The Stony Brook Film Festival presented by Island Federal showcases the best in independent film premieres over ten stimulating days.  All films screen July 20-29 in Staller Center’s main stage theatre at Stony Brook.

You’ll experience talented performances by stars of the future and also see some familiar faces.  The Stony Brook Film Festival invites filmmakers to represent their films and participate in question and answer sessions after screenings. You’ll hear from directors, actors, producers and cast and crew from all over the world.

Schedule:

Thursday, July 20, 2023

8:00pm: Sea of Time & The Red Suitcase

Feature - Sea of Time (Zee van tijd)

U.S. Premiere
Netherlands - 116 min
Directed by Theu Boermans. Written by Marieke van der Pol.
With Sallie Harmsen (Kenau), Reinout Scholten van Aschat, Elsie de Brauw (Tonio), and Gijs Scholten van Aschat.

Lucas and Johanna live an idyllic life on their boat, passionately in love and far away from the worries of the world. When a sudden accident alters their lives forever, they find themselves separated and unable to move on with one another. Thirty-five years later, in the autumn of their lives, they reconnect when Lucas decides to bring the heart of their struggle to life in the final theatrical production of his career. After decades of unresolved pain, they find themselves once again drawn together by their love, but will it be enough? Both heart-wrenching and hopeful, this opening night feature film is a must-see.

In Dutch, with subtitles.

Short - The Red Suitcase

Luxembourg - 18 min
A film by Cyrus Neshvad

A 16-year-old Iranian girl waits at an airport with her red suitcase, contemplating a life-altering decision. An Academy Award-nominated short from the director of our 2019 Audience Award-winning film, Portraitist.

In English, French, and Persian, with subtitles.

Friday, July 21, 2023

7:00pm: Exodus & Hit Friends

Feature - Exodus

Sweden - 102 min
Directed by Abbe Hassan.
Written by Kristoffer Cras and Abbe Hassan.With Ashraf Barhom (Zaytoun), Jwan Alqatami, and Isa Aouifia (Netflix’s Snabba Cash).

A young Syrian refugee flees to Turkey in a crowded shipping container, expecting to be taken to Sweden and join her family upon arrival. But her plans quickly change when a raid by Turkish immigration authorities sends everyone running, and she barely escapes deportation. Soon a cynical smuggler reluctantly takes her with him, with the thought of recouping his losses from her parents. As they travel through Europe, avoiding the authorities at every turn, this mismatched duo begins forming a bond as two desperate strangers in a dangerous world.In Arabic, with subtitles.

Produced by Anna-Klara Carlsten, Mattias Nohrborg and Olle Wirenhed. Edited by Dino Jonsäter. Director of Photography: Petrus Sjövik. A B-Reel Films production from LevelK.

Short - Hit Friends

United States - 13 min
A film by Daniel Rashid

Daniel Rashid (Almost Winter) returns to SBFF with a riotous tale of best friend assassins who go everywhere together. Except maybe Six Flags.

9:30pm: I Like Movies & Chipper

Feature - I Like Movies

Canada - 99 min
Written and Directed by Chandler Levack.
With Isaiah Lehtinen, Romina D'Ugo, Krista Bridges (Aurora Borealis) and Percy Hynes White (Netflix’s Wednesday).

Lawrence Kweller is a self-absorbed, socially inept cinephile with his sights set on NYU’s film school. When he takes a job at a video store to help earn money for college, he is caught off guard by the quirky manager who takes him under her wing. In the habit of sabotaging every friendship he’s ever had and facing an increasingly uncertain future, Lawrence realizes he must change his ways. Isaiah Lehtinen and Romina D'Ugo nail their roles in this sweet, compelling, and riotously funny slice of life among the outcasts.

Short - Chipper

United States - 20 min
A film by Shaun MacLean

After receiving a mysterious letter from his ailing father, a wayward son returns to his childhood home to wrestle with a dark family secret.      

