The MATINEE ONE screening at the Nitehawk Shorts Festival features eight films that explore the encouragement of imagination, pursued ambition, and the struggles in life that are both personal and culture. Q&A with filmmakers.

OKAASAN (MOM)
KANA HATAKEYAMA / JAPAN, U.S. / 2018 / DRAMA / 18 MINS
In rural Japan, a mother and daughter attempt to reconnect after dealing with the loss of a loved one the previous year.

LIFE’S A BIQTCH
JOHN E. KILBERG / U.S.A. / 2018 / DOCUMENTARY / 12 MINS
Biqtch Puddin’ shares her views of living the nightlife as a professional and affecting the community by way of drag through her inspiring perspective.

WHAT I WISH YOU SAID
TIFFANY FRANCES / U.S.A. / 2018 / DRAMA / 9 MINS / WORLD PREMIERE
In present day Brooklyn, a young woman and man on a date unexpectedly experience a manifestation from her traumatic past.

ON MY WAY
MARY DAUTERMAN / U.S.A. / 2018 / COMEDY / 1 1/2 MINS
When you’re on the way but you’re a liar! A comedy about not wanting to leave the house.

COMPANY
DORON MAX HAGAY / U.S.A. / 2018 / COMEDY / 13 MINS / NEW YORK PREMIERE
A woman invites her former ceramics instructor to live with her after her husband’s disappearance.

SPACE GIRLS
CARYS WATFORD / UK / 2018 / DRAMA / 10 MINS / NEW YORK PREMIERE
Four 9-year-old girls obsessed with space embark on a secret mission in their cardboard rocket.

EDGECOMBE
CRYSTAL KAYIZA / U.S.A. / 2018 / DOCUMENTARY / 15 MINS
An examination of the ways trauma repeats and reinvents itself in rural Black communities revealing the deeply personal truths of three local residents.

I TURN TO JELLO
ANDREW T. BETZER / U.S.A. / 2016 / COMEDY / 15 MINS
A metropolitan nightmare unfurls as a nervous cellist cracks under pressure at an audition—and again, and again, and…

INTRO WITH FILMMAKERS.
DUST is teaming up with Nitehawk to deliver an evening of some of the best sci-fi content the Nitehawk Shorts Festival has ever seen. The first-ever Sci-Fi Midnite presentation will include various popular short films from the DUST catalog, as well as works submitted specially for the event from a variety of filmmakers. Audiences will enjoy films that range from traditional science fiction to groundbreaking genre content. Introduction with filmmakers.

HOME GROWN
WILLIAM REYNISH / DENMARK / 2018 / ANIMATION / 20 MINS / WORLD PREMIERE
Set after a nuclear accident, this short explores leaving the past behind, and accepting that nature finds a way.

BAD PETER
ZACH STRAUSS / U.S.A. / 2018 / 9 MINS
An expecting mother is forced into a humiliating birthing regimen by her personal automated assistant who thinks it knows what’s best for her and her unborn child.

TERMINALLY HAPPY
ADINA ISTRATE / UNITED KINGDOM / 2018 / 12 MINS
In order to remember, you first need to forget.

OVUM
CIDNEY HUE / U.S.A. / 2018 / 8 MINS
In the near future, a woman must make a hard choice after a mind bending medical procedure.

EDEN
KRISTIAN BAKSTAD / CANADA / 2018 / 14 MINS / NEW YORK PREMIERE
A scavenger discovers a valuable artifact deep within an abandoned facility on a desolate planet. Hoping for a big payout, he ventures inside, only to find something much more sinister.

AFTER HER
ALY MIGLIORI / U.S.A. / 2018 / 14 MINS / NEW YORK PREMIERE
A wayward teenager goes missing and her friend is haunted by her disappearance. An atmospheric sci-fi short about the archetypal lost girl.

FINAL OFFER
MARK SLUTSKY / U.S.A. / 2018 / 12 MINS / WORLD PREMIERE
A down-on-his-luck lawyer awakes in a doorless room to find he’s been selected to negotiate on behalf of the human race.

ABOUT DUST: DUST, a division of global content studio Gunpowder & Sky, is the first premium sci-fi entertainment brand that reaches fans across all platforms, giving voice to emerging and established filmmakers. DUST presents thought-provoking science fiction content to its legion of more than 2M fans across all platforms, exploring the future of humanity through the lens of science and technology. From timeless to cutting-edge movies, series and short films, DUST acquires, produces and distributes content from established and emerging filmmaking voices. DUST will have its first theatrical release this November with PROSPECT, starring Pedro Pascal (Narcos, Game of Thrones).

The 2018 Nitehawk Shorts Festival MUSIC DRIVEN program offers a series of short form documentaries that highlights music as vehicle for change, and follows individuals who use this power to overcome emotional, social and economic obstacles. Q&A WITH FILMMAKERS.

Organized by John Woods, Liz Zimiles, and Kris King.

BIG ELVIS
PAUL STONE / U.S.A. / 2018 / DOCUMENTARY / 12 MINS
A 960-pound Elvis impersonator becomes convinced he is Elvis Presley’s secret love child.

