NFFTY 2017 Film Festival Guide by NFFTY Film Festival

2017 FESTIVAL GUIDE

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NFFTYX 360° GALLERY 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

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MASTERCLASS 11:30 AM

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AFTERNOON ECLECTIC 12:30 PM A GUIDE TO GROWING UP 1:30 PM

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WORKS IN PROGRESS 2:30 PM CINEMATIC JOURNEY 3:30 PM

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48-HOUR FILM OFF 1:00 PM

NFFTYX 360° GALLERY 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM THE HUMAN RACE 11:30 AM

ART IN MOTION 1:30 PM

LOOK ALL AROUND YOU: MAKING IN 360° 2:30 PM

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COME AS YOU ARE 3:30 PM MUSICAL MASTERPIECE 4:30 PM

A GLOBE LESS TRAVELED 5:30 PM

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EXPERIMENTAL VISIONS 9:00 PM EDGE OF YOUR SEAT 10:00 PM

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NFFTY 2017 TEAM

WELCOME TO THE 11TH NFFTY! In today’s world, I’m reminded of the power of the arts in developing a greater common understanding of the human experience. With 257 films from 28 countries and 27 states, NFFTY seeks to illuminate that power. For eleven years, NFFTY has created a platform to raise the voices of the next generation with a collection of films that inspire and inform. That make us laugh and cry. That elevate our thoughts about each other’s experiences and the world around us.

KYLE SEAGO

Director of Programming/ NFFTY Co-Founder

ROBERT BOJORQUEZ

Festival Manager

From a look at the refugee crisis in Greece (The New Europeans) to a film that wrestles with female identity and self-resilience (Buckets) or struggles of a young African American man in today’s America (Myles) -- these films are infused with drama, inspiration, and enduring hope. NFFTY began as a dream to connect young filmmakers, giving them an experience that no other festival offered. To date, NFFTY has showcased 2,000 films from the best new directors - all 24 years and under. We remain committed to supporting opportunities that acknowledge, promote and push our filmmakers forward. For the fourth year, we continue to demonstrate a commitment to women in film, with females representing over 40% of this festival’s filmmakers. We are thrilled to offer opportunities like Works in Progress and welcome special guests like Chris Moore (producer, Good Will Hunting, Manchester by the Sea) and Danish filmmaker Aske Bang (director, Oscar-nominated short film Silent Nights). And in 2017, we are excited to launch NFFTYX -- a 360° and virtual reality track with a collection of 360° films, a workshop, panel and more. My heart swells each time this year, with gratitude to the filmmakers, teachers, parents, festival goers, supporters and the NFFTY team that make this happen. NFFTY revives my own creativity and gives me faith in the future of storytelling and filmmaking. I feel grateful to be a small part of this special experience.

KEVIN CONNER Program Coordinator

ANNA BLINER

Communications Coordinator

KRYSTELLE KURZ Filmmaker Relations Intern

NICO BELAND

Festival Programing Intern

Now go! Engage with your heart and mind for some exceptional storytelling over these four-days and leave inspired with your creative cup filled!

DAN HUDSON

Programmer & Venue Manager

STEFANIE MALONE Executive Director, NFFTY

TODD KAUMANS Programmer & Trailer Editor

For creating Hot Java Cool Jazz where high school musicians shine on the Paramountâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stage. For putting on the Little Big Show and turning rock concerts into money for local nonprofits. For supporting SIFF for four decades and thousands of amazing films. We are from here for here.

For creating Hot Java Cool Jazz where high school kids shine at the Paramount. For turning rock concerts into money for local nonprofits with Little Big Show. For supporting SIFF for four decades and thousands of amazing films.

We are from here for here.

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As a non-profit, NFFTY relies on your support and donations in order to keep our operations running. Help us support the future of film by making a donation at one of our iPads during the festival or online when you get home.

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360º STARTS AT NFFTYX PRESENTED BY

Welcome to NFFTYX, NFFTY’s foray into immersive and 360º storytelling. We are excited to deep dive with you into this new medium and have curated a program that features the some of the best examples of 360º viewing, making and thinking in the hopes of inspiring you, and maybe even your friends and family members, to jump in and get started making your own.

NFFTYX PRESE NTS

LOOK ALL AROUND YOU: MAKING IN 3 6 0 º PA N E L SATURDAY, APRIL 30, 2:30 PM UPTOWN CINEMA 1 Join us for a moderated discussion with industry makers on creating immersive media in 360° and virtual reality. More information can be found on page 13.

360º BOOTCAMP NFFTYX Bootcamp is a hands-on intensive workshop at this year’s festival. Participants will learn how to conceptualize and shoot in 360° and learn the basics of operating a 360° camera package. Production teams will be formed and tasked with shooting a short film, which will be presented at the Closing Night Party at KCTS! For more information, visit nffty.org/nfftyx or speak to someone at the information

table during NFFTY.

POWERED BY FEARLESS360º fearless360º is thrilled to be working with NFFTY to curate and produce the inaugural year of NFFTYX and introduce immersive technologies and content to a new audience of talented young makers. We have spent the last year producing XR technology festivals and educational programming with the goal of showcasing uses of this new technology that not only delight and educate but also have the potential to solve our most pressing problems. We launched with SIFFX last June and followed up with TWIST360º, a queer immersive media festival, in the fall. Guided by a commitment to “XR For Everyone”, we are inspired by the potential of interdisciplinary, immersive and expanded media to round out binaries, create new spaces for meeting and connection, and build a better world. 9

FRIDAY + SATURDAY 10AM - 5PM AT MoPOP SEE PAGE 17 FOR MAP

360º GALLERY Join us in the 360º shorts gallery to pull on a headset and be transported onto the streets of New York City for the Women’s March, under a living room table to watch a family confront addiction, and into the body of an insect trapped inside a glass jar. Experience how young makers are utilizing the 360º form to tell fiction, non-fiction and experimental stories that hold multiple perspectives at once, literally co-exist on opposite sides of the screens, and immerse us in future worlds. After your laidback viewing experience, get ready to create a virtual world you can walk around in. Seattle VR artist Scott Bennett will be in the gallery to exhibit his virtual art work and demo virtual painting programs. Be sure to add your mark to the NFFTYX Exquisite Corpse project. 10

MY BEA UT IFUL HO ME Romain Vak Age 24 | Colorado Kenya’s Kibera is Africa’s biggest slum, where most of those living in Kibera live in absolute poverty - making less than a dollar a day. But they are not asking for sympathy, they are asking for admiration.

T HE HA RVEST Sho Schrock, Sam Wickert, Karoline Ribak, Bryce Cyrier Ages 18, 19, 18, 22 | Washington A first person, live-action virtual reality experience featuring a deranged farmer/murder and his next victim: you!

A FT ER Matt Thompson Age 21 | California Experience Lucy’s peaceful transition into the afterlife, and discover her surreal view of the world as a guardian angel, living on the moon.

FA M I LY PO RT RA I T

PARC HED

Kelsey Sante Age 22 | Illinois

Adam Hersko Age 20 | California

A family falls victim to the vicious cycle of addiction in a children’s drawing brought to life.

A couple’s world is coming to an end in more ways than one.

ART DEMOS WITH VR ARTIST SCOTT BENNETT Demos from 12pm - 5pm Both Days

L I F E A N D D E AT H AT THE M EXI C A N B O RD E R Carolina Marquez, Jayson Chesler, Ryan Hayes, Alexis Macklin Ages 22, 21, 21, 21| Arizona Life and Death at the Mexican Border explores the dangers immigrants face while crossing the border into the United States; highlighting the impact this journey has on immigrants, border patrol agents, advocates, and ranchers.

THE W OMEN’S MARCH Patrick Malley Age 21 | New York The Women’s March. New York City. A historic turnout of support for women’s rights and equality. Captured in 360, to help understand the scope of how large an event this was.

W H I T E LI L LI E S

Y OU , T HE INSECT

Marius Mülhaupt Age 22 | Germany

Sami Hakkarainen, Christoph Müller, Tuomas Vesa Ages 23, 23, 22 | Finland

White Lilies follows the florist Alex who encounters his dream girl in his sleep. He journeys through the world of dreams to finally reach her - but soon his self-doubt is taking over.

You are a little bug, captured into a glass jar by a homeless woman. What will happen next and why?

Scott Bennett (aka: scobot) creates immersive, interactive, art in virtual reality. Combining years of professional experience in painting, sculpture, and video art with game engine technology, his work allows viewers to explore and experience abstract compositions. Scott is the Artist In Residence at the University of Washington’s CoMotion Labs (a VR/AR startup incubator). Scott is exploring what it means to create fine art in/for Virtual Reality. What are the rules (if any) and how can they be broken? What are the challenges and technological hurdles associated with creating artwork in/for VR? How should the tools work to better assist artists in creating artwork in this new medium? What new forms of expression are available in VR? How will people share, comment, critique and discuss VR/ART and what role will art education play in the development of VR as an art form?

FILM PANELS + SPECIAL GUESTS

WO RKS IN PRO GR ESS 2:30 PM FRIDAY APRIL 28 UPTOWN CINEMA 2 Join us for NFFTY’s 3rd annual Works In Progress event, presented in partnership with Relativity School! The event will feature a panel of industry professionals providing constructive feedback on unfinished films to the selected filmmakers. This great opportunity to present unfinished works in an intimate, collaborative environment is open to all filmmakers; both those with or without a film screening in the regular festival lineup. We will kick off the event with a presentation by Relativity School, in which they will screen a portion of an upcoming Relativity-produced feature film and dissect the creative process. The audience is encouraged and will be called upon to participate in the screening and engage in the creative discussion.

M AS T E RC L AS S : T H E ART O F S H ORT F ORM S T ORYT E L L I NG 11:30 AM FRIDAY APRIL 28 UPTOWN CINEMA 1 Join us as Oscar-nominated Danish filmmaker Aske Bang leads us through his burgeoning career, from film school to his 2017 Oscar nomination. Explore his films’ themes and characters: quirky individuals looking for their niche in “normal society.” He also tells us his experience of journeying a low-budget short all the way to the Oscars. Plus: enjoy a screening of his Oscar-nominated short, Silent Nights. Recently graduated from The National Film School of Denmark, Aske Bang (Silent Nights, The Stranger, Ladyboy) is an Oscar-nominated Danish director. Aske Bang began filmmaking at age 15, and also attended the StationNext youth film school, having won several awards for his films prior to his 2017 Oscar nomination. Aske is now working on his first feature film, Death Drives Audi.

