IndieWorks - December Recap

Last Tuesday was the December edition of IndieWorks! We screened 5 films and had over 50 people in house. The first set of films were mixed-medium pieces about overcoming trauma, and the second set were lighter pieces that both somewhat touched on creating art & expression. The lineup as a whole was moving and encouraging. The audience was wonderfully engaged; and, thanks to some positive adjustments by our venue after last month’s unfortunately rowdy bar crowd, the evening was immersive and sparked a lot of thoughtful conversation.

We'd like to say thank you to everyone who came out to support the filmmakers and spend the evening with us & them. We do hope you enjoyed the films, as well as the opportunity to network with other filmmakers and film enthusiasts. We know some connections were made! AND we hope you'll join us again for our January screening on 8th! It’ll be an eclectic mix of narrative films exploring tense relationships, finding one’s path, and surprising discoveries.

See photos from the evening:

The Films of the night:

The Mole (Directed by Nina Gielen, Written by Steffan Triplette)
A visualized poem about identity, marginalization, and bitter-sweet memories of childhood. Created as part of the Visible Poetry Project.

For a Better Life (Written & Directed by Yasmin Mistry)
Sold for $100 at the age of 5, Fekri suffers through years of abuse before his plight is discovered. After almost a year of hospitalization and therapy Fekri moves into a group home where he finds support, mentorship, and eventual forgiveness towards the family which sold him. 

AMYDEE (Written & Directed by Amy DePaola)
Since surviving a physical assault on the steps of her apartment, Amy DePaola (30) has been keeping a low profile while visiting a local boxing gym. When a young woman turns up dead in her neighborhood, Amy is forced to face her fears again, revealing that her real fight is far from over. 

Encore (Written & Directed by Noah Marthaller)
A woman struggles with her elderly father’s new living situation as his health declines and he clings to his independence.

Unfinished Business (Written & Directed by Nikolai Basarich)
rock bottom rock bottom rock bottom demon rock bottom rock bottom. 

Watch our Q&A Recap. *Please know there are some film spoilers - feel free to look for an opportunity to catch the films at a festival or computer screen near you & then come back to watch!

The awards go to...

At the end of the evening, we announced our winning filmmakers for both Audience Choice Award & Silver Whiskers Award. The Audience Choice Award is voted upon by all those in attendance, and the Silver Whiskers Award is judged by the CongestedCat Team based on a rating system of 8 categories:   Story, Dialogue/Writing, Direction, Acting, Cinematography, Sound, Editing, and Production Value, along with a nuanced discussion focused on inclusion and originality. The Silver Whiskers winner goes on to screen again at our end of year Best of Fest screening next April. 

The Silver Whiskers winner also receives $50 towards a crowdfunding campaign on SeedandSpark.com should they use the platform and 50% off 4MileCircus' post-production audio cleaning service for a future project. 

For the December 2018 lineup, our winning films were:
    Audience Choice Award:  "Encore"
    Silver Whiskers Award:  "AMYDEE" 

Join us next month for our January edition on the 8th!

IndieWorks - November Recap

Last Tuesday was the November edition of IndieWorks! We screened 5 films and had 40 people in house. The lineup was a moving & thoughtful mix of documentaries and narrative films exploring larger social issues as well as small personal stories, with a focus on family & childhood. The screening itself went well with a lot of audience engagement. However, the night as a whole was a bit of a mess. Since moving to The Local as our venue in Year 4, we’d say that the bar in front is nearly empty 75% of the time with the few people there typically respectful during the films, but sometimes there ends up being a chatty group at the bar . On most occasions when that happens, we can get them to speak softly while the films play. But, unfortunately, this evening wasn’t one of those occasions. We actually experienced a first for IndieWorks where we had to stop a film and eventually restart it because there was a drunk, misogynist at the bar who talked loudly during the first half of films and then began screaming vulgarities at the bartender. We stepped in to help get him out of the bar. It took 20 minutes to get him to actually leave. Thankfully, no one was hurt and we were able to continue the night with no other disruptions (though his friends stuck around to continue drinking & unfortunately became quite loud towards the end of our event). We’d like to apologize to the filmmakers & audience whose enjoyment of the films and conversations were lessoned by this occurrence. We try our best to create an immersive experience each month, but we don’t have full control of the space. The trade off for getting to keep attendance free while creating a welcoming environment where attendees can mingle between and after the screenings over affordable drinks & a chill atmosphere, is having to sometimes contend with rude people at the bar. (To be honest, as much as we appreciate The Local for their hospitality, large inviting space, and beautiful screen, the ability to create a free but private event and have a bar owner who’s on top of getting rid of belligerent people swiftly & smoothly is something we really miss about our original home The People Lounge & its wonderful owner Heinz.) Nonetheless, the filmmakers and audience did seem to enjoy the evening as a whole, and great conversations were had throughout the night.

