2019 Norwalk Film Festival Program

★ FAMILY ANIMATED FEATURE FILM ★
(11:00AM - 12:30PM, FREE)

Abominable (+ The Pits short film)

START TIME: 11:00AM - Family Animated Feature, Bow Tie Cinemas South Norwalk
DIRECTOR: Jill Culton, Todd Wilderman
STARRING: Sarah Paulson, Eddie Izzard
RATING: PG
RUNNING TIME: 97 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: A teen and her mischievous friends embark on an epic quest to reunite a Yeti with his beloved family.

Enjoy “The Pits” short film before Abominable
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Mike Hayhurst
RATING: General Audience
RUNNING TIME: 3 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: In a world full of pears, what can you find to fill your pit? A story about longing, love, and finding your other half.

★ DO THE RIGHT THING (30TH ANNIVERSARY SCREENING) ★
(12:00PM - 2:00PM, FREE)

Do the Right Thing

START TIME: 12:00PM - 30th Anniversary Screening, Bow Tie Cinemas South Norwalk
DIRECTOR: Spike Lee
STARRING: Spike Lee, Danny Aiello, Rosie Perez, Martin Lawrence, John Turturro, Samuel L. Jackson
RATING: R
RUNNING TIME: 120 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: Salvatore "Sal" Fragione is the Italian owner of a pizzeria in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. A neighborhood local, Buggin' Out, becomes upset when he sees that the pizzeria's Wall of Fame exhibits only Italian actors. Buggin' Out believes a pizzeria in a black neighborhood should showcase black actors, but Sal disagrees. The wall becomes a symbol of racism and hate to Buggin' Out and to other people in the neighborhood, and tensions rise until it explodes into violence

THE MARITIME AQUARIUM SCREENINGS


★ A RARE CINEMATIC VOYAGE (IMAX® ARCHIVE SCREENINGS) ★
(11:00AM - 4:00PM, IMAX® Ticket Prices Apply)

THE MARITIME AQUARIUM

On Saturday, September 28, 2019, we welcome you to embark on a rare voyage through uncharted waters. For the first time ever, The Maritime Aquarium will open their IMAX® archives and screen 3 films on their sixty-foot screen that were hand-picked by the Norwalk Film Festival, showcasing the Aquarium’s rich multicultural legacy and ongoing dedication to environmentalism. Visit maritimeaquarium.org to purchase a Maritime Aquarium Ticket. Aquarium Admission includes one standard IMAX® movie on Saturday, 9/28. Tickets to see just an IMAX® movie (without Aquarium admission) can be purchased only at the box office.

Born To Be Wild

TIMES: 11:00AM & 2:00PM - Maritime Aquarium IMAX® Screenings
TICKETS: maritimeaquarium.org or at Box Office
DIRECTOR: David Lickley
RATING: General Audience
RUNNING TIME: 40 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: Narrated by Morgan Freeman, “Born to Be Wild” follows orphaned orangutans and elephants, and the extraordinary people who rescue and raise them – saving endangered species one life at a time.

Dolphins

TIMES: 12:00AM & 3:00PM - Maritime Aquarium IMAX®
TICKETS: maritimeaquarium.org or at Box Office
DIRECTOR: Greg MacGillivray
RATING: General Audience
RUNNING TIME: 64 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: In this Academy-Award nominated film, join scientists, including Connecticut native Dr. Kathleen Dudzinski, as they research the complex world of everyone's favorite marine mammal.

The Last Reef: Cities Beneath the Sea

TIMES: 1:00PM & 4:00PM - Maritime Aquarium IMAX®
TICKETS: maritimeaquarium.org or at Box Office
DIRECTORS: Luke Cresswell, Steve McNicholas
RATING: General Audience
RUNNING TIME: 40 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: Celebrate one of the ocean's most important - but endangered habitats in this passionate film, which emphasizes our connection with - and responsibilities to – the complex ocean world.

TROUPE429: BAR & PERFORMANCE SPACE SCREENINGS
3 WALL STREET, NORWALK, CT
[ALL FILMS ARE BY LGBTQ FILMMAKERS]

★ LGBTQ NARRATIVE FEATURE FILM ★
(12:00PM - 2:00PM, FREE)

Sell By

START TIME: 12:00PM - LGBTQ Narrative Feature, Troupe429
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Mike Doyle
STARRING: Kate Walsh, Augustus Prew, Scott Evans
RATING: Brief sexual content
RUNNING TIME: 94 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: A couple are about to find out if their relationship has an expiration date.

