2006 LIIFE Big Fish Film Festival Official Selections

Long Island Big Fish Film Festival 2006
October 16 – 19, 2006
Official Selections

The Long Island Big Fish Film Festival is presented by the Long Island Film/TV Foundation, the Nassau County Film Office, the Nassau County Dept of Recreation, Parks and Museum Services, the Nassau County Dept of Planning and the Malverne Cinema & Art Center.

Ariana 27 Minutes DV Cam
Thursday, October 19 – 4:15 pm
Dr Abbas Imad completes his residency and joins a hectic group practice. He dreams of paying off his debts and making his live-in grandmother comfortable. His well planned future starts to shatter after his lover moves in and they have to deal with Grandma Ariana’s difficult behavior. Hoping this will pass Abbas throws himself into his work believing things will work them-selves out. Ultimately, Ariana’s dementia proves to be the real issue at hand, and Karl ends up in the role of care-giver. Abbas has to come to terms with his denial, a stressful practice, his relationship, which is about to end, and the harsh reality that the loving woman who raised him no longer exists.
Director Shashi Balooja, Michael Sandoval
Producer: Shashi Balooja
Screenwriter: Shashi Balooja, Cecile George

Be My Oswald 1 Hour 34 Minutes DV Cam
Wednesday, October 18 – 7:00 pm
A militant vegetarian conspires to assassinate Santa Clause at New York’s annual Thanksgiving Day Parade. Language, violence.
Director, Producer, Screenwriter: Don Cato

Borrowing Rebecca 5 Min Mini DV
Opening Night Film Block
Monday, October 16 – 7:00 pm
When a politician is being seen in the wrong light, he creates a scandal to bring him back to grace. (Language, sexual situation).
Director: Todd M. Jones
Producer: Todd M. Jones, Sean Clark, Jonah Cooperman, Jeremy Linden, Shaun Pappas
Screenwriter: Todd M. Jones and Sean Clark

Caution: Show Dogs 1 Hour 4 Minutes Mini DV
Wednesday, October 18 – 4:15 pm
Civilization’s love affair with the Dog is both ancient and significant. And the breeding and ‘showing’ of “Man’s Best Friend” is very old indeed. Repeatedly throughout the year, at many prestigious Dog Shows, hundreds of breeders from all over the country present the very best. These dogs are representative of the astonishing diversity decades of meticulous breeding has accomplished. Over 150 dog breeds are recognized by the American Kennel Club alone! While showing at these events, the dogs are evaluated alongside all other competitors to eventually contend for the highly coveted top prize – Best in Show. Behind all this glamour and excitement lies never-ending hard work,
enormous amounts of love and an all-consuming dedication that is difficult to imagine. Get to know four top breeders, and their dogs, and share the knowledge and experience required to produce consistent champions. In fact, the full-length movie Caution: Show Dogs puts you behind-the-scenes so you can share the excitement and exhilaration of the World of SHOW DOGS!
Director: David Patrick and Leslye Abbey
Producer Leslye Abbey

Changeover 1 Hour 20 Minutes Mini DV
Opening Night Feature
Monday, October 16 – 7:00 PM
The sights and sounds of the late 70’s come alive in the comical tale of the night in the life of a group of movie theater ushers just before their beloved Suffolk Theater goes out of business. Language.
Director, Co-Writer: Keith Dinielli
Co-Writer: David Young
Producer: Jeff Bassetti

The Choices of Rama Lindhiem 33 Minutes DV Cam
Thursday, October 19 – 4:15 pm
The film unfolds the story of an extraordinary woman who dared to live out her dreams- Irma Lindheim. She was a strong woman in the early 20th
century.who lived in a mansion in Glen cove Long Island. A wife and mother of 5, she wore many hats, and volunteered to the American army in WWI, enrolled in NY to Rabbinical school, an ardent Zionist and President of the Hadassah Organization. In her late forties, she left America and moved to Israel where she became a kibbutz member. She is a groundbreaking feminist, a role model for women leaders. The film includes unique archival footage, with Lindheim’s home movies. Her Life Motto was: Two Roads diverged in a wood I took the less traveled one. Inspiring! Thought- provoking, …It Leaves you with an urge to further explore the people and their stories.
Director, Writer: Yael Katzir
Producer: Yael Katzir & Dan Katzir

