*All screenings will be followed by a Q&A from Filmmakers and Actors (if present)
SATURDAY – SEPTEMBER 9, 2023
(THEATER 1)
12PM - BLOCK 1
PATERSON AND ITS PEOPLE
This film traces the demographic changes in Paterson, New Jersey, from its pre-European history as the home of the Lenape, through its successive waves of immigrants, on to its present-day diversity.
directed by Vincent N. Parrillo
1:30PM - BLOCK 2
JERRY'S LAST MISSION
P-51 fighter pilot Jerry Yellin flew combat missions on Iwo Jima and over Japan, including the last combat mission of World War II. He returned home with PTSD, suffering with survivor's guilt and daily thoughts of suicide, and with a deep hatred for the enemy. This is the story of how Yellin overcame PTSD and his anger.
directed by Louisa Merino
2:30PM - BLOCK 2B
DEVIL YOU KNOW
A woman asks a man to join her on a special mission to hell.
directed by Sam Platizky
YOU DEAD BRO?
A group of teenagers spend the day with a dead body.
directed by Joshua Nelson
3:30PM - BLOCK 3
DON'T EAT DEAD FISH
A fisherman is haunted by a dead fish.
directed by Adam Seccafico
A COSPLAY LIFE
A popular High School girl must duel her arch nemesis in order to prevent her nerdy secret identity from being exposed to the world.
directed by Herb and Joe Cremer
SOLIDARITY
When Reilly and Darwin hear about budget cuts at the office, they agree to act in solidarity to save their jobs.
directed by Mark L. Mazzeo
PEARLY GATES
Patricia bites off more than she and Todd can chew when she agrees to let Rebecca’s aunt say with them for what turns into an open ended visit.
directed by Loring Murtha
DADDY ISSUES
When Danny goes to dinner with his mother, Barbara, he is confronted by her haunted insistence his deceased father is still with her, forcing him to confront his fears about the ghosts existence or else deal with his mother’s presumed insanity.
directed by Erin Marsz
NO WITNESSES
A hitman's night goes off the rails when a few unlucky people witness him on the job.
directed by Rob Watt
HITBABY
A skilled but suicidal hitman begrudgingly trains a bumbling computer hacker to be an assassin. Hilarity ensues as they attempt to thwart XYZ agency's plans to dominate the world.
directed by Abigail Breslin
5:30PM - BLOCK 4
HOMECOMING
Homecoming is an amalgamation of growing up, moving forward, all whilst never forgetting the trauma that informed the journey.
directed by Nicole Rinaldi
THE PROF
Famous indie film director, Jack Gallucci, falls from favor. His chance meeting with Marigold McCormack forces him to face the mess he’s made of his career and decide if he has it in him to try again.
directed by Debra Markowitz
DEAR SIMONE
A strained relationship between two siblings transforms when one of them starts secretly writing to the other, posing as their therapist. When the ruse leads to the reveal, it turns out both siblings have some confessions to make.
directed by Kevin Deming
MINDFULL
As it may seem like a normal day in a therapist's office, Mira, a therapist, struggles between her past and present. Her imagination seems to provide a pleasant stage for her to go by her days until an unexpected intervention merges to remind her, her reality.
directed by Ela Acur
THE NAMING OF THE THINGS
A product of Jewish day schools and way too much education, Ike finds himself adrift after the sudden death of his wife. As Ike navigates his wife’s shiva, he struggles to find meaning in the world around him and the community trying to feed him bagels.
directed by Gadi Rubin
CHIPPER
After receiving a mysterious letter, a wayward son returns to his childhood home to wrestle with a dark family secret.
directed by Shaun MacLean
7:30-8PM - RED CARPET
8PM - BLOCK 5
TO FORGIVE (feat. ADAM TILZER) OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO
Kiirstin Marilyn covers The Smashing Pumpkin's "To Forgive" in this music video dedicated to the memory of her brother Kristoffer Kuhi.
directed by Kiirstin Marilyn
EYES ON YOU
Is she his new favorite obsession or is there something more than meets the eye.
directed by Tyrell Jason
THOUGHTS
During a routine visit with his high school counselor, Tyler reveals that his friend is planning to do something horrible at school today.
directed by Kevin McLaughlin
PRESSED
In the wake of a deadly shooting, a seasoned journalist reevaluates the role she plays in other people's stories.
