Hot Films in the Making

Hot Films in the Making are films that we highly support. They have excellent concepts and brilliant filmmakers, they should be in our finals in the future.
We give each filmmaker chosen for our Hot Films in the Making the opportunity to add their projects to this list.  It is their choice. Please check out the films that interest you and give them your support!

Fall Grant 2022 Hot Films in the Making

Flush

Short

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‘Flush’ follows a day in the life of the newly-widowed Marty. Struggling to find balance between coping with his own grief and the responsibilities of single-fatherhood, Marty’s composure is put to the test when he tries to shield his 7-year-old daughter, Claire, from yet another loss: the death of her pet goldfish.

Cremains Unknown

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Danielle McCarthy, a Gold Star wife, unexpectedly lost her husband, David, a U.S. Veteran, in 2017. His body was brought to Sunset Mesa in Montrose, Colorado to be cremated. One day, she received a call from the FBI informing her that the cremains she had may not be her husband after all. As a result of the FBI investigation, Danielle learned David’s body had been sold without her consent and later learned it’s not considered illegal in the state of Colorado. This is Danielle’s story.

Red Fish

Feature

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In 2020 New York, an immigrant from Belarus struggles to balance two failing
relationships amidst the burgeoning coronavirus pandemic and political unrest in
her home country.

“Red Fish” provides insight into the unique perspective of an immigrant from Belarus in New York dealing with multiple hardships in her personal life as well as the looming pandemic and political instability in her home country which threatens the life of her brother. Viewer get a clear and detailed picture of what is going on for Jana psychologically. She faces several difficult obstacles throughout,
such as her two failing relationships, one of which she depends on for the possibility of a visa.

Who Will Catch You When I Fall

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Who Will Catch You When I Fall is a feature documentary project about autistic children with high support needs. This story features a family coping with two teen/adult autistic children, with a focus on the looming crisis of when their parents will no longer be able to care for them. It takes us through the harsh realities facing these children. In the end, though, this is a personal family story and a labor of love that we hope will help other people understand the severity of this problem. We plan to tell their story in all of its raw emotion while remaining sympathetic and respectful to the individuals who are dealing with this tidal wave of need on a daily basis.

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THE CUTTING ROOM FLOOR follows a young female editor on her first feature film. Working under an impossibly tight deadline, she must also deal with the emotional fallout of ending her own engagement. As she labors over the romantic film, memories of her relationship and the movie footage become muddled as she obsessively “recuts” her break-up. Ultimately, she finds catharsis through the process and comes into her own as an editor.

Of the Cloth

Short

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A compassionate preacher is called to a struggling community, but is faced with a resistant congregation that refuses the teachings to help the less fortunate.

After finishing Bible College in Kentucky, Clint is transferred to a church in Huntington, West Virginia – one of the largest cities in the state. When he arrives, he meets Genevieve – a young woman who suffers from substance use disorder. Through her story of addiction, Clint realizes the need to love people where they are and practice the compassion he has learned. However, he is met with resistance from the congregation at his church. The “not in my backyard” mentality runs rampant.

Field Trip

Documentary

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Each year in the Peruvian Amazon, an ancient hallucinogenic brew, Ayahuasca, is cooked up and served to thousands of spiritual tourists. Filmed within native communities and popular tourist centers deep in the rainforest, Field Trip will capture all sides of this complex intersection of indigenous culture and Wellness Culture. Cinema vérité will be punctuated with interviews with psychedelic researchers, anthropologists and spiritual seekers alike, all raising questions on the commodification of spirituality, cultural fetishization, the role of psychedelics in medicine, and Ayahuasca’s purported healing powers.

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One hundred years ago, a German immigrant named Agnes Lepinski Richards was horrified at the abuse of women in asylums. In response, she founded Rockhaven Sanitarium– her own asylum specifically for women regardless of their family background, skin color, or sexual orientation. Rockhaven’s 13 buildings now sit in arrested decay as a group of volunteers and a senator fight for the preservation of its legacy.

Flying Lessons

Documentary

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When their Lower East Side building comes under siege by a predatory landlord, a young filmmaker and an aging punk artist forge an unlikely friendship. As the two women collaborate on a portrait of a creative life amidst NYC’s cultural crisis, they discover what it means to be neighbors.

Growing Pains: https://tinyurl.com/bdfbv5z6

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Growing Pains follows childhood girlfriends Zoe and Nat, who face the tumultuous transition from middle to high school as their friendship drifts apart. A real and raw coming-of-age story about identity, sexuality, the aftermath of surviving cancer, and growing into yourself amidst a society that throws a rug over the serious hardships that teen girls face. Addressing disability, queer representation, and mental health; Growing Pains is a love letter from writers Catherine Argyrople and Mariana Fabian, who have forever struggled to see their stories depicted accurately on screen. Or, depicted at all. Growing Pains was written, directed, produced, and filmed by a team of women.

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A feature length documentary about the “Pianoman” – David Avendaño, a piano factory owner who faces the loss of his factory and potential family separation.

Under 'S' for Sucker

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A14-year-old boy lost in the foster care system lands in a 30-day emergency placement he hopes will become his permanent home. The family’s 14-year-old son, the target of previous foster kids’ pent-up anger, schemes to make this new kid want to leave.

Late 1970’s, rural Midwest. The 30 days are filled with comedic misunder-standings, messy girl relationships, football games, fights, and pranks. As the 30 days close in, Mickey, the family’s biological son, is convinced Children Services won’t find another home for Tim, the foster kid; and Mickey’s parents will let Tim stay. But a new home is found for Tim who’d like to stay in spite of Mickey. Will Mickey’s plot to be rid of Tim work?

The Enigmatic Comedies of Malwesh & Eleanor (TECoME)

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Fast-paced dark comedy following a group of teenagers who are plunged into a local spy feud after an unfortunate run-in with an aspiring Witness Protection agent.

To be immersed in the lore of TECoME you can visit the fictional town the series takes place in, Sporks, W.A., at www.VisitSporks.com. Or hop on over to TECoME’s Instagram & TikTok: @enigmaticcomedies

The show features Shakespearean comedic tropes, queer spies, enigmatic stories, and a cozy, nostalgic ambiance.

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This documentary explores the life of Kate
Marsden, a young Victorian nurse who dreams of
saving the world from Leprosy.
Set in 1890, our adventure begins as she travels
from the UK to Yakutsk in deepest, coldest Siberia
on a quest to discover a magical herb with which
she will cure the world of Leprosy.
We will explore the challenges she faces, both
political and circumstantial, to realise her dream.
We reveal her successes and how, for a short
while, it appears as though she might achieve the
feat of heroism she dreams of.
We uncover the witchhunt that persues her
relentlessly on her return to the UK. It’s a sustained
attack on her character from which she never
recovers.