★ LGBTQ SHORT FILM BLOCK ★
(2:30PM - 4:00PM, FREE, Q&A to Follow)

Fierce: A Draguette

START TIME: 2:30PM - LGBTQ Short Film Block, Troupe429
★ Connecticut Premiere!
Directors: JJ Hamilton, Kamikaze Jones
Starring: Robin Fierce
Rating: General Audience
Synopsis: A candid exploration of the transformational process of Connecticut Drag Queen Robin Fierce.

Lavender

START TIME: 2:30PM - LGBTQ Short Film Block, Troupe429
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Matthew Puccini
STARRING: Michael Urie, Ken Barnett, Christopher Schaap
RATING: Sexual themes and content
RUNNING TIME: 10 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: A young gay man grows increasingly entangled in the marriage of an older couple.

August in the City

START TIME: 2:30PM - LGBTQ Short Film Block, Troupe429
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Christie Conochalla
STARRING: Daniela Mastropietro, Mandahla Rose
RATING: Brief drug use
RUNNING TIME: 16 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: When her daughter returns from college during the Thanksgiving holiday with her new found love, August is transported back to 1978 Brooklyn when she made a decision that changed the course of her life forever.

Trophy Boy

START TIME: 2:30PM - LGBTQ Short Film Block, Troupe429
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Emrhys Cooper
STARRING: Emrhys Cooper, Gerald McCullouch, Anthony Johnston
RATING: Contains scenes depicting sex and drug use
RUNNING TIME: 13 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: James, a sexy, youthful sought-after instagram star in high-society and self-proclaimed 'Trophy,' is dumped by his wealthy live-in benefactor. Now he must learn that the real world is not the facade he's built for himself on social media.

These Cocksucking Tears

START TIME: 2:30PM - LGBTQ Short Film Block, Troupe429
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Dan Taberski
STARRING: Patrick Haggerty
RATING: Mature Language
RUNNING TIME: 14 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: In 1973, the son of a dairy farmer wrote and released the first gay-themed country music album - but with only 1,000 copies made, the album soon disappeared. This documentary explores his unlikely personal journey, the politics of ‘country,’ and Haggerty's relationship to the music industry.

Femme

START TIME: 2:30PM - LGBTQ Short Film Block, Troupe429
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Alden Peters
STARRING: Corey Camperchioli, Aja, Derek Klena
RATING: General Audience
RUNNING TIME: 18 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: After being rejected by an online hookup for being too “femme,” Carson, a gay twenty-something, embarks through Hell’s Kitchen on a hilarious journey towards self-discovery and acceptance by way of a manic existential crisis and a drag queen fairy godmother.

Dream House

START TIME: 2:30PM - LGBTQ Short Film Block, Troupe429
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Jeff Bemiss
STARRING: Ryan Farley, Carol Lambert
RATING: Brief rear nudity
RUNNING TIME: 31 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: A delayed coming-of-age drama set in Connecticut follows Mark, who after being hospitalized for attempted suicide, returns home to live with his eccentric mother Ginnie in their deteriorating estate.

★ LGBTQ DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM ★
(5:00PM - 6:45PM, FREE, Q&A to Follow)

Changing The Game

START TIME: 5:00PM - LGBTQ Documentary Feature, Troupe429
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Michael Barnett
STARRING: Andraya Yearwood, Mack Beggs, Sarah Rose Huckman
RATING: General Audience
RUNNING TIME: 95 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: Transgender high school athletes from across the country, including Andraya Yearwood from Cromwell, CT compete at the top of their fields, while also challenging the boundaries and perceptions of fairness and discrimination.

NORWALK MAIN PUBLIC LIBRARY SCREENINGS

AUDITORIUM, 2ND FLOOR

★ DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM BLOCK ★
(12:30PM - 2:00PM, FREE, Q&A to Follow)

Lotte That Silhouette Girl

START TIME: 12:30PM - Doc Short Block, Norwalk Public Library
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTORS: Carla Patullo, Elizabeth Beech
RATING: General Audience
RUNNING TIME: 10 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: Once a small girl from Berlin, hailed from the shadows, a light from within. The fairy tale story of Lotte Reiniger, an animation pioneer.

