UpTilt Film Festival Film Fest 2025
Festival Events - Before & After Parties (FULL TILT PASS INCLUDES ALL PARTIES)
Friday Night Dinner and a Movie!
Help us kickoff UpTilt 2025! We start at 5 pm at The Plaza on Princess
(410 Princess Street) with al fresco dinner from Chef Driven Food Truck (former Manna chef - vegan and gluten free options) at 5pm, which includes beer/wine open bar and live music. Then head to Thalian Hall around for an amazing block of films, which runs 7:30-9:15pm. After the screening, don't miss our after party at The Blind Elephant! If you are a pass holder or have a ticket with our UpTilt credentials, it's free admission!
**You must buy a Dinner & A Movie ticket ($35) or a Full Tilt Pass to see the Friday Night block of films**
ChefDrivenILM serves up meals-on-the-go using only local, homemade, and high-quality ingredients.
TIE One On- Saturday Night's Low Country Boil
After the Saturday movies are over, join us at the Plaza on Princess at 6:30pm for our famous Low Country Boil (vegan and gluten free available), with live music by Delia Stanley, a silent auction and an open bar!
**Ticket price is $25** (Low Country Boil is Included with Full Tilt Pass)
2025 Festival Movie Blocks
Friday Night Dinner and a Movie - 'Happy'
Friday, March 21st - 7:30pm-9:15pm
Endzgiving
North Carolina Premiere
United States (English) - 10:44
Tina Carbone - Writer/Director
Patrick T. Dorsey - Writer
This is gonna be Will's last Friendsgiving.
A Woman Is Many Things (Just Fine Isn't One of Them)
World Premiere
United States (English) - 17:00
Chase Musslewhite - Writer/Director
Jeanie has found herself in her early 40s, divorced, and in attendance of her ex-husband’s engagement party. Set amidst a perfect party storm of pitying former friends and a new, gracious bride-to-be, Jeanie does her best to keep her sanity.
Beyond Failure
North Carolina Premiere
United States (English) - 8:39
Marissa Losoya - Writer/Director
In avoidance of the nagging fear that she has spoiled her life's potential, a woman begins hip thrusting a lot and obsessing over her ass. While reflecting on her childhood dreams unfulfilled and hyper-focusing on what a toned ass would enable her to do, she loses sight of the present moment and pushes herself too far.
Safety State
Wilmington Premiere
United States (English) - 15:37
Jeanette L. Buck - Director
Rani Deighe Crowe - Writer/Director
In the dystopian near future, a gay and a lesbian couple form an unlikely friendship as they flee the midwest for safety in New England. As rights are being rolled back and travel bans are going into effect, Shay and Quincy decide to leave their home in Ohio and travel East to a safety state where it is safe and legal to be queer.
Chivalry
North Carolina Premiere
United Kingdom (English) - 13:49
Charlotte Yang - Director
V.C Lennox - Writer
How bad can one night get? After a mediocre date goes awry, a young woman’s night spirals out of control as she confronts ever increasing absurd situations.
After a man steals her purse on a first date, Ava, a young woman living in London, experiences a night like no other. Over the course of one evening Ava traverses the city confronting a series of absurd and crazy events.
I Could Dom
United States (English) - 15:26
Madison Hatfield - Writer/Director
A people-pleaser recently back in the dating pool goes on an ill-advised date with a sexually submissive man to prove to her doubtful friends that she could totally be a dom.
**Filmmaker in Attendance for Q&A**
You're Invited to Tuscan's 5th Birthday Party!
North Carolina Premiere
United States (English) - 13:44
Lee Eddy - Writer/Director
When her only son's birthday party is ruined by a runaway pony, a stressed mother deals with the comically chaotic aftermath.
Saturday Block 1 - 'Pure Imagination'
Saturday, March 22nd - 11:15am-12:15pm
Hoopla Puppetry
🎭✨ Welcome to the Wild World of Puppets! ✨🎭
Tonight, we bring you something new and different—where puppets come to life right on stage! 🎬🪄 It’s a celebration of imagination, collaboration, and the pure joy of storytelling.
