2025 NORTHEAST FILM FESTIVAL LINEUP
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 6
BLOCK 1 (10AM)
SAVING AN AMERICAN HERO
In 2024, the Battleship New Jersey — America’s most decorated battleship —was dry docked for the first time in over three decades. This documentary captures not only the technical challenge of saving a ship of steel, but also the enduring legacy of those who walked her decks.
directed by Micki Pagano-Parente
PLAYING WITH INCREDIBLE MINDS
Captures the power and drama of the scholar-musicians and their charismatic, demanding maestro -- Federico Cortese -- in the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra. All the players come to Harvard to pursue academic excellence in their fields, yet each devotes hours to voluntarily practice, rehearse, and perform music that is comparable to world class orchestras or conservatories.
directed by Ruth Streeter
BLOCK 2 (12PM)
MOON OVER CAPRI
Ava Della Pietra - official music video
directed by Nathan Levine-Heaney
FREEDOM FLOWS
High School Student Noah Nuetzmann raps about the importance of the U.S. Constitution.
directed by Noah Nuetzmann
WHAT ABOUT US?
High School Student Megan Campbell uses animation and voiceover to explain how minority rights are protected by the U.S. Constitution.
directed by Megan Campbell
THE MAGICAL FIRST AMENDMENT
Middle School Student Niya Torres explains the importance of the First Amendment in a way she and her peers can truly understand.
directed by Niya Torres
THE CIVIL CIVIC CHRONICLES
High Schooler Neha Yalamanchi uses animation to explain the importance of civil civic conversation.
directed by Neha Yalamanchi
UNIQUELY FREE
High School Student Mia Ramos explains how the US grants its citizens unique freedoms by comparing our country to the rest of the globe.
directed by Mia Ramos
WHAT MAKES AMERICA'S CONSTITUTION UNIQUE?
High School friends Adrian Torres, Baylon Holmes, & Carson Goodman use sketch comedy to explain the importance and one-of-a-kind nature of the US Constitution.
directed by Adrian Torres, Baylon Holmes, Carson Goodman
YOU'VE GOT WHAT IT TAKES
College Student Emily Kastens creatively uses MS Paint to educate others on the rights protected in the First Amendment, and encourages us to use them!
directed by Emily Kastens
HOW DARE YOU?
Dale Feuer expects a fun weekend at a hotel and gets the polar opposite.
directed by Joey Mosca
1 MINUTE FILMS
THE HIDDEN
A mysterious clash leads to an explosive reveal as a hidden warrior unleashes his true power, transforming into the legendary Kamen Rider Decade, in this action-packed VFX short.
directed by Eddie Soto
HE MADE HIS BED
When he realizes how he hurt the son he left behind, a divorced father reconsiders how to best raise his two kids from his separate marriages.
directed by Maddy Freeman
MEATBALL
Cece comes out to her traditional Italian American family during Sunday dinner.
directed by Alexandra Robinson
CARNAPPERS
Two degenerate gamblers try to pay off a debt by stealing a classic car and ransoming it back to the owner.
directed by Jim Harkins
CAREER DAY
Three parents are invited to discuss their careers at their child's middle school. Unfortunately, a judge's gag order forces one of them to teach the students a very important life lesson.
directed by John M Kerner
HOW'S THAT WORKING FOR YOU?
Things aren't quite working out for melancholy artist Maggie, but when her therapy session is interrupted by a masked gunman, little does she know that being held hostage in therapy is just the jump-start she needs.
directed by Brian Reilly
BLOCK 3 (2PM)
THE LONG RUN
When two oddball strangers leave their lives behind to chase their Hollywood dreams, they discover that what they lack in talent, they make up for with determination and a shared delusion, leading to an unexpected friendship that will make them question the realities of chasing a dream.
directed by Mylissa Fitzsimmons
BLOCK 4 (4PM)
2 CAN PLAY
Ava Della Pietra - official music video
directed by Azzie Scott
A CONVERSATION
A conversation between brothers about a struggling marriage.
