Cinema Columbus Film Festival Announces 2022 Selections

The first-annual Cinema Columbus Film Festival today announced the roster of independent films selected for the 2022 and a schedule of screenings for its inaugural debut April 27-May 1. "We are thrilled with the selection of incredible independent films of all genres that we will be sharing with the central Ohio community," stated Cinema Columbus Coordinator Molly Kreuzman. "We think greater Columbus will agree this festival is just what they've been waiting for."

Tickets to individual films go on sale at 10am on Friday, April 8. Pre-purchasing is recommended, but if inventory allows, tickets may also be purchased at the door. All tickets are $10 and can be purchased in-person at the CBUSArts Ticket Center (39 E. State St.), online at www.CinemaColumbus.com, or by phone at (614) 469-0939.

CINEMA COLUMBUS 2022

Wednesday, April 27

7 pm - Linoleum (2022)

Southern Theatre (21 E. Main St.)

Director: Colin West

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Sci Fi

When the host of a failing children's science show (Jim Gaffigan) tries to fulfill his childhood dream of becoming an astronaut by building a rocket ship in his garage, a series of bizarre events occur that cause him to question his own reality.

Post-Screening Event:

Moviegoers are invited to attend a post-screening, live Q&A with the film's writer and director, Columbus native Colin West, producer Chad Simpson, and cast member Amy Hargreaves.

Thursday, April 28

1-5 pm - 2022 Film Columbus Summit

Gateway Film Center (1550 N. High St.)

Film Columbus and the Greater Columbus Arts Council will present a discussion on the present and future state of the film industry in Columbus. Topics will include the Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit, Columbus incentives, growing the local infrastructure and crew base, and how to set up a project/business for success. Admission is free with online registration. Networking opportunities to follow the discussions.

7 pm - The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain (2020)

Gateway Film Center (1550 N. High St.)

Director: David Midell

Genre: Drama, Thriller

Based on the true story of the events that led to the death of Kenneth Chamberlain Sr., an elderly African American veteran with bipolar disorder, who was killed during a conflict with police officers dispatched to check on him.

7 pm - Freakscene: The Story of Dinosaur Jr. (2021)

Studio 35 Cinema and Drafthouse (3055 Indianola Ave.)

Director: Philipp Virus

Genre: Documentary, Music

Homage of one of the most influential bands on the American East Coast which inspired the rock scene-an emotional, tragically funny, and sometimes noisy rollercoaster ride by a dysfunctional family-Dinosaur Jr.

Featured short: "Stranger Than Rotterdam with Sara Driver"

Friday, April 29

7 pm - Happening (2021)

Drexel Theatre (2254 E. Main St.)

Director: Audrey Diwan

Genre: Drama

Adapted from Annie Ernaux's autobiographical novel, Happening recounts the journey of a young woman's physical and emotional battle to access illegal abortion in a desperate race against the clock.

7 pm - Night's End (2022)

Wexner Center for the Arts (1871 N. High St.)

Director: Jennifer Reeder

Genre: Horror

An anxious shut-in moves into a haunted apartment, hiring a stranger to perform an exorcism which quickly takes a horrific turn.

Post-Screening Event:

Moviegoers are invited to attend a post-screening, live Q&A with director Jennifer Reeder and Columbus filmmaker and editor Mike Olenick.

Saturday, April 30

1 pm - Petite Maman (2021)

Drexel Theatre (2254 E. Main St.)

Director: Céline Sciamma

Genre: Drama, Fantasy

After the death of her beloved grandmother, eight-year-old Nelly meets a strangely familiar girl her own age in the woods. Instantly forming a connection with this mysterious new friend, Nelly embarks on a fantastical journey of discovery which helps her come to terms with this newfound loss. (French with English subtitles.)

2 pm - Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2021)

Gateway Film Center (1550 N. High St.)

Director: Dean Fleischer-Camp

Genre: Comedy

Feature adaptation of the animated short film interviewing a mollusk named Marcel, an anthropomorphic seashell outfitted with a single googly eye and a pair of miniature shoes.

3:30 pm - Women-Directed Shorts

Drexel Theatre (2254 E. Main St.)

