24th Annual FREE Film Festival
Theme: GENERATE

AUG 29 - TUESDAY
7:30 The Girl Behind the Mirror Animation. Transgender girl is free to be who she is or wants to be by utilizing a mirror to hide her fears.

A transgender girl locks herself in her room for fear of the monsters that threaten her outside, until a new reality appears behind the mirror where these monsters do not exist and she is free to be who she is or who wants to be.

Director Biography
Iuri Moreno owns the production company Caolha Filmes, where he works as executive producer, director and animation scriptwriter. His first animated short film, “The Juggler”, was nominated for the Brazilian Film Academy and selected for more than 220 festivals in 47 countries, with a total of 37 awards won. Iuri currently works as creator, director and head writer of the animation series “347 Mission” and recently released a new short film, The Girl Behind the Mirror, awarded Best Children's Film at the 28th Encounters Film Festival in the United Kingdom , and selected for more than 50 festivals, 7 of them Oscar qualifiers. Iuri is also one of the creators of “Lanterna Mágica – International Animation Festival” and is producing his first feature film, “Armadillo Girl”, in addition to working on other projects of shorts, features and series that are in development.

8PM Once Upon a Time in Jinan: Some Ordinary People Educator in Shandong, China learns that the government declares her business illegal. Her team fights back.

If you have devoted half of your life to a career and suddenly find that the government has declared it illegal, and the large business institution you founded is facing a life-or-death test as a result, what would you do? Lu Yonghua is an ordinary middle-aged woman from Shandong Province, China, and she and her team are experiencing the aforementioned hardship - searching for opportunities to survive in the midst of despair.

Director Biography - Li Qing, a freelance writer. He is now engaged in the Creation and Research Project about Folklore Oral Literature Based on Daily Life, with his studio located in the Caochangdi International Art Village in Beijing, China.

Director Statement
What is history? Is the experience of ordinary people a part of history? In the torrent of time, ordinary people often find themselves involved in significant historical events due to their career choices. One night, their profession may be considered honorable, but the next morning, it could become illegal. Under the rigid policies, the efforts of ordinary people sometimes yield positive results, while at other times, they backfire. In July 2021, after China's education authorities introduced the "double reduction" plan, millions of practitioners in the education and training industry were thrown into professional confusion. Hundreds of thousands of training institutions faced the risk of closure. As a creator, I believe such events should be highlighted. Nearly all those entangled in this event are ordinary people. Clearly, at the national level, this is a significant event in the history of China's education. For the individuals involved, it represents a greater identity crisis in their lives.
I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to become involved in this historical event and engage in profound, candid, and effective dialogues with Lu Yonghua, the founder of "Dino Education" from Shandong, China, and her team, as they faced this unprecedented crisis. With the assistance of the PNSO team, we managed to navigate through the most challenging times by undertaking a business transformation. I am thrilled to record these processes and present them in a film to a broader audience.
The lives of ordinary people are also an indispensable part of history. I firmly believe this.

AUG 30 - WEDNESDAY
7:30 Noman Supernatural forces are at play during a livestream occult ritual.

To boost her online popularity, Youtuber Amber and her boyfriend Johnny set up an occult ritual for her upcoming livestream. Little did they know, supernatural forces are at play, leading to deadly results.

Director Biography - Matt Robb

Matt Robb is a South Florida-based actor/filmmaker looking to find and make artistic opportunities within the industry. Credits range from performances in over thirty credited short films, four directed shorts, and seven editor credits. His collaborations include working with both students and independent filmmakers ranging from Miami Dade College, New York Film Academy, and the University of Miami. He is a film graduate with a B.A. in Filmmaking.

Director Statement
In the era of social media, one could be familiar with or follow individuals referred to as social media influencers. These people have developed an online reputation and credibility in specific industry. They’re motivated in increasing their power in attracting and engaging followers, even

rewarded, through the use of product or brand endorsement. And some, by any means necessary. In this film, one shall see the consequences and darker side of escalating such a concept to dire, yet ignorant lengths.

8PM Science for Hire Gary Null exposes a world of pseudo-science and misinformation.