Saturday, July 22, 2023

7:00pm: My Sailor, My Love & The Countryman - World Premiere

Feature - My Sailor, My Love

Finland, Ireland, Belgium - 103 min
Directed by Klaus Härö. Written by Jimmy Karlsson and Kirsi Vikman.
With James Cosmo (Braveheart), Brid Brennan (Brooklyn), Catherine Walker (Rose Plays Julie) and Nora-Jane Noone (Brooklyn).

Howard, a cantankerous, retired sea captain, would rather shut himself away in his dark and disordered home than accept help from his daughter Grace. When she hires Annie as domestic help for him, Howard unexpectedly falls in love with her, giving her all his affection while remaining bafflingly cold to his increasingly agitated daughter. This maturely realized meditation on late love and unresolved trauma seeks no easy answers but instead trusts the strength of its brilliant actors to convey their hopes and fears to the audience. An unforgettable story and beautifully shot film set on Ireland’s west coast.

Short - The Countryman - World Premiere

United States - 22 min
A film by Andy Kastelic

When bitterness threatens to destroy a small farming community, a mysterious stranger arrives on the scene with a curious proposition.

9:30pm: Grandpa Goes South - U.S. Premiere & Two Chairs, Not One

Feature - Grandpa Goes South - U.S. Premiere

Slovenia - 104 min
Written and directed by Vinci Vogue Anžlovar.
With Boris Cavazza, Vlado Novak and Zala Djuric.

Frustrated and alone, jazz musician Vlado abducts his terminally ill best friend and former band-mate Boris from a hospital to travel south in his vintage motorhome to find Boris’ long-lost love, Neda, before he dies. Meanwhile, young ingenue Esma finds herself on the run as the only living witness to an assassination. The two old-timers find themselves teamed up with Esma and, with the help of her family connections, travel with a group of itinerant Romani, outfoxing incompetent authorities and crazed assassins. A laugh-out-loud adventure filled with jazz, Gypsy music, and a little bit of magic.

In Croatian, Macedonian and Slovenian, with subtitles.

Short - Two Chairs, Not One

United States - 11 min
A film by Austin Kolodney

Director Austin Kolodney (Almost Winter) returns to SBFF with this humorous tale of a morally dubious dropshipper and a persistent, disgruntled customer.

Sunday, July 23, 2023

7:00pm: Martha - East Coast Premiere & Stuck

Feature - Martha - East Coast Premiere

Germany, Czech Republic - 88 min
Directed by Stefan Bühling. Written by Marco Rossi.
With Thekla Carola Wied, Lana Cooper, Franz Hartwig and Fritzi Haberlandt.

Berlin, 1943: Upper-class widow Martha Liebermann can’t imagine leaving her beloved homeland at age 85, but as a Jew, her only choice is to flee or wait to be deported to a concentration camp. Her reputation and the valuable paintings of her world-famous husband, Max Liebermann, still provide protection, but time is running out. Caught between a high-level resistance group on one side and an ambitious Gestapo commissioner on the other, Frau Liebermann starts questioning whether she can even trust her faithful and long-time housekeeper. An outstanding portrait of a truly remarkable woman, portrayed with dignity and humanity by Thekla Carola Wied.

In German, with subtitles.

Short - Stuck

Israel - 27 min
A film by Shoval Chiprut

An army veteran with PTSD asks two childhood friends to accompany him back to a location from their past, not realizing it is a minefield.

In Hebrew, with subtitles.

9:30pm: Friends from Home & At a Glance - New York Premiere

Feature - Friends from Home

United States - 72 min
Written and directed by Joe Blank and Mike Koslov.
With Joe Blank and Mike Koslov.

This quietly hilarious and epically scenic cross-country odyssey from New York to California is both a delight for the eyes and a jab to the funny bone as childhood friends Joe and Mike make the big drive, with stops along the way. Joe has decided to move to Los Angeles, and Mike is keeping him company. Packed with deep discussions on why Niagara Falls isn’t that special and how important it is - or isn’t - to stick to your itinerary, this true American indie is a painfully humorous reminder of how it feels to be trapped with another person on a long, long trip.