We Became Fragments

START TIME: 12:30PM - Doc Short Block, Norwalk Public Library
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTORS: Luisa Conlon, Lacy Roberts, Hannah Miller
RATING: General Audience
RUNNING TIME: 13 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: After losing his mother and siblings in a bombing, injured Syrian teenager Ibraheem Sarhan and his father make a new life in Winnipeg, Canada.

R.I.S.E.

START TIME: 12:30PM - Doc Short Block, Norwalk Public Library
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTORS: Bárbara Wagner, Benjamin de Burca
STARRING: R.I.S.E. Actors (Reaching Intelligent Souls Everywhere)
RATING: General Audience
RUNNING TIME: 20 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: In Toronto's subway, young poets, rappers, singers, and musicians negotiate their status as 1st and 2nd generation immigrants.

Good Medicine

START TIME: 12:30PM - Doc Short Block, Norwalk Public Library
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Jackson Tisi
RATING: General Audience
RUNNING TIME: 7 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: Two generations pursue peace and healing on Wyoming’s Wind River Reservation. Youth balance their lives in the modern world skateboarding. The elders find peace through ceremony and tradition.

Papa Machete

START TIME: 12:30PM - Doc Short Block, Norwalk Public Library
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Jonathan David Kane
RATING: General Audience
RUNNING TIME: 10 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: Two hundred years ago, the slaves of Haiti defeated Napoleon in the revolution of 1791-1804. One of their weapons: the tool used to work the land, the machete. This esoteric martial art is explored through Alfred Avril: his proud devotion to his heritage facing increasing globalization; his efforts to keep this mysterious art alive.

Alive and Kicking: Soccer Grannies of South Africa

START TIME: 12:30PM - Doc Short Block, Norwalk Public Library
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Lara-Ann De Wet
RATING: General Audience
RUNNING TIME: 19 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: These South African grandmothers break all taboos when they take up soccer as a way to face their traumas and celebrate life.

★ DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM ★
(3:00PM - 5:00PM, FREE, Q&A to Follow)

Charlie’s Records

START TIME: 3:00PM - Doc Feature, Norwalk Public Library
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Tina Charles
RATING: General Audience
RUNNING TIME: 115 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: Rawlston Charles migrated from Tobago to Brooklyn, NY, in 1967 with a vision to promote Calypso and Soca music through his record store, Charlie’s Calypso City, and music label, Charlie’s Records. An American Immigrant story of an unsung hero.

NCC: NORWALK COMMUNITY COLLEGE - GEN RE FORUM
188 RICHARDS AVENUE, NORWALK, CT
EAST CAMPUS, MAIN LEVEL

★ STUDENT SHORT FILM BLOCK ★
(12:00PM - 1:30PM, FREE, Q&A to Follow)

Letting Go

START TIME: 12:00PM - Norwalk High School Student Film, Norwalk Community College GenRe Forum
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Rob Robinson
RATING: Some inappropriate language
RUNNING TIME: 7 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: (Mixed Media Format) The story of one man's quest to break out of his mundane world.

An Artist's Journey

START TIME: 12:00PM - Norwalk High School Student Film, Norwalk Community College GenRe Forum
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Daniella
RATING: General Audience
RUNNING TIME: 4 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: A passion project telling the story of a piece of Artwork.

What’s Yours

START TIME: 12:00PM - Norwalk High School Student Film, Norwalk Community College GenRe Forum
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Sarah Arena, Lillian Portillo
RATING: General Audience
RUNNING TIME: 4 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: A creative entry film that explores how people follow their passions.

Lisa Lindley

START TIME: 12:00PM - Norwalk High School Student Film, Norwalk Community College GenRe Forum
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Piersimon Magnifico, Gianni Stella, Robert Robinson, Zyaire Sellers
STARRING: Lisa Lindley
RATING: General Audience
RUNNING TIME: 6 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: (Documentary) A short honoring the FCIAC Hall of Fame induction of Darien girl's lacrosse coach, Lisa Lindley.