Closure 9 Minutes Mini DV
Tuesday, October 17 – 9:30 pm
Jess is an attractive, progressive, normal woman in her 30’s, but her dating experiences have been far from that. Join her on ten of those dates in this self-affirming, hilarious, urban comedy.
Director, Producer, Screenwriter: JAYDEE

A Cold Day in Hell 1 Hour 10 Minutes DV Cam
Monday, October 16 – 9:30 pm
Rich Bradford seems like your everyday great boyfriend. He has a good job, a nice car and the perfect girlfriend, Amanda. What she doesn’t know about him is that he is only after one thing. His best friend Stu from his college days knows how much of a womanizer Rich really is. When the day finally comes where Rich thinks that he is going to romance Amanda, he is interrupted by her gay friend David who walks in on them. Rich, who usually gets what he wants is angered and unleashes on David which prompts Amanda to throw him out.
The same day he is dumped by Amanda is Rich and Stu’s Fraternity reunion. How can Rich go alone? All of his fraternity brothers always saw him with a girl. Stu on the other hand gets a visit from an old fraternity brother he has kept in contact with over the years. Much to Stu’s surprise, when the brother comes, he is now a beautiful woman, Erica. Stu brings Erica to the reunion, which she catches Rich’s eye. Will Rich finally get his just desserts or will he realize that his dream girl might turn out to be a nightmare? Language, sexual situations.
Director: Christopher Picone
Producer: Hugh Ferguson
Screenwriter: Christopher Picone

The Cure 7 Minutes Mini DV
CLOSING NIGHT FILM BLOCK
Thursday, October 19 – 7:00 pm
Love and hate can sometimes be looked at in the same light since both can make you do unreasonable things. Such is the case for Kristine Watts who longs for something from her past, which is unattainable. Now left with only memories of what once was, this shell of a young woman has only one thing left on her mind…
Director, Producer, and Screenwriter: Ryan Jafri

Death Row 30 Minutes VHS
Tuesday, October 17 – 9:30 pm
The tragedy of John Reynolds begins when he comes home to find his pregnant wife missing. Before he can make sense of her disappearance, the cops arrive at his doorstep. Suspicious evidence is uncovered and John is arrested for her murder. Was it a setup or did he commit the unspeakable? Language and semi-sexual situation.
Director, Screenwriter: Robert Mandelberg
Producer: Kathy Reed

Forever 1 Hour 12 Minutes Mini DV
Tuesday, October 17 – 9:30 pm
Synopsis: Stars Brian Brady, Charlene Miller, and Steve Gagliano. A new horror take on the old adage, “Be careful what you wish for.” A man searches for his legacy, a way to be remembered forever. In a time of desperate financial trouble, a mysterious stranger shows up with an answer to Michael’s needs. Desperate and curious, he accepts… -Violence, language-
Director: Paul Del Vecchio
Producer: Paul Del Vecchio, Steve Gagliano
Screenwriter: Paul Del Vecchio, Douglas Frye

For Two 6 Minutes VHS
Thursday, October 19 – 4:15 pm
A young woman practices a piano duet while, unbeknownst to her, an admirer looks on.
Screenwriter, Director: Stephanie DiChiara

Ghosts Never Sleep 1 Hour 23 Minutes DV Cam
CLOSING NIGHT FEATURE FILM
Thursday, October 19 – 7:00 pm
Mystery/drama starring Faye Dunaway, Sean Young and Tony Goldwyn. A writer trying to get his film produced, goes to extraordinary lengths which lead him to the brink of disaster. This film is rated R. Nudity, sexual situations, language, violence.
Director: Steve Freedman
Producer: David Castenholz, Steve Freedman, Julia Pierrepont III
Screenwriter: Christopher Joyce and Steve Freedman

