Schedule of Events
9:00 am - 10:30 am: RIT Student Showcase at Lake Placid Center for the Arts
Q&A with Student Filmmakers and RIT Professor and Emmy Nominee, Amy Adrion
The RIT School of Film and Animation (SOFA) is considered one of the best film schools in the country, and this showcase highlights some of the best work from RIT SOFA students from the last academic year. Join us as we celebrate these bold new voices in the film and animation industries! The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Emmy-Nominated Writer/Director and RIT Professor, Amy Adrion, and the student filmmakers in attendance.
Plane Pals (Director: Kristin Theler)
Making friends with paper airplanes
Ialu (Director: Sebastian Nazario-Colon)
A recluse with uncontrollable powers getting a shot at love.
The Tale of Mari (Director: Anya Vaughn)
Mari, an elderly Japanese woman, recounts her experiences growing up in Okinawa, moving to America, and attempting to become a newspaper cartoonist.
Tomte's Tulip (Director: Elleheyn Hallock)
A gnome takes care of an elderly woman in her final days
The Chaos Clover (Director: Devin Grover)
When a man finally gets an elusive four leaf clover, its magic isn't quite what it seemed.
My Dog's Leg (Director: Ashton Polak)
A father creates a monster-driven fantasy story to explain to his daughter how their dog lost her leg-and how he and the dog tried to get it back.
Looking Glass (Director: Katelyn Park)
Two young entrepreneurs explore their perceptions of each other and of themselves.
Nest (Director: Corrigan Owen)
A lone survivor and a mysterious individual form a fragile alliance to protect a rare ecosystem.
Where I Wonder (Director: Oliver Nyquist)
Generational belief and me.
I had To (Director: Vinh Nguyen)
An exploration of my Vietnamese background in order to bridge generational gaps created by a defining war.
She Flies Asunder (Director: Ella Shea)
A flying trapeze artist preforms a quadruple flip.
Washed Up (Director: Ashlyn Kreiss)
A tired model decides to take back control of her life from her sleazy modeling agent in this provocative animated comedy.
Resurrection Story (Director: Jahaad Shairi)
A widow resurrects her husband's mindless body in a misguided effort to force their relationship back into stability.
Suz & Lolly in: Saturday Night Close Encounters (Director: Reagan Christie)
Two girls run over a little grey alien on their way to a night out and give him the best night of his life.
9:00 am - 11:00 am: Block 3 Episodic Comedy at Lake Placid Conference Center (in Lake Placid Olympic Center)
A collection of comedic episodic programming, brought to you by Catalyst Story Institute:
Hallmark Pitches (Director: Kyle Thornton)
Hallmark Pitches is a series of Hallmark-style shorts.
And Cut! (Director: Arjun Chatterjee)
And Cut! is a mockumentary style sitcom that explores the everyday shenanigans of a brand new film production house trying to make it in the Indian film industry under the awkward leadership of an eccentric but charismatic young director.
I Need Your Love (Director: Walker Kalan and Camille Trust)
I Need Your Love is a bittersweet comedy about pop singer Camille Trust's struggle to make a name for herself in New York's cutthroat music scene—from sleazy producers and vengeful Swifties to heartbreak and self-sabotage. It's raw. It's messy. And most of it actually happened.
10:30 am - 12:00 pm: The Myth of the 3 Act Structure at High Peaks Resort
Escape the tired old formulas, and learn a new way of thinking about structure with WGA Paul Selvin Award Winner Jacob Krueger. You'll learn why so many of the most successful scripts no longer rely on 3 act structure at all, debunk the myths and misperceptions that get so many writers “lost in the second act,” and learn how to develop your structure organically from the blank page to the final draft.
10:30 am - 12:30 pm: Block 3 Table Reads at High Peaks Resort
This is your chance to hear writers share their scripts, with actors reading the various roles in front of a live audience. Each block will have a range of projects for you to listen to, with time for Q&A so you can ask the writers directly about their work!
