2008 Winners

Best of Fest

"Crazy"

Best Animation
Professional: "The Whole Truth"
Amateur: "Cycle"

Best Documentary

Professional: The Borinqueneers
Amateur: Song of a Sperm Donor

Best Feature
Professional: Flyboys
Amateur: Speedland

Best Short
Professional: "Epicac"
Amateur: "Rabia"

2008 Real to Reel Film Festival Schedule! (Scroll down for Synopsis)

Title
Rating
Runtime
Category
         
  The Miracle PG
29:00
 
  Semblance PG-13
1:22:00
 
  Song of a Sperm Donor PG-13
11:40
 
  Cycle PG-13
4:27
 
  Bloom
PG-13
12:57
 
  Looking for Ms. Locklear PG 56:43  
  Blood Over a Broken Pawn R
17:59
 
 
First Memories
G
4:15
 
 
PG-13
1:18:00
 
 
App. State Football: A Date with Destiny
G
43:30
 
 
PG
1:04:00
 
 
PG-13
23:30
 
  The Whole Truth G 7:30  
PG 1:23:30  
  Wait... PG-13 9:15  
  Crazy R 1:44:00  
  I Want to Fly PG 5:30  
  Undocumented PG 15:07  
  Berlin
PG-13
14:48
 
  Epicac PG 21:00  
  The Break Up
G
2:42
 
  The Cave: An Adaptation of Plato's Alegory
G
3:10
 
  An Islamic Conscience
PG
1:01:00
 
  Blinders PG 52:00  
  Keys
PG
23:00
 
  The Church of the Good Thief
G
8:50
 
G
1:20:00
 
  Horsepower
R
16:30
 
  The Flyboys
PG
1:58:00
 
 
FILM SYNOPSIS


The Miracle (29 mins.) Short [PG]

While confessing to her priest, Tekki Lomnicki, born with diastrophic dwarfism, must face the painful truth about a journey she and her mother made to Lourdes twenty seven years before if she is to win a chance for redemption. - Written by Jeffrey Jon Smith, Directed by Jeffrey Jon Smith, Produced by Jeffrey Jon Smith, James Aull & Jerry Prochazka www.themiraclemovie.com


Semblance (1 hr. 22 mins.) Feature [R]

A Latina actress gets her big break when she lands a lead in an Indy film, but things quickly deteriorate when her character's actions begin to mirror events from her past, with potentially disastrous consequences. - Written & Directed by Gustavo Mercado, Produced by Nicole Pommerehncke


Song of a Sperm Donor (11 mins. 40 sec.) Documentary [R]

Jeffrey was the most requested sperm donor at California Cryobank twenty years ago. He now lives in a trailer with four dogs. His genetic daughter finds him through a web registry. The film uses their relationship to reflect on differing social status and life philosophies. - Written, Directed & Produced Emmanuel Dayan



Cycle (4 mins. 27 sec.) Animation [PG-13]

A short, disturbing cartoon telling the story of a homeless man, living on the subway train in New York City, slowly revealing what caused his deterioration. - Directed & Produced by Guy Bar’ely


Bloom (12 min. 57 sec.) Short [PG-13]

The only things standing between a Rent-A-Cop and true love are the guard dogs on a used-car lot. - Written by David Norman, Directed by Lance Larson,Produced by David Norman & Lance Larson


Looking for Ms. Locklear (57 min.) Documentary [PG]

Using only word of mouth, two lifelong best friends and semi-famous web comedians, Rhett & Link, embark on a search for the long-lost teacher of the first grade class where they met. Their journey leads them deep into the heart of an obscure tribe of Native Americans, the Lumbee of North Carolina. Serendipitously, Rhett & Link arrive on the scene at the very climax of the tribe's century-long political struggle for identity. In a day of mobile devices that allow for a multitude of superficial connections with other 'users,' the unforgettable characters in Looking for Ms. Locklear serve as a reminder that people have more to say than an email or text message can communicate. - Directed & Produced by Link Neal & Rhett McLaughlin


Blood Over a Broken Pawn (17 mins. 59 sec.) Short [R]

Traumatized by a violent robbery, a Brooklyn cafe owner lashes out against an innocent kid, and stumbles into a dangerous confrontation with a chess master, kingpin. - Written & Directed by Chadwick Boseman, Produced by Chadwick Boseman & Logan Coles


First Memories (4 min. 15 sec.) Animation [G]

A baby who has been in a baby carriage drops a baby bottle on the street. The bottle opens and milk spreads out on the ground. At that point a woman running from the opposite direction steps on the spread-milk. Suddenly she falls into it. She is thrown into confusion after she has come into the other space...- Written & Animated by Soo Hee Han / NJ, USA


The Borinqueneers (1 hr. 18 min.) Documentary [PG-13] is the untold story of the all-Puerto Rican 65th Infantry Regiment.  Using rare archival footage and intimate interviews, the film explores the triumphs and painful tribulations of these veterans culminating with one of the largest mass court martials of almost 100 men during the Korean War.  - Written & Directed by Noemi Figueroa Soulet & Raquel Ortiz / NY, USA
www.borinqueneers.com


