WATER BROTHER: THE SID ABBRUZZI STORYfollows the life of surf and skate core legend and cultural icon Sid Abbruzzi, and his commitment to protecting the sports’ history and culture. Through a mix of never-before-seen archival film, large format cinematic footage, and personal interviews from culture giants like Tony Hawk, Shepard Fairey, Selema Masekela and more; we are taken on a journey through surfing and skating history – from 1960s Newport to Santa Cruz, Cocoa Beach, South Africa’s Jeffrey’s Bay, and beyond. As Sid approaches the age of 72, the film captures the final days of his famous Water Brothers Surf & Skate shop as it is set to be demolished and the impact it had on the surf and skate community. WATER BROTHER emphasizes the importance of memory, personal history, and living in the moment, reminding us to cherish our past and preserve cultural heritage. The film is a poignant reflection on a life well-lived and a heartfelt tribute to the enduring spirit of surf culture. It celebrates the individuals and places that transcend surfing and skating from mere hobbies, showing how one man’s dedication can inspire an entire community. Co-directors Charles Kinnane & Daniel Kinnane join us to talk about the impact that Sid, his family and Water Brothers Surf & Skate shop has had on them, what was it about the surf and skate lifestyle that inspired them to pick up a camera and tell this story, and the love for Sid that permeates Water Brother: The Sid Abruzzi Story.
About the filmmakers – Charles Kinnane and Daniel Kinnane have been filming home movies together since they were kids. They got their first big break making short films for Kevin James’ Youtube channel in 2020. Their first movie, ‘Home Team’, produced by Adam Sandler and starring Kevin James was the #1 movie on Netflix for two weeks in a row and Top 10 in 90 countries worldwide. For more go to: kinnanebrothers.com
“Rhode Island natives Charles Kinnane and Daniel Kinnane direct in a loose, rollicking style that suits the one-of-a-kind Abbruzzi and his Water Bros. legend.” – Loren King, Newport This Week
Academy-award winning director David Marsh (Man on Wire) takes viewers on cinematic journey through the life of literary genius Samuel Beckett. DANCE FIRST highlights his lived life of many parts: Parisian bon vivant, WWII Resistance fighter, Nobel Prize-winning playwright, philandering husband, recluse. But despite all the adulation that came his, way he was a man acutely aware of his own failings. Titled after Beckett’s famous ethos “Dance first, think later,” The film is a sweeping account of the life of this 20th-century icon. It focuses on his relationships with the people he loved and who loved him back, but who he felt that he had wronged. Director David Marsh (The Theory of Everything) joins us for a conversation on why he chose to dive into the life of a notoriously private man, working with screenwriter Neil Forsyth, their decision to frame the various chapters of Beckett’s life from the perspective of his”mistakes”, using a black and white format in filming the story and finally assembling a terrific cast includes; Fionn O’Shea, Sandrine Bonnaire, Leonie Lojkine, Bronagh Gallagher, Grainne Good, Robert Aramayo, Maxine Peake, and Aidan Gillen as James Joyce.
August 9th theatrical opening in NYC at the Angelika Film Center and in Los Angeles at the Laemmle Monica Film Center
About the filmmaker – James Marsh is a celebrated writer and director of narrative feature films and documentaries. His global Box Office hit The Theory of Everything won the best British film BAFTA, and Best Actor at the Academy Awards for Eddie Redmayne’s portrayal of Stephen Hawking. His acclaimed documentary Man on Wire won the Academy Award for Best Documentary, a BAFTA for Best British Film, and an Independent Spirit award. James Marsh is a writer and director of documentary, narrative feature films, scripted TV and commercials. His work has won major film and TV awards including Academy Awards, Emmys and BAFTAs. James is currently in pre-production on ‘Night Boat to Tangier’ based on Kevin Barry’s book, starring Michael Fassbender and Domnhall Gleeson. James has previously worked in Ireland, directing the critically acclaimed, low budget psychological thriller Shadow Dancer.
“The film can be a treat to look at, shot mostly in glowing, milky black and white. And performances range from sturdy to superlative.” – Danny Leigh, Financial Times
“Byrne gives a thoughtful performance as a successful writer clinging desperately to his own imperative of failure.” – Hugh Barnes, The Arts Desk
“Dance First still takes a profound look across Beckett’s life, but the film takes artistic risks and a fascinating route into his mind. – Stefan Pape, Common Sense Media
“ … A polished black and white film, curious and well-acted although of impossible intent to capture the life of the author of Waiting for Godot.” – Elsa Fernández-Santos
Director John McDermott’sElectric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision chronicles the creation of the groundbreaking recording studio, Electric Lady Studios. Rising from the rubble of a bankrupt Manhattan nightclub to becoming a state-of-the-art recording facility inspired by Hendrix’s desire for a permanent studio, Electric Lady Studios was the first ever artist-owned commercial recording studio. Hendrix had first envisioned creating an experiential nightclub, inspiredby the short-lived Greenwich Village nightspot Cerebrum, whose patrons donned flowing robes and were inundated by flashing lights, spectral images, and swirling sound. Hendrix enjoyed the Cerebrum experience so much that he asked its architect, John Storyk, to work with him and his manager, Michael Jeffery, to transform what had once been the Generation Club into “an electric studio of participation.” Shortly after acquiring the Generation Club lease however, Hendrix was steered from building a nightclub to creating a commercial recording studio. Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision includes never-before-seen footage and photos as well as track breakdowns of Hendrix classics such as “Freedom,” “Angel” and “Dolly Dagger” by recording engineer Eddie Kramer. In addition to Kramer the film also includes appearances by John Storyk (Architect, Electric Lady Studios), Billy Cox (Band of Gypsy bassist), Mitch Mitchell (Experience drummer), Steve Winwood (Spencer Davis, Blind Faith), and Blues legend Buddy Guy. Director John McDermott joins us to talk about Jimi Hendrix’s burning desire to create music and provide a welcoming space for musicians to thrive. Electric Lady Studios has become the creative home to artists such as Stevie Wonder, The Rolling Stones, John Lennon, David Bowie, Beyoncé and some of the most celebrated music of all time.
WAR GAME sweeps audiences into an elaborate future-set simulation that dramatically escalates the threat posed by the January 6, 2021 insurrection. The film follows a bipartisan group of US defense, intelligence, and elected policymakers spanning five presidential administrations as they participate in an unscripted role-play exercise. Portraying a fictional President of the United States and his advisors, they confront a political coup backed by rogue members of the US military in the wake of a contested 2024 presidential election. Like actors in a thriller, but with profound real-world stakes, the players have only six hours to save American democracy.Some of the participants included; WAR GAME co-directors Jesse Moss (Boys State, Girls State, The Overnighters) and Tony Gerber (Full Battle Rattle, Notorious Mr. Bout, Kingdom of the White Wolf, Jane) join us for a spirited conversation on how they came into this project, the importance of VET VOICE in making this possible, the very challenging logistics of capturing the intensity of the exercise and how seriously all the participants were in regard to playing their individual roles.
About the filmmaker – Co-Director / Writer / Producer Jesse Moss co-directed Girls State and Boys State with Amanda McBaine for Apple Original Films. Girls State premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and is currently streaming on Apple TV+. Boys State won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, the 2021 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary, and was shortlisted for the Academy Award. It was released by Apple and A24. Barack Obama included Boys State on his list of favorite movies of 2020. Moss’s film The Mission, also co-directed with Amanda McBaine for National Geographic Documentary Films, premiered at the 2023 Telluride Film Festival and is streaming worldwide on Disney+. He directed The Overnighters, which won the Special Jury Prize at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, was shortlisted for the Academy Award, and released by Drafthouse Films and Netflix. He has twice been nominated by the DGA for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary. His past work with Netflix includes The Family, a 5-part series, and Payday, an episode of the series Dirty Money. In 2008, he co-directed Full Battle Rattle with Tony Gerber, which premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and won the Special Jury Prize at SXSW.
About the filmmaker – Co-Director / Writer Tony Gerber is an Emmy and PGA award-winning writer, producer, and director. His directing credits include Full Battle Rattle (SXSW Special Jury Prize) with Jesse Moss, The Notorious Mr. Bout (BBC Storyville,) CNN Films’ We Will Rise: Michelle Obama’s Mission to Educate Girls Around the World (Television Academy Honors, CINÉ Golden Eagle) and the limited series Kingdom of the White Wolf filmed on location in the High Arctic for National Geographic, streaming on Disney+. He is a producer on Brett Morgan’s Jane (PGA Award and Primetime Emmy) and the Emmy-nominated, Oscar-shortlisted documentaryTakeover currently being adapted into a feature film for the Independent Studio Sister. In 2005 he co-founded Market Road Films with two-time Pulitzer-Prize winning playwright Lynn Nottage.
VET VOICE (statement) – Founded in 2009, the mission of Vet Voice Foundation is to empower veterans and military families to have a voice in our democracy by providing them with the support, training and tools to shape policy and impact outcomes in their communities. Core to our mission is protecting democracy and the Constitutional rule of law. When we put on the uniform, we swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution – not a person, not a political party. That oath lives on, even when we take the uniform off. The exercise we undertook on January 6, 2023, which is the subject of War Game, was our most ambitious effort yet to help ensure that our government and military are well-prepared to defend our Republic when it may be at its most vulnerable. While the lessons learned were privately delivered to top government officials, the documentary is a crucially important vehicle to inform the public about the very real threat of domestic extremism and hyper-polarization, and how it will take all of us to defend our democracy from those who would seek to destroy it. Vet Voice Foundation is a non-profit, non-partisan organization, organized under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, for charitable and educational purposes.
“A briskly paced, compelling docu-thriller perfectly timed for another hotly contentious election year in the United States… As engaging as it is thought-provoking, War Game should attract US media and international outlets with an appetite for America’s instability, as well as news junkies who do not already get enough drama from the real world.” – Anthony Kaufman, Screen International
“The movie takes viewers inside the three branches of the simulation, showcasing the intense decision-making techniques of people who’ve actually been read-in on some of the gravest moments in our country’s recent history.” – Jada Yuan, Washington Post
“Chilling. A political thriller in documentary form. Moss and Gerber clearly understand that the ticktock of this hypothetical insurgency will make for exciting cinema… [An] excellent film.” – Bilge Ebiri, Vulture
“Plays like a riveting political thriller. Chilling and engrossing. [A] feeling of anxiety courses through the entirety of the 94-minute doc, which moves with ruthless precision… Sweeping, realistic, and theatrically escalating, ‘War Game’ is a must-watch and really enthralling stuff. [A-] – Rodrigo Perez, The Playlist
“Both exciting and absolutely terrifying.” – David Fear, Rolling Stone
In their cheeky social satire COUP! Co-directors Austin Stark & Joseph Schuman drop us into an isolated seaside estate during the 1918 Spanish Flu.The estate belongs to a wealthy couple, an entitled journalist, Jay (Billy Magnussen) and his socialite wife, Julie (Sarah Gadon).The couple hires a mysterious grifter as a their private cook, Floyd (Peter Sarsgaard). When the plague finally descends on the island, the wily cook rouses his fellow staff to rebel and take over the mansion. Their wealthy employer suspects the cook’s coup is part of a more sinister agenda, and mind games between master and servant escalate into boisterous class warfare. With a terrific cast, stars Peter Sarsgaard (currently on Apple+ hit series Presumed Innocent), Billy Magnussen (Road House remake), and Sarah Gadon, the film also stars Skye P. Marshall, Faran Tahir, Kristine Nielsen and Fisher Stevens. Co-directors and co-writers Austin Stark and Joseph Schuman joins us to talk about the tonal challenge of presenting this satirical tale that leans into the comedy of menace while embracing the themes of the class divide and revolution, as well as bringing Peter Sarsgaard into the project to play Floyd and to be the film’s Executive Producer.
