The Line Up
Brilliant movies by brilliant storytellers. All films are programmed into film blocks. The film blocks listed here outline all the films that are playing during a single screening.
A Fable for Four Voices
Loosely inspired by folk tales, “A Fable for Four Voices” chronicles the mystical journey of a quartet of aging animals fleeing their fates to find a place free from fear to live out their days, overcoming their inherent differences and regaining a sense of wonder.
Screening: Saturday, 1 pm
Aisle 5
A grocery store clerk is assigned an unexpected task during his shift.
Screening: Saturday, 5 pm
Any Other Time
Following her sexual assault, Emily, a college student, wants justice. She seeks counseling on how to move forward, but a lack of evidence and support from her best friend is leaving her hopeless. Feeling abandoned, she turns to self-harm but receives a call at just the right time.
Screening: Friday, 3 pm
Archive & The Storyteller
On the brink of human extinction, a young couple struggles to secure a spot on the ‘Archive.’
Screening: Saturday, 5 pm
Attrition
The aftermath of a devastating protest leads to the establishment of a strict government department, the Department of Social Regulation. Our story follows a disillusioned Black war veteran and his wife who undergo a final interview for an opportunity that holds the potential to change their lives.
Screening: Friday, 3 pm
Awadagin Pratt: Black in America
Awadagin Pratt: Black in America confronts issues of privilege and racism in America and tells a personal account of an all-too-common experience for many people of color in America and worldwide.
Screening: Friday, 3 pm
BEAT
Taking "self-destructive behavior" to a whole new level.
Screening: Saturday, 7 pm
Believe in Wonder
Despite barriers for people of color, it’s remarkable what a difference one talented African American couple makes when they simultaneously grow a family through foster-adoption, grow their sci-fi publishing business, and unite an intergenerational Pacific Northwest community – all through the magic of books.
Screening: Saturday, 1 pm
BOOKED
BOOKED begins when two high school theatre geeks and best friends, Kenny Harris and Owen Mitchell, are snubbed for the leads in their senior musical. To retaliate against their invalidating classmates and teacher, they audition for the world’s top BFA Musical Theatre programs to prove to everyone they have what it takes.
Screening: Saturday, 3 pm
BREAK
Shot on Black & White 35mm and set in the 60s, BREAK is the story of a young drummer who is looking to calm his nerves in front of two veteran musicians and fulfill his dream of being a drummer in a jazz trio.
Screening: Saturday, 3 pm
Brown Sugar
On the day of her 12th birthday, Rue starts questioning beauty standards and how they apply to her.
Screening: Saturday, 1 pm
CENSUS
A census enumerator finds herself trapped in a mysterious mansion, where she attempts to help two children in peril while evading their cruel caretaker.
Screening: Saturday, 7 pm
Choices
Three very different friends find renewed connection as they await pregnancy results at their Los Angeles High School.
Screening: Friday, 1 pm
Citizen Sleuth
A true crime podcaster from Appalachia blurs the line between fact and entertainment as she investigates the mysterious death of a local girl.
Citizen Sleuth examines the ethics of the true crime genre and how the power of narrative affects truth, victims, and communities.
Screening: Saturday, 7 pm
City Bird
A young girl, Linden escapes the hustle and bustle of New York City to go on an adventurous bird walk with her grandfather. Their journey is chronicled through the eyes of the girl's stuffed penguin, Marney who is determined not to let go of their city roots. A documentary that combines fantastical elements to show the beauty of nature and friendship.
Screening: Saturday, 1 pm
CLARA
The peak of innovation, Clara brings a new life to Artificial Intelligence. With the world becoming more reliant on tech and falling away from the tradition of human interaction. Eddie is no different, with his desire to make a good first date impression, his trust in AI leads him away from trusting his own Instincts.
Screening: Friday, 1 pm
Curiosity
CURIOSITY is about a bored, small town mailman who has a not-so-secret double life of spying on people. When he witnesses the girl of his dreams being kidnapped, it sends him into a hyper stealth mode, working alongside his younger, skeptical friend Dustin - a cop wannabe - to save her.