WORKS IN PROGRESS FILMS Good Game - Lucy Adams, 22 Internal - Shay Scholes, 18 Johnny - Long Tran, 19 The Bench - Robert Herbolich, 15 & Trevor Dunnigan, 15 Two Waiters In A Café At Night - Aaron Newsom, 24 Presented by

Presented by

NFFTYX 360° MAKERS PANEL

L O OK ALL ARO UND YOU: M A KING IN 360º 2:30 PM SATURDAY APRIL 29 UPTOWN CINEMA 1 The Look All Around You: Making in 360° panel brings together leading thinkers and makers in immersive media making. Presenters will explore the nuts and bolts topics like how to get started in 360° and what’s the best affordable gear, as well as more conceptual topics like, what can filmmakers learn from gaming and theater about world building, and what is the difference between creating narratives vs. experiences. This panel will give an in-depth look at emerging trends of 360° films and layout the fundamentals for getting started in this newer field of storytelling. It’s an exciting time to be involved in 360° media making as the technology, the language and storytelling are all in early stages of development. Some of the tools of filmmaking apply and some don’t. There’s so much to learn and discover, and NFFTYX is the perfect place to start. MODERATOR: Dacia Sáenz is a filmmaker and storyteller from Austin, Texas where she worked in documentary productions for CNBC, PBS and the Sundance Foundation. Since her move to Seattle, Dacia has earned her Master of Communication in Digital Media from the University of Washington. Dacia currently spends her days on the After Effects team at Adobe and exploring the mind-blowing possibilities of immersive storytelling in VR.

KE YNOT E : PRODU C E R C H RI S M OORE 12:00 PM SUNDAY APRIL 30 UPTOWN CINEMA 1 Join us for a keynote presentation with producer Chris Moore, as he debunks film industry myths ranging from producing and fundraising, to distribution and balancing work and life, through the lens of his own journey and experience in the film industry.. Keynote presentation will be followed by an extended moderated audience Q&A discussion.

CHRIS MOORE: Chris Moore has worn a number of hats during his 27-year career in the media industry. In 1993 he formed Fusion Studios, through which he has served as producer on such pictures as Good Will Hunting (Academy Award winner for Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor), Glory Daze, Best Laid Plans, Joy Ride, American Pie, Waiting, Reindeer Games, and the recent Oscar-winning film Manchester By The Sea. In 1999, Chris partnered with friends and creative collaborators Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Sean Bailey to form LivePlanet, a company dedicated to the creation of multi-platformed entertainment content, such as Project Greenlight.

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T H E C H A L L E NG E

48 HOUR FILM OFF

Teams were tasked with making a 3-minute movie in two days! Come and watch the 14 short films and cast your vote to help determine the winner!

PART I C I PAT I NG S C H OOL S Anacortes High School Ballard High School Cascade High School Kingston High School Meadowdale High School Mount Si High School Mount Vernon High School Newport High School Roosevelt High School Seattle Academy Steilacoom High School Tahoma Senior High The Center School West Seattle High School

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The first [and only] school of its kind created with a hollywood studio Our innovative baccalaureate programs are training Hollywoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next-generation of storytellers and content entrepreneurs. Film + Digital Content Entrepreneurship Art [Production Design]

Acting [Film + Television] Commercial Dance Contemporary Musical Theatre + Film

RelativitySchool.org â&#x20AC;˘ 800.762.1993 Relativity School is an accredited branch campus of Hussian College.

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AUDIENCE AWARDS VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORI TE FI LM VI A TEXT TO: (65 0 ) 600-9016

TE XT TO VO TE

Stick around after each film screening to find out each filmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unique code that you can text to the above number in order to cast your vote. These votes will determine who takes home the Audience Awards for each screening. Voting will stay open for 30 minutes after each screening event. One vote accepted per phone. There is no surcharge for text to vote, although standard carrier message rates may apply.

NOT E Those without cell phones, or with international plans â&#x20AC;&#x201C; please visit the NFFTY merch/info table in the lobby for help casting your vote.

OPE N IN G N IG H T 7:30 PM THURSDAY APRIL 27 CINERAMA Arrive in style and walk the red carpet at Seattle’s iconic Cinerama Theater to kick off NFFTY 2017! Enjoy an outstanding lineup of short films made by the best young directors from around the world. After the screening, climb aboard our free shuttles and head downtown for an unforgettable afterparty at the wonderful Axis Gallery in Seattle’s iconic Pioneer Square. Afterparty is an all-ages event with hors d’oeuvres and bar service with donated beer provided courtesy of Georgetown Brewing. 20

FRAN KIE KEEPS TALKING

SEVEN DATES WITH DEATH

Annabelle Attanasio Age 22 | New York

Mike Holland, Garrett Nicholson Ages 22, 23 | Maryland

A feminist farce about the severity of frustration a young woman feels when she realizes her date will not stop talking. Feeling invisible and infuriated, she goes to drastic lengths for his attention.

The story of Moreese Bickham, the oldest living survivor of death row. Bickham describes his killings, his life on death row, and how he was able to get out with his life.

SOLITUDE, DARKNESS, LIGHT

STILL HERE

Isabela Dos Santos, Kayla BriĂŤt Ages 23, 19 | California

Ryan Kreston Age 23 | Pennsylvania

Explore contrasting worlds of the future and the past, the still and the moving as you develop a new perspective on the present.

Still Here follows the last person on Earth after an apocalyptic event causes all life to freeze in time.

SMILE Joe Staehly Age 23 | Pennsylvania An older woman visits her past through projections of memories.

AFT ERN OON ECLECT I C 12:30 PM FRIDAY APRIL 28 UPTOWN CINEMA 2 It’s eclectic (and electric)! Wind down the work day and wind up your cinemascopes because it’s time for a diverse offering of NFFTY shorts. From a story of a human-like deer deep in the woods to a Michael Jordan imposter, this lineup’s got something for everyone.

KO CHKU NS T (TH E A RT OF COOKIN G ) Stella Raith Age 20 | Germany

WARM S P R IN G S

W R IT E R ’S B L O C K

Sean Wang, Nick De Bellis, Sam Davis, Rayka Zehtabchi Ages 22, 23, 24, 24 | California

Jordan Pollack Age 19 | California Struggling novelist Andrew Bowers has lost faith in himself, limited by the looming presence of his father’s disapproval.

A chef vs. his crepe. Who wins?

An impressionable young boy’s determination to be accepted by his older brother leads him head-on into trouble.

V I LT GU T

TO AN D F R O M

R AP ID T R AN S IT

Dawson Taylor Age 20 | California

Kira Bursky Age 20 | North Carolina

Adam Geiser, Aaren Stade Ages 14, 14 | California

A night on the job for a Norwegian park ranger takes a turn for the bizarre when she encounters a naked deer-like creature: The Vilt.

Trapped in loneliness and dissatisfaction, three characters experience a severe transformation and embark on a journey that leads to a united path of growth.

Two young filmmakers document the dynamic changes of BART’s beginnings in 1972 compared with a full ride on today’s trains.

L OS A N GE L E S , 1 999

PICTURE YO UR S E L F

M AK E IT F L O AT

Paul Lee Age 19 | California

Henry Busby, Andrew Hutcheson, David Brickel, Charles Frank Ages 24, 25, 23, 21 | New York

Aden Suchak Age 18 | New York

A short film following different people as they meander through the city, minutes before the turn of the century.

Charles Clark believes in the power of visualization. Most importantly, he sees himself bringing home a gold medal for Team USA at the 2016 Olympic Games.

DAVI D

I AM MI C H AE L J O R DAN E

Demar Gunter, Miranda Potter, Gage Gunter, Tori Hartson Ages 17, 17, 17, 18 | Texas

Danny Turk, Jonah Lazowski, Greg Auerbach Ages 21, 21, 24 | New York

The heartbreaking documentary on young teen David Molak who committed suicide after he was relentlessly cyberbullied.

Hailing from Lagos, Nigeria, young artist Taofeek Abijako’s cultural and family backgrounds influence the art that he produces and how he intends to leave his mark on the world.

The childhood of a young boy who shares the same name as basketball superstar, Michael Jordan.

A GUIDE TO GROWING UP 1:30 PM FRIDAY APRIL 28 UPTOWN CINEMA 1 It’s a hard knock life...for the characters in these films! Lucky for you, avoiding the hard knocks will be easy after you watch this powerful slate of stories showcasing the emotional roller coaster that is growing up. With this handy guide, you’ll be able to finally answer the question of “what is the meaning of life?” (answer: pizza, of course). *This screening may not be suitable for all ages

M Y B AB Y Y O U ’ L L B E

D A MN GRADUATI ON

DOW N

Charles Frank Age 24 | New York

Emilie K. Beck, Jon-André Hakvåg Ages 24, 24 | Norway

Zachary Bailey Age 23 | Maryland

An open letter to Mom.

Join the biggest graduation party in the world with Norwegian high schooler, Amalie, and her party-van. They are supposed to have the time of their life this last month of school, but what happens when Amalie gets pregnant with her best friend’s crush?

A nostalgic journey through original VHS footage of a child’s waterpark.

TICK

A B E T TER LI FE

THE BOY I N THE OCEAN

Elizabeth Archer, Andy Fronczak Ages 20, 21 | California

Omeed Farsoni, Ariana Sarkhosh Ages 17, 17 | California

Friedrich Tiedtke Age 24 | Denmark

A man wakes up on a beach to realize that time has passed him by.

18 year old Will is informed of an unsettling reality, leaving him recalling and recollecting past memories.

Surrounded by water and trapped on a sailboat, 12-year-old Mathias grapples with his sexuality. Frustration mounts with his parents who treat him as a child, with a growing desire to return to land for new experiences.

