2022 JDIFF Official Program by Travel Dubuque

2022 FESTIVAL GUIDE APRIL 20-24

TITLE SPONSORS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT

FESTIVAL STAFF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Beth Gilbreath Keller Williams Legacy Group

Susan Gorrell

VICE PRESIDENT

Ali Levasseur

Tyler Daugherty Travel Dubuque TREASURER

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT VOLUNTEER COORDINATORS

Dave and Ruth Assmus

Tom Wagner Wagner Accounting

Travel Dubuque

SECRETARY

Mad Communications

Sharon Kuttler Community Leader MEMBER

Dr. Jeff Manternach Key City Vision MEMBER

H.R. Cook Five Flags Center

GRAPHIC & WEB DESIGN SOCIAL MEDIA

OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHER

Digital Dubuque PUBLICIST

Beatrice Kimmel VOLUNTEERS

Thank you to the people who volunteer their time to make the festival happen each and every year

MEMBER

Sarita Koneru Community Leader

OUR MISSION

Austin Putman Premiere Bank

The Julien Dubuque International Film Festival is dedicated to enriching the community and bridging cultures through education and promotion of arts through independent film.

MEMBER

THANK YOU TO OUR TITLE SPONSORS:

MEMBER

Dwight Hopfauf Hotel Julien Dubuque MEMBER

Chet Medinger Kunkel & Associates MEMBER

Kathy Kahle Midwest One MEMBER

Cheryl Sheldon Dubuque Regional Airport MEMBER

Charles Andrew Gardner Actor, Educator, Entrepreneur Chicago Local SAG-AFTRA President 2 2

Julien Dubuque International Film Festival

P.O. Box 735

Dubuque, IA 52004

julienfilmfest.com

SINCE 2012

The Julien Dubuque International Film Festival has been dedicated to enriching the community and bridging cultures through the education and promotion of the arts through independent film. IN THE GUIDE

Welcome

The Details

Events

Schedule

Films

Letter From Produce Iowa Letter From Our President Letter From Our Executive Director Map, Venues, and Capacities Tickets What to Expect

Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Documentaries Features Shorts Future Filmmakers Student Spotlight

5 7 9

10 11 11 13 15 17 19 21

22 24 26 28 30

32 38 44 60 64

JDIFF APP

Visit the Apple App Store or Google Play to download the official JDIFF app featuring film information, up-to-date schedules, ticketing, and more.

Photo: Grant Wood Loop

WELCOME TO IOWA. We’re glad you’re here! And I’m sure you are just as excited as we are to be here attending a film festival in person again. We hope you’ll have fun this weekend in Dubuque at one of Iowa’s best film festivals. Did you catch our close-up last August when our state hosted a Major League Baseball game played at the Field of Dreams Movie Site just down the road from this festival? While our magical cornfields and heavenly sunsets took people’s breaths away, it’s important to note that everything that happened that night started with the arts. It was a story idea that was hatched in Iowa City that became a book, then a script, then an iconic movie, then a major sporting event, and now a point of pride in our state’s cultural landscape. As Kevin Costner referenced, it was a beautiful story. And that is what this weekend is all about—Quality Storytelling. We look forward to seeing your work on the big screen and seeing where it takes you. Please keep our office in mind for your next project so we can help connect you to opportunities in our state. And if you live in Iowa and want to become involved with media productions, consider creating your own free directory listing on our website and then be sure to keep it updated to connect to jobs throughout the year. We think you’ll agree that Iowa is heaven to filmmakers and our state is ready for your story.

LIZ GILMAN

Executive Producer produceiowa.com

LETTER FROM

OUR PRESIDENT The Julien Dubuque International Film Festival welcomes you to our beautiful city, Dubuque. From the vibrancy of our people to the beautiful bluffs and unique architecture to our streets that have been transformed with murals, in a very short time you will understand why we are known as “Masterpiece on the Mississippi.” It is an honor to welcome filmmakers and film enthusiasts from across the globe. The caliber of film submissions has been elevated to new heights. As we celebrate our eleventh annual Festival, we are certain you will appreciate the most amazing stories told through exceptional filmmaking. Film can be a powerful instrument to raise the voices of those not heard with universal stories not told. JDIFF invites you to be transported around the world through film, where worlds are exposed, beliefs challenged, cultures shared, minds shifted, and hearts opened. In addition to our talented filmmakers, the Julien Dubuque International Film Festival is made possible through the loyalty and generosity of our sponsors, the visionary and energetic commitment of our executive director, Susan Gorrell, and a devoted, awe-inspiring group of volunteers who are truly the heart of the festival. We thank you all for being here. On behalf of the Board of Directors, we look forward to celebrating this special event with you! We are so grateful that you have chosen to be with us. May you be moved, enlightened and inspired. Storytelling through film can change the world. Enjoy the festival! BETH GILBREATH

President, Board of Directors 7

SUPPORTING AND REPORTING

LOCAL ARTS

IN OUR COMMUNITIES

From the symphony, to film, to community theater, music and dance, no one covers local arts and entertainment like the

TELEGRAPH HERALD. Online at TelegraphHerald.com

LETTER FROM

OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR It’s an honor to welcome you to the eleventh annual Julien Dubuque International Film Festival ( JDIFF). If you are a returning filmmaker - welcome back! If you are new to JDIFF, I hope you enjoy your time here so much you will return! I first attended JDIFF’s inaugural year of 2012 as a filmmaker. I loved the community so much that in 2013 I volunteered to be a board member, worked part time for JDIFF in 2014, and in 2015 I had the honor of being hired as the Executive Director and continue to love it! The community, the filmmakers and the films are what make this festival consistently one of the top reviewed film festivals in the world and for multiple years in a row, one of the top 50 worth the submission fee by MovieMaker Magazine. I’m so grateful for the generosity of our supporters, donors and sponsors who believe in the festival and what we do. The financial contributions of these amazing people, as well as those who buy tickets to events and screenings provide our funding. They are the reason why we can continue to grow and bring the best in independent films to Dubuque and the Midwest. I’d like to also sincerely thank our incredible volunteers. They work tirelessly at the festival time, and for some throughout the year, to be sure everything runs smoothly. Lastly, thanks to the amazing Board of Directors. Thank you for your continued support and passionate engagement – not only during the festival but all year long. The wonders and stories brought through our amazing films create an opportunity for meeting and learning from people from all over the world. I hope that you enjoy the festival, meet awesome people, and have great things to tell your friends about your experience here. Remember, JDIFF is not just an event, it’s an adventure! SUSAN GORRELL

Executive Director

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I PP I S IS ER S IS IV M R julienfilmfest.com #JDIFF2022

OLD

THE DETAILS

MAP + VENUES

WHAT TO EXPECT

Five Flags Center Bijou Room

Five Flags Center Majestic

Five Flags Center Orpheum

Five Flags Center Theater

Grand Harbor Resort & Waterpark

• Stop by the JDIFF Box Office & Information Center located at the Hotel Julien Dubuque for information on updated schedules, shuttles, and more

Holiday Inn Ballroom

• Saving seats in screening venues is not allowed, nor is saving space in line

Hotel Julien Dubuque Ballroom

• Recording equipment of any kind is not permitted in any screening venue

Hotel Julien Dubuque River Room

• Please turn off all mobile devices before film presentations

National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium Journey Theater

405 Main Street 405 Main Street 405 Main Street 405 Main Street 350 Bell Street

450 Main Street 200 Main Street

135 Seats 85 Seats 50 Seats 685 Seats 75 Seats

100 Seats 200+ Seats

200 Main Street

350 East Third Street

82 Seats

Phoenix Theater

Creative Adventure Lab

Esther’s Lounge

Gary Dolphin’s Iron Bar

555 JFK Road

60 Seats

• Pre-purchase your tickets to guarantee seats at your screening • Masks optional • Dress appropriately for comfort, variances among climate-controlled venues and the weather

• Please refrain from talking during film presentations • Don’t forget to submit your digital audience member ballot with the venue volunteer after each film screening • Please exit promptly and discard all trash in the appropriate containers

210 Jones Street 123 Main Street

333 East 10th Street

TICKETS FILM TICKET: $10

(Student/Child $5)

SILENT FILM TICKET: $12

Wednesday, April 20 (Student/Child $6)

WORLD PREMIERE FILM TICKET: $12

Friday, April 22 (Student/Child $6)

THE JOEY AWARDS - A CELEBRATION OF THE ARTS $25

Saturday, April 23

DAY PASS: $60

(Student $30) Access to unlimited films for the day

3-DAY ALL ACCESS PASS: $150

($75 for students) Free access to all films and evening events during 3 day period

5-DAY ALL ACCESS PASS: $200

($100 for students) Free access to all films and evening events during 5 day period

Tickets can be purchased through the JDIFF website and printed from home OR purchased at the Hotel Julien Dubuque Box Office. In order to guarantee a seat, tickets must be either ordered ahead of time either online or at the box office, printed and presented to the volunteer at the venue. This also applies to any pass holder, voucher or certificate. Limited seats are available for each screening. There will be no reserved seating for passholders without a ticket. Ticket holders will be seated first, and any passholders without a ticket will be seated last if spots are available. Please note: There is a processing fee charged with online orders. To receive a student discount, tickets must be picked up at the Hotel Julien Dubuque and students must present a valid student ID.

AS A PROUD

EXECUTIVE SPONSER AND FESTIVAL HEADQUARTERS

WE WELCOME YOU TO

Dubuque!

FOR THE 11TH ANNUAL JULIEN DUBUQUE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL IN BETWEEN SCREENINGS, PANELS, AND EVENTS, YOU’RE GOING TO NEED FOOD, DRINKS, AND MAYBE EVEN A MASSAGE...

- we’ve got you covered!

200 MAIN ST. | 563.556.4200 | HOTELJULIENDUBUQUE.COM

EVENTS

STAY UP TO DATE

SPECIAL EVENTS, COFFEE TALKS, AND PANELS For Coffee Talks, Panels, and the most up-to-date schedule of Special Events, check Festival HQ at Hotel Julien Dubuque, julienfilmfest.com, the official festival app, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! JULIENFILMFEST.COM @JULIENFILMFEST #JDIFF2022

OFFICIAL JDIFF APP

APRIL 20, 2022 WEDNESDAY

MEET & MINGLE

FIVE FLAGS CENTER / 5:00 - 7:30 PM / FREE

Sponsored by Five Flags Center. Gather to review the film descriptions, film schedule, meet filmmakers, reviewers, and producers of the film festival in a casual atmosphere. Make your plans for which films you don’t want to miss! Cash bar and food.

BRINTON REPRISE SILENT FILM EVENT

FIVE FLAGS THEATER / DOORS OPEN AT 6:30 PM / 7:00 PM SCREENING / $12

Film Synopsis: Red Cedar presents a multi-media extravaganza featuring live chamber music accompanying magic lantern slides and early silent films from the Brinton Collection of early entertainment materials. Philip Wharton has created a magical score for THE FAIRY OF SPRINGTIME, a 1902 French film which features hand-painted color. Michael Kimber has scored VENETIAN TRAGEDY, a nine-minute drama with a surprise ending. And new to Red Cedar for this project, a duo of French composers, Jean-Francois Charles and Nicolas Sidoroff, have teamed up to create a major multi-media work which explores the life of the great French filmmaker Georges Méliès, known to most from the 2011 film HUGO. Historian Michael Zahs provides narration with music performed by violinist Miera Kim, cellist Carey Bostian, and guest artists guitarist John Dowdall and flutist Claudia Anderson for this entertaining program. This program is supported by Humanities Iowa and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The views and opinions expressed by this program do not necessarily reflect those of Humanities Iowa or the National Endowment for the Humanities.

