NYS Music 2023

Tag: film festival

  • Dances With Films NYC Announces 2023 Lineup with 64 World Premieres

    Dances With Films have announced this year’s indie focused film festival lineup, highlighting 135 films in four days including 64 world premieres beginning on Thursday, November 30.

    Advanced Chemistry by Etana Jacobson

    On their 26th year, Dances With Films celebrates the unflinching spirit at the very core of the independent film scene. They rely on innovation, talent, creativity, and sweat equity that revolutionizes the entertainment industry, that reliance continues to prove successful with alumni moving on to write, direct (etc). Among DWF NYC’s lineup of 136 films, including 20 narrative features, 9 documentary features, 19 television and streaming pilots, and 88 short films, are an impressive number of world premieres, all screenings will take place at Regal Union Square.

    After becoming the leading beacon for true indie films and filmmakers in Los Angeles over the past 26 years, this will mark Dances With Films’ return to New York City for the second year.

    “This year’s theme is “the color of imagination”, and that imagination, by its various definitions, exemplifies what Dances With Films will be highlighting this December. We could not be more excited to return to NYC and debut so many wonderful films and help provide a platform for all our indie filmmakers and their projects under the spotlight of this great city.”

    – DWF Founder and Director Leslee Scallon and Michael Trent

    On Thursday, November 30 will feature the opening night presentation of DWF alumni Dylan K. Narang’s Tapawingo. Tapawingo is a light-hearted coming of age comedy starring Jon Heder as an eccentric young man who lives with his mother and works in a mailroom. The film also stars Gina Gershon, Billy Zane, John Ratzenberger, and Amanda Bearse.

    Tapawingo by Dylan K. Narang

    Additional feature films making their world premieres are Etana Jacobson’s Advanced Chemistry about a scientist who attempts to help his lesbian best friend stop cheating on her wife suddenly backfires.  Kevin Interdonato’s The Bastard Sons a story of revenge by a group of men, Michael Groom’s British romantic drama Between The Lights, Isaac Hirotsu Woofter’s Bound. The North American Premiere is Vardan Tozija’s M, a multi-national production centering a young boy who lives in the forest under the watchful eye of his overprotective and mysterious father, their sheltered existence is all he knows.

    The Zombie Wedding by Micah Khan

    Also making their world premieres are Sara Katarina Burke and Aaron Andrew Keene’s Can’t Seem to Make You Mine about a recent parolee who tries to make amends with his ex. Ryan Moore’s Influence focuses on a struggling female filmmaker, Michelle Bossy’s Nobody’s Home follows the mind-bending journey of a young man after he is released from the psychiatric hospital. Brendan Boogie’s buddy comedy Tallywacker, Micah Khan’s outlandish comedy The Zombie Wedding and finally, Justin Best’s Sheryl about a woman who goes on a bloody quest to create the perfect face after dumped by her serial killer boyfriend.
     As part of DWF NYC’s dedicated programming of horror, thrillers, and genre films, the Closing Night selection also comes from the film festival’s Midnight section. On Sunday, December 3 the closing night will feature Nicholas Gyeney’s The Activated Man making its first world premiere to officially close off the film festival. In the film, a man, struggling with the grief from losing his best friend and beloved dog to cancer, begins to have strange visions only he can see, questioning whether his mind has been fractured.

    The Activated Man by Nicholas Gyeney

    For more information about the Dances With Films NYC film lineup, events, passes, and tickets, please visit here.

    The 2023 Dances With Films NYC official selections:

     
    OPENING NIGHT SELECTION
    Tapawingo
    Director: Dylan K. Narang
    Country: USA; Running Time: 109 min
    An oddball becomes the bodyguard for a misfit teenager and finds himself in the crosshairs of the town’s family of bullies.
     
    CLOSING NIGHT SELECTION
    The Activated Man                                                                World Premiere
    Director: Nicholas Gyeney
    Country: USA; Running Time: 115 min
    As Ors Gabriel struggles with the grief from losing his best friend and beloved dog to cancer, the trauma brings on strange visions only Ors can see. While he questions whether his mind has fractured or if it’s real, a mysterious rise in murder-suicides takes hold of the city, and Ors becomes haunted by images of a shadowy figure known as ‘The Fedora Man’. Through torments and terror, Ors must face his fears and confront ‘The Fedora Man’ as he uncovers dark secrets from his past, while finally embracing who he really is, and what he is meant to do.

    ADDITIONAL NARRATIVE FEATURES
    Advanced Chemistry                                                            World Premiere
    Director: Etana Jacobson
    Country: USA; Running Time: 96 min
    A scientist injects his lesbian best friend with a compound he’s created to make her stop cheating on her wife (who is bi), but when the wife finds her new monogamous fixation suffocating, he injects the wife too, which backfires when she falls for him.
     
    The Bastard Sons                                                                 World Premiere
    Director: Kevin Interdonato
    Country: USA; Running Time: 90 min
    Life for a crew of organized criminals is disrupted when Vincent Damiano’s father, the family’s boss, is murdered. Vincent’s ‘bastard’ brothers (UFC legend Frank Edgar, Chicago Med star Malik Whitfield), a group of orphaned souls he raised together, have an idea of who killed their father…his partner Rome (TV/Film veteran Al Sapienza). In a valiant and calculated attempt to regain the business and enact vengeance on Rome over the course of one day, the Bastards wage an all-out war to get their pound of flesh.
     
    Between The Lights                                                             World Premiere
    Director: Michael Groom
    Country: UK; Running Time: 104 min
    When skeptical scientist Alice falls for reluctant medium Jay, she’s taken on an odyssey of love, loss and discovery that will turn her world upside down. Between the Lights is a romantic drama with a liberal dose of the supernatural, in which we visit our characters over three consecutive Christmases. It is set within the ancient walls of York and the stunning natural beauty of the Lake District.
     
    Bound                                                                                    World Premiere
    Director: Isaac Hirotsu Woofter
    Country: USA; Running Time: 101 min
    To escape her drug-dealing controlling stepfather, a young introvert flees to NYC with only her pet pocket squirrel. After successfully reinventing herself, she realizes she must confront her dark past, to truly be free.
     
    Can’t Seem to Make You Mine                                            World Premiere
    Directors: Sara Katarina Burke, Aaron Andrew Keene
    Country: USA; Running Time: 102 min
    A man who was just released from prison tries to make amends with his ex and become a father to his 6-year-old son while staying with a stripper he met on a pen-pal website.
     
    Daruma
    Director: Alexander Yellen
    Country: USA; Running Time: 104 min
    Patrick (bitter wheelchair user) must enlist the help of his cantankerous neighbor (double amputee veteran) to transport the daughter he never knew he had to live with her maternal grandparents on the other side of the country. 
     
    Grounded
    Director: Justin Chan
    Country: USA; Running Time: 84 min
    William Lee, a 30-something Chinese-Filipino American, introduces his Caucasian girlfriend to his overbearing, immigrant parents when a mysterious cosmic force takes hold of their day.
     
    Home Free
    Director: Aaron Brown
    Country: USA; Running Time: 98 min
    In 1997, a group of college misfits invite an unhoused professor to crash on their porch.
    Home Free is a Trojan horse, a bold coming-of-age comedy aimed at reaching a mass audience, but also intended to be a catalyst for serious social change sharply focused on one of the most pervasive problems across America—the homelessness epidemic. Humor is our spoonful of sugar. 
     
    Influence                                                                                World Premiere
    Director: Ryan Moore
    Country: USA; Running Time: 83 min
    A female filmmaker struggling with her career and her mental health reaches a breaking point and decides to kidnap a famous social media influencer in an attempt to coerce them into playing the lead role in her latest project.
     
