplinary young author in the search of the Gesamtkunstwerk and the total artist. After majoring in Media Communication in Madrid, she moved to NY to study Filmmaking at the NYFA. She is a versatile young artist aways propelled by her fascination for the odd, the exceptional and the visual as a casing for a philosophical, psychological or scientific undercurrent. Since 2010, Chus has been working in NY, LA, Madrid and Barcelona in commercials, music videos and awarded short films in different departments. She is currently writing a feature, performing in some galleries as a visual artist, illustrating in fanzines and designing a transmedia project.
In the summer of 2008, a small group of civilians ran 4,000 miles across America. They called themselves Run for the Fallen, and their mission was to run one mile for every service member killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom. TO THEM THAT'S GONE tells the story of this inspirational and historic event.
On December 20, 2005, 1st Lt. Michael J. Cleary, of Dallas, PA, was killed in action in Iraq. Michael was 24 years old, and he was due to return home to his family and fiancée ten days later. In response to this devastating loss, Mike’s best friend and college roommate, Jon Bellona, founded Run for the Fallen. Jon put together a team comprised of Mike’s fiancée, sister, and other friends. They did not run for or against the war, refusing any political affiliation.
The Run began on June 14, 2008 - Flag Day - in Fort Irwin, CA, and ended in Arlington National Cemetery, VA, 72 days later. The team marked every mile with an American flag and personalized memorial card, honoring each fallen service member chronologically, in the order of their death. Along the way, they met many others who had lost loved ones and came to participate in this moving memorial.
The title of the film derives from a Cleary family toast, which became a common refrain throughout Run for the Fallen:
To them that’s here, to them that’s gone, to them we’ll see again…
TO THEM THAT'S GONE
Documentary, 105m, USA
Directed by Andrew McKay
Co-Directed by John McKay and William Gardiner
BROOKLYN PREMIERE
Friday, May 17 7:00PM
Maroney Theater
THIS IS HOW I ROLL
Documentary, 73m, USA
Directed by Katherine Vecchio
NYC PREMIERE
Friday, May 17 8:45PM
Founders Hall Theater
A delightfully weird and endearing underdog sports story. The likes of Dr. Spankenstein, Maulin’ Brando and Abe Drinikin’ want nothing more than to be taken seriously by their roller girl heroes. In their quest for respect they face jeering crowds, serious injury and derision from their idols. Offering a behind the scenes look into the intense subculture that is modern day amateur roller derby This Is How I Roll also poses some important questions. What makes a sport legitimate? Who owns it? Who gets to play? Does the athlete’s gender matter when we talk about the answers?
KAT VECCHIO, Director, is a documentary filmmaker who endeavors to tell engaging, quirky, and insightful stories. Her first feature documentary, THIS IS HOW I ROLL, takes viewers through the hip-checking and emotional journey of the rise of modern men's roller derby. She is currently at work on a new feature length project with journalist Audrey Quinn that explores our growing use of algorithms to replace human intuition in unexpected places. Additionally she is the Operations Coordinator at Fork Films, a documentary production company that invests in and creates media that make an important social contribution.
JOE MIHALCHICK, Producer, co-wrote, produced and co-starred in the feature film, Homecoming (Best Feature, Southern Winds Film Festival, Winner, Jury of Peers Screenwriting Award). A graduate of Drew University, Joe currently skates for the New York Shock Exchange, where he’s better known as Maulin’ Brando.
AMERICAN BOMBER
Drama/Suspense, 90m, USA
Directed by Eric Trenkamp
WORLD PREMIERE
Friday, May 17 9:00PM
Maroney Theater
John Hidell, a disgraced ex-soldier, travels to New York City to become the first American born and raised suicide bomber. As he prepares for his bombing, he finds himself in an unexpected relationship with Amy, a divorced bartender. As his infatuation with her and New York grows, Hidell neglects his role in the bombing plot and begins to hope for the future. A hope that shatters when his co-conspirators and the FBI come hunting for him. With time running out, he must choose between a life on the run or a death in the history books.
Eric Trenkamp’s films have been featured on IFC and Current TV, as well as in festivals in New York and Los Angeles. He is on the faculty of the Film/Video Department at the Pratt Institute. American Bomber is his first feature film.
