Manhattan Film Festival 2011

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Parent Category: Film Festivals

Category: Previews

Published on Sunday, 17 July 2011 05:00

Written by L E Shannon

The Manhattan Film Festival runs July 21 - 25, 2011 at Symphony Space on the Upper West Side, with some screenings held at Village Pourhouse located Uptown in Manhattan, New York City.

Formerly known as Independent Features, the Manhattan Film Festival has grown over 700 percent in one year, and is on track to become the largest independent film festival in New York City. The organization accomplished this without the benefit of a corporate sponsor.

The Festival‛s 2011 official selections include 132 films, with more than 30 international selections. The emphasis, however, is on local filmmakers, especially Brooklyn.

So it is fitting that the Opening Night Selection is White Irish Drinkers, directed by John Gray, starring Nick Thurston, Geoffrey Wigdor, Karen Allen, Stephen Lang, Peter Riegert, Lesley Murphy. The film is set in 1970’s Brooklyn and was shot in Bay Ridge. An 18-year-old in Brooklyn feels forced to choose between two ways of life: petty crime with his brother, or the stifling 9-to-5 route his friends want. He yearns to choose a third way, if he only knew what it was.

The Closing Night film is Fordson: Faith, Fasting, Football, directed by Rashid Ghazi. A Dearborn, Michigan high school football team prepares for its big cross-town rivalry game during the last ten days of Ramadan. The formerly all white school is now 98% Arab-American, reflecting a community desperately holding onto its Islamic faith while struggling to gain acceptance in post 9-11 America.

Some of the other films are:

Manhattan Documentary Series

The After Party
Directed by Michael Schiller
"A cinematographer is caught in a mass arrest. His film crew's videotape of the incident leads to a civil rights lawsuit, uncovers a police spying ring and launches his personal investigation in to the weird world of domestic surveillance. With special appearances by Andre '3000' Benjamin, Barack Obama, The Bush Twins, Cornel West, Al Sharpton and Don King."

Run to the East
Directed by Henry Lu
Three Native American high school seniors run to earn college scholarships and overcome the economic and educational obstacles present on their reservations. "Native Americans are often portrayed as poor, unhealthy, alcoholic depressives isolated on reservations. This film explores whether a simple pursuit like running can be used to destroy stereotypes and save a culture."

A Home in the Theatre
Directed by Melodie Bryant
The Thirteenth Street Repertory Company is a 34-year-old institution whose mission is to nurture the creativity of anyone interested in theatre. An unscrupulous real estate developer wants to tear the building down and build condos in its place. The 93-year-old Artistic Director, Edith O'Hara, is determined to save the theatre.

Narrative Films:

Under Jakob's Ladder
Directed by Mann Munoz
Starring Jeff Stewart, Christopher Elliott
A country teacher named Jakob Seel defeats a Russian grandmaster in a chess tournament and the grandmaster's son, Nikolai, secretly vows to take revenge on the teacher. Twenty years later, the Soviet regime in place, Jakob is thrown into a detention camp run by a ruthless warden: Nikolai. Unaware of Nikolai's identity, Jakob offers to play a game of chess with the warden.

Maggie Marvel
Directed by Dan Brennan
Starring Selene Beretta, Diana Brennan, Katherine Barron
A single Mom moonlights as a contract killer.

Santiago
Directed by Felix Martiz
Santiago is a drug dealer who agrees to let Miguel, a Mexican actor, follow and study him for his next role. With only the cameraman at his side, Miguel sets out to document a day in the life of Santiago, struggling to survive as he juggles a world of prostitutes, territorial control, and drugs in the streets of LA.

Children’s & Family Program includes:

Alex and the Ghosts
Directed by: Éric Warin
This short animated film is about a seven-year-old boy who dreams of going to a hockey game with his father to see his favorite team play, the Montreal Canadiens. "A story of childhood magic and wonderment,... uniting the past and present, reaching out to the youthful hearts of sport fans of all ages.

One Shoe Blues
Directed by Sandra Boynton
B.B. King stars in this music video, with some sock puppets. The song "One Shoe Blues" was written by Sandra Boynton and Michael Ford for the album Blue Moo: 17 Jukebox Hits from Way Back Never.

War of Our Children
Directed by Clint Mouriño
As a once-blissful park comes under increasing totalitarian control by Nolan, the leader of the fifth graders, Timmy, leader of the third graders, cannot stand for it any longer. With the help of his love, Emily, Timmy must organize and rally his army to defeat Nolan and his band of cohorts and free the park once and for all.

Philadelphia Chickens
Directed by Sandra Boynton
An animated music video of the title song from Grammy-nominated Gold album Philadelphia Chickens. Two pigs from Connecticut travel down Interstate 95 to go watch the renowned chickens swing-dancing in a park near the Schuylkill River. The original singers of the track, Kevin and Michael Bacon, make cameo appearances, including some glimpses of Kevin Bacon dancing beside some serious chickens.

Student Film Program features the work of 19 student filmmakers, including 12 from New York City.

Also presented are two workshops:

ScreenBooker Workshop – "The dream of every filmmaker is to see their film on the big screen. ScreenBooker has the unique technology to turn those dreams into reality. This workshop offers an introduction to ScreenBooker and an opportunity to take the first step in bringing your film to the silver screen."

Digital Cinema Workflow Workshop – This seminar is designed to educate producers, directors, cinematographers, post-production professionals and others involved in the film production process about the current state of digital cinema. Panelists will identify major digital camera systems, such as RED One/Epic, ARRI Alexa, SONY F65/F35 and Phantom, and discuss the similarities and differences between these systems.

For more information, go to www.manhattanfilmfestival.org.

Manhattan Film Festival
July 21 - 25, 2011

Symphony Space
2537 Broadway (at W. 95th St.)
New York City
212-864-5400

Village Pourhouse
982 Amsterdam Avenue (at W 107th St.)
New York City
212-979-2337

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