NewFilmmakers Los Angeles Spotlights Films made by US Veterans in Film Festival
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) July 19, 2016 -- NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) celebrates cinema from around world on July 30th. This month's event will include two short film programs and an InFocus feature film program, which spotlights Veteran filmmakers and their stories. In between films, audiences can check out filmmaker Q&As, meet and mingle with one another in the premium South Park Center lounge, and enjoy cocktails on the balcony in Downtown LA. Details on the featured films playing at the film fest can be found below.
Shorts Program #1 - American Stories
Muir Song - Directed by Janssen Powers
Muir Song is an inspirational montage of visuals that intends to capture the energy and attitude of the Pacific Northwest through the eyes of people who do so religiously. The film is set to a quote by legendary conservationist John Muir, and narrated by infamous mountain climber, Lou Whittaker.
Janssen Powers is an self taught filmmaker and storyteller. He said, “The inspiration for this film came from my time living and being active in the Pacific Northwest.” Upon deciding to move to New York City, he created this film “as my way of giving back.”
Dallas, Sunday Morning - Directed by Will Ilgen
Two days after the death of JFK, burlesque dancer Karen "Little Lynn" Carlin places a fateful phone call to her boss, Jack Ruby. She finds Jack holed up in his room, paranoid and distraught, his mind racing toward an inevitable, violent conclusion.
Film director Will Ilgen said he was first inspired by a dream of Jack Ruby staring at a photograph of Lee Harvey Oswald’s photograph: “It’s the story of an angry, confused person who doesn’t recognize his country anymore, and his solution is to pick up a gun. That, to me, is eerily similar to behavior we see today. There are plenty of Jack Ruby’s out there.”
A Surprise - Directed by Patrick Mulderrig
A drifter finds an invitation he believes is for him.
Written, produced, and directed by former Navy SEAL, Patrick Mulderrig, A Surprise is a suspenseful thriller.
Make Like A Dog - Directed by Marshall Allman
Frustrated, angry and infertile, Stanley and Elvira will try anything to pull their relationship out of the dog house.
Marshall Allman wears many hats in the making of this film, including writer, producer, editor, and director. However, he his most well known for is acting roles, playing LJ Burrows on Prison Break and Tommy Mickens on True Blood.
Mother's Day - Directed by Nico Raineau
Mara, an irresponsible & hapless twenty-something, wakes up after yet another one night stand and finds herself having to care for the man's 6-year-old son all day.
An NFMLA alumnus, Nico Raineau is the director and co-writer of this short film alongside lead actress and girlfriend, Lauren Schacher. Schacher said the film is about a woman who begins to understand that she’s deserving of more self-respect.
Shorts Program #2 - Participants of War X Cowboy Struggles
The Song of Seashore - Directed by Long Yang
A young Japanese soldier saves a Chinese 'comfort woman' in the war.
Emerging indie film director Long Yang has worked on four short independent films in various capacities as a director, cinematographer, writer, and producer.
Fragile Storm - Directed by Dawn Fields
A scared young woman goes to extreme measures to escape the clutches of a terrifying older man only to realize the shocking and heartbreaking truth about who she is and why she's really there.
Written, directed, produced and edited by Dawn Fields, this film features a stellar cast including Golden Globe nominated, Lance Henriksen (Aliens, The Terminator, Millennium) as Norman.
Stygian - Directed by Josh Garvin
A battered and wounded old gunslinger must confront his greatest sin as he journeys towards his judgment day.
Writer/director Josh Garvin tells a heroic story not only on screen, but also behind the scenes in his filmmaking process. After days of prep and pre-production, his key location was closed off for the remainder of his shoot because an Air Force drone from the nearby missile-testing base crashed into it. Garvin said, “This film tested me in ways I didn’t know were possible. The ‘epicness’ came from the production, rather than the product.”
I Did Not Forget You - Directed by John Farmanesh-Bocca
Through destruction comes hope. A U.S. Special Forces Veteran strikes an unlikely friendship with a young heroine addicted girl. They're fragile bond may be the only path they have left toward healing.
John Farmanesh-Bocca, writer/director, plays Major Abraham Vance and is accompanied by all-star cast: Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad, Revolution, Once Upon a Time), who plays Dr. Sabian, Julie Gonzalo (Dallas, A Cinderella Story, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story), who plays Claire, and Glenn Morshower (X-Men: First Class, Moneyball), who plays Col. John Redbow.
Feature Program - InFocus: Veteran Filmmakers & their stories
Stand - Directed by Cosmos Kiindarius
Stand is a drama about two American brothers trapped in the modern day Vietnam jungle standing on landmines left behind after the Vietnam War.
US Navy Veteran, Cosmos Kiindarius (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Star Trek) wrote and directed this stunning feature film, which makes its North American premiere with NewFilmmakers Los Angeles. Kiindarius said, “Rather than simply approaching the issue of land mines from the perspective of wanting to directly educate audiences about the problem, we draw our viewers in with rich characters they’ll grow to care for. By imagining their own loved ones being forced into a similar predicament, our audiences can come to understand the true terror and destruction of land mines.”
Located in Downtown LA, South Park Center is the Presenting Venue Sponsor of NewFilmmakers LA film festival. Founded in 2007, NFMLA has screened over 1350+ films from over 67 countries. The organization provides a forum where filmmakers can be recognized with title supporters Sony Pictures Entertainment, DreamWorks, TheWrap, SAG-AFTRA, and FilmLA.
For information or to reserve tickets to the NewFilmmakers LA July 30th screening, please visit http://www.NFMLA.org and follow online on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram: @NFMLA.
Alexandra Diantgikis, NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA), http://newfilmmakersla.com/, +1 323-521-7385, [email protected]
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