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film & animation festival 2015

26th Dusty Film and Animation Festival Program 2015

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The School of Visual Arts’ Dusty Film & Animation Festival has become one of the world’s foremost events to discover exceptional new talent in film and animation. The Dusty Festival gives BFA Film & Video and BFA Animation thesis students the unique opportunity to exhibit their work to industry professionals, family and friends. The festival culminates in our eminent Dusty Awards, attended by celebrities and distinguished guests from the film and animation industries.

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Page 1: 26th Dusty Film and Animation Festival Program 2015

film & animation festival

2015

Page 2: 26th Dusty Film and Animation Festival Program 2015

2 • SCHOOL OF V ISUAL ARTS

For more than 68 years, SVA has remained true to the mission of its founder, Silas

“Dusty” Rhodes, to educate and prepare students for entering into the professional

world of art. In our celebration tonight, we honor his vision and the work of the

dedicated faculty and administration that continue to facilitate and foster that mission.

As we conclude yet another fantastic year, we are proud to honor the outstanding

work produced by the Class of 2015 in our magnificent home, the SVA Theatre.

Today, I am pleased that the festival has grown to a four-day event attracting an

audience of a few thousand, culminating with an awards ceremony with industry

celebrities, film and animation professionals, students and their families, and a

huge public attendance. However, this could not have grown without the support

and hard work of many. Therefore, I feel compelled to acknowledge those key

people to whom I feel incredibly grateful: SVA President David Rhodes, who

acquired the theatre and gave us a sizeable budget to support our vision; Kamil

Dobrowolski and Mark Minnig, who coordinate the technical support for our

students; Salvatore Petrosino, who has been instrumental over the years in the

development of the department and the festival; and our producer, Ms. Annie

Flocco, who elevated the Dustys to a high level of professionalism and excellence,

and through our sponsors has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to support

the students’ films and animations. She has worked vigorously with our public

relations agency and SVA Communication, bringing recognition to our students,

our programs, and the College as a whole. There are many others to whom I am

extremely thankful, however, far too many to mention.

I am very proud of our accomplishments and the dedicated staff that got us here.

Thank you all for coming and sharing this wonderful achievement.

Welcome to SVA’s 26th Dusty Film & Animation Festival.

Reeves Lehmann, Chair

BFA Film & Video and

BFA Animation Departments

US Marine Corps

Combat Veteran

Page 3: 26th Dusty Film and Animation Festival Program 2015

26TH DUS T Y FILM & ANIMATION FES T IVAL • 3

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4 • SCHOOL OF V ISUAL ARTS

The works shown in the screenings are examples of the creative energy and

abundant talent at SVA. This annual event celebrates a new assembly of filmmakers

and animators. We trust this will be the first of many such distinguished accolades.

A special thanks to the faculty and staff for their unceasing efforts on behalf of the

students is in order.

We would also like to thank our Headlining Sponsors for their generous support:

AbelCine, Adorama Rental Company, Animation Magazine, B&H Photo, Bryan

Singer, Carlos Saldanha/BottleCap Productions, Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films, Feature

Systems/Kits and Expendables, Foto Care, Gotham Sound, IFP, New York Women

in Film & Television, Nice Shoes, Nickelodeon, Rota6, SCS Agency, Inc.,

SVA Campus Store, Technicolor PostWorks New York and Toon Boom Animation.

Finally, we wish to thank all of the companies and individuals who have made

sponsorship contributions, which are represented in the Dusty Program Book. The

proceeds will be used to award special scholarships to students in the BFA Film &

Video and BFA Animation departments for completion of next year’s thesis projects.

To all of those individuals whose efforts made this important event possible, in

particular, the producer/director of the Dusty Festival, Annie Flocco, and her team:

Aimée Ramos, Michael Flanagan, Ashley Avila and Lauren McCall, I extend my

thanks and heartiest congratulations.

David Rhodes

President

School of Visual Arts

The Dusty Film & Animation Festival, now celebrating its 26th year, honors and celebrates the outstanding thesis film and animation students at the School of Visual Arts.

Page 5: 26th Dusty Film and Animation Festival Program 2015

26TH DUS T Y FILM & ANIMATION FES T IVAL • 5

In 1947, Silas H. Rhodes (1915 – 2007) co-founded the Cartoonists and Illustrators

School, later renaming it the School of Visual Arts (SVA). At its inception, the

College had a faculty of three and a student body of 35 returning World War II

veterans. Mr. Rhodes himself had served in what was then Burma with the 1st Air

Commando Group, earning the nickname “Dusty.” Decades later, when the BFA

Film, Video and Animation Department, as the program was originally known,

launched the Dustys, the festival was named in tribute to him.

In 26 years of celebrating SVA’s finest filmmakers and animators, the Dusty Film &

Animation Festival has garned the support from prominent industry professionals.

Past award presenters have included distinguished alumni and other legendary

talents, like Danny Aiello, Ralph Bakshi, Ellen Barkin, Ed Burns, Ellen Burstyn,

Patricia Clarkson, Wes Craven, Michael Cuesta, Griffin Dunne, Randall Emmett,

Geoffery Fletcher, James Gandolfini, Lee Grant, James Ivory, Andrew Jarecki,

Yvette Kaplan, Harvey Keitel, Kevin Kline, Melissa Leo, Doug Liman, Daniel Minahan,

Mira Nair, Bill Plympton, Declan Quinn, Thelma Schoonmaker, John Patrick

Shanley, Bryan Singer, Tom Sito and John Turturro.

Mr. Rhodes’ pioneering vision for SVA included hiring professionals working in the

arts as faculty members and ensuring that humanities and liberal arts courses took a

prominent role alongside studio courses. He also served as the College’s first president

and longtime chairman. In the words of SVA Acting Chairman Milton Glaser, “Silas

Rhodes lived a rich and remarkable life. His unwavering devotion to art education has

benefited thousands of students and teachers over the last half-century.”

Silas Rhodes in 2007. (Photo by Mark Paris)

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6 • SCHOOL OF V ISUAL ARTS

Dusty Outstanding Alumni Award Recipients

Alex Kupershmidt (BFA 1982 Film and Video) A native of L’viv, Ukraine, Kupershmidt

attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City where he earned his Bachelor

of Fine Arts in Film. At the age of seven, he was inspired to become an animator

when he watched a Russian version of The Jungle Book. Kupershmidt joined

Disney Animation in 1982 as an animator and character artist, working at the

studio’s animation arm in Florida on such films as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin,

and The Lion King. He was nominated for an Annie Award for Best Character

Animation for his work as animation lead on the character Stitch in Lilo & Stitch. In

addition to his animation credits, Kupershmidt also contributed character designs

to Mulan, The Emperor’s New Groove, and Brother Bear. In 2004, Kupershmidt

moved to Walt Disney Animation Studios in Burbank, CA, where he continued

work as an animator on short films, including the Academy Award-winning

Paperman. He also contributed to feature films Bolt, Tangled, Wreck-It Ralph,

and Frozen, which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film,

Walt Disney Animation Studio’s first win in the category. Kupershmidt also served

as the supervising animator for Dr. Facilier’s shadows in The Princess and the

Frog. Kupershmidt currently resides in California and is working on Walt Disney

Animation Studios’ 2016 feature Zootopia. 

Alex Kupershmidt

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26TH DUS T Y FILM & ANIMATION FES T IVAL • 7

Daniel Minahan (BFA 1987 Film and Video) is currently the executive producer and

showrunner of the Netflix series, Marco Polo, now in production for its second

season. Additionally, he has directed multiple episodes of several HBO series,

including Game of Thrones, True Blood, The Newsroom and Six Feet Under, as

well as episodes of Showtime’s Homeland and The L Word. His feature directorial

debut was Series 7: The Contenders, which screened in competition at the

Sundance Film Festival and in the Panorama at the Berlin Film Festival. The film was

nominated for the Gotham Award’s Open Palm Award for Outstanding Directorial

Debut and won the Audience Award at the Sweden Fantastic Film Festival.

He first broke into feature films as the co-author (with director Mary Harron)

and second unit director of I Shot Andy Warhol. Minahan has also produced

documentary segments, profiles, and features for U.K. and U.S. television.

These have aired on Channel 4 and BBC II, and PBS, MTV, and the Fox News

Networks. The documentaries he directed for BBC II include String of Puppies, an

investigation of artists Jeff Koons’ landmark copyright infringement case.

Daniel Minahan

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8 • SCHOOL OF V ISUAL ARTS

The School of Visual Arts BFA Film & Video and BFA Animation departments gratefully acknowledge support from faculty, staff and friends.

Marty Abrahams Jace AlexanderZoran Amar Joe Amorelli Matthew ArchambaultJim Arnoff Simona Auerbach Jesse AvernaDorinda Bagwell-AngelucciTerry BarbagalloLinda BeckHoward BeckermanWilliam Beckley David Bell Angel BeltreJulie BergDavid BerryMari Jaye Blanchard Rob BurgosLance CainRobert CampValentina CanigliaJohn Paul Catapano Marco ChierichellaJoongho Choi Douglas Compton Doug Crane Paul Cronin Terry DameDebbie De Villa Michael Del Vecchio Angelo DiGiacomo Kamil Dobrowolski, Sr. Robert Dress Don DugaTristan Elwell Chris FaulknerJerry Felix Jennifer FoxKerry Fulton Stephan Gaffney Jason GambrellWilliam Garcia Dejan Georgevich Gilbert Girion Michael Goldfried Paul Goodrich Nathan GreeneNicholas GreeneFrank GreshamJames Grimaldi Allan Gus

Cathy HaasePatrick Hanover Steven Harris Robert Haufrecht Elizabeth Helfgott Aurelio Voltaire Hernández Larry Hillier Joan Hollander William Hopkins Con HorganDeborah Hussey James Janowsky David KatzCotty KilbanksManfred Kirchheimer LynnAnn Klotz Biljana LabovicSteven Landau George LaVooChris Lawless Joie LeeReeves LehmannDestiny LillyKat Llewellyn Vincent LoBrutto Talia Lugacy Ruth Marshall Paul MasonMario Menjivar Mihaela Mihut Bill MooreGiovanni Morricone Dr. Robert Naud Luis Negron Chris Newman Tom Noonan Andrea OdezynskaSal OpedisanoAlbert Pardo Richard Pepperman Bill Plympton Stella PuloMark Ramos Audrey RapoportFrederick Rendina Gary RichardsJenna RickerSherese Robinson Steven Rogers Meryl Rosner Deborah Ross Keenya Scott

Robert Sedgwick Nana Simopoulos Amresh Sinha Brian SloanCourtney Smith Gary Smith Desiree StavracosTodd Stephens Vivian Stoll James C. Strouse Nina Summermatter Igor Sunara Amy Taubin Ralph Toporoff Lynn Vance Irra Verbitsky Elvera Vilson Frank Vitale Diana Vozza Mary WarjackTim Webster Roni WheelerSimonetta D’Italia Wiener Tien-Li Wu

AND SPECIAL THANKS TO:

Ashley Avila Celeste BarnesEd BowesJoan BrookerMelissa BrownCelia BullwinkelJoseph Cipri Michael FlanaganAnnie FloccoRoy FrumkesWilliam GarciaRichard GoreyMary Lee GrisantiGabriela IlijeskaJason KothLauren McCallMark MinnigCarl PaolinoSalvatore PetrosinoDonald PoynterAimée RamosValerie SmaldoneJon Todd

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26TH DUS T Y FILM & ANIMATION FES T IVAL • 9

F. Murray AbrahamJace AlexanderJoan AllenAlan ArkinJacques AudiardRalph BakshiAlec Baldwin Christophe BarratierSusan BatsonJuliette BinocheBrad Bird Marshall BrickmanJosh BrolinGarrett Brown Steve BuscemiLaurent CantetPatrice ChéreauIvana ChubbuckPatricia ClarksonWillem DafoeMatt DamonClaire DenisArnaud DesplechinCameron Diaz Matt DillonRichard DreyfussDavid DuchovnyRandall EmmettTodd FieldGeoffrey FletcherAnne FontaineJames FrancoMark FriedbergJames GandolfiniCosta-GavrasAnne HecheAdam HolenderBenoît JacquotAndrew JareckiGlen KeaneCédric KlapischKevin KlineSatoshi KonJean-François LaguioniePatrice LeconteClaude LelouchMelissa LeoPeter LordBaz Luhrmann Branko Lustig

James Manos, Jr.Andrew McCarthyAnastas MichosDaniel MinahanMira Nair Gaspar NoéYuri NorsteinChazz PalminteriMinos Papas Matthew PennSean Penn Brothers Quay Aidan QuinnDeclan QuinnChristina RicciPeter Riegert Elisabeth RöhmPhilippe RousselotCarlos SaldanhaTerry SandersSusan SarandonHarris SavidesFred Seibert Henry SelickMichael ShambergStacey SherBryan SingerMichael SimmondsTom SitoOliver StoneDavid StrathairnMeryl StreepDavid SuchetWynn Thomas John TurturroMatt Tyrnauer Christian VolckmanPatrizia von BrandensteinDavid WainRandall WallaceGordon WillisDebra WingerBilly Zane

The film and animation students of the School of Visual Arts greatly appreciate the many directors, actors, producers, screenwriters, cinematographers and animators who have shared their wisdom, insight and experiences as special guests at SVA.