About the filmmaker – Director / Writer Austin Stark is a NewYork-based writer, director, and producer best known for films that explore social issues. His latest film, COUP!, starring Peter Sarsgaard and Billy Magnussen, premiered in the Giornate degli Autori section of the Venice Film Festival and will be released by Greenwich Entertainment in 2024. In 2015, Austin made his directorial debut with THE RUNNER, a political drama starring Nicolas Cage, Sarah Paulson, and Peter Fonda, which was released theatrically by Alchemy. In 2021, Austin followed that up with THE GOD COMMITTEE, a medical thriller starring Kelsey Grammer, Julia Stiles and Colman Domingo. The film debuted at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival and was released by Vertical Entertainment. In addition to his career as a writer director, Austin has produced a number of films, including: Sony Pictures Classics’ INFINITELY POLAR BEAR, which earned Mark Ruffalo a Golden Globe nomination; Tony Kaye’s DETACHMENT 2012 Sundance Opening Night Film HELLO, I MUST BE GOING; 2010 Sundance Audience Award winner HAPPY THANK YOU MORE PLEASE; and Werner Herzog’s MY SON, MY SON, WHAT HAVE YE DONE.
About the filmmaker – Director / Writer Joseph Schuman majored in English literature at Columbia College and studied film at NYU. Currently CEO of Crew Mobile Technologies, a software and IP licensing startup he founded, he has published numerous patents in the media and communication space. His true passion remains cinematic storytelling, and COUP! is his directorial debut.
“…wonderfully assured in its boldness and swagger, and has the feel of far more seasoned and experienced filmmakers, reverberating with the echoes of everyone from Joseph Losey to Paul Thomas Anderson.” – Erin Free, FILMINK (Australia)
“Joseph Schuman and Austin Stark create a giddy and darkly comic examination of class struggles in endlessly delightful Coup!” – Andrew Murray, The Upcoming
In their sophomore feature film co-directors Steven Kanter and Henry Loevner track the story of New York yuppies Amy and Max during their time in the wealthy resort town of Jackson Hole, Wyoming while on a summer vacation. Amy wants to enjoy a romantic getaway with her fiancé. But Max neglects Amy to spend the week working, leaving her to wander town alone. Amy finds a friend in Loren, a local wilderness guide who takes her fly fishing. She’s immediately drawn to this magnetic, free spirited stranger. Both lonely and lost in their own lives, Amy and Loren share an instant connection. When Max is called away on business, Amy & Loren spend the week together exploring the Tetons. As her bond with Loren grows into something more than friendship, Amy questions whether she’ll return to NYC with Max after all. Co-directors Steven Kanter and Henry Loevner (The End of Us) stop by to talk about their inspiration for making the film, working with superb cast that includes; Claudio Restrepo, Derrick Joseph DeBlasis, and Ben Coleman, and why they decided to set the film in a mountain resort town.
About the filmmaker – Director / Writer / Producer / Editior Cinematographer Henry Loevner is an LA-based filmmaker, though his family lives in Wyoming. His debut feature The End of Us (2021) premiered in competition at SXSW 2021. His short film Nest Egg was an Official Selection at Aspen Shortsfest and Palm Springs ShortFest 2019. Peak Season marks Henry’s second feature collaboration with Steven Kanter.
About the filmmaker – Director / Writer / Producer / Editor Cinematographer / Composer Steven Kanter is a Los Angeles-based filmmaker and composer from Detroit, Michigan. His first feature The End of Us premiered in competition at SXSW 2021. He’s directed and produced commercial projects for a variety of brands – including Amazon, HBO MAX, and Toyota USA. Peak Season is Steven’s second feature collaboration with Henry Loevner.
“For a sophomore feature outing, “Peak Season” demonstrates that the filmmaking duo have more to say about life and love, taking the things that they’ve learned and utilizing them well.” – Douglas Davidson, Elements of Madness
“At just around 80 minutes, Peak Season manages to craft a heartfelt, authentic, and endearing portrayal of friendship that will not only entertain, but will provoke some thought, too.” – Emily Bernard, Collider
“This is the type of indie charmer that gets nearly everything right. While it doesn’t reach any new or thrilling heights, this authentic story of friendship is simple, relatable, and features authentic characters that elicit real emotion from viewers.” – Louisa Moore, Screen Zealots
“No one gets to relax in Henry Loevner and Steven Kanter’s delightful second feature, except for the audience for whom the vacation film will actually feel like an excursion.” – Stephen Saito, Moveable Fest
SLEEP NO MORE is a Los Angeles neo noir crime thriller directed by Antonia Boganovich, and Executive Produced by Peter Bogdanovich. Warren, once a master Shakespearian actor, is now a gambling drunk. Puck-like Samuel enchants crowds on the 3rd Street Promenade, reciting Shakespeare. And brother Beckett, a master pickpocket, makes his way through the unsuspecting crowd. When Warren gets in deep with a loan shark, his sons need to find a way to escape and like Samuel’s beloved comic book hero, Phantom Halo, they must break free of the mud that traps them. There is counterfeit money, a Bentley, a beautiful woman, knives, guns and an ending that is more like a Shakespearean tragedy than a film about growing up in the urban decay of Hollywood. Featuring a cast that includes; Sebastian Roché, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Luke Kleintank, Rebecca Romijn (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, The Librarians, X-Men), Tobin Bell(The Saw series, The Flash), Ashley Hamilton (Gothic Harvest, Rules Don’t Apply) and Jordan Dunn (Read the Room). Director and co-screenwriter Antonia Bogdanovich joins us for a revealing conversation about the traumatic origin story for Sleep No More, working with her dad on the project, her decision to re-cut and re-release the film after nearly 10 years, and growing up in a household steeped in arts, literature and film.
About the filmmaker – Director/ Producer/ Screenwriter Antonia Bogdanovich rose to prominence in 2015 with the release of her directorial debut, “Phantom Halo.” As a Hollywood native, Bogdanovich was surrounded by the movie industry. Of course, it also helped that her father was Oscar-nominated director Peter Bogdanovich. Growing up immersed in all things movies, Bogdanovich was practically groomed to have a career in the film industry. She started acting at age 4, having appeared in an uncredited role in her father’s Oscar-winning drama, “The Last Picture Show” (1971), and eventually went on to appear in “They All Laughed” (1981), “Illegally Yours” (1988), and “The Whole Wide World” (1996). However, Bogdanovich eventually found that her true passion was for writing. She wrote her first screenplay while attending UCLA, and found that she had a knack for the script format. After college she worked as a freelance journalist for local papers throughout the Los Angeles region, while spending her free time crafting screenplays. She eventually decided to focus her efforts entirely on screenplay writing, and in 2011, wrote and directed her debut short film, “My Left Hand.” The task of directing actors – something her father knew all too well – came effortlessly to Bogdanovich, and it wasn’t long before she realized she had found her calling. She then set out to write and direct a feature film. That film, 2015’s “Phantom Halo,” starring Rebecca Romijn and Tobin Bell, was well-received by critics upon its release.
The story behind the re-release of Sleep No More: As a child of Hollywood (Antonia Bogdanovich’s mother was renowned producer Polly Platt and her father was legendary film director Peter Bogdanovich), Antonia was smack dab in the middle of it all, and though she began her career as a freelance journalist, she eventually followed in her parent’s acclaimed footsteps behind the camera. Following the death of her father, Peter Bogdanovich in January 2022, Antonia thought about how she could carry on the legacy of her family, and her father – a storyteller of the first order – and it finally came to her: her first feature, SLEEP NO MORE (Originally titled Phantom Halo) had been largely misunderstood. After nearly 10 years she decided it was time to revisit the film with the goal of releasing a more clear and concise version; a film which, at the end of the day, is really about her intense relationship with her father and her very complicated home life. Unfortunately, upon the film’s initial release in 2014, the distributor quickly went under, leaving SLEEP NO MORE in theatrical limbo. Though it was a New York Times Critic’s Pick and a launch pad for many actors who’d go on to much larger things, including the two leads, Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Luke Kleintank, it languished in relative obscurity… until now. For more go to: thegmfilms.com
“Sleep No More may not be flawless, but it is a solid and entertaining watch. The pacing is mostly excellent as things move so fast audiences barely have time to breathe.” – Bobby LePire, Film Threat
DEVIL PUT THE COAL IN THE GROUND is a moving portrayal of resilience by the people of West Virginia that reveals –despite years of corporate greed and exploitation – how a deep love of family, community and tradition has carried them through it all.From the realities of a crumbling economy, to the ravages of the opioid epidemic, to the irreparable environmental damage and its tragic impact on human health – the film is a cautionary tale of unfettered corporate power, and an elegy to a vanishing Appalachia. Uniquely structured upon personal storytelling of West Virginians, the film draws upon their rich experiences and diverse perspectives in order to create an informal, oral “People’s History of West Virginia”. These individuals run the gamut – from recovering opioid addict, to environmental activist, to U.S. Congressional candidate, to town judge, to recovery center nurse, to corporate environmental lawyer, to struggling local business owner – all of whom, despite their differences, remain linked by the love of their home state and the challenges that threaten their survival, and way of life. DEVIL PUT THE COAL IN THE GROUND features the iconic music of Steve Earle and Iris Dement, while blending intimate first-person storytelling with rare archival photography from DOCUMERICA luminary Jack Corn. Stunning aerial footage, bespoke animation, and an original score complete this heartfelt elegy to a vanishing Appalachia. Co-directors Lucas Sabean and Peter Hutchison stop by to talk about how this film started as an entirely different project and why the humanity and emotional rawness of the film’s subjects made it clear that they deserved to have a film built around their stories.
