(RED BANK, NJ) -- The New Jersey premiere of Dave Made a Maze, a breakout film directed by artist/writer Bill Watterson, will open the 2nd Annual Indie Street Film Festival on Wednesday, July 26. Valérie Müller and Angelin Preljocaj’s Polina, featuring Academy Award-winner Juliette Binoche will be the closing film on Sunday, July 30. The NY/NJ premiere of Coup D’Etat, directed by Lisa Addario and Joe Syracuse and starring Academy Award and Golden Globe Award-winner Michael Caine and Katie Holmes, and Person to Person, written and directed by Dustin Guy Defa and starring Michael Cera, Abbi Jacobson and Philip Baker Hall, will also screen at the fest set for July 26th through the 30th in Red Bank, NJ.
“From a live art performance by local artist Ronnie Jackson, who carves New Jersey landscapes and scenes into surfboards, a cookout after the screening of the documentary Barbecue with local sponsors, to a Liquid Lights creative workshop, we know festival attendees will enjoy what ISFF brings to the community,” noted ISFF artistic director Jay Webb. “What sets this festival apart from other film events is the integration and cooperation of Red Bank’s venues, restaurants and bars, retail shops and the local arts community which all gel to make the ideal atmosphere to celebrate the creativity of independent filmmakers.”
Dave Made a Maze, featuring Nick Thune as Dave and Meera Rohit Kumbhani as his girlfriend, Annie, is the story of an underachieving artist who builds a fort in his living room only to wind up trapped by fantastical pitfalls, booby traps and critters of his own creation. Ignoring his warnings, Annie leads a band of oddball explorers on a rescue mission. Once inside, they find themselves trapped in an ever-changing supernatural world, threatened by booby traps and pursued by a bloodthirsty Minotaur.
Coup D’Etat is the story of a sixteen-year-old American girl who develops a pen pal relationship with Anton Vincent (Michael Caine), an island nation dictator, who unexpectedly seeks refuge in her suburban garage when he is deposed by his own people.
Person to Person follows a variety of New York characters as they navigate personal relationships and unexpected problems over the course of one day.
In Polina, a promising classical ballet dancer about to join the prestigious Bolshoi Ballet discovers contemporary dance, a revelation that throws everything into question on a profound level.
The festival will present more than 60 independently produced narrative, documentary and animated films, panel discussions, Q&A’s with filmmakers, live art, an interactive community mural project, a community cookout, and both live and DJ music performances. Two sets of “Jersey Shorts” showcasing the work of local filmmakers and New Jersey locations and subjects will also be featured.
Films and events will be held at multiple theatrical venues in Red Bank, including the historic Count Basie Theatre, the Two River Theater, Bow Tie Cinema and Red Bank Middle School. After parties will be held at many of Red Bank’s noted restaurants and nightspots including Buona Sera, Gotham and Jamian’s. Craft brews and specialty cocktails will be provided by festival sponsors Flying Fish Brewery and Prairie Organic Spirits.
Narrative feature films in competition include The Ring Thing, directed by William Sullivan (Provincetown Film Festival), Like Me, directed by Robert Mockler (SXSW), Beat Beat Heart, directed by Luise Brinkmann (Slamdance, Filmfest Munich 2016) and Life Hack, directed by Sloan Copeland (Brooklyn Film Fest, SoHo Int. Film Fest).
Documentary feature films in competition include Barbecue, directed by Matthew Salleh (SXSW), Hotel Coolgardie, directed by Pete Gleeson (Slamdance, Hot Docs), Olancho, directed by Ted Griswold and Chris Valdes (Brooklyn Film Fest) and Unrest, directed by Jennifer Brea (SXSW, Hot Docs, Sundance Special Jury Award).
Other highlights include the NJ premiere of Unrest, an eye-opening documentary shot and directed by Jennifer Brea, as she tackles the very personal subject of chronic fatigue syndrome. Life Hack, featuring Sean Kleier (Odd Mom Out) and Devin Ratray (Nebraska, Blue Ruin), is an incredibly relevant comedic cautionary tale about our digital privacy or complete lack thereof.
New Jersey talent will also be showcased, including the world premiere of Brothers, the latest work from Jack Ballo, who directed the critically acclaimed 2016 documentary Destiny’s Bridge, about the plight of a homeless community living off-the-grid in the woods of Lakewood, New Jersey, and Pasquale’s Magic Veal, a dark comedy featuring Vincent Pastore, who played “Big Pussy” in The Sopranos.
For a complete schedule and to purchase tickets, please visit www.indiestreetfilmfestival.org.
5-day Passes are available for films only (Film Buff Pass for $89) or for all films and parties and discounts at local businesses (All-Access Pass for $169) and can be purchased by visiting the festival website. Single event tickets are also on sale.
Keep up with breaking news on social media at facebook.com/IndieStreetFilmFestival - Twitter @IndieStFilmFest & Instagram @IndieStFilmFest.
PHOTOS: (TOP) Michael Caine and Katie Holmes star in Coup D’Etat. (BOTTOM) A scene from Valérie Müller and Angelin Preljocaj’s Polina.
