Ocean City Film Festival 2022

The Ocean City Film Festival took place March 3-6, 2022 in Ocean City, Md. Founded in 2017, the OC Film Festival continues to bring the film community together. Over the past six years, 1,582 films have been submitted, 50 awards have been given and 3,500 people have attended the festival. Kylie King attended the festival, captured pictures, joined in on Q&A’s with the filmmakers and had a lot of wonderful things to say about her experience. Read below to find out more information about some of the films that were shown in OC.

I attended the OC Film Festival on day three of the event. I went to watch their showings of Dramatic Shorts I and Dramatic Shorts II. I was met with a fun, but small, cinema filled with the smell of popcorn and excited faces of those ready to watch a film. The theater had a huge screen and a good amount of seats. Now, we were just waiting for our 12 pm showing! 

Because of the amount of films playing in different theaters, I am assuming that this showing was stuck between many. There were not many audience members until the second string of films played. As the time went on, some seats got filled and before we knew it, the show was starting!

Dramatic Films I

Camille’s Game (2021) – Directed by Nick Hawdon

Camille’s Game is a film about a woman who is trapped inside of her own mind and on the verge of death. During her trials, she plays a game of chess with three significant people in her life: her father, a scorned ex-lover, and an estranged son. 

The film is 13 minutes long and is directed, produced, and screenwritten by Nick Hawdon. Hawdon is a Stevenson University graduate and this film was actually his senior thesis piece. When asked about the connection to this film, Hawdon replied with “It’s definitely autobiographical in a sense. It’s a tribute to my grandfather… my fear of having children and the judgment between child and parent.” 

Hawdon said he shot this film using 16mm film and micro-managed the sound to be subtle. 

• Runtime: 00:13:04
• Language: English
• Country: United States
• Director: Nick Hawdon
• Screenwriter: Nick Hawdon
• Producer: Nick Hawdon
• Cast: Lissa Carandang-Sweeney, Marc Lubbers, Sara Romanello, Benairen Kane

Dissonance (2021) – Directed by Marsha St. Julien

Dissonance is about a strained couple driving their son home. The young woman sees a text message on her partner’s phone, which causes the ride to end short. An ugly fight starts as their son witnesses from the backseat. 

• Runtime: 00:04:47
• Language: English
• Country: United States
• Director: Marsha St. Julien
• Screenwriter: Marsha St. Julien
• Producer: Marsha St. Julien, Robert Boyd
• Cast: Marsha St. Julien, Dalton Wayne, Robbie Boyd Jr.
• Cinematographer: ShaunPaul Costello
• Editor: Robert Boyd, Marsha St.Julien
• Composer: Rick Szybowski
• Sound Design: Ernesto Suarez

Going Out (2021) – Directed by Wes Shiflett 

Going Out is about Christiane, a young woman, who is supposed to go out to visit her family, but her depression and anxiety limits her from doing so — leaving her stuck in her room. 

• Runtime: 00:12:03
• Language: English
• Country: United States
• Director: Wes Shiflett
• Screenwriter: Wes Shiflett
• Producer: Paige Peterson
• Cast: Nicole Wheeler, Delvin Burgos
• Cinematographer: Connor Meccay

Greg and Lizz (2021) – Directed by Paul Cosby

Greg (Paul Cosby) and Lizz (Violette Remington) enjoy a date on their own terms and must decide if they have any love left to spare. 

• Runtime: 00:06:36
• Language: English
• Country: United States
• Director: Paul Cosby
• Screenwriter: Paul Cosby
• Producer: Violette Remington
• Cast: Paul Cosby, Violette Remington

I Wish Charleston (2020) – Directed by Seneca Robinson

I Wish Charleston is a video poem inspired by Countee Cullens’ “Incident” poem visits South Carolina and the racial state of affairs of Black America. This film had excellent sound and presence from L’Monique King featuring the beautiful cinematography from Sean Pollock. 

• Runtime: 00:05:00
• Language: English
• Country: United States
• Director: Seneca Robinson
• Screenwriter: L’Monique King
• Cast: L’Monique King
• Cinematographer: Sean Pollock
• Music: conticciXL

Refuge (2020) – Directed by Mehmet Tigli

Refuge is based on a true story, a rape victim from Syria and a Iraqi student with gender identity issues cross paths. The Iraqi student is wanting to leave Istanbul quickly in order to continue their education in Italy and to meet their lover there. The only things the Syrian woman wants is safety and to feel secure. 