Saving Jaguars and Ourselves

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This is a story of people trying to save their homes, cattle ranches, ecotourism, wildlife, and jaguars from out of control climate wildfires in the remote Pantanal of Brazil, the world’s largest wetland, storing 10 billion tons of carbon—that is threatened by deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest which may have only 2 more years left before its ecosystem dies and decaying trees begin 30-50 years of releasing up to 200 billion tons of carbon that would ultimately destroy the Earth’s climate. Our survival depends on the survival of this region—so what can average citizens do to stop U.S. corporations from deforestation and protect the Pantanal and the Amazon Rainforest it depends on?

Gifted – The Docuseries

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There are many issues associated with organ donation and transplantation. These issues span from political to financial, from spiritual to moral. Because healthy organs continue to be buried every day and the need for those organs is enormous, these issues have to be addressed. Gifted-The Docuseries will tell the complete and accurate stories of both tragedy and victory to encourage a nationwide social discussion. We’ll explore donor stories and hear from their family members, who in the depths of their grief, were able to find hope by donating their loved one’s gifts so that others could live on and do amazing things.

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A lonely hermit struggling with addiction returns to his lost farmhouse to find it sold to a mysterious young woman with a deadly secret.

The Cassandra Project

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The Cassandra Project is a trilogy of short, scripted films about women not being believed, and the extremely high stakes situations that can arise when their voices are disregarded and dismissed. Each of the films will feature a female protagonist of a different age, from a different background, with very different stories. Three films. Three genres. Three scenarios. One unifying and terrifying truth – when women’s voices are not heard, it is very dangerous for everyone.

Three (Extra)Ordinary Women

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Pearlette, Tammy and Terry are Three (Extra)Ordinary Women who have collectively overcome poverty, abuse, systemic racism, and political occupation. The film will explore their life stories and how the parallels between the Palestinian occupation and Jim Crow in the United States have equally disenfranchised people of color. By braving their biggest physical obstacle yet – climbing to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro– they will show that through sisterhood, women can accomplish anything.

The film will have a social impact campaign that will touch on themes of female self-worth, systemic racism, empowerment, leadership and the importance of being in nature.

Cremains Unknown

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Danielle McCarthy, a Gold Star wife, unexpectedly lost her husband, David, a U.S. Veteran, in 2017. His body was brought to Sunset Mesa in Montrose, Colorado to be cremated. One day, she received a call from the FBI informing her that the cremains she had may not be her husband after all. As a result of the FBI investigation, Danielle learned David’s body had been sold without her consent and later learned it’s not considered illegal in the state of Colorado. This is Danielle’s story.

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Growing Pains follows childhood girlfriends Zoe and Nat, who face the tumultuous transition from middle to high school as their friendship drifts apart. Growing Pains is a real & raw coming-of-age story about identity, sexuality, and the aftermath of surviving cancer. The film was inspired by true stories and is about growing into yourself amidst a society that throws a rug over the serious hardships that teen girls face. Addressing disability, queer representation, and mental health, Growing Pains is a love letter for young women who have struggled to see their stories depicted on screen.
https://filmmakerscollab.networkforgood.com/projects/54502-filmmakers-collaborative-growing-pains

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There are many issues associated with organ donation and transplantation. These issues span from political to financial, from spiritual to moral. Because healthy organs continue to be buried every day and the need for those organs is enormous, these issues have to be addressed. Gifted-The Docuseries will tell the complete and accurate stories of both tragedy and victory to encourage a nationwide social discussion. We’ll explore donor stories and hear from their family members, who in the depths of their grief, were able to find hope by donating their loved one’s gifts so that others could live on and do amazing things.

The Enigmatic Comedies of Malwesh & Eleanor

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This Shakespeare-inspired dark comedy follows a group of teenagers who are plunged into a local spy feud that threatens the fate of the world after an unfortunate run-in with an aspiring Witness Protection agent.

TECoME is peppered with the greatest of Shakespeare tropes: love triangles; disguises; mistaken identities; potions aplenty, and a play within a play. Do not fall in love with these trickster spies for they are falser than vows made in wine!
Although the characters don’t speak fluent Shakespeare (though you’ll find a few quoting the Bard at the most inopportune times), William’s influence is evident in this genre-bending; fourth-wall-breaking; fast-paced espionage hijinx series.

Beyond Yellowface

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It started with a pledge on a website. It became a movement that is shaking up the elite world of ballet.

BEYOND YELLOWFACE follows a pair of prominent NYC dancers of Asian descent, Georgina Pazcoguin and Phil Chan, who are challenging the dance community to rid ballet of racial stereotypes, including dancing in yellowface and blackface.

The pair battles entrenched tradition and political pushback as they shine a critical spotlight on The Nutcracker and other beloved stories in the classical arts. Their battle provides a vivid account of cultural missteps and creative evolution.

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THE POWER OF MINDFULNESS THROUGH SITTING!
World Traveler Robert Silk, seeks out nature at its most remote and isolated, and sits.
THE PLAN
Sit in nature – the desert – from sunrise to sunset.

Missing in the Midwest

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After years of silence, Joelle Lockwood recounts her 2014 abduction case that shocked her community of southwestern Indiana. In addition to Joelle’s first ever public interview, the documentary features discussions with law enforcement and her loved ones as they question the lines between good, bad, and evil.

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Poverty, Homelessness, Mass Incarceration, Endless War, Lack of Adequate Healthcare, and Environmental Destruction have a root cause, a culprit hiding in plain sight: Capitalism.

That American sacred cow, whose legitimacy is rarely questioned, is critically examined as the root cause of, and major impediment to solving the most pressing social problems of our time.

This documentary asks the question: What must we do to end injustice, if the system runs on injustice?

Featuring award-winning cinematography, acclaimed journalist Chris Hedges, feminist leader Harriet Fraad, author and child abuse survivor Annette Lucas, challenge the viewer with paradigm-shifting perspectives.

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Plumeria is the story of Lily, a mixed-racial teenager from California, who unveils the Hawaiian paradise mirage when she moves from California to Kauai with her father. Living on Kauai is far different than visiting for vacation as she must confront the ethics of tourism. Plumeria highlights these issues through the lens of Lily, a fish out of water, who slowly finds her place on the island through friends, family, and community.

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Jesus returns to Earth as a beach bum named Jebus to reteach America how to love again during times of dystopian political division.

             

Summer Grant 2022 Hot Films in the Making

Displaying 1 – 18 of 18

Blooming of Time: Dance with Jinzi

Documentary

imdb.com

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The life and work of GAO Yanjinzi, one of China’s most acclaimed female modern dancers, as she faces unprecedented challenges. Her 26-year-old dance company is on the brink of disbandment since Covid-19 has brought China’s entire performance industry to a stop, while she is also troubled by her severe ankle injury and her role as a mother. However, nothing would stop her from seeking the very reason why she chose to dance in the first place. The film will not only bear witness to the artist’s own struggle, but also reflect upon why art still matters in the post-Covid world.

