Winter Film Awards Int'l. Film Festival - Feb. 16-25 2023-NY

WELCOME TO THE 11TH ANNUAL WINTER FILM AWARDS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Winter Film Awards Is New York City . Like the city itself, we showcase the eclectic diversity and excitement of the independent arts world.

We are an all volunteer, minority- and women-owned registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 2011 in New York City by a group of filmmakers and enthusiasts. We recognize excellence and diversity in cinema, with a special emphasis on supporting women and underrepresented filmmakers and a focus on nurturing emerging filmmakers from all genres from around the world. Our mission is to promote diversity, bridge the opportunity divide and provide a platform for under-represented artists and a variety of genres, viewpoints and approaches. We believe that only by seeing others’ stories can we understand each other and only via an open door can the underrepresented artist enter the room.

For our 2023 Program, Winter Film Awards is proud to screen an outstanding selection of 73 films of all genres and lengths - shorts and features, animation, documentaries, comedies, romance, thrillers, dramas, music videos and horror. Filmmakers come from 21 countries, including 9 student films and 26 works from first-time filmmakers.

Winter Film Awards is dedicated to showcasing the amazing diversity of voices in indie film and our 2023 lineup is half made by women and half by or about people of color.

Tickets are $12.50/In Advance, $16.50/Door, $5/Door with Student ID. Screening blocks run 1½ to 2½ hours and include a mix of shorts and feature-length films. Screening blocks include a 20 minute Q&A Session with the filmmakers.

THANK YOU

Visit www.WFA2023.EventCombo.com for Tickets!

Winter Film Awards is grateful for the tireless support of our year-round team: Fernando Camacho, Dawn Mecca, Michael Murray, Fulden Kologlu Oner, Jessica Peters and Lisa Wilf.

Thank you to Winter Film Awards staff, volunteers, screeners, judges, writers, panelists, friends and helpers! This event couldn’t happen without our army of helpers! And finally, thank you to our 80+ amazing sponsors, partners and venues whose support make this event possible.

Winter Film Awards programs are supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Promotional support provided by the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment.

WFA2023 Official Artwork was designed by New York City native and recent High School of Art & Design graduate Azailia Pope.

Winter Film Awards is led by George Isaacs (CEO & Founder), Steffanie Finn (Executive Director), Lesley Sigall (Treasurer), Joseph Mauceri and Vaughn Murphy.

February 2023

Dear Friends,

Welcome to the 11th annual Winter Film Awards International Film Festival in New York City!

The Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) is pleased to support this diverse celebration of film, which features work by emerging filmmakers hailing from 21 different countries. With a line-up of films where half are created by women and half are by or about people of color, the Winter Film Awards International Film Festival serves to amplify the diversity of voices in independent film.

MOME works to strengthen and support New York City’s creative economy and make it accessible to all. MOME comprises five divisions: the Film Office, which coordinates film and television production throughout the five boroughs, connects New Yorkers to jobs in the sector, and strengthens infrastructure; NYC Media, the official production entity and television and radio network of the City of New York; Creative Sector Programs, which advance industry growth and workforce development across theatre, music, advertising, publishing, and digital media; the Office of Nightlife which promotes a sustainable nighttime economy; and the Press Credentials Office which issues press cards to journalists covering news and public events in NYC.

To learn more about MOME’s programs and services, please visit NYC.gov/MOME, and follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @MadeinNY and on Instagram at @madein_ny.

Enjoy the festival!

Sincerely,

Anne del Castillo, Commissioner

The City of New York Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment

98 mins) Sun Feb 19 - 12:00 PM

The Guest (Short, 15 mins) Wed Feb 22 - 5:00 PM

The Letter Room (Short, 32 mins) Mon Feb 20 - 5:00 PM

Theo (Short, 18 mins) Thu Feb 23 - 8:30 PM

The Pit and the Pendulum - a Musicabre (Horror, 30 mins) Sun Feb 19 - 4:30 PM / Thu Feb 23 - 2:45 PM

The Principal’s Assembly (Short, 18 mins) Mon Feb 20 - 5:00 PM

There Goes The Neighborhood (Documentary, 74 mins)

ABOUT THE FILMS

10:35

ANIMATED MEXICO SPANISH 13 MINS

SUNDAY FEB 19 9:00 PM-11:00 PM / MONDAY FEB 20 3:00 PM-4:45 PM

After the death of his mother, Nico is in a crematorium waiting for her ashes. Nico begins working on an experiment with a virtual reality glasses to travel to a parallel universe and see his mother once again. Just like an hourglass, Nico will depend on the last grain of sand to accomplish his purpose.

Alan Sánchez is a Motion Designer and 3D generalist. He is passionate about creating ideas and expressing them visually. Since he was 23 years old, he’s been involved in the world of design and animation. 10:35 is the first short film in which he has participated as a director and it provided a great experience, as well as the passion to continue learning and improving as an artist.

Directed by Alan Sánchez

Producted by Paulina Patiño

A MAN OF HIS TIME

SHORT UNITED STATES ENGLISH 28 MINS

THURSDAY FEB 23 5:00 PM-6:45 PM / TUESDAY FEB 21 2:30 PM-4:45 PM

Two descendants of the infamous 1857 Dred Scott Decision meet in a cafe off the New Jersey turnpike. Jim Taney, a descendant of Chief Justice Roger Brooke Taney who penned the opinion, offers an apology from his family to the family of Walter Scott, a descendant of the formerly enslaved Dred Scott. Through a vulnerable conversation about racism in America, Jim awakens to his own ignorance and discovers why an apology alone just won’t cut it. This film is an adaptation of a short play written by Kate Taney Billingsley.

Estelle Parsons was last seen on Broadway in THE VELOCITY OF AUTUMN, receiving her 5th Tony Award nomination. She is most widely known for her Academy Awardwinning performance in BONNIE AND CLYDE. As a director, she created the New York Shakespeare Festival Players for Joseph Papp in the 1980’s and directed Al Pacino in SALOME; THE READING on Broadway. She is a member of the Actors Studio and has received 4 lifetime achievement awards: a Lilly, an Obie, a LaMama award and the Cherry Lane award.

Directed by Estelle Parsons

Producted by Jeffery Keilholtz, Richard Pamela D’Avino Murphy

ABANDON

MUSIC VIDEO UNITED STATES ENGLISH 7 MINS

THURSDAY FEB 23 5:00 PM-6:45 PM

Dwight is a 49 year old Uber driver who still lives at home with his mother while holding onto his 80’s metal rock dream. He is unable to handle the aftermath of his incredible one-night stand with a married lady.

As a satirical comedic innovator, Jeff Hilliard’s music videos have garnered millions of views and have won numerous film festivals. His videos have been promoted by SteveO, Russell Brand and Tommy Lee.

Directed by Jeff Hilliard

Producted by Jeff Hilliard

ABUELA DALÍ

SHORT SPAIN SPANISH

FRIDAY FEB 17 5:15 PM-7:15 PM

10 MINS

Four women in a wedding wardrobe use a Ouija board to prove that the family’s grandmother was Salvador Dalí.

Vega Halen holds a degree in Audiovisual Communication and works as a teacher of Audiovisual Language and Video Editing at CEV School in Madrid. She also works as a Freelance Photographer and Videographer. She wrote and directed her first short film, LA SANTA, which earned selections at several festivals and won the “Alice Guy Prize” at the Marató De Cinema Fantàstic i de Terror de Sants (Barcelona). Her latest project is the short film ABUELA DALÍ, which was shot in 2021.

Directed by Vega Halen

Producted by Rodrigo Gil

BLACK MOTHERS LOVE & RESIST

DOCUMENTARY UNITED STATES ENGLISH

101 MINS SATURDAY FEB 18 6:45 PM-8:45 PM

Wanda Johnson and Angela Williams, mothers of young Black men victimized by police brutality, come together and build a network of communityled support, mutual aid, and healing in Débora Souza Silva’s trenchant documentary spanning Oakland’s Fruitvale to the American South.

Long before George Floyd’s murder and the BLM protests in 2020, Oscar Grant’s 2009 killing by a BART police officer seeded public awareness and cultural consciousness of systemic racism and its discontents. Paying forward lessons learned and advocating against anti-Black violence in memory of her son, Oscar, Wanda Johnson holds space for Angela Williams, whose teen son, Ulysses, survives a brutal police attack in Troy, Alabama, living to tell his story.

Débora Souza Silva is an award-winning documentary filmmaker whose work examines systemic racism and inequality. Her work were featured on PBS, BBC, Reveal News, KQED, and Fusion. She received the NABJ Les Payne Founder’s Award, a New York Times Institute Fellowship, 2021 Creative Capital Award, a member of the 2020 Chicken & Egg(celerator) Lab and the 2019 Firelight Media Lab.

Directed by Débora Souza Silva

Producted by Débora Souza Silva, David Felix Sutcliffe

WINTER FILM AWARDS

BRONX MAGIC

MUSIC VIDEO UNITED STATES ENGLISH 5 MINS

FRIDAY FEB 17 5:15 PM-7:15 PM / TUESDAY FEB 21 2:30 PM-4:45 PM

The everyday magic of dance is everywhere in a Bronx neighborhood. Near the ice cream truck, under the elevated train, and at the subway station, everybody becomes part of the daily dance.

Since 2005, Marta Renzi has directed over three dozen short films, completing her debut feature film HER MAGNUM OPUS in 2017. She has received seven NEA Choreographic Fellowships, and a NY Dance & Performance Award (a “Bessie”). Awarded by Dancing in the Streets as a “fearless explorer” in 1995, her Project Co. regularly performed outdoors for free. Marta is a 2013 Bogliasco Fellow and a RAW supported artist. She has collaborated in theater (Andre Gregory), circus (Cecil MacKinnon) and film (John Sayles), and danced with David Gordon, Douglas Dunn, Kei Takei and with Twyla Tharp in HAIR.

Directed by Marta Renzi

Producted by Marta Renzi

CENSOR OF DREAMS LE CENSEUR DES RÊVES

SHORT FRANCE FRENCH 18 MINS

WEDNESDAY FEB 22 5:00 PM-6:45 PM

Night after night, The Censor and his team mold Yoko’s memories into fantastical dreams. Tonight nothing happens as planned.

