On Paper

A woman named Barbara sits alone a table after her retirement party. A gift box sits in front of her, but she's reluctant to open it due to the circumstances around the giver. By the time she returns home to her husband, the box and the ideas she conjures around it are propelling her to a confrontation. After so many decades of marriage, some hard truths need to be expressed. 

So she thinks. Her husband may strongly disagree. 

Directed, Written and Co-Produced by Arthur Helterbran Jr., a Wisconsin native who earned his MFA in Film Directing from the California Institute of the Arts, On Paper is a poignant film. Helterbran employs lighting and empty space to evoke a type of isolation that can arise in marriage when a couple is not honest with each other for many years. 

You can watch the trailer here: On Paper Trailer

HOME

In the dim light of night, Seo-won wanders in a fragmented reality of memories and emotions. The people she encounters evoke strong feelings, but it isn't entirely clear whether the entire experience is happening inside her mind.  

This film is murky, and that is intentional. 

Writer, Director and Co-Producer Al Chang  frames Seo-won in close focus, enhancing the sense of the action taking place within her own life. A respected filmmaker in Los Angeles's Koreatown, he brings many experiences to his work, including a decade of service in the U.S. Army, hip hop music, and fatherhood. Chang has much to say about family and belonging in this film, but his main character is too trapped inside her own thoughts to express it outright. 

You can watch a teaser here: HOME Teaser

Frail Grounds

A fantastical world awaits Margot when she wakes up one night. Strangely, her siblings are there, and she has no idea how this could be happening. A feeling of moving towards something yet remaining trapped overcomes her; she wants to leave but has no means of escape. Frail Grounds is more intimate than frightening, but Margot is clearly shaken by her unfamiliar environment. 

Student filmmaker Abby Tarpey demonstrates imagination and a penchant for great unknowns in this narrative short. A graduate of Penn State with a B.A. in Film Production, she is now based in Los Angeles, where she is finding many talented people with whom she can collaborate. 

The underlying theme of this film, suicide, is a heavy topic, but Tarpey adds enough layers of light to offer hope. You can watch the trailer here: Frail Grounds Trailer

Saffron Robe

An ambitious and determined spiritual leader is running a monastery in a remote region of Laos despite the cultural revolution that accompanied the communist overthrow of his nation's 600-year-old monarchy. Abbot Onekeo Sittivong could be described as a measured and ascetic man, as one would expect from someone in his position, but he does not simply go with the flow. He wants to uplift people and have an impact on the greater good of his country. 

In addition to educating boys from poor, remote villages, he is reviving the ancient practice of Theravada Buddhism, arguably the core thread of the Laotian social fabric. Whereas many spiritual leaders fled their temples to toil in rice fields and survive as best as they could, the abbot lobbied the country's new political establishment to secure a charter for his school. 

It is a fine achievement. The helmer behind this documentary feature is Jane Centofante, a debut filmmaker who plays the roles of writer, producer and director. To make her film, she first needed to obtain special permission to film it, and the abbot kindly agreed. Centofante settles into the life of the community and draws out many moments of insight. 

As for the boys who attend the school, a small number go on to become saffron-robed monks, but most move on to modern careers that they otherwise would have no chance of pursuing. A Western audience will have no other chance to experience this quiet but important place along the banks of the Mekong River, and it is a place very worth visiting. 

You can watch the trailer here: Saffron Robe Trailer

Finding the Zone

This edifying piece of Americana involves a teenager who dreams of becoming a professional baseball player. His family's midwestern farm may not be the ideal environment for such an ambitious goal, but he does learn certain values here and people who love him are behind him all the way. He's a bit awkward, and his full potential is unclear, but he has talent. 

What he needs the most now is to believe. 

This idea of knowing you can do it, and that you deserve to make it, is a central part of the story. Director Elan Milkes plays with these elements of character through mystical interludes that bring cosmic importance to the action on the ground. It is as if he is suggesting you need to be in harmony with the universe to reach your full potential and find your purpose in life. But how do you know when you're in sync with something so much more vast than yourself? The dramatic question in Finding the Zone is whether professional baseball is, in fact, the young man's calling. 

You can watch the trailer here: Finding the Zone

So Help Me God

In this short film from Brooklyn, a Christian musician who plays modest clubs finds himself entangled in a romantic relationship that has spun out of control. He knows he has a problem with carnal desire—he can't control it—but now things have gone too far. He screwed up big, and even when trying to implement the right fix, he only digs a deeper and deeper hole.