Short - At a Glance - New York Premiere

Netherlands - 17 min
A film by Ruud Satijn

During his evening shift, a pizza delivery guy suspects domestic violence is taking place inside the home of a wealthy customer, but will the police believe him?

In Dutch, with subtitles.

Monday, July 24, 2023

7:00pm: Trapped Balloon - New York Premiere & Healer - World Premiere

Feature - Trapped Balloon - New York Premiere

Japan - 103 min
Written and directed by Hiroyuki Miyagawa.
With Masahiro Higashide, Toko Miura (Drive My Car), Miyoko Asada and Kaoru Kobayashi (Midnight Diner).

Rinko, who has been estranged from her ailing father since her mother died, decides to visit him on the island where he lives and ask his advice about an impending career decision. During her visit, she becomes suspicious of a reclusive young fisherman named Kenji, who lives in her father's neighborhood, and brings him freshly caught fish without explanation. What would usually be a set-up for a blossoming romance between the two young leads instead turns into something much more poignant under the hand of writer/director Miyagawa and his spectacular cast.

In Japanese, with subtitles.

Short - Healer - World Premiere

Canada - 16 min
A film by Mackenzie Leigh

A young woman grapples with her sister’s untimely death, seeking solace in an imagined reality where they grew up together.

9:30pm: A Fleeting Encounter & Winter's Passing

Feature - A Fleeting Encounter

Switzerland - 85 min
Directed by Romed Wyder. Written by Nasim Ahmadpour and Romed Wyder.
With Pooneh Hajimohammadi, Felipe Castro and Elisabet Johannesdottir.

Grappling with a mid-life crisis and a broken leg, a Swiss man escapes to an Airbnb only to discover he will be sharing it with an Iranian woman facing her own personal crisis. Mutually annoyed at having to share the apartment, tension builds as they both play off the other’s prejudices until a lively American arrives and disrupts their routine. As misconceptions give way to curiosity and compassion, they find they have much more in common than they could have guessed. A fascinating and humorous character study about two people trying to find their way.

In English, French and Persian, with subtitles.

Short - Winter's Passing

United States - 22 min
A film by Yang Fei

An 8-year-old boy living with his grandfather makes a secret deal with a woman who wants to buy two identical urns from his family’s urn shop.

In Chinese, with subtitles.

Tuesday, July 25, 2023

7:00pm: Elik & Jimmy & The Third Defector

Feature - Elik & Jimmy

Israel - 93 min
Directed by Gudis Schneider. Written by Liat Elkayam and Gudis Schneider.
With Tsachi Sadan and Meyran Menkes.

Jimmy and Elik meet in the army on their last day of service. He is an overweight, underachieving corporal; she is a beautiful smart-mouthed officer. They know they won’t see each other again, but something clicks: they can talk. Over the next several years, they randomly run into each other, occasionally hanging out and connecting through social media, finally accepting that they have an undeniable gravitational pull. A platonic friendship develops, and everything is good… until love gets in the mix. A delightfully sharp and witty comedy.

In Hebrew, with subtitles.

Short - The Third Defector

United States - 17 min
A film by John Gray

What seems like a simple assignment for a spy to keep tabs on an Iranian defector becomes a more complicated game of cat and mouse in the streets of Paris.

In French, with subtitles.

9:30pm: Amanda & Mahogany Drive

Feature - Amanda

Italy - 93 min
Written and directed by Carolina Cavalli.
With Benedetta Porcaroli, Galatéa Bellugi, Giovanna Mezzogiorno and Monica Nappo (House of Gucci).

Back home after studying in Paris, 24-year-old Amanda lives a friendless life with her wealthy-but-dysfunctional family. When her mother tells her that she once played with a local girl when she was much younger, Amanda makes it her mission to find this grown woman and convince her that they are still best friends. An extremely entertaining, quirky, out-of-this-world comedy with a dynamic performance from Benedetta Porcaroli.

In Italian, with subtitles.

Short - Mahogany Drive

United States - 13 min
A film by Jerah Milligan

Three Black men wake up to a nightmare: a dead white woman in their Airbnb. Tensions rise, and accusations fly until they realize the horrible, hilarious truth.