BIRTH OF AFROBEAT
OPIYO OKEYO / U.S.A. / 2018 / DOCUMENTARY / 7 MINS / DCP / NEW YORK PREMIERE
This hybrid short follows drum legend Tony Allen as he recounts his contribution to the birth of Africa’s most exported music genre–Afrobeat.

CRIME CUTZ
BEN FRIES AND ALDEN NUSSER / U.S.A. / 2017 / DOCUMENTARY / 17 MINS
A documentary that profiles four New Yorkers to the soundtrack of Holy Ghost!’s Crime Cutz EP.

BIG PARADISE
JP OLSEN AND KRISTEN NUTILE / U.S.A. / 2017 / DOCUMENTARY / 10 MINS / NEW YORK PREMIERE
Introducing audiences to the musical force, Robert Kidney, for the first time.

BOSS BITCH
WINONA REGAN / U.S.A. / 2016 / COMEDY / 2 MINS
A mom, a judge, and a firefighter each battle sexism in this animated music video created by Winona Regan.

MARIE’S CRISIS
MICHAEL VECCHIO / U.S.A. / 2018 / LGBTQ / 10 MINS / BROOKLYN PREMIERE
A documentary that explores how a West Village piano bar from 1967 continues to be a home for misfits, musical theatre lovers and tourists alike.

PA’LANTE
KRISTIAN MERCADO FIGUEROA / PUERTO RICO, U.S.A. / 2017 / DRAMA / 8 1/2 MINS
The story of an estranged working class Puerto Rican family trying to reconnect in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.

THE VELVET UNDERGROUND PLAYED AT MY HIGH SCHOOL
ANTHONY JANNELLI AND ROBERT PIETRI / U.S.A. / 2017 / ANIMATION, DOCUMENTARY / 7 1/2 mins
An animated short about the Velvet Underground’s first gig in 1965 in front of a crowd of shocked kids at a suburban New Jersey High School.

The nine short films in the OPENING NITE screening of the Nitehawk Shorts Festival address the dynamics of family, shining in the face of adversity, and attempting to make meaningful connections. New York stories punctuate this program. Includes Q&A with filmmakers.

Join us afterwards for the official OPENING NITE PARTY at Nitehawk’s Lo-Res Bar. Featuring cocktails by New York Distilling and beer by Brooklyn Brewery!

KIM BUSH’S ABDUCTION
COURTNEY BUSH, WILL CARINGTON, JAKE GOICOECHEA / U.S.A. / 2017 / COMEDY / 9 MINS / NEW YORK PREMIERE
Everyone freaks out at a Christmas party when Kim goes missing.

MONSTER
JAKE KOLTON / U.S.A. / 2017 / COMEDY, DRAMA / 5 MINS / WORLD PREMIERE
A stay-at-home mom experiences an unexpected upheaval during her daily routine.

9AT38
CATHERINE LEE / SOUTH KOREA, U.S.A. / 2017 / DOCUMENTARY / 18 MINS
A Juilliard-trained violinist is unwavering in his pursuit of harmony by North and South Korean musicians straddling their heavily militarized border

86’D
ALAN PALOMO / U.S.A. / 2018 / COMEDY, DRAMA / 12 MINS / NEW YORK PREMIERE
Four seedy stories transpire over the course of one late-night order at 24-hour deli.

THE MORNING AFTER
LAUREN MINNERATH / U.S.A. / 2017 / DRAMA / 14 MINS / NEW YORK PREMIERE
Family tensions erupt the morning after the 2016 U.S. Presidential election.

LOW ROAD
ELEANOR WILSON / U.S.A. / 2018 / DRAMA / 91/2 MINS / WORLD PREMIERE
A tense slow burning thriller about a woman consumed by the image of her husband’s affair.

MARIA EL DIABLO (MARIA THE DEVIL)
JUSTICE NNANNA / PUERTO RICO, U.S.A. / 2018 / DOCUMENTARY / 5 MINS / WORLD PREMIERE
The story of Cucha, a 79 year-old artisan mask maker from Playa de Ponce, Puerto Rico.

SPELL OF THE WEST
SAME LANE / U.S.A. / 2018 / ANIMATION, WESTERN / 7 MINS
On an isolated cacti farm, three stressed out birds ask a cowgirl to help put a stop to the elusive Ax-Man.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARSHA!
TOURMALINE AND SASHA WORTZEL / U.S.A. / 2018 / DRAMA / 14 MINS
Commemorating Black transgender activist and performer Marsha “Pay It No Mind” Johnson and her role in instigating the 1969 anti-policing riots at the Stonewall Inn.

The nine shorts in the CLOSING NITE screening at the Nitehawk Shorts Festival highlight bonded families, searching for a sense of belonging, and the effects of media on individuals. Q&A with filmmakers.

LIKE GLASS
ANDREW K. MEYER / U.S.A. / 2017 / DRAMA / 20 MINS / NEW YORK PREMIERE
A club kid grappling with their identity finds liberation in NYC nightlife, while haunted by the pressures of societal norms.

