We are proud to announce the feature-length films being shown during the 2016 Footcandle Film Festival! This year’s thirteen feature films were selected from over 200 submissions by a panel of current film society members. All films will be shown at the same location (The Drendel Auditorium at the Arts and Science Center of Catawba County) on the same screen starting throughout the weekend. The schedule for the feature-length film screenings is as follows; you may click on any of the films’ names to see more information and watch a trailer for the film:
Friday, September 23rd
- 1:00pm – The State of Eugenics: “The State of Eugenics” shines a light on an often-forgotten chapter in American history— the forced sterilization of thousands of Americans thought to have “undesirable” genetic make-ups. The film follows researchers and journalists who delved into dusty archives to bring North Carolina’s extensive eugenics program into the sunlight, tirelessly insisting the state confront its sordid history. Documentary; Intended for ages 13 & up (contains some adult themes)
- 3:00pm – Deep Run: Executive produced by LGBTQ supporter Susan Sarandon, DEEP RUN is a powerful verité portrait of trans life in rural North Carolina. Exiled by her family and rejected by an ex, 17-year-old Spazz has no one to lean on for support. But when Spazz falls in love again and summons up the courage to become Cole, a strong-willed trans man, his candid humor and steadfast, all-inclusive Christian beliefs counter the bigotry he experiences daily. Documentary; Intended for mature audiences (contains adult language & situations)
Saturday, September 24th
- 9:00am – Hear the Silence: A small, lost unit of German soldiers is looking for shelter in a remote, snowy small village in the Ukraine in 1941. They got separated from their company during battle and now they are deep within enemy territory cut off from the German troops. “Hear the Silence” is a parable about the loss of innocence during times of war that results in brutal preventive actions. Subtitled; Intended for mature audiences (contains scenes of violence, adult language & themes)
- 11:00am – Occupy, Texas – Beau Baker, a washed out ‘Occupy, Wall Street’ protester, is woken up on the streets of NYC with news that his parents died and that he must return home to Texas where his parents have left him in charge of his two teenage sisters and their estate. This sets Beau off on a journey to search for and find the strength to reunite with his sisters, his past and himself. Intended for ages 13 & up (contains some adult themes)
- 1:00pm – OzLand – In a dry and dusty post-apocalyptic world, two wayfarers wander aimlessly until one of them finds a copy of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Using the world around them to interpret what they read, they allow the book to challenge the beliefs, friendship, and even the very survival of these two divergent travelers. Intended for ages 13 & up (contains some adult themes)
- 3:30pm – Remittance – When Marie takes a job as a maid in Singapore to support her family in the Philippines, she trades one set of hardships for another. Betrayed by her husband, she begins to build a new life for herself. As she gets caught up in the new life she is building in Singapore, she is forced to choose between her personal aspirations and family responsibilities back home. Intended for ages 13 & up (contains some adult themes)
- 5:30pm – Dragonfly – Told with heart and humor, DRAGONFLY explores the complicated relationship between a struggling artist and her family as they work to reconcile their turbulent past in order to make the most of their present. When her mom is diagnosed with early on-set Alzheimer’s, a struggling artist returns home to help but brings years of family baggage with her. As she unpacks her past, she rediscovers a mysterious mailbox from her childhood and embarks on a search to solve its mystery. Intended for ages 13 & up (contains some adult themes)
- 7:30pm – The Fits – Eleven year-old Toni is a tomboy struggling to assimilate into a tight knit school dance team in Cincinnati’s West End. Enamored by the power and confidence of this strong community of girls, Toni eagerly absorbs routines, masters drills and even pierces her ears to fit in. However when a mysterious outbreak of fainting spells and incapacitating episodes begins to plague the team, Toni’s desire for acceptance is cast in a different light. Intended for ages 13 & up (contains some adult themes)
- 9:00pm – Bear With Us – “Bear with Us” is a modern farce about a guy who attempts to propose to his girlfriend in the most romantic way possible, but his meticulous plan starts to fall apart when a ravenous bear stumbles upon their charming cabin in the woods. It’s a total comedy of errors that takes a close look at just how far we’ll go to preserve our relationships. Intended for mature audiences (contains adult language & situations)
Sunday, September 25th
- 10:00am – Arlette. Courage is a Muscle. – The film centers around Arlette, a 15-year old girl from the Central African Republic who suffered severe injuries during the last war. In Berlin a surgery frees her from her year-long pain. This changes her both physically and mentally: suddenly Arlette is in her puberty. But then war breaks out again in her homeland. What was planned to be a short stay in Berlin turns into a journey without a foreseeable end. Documentary; Intended for ages 13 & up (contains some adult themes)
- 12:00pm – You See Me – Filmmaker Linda Brown’s father embodied 1960s masculinity. But when a devastating stroke leaves him vulnerable and dependent, Linda decides to confront the silence surrounding his troubled and violent past. Drawing on home movies, family photos and interviews, she reveals secrets, uncovers lies, and discovers a redeeming treasure in a lost family video. The result is an engrossing journey about the danger of carrying unresolved grief to our graves. Documentary; Intended for ages 13 & up (contains some adult themes)
- 2:00pm – Off the Rails – The remarkable true story of Darius McCollum, a man with Asperger’s syndrome, whose overwhelming love of transit has landed him in jail 32 times for impersonating New York City bus drivers and subway conductors and driving their routes. Documentary; Intended for ages 13 & up (contains mild adult language)
- 4:00pm – TOWER – Combining archival footage with rotoscopic animation in a never-before-seen way, TOWER reveals the untold stories of America’s first mass school shooting, which took place in 1966. Documentary; Intended for mature audiences (contains images and descriptions of gun violence)