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

7:00pm: RADIOACTIVE & Queen Moorea

Documentary Feature - RADIOACTIVE

United States - 77 min
Written and directed by Heidi Hutner.
With Beth Drazba, Paula Kinney, Joyce Corradi, Linda Braasch and Joanne Doroshow.

In 1979 the worst commercial nuclear accident in U.S. history occurred on Three Mile Island. This is the never-before-told story of the four homemakers and two lawyers who took the local community's case all the way to the Supreme Court, and the young female journalist who was caught in the crossfire. With eyewitness accounts and startling new evidence, this film calls into question the nuclear industry’s claim that No one was harmed and nothing significant happened. A thrilling documentary about the women who fought back against the nuclear industry Goliath to expose one of the worst cover-ups in U.S. history, from Professor Heidi Hutner of Stony Brook University.

Documentary Short - Queen Moorea

United States - 27 min
A film by Christine Fugate

A homecoming queen and her friends, all born with genetic conditions, struggle to fulfill their dreams in a world that is ill-prepared to accept them for who they are.

9:30pm: Where the Road Leads & Hit Man: Secrets of Lies

Feature - Where the Road Leads

Serbia - 81 min
Written and directed by Nina Ognjanovic.
With Jana Bjelica, Zlatan Vidovi?, Vladimir Maksimovi?, Ninoslav ?ulum, Svetozar Cvetkovi? and Igor Filipovi?

An unexpected visitor with news of a coming highway arrives at a barely habited Serbian village just as the power goes out. Met with suspicion, hope, and disbelief, the visitor decides he should leave the next day, even as the villagers hold a feast to welcome him. When it becomes clear that two ne’er-do-well brothers mean him harm, only Jana takes their threat seriously, doing her best to warn him. Director Ognjanovic deftly brings this sleepy village to life in this puzzle-piece tale, told with subtle humor and impending dread, all to a breathless score by Ana Krstajic. A masterful debut feature that lingers in your mind for days.

In Serbian, with subtitles.

Short - Hit Man: Secrets of Lies

United States - 19 min
A film by Elias Plagianos

A reflective hitman travels to a small town where he is confronted with an artifact from his past that forces him to re-examine his personal history. With Richard Kind, Karen Allen, and Peter Reigert.

Thursday, July 27, 2023

7:00pm: March ‘68 & The Father, The Son and The Rav Kalmenson - U.S. Premiere

Feature - March ‘68

Poland - 117 min
Directed by Krzysztof Lang. Written by Andrzej Golda and Krzysztof Lang.
With Vanessa Aleksander, Ignacy Liss, Ireneusz Czop, Edyta Olszówka, Mariusz Bonaszewski and Anna Radwan.

Young and madly in love, Hania and Janek get caught up in the 1968 student protests of the unlawful expulsion of their colleagues from their university while the Polish government ramps up the anti-Zionist campaign that will lead to the repression of Jews across Poland. To complicate matters, Janek is the son of one of the high-level officers tasked with overseeing the raids on the students, while Hania is Jewish. Feeling like Romeo and Juliet trapped in a country overwhelmed by rebellion, they fight to stay together, no matter the cost.

In Polish, with subtitles.

Short - The Father, The Son and The Rav Kalmenson - U.S. Premiere

France - 15 min
A film by Dayan D. Oualid

Every Saturday, Yoel goes to synagogue with his 6-year-old son, but on one particular Saturday, Rav Kalmenson pulls Yoel aside to inform him that his son “is lighting up”.

In French, with subtitles.

9:30pm: Yes Repeat No & Demon Box - New York Premiere

Feature - Yes Repeat No

United States - 98 min
Written and directed by Michael Moshe Dahan.
With Salome Azizi, Mousa Hussein Kraish (American Gods), Adam Meir and Karim Saleh (Vice).

