Grad Film at 2023 Woodstock Film Festival

Congratulations to all of the films from the Grad Film community that screened at the 2023 Woodstock Film Festival, including several that brought home awards. 

Awards (in alphabetical order by last name):

Mark Braunstein Award for Best Short Narrative: ‘Ricky’ Directed by Alum Rashad Frett

An ex-offender struggles with his newfound freedom and pursues redemption at all costs when he gets a job from his neighbor.

Best Animated Short: ‘Sunflower Field’, Executive Producer, Alum Shruti Ganguly 

Under the shadowy threat of war, a young Ukrainian girl awaits a call from her father and, as day turns into night, sinks into a dreamscape from which she must find her way home. 

Best Student Short: ‘Swim Captain’ Directed by MFA candidate Christa Haley

A high school swimmer struggles with her tampon before practice.

Haskell Wexler Award for Best Cinematography: ‘Asleep in My Palm’, Cinematography by Professor Tatjana Krstevski

Tim Blake Nelson produced and stars in Asleep in My Palm, a dark drama written and directed by his son Henry. Nelson plays Tom, a man who has set up home with his high school-aged daughter Beth Anne. The two live off the grid in a self-storage unit near an elite college town. Tom splits his time between imparting wisdom and philosophy to his daughter and stealing bikes from local college students for a price. Whenever he goes out into the world, he is suspicious of everyone he encounters, knowing that every exposure or interaction jeopardizes their circumstances. This is put to the test when, against his better judgment, he follows an acquaintance to make some quick money. In Asleep in My Palm, one wrong move can lead to one’s undoing

Featured Screenings (in alphabetical order by last name):

‘Leaving Yellowstone’: Written and Directed by Alum Kayla Arend

Tessa is excited to visit Yellowstone National Park with her new boyfriend, Mark. However, when they arrive, Mark changes, and as his aggression and cruelty build, Tessa finds disturbing artifacts around the cabin. What begins as an idyllic winter weekend slowly becomes a nightmare as Tessa realizes she’s alone in the woods with a man she really doesn’t know at all.

'The Vacation': Written and Directed by Alum Jarreau Carrillo and Produced by Alumni Julius Pryor and Marttise Hill

 A group of Black friends plans a beach trip to bid farewell to summer. But when their car fails to start, they find themselves making the most of their vacation right where they are—stuck in their car.

'Another Body': Written, Directed, and Produced by MFA Candidate Reuben Hamlyn

Sophie Compton and Reuben Hamlyn’s fascinating, though simultaneously disturbing, documentary Another Body pushes viewers’ buttons. In the age of A.I. and ChatGPT, this film feels all too relevant as it illustrates yet another malevolent use of digital technology: the application of deepfake pornography, whereby anyone’s face can be “scraped” from, say, their Instagram account and digitally placed on someone else’s body. In Another Body, a victim of this type of abuse decides to hunt down the culprit. While we feel her pain, we also see a young woman refusing to be a victim and courageously taking matters into her own hands. Her mission is not so easy since there are few if any legal precedents and, thanks to VPNs, seemingly no digital steps to trace, but she refuses to let that stop her.

'Empty Head': Directed and Produced by MFA candidate Sophia Bennett Holmes 

A music video for the band Frankie Cosmos.

‘Maria Schneider, 1983’: Edited by Professor Jenn Ruff

In a cross-genre work that bends time, history, and form, three actresses reenact a troubling interview with the iconic French actress Maria Schneider (1952-2011), whose traumatic experience on the set of the legendary Last Tango in Paris only resurfaced after #metoo. Through the three interpretations of Maria, shocking revelations occur.

‘Stockade’: Edited by Professor Nay Tabbara

This noir thriller links the underground trafficking of ancient artifacts with the contemporary commercial art world. Ahlam is a Lebanese immigrant artist living in New York City and in dire financial straits. Desperate to find the funds to extend her artist’s visa, she agrees to deliver a mysterious package to the Hudson Valley. Upon her arrival upstate, Ahlam encounters shady characters and quirky neighbors as she is unwittingly drawn into the world of illegal ancient artifact trafficking. Every step of the way, Stockade keeps viewers guessing, and with its naturalistic cinema verité, it makes a unique addition to the crime genre. 

Read more at Woodstock Film Festival.