Page 10: 26th Dusty Film and Animation Festival Program 2015

STU

DEN

TS

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26TH DUS T Y FILM & ANIMATION FES T IVAL • 1 1

ANDREW ABBALLE | CINEMATOGRAPHY

[email protected]

FILM | Amarena

As a quiet person, images offer a special way for me to express

myself. Whether it is through photography, graphic design or other

forms of digital art, they all have their own unique appeal. However,

the one medium that I feel transcends all others is film. With the

culmination of story, characters, tone, cinematography and many

other aspects, I am able to convey my thoughts, ideas and emotions

when words seem to fail me.

KIRBY ALLEN | ANIMATION

[email protected]

ANIMATION | Brother

I like to make films for the same reason I like to make anything else,

to try and crystallize some kind of vague and important feeling

and then share it with others in a way that will hopefully feel more

specific and equally as important. It’s probably glorified emotional

manipulation, but people get paid to do a lot worse. Thanks Mom

and Dad.

KHALIFA AL-THANI | SCREENWRITING

[email protected]

SCREENPLAY | Land of the Brave

I want to craft an ideal world. After experiencing life in the city,

I have developed an immense love for its cultural diversity. It gives it

a flavor that no other city in the world has. In my world, our diversity

will never be a barrier but rather a reason for success.

JOSEPH ANTON | EDITING

[email protected]

FILM | Franz Kafka’s “A Hunger Artist”

Franz Kafka’s “A Hunger Artist” is my mission statement. It articulates

what I hope to accomplish in my career: experimenting with

animation, exploring the endless possibilities of adapting one

medium of art into another, collaborating amongst close friends

(Adam Pichardo, my brilliant animator, without whom this would not

be possible), and employing a do-it-yourself attitude in production.

MA XIMILIAN ARIAS | DIRECTING

[email protected]

FILM | Shatterheart

When I was a kid and I played with my action figures, I used my eyes

as cameras, similar to Wayne’s World, and from that, my directing

method and style was born.

Page 12: 26th Dusty Film and Animation Festival Program 2015

STUDENTS

12 • SCHOOL OF V ISUAL ARTS

NAT TIEL ARIAS | DIRECTING

[email protected]

FILM | The Peasant Life

My art exists between two worlds. In the first, men are artifacts. They

are the result of mass production and capital. In the second, men are

bodies and possess the determination to break from objectification.

These are the dimensions that are fundamental to my process as

an artist. From my experimental films to my narrative work, it is my

greatest intent to challenge how we perceive the mind in this world

that constantly tries to desensitize us.

JOSHUA BARCL AY | EDITING

[email protected]

FILM | Gary

I thought adulthood would be fun; it isn’t. Telling stories is a way to

counteract the banality of the quotidian life.

PAOL A BERNARDINI | DIRECTING

[email protected]

FILM | Citta’ dei Sogni

The films I love are entertaining, influential and powerful. Those

same reasons inspired me to be a filmmaker. Art for me is the perfect

playground between my fantasies and reality.

OLIVER BEYER | DIRECTING

[email protected]

FILM | Jäger

Film is the glue that holds everything I do together. It gives me the

opportunity to take my interests and apply them to something great.

The littlest pastime can spark an idea that leads to a story that leads

to a script that finally leads to a film. Without film, I’d be a crazy man

spending my time on what some would call fruitless endeavors, and

without my hobbies, I’d be some hack with a camera who has no idea

what to do next.

MA X BIXBY | ANIMATION

[email protected]

ANIMATION | Kinetic Age

Art can take a jumble of lines and make people feel something

human. Growing up, I was an extreme loner, barely able to look at

other people when I spoke to them, let alone socialize. My art has

become a way to communicate and connect with people, even those

who don’t know me well. There isn’t much else I could ask for.

Page 13: 26th Dusty Film and Animation Festival Program 2015

26TH DUS T Y FILM & ANIMATION FES T IVAL • 13

CHRISTOPHER BL ASKOVICH | EDITING

[email protected]

FILM | Suburban Fish Bowl

I am an aspiring deaf creative “visual artist” with a unique

perspective of the world. I hope to deliver a visual experience

that represents my own in the many ways it can be done. To that

end, I can only attempt to create an understanding about the deaf

community and a life in between. My message will be bold so that my

experiences may be shared and felt. Ultimately, I want to give people

something new to wonder about.

MAT T BROWN | DIRECTING

[email protected]

FILM | Nic Ellis and the Search for Plot

Today I could write a happy film where everything works out.

Tomorrow I could write a sad film where evil prevails. Each would still

be true to me because they correspond to different points in my life.

Just as I change, as I grow older, what film means to me changes with

time. For now, it’s comedy. Make ‘em laugh, then make ‘em think. All I

know for sure is that if you ask me again in five years, my answer will

probably be completely different.

NICHOL AS BURGOS | DIRECTING

[email protected]

FILM | New Men

Film is an art just like any other storytelling or conceptual medium

imaginable. My pursuit of filmmaking stems from an urge to

initiate a conversation. It ranges from personal feelings towards

relationships between people, struggles in life, or to any other

relatable concentration of humanity. I believe in filtering those

feelings into a physical product, and I choose to use film as my

medium of expression.

ALEX BURSTEIN | CINEMATOGRAPHY

[email protected]

FILM | Glass • Boy Code • Eighty-Six • Lady • VORT

The use of artistic self-expression is an effort to answer or validate

existential pursuits. Using concepts from the real world and mashing

them up into original art is a powerful way to affirm existence and also

emote even the most abstract. Practice makes perfect.

JAMES CAMALI | CINEMATOGRAPHY

[email protected]

FILM | Gary

Nothing I write could possibly sum up what it means to be in film or

why it’s so important to me. Let the films that I create with my team

speak for themselves. My production team, Out of Shot, and I are as

dedicated to this art as a clown to my nightmares.

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STUDENTS

14 • SCHOOL OF V ISUAL ARTS

CHRISTOPHER CAR AGINE | CINEMATOGRAPHY

[email protected]

FILM | 16 Blocks

I was always interested in telling a story visually and having full

control in changing the mood of the character, location or scene.

It’s the vision you want to create in your head, like when you read a

book and take the pictures you created in your head from the writer’s

descriptions and recreate them visually.

ANGEL CARDENAS | SCREENWRITING

[email protected]

SCREENPLAY | Été à Paris

“Artist” is a very general term, whether you’re a painter, singer,

photographer or filmmaker. What we do is art. All artists have

something in them; they have something they want to say to the

world, a social commentary in one way or another. The artist will lean

toward one of the arts to vocalize that statement. I just happen to lean

toward film to vocalize what I want to say.

K AITLYN CARROLL | ANIMATION

[email protected]

ANIMATION | Cold Weather Cardigan

My brain is a bit too busy for my own good. I get overexcited and end

up spilling information everywhere. Animated filmmaking helps

me take my ideas and organize them into a story that can be easily

shared. Animation is such an accessible medium. With its broad

reach from exaggeration to subtlety, ideas can be communicated to

anyone and everyone. With this tool, I can produce something much

more palatable than I could express with words alone.

R AFAEL CETIN | DIRECTING

[email protected]

PROJECT | Nowhere to Disappear

This world is filled with an overwhelming amount of beauty. My job as

an artist is to collect the beauty that the world offers us and transform

it into an art form. As a kid, I filmed every moment of my day with

a digital camera. I never removed my eye from the viewfinder. I

experienced life through the lens of a camera. Today, the camera

views life through my mind’s perspective.

K AR AN CHHAT WAL | D I R E C T I N G

[email protected]

FILM | All About The $ • Discretion

Plato believed that the danger in art lies in its influence on a person’s

character. As artists, we carry a social responsibility to what we put

out into the world. Great art does not only entertain, it also educates.

Through my art, I am able to take the audience to diverse places,

cultures and peoples to suspend real life, yet encourage the viewer to

keep thinking or question the world around them once the film is over.

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26TH DUS T Y FILM & ANIMATION FES T IVAL • 15

ANNA CHIAPPET TA | CINEMATOGRAPHY

[email protected]

FILM | Feel Good • The Three Month Bruise

Something that I have learned these past four years at the School of

Visual Arts which has really held true is do what you love. Do what

you want; because in the end, your decisions are the only ones that

will make you happy.

JAY CHOI | SCREENWRITING

[email protected]

SCREENPLAY | Glasses of Cyder

FILM | Screenbreaker

Everyone is the star of his or her own universe. This is one of my

beliefs. In my world, I’m the hero, but in yours, I’m an ally, enemy

or a cosmic speck in your entire journey. Either way, I appear as a

different version of myself to everyone I meet. That’s why I write. I

love to reach out into the infinite realities of possibilities and explore

them. Haven’t you ever thought to yourself, “What if?” I do. Then I

turn it into art.

ICHIEN CHU | DIRECTING

[email protected]

FILM | Velours Rouge

If I didn’t have a sense of humor in this industry, I’d go insane.

TIAUNA CL ARK | D I R E C T I N G

[email protected]

FILM | The Great Awakening

As dynamic as New York City is, my career interests evolved as I was

growing up. I had interests from dance to zoology, but I couldn’t

master all. As I got older, I focused on filmmaking. Film is not just

about representing the world with a story. Film demonstrates the

ability to transform. In film you can transform into anything and that

captivates me. You want to become a leader? Transform and direct

the perfect scene.

ME AGHAN CLE ARY | SCREENWRITING

[email protected]

SCREENPLAY | The Latchkey Kids

FILM | The Three Month Bruise

I write because it is my most pleasurable and effective form of

therapy. I find the behavior of human nature fascinating. It is

individually specific and yet cohesive. Victor Hugo once said, “A

writer is a world trapped inside a person.” When people read my

writing, I hope to make them think and feel something so strongly

that they lose themselves in my character’s world.

Page 16: 26th Dusty Film and Animation Festival Program 2015

STUDENTS

16 • SCHOOL OF V ISUAL ARTS

GABRIELLE COLES | SCREENWRITING

[email protected]

SCREENPLAY | Clarissa

FILM | Perfect Stranger

Writing is my therapy. I create fantasies where I can play with people

and things that frighten me, to find closure with the people who have

hurt me, and vice versa. My goals in life are to meet a walrus and to

be happy!

MICHAEL CONDOLEON | EDITING

[email protected]

FILM | Holy Fire • No Room

I’ve been an artist all my life. I’m a musician, composer, visual

artist, film editor, and special effects makeup artist. I am constantly

working to improve my art; I love to challenge myself and absorb

new skills from the talented people I encounter. I strive to create

unique and distinctive work, and I want to stand out above the rest.

Art has always been my passion and continues to be my destiny.

Nothing can change that.

RICH COOK | DIRECTING

[email protected]

FILM | All On Black

I want to make films for myself and people like myself. I feel the more

personal a film is to the people behind the production, the better the

final cut will be. Since I have been at SVA, I have realized that I can

only work with people or on projects that I am passionate about. I

have a very specific view, which most wouldn’t agree with but that’s

the only way I see things. It may not be the easiest or most rewarding

way, but it makes movie making fun and entertaining for me and if

you’re not having fun, you’re doing something wrong.

JOE COZZ A | CINEMATOGRAPHY

[email protected]

FILM | Alvin

It’s pretty amazing how fascinated we are with ourselves.

In this world of oversaturated self-consciousness, art is the

only mediator.

Our only real voice of reason.

My art is my living epitaph.

Let me manipulate you.

KSENIYA CRESPO | DIRECTING

[email protected]

FILM | 6 ft Above Sea Level

There is nothing like the thrill of doing what you love.

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26TH DUS T Y FILM & ANIMATION FES T IVAL • 17

R A ASHI DESAI | EDITING

[email protected]

FILM | Feel Good

The easiest way to reach people and make them smile is through

art so that is exactly what I aim to achieve. I have always aimed

to stay positive and put out a positive vibe into the world. I am

constantly inspired by the people in my life and their stories. If I

can add just a little bit of joy to society, I feel accomplished. I plan

to continue to create art that inspires others to make this world

a better place to be in.

Z ACHARY FALL AH | DIRECTING

[email protected]

FILM | Truck

I’ve always had an interest in all forms of storytelling, but my first love

has always been filmmaking. For me, being able to tell a compelling

story, one that can provoke all kinds of emotions, is the ultimate

reward. As long as people enjoy my work, that is all I can ask for.

