Seating is not guaranteed in any particular venue or for any particular film block or film;
ALL seating is on a first-available basis.
*Note: While these independent films are not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), most would fall within the PG-13 range. Films that may fall outside the PG-13 range and/or have a trigger or content warning will be noted with an asterisk and listed, with details, in a separate table at the bottom of this page.
Last updated Friday, April 26.
Friday, May 10, 2024
Daniels Auditorium, Lobby Level
Seating is Limited; Maximum Occupancy: 300 seats
| Film Block A 3 to 5 p.m. |
Isaiah Alexander Forte-Rose: Forbidden Fruit (Narrative Short, 12 minutes) Follow a Black 11 year old as he navigates a day in his life of rural poverty while his mother is stuck at work. Raleigh premiere |
| Robert Alan Underhill, Aravind Ragupathi: Box Brown: A Box Marked Freedom (Narrative Feature, 91 minutes) This is the incredible true story of Henry “Box” Brown, an enslaved man who mailed himself to freedom in 1849. North Carolina premiere |
Click here for an alphabetical list of this year’s official selections—
and links to trailers and other information!
Back to top
Daniels Auditorium, Lobby Level
Seating is Limited; Maximum Occupancy: 300 seats
| Film Block B 5 to 7 p.m. |
Destiny DeJames, Jillian Dengate: Together (Animated Film, 7 minutes) A grieving mother and son race against a raging fire that’s engulfing their village, their forest, and their lives. |
| Lauren E. Johnson: Running to Remember (Middle and High School Student Film, Documentary Short; 23 minutes) This Gold Star mother has run over 1,000 miles within all 50 states to remember the veterans who served our country. |
|
| Vince Eisenson: Lost on the Beach (Narrative Short, 3 minutes) An older man reflects on his loses. |
|
| Sarah Loraine Deitrich: Take Me to the Woods (Narrative Short, 8 minutes) To seek solace after the sudden death of her husband and daughter, a woman sets out to the woods where she intends to live life as a fairy—that is, until reality sets in. US premiere |
|
| Christen S. Christian: Jumping Bean (Documentary Short, 4 minutes) Filmed during the isolation of COVID, Jumping Bean is a reflection—on losing a parent, corporate mismanagement, and the larval stage of tiny moths. Raleigh premiere |
|
| Garrett Barefoot, McKenzie Van Oss: “Reminder” (Music Video, 4 minutes) “But loudest of all, let it be a reminder that I have a voice.” |
|
| *Joya Joseph: Blaming and Shaming (Narrative Short, 11 minutes) In a modern portrayal of events following Sita’s rescue from her abductor, Ravana (as detailed in the Hindu epic poem “The Ramayana”), Sita finds herself in therapy and wrestling with the psychological effects of her abduction. |
|
| *Noe Alek Cangas: Snap (Middle and High School Student Film, Narrative Short; 4 minutes) A bullied middle schooler seeks revenge. |
|
| *McCready Brothers: Mid Iris (Narrative Short, 26 minutes) A goth high school student tries to maintain his will to live in the face of the terrible awkwardness and pain of adolescence. Raleigh premiere |
|
| Missy Bell: Outbound (Narrative Short, 9 minutes) A bedraggled young wanderer lives completely isolated in a desolate world until reviewing past choices forces a call for help. |
|
| Alvin Sloan: Carrots (Narrative Short, 8 minutes) Jane chops carrots; Mark tries to work. |
Click here for an alphabetical list of this year’s official selections—
and links to trailers and other information!
Back to top
Demonstration Gallery and Atrium, Lobby Level
| 7 to 8:15 p.m. | Reception for Filmmakers and Friends—Celebrate with this year’s Official Selection filmmakers and their film families! Enjoy appetizers, drinks, and community! Tickets are required; space is limited. Registration is closed. |
Click here for an alphabetical list of this year’s official selections—
and links to trailers and other information!
