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2018-10-16 Print

Join NFMLA on October 20th as they celebrate their Monthly Film Festival with a spotlight on Veteran Cinema and Horror


This month, NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) features InFocus: Military Veterans and the Effects of War, showcasing veteran filmmakers and films that explore the experiences of veterans and war, alongside a celebration of the fall season with a selection of horror shorts.

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Join NFMLA on October 20th as they celebrate their Monthly Film Festival with a spotlight on Veteran Cinema and Horror


This month, NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) features InFocus: Military Veterans and the Effects of War, showcasing veteran filmmakers and films that explore the experiences of veterans and war, alongside a celebration of the fall season with a selection of horror shorts.

The evening begins with a short film selection that depicts a diverse range of experiences of military veterans from a variety of backgrounds and time periods. Beginning with a futuristic sci-fi narrative by award-winning director and former U.S. Army Captain Rebecca Murga, the program goes on to include explorations of PTSD, near death experiences, the cultural complexity faced by Japanese American WWII veterans, the true stories of a recently transitioned transgender Vietnam veteran, a woman who survived sexual assault in the military, and the struggle of immigrant veterans who face deportation following their service.

The evening’s focus on veterans continues with the LA Premiere of Jenica Bergere’s Spare Room, a visually striking film about a young widow whose life becomes unexpectedly intertwined with that of the veteran she rents a room to, with a profound effect on those around them.

The night concludes with shorts program Horror: Cabin Fever, a collection of short films that take place in claustrophobic conditions – both real and imagined. From birthday parties to the studios of obsessive artists to unearthly photocopy stores, and even in the woods – cabin fever captures a frenzied state of mind that transcends physical confines.


InFocus - Shorts Program #1 – InFocus: Military Veterans and the Effects of War

The Enchantress of Number, Dir. Rebecca Murga & Writ. David Auner & Ruth C. Kopinitsch, USA
World Premiere

A spy for a totalitarian 2037 Los Angeles government is called back in time by a mysterious woman who offers her the chance to change the world.

About the Director - Rebecca Murga is an award-winning filmmaker who works in Los Angeles as a writer and director. She produces and directs films, commercials, documentaries and branded content in both English and Spanish. Past clients include ABC, CBS, CBS Sports, Mundo FOX, NHL, MLB, NBA, Comcast, ESPN, Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, HBO Boxing, US ARMY, AT&T, Lucent, Verizon, Merck & Co., Walgreens, Evan Williams and A&E Networks. Rebecca served as a U.S. Army Captain and Public Affairs Officer, and has deployed to Iraq, Kuwait, and Afghanistan. She was awarded a Bronze Star for her work with the Special Operations Command in Afghanistan, and was also was awarded the Meritorious Service Medial for her service in Iraq

Fighter, Dir. & Writ. Kenny Sheard, USA
World Premiere

A homeless veteran awakens on a beach and attempts to piece together why he lost himself.

About the Director - Kenny Sheard served in the USN for over a decade from 2001 to 2013. Following his passion for Film, he chose to transition into the entertainment industry to pursue a new and creative venture.


Lion in a Box, Dir. & Writ. Melanie Brown, USA

This first person documentary recounts one woman's military training, and the battles she endured to achieve her goals. Through photo montage and animation, she shines a light on the traditional definitions of sacrifice and combat.

About the Director - Melanie Brown began making films after taking a summer class geared towards veterans, called "Veterans Make Movies". Her short autobiographical film is called “Lion In A Box” received an official Jury Citation at the Black Maria Film Festival. The film was also awarded Best of the Fest and Best Military Film at the Copa Shorts Festival.

The Catcher, Dir. & Writ. Cassie Guidry, USA
LA Premiere

A soldier suffering with PTSD seeks the aid of a Dreamcatcher Weaver to save him from his nightmares.

