CLOSE
Tags Posts tagged with "Stony Brook Film Festival"

Stony Brook Film Festival

by -
0 671
TAKE A BOW: Above, the winners of this year's Stony Brook Film Festival, from left, Daniel Rashid and Reilly Anspaugh (Chauncey), Tathagata Ghosh (If), Zach Finger (Mimesis), Axel Dahan (On the Paths Awakened), Ryan Ward and Mackenzie Leigh (Daughter of the Sun), Bradley Gallo (Audrey’s Children), Mediha Alhamad (Mediha), and Barnabas Toth (Mastergame). Photo from Staller Center

The 29th annual Stony Brook Film Festival, presented by Island Federal Credit Union, wrapped up with its closing night awards ceremony on July 27.  The evening recognized the outstanding new independent films screened at the festival, which was held at Staller Center for the Arts at Stony Brook University from July 18 to 27.

This year’s festival brought together hundreds of directors and filmmakers and featured 36 films from 19 countries of which 13 standouts received awards. 

GRAND PRIZE WINNER
Mediha Alhamad, the subject and co-writer of the Grand Prize Award-winning ‘Mediha,’ with festival director Alan Inkles. Photo from Staller Center

Mediha took home the Grand Prize Award. Directed by Hasan Oswald, this masterful documentary chronicles the journey of a young Yazidi girl returning from ISIS captivity. Using her camera to process her trauma, she documents her experience while rescuers continue to search for her missing family members. The Grand Prize is given to films that have ‘wowed’ both the audience and the jury beyond what could be contained in the simple phrase ‘best film’ in this or that category. Mediha is the 11th film in the festival’s 29-year history that has received a Grand Prize and only the second time awarded to a Documentary Film. 

Two short films won the audience’s hearts, resulting in a tie for this year’s Audience Choice Award for Best Short. The winners for this category included two of the youngest filmmakers to win an award in the 29-year festival history. Mimesis, a drama about a struggling alcoholic actor who finds solace in an audition for the role of therapist, and On the Paths Awakened, a WWII-era story of two French teens facing intimate conflicts as the resistance recruits them. The festival’s youngest filmmakers directed the two winning short films: 20-year-old Zach Finger from Long Island and 19-year-old Axel Dahan from France.

One feature that truly captivated the audience was Running on Sand, which took home the Audience Choice Award for Best Feature. Adar Shafran directed this heartfelt crowd-pleaser about a refugee from Israel who, facing imminent deportation, is mistakenly identified as a Nigerian soccer star at the airport. The film highlights the precariousness of refugees’ lives, the power of second chances, and the complex intersections of identity and survival. 

The Spirit of Independent Filmmaking Award is for filmmakers who use a distinct indie perspective to bring their stories to life vividly. It is reserved for filmmakers who have created a standout film with very few resources, financial or otherwise. “When it looks and sounds great, plays great, creates its own world, and you would never suspect how hard the filmmakers worked to bring it to life on screen, then you’re watching the kind of film we give these awards to,” said Festival Programmer, Kent Marks. 

Daughter of the Sun secured the honor of this year’s award. This vintage-feeling, breathtaking fantasy tells the story of a man with Tourette’s Syndrome and supernatural powers and his 12-year-old daughter navigating life on the run.

The festival also announced that one of the films received an especially rare award in the 2024 Dr. Gabriel Sara Humanitarian Award. In 2022, the Stony Brook Film Festival created an inaugural prize in honor of Dr. Gabriel Sara, who worked wonders in cancer at Mount Sinai in New York by treating patients with dignity through song, dance, and teaming up with some of the most caring individuals in healthcare. He went on to play a role not unlike himself in the film opposite Catherine Deneuve. 

This year, the festival hosted a non-competing sneak preview of the film. Titled Audrey’s Children, it tells the story of Dr. Audrey Evans, who brought new treatments to pediatric cancer patients in the U.S. and went on to co-found The Ronald McDonald House. 

The Jury Award for Best Short went to Where We Belong, the Jury Award for Directing given to Mastergame, and the Jury Award for Best Feature went to The Strangers’ Case. (To listen to a podcast interview with The Strangers’ Case writer and director Brandt Andersen with TBR News Media reporter Daniel Dunaief, visit www.tbrnewsmedia.com.)

