THE ARTISTS FORUM FESTIVAL OF THE MOVING IMAGE: 2021 (#theartistsforumfilmfest) returned for its sixth year, showcasing 42 short films and introducing 6 feature length films for its first time, highlighting our 2021 Competition Theme: (THE) POLITICS OF EMOTION.
Our 2021 Official Selections were created by independent filmmakers originating from 20 countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Estonia, France, Germany, Haiti, India, Iran, Italy, Japan, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and the United States.
THIS YEAR’S THEME:
Filmmakers were challenged to interpret our theme: (THE) POLITICS OF EMOTION. In this case, ‘Politics’ has a broader meaning than just government and can include much wider interpretations. We’ve divided the selections into 5 programs of shorts and 1 program of 6 feature length films highlighting different aspects of our theme.
PROGRAMS:
Virtual screenings for this year’s festival were available online until January 31, 2022:
(The) Politics of Emotion I: Defy
(The) Politics of Emotion II: Survive
(The) Politics of Emotion III: Oppression
(The) Politics of Emotion IV: Darkness
(The) Politics of Emotion V: LGBTQ+
(The) Politics of Emotion VI: Features
Our annual Closing Night Awards Ceremony was held on December 11, 2021.
Our 2021 Festival Ambassadors were The Artists Forum Televison Host Michael Inge and The Artists Forum Festival of the Moving Image: 2019 Jurors Award Winner José Carlos Teixeira.
2021 Festival Jury: Ashley Gerst, Martha Gorzycki, Henry Kanegsberg, Cary Patrick Martin, Lee Milby, Djordje Radovanovich, David Ranghelli, Cherie Song, Anthony von Seck, José Carlos Teixeira, Amos White V, and Vitkor Witkowski
2021 Festival Media Sponsor: LinkNYC
THE ARTISTS FORUM, now in its 23rd year, is a New York City based non-profit arts service organization specializing in events, juried competitions, and media for artists.
Its FESTIVAL OF THE MOVING IMAGE is the organization’s flagship program, and provides an unparalleled platform for emerging and mid-career filmmakers to share their stories with the world’s creative, media, and film communities.
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2021 FILM FESTIVAL PROGRAM SCHEDULE
(THE) POLITICS OF EMOTION I: DEFY
DEFY: 9 shorts (124 mins) – This program presents films where individuals and communities defy social norms, reclaim their agency, and take charge of their lives.
ALEZAN
7:53 mins (2021)
Writer/Director: Loïc Faquet (France)
EXPERIMENTAL – A woman in a wedding dress finds herself in a stable. As her intimacy is being disturbed, she starts wondering about the possibility to choose her own destiny. US Premiere
THE EPHEMERAL ORPHANAGE
15:00 mins (2020)
Director: Lisa Barcy (US)
ANIMATION – Tattered paper dolls daydream alternate realities and explore the lives of their strict and secretive caregivers. Created with paper dolls cut from 1920’s newspaper. NY State Premiere
SEE TRAILER / SEE WEBSITE
CUTSTEIN
10:46 mins (2020)
Writer/Director: Hamidreza Khosh-Bazan (Iran)
EXPERIMENTAL – Life of an editor who works for Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting and feels like Frankenstein, creating a monster. Imaging of all movie sequences have been done with a cell phone.
SEE TRAILER / SEE WEBSITE
STRING OF LIFE
11:35 mins (2021)
Writer/Dir: Amir Shakiba & Alireza Khajehali (Iran)
DOCUMENTARY – A disabled woman saves her family from collapse. NY State Premiere
HOME (THE GAMBIA)
5:55 mins (2020)
Editor/Director: Harry James Dwinell (US)
DOCUMENTARY – The multi-faceted Gambian culture shown through film and testimonials gathered over 2.5 years explain why Gambian’s proudly call this land home. World Premiere
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HAIKU
17:17 mins (2020)
Writer/Director: Martin Gerigk (Germany)
EXPERIMENTAL – Haiku | 俳句 is a symphonic audiovisual project featuring two Japanese performers and pays tribute to the extraordinary art of Japanese haiku poetry. NY State Premiere
CONFLUENCE
15:00 mins (2020)
Director: ETA (US)
DOCUMENTARY – A meditation on Asian American ancestry and queer identity experiences.