About the Director - Since an early age, Cassie Guidry was driven by the princesses and heroes of Disney, Pixar, and Dreamworks films. She dedicated herself to the animation industry since early High School. She received a BFA in 3D Computer Animation from the Savannah College of Art and Design in June of 2017. The Catcher is her Senior Thesis film. She is currently working as a 3D Freelance Animator in Atlanta, GA.


Go Debbie, Dir. Jane Wells, USA
LA Premiere

Transgender Vietnam veteran Debbie gets a life-changing present for her 68th birthday.

About the Director - Jane Wells is an Emmy-award nominated filmmaker, best known for producing and directing Tricked, a documentary about sex trafficking in the USA, and for producing the groundbreaking documentary feature The Devil Came on Horseback, about the genocide in Darfur. As the founder of 3 Generations, a 501(c)3 not for profit organization whose mission is to tell the stories of survivors of human rights abuses, she has written, produced and directed over 40 short films and videos. Her films have been selected by film festivals including Sundance, AFI/Silverdocs, Hotdocs, Tribeca, Montclair, Nashville, Thessaloniki, Aspen Shorts Fest, Red Nation and The American Indian Film Festival.


Exiled, Dir. Mike Seely, USA

Two military veterans, both green card immigrants willing to die for their country, find themselves deported and are now fighting to be heard.

About the Director - Mike Seely has produced, directed and photographed dozens of cross-cultural documentaries. Recent cinematography credits: Hard Earned, produced by Kartemquin Films, Al Jazeera America broadcast 2015, winner of 2016 DuPont-Columbia Award; Code: Debugging the Gender Gap, premiere Tribeca 2015; and Daughters of the Forest, ITVS/PBS broadcast 2015). As a director of photography, he works with independent directors, as well as non-profit, corporate and broadcast clients, including National Geographic, MTV2, Facebook, Frontline World, Stanford University and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. In 2005, he completed his MA in documentary film production at Stanford University.

American, Dir. & Writ. Richie Adams, USA

A 94 year old veteran who works as a volunteer at the Japanese American National Museum (George Takei) encounters a mother and her young daughter, triggering events that happened in his past, including his time as a young man in a Japanese American Internment Camp and later serving with the 442 in WWII.

About the Director - Richie Adams is an award-winning writer, director, producer who cut his teeth as a title designer (Babel, Creed, American Made), working with many of the great players in film and television. After several years in Los Angeles, Richie returned to Louisiana, where he continues to offer design and related services for film and television. Richie’s second feature, Of Mind and Music, released in 2016 to critical acclaim, after winning numerous awards on the festival circuit.

Feature Film – InFocus: Military Veterans and the Effects of War

Spare Room, Dir. Jenica Bergere, USA
LA Premiere

When a young widow caring for her brother with Down Syndrome rents a room to a mysterious veteran, their attraction sparks unforeseen circumstances.

About the Director - Jenica Bergere is an award-winning filmmaker. As a comedic actress, she has appeared on numerous shows across several networks as well as characters in over a dozen feature films. Spare Room marks her second directorial endeavor. Jenica helmed a visually unique and beautiful tale with both stunning breakout and seasoned performances. Jenica’s ability to coax authentic emotion from her cast combined with her decisiveness on set is what enables her to accomplish so much with little time and money during filming.

Shorts Program #2 – Horror: Cabin Fever

Steve's Kinkoes, Dir. Emma Debany & Writ. Emma Debany and Daniel Irons, USA

A man copying posters for his missing (and dead) cat at an otherworldly 24/7 photocopy shop faces the threat of what he will become if he chooses to stay forever.

About the Director - Emma Debany is a VR and commercial director based in Los Angeles, CA.

Control, Dir. & Writ. Carroll Brown, USA

A scientist trapped by herself on an outpost near Jupiter after the death of her companion begins to imagine, or realize, that she is not alone after all.

