I'm An Electric Lampshade

John Clayton Doyle

BEST OF FESTIVAL - Sponsored by Center Square Realty

96 min | 2020 | US | Boston Premiere 

Doug McCorkle a buttoned-up, mild mannered corporate accountant who retires at age 60 to become the world’s least likely rock star is an offbeat doc-narrative-music film that demands a genre of its own. His openness to pursuing dreams well outside of his comfort zone, both in far-away places and with various people and cultures (including LBGTQ) is refreshing and inspiring, and his struggles to achieve his dreams lay bare his inner doubts and fears. By the end of the final concert, filmed before thousands in Mexico City’s La Plaza Condesa, we are in love with Doug, his bravery and his heart. His journey and final transformation leave us with proof that it is never too late to pursue your dreams!

Awards: Feature Award Winner - Ignite Film Festival; Official Selections: Flickers’ Rhode Island Int’l, Doc Edge, Albuquerque Film & Music Experience, The Romford, FICAH, Doc Edge, Barnes, Cinequest Film & VR, Winter Film Awards International.

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COLLECTIVE STASIS

Jamiel Laurence

10 min | 2020 | UK | Experimental | US Premiere

A meditation on the idea of looking at dance from the outside in. Dancers of Glasgow come to terms with their current state of inactivity during the isolation lockdown of 2020 and dance creators are forced to find new ways to develop and share their work. 

Los Hermanos (The Brothers)

Ken Schneider & Marcia Jarmel

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE - Sponsored by Irving House of Harvard
80 min | 2020 | US/Cuba

Virtuoso Afro-Cuban-born brothers—violinist Ilmar and pianist Aldo—live on opposite sides of a geopolitical chasm a half-century wide. Tracking their parallel lives in New York and Havana, their poignant reunion, and their momentous first performances together, this film offers a nuanced, often startling view of estranged nations through the lens of music and family.

Featuring an electrifying, genre-bending score, composed by Cuban Aldo López-Gavilán, performed with his American brother, Ilmar, and with guest appearances by maestro Joshua Bell and the Grammy-winning Harlem Quartet.

Awards: Woodstock FF-Best Doc; Official Selections: DOCNYC, Mill Valley, Bend Oregon, GlobeDocs, Cinematters, Omaha Int’l, Ashland, River Run, Mountain Film.

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CARMEN AT THE PARLOR OPERA HOUSE

Gérome Barry

2 min | 2020 | France | US Premiere

A quarantined Parisian goes to the opera in his own living-room.

Awards: Fool’s Gold Award - Play the Fool Int’l Short FF Canada; Official Selection: Abby FF – London, Linea d'Ombra FF – Italy, Festival Int’l De Cortometrajes Cine Mundo Online – Argentina, PhotoBrussels Festival, Belgium, Int’l Coronavirus Short FF – India, New Generation FF – Serbia, Festival Int’l de Cine La Perla – Ecuador, Covid 19 FF – Italy, Suikerzoet FF – Netherlands, Quarantine Images Short FF – Argentina. 

Jack London's Martin Eden

Jay Craven

BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE - Sponsored by Vinotta Restaurant
105 min | 2021 | USA | Boston Premiere

Filmed exclusively on Nantucket during the pandemic, director Jay Craven mystically takes you back in time to the turn of the century and introduces you to Martin Eden, a poor and unschooled sailor who unexpectedly meets a magnetic young woman of means and education. Based on Jack London’s autobiographical novel, this dynamic film captures the socio-economic class distinctions of the time.

Official Selection: World Premiere – Nantucket FF

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THE YELLOW KITE

Yousuf Khan Noor
7 min | 2021 | Bangladesh | US Premiere

Two children…a kite. One a schoolboy, the other a garbage collector and for a few moments they forget that they are on different paths in life.

Official Selection: Peace Film Festival – Dhaka, Bangladesh

Times of Plenty

BEST ANIMATION SHORT - Sponsored by Real Gusto Restaurant

Claudio Costa

13 min | 2020 | Italy | US Premiere

Italy is revealed through a satirical comedy told by Cesare, a young boy living with his family in Rome.  TIMES OF PLENTY is a reference to the socio-cultural climate of the 80’s and 90’s in Italy, a time of the Socialist Party and young, upwardly mobile yuppies…a time of Silvio Berlusconi’s privately owned TV channels, the new agreement with the Holy See…a period in which Italy came to be the fifth leading industrial country in the world, but also a time of spiraling growth in public spending, growth that many knew could not last 

Awards: Willlachen Comedy & Satire Filmprize - The Golden Cellar Rattle (Wien Austria), Honorable Mention/New Generation Film Festival (Belgrade Serbia)
Official Selections: David Donatello (Rome Italy

The Last Jam Jar

BEST SHORT NARRATIVE

Watch in Shorts Program ONE

Arpan Bahl

13 min | 2021 | India | US Premiere

Inspired by a true story of eternal love, caught in a moment. On their special day, Govind spends it with Leela in a trance-like state. When the day ends and he returns home will the trance be broken?

Official Selection: West Europe FF (Brussels Belgium).

