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Comedy Shorts

3pm Saturday September 19

All film screenings will take place at the Edmond Town Hall Theater located at 45 Main Street, Newtown, CT 06470.  All screenings are completely free and open to the public, we hope to see you there!
This comedy program includes a rom-com about a crossword puzzle writer, a mockumentary about a quirky hunter, and an beat-driven journey into the bizarre world of German cat shows. Along the way, we’ll meet characters like the under-appreciated BFF, a performance artist/social activist fighting rampant consumerism in the U.S. and the intern trying to make it in the dog-eat-dog world of film.  57 mins

Recommended for ages 13 and up due to mild language.
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Redcap

US PREMIERE
A short British mockumentary following Brian Fitzgerald, an extremely specialized pest controller as he tracks down a particularly troublesome forest creature through the gardens of Cheltenham England

Runtime: 8:14 mins
Directors Peter Coulthard
Writers Peter Coulthard, Izaac Tailford
Producers Izaac Tailford
Key Cast Tony Manders
Director of Photography Nathan Miller
Sound Recordist Daniel Ginn-Smith
Art Director Matthew Powell
Editor Ben Wilkinson

About the Filmmaker

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A Director/Production designer who studied at the university of Gloucestershire and is graduating with a first in December 2015. Currently working in art departments across the UK including the NFTS while writing more ideas. Enjoys coming up with unusual and off the wall comedies, fantasies and sci-fi's on extremely small budgets.


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The Milkman

The story of a local English milkman

Runtime: 6:40 mins
Directors Joe Bor
Daniel Berg
Writers Joe Bor
Howard Cohen
Producers Howard Cohen
Key Cast Joe Bor
Nick Helm
Rachel Stubbings

About the Filmmaker

Howard Cohen is a writer/producer whose worked on shows for the BBC, C4 and ITV. His short film work has been nominated for awards around the world.
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One Down Two Across

EAST COAST PREMIERE
When a down-on-his-luck crossword puzzle writer meets the girl of his dreams, he attempts to cross paths with her again through the only way he knows how.

Runtime: 6 mins
Directors Joseph Yao
Writers Joseph Yao
Producers Alexandra Farah
Key Cast Zack Taylor Carson

About the Filmmaker

Joseph started making short films for his church youth group when he was 13. A few of those shorts began gaining recognition, and when he was 17, he won first place at the youth division of the Seattle International Film Festival for his short, "The Million Dollar Watch". Having grown up in a family of five, he endeavors to one day make family-friendly films for the big screen. He is currently in his fourth-year as a Film Production major at the University of Southern California.
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About the Filmmaker

Melissa Sadoff Oren’s career has its origins in theater. While studying at Emory University, she wrote and directed several original pieces in conjunction with Theater Emory. In Los Angeles, Melissa has written and directed numerous plays including WE JUST MOVED IN, a full-length play of monologues.

Melissa, along with her husband, Benjamin, produced the web series, FRENTS, with Fremantle Media, that they co-wrote and Melissa directed. They wrote the second season of Alloy Entertainment’s online series, FIRST DAY, and they wrote a freelance episode of STATE OF GEORGIA for ABC Family/ABC Studios.

Their short film, THE BEST FRIEND, which they co-wrote and Melissa directed, has been accepted to several festivals all around the world, including the 2014 Sedona International Film Festival, the 2014 Phoenix Film Festival, and the 2014 Newport Beach Film Festival. THE BEST FRIEND won the Audience Choice Award at the 2014 Brooklyn Girl Film Festival.





The Best Friend

CONNECTICUT PREMIERE
Ellen has been the loyal BFF to All-American girl Kate since, well, forever. She’s there when Kate meets the guy, when Kate needs help figuring out whether she should go for the guy and especially when Kate hits rock bottom thinking that true love will never come her way. The rest of the time? Ellen just waits ‘til she’s needed again...

But after Ellen’s very existence is called into question following a lonely Chinese meal gone bad, she needs to decide whether to take the advice she always enthusiastically gives Kate: “If you want it, go for it!"

Runtime:  12 mins
Directors Melissa Sadoff Oren
Writers Benjamin Oren, Melissa Sadoff Oren
Producers Megan Galizia , Ezra Dweck
Key Cast
Mimi Gianopulos
Baby Dady, What To Expect When You're Expecting
Kim Shaw Animals, I Just Want My Pants Back
Andy Milder Weeds
Jordan Black Community
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Meet Celeste Bortnick

US PREMIERE
This mockumentary explores the lifestyle of a performance artist fighting against consumerism in America.

Runtime: 4:24 mins
Directors Abbey Sacks
Writers Abbey Sacks
Key Cast Karenna Lief

About the Filmmaker

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Abbey Sacks is an artist from the Seattle area who will attend Calarts next year for Experimental Animation. She is passionate about experimenting with art across many different mediums and meeting individuals who share this passion.

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Fizzled

Time is running out for George to ask the girl of his dreams to the biggest party of the year - the Collins High School Sock Hop.

Runtime: 5:42 mins
Directors Caroline Friend
Writers Caroline Friend
Producers Luke Willis
Key Cast John Patrick Maddock
Lauren Bray
Evan Henderson
Moe Sleeper
Cinematographer Adrian Ehlman
Editor Adrian Ehlman

About the Filmmaker

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Caroline is a creative storyteller with a passion for bringing the past to life through documentaries and short films. Her interest in movies started at the age of 7 when she picked up the family camcorder. Since then she has written, directed, and edited over 50 short films that have been screened at competitions and festivals across the country. In 2011 she was recognized in Washington D.C. for a Historical Documentary she created on the Trent Affair, a diplomatic incident during the Civil War. Recently, she won the Grand Prize at the Shoah Foundation's annual film competition for her documentary on Holocaust Survivor Helen Lewis.

Caroline moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dream of becoming a director and is currently studying Film and TV Production at the USC School of Cinematic Arts.



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The Elevator Pitch

EAST COAST PREMIERE
A fourth-wall breaking trip through the film industry, featuring a plucky intern struggling to get to the top...

Runtime: 2:50 mins
Directors Simon Ryninks
Writers Zak Klein Deleting Emily, The Followed
Producers Tibo Travers Deleting Emily, Happy Hour, Cerberus
Key Cast Ronan Raftery Fresh Meat, Moone Boy,
Nigel Betts Doctor Who, The Wrong Mans
Andy Frame London Road, Broken

About the Filmmaker

Simon Ryninks is a freelance filmmaker and theatre director from North London.

Simon has directed music videos for the UK’s biggest labels including Polydor and Transgressive, he's directed for the BBC, and as an independent he's made two short films, The Elevator Pitch and Red Onions, both of which were named Finalists at 2014's Sundance London Short Film Competition.

In 2014 he was nominated for the IMdB New Filmmaker Award. As well as being officially selected for festivals around the world, The Elevator Pitch was the opening film of the London Short Film Festival and it received a Vimeo Staff Pick, quickly gaining over 80,000 views. His upcoming short film, The Block, is funded by The IdeasTap Shorts Fund.

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Kratzbaum

EAST COAST PREMIERE
The documentary music video observes the everyday life at different cat shows around Germany.

Runtime: 3:16 mins
Directors Simon Glass
Writers Simon Glass

About the Filmmaker

Born 1986 in Düsseldorf (Germany). Undergrated Studies at the academy of media arts Cologne (2008 - 2014). Since 2015 self-employed screenwriter and director. 
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