Inwood Art Works proudly announces the programming for its sixth annual Inwood Film Festival, to be held at Columbia University’s Campbell Sports Center in Inwood from May 23rd-26th, 2024. The festival includes 30 films, including 10 world premieres, along with seminars, post-show conversations with filmmakers, and plenty of special events. Details of the screenings and all the films are listed below.
The festival includes a special Opening Night Benefit on Thursday, May 23rd, at 6.30pm, featuring a special feature presentation of acclaimed documentary film, The Boys of Kingsbridge, and a post screening conversation with filmmaker Thom MacNamara, plus the “boys” Brendan Carroll, Danny McNally, and Mike Hussey and Inwood Art Works’ Founder and Executive Producer, Aaron Simms. Delicious food and beverages will be provided by Kingsbridge Social Club and Dyckman Beer Company.
Before and after the festival screenings, ticket holders can mingle in The Red-Carpet Community Room, a hip hub to connect filmmakers and audiences that is for the exclusive use of all Inwood Film Festival ticketed patrons before and after each screening. Enjoy a glass of wine or a Dyckman Beer and come to connect with neighbors before the show, stay afterward to discuss the films, meet like-minded folk, and hob-nob with local movers n’ shakers!
After the last screenings on each day there will be conversation with some of the day’s filmmakers. Following the final post-screening discussion, at approximately 5pm on Sunday, join us in the theater for the announcement of the Inwood Film Festival’s Annual Awards for Excellence in Filmmaking.
On both Friday & Saturday evenings you can join filmmakers, film aficionados, and the Inwood Art Works team to raise a glass to our Inwood community and its vibrant arts scene in the Red Carpet Community Room. And on Sunday after the awards ceremony you can join us for a Festival after party at Tubby Hook Tavern (4946 Broadway).
Once again we’ll also be hosting IFF+ as the online extension of the Inwood Film Festival. If there is one positive thing that we’ve learned from the Covid-19 pandemic, it is that our community exists beyond geographical borders. Our goal for IFF+ is to provide an alternative digital platform that celebrates, showcases, and enhances accessibility to the films of our fantastic local artists. Our hope is that these online festival screenings attract large and enthusiastic new audiences for local independent filmmakers.
The Inwood Film Festival is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Inwood Film Festival is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature. This program is funded in part by The Medical Center Neighborhood Fund.
Thanks to these organizations and all our local sponsors
Tickets and Location
$50 Festival Pass (Students $40*) — all access pass to all screenings May 24-26.
$85 Benefit Ticket ($125 on the day) — admission to Opening Night Benefit on May 23
$125 Benefit Ticket & Festival Pass – admission to Opening Night Benefit on May 23, and all access pass to all screenings May 24-26. No refunds or exchanges.
IFF+ Online Festival – $3 Single Tickets / $20 Festival Pass (on sale from May 1)
*Special discount for local students. Email info@inwoodartworks.nyc for promo code and attach proof of current student ID
Friday Program
Seminar: SAG-AFTRA Contracts for the Indie Creator
Learn the contracts available to you through SAG-AFTRA to empower you to make your film. Members of the SAG-AFTRA New York Local offer their expertise in everything contracts, budgeting, and creation. Q&A to follow.
Get to Eleven | Feature Film | Friday, 7:00pm
(60 minutes, plus a special post-screening conversation with filmmakers Padraic Lillis and David Quay.)
![Get to Eleven](https://www.inwoodartworks.nyc/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IFF7-Get-to-Eleven.jpg)
Directed by Dave Quay
Based on Padraic Lillis’ award-winning one man show, Get to Eleven blends live performance elements with narrative cinematic storytelling in an intimate conversation about suicide, addiction and the importance of sharing stories in our darkest moments.
On stage in performance, among friends in conversation, and in the streets and subways of New York City, Padraic offers his own story, and empowers his audiences to deepen their own relationship with life, mental health, and mortality.