Back to top
Bicentennial Plaza, Outside Front Entrance
Some seating provided; or, bring your own!
| Movies-N-Moonlight, Film Block C 8:30 to 10 p.m. |
Johnnie Semerad: A Tree Once Grew Here (Animated Film, 7 minutes) Captivating visuals, animation, and imagery combine to tell a tale that transcends language and reminds us that we must both nurture our planet and rebalance harmony—because we can no longer afford not to. |
| In case of inclement weather, Movies-N-Moonlight films, Film Block C, will be screened in Daniels Auditorium. | Alex Petkus: Flipping the Bird (Narrative Short, 7 minutes) Thomas joins a bird club only to discover it isn’t a bird watching club; rather, the subject is a woman in the woods—who’s pretending to be a bird. |
| Rachael Marie Silberman: D!NK (Narrative Short, 16 minutes) Four pickleball super divas enter the ultimate pickleball competition, each determined to lay it all out on the “kitchen” line for a chance at victory. |
|
| Evan Kidd and Rachel Young: Narrative Thread (Documentary Short, 3 minutes) Kate Nartker, assistant professor in the Department of Textile and Apparel, Technology, and Management (TATM), Wilson College of Textiles at North Carolina State University, weaves her magic, then animates it—to show a whole different side to textiles. Raleigh premiere |
|
| *Nico Eagan, James Lee: Alphabet Soup (Middle and High School Student Film, Narrative Short; 10 minutes) A teenage boy journeys from apathy to empathy regarding his sister’s depression. |
|
| John Caudill: The Lobster Shift (Narrative Short, 18 minutes) After working a long night shift, Angus, a lonely grocery store worker, finds an unlikely friend—a lobster. |
|
| David Baeumler: 60 Second Thoughts: Volume Three (Narrative Short, 4 minutes) The world’s most uncategorizable series of short films continues with a new collection of 60-second wonders. North Carolina premiere |
|
| Kiersten Houser: Hunger Pang (Narrative Short, 10 minutes) A desperate and starving zombie woman finds a human baby; but her unlikely bond with the child poses a problem for her appetite. |
|
| Clara Hirata: Mila & Imran (Narrative Short, 8 minutes) Two women, one German and the other Turkish, start out as competing street vendors, but they eventually find a way to work together—despite differences in their cultural backgrounds. |
Click here for an alphabetical list of this year’s official selections—
and links to trailers and other information!
Back to top
Saturday, May 11, 2024
Off-Site at 5311 Old Poole Road, Ste. 100 (follow link for map and directions)
| 9 to 10:30 a.m. | For Filmmakers: Intro to Virtual Production, a workshop presented by Triality Studios, to provide a first-hand look at North Carolina’s first Unreal Engine–driven stage for video production. This workshop is free, but advance registration is required; space is limited. Note: This is an OFF-SITE workshop; transportation is not provided. |
Click here for an alphabetical list of this year’s official selections—
and links to trailers and other information!
Back to top
Demonstration Gallery, Lobby Level
| 11 a.m.–noon | For Filmmakers and Film Fans: The Independent Filmmaker’s Production Packet: What’s in Yours?, an interactive workshop with attorney Thomas Varnum that focuses on legal documents you need for your next production. This workshop is free, but advance registration is required; space is limited. |
Click here for an alphabetical list of this year’s official selections—
and links to trailers and other information!
Back to top
Daniels Auditorium, Lobby Level
Seating is Limited; Maximum Occupancy: 300 seats
| Film Block A 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. |
*Vianelli C. De Leon: Hive (Animated Film, 9 minutes) A dark comedy sitcom with strong visual, comedic, and narrative inspirations. |
| D. L. Anderson: Red Whiteville and Blue (Documentary Feature, 83 minutes) Most Americans believe the economy is rigged to benefit the wealthy. So, what happens when a group of outsider millionaires tells a small working-class town they are right—and then helps them to organize against the system? Raleigh premiere |
|
| Mike O’Connell: You’ve Got to Start a Thing (Documentary Short, 11 minutes) Lillian Exum Clement blazed a path as North Carolina’s first woman legislator, and her one term in the state house was marked with the passage of sixteen pieces of legislation. She was also one of the state’s first female attorneys and had her own criminal law practice. |
Click here for an alphabetical list of this year’s official selections—
and links to trailers and other information!
