Starring: Abdallah Alnur, Ganja Chakado, Ekram Marcus, Kamal Ramadan
aKasha is a universal offbeat love story set in a time of civil war – but the war is in Sudan and it is happening right now. We follow Adnan, an AK47-loving rebel, his long-suffering love interest, Lina, and the army dodging Absi, over a fateful 24 hours in a rebel-held area of Sudan.
Starring: Karen Lorre, Lynn Danielson, Karen Black, Bud Cort, Cameron Dye, Tracey Walter, Paul Bartel, Tab Hunter, Divine
Has the Fall-ing temperature got you feeling frisky? Fidgety? Well then… get your dairy-air off of the couch and get OUT OF THE DARK with The Deuce! A steamy, screamy, freak-fest of creepy fun that’ll get your (love) muscles moving… with murder!! “Frighteningly Erotic”!??!
Karen Black’s “1-900” number phone-sex biz – “Suite Nothings” – is in jeopardy of bombing when some bozo in a Bozo mask begins bumping off her breathy beauties! Is Bobo the bozo? The “hunky” philandering photog?? One of the too-many-to-count mouth-breathing lonelyheart losers timorously transmitting their fantasies and fetishes through the telephone lines??? Suspect sicko suspects galore in a rogues-gallery of cult-fave guest appearances that will keep you guessing as to who the murderous ghoul may be… for at least fifteen minutes!! Leaving you free to wallow in all the whacked-out weirdness of this neon-lit soft-focus “MTV” esthetic-era rarity of hilarity and scare-ity!!
Usually lumped in the late-in-the-game slasher camp – and retrospectively rebranded as “erotic thriller” – OUT OF THE DARK is either, both, neither, nor, less, and/or more… genre-wandering wildly at its own unpredictable whim!! Black-comedy horror-spoofing… T & A Skinematic soft-core canoodling… giallo-like luridness… art-house hipsterism… good-cop/bad-cop police proceduralling… or rather, not-very-good good cop (Repo Man’s “The more you drive the less intelligent you are” Tracey Walter!!)/possibly better bad cop (Divine out of drag!!)… So much of a maddening melange of horror-movie hoodoo that the jean-jizzers of Times Square’s Cine-42 were left flummoxed and fumbling for a foot-hold as to what might be coming next… good thing The Deuce knows how to keep you cumming… back for more!!
Starring: Cash Flagg, Atlas King, Brett O’Hara, Sharon Walsh, Erina Enyo, Carolyn Brandt
…or, if you prefer: TISCWSLABMUZ!!? Either way – it’s a monstrous mouthful of manic monster merriment for you to swallow as The Deuce amuses your bouche with “the world’s first monster-musical!“* – this September!!? But beware – this wild roller-coaster ride is branded: “Not for sissies!“!!?
A curiously combative couple: goodie-girl girlfriend, Angela, and her peculiarly petulant beatnik-y boyfriend, Jerry (hilariously acted by writer/director/madman Steckler under his oft-used nom d’acteur “Cash Flagg”!!?) – with their taciturn tag-along third-wheel, Harold (the brazenly monikered “Atlas King” – seeming a template for Paul Morrissey’s mumble-mouthed “hero” hunks whose “English” is barely decipherable!!?) – take a fateful frolic to a sea-side carnival where the day-time, cotton-candied fun of rides and junk-food fueled rollicking give way to the tawdry titillations half-hidden behind the tapestry of the tented midnight-y midway and the miscreants who make it their milieu: “dancing” girls doing “musical” numbers!!? whilst deliriously drunk even!!? A mesmerizing fortune-telling gypsy madam with a major mole!!? Her chain-smoking hunch-backed mustachioed henchman!!? Crazed creatures kept in cages!!? “Weird beauties and shocking monsters“!!? And – yes: murderous mind-controlled mixed-up zombies!!? One of which jazzed-up Jerry will become!!? His terrifying transformation into which was telegraphed by his pulling of his hoodies’s hood over his head and tugging its strings taut!!? And this but just one of the “1001 weirdest scenes EVER!“!!? – all wrapped in a candy-colored swingin’ ’60s song-and-dance go-go party of G-rated “gore” and goofiness!!?