Test Short

Short

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A short film by the Testy brothers

I'm Still Here

Short

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“I’m Still Here” explores an artist’s journey from the streets into housing where they gained self-determination and independence through community and artistic expression.

What's in a Name

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WHAT’S IN A NAME follows three trans women, Tania Cordova, Eisha Love, and Reyna Ortiz, who are suing the state of Illinois to strike down a law that prohibits people with felony convictions from legally changing their names. They are also key activists involved in the effort to pass HB2542, a state bill that strikes down the same law.

A male name on their government ID exposes the women as trans, which opens them up to harassment and danger and the constant outing causes an enormous amount of stress. WHAT’S IN A NAME shares the personal journeys of three women who are fighting for the fundamental right to choose their own names.

Better Than They Found It

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A daughter reconciles time lost to her father’s demanding football coaching career by uncovering the role he and his peers played in pushing a quintessential American institution to change. In the process, she discovers a silver lining to her family’s sacrifice: doors open to women like her in sport and sports journalism.

A character-driven documentary feature, Better Than They Found It lifts the veil on one of the most enduring controversies in sport.

Thank You, Sister

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Sister Gertrude Morgan was an artist, evangelist, poet, and musician; a black woman wielding her tambourine, paintbrush and fierce voice to spread her singular message on the streets of New Orleans from the French Quarter to the Lower 9th Ward. Little known in the greater culture, her artwork is in major institutions around the world and has inspired a number of contemporary artists. The film seeks to question through Sister’s story, and through the practicing artists impacted by her, the nature of truth, art, value, and identity.

when we three meet/creation fables

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Today urgent challenges pit the rights of the individual vs. the common good, individual identity vs. social unity, commerce and consumerism vs. conservation of the environment. The media overwhelm us with a monolithic wash of information impossible to ignore and just as hard to filter. These two films propose to mitigate that onslaught by vivifying, exploring, and elucidating these challenges with whimsy and fantasy, letting us examine often harsh realities through fanciful aesthetic play. Stop-motion filmmaker Elizabeth Phelps and composer Robert Pound collaborate to create two films derived from and elaborating on two of Pound’s musical works, “when we three meet” and “creation fables.”

Going Fine Since 1889: The Magical Armstrongs

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Going Fine Since 1889: The Magical Armstrongs is a feature length documentary about a family of African American magicians who traveled throughout the South during the confines of the Jim Crow era.

Much of the lore and history of the Armstrong’s is a mystery, and this is what we seek to explore. The Armstrong’s traveled extensively, performed to great crowds and were incredibly successful. Their determination and level of accomplishment is stunning, considering the times.

The film seeks to piece together the story of the Armstrong’s through movies, historical documentation, and most importantly, African American magicians who carry on this important, not yet fully explored, legacy.

Lord of Nature: Born To Re-Wild

Documentary

facebook.com

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A compelling documentary that follows Ireland’s Lord Randal Plunkett (39), the 21st Baron of Dunsany Castle, as he works to re-wild his 1700 acre estate (the country’s largest private rewilding project) to help fight climate change. Randal’s efforts are jeopardized, however, when the transportation department threatens to construct a railroad that would run directly through his property and destroy the land and legacy he’s worked so hard to save.

With Martin Sheen narrating and interviews with Irish actor/environmental activist Gabriel Byrne on the state of the climate crisis and why this particular forest is important to save not just for Ireland but for the world.

Sanctuary of Butterflies

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In this original docuseries, musician and folk hero Luis Perez-Ixoneztli takes us on a personal journey to explore the fascinating living traditions of Mexico’s Indigenous Peoples

Desert Angel

Documentary

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For 25 years, Rafael Larraenza has risked his life along the US-Mexico border to rescue immigrants lost in the desert. But as the years catch up with him, he worries his next search-and-rescue mission could be his last.

Intimate and poetic, DESERT ANGEL is a character study of a man driven to save others and willing to risk anything to do so.

Janis Ian & The Art of Song (working title)

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In the mid-60s, Janis Ian, a tiny teenage Jewish singer-songwriter from New Jersey scores a hit (“Society’s Child,” 1966) about an interracial relationship. The song launches her illustrious career but also ignites controversy, and she plunges into an emotional tailspin–only to emerge from the ashes with an even bigger hit (“At Seventeen,” 1975) about body shaming. For the next six decades, Janis overcomes homophobia, record industry misogyny, and a life-threatening illness to produce an indelible body of work that continues to draw large audiences around the globe.

Trial by Media: The Michael Jackson Story

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A retrospective look at Michael Jackson’s place in American culture, a glimpse into the media through the prism of Jackson’s life. A litmus test of society’s values and America’s interpretation of black culture and otherness.

WZZQ: The The Rock of Jackson

Documentary

wzzqthemovie.com

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In 1968, one of the best freeform rock stations in the country sprang up in the most unlikely place. Discover the true story of WZZQ-FM, Mississippi’s musical force of nature that people still long for, more than 40 years on.

Holding Back The Tide

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Holding Back The Tide is a city symphony of urban and aquatic landscapes, following the precarious ebb and flow of oyster life cycles. The film’s documentary scenes introduce us to an ensemble of farmers, chefs, scientists, and environmentalists, all working to close the ecological loop on oyster consumption. Scripted interludes inspired by oysters’ genderfluid reproductive biology and Greek myth depict characters as they traverse the city and the waterways in search of a queer and environmentally sustainable way of being. How can something as small as an oyster build toward the future in the face of looming climate disaster? How much are we willing to invest in our cities’ longevity?

Positive

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Twenty-two year old Neuroscience student Wendy is transitioning from pre-med to performance when she is thrown into quarantine with her 17 year-old sister, April. Suddenly sharing a full-sized bed, the sisters struggle to make peace with their newfound living quarters. But, while editing April’s college essays, Wendy discovers her purpose–to help April find hers. Over fourteen days, the girls grow from acquaintances to artistic allies as they realize their unstoppable potential to pursue their passion.
Based on a true story, this film was shot in Houston with an entirely Texan cast & crew. Creator Abby Tozer donated $2500 to the Cynthia Woods Mitchell performing artist scholarship.

Mom & Me

Documentary

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A daughter misses the South Asian mother who raised her, a vibrant award-winning social worker. After living together during the pandemic, the daughter confronts her mother’s 20-year struggle with depression, becomes a caregiver and accepts their new reality.

