Centre Film Festival 2021

NOVEMBER 1–7 2021 LIVE

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HYBRID

centrefilm.org

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VIRTUAL

@centrefilm

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

PRODUCERS

CO-PRODUCERS

ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS

Table of Contents Director’s Statement

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Welcome Letters

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Indigenous People’s Month

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Tickets

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How to Fest

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Venues

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Lifetime Achievement Award

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Chandler Living Legacy Award

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Film & Acting Workshops

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Meet the Filmmakers

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Meet Our Jury

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Meet Our Team

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Meet Our Sponsors & Partners

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Free Shuttle Service

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COVID RESPONSE: We are committed to keeping everyone attending the Centre Film Festival safe and informed. We will follow all CDC and state guidelines as well as the guidelines set by our venues. We are limited screening capacity to allow for social distancing in our theaters at our special events. We are also offering most of our films via online streaming from November 1-7 for those who prefer to engage with the festival from home.

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Director’s statement Together with an extraordinary and dedicated team of volunteers and film lovers, it is an honor to bring the Centre Film Festival to three locations this year: we are back at the Rowland Theatre and are looking forward to seeing our audience there again, and we welcome audiences for the first time to the Mishler Theatre and the State Theatre.

In the process of planning and hosting our annual festival, it has been inspiring getting to know the people, local businesses and non-profit organizations who are committed to Central Pennsylvania, its heritage, its community and the arts. These three historic sites transforms us back to the heyday of large-scale cinema and provides a dramatic setting for us to come together, share the space and tell our stories. The festival also offers a virtual and hybrid experience so that anyone in Pennsylvania can appreciate the films and post-screening discussions.

The week is filled with many opportunities for intergenerational and multidimensional conversations, including visiting filmmakers who will answer questions after their films, special guests, an industry jury who will present awards at our closing ceremony, and a local high school competition which will encourage future filmmakers to flourish here. The films range from outdoor adventures to horror, from Afghani rock-androllers to the history of the automat.

I would like to invite everyone to join us, stop by at some point, peek in (in person and online) and see what’s brewing, catch just one movie or an after-party, or take in the entire experience with an all-access pass.

I am thrilled to share the privilege of appreciating Philipsburg, Altoona, and State College with you and all of our volunteers and supporters.

- Pearl Gluck, Artistic Director Pictured alongside Rep. Scott Conklin, CFF 2019

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letter From the dean Greetings from the Dean of the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications On behalf of the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications at Penn State, I am pleased to welcome you to the third annual Centre Film Festival. The festival, which will be taking place in three local historic theatres this year, and virtually, brings outstanding work by filmmakers across the United States to our community in Central Pennsylvania. These films will inspire, motivate, and spark important conversation. Our guests — the filmmakers, musicians and subjects of these films — will be part of those conversations.

This festival also invites us to celebrate the aspiring filmmakers in our community. It’s exciting to see this young talent right here in Centre County and to take part in supporting it! The success of this festival belongs to the entire community, including partners at Penn State, local and state not-for-profit organizations, and community sponsors.

The festival is also made possible in part because of support from the Happy Valley Tourism Board and the Bill Jaffe Leadership Initiative.

Thank you for joining us. I think it’s an especially important time to come together for film and the conversation it sparks. I trust you’ll become richer in mind, spirit and community as a result of participating. Your support will also benefit the entire community.

Enjoy!

Marie Hardin Dean, Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications

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Letter from the state representative Greetings from State Representative Scott Conklin It is a pleasure to send greetings from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to welcome everyone attending the third annual Centre Film Festival in the borough of Philipsburg.

Centre County has been at the crossroads of the cultural world and a focal point for those with the passion for making great films and cinematic art since as far back as the turn of the century. The first movie to play at the Rowland Theatre was the Vitagraph Studio’s release, Within the Law, and the very first trainwreck that appears on film in American cinema history was staged right here in Philipsburg, PA in 1914. When he built the theatre in 1917, Charles Rowland himself was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, and was a supporter of Women’s Suffrage.

It is an honor to follow in his footsteps.

Once again, this weekend, more than a century later, the Centre Film Festival offers an opportunity for a collaboration between the central Pennsylvania counties’ communities and industry professionals who are dedicated to encouraging local filmmakers to flourish and introducing audiences to insightful, creative, and entertaining new projects.

The festival offers something for movie lovers of all ages. The work reflects various distinct cultures of the world and broadens our perspective on many issues by exploring universal themes as well as more unique facets of the human experience.

I applaud everyone involved with this event. Warm Regards, and see you at the Rowland!

Scott Conklin Centre County State Representative (PA-77) 6

Letters from the mayors Greetings from the Mayor of the Borough of State College, Ronald L. Filippelli On behalf of the Borough of State College, I want to extend the warmest of welcomes to the 2021 Centre Film Festival. We’re proud to have been chosen to participate in the Festival for the first time and look forward to the excitement and entertainment it brings to our community.

With films of all genres from filmmakers ranging from local to international and everything in between, there’s bound to be something for everyone in this third Centre Film Festival. I look forward to seeing our vibrant and diverse community become an integral part of such a meaningful event, which is especially important as our community and local businesses continue to recover from the pandemic.

To those attending this event, I recommend you explore some of the local urban art installations, visit the diverse local restaurants, shop our unique retail stores, and, after taking in the film festival at the State Theatre, explore the many other entertainment venues State College has to offer. Our town prides itself on being welcoming to everyone and fun for all ages.

I want to personally thank the organizers, volunteers, entertainers, and special guests for their time and efforts in making this special event possible.

Thank you for choosing our town as one of the locations for this great event. We are looking forward to welcoming everyone to the Borough of State College.

Sincerely,

Ronald L. Filippelli Mayor 7

Letters from the Mayors Greetings from the Mayor of the City of Altoona, Matt Pacifico It is my pleasure to welcome you and the Centre Film Festival to the historic Mishler Theatre. This is an exciting opportunity for our community to be a part of a weekend filled wit the creative awardwinning filmmakers, musicians, students and volunteers. We are honored to be a part of this inspiring, educational, and creative event.

Imagine the Mishler stage in April of the year 1906. At that time, motion pictures were featured and included short files in between vaudeville acts of as matinee showings. Fast forward to the year 2021. It is with great pride that I proclaim that the Mishler’s stage and screen is alive and well! We are so proud of the commitment and hard work our community members have made over the years to preserve our history and this beautiful gem. Thank you to the Centre Film Festival for providing the opportunity to showcase our theater.

If you are visiting Altoona, please take the time to explore our local shops and restaurants, breweries and museums. We are proud of the ongoing revitalization of our downtown and happy to share our progress with you.

Congratulations and best wishes to the Centre Film Festival. We appreciate you being here in the City of Altoona and hope you have a great time and enjoy the weekend!

Yours truly,

Mayor Matt Pacifico

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Letters from the mayors Greetings from the Mayor of the Town of Philipsburg, John Streno It is my pleasure as the mayor of Philipsburg to extend warm greetings to everyone attending the third annual Centre Film Festival. We missed hosting the festival in the Rowland last year and happy to have you all back in person.

The performing arts are an integral part of the social fabric the town. What better place to hold this exciting event in central Pennsylvania than the historic and majestic Rowland Theatre.

The festival is made possible in part because of grants from the Pennsylvania Partnership for the Arts, Philipsburg Revitalization Corporation, as well as the Centre County Tourism Board. We are hopeful that audiences will emerge and appreciate the opportunities for conversation created by the inaugural event.

