official program 10th 1 - chesapeake film festival

chesapeakefilmfestival.com 10TH ANNUAL Chesapeake Film Festival | 1OFFICIAL PROGRAM

2 | 10TH ANNUAL Chesapeake Film Festival oct 27-29 2017 chesapeakefilmfestival.com 10TH ANNUAL Chesapeake Film Festival | 3balt imoref i shbowl.com

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4 | 10TH ANNUAL Chesapeake Film Festival oct 27-29 2017 chesapeakefilmfestival.com 10TH ANNUAL Chesapeake Film Festival | 5

Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Special Thanks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7 2019 CFF Executive Committee, Staff and Volunteers . . . . . . . . . 6 Sponsors and Partners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

films Narrative Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Narrative shorts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 DOCUMENTARY FEATURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-15 Documentary shorts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 International features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 International shorts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Environmental features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Environmental Shorts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-21 emerging filmmakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23-26

2020 festival Award Winners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

In Remembrance of Pete Howell Thank you to the Talbot Cinema Society

Table of Contents Welcome

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Our 13th annual Chesapeake Film Festival is momentous as our first virtual festival. Community has always been important to the festival and as presenters of independent film we prize our national and now international community of supporters. We are giving back this year by presenting a free festival of 45 of the finest independent narratives, documentaries and shorts that we could find from hundreds of entries. Our programming committee took months to screen all of the films that came to us through a selections process that is both competitive and fair. The films you are about to see represent the best of what we had the honor to review.

This year’s selections include several Maryland premieres, a new, larger program of award-winning animated shorts from “Sweaty Eyeballs” in Baltimore and ground-breaking environmental documentaries and features that focus on a wide variety of subjects. We have 15 films in the festival that feature important stories about social justice, the critical subject of inclusion and the topics that directly affect the issues of social unrest and change that reflect our current social and political climate.

The festival would not be possible without CFF's hard-working staff, board of directors and many dedicated volunteers. We would especially like to thank George Nilson, president, Sandy Cannon-Brown, vice president of development, Julie Patterson, art director, Phil Morrison, secretary, and Charlene Marcum, treasurer for their tireless work on behalf of the 2020 festival.

The Chesapeake Film Festival is generously supported by the Shared Earth Foundation, Maryland Film Office, Maryland State Arts Council, Talbot County Arts Council, Talbot County Department of Tourism, Artistic Insights Fund, Richard and Beverly Tilghman, Karen and Langley Shook and The Ravenal Foundation. Funding has also been provided to the Chesapeake Film Festival from Maryland Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020. The festival would not be possible without CFF’s hard-working board of directors and many dedicated volunteers.

For tickets, titles and more information please visit https://chesapeakeffvirtual2020.com/festival/.

Very Truly Yours,

Cid Collins Walker Nancy TaborFestival Director Executive Director


SPECIAL THANKSThe Board of Directors extends a heartfelt “Thank You”

to all who are contributing to the success of the Chesapeake Film Festival.

chesapeake film festival board of directors

officersGeorge A. Nilson, Esq., PresidentSandy Cannon-Brown, Vice PresidentCharlene Marcum, TreasurerPhilip Morrison, Secretary

directorsTheodore A. Adams IIIWendy Jo AveyRichard L. CalkinsJames CurrieElizabeth EwingMargaret IovinoLiza LedfordIrene MagafanArna Meyer MickelsonBrendan PooleJen SchultzKimberly SkyrmeMartin Zell

EmeritusBill DennisonTom FishAlexis NicholsGeorge PogatsiaKindall Rende

StaffCid Collins Walker, Festival DirectorNancy Tabor, Executive DirectorJulie Patterson, Artistic Director

The Chesapeake Film FEstival is generously supported by

The Shared Earth FoundationMaryland Film OfficeMaryland State Arts CouncilTalbot County Arts CouncilTalbot County Department of TourismArtistic Insights FundRichard and Beverly TilghmanKaren and Langley ShookU.S. Small Business AdministrationTalbot CARES Small Business GrantThe Ravenal Foundation