K ARINA FAREK | ANIMATION

[email protected]

ANIMATION | Dirty Paws

Animation is one of the few things in the world I love more than

Billy Joel. I hope I can inspire others through my work, as Billy Joel

inspires me. God bless America.

JACK FINL AY | C I N E M A T O G R A P H Y

[email protected]

FILM | Lights Out • New Men

As a filmmaker/cinematographer, I strive to bring out the amazing

images that surround us every day and to amplify the everyday

beauty in order for others to notice. Honestly, though, making

movies is fun. It is the most fun thing you can do, and no matter how

stressful it can be at times, being able to do what I love for a career

makes all the hardships that go along with filmmaking 100% worth it.

BRIANNA FREESE | DIRECTING

[email protected]

FILM | Mustard Sandwiches

A moment. Capturing it in time and being able to turn that moment

into forever. That’s why I’m a filmmaker.

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STUDENTS

18 • SCHOOL OF V ISUAL ARTS

ALLISON FRIEDMAN | EDITING

[email protected]

FILM | Mnemosyne • No Room

Growing up with a wondrous imagination, beginning with the end

was the only way to truly capture my attention. My art today follows

the same unorthodox principle in order to keep my viewers engaged.

To me, art is a weapon that is used to unite the masses, but it only

works if a balance between creation and destruction is found. They

gave us the end, but not where to start, not how to build, how to tear

it apart.

DYL AN GANTZ | SCREENWRITING

[email protected]

SCREENPLAY | Sons and Beasts

FILM | Citta’ dei Sogni

My name is Dylan Gantz and I like to write stories.

JOSEPH GHER ARDI | CINEMATOGRAPHY

[email protected]

FILM | The Green Lane • All About The $

My goal is to use the camera to take people to places they cannot go

to or see.

K AYL A GIBSON | EDITING

[email protected]

FILM | The Great Awakening • The Three Month Bruise

“Cause it’s amazing how much you can get if you quietly, clearly and

authoritatively demand it!” — Meryl Streep

DOMINIC GIELLO | CINEMATOGRAPHY

[email protected]

FILM | Well of Guilt

Art is timeless. Stay true to yourself, create, change the world, and

live forever through your work.

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26TH DUS T Y FILM & ANIMATION FES T IVAL • 19

ANTHONY GRETINA | ANIMATION

[email protected]

ANIMATION | ecce homo

My film is all about exploring the unimaginable. Our lives are made

up of small journeys that we embark on every day to inevitably begin

the next one. It’s an endless loop. My journey through SVA has been

an unforgettable one! There are countless people to thank, with Mom

and Dad at the top of the list. I graciously welcome you, as a viewer, to

laugh, cry and be merry as we begin our journey into the imaginable.

MARISSA GRINSTE AD | DIRECTING

[email protected]

FILM | The Three Month Bruise

I have known since sixth grade that my dream was to be a movie

director. The way a movie can affect emotions so strongly made

me aspire to do just that using my own stories. I strive to make the

audience ponder about their lives, maybe even spark a change. I

write about what I am going through, my experiences. My films

change with me. Not knowing what I will create next is intriguing.

All I know is, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” (Walt Disney)

DIEGO GUANZON | ANIMATION

[email protected]

ANIMATION | Alpha Canis Majoris 7

Nothing is impossible in filmmaking, where everything is possible

and the impossible is possible.

LEONARDI GUZMAN | A N I M A T I O N

[email protected]

ANIMATION | Parasite

Having perseverance to do what you love to do may take you to

places you do not want to go, but in the end you’ll be thankful you’ve

endured it.

SIMON HACKER | EDITING

[email protected]

FILM | Martingale

With art, one constantly strives for the impossible: perfection. It’s

both daunting and alluring, a charm irritably irresistible. But great art

borders the unknown. It’s not the lines spoken or the colors painted

but how and what we the artists feel in the moment of creation. And

this moment is divine. No one knows what will work and what won’t.

There isn’t time in one’s life and there never will be. But that’s what

keeps you up at night.

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STUDENTS

20 • SCHOOL OF V ISUAL ARTS

JACK T. HAGGERT Y | CINEMATOGRAPHY

[email protected]

FILM | Eighty-Six • The Not-So-Wright Brothers • Well of Guilt

I’m just doing my best to tame the untamable. Light can change

anything at any time. It’s always fun to use that to convey the story

better.

L AUREN HALL | CINEMATOGRAPHY

[email protected]

FILM | Two Years

“Art ain’t about paint, it ain’t about canvas. It’s about ideas. Too many

people died without getting their mind out to the world.” This quote

by Thornton Dial Sr. describes what art is to me. Through my work as

a cinematographer and documentarian, my goal is to tell compelling

stories that stay true to my own voice and move the viewer.

CONNOR HASSLER | CINEMATOGRAPHY

[email protected]

FILM | Eighty-Six • Nature & Nurture

No matter what the hell you go through, just remember that it wins

when you give up.

MEGAN HEON | DIRECTING

[email protected]

FILM | Here We Go • Brother, Sister • The Essay from Hell

I always knew I wanted to make movies when I grew up. You can

work on a hundred productions, and every experience will be

different from the last. There are always new things to discover, new

stories to tell or people to meet. You never know what you’re going to

get, and it’s what makes each opportunity exciting.

DALIA HOLLEY | SCREENWRITING

[email protected]

SCREENPLAY | Coitus Interruptus

In a world where I don’t have much control, writing gives me

some power.

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26TH DUS T Y FILM & ANIMATION FES T IVAL • 21

SERENE HU | ANIMATION

[email protected]

ANIMATION | Tall Order

I’m fascinated by the process of visual development. It leaves

room for creativity to go wild, and I feel that there’s something

exhilarating about being able to conjure the nonexistent, which

includes everything from entire fantasy worlds to the creatures

and characters that inhabit them. I draw to stir curiosity and the

imagination, and I’d be happy to provide my audience with windows

to places where reality cannot take them.

ALEX ANDER HUTCHINSON | DIRECTING

[email protected]

FILM | Spiral Bound

Movies have always been my passion and motivation. They help

recreate that sense of innocence that I felt in my youth. Though

I have studied nearly all forms of art, film has always been my

preferred medium for expression.

SALVATORE IACCARINO | ANIMATION

[email protected]

ANIMATION | Howard at the Block Party

I’ve always loved animating and bringing a story to life. There’s such

great joy in not only seeing a project coming together but knowing

that it has entertained others as well. There’s always an assortment of

dry humor in my work because of that.

JI IN K ANG | E D I T I N G / D I R E C T I N G

[email protected]

FILM | Śrāmaņera • Velours Rouge

I studied painting when I was young. I found myself and started to

think critically. Now as an artist, I get my inspiration from how I see

the world through a camera and express my thoughts through my

films.

YANA K ARIN | CINEMATOGRAPHY

[email protected]

FILM | Keep it Simple • 6 ft Above Sea Level • Citta’ dei Sogni

Words, stories, photos, people, places, things… I have a knack for

taking anything apart given enough time and care. It started as

an insatiable curiosity when I was young and grew into a useful

adult skill that has taken me very far. If you take apart filmmaking,

however, you will find that there is no end to the depths of possibility

and maybe, for once, I have met my match. Maybe.

Page 22: 26th Dusty Film and Animation Festival Program 2015

STUDENTS

22 • SCHOOL OF V ISUAL ARTS

A ARON KEBA | DIRECTING

[email protected]

FILM | The CHURCHofdaSKREETz: A Search for Religion in the

Internet Age • Suburban Fish Bowl

At times I find myself so thankful to have the mind that I have and

to think the way I do. I wish I could invite you all in because it’s truly

great up here. I can’t, unfortunately, and that’s why I have to create. If

I didn’t show the world at least a portion of what goes on in my mind,

I’d be the only one experiencing it. That would be a shame. It’s truly a

remarkable place.

PAUL KEIM | SCREENWRITING

[email protected]

SCREENPLAY | Red Equator

I like to create a giant world in my head and every piece I write

connects. Where one story ends, another begins with new people

and events. I want the stories to make people think, ask questions

about society, and acknowledge what goes on in the real world.

I want the audience to feel as pulled in as I am with my stories.

I see characters like us, flawed, not all good or evil, just different

levels of grey.

TAYLOR KENNY | EDITING

[email protected]

FILM | Clay of Indigo • Glass • Jäger

The most important part of the process is sitting down and starting.

Success comes as a byproduct of work. Concentrate on the work and

allow the rewards to come or not come.

SAMANTHA KIELMANOWICZ | CINEMATOGRAPHY

[email protected]

FILM | Brother, Sister

I’ve always believed that creating the base of a story should be an

intuitive process. It’s a unique and admirable ability to be able to

recreate a feeling or experience cinematically for an audience.

Growing up between two cultures, communication is a significant

part of my life. I’ve found that visual storytelling can diminish any

barrier. It’s crucial to incorporate elements of truth and realism for

each viewer to connect in his or her own way.

DA R AM KIM | DIRECTING

[email protected]

FILM | Śrāmaņera

I want to make realistic films that are relatable. I want my audience to

sympathize with my characters.

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26TH DUS T Y FILM & ANIMATION FES T IVAL • 23

BRET T KODAMA | EDITING

[email protected]

FILM | Mnemosyne • No Room

Art does not have to be beautiful; art does not have to be kind. The

art that I want to make will open eyes. It will punch the glossy,

sugarcoated world in the face. Reality is rarely how the media

presents it to be. In order to appreciate things that are kind, things

that are beautiful, one has to know what is ugly, what is rotten.

ALEX ANDR A KOPEC | EDITING

[email protected]

FILM | The Artificial Womb

“To practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make

your soul grow. So do it.” — Kurt Vonnegut.

I am very drawn to spirituality and the growth of the “eternal self.”

This quote is important to me because it encourages people to do the

things they love, no matter what. It is motivation to push us through

our journey with a positive outlook. It makes us better people.

ANDREW KOZLOWSK Y | EDITING

[email protected]

FILM | The Gnat • Spiral Bound

Editing can be seen as an art, a craft, or even a process. For me, it is

a passion. It is what I see myself doing for the rest of my life. When

I sit down to edit, it isn’t a tedious task but a labor of love. In editing,

everything truly comes together. Cutting the story gives me the

opportunity to put my artistic imprint on the film. To edit is to create,

and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

KYR A KUPETSK Y | A N I M A T I O N

[email protected]

ANIMATION | The Thrill of the Haunt

I make art because it’s fun. It makes me happy, and I’m thankful

it has been able to make others happy as well. I’m inspired by

nearly everything, and animation from all around the world

greatly influences my work. I like trying different things. I think I’d

recommend that for any creative person. Do what makes you happy,

and always be up to try something new. You never know what you

might stumble across that helps you find something great.

CHRISTIAN L AMORTE | DIRECTING

[email protected]

FILM | Boy Code

Filmmaking has always been a way for me to express myself.

As a person with a lot of questions about life, I have an overall desire

to share my thoughts and visions with others.

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STUDENTS

24 • SCHOOL OF V ISUAL ARTS

EVELYN LEE | DIRECTING

[email protected]

FILM | Perfect Stranger

“The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things,

but their inward significance.” This quote from Aristotle is what art

is for me and what I strive to achieve with my films. I see art and the

films I make as explorations of people, relationships and society in

our daily lives. My hope is that by telling honest stories, it will allow

others to see beyond the apparent. It will allow us to see the truth.

SAM LEE | ANIMATION

[email protected]

ANIMATION | Piece of Mind

I want to make work that inspires the same way I’ve been inspired.

Keep creating, keep pushing, and surround yourself with positivity.

ROB LEV Y | CINEMATOGRAPHY

[email protected]

FILM | Discretion • Jäger • The Peasant Life

I don’t know if I was ever meant to be a filmmaker. It sort of just

happened. In life as well as filmmaking, I believe the best things

just happen when you surround yourself with people you love and

something you enjoy doing.

JACKSON WARNER LEWIS | CINEMATOGRAPHY

[email protected]

FILM | Lady • City of Counts • Glass • Mustard Sandwiches

I like nonsense. It keeps your imagination breathing and enables you

to laugh at life’s realities.

EDWARD LIN | CINEMATOGRAPHY

[email protected]

FILM | Aikido

I am interested in cinematography, editing, writing and directing.

For my thesis, I made a short film about a particular martial art.

I used different angles and lighting setups to capture the minor

details of movement.

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26TH DUS T Y FILM & ANIMATION FES T IVAL • 25

CHRIS ANNE LINDO | ANIMATION

[email protected]

ANIMATION | PLUMP

I like to work hard every single day of my life. I do it for my art

because I love it. You have to fight for what you love. Never give up.