East Coast Premiere
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I ELECT: POWER EVERY FOUR YEARS
26:32 mins (2020)
Writer: Bill Spring (US)
Director: Ricky J. Martinez (US)
NARRATIVE – A call-to-action for anti-racism, the power of voting, a personal side of COVID, and voter suppression awareness. NY State Premiere
(THE) POLITICS OF EMOTION II: SURVIVE
SURVIVE: 8 shorts (99 mins) – This program focuses on survival in its many forms: spirituality, the ecology, and psychological stresses relating to the pandemic and other factors.
THE STREAM XI
7:50 mins (2020)
Writer/Director: Hiroya Sakurai (Japan)
EXPERIMENTAL – In XI, I consider why waterways are created. Its flow feeds crops, circulates goods, and act as transportation and societal information networks. NY State Premiere
THIS MORTAL PLASTIK
21:18 mins (2021)
Writer/Director: Jess Irish (US)
DOCUMENTARY – A personal dive into the world’s most impersonal substance – plastics. Amid lockdown, a bereaved mother journeys to better understand the landscape of single-use synthetics.
WHAT GOD WANTS
6:25 mins (2020)
Director: Mykhailo Bogdanov (Ukraine/US)
DOCUMENTARY (Student) – A spiritual journey of a young lawyer who is searching for the true meaning of his life. NY State Premiere
KRUNK
3:35 mins (2020)
Writer/Director: Francesco Siro Brigiano (Italy)
MUSIC VIDEO – Cellist Allesio Pianelli’s first music video – A dreamlike journey in intimate Sicily.
NYC Premiere
SEE VIDEO / SEE WEBSITE
SURVIVERS
6:30 mins (2020)
Writer/Director: Carlos Gómez-Trigo (Spain)
COMEDY – Natural selection says that only those who adapt will survive. What if humans have become stupid?
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CALL WAITING
12:36 mins (2021)
Writer/Director: CJ Barnes (US/Australia)
DARK THEMES – Sidney and Olson work overnight at a call centre. It’s dull until Sidney gets calls from a stranger who claims she’s in danger. Soon, she’s in a race to stop the madness. North American Premiere
I MAY BE WRONG
8:29 mins (2020)
Writer/Director: David Giardina (US)
COMEDY – What happens when a singer is urged by his 1930’s pals to perform in a splashy show during pandemic hysteria. NYC Premiere
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WRATH
32:07 mins (2020)
Writer/Director: Meg Case & Brad Porter (US)
DARK THEMES – Amidst a mandatory quarantine, a young woman lives in isolation battling deteriorating mental health as her fear of the outside world drives her deeper inwards. North American Premiere
(THE) POLITICS OF EMOTION III: OPPRESSION
OPPRESSION: 9 shorts (107 mins) – In this program, individualism is suppressed and societal pressures make it almost impossible to overcome, begging the question “Is it all worth it?”
AMERICAN
3:17 mins (2020)
Writer/Director: Julian Hall (US)
NARRATIVE – American takes a brisk, provocative look at what people fight for and their perspective on the choice. World Premiere
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ORBITAL SQUARES
18:00 mins (2020)
Writer/Director: Moojin Brothers (South Korea)
EXPERIMENTAL – Technology obsessively searches for physical objects using inefficient eyes. Artists create virtual facial recognition systems, inviting viewers to assess data from its squares.
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SEVA
15:46 mins (2019)
Writer/Director: Rippin Sindher (US)
DOCUMENTARY – From 9/11 to the Oak Creek Temple massacre, Sikhs combat xenophobia and hate groups practicing selfless service known as seva. They fight to force accurate FBI reporting.
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SEVEN FISHES
10:25 mins (2021)
Writer: Ali Keller (US)
Director: Jaclyn Gramigna (US)
NARRATIVE – So wrapped up in creating the perfect Feast of the Seven Fishes, an Italian American family can’t see one of them doesn’t intend to stay.
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MICKEY HARDAWAY
19:23 mins (2020)
Writer/Director: Marcellus Cox (US)
NARRATIVE – A young sketch artist visits a well renowned psychiatrist as his life begins sprawling out of control after years of physical and verbal abuse. NYC Premiere
IN PLANE ENGLISH
1:00 min (2020)
Director: Brian Plonka (US)
EXPERIMENTAL – A marriage hits the rocks.