Blooming of Time: Dance with Jinzi

Documentary

imdb.com

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The life and work of GAO Yanjinzi, one of China’s most acclaimed female modern dancers combining the west and the east through choreography, as she faces unprecedented challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic. Her 26-year-old dance company is on the brink of disbandment since China’s entire performance industry has come to a stop, while she is also troubled by her severe ankle injury and her role as a mother. However, nothing would stop her from seeking the very reason why she danced in the first place—to help people find an exit for emotions through the liberation of body.

Website: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22523604/

             

Spring Grant 2022 Hot Films in the Making

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Rachael lives an isolated existence, haunted by an unspeakable past. But when a young boy upends her controlled world, she’s forced to face her own demons.

Arcade Dreams

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Travel through time to discover the secret history of arcade games. How did arcades begin? How did new technologies influence gameplay? And how have these games sparked our imaginations, shaped our lives, and brought us together?

Arcade Dreams is like nothing you’ve ever seen before. It’s the first film to tell the complete story — from the penny arcades of the early 1900s, through pinball’s glory days and the video generation, to the virtual reality rooms of today and beyond. Stories of modern game designers, arcade operators, enthusiasts, and collectors are interwoven with their historical counterparts, revealing the enthusiasm, creativity, and passion keeping the dream alive.

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By the year 2050, Bangladesh will have approximately 220 million inhabitants and a large part of its territory will be permanently submerged. This could result in the forced displacement of between 10 and 30 million people from the country’s southern coastline, forcing many Bangladeshis to flee the country as “climate refugees”, a human group that is expected to reach 250 million people worldwide by mid-century.
On a planetary scale, we are talking about the largest mass migration in human history.
How long will Dhaka be able to cope with the arrival of so many people?
Where will all these people go when the cities collapse?
Who will take them in?
We are sitting on a huge time bomb.

BLUES FOR 475 KENT

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A brutal mass eviction and it’s aftermath is the catalyst for BLUES FOR 475 KENT, filmed over a period of ten years, as a requiem to the last artist community in Brooklyn. The filmmaker immersed with sculptor, Deborah Masters and Jazz pianist, Connie Crothers, captures the lives of artists living on the edge.

Disposable Humanity

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An exploration into the history and memory of the Nazi medical genocide of disabled people known as Aktion T4. Disposable Humanity focuses on what disability memorialization tells us about attitudes toward disabled people today. The film explores the historical events regarding the systematic extermination of 300,000+ disabled people housed in German, Austrian, and Polish psychiatric institutions. Ordered on Hitler’s private stationary, these “mercy killings” were arranged and executed by doctors in cooperation with the German state from 1939 to 1940. The murders targeted those the T4 program deemed “life unworthy of living”. The film seeks to tell these stories before they go extinct.

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An anxious, aging millennial, Arab-American Austin transplant goes on a mission to find the platonic love of her life after realizing she’s never had one lasting female friend, but will have to figure out how to befriend herself first.

I Carry You In Me

Short

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One day a strange protrusion appears on Emily’s body. Meanwhile her idyllic relationship with her husband starts to crack as the unspoken tragedy between them pushes to the surface, forcing Emily to contend with the secrets that she has hidden even from herself.

Through our character of Emily, we want to explore the grief of a woman who was unable to love her own child and how that affects her relationship with her own body because the body remembers everything, even the things we have suppressed and forgotten.

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Tristan is ranked #1 basketball player in the nation and now everything’s on the line. Your future coach is scandalous, trust is questionable and crime is lurking. The city will reap dire consequences and seek justice for the community. Tristan is mentally torn, seemingly every decision is critical as the game winning shot. Leaving him no choice but to do what’s best.

King Luck

Documentary

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When the unsung pioneer of the American beatbox movement is diagnosed with cancer, he must reconnect with the community he built to save his life and legacy. More than just vocal percussion, beatboxing is the art of making something out of nothing. True to form, Kid Lucky re-ignited a dying American beatbox scene by teaching a generation of artists about the power of coming together. Now, a deadly cancer diagnosis threatens to tear his life apart. With limited time and a mountain of healthcare costs, Kid must rely on his ability to inspire a movement. With help from his protege, Kaila Mullady, Kid sets out to galvanize the community he fostered to save his life in return.

La Concierge de Azule

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As “Radical, French, Appalachian Hillbilly” Camille Shaffer turns 80, she reflects on her life, art, and
death at her home “Azule”— a house on a hill in the heart of Appalachia.

Like Heaven Without God

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Like Heaven Without God is a documentary on a group of RVers, who struggle to survive on the margins of the city of Berkeley. A public program has allowed them to reside in an empty parking lot, but it will come to an end soon forcing them to return to the uncertain and unsafe life on the streets.

Man Freed

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Romanticism meets the metaphysical as Lord Byron’s famous closet drama makes its debut on screen, adapted and reimagined.

Miss-Diagnosed:The Challenge of Detecting Ovarian Cancer Early

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Ovarian cancer is the deadliest of all the gynecological cancers. Seventy percent of women are diagnosed at advanced stages leading to a 70 to 90 precent chance of a recurrence. Miss-Diagnosed is a documentary that educates women about the disease, early detection and prevention to improve their chances of survival.

More Than Our Skin

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More Than Our Skin is a film centered around the lives of 5 women living with Vitiligo – an auto-immune disease in which the skin loses its pigment cells resulting in discolored patches throughout the body. People with the condition not only experience high levels of depression, but also suffer from social stigmatization and isolation. The result, oftentimes, manifests as shame, avoidance of intimacy, and in far too many cases – suicidal thoughts.

More Than Our Skin will tell the stories of these women – privately suffering in their very public world – as they try to hide in plain sight.

One Thousand Hills Between Us

Short

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In the rolling hills of Rwanda, 30 years after the genocide that claimed the lives of her family, community healer Emilienne searches for meaning as she bridges the divides between perpetrators, survivors, and the children born of violence.

A directorial debut for filmmaker Ornella Mutoni, she brings her observational documentary background to explore the complex terrain of reconciliation and justice in her homeland.

Orchestrated: Ignatz Waghalter and the Negro Symphony Orchestra

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Orchestrated: Ignatz Waghalter and the Negro Symphony Orchestra follows veteran British conductor, Alex Walker, and Kyle P. Walker, an up-and-coming African American classical pianist, as they uncover the remarkable story of one of the first ever all-Black classical symphony orchestras. Created by once-renowned Polish-Jewish conductor Ignatz Waghalter and the icons of Harlem Renaissance, the Negro Symphony Orchestra brought together 120 African American musicians in an unprecedented moment of activism, hope, and collaboration, their story revealing what it takes to overcome racial injustice to make it on the concert stage.

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Affected by climate change and rapid development in the most hazard-prone areas of the nation, the US is experiencing an escalating tally of weather-related disasters in addition to earthquakes, landslides, and volcanoes in geologically unstable regions. This film asks: Who is helping to turn the tide of disaster losses of lives and property through better planning and efforts to build more resilient communities? Who is helping communities better address these twin threats of natural disasters and climate change? This film goes where the worst is happening, talks to community and business leaders, and finds the silver linings in disaster recovery.