Science for Hire takes us on a journey through the most critical scientific issues that directly affect our health and well-being, shedding light on the hidden secrets of the scientific, pharmaceutical, and military industrial complexes. Following a long history of systemic corruption across medical organizations and schools, scientific publications and federal regulatory agencies, we enter a world where pseudo-science and misinformation rules.

Billions of dollars are spent to manipulate and buy the allegiance of elected officials and the media. Those who speak up against modern science's culture of corruption risk having their careers destroyed. Governments operate in lockstep with the pharmaceutical ambitions to erect an unregulated global regime, a "Great Reset," that will dictate what we can eat, what medical interventions are permitted and banned, and the rewards and punishments that legislate our choices. Science for Hire describes a broken system and offers hard hitting solutions to spark clarion calls to take heed of the realities facing humanity today.

Director Biography - Gary Null, Ph.D.
For more than 35 years Gary Null has been one of the foremost voices of the health movement. He has produced over 70 documentaries. Gary, along with leading experts, has examined a wide range of topics from food production, alternative healing, politics and our economic system. Gary has aired many of his documentaries on PBS.
Gary has continued to be a strong voice for the consumer, standing up against big corporations and big government. He has exposed the massive drugging of children in our schools, investigated industries such as pesticides, herbicides, artificial sweeteners, food irradiation, water fluoridation, unsafe ingredients in vaccines, nuclear power, the FDA, GMO's and the Gulf War Syndrome.

Gary Null has done an original investigative reporting series on a regular basis and has published over 100 original investigative articles. He has also published over 100 books.
He founded the web based Progressive Radio Network, with an average of 180,000 listeners weekly.
He has the longest running health radio program in American history.

AUG 31 - THURSDAY
7:30 Confessions Of A Name Dropper A Therapist helps middle aged man living life according to other people’s words.

Confessions of A Name Dropper is a dark comedy about a middle aged man named Cutter who lives alone on an island. He lives his life according to other people’s words and ideas that he stubbornly claims are his own. Seeking the help of an expert, if at times difficult therapist, he struggles to come to terms with who he really is and who his real friends are. Or, if he really has any.

Director Biography - Kevin G. Connolly
As an Actor/Director, Kevin G. Connolly (SAG/AFTRA) has worked in television, theater, film and voice-over. Kevin received his training at Second City Chicago and Dartmouth College and continues to train with James DuMont, Larry Moss and Tim Phillips. As an indie singer-songwriter he has released eleven albums (including 'Invisible' in 2020), been voted ‘Best of Boston’ and toured extensively in US and Europe. Confessions of A Name Dropper has been accepted at: Dublin World Film Festival, New Jersey Short Film Festival, Oakland Film Festival, Santa Barbara International Movie Festival, Somerville International Film Festival and The Direct Monthly Festival so far in 2023.

Director Statement
Confessions of A Name Dropper is a post pandemic story about isolation and insulation. Our protagonist lacks the skills and awareness to have real friends and original thought, so he makes them up. The humor lies in his defensiveness and ability to skillfully deflect professional insight, and tenacious rejection of authority.

8PM The Case Young boy escapes war with a dream & a violin case. Music in his heart guides him on his journey. Animation.

In an unknown time and place, a young boy escapes war with nothing but a dream and a violin case. Along the way he meets the beautiful Naila and a group of other travelers. He crosses deserts and seas during a long and dangerous trip. The music in his heart will guide him along the journey to find his path on the other side of the border and destroy prejudice.

Director Biography - Maurizio Forestieri is one of Italy's best known animation director. Two times in competition at the Cannes Film Festival and one time running for the Golden Bear at the Berlinale. Maurizio's work has been exposed at the MoMA in NY. He worked with the masters of Italian animation, such as Guido Manuli, Pierluigi De Mas, Giuseppe Laganà, Emanuele Luzzati and Bruno Bozzetto. In the past years, Maurizio directed successful TV series for Kids distributed around the world.

Director Statement
Telling the story of a trip is one of the most common things you can do. But this trip is different: it is a dangerous journey, with no assigned seats, no arrival time and above all the uncertainty of the destination.