You have to chase your dreams.

ELENA MANET TA | ANIMATION

[email protected]

ANIMATION | On Schedule

You learn a lot from school. You learn a lot more staying up for

72 hours at a time to finish your work.

JOSEPHINE MARK | ANIMATION

[email protected]

ANIMATION | Tall Order

I like being curious. It urges me to explore and look for answers. It

encourages me to make mistakes and not be discouraged. But more

than anything, it is the escapist’s answer to the calls of adventure.

That escapist would be the child in me.

CODY MCAVEY | D I R E C T I N G

[email protected]

FILM | Discretion • All About The $

From an early age, I had the pleasure of being exposed to great

films, even ones I was probably too young to be watching. I fell in

love instantly. The art of storytelling stayed with me through my

adolescence, college years, and is now my career. Everybody likes a

good story, including myself, so I’m here to continue that trend by

telling entertaining, thought-provoking, real stories that capture the

attention of all audiences.

Page 26: 26th Dusty Film and Animation Festival Program 2015

STUDENTS

26 • SCHOOL OF V ISUAL ARTS

MATHEW MCGEE | ANIMATION

[email protected]

ANIMATION | We Are Pirates

Whenever I’m asked about what my art means to me, I always

respond with, “Well, I just like to draw,” but why I like to draw is a

tough question for me to answer. I have always been inspired by

cartoons and animation, and in my work, I want to express my love

for the cartoons that I had grown up with and give back a little bit of

the joy that animation has given me.

AIDA MESTOUR | DIRECTING

[email protected]

FILM | The Circle

I believe that it is our legacy for future generations to share our

stories. The world is so vast; there is so much to know and learn

about each other. What better way to do that than through film?

Getting immersed into a motion picture is what I love the most.

Being able to share my films would be a dream come true. If I touch

someone, make someone laugh, or show things that have never been

seen, then my job is done.

JAN MOLINA | ANIMATION

[email protected]

ANIMATION | Feathered Down

It’s taken me so long to get home, but I’m finally here! I love what

you’ve done with the place.

KHODAYAR MOMENI | CINEMATOGRAPHY

[email protected]

FILM | Every Time A Bell Rings • Aikido

I do not believe in talent or genius, only interest, passion, discipline

and patience.

HENRY MYERS | SOUND

[email protected]

FILM | Here We Go • Jäger • Lights Out • Mustard Sandwiches •

The Three Month Bruise

I have always been an imaginative person, so it was only natural that

I chose to work in film. Creating new and sophisticated worlds has

always been a dream of mine. Whenever I read a script and it pulls

me in, I get a rush that I don’t get with anything else.

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26TH DUS T Y FILM & ANIMATION FES T IVAL • 27

MICHAEL NAPPI | ANIMATION

[email protected]

ANIMATION | Rescued

I am a young animator with a wild imagination and a passion for

making drawings move. I like to blow peoples’ minds with weird

and surreal art. I break the animation rules and go beyond my ability

to show my ideas. I get a lot of inspiration through music, others’

art and the things that happen in my life. I take these things and

combine them to create a crazy exaggerated story. It’s my way of

escaping reality and living the surreal life I always imagined.

VICTORIA NIEVES | SCREENWRITING

[email protected]

SCREENPLAY | Knightly News

I like making people laugh and playing God with the people in my

life by making them characters in my stories.

HELENA PAK | SCREENWRITING

[email protected]

SCREENPLAY | 49 Days

I write in order to capture the complexity of humanity. Through

observation, experience, and a good dose of imagination, I create

characters that interest me and throw them in a world where they

can have some fun or suffer. I’m drawn to the idiosyncrasies of

people and seek to recreate both triumphs and struggles in my

writing. I create pieces that reflect what I see, feel and know. At times,

I also explore the things I don’t understand at all.

RENAPS PARISI | ANIMATION

[email protected]

ANIMATION | hIccUp

FILM | Alexa To Exa

Every morning I turn my socks outside in

and tuck in the tongues of my everyday pants pockets,

And after I’ve rung myself dry of upkeep,

I rush to turn my mind inside out //

It drips with worms, tying themselves in knots on the floor,

but they are always new knots,

and they are always mine.

Page 28: 26th Dusty Film and Animation Festival Program 2015

STUDENTS

28 • SCHOOL OF V ISUAL ARTS

MIKE PAT TEN | ANIMATION

[email protected]

ANIMATION | Golf. Uniform. Lima. Lima.

The rest of my life will be dedicated to making people laugh and

smile, and I guess that’s pretty cool.

MICHAEL PERRONE | SCREENWRITING

[email protected]

SCREENPLAY | Burning Wild

FILM | Otra Vez, Por Favor

An artist must be a dreamer, a lover and a fighter. He or she must

fearlessly go out into this world dreaming of the impossible, loving

the unloved, and fighting against all odds. They must have the

imagination of a child, and somehow cloud their minds of all the

brutalities of this world, and the unjustifiable evils, and allow their

curiosity to ignorantly ramble through the fields of inspiration.

BRIAN PERRY | SOUND

[email protected]

FILM | The Essay from Hell • Feel Good • Gary •

The Not-So-Wright Brothers

Sound creates the mood of a film, and without it, the viewer may

have a totally different experience. Take the sound out of a horror

film, and you won’t get chills; remove the music from a drama, and

you lose the emotion. A lot of the feelings you are in touch with while

watching a film are because of the sound, whether you notice it or

not. I get to be a part of this hidden storytelling aspect of the industry,

and I couldn’t be happier doing so.

RORY PFOTENHAUER | DIRECTING

[email protected]

FILM | Japanese Fantasies

I get confused between style and substance and often do not know

within which hemisphere I am operating. My goal as director is to

create conditions that lead to manifestations of the ineffable. I like

departures from consensus reality in the form of techno operas and

science fiction anthropology. I hope that other people will see my

work and get in touch with me so that we can form the kind of cult

that is good.

JORDAN POUNDS | SCREENWRITING

[email protected]

SCREENPLAY | The Writing on the Wall

Studying screenwriting at the School of Visual Arts has been

a humbling and meaningful experience. Writing has taken on

a greater meaning that has become therapeutic and spiritual.

Ultimately, finding the balance between writing from life and writing

from imagination has been essential to my progression as a writer

and appears to have yielded worthwhile results.

Page 29: 26th Dusty Film and Animation Festival Program 2015

26TH DUS T Y FILM & ANIMATION FES T IVAL • 29

CHELSE A QUINL AN | ANIMATION

[email protected]

ANIMATION | W NDERLUST

I love art that creates curiosity and inspiration for proactive

solutions. I use experimental animation and the concept of failing

to adapt systems and processes to contemporary issues. Living in

Alaska, I witnessed alarming land erosion and glacier meltdowns due

to global warming. In response I reassessed needs over wants and

found new insight. All systems are affected by the environment in

which they operate. What environment do you create and live in?

YOONJI REEM | ANIMATION

[email protected]

ANIMATION | No Room

I cringe when it comes to writing an artist statement. I would rather

leave the audience pondering than to talk about myself as an artist.

Whatever the audience gets out of my film, I want to leave it that way.

I don’t want an explanation about who I am as a director to change

the interpretation about my work. All I will say is, when I’m inspired, I

create art. I create art to inspire. It’s just a simple cycle. So, feel free to

be inspired.

CHRISTIAN MARSH REIMAN | SCREENWRITING

[email protected]

SCREENPLAY | Constellar

FILM | Alexa To Exa

I began to write at ten years of age, completing my first novella,

When Grandmas Attack! While the slightly disturbing grandmother

story was not an acclaimed success, discovering writing as a way

for me to communicate to others was a treasure. Today, I strive to

develop characters and stories based off of my life experiences, silly

habits, and flaws. My hope is that it will bring true joy, laughter, and

change to many.

SVEN RETHEMEIER | SOUND MIXER/ SOUND DESIGNER

[email protected]

FILM | City of Counts • Glass • Japanese Fantasies • Lady •

Otra Vez, Por Favor

I make it my challenge to use the invisible art of sound in order to

tap into the audience’s subconscious. This allows me to create a

unique perspective in storytelling, as sound is directly connected to

our emotional state. Music is a universal manipulator, and accessing

that primal form of communication allows for varied, complex and

imaginative filmmaking. I understand sound design as another

character interacting with the story and the audience.

Page 30: 26th Dusty Film and Animation Festival Program 2015

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30 • SCHOOL OF V ISUAL ARTS

JA ZMINE RICHARDSON | ANIMATION

[email protected]

ANIMATION | Henry & Luna

Making art has always been a huge part of my life, and in the last four

years, my love of the arts has evolved into animated filmmaking. I’m

generally inspired by human emotions (positive and negative) in

not-so-everyday environments. I like to keep my storytelling simple,

yet still capable of stirring up feelings within an audience, and often

have my own personal experiences intertwined.

JONATHAN ROACH | ANIMATION

[email protected]

ANIMATION | Magicless

Art was always something I had fun with as a child but as I grew

older, drawing and creating art started to become more work and a

need to impress others, resulting in work that just lost its magic. So,

just relax and enjoy yourself when creating art; don’t lose sight of

what you’re creating art for, and the magic will show itself.

LE AH SAMUEL | CINEMATOGRAPHY

[email protected]

FILM | Babey

Film has always appealed to me in the way that it gives people the

freedom to imagine and create a universe that functions on their

own terms. Unlike in real life, there’s an ability in film to control how

a world works, how it looks, events that unfold, and how people react

to both the world and each other. In visualizing what the world can

be through film, people get to hope and expand their imaginations,

something that tends to fade with time.

JONATHAN FRED SCHNEIDER | DIRECTING

[email protected]

FILM | VORT

For me, to create a film, I sit still, trying to remember books I’ve read,

music I’ve heard, people I’ve met, in life, in stories and in my mind.

At once these things merge into a visual story that unfolds before me.

It’s hard to say why I am doing it. It’s almost like catching, drying and

pinning a butterfly to a spreading board, just so that I can display it to

people, point at it and say, “Here, this is my dysphoria, my beautiful

solitude.”

MAT THEW SCHWARTZ | ANIMATION

[email protected]

ANIMATION | The Unconscious Traveler

A true artist conjures ideas from the unconscious mind. When

starting an idea, I would not try and force an idea but let my mind

find it by accident. This is the bridge that will lead into one of my

stories. I am not trying to convey a specific message to society. It

all depends on how the piece unfolds, like opening a love letter. We

should not be cookie cutters, but instead be the three-year-old who

colors outside the lines.

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26TH DUS T Y FILM & ANIMATION FES T IVAL • 31

ALEX ANDER SEEFRIED | CINEMATOGRAPHY

[email protected]

FILM | Living the Good Life • Brother, Sister

As an artist of light, my goal is to illuminate both vision and soul

through my captured images. Let them guide one to new thoughts

and journey to foreign places so one might see from a new light.

R ACHEL SEGAL | DIRECTING

[email protected]

FILM | Strokes of Sound

As a child, I would make up stories. However, it was not until I

experienced sonder that I realized the stories that move me and the

stories that I want to tell are the stories of the people surrounding me.

It is this that led me to documentary filmmaking and capturing the

untold stories of others that can prove monumental to the life of an

onlooker. Like the prophets did to the bible, in documenting these

stories they become legends.

MA X WELL SEILER | EDITING

[email protected]

FILM | The Essay from Hell • Here We Go

For me, the art of filmmaking is in the creative process, in the details,

in discovering which things work best and why.

SHAYNA SIEGEL | ANIMATION

[email protected]

ANIMATION | Joaillier

Since childhood, my eyes were glued to television, movies and

movement. Creating stories and characters in my mind was a natural

by-product. With animation, I finally got out of my own head. I was

hooked after seeing my drawings move for the first time. Soon my

dreams, and my reality, started taking shape on paper and screen.

I hope sharing such creations provides an escape for others or

reminds them that reality is not as boring as it seems.

JARED SIMON | EDITING

[email protected]

FILM | Citta’ dei Sogni • Lady • The Not-So-Wright Brothers •

Screenbreaker

They say if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.

Editing has never felt like work for me. I create art for the same reason

I feel we all do an inherent need to express ourselves. I chose editing

because I love puzzle solving, collaborating with others, and making

creative decisions. When I’m not editing, I can be found doing

comedy improv, toying with technology, or eating parfaits.

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STUDENTS

32 • SCHOOL OF V ISUAL ARTS

GINTAUTE SIPAVICIUTE | ANIMATION

[email protected]

ANIMATION | The Sourcrème Family

When you’re passionate about something, there is nothing that can

stop you. You are in control and the world becomes yours. Animation

to me is more than a passion; it is an escape from reality. I get to tell

stories without ever having to say a word, make characters come to

life, and in a sense, create my own world, one that I can only dream

of living in.