Back to top
Longleaf Classroom, SECU Education Center, Level R
Seating is Limited; Maximum Occupancy: 100 seats
| Film Block A 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. |
Brandon Gaesser, Sidney Beeman, Bridget Fitzgerald: Afungus Amongus (Animated Film, 4 minutes) Fed up with trash and garbage polluting his natural home, a tiny mushroom and his friends set off for the big city to stop that problem at its source. |
| Laura Albritton: Longleaf Forever (Documentary Short, 17 minutes) Longleaf Forever plunges viewers into one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems on the planet—forests that once covered 90 million acres in the American South, including North Carolina. Meet the passionate women and men who are turning a story of habitat loss and decline into a hopeful environmental narrative of restoration and renewal. |
|
| *Nate Wiggins: Wilderness Therapy (Documentary Short, 28 minutes) Venturing into the controversial world of wilderness therapy programs, this documentary explores the delicate balance between the beneficial power of nature and the negative encounters experienced by participants during their time in camp, ultimately questioning the worth of enduring such hardships for the potential benefits nature can provide. |
|
| Sebastian Candioti, Sebastian LaRoche: Echoed Grounds (Middle and High School Student Film, Narrative Short; 6 minutes) A teen boy witnesses strange events at a playground, then becomes obsessed, returning continually and becoming estranged from his friends—ultimately succumbing to the dark force that tempts him. World premiere |
|
| Alvin Sloan: The Artist and the Geocacher (Narrative Short, 4 minutes) Jen attempts to draw; her friend Ben tries to interest her in his geocaching hobby. |
|
| Kimberly Kartman Best: Better Bites with Bugs (Documentary Short, 13 minutes) The practice of eating bugs—entomophagy—has a lot to commend it. You may disagree, but try to put your preconceptions aside! |
|
| Jinna Kim: Won’t You Be My Dumpling (Documentary Short, 10 minutes) Won’t You Be My Dumpling is a delightful short documentary that shows that dumplings can come in different forms and be tasty to everyone. |
|
| Cameron Voris: In the Stillness (Narrative Short, 3 minutes) In stillness comes the answer no one seeks. A brief exploration of artistic liberty. World premiere |
|
| Evan Kidd: Film the Future (Narrative Short, 6 minutes) Two friends attempt to catch a time traveler on video after receiving a mysterious voicemail from the future. Raleigh premiere |
|
| Natalie Burchert: Mozart (Narrative Short, 11 minutes) Born in a time when women were not allowed musical careers, Nannerl Mozart was forced to find a new way to escape her younger brother’s shadow and create her own legacy as a famous composer. |
Click here for an alphabetical list of this year’s official selections—
and links to trailers and other information!
Back to top
Dogwood Classroom, SECU Education Center, Level R
Seating is Limited; Maximum Occupancy: 30 seats
| Film Block A 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. |
Joanne L. Hershfield: Gardening for the Planet (Documentary Feature, 68 minutes) One way that each of us can make a meaningful and significant difference in combating the devastating effects of global warming and climate change is through native-plant gardening. |
| Brandon Gaesser: Chicken Soup for the Soil (Documentary Short, 35 minutes) Follow a journey of the soil beneath our feet and efforts of North Carolina farmers Suzanne Nelson and Rachel Herrick to rehabilitate it one pasture at a time. Oh, and our main cast is not entirely human—the soil and the livestock are characters, as well. |
Click here for an alphabetical list of this year’s official selections—
and links to trailers and other information!