AFTER PARTY

GARY DOLPHIN’S IRON BAR / 9:30 PM / FREE

Featuring live music and open mic night. 13

EVENTS

APRIL 21, 2022 THURSDAY

RUNDE FREE DAY Free regular film screenings all day, thanks to Runde Auto Group!

CELEBRATE CANADA NIGHT

FIVE FLAGS THEATER / DOORS OPEN AT 7:00 PM / 7:30 PM SCREENING / FREE

Presented in partnership with The Consulate General of Canada and Ed & Susan Ritts. Film screening of FROM EARTH TO SKY with Q&A to follow film featuring Director Ron Chapman and Ariel Delouya, Consul General of Canada.

Film Synopsis: FROM EARTH TO SKY explores the work of seven unique and accomplished Indigenous architects as they design and complete extraordinary “buildings” in cities and communities across North America and Turtle Island. Beautiful and intimate, the film sparks a vital conversation paramount to transforming perspectives on how we approach our built environment.

CELEBRATE CANADA AFTER PARTY

HOTEL JULIEN DUBUQUE RIVERBOAT LOUNGE / 9:30 PM - 12:00 AM / FREE

Presented in partnership with The Consulate General of Canada. Featuring music from Latin and indie rock artist and singer-songwriter, Arzalez and special guests Ron Chapman and Consul General of Canada, Ariel Delouya.

Over 45 years of experience with two locations open year-round to meet your needs. 999 Century Drive Dubuque, IA 52002 563.556.4508 607 Myatt Drive Maquoketa, IA 52060 563.652.5152 WAG N E R AC C T.CO M

DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL APP!

Visit the Apple App Store or Google Play to download the official JDIFF app featuring film information, up-to-date schedules, ticketing, and more. 15

EVENTS

APRIL 22, 2022 FRIDAY

GREENSTATE STUDENT FREE DAY Free regular film screenings for students all day, thanks to GreenState Credit Union!

WORLD PREMIERE

FIVE FLAGS THEATER / DOORS OPEN AT 6:30 PM / WORLD PREMIERE AT 7 PM / $12

Film Screening of MYSTERIOUS CIRCUMSTANCE, THE DEATH OF MERIWETHER LEWIS. After the film, enjoy Q&A with Writer/Director Clark Richey along with lead actors Evan Williams (WESTWORLD, VERSAILLES), Amye Gousset (NASHVILLE, THE PURGE TV SERIES), and Lance Nichols (IRON MIKE, QUEEN OF THE SOUTH) Film Synopsis: Entangled versions of Meriwether Lewis’s death at a remote wilderness inn are imagined by his friend Alexander Wilson (Billy Slaughter) during a tense encounter with the only witness to the American explorer’s final night alive, Priscilla Grinder (Amye Gousset). In 1809, Meriwether Lewis (of Lewis & Clark fame) died of gunshot wounds at Grinder’s Stand on the Natchez Trace, an isolated wilderness road connecting Nashville, Tennessee, to Natchez, Mississippi. Did the Governor of the Louisiana Territory commit suicide as history reports or was his end far more sinister? This mystery/thriller from writer/director Clark Richey brings together an award-winning cast and crew including John Schneider (DUKES OF HAZZARD), Sonny Marinelli (ENTOURAGE), and Evan Williams (VERSAILLES), as Lewis.

JDIFF BLOCK PARTY

MAIN STREET BETWEEN 2ND & 3RD / 5:00 PM -11:00 PM / FREE

Features live music from Lonely Goats and Tylor Brandon Band as well as food trucks including Birds. Fried Chicken, Magoo’s Pizza, Chew on This, and Happi Hibachi. Check website for more details on bands and start times. *In the event of inclement weather, event may be cancelled or moved. Please check website and Facebook page for more details.

AFTER PARTY

HOTEL JULIEN DUBUQUE BALLROOM / 9:30 PM - 12:00 AM $10 / $25 VIP PARTY ACCESS

AMIDST Magazine cover release party with live music from 70s Disco Band, V05, and cash bar. VIP Party includes a copy of AMIDST Spring 2022 magazine, VIP seating area, and hors d’oeuvres. VIP Access is not included in any pass. AMIDST. Where the Midwest meets art, beauty, culture, design, fashion, film, music, and photography. Cultivating images, stories and connections of Midwest Creatives. 17

JOEY B. MCNAMER

MEMORIAL FOUNDATION

June 2, 1986 August 10, 2018

brainhealth-now.org

EVENTS

APRIL 23, 2022 SATURDAY

THE JOEY AWARDS - A CELEBRATION OF THE ARTS

FIVE FLAGS THEATER / RED CARPET + DOORS AT 7:00 PM / EVENT AT 8:00 PM / $25

Sponsored by Marty & Nancy McNamer. Features musical guests Arzalez, Tony Melendez and Tylor Brandon Band. Ticket includes access to after party at the Five Flags Arena.

AFTER PARTY

FIVE FLAGS ARENA / IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING AWARDS SHOW / TICKET REQUIRED

Featuring music from Arzalez with cash bar and food by Cindy Wickler Catering, with decor designed by Cathy B. Interiors.

now available at

Kennedy Mall

guaranteed. heated. seats.

www.PHOENIXMOVIES.net 19

We envision

A vibrant and inclusive Dubuque region for all. Help us transform the community — for today, tomorrow and forever.

What role will you play?

dbqfoundation.org | 563.588.2700 Proud sponsor of the Julien Dubuque International Film Festival

Settlers

IOWA’S ANDS. WALKED THESE L TODAY YOU CAN HIKE THEM.

Stay with Destination Marketing Partner when you travel #WhereIowaStarted.

TRAVELDUBUQUE.COM

EVENTS

APRIL 24, 2022 SUNDAY

KIDS DAY

CREATIVE ADVENTURE LAB / 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM / FREE

Sponsored by Chad & Laura Chandlee Family. Families are invited to come to the Creative Adventure Lab to participate in all general activities. The festival will not cover the cost of additional special activities or product purchases.

STOP ANIMATION WORKSHOP

CREATIVE ADVENTURE LAB / 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM / FREE

As a part of Kid’s Free Day, Sun April 24, kids of all ages can take part in a workshop on creating Stop Motion Animation. This workshop is hosted at the Creative Adventure lab and led by Filmmaker Luke Bassuener of LITTLE BLOOD.

A CULTURAL ENDING

CLOSING FILM WITH BEER & FOOD TASTING FILM: FIVE FLAGS THEATER / DOORS OPEN AT 3:30 PM / 4:00 PM SCREENING / FREE BEER & FOOD: MAIN STREET BETWEEN 4TH AND 5TH STREET / 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM / $5

Sponsored by Community Foundation. Enjoy a film screening of ONE PINT AT A TIME followed by beer samples from select breweries and local food vendors Hot Diggity Dogs, Shugga’s Soul Cafe, and El Paisano, as well as live music from James Tutson. After the film, enjoy Q&A with Producer/Director Aaron Hosé, brewery owner Jon Renthrope of Cajun Fire Brewing, and Day Bracey co-founder of Barrel and FlowFest. Film Synopsis: Craft beer generates tens of billions of dollars annually for the USA economy. Despite beer’s Egyptian and African heritage, these traditions have been mostly forgotten and are rarely found in American brewing culture. Today, Black-owned breweries make up less than 1% of the nearly 9,000 breweries in operation. Eager to shift the historical perception of who makes and drinks beer, Black brewers, brand owners and influencers across the country are reshaping the craft beer industry and the future of America’s favorite adult beverage.

