2023 Festival Movie Blocks
April hath put a spirit of foolishness everywhere.
Our comedy Block will have you rolling in the aisle! Friday 7pm- 8:30
Griefcake
Griefcake. United Kingdom
US PREMIERE
9:06
Writer/Director - Vilma Kartalska
A bittersweet comedy-drama about a cake-loving family bereft after the death of their expert baker mum.
The New Nanny
The New Nanny.
United States
NC PREMIERE
3:39
Writer/Director - Bridget Moloney.
With a little magic, the new nanny helps a non-binary child deal with bullies and find self-acceptance.
Aspirational Slut.
Aspirational Slut.
United States
14:38
Writer/Director - Caroline Lindy
A newly heartbroken woman, on the advice of a pizza guy, learns to separate love from sex, and over a series of wild random hookups, she learns to put them back together.
Asking For It
Asking For It.
United States
NC PREMIERE
11:54
Writer/Director - Rhea MacCallum, Christy Lee Hughes
A victim of a crime quickly becomes the suspect in this gender adaptation of a satirical play.
The Interview
The Interview.
United States
NC PREMIERE
9:17
Writer/Director - Janet Guillet/Inga Moren Tapias
An interview between two women at opposite ends of their careers turns into a therapy session where we question: Who is interviewing whom?
We Should Get Dinner
We Should Get Dinner.
United States
NC PREMIERE 9:56
Writer/Director - Eliza Jiménez Cossio, Lexi Tannenholtz
After their parents' divorce, ex-step-siblings Abby and Sean are forced to confront if they were ever really family.
A Killer Secret
A Killer Secret
United States
5:44
Writer/Director - Bettina Bresnan, Julian Burzynski
Two best friends are enjoying what they think is a normal night, until the doorbell rings and an unexpected visitor delivers the possibility of death. In their last moments together, they decide to share secrets that could affect their friendship forever...if they survive.
Candy
Candy
United Kingdom
USA PREMIERE
13:50
Writer/Director - Sarah Grant
Plus-size burlesque enthusiast Mandy is rehearsing for her first performance. She finds confidence when her best friend needs her help.
Dad joke twice, shame on me.
Saturday 12- 1:30pm
Paper Geese
Paper Geese.
United States
NC PREMIERE
13:56
Writer/Director - Elizabeth Chatelain
After an unsuccessful goose hunt, a young girl grapples with seeing her father in a new light.
Last Chance
Last Chance.
Hungary
NC PREMIERE
27:32
Writer/Director - Eszter Angyalosy, Dániel Szőke
50-year-old Dodi decides to learn longboarding. He finds a teenager willing to teach him - to not just skate but fight for what matters.
The Unexpected Expectant Father
The Unexpected Expectant Father.
United Kingdom
14:59
Writer/Director - Keeley Gainey
Bobby, 8, is abandoned by his mother and left unannounced at his granddad Ted's house again.
Finding Dad
Finding Dad.
United Kingdom
NC PREMIERE
29:50
Writer/Director - Alana Hutton-Shaw
It's Christmas, and Anita's mum just died unexpectedly; with nothing left, she and her BFF descend on the EastEnd to find the father she's never met.
This is Our Home
Saturday 2:30-3:30pm - Free Event with Director Talkback with AK Espada
This Is Our Home
When a bleeding-heart vegan and her pragmatic roommate's rodent infestation intensifies, they find themselves at odds regarding methods that are humane yet effective.
A.K. Espada
A.K. Espada is a writer, director, production designer and visual artist whose work has screened at the American Cinematheque and MoMA. THIS IS OUR HOME, won an Audience Award at Brooklyn Horror Film Festival and was selected to screen at Etheria Film Showcase. A.K.'s feature script for THIS IS OUR HOME is an inaugural recipient of the Sundance Horror Fellowship, presented by K. Period Media.
Fools rush in, then they see the knife.
Saturday 4- 5:30pm
OKAY AL-I
OKAY AL-I.