Hunger Ward

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

Skye Fitzgerald

40 min | 2020 | US/Yemen | World Premiere

Nominated for a 2021 Oscar, HUNGER WARD is the third film in the Refugee Trilogy by 2x Oscar & Emmy nominated director Skye Fitzgerald. Filmed from inside two of the most active therapeutic feeding centers in Yemen, HUNGER WARD documents two women health care workers fighting to thwart the spread of starvation against the backdrop of a forgotten war. The film provides an unflinching portrait of Dr. Aida Alsadeeq and Nurse Mekkia Mahdi as they work to save the lives of hunger-stricken children within a population on the brink of famine. With unprecedented access within a sensitive conflict-zone, HUNGER WARD reveals a world of bravery and commitment-to-care for war-stricken children amidst desperate need.

Official Selections: LA Shorts Int’l Film FF, Melbourne Doc FF, Sebastopol Doc FF CA, BraveMaker FF, CA, Doc Edge FF/ Auckland, New Zealand, Mountainfilm/Telluride, CO, Luminous Frames/Arena Midt, Denmark, One World/Prague, Czech Republic, Carmarthen Bay/Llandello, UK, Minneapolis-St. Paul Int'l/ Minneapolis, MN, IRC Refugee FF/San Diego, CA, Malibu Int’l FF/Malibu, CA, Human Rights FF/Berlin, Germany, Portland Int’l FF/Portland, OR, HUMAN Int’l Doc F/Oslo, Norway, DOC NYC/ Virtual Festival/ New York, HollyShorts/Virtual Festival/Los Angeles, CA.

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CELLMATE

Behzad Khodaveisi

12 min | 2019 | Iran | US Premiere

An innocent, naïve girl’s youth is stolen in marriage. CELLMATE is meant to highlight the 12 million young girls that are married off before the age of 18.

Restart 2020

Drew Furtado

40 min | 2020 | US | Festival Circuit Premiere

A story of perseverance and creativity that could be adapted to any town in the world, Restart 2020 is the story of three artists from New Bedford, MA with big plans for 2020. Unbeknownst to them, the COVID-19 pandemic would challenge and alter their endeavors dramatically. Yet undaunted, artists worked through the pandemic, creating art installations that inspired hope to the residents of the Whaling City during a dark time.

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WOMAN

BEST EXPERIMENTAL SHORT

Lillian Carter

4 min | 2020 | US | East Coast Premiere

‘WOMAN’ reveals the three archetypes that all women utilize throughout their lives. The Mother is Unconditional Love, The Hunter is search for the Truth and The Witch is Wisdom and Intuition. They are innate strengths we draw from to understand others decisions, resolutions and perspectives as well as our own.

Awards: BEST EXP SHORT: LA Sun FF CA, Festigious -Los Angeles Monthly Film Competition CA, Hong Kong Indie Film Festival China: Official Selections: Tokyo Int’l Short FF Japan, New Wave Short FF Germany, Red Movie Awards France, Top Shorts FF CA, Serbest Int’l FF Serbia, LA Indies FF CA, Toronto Int’l Woman FF Canada, Venice Shorts FF CA, Int’l Mobile FF CA, Green Mountain Int’l FF Vermont, New York Tri-State Int’l FF NY, Silver Screen Short FF India.

Woman

BEST EXPERIMENTAL SHORT

Lillian Carter

4 min | 2020 | US | East Coast Premiere

‘WOMAN’ reveals the three archetypes that all women utilize throughout their lives. The Mother is Unconditional Love, The Hunter is search for the Truth and The Witch is Wisdom and Intuition. They are innate strengths we draw from to understand others decisions, resolutions and perspectives as well as our own.

Awards: BEST EXP SHORT: LA Sun FF CA, Festigious -Los Angeles Monthly Film Competition CA, Hong Kong Indie Film Festival China: Official Selections: Tokyo Int’l Short FF Japan, New Wave Short FF Germany, Red Movie Awards France, Top Shorts FF CA, Serbest Int’l FF Serbia, LA Indies FF CA, Toronto Int’l Woman FF Canada, Venice Shorts FF CA, Int’l Mobile FF CA, Green Mountain Int’l FF Vermont, New York Tri-State Int’l FF NY, Silver Screen Short FF India.

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SCREENED WITH

RESTART 2020

Drew Furtado

40 min | 2020 | US | Festival Circuit Premiere

A story of perseverance and creativity that could be adapted to any town in the world, Restart 2020 is the story of three artists from New Bedford, MA with big plans for 2020. Unbeknownst to them, the COVID-19 pandemic would challenge and alter their endeavors dramatically. Yet undaunted, artists worked through the pandemic, creating art installations that inspired hope to the residents of the Whaling City during a dark time.

SKIDROW MARATHON by Mark Hayes & Gabrielle Hayes

Presented at AIFF 2018

85 min | USA | BOSTON PREMIERE | BEST OF FESTIVAL FEATURE

Synopsis: When a criminal court judge starts a running club on LA’s notorious Skid Row and begins training a motley group of addicts and criminals to run marathons, lives begin to change. Following four runners as they rise from the streets of LA to run marathons around the world, fighting the pull of homelessness and addiction at every turn, their story is one of hope, friendship, and dignity.