THE L AS T G O O D B Y E

I ’ M A F RAI D

BREAK

Jackson C. Davis Age 21 | Massachusetts

Kate Reid, Louise Filgiano Ages 18, 18 | Canada

A two thousand plus-pound pumpkin, a reallife monster truck rally, and a lot of emotional baggage.

An exploration of teenage fears and anxiety as shared by on Canadian Grade 12 Drama Class from Markham, Ontario.

Alex Haney, Ethan Seneker, Maryelizabeth O’Donnell, Siena Oberman Ages 20, 19, 21, 20 | California Overwhelmed by calls from work, endless homework, and a nagging friend, a college student struggling with anxiety does everything to hold it together as her world falls apart.

C I N EMAT I C JOURN EY 3:30 PM FRIDAY APRIL 28 UPTOWN CINEMA 1 ICARUS

AS BEAUTIFUL INSIDE

Tom Teller, Michelle Evans, Nico Aguilar Age 21, 21, 22 | California

Will Mayo, David Brickel Ages 24, 24 | New York

When a Mars colony’s comm satellite is damaged, Emilia Riley embarks on a seemingly harmless repair excursion. A shuttle malfunction cuts connectivity to the ground and Chris, her son, makes the knee-jerk decision to go after her.

A close-knit Tennessee family contemplates the character and legacy of a grandfather through the furniture he made for them.

THE TALE OF THE GLASS DOME Mauritz Solberg, Daniel Schwarz, Fredrik Torsvik, Therese Grønlund Ages 23, 24, 23, 24 | Norway A woman with Alzheimer’s gradually loses touch with reality. A man drowning in melancholy over his wife. A boy is distanced from both parents, but his naivety and genuine optimism can be the salvation for them all.

AKOMA Alex Gasparetto Age 21 | Michigan “Akoma,” defined as “The Heart,” is a post-Civil War Era drama surrounding two courageous young women in a fight for love and freedom that could cost them their lives.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then these stunning motion pictures would be valued at a William Wordsworth. Romanticizing each frame with delicacy and mastery, these six selections bring unique worlds to life through a picturesque lens.

F EMME FR ID AY

5:00 PM FRIDAY APRIL 28 UPTOWN CINEMA 2

Fantastic films featuring formidable female filmmakers forgoing false frivolties fantastically. Make sense? DEER GOD

ATLAS WORLD

Tomorrow Mingtian Age 23 | California

Morgana McKenzie Age 17 | Canada

Old Guan, a native Oroqen hunter, goes into the woods to shoot a “donkey deer” before his family leaves for America.

A malignant spirit forces a girl into a perilous journey through a watery underworld.

Basically, these female directors are saying we’ve got stories to tell and ain’t nobody going to stop us. First up NFFTY, next stop Hollywood! *This screening may not be suitable for all ages

COMEDIANS

BECHDEL BLUES

HOT SEAT

Johanna Nyberg Age 24 | Sweden

Christine Carone Age 20 | New York

Anna Mimi Jayson Age 22 | United Kingdom

Eva performs a stand-up gig and her intention is far from pleasing the audience.

Aubrey and Woman are two female characters stuck in a script written by a misogynistic screenwriter, and struggle to figure out whether they are actually characters or just story elements.

Two adolescent friends seem in over their heads when attending an inappropriate photoshoot at an acquaintance’s house.

F IS FOR FRIENDSHIP

A HORSE NAMED ALLAN

SELF

Shaya Mulcahy Age 24 | New York

Tanne Sommer, Astrid Hoder Ages 23, 22 | Denmark

Romée van Benten, Emily Zwaanenburg Ages 21, 22 | Netherlands

Emily decides to air out some dirty laundry and brave the scrutiny of a catty dinner party to win back her name.

Three naive friends are trying to live as hippies from the past: relaxed, alternative and with the right political minds. They want to save all the baby seals of the world… but how to get the money they need to do this?

A young girl is fighting for life against the darkness, and fear strikes her as she’s scared of what will happen when she’s unable to grasp for air.

CATERWAUL

PHENOMENAL WOMEN

AUGUST BEACH

Liva Lervig Haue Age 19 | Denmark

Liv Coron, Peyton Miller, Liliana Miller Ages 16, 17, 16 | Washington

Leyah Pilar Barris Age 15 | California

On what seems to be a normal day, Laura can’t find her cat, Hugo.

To phenomenal women everywhere. May we know them, may we be them, may we love them.

A girl with big dreams. A boy with an adventurous spirit. The cosmos brought them together, but society tore them apart.

HAPPY HOUR S HORT S 6:30 PM FRIDAY APRIL 28 UPTOWN CINEMA 1 Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t worry, be happy! Turn that frown upside down with free beer and free smiles courtesy of this upbeat, groovy selection of shorts. Beer tasting starts at 5:30pm. Films start at 6:30pm. Tasting included with Film Ticket and ID. Cheers to the weekend! *This screening may not be suitable for all ages

Presented by

THE FIRS T M O NT H

H I -G L OW RETRO

THE ALI EN , N ATE

Laura Holliday, Devin John, Andy Reisfeld Ages 23, 23, 23 | California

Alex Morsanutto Age 23 | Connecticut

Justin Leyba Age 22 | Illinois

Holly is a 16 year-old artist from the middle of nowhere, attempting to recreate herself and fit in at an elite arts boarding school in California.

Tommy Ashby, a high school senior with severe social anxiety, decides to step out of his comfort zone to learn 70s disco dancing.

A lonely guy dressed up as an alien finds an unworldly connection with an actual alien at a costume party.

INT O T HE G RO U ND

G R E E K YOGURT

PLOT HOLE

David Tuil Age 24 | France

Paul Lee, Blake Horsley Ages 19, 23 | California

Daniel Irving Age 19 | Canada

Mathieu & Samy, two frustrated teenagers decide to throw an extraordinary party in the Paris Catacombs. However, the party will take an unpredictable turn and they learn that nothing should have been left to chanceâ&#x20AC;Ś

A Hollywood love story.

A film noir detective and his lover are pitted against each other as the writers of their story argue over its ending.

THE V IL L A G E FAT E

S P E ND SOME MON EY

Alice Goodrich, Charles Copsey, Anna Wold, Lloyd Cook Ages 21, 21, 22, 20 | United Kingdom

Joe Staehly, Yanni Rozes Ages 23, 24 | Pennsylvania

Joe Harding is the only person in Summervale under the age of 50. Capitalizing on a petty feud between two elderly women and their tomatoes, Joe attempts to inject anarchy and create a little chaos into the quaint village life.

What happens when a song puts crowds in a trance to spend money?

THE BIG TREASURE Simone Marangi Age 21 | Italy With Davideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s impending family move to Milan, he spends his last day with his friends, searching for the big treasure that they buried long ago.

D OUBLE D ISCOVERY 7:30 PM FRIDAY APRIL 28 UPTOWN CINEMA 2 As we move through the world we are faced with decisions that will define our past, our future, who we are, and who we will be. These two extended shorts beautifully examine the decisions we make on the path to discovering our true purpose. Sit, stay awhile, and enjoy the back-to-back journeys! *This screening may not be suitable for all ages

THE LIGHT GROUND Lukas VĂ¤th, Lukas Nicolaus, Lucas Englander Ages 22, 22, 23 | Germany Experience five moments through five different periods of time, beginning in the late 19th century and ending in the 22nd century. The protagonist remains the same, with each scene presented without a cut.

F R I D AY NI G HT S H O RTS 8:30 PM FRIDAY APRIL 28 UPTOWN CINEMA 1 Are you ready for Friday Night Lights… Camera, Action? Friday night brings all the feels. Join us for some of the best films NFFTY has to offer. Highlights include an animated cat-dog baker couple and an intimate look at one wild man from the great state of Texas. As they say, everything is bigger at NFFTY. Especially this screening.

NIGHT

HERE’S THE PLAN

Joosje Duk, Nicole Quintero Ochoa Ages 22, 22 | New York

Fernanda Frick Age 24 | Chile

When Sue’s cousin Genelva visits from abroad, she hopes a night out with her friends will connect two different parts of her life.

A married cat-dog couple long to open their own bakery. When their oven breaks, they have to postpone their dream in order to earn money to replace it, ultimately causing them to drift apart from their dreams and themselves.

NO CONTACT

SOUTH TEXAS COW PUNK

Adam Madojemu Age 18 | Canada

Carlo Nasisse, Weston Morgan Ages 21, 21 | Texas

After surviving Ebola, a Nigerian man realizes that the virus isn’t the only obstacle he has to overcome.

Steve Scheiman was one of the early South Texas punk rockers who threw DIY shows along the U.S.-Mexico border. Now in his 50’s, Steve struggles with sobriety and the burden of taking care of his mother while trying to maintain his standing in the hardcore punk scene.

ROUGH WATERS

THE ALTERNATIVE

Claire Imler, Troy Charbonnet Ages 17, 18 | California

Sachin Dharwadker Age 21 | New York

Submerged in the darkness of her depression, Katie struggles to stay afloat the rough waters in her life, but uncovers what matters most in her journey to recovery.

Valentina Moreno, a single mother who works as a housekeeper for a wealthy Manhattan family, takes decisive action when something from her past threatens to ruin her personal and professional relationships.

*This screening may not be suitable for all ages

POW ERFUL GRI T 9:30 PM FRIDAY APRIL 28 UPTOWN CINEMA 2 Life isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t all about dabbing and cute puppies. The grittier side of being a human is brought to the forefront as these films poignantly put the more difficult aspects of existence into perspective. Careful, these films might stay with you for a while. Like that weird rash on your thigh. Or the time Ronnie Winkler gave you a wedgie in 2nd grade. *This screening may not be suitable for all ages

JOU S KA

LULU IRL

SATI SFACTI ON GUARAN TE E D

Wynter Rhys Age 17 | Washington

Tone Ottilie, Mille Astrup, Arendse Løvind Andersen, Kristoffer Engholm Aabo Ages 19, 24, 21, 24 | Denmark

Yue Ma Age 23 | California

An elderly man grapples with the guilt of what he’s done in the strange, whimsical land of his guilty subconscious.

