TRYON

INTERNATIONAL
FILM
FESTIVAL
2016

October 8 & 9
presented by:
BRINGING FILM TO THE CAROLINA FOOTHILLS

polk county

initiative

285 NORTH TRADE STREET, TRYON, NC 28762 www.tryoninternationalfilmfestival.com www.pcfilmnc.com

BRINGING OUR COMMUNITY

THE BEST OF LITERARY ARTS
72 Chestnut Street
(corner of Melrose and Chestnut)
Tryon, North Carolina 28782
(828) 859-9535
lanierlib.org

BRINGING FILM TO THE CAROLINA FOOTHILLS

Dear friends and fellow filmmakers,
The Polk County Film Initiative is pleased to present the inaugural Tryon InterOn behalfFilm
of the
Polk County
Filmon
Initiative,
excited
to present
theOur
2016
national
Festival
to be held
Octoberwe
9thare
and
10th here
in Tryon.
Tryon
International
Film
Festival
(TRIFF
2016).
This
years
program
has
been
exfestival is truly an international event with submissions from all over the world.
citing to put together because the content always sets the theme of the festival.
Along with these films, we are bringing to this event, available producers,
directors
and language
screen writers
associated
withanthe
filmsemphasis
for Q&A on
andHuman
breakout
The universal
of music
along with
added
Rights
sessions.
Our
screenings
will takeasplace
hereof
inthis
Tryon
at three
different
and Dignity
(HR&D)
has surfaced
a theme
years
program.
Withvenues,
the anthe
Tryon FineofArts
the Tryon
and the
Tryon
Depot.
will
also
nouncement
the Center,
HR&D category
ofTheater
competition
came
an influx
ofWe
films
from
almost
everyindustry
corner ofworkshops
the globe.for our screening audiences to attend as well as
have
varied
industry and area vendors.
The films accepted into competition clearly demonstrate the impact of artistic
creation
both comforting
andisentertaining
audience, but
also
need to
The
Polkin
County
Film Initiative
a non-profitanorganization
and
ourthe
mission
is to
educate,
inform
and warn
society offilm
the and
darker
side of the
human race.
bring
to and
produce
independent
television
production
to our area as
well as education in the form of the Next Generation Filmmakers.
It is important to note that the audience is a crucial part of the story creation process.encourage
Whether ityour
is expressed
through
thevarious
writtenworkshops
word, musical
and will
beats
We
participation
in our
and notes
hope you
or the visual arts, a story that is never shared is of little value.
enjoy the screening of these films by talented filmmakers. We wholeheartedly
appreciate
the support
of our
sponsors,
advertisers
and volunteers
fore to
without
It is the mission
of our film
festival
to provide
the filmmaker
with a venue
their
support
and dedication
this
would not
We
ask
you in
express
their work
to the world,
soevent
their stories
maybe
bepossible.
witnessed
and
transferred
turn
support
their businesses.
fromto
one
to another.
It is also an opportunity for the audience, whether they are
fellow filmmakers or not, to experience the wonderful process of story creation.
Thank you again and best always,
Filmmaking is the art of imagining, organizing and presenting ones message to
another in the form of a visual presentation.
Polk County Film Initiative
The process of storytelling is never an easy task and more often a daunting one.
On behalf of the Polk County Film Initiative, we want to thank both the filmLavin
Executive
makerCuddihee,
and the audience
forDirector
being a part of the filmmaking process and this years
festival.
Beau Menetre, Director of Operations
Sincerely,
Kirk Gollwitzer, Media Director
Kirk Gollwitzer and Beau Menetre
Polk County Film Initiative
501(c)(3) Non-profit status.

POLK COUNTY FILM INITIATIVE

285 NORTH TRADE STREET, TRYON, NC 28782

3

PCFILMNC.COM

featured film, EYES OF THE KINGS which begins shooting in

New York the fall of 2016. He was one of the few and only
directors who studied privately under Mr. Elia Kazan.

Daniel Espeut
CEO, Espeute Productions
Best Short Film
Born and raised in Georgia,
Daniel Espeut has been
producing unique cinematic
productions for many years.
He discovered his passion for
directing motion pictures
while he was attending Collins
Hill High School in Suwanee, Georgia. By his senior year,
he received six AECT International Student Media Festival
awards and a media internship position with ZDF, one of
Europes largest broadcast television networks located in
Mainz, Germany. In 2009, he became a Cum Laude graduate
of the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) with a
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film and Television. Shortly after his
college graduation, he began to self-fund his first feature
film, GreasePaint. In 2014, Mr. Espeuts filmmaking career
soared when GreasePaint was named an Official Selection
of the 16th Annual Sarasota Film Festival and the 15th
Annual Bare Bones International Film & Music Festival. It was
at Bare Bones that Mr. Espeut became the first documentary
filmmaker in the history of the festival to win one of their
most prestigious awards, Indie Auteur of the Year.