Funding has also been provided to the Chesapeake Film Festival from Maryland Humanities, and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

media sponsorsAPG MediaAttraction MagazineBaltimore FishbowlDelmarva Public RadioDiscover EastonMaryland Public TelevisionTalbot County Chamber of CommerceTemple B’Nai IsraelThe Talbot SpyTidewater TimesWhat’s Up? MediaWBOCWCEIWRNRWYPR

Special Thanks to Kyle Spear, PK Spear Design

SPECIAL THANKS


narrative Features

about us Director: Stefan Schwartz

In an effort to rekindle their troubled marriange, a young couple revisits the location where they spent their honeymoon eight years earlier. They navigate the beauty and the pain of love, culminating in a heartbreaking finale as truths are revealed. 92 minutes

Fort BlissDirector: Claudia Meyers A decorated Army medic and single mother (Michelle Monaghan) returns from an extended tour in Afghanistan to discover that the bond with her five-year-old son has been shattered. In her absence, the boy has attached to his father (Ron Livingston) and his new girlfriend (Emmanuelle Chriqui). As she struggles to reclaim her son’s affection amd reintegrate into civilian life, she meets a mechanic (Manolo Cardona) with whom she becomes romantically involved.69 minutes

unarmed manDirector: Harold Jackson III

Civil unrest erupts after a police officer shoots and kills an unarmed black man during a routine traffic stop. Forced to give a statement, the officer recounts his version of events in a scathing examination of racial profiling, fear, prejudice, and violence.72 minutes

ON

MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION

THE ARTS

BE INSPIRED


A Piece of cake Director: the Bragg Brothers When a desperate father discovers his daughter’s favorite cake decoration is illegal, he descends into a confectionary black market. Now he must make the ultimate parenting choice: break a birthday promise or break the law .12:10 minutes

Wake up Director: Olivia Wilde

In a short film directed by Olivia Wilde, Margaret Qualley stars as a woman awakened to a world she doesn’t recognize. one where people are more engaged with screens and devices than with each other. She sets our on a journey to find connection in a disconnected world and relearn what it means to be human. 10:18 minutes

narrative shorts

Balloon Man Director: chantal potter

MADE IN MARYLAND

After being drafted by the Buffalo Bills, a life threatening tragedy forces Bill Costen out of his dream. Saying goodbye to a career on the turf, Costen takes to the air to become the first African-American Master hot-air balloon pilot in the nation.

98:16 minutes

California TypewriterDirector: doug nichol

California Typewriter is a documentary portrait of artists, writers, and collectors who remain steadfastly loyal to the typewriter as a tool and muse, featuring Tom Hanks, John Mayer, David McCullough, Sam Shepard, and others. It also movingly documents the struggles of California Typewriter, one of the last standing repair shops in America dedicated to keeping the aging machines clicking. In the process, the film delivers a thought-provoking meditation on the changing dynamic between humans and machines, and encourages us to consider our own relationship with technology, old and new, as the digital age’s emphasis on speed and convenience redefines who’s serving whom, human or machine.

103 minutes

City on the hill Director: xavier underwood

Tech giant Google has pledged $1 billion dollars to build more housing in the Bay Area, which has the third largest homeless population in the U.S. at more that 28,000 people. Civil rights leaders, politicians, Bay Area natives, and small business owners provide their perception of the realities of gentrification in San Francisco, home to the highest housing costs in the country.

57:38 minutes

Documentary features



emanuelDirector: brian ivie

National headlines blazed the story: Churchgoers Gunned Down During Prayer Service In Charleston, South Carolina. After a 21-year-old white supremacist opened fire in Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, nine African Americans lay dead. Featuring intimate interviews with survivors and family members, Emanuel is a poignant story of justice and faith, love and hate, examining the healing power of forgiveness.

75:36 minutes

first lady of the revolutionDirector: Andrea Kalin

While visiting an aunt and uncle in the exotic countryside of Costa Rica, a young Southern belle from Alabama accepts a ride on the back of a motorcycle belonging to a charismatic local farmer, a ride that propels her down narrow mountain roads and into history.

