Schedule

July 18,2024

7:00 Pm - Short-Chauncey

United States - 11 Min.
A Film By Reilly Anspaugh and Daniel Rashid.

Zoe Is Afraid To Introduce Her New Boyfriend To Her Old Stuffed Animal. Daniel Rashid (Almost Winter, Hit Friends) Returns To Sbff In This Hilarious And Heartwarming Tale.

7:00 Pm :Feature - The Blond Boy From The Casbah

U.S. Premiere
France - 126 Min

Using His Own Autobiographical Book With The Same Title As The Source, Alexandre Arcady Intertwines Both Past And Present In This Highly Original Masterpiece. After A Long Absence, Fictional Filmmaker Antoine Lisner Returns To His Childhood Home In Algeria To Screen His Film About His Life Before The War, Which Forced Him To Flee France With His Family At 13. Accompanying Lisner Is His 13-Year-Old Son, Who Serves As A Witness To His Father’s Conflicted Memories. Meanwhile, We Also See This Very Childhood Being Played Out—In His Memory Or Perhaps In His Film. Arcady Employs This Fictionalized Version Of Very Personal Events To Recreate His Childhood With Gentle Humor And Abundant Grace While Reaching For A Deeper And More Complex Truth.

10:30 Pm :Parties - Opening Night Party - Gold Passholders Only

Join Us For The Opening Night Party At St. George's Country Club, Hosted By Bagel Express. For Gold Passholders, Vips, and Filmmakers Only. Gold Pass Will Be Required For Entry.

July 19,2024

7:00 Pm :Short - Iron Lung

New York Premiere
United States - 12 Min

A Film By Andrew Reid.

When A Power Outage Stops Her Iron Lung, A Polio Survivor And Her Sister Race Against Time. From Sbff Alum Andrew Reid (Asia A).

7:00 Pm :Feature - The Queen Of My Dreams
Canada And Pakistan - 97 Min

Written And Directed By Fawzia Mirza.
With Amrit Kaur, Hamza Haq, Nimra Bucha, And Ayana Manji.

After The Charismatic Hassan Dies Unexpectedly, His Daughter Azra And Wife Mariam Search For A Way To Mend Their Strained Relationship. While Azra Used To Imagine Her Mother As A Bollywood Star, She Now Finds Her Unapproving And Tradition-Bound. But A Trip To Her Mother’s Childhood Home In Pakistan Reveals To Azra That Her Mother Used To Be Quite The Rebel, And Her Marriage To Hassan Had Been Considered A Scandal. Actress Amrit Kaur Shines Playing Both Azra And The Younger Version Of Mariam In This Vibrant, Bollywood-Soaked Mother-Daughter Comedy.

9:30 Pm :Short - Detox

United States - 9 Min
A Film By Alex Hanno.

While Away On A Technology Detox, An Impressionable Social Media Addict Becomes The Target Of An Unexpected Visitor.
United States - 9 Min

A Film By Alex Hanno.
While Away On A Technology Detox, An Impressionable Social Media Addict Becomes The Target Of An Unexpected Visitor.
Featuret -Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person

9:30 PmDirected By Ariane Louis-Seize.
Written By Christine Doyon And Ariane Louis-Seize.

With Sara Montpetit, Félix-Antoine Bénard, Steve Laplante, And Sophie Cadieux.

Sasha (Montpetit) Is A Wistful 68-Year-Old Teenage Vampire With A Serious Condition: She's Too Sensitive To Kill Humans. After Years Of Being Coddled, Her Exasperated Parents Decide It's Time To Cut Off Her Supply Of Blood Bags In Hopes That She Will Finally Fend For Herself. As Fate Would Have It, She Soon Meets A Lonely Teenage Human (A Brilliant Bénard) With Suicidal Tendencies, Who Just Might Be Willing To Give His Life To Save Hers. Teeming With Hilarious Humans And Vampires, Once This Warm-Hearted, Cold-Blooded Comedy Sinks Its Teeth Into You, It Doesn't Let Go.