    Katie’s Mom
    Director: Tyrrell Shaffner
    Country: USA; Running Time: 111 min
    A heartfelt comedy influenced by The Graduate but told from the perspective of a protagonist inspired by Mrs. Robinson. Set in modern-day Pasadena, California. Nancy Rosenfeld (Dina Meyer), a nurturing mom and recent divorcée, whose beloved Jewish/Christmas mashup holiday celebration with her adult children is derailed when she falls for Alex Rojas (Aaron Dominguez (Only Murders in the Building), her daughter’s charming new boyfriend. Their electrifying affair upends her status quo and sets her on a path to becoming who she was meant to be.
     
    M                                                                                             North American Premiere
    Director: Vardan Tozija
    Countries: Macedonia/Croatia/Kosovo/France/Luxembourg, Running Time: 99 min
    In a secluded forest, young Marko lives under the watchful eye of his overprotective and mysterious father. Their sheltered existence is all he knows. Marko seeks solace in his cherished picture book, finding comfort and answers within its pages. One day, an encounter with a kind-hearted, helpless boy named Miko, brings a glimmer of warmth and connection into Marko’s isolated world. As his curiosity grows, Marko yearns to uncover the secrets that lie beyond the confines of the wilderness. But, a cruel turn of events grants him his wish sooner than he expects…
     
    Nobody’s Home                                                                    World Premiere
    Director: Michelle Bossy
    Country: USA; Running Time: 83 min
    When Luca is released from the psychiatric hospital where he and his girlfriend Theodora live, she escapes with him. To remain in control, she takes him to his childhood home, the root of his trauma. Time lapses. Consciousness is distorted. A dead body is discovered. Theodora insists Luca committed the murder in his sleep. Is she telling the truth? A knock on the door suddenly diverts them. Angelica and Jeremy show up, high on acid. Theodora invites them in to test Luca’s loyalty. Her jealousy increases to the point of danger. In the end, nothing is what it seems. Everyone has darkness inside.
     
    Palimpsest                                                                             North American Premiere
    Director: Hanna Vastinsalo
    Country: Finland; Running Time: 109 min
    Two elderly roommates are selected for a medical trial that makes them younger. Given a second chance at life, with the memories of their past life intact, they realize that growing young is not just fun.
     
    Space Baby
    Director: Rex Dean
    Country: USA; Running Time: 99 min
    Three friends fight fascist Nurse Nancy to rebuild the holy grail and get a new soul for the earth. Each friend is different. 8-year-old Sam (“Mental Man”) is a mad scientist and inventor; 6-year-old Sophia (“Nature Girl”) is a caretaker of the earth; 300-year-old Blue (a great ballplayer like Satchel Paige) was the keeper of the holy grail in Africa before he and his siblings were captured as slaves. With help from a squadron of ladybugs, they fight the “greed, intolerance, and just plain cruelty” that Nurse Nancy and her demonic crow inhabit. A story of courage, friendship, and love.
     
    Tallywacker                                                                           World Premiere
    Director: Brendan Boogie
    Country: USA; Running Time: 90 min
    A rock and roll buddy comedy about 2 bandmates whose relationship gets tested when one of them gets a gig touring with a major rock star.
     
    The Zombie Wedding                                                           World Premiere
    Director: Micah Khan
    Country: USA; Running Time: 99 min
    A young Cumberland County, NJ couple decides to go through with their wedding – during the Zombie Apocalypse. Unfortunately, he’s a zombie and she’s not. Both families are fearful, but the humans’ behavior is brutish. When the Zombies begin feeling brain-deprived, the ceremony takes a turn for the weird. Weekly World News reporters are there to cover this wild wedding – while trying to get out alive!

    DOCUMENTARY FEATURES
    44 Lights: Music from Ground Zero                                   
    Director: Barbara Blackburn Tuttle
    Country: USA; Running Time: 68 min
    A musical journey to healing in the aftermath of 9/11. A story of pain, loss, and ultimately rebirth through music.
     
    American Pot Story: Oaksterdam
    Directors: Dan Katzir and Ravit Markus
    Country: USA; Running Time: 97 min
    This award-winning documentary is a decade-long follow-up of the underdogs who put their blood, sweat, and tears to overturn a 100-year-old policy, proving in the process that “a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world,” to quote Margaret Mead).
     
    Brothers Broken
    Directors: Geoff Levin, Lily Richards
    Country: USA; Running Time: 86 min
    This is the story of brothers Geoff and Robbie Levin, who grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area as part of the 60’s music scene including Jerry Garcia, the Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin. The brother’s band PEOPLE! had the hit record “I Love You” in 1968 and toured with The Who; then Scientology entered their lives destroyed their band and split up the brothers. After 46 years Geoff despite losing his children and friends to the cult, left the church and reunited with his brother and band. It’s a tale of breaking free from a modern-day prison of belief.
     
    Denim Hunter                                                                        U.S. Premiere
    Director: Emilio Di Stefano
    Country: Sweden; Running Time: 87 min
    In the road movie documentary Denim Hunter, we meet Viktor – a regular guy from Sweden but with a burning passion for really old jeans. The film follows Viktor on his wild journey through the deserts of California, Arizona, and Nevada as well as up the snowclad Rocky Mountains of Colorado, where he hunts for denim treasures in hazardous run-down gold mines from the 1880s. On his journey, Viktor comes across an array of unlikely desert characters, like Indiana Jeans, Dynamite Dan, and Redneck-Mike. In various ways, they all lead Viktor from one failure to the next.
     
    The Depths of My Despair
    Director: Elizabeth Lawrence
    Country: USA; Running Time: 68 min
    The Depths of My Despair is a visceral rabbit hole toward the authentic self. Filmmaker Elizabeth Lawrence takes an emotional, first-person detour inward. Oscillating through saneness and psychosis; debris and lucidity, the film stares at depression dead-on.
     
    District Of Second Chances                                                World Premiere
    Director: Wynette Yao
    Country: USA; Running Time: 76 min
    District of Second Chances follows the journeys of three men from Washington, D.C., all sentenced to life in prison during the 1990s. Now, because of sentencing reform, they have a rare chance at release and new lives.
     
    Meet Me Where I Am
    Director: Grant Garry
    Country: USA; Running Time: 86 min
    Meet Me Where I Am explores the topic of grief through individual stories of loss, love, and hope. The film aims to normalize grief in our culture and explores how we can actively participate in helping others through grief. By accepting grief and its impact, we hope to help individuals find new meaning as they move forward with their grief.
     
    Studio One Forever
    Director: Marc Saltarelli
    Country: USA; Running Time: 86 min
    The untold story of America’s iconic gay disco, a kaleidoscopic excursion into LGBTQ+ history through the lens of this groundbreaking club. From 1974-1994, Studio One and its adjoining live music venue, The Backlot, became symbols of hope and community for gay men during tumultuous times. Amidst the rise of gay rights, disco’s heyday, and the devastating AIDS crisis, the club offered sanctuary from rampant homophobia and police oppression.
     
    Torched – The Story of Austin Torch
    Director: Hoag Kepner
    Country: USA; Running Time: 66 min
    Torched tells the story of the Austin Torch, a wild and fiery group of women/non-binary athletes in Austin who are trying to legitimize and professionalize their fringe sport of Ultimate Frisbee in a historically male-dominated sports industry. As we follow the Torch on the road and at home during their 2022 season, we realize that though the Torch might not always win, they never really lose, because it’s more than a team: it’s a movement.