THE GRAND HOTEL
Documentary (36m, USA)
Directed by Douglas Massell
WORLD PREMIERE
HOWDY, MONTANA
Documentary (46m, USA)
Directed by Matt Cascella
NYC PREMIERE
Starting in the Great Depression of the 1930s, single room occupancy hotels have served as alternate forms of housing for students, artists, immigrants, and those down on their luck. A majority of these buildings were once grand hotels built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Filmmaker Douglas Massell has created an intimate portrait of the residents of one such Grand Hotel in New York City. It is also likely one of the last of its kind, as most others disappeared with the wave of gentrification that swept through the city. Poignant interviews with long-time residents and visuals of young children playing in hallways are some of the moments that capture the life within The Grand Hotel.
Filmmaker Douglas Massell studied film at The New School for Social Research. Originally from Red Bank, New Jersey, he has lived in New York City for over 15 years. He is currently working on pre-production on his first feature.
Howdy, Montana is a collage of faces and landscapes, guided by 20- year-old punk rock musician, Joey Running Crane. The film navigates through band practices, day jobs, and intriguing residents from Montana’s tight-knit communities. Howdy, Montana patiently examines contained dreams and youthful inhibitions on a beautiful sprawling frontier.
Matt Cascella lives between a scrap yard and a polluted canal in Brooklyn, NY. He currently edits at Part2Pictures down the block from his house. "Howdy, Montana" is his most recent film project, and "world premiered" at the tenth annual Big Sky Documentary Film Festival. His next project is called "Eureka", a documentary about rich and poor people in California.
FORT GREENE (Drama, 9m USA) Directed by Jordan Thomas
Set in the heart of a rapidly-gentrifying Brooklyn neighborhood, Fort Greene chronicles the events surrounding a mysterious shoplifting incident at a high-end clothing store two doors down from Ralph's bodega, the unofficial neighborhood Town Square.
Jordan Thomas, a native of the Bronx, has lived in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill, Brooklyn for ten years. He trained at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco and briefly worked as an actor in independent film, soaps and off off broadway theater before going into film production and grassroots political organizing. He is a co-founder of Brooklyn for Barack, a grassroots organization which campaigned for Barack Obama throughout Brooklyn during the 2007/08 presidential campaign. Jordan credits this experience with deepening and broadening his knowledge and appreciation of Brooklyn. FORT GREENE marks his directorial debut, as well as his return to acting.
ZOOT/SUIT (Drama, 5m) Directed by Clare Kent | WORLD PREMIERE
Twin brothers are expected at their father's retirement party. The twins spent the day together; now Zoot's taking a bath. Suit barges into his bathroom and starts raiding his shelves. Neither can see through the shower curtain between them... This is a story about thinking you know someone as well as you know yourself, and whether you can, and whether you should.
“Zoot/Suit” is Clare Kent’s directing debut. Previous writing includes “Cul-de-Sac,” a play premiered by Stuyvesant High School. Ghost writer by trade, living in Brooklyn, in her spare time Clare writes coverage and studies kung fu and guided chaos. Huge gratitude to her cast and crew, especially Skinner Myers for busting his eyeballs on the editing, Aimee Bonamie for busting hers on the poster, and Lena Leon for the bathroom and cosmic timing. Special thanks to Feenix Films, Viviana Leo for post-prod prods and encouragement, and AOBFF.
CATERWAUL (14m USA) Directed by Ian Samuels
A Cape Cod fisherman brings home a lobster. Their relationship deepens as the enigmatic
creature grows in size. The lobster crawls back to the Cape Cod shore where the fisherman
intuits a past love. The more the fisherman holds on to the creature, the more dissonant the
relationship becomes, and the heavier his ultimate decision weighs.
Ian Samuels is a filmmaker and puppetry artist based in Los Angeles. His hybrid work has
screened internationally at festivals and venues including Telluride Film Festival, Iris Prize,
Fantastic Fest, REDCAT, and Outfest. He received his MFA from California Institute of the
Arts in film directing and a BFA from Bard College in film / video. He has worked for the Jim
Henson Company and Sesame Street. His illustrated storybook, Gwendolyn and the
Underworld (www.meetgwendolyn.com), was printed in 2012. Ian is currently directing
commercials and developing a feature film.
MY BETHESDA ANGEL (Drama/Romance 35m, USA)
Directed by Felix van Cleeff | BROOKLYN PREMIERE
A young man wanders around New York, yearning to make human contact. There is one problem: he is an angel and nobody can see him. We follow him in his attempts to connect with the woman he loves. Told through lyrical visuals and sparse dialogue My Bethesda Angel is a poetic story about the impossibility of love.