Long Shorts: IFF Filmmaker Fund Shorts | Friday, 8:35pm
(77 minutes total screening time with post-screening filmmaker conversation and reception featuring Inwood Filmmaker Fund grantees.)
![This is Jane](https://www.inwoodartworks.nyc/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IFF7-This-is-Jane.jpg)
This is Jane. See Jane…, directed by Keena Gonzalez
In a world where women are second class citizens and sex education is no longer taught in school, Jane finds herself having to make the biggest decision of her life. There are only two choices – each having a consequence young Jane is unprepared to face.
![Alternate Side Parking](https://www.inwoodartworks.nyc/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IFF7-Alt-Side-Parking.jpg)
Alternate Side Parking, directed by Timothy Koch
On Isham Street, at Broadway, in the Inwood neighborhood of Upper Manhattan, Alternate Side Parking rules are in effect on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11:30am to 1:00pm. This is a story about those parked cars, and the people who move them.
![Condos](https://www.inwoodartworks.nyc/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IFF7-Condos.jpg)
Condos, directed by Dileepan Ganesan
Having received a sizable sum in a settlement from a construction accident, Gary decides to invest in a surefire money making scheme – real estate! But his endeavors get sidetracked by a steadfast obstacle – the long standing resident Melinda. Who will win in battle for the most prized New York City possession – the rent controlled apartment!
![Nana](https://www.inwoodartworks.nyc/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IFF7-Nana.jpg)
Nana, directed by Hillary Carrigan
A standing Sunday lunch is born after Nana invites herself to her granddaughter’s fifth floor walk-up.
![Puerto Rican Jew](https://www.inwoodartworks.nyc/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IFF7-Puerto-Rican-Jew.jpg)
Puerto Rican Jew, directed by Louis Carrasco
A man finds out he is half Jewish after taking a DNA test.
Saturday Program
Seminar: Budgeting, or Telling Story of your Film through Numbers
Before you make your movie, you need make a budget! Do you know how to tell the story of your film through numbers? Join Founder and Executive Producer of Inwood Art Works, Aaron Simms, as he shares the essential financial considerations all filmmakers need to account for before they shoot their first frame.
Long Shorts: Dancing Beyond the Boundaries of Realty | Saturday, 1:35pm
(45 minutes total screening time, plus a special post-screening filmmaker conversation)
![Resurrection](https://www.inwoodartworks.nyc/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IFF7-Resurrection.jpg)
Resurrection, directed by Anna Tan
Filmed in J. Hood Wright Park located in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City, this film portrays the jarring reality of integrating back into society in a search to find “normalcy” after isolating and quarantining during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. What was once mundane and routine may suddenly feel uncomfortable and unsettling, especially in navigating boundaries in both the public and private spheres. Nevertheless, this piece also seeks to provide a sense of hopefulness and optimism in that our communities will continue to be resilient and thrive.
![Opening Ceremony](https://www.inwoodartworks.nyc/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IFF7-Open-Ceremony.jpg)
Opening Ceremony, directed by Manon Manavit
An experimental dance film that invites viewers to interpret it as if it were a dream. It revolves around a chance encounter between a dancer and a businessman in New York City, a portal that opens them to new experiences, and the bizarre characters they encounter along the way, inspired by the free-wheeling and spontaneous style of French New Wave cinema. Starring Rishi Mukherjee and Sloka Iyengar, with an original musical score by Matt Burkett. Dance director: Julia Bengtsson. Get ready for a wild ride!
![The Gorgon Cycles](https://www.inwoodartworks.nyc/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IFF7-The-Gorgon-Cycles.jpg)
The Gorgon Cycles, directed by Miles Inada, Devyn McConachie, Tessa Brinckman
The Gorgon Cycles is an animated fever dream – an intricately layered invocation for the return of the long-banished visionary, Medusa. Built around a mesmerizing original score for alto flute and electronica, with a supporting cast of fish, snakes, dinosaurs, a cat, a monkey, and a magician, The Gorgon Cycles is a statement of violent optimism –- a contemplation of life on the brink of global catastrophe.