    MIDNIGHT FEATURES
    Sheryl                                                                                     World Premiere
    Director: Justin Best
    Country: USA; Running Time: 72 min
    After she’s dumped by her serial killer boyfriend for not being “hot enough”, a beauty-obsessed woman goes on a bloody quest to create the perfect face, all while navigating her new relationship with the cop investigating the murders.
     
    Wild Eyed and Wicked
    Director: G.S. Foxwood
    Country: USA; Running Time: 99 min
    Lily Pierce is sick of being haunted. She decides to reconnect with her estranged father, a disgraced history professor, and learn how to draw upon a time of steel and blade when armor-clad knights rode out and dueled their monsters to the death.

    TELEVISION AND WEB SERIES PILOTS

    A Killer Service
    Director: Gio Randazzo
    Country: USA; Running Time: 25 min
    The hapless daughter of an incarcerated con-artist finds she has inherited a substantial debt to a dangerous crime boss. Forced into a corner, Elliott discovers how to take control of her life while helping empower other women. 

    Awesome
    Director: Paul Munger
    Country: USA; Running Time: 16 min
    Every night, 20-year-old Joy gets a glimpse of the future. But with a dad on parole, a pill-popping boyfriend, and a recent lay-off, that doesn’t mean she can stop it from being shitty. That is until she foresees an event that will ruin the lives of her loved ones forever. She’ll have to figure out how to change her future–or live with the consequences.

    The Blind Zone                                                                       World Premiere 
    Directors: Federica Marchese, Vinushu Sundaresan
    Country: China; Running Time: 32 min
    Battle of wits and violence ensues when the separate worlds of two teenage sociopaths collide after they set their eyes on the same target.
     
    East
    Director: Dana Marisa Schoenfeld
    Country: USA; Running Time: 32 min
    When Ella Goldman, a New York City Corporate attorney, gets engaged to her longtime boyfriend, Josh, she is ecstatic to embark on the next stage of her life. With a wedding to plan and a blossoming career, Ella thinks she has it all. But when she suddenly loses her job and catches her boyfriend cheating, her world comes crashing down. This devastating turn of events forces her to confront the truth about her life – and what it is she really wants. Convinced that this is a “wake-up call,” Ella pursues her childhood dream of being an actress. 

    Events At Hemlock Manor
    Director: Katie North
    Country: USA; Running Time: 15 min
    At its core, this is a series about underdogs: a ragtag group of spooky weirdos with nowhere else to go. Hemlock Manor is not only a year-round haunted house with a terrible business model; it’s also a home. But what do you do when the thing you love is in trouble? You fight for it. Even when that means throwing a baby shower for a group of rich ladies who thought “the historic Hemlock Manor” was a charming country villa, not a haunted house open in July.
     
    For Years to Come
    Director: Micah Stuart
    Country: USA; Running Time: 27 min
    An irreverent and heartfelt romantic dramedy about a gay man who falls in love with his dead mother’s hospice nurse, while struggling to reconnect with his elderly father…who’s secretly a porn director.

    Hit Man: Secrets Of Lies
    Director: Elias Plagianos
    Country: UK; Running Time: 19 min
    A reflective hitman from New York City travels to small towns around the country trying to find meaning in his seemingly inconsequential life as he fulfills his contracts and eliminates his targets. 

    Hot Angry Mom                                                                     
    Director: Clarissa De Los Reyes
    Country: USA; Running Time: 34 min
    A people-pleasing mom must face her rage, as a video of her epic meltdown goes viral.

    I Could Eat
    Director: Rick Bedrosian
    Country: USA; Running Time: 28 min
    A new TV/Web Series showcasing the cuisine & music that unites diverse cultures. Host, Rick Bedrosian (“George” in a Beatlemania stage show for 7 years, leader of Celtic music powerhouse, Hair Of The Dog, since 1993 and an international tour guide) spans the globe seeking out the finest food and the most interesting music makers.

    L.I.F.E.: It’s Wonderful
    Director: Dathan Smith
    Country: USA; Running Time: 22 min
    L.I.F.E. is an anthology series set in the near future where citizens receive a hand-delivered card notifying them the day they will die. Rose feels trapped in her new “home”. Emilia feels trapped by her daughter’s recent news. Bob is forced to deliver a card he has been dreading since joining L.I.F.E. Corp. as Diane adjusts to her new job.

    Moments                                                                                North American Premiere 
    Director: Aaron Lewis
    Country: USA; Running Time: 23 min
    Moments is a gripping 9-episode digital series, each under 13 minutes, offering intimate glimpses into characters on the brink. Driven by black trauma and mysticism, it unravels mind-reading and hidden truths through therapist Dr. Winston. An enigmatic narrator, Rutina Wesley, introduces time travel, adding layers of self-discovery. Momentshints at an expanded episodic journey, diving deeper into characters’ histories and relationships, while authentically addressing themes of healing and transformation within the mystical. Boasting a stellar ensemble cast and profound storytelling.
     
    Morse Code
    Director: Travis Nicholson
    Country: USA; Running Time: 37 min
    In the eccentric community of modern-day East Nashville, Simon, a talented but flawed thirty-something indie folk singer finds himself at a crossroads as he struggles to strike a balance between family and career.

    Off The Menu
    Director: Daniele Sestito
    Country: USA; Running Time: 37 min
    “Chef” is a perfectionist, Italian cook who works for an unordinary institution. Typically stern and grandiose, a new side of Chef is revealed when he is forced to make a meal that’s beyond his grasp. 

    Q Train
    Directors: Dionne Van Den Berg, Samantha Tran
    Country: USA; Running Time: 10 min
    A Brooklyn based DJ explores the queer dating scene.

    Roboto
    Directors: Mari Madrid, Keone Madrid
    Country: USA; Running Time: 18 min
    Ky loses his entire career as a highly successful choreographer when AI takes over the dance industry and the world by storm. This throws Ky into suicidal ideations until Mikah, a bright and optimistic 12-year-old boy, decides to disregard the latest craze of dancing with Roboto and instead asks Ky to choreograph for his school performance. While at first Ky reluctantly decides to help the kid, he begins to find a bit of light in his life again. And when it’s revealed that Mikah had a battle with cancer Ky’s perspective is completely shifted.

    The Selectman                                                                         World Premiere 
    Director: David Antonio Martin
    Country: USA; Running Time: 26 min
    In the wake of Selectman Joseph Allenby’s untimely death, this absurd comedy begins amid a memorial service in the small town of Picasquiddy, Maine. Subverting the idyllic nature of small-town New England, our protagonists are trapped in a picturesque world where the forces of learned behavior, arrested adolescence, and the quest for power forever collide. As two unlikely successors emerge as candidates for the Board of Selectmen, the town’s fate hangs in the balance. Does anybody have what it takes?

    Travel Fox                                                                               World Premiere 
    Director: Henk Pretorius
    Country: UK; Running Time: 5 min
    Get ready for a wild adventure in Travel Fox, the pilot episode of an animated series tailor-made for curious kids. Follow the inquisitive Travel Fox and Bogie the Tortoise as they race across the world, chasing rainbows in search of a legendary pot of gold. But here’s the twist – instead of gold, our friends discover something even more precious: a treasure trove of unique characters and unforgettable experiences.
     
    Ülom: The Primary Experiment                                            World Premiere 
    Director: Jon Da
    Country: USA; Running Time: 25 min
    In Ülom, one can find anything, even meaning. A desperate scientist undertakes a labyrinthian experiment he believes will locate his missing daughter. Journeying ever deeper into the labyrinth, he must confront an invasive, fictional reality. Remember: what feels real, is real. Ülom is here.

    Xander                                                                                     World Premiere 
    Director: Jonathan Chao
    Country: USA; Running Time: 11 min
    When lonely high school student Luke befriends Xander the Genie, he’s forced to consider if making his one wish is worth losing his new genie best friend.