Raphaël Rodriguez studied graphic design in Paris and worked in art direction and illustration studio on various artistic editorials, musical and video projects for popular indie French labels and bands including Because Music and Scratch Massive. Léo Berne was born and raised in Aix-en-Provence. After studying sociology he started his career as a copywriter at BBDO Paris and began producing hip hop and electronic tracks at Chinese Man Records. In 2009 they founded the collective Megaforce and have directed campaigns and music videos for Rihanna, Madonna, Tame Impala, Kid Cudi and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and won Best Director at the UK Music Video Awards. In 2018, their campaign “Nothing Beats a Londoner” for Nike was the most decorated commercial of the last 40 years at D&AD.

Directed by Léo Berne, Raphaël Rodriguez

Producted by Mourad Belkeddar, Charles-Marie Anthonioz

CONSIDER THE SPARROW

SHORT UNITED STATES ENGLISH

25 MINS

WEDNESDAY FEB 22 5:00 PM-6:45 PM / TUESDAY FEB 21 2:30 PM-4:45 PM

Differences in faith can be hard enough in a marriage, yet Tom and Lisa have made it work for twenty years. But when estranged friend Matt arrives presenting the opportunity of a lifetime and the only condition is a lie about God, well, what’s an American politician to do?

Eliza Foss is an actor, writer and director living and working in New York City for over twenty years. She has been seen on major stages in New York City and in regional theaters across the country as well as in episodic TV and independent films. Most recently, she was seen in the film INDIGNATION and an adaptation of ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE at The Barrow Group Theater in New York. She was the AD on Jeremy and Ann’s first film, PLOT. This is her directorial debut.

Directed by Eliza Foss

Producted by Ann Hamilton, Jeremy Folmer & Laurence Lau

DEPTHS OF NIGHT

ANIMATED HONG KONG CANTONESE

13 MINS

TUESDAY FEB 21 8:30 PM-10:45 PM / MONDAY FEB 20 3:00 PM-4:45 PM

This short film depicts the author’s fear of changes and distortions. How do you face these feelings in the past, present and in the future? It is as though the soul is broken into infinite pieces, but as long as we can survive, the depths of night passes eventually.

Step C. is an animation director, illustrator, educator and art director based in Hong Kong. She loves to use a variety of media to express the world in her imagination. Her animation TOXIC RELATIONSHIP (2018) was selected in more than 50 international festivals, and won 6 prizes, her next short film, LITTLE THINKS ( 2019 ) was selected in more than 30 international festivals, and won 4 prizes.

Directed by Step C

Producted by Step C

DESERT LIGHTS ESTRELLAS DEL DESIERTO

SHORT CHILE SPANISH

WEDNESDAY FEB 22 5:00 PM-6:45 PM

19 MINS

In Chile’s Atacama desert, where climate change continues to leave its mark, twelve-year old Antay and his friends see their town disappearing due to severe drought and the impact of copper mining. Soccer provides the only escape as they try to hang onto their childhood dreams and the ties that bind them.

Katherina Harder is a Chilean film and TV director. She is the co-founder and director of the Iquique International Film Festival and ‘La Gran Pantalla Barcelona’. Her short films have been exhibited in important international film festivals like Tribeca, La Habana, FICGuadalajara, Mar del Plata, Camerimage among others. Her short film DESERT LIGHTS has won more than 24 international awards and qualified for the Oscar. She is currently developing projects in Chile and Spain and is writing her debut feature film.

Directed by Katherina Harder

Producted by Elliot Morfi, Selva González

ECHOES

ANIMATED SPAIN ENGLISH 6 MINS

SUNDAY FEB 19 12:00 PM-2:00 PM / MONDAY FEB 20 3:00 PM-4:45 PM

From birth to sacralization, change is the infinite path of being.

Iván Ordás is from Madrid, Spain. He has made multiple videoclips in Spain and is the co-founder of the audiovisual production company Blanco Atómico.

Directed by Ivan Ordas

Producted by Ivan Ordas

EMERGENCE

DOCUMENTARY SOUTH AFRICA/KENYA/USA ENGLISH 12 MINS

SATURDAY FEB 18 12:00 PM-2:00 PM / WED FEB 22 2:45 PM-4:45 PM

The main character of the film is a Super Tusker named Lugard – he is considered a Kenyan national treasure. As large as Lugard is, he is not easy to find. Like most bull elephants, he is solitary. He is also not comfortable around humans. At 55 years old, Lugard has witnessed a multitude of atrocities including a massive poaching crisis in the ‘70s and ‘80s where the elephant population in the park was decimated. He continues to navigate the effects of climate change and is living through the worst drought the eastern horn of Africa has seen in 4 decades. The film also features Tsavo Trust, a remarkable NGO that works tirelessly to protect these incredible elephants.

Malcolm Randles has a passion for the preservation of Africa’s last remaining wilderness areas. Between 2003 and 2017 his job took him around the world and he was lucky enough to meet with individuals looking to experience his interpretation of an African safari. Shortly thereafter he formed Off Piste Africa - one of Africa’s leading responsible tourism companies. His frequent trips to Tsavo inspired Malcolm to make this movie about Tsavo’s super tuskers, and in particular, Lugard.

Directed by Malcolm Randles, Ant Hoard

Producted by Empowers Africa, Off Piste Africa

ESSENTIALLY AMY

SHORT UNITED STATES ENGLISH/ MANDARIN 15 MINS

THURSDAY FEB 23 5:00 PM-6:45 PM

Amy is a young Chinese-American girl working at her local grocery store during the height of the pandemic. Amy must confront growing racism towards Asian-Americans, while at home, she must mitigate her mother’s expectations and personal bias towards African-Americans. After a brutal assault, Amy and her family must reevaluate their perceptions, and Amy must come to terms with who she really is and what she really wants.

Ari Groobman is a writer and director living in Los Angeles, California. He loves to tell bittersweet stories blended with dark comedy and horror to highlight culturally diverse journeys surrounding mental health and identity. Born in Colorado, Ari comes from a mixed heritage family. He graduated as an engineer and Boettcher Scholar, however, his undying love for film and television brought him into the industry. Ari has resided and worked in China, Brazil, and Israel.

Directed by Ari Groobman

Producted by Mitchell Schwartz, Ben O’Keefe & Ryan Ramsey

FÉ (FAITH)

MUSIC VIDEO BRAZIL PORTUGUESE 3 MINS

SATURDAY FEB 18 6:45 PM-8:45 PM

Fé (Faith) is a music video of the Brazilian artist IZA. Known for her meaningful and aesthetic pleasing music videos, IZA reflects on the human trajectory and its relationship with faith, overcoming the obstacles it presents and finding its true essence on the process of being alive. It brings a poetic and impactful to the audiovisual, using photography, body expression and contemporary dance as power to create new ways of seeing the world. It’s a sensitive film about life and death, dreams, cycles, and the connection with the divine.

A director with a strong aesthetic and authorial language, Felipe Sassi is responsible for directing music videos for the main Brazilian pop singers – such as IZA, Duda Beat, Gloria Groove, Karol Conka and more which add up to 1+ billion views.

Directed by Felipe Sassi

Producted by Diana Balsini

FINDING LIGHT

DOCUMENTARY UNITED STATES/ISRAEL ENGLISH 60 MINS

SATURDAY FEB 18 12:00 PM-2:00 PM

FINDING LIGHT is a multi-faceted film, which at its core seeks to use dance as a convener of conversation around issues related to the protection of human rights against bigotry and hate. The film explores how the events of 9/11 led a dance choreographer to seek deeper meaning in his work. Illuminated through the story of Holocaust survivor Naomi Warren, the film takes the audience on a journey that is simultaneously situated in the past while making relevant connections to the present told through the lens of dance.

Lone Star Emmy®-winning filmmaker, Paul Michael Bloodgood enjoyed a 20-year career as a professional ballet dancer and has a B.A. in Dance and the Humanities from St. Edward’s University. Paul Michael’s TRENCHES OF ROCK premiered at the Atlanta Film Festival, ultimately receiving 14 accolades across the globe. A SAG-AFTRA member and a 4-time Austin Critics Table Award recipient, Paul Michael credits his extensive background in film, music, and dance for his approach to creative storytelling.

Directed by Paul Michael Bloodgood

Producted by Paul Michael Bloodgood, Karen Bernstein

FIRST SEMESTER OF SECOND GRADE

SHORT CHINA/UNITED STATES CHINESE 21 MINS TUESDAY FEB 21 5:00 PM-6:45 PM

With good intentions at the beginning, the young home tutor eventually can’t refrain from intruding into the family of a single mother and innocent son.

Chengqing Zhu is a Chinese filmmaker based in Shanghai and Los Angeles. Educated as a film director at the California Institute of the Arts, she makes fiction films about contemporary absurdity and people’s beliefs in general.

Directed by Chengqing Zhu

Producted by Siyuan Liu

FOUR WALLS

WEB SERIES SOUTH AFRICA TSWANA/ ZULU 6 MINS SUNDAY FEB 19 12:00 PM-2:00 PM

Grace Molotsi, a married nurse from the township, feels trapped and at her wits end due to an abusive husband who has made her life a living nightmare. As she finally makes the decision to end his life, her house is invaded by two thugs on the run from a cash-in-transit robbery gone wrong who take her hostage. Will the thugs be able to trust Grace when they discover her tied up unconscious husband in the bedroom? How will Grace be able to explain the various revelations that arise once her husband regains consciousness? FOUR WALLS provides insight on the systematic societal issue of genderbased violence (GBV), posing the question ... just how far do victims have to go to be heard and protected?

Kgosana Monchusi is a Soweto born and bred creative who discovered his love of entertainment at a very young age. Other directing credits include the international award winning debut short film OPUS (2019) winner of the Best Short Film at Silicon Valley African festival, award-winning Queer short film FEMININE LOTUS (2020), and the hit romantic comedy A SAFE BET (2021).

Directed by Kgosana Monchusi, Menzi Mzimela

Producted by Kgosana Monchusi, Juvais Dunn

WINTER FILM AWARDS

GO THROUGH THE DARK

DOCUMENTARY CHINA/UNITED STATES MANDARIN 78 MINS

SATURDAY FEB 18 2:15 PM-4:10 PM

Guanglin is a blind boy in China who displays great skill at the ancient board game “Go”, in which two players place black and white pieces on a grid in an attempt to dominate their opponent. Raised by a single father with limited means, Guanglin faces deep societal prejudice against the blind.