Back to top
Daniels Auditorium, Lobby Level
Seating is Limited; Maximum Occupancy: 300 seats
| Film Block B 1 to 3 p.m. |
Sammy Osmond: Football Town (Documentary Short, 12 minutes) Tensions come to a head in a rapidly growing college town when the school’s football team pulls off the latest in a string of miraculous upsets and ESPN comes calling. |
| Anne Ward: WASU-FM at 50: College Radio As It’s Meant to Be (Documentary Short, 19 minutes) In April 1972, WASU-FM, a new college radio station, was launched out of Appalachian State University in Boone. This is a story of WASU-FM’s first 50 years and shows the wealth of experience to be gained by students being involved in student media while in college. Raleigh premiere |
|
| Ed Foster: On Their First Tri (Documentary Feature, 51 minutes) In 1979, a group of endurance athletes decided to put on their own Ironman contest at Wrightsville Beach. It became the first triathlon on the East Coast and is second only to the Ironman championship contest (Kailua-Kona, Hawaii) in longevity. North Carolina premiere |
|
| Nicole Mackey, Zaria Davis: Who Is Trudi Lacey? (Documentary Short, 23 minutes) What does it mean to be “the first”? Trudi Lacey made her mark on the game of basketball by becoming the first African American player, male or female, to receive a four-year athletic scholarship from North Carolina State University. US premiere |
Click here for an alphabetical list of this year’s official selections—
and links to trailers and other information!
Back to top
Longleaf Classroom, SECU Education Center, Level R
Seating is Limited; Maximum Occupancy: 100 seats
| Film Block B 1 to 3 p.m. |
Rob Underhill, Vanessa Neff: Dear Daughter (Narrative Short, 7 minutes) This true story is a mother’s tribute to her daughter and unveils how love evolves throughout the years of their lives. |
| Elizabeth Miller-Derstine, Allison Rieff: Bloom (Documentary Feature, 70 minutes) The American hospital system can be daunting and unpredictable, but four birth workers make reproductive care safer and more accessible in their communities. Bloom explores the work doulas are doing with expectant parents to assist them in advocating for themselves during pregnancy and birth, to fill gaps in the medical system. |
|
| Layla Peykamian, Ana Carolina Hoppert Flores: Abuela (Narrative Short, 17 minutes) A sometimes magical, nearly always neorealist narrative short film, Abuela follows Amelia who has late-stage Alzheimer’s during the last thirty-six hours in her home, and focuses on the interactions she has with her granddaughter Nayeli. North Carolina premiere |
|
| Jim McQuaid: Sisters (Narrative Short, 12 minutes) Two sisters’ journeys through life diverge, creating a history of estrangement. The story—as well as the production—of Sisters spans ten years. US premiere |
Click here for an alphabetical list of this year’s official selections—
and links to trailers and other information!
Back to top
Dogwood Classroom, SECU Education Center, Level R
Seating is Limited; Maximum Occupancy: 30 seats
| Film Block B 1 to 3 p.m. |
Dave Monahan: The Elwell Ferry (Documentary Short, 15 minutes) Follow the patterns and rhythms of a workday with Betty Rose Dolce, operator of a small cable ferry that carries locals across the Cape Fear River in rural North Carolina, connecting the communities of Carvers Creek and Kelly in Bladen County. |
| John Rash, Melanie Dang Ho: Our Movement Starts Here (Documentary Feature, 85 minutes) In 1982, a rural community in North Carolina mobilized and fought the state’s plan to site a toxic PCB landfill in their county. Forty years later, the citizens of Warren County commemorate the anniversary of their protest while inspiring a new generation of climate-justice activists who are starting the fight for their own futures. World premiere |
|
| Takayuki Yamato, David Puckett: In Place (Documentary Short, 8 minutes) Through the lens of a local architectural studio, this film explores the essence of architecture and its impact on communities, delving into questions surrounding what constitutes good architecture and why it matters. World premiere |
Click here for an alphabetical list of this year’s official selections—
and links to trailers and other information!
Back to top
Demonstration Gallery, Lobby Level
| 2 to 3 p.m. | For Filmmakers and Film Fans: It’s Been a Decade: How It Started/How It’s Going, a panel that looks back at the 10 years since Longleaf began—in the realm of independent filmmaking in North Carolina, and beyond. This workshop is free, but advance registration is required; space is limited. |
Click here for an alphabetical list of this year’s official selections—
and links to trailers and other information!
