Jack London's Martin Eden

Jay Craven

BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE - Sponsored by Vinotta Restaurant
105 min | 2021 | USA | Boston Premiere

Filmed exclusively on Nantucket during the pandemic, director Jay Craven mystically takes you back in time to the turn of the century and introduces you to Martin Eden, a poor and unschooled sailor who unexpectedly meets a magnetic young woman of means and education. Based on Jack London’s autobiographical novel, this dynamic film captures the socio-economic class distinctions of the time.

Official Selection: World Premiere – Nantucket FF

---

THE YELLOW KITE

Yousuf Khan Noor
7 min | 2021 | Bangladesh | US Premiere

Two children…a kite. One a schoolboy, the other a garbage collector and for a few moments they forget that they are on different paths in life.

Official Selection: Peace Film Festival – Dhaka, Bangladesh

Times of Plenty

BEST ANIMATION SHORT - Sponsored by Real Gusto Restaurant

Claudio Costa

13 min | 2020 | Italy | US Premiere

Italy is revealed through a satirical comedy told by Cesare, a young boy living with his family in Rome.  TIMES OF PLENTY is a reference to the socio-cultural climate of the 80’s and 90’s in Italy, a time of the Socialist Party and young, upwardly mobile yuppies…a time of Silvio Berlusconi’s privately owned TV channels, the new agreement with the Holy See…a period in which Italy came to be the fifth leading industrial country in the world, but also a time of spiraling growth in public spending, growth that many knew could not last 

Awards: Willlachen Comedy & Satire Filmprize - The Golden Cellar Rattle (Wien Austria), Honorable Mention/New Generation Film Festival (Belgrade Serbia)
Official Selections: David Donatello (Rome Italy

The Last Jam Jar

BEST SHORT NARRATIVE

Watch in Shorts Program ONE

Arpan Bahl

13 min | 2021 | India | US Premiere

Inspired by a true story of eternal love, caught in a moment. On their special day, Govind spends it with Leela in a trance-like state. When the day ends and he returns home will the trance be broken?

Official Selection: West Europe FF (Brussels Belgium).

Hunger Ward

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

Skye Fitzgerald

40 min | 2020 | US/Yemen | World Premiere

Nominated for a 2021 Oscar, HUNGER WARD is the third film in the Refugee Trilogy by 2x Oscar & Emmy nominated director Skye Fitzgerald. Filmed from inside two of the most active therapeutic feeding centers in Yemen, HUNGER WARD documents two women health care workers fighting to thwart the spread of starvation against the backdrop of a forgotten war. The film provides an unflinching portrait of Dr. Aida Alsadeeq and Nurse Mekkia Mahdi as they work to save the lives of hunger-stricken children within a population on the brink of famine. With unprecedented access within a sensitive conflict-zone, HUNGER WARD reveals a world of bravery and commitment-to-care for war-stricken children amidst desperate need.

Official Selections: LA Shorts Int’l Film FF, Melbourne Doc FF, Sebastopol Doc FF CA, BraveMaker FF, CA, Doc Edge FF/ Auckland, New Zealand, Mountainfilm/Telluride, CO, Luminous Frames/Arena Midt, Denmark, One World/Prague, Czech Republic, Carmarthen Bay/Llandello, UK, Minneapolis-St. Paul Int'l/ Minneapolis, MN, IRC Refugee FF/San Diego, CA, Malibu Int’l FF/Malibu, CA, Human Rights FF/Berlin, Germany, Portland Int’l FF/Portland, OR, HUMAN Int’l Doc F/Oslo, Norway, DOC NYC/ Virtual Festival/ New York, HollyShorts/Virtual Festival/Los Angeles, CA.

---

CELLMATE

Behzad Khodaveisi

12 min | 2019 | Iran | US Premiere

An innocent, naïve girl’s youth is stolen in marriage. CELLMATE is meant to highlight the 12 million young girls that are married off before the age of 18.

Woman

BEST EXPERIMENTAL SHORT

Lillian Carter

4 min | 2020 | US | East Coast Premiere

‘WOMAN’ reveals the three archetypes that all women utilize throughout their lives. The Mother is Unconditional Love, The Hunter is search for the Truth and The Witch is Wisdom and Intuition. They are innate strengths we draw from to understand others decisions, resolutions and perspectives as well as our own.