KEN SIU | ANIMATION

[email protected]

ANIMATION | Clown with an Ingrown Frown

I like to explore aspects of the human experience through the guise

of my animated worlds, fantastical externalization of the abstract.

MALIK CONARD SOW | DIRECTING

[email protected]

FILM | Devour

To ask why an artist makes things is the same as asking why we need

food and drink. Art is a lot like life. We don’t know why we need to do

it; we only know that we do, in fact, need to do it or we die. Art, like

existence, can be wonderful and, at other times, tragic. In the words

of Harmony Korine, “Life is great. Without it, you’d be dead.”

The same applies to what I do.

PARIS STANISL AUS | CINEMATOGRAPHY

[email protected]

FILM | Feel Good

I love creating things. Anything. My mind is in constant motion. I’m

always questioning, always wondering. Art, of any kind, is a way to

express and evoke emotion. I strive to become an artist whose work

sparks great controversy and makes people think and feel, even after

I kick the bucket.

RONNEE SWENTON | CINEMATOGRAPHY

[email protected]

FILM | Gary • The Essay from Hell

The greatest feeling of accomplishment comes from creating

something. My father built his own home at roughly the age I

am now. Until I can afford my own land, creating images will

do just as well.

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26TH DUS T Y FILM & ANIMATION FES T IVAL • 33

CAMERON TRENTAL ANGE | EDITING

[email protected]

FILM | The Not-So-Wright Brothers

I always aim to create content that serves as comedic social

commentary. However it has been brought to my attention that this

sentiment must not provoke laughter. I ask you to please refrain

from any form of laughter that may be provoked as you read this,

including: giggling, chuckling, snorting, hackling or any bodily

spasm that results in expelling snot and/or chocolate milk from your

nose. Don’t laugh. I’m serious. My ass is on the line.

BR ANDON T YRIE | DIRECTING

[email protected]

FILM | The Steaktacular RibEye: Le Combat De Viandes Rouges

Why react to life’s downsides with sadness or anger when you can

just laugh at them instead? I enjoy creating entertaining satires that

serve a secondary purpose as social commentaries of ongoing issues

in our society, ones that I believe are a bit overlooked. Hopefully this

secondary message comes through to people when they view my

work. Perhaps they’ll ponder this societal critique and what we can

do to improve upon these issues.

CL AIRE VAN RYZIN | ANIMATION

[email protected]

ANIMATION | HOTBOD

I want to talk about being in this world. I want to make sense of

everything, but I happen to use the most pseudo medium. When

you draw a film frame by frame, you make an unreality. You make

something that wants to be real but is up against the authority of

what already exists. What results is uncanny and nonsensical, but

oftentimes more truthful.

ALEJANDRO VECIANA | DIRECTING

[email protected]

FILM | City of Counts • Shatterheart

I am incapable of writing an artist statement. It’s not because I think

artist statements are stupid. I actually think they’re very important. I

can’t write an artist statement because I am constantly and eternally

changing my mind about myself and my work. By the time these

words are printed and someone reads them, I will most likely deny

everything I just said.

ROBERT PAUL VERDI | EDITING

[email protected]

FILM | Neverland the Webseries

Interpret this how you will.

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STUDENTS

34 • SCHOOL OF V ISUAL ARTS

Z ACH WALSK Y | CINEMATOGRAPHY

[email protected]

FILM | Suburban Fish Bowl • The CHURCHofdaSKREETz: A Search for

Religion in the Internet Age

We are no longer just cinematographers, gaffers, best boys or grips;

we are artists. Just like a painter picks the right tool to make the

perfect stroke on a canvas, we pick the correct light to shape our

visual medium and create a mood to explain to the audience the

vision we as storytellers want to get across.

TINA WANG | ANIMATION

[email protected]

ANIMATION | The Ocean Calls

I grew up devouring books, comics, cartoons, television shows,

movies, and video games, and all of that has inspired my art and

storytelling. I hope to, in turn, use everything I have accumulated

in my life to create work that will inspire other artists and storytellers

in the future.

WESLEY WEEVIL | ANIMATION

[email protected]

ANIMATION | I Feel Alive

Born a rambunctious child, I was muted by crayons and paper, then

realized I could create loud universes from my mind through my

stubby monkey hands. As I grew, so did my complexity, morphing

and manipulating personalities at will, shaping worlds and delving

into life, giving creations a reason to live. I punched a hole through

the years, spelunking down into the gritty world of animation where

I now plot my revenge on the world that tried to quiet me so.

NAL ANI WILLIAMS | STOP MOTION ANIMATION

[email protected]

ANIMATION | Stilts

Approaching animation from a fine art perspective, I strive to create

a spontaneous energy within the meticulous craft of animation.

Through minimalism in story and dialogue, I leave space for the

audience to enter a surreal world where color, movement, and

sound saturate the experience and are full of intent. The unsettling

character designs highlight imperfections in humanity, with a slow

revelation to beauty, vulnerability and humor.

JAKE WINCEK | ANIMATION

[email protected]

ANIMATION | Metanoia

Creation of art is a genuinely mystical experience to me. I like to

allow myself the freedom to experience art as an act of discovery and

allow myself to be surprised by the process and the outcome.

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ZEYU XU | CINEMATOGRAPHY

[email protected]

FILM | Clay of Indigo

We are not human beings having spiritual experiences but spiritual

beings having human experiences. The goal of my work and

the source of enthusiasm is the combination of revolutionary

storytelling and international aesthetic appreciation. The most

critical essence of visual communication is rhythm. I think every

visual artist should chase it.

LORENZO Z ANINI | DIRECTING

[email protected]

FILM | Otra Vez, Por Favor • Japanese Fantasies

I make films to express myself. I know that there are powerful stories

and emotions inside of me, which can only be translated by the art

of cinema. It is a draining and sometimes painful process of self-

analysis, but preferable to depression.

SITI SAR A Z ARUL A ZHAM | ANIMATION

[email protected]

ANIMATION | The Ups and Downs

There are several features of animation that I love, but it’s difficult

to sum up my passion without babbling forever. To me, character

animation is my passion! To be able to study the subtlety of human

behavior and apply it to relatable and lovable characters makes my

heart flutter. Corny as it sounds, but character animation to me is like

seeing a personal idol in real life. The elation is indescribable.

EX A ZIM | SCREENWRITING

[email protected]

SCREENPLAY | Student Government

FILM | Alexa To Exa

I believe you can find comedy in anything (within reason). But with

comedy, comes sadness, and because of this, I’m a big supporter of

the dramedy. Most of my work is built upon this genre and includes

a dose of absurdism as well. I could walk around a Duane Reade

any day I want. So instead of writing about that, I like to write about

things that are less likely to happen and make my audience find

humor in something they normally wouldn’t.

WENSHAN ZOU | SCREENWRITING

[email protected]

SCREENPLAY | Before Leaving

I love using video and words to express my thoughts and the love

from deep within my heart. The script I am working on is about

sharing love, loving and being loved.

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FILM

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6 F T ABOVE SE A LE VELIn an attempt to win back her surfer-boyfriend, a New York gal takes on the challenge of learning how to

surf in the middle of October.

DIRECTOR/WRITER/PRODUCER/EDITOR | KSENIYA CRESPO

CINEMATOGRAPHER | YANA KARIN

16 BLOCKSA plot-driven story featuring a deal gone bad involving two down and out characters looking for the big

score from a rich, hapless, suburbanite, named Nash. Unfortunately, the would-be drifters bungle the

operation because the younger partner, Tommy, succumbs to greed, which leads to unintended results.

DIRECTOR/WRITER/CINEMATOGRAPHER | CHRIS CARAGINE

AIKIDOA film about the Japanese martial art known as Aikido. It is a peaceful martial art based on blending and

redirecting the energy of an opponent.

DIRECTOR/WRITER/PRODUCER/EDITOR | EDWARD LIN

CINEMATOGRAPHER | KHODAYAR MOMENI

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ALEX A TO EX AThree-and-a-half years ago, I moved from Nashville, Tennessee to New York City to study film and video

at the School of Visual Arts. Alexa to Exa is a paradoxical film about my process of transition throughout

my time in NYC. This film documents my last year of college and all of the moments from good to bad as

well as what lies ahead.

DIRECTOR/WRITER | EXA ZIM EDITOR | MIWA SAKULRAT

PRODUCERS | ANTHONY ANTIQUERA, KEN CASTANEDA, CINEMATOGRAPHER | GODFRED SEDANO

JAMES COLLIER, RENA PARISI, SOUND | VARYANA GALDAMEZ

CHRISTIAN REIMAN, ELENA WOZNICK

ALL ABOUT THE $When a 23-year-old unemployed college graduate spends his days illegally selling prescription pills in his

local town to pay off loans, he is trapped further and further in a scheme run by a local reputable doctor

with seemingly no way out. When is it finally enough?

DIRECTOR | K ARAN CHHAT WAL SOUND | MAT T AGOSTA

WRITERS/PRODUCERS | K ARAN CHHAT WAL , CODY MCAVEY

CINEMATOGRAPHER | JOSEPH GHERARDI

EDITOR | ALEXANDRA BOSKOVICH

ALL ON BL ACKAll On Black is comical adventure about Nolan, a college dropout, and Tim, a washed-up drug dealer, who

decide gambling is the safest way for them to pay back Sanchez, a big-time drug lord.

DIRECTOR/WRITER/EDITOR | RICH COOK

PRODUCER | NADJA RADMANOVIC

CINEMATOGRAPHER | MIKE NOLAN

SOUND | TAJ FRANCOIS

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ALVINA math prodigy agrees to finish a homework assignment for his secret crush, Suzy, just minutes before

it’s due, while she runs off with her douche boyfriend. When the boyfriend catches Alvin with Suzy, he is

forced to confront his two greatest fears.

DIRECTOR | JOE COZZA WRITERS | JOE COZZA , CAM MCNEIL

PRODUCERS | FRANCESCA CONSARINO, EMILY REDSTONE

CINEMATOGRAPHER | JEFF MELANSON

AMARENABeni, an Italian man, has moved to New York as a photojournalist with his ill grandmother, but due to the

language barrier, fitting in becomes difficult. After an incident with his grandmother, Beni finds out his

neighbor also speaks Italian and has the same name as his grandma, Amarena. Soon after, Beni helps her

with a photography project.

DIRECTOR/WRITER/CINEMATOGRAPHER/EDITOR | ANDREW ABBALLE

SOUND | MAT TIA RUTA

THE ARTIFICIAL WOMBThe Artificial Womb is a short documentary about what life is like for premature babies admitted into the

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. These babies are faced with many complicated, heartbreaking challenges

and fight for their lives every day.

DIRECTOR/PRODUCER/CINEMATOGRAPHER/EDITOR/SOUND | ALEXANDRA KOPEC

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BABE YMischievous loner, Jamie, is in high school detention when she seduces detention monitor Mark.

There’s no apparent reason for this at first, but tiny clues of her mysterious life are slowly revealed as

her day goes on.

DIRECTOR/WRITER/CINEMATOGRAPHER/EDITOR | LEAH SAMUEL

BOY CODEAn insecure senior in an all-boy prep school feels pressured to live up to the hyper-masculine

expectations of his peers. Going against his own personality and morals, he attends an end-of-the-year

party in an attempt to shallowly pursue a girl who has shown a genuine interest in him.

DIRECTOR/WRITER/EDITOR | CHRISTIAN L AMORTE

CINEMATOGRAPHER | TINX CHAN

PRODUCERS | CHRISTIAN LAMORTE , TINX CHAN, FRANCIS FAHEY, ALEX BURSTEIN

SOUND | MAT T AGOSTA , KYLE DAVIS , TANNER DUGAN

BROTHER , SIS TERGrowing up, Zoe and Nate were always very close siblings who told each other everything. However, their

separation while Zoe’s been away at college has strained their relationship. When Nate confronts her

regarding a new detail about his life, Zoe must accept that her little brother is maturing into adulthood.

DIRECTOR/WRITER | SAMANTHA KIELMANOWICZ PRODUCER | MEGAN HEON

CINEMATOGRAPHER | ALEX SEEFRIED EDITOR | ETHAN BELLOWS

SOUND | VARYANA GALDAMEZ

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THE CHURCHOFDA SKREET Z: A SE ARCH FOR RELIG ION IN THE INTERNET AGEIn this day and age, people have access to an unlimited amount of information about any subject,

changing the way the youth of today grow up. This is the story of one artist’s stumble into the world

of online religion as he tries to make sense of it all.

DIRECTOR/WRITER/EDITOR/SOUND | A ARON KEBA

PRODUCER | ZACH WALSKY

CINEMATOGRAPHERS | A ARON KEBA , ZACH WALSKY

THE CIRCLEThe movie is about a man who buys a flower bouquet for his wife after having cheated on her. The flowers

travel from one character to another, revealing slices of life and connecting everyone until they end up

back with their owner. A story about karma, life and beyond.