Lulu is relentlessly bullied at school, and the only place she feels safe is on the internet where she’s dating Sebastian. When Sebastian wants to meet in person, Lulu is afraid.

A lonely 50s housewife undertakes radical atomic surgery to win back her husband’s wandering eyes and to become the perfect wife in the process.

WA R O R P EAC E

A SK NO QUESTI ON S

CROP

Kayvan Sarvari Age 24 | Islamic Republic of Iran

Iver Jensen, Hanna Suni Ages 19, 19 | Norway

Kyle Ginzburg, Emily Dalmas, Chloe Jury-Fogel Ages 21, 21, 21 | New York

What’s the influence of war on a child’s life?

Eleven year-old Anders plans to escape from home together with his little sister.

A vampiric man who works for the black market organ trade questions his predatory nature when he encounters a mysterious woman from his dreams.

BO RRO WED T IM E Ragnhild Nøst Bergem, Øystein Skattum Ages 23, 21 | Norway Pål Eikrem lives with the incurable nerve disease ALS. He only has his eyes to communicate with; the rest of the body is paralyzed.

T HE LAS T LAUGH 10:30 PM FRIDAY APRIL 28 UPTOWN CINEMA 1 Hey look! There’s a film with Jesse Eisenberg in it at NFFTY! Or is it an imposter? Only one way to find out… by coming to laugh your fanny off at the raunchiest, most inappropriate offering of the whole festival. Hide the kids, and have a ball at this screening! *This screening may not be suitable for all ages

CAL L F OR A GOOD TIME

WH AT’S N EXT, TAN N E R ?

F R UIT F L IES

Linnea Ritland, Kevin Saxby, Shea Orachesky, Jake Pascoe Ages 19, 23, 20, 19 | Canada

Tim Hendrix Age 24 | California

Benjamin T. Wilson Age 22 | Pennsylvania

Tanner screws up his best friend’s birthday party. Whoops.

Beautiful lunacy. Singing fruit. A film chronicling the tipping point of a man driven to madness by his unrelenting, unusual, and addictive “friends.”

CHA I NS AW CHA R LIE

DOUG AN D WALT E R

AF FAIR

Dan Lesser, Neema Sadeghi, Kimberly Vela Ages 18, 19, 19 | California

Samuel Morris Age 23 | Switzerland

Ben Strathmore Age 21 | Massachusetts

When Garrett enjoys what he thinks is a night in alone, things take a turn for the strange when he comes face-to-face with a masked murderer.

Two crazy outlaws in search of freedom and adventure: Wyatt & Billy, Duke & Gonzo, Bonnie & Clyde, Thelma & Louise. Why not Doug & Walter? A bizarre road trip through the Swiss countryside.

Someone’s hiding a secret.

MORB I D L OV E

A S AMUR AI S T O RY

R ED H O T F R O G

Dexter Gardner Age 14 | California

Philip Helander, Gottfrid Helander Ages 24, 24 | Sweden

Kristie Ko, Merissa Jane Lee Ages 21, 23 | China

Chaz, a would-be serial killer, wants the girl of his dreams to be his first kill. But what happens when she has the same idea?

The local police in a small Japanese village are summoned when a violent samurai disturbs the peace.

An overlooked employee tries to hire a hitman to take care of a new colleague, only to learn that he must do the job himself.

Either an absurdist, nonsensical comedy piece, or a musing on confronting one’s own fears of love and rejection - or both.

JES S E E I S E NB E RG US ES TH E UR I N A L Alec Brown, Charles Austin, Nathanial Regier Ages 21, 22, 21 | New Mexico Jesse Eisenberg plays a good know-it-all on the big screen, but there’s one thing he doesn’t know.

BRI N G THE KI DS 11:00 AM SATURDAY APRIL 29 UPTOWN CINEMA 1 Fun for the whole family! Skip the Saturday morning cartoons and strap the kids in the minivan! Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to explore the magical world of all-ages cinema. Broaden the creative minds of your whole family with these films made by talented young filmmakers from near and far. Come tired, leave inspired!

STRING Sam Smith Age 14 | Ohio Weaving live action and stop motion animation together, this film explores the complexity and interconnectedness of humanity.

IMAGINARY Brian Niles Age 14 | California A boy finds himself trapped in a desert...

ABLEISM

WARM FEET

Gema Ceron, Sylvia Colt-Lacayo, Kideok Kwon Ages 18, 15, 16 | California

Ali Nidzgorski, Taylor Camarot Ages 22, 23 | Texas

As a young woman in a wheelchair, Sylvia faces many obstacles on a daily basis. In this short film, she shares her personal experience of ableism.

A young girl is visiting the doctorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office with her mother. When boredom ensues, she finds a way to entertain herself at the expense of another.

FILLM ORE

BRAVE BOY

HOW TO SAY GOOD BYE

Joe Matthews, Cat Matthews, Chad Smathers Ages 14, 16, 23 | California

Alejandro Lombard Age 11 | California

Two high school friends build a rocket, but because of their differences they have to hide their friendship.

A story of friendship and courage, a young boy is forced to grow up and face his fears when he realizes his friend is not always going to be there for him.

Grace Dzieciuch, Ryan Campbell, Nicole McInerney, Jacob Carver, Henry Holtgeerts Ages 18, 19, 18, 18, 18 | Washington

A WITCH’S TAIL

THE OLI VER DUFFY SHOW

LIFE ROLLS ON

Chelsea Eisen Ages 16 | California

Philip Alvy, Cody Mathieson Packer Ages 23, 24 | Illinois

Reagan Yorke Age 15 | California

A young girl faces opposition as she decides to become a witch.

A skittish middle school outcast dreams of becoming a television anchor, but suffers from speaking anxiety. He must retreat into his mind and seek help from his favorite talk show host to overcome his fears.

When an unexpected accident on the soccer field causes Danny’s life to change forever, he is supported by family and friends as he not only copes with paralysis, but proves to others that he can beat anything.

KID INSIDE

BABYSITTER

DAISY HEAD MAYZIE

Lasse Hvidtfeldt Freiesleben Laursen Age 16 | Denmark

Teddy Nissen Age 14 | California

Chelsea Eisen Age 16 | California

The grumpy teenager, Chris, refuses to play with his annoying little brother. However as he walks through the house, he starts finding his inner kid.

Riley has no idea what’s in store for him when he agrees to babysit the neighbor’s mischievous daughter.

An adaptation of Dr. Seuss’s “Daisy Head Mayzie”, where a flower grows out of a young girl’s head, and through her adventures she discovers her independence.

A boy leaves his best friend and his childhood memories behind in the process of moving away to another town.

T HE HU MAN R ACE 11:30 AM SATURDAY APRIL 29 UPTOWN CINEMA 2 The world is a complex place full of struggle, strife and triumph. Join us for a lineup of four exceptional documentaries that give voice to the voiceless and illuminate the human condition. Learn about the lives of others through an unfiltered lens and witness the events that are shaping our generation. An in-depth conversation with the filmmakers will follow the screening, led by Humanities Washington Program Director Zaki Barak Hamid. *This screening may not be suitable for all ages SUPPORTED IN PART BY

ART IN MO T IO N 1:30 PM SATURDAY APRIL 29 UPTOWN CINEMA 2

THE NEW EUROPEANS

LA FUERZA INTERNA

Johannes Skov Andersen, Aske Salling Petersen, Peter Martin Kappel Ages 21, 19, 18 | Denmark

Becca Clark-Hargreaves, Danielle Calubaquib, David Snitzer, JosĂŠ Chalit Ages 23, 23, 23, 23 | Washington

The European refugee crisis was at its highest in August 2015. Three young danes travel to the island of Lesbos, to meet the people in the center of the crisis: The New Europeans.

A specific focus on the organizing efforts of the independent farmworker union Familias Unidas por la Justicia, this film visits their struggle to earn a union contract with their employer, Sakuma Farms.

THIS NEEDS TO CHANGE

BLACK WHITE MILWAUKEE

Denzel Crockett, Isabelle Star-Trump, Noah Williams, Johannes Skov Andersen Age 21 | Denmark Bhakti Williams-Brown Ages 17, 15, 14, 15 | New York Milwaukee is the most racially-segregated metropolitan area in the United States. The crime A look at unequal community policing. rate is sky-high and the opportunities for the young African-American men and women are almost totally absent.

They say filmmaking is the most immersive art form, combining all creative mediums into one expansive experience. These poetic compositions blend cinematic imagery and existential prose to create stunning stories examining what it means to live, love, and create art.

OLIVER TREE - DEMONS (FT. BEAT CULTURE & LENA KUHN) Luisa Betancur, Valeria Alvarado Mejia, Dylan Dugas Ages 21, 20, 20 | California

LAY YO U R HE AD DOWN

REFLECTIONS

INVISIB LE PO I N T.

Ran Ro, Olivia Helgeson, Gabriela Garza-Lainez, Patrick Alcerro Ages 22, 22, 22, 22 | Washington

Morgan Gruer Age 22 | New York

Tanin Torabi Age 23 | Iran

What do our memories become? They are alive inside, even when the reality is dead. The fleeting quality of love forces a girl to question if her relationship ever truly existed, or if it was all in her head.

Dance is prohibited in Iran. But while it’s thought to be a sin, many still passionately dance in secret to avoid being arrested.

A girl shares the all the reasons why she cries.

Between dreams and nightmares, a girl struggles to accept the death of her mother.

M A DE O F S U G AR

G RAF ITT I G ALS

FA ÇA DE

LOVE

Kevin Rios Age 23 | California

Isabella Cuevas Pierson Age 19 | Washington

Carol Nguyen, Morgana McKenzie Ages 18, 17 | Canada

Fiona Kubalak, Aminta Malcom Ages 13, 14 | Washington

A nostalgic portrait of a Cuban-American family’s evolving cultural heritage.

A take on graffiti, artistic expression, & femininity from the gals of Valencia, Spain.

An exploration of human connection within a flawed system.

Love once dashed, is saved at last.