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“Revelations of Divine Love” is a live-action medieval historical drama about Julian of Norwich, a 14th-century mystic who survived the plague, witnessed a nationwide peasants’ revolt, talked to God, and lived to tell the tale.

ROLLING CHAIR

Documentary

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ROLLING CHAIRS is an hour documentary film about the history of the iconic rolling chairs in Atlantic City, and more importantly about the lives of the men (and women) who have pushed them. Those were the days my friend…Atlantic City (AC) back in the day was THE place to go, to be seen and enjoyed. Picture Miss America, the Steel Pier, the AC boardwalk, the 1964 Democratic Convention and the iconic rolling chairs that were not only a mode of transportation, but a romantic ride for lovers and honeymooners.

As a boardwalk chair driver for three summers (1964, 65, and 66), I was fortunate enough to live and observe all this first-hand. It was the most fascinating job I’ve ever had!

Salsa, A Caribbean Swing (Salsa, un tumbao' caribeño)

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Salsa, A Caribbean Swing explores salsa music’s cultural legacy and everyday realities from the heart of Caribbean barrios to New York City. Through the lens of Afro-Venezuelan director Beni Marquez’s background as an Afro-Latino immigrant and musician, with interviews with emblematic figures and cultural stewards, the film engages audiences in present-day conversations about salsa’s roots, global reach, radical consciousness, spiritual implications, and critical role in shaping Latino identity. This documentary departs from previous films about salsa music by focusing on everyday people, their communities, and salsa as a cultural movement.

STATEN ISLAND GRAVEYARD

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A parking lot on Staten Island, NY, sits surrounded by convenience stores, a bank, and trash that’ll fly into your face if you’re not careful. There are so many within the borough that it almost goes unnoticed. But this parking lot contains a terrible secret–it’s about a historically Black cemetery, one where the bodies were never moved.

Sunshine City

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Siblings Stellar(23) and Max(17) are living out of their car and trying to get back on their feet. When Max makes a drunken mistake and puts their livelihood on the line, Stellar finds herself questioning how much longer she can support him.

The cemetery of cinema

Documentary

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The director travels throughout Guinea in search of Mouramani, the first film made by a black African francophone, in 1953. Along this journey he learns about the history of cinema in his country, and what has become of it. Using his camera to confront History, he’ll travel all the way to France in search of a copy of this lost film .

The Destruction of Our Lives

Feature

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Addressing the opioid/fentanyl crisis in America, “The Destruction of Our Lives” tells the
story of three addicts: Steve, a 38-year-old war veteran dealing with PTSD from Afghanistan;
Keandra, a 30-year-old with emotional problems dealing with her own PTSD from child abuse
and an abusive relationship and Cody, a 28-year-old with a history of petty crime. After leaving
rehabilitation they find themselves readjusting to their individual lives. Steve continues to
struggle and resist pure pressure from his veteran friends that have their own
addictions; Tina has relapses but confronts her own demons, albeit with tragic
circumstances, and Cody tries to move on with life crime free.

The Heart of Long Beach

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“The Heart of Long Beach” is an anthology film where diverse cultures shine amongst the streets, uniting short stories of resilience throughout the city.

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The Last Drop is a short sci-fi film about relationship abuse inspired by the memories of real survivors.

LOG LINE:
A young woman links minds with her boyfriend with a device that lets couples relive shared memories— but when she spots overlooked signs of abuse, she must escape before he can manipulate her memories in his favor.

TEASER / INTRO VIDEO:
https://vimeo.com/593943138/5140908676

DONATION LINK:
Support this crucial project to help prevent relationship abuse.
https://www.fullspectrumfeatures.com/the-last-drop

The Long Rescue

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The Long Rescue follows Filipina teen sex trafficking survivors for six years as they recover in a secret shelter and re-enter the world – hoping to overcome the poverty, predators, and pimps of their childhood. Full of dreams and love for their families, they must navigate a callous society and their own embodied trauma before they can truly thrive.

The Runs

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Being an assistant sucks! Four women navigate the topsy-turvy industry lifestyle of dick bosses, an off-the-rails movie production, and actors who just can’t seem to stay off social media, all while perfecting the art of the coffee run.

The Sound of Hope

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A diplomat, a teacher, and a musician declare war on poverty, ignorance, and crime, using an unorthodox weapon: classical music education.

UNDAUNTED CHANGEMAKERS

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On reservations and in communities cross the U.S., Native and Black Changemakers are tapping ancient traditions to create an economy that works for everyone. Traditional values of “all life is connected” and “wealth is more than money” are the basis for the solutions for tribal wealth building, black home and business ownership, and institional reform in banking and prison industries.

             

Fall Grant 2021 Hot Films in the Making

Human Shield

Documentary

erinpersley.com

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An intimate portrait of abortion clinic escorts — volunteers who serve as physical and emotional bodyguards for vulnerable patients as they embark on one of the most hostile 30-second walks of their lives. Told through the perspective of three clinic escort leaders, Human Shield explores the great personal risks taken in the battle for reproductive justice.

The Forgotten Angels

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“THE FORGOTTEN ANGELS” follows a group of homeless children navigating a way out of the treacherous streets of Skid Row. Battling the restraints of poverty, hunger, and social limitations, these children bravely pursue academic excellence in the hopes of a brighter future. Overcoming educational barriers and inadequate resources, they reveal the powerful perseverance of youth.

Self Care

Experimental

vimeo.com

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A meditation on late stage capitalism and mechanization.

Food Synergy

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Food Synergy offers a creative glimpse into the food chain cycle.
Different multimedia styles will be used from animation and dance to interviews and original musical scores. This project will demonstrate how the seven stages of the food chain cycle are inextricably connected and how the problems faced in each level can be alleviated with sound and practical solutions that already exist, motivating audiences to fight food loss/waste from farm to fork.

REDUCTION

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The breast is a double-edged sword: it is both revered as a symbol of fertility and feminine beauty and maligned as a root of immorality and depravity. Led by a powerhouse of female filmmakers, REDUCTION is a revolutionary feature-length documentary that follows a group of people with oversized breasts, exploring the challenges they face and understanding their motivations – and trepidations – to undergo breast reduction surgery.

Dear Luke, Love, Me

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“Dear Luke, Love, Me” is a relational drama that follows soulmates Penny and Luke through a thirteen long alterous relationship as they try to navigate their unique connection in a heteronormative world. A “Harry Met Sally” for the modern generation, this feature explores the importance of queer-platonic bonds and the nuance of asexuality.