directed by Jacob Archer
COLD SLICE
A mysterious woman crashes a drunken poker night and leaves a trail of revenge along the way.
directed by DJ Higgins
A LITTLE INFORMATION
A young and ambitious man who deals in information finds himself way in over his head when he has a visit by two henchmen of a notable gangster.
directed by Lucas Lopez
FOREVER HOME
A rescued dog deals with dementia.
directed by Eric J Carlson
DUST
A young man travels to London to close his recently diseased and estranged father’s record shop. He is met with a proposal from the longstanding employees whose love and dedication to the business bring surprises.
directed by Charlie Rowe
DARLING
After months of suspicion, Fiona follows her husband to a seedy motel where her worst fears are confirmed. Accepting an invitation from Liza, the sex worker, to enter the motel room, Fiona learns that not everything is as it seems.
directed by Finola Hughes
CRAZY PETE
A normal day turns crazy after an unexpected visit from Pete.
directed by Gregg Prosser
SHATTERED REFLECTIONS
Aims to shed light on the profound impact of mental illness on families. It underscores the significance of medication and delves into how society addresses these situations.
directed by Rock Davis and Tiffani Hyde
BLOCK 5 (6PM)
FIVE MONTH TRIAL
When hopeless romantic Gabi proposes a five-month relationship trial to charming but guarded Luke, what starts as a no-strings experiment forces them both to confront what they actually want — and who they really are.
directed by Orlando Joubert Jr.
BLOCK 6 (8PM)
MARIONETTE
Ava Della Pietra - official music video
directed by Nathan Levine-Heaney
REFLECTION
An introspective view of life from a middle-aged man.
directed by Jacob Archer
JIMMY'S OLDER SISTER
As Tyler deals with the recent passing of his mother and two broken arms, he gravitates towards Sarah, his best friend's older sister, as she deals with the emotional damage of a recent sex-tape exposure. The two make an unexpected connection through their respective feelings of isolation, which escalates further when Sarah shows up at Tyler's house unprompted.
directed by Laura Paganello
I'M NOT SURE
A depressed night manager and a naive young woman, engage in a conversation revealing intimate secrets that alter the course of the night.
directed by Mylissa Fitzsimmons
METHOD & MADNESS
Rachel takes her niece to a conference where she hopes to exact revenge upon the man responsible for her sister’s death. But her plans are thwarted when a mysterious woman offers her a different path. Rachel must choose between her madness and a methodical means to an end.
directed by Anna Russell
NO WARNING
A father confronts the parents of the child bullying his daughter.
directed by Tony Germinario
BETI
Beti ("daughter") is a story about loss, grief, and acceptance. It follows the journey of Neha, a young woman who has just lost her mother with whom she shared a pained, complicated relationship marred by generational trauma. Suddenly faced with a lifetime of unanswered questions and unfulfilled needs, Neha comes to understand that though her mother fell short in many ways, her love was always pure and she truly did do the best she could.
directed by Dilshad Vadsaria
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 7
BLOCK 7 (10AM)
EXTRA INNINGS: GRANDPA GOT GAME
Heartwarming and amusing documentary about the Over the Hill Gang, a softball league for a close-knit group of old-timers who never gave up playing the sport they love. The film beautifully demonstrates that we can continue to follow our passions well into our golden years – despite the toll that aging takes on our minds, bodies, and spirits.
directed by Robert Mandelberg
BLOCK 8 (12PM)
AN AUTUMN SUMMER
In a magical lake town, one couple and four best friends spend the final month before college chasing an endless summer.
directed by Jared Isaac
BLOCK 9 (2PM)
SILVERSIZZLE
Two recent widowers enlist the aid of a cemetery caretaker to find new love among widows visiting their departed spouses.
directed by Brian Russell
BLACK CAKE
Sherry Sankar is living a mundane day-to-day life after the death of her mother. On Christmas Day, her reality is shaken up when her little sister, Meena, discovers a secret Sherry’s been hiding. Sherry is faced with a daunting choice to carry the torch of family tradition by stepping out of her comfort zone.
