Rhode Island International Film Festival 2009

When rickshaw driver Huang learns that the woman he secretly admires is leaving tropical Hainan Island on the last boat out, he must race to the harbor before love sets sail without him. But impeding his quest is an oversexed American whom Huang must chauffeur around for the entire day.This is a story about two polar opposite men who, throughout their day's journey, discover they have more in common than previously imagined. And the key to this revelation lies in one little green tropical nut, an island treasure with social and cultural significance.

"58 Harrison Lane" is a story about The Woodhall School in Connecticut, a small secondary school for boys who have not experienced success in traditional educational settings. Most often, they have struggled because of learning differences such as ADD, ADHD, PDDNOS, Aspergers, Tourettes and Dyslexia. In many cases, this school is their last hope. The majority of the boys end up at Woodhall only after their families, previous mainstream schools, and often rehabs, have simply given up on trying to work with them. The students are a diverse group from around the world with a similar profile in common: a long history of difficulty in school, low self-esteem and no sense of hope. Individual academics are a cornerstone in Woodhall's great success story. With classes of three to four students, teachers are able to work one-on-one to meet the student's strengths and weaknesses. Woodhall has an astounding record of getting boys that society once called 'lost' or 'hopeless' back on their feet and into college. Each and every young man brings a tragic history of failure with him to the school and the 'miracle' behind Woodhall is that they leave the school with wisdom, self-esteem and hope. These qualities are achieved by means of three very simple acts: self-reflection, accountability and responsibility. The students development these skills through working with their peer groups, with the guiding hand of Woodhall's trained faculty and staff. This 38 minute documentary examines the remarkable growth and honesty that each boy and the greater school community bring to their experience at Woodhall.

65_RedRoses is a high impact Canadian documentary shot on HD. The film takes an unflinching look into the lives of Eva Markvoort and her two online friends who are all battling Cystic Fibrosis (CF) - a fatal genetic disease affecting the lungs and digestive system. Unable to meet in person because of the spread of infections and super bugs, the girls have become each other's lifelines through the internet, providing unconditional love, support and understanding long after visiting hours are over. Now at a critical turning point in their lives, the film will travel the distance the friends cannot go themselves, capturing the compelling and often heartbreaking realities they face, just trying to take each breath.For 23-year-old Canadian Eva Markvoort (aka 65_RedRoses) the clock is ticking as she waits at the top of the donor list for a double lung transplant. She has been told that she will not live more than two years if she does not receive new lungs. An aspiring artist and teacher, Eva remains unwavering in her belief that her pager will go off and she will get the call letting her know a donor has been found. With no way of knowing when or if the pager will go off, her life has been put on hold as she does everything in her power to stay healthy. But with her condition deteriorating at a rapid pace, the window of opportunity is also slowly closing.Finding herself more in the hospital than at home, Eva begins searching for a creative outlet to direct her fears and anxieties. Unable to seek comfort in other CF patients - they aren't permitted to interact with each other because of their lower immune systems and the susceptibility of spreading infections to their lungs - Eva began searching online. Joining a network for CF'ers, Eva created an online name called 65_RedRoses (as a child she couldn't pronounce Cystic Fibrosis so she learned to say '65 Roses.' Eva then added red because it's her favorite color, thus becoming '65_RedRoses'). While for most people the internet is just another way of staying connected, for Eva and her online community it is the only way for them to form friendships with people who truly understand what it means to be living and dying with CF.Out of the thousands of online CF patients, Eva found two American girls who she really connected with. Based out of Portland, Oregon, 19-year-old Meg Moore (online name 'Megmucus') smokes pot, drinks alcohol and generally screws off' her medication. She lives life to the fullest and sees no point in taking responsibility for her health when she knows she only has half the time to enjoy it. Meg has no plans to have a double lung transplant, believing she does not have the strength to go through the process. Estranged from her family, Meg looks to Eva for support while Eva hopes to inspire Meg to re-think transplant, which is her only hope for the future. Across the continent in Eerie, Pennsylvania, Kina Boyce (online name 'Spirit_of_Kina') is battling chronic rejection from her double lung transplant. Kina's body is rejecting her new lungs, and she worries that she may have to receive annother transplant. Eva writes to her regularly, asking for guidance on how to prepare herself for transplant and how to deal with the problems after. Watching Kina go through rejection, Eva learns that transplant is not a cure for Cystic Fibrosis. It means trading one disease for another, but for both girls it's a chance they are willing to take if it means a shot at a longer life.Uncensored, uninhibited, and unbreakable, Eva and her friends aren't just 'sick girls', but young women who are falling in love for the first time, discovering their passions and trying to make their mark on the world. The undeniable strength, courage, and shear will power possessed by individuals battling this disease has the power to move those beyond the CF community. Eva's future depends on the kindness of strangers, who can give her the gift of life by becoming a donor. Following her journey from waiting for transplant through to surgery, Eva ultimately hopes to bring all three friends together following her recovery. After transplant, she will no longer have to worry about spreading bugs between other CF patients because her new lungs will be clear of infection. While it will be Eva's first time meeting Meg and Kina face to face, their bond has already withstood the tests of both time and distance.