GenIsis

START TIME: 12:00PM - Norwalk High School Student Film, Norwalk Community College GenRe Forum
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Takiya Tomey, Talon Goulart, Cheyenne MacFarlane
RATING: Mature Content
RUNNING TIME: 7 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: An Animatic that tells a tale of the battle of good and evil.

Powers of Popularity

START TIME: 12:00PM - Norwalk High School Student Film, Norwalk Community College GenRe Forum
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Simon Magnifico
RATING: Some inappropriate language
RUNNING TIME: 10 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: A comical coming of age story about a high school student who is conflicted about his newly found super powers.

Paul McNulty

START TIME: 12:00PM - Norwalk High School Student Film, Norwalk Community College GenRe Forum
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Demetri Dassouras
STARRING: Paul McNulty
RATING: General Audience
RUNNING TIME: 7 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: (Documentary) A short honoring the FCIAC Hall of Fame induction of Staple/Wilton boys lacrosse coach, Paul McNulty.

Run/Walk/Roll

START TIME: 12:00PM - NCC Student Film, Norwalk Community College GenRe Forum
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Drew Koscelek
RATING: General Audience
RUNNING TIME: 19 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: (Documentary) Athletes with disabilities compete in a road race that is sponsored by Achilles International CT.

Mistaken

START TIME: 12:00PM - NCC Student Film, Norwalk Community College GenRe Forum
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Danilo Vargas, Jr.
RATING: Mature Content
RUNNING TIME: 32 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: A young, drug addicted, hispanic boy gets his girlfriend pregnant and when he confides this to his father, the situation takes a horrific turn.

The Other Side of Truth

START TIME: 12:00PM - NCC Student Film, Norwalk Community College GenRe Forum
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Danilo Vargas, Jr.
RATING: Mature Content
RUNNING TIME: 11 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: (Documentary) A view into the current situation in Venezuela and how citizens are fleeing the country. Spanish/English Subtitles.

★ INDUSTRY PANEL + Q&A ★
(2:00PM - 2:45PM, FREE)

INDUSTRY PANEL + Q&A

Announcing Soon!
Click here to sign up for the invite!

★ NARRATIVE FEATURE FILM ★
(3:00PM - 4:30PM, FREE)

Diamantino

START TIME: 3:00PM - Narrative Feature Film, Norwalk Community College GenRe Forum
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Gabriel Abrantes, Daniel Schmidt
STARRING: Carloto Cotta
RATING: Not Rated
RUNNING TIME: 93 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: 2-time Cannes Film Festival award-winning film. Diamantino, the world's premiere soccer star, loses his special touch and ends his career in disgrace. Searching for a new purpose, he sets out on a delirious odyssey - in which he must confront neo-fascism, the refugee crisis, genetic modification, and abuse at the hands of his evil twin sisters - all part of a deranged hunt for the source of genius. (Portuguese/English subtitles.)

★ LOCAL FILMMAKER SHORT FILM BLOCK ★
(5:00PM - 6:30PM, FREE, Q&A to Follow)

Waiting: The Story of DJ Morrell

START TIME: 5:00PM - Local Filmmaker Short Block, Norwalk Community College GenRe Forum
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Alex Morsanutto
STARRING: DJ Morrell
RATING: General Audience
RUNNING TIME: 6 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: After being released from the Buffalo Bills, offensive lineman DJ Morrell returns home to Norwalk, CT to look after his family and train for another shot to play in the NFL.

In-Between Worlds

START TIME: 5:00PM - Local Filmmaker Short Block, Norwalk Community College GenRe Forum
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Leigh & Jason Morfoot
STARRING: Gus & Max Morfoot
RATING: General Audience
RUNNING TIME: 14 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: Enterprising brothers Gus and Max make the most of a lazy summer afternoon in this
touching paean to the magical carefree days of childhood.

Duérmete Mi Niño

START TIME: 5:00PM - Local Filmmaker Short Block, Norwalk Community College GenRe Forum
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Daniel Aguilar
STARRING: Abel Garcia, Leah Bickley
RATING: General Audience
RUNNING TIME: 9 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: A college student tries to face something that happened to him a long time ago.

