Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival announces Family Friendly lineup:
press release —
MNFF 2016 Family Friendly Trailer from Middlebury New Filmmakers Fest on Vimeo.
The Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival is pleased to share its family friendly lineup for the 2016 Festival this August 25th through 28th. From a short animation about zombies who just want a cup of coffee to a documentary about the pressures of standardized testing, our hope is that these films entertain our younger audience members and encourage them to join in the conversations surrounding film during the 2016 Festival. Please note that while all films detailed below are family-friendly, we have specifically programmed a child-friendly block at the Middlebury Marquis on Friday, August 26 at 10:30am. The block will kick off with Charlie Chaplin’s “The Kid” (1921) along with three shorts – “The Magic Shoes,” “Mr. Ready,” and “The Fight.”
Please visit middfilmfest.org to learn more about the 2016 films and festival. To learn more about the family friendly line up, read on.
THE FILMS
Blind Date
Technology is transforming the way we date and find love. Mobile apps like Tinder and websites like OkCupid are whetting our appetite for instant visual gratification. But, if you’re single and blind, you face a distinct set of challenges in finding love. A digital divide has emerged between sighted and blind people in search of long-lasting partnerships. Blind Date is a short documentary following three blind New Yorkers on their quests for lust and love in the digital age.
Bloom of Youth
A young man returns home after graduating from college to propose to his sweetheart and open a school to better their small Chinese village. However, a mother’s dreams and senseless violence create obstacles that love must overcome.
Circle
This stunning and imaginative short depicts a young woman in despair, who after experiencing a tragic loss escapes into the seemingly perfect past and loses herself in vivid memories. A constant inner struggle emerges between past and present, distorting her perception of reality. Ahmad Saleh, a young Palestinian screenwriter wrote “Circle” to cope with the losses he endured during the crises in Palestine.
Clean
In this short, we follow a young man as he battles his compulsions on his way to school in New York City.
Flight
When a snowy owl shows up in Connecticut, a young bird watcher is determined to find it–and she won’t let a busy mom, a broken bike, or a bully get in her way.
The Graveyard Shift
It’s long past midnight when the tired and jumpy waitress decides to go and investigate the ominous noise she hears right outside the roadside coffee shop she’s working at. She discovers that a she is being attacked by a Zombie! The zombie lazily wobbles inside the shop and corners the poor waitress behind the counter. How will she save herself? What will it take
How You Look At It
This lighthearted, silent short is inspired by the Carl Jung quote, ‘It all depends on how we look at things, and not how they are themselves.’ The story is about how love at first sight changes a man’s perspective of the world around him. With a little help from his inner theme songs, his environment comes together to support his quest to be with his new sighted love…or at least, say hello to her.
The Kid
“A comedy with a smile – and perhaps a tear” – so opens this 1921 silent comedy-drama that will kick off the kids-friendly block at the Middlebury Marquis on Friday, August 28th at 10:30am. The film follows Charlie the Tramp as he finds The Orphan and takes him in, and their adventures that ensue. Written, producer, directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin, “The Kid” was Chaplin’s feature directorial debut and enjoyed huge success at its release. The Library of Congress preserved the film in the United States National Film Registry in 2011.
The Last Bay Scallop
The waters off Nantucket island support the last viable bay scallop commercial fishery on the east coast. But scientists estimate that it could fade into history within a decade. What will be lost in off-season economy and the island culture that grew up around the scallop fishery, if that dire prediction comes true? Can the town and local scientists repair the harbor’s water quality and save the bay scallop?
The Laughter Life
The Laughter Life follows a week in the professional life of the young comedians who write and star in Studio C, a popular sketch comedy television show viewed by tens of thousands of people weekly. But theirs is not your typical comedy success story, as the cast and crew behind the program are practicing Mormons living in the deeply observant community of Provo, Utah. The film explores the tension inherent in creating “clean” comedy that will satisfy both the demands of the network and the cast’s desire to generate a funny final product.
Legs: A Big Issue in a Small Town
Legs: a Big Issue in a Small Town is a light-hearted look at what it means to live in a small town–with all of the pros and cons that come with it. When a controversial piece of art gets publicly displayed, opinions start flying and feisty people take action. The film reveals a town chock full of lively characters and conflicts, as those who live there struggle to define their community. Is it an accepting, welcoming place to live? Maybe, but if you look closer, there are cracks in the veneer and the town is not all that it appears to be.
Mr. Ready
It’s ‘Mr Rogers’ meets ‘The Real World’ in this Short that shows definitively that kids don’t come with an owners manual! When Albert’s time comes to take over Mom’s shift as the ‘Man of the House’, he quickly finds himself faced with the one thing he never expected: Everything that matters…to his Son. What will he do? Is he ‘Ready’ for the job? Discover with him what happens when he uses the same analogy his Dad used on him all those years ago…on the next generation!
The Magic Shoes
Los Angeles, 1992. Nine year-old Kamron and his family have just moved to the country from Iran in search of the American Dream. Left out of the recess basketball games, Kamron fantasizes about impressing his classmates with highflying dunks if only he had the right shoes to pull them off! With the Persian New Year approaching, Kamron is certain that his parents will grant his wish and buy him the new Air Jordans, but when his parents can’t afford the pricey shoes Kamron is disappointed with a box of budget sneakers. Kamron decides to take matters into his own hands he’ll get those Air Jordans one way or another…
Tested
“Tested” looks at the lack of racial diversity at the top public high schools in New York City by following a dozen families from different racial, socio-economic and religious backgrounds as they prepare to pass the grueling entrance exam.
For more info contact: Phoebe Lewis, 202-957- 2553 / [email protected]