SCHEDULE: WEDNESDAY 9AM

FIVE FLAGS CENTER BIJOU ROOM

FIVE FLAGS CENTER MAJESTIC

10AM

11AM

10:00 AM LEFTOVER FEELINGS: A STUDIO B REVIVAL 73 MIN

GRAND HARBOR RESORT & WATERPARK PLATINUM A

1PM

2PM

3PM

12:45 PM DREAMER 59 MIN

10:30 AM SOLDAT AHMET 76 MIN

FIVE FLAGS CENTER ORPHEUM

FIVE FLAGS CENTER THEATER

12PM

1:15 PM ATTIC TRUNK 79 MIN

11:00 AM SHORT BLOCK 9 106 MIN

2:15 PM DELIVERING HOPE 89 MIN

10:00 AM THE AUTOMAT 79 MIN

10:30 AM SHORT BLOCK 13 92 MIN

HOLIDAY INN BALLROOM

1:45 PM SWEET DISASTER 90 MIN

HOTEL JULIEN DUBUQUE BALLROOM

11:30 AM FRANK MILLER AMERICAN GENIUS 109 MIN

2:30 PM RAISED UP WEST SIDE 87 MIN

PHOENIX THEATRES 11:00 AM SWAMP LION 111 MIN

NATIONAL MISSISSIPPI RIVER MUSEUM & AQUARIUM JOURNEY THEATER 22

10:15 AM THE COLLINS STORY 72 MIN

2:30 PM LOREN & ROSE 82 MIN

1:00 PM SHORT BLOCK 2 95 MIN julienfilmfest.com #JDIFF2022

APRIL 20, 2022 4PM

5PM

6PM

7PM

8PM

9PM

10PM

11PM

12AM

5:30 PM SHORT BLOCK 14 105 MIN

4:15 PM WE BURN LIKE THIS 81 MIN

7:00 PM SHORT BLOCK 1 103 MIN

5:15 PM JAMSHIDIEH 91 MIN

SPECIAL EVENT: BRINTON REPRISE SILENT FILM DOORS OPEN 6:30 PM SCREENING AT 7:00 PM

5:00 PM DISFLUENCY 100 MIN

4:45 PM JACK 82 MIN

5:30 PM IMORDECAI 112 MIN

5:30 PM HERE. IS. BETTER. 95 MIN

FEATURE

DOC

8:00 PM THOSE DARK NIGHTS 89 MIN

SHORT

EVENT

FUTURE FILMMAKER

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

SCHEDULE: THURSDAY 9AM

10AM

11AM

12PM

1PM

2PM

3PM

FIVE FLAGS CENTER BIJOU ROOM 11:00 AM THE FIRE CATS 80 MIN

2:00 PM SHORT BLOCK 7 101 MIN

FIVE FLAGS CENTER MAJESTIC 10:00 AM SHORT BLOCK 1 103 MIN

1:15 PM SHORT BLOCK 3 106 MIN

FIVE FLAGS CENTER ORPHEUM 10:15 AM ATTIC TRUNK 79 MIN

1:00 PM DEALING WITH DAD 105 MIN

FIVE FLAGS CENTER THEATER 10:00 AM THE MIRROR GAME 87 MIN

GRAND HARBOR RESORT & WATERPARK PLATINUM A

HOLIDAY INN BALLROOM

1:00 PM ALEX/OCTOBER 81 MIN

10:30 AM IMORDECAI 112 MIN

10:00 AM LEFTOVER FEELINGS: A STUDIO B REVIVAL 73 MIN

1:30 PM JOE238 59 MIN

12:30 PM SHORT BLOCK 4 102 MIN

PHOENIX THEATRES 10:30 AM OLEG 97 MIN

NATIONAL MISSISSIPPI RIVER MUSEUM & AQUARIUM JOURNEY THEATER 24

10:30 AM SWEET DISASTER 90 MIN

1:45 PM FAILURE TO PROTECT 98 MIN

1:30 PM THE COLLAPSE 60 MIN julienfilmfest.com #JDIFF2022

APRIL 21, 2022 4PM

5PM

6PM

7PM

8PM

5:15 PM SHORT BLOCK 5 103 MIN

4:30 PM ORIGAMI IN THE GARDEN 90 MIN

9PM

10PM

11PM

12AM

8:30 PM THE FAMILY 104 MIN

7:30 PM RE-OPENING 91 MIN

4:15 PM SHORT BLOCK 12 102 MIN

7:30 PM SOLDAT AHMET 76 MIN

SPECIAL EVENT: CELEBRATE CANADA NIGHT: FROM EARTH TO SKY DOORS OPEN AT 7:00 PM 7:30 PM SCREENING

4:00 PM SHALLOW WATER 88 MIN

4:15 PM SHORT BLOCK 2 95 MIN

4:00 PM SHORT BLOCK 11 108 MIN

7:30 PM SWAMP LION 111 MIN

5:00 PM THE ISLAND OF LOST GIRLS 103 MIN

FEATURE

DOC

8:00 PM AROUND ROBIN 77 MIN

SHORT

EVENT

FUTURE FILMMAKER

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

SCHEDULE: FRIDAY 9AM

10AM

FIVE FLAGS CENTER BIJOU ROOM

FIVE FLAGS CENTER MAJESTIC

FIVE FLAGS CENTER ORPHEUM

FIVE FLAGS CENTER THEATER

GRAND HARBOR RESORT & WATERPARK PLATINUM A

HOLIDAY INN BALLROOM

11AM

12PM

1PM

2PM

1:45 PM AGAINST ALL ODDS: SURVIVING THE HOLOCAUST 80 MIN

10:30 AM KARMALINK 102 MIN

9:30 AM DELIVERING HOPE 89 MIN

12:30 PM RAISED UP WEST SIDE 87 MIN

9:45 AM THE COLLINS STORY 72 MIN

3:30 PM SHORT BLOCK 9 106 MIN

3:45 PM THE COLLAPSE 60 MIN

12:30 PM HERE. IS. BETTER. 95 MIN

10:15 AM ORIGAMI IN THE GARDEN 90 MIN

10:00 AM OLEG 97 MIN

10:30 AM I’LL STAND BY YOU 72 MIN

3PM

1:30 PM FREEDOM’S PATH 133 MIN

1:30 PM CAT DADDIES 89 MIN

1:15 PM SHORT BLOCK 14 105 MIN

HOTEL JULIEN DUBUQUE BALLROOM

PHOENIX THEATRES 10:00 AM LOREN & ROSE 82 MIN

NATIONAL MISSISSIPPI RIVER MUSEUM & AQUARIUM JOURNEY THEATER 26

10:15 AM SHORT BLOCK 10 98 MIN

1:00 PM WE BURN LIKE THIS 81 MIN

1:30 PM SHORT BLOCK 7 101 MIN julienfilmfest.com #JDIFF2022

APRIL 22, 2022 4PM

5PM

6PM

7PM

8PM

9PM

10PM

11PM

12AM

7:15 PM STUDENT SPOTLIGHT 2 83 MIN

4:30 PM SHORT BLOCK 3 106 MIN

7:00 PM FUTURE FILMMAKER 1 78 MIN

6:00 PM DISFLUENCY 100 MIN

8:30 PM THOSE DARK NIGHTS 89 MIN

WORLD PREMIERE: MYSTERIOUS CIRCUMSTANCE, THE DEATH OF MERIWETHER LEWIS DOORS OPEN AT 6:30 PM 7:00 PM SCREENING

4:45 PM JUST US 50 MIN

4:30 PM SHORT BLOCK 6 81 MIN

7:30 PM JAMSHIDIEH 91 MIN

AFTER PARTY: ADMIDST MAGAZINE RELEASE PARTY WITH BAND V05 9:30 PM

7:15 PM BRING OUT THE FEAR 73 MIN

4:15 PM RELATIVE 97 MIN

FEATURE

DOC

SHORT

EVENT

FUTURE FILMMAKER

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

SCHEDULE: SATURDAY 9AM

FIVE FLAGS CENTER BIJOU ROOM

10AM

9:15 AM FROM EARTH TO SKY 83 MIN

FIVE FLAGS CENTER MAJESTIC 9:30 AM JUST US 50 MIN

11AM

12PM

1PM

2PM

3PM

12:00 PM THE ISLAND OF LOST GIRLS 103 MIN

3:00 PM CAT DADDIES 89 MIN

12:00 PM AGAINST ALL ODDS: SURVIVING THE HOLOCAUST 80 MIN

3:00 PM AROUND ROBIN 77 MIN

FIVE FLAGS CENTER ORPHEUM 9:45 AM THE FIRE CATS 80 MIN

12:45 PM SHORT BLOCK 8 83 MIN

FIVE FLAGS CENTER THEATER 10:00 AM CHARCOAL SKIES 101 MIN

GRAND HARBOR RESORT & WATERPARK PLATINUM A

9:30 AM A DECENT HOME 86 MIN

12:30 PM THE AUTOMAT 79 MIN

9:30 AM FAILURE TO PROTECT 98 MIN

12:30 PM JOE238 59 MIN

3:30 PM SHORT BLOCK 4 102 MIN

HOLIDAY INN BALLROOM 3:00 PM SHALLOW WATER 88 MIN

HOTEL JULIEN DUBUQUE BALLROOM

PHOENIX THEATRES 10:00 AM LUMINOUS 95 MIN 28

1:00 PM DEALING WITH DAD 105 MIN julienfilmfest.com #JDIFF2022

APRIL 23, 2022 4PM

5PM

6PM

7PM

8PM

9PM

10PM

11PM

12AM

6:00 PM SHORT BLOCK 12 102 MIN

6:00 PM RE-OPENING 91 MIN

9:00 PM JACK 82 MIN

7:15 PM STUDENT SPOTLIGHT 1 71 MIN

4:00 PM SHORT BLOCK 5 103 MIN

SPECIAL EVENT THE JOEY AWARDS A CELEBRATION OF THE ARTS DOORS OPEN AT 7:00 PM 8:00 PM AWARDS SHOW

6:30 PM FUTURE FILMMAKER 2 66 MIN

6:00 PM THE MIRROR GAME 87 MIN

4:00 PM HIM + HER 97 MIN

7:00 PM THE FAMILY 104 MIN

4:00 PM BRING OUT THE FEAR 73 MIN FEATURE

6:45 PM ALEX/OCTOBER 81 MIN DOC

SHORT

EVENT

FUTURE FILMMAKER

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

SCHEDULE: SUNDAY 9AM

10AM

11AM

12PM

1PM

2PM

3PM

FIVE FLAGS CENTER BIJOU ROOM 10:00 AM FREEDOM’S PATH 133 MIN

2:00 PM SHORT BLOCK 11 108 MIN

FIVE FLAGS CENTER MAJESTIC 10:30 AM SHORT BLOCK 8 83 MIN

FIVE FLAGS CENTER ORPHEUM

FIVE FLAGS CENTER THEATER

GRAND HARBOR RESORT & WATERPARK PLATINUM A

HOLIDAY INN BALLROOM

HOTEL JULIEN DUBUQUE BALLROOM

10:15 AM STUDENT SPOTLIGHT 1 71 MIN

10:00 AM REMEMBER ME: THE MAHALIA JACKSON STORY 82 MIN

1:30 PM RELATIVE 97 MIN

1:00 PM SHORT BLOCK 6 81 MIN

12:30 PM HIM + HER 97 MIN

10:30 AM SHORT BLOCK 10 98 MIN

10:15 AM FUTURE FILMMAKER 1 78 MIN

1:45 PM SHORT BLOCK 13 92 MIN

1:15 PM FUTURE FILMMAKER 2 66 MIN

10:00 AM MYSTERIOUS CIRCUMSTANCE, THE DEATH OF MERIWETHER LEWIS 114 MIN

2:00 PM A DECENT HOME WITH SPECIAL PANEL DISCUSSION 86 MIN

PHOENIX THEATRES 10:00 AM I’LL STAND BY YOU 72 MIN 30

12:45 PM LUMINOUS 95 MIN julienfilmfest.com #JDIFF2022

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4:00 PM STUDENT SPOTLIGHT 2 83 MIN

SPECIAL EVENT A CULTURAL ENDING DOORS OPEN AT 3:30 PM / 4:00 PM SCREENING OF ONE PINT AT A TIME BEER & FOOD TASTING 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM

4:00 PM DREAMER 59 MIN

5:15 PM KARMALINK 102 MIN

4:00 PM FRANK MILLER AMERICAN GENIUS 109 MIN FEATURE

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FUTURE FILMMAKER

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

FILM GUIDE

DOCUMENTARIES

F: Family Suitable for all ages M: Mature Contains mature themes & strong language SPONSORED BY BETH GILBREATH

A DECENT HOME Iowa Premiere

86 MIN / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: SARA TERRY / CAST: CANDI EVANA, LUZ GALICIA

When housing on the lowest rung of the American dream is being devoured by the wealthiest of the wealthy, whose dream are we serving? A DECENT HOME addresses urgent issues of class and economic (im)mobility through the lives of mobile home park residents who can’t afford housing anywhere else. They are fighting for their homes—and their communities—as private equity firms and wealthy investors buy up parks, making sky-high returns on their investments while squeezing every last penny out of the mobile home owners who must pay rent for the land they live on.

SPONSORED BY ERIC AND LINDA LUCY

BEST FEATURE NOMINEE FREEDOM’S PATH Iowa Premiere

DRAMA / 133 MIN / M / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: BRETT SMITH CAST: GERRAN HOWELL, RJ CYLER, EWEN BREMNER

GLORY meets DANCES WITH WOLVES in this film depicting a unique friendship between a soldier and runaway slave, centering in and around the Underground Railroad.

Find a Great Selection of youth and adult frames!

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F: Family Suitable for all ages M: Mature Contains mature themes & strong language

HIM + HER Iowa Premiere ROMANCE / 97 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: ICE MROZEK CAST: CALLAN MCAULIFFE, CRISTINA SPRUELL

Crossed phone lines in 1989 lead to a life-changing conversation between two strangers who eventually meet in an unusual way.

SPONSORED BY DR. RANDY AND KELLY LENGELING

IMORDECAI Iowa Premiere

COMEDY / 112 MIN / M / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: MARVIN SAMEL CAST: JUDD HIRSCH, CAROL KANE, SEAN ASTIN, AZIA HALE, STEPHANIE J BLOCK

iMORDECAi is based on the true story of Mordecai Samel, a Holocaust survivor. He was born and raised in a very different time, but must now face the realities of the modern world in sunny Florida. When confronted with an unfamiliar object—an iPhone—will Mordecai be able to fit into a world that has changed so much around him?