For those of you visiting, I hope that you take some time out to enjoy Philipsburg’s cuisine, local shops and meet the wonderful people here in Central Pennsylvania. I love my town, not only for its beauty, but also for its historical importance.

I wish to thank the organizers of this event and offer my very best wishes for a memorable film festival and continued success.

Yours truly,

John Streno Mayor of Philipsburg

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Letter from Happy Valley Greetings from Fritz Smith, President of The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau As the official tourism promotion agency for Centre County, we are thrilled to celebrate the third annual Centre Film Festival. To the talented film-makers, aspiring film-makers, special guests and patrons who will participate in this year’s festival in person, we enthusiastically welcome you to our beautiful Happy Valley. For those watching online, we extend an invitation to visit us soon and discover why Centre County, PA is so special.

One of those reasons is the vision and passion of festival organizers in bringing innovative independent film to central Pennsylvania, and shining a bright light on the fascinating people behind the lens.

To that end, we are proud to welcome back to this year’s event Penn State University alumni who are making their own mark in the industry, sharing what they’ve learned to those who might one day follow in their footsteps.

The Centre Film Festival is truly a special event. We look forward to supporting its growth in the years to come, as we prepare to be entertained and enlightened by the 2021 edition.

Enjoy the festival!

Fritz Smith President and CEO The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau

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Centre Film Festival Celebrates

Indigenous people’s heritage month November is Indigenous People’s Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories of Native people.

Centre Film Festival presents three feature films to raise awareness about the unique challenges Native people have faced both historically and in the present, and the ways in which tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges.

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page 37

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Acknowledgment of Land The Centre Film Festival and its venues are located on the original homelands of the Erie, Haudenosaunee (Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk, and Tuscarora), Lenape (Delaware Nation, Delaware Tribe, Stockbridge-Munsee), Shawnee (Absentee, Eastern, and Oklahoma), Susquehannock, and Wahzhazhe (Osage) Nations. As a land grant institution, we acknowledge and honor the traditional caretakers of these lands and strive to understand and model their responsible stewardship. We also acknowledge the longer history of these lands and our place in that history.

In collaboration with the Indigenous Peoples Student Association (IPSA) and the Indigenous Faculty and Staff Alliance (IFSA)

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Tickets

All Access Pass: $50 Valid for all films in the festival + all events. A real bang for your buck! Applies to all live, in-person, and virtual films + events.

Individual Films: $8

Opening Night: $15

Students: FREE!

Available for live, virtual + in-person film blocks.

Friday, Nov 5 double feature at The Rowland Theatre (in-person).

Valid for in-person, live + virtual events (student ID required).

Tickets are available at centrefilm.org

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HOW TO FEST There are three ways to attend the festival in 2021 and watch films, interact with filmmakers, and each other: in-person, virtually, or through a hybrid mixture of both. We look forward to festing with you!

In Person Watch films in person with visiting filmmakers from November 1-3 in State College, Nov 4 in Altoona, and November 5-7 in Philipsburg, PA. Check out the venues page and look for this icon on the films that screen in person.

Watch Anytime For the second year running we are pleased to be able to offer a virtual edition of our festival for Pennsylvania audiences. Films to “watch anytime” will be released live from November 1-7. Individual tickets and Festival passes are available on our digital platform, Eventive, accessed through centrefilm.org

Q&A Livestrean We will be offering a series of live streaming Q&A’s with filmmakers and special guests to discuss their films and take your questions. Check out our digital platform on our website for the livestream schedule on centrefilm.org

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VENUES The State Theatre 130 W College Ave, State College, PA In 1938, Warner Brothers opened The State Theatre as a test market for new films. Today, The State Theatre is a vibrant hub of music, cinema, and live performance — the cultural heart of downtown State College.

Fest at the State Theatre: Monday, Nov 1, 7:00 PM

RIGHT OF PASSAGE | page 49

Tuesday, Nov 2, 7:00 PM

HIDDEN IN PLAIN SITE | page 37

Wednesday, Nov 3, 7:00 PM

IN RETRO-SPECT | page 41

The Mishler Theatre 1208 Twelfth Avenue, Altoona, PA The Mishler Theatre opened its doors in 1906, the first structure of its kind in America to be completely devoted to theatrical pursuits; in the early 1900s theatres typically occupied the second floor of commercial buildings.

Fest at the Mishler Theatre: Thursday, Nov 4, 7:00 PM

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HIGH EXPECTATIONS | page 38

The Rowland Theatre 127 N Front Street Philipsburg, PA A historic single-screen movie theatre built in 1917 by Charles Hedding Rowland. The theatre is owned by the borough of Philipsburg. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

Fest at the Rowland Theatre: Friday, Nov 5

Saturday, Nov 6

6:00 PM

INSIDE OUT | page 41

8:00 PM

ICON IN THE KITCHEN | page 40

11:00 AM 1:00 PM 2:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 8:00 PM

Sunday, Nov 7

12:00 PM 2:00 PM 4:00 PM

SUPREME LEGACY | page 51 WHAT COMES AROUND | page 54 UP CLOSE with Patrick Fabian | page 18 AT OUR DOORSTEP | page 32 EYE ON THE BALL | page 35 BACK TO THE FUTURE | page 32 SIZE MATTERS | page 49 FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE | page 37 BROTHERLY LOVE | page 33

AWARD CEREMONY On the last night of the festival, celebrate the week’s films and visitors with cocktails, bites, & music!

Sunday Nov 7, 6:00 PM at the Rowland Theatre

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MADELINE ANDERSON Lifetime Achievement Award Madeline Anderson is a pioneering filmmaker and producer born in 1923 in Lancaster, PA. She is a ground-breaking television and documentary producer, film director, editor, screenwriter, activist, and mother of four.

Ms. Anderson is the second recipient of our Lifetime Achievement Award which honors content creators originally from Pennsylvania who have made a significant impact in media.

“By the time that I graduated from high school in 1945 I had decided to become a filmmaker. My films would be about real people in real time in the struggle for equality. The purpose of the films would not only be to change the image of Black people, but my hope was that my films would both educate and activate Black people to stay in the struggle. It was almost an impossible dream, but I have been blessed to have made a small contribution.”

Ms. Anderson is best known for her films INTEGRATION REPORT 1 (1960), A TRIBUTE TO MALCOM X (1967), and I AM SOMEBODY (1970). In the 1970s, she was an in-house producer, director, and supervising film editor at Sesame Street and Electric Company. In 2015, the National Museum of African American History and Culture officially recognized INTEGRATION REPORT 1 as the first documentary film to be directed by an African American woman.

Honoring Madeline Anderson, page 40 “If film and television are electronic folklore, then Madeline is an honored elder, telling tales of ordinary lives lived with courage and dignity and good humor. She has, through her work, very simply, changed the world.”

- Kevin Hagopian, Festival Programmer & Teaching Professor

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keegan-michael key Chandler Living Legacy Award Emmy® and Peabody Award-winning actor, writer, and producer Keegan-Michael Key is known for his extraordinarily diverse skill set, and wide-ranging talent, in both comedy and drama. Key redefines what it means to be a multi-hyphenate in the worlds of film, television, and theater.

The in-demand actor is currently in production on the upcoming Warner Bros. Wonka film alongside Timothée Chalamet. In addition, he recently wrapped production on a slew of projects including Steve Levitan’s Hulu pilot, “Reboot” alongside Johnny Knoxville, Mike Myers’ new Netflix comedy series, “The Pentaverate,” and Judd Apatow’s newest comedy film The Bubble. Additionally, Key was recently announced as part of the voice cast of the upcoming Super Mario Bros. animated film.