Just like the animators in this block breathe life into their creations, Kathy Sohar, brings her puppets to life! So sit back and get ready for a ride of Pure Imagination!
🎶 Lights down. Curtain up. Let’s play! 🎶
Coquille
North Carolina Premiere
France - 5:57
Justine Aubert, Cassandra Bouton, Grégoire Callies, Maud Chesneau, Anna Danton, Loic Girault, Gatien Peyrude, Justine Raux - Directors
In a French rocky inlet, Bernard, a small and selfish hermit crab loses his shell. He will has to face dangers of the beach to find an other one. In the company of a weird little crab which helps protecting him, both will lives multiples adventures that will befriend them.
Hot Mess
North Carolina Premiere
United Kingdom (English) - 3:09
Tortor Smith - Writer/Director
A voice message triggers all sorts of anxieties in Andro, but will they be pressured into trying to change their ways?
Hot Mess offers an insight into the intrusion of emotional abuse and ADHD in a compact and creative way. It highlights the damage and anxiety caused by a well-meaning, but ultimately toxic, parent who uses the power of voice to belittle, flatten and manipulate.
On the 8th Day
France - 8:12
Agathe Sénéchal, Alicia Massez, Elise Debruyne, Flavie Carin, Théo Duhautois - Directors
Agathe Sénéchal, Alicia Massez, Elise Debruyne, Flavie Carin and Théo Duhautois have graduated from the Pôle 3D school (Roubaix, France). In 2023, they co-directed the short film "On the 8th Day".
Sosuke the Duck
United States Premiere
Canada (English) - 4:37
bekky O'Neil - Director
A girl learns about caring for a duck with special needs during her first year on the farm. An animated documentary rendered in plant based inks about a little runner duck who couldn't.
Dogwood
North Carolina Premiere
United States (English) - 7:49
Nonie Shiverick - Writer/Director
Left abandoned and neglected on the streets, Shadow, a shepherd-mix puppy, is taken in by a kindly stranger and his dog, Elsie. In his new home, he learns the meaning of friendship, family, and the heartbreaking reality of losing someone you love.
**Filmmaker in Attendance for Q&A**
Saturday Block 2 - 'You Belong to Me'
Saturday, March 22nd - 1pm-2:30pm
As You Are
North Carolina Premiere
United States (English) - 14:42
Daisy Friedman - Writer/Director
When an interabled queer couple spends the night together for the first time, they must confront their complex relationships with desire, sexuality, bodily autonomy, and what it means to truly love another person.
Best Before
North Carolina Premiere
United Kingdom (English) - 13:48
Lisa Service - Director
Heather Brown - Writer
Helena and Lainie head into their final round of IVF treatment and the stresses of the unknown begin to put pressure on their idyllic farm life. With their chicken, Shakira, laying eggs every day Helena decides to make it a competition.
CURA SANA
Spain (Spanish) - 18:00
Lucía G. Romero - Writer/Director
Jessica and Alma, two sisters in a situation of domestic violence, will begin to treat each other with love instead of violence through one of their routine trips to the food stamp office on the night of San Juan, a Spanish holiday.
The Ghost
Wilmington Premiere
United States (English) - 10:32
Allyson Morgan - Writer/Director
A woman is ghosted by the man she's dating ...and then the haunting begins.
**Filmmaker in Attendance for Q&A**
Ebb & Flow
North Carolina Premiere
Lebanon (Arabic) - 18:00
Nay Tabbara - Writer/Director
Determined to have her first kiss, Loulwa defies her tumultuous world in search of normalcy. As she braves the streets of Beirut in pursuit of her sexual awakening, she finds herself taking an instant leap into adulthood when her world erupts into a redefined "normal".
Saturday Block 3 - 'Shake It Out'
Saturday, March 22nd - 3pm-4:30pm
That Night
North Carolina Premiere
United Kingdom (English) - 14:21
Emma Miranda Moore - Director
Chloë Myerson - Writer
A young writer repeatedly replays the last night he spent with a friend and reflects on whether things could have turned out differently.