SP LIT EN D S

F IS H HO O K AN D EY E

OK , CA LL ME B A CK

Miranda Potter Age 16 | Texas

Chloe Aktas, Kevin Rios, Lucy Ross, Andrew Hebert Ages 22, 23, 21, 23 | New York

Emily Ann Hoffman Age 23 | New York

SLOOOM & DA NCINATRA- CON T ROL

An experimental piece exploring the stigma of female body hair.

Love, personified as a femme fatale, guides the audience through the stages of falling in love.

Craving companionship, a woman leaves a voicemail late at night. Objects take on new meaning in a lush world of gendered icons.

Diego Lozano Age 21 | Texas Slooom evokes the dream state: musically atmospheric, conceptually abstract, and chaotic in effect.

T H R EE P L ACE S

DAWN

FATHER|DA UGHTER

SO A S NOT T O F ORGET

Hannah Herschend Age 16 | United States

Annalise Pasztor Age 20 | Texas

Rafael de Almeida, Mariana Moura Ages 24, 22 | Brazil

A dancer explores three different environments as the sun rises.

Day and Night intertwine for a fleeting moment in this luminous dance film.

Oskar Nilsson, Oniqur Rahman, Maggie Cloud, Francesca Hartley Ages 17, 16, 17, 18 | United Kingdom A daughter says goodbye to her father as she leaves forever.

All the photos, never printed, were lost due to a damaged memory card. What a funny name for such a card. I can remember those lost images more than most of the photos I took during that time.

COME AS YOU ARE 3:30 PM SATURDAY APRIL 29 UPTOWN CINEMA 2 With a camera in hand and a clear message in mind, these brave filmmakers have approached issues of individuality, self-expression, and acceptance with the full power of cinema behind them. This inspiring screening explores the struggles and triumphs that we all encounter when establishing our own identities in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s world. Come with an open mind, leave with a full heart! *This screening may not be suitable for all ages

SOL ES S

W H E R E THE TREES B EN D

Carmen Spoto Age 23 | California

Thomas Elley, Magnus R. Poulsen, Nikolaj Frømsdorf Bache Schou Ages 20, 21, 19 | Denmark

A transgender woman begins to lose track of reality as she navigates the space between what is natural and what is artificial.

SMOOTH EN DS // SOUTHBOUN D Abbey Sacks Age 20 | Washington

A struggling actor cannot satisfy his authoritative director. A retired teacher is starting to question his marriage. Both seek out into the forest.

Over the course of four months, I collected video portraits of 18 different women to celebrate female identities.

TRUT HFU L IN N A R D S

I C ONOCLAST

TRAN SFORMATI VE

Margaret Polzine Age 22 | Minnesota

Alex Haney, Nicole Rodriguez, Matthew Carieri, Siena Oberman Ages 21, 20, 20, 21 | California

Krystelle Kurz, Claire Elliott, Sorcha Marron, Maureen Brown Ages 15, 17, 15, 16 | Washington

As reality collapses around him, a mixed-race teen must confront his true identity to come out to his parents before it’s too late.

In the midst of recent legislation regarding transgender people’s rights, their voices have been conspicuously absent in the media. All teenagers worry about high school, but not all teenagers have to worry about using the bathroom.

A harmed figure seeks wholeness by traveling through disjointed layers of self.

E SC A P E

ELEGY

Youngsun Yun Age 23 | Oklahoma

Solstice Harris Age 19 | Utah

Aaron James, a part-time drag queen and full time student, strives to find his true identity in the most conservative and reddest of states, Oklahoma.

Emma is stuck in the weird lull between high school and college: saddened at the death of what she knows and loves and pessimistic about the future. In the midst of this lull, she discovers her best friend Autumn isn’t leaving in three months - she’s leaving in the morning.

MUSICAL M A S TE RP IE CE 4:30 PM FRIDAY APRIL 28 UPTOWN CINEMA 1 Rain drop...drop top...this screening is bangin’ from the start to the stop. You’ll be feelin’ the beat from your head to your feet as these audio-driven pieces de resistance amplify the musicality of the next generation.

Come one, come all, to the greatest music video screening of them all.

VULFPECK - B ACK POCK ET Tim Hendrix Age 24 | California

THEORY OF LO V E Fanni Fazakas Age 24 | Hungary

Kids dance on a playground and it is adorable and dope.

By watching the absurd scenes with no judgmental approach between man and woman really makes a shudder pass over you, but in a strangely enjoyable way.

DEFI N I TI ON OF FI N E

SOAP

Hudson Bloom Age 22 | Colorado

Ella Fields Age 13 | California

An upcoming band’s bright future turns dark after signing with a record label.

After saying something she shouldn’t have, a girl is forced to face the consequences and wash her mouth out with soap. Literally.

MON STERS

PARI S B OK EH

Kira Bursky Age 20 | North Carolina

Mia Ginaé Watkins Age 21 | France

A teenage boy tries to escape from the monsters in his head.

Among a fury of lights, a man reminisces about his déjà vu encounter with a stranger.

BRAKE B IL L - RO C HE ST E R RUT

T W E NT Y S OME T HI N G NOT H I NG

Anissa Amalia, Josh Vredevgood Ages 22, 20 | Washington

Laura Holliday, Jo Roy Ages 23, 22 | California

Where is... Rochester Rut?

A music video about how being a twenty-something can feel like being nothing.

A provocative exploration of human connection, playing on themes of vulnerability and shame, in all their guts and glory.

T HE DI G ITAL WIL D

OP T I C S F OR L OV E

SUGAR HI GH

Diego Lozano Age 22 | Texas

Martin Blanco, Clayton Stansberry, Trevor Stansberry, Michael Anderson Ages 19, 19, 19, 18 | Minnesota

Ethan Seneker, Chappell, Gia Rigoli, Nico Aguilar Ages 20, 19, 21, 23 | California

Phoenix, an industrial worker in St. Paul, Minnesota, seeks purpose while escaping his past.

The rush of having a crush, but a sugar high never lasts forever.

R OU G H

B I RTHDAY PARTY (N OBODY CAME)

The video explores the past and present of Cara, Seth, and Damian as they come to terms with love, their ambitions, and themselves.

RYAN C A RAVEO - RE A L RIGH T NO W Sam Cahill Age 19 | Washington Music video for Ryan Caraveo’s song “Real Right Now”.

Audrey Elizabeth Thomas Age 19 | New York Follow a younger version of the singer into the homes of women of different ages, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and beliefs, allowing her multiple sources of inspiration as she grows into herself.

GRYGRDN S - B ROCADE

THEM

Amy West, Summer Matthews, Charles-Austin Ross Ages 21, 21, 21 | New Mexico

Jared Rosenthal Age 21 | New York Carnivals, late night train rides and bowling alleys litter this retro but fresh story of a night out.

SEARCHI N G F O R SUN LI GHT - G O L D E N B LOOM Marylys Merida, Alyssa Peguero, Rebecca Kirby Ages 18, 18, 17 | Massachusetts All the fun in the world is no fun at all if you have no one to share it with.

Daniel Novarro, Austin Hall, Caleb Ouellette Ages 19, 19, 19 | New Jersey Nobody goes to Craig’s birthday party.

J OHN N Y CLE G G - TA K E MY HEART AWAY (H I G H SOCI ETY REM I X ) Jaron Clegg Age 21 | South Africa A young South African boy in an informal settlement dreams to fly amongst the stars, far away from his destitute township life.

A GL O BE L ES S T RAVEL ED 5:30 PM SATURDAY APRIL 29 UPTOWN CINEMA 2 Three films. Three incredibly unique stories brought to life. Take a trip to Afghanistan with a grieving mother; follow a young boy as he searches to find his brother during a disease outbreak; travel back to an ancient Chinese Dynasty in the midst of love and betrayal.

If you wear socks to this screening (and please do) prepare to have them knocked off!

MA RY MOT H E R Sadam Wahidi Age 24 | Afghanistan Mary and her daughters live in a remote village of Afghanistan, and her only son is serving for military in Kunduz province. Upon hearing the authorities have no news of her son after a fatal attack, she starts her own journey to find her son.

LAU & LAUDRUP Charlotte Brodthagen Age 24 | Denmark When a mysterious disease breaks out, young Lau starts the pursuit to find his brother instead of being evacuated.

P R I NC E S S Y U N Tiger Tse Age 22 | China After Centrum is looted by a mystery man in a scrimmage and its whereabouts made unknown, the emperor of Yi, deranged by power and ambition, takes the occasion to wage war against Li. With a former ally-turned-enemy, Princess Yun is caught in the double bind of choosing between personal romance and national interest.

C EN T ER P IECE 7:30 PM SATURDAY APRIL 29 UPTOWN CINEMA 1 If NFFTY was a museum, this would be the Mona Lisa. Except we can all agree that this screening is actually worth the price of admission. At the center of it all, these six films radiate deeply human emotions; the desire to love, the ability to forgive, and the drive to discover. Bring a friend or bring a lover, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so many great stories to uncover! *This screening may not be suitable for all ages

AM P ERS AN D

I ’M FREE

Charlotte Dewulf Age 21 | Belgium

Edvard Karijord, Bendik Mondal, Christian Karlsen, Mats Støten Ages 22, 23, 23, 24 | Norway

In a time before the past and after the future, there is a town where words are something physical. In this town you can drink words like you drink wine or orange juice. Before you can speak you have to drink a bottle of words. You can buy these words in small talk cafes.

ST ÉL O U S E - S H I V E R S N G OL D ( F T MASCOLO) Kody Kurth, Kate Lowell, Andrew Han Ages 20, 20, 23 | Colorado An electronic musical experience emotionally exploring a lonely statue’s path to self-discovery through interpretive dance choreography.

ATO M S O F U NC ONT R OL L A B L E SIL EN C E Zachary Zombek, Christian O’Keefe Ages 22, 23 | United States Unknown. Unexplainable. The phenomenon of silence. Two scientists of different studies bare witness to an interconnection of separate events that extend beyond their realm of understanding.

On the 8th of October 2013, Geir Karijord goes missing in Romsdal Valley, Norway. This leaves his family in limbo - should they mourn their brother and son, or should they hope for his return?

HUSH Alex J. Campbell Age 23 | United Kingdom A British-Nigerian family, fragmented by their personal struggles tries to come to terms with their youngest daughter’s mutism.