“It cannot be eight; it has to be Seven Samurai!” It’s 1953 and beyond the Tokyo Metropolis, deep in the mountains of Gotemba, a jidei-geki (period drama) samurai movie is about to begin production. By a little persistence and a stroke of good luck a small time actor, Nanshu, gets the chance of a lifetime: a lead role as one of the eight samurai that will save a village from bandits. After months of training, Nanshu is betting it all that this role will make him the greatest actor in the History of Japan. But little does he know that the Director is having doubts about his choice. And there is only one thing Nanshu didn’t prepare for: being fired. THE 8TH SAMURAI is a tragic comedy about fate from writer/director Justin Ambrosino that pays homage to the samurai films, Italian Neorealism and the American comedies of the 1950s.

Master Films Productions presents to the world Abandon All Hope, a film by Dino Di Durante, narrated by Jeff Conaway. Abandon All Hope is a first glimpse of what Hell is really like, an encounter with mythological beasts, torture like no human being can stand in the flesh, and finally a face to face meeting with the devil himself, Lucifer, the King of Hell. Dante's Inferno, Abandon All Hope, is the story of a man (Dante himself), who went through the worst of the afterlife to finally consummate his love relationship at the gate of Paradise (sequel). Abandon All Hope features over 15 artists and scholars from both the United States and Italy. This movie boasts a fine array of international and renowned talents, such as Diane Salinger, Vittorio Matteuci, Armand Mastroianni, Lalo Cibelli, Jenn Gotzon, Jsu Garcia, Vanna Bonta, Gianmario Pagano, among many others.

In this heartfelt short film, we find 12 year old Emily who after the death of her mother would rather be left alone. When her father enlists Alberto, Emily's old Argentinian grandfather to watch over her. Emily is not shy about her displeasure with the arrangement or her contempt for the man who 'doesn't even speak English. Alone in her parent's bedroom, Emily takes comfort among the smell and feel of her mother's belongings when Alberto interrupts her reverie. Grappling with the language barrier between them, Emily agrees to accompany her grandfather on a journey into their Los Angeles neighborhood that proves both disappointing and delightful. In an unexpected diversion on the way home Emily witnesses the foreign world of cigars, civility, conversation, Tango music and dance. Later on that night in the warm glow of the kitchen, Alberto understands what Emily cannot express in words and Alberto offers his granddaughter her first tango lesson on the kitchen linoleum. Emily and Alberto dance a simple tango and discover a language they can share.

Eight-year-old Alex prepares for Halloween by dressing up in different costumes and imagining himself as those characters. More than anything, he wants to go trick or treating with his older brother, who only agrees to go if they can acquire tons of candy and sneak it past their health-fanatic mom &

Polly, a young, single mother in Rio who struggles to reconcile her motherly duties with her own professional ambitions, confronts a day in the bustling city when everything that can go wrong, does.