About the filmmaker – Director/ Producer Peter Hutchison is an award-winning filmmaker, NY Times Bestselling author, educator & activist. He directed & produced Requiem for the American Dream: Noam Chomsky and the Principles of Concentration of Wealth and Power(Netflix). A NY Times Critics Pick and #1 selling doc on iTunes, the book version of the film was a NY Times Bestseller (Seven Stories Press). He most recent film, the critically-acclaimed Healing From Hate: Battle for the Soul of a Nation (Journeyman Pictures/ Media Education Foundation), described as “a raw masterpiece”, is now in wide release. The film examines the root causes of hate group activity through the bold work of former Skinheads & neo-Nazis, now engaged in de-radicalizing violent extremists, and transforming attitudes of intolerance. His longstanding commitment to issues around male identity has resulted in the films You Throw Like A Girl: The Blind Spot of Masculinity(MEF), Angry White Men: Masculinity in the Age of Trump (Grasshopper), and newly released, The Man Card: White Male Identity Politics from Nixon to Trump (MEF). His numerous documentary features include What Would Jesus Buy?(Sundance Channel Feature), SPLIT: ADivided America(IFC Choice Indie), it’s follow-up SPLIT: A Deeper Divide (The Documentary Channel), and Awake Zion (Film Buff).
About the filmmaker – Director/ Producer/ Editor Lucas Sabean is an editor, producer and filmmaker, whose output includes independent narrative & documentary features, commercial video, and a large body of experiential work. Co-founder of Eat the Moon Films & Big Tent Productions, he has produced & edited Healing From Hate: Battle for the Soul of a Nation(Freestyle Digital Media, Media Education Foundation), directed & edited Angry White Men: American Masculinity in the Age of Trump(Grasshopper Films) and currently producing/directing/editing Devil Put The Coal in the Ground. He recently directed, produced & edited The Man Card: White Male Identity Politics From Nixon to Trump (2020, Media Education Foundation) and directed, produced & edited You Throw Like A Girl: The Blindspot of Masculinity (2020, MEF). He was named to the “Filmmaker of Tomorrow” program at the Telluride Film Festival for his short film Relieve (1999). His other films include End of Era (Underground Zero, 2003), and The Last Stand (Best Feature, Backseat Film Festival, 2008). Choreographer Paul Taylor has called his films “superb – like poems made visible.” He has an MFA from Boston University in Film Production.
MOUNTAIN QUEEN: THE SUMMITS OF LHAKPA SHERPA tracks Lhakpa’s storied mountaineering career in pursuit of her record-breaking 10th summit to reveal a rich personal history – from her childhood as a girl denied an education in rural Nepal, to her experience as an immigrant in America and survivor of intimate partner violence, to her fight to live as a fearless example to her teenage daughters. Through it all, Lhakpa climbs – her incredible strength and resilience inspired by her own mother goddess of the universe – Chomolungma, Mt. Everest. Lhakpa Sherpa has summited Mt. Everest more than any woman in history. The first Nepali woman to summit and descend in 2000, Lhakpa keeps climbing in pursuit of a better life for herself and her children and to champion Nepali women and girls. MOUNTAIN QUEEN: THE SUMMITS OF LHAKPA SHERPA highlights the incredible determination of mothers fighting to protect and inspire their children. Above all, Lhakpa’s story is one of a family surviving, healing, and climbing forward.Director and co-producer Lucy Walker (Bring Your Own Brigade, The Crash Reel, Waste Land, Countdown to Zero) stops by to talk how her previous documentary work brought her to tell Lhakpa’s story, capturing the steely determination of Lhakpa to follow her own path, and how her achievements have impacted her daughters, Sunny and Shiny.
About the filmmaker – LUCY WALKER (Director, Producer) is an Emmy Award®-winning British film director who has twice been nominated for an Oscar® and is renowned for creating riveting, character-driven nonfiction that delivers emotionally and narratively. The Hollywood Reporter has called her “the new Errol Morris” and Variety has praised her unique ability to connect with audiences. Walker’s films have been shortlisted for five Oscars and nominated for seven Emmys, an Independent Spirit Award, a DGA Award and a Gotham Award, winning over 100 other film awards. For her advertising work she has been recognized with three Cannes Lions, two Clios and two Association of Independent Commercial Producers Awards, among many other honors. Walker’s credits include feature documentaries Bring Your Own Brigade (2021), The Crash Reel (2013), Waste Land (2010), Countdown to Zero (2010), Blindsight (2006), Devil’s Playground (2002) and short films such as The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom (2011) and The Lion’s Mouth Opens (2014). Her television work includes 20 episodes of Nickelodeon “Blue’s Clues.” Walker grew up in England and graduated from Oxford University with top honors and a degree in literature. There, she directed theater and musicals before winning a Fulbright scholarship to attend the graduate film program at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. At Tisch she earned an M.F.A. degree and directed award-winning short films. While living in New York Walker also enjoyed a successful career as a DJ and musician. Walker is also an acclaimed virtual reality director. Her first VR experience, A History of Cuban Dance (2016), premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and showed at both SXSW and the Toronto International Film Festival. She has directed branded VR experiences for Airbnb, TOMS Shoes, Vaseline, Vice and the Buena Vista Social Club. Walker is based in Venice, CA where she curates TEDxVeniceBeach and is an advocate for psychedelic research. She grew up in London and read English Language and Literature at Oxford University, graduating with a starred first class BA Hons, MA Oxon. She directed award-winning theater before winning a Fulbright Scholarship to earn her MFA at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She is an artist in residence at the SETI Institute and also enjoyed a successful career as a DJ. For more go to: lucywalkerfilm.com
“Llapka Sherpa is the first and only woman to climb Mt. Everest a record ten times by the age of 48. Mountain Queenis must see so women everywhere can learn the only boundary or limitations one has are the ones placed on yourself.” – Carla Renata, The Curvy Film Critic
HOLLYWOODGATE chronicles a sliver of the larger picture around the take over by the Taliban when the United States withdrew from its twenty-year old “forever war” in Afghanistan. In the time since the Taliban have re-established their control over the ravaged country, they located and pillaged an American military base loaded with weaponry – a portion of the over $7 billion in U.S. armaments still in the country. Unprecedented and audacious, Hollywoodgateis the riveting result of the yeardirector Ibrahim Nash’at spent with the Taliban in the wake of the United States withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. Risking his life in the war-torn nation, Nash’at is on the ground with the Taliban when they enter an American base loaded with a portion of the billions dollars worth of U.S. armaments left behind. Driving towards an astonishing and chilling end, Nash’at tracks Taliban leaders as they attempt to transform from a fundamentalist militia into a modern military regime, employing Hollywood-style propaganda to achieve their goals. Director Ibrahim Nash’at (Under the Sky of Damascus) joins us for a conversation on how he gained the access to the Taliban leader, Mawlawi Mansour, why he decided to embark on this very dangerous project and what he hopes people will take away from his remarkable documentary, HOLLYWOODGATE.
About the filmmaker – Ibrahim Nash’at is a multi-award-winning Egyptian documentary filmmaker based in Berlin, Germany. His career in journalism spans various formats, working with several international channels and online platforms such as Deutsche Welle, Al Jazeera, Business Insider, AJ+, Voice of America and others. Ibrahim holds a master degree in documentary filmmaking from Met Film School. He co-edited Talal Derki’s latest film “Under the Sky of Damascus” Which premiered at Panorama – Berlinale 2023 and won the Golden Alexander at 25th Thessaloniki Doc Festival. Ibrahim has directed multiple short films which were selected in multiple film festivals around the world. “Hollywoodgate” is Ibrahim’s first feature film which premiered at Venice Film Festival and Telluride Film Festival.
“The sledgehammer impact of “Hollywoodgate” comes from director Nash’at peering into the Taliban leadership’s inner circle for a year and finding not even a glimmer of goodness.” – Jessica Kiang, Variety
“The spoils of war are a chore in this fascinating fly-on-the-wall study of the Taliban’s first year in power.” – Xan Brooks, Guardian
““Hollywoodgate” trades these more nuanced characterizations for blunt force storytelling, but its nevertheless incredibly effective.” – Christian Gallichio, The Playlist
“This is an extremely rare exposé of an under-reported story, particularly the inclusion of the growing tension between Afghanistan and neighboring Tajikistan.” – Kent Turner, Film-Forward.com
“Suggests that the Taliban are engaged in an elaborate role-playing performance for which they’re unqualified.” – Nick Schager, The Daily Beast
Chris Skotchdopole’s feature film debut, CRUMB CATCHER At a remote estate in upstate New York, where newlyweds Leah (Ella Rae Peck) and Shane (Rigo Garay) are about to celebrate their honeymoon, when the appearance of two workers from their wedding reception brings an escalating sense of dread and menace. Leah works for the publisher who will be releasing Shane’s debut novel, a lightly autobiographical examination of family trauma, alcoholism, and the immigrant experience. Tensions over family trauma would be enough kindling for a blowup, but Leah and Shane’s marriage is truly tested by the appearance of two weirdos with entrepreneurial zeal and a half-baked blackmail plot: John (John Speredakos) and Rose (Lorraine Farris). They’re looking for investors for John’s latest invention, a culinary breakthrough called the Crumb Catcher — and they won’t take no for an answer. A gonzo home invasion thriller from Larry Fessenden’s Glass Eye Pix that pummels the American Dream into just desserts, Crumb Catcher director, co-writer, co-producer and editor Chris Skotchdopole stops by to talk about how constructs and de-constructs his films, working with his collaborators, including cinematographer Adam Carboni and co-writers Rigo Garay and Larry Fessenden, andwhat’s next for him as a filmmaker.
About the filmmaker – Chris Skotchdopole is a writer, director and producer living in New York City. He works with Glass Eye Pix, an independent production outfit led by horror auteur Larry Fessenden. A 2010 graduate of SVA, his most recent short, THE EGG AND THE HATCHET was nominated for Oldenburg Film Festival’s Independence Award for Best Short and played at Festival du Nouveau Cinéma, Marfa Film Festival, and HollyShorts Film Festival. He was cinematographer for Larry Fessenden’s DEPRAVED (IFC Midnight). Skotchdopole served as co-producer on Jenn Wexler’s punk thriller, THE RANGER (SXSW). He worked as associate producer on Mickey Keating’s DARLING (SXSW) and Rob Mockler’s film LIKE ME (SXSW). He has produced several music videos and shorts for Glass Eye, including James Siewert’s THE PAST INSIDE THE PRESENT (Slamdance, Florida Film Festival, Fantastic Fest). He served as producer and editor on Rigo Garay’s SIZE UP (Woodstock Film Festival).