THE ISLAND OF LOST GIRLS World Premiere

FAMILY, MYSTERY / 103 MIN / F / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: ANN-MARIE SCHMIDT CAST: AVILA SCHMIDT, AUTUMN SCHMIDT, SCARLET SCHMIDT

Three young sisters get stranded in a sea cave full of sea lions and elephant seals.

JACK USA Premiere

COMEDY / 82 MIN / M / UNITED KINGDOM / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: PELAYO DE LARIO CAST: LUKE ROLLASON, ANGELA SANT ALBANO, LUIS MOTTOLA

In this crazy, SUPERBAD-style comedy, we follow the adventures of Charlie in the search for true love, helped by the advice of his heavily dysfunctional friends. When Charlie meets Barbie Le Fleur, a Canadian transfer student, Jack will do everything in his power to guide his friend in his quest to enchant his dream girl.

JAMSHIDIEH World Premiere

DRAMA, INTERNATIONAL / 91 MIN / GA / SUBTITLES / ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN PERSIAN / DIRECTOR: YALDA JEBEELI / CAST: SARA BAHRAMI, HAMED KOMEILI

A woman wants to take the blame for a killing in a street fight involving her husband. There is no evidence but her confession. If she says nothing, there is no case.

BEST FEATURE NOMINEE KARMALINK Iowa Premiere

INTERNATIONAL, SCI-FI / 102 MIN / GA / SUBTITLES / CAMBODIA CENTRAL KHMER, ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: JAKE WACHTEL CAST: SREY LEAK CHHITH, LENG HENG PRAK, SAHAJAK BOONTHANAKIT

In near-future Phnom Penh, a teenage boy teams up with a street-smart girl from his neighborhood to untangle the mystery of his past-life dreams. What begins as a hunt for a Buddhist treasure soon leads to greater discoveries that will either end in digital enlightenment or a total loss of identity. 41

GA: General Audience Suitable for most audiences. May contain adult situations/language SPONSORED BY SHARON KUTTLER

LOREN & ROSE Iowa Premiere

DRAMA / 82 MIN / M / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: RUSSELL BROWN CAST: JACQUELINE BISSET, KELLY BLATZ, PAUL SAND

A single meal frames this three-act story of the indelible bond between Loren, a promising filmmaker, and Rose, a storied actress looking to reinvigorate her career. From a lunch meeting to discuss a possible collaboration grows a years-long friendship between two people whose love of art, understanding of grief and faith in life’s potential guide them through personal and creative hardships. Kelly Blatz and Jacqueline Bisset star with a chemistry that is at once authentic and intoxicating. THE MIRROR GAME Iowa Premiere DRAMA, COMEDY / 87 MIN / M / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: WILLIAM J. STRIBLING CAST: TEYA PATT, MICHAEL TENNANT, KENNY RIDWAN

Two old friends. One big ask. Filmed covertly (and safely) over four nights in a Las Vegas hotel room during the global pandemic, THE MIRROR GAME is the story of a friendship pushed to its limits. Childhood friends Rose and Abe find themselves in Las Vegas on the same weekend. When Rose asks Abe for a life-changing favor, the evening takes a turn for the unexpected. They spend the night trying to beat the odds.

SPONSORED BY BRIAN AND ANN COOPER BEST FEATURE NOMINEE MYSTERIOUS CIRCUMSTANCE, THE DEATH OF MERIWETHER LEWIS World Premiere

DRAMA / 114 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: CLARK RICHEY CAST: JOHN SCHNEIDER, EVAN WILIAMS, AMYE GOUSSET

Entangled versions of Meriwether Lewis’ death at a remote Tennessee inn are imagined by his friend Alexander Wilson (Billy Slaughter) during a tense encounter with Priscilla Grinder (Amye Gousset), the only witness to the American explorer’s final night alive. In 1809, Lewis (of Lewis and Clark fame) died of gunshot wounds at Grinder’s Stand. Did the governor of the Louisiana Territory commit suicide, as history reports, or was his end far more sinister? This mystery/thriller from writer/director Clark Richey brings together an award-winning cast and crew, including John Schneider (DUKES OF HAZZARD), Sonny Marinelli (ENTOURAGE) and Evan Williams (VERSAILLES) as Lewis. RELATIVE World Premiere

DRAMA, COMEDY / 97 MIN / M / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: MICHAEL GLOVER SMITH CAST: WENDY ROBIE, FRANCIS GUINAN, CAMERON SCOTT ROBERTS

RELATIVE is a comedy/drama about three days in the life of a modern American family. David and Karen Frank are retirement-age progressives who have lived in Chicago for 40 years. When their youngest son, Benji, graduates from college, their daughters Evonne and Norma return home for a weekend celebration. The oldest son, Rod, an unemployed burnout, still pines for his ex, a “cam girl” who wants no part of the festivities. But when the prospect of selling their beloved family home is broached, each of the Franks finds their bonds with the others being tested—and strengthened. REMEMBER ME: THE MAHALIA JACKSON STORY Iowa Premiere

DRAMA / 82 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: DENISE DOWSE CAST: LEDISI, COLUMBUS SHORT, JANET HUBERT, KEITH DAVID

REMEMBER ME is a biopic on the life of Gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, her rise and challenges in the music industry, her unbreakable bond with Dr. Martin Luther King and her dramatic impact on the civil rights movement.

RE-OPENING Iowa Premiere

COMEDY / 91 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: CHRIS GUERRA, MATTHEW JOHN KOPPIN / CAST: CHRIS GUERRA, AMANDA LEHAN, KELSEY COOKE

RE-OPENING is a fully-improvised lockdown mockumentary. Follow the cast and crew of a struggling theater (All Voice IS Theater) in Pigeon Valley, Tennessee. Attempting to prepare a production and re-open the theater to the public after months of pandemic lockdown, they encounter setbacks all along the way.

F: Family Suitable for all ages M: Mature Contains mature themes & strong language

SHALLOW WATER World Premiere

DRAMA, COMEDY / 88 MIN / M / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: MATTHEW E. ROBINSON CAST: CIARA RENÉE, THOMAS E. SULLIVAN, POPPY LIU

Having graduated from college, seven friends celebrate their last moments of freedom at a lake house. As they drink and use drugs, they discuss their aspirations—from becoming doctors and tech entrepreneurs to writers and photographers. Over the subsequent five years, everyone becomes fully immersed in their busy adult lives, dealing with new relationships and new responsibilities. As time passes, their substance abuse and friendships, once fun and carefree, look more dangerous for some, and each person carries secrets they no longer feel comfortable sharing. Ultimately, they must confront the aftermath of their decisions. SWAMP LION Iowa Premiere

DRAMA / 111 MIN / M / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: TORGEN BECH CAST: MICHAEL RAY ESCAMILLA, BRE BLAIR, LUIS BORDONADA

After their son is diagnosed with advanced cancer, a trucker driver and supermarket cashier, Jim and Bee, struggle to overcome the mountain of medical bills. In their greatest hour of need, they are forced to come up with $250,000 to cover treatment. During this emotional and financial crisis, Jim decides to traffic drugs across the US-Mexican border. All sense of morality is thrown out of the window, as Jim does whatever it takes to save his only son. This film explores how far a family will go to save their child and the moral decay that follows love and sacrifice.

SWEET DISASTER Iowa Premiere INTERNATIONAL, DRAMA, COMEDY / 90 MIN / M / GERMANY / ENGLISH, FINNISH, GERMAN SUBTITLES / DIRECTOR: LAURA LEHMUS / CAST: FRIEDERIKE KMPTER, FLORIAN LUKAS, LENA URZENDOWSKY

SWEET DISASTER tells the story of Frida, 40, a German-Finnish painting therapist. Two events change the course of her life. She gets unexpectedly pregnant and Felix, the father of her child, breaks up with her to reunite with his ex, who has suddenly returned. While Felix admits that it is not the best timing, it does not prevent him from leaving. Frida cannot accept Felix’s decision. Although some serious health problems caused by the late pregnancy force her to rest, she tries to get Felix back through absurd, exaggerated and sometimes absolutely comic actions. THOSE DARK NIGHTS

INTERNATIONAL, DRAMA / 89 MIN / BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA / BOSNIAN / SUBTITLES DIRECTOR: FRANÇOIS LUNEL / CAST: MAJA JURIC, ARMAN LUNEL, MUHAMED HADZOVIC

Sarajevo, 1993. Haska is a young mother in love with Elvir, a military commander, but her love for her 8-year-old son Denis is stronger. Haska tries to live a normal life despite living in a warravaged city without water or electricity. After Elvir’s death on the front, she finds his mysterious love note written on a pack of cigarettes. She finally takes Denis and flees the city. Living in a war-free zone, Haska’s emotional and psychological state are put to the test. She decides to return to Sarajevo in search for the truth and meaning to her life.

WE BURN LIKE THIS Iowa Premiere

DRAMA / 81 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: ALANA WAKSMAN CAST: MADELEINE COGHLAN, DEVERY JACOBS, KENDRA MYLNECHUK

When 22-year-old Rae, a descendant of Holocaust survivors, is targeted by Neo-Nazis in Billings, Montana, her ancestors’ trauma becomes real. As antisemitism continues to rise in the community, we follow Rae on her journey to forgive herself, her mother, and the broken world. Inspired by true events, this coming-of-age story shows the inherited effects of historical trauma and the strength of survival and healing.

FILM GUIDE

SHORTS

F: Family Suitable for all ages M: Mature Contains mature themes & strong language SPONSORED BY WOMEN RELIGIOUS OF THE TRI-STATE AREA

ACROSS Iowa Premiere

DOCUMENTARY / 40 MIN / USA / ENGLISH, SPANISH / DIRECTOR: JULIE MIRLICOURTOIS, KAYLA MCCORMICK / CAST: JOHN GARLAND, JENIFER, LUCIA

What happens when a small farming community sets aside its politics and witnesses the humanity of asylum-seekers firsthand? Filmed in Honduras, Texas and Illinois, ACROSS is the story of a Honduran mother and daughter seeking asylum in the U.S. and the Midwestern evangelicals who were shaken by their presence.

BEST SHORT II NOMINEE ALL THAT GLITTERS Iowa Premiere

DRAMA, THRILLER / 23 MIN / M /UNITED KINGDOM / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: DAN BRONZITE CAST: SOPHIA MYLES, ALEC NEWMAN, TILLIE MURRAY

A desperate teenager snatches a rich woman’s handbag but, in a bizarre twist of fate, discovers her life is not as rosy as it seems and that they have more in common than he realizes.

BAINNE Iowa Premiere

INTERNATIONAL, DRAMA / 18 MIN / GA / IRELAND / IRISH / DIRECTOR: JACK REYNOR CAST: WILL POULTER, KELLY THORNTON, STEVE WALL

In the last year of The Great Famine in Ireland, a stoic farmhand survives working for the local landlord. When he encounters a ghostly figure stealing milk, his morality is questioned, and is beguiled on a journey of faith.