MAMMA, MAMMA
JOSE FERNANDO RODRIGUEZ / PUERTO RICO, U.S.A. / 2018 / DOCUMENTARY, HYBRID / 9 MINS
A son films his middle-aged mother as she undertakes a hallucinatory trip down memory lane.

STREAKERS
BRIELLE BRILLIANT / U.S.A. / 2018 / DRAMA / 11 MINS / NEW YORK PREMIERE
A little girl decides to become a Streaker to distract from her sister’s violent behavior.

THE MATRIX061792
TYNAN DELONG / U.S.A. / 2017 / COMEDY / 6 MINS
A group of friends try to remake THE MATRIX.

MAMA JANE
LISA MARIE HALL / U.S.A. / 2018 / DRAMA / 11:30 MINS / NEW YORK PREMIERE
An imminent death in the family puts a spotlight on the complex relationship of a free-spirited mother and her twenty-something daughter.

BOOMERANG
MATTHEW FROST / U.S.A. / 2018 / COMEDY / 9 MINS / NEW YORK PREMIERE
Our heroine JEN, a regular girl-next-door, tries to quit Instagram.

READY FOR LOVE
DYLAN PASTURE AND LAUREN MCCUNE / U.S.A. / 2017 / COMEDY, DRAMA / 15 MINS / NEW YORK PREMIERE
Amber Lynn Weatherbee knows that the right man is out there. Maybe he’s on The Bachelor?

THE MESS HE MADE
MATTHEW PUCCINI / U.S.A. / 2017 / DRAMA / 10 MINS
A man waits for the results of a Rapid HIV Test in a small town strip mall.

ROADSIDE ATTRACTION
IVETE LUCAS AND PATRICK BRESNAN / U.S.A. / 2017 / DOCUMENTARY / 9:30 MINS / NEW YORK PREMIERE
Palm Beach International Airport’s newest snowbird has become one of the fastest growing roadside attractions in the United States.

Starring: Benfors ‘Wee Do, Boyd Banda, Kalundu Banda

After a minor incident in her village, nine-year-old Shula is exiled to a traveling witch camp where she is told that if she tries to escape she will be transformed into a goat. As she navigates through her new life with her fellow witches and a government official who espouses her, exploiting her innocence for his own gain, she must decide whether to accept her fate or risk the consequences of seeking freedom.

Starring: Katie Douglas, Celina Martin, Sara Canning

Having spent their entire lives trapped in a prison-like school, the teenage girls of Vestalis Academy must follow a strict educational system that enforces conforming to “The Feminine Virtues.” They are forced to follow the school’s rules for fear of extreme punishment – with the light at the end of the tunnel being adoption to a loving upper class family. Sixteen-year-olds Vivien and Sophia, who have reached the final level of the school are on the cusp of adoption, until they learn the horrifying truth about the academy.

Canadian filmmaker Danishka Esterhazy crafts a cold female-centric satire featuring striking imagery of a dystopian society. Loaded with charismatic performances, LEVEL 16 is an intense and cerebral experience like no other. Sure to get under your skin by the finale, Esterhazy will take you on a journey through the past, complete with characters named after classic Hollywood stars to express a sharp, feminist critique.

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Starring: Vanessa Paradis, Kate Moran, Nicolas Maury

Known for productions like Anal Fury and Homocidal, successful gay porn producer Anne (Vanessa Paradis) takes her skin flicks as seriously as the most greatness-minded auteur would his or her own prestige dramas. But Anne isn’t the only one who’s infatuated with her company’s films—one by one, and in an exceedingly brutal fashion, someone is butchering Anne’s actors. As she tracks down the killer, Anne begins recreating the murders as part of an elaborate new project, all while losing track of what’s real, who’s dead, and who’s next on the chopping block.

Shot on 35mm and featuring a killer retro score from M83, Yann Gonzalez’s Knife + Heart is an ultra-stylish and blood-soaked ode to ’70s-era De Palma, Argento, and Friedkin. The kills are impeccably staged and gruesome, the performances are campy and spot-on, and the whodunit twists are relentless. Take note, slasher and giallo fans: This will be your new obsession.

Starring: Duane Jones, Judith O’Dea, Karl Hardman

NEW YORK PREMIERE! New 35mm print struck from the 2016 4K digital restoration by MoMA and the Film Foundation, taken from the original camera negative and overseen by George A. Romero. Print courtesy Image Ten.

What can be said about George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead? Not only did it give birth to the modern notion of what a “zombie” is and provided a socio-political context in which we can view the zombie (and horror film as a genre) but it is also one of the most important films of the 20th century. A true case of underground filmmaking capturing the current climate, Night of the Living Dead shows what happens when seven strangers wind up in a barnhouse during the beginning of the zombie apocalypse. And while the dead are rising, it’s the alive ones they really have to worry about.

This screening features the new digital restoration by MoMA and The Film Foundation. Drawing upon the original camera negative, which was carefully guarded over the years by the members of Image Ten, the Pittsburgh partnership that originally produced it, MoMA and The Film Foundation have returned the film to its full, original glory.