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Get Involved with NOHO CINEFEST!
AUDITORIUM 3
SHORTS 1 - Thursday, September 12: 5pm
Just a Gun
Comedy / USA / 5 Mins
A stranded woman in the desert commandeers a jeep, but must outwit the driver to get to next location.
Director: Güstavo Stebner
Producers: Fon Davis, Ron Cohen, Zaki Rubenstein, Patricia Chavez
Writer: Nadav Benari
Cast: Carmireli Rodriguez & Dove Meir
Flint
Psychological Thriller / USA / 29 min.
A mystery unravels when a troubled teen is sent to a rural group home where he struggles with the head counselor's unorthodox methods.
Director: Chris Oz McIntosh
Producers: Chris Oz McIntosh, Andrew Olson, Michael Sloyka, Leah N.H. Philpott, Sterling Gates
Writer: Michael Sloyka
Cast: PJ Sosko, Owen Trumbly, Dash Melrose
Room Tone
Horror / USA / 9 min.
When a sound guy's attempt to capture “room tone" is constantly thwarted by the noisy antics
of his coworkers, he takes extreme measures to achieve silence.
Director: Michael Gabriele
Producers: Scott Marvel, Amy Stewart, Danny Rhodes
Writer: Michael Gabriele, Danny Rhodes
Cast: Mickey O’Sullivan
Coffee Connection
Dramedy / USA / 5 min.
A man in a coffee shop confronts his friend, who has been sleeping with his wife.
Director: Jodi Ferguson
Producers: Ryan Kenton
Writer: Ryan Kenton
Cast: Jeremy Gladen, Joshua Stone
Deliberate
Drama / USA / 14 min.
Determined to right the wrongs of the past, a young woman confronts her favorite high school teacher and abuser.
Director: Marta Roncada
Producers: Raphael Gindre, Marta Roncada, William French
Writer: Marta Roncada
Cast: Kelly Lou Dennis, Carl Beukes
Blind Spot
Horror / USA / 9 min.
After a tragic car accident, Jennifer struggles to find absolution and understand the mysterious presence in her house.
Director: Jon Clark
Producers: Toni Cunningham, Lara Sfire, Zach Sutton, Clare Cooney
Writer: Jon Clark
Director of Photography: Noah Elliott Morrison
Cast: Sara Cicilian, Clare Cooney
SHORTS 2 - Thursday, September 12: 5:15pm
The Pitch is Wac
Comedy, Animation/ USA / 2 min.
Game designer ELIKA has the opportunity of a lifetime, pitching her game to the top AAAA game publisher: WACTIVISION… but only if she can get past the level one Pitch-Bots. It's an epic showdown between human creativity and AI.
Director: Stephen Reis
Producers: Nicole Garcia
Writer: Daniel Gordon
Cast: Nicole Garcia
The She-E
Fantasy / UK / 12 min. 57 sec.
Confronted with the cursed truth of her bloodline, Aeithna, a mighty and fair elf, runs from herself and her fate.
Director: Daria Arzhevikina
Producer: Daria Arzhevikina
Writers: Daria Arzhevikina, Jay Menos McIntyre
Cast: Brooke Walter, Willow Adamson, Stuart Boother, Matisse Didier, Hector-Buckle Wright, Archie Mayo, Lola Rubin, Ade Dimberline
Thoughts & Prayers
Comedy / USA / 11 min.
In a world where gun violence is as common place as dwindling college romances, Simone and Tyler must stick together in order to survive a school shooting in this darkly satirical comedy.
Director: Danny Farber
Producers: Amy Poehler, Anjelika Washington, Danny Farber, Summer Moore, Stacy Snyder,
Writer: Danny Farber
Cast: Anjelika Washington, Bourke Floyd, Clay Wilde, Danny Farber, Julio Ruiz, and Lauren Elyse Buckley
Surviving the Big One. With Notes from Mom
Adventure / USA / 17 min.
After a Chemical War destroys civilization, three siblings are left alone to run their remote survivalist camp.