    NARRATIVE SHORTS 
    (In)Convenience
    Director: Alexandra Greenspan
    Country: USA; Running Time: 12 min
     
    #Pizzagate                                                                             World Premiere
    Director: Danny Piñeros
    Country: USA; Running Time: 8 min
     
    The 1971 Kitchen Grand Brie
    Director: Ian Beckman
    Country: USA; Running Time: 11 min
     
    Bisected                                                                                 World Premiere
    Director: Danny Piñeros
    Country: USA; Running Time: 8 min
     
    Black Silk                                                                               World Premiere
    Director: Patrick Michael
    Country: USA; Running Time: 16 min
     
    Blight                                                                                      World Premiere
    Director: Markus Hoeckner
    Country: USA; Running Time: 15 min
     
    Bloodworm                                                                            World Premiere
    Director: Kai Wen
    Country: USA; Running Time: 13 min
     
    Bounce House
    Directors: Callie Bloem, Christopher Ewing
    Country: USA; Running Time: 16 min
     
    Burraco                                                                                  World Premiere
    Director: Isabella Tagliati
    Country: Italy; Running Time: 14 min
     
    Candice
    Director: Tyler Martin
    Country: USA; Running Time: 15 min
     
    Career Day
    Directors: Jason Robinson, Chris Hooper
    Country: USA; Running Time: 10 min
     
    Chauncey                                                                               World Premiere
    Director: Reilly Anspaugh & Daniel Rashid
    Country: USA; Running Time: 11 min
     
    Cheol                                                                                      World Premiere
    Director: Yeajoon Cho
    Country: USA; Running Time: 19 min
     
    Church Camp
    Director: Andrew Bourne
    Country: USA; Running Time: 14 min
     
    The Chat                                                                                World Premiere
    Writer/Dir/Prod: Artie Brennan
    Country: USA; Running Time: 6 min
     
    Clownfish
    Director: Clayton Henderson
    Country: USA; Running Time: 11 min
     
    Dear Owner
    Director: Jing Ai Ng
    Country: USA; Running Time: 17 min
     
    Delta                                                                                       World Premiere
    Director: Jonathan Coleman
    Country: USA; Running Time: 9 min
     
    Detox
    Director: Alex Hanno
    Country: USA; Running Time: 19 min
     
    Dropping
    Director: Rj Collins
    Country: USA; Running Time: 10 min
     
    Echoes Of My Father                                                            World Premiere
    Directors: Junko Kajino, Ed M Koziarski
    Country: USA, Japan; Running Time: 18 min
     
    The Electro-Rocker
    Director: Chris Edgar
    Country: USA; Running Time: 17 min
     
    Entrainment
    Director: Bill Prokopow
    Country: USA; Running Time: 12 min
     
    Esperance To Fremantle                                                     World Premiere
    Director: William Sebastian Turner
    Country: Australia; Running Time: 18 min
     
    Everything Goes Dark                                                          International Premiere
    Director: Alex Casimir
    Country: USA; Running Time: 15 min
     
    Fate Vs. Elena                                                                       World Premiere
    Director: Laura Sedlak
    Country: USA; Running Time: 23 min
     
    From The Dark                                                                      North American Premiere
    Director: Erika Sanz
    Country: USA; Running Time: 7 min
     
    Hot Soda
    Director: Nello Digiandomenico
    Country: USA; Running Time: 15 min
     
    How To Disappear                                                                World Premiere
    Director: Milton Woods
    Country: USA; Running Time: 20 min
     
    I Keep Bumping into Candy Maldonado                            World Premiere
    Director: Luke Black
    Country: USA; Running Time: 11 min
     
    In The Quiet                                                                           World Premiere
    Director: Merle Dandridge
    Country: USA; Running Time: 5 min
     
    Interracial Couple In A Cheerios Ad
    Director: Christine Lakin
    Country: USA; Running Time: 4 min
     
    The Invaders
    Director: Erin Doyle Cooper
    Country: USA; Running Time: 4 min
     
    Itch                                                                                         World Premiere
    Director: Mohammad Anwerzada
    Countries: Pakistan/Canada; Running Time: 9 min
     
    Letters To the Wind                                                              World Premiere
    Director: Terrence Shu
    Country: USA; Running Time: 13 min
     
    Lux Freer
    Director: Cynthia Gibb
    Country: USA; Running Time: 21 min
     
    Man Baby                                                                               World Premiere
    Director: Aaron Murtagh
    Country: USA; Running Time: 10 min
     
    Music For A While                                                                World Premiere
    Director: Kelvin Z. Phillips
    Country: USA; Running Time: 6 min
     
    Nearly Never                                                                          North American Premiere
    Director: Peter Franklyn Banks
    Country: UK; Running Time: 15 min
     
    Newbie
    Director: James Skinner
    Country: UK; Running Time: 8 min
     
    Portrait Of a Cowboy
    Director: Devon Wycoff
    Country: USA; Running Time: 17 min
     
    Pretty As a Picture                                                               World Premiere
    Director: Ryan Nielsen
    Country: USA; Running Time: 8 min
     
    The Pros And Cons Of Killing Yourself                             World Premiere
    Director: Ravi Steve Khajuria
    Country: Canada; Running Time: 21 min
     
    Piano Man                                                                              
    Director: Jay Zaretsky
    Country: USA; Running Time: 20 min
     
    Purgy’s
    Director: Robbie Bryan
    Country: USA; Running Time: 16 min
     
    Rattled                                                                                    World Premiere
    Director: Adam Linkenhelt
    Country: USA; Running Time: 14 min
     
    Red, White And Blue
    Director: Nazrin Choudhury
    Country: USA; Running Time: 23 min
     
    Revelation                                                                             World Premiere
    Director: Libe Barer
    Country: USA; Running Time: 16 min
     
    Room 107                                                                              World Premiere
    Directors: Steve Anderson, Leandro Imaz
    Country: USA; Running Time: 17 min
     
    Sane Men
    Director: Jess Fritz
    Country: USA; Running Time: 15 min
     
    Skateboard                                                                            World Premiere
    Director: Peyton Michelle Edwards
    Country: USA; Running Time: 7 min
     
    Sonshine                                                                                International Premiere
    Director: Corey Podell
    Country: USA; Running Time: 15 min
     
    Speak Up Brotha!
    Director: Wes Andre Goodrich
    Country: USA; Running Time: 15 min
     
    Sugar                                                                                      World Premiere
    Director: Alyssa Brayboy
    Country: USA; Running Time: 6 min
     
    Three Ways Out                                                                    World Premiere
    Director: Lizzie Morgan
    Country: USA; Running Time: 13 min
     
    Tips Up!                                                                                 World Premiere
    Director: Leah Claire Borrie
    Country: USA; Running Time: 7 min
     
    Tossou                                                                                   World Premiere
    Directors: Melisande Mclaughlin, Sika Stanton
    Country: USA; Running Time: 3 min
     
    Used Chairs For Sale                                                           World Premiere
    Director: Dylan Paffe
    Countries: USA/Canada; Running Time: 14 min
     
    We Love You Ray                                                                 World Premiere
    Director: John Hays
    Country: USA; Running Time: 14 min
     
    You Need To Process This
    Director: Eleanor Morrison
    Country: USA; Running Time: 14 min

    DOCUMENTARY SHORTS
    13 Driver’s Licenses
    Director: Ryoya Terao
    Countries: USA/Germany; Running Time: 27 min
     
    Brothers For Life                                                                  World Premiere
    Director: Alon Juwal
    Country: Israel; Running Time: 17 min
     
