Sept. 21st, 2002
2:00pm Program

Mermaids of Brooklyn
Maddy Lederman
Experimental. Super8. 2:18.
2000.
Mermaids of Brooklyn is a quick adventure through The Mermaid Parade, a decadent folly celebrating summer in Coney Island.

A Coney Island Short Film Festival tradition! Mermaids of Brooklyn opened the 2001 festival and we loved it so much we're bringing it back as our opening film this year.

Creative Process 473
Perry Grebin & Michael Nigro
Comedy. 16mm. 14:00. 2002. USA.

Trapped in a small room, two writers running on creative fumes attempt to break free from the limits of scripting a low-budget film. But they hit the wall. Hard.
Agora
Chris Newberry
Drama. 16mm. 07:30. 2001. USA.

Separated from her mother at a crowded fairground, a young girl must find the courage to help a stranger despite daunting circumstances and bizarre surroundings. Shot on location at the Minnesota State Fair. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Best Short at the 2002 Minneapolis/St. Paul International Film Festival.
Sugar and Air
Claudia Guilino
Drama. Video. 06:44. 2002. Germany.

Coney Island on a sunny Sunday afternoon. A young woman is walking the boardwalk looking for some love and fun. But her cotton candy dreams dissolve into reflections about her isolation.
The Boogeyman’s Birthday
Scott Patch
Comedy. Video. 09:17. 2002. USA.

After thousands of years of frightening children in their beds, The Boogeyman is saddened to realize that he’s never had a friend. Despite his horrific physical appearance and lack of people-skills, he becomes determined to befriend a child in time for his birthday. Winner: IFILM “Comedy Pick of the Week”.
The World Famous Pontani Sisters
Chris P.
Documentary. Video. 22:00. 2002. USA.

An engaging portrait of the vivacious trio of burlesque stars from Brooklyn. Includes special performances at Coney Island for the 75th anniversary of the Cyclone Rollercoaster and lots of great dance numbers!
Longbranch: A Suburban Parable
Destin Daniel Cretton & Lowell Frank
Drama. 16mm.13:00. 2002. USA.

A blind man, a cowboy and a guy in a red sweater all mix together in an esoteric recipe of hamburger, ketchup and suicide. Winner: Peach City Film Festival “Best Film”
Super Love People
Kevin Mutch
Animation. Video. 06:20. 2002. USA.
Artist and film-maker Kevin Mutch's homage to the bizarre and existential French science-fiction comics he read in Heavy Metal magazine back in the 70's. The haunting original score is by Brad Roberts of Crash Test Dummies. On the windswept planet of the Super Love People, four sexes carry out an endless mating ritual. Blue Semi-Super Woman absorbs the Red Sprite and the Brown Giant disinflates, but will Super-Stalker get any in the end?
Cardboardman and the Girls
Laurent Hart
Experimental. Video. 10:00. 2002. France.

Cardboardman is an anti-hero made of a few cardboard boxes. As he strolls along spreading his affection amongst the girls, little does he realize that one girl will show him just how fragile he really is.

Sept. 21st, 2002
4:00pm Program

Rollover
Brendan Doyle
Drama. Video. 18:23. 2002. USA.
A down and out local tough meets a mysterious girl on the boardwalk of Coney Island. A ticket to escape might just be a ride you can’t walk away from.
Harlem Fight Song
Konrad Aderer
Drama. Video. 11:41. 2002. USA.

A young Chinese-American in Harlem finds first hostility, then mutal respect in a martial arts challenge. Mirroring the current transformation of this historic African-Amerian neighborhood, the music of Charles Mingus is the heartbeat driving this confrontation to its climax: a first-ever duel between the styles of kung-fu and capoeira. Winner: Cinevue International Film Festival Special Jury Award, Outstanding Narrative Short.
Zeno’s Got an Axe and I Think He’s Crazy!!!
Jeffrey J. Johnson
Animation. Video. 04:30. 2002. USA.

An oddball animated story about aliens, horses and a guy with an axe.
Man Made
Erma Elzy-Jones
Comedy. 35mm. 15:00. 2002. USA.

Love for sale rings truer than ever in this futuristic comedy short. Shari sets a tasty trap for her unfaithful boyfriend, Gil. After literally dumping him, she continues to shop for the perfect mate and gets more than she ever bargained for when she brings home the real man of her dreams.
Move
Antonia March & Jaqueline McKinley
Drama. 16mm. 31:00. 2002. USA.

A racial drama that takes place during 1938, 1968 and 2002. In each time period, two cars meet head on; one car filled with three black men and the other car filled with three white men. The situation begs the question: who will be forced to move their car back? It’s the same scenario with three very different outcomes. Rap recording artist Coolio stars. Winner: San Francisco Black Film Festival, Best Short & Melvin Van Peebles Maverick Award.
“As if by Remote” Laddio Bolocko
Aran Tharp
Music Video. Super 8. 03:00. 2002. USA.