We'd like to say thank you to everyone who came out to support the filmmakers and spend the evening with us & them. We do hope you enjoyed the films (despite the noise), as well as the opportunity to network with other filmmakers and film enthusiasts. We know some connections were made! AND we hope you'll join us again for our December screening on 11th! It’ll be a moving & uplifting slate of films that explore overcoming trauma and creating art.

See photos from the evening:

The Films of the night:

The Method (Directed by Michela Monte)
Living in Brooklyn (NYC) has become an act of resistance. The housing market is dominated by money and often ruled by unscrupulous landlords. Families, children and working class New Yorkers are violently pushed out of their affordable homes and made homeless. In South Williamsburg aka « Los Sures » the community has developed his own « Method » to fight back.

Unwelcome (Directed by Ida Theresa Myklebost)
The 2017 short documentary film "Unwelcome" takes an unusual approach in covering the Syrian war by giving the microphone to a six year old refugee boy and letting him narrate the film himself. 

Oatmeal (Directed by Alessia Gatti, Written & Produced by Martha Frances Williams)
A woman struggling to balance her lofty work ambitions has an unexpected reunion with a childhood friend and recovers her lost spark.

The Fifth Date (Written & Directed by Claire Brooks)
A single mother struggles to find a babysitter and takes the risk of inviting her date over after her 3 year old daughter goes to sleep.

The Rocket Ship (Written & Directed by Taishon S Black)
Seven year old Livy has seen her mother (Angie) deal with heart break and sadness too many times over; where in that she feels she has to do something. 

Watch our Q&A Recap. *Please know there are some film spoilers - feel free to look for an opportunity to catch the films at a festival or computer screen near you & then come back to watch!

The awards go to...

At the end of the evening, we announced our winning filmmakers for both Audience Choice Award & Silver Whiskers Award. The Audience Choice Award is voted upon by all those in attendance, and the Silver Whiskers Award is judged by the CongestedCat Team based on a rating system of 8 categories:   Story, Dialogue/Writing, Direction, Acting, Cinematography, Sound, Editing, and Production Value, along with a nuanced discussion focused on inclusion and originality. The Silver Whiskers winner goes on to screen again at our end of year Best of Fest screening next April. 

The Silver Whiskers winner also receives $50 towards a crowdfunding campaign on SeedandSpark.com should they use the platform and 50% off 4MileCircus' post-production audio cleaning service for a future project. 

For the November 2018 lineup, our winning films were:
    Audience Choice Award:  "The Rocket Ship"
    Silver Whiskers Award:  "Unwelcome" 

Join us next month for our December edition on the 11th!

IndieWorks - October Recap

Last Tuesday was the October edition of IndieWorks! And it was our annual Halloween Special, where we screen local horror shorts and celebrate the spooky season. We screened 6 films and had 40 people in house. October is always an interesting month because some of our regulars aren’t genre fans, so they don’t come out; but then we end up with some people who typically don’t attend except for at the Horror Special. So it’s always a nice crowd of new & familiar faces (a few of which join us in costume), who generally just love scary movies! The lineup was a solid reflection of the diverse ways you can approach the genre and elicit fear from an audience. It was an evening filled with gasps, screams, and laughs. Thoughtful conversations were had during the Q&A, and the night was an overall success!