“Crumb Catcher is an unnerving, suspenseful ride weaponizing absurd politeness to deliver a unique home invasion thriller.” – Molly Henery, The Blogging Banshee
“As the night pinwheels from drama to farce to tragicomedy, his [Chris Skotchdopole] clear, cold, and yet compassionate eye finds strange harmony in their emotional imbalance.” – Richard Whittaker, Austin Chronicle
“Crumb Catcher is a twisted dark comedy, where marital discourse arrives with an uninvited guest and makes for a masterclass in uncomfortable horror.” – Leo Brady, AMovieGuy.com
“A superb directorial debut that is unpredictable, funny, and thrilling — the definition of creative and effective indie horror.” – Stephanie Malone, Morbidly Beautiful
“The best – and most terrifying – thing about the movie is how true even the most absurdist parts of it are.” – Olga Artemyeva, ScreenAnarchy
From acclaimed director Levan Akin(AND THEN WE DANCED), CROSSING is a moving and tender tale of identity, acceptance and unlikely connection that transcends borders and generations. Lia, a retired school teacher living in the country of Georgia, hears from a young neighbor Achi that her long lost niece Tekla, a transgender woman, has crossed the border into Turkey. Hoping to bring Tekla home, Lia travels to Istanbul with the unpredictable Achi to find her. Exploring the hidden depths of the city, they cross paths with a transgender lawyer called Evrim, who helps them in their search. Humanistic and compassionate, Akin’s third feature is a heartfelt portrayal of overcoming the degrees of separation that divide us. Director and writer Levan Adkin joins us for a conversation on his own connection to the setting for Crossing, Turkey, how the story lent itself to exploring the generational divide between Soviet era and Post-Soviet era attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ rights, his reaction to Crossing being selected by Sweden as their Oscar entry for 2024 Best International Feature and working with lead actor Mzia Arabuli as Lia.
About the filmmaker – Writer, Director Levan Akin is a Swedish filmmaker of Georgian descent. His work explores class, gender and sexuality. His body of work includes the critically acclaimed film AND THEN WE DANCED, which premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes 2019 and was selected as Sweden’s official entry for the Oscars. Akin has also made notable contributions to television, including the series Real Humans (adapted as Humans for AMC in the US and UK). Additionally, he served as a co-executive producer and director for AMC’s highly regarded adaptation of Interview With The Vampire (2022). Akin’s latest film, CROSSING, premiered at Berlinale in 2024.
“Dumanli, making her screen feature debut here, is a pure joy to watch, enveloping the movie in a sense of warm coziness and safety as, just being in her presence, you feel like everything will somehow work out.” – Ryan Lattanzio, indieWire
“Sweet without being cloying, it’s a love letter to the commonalities between Georgian and Turkish culture; one that encourages empathy and reminds us it’s never too late to change for the better” – Hannah Strong, Little White Lies
“Akin takes his time to establish an authentic bond between these two lost souls. The film is a penetrating and often devastating look at the destruction caused by ignorance and intolerance. It’s also a call for unity and acceptance.” – Frank J. Avella, Edge Media Network
“Dream-like even as it cruises through a purposefully-shaped narrative. Levan Akin brings beauty to the back streets and back waters of the Bosphorus”– Fionnuala Halligan, Screen International
“A thoroughly intelligent, emotionally engaging and robustly performed movie from Levan Akin, the Georgian-Swedish director who had an international breakthrough four years ago with the love story And Then We Danced.” – Peter Bradshaw, Guardian
“Akin keeps his mood piece feeling natural and breezy, allowing only a few camera flourishes on his own quest for tiny moments of connection” – Amy Nicholson, New York Times
Legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese first encountered the films of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger when he was a child, sitting in front of the family TV. When their famous logo came up on screen, Scorsese says, “You knew you were in for fantasy, wonder, magic – real film magic.” In the documentary film, Made in England, The Films of Powell & Pressburger, director David Hinton, with the help of Scorses tells the story of his own lifelong love-affair with their movies, including The Life and Death Of Colonel Blimp, Black Narcissus, The Red Shoes and The Tales of Hoffmann. Drawing on a rich array of archive material, Hinton explores in full the collaboration between the Englishman Powell and the Hungarian Pressburger – two romantics and idealists, who thrived in the face of adversity during World War II but were eventually brought low by the film industry of the 1950’s. Scorsese celebrates their ability to create “subversive commercial movies” and describes how deeply their films have influenced his own work. Director David Hinton (Dead Dreams of Monochrome Men, Strange Fish) joins us to talk about how long it took this project to be completed, working with Scorsese and his role as the film’s guide through their work, Scorsese’s personal connection to Michael Powell and the impact their work continues to have on filmmakers.
About the filmmaker – David Hinton is a director who has made many documentaries for British television. His subjects have included artists of all kinds, including painter Francis Bacon, filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci, writer Alan Bennett, and choreographer Karole Armitage. He has also made films about Dostoyevsky, rock and roll, visual comedy, and the Cultural Revolution in China. He is best known in the dance world for Dead Dreams of Monochrome Men and Strange Fish, his film versions of stage shows by DV8 Physical Theatre. He has also made performance films with Adventures in Motion Pictures, the Alvin Ailey Company and the Royal Swedish Ballet, and he has collaborated with several choreographers to create original dance works for the screen. He has twice won British Academy awards for his documentaries, and his dance films have won many awards, including a Prix Italia, an Emmy, and the IMZ Dance Screen Award. In 2008 he co-directed the film Nora (with Alla Kovgan), based on childhood memories of the self-exiled Zimbabwean dancer Nora Chipaumire.
“The work of film-makers Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger is discussed with passion and authority by Martin Scorsese in this richly enjoyable documentary, for which he presents his thoughts and recollections directly to camera.” – Peter Bradshaw, Guardian
“Through a sharp lens and with deep feeling, Hinton’s film is a celebration of committing oneself to art, and the creative bonds that fuel the spark.” – Sheri Linden, Hollywood Reporter
“More than the sum of its already attractive parts: a movingly sincere valentine from a filmmaker now due his own equivalent tributes, shortening the distance between youthful discovery and senior nostalgia.” – Guy Lodge, Variety
“With ample archive footage and extracts from the oeuvre, Scorsese offers his own account — enthused, but by no means hagiographic — of a team he describes as “experimental filmmakers working within the system”.” – Jonathan Romney, Financial Times
“How would you like to take a class on the films of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger taught by none other than Martin Scorsese? That’s essentially what you get with the documentary Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger.” – Christopher Campbellm Nonfics
SORRY/NOT SORRY charts how an open secret about comedian Louis C.K.’s sexual misconduct evolved into a front page article on The New York Times. Following the story’s publication, Louis C.K. admitted “these stories are true” and faced initial repercussions, only to return to the stage nine months later. While the story of C.K.’s rise and fall largely played out in public, this film reveals the stories of three women who spoke out over the years about C.K.’s behavior. Through candor and surprising humor, the documentary gives voice to the nuanced and complicated experiences of Jen Kirkman, Abby Schachner, and Megan Koester. It presents new details about their encounters with Louis C.K. and unveils the extent of the personal and professional consequences they faced for speaking out about it. SORRY / NOT SORRY directors Caroline Suh and Cara Mones shed new light on questions about sex and power in the workplace, who gets to take the stage, and the role the public plays in these stories at large. Featuring interviews with the reporters who broke the original story – Melena Ryzik, Cara Buckley, and Jodi Kantor – along with comedians, gatekeepers and critics including Michael Ian Black, Michael Schur, Aida Rodriguez, Andy Kindler, Noam Dworman, and Wesley Morris, the film leaves viewers contemplating: who is afforded a second chance, and who is overlooked in the process?
About the filmmaker – Director/Producer Caroline Suh is an independent documentary filmmaker, who has worked in film, television, and commercials. Most recently, in partnership with President Obama and Higher Ground Productions, Suh developed and directed “Working: What We Do All Day,” a four-part series for Netflix that explores how people find meaning and connection through work. Suh has also directed the acclaimed feature documentary BLACKPINK: LIGHT UP THE SKY, the series “Salt Fat Acid Heat,” the six-part series “4%” about the lack of female directors in Hollywood, and her feature-length debut, FRONTRUNNERS.
About the filmmaker – Director/Producer Cara Mones is a New York-based documentary filmmaker whose work has appeared on Netflix, HBO, History Channel, National Geographic, Amazon, PBS, and CNN. Most recently, Cara co-directed and produced an episode for This Machine’s upcoming docuseries “Big Pharma.” Additional credits include senior producer for Malcolm Venville’s “Theodore Roosevelt;” producer for Caroline Suh’s BLACKPINK: LIGHT UP THE SKY; director and producer of 12 short-form branded documentaries for National Geographic’s series, “ACTIVATE: The Global Citizen Movement;” and supervising producer for Alex Gibney and Blair Foster’s “Rolling Stone: Stories From the Edge.”
“If you want proof that some in Hollywood and the pop culture mainstream are itching to forget the lessons of the #MeToo movement, look no further than this excellent documentary.” – NPR
“A meticulously sharp, responsible, and absorbing movie — an incisive study, really, of the sweep-it-under-the-rug culture that was firmly in place before the #MeToo revolution knocked some of its foundations askew.” – Variety
“A great documentary that I wish didn’t have to exist. But it’s 2024, and shitty men are still getting away with their shitty behavior, so Sorry/Not Sorry is unfortunately still necessary.” – Paste Magazine
“A thought-provoking documentary. Shines a spotlight on the difficult questions raised when someone’s egregious actions result in them being canceled.” – Chicago Sun-Times
“A fascinating documentary. Breaks down how easily misbehavior can be twisted into a punch line.” – The Atlantic
“Should be seen by C.K.’s supporters as well as his detractors.” – Awards Radar
GETTING IT BACK: THE STORY OF CYMANDElovingly recounts the journey of Cymande, a group of Black British musicians who all came to the U.K. from the Caribbean as children, released three brilliant albums in quick succession in the early 1970s and were embraced in the USA. But in the U.K., they faced a music business beset by prejudice against homegrown Black talent and were largely ignored. They originally split in 1975, but their music lived on, as successive generations of artists and fans found and embraced their songs. Hip Hop, House, Drum and Bass, R&B, Rare Groove, and crate-digging communities all saw something in the songs of Cymande that inspired them. Through insightful interviews with band members and influential figures including Mark Ronson,Laura Lee and Mark Speer (Khruangbin), DJ Maseo (De La Soul), Jazzie B (Soul II Soul), Cut Chemist, Jim James (My Morning Jacket), Louie Vega, and Kool DJ Red Alert, this stranger than fiction documentary explores the band’s profound impact and enduring legacy. Director Tim MacKenzie-Smith stops by to talk about his own introduction to the music of Cymande, designing the look and feel of the film to seen as a big screen communal experience, how the band members kept each others hope, music and spirit alive over the years, and the joy of seeing the band and their music get the recognition it deserves.
About the filmmaker – Director / Producer Tim Mackenzie-Smith is an award-winning British filmmaker known primarily for sports documentaries, such as Keane & Vieira: Best Of Enemies, The Mavericks, Rooney: The Man Behind The Goals and The Trilogy: Fury v Wilder. A passionate Cymande fan, he has spent the last five years working on this film and is proud to bring their story to the world.