Yunhong Pu is a bilingual film director and producer based in NYC and earned an MFA Degree in social documentary film from the School of Visual Arts. GO THROUGH THE DARK is her thesis film and her first feature film.

Directed by Yunhong Pu

Producted by Yunhong Pu

GRANDMA PERM

DOCUMENTARY UNITED STATES/KOREA KOREAN 17 MINS

SATURDAY FEB 18 9:00 PM-11:00 PM / WED FEB 22 2:45 PM-4:45 PM

A personal journey to find mother’s love through this unique and popular hairstyle called “Grandma Perm” in Korea.

Changhee Chun is a professor and filmmaker at The University of Texas at Arlington. He produced over fifty television commercials, music videos, fiction films, documentaries and also produced the Korean broadcasting of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. After extensive experience in the media industry and independent productions, Changhee is really interested in creating visually stimulating films that directly incorporate current and prevailing issues including social justice, discrimination, diversity, and environmental issues.

Directed by Changhee Chun

Producted by Changhee Chun

IN·SPI·RA·TION

DOCUMENTARY

SATURDAY FEB 18 9:00 PM-11:00 PM / WED FEB 22 2:45 PM-4:45 PM

IN·SPI·RA·TION is a short documentary following three Isle of Man artists as they complete a piece of work, discussing their sources of inspiration and identity as artists. The film aims to demystify the artistic process, and demonstrate how everyone works differently, and there is no ‘right’ way to do art; it’s a personal journey.

Dark Avenue Film consists of Patrick Crellin and Bethany White, and is a production company based on the Isle of Man. The business has been operating since 2018, and since then, has produced two award-winning fiction short films and three short documentaries.

Directed by Patrick Crellin, Bethany White

Producted by Patrick Crellin, Bethany White

INSIDE THE BEAUTY BUBBLE

DOCUMENTARY UNITED STATES ENGLISH 31 MINS

SATURDAY FEB 18 12:00 PM-2:00 PM / WED FEB 22 2:45 PM-4:45 PM

Inside the Beauty Bubble is a short documentary film about a renowned collector of hair artifacts fighting to keep his desert dreams alive. The Beauty Bubble Salon & Museum in Joshua Tree is the magical and kitsch-filled brainchild of Jeff Hafler. The film covers a year in the life of Jeff and his roadside attraction as they face lockdowns, protests and massive societal change. It is a film about family, fabulousness and folk art, a film that reminds us it’s sometimes the strong people on the margins that hold a community together.

Cheryl Bookout co-directed the doc film INSIDE THE BEAUTY BUBBLE; she is currently producing the feature documentary ACTING LIKE WOMEN and a short film JUST A FRIEND and is the founder of The Chimaera Project, a nonprofit that champions women filmmakers.

Cheri Gaulke is a pioneer in the feminist art movement; directed the award-winning documentaries GLORIA’S CALL and MISS ALMA THOMAS: A LIFE IN COLOR; co-director of INSIDE THE BEAUTY BUBBLE and is currently in production on her feature documentary ACTING LIKE WOMEN.

Directed by Cheryl Bookout, Cheri Gaulke

Producted by Cheryl Bookout, Cheri Gaulke

INSTINCTS

Sam, a corporate employee who dresses as a man, makes her journey back home at night after work. Her friend Alice gives her a list of possible riddles she might be asked by the predatory animal-headed men who rule this world. A corporate lion, a drunk pig, a gangster wolf and owl, and a fox roommate that does not understand boundaries, stop her path and won’t let her pass until she answers the riddles correctly.

Israa Al-Kamali is an LA-based Iraqi filmmaker who has worked on various projects in both regions. Al-Kamali’s work tackles matters such as social justice, immigration, and culture. She founded the Iraqi Film Festival to celebrate films from Iraq. Al-Kamali holds a BSc in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and an MFA in Filmmaking from New York Film Academy. Her debut feature film, THE ANXIOUS PLACE, is the first feature film by a woman in Qatar and is currently in the financing phase.

Directed by Israa Al-Kamali

Producted by Emerson Geter

KEEP/DELETE

SHORT UNITED STATES ENGLISH 19 MINS TUESDAY FEB 21 5:00 PM-6:45 PM

In a future where memories are stored like files, broken couples are offered the ability to wipe every trace of a relationship from their minds.

Kryzz Gautier is a Queer, Afro-Latina, formerly undocumented writer/director from the Dominican Republic. Kryzz was on The Black List 2021, has written on an HBO series and on 2K Games’ BioShock 4. She’s sold shows and features to studios, some of which have her attached as director. Kryzz has been a fellow in prestigious programs like NBC’s “Female Forward”, Ryan Murphy’s “Half Initiative”, Joey Soloway’s “Disruptors”, the Sundance Institute, and The Academy’s Nicholl Fellowship, among others.

Directed by Kryzz Gautier

Producted by Maya Butler, Corsica Wilson

KEEPING OLIVIA

DOCUMENTARY USA/ITALY/GERMANY ENGLISH/GERMAN 85 MINS

SATURDAY FEB 18 4:25 PM-6:30 PM

A determined mother’s unusual exploration of healing, untangling trauma on the road with Olivia’s 50 Barbies.

Daphne Yeager Ostendorf is an independent Documentary Filmmaker based in New York. She holds degrees in Anthropology, Political/Social Science and Documentary Filmmaking. Daphne was a Peace Corps development worker in a small fishing village in Sierra Leone, West Africa; after surviving this she lived and worked in Germany, Italy and New York. Daphne has been a producer, cinematographer and editor for both short and feature documentaries and fiction films.

Directed by Daphne Yeager Ostendorf

Producted by Daphne Yeager Ostendorf

LITTLE HURTS

ANIMATED UNITED STATES ENGLISH 10 MINS

TUESDAY FEB 21 8:30 PM-10:45 PM / MONDAY FEB 20 3:00 PM-4:45 PM

A routine errand at the dry cleaners unleashes a free-for-all of fat-shaming, body image demons and family dieting obsessions.

Debra Solomon has been animating since 1995. Her films have won awards including a Silver Lion at the Venice Biennale, Best Soundtrack in Annecy, and a Special Jury Award at the World Animation Festival. Her film EVERYBODY’S PREGNANT is in MOMA’s film and video collection. In 2001, Debra helped create the Disney Channel’s hit show LIZZIE MCGUIRE, acting as animation director for the series and movie. Her film GETTING OVER HIM IN 8 SONGS OR LESS, was featured on HBO.

Directed by Debra Solomon

Producted by Debra Solomon

ŁOBYRA

HORROR GERMANY ENGLISH 5 MINS

SUNDAY FEB 19 6:45 PM-8:45 PM / THURSDAY FEB 23 2:45 PM-4:45 PM

ŁOBYRA is a chapter of an ongoing gloomy tale about the rise of the grouse king. It tells of strange looming figures, who emerged under unknown circumstances, not revealing if their intensions are good or evil. Seemingly attracted by an invisible calling, they are steering towards the summit of a mountain and summon something, which was put to sleep for a long time.

Natalie Plaskura has a diploma in photodesign studies, directing and cinematography (MA). Her short films INTRUSION (2012), FAINT (2014), MINOTAUR/BLACK VULPINE (2019) and SKRZYKOT (2020) went to several film festivals around the globe.

Directed by Natalie Plaskura

Producted by Natalie Plaskura

LOST & FOUND

ANIMATED GREECE ENGLISH 9 MINS

FRIDAY FEB 17 9:00 PM-11:40 PM / MONDAY FEB 20 3:00 PM-4:45 PM

A naughty suitcase that wants to be free, creates a mess at the airport.

Vivian Papageorgiou holds a doctorate in Cinema Studies, has a Master’s Degree in Audiovisual & Cinema and studied TV & Cinema Directing, English Literature and Interior Design. She created 6 short films and is a Sarajevo Film Festival talent alumni (2016). Her script HANSEL was at the Pack & Pitch of the same festival. She is working at the University of Athens and is in development of her first feature documentary.

Directed by Vivian Papageorgiou

Producted by Ioanna Bolomyti

LOST COS

Haunted by her tortured childhood and the violent loss of the great love of her life, troubled dental assistant Eni finds escape in Los Cos, a mysterious underground club where cosplay and burlesque intertwine and heroes and villains blur the line between fantasy and reality. But when a cosplayer dressed as “Merman” shows up dead on a New Jersey beach and a mysterious stalker gets up in her DMs, Eni must confront the traumas that have shaped her life and transform herself into an altogether more formidable force.

Robin de Levita has produced 3 features and lineproduced more than 100 TV shows and motion picture films, but is best known for producing more than 80 first class theater productions in 7 countries, including 17 Broadway and 4 West End productions, winning numerous international awards including Tony Awards for Titanic, 42nd Street and Into the Woods, plus a Laurence Olivier Award for The Who’s Tommy.

Directed by Robin De Levita

Producted by Catriona Rubenis-Stevens, Evgeniya Radilova

LOVE YOU FOREVER

HORROR UNITED STATES/MEXICO ENGLISH 21 MINS

SUNDAY FEB 19 4:30 PM-6:30 PM / THURSDAY FEB 23 2:45 PM-4:45 PM

Trapped in a time-warped house, two sisters try to survive the immensity of each others’ love.

Sepi Mashiahof is a second generation IranianAmerican immigrant and trans-femme filmmaker, screenwriter, and musician. Since 2012, she has lived in Oakland, CA where she cultivated relationships with the queer underground arts community through her work as Executive Director at Bay Area Girls Rock Camp, host of the cult Scream Queens Radio program, and member of industrial no wave band SBSM. She has directed a plethora of music videos before making her short film debut with LOVE YOU FOREVER.

Directed by Sepand Mashiahof

Producted by Sepand Mashiahof, Hana Harada

MEANTIME CREUSE

HORROR FRANCE FRENCH

13 MINS

SUNDAY FEB 19 4:30 PM-6:30 PM / THURSDAY FEB 23 2:45 PM-4:45 PM

Marc, a young city dweller, goes into the countryside where he stays on his own in a lonely house. He is expecting his girlfriend Louise who is supposed to come and join him soon, but she is late showing up. Marc is keen on keeping fit and becomes obsessed with the healthy daily routine he has set up for himself, but the silence grows heavier and heavier, and Louise hasn’t arrived yet. In the anxious surrounding calm, Marc gradually falls prey to the assault of all kinds of sounds that are usually ignored and sounds that are not usually heard.