Audiences can currently see Key in the Apple TV+ musical-comedy series, “Schmigadoon!,” opposite and will soon be heard in Sony’s Hotel Transylvania: Transformania early next year.

This past year, he starred in Ryan Murphy’s film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical, The Prom, for Netflix opposite Meryl Streep, James Corden, Nicole Kidman and Kerry Washington and Netflix’s Christmas film, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey in which he received rave reviews for his performance. In addition, he narrated “The History of Sketch Comedy,” for Audible. He also co-wrote the series alongside director, Elle Key. Additional credits include starring opposite Eddy Murphy in Netflix’s Dolemite Is My Name, Paramount’s Playing with Fire, and Disney’s tent-pole blockbuster films Toy Story 4 and The Lion King, and on the television side, he recently hosted and Executive Produced both “Game On!” for CBS and National Geographic’s “Brain Games.”

Key came to worldwide attention as co-creator and co-star, alongside Jordan Peele, of Comedy Central’s groundbreaking sketch series “Key & Peele” which won the 2016 Emmy® Award for ‘Outstanding Variety Sketch Series’. He has a BFA from the University of Detroit Mercy, and an MFA from The Penn State University. He currently resides in New York with his wife, director and producer Elle Key.

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Film & Acting Workshops

UP CLOSE: Patrick Fabian, acting While most know Patrick Fabian from BETTER CALL SAUL, we know him as a Penn State alum—and his mother was an usher at the Rowland Theatre. Meet Patrick after the screening of DRIVER X (page 54), as he gets up close about his acting career.

Saturday, Nov 6, 1:00 PM, The Rowland Theatre

UP CLOSE: Joshua Leonard, directing Meet Joshua Leonard, co-director of THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (1999), screening his latest feature, FULLY REALIZED HUMANS. Raised in State College, PA, Joshua Leonard is an actor, writer, and director.

He will share his film knowledge and get up close at the festival about his work.

Check our website for updates on the time & place.

UP CLOSE: Michael Craven, cinematography Join Penn State alum and cinematographer Michael Craven with DJ Harder, as they get up close about their camera work on Netflix’s THE CHAIR and various other projects in Pennsylvania and elsewhere.

Michael Craven is a State College local.

Check our website for updates on the time & place.

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Meet the FIlmmakers Sabrina Doyle | LORELEI Sabrina is a writer and director based between Los Angeles and London. The late Sir Alan Parker called Sabrina’s work “refreshingly intelligent, serious and lyrical.” Her directing work has been supported by Women in Film LA, the Chimaera Project, Google, Panavision, and BAFTA Los Angeles.

Stephen Parr | LORELEI Stephen is a Los Angeles-based DP and member of the International Cinematographers Guild. He received his Master’s in Cinematography from the American Film Institute in 2012. Stephen has lensed over 200 shorts, music videos, commercials, dance videos and web series.

Lisa Hurwitz | THE AUTOMAT Lisa is currently a communications consultant working primarily with food brands and restaurants.

She lives in New York City. THE AUTOMAT is her debut film.

Daneeta Loretta Jackson | HOMELAND/WETLAND After graduating with distinction from the London Film School, Daneeta & Patrick Jackson worked in film in London making short form content. In New Orleans, they formalized their partnership by founding ElekTrik Zoo Films, Inc., the umbrella under which they make films, work and sundry.

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Meet the FILMMAKERS Sami Kahn | THE LAST OUT Sami is an Oscar-nominated filmmaker whose work has been supported by the Sundance and Tribeca Film Institutes, Impact Partners, Rooftop Films, IFP, the Berlinale, and NBC/Universal’s Directors Fellowship.

Michael Gassert | THE LAST OUT Michael is an immersive producer, director, sound artist, and musician who revels in the diversity of our global treasures while working at the intersections of film and music.

Lyle Kash | DEATH AND BOWLING Lyle is a queer white American transgender filmmaker.

In 2018 he formed T4T Productions, a collection of artists committed to putting trans people in front of and behind the camera lens. Kash wrote and directed his debut film, DEATH AND BOWLING, with an almost entirely transgender cast.

Ida Jogler | KILI BIG Ida is a filmmaker, editor and video installation artist from San Juan, Puerto Rico. In 2009 she relocated to New York City, where she completed her Master’s in Photography, Video and Related Media at the School of Visual Arts.

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Ted Passon | PHILLY DA Ted is an award-winning director and video artist. He has directed episodic series for Netflix and Disney.

He is a 2016 Sundance Lab Fellow, a recipient of the Pew Foundation Individual Artist Fellowship Grant, and a 2016 Headlands Artist in Residency.

Yoni Brook | PHILLY DA Yoni is a twice Independent Spirit-nominated cinematographer and producer. As a director, his films have screened at the Berlinale, New York and Toronto Film Festivals, True/False, and IDFA. His directorial debut A Son’s Sacrifice for Independent Lens, won Best Documentary Short at Tribeca.

CJ Russo | LADY BUDS CJ’s award-winning films have screened all over the world, including the Sundance Film Festival, and have been broadcast on Showtime, PBS, and Netflix.

She is a 2018 fellow of the Sundance Institute/ Women In Film Financing Intensive and a fellow of Film Independent’s Director and Screenwriters Labs.

Alana Waksman | WE BURN LIKE THIS Alana is an Ashkenazi writer, director, producer, and first generation descendant of Holocaust survivors from Poland. She is an alum of the USC School of Cinematic Arts MFA in Film & Television Production, and Connecticut College BA in Theater and English.

Check our website for more visiting filmmakers 21

Meet our JURY Flavio Alves

Flavio is a Brazilian film writer, director, and producer. His debut feature film, THE GARDEN LEFT BEHIND (2019), premiered at SXSW, where it won the Audience Award. In 2018, Flavio received The Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Artist Academy fellowship, and in 2019, he was selected to Ryan Murphy’s HALF Initiative Directing Program, aimed at creating equal opportunities for minorities behind the camera. Flavio is the co-founder of Rakoom, a PR company promoting independent films.

Skye Borgman

Skye is an award-winning director and cinematographer of narrative and documentary films all over the world. Her global experiences guide her vision, thought and approach to film-making. She has filmed rock-stars, prime ministers, drug addicts, environmentalists, Academy award winners, Buddhist nuns and anarchist chocolate makers.

Nancy Cohen

Nancy was raised in Lewistown by a father who owned the town’s movie theatre. Thus, her love for film. Currently, she is in post production of WOODSTOCK: A SNAPSHOT IN TIME, and a film about people who get musical messages from John Lennon, SOMETHING ABOUT JOHN. Nancy has also been a judge at The School for Visual Arts in New York and the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. She is also a member of New York Women in Film. And loves dogs.

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Niav Conty

Niav is an active freelance director, cinematographer and screenwriter in New York City. Her award-winning films have traveled to festivals worldwide. SMALL TIME, her 2020 feature shot in rural Pennsylvania over five years has won 9 awards, including Best Feature and Best Director several times over. She is currently in post-production on her newest feature, PERSON WOMAN MAN CAMERA TV, about an interracial couple disintegrating during the 2020 pandemic.