Charlie's Story: Tuskegee and More

Documentary

vimeo.com

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“I FOUND OUT THAT IT’S IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO LIVE IN AMERICA WITHOUT RACISM, THAT’S MY REALITY”.
These were the chilling words from my life time friend, Charlie Dorkins in an interview I did with him in 2015. Charlie talked about growing up in segregated Baltimore, MD in the 1930’s, joining the Tuskegee Airmen during WWII where he was part of the 101 Airmen arrested for entering the White Officers Club, which was considered an ACT OF MUTINY, and receiving the Sidney Hillman Prize for his documentary on the Angolan Liberation Movement. This film sheds light on institutionalized racism which has never really left us.

The Black Man's Voice

Web/TV Series

godaddysites.com

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Black men are threatened profoundly every day in White America but also work tirelessly to overcome the adverse effects of racism in their lives professionally and personally.

Woman Of God

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When a beautiful woman tries to find her way in life with love and her career. She discovers something she has been missing along the way.

PRISON PARK

Feature

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Ordinary drug users, activists and police caught in extraordinary circumstances — manifested by a piece of draconic legislation that provides for setting up places of detention, commonly known as prison parks.

Trusted Sources

Documentary

trustdocfilm.com

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Did you know that one third of Americans rely on news they don’t event trust? That’s bad for our democracy because it’s turning people away from the news they need to make informed decisions. Trusted Sources is a film about the decline of trust in news and the heroes working to restore it. It’s a solutions-focused film that explores the reasons may people distrust the news. It takes you inside newsrooms to see how reporting decisions are made and shows you where to find the ethics policies of news outlets. Most importantly, it provides you with tools and techniques to inoculate you from misinformation and find news that is worthy of your trust.

1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture

Documentary

1946themovie.com

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1946 is a feature documentary film that will tell the story of two intrepid researchers,
Kathy Baldock, an evangelical straight Christian LGBTQIA+ activist and author, and Ed
Oxford, an evangelical gay Christian graduate of Talbot Seminary, who trace the origins
of the anti-gay movement within the American conservative Christian church to an
erroneous mistranslation of the Bible in 1946, and how the Bible has subsequently
been weaponized against LGBTQIA+ people. While other documentaries have been
successful in their attempt to treat the symptom of homophobia in the church, 1946 is
working to diagnose and treat the disease – Biblical Literalism.

Death Target

Web/TV Series

facebook.com

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DEATH TARGET Season One Pilot is a gut-churning medical suspense thriller that explores the effects of PTSD on veterans in a tightly woven mystery as Jack Bass, MD, copes with his debilitating condition and struggles to protect those he loves.

An ultra-realistic medical murder mystery that keeps you guessing. Death Target is the second book in the bestselling Jack Bass Black Cloud Chronicles medical thriller series by author Ed Dasso, MD. Screenplay is written by multi-award winning screenwriter, Nancy Bevins

Is he the killer they say he is? Even Jack isn’t certain.

TEASER: https://vimeo.com/648434102

Death Target

Web/TV Series

facebook.com

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DEATH TARGET Season One Pilot is a gut-churning medical suspense thriller that explores the effects of PTSD on veterans in a tightly woven mystery as Jack Bass, MD, copes with his debilitating condition and struggles to protect those he loves.
An ultra-realistic medical murder mystery that keeps you guessing. Death Target is the second book in the bestselling Jack Bass Black Cloud Chronicles medical thriller series by author Ed Dasso, MD. Screenplay is written by multi-award winning screenwriter, Nancy Bevins
Is he the killer they say he is? Even Jack isn’t certain.

The Last Drop

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The Last Drop is a short sci-fi film about relationship abuse inspired by the memories of real survivors.

LOG LINE:
A young woman links minds with her boyfriend with a device that lets couples relive shared memories— but when she spots overlooked signs of abuse, she must escape before he can manipulate her memories in his favor.

TEASER / INTRO VIDEO:
https://vimeo.com/593943138/5140908676

DONATION LINK:
Support this crucial project to help prevent relationship abuse.
https://www.fullspectrumfeatures.com/the-last-drop

Bleu Dream

Feature

vimeo.com

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When an ex-convict starts working as a janitor at a bar, he notices that a waitress who worked there vanishes. To find her, he must travel through the underbelly of the city. But what he doesn’t expect is to rely on & reconnect with his past.

             

Summer Grant 2021 Hot Films in the Making

UNDERDOGS

Documentary

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Told in a three-act narrative structure, UNDERDOGS is about homeless dogs transformed into adoptable animals through the training effort of prisoners.

Broken Strings

Web/TV Series

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The journey of a variety of artist’s lives intersect as they search for harmony against all odds.

Set in multiple eras in New York and Saint Louis, family, culture, activism, and war, cycle through this gritty yet poignant mosaic of underrepresented artists. Recently selected for the Kranzberg Arts Foundation artist residency in St. Louis, writer/director Catherine Dudley-Rose will be developing this series as a part of the process. Her previous feature film, Parallel Chords, won several festival awards and was released theatrically in Los Angeles in the second half of 2019.

Picking up on similar themes of family dissonance, this new series expands into community and beyond.

Saving Walden's World

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Recovering military engineer travels into former “enemy” territory, Cuba, Kerala and Slovenia, returning with uplifting women-led societal solutions that could save the world-on-the-brink his 11-year-old son will inherit.

Imagine… the world’s wealthy consume less, while the poor exit poverty, resulting in fewer yet healthier children, easing the sixth extinction, hunger and climate change. A self-reinforcing cycle where all win.

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For 31 years, Dr. John Morse has used the gorgeous streams and rivers around the Highlands Biological Field Station as an outdoor laboratory to educate young minds about how aquatic insects are used to keep water systems, and ultimately us, healthy. Now in his mid-70s, John reflects on how his passion for teaching has influenced a generation of scientists and professionals, and what his legacy will look like once he leaves the classroom for good.

CADDISFLY is currently in post production. Please reach out to Liv for a film sample, and donate at our GoFundMe – https://gofund.me/d45d9661

THERE IS NO SUSHI CHEF

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For a Brazilian chef specialist in Japanese food, there is no sushi chef. But the documentary goes far beyond the culinary to pursue the more human side of an obsessed and never-smiling man trying to cope with his deepest private demons in a violent city like Rio de Janeiro – an unlikely story in an unlikely film.

American Sons

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A decade after losing their “brother” Corporal Jorge Villarreal, in Afghanistan, a group of Marines fight their toughest battle yet: struggling to live in the civilian world.

Woman in the Mirror

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It is a story of a prima ballerina defecting from the Soviet Union, her tenuous climb to personal and artistic freedom, leading a culturally and religiously diverse group of students to compete in a most prestigious competition as she navigates the challenges of running her elite school, Koltun Ballet Boston. The documentary takes an insightful look into the lives of the students as they struggle with the challenges such as physical and emotional stress of intense ballet training, anxiety and clinical depression, family breakup. The teacher Alexandra Koltun, tries to instill in them that same strength that served her well throughout her life.