directed by Megan Channell
DROPPED
Follows Andrew Wallace, a struggling actor who gets dropped by his agent in the middle of teaching a master class to a group of children at his Old Catholic Middle School.
directed by Lucy Hirschfeld
STORAGE FEES
Based on a poem, Storage Fees follows a young man who finds temporary shelter in a storage unit, while he mourns the death of his mother and questions the limited choices before him.
directed by Nicholas Michael Buck
A.W.A.R.E
Jess Miller, a woman struggling with agoraphobia who can't leave her house. One cold night, a man appears at her door. Jess' worst fears are realized when the man forces his way in and Jess is left with a horrifying realization: He's in the house and she can't leave.
directed by Zack Abramowitz
CONSEQUENCES
A young man with a twisted sense of justice seeks vengeance for the death of his mother.
directed by Tony Carpinelli
BEYOND WORDS
This film serves as a poignant narrative aimed at raising awareness about domestic violence. Through the progression of Mia & Emilio's relationship, viewers witness the familiar trajectory of a seemingly idyllic relationship. However; their relationship gradually unravels into one marked by manipulation and abuse.
directed by Tony Carpinelli
BLOCK 10 (4PM)
DRINK AND BE MERRY
Set at a struggling New York dive bar in the days leading up to Christmas, 2019. Chet (Jefferon White), is a beleaguered bartender in a state of extended arrested development, who must balance taking care of his misanthropic, aging regulars — who have nowhere else to go, and rely on him for far more than pouring drinks — with his naive desires to muster some Christmas spirit.
directed by Adam Volerich
RED CARPET - 6:30-7:30PM
AWARDS CEREMONY 7:30PM
UNPRODUCED SCREENPLAYS
7 The Legend (written by Randall Swearingen)
Bar in the Woods (written by Robert Cunniff)
Bear Day (written by Marshall Critchfield)
Don't Break Any Hearts (written by Bryan Huynh)
Eclipsed Skies 1966 (written by Giuseppe DiMarco)
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 6
BLOCK 1 (10AM)
SAVING AN AMERICAN HERO
In 2024, the Battleship New Jersey — America’s most decorated battleship —was dry docked for the first time in over three decades. This documentary captures not only the technical challenge of saving a ship of steel, but also the enduring legacy of those who walked her decks.
directed by Micki Pagano-Parente
PLAYING WITH INCREDIBLE MINDS
Captures the power and drama of the scholar-musicians and their charismatic, demanding maestro -- Federico Cortese -- in the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra. All the players come to Harvard to pursue academic excellence in their fields, yet each devotes hours to voluntarily practice, rehearse, and perform music that is comparable to world class orchestras or conservatories.
directed by Ruth Streeter
BLOCK 2 (12PM)
MOON OVER CAPRI
Ava Della Pietra - official music video
directed by Nathan Levine-Heaney
FREEDOM FLOWS
High School Student Noah Nuetzmann raps about the importance of the U.S. Constitution.
directed by Noah Nuetzmann
WHAT ABOUT US?
High School Student Megan Campbell uses animation and voiceover to explain how minority rights are protected by the U.S. Constitution.
directed by Megan Campbell
THE MAGICAL FIRST AMENDMENT
Middle School Student Niya Torres explains the importance of the First Amendment in a way she and her peers can truly understand.
directed by Niya Torres
THE CIVIL CIVIC CHRONICLES
High Schooler Neha Yalamanchi uses animation to explain the importance of civil civic conversation.
directed by Neha Yalamanchi
UNIQUELY FREE
High School Student Mia Ramos explains how the US grants its citizens unique freedoms by comparing our country to the rest of the globe.
directed by Mia Ramos
WHAT MAKES AMERICA'S CONSTITUTION UNIQUE?
