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Friday, September 18
Saturday, September 19
Sunday, September 20
Monday, September 21
Tuesday, September 22
Wednesday, September 23
Thursday, September 24
OPENING NIGHT
Friday, September 18, 2009
7:00PM
East Coast Premiere “Motherhood”
90 minutes
Starring Uma Thurman, Anthony Edwards, Minnie Driver
Writer Director Katherine Dieckmann, Producers Rachel Cohen, Jana Edelbaum, Pamela Koffler, Christine Vachon, and John Wells
Synopsis:
In Manhattan, a mother of two preparing for her daughter's sixth birthday party has no idea of the challenges she's about to face in order to pull off the event.
9:30PM
Opening Night Celebration and Award Presentation
11:00AM
New England Premiere “Between Floors”
87 minutes
Starring Jim Walters, Michael Conway, Anika Kunik, Kathryn MaGill, Ryan Wickerham, Brent Smiga, Scott Bate, Spencer Gibb
Director and Producer Jen White
Synopsis: Between Floors examines the human condition through a uniquely claustrophobic lens, intercutting between five stuck elevators and the people trapped inside them. Each elevator becomes an existential purgatory, forcing its occupants to not only confront their isolation, but themselves and each other in varied and unexpected ways.
Short Film: “Jalouse”
4 minutes
Director Melanie Delloye
Synopsis: As she watches her mother and brother play, a jealous little girl sits by herself on a swing. What will she do to get some attention?
1:15PM
East coast Premiere “American Colonies: Collapse of the Bees” Documentary
77 minutes
Director and Producer Jason Kushner
Synopsis: A completely independent film project that breaks down the role of bees/pollinators in our environment and economy. It explains the mysterious problem of Colony Collapse Disorder and then proposes a possible solution for the sake of our food supply and global economy.
3:15PM
Shorts Program I
World Premiere“To Comfort You”
15 minutes
Starring Pauley Perrette (NCIS) and Golden Globe Winner Susan Blakely.
Director Marc Saltarelli
Synopsis: A daily phone call between Angela and her lesbian daughter living with HIV/AIDS reveals unexpected news.
Shorts Program I (cont’d)
“Kavi” Director Gregg Helvey
19 minutes
Synopsis: A film about a young boy who wants to escape from the brick kiln where he is forced to work as a modern-day salve. “Kavi” is the first fictional film of its kind to expose the reality of ‘bonded labor,’ a form of modern slavery.
Short Film
“History Matters”
7 minutes
Director Huda Abdul-Razzak
Synopsis: A semi-fictional docudrama about a news anchor who gives a report about the recent attacks in Gaza.
“Memory”
4 minutes
Director Ashley Freeman
Synopsis: After years of not knowing her father, a young woman comes to terms with the only memory she has of him.
“Prayers for Peace”
8 minutes
Director Dustin Grella
Synopsis: A narrative stop-motion animation confronting the memory of the artist's younger brother killed in the current conflict in Iraq. Drawn entirely with pastels on a slate chalkboard, the materials used to create the animation become a metaphor for the impermanence of life.
New England Premiere “What Are Your Dreams?” documentary
32 minutes
Director Stacey Witt, Phaneendra Medida
Synopsis: What are your dreams? This seemingly simple question brought unexpected results when we took to the streets of Boston in the spring of 2009. Away from their everyday stresses, people responded to our invitation with humor, heart, intelligence and imagination. And though each response was deeply personal, together they made a powerful statement about the human condition and the enduring importance of dreaming.
5:00PM
“Racing Dreams” documentary
95 minutes
Director Marshall Curry Producer Bristol Baughan
Synopsis: Academy Award nominated director, Marshall Curry (STREET FIGHT), takes us into the lives of Annabeth (11 years old), Josh (12), and Brandon (13) as they compete for the World Karting Association’s National Championship. Clocking speeds of up to 70 mph in extreme racing karts, these young racers hope to follow the scores of great NASCAR drivers who got their start in racing’s version of the little league.