July 20,2024

7:00 Pm :Short -The Hope Chest Has A Secret Drawer

United States - 15 Min
A Film By Laura Frenzer.
A Stressed Daughter Working Tirelessly To Reach Her Mother, Lost In An Alzheimer’s Haze, Accidentally Uncovers A Dark Family Secret.

7:00 Pm:Featuret -The Strangers' Case

New York Premiere
Jordan - 103 Min

Written And Directed By Brandt Andersen.
With Yasmine Al Massri, Yahya Mahayni, Omar Sy (The Intouchables, Yao), Ziad Bakri, And Constantine Markoulakis.

When Tragedy Strikes Amira’s Family In Aleppo During An Intense Civil War, The Veteran Surgeon Flees With Her Daughter On A Journey That Will Impact The Lives Of Others They Come Into Contact With, Including A Disillusioned Syrian Soldier, A Poet On The Run With His Family, A Tough Smuggler With A Young Son At Home, And A Haunted Coast Guard Captain Searching For Stranded Refugees Off The Coast Of Greece. The Breathless Pace Keeps You On The Edge Of Your Seat Throughout, While Its Wide-Ranging Story Manages To Capture The Individuals With Complexity And Dignity. A Film You Will Remember Long After It Is Over.

9:30 Pm:Short -Two Cents and A Footlong

France - 104 Min
Directed By Jean-Pierre Améris.
Written By Marion Michau, Jean-Pierre Améris, And Murielle Magellan.

With Louane Emera, Michel Blanc (The Hundred-Foot Journey, The Day I Saw Your Heart), And Victor Belmondo.

9:30 Pm :Feature :Take A Chance On Me

France - 104 Min
Directed By Jean-Pierre Améris.
Written By Marion Michau, Jean-Pierre Améris, And Murielle Magellan.

With Louane Emera, Michel Blanc (The Hundred-Foot Journey, The Day I Saw Your Heart), And Victor Belmondo.

French Singing Sensation Louane Emera Portrays Marie-Line, A Cheerful—Though Quick-Tempered—Young Waitress Juggling Various Jobs To Support Herself And Her Agoraphobic Father. After A Series Of Mishaps Leaves Her Jobless And Facing A Legal Penalty, Marie- Line Realizes She Is In A Bad Situation. Confronting The Judge (A Very Funny Michel Blanc) Who Ruled On Her Case And Was Also Coincidentally Involved In Her Losing Her Job, He Agrees To Hire Her As His Temporary Chauffeur. But What Begins As An Act Of Generosity Evolves Into An Unlikely Friendship Between These Two Very Different People In This Sweetly Inspiring And Hilarious Comedy.

July 21,2024

7:00pm :Short - The Grievance

United States - 8 Min
A Film By Richie Keen.

The Head Writer For A Sitcom Is Called Into Hr Due To Accusations Of Harassment Filed By A Network-Instituted Artificial Intelligence Staff Member. With Rosie O’donnell And Kevin Pollak.

7:00pm :Feature - Special Sneak Preview

United States - 116 Min
The Stony Brook Film Festival Is Honored To Have A Special Sneak Preview Of A Major Motion Picture Produced By One Of Our Own Sbff Alumni, Who Is Also A Resident Of Long Island. While We Cannot Share The Title Or Any Other Film Details, This Inspirational Feature Is A Timely Story For Both Our University And Our Community, With Incredible Acting By Some Well-Known Faces In The Business. You Will Not Want To Miss This Special Event—The Opportunity To See It Before The Rest Of The World Or The Lively QandA To Follow.

9:30pm :Short - Revived

U.S. Premiere
Israel - 16 Min
A Film By Uriya Hertz.
After A Night At A Jerusalem Bar, A Young Man Seeks Help From The Bartender When He Realizes His Bag Is Missing. From Sbff Alum Uriya Hertz (Devek).

In Hebrew, With Subtitles.

9:30pm :Feature - Month To Month

World Premiere
United States - 88 Min

Written And Directed By Derrick Owens And Mike Koslov.
With Mike Koslov (Friends From Home), Melissa Lawson, Will Smart, Manny Spero, Jasmine Park, And Monisha Dadlani.