9PM The Hidden Court A group of men from Westchester County bond over playing basketball in a hidden outdoor court during lockdown. Q&A

The Hidden Court is a heartwarming documentary about a group of 11 men from Northern Westchester, NY who, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when gyms were closed and rims taken off outdoor courts, found a sense of community and camaraderie by playing 'prohibition basketball' on a hidden outdoor court.
The film follows the men as they bond over their love of the game, providing a much-needed escape from the stress and isolation of the pandemic. The film is a time capsule of life during covid, reminding us and future generations of what life was like in the year 2020. Through their stories, the film explores the power of friendship and the resilience of the human spirit.

Director Biography - Walter Schloman is an award-winning filmmaker and founder of Heritage Media Group, a boutique company that produces video biographies depicting the extraordinary lives of ordinary people. His most recent documentary Ezra: May His Memory Be For A Blessing, delves into the issues of teen suicide and mental health. It is currently playing at festivals and has received numerous awards, including best film at Mental Health and Suicide Awareness film festival in Denver.
Walter has filmed around the world, extensively in South America and Australia. Rock stars such as Michael Stipe (R.E.M.), Rob Zombie, and Cyndi Lauper have collaborated with him on long form projects and music videos. From his first experience on an independent film shot on the graffiti strewn dark alleys of New York circa 1983, Walter has been passionate about communicating stories through film and video. For Walter, working on The Hidden Court has been immensely gratifying, not only because it is an uplifting story of the group’s passion for basketball and their camaraderie, but because it is a time-capsule of the Covid World of 2020 - a perfect film to be used in education, sociology, and contemporary issues classes. This merging of individual lives with world events is what continues to drive Walter’s passion for making films.

SEPT 1 - FRIDAY
7:30 Bare Metal Reducing carbon emissions through digital infrastructure industry’s effort.

Microsoft, Google, META, and AWS are some of the biggest single-power consumers in the world. Along with other digital infrastructure companies’ consumption, they make up 2.4% of the world's energy use. Bare Metal details the digital infrastructure industry's work to reduce their carbon footprint in an effort to lower carbon emissions and help save the world.

Director Biography - Brandon Robert Gries, Ryan Freng, John Shoemaker
Brandon Gries is an engineer. He works for an electrical contractor. For 10 years he's built data centers. He's aspired since childhood to be a filmmaker. This is his first film. Only due to the faith, trust, and collaboration with his friends in film, data centers (Google, Microsoft, Equinix) and industry (contractors, concrete, steel, aluminum) was this possible. He learned of your inaugural film contest at Bloomberg Green in New York City, April 2022. His first inspiration was to do a film with my wife Ashley, who works professionally in environmental conservation. He shifted to an even bigger story about his own industry in July 2022 instead. He dedicated this film to her.

Ryan Freng and John Shoemaker are seasoned veterans of the production world, running a commercial agency for 15 years and having produced both long form and short form films. Their previous documentary 'Power in My Hands' tells the personal stories of those majorly impacted by the power of the Rosary. Ryan and John have worked with Brandon for years on promotional work. Learning of Brandon's desire to make movies, John encouraged him to pick a film festival and punch the throttle. This is the result of that collaboration.

Director Statement
Filming occurred 07/20 to 09/14. The result was: 30+ people and hours of interviews, 6 states, funneled into this 10-minute film, a pilot for a docuseries we hope to create. We entered the film to catch industry leaders in their curiosity zone and compel them to act. What kind of positive impact could we have on embodied carbon if the largest companies on earth (digital infrastructure companies representing 30% of global GDP) partnered strategically with the heritage industries that have literally changed the face of the physical earth? How can we collaborate across companies to revamp the supply chain? It will take their collective brainpower, innovation, and coordination to solve the building component of the climate crisis. But is that enough? And can they do it?

8PM Firefly World famous Harlem Globetrotter enthralled fans with his “Curly” Neal inspired dribbling style. Q&A

Tay Fisher’s basketball and life journey is one of determination, inspiration, teamwork, and down right talent - developing into one of the greats in 4-point shooting history during his 10 years on the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters. As Firefly he enthralled fans around the world with his "Curly" Neal-inspired one-of-kind dribbling style and infectiously positive attitude. Today, Tay shares the challenges and guidance of his never-give-up story on and off the court, by mentoring kids and holding basketball camps in his hometown.