High School friends Adrian Torres, Baylon Holmes, & Carson Goodman use sketch comedy to explain the importance and one-of-a-kind nature of the US Constitution.
directed by Adrian Torres, Baylon Holmes, Carson Goodman
YOU'VE GOT WHAT IT TAKES
College Student Emily Kastens creatively uses MS Paint to educate others on the rights protected in the First Amendment, and encourages us to use them!
directed by Emily Kastens
HOW DARE YOU?
Dale Feuer expects a fun weekend at a hotel and gets the polar opposite.
directed by Joey Mosca
1 MINUTE FILMS
THE HIDDEN
A mysterious clash leads to an explosive reveal as a hidden warrior unleashes his true power, transforming into the legendary Kamen Rider Decade, in this action-packed VFX short.
directed by Eddie Soto
HE MADE HIS BED
When he realizes how he hurt the son he left behind, a divorced father reconsiders how to best raise his two kids from his separate marriages.
directed by Maddy Freeman
MEATBALL
Cece comes out to her traditional Italian American family during Sunday dinner.
directed by Alexandra Robinson
CARNAPPERS
Two degenerate gamblers try to pay off a debt by stealing a classic car and ransoming it back to the owner.
directed by Jim Harkins
CAREER DAY
Three parents are invited to discuss their careers at their child's middle school. Unfortunately, a judge's gag order forces one of them to teach the students a very important life lesson.
directed by John M Kerner
HOW'S THAT WORKING FOR YOU?
Things aren't quite working out for melancholy artist Maggie, but when her therapy session is interrupted by a masked gunman, little does she know that being held hostage in therapy is just the jump-start she needs.
directed by Brian Reilly
BLOCK 3 (2PM)
THE LONG RUN
When two oddball strangers leave their lives behind to chase their Hollywood dreams, they discover that what they lack in talent, they make up for with determination and a shared delusion, leading to an unexpected friendship that will make them question the realities of chasing a dream.
directed by Mylissa Fitzsimmons
BLOCK 4 (4PM)
2 CAN PLAY
Ava Della Pietra - official music video
directed by Azzie Scott
A CONVERSATION
A conversation between brothers about a struggling marriage.
directed by Jacob Archer
COLD SLICE
A mysterious woman crashes a drunken poker night and leaves a trail of revenge along the way.
directed by DJ Higgins
A LITTLE INFORMATION
A young and ambitious man who deals in information finds himself way in over his head when he has a visit by two henchmen of a notable gangster.
directed by Lucas Lopez
FOREVER HOME
A rescued dog deals with dementia.
directed by Eric J Carlson
DUST
A young man travels to London to close his recently diseased and estranged father’s record shop. He is met with a proposal from the longstanding employees whose love and dedication to the business bring surprises.
directed by Charlie Rowe
DARLING
After months of suspicion, Fiona follows her husband to a seedy motel where her worst fears are confirmed. Accepting an invitation from Liza, the sex worker, to enter the motel room, Fiona learns that not everything is as it seems.
directed by Finola Hughes
CRAZY PETE
A normal day turns crazy after an unexpected visit from Pete.
directed by Gregg Prosser
SHATTERED REFLECTIONS
Aims to shed light on the profound impact of mental illness on families. It underscores the significance of medication and delves into how society addresses these situations.
directed by Rock Davis and Tiffani Hyde
BLOCK 5 (6PM)
FIVE MONTH TRIAL
When hopeless romantic Gabi proposes a five-month relationship trial to charming but guarded Luke, what starts as a no-strings experiment forces them both to confront what they actually want — and who they really are.
directed by Orlando Joubert Jr.