![Stay With Me](https://www.inwoodartworks.nyc/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IFF7-Stay-With.jpg)
Stay With Me, directed by Ben Stamper
Inspired by Internal Family Systems therapy, this film follows one urbanite encountering their disassociation, anxiety, workaholism, and depression personified. This individual draws near to each hurting part through the award-winning lens of film-maker Ben Stamper.
Short Shorts | Saturday, 7:00pm
(46 minutes total screening time, plus post-screening conversation with filmmakers)
![Check Please](https://www.inwoodartworks.nyc/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IFF7-Check_Please.jpg)
Check Please, directed by Victor Mignatti, Scott T. Hinson
Check Please, with its playful nod to silent comedies, is a very short short that recounts an IRL flirtation gone the way of the dating app.
![Self Love](https://www.inwoodartworks.nyc/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IFF7-Self-Love.jpg)
Self Love, directed by Montgomery Sutton
Based on Shakespeare’s Sonnet 62, a celebrity explores the extremes of her own self-love on a journey to discover what truly matters to her.
![The Pillow Case](https://www.inwoodartworks.nyc/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IFF7-Pillow-Case.jpg)
The Pillow Case, directed by Elias R Connolly
Two roommates struggle to sleep in the middle of the night, oblivious to the nefarious presence that is among them.
![Hairpiece](https://www.inwoodartworks.nyc/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IFF7-Hairpiece.jpg)
Hairpiece, directed by Jamie Ruddy
Two kids knock off their father’s toupee in a pillow fight and believe they murdered him. Based on a true story about a dysfunctional family in 1983.
![Bald](https://www.inwoodartworks.nyc/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IFF7-Bald.jpg)
Bald, directed by Andrew Sanford
Is there a connection between hair and identity? Bald is a short film about one woman’s journey of self-acceptance.
![The Late Set](https://www.inwoodartworks.nyc/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IFF7The-Late-Set.jpg)
The Late Set, directed by Bren Patrick Burke
In the wake of the pandemic, a jazz musician struggles to win back the affections of a former bandmate who’s life and career have moved on.
![Josh and Lyla go to Dinner](https://www.inwoodartworks.nyc/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IFF7-Josh-and-Lyla.jpg)
Josh and Lyla go to Dinner, directed by Dylan Tuccillo
Their first date begins like any other, but ends in a free-for-all of embarrassing truths.
![This is Inwood](https://www.inwoodartworks.nyc/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IFF7-This-is-Inwood.jpg)
This is Inwood, directed by Carlos V Lample
A born and bred New Yorker takes you on a personal and historical tour of the Inwood/Washington Heights neighborhoods of NYC.
![Solitude](https://www.inwoodartworks.nyc/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IFF7-Solitude.jpg)
Solitude, directed by Yuyun Xiaoping MacAllister, Iryna Ignatenko
A study on paranoia goes awry, leading to a sinister delve into the thoughts and anxieties of the subject.
![The Duplicate](https://www.inwoodartworks.nyc/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IFF7-Duplicate.jpg)
The Duplicate, directed by Hamilton Beck
While taking a stroll in the rain, a woman is followed by a familiar face.
Long Shorts – Finding, Bonding, and Belonging | Saturday, 8:35pm
(67 minutes total screening time, plus post-screening conversation with filmmakers)
![City of Dreamz](https://www.inwoodartworks.nyc/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IFF7-City-of-Dreamz.jpg)
City of Dreamz, directed by Imani Celeste
City of Dreamz follows four Black art students telling stories of community, divine intervention, and the artistry that led them to this very moment…smoking weed in a cramped NYC apartment trying not to get caught.
![Fundamental Shapes](https://www.inwoodartworks.nyc/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IFF7-Fundamental-Shapes.jpg)
Fundamental Shapes, directed by Colin Alistair Campbell
Jacob, an unemployed actor, stumbles into an unusual gig: nude figure model for a fine arts class. When his next-door neighbor turns up, he must find a way to keep his identity hidden, and their budding romance intact. A gentle romantic comedy about vulnerability, surprising coincidences, and the unexpected ways we find love.
