Film Fest Schedule

*Schedule is subject to change. Visit FilmFestival.Jacksonville.com for daily updates.

Like Dandelion Dust
Opening Night Film. Directed by Jon Gunn, 100 min. Thurs, May 14, 8 p.m. at The Florida Theatre
Based on the best selling novel by Karen Kingsbury.
Jack and Molly Campbell, portrayed by award-winning Mira Sorvino, enjoyed an idyllic life with their adopted 6-year-old son, Joey. One phone call shatters their world when they learn Joey’s biological father has just been released from prison and discovered a loop hole in the adoption papers and now lays claim to his son. He wants to start a new life by taking back his son. When a judge upholds the biological father’s claim, Molly and Jack learn they must give Joey over to this brutal man, so they devise a plan. How far would you go to protect your family?

The Magistical
Directed by Daniel Oakley and John M. Cernak, 84 min, animation. Fri, May 15, 6 p.m. at The 5 Points Theatre
In order to protect and preserve all precious life, The Magistical creates a spell, which grants immortality to the last remaining of every type of creature. A powerful and evil Draken sees an opportunity to use the spell to further her ambitions to rule the world. Soon there is only one last obstacle to her evil ambitions, a helpless, baby Draken cub named Knot, who is protected by the Magistical and a little helper, Foible. A battle ensues, turning the Draken to stone, only to have the spell broken by an evil King. It is the determination of little Foible and his loyalty to Knot, that gives him the courage to face and defeat the evil Draken.

Hunger
Directed by Steven Hentges, Fri, May 15, 9 p.m. at The 5 Points Theatre
An exploration into the breakdown of humanity. How far would you go to survive in the most extreme of circumstances? Five strangers awake to ?nd themselves trapped in an underground dungeon. They soon realize they are the subjects of one man’s sadistic experiment to test the depths of a human being’s will to survive. As the days go by with no means of escape, their hunger increases as their humanity fades away.

400 Years of the Telescope
Directed by Kris Koenig, 57 min, Documentary. Fri, May 15 & Sat, May 16, 3:30 p.m. at the Museum of Science and History
Beautifully photographed in 4K digital cinematography, the film is a visually stunning chronicle of the history of the telescope from the time of Galileo, its profound impact upon the science of astronomy, and how both shape the way we view ourselves in the midst of an infinite universe. This film features interviews with leading astrophysicists and cosmologists from the world’s renowned universities and observatories, who explain concepts ranging from Galileo’s act of revealing the cosmos with a simple telescope, to the latest discoveries in space, including startling new ideas about life on other planets and dark energy, a mysterious vacuum energy that is accelerating the expansion of the universe.

House of Numbers
Directed by Brent W. Leung, 88 min, Documentary. Sat, May 16, 10 a.m. at The 5 Points Theatre
What is HIV? What is AIDS? What is being done to cure it? These questions sent filmmaker Brent Leung on a worldwide journey, from the highest echelons of the medical research establishment to the slums of South Africa, where death and disease are the order of the day. In this documentary, he observes that although AIDS has been front-page news for over 27 years, it is barely understood. Leung reveals a research establishment in disarray, and health policy gone tragically off course. He gains access to a remarkable array of the most prominent and influential figures in the field, such as the co- discoverers of HIV, presidential advisors, Nobel laureates and the Executive Director of UNAIDS, as well as survivors and activists.

The Best of International Shorts Films
Films produced in Spain, Brazil, Russia, Germany, Holland and Colombia, 98 min Sat, May 16, 1:30 p.m. at The 5 Points Theatre

Chatarunga
Directed by Suman Mukhopadyay, 125min. Sat, May 16, 4 p.m. at The 5 Points Theatre
Chaturanga is the story of a love that is caught between conflicting worlds of ideas. The lead protagonist Sachish fleets from radical positivism to religious mysticism in his quest for life’s meaning. However, his search ultimately yields nothing but crushing disillusionment. This is because he cannot square his abstract ideals with the powerful presence of two women in his life. One of them is Damini, a young Hindu widow, and the other is Nanibala, the abandoned mistress of Sachish’s own brother

Paraiso Travel
Directed by Simon Brand, 110 min. Sat, May 16, 6:30 p.m. at The 5 Points Theatre.
Adapted from Jorge Franco’s acclaimed novel of the same title, which has broken box-office records in Colombia, is the story of Marlon Cruz, a young Colombian man. Motivated by his girlfriend Reina, he leaves his comfortable life in Medellin and flees with her through Guatemala and Mexico, across the borders, illegally into the United States. Marlon’s journey, which takes him through seedy strip clubs, dance halls, homeless hostels, and the streets of Jackson Heights, ultimately takes him to a place he could not have predicted. Also starring John Leguizamo, Margarita Rosa de Francisco, and Ana de la Reguera.

