FRANK CORACI Â Â Â
Director
Born in Shirley, New York and a William Floyd High School grad, Frank earned his BFA in filmmaking from New York University and has since built an esteemed body of work including Around The World In 80 Days, The Waterboy, The Wedding Singer...just to name a few! We are so thrilled for him to be joining MBMIFF this year; presenting Hot Air to close out our second season.
JUHYOUNG RA
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Director - Writer
...after graduating from The National University of Arts, she went on to earn her MFA in Film from Stony Brook University. Juhyoung's short film Encounter, 2011 was screened at several film festivals including Jeonju International Film Festival. The short Jung Mi, 2014 and Bye, Christina, 2015 was screened at several international film festivals and Artist Forums in New York.
MBMIFF is proud to kick off the festival with her feature film Atlantic City.
DEKEL BERENSON
Director - Writer
Passionate about writing and storytelling, Dekel has been shooting short “films” since he was 8 years old, using a VHS camcorder and a VCR for editing.
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After embarking on a five years trip around the world, reaching far away places as the North Pole and Mount Everest, his second short film, Ashmina, was inspired by his travels and is being turned into a full-length feature. The film will be made of five segments, each shot in a different country, and will capture the struggles that women face around the world, regardless of their age, race, or social background.
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We are so excited to have Ashmina kick off he festival and his short Anna close the festival on Sunday!
JOEL MOWDY
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Author
...completed the MFA in fiction at the University of Michigan (GO BLUE!) after growing up with twelve siblings in Mastic Beach. He now homesteads with his wife and son in Lithuania and teaches at Mykolas Romeris University in Vilnius. Floyd Harbor is his first book.
SUSAN SCARF MERRELL
Author
...is the author of Shirley: A Novel, now a major motion picture starring Elisabeth Moss and Michael Stuhlbarg. She is also the author of A Member of the Family, and The Accidental Bond: How Sibling Connections Influence Adult Relationships. She co-directs the Southampton Writers Conference, is program director along with Meg Wolitzer.
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CHRIS KNOPF
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Author
...has published 17 novels including nine in his Sam Acquillo Hamptons series. His Arthur Cathcart series includes Dead Anyway, which was named one of the best crime novels of 2012 by the Boston Globe and won the Nero Award. Knopf is a retired advertising executive who splits his time between Connecticut and Southampton, NY, with his wife and two Lakeland Terriers.
HEATHER MAIONE
Director
I've been creating impactful video content for quite some time. It all started when I was a teenager and enjoyed making family and friends smile and laugh with the videos I made. Now I'm creating video content for businesses locally and nationally... hoping for international soon!
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@kindledfilms
kindled films.com
@fellowfilmmaker
NANCY BANNON
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Director - Writer
...is a writer/director and performer. She has made five short films and is developing several feature projects. She was recently nominated for a Certain Age grant in honor of Lynn Shelton and is currently a member of New York Stage and Film’s Filmmaker Workshop.
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BRYAN DOWNEY
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Director - Writer
...I came to the United States in 1986.
As a British photographer/filmmaker, I continue working with the local indigenous and earned their trust plus other tribes of Native American communities around the US. I have now worked with and continue to work with many. A recent achievement I'm proud to announce, my Indigenous work is now in the Smithsonian.
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JENNIE ALLEN
Director - Writer
...is a New York based filmmaker and teacher. She currently has a film in development with Fidelio Films and C-Films AG. She co-wrote the feature film Failing Better Now, available in the U.S. on the Starz network. Her films have won awards from the Adrienne Shelly Foundation, USA Film Festival, the Columbus Film Council, Palm Springs Film Fest, Oaxaca Film Festival, and others; they have screened at festivals worldwide. Her short films have been featured on NYC-TV, Film Shortage, and have been distributed by Shorts International. She has been awarded artist grants from Brooklyn Arts Council and Greene County Council on the Arts. She received the Lewis Cole Award for Excellence in Screenwriting from Columbia University, along with her M.F.A. Jennie used to work as a mental health counselor, and that experience has been invaluable both in filmmaking and in life.
JAMES SHARPE
Producer
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After a stint in the Navy, he graduated with a double major in Philosophy and Theater from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He also trained at Boston University's School of Theatre, The American Conservatory Theater in SF, the Actors and Directors Lab in New York and at Upright Citizen’s Brigade in Los Angeles.
He is currently pursuing an MFA in Directing at StonyBrook/Killer Films in Manhattan.
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His first short film, "Denial," starred Kyle Bornheimer and Katie Swain, and was accept- ed into the San Jose International Short Film Festival and The Beverly Hills Shorts Festi- val. His next short, "Man's Game" was selected to screen at The Outflix Film Festival in Memphis, Tennessee, and The Buffalo International Film Festival in New York.
KEVIN D'ANGELO
Director
Kevin D'Angelo is a filmmaker from Brooklyn. He's directed documentaries, short films, and commercials. His most recent documentary Justin from Moloka'i highlights his love for traveling, making friends with strangers, and telling their story.