Tim Gordon

Film Critic, Association President, Festival Director, Film Historian, Radio Host, Film Festival and Award Show Founder, Adjunct Professor, Executive Director, Brand Creator, and lover of all things film, Tim remains a cinema innovator seeking to educate future generations and alter the perspective of African-American portrayals on the screen and in the executive suites of Hollywood. In 2018, he fulfilled a life-long dream, launching the Lakefront Film Festival.

Mandy Looney

A graduate from the Specs Howard School of Broadcast Media in Michigan, Mandy’s ability to visualize concepts, understand and create an approach into a new film project from script to screen brings along a unique, individual and often very humorous vision. She brings amazing talent both in front of and behind the scenes, most recently as Director of the short films WATCH NIGHT and EMERGENCY ALERT both seeing success on the film festival circuit with 20+ acceptances throughout 2019.

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Meet our JURY Mike Madigan

Mike began his film career as director of the short film CAUGHT, filmed in Chicago, which screened at 11 film festivals in the US He saw continued success with dramatic shorts THE CANDLE, DEMETER and the smash follow-up hit DEMETER: SURRENDER, with the film’s trailer receiving 700,000+ Youtube hits to date.

In 2010, the romantic comedy “4 Pictures” was released, a highly stylized short that received accolades including Best Comedy and Best Director.

Kevin Mambo

Known for his recent work on MARVEL’S LUKE CAGE, the CBS Daytime serial GUIDING LIGHT, and the Broadway production of the musical FELA!, Kevin Mambo’s range is vast.

Upon completion of earning a BFA at the School of Dramatic arts at USC in Los Angeles, Mambo gained critical acclaim on GUIDING LIGHT: three consecutive nominations and two consecutive Emmys for Outstanding Younger Actor in Drama Series. His career has been a reflection of his range and prowess since.

Tim Naylor

Upon receiving his MFA from New York University’s Graduate Film Program, Tim went on to work as a cinematographer, shooting numerous features, documentaries and TV shows, including Steve McQueen’s SHAME and INSIDE AMY SCHUMER as well as winning Best Cinematography at the 2019 Madrid IFF. In the past few years he’s directed a slate of short films, notably BURIED DEEP (Palm Springs FF and Urban World FF) and CHRISTMAS MISSION: SIERRA LEONE (Lincoln Center).

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Peter Nickowitz

Peter is a screenwriter, playwright, poet, and literary critic. His first feature, JONATHAN, premiered at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival.

Peter’s plays have been produced or developed at The Lark, Dixon Place, The Cherry Lane, and The Blank Theater in Los Angeles. His books include Cinema Vernacular, a collection of poems, and Rhetoric and Sexuality: The Poetry of Hart Crane, Elizabeth Bishop, and James Merrill. Peter lives in New York City and teaches at New York University.

Traven Rice

Traven is a New York City-based filmmaker devoted to telling stories about the extraordinary moments that make up our everyday lives.

She recently completed the pilot for DIVISION STREET, which was featured in the FilmShop collective’s Breakthrough Series and screened in competition at SeriesFest 2019, where it won a development award from the Caz Matthews Fund. Rice studied film at FAMU, in Prague, Czech Republic. She is currently developing her feature film, RED ROCK FALLS.

Lili Rosen

Lili is an actress and consultant who specializes in the Yiddish language and culture of pre-war Eastern European communities and contemporary Hasidic society. Dubbed

by Airmail magazine “Hollywood’s Yiddish Consultant,” she served as the script consultant, translator, language coach and art consultant on numerous projects for theatre, film and TV, including most recently Netflix’s UNORTHODOX, Amazon’s UNDONE and MINYAN. 25

Meet our JURY Eric Seals

Eric works as a photo & video journalist at the Detroit Free Press, where he’s been since 1999. Eric has been recognized for his photo and video storytelling with a national Edward R. Murrow award, a national Webby Award, multiple Michigan Press Photographer Association Multimedia Photographer of the Year awards, several POYi awards & eleven regional Emmys.

Ya’Ke Smith

Known for his unflinching and veracious style of storytelling, Ya’Ke’s films have received worldwide acclaim, screening and winning awards at over 100 film festivals. The Director’s Guild of America, the Student Academy Awards, HBO, Showtime, the City of Buffalo, NY, and the City of Cincinnati, OH, which proclaimed October 6, 2019 as Ya’Ke Smith Day, have honored him.

He received his M.F.A. from the University of Texas at Austin’s film program, where he is currently an Associate Professor of film.

Louis Spiegler

Louis started as an apprentice editor before landing at Dimension Films/Miramax, where he oversaw films directed by Wes Craven, Guillermo Del Toro, and Robert Rodriguez.

Currently he’s working with producers Katrina Wolfe (HBO’s “Nightingale”), Shannon McIntosh (Tarantino’s “Once Upon A Time in Hollywood”), Christian Bruun, and Adam Pincus on film, documentary, and podcast projects both factbased and fictional.

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Wilna Julmiste Taylor

Wilna is an actor, writer, producer and art administrator who investigates the intersections of art and culture, and highlights her Haitian heritage. Her work has been presented national and internationally at venues such as the Manhattan Repertory Theatre and the National Black Theatre Festival. She has been published in the Caribbean Writer where she is noted as an up and coming voice.

April Wright

April is an award-winning filmmaker who brings a fresh and creative approach to her documentary and narrative projects. Working as a narrative programmer for the Sundance Film Festival for the past 15 years, Sundance has been her film school. April’s latest film STUNTWOMEN: THE UNTOLD HOLLYWOOD STORY won Best Documentary of 2020 from the Women Film Critics Circle.

Matt Zettell

Director/Producer Matt has spent over 20 years in the entertainment industry. He began his career in the theatre, directing across the country and building two pre-professional actor training programs. He has worked as a director and producer on over 35 feature films, 100’s of infomercials and corporate videos and 22 television series. He has worked on big budget features, independent films, documentaries and commercials.

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Meet our Student JURY

Liliana Bauman

Mackenzie DeArment

Odis Johnson

Shreya Narsinghani

Penn State University

Penn State University

Demi Olorunnisola

Young Scholars of Central PA Charter School

Kevin Sohn

Penn State University

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Penn State University

Penn State University

Tragedy Plaisance

State College Area High School

Hayley Weber

Penn State University

Check our website for more student jury members

Meet our TEAM

Pearl Gluck

Founder / Artistic Director

Cassie Ross Green

Curt Chandler

Co-Founder / Utility Infielder

Kelly Berthold

Managing Director

Director of Operations

Catharine Axley

Aaron Taub

Kevin Hagopian

Gabby Sumney

Programmer

Programmer

Programmer

Programmer

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Meet our TEAM

Adrienne Waterston

Outreach and Publicity

Tannaz Amin

Morgan Seiff

Kevin Conklin

Rebecca Inlow

Will Yurman

Abby Tarpey

Art and Design

Rowland Theatre

Photographer

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Ellyn Exley

Ad Hoc Web Guru

Art and Design

Rowland Theatre

Student Intern

Check our website for more team members

FILM GUIDE This year, we are showcasing 80+ projects both streaming online and in-person in Philipsburg, Altoona, and State College. Our lineup includes Made in PA, national, and international award-winning films about sports and music, parenting and automats, as well as comedy, horror, and thought-provoking stories about restorative justice, immigration, and youth activism. We also expanded our world-wide selection of high school and college student shorts.

Our films screen in blocks of two or more. Browse the film guide to discover where our films are playing and when, using the icons below.

