2025 Films
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REAL FRAMES
Adidas Owns the Reality
Keil Orion Troisi, Igor Vamos
May 17, 2025
12:15 PM
THEATER 2
Prankster activists perform an elaborate hoax to improve conditions for garment workers in the Adidas supply chain. Staging a shocking runway show at Berlin Fashion Week, they use humor and mischief to make the world pay attention to labor and environmental abuses that the massive sportswear brand is trying to hide.
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BLACK FLAG SHORTS 1
Becoming an Oyster
Elizabeth Schneider, Michael Covello
May 17, 2025
2:15 PM
THEATER 2
A young boy and his brother make a daring plot to exorcise the demons of childhood trauma. Exploring the intersection of two significant generational crises: climate change and opioid addiction this film blends metaphor, ritual and heartbreaking reality to make a beautiful and haunting animated film.
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BLACK FLAG SHORTS 1
Breathe
Naz Sayari Marcum
May 17, 2025
2:15 PM
THEATER 2
A yoga instructor faces a profound reckoning with her own detachment from humanity.
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BLACK FLAG SHORTS 2
Cascades
Brian Russell
May 17, 2025
4:30 PM
THEATER 2
A couple walks towards a crossroads on the day of their 30th wedding anniversary. Can they overcome the one thing that just might tear them apart? What does it mean to let go of our children?
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BLACK FLAG SHORTS 1
Collage
Marius Conrotto
May 17, 2025
2:15 PM
THEATER 2
A girl who works in a museum tries to convince another co-worker that two visitors are flirting. And how does she know? Scientific studies say that there are six signs that show one person's attraction to another.
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PSYCH NIGHT SHORTS
Emily's Mountain
Tal Somech
May 16, 2025
7:00 PM
THEATER 3
Emily celebrates her 6th birthday on a magical trip with her family and is slowly exposed to the horrifying reality that her parents are trying to conceal from her using modern technology and entertainment systems.
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BLACK FLAG SHORTS 1
Golden Child
Hannah Levin
May 17, 2025
2:15 PM
THEATER 2
A young woman is reunited with her childhood friend at a pool party and reckons with the fact that he used to pee on her when they were kids.
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BLACK FLAG SHORTS 2
Half a Century
Jackie Mahoney
May 17, 2025
4:30 PM
THEATER 2
A nanny goes on vacation with her affluent employers and uncovers a dark family secret.
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ACROSS THE LENS
Hearts Of Stone
Tom Van Avermaet
May 17, 2025
12:00 PM
THEATER 3
Noomi Rapace (Girl with the Dragon Tatoo) portrays a lonely street artist who goes on a quest to find her favorite statue when it is replaced by a work of contemporary art.
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REAL FRAMES
Hell is Empty
Marinah Janello Phennicie
May 17, 2025
12:15 PM
THEATER 2
A former portrait painter struggles to express himself until discovering a medium that speaks to his soul. Alongside showcasing the work of the artist, this conceptual documentary explores topics of poetry, religion and the alter ego.
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REAL FRAMES
Let Them Play
Katherine Bourne Taylor, Mary Tilden
May 17, 2025
12:15 PM
THEATER 2
With the help of his coach, a young baseball player works through and reflects on the effects of bullying by previous coaches and peers. Told from the perspectives of coach, parent, and player, Let Them Play explores the intricate and affirming aspects of positive coaching that can support children both on and off the field.
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REAL FRAMES
Livestreams with GrandmaPuzzles
Emily Sheskin
May 17, 2025
12:15 PM
THEATER 2
A lifelong hobby becomes a lifeline for an unexpected Twitch streamer.
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ACROSS THE LENS
Our Morning View
Rick Gomez
May 17, 2025
12:00 PM
THEATER 3
A father and teenage daughters relationship becomes strained after the passing of his wife and her mother. The daughter becomes immersed in her mobile phone as her father tries desperately to connect with her. Emotional/Comedy/Drama.
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PSYCH NIGHT! SHORTS
Persons Unknown
Jina Jarrin & Andy Keir
May 16, 2025
7:00 PM
THEATER 3
When a woman who lives alone in a large apartment
complex tries to keep strangers out, she inadvertently invites evil in.
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BLACK FLAG SHORTS 1
Pumpkin Pie
Karin Trachtenberg
May 17, 2025
2:15 PM
THEATER 2
Pumpkin Pie is a short dramedy with heart, in which bakery owner Margot finds her coveted solitude interrupted by a frantic customer, Adelaide, who refuses to be turned away on Thanksgiving morning. Through Adelaide’s increasingly desperate pleas for a holiday pie, the two women must face the feelings of inadequacy, sadness and regret that are often served up with the holiday meal.
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OPENING NIGHT FEATURE + RECEPTION + Q&A + Booksigning
Rebel with a Clause
Brandt Johnson
May 15, 2025
6:00 PM
THEATER 1
One fall day in 2018, Ellen Jovin set up a folding table on a Manhattan sidewalk with a sign that said “Grammar Table.” Right away, passersby began excitedly asking questions, telling stories, and filing complaints. What happened next is the stuff of grammar legend. Ellen and her filmmaker husband, Brandt Johnson, took the table on the road, visiting all 50 US states as Brandt shot the grammar action. But this story transcends grammar. It’s the story of an epic quest to bring us all closer together. In a time of extreme social and political division, the Grammar Table is a place of unity and connection. The conversations at the table help answer the question “How can we all get along?”
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BLACK FLAG SHORTS 2
Shoulder Season
Sierra Schnack
May 17, 2025
4:30 PM
THEATER 2
A lost and recently divorced woman in her 30s, Mayellen has been tasked with packing up her late grandmother's beach cottage before it is listed for sale. When a neighbor with dementia brings up old memories, Mayellen has no choice but to confront her grief directly.