DIRECTOR/WRITER/PRODUCER | AIDA MESTOUR

CINEMATOGRAPHER | WIN KHANT MAUNG

EDITOR | GAEL GEORGES

SOUND | IAN HAUBER

CIT TA’ DEI SOGNIGiovanni and Ernesto run away from their unloving mother in search for a better life. They walk with

only their backpacks and a map through the wondrous region of Puglia, Italy. They search for their aunt

in a place they have deemed as the “city of dreams,” but some dreams, aren’t what they seem.

DIRECTOR/PRODUCER | PAOLA BERNARDINI WRITER | DYLAN GANTZ

CINEMATOGRAPHER | YANA KARIN EDITOR | JARED SIMON

SOUND | MARCO MALASOMMA

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CIT Y OF COUNT SJack Stillman, a young writer from New York, gets lost in the streets of Barcelona. A story about language,

journey, and the wonderful adventure of being lost.

DIRECTOR/WRITER | ALEJANDRO VECIANA

PRODUCERS | ALEJANDRO VECIANA , CRISTINA TAPIA

CINEMATOGRAPHER | JACKSON WARNER LEWIS

EDITOR | ALEXANDRA BOSKOVICH

SOUND | SVEN RETHEMEIER

CL AY OF INDIGOIn a remote town of Southern China, a young local ceramic artist accidentally falls into a dilemma

between his strange affection for an American journalist and the cultural discrimination he endures

from his grandmother and other elders who live in this town.

DIRECTOR | ZEYU XU SOUND | JIANLIN LI

PRODUCER | WEI ZHANG WRITER | YANHUI HU

CINEMATOGRAPHER | ZEYU XU, WEI XIONG

EDITOR | TAYLOR KENNY

DE VOURA noir romance in which a homeless youth and a punk princess fall for each other. A passionate affair

begins but will end in a brutal and bizarre crime of passion. Inspired by a true story.

DIRECTOR/WRITER | MALIK CONARD-SOW

PRODUCERS | MALIK CONARD-SOW, JAMES STROUSE, STIVAN WIDICK

CINEMATOGRAPHER | JP MARIN

EDITOR | RACHEL BRUNELL

SOUND | COLE JET T

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DISCRETIONA Manhattan real estate mogul hires a down-on-his-luck ex-private investigator to follow around his

young trophy wife. In need of money, and with one last chance for redemption, the P.I. accepts the job,

only to become the very man he thought he was looking for.

DIRECTOR/WRITER | CODY MCAVEY

PRODUCERS | KARAN CHHATWAL , CODY MCAVEY

CINEMATOGRAPHER/EDITOR | ROB LEV Y

SOUND | MAT T AGOSTA

EIGHT Y-SIXIt’s 1986 in New York City. Johnny Rocket sits on the sidelines as his best friend and new boss, Tim

Carson, ascends into the filmmaking world of a very gritty NYC. Johnny battles with jealousy and lack of

ambition, while both he and Tim learn that you can’t always do things your way.

DIRECTORS/WRITERS | GAGE ZANGHI, JACK HAGGERT Y

PRODUCERS | WILLIAM GRIMALDI, ALEX BURSTEIN

CINEMATOGRAPHER | JACK HAGGERT Y

EDITOR | GAGE ZANGHI

THE ESSAY FROM HELLHigh school senior, Rob, decides not to accompany his four friends to a secluded cabin in the woods for

a weekend, wanting to finish an essay instead. The four teenagers have a wonderful time at the cabin in

the woods. Rob, on the other hand, accidentally summons a vengeful demon from the pages of his essay.

DIRECTOR/WRITER | MAXWELL SEILER PRODUCER | MEGAN HEON

CINEMATOGRAPHER | RONNEE SWENTON EDITOR | ALEXANDRA BOSKOVICH

SOUND | BRIAN PERRY

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E VERY TIME A BELL RINGSAn observational documentary about the daily activity of an old used books and comic book store.

DIRECTOR | KHODAYAR MOMENI

CINEMATOGRAPHER | KEYAN MOMENI

EDITORS | KHODAYAR MOMENI, KEYAN MOMENI

SOUND | KHODAYAR MOMENI

FEEL GOODRudy, a 16-year-old from California, visits family in New Jersey after a failed suicide attempt. There,

he meets and forms a friendship with his cynical and eccentric 10-year-old cousin, Ophelia.

DIRECTOR/WRITER | PARIS STANISL AUS

PRODUCER/EDITOR | RA ASHI DESAI

CINEMATOGRAPHER | ANNA CHIAPPET TA

SOUND | BRIAN PERRY

FR ANZ K AFK A’ S “A HUNGER ARTIS T ”An animated adaptation of Franz Kafka’s short story, “A Hunger Artist.” In early 20th century Europe, a

professional faster and his manager have a successful stint with their act before struggling with the

declining popularity of the craft.

DIRECTOR/WRITER/PRODUCER/EDITOR | JOSEPH ANTON

CINEMATOGRAPHER | ADAM PICHARDO

SOUND | CHRISTOPHER ROSHORE

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G ARYAs a façade and means to make some extra cash, a careless drug dealer, Mike, acts as a caregiver for an

intellectually disabled man, Gary. On the night their relationship strengthens, a group of thugs hunt

down Mike, seeking revenge for his sugary rip-off from the night before.

DIRECTORS | JAMES CAMALI, JOSHUA BARCLAY WRITER | JOSHUA BARCLAY

PRODUCER | RAFAEL FRANCISCO CINEMATOGRAPHER | RONNEE SWENTON

EDITORS | JAMES CAMALI, RONNEE SWENTON

SOUND | BRIAN PERRY

GL A SSGlass is a 26-year-old New Yorker who discovers that his girlfriend has been murdered after a night of

partying. Glass interrogates his way through the back alleys of New York City’s underground to retrace

her steps and search for whom to blame.

DIRECTOR | ALEX BURSTEIN WRITER/CINEMATOGRAPHER | JACKSON WARNER LEWIS

PRODUCER | MIKE FLANAGAN EDITOR | TAYLOR KENNY

SOUND | SVEN RETHEMEIER

THE GNATThere is a gnat lodged behind Geoff Cronos’s eye. It is heading for his brain. It wants blood. It wants

to control him. He can hear its words, and there is only one thing he can do to stop it. He picks up

his hammer...

DIRECTOR/PRODUCER/CINEMATOGRAPHER/EDITOR/SOUND | ANDREW KOZLOWSKY

WRITER | SHEP JONES

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THE GRE AT AWAKENING A young girl by the name of Piara Larcheveaux, is transferred from her middle school by an unknown

source to an alternative middle school. She is then faced with a whirlwind of fanciful events that may

make or break her future.

DIRECTOR/WRITER/PRODUCER | TIAUNA CL ARK

CINEMATOGRAPHER | JOHN HASBROUCK

EDITOR | K AYL A GIBSON

SOUND | MARC ANTHONY SOLANGON

THE GREEN L ANEI followed a marijuana bike delivery service that serves Manhattan and Brooklyn seven days a week,

learning the ins and outs of the operation.

DIRECTOR/CINEMATOGRAPHER/EDITOR | JOSEPH GHERARDI

HERE WE GOTaylor has good news and goes home to share with her dysfunctional family. However, their reaction

to her homecoming isn’t exactly what she hoped for.

DIRECTOR/WRITER | MEGAN HEON

PRODUCER | MAXWELL SEILER

CINEMATOGRAPHER | JUSTIN HO

EDITOR | ERIN DEWIT T

SOUND | HENRY MEYERS

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HOLY FIREHoly Fire is an action/thriller about two friends who are betrayed by the people they work for

and seek revenge.

DIRECTOR/WRITER/PRODUCER | STEVEN BHIRO

CINEMATOGRAPHER | LUIS FELICIANO

EDITOR | MICHAEL CONDOLEON

SOUND | NOAH MYERS

JÄGERA retelling of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow set during the War of 1812. The story follows Samuel,

a farmer, who is suddenly confronted with the mysterious death of his brother, Dean. Deciding to

personally retrieve and bury Dean’s body, he leaves his farm only to get caught up in the war and

become hunted by a recently resurfaced Headless Horseman..

DIRECTOR/WRITER | OLIVER BEYER PRODUCER | RYAN LAKESTREAM

CINEMATOGRAPHER | ROB LEV Y EDITOR | TAYLOR KENNY

SOUND | HENRY MYERS

JAPANESE FANTA SIESOn the advice of his therapist, a filmmaker undergoes intensive exposure therapy. He returns to Tokyo

after a ten year absence to find closure on traumatic events he faced during his late teens, including

working as a fashion model and starring in a Japanese soap opera.

DIRECTOR/WRITER | RORY PFOTENHAUER PRODUCER | EI KANEKO

CINEMATOGRAPHER | LORENZO ZANINI EDITOR | ALEXANDRA BOSKOVICH

SOUND | SVEN RETHEMEIER

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48 • SCHOOL OF V ISUAL ARTS

KEEP IT SIMPLEA man and a woman go through the motions of a first kiss.

DIRECTOR | BEC SLOANE

WRITER/PRODUCER/CINEMATOGRAPHER/EDITOR | YANA K ARIN

SOUND | SVEN RETHEMEIER

L ADYBrewer lives in the lonesome Ozark hills with wife, Sarah, and dog, Lady, working days smashing rocks

at the local quarry. When David, a seedy neighbor, goes missing after a fight over Lady killing chickens,

folks in town suspect Brewer, who must fight to protect what little he has left.

DIRECTORS | JACKSON WARNER LEWIS, ADAM PAY TON SOUND | SVEN RETHEMEIER

WRITER/CINEMATOGRAPHER | JACKSON WARNER LEWIS

PRODUCER | ALEX BURSTEIN

EDITOR | JARED SIMON

LIGHT S OUTLights Out is a short film about Bruce, who is afraid of the dark. While staying at his childhood home,

Bruce comes face to face with his greatest fear.

DIRECTOR/EDITOR | JACK FINLAY

WRITERS | JACK FINLAY, ETHAN JOHNSON, CRIS ROSARIO

PRODUCERS | JACK FINLAY, CRIS ROSARIO

CINEMATOGRAPHER | ETHAN JOHNSON

SOUND | HENRY MYERS, MAT T KISSELL

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LIVING THE GOOD LIFEIf you can fail at something safe, why not try and do something you love? This film takes us through three

seemingly abstract passions that have the common theme of loving what you do.

DIRECTOR/WRITER/PRODUCER/CINEMATOGRAPHER/EDITOR/SOUND | ALEX SEEFRIED

MARTING ALEWith his single mother out of work, a teenage boy resorts to stealing to help provide for his family.

DIRECTOR/WRITER/EDITOR | SIMON HACKER

PRODUCERS | SIMON HACKER, LUIGI ROSSI

CINEMATOGRAPHER | A ARON SNOW

SOUND | HYOJIN AN

MNEMOSYNELeesa Taylor suffers post-traumatic stress from an abusive relationship. With the help of Dr. Thomas

Wolpe, a psychiatrist utilizing a new form of exposure therapy, Leesa relives her memories in order

to confront the source of her trauma. Through repeated sessions, she slowly chips away at the

psychological hold her abuser left inside her.

DIRECTOR/WRITER/CINEMATOGRAPHER | BRET T KODAMA PRODUCER | CORIE LOUIE

EDITORS | BRET T KODAMA , ALLISON FRIEDMAN

SOUND | ALLISON FRIEDMAN

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50 • SCHOOL OF V ISUAL ARTS

MUS TARD SANDWICHESA moment, halting it in time and allowing it forever. Intimate and simple, powerful and tender.

A final conversation between a dying grandmother and her granddaughter.

DIRECTOR/WRITER | BRIANNA FREESE

PRODUCERS | BRIANNA FREESE , AURORA ALANGE

CINEMATOGRAPHER | JACKSON WARNER LEWIS

EDITOR | ALEXANDRA BOSKOVICH

SOUND | HENRY MYERS

NATURE & NURTUREA young musician goes in search of fame and learns a lesson that will change him forever.

DIRECTOR/WRITER/PRODUCER | CONNOR HASSLER

CINEMATOGRAPHER | ALEX DIBACCO

EDITOR | JAVIER PREACHER

SOUND | TOBIAS BELLIARD

NE VERL AND THE WEBSERIESNeverland is a webseries about live action role players that’s part comedy and part adventure. The main

premise of the show is the ritual monthly congregation of over 100 nerds in the woods of New Jersey,

who pretend to be elves and demons.