GFF: Ghost Friends Forever (Written By: Tyler Stuart)
LOGOS (Written By: Monica Brady)
In the near future, a seasoned astronaut and her son, decades apart, grapple with the legacy of space exploration, as a lost mission re-emerges from the void, revealing secrets that will alter destinies.
Nightfall (Written By: David Guthrie)
Humans are now scattered across the galaxy, broken into factions, all vying for power. But when an ancient evil gets unleashed, only one missing ship holds the key to save humanity.
NIGHTFALL is a sci-fi show about destiny and adventure, with a love story, and intergalactic space politics. Out here, humanity's lust for power is inescapable, no matter how many light years we travel. And the new frontier is rife with peril: dangerous beasts, solar flares, ice storms, space pirates, warring factions, and a murder hungry space demon. The survival of humanity lies in one missing ship: The Nightfall.
Rainy Lake (Written By: Mary Casanova)
In 1920s northern MN, a senator's 16-year old foster daughter discovers her mother was murdered, setting in motion a search for truth, justice, and a fight to save wilderness lakes.
11:00 am - 12:30 pm: UPWIFT Shorts Block at Lake Placid Center for the Arts
Upstate Women In Film & Television (UPWIFT) is a non-profit, volunteer-based organization that supports women in film, television and digital media. The organization endeavors to increase opportunities for women in the field by increasing public and industry awareness of women's achievements and stature via providing news and targeted programs for members and the public. This collection of shorts was carefully curated by the UPWIFT organization. A Q&A with the filmmakers in attendance, moderated by UPWIFT President Sunny Edelman, will follow the screening.
Jessica Alexandra Green
Making Room
A new mother looks for work while trying to reconcile her new identity with her old one.
Daniel Byers
Aguilucho:Dance of the Harpy Eagle
In the remote Darién Gap rainforest, indigenous communities face the advance of loggers and cattle ranchers, an existential threat to their way of life and the ecosystem upon which they rely. When a rare Harpy Eagle nest is discovered near their community, the Emberá tribe of Playa Muerto find an unlikely ally. By protecting their lands and the Eagle's habitat, they can benefit from the ecotourism she attracts, and reconnect with their own traditional heritage.
Cara Yeates
Gone Before Your Eyes
Trapped in a surreal loop, an artist with Alzheimer's struggles to paint
Samantha Jones
Transform Nation
What happens when the world shuts down and four teenage girls can't go to school anymore? They find themselves.
Lisa Thomas
Change of Scenery
One year after the loss of her partner Julia gets up the nerve to bring herself to a gay bar only to encounter Nate, a former FBI agent.
Lisa Thomas
Gothic Spaghetti Western
The notorious Whip Totin' Sister has been wanted internationally for sometime and is rumored to be in Sicily with the mob hot on her trail. Shot on 35mm in Catania, Sicily, the Gothic Spaghetti Western includes a suspicious cast of characters including an outlaw sister, a horse named Twister and features members of the New York based dark carnival band: The Dust Bowl Faeries.
Lisa Thomas
The Misadventures of Bucky & Beene
The Misadventures of Bucky & Beene follows the lives of two campy pirate radio DJ's, Pepper Buckthorne who was once Miss Gay USA and her sassy younger sidekick, Jelly Beene who threaten the locals in upstate New York with their WRU-GAY in the morning radio show and befriend Sharon their free spirited albeit ditzy neighbor in the process.
11:00 am - 12:30 pm: Ghost Cat Anzu at Palace Theatre
A delightful anime for all ages!
Karin, 11 years old, finds herself abandoned by her father in a small Japanese town, where her grandfather, a monk, resides. Her grandfather asks Anzu, his jovial and helpful, although rather capricious, ghost cat, to look after her. As their spirited personalities collide, sparks fly—yet perhaps only in the beginning.
