THE FATHER, THE SON AND THE RAV KALMENSON

Film Block 1  Tuesday April 23    4:00 - 6:00pm

RUN TIME: 15 minutes
Yoel, 30, is what was called in the 90s a “Lubavitch”, an Orthodox Jew. Every Saturday morning, he goes, accompanied by his 6-year-old son, to honor Shabbat in the synagogue in his neighborhood, a primary school set up for the occasion. That day, the rabbi of the community of devotees, Rav Kalmenson, an impressive man with his charisma and his long beard, will challenge Yoel by announcing to him that his son “is lighting up”.
Writer/Director: Dayan D. OualidProducers: Jonathan Hazan, Dayan D. OualidCast: Marc Allal, Henri Liebman, Jarod Tseror, Tal ReuvenyCountry of Origin:  FRANCE
CAROLINA PREMIERE

THE REVEAL

Film Block 1  Tuesday April 23    4:00 - 6:00pm

RUN TIME: 7 minutesJust when you thought it was safe to go to a gender reveal party... Stacy, who's dating the brother of a famous chef named Warren comes uninvited but she leaves the host of the party with a daunting ultimatum. There's more decisions to be made than whether the baby is going to be a girl or boy. Writer: Carla ChingDirector: Peter AltonProducer: Jillana DarbyCast: Jillana Darby, Nelson Lee, Christopher Larkin, April Lam, Jonathan Langley, Jenson Cheng, Ryan ShogrenCountry of Origin: USA
EAST COAST PREMIERE

NOT THE SAME CLARENCE

Film Block 3  Wednesday April 24    3:00 - 5:00pm

RUN TIME: 15 minutes
A father and son story, by a father and son, starring a father and son. Gideon faithfully visits his father in a memory care facility, but cannot accept his father's memory loss and confusion. His frustration with his father and need to correct his father's memories creates distress, causing a rift in this otherwise loving father-son relationship.Writers/Directors: Brian Russell, Samuel B RussellProducers: Brian Russell, Samuel B Russell, Lisa DeTullio RussellCast: James Naughton, Greg Naughton, Delissa Reynolds, David A. Gregory, Sam DuncanCountry of Origin: USA

SHE SAID

Film Block 4  Wednesday April 24    5:30 - 7:30pm

RUN TIME: 5 minutes
ANIMA Works presents “She Said,” a moody and artistic visual approach to Academy award-winning songwriter and artist John DeNicola’s latest release. Co-directed, co-shot and co-produced by partners Jake DeNicola and Hil Steadman of ANIMA Works on 16mm, “She Said” was shot with 500T and 250D, using a combination of BPM, glimmer glass and a split diopter to illustrate the different moods.Writer: John DeNicolaDirectors/Producers: Jake DeNicola, Hil SteadmanCast: Debra DeNicola, Jacob Zinkievich, Zander Kennedy, John DeNicola, Lauren StanderCountry of Origin: USA

BETWEEN THE LIGHTS

Film Block 4  Wednesday April 24    5:30 - 7:30pm

RUN TIME: 104 minutes
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. 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.Writer/Director: Michael GroomProducers: David Groom, Michael GroomCast: Ines De Clercq, Sam Edward-Cook, Richard Riddell, Alexander Cobb, Alana Ramsey, Naveed Khan, Jason Langley, Siu Hun LiCountry of Origin: United KingdomCarolina Premiere 

WHEN WIRE WAS KING

Film Block 6  Thursday April 25    2:00 - 4:00pm

RUN TIME: 84 minutes
When Wire Was King is a feature-length documentary that puts the telecommunications revolution into historical context. Commerce, technology, entertainment, travel, health, and all societal interaction are now so dependent on secure and reliable telecommunications that, if the plug were pulled, our nation and world would likely collapse. As our digital world grows increasingly complex, it’s critically important for Americans to understand what drives, threatens, and governs the technology on which we all depend.Writer: LeeAnn DanceDirector: Jennifer A. MannerProducers: Michael Potter, Cliff Hackel, Lee Ann Dance
Country of Origin: USASOUTH CAROLINA PREMIERE