Mastergame director Barnabás Toth, who attended the awards ceremony, said, “Being here as a filmmaker is special. Coming here is like a therapy, a cure for any kind of artist because people who create are appreciated here. So please continue to keep it that way.”

The Festival’s Opening and Closing Night Feature and Short films were also recognized, including Director Aexandre Arcady of The Blond Boy From the Casbah (Opening Night Feature), Christopher Doll, Director/Producer and Karoline Herfurth, actress of One Million Minutes (Closing Night Feature), Daniel Rashid, Director of Chauncey (Opening Night Short), and Tathagata Gosh, Director of If (Closing Night Short). 

In addition to Island Federal’s generous support as presenting sponsor, additional sponsors for the Stony Brook Film Festival included News 12 Long Island; Campolo, Middleton & McCormick, LLP; Suffolk Arts and Film; Strata Alliance; and WLIW/PBS.

by -
0 860
1 of 2
Writer and director Brandt Andersen
A scene from 'The Stranger's Case'. Photo courtesy of Philistine Films
A scene from 'A Stranger's Case'. Photo courtesy of Philistine Films

UPDATE: “The Strangers’ Case” won the Jury Award for Best Feature at the Stony Brook Film Festival.

TBR News Media reporter Daniel Dunaief recently spoke with Brandt Andersen, writer and director of the film “The Strangers’ Case,” about five families in four countries who are confronting the refugee crisis. Andersen will attend a screening of his feature film directorial debut at the Stony Brook Film Festival on July 20th at the Staller Center.

Listen to the episode now.

by -
0 414
Photo from Staller Center Facebook

By Leah S. Dunaief

Leah Dunaief,
Publisher

It may be summer, but the livin’ certainly hasn’t been easy. Events have been like rapid tidal waves breaking against the news shore. First came the fumbling performance by President Biden in his televised debate with ex-President Trump. Just as we were coming to some sort of terms with that, there was an assassination attempt on Trump’s life, with a bullet from a high powered rifle nicking his right earlobe as he began his speech at a rally in Pennsylvania. Millions of dollars then poured into his campaign chest. 

Next came Biden’s withdrawal, after his adamant refusal to do so, from running for re-election. That was quickly followed by Vice President Kamala Harris announcing her bid for the presidency a mere 105 days before the vote. She immediately garnered support from many other Dems and a rapid accumulation of millions of campaign dollars. Speculation about who her vice presidential choice might be now dominates the news. Somewhere in the midst of those events was the GOP National Convention and the announcement of JD Vance as Trump’s running mate.

It’s been a remarkable past month, and as the news has see-sawed between the parties, many have reacted with anxiety. I can suggest an antidote.

Go see the nightly selection of movies at the Stony Brook Film Festival at the Staller Center for the Arts at Stony Brook University. This year is the 29th such offering, and you can judge what Alan Inkles, the director, and his talented staff call “the best in new and independent films.” It is a contest, and we, the audience, decide the winners. There were initially over 2000 entries that the staffers pared down, and until it ends Saturday night, there is still time for enjoying the program. Tonight and tomorrow will feature two movies, each preceded by a short. Saturday, July 27, the closing night, there will be one short, one full length movie and then a presentation of awards to the winners.

To me, movies are magic carpets that take us away from our lives to other worlds. We meet new people in different situations, whose stories may make us laugh or tear up, and we go back home somehow aired out. One we saw was “The Strangers’ Case,” a moving story about the terrified society enduring the Syrian Civil War, as Assad’s forces want to squelch the rebels, and the desperate people who try to flee. We view their plight as they become refugees in another country, strangers in a strange land, risking their lives on rubber rafts over open ocean to get there.

The convenience of attending this festival is top notch. Parking in the adjoining garage is ample and free, and the drive to the Center and back home takes mere minutes and is usually without traffic. Admission is reasonable, and there is pleasure in experiencing the movie with neighbors as a community. And, as in all good movie theaters, snacks are sold in the lobby. I even enjoyed my favorite ice cream pop, an almond-crusted coffee toffee delight, one night during intermission.