Repulsiveness, clearly pontificated, at 30,000 feet. NYC Premiere
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LOWER GRAND
10:00 mins (2020)
Writer/Director: Jeff Dorer (US)
DOCUMENTARY – Chronicling Great Recession recovery via the secret life of a street known to many via the media. Its portals are windows on the status quo. North American Premiere
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FIVE MINUTES THE END
13:18 mins (2021)
Writer/Dir: Ramtin Kouchaki Hassankiadeh (Iran)
NARRATIVE – A woman endures many hardships from family, husband, and unjust laws. She’s found out she’s pregnant. What will she do to prevent her child from being born in Iran? World Premiere
A NEW WORLD
15:14 mins (2021)
Writer/Director: Slav Velkov (Bulgaria)
NARRATIVE (Student) – A working-class man has to choose between staying in the room where he lived all his life or defying the mysterious figure that holds him captive.
(THE) POLITICS OF EMOTION IV: DARKNESS
DARKNESS: 9 shorts (83 mins) – Films in this program present a harsh look at our world and ourselves – hoping, but not always actualizing a positive outcome.
CITY OF SILENCE
15:00 mins (2020)
Director: Nicolle Marquez (US)
DOCUMENTARY – An elder man copes with a double aftermath: a ravaged island and the passing of his wife. NY State Premiere
THE WAR WITHIN
14:59 mins (2020)
Writer/Director: Javid Farahani (Iran)
NARRATIVE – A bitter, paralyzed man trades dollars from home, hoping for a US/Iran war so values will soar. It’ll make him rich and pay for a leg operation. Then, there’s his wife… East Coast Premiere
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BEHIND THE GLASS
5:00 mins (2021)
Writer/Director: Pedro de la Llave (Spain)
ANIMATION – Mario thinks he is in control, knows what he’s doing, and looks down on people on the other side of the glass. But, what Mario doesn’t know is that the glass itself is not on his side.
ROCK. PAPER. SCISSORS.
9:30 mins (2021)
Writer: John Alexander Fraser (UK)
Director: Dmitry Torgovitsky (Russia/US)
EXPERIMENTAL – A man wakes up in a world where people communicate by playing rock paper scissors. He seeks to solve this mystery. World Premiere
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FIREFALLS
12:45 mins (2020)
Writer/Director: Ariel Neo (France)
EXPERIMENTAL – Firefalls explores environmental reality and depicts devastation caused by humans on Earth. How long can mankind run away from the apocalypse it caused? NYC Premiere
THE CLOWN STATUE
10:00 mins (2020)
Writer/Director: Joseph Maddalone (US)
DARK THEMES (Student) – A teenager babysitting for a family finds a disturbing clown statue in the corner of a room. She quickly learns there’s more to the statue than meets the eye. World Premiere
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PLANET M IN OUTER SPACE
5:25 mins (2021)
Writer/Director: Peter Meng (US)
EXPERIMENTAL – This early film was found buried (intentionally?) in MGM’s Archives. Historians restored and unwittingly shared it publicly. The film reveals a sinister alien plot to overtake Manhattan.
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WIDOW’S END
4:42 mins (2019)
Writer/Director: Jil Guyon (US)
EXPERIMENTAL – The perils of a woman’s isolation and climate instability meet in this split screen video set against the backdrop of a volcanic red rock quarry in southern Iceland.
SEBASTAPOL
5:05 mins (2020)
Director: Marco North (US)
MUSIC VIDEO – Self-directed music video supporting my debut album.
(THE) POLITICS OF EMOTION V: LGBTQ+
LGBTQ+: 7 shorts (108 minss) – In this program, filmmakers from all walks of life share stories about themselves or commentaries on their communities as seen through their artistic lens.
HIDE OR SEEK
19:45 mins (2021)
Writer/Director: Brian Newell (US)
DARK THEMES – Andrew introduces his boyfriend to childhood friends by playing a nostalgic, terrifying game of Hide and Seek. The game turns deadly when he discovers someone hiding in the shadows…
AUTOIMMUNE
12:25 mins (2020)
Writer/Director: Marcos Serafim (Brazil/US)
EXPERIMENTAL – A non-human entity troubles distorted understandings of HIV, queerness, and disease. Gaining agency over data, it animates archival figures to speak. East Coast Premiere
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MASISI WOUJ
22:00 mins (2021)
Director: Zé Kielwagen, Marcos Serafim (Brazil), Steevens Simeon (Haiti)
DOCUMENTARY – Haitian artist/activist Sanba Yonel creates tribute to Vodou gods and goddesses who once inspired a revolution. NY State Premiere
GRIFFICA
11:30 mins (2021)
Writer/Director: C.J. Arellano (US)
NARRATIVE – A man suspects his all-too-perfect boyfriend is a demon in disguise.