Zach, A 20-Something Slacker With No Job Prospects And A Shrinking Bank Account, Is About Ready To Leave Los Angeles For Good. Except He Promised To Pick Up His Ex-Girlfriend From The Airport Tomorrow, And He Isn’t Sure What Their Relationship Status Is. When Zach Realizes That His Car—And Everything He Owns—Has Been Stolen, He Discovers A Renewed Sense Of Purpose, Scouring The City To Find It With Help From Friends, Oddballs, And A Bumbling Cop Preoccupied With Small Talk. This Hilarious Indie Will Bring A Sly Smile To Your Face.

July 22,2024

7:00pm :Short - Where We Belong

New York Premiere
United Kingdom - 15 Min

A Film By Madoka Belda Yamamoto.

A Young Woman Trying To Reconnect With Her Grandmother Visiting From Japan Discovers The Presence Of Her Dead Grandfather Is Closer Than Ever.

7:00pm :Feature - Marguerite's Theorem

France And Switzerland - 112 Min

Directed By Anna Novion. Written By Anna Novion, Mathieu Robin, Marie-Stéphane Imbert, And Agnès Feuvre.
With Ella Rumpf, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Clotilde Courau (La Vie En Rose), Julien Frison, And Sonia Bonny.

Methodical And Socially Awkward, Marguerite’s Future As A Brilliant Math Student Seems Solid—Until A Fellow Student Spots An Error In Her Calculations During Her Thesis Presentation, Shattering Her Composure And Self-Assuredness. Faced With What She Considers Humiliation, Marguerite Abandons Her Thesis, Quits School, And Decides To Reinvent Herself Entirely. But When Confronted With The Mounting Financial Consequences Of Her Actions, She Realizes She Will Have To Act Fast. Ella Rumpf Brings The Unconventional Marguerite To Life In This Uplifting Tale Of Redemption.

7:00pm :Short - In The Night

United States - 13 Min
A Film By Shireen Khaled.

During The Slowly Unfolding Covid-19 Pandemic, A Long-Married Couple Discovers They Have Fallen Out Of Love And Spend The Night Trying To Rekindle Their Flame.
United States - 13 Min

A Film By Shireen Khaled.
During The Slowly Unfolding Covid-19 Pandemic, A Long-Married Couple Discovers They Have Fallen Out Of Love And Spend The Night Trying To Rekindle Their Flame.

9:30pm :Feature - Excursion

Bosnia And Herzegovina, France, Norway, Croatia, And Serbia - 93 Min

Written And Directed By Una Gunjak.
With Asja Zara Lagumdzija, Maja Izetbegovic, Nadja Spaho, And Mediha Musliovic.

During A Game Of Truth-Or-Dare Among Her Middle School Classmates, Imam Flirts With Rebellion By Deciding Not To Deny A Rumor That She Had Sex With An Older Boy. Continually Being Pushed For More Information, She Begins To Revel In The Notoriety The Lie Brings Her Until She Impulsively Invents A Pregnancy And Becomes The Center Of A Controversy That Is Spiraling Out Of Control. A Clear- Eyed, Brilliant Look At The World Many Teenagers Find Themselves Navigating, With A Courageous Performance By Newcomer Asja Zara Lagumdzija.

July 23,2024

7:00pm :Short - Split Ends

New York Premiere
Iran - 14 Min
A Film By Alireza Kazemipour.
A Bald Girl Meets A Long-Haired Boy In An Iranian Police Station After Both Have Had Their Cars Confiscated For The Infraction Of Driving Without A Hijab.

7:00pm :Feature - Free Money

9:30pm :Short - Where Do Ants Sleep At Night

U.S. Premiere
Estonia - 104 Min

Written And Directed By Rain Rannu.
With Märt Pius, Miklós Bányai, And Amanda Hermiine Künnapas.
When Taavi Is Paid Via Bitcoin Rather Than Cash By The Aptly Named Maximillion, He Is Sure He Has Just Been Scammed. As The Mercurial Entrepreneur Maximillion Sees His Fortunes Rise And Fall During The Early Turbulent Waves Of Crypto's Inception, Risk-Averse Taavi Continues To Struggle Financially Until He Discovers That He Might Be Sitting On A Fortune Of His Own. This Crime-Thriller-Comedy, Filled With A Series Of Outlandish Characters, Hops From Country To Country As It Races Through The Ins And Outs Of Cryptocurrency And The Importance Of Remembering Your Password.