“As if by Remote” is a film with intense edits and forged with synchronicity to the music of Laddio Bolocko who were a legendary rock band in New York City. Laddio Bolocko is Drew St. Ivany, Ben Armstrong, Blake Flemming and Marcus DeGrazia
When I Scream
Cris Siqueira
Experimental. 16mm. Video & super 8. 09:20. /2002. Brazil.

Luiza dreams of rollercoasters while leading a meaningless life. When I Scream features the Montezum roller coaster at the Brazilian amusement park Hopi Hari. Montezum, the first wooden roller coaster in Brazil, opened in 1999 and was a huge investment by that country’s standards. CISFF is pleased to present the North American premiere of When I Scream.
The Fun Zone
Ken Brown
Experimental. Super 8. 03:14. 1989. USA.

Director Ken Brown has always been attracted to the bright lights and brash graphics of carnivals and amusement parks. Many of these have been in decline for a considerable time. Here is a quick study of two American classics, Coney Island and Wildwood, NJ.

Sept. 21st, 2002
6:00pm Program

"Tillie" indicates a film featuring Coney Island scenes or sideshow performers.
Rasbury
Bob Mataranglo
Animation. Video. 09:30. 2001. USA.

Icons of “High Art” try to reverse the misfortunes of a decaying urban, seaside city. In the end, the local culture gets the best of them, with politics and economics being the real “changemakers.”
Communication Deficit Disorder
Chris Alpine
Comedy. Video. 02:50. 2002. USA.

An annoying group of diners at a restaurant can’t seem to communicate without their cell phones. Winner: Seattle International Film Festival 1st Place Digital Short.
I’ve Got You Babe
Amy Epstein
Experimental. 16mm. 15:00. 2000. USA.
I've Got You Babe explores the emotional hold some parents have on their adult children. Music, singing, go-carts, the Cyclone, beatings, -- all contribute to an unconventional view of a woman's relationship with her father. Premiered at 2000 New Directors/New Films at MoMA/Lincoln Center Film Society.
In the City
Mike Hoolboom
Experimental .16mm, video & super8. 10:00. 2001. Canada.

An alphabetic look at breaking up in restaurants. Architectures frame the body, and stage the ending of its attachments. Of love. Director Mike Hoolboom is a two-time winner of the Toronto International Film Festival’s prize for Best Canadian Short Film.
My Last Cigarette
James Jediny
Drama. Video. 36:46. 2002. USA.

An inside story about a ticket runner named Duke, sick of himself and everything else. A scheme comes to mind, like a light in a dark city. With his bosses money he has one chance to flip two drug deals, before returning two hours later with the bosses promised Yankee season box tickets. With this tight window of opportunity he attempts to beat Murphy’s Law in a New York minute.
Next Stop: Existence
Nicolas Rincon
Drama. 16mm. 06:27. 2002. USA.

A young man, stuck in his own memories, is struck by the reality of dreams as his life takes a new turn.
Wildfire
Amy Greenfield
Experimental. Video. 11:30. 2002. USA.

Inspired by Thomas Edison's 1894 film "Anabelle Dances", fabric, light and dance combine in mesmerizing display. Perfomances by Andrea Beeman, Francine Breen, Bonnie Dunn & Cynthia Demoss. Music by Philip Glass.
Freak Box
Brett Ingram
Animation. 16mm. 02:00. 1999. USA.

An animated (stop-motion) satire about the circus of televison productions. Winner: “Best of Show” The Marvels Exhibition at Artspace, Raleigh NC.

Sept. 21st, 2002
8:00pm Program

Read His Lips
Robert Parrish
Comedy. Video. 04:00. 2000. USA.
Kids trying to buy cigarettes and George W. Bush’s butchering of the English language are juxtaposed.
Critical Mass for More Gardens
OHMS Media Collective
Documentary. Video. 07:00. 2002. USA.

A collaborative documentary project by a collective of video activists and organizations operating out of the New York City area: Bike TV, Ohms Media Collective & Time’s Up Video. This video project is about the critical mass ride, its relationship to the city and the issues of community gardens in NYC, taking the viewers along for the ride.
Kite
Troy Antonio
Drama. 16mm. 17:55. 2002. USA.

Expressed in stylized fashion, KITE examines the confines of a man’s mind on the brink of insanity due to his physical and mental confinement. A dark suspense about a chain of events that occur one afternoon between a clown, his niece, and a chocolate cake.
Boomerang
Carla Drago
Comedy. 35mm. 05:30. 2002. Australia.