11:30 am - 1:00 pm: Block 2 Episodic Documentary at Lake Placid Conference Center (in Lake Placid Olympic Center)
A collection of documentary episodic programming, brought to you by Catalyst Story Institute:
NY Common Pantry Series (Director: Victor Ilyukhin)
Food and nutrition security is a key social determinant of health, and a 2022 survey showed that nearly half of all food-insecure New Yorkers rate their health as poor or fair. The Common Pantry addresses this hands-on. The dedicated staff and volunteers provide fresh, quality food and are committed to honoring the dignity and self-sufficiency of the Pantry's recipients. This series features The Common Pantry and the community it serves, in a city where food insecurity causes major disparities among its residents.
The Disease Detective Looks at Aphasia (Director: Laura Valtorta)
Aphasia is a language disorder that can occur after a stroke. The Aphasia Lab at the University of South Carolina studies the effects of aphasia on the brain and offers social outlets for people with aphasia.
11:30 am - 1:30 pm: She Rises Up at Palace Theatre
A special Made Upstate screening! She Rises Up reveals the explosive implications of women's economic participation as we follow radically different women from Sri Lanka, Peru and Senegal who are fighting to build businesses that create job opportunities for women, while also contributing to the reduction of poverty in their communities.
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: Women in the Director's Chair at High Peaks Resort
Featuring Oscar and Emmy Winners/Nominees!
At a time when women make up roughly 50% of the U.S. population, only about 4% of the top-grossing American films are made by women directors. In 2023, only 14% of movies were directed by women. This panel of women directors from various backgrounds will share their tips and best practices for navigating the film industry. Fielding from their knowledge and experience working in finance, distribution, storytelling and review. This panel will share advice and insights and respond to audience Q&A.
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm: Seeds at Palace Theatre
Post screening discussion with Akwesasne Cultural Center Director, Justin Cree, and Professor/Poet, Rebecca Pelky!
Seeds follows Ziggy, a thirty-something Kanien'kehaka (Mohawk) woman, who is offered her first gig as an online influencer, promoting for Nature's Oath, a seed and fertilizer company. When her cousin summons her back to the rez, she is forced into a battle to save her people's legacy. Post screening discussion with Akwesasne Cultural Center Director, Justin Cree, and Professor/Poet, Rebecca Pelky!
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm: Los Frikis at Palace Theatre
The latest film from directors Tyler Nilson & Michael Schwartz (The Peanut Butter Falcon)
INSPIRED BY TRUE EVENTS. Los Frikis is a coming-of-age story set in early 90's Cuba where a group of punk rockers in search of freedom, move to a rural sanatorium to escape the oppression of the Special Period. From the directors of The Peanut Butter Falcon and Academy Award winning producers Lord Miller (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse).
Featuring an original score from Academy Award winner Steven Price (Gravity) and cinematography from Santiago Gonzalez (Beyonce: Black is King).
1:30 pm - 3:00 pm: Block 4 Table Reads at High Peaks Resort
This is your chance to hear writers share their scripts, with actors reading the various roles in front of a live audience. Each block will have a range of projects for you to listen to, with time for Q&A so you can ask the writers directly about their work!
Griefstruck (Written By: Melissa Malone and Diann Gogerty)
A group of post-apocalyptic survivors band together to survive the upheaval this new life has created, even if the end of the world is only a fabricated mental representation for the real life grief they are experiencing.
Expired (Written By: Wendy Braff)
Five female friends over 50 have had enough of the world taking them for granted, demanding perfection, and ignoring their needs. When a confrontation with one of their cheating husbands lands them all in a holding cell, they collectively decide that they are no longer going to give a **** and won't be cleaning up the chips that are about to fall.
North Port 1999 (Written By: Bodhi Werner)
In the small town of North Port, Minnesota, a shy young man teams up with an outgoing, rebellious girl to uncover the truth behind a series of mysterious and grisly deaths that killed their friend. They face off with human-animal hybrids, the mad scientists who created them, and the shadowy group trying to cover up their existence.
