2009 Florida Film Festival Narrative Features

10 Movies Are Entered in American Independent Competition

Mar 28, 2009

Poundcake Screens at Florida Film Festival , Copyright 2008 Where They Roam Films

EM, Prince of Broadway, Poundcake, Trucker Highlight 18th Annual Florida Film Festival Narrative Features Competition.

The Florida Film Festival, produced by Enzian Theater and held in the Orlando, Florida, area from March 27 through April 5, features ten full-length narrative features in its American Independent Competition. Each film competes for up to three awards: a Grand Jury Award for best film in that category; a Special Jury Award given at the jury’s discretion for exceptional achievement; and an Audience Award determined by audience votes. The Festival offers the same competition for documentary films, and includes other non-competing films in several showcases.

Competing Narrative Features: Unstable People and Relationships

Chronic Town

A drugged-out taxi driver in Fairbanks, Alaska, finds that group therapy offers a new direction in his life.
Director: Tom Hines
Run Time: 97 minutes
Southeast Premiere
Additional Information: The cast includes Alice Drummond, Dan Butler, Garry Marshall, and Paul Dooley.

A man and woman quickly form a romantic relationship until mental illness threatens to tear them apart.
Director: Tony Barbieri
Run Time: 93 minutes
East Coast Premiere
Additional Information: Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2008 Seattle Film Festival, EM’s cast includes Nathan Wetherington and Stef Willen.

Lightbulb

A compulsive risk-taker tries to market his inventions while ignoring more important things in his life.
Director: Jeffrey Balsmeyer
Run Time: 88 minutes
Southeast Premiere
Additional Information: The cast includes Dallas Roberts, Jeremy Renner, Ayelet Zurer, and Richard Kind.

Poundcake

A dysfunctional family completely falls apart on the night before Thanksgiving in 1980s Buffalo, New York.
Director: Raphael Monserrate
Run Time: 101 minutes
Southeast Premiere
Additional Information: The cast includes Jay O’Sanders, Kathleen Quinlan, Troy Hall, and Deshja Driggs-Hall.

Prince of Broadway

Cultures collide in lower Manhattan when an illegal immigrant from Ghana finds out he’s a father.
Director: Sean Baker
Run Time: 100 minutes
Regional Premiere
Additional Information: Winner of the Jury Prize for Best Dramatic Feature at the 2008 Los Angeles and Woodstock Film Festivals, Prince of Broadway’s cast includes Prince Adu, Karren Karagulian, Aiden Noesi, and Keyali Mayaga.

Sita Sings the Blues

In this animated feature, which is narrated by Indonesian shadow puppets, Rama’s wife gets kidnapped by an evil king.
Director: Nina Paley
Run Time: 82 minutes
Regional Premiere
Additional Information: The film includes Hindu singing to 1920s jazz music.

Competing Narrative Features: Young Adults Coming of Age

Trucker

An irresponsible trucker mother finds that years of neglecting her son have taken their toll.
Director: James Mottern
Run Time: 90 minutes
Southeast Premiere
Additional Information: The cast includes Michelle Monaghan, Benjamin Bratt, Nathan Fillion, and Jimmy Bennett.

Leaving Barstow

A coming-of-age story about a high school senior whose attachment to his mother holds him back from success.
Director: Peter Paige
Run Time: 87 minutes
Florida Premiere
Additional Information: Winner of the Audience Award for Best Feature at Newport Beach and a Grand Prize for Best Actor at Rhode Island International Film Festival, Leaving Bartstow’s cast includes Michelle Clunie, Kevin Sheridan, and Ryan Michelle Bathe.

True Adolescents

A slacker gets stuck taking his 14 year-old nephew and his friend on an ill-fated hiking trip in this quirky comedy.
Director: Craig Johnson
Run Time: 88 minutes
East Coast Premiere
Additional Information: The cast includes Mark Duplass and Melissa Leo.

We Are The Mods

Two young women bond together to help each other get by in a difficult world.
Director: E.E. Cassidy
Run Time: 81 minutes
World Premiere
Additional Information: The cast includes Melia Renee, Mary Elise Hayden, and Lance Drake.

For a film schedule, list of programs, and other information about the Florida Film Festival, visit the official website.

The copyright of the article 2009 Florida Film Festival Narrative Features in North American Film Festivals is owned by Leslie C. Halpern. Permission to republish 2009 Florida Film Festival Narrative Features in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.