Screening: Saturday, 7 pm
Dialectical
On the way to therapy, a young woman's drive is interrupted as a figure darts into the road.
Screening: Friday, 1 pm
Echoing, it doesn’t stop
In a haunting blend of stop-motion puppet and sand animation, "Echoing, it doesn't stop" (2023) creates a visual symphony from Serhiy Zhadan's poignant poem, capturing Russia's Invasion of Ukraine and delivering a profound portrayal of survival, sacrifice, and the enduring echoes of hope.
Screening: Friday, 3 pm
Falling Up
College student Davis clings joyfully to his childlike surroundings. Video games, stuffed animals, singing eggs - who could want anything more?
Screening: Friday, 1 pm
Fresh
"Fresh" is a poignant exploration of the profound impact that an individual can have on a community. Through Kymisha's commitment to urban gardening, the film showcases the potential for food to serve as a catalyst for change, nourishing not only bodies but also the collective spirit of a neighborhood.
Screening: Friday, 7 pm
Fioretta
Schoenberg and his son Joey journey through Europe and the centuries to reclaim 500 years of family history. Along the way, they encounter kings, mystics, and a false messiah, as well as the ordinary people who witnessed Europe’s distant and recent past. Randy is renowned for recovering Nazi-looted art, but his greatest achievement might be reuniting the fractured shards of his own family.
Schoenberg is an American lawyer and genealogist based in Los Angeles who specializes in legal cases related to the recovery of looted or stolen artworks – particularly those stolen by the Nazi regime during World War II.. A top litigator, Schoenberg succeeded in getting back the “Golden Lady” painting and several other works of art after a nearly eight-year struggle against the Austian government –a story later told in film “Woman in Gold” starring Helen Mirren, Ryan Reynolds, and Katie Holmes. Trailer available here.
Special Selection, in partnership with the Holocaust and Humanities Center and the Jewish-Israeli Film Festival. Playing 9/28/2023, 7pm at Mariemont Theater. VIP Passholders gain entry at no cost, additional tickets here.
Goodbye Tallahassee, I Hope You Understand
Goodbye [good-bahy] interjection: a concluding remark used at parting. Tallahassee [tal-uh-has-ee] noun: A vortex of a city that never lets you go.
Screening: Saturday, 7 pm
Gravid
A young couple tackles the death of their children and the future of their relationship.
Screening: Saturday, 7 pm
Heroic
A superhero faces a difficult decision about how best to use his powers.
Screening: Friday, 7 pm
Hidden
Maureen comes home to hear suspicious noises coming from her step-daughter’s bedroom. Busting in, Maureen catches Penelope, her stepdaughter, suspecting she was with a boy and he is hiding in the room. Who emerges from hiding is not who Maureen expected, and causes a swift and rippling change in their relationships.
Screening: Friday, 3 pm
Hunger Pang
A desperate and starving zombie woman finds a human baby, but her unlikely bond with the child poses a problem for her appetite.
Screening: Saturday, 7 pm
I Didn’t Mean to Say I Love You
A woman accidentally says "I love you" at the end of a voicemail to an ex, and proceeds to have a full-on meltdown leaving countless more voicemails.
Screening: Saturday, 5 pm
In These Times
Shot on 16mm and digital cameras in the summer of 2020, this dialogue-free short doc reveals the personal & public experiences of Louisville, KY's battle with the coronavirus and police brutality in the wake of Breonna Taylor's killing by the LMPD.
Screening: Saturday, 1 pm
Landline
Depicted in an ecstatic multimedia barrage: my mother does not die once.
Screening: Friday, 7 pm
Lejania
After enduring the journey to the United States, Mena arrives in Cincinnati to stay with her cousin. As she works multiple jobs to stay afloat, Mena considers the joys, pressures, and curiosities of life in the United States while grappling with the memories that seek to pull her back home.
Screening: Friday, 7 pm
Life in Tandem
After a member of the "freestyle canoe dancing" community suffers a tragic accident and unimaginable loss, his fellow canoe enthusiasts work in tandem to help him through his emotional and physical trauma to recover and get back in his canoe.