Felix van Cleeff (1987) is a Dutch film director in the tradition of auteur filmmakers, who despite his young age has already produced a vast and rapidly growing body of work and has worked with some of the best actors in the Dutch film field. He is increasingly surrounding himself with a talented and close team of collaborators, consisting of top actors and crew members who all want to work with him joining in his vision. He has independently directed, written and produced four short films and one 60 minute length feature film. Van Cleeff’s films are marked by an expressive and lyrical style. He often tells his stories through poignant visuals, the use of music and sparse dialogue. His films deal with themes as pure love, social alienation, the longing for intimacy and suicide.
Van Cleeff is a composer as well. He wrote the original soundtracks for his films Eenoog and De Vreemdeling.
THE YAKUZA AND THE MERMAID
Fantasy/Romance
(101m, USA)
Directed by Chris Benker
BROOKLYN PREMIERE
A writer having trouble finishing a crime story meets a mysterious woman who literally brings his characters to life. Unfortunately, the gangster in his story just wants to be left alone, even if it means killing the writer. Meanwhile the writer and the mysterious woman embark on their own twisting romantic narrative.
Chris Benker has floated through the New York indie film world for years both working as a DP and making his own films. He enjoys drinking rum and working on old cars. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife Shari and their Chihuahua. He is thrilled to be a part of the Art of Brooklyn Film Festival. The Yakuza and the Mermaid is his 3rd feature.
THE HOOLIGANS (12m, Comedy/Mockumentary USA) Directed by Clarence Fuller
BROOKLYN PREMIERE
The mockumentary, The Hooligans, follows a band of misfit motorcycle riders around New York City as they get in fights, do wheelies, crash bikes and tame supermodels. Their goal is to become a legit motorcycle club to rival the Hell's Angels. Their Leader not only has to keep control of the club, but his power hungry, manipulative, supermodel girlfriend. What follows is an intimate look into a group of guys whose antics seem childish in comparison to any bona fide Motorcycle club. Can the leader keep control?
Clarence Fuller is an independent producer and director from Grand Rapids, Michigan. As a result of his love for film and music, Clarence started his production company, “Tune in Tokyo Productions" in 2009. Since then, Clarence has produced and directed music videos, films and fashion films. His work includes projects for: Kanye West, Estelle, Rick Ross, Jason Deruilo, Azealia Banks, Greyson Chance, Mykki Blanco and Lady Gaga. He wrote and directed three films, Pretty Boy 2010 (Big Apple Film Festival) and Guaranteed Happiness 2011 (Charleston International Film Festival, West Chester International Short Film Festival and Big Apple Film Festival.) His latest short The Hooligans premiered this past fall at the Big Apple Film Festival. Most
recently, Clarence’s fashion film for Corto Moltedo won best film at the Charleston Fashion Film contest.
AMERICA 101 (10m, USA) Directed by Richard Speight, Jr. | NYC PREMIERE
Patriotism is in full bloom when Our Man (Rick Gomez – Stand Up Guys, Band of Brothers) starts to salute the land of the free, but his homespun homage quickly collapses into a biting, beer-fueled replay of his pitiful past, lame present, and potentially dismal future, leaving his captive audience to
decide -- Ridiculous exaggeration? Sober social warning? Either way, one thing’s for sure: strange things are definitely afoot in this American life.
Richard Speight, Jr. was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee. There, he got his first exposure the madcap world of entertainment when he landed a part in the cinematic classic Ernest Goes to Camp. Years later, he moved to Los Angeles to attend the University of Southern California's School of Theater. After graduating cum laude, he secured the coveted position of ‘Wolf Man’ at Universal Studios, a job that gave him the opportunity to be harassed by tourists in 100-degree heat while wearing a rubber wolf suit. But he eventually had to leave the glitz and glamour of carny work when the acting career finally got going. On TV, Richard starred in the CBS series The Agency, the awardwinning HBO mini-series Band of Brothers, and Into The West for TNT, and has had recurring roles on the FX series Justified, the CW’s Supernatural, Look for Showtime, and the CBS cult hit Jericho. He has also made numerous guest appearances on shows including Longmire, Memphis Beat, Life, ER, Alias, CSI: Miami, and Yes, Dear. On film, Richard stars in the recently released family comedy 3 Blind Saints and has three more indie comedies coming out in 2013: Noobz, Brick Madness, and Mucho Dinero.
In addition, Richard co-wrote and starred in Adrift: Open Water 2 for Lion’s Gate Films, and co-directed, co-produced, and starred in the independent feature film North Beach.
