FESTIVAL PROGRAM
THURSDAY-SUNDAY
AUGUST 24-27, 2017 middfilmfest.org
2 3rd Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival | 2017 FESTIVAL PROGRAM
THE 3RD ANNUAL MIDDLEBURY NEW FILMMAKERS FESTIVAL! Greetings, everyone! We’re excited about our third edition of the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival. We’ve been working since last year’s festival to organize and plan this weekend. We hope that you’ll find it lively, culturally relevant – and fun. And that you’ll discover, as we have, new voices, new aesthetic approaches, and new perspectives.
This year, we’ll also host two of America’s most talented and bestknown character actors. M. Emmet Walsh’s 114 film credits include Bladerunner, Midnight Cowboy, Serpico, Ordinary People, Reds, Little Big Man, Raising Arizona, Slap Shot, Alice’s Restaurant, and the Coen Brothers stunning first feature film, Blood Simple, that we’ll present in a special Town Hall screening, with Emmet on-stage for conversation and Q&A. You may be surprised to know that Emmet is a Vermonter! We’ll also pay tribute to actor Michael Murphy whose credits include P.T. Anderson’s Magnolia, Sarah Polley’s Away from Her, Paul Mazursky’s An Unmarried Woman, Tim Burton’s Batman Returns, Peter Bogdanovich’s What’s Up Doc?, Peter Weir’s The Year of Living Dangerously, and Oliver Stone’s Salvador. Michael also played Woody Allen’s morally ambiguous best friend, Yale, in Allen’s Manhattan, which we’ll screen as part of our tribute. As part of our special focus on the late director, Robert Altman, we’ll screen two Altman pictures, Nashville and McCabe & Mrs. Miller where Michael also appears prominently. And we’ll be joined by longtime Altman collaborator Allan Nicholls, who worked as composer, actor, writer, and/or assistant director on ten Altman’s pictures. This year’s Festival honorees, Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg, have worked together for twenty years, producing an astonishing array of award-winning documentaries that have changed the conversation.
And there’s much more, including a live performance by the Vermont Symphony Orchestra of an evolving film score to accompany the screening of an excerpt of VSO awardee Jesse Kreitzer’s new film, “Caregivers.” Our VSO partnership continues this year, when one of our filmmakers will be similarly awarded for his or her excellence in integrating music into film. There are some important firsts this year, as well: the inaugural Hernandez/Bayliss Prize recognizing socially engaged filmmaking; and the prestigious Jacob Burns Film Center in Westchester County, NY will present its Creative Culture Award, offering an extended residency at the Burns to one of this year’s MNFF short film directors in support of his or her next work. We hope you’ll join us for receptions and happy hours—and a live Saturday night film-themed sketch comedy performance by the popular Queen City Radio Players followed by a musical concert by the sly and satirical Hokum Brothers. Enjoy the Festival! Feel free to tell us your thoughts on the films and events you see. And please pick up a donation card at a MNFF venue and consider tax-deductible support – to help us light up the screen. Warm regards,
Jay Craven MNFF Artistic Director
3 3rd Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival | 2017 FESTIVAL PROGRAM
Todd Balfour
We’ve also lined-up a distinguished group of special guests. From 1985 to 2003, Dick Lehr, was an investigative reporter at the Boston Globe, where he was a Pulitzer Prize finalist and a longtime member of the Globe’s Spotlight Team. Dick co-wrote the New York Times bestselling book, Black Mass: Whitey Bulger, The FBI and a Devil’s Deal, which was produced as a movie starring Johnny Depp. His book, The Fence, A Police Cover-up Along Boston’s Racial Divide, tells a non-fiction narrative about Boston’s worst known case of police brutality. Lehr also co-wrote Judgment Ridge, that investigates the 2001 murders of two Dartmouth professors Half and Susanne Zantop. The Fence and Judgment Ridge are now in film development.
Their film, The Trials of Daryl Hunt, tells the story of a brutal rape/ murder and the man who was wrongly convicted. We’ll screen their 2016 film, Marathon: The Patriots Day Bombing that catches up with several survivors of the April 2013 Boston tragedy. Boston Globe critic Peter Keough called the film “restrained, eloquent, and artfully composed.” Los Angeles Times critic Kenneth Turan praised it as, “a very human, very moving documentary.” We’ll also show Ricki and Annie’s 2010 film, Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work. The picture goes behind the scenes with the late comedienne. The title says it all.
Matt Kiedaisch
We’ve got more than 90 films from 16 countries scheduled – they promise insight, enjoyment, and more than a few laughs. We’ve also added new special events like our Cinematography Craft Workshop and Dialogue on Distribution that will take audiences behind the scenes of the filmmaking process.
Lloyd Komesar MNFF Producer
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MOVIE THEATRE x SOUTHWEST CAFÉ x LIVE EVENTS
Welcome filmmakers and movie fans!
Eat in the café, Take your food to go, or Bring it into the theater to enjoy while you watch 15% off Café menu for pass holders throughout Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival days.
Authentic Southwestern Food Fully-Stocked Bar & Stellar Cocktail Menu MNFF home for virtual reality films 65 Main St. Middlebury 388-4841 x middleburymarquis.com 4 3rd Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival | 2017 FESTIVAL PROGRAM
Cross St
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QUESTIONS & ANSWERS WHERE DO I PICK UP INFORMATION? The Festival Information and Merchandise building is located next to Bourdon Insurance Agency at 48 Merchants Row, just down the hill from Town Hall Theater. Our staff will be on site from 10:00am to 4:00pm on Thursday, August 24, 10:00am to 6:00pm on Friday, August 25 and Saturday, August 26 and from 10:00am to 4:00pm on Sunday, August 27. In addition, printed film and event schedules will be available throughout town, at numerous locations, and at all screening venues.
WHERE AND WHEN ARE FILMS BEING SCREENED? On Opening Day, Thursday, August 24, films will screen at 10:30am and 1:30pm at Marquis Theater and the Town Hall Theater. Our Opening Night film will be screened that night at Town Hall Theater at 7:00pm. (Please note that this event is ticketed separately; a Festival Pass does not grant entry.) On Friday, August 25 and Saturday, August 26, films will screen at Town Hall Theater, Marquis Theater, Dana Auditorium and the Community Room below the National Bank of Middlebury. Screening times are 10:30am, 1:30pm and 7:15pm. No films will screen between 4pm7pm but the 4pm slot will feature special panels and on-stage conversations. Check the daily schedule grid for details. On Sunday, August 27, films will screen at Town Hall Theater, Marquis Theater and Dana Auditorium. Screenings will start at 10am, 1pm and 4pm. The presentation of the VTeddy Awards at the Closing Ceremony will be on Sunday, August 27 at 6:30pm at Town Hall Theater followed by our Closing Night Film at 7:30pm.
WHERE CAN I BUY FESTIVAL & DAY PASSES? Festival Passes and Day Passes can be purchased directly at our website at middfilmfest.org or in person at the Town Hall Theater Box Office on the corner of S. Pleasant Street and Merchants Row. Festival Passes are $80 and admit you to any film any of the four main screening days. Day Passes are $32 and admit you to any film on a specific day, either Friday, Saturday or Sunday (please note that Opening Night film tickets must be purchased separately). There are no Thursday Day Passes. Use your Festival Pass or purchase single admission tickets at the Town Hall Theater or Marquis Theater. Online purchasers: bring your photo ID and confirmation number or print-at-home ticket to exchange for your actual Pass at the Town Hall Theater Box Office. Passes are not mailed but can be picked up from Town Hall Theater Box Office beginning 12noon on Monday, August 21. Town Hall Theater Box Office hours during the Festival are 10:00am6:00pm on Thursday- Saturday and 9:30am-2:00pm on Sunday. We encourage you to pick up your pass at least THIRTY MINUTES before your first screening.
WHY BUY A PASS? When you purchase a Festival Pass, you receive some special perks. Festival Pass holders will be seated first at all screenings. Day Pass holders will be seated following the seating of all Festival Pass holders. No seats are reserved, but your place will be held until 10 minutes before show time.
Also note that the Friday Night Party at Two Brothers Tavern is open only to Festival Pass holders, as is the Saturday Night Party at American Flatbread in the Middlebury Marble Works. (For non Saturday or Festival Passholders, the Saturday Night Party can be attended for $20, payable at the door.)
CAN I JUST BUY SINGLE TICKETS TO MOVIES? Single tickets for any and all films are available for $12 at each of the three main venues’ lobby box offices – at any time during the Festival. Tickets to screenings at the National Bank of Middlebury are available at the door. A single ticket is good for any film at any venue on any day. Single ticket seating begins 10 minutes prior to listed showtime after all Passholders have been seated. Please note that on Thursday only, all single tickets are priced at $8 as part of our Early Bird entry special.
DOES MY FESTIVAL PASS ADMIT ME TO THE OPENING NIGHT FILM? No. Sorry. Opening Night is a separately ticketed event and can be purchased at our website middfilmfest.org, or in person at the Town Hall Theater Box Office. Admission to both the Film Screening and the After Party at Swift House Inn is $50. Please note that Opening Night is now on a waitlist basis only.
WHERE CAN I BUY FESTIVAL MERCHANDISE? Festival merchandise will be sold at the Information and Merchandise building located adjacent to 48 Merchants Row. The hours are noted above in the Festival Information paragraph. Items for 2017 include a Danforth Pewter custom-designed “Director’s Chair” keychain, colorful MNFF mugs, hats, t-shirts, tote bags and more!
ARE THERE FREE EVENTS AT THE FESTIVAL? Absolutely! We have gone to great lengths to ensure that there is something for everyone. All of our panels and presentations with filmmakers and industry professionals are free and open to the public. For times and details on panels and parties, visit middfilmfest. org or our printed Festival Schedule.
WHERE DO I FIND PARKING? There are parking options throughout the town of Middlebury and the Middlebury College campus. Street parking is available throughout downtown. There are municipal lots below the Cross Street Bridge and in Frog Hollow at the base of Mill Street. There are many additional spaces in the lot behind the Mahaney Center for the Arts at Middlebury College (72 Porter Field Rd).
CAN I SPEAK WITH FILMMAKERS & PRODUCERS AT THE FESTIVAL? Of course! This is one of the special benefits of the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival. Attending filmmakers will be available to audiences at post-screening Q&A sessions, panels, happy hours and parties. Or feel free to approach them individually. Don’t hesitate to say hello! Filmmakers genuinely appreciate your interest in their work and life stories.