United States
NC PREMIERE
16:16
Writer/Director - Sarah Emery, Matthew Emery
As she recalls the harsh treatment received at the hands of her programmer, an android decides she's had enough.
***Filmmaker in attendance***
Occupational Hazard
OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD.
United States
NC PREMIERE
7:36
Writer/Director - Ursula Ellis
While working deep in a West Virginia coal mine, Diana is exposed to a mysterious gas that seeps into her everyday life.
Glitch
Glitch.
United States
NC PREMIERE
3:40
Writer/Director - Rebecca Sonia Berrih
While FaceTiming her daughter, a mother spots something scary on the video feed that can’t be seen with the naked eye...
WILD BITCH
WILD BITCH.
United States
12:23
Writer/Director - Rebekka Johnson, Kate Nash
Wild Bitch is a quirky thriller about a local reporter’s interview with a mousy housewife about her life-changing encounter with a coyote. This leads to an eerie trek in the woods that leaves them forever bonded with each other... and the beast.
Ursula
Ursula.
United States
NC PREMIERE
16:11
Writer/Director - Hannah Heller
URSULA takes place in the near future, a hand-me-down world in which water is scarce and anxiety is high. Set amidst an extreme water crisis, two misfits, Ursula and Stuart (Martin Starr), meet at a country music show. Their attraction and curiosity propels them into an experiment in optimism: a date.
Pickup
PICKUP.
United States
12:34
Writer/Director - Christine Delp
When a rideshare to the airport takes an unsettling turn, both passenger and driver struggle to keep control.
***Producer/DP in attendance***
Stay hungry, Stay foolish.
Sunday 12:00 - 1:15pm
The Fall
The Fall.
Canada
NC PREMIERE
2:51
Writer/Director - Desirae Witte
Leafie is a plucky little maple leaf who loves to groove. But when their latest performance takes an unexpected turn, the harsh realities of the season come crashing down.
Freedom Swimmer
Freedom Swimmer
United Kingdom
NC PREMIERE
15:00
Writer/Director - Olivia Martin-McGuire
The story of a grandfather's perilous swim from China to Hong Kong parallels his granddaughter's own quest for a new freedom
Alone
ALONE.
United States
1:00
Writer/Director - Sydney Johnson (2022 Uptilt Intern)
A short film reflecting on loneliness in crowded spaces
***Filmmaker in attendance***
Pushing Through
Pushing Through.
Canada
8:58
Writer/Director - Geneviève Bélanger Genest
A synaesthetic voyage by canoe over pack ice explores the trials our bodies push through to inhabit our surroundings.
The Turnip
The Turnip.
Estonia
NC PREMIERE
7:12
Writer/Director - Piret Sigus, Silja Saarepuu
Well-known folk tale from different perspective - showing what happens under the ground while peasants are cultivating vegetables.
Gaia and the King: An Eco-Fable
Gaia and the King: an Eco-Fable.
United States
EAST COAST PREMIERE
4:36
Writer/Director - Laura Lewis-Barr
Gaia tries to teach the King a lesson that could help the earth.
Quill's Trinket Treasure
Quill's Trinket Treasure.
United States
NC PREMIERE
3:34
Writer/Director - Jenny Brunner
After a student loses her ring, her stop-motion creation comes to life to bring it back.
***Filmmaker in attendance***
Anjela
Anjela.
Bulgaria
16:02
Writer/Director - Vilma Kartalska
The inspiring documentary-animation story of Anjela Pencheva, whose severe diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy has never broken her spirit and has turned her into a writer, an actress and a dancer.
un·fixed still life of Dolly S. Dalí... a mini epic
un·fixed still life of Dolly S. Dalí... a mini epic.
United States
3:49
Writer/Director - Jennifer Scully-Thurston
A "coming of age" parable OR cautionary tale, of a woman turning into a Dalí painting.
Curiosa
Curiosa.