Boasting (in retrospect) the lensing skills of not only a young Lazlo Kovacs (who would go on to shoot the likes of Easy Rider and a whole hunk of Bogdanoviches), but also a young Vilmos Zigmond (who would go on to shoot the likes of Close Encounters Of The Third Kind and a whole hunk of DePalmas) – AND a who-knows-how-old Joseph Mascelli who would go on to write THE book: “The Five Cs Of Cinematography” – still considered by many to be THE Bible on the subject, despite his obvious inability to spell… The three of them – together with their director – creating the first and only film featuring “Hallucinogenic Hypnovision!” TISCWSLABMUZ is nothing if not a feast for the eyes!!? It is, however, so much more of a smorgasbord!!?
Fresh(ish) off a job cameramanning for Timothy Carey’s vanity whatsit jaw-dropper, World’s Greatest Sinner (itself another prime example of fringe-filmmaking), Steckler set to corralling family, friends, freaks, actors, and Hollywood hopefuls for as little money as could be mustered – with an occasional pocket-pinch from whatever cast-member was willing… further cutting corners with the casting of himself in the “lead” – shooting late-nights on Rock Hudson’s so-upper-floor-level-that-the-Union-boys-wouldn’t-bother-barging-in soundstage… and “At last – a NEW kind of horror movie!” birthed unto a World not ready for New!!?
A movie-making itself such a mix-up of what would become Stekler’s “standard” (when he wasn’t pseudonymously making run-of-the-mill XXXs to pay the bills) of Saturday morning kiddie fare meets exploitation mania, that most of its 1964-era audience who saw it – including those unsuspecting souls of Times Square’s Loew’s State Theatre who could have seen it under this or any of the half-dozen other titles Steckler touted it under (ie: Diabolical Dr. Voodoo, Teenage Psycho Meets Bloody Mary, The Incredibly Mixed-Up Zombie, et al..) – were left so “wtf!!?” at what they’d witnessed that many would – and sometimes “famously” so – go on to deny that said movie even existed “irl”!!? But, boy does it!!? “Girls! Learn if your Boy Friend can take it!” – when we give it to them at The Deuce!!?
*all quotes courtesy of the original press releases for the “World’s Weirdest Movie!“!!?
Starring: June Squibb, Fred Hechinger, Richard Roundtree, Parker Posey, Clark Gregg
Inspired by a real-life experience of director Josh Margolin’s own grandmother, Thelma puts a clever spin on movies like Mission: Impossible, shining the spotlight on an elderly grandmother as an unlikely action hero. With infectious humor, Margolin employs the familiar tropes of the action genre in hilarious, age-appropriate ways to tackle aging with agency. In the first leading film role of her 70-year career, Squibb portrays the strong-willed Thelma with grit and determination, demonstrating that she is more than capable of taking care of business — despite what her daughter Gail (Parker Posey), son-in-law Alan (Clark Gregg), or grandson Danny might believe.
NoBudge is happy to present a new program of nine short films from a group of emerging indie filmmakers mostly based in New York. We’re focused on young characters searching for escape or catharsis, feeling suffocated or cursed. True to the nature of no-budget filmmaking, the work doesn’t shy away from being lo-fi, homemade, or experimental. There’s a taste of absurd humor in sections but perhaps it’s one of our edgier lineups in recent memory, playing against the idea of light summer viewing. Seven of the films are premieres and the majority of the filmmakers will be in attendance for a post-screening Q&A and Afterparty.
NoBudge is an online platform spotlighting the best in low-budget indie filmmaking. “One of the best places to sample what’s happening in low-budget cinema worldwide,” says Glenn Kenny of The New York Times. Its mission is to provide a supportive home for emerging indie filmmakers working with limited resources and without major industry connections, and to be a trusted discovery platform.
Georgia
NY Premiere
Director Maci Parker present.
Deep in the American south, a girl living in a trailer park feels suffocated by her surroundings when her best friend reveals that she is pregnant.
(8 min)
The Expanding Horizon
NY Premiere
Director Christian Meola present.
A 16-year-old makes an unusual request of his drug dealer classmate.
(10 min)
Jumbotron
NY Premiere
Director Jack Solomon present.
After getting on the “dance cam” at a professional sporting event, Drew quickly loses his mind along with his sense of reality.
(12 min)
Teeth Tacs
NY Premiere
Director Steph Twyford-Rigley present.
After a ten year hiatus, two friends reunite to break a mysterious curse.
(7 min)
THE DAYS FLY GALLOPING FROM ME; YET THE LONG DRAGGING OF EACH ONE MAKES ME WEARY, WEARY
NY Premiere
Director Tynan DeLong present.
A guy asks his friends to see the new Beyoncé movie.
(7 min)
Compounding Negativity
Brooklyn Premiere
Director Alex Sovoda present.
