17th Annual Chesapeake Film Festival

The 17th annual Chesapeake Film Festival continues in Easton at the historic Ebenezer Theater September 27-29 with a celebration of the very best in independent filmmaking with almost 40 films and panel discussions from filmmakers throughout the world.

Schedule:

12 Noon - 1:45PM

Opening Day Film - Call Me Dancer
Sponsored by Maryland State Arts Council.

Cid Collins Walker, Executive Director: Welcome and Introduction to Guests & Films

Call Me Dancer - Documentary Feature, TRT: 84 min
USA - directed by Leslie Shampaine and Pip Gilmour - Manish, a young and talented street dancer from the City of Dreams, Mumbai. He struggles against his parents’ insistence that he follow a traditional path because they depend on their son’s support. When he accidentally walks into an inner-city dance school and encounters a curmudgeonly 70-year old Israeli ballet master, a hunger develops within him. Ambitious and passionate, Manish is now determined to make it as a professional dancer, but the odds are stacked against him.

2:00 PM - 4:15 pm

Cid Collins Walker - 15:00 of Q & A with director Leslie Shampaine, 2024 Women of Impact Award

Short Film Block - “A Tapestry of Vignettes”

Ted Adams: Welcome and Introduction to Guests & Films

Dear Josephine - Documentary Short - Maryland Premiere or Spotlight on Maryland - TRT: 10 min - USA directed by Amber Monet - Josephine Baker was a global icon known for her iconic banana dance, but what many may not have know is how much Ms. Baker contributed to what we know today as classical ballet. The film is executive produced by Terra Renee, produced by Chef Ashbell and Terence Gordon.

Interception: Jayne Kennedy, American Sportscaster - Documentary Short - TRT: 15 min - USA directed by Safiya Songhai. When a bronze-skin bombshell rocks the world of Sunday Morning Football, millions tune in...but few know the tumultuous story of Jayne Kennedy, the first Black woman to boldly run interception on the racial lines of American sportscasting.

Noisy - Narrative Short - TRT: 10:04 - USA directed by Cedric Hill. Sam gets on the subway to get home. He catches the eye of April. The two of them discover
they have way more in common than where they’re heading. Sometimes you need a noisy place to have a quiet conversation.

Superman Doesn’t Steal - Narrative Short - TRT: 19:00 - USA directed by Tamika Lamison. Based on true events this is a coming of age story, set during the 1970’s as seen through the eyes of 9 year old Harriet & her brother, who are fascinated with superheroes. However, when they experience a troubling series of events, the impact on their family leaves emotional scars and causes them both to grow up as they redefine their understanding of heroes, villains and Superman.

Every Monday Night - Documentary Short - TRT: 10:36 min - USA Directed by Nate Houghteling - In Berkeley, California, a group of men in their 70s and 80s work out some of life’s biggest questions on the basketball court.

Losing Blue, TRT: 15:34 min - Canada - directed by Leanne Allison - explores the profound concept of losing a color, particularly focusing on the disappearance of the unique blues found in glacier-fed alpine lakes. These mesmerizing hues, shaped by geological processes over millions of years, are now under threat due to
climate change. Through stunning cinematography, the film serves as a metaphor for the broader impacts of environmental degradation.

Special Screening- MPT - TRT: 26:46 min - Racing Rivals -- Elegant and agile, propelled by outsized sails offset by nimble crew serving as human ballast, the iconic racing fleet of Chesapeake Bay log canoes embodies tradition, speed and grace. On breezy summer weekends, those that restore, race, and revere them are out to win, but not at the expense of these unique vessels. Racing Rivals: Log Canoes of Chesapeake Bay introduces us to this uniquely Chesapeake sport and the passionate sailors vying for coveted trophies.

Ted Adams: Filmmaker Q & A - Sarah Sampson, Senior Producer, MPT, Amber Monet, Cedric Hill, Safiya Songhai

5:30 - 7:00PM - VIP Reception and All Live Screenings

7:30 - 9:30 PM

Environmental Films Opening Night - Sponsored by The Nature Conservancy - “A Lens on Nature”

Martin Zell Welcome and Introduction to Guests & Films

Chesapeake Rhythms - Environmental Short - World Premiere TRT: 8 min USA - directed by Dave Harp and written by Tom Horton. A magnificent celebration of the native trumpet swans who migrate to the marshes of the Eastern Shore.

Diary of an Elephant Orphan - Documentary Feature - TRT: 105 min -- South Africa - directed by Hermien Roelvert-Van Gils - Over the past decade, Southern Africa has witnessed a surge in orphaned and displaced elephant calves due to increased poaching and human encroachment on their traditional habitats. This crisis prompted the establishment of an orphanage with an adoptive family structure crucial for the well-being of these vulnerable elephants. Baby Khanyisa, a three-month-old albino calf rescued from a wire snare, becomes a focal point for hope as Adine and her team endeavor to save her life and integrate her into the Jabulani herd, which uniquely comprises mostly former orphans, offering a promising solution to the challenges of elephant rehabilitation in South Africa.

Every Acre Counts - Documentary Short - TRT: 24:35 - USA directed by Andrea Campbell - Farmers in the Chesapeake watershed are a critical part of the Bay’s restoration and its future. In Every Acre Counts, four farmers from Maryland and Pennsylvania explain why farming is so important to them and how they’re utilizing new technology and techniques to better care for the land.

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