directed by Michelle Elise Harding and Scott "Silent K" Knowlton
LOVED
A Crazed Plumber Risks Both His Career And Prison When He Finds His Wife In Bed With Another Man.
directed by David Joseph Higgins
IN WONDERLAND
Nina, a resilient, and tenacious 8-year-old Mexican girl is granted asylum in the U.S. and forced to stay in the custody of her estranged aunt, Carmen. Nina initially rejects her new family and escapes inside the fantasy world of her book, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
directed by Andrea Camacho McCracken
LA BOLITA
It’s 1978 and Benny’s Cuban exile mom has scored an easy gig working for the local bookie, what could go wrong?
directed by Arian Blanco
MISPRINT
When a reformed criminal receives a cry for help from his former partner in crime, he finds himself back in the game with no way out but through.
directed by Adam Volerich
(THEATER 3)
12PM - BLOCK 6
HILLTOP HIKE
Bob goes for a hike on the Hilltop, and sees something he didn't expect.
directed by Robert Cunniff
TREE OF LIFE
A mushroom tripping camp counselor tells a rhyming, Earth conscious fable, regarding two woodland nymphs and their encounter with two country poachers.
directed by Mike Hermosa
FOLLOWER
A survivor of a cult is interrogated by a determined detective to understand the disturbing mindset of the cult's activities and its evil leader.
directed by Scott W. Perry
BLOOD AND LUST
Gus fills the empty void in his soul with sex, drugs and gambling, he's spiraling out of control. His tendency for self-destruction becomes a quest for survival when one faithful night he's faced with unspeakable terror and is stalked by a bevy of beautiful creatures of the night.
directed by George Firewalker Carlson and Patrick Eichner
1:30PM - BLOCK 7
SYZYGY
A troubled artist in New York City struggle swift his talent, fame, and his old High School crush - who has her own measure of fame.
directed by Jim Mendrinos
3:30PM - BLOCK 8
SCOUNDREL (music video)
directed by Thomas Baldinger
SWEPT AWAY (music video)
directed by Tom Baldinger
WHO'S JENNA...?
When Jonathan Burke, a financial advisor, starts dating Jenna Casey, an aspiring lawyer, Jonathan's best friend Andy Romeo is convinced she looks exactly like a famous adult film star.
directed by Thomas Baldinger
5:30PM - BLOCK 9
LOVE LOCK
A man awakens in a graveyard in front of an old lover and is summoned to a bizarre hellish dinner with everyone he always wanted to avoid.
directed by Charles Marinaro
OATH TO INJUSTICE
Two detectives at odds work tirelessly to catch a serial killer while get lost in the process.
directed by Charles Marinaro
7:30-8PM - RED CARPET
8PM - BLOCK 10
STARGAZER
The story of one night in the life of a Grace Campbell, a grad student burning with fury about the fate of a forgotten astronomer.
directed by Alan McIntyre
SUNDAY – SEPTEMBER 10, 2023
(THEATER 1)
12PM - BLOCK 11
EMBER IN THE WOODS
Connie’s plans to take her niece Shayna for a cabin getaway in the deep woods are spoiled when her dark past tears its ugly head. She travels there alone and encounters a troubled young woman who has been stranded in the wilderness.
directed by Ryan Callaway
2PM - BLOCK 12
BENCH SEAT (music video)
Based on a true story of many peoples lives, but with some pretty intense details of the musician and actor (Chase Rice), as well as one of his best friends who almost killed himself.
directed by Kaiser Phillip Cunningham III
THE CALL
A call comes from a different dimension or point in time as a warning for future things to come...or does it?
directed by Tom Balsamides
HELLO, MUSCLES
A young girl develops muscles, but finds a different kind of strength.
directed by Marnie Baxter
WAKE UP
Sonny (Navin Chowdhry) and Layla (Clare Calbraith) are a happy couple... until he goes to sleep and Layla has the bruises to prove it. This is a story about a sleep disorder with an unexpected twist.
directed by Mary-Sue Masson
BEFORE YOU GO
After a house party, two teens contemplate the universe, avoiding the happenings of last night. They agree to have one last cup of coffee before they must face a new reality. A last moment of teenage innocence, ended abruptly.