BALLOON Iowa Premiere

DRAMA / 17 MIN / M / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: JEREMY MERRIFIELD CAST: PAUL SCHEER, JONAH BERES, JAYLIN OGLE

Exploring gender through the lens of the superhero myth, BALLOON questions how we raise boys when our concept of masculinity has become narrow. For 14-year-old Sam, surviving junior high means staying below the radar. But that becomes impossible after he becomes the target of the school’s next viral video. He’s pressured to “hit back,” but Sam isn’t so sure—even if he does have super powers.

BLACK LIBERATION SPACE

DOCUMENTARY / 12 MIN / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: TRAVON JAKAAR / CAST: JASON SOLE

When Humanize My Hoodie’s co-founder Andre Wright was donated a vacant building in downtown Iowa City, he turned its vacancy into true liberation. Humanize My Hoodie invited community members from near and far to revamp the space into their own resource for change. The results? An array of art forms ranging from fashion, paintings, graphic design, sewing and manufacturing, screen printing, filmmaking, gardening and the occasional haircut and lineup. By fostering a new community, the space was beaming with diverse backgrounds that included University of Iowa graduate students, LatinX folks, Indigenous peoples and a community at large who needed healing during extremely uncertain times. The Black Liberation Space represents art as a form of resilience. BOYS Iowa Premiere

DRAMA / 13 MIN / M / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: LUKE BENWARD CAST: CAMERON CROVETTI, AUGUSAT MATURO, JULES WILLCOX, BART JOHNSON, SCOTT REEVES

Two boys let their imagination run wild in a barren desert, but the fun and games come to a shocking halt.

GA: General Audience Suitable for most audiences. May contain adult situations/language

BY THE CAMPFIRE World Premiere THRILLER, FAMILY / 30 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: MICHAEL R CIMINNA CAST: DAVID AKRIDGE, CARSON GRAY, PHILIP SAAD

As Cooper recalls a story from his past, we dwell deep inside his mind, where we find a group of kids on a camping adventure. As the kids become victims to a series of unexplained events, it becomes difficult to distinguish Cooper’s reality from fiction.

CALL ME BACK: THE UNCOMMON WISDOM OF YVETTE SLOSCH Iowa Premiere

COMEDY / 20 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: AARON WEINSTEIN CAST: LINDA LAVIN, AARON WEINSTEIN

Infamous New York City talent agent Yvette Slosch (Linda Lavin) is determined to make a star out of her newest client, jazz violinist, Aaron Weinstein (himself). She refuses to let Aaron’s lack of name recognition, jazz’s dwindling fan base or the global pandemic get in her way. As the pandemic rages, Yvette’s schemes to keep Aaron’s career afloat become increasingly convoluted, testing her abilities as an agent and her friendship with Aaron.

A CARTOON OF A CAT SLEEPING Iowa Premiere

COMEDY, ANIMATION / 7 MIN / F / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: RANDALL CHRISTOPHER CAST: TONY MISIANO, REX RUSSELL

A seven-minute comedy which unfolds entirely in one shot with no edits, cuts or camera movements. As the story gets more and more chaotic, one big question looms: Will the cat ever wake up?

CHARIDA World Premiere

DRAMA / 14 MIN / GA / REPUBLIC OF KOREA / KOREAN / SUBTITLES DIRECTOR: THOMAS KO / CAST: YUNHEE HONG, AARON HONG

A story of a loving mom and a good son. And their issues and reconciliation.

THE CONSTANT Iowa Premiere

COMEDY, SCI-FI / 6 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: BEN TEDESCO CAST: JAKE BENNETT, ERICA MANNI, JOSHUA DAVID BISHOP

Three PhD students argue the repercussions of their latest experiment on time travel.

CUSSIN’ CABIN Iowa Premiere

COMEDY / 4 MIN / M / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: JAMES E. DUFF / CAST: AMELIA MARTIN

When a North Carolina woman has had about all that she can take, she escapes to her happy place. Cussin’ Cabin is a comedic short about crazy times, big feelings and the satisfaction of finding a release.

F: Family Suitable for all ages M: Mature Contains mature themes & strong language

A DEAD SEA Iowa Premiere

DRAMA / 15 MIN / GA / ISRAEL / ARABIC, ENGLISH, HEBREW / SUBTITLES DIRECTOR: NAHD BASHIR / CAST: MAHMOUD ABU JAZI, KAWAL HAJ DEBSY, TOMER SHARON

Kamel, a Palestinian man in his 50s who has autism, travels with his paralyzed sister to the Dead Sea for seawater treatment of the psoriasis that has spread across his body. At the beach, he finds himself in an unpleasant situation. A little girl stole his rubber ball and Kamel tried to retrieve it. A crowd gathers and suspects that he is a terrorist abducting the girl. He has a hard time explaining himself. He does not understand Hebrew and the Jews do not understand Arabic. Based on a true story that took place in Jerusalem.

AN ENCOUNTER USA Premiere

DRAMA / 21 MIN / M / IRELAND / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: KELLY CAMPBELL CAST: MOSES MURPHY, ROBERT CARNEY, GARY LYDON

Freely adapted from a James Joyce short story, AN ENCOUNTER follows 13-year-olds Stephen and Jay as they take a day playing hooky from school. Jay is a boy Stephen considers to be beneath him. Nervous of being detected, the pair stick to the margins, along the royal canal and through the anonymous docklands until the afternoon finds them on the grassy banks of the Irishtown shore. As they lay hidden in the grass, a strange man approaches. What unfolds with this man terrifies Stephen and will never be erased from his memory.

A FATHER’S JOB Iowa Premiere

DRAMA / 20 MIN / GA EXTREME VIOLENCE / GERMANY / GERMAN / SUBTITLES DIRECTOR: FRANK CHRISTIAN WAGNER / CAST: DOROTHEE FRAUENLOB, CHRISTIAN HARTING, JESSICA FRAUENLOB, MARA HOEBUSCH

In 1940s Germany, Johann’s role in the war separates him from his Jewish wife and child. When her letters stop arriving, he fears a previous flirtation has distracted her, and nothing will be the same again.

FILLING THE VOID World Premiere

COMEDY / 10 MIN / M / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: MATTHEW COROZINE CAST: CAYCEE BLACK, LOLA MALTZ COHEN

In this comedy, follow Compare N’ Despair Queen, Namaste Betch, Gayru and Sad Lonely Girl as they poorly navigate the reality of their lives in the city that never sleeps...well.

A FIRECRACKER STORY USA Premiere

INTERNATIONAL, DRAMA / 20 MIN / GA / CHINA / CHINESE / SUBTITLES DIRECTOR: ZHIZI HAO / CAST: YIYANG SHI

An 8-year-old boy is searching for fireworks on a Chinese New Year’s Eve after a fireworks ban is introduced in his southern Chinese town.

GREY Iowa Premiere ANIMATION / 6 MIN / F / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: VASILINA MIKHAYLOVA

In a snowy forest in medieval Germany, Börn and his horse, Gunnar, come across a slain mother wolf and her frightened pup, Grey. Börn adopts the pup and raises Grey as a companion. A few years later, Börn, Grey and Gunnar enjoy a summer day together in the forest, when a wild wolf pack attacks the trio, endangering them all. As Börn prepares his bow and arrow to fight, Grey recalls the death of his mother and the arrow that killed her. Grey must make a decision: stand by his human friend, or take to the wild with those of his kind. 47

GA: General Audience Suitable for most audiences. May contain adult situations/language

GRUELING GLORY THE MARCH ON CARENTAN World Premiere

DOCUMENTARY / 9 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: CHRISTIAN TAYLOR CAST: TOM RICE, MICHÈLE PHOENIX

A young French-American woman immerses herself in the deeply personal and powerful reality of liberation, as she watches men and women from all across Europe come together to honor World War II 101st Airborne veteran Tom Rice.

HEADLIGHTS Iowa Premiere

DRAMA / 17 MIN / M / UNITED KINGDOM / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: NICK USHER CAST: DAN GAISFORD, AMELIA BENNETT, DU’AINE SAMUELS

Joe is having an affair and getting away with it—until he witnesses a brutal attack. Will he drive away from the scene, or will he do the right thing? Either way, his life will never be the same.

HOLLOW USA Premiere

HORROR, THRILLER / 30 MIN / M /UNITED KINGDOM / ENGLISH DIRECTOR: PAUL HOLBROOK / CAST: LAURA BAYSTON, KARL COLLINS, KRIS HITCHEN

Driven by bloodlust, a mother consumed by grief sets out on a voyeuristic campaign again her son’s killer, hell-bent on violent retribution. However, her deep-rooted moral standards leave her hidden in the shadows. After seeking guidance from her local vicar—a racially-abused man on the edge—the pair explore the intricacies in the words in the Bible: “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’” Fueled by a growing lack of faith, a growing hatred for their world and the injustices that litter their estate, the pair head toward a tragic and violent climax that will change their lives forever. HONK Iowa Premiere

DOCUMENTARY / 46 MIN / F / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: CHERYL ALLISON CAST: HONK THE GOOSE, CHERYL ALLSON, KATHY ROGERS

Dumped and alone at a city park, Honk spends his days dodging cars, begging for food and looking for friends. When Cheryl and Honk’s path cross, what follows is a story in which fairy tales are made. During an unprecedented time of lockdowns and social distancing, this unlikely pair turn to each other for companionship. After Cheryl shares videos of their unusual friendship on social media, Honk becomes an overnight sensation. Media outlets share his story, which results in people all over the world becoming invested in his well-being. With close to 80,000 followers on Instagram, he has become a much-needed symbol of hope, friendship and love during a time of struggle and loss for so many. HOUSE OF FORTUNE Iowa Premiere

INTERNATIONAL, DRAMA / 15 MIN / GA / ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN / PERSIAN SUBTITLES / DIRECTOR: ADEL MASHOORI / CAST: NASSIM AFSHARPOUR

Rahil Mohajer is buried alive by her husband and her father on her wedding night because they think she isn’t a virgin.

HUDSON FALLS Iowa Premiere

DRAMA / 22 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: ELIAS PLAGIANOS CAST: RICARD KIND, JESSICA HECHT, TARA WESTWOOD

The secrets of a small upstate town that revolve around an eccentric scientist (William Sadler) begin to unravel when a private eye from the city (Richard Kind) takes on a seemingly mundane job in an effort to rekindle a relationship with his ex-wife (Jessica Hecht).

F: Family Suitable for all ages M: Mature Contains mature themes & strong language

IBALLA CORAŹON DE ESCAMAS USA Premiere

DOCUMENTARY, INTERNATIONAL / 38 MIN / SPAIN / SPANISH / SUBTITLES DIRECTOR: HOSE HERNÁNDES VIERA / CAST: IBALL RUANO, DAIDA RUANO, SABINA RUANO

After more than two decades in the world class of sports and overcoming different personal and sporting challenges of great significance, Iballa Ruano Moreno achieved in 2018 an historical landmark unprecedented in professional sports: Winning in the same year the PWA World Circuit of Windsurf and the APP World Tour of Stand Up Paddle world championships.

I’M LOSING YOU World Premiere

DRAMA / 14 MIN / M / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: COURTNEY SPOSATO, MARK SPOSATO CAST: KOKO MARSHALL, CATHARINE DADDARIO, NATASHA LYONNE

An alcoholic seeks the comfort of strangers on a video chat website after her infant daughter disappears. She encounters a mysterious woman who may have the answers she’s desperate for.