• Runtime: 00:16:49
• Language: Arabic, Turkish
• Country: Turkey
• Director: Mehmet Tigli
• Screenwriter: Mehmet Tigli
• Producer: Mehmet Tigli, Erkan Simsir, Mina Ertem
• Cast: Arzu Surici Kirecci, Mete Boyar, Ertan Kilic, Selda Alkor

Rosie (2021) – Directed by Mark Shaba

Rosie is about a young ballerina, in the care of her uncle, hopes to see a loved one at her recital. Rosie’s hope unfolds in a series of unfortunate past events. 

• Runtime: 00:17:07
• Language: English
• Country: Australia
• Director: Mark Shaba
• Producer: Mark Shaba
• Co-Producer: Gabriel Carrubba, Simon Sleiman, Alexandra Teasdale, James Tran
• Cast: Mira Russo, Marko Siklich, Jacqueline Morgan, Milla Rigazzi, Zoe Dafnias, Cali Van Dyke Goodman, Marlia Chofor, Sara Trimboli, Alexandra Taylor, Bianca Montagner, Chloe Long, Christien Charles Dariol, Deana Adamopoulos, Elijah Dries, Esther Faye Fabian, Macarena Dearie, Pauline Bourzeau, Rebecca Perich, Rebekah Henry, Sophia Riozzi
• Cinematographer: Gabriel Carrubba
• Editor: Mark Shaba
• Production Design: Alexandra Teasdale

Taken for Granted (2020) – Directed by Mansai Patel

Taken is about Ain, a teenage girl from a small village of Herat, Afghanistan, is separated from her father during a Taliban attack. She came with her father to Kabul to participate in a robotics competition. She faces many mental obstacles before realizing her only way out is during the attacks.

The director grew up in India and is a very spiritual person. She encases her film with spirituality, making sure her main character uses it to her best advantage.  The director is proud to have a woman-driven film. When asked where the film was recorded, Patel responded “In my garage!”

• Runtime: 00:13:07
• Language: Persian
• Country: United States
• Director: Manasi Patel
• Screenwriter: Manasi Patel
• Producer: Manasi Patel
• Executive Producer: Manasi Patel
• Cast: Amelia Rae, Mojan Nourbakhsh
• Cinematographer: Sara Garth
• Editor: Ali Shahriari
• Production Design: Emily Kae Muller
• Composer: Kristen Carey, Mike Khoury, Mike List

World Cup (2021) – Directed by Maryam Khodabakhsh

World Cup shows on the night of a couple’s migration, a friend’s child is left in their care during an emergency. The child, missing their father, wanders off and goes missing. During the child’s wanderings, the couple finds themselves with new thoughts as a secret is revealed.

• Runtime: 00:17:42
• Language: Persian
• Country: Iran, Islamic Republic of Iran
• Director: Maryam Khodabakhsh
• Screenwriter: Maryam Khodabakhsh
• Producer: Ali Tabe Imam
• Cast: Ali Tabe Imam, Zahra Aghapour, Klan Zarel
• Cinematographer: Ehsan Eskandarl
• Editor: Maryam Khodabakhsh
• Sound Design: Abdolreza Heldarl

Dramatic Films II

The Aviary (2021) – Directed by Charlie Knott

The Aviary is about a young woman, Clara, seeks closure with her ex-girlfriend while overcoming the past with visions of birds that haunt her. This film was shot digitally using a vintage lens. During the river scene, a real owl flew by. When asked what would the director add to the movie, Knott replied with “to shed more light on the supporting character, played by Jack Bell.”

• Runtime: 00:11:27
• Language: English
• Country: United States
• Director: Charlie Knott
• Screenwriter: Charlie Knott
• Cast: Marlee Gordon, Samantha Trionfo, Jack Bell, Julianne DuBois
• Cinematographer: Charlie Knott
• Composer: Wyatt Heritage, Wiley Hopkins, Charlie Knott

The Beggar (2021) – Directed by Jose Vasilio Torres

The Beggar is a story that bases itself on the stigma of homelessness, and the fact that a large portion of homeless people are verterans, shows the story of a homeless army veteran who faces harsh disrespect on the streets. In the end of this genre-bending film, the homeless veteran’s heckler gets his payback. 