Awards: BEST EXP SHORT: LA Sun FF CA, Festigious -Los Angeles Monthly Film Competition CA, Hong Kong Indie Film Festival China: Official Selections: Tokyo Int’l Short FF Japan, New Wave Short FF Germany, Red Movie Awards France, Top Shorts FF CA, Serbest Int’l FF Serbia, LA Indies FF CA, Toronto Int’l Woman FF Canada, Venice Shorts FF CA, Int’l Mobile FF CA, Green Mountain Int’l FF Vermont, New York Tri-State Int’l FF NY, Silver Screen Short FF India.

---

SCREENED WITH

RESTART 2020

Drew Furtado

40 min | 2020 | US | Festival Circuit Premiere

A story of perseverance and creativity that could be adapted to any town in the world, Restart 2020 is the story of three artists from New Bedford, MA with big plans for 2020. Unbeknownst to them, the COVID-19 pandemic would challenge and alter their endeavors dramatically. Yet undaunted, artists worked through the pandemic, creating art installations that inspired hope to the residents of the Whaling City during a dark time.

FLOATING WORLD - LIFE 1.0

BEST EXPERIMENTAL SHORT

Dénes Ruzsa and Fruzsina Spitzer

4 min  | 2019 | Hungary |  US Premiere

Earth is a small floating world, isolated in the infinity of the cosmos, the only place we know supporting life. The animation presents the first stage in the development and evolution of Life 1.0, as referred to by Swedish-American physicist, cosmologist Max Tegmark.

MARKED

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

Henry Ogunjimi

25 min | 2019 | Nigeria | New England Premiere

It's the 21st century, and Henry carries marks of the culture of the Nigerian Yoruba people on his face. Remembering vividly the teasing from schoolmates while growing up, he goes to Oyo town to find out what is left of this almost-extinct tradition of tribal marks.

THE AMERICAN BULL

BEST NARRATIVE SHORT

Fatemeh Tous

15 min | 2020 | Iran

In a border village between Iran and Iraq, a group of villagers practice animal husbandry. Saheb, the teenage boy who owns the only male American bull, is heavily dependent on his bull and earns money by its servicing for breeding.

MOTHER AND MILK

BEST SHORT ANIMATION

Ami Lindholm

10 min | 2019 | Finland | US Premiere

What happens when a baby is born? Mother and Milk describes the mental process of becoming a parent - imagined as a catastrophe film. When the baby is born the new mother has to give up the life she knew. A flood of breast milk covers everything - her home, work, friends, relationship and a good night’s sleep. Only after realizing she is a part of the eternal chain of generations, Mother is able to accept the situation and start living her new life in the family. The film’s humor is sharp but warm, and the disaster turns into a newly found acceptance of the change.

OMAR AND US

BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE

Maryna Er Gorbach and Mehmet Bahadir Er

100 min | Turkey | 2019

Ismet, a Turkish soldier who worked at the Turkish-Greek border as a Commander of the Coast Guard has recently retired. Now a civilian, he struggles to communicate with his family and people around him. In the midst of this transition, two Syrian refugees (Omar and Mariye) move into the house next to his and the ‘human experience’ begins where he is forced to face his prejudices and political view.

Professional actors Taj Sher Yakub (Omar) and Hala Alsayasneh (Mariye) were Syrian refugees living in Turkey under temporary immigration status when this was filmed. Recently, the French Immigration Office has accepted Hala Alsayasneh as an “artist immigrant”; she is currently living in Paris and working as an actress.

Awards: International Competition – Best Film, Best Script, Best Actor at South East European Film Festival, Paris, France; Ecumenical Jury Award at Warsaw Film Festival (World Premiere), Poland; Audience Best Film & Best Script Award at Malatya Int’l Film Festival, Turkey; Best Film & Best Director Award at Kayseri Film Festival, Turkey; Best Film Award at Santa Cruz Film Festival, Argentina; Dialog Award Nomination at Cottbus Film Festival, Germany; International Competition at Kolkata Film Festival, India; Best Actor at Fantasporto Film Festival, Porto, Portugal; Official Selection at Haifa Film Festival

SCREENING WITH

MARASIM - BEYOND BORDERS

Priscilla Elias

9 min | UAE | 2019 | US Premiere

Expats from two nations at war, bond in a foreign land over a common love of cricket. Forming a camaraderie - their marasim (connection) fades their partition.

