2012 New Hampshire Film Festival-Films and Panels

Below are a list of some films and panels I hope to see at the 2012 New Hampshire Film Festival.  For more information about the films and panels at NHFF please visit https://www.nhfilmfestival.com

FILMS

Children Of The Air

I was lucky enough to do an interview with Damian about the webseries "Candyland". I've heard many wonderful things about this film from the independent film community.

Directed by Damian Horan. Produced by Li Lu, Matt MacDonald, Nick Nides. Written by Damian Horan.  Starring Katheryn Winnick and Travis Van Winkle.

Juxtaposed to the original fairytale of the Little Mermaid, Children of the Air is an unflinching portrait of heartbreak.

Awards/Honors: Finalist USA Film Festival, Winner Best in Festival Lewiston-Auburn Film Festival, Winner Special Jury Award 45th Worldfest Houston International Film Festival.

 

Girls Against Boys

A lot of the people I spoke with at the NHFF Kick Off Party said I should check out this film.  I'm not really familiar with Austin Chick's work. I am however a fan of Danielle Panabaker.

Directed by Austin Chick. Produced by Aimee Shieh & Clay Floren.  Written by Austin Chick.

Starring Danielle Panabaker, Nicole LaLiberte, Michael Stahl-David, Liam Aiken.

Shae is sweet and sexy and men want to protect her, but sometimes also own her. She is the perfect object of male fantasies. Lu is the complete opposite of her. She is dominant, self-confident, self-reliant and uses her female attraction for her own gain. She is everything that Shae cannot be, her fantasy of superiority and self-interest. Shae has been raped by a man whose romantic advances she rejected, so the two women go on a journey of liberation, which soon takes a turn into revenge and vigilantism.

 

Fairhaven

I had planned on seeing this film at another festival but didn't get the chance to. I'm excited that there will be film representation at the screening. I'm going to try to ask a question during the Q+A.

Directed by Tom O’Brien. Produced by Massoumeh Emami, Dennis O’Neill, Chris Messina, Darren Goldberg.  Written by Tom O’Brien

Starring Chris Messina, Tom O’Brien, Rich Sommer, Sarah Paulson.

Jon (writer/director Tom O’Brien) is well past his glory days on the football field and now coping with life as a single man in his small hometown of Fairhaven, Mass. Enter Jon’s oldest friend Dave (Chris Messina), home for his estranged father’s funeral. Impulsive, attractive, and often dangerous, Dave is hell-bent on injecting some spontaneity into his old friends’ lives. Jon, Dave, and their friend Sam (Rich Sommer) reacquaint themselves after years of life-defining experiences, pushing the limits of their friendship and uncovering secrets from the past.

Awards/Honors: Audience award at the Independent Film Festival of Boston

*Film representation in attendance

 

Certainty

This is another film I've heard so much about. It will written by actor (and New Hampshire native) Mike O'Malley. I'm looking forward to seeing Bobby Moynihan outside of Saturday Night Live.

Directed by Peter Askin. Produced by Will Battersby, Mike O’Malley, Per Melita. Written by Mike O’Malley.  Starring Tom Lipinski, Adelaide Clemens, Giancarlo Esposito, Bobby Moynihan.

Dom and Deb are finally getting married, but there’s a catch. Before they can tie the knot, they must participate in a “Pre Cana” retreat, the mandatory course for couples looking to be married by the Catholic Church. Dom has his doubts about the program’s benefits, but is cooperating at his fiancee’s request and his mother’s insistence. While Dom may be unsure of the retreat’s affect, it may just prove to be the hardest test this relationship has faced yet.

*Film representation in attendance

 

In Danger Of Being Discovered

This looks interesting. I haven't seen many documentaries about local bands.

Directed and produced by Marc Dole and Michael Venn.

In Danger of Being Discovered takes a retrospective look at the rise of the music scene in the picturesque seacoast city of Portsmouth, NH in the mid 90′s. At the time, it was hailed by the Boston media as the next Seattle-like musical sensation. Through archival footage from local news outlets and MTV, live present- day performances and interviews with band members, we get an insider’s look at what it meant to be in the right place at the right time but just miss out on “making it” nationally. In this small musical community that was on everybody’s radar and could have been the ‘next Seattle,’ some dreams were realized, some were lost and the magic that binds every local music scene in every small town was tested.

 

Alekesam

Hugh Masekela was exiled from his family and native South Africa as a result of apartheid. Undaunted, he would find musical success in America with the 1968 number one hit, “Grazin’ In The Grass.”  Forty years later, his son, Selema, better known as television personality and ESPN X Games host ‘Sal’ Masekela, reflects on his relationship with his father.

 

Exit 7A

I had the chance to meet the people behind "Exit 7A" and "The Check Up at the NHFF Kick Off Party. They are really cool people. They give students from a local college the chance to work on their films. I was told one of the students edited "The Check Up."

A young man must decide what to do next when his hitchhiking passenger says she’s going to kill someone who lives off of exit 7A.

 

The Checkup

Walter visits his doctor complaining of headaches and blurry vision, only to be told his baby genitals have not yet fallen off. .Will Walter need surgery, or will his loving wife Margaret intervene in time?

 

Victim

I'm a fan of character driven thrillers.

Directed by Mark Battle. Produced by MarkBattle and Chris Fuoco. Written by Mark Battle and Chris Fuoco.  Starring Mariah Gale, Chris Fuoco, Megan McCormick.

A disturbed young woman stalks a sadistic serial killer in hopes of becoming his next victim.

 

PANELS

Crowdfunding the Independent Film

As the independent film landscape continues to shift, so does the way in which indie projects are being funded. “Crowdfunding” has become the new norm, with filmmakers using social media to ask for contributions to their projects. 10% of the films shown at Sundance in 2012 were crowdfunded, and more filmmakers are turning to technology to “pre-sell” their projects rather than going the traditional investor route. What are the different crowdfunding platforms out there, how do they differ and what are the pros and cons in each (and in using these sites, in general)? This panel, presented by the New Hampshire Film & Television Office, will take a closer look at the crowdfunding scene and feature advice on using crowdfunding as part of your business model. Local filmmakers will be on hand to share their success stories and personal experiences, and attendees are encouraged to take part in the discussion.

 

A Dual Look at Adaptations

The word “adaptation” is defined simply as something that is changed or modified to suit new conditions or needs.  When that something is a pre-existing story, and that new condition or need is a movie, you’ve got yourself a screenplay adaptation.  Join a group of producers and writers in a lively conversation as they share their perspectives, experiences and advice in bringing adapted material onto the screen.

 

A Conversation on Comedy

Join a motley crew of performers, writers and directors currently working in the multi-faceted genre of comedy in a spirited conversation about getting funny on screen and on stage. You never know who’s going to join in, so listen for any updates.