Back to top
Daniels Auditorium, Lobby Level
Seating is Limited; Maximum Occupancy: 300 seats
| Film Block C 3 to 5 p.m. |
Claire Simmons: Prelude (Narrative Short, 4 minutes) After her best friend neglects to show up to her recital, Christy, a young pianist, uses her music to come to terms with a hurtful friendship. |
| *Shaun Dozier: The Problem of the Hero (Narrative Feature, 85 minutes) March 1941, the St. James Theatre in New York: On the eve of opening night, a difference of opinion over one single page of a script threatens an impasse between two literary giants of the 20th century. As rehearsal continues around Richard Wright and Paul Green—led by mercurial Orson Welles—the ensuing argument delves into race, class, politics, and personal story—and seems destined to dissolve the writers’ friendship. Raleigh premiere |
|
| Kemp Brinson: Just Laugh (Documentary Short, 16 minutes) A small-town community theater attempts a fiendishly difficult and dangerous production. The resulting mayhem bares the heart of a community and speaks to the importance of laughter and escape. North Carolina premiere |
Click here for an alphabetical list of this year’s official selections—
and links to trailers and other information!
Back to top
Longleaf Classroom, SECU Education Center, Level R
Seating is Limited; Maximum Occupancy: 100 seats
| Film Block C 3 to 5 p.m. |
*Martin Balaguer: Dedly Wagons (Narrative Short, 4 minutes) A parody commercial for an Oregon Trail wagon service. North Carolina premiere |
| *Andrew Huggins: The Hornet’s Nest (Narrative Short, 28 minutes) Patriot Nancy Hart battles against the king’s men to defend her homeland in 18th-century America. World premiere |
|
| Theodore Tsoubris: Through the Glass (Documentary Short, 8 minutes) Keikichi Littleton, a fourth-generation glassworker, has founded a glass-blowing studio to provide educational resources and access for aspiring and professional glass artists, to help them create and market their art. World premiere |
|
| Fred Motley: Caswell County Smiles (Documentary Short, 17 minutes) Enjoy selections from some performing and fine artists who keep the arts alive in Caswell County. |
|
| *Montana Cypress: Lumbeeland (Narrative Short, 30 minutes) To gain his independence, a quick-tempered drug dealer must escape the shadow of his kingpin grandfather in a devout Native community. North Carolina premiere |
|
| *Clarke Phillips: In Her Absence (Documentary Short, 22 minutes) When a federal agent who worked on stopping the opioid epidemic loses his wife to an overdose, he and his family must learn to live in her absence. |
Click here for an alphabetical list of this year’s official selections—
and links to trailers and other information!
Back to top
Dogwood Classroom, SECU Education Center, Level R
Seating is Limited; Maximum Occupancy: 30 seats
| Film Block C 3 to 5 p.m. |
Frederick DeShon Murphy and Kimberly Knight: Duality: A Collection of Afro Indigenous Perspectives (Documentary Feature, 54 minutes) The film is a collection of personal reflections told by individuals of African and Indigenous ancestry who identify as Afro Indigenous across America. It gives a historical and present-day account of how Afro Indigenous people are and have been reconnecting with their dual cultures. The journey to understanding can be complicated but it brings forth the question: What does it mean to be Afro Indigenous? |
| David Weintraub: Nature’s Wisdom thru Native Eyes (Documentary Feature, 56 minutes) What happens when storytelling, native wisdom, and nature’s intelligence converge? Possibly a way to heal our broken relationship with the living world. Raleigh premiere |
Click here for an alphabetical list of this year’s official selections—
and links to trailers and other information!