5 3rd Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival | 2017 FESTIVAL PROGRAM
EVENTS FRIDAY 8/25 “MANHATTAN” TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL MURPHY 1:30 PM @ TOWN HALL THEATER
ON-STAGE CONVERSATION W/ ACTOR MICHAEL MURPHY HOSTED BY FRED STRYPE The life of a divorced television writer dating a teenage girl is further complicated when he falls in love with his best friend’s mistress. On-Stage Conversation | Michael Murphy talks with host Fred Strype about his experiences working with director Woody Allen.
“BLACK MASS” 1:30 PM @ MARQUIS THEATER
ON-STAGE CONVERSATION W/ JOURNALIST DICK LEHR HOSTED BY JAY CRAVEN
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Based on the book by MNFF special guest Dick Lehr, the film stars Johnny Depp and portrays the true story of Whitey Bulger, the brother of a state senator and the most infamous, violent criminal in the history of South Boston, who became an FBI informant to take down a Mafia family invading his turf. On-Stage Conversation | Dick Lehr talks with MNFF Artistic Director Jay Craven about the making of Black Mass from his heralded book.
SUSHI AVAILABLE Monday - Friday lunch 11:30am-2:30pm, dinner 4:30-9:00pm Sat & Sun dinner menu all day 12:30-9pm Please make reservations for parties of 6 or more.
22 Merchants Row • Middlebury • 989-7376
THE CUTTING EDGE OF INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM: DICK LEHR TALKS W/ JAY CRAVEN 4:00 PM @ TOWN OFFICE BUILDING, 1ST FLOOR MEETING ROOM, 77 MAIN ST
Are proud supporters of Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival
Acclaimed journalist and author Dick Lehr joins host Jay Craven to discuss his time on the essential Spotlight investigative team at the Boston Globe and the process of writing his riveting non-fiction work. Dick Lehr will sign his books following this event at The Vermont Book Shop, 38 Main Street. OPEN TO ALL!
Jessica’s Serving Dinner Wednesday - Sunday Closed Thursday, August 25
25 Stewart Lane • Middlebury • 388-9925 • jessicasvermont.com 6 3rd Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival | 2017 FESTIVAL PROGRAM
EVENTS FRIDAY 8/25 FESTIVAL HAPPY HOUR 5:00 PM @ EDGEWATER GALLERY AT THE FALLS, 1 MILL ST Enjoy the light food and array of beverages on the deck at Edgewater Gallery at The Falls. OPEN TO ALL!
FILMMAKERS CHAMPAGNE RECEPTION 5:00 PM @ THE DINER, 66 MERCHANTS ROW -- Filmmakers Only, Please. --
“BLOOD SIMPLE” TRIBUTE TO M. EMMET WALSH 7:15 PM @ TOWN HALL THEATER
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ON-STAGE CONVERSATION W/ ACTOR M. EMMET WALSH
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HOSTED BY JAY CRAVEN A rich but jealous man hires a private investigator, played by the great M. Emmet Walsh, to kill his cheating wife and her new man. But, when blood is involved, nothing is simple.
Drop-In Brewing is Middlebury’s small, independent, locally owned brewery, and is home to The American Brewers Guild Brewing School. We are open 7 days a week serving sample flights, pints, and selling both cans and growlers of our beer to go.
On-Stage Conversation | The prolific actor M. Emmet Walsh joins host Jay Craven following the screening for a lively Q&A about the making of the Coen brothers’ first film.
FRIDAY NIGHT PARTY
Our flagship beers Sunshine & Hoppiness, Heart of Lothian, and Red Dwarf are available year-round, as well as several other of our fantastic recipes by Brewmaster Steve Parkes. You can find our beer on draft in restaurants and bars across Vermont, as well as our cans in retailers that carry craft beers.
9:15 PM @ THE LOUNGE AT TWO BROTHERS TAVERN, 86 MAIN ST Wrap up the day with a great get together at one of Middlebury’s favorite spots. Food courtesy of the chefs at Two Brothers Tavern.
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-- Passholders Only, Please. --
7 3rd Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival | 2017 FESTIVAL PROGRAM
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EVENTS SATURDAY 8/26 COFFEE WITH... MICHAEL MURPHY & M. EMMET WALSH 8:30 AM @ MIDDLEBURY INN PATIO, 14 COURT SQ Join actors Michael Murphy and M. Emmet Walsh for conversation and coffee in a lively exchange with Jay Craven. Coffee provided by the Middlebury Inn. OPEN TO ALL!
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“NASHVILLE” TRIBUTE TO ROBERT ALTMAN 9:30 AM @ TOWN HALL THEATER
ON-STAGE CONVERSATION W/ MICHAEL MURPHY & ALLAN NICHOLLS HOSTED BY JAY CRAVEN Over the course of a few hectic days, numerous interrelated people prepare for a political convention as secrets and lies are surfaced and revealed. On-Stage Conversation | Michael Murphy and Allan Nicholls talk with MNFF Artistic Director Jay Craven As part of our tribute to the legendary director Robert Altman, join Allan Nicholls, Altman’s top collaborator on “Nashville” and numerous other films, and actor Michael Murphy, an essential member of the Altman tribe, for a special event with MNFF Artistic Director Jay Craven following the screening.
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VIRTUAL REALITY SCREENING W/ JACOB BURNS FILM CENTER 2:00-4:00 PM @ MARQUIS THEATER CAFÉ Ever experienced Virtual Reality? If not, be sure to check out a seven-minute VR film by Alex Gonzalez, screening as part of the Jacob Burns Film Center’s Creative Culture program. The VR Experience is offered on a first-come, first-see basis and spots are limited. -- Please email info@middfilmfest.org to reserve. --
8 3rd Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival | 2017 FESTIVAL PROGRAM
EVENTS SATURDAY 8/26 BEHIND THE CAMERA: CINEMATOGRAPHERS AND THE GOOD SHOOT 4:00 PM @ TOWN HALL THEATER HOSTED BY JAY CRAVEN Professional cinematographers Allie Humenuk, Brad Heck, Andy Mitchell and Chapin Hall share samples of their work and essential insights with Artistic Director Jay Craven in an MNFF “Craft of Filmmaking” session.
HOW TO GET YOUR FILM SOLD: WHAT’S HAPPENING IN DISTRIBUTION? 4:00 PM @ MIDDLEBURY INN PATIO, 14 COURT SQ HOSTED BY LLOYD KOMESAR Join a wide ranging discussion on the current state of independent film distribution. Featured panelists: Nancy Gerstman, Co-President and Co-Founder of Zeitgeist Films and longtime independent film distributor, and Beth Levison, founder of Early Bird Films, multiple Emmy and Peabody award-winning producer and Middlebury College grad.
FESTIVAL HAPPY HOUR 5:00 PM @ MIDDLEBURY INN PATIO, 14 COURT SQ Enjoy the great atmosphere and food and a full array of beverages on the porch at The Middlebury Inn. OPEN TO ALL!
SATURDAY NIGHT PARTY, FEATURING QUEEN CITY RADIO PLAYERS & THE HOKUM BROTHERS 9:15 PM @ AMERICAN FLATBREAD, MARBLE WORKS, 137 MAPLE ST Hosted by American Flatbread, the Festival’s Saturday Night party brings the day to a close. Come enjoy food and drink, the entertaining Queen City Radio Players improv group and the sly, satirical songs of The Hokum Brothers.
Three years of great films Welcome to Middlebury Pass me the popcorn!
-- Passholders Welcome. --- Non-Passholders $20 at the door. -9 3rd Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival | 2017 FESTIVAL PROGRAM
For Lodging, Dining and Things to do:
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EVENTS SUNDAY 8/27 “CAREGIVERS” WORK IN PROGRESS W/ LIVE PERFORMANCE OF ORIGINAL SCORE BY VERMONT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 1:00 PM @ ROBISON HALL, MAHANEY CENTER FOR THE ARTS, 72 PORTER FIELD Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival, Vermont Symphony Orchestra, and Middlebury College’s Mahaney Center for the Arts present a firstlook at a portion of Jesse Kreitzer’s latest film “Caregivers,” a documentary hybrid about eldercare in the hills of rural Vermont. Featuring a simultaneous screening of the film excerpt and a live performance by the VSO of an original score by composer Paul Dedell, audiences will glimpse an evolving one-of-a-kind cinematic process. Hosted by VSO Awardee and filmmaker Kreitzer, composer Dedell and VSO Executive Director Ben Cadwallader.
VIRTUAL REALITY SCREENING W/ JACOB BURNS FILM CENTER 2:00-4:00 PM @ MARQUIS THEATER CAFÉ Ever experienced Virtual Reality? If not, be sure to check out a seven-minute VR film by Alex Gonzalez, screening as part of the Jacob Burns Film Center’s Creative Culture program. The VR Experience is offered on a first-come, first-see basis and spots are limited. -- Please email info@middfilmfest.org to reserve. --
“MARATHON: THE PATRIOTS DAY BOMBING” TRIBUTE TO RICKI STERN & ANNIE SUNDBERG 4:00 PM @ TOWN HALL THEATER
ON-STAGE CONVERSATION W/ DIRECTORS RICKI STERN & ANNIE SUNDBERG HOSTED BY JAY CRAVEN A stunning recounting of the dramatic story of the Boston Marathon terrorist attacks through the emotional experiences of individuals whose lives were forever changed by them. From the events of the day to the death-penalty sentencing of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, (continued on p11) 10 3rd Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival | 2017 FESTIVAL PROGRAM
EVENTS SUNDAY 8/27 ("Marathon..." Stern/Sundberg Tribute continued) the documentary features surveillance footage, news clips, home movies and exclusive interviews with survivors and their families, as well as first responders, investigators, government officials and reporters from the Boston Globe, whose coverage won a Pulitzer Prize. On-Stage Conversation | Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg talk with MNFF Artistic Director Jay Craven. Recipients of the VTeddy Award for Sustained Excellence in Documentary Filmmaking, Stern and Sundberg relate experiences and stories from their long and fruitful collaboration as directing and producing partners in the world of independent filmmaking.