I'm Not Sure
North Carolina Premiere
United States - 16:30
Mylissa Fitzsimmons - Writer/Director
A depressed night manager and a naive young woman, engage in a conversation revealing intimate secrets that alter the course of the night.
A House Near The Sun
North Carolina Premiere
Iran (Kurdish) - 10:55
Maryam Samadi and Roni Schamlian- Writer/Director(s)
In the city of Kobani, a tailor doesn't want to leave his house and tailor shop after ISIS attacks. He hopes that his customers will return and he always talks to those people who are in the locked room, till one day he wants to prepare special food for those people. When the tailor returns, he realizes that someone has entered his house...
Keepsake
United States (English) - 8:20
Tiffany Albright - Writer/Director
A young woman attempts to unravel the mysterious circumstances that surround the death of her sister ten years ago.
Just Passing
United Kingdom (English) - 13:28
Sophie Austin - Director
Leann O'Kasi - Writer
Del, a workaholic struggling with her mental health, wants to escape the numbness consuming her. Despite being surrounded by people, she feels alone and is more comfortable navigating London at night. After experiencing an attempted assault by her colleague, she has a chance encounter with a homeless undocumented man from Nigeria.
The Stairs
North Carolina Premiere
United States (English, Italian) - 14:59
Jessica Aquila Cymerman - Writer/Director
Rose, a child of Irish and Italian immigrants in 1968 Brooklyn, attempts to fit in with the boys by joining the game her brother plays with his friend. Their tenement building super and local Deacon starts preying on Rose, until Mrs. Teruli, an old-world Italian healer breaks his hold.
Saturday Block 4 - 'Disturbia'
Saturday, March 22nd - 5pm-6:30pm
Olga's Eyes
North Carolina Premiere
Belgium (Dutch, French) - 22:08
Sarah Carlot Jaber - Writer/Director
Olga, a music-loving octogenarian, is tired of killing humans. Could it be the vampire blues? For her daughter Simone, she’s just being picky! Olga is placed in a care home where she can deal with those “who have one foot in the grave”...
FML
North Carolina Premiere
Canada (English) -5:27
Jessica Hinkson - Writer/Director
Cassie copes with an unexpected awful life event during her father's 70th birthday party.
Bloodsport
North Carolina Premiere
United Kingdom (English) - 14:54
Kate Brooke - Director
Tom Hammond - Writer
After a protest turns violent, young activists Nell and Esme are forced to go on the run. Tasked with lying low, they squat in a beautiful and seemingly empty mansion, awaiting further instruction. But a greater danger engulfs them when another interloper arrives at the house fresh from a morning of brutal sport, and reveals an unexpected connection to one of the runaways.
Little One
North Carolina Premiere
United States (English) - 8:57
Lindsay Carpenter - Writer/Director
In a magical realist thriller, a cat turns into a woman and becomes the object of her owner's toxic fixation.
Stop Dead
United Kingdom (English) - 7:56
Emily Greenwood - Director
David Scullion - Writer
When a workaholic city detective and her laid-back partner try to stop a dishevelled girl staggering down the middle of a country road, they discover she’s being stalked by some unseen entity with a horrifying ultimatum: you stop moving, you die.
FÁR
Iceland (Icelandic) - 5:13
Gunnur Martinsdóttir Schlüter - Director
A bird hits a window of a café and disrupts its customers. A woman faces a decision on whether to ignore nature or to react.
Carpeteo
Puerto Rico (Spanish) - 9:33
Adriana González-Vega - Director
Gabriela Acevedo - Writer
Amidst the turbulent backdrop of 1970s political upheaval at the University of Puerto Rico, a young college student finds herself grappling not only with her shifting beliefs and allegiances, but also with the complex dynamics of her relationship with her older brother, forcing her to confront the very essence of her identity and conviction.