    The Dancer: The Beautiful and Tragic Life Of Gerard Alexander
    Directors: Ryon Horne, Tyson Horne
    Country: USA; Running Time: 35 min
     
    Family Trip                                                                            World Premiere
    Director: Sean Dunne
    Country: USA; Running Time: 26 min
     
    Finding Fate
    Director: Beth Toni Kruvant
    Country: USA; Running Time: 28 min
     
    How I Roll                                                                              World Premiere
    Directors: Brianne Berkson, Miguel Gluckstern, BriGuel
    Country: USA; Running Time: 13 min
     
    I Can’t Give You Anything But Love                                  World Premiere
    Director: Susan Morgan Cooper
    Country: USA; Running Time: 34 min
     
    Kristin Dan Kuching Kuchingnya
    Director: Michael Kam
    Country: Singapore; Running Time: 6 min
     
    Living Loud                                                                           World Premiere
    Directors: Carin van der Donk, Isabella Vega, Sarah Teale
    Country: USA; Running Time: 40 min
     
    Paper Boats
    Director: Jessica Pons
    Country: USA; Running Time: 5 min
     
    Rebirth                                                                                   World Premiere
    Director: Olivia Burgess
    Country: USA; Running Time: 11 min
     
    Revealing The Impossible                                                   World Premiere
    Directors: Tony Chong and Marlene Millar
    Country: Canada; Running Time: 29 min
     
     
    This Is Why We Train: The Sea Girt Beach Patrol            World Premiere
    Director: Kevin Nulty
    Country: USA; Running Time: 20 min
     
    Tracing Imperfection                                                            World Premiere
    Director: Chehade Boulos
    Country: USA; Running Time: 8 min
     
    Where Is America the Beautiful?
    Director: Fr3der1ck
    Country: USA; Running Time: 30 min

    MIDNIGHT SHORTS
    Bastard                                                                                  World Premiere
    Directors: Haley Elise Pehrson, Gretta Wilson
    Country: USA; Running Time: 14 min
     
    The Custodian
    Director: Colin J. Mason
    Country: USA; Running Time: 9 min
     
    D.O.D.
    Director: Paul Davis
    Country: USA; Running Time: 18 min
     
    Dedly Wagons                                                                       World Premiere
    Director: Martin Balaguer
    Country: USA; Running Time: 4 min
     
    Good Girls Get Fed
    Director: Kelly Lou Dennis
    Country: USA; Running Time: 21 min
     
    Hevel                                                                                      World Premiere
    Director: David Grace
    Country: USA; Running Time: 14 min
     
    Inner Demons                                                                        World Premiere
    Director: Jasmine J, Johnson
    Country: USA; Running Time: 11 min
     
    The Mantis
    Director: Wylie Rush
    Country: USA; Running Time: 10 min
     
    Mattress Express
    Director: Noah Morse
    Country: USA; Running Time: 18 min
     
    Night Shift
    Director: Karlee Boon
    Country: USA; Running Time: 28 min
     
    Pee Pee Platter
    Director: Jon Conklin
    Country: USA; Running Time: 11 min
     
    The Spirit Became Flesh                                                     World Premiere
    Writer/Director: Jesse Aultman
    Country: USA; Running Time: 18 min
     
    The Worm                                                                              World Premiere
    Director: Cameron A. Tubbs
    Country: USA; Running Time: 14 min
     

  • FilmColumbia Returns to Chatham for 23rd Annual Festival

    FilmColumbia will return for its 23rd year to the Crandell Theatre in Chatham, NY for a selection of this year’s top features, documentaries, and short films. The event will feature many Columbia County-based filmmakers, live Q+As, and the annual FilmColumbia Kick-Off Party. 

    The festival will feature widely anticipated films such as Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli’s animated masterpiece, The Boy and the Heron, as well as director Andrew Haigh’s All of Us Strangers, a ghost story starring Claire Foy, Andrew Scott, and Paul Mescal.

    New York native Scott Cohen (Gilmore Girls, Billions) will star in the breakout comedy The Feeling That The Time For Doing Something Has Passed. The debut feature from writer, director, and star Joanna Arnow will be screened alongside a Q+A from Arnow and Cohen on Friday, October 27.

    We tried to show as much good local talent this year as possible. We recognize their strength in our community and celebrate the abundance of talent in our region—proving how essential it is to keep our historic single-screen cinema open and refreshed so they may continue to show their works in a place that is welcoming, and well, ideal.

    Co-Artistic Director Laurence Kardish

    Staten Island’s own Joan Baez will be the subject of I Am A Noise, a documentary showing a glimpse of Baez’s life and psyche during the 60s. Co-directed by Miri Navasky, Maeve O’Boyle, and Karen O’Connor, the film will screen at FilmColumbia on October 25, followed by a Q&A with fellow New Yorkers Navasky and O’Connor.

    I Am A Noise, a documentary on Joan Baez

    During FilmColumbia’s opening weekend, producers and founders of Killer Films, Christine Vachon and Pam Koffler, will be honored for their vast and pioneering bodies of work. As frequent collaborators with director Todd Haynes (May December, Carol), they have constituted a leading force in independent cinema for over 30 years. The festival will screen three Killer Films productions on October 21: Camp (2003) at 11 am, I Shot Andy Warhol (1996) at 1 pm, and May December, the latest from Haynes, at 3 pm. In addition, a Q+A with the producers will directly follow the last screening.

    Christine Vachon, Killer Films
    Christine Vachon, Killer Films

    The FilmColumbia Kick-Off Party will take place on October 21 from 6-8pm, hosted at the Spencertown, NY home of Jack Shear, a Crandell Theatre benefactor. Vachon and Koffler will also be recognized and celebrated at the Kick-Off.

  • Bushwick Film Festival Celebrates Its Sweet Sixteen This October

    The Bushwick Film Festival is set to celebrate its 16th anniversary this fall, with the festival taking place from October 25-29th. Inspired by the notion of the “Sweet Sixteen,” a time of growth, self-discovery, and newfound independence, this year’s festival theme revolves around exploring and embracing our passage into life’s next chapter, through cinema. 

    Bushwick Film Festival

    The festival continues its partnership with Williamsburg Cinemas, where all festival films will be screened. To celebrate its Sweet 16, this year’s films will explore themes of coming-of-age, self-realization, and the quest for personal freedom, captured through the cinematic lens. 

    Turning 16 traditionally symbolizes growth and discovery, but these transformative moments are not bound by age. We find defining moments at every juncture and during every transition. As we usher in the 16th Bushwick Film Festival, we’re celebrating more than just cinema; we’re embracing the journey, the lessons, and the stories that have brought us here. Here’s to life’s defining chapters and the many stories that intertwine with them.

    Kweighbaye Kotee, Founder

    The festival features not only an exciting lineup of films, but also a range of special events. The Opening Night Red Carpet Reception will take place at Brooklyn Borough Hall on October 25. In addition, the Movie Industry Conference will feature a full day of panel discussions, conversations, and networking opportunities for industry professionals and filmmakers. Finally, a lively Sweet 16 Party will be held at Lot 45.

    Tickets to the 16th Anniversary Bushwick Film Festival, and film programing highlights can be found below, as well as at www.bushwickfilmfestival.com:  

    Halloween-inspired movie night: Campy Horrors, Thrillers and Supernartural 

    NY Stories

    Social Justice 

    Stories about Love 

    Must See Features

  • The New York Latino Film Festival Returns To NYC

    The New York Latino Film Festival (NYLFF) will be held on September 15-24 at New York City’s Regal Union Square. With an impressive roster of 116 films from nearly 20 countries, the festival marks the 25th celebration since its inception in 1999. With musical tribute films, brand new biopics, and the return of long-time favorite actors and directors, the festival has something for everyone.