I'm So OCD

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“I’m So OCD” is a documentary feature that follows three people with severe obsessive compulsive disorder as they undergo Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), an intensive treatment which demands that they confront their debilitating obsessions head on. Directed by Charles Frank, a filmmaker who also lives with OCD, this film will reveal the unseen and misunderstood horrors of the condition while raising awareness about this astonishingly effective, evidence-based treatment.

The New York Love Songs

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Told through the lens of music and the spirit of jazz, The New York Love Songs is a sweeping tale of artists searching for identity and fulfillment as they come into adulthood during the dawn of the digital revolution. Through the stories of three music students who were college classmates of filmmaker Darah Golub in 2007 at The New School for Jazz, the film explores notions of success, the meaning of life and art, and implications of an era defined by innovation and upheaval.

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WHY ARE YOU YOU? is a feature documentary that explores the history of the YRUU community where adolescents discovered their true selves and were empowered to incite positive change in the world. Decades after the program’s inception, those former members reflect on how being a part of the program shaped them and informed their lives. YRUU, established in 1983, grew out of the Unitarian Universalists’ rich tradition of religious youth education. It was disbanded in 2008.

MY PIECE

Documentary

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A documentary featuring three underprivileged, unfound and talented American descendants of slavery engage in an opportunity to freely express themselves in their choice of art. What catalyzes their art-making process is not only a sponsorship opportunity to further build their body of work on-camera but a nostalgic artifact presented by longtime Black memorabilia collector and alternative educator Gail Deculus-Johnson. These striking nostalgic artifacts will seed inspiration and call on popular longstanding societal calamities around Black Americans today, specifically mental health, racism, and disparate generational wealth.

Saving Amy

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A desperate screenwriter alters the course of history by saving Amy Winehouse from ODing. She tries(and fails) to keep Amy sober while secretly writing a biopic about the troubled singer. 

Lupe Faalele: Soaring Doves

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THE DOVE FOUNDATION: In Lupe Faalele: Soaring Doves, director Daniel Pouesi sees a disparaging problem. In short, the film’s focal point is on the dissonance between the church system in Samoa and its people, how funding these [churches] has created a class system; its citizens are barely scraping through to support it, let alone their families. Another way to put it, as mentioned in the film, is how the people’s focus is shifting from God to money…One of the film’s most beautiful, humanistic portraits is how we see community support woven throughout the people interviewed in the film. Dove is proud to award the film its Approval for Ages 12+.

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Life in a Kurdish village in Eastern Turkey is routine for Grandfather Hamit. Every day for the last 5 years he visits his wife’s grave. Political problems force Hamit and the other villagers to leave their village.

                           

Spring 2021 Hot Films in the Making

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#Likes4Lucas: A pilot episode for a TV series. One year after the death of YouTube star Lucas Skyler, fans worship his online persona at an over-the-top memorial service. Held in an art gallery with social media artifacts displayed like museum treasures, it’s a hot social ticket—but two of his ex-girlfriends find the whole thing irreverent. Where is the real Lucas? Worlds apart on the surface, they team up to reclaim his identity … but when the late YouTube Star livestreams the party, then returns to New York in the flesh, wine glasses shatter. Is this a stunt? Is he dead or alive? Lucas is uncertain himself.

All We Got

Short

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When her livelihood is threatened, an alcoholic fast food server must choose between losing her job or her son.

ALLIANCE

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Fleeing from the religious persecution of a tyrannical Russian czar to the desolate fields of a new world, forty-three refugee families traveled across the ocean in 1882 and founded the first successful Jewish farming community in America.

Over the next few decades, more than 300 other immigrant families would join them.

This is… ALLIANCE.

Anticipated at 55 minutes in length, ALLIANCE will bear witness to a unique true story of family, immigration, connection, and growth. This film will examine the foundational history of the Alliance Colony, the first successful Jewish farming community in the United States.

Belated

Short

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An absent mother desperately attempts to win her young daughter’s affection during a belated birthday celebration but risks straining the relationship further.

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A frenetic fever dream about claiming a queer identity.

Birds, Bees and Threes (Written By Paige Hullett and Gunnar Anderson)

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After a member of Julia’s triplet support group is unexpectedly forced to explain sex to her kids, the trusted group leader expresses the importance of teaching children about sex by age eight. BIRDS, BEES, AND THREES comically follows JULIA and ANDY HUDSON and their triplet daughters as they have vastly different reactions to the news and attempt to process the information.

Children of Champions

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Children of Champions is a new, feature-length documentary that examines the relationship between elite athletic performance and parenting success. The deeply personal, cinematically rich, previously unheard, high-profile story is told by a diverse group of Olympians, their children, and a filmmaker who herself was parented by an Olympian mother.

CONCRETE LAND

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Concrete Land is an intimate look at the lives of a nomadic Bedouin family in its struggle to hold on to its traditional life under the pressures of urbanization. Their only wish as a family is to stay together, with their loyal yet eccentric pet sheep Badrya firmly by their side.

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I’m young, single, and in a wheelchair. In most people’s minds, my wheelchair seems to define me; people are either scared of it or think it’s a bigger deal than it is. But I’m just a normal girl. I’m a young, single woman who happens to be sitting down.

Date Me tells the stories of my crazy family; the unique and often lousy ways people interact with me because of my disability; and my attempts, often failed, at dating in a wheelchair with a strained, but ongoing determination not to give up.

Elite Match

Short

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Lily is a Chinese mother who is adjusting to living in the United States, being single, and dating online. One evening, she leaves her daughter at home to attend a singles mixer but things don’t go according to plan.

Fire Department, Inc.

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A suburban firefighter’s labor union finds itself under a different kind of fire when the Village Mayor announces he’s privatizing their department to save money. What results is a five year long legal battle with the potential to change labor law for the entire country.

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An aging veteran returns to Vietnam to search for his old girlfriend and discovers he may have fathered her child… Ghost Money is a feature-length personal documentary, telling the story of my relationship with Candy through hand-drawn animation inspired by the drawings I made during the war. The animation is interwoven with contemporary video of my return trip to Vietnam to search for Candy and out child. Ghost Money will reveal a side of the war rarely seen on film: the bars, massage parlors, and the social world of an American soldier loose in the fleshpots of Saigon where an private’s paycheck could get you about anything you wanted.

Hear, Eat, Home

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A lyric portrait of how—through art, friendship, music, and food—New York immigrant musicians and artists understand the upheavals they faced in their home countries and answer new challenges that emerge as they make the US their home.