Cymande – In the racially turbulent UK of the early 70s, a group of black musicians came together in South London with a common love of rhythms and a message of peace. Cymande – with the dove as their symbol – combined jazz, funk, soul and Caribbean grooves to form a unique sound. Despite success in the USA they faced indifference in their native Britain, becoming disillusioned and disbanding. But the music lived on, as new generations of artists imbibed and reworked their pioneering sounds in fresh ways. From Soul II Soul to De La Soul, MC Solaar to The Fugees, the Dove had spread Cymande’s message far and wide, prompting their return after forty years. This is the story of guitarist Patrick Patterson, bass player Steve Scipio, drummer Sam Kelly, percussionist Pablo Gonsales, saxophonist Derrick Gibbs and flutist Mike ‘Bammi” Rose.
“Above all else it shows how timeless their music is and it is hard to believe some of their music is over 50 years old, if nothing else the film will likely introduce them to a host of new fans across the generations.” – Christopher Connor, Flickering Myth
“This documentary is an education and a good-news story about the remarkable 70s British funk band Cymande (the word is a calypso term for “dove”) who should be as big as Earth Wind & Fire, but aren’t.” – Peter Bradshaw, Guardian
“The most striking moments of the film, however, remain the testimonies of the band members themselves: it is hard not to be moved seeing them interviewed now about their work, and celebrated by legions of fans of all ages.” – Elena Lazic, Cineuropa
“Director Tim MacKenzie-Smith clearly has a lot of affection for the band. And so do we after watching his film.” – Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall
In his riveting feature documentary CHAMPIONS OF THE GOLDEN VALLEY director Ben Sturgulewski peels back the social, religious and community layers in the remote mountain villages of Bamyan, Afghanistan, to find what has created the newfound passion for skiing. This passion has attracted young athletes from rival ethnic groups who showcase their resourcefulness and skill on the slopes. Equipped with minimal gear, makeshift skis, and no chairlift, the determined ski coach Alishah Farhang organizes a ski race that unities the community in a moment of joy and camaraderie. However, when their country falls to the Taliban, many of the skiers are displaced across the globe as refugees, confronted with an uncertain future. In CHAMPIONS OF THE GOLDEN VALLEY filmmaker Ben Sturgulewski masterfully captures the thrill of a sports rivalry intertwined with the poignant narrative of a community grappling with profound change – revealing what it means to be a champion, in all its forms. Director, editor and cinematographer Ben Sturgulewski joins us to talk about his own long journey, figuratively and literally, to tell this amazing story of community, loss, rivalry, friendship, and how striving to be better can not only lift up an individual, like Alishah Farhang, Alishah Farhang, Mujtaba Hussaini, Raees Hussaini, Haji Hussaini, Mortiza Motahari and Hussain Ali Nazari, but those around them.
About the filmmaker – Ben ‘Sturge’ Sturgulewski grew up on a rugged and remote island in Alaska’s Aleutian Chain, inspiring a life dedicated to the exploration of the world’s wild side, and the people who call it home. Ben has created a portfolio of award-winning short films that have appeared in festivals around the globe, taking home dozens of awards for cinematography, editing, creativity, and storytelling – as well as overall Grand Prizes and Audience Awards. He has directed, filmed and edited acclaimed content for clients such as Patagonia, Arcteryx, YETI, Rivian, NFL Films, and Red Bull. Ben has produced a library of Vimeo Staff Picks, and his ski film VALHALLA was recently named ‘The Greatest Ski Film of All Time’ by Outside Magazine. His collaborations with brands, agencies, production houses, and passion projects continue to take him on new and unexpected adventures. CHAMPIONS OF THE GOLDEN VALLEY is his first feature documentary.
Get involved in our grassroots and global impact campaign focused on refugee issues:
Winner of the 2023 SXSW Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature Dan Covert’sGEOFF MCFETRIDGE: DRAWING A LIFE focuses on one of the most prolific artists of his time, Geoff McFetridge, an artist who has undoubtedly influenced the way the world looks. His art is everywhere—on your Apple watch, in countless galleries around the world, in title designs for films by Sofia Coppola and Spike Jonze, and in collaborations with Nike, Hermès, Warby Parker, and more. The antithesis of the archetypal artist fueled by drugs, alcohol, and chaos, what sets the prodigious McFetridge apart is his obsessive quest to balance family with a creative life. In GEOFF MCFETRIDGE: DRAWING A LIFE, director and fellow artist Dan Covert offers unprecedented access into Geoff’s multifaceted world, painting an intimate portrait of a man guided by intention and authenticity. Director and Producer Dan Covert joins us for a conversation on what initially drew him to McFetridge’s work, how working with Executive Producer Spike Jonze impacted the final cut, getting to know McFetridge beyond his art, and his own background as an artist and graphic designer.
About the filmmaker – Director Dan Covert is a sculptor and painter represented by Uprise Art and the Co-Founder of the production company Dress Code. He began his career designing logos for MTV’s Video Music Awards, art directing magazine covers, and teaching type and new media classes at Pratt Institute. As an award-winning and tenured commercial director, Dan has worked for iconic brands including Apple, Coach, Peloton, Olay, Lincoln, Delta, Hennessy, and The Gates Foundation. His films for EV-pioneer Rivian helped their IPO become the 6th largest in history. Dan’s passion for storytelling and design collided when the American Institute of Graphic Arts hired him to direct 60 plus films telling the stories of world-renowned designers like Milton Glaser, David Carson, and Emory Douglas, the art director of the Black Panther Party. This work has premiered at SXSW, Tribeca, and Raindance, among others. GEOFF MCFFETRIDGE: DRAWING A LIFE is his first feature film. It premiered at SXSW, where it won the Audience Award in 2023.
About the subject – Throughout his long and diverse career, Geoff McFetridge has worked across a vast array of mediums from poetry to animation, graphics to 3D, textile and wallpaper to paintings. McFetridge has exhibited in galleries worldwide including Louis Buhl, Detroit (2022); Gallery Target, Tokyo (2022); Cooper Cole, Toronto (2021); Half Gallery, New York (2021); V1 Gallery, Copenhagen (2020); Blum and Poe, Los Angeles (2020); PlayMountain, Tokyo (2013); Heath Gallery, Los Angeles (2011) and New Image Art, West Hollywood (2006). Included in the Beautiful Losers exhibition (curated by Aaron Rose and Christian Strike) which debuted at CAC, Cincinnati in 2004, he has also been featured in exhibitions at the Walker Art Center, Vancouver Art Gallery, Yale University Art Museum, and Geffen Contemporary at MoCA Los Angeles. As a designer, he has worked extensively with brands including Hermes, Vans, Undefeated, Patagonia & Apple, just to name a few. Recently he has made public works for LA Metro & SOFI Stadium LA. Winner of the 2016 Cooper-Hewitt Smithsonian National Design Award and the AIGA Medal in 2019, McFetridge received his BFA from the Alberta College of Art & Design and an MFA from the California Institute of the Arts.
“Really give a sense of Geoff McFetridge’s intensity which duels with his sense of playfulness.” – Michael Talbot-Haynes, Film Threat
*Will leave you feeling inspired to live with intention” – Overly Honest Movie Reviews
“… the film proves to be a triumphant take on the artist as well as the art behind it. This is certainly a win in the realm of following your dreams and aspirations.” – Richard Schertzer, Battle Royale With Cheese
Director Tomas Gomez-Bustillo magical tale, CHRONICLES OF A WANDERING SAINT focuses on a tiny rural village in Argentina, where Rita Lopez, (Monica Villa) a pious yet insatiably competitive woman, decides that staging a miracle could be her ticket to sainthood. After discovering a lost statue in the back room of her chapel, she convinces her neglected but loving husband to help her orchestrate the grand reveal that will finally anoint her as the most admired woman in town. But before the unveiling, a jarring turn of events illuminates the hidden magic of her world, forcing her to reevaluate everything she once took for granted. Director / Screenwriter Tomas Gomez-Bustillo (Museum of Fleeting Wonders) stops by to talk about his inspiration for his delightfully off kilter, magical tale of flawed people doing very human things to and for one another, recruiting this wonderful cast of actors, led by Monica Villa, Horacio Moseinco, Dahyana Turkie, Noemi Ron and Ana Silvia Mackenzie, and his reaction to the three Spirit Award nominations in 2024.
About the filmmaker – Born in Buenos Aires, Tomás Gómez Bustillo was brought up across Argentina, El Salvador, Costa Rica and the US. After studying Political Science in Buenos Aires, he relocated to LA where he earned his MFA in Directing at the American Film Institute Conservatory. After graduating, he co-founded indie production company Plenty Good. His debut feature film, CHRONICLES OF A WANDERING SAINT, starring Monica Villa premiered at SXSW 2023 to rave reviews and won the AYH Award for visionary film. It was nominated for 3 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS: Best First Feature, Best First Screenplay and Best Cinematography. Chronicles will be released theatrically in the US in 2024.
“A triumph. An original and moving fable with elements of magical realism that explores faith, legacy, and the smallest miracles that sometimes go unnoticed.” – Rene Sanchez, Cine Sin Fronteras
“Certain moments lend Chronicles of a Wandering Saint the feel of Renaissance paintings, pairing vibrant and cool colors with an encompassing emphasis on interplay between light and shadow.” – Andy Crump, Paste Magazine
“Saint is easily among my top tier favorites of a very successful SXSW this year, and I expect it to hover near the top of my year end list when the time comes. What a debut for Gómez Bustillo, and what a performance from Mónica Villa!”- J Hurtado, ScreenAnarchy
“Bustillo’s sense of humor and beauty within his storytelling is memorable and classic, like many auteurs.” – Sabina Dana Plasse, Film Threat
“This is a very funny film. One that’s probably at its funniest when staging a death scene. It’s equal parts melancholic in its tale of rekindled love and absurdly fantastical in its bureaucratically pragmatic idea of the afterlife.” – Jared Mobarak, Hey, Have You Seen …?
