Monthly Film Festival

July 25, 2020
FESTIVAL INDUSTRY DELEGATION MEMBERS
Hajnal Molnar-Szakacs
Sundance Institute
Michael Chung
Verve
Jairo Alvarado
Circle of Confusion
Michelle Momplaisir
Focus Features
Joshua Jason
JJPR
Alex Gutierrez
Warner Bros. Discovery 150
Lamonia Brown
WarnerMedia 150
Dinh Thai
Award-Winning Commercial Writer/Director
Kristi Shuton
Walt Disney Television
Liz Kelly
Walt Disney Television
Will Schnabel
NBCUniversal
Smriti Mundhra
Oscar Nominated Filmmaker – St. Louis Superman
Stacey Jorgensen
Company X / SpectreVision
Daniel Bekerman
Scythia Films
Tanja Tawadjoh
Executive Producer
Alyx Picard Davis
deadCenter / Film Festival Alliance
MODERATORS
Varda Bar-Kar
Filmmaker / TV Director / NFMLA Board Member
Johnny Payne
Mount Saint Mary’s University MFA Program
Danny De Lillo
SCREEN International / NFMLA Board Chair
Katherine Tulich
Film Journalist – Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA)
Samah Ali
DOC NYC Associate Shorts Programmer
Tim Chan
Rolling Stone Journalist
Ahya Simone
Femme Queen Chronicles - Episode One: The Clock

NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) hosts InFocus: Canadian Cinema, Presented by the Consulate General of Canada, highlighting independent Canadian storytellers, as well as presenting a selection of shorts from NFMLA’s summer programming. The Festival is Powered by Seed&Spark on their virtual festival platform, and each screening will be followed by a live Q&A via Zoom. Special event sponsors include Telefilm Canada, Québec Government Office in Los Angeles and Mount Saint Mary’s University.

The day begins with InFocus: Canadian Cinema’s documentary program, a curated collection of short documentaries programmed in partnership with Hot Docs. These nonfiction narratives capture their subjects intimately, exploring cultural identity, family dynamics, the natural world’s beauty and importance, and untold histories.

The afternoon continues with InFocus: Canadian Cinema’s narrative program, a selection of exciting short-form narrative work by up-and-coming Canadian filmmakers. It includes a mixture of narrative work (short, music video and episodic) that offers fresh perspectives that entertain, enlighten, and provoke reflection.

The day concludes with Shorts Program # 3: Summer Shorts, a selection of highlights from NFMLA’s summer program that each vividly create their internal worlds. This block’s work commands a range of forms, from mockumentary to romantic comedy to anti-war drama to pilot, each evoking a world, real or imagined, that will pull you in.

NFMLA showcases films by filmmakers of all backgrounds throughout the year in addition to its special InFocus programming which celebrates diversity, inclusion and region. All filmmakers are welcome and encouraged to submit their projects which will be considered for all upcoming NFMLA Festivals, regardless of the InFocus programming.

Schedule Details

Shorts Program # 1: InFocus: Canadian Cinema – Documentaries (In Partnership with Hot Docs)
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM – Suggested Screening Time
1:15 PM – 2:15 PM – Audience Q&A

Shorts Program # 2: InFocus: Canadian Cinema – Narratives
2:30 PM – 4:30 PM – Suggested Screening Time
4:45 PM – 5:45 PM – Audience Q&A

Shorts Program # 3: Summer Shorts
6:15 PM – 7:45 PM – Suggested Screening Time
8:00 PM – 9:00 PM – Audience Q&A

Shorts Program # 1: InFocus: Canadian Cinema - Documentaries (In Partnership with Hot Docs)
Invasion: The Unist’ot’en’s Fight for Sovereignty
Dir. Michael Toledano, Sam Vinal
18 Mins | Canada
The Lost Astronaut Thumbnail
The Lost Astronaut
Dir. Ben Proudfoot
13 Mins | USA
This-Ability Thumbnail
This-Ability
Dir. Bosco da Costa
9 Mins | Canada
Joseph, Margaret & I Thumbnail
Joseph, Margaret & I
Dir. Valerie Amponsah
8 Mins | Canada
Lichen Thumbnail
Lichen
Dir. Lisa Jackson
12 Mins | Canada
êmîcêtôcêt: Many Bloodlines Thumbnail
êmîcêtôcêt: Many Bloodlines
Dir. Theola Ross
11 Mins | Canada
Nancy’s Workshop
Dir. Aïcha Diop
20 Mins | Canada
Shorts Program # 2: InFocus: Canadian Cinema - Narratives
In My Room Thumbnail
In My Room
Dir. Colin Greenfield
7 Mins | Canada
The 410 (Episode 1)
Dir. Renuka Jeyapalan & Writ. Supinder Wraich
26 Mins | Canada
Volcano
Dir.& Writ. Karen Moore
11 Mins | Canada
When It Falls Thumbnail
When It Falls
Dir.& Writ. Romain Dumont
18 Mins | Canada
Somebody Thumbnail
Somebody
Dir.& Writ. Vision Zheng
3 Mins | Canada
Rebel
Dir.& Writ. Pier-Philippe Chevigny
15 Mins | Canada
Bot Prox Thumbnail
Bot Prox
Dir. Brianne Nord-Stewart & Writ. Riley Madincea
5 Mins | Canada
Chubby Thumbnail
Chubby
Dir.& Writ. Madeleine Sims-Fewer, Dusty Mancinelli
22 Mins | Canada
Life Support Thumbnail
Life Support
Dir.& Writ. Renuka Jeyapalan
8 Mins | Canada
Shorts Program # 3: Summer Shorts
Fantastic Beats and Where to Find Them Thumbnail
Fantastic Beats and Where to Find Them
Dir.& Writ. Tyler Lucrecia, Spencer Simpson
19 Mins | USA
They Won’t Last
Dir. Portlynn Tagavi & Writ. Portlynn Tagavi, Brandon Gale
16 Mins | USA
I Killed a Person Thumbnail
I Killed a Person
Dir.& Writ. Nima Aghakhani
28 Mins | Iran
Wizards
Dir.& Writ. Zane McWilliams
22 Mins | USA