Happy Ever After 1 Hour 59 Minutes Mini DV
Wednesday, October 18 – 9:30 pm
If “hard-boiled” private eye Frank Lupo can crack a million-dollar department store embezzlement case, he can wed his rich, classy girlfriend. But things get complicated when he meets the sweet young daughter of his chief suspect. A stalking ex-con, a loony gang of thieves, and the ghost of Frank’s romantic father squeeze him from all sides as he makes a choice between two beautiful women, two sides of himself…and two destinies.
Director, Screenwriter: Anthony Di Franco
Producer: Parallax Pictures

Heads or Tails 22 Minutes Mini DV
Wednesday, October 18 – 4:15 pm
Prospective couples with pets and some who are pet-less meet up to see if they become one happy pack or if they are barking up the wrong tree. And, there comes a point in every serious relationship when you meet that person’s family for the first time. But, what about that other moment of truth when you meet a potential lover’s pet? Finding love is hard enough. Finding love when you own a pet can be even more difficult. For many Americans, pets are members of the family. Single pet owners realize that finding partners who are as excited about them as Fido is, isn’t always “a walk in the park.” Would-be lovers and their pets attempting to get along try doggie yoga, swimming with a turtle, shopping for treats, and learning animal tricks. Getting someone to love you is one thing…having them love and accept your pet is another.
Director, Producer, Writer: Sheryl Matthys

IT’S EXTREME! 7 Minutes VHS
Wednesday, October 18 – 9:30 pm
Two guys try to retrieve their tennis ball from someone else’s backyard. IT’S EXTREME! is the ultimate parody of backyard wrestling.
Director: Matt Grzan
Producer: James S. Cook, Matt Grzan, Dennis Ciccone Jr.
Writer: James S. Cook, Matt Grzan, Dennis Ciccone Jr.

Jackson 19 Minutes Mini DV
Opening Night Film Block
Monday, October 16 – 7:00 pm
A man desperate to control every corner of his life is challenged when he encounters someone new in his life.
Director and Writer: Dino Castelli
Producer: Dino Castelli and Jake Weisz

Joy 13 Minutes DV Cam
Monday, October 16 – 9:30 pm
Will wakes repeatedly from strange and troubling dreams about a woman named ‘Joy.’ Is she the key to his happiness or the doorway to a dark future? Violence.
Director, Writer, Producer: C.J. Williamson

The Look Away Life 24 Minutes DV Cam
CLOSING NIGHT FILM BLOCK
Thursday, October 19 – 7:00 pm
When Ben’s marital problems spiral too far out of his control, he enlists the help of the down-and-out April to serve as an unorthodox marriage counselor. Through their unique interactions he gains relief from the stresses of his marriage, but quickly finds that he has a fresh set of problems with his new acquaintance, April. The growing disparity between each of their desires and expectations leads to a climactic conflict, a break though and a broken heart. Language. Adult situations. Actress Heather Dilly won Best Actress in the Technical Awards Judging at the Long Island International Film Expo 2006.
Director, Producer Jonathan Sale
Screenwriter Heather Sale

Lower Than the Angels 2 Hour 4 Minutes DV Cam
Tuesday, October 17 – 7:00 pm
Lower Than the Angels 2 Hour 4 Minutes DV Cam
Tuesday, October 17 – 7:00 pm
Through a relationship with one woman, her special child, and two priests, Lower than the Angels explores the dual nature of man. Lena Crosetti experiences life in a sensual way, which can sometimes mask her deep spirituality. Her life’s work has become caring for her twelve-year-old daughter Angela, who has been in a persistent vegetative state for nine years. Claims that the child is performing miracles have reached the Bishop, who sends Father Clemente, a Jesuit priest, to investigate. All through his meetings with Lena and Father Dominica, the parish priest who remains loyal to her, Clemente remains steadfast in his belief that these claims of miracle healings are all a hoax. Pushing his investigation to the edge, and determined to discover what secrets Lena and Dominica are hiding, ultimately Father Clemente finds he has come to Lena and her miraculous daughter to confront his own demons and to discover his place as a priest and a man..
Language, sexual situations, nudity.
Director: Russ Camarda
Producer: Vicki Baum and Russ Camarda
Screenwriter: Linda Hanson and Russ Camarda