Director: Lisandro Novillo
Producers: Tyler Ham Pong, Jamie Miller
Writer: Lisandro Novillo
Cast: Elena Heuzé, Brady Hender, Trinity Simpson, Jamie Miller, Alex Lynn Ward, Kyle Vonn Elzey
5.7 seconds
Horror/Thriller / USA / 15 min.
When an unseen threat forces a young woman to take refuge in an abandoned car, she must determine where the true danger lies: inside or out.
Directors: Tim Aslin, Shane Cibella
Producers: Shane Cibella, Tim Aslin
Writers: Tim Aslin, Shane Cibella
Cast: Shante DeLoach, Henry Hetz, Whitney Tai
Celeste
Drama / USA / 7 min
Celeste encapsulates the story of two lovers, Violet and Lily. The divine forces create a magical encounter between them in the limbo state of life. By unraveling their hearts, truth and forgiveness are revealed.
Director: Fernando Broce
Producers: Yashvi Mulchandani, Sara Soler
Writer: Sara Soler
Cast: Sara Soler, Rachael Omane
AUDITORIUM 3
FEATURE - Thursday, September 12: 7:15pm
The Heavy
Drama/Thriller / USA / 100 min.
Two brothers take their little sister on a trip to clear her mind, and things spiral out of control.
Director: The Harrow Brothers
Producers: The Harrow Brothers, John Fitzpatrick III, Chris Raab
Writer: The Harrow Brothers
Cast: Bryce Harrow, Rob Harrow, Christian Campbell, Eric Lee Huffman, Frank Bond
FEATURE - Thursday, September 12: 7:30pm
Best Man Dead Man
Comedy / USA / 84 min.
A bachelor party in the middle of nowhere quickly turns into a night of murder and mystery when the best man ends up with a knife in his head. Everyone is a suspect and only an eccentric private eye in town can solve the mystery.
Director: Verner Maldonado
Producers: Jack Ireland, Molly Bernard, Tina Dazzo, Matt Ippolito, Brandon Kraus, Verner Maldonado, Matthew Schlissel
Writer: Matthew Schlissel
Cast: Molly Bernard, David Gridley, James Heaney, Leah Kilpatrick, Jack Ireland, Bern Fernandez, Jonny Cruz, Dayana Rincon, Matt Ippolito, Atul Singh, Kimberley Crossman.
AUDITORIUM 7
Cathartic Realism - Thursday, September 12: 8pm
Cathartic Realism is an actor-focused filmmaking process where individuals turn their personal traumas into authentic stories. The actor, as both writer and performer, tells their story of shame, guided through a psychiatrist-led process aimed at finding catharsis. By blending therapeutic techniques with the Chubbuck Technique, Cathartic Realism encourages both creators and audiences to confront and embrace their experiences, fostering a shared journey of empathy and understanding.
Ivana Chubbuck
Ivana Chubbuck is a renowned acting coach and creator of the Chubbuck Technique, which empowers actors by transforming personal pain and trauma into powerful performances. She has coached top Hollywood stars like Brad Pitt, Charlize Theron, Halle Berry, and Sylvester Stallone. Her method, grounded in psychology and anthropology, has revolutionized acting, making stories more dynamic and impactful.
Claire Chubbuck
Claire Chubbuck, an award-winning director, pioneers Cathartic Realism, turning real-life traumas into compelling narratives. A key figure at the Ivana Chubbuck Studio and a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, her innovative approach has garnered recognition at major film festivals.
Sofia D'Marco
Sofia D'Marco is an award-winning actress specializing in cathartic realism, with over 13 years of experience mastering the Chubbuck Technique. In 2023, she and Claire Chubbuck won the New York Cinefest’s Visionary Award, recognizing their groundbreaking work in pushing the boundaries of emotional truth in film.
Also Screening Short Films:
Blueberry
Me and My Penis
AUDITORIUM 3
FEATURE - Thursday, September 12: 9:30pm
Shift
Thriller / Comedy / USA / 1:23:51 Minutes
Imagine, if you will, Hitchcock in skinny jeans, while reading the synopsis (and while watching the film) below:
Tom, a Steve Buscemi type with less drive, takes the night shift job at Your Storage in Chicago armed with security monitors, lackluster wit, a late night radio DJ, and his trusty office chair Grace Kelly, but the usually easy gig takes a mysterious turn when one of the regulars, Mrs. Jones, lures an unsuspecting man into her unit - a man that Tom never sees again.