Two Harbors (Written By: Brian Lange Stemmler)
When an ambitious E.R. Doctor is recruited to help launch a cutting edge helicopter medivac program in rural Minnesota, her best laid plans for the future start to fall apart, as she discovers a life there she never knew she wanted.
And Also With You (Written By: Olivia Marie Haller)
When a nice Catholic church lady comes out as bisexual in her 50s, her lesbian daughter reluctantly helps her enter the dating scene as the oldest baby queer in Cleveland.
1:30 pm - 4:00 pm: ENCORE: Miracle - 20th Anniversary at Palace Theatre
US Hockey Gold Medalist, Buzz Schneider, in Attendance
When college coach Herb Brooks (Kurt Russell) is hired to helm the 1980 U.S. men's Olympic hockey team, he brings a unique and brash style to the ice. After assembling a team of hot-headed college all-stars, who are humiliated in an early match, Brooks unites his squad against a common foe, the heavily-favored Soviet team. As the U.S. squad tries to overcome insurmountable odds and win the gold medal, the team becomes a microcosm for American patriotism during the Cold War.
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm: Holy Cow at Palace Theatre
An energizing French coming of age tale with lots of cheese!
Totone's carefree teenage life of drinking and dancing takes a turn when he must provide for his 7-year-old sister. Seeking income, he channels his energy into producing an award-winning comté cheese to claim a competition prize.
2:00 pm - 4:30 pm: NYU Sports Showcase at Lake Placid Conference Center (in Lake Placid Olympic Center)
A plethora of sports focused shorts from top NYU students
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) New England & New York Chapters, in collaboration with Catalyst Story Institute, present the honorees of the 2024 NYU Sports Showcase. From basketball to boxing, wrestling to jiu jitsu, and even some roller derby, sports programming resonates in many languages. This showcase takes you through the world of sports content and programming, to assess multiple cultures and countries so we can see how sports connects us all.
The showcase is followed by a panel featuring Timothy Egan (Media Instructor at Vermont State University & Content Creator at Sugar Hill Associates), Sofia Lois Monroe (Founder/Exec. Producer at Daymaker Productions & Board Member at Catalyst Story Institute), Robert Bonardi (Video Editor & RF Engineer at ABC News) and Paul Hardart (Clinical Professor for the NYU Stern School of Business & Director for the Entertainment, Media and Technology Program).
Camille Tricaud & Franziska Unger
Ralentir la Chute (Slow Down the Fall)
In the light of the Alps, a great ski-jumping hill flashes metallically. Two ski jumpers synchronously rehearse movements in the valley, answer generic questions in front of a green screen and pose on the hill while being watched by a film crew. It is the first reunion for the two athletes since their separation.
Prabhat Seelamsetti
A Violet Blooms
Morgan Morrison is entering her final year of collegiate basketball which happens to be her first year at NYU as a graduate student. The Lady Violets are in the midst of an incredible year. Watch as Morgan & her team cement themselves in history with one of the most storied athletic years at NYU of all time, with an ending that is almost too good to be true.
Matthew Tan
La Lucha
lucha, noun. | loo-chah |
1. Fight: referring to the violent exchange of physical blows (e.g., a boxing match).
2. Struggle: a unique Cuban slang referring to the day-to-day efforts required to surmount adverse economic odds.
The film offers a rare glimpse into the Cuban experience, paralleling a day in the lives of two boxers in Havana, one at the start of his competitive career and the other at his end. The former is 7-year-old Daniel who dreams of becoming a national boxing star, and is optimistic that he will win his training fight. The latter, Evelio, is a 45-year-old former combat-sport champion who now – like many Cubans – works multiple jobs in order to make an adequate living. Their intertwined narratives reflect Cuban ambition, and the way in which it is hampered by the realities of living in a country weighed by an economic siege for the past 60 years. Unlike Evelio, Daniel has yet to realize that the real Cuban fight is the one that lies not within the boxing ring, but beyond.