In Person

Watch Anytime

Q&A Livestream

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AT OUR DOORSTEP, ON OUR SHORES HOMELAND/WETLAND

Daneeta Loretta Jackson + Patrick Jackson | 2020, USA

THE ANTS & THE GRASSHOPPER

12 min

Strategies for independent survival are a Louisiana inheritance. But as multinationals corner local markets and squeeze out knowledge workers, they may be lost to history.

Zak Piper + Raj Patel 2021, USA, Malawi

74 min

Anita has a gift; she can bring food from dead soil, make men fight for gender equality, and end child hunger in her village. But can she persuade Americans that climate change is real?

The Rowland Theatre | Nov. 6, 3:30 PM

BACK TO THE FUTURE GONE IN A FLASH

Justin Zimmerman 2018, USA

THE AUTOMAT

3 min

With his insane Flash animations, Jim Choma made the Internet worth visiting. But in this blisteringly fast and funny animated documentary, not everyone makes it.

Lisa Hurwitz 2021, USA

In the 100-year story of the iconic restaurant chain Horn & Hardart, the inspiration for Starbucks, a business climbs to peak success and grapples with fast food in a forever changed America.

The Rowland Theatre | Nov. 6, 8:00 PM

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79 min

BODY POLITICS ABORTION HELPLINE, THIS IS LISA

Janet Goldwater + Barbara Attie 2019, USA

BELLY OF THE BEAST

13 min

At an abortion fund in Philadelphia, counselors arrive each morning to the nonstop ring of calls from women and teens who seek to end a pregnancy . . . and can’t afford to.

Erika Cohn 2020, USA

82 min

When an unlikely duo discovers a pattern of illegal sterilizations in women’s prisons, they wage a near impossible battle against the Department of Corrections.

BROTHERLY LOVE DEAR PHILADELPHIA

Renee Osubu 2020, UK

PHILLY DA

27 min

With the help of their family, friends, and faith, three fathers unravel the incomparable partnership of forgiveness and community in North Philadelphia.

Ted Passon, Yoni Brook + Nicole Salazar | 2021, USA

110 min

Explore police brutality, the opioid crisis, gun violence, and mass incarceration through the lens of an idealistic team of outsiders attempting an overhaul from within the system.

The Rowland Theatre | Nov. 7, 4:00 PM

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CHILLER THRILLER LE VAROU

Marie Heyse | 2021, France

SKIFTING

29 min

A mysterious beast has been lurking around Gabi’s caravan in the woods after dark.

Zinnini Elkington | 2021, Denmark

25 min

Dark thoughts manifest when a mother learns that her baby may have been switched at birth.

SURGE

Aneil Karia | 2020, UK

115 min

Set over two days in London, a man goes on a bold and reckless journey of self-liberation.

Crowning their legacy THE HAIRDRESSER

Lorraine Price 2021, Canada

THE WAR OF RAYA SINITSINA

14 min

Kathleen is a hairdresser. Always has been. But not in the way you would expect.

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Efim Graboy 2021, Israel, Russia

88 min

A 94-year-old Soviet war heroine faces the loss of her comrades as her health deteriorates– until a spiritual process awakens her.

Experimental showcase IN THE FUTURE

FEMME

4 min

Kelly Gallagher | 2021, USA

Carla Forte | 2021, USA

10 min

Knowing that another world is possible, people young and old share their future hopes.

A dance film inspired by Latin American women oppressed by their social circumstances.

THE BACKSIDE OF GOD

RADICAL CARE: THE AUNTIE SEWING SQUAD

24 min Can you love someone who believes your existence is immoral?

8 min Valerie Soe | 2021, USA A group of women-of-color sew and donate facemasks to vulnerable communities.

Hogan Seidel | 2020, USA

Eye on the ball AMERICANIZED

Erica Eng 2021, USA

THE LAST OUT

17 min

To her high school basketball team, she’s just that girl who sits on the bench; but to the Asian kids she’s “Americanized.” ​​

Sami Kahn + Michael Gassert 2020, USA, Costa Rica, Cuba

74 min

Three Cuban Baseball players leave their families and risk exile to chase their dream of making it to the Major Leagues.

The Rowland Theatre | Nov. 6, 5:30 PM

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Family dynamic JOYCHILD

Aurora Brachman 2021, USA

FILM ABOUT A FATHER WHO

6 min

Sensitivity and self-awareness colors the joys and fears of when a child tells their mother, “I’m not a girl.” Shot in beautifully evocative black and white 16mm film.

Lynne Sachs 2020, USA

74 min

Over 35 years, filmmaker Lynne Sachs recorded films of her father, Ira Sachs Sr. As startling facts mount, Sachs discovers more about him than she had ever hoped to reveal.

Fancy footwork AILEY

FIREBIRD

Carley Byers 2021, USA

15 min

Nora is confronted with the reality of ballet’s physical and emotional demands.

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Jamila Wignot 2021, USA

82 min

Traces the full contours of Alvin Ailey, an elusive visionary whose enduring choreography centers on the Black American experience with grace, strength, and unparalleled beauty.

Fight Fire With Fire ALL THOSE SENSATIONS IN MY BELLY

Marko Djeska 2020, Croatia

WE BURN LIKE THIS

13 min

While transitioning, Matia struggles with finding a genuine, intimate relationship with a heterosexual man.

Alana Waksman 2021, USA

81 min

When 22 year-old Rae, a descendant of Holocaust survivors, is targeted by Neo-Nazis in Billings, Montana, her ancestors’ trauma becomes real.

The Rowland Theatre | Nov. 7, 2:00 PM

Hidden in plain site HOME FROM SCHOOL

AGUILAS

Kristy Guevara-Flanagan + Maite Zubiaurre | 2021, USA

14 min

The Arizona desert is a vast cemetery where the dried bones of migrants lie exposed under the scorching sun. This group of searchers set out to recover those who went missing.

Geoff O’Gara 2021, USA

60 min

“Kill the Indian to save the man” was the slogan of The Carlisle Indian Industrial School opened in Pennsylvania in 1879: a grim epitaph for numerous native children who died there.

The State Theatre | Nov. 2, 7:00 PM

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high expectations SPROUTLAND

Cynthia Wade 2021, USA

LADY BUDS

25 min

For his grieving widow, Beth, navigating life without her health-guru husband isn’t easy, especially because her fitness freak neighbors can’t stop imitating him.

CJ Russo 2021, USA

96 min

Six courageous women come out of the shadows of the cannabis underground and risk their livelihoods to enter the newly legal market in California.

The Mishler Theatre | Nov.4, 7:00 PM

High School shoRTS ISOLATION

Andreas Rothbart 2020, USA

EDMOND WYSINGER

5 min

Tackles the toll of the pandemic on the younger generation.

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William Youngquist 2021, USA

8 min

He started out as a Slave. Then, he ended segregation in California.

High school shorts (cont.)

MIDNIGHT ART CLASS

Isabella Catharina Santos Lima Bastos | 2021, USA

ABUELA’S CAFE

7 min

Andrew Ordieres 2021, USA

3 min

A rebellious teenager is caught trying to steal a painting.

A young boy grows up with Abuela’s delicious food.

CHERIE JE T’AIME

HOLDING BACK

Eli Berliner 2021, USA

5 min

CJ Russo 2021, USA

4 min

A son losing his mother to Alzheimer’s Disease struggles to play guitar.

I don’t know how to talk about my feelings.

FORGOTTEN OBJECTS

THINK LIKE A FILMMAKER

Jonah Bingham 2021, USA

4 min

A man decides to return a lost glove to a stranger.

