(of years past)

 

Screened at the Second Annual Our City Film Festival

February 3, 2009

I.  OUR BODY

The Game Comes Home (1 hour 26 min)

Dir. Jeffrey Herberger

With Major League Baseball back in the Nation’s Capitol after a void for nearly forty years, The Game Comes Home chronicles the legendary stories of Washington

baseball through the family members of the great players, the writers and sportscasters who have and still cover the games, and the fans who have never gone away. 

 

Extreme Commuting (28 min)

Dir. Andrea Bloom

A driver, train rider, and bicyclist each ride 90 minutes or more to get to work in Washington, DC.  The documentary follows the daily paths of these three professionals as they negotiate

their way through one of the most congested cities in the nation, shedding light on this ever expanding subculture of people who are forced in to or choose to do this extreme type of commute. 

 

 II. OUR MIND

Green Hair Grey Hair (28 min)-

BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY

Dirs. Katrina Taylor & Rachel Williams

What happens when you take a group of punk rockers and a group of African-American senior citizens and you put them in a room together. 

The answer is the documentary, Green Hair Grey Hair which attempts to capture the current gentrification of Washington, D.C.

Carousel of Memories(26 min)

Dir. Cintia Cabib

From an amusement park ride, to a symbol for the civil rights movement, to an endangered work of art, this documentary captures the stories of

Washingtonians young and old about Glen Echo Park’s historic Dentzel carousel in Glen Echo, Maryland.

Demand the Vote (4 min)

Dir. DC VOTE

A music video created and produced by DC Vote for the original go-go song entitled “Demand the Vote”.  The song is perfomed by Joe L Da Vessel and his band Melodic,

featureing more than 100 DC residents, including local elected officials Del. Eleanor Norton and Vince Gray. 

 

   

 III. OUR HEART (4:00pm)

Making Mothers (25 min)

Dirs. Ben Crosbie & Tessa Moran

The Family Health and Birth Center in Northeast DC is more than a place for pregnant women to come; it’s a place for women to become mothers.  The story follows one of the center’s Midwives

who strives to provide peaceful home births and a Breast Feeding Peer Counselor who imparts her experience as a teen mom as they pursue their passion in empowering

the women they encounter, the community they work in themselves.

 

U Street (23 min)-

BEST NARRATIVE

Dir. Kevin T. Simms

After the loss of his father, James, a student at University of DC finds himself lost and apathetic to the world around him.  After being assigned a history paper on a DC landmark, James uncovers the rich history of U Street,

known as “Black Broadway”, and rediscovers himself through his city’s history.  Through beautiful reenactments of U Street’s heyday, James travels back in time to such landmarks as Ben’s Chili Bowl

and the Lincoln Theater and witnesses the riots of the 1960s.

 

Redemption Stone (30 min)

Dir. Tom Dziedzic

Redemption Stone introduces Tom Lewis, a storyteller of quiet power who brings an extroadinary

spirit to his life and work.  Tom's compelling memoir recounts the after effects of poverty, social upheaval and rebirth that shape his unique American journey. 

Life altering experiences cause Tom to confront the challenging issues he faces and to turn his hardships into hope for the children in his Washington, DC community. 

Online Q & A with director

       

 IV. OUR SOUL

Ballou (1 hour 25 min)-

BEST FEATURE DOCUMENTARY

 

Dir. Michael Patrei

The documentary film follows the talented Washington, DC, Ballou Senior High School Marching Band, as they overcome their negative environment filled with guns, drugs, and violence, and uplift the community

with music, dedication, and personal sacrifice.  This Washingotn, DC High School Marching Band-from an impoverished community just 3 miles away from the US Capitol building-is on its way to the national band competition. 

They are a family with heart and soul that use hard work, discipline, and compassion to overcome all obstacles.

Screened at the First Annual Our City Film Festival

February 10, 2008

  

 I.  OUR BODY

Can I Kick It? (7min)-

BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY

Director: Gabe Uhr

Either the sport of kickball has matured or adults have regressed.  This short examines the World Adult Kickball Association (WAKA),

which began in DC and has since grown into an international operation.

 

To Steal a Bicycle (13min)

Director: Jes Therkelsen

The sting of having a bike stolen can be painful and the process of recovery even worse. 

Told through the voices of real victims, this film amusingly investigates public awareness, police response and pro-shop experience. 

Just how easy is it to get away with bike theft in Washington?

 

Ready to Play (61 min)

    Director: Jennifer Crescenzo

    Over the last fifteen years Coach “Crash” Crescenzo has taken a passion for baseball and built a   

    neighborhood institution, the D.C. Glover Park Co-Ed Softball League.  As administrations come    

    and go the softball league keeps bringing neighbors out to play ball and keeps a changing    

    community connected. 

 II. OUR MIND

Of Politics and Prose (10min):

Director: Andrea Bloom

This short showcases one of the last remaining independent bookstores in Washington and how it has flourished while other independent stores have failed.

    

The Tivoli: A Neighborhood Landmark Reborn (20min)-

BEST MID LENGTH  DOC $400:

    Director: Walter Gottlieb

    The story of one of America’s most elaborate movie houses is unraveled as the

Columbia Heights theater’s eighty year history is told by famous

Washingtonians such as Diane Rehm of NPR.

 

      An Impression: Dischord Records (15min)

      Director: Kylos Brannon and Leena Jayaswal

      This short explores the D.C. punk scene, the record label behind it, and how “D.C. was put on the   

       map,” through the voices and personalities of local rockers, writers, and producers. 

 

Blue Line (35min)

Director: Gemal Woods

  Meet Christon Bacon, aka Christylez.  He’s a musician, visual artist, an emcee, and a community

  activist.  This visual journal peeks in to the life of this young D.C. ‘renaissance man’ as

  he rides the Metro to spread his art and his hope for his city. 

 

 III. OUR HEART

Lessons from the Waterfront (33min)-

BEST STUDENT FILM $300

Director: Multi-Media Training Institute

This film, written and shot by the youth of Multi-Media Training Institute explores the history

and current state of the Anacostia River through various perspectives.

The film is shot and produced by “at risk” D.C. youth.

Chocolate City (47min)

Director: Ellie Walton and Sam Wild

 Washington is home to America’s proportionally largest black population.  This film documents the  

 struggle of the Arthur Capper/Carrolsburg public housing community as they face demolition as    

 part of the Hope 6 regeneration program of the Waterfront.

 

              

 IV. OUR SOUL

Barberin’ (8min)

   Director: Tessa Moran and Ben Crosbie

   Step inside the doors of Edges Barbership on 14th and U Streets.  Meet customers young and old as             

   lively conversations go on about everything from women to politics to life outside of jail.

  

G-d of a Second Chance (82min)-

BEST FEATURE LENGTH DOC $500

  Director: Paul Wagner

  This documentary explores the role of faith in the lives of two Black

men dealing with the toughest  challenges of life in D.C.’s poorest neighborhood. 

Two men, one recovering drug addict, and  another “at risk” youth, 

reach out to their community for guidance in improving their lives. 

 

 

 

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Last Updated: September 30, 2009