New features also include buzz titles GAZER, JIMMY, and THE BLACK SEA
New/Next Film Festival, presented by Baltimore Public Media and taking place October 3-6, 2024 in Baltimore’s 5-screen Charles Theatre, revealed eight more features from its lineup today.
New/Next will present the world premieres of the 16mm Thai-American sibling dramedy Softshell by Jinho Myung and the new-parent dark comedy Removal of the Eye by Prashanth Kamalakanthan and Artemis Shaw, as well as the U.S. festival premieres of Eugene Kotlyarenko’s left-field rom-com The Code, Nellie Kluz’s summer-spanning American-dream documentary The Dells, and Neal Wynne’s Lynchian dream-logic comedy-noir The Trick. These world premieres are in addition to the world premiere of Alexi Wasser’s Messy, previously announced as New/Next 2024’s opening night film.
“All of these premieres are thrilling discoveries in different ways,” says New/Next’s co-founder and director of programming Eric Allen Hatch. “All are truly independent, exceptionally crafted projects, each with their own unique approach to aesthetic, genre, and form. Having programmed work by Eurgene Kotlyarenko and Nellie Kluz during my time at Maryland Film Festival, it feels particularly special to present these next-level creations by them at this new festival, while the excellent features from Jinho Myung, Neal Wynne, Alexi Wasser, and the duo Prashanth Kamalakanthan and Artemis Shaw deliver the exciting rush that comes from encountering new voices in cinema early in their career.”
Alongside these premieres, New/Next today also announced a trio of festival buzz films as additions to their lineup: Crystal Moselle and Derrick B. Harden’s The Black Sea, a SXSW-premiered character-study following a charismatic Black man from Brooklyn who finds himself stranded in Bulgaria; director Ryan J. Sloan and co-writer/star Ariella Mastroianni’s riveting, Cannes-premiered paranoid thriller Gazer; and Yashaddai Owens’ shimmering debut Jimmy, a beautiful narrative portrait of a young James Baldwin’s early trips outside the U.S., which has just premiered at Telluride.
New/Next Film Festival’s lineup announcements will continue over next week. All-Access Passes to the festival are now on sale, as well as individual tickets to Opening Night (Alexi Wasser’s Messy) and Beach House’s guest-curated screening of Babette’s Feast. Individual tickets for all remaining shows will follow the full lineup reveal. For updates, please visit newnextfilmfest.com | Twitter and Instagram: @NewNextFilmFest.
FEATURE FILMS ANNOUNCED TODAY FOR NEW/NEXT 2024:
The Black Sea (Crystal Moselle & Derrick B. Harden) What happens when a charismatic big dreamer gets stuck in a small town on the Black Sea? Khalid, a charismatic guy from Brooklyn, embarks on an amateur gigolo quest in a small vacation town on the Black Sea–but a turn of events leaves him stuck and penniless in a town where he is the only black man around. With no place to go, he begins to embrace the cultural differences illuminating a town steeped in traditions but also a love for one of America’s greatest exports: hip-hop.
The Code (Eugene Kotlyarenko) A sexless couple, paranoid about the status of their relationship, embraces surveillance, spying and performance as a means to fall in love again, in this absurd, high-concept comedy. Starring Dasha Nekrasova and Peter Vack. U.S. festival premiere.
The Dells (Nellie Kluz) observes the clash between fantasy and reality faced by international student workers newly arrived in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin–the self-described “Waterpark Capital of the World.” Their hopes for a summer of American luck and prosperity rub up against actual experiences which are by turns disappointing, funny, and transcendent. Documentary feature. U.S. festival premiere.
Gazer (Ryan J. Sloan) Afflicted with a rare and fatal condition that affects her ability to perceive time and causes sudden blackouts, single mother Frankie Rhodes relies on self-recorded cassette tapes to help her navigate the world. Desperate to make ends meet while she fights for custody of her young daughter, she accepts a risky but high-paying job from a mysterious woman, which draws her into a world of paranoid conspiracies that threatens to swallow her whole. Narrative feature.
Jimmy (Yashaddai Owens) It’s 1948 in Harlem, New York and a young James Baldwin is seeking something more than his stateside life. Weaving this starting point into a modern narrative, “Jimmy” charts Baldwin’s arrival abroad through energetic and sweeping handheld camera work in Yashaddai Owens’ debut feature film. Narrative feature.
