The 36
The YoungCuts Film Festival is pleased to announce that it has selected Nic Weinfeld's short film The 36 as one of our Top 100 International Short Films for 2011. The film is also shortlisted for consideration as Best Teen Film.
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The Official Final Deadline of the YoungCuts Film Festival was June 15th.
We are in the process of finalizing our Top 100. There is still an opportunity for films that we haven't received yet to trickle in after the deadline, we thought that we would begin announcing some of the films that we know will be included in our Top 100.
These won't be announced in any kind of order and they should not be interpreted as any kind of ranking, just that we have all the material for this particular film and that we do consider it one of the Top 100 short films by filmmakers 25 and under that we have seen (and will see) out of more than a thousand films that we have screened from more than 30 countries.
This week, we will be announcing some of our favourite Teen films leading to the announcement of all the films that will play in our Teen screening.
Announced so far as Best Teen films:
Francesca Abbondanza-Bergeron's Switching Worlds
Jeremiah James' Send Me To Babylon
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The 36
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| Nic Weinfeld with Cast and Crew |
Directed and Written by Nic Weinfeld
The 36 is an earnest, well-executed story of human decency and bravery.
The judges admired the acting by the entire cast and the well-framed cinematography.
The black and white aesthetic gives the film historical gravitas.
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| Touching Up |
Runtime: 6 min: 48 sec
Completion: June 2011
Country of Origin: USA (Maryland)
Tagline: The best of us act humanely no matter the circumstances.
Synopsis: Set against the backdrop of hate and religious persecution in the Spring of 1945, an old Polish woman is given the opportunity to do nothing, or the right thing, when a young Jewish girl is attacked outside her window.
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| Checking the Script |
Filmmaker Bio: Nic currently attends boarding school at Interlochen Arts Academy. There, he majors in Motion Picture Arts, taking an array of film classes: everything from lighting to film genres. When at home, Nic is constantly collaborating with local professionals and holds an internship position at Discovery Communications. He believes his expertise to be in directing and cinematography. His passion for the art continues to grow.
Filmmaker Age: 17
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| The 36 Behind the Scenes |
Director’s Statement: "I was inspired by the “Lamed vav Zaddkim” a concept in Judaism that the fate of the world rests, at any given time, in the hands of 36 righteous people. They are put on earth to perform the healing of the world. They do not know they are one of the 36, nor does anyone else. They just go about their everyday lives, doing what is right and good. They go unnoticed because of their humble nature and commonplace vocations. They will always be among us.
My film is set in 1945 Poland, after the Holocaust camps were liberated and WWII came to an end. The protagonist of the story is an older, Aryan, Polish woman who witnesses the harassment of one liberated Jewish woman passing through her town. She must make the decision whether to bring a Jew into her home despite the common prejudice that her neighbors hold towards them. Her actions towards this Jewish woman in her time of need was a rare act of kindness representative of that of the righteous 36.”
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| Jennifer Weil |
The 2011 YoungCuts Film Festival will begin on Thursday, September 29th. Screenings will be at the Guzzo Spheretech beginning on Friday, September 30th. The Teen Screening will be on Friday September 30th at 1PM. This will be a free screening presented as part of Les Journées de la Culture (Culture Days). The screening will end with presentation of the award Best Teen film. Stay tuned for details on how to enjoy the amazing films that we will be presenting including The 36!
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