“Chronicles of a Wandering Saint is sweet, funny, deadpan, and magical. A tale about love after life and the mysteries of the day to day being just as profound as those of the divine.” – Nadine Whitney, AWFJ.org
Nick August-Perna complex documentary featureTELL THEM YOU LOVE ME explores the story of Anna Stubblefield, an esteemed Rutgers University professor who becomes embroiled in a controversial affair with Derrick Johnson, a Black man with cerebral palsy, and who has been non-communicative since his earliest days.Using a highly disputed technique Anna says she unlocked Derrick’s mind from his body by teaching him to communicate using a keyboard. In addition to Anna Stubblefield, we hear from Derrick’s brother John Johnson, their mother Daisy Johnson and a variety of academics and doctors who lend their perspective on the relationship and what follows from it. The relationship eventually leads to Anna’s arrest and a high profile criminal trial that would challenge our perceptions of disability and the nature of consent. Through exclusive footage and interviews with those on both sides of the case, the film weaves a riveting and endlessly nuanced story about communications, race and sex. Director and co-writer Nick August-Perna (The Oxy-Kingpins) joins us for a conversation on going about gaining the cooperation and trust from the participants, including Anna Stubblefield and her mother, finding a balanced approach to telling the story and his joy at seeing how TELL THEM YOU LOVE ME seems to resonate with audiences at film festivals, 2023 Hamptons International Film Festival, and the 2023 Montclair Film Festival where it won the jury awards for Best Documentary Feature and now as the most popular documentary on NETFLIX.
About the filmmaker – Nick is an award-winning director, producer, and editor whose work has been nominated for the Emmys, the Duponts, and the Academy Awards. His directorial work aims to present stories that challenge the shape and power of the documentary form, to inspire discourse, and to build empathy. His latest feature documentary, Tell Them You Love Me, premiered on Netflix in June, 2024 and was the #1 most watched film in America its first week on the platform.
“All credit to this film for its high quality and refusal to sensationalise” – The Times
“Netflix continues to provide a steady stream of fascinating true crime stories that will have you transfixed to your television for an hour. Tell Them You Love Me falls right in that tradition. – Alan Ng, Film Threat
“Beyond consent, disability and race there is space given to reflect upon the nature of language, the “white saviour” complex, the purpose of justice and what constitutes unconditional love.” – Leila Latif, The Guardian
“Will leave you thinking about it long afterwards” – The Observer
“a gripping, see-sawing story that unseats our preconceptions and wrenches our sympathy this way and that” – Radio Times
Director Ilana Trachtman illuminating documentary AIN’T NO BACK TO A MERRY-GO-ROUND is the untold story of the first organized interracial civil rights protest in U.S. history. When five Howard University students sat on a Maryland carousel in 1960, the arrests made headlines. When the white community near Glen Echo Amusement Park joined the Black students in picketing, an extraordinary history-making partnership was born. The pickets attracted Nazis, Congressman, and a press avalanche. Picketing together over the sweltering summer led to partying together, and union organizers mentored student activists. Ten 1961 Freedom Riders, including Stokely Carmichael, were incubated on the Glen Echo picket line, and the carousel arrests were challenged in the Supreme Court case. With never-before seen footage, and immersive storytelling by Emmy-award winning director Ilana Trachtman (Praying with Lior, Black in Latin America, The Pursuit), four living protesters rescue this forgotten history, revealing the price, and the power, of heeding the impulse to activism. AIN’T NO BACK TO A MERRY-GO-ROUND includes voiceover by noted actors Jeffrey Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Bob Balaban, Lee Grant, Peter Gallagher, Dominique Thorne, Alysia Reiner and Tracie Thoms.
On this merry-go-round, Mister, cause I want to ride?
Down South where I come from
White and colored
Can’t sit side by side. Down South on the train There’s a Jim Crow car. On the bus we’re put in the back —
But there ain’t no back on a merry-go-round
Where’s the horse For a kid that’s Black?
– Langston Hughes –
About the filmmaker – Ilana Trachtman (Producer/ Director) has made Emmy award-winning nonfiction programs for over thirty years. For PBS, HBO Family, ABC-TV, Showtime, Lifetime, Discovery, A&E, and the Sundance channel she has explored worlds such as the legacy of slavery in Latin America, activism among Gulf coast shrimpers, glassblowing with at- risk youth, and transgender parents. Favorite prime-time directing credits for PBS include the independent feature Mariachi High (Imagen Award Nomination) Black in Latin America hosted by Henry Louis Gates; and Texas Ranch House. Ilana was a supervising producer on PBS’ History Detectives and the Sundance Channel’s Big Ideas for a Small Planet. Ilana began her career in the documentary unit of PBS’s Reading Rainbow. Ilana’s independent feature documentary Praying with Lior played theatrically in over 60 cities in the US and abroad. The film garnered six Audience Awards for Best Documentary, the Grand Prix at the International Disability Film Festival, and was a critic’s pick of the New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, and Washington Post. Ilana produced and directed The Pursuit: 50 Years in the Fight for LGBT Rights for WHYY, which won the Mid-Atlantic Emmy for Best Documentary. Most recently, she co-produced Stand Up and Shout: Songs from a Philly High School for HBO.
Reviews:
“This film proves to be an endearing foray into the racial disparities of the 1960s and gives you a beautiful, yet dark, glimpse into what that time was like for people of color.” – Richard Schertzer, Battle Royale With Cheese
Filmmakers Rami Younis and Sarah Ema Friedland feature length, speculative documentary, LYD follows the rise and fall of a 5,000-year-old metropolis, Lyd. Itwas once a bustling Palestinian town until it was conquered when the State of Israel was established in 1948. As the film unfolds, a chorus of characters creates a tapestry of the Palestinian experience of this city and the trauma left by the massacre and expulsion, while vivid animations envision an alternate reality where the same characters live free from the trauma of the past and the violence of the present. Using never-before-seen archival footage of the Israeli soldiers who carried out the massacre and expulsion, the personified city explains that these events were so devastating that they fractured reality, and now there are two Lyds — one occupied and one free. As the film cuts between fantastical and documentary realities, it ultimately leaves the viewer questioning which future should prevail. Lyd dares to ask the question: what would the city be like had the Israeli occupation of Lyd never happened? Co-directors Rami Younis and Sarah Ema Friedland join us for a wide ranging conversation on the utterly fascinating and pivotal role that the city of Lyd has played in the multiple empires, ancient and modern, the establishment of the state of Israel, the forced expulsion of Palestinians during Nakba and the provocative question at the heart of the film… What if?
LYD premiered at the 2023 Amman International Film Festival where it won the Jury Prize for Best Documentary and the FIPRESCI prize from the International Critics Association.
About the Filmmaker – Director and Cinematographer Sarah Ema Friedland is an NYC-based media artist and educator. Her work has screened at institutions including Cannes Film Festival, Lincoln Center, Anthology Film Archives, PBS, the Tang Teaching Museum, The Chelsea Museum, The Queens Museum, The 14th Street Y, and the MIT List Center. Her works have been supported by grants and fellowships, including the Jerome Founation, NYSCA, the Palestine American Research Center, the LABA House of Study, and the MacDowell Colony. Named one of the “Top 10 Independent Filmmakers to Watch” by Independent Magazine, she is a recipient of the Paul Robeson Award from the Newark Museum, and was nominated for a New York Emmy. Friedland is a member of the Meerkat Media Collective and the Director of the MDOCS Storyteller’s Institute at Skidmore College where she is also a Teaching Professor in the MDOCS Program. sarahfriedland.com
About the filmmaker – Director and Producer Rami Younis is a Palestinian filmmaker, writer, journalist and activist from Lyd. He was a 2019-20 Fellow at the Harvard Divinity School. As a journalist, he mainly wrote for the online magazine +972 and served as both writer and editor of its Hebrew sister site, “local call”, a journalistic project he co-founded, designed to challenge Israeli mainstream journalism outlets. Rami served as a parliamentary consultant and media spokesperson for Palestinian member of Knesset (Israeli parliament) Haneen Zoabi. Rami is also co-founder and manager of the first-ever Palestine Music Expo, an event that connects the local Palestinian music scene to the worldwide industry. Younis is the host of the Arabic-language daily news show, “On the Other Hand.”
“Lyd is a film that should, for all that it touches upon and how it does what it sets out to do, certainly stand the test of time. Above all, it’s a cinematic What if…?.” – Schayan Riaz, The International Federation of Film Critics “A unique artistic and historical journey.” – Mohamed Tarek, The International Federation of Film Critics
“A harrowing watch, but a vital one if the goal is gaining greater understanding the history of Israel-Palestine conflict.” – ScreenHub
“A cinematic achievement that breaks down the wide divide between documentary and science fiction.” – The National
“Lyd occasionally spins its wheels across modes of storytelling, but it never loses sight of these slippery questions about what is, and what could be, achieved through the power of our collective imagination.” – Chris Cassingham, In Review Online
Gennadiy (Gena) Chabotarev is a queer artist from a small town in Russia, dresses in otherworldly costumes made from junk and tape, and protests the government on the streets of Moscow. Born and raised on the harsh streets of Magadan, a frigid outpost of the Soviet gulag, Gena is only 21. She stages radical performances in public that become a new form of art and activism. By doing that, she wants to change people’s perception of beauty and queerness and bring attention to the harassment of the LGBTQ+ community. The performances – often dark, strange, evocative, and queer at their core – are a manifestation of Gena’s subconscious. But they come at a price. QUEENDOMboasts a top notch production team that also includes executive producers Jess Search (Citizenfour), David France ( How to Survive a Plague), Arnaud Borges (C’est tout pour moi), and James Costa (Hidden Letters). Director Agniia Galdanova and Producer Igor Myakotin join us for a conversation on the challenge that came from burrowing into the tumultuous life of Gena as she faces the very real danger from hostile Russian police, menacing citizenry and the complicated family, re: her grandfather, a relationships she lovingly navigates.
About the filmmaker – Agniia Galdanova is a Sundance and IDFA-supported documentary film director. Her previous film, “One Step Forward, One Step Back,” about a family’s dream to live far from civilization in the Altai Mountains, premiered at the Message to Man International Film Festival. Her work focuses on complex human relationships told through immersive observational language. Her new film QUEENDOM about a young queer artist Jenna Marvin is set to premiere at SXSW 2023 in Documentary Competition. Agniia Galdanova is a Sundance and IDFA-supported documentary film director. Her previous film “One Step Forward, One Step Back” about a family’s dream to live far from civilization in the Altai Mountains premiered at the Message to Man International Film Festival.
About the filmmaker – Igor Myakotin is a documentary filmmaker, editor and photographer. He has shot, edited and produced several short documentaries that screened at film festivals in Europe and the U.S. Igor was a production assistant for “The Summer Help” (www.thesummerhelp.com), a new documentary by award-winning American filmmaker Melody Gilbert. In the past he has worked at Bolster in Minneapolis editing videos for clients like Feeding America and RedBrick Health. In the past, Igor was making short documentaries about whales in the North Atlantic Ocean. He is a graduate of the Documentary Studies program at The New School in New York.
