Starring: Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, Eddie Albert, Hartley Power

Overwhelmed by her suffocating schedule, touring European princess Ann takes off for a night while in Rome. When a sedative she took from her doctor kicks in, however, she falls asleep on a park bench and is found by an American reporter, Joe Bradley, who takes her back to his apartment for safety. At work the next morning, Joe finds out Ann’s regal identity and bets his editor he can get exclusive interview with her, but romance soon gets in the way.

FUERZA PUERTO RICO brings together seven short films by Puerto Rican filmmakers from the island and its diaspora. Both thoughtful & absorbing in execution – as well as inventive in their style & form – these seven short films explore the complexities of contemporary Puerto Rican life, tapping into the island’s unfettered disillusionment, its embrace of nostalgia and tradition, and its passion to fight for a better future.

FUERZA PUERTO RICO will raise money for Apoyo Empresarial Peninsula Comunidad de Cantera and its post-Hurricane Maria relief efforts.

PROGRAM

THE TICKET (El Pasaje)
Directed by Cristian Carretero
Fiction (15 minutes)
A young man from Puerto Rico tries to survive the streets of New York. Without money or a roof over his head, he wanders the city wishing for a plane ticket back home.

ADOLESCENCIA
Directed by Jose Fernando Rodriguez
Documentary (10 minutes)
Comprised of Hi8 videos, ADOLESCENCIA presents a portrait of a teenage boy in 2002 Puerto Rico who films odd and unusual movie vignettes by himself – and tries to get a girl’s attention in the process.

MONSERRATE
Directed by Michael Justiniano
Fiction (11 minutes)
A rebellious young woman has her heart broken when her boyfriend dumps her – over the phone. She goes on a vengeful mission around the neighborhood, to confront her ex-boyfriend and rescue her dog from his apartment.

A FIERCE BREED (Cria Brava)
Directed by Karisa Cruz & Ivan Bonilla
Documentary (18 minutes)
A revealing journey into the “legal” cockfighting culture in Puerto Rico seen through the lives of a trainer, a teacher and a veteran involved in this controversial global sport.

LOLA
Directed by Xavier Medina
Fiction (15 minutes)
Lola, a gay working-class young woman, agrees to meet her estranged father Edgar, for the very first time – on the day before her wedding.

UNTITLED PUERTO RICAN DOCUMENTARY PROJECT
Directed by Cecilia Aldarondo & Cristian Carretero
Documentary (13 minutes)
A sneak peek of a new documentary project by filmmakers Cecilia Aldarondo (Memories of a Penitent Heart) and Cristian Carretero (Yolanda, Esta Isla).

RUBY’S SON (El Hijo de Ruby)
Directed by Gisela Rosario Ramos
Documentary (15 minutes)
Lio returns to the neighborhood where he grew up and discovers that his estranged father Ruby – who died under sad circumstances – kept a secret from his loved ones. RUBY’S SON is about healing a broken father-son relationship through dance.

It’s a perfect match of fiercely independent artists: Jackie Greene, the rocking singer/songwriter hailed by The New York Times as the “Prince of Americana” and Bill Plympton, the Oscar-nominated “King of indie animation”.

Greene has always had a knack for capturing the human experience in all its messy, emotional complexity in song, and Plympton is well known for coupling his hand-drawn animation and twisted sense of humor with explorations of adult themes, relationships, and sexuality. Together, they’ve created The Modern Lives, an animated music film that takes you on the road from a tripped-out alien invaded Times Square to the deep roots of the American South. Along the way there are encounters with Elvis, Satan, Willie Dixon, an Alabama Queen…. and so much more!

The program will also feature a selection of Plympton’s earlier music video work for Madonna, Kanye West, and “Weird Al” Yankovic.

The Modern Lives is not rated by the MPAA, and some material may be inappropriate for children under the age of 13.

1. Madonna’s “Who’s That Girl” film opening 2:45 min
2. Weird Al Yankovic’s music video “TMZ” 3:40 min
3. Kanye West’s music video “Heard’em Say” 3:11 min
4. Parson Brown’s music video “Mexican Standoff” 3:38min
5. A video of Jackie Greene performing at the SVA event 3min
6. music film “The Modern Lives” animated by Bill Plympton, songs by Jackie Greene 30 min

Join us for a hilarious video-variety show celebrating the world’s greatest sleuths, P.I.s and gumshoes, it’s KEVIN GEEKS OUT ABOUT DETECTIVES.