Director Biography - Christopher Nostrand

Chris Nostrand owns/operates Nostrand Productions LLC, is an award-winning independent filmmaker, and holds part-time faculty positions at both Marist College and SUNY Orange's film production departments. He earned a Master of Fine Arts in Integrated Media Arts from Hunter College and previously earned undergraduate degrees from SUNY New Paltz and SUNY Ulster.

His films have earned over sixty official selections at venues such as DOC NYC, Woodstock Film Festival, GI Film Festival and NewFilmmakers New York. His twenty award wins include a CINE Golden Eagle, x5 Tellys, x3 Communicators, Director’s Choice at Black Maria Film Festival, Best Documentary/Best Cinematography at CUNY Film Festival and Best Historical Documentary at the International Doc Challenge.

9:30 Not on This Land Activist fights 600 mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline across W. Virginia, Virginia & N. Carolina via Black & Indigenous communities. Q&A

This film is about the citizen activists who spent 6+ years fighting the 600-mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline from destroying ecosystems and harming Black and Indigenous communities across West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina. The pipeline, which would have carried frack gas, was seen as a done deal until communities came together across the region to fight it and, against all odds, won the fight. It’s a David & Goliath story that can inspire and inform others who are engaged in protecting their land and water from toxic infrastructure projects.

SEPT 2 - SATURDAY
7:30 A Girl Called Elvis 10 year old dresses as Elvis. When her estranged father, is back in town, she tries to find him. Q&A

A Girl Called Elvis is about two sisters growing closer through a family quest. Ten year old Ellie likes to dress as her idol Elvis Presley, much to the annoyance of her half-sister Carol. When Ellie hears that her estranged father is back in town, she enlists Carol and her boyfriend Dion's help to find him.

Director Biography - Lindsay Christopherson

Lindsay Christopherson has been writing and directing short films since she graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne. She has worked in a variety of crewing roles in the film and TV industry in Australia and New Zealand.

Director Statement
A Girl Called Elvis is a project that was made on a tiny budget, which was successfully crowdfunded, and we are thrilled to bring you the resulting film!

8:15 Dear Audrey Canada activist weaves adventures, protests, hippie counter-culture movement with care & loyalty to wife with Alzheimers. Q&A

Acclaimed activist filmmaker Martin Duckworth has devoted his life to peace and justice. But now he’s put down his camera to fight for the most important cause he’s ever faced—caring for his wife, Audrey Schirmer, through the final stages of Alzheimer’s. Martin tirelessly embraces each new chapter with grace and resilience, demonstrating his unconditional loyalty as he finds new reasons to love her each day.
Dear Audrey intricately weaves together the couple’s gritty yet tender reality, and takes us back to their adventures, from the front lines of the anti-Vietnam War protests to the hippie counterculture movement, with excerpts from Martin’s films and Audrey’s stunning photography.

The film is a powerful testament to Martin’s love and devotion, which deepens over the decades.
While Audrey gradually fades away—and as their autistic daughter Jacqueline struggles with her mother’s illness—Martin commits everything he’s got to making their lives creative and meaningful.

Please visit www.dearaudey.ca to find reviews, and video extras.

AWARDS

Winner of the People's Choice Award
Montreal International Documentary Festival (RIDM), 2021

The Best Feature Documentary Award Winner
Indy Film Fest, 2022

The Cercle d’or for Best Feature Documentary Award Winner
Sherbrooke World Film Festival, 2022

Ted Rogers Best Feature Length Documentary Nomination
Canadian Screen Awards (Canada), 2023

The Excellence in Editing Award Winner
Docs Without Borders Film Festival, 2022

The Best Editing Award Winner
Brussels World Film Festival, 2022

Best Original Music in a Feature Length Documentary Nomination
Canadian Screen Awards (Canada), 2023
Composer Walker Grimshaw

Best Original Score for a Documentary Feature Film - Nomination

Canadian Screen Music Awards (Canada), 2022
Composer Walker Grimshaw

REVIEWS

"Truly a rare moment in Cinema... This film is a marvel"
Mélikah Abdelmoumen & Marc Béland, CBC Radio Canada