Director Amanda Nell Eu feature film debut, TIGER STRIPES, focuses on the life of a rebellious and carefree twelve-year-old girl, Zaffan, as she starts to experience horrifying physical changes to her body. Struggling to maintain being normal at school, Zaffan is in denial of her inevitable changes and tries to cover herself. Zaffan’s friends however attack her, when all hysteria breaks loose — one by one teenage girls drop to the floors in fits, turning it into a spread of mass hysteria across the school. Hsoon discovers that Zaffan may be the root of their problems and steps in to perform an exorcism on her. The whole community watches, as the Medical Officer uses extreme methods to shame and physically hurt Zaffan. And like a tiger who has been dragged out of its habitat and poked because we fear it, because we don’t know it — Zaffan decides to finally reveal her true self, her wrath, rage and her beauty, to everyone. Director and screenwriter Amanda Nell joins us to talk about Eu where the story for Tiger Stripes came from, her hopes that the film will help de-mystify some fundamental truths about women and her fascination with magical realism as a powerful tool for telling nuanced stories.
About the filmmaker – Amanda Nell Eu graduated from the London Film School with an MA in Filmmaking and is an alumna of Berlinale Talents and Locarno Filmmakers Academy. Her short film Lagi Senang Jaga Sekandang Lembu premiered in competition at the Venice International Film Festival. The film has continued to travel and win awards in many other international festivals, including a Special Mention at the International Short Film Festival Clermont-Ferrand. Her next short film Vinegar Baths has also won several awards in festivals, including Best Picture at Scream Asia Horror shorts competition. Tiger Stripes is her debut feature film.
“Eu’s debut feature frames a girl’s journey into womanhood as a descent into madness and monstrousness — and also joy.” – John LuiThe Straits Times (Singapore)
“Eu smartly weaves that universality together with local myths and legends, and the result is a little eerie and unsettling, a film about dark things we’re afraid to speak about.” – Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times
“From the exuberant credits and opening sequence through to the end, “Tiger Stripes” is the work of a confident new talent whose next work will be eagerly awaited.” – Alissa Simon, Variety
“Eu smartly keeps a distance between the two sides of the story, before drawing them together in mystery and violence.” – Danny Leigh, Financial Times
Samuel Habib’s goals are pretty typical for a 21-year-old. Moving out of his family’s New Hampshire home. College. Establishing his career. Dating. Sex. Yet every rite of passage is fraught with challenges. Unexpected seizures and uncontrollable movements caused by his rare genetic disorder. Friends’ homes that are inaccessible to his wheelchair. His labored speech and use of a communication device are barriers to a social life. He craves more independence and a family of his own one day. “But no one tells you how to be an adult,” he says, “let alone an adult with a disability.” Samuel is determined to avoid the statistical realities: unemployment, isolation, institutionalization. A turning point comes when he starts talking to disabled adults, who have been through all he is going through now. And when he begins to channel their insights, a roadmap for himself, and for other young adults like him, begins to take shape. Co-director Samuel Habib and Daniel Habib join us to talk about their collaboration , getting to know the wide range of activists, artists, athletes, and stage performers, including; Bob Williams, Ali Stoker, Lydia X.Z. Brown, Keith Jones – Cerbal Palsey, Maysoon Zayid, Andrew Peterson and human rights legend Judith (Judy) Heumann, as well as the opportunity to showcase how and why we all need to be better creating and sustaining a more inclusive society for all.
About the filmmaker – Daniel Habib is the co-director and producer of the Emmy Award-winning New York Times Op-Doc My Disability Roadmap (2022, also a Critics Choice nominee) and the director and producer of Intelligent Lives (2018, America ReFramed), and nationally broadcast (PBS) feature documentaries Including Samuel, Who Cares About Kelsey?, and Mr. Connolly Has ALS. Dan is the founder of LikeRightNow Films and his documentaries have been featured at major festivals including DOC NYC, Hot Docs, and Hot Springs. Dan gave the TEDx talk, “Disabling Segregation” and received the Justice for All Grassroots Award from the American Association of People with Disabilities. In 2014, Dan was appointed by President Obama to the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities. He is currently the Inclusive Communities Project Director at the Westchester Institute for Human Development. Dan served as Producer, Co-Director and Director of Photography on THE RIDE AHEAD.
About the filmmaker – Samuel Habib is the Emmy Award-winning co-director of the New York Times Op-Doc My Disability Roadmap. Samuel was a story consultant on the nationally broadcast film Mr. Connolly Has ALS. His viral short video on his encounter with then-candidate Joe Biden was featured in Forbes Magazine. In 2016, he created a film about disability rights leader Judy Heumann that was featured in the Breaking Down Barriers Film Festival in Moscow, Russia. Samuel has been a Concord Monitor newspaper columnist and has presented nationally on disability rights, inclusive education, and his educational and social transition to adulthood. Samuel uses a wheelchair for mobility and a communication device (as well as his voice) to express himself. In addition to exploring his current and future academic and career options, Samuel also navigates significant, chronic health challenges due to his underlying GNAO1 Neurodevelopmental Disorder. He is a community college student and multimedia production assistant and presenter at the Westchester Institute for Human Development. On THE RIDE AHEAD Samuel served as Co-Director, Central Participant, and Camera Operator.
“The Ride Ahead gets its urgent, breezy tone from Samuel who, speaking through his electronic voice, offers us a running commentary on his evolving mindset — from being excited to go off to college to worrying that he will not fit in.” – Tim Grierson, Screen International
Banel and Adama is a great romance, a West African dreamscape, a tragic fable, and a feminist paean. Young, fiery Banel loves her soft-hearted husband Adama with singular passion. She also hates to do chores with other village women, slings stones at small creatures, and fantasizes a liberated life of cattle-herding outside the village in the dunes. Adama is next in line for village chief but resists the responsibility. When a catastrophic drought hits, the curse weighs on his sense of duty, and the chasm between them drives Banel into a feverish, mystical chaos. Senegal’s official submission to the 2024 Oscars®, BANEL & ADAMA was the only debut feature in Cannes’ Official Competition in 2023, and marked Sy as just the second Black woman to compete for the Palme d’Or, after her French-Senegalese compatriot Mati Diop (Atlantics), in the festival’s 76-year history. Director and writer Ramata-Toulaye Sy joins us for a conversation on her breathtaking feature film debut as well as her reaction to the success Banel and Adama enjoyed prior to its theatrical run including being tapped as Senegal’s Official Entry to the 96th Academy Awards.
Senegal’s Official Entry to the 96th Academy Awards
About the filmmaker – French-Senegalese writer and director Ramata-Toulaye Sy was born and raised in Paris. She joined La Fémis in 2011 in the Screenwriting department, from which she graduated in 2015.Ramata-Toulaye has worked, among others, as a screenwriter on the film Sibel (2018) by C. Zencirci and G. Giovanetti as well as on Our Lady of the Nile (2019) by A. Rahimi. In 2020, Ramata-Toulaye directed her first short film, Astel, selected in more than 80 festivals and pre-selected for the 2023 Césa r Awards.Banel & Adama, which premiered in Competition at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, is her debut feature film.
“There is a sultry elusiveness to Ramata-Toulaye Sy’s debut feature…Is this a riff on ‘Romeo & Juliet,’ filtered through Senegalese village life? Or is it a sci-fi fable, with the mirage-like heat reflecting a slow descent into personal madness a la Lars von Trier’s Melancholia? BANEL & ADAMA is a striking debut that puts Sy on the map as a purveyor of deceptively gorgeous visions…” – Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire
“A promising debut for Sy, who combines an eye for arrestingly apocalyptic images…with skillful work with her non-professional cast…[including] a remarkable performance from [lead actress Khady] Mane, who conveys the mutinous, deluded anger in a young woman who would bend the world around her to her will if she could.” – Wendy Ide, Screen Daily
“The director’s vision is unequivocally beautiful. Sy paints breathtaking scenes with her camera, demonstrating a gorgeous way of seeing the world.” – Lovia Gyarke, The Hollywood Reporter
“A lyrical love story…feels like nothing so much as a West African spin on the free-form reveries of Terrence Malick. Visually distinctive and drenched in color: a bright yellow shirt, rich orange fabrics, the vivid blue of a river even as it falls into shadow…succinct and evocative.” – Steve Pond, The Wrap
Straddling the line between childhood and adulthood, 14 isn’t an easy age for anyone, least of all Abby (Sierra McCormick, The Vast of Night), who’s forced to find her way in the world after her mother’s death. On the cusp of turning 15 and at a delicate moment in life, she’s forced to move in with her father (Jason Butler Harner, Ozark) and his younger girlfriend (Sabina Friedman-Seitz). Feeling alone in the world, the angry and determined teen strikes up a possibly dangerous friendship with the carefree and rebellious Caroline (Ryan Simpkins, The Fear Street Trilogy, The House), while exploring new personas, drugs and sexual experiences on the path to finding her place in life. Emily Robinson (Eighth Grade), Dominique Gayle and Nadezhda Amé co-star in the film, which also features Drew Scheid, Anthony Del Negro and Mike Manning. Co-directors, co-producers and co-writers Sophia Sobella and Pablo Feldman join us for a conversation on the process of casting the lead, Sierra McCormick, and the rest of the actors and how that allowed them focus their energy on the filmmaking process and the release of this award-winning film.
About the filmmakers – EDGE OF EVERYTHING, from writer-director duo Sophia Sabella and Pablo Feldman making their feature-length narrative debut, recently captured the Panavision Award for Independent Cinema at the 39th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The coming-of-age drama stars McCormick, who began performing in film and television at a young age, and had a number of roles on Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader, Criminal Minds, Supernatural, Monk, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Later, she worked on studio films including Land of the Lost and Ramona & Beezus, and then co-starred on 62 episodes of the Disney Channel series A.N.T. Farm and the horror film Some Kind of Hate (2014), for which she was nominated for the Fright Meter Award. Most recently she starred in the Slamdance-winner The Vast of Night and American Horror Stories.
Filmmaker Elizabeth Ai first feature film, NEW WAVE debut embarks on a project to tell a story of joy and youthful defiance as she explores a musical phenomenon in the 1980s known to Vietnamese American teens as new wave. As she delves into the lives of family members and icons of the new wave scene, including Lynda Trang Dai, she uncovers much more than just music and fashion. In the heart of Orange County, California, this counterculture movement takes the youth by storm, becoming a sanctuary for rebellious teens. The joyful memories of her uncles and aunts sneaking out to this underground scene clash with her own painful childhood, haunted by her mother’s abandonment. As the filmmaker digs deeper, the excavation becomes an emotional journey, unraveling mysteries that touch on cultural identity, generational trauma, and the Vietnam War’s lasting impact. Director Elizabeth Ai (Saigon Electric, Dirty Hands: The Arts & Crimes of David Choe) joins us to talk about how her own exploration became a love letter to her community, and why the film became a soulful journey that has help herself and other healed old wounds, celebrate the resilience of a community and pointed to a positive way forward and screening at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival.