CLOSING CEREMONIES & VTEDDY AWARDS PRESENTATION 6:30 PM @ TOWN HALL THEATER
Join us for the joyful VTeddy Awards with presentations for Best Feature Narrative, Best Short Narrative, Best Feature Documentary, Best Short Documentary, Audience Award/Feature, Audience Award/ Short, Honoree Awards, the Vermont Symphony Orchestra Award, the inaugural Jacob Burns Film Center’s Creative Culture Award, the inaugural Clio Visualizing History Prize, and the first awarding of the Hernandez/Bayliss Prize.
CLOSING NIGHT FILM: “SWIM TEAM” 7:30 PM @ TOWN HALL THEATER
ON-STAGE CONVERSATION W/ DIRECTOR LARA STOLMAN HOSTED BY JAY CRAVEN Parents of a boy on the autism spectrum form a competitive swim team, recruiting other teens on the spectrum and training them with high expectations and zero pity. Swim Team chronicles the extraordinary rise of three diverse young athletes, capturing a moving quest for inclusion, independence and a life that feels winning. On-Stage Conversation | Director Lara Stolman talks with MNFF Artistic Director Jay Craven about the making of this inspiring documentary.
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www.BillBeck.com 11 3rd Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival | 2017 FESTIVAL PROGRAM
SCHEDULE THURSDAY 8/24
THT TOWN HALL THEATER MARQ MARQUIS THEATER DANA DANA AUDITORIUM
SCRN MARQUIS THEATER - SCREENING ROOM NBM NATIONAL BANK OF MIDDLEBURY COMMUNITY ROOM
FILMMAKER WILL ATTEND MNFF
10:30 AM THT
Immortality 145m
MARQ
Napalm Mayhem: A Hand Animation 4m
Killed In Action 13m
Death in the Wilderness 40m
1:30 PM THT
Breakfast of Dreams 15m
Eyes of Exodus 27m
MARQ
Gathering Time 8m
Sunlight Man 98m
8 Borders, 8 Days 61m
DOORS OPEN @ 6:00 PM
OPENING NIGHT @ TOWN HALL THEATER
–– Opening Night Ticket Holders Only, Please –– Introductions by MNFF Festival Producer, Lloyd Komesar and MNFF Artistic Director Jay Craven
TAKE MY NOSE, PLEASE Documentary | 92m | A seriously-funny and wickedly-subversive look at the role of comedy in examining the pressures on women to be attractive and society’s desire and shame relationship with plastic surgery.
DIRECTOR: JOAN KRON PRODUCER: BRIAN DAVID CANGE
ON-STAGE CONVERSATION TO FOLLOW Director Joan Kron talks with MNFF Artistic Director Jay Craven about the making of this hugely entertaining documentary.
9:00 PM
AFTER PARTY @ SWIFT HOUSE INN –– Opening Night Ticket Holders Only, Please –– The festivities continue at one of Middlebury’s most beautiful settings. Enjoy the food, drink, music and mingling with our hosts Dan and Michele Brown.
12 3rd Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival | 2017 FESTIVAL PROGRAM
SCHEDULE FRIDAY 8/25
THT TOWN HALL THEATER MARQ MARQUIS THEATER DANA DANA AUDITORIUM
SCRN MARQUIS THEATER - SCREENING ROOM NBM NATIONAL BANK OF MIDDLEBURY COMMUNITY ROOM
FILMMAKER WILL ATTEND MNFF
10:30 AM THT
An Autobiography 34m
Good Funk 73m
MARQ
Ten Meter Tower 15m
The Stag’s Mirror 20m
DANA
The Bird Who Could Fly 19m
Abundant Acreage Available 80m
SCRN
I Am Your Friend 8m
Julia’s Piece 10m
The Ties That Bind 66m
NBM
Balloonfest 6m
Cicada Music In Ohio 12m
One October 56m
Walking on Water 52m
1:30 PM THT
Manhattan 96m
Tribute to Michael Murphy
ON-STAGE CONVERSATION | Michael Murphy talks with host Fred Strype about his experiences working with director Woody Allen
MARQ
Black Mass 123m
ON-STAGE CONVERSATION | Dick Lehr talks with MNFF Artistic Director Jay Craven about the making of Black Mass from his heralded book.
DANA
An Outrage 34m
The Peacemaker 90m
SCRN
Borderline 16m
Mrs. Drake 15m
It’s Criminal 77m
NBM
833 10m
Dad’s 50th Surprise Party 10m
Where Have You Gone, Lou Dimaggio? 75m
4:00 PM TOWN OFFICE BLDG 1ST FLOOR MEETING ROOM
THE CUTTING EDGE OF INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM: Acclaimed journalist and author Dick Lehr joins host Jay Craven to discuss his time on the essential Spotlight investigative team at the Boston Globe and the process of writing his riveting non-fiction work. Dick Lehr will sign his books following this event at The Vermont Book Shop, 38 Main Street. ––OPEN TO ALL––
5:00 PM EDGEWATER GALLERY AT THE FALLS
FESTIVAL HAPPY HOUR ––OPEN TO ALL––
THE DINER
CHAMPAGNE RECEPTION ––Filmmakers Only, Please––
7:15 PM THT
Blood Simple 99m
Tribute to M. Emmet Walsh
ON-STAGE CONVERSATION | The prolific actor M. Emmet Walsh joins host Jay Craven following the screening for a lively Q&A about the making of the Coen brothers’ first film
MARQ
Seared 8m
Untouchable 100m
DANA
I’m In Here 12m
The Finger 10m
SCRN
There Are No Brothers Here 13m
A Pact Among Angels 95m
Fun Mom Dinner 81m
9:15 PM THE LOUNGE AT TWO BROTHERS TAVERN
FRIDAY NIGHT PARTY ––Passholders Only, Please–– 13 3rd Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival | 2017 FESTIVAL PROGRAM
SCHEDULE SATURDAY 8/26
THT TOWN HALL THEATER MARQ MARQUIS THEATER DANA DANA AUDITORIUM
SCRN MARQUIS THEATER - SCREENING ROOM NBM NATIONAL BANK OF MIDDLEBURY COMMUNITY ROOM
FILMMAKER WILL ATTEND MNFF
8:30 AM MIDDLEBURY INN PATIO
Coffee with MICHAEL MURPHY AND M. EMMET WALSH. ––OPEN TO ALL––
9:30 AM THT
Nashville 160m
Tribute to Robert Altman
ON-STAGE CONVERSATION | Join Allan Nicholls, Altman’s top collaborator on “Nashville” and numerous other films, and actor Michael Murphy, an essential member of the Altman tribe, for a special event with MNFF Artistic Director Jay Craven following the screening.
10:30 AM MARQ
New York International Children’s Film Festival: Selected Shorts 74m
DANA
Light Sight 8m
SCRN
Jacob Burns Film Center: Creative Culture Filmmakers Group Screening 77m
NBM
Master of Shadows: Baddest Villain of All Ninjago 1m
Jesús 13m
The “F” Word 16m
Stars 5m
When I Stutter 67m
Then Who? 13m
The Sunrise Storyteller 64m
1:30 PM THT
Sisak 15m
This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous 91m
MARQ
Modern Houses 18m
32 Pills: My Sister’s Suicide 82m
DANA
Untitled 3m
Lipstick Under My Burkha 117m
SCRN
Visitors 15m
Offside 16m
NBM
McCabe & Mrs. Miller 120m
Tribute to Robert Altman
Two Worlds 51m
2:00–4:00 PM MARQ CAFÉ
VIRTUAL REALITY SCREENING | Ever experienced Virtual Reality? Check out a seven-minute VR film by JBFC Creative Culture Filmmaker Alex Gonzalez. First-come, first-see and spots are limited. ––Please email info@middfilmfest.org to reserve––
4:00 PM THT
BEHIND THE CAMERA: CINEMATOGRAPHERS AND THE GOOD SHOOT | “Craft of Filmmaking” session with professional cinematographers Allie Humenuk, Brad Heck, Andy Mitchell and Chapin Hall; Hosted by MNFF Artistic Director Jay Craven
MIDDLEBURY HOW TO GET YOUR FILM SOLD: WHAT’S HAPPENING IN DISTRIBUTION? | Discussion with Nancy Gerstman, Co-President and CoFounder of Zeitgeist Films, and Beth Levison, founder of Early Bird Films; Hosted by MNFF producer Lloyd Komesar INN PATIO
5:00 PM MIDDLEBURY INN PORCH
FESTIVAL HAPPY HOUR ––OPEN TO ALL––
7:15 PM Dina 101m
THT
Rated 19m
MARQ
Honk: A Festival of Activist Street Bands 7m
DANA
Three Red Sweaters 10m
Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story 86m
SCRN
Farewell 15m
The Sun at Midnight 93m
Among Wolves 87m
9:15 PM AMERICAN FLATBREAD
SATURDAY NIGHT PARTY Hosted by American Flatbread. Come enjoy food and drink, the entertaining Queen City Radio Players improv group and the sly, satirical songs of The Hokum Brothers. --Passholders Welcome. Non-Passholders, $20 at the Door-14 3rd Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival | 2017 FESTIVAL PROGRAM
SCHEDULE SUNDAY 8/27
THT TOWN HALL THEATER MARQ MARQUIS THEATER DANA DANA AUDITORIUM
SCRN MARQUIS THEATER - SCREENING ROOM NBM NATIONAL BANK OF MIDDLEBURY COMMUNITY ROOM
FILMMAKER WILL ATTEND MNFF
10:00 AM THT
The 39th 31m
MARQ
The Intentions of F. Scott Fitzgerald 17m
DANA
Marie Clementine 4m
SCRN
Freedom & Unity/Conversations From The Open Road 101m
One Big Home 79m Quest 90m
I Shot Einstein 7m
Obit 93m
1:00 PM THT
Unnatural Selection 15m
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work 84m
MARQ
The Winds of Downhill 21m
Out of State 80m
DANA
Black Dawn 19m
Death By A Thousand Cuts 73m
SCRN
The Bracket Theory 20m
Buckets 14m
MAHANEY CENTER FOR THE ARTS
Caregivers (excerpt)
Tribute to Ricki Stern & Annie Sundberg
What’s Revenge 51m
Simultaneous film screening and live performance by VSO of original score; Hosted by VSO Awardee and filmmaker Jesse Kreitzer, composer Paul Dedell and VSO Executive Director Ben Cadwallader
2:00–4:00 PM MARQ CAFÉ
VIRTUAL REALITY SCREENING | Ever experienced Virtual Reality? Check out a seven-minute VR film by JBFC Creative Culture Filmmaker Alex Gonzalez. First-come, first-see and spots are limited. ––Please email info@middfilmfest.org to reserve––
4:00 PM THT
Marathon: The Patriots Day Bombing 108m
MARQ
The Owl and The Lemming 4m
DANA
Monkey Business: The Adventures of Curious George’s Creators 82m
SCRN
Speak 6m
Tribute to Ricki Stern & Annie Sundberg
ON-STAGE CONVERSATION | Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg talk with MNFF Artistic Director Jay Craven
Pop Aye 104m
Catching Sight of Thelma & Louise 88m
6:30 PM @ TOWN HALL THEATER
CLOSING CEREMONIES & VTEDDY AWARDS 7:30 PM @ TOWN HALL THEATER
SWIM TEAM Documentary | 90m | Parents of a boy on the autism spectrum form a competitive swim team, recruiting other teens on the spectrum and training them with high expectations and zero pity. Swim Team chronicles the extraordinary rise of three diverse young athletes, capturing a moving quest for inclusion, independence and a life that feels winning.