"An Exquisite Gem. Tenderness, wonder, & dignity...
a beautiful film about beautiful people"
Richard Propes, The Independent Critic

“Anyone who watches Dear Audrey will undoubtedly conclude
that Hayes is a masterful filmmaker”
Charlie Smith, The Georgia Straight

“Touching... luminous... truly magnificent"
Caroline Levesque, CBC Radio Canada

“Dear Audrey, a riveting documentary…
that stands as a powerful paean to passion and perseverance”
Evelyn C White, The Halifax Examiner

"...so many amazing lessons, stories, emotions with pain
and celebration intertwined"
Darren Wiesner, Hollywood North Magazine

“It's impossible to watch this documentary, (a People's Choice Award winner), without being overwhelmed by its sweetness and generosity"
Silvia Galipeau, La Press

“...an at once ethereal reflection on the enduring power of love,
and unblinking revelation of life’s steel-cold realities”
Chris Cook, Gorilla Radio

"Dear Audrey celebrates the very best the human heart has to offer, with such compassion, artistry and grace"
Terre Nash, Oscar-winning director

SEPT 3 - SUNDAY
7:30 The Line Jumper Comical satire of a pretty woman who works her way into the front of a long coffee line. Q&A

Would YOU jump the line?

The Line Jumper is co-directed by Hugh Oyake Murchison and Rob Underhill.

Hugh Oyake Murchison is a first time filmmaker. He is a second generation American: his mother was Japanese, and his father African American.

Winner!
BEST PRODUCTION, 8th Longleaf Film Festival
BEST COMEDY, 23rd 15 Minutes of Fame Film Festival
BEST FILM, Martini Shot Film Series
BEST COMEDY SHORT, 8th Focus International Film Festival
BEST MICRO-SHORT, Spring Lane Film Festival
OPENING SELECTION, 24th Woodstock Museum Film Festival

Director Biography - Rob Underhill, Hugh Oyake Murchison

The Line Jumper is co-Directed by Rob Underhill and Hugh Murchison.

HUGH OYAKE MURCHISON is a first time filmmaker. He is a second generation American: his mother was Japanese, and his father African American. After a lengthy stint in clinical research, Hugh launched a second career as a scriptwriter. He quit medical writing, once he figured out that movies and TV shows were more likely to be made from his scripts than from the technical documents he wrote for FDA drug approval. Film school soon followed, as did co-creating a web series, creating TV pilots and feature-lengths, and marketing his works.

ROB UNDERHILL is a film & media director, producer, cinematographer, editor, writer. His feature films & more than 50 short-films have received over 150 awards, showcased at hundreds of screening engagements worldwide, including CANNES & Academy-qualifying film festivals like ST. LOUIS & SEATTLE. Rob’s work has received rave reviews from top film critics, earned endorsements from major public figures like UN Ambassador Andrew Young & former NC Governor Beverly Perdue, & has been featured on the NPR programs, THE STATE OF THINGS with Frank Stasio & THE STORY with Dick Gordon. Rob earned a BA in English from NCSU & was honored to accept the invitation to serve as featured speaker at the 2015 NCSU English department graduation commencement. His work has aired on the ASPiRE network, ShortsHD, & other national & international outlets. Carolina STYLE Magazine recognized Rob as one of 25 "Most Stylish People" influencing positive change in the Carolinas. He is a RAWards Indie Art Award recipient for Best Regional Filmmaker. In 2022, he received the QUSAR award for lifetime achievement in filmmaking by the 10th Raleigh Film and Art Festival.
More at www.RobUnderhill.com

8:15 The Battle for Swan Lake Cats, a dog, and a fish perform the classical ballet Swan Lake. Animation.

Cats, a dog, and a fish head perform the classic ballet, Swan Lake.

Director Biography - Joan Carol Gratz

Joan Gratz is an Academy Award winning director of animated short films and commercials. Her films range in content through painterly expressions of poetry, improvised abstraction, and animated social documentary.
The technique she pioneered is “Claypainting.” Working directly before the camera, she applies bits of clay, blends colors and etches fine lines to create a seamless flow of images. Mona Lisa Descending a Staircase won the Oscar in 1992 for Best Animated Short Film.