Back to top
Daniels Auditorium, Lobby Level
Seating is Limited; Maximum Occupancy: 300 seats
| Film Block D 5 to 7:30 p.m. |
Sebastian Candioti, TJ DeSoto: The Candioti Test (Middle and High School Student Film, Narrative Short; 6 minutes) In this post-apocalyptic thriller, a boy wakes up to find he’s in a place he doesn’t recognize; he is then forced to complete a series of tests as his understanding of reality slowly falls apart. World premiere |
| Cameron Tyler Carr: HARLEM FRAGMENTS (Narrative Short, 17 minutes) This Afro-futurist scrapbook tells the story of one Black family’s beautiful destruction in Harlem during the 2008 recession. The natural disaster is so mesmerizing you can’t look away from the tragedy. Based on true events. North Carolina premiere |
|
| Kiersten Houser: Voicemail (Documentary Short, 6 minutes) This experimental short uses voicemail messages from the deceased to examine our finite human existence through fleeting moments and an appreciation for our limited time. |
|
| Justin Meckes: Paranoid (Narrative Short, 4 minutes) When a man fears he’s under surveillance, he takes drastic action to prevent a nervous breakdown. |
|
| Beth Davison: The Nature of Art (Documentary Short, 5 minutes) More than a film about art, this is a story of finding magic and meaning in life’s unpredictable journey, as portrayed through the transformative power of nature and creativity. |
|
| *Brad Herring, Adé Carrena: Bite of Bénin (Documentary Short, 35 minutes) Adopted at the age of 10 from her homeland in Bénin, West Africa, and raised in an abusive household in Connecticut, Chef Adé Carrena travels back home on a journey to reclaim her identity through food—not only how it nourishes the body and soul but also how it represents heritage and identity, with the power to heal generational trauma and what was taken away from her across the Diaspora. |
|
| William S. Davis: “Basement” (Music Video, 4 minutes) A combination of film and music, both produced by filmmaker and musician William S. Davis (aka Rasmus Leon), this song and its visuals act as a poetic elegy that intimately dissects and braids together invisible layers of life and memory. Footage was filmed over more than 10 years; the music was produced while dismantling his childhood home. |
|
| *L. C. Henderson: The Four Daniels (Narrative Short, 13 minutes) Processing a traumatic breakup, Sophie searches for love through sex, sock puppets, and dating multiple men with the same name. World premiere |
|
| *Chris Nolen, Micah Troublefield: Corpsepaint (Narrative Short, 12 minutes) When a metal band finds a dead body in the woods, they must prove they didn’t sacrifice it for Satan. |
|
| *Andy Brewster: For the Taking (Narrative Short, 5 minutes) A seasoned mercenary escapes with the child that holds his people’s future—but, then, a mythical warrior gets in the way. North Carolina premiere |
|
| *Bob Celli: Because I Love You (Narrative Short, 13 minutes) Life turns upside-down for a passionate couple when jealousy leads them down a road of no return. North Carolina premiere |
|
| Ralph Parker III: A Date with Death (Narrative Short, 13 minutes) When the Grim Reaper arrives to harvest his final soul, Sarah, she mistakes him for her Tinder date and Grim is forced to spend an afternoon with her to get the job done. US premiere |
Click here for an alphabetical list of this year’s official selections—
and links to trailers and other information!
Back to top
Daniels Auditorium, Lobby Level
Seating is Limited; Maximum Occupancy: 300 seats
| 7:30 p.m. | Awards Ceremony Join us for presentation of awards for Longleaf 2024 categories, including the Judges’ Choice winners. |
| 9 to 11 p.m. | Wrap Party! This is a FREE-to-attend public reception for friends, family members, and other supporters of filmmakers and Longleaf in the Voodoo Room event space at The Big Easy, 222 Fayetteville Street—just a few blocks away! Your favorite beverage is on you; munchies are on Longleaf. Donations support Longleaf 2025. The Wrap Party is open to all festival attendees. |
Click here for an alphabetical list of this year’s official selections—
and links to trailers and other information!
Back to top
*While the independent films shown at Longleaf Film Festival are not rated
by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA),
most would fall within the PG-13 range. Films that may fall outside the PG-13 range and/or
have a content or trigger warning are noted below.
| Alphabet Soup | self-harm |
| Because I Love You | blood, mature themes, violence |
| Bite of Bénin | language |
| Blaming and Shaming | rape is discussed, other language and mature themes |
| Corpsepaint | language |
| Dedly Wagons | language |
| For the Taking | violence |
| Hive | mature themes |
| In Her Absence | drug and alcohol use implied or shown, mature themes |
| Lumbeeland | drug and alcohol use implied or shown, language, mature themes |
| Mid Iris | drug and alcohol use implied or shown, mature themes |
| Snap | mature themes including suicide |
| The Four Daniels | drug and alcohol use implied or shown, language, mature themes |
| The Hornet’s Nest | mature themes, violence |
| The Problem of the Hero | language, mature themes |
| Wilderness Therapy | language, mature themes including suicide and sexual assualt |