DIRECTOR: LARA STOLMAN
PRODUCER: LARA STOLMAN, SHANNA BELOTT
ON-STAGE CONVERSATION TO FOLLOW Director Lara Stolman talks with MNFF Artistic Director Jay Craven about the making of this inspiring documentary. 15 3rd Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival | 2017 FESTIVAL PROGRAM
2017 JURY NORA JACOBSON
MARC LEVIN Emmy and Peabody awardwinning independent filmmaker and founder of Blowback Productions in New York
Award-winning filmmaker; Founder of VT’s Freedom and Unity TV film competition for young filmmakers
KATE HEARST Historian, film critic and recent professor of Film History at Sarah Lawrence College
FRED STRYPE Professor and Chair, Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts, Sarah Lawrence College
ERIC FORD Senior Manager of Local Content, VT PBS; CoFounder, Burlington Film Society
AMY GELLER Documentary and television producer, currently teaching in the Boston University Cinema & Media Production Program
JENNIFER LATHAM Emmy and ColumbiaDupont award-winning documentary producer
JIM LOWE Arts Editor, Rutland Herald and Barre Montpelier Times Argus
STAFF & FRIENDS LLOYD KOMESAR – PRODUCER Todd Balfour
Lloyd Komesar spent nearly 30 years as a sales, research and distribution exec in the film and television programming industry, first at Blair Television in New York, then, for the next 25 years, at the Walt Disney Company in New York and Los Angeles. Having acquired extensive knowledge of the distribution models of film and television over his rewarding career, he brings a considerable amount of perspective and insight to the MNFF endeavor.
JAY CRAVEN – ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Matt Kiedaisch
Artistic Director and filmmaker Jay Craven has made eight feature films, four documentaries, and an Emmy Award-winning comedy series (Windy Acres) for public television. He directs Kingdom County Productions (w/ Bess O’Brien) and teaches at Marlboro College, where he directs the biennial “Movies from Marlboro” program where 20 professionals mentor and collaborate with 32 students from multiple colleges to make a feature film for national release. His newest film, the noir thriller Wetware, stars Jerry O’Connell, Cameron Scoggins, and Morgan Wolk. Watch for its New England release in 2017!
PHOEBE LEWIS – ASSOCIATE PRODUCER Over the past year, Phoebe Lewis directed Mill Valley Film Festival’s Social Media, headed the Green Mountain FF Box Office, handled Press & Industry tickets at Sundance FF, and managed a theater at the Tribeca FF. This is her third year with Middlebury, and she’ll return to Mill Valley in September. The MNFF is a community-wide endeavor, so thank you to everyone who played a part this year!
Aaron Huniu
RACHEL FRIEDMAN – INTERN Rachel Friedman is a rising senior (Feb) at Middlebury College, where she studies film. Rachel spent the first two years of her college career at The University of Southern California’s BFA
Acting program, and in her free time created Back Alley Artist Collective, a production company dedicated to uniting artists of different disciplines for film and stage collaborations. At Middlebury, Rachel is a part of "The Otter Nonsense Players,” an improv comedy group. She is grateful for the opportunity to work for the Festival and spend the summer in Middlebury.
JENNIFER SCHWEPPE – VIDEO COORDINATOR Jennifer Schweppe graduated from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland where she was a committee member for the school’s television station. She works with the Northeast Sports Network [NESN], filming local collegiate games. This past spring, she assisted with the lighting for the Opera Company of Middlebury and Middlebury Community Players. Jennifer is having a wonderful time working with everyone at MNFF!
HEATHER REED – SENIOR PROGRAMMER Heather Reed is an award-winning short film director and educator based in Provincetown, Massachusetts. She previously worked for The Provincetown Film Society, managing Waters Edge Cinema, and as a print traffic, venue manager and projectionist for The Provincetown International Film Festival. She is currently the Public Access Director for Provincetown Community Television, where she teaches filmmaking and assists the creation of locally-made media.
MATT HEYWOOD – LEAD DESIGNER Matt Heywood is an award-winning designer and illustrator based in Middlebury, Vermont. He is cofounder of The Image Farm -– a small studio that employs a multidisciplinary approach to foster community, create change, and market innovative products, services, and events. Matt is an agile communicator with nearly 20 years of experience and a distinct knack for distilling information. He also loves to make things. The Image Farm works in diverse styles and across all mediums, from traditional to digital to physical.
16 3rd Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival | 2017 FESTIVAL PROGRAM
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VERMONT’S TWICE-WEEKLY L NEWSPA P PER Middlebury, VT 05753 • (802) 388-4944 • ww w.AddisonIndependent.com 17 3rd Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival | 2017 FESTIVAL PROGRAM
2017 FILMS A-Z
= FILMMAKER WILL ATTEND MNFF
32 Pills: My Sister’s Suicide
The 39th
Saturday MARQ 1:30 pm 82M
8 Borders, 8 Days Sunday THT 10:00 am 31M
Thursday THT 1:30 pm 61M
A few days before December 12, 2008, Hope Litoff’s sister Ruth decorated her Manhattan loft like a beautiful stage set, with 15 suicide notes surrounding her and specially selected gifts for her closest friends. Multiple bowls of cat food were left in case it took a while to find her, and every one of her hundreds of markers was in rainbow order. The police officer who came to the scene whispered, “I’ve never seen anything like this.”
In one of the most brutal Chicago winters on record, Will Guzzardi trudges door to door, hour after hour, introducing himself to the residents of Illinois’ 39th District – asking for their vote in the upcoming Democratic primary for Illinois’ House. The district has been represented by incumbent Toni Berrios for 12 years, running unopposed for nearly a decade, a true machine candidate. A compelling story of one community’s decision to take back the political process.
A single mother shows us the consequences of closing America’s doors to families fleeing war. With no answer to her application for resettlement in the US, and every other path to safety closed off, a smuggler’s raft to Europe was the only way out. 8 Borders, 8 Days is her story; the intimate details of why a fiercely-determined mother is willing to risk her children’s lives for a better future and an immersive experience of their eight-day journey to safety
Documentary
Location: USA
Documentary
Location: USA
Documentary
Location: Syria
Director: Hope Litoff
Language: English
Director: Laura Fallsgraff
Language: English
Director: Amanda Bailly
Producer: Beth Levison
VERMONT PREMIERE
Producers: Adam Wisneski
NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE
Producer: Amanda Bailly
Language: Arabic (English subtitles)
VERMONT COLLECTION
833
A Pact Among Angels Friday NBM 1:30 pm 10M
Abundant Acreage Available Friday SCRN 7:15 pm 95M
Friday DANA 10:30 am 80M
Perpetually late, Jake confides in Mrs. Miller, a wheelchair bound lady, who sees the world through different eyes. If only his boss saw things that way. Ultimate happiness lies in Jake’s hands… but can he find a way to break the perpetual cycle and channel his inner hero?
Adrien, a solitary, middle-aged man, finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time and is kidnapped by two brothers age 14 and 18 who have gotten themselves in big trouble. This starts the bizarre trio on a crazy journey that reveals each person’s true character. Linked by a common destiny, these three fragile individuals must overcome their prejudices and work together to survive.
After their father dies, a middle-aged brother and sister wrestle with legacy and ownership when three brothers, whose family farmed the land for generations, return after 50 years.
Narrative
Location: USA
Narrative
Location: Canada
Narrative
Location: USA
Director: Vijay D. Varu
Language: English
Director: Richard Angers
Director: Angus MacLachlan
Language: English
Producer: Vijay D. Varu
NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE
Producer: Geneviève Lavoie
Language: French (English subtitles)
An Autobiography
VERMONT PREMIERE
Among Wolves Friday THT 10:30 am 34M
Producer: Kate Churchill
An Outrage Saturday MARQ 7:15 pm 87M
Friday DANA 1:30 pm 34M
Two days before her retirement, Anja makes a decision: she will not leave her work in a rental cars parking hall deep underground, a place where she has worked like a queen bee, nursing cars and the mechanics around her. But when the boss upstairs sends a young trainee down who is ready to replace her, Anja is forced to face the fact – her life as she knows it is coming to an end.
The Wolves are no ordinary biker club as revealed in this gorgeously shot, surprisingly intimate portrait of trauma and survival. Still struggling from the aftermath of the Bosnian War, they organize charity for their small mountain town and defend the threatened herd of wild horses they first met on the frontline. It’s out there with the horses, where they confront their past and reclaim that territory as a space for healing.
An Outrage is a documentary film about lynching in the American South. Filmed on-location at lynching sites in six states and bolstered by the memories and perspectives of descendants, community activists, and scholars, this unusual historical documentary seeks to educate even as it serves as a hub for action to remember and reflect upon a long-hidden past.
