Now in its third year, the NY Indie Theatre Film Festival supports indie theatre artists defying labels and branching out into recorded media. The 2019 NYITFF runs Feb. 8-11, and this year's lineup includes over 30 works.
The NYITFF is produced by New Ohio Theatre, a two-time Obie Award winning theatre that serves the vast independent theatre community of New York and the adventurous audiences who love them.
All screenings and events are at the New Ohio, 154 Christopher Street, between Greenwich and Washington Streets.
7 PM:POOR BEHAVIOR (USA, 2016). Dir: Theresa Rebeck New York Festival Premiere
Written by Theresa Rebeck Starring Heidi Armbruster, Brian Dykstra, Katie Kreisler, Alan Smyth
A weekend in the country spins out of control when jealous wife Maureen (Heidi Armbruster) makes a reckless accusation about her husband Ian (Alan Smyth) and their old friend Ella (Katie Kreisler). Ella's husband Peter (Brian Dykstra) tries and fails to stop the domestic carnage in this fierce and funny story about the unexpected ease of betrayal and the fragility of marriage.
New Ohio Theatre is excited to open the 2019 NYITFF with the New York festival premiere of POOR BEHAVIOR. Based on her play of the same name, internationally acclaimed writer Theresa Rebeck (Bernhardt/Hamlet, Smash) makes her directorial debut with her dark, dysfunctional comedy.
Ms. Rebeck will join afterward for a talkback. A ticket to Poor Behavior is necessary to attend the talkback.
About the director: Theresa Rebeck is a prolific and widely produced playwright. This fall, her fourth Broadway play, Bernhardt/Hamlet, premiered at the Roundabout Theatre Company, making Rebeck the most Broadway-produced female playwright of our time. Past New York productions include The Understudy, Mauritius, The Scene, Bad Dates, Spike Heels, and Omnium Gatherum (co-written, Pulitzer finalist).
In television, Rebeck created the NBC showbiz drama Smash, and has written for Canterbury’s Law, LA Law, NYPD Blue, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Dream On, Brooklyn Bridge, and many more. Her produced feature films include Harriet the Spy, Gossip, and the independent features Sunday on the Rocks and Seducing Charlie Barker, an adaptation of her play, The Scene. Upcoming film projects include 355 (for Jessica Chastain’s production company, Freckle Films) and Trouble, starring Angelica Huston and Bill Pullman. Awards include the Writers Guild of America Award for Episodic Drama and a Peabody Award for her work on NYPD Blue.
She is a proud board member of the Dramatists Guild, a Contributing Editor to the Harvard Review, an Associate Artist of the Roundabout Theatre Company, a Playwright Adviser and Board Member of the LARK, and has taught at Brandeis University and Columbia University. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children.
Toys, dir. Amanda Quaid
Saturday + Sunday, February 9-10
2019 NYITFF Official Selections
Adam (excerpt) wr. James Patrick Nelson, dir. Doug C. Williams
Adam is a serial killer who only murders prospective suicides. They want to kill themselves, they just need a little help. In this excerpt from the feature film, Adam meets a young boy who's been bullied at the school yard.
Drama, Thriller Screening #6, "Fathers and Sons and Mothers and Daughters"
Boyfriend co-creator David Moragas + Jacob Perkins New York Premiere
It's the last days of Summer in Crown Heights. A couple is about to take their relationship to a dangerous new territory.
Dramedy Screening #4, "Dating in the Big City"
Brown Fish wr. + dir. Troy Deutsch
It all starts with a missing goldfish and a strange smell. Now a young woman's world spins out of control, as she goes to meet her friend in the park. BROWN FISH is a weird, dark, absurdist comedy about how easily we swallow some truly crazy things.
Comedy Screening #3, "New Beginnings"
But This Is How It Will End wr. + dir. Amy Epstein World Premiere
A corporate lawyer, mid-40's, sits quietly at his desk and examines with great care -- his life -- hoping to come up with a better ending.
When Calvin announces that he's proposing to Leesa...and then they're moving to the suburbs, Rebecca enlists Dennis's help to sabotage the proposal and keep their friends around for good.