Emmy-nominated comedy writer Kevin Maher turns the magnifying glass back on some of the greatest investigators from film and TV, featuring some of our favorite non-professional crime-stoppers, like the mystery-writer-detective, the kid-detective, even the dog detective. Jewel thieves and drug smugglers don’t stand a chance with these super-sleuths on the case!

Come see the show that DAILY GRINDHOUSE called “like TED Talks for Midnight Movies.”

Adam Howard (Associate Producer, FULL FRONTAL WITH SAMANTHA BEE)

Emily Intravia (co-host of THE FEMININE CRITIQUE podcast)

Chico Leo (co-host of the SCREAM SQUAD podcast)

Nick Nadel (host of the MOVIES MY FRIENDS HAVE NEVER SEEN podcast)

Gena Radcliffe (co-host of the KILL BY KILL podcast)

Mike Schuster (Writer-Producer, SUPER DELUXE, RIFFTRAX)

A feature documentary about the lessons, ethics and legacy of iconic children’s television host, Fred Rogers. WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? looks at children’s television host Mr. Rogers’ hard-fought campaign to influence generations of kids and adults in the ways of kindness.

Fred Rogers led a singular life. He was a puppeteer. A minister. A musician. An educator. A father, a husband, and a neighbor. Fred Rogers spent 50 years on children’s television beseeching us to love and to allow ourselves to be loved. With television as his pulpit, he helped transform the very concept of childhood. He used puppets and play to explore the most complicated issues of the day—race, disability, equality and tragedy. He spoke directly to children and they responded by forging a lifelong bond with him—by the millions. And yet today his impact is unclear. WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? explores the question of whether or not we have lived up to Fred’s ideal. Are we all good neighbors?

Jen  is enjoying a romantic getaway with her wealthy boyfriend which is suddenly disrupted when his sleazy friends arrive for an unannounced hunting trip. Tension mounts in the house until the situation abruptly–and viciously–intensifies, culminating in a shocking act that leaves Jen left for dead. Unfortunately for her assailants, Jen survives and reemerges with a relentless, wrathful intent: revenge. A white-knuckle tale of transgression and transformation, REVENGE gloriously blurs the lines of vengeance and survival while simultaneously delivering a ferocious dissection of gender and genre.

From Japanese special effects master Soichi Umezawa comes a singular horror experience in a wildly hilarious marriage of The Blob and The Evil Dead.

After studying in Tokyo, Kaori returns to Aina Academy to finish her prep classes for art school. Quickly outshining her jealous classmates, she soon becomes the star of the class when she discovers a bag of old, mysterious clay and uses it for sculpting assignments. Things begin to get strange, however, when students’ projects are destroyed and one of Kaori’s classroom rivals disappears.

As the students uncover that the clay is possessed by a starving artist who died tragically in the building years ago, the school finds itself attacked by a gang of murderous, bloodthirsty clay “vampires.” The monsters begin to impersonate – and subsequently devour – the students, thus answering the age-old question: can art be so bad that it kills? Rest assured: you’ve never experienced a movie like Vampire Clay.

Starring: Elsie Fisher, Josh Hamilton, Emily Robinson

Thirteen-year-old Kayla endures the tidal wave of contemporary suburban adolescence as she makes her way through the last week of middle school—the end of her thus far disastrous eighth grade year—before she begins high school.

In honor of Autism Awareness Month, Nitehawk is excited to present a screening to shine light on the fact that 1 in 68 American children are affected by autism. Our program highlights the resources needed to support healthy and fruitful lives for young adults living with autism. Please join us to screen the 2015 Peabody award-winning film, How to Dance in Ohio. 

How to Dance in Ohio is the story of a group of teenagers and young adults on the autism spectrum preparing for an iconic American rite of passage– a Spring Formal. They spend 12 weeks practicing their social skills in preparation for the dance at a local night club. Working with their psychologist, they take the challenges expressed in their respective therapy groups from one level to the next: picking dates, dresses, and, ultimately, a King and Queen of the Prom.

Starring: Bijou Abas, Karl Jacob, Anna Klemp, Heidi Fellner, Mary Kay Fortier-Spalding

Deep in the wilderness of rural middle America, 12-year-old Florence is eager to undergo the rite-of- passage of her first deer hunt. A tradition passed down through many generations of women in her family, the act of killing a deer symbolizes the transition into adulthood.

As Florence is taught how to shoot a gun and skin a deer, she gains a deeper understanding of life and death. When Florence finds herself alone during a hunt, however, expectations dissolve into chaos as she must rely on her instinct and training to follow through with her decisions, pull herself together, and face becoming an adult.