Short film “Red Flag”
11 minutes
Director Sheila Curran Dennin
Producer Maureen A. Ryan
Synopsis: Tracy goes on a series of pretty bad blind dates. She emerges unscathed, even after ignoring red flag after red flag, and seems to have given up on dating. Free and alone, she stumbles upon a fabulous guy in the park. All is looking good until it's time to say goodbye.
7:20PM
World Premiere “In/Significant Others”
99 minutes
Starring Burgess Jenkins, Andrea Powell, Brian LaFontaine, Marc Scarboro, Brett Gentile and Jeremy DeCarlos
Director/Producer John Schwert
Synopsis: A follow-up to the festival hit Among Brothers, John Schwert’s second feature In/Significant Others is a multi-narrative drama that navigates through the different lives of one city’s residents, each of whom is connected to the same local homicide investigation.
World Premiere, short film “Turning it Over”
8 minutes
Director Josh Marchette
Synopsis: Jason can't seem to get his life together, his dead end job, 'shit hole' apartment and past life mistakes are enough to make him want to go back to his old drinking ways. After putting some sober time together, Jason can't take it any longer and finds his way to the bar where he runs into Steve who is having lunch. Steve recognizes Jason from the "meetings" and offers help.
9:45PM
Work in Progress Sneak Preview “The Truth”
102 minutes
Starring John Heard, Brendan Sexton III, Erin Cardillo, Daniel Baldwin
Director Ryan Barton-Grimley
Producer AJ Gordon
Synopsis: When a couple is taken hostage in their home by an intruder, a simple home invasion robbery begins to turn into something much more complicated.
Back to top ^^^
11:00AM
Medical Spotlight Series “Hope Deferred” documentary
47 minutes
Director James Siegel
Producer Nikki Sacco
Synopsis: Stem cell research is one of the most important issues of our time. Hope Deferred captures this importance and captures its promise.
Short film “The Sundowners”
14 minutes
Starring Antonio Leon
Director Robin Seymour
Synopsis: A family's internal struggle comes to light when the patriarch is diagnosed with Alzheimers.
“A Vision of Wholeness” documentary
33 minutes
Director Ben Duffy
Producer Ben Duffy and Steven Puzarne
Synopsis: A Vision of Wholeness is a 30 minute introductory film looking at a new, revolutionary way of handling the spectrum child, specifically children diagnosed with autism. Cantor and executive founder of Vision of Wholeness, Steve Puzarne, expands our hearts and minds with simply understanding the spectrum child’s needs, rather then trying to fix them because of what the outside perspective thinks they need to be.
Medical Spotlight Series (cont’d)
World Premiere “Mito Kids: Documenting Life” documentary
19 minutes
Director Marc Dole
Synopsis: Mito-Kids is the story of four teenage sisters who have grown up with disabilities that stem from mitochondrial disease, a chronic, genetic disorder that occurs when the mitochondria of the cell fail to function properly. This is an intimate and personal story that aims to increase the understanding of mitochondrial disease and its connection to epilepsy, diabetes, ALS, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Heart Disease and many other neurological disorders. Marc Dole is the father of these four young women and the film’s producer and director.
2:30PM
“Scarred Justice” documentary
55 minutes
Director/Producer Bestor Cram and Judy Richardson
Synopsis: This film tells the story of South Carolina's 1968 'Orangeburg Massacre,' an incident often termed 'the Kent State of the South.' The film presents a chilling story about abuse of power during a period of tumultuous social upheaval, and the veil of secrecy that shrouds the event to this day.
Short film “The Journal”
18 minutes
Director Sam Wasserman
Synopsis: A tortured young man who lost his mother at a very early age, discovers the gift that could set him free.
4:00PM
East Cost Premiere“At the Edge of the World” documentary
90 minutes
Director Dan Stone
Synopsis: The 3rd Antarctic Campaign was arguably the perfect combination of imperfections and the risks taken to stop a Japanese whaling fleet that were astonishingly reckless and admirable.
6:30PM
East Coast Premiere “Love Hurts”
95 minutes
Starring Richard E. Grant, Carrie Ann Moss, Johnny Pacar, Camryn Manheim, Janeane Garofalo, Jeffrey Nordling, Director Barra Grant Producer Brian Reilly
Synopsis: Ben (Richard E. Grant) a successful doctor but an obtuse husband, is finally left by his wife (Carrie Anne Moss). Befuddled by life and romance and obsessed with winning her back, Ben is tutored by his extremely popular 17 year-old son. To his amazement Ben becomes the most desirable single man in town.
