Part 1 of Rockland in Motion begins on Wednesday, September 16, and streams continuously through Tuesday, September 29.
VISIT ROCKLAND IN MOTION PROGRAM 2 HERE
LEARN ABOUT PROGRAM 1, BELOW
Sponsored by
There will be a Zoom discussion hosted by Travis Stever on Wednesday, September 23, at 7:30. Travis is best known for playing guitar and singing background vocals for the rock group Coheed and Cambria, a career that has taken him all over the world. He grew up in Rockland County and Bergen County, and currently lives in Nyack with his wife and two children.
For a link to the discussion, please send an email to film@jameschingroup.com.
The program is free, with a suggested donation of $10 or more for those who can.
A link to Rockland in Motion: Program 2 will be provided here.
It will be live on September 30.
Following are the films and filmmakers in Program 1 of Rockland in Motion.
Frank Vitale (writer/director): NIGHT AT THE CARNIVAL, narrative short (0:04:21). Young Abigale explores the bright lights, vivid colors and bizarre attractions of the Rockland County Carnival at the Palisades Mall. Games of ‘skill,’ exhilarating rides and the shocking freak show. Vitale has been making films for thirty years. He produced and directed over 150 shorts, documentaries, PSAs, television specials and features that were honored with 75 awards. His feature film, Montreal Main, played major festivals: Locarno, London, Mannheim, Edinburgh, AFI, MoMA and the Whitney. His recent feature, The Erotic Fire of the Unattainable, has screened at the 2020 Sarasota and Brooklyn film festivals. More on the filmmaker here.
Marta Renzi (director): DANCING IS AN OLD FRIEND, videodance (0:11:54). Two old friends re-connect virtually. Marta has directed over 2 dozen short films, completing her debut feature film Her Magnum Opus in 2017. Twice in the 80’s Renzi was commissioned to direct half-hour videodances which were broadcast on PBS. Her most recent pre-virus premiere was Skybridge at Hunter College, her 6th commissioned dance film for a university dance company. She has received 7 NEA Choreographic Fellowships, and a New York Dance & Performance Award (a “Bessie”), and funding from Metropolitan Life, the Jerome Foundation and the Trust for Mutual Understanding. More on the filmmaker here.
Charles Caster-Dudzick (writer/director): PLATFORM PANIC and COMMON TIME, experimental musical shorts (0:04:31). Caster-Dudzick is a graduate of the Nyack public school system and student of High School Media-Production mastermind Kathy Buckley, he made short narratives and animations with help and guidance from an invaluable community of peers and mentors. He has shot films for local filmmaker and choreographer Marta Renzi, is both personal assistant and associate producer to Academy Award Nominee Kristi Zea, and currently works in the Art Department on NBC-Universal’s “New Amsterdam.” More on the filmmaker here.
TRØN & DVD (performers/co-creators): AFRAID OF THE DARK, music video (00:03:38). From the album Afraid Of The Dark (Kiam Records), video directed by Johnny North. As TRØN & DVD, brothers Norvin and Darian Van Dunk have pushed themselves to take their music in new directions ever since they were kids, running amok in their hometown of Nyack, New York. With Manhunt, their second LP on Kiam Records (released September 13, 2019), TRØN & DVD present their most confident vision to date: a story of two black artists leaning into their craft to navigate the anxieties of family life and personal vices — all while surviving the threats posed by modern America. More on TRØN & DVD here.
Photography By Myles Aronowitz
Myles Aronowitz (director): THUNDERBIRD, web series episode (0:02:20). Ongoing series follows photographer Lisa Levart exploring indigenous stories and their relevance in contemporary life. Myles has worked on over 100 feature films and TV series as a still photographer. During his 35 year career, his photographs have been used as the key art on over 30 posters. Lisa is an artist/activist based in the Lower Hudson Valley, NY, operating in the intersection between fine arts and social engagement. Her work has been exhibited widely and is represented in the permanent collection of the 9/11 Memorial Museum in NYC. More on the filmmaker here.
Paul Schwartz (writer/director): TIME CAN BREAK YOUR HEART, narrative short (0:14:04). About the fragility of memory and the power of love. Paul is an award-winning writer, musician and filmmaker. Notable projects include the play A MEASURE OF DOUBT, the film TIME CAN BREAK YOUR HEART, the ARIA and STATE OF GRACE recordings, the operas ORPHEUS ‘68 and SNEHVIDE (Snow White), and multiple ballet scores. Upcoming projects include the documentary THE PERSISTENT SWAN, the short film CONNECTION and the feature-length film UNICORN. He is a graduate of the Royal College of Music and London University, and is a member of ASCAP and the Actors Studio Playwrights and Directors Unit. More on the filmmaker here.
Brooklyn Demme (director): THE PLACE WHERE THE PEOPLE GATHER (AKUY EENDA MAAWEHLAANG), documentary short (0:22:34). Follows the local Lenaape land case. Brooklyn is a filmmaker and writer based in Nyack, NY. His faith in documentary as a vehicle for social change grew from experience working on projects with his father, Jonathan Demme (I Am Caroline Parker, What’s Motivating Tyrone Hayes, and Protection Not Protest: The People Of Standing Rock), often as a PA. His interest and experience broadened further as an intern at the inspiring documentary collective Kartemquin Films. More here.
Veronica Murphy: CONSUM(HER), new media (0:01:00). The film is a glance-worthy consideration of how advertisers have negatively marketed to and historically projected upon women. Whether it be cosmetics, moisturizers, soaps or coffee—the industry has regularly found a profitable demographic in inferiority and insecurity. Veronica Murphy is an emerging artist in the United States exploring cultural themes of visual aesthetics & activism in New Media, Film and Photography. She is currently graduating from Purchase College, and previously graduated from Purdue University. Murphy uses new media and historical references to stimulate conversation and exploit predominant concerns focused on social dynamics, technology, and identity. More on the filmmaker here.
Max Cea (writer/co-director): LOST CITY, comedic short (0:14:57). A Nigerian tourist gets lost on his way to see a comedy show. Directorial debut. Cea is a writer and filmmaker. He has written journalism and cultural criticism for outlets like GQ, Nymag, The New York Times, Salon, and Billboard. He grew up in Nyack and graduated from Nyack High School in the Class of 2011. “Lost City” is his first short film. More on the filmmaker here.
