The Films of the Carrboro Film Festival 2012

We received so many great film festival submissions this year. It was tough, very tough whittling the list down. Here it is. See you all on November 18th. More info at www.carrborofilmfestival.com A Beautiful Waste 5: 21 Jon Kasbe Most people don't spend their Saturday nights in New York's sewers. Steve Duncan isn't most people. Amongst Friends 16: 10 Ron Fallica Is a story about a group of childhood friends who get together after three years to reconnect. As the night progresses, a chaotic turn of events leads to the revelation of truth about their past. Will forgiveness be the key that allows them to unlock each other from their guilt in order to reignite their brotherhood? Artifacts 14: 55 Joseph Keller Photographer Clayton Ardubon leads a life of indulgence comprised of women and success. But no amount of either can satisfy the hole at the center of his life. That is, until Marion, an ex-lover from his youth, appears unexpectedly at a showing. Fueled by an insatiable curiosity and memories from his past, Clayton tracks down Marion. But his search leads to Marion's daughter, Paige; a rebellious youth who opens the door to an unexpected love affair as dangerous as it is sincere. Beastie 0: 54 Jordan Miron A short experiment in rotoscopy about a boy and a crustacean. Best Friends 7: 00 Elizabeth Gibson Best Friends is a comedy about the kind of star crossed love that sometimes transcends all souls. It was originally entered in the Secret City Film Festival's Seven Day Shootout with the required elements of romance, a flame, a focus rack, and the line "It was magnificent." Bill Fick: Controlling the Monster 4: 23 Frith Gowan Durham-based artist Bill Fick is known for his prints of grotesque monsters and demons. What kind of person would create art like this and why? Bloody Sundae 3: 38 Matthew Krieg A short film that deals with envy, betrayal, death... and ICE CREAM! Coma Home Adam Perry 7: 00 A man who has been in a coma for 18 years suddenly wakes up. While in the coma, the man has been dreaming a different life for himself, where he is young and in love. Abruptly he wakes up to find himself old and bedridden, with a wife who has been waiting patiently by his side. Both he and his wife struggle to cope with the new situation. Drowned Out 4: 55 Crystal Bright A writing spider fills the screen, scrawling in its web the name of any who disturb it. Three young girls skip up and taunt the spider, sealing their fate. Meanwhile, Crystal Bright & the Silver Hands perform in a zany boutique filled with strange creations and artistic oddities. Forward Together, Not One Step Back 15: 20 bruce orenstein "Forward Together, Not One Step Back" documents the efforts of Democracy NC, the NAACP, and other voting rights organizations to stop the state legislature from eliminating early voting and passing a voter ID bill. These measures would have made access to the polls more difficult for students, minorities, and the elderly. The film highlights the little known NC Fusion movement of 1890's that produced a remarkable multi-racial political coalition that was subsequently quashed by white supremacists. Its a history that sheds light on today's efforts by some legislators to limit the vote. Giving Way 2: 56 Spencer Bakalar In the shadow of the Olympic Mountains, an undercurrent of change has been rising for several decades. Now the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe is celebrating the long-awaited release of the river they call home. Infinite 2: 11 Dwayne Martin In our world we pride ourselves on who we are and what we want to become. Often times creating our identities through the things we see around us. However, not everyone is in the right place to be able to find their identity. Infinite is a short story of a ball's attempt to fit into a world that doesn't seem to have a place for it. Despite its optimism, it manages to leave a trail of destruction behind it, causing everyone to hate it. But even when you may not be able to see your place in the world, you still have a place in the universe. Intersect Episode IV 7: 37 Piper Kessler Claire, a present day clairvoyant, comes to the rescue of Deanna, an 80's telepath. The one thing is, Claire already knows Deanna. Will Deanna recognize Claire? Their paths may not have intersected in the correct space and time and the man bent on killing Deanna might just succeed. Johnny Awful 10: 44 Nathan Rosenquist Johnny Awful is a short film about rock and roll, lies, death, burning bridges, hoaxes, manipulation, and the fleeting nature of fame. It's a comedy. The film taps into the world of unsigned bands, the mythology of dead rock stars, and the problems that come with an entitlement mentality. Just a Word 4: 16 mimi schiffman "You know, everybody says it’s just a word, but there’s more to it. There’s a feeling of belonging," said Jeff Enochs of Charlotte, N.C. "I wanted my state to recognize that we are going to spend the rest of our lives together." Watch Jeff and his partner of six years Brian Helms travel to Washington, D.C., the closest place they can legally marry. Life Reflected 2: 31 Jon Kasbe From the moment we're born to the moment we die, water powers life. Life Reflected explores how our most critical resource goes far beyond traditional power. More than fossil fuels, commerce or industry, water powers life. Love = Love 2: 50 mimi schiffman Love = Love Twelve-year-old Isak Atkins-Pearcy loves Legos, doughnuts, and fighting for what he believes in. “I think in a world where everything is right you, could love anyone you wanted to.” He fought alongside his parents and with his junior high Gay Straight Alliance to defeat North Carolina's Amendment One. Lucidity 2: 26 Jaime Andrews A girl wakes with an uncontrollable urge to find something. She goes through several changes in what we are intended to feel as a life span or great length of