Three actors audition to play Palestinian-Jewish actor/activist Juliano Mer-Khamis, a former IDF paratrooper who identified himself as “100% Palestinian and 100% Jewish.” As their tense rehearsals fracture their own sense of self, they find themselves at odds with their subject, their director, each other, and even themselves. But just when the story begins to implode, something unique happens: you witness the actors in real life, asking questions directly to director Michael Dahan. This brilliant, witty and thoroughly engrossing meta masterpiece tackles the topic of identity, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and film itself in the sure hands of Dahan.

Short - Demon Box - New York Premiere

Canada - 14 min
A film by Sean Wainsteim

A director transforms his intensely personal short film about trauma and the Holocaust into a painful, blunt, funny dissection of both the film and his life.

Friday, July 28, 2023

7:00pm: The Grandson & Death by Puppies

Feature - The Grandson

Hungary - 115 min
Directed by Kristóf Deák. Written by Kristóf Deák, Nina Kov and András Vörös.
With Gergely Blahó, Tamás Jordán, Laura Döbrösi, Judit Bárdos and Gábor Jászberényi.

When a grandfather falls victim to a heartless scam that robs him of his money and spirit, his quiet and polite grandson Rudi would prefer to have it taken care of by the authorities. When the police say they can do nothing, Rudi decides won’t let the criminals get away with it. But he must change into a radically different person to find them and get restitution. And with unexpected allies on his side, he might just get the justice he seeks. An intense, charged thriller from Hungary about a situation all too familiar.

In Hungarian, with subtitles.

Short - Death by Puppies

United States - 11 min
A film by Brie Sáez

In this dark comedy, the screening interview for an artist seeking euthanasia for herself goes terribly wrong.

9:30pm: First Snow in Summer - U.S. Premiere & Voices

Feature - First Snow in Summer

U.S. Premiere
Austria - 90 min
Written and directed by Chris Raiber.
With Thomas Prenn, Verena Altenberger, and Margarethe Tiesel.

When Alexander’s mother died, his father moved into an underground tunnel to be as close to her as possible. So Alexander, who has lived with his grandmother since, promised himself that he would never fall in love. Instead, he decides to live underground like his father, although in this case that means working at a lost-and-found office in the metro station that he rarely leaves. But things get complicated when he meets Caro, a young woman who works in the metro’s hat shop just across from him. A magical romance whose wonderfully strange and whimsical setting is grounded by compelling performances from Thomas Prenn and Verena Altenberger as Alexander and Caro.

In German, with subtitles.

Short -Voices

United Kingdom - 11 min
A film by Abbie Lucas

A newly moved couple becomes alarmed as they overhear their next-door neighbor’s argument escalates and wonder if they should intervene.

Saturday, July 29, 2023

8:00pm: Divertimento & The Basics of Love

Feature - Divertimento

France - 110 minutes
Directed by Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar. Written by Clara Bourreau and Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar.
With Oulaya Amamra (Hard Shell, Soft Shell), Lina El Arabi, and Niels Arestrup (Diplomacy, War Horse).

The true story of Zahia Ziouani, who at the age of 17 decided to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a conductor. She and her twin sister and cellist Fettouma are already at a disadvantage in the Parisian classical world, being of Algerian descent and coming from a less prestigious background. But with remarkably few female conductors in Europe, it seems even less likely that Zahia will ever be taken seriously as a conductor at her school. When she is taken under the wing of conductor Sergiu Celibidache (a wonderful Niels Arestrup), Zahia receives the boost of confidence she needs. With the support of their family and community, the two sisters launch their own orchestra. Oulaya Amamra and Lina El Arabi give their all to the roles of Zahia and Fettouma, and director Mention-Schaar smartly sidesteps the many pitfalls of a biopic to create a compelling and cohesive moment in time. This beautifully uplifting film is the perfect ending to our festival.

In French, with subtitles.

Short - The Basics of Love

United States - 18 min
A film by Joshua Nathan

After stumbling into an armed robbery on New Year’s Eve, two sanitation workers are caught off-guard by feelings for one another that they didn't realize they had.

Date: Thursday, July 20, 2023 - Saturday, July 29, 2023

Location: Staller Center For the Arts - 100 Nicolls Rd, Stony Brook, NY 11794

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