Director Sophia Conger thrives on moral ambiguity and loves to give her audience a jolt. So Help Me God will make some people uncomfortable. It may enlighten, but it does not preach. The musician and his lover are in a hot mess, and no Hand of God will sweep out of the clouds to save either. Instead, they have to sort through their situation, and the foundation the musician is drawing from to make that happen is currently failing him. 

You can watch the trailer here: So Help Me God Trailer

Amy & Monte: A Legacy of Love and Creativity

Summertime in East Hampton, New York evokes a reverie of sun-drenched beaches, calm ocean breezes, delectable hors d'oeuvres and sophisticated company. But within this dreamy landscape, an alt culture vortex arose in the form of artist and couture fashion designer Amy Zerner and her soulmate, best-selling spiritual author Monte Farber. 

Famous for intricate art as well as tarot card readings, they are hard to pin down or categorize. Yet their deep spirituality lends the duo more to exploration than revolution. They don't really crash the party in the Hamptons; it's more like they evoke and paint it. Their Light-Filled, surreal perspective may be salutary in an area that absorbs a good slice of Manhattan in an attempt to flee it. (Many manage just fine, but some weekenders may never get there due to the infamous traffic jams.)

Producer and Director Annmarie Sairrino, who is based in Burbank, seems to have great fun pulling together the pieces around this puzzling, talented and fascinating couple. Seldom do people so irreverent act from a place of such transcendent intentionality. And therein is a story worth telling. It is told very well. 

You can watch the trailer here (parental discretion advised): Amy & Monte Trailer

Te Seguire a la Oscuridad

In this cheeky rom-com from LA, a high school student gets super motivated to test up in Spanish so she can share a class with her crush. It's a bold plan, and much more complicated than simply telling him "Hey, I kinda like you."

She is not one to choose the easy way out. Damn the torpedoes...she will pass that exam! The director of this short, Nicholas Luciano, owns a track record of creating zany comedies, and Te Seguire a la Oscuridad fits well into his filmography. He assumed the job at the request of the writer, Joy Regullano, who impresses in a dual role as the lead actor. The team's production values are excellent across the board. 

Our intrepid young student may motivate you to be bold and take a chance. Maybe brush up on your Spanish. Or reminisce about an equally elusive flame. You can watch the trailer here: Te Seguire a la Oscuridad Trailer

Here Where the Sea Shines

This quiet, reflective short film features a little pooch named Rosy, a true charmer who serves as the mascot of Marina Grande, a port area in Sorrento, Italy. A short documentary featuring a dog and the sea is a recipe for cinematic heaven, and when watching the film, one might notice a feeling of having arrived home and never wanting to leave again. 

Director Giuseppe A. Modica lived in the United States for a brief time before his parents returned to their native Italy. There is rich emotion in this film, including a sense of timeless belonging via family, tradition and the contrast of change. 

Rosy plays an important role in a town that is anchored in relationships with one another. Modica captures the spirit of Marina Grande through gazes, music, and a lead character who doesn't speak. The unspoken style of communication woven into the film speaks volumes about an old village and the undercurrents that make it special. 

Here Where the Sea Shines (Qui Dove Il Mare Luccica) will screen with English subtitles. The trailer we have at this time is in Italian without subtitles: Here Where the Sea Shines Trailer

I Hate My Love Life

When a long-married couple finds their relationship on the skids, they turn to a new age guide who is, let's be honest, delightfully perky but a bit flaky. Their new mentor, if you will, summons a bold idea that sounds crazy enough to work, and off they go to date other people—to see what else is out there. 

And wow, in the current era of online dating, racy apps and made-on-the-fly etiquette, what IS out there is really OUT THERE. Writer and Director Tiffany Jackman lends a sharp eye for people and social commentary to her comedy, and the result is riotously funny. 

For all the unfortunate, million or so souls who can relate to the title I Hate My Love Life, this film is for you. And so is the trailer: 

Don't Pick Up

When Louisa enters a children's bookstore, she has nothing particular in mind. That's not necessarily a good thing. Given her history of uncontrollable impulses, it's a dicey situation. Chris, the kind and single manager, awkwardly flirts with his equally uncomfortable customer. Neither person has a clue where this is heading. 