SOCKEYE SALMON, RED FISH

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Dmitriy Shpilenok and Vladislav Grishin

51 min | Russian Federation | 2020

An exquisitely beautiful film…the cinematography extraordinary! Sockeye, a species of wild salmon, is born in Kamchatkan waters and spends its entire life in the Pacific Ocean. Only once does it return to fresh waters - to give offspring, start the circle of life, and die. It is an inexhaustible resource that feeds billions of people on the planet, restored every year! But soon, we may find ourselves facing the unimaginable: humans will exhaust the inexhaustible! The ecological and poaching stories are delicately interwoven…visually stunning!

SCREENED WITH

NAMES FOR SNOW

Rebecca Thomassie

6 min | 2018 | Canada | US Premiere

Rebecca Thomassie, an Inuk of Kangirsuk, Nunavik participates in Wapikoni workshops to document traditional knowledge and ensure the sustainability of her culture. This short follows Rebecca as she learns the 53 Inuktitut words for snow and passes this knowledge on to her daughter.

THE PLACE THAT MAKES US

BEST OF FESTIVAL

Karla Murthy

70 min | USA | 2019

Among the industrial ruins of America, a new generation is rebuilding home. When the steel mills shut down in Youngstown Ohio, it shattered a way of life. Over half the population left. Thousands of empty blighted homes were left behind, eroding the social fabric of this once mighty industrial base. Like many post-industrial towns, persistent joblessness, crime and poverty plague the city. Filmed over the course of 2 1/2 years, this film weaves the lives of a new generation of residents who have grown up in a world of post-industrial decline. Unlike their parents’ generation, haunted and traumatized by watching their way of life crumble around them, this generation is able to envision a new future, and they are working to make a life for themselves in their hometown. An inspiring testimony to the modest but profound resilience and dedication it takes to transform a community. A crucial story to be heard at a time of extreme inequality, divisiveness, upheaval and uncertainty, "The Place That Makes Us" is a meditation on the meaning of home in America today.  

Official Selections: Woods Hole Film Festival, MA; River's Edge International Film Festival, Paducah, KY

SCREENED WITH

FYRVAKTAREN - BATHTUB BY THE SEA

Ole-André Rønneberg

15 min | 2019 | Norway | East Coast Premiere

Day in and day out Gunnar, a lighthouse keeper, does the same things. He drinks his coffee, fishes with his boat, and on Wednesdays and Saturdays he has his outdoor bath. But one day a mermaid comes in with the tides, and he must use his bathtub for her. When bathing day comes and the bathtub is occupied, it gets complicated for Gunnar.

Official Selections: Blue Sea Film Festival, Rauma, Finland; Festival Int’l du Film de Nancy, France; WENIFF, Ålesund, Norway; Indie-Lincs Int’l Fil Festival, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, UK; Cellu L'art Short Film Festival Jena, Germany; International Film Festival, New York, USA; Skepto Int'l Film Festival, Cagliari, Italy; Clujshorts Int’l Short Film Festival, Cluj, Romania; Myrtle Beach Film Festival, South Carolina; Prato Film Festival, Italy; Paleochora Lost World Short Film Festival, Paleochora, Crete, Greece; Doc Sunback Film Festival, Mulvane, Kansas; One Country One Film Int’l Festival, Apchat, France; Annual Reelheart Int’l Film and Screenplay Festival, Toronto, Canada; Geelong Int’l Film Festival, Geelong, Victoria, Australia; Working Title Film Festival, Vicenza, Italy; Aqua Film Festival, Rome, Italy; TISFF - THESS Int’l Shorts Film Festival, Thessaloniki, Greece; Aretaler Kurzfilmtage, Münsingen, Berne, Switerland

LAC-NOTE INTOLERANT

HIGH SCHOOL CATEGORY: SPECIAL JURY MENTION

Nathaniel Sackson, Ana Burman, Chantrea Anderson, Emma Kaufman-Horner, Mallory Greene, Max Mongosso, Omara English, Ian Phillips, Yutong Dai, Ouyang Xuanjie, and Sarah Apple

7 min | Light House Studio | Charlottesville, VA (US) | 2019 | New England Premiere 

Jury Statement: Excellent creativity and excellent acting. This film will grab the audience and pull them in to the world of the film. It is really impressive that you were to pull off something to this scale. Very, very well done. Bravo!