Another way to escape the inevitable current events stress is with immersion in a family visit. That, of course, assumes we don’t start talking politics at the dinner table. It just so happens that two of my sons have birthdays two days apart and right around the time the Film Festival opens, and so we get a double distraction from the news. They come, with my daughters-in-law, and we celebrate together.

Each of us has our particular task. One of my daughters-in-law decorates the house with Happy Birthday banners. Another makes her fluffy chocolate-covered cupcakes to host the candles. My job is to provide the food — their favorite dishes, of course — and to fulfill any specific request for a birthday cake. This year’s star selection was a banana cream pie. We happily endured the annual sugar rush that ensued.

As you might guess, after the family leaves, we all go on diets.

by -
0 411
1 of 3
Fawzia Mirza. Photo by Monica Schipper
A scene from 'The Queen of My Dreams'. Photo courtesy of Baby Doll Productions
A scene from 'The Queen of My Dreams'. Photo courtesy of Baby Daal Productions

TBR News Media reporter Daniel Dunief recently interviewed Fawzia Mirza, Director and writer of the film “The Queen of My Dreams.” Set across two continents and spanning three decades, the movie, which will be screened at the Stony Brook Film Festival on July 19 at 7 p.m., highlights the similarities and tensions between a Pakistani Muslim mother and daughter during their formative years.

Listen to the episode now.

by -
0 619
The festival opens with 'The Blond Boy from the Casbah.'

Stony Brook University’s Staller Center  for the Arts turns into a movie lover’s mecca when new independent films screen at the Stony Brook Film Festival on evenings from Thursday, July 18 to Saturday, July 27. The popular festival, now in its 29th year, will become a hub for some of the best filmmakers working today, a meeting ground for favorite actors and rising stars, and a showcase of new masterpieces as it pairs memorable short films with an array of features you won’t see anywhere else.

Presented by Island Federal, this year’s lineup boasts 36 films from 19 countries and kicks off with the U.S. Premiere of The Blond Boy from the Casbah, Alexandre Arcady’s semi-autobiographical dramedy about growing up in Algeria before emigrating to France as a teen. Festival Programmer Kent Marks describes the film as a “thought-provoking, unique journey through the past on the surprising path to self-discovery.”

Closing the festival is the U.S. Premiere of the German epic One Million Minutes, an inspiring true story that follows an over-worked family trying to find balance in their lives, starring festival-favorite Karoline Herfurth.

The festival will close with a screening of ‘One Million Minutes.’

While the films are never chosen with an overall theme in mind, oftentimes, a theme seems to emerge, and 2024 is no exception. “While our goal is to always program the best films we can find, this year, we gave ourselves the added goal of keeping an eye out for films that appeared to be on the lighter side so we could give our audience some extra laughs in their lives — something that we felt many people could use,” says SBFF & Staller Center Director, Alan Inkles. 

As festival-goers have come to expect, the 2024 schedule is still peppered with hard-hitting films, compelling dramas, and some very unique science-fiction.

This year’s festival features nine films from Stony Brook Film Fest Alumni. “Filmmakers depend on these festivals to help them get their films distributed so as many people can see them as possible and to gauge how a live audience is responding to their work – Our alumni love returning because we have a large, engaged audience and ensure they get the best showing and hospitality possible,” says Marks. “One of the most exciting parts for me is seeing these films up on the big screen and watching how the audience reacts,” says Outreach Director Paul Newland, “after spending so much time previewing these films, it’s truly exciting to see them have their big premiere in the festival, and our filmmakers love it too.”

One of the key features of the Stony Brook Film Festival is that there is absolutely no other way to see these films. 

“Netflix and streaming services are easy and comfortable, and we get that, but these films are not offered on streaming services. They’re films looking to get picked up for distribution in order to stream or play in theaters – a lot of people don’t get that – so this is the prime opportunity to be the first to know and to see some truly incredible films that you cannot see anywhere else,” says Inkles. This year’s festival boasts 17 world, U.S., East Coast, and U.S. premieres of features and shorts throughout the festival.

This year’s festival has a secret film—one that you will only know about if you come in person on July 21. The film—a major motion picture starring well-known Hollywood faces—was produced by a native Long Island filmmaker whose films have previously played the festival. It tells an inspirational true story with an amazing local hook. As with almost all films in the festival, a question-and-answer session between the filmmakers and the audience will follow the preview.

