2016 Films: The Hodag

The Hodag by Hadrien Royo
New York (Wisconsin Premiere)
Running Time: 14 minutes
Screening Time: Saturday Sept 10th, 8:30PM Juried Films Part 2
Drama/Horror

It is the story of eleven-year-old Amy, a girl who encounters the mysterious Hodag and believes, at all costs, that it is real. Unfortunately, her father is the kind of man who doesn't believe in magical creatures lurking around the forest. And so Amy sets out to prove that the Hodag really exists.

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Director's Bio:

Hadrien grew up in Paris, where he graduated from Law School only to decide that he wanted follow his dream to become a filmmaker. He was chosen as a recipient for the Carla-Bruni Sarkozy Foundation Fellowship, funded by John A. Paulson. As he completing his MFA at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, he had multiple exhibitions, most notably a multimedia exhibitions in NYC at the 80WSE Gallery (NYC), at the International Festival of Photography in Pingyao (China).

Danielle Trussoni is the New York Times Bestselling author of theAngelology series, and the author of the award-winning memoir, Falling Through the Earth. This is her first foray into film. Her next project is to create a television series based on her novels.


 

Director's Statement:

This film celebrate a culture we don't see very often. The Hodag captures a unique and under-filmed part of the world and shows a totally new aspect of the culture of Wisconsin and the Midwest. If you're from the Midwest, this is about having pride in a very special part of the world.

The Hodag is a symbol of the power of the imagination. When Amy sees the Hodag, she believes that magic is real, and that everyday life can be touched by the extraordinary. Dreams make the world spin for Amy and for everyone. 

2016 Films: Life Outside The Rhyme

Life Outside The Rhyme by Rusty Cwiklis
Wisconsin (Wisconsin Premiere)
Running Time: 15 minutes
Screening Time: Saturday Sept 10th, 6PM
Comedy

We know we’re not supposed to meet our idols, but what about the people who molded our childhood? The ones who helped us fall asleep at night, the ones who our parents introduced us to, to learn life lessons. Surely those characters must be true at heart? Wrong.

One journalist goes on a once in a lifetime journey to interview some of the most iconic nursery rhyme stars ever born. But he soon learns that some stories are best left untold. Follow this modern day Narrator into the worlds of beloved characters such as: Muffin Man, Counting Sheep, Humpty Dumpty, Jack & Jill, and Rock a Bye Baby.

2016 Films: Modern Age Amour

Modern Age Amour by Casey T. Malone
Wisconsin (Wisconsin Premiere)
Running Time: 9 minutes
Screening Time: Saturday Sept 10th, 8:30PM Juried Films Part 2
Drama/Experimental

Unplug. Connect. Dream.




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Director's Bio:



Casey T. Malone has been knocking around the TV and film world for a number of years including working on shows for Discovery Channel and PBS. His work has also been seen by readers of Astronomy, Trains, and Discover Magazine. As an independent filmmaker he has several credits to his name including the award-winning "Modern Age Amour," "CLOK," "The Imprisonment of Henry Stoker," "The Professor," and the "Blood of the Witch" cycle.




Director's Statement:

The dehumanization of people is of great concern to me, and the increasingly creative ways that we put technological devices between each other in order to communicate I believe is at the heart of Modern Age Amour. It's a fever dream that presented itself to me almost all at once. My goal was to make something unapologetically visual and combine that with the growing sense of technological alienation we are beginning to feel in Western culture. The sound design, visual, and musical elements hopefully all come together to create a film that is a warning, but if I'm being honest, the greatest joy I feel is watching what people get out of it. Like the film itself is a Rorschach test from some half forgotten memory.




Screenings

BLOW-UP · Chicago International Arthouse FILM FEST
Chicago, IL

Chattanooga Film Festival
Chattanooga, TN
WINNER - Best Short Film

2016 Films: The Life and Times of Thomas Thumb Jr.

The Life and Times of Thomas Thumb Jr. by Ryan Fox
Wisconsin 
Running Time: 12 minutes
Screening Time: Saturday Sept 10th, 6pm
Comedy

Thomas Thumb Jr. is unlike any other man. He has a giant thumb for a head and he'll do whatever it takes to achieve the American Dream.





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Director's Bio:

An innovative filmmaker with past work featured on Adult Swim and also seen speaking at the Sundance Film Festival.







 


Screenings:


No Gloss Film Festival
Leeds, United Kingdom


Milwaukee Film Festival
Milwaukee, Wisconsin


Iron Pointe Film Festival


Foot Candle Film Festival
Hickory, North Carolina


Diamond In The Rough Film Festival
Cupertino, California


Hamilton Comedy Film Festival
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada


Woodstock Film Festival
Woodstock, New York 

2016 Films: Beard Club

Beard Club by Jon Salimes
Wisconsin (World Premiere)
Running Time: 10 minutes
Screening Time: Saturday Sept 10th, 6PM

An awkward young man and a devious old man are the only guests of an internet meet-up group for men with beards.

2016 Films: The Master

The Master by RJ Dawson
 (Wisconsin Premiere)
Running Time: 4 minutes
Screening Time: Saturday Sept 10th, 3:30
Drama

Marc, a timid student novelist, seeks to pass his graduate review in order to graduate. Professor Strauss, absolutely unconcerned for Marc's graduation plans, doesn't feel he's ready. Marc must decide to be pushed over or to push back.

IMDb

2016 Films: Summer Texts

Summer Texts by Marc Kornblatt
Wisconsin (Wisconsin Premiere)
Running Time: 4 minutes
Screening Time: Saturday Sept 10th, 3:30PM
Comedy

 An old guy and a dude half his age taunt each other with text messages that culminate into a face-to-face confrontation.

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Director's Bio:


Born in Edison, NJ, Marc Kornblatt started out as an actor in New York after college (Brandeis Univ.). He turned to playwriting, earned an MA in journalism (NYU), and has since written for magazines and newspapers, published children’s books, produced plays, married, moved to Wisconsin, become a father and a school teacher. Making music videos with students led to short narratives, documentaries and the founding of Refuge Films.

His first feature-length doc, STREET PULSE, aired on Wisconsin Public TV and was screened at festivals in Beloit, Cincinnati and Madison. His second feature, DOSTOEVSKY BEHIND BARS, won a Wisconsin Film Festival 2014 Golden Badger Award and has since been selected by festivals in Philadelphia, Louisville, Kansas City, Des Moines and Dubuque. The film has also been aired on Wisconsin Public Television and most recently was named a Media For a Just Society Award finalist by the National Council on Crime and Delinquency.

Director's Statement:

I first met Anthony Smith at the elementary school where he (physical education) and I (fifth grade) taught. Though young enough to be my son, his sense of humor and antic personality matched my own, and we became buds.

Our initial work mainly amounted to cutting up in front of our students in and outside my classroom. That lead to collaborating on music videos (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pbn0fuzv5CQ), a short documentary (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnmtCcZPnS0) , a short horror film and an 11-edpisode improvisational web series SIT DOWN WITH SMITH AND KORNBLATT. http://refugefilms.net/sit-down-with-smith-and-kornblatt

SUMMER TEXTS grew naturally out of our web series. Smith, an energetic young man enjoying his summer vacation, was too busy to learn lines, let alone rehearse, so I had to be creative writing this short narrative. Hopefully, Anthony will sit down long enough to watch the completed film before I'm ready to kick the bucket...

Ratings