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ROBERTO SANTIGUIDA
Director - Writer
Enjoy The Universe According to Dan Buckley!
TERRENCE ELENTENEY
Director - Writer
Terrence is a New York based filmmaker living in New Jersey. He is receiving his Master’s degree in Narrative Directing from Stony Brook University/Killer Films, and currently is editing his first feature documentary.
BARZAN ROSTAMI
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Director
Barzan Rostami was born in May 1992. He grew up in western Iran in the mountainous region of Kurdistan. Whenhe was a teenager he started to engage in the arts, studied computer engineering and later became familiar with animation, and began to make short films and promotional videos, and later he began to study theater.
JOHN SILECCHIA
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Director - Writer
Enjoy Taquitos...
ADAM HOLOUBEK
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Director - Writer
Adam Holoubek is a New York City based poet, photographer, and filmmaker originally from Bratislava, Slovakia. He has spent his life travelling between Europe and North America and is inspired by cultures found on both continents. His film work consists of poetry films and short docs dealing with themes of humanity in the modern world, the role of technology, urban life, philosophy, and the subconscious.
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@adamhpoet
NICK COLLINS
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Author
...was born and raised in Shirley, NY. In 2016 he received a B.A. in Political Science from Stony Brook University with a minor in Creative Writing and Literature He was featured reading his short story Blood Loss at the 2019 MBMIFF. He currently serves as the Managing Editor for The Permanent Press in Sag Harbor, NY.
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Loved Ones and Alcohol: A Collection of Short Stories Kindle Edition
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BLIX MOB
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Musical Guest
​“BLIX” also known as “B.L.I.X. M.O.B.” Which stands for “Believe.Life.is.Treasure(X). Money’s.Our.Business.” A quote in which BLIX expresses and lives by meaning one should believe that there is more to life and never settle for less so keep grinding to become a better you. BLIX is a hip-hop artist from Mastic Beach, NY who creates rap with a purpose. It’s music with a positive message for the masses. BLIX’s music can be found on all digital music outlets.
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Album platforms: ​http://Linktr.ee/BLIXMOB BLIX Instagram: @BLIXinthemix
Brand Website: BLIXMOB.com
Brand Instagram: @BLIXMOB
BLIX YouTube: YouTube.com/RealBlix BLIX Facebook: Facebook.com/RealBlix
BELL CURVES
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Musical Guest
The Belle Curves is led by Delaney Hafener, formerly of Pandafan, featuring a rotating cast of musicians. They have crafted a unique sound inspired by the many traditions of Americana, complementing introspective lyrics and a songwriting style informed by the 60s and 70s Laurel Canyon scene with some old-school country thrown in. Their music touches upon themes of self-doubt, progressive politics, identity, and disaffection, using timeless Americana motifs through an irreverent yet genuine, modern lense. They are currently based in Eastern Long Island.
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Facebook: www.facebook.com/the.belle.curves
Bandzoogle Link: www.thebellecurves.xyz
Instagram: @the.belle.curves
Twitter: @thebellecurves
Booking: delaney.thebellecurves@gmail.com
THE WHATEVERS FROM HIGH ATOP THE THINGÂ
Musical Guest
...are songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist Danny Miranda and songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist Nick Collins. meeting as teenagers and developing a rapport as musicians, Danny and Nick built bands such as Miranda Sandwich, The Haunted Cars, and The Reluctant Romantics together before reverting to a duo. Whether producing exciting covers with limited instrumentation or cultivating powerful original songs, this pair's musicality shines in their performances.
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booking: nbcollins5@gmail.com
JAMES EVANS
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Director - Writer - Producer
is a filmmaker from Mastic Beach, NY. He received his BA in economics from Fordham University. Upon graduating he heard the call to become a visual storyteller, a passion he has had for his entire life. As an MFA candidate at SBU/Killer Films he has realized six short films: Julie and Kay, My House, Call Me, Beautiful, Brennen, Good Grief, and Whiskey Kills the Hunger. His work is a love letter to his hometown, dealing with working class people and the dark humor that is inherent to the human condition.
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ELIJAH VINCENT
Tech Director
...recently graduated high school and decided to take a gap year before attending Ball State University for Trombone Performance and Music Technology. He is excited to be using his time working on editing visual content as well as designing and realizing the virtual format of the MBMIFF.
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@king_kizmo
PADRICK RITCH
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Director
"Films are hard to make. They are easier to make when you work with great talent, who happen to be your friends."
MYRIAM KHAMMASSI
Director - Writer
After starting a career in communication and webmarketing, I decided to follow my dreams and become a filmmaker. Writing and directing movies is like giving birth, it's all about magic!
IZAM TOPOL
Director
My name is Ä°zem AyÅŸegül Topal. I'm 20 years old. I study psychology in Okan University. I'm a 2nd year student. I was born in Bolu. I have lived in Ä°stanbul for 19 years. I worked in the audio crew in the short movie 'Barbo. I also acted in the shot movie 'Çiçek. I am the producer, scriptwriter and the directer of the short movie Modem.