    New York Latino Film Festival

    The festival will open with the NYC premiere of Amazon Prime’s Cassandro (2023, 99min, USA). Starring Gael Garcia Bernal, the film follows the true story of a gay wrestler from El Paso who rose to international stardom. Directed by Roger Ross Williams, the feature film also stars global music sensation Bad Bunny.

    Cassandro (2023, 99min, USA)

    “Amidst this historic moment in the entertainment industry, NYLFF continues to uphold the importance of stories as a powerful and important tool for collective social change. The Festival, for 23 years, has and will continue to offer Latino filmmakers and content creators a platform to highlight our stories. More than ever, we been ready

    Calixto Chinchilla, Founder, New York Latino Film Festival

    In addition, the NYLFF will screen Aristotle Torres’ debut feature Story Ave (2023, 94min, USA). Starring Puerto Rican-New Yorker Luis Guzman, the film follows an MTA worker held up by young graffiti artist Kadir (Asante Blackk) in a robbery gone right. Luis Guzman, known for hit films such as Punch-Drunk Love (2002), The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009), and the new hit series Wednesday (2022) as Gomez Addams, was raised in New York’s Greenwich Village and Lower East Side.

    Story Ave (2023, 94min, USA)

    We are thrilled to shine a light on independent film production in NYC by once again supporting the New York Latino Film Festival. This year’s opening night film, Story Ave, directed by up-and-coming NYC filmmaker Aristotle Torres, is the perfect example of why this festival, and others like it, are so important; to provide a global platform to amplify diverse storytelling.

    Pat Swinney Kaufman, Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment

    Music lovers can enjoy NYLFF’s screening of feature film Carlos (2023, 88min, USA), that follows Santana’s journey from 14-year-old street musician to 10-time Grammy-winning global sensation. After the rock group’s legendary performance at New York State’s Woodstock Festival in 1969, Santana shot to global fame with their unique blend of salsa, jazz, and rock music.

    Carlos (2023, 88min, USA)

    The New York Latino Film Festival will close with a free outdoor event in Washington Heights’ Quisqueya Plaza, featuring live music and food.

    For more information on the festival, and a full list of featured films and shorts, visit nylatinofilmfestival.com.

  • The Renaissance Black Film Festival Arrives In Albany this June

    The first annual Renaissance Black Film Festival (RBFF) is coming to Albany, running June 22–25 at the historic Palace Theatre and the extravagant Renaissance Hotel. With both venues located in the capital’s historic downtown, attendees will easily be able to navigate between each location.   

    RBFF puts a spotlight on Black artists and creatives within the film industry and recognizes New York’s Capital Region as a burgeoning hotbed for filmmaking. RBFF will show films from a plethora of Black filmmakers across the country, with awards and cash prizes going to Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary Feature, Best Narrative Short, Best Documentary Short, and Best First Project. 

    The festival is led by entrepreneur and the Palace Theatre’s Executive Director Kevin Johnson, filmmaker Micah Khan, creative agency Collectiveffort, and supported by its’ ambassador, NAACP Image Award recipient Morris Chestnut. Panelists and honorary board members include Gail Bean of FX’s hit show Snowfall and acclaimed screenwriter and director Jamal Hill who’s worked on films such as I am Legend, among many others. 

    “Over the last decade, we’ve seen about 20 productions come to the area, each growing larger and larger. The secret of the flexibility, affordability and overall beauty of our area has gotten out and folks that are here should be ready to join the industry as it lays roots,” says Collectiveffort Co-founder Patrick Harris.

    In addition to the screenings, RBFF will host a series of panel discussions, networking events, public afterparties, an award ceremony, and a few special surprise screenings.

    The festival’s curators are accepting submissions up until June 7. Starting Friday, May 26 tickets are on sale here. Tickets are also available for purchase at the Palace Theatre Box Office (located at 19 Clinton Ave). Box Office hours are Monday – Friday Noon to 5PM.

  • A Tribeca Festival Music Guide: From Paul McCartney to Megan Thee Stallion

    The upcoming New York Film and Multi-Media Tribeca Festival running next week, June 7-18 includes a vast array of music performances, films, and talks.

    109 feature films from 127 filmmakers will be presented throughout the 10 venues spread across the city over the 12 days.

    If you unable to attend the festival in-person, you can still view the premieres at home through the At Home Festival Pass.

    Check out the music events at Tribeca Festival 2023 below:

    Wednesday, June 7

    Opening Night: “Kiss the Future” – Directed by Nenad Cicin-Sain

    OKX Theater at BMCC TPAC | 8:00 PM | 103 min

    A stirring testament to art’s enduring ability to cast light even in the darkest of circumstances, Kiss the Future follows an underground community that worked and created throughout the nearly four-year-long Siege of Sarajevo. Sensing that a larger voice is needed, an American aid worker makes a longshot pitch to U2 to help raise awareness about the Bosnian capital’s plight. The band immediately agrees and begins a series of live satellite interviews with local Sarajaevans during their 1993 ZOO TV Tour in an effort to highlight the direness of the situation on the ground. 

    Thursday, June 8

    Storytellers – John Mellencamp with David Letterman

    OKX Theater at BMCC TPAC | 6:00 PM | 60 min

    John Mellencamp is one of the most highly respected singer/songwriters of a generation. He will be joined in conversation by David Letterman who can currently be seen hosting My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, a four-time Emmy-nominated interview show streaming on Netflix.

    “Bad Like Brooklyn Dancehall“ – Directed by Ben DiGiacomo and Dutty Vannier

    The Indeed Theater at Spring Studios | 8:15 PM | 93 min

    This documentary explores the ‘80s and ‘90s emergence of dancehall as Jamaican immigrants brought the music, dancing, and vibes of their home to New York City. Nicknamed the 15th Parish of Jamaica, New York City became home to an influential movement that saw dancehall rise alongside hip-hop and eventually spread across the country.

    Tribeca Music Lounge – Tei Shi With Tony & Tony, Miette, DJ Set by Frost Children

    Baby’s All Right | 8:00 PM | 180 min

    Miette Hope is a Brooklyn based singer-songwriter and producer. Inspired by both the grit and glam of their home base of New York City, TONY OR TONY is a dynamic blend of The Prodigy, MGMT, and A.G. Cook, who are ready to grab your attention with their fast & active mix of punk, indie-pop, and electronica. Tei Shi (pronounced “tay-shee”) is the moniker of singer/songwriter and producer Valerie Teicher. Frost Children is the project of NYC- based siblings Lulu and Angel Prost.

    Friday, June 9

    “Maestra” – Directed by Maggie Contreras

    Village East by Angelika | 5:30 PM | 88 min

    Following the buzz of Tár, Maggie Contreras’ documentary Maestra follows several women from around the world as they compete in the only all-women competition for conductors. This ultra-competitive field is riddled with long-standing issues of sexism, and each participant is approaching the contest with fierce tenacity.

    “Cypher” – Directed by Chris Moukarbel

    SVA Theatre | 6:00 PM | 89 min

    Tierra Whack first gained recognition at the age of 15 when she stunned viewers with her slick poetry while rapping for a YouTube channel on a Philadelphia street. The video rapidly drew thousands of views and marked the first of Tierra’s many performances for the camera. Years later, director Chris Moukarbel begins documenting her astronomical rise, going behind the scenes of concerts and music videos as she navigates fame and receives exalted praise from stars like Erykah Badu and Billie Eilish.