8:30 Left Alone Rhapsody-The Musical Memoir of Pianist John Bayless Chronicles Leonard Bernstein’s protégé from childhood through 30 year career. Q&A

At 25, Leonard Bernstein protégé, John Bayless, debuted at Carnegie Hall, performing “Rhapsody In Blue” with full orchestra. His jaw-dropping technical prowess at the piano initiated a 30-year-long concert and recording career as a solo pianist, composer, and improvisor. At 54, a left-brain stroke immobilized his dominant right side. The music stopped. John’s magical ‘first act’ disappeared.

Left Alone Rhapsody chronicles John’s rise from four-year-old Texas musical prodigy to international star; John’s fall post-stroke and courageous struggle to transcend paralysis; and John’s determination to re-invent himself as a one-handed musician and storyteller.

As neurologists discuss his brain, rabbis his Jewish conversion, friends the loss of his husband to cancer, and Yamaha’s representatives their Disklavier piano technology which could allow him to play with ‘two hands,’ John embarks on an amazing journey. This is his musical story.

Director Biography - Stewart M. Schulman is a producer, director, writer, and independent filmmaker. He has written the feature screenplays: Both, Sister Bert, La Macha, and Beyond Measure. His earlier 43-minute film version of Beyond Measure has a score by pianist/composer John Bayless, which began their work as collaborators. That film was awarded the Silver Medal at The Houston International Film Festival. Stewart directed a full-length play version of Beyond Measure in its off-Broadway premiere. Stewart recently completed his feature documentary Left Alone Rhapsody - The Musical Memoir of Pianist John Bayless chronicling John’s amazing journey from performing, to paralysis, and back again. Stewart is also producing and directing an inaugural world tour of “John Bayless – One Hand One Heart – My Life & My Music,” a full-length one-man play with music, (co-written with and starring Mr. Bayless), that is part of the documentary. In addition, Stewart produces and directs short documentary and promotional videos for Montclair State University. He did his graduate work at New York University Graduate Film School.
Director Statement
John and I collaborated creatively early in our careers, with him as a composer, and me as a filmmaker. Then, not untypically, our paths diverged, with our work lives taking us on our respective journeys, though our friendship has lasted through the years. Tragically, in his fifties, John’s musical career halted when he suffered a debilitating stroke. Five years ago, when John said he was not only playing the piano again, but recording an album of his greatest hits reimagined for just his left hand alone, and using Yamaha’s Disklavier technology on some cuts to sound like he’s playing with two hands, I blurted out: “John, this is a documentary! We must tell your story!” And a truly amazing journey began—a journey that has taken us around the world collaborating on a film about a man’s art and his courage in the face of great adversity.

SEPT 4 - MONDAY
11:45 The Old Young Crow An Iranian boy befriends an old Japanese woman at a graveyard in Tokyo. Animation.

An Iranian boy befriends an old Japanese woman at a graveyard in Tokyo.

Director Biography - Liam LoPinto

Liam LoPinto is a filmmaker and animator based out of New York City. He graduated from NYU Tisch School of the Arts' UGFTV program. He also studied at Waseda University in Tokyo. He attended CalArts' Character Animation program from 2017-2021. He is an assistant manager at The Moviehouse in Millerton, NY.

Director Statement
The Old Young Crow tells the story of Mehrdad, a 10 year old Iranian boy who has recently moved to Tokyo. Mehrdad's story is narrated by himself as an old man, recounting one particular event through his own sketchbook. Using a combination of practical effects, animation, live action, and computer generated elements, The Old Young Crow tells a story of loss, immigration, familial love, and the beauty of nature.

12:15. The Sun Rises in the East Chronicles a pan-African cultural organization founded in 1969 by teens & young adults in Bedford-Stuyvesant, an epicenter for political contemporaries such as the Black Panther Party. Q&A

The Sun Rises in The East chronicles the birth, rise and legacy of The East, a pan-African cultural organization founded in 1969 by teens and young adults in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Led by educator and activist Jitu Weusi, The East embodied Black self-determination, building more than a dozen institutions, including its own African-centered school, food co-op, newsmagazine, publisher, record label, restaurant, clothing shop and bookstore. The organization hosted world-famous jazz musicians and poets at its highly sought-after performance venue, and it served as an epicenter for political contemporaries such as the Black Panther Party, the Young Lords and the Congress of Afrikan People, as well as comrades across Africa and the Caribbean. In effect, The East built an independent Black nation in the heart of Central Brooklyn.