BUCK ETS Julia Jones Age 21 | California A girl learns the brutal sacrifices it takes to satisfy her love.

E XP E RIMEN TAL VIS I ON S 9:00 PM SATURDAY APRIL 29 UPTOWN CINEMA 2 Some of the world’s best inventions - segways, bolo ties, baconwrapped hot dogs - were the result of years of creative experimentation. Similarly, the films in this screening utilize unique techniques never before seen on the big screen that one day may revolutionize the world of cinema. Let’s get funky! *This screening may not be suitable for all ages

HAN GI N G Nick LeDonne Age 23 | New Jersey Based on Nick LeDonne’s personal struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts, personified by a dark luring fog and a loving mother, after a nearattempted suicide in November 2014.

REPETRA C Sonja Berta Age 24 | Switzerland After her birth into Cyberspace, Repetra starts to grow within her absurd reality, not knowing where she came from or who to be. Sensing her purpose, she sets out to bear the child of her love with the Internet in order to transcend the binary system.

P OP P I E S

THE ART OF MEMORI ES

Rachel McGill, Rebekah Bustos Ages 17, 17 | Ireland

Kate Graves Age 16 | Washington

Set in an Irish psychiatric hospital in the 1940’s, Eva, a young girl pushed to the brink of madness, lets us step into her world and experience the anxieties, hallucinations, and depressions of her everyday life.

A short experimental film that uses an array of cinematic visuals to convey the complex feelings different memories bring up.

AN ECH O O F O C EA NS Kora Vanderlip Age 19 | Canada

NE PA L M MAYHEM: A HAN D A NI MATI ON

BI RDS W I TH HUMAN H E A D S

Oscar, Giulio Angeli, Andri Peetso, Ömür Sönmez Age 20, 21, 23, 18 | Netherlands

Max Wilde, Donald Richard Monroe, Tori Lancaster, Zelda Vyssotsky Ages 22, 22, 22, 22 | Louisiana

How war turns men into animals, in the context of one of the most pointless wars of all time: The Vietnam War.

Henrietta gives Beth her first stick-n-poke tattoo on a little red planet full of puppet animals and a bird dragon.

SCARPA ( S HO E)

S OR RY

Sara Mignogna Age 24 | Italy

Nick Ramey Age 19 | Louisiana

THERE’S MORE THAN O N E WAY TO SK I N A MAN

A typical day in the life of a prostitute, but from a different point of view.

A visual depiction of first world gluttony, as its aesthetic symbolism represents opposing ideologies.

CONTINU E?

T H E SA D AN D THE HUN GRY

EXAMI N ATI ON OF A GI R L

Tony Weaver Jr. Age 22 | Georgia

Brad Sydorick, Angelo Re, Patrick Stanny Ages 23, 23, 24 | Pennsylvania

Devin John Age 23 | California

In the face of a harsh reality, an unnamed protagonist must decided if he will move forward.

“What is a man, if his chief good and market of his time is but to sleep and feed” - Hamlet. A western experimental short film.

We examine a young girls body to discover that even though she looks like most other girls she has marks that are individual to her and embed a story into her skin.

Drowning in the depths, a man sinks in the crushing blue of the ocean. The broken pieces of his psyche lie shattered in his inner world, but though the darkness is surrounding, there is still light to be found somewhere, somehow.

Emma Penaz Eisner Age 14 | California Up is down, and inside turns out: who are these men that embody and fuel our collective existential upheaval? This experimental work intermixes original cinematography and archival film along with contemporary found footage.

EDGE OF Y OUR S EAT 3:30 PM SATURDAY APRIL 29 UPTOWN CINEMA 2 Oh the horror! Legend has it that every year, Stephen King comes to this screening in a fake moustache just to take in the creepiest, darkest films that NFFTY has to offer. Leave the kids at home, but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t tell mom the babysitterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dead... there are thrillers and killers and shrillers galore! *This screening may not be suitable for all ages

T HE GI FT O F T HE WO OD S

C OU NT I NG T O 1 0 0 0

LAMI A

GUESTS

Kris Theorin, Kurtis Theorin Ages 19, 22 | Pennsylvania

Josh Pfaff, Samantha Rhodes, Andrew Westmaas Ages 22, 23, 24 | California

Arturo Alanis, Remington Long, Sam Wolff, David Britton Ages 20, 19, 20, 20 | New Mexico

Sebastien Blanc Age 23 | United Kingdom

Detective Callow examines the gray area between good and evil while investigating a gruesome, botched home robbery attempted by Donny, a low level criminal, and his merciless

Andrew is woken up in the middle of the night by the Lamia, an ancient demon that has possessed his mother’s body.

FIRST RES P O N S E

MU R K Y WAT E R

THE AN I B UDDI ES

MI RROR

Carl Mason, Alex Sutton, Chris Köbke Ages 18, 24, 20 | United Kingdom

Carl T. Rogers, Alexandrina Andre, Yiding Ma Ages 22, 22, 23 | North Carolina

Jack Massee Age 13 | California

Hadley Hillel, Mike Overton Ages 21, 21 | Washington

Let the Anibuddies take you away.

When Laura picks up a free mirror on the side of the road and begins to notice strange distortions, she realizes that it may have a sinister agenda.

An oddly-touching, dark, animated fairytale about a girl who finds a doll in the woods.

Dealing with the aftermath of a gruesome case of domestic violence, two stranded police officers quickly discover the horrific reality of their deadly predicament.

In the backwater swamps of the South, a rebellious preacher’s daughter has hell to pay when she conjures her dead mother’s ghost.

RUN BO Y

WITHHELD

Javier Fernandez Age 22 | California

James Bowsher, Matthew Steggles Ages 23, 23 | United Kingdom

A boy, lost in the woods, is running from a man wearing a mask.

A short psychological thriller about the power of performance between Stephanie (a phone sex worker) and an unknown caller.

An adventurous teenage girl and her brother explore an abandoned old manor house, but soon discover that it’s not as abandoned as they thought.

LI G H TEN UP! 11:00 AM SUNDAY APRIL 30 UPTOWN CINEMA 2 Why so serious? Take a load off and crack a smile at this familyfriendly mixed bag of uplifting treats. From happy to wacky and everything in between, this slate will have you whistling and feeling quite keen! 52

A BI RD N A M ED P ET E R

STILL LIFE

PHAN TASI AMAN

TALL TALE

Lauren Meyering, Anna Kane, Chandler Nolan, Neema Sadeghi Ages 20, 21, 21, 18 | California

Gabriel A. Valbuena , Diana Yifei Dai, Grayson Goga Ages 21, 19, 20 | Florida

Mariel Sosa Age 20 | United States

Brian Niles Age 15 | California

When Happy’s parents forget about her on their camping trip, she must journey through the woods to find them.

An uninspired photographer reconnects with her artistic vision and brings it to life.

As an 88 year-old man, Walter Meier goes to an amusement park “Phantasialand” in Brühl, Germany everyday. This tradition began with his wife and continues on after her death.

A little boy makes up colorful stories in attempt to explain a broken vase to his mom.

T ROM BO N E

T H E MA G I C P OW E R

N ORTHERN BELLES

B ALLOON

Destiny Trahem Age 22 | New Mexico

William Lancaster Age 16 | California

Theo Taplitz Age 13 | California

A lonely trombone player learns to embrace his unique talents to create his own music.

What actual magic power would we as humans have to defend ourselves against evil?

Lael Rogers, Christan Leonard, Maddie Downes, Isabela de Campos Ages 23, 27, 25, 24 | Washington

DENI AL

RADIO

HUGO

Alina Foley Age 13 | California

Cody Mathieson Packer, Phillp Alvy Ages 22, 23 | Illinois

Theo Pavlou Age 20 | United Kingdom

A woman takes the desire to escape to a happier time to an extreme, dragging her family with her.

A lonely, old man comes across his father’s radio which resurfaces a cherished memory from his youth.

An enchanting tale about a lonely young man named Hugo, born with uniquely long fingers but has the ability of creating magical hand shadows.

Perfectionist Dani da Silva and imperfectionist Alex O’Neill navigate love, friendship, and various mishaps in the glorious city of Seattle.

A short film about anger issues, balloons, and being 13.

#UP P E RL E FTUSA 1:00 PM SUNDAY APRIL 30 UPTOWN CINEMA 2 The Northwest is home to: a perenially awful baseball team, Dave Matthews (and his band), and - most importantly - extremely talented young filmmakers! Come see the finest The Upper Left has to offer and get a taste for life in NFFTYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s neck of the woods! Bike riding lessons will be provided.

BOBBY - O

P L A ST I C I S FOREVER

BABY

Artiom Prodeus, Carlos Key, Kalijah Rowe Ages 18, 15, 15 | Washington

Dylan Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Haeze Age 13 | Washington

Ryan Zemke Age 24 | Washington

Told that he only has 500 words to speak before he dies, teenage Bobby Olsen struggles to sparingly express himself to his loved ones and friends before death snatches him away.

What happens when you throw plastic trash away? Follow plastic trash to where it ends up and shows how kids can help make a difference in a world that is increasingly dependent on plastic.

When Emilyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s boyfriend Ben goes missing during a camping trip, an unusual discovery is made deep in the forest.

INDIE W O O DS

MY B I K E & ME

OPEN EXHI BI TI ON

Zodie Waxman, Daniel Schiff, Alex Guevara, Maxwell Cromett Ages 21, 21, 21, 21 | Washington

Bergen Johnson, Cameron Miller, Braiden Hayes Ages 18, 18, 18 | Washington

Tommy Tang, Long Tran, Toran Whitaker Ages 21, 19, 22 | Washington

The story of a boy, a girl, and a vicious cycle.

An exploration of Seattle street art. We follow painters, stencilers, and taggers to find out what makes graffiti both empowering and controversial.

The lumberjack lives a simple life in the wilderness until one day he encounters someone encroaching on his territory.

(VIRTUA L IZED) Isaiah Corey Age 24 | Washington In an attempt to save his relationship with his brother, Gabe retreats into a virtual world where he can express his true feelings.