Gordon Hamilton
Best Overall TRIFF 2016
Award
Gordon Hamilton is a city
planner with extensive
experience in municipal and
multi-jurisdictional land use
projects. Gordon worked for
30 years in the City of Los
Angeles Planning Department;
including 14 years as its Deputy Director. In private practice
as Gordon B. Hamilton & Associates, he provides land use
services to property owners, investors, city planners and real
estate professionals to achieve the best land use decisions
and desired outcomes. Gordon is a lifelong fan of motion
pictures and has worked within his career field to encourage
film studio preservation and expansion in the Los Angeles
area. This includes the adaptive reuse of the famed Howard
Hughes Spruce Goose hangar building in Playa Vista to
an active sound stage and the coordination of cities in Los
Angeles County to expedite issuance of on-site film permits.
Gordon was born in Tryon but was raised in East Hollywood,
California. After being a part-time resident of Tryon for years,
he and his wife recently moved here to live full time.

Frank M Calo
Film Producer/Director
Best Feature Film
Frank M Calo is an Independent
Producer and Director whose
film THE BELIEVER, starring
Ryan Gosling and Billy Zane
won the Grand Jury Prize at
the 2001 Sundance Festival.
That film won all the festivals that year including The Berlin
Film Festival. It was shown nation wide and had a great
box office run. His film, HERE & THERE with Cyndi Lauper
and David Thornton has won the BEST NY NARRITIVE IN
WORLD COMPETITION 2009 at Robert DeNiros, Tribeca Film
Festival in NYC and had its official News York premier played
to wide audiences domestically and overseas. Mr. Calo has
worked with Robert DeNiro (Godsend) Demi Moore, Mike
Myers Shelly Winters, Marlon Brando and many more. His
film THE COOKOUT with Queen Latifah also had a great box
office run distributed by Lions Gate Films. He also worked
for two years with The Motion Picture Bond Company under
Robert Bordiga, as a Producer working on films throughout
the tri-state areas. He is currently in Pre-Production with his

Homayra Sellier, Founder

of Innocence in Danger (IID)
Best Human Right & Dignity
Film
IID is an international child
protection organization, operating in eight countries (France,
United Kingdom, Colombia,
Germany, Switzerland, United
States of America, Austria,
Iran and Morocco). Sellier, who lives in Europe & travels
constantly to her many offices, has also agreed to speak
remotely to the TRIFF audience, about the relevance and
importance of the category. Sellier was also instrumental for
arranging for Cecilia Pecks inclusion of Brave Miss World to
the 2016 programming schedule. Since Sellier is multilingual, fluent in Spanish, French, English and Farsi, she will
also be selecting all films submitted to the HRHD category.
Further, since Sellier has been devoting her life to human
rights issues, she is well suited for the task. Over the years,
5

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Selliers organization has utilized television documentaries, billboard campaigns and other media platforms
to help raise awareness on human abuse. A number
of the French, Swiss, and German films & visual works
which Sellier and her offices have been involved with
have been nominated for the prestigious prizes, such
as PRIX DEBOUZY one of Frances most prestigious
awards and short films/spots at Cannes film competition categories. Sellier was also the primary inspiration
to Illegitimate Advantage, a 2016 novel written by
Kirk Gollwitzer, the co-founder of TRIFF. Sellier and
Gollwitzer are actively working together to adapt the
novel to a major motion picture.
Kevin L. Powers
Director, Writer and
Producer
Judge Best Student
Film
Mr. Powers is the
Program Director for the
GCI Film Festival (Duluth, GA). For the last
three years his responsibilities for the GCI Film Festival
have been to organize submissions, meet with filmmakers, program scheduling, and organize panels &
workshops, among many other duties. He has worked
with four other film festivals in the past but this is
the first one in which he is credited with Co-Creator.
Mr. Powers has been working in the independent
film industry for over fifteen years. He has written
and produced and/or directed numerous shorts and
features for Southlan-Films, Blank Stage Productions,
Infectious Films Entertainment, PDG Entertainment,
Chitwood Studios and Broken Lighthouse Pictures,
to name a few. For these same companies he has
also been employed as cinematographer, production
manager, assistant director and still photographer,
among other jobs. Some of his more recent films
include producing the short films Restricted Diet and
Atheists Dinner Party and writing & directing The
Morning After (with Infectious Films Entertainment). He is currently producing several other shorts
and in pre-production on his next feature film. Mr.
Powers has also been published in several small print
magazines but mostly his film critiques and reviews
and other film related articles can be found on various
online publications including his blog 100 Favorite
Horror Films which specializes on articles on horror,
sci-fi, fantasy, and independent films.