“We are very excited to have filmmakers from all over the world join us for their premiere screenings. Our audiences can gather in a huge theater with Long Island’s largest screen, to see movies the way they were meant to be seen,” said Inkles. 

Additional sponsors for the Stony Brook Film Festival include Campolo, Middleton & McCormick, LLP; Suffolk County; Altice Media; and WLIW21.

FILM SCHEDULE

For a complete description of all of the films, visit stonybrookfilmfestival.com.

OPENING NIGHT
Thursday, July 18 at 7 p.m.

Short: Chauncey

Feature: The Blond Boy from the Casbah

Friday, July 19 at 7 p.m.

Short: Iron Lung

Feature: The Queen of My Dreams

Friday, July 19 at 9:30 p.m.

Short: Detox

Feature: Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person

Saturday, July 20 at 7 p.m.

Short: The Hope Chest Has a Secret Drawer

Feature: The Strangers’ Case

Saturday, July 20 at 9:30 p.m.

Short: Two Cents & A Footlong

Feature: Take A Chance on Me

Sunday, July 21 at 7 p.m.

Short: The Grievance

Feature: SPECIAL SNEAK PREVIEW of a major motion picture produced by a SBFF alumni and Long Island resident

Sunday, July 21 at 9:30 p.m.

Short: Revived

Feature: Month to Month

Monday, July 22 at 7 p.m.

Short: Where We Belong

Feature: Marguerite’s Theorem

Monday, July 22 at 9:30 p.m.

Short: In the Night

Feature: Excursion

Tuesday, July 23 at 7 p.m.

Short: Split Ends

Feature: Free Money

Tuesday, July 23 at 9:30 p.m.

Short: Where Do Ants Sleep At Night

Feature: A Fantastic Relationship

Wednesday, July 24 at 7 p.m.

Short: exuvia

Feature: Mediha

Wednesday, July 24 at 9:30 p.m.

Short: [subtext]

Feature: Running on Sand

Thursday, July 25 at 7 p.m.

Short: Mimesis

Feature: Mastergame

Thursday, July 25 at 9:30 p.m.

Short: Bible Camp

Feature: Daughter of the Sun

Friday, July 26 at 7 p.m.

Short: The Overlook

Feature: After the Fire

Friday, July 26 at 9:30 p.m.

Short: On the paths awakened

Feature: A Real Job

CLOSING NIGHT
Saturday, July 27 at 7 p.m.

Short: If

Feature: One Million Minutes

CLOSING NIGHT AWARDS

9:30 p.m. Presented on stage.

Ticket information 

All screenings are held at Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook in the 1,000-seat Main Stage theater. Cinephiles will want to see all 36 films. There’s passes for that. For those who can’t, there are passes for that, too. All festival pass types come with guaranteed priority seating, Q&As with filmmakers, discounts, and other perks at partner locations, including local eateries and breweries, as well as a festival gift.

The Flex Pass is intended for those who aren’t sure about purchasing a 10-day pass. For $75, pass holders also receive entry to any five nights of the festival except for closing night.

A Regular Pass – $100 – also includes entry to all films and the closing night awards ceremony.

The Gold Pass VIP – $250 – also includes entry to all films, VIP First Priority reserved seating, and invitations to the Opening Night and Closing Night parties at St. Georges Golf Club in Setauket and on the rooftop at Curry Club at SaGhar in Port Jefferson, respectively.

Individual tickets  of $15 per person, $13.50 for seniors will be available after July 5. Tickets may be purchased at stonybrookfilmfestival.com/pass.

To learn more about the different membership levels and their benefits, call the box office at 631-632-2787 or visit www.stonybrookfilmfestival.com.

This article originally appeared in TBR News Media’s Summer Times supplement on June 20.

by -
0 517
Vanessa Aleksander and Ignacy Liss in a scene from March ‘68. Photo courtesy of Staller Center

Stony Brook University’s Staller Center  for the Arts turns into a movie lover’s mecca when new independent films screen at the Stony Brook Film Festival on evenings and weekends from Thursday, July 20 to Saturday, July 29. The popular festival, now in its 28th year, will become a hub for some of the best filmmakers working today, a meeting ground for favorite actors and rising stars, and a showcase of new masterpieces as it pairs memorable short films with an array of features you won’t see anywhere else.