71 minutes

The Penny BlackDirector: william J . Saunders The estranged son of a con artist fights tempation, paranoia, and his own nefarious legacy as he searches for the rightful owner of a mysterious, million-dollar stamp collection.

97:45 minutes


Reggae Boyzdirector: Till Schauder

Plagued with poverty and violence, Jamaica tries to inspire its populace by qualifying their national team, the Reggae Boyz, for the World Cup. When their efforts start to fall short, Winne Schafer, a colorful German Coach, teams up with reggae musicians to unite Jamaica beyond the soccer pitch.

75 minutes

victory swim Director: matt yamashita

What do you do when someone you love is diagnosed with a debilitating disease? How can you help ease their pain and fear? How can you give them hope? Endurance athlete Adam Ellenstein asks himself those very questions when his aunt Susan Scarlett is diagnosed with Parkinson’s.

56 minutes

You don’t know nothin’ bout groove city Director: cesar gonzalaez

made in marylandIn the mid-1970’s a musical revolution with roots in the emerging New York City hip hop scene explodes on Pine Street in Cambridge, Maryland. Once block away on Race Street, nobody knows anything about it. You Don’t Know Nothin’ Bout Groove City includes such greats such as Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald and James Brown, while exploring the racial tensions that continue to divide the town where Harriet Tubman was born.

60 minutes


documentary shorts

after parklandDirector: beth Mendelson

After Parkland tells the intimate and moving stories of families of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School navigating their way through grief, and searching for new meaning in the immediate days, weeks and months after the Parkland shooting that left 17 dead. In their crusade for social justice and change, students orchestrate the unprecedented March of Our Lives protest to help further calls for gun control.

19:37 minutes

SqueegeeDirector: khalid ali

made in maryland The “Squeegee Boys” are best-known for washing windshields of cars stopped at intersections around Baltimore. Seen by some as hooligans and by others as entrepreneurs, little is known about the actual circumstances that drive three young men to pick up a squeegee.

13:38 minutes

international features

imaginarius Director: Juan Ignacio Bello

chileA total solar eclipse draws thousands of astronomers and tourists to the Elqui Valley of Chile, wehre skies stand out as the clearest of the planet. Amid the unusual frenzy that surrounds their town, four friends take a journey of learning and friendship. A story filled humor, fantasy and creativity.60 minutes

OUR GORONGOSA Director: carla rebaj

NETHERLANDSGorongosa National Park has become one of Africa’s most celebrated wildlife restoration stories. After a decade of renewed protection, Gorongosa’s large mammal population has increased ten-fold to over 100,000 animals. But the park must also find a way to co-exist with the 200,000 people living in surrounding communities.60 minutes

chesapeakefilmfestival.com 10TH ANNUAL Chesapeake Film Festival | 19

the abjurants Director: antonio de palo

italy2087. Vera and Roberta are abjurants, meaning women who refuse to adhere to the Eugenics Program imposed by the Government. They consequently are confined to an unknown location and used as test subjects. Their only purpose in life is recalling their lovers’ faces.15 minutes

ashminaDirector: dekel berenson

united kingdomAshmina, 13, lives with her family on the outskirts of Pokhara, Nepal, paragliding capital of the world. She skips school to help her family make ends meet by working at the landing field, packing parachutes of foreign pilots in return for small change. A larger that usual tip leads her to question fundamental aspects of her life.

14:59 minutes

musician Director: moshen mehri darouei

iran Mahmoud is a very, very short man about one-meter tall who wishes to play a two-meter high instrument, a Contrabass.

19:42 minutes

no dominion Director: georgios dimitropoulos

united kingdomOn a random winter weekend in beautiful Wales, three travelers,an American, and a French couple, come to a Swansea getaway for very different reasons.

