Best Documentary
Professional -"Raising Matty Christian" - Writer, Producer, Director; Christian de Rezendes, Slatersville, RI
Student/Amateur - "Wolf Mountain" - Directors, Producers, Brendan Nahmias, Dan Duran, Sam Price-Waldman; Alaska

Best Feature –
Professional - "Imagine I'm Beautiful" - Writer, Naomi McDougall Jones; Director, Meredith Edwards; Producers, Naomi McDougall Jones, Caitlin Gold, Joanna Bowzer; Brooklyn, New York

Best Short
Professional –"Mousse" - Writer, Director, Producer, John Hellberg; Sweden
Student/Amateur –"The Mark" - Writer, Producer, Director; Will Merrick, Salisbury, NC

Best Animation
Student/Amateur - "Death and the Robot" - Writer, Austin Taylor, Alex Thompson; Producer, Julia Festa; Director/Animator, Austin Taylor; Winston-Salem, NC

Audience Choice –"One Small Hitch" - Writer, Dode Levenson; Producer, Director, John Burgess; IL

2014 Real to Reel Film Festival Schedule! (Subject to Change)

(Scroll down for Film Synopsis)

aDay Playing	Title	Rating	Runtime	Category
Wednesday, July 9 - 7pm-until
	On Blitzen	G	22 min 21 sec	Documentary
	The Collection	PG	16 min 14 sec	Short
trailer	Sheltered Love	PG	9 min 32 sec	Short
trailer	Mousse	PG	40 min	Short
Intermission
trailer	Imagine I'm Beautiful	R	1 hr 31 min	Feature
	Uncandy	G	3 min	Animation
Thursday, July 10 - 7pm-until
	Wolf Mountain	G	6 min 57 sec	Documentary
trailer	Here With Me	PG	11 min 29 sec	Short
Q&A & trailer	Living in the Overlap	PG	25 min 30 sec	Documentary
	Counting the Dead	G	6 min 55 sec	Short
Intermission
trailer	One Small Hitch	PG-13	1 hr 45 min	Feature
	Tenuous	R	12 min 23 sec	Short
Friday, July 11 - 7pm-until
	No Matter How Far	PG	7 min 45 sec	Short
trailer	Frank vs. God	PG-13	1 hr 40 min	Feature
trailer	Death and the Robot	G	11 min 32 sec	Animation
Intermission
trailer	Dog Down	G	45 min 45 sec	Documentary
trailer	Into the Dark	R	14 min 24 sec	Short
Saturday, July 12 - Matinee - 1pm
	Desense	G	5 min 30 sec	Short
trailer	Taken for Granted	G	10 min 28 sec	Short
	Old Souls	G	15 min 32 sec	Short
Q&A	Saint Dee Dee	PG	9 min 16 sec	Short
	Amongst Laughs & Tears	G	7 min 29 sec	Short
Intermission
trailer	Indigo	R	1 hr 32 min	Feature
	Beyond the Shore	PG-13	17 min	Short
Saturday, July 12 - 7pm-until
trailer	Raising Matty Christian	PG	1 hr 24 min	Documentary
Intermission
	The Mark	PG	5 min 47 sec	Short
Q&A & trailer	The Last Session	R	21 min	Short
trailer	Freedom's School	G	44 min	Documentary
Awards & Party!		(Schedule subject to change)
Awards will be announced during the PARTY following the final film on Saturday night at 238 Cherokee Grille - 222 S. Railroad Ave., Kings Mountain, NC!
Synopsis
"On Blitzen" - [G - 22 min. 21 sec. - Documentary] Writer, Director, Producer, Greg Koorhan; Lancaster, PA On Blitzen tells the touching tale of love and connection created by an almost human pure bred and the daughter of a champion dog breeder.     "Here with Me" - [PG - 11 min. 29 sec. - Short] Writer, Alan McKenna; Director, Pete Riski; Producer, Genevieve Stevens; United Kingdom A troubled man arrives in a remote forest with the sole intention of ending his life, but when a stranger intervenes, he's forced to confront the tragic events that drove him here in the first place.         "Sheltered Love" - [PG - 9 min. 32 sec. - Short] Writer, Director, Producer, Alex Italics; Tucson Arizona In blissful 1950s suburbia, a love-struck bobbysoxer and her no-good-nik boyfriend seek refuge from her overprotective and hot-headed father.     "Mousse" - [PG - 40 min. - Short] Writer, Director, Producer, John Hellberg; Sweden What could be easier than robbing a small tobacco shop on the outskirts of town? It's during the year's biggest horse race event and the betting center Washington's Tobacco looks like the ultimate hit for some fast cash. Mousse is a man of pride and principles and is fed up with living as a second-class citizen. But what happens when he faces principles different to his own?     "Imagine I'm Beautiful" - [R - 1 hr 31 min. - Feature] Writer, Naomi McDougall Jones; Director, Meredith Edwards; Producers, Naomi McDougall Jones, Caitlin Gold, Joanna Bowzer; Brooklyn, New York After her mother's suicide, a young woman, Lana, moves to New York to start anew. She moves in with the troubled Kate and the two slowly forge a friendship, finding solace in each other's difficult pasts. But when Lana devises an unusual plan to protect their new lives, Kate makes a discovery that will alter their friendship for good.          "Uncandy" - [G - 3 min. - Animation] Animator, Marcia Patterson; Winston-Salem, NC On Halloween Night, a little girl ventures into a spooky old house, unaware of the horrifying monster that lives inside. The monster takes the girls candy which soon proves to be a big mistake.         "Wolf Mountain" - [G - 6 min. 57 sec - Documentary] Directors, Producers, Brendan Nahmias, Dan Duran, Sam Price-Waldman; Alaska Tonya Littlewolf has rescued wolves all her life. At a sanctuary in the empty California desert, she looks after 14 majestic wolves which have been rescued from breeders. Yet, as she cares for these spiritual creatures, even feeding them mouth-to-mouth, Tonya knows that wolves belong in the wild. WOLF MOUNTAIN is a beautiful portrait of Tonya which goes deep into her spiritual connection with the incredibly serene and misunderstood animals.         "The Collection" - [PG - 14 min. 14 sec - Short] Writer, Noah Smith; Producer, Tay Nikonovich; Diretor, Jan Michael Gullett; Winston-Salem, NC Ava, a bored young girl shopping with her parents, wanders off in an antique store. She finds herself locked in the shops back room where she discovers a mysterious door.         "Living in the Overlap" - [PG - 25 min. 30 sec. - Documentary] Writer, Mary Dalton; Producers, Cindy Hill, Ellen Hendrix, Mary Dalton; Directors, Cindy Hill, Mary Dalton; Winston-Salem, NC Living in the Overlap is the improbably true story of two girls growing up in Brooklyn in the 1940s, falling in love in the Midwest, and making a life together in North Carolina. Filmmakers learned about Lennie Gerber and Pearl Berlin’s 46-year love story from a newspaper article and wanted to share their philosophy of relationships with a larger audience. Lennie is an attorney focusing on LGBT issues, and Pearl is a retired professor working on various political issues. They are surprised to have reached icon status for simply living their lives together. The film includes public and private moments in Lennie and Pearl’s lives using interviews, archival material, and sequences shot during their efforts to defeat North Carolina’s anti-gay marriage amendment. Living in the Overlap provides an overview of how Lennie and Pearl met and fell in love before focusing largely on key episodes in their lives together now. They are recent recipients of a major award from a foundation supporting LGBT issues, an award presented at a formal gala. Despite strong efforts against the measure, the amendment passed, and they appeared on The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell after the election. Along with reflections and insights about civil rights and the political process, they offer wisdom about enduring relationships, including an overarching philosophy of their relationship. They think of themselves as two circles, often overlapping, who are both independent and interdependent. After 46-years of living in the overlap, Lennie and Pearl still have an indelible spark.         "Counting the Dead" - [G - 6 min. 55 sec. - Short] Writer, Producer, Director, Catherine Axley; Menlo Park, CA Gladys Hansen is an 88 year-old former city librarian who has dedicated 50 years of her life to searching for the dead of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire. After discovering that San Francisco did not have a list of the people who died during, or as a result of the 1906 Earthquake and Fire, Gladys began combing newspapers, tax records, registries, and reaching out to genealogy societies to create a list of those who died. She soon found out that the city had grossly underestimated the number of dead, and in fact, had intentionally downplayed the fatalities and damage from the Earthquake to avoid discouraging future investments in city business. As the Dead List grew and grew, Gladys became the pivot point for hundreds of families who wanted to find out more information on missing relatives. Gladys has since collected hundreds, and possibly even thousands, of letters of passed-down memories and eye-witness accounts. Through these, Gladys has reconstructed the historical record and enabled us to experience the multi-generational effect of death and loss due to natural disaster.         "One Small Hitch" - [PG - 13 1 hr 45 min. - Feature] Writer, Dode Levenson; Producer, Director, John Burgess; IL Molly Mahoney (Aubrey Dollar) is flying home to Chicago for her mom's wedding… bringing a 'Mystery Man' home to meet her family. But when she discovers this Mystery Man has a Mystery Wife, she dumps him at the curbside check-in. She ends up crying on the shoulder of childhood friend Josh Shiffman (Shane McRae), who is flying home for the same wedding. Emotionally drained, Molly passes out in Josh's arms just as he gets a phone call from his parents. Josh learns that his father is dying and his only regret is that he will not get to meet the woman who will one day become his son's wife. Desperate to fulfill his dad's final wish, Josh claims that his dad has already met that woman… close childhood and family friend: Molly Mahoney. When Josh sheepishly confesses his ruse in mid-flight Molly is furious, making him promise to right the wrong the moment they land. Only when they arrive - it's too late! Word has leaked out and they are swarmed at the airport by BOTH FAMILIES with well wishes and congratulatory banners. Josh convinces Molly to play fiancée by using a deadly combination her Catholic guilt and his Playboy charm. But as they plan their phony wedding… the two of them start to fall in love for real. This turns their dating lives, and family's interactions hilariously upside down tugging on every heartstring in the process.         "Tenuous" - [R - 12 min. 23 sec. - Short] Writer, Aaron Ross; Producer, Josh Barker; Director, Adam Perry; Winston-Salem, NC Two sisters find themselves in similar situations and only one way to deal with it. Taking matters into their own hands could be the only way to change their lives.         "No Matter How Far" - [PG - 7 min. 45 sec. - Short] Writer, Producer, Director; Justin Reese & Kenny Rigsby; Tyler, TX No Matter How Far is a moody sci-fi drama set in an alternate present day. The world is in conflict. Intercontinental travel has been banned, separating millions of families around the world. Most have given up hope of returning home. A husband and wife, separated by a hemisphere, work to reunite.         "Frank vs. God" - [PG-13 - 1 hr 40 min. - Feature] Writer, Director, Stewart Schill; Los Angeles, CA Sometimes overcoming life's obstacles begins by serving God... with a lawsuit.         "Death and the Robot" - [G - 11 min. 32 sec. - Animation] Writer, Austin Taylor, Alex Thompson; Producer, Julia Festa; Director/Animator, Austin Taylor; Winston-Salem, NC Two lonley souls, bored of their safe havens, venture into new worlds and share an encounter that will nurture a friendship and an everlasting legacy.         "Dog Down" - [G - 45 min. 45 sec. - Documentary] Director, John Le Blanc; Editor, Steve Childs; Producer, Kathleen Long; NC This remarkable story of an unlikely journey to freedom begins at a point of renewal. Discarded, unadoptable dogs like Lindy are given a chance to survive and even thrive. Inmates like Perry redeem their dignity by training these dogs in basic obedience. In parallel, these men are transformed by the dogs’ unconditional love, which in turn “trains” the men to respect themselves and others. These dogs become the good dogs they always had inside themselves. These men become the real men they were meant to be. Perry says “This program has really opened me up. It’s opened my eyes. It’s brought me to a new level of responsibility.” Men, once hardened to the world, begin to soften inside as they realize they have done a good thing and can have a positive impact.     "Into the Dark" - [R - 14 min. 24 sec. - Short] Writer, Producer, Director, Lukas Hassel; New York, NY Sometime in the future. Two men, strapped in back to back, on a journey from Moon to Earth. Just Reality. Real Justice.         "Desense" - [G - 5 min. 30 sec. - Short] Writer, Maria Fantis; Producer, Barton Williams; Australia Do we take our senses for granted? Why is it that we forget this until too late? One man goes about interacting with society the only way he knows until an experience of a lifetime symbolizes too truly, how we should take time to live in the present! A beautiful music score and clever cinematography makes this short film a perfect topic of discussion by all who witness it because we've all been there!         "Taken for Granted" - [G - 10 min. 28 sec. - Short] Writer, Producer, Director, Gabby Egito; CA A powerful drama with documentary-style format that traces the last day in the life of Martha Michaels, a housewife, unraveling her intriguing personality and the striking circumstances of her death. The film opens a window onto the minds of those whose need for love and nurturance drives them to the extremes.         "Old Souls" - [G - 15 min. 32 sec. - Short] Producer, Julia Festa; Director, Ben Hall; Winston-Salem, NC In 1969 Hope, a young African American girl runs away from her abusive stepfather and into the woods. There she finds two young boys in a cabin and realizes that they have been waiting for over a hundred years for their parents to return from the civil war, yet they never grew up.         "Saint Dee Dee" - [PG - 9 min. 16 sec. - Short] Writer, Howard Kingkade; Director, Helen Baldwin; Columbia, SC A day in the life of a hospice worker ends with a spiritual epiphany.         "Amongst Laughs & Tears" - [G - 7 min. 29 sec. - Short] Writers, Rubens Marinelli Neto, Matheus Hruschka; Producer, Rubens Marinelli Neto; Directors, Rubens Marinelli Neto, Marcos Alberti; Brazil On a lonely landscape, clowns of all kinds gather around in absolute melancholy, until a female clown takes them by surprise. She emerges to remind them that clowns should never give into sorrow, not even when the occasion demands such a feeling.         "Indigo" - [R - 1 hr 32 min. - Feature] Writers, John Hawthorne Smith; Producers, John Hawthorne Smith Courtney McManus, Caitlin Gold, Collen Doyle; Director, John Hawthorne Smith; TX Eli Casey, an up-and-coming photographer and recovering heroin addict, implodes after his son is kidnapped. He separates from his wife. He stops working. He gives up. As a favor to his agent, Eli begrudgingly agrees to shoot a wedding. While there, he takes a picture of a suspicious couple who offer to bribe him in return for deleting certain photos. Eli refuses. The next day, Eli discovers that the flower girl at the wedding disappeared and Eli sets out to conquer his demons and save the girl.         "Beyond the Shore" - [PG-13 - 17 min. - Short] Writers, Matthew Konen, Samantha Lubben; Producers, Gilbert Rataezyk, Greg Castro; Director; Tad Sallee, Tucson; AZ Ted who has big dreams of becoming a singer, but his awkward and shy personality keeps him from achieving them. One day while care taking a new patient, Ted is confronted by an older, terminally ill woman, named Lily. Slowly their friendship grows until Ted is asked a favor by Lily that will result in a life changing decision.         "Raising Matty Christian" - [PG - 1 hr 32 min. - Documentary] Writer, Producer, Director; Christian de Rezendes, Slatersville, RI This inspirational documentary profiles the life of Matthew G. Christian (1983-2009), known as 'Matty' from the town of Canton, Massachusetts, who was born without a full set of arms and legs and without a tongue. As told through interviews with his parents Allie and Jerry, brother Michael and several close friends and authority figures throughout his life, 'Raising Matty Christian' paints a portrait of an inspiring young man who never took no for an answer and set out to live life to the fullest.         "The Mark" - [PG -5 min. 47 sec. - Short] Writer, Producer, Director; Will Merrick, Salisbury, NC A girl's subway ride home reveals the intriguing character of her fellow passengers.         "The Last Session" - [R - 21 min. - Short] Writer; Tripp Weathers, Producers; Braxton Davis, Amy Hendrick, Director; Tripp Weathers, Sherman Oaks, CA The Last Session is the story of a marriage counselor and his patient, one broken on the outside and the other on the inside, neither able to admit to themselves or each other that they are damaged. In their disparate places in society, they are drawn together by a similar pain, and as lies are exposed, they find a cathartic sense of hope.         "Freedom's School" - [G - 44 min. - Documentary] Writer, Director; Andrea Jobe, Producer; Julia Karlak, Tulsa, OK Freedom’s School is a film that examines race, education, and culture through the 100-year history of one our nation's premiere public high schools; a school born out the vision of an African-American man who walked into a racially divided community and refused to compromise. Thriving in the midst of segregation, refusing to close during desegregation, Booker T Washington High School now faces an uncertain future as plummeting state funding threatens the school that was built by freedom.       Real to Reel Film Festival and the Cleveland County Arts Council are not responsible for content on external websites or content in trailers associated with films.