I Had The Heart (Tuve el Corazon)<\/em><\/strong> Pilgrim<\/em><\/strong> The Ladies of the House\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>(2015) Open Water\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>(2003) FILM UNDERGROUND<\/strong> KIDS IN THE SPOTLIGHT<\/strong> BitterSweet<\/em><\/strong> East Bay Confidential<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0World Premiere<\/strong> I Never Said Goodbye<\/em><\/strong> Moments of Youth<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0North American Premiere<\/strong> Perdido<\/em><\/strong> Roughhead<\/em><\/strong> Rowdy Friends<\/em><\/strong> The Premiere<\/em><\/strong> Water Lilies<\/em><\/strong> 40 Days<\/em><\/strong> Game On: Hoops and Dreams in Rural China<\/em><\/strong> It Doesn’t Matter<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0North American Premiere<\/strong> Free Fernando!<\/em><\/strong> Moses<\/em><\/strong> <\/p>\n Opening Night Presentation I Had The Heart (Tuve el Corazon) Directors:\u00a0Oliver Kolker, Hernan Findling Country:\u00a0Argentina; Running Time:\u00a0107\u00a0minutes Moti Cohen a one time hit rock producer discovered Bartolo, a stutterer mechanic who sings Tango like nobody. Moti will make him a…<\/p>\n
\nDirectors:\u00a0Oliver Kolker, Hernan Findling
\nCountry:\u00a0Argentina; Running Time:\u00a0107\u00a0minutes
\nMoti Cohen a one time hit rock producer discovered Bartolo, a stutterer mechanic who sings Tango like nobody. Moti will make him a star.
\nPreceded by <\/em><\/strong>Elm<\/em><\/strong>
\nDirector:\u00a0Kay Qiao
\nCountry:\u00a0USA; Running Time:\u00a016\u00a0minutes
\nAn abandoned doll and a scarecrow scared of crows form an unlikely bond when they work together to overcome their fears and heal their mutual pain.<\/p>\nClosing Night Presentation\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
\nCountry:\u00a0\u00a0USA; Running Time: 111 Min.
\nDirectors: Scout Purdy & Doug Purdy
\nAfter a series of revelations, 15-year-old Joe devises a plan to cure her teen angst: a month-long pilgrimage filled with communication issues, terrible survival skills, and zero Wi-Fi\u2014AKA a summer hiking trip with her father.\u00a0Pilgrim<\/em>\u00a0is a funny, heartwarming story of connection and discovery.
\nPreceded by <\/em><\/strong>Incoming Call<\/em><\/strong>
\nDirector:\u00a0Lisa Molinaro
\nCountry:\u00a0United States; Running Time:\u00a015\u00a0minutes
\nEllie, a project manager, is stuck in a generic hotel on what feels like an endless work trip. As the construction project she’s overseeing faces delays, Ellie struggles to meet the demands of her job and her family from home.\u00a0Incoming Call<\/em>\u00a0showcases how the challenges faced by the middle class might be pushing some people to their breaking point.<\/p>\nSpecial Presentations<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
\nDirector: John Stuart Wildman
\nCountry: USA, Running Time: 93 minutes
\nThe Ladies of the House<\/em>\u00a0follows the fate of two brothers, Jacob and Kai, who, along with their friend Derek, go to a dance club to celebrate Kai\u2019s birthday. After Derek convinces the other two to follow one of the dancers home, things take a tragic turn. However, that is simply the beginning of the nightmare for the young men, because her roommates (Getty, Lin and Crystal) aren\u2019t just fellow dancers, they are also cannibals with a fierce sense of home and family \u2013 and a taste for men.<\/p>\n
\nDirector: Chris Kentis
\nCountry: USA, Running Time: 79 minutes
\nBased on the true story of two scuba divers accidentally stranded in shark infested waters after their tour boat has left.<\/p>\n
\nThe “Film Underground” is a NYC-based screening series and collective run by filmmaker Tzvi, focusing on showcasing lesser-known films from around the world. For the first time ever Festival of Cinema NYC will be partnering with Film Underground and founder Tzvi to present 10 short films all under 10 minutes that have been randomly picked to screen raffle style.<\/p>\n
\nTamesha Scott\u2019s Kids in the Spotlight is an organization based in L.A. that helps foster care-impacted and underrepresented youth heal and grow from trauma through the power of storytelling, filmmaking, and workforce development. KITS is erasing the limits of the foster system with every film released. And with Hollywood-level production and opportunities, KITS filmmakers are bringing their talent to the creative community.<\/p>\nAdditional Narrative Feature Films\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
\nDirector:\u00a0Steven Martini
\nCountry:\u00a0USA; Running Time:\u00a085\u00a0minutes
\nThis romantic comedy tells the story of a new father on the verge of losing his family to an overprotective government system that sees him as the root of the problem.<\/p>\n
\nDirector:\u00a0Chris De Pretis
\nCountry:\u00a0United States; Running Time:\u00a092\u00a0minutes
\nA disillusioned Iraq War veteran is framed for a murder by a beautiful social media influencer. He must track down the only person who can testify on his behalf: a former sex worker on the run from a murderous gangster.<\/p>\n