Director: Max Neace
Producer: Gi Gonzales, Brian Randles, Stanley Yung
Writer: Max Neace
Cast: Connor McGill, Allison McAtee, Sean O'Bryan
AUDITORIUM 4
SHORTS 3 - Thursday September 12: 9:45pm
Chain
Fantasy, Proverb / USA / 4:49 min.
A visually stunning and emotionally rich 3D animated short that uniquely tells the story of a mantis catching a cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
Director: Ling Han
Producers: Tzu-Ying Ho, Ling Han
Writer: Ling Han
Look and Lighting Director: Derek Flood
Animators: Tzu-Ying Ho, Shiori Kanaguchi, Sivagorn Kraivit, Maria Jesus Mayo, Yifat Shahak, Chun-Liang(Jake) Yu
Fire F*cking Fire
Comedy / USA / 17 mins
A people-pleasing homebody lesbian has a one night stand with her rockstar crush but in the morning the rockstar won’t leave…
Director: Julia Eringer, Rachel Paulson
Producers: Kirsten Knisely, Dublin Wahlberg
Writers: Julia Eringer, Rachel Paulson
Cast: Rachel Paulson, Calico Cooper, Capri Campeau, Vico Ortiz
Miracle Wood
Dark Comedy / USA / 6 min.
A lonely, depressed old man finds hope in a holy piece of wood.
Director: Johnny Rey Diaz
Producers: Johnny Rey Diaz, Ash T
Writer: Johnny Rey Diaz
Cast: Alejandro Patiño, Matt McCoy
World's Shortest War
Thriller / USA / 11:30 min.
Desperate for money and out of time; Joaquin, Jesse, and Frank panic in an empty parking lot from a failed house robbery. With nothing left but a dimebag of cocaine, the three turn to what they know best. Joaquin, struggling to find his voice, is pressured to rob a local pizza shop in a final desperate attempt to gain money. Battling the urge to leave, Joaquin reluctantly stays, out of loyalty. As the three forcefully rush the cashier and manager, they take off with the money. Joaquin, questioning his decisions and friends, finally comes to the realization that he’s all alone. With nowhere left to go, Joaquin calls his father for help. Wishing to leave his life behind and return home.
Director: Joseph Horta
Producers: Pedro Rocha, Thomas Negrete
Writer: Julian Enriquez, Joseph Horta
Cast: Skylar Okerstrom-Lang, Julian Enriquez, Braxton Chapman, David Barrera, Dylan Weand
Contraction
Horror-Thriller / USA / 10 min.
When a mother goes into labor, she discovers something is different about her husband and father of their child.
Director: Andy Greene
Producers: Andy Greene, Liesel Hlista, Jennifer Sherer, Diamond Batiste
Writer: Andy Greene
Cast: Liesel Hlista, Cameron Bender, Hildegaard Feaver
You're on your own, kid
Horror/Suspense / USA / 10 Min.
Sophia, 9 year old, is pursued by an entity in her home and the terror is experienced from the imaginative perspective of Sophia. An imagination where all of her nightmares come to life, and what normally brings her comfort is personified into horror.
Director: Michael Matsui
Producers: Michael Matsui
Writer: Michael Matsui
Cast: Sophia Andrews, Heather Lynn
Invisible Lines
Drama / USA / 27 min.
A Governor on his reelection campaign is faced with allegations of sexual misconduct that come up against him just days before the elections, turning his and his family’s lives upside down.
Director: Yuval Shrem
Producer: Yuval Shrem
Writer: Yuval Shrem
Cast: Ron Gilbert, Eddie Navarro, Addi Kaplan, Sean Ormond, Allen Wasserman, Adam Meir, Courtney Scheuerman, Jewel Greenberg, Jolie Oliver, Will Beinbrink, Nora Woods (voice).