Eli Berliner 2021, USA

6:22 min

Eli Berliner turns the camera on his father, a personal documentary filmmaker.

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HONORING MADELINE ANDERSON I AM SOMEBODY

INTEGRATION REPORT 1

28 min

1970, USA

​​ 1969, black women hospital workers went In on strike for union recognition and a wage increase, only to find themselves up against the state government and the National Guard.

1960, USA

20 min

Captures the marches, sit-ins, rallies and boycotts in the months leading up to the first attempt at a march on Washington, bringing viewers to the front lines of the fight for civil rights.

Madeline Anderson is the recipient of the Centre Film Festival’s 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award, page 16

ICON IN THE KITCHEN TOTO

Marco Baldonado 2020, USA

JULIA

13 min

Rosa Forlano, a 90-year-old Nonna, falls in love with a robot while teaching it how to make spaghetti.

Julie Cohen + Betsy West 2021, USA

Traces Julia Child’s rapid ascent to become the country’s most unlikely television superstar who changed the way Americans think about food, television, and even women.

The Rowland Theatre | Nov. 5, 8:00 PM

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95 min

in retro-spect TEN LEAVES DILATED

DEATH AND BOWLING

14 min

Kate Hinshaw 2021, USA

A make-believe world crafted by Cabbage Patch Kids examines discourses surrounding childbirth and motherhood in the American South.

Lyle Kash 2021, USA

73 min

A transgender actor struggles with what it means to be seen after the beloved captain of his lesbian bowling league dies and a mysterious stranger shows up at the funeral.

The State Theatre | Nov. 3, 7:00 PM

inside out HUNTSVILLE STATION

Chris Filippone 2021, USA

LORELEI

14 min

In the moment between incarceration and freedom, a myriad of complicated emotions arise before the bus arrives to take home dozens of inmates on parole.

Sabrina Doyle 2020, USA

111 min

A man is released from prison after 15 years and reunites with his high school girlfriend, who is now a single mother of three.

The Rowland Theatre | Nov. 5, 6:00 PM

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INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SHOWCASE 1 COP

MANNEQUIN

Roman Sinitsyn 6 min 2020, Russia А police officer arrived on what seemed like a routine call.

Mahnaz Valipour 13 min 2020, Iran Young Hamed falls in love with a mannequin.

MEMORY

NOTHING IS HERE

Elif Turan 6 min 2020, Turkey As a woman looks deep into her photographs, she gets confused about her past.

Kaiyun Yang 2021, Taiwan An unusual guest arrives for tea.

A DAY OF MY LIFE

TURNING MAN - 81RPM

Omar Ashraf 2021, Egypt A day in the life of a mother and son.

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7 min

6 min

Robin Trouillet 14 min 2021, Germany 81 years is far from too old for hard raves.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SHOWCASE 2 I’M HOME

Hsuan-Wei Wu | 2021, Taiwan

KNOCK-KNOCK

15 min

Svetlana Belorussova | 2020, Russia

7 min

Jay reluctantly returns home to reunite with his father.

The sound of an axe makes you stay longer in your childhood home.

CONTUSION

AS IF UNDERWATER

Amin Anari | 2021, Iran

15 min

A woman refuses to let interns attend her daughter’s virginity examination.

Anthi Daoutaki | 2020, Greece

18 min A wedding ring gives life to an imaginary relationship.

In Our Backyard 16

Paddy Cotter | 2021, USA

BLACK TEA

69 min

After the death of Connor Darcey, his family, coaches and fellow athletes are forced to come to terms with their grief.

Tierra Williams | 2021, USA

22:12 min

Community engagement is focused on the racial disparages here in State College, Pennsylvania, as well as nationwide.

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KID FLICKS 3+ with the New York International Children’s Film Festival

A FILM BY M+M

Megan McShane, USA

A LYNX IN THE TOWN

2 min

INK

KENYA’S SYMPHONY

Joost van den Bosch, Netherlands 2 min

Carlos Douglas Jr., USA

KIRI AND LOU - AIR

LEAF

Harry Sinclair, New Zealand

5 min

MIDO AND THE INSTRUMALS

Roman Guillanton, France

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Nina Bisiarina, France

6 min

Aliona Baranova, Belarus

7 min

5 min

6 min

THE SUM OF ITS PARTS

Alisa Stern, USA

3 min

THE YOGI WALRUS

Daleya Marohn, UK

UMBRELLAS

4 min

Jose Prats, France

12 min

KID FLICKS 7+ with the New York International Children’s Film Festival

RENAIDANCE

Zhike Yang, USA

MATILDA AND THE SPARE HEAD

4 min

WILD LEA

MT Salcedo Montero, Colombia

Ignas Meilūnas, Lithuania

13 min

DEAR FUTURE ME

9 min

Sarah Klein, USA

13 min

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KID FLICKS 7++(cont.)

LOUIS’S SHOES

Marion Philippe, France

KAPAEMAHU

5 min

Hinaleimoana, USA

9 min

ICE BREAKERS

Sandi Rankaduwa, Canada

15 min

MY SISTER’S KEEPER FIVE MINUTES

Christine Khalafian 2020, USA

SISTERS RISING

5 min

When a woman is given five minutes out of the house by her oppressive boyfriend, she bravely turns her moment of freedom into a plea for help--but is met with apathy and suspicion.

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Willow O’Feral + Brad Heck 2020, USA

59 min

Native American survivors of sexual assault fight to restore personal and tribal sovereignty against the backdrop of an ongoing legacy of violent colonization.

NATIONAL STUDENT FILMS TEJANO NIGHT

FIREBIRD

Alexander Rosales | 2021, USA

13 min A short film about the multi-dimensionality of Latinx identity.

Carley Byers | 2021, USA 15 min Nora is confronted with the reality of ballet’s physical and emotional demands.

BITTERSWEET

DOUBLE CULTURA

12 min An elderly couple reflects on their memories of the home they must leave behind.

Yessenia Sánchez | 2021, USA

12-year-old Marisol must act as a translator for her mother’s medical diagnosis.

TAKE A LITTLE TIME

THE ACCIDENTAL GRANDSON

Jake Jurich | 2021, USA

13 min Smitty’s never questioned the blind pursuit of profit.

Paul Terzano | 2019, USA

ONE MORE PLEASE

ARTIFICIAL REVOLUTION

Aleksei Borovikov | 2019, USA 5 min A lonely young man begins a playful drinking game with a handsome stranger.

Elyas Masrour | 2021, USA

Dylan Hensley | 2020, USA

9 min

13 min

A home invasion goes horribly wrong.

9 min

A young artist investigates: are we approaching the end of art?

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ON THE MOVE YOU’RE DEAD HELEN

DRUNK BUS

24 min

John Carlucci + Brandon LaGanke 101 min 2020, USA

Maxime is literally haunted by the ghost of his girlfriend Hélène. Maxime finally decides to break up with her, but she will not accept this decision.

A directionless campus bus driver and a punkrock security guard form an unlikely kinship as they navigate the unpredictable late shift shit show known as the “drunk bus.”

Michiel Blanchart 2021, France

PREGNANT PAUSE MEATS

Ashely Williams 2021, USA

FULLY REALIZED HUMANS

10 min

What happens when a pregnant vegan suddenly craves meat? Lane hires a butcher to teach her how to be a responsible carnivore and ends up learning about a new side of herself.

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Joshua Leonard 2020, USA

76 min

With less than a month until the birth of their first child, Jackie and Elliot embark on a madcap odyssey of self-discovery to rid themselves of the inherited dysfunction of their own upbringings.