Saturday Bloody Saturday
A collection of some of the best short horror films. 80 min. Sat, May 16, 9:30 p.m. at The 5 Points Theatre

Everything Bad Is Good
Directed by Len Richmond, 60 min, Documentary. Sun, May 17, 10 a.m. at The 5 Points Theatre
Len Richmond, Award-winning BBC filmmaker, interviews survivors of cancer, AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses who, after being given a death sentence by conventional doctors, went on to heal themselves solely with natural means. Richmond also speaks to renegade medical doctors, Ayurvedic healers and Chinese herbalists who firmly believe that there is another way, a better way. “Everything Bad is Good,” is an entertaining, witty one-hour documentary that captures an exciting new movement that’s transforming the way people think about their health and mortality. This film may save your life. Certain to be attacked by the medical establishment and pharmaceutical interests, “Everything Bad is Good” is a daring work of art and revolution.

The Best of USA Shorts
Some of the best of Independent short films made in the USA. 118 min. Sun, May 17, Noon at The 5 Points Theatre

Racing Dreams
Directed by Marshall Curry, 93 min, Documentary. Sun, May 17, 2 p.m. The 5 Points Theatre
Follow the lives of three young children, Annabeth, Josh, and Brandon, as they compete for the World Karting Association’s National Championship. Clocking speeds of up to 70 mph in extreme racing karts, these young racers hope to follow the scores of great NASCAR drivers who got their start in racing’s version of Little League. As they race their way through the yearlong Championship series, they also navigate the treacherous road between childhood and young adulthood. In intimate, heartfelt moments-some dark, some funny-we see them battle with family dysfunction and economic hardships, celebrate young romance, and struggle to figure out who they are.

The Day After Peace
Directed by Jeremy Gilley, 82 min, Documentary. Sun, May 17, 4:30 p.m. at The 5 Points Theatre
“The Day After Peace” charts the remarkable 10-year journey taken by award-winning filmmaker Jeremy Gilley to establish a Day of Peace on September 21. Gilley galvanizes the countries of the world to recognize this as an official day of ceasefire and non-violence. After the official motion is unanimously adopted in the UN, Gilley turns his efforts to implementing the ideals of Peace Day around the world with celebrity support from Angelina Jolie, Jonny Lee Miller and corporate support from Puma, Coca-Cola, Ben & Jerry’s and Ecover enhances the momentum. Gilley’s persistence is rewarded when UNICEF, the World Health Organization and local affected communities try and use the Day to carry out a mass vaccination against Polio, in Afghanistan. Jeremy asks Jude Law to accompany him to help persuade the government and insurgents to ratify Peace Day. The task seems impossible, but pure human spirit in a country exhausted with conflict, may just win through.

The Reluctant Traveler
Directed by Marco Orsini, 62 min, Documentary. Sun, May 17, 7 p.m. at The 5 Points Theatre
When Marco’s partner organized a scholarly, month-long trek across northern Ethiopia for himself and a few old friends, Marco wished him “good luck and God-speed.” Then, when illness prevented his partner’s participation, Marco had to step in and take over. Now, instead of his usual tour of ski resorts and ?lm festivals, this Independent writer-director is taking a journey out of his comfort zone into the unfamiliar and immense richness of a poor country. Where Borat meets Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom (without animals), Marco encounters the extraordinary people, history and architecture of the world’s oldest country and discovers the unexpected challenges of group-travel, cultural difference and total communication deprivation.

Dream Boy
Directed by James Bolton, Sun, May 17, 9 p.m. at The 5 Points Theatre
An independent coming-of-age story, Nathan is a shy and awkward teenager who has moved to a small town in Louisiana with his father Harland and mother Vivian. Nathan is attracted to other boys, but has had a hard time coming to terms with his sexuality after years of being abused by his father. Living next door is Roy, who attends the same high school. Nathan is infatuated with Roy, and one day while doing homework together he discovers Roy is also interested in him. On a camping trip with school friends, the other boys wander why Nathan and Roy insist on sharing a tent, raising the question of their sexuality.