Man in the Basement 4:10 Min Mini DV
Opening Night Film Block
Monday, October 16 – 7:00 pm
You don’t have to be alive to get revenge on your wife! Simon reacts how any normal man would after being killed by his spouse’s lover Deke, he wills himself to come back and slaughter them both. Violence.
Director, Producer: Ritchie Steven Filippi
Writer: John Sowder, Ritchie Steven Filippi

New York Minute 4 Minutes Mini DV
Tuesday, October 17 – 7:00 pm
A man arrives home from work to find that his wife has been kidnapped. Her ransom is a daunting task that he must endure. Violence, language.
Director and Writer: Michael J. Arbouet
Producers: Larry Strong & Alan Spindel

No Rooms Lobby 19 Minutes DV Cam
Monday, October 16 – 9:30 pm
A poignant and tender portrait of a modern day Ulysses. In the far reaches of Rockaway New York, an ‘invisible’ man’s every move is scrutinized. The quadrants of the S.R.O.’s secreted camera follow Charlie as he glides into the post 9/11 early morning light, slowly pedalling to his appointed destinations. “Get off the road, you bum”, greets him, the first of many such “Good mornings”. All the lonely people…….
Director, Screenwriter, Producer: Robert Sarnoff

The Party 14 Min Mini DV
Monday, October 16 – 9:30 pm
Benjamin Pierce is a young consultant working in corporate America. He is fairly successful at what he does and accepts it as his calling in life. Till a chance meeting with a childhood friend, and an invitation to a party makes him reconsider. He meets
a young upcoming crowd, all of who seem to be living their dream and heading somewhere exciting in life. What follows next in this story deals with our inspirations to make choices in life and the path ahead when the basis for that inspiration is challenged.
Director, Screenwriter: Aditya Krishna
Producer: Aditya Krishna and Chetan Krishna

The Princess and the Warrior 35 Minutes DV Cam
Wednesday, October 18 – 7:00 pm
A timeless love story told through the eyes of a magickal gnome. Unbeknown to our princess Brianna she has a curse laid upon her head. She must find her one true love before her 21st day of birthday or be forever swept away into the fairy world. In the early morning hours on the start of her birthday she is kidnapped by a gnome named Anwann, and brought into the world between worlds. The only thing that can break the curse and release her from her prison is if she reveals the “name” of her one true to Anwann. The princess cannot reveal the name, because that name is of the most honorable and great warrior in the entire kingdom “Cullodina.”
Director: Thomas Viglietta
Producer: Johnnie Esposito

Public Bath 8 Minutes Mini DV
CLOSING NIGHT FILM BLOCK
Thursday, October 19 – 7:00 pm
Public Bath is about perspective, reflection, truth, time and choices. In Public Bath a little boy named Dori goes to a bathhouse with his father. In the beginning of the film he is like all little boys and is playing around in the water. Suddenly, he sees his future through a foggy mirror and what he sees changes his understanding of his relationship with his father.
Director: Tak Hoon Kim and In Pyo Hong
Producer and Writer: Tak Hoon Kim

Puppet 6:20min 35mm
Opening Night Film Block
Monday, October 16 – 7:00 pm
A young man fabricates a simple sock puppet, not knowing the abuse
the entity will soon inflict. Through an escalating series of
torture, the possessed puppet takes on the embodiment of fear,
chaos, and willful self-destruction.
Director, Producer: Patrick Smith