Jeff L. Lieberman
Journalist, Producer and
Filmmaker
Best Documentary
Jeff L. Lieberman is an awardwinning journalist, producer and
filmmaker and the founder of
Re-Emerging Films. The companys
Feature Films have appeared in
theatres throughout the world, and
the filmmakers work has appeared on CBS, HBO, CNN, FOX and on
the websites of Yahoo!, The New York Post, CBS Moneywatch, and
The Huffington Post. Lieberman is the writer, director and producer
of the companys brand new feature-length documentary film, The
Amazing Nina Simone. The film premiered in October 2015 to soldout audiences and has played in over 100 cinemas in more than 10
countries, remaining in theatres for 4 weeks in several cities. The
award-winning film has been called the best of the three Nina Simone films by The New Yorker Magazine, and The Nina Simone film
we should all be watching by Blavity. It has also been heralded by
The New York Times, BBC News, Hollywood Reporter, JET Magazine,
LA Record, Jerusalem Post, Indiewire, Chicago Reader & The Seattle
Times for its in-depth research into the often misunderstood singer
and civil rights activist. The film also received international attention
via feature-length interviews on BBCs NewsHour on the Worldservice and New Zealand Public Radio. The Amazing Nina Simone
is the only documentary film to tell the story of the legendary
singer, songwriter, pianist and activist, through over 50 exclusive
and intimate interviews with the people who knew Nina best:
her friends, family, musicians and fellow activists, including Eric
Burdon (The Animals), Sam Waymon (Ninas Brother & Longtime
Band Member), Nikki Giovanni (Poet, Professor & Friend) & Marie
Christine Dunham-Pratt (Ninas Lover & Friend). Liebermans recent
Academy Award-Qualifying documentary film, RE-EMERGING: The
Jews of Nigeria opened theatrically in 2013 in New York and Los
Angeles, and premiered at festivals in Toronto, Boston, Washington,
Vancouver, London, Switzerland & Israel. The film gained rave
reviews from The New York Times, NPR, The Hollywood Reporter &
Village Voice, with New Yorks Amsterdam News proclaiming the
film as one of the must-see documentaries of 2013. RE-EMERGING
Films also has produced documentary programming for Coca-Cola,
Walt Disney Films, Showtimes Homeland, Entertainment Tonight,
The Insider, Macys, Marlo Thomas & Wine Enthusiast Magazine.
Lieberman also directed, edited and produced the hit viral election
video, Call Your Zeyde. Previous to this, Lieberman was a Writer/
Producer with CBS National News and a Video Reporter with The
New York Post, covering events all over New York and Washington,
DC including the Obama Inauguration, New Yorks Fashion Week,
the Times Square terrorism attack, and The September 11th 10-year
Anniversary commemoration.
7

Trusted in the Industry.

Rooted in the Community.
2536 Lynn Rd, Tryon, NC 28782
Phone:(800) 913-8992
pennyinsuranceagency.com
1522 E. Rutherford Street
Landrum, SC 29356
(864) 457.5255
Wednesday - Saturday 11am-8pm
Reservations suggested.
8

Saturday Night
World Premier

Friday Night
Gala A Red
Carpet Affair

7 pm
Tryon Fine Arts Center

As part of the Friday October 7th

opening day festivities, the
Polk County Film Initiative will
host a red carpet gala at the
Tryon Fine Arts Center located at
34 Melrose Avenue.
The event will begin at
6 pm with hors doeuvres and
refreshments in and around
TFAC and the adjoining Peterson
Amphitheater.
A special screening of the film
American Epic: The Big Bang
will follow at 7:30 pm
in the Veh Stage Theater.

LAMA LA introduces Jamyang, a young Buddhist

monk who has recently finished his intermediate
monastic education. He is now heading towards
higher monastery for his higher education. In the
course of his journey into the war-torn mountains,
he meets a young rebel, Arjun. This is a story of their
journey where they form an unlikely friendship that
will change both of their lives. Directed by Nischal
Poudyal and his Kathmandu based film production
company.

AMERICAN EPIC takes us on a journey across time

to the birth of modern music, when the musical
strands of a diverse nation first combined, sparking a cultural renaissance that forever transformed
the future of music and the world. Jack White, T
Bone Burnett and Robert Redford have teamed up
to executive produce American Epic, a historical
music project encompassing a three-part documentary series, a feature-length film and companion album releases. Directed and produced by
Bernard MacMahon and Allison McGourty.
9

Wine & Fine Spirits

Featuring a wide variety of
local craft beers
Live Music Food Open Late
Private Club Supporting Local Artists!

www.McGourtysPub.com
74 N. Trade Street, Tryon
main entrance from Palmer St.
Your vision is precious to us and we promise
to treat it that way!

EDNEY EYE ASSOCIATES

(828) 894-3930 Columbus, NC I-26 at Exit 67

Eye Health Exams

Eye Emergencies
Contact Lenses
Designer eye wear
Lasik consultation
Diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases including glaucoma,
diabetes, cataracts, dry eyes, and macular degeneration.
Yearly diabetic eye examinations and digital imaging

Dr. Richard V. Edney O.D.

10

Nutritional Counseling

155 Shuford Road, Columbus, NC 28722

Phone: 828-894-6064 Fax: 866-523-6755
Email: bbvh.nc@gmail.com

Geriatric Care

Surgery & Dentistry

Angel Mitchell, DVM, CVA

Iain Fitch, DVM CA
Lynn Encarnacion, DVM CVA

Herbal & Avian Medicine

Acupuncture & Chiropractic

11

Times

6:00pm

*Special Ticketed Event* Tryon Fine Arts Center

Opening Gala & Premiere of American Epic: The Big Bang

Times Tryon Fine Arts Center

10:00am Feature:

Dirty Beautiful
(01:35:00)

N. Hollywood, CA
12:00pm Human Rights

& Dignity:

Camp 72 (01:15:00)

Corpus Christi, TX
2:00pm Feature:

Hate Crime (01:25:00)

Baton Rouge, LA
3:30pm Documentary:

American Epic - Out of

the Many the One

p2 (01:27:00)
U.K./USA
5:00pm Documentary:

Come Hell or High Water
(50:00)

Times Tryon Theater

10:00pm Documentary:

32-0 the Movie (01:27:00)

Rutherford, NC
11:45am Human Rights

& Dignity:

Ketermaya (01:18:00)