Guillaume Scaillet graduated from the screenwriting department of La Fémis and now works on projects as a writer and director. He’s currently writing the script of his first feature JEANNE DARK produced by Caïmans Productions. He also works as a scriptwriter and consultant on diverse movies and series projects.

Directed by Guillaume

Producted

by Jérôme

Scaillet

Barthélémy, Daniel Sauvage

MINE

WEB SERIES UNITED STATES ENGLISH

WEDNESDAY FEB 22 5:00 PM-6:45 PM

MISS VIBORG

MONDAY FEB 20 8:30 PM-10:45 PM

Former beauty queen and senior citizen Solvej lives alone with her dog in a social housing area on the outskirts of Danish provincial town Viborg. Each day, she performs the same old routines roaming around on her scooter dealing her prescription drugs, dreaming of a world outside Viborg and reminiscing over old love letters from her past. When unforeseen circumstances bring her neighbour’s daughter, rebellious 17-year-old Kate into her life, an unlikely friendship forms and new hope for the future emerges.

Marianne Blicher is a graduate from the Danish film school Super16. Her debut as a writing director was the short film MALLORCA, followed by BELINDA BEAUTIFUL, which won the main prize at Krakow Film Festival and has an extensive festival track. Her latest short ODD JOB MAN competed at 50+ festivals. In 2022, Marianne premiered her first feature MISS VIBORG.

Directed by Marianne Blicher

Producted by Eva Jakobsen

MOTHER OF COLOR

FEATURE UNITED STATES ENGLISH/SPANISH 86 MINS

14 MINS

MINE is an animated web-series that poignantly explores the timely theme of community versus individual survival, through the eyes of a teenager. Set in the near-future, this powerful five-part series transports us to Beau Voda, a hard-fought utopian world where every aspect of life is powered by a miraculous healing water source. In the pilot episode, a teenager reluctantly steps into the esteemed role of Water Bearer with the help of their precocious sister. But when the magical water is tampered with, they discover that their idealistic community may not be as magnanimous as they think.

Co-director Randall Dottin is a writer/director who works both in documentary and narrative fiction. He is currently chair of the Screenwriting Department at New York Film Academy. Brasilian-American filmmaker Luisa Dantas (Co-director) works at the intersection of storytelling, social justice, and cities. She produced and directed the multiplatform documentary LAND OF OPPORTUNITY, and co-produced the documentary WAL-MART: THE HIGH COST OF LOST PRICE.

MINE is part of a suite of five projects created by the Rise-Home Stories Project, a groundbreaking collaboration between multimedia storytellers and social justice advocates seeking to change our relationship to land, home, and race, by transforming the stories we tell about them. More info at www.risehomestories.com

Directed by Luisa Dantas, Randall Dottin

Producted by Angela Tucker, Paige Wood

WEDNESDAY FEB 22 8:30 PM-10:55 PM

In a tumultuous world, Noelia, is a whip-smart community organizer and single mother of two who constantly has to make hard choices between her kids and her career. When she’s offered the chance to interview for a position that could change everything, she begins receiving mysterious messages from her ancestors. Noelia senses that something bigger is at play as she works through a series of obstacles to get to the interview and follow her dreams. MOTHER OF COLOR is an eerie social drama that tracks the realities of single motherhood while also exploring one woman’s reckoning with ancestral trauma.

Dawn Jones Redstone is a Mexican-American writer/director whose short films have screened around the globe including the acclaimed SISTA IN THE BROTHERHOOD. Her work often features women of color and explores themes of resistance, feminism and the internal machinations that help us transform into the people we want to become. She believes in using her hiring decisions to help create an inclusive filmmaking community that reflects and brings needed perspective to the world we live in.

Directed by Dawn Jones Redstone

Producted by Tara Johnson-Medinger, Ashley Song

MY LEFT ARM

HORROR UNITED STATES ENGLISH 16 MINS

SUNDAY FEB 19 4:30 PM-6:30 PM /

THURSDAY FEB 23 2:45 PM-4:45 PM

After a debilitating stroke, Malorie, on the brink of a career breakthrough, finds herself at war with her own body and is forced to watch as her life slowly unravels. As her condition continues to worsen, she begins to detach from herself and those she loves, eventually placing her young daughter in mortal danger.

Melissa Vitello is an award-winning producer and director who has over 15 years of experience in the film industry and, more namely, the horror genre. In the last ten years, Melissa has produced 4 feature films and over 50 short films, commercials, and music videos. Christopher Sheffield has always strived to push the limits of independent cinema, writing, directing, and DP’ing his own feature films, from ambitious action thrillers to the smaller drama projects with deeply personal stories.

Directed by Melissa Vitello, Christopher Sheffield

Producted by Stacy Snyder, Melissa Vitello

NEITHER HERE / NOR THERE NI AQUÍ / NI ALLÁ

DOCUMENTARY US/DR/COSTA RICA SPANISH 15 MINS

S ATURDAY FEB 18 4:25 PM-6:30 PM / WED FEB 22 2:45 PM-4:45 PM

NI AQUÍ/NI ALLÁ is a personal documentary that centers on a conversation between filmmaker Ley Comas and their mother about their gender identity. As the middle child of Christian pastors, Ley never imagined that transitioning was possible. Growing up in the Dominican Republic, Ley only witnessed trans people portrayed as evil characters, punchlines in movies and TV shows, or outcasts and victims. At home, anything that went against God´s word was an abomination. This documentary follows Ley´s physical and psychological journey to become themself, while struggling to find a middle ground with their family.

Ley is Afro-Caribbean, born in Costa Rica and raised in the Dominican Republic. Ley is a production sound mixer by trade, their work in sound has been included in several film festivals and major streaming platforms. As an educator, Ley serves as an Adjunct Professor at Temple University. Their work as a filmmaker of trans experience is grounded in collaborating in the creation of films that highlight and empower the narratives of historically erased identities.

Directed by Ley Comas

Producted by Ley Comas

PANAH

SHORT IRAN/UNITED STATES PERSIAN 15 MINS

MONDAY FEB 20 5:00 PM-6:45 PM

Panah, a middle-aged transgender mother, is trying to leave Iran in order to have gender affirmation surgery but her visa and medical documents have been rejected. Her only hope and motivation is to once more see her son, and to be accepted by him as her authentic true self.

Fatemeh Ghadirinezhadian is an Iraninan director, writer and producer. She has a Ph.D. in psychology and has worked as a consultant on the sets of feature films and T.V series in Iran. Filmography: PANAH (2022, Short, Drama), WHERE IS THE HEAVEN (2013, Short, Drama).

Sana Norouzbaki is a costume, production, and art designer from Iran. She was born in 1988 in Tehran and also has a master’s degree in architecture and urban designing.

Directed by Fatemeh Ghadirinezhadian, Sana Norouzbaki

Producted by Amirhossein Norouzbaki

PEACOCK POU

HORROR SOUTH AFRICA AFRIKAANS 90 MINS

SUNDAY FEB 19 9:00 PM-11:00 PM

PEACOCK is a South African gothic horror following the journey of a young woman into the dark recesses of the Afrikaner psyche and its compromised past. Anna is stuck in a puritanical institution known simply as The Foundation. When Anna transgresses The Foundation’s strict moral standards, she is sent away to care for Sarel, one of its founding members. An Apartheid-era theologian living out his last days in demented paranoia on his isolated farm, Sarel is suffering from visions and hallucinations as he is haunted by ghosts from the past. Suffering her own guilt, Anna gets sucked into Sarel’s dark world and she starts seeing his visions. Anna will have to act from her deepest convictions to save herself.

Jaco Minnaar grew up in the industrial wastelands of South Africa. He studied literature at University and learned directing at film school. He’s taught film theory and worked in the television industry. He’s exhibited photographic projects and experimental video works, and has made music videos and short films. He has a strong working relationship with David Cornwell and together they wrote and produced their first feature film, POU (PEACOCK). He lives in Cape Town with his wife and their cat.

Directed by Jaco Minnaar

Producted by Dumi Gumbi, David Cornwell

PETUNIA

HORROR UNITED STATES ENGLISH 6 MINS SUNDAY FEB 19 6:45 PM-8:45 PM / THURSDAY FEB 23 2:45 PM-4:45 PM

A young couple taking a tour of their first home can’t wait to find a place of their own. They tour a lovely place with a realtor named Francine, but little do they know she has other things in store.

Miriam Olken was born in Maine, grew up in New Hampshire and now lives in Boston. Miriam is a production assistant in film, TV and commercials. When she is not doing PA work she does assistant director work on music videos, pilots and features. She also continues to write, direct, and produce her own shorts. Films she has produced and/ or directed have shown at: Shawna Shea, Boston Underground, Dances with Films, Wicked Queer, NH Film Festival, Other Worlds Austin, and Culver City.

Directed by Miriam Olken

Producted by Miriam Olken

POPS

SHORT UNITED KINGDOM/FRANCE ENGLISH 20 MINS MONDAY FEB 20 5:00 PM-6:45 PM

How would you react if your father’s last wish was to send his ashes to a - very - eccentric place? For siblings Roz and Elli, there is no consensus on the answer.

Lewis Rose is a London-based writer and director. Usually working in comedy, many of his films explore issues of cultural and religious identity, aiming to uncover humor and heart that lies beneath. Alongside his fiction work, Lewis has also directed numerous commercial projects for companies such as Adidas, Barclays and Kia, as well as making music videos for a host of major label artists. His music video for Beardyman won UKMVA in 2016 and several other awards. When he’s not directing he performs improvisational comedy with The Free Association.

Directed by Lewis Rose

Producted by Chris Hees

WINTER FILM AWARDS

PUKKULAPOTTAS AND HOURS IN THE FOREST

ANIMATED JAPAN ENGLISH 16 MINS

THURSDAY FEB 23 8:30 PM-11:00 PM / MONDAY FEB 20 3:00 PM-4:45 PM

This is my report about a mysterious creature that Watashi found the year that normal came to a stop all around the globe. People were forced to stay at home in the spring of the year, and Watashi decided to stop commuting to the city and stayed home every day. One day, Watashi discovered mysterious traces in the garden and set up a camera which captured a creature about 15cm tall. Watashi named it Pukkulapottas and become absorbed in searching for it. However, as the world gradually returned to normal, Pukkulapottas disappears from sight. Is what we see, all there is to truth?