Presented by Island Federal, this year’s lineup offers 36 films from over 26 countries. The Festival kicks off with the U.S. premiere of the Dutch film Sea of Time. Led by Sallie Harmensen (SkyTV’s Devils), Reinout Scholten van Aschat, and of Danish stage and screen fame Elsie De Brauw, the harrowing, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful film is anchored by the powerhouse performances that examine enduring love in times of hardship.

Many international films in this year’s Festival are threaded by this theme of love overcoming life’s difficulties. Whether it is the blossoming young love against all odds in the Polish period drama March ’68, the touching Japanese film Trapped Balloon (starring Toko Miura of the 2022 Oscar-winning film Drive My Car), the gorgeous and romantic love story of My Sailor, My Love with Scottish film icon James Cosmo (Game of Thrones, His Dark Materials) and Tony-Award Winner Bríd Brennan (Dancing at Lughnasa), or the hilarious, music-infused road trip feature Grandpa Goes South from Slovenia.

Continuing on this shared theme of overcoming is Martha, a film that tells the true story of Martha Liebermann, wife to famed painter Max Liebermann, as she faces the Third Reich on own her terms. 

At the same time, the powerful documentary Radioactive, directed by Stony Brook University professor Heidi Hutner, recounts the saga about four housewives from Three Mile Island facing down the nuclear industry Goliath for over forty years, and The Grandson tells the story of a man’s refusal to allow heartless scammers to get the best of his grandfather in this tight Hungarian thriller.

There is no shortage of independent cinema in this year’s lineup, including the Serbian puzzle piece Where the Road Takes You, which takes the Western trope of the stranger in town who saves the girl and flips it on its head. From Canada comes the quirky comedy I Like Movies about the reformation of a crabby, awkward teenage cinephile. 

Also providing comic relief is the scenic and quietly riotous American indy Friends From Home, shot on the cheap during Covid, and from Italy, the strangely compelling Amanda, about a young woman who suddenly decides that an acquaintance from her very young childhood is now her best friend.

Rounding out a host of stellar independent offerings is the wild Yes, Repeat, No, set in a studio where three actors are all auditioning for the same role. This courageous and unforgettable film zeroes in on questions of conflicting identity while managing to surprise at every turn.

Some recognizable faces also show up in this year’s lineup, including Richard Kind, Karen Allen, and Peter Reigert in Hit Man: Secrets of Lies and the wickedly hilarious Two Chairs, Not One, starring Caitlin Reilly (HBO’s Hacks), whose wildly popular TikTok account has amassed hundreds of millions of views.

The closing night feature tells an extraordinary tale of overcoming. Divertimento shares the true story of sisters Zahia and Fettouma Ziouani, a conductor and a cellist, who, despite being Algerian immigrants from the wrong part of Paris, managed to create a world-class professional orchestra with little more than respect, determination, and sheer talent. Opening and closing with the insistent rhythm of Ravel’s Bolero, the film makes its hopeful message equally insistent: family and community can make the impossible possible.

“We are very excited to have filmmakers from all over the world join us for their premiere screenings. Our audiences can gather in a huge theater with Long Island’s largest screen, to see movies the way they were meant to be seen,” says Festival Director Alan Inkles. 

“Not only are these films not available on any streaming format, but you also get to hear directly from the filmmakers themselves, ask them a question at our live Q&A, and even vote for your favorite,” he said.

Additional sponsors for the Stony Brook Film Festival include Campolo, Middleton & McCormick, LLP; Suffolk County; Altice Media; and WLIW/PBS.

FILM SCHEDULE

OPENING NIGHT

Thursday, July 20 at 8 p.m.

Feature: Sea of Time

Short: The Red Suitcase

Friday, July 21 at 7 p.m.

Feature: Exodus

Short: Hit Friends

Friday, July 21 at 9:30 p.m.

Feature: I Like Movies

Short: Chipper

Saturday, July 22 at 7 p.m.

Feature: My Sailor, My Love

Short: The Countryman

Saturday, July 22 at 9:30 p.m.

Feature: Grandpa Goes South

Short: Two Chairs, Not One

Sunday, July 23 at 7 p.m.

