Director: Lana 'Mc Lyte' Moorer
LANA 'MC LYTE' MOORER makes her directorial debut with the short film, "BREAK UP IN LOVE'. Set in California, Natasha and Richard Carson visit psychotherapist Dr. Ruby McIntyre in hopes of successfully consciously uncoupling.
2022 BEST DRAMA SHORT
WORLD PREMIERE
PG-13
Director: Matthew Newman
This is the official video for the song Dream Weapon by the band Genghis Tron. Someone finds their lucky potential ladder, constructs it and says goodbye to this place. A psychedelic psy-fi music video.
2022 BEST MUSIC VIDEO
HRIFF PREMIERE
PG
Director: Daniel Adams
Boston Irish cop Bill Coughlin contends with fierce social pressure from neighborhood crime boss McLaughlin and rampant bigotry within the police force after being assigned to protect black high school students bused into all-white South Boston High during the court-ordered forced integration of the Boston School System in 1974. The political and social fallout resulted in brutal violence and city-wide protests.
The film also is the story of Wendy Robinson, an 18-year-old black student, and her father Lamont, who both display immense bravery and moral fortitude. And the story of Kate, Bill's 17-year-old daughter, whose racism evaporates when she witnesses Wendy and Lamont's brave acts, as all three stories collide during that fateful first day of school.
Starring: Terrence Howard, Justin Chatwin, Jeremy Piven, Malcolm McDowell, Lovie Simone, Katie Douglas, and Anastasiya Mitrunen
2022 BEST ACTOR - Terrence Howard
2022 BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - Katie Douglas
2022 BEST DRAMA FILM
WORLD PREMIERE
R
Director: Deb Lacusta & Dan Castellaneta
1940s Los Angeles. Femme fatales. The Polish mob. Murder. Jewish Detective and caterer Marlowe Phillips must find the missing Fishfeld, even as he battles his demons of feeling trapped – from his past in a German POW camp to an impending marriage to his secretary. Classic noir collides with the remote technology and green screen of these socially-distanced times, in this deadpan homage to “Lady in the Lake” -- all shot from the Detective’s POV. And all shot during the worst of the pandemic -- with each actor isolated -- pushing the boundaries of zoom to create a seamless noir for these times. Directed and Written by Dan Castellaneta and Deb Lacusta (“The Simpsons”), and starring Second City and Groundlings alum, including Meagen Fay, Julie Brown, Jonathan Stark, Bernadette Birkett, Jane Morris, Lance Kinsey, and Jeff Michalski.
Starring: Dan Castellaneta, Deb Lacusta, Julie Brown, Lance Kinsey, Jonathan Stark, Meagen Fay, Bernadette Birkett, Jane Morris, Jeff Michalski, Laura Hall, and Eliza Coyle
2022 BEST COMEDY FILM
2022 BEST of NEW MEDIA / WEB
HRIFF PREMIERE
G
Director: Trevor Breithaupt
The Good Guys is a Comedy Pilot made by a group of friends and roommates about a group of friends and roommates. Much like the filmmakers themselves, the characters are just trying to figure out the world of adulting. As Noah has a failed proposal to his long time girlfriend, Gus, Dante, and Eli must figure out how to deal with the fallout of their heartbroken roommate. While their intentions seem pure they just end up making things worse. Just when things seem to be turning around, Noah's ex-girlfriend complicates the situation.
WORLD PREMIERE
PG-13
Director: Aramis Tatu
In a post-apocalyptic world crawling with frightening immortal hybrids, a 7 year old boy, Ari, has to make wrenching life-or-death choices to survive -- for although the hybrids have no eyes or ears, they sense their prey’s fear.
2022 BEST TRAILER
WORLD PREMIERE
PG
Director: Rozalia Las
A hand-painted cel animation about betrayal. In despair, the abandoned lover must endure how her great love marries another.
2022 BEST ANIMATION
HRIFF PREMIERE
PG
Director: Michael Buchbinder
A dark comedy about Greg Vogel, a couch surfing stoner type who cat sits for his friend who has a smart home and ends up getting killed by the Alexa virtual assistant.
WORLD PREMIERE
PG
Director: Matthew Hersh
It's girls night out as a group of friends go out on a bar crawl. That is, until things get a little crazy halfway through the night at El Coyote. The group gets separated and it becomes every woman for themselves. An ode to the feeling of 80s horror and cinema, “Bar Crawl” takes you to where you might not expect it to.
BEST HORROR FILM 2021
WORLD PREMIERE
R