Screening: Friday, 7 pm
My Youth
As Ali and Behzad travel north, they meet Maryam, a hitchhiker traveling to Rasht to find a job.
Screening: Friday, 1 pm
Night Cafe
A dark, comedic drama about a waitress and single mother who is having a terrible night at her job. Between hitting her head, getting yelled at by her boss, and being stiffed by a customer - she barely notices the two criminals sitting in her section. It's an ensemble of unique characters, cosmic coincidences, and serendipitous luck, both good and bad.
Screening: Friday, 7 pm
O, brave new world
In "O, brave new world," a woman grapples with the events of 2020-2021. The film asks questions such as, how does this barrage of news coverage affect us? How do we integrate these influences and process these events? How does it transform us... and where do we go from here?
Screening: Friday, 3 pm
The Orchestra Chuck Built
In 2016, the League of American Orchestras conducted a study that revealed a shocking statistic: only 1.8% of the professional orchestra workforce in the US is Black. From an old church rec room in the inner city of Los Angeles, former lawyer-turned-conductor Chuck Dickerson is on a mission to change that.
Screening: Saturday, 1 pm
Peculiar and Strange
PECULIAR AND STRANGE is the playful but profound story of two eccentric girls who discover the power of finding a friend as peculiar as you. As they embrace their strange, they let it truly and magically transform them—changing into unexpected forms while somehow becoming more and more themselves.
Screening: Saturday, 1 pm
Persons Set Apart
A documentary profile of David Meredith, the openly gay pastor of Clifton Methodist Church in Cincinnati.
Screening: Friday, 3 pm
Queen of the Night
A timid young woman meets a stranger with a dark secret.
Screening: Saturday, 7 pm
Rage Against the Teen
A fed-up mom finds a healthy outlet for her rage in this punk rock parody.
Screening: Saturday, 5 pm
Rentals
A dreamlike reflection on the peculiarities of renting out an AirBnB.
Saturday: 7 pm
Resonance
What happens when you awaken the echoes?
A field recordist visits an abandoned waterpark to collect interesting sounds, when she encounters the spirit of someone close to her, who drowned.
Screening: Saturday, 7 pm
Sheltered
In the Appalachian foothills, a young man withdraws from his protestant faith while he and his Dad prepare for a church mission trip.
Screening: Saturday, 5pm
Showrunner
A story about friendship between young women who are growing up and apart.
Samira, has always depended on her best friend, Eva, for support. As Eva transitions into her first romantic relationship, Samira is left feeling alone and desperate for the attention she once had.
Screening: Saturday, 3 pm
Smoke and Suds
In a world of illegal soap smuggling carried out by the Rubber Duck Mafia, an innocent duck bumps into a smuggling operation and a crate of soap crashes into the layperson. This duck witnessed too much and must be chased down by the smugglers.
Screening: Saturday, 7 pm
Summer Eclipse
Riley, often elated by the subtlest moments and feelings in life, begins dating his presumed first love, Orbit, in the sapid summer of 2017, but soon enters emotional turmoil in the wake of receiving skewed signals from Orbit presumably prompted by her post-breakup mourning.
Screening: Saturday, 5 pm
Suzzanne
Hot-headed ten-year-old Suzzanne must fight to prevent the sale of her beloved childhood home.
Screening: Saturday, 1 pm
The Violinist
A conservative Texas state senator reconsiders his anti-abortion views after being forcibly surgically connected to a woman whom he must keep alive with his own body for nine months.
Screening: Friday, 3 pm
We Want A
Four college besties and certified party girls get together for a celebration brunch. But when what they're celebrating unexpectedly changes (...maybe?), their bonds are tested like never before.
Screening: Friday, 7 pm
When the Man Comes Around
An exploration of the inextricable relationship between love and capital, When The Man Comes Around traces the whirlwind romance between a cowboy and a trans camgirl.
Screening: Friday, 1 pm
Who’s Annie?
After jail-time, 12-step programs and five marriages, Annie begins her acting career in her mid-fifties with the help of a young director she met at a Burger King. In this show within a show, Annie tackles both her gigs as an actor and the role of herself in her own life story.
Screening: Saturday, 7 pm