2020 Online New England Film Festival

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Fate, Family and the Floundering of a Friendship

Sep 2020

Fate, Family and the Floundering of a Friendship
2019 | Directed by Gonca Sönmez-Poole

The century old Turkish-Armenian conflict is encapsulated through the personal story of Apo Torosyan, a multi-ethnic artist from Massachusetts. The life and death experiences of his ancestors have left an undeniable imprint in Torosyan’s conscience, forever embedded in his art. This documentary short is part of a larger video project titled “Neighbors in Memory, An entangled legacy in profiles.”

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Awaken the Dragon Together

Sep 2020

Awaken the Dragon Together
2017 | Directed by Shuyi Wang

The tradition of dragon boat racing began over 2,000 years ago on the rivers of China. Today, dragon boat festivals and races are celebrated around the world. Over fifty million people now race in national and international competitions including a growing number of cancer survivors.

Awaken the Dragon Together is a mini documentary about Wellness Warriors, Massachusetts’ first dragon boat team for cancer survivors. It tells a story about a group of cancer survivor paddlers who have found an unconventional path to wellness through the ancient Chinese sport of dragon boating.

For them, the spirit of dragon boating is essential – a group of people work towards the same goal and support each other as families during the most difficult time of their lives. It’s a story beyond survival, shows the power of individuals’ inner strength built up by a team.

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A Siren’s Sorrow

Sep 2020

2019 | Directed by Chloe Gardiner

A dark fantasy film about a mermaid who encounters a mother and her daughter.

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The Way You Were

Sep 2020

2020 | Directed by Rodrigo Monterrey

A woman wakes up after having plastic surgery to fix her jaw, to learn that her doctor, who is also her fiance, may have “fixed” a few other things without asking.

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The Guy: The Brian Donahue Story

Sep 2020

2019 | Directed by E.J. McLeavey-Fisher

Stuntman. Actor. UPS employee. Former WWF wrestler, Disney World performer, and NFL nose tackle. Brian Donahue has seemingly done it all. The Guy is a short documentary film chronicling Mr. Donahue’s surreal story as he tries to strike a balance between paying the rent and seeking out the elusive Hollywood spotlight.

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The Last Azorean Whalemen

Sep 2020

The Last Azorean Whalemen
2019 | Directed by Nick Francis

The Last Azorean Whalemen; follows a group of Azorean Whalemen septuagenarians and octogenarians in Pico and Faial preserving their rich shared oral history of whaling, survival and friendship.

They are the last living connection to Azorean’s whaling industry and their stories will not disappear.

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Curls

Sep 2020

2019 | Directed by Sharon Contillo

A vulnerable little girl believes that her curly hair makes her ugly and that straight hair is ultimate beauty, must summon the courage to embrace her natural locks and accept her true self in order to be happy.

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José

Sep 2020

2019 | Directed by Isabel Miranda

A snippet of José’s life working at the hotdog stand in Downtown Crossing. The video showcases José’s perspective in preparing the hotdogs with care and passion as well as his desire to interact with customers and people from different backgrounds.

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Little Beeri’s March

Sep 2020

2019 | Directed by John Griesemer & Whittaker Ingbretson

A stern matriarch and her nomad family profit off war, but the cost becomes too high when the youngest male in the family disappears.

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The Faces of MOE Fencing Club

Sep 2020

2020 | Directed by Jeff Palmer

Nestled in the Winter Hill neighborhood of Somerville, Massachusetts there is a fencing club. It’s called MOE.

This short documentary highlights the many faces one might find at this vibrant community club, where everyone is passionate about the sport of fencing.