\nDirector:\u00a0Yev K’banchik
\nCountry:\u00a0United States; Running Time:\u00a070\u00a0minutes
\nAn Eastern European immigrant\u2019s journey through grief and self-discovery intertwines with the lives of others in Baltimore, exploring themes of loss, connection, and the shared humanity that bridges cultural and socio-economic divides.<\/p>\n
\nDirector:\u00a0Gregory Pellerito
\nCountry:\u00a0United States of America; Running Time:\u00a0125\u00a0minutes
\nOn the night before graduation, the Senior Class at Winthrop Creek High partakes in a fun-filled scavenger hunt which features a massive grand prize. With their dreams on the horizon, they share one epic night of laughs and secrets before their futures begin. Unbeknownst to them, the night serves as a way to overcome a tragedy that’s been hindering their growth.<\/p>\n
\nDirector:\u00a0Muhammad Bilal
\nCountry:\u00a0USA; Running Time:\u00a049\u00a0minutes
\nAfter a tragic run-in with police, Amir Rashad tries to avoid watching the news and anything that reminds him of the encounter. But as he becomes inundated with countless news reports about police brutality, repressed memories from his past begin to resurface. Unable to escape disturbing memories that now haunt him, Amir reluctantly chooses to seek help from a therapist to face his greatest fear.<\/p>\n
\nDirector:\u00a0Aurelio Galfetti
\nCountry:\u00a0Switzerland; Running Time:\u00a068\u00a0minutes
\nEla and Anao are united by their hard work on the farm. In the solitude of the foothills of the Alps, their partnership of convenience develops into love. A love that doesn’t stand a chance. When Ela discovers Anao’s secret, it is too late and the sinister surrounding become increasingly threatening. A threat that Ela confronts until …<\/p>\n
\nDirector:\u00a0Jacob Hatley
\nCountry:\u00a0USA; Running Time:\u00a091\u00a0minutes
\nResidents of a North Carolina halfway house take matters into their own hands when a roommate suspiciously disappears. Led by a cast of first-time actors, recovering addicts and ex-cons, this blend of fact, fiction and genre offers an unhinged look at life on the American margins.<\/p>\n
\nDirector:\u00a0Jon Silver
\nCountry:\u00a0USA; Running Time:\u00a081\u00a0minutes
\nA young filmmaker manages countless challenges at his first movie premiere – including high expectations, celebrity appearances, and paranoid delusions projected onto the screen.<\/p>\n
\nDirector:\u00a0Chanho Lee
\nCountry:\u00a0Republic of Korea; Running Time:\u00a0119\u00a0minutes
\nThe water lilies bloom, even in the filthiest waters. Amid the mire of selfish desires and the indifference to others’ suffering, Hope begins to bloom anew in the fleeting moment when we recognize the humanity within one another.<\/p>\nD<\/span>ocumentary Feature Films<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\nDirector:\u00a0Peter Takla
\nCountry:\u00a0United States; Running Time:\u00a098\u00a0minutes
\nNaguib and his wife Mariam decide to take over a dangerous Journey to the United States starting from central America all the way to the U.S. – Mexico Border facing many tough life threatening obstacles.<\/p>\n
\nDirector:\u00a0David Hamlin
\nCountry:\u00a0USA; Running Time:\u00a080\u00a0minutes
\nThis is the untold and surprising story of how American basketball came to rural China and is now deeply rooted in this rural culture.\u00a0\u00a0And every year, there is a remarkable basketball tournament attended by 20,000 local people. It’s the Super Bowl of Rural China – and a cultural and athletic spectacle unlike anything you’ve seen before. We follow three teams of men and women as they pursue their dreams to become basketball champions and bring glory to their villages.<\/p>\n
\nDirector:\u00a0Josh Mond
\nCountry:\u00a0USA; Running Time:\u00a086\u00a0minutes
\nIt Doesn\u2019t Matter<\/em>\u00a0follows the cross-country wanderings of Alvaro, a homeless man from Staten Island, and his fortuitous relationship with a young filmmaker. Alvaro comes to confront the issues that have left him homeless and how he begins to heal.<\/p>\n
\nDirector:\u00a0Marc Wishengrad
\nCountry:\u00a0USA; Running Time:\u00a098\u00a0minutes
\nFilmed over 25 years,\u00a0Free Fernando!<\/em>\u00a0chronicles the incarceration and eventual release of an innocent man who spent 18 years in maximum security prisons after being convicted of murder in 1990\u201a New York City. Initially begun as an attempt to free Fernando from prison, Director Marc Wishengrad continued to follow Fernando and his family post-exoneration. Free Fernando! offers an intimate look at the far-reaching reverberations of wrongful incarceration.<\/p>\n
\nDirector:\u00a0Fran Guijarro
\nCountries:\u00a0USA\/Spain; Running Time:\u00a0127\u00a0minutes
\nIn San Francisco, a man enduring homelessness for two decades connects with passersby to be seen among the invisible\u201a a skill he learned from a promising music career cut short in the 70s, and one that will ultimately transform his life.<\/p>\nClick Here For Part 3 of 3<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"