Narrative
Location: Finland
Documentary
Location: Serbia
Documentary
Location: USA
Director: Mari Mantela
Language: Finnish (English subtitles)
Director: Shawn Convey
Language: Serbian (English subtitles)
Directors: Hannah Ayers, Lance Warren
Language: English
NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE
Producers: Hannah Ayers, Lance Warren
Producers: Klaus Heydemann & Inland Film Company
VERMONT PREMIERE
Producer: Shawn Convey
18 3rd Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival | 2017 FESTIVAL PROGRAM
NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE
Balloonfest
The Bird Who Could Fly Friday NBM 10:30 am 6M
Black Dawn
Friday DANA 10:30 am 19M
Sunday DANA 1:00 pm 19M
Cleveland attempts to overcome its nickname “The Mistake by the Lake”, by launching a bunch of balloons.
Arthur, a young Korean-American attorney, juggles his mother’s religious extremism with his attempts to heal his brothers’ self-destructive lives. Ultimately, he must emerge to find his own life, apart from the cultural pressures and real-life rubble from which he comes.
Using cut out and other animation techniques, the filmmakers transform paintings by prominent Haitian artists into a visually exquisite tribute to the first black republic – and second independent country in the New World. Featuring hypnotic African-Caribbean rhythms and chants, solid historical background, and a vibrant animation style, this award-winning film conveys a complex social movement through a visual language accessible to everyone.
Documentary
Location: USA
Narrative
Location: USA
Narrative
Location: Haiti
Director: Nathan Truesdell
Language: English
Director: Raphael Sbarge
Language: English
VERMONT PREMIERE
VERMONT PREMIERE
Directors: Robin Lloyd, Doreen Kraft
Language: English
Producers: Raphael Sbarge, Robert Munic
Producers: Charlotte Cook, J. Goncalves
Black Mass
Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story
Blood Simple Friday MARQ 1:30 pm 123M
Producers: Robin Lloyd, Doreen Kraft
Saturday DANA 7:15 pm 86M
Friday THT 7:15 pm 99M
Based on the book by MNFF special guest Dick Lehr, the film stars Johnny Depp and portrays the true story of Whitey Bulger, the brother of a state senator and the most infamous, violent criminal in the history of South Boston, who became an FBI informant to take down a Mafia family invading his turf. On-Stage Conversation to follow | Dick Lehr talks with MNFF Artistic Director Jay Craven about the making of Black Mass from his heralded book.
A rich but jealous man hires a private investigator, played by the great M. Emmet Walsh, to kill his cheating wife and her new man. But, when blood is involved, nothing is simple. The prolific actor M. Emmet Walsh joins host Jay Craven following the screening for a lively Q&A about the making of the Coen brothers’ first film.
Narrative
Location: USA
Narrative
Location: USA
Director: Scott Cooper
Language: English
Directors: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen Language: English
The world’s most beautiful woman, actress Hedy Lamarr was also the secret inventor of technology that led to secure wifi, bluetooth and GPS communication. But her arresting looks stood in the way of her being given the credit she deserved… until now.
Documentary
Location: USA
Director: Alexandra Dean
Language: English
Producer: Michael Bassick
Producer: Ethan Coen
Producers: Alexandra Dean, Adam Haggiag, Katherine Drew
Borderline
The Bracket Theory
Breakfast of Dreams
Sunday SCRN 1:00 pm 20M
Friday SCRN 1:30 pm 16M
Thursday THT 1:30 pm 15M
“Borderline” is a short realistic drama that offers a provocative look at the consequences of addiction. Haunted by an abusive relationship with her mother, Esme struggles to keep her walls up around her new, perceptive partner Aaron, even as her world spins out of control.
Lucy longs for love, but she’s not a hopeless romantic – she’s determined to find her objectively best match. “The Bracket Theory” has four variables to consider: Intelligence, Social Aptitude, Physical Attractiveness, and Wealth, and if one person falls outside of the other’s bracket, the relationship is doomed to fail. Armed with her theory, Lucy sets out into NYC to finally find her perfect partner… and discovers it’s one she never expected.
A true story about old age, and the distance one man goes for love (and breakfast). After suffering a debilitating stroke and losing his wife to cancer, Nils, a 78 year old from Lier, Norway, embarks on a 750km journey to order the Breakfast of Dreams from a café in Germany that he and his wife used to visit together.
Narrative
Location: USA
Narrative
Location: USA
Documentary
Director: Emily Sheehan
Language: English
Director: Katia Koziara
Language: English
Director: Mark Robertson
Producer: Katia Koziara
NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE
Producer: Emilie Sørby
Producer: Emily Sheehan
19 3rd Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival | 2017 FESTIVAL PROGRAM
Location: UK/ Norway/Germany Language: English/ Norwegian/ German (English subtittles)
WORLD PREMIERE
CURTAIN UP!
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Welcome to Middlebury, a community that offers an abudance of small-town charm and some of Vermont’s most beautiful scenery, as well as a vibrant cultural and artistic scene. The IPJ Real Estate team is proud to support the 3rd Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival! Thank you for visiting Middlebury this summer. If you love the Champlain Valley as much as we do - give us a call or stop by our office downtown!
Great people, great partner! Thank you, IPJ Real Estate! - Lloyd Komesar, MNFF Producer
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follow us! 20 3rd Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival | 2017 FESTIVAL PROGRAM
802.388.4242
Catching Sight of Thelma & Louise
Buckets Sunday SCRN 1:00 pm 14M
Cicada Music In Ohio Sunday SCRN 4:00 pm 88M
Friday NBM 10:30 am 12M
A girl learns the brutal sacrifices it takes to satisfy her love.
A powerful and intimate documentary that dives off the edge, into the truth of women’s experience in the world. Clips from the original film serve as a catalyst for personal stories by viewers who saw it in 1991 and wrote about it at that time in their lives. Today these same people bring us forward through time, connecting past and present, to consider what has changed in the way women are treated by the world.
David Rothenberg, author of Bug Music and Why Birds Sing, heads to Ohio to play clarinet live with seventeen-year cicadas, a once-in-a-generation opportunity. He is joined by accordionist Lucia Vitková and biologist John Cooley, who is not sure if cicadas are really all that musical. Listen to the musicians and the scientist interact with the fascinating creatures, and you the viewer can decide.
Narrative
Location: USA
Documentary
Location: USA
Documentary
Location: USA
Director: Julia Jones
Language: English
Director: Jennifer Townsend
Language: English
Director: Umru Rothenberg
Language: English
NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE
Producer: Umru Rothenberg
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Producers: Julia Jones, Zachary Gobetz, Sophia Harvey, Jacob Bittens
Producer: Jennifer Townsend
Dad’s 50th Surprise Party
Death by a Thousand Cuts
Friday NBM 1:30 pm 10M
Death in the Wilderness
Sunday DANA 1:00 pm 75M
Thursday MARQ 10:30 am 40M
Two brothers team up to finally one up their prankster dad for his 50th birthday.
Eligio Eloy Vargas, alias Melaneo, a Dominican Park Ranger in the Sierra de Bahoruco National Park, was found brutally murdered by machete. At the time, he was believed to have been investigating an illegal charcoal production site often run by Haitians coming across the border into protected Dominican forests. This murder becomes the metaphor for the larger story of increasing tension between Haiti and the Dominican Republic over illicit charcoal exploitation and mass deforestation.
A young Civil War widow searches for the body of her husband a year after he is killed in action in Virginia. In the years following the war she struggles to preserve his memory and find meaning in his death.
Narrative
Location: USA
Documentary
Documentary
Location: USA
Director: Matt Lennon
Language: English
Directors: Juan Mejia Botero, Jake Kheel
Director: Kevin Thornton
Language: English
Producer: Kevin Thornton
VERMONT COLLECTION
Producer: Matt Lennon
VERMONT COLLECTION
Dina
Producers: Ben Selkow, Jake Kheel
Location: Dominican Republic/Haiti Language: French, Spanish (English subtitles)
Eyes of Exodus Saturday THT 7:15 pm 101M
The ‘F’ Word Thursday THT 1:30 pm 27M
Saturday DANA 10:30 am 16M
An eccentric suburban woman and a Walmart door greeter navigate their evolving relationship in this unconventional love story.
Four days during the Syrian migrant crisis on the most remote island in Greece reveals an intimate and complicated relationship between refugees and locals, fear and hope, and the healing versus destructive force change bears on love at a personal and national level.
Failure is the “F” word and academic failure is a shameful topic that many students feel the effects of but never openly discuss with their peers. What does it feel like to be a struggling student in an academically rigorous school? This short documentary traces the filmmaker’s journey to understand her failures and how the educational system works in unpredictable ways.
Documentary
Location: USA
Documentary
Location: Greece
Documentary
Location: USA
Directors: Antonio Santini, Dan Sickles
Language: English
Director: Alexandra Liveris
Language: Greek (English subtitles)
Director: Sasha Whittle
Language: English
Producer: Sasha Whittle
FAMILY (10+)
Producers: Antonio Santini, Dan Sickles
Producers: Alexandra Liveris, Lapana Productions LLC
VERMONT PREMIERE
21 3rd Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival | 2017 FESTIVAL PROGRAM
VERMONT COLLECTION
22 3rd Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival | 2017 FESTIVAL PROGRAM
Farewell
Freedom & Unity / Conversations from the Open Road
The Finger Saturday SCRN 7:15 pm 15M
Friday DANA 7:15 pm 10M
Sunday SCRN 10:00 am 101M
What happens if you want to say goodbye to a loved one, to give him a proper send off, but suddenly you can no longer find him? In bizarre and comical fashion, this satirical short offers a string of mishaps that unravels the best intentions of a group of friends.
A guy’s simple injury has an unexpected and profound effect on his special evening with his girlfriend.
Short films from local Vermont teens, selected from the winners of the statewide Freedom & Unity Competition and the Conversations from the Open Road showcase. “Freedom & Unity TV” is an annual juried film competition for young Vermonters whose films illuminate their lives, passions and interests in their home state. Conversations from the Open Road presents the work of Vermont high school students who participate in a travelling two-week digital journalism and storytelling media program
Narrative
Location: Germany
Narrative
Location: USA
Documentary
Location: USA
Director: Urs Kälin
Language: German
Director: Corydon Wagner
Language: English
Director: Various
Language: English
Producer: Urs Kälin
USA PREMIERE
Producer: Chris Kubik
VERMONT PREMIERE
Producer: Various
FAMILY VERMONT COLLECTION
Fun Mom Dinner
Gathering Time Friday DANA 7:15 pm 81M
Good Funk Thursday MARQ 1:30 pm 8M
Friday THT 10:30 am 77M
Four moms whose only common ground is their kids’ preschool class, decide to get together for a harmless “fun mom dinner.”
