“Free 2 Be Me” and “Down in Flames: The True Story of Tony ‘Volcano’ Valenci,” two award-winning shorts from the 2014 Lighthouse International Film Festival, will screen during “The Best of the Fest” in Beach Haven. The evening of film, presented by the Lighthouse International Film Society, will be held at Island Baptist Church, located at 215 Third St., on Saturday, Oct. 25, at 7 p.m.
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| Photo via LIFS The two winning films received recognition at this year's Lighthouse International Film Festival. |
“Independent films are visual anthropology,” said Christine Rooney, managing director of LIFF. “They share a slice of life, a moment, a story that would otherwise be untold. That is why I love independent films.”
A warmhearted documentary that follows a devoted troupe of dancers with Down syndrome, “Free 2 Be Me” honors artistic expression by recognizing the influence of music and dance to transform lives. It was awarded the “Audience Award for Best Short” at the 2014 LIFF and continues to be shown at film festivals across the nation.
“Before this project, I didn’t know anyone with Down syndrome,” Jeannette Godoy, the film’s director, wrote on the movie’s website. “My husband and I were treated to a surprise performance by this troupe before my daughter’s ballet recital. Afterwards, I knew I had to tell their story, so I followed the Free 2 Be Me Dancers for an entire season.”
“Down in Flames,” directed by William Joseph Stribling, captures a different kind of journey as professional fire-breather Tony “Volcano” Valenci goes out on a quest to set a world record. Valenci plans to shock the world by attempting the impossible: breathing fire while skydiving. Through testimonials from Valenci’s friends and colleagues, including the world’s fastest knife thrower, his ex-wife and skydiving coaches, viewers piece together Valenci’s journey as he works to get his name in the record books. The film received the LIFF “Jury Award for Best Short.”
“I strive to make films that show people things they’ve never seen before. And so I’m proud to say that I’ve never seen a movie quite like ‘Down in Flames,’” Stribling said in a statement. “I’ve been ridiculously lucky to work with most of the same crew on all of my films; the ‘usual suspects,’ I’ve come to call my team. I don’t think any of us really knew what we were getting ourselves into when we set out to make this film with Tony and his cohorts. But by the time my cinematographer, Alex Gallitano, and I were wearing parachutes and sitting in a plane with no doors to get a shot of the skydiving scene, I think we both knew that we had something special on our hands.
“I say this a lot, but I truly believe that if my films are any good, it’s because I’ve been able to surround myself with people who are better at their jobs than I am at mine. And on this film, that was even more true than usual.”
Tickets to view these films at “The Best of the Fest” cost $5. Admission is free for LIFS members and children.
For more information, visit lighthousefilmfestival.org.
— Kelley Anne Essinger
This article was published in The SandPaper.
This article was published in The SandPaper.
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