time, a literal life line attached and dragging behind her the whole time. Eventually, her lifeline is snagged and she inevitably ends up destroying herself. Rather than running through life, she should have taken time to take in everything around her in the moment. One of These Things is Not Like the Others 8: 19 Adam Wilson Josh, a NY grad student, surprises his southern conservative family at Thanksgiving when he brings home his African-American boyfriend. Rebuild 7: 40 Devin Forbes A young girl chases after the chance to save her family. Safe Haven 13: 53 Chris Hugo In a world where everything is falling apart, one family is fighting to stay together. The nation has succumbed to a rapidly spreading infection that affects the brain and central nervous system, leaving the infected in a zombie-like state. A man, woman, and daughter are traveling toward safety and hope to gather with other "actives," those not infected with the virus. When the man is attacked and contracts the virus, he must do what it takes to protect his family, even if it means saving them from himself. So Now Look 10: 37 Brian Southwell So Now Look tells the dramatic true story of a blind a capella group that sings in Philadelphia's train stations. Down on their luck, they nonetheless lift up the spirits of morning commuters with their moving musical improvisations. SPOKED 8: 58 Andrew Martin SPOKED is a modern day drama about how one’s childhood can change the future. In this story, decisions give opportunities, even the bad ones, and people from our past can have a deeper hold on our heart than we ever imagined. SPOKED is the story of Billy, a middle-aged man with no direction in life. A grandmother, who had been out of his life for years, leaves him her beloved home in Raleigh, where Billy spent summers as a young boy. For Billy, the house may be the seed he’s needed to get his life moving forward. But he soon finds the house he remembers as a grand lady is in disrepair and his over zealous decision to leave his complacent home may have been the wrong decision. The Deer 8: 49 Adam Perry A young, inexperienced hunter finds himself questioning his ability to shoot living creatures after his encounter with an unusual man in the woods who claims to be a deer. The Hindenburglar 5: 35 Alan Lebetkin The residents of a Depression-era city come face to face with the criminal mastermind The Hindenburglar. The Legend of the Buried Bomb of Faro 8: 22 Adrienne Ostberg On January 24, 1961, a B-52 carrying two nuclear weapons crashed in Faro, NC. One bomb landed safely in a tree, while the other broke apart when it hit the earth. A portion of that bomb is still there today. The Mothers 9: 59 Leanora Minai Each month in Durham, North Carolina, a little-known group meets in a reserved room at the public library to share stories of loss and survival. There’s Diane Jones, whose son, David, grew addicted to drugs and was shot and killed in Durham in 1997. His murder remains unsolved. So unbearable was Diane’s initial pain that she had a fleeting impulse to drive in front of a truck. Sitting next to Diane at these monthly meetings is Mina Hampton. Her son, Tommy, was fatally shot while driving home in Durham in 1994. The killer is out of prison. For years, Mina struggled with the question of “what if,” wondering if she could’ve done something to prevent that fateful day. Through their sons’ deaths, these two mothers found each other and the strength to carry on. Diane and Mina now lead the Durham chapter of Parents of Murdered Children, a national support group for families and friends who’ve lost loved ones to violence. "Helping somebody else understand that this pain is deep in your soul, being there for another mother … it helps me,” Diane says. The Po' Boy 2: 19 Patrick Mustain This video documents how make and enjoy a delicious Cajun sandwich. The Social Group 18: 33 Jean Rheem First formed in 2002, Linda's autism social group has been meeting every Friday evening for the past 10 years. While the film celebrates their decade long friendship, it also brings into light the looming inevitability of having to grow up. Told in the voices of the social group, the film hopes to gain insight into the world of autism as well as the idea of neurodiversity. Ultimately, the film hopes to challenge our preconceived notions of what true friendship, happiness, and love ought to look like—as revealed by the social group. The Thing 15: 00 Rhys Ernst A woman, a transgender man, and their cat travel towards a mysterious roadside attraction known as "The Thing". The Weaver 6: 40 Kieran Moreira A silent observer collects and catalogs the sounds of his city using old cassette tapes. However, the nature in which he reconstructs the tapes is much more wondrous. We Will Prevail 4: 44 Madeline Carlin A short documentary completed by an Elon University student about the relationship between Winston-Salem couple, Frank Benedetti and Gary Trowbridge.The film was completed during the spring of this year both before and after the passing of Amendment One. It details the couple's life over the past 50 years building their lives together as a gay couple in the South and their current activism efforts to finally marry in their own state. The film asks audience members to define marriage for themselves, offering an important message of hope for North Carolina by saying that despite the current situation, love and commitment over politics will prevail. When Walt Whitman Was a Little Girl 11: 37 Jim Haverkamp Not your typical History Channel biography, When Walt Whitman Was a Little Girl tells the startling, unuttered truth about America's good gray poet. Starting out as an ordinary nine year old girl, Walt is soon catapulted into the world with her senses ablaze. Based on a prose poem by M.C. Biegner, the film mixes drama, dance, puppetry, and oddball humor to portray the world through the eyes of a 'sensitive kid.'