DIRECTOR/WRITER/EDITOR | ROBERT PAUL VERDI

PRODUCER | GREG TORRES

CINEMATOGRAPHER | RICK COOK

SOUND | TOBIAS BELLIARD

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NEW MENAll-American young adult, Jason, works in the nightlife scene of New York City, club promoting and

dealing drugs. After meeting an artistic soul, Marie, the two begin a fling, which causes Jason to juggle

the surprising demands that the two sides of his life create.

DIRECTOR/WRITER/PRODUCER/EDITOR | NICHOLAS BURGOS

CINEMATOGRAPHER | JACK FINLAY

NIC ELLIS AND THE SE ARCH FOR PLOTWhen a cynical slacker, a sensible savant, and a couch potato come together to help their friend make a

short film, his blind ambition and lack of a clear vision make the absence of a budget or real cast and crew

only the icing on top of this farce.

DIRECTOR/WRITER | MAT T BROWN PRODUCER | MIKE POTENZA

CINEMATOGRAPHER | MAT T PELLICANO

EDITOR | MARCUS BRODY

SOUND | KRIS POLANCO

NO ROOMOn a cold December day in 1976, family tensions reach their breaking point when a father’s anxiety,

a mother’s disappointment, and a daughter’s desire to break free erupt into a crescendo of chaos

and self-destruction.

DIRECTOR/WRITER/PRODUCER | YOONJI REEM

CINEMATOGRAPHER | JORGE ARZAC

EDITORS | MICHAEL CONDOLEON, ALLISON FRIEDMAN, BRET T KODAMA

SOUND | AUGUST BELFIGLIO

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52 • SCHOOL OF V ISUAL ARTS

THE NOT-SO -WRIGHT BROTHERSThe Not-So-Wright Brothers is a historical and literary farce that retells the classic tale of the

Wright brothers. Join them on their plight for flight!

DIRECTOR/WRITER | CAMERON TRENTAL ANGE

PRODUCER | ZACH TOWLEN

CINEMATOGRAPHER | JACK HAGGERT Y

EDITOR | JARED SIMON

SOUND | BRIAN PERRY

NOWHERE TO DISAPPE ARAli spends his summer days in his hometown of Istanbul, Turkey, partying before moving to New York

in the fall for college. He exists within a world defined by superficiality. Once in New York, Ali’s views on

his world change. We witness the shift of a boy trying to become a man and confronting the question of

what is his purpose.

DIRECTOR/WRITER/PRODUCER | RAFAEL CETIN

CINEMATOGRAPHER | ROBERTO FARRUGGIO

EDITOR | MARK BALDERSTON

OTR A VEZ , POR FAVORRamona and Lenny struggle to work through their long distance relationship. Together again one

last time, Ramona embraces her sexual impulses to overcome the estrangement that has been

growing in her.

DIRECTOR/WRITER | LORENZO ZANINI EDITOR | QUINTIN HARRIS

PRODUCERS | LORENZO ZANINI, MICHAEL PERRONE, SOUND | SVEN RETHEMEIER

AIMEE SEQUEIRA

CINEMATOGRAPHER | EDWARD HERRERA

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THE PE A SANT LIFEIn this raw mockumentary, young couple Neil and Amelia try to survive the hardships of New York

City with their useless art school degrees while dealing with anxiety, unemployment and other forms

of peasantry.

DIRECTOR/WRITER/PRODUCER | NAT TIEL ARIAS

CINEMATOGRAPHER | ROB LEV Y

EDITOR | LUCAS W. KIM

SOUND | GUS BELFIGLIO

PERFEC T S TR ANGERSixteen-year-old Amanda is determined to change her last name to her mother’s maiden name.

Although she doesn’t have to wait until she comes of age, she will need permission from both her parents.

Amanda must seek the approval of her estranged father, but soon realizes that convincing her father is

no easy task.

DIRECTOR/WRITER/PRODUCER/EDITOR | EVELYN LEE

CINEMATOGRAPHERS | GABRIELLE COLES, EVELYN LEE

SCREENBRE AKERTavis Radke wishes he could play tennis, but in an all-video-game-loving world, there seems to be no

place for him. Screenbreaker follows a role-reversed world between sports and geek cultures. Together

with secret tennis player, Riley Lightning, Tavis will show everyone, including his overbearing father,

that sports can be cool too!

DIRECTOR/WRITER | JAY CHOI PRODUCER | CHARLIE GILLET TE

CINEMATOGRAPHER | WAYLAND BELL EDITOR | JARED SIMON

SOUND | JESSICA NAFTALY

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SHAT TERHE ARTShatterheart is about a young social outcast named Isaac, who is obsessed with superhero films. He

meets a girl who is in a rocky relationship with a drug dealer. Upon learning this, he believes she needs

to be rescued, but she isn’t a damsel in distress and she doesn’t want to be saved.

DIRECTOR/WRITER | MA XIMILIAN ARIAS PRODUCER | ALEJANDRO VECIANA

CINEMATOGRAPHER | JULIAN KAPADIA

EDITOR | ERIN DEWIT T

SOUND | CHARLOT TE COMTE

SPIR AL BOUNDA tenant is bored and frustrated with his everyday routine, until he finds the hidden journal of a

previous resident. The spiral-bound notebook is filled with the insecurities and annoyances of the

writer, which peaks his curiosity. The tenant sets out on a journey to find the author.

DIRECTOR/WRITER/PRODUCER/CINEMATOGRAPHER/SOUND | ALEXANDER HUTCHINSON

EDITOR | ANDREW KOZLOWSKI

ŚR ĀMAŅER A This is the story of seventeen young monks living with a monk named Mu-Hak in Haeinsa Temple of

Jeollanam-do province. Children who left their parents with nowhere to go crossed fates with monk

Mu-Hak and are growing up at Haeinsa Temple. We capture the dreams and hopes of children growing

beautifully in the midst of difficult conditions.

DIRECTOR/WRITER | DA RAM KIM PRODUCER | SOO YONG KIM

CINEMATOGRAPHER | SANG CHUL SHIN EDITOR | JI IN KANG

SOUND | KWANG HOON HAN

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THE S TE AK TACUL AR RIBE YE: LE COMBAT DE VIANDES ROUGESTwenty-eight-year-old man-child Rodney Robspierre believes he is the real world embodiment of his

favorite comic book superhero, The Steaktacular Ribeye, and sets out to fight crime in his family-friendly

suburb of Adequateville, where none exists.

DIRECTOR/WRITER/EDITOR | BRANDON T YRIE

PRODUCER | JEANNINE SMYTH

CINEMATOGRAPHER | BECCA FARSACE

SOUND | AKEEM PHIPPS, ANTHONY CORLETO

S TROKES OF SOUNDMichael Rider, a singer-songwriter and painter, is set to release his second album. Signed by a

label at just fourteen, he fought the restriction and spent the following years finding his sound. He

uses painting as his guide and applies the techniques to his music.

DIRECTOR | BECCA FARSACE

PRODUCER | RACHEL SEGAL

EDITOR | SARAH KATZ

SOUND | JULIE BOCHAT

SUBURBAN FISH BOWLA young girl finds a cat at her doorstep that she believes is the incarnation of her mom.

DIRECTOR/WRITER | ZACH WALSKY

PRODUCERS | ALEX BURSTEIN, ZACH WALSKY

CINEMATOGRAPHER | A ARON KEBA

EDITOR | CHRISTOPHER BLASKOVICH

SOUND | FRANCISCO FIGUERA

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THE THREE MONTH BRUISEAfter an awful texting-while-driving accident, Luke has plunged into a tech-absorbed world of denial.

Can Abigail get through to her childhood friend or is the friendship lost in the digital world?

DIRECTOR | MARISSA GRINSTEAD SOUND | HENRY MYERS

WRITERS | MARISSA GRINSTEAD, MEAGHAN CLEARY

PRODUCER | ELIZA MORALES BROWN

CINEMATOGRAPHER | ANNA CHIAPET TA

EDITOR | K AYL A GIBSON

TRUCK Eddie Gordon, a professional mixed martial arts fighter, who currently competes in the middleweight

division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, prepares for his upcoming fight against Josh Samman

at UFC 181.

DIRECTOR/CINEMATOGRAPHER/EDITOR | ZACHARY FALL AH

TWO YE ARSOver two years after Hurricane Sandy, Jersey Shore residents struggle to get back home while major

questions remain about how relief money is being spent. Determined to put their lives back together,

Sandy victims take political action and urge their government to finish the job.

DIRECTOR/CINEMATOGRAPHER/EDITOR | LAUREN HALL

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VELOURS ROUGELuke, a reserved guy from New York, posts an ad online looking for a new roommate. One night, a young,

brazen Parisian woman barges into his apartment and declares to be his new roommate. Luke’s world

will be turned upside down before he can even say “bonjour.”

DIRECTOR/WRITER/PRODUCER | ICHIEN CHU

CINEMATOGRAPHER | SHELDON WALKER

EDITOR | JI IN KANG

SOUND | BILL PIERCE, JOSE RAMIREZ, DYLAN KESELMAN

VORTMendel Weiss is a young Hasid on the day of his engagement party, also known as a “Vort.” As the

Weiss family makes the final arrangements to seal the engagement, Mendel struggles with the weight

of the Vort, and unintentionally meets his Latin American neighbor, a young girl that knows all about a

world of which he has no understanding.

DIRECTOR/WRITER/EDITOR | JONATHAN FRED SCHNEIDER

PRODUCERS | ALEX BURSTEIN, ELIZABETH J. RAO, SOFYA LEYZEROVA

CINEMATOGRAPHER | GRETA ZOZULA

WELL OF GUILTAn old man burdened with the guilt of killing his partner-in-crime is finally released from prison. He sets

out on a long-awaited mission to make things right the only way he knows how.

DIRECTOR/WRITER/PRODUCER/EDITOR/SOUND | DOMINIC GIELLO

CINREMATOGRAPHER | JACK HAGGERT Y

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AN

IMA

TIO

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ALPHA C ANIS MAJORIS 7A space explorer runs out of fuel and lands on a desolate planet in search of replenishment. He finds the

crystals that he needs, but encounters an alien who uses the crystals as sustenance.

ANIMATOR | DIEGO GUANZON

BROTHERTwo brothers grow up together.

ANIMATOR | KIRBY ALLEN

CLOWN WITH AN INGROWN FROWNHaunted by apparitions of his own externalized anxieties, a clown with an ingrown frown eventually

drowns. Plunged into the deep of his very own mind, he can no longer ignore what lingers behind.

ANIMATOR | KEN SIU

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COLD WE ATHER C ARDIG ANA young couple enters a new relationship that becomes very close very fast. The condition of their love

is reflected through the stitches of a sweater.

ANIMATOR | K AITLYN CARROLL

DIRT Y PAWS A couple, one of whom is a feral werewolf, spends another full moon together.

ANIMATOR | K ARINA FAREK

ECCE HOMOBehold the Man, is a short film centered on growth and evolution. It takes the viewer on a trip through

different forms of life in a fast-paced adventure, leading up to what could be the ultimate destruction

of mankind.

ANIMATOR | ANTHONY GRETINA

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FE ATHERED DOWNWhen a baby crow falls out of its nest, a little girl and her family rescues and raises it. Although this

human family loves and accepts him, its own species rejects them. Once the loving humans are gone,

the young crow must survive alone.

ANIMATOR | JAN MOLINA

GOLF. UNIFORM . LIMA . LIMA .Don’t feed the birds.

ANIMATOR | MIKE PAT TEN

HENRY & LUNAA lonely fortuneteller finds love in an unexpected way.

ANIMATOR | JAZMINE RICHARDSON

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HICCUPA bee stuck in honey. Isn’t it funny to get stuck in something you create?

The stripper’s only scandal lies in the confines of his mind, a lost soul stripping souls, they built him

up wild and so, he became what they saw

“They eat me alive before taking a dive to the depths of me”

ANIMATOR | RENA PARISI

HOTBOD A lonely man gets what he wants, until it bites him in his glorious ass.

ANIMATOR | CL AIRE VAN RYZIN

HOWARD AT THE BLOCK PART YHoward inadvertently ruins his neighbor’s block party by showing up.

ANIMATOR | SAL IACCARINO

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I FEEL ALIVEOrion Orvandel is the “Dubstep Prince,” whose opening concert is one he and his audience

will never forget.

ANIMATOR | WESLEE WEEVIL

JOAILLIERAfter his work partner quits, an arrogant jeweler is given an exceptionally important order that may

cause him to lose his shop if the customer is not satisfied.

ANIMATOR | SHAYNA SIEGEL

KINETIC AGEThe story of a friendship that develops through online interactions but has very real consequences.

ANIMATOR | MAX BIXBY

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MAG ICLESSMagicless is a story about a young wizard who relies too much on his magic to solve everything, even

when it involves work. A decision must be made when faced with a task given by his boss. Will he fol-

low the directions or risk what could happen if he doesn’t?