United Kingdom
1:30pm Short:

The Sky over Berlin of My

Childhood (10:04)
Kazakhstan
2:00pm Documentary:

The Samaritan
(01:24:00)

Bethany, OK
3:45pm Feature:

God Bless New Dixie
(01:44:00)

Greenville, SC
5:45pm Short:

No Child (43:28)

Raleigh, NC

7:00pm

*Special Ticketed Event* Tryon Fine Arts Center

Times

Tryon Fine Arts Center Times Tryon Theater

12:00pm Documentary:

Grado Mission (01:23:00)

Roma, Italy
1:45pm Documentary:

Non-Competition

Going Home: Saludas Music

Tradition (01:30:00)

Tryon, NC
3:30pm Documentary:

Travel Light (01:20:00)

Charlotte, NC

Tryon Depot
A Thousand Acres (24:57) Winston-Salem, NC
Syaahi (29:35) India
YULYA (21:00) Portugal
Doors (12:47) Spain
Four Pies (12:36) Charlotte, NC
The Arrangements (12:30) Rocky Point
An Act of Trust (08:59) Charlotte, NC
Dennis Doesnt Live Here Anymore
(15:00) Los Angeles, CA
The Edge (16:34) Paris, France
Love (06:19) Paris, France
A Day in the Life of a Syrian Refugee
(03:41) Arlington, VA
Color My Dreams (04:26) Irvine, CA
The Boyd Estate (09:02) Greenville, SC
The Endless River (03:00) Islamic Republic of Iran
The Morning After (06:04) Atlanta, GA
The Example (23:46) Cleveland, TX
Face to Face with Slavery (31:03) Wilminton,NC
The Cast of Amontillado (20:00) Sanford, NC
Theatre of Hate (06:09) Los Angeles, CA
Dark Heat (07:04) Greensboro, NC

Times
12:00pm
12:30pm
1:00pm
1:30pm
2:00pm
2:30pm
3:00pm
3:30pm
4:00pm
4:45pm
5:30pm

Tryon Depot
The Three Body Solution (11:30) Los Angeles, CA
Crude (04:11) Los Angeles, CA
11 Minutes (18:43) Israel
Adaptation (24:50) Poland
Dancing in Water (15:00) Islamic Republic of Iran
After Auschwitz (12:23) United Kingdom
A Beautiful Silence (16:39) Easley, SC
One Triple Coffee (18:12) Islamic Republic of Iran
Radioactive Veteran (25:29) Carrboro, NC
Marianne (17:32) United Kingdom
Bumblebees (3:59)

World Premiere of Nepali Film LAMA LA

12:00pm Documentary:

Touch Gloves (01:14:21)

Hoverhill, MA
2:00pm Documentary:

Brave Miss World
(01:28:00)

Santa Monica, CA
3:45pm Documentary:

The American Epic

Sessions p3 (01:57:00)
U.K./USA

6:00pm

Times
10:00am
10:30am
11:00am
12:00pm
12:30pm
1:00pm
1:15pm
1:30pm

2:00pm
2:30pm
2:45pm

3:00pm
3:15pm
3:30pm
3:45pm
4:00pm
4:30pm
5:15pm
5:30pm
5:45pm

Awards Ceremony - Tryon Fine Arts Center

12

13

We cannot direct the winds, but we can adjust our sails...

14

Dirty Beautiful

David is a young, struggling writer very alone in the world. Kat is a lost soul recently
left homeless by her ex. Both survive on the fringe of life. So when Kat storms into
Davids life and throws out the crazy idea that they become an instant couple, David
impulsively agrees and moves her into his tiny apartment. After some wild ups and
downs, they make their home into a cave. A safe haven away from the world. But
their retreat is fueled as much by drinking and escape as affection. When fantasies of
children and a normal life compete with their bohemian ways, things turn ugly. Out
of their cave, in the sober light of day, can David & Kats love survive?
Director: Tim Bartell
N. Hollywood, California

God Bless New Dixie

Set in Upstate South Carolina Upstate against a backdrop of stubbornly flapping

Confederate flags mounted on lawns and businesses alike, this raucous Southern
comedy takes the notion of heritage not hate to task. Ferrari Thunderbird Taylor is
a foul-mouthed, perpetually buzzed vigilante who, after getting out of rehab, has
her heart set on proposing to her dumbass boyfriend Harry Shumway. But when she
realizes that the object of her affection is running for South Carolina governor on a
platform of seceding from the United States, she races to save her man, if not the
entire state, from certain ruin.
Director: Alex Wroten
Greenville, South Carolina

Hate Crime

As a young man is executed for a hate crime, two sets of parents struggle to deal with
the consequences. As the clock ticks toward midnight and the execution, these two
families are on a collision course to confront how this happened and who is to blame.
Stark and foreboding, this story is told between the lines. It tells you nothing, but you
know everything. It compels you to dig deep into the lives of these characters and
challenges you not to care. It is an emotional journey, with unforgettable performances, unveiled through jarring revelations. Right out of the headlines, it is an American
tragedy that happens all too often. But this film is not about politics or morality or
culture. Its about a family.
Director: Steven Esteb
Baton Rouge, Louisiana