About the Director - Carroll Brown is a produced screenwriter, published author of fiction and poetry, former entertainment journalist and film and literary critic. His noir thriller script, “The Cheshire Cat” was produced as an independent feature, and other scripts have won or received honors in numerous competitions. He has produced several short films. Control is his first directorial effort.

Drink Up, Dir. Matthew Serrano & Writ. Natalie Cooper, USA
LA Premiere

When a child goes to the fridge to fetch her father a beer, she returns to find a dark and mysterious figure lurking behind him.

About the Director - Matthew Serrano is an independent filmmaker working in Southern California. At the age of 14, he enrolled in film classes at Saddleback College, and quickly built up experience working on sets. Since then, he has gone on to Direct and Produce his own films. His work has been featured at several film festivals including Dances With Films, Newport Beach Film Festival and many others.

Hombre, Dir. & Writ. Juan Pablo Arias Munoz, Chile

On a snowy hunting trip, a father and son discover a monster in the forest.

About the Director - Juan Pablo Arias Muñoz is a Chilean filmmaker based in Los Angeles, California. His latest work, the award-winning horror/drama short film HOMBRE was presented at the New York Film Festival '17, the Stockholm Film Festival '17 and the Seattle International Film Festival '18. After graduating in 2013 as a Bachelor in Social Communication and Audiovisual Director from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, he founded Pajareza Films where he is currently developing several feature length projects. In 2017 Juan Pablo was awarded the Fulbright Fellowship to study a Master of Fine Arts in the United States. He is currently living in Los Angeles, California enrolled in the Directing Conservatory of the American Film Institute.

Instinct, Dir. Maria Alice Arida & Writ. Rosita Lama Muvdi, USA

A psychosexual thriller about a lonely gallery owner who meets a dangerously seductive performance artist and discovers they have more in common than expected. Will she allow herself to let this woman in without giving in to her true nature?

About the Director - Maria Alice Arida is a Brazilian genre director focused on female driven thrillers and horror films. In her work, Maria explores the dark side of human nature as well as taboo themes of femininity and female sexuality. Before obtaining her MFA in directing from the American Film Institute (AFI), Maria worked in Brazil as an assistant director for renowned directors such as Academy Award nominee Hector Babenco and Eduardo Coutinho.

Special Day, Dir. Teal Greyhavens & Writ. Nikolai von Keller, USA
LA Premiere

Emily is a quiet girl who comes from an unusual family. On the night of her 18th birthday, they gather together to reveal an important secret to her. It’s a secret that will shape the rest of her life…

About the Director - Teal Greyhavens is an award-winning writer and director of short films, music videos, documentaries, and virtual reality experiences. With Dark Corner Studios he has helped to shape some of the world’s most acclaimed VR experiences; these have screened at places like Venice, Tribeca, Cannes, AFI, Fantastic Fest, Sitges, and many more. In 2016 he co-founded Ink Run with Nikolai von Keller; their shorts have won numerous international awards and been featured as a Vimeo Staff Pick. He has lived and filmed in more than two dozen countries, and been interviewed in IndieWire and Filmmaker Magazine as a young director to watch.

Additional event information is available at www.nfmla.org

Founded in 2007, NewFilmmakers Los Angeles is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. NFMLA’s programs annually serve approximately 25,000 patrons in the Greater Los Angeles area. NFMLA has screened over 2,500 films from 75+ countries, highlighting local and international talent. NFMLA is supported by Presenting Venue Sponsor South Park Center, Executive Sponsors FilmLA and HBO and Producers Circle Sponsors SAG-AFTRA, 21st Century Fox Global Inclusion, The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), The Los Angeles County Arts Commission and the Los Angeles City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA).


Media Contact:
Larry Laboe
332.315.9496
larrynfmla.org

 
Contact Info
NewFilmmakers Los Angeles
1438 N. Gower St. Box 83,
Hollywood, CA 90028

Phone: 323-521-7385

Website: https://www.newfilmmakersla.com/contact/