We'd just like to say thank you to everyone who came out to support the filmmakers and spend the evening with us & them. We do hope you enjoyed the films and the opportunity to network with other filmmakers and film enthusiasts. We know some connections were made! AND we hope you'll join us again for our November screening on 20th! It’ll be a mix of documentaries and narratives with a strong focus on family and childhood.

See photos from the evening:

The Films of the night:

The Music Lesson (Written by Kyle I. Kelley, Directed by Kyle I. Kelley & Adam R. Brown)
A jaded music teacher turns the tables on a soul-sucking student.

Broad Paws (Written & Directed by Vinny Sacchetti)
The unlikely and irrational fears that come from living alone at night take form when a young woman has to defend herself from intruding forces, leaving her in a moral dilemma that puts natural instincts to the test.

Goodbye Old Friend (Written & Directed by Rafael De Leon Jr.)
A young woman is trapped in her apartment by her childhood imaginary friend, who has come back to haunt her. 

I Waited For You (Written & Directed by Manny Serrano)
A Brooklynite girl goes out for the night with a friend in Queens, and becomes terrified after her lost cell phone is answered by a man with a creepy and ominous voice.

Dull Hope (Written & Directed by Brian Ratigan)
Suppressed memories reach a boiling point. 
An animated tale of longing.

Beneath (Written & Directed by Lindsay Serrano)
After a naughty video is uploaded online, a girl plots revenge against her deceptive boyfriend. 

Watch our Q&A Recap. *Please know there are some film spoilers - feel free to look for an opportunity to catch the films at a festival or computer screen near you & then come back to watch!

The awards go to...

At the end of the evening, we announced our winning filmmakers for both Audience Choice Award & Silver Whiskers Award. The Audience Choice Award is voted upon by all those in attendance, and the Silver Whiskers Award is judged by the CongestedCat Team based on a rating system of 8 categories:   Story, Dialogue/Writing, Direction, Acting, Cinematography, Sound, Editing, and Production Value, along with a nuanced discussion focused on inclusion and originality. The Silver Whiskers winner goes on to screen again at our end of year Best of Fest screening next April. 

The Silver Whiskers winner also receives $50 towards a crowdfunding campaign on SeedandSpark.com should they use the platform and 50% off 4MileCircus' post-production audio cleaning service for a future project. 

For the October 2018 lineup, our winning films were:
    Audience Choice Award:  "I Waited For You"
    Silver Whiskers Award:  "Goodbye Old Friend" 

Join us next month for our November edition on the 20th!

IndieWorks - September Recap

Last Tuesday was the September edition of IndieWorks! And it was our annual web series month, where we screen episodes from local series. We screened 5 episodes total and had 35 people in house. Smaller crowd than usual, but considering the pouring rain all day, it was quite an impressive turnout! Web series month always plays a little different because we can’t fully program thematically, the way we would other months. We only showcase web series once per month, so we have to be extra selective based on what we get, while also making it a point to highlight the different styles, genres, and unique stories being told in the local episodic space. So, it ends up being a very eclectic night where the only thing fully tying the lineup together is the fact that the stories are all ongoing rather than standalone. It seems this audience was onboard for the ride and enjoyed the different series highlighted.

We'd just like to say thank you to everyone who came out to support the filmmakers and spend the evening with us & them. We do hope you enjoyed all the webisodes and the opportunity to network with other filmmakers and film enthusiasts. We know some connections were made! AND we hope you'll join us again for our Halloween Special on October 30th! (We’ll be in costume and it’s going to be super spooky & fun!) 

See photos from the evening:

The Series of the night:

Open Mic (Creator, Writer: J. Martin Raider, Director: Larry Alan Rosenzweig)
David hosts an open mic and struggles to survive while raising his son in New York City.

Split (Creator, Writer: Yael Shavitt, Director: Molly McGaughey)
After auditioning for a drama high school, 13-year-old Sammy makes a crucial choice that splits the path of her life in two. Flash forward twelve years: in one world, Sammy’s grown into Sam, a confident up-and-coming actress in a turbulent relationship with her girlfriend. In another world, she’s Samantha, an eager assistant director living a life of routine with her longtime boyfriend.