A budding romance would be exciting. But what if Louisa's secret albatross derails everything...again? This somewhat creepy rom-com will keep you guessing from start to finish. Will Louisa walk away with a new beau, or will he have to call the police? 

New York-based director Jeremiah Kipp brings out the chemistry and inners lives of both actors in this probing, unpredictable short film. You can watch the trailer here: 

Trail Mix

The thru-hiking community doesn't get much press, and in an era when almost everyone is interconnected in a somewhat closed system 24/7, it's not hard to see why those who unplug are off the collective radar. Trail Mix is a fascinating look at long-distance hikers who traverse the entire 2,000 plus mile Appalachian Trail that runs from Georgia to Maine. 

Director Glenn Robert Sweitzer has a taste for adventure and off-grid living himself, as he spends much of his free time traveling cross country in a van. Yet Sweitzer is quick to cite his lack of backpacking experience prior to embarking on an ambitious project that involved hiking end-to-end himself. 

The people he meets along the way—and the deep, philosophical worldview they share despite the disparate motivations behind their quest—shape this film project in a manner reminiscent of nature's often unnoticed but irrepressible force. There is a sense of the trail making the film as much as Sweitzer does. As one subject of the film puts it: "The trail...it won't give you anything if you don't let it. You have to kind of let the trail break you down a little bit."

Why would people quit their careers, give up their homes and shed just about every worldly possession they own, then submit themselves to a trail? Do they have anything of value to say to the rest of us who remain plugged into a grid that sketches out a different path? These are questions worth exploring, so Sweitzer exercised his artistic freedom and made this revealing documentary. 

You can watch a teaser here: 

The Fries Rebellion

After moving from Cincinatti to the Lehigh Valley, a sullen teenager feels too lost to perform in school. The biggest stumbling block at the moment is a history report on the area, a subject about which she knows nothing. But Mom drops a hint—their family has ancestral ties to this part of eastern Pennsylvania—and from there the schoolgirl's keen sixth sense takes over. 

She begins to experience visions of historical events that took place around a 1799-1800 tax revolt known as Fries's Rebellion. Her report takes a back seat to these spectral phenomena, a change of circumstances that she finds both fascinating and terrifying. 

Director Dan Hertzog collaborated with the Lower Macungie Township Historical Society to create this imaginative docudrama. The historical reenactments are very well produced, written and directed. If education and entertainment are the main objectives of The Fries Rebellion, the project is a big success. 

By the end of the film, the high school student has quite a story to tell in her book report. You can watch the trailer here: The Fries Rebellion Trailer

Artists at the Edge

On the northern tip of Cape Cod, Massachusetts sits a quaint seaside town called Provincetown. Long known as a haven for artists, LGBTQ+ culture, art lovers and foodies, the close-knit community combines an appreciation for history with a yearning for progress. 

Against this backdrop, Executive Producer and Director Patrick Riviere produced this documentary to highlight two talented local artists: Kenny Lockwood and Darlene Van Alstyne. Van Alstyne sings, dances, and acts while wearing her BIPOC LGBTQ+ identify with pride. And style! Lockwood, a senior LGBTQ+ identifying resident of Provincetown, collaborates with Van Alstyne and other artists for the greater good. 

This film is keenly interested in the big picture, with an emphasis on fostering creativity, equality and action at a time when society at large is polarized. When some people are still considered "other" on the wider stage, Director Riviere focuses his camera lens on a place where the Pilgrims landed and the quest for self-determination springs eternal. 

You can watch the trailer here: Artists at the Edge

Second Chance City

In this absorbing drama, a young man faces a callous world after his release from prison. His only safety net is his successful older brother, who tries to help, but their long gap in communication leaves this relationship tenuous. 

There are other problems, and one is pressing: a former acquaintance in prison is demanding money, and fast. There are also glimmers of hope when a girl says she's cool with his past. Good things start to develop there. But as much as this ex-con wants to leave his whole incarceration experience far behind, the vortex of the past keeps pulling him back under the waves. Now he has a decision to make: how can he overcome fate without committing a crime that will put him right back behind bars?

New Jersey-based director and co-producer Chris Cardillo tells his story with a measure of East Coast grit, which makes the film feel authentic. His inspiration was a younger sibling's arrest for a minor, non-violent offense. Although prosecutors eventually dropped the charges, the elder Cardillo gained a new perspective on ex-convicts who are free in name only, with tough stigmas that make reintegration into society extremely difficult. 

You can watch the trailer here: Second Chance City Trailer