Mary Hawkins
Skate Fast Turn Left
Two friends, Fifi Fleshwound and Little Mary Switchblade, have a quick conversation about their roller derby years…
Created for Things Took A Turn 2023: At the End of the World, an animation anthology that challenges artists of marginalized genders to create new animated short stories by twisting familiar narratives.
Pranay Sanwal
The Pahlevan On 5th Ave
This film uncovers the story of an Iranian rug dealer on Fifth Avenue whose prolific career in the sport of wrestling is concealed beneath a veil of humility.
Margarida Duque de Castela
Fighting Blind
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu martial artist and family man Angel Adorno shares the victories and challenges of being blind in a sighted world, on and off the mat. Designed for blind audiences, this film explores Angel's resilience in overcoming a difficult past as he learns to trust himself and others.
Tommaso Magnano
Bonneville Brothers
Italian old brothers fulfill their Bonneville dreams.
Kansas Ballesteros
False Start
A college swimmer must manage her trauma while continuing to train.
2:30 pm - 4:00 pm: 518 Film Network Shorts at Lake Placid Center for the Arts
Q&A Post Screening Moderated by Filmmaker Arielle Steele
The 518 Film Network is a professional filmmaker community and collective organization in the Capital Region dedicated to working together, making local projects, and keeping jobs local. The organization connects productions with professional local crews in Albany, Troy, Schenectady, Saratoga, Lake George, Hudson, Catskill, Amsterdam, throughout the Capital Region area and beyond. This series of shorts was curated by the 518 Film Network to showcase the work being done by their members, who work in the film industry upstate. This screening will be followed by a Q&A with filmmakers in attendance, moderated by 518 Film Network Board Vice President, Arielle Steele.
Jack Colin
Silent But Deadly
A first date at the drive-ins seems to be going perfectly until… sniff sniff. Silent, But Deadly is a short comedy that follows a cute blind date that becomes uncomfortable after one of them passes gas instead of the popcorn. But who did the deed? Neither will admit it… was it even one of them?
Victoria Diana
Second Coming
A strict Christian family sits down for Christmas dinner when Jesus magically appears and tells them the World is going to end, and sleeping with their daughter, Kimberleigh, is the only way to stop it.
Heather & Hunter Frederick
Wherever We Go
This film is a light-hearted comedy centered around a college student named Cara. Like many people, she has social anxiety. However, the difference is she can see her anxiety and so can the audience. We see Ego who is her inner voice personified as an identical look alike. Cara is forced to grapple with her amplified social anxiety and embarks on a journey to regain control and silence Ego once and for all. But that's easier said than done!
Cameron Gallagher
Copy
A woman uneasy about her pregnancy learns the copier isn't just for paper.
Ryan Jenkins
Anomaly
A renowned magician features an inexplicable illusion in his final run of performances. Meanwhile, a government agent who witnesses the baffling act becomes hell-bent on uncovering its method.
Elisheva Novella
The Owl
Bored with his marriage, a man confesses his love to taxidermy owl.
Jim Powers
The Car Out Back
Two women attempt to create an alibi for themselves in a diner after an accidental murder.
The World of Post Production
Editing, Visual EFX, Titles, Music, Sound EFX
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm: Film Is Dead. Long Live Film!
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm: A Binding Truth
Post Screening Q&A!
4:30 pm - 6:00 pm; Every Little Thing
A beautifully layered film of love and loss that shows the value of all life
5:00 pm - 6:30 pm: On Becoming A Guinea Fowl
Winner of the Best Director prize in Cannes' Un Certain Regard section
5:00 pm - 6:30 pm: Catalyst Pitchworld Finals
Watch as filmmakers compete for pitch supremacy!
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm: Curl Power
Q&A With Cinematographer Claire Sanford
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm: Eephus
Q&A with Actor Cliff Blake!
8:00 pm - 11:45 pm: Short Film and Episodic Awards and After Party
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