Takeshi Yashiro joined TAIYO KIKAKU Co., Ltd., a Japanese TV-CM production, after graduating from Tokyo University of the Arts in 1993. He has worked as a director mainly for commercial films and is one of the top stop motion animation specialists. He not only directs but also creates the art and sets by himself. He especially likes creating hand-made, story-telling pieces.

Directed by Takeshi Yashiro

Producted by Masaaki Oikawa

RAW MATERIALS

SHORT JAMAICA/UNITED STATES ENGLISH 33 MINS

TUESDAY FEB 21 5:00 PM-6:45 PM

RAW MATERIALS is a coming-of-age drama. Sixteen year old fashion prodigy Malik struggles to find his direction and overcome an abusive community in order to fully embrace his talent and identity despite his homophobic community automatically labeling him as gay.

Sosiessia Nixon is an award winning Jamaican screenwriter, director and film producer. She is currently the head of film and television at iKon Media and Films. Sosiessia is the creative mind behind many music videos as she serves as treatment writer on music video projects including Shaggy, Buju Banton, Sean Paul, Spice, Conkarah and Dre Island.

Directed by Sosiessia Nixon-Kelly

Producted by Sosiessia Nixon-Kelly

REVELATION GROUND

The stop-motion animation video for Rachael Sage’s self-produced single REVELATION GROUND was created by Antje Duvekot, who has a two-decade career as both a touring musician and animator. Antje explains: “I wanted to reflect the gentle femininity and also the boldness and strength that the song evokes for me. The scenes are meant to reflect the process. Moving from dark and cold to light and warm, as well as finding your community. I wanted to allude to the metaphor “resilience through music and through self-expression”. The bird flying out of the typewriter and the ice breaker and the opening cocoon and the recurrence of people playing music in various settings is meant to highlight the superpowers that are music and community.

Antje Duvekot has garnered critical acclaim from the animated videos she recently made for Toad The Wet Sprocket - STARTING NOW, Dar Williams - TODAY AND EVERY DAY, Eliot Bronson & Lori McKenna - EVEN THIS IS GOING TO PASS, and Eliza Gylkison - PROMISES TO KEEP. Originally born in Germany and transplanted to the US as a young teen, Antje Duvekot has had a two-decade career as both a touring singer-songwriter and animator.

Directed by Antje Duvekot

Producted by Rachael Sage

ROCCO UP

DOCUMENTARY UNITED STATES ENGLISH 22 MINS

SATURDAY FEB 18 2:15 PM-4:10 PM / WED FEB 22 2:45 PM-4:45 PM

Rocco is an autistic boy who has always loved being in the ocean. Over the years, he develops confidence, grace, and remarkable balance on his surfboard. In ROCCO UP, unscripted interviews bear testimony to boundless family love, the stoke of community support, and the neuroscience behind our enchantment with water.

John Madere is a photographer and documentary filmmaker. His approach to directing documentaries is informed by his experience photographing people from every walk of life. John’s clients have entrusted him with assignments in over 50 countries. Pre-pandemic, he completed a seven-week ’roundthe-world journey entailing photography in eleven cities on six continents.

Directed by John Madere

Producted by Ruth Mamaril, Don Intonato

SAME OLD

SHORT UNITED STATES/CANADA ENGLISH 15 MINS

T UESDAY FEB 21 5:00 PM-6:45 PM / TUESDAY FEB 21 2:30 PM-4:45 PM

Lu is a Chinese immigrant living day to day on tips from his job as a delivery worker. He supports his wife and ailing mother as they desperately try to make ends meet in the unforgiving city. One night, his bicycle, and in essence his livelihood, are stolen from him. He’s forced to embark on a desperate journey to reclaim his bike or shatter the fragile life in America he’s built.

Lloyd Lee Choi is a Korean-Canadian New York based director who found a magical escape with cinema early on. Growing up, he was a regular fixture at the local theater, and eventually, began to secretly create films of his own; directing, acting, shooting, and editing. With a number of awards including a Silver Cannes Lion for his Cornetto campaign, “40 Love” featuring Lily Allen, Lloyd has gone on to create global campaigns for Google, Chevrolet, Sony and Peloton. Lloyd also released his first original scripted 30-minute short film, BEFORE MARS, for National Geographic which is streaming on Hulu, iTunes, and Amazon.

Directed by Lloyd Lee Choi

Producted by Tony Yang

SEAHORSE ZEEPAARD

SHORT NETHERLANDS DUTCH 21 MINS THURSDAY FEB 23 5:00 PM-6:45 PM

When Dana sees a small dot of light flickering in her uterus in black and white on the ultrasound screen, she has to face facts; she is pregnant. Dana decides to end the pregnancy. On the day of her abortion, Dana meets women who each deal with the procedure in their own way. One is panicked, the other self-assured. Dana does things differently - she wants to study the picture of her embryo. She wants to utter the words “mother” on the day of her abortion. She wants to hear the voice of the partner she’s lying to one last time. She wants to experience everything. It is the only way she will be able to get through this day.

Natalie Bruijns got her Filmmaking degree from the University of the Arts Utrecht in 2012, majoring in Fiction. After graduation, she started her career working chiefly on set as an Assistant Director for television and film. Natalie developed into making documentaries and directed for the Dutch television series TITAANTJES. She is currently working on a big screen documentary for young people. SEAHORSE is her fiction film debut.

Directed by Natalie Bruijns

Producted by Sanne Windig, Iris Lammertsma

SOLARIS

MUSIC VIDEO BELGIUM ENGLISH 4 MINS

THURSDAY FEB 23 8:30 PM-11:00 PM

In a ghost town as if from the past, the night is suspended. The world of dreams unfolds and reveals mysterious and poetic characters. In this futuristic city where the sun never rises, revolt is near.

Julie Joseph is a French animation film director, illustrator and art director based in Brussels. She directs music videos and commercial films, including for the American channel FX Networks, for luxury brands like Van Cleef & Arpels. She also works for the press: Le Monde, l’Obs, illustrates podcasts for Arte Radio, publishing books for Gallimard Jeunesse.

Directed by Julie Joseph

Producted by Julie Joseph

SPOONFUL OF SUGAR

HORROR UNITED STATES ENGLISH 95 MINS

SUNDAY FEB 19 6:45 PM-8:45 PM

A disturbed babysitter experiences a sexual awakening while using LSD to alternatively treat a seemingly “sick” child from a family with dark secrets of their own.

Mercedes Bryce Morgan is an award-winning queer Latina director. She just completed her feature debut FIXATION which is premiering at TIFF. SPOONFULL OF SUGAR is her second feature film. Mercedes has directed episodic series for different studios such as MGM, Facebook Watch, Snapchat, New Form, Eko, and Project Greenlight/ Adaptive. Her work collectively has over 1.5 billion views.

Directed by Mercedes Bryce Morgan

Producted by Natalie Metzger, Katrina Kudlick & Matt Miller

STARS

FEB 17 9:00 PM-11:40 PM

A group of homeless women must learn that a glimmer of hope is worth more than all the money in the world. Based on the play by Doron Braunshtein, Bianca is an undercover police officer hiding in a NYC women’s shelter to clean up neighborhood crime and protect women, all while trying to deal with the loss of her family who were recently killed by a drunk driver. The women who share a room with Bianca all have the nicknames of the celebrities they hide from their lives by imitating: Madonna, Oprah, Lauren Hutton, Martha Stewart and Juliette ‘Lucifer’ Lewis. The women are plagued by drug addiction, prostitution, gambling, depression, incest, racism and more but yet need each other for survival.

Funded by We Make Movies as the winner of “Make Your Feature” pitch contest.

Mars Roberge is a Canadian-American dual-citizen filmmaker from Toronto and living in Los Angeles. Mars’ previous films include his documentary THE LITTLE HOUSE THAT COULD about “Sex & the City” stylist Patricia Field (2013 Frameline, Audience Choice Award for Best Film at 2015 NewFilmmakers Los Angeles), the punk comedy SCUMBAG (2017 International Film Festival Rotterdam), the drag dramedy MISTER SISTER (closing film for 2021 Dances With Films + 2021 Winter Film Awards--Best NYC Film).

Directed by Mars Roberge

Producted by Mars Roberge, Kenneth Shaw

STEP INTO THE RIVER

ANIMATED CHINA/FRANCE/SPAIN CHINESE

15 MINS

WEDNESDAY FEB 22 8:30 PM-10:55 PM / MON FEB 20 3:00 PM-4:45 PM

Lu and Wei are two young girls living in a village nestled on the banks of a river where some families drown baby girls in the river in order to have boys. The two girls have a special bond with this river. Together, they will find a magical strength to overcome the traumas of the past.

Weijia Ma is an independent animation artist and college professor. Her documentary short film MY QUARANTINE BEAR has won the Special Mention at Vision du Réel. Her animation short STEP INTO THE RIVER has won the Best Animation Short at Palm Springs International Shortfest, Tricky Realities award at Tricky Women Film Festival, Silver Hugo award at Chicago International Film Festival and Silver Dove Audience Award at DOK Leipzig.

Directed by Weijia Ma

Producted by Weijia Ma

STUDIO UKRAINE

DOCUMENTARY US/GERMANY ENG/RUSSIAN/UKRAINIAN 11 MINS

SATURDAY FEB 18 4:25 PM-6:30 PM / WED FEB 22 2:45 PM-4:45 PM

Studio Ukraine, a collective of artists from Ukraine who have found refuge in Berlin, are working together to make a political statement about the war, using scrap fabric to create cathartic works of art that express their situation. This short documentary introduces the viewer to three members of the group and gives us a glimpse into their lives after recently being displaced in Berlin.

Jack Wingate is a queer filmmaker from Tallahassee, Florida now based in Brooklyn. In December of 2020, he graduated from FSU with his B.A. in Digital Media Production and Creative Writing. His work has been shown at Miami Independent and Student LA Film Awards. In his current work, Jack focuses on art, urbanism, and workers’ rights. He most recently was awarded the Parlamentarisches Patenschafts-Programm as a Filmmaking Fellow which brought him to Berlin, Germany.