Meghan Stotko and Andy Paonessa tap 1200 trees by hand, producing wood fired Maple Syrup to support their farmstead in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. With little dialogue and no narration, this observational documentary reveals the labor and landscape of this time honored tradition.
Set in a Brooklyn neighborhood on the verge of gentrification, “Good Funk” tells the story of three generations of citizens, Afro-Caribbean immigrants, whose lives intersect through acts of kindness. The product of an educational training and literacy program that recruited young Brooklynites to learn filmmaking craft, share their stories, and collaborate for pay on a feature film production, the film is a portrait of love enduring and a testament to discovering family in unexpected places.
Narrative
Location: USA
Documentary
Location: USA
Narrative
Location: USA
Director: Alethea Jones
Language: English
Director: Corey Hendrickson
Language: English
Director: Adam Kritzer
Language: English
Producer: Corey Hendrickson
WORLD PREMIERE
Producer: Adam Kritzer
VERMONT PREMIERE
Producer: Andrew Duncan
VERMONT COLLECTION
Honk: A Festival of Activist Street Bands
I Am Your Friend Saturday MARQ 7:15 pm 7M
VERMONT COLLECTION
I Shot Einstein Friday SCRN 10:30 am 8M
Sunday DANA 10:00 am 7M
Honk! is a festival of activist street bands who reclaim public spaces with their brash sound, political messages, and outrageous community oriented performances.
A friendship is put to the test when two teenage boys are left alone for the weekend. As the teenagers confront their neighborhood rivals, horseplay escalates to violence throwing their loyalty to one another into question.
New York, 1948. Marilyn Stafford is handed a Rolleiflex, and told she is to take photographs of Albert Einstein. “I Shot Einstein” is a documentary interview about the life and work of veteran photojournalist Marilyn Stafford, who blazed the trail for modern female photographers.
Documentary
Location: USA
Narrative
Location: USA
Documentary
Location: USA
Director: Patrick Johnson
Language: English
Director: Nicholas Payne Santos
Language: English
Language: English
Producer: Patrick Johnson
VERMONT PREMIERE
Producer: Nicholas Payne Santos NEW ENGLAND
Directors: Dan Evans, Merass Sedek
PREMIERE
Producer: Dan Evans
23 3rd Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival | 2017 FESTIVAL PROGRAM
NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE
Henry Sheldon Museum presents
Draw Me a Story — Tell Me a Tale Through October 15, 2017
Featuring work by Vermont Children’s Book Illustrators/Authors Jim Arnosky, Mary Azarian, Harry Bliss, Janet Hayward Burnham, Jason Chin, Eileen Christelow, John and Jennifer Churchman, Sarah Dillard, Deirdre Gill, Thacher Hurd, Woody Jackson, Warren Kimble, Peter Lourie, Tracey Campbell Pearson, Jan Reynolds, Phoebe Stone, Ashley Wolff, Tami Crupi-Zeman and Bruce Zeman, Jr.
Phoebe Stone, Tigers with Tambourines from When the Wind Bears Go Dancing
Henry Sheldon Museum One Park Street, Middlebury, VT www.henrysheldonmuseum.org
•
802-388-2117
Location, Location, Location! And the perfect location is not just critical to the
“Choosing location is integral to the film” - Ridley Scott
value of your home, but key to the long-term satisfaction that your family will experience. When you want to know all about Addison County’s unique spots and hidden gems, work with a team of Location Experts...
... Places Please!
70 Court Street, Middlebury, VT
802-989-7522
champlainvalleyproperty.com cvpropnf@comcast.net
Your Location Scouts
Nancy Foster, Principal Broker & Owner Robin Foster Cole, Realtor Mandy Daly Hodson, Realtor Diana Berthiaume, Realtor John Snyder-White, Realtor Brenda Jaring, Administrative Assistant 24 3rd Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival | 2017 FESTIVAL PROGRAM
The Intentions of F. Scott Fitzgerald
Immortality Sunday MARQ 10:00 am 17M
I’m In Here Thursday THT 10:30 am 145M
Friday DANA 7:15 pm 12M
“The Intentions of F. Scott Fitzgerald” is a dark, existentialist comedy that follows two Australian hitmen on a routine ‘clean up’ job. Amidst a meaningful conversation about the Great Gatsby, the two find themselves in a panic as their victim makes a run for it.
“When I try to imagine you, I feel kind of immortality; when I call you, I feel kind of immortality; when I look at you, I feel kind of immortality; when I touch you, I feel kind of immortality; when I smell you, again I feel kind of immortality.” – Director Mehdi Fard Ghaderi
A man finds a family of strangers in his house and has an extremely difficult time asking them to leave.
Narrative
Narrative
Location: Iran
Narrative
Location: USA
Directors: Shaun Perry, Jay Perry Language: English
Director: Mehdi Fard Gharderi
Director: Willy Berliner
Language: English
Producer: Rhys Sherring
Producer: Javad Norouzbeigi
Language: Farsi (English subtitles)
Producer: Julie O'Leary
VERMONT PREMIERE
Location: Australia
NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Jacob Burns Film Center Creative Culture
It’s Criminal Friday SCRN 1:30 pm 77M
Jesús
Saturday SCRN 10:30 am 77M
Saturday DANA 10:30 am 13M
The film offers a window into a rural jail, an Ivy League college and what happens when these worlds collide. It shares the life-changing experiences of female prisoners and Dartmouth College students working together to write and perform an original play about the lives of the incarcerated women. An inspiring story about how empathy is a powerful force that can help bridge the divide.
The Jacob Burns Film Center (JBFC), based in Pleasantville, New York, has entered into a multiyear partnership with MNFF to advance the work of emerging voices in independent filmmaking. MNFF this year presents the first fruits of the JBFC’s Creative Culture program, designed to support the work of new filmmakers. The filmmakers represented at this screening are: Lucy Adams, Emily Ann Hoffman, Reweina Tessema, Stefaniya Vey, Leah Galant, Kervin Marseille and Alex Gonzalez.
On an ordinary day, and an ordinary trip to the park, Jesús, who uses a wheelchair to get around, begins to see that his life will be different from the other kids. “Comprehension is compassion.”
Narrative
Location: USA
Narrative, Documentary
Location: USA
Narrative
Location: USA
Director: Signe Taylor
Language: English
Directors: Various
Language: English
Director: Brian Patterson
Producer: Signe Taylor
VERMONT COLLECTION
Producers: Various
Language: English, Spanish (English subtitles)
Producer: Diego Cazarez
VERMONT PREMIERE FAMILY (10+)
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
Julia’s Piece
Sunday THT 1:00 pm 90M
Killed In Action Friday SCRN 10:30 am 10M
Thursday MARQ 10:30 am 13M
Honoree filmmakers Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg’s documentary explores the life and career of Joan Rivers as she turns 75 years old.
Julia is about to go on stage, but choreography is the least of her troubles.
Set in 1948, Killed In Action is about an encounter between a troubled WWII veteran and the widowed wife of a fellow soldier. She invites the veteran over for dinner, planning to reminisce and celebrate the life of her deceased husband, but instead the vet decides to tell her the truth about what really happened overseas. They must decide whether to confront the truth, or live in the reality that they choose.
Documentary
Location: USA
Narrative
Location: Mexico
Narrative
Location: USA
Directors: Annie Sundberg , Ricki Stern
Language: English
Director: Amelia Martinez
Language: Spanish (English subtitles)
Director: Christine Weatherup
Language: English
Producer: Beatriz Chahin
VERMONT PREMIERE
Producer: Annie Sundberg
Producer: Karen Alvarado
NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE
25 3rd Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival | 2017 FESTIVAL PROGRAM
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Light Sight
Lipstick Under My Burkha Saturday DANA 10:30 am 8M
Manhattan
Saturday DANA 1:30 pm 117M
M.E., the imprisoned character in a room, is attracted to a hanging light and tries to catch it. But the room itself becomes an obstacle in his way.
Friday THT 1:30 pm 96M
Set in the crowded by-lanes of small town India, Lipstick Under My Burkha chronicles the secret lives of four women in search of a little freedom. Though stifled and trapped in their worlds, these four women claim their desires through small acts of courage and stealthy rebellion.
The life of a divorced television writer dating a teenage girl is further complicated when he falls in love with his best friend’s mistress. Tribute to Michael Murphy | Q&A with Michael Murphy follows the screening
Animation, Narrative
Location: Iran
Narrative
Location: India
Narrative
Location: USA
Director: Seyed M. Tabatabaei
Language: None
Director: Alankrita Shrivistava
Director: Woody Allen
Language: English
Producer: Simin F. Ahmadi
VERMONT PREMIERE
Producer: Prakash Jha
Language: Hindi (English subtitles)
FAMILY (10+)
Marathon: The Patriots Day Bombing
VERMONT PREMIERE
Master of Shadows: Baddest Villain of All Ninjago
Marie Clementine
Sunday THT 4:00 pm 108M
Producer: Charles J. Hoffe
Sunday DANA 10:00 am 4M
A stunning recounting of the Boston Marathon terrorist attacks through the emotional experiences of individuals whose lives were forever changed by them. From the events of the day to the deathpenalty sentencing of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the documentary features surveillance footage, news clips, home movies and exclusive interviews with survivors and their families, as well as first responders, investigators, government officials and reporters from the Boston Globe, whose coverage won a Pulitzer Prize.
Saturday NBM 10:30 am 1M
A young woman, Clementine, hurries through the woods apprehensively. After a long walk, she comes to a stop and sets her eyes on something. Marie appears in front of her. Clementine courageously reveals her body but is this the end of something or merely the beginning?
It’s a typical day of training in the world of LEGO Ninjago, when a mysterious villain appears at the temple gates. Six ninjas work together to fight their greatest foe yet: an ancient master who can control shadows at his will.