RE E L A NI MATION 2:00 PM SUNDAY APRIL 30 UPTOWN CINEMA 1 Color your world with an array of animated films crafted by wonderfully creative artists from around the globe. Explore forms of animation you didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know existed and celebrate the illustrious talents of young filmmakers harnessing the power of the pen (or pencil, or paintbrush... you get the point! Hah...point. Get it?)

MEMORY

HOLLOW

Coleman Andersen Age 18 | Washington

Olivia Pecini Age 21 | New York

A robot deals with loss.

After a dust storm, a girl and her pet must grapple with starvation.

MADOK A

POPPED

Callahan Bracken Age 14 | Canada

Leo Pfeifer, Daniel Kelly Ages 18, 18 | Pennsylvania

Piano teacher, Madoka Murata, has been studying the arts for her entire life. She speaks about her connection to the spirit world and how this connection, whether myth or reality, benefits her as a teacher.

A young balloon falls in love, but his fairytale romance doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go as planned.

LI LLY HI TS THE ROAD

THE TOLL

Maezy Dennie, Berlin Demuth, Medina Dennie, Ocean Demuth, Zaiyah Dennie, Sol Demuth Ages 13, 13, 11, 10, 9, 6 | Canada

Lachlan Pendragon Age 20 | Australia

Lilly, a 10 foot tall orange monster, and her adorable friend Fluffle are abducted by aliens. An epic adventure ensues as they try desperately to return home in the nick of time.

A lonely tollbooth operator longs for company as he does the night shift in the middle of nowhere.

M Ă&#x201C;R

NA I L S

LOSS OF I N N OCEN CE

FAI RYTALE FA L L O U T

Lisa Wu, Bowen Welles Ages 21, 22 | California

Jack Faulkner Age 22 | United Kingdom

Mark Wincek Age 22 | Maryland

Raine Bracken Age 16 | Canada

A girl and her younger brother are lost deep in the dark woods when they stumble across the Well for Lost Souls, where they are presented with a magical way out.

A young boy named Daniel innocently paints his nails at school before a big exam, however he discovers the struggles of self expression when teased by others.

Ravenous biting creatures swarm a delicate animal in pursuit of something precious. A man and his wife fail to intervene in time...

A girl muses on her complicated relationship with fiction.

HOME B O U N D

E I : E MOT I ONA L I NT E L L I G E NC E

A CHRI STMAS SURPRI SE

PEACE BY PI E C E : TH E STORY OF HARRY DAVIDS

Sagi Kahane-Rapport, Youp Zondag Ages 19, 20 | Canada A short & surrealist animated documentary about a Syrian refugee attempting to escape the conflict in the Middle East.

Dennis Sungmin Kim, Adam Parham, Nicholas Escobar Ages 19, 21, 20 | South Korea The story of an AI unit who is anything but artificial.

Sarah Lew Age 20 | California A little girl learns of a devastating truth on the hallowed night of Christmas eve.

A group of teens illustrate the 70-year quest of a child survivor of the Holocaust as he pieces together his story of Nazi persecution, Dutch resistance, and emigration to South Africa.

GARDEN O F T HE L IV I NG

ECHO

N EON GAN ESHA

Sine Juhl Age 20 | Denmark

Thibault Tresca, Sudhan Lakshmanan, Chirag Swamy, Kevin Lobo, Darren Patrao Ages 24, 22, 22, 22, 22 | India

Amit Awaghade, Siddharth Garikipati Ages 24, 22 | India

Lilly struggles with letting go of her mother after her death.

Two women are stuck on an abandoned island.

Xenia Bernal, Becca Frischling, Kyle Reims, Dora Schoenberg, Nicole Soussana, Benji Tucker, Carina Yiu Ages 14-17 | United States

A story of a father and daughter set in the city of Neo - Mumbai in year 2068.

O U TTA TH IS WORLD 3:00 PM SUNDAY APRIL 30 UPTOWN CINEMA 2 Is it still called ScienceFiction if it might be real? Whoa...you’re crazy, dude. Because one planet isn’t enough, join us on a joyride to future worlds, far away dimensions, and alternate realities where crows eat your memories! Eww...gross. 58

PURPOS E

SU NF L OW ER

THE UFO-TRUTH

Minnie Schedeen Age 20 | California

Peter Ferris Rosati Age 23 | Pennsylvania

A man wakes in a locked bunker unable to recall how he arrived there with nothing to pass the time but a shelf of books and a computer which asks only one simple question.

An elderly man struggles to protect his memories and preserve his identity as he faces death.

Emilie Koefoed Larsen, Bertil Vorre, Astrid Hoder, Sarah Sander Ages 21, 21, 20, 20 | Denmark

Y O SOY P EDRO

G I F T E D (THAN K SGI VI N G POST MOR T E M )

Jordan Inconstant Age 24 | France Mackenzie and Banks, two American cops in 1977, meet an alien who just crashed to Earth. Mistaken for a movie actor, the cops decide to take him to Hollywood.

Freddy Macdonald Age 16 | Switzerland A cynical take on the future of romantic relationships in the virtual age.

T HE SPA C EM AN

CXL

Caleb Garrett Age 17 | California

Jordan Blazak, Anna Powers, Amy Baker, Alan Dembek Ages 21, 21, 20, 21 | California

A young boy’s reflection on the validity of dreams affronted by the responsibilities that come with growing up.

Poul-Erik Nielsen is an ufologist, who has seen a UFO himself. He passes on his information about life in space through his web-page “UFO-Truth”.

BESI DE MYSELF Jack McCafferty, Madison McMahon, Anthony Marotta Ages 21, 21, 21 | Pennsylvania A young genius attempts to win over his crush with his latest scientific experiment, but getting the cloning machine he designed to work properly turns out to be more difficult than he suspected.

A 140 year-old woman, sustained by a mobile life support chair, must come to terms with the reality of death.

S TO R IES OF US 4:00 PM SUNDAY APRIL 30 UPTOWN CINEMA 1 What’s better than a film based on a true story? An actual true story, of course! NFFTY’s phenomenal variety documentary screening highlights real stories around our globe that showcase incredible humans and the peculiar, poignant lives that people live. Get real or get lost!

LA N D O F O U R FAT H E R

SMALL CHAN GE

Patrick Gillespie, Ana F Taboada, Sam Carter, Joe Crouch, Jake Desmond Ages 19, 21, 19, 19, 20 | United Kingdom

Dylan Quesnel Age 22 | Trinidad & Tobago

A look into the lives of a Welsh Dairy Farming family and their struggle as dairy prices drop, threatening their livelihood and family farm.

The capital of Trinidad & Tobago, Port-of-Spain, took part in the Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Climate Marches standing alongside over 2000+ events around the world, in 2014 and 2015 during the COP21 Climate Summit in Paris. Take the conversation on climate change forward.

PU T T IN G T HE F I R E OU T

GARDEN ERS OF THE FOREST

Leah Galant Age 23 | New York

Ceylan Carhoglu, Nicole Jordan-Webber Ages 22, 22 | California

A personal documentary about a mother and her daughter who challenge the media narrative of fear through art.

For generations, Laos was known as the Land of a Million Elephants. Today, there are around 400 elephants left in Laos.

KOEN VAN M ECH E L E N DRO M EDA RY, C H I C K E N, L A MA , A R T

MOM

Rabea Rahmig Age 24 | Germany The film is about the multi-faceted Belgian artist Koen Vanmechelen who is searching for a cosmopolitan chicken.

Reid Antin Age 21 | New York A middle-aged woman explores the complicated relationship she has with her mentally-deteriorating mother.

VA RIET Y HOU R 5:00 PM SUNDAY APRIL 30 UPTOWN CINEMA 2 Can’t pick a favorite genre? Then this screening is for you. Like the best buffet in town, you’ll get a taste of everything (minus the heartburn). Follow the story of a delusional would-be king, dive into an intense Spanish political election, and feel the emotional strain of relationships gone sour. *This screening may not be suitable for all ages

DOWN T HE WO RM H OL E

T H E W I TCHI N G HOUR

THE K I N G

Ben Kadie Age 21 | California

Riley Geis Age 22 | California

When underground music icon, Grace Freedman, returns home after long-term treatment for Bipolar I and substance abuse she struggles to stay healthy despite her manager and her fans pushing her image of the “crazy genius.”

On Halloween, a fearful young boy is taken on a haunted night of mischief and adventure by the spooky girl next door.

Daniel Cooper, Kazuki Akiba, Sancheev Ravichandran, Andrew Jacob Ages 21, 21, 22, 21 | New York

305/307

PA I NT BY N UMBER PERSON

LOUD.

Clinton Bragger, Haohao Yan Ages 24, 21 | California

Peyton Miller Age 17 | Washington

Victor Obidimalor Age 23 | New York

Two strangers spend the night in a hotel room together and share a reminiscent conversation about their current significant others.

An autobiography of sorts, filmmaker Peyton Jane Miller discusses her struggle between her love for order and the chaos in creativity. For as she grows up as an individual, she learns life doesn’t always go as planned.

A story that reveals a questionable reality of a desolated man.

SPIRAL

MI L K SHAK E EXPRESS

Tatum Lenberg Age 16 | California

Miguel Casanova Age 24 | Spain

Alcoholism, child abuse, and violence – the end results don’t always tell the full story.

Conniving politician, scandals and intimidating journalists are all a part of this political thriller set in Spain.

A medieval king, lost in a foreign village, takes an old priest hostage while evading a mob that has mistaken him for a local madman.

CLOS I N G N I G H T: AMERI CAN DRE AMS 6:30 PM SUNDAY APRIL 30 UPTOWN CINEMA 1 For many Americans, life in the land of the free can be a grueling, isolating journey. These eight stories examine the struggles, triumphs and hardships facing various populations within our borders. As our nation grows, the mighty voices of the unheard are often diminished. We celebrate those voices by showcasing stories that prove America is truly the home of the brave. Stick around for the Award Ceremony immediately afterwards. And then join us at 9:00 p.m. at KCTS Television for our Closing Night Party. *This screening may not be suitable for all ages

M Y LE S

F OR E V E R HOME

LET’S HAVE A CON VE R S ATI O N

Kevin Brooks Age 22 | United States

Raquel Korman, Tim Deters, Connor Ellmann, William Yelton Ages 22, 22, 23, 22| California

Cammeron Neely, Kaard Bombe, Jon Melton Ages 21, 22, 22 | Arizona

A young man embarks on a day full of skateboarding with his friends, only to return home with a different outlook on how he’s truly seen in society.