9:00PM
“Handsome Harry”
94 minutes
Starring Jamey Sheridan, Aidan Quinn, Steve Buscemi, Campbell Scott, John Savage
Director Bette Gordon
Producer Jamin O'Brien
Synopsis: An ex-Navy man carrying out the last wish of a dying shipmate renews contact with old friends to break the code of silence around a mysterious, long-buried crime.
3:00PM
“Between Floors"
87 minutes
Starring Jim Walters, Michael Conway, Anika Kunik, Kathryn MaGill, Ryan Wickerham, Brent Smiga, Scott Bate, Spencer Gibb
Director and Producer Jen White
Synopsis: Between Floors examines the human condition through a uniquely claustrophobic lens, intercutting between five stuck elevators and the people trapped inside them. Each elevator becomes an existential purgatory, forcing its occupants to not only confront their isolation, but themselves and each other in varied and unexpected ways.
5:00PM
“Good Fortune” documentary
73 minutes
Director Landon Van Soest Producer Jeremy Levine and Landon Van Soest
Synopsis: Good Fortune explores how massive international efforts to alleviate poverty in Africa may be undermining the very communities they aim to benefit.
Short film New England Premiere “Hove (The Wind)”
11 minutes
Starring Olympia Dukakis
Director Alex Webb
Synopsis: The friendship between two Armenian women is deeply affected by a chance encounter with the past and the powerful, unresolved legacy of the Armenian Genocide.
7:00PM
World Premiere “The Things We Carry”
77 minutes
Starring Johnny Whitworth, Alyssa Lobit, Alexis Rhee and Catherine Kresge
Director Ian McCrudden
Producer Athena Lobit, Jay Lobit, Camilla Mana and Jessica Schatz
Synopsis: The Things We Carry, a personal story, marks the debut of the Lobit Sisters (Athena, Producer; Alyssa, writer & actress). When her drug-addict mother dies, Emmie returns home, traveling through the underbelly of suburbia looking for a package her mother has left behind, reconnecting with her estranged sister, Eve, along the way. Set in the San Fernando Valley, against the dirty backdrop of seedy motels and forgotten flowers, the sisters come to peace with themselves, their mother, and each other about their different approaches to life.
Short film “The One Last Time”
9 minutes
Director and Producer Scott Weintrob
Synopsis: Two groups of robbers rob the same bank, on the same day, at the same time, after being given the same tip.
9:00PM
“My Big Break” documentary film
100 minutes
Starring Wes Bentley, Chad Lindberg, Brad Rowe, Greg Fawcett, Tony Zierra
Director Tony Zierra
Producer Elizabeth Yoffe
Synopsis: This controversial documentary follows five roommates trying to make it in Hollywood who face the unexpected consequences of fame. While popular shows like Entourage offer a fun, fictionalized view into the workings of the film industry, My Big Break shows the good times along with the darker side of becoming a celebrity. The documentary is a rare, raw look at life in Hollywood that reveals what can happen if your dreams unexpectedly come true.
Short film “Out here in the Fields; Quail Hill Farm”
10 minutes
Director Alec Hirschfeld
Synopsis: How does the connection between people and land lead to conservation success?
5:00PM
Shorts Program III
“Vacsora (The Dinner)”
26 minutes
Director Karchi Perlmann
Synopsis: Vacsora revolves around a day in the life of a small rural Hungarian family during the riots of September 2006. The day starts when the adult son of the family slips and falls during the morning feeding and is laying unconscious in the pigpen.
“Sunshower”
14 minutes
Director Liam Gavin
Synopsis: On her way home from a party, drunk and driving a stolen car, a GIRL (17) hits an OLD MAN walking by the side of the road. When he won't wake up and the car won't start, it seems all she can do is bury him...
“Dinner with Raphael”
10 minutes
Director Joey Boukadakis
Synopsis: A guy brings his fiancée home to meet his family, including his brother who thinks he's a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle
“Christopher Dispossessed”
15 minutes
Director Matthew Watts
Synopsis: He's too late to stop the wedding, but not too late to stop the marriage.