DIMITTO

HIGH SCHOOL CATEGORY: GRAND JURY PRIZE - BEST EXPERIMENTAL

Riley Foulk, Jago Gould, J Rea, Chloe Rodriguez, and Gabriel Zakaib

5 min | Light House Studio | Charlottesville, VA (US)  | 2019 | New England Premiere 

Jury Statement: This is a beautiful story, and every aspect of the film feels intentional from coloring to the movement of the actors. Loved the way the shots of the “happy place” interlock with the real-world family. 

RITA

HIGH SCHOOL CATEGORY: GRAND JURY PRIZE - BEST NARRATIVE

Will Nordstrom

 10 min | Pacific Palisades, CA (US) | 2020 | New England Premiere

Jury Statement: This is a particularly good soft film with good technical execution and good directing skills.  We all need relationships. This film explores friendship.  Well done.

Awards: Westflix, Hollywood/CA/US - Founder Award | IndieFest Film Awards, La Jolla/CA/US - Awards of Merit | Screen Test Student Fest, Schaumburg, IL, US - Best Actress.

THE DREAM CAFÉ

HIGH SCHOOL CATEGORY: SPECIAL MENTION - BEST AUDIO

Shuqian Lyu

8 min | Shanghai/China | 2019 | US Premiere

Jury Statement: A sweet piece that pulls you right into the world of the characters. Very niece shooting and engaging content. 

UNMASKED

HIGH SCHOOL CATEGORY: GRAND JURY PRIZE - BEST EXPERIMENTAL

Sophia Quigley

4 min | Raw Arts Works Lynn, MA | US | 2019 | Boston Premiere 

Jury Statement: Good execution on an ambitious project. The cinematography makes the world you create pop. Sound and lighting are well done. The music and effects are great choice. Well done and congratulations.

The cycle of mask and contradictions of human personalities.

HOLD ON

HIGH SCHOOL CATEGORY: SPECIAL MENTION JURY - BEST LIGHTING

Blue Ridge Detention Center

3 min | Light House Studio | Charlottesville, VA (US) | 2019 | New England Premiere

Jury Statement: A film about students in a detention center. Incredibly good execution in all aspects of this music video. The performing, lighting, shot composition, and editing were all good. The lighting is wonderful. Congratulations on a successful project. 

SANCTUARY

HIGH SCHOOL CATEGORY: GRAND JURY PRIZE - BEST OF FESTIVAL

L-J ShenFilerman

9 min | Arlington MA | 2020 | World Premiere 

Jury Statement: Technically not a script, but each person interviewed gets their point across clearly, and the film is amazingly easy to follow. Gives that perfectly tense, horror-movie feeling. Incredibly well-mixed, and the background music is a perfect fit.

The film follows the Arlington mandated stay-at-home order. A young man’s criminal past catches up to him and exposes him to unforeseen danger.

ZOE

HIGH SCHOOL CATEGORY: GRAND JURY PRIZE - BEST ANIMATION

Marta Krunić

11 min | Croatia

Jury Statement: Everything below lighting, audio, cinematography is very well done. Foley and dialogue is in there with little to no background static, except when appropriate. Nothing is too loud or too quiet. Love the use of drone shots.

A film that plays the role between dreams and reality. In a dimension unknown to man, a dimension on the verge of shadows, a girl enters his life. Her name is Zoe.

Awards:

International Children’s Film Festival (Bangladesh, 2019) - Bangladesh premiere - Best Film (Child Filmmakers section) - International

Highway 61 Film Festival (Pine City, MN, USA, 2019) - First Place winner in Student Shorts category (age 18 and under)

Festival Internacional de Cinema Escolar de Alvorada / Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil, 2019) - South American premiere - Best Cinematography

Garden State Film Festival (New Jersey, USA, 2020) - Winner in Student Short category

Lantern and Light International Children’s Film Festival (Melbourne, AUS, 2019) - Best Live Action 12-18