BLOCK 6 (8PM)
MARIONETTE
Ava Della Pietra - official music video
directed by Nathan Levine-Heaney
REFLECTION
An introspective view of life from a middle-aged man.
directed by Jacob Archer
JIMMY'S OLDER SISTER
As Tyler deals with the recent passing of his mother and two broken arms, he gravitates towards Sarah, his best friend's older sister, as she deals with the emotional damage of a recent sex-tape exposure. The two make an unexpected connection through their respective feelings of isolation, which escalates further when Sarah shows up at Tyler's house unprompted.
directed by Laura Paganello
I'M NOT SURE
A depressed night manager and a naive young woman, engage in a conversation revealing intimate secrets that alter the course of the night.
directed by Mylissa Fitzsimmons
METHOD & MADNESS
Rachel takes her niece to a conference where she hopes to exact revenge upon the man responsible for her sister’s death. But her plans are thwarted when a mysterious woman offers her a different path. Rachel must choose between her madness and a methodical means to an end.
directed by Anna Russell
NO WARNING
A father confronts the parents of the child bullying his daughter.
directed by Tony Germinario
BETI
Beti ("daughter") is a story about loss, grief, and acceptance. It follows the journey of Neha, a young woman who has just lost her mother with whom she shared a pained, complicated relationship marred by generational trauma. Suddenly faced with a lifetime of unanswered questions and unfulfilled needs, Neha comes to understand that though her mother fell short in many ways, her love was always pure and she truly did do the best she could.
directed by Dilshad Vadsaria
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 7
BLOCK 7 (10AM)
EXTRA INNINGS: GRANDPA GOT GAME
Heartwarming and amusing documentary about the Over the Hill Gang, a softball league for a close-knit group of old-timers who never gave up playing the sport they love. The film beautifully demonstrates that we can continue to follow our passions well into our golden years – despite the toll that aging takes on our minds, bodies, and spirits.
directed by Robert Mandelberg
BLOCK 8 (12PM)
AN AUTUMN SUMMER
In a magical lake town, one couple and four best friends spend the final month before college chasing an endless summer.
directed by Jared Isaac
BLOCK 9 (2PM)
SILVERSIZZLE
Two recent widowers enlist the aid of a cemetery caretaker to find new love among widows visiting their departed spouses.
directed by Brian Russell
BLACK CAKE
Sherry Sankar is living a mundane day-to-day life after the death of her mother. On Christmas Day, her reality is shaken up when her little sister, Meena, discovers a secret Sherry’s been hiding. Sherry is faced with a daunting choice to carry the torch of family tradition by stepping out of her comfort zone.
directed by Megan Channell
DROPPED
Follows Andrew Wallace, a struggling actor who gets dropped by his agent in the middle of teaching a master class to a group of children at his Old Catholic Middle School.
directed by Lucy Hirschfeld
STORAGE FEES
Based on a poem, Storage Fees follows a young man who finds temporary shelter in a storage unit, while he mourns the death of his mother and questions the limited choices before him.
directed by Nicholas Michael Buck
A.W.A.R.E
Jess Miller, a woman struggling with agoraphobia who can't leave her house. One cold night, a man appears at her door. Jess' worst fears are realized when the man forces his way in and Jess is left with a horrifying realization: He's in the house and she can't leave.
directed by Zack Abramowitz
CONSEQUENCES
A young man with a twisted sense of justice seeks vengeance for the death of his mother.
directed by Tony Carpinelli
BEYOND WORDS
This film serves as a poignant narrative aimed at raising awareness about domestic violence. Through the progression of Mia & Emilio's relationship, viewers witness the familiar trajectory of a seemingly idyllic relationship. However; their relationship gradually unravels into one marked by manipulation and abuse.
directed by Tony Carpinelli
BLOCK 10 (4PM)
DRINK AND BE MERRY
Set at a struggling New York dive bar in the days leading up to Christmas, 2019. Chet (Jefferon White), is a beleaguered bartender in a state of extended arrested development, who must balance taking care of his misanthropic, aging regulars — who have nowhere else to go, and rely on him for far more than pouring drinks — with his naive desires to muster some Christmas spirit.
directed by Adam Volerich
RED CARPET - 6:30-7:30PM
AWARDS CEREMONY 7:30PM
UNPRODUCED SCREENPLAYS
7 The Legend (written by Randall Swearingen)
Bar in the Woods (written by Robert Cunniff)
Bear Day (written by Marshall Critchfield)
Don't Break Any Hearts (written by Bryan Huynh)
Eclipsed Skies 1966 (written by Giuseppe DiMarco)