July 24,2024

Reception,Zuccaire Gallery Reception, Free

5:00pm : - 7:00pm :Zuccaire Gallery
The Paul W. Zuccaire Gallery Hosts A Reception Celebrating Their New Exhibition, Nicole Cohen: Super Vision.
This Event Is Free And Open To The Public. All Passholders Invited.

7:00pm :Short - Exuvia

New York Premiere
United States - 12 Min

A Film By Scott Burkhardt.
When Two Girls Receive Unwanted Attention From A Group Of Older Boys, One Of Them Takes Matters Into Her Own Hands. From Sbff Alum Scott Burkhardt (Girls Are Strong Here).

7:00pm :Feature - Mediha

Iraq - 90 Min
Directed By Hasan Oswald (Higher Love). Written By Hasan Oswald And Mediha Alhamad.

With Mediha Alhamad.
Anyone Who Has Watched Hasan Oswald’s Higher Love Knows That His Images Of Hope And Resilience Are Hard-Won, And This Documentary Is No Exception. Mediha, A Teenage Yazidi Girl Who Has Recently Returned From Isis Captivity, Uses The Camera As A Tool To Process Her Trauma While Rescuers Continue To Search For Her Missing Family Members. In The Aftermath Of The Yazidi Genocide, She Confronts Her Past And Her Perpetrators While Searching For Words That Explain The Unexplainable With Poise, Perseverance, And Maturity. This Mind-Staggering Film Is An Inspirational Portrayal Of Survivors And Those Who Have Risked Their Lives To Save Them.

9:30pm :Short - [Subtext]

United States - 11 Min
A Film By Erin Brown Thomas.
Two People On A First Date Mask Their Insecurities Until Events Force Them To Say What They're Really Thinking.

9:30pm :Feature - Running On Sand

Israel - 104 Min
Directed By Adar Shafran.
Written By Yoav Hebel, Sarel Piterman, And Assaf Zelicovich.

With Chancela Mongoza, Kim Or Azulay, And Zvika Hadar.

A Refugee Living In Israel, Facing Deportation Back To Eritrea, Where He Fears For His Life, Makes A Run For It At The Airport, Only To Be Mistaken For An Up-And-Coming Nigerian Soccer Player Who Was Recently Signed To A Professional Israeli Team. Seizing The Opportunity This Change Of Identity Can Bring Him, He Plays Along Despite The Absence Of Any Real Soccer Talent. While He Does His Best To Stay Out Of The Game, He Befriends His New Teammates And The Charmingly Unconventional Daughter Of The Team Owner. You Will Cheer This Confident Crowd-Pleaser.

July 25,2024

7:00pm :Short - Mimesis

World Premiere
United States - 20 Min
A Film By Zach Finger.

A Struggling Actor With An Alcohol Addiction Auditions For The Role Of A Therapist Whose Patient Is An Alcoholic. From Long Island Native Zach Finger.
World Premiere
United States - 20 Min

A Film By Zach Finger.
A Struggling Actor With An Alcohol Addiction Auditions For The Role Of A Therapist Whose Patient Is An Alcoholic. From Long Island Native Zach Finger.

7:00pm :Feature - Mastergame

Hungary - 91 Min

Directed By Barnabás Tóth.
Written By Barnabás Tóth, Tibor Fonyódi And Stefan Zweig.
With Károly Hajduk (Those Who Remained), Pál Mácsai, Gergely Váradi, Varga-Járó Sára, Bori Péterfy.

9:30pm :Short - Bible Camp

United States - 13 Min
A Film By Philip Derise.