    “Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive” – Directed by Betsy Schechter

    The Indeed Theater at Spring Studios | 8:15 PM | 99 min

    This documentary recounts Gloria Gaynor’s life while also chronicling her comeback journey. It is both a moving story of an artist’s resilience and a scintillating peak at the machinations of the music industry. After the Premiere: A performance by the one and only Gloria Gaynor.

    Tribeca Music Lounge – David Duchovny with Blake and Caroline and Laundry Day

    Baby’s All Right | 8:30 PM | 240 min

    Broadway trained singer Caroline Iliff and songwriter Blake Harmon will be on opening duties for David Duchovny’s band in anticipation for his film premiere Bucky F*cking Dent.

    Saturday, June 10

    Tribeca Festival & Gov Ball Presents: Storytellers – Diplo

    The Indeed Theater at Spring Studios | 12:00 PM | 60 min

    Born in Mississippi and raised in Florida, Diplo’s 20-year career began with his now-legendary Philly club night Hollertronix. The three-time Grammy nominee is also a member of the iconic Major Lazer, one third of LSD (with Sia and Labrinth), and half of Silk City with Mark Ronson.

    “Flower” – Directed by Lauren Finerman

    Village East by Angelika | 12:30 PM | 28 min

    World-renowned ballerina Misty Copeland stars in her first independently produced short art film, an immersive experience in movement storytelling that highlights intergenerational equity in the community of Oakland, California, featuring new, original music from Grammy-winning recording artist Raphael Saadiq.

    “Letter to Rosie” – Directed by Ariel Danziger

    Village East by Angelika | 12:30 PM | 6 min

    Letter to Rosie captures an intimate portrait about survival, self worth, self love, and overcoming all of life’s obstacles. Matt’s tormented past finds its way into our short film.

    “Melody of Love” – Directed by Edmundo Bejarano

    AMC 19th St. East 6 | 2:45 PM | 85 min

    Clad in slim jeans and a leather jacket, with his electric guitar strapped to his back, jazz musician Michael (Elijah Reid) cuts an effortlessly cool figure as he moves through the streets of Addis Ababa. Playing the nightclubs of his beloved city and excited by the promise of an upcoming tour, Michael is every bit the working musician.

    Tribeca Music Lounge Free Talk with BMI: How I made that soundtrack with Ali Dee

    Baby’s All Right | 3:00 PM | 60 min

    Ali Dee Theodore has over 3 decades of experience in the entertainment industry as a songwriter, producer, composer, artist and Executive Music Producer. In 1989, Dee signed a recording deal with Chysalis Records for his group The Next School, which was the first African American and white rap duo. Dee would go on to join the famed Hip Hop production juggernaut, The Bomb Squad, from 1990 to 1993.

    “Uncharted” – Directed by Beth Aala

    OKX Theater at BMCC TPAC | 8:00 PM | 95 min

    Filmmaker Beth Aala takes us behind the scenes of Alicia Keys‘ She Is The Music songwriting camp in this revealing look at the music business that focuses on the lack of access and opportunity granted to young black and brown women. The camp’s participants take center stage as they try to break through the industry with the next big hit song.  After the Premiere: A performance from She Is The Music artists, curated by Alicia Keys.

    “Songs About Fucking” – Directed by James Gallagher

    The Indeed Theater at Spring Studios | 8:00 PM | 99 min

    Marc Rebillet is a lot of things. He’s a musician, a comedian, an artist, and some even say an innovator. Known for his improvised shows and signature tight boxers, he’s certainly someone you can’t put into a neat label. However, as this documentary, Songs About Fucking, proves, he wouldn’t have it any other way. After the Premiere: A musical Q&A with Marc Rebillet.

    Tribeca Music Lounge – Jitwam, Eddie Chacon, dreamcastmoe, Willy Soul

    Baby’s All Right | 8:00 PM | 240 min

    A night of smooth indie and psychedelic music featuring Indian Psychedelic soul savant Jitwam (freshly nominated for best Album at Australian Grammys), Eddie Chacon who just released one of this year’s best album on the storied Stones Throw Records, and East Coast rising star in the Funk scene, dreamcastmoe. 

    “Milli Vanilli” – Directed by Luke Korem

    Village East by Angelika | 8:30 PM | 106 min

    This documentary dissects the duo’s trajectory from their humble origins through their collaboration with legendary music producer Frank Farian — a toxic partnership that cemented the band’s fate and concealed a shocking secret about their music and craft.

    Sunday, June 11

    “Cinnamon” – Directed by Bryian Keith Montgomery Jr.

    SVA Theatre | 2:00 PM | 91 min

    Aspiring singer Jodi Jackson (Tony nominee Hailey Kilgore) has a big voice and dreams to match but struggles to make ends meet as a gas station attendant whose boss (Damon Wayans) may not be on the up and up. Enter charming small-time crook Eddie (David Iacono). Reminiscent of ‘70s blaxploitation films, with an outstandingly menacing performance from the genre’s queen, Pam Grier, this directorial debut from Bryian Keith Montgomery Jr. is a superfly thriller filled with intrigue, music, and a whole lot of heart.

    “Boca Chica” – Directed by Gabriella Moses

    AMC 19th St. East 6 | 2:45 PM | 97 min

    Dominican twelve-year-old Desi has musical aspirations and performs with a local all-girls choir, but her ambitions are much bigger. Desi yearns to one day leave her beachside community of Boca Chica behind and achieve fame and recognition as a singer. She keeps this yearning a secret from her family, specifically the women in her life who have raised her.

    “Anthem” – Directed by Peter Nicks

    The Indeed Theater at Spring Studios | 5:00 PM | 98 min

    “The Star-Spangled Banner”, written in 1814 using the melody of an old British tune, is a song that evokes a range of emotions from patriotic pride to cynicism and terror. But what would the national anthem sound like if it was based on American music? This documentary follows composer and pianist Kris Bowers and producer Dahi as they journey across the country to find out.

    “Lost Soulz” – Directed by Katherine Propper

    Village East by Angelika | 5:15 PM | 95 min

    Sol (Sauve Sidle) is an aspiring young rapper living with his best friend Wesley (Siyanda Stillwell), whose family has embraced him as a brother. After a raucous night causes Wesley to overdose, Sol abandons him at a house party, and eventually chooses to leave home for good and join a touring group of hip-hop artists.

    “Special” (Lizzo Music Video) – Directed by Christian Breslauer

    AMC 19th St. East 6 | 5:30 PM | 3 min

    In Lizzo’s music video, visuals, empowering lyrics, and energetic performances celebrate self-love, body positivity, and individuality. Bold, colorful, and full of positive energy.

    “Ron Delsener Presents” – Directed by Jake Sumner

    The Indeed Theater at Spring Studios | 8:00 PM | 102 min

    Documentaries about figures of music history tend to focus on artists, but here, the subject is influential concert promoter Ron Delsener who worked with some of the biggest names in music over his decades-long career. Featuring a bevy of legends from Cher to Gene Simmons, Roger Daltrey, and Simon and Garfunkel, Ron Delsener Presents is a career retrospective stuffed with star power. 

    Tribeca Music Lounge: Iranian Live Music Showcase with LuNika, Sussan Deyhim, Habibi

    Baby’s All Right | 8:30 PM | 240 min

    Tribeca will be hosting a women-fronted lineup of Iranian musicians or musicians from the Iranian diaspora. All generations will be represented, from a teenage sister-brother LuNika duo whose latest protest single “Women Life Freedom” went viral on Instagram, to Brooklyn girl band HABIBI, to celebrated composer and musician Sussan Deyhim.