Sonny Boy

START TIME: 5:00PM - Local Filmmaker Short Block, Norwalk Community College GenRe Forum
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Karolina Lisowski
STARRING: Norbert Burkowski, Emma Herdzile
RATING: General Audience
RUNNING TIME: 4 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: Sonny Boy is back from India, and much has changed since his loved ones saw him last. (Polish/English subtitles.)

The Matchless Man

START TIME: 5:00PM - Local Filmmaker Short Block, Norwalk Community College GenRe Forum
DIRECTOR: Brett Rotatori
STARRING: Robert Shepley
RATING: Mature subject matter
RUNNING TIME: 7 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: What is it Like to Live with Alzheimer's Disease?

Happy Little Fly

START TIME: 5:00PM - Local Filmmaker Short Block, Norwalk Community College GenRe Forum
DIRECTOR: Justin Fargiano
RATING: General Audience
RUNNING TIME: 4 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: A house fly descends into an existential crisis at the hands of its executioner.

Ghost Puncher

START TIME: 5:00PM - Local Filmmaker Short Block, Norwalk Community College GenRe Forum
DIRECTOR: Roderic Marquez
STARRING: CJ Morsey
RATING: Mature Language
RUNNING TIME: 9 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: Max Seguin gives us a day in the life of his special ability to vanquish paranormal threats.

Chemistry Read

START TIME: 5:00PM - Local Filmmaker Short Block, Norwalk Community College GenRe Forum
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Norman Lang
STARRING: Alison Wachtler, Ian Lyons, Thomas Ian Campbell
RATING: General Audience
RUNNING TIME: 8 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: A comedic look into the life of an overindulged LA rapper/reality TV star who is humbled by his past, and the woman who once saved him from going down the wrong path.

The Hagiography of Zarzan

START TIME: 5:00PM - Local Filmmaker Short Block, Norwalk Community College GenRe Forum
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Andrew Muzin
STARRING: Rich Gilica
RATING: General Audience
RUNNING TIME: 4 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: A peek into the life of Norwalkian Rich Glica, also known as "Zarzan," well known for dressing in extravagant colors and driving a zebra-striped Volkswagen bus. Rich talks about his passions, hobbies, and philosophies; insights into the man behind the zebra bus.

My Name is Joan

START TIME: 5:00PM - Local Filmmaker Short Block, Norwalk Community College GenRe Forum
DIRECTOR: Margaret Stapor Costa
RATING: Mature subject matter
RUNNING TIME: 30 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: The story of a woman born to an unwed mother in a mother/baby home in 1949 Ireland, then illegally adopted by an American family when she was 2 years old. The film highlights how the Catholic Church and the Irish Government allowed illegal exporting of babies for money; how the church and government still deny adopted children the right to access their adoption records and learn their true identities.

NCC: NORWALK COMMUNITY COLLEGE - PEPSICO THEATER
188 RICHARDS AVENUE, NORWALK, CT
EAST CAMPUS, MAIN LEVEL

★ SHORT FILMS FROM 2019 BLACK MARIA FILM FESTIVAL ★
(12:00PM - 2:00PM, FREE, Q&A to Follow)

Black Maria Short Films

START TIME: 12:00PM - Black Maria Film Festival Shorts, Norwalk Community College PepsiCo Theater
★ 6 Connecticut Film Premieres!
RATING: General Audience
RUNNING TIME: 100 Minutes
Since 1981, the Thomas Edison Black Maria Film Festival has been celebrating and preserving the diversity, invention, and vitality of the short film. Named after Edison's studio, dubbed "Black Maria" because of resemblance to the black-box police paddy wagons of that name. The internationally juried Festival has embraced the mission of focusing on short films which shine a light on issues and struggles within contemporary society, advancing the work of diverse filmmakers from across the US and around the world. The festival's touring collection addresses topics such as the environment, public health, climate change, substance abuse, gun violence, sustainability, immigration, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ issues.

Joan

START TIME: 12:00PM - Black Maria Film Festival Shorts, Norwalk Community College PepsiCo Theater
DIRECTOR: Nathan Pancione
STARRING: Joan Upchurch
RUNNING TIME: 7 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: (Documentary) Joan candidly shares her life-long resolve to conquer adversity to realize her dreams.