FIRST OF SEVEN

Film Block 7  Thursday April 25    4:30 - 6:30pm

RUN TIME: 20 minutes
It’s March of 2020 and the COVID-19 virus is running rampant. Lockdowns have been issued across the United States and fear is mounting. They say that no good news comes in the middle of the night, and tonight is no exception. When Jake Levin receives a call from the hospital, he is notified of his mother’s death.  The responsibility is now his to begin the near impossible task of uniting his dysfunctional and estranged family.Writer/Director: Zack Abramowitz	Producers: Zack Abramowitz, Gadi RubinCast: Chris Richards, Noam Shapiro, Zachary Lindberg, Jacqueline Sydney, Jon FredaCountry of Origin: USA	WORLD PREMIERE

WHAT WE FIND ON THE ROAD

Film Block 7  Thursday April 25    4:30 - 6:30pm

RUN TIME: 93 minutes
On TJ’s 18th birthday, a stranger delivers him a key from his father, last seen as he was hauled off to prison 8 years previously. With the key is the address for a proposed meeting - 3000 miles away and in two weeks. The key unlocks a timeworn 1968 convertible, with a coffin welded to its floor. With each decision that follows, TJ plunges deeper into the mysterious and beautiful landscapes we all navigate – on our own, with our tribe, through the shifting turns of the road ahead.Writer: Bill HaneyDirector: Chaysen BeachamProducers: Chaysen Beacham, Bill HaneyCast: Finn Haney, William Chris Sumpter, Katherine Laheen, Paul Guilfoyle, Ross PartridgeTim DisneyCountry of Origin: USAEAST COAST PREMIERE

BAU, ARTIST AT WAR

Film Block 8  Thursday April 25    7:00 - 9:10pm

RUN TIME: 130 minutes
"Bau, Artist at War" is based on the true story of Joseph and Rebecca Bau, whose wedding took place in the Plaszow concentration camp during WWII, an event immortalized in Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List. This film is a war drama, love story, and espionage tale that needs to be told in this era where survivors are dying, and the Holocaust is slipping from memory. Using his artistic skills and his sense of humor in the camps, Joseph stays alive and helps hundreds to escape. Miraculously, he finds love in the midst of despair—a love that will last a lifetime. Years later, when called to be a key witness in the trial of the brutal Nazi officer who tortured him and killed his father, he is thrust back into vivid memories of the Holocaust and calls upon this love and resilience of spirit to face the ultimate demon of his past.Writers: Deborah Smerecnik, Ron Bass, Sonia KiffersteinDirector: Sean McNamaraProducers: Marc Griffith, Michelle P. Griffith, Deborah Smerecnik, David Brookwell, Sean McNamaraCast: Emile Hirsch, Inbar Lavi, Josh Zuckerman, Yan Tual, Josh Blacker, Adam Tsekhman, Edward FoyCountry of Origin: USACarolina Premiere

LOVE AND TAXE$

Film Block 9  Friday April 26    2:30 - 4:30pm

RUN TIME: 102 minutes
In this unique 70s romance crafted by Lloyd J. Schwartz, renowned "Brady Bunch" writer and producer, an unconventional story unfolds between a CPA and a waitress. Their connection? An annual meeting under the guise of preparing her taxes. Yet, with each passing year, these sessions evolve into much more than number crunching. Set against the colorful backdrop of the 1970s, each of their seven encounters is a mini-drama, rich in emotional depth and character development. The film takes a bold cinematic leap by shooting each scene in a single, continuous take. This approach not only challenges the conventional filmmaking process but also creates a masterful dance of performances. "Love and Taxes is totally unique. It's so difficult to find a new way to make a romantic comedy, but Ken Feinberg has done it." - Rob Reiner.
The film stars Jake Reiner and Alexis Abrams. 
Writer: Lloyd J. Schwartz
Directors: Ken Feinberg and Craig D. Tollis.Producers: Lloyd J. Schwartz, Juan Feldman, Jill Gray Savarese and Ken Feinberg. 
Cast: Jake Reiner, Alexis Abrams
Country of Origin: USA
WORLD PREMIERE