Feature: Martha

Short: Stuck

Sunday, July 23 at 9:30 p.m.

Feature: Friends From Home.

Short: At A Glance

Monday, July 24 at 7 p.m.

Feature: Trapped Balloon

Short: Healer

Monday, July 24 at 9:30 p.m.

Feature: A Fleeting Encounter

Short: Winter’s Passing

Tuesday, July 25 at 7 p.m.

Feature: Elik & Jimmy

Short: The Third Defector

Tuesday, July 25 at 9:30 p.m.

Feature: Amanda

Short: Mahogany Drive

Wednesday, July 26 at 7 p.m.

Feature: Radioactive: The Women of Three Mile Island

Short: Queen Moorea

Wednesday, July 26 at 9:30 p.m.

Feature: Where the Road Leads

Short: Hit Man: Secrets of Lies

Thursday, July 27 at 7 p.m.

Feature: March ‘68

Short: The Father, The Son and The Rav Kalmenson

Thursday, July 27 at 9:30 p.m.

Feature: Yes Repeat No

Short: Demon Box

Friday, July 28 at 7 p.m.

Feature: The Grandson

Short: Death By Puppies

Friday, July 28 at 9:30 p.m.

Feature: First Snow of Summer

Short: Voices

CLOSING NIGHT

Saturday, July 29 at 8 p.m.

Feature: Divertimento

Short: The Basics of Love

CLOSING NIGHT AWARDS

10:30 p.m. Presented on stage.

——————————————-

Ticket information

All screenings are held at Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook in the 1,000-seat Main Stage theater. 

Festival goers can choose from a Gold Pass “VIP” ($250), Regular Pass ($100), new! Flex Pass ($75), or Individual Pass of $15, $13.50 seniors. To learn about the different membership levels and their benefits, call 631-632-2787 or visit www.stonybrookfilmfestival.com.

This article first appeared in Summer Times, a seasonal guide supplement by TBR News Media.

by -
0 707
Anthony Famulari in a scene from The Switcheroo. Photo courtesy of Staller Center
Fest to include indie weekend, female directors panel, SBU grads

By Melissa Arnold

Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts turns into a movie lover’s mecca when new independent films screen at the Stony Brook Film Festival from Thursday, July 21 to Saturday, July 30. The popular event pairs memorable short films with an array of features you won’t see anywhere else, making it a favorite of moviegoers and filmmakers alike.

Now in its 27th year, the festival will celebrate its return to a fully live experience after some creative adjustments during the pandemic. Over the course of nine days, 38 films from 27 countries will be screened on evenings and weekends. But deciding what to show is no easy task.

More than a thousand films are sent to festival director Alan Inkles each year, he said. With the help of co-director Kent Marks, they go through an intense process of screening, debating, and cutting before the final selections are made.

The resulting collection showcases both shorts and feature-length films in all kinds of styles and genres. Among them is a short sci-fi comedy called The Switcheroo, directed by brothers and Stony Brook natives Ryan and Anthony Famulari. The film will be screened on Sunday, July 24 at 7 p.m. 

“I try not to read anything about a film before I watch it — I owe it to our viewers to not favor anyone, so I’m not going to pick a film just because it’s local. We choose a film because it’s enjoyable,” Inkles explained. “That said, I love that we’ve been able to include Switcheroo and have Long Island represented. Comedy is hard to do, especially for young filmmakers, but this story is so charming, funny, and just really nailed it. And when I read that the brothers were from Stony Brook, I thought it was great.”

The Switcheroo stars Anthony Famulari playing both a heartbroken scientist and his charismatic clone. The clone tries to help his creator land a date, which reveals some surprising and funny secrets.

Cloning was the perfect concept to explore for the brothers, who were living together during the worst of the pandemic and looking for something fun to do.  

“The idea was more of a necessity, considering we didn’t have a crew or a large budget,” said Anthony, 33. “But we wanted to make something that was still enjoyable and interesting. We both gravitate to stories with sci-fi elements, and it was a great solution to the creative challenges of the time.”

The brothers grew up with their own interests, but shared a deep love of movies and storytelling. Both went on to major in journalism at Stony Brook University. While there, Ryan played football and Anthony dove into theater. They also worked together conducting and filming interviews on campus, and wrote film scripts in their spare time.