Chula, With Invisible Strings

START TIME: 12:00PM - Black Maria Film Festival Shorts, Norwalk Community College PepsiCo Theater
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Emily Collins
STARRING: Gaby Munoz
RUNNING TIME: 10 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: (Documentary) At a time when polarizing politics make us question the world’s love for humanity, there is Chula the Clown. Hailing from Mexico City, Gaby Munoz, otherwise known as “Chula,” has spent over a decade working alongside other clowns in refugee camps and areas affected by conflict.

Ghost Dance for America, 1890

START TIME: 12:00PM - Black Maria Film Festival Shorts, Norwalk Community College PepsiCo Theater
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Karl Nussbaum
RUNNING TIME: 19 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: (Experimental) ‘Name the country built on the genocide of one race and the enslavement of another.’ This film is about the birth of our nation, the violent history of the 1800’s and how it presages today’s political climate. The Ghost Dance was a religious movement of the Native Americans in response to the U.S. government’s westward expansion and terrorism against them.

The Elephant’s Song

START TIME: 12:00PM - Black Maria Film Festival Shorts, Norwalk Community College PepsiCo Theater
DIRECTOR: Lynn Tomlinson
RUNNING TIME: 8 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: (Animation) The true and tragic tale of Old Bet, the first circus elephant in America, as recounted in song by her friend, an old farm dog. Their story is portrayed in colorful, handcrafted animation, created frame by frame with clay-on-glass animation. Old Bet the elephant sings the choruses, which are animated with oil pastel on video frames printed from archival films, paintings, and photographs.

Birthday

START TIME: 12:00PM - Black Maria Film Festival Shorts, Norwalk Community College PepsiCo Theater
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: John Psathas, Liliane Calfee
RUNNING TIME: 9 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: (Documentary) Four high school girls from Chicago’s South Side explore the topic of homelessness through the eyes of a man who shares his firsthand account of living on the streets. By joining him on his journey, the filmmakers’ hope is to encourage compassion and kindness for people experiencing homelessness.

Black Hat

START TIME: 12:00PM - Black Maria Film Festival Shorts, Norwalk Community College PepsiCo Theater
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Sarah Smith, Phillip Guttman
RUNNING TIME: 14 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: (Narrative) Shmuel is a pious Hasidic man leading a fairly simple life. He prays dutifully at the synagogue and manages a dry cleaner. When his wife and daughters leave town for a few days, Shmuel steps out of his simple life and into a more complex world by night. When he misplaces his black hat, Shmuel’s two lives interconnect in a way he never expects.

Woody’s Order

START TIME: 12:00PM - Black Maria Film Festival Shorts, Norwalk Community College PepsiCo Theater
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Seth Kramer
RUNNING TIME: 16 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: (Documentary) Based on a one-woman show written & performed by actress Ann Talman. Family legend has it that Ann was “ordered” into this world in 1956 by Woody, her then eight-year-old brother with severe cerebral palsy. Ann’s raison d’être was to care for Woody if and when their parents could not. Woody was not expected to live past twelve. Ann’s performance details her struggles to understand her brother’s disorder, build a career, and even sustain her sanity while fulfilling her sacred obligations.

Henrietta Bulkowski

START TIME: 12:00PM - Black Maria Film Festival Shorts, Norwalk Community College PepsiCo Theater
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Rachel Johnson
RUNNING TIME: 15 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: (Animation) A determined young woman, crippled with a severe hunchback, will stop at nothing to fulfill her dream of seeing the world. This is the story of how she finds happiness.

★ NARRATIVE SHORT FILM BLOCK ★
(2:30PM - 4:00PM, FREE, Q&A to Follow)

The Treadmill

START TIME: 2:30PM - Narrative Shorts Block, Norwalk Community College PepsiCo Theater
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Stefan Dezil
STARRING: Terrell Dixon, Lawrence St. Victor, Mishone Feigin
RATING: General Audience
RUNNING TIME: 2 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: In the near future, an out-of-shape black man uses his VR Treadmill that sends him back to a point in history to motivate himself to run.

Watch Room

START TIME: 2:30PM - Narrative Shorts Block, Norwalk Community College PepsiCo Theater
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Noah Wagner
STARRING: Mamoudou Athie, Natalie Paul, Jacob Batalon, Alice Kremelberg, Gary Teitelbaum
RATING: General Audience
RUNNING TIME: 17 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: Three friends believe they are safely creating AI until their creation learns it’s at risk of being shut down.

