#NFF2021 Tony Cox Short Screenplay SEMI-FINALISTS Announced!

Congratulations to our six Tony Cox Short Screenplay Semi-Finalists!

PLUNGE
by Lance Roger Axt

Marshawn is ready to jump back into the world of dating... or he will be once he extricates himself from the narrator "telling" his story...

BELATED
by Leah Chen Baker

An absent mother desperately attempts to win her young daughter's affection during a belated birthday celebration but risks straining the relationship further.

RECOVERY CHAIN
by Quamé Hamlin

After being evicted by his mother, a rebellious pre-teen must adapt to life with his distant father and his father’s new family.

THE SPRING MIX
by Nesa Syedun Huda

When 11-year-old Jameela's best friend gets her period for the first time, she embarks on a quest to learn about womanhood, something her parents and Islamic school are scared to discuss.

THE LITTLE MONSTER OF RAVENSWOOD MANOR
by Katherine Sainte Marie

An insolent child torments her family in an old English manor, but soon discovers the family harbors a dark and dangerous secret about their ancestral home.

AS TIME GOES BY
by John Martins III

A married couple realizes the hopes and dreams of their past are shattered by the present.

Short Film Lovers: Q&As with Short Narrative and Short Documentary Filmmakers

We have three fantastic short film programs at NFF NOW: AT HOME!

NARRATIVE SHORTS PROGRAM: FAMILY MATTERS
Values, love, and support are highlighted in this deep exploration of what a family looks like.
Films by Marco Baldonado & Walter Woodman, The Bragg Brothers, Rachel Harrison Gordon, Kantú Lentz, Chris Low, Will McCormack & Michael Govier

NARRATIVE SHORTS PROGRAM: HUMOR AND HONEY
Stories about the trials and potential of modern life, with a hint of sweetness.
Films by Cary Anderson, Chloé Atkas, Nira Burstein, Connor Hanney & Jamie Lewis, Sophie Kargman & Ryan Farhoudi, Eamonn Murphy, Deepak Sethi, Robert Summerlin & Tom Basis

DOCUMENTARY SHORTS PROGRAM: EXCELLENCE IN ACTION
Films that chronicle historic and contemporary commitments to breaking barriers.
Films by Chris Temple & Zach Ingrasci, Bill Nicoletti, Jenny Schweitzer Bell, Laurence Topham, & Charlie Tyrell

Take a look at these filmmaker interviews, and see their short films streaming online now through June 30 at NFF NOW: AT HOME! Sponsored by Eleish Van Breems.

Five Questions With… Kristian Mercado (PA’LANTE)

An estranged family in Puerto Rico tries to reconnect in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, in the narrative short film PA'LANTE by Writer/Director Kristian Mercado.

Listen as Kristian talks about the film, and see it in the "What I'm Looking For" block of short films on Sunday, June 23 at 11:30am!

Five Questions With... Bobby Pontillas (ONE SMALL STEP)

In the short animated film ONE SMALL STEP, we meet Meet Luna, a Chinese-American girl who dreams of becoming an astronaut.

Take a look at the video interview with writer/director Bobby Pontillas, and see the heartwarming film in the Kids Shorts block on Saturday, June 22 at 9am!

Five Questions With... Jim Picariello (PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE DADS)

In PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE DADS, two middle-aged dads want to spend a quiet day with their daughters at the park. When a group of teens drive by too fast and too loud, it spurs them into a self-righteous act.

Take a look at our video chat with Writer/Director Jim Picariello, and catch the film on Saturday, June 22 at 4:15pm!

Five Questions With... Raùl Robin Morales Reyes (A TIGER WITH NO STRIPES)

In A TIGER WITH NO STRIPES, playing in our Kids Shorts, a little tiger decides to take a long journey in search of his missing stripes.

Take a look at this video from director Raùl Robin Morales Reyes (and his tiger!), and see the film on Sat, June 22 at 9am!

Five Questions With... Brittany Snow (MILKSHAKE)

In MILKSHAKE, Natalie only wants her mother's approval. Her mother wants a big and different future for them both.

Listen to Writer/Director Brittany Snow talk about the film, playing in the "What I'm Looking For" block of short films on Sunday, June 23 at 11:30am!

Fun fact: you can also see Brittany as a presenter at our Screenwriters Tribute on Saturday at 6:30pm!