Directed by Jack Wingate

Producted by Jack Wingate

SURPRISE

ANIMATED NETHERLANDS ENGLISH 4 MINS

FRIDAY FEB 17 9:00 PM-11:40 PM / MONDAY FEB 20 3:00 PM-4:45 PM

An astronaut travels in search of alien lifeform. When his board-computer detects a lifeform, the astronaut makes his way to the planet.

Silvester Zwaneveld is a Dutch animator, illustrator and performer. He has made more than 15 theatre plays, performed in the biggest venues in the country and his shows are aired on national television. In his shows he uses animation as a tool.

Directed by Silvester Zwaneveld

Producted by Silvester Zwaneveld

SYNTHETIC LOVE AMOURS SYNTHÉTIQUES

SHORT FRANCE FRENCH 24 MINS

SUNDAY FEB 19 2:15 PM-4:15 PM

Diane realizes that the man she fantasizes about shares his life with someone very peculiar… Diane, in her fifties, fantasizes about the enigmatic Pierre, who works with her at the gas station. When she wins a trip for two around France, she decides to invite him along. But she wasn’t aware that Pierre already has someone quite special in his life…

Sarah Heitz de Chabaneix, a graduate from The National Theater School of Canada, started her cinema career as an assistant director, before launching into script writing and film directing. She has since written and directed several award-winner short movies. Among them: SPOONING (2020), UNDER MOM’S SKIRT (2017), THE WHISPERS (2015), and I’M A BLANK PAGE (2012). She is currently writing feature-length fictions, short films, TV shows, produced in France.

Directed by Sarah Heitz De Chabaneix

Producted by Suzanne Colin, Louison Blaizot

THE CALL OF WATER

HORROR UNITED STATES ENGLISH 19 MINS

SUNDAY FEB 19 4:30 PM-6:30 PM / THURSDAY FEB 23 2:45 PM-4:45 PM

Set in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, THE CALL OF WATER follows Nadia the night before her childhood home is sold. High on mushrooms, she and her friends inadvertently open a portal, plunging them into the astral-plane. There, she must face The Horned One, an ancient keeper of the land and of the water. To return to her body, Nadia must come to terms with her responsibility to her homeland and the water that it protects.

Kaya Tone was raised in the mountains outside of Boulder, CO. She moved to NYC to attend NYU Tisch for her BFA in Film & TV with a minor in Religious Studies. She started her own production company in 2020, Tone Productions, with her sister and long time collaborator, Siena Tone. Together, the Tone sisters are excited to present their films, and hope to use them to educate and inspire people around the world.

Directed by Kaya Tone

Producted by David Maire, Brian Plain & Tim Preston

THE FRAGILE KING

FEATURE SOUTH AFRICA ENGLISH 98 MINS

SUNDAY FEB 19 12:00 PM-2:00 PM

THE FRAGILE KING tells the story of an older white man, Gerald King, who is closer to death than life. His 15 year-old grandson is dumped on Gerald when the child’s mother dies in a drunken car crash. The boy, who barely knows this old man, is shocked into a new reality when he arrives at Gerald’s flat in Durban by Social Services. The film pays homage to the filmmaker’s grandfather.

Student Oscar Award winner Tristan Holmes is a director and writer, known for ELALINI (2005) and INNOCENT TIMES (2008). Hailing from the Johannesburg South Africa, Tristan was brought up a nomad. With a bohemian mother in tow, early life was an undulating tapestry of strange places, people and faces, a complex collection of anthropological opposites unique to a life in Africa.

Directed by Tristan Holmes

Producted by Cati Weinek, Dumi Gumbi

THE GUEST

SHORT UNITED STATES ENGLISH AND HINDI 15 MINS

WEDNESDAY FEB 22 5:00 PM-6:45 PM

A surprise guest arrives to remind a young Indian bride in America of all that she has left behind.

Vignesh Vaithyanathan is an actor and filmmaker who is committed to the art of narrative storytelling. Having previously worked as an architect, he continues to tell stories through different mediums. He has also written, directed and produced CURVE BALL and BEHIND THE DOOR, which were screened in multiple film festivals across India. His current Film OPEN LOVE is in post-production.

Directed by Vignesh ‘Kaushik’ Vaithyanathan

Producted by Sheldon Larry, Natalie Gimon

THE LETTER ROOM

SHORT UNITED STATES ENGLISH 32 MINS MONDAY FEB 20 5:00 PM-6:45 PM

When a kind-hearted prison officer is transferred to the letter room, he soon gets involved in an inmate’s personal affairs.

Elvira Lind is a Danish director from Copenhagen based in New York. She finished film school in Cape Town, in 2006, majoring in documentary film and has worked within that field since directing and shooting documentaries of various lengths for TV, cinema and web so far on 4 different continents. Although making documentaries is her primary love, she crosses over and has random but passionate affairs with fiction from time to time.

Directed by Elvira Lind

Producted by Sofia Sondervan-Bild

THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM - A MUSICABRE

HORROR UNITED STATES ENGLISH/LATIN 30 MINS SUNDAY FEB 19 4:30 PM-6:30 PM / THURSDAY FEB 23 2:45 PM-4:45 PM

Musical short film adaptation of the classic Poe story. A desperate composer imagines himself both the victim and the Inquisition in Poe’s THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM. Reality and fantasy converge with frightening consequences.

Danny Ashkenasi is an American theater/film director, composer, actor, writer and producer born in Berlin, Germany. His short film Poe adaptation THE TELL-TALE HEART - A MUSICABRE played over 80 film festivals, winning over 65 awards. His follow-up THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM - A MUSICABRE, currently playing festivals, has already received many awards. In addition to Poe, Ashkenasi has musically adapted Twain, Melville, Langston Hughes, Lewis Carroll, and The Book of Job.

Directed by Danny Ashkenasi

Producted by Danny Ashkenasi, Edward Elder

THE PRINCIPAL’S ASSEMBLY

SHORT UNITED STATES ENGLISH 18 MINS

MONDAY FEB 20 5:00 PM-6:45 PM

A high school principal’s grief over the loss of a student spirals into substance abuse. To escape her anguish, she slides into a summer habit of frequenting an out-of-the-way bar whose bartender reminds her of the student until she suffers the harsh reality of her delusion. Once discovered, her husband and best friend confront her alcohol consumption, abuse of prescription antidepressants, and emotional stability, yet she insists on delivering a sobering speech at an assembly on the first day of school.

Jordan Ancel is a multi-award-winning Film and TV director/producer/writer whose films have been in over 100 festivals worldwide. He recently wrapped production on the feature film THE UNSEEN, a psychological horror/thriller, starring R. J. Mitte (“Breaking Bad”), which is an allegory for school bullying. His dark comedy short film, GOOD GUYS WITH GUNS, a commentary on the overwhelming gun violence epidemic, can be seen on Amazon Prime.

Directed by Jordan Ancel

Producted by Seth Chitwood, Jordan Ancel & Evan Schneider

THE SEASONS - FOUR LOVE STORIES

FEATURE UNITED STATES ENGLISH 82 MINS

S UNDAY FEB 19 2:15 PM-4:15 PM

Over the course of a year four sets of intertwined characters face turning points in their romantic lives. Each chapter takes place in a different season, with the central characters age appropriate to that season. Thus: Summer, young adults, Autumn, middle aged, Winter, elderly, and Spring, a ten year old girl.

Paul Schwartz is a filmmaker, playwright and composer. His recently completed feature THE SEASONS has been out to festivals since September and has so far won over two dozen awards. His 2021 featurette A NEW YORK STORY also won multiple awards. He is currently at work on his next film, SHADOWS AND LIGHT, which will begin shooting in 2023. He is the composer and producer of the both the ARIA series and the STATE OF GRACE series of recordings which have sold over a million copies world wide.

Directed by Paul Schwartz

Producted by Paul Schwartz

THE SISTERS KARRAS

FEATURE UNITED STATES ENGLISH 82 MINS

FRIDAY FEB 17 5:15 PM-7:15 PM

A story about the things that matter: Family, legacy, success, and textiles. Yes, textiles. Two estranged half-sisters form a complicated bond as they work together to retrieve their rare and precious inheritance, which their late father inexplicably leaves to the mysterious Marco.

Micah Stathis was born in the Midwest and raised in Ano Glyfada Greece, just outside Athens. Micah is a decorated veteran who spent three years serving in the US Army, and was deployed in combat in Ramadi, Iraq. Micah then received his Masters in Film Studies at NYU Tisch. He has written and directed many short films, music videos and short documentaries. THE SISTERS KARRA is Micah’s first feature film.

Directed by Micah Stathis

Producted by Clare Louise Frost, Micah Stathis

THE SPRAYER SAMPASH

ANIMATED IRAN/UNITED STATES ENGLISH 9 MINS FRIDAY FEB 17 5:15 PM-7:15 PM / MONDAY FEB 20 3:00 PM-4:45 PM

In the land occupied with the Sprayer’s army, no one has the right to grow any kind of plants either in public or private. So many of the people and soldiers do not even know how a plant grows or looks like, until one day one of the soldiers finds a seed buried deep down in the dust and his curiosity is just the beginning of something extraordinary, something big, something revolutionary.

Farnoosh Abedi was born in 1985 in Isfahan, Iran. He has made more than 20 short animated films and TV series, documentaries and one Feature Animated film. His films have been presented and screened in more than 500 domestic and international film festivals and received 210 awards.

Directed by Farnoosh Abedi

Producted by Farnoosh Abedi

THE UNWRITTEN RULE

SHORT UNITED STATES ENGLISH 20 MINS

THURSDAY FEB 23 5:00 PM-6:45 PM

A Black male schoolteacher fatally stops a middle school shooter only to be charged by the state of Missouri for manslaughter.

Kaye Spann is a new filmmaker and schoolteacher whose story telling career began in 2014 at the American Black Film Festival where he pitched to Robert Townsend during a Pitch Contest and won. That vote of confidence by such a respected icon in the field confirmed that filmmaking is his calling. Kaye possesses a strong passion in telling stories through the art of film. He studied at the New York Film Academy and has written screenplays, television scripts and also acted in films and plays.