Comedy Screening #4, "Dating in the Big City"
Constance Cooks (Ep. 1) co-cr. Marc Stuart Weitz + Constance Zaytoun, dir. Rosalie Tenseth
Constance is a professor with a cooking problem. Rather than teach to pay off her student loans, she slings cocktails and dreams of hosting a cooking show in her tiny apartment. Will Constance's culinary quest lead to a recipe for life? With a real recipe following the episode.
Dramedy, Cooking Screening #3, "New Beginnings"
Così dir. Dara Malina
A reimagining of a pivotal scene from Mozart's Così fan Tutte. The maid Despina tries to arrange events to her own liking and instructs her mistresses about the best ways to manipulate men.
Comedy Screening #1, "A Rough Day at the Office"
Dirty Thirty wr. Marlowe Holden, dir. Elyse Niblett New York Premiere
Three women turning thirty take a turn for the worse in this short taken from 'Hat Trick Bitches' (part of Episode 9, Season 2), a female forward comedy web series produced by IngénueWitty Films and SeekaTV.
Comedy Screening #4, "Dating in the Big City"
Don't Suck (Ep. 1) wr. + dir. Tyler Martin
Loosely inspired by true awkward events, DON'T SUCK follows Tyler, a gay, Christian, stress-masturbator, who abruptly moves from Texas to NYC to pursue his career as an actor and singer-songwriter.
Dramedy Screening #2, "The Personal Quest"
Heartland wr. + dir. Marissa Molnar World Premiere
A conservative father and liberal daughter struggle to connect while the news blares in the background.
Drama Screening #6, "Fathers and Sons and Mothers and Daughters"
Hey Charlie dir. Shaun Irons World Premiere
An hallucinatory short featuring screenwriter and director Charlie Kaufman. Nearing the end of his stay at an artists' retreat, Charlie's daily walk in the woods becomes an ordeal of repetition and delusion, causing panic as he contemplates how much (or little) he has accomplished during his time at the Colony.
Experimental Screening #5, "Experimenting Around"
Human Resources cr. Molly Brenner, dir. Sarah Smallwood Parsons
In this 4-part series, mild-mannered Molly uses her day job as the HR manager at a wacky tech company to inspire her secret side project: writing porn.
Comedy Screening #1, "A Rough Day at the Office"
I'm Not The One You're After Henry wr. + dir. Eri Nox World Premiere
Two queer Americans meet in Paris in November of 2015 to rekindle a lost romance, yet find themselves unable to overcome old bad habits and an horrific terrorist attack.
Love in NY: A Series of Shorts (selected) co-cr. Matthew Russell + Sven Jähnert
In this light-hearted series, a rotating cast of characters navigate the skyscraper highs and subway lows of love in NY. Their quest for connection reminds us we're all totally screwed. But hey, at least we're all screwed together.
Comedy Screening #2, "The Personal Quest"
Norma wr. Dominic Finocchiaro, dir. Jenny Leigh Reed World Premiere
When professional cuddler Norma and awkward new client Duane meet, their interactions force them to come to terms with their deep-seated feelings of loneliness.
Dramedy Screening #4, "Dating in the Big City"
okaasan (mom) wr. + dir. Kana Hatakeyama Manhattan Premiere
In rural Japan, a mother and daughter attempt to reconnect after dealing with the loss of a loved one the previous year.
Drama Screening #6, "Fathers and Sons and Mothers and Daughters"
Over/Under (Ep. 1) wr. Theresa Gambacorta, dir. Natalie Johnson World Premiere
In the pilot episode, "The Mourning After," Margaret Diamond sets down some baggage in a Las Vegas Hotel hallway. It doesn’t go very well.
Dramedy Screening #6, "Fathers and Sons and Mothers and Daughters"
Phoney wr. + dir. Grace Palmer
The job market is totally biased against us hot young people. How can you get experience if no one will hire you? That’s where Phoney comes in: As far as we are concerned you worked for us - and you were the best employee the free world has ever seen.
Comedy Screening #1, "A Rough Day at the Office"
Pokemon NO wr. Valerie Work, dir. George Gross
Connor takes his girlfriend Sam to the Central Park Ramble for a special surprise, but the Pokemon she can't stop capturing are determined to wreak their revenge.
Comedy, Horror Screening #3, "New Beginnings"
Skin Balloon wr. + dir. Jenny Grace
On the worst day of his life, at the height of the financial crisis of 2008, a Bear Stearns banker buys an hour with the stripper he's in love with.
