Monday Morning

Rose has not seen her two grandchildren, Hayden and Emma, in years. But when an unexpected event places the kids on her doorstep one night, the three get to know each other once again whether they like it or not—something that proves a lot more challenging when tensions are high, emotions are laden, and time is short. 

Written and directed by Meghan Hughes, a student at Temple University when she made the film,  Monday Morning tells a tender story, and does so with both maturity and compassion. You can watch the trailer here:

Only a Number

This is a true story of the struggle to survive, to love and to remember. 

Director Steve Besserman's mother is a Holocaust survivor with dementia. Over thirty years ago, she documented the horrors she endured at the hands of the Nazis and how she met the filmmaker's father in a concentration camp: separated by barbed wire and both physically and psychologically ravaged by starvation and brutality. 

Yet they fell in love, giving each other the strength and will to survive. 

On his journey of discovering his parents' past, this probing and delicate filmmaker visited the sites of the ghettos, concentration and labor camps as they are today, finding visual remnants of the past in the present. What lies within the tangles of his mother's memory lies beneath these locations that time may have changed, but can never erase. 

Watch the trailer here: 

 

For Goodness Shakes!

On the Set of For Goodness Shakes!

Two flappers in the 1920s go in search of milkshakes, which have recently become illegal. Oh, no! What will these intrepid young ladies, determined to have their milkshakes, do next?

Shot in two days on West Chester University's campus in the style of the silent era, this delightful, 6-minute short will kick off New Hope's 2012 festival on Friday, July 6 at 7 pm. Producer/director Tyler Mertens, a college student and native of New Hope, is making his world debut, as are co-writers Alissa Conway and Tricia Finn. 


Watch this trailer and brighten your day:

Liking Men

After a traumatic sexual assault, a woman embarks on a restless odyssey of healing. While receiving the guidance of a wise woman, her journey takes a surprising direction as she tries to reconnect physically with her husband. 

This sensitive film by producer Di Koob and director Heather de Michele, both from California, examines the personal cost of a woman victimized by a terrible crime while also revealing her courage to heal. 


You can watch the trailer here:

The Piece-Coin (La Piece)

The Piece-Coin (La Piece) tells the story of an old man who tries to buy a coffee with a pierced coin (French Franc) on the morning of 9/11. The old man comes back regularly in the cafe, but most of the customers are drawn to a television that feeds live reports on the staggering tragedy. 



Montreal director Marc Joly-Corcoran, a Phd candidate in film studies, employs a sophisticated eye in this short. You can watch the trailer here: 

Dalai Mongol

An achingly beautiful creation of award-winning musician Levi Chen, whose accomplishments include winning Music Video of the Year at the 2007 Los Angeles Music Awards, Dalai Mongol takes viewers on a dreamlike journey through the enchanted landscapes of Mongolia as a man and woman, on separate spiritual quests, yearn to find themselves and one another. 

The film's only dialog comes in the form of musician Levi Chen's serene and majestic notes as well as songs from his latest album. Dalai Mongol's blend of nature and music narrate an inspiring and timeless tale of faith, triumph and love despite all odds. 

Watch the trailer here:

Halloweenville

Filmmakers and Lambertville residents Gary P. Cohen, Paul Kaye and Jann Kniskern set out to discover why New Hope's across-the-river neighbor, Lambertville, has taken to celebrating Halloween the way New Orleans takes to Mardi Gras. The town of artists, musicians and restaurateurs lavishes an extraordinary amount of love, energy and money on trick-or-treating, haunted houses, decorations and events. 3000 people come out on Halloween each year to take part. This documentary attempts to find out the why and the how. 

You can check out the trailer for his neat, offbeat film here:   
 

A Rogue in Londinium

An artist, Richard Rhys, is suspected of responsibility for the Ripper crimes in Victorian London. Through a twist of fate, he's introduced to a wealthy and philanthropic socialite, Victoria Thornton. Her compassion for him changes his heart and stokes his artistic talents. In turn, his charm awakens her desire. A great love affair begins, but when a third person enters their lives, the picture darkens.

Steeped in gothic imagery and Victorian-era sexuality, this feature film by returning auteur Whitney Hamilton, whose two screenings at New Hope Film Festival are characterized by passion and a burning desire to capture true-to-life history, A Rogue in Londinium is an imaginative take on art and the human psyche. 


You can watch the trailer here (parental discretion advised): A Rogue in Londinium Trailer

Broken On All Sides

More African Americans are under correctional (prison) control today than were enslaved in 1850. This provocative documentary dares to ask why.

Produced and directed by Matthew Pillischer, who bases himself in Philadelphia, Broken On All Sides: Race, Mass Incarceration & New Visions for Criminal Justice in the U.S. explores mass incarceration across the U.S. and the intersection of race, poverty, the criminal justice and penal systems. The film centers around Michelle Alexander's theory in her groundbreaking book, The New Jim Crow, wherein the system incarcerates people of color at disproportionately high rates. The movie dissects the War on Drugs and 'tough on crime' movement, illustrates how the emerging Occupy movement offers hope for change, and explores possible reforms and solutions to ending mass incarceration and this new racial caste system. 

Watch the trailer on the film's website: Broken On All Sides Website

The Pact

Their love lives in shambles, two brothers make a pact: no women for a year! The pact holds them under an almost magical spell as they take turns trying, but failing, to break it. Written by Aaron and Matt Toronto, this lively and hilarious slice of American life is screening at New Hope on Sunday, July 15. 

Check out the trailer here: The Pact Website

Dancing on a Volcano

Dancing on a Volcano is the tale of Nadja Hammermann, a young Austrian
Jew. She was a strong-willed artist who, in 1939, came to Paris
seeking exit visas for her family from the Chilean consul general,
Armando Marine. A single kiss was the price Nadja had agreed to pay in
exchange for Armando's help, a kiss that developed into a secret
romance. Armando liberated hundreds of refugees from the Nazis under
Nadja's influence. In 1941, Nadja and Armando left Paris and, through
her great artistic talent, found a future in New York City, where she
became a senior illustrator for the New York Times.

But could love endure a life in exile? Visit the Facebook page for this beautiful documentary to learn more and watch a preview.

Waiting for the Turning of the Earth

Barry Otto and Anne Louise Lambert

It's not every day that you meet a man on the beach in his pajamas. It's even less often that you find he brought his bed with him. A gentle film about life, death and forgiveness, starring two of Australia's best loved actors, Waiting for the Turning of the Earth takes you to a stirring place and holds you there.  

Australian Director David Evan Giles will be in New Hope for the screening. Check out the film's blog and watch the trailer here: 

Let Us Talk (Leh Wi Tok)

Radio Moa Market Reporter Jinnah Arumah Kpundeh

Leh Wi Tok is a documentary by returning filmmaker John Lavall, whose film Home Across Lands screened during New Hope's 2010 debut festival. The film profiles radio pioneer Andrew Kromah and his efforts to grow an independent network of community-based radio stations in his home country of Sierra Leone. 

Road to Radio Moa 

in Kallahun

Amidst flagrant and persistent political harassment plus financial and technical woes, Kromah literally puts his life on the line to bring information to his listeners and offer a platform for disparate and often unheard voices. 

This gorgeous and powerful film is important for anyone who values freedom of expression. You can watch the trailer here: Leh Wi Tok