    Monday, June 12

    “Honeycomb” – Directed by Sam Roden

    Village East by Angelika | 5:15 PM | 32 min

    After a has-been musician (Baron Vaughn) live-streams his suicide attempt, his band’s single goes viral. For the first time in their life, they have a chance at fame and fortune — as long as the world continues to believe he’s dead. (New York Indie Episodic Premiere)

    “Waitress, the Musical – Live on Broadway!” – Directed by Brett Sullivan

    OKX Theater at BMCC TPAC | 7:30 PM | 144 min

    Waitress, the Musical – Live on Broadway! is a heartwarming story that follows the life of Jenna Hunterson (Sara Bareilles), a pie-maker and waitress stuck in an unfulfilling marriage in a small town. Jenna finds solace in baking and dreams of winning a baking contest in a nearby city to escape her mundane life. When Jenna becomes pregnant, she decides to take control of her life with the help of her co-workers and a new town doctor. She confronts her past, faces her fears, and makes life-changing choices. After the Premiere: A special performance from Sara Bareilles.

    Tuesday, June 13

    Storytellers – Lin-Manuel Miranda with Rosie Perez

    OKX Theater at BMCC TPAC | 6:00 PM | 60 min

    Lin-Manuel Miranda is a Pulitzer Prize, Grammy, Emmy and Tony award-winning songwriter, actor, director and producer. He is the creator and original star of Broadway’s Tony-winning HAMILTON and In the Heights. Miranda is the recipient of the 2015 MacArthur Foundation Award, the 2018 Kennedy Center Honors and the 2019 Portrait of a Nation Prize. He will be joined in conversation by Academy Award-nominated actress Rosie Perez. 

    “Scream of My Blood: A Gogol Bordello Story” – Directed by Nate Pommer and Eric Weinrib

    The Indeed Theater at Spring Studios | 8:00 PM | 90 min

    Capturing the raucous atmosphere of their live performances, this frenetic globe-trotting history of the immigrant punk band Gogol Bordello is a firecracker of a documentary. Spanning the final days of the Soviet Union all the way to pre-9/11 New York, and ending with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Scream of My Blood: A Gogol Bordello Story is as much about how the world shaped Gogol Bordello as how the band shaped the world. After the Premiere: A performance by Gogol Bordello.

    Wednesday, June 14

    “It’s Only Life After All? – Directed by Alexandria Bombach

    OKX Theater at BMCC TPAC | 5:00 PM | 123 min

    A revealing exploration and much-anticipated love letter to the massively beloved folk-rock duo Indigo Girls. From their serendipitous meeting at Emory University, where their innate musical styles collided, to their hardscrabble days as a popular bar band, to their explosion on the worldwide music scene with their eponymous album — this is the deep dive into their story that their intensely devoted fans have craved.

    Storytellers – Chance the Rapper

    The Indeed Theater at Spring Studios | 6:00 PM | 60 min

    Multi-Grammy award winner Chance the Rapper has built a multi-faceted career across music, film, television, and art. His new body of work, Star Line Gallery, has premiered at art institutions around the world including Art Basel and Los Angeles’ Museum Of Contemporary Art (MOCA).

    “Taylor Mac’s 24-Decade History of Popular Music” – Directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman

    The Indeed Theater at Spring Studios | 8:00 PM | 106 min

    New York’s hottest club is Taylor Mac’s 24-Decade History of Popular Music. This club has everything: countercultural history, off-the-wall interpretations of America’s most recognizable tunes, ping pong warfare, giant inflatable penises making love and war to David Bowie‘s “Heroes,” shameless gay melodrama, and of course, MacArthur Fellowship winner Taylor Mac.

    Let the Canary Sing – Directed by Alison Ellwood

    The Beacon Theatre | 8:00 PM | 96 min

    Cyndi Lauper anxiously rides in the backseat of a car stuck in New York City traffic. In her distinctively thick New York accent, she reflects on her career, saying “I didn’t want anyone to tell me what I could and couldn’t do.” On her longevity and unique ability to adapt to shifting social trends, she says “I never think of it as reinvention. I want to learn.”  After the Premiere: A performance by Cyndi Lauper at the Beacon Theatre.

    Thursday, June 15

    Storytellers – Billy Porter

    The Indeed Theater at Spring Studios | 6:00 PM | 60 min

    Billy Porter is an Emmy, Tony and Grammy award-winning actor, singer, director, producer, composer, and playwright, best known for FX’s Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated drama “Pose” and Broadway’s Kinky Boots. 

    Storytellers – Paul McCartney with Conan O’Brien

    OKX Theater at BMCC TPAC | 6:00 PM | 60 min

    Paul McCartney will be joined in conversation by Conan O’Brien. The pair will discuss McCartney’s new book 1964: Eyes of the Storm, which is being published on June 13. The book showcases 275 of McCartney’s rediscovered photos from his archive from the end of 1963 and beginning of 1964 when Beatlemania erupted. The conversation will be recorded for a future episode of O’Brien’s podcast “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend.”

    Storytellers: Megan Thee Stallion

    The Beacon Theatre | 8:00 PM | 60 min

    Megan Thee Stallion is a three-time GRAMMY-winning recording artist, actor, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. Megan has been recognized for her musical achievements, including nine BET Awards and back-to-back Billboard Music Awards for “Top Rap Female Artist.”

    Friday, June 16

    “Choir” – Directed by Rudy Valdez

    SVA Theatre | 5:30 PM | 93 min

    For the Detroit Youth Choir, everything changed when they entered the spotlight on America’s Got Talent. They’d come a long way from rehearsing in a church basement with a handful of kids, but now their past achievements are old news and the new kids need to step up. With new talent and auditions underway, can the DYC stay relevant both in their hometown and on the national stage? After the Screening: A conversation with Artistic Director of the Detroit Youth Choir Anthony White, director Rudy Valdez, executive producer Sara Bernstein, and members of the choir, plus a special performance by the Detroit Youth Choir.

    Storytellers – Hailee Steinfeld

    The Indeed Theater at Spring Studios | 6:00 PM | 60 min

    Academy Award-nominated actress, multi-platinum recording musician, and producer, Hailee Steinfeld remains a force to be reckoned with in the entertainment industry.

    “For Khadija” – Directed by Mandon Lovett

    The Beacon Theatre | 8:00 PM | 90 min

    French Montana is many things, including an entrepreneur and Grammy-nominated rapper. But what did it take for a hungry talent from Africa to reach those lofty heights? The Moroccan-born and New York-bred multi-platinum artist behind hits such as Pop That, Unforgettable, and No Stylist is giving us a deeper look through his lens. This globe-spanning showcase provides views of French we haven’t seen, including the unbreakable bond he shares with his single mother, Khadija. After the Premiere: A performance by French Montana, Triplets Ghetto Kids, and Very Special Guests.

    Sunday, June 17

    “All Up In The Biz” – Directed by Sacha Jenkins

    The Indeed Theater at Spring Studios | 8:00 PM | 100 min

    New York native Biz Markie remains a hip-hop icon despite his untimely death in 2021. Best known for his 1989 Top 40 hit “Just a Friend”, Markie was a rapper, beatboxer, songwriter, and producer who was fondly referred to as the clown prince of hip-hop. In All Up in the Biz, Director Sacha Jenkins weaves together a collage of dynamic celebrity interviews, rare archival footage, reenactments with puppets, and playful animation to share the personal and professional story of Biz Markie and the mark he left on hip-hop history and the music industry around the world.

    “Carlos” – Directed by Rudy Valdez

    The Beacon Theatre | 8:00 PM | 87 min

    The lively and intimately-crafted documentary Carlos immerses us in rock icon Carlos Santana’s life and musical trajectory. Filmmaker Rudy Valdez bolsters this personal narrative with pulsating, never-before-seen footage — guided by Santana himself, in his own words. After the Premiere: A performance by the legendary Santana.