The Least of These
Directed by Clark Lyda & Jesse Cunningham, 61 min, Documentary. Mon, May 18, 6 p.m. at The 5 Points Theatre
“The Least of These,” a documentary that explores one of the most controversial aspects of American immigration policy: family detention. The film leads viewers to consider how core American rights and values – due process, presumption of innocence, upholding the family structure as the basic unit of civil society, and America as a refuge of last resort – should apply to immigrants, particularly children.

In the Shadow of Hollywood: Race Movies and the Birth of Black Cinema
Directed by Andy Streitfeld, 60 min, Documentary. Mon, May 18, 8:30 p.m. at The 5 Points Theatre
They were called race movies: films produced during the first half of the 20th century as a direct response to Hollywood’s negative portrayal of Blacks in cinema. Race movies starred all-Black casts, were intended for all-Black audiences and were often the work of pioneer Black filmmakers, like Oscar Micheaux and Spencer Williams. Unfortunately, all but a fraction of the 500 race movies made were lost. Now the era of early Black cinema has been resurrected in this haunting new documentary. Featuring footage of recently rediscovered race movies, “In the Shadow of Hollywood” captures the sounds and images of a bygone era, profiles the fascinating lives and careers of Black filmmaking pioneers and screen stars, and explores the lasting legacy of this misunderstood and nearly forgotten film genre.

Herskovitz: At the Heart of Blackness
Florida Premiere. Directed by Llewellyn Smith, 60 min, Documentary. Tues, May 19, 6 p.m. at The 5 Points Theatre
Before Melville Herskovits, white intellectuals called the culture of “American Negroes” “pathological”. Herskovits “mainstreamed” the idea that Black American culture was not a distorted version of white culture, but a dynamic expression of Africa. Yet as a Jew, Herskovits himself often struggled to find his own place in an anti-Semitic America. This documentary combines rarely seen archival footage, including film shot by Herskovits in West Africa in the 30-40s, together with interviews of leading scholars of race and culture such as Kwame Anthony Appiah, Vince Brown and Johnnetta Cole. Original animation and dramatic ‘photo-collage’ re-enactments propel the viewer on a surprising intellectual journey between the historical and contemporary.

Anywhere USA
Directed by Chusy Jardine, 123 min. Tues, May 19, 8:30 p.m. at The 5 Points Theatre
In a trailer, a woman who used to be an alternate on her high school tennis team beats her boyfriend senseless once a week. Meanwhile, an eight-year-old girl experiences an awakening that makes her wonder if the guy next door driving the ’89 Subaru is, in fact, the guy she thinks he is. On the other side of the tracks, Kobe beefsteaks and manicured gardens go hand in hand, a man of privilege has an epiphany at the dinner table that ultimately leads to a contusion and a revelation. Told in three subtly related segments, featuring a cast of mostly non-professionals and exploring passive racism, geo-political vagaries, good intentions, faith and disappointment, this deeply personal film manages to tread the lines between vulgar and humane, between absurd and tender, and finds its heart in the story segment featuring the director’s own daughter and a man living in a van.

The Best of Florida and Jacksonville Student Shorts

Short films from Universities and High Schools throughout Florida. 114 min. Wed, May 20, 6 p.m. at The 5 Points Theatre

The Best of Florida and Jacksonville Shorts

Some of the best short Independent films Florida has to offer. 117 min. Wed, May 20, 8:30 p.m. at The 5 Points Theatre

Kisses
Closing Night Film. Directed by Lance Daly, 75 min. Thurs, May 21, 7:30 p.m. at The 5 Points Theatre
On the fringes of Dublin, two kids, Kylie and Dylan, live in a suburban housing estate devoid of life, colour and the prospect of escape. Kylie lives with five other siblings and her overworked mother. Next door, Dylan lives in the shadow of an alcoholic father and the memory of an elder brother who ran away from home two years earlier. After a violent altercation with his father, Dylan runs away from home and Kylie decides to run away with him. Together they make their way to the magical nighttime lights of inner city Dublin, to search for Dylan’s brother, and in the hope of finding, through him, the possibility of a new life.