Directed by Kaye Spann, Kaye Spann

Producted by Kaye Spann

TEO

SHORT CHILE/SPAIN SPANISH 18 MINS

THURSDAY FEB 23 8:30 PM-11:00 PM

A couple goes to a gene-editing clinic to design their first child, hoping that the kid will have the successful and happy life that has eluded them.

Eduardo Bunster is a Chilean director and cinematographer, and has ventured into fiction film, documentary, stop-motion animation and video art. His short film D-CONSTRUIR (best short film at Sydney Fantastic Film Festival and Festival Cine B Santiago), his diptych of short documentaries INNER LANDSCAPES and his collaborations as cinematographer with prominent Chilean film directors stand out. Co-Director Belén Abarza is a first-time filmmaker.

Directed by Eduardo Bunster, Belén Abarza

Producted by Eduardo Bunster

THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD

DOCUMENTARY UNITED STATES ENGLISH 74 MINS

SATURDAY FEB 18 9:00 PM-11:00 PM

New York City is currently undergoing a period of Hyper-Gentrification. This is a portrait of the communities that are fighting back.

Ian Phillips was born and raised in New York City. His first Feature Documentary COACH JAKE premiered at the Urbanworld Film Festival in September of 2017 and was distributed by First Fun Features. He is also a co-founder of Willful Productions along with his frequent collaborator, Otoja Abit.

Directed by Ian Phillips

Producted by Ian Phillips

TO THE FUTURE, WITH LOVE

ANIMATED UNITED STATES ENGLISH

7 MINS

MONDAY FEB 20 8:30 PM-10:45 PM / MONDAY FEB 20 3:00 PM-4:45 PM

Caught between the expectations of his Guatemalan immigrant family and his desire to live happily ever after with his boyfriend, 19-year-old Hunter “Pixel” Jimenez takes us on an energetic and colorful journey through his life as a trans teen in LA and his dreams for the future.

Shaleece is an Emmy Award-winning documentary producer and a director based in Los Angeles. Her directing credits include REAL BOY (2016; Independent Lens); and TO THE FUTURE, WITH LOVE (2021; POV Shorts). Recently, she was on the producing teams of FOOD AND COUNTRY (Sundance, 2023); DELIKADO (Hot Docs, 2022; POV); LOUDMOUTH (Tribeca, 2022); and ASIAN AMERICANS (PBS; 2020 Peabody Award). TEXAS STRONG, a short doc she produced in 2018, won an Emmy Award for Short Documentary and premiered at SXSW

Directed by Shaleece Haas

Producted by Shaleece Haas

TRACK-MEMORIA

SHORT CANADA ENGLISH 13 MINS

MONDAY FEB 20 8:30 PM-10:45 PM

TRACK-MEMORIA is set in a reality where memories get stored on cassette tapes and sold in stores. This technology allows Emilio to ignore the present and turn to the comfort of the past - he can ignore the people in his present: his boss Thomas, the customers at the store and the man from the corner of the street. When his ability to visit his past gets taken away, Emilio does everything in his power to go back to it but must finally learn how to exist in the present.

Malcolm Judah developed TRACK-MEMORIA since 2021 for his thesis. It has come a long way and undergone many different changes in regard to the story. Each change that was made made him more excited to find ways of telling Emilio’s story effectively, He relates to these struggles with technology. This was his first time directing something of this caliber; the further they got into the making of the film, the more eager he became to get the story right.

Directed by Malcolm Judah

Producted by Martin Restrepo, Ethan Butler

WE MIGHTAS WELL BE DEAD

FEATURE GERMANY GERMAN/ POLISH

TUESDAY FEB 21 8:30 PM-10:45 PM

93 MINS

A high-rise building near the forest is famous for its carefully curated community. When a dog disappears and her daughter refuses to leave the bathroom, a security officer faces an absurd battle against an irrational fear, that slowly spreads amongst the residents and rattles this utopia with a view.

Natalia Sinelnikova is a writer and director based in Berlin. She was born in St. Petersburg in 1989 and emigrated to Germany at the age of 7. In 2013, she graduated from Hildesheim University, with a Bachelor in Culture Studies, the major field of her studies being photography and theatre. Natalia is a member of the Jewish artists‘ network “Dagesh“. WE MIGHT AS WELL BE DEAD is her feature debut.

Directed by Natalia Sinelnikova

Producted by Julia Wagner

WHAT’S THE MARK?

Through the lens of an actress unintentionally involved in a controversial commercial, WHAT’S THE MARK explores the power of media and advertisements in influencing public opinion and the perpetuation of stereotypes and its effects.

Stacey Larkins is an award-winning filmmaker, writer and musician residing in the New York City metropolitan area. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Spelman College, and a Masters in Music from New York University. She has shot, written, directed, composed and edited several short films that have played in various film festivals as well as Shorts TV International. Her award winning film JABARI KEATING is currently airing on Aspire TV’s Urban Indie Film Block.

Directed by Stacey Larkins

Producted by Stacey Larkins

WHEREVER YOU GO

When Debargo inexplicably bolts from the party where he and Kevin have just met and hit it off, Kevin gamely follows along. The two encounter (and flee) a number of antagonists - a cop, an ex, a bratty kid and his entitled mom - building friendship along the way, but when they run into Debargo’s cousin and Kevin learns why they’ve been running this whole time, Debargo runs away from him too. Kevin follows and helps Debargo find a bit more peace with the fact that wherever you go . . . there you are.

Eevin Hartsough is an NYC-based, award-winning actor/writer/producer. Eevin began writing with the experimental theater company, the New York Neo-Futurists. She recently completed an MFA in TV Writing at Stonybrook University and is a proud member of Filmshop.

Andrew Ramjattan Beguin is an award-winning Swiss-American writer, director and producer based in New York City. His feature film, NOWHERE, MICHIGAN, has garnered numerous best picture awards at festivals and is currently being distributed by Gravitas Ventures. He recently earned his MFA in TV writing from Stony Brook University and has worked as a writer’s assistant for NBC in addition to pursuing his own writing and directing projects with his wife, Brittany.

Directed by Eevin Hartsough, Andrew Beguin

Producted by Katie Rosin

WHITE EYE

SHORT ISRAEL/BRAZIL HEBREW 21 MINS

WEDNESDAY FEB 22 8:30 PM-10:55 PM

A man finds his stolen bicycle and it now belongs to a stranger. In his attempts to retrieve the bicycle, he struggles to remain human.

Tomer Shushan is a writer and a director from Israel. His film INSIDE SHELLS (2017) screened in FIPA and Sau Paulo international short film festival among others. WHITE EYE, his first independent short film, was nominated for Best-Live Action Short Film in the 93rd Academy Awards. Tomer has participated in more than 100 film festivals (including 30 Oscar qualifying film festivals), won the Best Narrative Short Jury Award in SXSW 2020. He is currently developing his feature film WAITING FOR THE SUN.

Directed by Tomer Shushan

Producted by Shira Hochman, Kobi Mizrahi

WILD CAT GATA BATA

MUSIC VIDEO CHILE SPANISH 3 MINS

WEDNESDAY FEB 22 8:30 PM-10:55 PM

Two girls fall in love playing football. A visual journey towards complicity, desire and eroticism between them.

Katherina Harder is a Chilean film and TV director. She is the co-founder and director of the Iquique International Film Festival and ‘La Gran Pantalla Barcelona’. Her short films have been exhibited in important international film festivals like Tribeca, La Habana, FICGuadalajara, Mar del Plata, Camerimage among others. Her short film DESERT LIGHTS has won more than 24 internationals awards and qualified for the Oscar. She is currently developing projects in Chile and Spain and is writing her debut feature film.

Directed by Katherina Harder

Producted by Francisca Herrera, Francisca Cuevas & Volcánica Films

YELLOW LINES

WEB SERIES UNITED STATES ENGLISH

13 MINS

THURSDAY FEB 23 8:30 PM-11:00 PM / TUESDAY FEB 21 2:30 PM-4:45 PM

This short-form series is a dramedy that follows Quinn and Nik, two New York City transplants, best friends, and roommates who enjoy an open and blunt sisterly rapport with one another. In this pilot episode, their friendship is challenged when, after a night full of surprise endings with their respective boyfriends, they are both faced with big emotional life events. Dealing with the aftermath of this night triggers one of them to hold a big secret in a misguided attempt to help mend the other’s broken heart.

Megan Magee is an actress, director, and producer based in Astoria, Queens. Megan has directed numerous theatre productions which have been staged at Teatro Latea, Manhattan Rep, the Arthur Seelen Theatre, and more. Her first short film she directed, HOPE, received an Honorable Mention at New York Lift-Off Film Festival. YELLOW LINES is her first spec pilot, and she could not have asked for a better production team than Carly Wilkins and Kristin Papadopoulos.

Directed by Megan Magee

Producted by Carly Wilkins, Kristin Papadopoulos

YES, MOTHER

HORROR UNITED STATES ENGLISH 5 MINS SUNDAY FEB 19 9:00 PM-11:00 PM / THURSDAY FEB 23 2:45 PM-4:45 PM

In order to survive, a young woman must find a way to live up to her mother’s demands of perfection. After all, mother knows best...

Cynthia Gray is an award-winning actor and writer with short stories and poems published, several scripts produced into films and plays that have shown in film festivals around the world. Besides writing the screenplay for YES, MOTHER, the film is Cynthia’s directorial debut. Jennifer Enskat has worked for decades as an actor, working with directors like Stephen Chbosky and Kevin Smith. She eventually moved to directing, editing and producing, winning film festival awards in various capacities.

Directed by Jennifer Enskat, Cynthia Gray

Producted by Jennifer Enskat, Andrew Gardner

DISCUSSION PANELS & WORKSHOPS

Winter Film Awards believes that education is the primary means for the emerging filmmaker to get ahead in the industry. We are delighted to offer the following educational opportunities. All panels and workshops are free and open to the public.

HOW TO MAKE A FRUGAL FEATURE FILM

February 17 7:30 PM - 8:45 PM @Cinema Village, 22 East 12th Street

You are absolutely ready and determined to make a feature film, but you have no money. While it certainly is a challenge, there is no reason you cannot make your movie on a laughably tiny budget. Filmmakers Mars Roberge and Steven deCastro have been making frugal movies for years and have tons of useful advice to help you get started!