Hidden Guardians (Creator, Writer, Director: Daniel Armour)
Held hostage by her abusive father Albur, sixteen year old Zadie Emerson desperately fights to get free and start a new life. When she awakens a mysterious power within her, however, she must decided between using it to runaway or exacting her revenge. 

Queer & Down (Creator, Writer, Director: Jamie DiNicola)
Noah and Julia have never felt like they belonged; aside from with each other.

"Queer & Down" is the story of a young queer couple navigating their love for one another, and their sexualities. Noah, a queer transgender man, hopes to find belonging in a world that denounces his unique masculinity. Julia tries to find her place in a world that invalidates feminine queerness. 

Adult (Creator, Writer: Tatienne Hendricks-Tellefsen, Director: Cynthia Silver)
Two unlikely friends with a ten year age gap, Clementine (19) and Allison (29), face problems from the harsh, judgmental world, and find solace in their weird, but loving friendship.

Watch our Q&A Recap. The perk of web series month is that the episodes can be watched online NOW to offer context to the Q&A! Find most on Youtube!

The award goes to...

At the end of the evening, we announced our winning filmmaker of the Audience Choice Award. We've realized from past years that web series episodes always feel a bit confusing alongside all standalone films at Best of Fest, so we decided moving forward that at this specialty month we'll exclude our Silver Whiskers pick and just award one audience-selected winner all the monetary prizes. The winner receives $50 towards a crowdfunding campaign on SeedandSpark.com should they use the platform and and 50% off 4MileCircus' post-production audio cleaning service for a future project. 

For the September 2018 lineup, our winning series was:
    Audience Choice Award:  "Adult"

Join us next month for our Halloween edition on the 30th! 

(The deadline to submit for consideration is September 29th.)

IndieWorks - August Recap

Tuesday was our August edition of IndieWorks. Despite a thunderstorm, over 40 people came out for our 4 films of the night. All the films were scifi in nature, but had very diverse styles & sub-genres, from drama to animation to experimental. All were visually-striking & thought-provoking. Overall, the night was a big success!

We'd just like to say thank you to everyone who came out to support the filmmakers and spend the evening with us & them. We hope all enjoyed the films and the opportunity to network with other filmmakers and film fans. We know some connections were made! 

We hope you'll join us again for our September Web Series Special on the 18th -  featuring a fun lineup of NYC-based webisodes.

See photos from the evening:

The Films of the night:

Greater Good (Directed by Andrea Ashton, Written by Candace Little & Allison Yuen)
When a pregnant woman receives an unexpected visit from two strangers she is faced with making a life-altering decision.  

Androktasiai (Written & Directed by (Lincoln) Yufeng Li)
A combat robot designed to protect good people from bad people. But who are good and who are bad? 

Rubber Ducky (Written & Directed by Sean Mannion)
After a fight outside a rock show Tara finds a Rubber Duck that changes her perspective.  

Back Page Ripper (Directed by Stephen Rutterford, Written by Stephen Rutterford & Jon Burkhart)
A girl must solve the mystery of who ripped the last page out of her mystery novel. 

Watch our Q&A Recap. *Please know there are some film spoilers - feel free to look for an opportunity to catch the films at a festival or computer screen near you & then come back to watch!

The awards go to...

At the end of the evening, we announced our winning filmmakers for both Audience Choice Award & Silver Whiskers Award. The Audience Choice Award is voted upon by all those in attendance, and the Silver Whiskers Award is judged by the CongestedCat Team based on a rating system of 8 categories:   Story, Dialogue/Writing, Direction, Acting, Cinematography, Sound, Editing, and Production Value, along with a nuanced discussion focused on inclusion and originality. The Silver Whiskers winner goes on to screen again at our end of year Best of Fest screening next April. 

The Silver Whiskers winner also receives $50 towards a crowdfunding campaign on SeedandSpark.com should they use the platform and 50% off 4MileCircus' post-production audio cleaning service for a future project. 

For the August 2018 lineup, our winning films were:
    Audience Choice Award:  "Back Page Ripper"
    Silver Whiskers Award:  "Greater Good" 

Join us next month for our September edition on the 18th!