FREEDOM OF SPEECH SYMPOSIUM

Friday April 26    7:45 - 10:00pm

All Access Plus Pass Holders Only. 
In an ever-increasing world of Censorship and retraction of Freedom of Speech, dialogue is needed now more than ever. Does increased censorship threaten our way of life, our freedoms and our pursuit of truth? 
A distinguished panel will cover the historic context, current state of censorship and what could be at stake for the future. 
If history tells us anything, it can tell us where we are going… Join these panelists in a riveting discussion. Brian Rose, Robert Kiyosaki, Dr. Robert Malone, Dr. David E. Martin, Mike Benz, Jerry Dalton 

SHAPER

Film Block 11  Saturday April 27    2:30 - 4:30pm

RUN TIME: 9 minutes
Kelly Richards has been shaping surfboards for forty years in Garden City, South Carolina, where the waves are the worst in the world. No-one thought much of his ability - until surfers began winning national titles on his boards. This documentaryshares Kelly's journey from emancipated teen to East-Coast legend.Director/Producer: Max LossonCast: Kelly Richards, Drew Brophy, Cam Richards, Cole Richards, Emory McClary, Chuck "Roque"Elliot, Jimmy Mendillo
Country of Origin: USA

THE CONCIERGE

Film Block 11  Saturday April 27    2:30 - 4:30pm

RUN TIME: 70 minutes
Akino is a trainee concierge at the Hokkyoku Department Store, an unusual department store that caters exclusively to animals. Under the watchful eyes of the floor manager and senior concierges, Akino runs around to fulfill the wishes of customers with a myriad of needs and problems in her pursuit to become a full-fledged concierge.Writer: Satomi OshimaDirector: Yoshimi ItazuCast: Natsumi Kawaida, Takeo Otsuka, Kenjiro Tsuda
Country of Origin: USA
EAST COAST PREMIERE

REMEDIOS

Film Block 13  Saturday April 27    8:00 - 9:15pm

RUN TIME: 17 minutes
After a brain transplant, Remedios struggles to redefine her identity in a male body. When she finds her former body standing in the attic, alive and healthy albeit vacant of mind, it thrusts her meddling family into chaos over what she should do with it, a discussion that traverses a depth of notions regarding our sense of who we are, or what is "I."Writers: Patricia Hechavarria, Randy ValdesDirector: Randy ValdesProducer: Kimberly FragaCast: Daniel Capote, Adriana Pita, Gerardo Riveron, Camila Rodriguez, Mabel Roch, Caleb Scott
Country of Origin: USA

EL CAMPO

Film Block 13  Saturday April 27    8:00 - 9:15pm

RUN TIME: 15 minutes
At a Mexican training camp in the middle of the desert, we witness the evolution of a young boy, transformed and turned into a cold blooded killer. This coming-of-age nightmare shows that even in the darkest of evils, there was once innocence.Writer/Director: Octavio PisanoProducers: Guillermo Escalona, Nico Nepola, Saray D. Guidetti, Carissa StewartCast: Kinan Cruz, Jose Conejo Martin, Victor Adame, Carolina Riesgo
Country of Origin: MEXICO
CAROLINA PREMIERE

MBIFF 19 FILMS

SLOBOPOLY

THE FATHER, THE SON AND THE RAV KALMENSON

DISCOVERING ELLA

BLUE HOUR

IT'S NOT ALL THAT BAD

THE REVEAL

THE COUNTRYMAN

A BOAT TIME

SCRAP

MARS HILL BAIT AND AMMO

IN THE MATCHBOX

SISTER

NOT THE SAME CLARENCE

CULTS

A NIGHT IN BRIDGE

SHE SAID

BETWEEN THE LIGHTS

REVOLUTION MAKER

THE FOUNDER EFFECT

THE DEPTHS OF NINGALOO

WHEN WIRE WAS KING

FIRST OF SEVEN

WHAT WE FIND ON THE ROAD

BAU, ARTIST AT WAR

EGO

DESI STANDARD TIME TRAVEL

LOVE AND TAXE$

WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED

FREEDOM OF SPEECH SYMPOSIUM

A MESSAGE FROM DOG

TODAY WE CLIMBED A HILL

SHAPER

THE CONCIERGE

PRISON IS COOL

CHARLIE TANGO

CARLY

CLOSER

TITTY BOY

REMEDIOS

EL CAMPO

· films

· passes and tickets

· ATTENDING

· EVENTS

· Contact