Five Questions With... Matt Kay (LITTLE MISS SUMO)

In LITTLE MISS SUMO, female sumo wrestling champion Hiyori confronts obstacles both inside and outside the ring in an attempt to change Japan's national sport forever.

We spoke to director Matt Kay about the film - check it out, and see the film at Nantucket Film Festival on Thurs, June 20 at 9am!

Five Questions With... Tim Wilkime (MILTON)

In MILTON, a guy makes a bad first impression when he meets his girlfriend’s family as they gather at her grandfather’s deathbed.

We spoke with Writer/Director Tim Wilkime about the film. The first screening is sold out, so catch the second in the Laugh Out Loud block on Sat, June 22 at 4:15pm!

NFF: Please say a little about your inspiration for the film.

TIM: Milton was based off of a personal experience I had watching my wife’s grandmother take her final breath in hospice. The family was in the room but they were catching up with each other so there were unaware of the grandmother’s passing. I had to break the news to them. It was a very surreal, uncomfortable and emotional experience but it all played out pretty normally. Years later, when I started writing shorts, I thought it would be funny to revisit that experience and write it as if it were an episode of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” but with a meek man that keeps putting his foot in his mouth.

NFF: Why (or how) do you use comedy to tell your story?

TIM: My background is in comedy directing so comedy is naturally where I go as a storyteller. Usually I work in sketch where the jokes and performances can be pretty broad but with Milton, being a dramedy, I wanted to ground the humor as much as possible. I thought if the comedy came from a honest and relatable place the emotional moments would be more impactful.

NFF: What do you find the biggest advantages and challenges of making a short as opposed to a feature?

TIM: One of the great things about shorts is that you can take bigger risks than with features. My short is pretty grounded in reality but I have kind of an abstracted ending that I don’t think I’d be able to get away with if this were a feature. Audiences embrace bold choices from a short because shorts don’t really have a traditional structure and set of rules that you have to follow. The biggest challenge with making a short is just putting the production together. You usually end up self-funding it and wearing a lot more hats than you’re used to. It can get discouraging at times but the key is just surrounding yourself with a team of people that believe in the project as much as you do.

NFF: What are you working on currently, and/or where can we see more of your work?

TIM: Currently I’m writing a feature that I hope to be making in the next year. I also directed two episodes of “Adam Ruins Everything” that will be airing later this year on TruTV. You can find my work at www.timwilkime.com.

NFF: Why are you excited to screen in Nantucket, and/or what do you hope Nantucket audiences might relate to or takeaway from the film?

TIM: As an audience member, there’s no better feeling than being in a theater full of people laughing. The hope is for MILTON to do that for the people of Nantucket. 

Five Questions With... Ron Eyal (THE THERAPIST)

In THE THERAPIST, an unstable therapist is haunted by his own issues while struggling with a challenging patient.

We spoke with writer/director Ron Eyal about his film playing tomorrow morning, on opening day of #NFF2019! Read more below, and check out the “Time Warp” short films at 10:30am at Bennett Hall!

NFF: Please say a little about your inspiration for the film.

RON: I'm fascinated by therapy and therapists. The power of empathy that a skilled therapist has should be an inspiration to any film director! I had a daydream about a troubled therapist who probably needs more help than his patients, though I can't say much more without spoiling some twists. My co-writer Eleanor Burke and I also took a lot of inspiration from our complicated relationships with our real-life mothers. (Love you, mom!)

NFF: Your film is in the "Time Warp" block. Are you nostalgic for the past, or hopeful for the future?

RON: Yeah, I'm a bit of a nostalgic guy. I have to admit that I love going to thrift stores and looking at old, mostly useless junk. I've got a  morbid streak too and I've thought a lot about the traces people leave behind with each other when they die, and how those traces make us fuller and amplify our instinct for connection.

NFF: What do you find the biggest advantages and challenges of making a short as opposed to a feature?

RON: Making this short was a great way for me to experiment and play with new ideas. It can still take a heck of a long time to make a longish short though, so I'm thinking for my next one I'll try to cram it all in under 5 minutes...

NFF: What are you working on currently, and/or where can we see more of your work?

RON: I'm currently developing THE THERAPIST for television.

NFF: Why are you excited to screen in Nantucket, and/or what do you hope Nantucket audiences might relate to or takeaway from the film?

RON: I'm so excited to screen in Nantucket. Even though the therapist in my short has an experience that's a bit out of the ordinary, I hope the audiences can feel a bit of themselves in the film too.