The Violinist

Sebastian, a ten-year-old boy, wants to be a violinist like his grandfather, Peter. His father, Will, forbids it because he believes Sebastian won't amount to anything and will become a failed artist like his grandfather. 

One day at school, Sebastian sees a flyer for an upcoming concert; he shows it to his grandfather. Together, they conspire behind Will’s back to practice for the concert. Perseverance and relationships are severely tested. 

This refreshingly truthful film isn't your typical protege story. Director Pablo Nicolas Raganato is after something more intimate: instead of glorifying success, the film celebrates love in spite of it, and in doing so, Raganato subtly but powerfully shakes the foundations of what men in a family are pressured to do and asks, instead, what they ought to do. 

The Violinist comes to us from Miami. For a preview of this fine student short, you can visit the film's website: The Violinist Website

Last Shot

A bartender is closing for the evening when his last customer orders a shot. Never one to refuse a sale, the bartender agrees to serve him, but grows uncomfortable when the man proceeds to dedicate each shot—five in all—to people who share one thing in common:

They’re dead.

The stories grow more unsettling. A man draws a gun. And the last shot may be a deadly one. 

This neo-noir short by director Greg Popp comes to New Hope via Glencoe, Illinois, where the filmmaker is based. A loaded film with an indie edge, Last Shot combines Chicago style with the bravado and danger often associated with the Windy City. You can view the trailer here (parental discretion advised): Last Shot Preview

Be With Me

Autism. The painful diagnosis is familiar to many parents today. According to recently released CDC statistics, 1 in 68 children in the United States are diagnosed, and it's even worse for boys—1 in 58. Be With Me is the real life story of a mother who fought back; she refused to accept such a debilitating life sentence for her son.

The story of Be With Me began in 1996, when Lori and Jim Cairns could see their 2-year-old son, JR, slipping away. The diagnosis: mild to moderate autism and mental retardation. Doctors predicted JR would be institutionalized by age 17.

The family was crushed and overwhelmed: at the time, autism remained poorly understood, few local resources were available, and the wider medical community considered recovery, as a practical matter, impossible. But inspired by the groundbreaking book, Let Me Hear Your Voice, Lori pursued a then-new therapeutic approach called Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Lori brought various ABA experts to Arizona to help JR and invited parents of other diagnosed children into her home to watch the therapists work with her son. 

The results were astonishing. You can watch the trailer here: Be With Me Preview

Five Past Ten

Shot on locations of Lanzarote, Las Canarias (Canary Islands) — in such otherworldly landscapes as Las Salinas Del Janubio, El Golfo, El Lago Verde, Timanfaya, and Puerto Del Carme — this highly atmospheric music video explores themes of home and physical desire through space rock-like musicianship and tectonic, primal imagery of Earth. Director Lara Celenza of Italy incorporates a motif of the American western, as well.  

The inspiration for this NHFF Official Selection is Italian blues rock musician Nico Greco's studio album, Stone Three Home (2013), which he says is all about finding your home, the place where you truly belong. Celenza develops his concept through her deft use of Eastern religious imagery, sunlight, and a broken down, isolated edifice that says less about home as an ideal where you return than it does about a place where you already exist. 

Five Past Ten will be screened with music videos from around the world. You can watch the trailer here: Five Past Ten Trailer

Retreat

In the midst of the American Civil War, soldiers on both sides have seen things that will haunt them for the rest of their days. But two Union soldiers are more concerned with what's waiting for them back home. Together by chance in the same regiment, they find themselves clashing with more than just their common enemy. 

The production values alone make this period drama an impressive student debut, but there is even more reason to take note. Retreat began as a short story by Pennsylvania teenager Nick Theorin, whose older brother Kurtis adapted it into a screenplay; their brother Kris Theorin, also a teenager, directed and edited the film. They received their funding through a Kickstarter campaign.  

This film is a shining testimony to the dedication and talent of a new generation's emerging filmmakers, who often get things done through their own drive and organizational skills. You can check out the preview here (parental discretion advised): Retreat Trailer

Acceptance

Acceptance is the story of a mother's journey through the seven stages of grief after finding out her nine-year-old son, Josh, has Asperger's Syndrome.

Based on filmmaker Laura Shapanus's real life experience, this self-financed short has plenty to say and lots of heart. Acceptance will move you and stay with you long after the final credits have rolled. You can watch the trailer here: Acceptance Trailer

Insomniacs

Insomniacs is an emotionally charged, romantic drama about two lost souls who connect through a shared misery.

One restless night, on opposite sides of a London flat complex, Jade and Theo are suffering from insomnia. Burdened by lovesickness, Theo spots a light on during these late hours: he observes Jade from a distance, becoming intrigued by a young woman who suffers from a similar affliction, then attracted as he watches her move about.

In the manic episode that follows, Jade escapes to the rooftop and Theo follows. And sparks soon fly. Filmmaker Charles Chintzer Lai, who bases himself in Brooklyn, delivers this kinetic short film with delightful cinematography and a realistic sense of what it's like to be single in a megacity. 

You can watch the trailer here: Insomniacs Trailer