![Un Bizcocho Para Mi (A Cake for Me)](https://www.inwoodartworks.nyc/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IFF7-Un-Biz.jpg)
Un Bizcocho Para Mi (A Cake for Me), directed by Yuby Hernandez
This is an essay film about two women’s journeys into their art. A mother and her cake business, and a daughter as she becomes a filmmaker.
![Suspicious Minds](https://www.inwoodartworks.nyc/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IFF7-Suspicious-Minds.jpg)
Suspicious Minds, directed by Imelda O’Reilly
A romance at a trippy Halloween rave goes wrong… Lola’s public breakup is disrupted when an Elvis impersonator comes to the rescue. Sharing confidences and ghosts from their past, they reminisce about their homeland and discover meaning in their newly shared bond.
![Dummy](https://www.inwoodartworks.nyc/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IFF7-Dummy.jpg)
Dummy, directed by Lukas Hassel
Dummy is a thrilling short about inanimate objects. Bill is a recent divorcee whose life goes from mundane to surreal when a respiratory dummy named Anne seemingly “follows” him home from work. What starts as a magical intervention turns into a slow burn nightmare. Winner of the 2021 HollyShorts Screenwriting Competition.
Sunday Program
Long Shorts: Uptown – Criminal Intent | Short films under 25 minutes | Sunday, 1:35pm
(60 minutes total screening time, plus special post-screening conversation with filmmakers)
![Honest Work](https://www.inwoodartworks.nyc/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IFF7-Honest-Work.jpg)
Honest Work (Student Film), directed by Kermis Batista
A chance encounter between a vulnerable hipster and a charismatic hustler goes awry when a vial of white powder gets involved. Set against the pulsating background of an underground music show, Honest Work is a darkly comic look into the pits of hedonistic pursuit.
![On Point](https://www.inwoodartworks.nyc/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IFF7-On-Point.jpg)
On Point (Student Film), directed by Christian Schifano
On a summer night in Harlem, Amy and Natalie wait for an Uber to go to a party downtown. While they wait, Amy enters a bodega to buy a vape where she is suddenly interrupted by a man who feels he has a point to prove.
![Mangu Aqui 2](https://www.inwoodartworks.nyc/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IFF7-Mangu-Aqui.jpg)
Mangu Aqui 2, directed by Luke Bond
We follow Roberto during his teen years in New York City where he faces different obstacles.
Robin Hood | Feature Film | Sunday, 3:35pm
(Student Film from Pied Piper Children’s Theater, 60 minutes, plus a special post-screening conversation with filmmakers, Joe and Leslie Burby)
![Robin Hood](https://www.inwoodartworks.nyc/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/IFF7-Pied-Piper-Robin-Hood-LAURELS.jpg)
Directed by Leslie Kincaid Burby
In this retelling of the ancient legend, you’ll meet Robin, Marian, Will Scarlett, Friar Tuck, and the merry band as you’ve never seen them before. Can this clever band of thieves with hearts of gold foil the Sheriff of Nottingham and his men in their evil plans, and bring peace and prosperity to Sherwood?
2024 Awards for Excellence in Filmmaking | Sunday, 5:00pm | FREE, all are welcome!
The Festival Spirit Continues on IFF+
Friday, May 23 to Sunday, June 12, IFF+ Exclusive Online only Screening of One for the Ages, six stories about relationships between the very old and the very young, with live music and dance, directed by Julia Bengtsson.
Online only Festival Programming – On demand Sunday, May 26 through Sunday, June 16. Tickets on sale beginning May 1.
In case you missed anything, you can watch all the Festival films at IFF+, the online extension of the Inwood Film Festival. Our goal for IFF+ is to provide an alternative digital platform that celebrates, showcases, and enhances accessibility to the films of our fantastic local artists. Our hope is that these online festival screenings attract large and enthusiastic new audiences for local independent filmmakers.