ORGAN PLAY
6:47 mins (2019)
Writer/Director: 江峰 Jiang Feng (US)
EXPERIMENTAL – What is sex and the sexual-sensual body? This film presents empathic tactile and aural experiences with sensual choreography to re-imagine and re-define human sexuality.
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DEAR ELSA: 10 LETTERS + 10 EXPERIMENTS
30:00 mins (2020)
Director: Amanda Madden (US)
EXPERIMENTAL – A filmmaker attempts to channel a ghost in pursuit of answers about sex, art, and madness. East Coast Premiere
TO YOU MY LOVE
4:55 mins (2021)
Writer/Director: Olivia Gastaldo (US)
EXPERIMENTAL – To You My Love investigates the visual poetry of a love letter. NY State Premiere
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(THE) POLITICS OF EMOTION VI: FEATURES
FEATURES: 6 Features – The category presents 6 long form documentaries and narratives exploring various aspects of our festival theme with run times exceeding 40 minutes.
DIRECTED BY
1hr 30 mins (2021)
Writer: Steve Race & Michael K. Race (US)
Director: Steve Race (US)
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE – A behind the scenes look at the 72nd Academy Awards live telecast from 2000.
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EXTERNO
1hr 23 mins (2020)
Writer: Leandro Taub (Argentina/US)
Dirs: Jonathan Taub & Leandro Taub (Argentina/US)
NARRATIVE FEATURE – A revolutionary businessman tries to conquer the world with $2,000.
HINTERLAND HIDEOUT
57:03 mins (2020)
Writer/Director: Dirk Hoyer (Germany/Estonia)
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE – Spain’s Huelva region is rough-edged with many environmental challenges. But, two immigrants from different lands set out separately to make this their home. World Premiere
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MAKING AN EXONEREE
3hr 27 mins (2021)
Writer: Cindy Dorfmann (US)
Director: Rob Dorfmann & Cindy Dorfmann (US)
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE – 16 Georgetown undergrads re-investigate five wrongful conviction cases to help free an innocent man. NYC Premiere
RUINS
1hr 16 mins (2020)
Writer/Director: Jay Mohan (India/US)
NARRATIVE FEATURE – Nine years after an infection that destroyed most of humanity, survivors search the debris to find clues of what really transpired. NYC Premiere
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SILENCED TREE
1hr 57 mins (2020)
Writer/Director: Faysal Soysal (Turkey)
NARRATIVE FEATURE – Hayati is a small-town literature teacher and one-hit-wonder author who can’t let go of his past. After witnessing a murder he questions if standing by is as big a sin as doing it? North American Premiere
JUDGES
Ashley Gerst
Ashley Gerst is a 2D and 3D animator living in Brooklyn NY. She holds a BFA in Digital Arts from Cleveland Institute of Art and an MFA in Computer Art from SVA. A Professor at William Paterson, Ashley is also a freelance animator (AMC, Viacom, Fast Co., Hudson Media, CBS).
Martha Gorzycki
Martha is an award winning animator, filmmaker and media artist. Her work screens globally in festivals, galleries, on LED billboards, as outdoor projections and online. She’s produced animation for 30+ years and teaches digital cinema and animation at SFSU.
Henry Kanegsberg
A graduate of Ithaca College, Henry received his MBA from NYU and is a former finance executive in the broadcasting, music, and publishing industries. He’s held senior positions with NBC, RCA Records, and Random House. He is chair of community organizations for Mt Sinai Hospital.
Cary Patrick Martin
Cary won Best Director & Audience Award at #theartistsforumfilmfest 2019 with Coffee and a Donut. He studied directing at Independent Film School and The Barrow Group, and acting at Sande Shurin, T. Schreiber, and American Globe Theater. He’s produced cabaret benefits for LLS.
Lee Milby
Lee Milby is a New York-based director and artist known for creating unique and highly conceptual videos. Featured in both domestic and international publications, Lee’s ability to bring out the individual energy and style of each artist and brand makes for timeless, original content.