The Sun Rises in The East is the first feature-length documentary to explore this inspiring story. The film also examines challenges that led to the organization’s eventual dissolution, including its gender politics, financial struggles and government surveillance. Featuring interviews with leaders of The East, historians and people who grew up in the organization as children, The Sun Rises in The East delivers an exhilarating and compelling vision, showing just how much is possible.

Director Biography - Tayo Giwa

Tayo Giwa is a filmmaker and co-creator of Black-Owned Brooklyn, a publication and Instagram account documenting local Black business, history and culture. His first film, the 2020 documentary short Soul Summit: Doin’ It in the Park, examined Soul Summit, a beloved open-air house music party based in Fort Greene Park. He lives in Bedford-Stuyvesant.

Director Statement
In my home of Central Brooklyn, the legacy of The East is everywhere. But the pan-African cultural organization, which operated in Bedford-Stuyvesant from 1969 to 1986, doesn’t get talked about enough.

Notwithstanding the rapid march of gentrification, you can see The East’s influence in the numerous Black-owned businesses that grace our community (one of the highest concentrations of Black enterprises in the United States). It’s in the constant flashes of red, black and green: wrapped around trees, displayed in flags flying from brownstones, painted on neighborhood playgrounds and fire hydrants. Even the African-centered preschool that my daughter attends, designed to instill her with a positive self-identity, has roots in The East.

The organization arose from New York City’s 1968 community control experiment, in which members of the predominantly Black Central Brooklyn neighborhoods of Ocean Hill-Brownsville were given decision-making power in their children’s education, from school curriculum to the hiring of teachers. For decades, the Ocean Hill-Brownsville movement, with a narrative driven by a largely white teachers union and their campaign of fear, has been framed as a cautionary tale. Black parents and communities seeking a quality education for their children were cast as militant; the fight for community control mischaracterized as antisemitic.

When the experiment was subsequently dismantled, a group of young Black teachers and recent high school graduates formed The East to create their own institutions outside of the system. The Sun Rises in The East was made, in part, to help correct the record.

Through building not only its own school but more than a dozen institutions and businesses, including a food co-op, newspaper, publishing company, jazz cultural center, restaurant, clothing shop and even a farm in Guyana, The East provided an inspiring model for Black self-determination. Their activism was ahead of its time, providing an inspiring model for how ordinary people working together can build longstanding institutions and community for themselves. Their legacy reverberates in present-day Bed-Stuy through the neighborhood’s strong sense of community, unabashed love for our cultures, and Black joy that nourishes me on a daily basis.

As the leaders of The East, along with others from the Civil Rights and Black Power era, grow further into their senior years, there’s an urgency to illuminate all that they created. For The Sun Rises in The East, I sought to capture this story in the voices of the people who lived it. Theirs is a history worthy of reverence and a powerful legacy that should be known far and wide.

1:30 Solitaire As a small town minister’s life crumbles, he finds solace playing solitaire. Q&A.

A small town minister who presides over marriages doomed to fail finds solace in a game solitaire as the rest of his life crumbles. Solitaire is a loving, if imperfect, homage to short story writer Raymond Carver.

2:15 Ali vs. Ali Fulfilling a childhood dream, Iranian man travels to U.S. on a quest to meet his idol Mohammed Ali. Highly entertaining family film of a boxer who stood for peace and refused to fight in Vietnam. Surprise ending. Q&A with award-winning Iranian filmmaker Alireza Rofougaran.

4PM Yellow Dove Aftermath Surreal experiences of this character in his bunker with a world of fantasy. Animation.

The surreal experiences of Yellow Dove in his bunker within the world of Hour Blue

Director Biography - Rony A. Abovitz

Rony has been a technology and visual pioneer for a number of years, creating companies such as Magic Leap and MAKO Surgical. He is applying his blend of tech and creativity in Sun and Thunder, developing the Hour Blue Storyworld and animated films that express that world.