15

16

American Epic - Out of

the Many the One

Part 2 of the multi-part American

Epic documentary. Executive Producer Robert Redford narrates and
explores music history from almost
100 years ago. Including the invention of the first electric recording machine which changed
the world forever. This film traces some of the earliest
recorded musicians, their never-before-told stories and
the astonishing impact they had on contemporary music
and the world.
Director: Bernard McMahon
United Kingdom/United States

The American Epic Sessions

A wonderful cast of musicians gather in a Los Angeles

recording studio to compose and record a single-take,
master record utilizing a carefully assembled recording
mechanism. Overseen and encouraged by Jack White, T
Bone Burnett, The American Epic Sessions shows performances by Elton John, Nas, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard
and others. Sessions can be considered a full length
culmination to an epic documentary.
Director: Bernard McMahon
United Kingdom/United States

contemporary gospel, old time and Americana acts are

featured and some of todays great music venues.
Director: Kirk Gollwitzer
Tryon, North Carolina

The Samaritan

This exciting true story is set during

the Cold War in Romania. A maverick

lawyer helped bring reunification of an
immigrant family in the midst of the
Romanian Revolution. While human
rights violations are at an all time high,
the dictator has killed over 2 million
people attacking people of all faith and
every religion. This exciting feature length documentary is a
multi plot film enhanced by drama, mystery, danger and love.
Director: Kevin McAfee
Bethany, Oklahoma

32 0 The Movie

Documentary on the RS Central

High School basketball 1980 perfect
season.
Director: Rodney Greene
Rutherfordton, North Carolina

Touch Gloves

Come Hell or High

Water, Remembering
the 1916 Flood

An observational documentary that

follows Haverhill, MA struggling
boxing club, Haverhill Downtown
The Great Flood of 1916 was Western
Boxing. Operated by Ray Hebert we
North Carolinas worst natural
see fighters train to become recogdisaster 100 years ago. The flood
nized amateur boxers from the gym
led to thousands of mudslides
all the way to The Golden Gloves in
and landslides causing extensive
Lowell, MA. This no budget, no film
damage and loss of life but it happened when relatively
crew documentary will inspire those
few people lived up on ridges or near streams. A flood of
to train harder and educate those who think they know what
similar proportions today would be even more devastating. boxing is.
The film documents the lives that the flood touched, what Director: Felipe Jorge
weve learned and how the lessons of the Great Flood still
Haverhill, Massachusetts
impact us today.
Director: David Weintraub
Travel Light
Hendersonville, North Carolina
A small team of young American
filmmakers backpack 500 miles
across Spains Camino de Santiago,
Going Home: Saludas
attempting to capture not only
Music Tradition
their own experience, but also the
This film portrays a rich musical
intimate stories of the pilgrims who
heritage, where the past meets the
journey from all over the world to
present. The recollections include
seek truth on the Camino.
tales of the popular square dances,
Director: Lindsay Thompson
shape note singing, old time fidCharlotte, North Carolina
dlers, the influence of the railroad,
Coon Dog Day and much more. Rolling into present day,
17

18

A Day in the life of a

Syrian refugee

Camp 72

During Liberias Civil War,

Gladys was forced to watch
the brutal murder of her
mother by a NPFL Rebel.
The same fighter held her
as a sex slave for years. The
nightmare started at an area
Gladys refers to as Camp 72. A decade later, Gladys
like many survivors of the 14 year civil war is trying
to rebuild her life. The rebel who raped Gladys and
killed her mother lives in freedom miles away from
her as no one in Liberia has been prosecuted for
their war crimes.
This documentary follows a quest for justice and
healing through the eyes of survivors, warlords,
grassroots activists and four Nobel Laureates who
are dedicated to ending violence against women.
We witness how people find hope and inspiration in
the worst of circumstances.
Director: Seema Mathur
Corpus Christi, Texas

A filmmaker goes to a Syrian

refugee camp and spends
the night with a family of 16.
Together, they highlight a day
in the life of a Syrian refugee.
Director: Ahmad Asaad
Arlington, Virginia

After Auschwitz

A short film about survival,

truth and reflection.
Hiding from the shadows of
the past, Rebeka reflects on
the paths not taken, of love lost
and the moral obligations of being a survivor.
Director: Paul Blinkhorn
United Kingdom

An Act of Trust

Close your eyes and imagine

being absolutely alone in a
country where no one wants
you, you have no job, home
or money, after being forced
to flee your home because
of violence. Imagine people
judging you, being afraid of you, and shutting you
out simply because of where you were born. Our
non-profit documentary company, Mission Film
Works, went to Hungary to tell the story of a Christian
church bucking national sentiment by trying to help
a few dozen stranded men, women and children in
Budapest. We had no political agenda, and made it a
point to not get in those discussions.
Director: Kim Brattain
Charlotte, North Carolina

Face to Face with

Slavery

Follow two volunteer filmmakers as they journey to the

front lines of slavery around
the globe to meet survivors
and activists face to face. Their
poignant half-hour film uncovers the inhuman
brutality of hidden slavery in Nepal, India, Ghana
and the Congo--and bears witness to the inspiring
grassroots movement that is bringing thousands of
people from slavery to freedom.
Directors: Jordan and Cassie Timpy
Wilmington, North Carolina

continued...
19

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20

Grado Mission

Missione Grado is a 2015 Italian

documentary film directed by
Carlo Christian Spano. The film
chronicles some military activities
carried out by the Italian contingent in Herat and Bala Morghab,
Afghanistan. The title of the
movie is taken from a secret code assigned to a group
of journalist, a name pronounced by a sergeant of the
San Marco Battalion whose gaze is the protagonist
of the first chapter. As seen through the sergeant eyes,
we can absorb the very true feelings that will lead him
on his return to be an enlightened person and overall
all of his reality.
Director: Carlo Christian Spano
Italy