Topics include: Making a non-budget film takes guts. How do you get moving budget-be-damned? What are some surprising sources for funding? How do you find locations? Can you just run-and-gun? How do you handle permits/legal stuff? Do you have to involve a lawyer? How do you get crew to work with you for almost no money? How do you structure your film to ensure costs are kept as low as possible? How do you handle the inevitable problems if you don’t have the option to throw money at it? Equipment is expensive – how do you get around that? Where should you absolutely spend money vs where can you cut costs? How to cut costs with actors but still keep them happy – feeding them, rehearsals, contracts, costumes, makeup and more.

LEGAL ISSUES FOR FILMMAKERS WITH MARIA C. MILES, ESQ

February 20 07:00 PM - 08:15 PM @Cinema Village, 22 East 12th Street

Laws related to copyright, employment, licensing and contracts are super-confusing, but as a filmmaker you absolutely must know how to protect your work. Join us for an active discussion about what you need to know about the law.

Topics include: How do you find the legal information about standard documents all filmmakers need? When can you rely on google vs when should you really should get an actual lawyer involved? How can you avoid the most often experienced legal issues? What is covered by copyright? In which cases do you need a contract with locations, music and actors? What do you do if you get sued? What are the milestones in film production where legal issues must be considered?

DISTRIBUTION STRATEGIES FOR INDEPENDENT FILMMAKERS

February 21 07:00 PM - 08:15 PM @Cinema Village, 22 East 12th Street

40-year distribution veteran Dan Gurlitz, the founder of Soundview Media Partners, is a specialist in establishing and/expanding distribution for independent features and documentaries. He will be discussing distribution strategies for both physical and digital media exploitation including: The Continued Viability of Physical Media (DVD/Bluray), the VOD Vernacular and the OTT / VOD playing field from TVOD, SVOD, AVOD to FAST, the Modulating Non-Theatrical PPR and DSL Arena. Dan’s seminars are lively and free flowing so Q & A will take place throughout.

TRANS-FORMING THE FILM INDUSTRY

February 23 07:00 PM - 08:15 PM@Cinema Village, 22 East 12th Street

Curated by Ley Comas and Ireashia M. Bennett, this panel discussion explores the issue of creating safety, care and accountability on film sets from filmmakers with oppressed and under-represented identities. What are the best practices of care we can implement to restructure the hierarchical approach in the film industry? How are we centering instead of tokenizing? What does it mean to be accountable in our inclusivity? Join us as we explore these questions and learn from the experiences of BIPOC, LGBTQ filmmakers in the industry.

THE FILM FESTIVAL DOCTOR’S GUIDE TO NAVIGATING THE FESTIVAL CIRCUIT

February 24 12:30 PM-01:45 PM @NY Film Academy, 17 Battery Place

Join The Film Festival Doctor, Rebekah Louisa Smith, who will be guiding you through how to get meticulously organised so you can start submitting your film to festivals and create a targeted festival strategy. She also shares with you some essential tips with regards to how to adapt the right type of mindset as you enter the world of film festivals.

SOCIAL MEDIA FOR CREATIVES

February 24 02:00 PM - 03:15 PM @NY Film Academy, 17 Battery Place

In today’s digital universe, creatives are expected to use social media to both showcase their work and find - and capture the attention of – their audiences. Join New York Film Academy instructor Lauren Brickman and Film Festival Department Director Crickett Rumley for a conversation about tips, trends, and things to avoid in enhancing your social media presence, from selecting the platforms that work best for your goals, to creating social media assets and campaigns and interacting with the platforms of other creatives and organizations.

HOW TO CRAFT A LOW BUDGET SCREEN STORY

February 24 03:30 PM - 04:45 PM @NY Film Academy, 17 Battery Place

Independent filmmakers creating low-budget features often focus on the bottom line, looking for ways to cut corners in production and post-production as they bring their films to life. But how can the choice of story itself, and the methods used to tell it, keep the budget down, both for fiction and documentary films? New York Film Academy professors and alumni (several with films in this year’s Winter Film Awards) will discuss ways to simplify storytelling and share what has worked and not worked for them in the past. Moderated by Crickett Rumley, Senior Director, New York Film Academy Film Festival Department.

THURSDAY FEB 16

WFA 2023 OPENING NIGHT

FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

SATURDAY FEB 18

12:00PM-2:00PM FILMS

Documentary Day

ƒ Inside the Beauty Bubble

ƒ Emergence

ƒ Finding Light - Q&A -

2:15PM-4:10PM FILMS

Documentary Day

ƒ Rocco Up

ƒ Go Through the Dark - Q&A -

4:25PM-6:30PM FILMS

5:15PM-7:15PM

Documentary Day

ƒ Studio Ukraine

ƒ Neither Here / Nor There

ƒ Keeping Olivia - Q&A -

6:45PM-8:45PM FILMS

Documentary Day ƒ Fé (Faith)

ƒ Black Mothers Love & Resist - Q&A -

9:00PM-11:00PM FILMS

Documentary Day

ƒ Grandma Perm

SUNDAY FEB 19

11:45PM-2:00PM FILMS

Shorts + Feature Block

ƒ Blue Pistol and Butterflies

ƒ Echoes

ƒ Four Walls

ƒ The Fragile King - Q&A -

2:15PM-4:15PM FILMS

Shorts + Feature Block

ƒ Synthetic Love

ƒ The Seasons - Four Love Stories - Q&A -

4:30PM-6:30PM FILMS

Bloody Sunday Short Films

ƒ The Call of Water

ƒ Love You Forever

ƒ My Left Arm

ƒ Meantime

ƒ Instincts

ƒ The Pit and the Pendulum-a Musicabre - Q&A -

6:45PM-8:45PM FILMS

Bloody Sunday ƒ Łobyra ƒ Petunia

the Mark?

ƒ Wherever You Go

ƒ Surprise

ƒ

ƒ in·spi·ra·tion

ƒ There Goes The Neighborhood -Q&A-

TUESDAY FEB 21

2:30PM-4:45PM FILMS

Made in NY Shorts Matinee

ƒ A Man of His Time

ƒ Bronx Magic

ƒ Consider the Sparrow

ƒ Revelation Ground

ƒ Same Old

ƒ What’s the Mark?

ƒ Wherever You Go

ƒ Yellow Lines

5:00PM-6:45PM FILMS

Shorts Block

ƒ Keep/Delete

ƒ First Semester of Second Grade

ƒ Raw Materials

ƒ Same Old

- Q&A -

7:00PM-8:15PM DISCUSSION

Distribution Strategies for Independent Filmmakers

8:30PM-10:45PM FILMS

Shorts + Feature Block

ƒ Little Hurts

ƒ Depths of Night

ƒ We Mightas Well be Dead - Q&A -

WEDNESDAY

FEB 22

2:45PM-4:45PM FILMS

Documentary Shorts

ƒ Emergence

ƒ Grandma Perm

ƒ Inside the Beauty Bubble

ƒ in·spi·ra·tion

ƒ Neither Here / Nor There

ƒ Rocco Up

ƒ Studio Ukraine

5:00PM-6:45PM FILMS

Shorts Block

ƒ Censor of Dreams

ƒ Desert Lights

ƒ The Guest

ƒ Mine

ƒ Consider the Sparrow

- Q&A -

8:30PM-10:55PM FILMS

Shorts + Feature Block

ƒ Step Into the River

ƒ White Eye

ƒ Wild Cat

ƒ Mother of Color

- Q&A -

MONDAY FEB 20

3:00PM-4:45PM FILMS

Animation Shorts

ƒ 10:35

ƒ Depths of Night

ƒ Echoes

ƒ Little Hurts

ƒ Lost & Found

ƒ Pukkulapottas and Hours in the Forest

ƒ Step Into the River

ƒ Surprise

ƒ The Sprayer

ƒ To the Future, with Love

5:00PM-6:45PM FILMS

Shorts Block

ƒ Revelation Ground

ƒ The Principal’s Assembly

ƒ Pops

ƒ Panah

ƒ The Letter Room - Q&A -

7:00PM-8:15PM DISCUSSION

Legal Issues for Filmmakers with Maria Miles

8:30PM-10:45P FILMS

ƒ Spoonful of Sugar - Q&A -

9:00PM-11:00PM FILMS

Bloody Sunday ƒ 10:35

ƒ Yes, Mother

ƒ Peacock - Q&A -

THURSDAY FEB 23

2:45PM-4:45PM FILMS

Horror Shorts Matinee

ƒ Instincts

ƒ Łobyra

ƒ Love You Forever

ƒ Meantime

ƒ My Left Arm

ƒ Petunia

ƒ The Call of Water

ƒ The Pit and the Pendulum - a Musicabre

ƒ Yes, Mother

5:00PM-6:45PM FILMS

Shorts Block

ƒ Abandon

ƒ The Unwritten Rule

ƒ Essentially Amy

ƒ A Man of His Time

ƒ Seahorse - Q&A -

7:00PM-8:15PM DISCUSSION

TRANS-Forming

The Film Industry

8:30PM-11:00PM FILMS

Shorts + Feature Block

ƒ Pukkulapottas and Hours in the Forest

ƒ Theo

ƒ Yellow Lines

ƒ Solaris

ƒ Lost Cos - Q&A -

Shorts + Feature Block

ƒ To the Future, with Love

ƒ Track-Memoria

ƒ Miss Viborg - Q&A -

FRIDAY FEB 24

NY Film Academy, 17 Battery Pl

12:30PM-1:45PM WORKSHOP

The Film Festival Doctor’s Guide to Navigating the Festival Circuit

2:00PM-3:15PM WORKSHOP

Social Media for Creatives

3:30PM-4:45PM WORKSHOP

How to Craft a Low Budget Screen Story

GALA RED CARPET AWARDS CEREMONY & AFTER PARTY

CLUB 230 FIFTH - 230 FIFTH AVENUE

7-8PM - RED CARPET

8-9PM - CEREMONY

9PM - AFTER PARTY FREE, 21+ w/ID

SATURDAY FEB 25

Filmmakers Event WFA 2023 “Filmmaker” Badge Required for Entry

All Screenings & Panels take place at CINEMA VILLAGE, 22 East 12th Street between 5th Avenue & University unless otherwise specified.