“Anthony was always a ham, but I didn’t see him act for the first time until college. I found that he was really good at it,” recalls Ryan, 35. “This has been a passion for us for a long time. We’ll go see a movie and then get into a deep discussion about it for an hour after. Our filmmaking is like that too. We’ll wrestle over an idea, but that’s fun for us.”

These days, the Famularis are on separate coasts — Ryan went to grad school for creative writing and is currently living in New York working remotely for a Los Angeles-based animation studio, while Anthony lives in Los Angeles pursuing acting while also working for an animation studio. But they’re still writing together and looking forward to whatever comes next.

“We’re constantly bouncing ideas around, and with each one of our short films, we learn something new and continue to improve,” Anthony said. “At the end of the day, our goal is to create something enjoyable that’s worth people’s time, while pursuing our passions.”

Also of note during this year’s festival is a panel discussion on women in filmmaking, and a weekend celebrating the spirit of American-made indie films.

“We have a lot of female writers and directors represented here, and have since the festival first began,” Inkles said. “It was important for us to feature them in a special way, and provide a unique opportunity for conversation, both among the panelists and with the audience.”

The panel is an exclusive benefit open to those who purchase festival passes. A variety of options are available, including an opening weekend pass.

Many film screenings will also include a question and answer session with the filmmaker. “That’s what makes a film festival so interesting as opposed to just going to the movies — you get the chance to talk with the filmmakers directly and learn more about their process,” Inkles said.

The Stony Brook Film Festival will be held from July 21 through July 30 30 at Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook. Individual tickets and premium passes are available. For the full schedule and more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.stallercenter.com or call the box office at 631-632-2787.

This article was updated July 23, 2022.

by -
0 211

The Staller Center for the Arts at Stony Brook University welcomes fans and filmmakers alike back into its theatres tomorrow night as it features new independent films from over fifteen countries at the Stony Brook Film Festival presented by Island Federal on Thursday, July 22 through Saturday, July 31. The popular Festival, now in its 26th year, brings a highly selective roster of diverse films, making it a favorite of moviegoers and filmmakers alike.

The Festival kicks off with the world premiere of The 5th Man, a documentary on Paul Limmer, a former track coach at Bellmore’s Mepham High School. During his 50-year career there, Limmer racked up hundreds of wins, though director Trey Nelson focuses on the story of all the other kids – the ones who never felt “seen” – until Paul Limmer came into their lives. The film will be preceded by Feeling Through, an Oscar-nominated short featuring deaf-blind actor Robert Tarango of Selden.

Produced by Staller Center, the Festival pairs unforgettable short films with a selection of features you won’t see anywhere else. The Stony Brook Film Festival presented by Island Federal is one of the first film festivals to announce its return, and it brings in filmmakers, cast, and crew who field questions after the screenings, adding a unique interactive dimension to the experience.

In addition to the live in-person Festival, the Stony Brook Film Festival will be screening the Festival virtually following the Live in-person Festival. This Virtual Festival will be available on IndieFlix Festivals August 5-30, and it will be an encore screening of the films shown live at Staller Center.

Please note: The Staller Center for the Arts is committed to your safety and will be following CDC, State, and University guidelines regarding health & safety protocols. All patrons will be required to comply with the guidelines in place at the time of the event.

Covid Guidelines for the STONY BROOK FILM FESTIVAL: At this time, masks are optional for guests who are fully vaccinated. For guests who are unvaccinated or those who are not fully vaccinated, we ask that you continue to wear face masks at all times inside the building.

QUICK FACTS

• THE 5TH MAN – Paul Limmer, was a world class track coach at Mepham High School in Bellmore, Long Island.

• Rachel Keller (of Legion, Fargo, Dirty John, and Tokyo Vice) is planning to attend for her film THE FOLLOWING YEAR.

• The entire short film NOISY was filmed on a single subway train ride to Coney Island, with the two actors sitting among regular passengers who ignored them as the film crew sat at the front of the car, hanging on through the lurching stops and starts of the train.