The Q 20 Minutes VHS
Tuesday, October 17 – 9:30 pm
Liliana’s life runs like clockwork. She decides to break the clock. One day she calls in sick to work. While playing hooky, she meets Clermont on the Q train. She follows him off the train and they spend the day enjoying the sights and sounds of New York City. At the end of the day they lose each other where they met the subway. Which begs the question can love be found and lost on the subway in one day? Will Liliana ever see Clermont again?
Director, Producer, Screenwriter, Germaine Lewis

Saying I Do 34 Minutes VHS
Thursday, October 19 – 4:15 pm
Decades after Stonewall, the gay community is fighting back again-this time over the right to marry. With director Jennifer A. Uihlein and Executive Producer Carol Stanger at the helm, “Saying I Do,” tells a parallel story of struggle and commitment; for one couple, the denial of same-sex marriages led them to propel a Massachusetts state Supreme Court ruling for equality in marriage; for the other, an antiquated New York statute prevents them from equal access under the law. An issue of moral obligation, New Paltz Mayor Jason West continues the social movement, marrying 25 same-sex couples in a small NY suburb. His actions are met with opposition, as he is charged with multiple counts of solemnizing marriages without a marriage license. Learn what their families mean in political, legal, and human terms and whether same-sex couples can count on winning this one for the future.
Director, Editor: Jennifer A. Uihlein
Executive Producer: Carol Stanger

SH-BOOM: Quest for the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame 45 Minute VHS
Wednesday, October 18 – 4:15 pm
A hybrid of documentaries “Buena Vista Social Club” and “Standing in the shadow of Motown”, “Sh-Boom, Quest for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame” is a story of “The Chords”, the legendary doo-wop group from the 50’s. “Buddy” McRae, the surviving member of the group takes us back in time to an urban tapestry of steamy summer nights where acappella groups roamed the streets like vampires with an insatiable thirst for a unique sound.
Director: Michael Guercio
Producer, Screenwriter: Frank Tumminia

The Study Lounge 14 Minutes Mini DV
Thursday, October 19 – 4:15 pm
College students make a movie about falling in love. Can fantasy become reality?
Director, Producer, Screenwriter: Brian Burstein

What’s For Dinner? 7 Minutes VHS
Tuesday, October 17 – 4:15 pm
A middle age man that visits his parent’s for dinner, but brings his lawyer and two officers as well for a dinner event they will never forget. To explain and arrest his parents for the early child years that his parents allowed him to be overweigh. A short comedy that brings the overweight situation we now have in America.
Director, Producer, Writer: Hilton Ariel Ruiz

White Collar 30 Minutes VHS
Tuesday, October 17 – 4:15 pm
White Collar is about two brothers who were not very close while they were growing up. Joey, the younger brother, was all over the streets in Brooklyn, and not such a nice guy- he would rob his own grandmother if he had the chance. On the other hand, his older brother Anthony sees the light and became a priest. When Joey gets killed, Anthony, the priest, seeks revenge, determined to find out who killed his brother Joey. Violence.
Director, Screenwriter: Rocco Ferraro
Producer: Paul Magliocco

Wings of Their Own 1Hour 22Minutes VHS
Tuesday, October 17 – 4:15 pm
From Kitty Hawk to Cape Canaveral, a few women have found “Wings of Their Own.” The Wright Brothers were taught to use tools by their mother, Susan. The first non-military midair refueling was done by Elinor Smith and Bobbi Trout. This is a video documentary in which over 180 women pilots tell their stories in their own words with no narration. It’s not about bravery; it’s not about saying, “no” to your dreams. Many are sharing their “home movies” for the first time. With only six exceptions, everyone you see and hear in the film is a licensed woman pilot, and we cover everyone from pleasure to airline to racing to military to helicopter and stunt pilots both current and historical. Each of these ordinary, extraordinary women decided to follow her dreams into the sky. Most are members of the Ninety-Nines, a woman pilot association founded by Fay Gillis Wells and Amelia Earhart among others 75 years ago at Curtiss Field on Long Island. You will see someone who looks like or sounds like someone you know, and she flies a plane.
Director: Mary Scott
Producer: Mary Scott and Abby Dress