Removal of the Eye (Prashanth Kamalakanthan and Artemis Shaw) Struggling with new parenthood and stalling careers, Kallia and Ram’s lives are thrown into chaos when Kallia’s aging mother goes on a mission to exorcize the family from the evil eye. Narrative feature. World premiere.
Softshell (Jinho Myung) Following the death of their mother, a Thai-American brother and sister navigate living in the city and beyond. Narrative feature. World premiere.
The Trick (Neal Wynne) When an eccentric up-and-coming rapper Aidan goes missing, it’s up to Steve and Jessica, his music video team, to go and find him. Narrative feature. U.S. festival premiere.
FEATURE FILMS PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED FOR NEW/NEXT 2024:
Babette’s Feast (Gabriel Axel, 1987) At once a rousing paean to artistic creation, a delicate evocation of divine grace, and the ultimate film about food, the Oscar-winning Babette’s Feast is the lovingly layered tale of a French housekeeper with a mysterious past who brings quiet revolution in the form of one exquisite meal to a circle of starkly pious villagers in late nineteenth-century Denmark. Narrative feature. Presented by Beach House.
Days of Happiness (Chloé Robichaud) Emma, a talented conductor and rising star on the Montreal stage, has a complicated relationship with her father and agent Patrick. She must confront her emotions and decide if she wants to succeed in navigating her career and her romantic relationship with Naëlle, a newly separated cellist and mother of a young boy. Narrative feature.
Eephus (Carson Lund) As an imminent construction project looms over their beloved small-town baseball field, a pair of New England Sunday league teams face off for the last time over the course of a day. Tensions flare up and ceremonial laughs are shared as an era of camaraderie and escapism fades into an uncertain future. Narrative feature.
Fantasy A Gets a Mattress (Noah Zoltan Sofian and David Norman Lewis) Kicked out of his group home, autistic Seattle rapper Fantasy A sets off on an odyssey to achieve fame and find a good mattress to sleep on. Narrative feature.
Guián (Nicole Chi Amén) After grandma Guián passes away, director Nicole decides to go to China for the first time to look for the house Guián left when she emigrated to Costa Rica. This becomes a journey to answer the questions Nicole was never able to ask her because she never learned Chinese, and her grandma never learned Spanish. Documentary feature.
The Hobby (Simon Ennis) From ancient Mesopotamia to the World Series of Board Games on the Vegas strip, “The Hobby” is an affectionate, character-driven portrait of the massive and diverse subculture of board games–exploring the value of leisure time, and uncovering the deep meaning found in “meaningless” pursuits. Documentary feature.
The Human Surge 3 (Eduardo Williams) In the follow-up to the maverick 2016 experimental feature, different groups of friends wander in a rainy, windy, dark world. They spend time together, trying to get away from their depressing jobs, meandering constantly towards the mystery of new possibilities. No, there isn’t a Human Surge 2 (at least not yet). Experimental feature.
Jetty (Sam Fleischner) Patiently documenting the installation of new coastal infrastructure in the Rockaways, this observational process story was recorded on 16mm film and features an original score by Animal Collective. Documentary feature.
Messy (Alexi Wasser) A neurotic sex comedy romp about a promiscuous love addict named Stella (writer/director Wasser) who moves to New York after a bad breakup, and her quest to find love and purpose—one disappointing date at a time. Supporting cast includes Adam Goldberg, Mario Cantone, Ione Skye, Thomas Middleditch, Jack Kilmer, Ruby McCollister, and Merlot.
Rap World (Conner O’Malley, Danny Scharar) In 2009, four friends living in Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania document their attempt to record a rap album over the course of one eventful night. Narrative feature.
Vulcanizadora (Joel Potrykus) Two friends, Marty and Derek, trudge through a Michigan forest with the intention of following through on a disturbing pact. After they fail to see it through, one of them must return home to deal with the legal and emotional repercussions. Narrative feature.
New/Next Film Festival’s lineup announcements will continue over next week. All-access passes to the festival are now on sale, as well as individual tickets to Opening Night (Alexi Wasser’s Messy) and Beach House’s guest-curated screening of Babette’s Feast. Individual tickets for all remaining shows will follow the full lineup reveal. For updates, please visit newnextfilmfest.com | Twitter and Instagram: @NewNextFilmFest.
Support for New/Next Film Fest comes from the William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, creator of the Baker Artist Portfolios; The Abell Foundation; The Baltimore Community Foundation; The State of Maryland; The Leidy Foundation, Maryland Film Office, Royal Books and The Maryland State Arts Council.