United Kingdom
9:30
Writer/Director - Tessa Moult-Milewska, Matthew Dicky
Curiosa tells the story of overly curious Mary, who visits her boyfriend's flat for the first time, just to discover it’s been stripped bare of all personal belongings. After being denied an explanation, she climbs into his head.
The fool wonders, the wise ask.
Sunday 2:00 - 3:30pm
Lucky Fish
Lucky Fish.
United States
NC PREMIERE
8:22
Writer/Director - Emily May Jampel
Two Asian-American teenagers meet in the bathroom of a Chinese restaurant while having dinner with their families.
Twitching
Twitching.
United Kingdom
NC PREMIERE
14:54
Writer/Director- Madelaine Moore
Ella goes on a date with the recently bereaved Mark, who asks her to join him in his unconventional grieving process - will she agree?
Black Morning
Black Morning.
United States
USA PREMIERE
12:59
Writer/Director - Valentina Hueck
On Christmas night, a heartbroken girl uncovers how the impact of leaving home shapes her will to love.
***Filmmaker in attendance***
What's the Mark
What's The Mark.
United States
NC PREMIERE
14:10
Writer/Director - Stacey Larkins
Through the lens of an actress unintentionally involved in a controversial commercial, What’s the mark explores the power of media and advertisements in influencing public opinion and the perpetuation of stereotypes and its effects.
Fractal
Fractal.
United States
NC PREMIERE
10:35
Writer/Director - Keaton Morris-Stan
Kiarra Goldberg
How do you mourn the loss of something that you never had?
***Filmmaker in attendance***
The Window
The Window.
Lebanon
NC PREMIERE
15:53
Writer/Director - Sarah Kaskas
A year after Beirut’s port explosion, Basma and Mariam reunite in their old bedroom. Surrounded by a view of the port’s remains, the two women attempt to resolve their shared trauma and broken relationship.
Comadre
Comadre.
United States
NC PREMIERE
18:24
Writer/Director - Nicole Chi
Marielitos is a Mexican immigrant nanny struggling with the last days of her current nanny job, and trying to find a new one.
Pity the fool that makes mom count to 3.
Suspense, Sci-Fi & Experimental Sunday 4:00 -5:30pm
Something New
Something New.
United States
14:29
Writer/Director - Jacey Powers, Michelle Bossy
On a tumultuous wedding day, five women prepare to walk down the aisle while a teenage bridesmaid probes about what really happens on the wedding night. A subversive and political take on the rom-com genre that reveals the disturbing truth behind one bride’s pre-nuptial cold feet.
***Filmmaker in attendance***
Carrion
Carrion.
United States
21:38
Writer/Director - YVONNE ZHANG
In an isolated desert motel, a young girl digs up a rotting carcass. Later that night, something mysterious is unearthed in her mother.
Mother(s) & Son
Mother(s) & Son.
United States
9:43
Writer/Director - Kiersten Houser
A filmmaker captures her wife's journey of high-risk pregnancy and birth in this short documentary about family and the anxieties of motherhood.
Jumping Bean
Jumping Bean.
United States
3:39
Writer/Director - Christen S Christian
Filmed during the isolation of the pandemic, "Jumping Bean" is a reflection on the grief of losing a parent, corporate mismanagement and the larval stage of tiny moths.
***Filmmaker in attendance***
Desmond's Not Here Anymore
Desmond's Not Here Anymore.
United States NC PREMIERE 15:51
Writer/Director - Lindiwe Suttle Müller-Westernhagen
Mmabatho Montsho
The mother can't remember, the daughter can't forget.
Ma's Kitchen
Ma's Kitchen.
United States
12:19
Writer/Director: Debbie Vu
**2022 Grant Winner**
Ma's Kitchen is a semi-autobiographical short film (which will become a feature film) about Debbie Vu, her mother, their language barrier and straddling between two very different cultures, Vietnamese and American.
***Filmmaker in attendance***