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One day, Soledad, a lonely woman whose only passion in life is metal detecting, unearths a wounded whale heart at the beach and discovers that it is still alive. She decides to take it home and nurse it back to health. As the whale heart heals, her own heart begins to open. But a whale heart can only survive so long out of the sea. Blending magical realism with environmental awareness and a dash of quirky fun, HEARTSONG tells the story of what it takes to let love in and let love go.

How Jellyfish Make Love

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How Jellyfish Make Love is a whimsical and heartfelt animated short about a lonely jellyfish seeking connection. In a cold world that tends to be cynical and distant, Jake the Jellyfish longs to truly connect with someone and possibly fall in love. With his home being a fish tank in a Las Vegas sushi restaurant, Jake is surrounded by fake plastic things, reminding him of how shallow the world can be. But when Josie the Jellyfish enters his life, he finally sees a chance for something real. As long as he can get past interfering angelfish, nosy diners, and his own neurotic tendencies, Jake has a possibility of maybe, hopefully, getting to really know someone and to truly be known in return.

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Desiring to attend senior prom, a teen born with a genetic syndrome encounters difficulty securing a date further impeding his prom attendance, until a teacher he is smitten with intervenes and sacrifices her job for him.
Progeria Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that affects about 1 in 20 million people worldwide. The average lifespan for people with Progeria is 13 years.
“LIFE of CY” simply showcases one day in the life of a teenager eagerly anticipating and preparing for two social milestones: his 18th birthday and his senior prom.
A unique protagonist whose impact on others is explored as his perspective focuses on and affirms love, joy and life fulfillment.

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Wracked by guilt, a woman takes one last moment to picnic on the moon before choosing – living or dying.

My Vacation Destination

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Like a fine wine, Merlot has aged beautifully but at sixty-five she finds herself alone and wanting a partner. She tries speed dating. As she scrolls through endless photos of men online, she draws the analogy between all the men she might meet and a vacation destination. To Merlot, looking at men on dating sites is like determining what type of vacation she wants. However, once the speed dating event begins, her experience becomes frustrating and she thinks she isn’t going anywhere and may never find her “vacation destination.”

One Breath At A Time

Documentary

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In a country drowning in a never ending debate about gun control, one woman arms children not with guns but with emotional tools to deal with life.
“If every 8 year old in the world is taught meditation, we will eliminate violence from the world within one generation.” Dalai Lama.
The film follows the journey of Connie Clotworthy, a meditation teacher who focuses on teaching kids meditation in order to prevent violence in American schools. It is an overview of the gun violence problem and a conversation about possible solutions that doesn’t involve the arguments about gun laws but emphasizes the importance of spiritual education and mental health of our youth.

Out of the Picture

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“Out of the Picture” is an independent documentary film about art critics living through a cultural reckoning and a historic period of change to both art and media. Through the deeply human stories of critics, the film will provoke questions about how meaning gets made in the 21st century.

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To stay independently thriving during the start of an economic downturn during the late 1950s, a 25 year old Arts Teacher & Socialite is given the opportunity to elevate her lifestyle and secure her family’s future.

Lola Parker is facing eviction from her home. Desperate to keep her independence and status, she is introduced to a lucrative performing opportunity. While attempting to keep this new venture a secret, she simultaneously gains popularity, risking being exposed to and disowned by her mother. After being offered a promotion, she is left with two choices, become the headliner or allow her family to lose everything.

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When the enemy isn’t each other but the war itself…

After her unit is destroyed, an injured soldier has to strike out on her own. While traveling through an unknown wilderness she finds herself in the company of an enemy combatant with intel that can end the war. Their only chance for peace lies in their willingness to discard their prejudice & realize each other’s humanity. This short begs us to reexamine the notion of honor vs treachery all the while taking us on suspenseful ride set against a backdrop of intense natural landscapes.

Sack Chasers

Documentary

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High School football, a pandemic, and the future NFL Safety champion with over 23 offers from Division 1 colleges, Malik Spencer. When the coronavirus came to America, it endangered high school football, Malik’s teammates’ families, challenged his coach’s dreams, and caused a challenging impact on Malik’s season. A story of triumph in America.

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In America’s heartland, as a farmer’s widow begins to succumb to the clutches of Dementia, she’s triggered by an image in the daily paper. Her looping and traumatic memories from her teenage daughter’s disappearance (20 years ago) become clearer than ever – She must find her daughter.

The Edge of the Light

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Another fire ignites in the nearby hills, and Colin’s dog, Charley, runs away. While his mom packs their go-bags for a potential evacuation, Colin slips out in hopes of quickly finding Charley somewhere in the thick blanket of ashy smoke that has descended on the earth.

The Exiles

Documentary

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Documentary filmmaker, Christine Choy, tracks down exiled leaders from the Tiananmen Square Massacre to find closure on an abandoned film she began shooting in 1989.

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Days before a razor-thin Senate election in Atlanta, Georgia, budding Black journalist and father-to-be Carlyle Walker is being celebrated for his front-page profile on rising political star, Dash Clemenson. But when Carlyle receives a phone call accusing the progressive white candidate of rape, he is forced to investigate his responsibility as a journalist, father, and member of the Black community. The Lie sits at the intersection of race, politics, and sexual assault and challenges viewers to acknowledge the lies we tell ourselves and others in the name of progress. In a time when so much is at stake, how much is the truth really worth?

The Lonely Doryman

Short

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Hundreds of miles off the coast of Portugal, a novice fisherman finds himself lost on a mysterious island and tormented by fantasies that make him question his sexuality.

The events of this film take place in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores Islands. Summer 1968. In the crux of Salazar’s fascist regime, these rural islands are modernizing. Folktales and myths are being forgotten.
This modern take on the familiar tropes of folktales explores themes of queer identity, loneliness and masculinity; set against the backdrop of Portugal’s complex traditional values at the time.

The Loom

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The Loom is a documentary feature that explores the Battle of Berlin from the perspective of a forgotten woman. It tells the the story of the filmmaker’s cousin, Hanni, who shot and killed her four daughters, believing she was saving them from a fate worse than death. After decades of collective forgetting, the discovery of a miniature loom leads the filmmaker to discover the truth behind the tragic decision of a desperate mother, one of thousands driven to suicide by German propaganda, the mass rapes of invading soldiers and the incomprehensibility of life after the war.

The Man Who Desalinated The Sea

Mockumentary

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Due to his unique claimed ability to see in the dark (yet not proofed), a coast guard from Lithuania accidentally encounters a savage “Robinson” in the dunes on neutral strip of the Curonian Spit – right between Russian and Lithuanian borders.
Though heavily covered with overgrown pelage, the man looks no older than 40 years old. His name is Timur Tshadadze. The man states that he is a Georgian started living as a hermit back in the middle of the 20th century after setting at the boundary line between Kaliningrad region and Lithuania. Timur reveals that he was born in 1928 and runs from his wife for the Spit right after the end of the WWII.