directed by Joe Thayer
SOMETHING NEW
On a tumultuous wedding day, five women prepare to walk down the aisle while a teenage bridesmaid probes about what really happens on the wedding night. A subversive and political take on the rom-com genre that reveals the disturbing truth behind one bride’s pre-nuptial cold feet.
directed by Michelle Bossy
LIFEQUEST
A young physicist lives out his life in search of his greatest scientific discovery and finds one extraordinary truth.
directed by Richard Lounello
4PM - BLOCK 13
BE A VIPER
A hiker recollects the day his marriage proposal was rejected.
directed by Sahm McGlynn
ANOTHER NIGHT
While Isaac believes the two are establishing a future together, Joan is comfortable with the relationship coming to an end. While they struggle to find common ground, the couple must figure out how to keep a roof over their heads.
directed by Joshua Holz
THE BEGINNING
In a world full of choices, Everly navigates right from wrong and good from evil; following her heart, no matter the cost- or ultimate sacrifice.
directed by Aly Mang
HOLLY HILL
The lives of three couples intertwine one evening at the Holly Hill Motel.
directed by Jack Foley
THE PINCH HITTER
A young couple wants to have a baby, but the husband has a low sperm count. They ask his idiot brother to be the sperm donor.
directed by Jim Harkins
ROOKIE CARD
An introverted teenage boy in the late 1980s grapples with his newly fractured family and the regret of selling a coveted baseball card.
directed by Anthony La Pira
BILLY
An obsessive professor experiences a series of tragic events after uncovering new information surrounding the subject of his latest research - Billy, the Pygmy Hippopotamus.
directed by Jack Saxon
6-7:30PM - RED CARPET
7:30PM - AWARDS CEREMONY
UNPRODUCED SCREENPLAYS
Black Sunday (written by Katreana Bellew)
Macho (written by Francisco Solorzano)
Ms. North (written by Drew Henriksen)
No Address (written by James J. Papa and Julia Verdin)
Race For Love (written by Heather McKinley)
The Pickleball Killer (written by Jim Carroll)
The Trap (written by Nate Plotkin and Nick Ford)
Welcome Home (written by Abby Cibrian)
Who Killed William Desmond Taylor? (written by Nate Washburn)
SATURDAY – SEPTEMBER 9, 2023
(THEATER 1)
12PM - BLOCK 1
PATERSON AND ITS PEOPLE
This film traces the demographic changes in Paterson, New Jersey, from its pre-European history as the home of the Lenape, through its successive waves of immigrants, on to its present-day diversity.
directed by Vincent N. Parrillo
1:30PM - BLOCK 2
JERRY'S LAST MISSION
P-51 fighter pilot Jerry Yellin flew combat missions on Iwo Jima and over Japan, including the last combat mission of World War II. He returned home with PTSD, suffering with survivor's guilt and daily thoughts of suicide, and with a deep hatred for the enemy. This is the story of how Yellin overcame PTSD and his anger.
directed by Louisa Merino
2:30PM - BLOCK 2B
DEVIL YOU KNOW
A woman asks a man to join her on a special mission to hell.
directed by Sam Platizky
YOU DEAD BRO?
A group of teenagers spend the day with a dead body.
directed by Joshua Nelson
3:30PM - BLOCK 3
DON'T EAT DEAD FISH
A fisherman is haunted by a dead fish.
directed by Adam Seccafico
A COSPLAY LIFE
A popular High School girl must duel her arch nemesis in order to prevent her nerdy secret identity from being exposed to the world.
directed by Herb and Joe Cremer
SOLIDARITY
When Reilly and Darwin hear about budget cuts at the office, they agree to act in solidarity to save their jobs.
directed by Mark L. Mazzeo
PEARLY GATES
Patricia bites off more than she and Todd can chew when she agrees to let Rebecca’s aunt say with them for what turns into an open ended visit.
directed by Loring Murtha
DADDY ISSUES
When Danny goes to dinner with his mother, Barbara, he is confronted by her haunted insistence his deceased father is still with her, forcing him to confront his fears about the ghosts existence or else deal with his mother’s presumed insanity.
directed by Erin Marsz
NO WITNESSES
A hitman's night goes off the rails when a few unlucky people witness him on the job.