Sunday Block 1 - 'Home'
Sunday, March 23rd - 10am-11:30am
Loose Strands
USA Premiere
United Kingdom (English) - 16:27
Panayiota Panteli - Writer/Director
A neglected young woman must find a way to reconnect with her mother before she loses her entirely to her declining mental health.
STRANGERS
North Carolina Premiere
Canada (English) -13:42
Leah Doz - Writer/Director
After missing their bus on a cold winter night, a young girl confronts the limits of her mother's love.
Miniature Life
North Carolina Premiere
United States (English) - 15:04
Stevie Cavalier - Writer/Director
A young stepmom bonds with her new stepdaughter by making their model clay creations come to life, but the imaginative game gets the little girl wondering if maybe she can bring her mom back to life in the toaster oven, too.
Writer and Director of Miniature Life, Stevie Cavalier, was one of UpTilt's 2024 Scholarship recipients.
**Filmmaker in Attendance for Q&A**
Cleo From 8:20 to 2:35
North Carolina Premiere
United States (English, French, Haitian) - 10:30
Shaina Feinberg - Writer/Director
Mathilde Dratwa - Writer
Cleo has six hours and fifteen minutes between drop off and pick up. This is when she gets to be herself — the adult version of herself, away from her two young children. But when she receives an ominous alert on her phone, Cleo finds herself counting down the moments until she and her children can be reunited.
Shirley
United States (English) - 10:00
Mariah Dunn Kramer - Writer/Director
Shirley is an intimate portrait of a mother’s resilience as she faces her own mortality and the ripple effect her loss has on the ones she leaves behind. **Work in Progress**
**Filmmaker, Producer and Lead Actress in Attendance for Q&A**
Take Me Home
United States (English) - 15:49
Liz Sargent - Writer/Director
Anna is an adult with an Cognitive Disability living with her mother in Midland Florida. When her mother is unresponsive, she calls her sister Emily for help. Emily returns home and is immediately engulfed in a futile struggle for medical information, while Anna’s world is deconstructed. The uncertainty for the sisters’ future independence remains but they are now a team against all odds.
Sunday Block 2 - 'Born This Way'
Sunday, March 23rd - 12pm-1:30pm
Know Thyself
United States (English) - 4:53
Samira Mian - Writer/Director
A comedic, coming of age documentary
Stalled In Eight Etudes
North Carolina Premiere
United States (English) -15:00
Kersti Bryan - Writer/Director
Eight lives intersect in a municipal courthouse bathroom and find a surprising humanity.
**Filmmaker in Attendance for Q&A**
Hello Stranger
Canada (English) - 16:24
Amélie Hardy - Writer/Director
Between loads of laundry at the corner laundromat, Cooper shares the story of her gender reassignment journey. Piecing together her memories, from her childhood in a small fishing village through her tumultuous medical process, Cooper attempts to make peace with the last male imprint remaining on her body: that annoying deep voice that sticks to her skin.
The Gaze
North Carolina Premiere
Canada (English) - 8:48
Stacy Gardner - Writer/Director
Vaida Nairn - Co Writer
Through the eyes of a South Korean artist living in Newfoundland, Ginok Song, takes us on a journey through her paintings, and the wisdom gained through the female gaze.
Compass Point
United States - 10:30
Katie Damien - Director
Follow three homeless individuals as they move from a life on the streets in Asheville, North Carolina into a new supportive housing residence.
**Filmmaker in Attendance for Q&A**
In the End We're All Music
North Carolina Premiere
Germany (German) - 12:42
Katharina Schnekenbühl - Director
Nathalie Zeidler - Writer
Under the roof of an indoor swimming pool, the stories of three different women coincide. Eight-year-old Lilo wants to finally swim without swimmies. Kira, a competent businesswoman, chases the elusive speed of the waves, while retiree Frida secretly longs to jump from the 10-meter tower. In the microcosm of the swimming hall, they each discover what it means to be strong in their own way.