RIGHT OF PASSAGE MAZEL TOV

BEANS

25 min

Eli Zuzovsky 2020, Israel

At the height of a war, and on the verge of a nervous breakdown, Adam’s bar mitzvah party turns into a glorious catastrophe.

Tracey Deer 2020, Canada

92 min

Beans is on the edge: torn between childhood and adolescence, she’s forced to grow up fast and become the tough Mohawk warrior she needs to be during the Oka Crisis.

The State Theatre | Nov. 1, 7:00 PM

SIZE MATTERS SHREDDED

Noam Stolerman 2020, Israel

KILI BIG

16 min

An aging bodybuilder is on the path to becoming a champion. Moments before emerging as a finalist, he might face a heartache.

Ida Jogler 2021, USA, Tanzania

90 min

A group of plus-sized women from around the world attempt to climb the tallest freestanding mountain on the planet, Mount Kilimanjaro.

The Rowland Theatre | Nov. 7, 12:00 PM

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STEP UP TO THE MIC UPROAR

Moe Najati 2019, Cuba

THE FORBIDDEN STRINGS

19 min

Deep in one of the poorest neighborhoods of Havana, you will find Rumba Morena–and they are all women.

Hasan Noori 2019, Afghanistan, Iran, Qatar

72 min

They are the only young Afghani immigrants in Iran who have formed a rock band, and their dream is to play live in their homeland. Despite the dangers that confront them.

Striking connections DON VS LIGHTNING

Big Red Buttons 2020, UK

A KADDISH FOR BERNIE MADOFF

13 min

All Don wants is a quiet life in the Scottish Highlands. Unfortunately, the Universe has other plans.

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Alicia J. Rose 2020, USA

75 min

A mystical meta-musical set on Wall Street in 2008 about the greatest financial fraud in history, as seen through the eyes of musician/ poet Alicia Jo Rabins.

Supreme legacy SAVE RALPH

Spencer Susser 2021, USA

YOUTH V GOV

4 min

Introducing Ralph, the new spokes-bunny of the global campaign to ban animal testing for cosmetics, starring Taika Waititi.

Christi Cooper 2020, USA

111 min

Twenty-one courageous youths lead a groundbreaking lawsuit against the U.S. government, asserting it has willfully acted over six decades to create our climate crisis.

The Rowland Theatre | Nov. 6, 11:00 AM

thicker than water SINCE YOU ARRIVED, MY HEART STOPPED BELONGING TO ME

Erin Semine Kökdil 2021, USA, Mexico

21 min

Each child had their own reason for leaving home. Now, their photos hang around the necks of mothers as they walk the streets of Mexico with the aching question: “Have you seen them?”

LA MADRINA: THE SAVAGE LIFE OF LORINE PADILLA

Raquel Cepeda 2020, USA

82 min

South Bronx matriarch and former “First Lady” of the Savage Skulls gang struggles to remain visible in the rapidly gentrifying community she helped rebuild in the 1980s.

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Under pressure AS IF UNDERWATER

Anthi Daoutaki 2020, Greece

MY SO-CALLED SELFISH LIFE

18 min

An awkward encounter with a jeweler leads Hera to buy a wedding ring, which gives life to an imaginary relationship, fleeting like a dream.

Therese Shechter 2021, USA

78 min

Who are the “selfish” women who have said no to motherhood? A tour through culture’s obsession with birthing babies, and the filmmaker’s reckoning with remaining children.

Virtual shorts HUNTSVILLE STATION

Chris Filippone | 2021, USA

TOTO

14 min

13 min

90-year-old Rosa falls in love with a robot while teaching it how to make spaghetti.

GONE IN A FLASH

LO2SS

Justin Zimmerman | 2018, USA

3 min

With his insane Flash animations, Jim Choma made the internet worth visiting.

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Marco Baldonado | 2020, USA

In the moment between incarceration and freedom, complicated emotions arise.

Jesko Thiel | 2021, Germany

24 min

As the world is ending, how will David spend the precious last days of his life?

VIRTUAL SHORTS(cont.)

TEN LEAVES DILATED

SPROUTLAND

Kate Hinshaw | 2021, USA 14 min Examine childbirth and motherhood through Cabbage Patch Kids.

25 min Cynthia Wade | 2020, USA Navigating life without her health-guru husband isn’t easy with fitness freak neighbors.

HOMELAND/WETLAND

CASHBACK

Daneeta Loretta Jackson + Patrick Jackson | 2020, USA

12 min

Strategies for independent survival are a Louisiana inheritance. But they may be lost to history.

Zoe Eisenberg 2021, USA

8 min

On her last night of work, a pregnant theater manager discovers a bag of cash under a seat and must decide what to do with it.

YOUR TURN TO VOTE! Cast your ballot for

AUDIENCE AWARD

at the end of each screening, in person or online.

The winners will be announced at the closing night Award Ceremony.

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What comes around ONE NIGHT ONLY

DRIVER X

Lili Bordán | 2020, USA 19 min A vagabond actor traveling through a strange city collides with his long-lost love.

98 min Henry Barrial | 2018, USA Driving for a rideshare app, a stay-at-home dad goes on a voyage through LA’s Tinderfueled party scene.

The Rowland Theatre | Nov. 6, 1:00 PM Followed by UP CLOSE with Patrick Fabian, acting workshop, page 18

What lies beneath SAY HIS NAME

PINE AND GENESEE

Kelly Gallagher | 2020, USA

3 min

About a former stop on the Underground Railroad, the erasure of history, and what we owe those who struggled before us.

SINCE I BEEN DOWN

Gilda Sheppard | 2020, USA 105 min Tacoma, Washington, sacrificed its most vulnerable children to a life behind bars. Those children, now adults, will not be silenced.

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Cy Dodson | 2021, USA

21 min

The murder of George Floyd sparked a global uprising, the epicenter in director Cy Dodson’s Minneapolis neighborhood.

Meet our sponsors & Partners EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS BELLISARIO COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATIONS Provides the opportunities and resources of a large university with the personalized feel and support of a small school. As one of the largest accredited programs of its kind in the nation, students can find a place where they can fit and succeed.

BILL JAFFE LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE The Bill Jaffe Leadership Initiative supports the new University Arts Museum. After moving to State College in 1995, Bill and his late wife, Honey, consistently supported the arts by not only contributing financially, but by serving on numerous advisory boards.

THE HAPPY VALLEY ADVENTURE BUREAU The bureau’s mission is to develop, promote, and engage in travel related activities and coordinate visitor services designed to enhance the economic activity and quality of life within Centre County, Pennsylvania.

THE ROWLAND THEATRE Historic single-screen movie theatre built in 1917 by Charles Hedding Rowland. The theatre is owned by the borough of Philipsburg. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

HYATT PLACE Hyatt Place hotels understands that every trip has a purpose, and every stay should be an opportunity to recharge and make the next day more successful than the one before. After all, you never settle.

So neither do

PRODUCERS JOHN CURLEY CENTER FOR SPORTS JOURNALISM Explores issues and trends in sports journalism through instruction, outreach, programming and research. Emphasizes internships and hands-on experience with broadcast, multimedia and print outlets as well as with league, sport and team publicity operations.

SHINDIG ALLEY A family-owned business on Front Street in Philipsburg. Finds unique, vintage items in a range of time periods and styles to fit every budget. We do what we do to see you happy and in possession of a piece of history.