directed by Rob Watt
HITBABY
A skilled but suicidal hitman begrudgingly trains a bumbling computer hacker to be an assassin. Hilarity ensues as they attempt to thwart XYZ agency's plans to dominate the world.
directed by Abigail Breslin
5:30PM - BLOCK 4
HOMECOMING
Homecoming is an amalgamation of growing up, moving forward, all whilst never forgetting the trauma that informed the journey.
directed by Nicole Rinaldi
THE PROF
Famous indie film director, Jack Gallucci, falls from favor. His chance meeting with Marigold McCormack forces him to face the mess he’s made of his career and decide if he has it in him to try again.
directed by Debra Markowitz
DEAR SIMONE
A strained relationship between two siblings transforms when one of them starts secretly writing to the other, posing as their therapist. When the ruse leads to the reveal, it turns out both siblings have some confessions to make.
directed by Kevin Deming
MINDFULL
As it may seem like a normal day in a therapist's office, Mira, a therapist, struggles between her past and present. Her imagination seems to provide a pleasant stage for her to go by her days until an unexpected intervention merges to remind her, her reality.
directed by Ela Acur
THE NAMING OF THE THINGS
A product of Jewish day schools and way too much education, Ike finds himself adrift after the sudden death of his wife. As Ike navigates his wife’s shiva, he struggles to find meaning in the world around him and the community trying to feed him bagels.
directed by Gadi Rubin
CHIPPER
After receiving a mysterious letter, a wayward son returns to his childhood home to wrestle with a dark family secret.
directed by Shaun MacLean
7:30-8PM - RED CARPET
8PM - BLOCK 5
TO FORGIVE (feat. ADAM TILZER) OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO
Kiirstin Marilyn covers The Smashing Pumpkin's "To Forgive" in this music video dedicated to the memory of her brother Kristoffer Kuhi.
directed by Kiirstin Marilyn
EYES ON YOU
Is she his new favorite obsession or is there something more than meets the eye.
directed by Tyrell Jason
THOUGHTS
During a routine visit with his high school counselor, Tyler reveals that his friend is planning to do something horrible at school today.
directed by Kevin McLaughlin
PRESSED
In the wake of a deadly shooting, a seasoned journalist reevaluates the role she plays in other people's stories.
directed by Michelle Elise Harding and Scott "Silent K" Knowlton
LOVED
A Crazed Plumber Risks Both His Career And Prison When He Finds His Wife In Bed With Another Man.
directed by David Joseph Higgins
IN WONDERLAND
Nina, a resilient, and tenacious 8-year-old Mexican girl is granted asylum in the U.S. and forced to stay in the custody of her estranged aunt, Carmen. Nina initially rejects her new family and escapes inside the fantasy world of her book, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
directed by Andrea Camacho McCracken
LA BOLITA
It’s 1978 and Benny’s Cuban exile mom has scored an easy gig working for the local bookie, what could go wrong?
directed by Arian Blanco
MISPRINT
When a reformed criminal receives a cry for help from his former partner in crime, he finds himself back in the game with no way out but through.
directed by Adam Volerich
(THEATER 3)
12PM - BLOCK 6
HILLTOP HIKE
Bob goes for a hike on the Hilltop, and sees something he didn't expect.
directed by Robert Cunniff
TREE OF LIFE
A mushroom tripping camp counselor tells a rhyming, Earth conscious fable, regarding two woodland nymphs and their encounter with two country poachers.
directed by Mike Hermosa
FOLLOWER
A survivor of a cult is interrogated by a determined detective to understand the disturbing mindset of the cult's activities and its evil leader.
directed by Scott W. Perry
BLOOD AND LUST
Gus fills the empty void in his soul with sex, drugs and gambling, he's spiraling out of control. His tendency for self-destruction becomes a quest for survival when one faithful night he's faced with unspeakable terror and is stalked by a bevy of beautiful creatures of the night.
directed by George Firewalker Carlson and Patrick Eichner
1:30PM - BLOCK 7
SYZYGY
A troubled artist in New York City struggle swift his talent, fame, and his old High School crush - who has her own measure of fame.
directed by Jim Mendrinos
3:30PM - BLOCK 8
SCOUNDREL (music video)
directed by Thomas Baldinger
SWEPT AWAY (music video)
directed by Tom Baldinger
WHO'S JENNA...?