INTO DUST Iowa Premiere INTERNATIONAL, DRAMA / 40 MIN / GA / UNITED KINGDOM / ENGLISH, URDU DIRECTOR: ORLANDO VON EINSIEDEL / CAST: SUDHA BHUCHAR, INDU SHARMA, DANISH HUSAIN

When Perween Rahman is murdered, her sister Aquila returns to Karachi, Pakistan, to investigate. Finding herself caught up in powerful forces stealing the city’s water, the sister is exposed to the impact of corruption. Based on a true story of one activist who worked tirelessly to protect the rights of Pakistan’s poor.

ISOLATION Iowa Premiere SCI-FI, MYSTERY / 12 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: BRANDON GORRELL CAST: BRANDON GORRELL, ADDISON SCHULTZ, PHILLIP STEIN

In the near future, where virus vaccines are mandatory, a single father tries to protect his daughter from a government-initiated group known as the Vaccination Task Force by planning an escape to one of the few remaining free states.

JADED Iowa Premiere

DRAMA / 30 MIN / M / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: MARCIA CARROLL CAST: MARCIA CARROLL, TODD TERRY, AUSTIN TERRY

“And we wept that one so lovely should have a life so brief.” A week in the life of a family wrought by tragedy.

JUST A GHOUL Iowa Premiere

THRILLER, COMEDY / 29 MIN / M / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: JAMESON DESANTIS CAST: JJ NOLAN, JACOB ZACHAR, COURTNEY PAUROSO

A boy is ghosted when his first date dies, only to be ghosted again when her apparition cannot move on without finishing the date.

GA: General Audience Suitable for most audiences. May contain adult situations/language

A LITTLE DEAD World Premiere

DRAMA, COMEDY, THRILLER / 13 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: BEN RICHARDSON CAST: JACK C. HAYS, EDEN MCGUIRE, BEN RICHARDSON

Hailey and her brother Kevin visit their grandpa’s farm for the weekend. They discover that the caretaker has vanished, and that Grandpa has a new nightly ritual—sharing a drink with his deceased wife and another unseen entity.

THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY Iowa Premiere

DRAMA / 10 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: JOHN GRAY CAST: XANDER BERKELEY, MICHAEL GRAZIADEI, WYATT CIRBUS

All is not what it seems when a father and son have a violent confrontation on Christmas Eve.

LIVING ALL OF LIFE Iowa Premiere

INTERNATIONAL, DRAMA / 27 MIN / GA / MEXICO / SPANISH / SUBTITLES DIRECTOR: MARLÉN RÍOS-FARJAT / CAST: PALOMA WOOLRICH, CARMEN DELGADO

After a lifetime together, Susana has been abandoned by her husband. She is in denial and holds on to the past. One day, she needs the help of her neighbor, Gloria, a free-spirited woman who Susana can’t stand. But the friendship that emerges between them arises in Susana the desire to live in the present.

“LORAS COLLEGE: THE MUSICAL” - WHERE ARE THEY NOW? World Premiere

COMEDY, MUSICAL / 32 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: KYLE KLAPATAUSKAS CAST: STACIA MCDERMOTT, JOHN EBY, RYAN DECKER

This mockumentary takes a humorous look at the quasi-talented faculty and staff of Dubuque’s Loras College and what they are doing now after appearing in the faculty/staff play of 2019, exploring the positive and negative impacts of becoming a local celebrity as well as how the show inspired other creative endeavors.

LOVE ME TINDER Iowa Premiere

HORROR / 13 MIN / M / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: SEAN PATRICK LEONARD CAST: MICKEY O’SULLIVAN, DANA N. ANDERS

From the creative minds of Crash of Rhinos, this horror short film follows Nick, a married man who secretly has been perusing the popular dating app. Tonight is the night when Nick meets his match.

LYDIA EMILY’S LAST MURAL Iowa Premiere

DOCUMENTARY / 21 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: CHRISTOPH JOHANNES SUPERSTAR GREEN / CAST: LYDIA EMILY

Lydia Emily, an L.A.-based mural artist who is living with progressive Multiple Sclerosis, paints her last mural in downtown Los Angeles.

F: Family Suitable for all ages M: Mature Contains mature themes & strong language

A MADE BED USA Premiere

COMEDY / 9 MIN / M / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: ELIZABETH SERRA CAST: CECELIA TRONE, HEATHER MARIE ROBERTS, ANDY MACKENZIE

After escaped convicts hold her family hostage, a young girl learns the importance of enunciation.

MAKE YOUR SOUL GROW World Premiere

DRAMA / 14 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: K.C. CONNOLLY CAST: STEPHEN D’AMBROSE, ERIN NEUFER

The true story of Kurt Vonnegut’s final letter of inspiration.

MARKED Iowa Premiere

DRAMA / 13 MIN / M / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: MATTHEW AVERY BERG CAST: ERIC ROBERTS, DANIEL GIACOMINI

A tattoo artist is forced to confront his past when a client knows what his tattoos really mean.

MATTHEW USA Premiere

DRAMA / 33 MIN / M / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: MATT SERVITTO CAST: BRIAN KEANE, EZRA KNIGHT, ZACHARY ZAMSKY

MATTHEW is a drama about a father’s struggle to integrate his son back into the family and society after being released from a state psychiatric hospital after a thwarted school shooting.

MEMENTO MORI Iowa Premiere

ANIMATION, HORROR, FAMILY, DRAMA / 9 MIN / GA / IRELAND / ENGLISH DIRECTOR: PAUL O’FLANAGAN / CAST: MARK GATISS, LAURA O’FLANAGAN

A storm brews over Victorian Dublin as post-mortem photographer Mr.Huxley returns to his hallowed practice within the gloomy townhouse in which he resides. His latest subject is a recentlydeceased young woman, whose presence conjures the demons of Huxley’s character, compelling him to confront the narcissistic life he has chosen to lead.

BEST SHORT I NOMINEE MILA Iowa Premiere

ANIMATION / 20 MIN / F / USA / NO DIALOGUE / DIRECTOR: CINZIA ANGELINI

MILA is a war story that takes on a child’s perspective. Inspired by World War II stories from the director’s mother, the character of Mila represents the best of humanity. Although she has lost everything—her family, her house, her peace— she still clings to hope. With a little more than imagination and humanity, Mila manages to profoundly impact others, including a caring stranger who saves her. 51

GA: General Audience Suitable for most audiences. May contain adult situations/language

MY ISRAELI FRIEND USA Premiere DOCUMENTARY, INTERNATIONAL / 21 MIN / AUSTRIA / GERMAN / SUBTITILES DIRECTOR: HERMANN WEISKOPF / CAST: ABRAHAM GAFNI, ENZO WEISKOPF

Teenager Enzo, who lives in the virtual world of his computer games, finds out what really matters in real life through his unusual friendship with 90-year-old Jew Abraham Gafni.

PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CONSULATE GENERAL OF CANADA

MY SOUL TO TAKE World Premiere

THRILLER / 14 MIN / M / CANADA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: LAURA VANDERVOORT CAST: COLM FEORE, JENNY RAVEN, RAINBOW SUN FRANCKS

A young woman spends yet another lonely night fixated on her usual routine. An unexpected software update changes everything, summoning her into a dream world.

NEURODIVERGENT Iowa Premiere

DOCUMENTARY / 25 MIN / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: AFTON QUAST SALER

“My mind is like someone emptied the junk drawer onto a trampoline.” From Post-It notes to keys, pens, rubber bands and receipts, the unorganized chaos of a junk drawer is the perfect representation of what goes on in the mind of someone with ADHD. In this profoundly personal mixed-media experience inside the ADHD mind, NEURODIVERGENT follows the filmmaker’s journey as she discovers her ADHD diagnosis during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. When she turns the camera on herself and her family to process what this diagnosis means, she also discovers why so many women with ADHD are undiagnosed and the dire consequences on their lives. THE NIGHT I LEFT AMERICA Iowa Premiere

INTERNATIONAL, DRAMA / 14 MIN / GA / USA / LUGANDA, ENGLISH / SUBTITLES DIRECTOR: LAKI KARAVIAS / CAST: ERICK KIYEEGA, LYDIA NAMAGEMBE, HENRY TUMWESIGUE

While anxiously awaiting the results of his mother’s visa renewal request, a teenage boy living in Texas is confronted by buried memories he left behind in Uganda.

THE PARK BENCH Iowa Premiere

ANNIMATED, FAMILY / 4 MIN / F / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: ROB EDWARDS

In a series of fractured images, we meet a young girl, Bella, who is scared and confused as she watches her mother care for her father in pain. Alone on a park bench one day, Bella meets a duck with a broken wing. She brings the duck home and over time, the duck fills a void in her family’s lives. When the family is whole again and Bella’s father appears healthier than he has in months, Bella and her parents walk the duck back to the park and say goodbye, leaving him to join other ducks heading south for the winter.

THE PEY Iowa Premiere

HORROR, THRILLER / 10 MIN / M / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: RAMONE MENON CAST: KATIE LESZYNSKI, NOELLE MILLER, DANIELE MANZIN

A social-media-obsessed teenager is haunted by a terrifying monster after posting a mysterious GIF online.

F: Family Suitable for all ages M: Mature Contains mature themes & strong language

BEST SHORT I NOMINEE THE POMEGRANATE TREE Iowa Premiere

INTERNATIONAL, DRAMA / 18 MIN / GA / USA / HINDI / SUBTITLES DIRECTOR: KANIKA VORA / CAST: ISHIKA MUCHHAL, SUTEJ SHETTY

After losing her father, a 16-year-old Muslim girl must convince her Hindu neighbors to provide her refuge for one violent night during the Partition of India.

¿QUE HACES AQUI? A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT KAREN Iowa Premiere

DOCUMENTARY, COMEDY / 25 MIN / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: ROB ROOK CAST: KAREN KERBIS

Can flipping through the channels change your life? For Karen, a former prosecutor living in Chicago, her world changed forever when she accidentally fell in love with telenovelas. Now she has quit her job, and she’s moving to Mexico City to write the telenovela she’s always wanted to watch.

RACHELS DON’T RUN Iowa Premiere

DRAMA, SCI-FI / 15 MIN / GA / USA, FRANCE / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: JOANNY CAUSSE CAST: SERA BARBIERI, ANTHONY SHIPWAY, NORA TJOSSEM

While monitoring late-night calls at an AI companionship service, lonely customer support agent Leah impersonates an artificial dream girl to chat with the regular caller for whom she’s developed feelings.

REMNANTS OF MEMORY Iowa Premiere

DOCUMENTARY / 25 MIN / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: MICHAEL ARLEN DAVIS CAST: CHARLES JOHNSTONE, MARTINO MARDERSTEIG

Fine-art photographer Charles Johnstone explores the vivid canals and ancient passageways of Venice, Italy, in search of a new book project. A meditation on artistry and craft, REMNANTS OF MEMORY celebrates beauty in the overlooked, anonymous objects we pass every day.

RESCUE Iowa Premiere

COMEDY / 6 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: G.G. HAWKINS CAST: JOANNA HAUSMANN, JIMMY WONG, ZACK WILLIS

A newly adopted hound contemplates his escape from the couple he thinks has kidnapped him.