Love

The story of a mad love. One that

exalts, one that extinguish.
Director: Sophie Chamoux
France

Radioactive Veteran

A documentary short that offers

a new look at nuclear fallout in
America.
Director: Bradley Bethel
Carrboro, North Carolina

The Example

During a race riot in Beaumont,

Texas in June 1943, Officer Miller
I dont like here
Harvey, a white police officer is
Eli has been involved in a personaldetermined to protect and serve
ity dualism and regardless of her
his city and family. Black business
constant disagreemets with here
owner Carver Jefferson is hell-bent
fathrshe stil seeks her true nature on taking his family far away from the city as racial
Director: Javad Daraei
hostility has led to the destruction of his home and
Islamic Republic of Iran
business. After curfew while Beaumont is under
martial law, Harvey, another white officer and
Jeffersons worlds collide at a roadblock. Tensions
Ketermaya
explode on that hot summer night, forcing them to
On a dusty hillside surrounded
make decisions that will question their morals, loyalty
by olive trees, the children of
and manhood.
Ketermaya play far away from
the horrors of Syria. But life in the Director: Wyatt Cagle
Lebanese refugee camp is far from Cleveland, Texas
easy. Disrupted educations, the
loss of loved ones, and the scars of war and chemical
Yulya
weapons weigh heavily in this extraordinary portrait
YULYA is a film that, without havof family and childhood innocence. An important
ing any dialogues, develops itself
corrective to narratives surrounding refugees, and a
as an exploratory and sensorial
moving fable of hope and resilience in unimaginable
movement which follows the
circumstances.
emotional journey of Yulya, a fragDirector: Lucas Jedrzejak
ile and precious young woman.
United Kingdom
Director: Andr Marques
Portugal
21

22

23

John N. Boyle III

Branch Manager

910 East Rutherford Street

Landrum, SC 29356
Tel: 864-457-1090
Toll Free: 877-686-6185
john.boyle@wfafinet.com

Wells Fargo Advisors

Financial Network, LLC
Member FINRA/SIPC

24

A Beautiful Silence

Dancing in Water

A BEAUTIFUL SILENCE follows a

young woman as she struggles
with faith and doubt. We shift
from past to present as she
comes to terms with this inner
conflict.
Director: Steven Adam
Renkovish
Easley, South Carolina

A man has to go to work and

leave her daughter with her
seriously ill mother. The film is
about what goes on between
mother and daughter.
Director: Zahra Jafari
Iran

Dark Heat

Bumblebees

Bumblebees is a quirky romantic

comedy starring nineteen-year-old
Vance Kanell, who as a child was
diagnosed with autism, cerebral
palsy, epilepsy, and several other
sensory disorders. Having broken
through the intellectual and physical
restrictions doctors once placed on
him, the young man now faces the
daunting adventure of embarking on his first date. With
the help of his cat Goldie, Vance discovers something that
bumblebees from all walks of life can learn from. This
project is the writing and directorial debut of Vances older
sister, Jenna Kanell. The short film was conceived, created,
and completed in a forty-eight hour period for the Disability
Film Challenge.

Director: Jenna Kanell

Atlanta, Georgia

Crude

Crude is a short experimental

fashion film based on the
themes of the middle east,
women in the middle east and
the damage that the excavation
of natural resources have had on its iconic wildlife
and nature. The film follows the journey of a young
women wandering through the wasteland of the
now damaged deserts in the search for the final
untouched oasis of nature and life.
Director: Sion Ribeiro Joseph
Los Angeles, California

Dark Heat is the opening segment for the horror anthology

feature, Witching Hour II and
is a film noir, period, short film.
Director: Dan Sellers
Greensboro, North Carolina

Dennis Doesnt Live

Here Anymore

With his halcyon days of youth

now a distant memory, former
prankster Dennis Mitchell
must come to grips with a
world that no longer makes
sense. Haunted by the absence
of Mr. Wilson and abandoned
by friends whove embraced their adult lives, Dennis must overcome a personal crisis that cant be
solved with smirks and giggles. As he approaches
the twilight of his Quarter Life years, Dennis is
forced to make peace with a generation of unmet
needs...and where is Mr. Wilson?
Director: Michael Nardelli
Los Angeles, California

Doors

A man destroyed by his own

obsession.
Director: Paco Arasanz
Spain

25

continued...

BLUE DOG PRODUCTIONS

APPLAUDS YOUR SUCCESS

TRYON INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Blue Dog Productions provides high quality planning and production and highlyskilled management and technicians for your Audio and Visual Production, Talent
and Equipment for your Local, US or International Events, Conferences and Tours.

OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORT

FOR YOUR PRODUCTION NEEDS
Total Show Production
Video Production
Conference Management Audio Production
Staging Lighting
Tour Management
Film Production
Please Call 770-314-4400 for Proposal or Consultation
www.bluedog-productions.com

26

Atlanta

Las Vegas Asheville

The Cask of
Amontillado

No Child

NO CHILD is about growing

up, and the power of growing
together. It explores our inner
passions, becoming inspired to
be responsible, and the ability in
us all to overcome our disadvantages... and our demons.
Director: Rob Underhill
Raleigh, North Carolina

From Edgar Allen Poe comes

this story of ultimate revenge.
A man, driven by jealousies,
commits a heinous and horrifying act.
Director: Monica Tidwell
Sanford, North Carolina

Theatre of Hate

How a young lady handles an

emotional challenge. A silent
non dialogue movie. When
Theodoras mom met and
married a young man after
living alone for some years.
She discovers that he abuses
her mom physically and need to make a choice either to
eliminate him or focus all her anger and energy into her
violin performance.
Director: Tina Ezenma
Los Angeles, California

One Triple Coffee

A woman is going to choose

between two men to marry.the
One full of contradictions and
madnesses,but deeply in love
with her, or the even one who can
donate her peace and calmness.
Director: Zahra Jafari
Iran

Syaahi

A young boy. A quaint hilly town.

Everything that can go wrong
will go wrong.
Perhaps, that is what metamorphosis needs.
Director: Varun Tandon
India

The Edge

In a near future, in the heart

of a forest in the North where
anarchy reigns, a young
girl Hawa and her father
live as refugees along with
other survivors. Hawas life
changes during a food pillage.
She loses what she holds most dear to her and
launches on a journey to the edge of the forest to
find the thieves.
Director: Simon Saulnier
France

The Arrangements

Based on a true story-three

sisters have varying opinions on
the arrangements that must be
made for their mother in this
poignant yet humorous short
film.
Director: Tanya Fermin
Rocky Point, North Carolina

continued...
27

 Grooming for cats and dogs

Pet products, apparel, and gifts
Open 9 AM to 4 PM
Thursday thru Monday
10 Maple St., Tryon NC 828-440-1217
www.facebook.com/BarkwayTryon?fref=ts
Open 9 AM to 4 PM Thursday thru Monday

28

The Endless River

simply run impulsively through spaces. THE SKY

OVER BERLIN OF MY CHILDHOOD is a metaphor
of the lost generation born in the post Soviet
area between 1980-1990. The images of the film
are memories of the young people who passed
through the collapse of the empire.
Director: Bakhtiyar Islamov
Kazakhstan

A young boy is sitting next to

a droughty river, watching the
barren land while fantasizing
about fishing. Drown in his
daydreaming, he coughs and
comes back to his senses, gets
up and walks along the river.
Director: Mohammad Mohammadian
Iran

The Three-Body
Solution

The Morning After

Like any body in motion,

Prof. Delia Howell seems
destined to stay in motion:
Shes in line for her Universitys top scientific medal,
and her future as a rising star
in theoretical physics is nearly guaranteed.. But
the upward trajectory of her career is jeopardized
when a handsome young adjunct claims to have
solved the three-body problem and is added to
the shortlist for the Newton Medal. Will Delia be
able to disprove her rivals spurious theory, or will a
third body lead her in an entirely unexpected direction? The Three-Body Solution was sponsored
by a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
Director: Alison Marek
Los Angeles, California

Wendi (Lynn McArthur) is a

woman with a lot of baggage that has caused her to
neglect her son Jack (Kendall
McIntyre). On this particular
day it will be more difficult for
her to cope with just getting up in the morning.
Director: Kevin L. Powers
Atlanta, Georgia

The Sky Over Berlin

of my Childhood

This is a film about lost

children in a strange place.
Three boys jump from zone
to zone using a teleportation
box. They dont look for happiness, love, or meaning, they

29

The Nest
ARTISAN MARKET

Always local, always handmade

13 S. Trade St., Tryon NC
214 E. Rutherford St., Landrum, SC
Ashley Menetre
Thenestoftryon@yahoo.com
404-319-1052
Please mention this ad
for 10% off purchase.
Michael Septon
864-525-8692

Toll Free 1-800-922-0676

Local (864) 422-0207
603 S. Old Piedmont Hwy.
Greenville, SC 29611

Foam for Automotive, Marine & Furniture Industry

contoursouthinc@aim.com

94 N. Trade Street Tryon, NC 28782 (828) 859-9304 tryonbookshelf@gmail.com

ww.tryonbookshelf.com
30

Adaptation

Structural or functional evolution of an organism towards higher survivability.

Process of an individual becoming better suited to environment and more resistant
to outer stress. The ability of eyesight to adjust to seeing in the dark.
Director: Bartosz Kruhlik
Poland

A Thousand Acres

A young man infiltrates an anarchist cult in search of his ex-love who disappeared
there some time before.
Director: Chaz Fulk
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Color My Dreams
Director: Claire Imler
Irvine, California

11 Minutes

A military ambulance is called to evacuate a seriously wounded young soldier and

bring him to a helicopter pad where he will be taken to hospital. Aboard the ambulance is a staff of three young soldiers, one of whom is Karen, a young female paramedic on her first tour of duty. Faced with life and death decisions in the ambulance,
Karen will either succeed in bringing her emotions and fears under control or fail,
and be responsible for the death of a fellow soldier.
Director: Hagai Adorian
Israel

Marianne

A young Nigerian man travels to a remote Pentecostal church with his ailing wife.
Director: Tomisin Adepeju
United Kingdom