“Where it Stops”
14 minutes
Starring Angela McEwan
Director Kyle Shea
Producer Joey Halegua
Cinematographer Zac Baney
Synopsis: Where it Stops follows 78-year-old Barbara Stack as she searches for her last shot of life with the help of her fellow residents, Lilly and Joanne at Willow Creek Residence. When Joanne and Barbara stumble upon a revolver that Lilly has, the two ladies play a game of Russian roulette.
4 minutes
Director Stephen Troy
Synopsis: Man with Hammer meets Man with Nail.
8:00PM
“Charlie Valentine”
96 minutes
Starring Raymond J. Barry, Michael Weatherly, Tom Berenger
Director Jesse Johnson Producer Ray Cavaleri
Synopsis: A professional criminal, on the run, tries to reconcile with his estranged son after 30 years.
Short film “What Violence Begets”
5 minutes
Director Michelle Barbera
Producer Jacob Lipcon
Synopsis: A meet-cute between two psychotic serial killers.
The Environment Spotlight
3:00PM
New England Premiere “A Chemical Reaction” documentary
80 minutes
Director Brett Plymale
Producers Paul Tukey and Tim Rhys
Synopsis: A documentary movie that tells the story of one of the most powerful and effective community initiatives in the history of North America. Dr. June Irwin noticed a connection between her patients’ health conditions and their exposure to chemical pesticides and herbicides. With relentless persistence she brought her concerns to town meetings to warn fellow citizens that the chemicals they were putting on their lawns posed severe health risks and had unknown side effects on the environment.
7:00PM
Boston Premiere “Earth Days” documentary
100 minutes
Director Robert Stone
Synopsis: The story of our growing awareness and understanding of the environmental crisis and emergence, during the 1960's and '70's, of popular movement to confront it.
Short film “Marbles with Thoreau”
17 minutes
Director Melody George
Synopsis: While exploring the woods near Walden Pond, two children stumble across a mysterious abandoned cabin. They quickly discover the cabin is in fact occupied by none other than the 19th century genius, Henry David Thoreau. What will the children discover as they cross the threshold into Thoreau's whimsical world?
9:30PM
World Premiere “Destination: Rossport, Ireland” documentary
53 minutes
Director and Producer Jim Kerns
Synopsis: A look at the dispute being played out in Northwest Ireland as Shell Oil attempts to build a pipeline through a small community.
Back to top ^^^
Thursday, September 24
4:00PM
“Long Distance” documentary
28 minutes
Director Moritz Siebert
Synopsis: Abiyot runs for money, every weekend at a different race. He left Ethiopia to try and re-launch his running career in the US. With every aspect of his daily routine centered on his training, his footsteps not only dictate the rhythm of his life, but also become the pervasive rhythm of the film. A film about aspiration, endurance and the pursuit of the American Dream.
“Fight or Flight” documentary
79 minutes
Director Peter J McCarthy and Shane Sutton
Synopsis: Filmmaker Peter McCarthy was randomly attacked on a night out in Galway City (Ireland), leaving him badly scarred and threatening the vision in his left eye. On his recovery Peter came across an article on Muay Thai boxing in a newspaper and decided to leave Ireland for Thailand and learn how to defend himself. Fight or Flight documents Peter’s journey over several years in Thailand as he goes from novice in Muay Thai to fighting in semi-professional bouts in arenas full to capacity around Thailand. Through the course of his experiences in Muay Thai, Peter learns that behind his compulsion to fight lies fear and ultimately a deep-seated anger that has driven him to risk his body in the ring.
7:00PM
New England Premiere “Desdemona: A Love Story”
89 minutes
Starring; Glenn Morshower, Jorge A. Jimenez, Denton Blane Everett
Director Phillip Guzman
Producer James LaMarr
Synopsis: A Mexican immigrant reflects on his actions involving kidnapping a past love for money to bury his American father figure.
21 minutes
Director Brooke Adams
Producer Donna Robinson and Tony Shalhoub
Synopsis: Only in Hollywood could your dog's psychic be your love life consultant.