SPONSORED BY DUBUQUE REGIONAL AIRPORT

BEST SHORT II NOMINEE ROBERT’S VILLAGE Iowa Premiere

DOCUMENTARY / 33 MIN / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: BRIAN MICHAEL BUSS CAST: ROBERT SERUNJOGI

Robert Serunjogi lost most of his family members during the brutal slayings of Uganda’s Idi Amin administration. After fleeing his home country, Robert started working as a janitor at Colorado State University. While working on campus, Robert met student Laura Schreck and struck up a conversation. This chance meeting led to the pair working together and raising $90,000 to build a school for the displaced children in Robert’s hometown of Buweyeeo. In 2019, Robert and Laura visited the school and witnessed the village in a period of rebuilding after civil war. 53

GA: General Audience Suitable for most audiences. May contain adult situations/language

ROSALIND Iowa Premiere DRAMA, LGBTQ+ / 32 MIN / M / USA / ENGLISH DIRECTOR: VERONICA A. HODGE-HAMPTON / CAST: LETOYA LUCKETT, MARIA LEGARDA, ERICA N. PAGE

Vivian and Rosalind love each other, but after Rosalind’s lung cancer diagnosis, she becomes abusive to her only caregiver, Vivian, for nine life-draining years. When Vivian leaves town to see her dying father, a nurse and their close friend, Phoebe, teaches both Rosalind and Vivian a lesson in love they will never forget.

:60 SECONDS Iowa Premiere

DRAMA, COMEDY / 18 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: JOHN ‘QUIG’ QUIGLEY CAST: EMILY MARTZ, CHRISTOPER WIEHLY, MAJEED NAMI

:60 SECONDS is filled with suspense and twists right to the final second. What if you had only minutes to pull off your next heist? Dixon and his crew–Caleb, the tech genius, and Benny, the muscle–are about to find out when they target a remote desert casino. Dixon starts the plan in motion when he becomes romantically involved with a naive casino cashier. The foursome, each knowing their role in the low-key theft, has only 60 seconds to make their getaway. What ensues– interwoven with flash-forward scenes of what should happen and flashback scenes of what could derail the theft–is a wild, suspenseful ride. THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS

DOCUMENTARY / 35 MIN / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: QUINN EARLY CAST: JULIUS DENAM, SUAVIUS DENEM

In 1895, the son of a runaway slave overcomes various obstacles and fights racial inequality as he embarks on a journey, becoming the first African-American college football player in the state of Iowa. He attends the University of Iowa and leads the Hawkeyes to their first-ever conference championship.

SQUISH Iowa Premiere

INTERNATIONAL, DRAMA, COMEDY / 20 MIN / GA / BELGIUM / FRENCH / SUBTITLES DIRECTOR: XAVIER SERON / CAST: JEAN LE PELTIER, MARTIN VERSET, YOURI DIRKX

Flo has to go to Marrakech for work. So, it’s Tom who takes care of Sam, their 5-year-old son. Flo left him a list of tasks to complete during his absence. Despite this, Tom forgot Sam’s guitar course. From his ryad, Flo calls to blame him. Tom hates being caught. He picks up Sam. The car comes out of the garage at full speed. SPROTCH. Tom just crushed something...

BEST SHORT II NOMINEE STATIC SPACE Iowa Premiere

SCI-FI, LGBTQ+ / 29 MIN / USA / GA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: JOHN KLEIN, KATE BLACK-SPENSE CAST: KATE BLACK-SPENCE, MARIAH COPELAND, LAURIE EMPEN

Jamie is a young woman living in rural Indiana struggling to figure out her place and identity. When she inadvertently stumbles across a frequency on her ham radio and makes contact with astronaut Noa currently orbiting Earth, the two women are presented with the opportunity to find meaningful connection, even while worlds apart.

STILL HERE World Premiere

MUSICAL, DRAMA / 18 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: KAYE TUCKERMAN CAST: NATHANIEL STAMPLEY, LANA GORDON, NATALIE ROY

MT Shorts’ STILL HERE is an original musical short film chronicling the intimate struggles of Nathan, a middle-aged widow, on the two-year anniversary of his wife’s passing. Reluctantly persuaded into a friends-night-out at one of their old New York City haunts, Nathan finds himself a stranger in a world where “swiping” culture dominates meaningful connection. When his friends’ wellintentioned frivolity stirs up visions of what once was, Nathan is caught between the desire to move on and the pervading sense he’s been left behind. Features an all-star cast of Broadway and TV veterans, a lush score and poignant script by award-winning duo Ben Roseberry and Chip Klose, and direction by Kaye Tuckerman.

F: Family Suitable for all ages M: Mature Contains mature themes & strong language

STRUNG

DRAMA / 17 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: JOSEPH BEZENEK, RYAN H. REID CAST: JEROMY DARLING, WYATT DARLING

Lost in the forest of his own mind, Eric must rely on the survival skills of an enigmatic 9-year-old boy to help him battle vicious withdrawals and self-deprivation to catalyze change within his family’s cycle of addiction.

SURVIVERS Iowa Premiere

INTERNATIONAL, DRAMA, SCI-FI, HORROR / 7 MIN / M / SPAIN / FRENCH / SUBTITLES DIRECTOR: CARLOS GÓMEZ-TRIGO / CAST: STEPHANIE MAGNIN, MAARTEN DANNENBERG, ALEX MOREU

Natural selection says that only those who adapt will survive. What if humans have become stupid?

TELOS Iowa Premiere

DRAMA / 15 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: NATALIE LAVALLEY CAST: CANDICE D’MEZA, DEVIKA KORNBACHER, MIA RUIZ

Danika designs a groundbreaking probe after an autoimmune disease prevents her from being an astronaut.

TESLA Iowa Premiere COMEDY / 10 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: RICK ROSS CAST: CHRISTY ST. JOHN, NICK THEURER, KIMIA BEHPOONIA

TESLA is a comedy about listening, both literally and figuratively. It’s the colorful tale of an earnest engineering student forced to take desperate action to make herself heard by her agonizingly masculine downstairs neighbor…who may or may not be playing the loud music that’s keeping her awake at night. The film is an ironic look at what happens when men refuse to listen to women and ultimately makes an appeal for us all to stop assuming and start listening.

TRANSFER Iowa Premiere

SCI-FI / 11 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: SAGE MEARS, AARON PAGNIANO CAST: JACQUELINE JANDRELL, ANDY BEAN

Two strangers engage in an existential job interview.

TURNING BLUE Iowa Premiere

DRAMA / 15 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: DANA WHITE, CHRISTOPHER KNOBLOCK

TURNING BLUE is a film about the final hours of the life of 75-year-old Clara. Her nurse, Val, must break the news to her daughter, Violet, that Clara’s feet are turning blue, a sign that she is transitioning towards death. Based on a true story.

GA: General Audience Suitable for most audiences. May contain adult situations/language

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Arts & Culture in Dubuque. Tim & Christine Conlon

www.conlonco.com

F: Family Suitable for all ages M: Mature Contains mature themes & strong language

WASTED SEED Iowa Premiere

DRAMA / 18 MIN / M / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: NINO MANCUSO CAST: HELEN KENNEDY TURNER, BAMBADJAN BAMBA, KIM ESTES

A couple’s desire to have a child sets them on a journey that will test the threshold of their love and connection.

WATERPROOF Iowa Premiere

DOCUMENTARY / 31 MIN / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: ROSS KAUFFMANN CAST: JOHN J. RYAN SR, JOHNNY RYAN JR., KATHY RYAN PIACENTINE

Immersive and cinematic, WATERPROOF is the story of one community’s crusade to create a safe swimming environment in East Hampton, New York. Led by the incomparable Big John and Johnny Jr., these lifeguards give the best of themselves to train, compete and ultimately ensure the safety of locals and tourists alike at the eastern end of Long Island.

BEST SHORT II NOMINEE WHEN THE SWALLOWS FLY AWAY Iowa Premiere

INTERNATIONAL, DRAMA / 19 MIN / GA / BELGIUM / FRENCH / SUBTITLES DIRECTOR: SÉBASTIEN PINS / CAST: FERNAND GATHOT, ANDRÉE GATHOT, BENJAMIN GRUSLIN

In a small rural village, a young boy befriends Fernand and Andrée, a farmer couple who, at 80 years old, find themselves struggling to feed their remaining livestock.

YOU’RE NOW BEYOND HOPE, ARIZONA Iowa Premiere

DRAMA / 22 MIN / M / USA / ENGLISH, SPANISH / SOME SUBTITLES DIRECTOR: NICK DUGAN / CAST: LUCCA DE OLIVERIA, ELYSE MIRTO, GEORDIE KIEFFER

When a viciously traumatized alcoholic is ordered to kill an AA sponsor whose gambling debts are worse than his own, he must learn the art of self-forgiveness or succumb to a perpetual cycle of moral decay.

ZAIDA Iowa Premiere

DOCUMENTARY / 32 MIN / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: SOPHIE PARENS

Henri Parens escaped from the Holocaust at the age of 12 and went on to become a globally recognized psychoanalyst, dedicating his life’s work to the prevention of prejudice. With her documentary ZAIDA, his granddaughter celebrates his legacy, and pleads with her own generation to continue his life’s work.

SHORT BLOCK LINEUP SHORTS

81 MINUTES

103 MINUTES

95 MINUTES

• HOUSE OF FORTUNE • MARKED • HEADLIGHTS • AN ENCOUNTER • THE POMEGRANATE TREE • A FATHER’S JOB

• GRUELING GLORY THE MARCH ON CARENTAN • ROBERT’S VILLAGE • BLACK LIBERATION SPACE • ACROSS

101 MINUTES

83 MINUTES

• CALL ME BACK: THE UNCOMMON WISDOM OF YVETTE SLOSCH • STILL HERE • FILLING THE VOID • “LORAS COLLEGE: THE MUSICAL” - WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

• A LITTLE DEAD • ISOLATION • TRANSFER • THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY • MEMENTO MORI • A MADE BED • JUST A GHOUL • RESCUE

• MILA • THE PARK BENCH • A CARTOON OF A CAT SLEEPING • GREY • HONK

102 MINUTES

92 MINUTES

105 MINUTES

• STRUNG • JADED • WASTED SEED • I’M LOSING YOU • HUDSON FALLS

• BAINNE • SQUISH • A FIRECRACKER STORY • A DEAD SEA • WHEN THE SWALLOWS FLY AWAY

• WATERPROOF • THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS • IBALLA CORAŹON DE ESCAMAS

FUTURE FILMMAKERS

78 MINUTES

• 101.7 • PENPALS • PANIC • GROWING PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST • ARACHNOPHOBIA • SIDE EFFECTS MAY INCLUDE... • LITTLE BLOOD

66 MINUTES

• BONE APPETIT • THE GIFT • EXPERIMENT 918 • HIGH ROAD • RESET • GAME ON • PARADISE • THE OUTSIDE

106 MINUTES

102 MINUTES

103 MINUTES

• BALLOON • RACHELS DON’T RUN • BOYS • YOU’RE NOW BEYOND HOPE, ARIZONA • TURNING BLUE • ALL THAT GLITTERS

• TESLA • TELOS • STATIC SPACE • :60 SECONDS • CUSSIN’ CABIN • MAKE YOUR SOUL GROW • THE CONSTANT

• SURVIVERS • MY SOUL TO TAKE • BY THE CAMPFIRE • LOVE ME TINDER • HOLLOW • THE PEY

106 MINUTES

98 MINUTES

108 MINUTES

• INTO DUST • MATTHEW • ROSALIND

• REMNANTS OF MEMORY • NEURODIVERGENT • LYDIA EMILY’S LAST MURAL • ¿QUE HACES AQUI? A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT KAREN

• LIVING ALL OF LIFE • MY ISRAELI FRIEND • CHARIDA • ZAIDA • THE NIGHT I LEFT AMERICA

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

71 MINUTES

• THE BLUE DOOR • BEA, SERIOUSLY • RED WINE AND RAIN • SEIZURE THE DAY • THE FORGOTTEN PEOPLE

83 MINUTES

• AIN’T NO MERCY FOR RABBITS • OST. • VENEERS • RECHARGED • HELICOPTER PARENTS • THE OTHER

FILM GUIDE

FUTURE FILMMAKERS ( Under 18 years old.)