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Meet our Sponsors & Partners BROWN DOG CATERING A locally owned full-service catering company. As a husband and wife team, you can count on a personal experience and attention to your event’s needs when you choose Brown Dog for your services.

DON DAVIS PROGRAM IN ETHICAL LEADERSHIP The mission of the Don Davis Program in Ethical Leadership is to promote professional, academic and personal integrity within the community of the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications.

SUSTAINABILITY INSTITUTE Using the 2030 Global Sustainable Development Goals, works collaboratively with the Penn State community to ensure the institutionalization of sustainability across our colleges, campuses, communities, and the state of Pennsylvania.

THE MISHLER THEATRE The Blair County Arts Foundation preserves one of the remaining links to Altoona’s cultural past. This grand facility is currently home to Altoona Community Theatre and Altoona Symphony Orchestra.

THE STATE THEATRE The State Theatre is a community-owned theatre dedicated to serving the Centre County region. We’re a mainstay of the State College, PA community, a proud hub of local culture, featuring artists both homegrown and nationally renowned.

WPSU WPSU Penn State is a PBS and NPR member station and a service of Penn State Outreach, supporting the community as a trusted source for news, information, and education.

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND ARCHITECTURE Penn State’s hub for arts and design education, outreach, and engagement, where new ways of thinking are encouraged and interdisciplinary collaboration is the norm.

THE ARTERY A new art space coming to Philipsburg, PA celebrating community, ceramics, printmaking, and coffee.

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THE MCCOURTNEY INSTITUTE FOR DEMOCRACY Draws from the humanities and social sciences to examine democracy from multiple angles. This cross-discipline collaboration is evident in our research, education, and outreach efforts.

PSU STUDENT AFFAIRS We support and challenge students as they expand learning beyond the classroom, develop personal and professional skills, and achieve the success they seek at Penn State and in their lives.

CO-PRODUCERS THE MOSHANNON VALLEY YMCA Strengthens the foundations of our community through well-being and fitness, camps, family time, sports and play, and other activities for people of all ages, incomes, and abilities.

GALAXY CIU10 Seeks to provide support and resources to local school districts to nurture and sustain a comprehensive Arts program for all students, thereby enhancing a school’s academic offerings and improving student achievement across the curriculum.

CENTER FOR SEXUAL AND GENDER DIVERSITY The Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity (CSGD) provides a comprehensive range of education, information, and advocacy services to Penn State students, faculty, staff, and alumni through educational, social, and supportive programming,

CENTRE LGBTQA SUPPORT NETWORK The mission of Centre LGBTQA Support Network is to bring the community together through LGBTQA education and activities in the Centre region.

JEWISH STUDIES PROGRAM AT PENN STATE The Jewish Studies program is an interdisciplinary program where students will learn about the history, cultures, literatures, and languages of the Jews.

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Meet our Sponsors & Partners WTAJ WTAJ is a CBS-affiliated television station licensed to Altoona, Pennsylvania, and serving West-Central Pennsylvania. The station is pleased to be a community media sponsor of the festival.

COMMAGENCY CommAgency creates high-quality, low-cost media for Penn State clients. Overseen by a full-time faculty director and division managers, we give students real-world experience working with professional equipment and real-life clients.

ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS

The CENTRE FILM FESTIVAL is supporting the YMCA of Centre County’s Anti-Hunger program.

Here’s how you can help: Check our website for food items you can donate at our in-person events.

Contact Mel Curtis for more ways to get involved at mcurtis@ymcaocc.org.

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Centre Film Festival Thanks Our Hotel Sponsor

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Happy Valley, Pennsylvania is the greatest setting for making memories in the personal blockbuster of your life.

Dining destinations, interesting attractions, historic sites, tours, sports, gardens, boutique shops, caves, bed & breakfasts in small towns, inns and hotels are ready for your visit.

With six state parks & plenty of world-class trails, Happy Valley is an ideal destination for outdoor enthusiasts of all sorts -- fishing, kayaking, hiking, mountain biking, skiing, bird watching, geocaching and more.

You can easily plan multiple trips to explore the small towns of Happy Valley. Our blog has a local’s view and insider information to help you plan your itinerary. Look for our “Spend a Day” series at Dispatch.HappyValley.com.

Plan your getaway today and find lodging at HappyValley.com.

HAPPYVALLEY.COM 60

The Rowland Theatre Welcomes the Centre Film Festival

Together, we celebrate films and filmmakers!

We love having you back!

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Since 1906 Altoona’s Historic Mishler Theatre has stood as a cultural cornerstone here in Altoona, Blair County, PA...the nation’s First Frontier.

Rising from the ashes of a devestating fire, and escaping the wrecking ball, this magnificent playhouse of great historic, architectural and cultural significance still stands as a testament to the commitment of an entire community.

Please help the ongoing preservation and renovation efforts of Altoona’s Historic Mishler Theatre through attending performances, volunteering or donating.

For information on the theatre and to donate visit www.mishlertheatre.org Photo Credit: Two20Studios

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Join us for Intersections Nov. 17

Jan. 19

Feb. 9

Mar. 23

Apr. 5

Apr. 20

Join the Sustainability Institute at Penn State for our monthly film series, finding intersections among the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. All films screen online at 7 p.m. and are free and open to all.

Learn more at intersections.psu.edu.

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SUPPORTING

S I N C E 1 9 8 4 , T H E M O S T C H I L L B A R I N T OW N .

Welcoming and diverse, we're famous for fabulous cocktails and fine company.

W W W . D R I N K AT C H U M L E Y S . C O M | @ C H U M L E Y S _ B A R 108 W College Ave., State College, PA 16801

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Monday- Friday COCO'S 7 am-12 pm Saturday COFFEE 7 am-3 pm HOUSE Sunday 9 am-3 pm

Wednesday- Saturday 5 pm -9 pm

Call for consulatation and pricing 112 E. PINE STREET PHILIPSBURG, PA 16866 (814) 883-5922 67

2021-22 season:

A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Nostalgia Night, Blood at the Root, Brigadoon

Tickets: 814-863-0255 ◆ www.theatre.psu.edu/centrestage 68

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Philipsburg Branch 409 N. Front Street Philipsburg, PA 16866 814-342-0300 Equal Housing Lender. ©2021 M&T Bank. Member FDIC. 70

WANT TO....

BUY? SELL? INVEST?

CALL AMY DORAN! 814-762-5226 814-272-3333

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Video • Photography • Live Production • Social Strategy

bellisario.psu.edu/commagency

Your Trusted Real Estate Source

814-343-6371

Wanda Ryen Broker of Record

@ryenrealtyllc

21 n second street philipsburg, pa 16866

www.ryenrealtyllc.com

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Central Pennsylvania recording studio, radio station, videography, and apparel.

2690 Commerce Drive Harrisburg, PA MBishin.com

Altoona Johnstown State College kranichs.com

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MAHENDI

MAHENDI began with a single signature necklace cast in Nepal and a mission to safeguard the lives of women and children around the globe.

Over the years, we’ve evolved into a socially responsible lifestyle brand expanding our purpose to safeguard our communities, shared resources and people around the globe. mahendiprojects.com

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FRIDAY NIGHT RED CARPET

Join us.

SATURDAY NIGHT COCKTAIL PARTY

Follow us.

centrefilm.org @centrefilm

VIRTUAL TREATS 78

Get our merch.

TEES - TANKS - TOTES - MASKS Get yours at centrefilm.org or all festival venues

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See YOU NEXT YEAR

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