The Boyd Estate

In attempt to get rich, a man hires a young boy to switch his dying brothers will.
Director: Christopher Matthews
Greenville, South Carolina

31

A Special Thank You To

TRYON INTERNATIONAL
EQUESTRIAN CENTER
for providing van service
for our festival guests

32

Saturday, October 8

Sunday, October 9

Workshop#1 / TFAC Mahler Room - 12:00pm

The Art of Cinematography (45min)
Speaker: Daniel Espeut

Workshop#5 / TFAC Mahler Room - 1:00pm

How to turn your idea into a movie (45min)
Speaker: Alison Marek

Workshop#2 / Lanier Library - 2:00pm

Human Rights & Filmmaking (45min)
Speaker: Seema Mathur (Camp 72)

Workshop #6 / TFAC Mahler Room - 3:00pm

Documentary Filmmaking (45 min)
Speaker: Felipe Phil Jorge (Touch Gloves)

Workshop#3 / TFAC Mahler Room - 3:00pm

Nuts to Bolts Production (120min)
Speaker: Frank M. Calo

Workshop#7 / Lanier Library - 4:00pm

Brave Miss World Community Talk Back (45min)
Moderated by: Lee Lindsey w/ Steps to Hope

Workshop#4 / Upstairs Artspace - 4:00pm

Philosophy of Film (Hate Crime) (45min)
Speaker: Deborah J. Fitzgerald, Ph.D.

Workshop#8 / Lanier Library - 5:00pm

Storytelling and Screenwriting (45min)
Moderated by: Kirk Gollwitzer (PCFI)

33

601 N. Rutherford Street

Landrum, SC 29356
864-457-2314
34

1 Page Avenue #125

Asheville, NC 28801
828.350.9222
entertheearth.com
35

TWO
LOCATIONS:
341 North Trade Street
Tryon, NC 28782
828-859-9141
685 W. Mills St.
Columbus, NC 28722
828-894-3021

Member FDIC
Equal Housing Lender

62 North Trade St. Tryon 828.436.0025 huckleberrystore@aol.com www.huckleberrysbakery.com

TWO LOCATIONS
10 North Trade St., Ste. A
Tryon, NC 28762
828.859.6473
300 Randall St., Ste. B
Greer, SC 29651
864.469.7669

Sensational Selections
at Sensible Prices! Taste the World!

labouteille@live.com
www.labouteille.net

Grab a beer or a glass of wine and relax here between shows!

36

Williamsons Paint Center

37

Producer Sponsor
New View Reality
Missildines
Innocence in Danger

Director Sponsor

Screen Writer Sponsor

Mcgourtys Pub
Penny Insurance

Blue Dog Productions

State Farm Insurance Tiffany Freel
The Hare & Hound Pub
Bonnie Brae
Foothills Financial
Wells Fargo Advisors

Media Sponsor
WNCW

Production Assistant
Animal Logic
Four Meadow Farm
Book Shelf
Green River Adventures / The Gorge Zipline
Carolina Chiropractic Plus
Green River Brew Depot
Century 21 Blackwell & Co. Realty Inc.
Harvest House Restaurant
Chestnut Restaurant
Henson Collision
Contour South
Home Trust Bank
Down to Earth Garden
Huckleberrys Tryon
Edney Eye Associates
La Bouteille Wine & Beer Boutique
End of the Road
Landrum Eclectics Antiques
Enter the Earth
Mimosa Flooring
Foothills Pharmacy
Natures Storehouse
The Nest Artisan Market

Polk County Department of

Social Services
Polk County Farm Bureau
Purrrfect Bark
ReMax Advantage
Stone Soup
Tanner Doncaster Outlet
Tryon Arts & Crafts
Vines & Stuff of Tryon
Walker Wallace and Emerson
Williamsons Paint Center

TRIFF Platinum Sponsor

TRIFF Gold Sponsor

Bob and Susan Penfold

Debbie and Brad Packard

Renee and Jim McDermott
Mary Neal Jones
Patricia M Gass
Lucy and Tim Brannon

TRIFF Silver Sponsor

Elaine Pearsons
Fred Haas
Richard and Holly McKee
Susan Arthur and Willard Whitson

Special TRIFF Thank You

Jan Wall Romaine
Robbie Hambright
Crys Armbrust
John Oliver
Lavin Cuddihee
Scott and Gayle Lane
Foothills Chamber
Lanier Library
Parsec Financial

Tryon Fine Arts Center

Steps to Hope
Town of Tryon
Four Winds Floral and Folk Art
Wayne Buice
Mayor Alan Peoples
Barbara Bricker Small Miracles
Mckinsey Printing
38

Sherry Eades
Nadine Naujoks
Ashley Crane
Susan Buser
Olivia Nelson
Ashley Menetre
Deborah J Fitzgerald Ph.D.
Sofia Dow
Lydia Juenger

Be A Voice
for Kids

POLK COUNTY COMMUNITY

CHILD FATALITY PREVENTION
and PROTECTION TEAM

The Carolinas

22345 Asheville Hwy #176

Landrum, SC 29356
864-457-2823
www.harvesthouselandrum.com

Fresh Ingredients
Casual, Friendly Atmosphere

39

82 N. Trade St.
Tryon, NC 28782
(828) 440-1140

40