Director JV Torres based this film off of his podcast, The Rise of King Asilas. The director is also a part of a band, his bass player Robert Williams was asked to play “the bum” in the film after Torres called Williams “a bum” for coming into practice one day with clothes on that differ from Williams’ usual attire. The film was made in Baltimore, the apartment scenes being in front of his apartment complex, and Fort Howard, Maryland. 

What was used for the gore scenes? “We actually used real guts, pig organs.” (Torres)

• Runtime: 00:17:53
• Language: English
• Country: United States
• Director: Jose Vasilio Torres
• Screenwriter: Jose Vasilio Torres
• Producer: Kevin Kimball
• Cast: Adrian Utley, Robert Williams, Ryheem Johnson, Andrew Palumbo

Blind Spots (2021) – Directed by Danny McCrea 

Blind Spots is a film about Henry who struggles to recognize his older brother, who he once saw as a role model, after they flee the scene of a hit-and-run. A game that was played in the film, using a racket and an apple, was played by the director as a child. The parents of the director and the actor who played Henry, Joshua Rubenstein, knew each other. That’s how the actor got hired!

Rubenstein said he “accidentally punched his co-star (Alki Halkiotis) during rehearsal” while shooting a fight scene. When an audience member asked why there was Cal Ripken Jr. merchandise throughout the film, the director laughed and said “My dad is a huge baseball fan so I wanted to incorporate that into the film.”

Rubenstein cut his hair for the film and said it took three months to grow back.

• Runtime: 00:11:57
• Language: English
• Country: United States
• Director: Danny McCrea
• Screenwriter: Danny McCrea
• Producer: Adam Bowen
• Cast: Joshua Rubenstein, Alki Halkiotis, Amir Valian, Olga Kuznetsova
• Cinematographer: Adam Turrisi
• Composer: Scott Salvatore, Luca Francini
• Sound Design: Evan Chan

Otava (2021) – Lana Bregar

Otava is about a young girl who works through missing her mother by dreaming about her, while physically being present on her grandmother’s farm.

• Runtime:
  00:14:36
• Language:
  Slovenian
• Country: Slovenia
• Director: Lana Bregar
• Screenwriter: Lana Bregar
• Producer: Nina Robnik
• Cast: Draga Potocnjak, Tara Krvina

A Wounded Deer (2020) – Directed by Ethan Rosenberg 

A Wounded Deer is about a twelve-year-old girl embarks on a surreal journey of self-discovery during an outing with her survivalist brother on a hunt.  A poem by Emily Dickinson inspired the director to create the film. It was filmed in Gaylord, Michigan. Rosenberg read the poem by Dickinson in high school, he had a “spiritual connection with it”. 

There were 12 drafts of this film before the final script. 

• Runtime: 00:19:43
• Language: English
• Country: United States
• Director: Ethan Rosenberg
• Screenwriter: Ethan Rosenberg
• Producer: Sophia Shi, James Qui
• Cast: Jillian Lebling, Nate Rosen, Shannan Wilson

Ye Shaam Mastanni/This Enchanting Evening (2021) – Directed by Sangeeta Agrawal

Ye Shaam Mastinni/This Enchanting Evening is about a connection between two radio talk show listeners is brought together through unexpected memories that connect from their past. The love interest, Shishir Sharma, in this film is played by a highly accredited Bollywood actor in India. Rajiv Paul, the actor who plays the radio show host, is a radio host in real life (RJR Media & Entertainment)

The director starred in the film. Agrawal said that the push for the film came up because of the pandemic. 

“Editing and filming was done miles apart, even through Zoom meetings,” Agrawal said. Sharma’s scenes and the editing was all done in India. Someone asked how was the film recorded? Agrawal answered “All the filming was done on an iPhone 11!” 

• Runtime: 00:14:59
• Language: English, Hindi
• Country: United States, Mumbai India
• Director: Sangeeta Agrawal
• Screenwriter: Sangeeta Agrawal
• Producer: Sangeeta Agrawal, RJR Media & Entertainment
• Cast: Shishir Sharma, Sangeeta Agrawal, Rajiv Paul