A young man achieves success on the internet.
(16 min)
GINGER BOY and The Purpose of Life on Earth
NY Premiere
Director Spencer Witmer present.
Ginger, a perpetually stoned good-for-nothing pothead floats past life’s responsibilities on a cloud of green smoke until she accidentally smokes an ounce of K2 and descends into an existential rabbit-hole.
(20 min)
The Third Ear
After seeing a botched depiction of himself, Sammy, a nude drawing model, sprouts an ear from the back of his head, spiraling his sense of self-image and life out of control.
(13 min)
Happy Ending
Director Ahmad Bakrin present.
When a young line cook hears the voices of his favorite podcasters beckoning him like sirens, the mundane becomes macabre.
(9 min)
Starring: Anja Plaschg, Maria Hofstätter, David Scheid
Join The Future of Film is Female for a special screening of THE DEVIL’S BATH. To make an additional $10 donation to The Future of Film is Female, select the “Event + Donation” ticket on the checkout screen.
In 1750 Austria, a deeply religious woman named Agnes has just married her beloved, but her mind and heart soon grow heavy as her life becomes a long list of chores and expectations. Day after day, she is increasingly trapped in a murky and lonely path leading to evil thoughts, until the possibility of committing a shocking act of violence seems like the only way out of her inner prison. Giving a voice to the invisible and unheard women of the rural past, The Devil’s Bath is based on historical court records about a shocking, hitherto unexplored chapter of European history.
Before The Devil’s Bath, we’ll be screening Lael Rogers’ 2023 short The Influencer (10 min)
A social media influencer describes her perfect day harvesting the eyes and minds of her followers to achieve immortality.
Starring: Suzy Amis, Bo Hopkins, Ian McKellen, David Chung, René Auberjonois, Carrie Snodgrass
Join The Future of Film is Female for a special screening of Kino Lorber’s new 4k restoration of THE BALLAD OF LITTLE JO. To make an additional $10 donation to The Future of Film is Female, select the “Event + Donation” ticket on the checkout screen.
Ostracized from 19th-century society when she gives birth to a child out of wedlock, Josephine Monaghan (Suzy Amis) decides to disappear into the American West and create a new life for herself. After befriending an educated Englishman (Sir Ian McKellan), Josephine comes to realize that the frontier is no place for a young, attractive woman, traveling alone. And so she crops her hair, dons male attire, and transforms herself into a young man. As “Jo,” she not only survives in the rugged world of miners and ranchers, she flourishes. Freed from societal restraints, she pursues true independence, acquiring a homestead and embarking on a relationship with a Chinese laborer (David Chung). But Jo comes to realize that even in the wilderness, there are certain rigid social mores from which one can never escape.
Reminiscent of McCabe and Mrs. Miller and Heaven’s Gate, The Ballad of Little Jo is a resplendent film that offers an allegorical critique of sex and power in America, even as it remains loyal to the spirit of the Western. The film features sharp-edged performances by Bo Hopkins, Rene Auberjonois and Cathy Haase, as well as early appearances by Melissa Leo and Heather Graham.
Starring: Rachel Sennott, Olga Petsa, Jason Jones, Sabrina Jalees, Caleb Hearon, Ennis Esmer, Dani Kind
Stand-up comedian Sam struggles with PTSD, and considers joining the search for a missing teenage girl she used to nanny.
Starring: Edward Furlong, Anthony Edwards, Clancy Brown, Darlanne Fluegel, Jason McGuire
When his mother, Renee (Darlanne Fluegel), dies, young Jeff Matthews (Edward Furlong) moves back to his hometown with his father, Chase (Anthony Edwards). Jeff grows friendly with Drew Gilbert (Jason McGuire) at school, who tells him about the Indian burial grounds that bring people and animals back to life, which led to the deaths of the Creed family who used to live in town. Desperately missing his mom, Jeff ignores warnings and buries her corpse, only to have her return in deadly zombie form.
Starring: Stephen Dorff, Christa Denton, Louis Tripp, Scot Denton, Deborah Grover
When Al (Christa Denton) and Glenn’s (Stephen Dorff) parents (Deborah Grover, Scot Denton) leave town for the weekend, Al uses the opportunity to throw a party while little brother Glenn and his friend Terry (Louis Tripp) decide to explore a hole left by a tree-removal service in the backyard. When unexplainable phenomena begin occurring, Terry — with the help of his extensive heavy-metal music collection — comes to the conclusion that he and Glenn have accidentally opened a gateway to hell.