Tribute to Annie Sundberg & Ricki Stern | Q&A with Sundberg & Stern follows the screening Documentary
Location: USA
Narrative
Location: USA
Animation, Narrative
Location: USA
Directors: Annie Sundberg , Ricki Stern
Language: English
Director: Aycil Yeltan
Language: English
Director: Jack Nop
Language: English
Producer: Aycil Yeltan
NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE
Producer: Jack Nop
WORLD PREMIERE
Producer: Jake Abraham
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
Monkey Business: The Adventures of Curious George’s Creators
Modern Houses Saturday NBM 1:30 pm 120M
Saturday MARQ 1:30 pm 18M
A gambler and a prostitute become business partners in a remote Old West mining town, and their enterprise thrives until a large corporation arrives on the scene. Tribute to Robert Altman | Features MNFF special guest Michael Murphy
Sunday DANA 4:00 pm 82M
Modern Houses is a psychological-thriller about the creative process. Following a breakdown, Max Lin, architecture’s celebrated young star, is finally ready to unveil the model that will be her greatest design. With the client at the door and her face staring back at her from the cover of Architectural Digest, she hears a whisper.
A documentary film exploring the extraordinary lives of Hans and Margret Rey, the authors of the beloved Curious George children’s books.
Narrative
Location: USA
Narrative
Location: USA
Documentary
Location: USA
Director: Robert Altman
Language: English
Director: Matthew Dixon
Language: English
Director: Ema Ryan Yamazaki
Language: English
Producer: Matthew Dixon
VERMONT PREMIERE
Producers: Jeremy Boros, Annie Bush
FAMILY
Producer: Mitchell Brower
27 3rd Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival | 2017 FESTIVAL PROGRAM
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Napalm Mayhem: A Hand Animation
Mrs. Drake Friday SCRN 1:30 pm 15M
Nashville Thursday MARQ 10:30 am 4M
Laura is a single mother struggling to maintain her own equilibrium while raising her frequently difficult son Jack. Jack comes home from school one day with a story about his teacher, Mrs. Drake, locking him in a closet. Laura is thrown into a spiral of confusion and guilt—not knowing who to believe or trust. “Mrs. Drake” will touch a nerve with anyone who is or has struggled through heartache to be a good parent.
This film explores the meaning, morals and consequences of war, by placing the characters right in the middle of an event that has had historians frowning for decades – The Vietnam War. The audience sees the transition of people, while trying to fight for their beliefs, turn into monsters.
Narrative
Location: USA
Experimental, Animation
Director: Caitlin FitzGerald
Language: English
Director: Oscar
Producer: Jon Diack
VERMONT PREMIERE
Producer: Oscar
New York Children’s International Film Festival: Selected Shorts
Location: Netherlands
NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE
Obit
Saturday MARQ 10:30 am 74M
Saturday THT 9:30 am 160M Over the course of a few hectic days, numerous interrelated people prepare for a political convention as secrets and lies are surfaced and revealed. Tribute to Robert Altman | On-Stage Conversation | Michael Murphy & Allan Nicholls talk w/ MNFF Artistic Director Jay Craven following the screening
Narrative
Location: USA
Director: Robert Altman
Language: English
Producer: Robert Altman
Offside Sunday DANA 10:00 am 93M
Saturday SCRN 1:30 pm 16M
Featuring the 2017 NYICFF Grand Prize winner “Heads Together,” from Festival alumni and Academy Award nominees Job, Joris, & Marieke, this wonderful collection of short films also boasts the Grownups Award winner “Riceballs,” and Audience Award winner “Welcome to my Life.”
“Obit” is the first documentary to look into the world of editorial obituaries, via the legendary obit desk at The New York Times. The film invites some of the most essential questions we ask ourselves about life, memory and the inevitable passage of time. What do we choose to remember? What never dies?
After learning from her father that she will soon lose her place on the local boy’s football team, elevenyear-old Kirsty struggles to come to terms with her evolving identity as a young woman.
Narrative, Animation
Location: USA
Documentary
Location: USA
Narrative
Location: USA
Directors: Various
Language: English
Director: Vanessa Gould
Language: English
Director: Jimmy Dean
Language: English
Producers: Various
FAMILY (8+)
Producer: Vanessa Gould
Producer: Ellie Gocher
NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE
One October
Out of State
One Big Home Sunday THT 10:00 am 79M
Friday NBM 10:30 am 56M
Sunday MARQ 1:00 pm 80M
On the island of Martha’s Vineyard, where presidents and celebrities vacation, trophy homes threaten to destroy the island’s unique character. “One Big Home” follows carpenter Thomas Bena’s journey to understand the trend toward giant houses. Feeling complicit in wrecking the place he calls home, Bena takes off his tool belt and picks up a camera. Bumping up against angry homeowners and builders, he attempts to pass a new bylaw limiting house size.
Filmed in October 2008 on the eve of Obama’s historic election and an unprecedented economic crisis, this city symphony follows radio reporter Clay Pigeon as he takes to the streets of New York to talk to fellow citizens about their lives, their dreams, and their relationship with the city. These revealing interviews are woven between vivid scenes of New York’s eccentric byways, which together reveal a city—and a nation—at a crossroads.
Serving time thousands of miles away from home in a private prison in the Arizona desert, two native Hawaiians discover their indigenous traditions from a fellow inmate serving a life sentence. From this unlikely setting, David and Hale finish their terms and return to Hawaii, hoping for a fresh start. But as they struggle with the hurdles of life as formerly incarcerated men, one must ask: can you really go home again?
Documentary
Location: USA
Documentary
Location: USA
Documentary
Location: USA
Director: Thomas Bena
Language: English
Director: Rachel Shuman
Language: English
Director: Ciara Lacy
Language: English
Producer: Garrett Savage
VERMONT PREMIERE
Producers: Beau Bassett, Ciara Lacy
NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE
Producers: Thomas Bena, James Holland
(Cinematographer Chapin Hall ) 29 3rd Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival | 2017 FESTIVAL PROGRAM
The Owl and The Lemming
The Peacemaker
Sunday MARQ 4:00 pm 4M
Pop Aye Friday DANA 1:30 pm 90M
Sunday MARQ 4:00 pm 104M
The oral history of the Inuit is filled with many folktales, legends and myths. In this traditional story, a young owl catches a lemming to eat but is outsmarted by the more vulnerable lemming. A brief meditation on why pride and arrogance are to be avoided, the film utilizes puppets, composited photographs and a set made with actual Arctic plants and lichen to create an authentic retelling of this ancient Arctic fable.
“The Peacemaker” is an intimate portrait of Padraig O’Malley, an International Irish peacemaker who helps make peace for others but struggles to find it for himself. The film takes us from Padraig’s isolated life in Cambridge, Massachusetts to some of the most dangerous crisis zones on Earth – from Northern Ireland to Kosovo, Nigeria to Iraq – to chronicle, over five years, Padraig’s journey as he works a peacemaking model based on his recovery from addiction.
On a chance encounter, a disenchanted architect bumps into his long-lost elephant on the streets of Bangkok. Excited, he takes his elephant on a journey across Thailand, in search of the farm where they grew up together.
Narrative, Animation
Location: Canada
Documentary
Location: USA
Narrative
Location: Thailand
Director: Roselynn Akulukjuk
Language: English
Director: James Demo
Language: English
Director: Kirsten Tan
Producers: Neil Christopher, Louise Flaherty
FAMILY
Producer: James Demo
Producer: Wenhong Huang
Language: Thai (English subtitles)
Rated
Seared
Quest Sunday MARQ 10:00 am 90M
Saturday THT 7:15 pm 19M
FAMILY
Friday MARQ 7:15 pm 8M
A decade in the making, “Quest” is the moving portrait of the Rainey family of North Philadelphia. Christopher “Quest” Rainey, along with his wife Christine’a, aka “Ma Quest,” open the door to their home music studio, which serves as a creative sanctuary from the strife that grips their neighborhood. Over the years, the family evolves as everyday life brings a mix of joy, unexpected crisis, love, healing and hope.
Maggie, a wife and mother, must own up to her behavior when she wakes to find every adult has received a YELP-like star rating floating above their head. While most everyone has a shining 4 or 5 stars, Maggie’s got just 2.5!
Beaten by a life of injustice and crime, a young man’s plan to end it all turns into a life of renewed hope and a passionate career as a chef.
Documentary
Location: USA
Narrative
Location: USA
Documentary
Location: USA
Director: Jonathan Olshefski
Language: English
Director: John Fortson
Language: English
Director: Ben Gustafson
Language: English
Producer: Sabrina Schmidt Gordon
Producer: Christie Lynn Smith
Producer: Ben Gustafson
Sisak
Speak
The Stag’s Mirror
Saturday THT 1:30 pm 15M
Sunday SCRN 4:00 pm 16M
Friday MARQ 10:30 am 20M
Set in the fast-paced environs of the usually bustling Mumbai local train system, “Sisak” details a romance that develops slowly and intoxicatingly, nestled in the silences and quiet comforts of the end-of-day train journeys between two men. An allegory to Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that criminalizes homosexuality, “Sisak” is a return to the unspoken, unsaid and universal expressions of love.
The story of a girl haunted by old traumas that threaten her ability to connect with even the most sincere suitor.
Shot in Chiapas Mexico, “The Stag’s Mirror” is an allegorical response to an intricate story described in Rosario Castellano’s novel, The Book of Lamentations. This poetic ethnographic film offers an alternative to the kind of documentary that either valorizes its subjects or extinguishes their power. Structurally, the film is a composite of interlaced imagery and text that establishes a break with progressive narrative and how this is represented in film.
Narrative
Location: India
Narrative
Location: USA
Documentary
Location: Mexico
Director: Faraz Arif Ansari
Language: None
Director: Laura Seay
Language: English
Director: Robin Starbuck
Producer: Faraz Arif Ansari
VERMONT PREMIERE
Producers: Laura Seay, Kyle McKeever
VERMONT PREMIERE
Producer: Robin Starbuck
Language: Spanish (English subtitles)
30 3rd Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival | 2017 FESTIVAL PROGRAM
USA PREMIERE
Stars
The Sun at Midnight Saturday NBM 10:30 am 5M
Sunlight Man Saturday SCRN 7:15 pm 93M
Grandpa and grandson are street sellers selling stars in a town near the shore. One night, they alas run out of the stars.
Following her mother’s death, teenage Lia is sent to spend the summer with her Gwich’in grandmother in a small Canadian Subarctic community. Desperate to return to city life, she steals a boat and sets out into the vast Northern wilderness hoping to reach the nearest town. Lost, she is discovered by Alfred, a Gwich’in hunter who reluctantly takes her under his wing as he navigates the massive landscape in search of caribou.