Appalachian State Football: A Date With Destiny (43 min. 30 sec.) Short [G]

In 2007, The Appalachian State football team pulled off what?s been called the biggest upset in college football history. This film is a first-hand, inside look at how they did it, from the very first practice to the improbable win in the stadium known as "The Big House" against football powerhouse University of Michigan. - Directed & Produced by Kyle Payne & Ray Goodrich / GA, USA - www.foxsports.net


Speedland (1 hr. 4 min.) Feature [PG]

Ryan Landis, 24, returns to North Carolina after a 10 year absence to visit his ailing grandfather, a former moonshine runner and racer. There, he starts to follow in his grandfather's footsteps and rekindles an old love, only to discover a shocking secret which hits close to home. RACECITY USA, Mooresville, North Carolina sets the backdrop for Ryan's pursuit of love and racing. - Written, Directed & Produced by Leora Chai / NC, USA


Rabia (23 min. 30 sec.) Short [PG-13]

Rabia is a woman who must blow herself up in order to exist. From the moment she straps explosives to her bare body, we are exposed to flashbacks of Rabia's past, filled with abuse, rejection, and struggle. By the time she steps onto a popular Israeli beach, awaiting to kill hundreds of innocent civilians in a massive explosion, we find ourselves asking whether Rabia's act is one of evil or one of heroism? - Directed & Produced by Muhammad Ali Hasan / CO, USA - www.rabiamovie.com


The Whole Truth (7 min. 30 sec.) Animation [G]

'The Whole Truth' is an animated work that analyzes certain aspects of human interaction by decontextualizing individual contributions to an 'overly polite' conversation. Three parts of a conversation between a husband, wife and unexpected visitor are edited in order obtain abstract, discrete monologues. Finally, all three parts are re-assembled to reveal the true implications of the discussion. - Written & Animated by Gerald Guthrie / IL, USA


New Urban Cowboy(1 hr. 24 min.) Documentary [PG]

Michael E. Arth is an artist, home & urban designer, and founder of New Pedestrianism, an urban design movement that is a more ecological and pedestrian oriented version of New Urbanism. He writes a book on how to fix the problems of the world and then realizes that he needs to climb down from his ivory tower to try out solutions in the real world. He drags his pregnant wife from their comfortable Santa Barbara home to a dangerous crack slum in Deland, FL. With money from 20 private investors, and armed with nothing more than nail guns and determination, he transforms the neighborhood and wins acclaim from the previously skeptical citizenry. He then goes on to design new towns. Shot in HD, complemented with graphic archival footage, this documentary answers the question, ‘What can one person do?’  Shot & Edited by Blake Wiers / FL, USA


Wait… (9min. 15 sec.) Short [PG-13]

If, as the poet-philosophers tell us, 'all of life is loss,' then surely it is hope that keeps us alive. But what happens when hope is lost? That question is explored through the character of John Kavazaznjian, the central figure in the short film 'Wait...' He's a tough, working-class guy who learns that his only son was killed in Iraq. This is the story of how one man deals with such tragic finality. The irony of life, as the film suggests, is that even when all hope seems lost...wait. - Written, Directed & Produced by Bob Pondillo / TN, USA


Crazy (1 hr. 44 min.) Feature [R]

Inspired by legendary guitar player Hank Garland, Crazy is a story of musical genius, passion, and betrayal. Emerging from the Nashville in the 50's, Hank had established his brilliant playing in country, rock and jazz. But his adversarial relationship with the Nashville Mob - those who controlled the music industry - caused him to be seen as a trouble maker. From fighting for artist's rights, to bringing black, jazz musicians into the restricted, southern music culture, Hank refused to compromise his pursuit for excellence.However, it may have been his tempestuous relationship with his beautiful but wife, Evelyn, which led to his final demise. After surviving a car crash, Hank was subjected to electro-shock treatments which tragically ended his career at the age of 31. - Written by Brent Boyd, Jason Ehlers & Rick Bieber, Directed by Rick Bieber, Produced by Rick Bieber, Alan Cohen, Ray Scherr & Joel McDonell / CA, USA - www.crazy-themovie.com


I Want to Fly (5 min. 30 sec.) Short [PG]

This film tells the story of a loving father/son relationship which is torn apart due to the unemployment of the father. Without the attention or support of his father, Andre must grow up and learn to overcome domestic disputes and the plight of his family. Through the game of basketball, taught to him by his father in his youth, Andre is able to become the hardworking and self-reliant individual his father always intended. - Written & Directed by Misha Sundukovskiy / AL, USA


Undocumented (15 min. 7 sec.) Shorts [PG]

An Illegal immigrant and his family are getting ready to celebrate their daughter fifteens party, but will their plans be ruined? - Written, Directed & Produced by Joel Rodriguez


Berlin (14 min. 48 Sec.) Shorts [PG-13]

1940.  In desperation, an American woman seeks the help of a former lover in order to save her husband; a volunteer pilot who's been shot down behind enemy lines. - Written by Norm Sanders & Rebecca Dunn, Directed & Produced by Norm Sanders, Bree Dennis, Chuck Nakvasil & Rebecca Dunn