Director Statement
I love imagined worlds and animation. My hope is that each film I create and direct leaves the audience with a sense of new wonder, hope, and the desire to explore and search.

4:10 The Eye Begins in The Hand A tribute to campesino histories in rural California struggling between paying rent & creative endeavors.

The Eye Begins in The Hand (El Ojo Comienza En La Mano) is a tribute to campesino histories in rural CA through the artwork of an artist largely absent from critical conversations on Chicanx art, Ruben A. Sanchez, as well as an unsentimental reckoning with the fate of many cultural workers that struggle between paying rent and/or creative endeavors.

Director Biography - Yehuda Sharim is a writer, photographer, filmmaker, and poet. As the son of Persian immigrants to Israel, his work focuses on the relationship between the quotidian and poetic. Sharim’s films have appeared in film festivals, artistic venues, and universities across the world. Oscillating between fiction and documentary filmmaking, his work offers an intimate portrayal of those who refuse to surrender amidst daily devastation and culminating strife, offering a vision for equality and a renewed solidarity in a divisive world. He currently serves as an Assistant Professor in the Program of Global Art Studies, University of California, Merced.

4:25 The Stranger A bizarre dialogue begins in a cowering space between a woman and a handsome stranger.

On that day, as she enters the co-working space where she works, Anna notices the presence of a handsome stranger. A bizarre dialogue begins.

Director Biography - Veig Bassili

Veig graduated with a MA in Film Directing at the "Met Film School" (Ealing Studios London). The experience she gained in directing actors, summoned in her, the desire of a more committed exploration of acting. She then joined the "Cours Florent" in Paris, where she completed the Actor's Training Course.

4:30 Goosed A count has a soirée at his country home. He is interrupted by unwanted guests. He invites them to play a “Game of Goose.”

Clouseau meets Cluedo in GOOSED!, the latest short music film from I FAGIOLINI, based on the Venetian song IL GIOCA DELL’OCA (1595) by Giovanni Croce. Can you keep your eyes on the prizes?

A forlorn Count is having a soirée at his country house, but it is interrupted by a stream of unwelcome guests, never-the-less he decides to invite them to play a game… they play, the Game of the Goose.

Director Biography - Gregory Browning

Gregory Browning is an award-winning film-maker who has been working in music and the arts for most of his career. He has had the privilege of working across the world and with some of the world’s foremost classical musicians, in drama, documentary and music video. His short documentary ANTI-SOCIAL for BBC Ideas went slightly - and somewhat ironically - viral, while his screen version of HOW LIKE AN ANGEL was premiered at the Lincoln Centre New York as part of Dance On Camera. Gregory is an alumnus of the Berlinale Talent Campus and best known as producer of celebrated music film THE FULL MONTEVERDI. He is a producer and director at Polyphonic Films Limited.

Director Statement
By Timothy Knapman - Writer

When Robert Holllingworth rang me up and asked me, “Can you write us a ten minute film farce to accompany a 16th century madrigal about people playing a board game?” my first thought was — understandably, I hope — “Umm.”

I’ve been writing bits and bobs for I Fagiolini for many years now, so I had a method for dealing with such requests: panic, hide under the table for 20 minutes and hope that some idea or other presented itself before he rang back. Thankfully, it did. Reading the text of the madrigal, I saw that there were various guests jockeying for position around a powerful nobleman, and that love was in the air. I’m a sucker for PG Wodehouse, Cole Porter and the lighter-than-air musicals of the 1920s and 1930s, with their silly toffs, adventuresses and jewel thieves getting up to romantic mischief in country houses. It didn’t take much to see that the Game of the Goose would fit rather nicely into that world.

I was very lucky in my cast. I Fagiolini are, of course, first rate singers, but they’re also very good actors and (with the wind in the right direction) deft physical comedians; I knew they could do anything I asked of them. What’s so pleasing about the finished film is that they did everything even better than I could have wished. Greg Browning assembled an amazing crew – this film looks beautiful – and, with their help, I fulfilled my ambition to write a farcical musical comedy about silly toffs, adventuresses and jewel thieves, set in a country house.