Anna McGee's Wild Ride
United Kingdom (English) - 1:36
Ava Bounds - Writer/Director
A teenager on the cusp of adulthood flies through her entire future while stuck in a traffic jam.
Shell
USA Premiere
United Kingdom - 16:39
Sam Brain - Writer/Director
Shell is gender transitioning. Elder sister Jess doesn't want that to happen at all. Reunited by their grandmother's death, the pair are faced with each other's life choices.
Sunday Block 3 - 'This Girl is on Fire'
Sunday, March 23rd - 2:30pm-4pm
A Midwife Solution
United States (English) - 15:30
Kristi Ray - Director/Producer
Nicole Havelka -Executive Producer
North Carolina is facing a perinatal healthcare crisis. This is a documentary about the underground midwives who are answering the call in secrecy to protect and serve an entire generation of home-birthing families.
**Filmmaker, Executive Producer and Director of Photography in Attendance for Q&A**
Iron Fist
North Carolina Premiere
Kenya -15:00
Kagure N. Kabue - Writer/Director
In Nairobi's bustling streets, hardworking mother WANGARI, haunted by trauma, discovers empowerment in a local boxing gym. Her unexpected journey sparks a transformative rebirth, fostering resilience and a thriving spirit amid life's fiercest battles.
THEY CALL ME THE TATTOO WITCH
North Carolina Premiere
Vietnam (English, Vietnamese) - 14:17
Lindsay Nyman - Writer/Director
In Hanoi, Vietnam, tattoo artist Tran Ngoc specializes in the rare and challenging art of tattooing over scars. Despite the social stigma surrounding tattoos in Vietnam, Ngoc empowers her clients, including breast cancer survivors and women with self-harm scars, to reclaim their bodies, demonstrating that her work is a profound act of compassion and resilience.
Right to Privacy
North Carolina Premiere
United States (English) - 12:12
Julie Herlocker - Director
Rachel Mann - Writer
After a women’s health doctor has a charged encounter with a volatile protester, she faces a moral dilemma she could never imagine.
**Actress Nancy Nagrant in Attendance for Q&A**
Baby Love
North Carolina Premiere
United States (English) -6:58
Kate Kelsen - Writer/Director
A teenage girl desperate for an abortion faces off with a physician assistant.
**Filmmaker in Attendance for Q&A**
How Did I Get Here
North Carolina Premiere
United States (English) - 17:11
Kate Hamilton - Writer/Director
Sardonic Cynthia walks us through a play-by- play of a recent "squicky" date, requiring her to confront some uncomfortable truths.
Sunday Block 4 - 'Bury a Friend'
Sunday, March 23rd - 4:30pm-6pm
CHICKEN BROTH SOUP
North Carolina Premiere
Turkey (Turkish) - 18:00
Deniz Büyükkırlı - Writer/Director
The doctor comes across unusual symptoms at the man said to have died of a heart attack when he examined the corpse. He decides to refer the body to forensic medicine. Thereupon, the man's wife confesses; she said poisoned her husband, who constantly beat her. A big surprise awaits the doctor, who has to make a vital decision for the woman.
The Most Beautiful Day
North Carolina Premiere
Israel (Hebrew) -13:42
Shira Meishar - Writer/Director
Yona, a nurse in the internal medicine department, arrives to work for the last time before retiring. The solemn farewell takes place differently than she expected.
WHAT I AM
North Carolina Premiere
United Kingdom (English) - 25:54
Jackie Oudney - Writer/Director
A woman suffers amnesia after an accident at home, embarking on a journey of self-discovery that leads to the reclamation of her agency.
His Mother
North Carolina Premiere
United States - 13:45
Maia Jo Scalia - Writer/Director
Upon receiving a disturbing email from her son, a mother drives frantically to his school hoping to avert the unimaginable.
LEMON TREE
United States (English) - 17:22
Rachel Walden - Writer/Director
At a Halloween carnival, a young father steals a magician's rabbit to impress his ten year old son. The thrill of the petty theft quickly dissolves into reality when the young boy is tasked with getting himself, his father, and his new pet home safe.