Drama Screening #1, "A Rough Day at the Office"
Spell Claire wr. + dir. Greg Emetaz
Claire purchases an antique educational toy that reignites fond memories from childhood and lays bare the sorry state her life is now in.
Horror, Comedy Screening #3, "New Beginnings"
SPF wr. Nikhil Mahapatra + dir. India Marie Paul World Premiere
An absurd and pseudo-comic, almost-silent film about a black woman's quest to avoid all contact with the sun and the struggle with her internal shame of her skin tone.
Dramedy Screening #2, "The Personal Quest"
The Adventures of Paul and Marian (excerpt) wr. + dir. Jay Stern
A romantic comedy musical about capitalists, revolutionaries, and the people who love them.
The Journey co-dir. Derya Celikkol + Sarah Leriche World Premiere
An abstract portrayal of a woman's relationship with artistic expression.
Experimental Screening #5, "Experimenting Around"
The Living Worst (excerpt) dir. Cheryl Nichols New York Premiere
Weezy’s girlfriends throw her an unwelcome bachelorette party, but the night goes off course when she makes a connection with Edie, an out-of-town visitor. The Living Worst is an experiment in storytelling without a script or traditional cinematographer. The story was written by a group of 5 women, then filmed over 5 days, completely improvised.
Dramedy Screening #3, "New Beginnings"
The Next Right Thing (Ep. 1) dir. Dionna McMillian
Best friends Claire and De'Adra embark on a journey to live their best lives. Yet each time they try to move one step closer to who they want to be, they find themselves only able to do The Next Right Thing, one New York mishap at a time.
Comedy Screening #4, "Dating in the Big City"
The Seven Men of Hanukkah wr. Sharon Cooper, dir. Daryl Lathon
An actor who has experienced a major loss goes on a most peculiar audition.
Comedy Screening #4, "Dating in the Big City"
The Sunny Side wr. + dir. Mike Swift
The Sunny Side is about teenager Phoenix "Fi" Garcia growing up with depression and its effect on her life and relationships
Dramedy Screening #2, "The Personal Quest"
The Transcendents (excerpt) wr. + dir. Derek Ahonen
A dark comedic fairytale set in the Wonderland of America's Do-it-Yourself music scene. A Rasputin-like drifter is in search of the ultimate indie-rock band, The Transcendents. What he finds is a band who has all but abandoned society, a host of unpleasant memories, and more questions than answers in search of his own existential fulfillment.
Dark Comedy Screening #2, "The Personal Quest"
Toys anim. + dir. Amanda Quaid, based on a poem by Peggy Pope
In 1930s farm country a father wants a son, but he gets a little girl. He tries to toughen her up, but his efforts backfire when she proves a little too capable for comfort.
Animation Screening #6, "Fathers and Sons and Mothers and Daughters"
Who Knows? co-dir. Alex Basco Koch + Kevin Townley World Premiere
Adapted from a short story by Guy de Maupassant, a wealthy, agoraphobic, Parisian gentlemen witnesses his furniture come to life one evening and leave his estate of its own volition. His journey to recover his furniture threatens to take his sanity and perhaps even his soul.
7 PM: Film Race Screenings: A Benefit for F*It Club
Start the new year off right by kicking your creative juices into high gear with F*It Club at the NY Indie Theatre Film Festival!
Ever wanted content to enter a film festival? Want to create a Facebook video that "goes viral"? Just want to have a reason to make something? The New Ohio and F*It Club are challenging YOU to make the best short film you can - in 72 hours.
Register a team for $20 and receive a theme and required script elements on Thursday, Feb. 7. Finished films are due by Sunday, Feb. 10, at 5 PM.
Tonight is when we gather at the NYITFF to watch the entries and crown a winner. Get your tickets here.
Proceeds from the evening benefit F*It Club's programming for 2019.
8:30 PM: Closing Night Party
Help us celebrate the end of a great festival, as we boogie down to the sounds of DJ Silky!
About the director: Theresa Rebeck is a prolific and widely produced playwright. This fall, her fourth Broadway play, Bernhardt/Hamlet, premiered at the Roundabout Theatre Company, making Rebeck the most Broadway-produced female playwright of our time. Past New York productions include The Understudy, Mauritius, The Scene, Bad Dates, Spike Heels, and Omnium Gatherum (co-written, Pulitzer finalist).