13:48 minutes

international shorts

environmental features

ghost fleetDirector: Shannon Service and jeffrey waldron

Ghost Fleet follows a small group of activists who risk their lives on remote Indonesian islands to find justice and freedom for the enslaved fishermen who feed the world’s insatiable appetite for seafood. Bangkok-based Patima Tungpuchayakul, a Thai abolitionist, has committed her life to helping these “lost” men return home. Facing illness, death threats, corruption, and complacency, Patima’s fearless determination for justice inspires her nation and the world.

88 minutes

The life and legend of jane GoodallDirector: judith dwan hallet

In the summer of 1960, 26-year-old Jane Goodall set out for Africa, Her mission was to find and observe an elusive tribe of chimpanzees. Today, Jane has grown from a stranger to the chimp’s local friend and strongest ally. Her lifelong dedication to the study of chimpanzees has helped to identify them as man’s closest relative. In The Life and Legend of Jane Goodall, Jane shares her personal story of the triumphs and trials that come with leading a life in the wild. Jane also speaks fondly about her relationship with her favorite family of chimps that she calls the “F” troop.55 minutes

unbreathable: the fight for healthy airDirector: maggie burnette stogner

Over the past fifty years, there has been major progress in significantly reducing air pollution across the nation thanks to the Clean Air Act. However, asthma continues to be the number one health issue for children and nearly half of all Americans across the country today. This film shares stories of communities that are fighting for healthier air and the challenges we face to ensure healthy air for all.

55 minutes


environmental shorts

an island out of time Directors: sandy cannon-brown and dave harp

made in maryland

This is a film about a remarkable couple, Mary Ada and Dwight Marshall, whose lives personify Chesapeake Bay’s watermen, seafood-harvesting culture and history. It is also about the four children who chose to break with that tradition. The film, like Tom Horton’s book An Island Out of Time, is both celebration and elegy for a place beset with rising sea levels and erosion, pollution and harvest restrictions, and young people seeking opportunities older generations of islanders never dreamed of–all of this seen through the lens of the Marshall family of Smith Island.30 minutes

coastal requiemDirector: diane Tuft

made in marylandCoastal Requiem investigates the plight of displacement due to climate change amongst five coastal communities around the globe. Weaving Diane Tuft’s photography and haikus with deeply personal interviews, the short film portrays the climate refugee crisis due to rising sea levels.3:48 minutes

heartsoundsDirectors: alan chriest

The loving backdrop of penguins illustrates the similarities of their family life to that of humans, especially when grieving.4:55 minutes

our own house Director: vanessa bergonzoli, jeremy kaplan, tyler robinson

The locals in Punta Gorda, a small remote town in Southern Belize, remember a time without electricity, roads - or plastics. Amidst the influx of single-use plastics, an activist and his neighbors confront the threat to their piece of paradise.

22 minutes

seeds of hopeDirector: jon bowermaster

Native Americans were once at home in the fertile Hudson Valley, but have long since moved to the far north, where cold seasons are long and land unprofitable for growing. Seeds of Hope looks at a unique partnership with Native American seed-savers who, in cooperation with a New York teaching farm, start a sanctuary to save some of its most at-risk seeds, as well as important culture and memory. From planting to harvest, the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe at Akwesasne, the Hudson Valley Farm Hub and Seedshed honor Native American seeds and their rich cultural heritage that are at risk of disappearing.25 minutes

environmental shorts


emerging filmmakers

inspiring tomorrow’s leadersDirector: nick Tucker

made in marylandA cohort of six students from Western Maryland’s Alleghany and Garrett counties takes part in a hands-on field experience to explore local forest landscapes and learn about careers in conservation.4:46 minutes

never too small Director: mason mirabile

The Earth is dying. Climate change is the most important issue the world is facing today. Never Too Small is a short documentary about climate change and how kids can help. Nine-year-old director Mason Mirabile, who filmed, edited and scored the film, asks experts at the World Wildlife Fund to help him tell his story. 5 minutes

Night of crabs Director: Elyas masrour

made in maryland

A group of citizen scientists help a peculiar species with unique characteristics, the horseshoe crab. Learn more about the horseshoe crab and how modern science is trying to save it.