BUMPER (Animation, 5m Australia) Directed by Ben McCarthy | US PREMIERE
Bumper the frog is unable to jump. He has many gifts and simple pleasures and so he looks outside the box to find something he can excel at. The sky is the limit when you focus on what you can do instead of what you can't.
Ben McCarthy, the film's creator, is 12 years old and lives in Brooklyn, New South Wales Australia. Ben was a Winner at Tropfest Jr 2013 in Sydney.
THAT OTHER SHORT (Comedy/Drama, 9m USA) Directed by Avivit Bar-Yosef | WORLD PREMIERE
When Aurelie gets fired from a coffee-shop in Brooklyn, her friend and co-worker, Noah, runs after her. He ditches work and they take a walk to find a restaurant where she might find another job. While recounting the incident that got her fired, she looses all hope for her future.
Avivit Bar-Yosef is an Israeli-American filmmaker based in Brooklyn, NY. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Film Studies from The American University of Paris in 2010 and moved to New York after graduating. She has since been working as a freelancer in film production. That Other Short is her second independent short film. Her first one, Baby Grand (2011), was an official selection of the Williamsburg International Film Festival and the NewFilmmakers New York screening series at Anthology Film Archives. Follow her on twitter @abaryosef
THE SKETCH ARTIST (Drama, 29m USA) Directed by Maxwell Newman-Plotnick | NYC PREMIERE
Reid Freidman is in a rut. It's been years since the awards and acclaim of his early days as a
graphic novelist and now he's working as a small-town police sketch artist. Desperate to resuscitate
his fading career, Reid copies the work of a police officer’s teenage son, a promising artist, and mails
it to his agent. But, having second thoughts, he enlists Ellie, a mysterious kleptomaniac, to help him
retrieve the plagiarized work before the fraud is discovered.
Maxwell Newman-Plotnick is a writer and director, originally from upstate New York, who, like
many artists, made the trek back to the vibrant borough that his immigrant ancestors spent
generations trying to leave. He studied filmmaking at Harvard College under Ross McElwee
(Sherman’s March) and Daniel Rubin (Groundhog Day). The Sketch Artist, his thesis film, won
Best Undergraduate Drama at the Ivy Film Festival, the largest student-run film festival. He now
lives in Brooklyn, and works in film and commercial production, with clients and talent from EvoShield
and quarterback RG3, to international NGO SurfAid, while continuing to develop new projects.
ALAN COTE: ARTIST (Documentary, 10m USA) Directed by Theo Cote
WORLD PREMIERE
THE CARDBOARD BERNINI (Documentary, 76m USA)
Directed by Olympia Stone
NYC PREMIERE
Alan Cote is a visual artist who has been making abstract paintings for the past 45 years, first in his TriBeCa studio, and now, since 2005, in the rural upstate New York village where he lives. He has had numerous one-man shows, both in the U.S. and internationally. His paintings are in museum collections in New York City and elsewhere in the U.S. and Europe, and in many private collections. He has been concentrating for the past 8 to 10 years on two-panel paintings with subtly nuanced color gradations. This short film is a look into Cote’s work, his methods, and the visual ideas in his paintings.
Theo Cote is a Freelance Photographer and Videographer living in Ft. Greene, Brooklyn. He graduated from Purchase College in 2010 with a Degree in Photography, and Alan Cote: Artist is his directing debut.
'The Cardboard Bernini' examines the life and work of artist James Grashow as he spends four years building a giant cardboard fountain, with the intention of putting it outside to dissolve. Inspired by the baroque sculptor Bernini, and propelled by a crucial event documented in the film, Grashow is driven to experience the process of creation and loss by making an extraordinary artwork that will be destroyed in the end. This film follows Jimmy's journey, as he questions life's fragility and the artistic process.
Olympia Stone is a producer, director and editor who has worked on documentaries for the Discovery Channel, A&E Networks, WGBH, MTV, and ABC. Her first independent film, "The Collector: Allan Stone’s Life in Art," was completed in 2007. Recently, Olympia has worked as a radio producer for The State of Things, a daily radio program broadcast on WUNC in Chapel Hill, North Carolina where she lives. “The Cardboard Bernini” is her second feature-length documentary. Olympia is currently working on her next film about the artist David Beck.