EPICAC (21 min.) Short [PG] is a science fiction romance, based on a Kurt Vonnegut short story, about a machine that learns to love.  When it understands that it is not made out of 'protoplasm', it short circuits itself out of the female and male mathematician’s lives forever. - Written & Directed by Will Tully, Produced by Will Tully, Jenny Lenz & Joel Austin

The Break Up (2 min. 42 sec.) Short [PG]

'The first week of a break-up is like the first time a guy has sex... its awkward...boring....and...We keep telling each other we're doing it right but its a lie.'  These are the words of Rafael Casal, a Bay Area spoken word/hip hop artist and the writer and creator of this poem.  This piece shows how not only girls have a rough time getting through a break up. - Written by Rafael Casal,
Directed & Produced by Erica Eng



The Cave: An Adaptation of Plato's Allegory in Clay (3 min. 10 sec.) Short [PG]

An excerpt from Plato's Republic, the 'Allegory of the Cave' is a classic commentary on the human condition. We have adapted and brought it to life by shooting over 4,000 still photographs of John Grigsby's wonderful claymation. The look was achieved by use of candlelight in a real fire that burned at the back of the set. - Adapted By Michael Ramsey, Directed by Michael Ramsey, Porduced by Timothy Schultz


An Islamic Conscience(1 hr. 1 min.) Documentary [PG]

Born into a world of wealth and privilege, he devotes his life to eliminating poverty and inequality. A religious leader who traces his ancestry back to the Prophet Muhammad, he struggles to balance the traditional with the modern. His Highness the Aga Khan is the spiritual leader of Ismailia Muslims, a Shiite sect with 15 million followers around the world. At a time when Islam is at odds with itself and with the West, the Aga Khan represents a voice of moderation, speaking out for pluralism and diversity, and promoting dialogue between civilizations. But will he be heard? - Directed by Shamir Allibhai, Bill Cran & Jane Chablani, Produced by Shamir Allibhai, Bill Nemtin, Clive Syddall & Andrea Nemtin


Blinders (52 min. 40 sec.) Documentary [PG]

Throughout the year, tourists from around the world travel to Central Park to ride in one of New York's legendary horse-drawn carriages. Yet the future of this industry is the subject of a highly charged debate. Carriage operators and city politicians say that the carriages should stay because they are a cherished symbol of New York. Animal rights activists say tradition is no excuse for abuse. As a result of three dramatic and fatal accidents since 2006, the plight of the carriage horses is now in the public eye more than ever before. But the public doesn't know much more than what they see on the streets and in the news. 'Blinders' takes viewers behind the scenes to expose the truth behind the tradition. - Directed & Produced by Donald Moss


Keys (23 min.) Short [PG]

Keys is the dramatic story of a broken family that discovers healing within the broken keys of an old piano. - Written & Directed by Christopher Babers, Produced by Damen Fletcher & Wendy Raquel Robinson



Church of the Good Thief(8 min. 50 sec.) Documentary [G]

Dismas was a thief, a highwayman, a robber and he was our first saint, the only saint to be canonized by Christ himself, and the only saint canonized while he was still alive. Nearly two-thousand years later, the first free-standing church in the United States is built inside a maximum security prison, the ultra-rugged Clinton Correctional, at Dannemora, NY. Though it was built in 1939, this is the first documentary about the Church of the Good Thief and all the secrets it holds. - Produced by Michael Raab & Patrick Ogelvie


DON'T KNOW, WE'LL SEE (1 hr.) Documentary [G] explores the poetry and mystery of the creative process in the life and work of a master clay artist, Karen Karnes, a pioneer of the 20th century craft movement who has worked with unbroken focus for over 60 years -- until a fire destroyed her home and studio, and the kiln, full of luminous pieces, was the only structure left standing. This film is about not-knowing and discovery, and about the evolution of form, a single sculptural piece and a body of work over a lifetime.  It is an invitation to enter the creative process, to give the eyes and ears a feast and to be astonished by beauty.  As one viewer said, 'this film changes you as you're watching it.' - Directed by Lucy Massie Phenix, Produced by Lucy Massie Phenix, Alan Dater, Joy Brown, Kit Long & Lisa Merton

Horsepower (16 min. 30 sec.) Short [R]

Horsepower is the story of Murray Meadows, a middle aged closeted man who hides from his life as a straight-laced professional automobile critic by immersing himself in internet pornography. This works for Murray until Harold, his eccentric gay boss, tries to help. In rejecting Harold's advances, Murray triggers a bizarre breakdown in his life- and in his precious automobile. In the end, when all is lost, Murray discovers help from an unlikely source. - Directed by Joel Moffett, Produced by Gregory Hobson


The Flyboys (1 hr. 58 min.) Feature [PG]

Two boys from a small town find their courage tested when they accidentally stow away aboard an airplane owned by the mob. - Written by Rocco DeVilliers, Jason DeVilliers & Richard Dutcher, Directed by Rocco DeVilliers, Produced by Dan Urness

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