When Jonathan Burke, a financial advisor, starts dating Jenna Casey, an aspiring lawyer, Jonathan's best friend Andy Romeo is convinced she looks exactly like a famous adult film star.
directed by Thomas Baldinger
5:30PM - BLOCK 9
LOVE LOCK
A man awakens in a graveyard in front of an old lover and is summoned to a bizarre hellish dinner with everyone he always wanted to avoid.
directed by Charles Marinaro
OATH TO INJUSTICE
Two detectives at odds work tirelessly to catch a serial killer while get lost in the process.
directed by Charles Marinaro
7:30-8PM - RED CARPET
8PM - BLOCK 10
STARGAZER
The story of one night in the life of a Grace Campbell, a grad student burning with fury about the fate of a forgotten astronomer.
directed by Alan McIntyre
SUNDAY – SEPTEMBER 10, 2023
(THEATER 1)
12PM - BLOCK 11
EMBER IN THE WOODS
Connie’s plans to take her niece Shayna for a cabin getaway in the deep woods are spoiled when her dark past tears its ugly head. She travels there alone and encounters a troubled young woman who has been stranded in the wilderness.
directed by Ryan Callaway
2PM - BLOCK 12
BENCH SEAT (music video)
Based on a true story of many peoples lives, but with some pretty intense details of the musician and actor (Chase Rice), as well as one of his best friends who almost killed himself.
directed by Kaiser Phillip Cunningham III
THE CALL
A call comes from a different dimension or point in time as a warning for future things to come...or does it?
directed by Tom Balsamides
HELLO, MUSCLES
A young girl develops muscles, but finds a different kind of strength.
directed by Marnie Baxter
WAKE UP
Sonny (Navin Chowdhry) and Layla (Clare Calbraith) are a happy couple... until he goes to sleep and Layla has the bruises to prove it. This is a story about a sleep disorder with an unexpected twist.
directed by Mary-Sue Masson
BEFORE YOU GO
After a house party, two teens contemplate the universe, avoiding the happenings of last night. They agree to have one last cup of coffee before they must face a new reality. A last moment of teenage innocence, ended abruptly.
directed by Joe Thayer
SOMETHING NEW
On a tumultuous wedding day, five women prepare to walk down the aisle while a teenage bridesmaid probes about what really happens on the wedding night. A subversive and political take on the rom-com genre that reveals the disturbing truth behind one bride’s pre-nuptial cold feet.
directed by Michelle Bossy
LIFEQUEST
A young physicist lives out his life in search of his greatest scientific discovery and finds one extraordinary truth.
directed by Richard Lounello
4PM - BLOCK 13
BE A VIPER
A hiker recollects the day his marriage proposal was rejected.
directed by Sahm McGlynn
ANOTHER NIGHT
While Isaac believes the two are establishing a future together, Joan is comfortable with the relationship coming to an end. While they struggle to find common ground, the couple must figure out how to keep a roof over their heads.
directed by Joshua Holz
THE BEGINNING
In a world full of choices, Everly navigates right from wrong and good from evil; following her heart, no matter the cost- or ultimate sacrifice.
directed by Aly Mang
HOLLY HILL
The lives of three couples intertwine one evening at the Holly Hill Motel.
directed by Jack Foley
THE PINCH HITTER
A young couple wants to have a baby, but the husband has a low sperm count. They ask his idiot brother to be the sperm donor.
directed by Jim Harkins
ROOKIE CARD
An introverted teenage boy in the late 1980s grapples with his newly fractured family and the regret of selling a coveted baseball card.
directed by Anthony La Pira
BILLY
An obsessive professor experiences a series of tragic events after uncovering new information surrounding the subject of his latest research - Billy, the Pygmy Hippopotamus.
directed by Jack Saxon
6-7:30PM - RED CARPET
7:30PM - AWARDS CEREMONY
UNPRODUCED SCREENPLAYS
Black Sunday (written by Katreana Bellew)
Macho (written by Francisco Solorzano)
Ms. North (written by Drew Henriksen)
No Address (written by James J. Papa and Julia Verdin)
Race For Love (written by Heather McKinley)
The Pickleball Killer (written by Jim Carroll)
The Trap (written by Nate Plotkin and Nick Ford)
Welcome Home (written by Abby Cibrian)
Who Killed William Desmond Taylor? (written by Nate Washburn)