This Perfect Day

START TIME: 2:30PM - Narrative Shorts Block, Norwalk Community College PepsiCo Theater
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Lydia Rui
STARRING: Michelle Keating, Lee Mason, Hannah Koch
RATING: General Audience
RUNNING TIME: 7 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: Jules has been living out of a car with her partner. Across the street, a music store is closing. With only a few minutes to make their move, Jules realizes it’s time for them to face their fears.

Da Capo

START TIME: 2:30PM - Narrative Shorts Block, Norwalk Community College PepsiCo Theater
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Barbara Stepansky
STARRING: Caroline Bloom, Moe Irvin
RATING: General Audience
RUNNING TIME: 13 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: The exchange of a used piano makes two strangers confront their own failures.

La Capa Azul (The Blue Cape)

START TIME: 2:30PM - Narrative Shorts Block, Norwalk Community College PepsiCo Theater
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Alejandra López
STARRING: Yanniel A. Arce River, Dolores Pedro, Ricardo Canales, Norelix Rivera Santana, Samuel López
RATING: General Audience
RUNNING TIME: 5 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: Two months after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, Junior, 10 yrs. old, must search for medicine his grandfather desperately needs. He puts on a blue cape, the tarp from his roof, striving to overcome obstacles and save his grandfather’s life.

Paris Blues In Harlem

START TIME: 2:30PM - Narrative Shorts Block, Norwalk Community College PepsiCo Theater
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Nadhege Ptah
STARRING: Nadhege Ptah, Charles Weldon, Michele Baldwin
RATING: General Audience
RUNNING TIME: 14 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: A realtor’s cash deal sets an edgy woman to sway her grandad to trade his jazz club.

Caroline

START TIME: 2:30PM - Narrative Shorts Bloc Norwalk Community College PepsiCo Theater
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Logan George, Celine Held
STARRING: Allison Keogh, Robert Zambrano, Deliah Coker, Canela Simone
RATING: Mature Content
RUNNING TIME: 12 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: When plans fall through, a six-year-old is faced with a big responsibility on a hot Texas day.

The Brownlist

START TIME: 2:30PM - Narrative Shorts Block, Norwalk Community College PepsiCo Theater
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Ryan Garcia, Kelly Walker
STARRING: Ursula Taherian
RATING: Mature Audience
RUNNING TIME: 5 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: One girl's journey to becoming diverse...enough. A smart, satirical comedy that explores race and what it means to be “diverse” in the entertainment industry. It’s the story of a girl blessed with two races but seemingly not enough of either to fit into the Hollywood box.

Pozole

START TIME: 2:30PM - Narrative Shorts Block, Norwalk Community College PepsiCo Theater
★ Connecticut Premiere!
DIRECTOR: Jessica Mendez Siqueiros
STARRING: Monica Sanchez, Ana Isabel Dow, Mike A. Salazar, Peter Quintana, Jess Hinojos, Petra Tovar Sanchez
RATING: General Audience
RUNNING TIME: 10 Minutes
SYNOPSIS: When Maia, a mixed race Latina woman, sets out to reconnect with her traditional Mexican roots on her Nana's 100th birthday, things go terribly wrong.

★ CLOSING NIGHT FILM & STANDING OVATION AWARD! ★
NCC: NORWALK COMMUNITY COLLEGE - PEPSICO THEATER
(8:00PM - 10:30PM)

★ NFF CLOSING NIGHT FILM: “SUPPORT THE GIRLS” & STANDING OVATION AWARD RECIPIENT: “ROBIN DE JESÚS! ★

Click here for the invite!

DOORS: 7:30PM
START: 8:00PM - Norwalk Community College PepsiCo Theater
DIRECTOR: Andrew Bujalski
STARRING: Regina Hall, Haley Lu Richardson, James LeGros, AJ Michalka, Dylan Gelula, Shayna McHayle, Lea DeLaria, Jana Kramer, Brooklyn Decker
RATING: General Audience
RUNNING TIME: 91 Minutes
ABOUT: Regina Hall earned acting nominations for “Support the Girls” at the Independent Spirit Awards and Gotham Independent Film Awards and won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress, the first African-American to win the award.

Click here to read about our Standing Ovation Award recipient!