F: Family Suitable for all ages M: Mature Contains mature themes & strong language

101.7 Iowa Premiere

DRAMA / 24 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: PAULINA OLSZYNSKI CAST: MAEVE HOULIHAN, ELLA RADOJKOVIC, SOPHIE LEONARD, BLAIRE

After losing everything to a pandemic, four girls must lean on each other to build a new life, even if it means hiding a dangerous secret. Friendships and survival are tested...one degree at a time.

ARACHNOPHOBIA Iowa Premiere

COMEDY, HORROR / 2 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: LUKE GOLLAN CAST: ANNSLEY HELENHOUSE, CLARA DITSCH

Two girls get stranded in a bathroom for months due to a spider.

BONE APPETIT Iowa Premiere

THRILLER, HORROR / 4 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: BLAIRE BROWN CAST: AUSTIN PETON, MAC STUDIOS RAPACH

Campers have been slowly disappearing from camp. Though it’s not until Blues wakes up to his best friend nowhere to be found....

EXPERIMENT 918 Iowa Premiere

THRILLER, DRAMA / 5 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: ANNSLEY HELENHOUSE CAST: OLIVIA JAMES, WILL KASHER

At an attempt to find the missing campers in their cabins, Olivia and Will discover secrets about someone watching them.

GAME ON Iowa Premiere

COMEDY / 14 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: JOEY MORGAN CAST: ALEXA WELLINGTON, SHAYNA YOUKHANA, LIAM EDDY, LEE DOYLE

Friendships are tested when a Prank Wars competition gets...messy.

THE GIFT Iowa Premiere

DRAMA / 2 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: WESTON M., ADAN K. CAST: WES “WESTON M.” TIAN, ELLA RADOJKOVIC, AIDAN K.

A middle school trio discovers one of their good friends has a new special ability...

GA: General Audience Suitable for most audiences. May contain adult situations/language

GROWING PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST Iowa Premiere 17 MIN / GA / USA / ARABIC, ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: STEVEN HOFFEN CAST: STEVEN HOFFEN, YOAVE TAMIR, NADIA GIOL

A seventh-grader from New York is inspired by a visit to Sindyanna of Galilee in Israel—a unique non-profit organization led by a team of Arab and Jewish women working together to create social change from the ground up. He spends the year during the pandemic inspired to document the new hydroponics project at Sindyanna, which strives to enhance Arab-Jewish cooperation, while creating economic opportunities for Arab women.

HIGH ROAD Iowa Premiere

DRAMA / 17 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: JOSHUA THOMAS CAST: MONTGOMERY SAMUEL THOMAS, VALENTIN GERONIMO PERRY, ROMAN HIERONIMUS PERRY

They can’t bury the hatchet, so they bury each other. The offspring of two families continue a longrunning feud that began before they were born.

LITTLE BLOOD Iowa Premiere

ANIMATION / 8 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH DIRECTOR: CRESTWOOD 4TH & 5TH GRADERS / CAST: JOCELYN P, SAWYER S, JAHMIR W

An animated retelling of a Mayan myth by the fourth- and fifth-grade students of Crestwood Elementary school in Madison, Wisconsin.

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Boutique

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F: Family Suitable for all ages M: Mature Contains mature themes & strong language

THE OUTSIDE Iowa Premiere 6 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: MAC RAPACH CAST: BLAIRE BROWN, PAIGE LANDRU, PAULINA OLSYNSKI

THE OUTSIDE is a brief story about a girl attending a summer camp that suffers from social anxiety. She struggles to connect with her fellow camp members. During one of the nights at camp, she enters a dream-like sequence where she is forced to confront her anxiety. After her self-reflection, she finds the key.

PANIC Iowa Premiere

DRAMA, COMEDY / 4 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: CLARA DITSCH CAST: MADIE NEELY, BLAIRE BROWN, MICHELLE FEHSENFELD

Emma is stressing over the big “test” she has. With her anxiety running, what will happen?

PARADISE Iowa Premiere

DRAMA / 19 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: JOSHUA THOMAS CAST: ROSEMARY NICOLE KONVISER, EMMA CLEMTINE THOMAS, MONTGOMERY SAMUEL THOMAS

Would a dead man lie? In a world without rain, two sisters search for water to survive but find much more.

PENPALS Iowa Premiere

DRAMA / 5 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: PAIGE LANDRUM / CAST: ANNSLEY HELEHOUSE, WILL KASHER, CASIMERE JOLLETTE

After summer camp attendee Layla gets a vulnerable letter from her best friend Max, there is a lot left unsaid—and what seems to be a confusing dream turns out to have an unimaginable meaning.

RESET Iowa Premiere COMEDY / 3 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: TJ MCNAMARA CAST: JOSH WILLENSON, LUKE GOLLAN

Jonah wakes up and everything seems familiar. He ends up continuously living the same minute of his life over and over.

SIDE EFFECTS MAY INCLUDE... Iowa Premiere

COMEDY, DRAMA / 15 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: JESSICA NEEDHAM CAST: ELLA RADOJKOVIC, CRUZ GENET, MAEVE HOULIHAN, TJ MCNAMARA, CRINA SHAH

As a pandemic ravages the land, an elite group of commando kids are called to duty to uncover the cause of the rising crime rate and eliminate the source.

FILM GUIDE

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT ( Over the age of 18 in college or university.)

F: Family Suitable for all ages M: Mature Contains mature themes & strong language

AIN’T NO MERCY FOR RABBITS Iowa Premiere

DRAMA / 16 MIN / M / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: ALIZA BRUGGER / CAST: ROBYN KENNEDY, LINDSEY MELANCON

When Gramma gets sick, Roan must learn to survive on her own in a world without drinkable water.

BEA, SERIOUSLY Iowa Premiere

DRAMA / 10 MIN / M / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: HANNA GRAY ORGANSCHI CAST: GIOVANNA DRUMMOND, ELIZABETH KEIFER

Bea shows up at her mother’s house to decide what to do about an unexpected pregnancy.

THE BLUE DOOR World Premiere

DRAMA / 10 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: HARSHA GULLAPALLI

A man has to let go of his present to go back to the joy of the past.

THE FORGOTTEN PEOPLE World Premiere

DOCUMENTARY / 9 MIN / USA / ENGLISH DIRECTOR: CLARKE ACTIVISIM VALUES INFORMED EDUCATION STUDENTS

With their home turned into a nuclear test site after World War II, thousands of people were forced to flee the Marshall Islands. Some of these families found a home in Dubuque, Iowa, yet faced new challenges like language barriers and issues with their work documentation. With funding from the Activism and Values Informed Education Clarke Compass Award, six Clarke University students interviewed members of the Marshallese population in Dubuque to share their story and raise awareness of the obstacles this vibrant community still faces today.

HELICOPTER PARENTS Iowa Premiere

COMEDY / 9 MIN / M / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: PATRICK SKEYHILL CAST: JESSE TROUT, GRETCHEN HARRIS, HOWARD LEDER

After arriving home from studying abroad, Eric Walters is reluctant to see his folks, Mitchell and Mary. But as he is welcomed back, Eric is met with an unusual surprise.

OST. Iowa Premiere

HORROR, THRILLER / 19 MIN / GA / THAILAND / ENGLISH, THAI / DIRECTOR: ABHICHOKE CHANDRASEN / CAST: PRAPAMONTON EIAMCHAN, WIZZ INASIA, MAYTHAVEE BURAPASING

A scoring assistant working on a horror feature film finds her debilitating perfectionism has manifested as the film’s malevolent spirit who will not let her live past the night unless she delivers a perfect score.

GA: General Audience Suitable for most audiences. May contain adult situations/language

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL ENTRIES IN THE JULIEN DUBUQUE FILM FESTIVAL

F: Family Suitable for all ages M: Mature Contains mature themes & strong language

THE OTHER Iowa Premiere

DRAMA / 15 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: NOLAN HIEU TRIFUNOVIC CAST: JOON PAUL KIM, KRISTA NICOLE OWENS, LEILA PERRY

Two combatants are trapped in a mysterious hotel where they can’t die and don’t know how to leave. Stuck in a seemingly endless cycle of violence, the two combatants must change their tactics to save themselves.

RECHARGED Iowa Premiere 5 MIN / F / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: BRENCE PLATNER / CAST: MICHAEL PLATNER, BRENCE PLATNER A caring and prideful father builds a robot, hoping for it to become a prominent doctor. But as the robot grows older, it pursues its dream of being in a rock-and-roll band, forcing the father to confront his pride before his relationship with the robot is destroyed entirely.

RED WINE AND RAIN World Premiere

DRAMA / 17 MIN / M/ USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: JENNIFER MARIE MORGAN CAST: ELL LEE, NINA GOSIENGFIAO, KOJI NIIYA

A heartbreaking infidelity brings two couples to what may be their final meeting. Will the painful end define their relationships, or will the memories of the past heal all wounds? Can you let go and hold on at the same time? An AAPI-led narrative.

SEIZURE THE DAY Iowa Premiere DRAMA / 22 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: MACKENZIE HOPFAUF CAST: MADDIE CONWAY, KEVING ROMANO, TRACY REESE

Aspiring chef Louisa anticipates focal resection surgery to remove the part of her brain causing her seizures. Trying to finish a scheduled list of things she would like to do before the surgery, she learns the importance of living life in the moment.

VENEERS Iowa Premiere DRAMA / 16 MIN / GA / USA / ENGLISH / DIRECTOR: MATT SCOTT JONES CAST: LANDON MOSS, ASHLEY DENISE ROBINSON, DARIAN MICHAEL GAREY

Every day is a new series of performances for Trevor, because he believes that the only way to be valued is to be, at all times, the most perfect version of himself possible. It’s a gargantuan task— one that requires so much work, it’s as if he has stagehands to assist in building the facades in his apartment. Throughout the day, his world reorganizes as the people around him come and go. But the exhaustion of performing starts to erode at the perfect illusion he’s constructed.

Heaven to Filmmakers. Welcome to Iowa — home of genuine hospitality, talented production crews and one of the lowest costs of doing business in America. If you’re a filmmaker looking for an authentic experience paired with a beautiful location, our state is ready for your story.

CONTACT

Liz Gilman Executive Producer 515.725.0044 liz.gilman@iowa.gov produceiowa.com

2022 JDIFF Official Program

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