Five Films from the Netherlands in this years NYC Indie Film Festival

Mon, Oct 12 - Sun, Oct 18  2015

The NYC Indie Film Festival provides a showcase for the best in independent cinema, including short films, feature films, music videos, and animated works. With panels, parties and a week-long gathering of fellow indie filmmakers, the 6th Annual New York City Independent Film Festival is the place to be October 12 – 18, 2015. The festival strives to promote an open and nurturing environment for artists, writers, actors, film-makers and fans. They will be screening the best indie films and offering panels, classes, seminars and discussion groups as well as opportunities for the filmmakers and fans to mingle and network.

The NYC Indie Film Festival is eager to embrace fresh ideas and storytelling. They will be screening narratives, documentaries, short films, super shorts, animations and music videos. They are looking for filmmakers whose passion for the art form is real as they push films in new directions.

This year, there are five films from the Netherlands in the festival. ‘Auld Lang Syne’ directed by Cindy Jansen, ‘Verlies niet de moed (Don’t Lose Heart)’ directed by Hella de Jonge,  ‘Over The Rainbow’ directed by Tara Fallaux, ‘Tijd en Plaats, Een Gesprek Met Mijn Moeder’ directed by Jochen Stryjski and ‘Who The Fuck is Jett Rebel’ directed and written by Linda Hakeboom are the films who participate in the festival. Check out below what they’re about and when they will be screened. 

‘Auld Lang Syne’ directed by Cindy Jansen

A portrait of two American brothers who start out being close and very similar, but end up on either end of the social spectrum. Filmmaker Cindy Jansen met John Lawson in Paris shortly before he died in 2009. The story of the love for his brother Alan, a life of partying, and ultimately alcoholism and lies, convinced her to look up his brother who made a career for himself as a professor at Brown University in Boston. The thread of the film lies in the audio recordings of John that were made in Paris in 2008. His voice-over alternates with images of Alan in his daily surroundings, films from the family’s archive and images and places John spoke about. The calm, loving film subtly makes you ponder life’s choices and the accompanying expectations. October 14 at 3:30pm TICKETS 

‘Verlies Niet De Moed (Don’t Lose Heart)’ directed by Hella de Jonge

“Don’t lose heart.” Those were the last words of Hella de Jonge’s grandmother, moments before she was deported to Auschwitz. She did not survive the concentration camp. Decades later, granddaughter Hella found the pencil-written note in a box while helping her father clean out his house. The message sparked a deep conversation with her father about the Second World War and his life as one of only two survivors of a once large Jewish family.

They never really got along, father and daughter. That he was a successful comedy writer in the Netherlands only grieved his daughter more. Although funny in public, back home he traumatized his family with his memories of the war. He claimed writing comedy was “his answer to Hitler”, but his survivor’s guilt in the face of his family’s murders made him distant and cold towards his new family. October 16 at 12:15 PM TICKETS

‘Over The Rainbow’ directed by Tara Fallaux

After her mother passed away, Leny finally had time to follow her dream of cycling around the world. She didn’t get further than New Zealand where she met the love of her life – another woman. Leny came out of the closet aged 68. Since then she has thrown herself into lesbian life, making up for lost time. Now aged 82, she is an inspiration to many, but is not getting any younger. She is determined to make the most of her remaining years. A uniquely positive story about a woman coming out at a ripe age, yet without any bitterness about the past. She embraces her new sexuality with more vibrance and energy than many younger people might have. She does, however, have one regret. October 17 at 5:15pm TICKETS

‘Tijd en Plaats, Een Gesprek Met Mijn Moeder’ directed by Jochen Stryjski

The mother (Lotje Ruting) of the filmmaker tells about how her life has gone when she first came to live in a poorly maintained canal house in Amsterdam fifty years ago. The rapid career of the father (Aatje Veldhoen), the dramatic separation and her four children she raised alone, she tries to remember the whole story. But she doesn’t want her face in the picture and there are only a few photo’s. Her story is however told in a visual manner using unorthodox reconstruction techniques. In the end not everything will be as ‘real’ as expected. October 16 at 11:00pm TICKETS

‘Who The Fuck is Jett Rebel’ directed and written by Linda Hakeboom

Dutch musician Jelte Tuinstra (23) is widely seen as the biggest rock star promise The Netherlands have seen in decades. He dreams of living a life of rock ‘n’ roll and more so: fame. There is only one problem: Tuinstra himself is way too shy to hit the spotlight. Therefore he creates a daring alter ego he calls ‘Jett Rebel’. Shortly after that Tuinstra gets confronted with the downside of his decision: while his alter ego Jett Rebel is gaining fame very fast, Tuinstra himself is getting isolated and more and more insecure. October 12 at 9:00pm TICKETS