ANIMATOR | JONATHAN ROACH

METANOIA A spiritual seeker explores a higher plane of existence and is guided through three visions by a

mysterious crystalline entity.

ANIMATOR | JAKE WINCEK

THE OCE AN C ALL SA young woman stumbles upon the egg of a great aquatic monster and finds herself caring for it.

ANIMATOR | TINA WANG

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ON SCHEDULEWhen two villains attack their nemesis superhero at the same time, they must fight to decide who gets

the timeslot to attack the city.

ANIMATOR | ELENA MANET TA

PAR A SITEA rebel soldier must complete his rescue mission after losing his crew and battery life following an

airstrike assault.

ANIMATOR | LEONARDI GUZMAN

PIECE OF MINDIn a world full of people who fit right into their niches, a lone misfit struggles to cope with the frustration

of feeling incomplete. She goes about her everyday life in a discouraged haze, trying to find her place in

the world.

ANIMATOR | SAM LEE

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PLUMPA young girl shares her story of what it is like to live with an unstable father.

ANIMATOR | CHRIS ANNE LINDO

RESCUED A man stranded in a frozen tundra battles his unconscious hallucinations to stay alive.

ANIMATOR | MICHAEL NAPPI

THE SOURCRÈME FAMILYNo matter where you are or where you have been, home is a place found from within. The dysfunctional

Sourcrème family will have to search high and low before they can find their true home.

ANIMATOR | GINTAUTE SIPAVICIUTE

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S TILT SSpit out from a tempestuous sky, a mysterious object disrupts order in an insane and surreal hellscape,

inspiring one man to stoke the embers of defiance.

ANIMATOR | NALANI WILLIAMS

TALL ORDERA young boy is tasked with delivering food to a customer living at the top of a mountain. He rises to

the challenge but soon realizes there is more to the errand than he anticipated.

ANIMATORS | SERENE HU, JOSEPHINE MARK

THE THRILL OF THE HAUNTAn oblivious yuppie couple and their happy-go-lucky daughter move into a notoriously haunted house.

The ghost of the house has successfully frightened out all previous tenants and plans to carry out a haunt

on the family during the night. Unfortunately for the ghost, he is confronted by the little girl. who is

unfazed by his attempts to scare her.

ANIMATOR | KYRA KUPETSKY

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THE UNCONSCIOUS TR AVELER Chris, the son of a physicist named Nathan, has passed away. Nathan creates a mental time machine

in order to see his son once again…or does he? Does unconscious traveling have a dark side to it?

ANIMATOR | MAT THEW SCHWARTZ

THE UPS AND DOWNS A straight-laced business lady is trying to get to her floor, but the simple trip up is a lot harder than it’s

supposed to be. On her way up, she tackles inconsiderate passengers, crowds and technical problems.

ANIMATOR | SITI SARA ZARUL AZHAM

W NDERLUS TAn experimental nihilistic love letter addresses today’s person and the common life.

ANIMATOR | CHELSEA QUINLAN

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WE ARE PIR ATESThis is a story of an old pirate named Captain Jayce, who has lost his passion for being a pirate. He and

his young bright-eyed companion, Amy, set sail on one final adventure to bury their small bag of spoils.

But what they find is more than just buried treasure.

ANIMATOR | MATHEW MCGEE

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SC

REEN

PL

AY

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49 DAYSJaime, a terminally ill boy, befriends the ghost of teenager, Amelia, after she dies in a car crash,

throwing the lives of everyone she loves into chaos. In the 49 days it takes for a spirit to leave the

physical world, Jaime resolves to do whatever he must to help Amelia’s trapped spirit move on while

facing his own mortality.

SCREENWRITER | HELENA PAK

BEFORE LE AVINGBefore Leaving is a story about love, loving and being loved.

SCREENWRITER | WENSHAN ZOU

BURNING WILDShane Williams, born into a money-grubbing, sinful family, hits the lottery when his father leaves him

a bank account with 15 million dollars. As the story progresses, Shane sees the true power of money

but is unable to control it before it turns him into a monster.

SCREENWRITER | MICHAEL PERRONE

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CONS TELL AR!Constellar! follows the journey of a fallen star spirit who must collect pieces of herself in order to return

home. With the help of living of constellation spirits, she defies those who want to take her celestial

powers for themselves.

SCREENWRITER | CHRISTIAN MARSH REIMAN

CL ARISSA Miranda, a sensible woman, flies cross-country to meet Luke, a promising romantic prospect that she

met online. A weekend of puppy love is interrupted by the arrival of Luke’s troubled, pregnant sister,

Clarissa. When their incestuous relationship is revealed, Miranda becomes their prisoner and must fight

for her life.

SCREENWRITER | GABRIELLE COLES

COITUS INTERRUP TUSScared of commitment, Faye’s looking for Mr. Right Now. Her best friend, Izzy, challenges her to go on

five dates with one guy. Faye accepts, but when Jack, her former friend-with-benefits, reenters her life,

Faye has to flirt with her adult feelings and make a momentous decision.

SCREENWRITER | DALIA HOLLEY

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ÉTÉ À PARISOn an excursion through Paris and rural parts of France, a young couple stumbles upon locations and

items that hold stories of a past love, strange events and tragedy.

SCREENWRITER | ANGEL CARDENAS

GL A SSES OF CYDERTristan Emmerson and Cyder Mavericks seem destined to break up. At least, that’s what the group of

Tristans from alternate realities tells them. Together, Emmerson and Cyder escape their world into

infinite worlds of “what if” by drinking the mysterious fancy cider. They’ll prove that their love is meant

to be, or learn what it should be.

SCREENWRITER | JAY CHOI

KNIGHTLY NEWSA class of misfit prep school teens is forced to work together to produce its weekly high school TV show.

SCREENWRITER | VICTORIA NIEVES

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L AND OF THE BR AVEAn adolescent girl grows up in an unconventional household in Doha. Amirah lives with her

overbearing mother a street away from her neglectful father, who starts a new life with a malicious

second wife and half sisters. Her life starts to unravel once her father decides to arrange her marriage.

SCREENWRITER | KHALIFA AL-THANI

THE L ATCHKE Y KIDS Shae Minardi is a nine-year-old who is wise beyond his years and has the unfortunate luck of losing

babysitters. It’s not like they just leave, but drop dead. It isn’t until he meets an eccentric young woman

named Aja, who has her own instabilities, that he thinks he can change his pattern.

SCREENWRITER | MEAGHAN CLEARY

RED EQUATOR A war hero from WWII, who goes by the codename of “Mama,” turns against her country to take on the

USA and USSR during the Cold War. The two countries form an alliance and send out their own pupil to

take her out and prevent nuclear war.

SCREENWRITER | PAUL KEIM

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SONS AND BE A S T SIn Texas in the late 1950s, 18-year-old boys Caleb and Errol commit a violent crime and head off to

California in search of Caleb’s estranged mother.

SCREENWRITER | DYL AN GANTZ

STUDENT GOVERNMENTTo say Manhattan Art College’s Student Government is unconventional is an understatement. Led by

Andie, their president, and a team of scene queens, it’s a wonder how they get anything done. With the

pressures of school, a future career, and satisfying the unruly student body, Andie and her team are in

for a collegiate experience unlike any other.

SCREENWRITER | EX A ZIM

THE WRITING ON THE WALLWhen Grant Richardson decides to leave graffiti and drugs behind in favor of a stable relationship and

college, he finds that escaping the past is more difficult than he had expected.

SCREENWRITER | JORDAN POUNDS

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David Rhodes President

Anthony Rhodes Executive Vice President

Milton Glaser Acting Chairman of the Board

Reeves Lehmann Chair BFA Film & Video and BFA Animation

Salvatore Petrosino Director of Operations BFA Film & Video and BFA Animation

Melissa Brown Assistant to the Chair BFA Film & Video and BFA Animation

Michael Grant Director Communication

Ken Switzer Assistant Director, Digital Content and Social Media Communication

Bradley Crumb Media Production Manager Office of Learning Technologies

Walter Tyler Video Specialist Office of Learning Technologies

Christopher Gutierrez Director Resource Management

James Cavaliere Associate Director Resource Management

Allene La Spina Uhlendorf Buyer Resource Management

Lisa M. Brown Buyer Resource Management

Annie Flocco Producer/Director Dusty Film & Animation Festival

Aimée Ramos Associate Producer Dusty Film & Animation Festival

Michael Flanagan, Anna Weintraub Coordinators Dusty Film & Animation Festival

Ashley Avila, Lauren McCall Key Student Staff Dusty Film & Animation Festival

Mark Minnig Manager BFA Animation

Gabriela Ilijeska Systems Administrator BFA Animation

Michael Del Vecchio Senior Film Media Production Manager BFA Film & Video

Jason Gambrell Manager, Digital Technology BFA Film & Video

Luis Negron Repair Manager BFA Film & Video

Courtney Smith Film Librarian/Budget Coordinator/ Film Festival Liaison BFA Film & Video and BFA Animation

Tien-Li Wu Senior Systems Support Specialist BFA Film & Video

Kamil Dobrowolski, Sr. Systems Administrator, Final Cut Pro BFA Film & Video

Salvatore Petrosino, Joan Brooker Festival Schedulers

Joongho Choi Videographer Dusty Awards

Valerie Smaldone Master of Ceremonies Dusty Awards

26th Dusty Film & Animation Festival 2015

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26TH DUS T Y FILM & ANIMATION FES T IVAL • 7 7

VISUAL ARTS PRESS

Michael J. Walsh Director of Design and Digital Media

Brian E. Smith Art Director

Abimbola Famuyiwa Senior Multimedia Designer

Sheilah Ledwidge Associate Editor

Jennifer Liang Assistant Director

Sneha Keshav Design Intern

SVA THEATRE

Adam J. Natale Director

Vidya Alexander Operations Manager

Jess Jackson Business Manager

Vincent Burich Technical Director

Joseph Quartararo Assistant Technical Director

Jonathan Wendt Assistant Technical Director

DUSTY AWARDS OPENING REEL

Kat Llewellyn Direction, Animation

S. P. Landess Producer, Film Editor

Jack Haggerty Cinematographer

Steve Pavlovsky Liquid Oil Art, Liquid Light Lab

Nana Simopoulos Music Composer

Caryn Heilman Model

MOUTH PUBLIC RELATIONS, LLC

Justin Loeber President

Patrick Paris Account Director

Stephen Francy Associate Account Executive

WITH SPECIAL THANKS

FILM/ANIMATION THESIS COMMITTEE

MEMBERS

Reeves Lehmann, Ed Bowes, Joan Brooker, Celia Bullwinkel, William Garcia, Richard Gorey, Mary Lee Grisanti, Carl Paolino, Donald Poynter

Mario Menjivar Faculty BFA Animation

Kaukab Basheer Animator, Animation Night Intro

Yoi Tanaka Gayler Director Admissions

Christopher Jessick Associate Director of Marketing and Media Admissions

Jane Nuzzo Director Alumni Affairs and Development

Kate Styer Alumni Affairs Manager Alumni Affairs and Development

Angie Wojak Director Career Development

Deirdre Suter Assistant Manager Office Services and Mail Processing

Lindsay Carlton Special Events Manager, Avenue

Anat Sror Dishful Catering

Anthony Spyropulos Floral A.C.E.S.

A very special thanks to our 2015 Dusty Film & Animation Festival judges, photographers, promo crew and student staff. © 2015, Visual Arts Press, Ltd. Cover Illustration by Mario Menjivar

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Thank You!The BFA Film & Video and BFA Animation departments at the School of Visual Arts would like to thank our sponsors and promotional partners for their contributions to this year’s 26th Dusty Film & Animation Festival celebration and for their generous support of our students.

AbelCine

Adobe

Adorama Rental Company

AJA Video Systems

Animation Magazine

Anthology Film Archives

ARRI Rental

ASIFA - East

Audio Network US, Inc.

B&H Photo

Barbizon Lighting Company

Blue Sky Studios

Bryan Singer

Carlos Saldanha/BottleCap Productions

Chimera Lighting

The Criterion Collection

DaVinci Artist Supply

Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films

Feature Systems/Kits and Expendables

Final Draft

Foto Care

Gotham Sound

IFP

Indiegogo

International Cinematographers Guild,

Local 600 IATSE

Motion Picture Studio Mechanics,

Local 52 IATSE

Movie Magic

New York Women in Film & Television

Nice Shoes

Nickelodeon

Passion Pictures NYC

Panavision

The Productive

The Law Office of Robert L. Seigel

Rota6

Scheimpflüg

SCS Agency, Inc.

Squarespace

the Studio

SVA Campus Store

Technicolor PostWorks New York

Toon Boom Animation

Uber

WGA - East