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PSYCH NIGHT! SHORTS
Smiley Death Face
Andrew Patrick Torrez
May 16, 2025
7:00 PM
THEATER 3
A young girl stumbles into a text message conversation with an anonymous person that communicates entirely in Emojis.
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BLACK FLAG SHORTS 2
Son
Saman Hosseinpuor
May 17, 2025
4:30 PM
THEATER 2
In a village in Kurdistan, a mother awaits her son's return from military service. when she goes in search of him she discovers a secret which challenges her identity as a mother.
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BLACK FLAG SHORTS 1
Sorority Court
Emily Draper
May 17, 2025
2:15 PM
THEATER 2
A comedic courtroom drama that investigates the injustice of university “honor codes”, college students’ mental health, and the complexities of young women’s friendships. Inspired by a true story, Sorority Court follows Katie, Gamma Gamma Delta’s disgraced former president, as she defends herself before her sisters when she’s accused of stealing from the chapter house.
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PSYCH NIGHT! SHORTS
Steps
Dan Bricker, Eytan Millstone
May 16, 2025
7:00 PM
THEATER 3
Tanner Slade, an extremely unlikable bro, is obsessed with counting his steps. On his way to a tropical, solo, drug-filled getaway, he is kidnapped, and wakes up in a room with a shock collar on. A voice over a loudspeaker explains that he can only take 50 steps every 24 hours, or he will be punished. He embarks on a journey where he must adapt his lifestyle, and conserve every step, in order to adhere to his captor’s demands. As this dark comedy unfolds, Tanner is forced to confront his own demons, and ultimately decide what matters more... attaining a bunch of trivial steps that no one in the world cares about, or not being a pile of human garbage.
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PSYCH NIGHT! FEATURE
Thanks For The Room
Brett M. Butler, Jason G. Butler
May 16, 2025
4:00 PM
THEATER 3
Laid off due to the viral illness sweeping the globe, Byron is barely holding his life together. With eviction looming and his marriage crumbling, he takes a job as a midnight courier at a pandemic hotel for the unhoused, hoping to scrape together enough cash to keep his family afloat. But the gig quickly drags him into the underbelly of a broken system—where addiction, desperation, and survival blur into one.
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BLACK FLAG SHORTS 2
The Boy in the Cabinet beneath the Sink
Christopher Goutman
May 17, 2025
4:30 PM
THEATER 2
When they discover a migrant boy hiding in the cabinet beneath their kitchen sink, the rocky marriage of a Connecticut couple in their sixties takes an unexpected turn.
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ACROSS THE LENS
The Fairy House
Emma Weller, Zoe Moore
May 17, 2025
12:00 PM
THEATER 3
A magical encounter helps young architect, Charlotte, rediscover her lust for life.
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ACROSS THE LENS
The Next Bells
Nefeli Koutsouki
May 17, 2025
12:00 PM
THEATER 3
In this musical, Lily is waiting for an important phone call and navigates life assuming the worst, leading her down a dance-filled, spiraling path of self-discovery.
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PSYCH NIGHT! SHORTS
The Story of a Theft
Mahdi Hadizadeh
May 16, 2025
7:00 PM
THEATER 3
On a whimsical night, a father spins an intriguing tale for his young son about two stupid thieves who, in their quest to steal money, mistakenly break into the home of a mafia boss.
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DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
The Trouble With Mr. Doodle
Jaimie D'Cruz
May 17, 2025
4:30 PM
THEATER 3
Sam Cox was born to draw. From the moment he could hold a pen he started scribbling and never stopped: all day every day and all night too. As his obsession grew, the unstoppable stream of doodles flowing from his fingertips and out into the world beyond threatened to take over his life, his home and his mind. From the makers of Academy Award-nominated documentaries Exit Through The Gift Shop and Black Sheep, and the Producer of Academy Award-winning documentaries Man on Wire and Searching for Sugar Man, The Trouble With Mr Doodle is the story of an extraordinary boy born into an ordinary family and a cautionary tale about how sometimes we really do need to be careful what we wish for.
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SATURDAY NIGHT FEATURE FILM
Under the Volcano
Damian Kocur
May 17, 2025
7:15 PM
THEATER 2
A Ukrainian family is spending their last day of holiday on the island of Tenerife. They do not know yet that the next day their life will completely change. Overnight they wont be tourists any more but refugees.
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NARRATIVE FEATURE
Village Keeper
Karen Chapman
May 17, 2025
2:00 PM
THEATER 3
Following a devastating tragedy, Jean relocates her children to the community housing project where she grew up, seeking refuge with their grandmother. Haunted by secrets and scars, she struggles to shield her teenagers from the harsh realities of their environment.
When a citywide gun violence spree strikes close to home, Jean is propelled into action. She cleans her community of the remnants of violence, a symbolic act that reshapes her understanding of her past, her family's hidden truths, and her own resilience.
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BLACK FLAG SHORTS 1
We Should Eat
Rupert Jörg
May 17, 2025
2:15 PM
THEATER 2
Mickey is stressed. She’s burdened by the climate crisis, school shootings and the stripping of human rights, Mickey is stressed! From Shaina Feinberg and starring Alysia Reiner, Joel de la Fuente, Lexi Perkel, Jackie Hoffman, Bob Ari and Tovah Feldshuh this sharp-witted, comedic short film humorously touches on age-old familial irritations with Jewish mothers, the intricacies of raising pre-teen daughters and whether everyone can agree on what to order for dinner.
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PSYCH NIGHT! SHORTS
Won't Be Long Now
Christopher Stoudt
May 16, 2025
7:00 PM
THEATER 3
A new father's life is upended by an entity which seems to relentlessly stalk his family.