George Radovanovich
George is an independent scholar with a focus on research and writings on art and cultural criticism. Originally from Serbia, George received his US citizenship in 1995 while studying at New York’s School of Visual Arts, earning his BFA in Film and MFA in Computer Arts in 1997.
David Ranghelli
David studied filmmaking at Brooklyn College (BA), and Comp. Lit./ Cinema Studies at NYU’s GSAS (MA, MPHIL). Previously, David taught film analysis at Tisch School of the Arts. Currently, he works at the Media and Communication Arts Dept. at CUNY, educating aspiring filmmakers.
Cherie Song
Cherie Song is an Oakland California-based filmmaker and lawyer. Her film Me Llamo Jesus tied for first place in #theartistsforumfilmfest 2020 for Best Dark Themed Short. She further engages with the arts as a board member of a large LGBTQ+ film festival in Los Angeles.
José Carlos Teixeira
José is an award-winning artist, filmmaker, researcher, and educator from Portugal. His work has exhibited internationally in major museums, galleries, and film fests. As a Fulbrighter, he holds an MFA from UCLA, and was in residency at Akademie Schloss Solitude, among others.
Anthony von Seck
Anthony is a veteran of the Canadian film industry. Most recently, his film Limbo won our Best Actor Award (TJ Riley) and was nominated for Best Narrative Short, Best Screenplay, Best Director, and our 2020 Jurors Award in #theartistsforumfilmfest 2020.
Amos White V
Amos is an inter-disciplinary multimedia artist, event producer, and exhibit designer. A graduate of the College of Human Ecology at the University of Maryland, College Park, Amos bridges his passion for the arts and human relations with the formation of THE ARTISTS FORUM.
Viktor Witkowski
Viktor is a Polish-born German-raised painter/filmmaker. After graduating from HBK Braunschweig with a combined Master’s in Studio Art, Art History, and Art Ed, he immigrated to the US to earn his MFA in Visual Arts from Rutgers. He lectures at Dartmouth’s Studio Art Dept.
AWARD LISTINGS
View our full List of Nominees & Award Winners
2021 WINNERS
BEST NARRATIVE SHORT: Rimi (Nischhal Sharma, India)
BEST DARK THEMED SHORT: Wrath (Meg Case & Brad Porter, US)
BEST COMEDY SHORT (tie): I May Be Wrong (David Giardina, US)
and Survivers (Carlos Gómez-Trigo, Spain)
BEST EXPERIMENTAL SHORT: Orbital Squares (Moojin Brothers, South Korea)
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT (tie): Masisi Wouj (Steevens Simeon (Haiti), Zé Kielwagen, Marcos Serafim, Brazil) and This Mortal Plastik (Jess Irish, US)
BEST ANIMATED SHORT: The Ephemeral Orphanage (Lisa Barcy, US)
BEST MUSIC VIDEO: Sebastapol (Marco North, US)
BEST STUDENT SHORT: What God Wants (Mykhailo Bogdanov, Ukraine/US)
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: Hinterland Hideout (Dirk Hoyer, Germany/Estonia)
BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE: Silenced Tree (Faysal Soysal, Turkey)
BEST SOUND DESIGN: Douglas McCausland (US) – Autoimmune (M. Serafim, Brazil/US)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Francesco Siro Brigiano – Krunk (Francesco Siro Brigiano, Italy)
BEST EDITING: Martin Gerigk – Haiku (Martin Gerigk, Germany)
BEST SCREENPLAY: Leandro Taub – Externo (Jonathan & Leandro Taub, Argentina/US)
BEST DIRECTOR: CJ Arellano – Griffica (CJ Arellano, US)
BEST ACTOR: Serdar Orçin – Silenced Tree (Faysal Soysal, Turkey)
BEST ACTRESS: Meg Case – Wrath (Meg Case & Brad Porter, US)
2021 JURORS AWARD: Jess Irish – This Mortal Plastik (Jess Irish, US)
MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
View our 2021 Festival Program Schedule
View or download our 2021 Film Festival Press Release
See our 2021 Official Festival Trailer
See our 2021 Sneak Peek
View or download our 2021 Official Festival Poster
View or download our 2021 Official Festival Social Media Graphics
Watch our 2021 MEET the Filmmakers Interview Videos.
See our 2021 Save The Date Video Teaser