ONE WALL: KINGS OF
CONEY ISLAND
(Documentary, 86m USA) Directed by Joe Glickman
NYC PREMIERE
One Wall opens at the conclusion of the 2010 National One Wall where Tyree Bastidas, the stand-out junior handball player, has captured his first open singles title at age 19. Joe Durso, the sports' most-decorated player, is on the scene to congratulate Tyree. At 57, Durso, a nine-time National Champion and arguably the greatest player of all time, is well past his prime but not ready to give up the sport that has shaped his identity and provided him with an audience for a level of obscene banter that borders on performance art. The former District Attorney turned high-school teacher serves as the film’s narrator, describing in eloquent Brooklynese the beauty of the sport and the artistry and athleticism of its top players – and his frustration that handball has not become mainstream.
Had Durso channeled his energies into tennis, the world would probably know his name. But his sport is handball, the quintessential city game, brought to New York by Irish immigrants at the turn of the century. The courts on West 5th Street, abutting the Coney Island boardwalk, are the game’s (ultra) earthy Wimbledon, and they are as much the subject of the film as the six players we follow as they progress toward and through the 2011 Championship – including policeman Cesar Sala; glazier Joe Kaplan; math teacher Satish Janaduran; and truck driver PeeWee Castro. Durso drops his doubles partner for Tyree, who then drops Durso. Durso is overmatched in the singles tournament and exits early, and the shame and anger of an aging champion are on poignant display. ''I towered over the game like the Colossus of Rhodes,'' he said, “and now I can’t even hit the fucking ball.” The rising young champion Tyree – gifted, powerful, with movie-star good looks -- is favored to win again, but after a riveting match in brutal heat, an unexpected new champ emerges.
Director Joe Glickman is a Brooklyn-based freelance writer. His articles have appeared in Outside, Men's Journal, National Geographic Adventure, Backpacker, Conde Nast's The Traveler, The Los Angeles Times Sunday Magazine, and many more. He wrote two-dozen "Weekend Warrior" columns for The New York Times and is the author of six books, including To The Top (Northword Press), The Kayak Companion. A two-time member of the US National Marathon Kayak Team, Glickman has cycled across America, paddled solo from Montana to Chicago, and climbed the highest mountain in each of the 50 states. His most recent book, Fearless: One Woman, One Kayak, One Continent (Globe Peaquot), was published in Feb. 2012 and recently shortlisted in the Banff Mountain Book Competition in the Adventure Travel Writing category.
HOW TO MAKE MOVIES AT HOME
(Comedy/Drama, 93m USA)
Directed by Morgan Nichols
WORLD PREMIERE
Jonah and her band of filmmaking friends have been making movies since they were kids. Typical Mainers - resourceful, independent, just a little off-center – their weekly film slams bring the whole town together. When a big TV production team comes in, threatening to shut them down, Jonah becomes so consumed with her war with Hollywood that she risks losing the band. In this test of friendship vs. film success, the band is forced to either swim with the fishes or fight the whale. What sets H2MM@H apart is that Jonah explains how they’re making their movie while being in the movie about making movies. H2MM@H is not just another indie film. It’s a hip and heartfelt tool to make a million more.
Morgan Nichols is a director, editor, and cinema craftsman. His first feature, Jesus Freak, premiered in 2003 at the Los Angeles Film Festival and won Best Southwest Film at the Santa Fe Film Festival. His next film, the little Death, premiered in 2006 as the closing night gala film for the Atlanta Film Festival and went on to win Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay and Best Cinematography award on the festival circuit. He holds an MFA in Cinema from the University of Southern California and a BA in Theater Arts from Brandeis University and currently edits for MTV Scratch.
BREWED IN BROOKLYN
(Documentary, 45m USA) Directed by John Weber
NYC PREMIERE
Brewed in Brooklyn is the story of the rise and fall and subsequent rise again of not only the beer brewing industry in Brooklyn, but also the borough as a whole. The film examines the history of the beer brewing industry and it’s social and economic impact on a community beginning in the mid 1800s and making it’s way through the speakeasies of prohibition, the economic turmoil of the 1970s and into the gentrification of modern day Brooklyn. Historians, tour guides and former brewery workers provide a colorful narrative that make for an educational and entertaining mix as you sip (or chug) your way down memory lane through a time when Rheingold, Piel’s and Schaefer were as much a part of Brooklyn as the Dodgers. Cheers!
John Weber is making his documentary film debut as the director, writer and host of “Brewed in Brooklyn”. Prior to “Brewed in Brooklyn”, the 55 year old Weber spent many years in the film industry working as an usher in some of the area’s most well known movie theatres. Weber’s past endeavors include driving limos in New York, working as an orderly in a state psychiatric hospital and cooking at various fast food establishments. He was once awarded the prestigious “Employee of the Month” parking space for his hard work and dedication.