About the filmmaker – Elizabeth Ai is a Chinese-Vietnamese-American Los Angeles based Emmy award-winning producer. She writes, directs, and produces independent narratives as well as branded content for companies such as National Geographic, ESPN, and VICE. She produced documentary features; DIRTY HANDS: THE ART & CRIMES OF DAVID CHOE (2008), on the titled artist after his prison release and before his meteoric rise and A WOMAN’S WORK: THE NFL’S CHEERLEADER PROBLEM (2019), which examines wage theft and exploitation of the only visible NFL women. Additionally, she produced SAIGON ELECTRIC (2011), a feature narrative set in Vietnam’s world of breakdancing. During her tenure at VICE, she created the original pilot for BONG APPÉTIT (2014), which got picked up for series on Viceland. She’s currently directing and producing two in-progress feature documentaries and has a slate of narratives in development. She’s a fellow of Berlin Talent Campus, Film Independent, Sundance, and Tribeca. Her film projects are supported by California Humanities, Firelight Media, Knight Foundation, and ITVS. She received her B.A. from the University of Southern California. For more go to: elizabethai.com/new-wave
“New Wave puts its ear right next next to the bass drum, as it were, and discerns, not just the rhythm, but the culture and the people who made it possible.” – Peter Martin, ScreenAnarchy
“New Wave does lose its way at times, but it also has a personal feel that makes it a consistently entertaining watch. The music and clothes bring a sense of fun, while Ai’s story highlights a sense of family that is endearing” – Nathaniel Muir, AIPT
“Focus on Vietnamese teens’ Americanization through a genre of 1980’s popular music is entertaining. Adds to insight on immigrant experience contemporary awareness of the mental health impacts on both generations of the Vietnam War and long hours at work.” – Nora Lee Mandel, Maven’s Nest
Tayarisha Poe’s spectacular sophomore film finds Celestina, (Kiersey Clemons, DOPE, Hearts Beat Loud) on her wedding day. All that stands between this young woman and marital bliss with her soon-to-be husband, River, (singer/songwriter Leon Bridges) is surviving the chaos and expectations of family and friends, each intensifying her spiraling panic. THE YOUNG WIFE is the story of a young woman grappling with the meaning of love in the face of an uncertain world, “The Young Wife” is a a wholly new take on the wedding film as we follow Celestina over the course of her “non-wedding” day. The frenetic happenings are beautifully captured by cinematographer Jomo Fray (Selah and the Spades, All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt). Boasting a superb supporting cast of award winning actors that also includes: Kelly Marie Tran, Michaela Watkins, Aya Cash, Sandy Honig, Brandon Micheal Hall, Lukita Maxwell, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Judith Light, Aida Osman, Connor Paolo, Jon Rudnitsky and Lovie Simone. Director and Writer Tayarisha Poe joins us for a lively conversation on the inspiration for the film, gathering together her fantastic cast of performers, working with Sheryl Lee Ralph and Judith Light, working with he colleagues from Selah and the Spades and geeking out about films and filmmakers.
About the filmmaker – Director / Writer / Producer Tayarisha Poe is a filmmaker and photographer from West Philadelphia. Her relation to cinema began in childhood, when watching movies and rigorously discussing them with her parents and brothers was a pathway to better understanding her family. Poe has been recognized as an essential storyteller. She was chosen as one of the “25 New Faces of Independent Film” by Filmmaker Magazine in 2015 and in 2016, she received the Sundance Institute’s Knight Foundation Fellowship. In 2017, she was selected for the January Sundance Screenwriters Lab and the June Sundance Directors Lab and was a recipient of the highly-acclaimed Pew Fellowship. Poe’s debut film, SELAH AND THE SPADES, began as a series of photographs, short films, and prose. The project then grew into a feature, which was released on Amazon in April 2020 after premiering at Sundance. The film carved out a unique place in the high school film genre. It garnered outstanding reviews and became a massive hit, so much so that Amazon commissioned her to create a series based in the same world. Since the success of her debut feature, Tayarisha has been in high demand. She directed the first episode in season 2 of THE TWILIGHT ZONE, entitled “AMONG THE UNTRODDEN,” an episode in season 2 of FX’s DAVE entitled “SOMEBODY DATE ME,” and commercials for Telfar. We believe THE YOUNG WIFE will claim its own new space alongside other iconic wedding films, merging the universality of the wedding moment with a distinct and fresh perspective that only Tayarisha can create. For more go to: tayarishapoe.com/motion
“It’s an exhilarating experience that presents the tug-of-war we all must endure to maintain a level of self within the communal “us” that’s born from the relationships we cultivate.” – Jared Mobarak, Hey, Have You Seen …?
“An ambitious, maximalist vision that expresses personal turmoil as global catastrophe.” – Josh Bell, Crooked Marquee
“As you get caught up in [Tayarisha Poe’s] words and stunning visuals, you begin to fall under the grip of a filmmaker who wields her camera frame with the intent of affecting her audience in a way that sneaks up on you that is holistic and honest.” – M.N. Miller, InSession Film
“The Young Wife can be a chaotic experience, but Poe has the skills to carry us through the noise and toward the future.” – Ryan Lattanzio, indieWire
“Paired with an outstanding performance by Kiersey Clemons, Poe crafts an intimate, profound, and visually gorgeous feature that overwhelms the senses.” – Mae Abdulbaki, Screen Rant
When Eva (Kahyun Kim), the daughter, accidentally shoots her White hippie fiance, Peter (Craig Newman), dead, her parents, June (Margaret Cho), and Sam (Keong Sim) insist on getting rid of the body in order to protect Eva. As the family collides with each other on what is the right thing to do, tension and long-buried secrets about the family’s journey to America begin to surface. Faced with this expanded understanding of their collective past and sacrifices, Eva eventually makes the hard decision to save her family by getting rid of her fiance’s body in a way only she knows how. Director and co-screenwriter Zao Wang and Producer Joyce Liu Countryman behind the wildly inappropriate and uproariously funny narrative short film stop by to talk about the origin story behind the film, premiering at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival, assembling a terrific cast that includes the incandescent Margaret Cho as June and the film’s Executive Producer.
About the filmmaker – Writer/Director Zao Wang was born in Beijing, China, into a family of filmmakers. At 14 his family emigrated to Mississippi, where he first learned English by watching a lot of American TV. After graduating college with degrees in physics and philosophy, Zao’s original passion for visual storytelling landed him at NYU-Tisch, where he received an MFA in Film Directing. His short and feature films are mainly in the psychological horror/thriller/sci-fi genres. Informed by his own immigrant experience, these genre films are elevated with his unique multicultural perspective, and often with a dash of dark humor. His films have won numerous awards at Tribeca, Fantasporto, Fantasia, Yubari, Busan, Palm Springs, among others. His short films have been optioned by NBCUniversal and Tomorrow Studios for TV development. Zao was chosen by J.J. Abrams as his only Directing Fellow at Bad Robot. He is a part of the Sony Diverse Directors and NBCUniversal Emerging Directors Programs, as well as a Directing Fellow at HBO Access.
About the filmmaker – Joyce Liu-Countryman is a Chinese American producer whose first feature, Eat With Me, premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival, screened at over 50 festivals internationally including Frameline and Outfest Fusion, and is streaming on Amazon Prime. After earning an MFA in producing from the AFI Conservatory, Joyce joined the diversity and inclusion team at Sony Pictures Entertainment, later promoted into marketing to manage testing of such titles as Jumanji: The Next Level, Little Women, and Bad Boys for Life. Her short, Becoming Eddie, was picked up by Sony Pictures Television as a half-hour comedy, where she will co-executive produce alongside Ken Jeong. Her DEI consulting clients include the Television Academy, NALIP and RespectAbility. Her projects center marginalized identities.
Executive produced by Moby, ROWDY GIRLshowcases the inspiring work of Renee King-Sonnen, a former Texas cattle rancher who in 2015, after a spiritual awakening, left the cruel cycle of animal agriculture. After going vegan, King-Sonnen and her husband, Tommy Sonnen, transformed her husband’s beef operation into Rowdy Girl Sanctuary, a farm animal sanctuary that seeks to rescue farm animals from factory farming. Rowdy Girl Sanctuary, located between San Antonio and Houston, in Waelder, TX, has a mission to educate the public about the cruelties of factory farming, to advocate a vegan lifestyle, and to inspire other ranchers to experience a paradigm shift and help them move from participating in the cruelty of factory farming to living with compassion towards the animals whose lives usually end in brutal death. Renee has lived on both sides of the fence, proving that there is a common ground between farmers and vegans: a shared mission of compassion and sustainability. Filmmaker Jason Goldman’s verité style documentary lovingly captures the dynamic connection between Renee, her husband Tommy and the hooved and feathered friends who inhabit Rowdy Girl Sanctuary. Director / Producer Jason Goldman stops by for a conversation on his goal in making Rowdy Girl was to work on a project that reflected his personal values and giving Renee a platform to reach a wider audience, particularly farmers who she believes can change the world by moving to more sustainable and humane care of our furry friends.
Argot Pictures is proud to present the US theatrical release of ROWDY GIRL, a documentary film by Jason Goldman. ROWDY GIRL will open at the Firehouse DCTV in New York on May 31st, and at Laemmle Monica in Los Angeles on June 7th. Select cities will follow.
About the filmmaker – Jason Goldman is a director/producer from New York City. His earliest filmmaking experience came under acclaimed documentarian Albert Maysles where he learned the foundation of direct cinema. He’s produced award winning shorts, feature length films, and documentaries. In 2018 he produced the award winning doc “Sidelined” in conjunction with A&E IndieFilm which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. “Rowdy Girl,” his directorial debut, was recently signed with The Film Collaborative and Impronta Films covering worldwide representation for a 2023 release. Go to: thefilmshop.org/jason-goldman
core legend and cultural icon Sid Abbruzzi, and his commitment to 
protecting the sports’ history and culture. Through a mix of never-before-seen archival film, large format cinematic footage, and personal interviews from culture giants like Tony Hawk, Shepard Fairey, Selema Masekela and more; we are taken on a journey through surfing and skating history – from 1960s Newport to Santa Cruz, Cocoa Beach, South 
Africa’s Jeffrey’s Bay, and beyond. As Sid approaches the age of 72, the film captures the final days of his famous Water Brothers Surf & Skate shop as it is set to be demolished and the impact it had on the surf and skate community. WATER BROTHER emphasizes the importance of memory, personal 
history, and living in the moment, reminding us to cherish our past and preserve cultural heritage. The film is a poignant reflection on a life well-lived and a heartfelt tribute to the enduring spirit of surf culture. It celebrates the individuals and places that transcend surfing and skating from mere hobbies, showing how one man’s dedication can inspire an entire community. Co-directors Charles Kinnane & Daniel Kinnane join us to talk about the impact that Sid, his family and Water Brothers Surf & Skate shop has had on them, what was it about the surf and skate lifestyle that inspired them to pick up a camera and tell this story, and the love for Sid that permeates Water Brother: The Sid Abruzzi Story.