Young Korean Immigrants Assimilate To Baseball And Burnt Hot Dogs At A Discount Daycare While Enduring Microaggressions From Local Kids.
9:30pm :Feature - Daughter Of The Sun

July 26,2024

7:00pm :Short - The Overlook

New York Premiere
Canada - 108 Min

Written And Directed By Ryan Ward.
With Nyah Perkin, Ryan Ward (Amerika), Lennox Leacock, Courtney Sawyer, Ryan Giesen And Laura Mac.

This Beautiful One-Of-A-Kind Feature, Filmed On Location In Manitoba, Canada, Feels Like It Wandered Straight Out Of The Adventurous, Independent Cinema Scene Of The 70s. A 12-Year-Old Girl Travels Across The Country With Her Father, Sonny, A Wounded Soul Who, On The Surface, Seems To Struggle With Tourette Syndrome. But His Outward Condition Hides Something More Powerful That Is Both Frightening And Wonderful. A Story Told With Patience And Poetic Magical Realism, Their Journey Takes Them Into A Small Nomadic Community With Many Secrets. From The Talented Team That Brought Us Amerika And Healer, With Stellar Performances From Teens Nyah Perkin And Lennox Leacock.

7:00pm :Feature - After The Fire

New York Premiere
France - 98 Min

Directed By Mehdi Fikri.
Written By Mehdi Fikri, Claude Le Pape, And Aude Thuries.
With Camélia Jordan, Sofiane Zermani, Sonia Faidi, And Louise Coldefy.

After A Young Man Dies While In Police Custody, The Authorities Claim He Had A Fatal Epileptic Fit. But When His Body Tells A Different Story, His Sister Demands An Investigation. The Boy’s Family Quickly Finds Themselves In The Middle Of A Media Circus, Caught Between Those Who Want To Turn Their Tragedy Into A Political Movement And Their Own Need To Mourn And Bury Him According To The Teachings Of Their Religion. This Exceptional Directorial Debut From Writer And Director Mehdi Fikri Brilliantly Captures The Quiet, Unexpected Moments Of Those Living Through An Unfathomable Experience, With Deeply Realized Performances From His Stellar Cast.

9:30pm :Short - On The Paths Awakened

New York Premiere
France - 13 Min

A Film By Axel Dahan.
During Wwii, Under The German Occupation In France, Two French Teenagers Are Recruited By The Resistance.
In French, With Subtitles.

9:30pm :Feature - A Real Job

France - 102 min
Written and directed by Thomas Lilti.
With Vincent Lacoste (Skylab), François Cluzet (The Untouchables), Adèle Exarchopoulos, Louise Bourgoin, and William Lebghil.

A PhD student in need of money decides to become a substitute teacher at a local school to support himself while he figures out his next steps. But instead of getting a simple assignment, he is thrown into the deep end when he is asked to take over all the math classes of a teacher who left suddenly. Without any training or experience as an educator, he discovers just how difficult teaching is as his colleagues help him navigate this new world in which he finds himself—a realistic and sympathetic look at the lives of those who dedicate themselves to education.

July 27,2024

7:00pm :Short - If

East Coast Premiere
India - 26 Min

A Film By Tathagata Ghosh.
After A Woman Is Separated From Her True Love Due To An Arranged Marriage By Her Conservative Father, Her Mother Tries To Help Her Find A Way Forward.

In Bengali, With Subtitles.
East Coast Premiere
India - 26 Min
A Film By Tathagata Ghosh.
After A Woman Is Separated From Her True Love Due To An Arranged Marriage By Her Conservative Father, Her Mother Tries To Help Her Find A Way Forward.
In Bengali, With Subtitles.

7:00pm :Feature - One Million Minutes

Awards Ceremony, Presented By Island Federal
9:30pm : - 10:30pm :-Main Stage

Parties Closing Night Party - Gold Passholders Only

10:30pm :Curry Club At Saghar
Join Us For The Opening Night Party At St. George's Country Club, Hosted By Bagel Express. For Gold Passholders, Vips, and Filmmakers Only. Gold Pass Will Be Required For Entry.

Buy Tickets

Date:July 18-27,2024

Location: Staller Center For the Arts - 100 Nicolls Rd, Stony Brook, NY 11794

Click here For More Information