A man, a woman, and some first date nerves - sometimes just being human is embarassing! Winner: Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2002 People’s Choice Award, Tropfest Sydney 2002 3rd Prize, Best Female Actor, Best Cinematographer, Best Editor.
Dinner Date
Lin Gathright
Comedy. Video. 07:00. 2002. USA.
A woman waits for her date while fantasizing about the date she would like to have. Written by and starring Lin Gathright (aka Bunny Love from Burlesque At The Beach).
Naked Man
Anthony Durazzo
Comedy. 16mm. 01:00. 1998. USA.
Indeed, he's naked!
Lord of the Cockrings
Nick Zedd
Comedy. Video. 26:30. 2002. USA.
Lord of the Cockrings tells the story of Scroto Baggins (played by Faceboy) a computer programmer from Secaucus, New Jersey, who is magically transported to Middle Earth after purchasing a mysterious cockring at Toys in Babeland. In Middle Earth, he meets a beautiful fairy named Rosebudweiser (played by the world famous BOB) who tells him he must travel to Mount Doom to destroy said cockring. Scrotos mission takes him on a perilous journey where he meets several crazy characters, including a Budweiser-drinking band of elves led by their Queen (St. Rev. Jen) and Halitoshun, a halitosis-impaired dragon. The film also features a killer soundtrack by Brer Brian and friends that you are sure to be humming for days on end! Written by Saint Reverend Jen.
Scary Face
Alan Steiner
Animation. Video. 01:00. 2001. USA.

A very short animated comedy!
Cemetery Love Story
John Barnard
Drama. Video. 19:40. 2002. Canada.
It’s a steamy day at the cemetery. A grave robbing widow has just met a new special someone. Love is in the air, but a nasty undertaker and his axe-wielding partner in crime have other plans for the young lovers. Featuring an original score by Mitch Dorge of Crash Test Dummies.
Le Mime
Brian Belefant
Comedy. 16mm. 01:59. 2002. USA.
At a Parisian flea market, a 100-year-old camera was recently discovered with a roll of exposed film inside. When developed, it revealed what is possibly the moment that the greatest mime of all time found his life’s inspiration.
Battleship Contempkin
Chris Brown
Comedy. Video. 04:00. 2001. USA.
Parisian lovers, trapped in their Left Bank apartment on a rainy afternoon, play a humorously perverse version of the popular American board game. As the consequences of losing escalate, Battleship becomes not just a game of strategy and fun, but an instrument of love and death. Winner: WorldFest Houston 2002 Bronze Remy Award.

Sept. 21st, 2002
10:00pm Program

Toilet Bowl Confessions
Colin Powers
Comedy Video 05:00 10/2001 USA

Toilet Bowl Confessions takes you on a trip into the deep recesses of, well, your deep recesses. Starring several up and coming actors and a bunch of a-holes. Winner: Sick Puppy Film Festival “People’s Choice Award.”
Three Chord Slam
Simona Prives
Documentary Video 30:00 08/2002 USA

A documentary about what’s left of NYC’s punk rock scene. Interviews with Hilly Kristal (CBGB’s), Dick Manitoba (Dictators) and many others, punctuated by live performances, Three Chord Slam delves into a subculture of New York bands, celebrating their roots and influences.
Nihilistic Chick
Daniel Azarian
Drama Video 07:13 01/2002 USA
Alone in a Pizzeria, it’s another Saturday night for the girl from suburbia. She is soon tormented by a trio of spoiled girls born on the right side of the tracks. When the teasing starts, what’s a girl to do? Inspired by Edward Hopper’s painting, “The Automat.”
Suspension of Disbelief
Luke S. Goljan
Experimental 16mm, 35mm, Video 20:41 04/2002 USA

Blurring the line between reality and fiction, Suspension of Disbelief weaves the tale of three young filmmakers bent on creating their magnum opus action film, Dead End, at any cost. Based on actual events.
Peter, Peter...
Kerrie Welsh
Experimental 16mm 06:33 06/2002 USA
Once upon a time in a land not far away from here lived a man named Peter with his wife: He wants the perfect family, with him at the head; she wants true love and romance. He wants respect from family and friends; she wants someone to see her true self. He wants the dog put to sleep; she wants to star in pictures.
Bobby Conn ANGELS
Usama Alshaibi
Music Video Video 04:30 2002 USA
"Richard had a party so many years ago. We was only seventeen and the scene was a fantasy we'd stolen from an English queen"
Face First
Todd Verow
Experimental Video 04:30 2002 USA
Todd Verow's ode to the videoconferencing sexual subculture. Screenings include OUTFEST 2002, SF LGBF 2002 and the Stockholm International Film Festival 2002.
Mommy Kills Best
Richard Bluestein
Comedy Video 12:33 08/2001 USA
A white trash drag queen kills her teenaged daughter after finding out she’s pregnant.
Die Faggot Die
Shawn Durr
Comedy Video 11:00 08/2002 USA
Eschewing good taste, embracing revulsion, and taking a satirical bite out of the notion of affirmative gay cinema, Shawn Durr’s “Die Faggot Die!” tells the story of a biker dyke and lipstick lesbian who can’t seem to “get it on” in bed anymore. Chances are their problems between the sheets have something to do with their “nellie” roommate. How to restore their once passionate love? Starring: Todd Verow, Philly and Donna Jagela. Original music by The Artist Formerly Known as Vince.