4:23 minutes

our house is on fireDirector: mica Thomas

made in marylandWith dramatic visuals, this film gives added potency to Greta Thunberg’s speech from TED Talks, “The Disarming Case to Act Right Now on Climate Change”. 3:24 minutes

animation

Sweaty eyeballs 2019 Baltimore Showcase

A love letter for the end of the world Director: Alexi Scheiber

Cherishing what may be lost or destroyed within our lifetimes due to climate change.3:57 minutes

foreign exchange Director: corrie francis parks

In the vast landscape of global economics, what is the worth of a handful of sand? a country curates its national stories and creates and artifact that passes through a thousand hands before ending up tucked in the back of a traveler’s drawer, a useless banknote symbolizing the possibility of return.

5:45 minutes

lost cat Director: xochitl cornejo

A girl travels through a surreal environment to catch her escaped cat.

4:22 minutes

willow Director: ezra pailer

A story of a magic kite made from willow branches that reunites two old friends, created in memory of a favorite tree.

3 minutes


animation arcade

athleticus: course de demi-foundDirector: Nicholas Deveaux

Animals competing in summer sport games. France, 2018.2:15 minutes

fridgeDirector: Eugene kolB

A woman is overcome by her carnivorous desires. United States, 2019.2:44 minutes

ian, a moving storyDirector: abel goldfarb

Ian was born with cerebal palsy. Like all kids, he wants to have friends but discrimination and bullying keep him from his beloved playground. Ian won’t give up easily, accomplishing something that will surprise everyone. Argentina, 2019.9:46 minutes

animation

animation

animation arcade

les animaux domestiquesDirector: jean lecointre

Mr. and Mrs. Archibald adopt by turns a dog, a cat, a fly, a toad, and a moth. But they do not know anything about animals. France, 1970.3:40 minutes

shy and ketchupDirector: teresa romo

A shy girl obsessed with ketchup has to get out of her comfort zone when she runs out of her beloved condiment. Chile, 2019.3:40 minutes

the bird and the whaleDirector: carol Freeman

The Bird and The Whale is a story about a young whale struggling to find his voice. After straying too far from his family to explore a shipwreck, he discovers its sole survivor, a caged songbird. Together they struggle to survive lost at sea. Ireland, 2018.7:03 minutes


animation

citybirdsDirector: kristin reiber harrisMoving can be hard until you find your friends.3:22 minutes

nighT lightsDirector: Hannah and todd churn

made in marylandSummer evenings in the marshlands have magical stars in the sky. Marshall the monster lives for the stars. The stars can’t shine unless they’re all collected, and Marshall knows where to find them.16 minutes

2020 Film awards

•Best Animated Film Les Animaux Domestiques

•Best Comedy A Piece of Cake

•Best Director Stefan Scwartz, About Us

•Best Documentary Feature You Don’t Know Nothin’ Bout Groove City

•Best Drama Unarmed Man

•Best Editing Fort Bliss

•Best Emerging Filmmaker Mason Mirabile, Never Too Small Micaa Thomas, Our House is On Fire

•Best Environmental Feature Unbreathable: The Fight for Healthy Air

•Best Environmental Short Seeds of Hope

•Best International Film Imaginarius

•Best Made in Maryland Film Squeegee

•Best Performance – Actor Shaun Woodland, Unarmed Man Danny Gavigan, Unarmed Man

•Best Short Film Wake Up

•Best Sound Editing Balloon Man

•Jury’s Prize Emanuel


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The Arts • Nature“The Gathering”

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Summer on the Shore

The Good News Magazine August 2020

Established 1979


by Georgia Kline

Summer on the Shore

The Good News Magazine August 2020 Established 1979


by Georgia Kline

Summer on the Shore


The Arts • Nature

“The Gathering” by Georgia Kline

Summer on the Shore


The “Good News Magazine” serving the Mid-Shore

since 1979

Available monthly in print and digital editions

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Thank you to our generous 2020 sponsors!

official program 10th 1 - chesapeake film festival

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