Thursday MARQ 1:30 pm 98M Sunlight Man is Joel Gardner’s personal documentary probing the deep flaws his father, novelist John Gardner, struggled to overcome on his journey to literary stardom. John Gardner endured a childhood trauma. Though passionate, charismatic, generous and gifted, he waged a losing battle against his selfdestructive nature. Joel comes to terms with his grief as he traces the arc of his father’s brief, brilliant life in a compassionate story of redemption, and ultimately forgiveness.
Narrative
Location: Canada
Narrative, Animation
Location: China
Director: Kirsten Carthew
Language: English
Documentary
Location: USA
Director: Hans Zhang
Language: None
Language: English
VERMONT PREMIERE
NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE
Director: Joel Gardner
Producer: Hans Zhang
Producer: Jill and Jackfish Productions Inc., Amos Scott, Kirsten Carthew
Producers: Joel Gardner, Catie Camp
WORLD PREMIERE
FAMILY
The Sunrise Storyteller
Swim Team
Saturday NBM 10:30 am 64M
Take My Nose, Please Sunday THT 7:30 pm 90M
“The Sunrise Storyteller” follows the journey of teenage filmmaker and social justice advocate Kasha Sequoia Slavner as, on her 16th birthday, she sets out across the world for six months in search of stories of hope and resilience that shine a light on what it means to be a global citizen and how we can all make a difference.
Parents of a boy on the autism spectrum form a competitive swim team, recruiting other teens on the spectrum and training them with high expectations and zero pity. Swim Team chronicles the extraordinary rise of three diverse young athletes, capturing a moving quest for inclusion, independence and a life that feels winning.
Documentary
Closing Night Film | On-Stage Conversation | Director Lara Stolman talks with MNFF Artistic Director Jay Craven
Location: Canada, Director: Kasha Sequoia Slavner USA, South Africa, Mozambique, Producer: Marla G. Slavner Tanzania Language: English
VERMONT PREMIERE
VERMONT COLLECTION
Documentary
Location: USA
Director: Lara Stolman
Language: English
Producers: Lara Stolman, Shanna Belott
FAMILY
Thursday THT 7:00 pm 92M A seriously-funny and wickedly-subversive look at the role of comedy in examining the pressures on women to be attractive and society’s desire and shame relationship with plastic surgery. Opening Night Film
Documentary
Location: USA
Director: Joan Kron
Language: English
Producer: Brian David Cange
FAMILY
Ten Meter Tower
There Are No Brothers Here Friday MARQ 10:30 am 16M
This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous
Friday SCRN 7:15 pm 13M
Saturday THT 1:30 pm 91M
A ten meter diving tower. People who have never been up there before have to choose whether to jump or climb down. The situation itself highlights a dilemma: to weigh the instinctive fear of taking the step out against the humiliation of having to climb down. “Ten Meter Tower” is an entertaining study of the human in a vulnerable position.
Based on the testimonies of detained Syrian protesters and the regime’s interrogators who tortured them, this film tells the story of Rami, a young and frightened revolutionary and Mustafa, a volatile secret police agent, struggling to wrest control of their own fates and that of their country from each other’s hands during a night of intense interrogation.
“This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous,” chronicles the quite public transition of Gregory Lazzarato, the young YouTube star, famous for his makeup tutorials and brash online presence, to Gigi Gorgeous, an up and coming model and personality. This sensitive film takes you behind the scenes as Gigi and her family navigate this new world.
Documentary
Location: Sweden
Narrative
Documentary
Location: USA
Directors: Axel Danielson, Maximilien Van Aertryck
Language: Swedish (English subtitles)
Director: Barbara Kopple
Language: English
Producers: Axel Danielson, Erik Hemmendorff
VERMONT PREMIERE
Director: Emma Findlen LeBlanc Language: Arabic (English subtitles) Producers: Emma Findlen LeBlanc, Taylor Lee Nagel
Location: Syria
VERMONT PREMIERE
Producer: David Cassidy
31 3rd Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival | 2017 FESTIVAL PROGRAM
The Ties That Bind
Then Who? Friday SCRN 10:30 am 66M
Three Red Sweaters Saturday NBM 10:30 am 13M
Saturday DANA 7:15 pm 10M
A personal documentary that captures the filmmaker and her family’s journey of conflict and adaptation in response to her youngest sibling’s change in gender identity. A searing look at a Southern family wrestling with each other and their beliefs, the film exposes the shadow landscape of the culture wars at play and presents a complex story that weaves a portrait of family imperfections and the love that remains intact even so.
Three children and their babysitter discover that the cookies from the cookie jar have been stolen. They conduct an investigation to uncover the cookie thief amongst them.
Using her grandfather’s 16mm family films, a woman explores how our memories are changing now that we have the technology to document every moment of our lives.
Documentary
Location: USA
Narrative
Location: USA
Documentary
Location: USA
Director: Diana Newton
Language: English
Director: Sofi Taylor
Language: English
Director: Martha Gregory
Language: English
Producers: Diana Newton, Erica Rothman
NORTHEAST PREMIERE
Producer: Sofi Taylor
WORLD PREMIERE
Producer: Martha Gregory
VERMONT COLLECTION
FAMILY
Two Worlds
Unnatural Selection Saturday SCRN 1:30 pm 51M
Untitled Sunday THT 1:00 pm 15M
Saturday DANA 1:30 pm 3M
In this inspiring family portrait, 12-year-old Laura is our guide through life with her deaf parents, which is unusual, challenging and surprisingly ordinary.
That morning, Julie’s troubles come one after another. Late for work, she gets harassed in the street by Karim and his buddy Kevin. Arriving at her office, Julie must also face the daily sexist remarks of her boss Bruno. So, when Julie discovers that the job candidate she is interviewing is none other than Karim, her street stalker, she is determined to teach him a lesson by showing him what unnatural selection really is.
An old stone house, somewhere in the world. Against a dusky slate-gray sky, figures appear, as in a dream.
Documentary
Location: Poland
Narrative
Location: France
Experimental
Location: France
Director: Maciej Adamek
Language: Polish (English subtitles)
Director: Geneviève Delouche
Language: French (English subtitles)
Director: Aurelia Thierree
Language: None
Producer: Aurelia Thierree
NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE
Producer: Jacek Kucharski
VERMONT PREMIERE
Untouchable
Producer: Geneviève Delouche
NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE
Visitors Friday MARQ 7:15 pm 100M
Walking on Water Saturday SCRN 1:30 pm 15M
Friday MARQ 10:30 am 52M
After discovering that a nanny has sexually abused his daughter, the most powerful lobbyist in the state of Florida harnesses his extraordinary political power to pass the toughest sex offender laws in the nation. “Untouchable” is a film that pushes viewers toward an uncomfortable place, requiring them to walk in the shoes of those who have suffered sexual abuse, but to still bear witness to the experiences of those we most fear.
While visiting their estranged father George at his remote and isolated farm, Cole and Kayleigh find themselves facing a series of strange events and a group of uninvited visitors with mysterious and sinister intentions. An old, forgotten bond rekindles, and a once broken and divided family begins piecing itself together in order to survive, overcome and become whole again.
The flood of 1966 in Florence through the eyes, the camera and the creativity of Beppe Fantacci, who helped the famous artisans of Florence to survive the devastation of the city. A forgotten story of desperation, creativity and recovery, the film features unreleased, amazing 16 mm color footage, and exclusive memories of the flood by families such as Bargellini, Ferragamo, Pucci, Tayar, and by gifted artisans who survived nowadays thanks to men like Beppe Fantacci.
Documentary
Location: USA
Narrative
Location: USA
Documentary
Director: David Feige
Language: English
Director: Alon Juwal
Language: English
Producer: Kseniya Yorsh
NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE
Director: Gianmarco D’Agostino Language: Italian Producer: Gianmarco D’Agostino (English subtitles)
Producers: David Feige, Rebecca Richman Cohen
32 3rd Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival | 2017 FESTIVAL PROGRAM
Location: Italy
USA PREMIERE
What’s Revenge
Where Have You Gone Lou DiMaggio?
When I Stutter Sunday SCRN 1:00 pm 51M
Saturday DANA 10:30 am 67M
Friday NBM 1:30 pm 75M
An innovative docu-fiction work, the film adapts elements from 70’s pulp revenge cinema to address the problems and pitfalls of relationships in the modern age. The film uses a blend of staged reenactments of real events and fictionalized scenarios inspired by the experiences of the cast and crew. A feminist piece of genre-bending film that follows two friends seeking to explain the reason behind the injustices inflicted upon them by the men in their lives.
A documentary that reveals the humanity that exists within an often mysterious malady. Over the course of 4.5 years, 19 people shared stories about how stuttering has impacted their lives. These stories run the gamut of human emotions, some dark, some funny, others triumphant. Interspersed throughout the documentary are “educational vignettes” that help illuminate some of the mysteries and questions that surround stuttering.
From 1985 to 1989, Lou DiMaggio performed at the iconic “Catch a Rising Star” comedy club in New York, working with a small group of promising comedians like Larry David and Ray Romano. After moving to Los Angeles in 1989, Lou stopped doing stand up comedy forever. But why? Follow Lou as he seeks advice from celebrity friends about returning to comedy while discovering the reasons he stopped doing stand up in the first place.
Narrative
Location: USA
Documentary
Location: USA
Documentary
Location: USA
Director: Kat Hunt
Language: English
Director: John Gomez
Language: English
Director: Brad Kuhlman
Language: English
Producers: Camila de Onís, Rachel Wolther
NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE
Producer: John Gomez
NORTHEAST PREMIERE
Producer: Lou DiMaggio
FAMILY (10+)
The Winds of Downhill Sunday MARQ 1:00 pm 21M Seven homeless people share their views on life, art and beauty, as well as their fears and dreams, at a New York City soup kitchen. We are reminded that all people, regardless of how poor or mentally ill, have humanity, and it is this humanity that allows one to see the poetry that surrounds us all, despite the desperation of one’s own circumstance. Documentary
Location: USA
Directors: Todd Wider , Jedd Wider
Language: English
Producer: Brian Ariotti
VERMONT PREMIERE
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33 3rd Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival | 2017 FESTIVAL PROGRAM
34 3rd Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival | 2017 FESTIVAL PROGRAM
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36 3rd Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival | 2017 FESTIVAL PROGRAM