• "My House" (Mary Elizabeth Boylan)
• "Character" (Vera Brunner-Sung)
• "What Travelers Are Saying About Jornada del Muerto" (Hope Tucker)
• "It's Getting Bad Again" (Sarah Reyes)
• "Black Beauty" (Elle Moxley)
• "One Last Time" (Anna Dominguez, Sydney Lawson)
• "The Ritual to Beauty" (Shenny de Los Angeles)

Post-Screening Event:

Attendees are invited to a post-screening, live Q&A.

4:30 pm - Bad Axe (2022)

Gateway Film Center (1550 N. High St.)

Director: David Siev

Genre: Documentary

A real-time portrait of 2020 unfolds as an Asian American family in Trump's rural America fights to keep their restaurant and American dream alive in the face of a pandemic, Neo-Nazis, and generational scars from the Cambodian Killing Fields.

7 pm - Framing Agnes (2022)

Drexel Theatre (2254 E. Main St.)

Director: Chase Joynt

Genre: Documentary

After discovering case files from a 1950s gender clinic, a cast of trans actors turn a talk show inside out to confront the legacy of a young trans woman forced to choose between honesty and access.

7 pm - Kaepernick & America (2022)

Gateway Film Center (1550 N. High St.)

Director: Tommy Walker, Ross Hockrow

Genre: Documentary

Kaepernick & America explores the intersection between Colin Kaepernick's anthem protests and the reactions they spurred in the United States, revealing unique insights into America's ongoing racial turmoil.

Featured short: "Walls Cannot Keep Us from Flying"

9:30 pm - Vortex (2021)

Gateway Film Center (1550 N. High St.)

Director: Gaspar Noe

Genre: Drama

A retired psychiatrist with dementia and a struggling author with a heart condition live their final days together in an apartment.

Featured short: "Motorcyclist's Happiness Won't Fit into His Suit"

Sunday, May 1

2 pm - Bad Axe (2022)

Drexel Theatre (2254 E. Main St.)

Director: David Siev

Genre: Documentary

A real-time portrait of 2020 unfolds as an Asian American family in Trump's rural America fights to keep their restaurant and American dream alive in the face of a pandemic, Neo-Nazis, and generational scars from the Cambodian Killing Fields.

2 pm - Calendar Girls (2022)

Gateway Film Center (1550 N. High St.)

Director: Maria Loohufvud, Love Martinsen

Genre: Documentary

A coming-of-golden-age film about Florida's most dedicated dance team for women over 60-the Calendar Girls. Shaking up the outdated image of the "little old lady," the film is a calling for everyone to dance their hearts out while they still can.

4:30 pm - Iron Family (2022)

Drexel Theatre (2254 E. Main St.)

Director: Patrick Longstreth

Genre: Documentary

Jazmine Faries, a 32-year-old woman with Down syndrome, is obsessed with soap operas, Barbie dolls, and Matthew McConaughey. For the past five summers, her family has performed her original stage plays for a small audience in their town of Iron River, Michigan. This film follows the creative process of writing, rehearsing, and performing the sixth season of the play.

Featured short: "A Beloved Community: A Healthier Linden"

4:30 pm - Women-Directed Shorts

Gateway Film Center (1550 N. High St.)

• "My House" (Mary Elizabeth Boylan)
• "Character" (Vera Brunner-Sung)
• "What Travelers Are Saying About Jornada del Muerto" (Hope Tucker)
• "It's Getting Bad Again" (Sarah Reyes)
• "Black Beauty" (Elle Moxley)
• "One Last Time" (Anna Dominguez, Sydney Lawson)
• "The Ritual to Beauty" (Shenny de Los Angeles)

Post-Screening Event:

Attendees are invited to a post-screening, live Q&A.

7 pm - Sylvie of the Sunshine State (2022)

Drexel Theatre (2254 E. Main St.)

Director: Sasha Levinson

Genre: Documentary

Second-grader Sylvie navigates the absurdities and emotional turbulence of her eccentric, multigenerational Jewish matriarchy, a dad who lives far away, and life gone virtual, seen through the lens of her filmmaker single mom.

Cinema Columbus 2022 is debuting as an independent film showcase and will evolve into a traditional, submission-based film festival starting in 2023. Please visit www.CinemaColumbus.com for the most up-to-date information.

Pictured: Linoleum

To post a comment, you must register and login.