A candid look into the lives of an extraordinary family who struggles to provide secure and loving futures for their ten children they adopted from the foster system.

A performer is encountered outside of his usual environment by a fan.

PANGA EA

A L L ME N MAY CRY

THE BLAI SE EP

Olivia Peace Age 22 | Illinois

Johnny Chang, Neema Sadeghi, Dian Qi, Aaron Bonnema Ages 23, 19, 23, 18 | California

Kevin Giles, Molly Morris, Anthony J. Marotta, Charmaine Cavan Ages 22, 21, 22, 22 | New Jersey

The year is 2019. A couple from Glendale, CA feels the backlash from America’s new hateful rhetoric which brings along a new daunting reality: some of us need to survive.

An aspiring music producer is forced to confront his inner conflict during an interview for admittance into the Witness Protection Program.

A lonely girl stranded on a rooftop desperately tries to return her life to a state of equilibrium after she is separated from her family.

LONG TERM PARKIN G

H E L L Y OU TALMB OUT

Lance Oppenheim Age 20 | California

Tyler Rabinowitz, Denzel Boyd Ages 23, 21 | New York

At LAX, an employee parking lot has become an improvised village of airline workers.

Seattle’s Northwest Tap Connection, a race and social justice-oriented dance studio, responds to the deaths of unarmed black lives at the hands of police officers, using dance as passionate protest in a call to say their names, see their names, and feel their names.

NFFTY would like to acknowledge the special help and support of these people and organizations: Peter Adkison Cara Anderson Herrida Arad Laura Argilla Williams Michael Ayjian Zachary Bailey Peter Barnes Zach Bennett John Berg Delaney Berreth Brett Benson Aria Bird Emily Bishop Shannon Bloome Virginia Bogart Alex Bohs Robert Bojorquez Sarah Bowling Kayla Briët Rosewita Briët-Wiskigeamatyuk Blair Brook-Weiss Donna Brown Zachary Brown Alec Brown Rachel Brucker Jennifer Burd Hailey Burns Lauren Bursky Rebecca Cameron Mauricio Casillas ChefSteps Alona Chernish Wes Chew Mary Clarelitzer Clatter & Din Kevin Conner Cathy Corrado Stephanie Crockett Catherine Darley Heather Davidson Janelle DeChancie Jonna Dickison Joe Dockery Janet Dowd Michele Englehart Joseph Engman

Susan Engman Audrey Fan Beth Farnham Maggie Fisher Elizabeth Foreman Charles Frank Fury Consignment Kevin Galloway Martha Gannett Jonathan Gissel Nikolas Grasso Emily Halvorson Patrick Harrison Nathan Heal Andrew Henshaw Elizabeth Henshaw Bill Hensler Sue Wiedenfeld & Al Hillel Laura Holliday Heather Hope Hotel Five Evan Huber Andrew Hutcheson Istina Tyler James Letitia Cain & James Cooper Jarbo Stacey Jenkins Drew Johnson Melissa Jurcan Nanci Vaeth & Carl Kadie Erin Katz Todd Kaumans Troy Kaumans Wistar Kay Laila Kazmi Catherine Keckler Kathleen Keckler Liza Keckler Lauren Kelley Kendalis DJ Garrett Kennell Lexi Kennell Aaron Keteyian Dennis Kim Hillary Klein

Todd Korb Sean Kusanagi Barry Langer Chaya LaRue Matt Lawrence Vicky Lee Dan Lesser David Light LUC Restaurant Max Magerkurth Amy Mahardy Stefanie Malone & Shannon Snider Jonathan Maltos Margaux Seattle Zachary Maxwell Jenny McBride Joel McCarthy Gavin McKenzie Denise Meyer Kennell Andrew Mitrack Andrew Mitrak Charles Musselwhite Chris Newell John Newman Nick Nielsen Nightingale Express Aishleen O’Brien Oceana Bodyworks Carmen Orange Palladian - a Kimpton Hotel Júlia Pàmies Jassans Jana Panter Lesley Pfiefer Charina Pitzel Josh Powell Joey Pratt Pridefest Max Retik Wynter Rhys Raven Rhys Andrew Rodriguez Alan Rogers Ellen Rogers Richard Rogers Lael Rogers

Kathryn Rose Lorenzo Rossi Bryan and Heidi Roth Robert Roth Jo Roy Andrea Sand Gustavson Sasquatch Kevin Saxby Heather Scarlett-Ferguson Leah Schlegel Seafair Lori Seago Samuel Seago Kyle Seago Tracey Shrier David Simonton St. Clouds Joe Staehly Tom Stangeland Rick Stevenson Kevin Stiller Jesse Stipek John & Tamera Stone Deborah Sundblad Emma Sundblad Jack Sundblad Scott Sundblad Tiffany Talent Maxwell Thayer The Barrel Thief The Paramount Theatre Jack Timmons Kara Tokita Lexx Truss Kari Anne Tuohy Village Theatre Kate Vrijmoet Daniel Waggoner Daniel Wahlen Warwick Hotel Bernadine Wentland Julie Wesche Marla Williams

PR OUD

S UP P O R TER

NFFTY

O F

2 0 1 7

OY ENJ

IE OV KS M Y C JO EN SNIA O M V ES SNACK

THEMAXWELLHOTEL.COM | 866.866.7977

ALL NEW SEASON Sundays in May | 5p Watch online and on air Find out more at KCTS9.org/reelnw

Slim. Sleek. Speedy. Sexy-looking, too! Visit g-technology.com

SCREENING COMMITTEE Anissa Amalia Rebecca Barton Alex Bohs Nikita Deshpande Leah Galant Charlene Laporte Lael Rogers Shannon Snider Amy Theorin

SCREENPLAY COMMITTEE + JURY Laura Turner Vimeo, Director of Original Programming & Content Development Angelina Burnett Writer/Producer

NFFTY is a program of The Talented Youth, a 501c3 non-profit

NFFTY TEAM Stefanie Malone Kyle Seago Robert Bojorquez Kevin Conner Anna Bliner Krystelle Kurz

Executive Director Director of Programming/NFFTY Co-Founder Festival Manager Program & NFFTYX Coordinator Communications Coordinator Festival Intern

Nico Beland

Programming Intern

Dan Hudson

Programmer and Venue Manager

Todd Kaumans Heal Creative Tokita Bethune Inc. fearless360°

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Bryan Roth

Print and Web Design Event Management NFFTYX Co-Producer

SEATTLE President – Co-Founder, Groundspeak Inc. Vice President – Executive Producer

Karen Komoto

Treasurer – Director of Finance, Special Olympics 2018 USA Games

Donna Brown Melissa Jurcan Liza Keckler Matt Lawrence Kyle Seago Laura Williams Argilla

Architect Principal, Agency M Sr. VP of Development, Irwin Entertainment

Director of Product Development, Adobe

Co-Founder Founding Board Member

ADVISORY BOARD

Kayla Briët Dom Fera Elena Gaby

President - Student, University of Southern California Vice President - Intern, PRMRY/Student, Art Center College of Design 360° Program Advisor – Independent Filmmaker YouTube Partner, DFear Studios Associate Producer/Production Coordinator, Warrior Poets

Garrett Kennell

Independent Filmmaker

Todd Kaumans

Producer, Mighty Media Studios/Microsoft

Pranay Patwardhan

Independent Filmmaker

Erica Sterne

Independent Director/Producer

Kevin Stiller

Independent Filmmaker

Noah Wagner

Now the world’s largest film festival for emerging filmmakers, NFFTY 2011 adds more networking opportunities, panels of industry professionals, and is attended by over 200 filmmakers with audiences of 7,000.

2011

NFFTY adds the Future of Film Expo trade show to the festival and features eight panels, 14 workshops, and over 30 exhibitors. Festival attendance exceeds 10,000.

2012

NFFTY features 215 films from around the world. NFFTY alumni are now working for prestigious companies such as The Weinstein Company, Pixar, and HBO. Stefanie Malone joins the NFFTY team.

2013

NFFTY launches its Young Women in Film initiative, a year-round effort to support young female filmmakers, and NFFTY Creative, connecting brands with NFFTY alumni to work on original projects, garnering both ADDY and Telly Awards.

2014

NFFTY features a record 248 films from 30 states and 25 countries with over 12,000 in attendance, with 48% female-directed films. The festival adds its Works-In-Progress event and launches the NFFTY Alumni Advisory Board.

2015

Ten years of NFFTY included 227 films from 24 countries, as well as an inaugural screenwriting competition: Story Starts Here. NFFTY took its first steps into VR/360° with a panel and product demos. NFFTY took home “One of the 50 Best Festivals Worth the Entry Fee” by MovieMaker Magazine, TeenTix Best Film Organization, and one of FilmFreeway’s Top 100 Rated Festivals.

2016

Past President

Jocelyn R.C.

Laura Holliday

20082010

Documentary Filmmaker, Co-Founder of NFFTY

Founder

Ben Kadie

NFFTY expands to a three-day event with 73 films, panels, and two concerts. NFFTY’s year-round programming, NFFTY 365 launches. In 2009, NFFTY begins accepting international films, expands to a fourday festival, and launches year-round filmmaking workshops.

Educator, Ballard High School

Jesse Harris P. Scott Cummins

2007

Secretary – Principal, Harrington Video Productions

BOARD EMERITUS Jim Wilgus

Jesse Harris realizes the need for an organization to support young filmmakers and joins with Jocelyn R.C. and Kyle Seago to launch NFFTY as a one-night festival with 14 films and to form a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, The Talented Youth.

Programmer and Trailer Edit

Audrey R. Fan Bud Harrington

STORY OF NFFTY

Producer, HBO

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E ER SH RT TA MS Y #FIL FFT #N

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