• The feature ANCHORAGE was shot chronologically over five days in the California High Desert with a cast and crew of ten people shoved into a few vehicles. This darkly comic, intense and even frightening film stars director Scott Monahan and screenwriter Dakota Loesch as low-level, opioid-addicted brothers who plan to drive their stash from Florida to Alaska and sell it for a huge profit.

• Ruby Barker, Marina Thompson in Bridgerton starred in HOW TO STOP A RECURRING DREAM before being cast for her role in Bridgerton.

STONY BROOK FILM FESTIVAL

WHEN/WHERE: Thursday, July 22, through Saturday, July 31, at Staller Center for the Arts at Stony Brook University, or virtually, from the comfort of your own home Thursday, August 5, through Monday, August 23.

TICKETS & INFORMATION: stonybrookfilmfestival.com/
Single-day tickets are $20; virtual passes are $85; festival passes are $125; gold passes are $250

For the Stony Brook Film Festival schedule and descriptions of all films go to stonybrookfilmfestival.com/films/

by -
0 411
A scene from 'Louis Van Beethoven'

The Staller Center for the Arts’ much anticipated Spring 2021 Film Series goes virtual on February 11. This year’s series features thirteen independent films you won’t see anywhere else and presents award-winning and record-breaking films from around the world. 

Inspiring and often challenging, the films explore family and social conflict, health and healthcare issues, social justice issues, drug addiction and abuse, and so much more. 

The Staller Center’s entire spring season will be virtual and will be available for viewing from the comfort of your living room using the IndieFlix Festivals app. The full schedule is listed below.

Patrons and households can view all films with one $50 season film pass which includes access to three bonus films. Single tickets for $6 each are also available for purchase. The series is 12 weeks long and will feature ten new premieres and three bonus films from previous Stony Brook Film Festival events. All movies will be available on-demand to watch and re-watch from Thursdays at 7 p.m. through Sundays at midnight. 

To purchase, please visit stallercenter.com/movies.

FILM SCHEDULE

‘Days of Bagnold Summer’

February 11 to February 14

United Kingdom (86 minutes)

‘Asia’

February 18 to February 21

Israel. In Hebrew with subtitles. (85 minutes) 

‘The Subject’

February 25 to February 28

United States. (119 minutes)

*Bonus screening, only available to passholders.

‘Higher Love’

February 25 to February 28

United States. (80 minutes)

*Bonus screening, only available to passholders.

‘Louis Van Beethoven’

March 4 to March 7

Germany. In German with  subtitles. (120 minutes)

‘Yalda, A Night for Forgiveness’

March 11 to March 14

Iran. In Persian with subtitles. (89 minutes)

‘Rose Plays Julie’

March 18 to March 21

Ireland. (100 minutes)

‘Citizens of the World’

March 25 to March 28

Italy. In Italian with subtitles. (92 minutes)

‘Night Shift’

Thursday, April 1 to Sunday, April 4

France. In French with English subtitles. (98 minutes)

‘Blizzard of Souls’

April 8 to April 11

Latvia. In Latvian with subtitles. (104 minutes)

‘To the Edge of the Sky’

April 15 to April 18

United States. (118 minutes)

*Bonus screening, only available to passholders. Will be followed by a Q&A with directors.

‘Thou Shall Not Hate’

April 22 to April 25

Italy. In Italian with subtitles. (96 minutes)

‘Needle Park Baby’

April 29 to May 2

Switzerland. In Swiss German with subtitles. (98 minutes)

Films have not been rated. Viewer discretion is advised. Closed captions or subtitles available for all films.

 

by -
0 231
A scene from 'My Name is Sara'. Photo courtesy of Staller Center for the Arts

Stony Brook Film Festival

Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts concludes its 25th annual Stony Brook Film Festival  on Dec. 10 with a virtual screening of the short film Maradona’s Legs followed by the feature film My Name Is Sara at 7 p.m. The film based on the true life-story of Sara Góralnik, a 13 year-old Polish Jew whose entire family was killed by Nazis in September of 1942.  An all-access pass is available for $60; individual tickets are also available for $6. Visit www.stonybrookfilmfestival.com or call 631-632-2787.

12Next Page 1 of 2
TBR News Media is your local news and entertainment website.
We provide you with the latest breaking news and information for your community.
Contact us: [email protected]

Most Viewed

©