DAMN Film Series to Launch with Short Films at Theaterlab in New York City

DAMN Film Series kicks off January 13th with a screening of four short films at Theaterlab (357 West 36th Street, 3rd Floor) at 7:15 pm.

Two of the films selected for January - The World Is Burning (Justin Oakey, director) and Leben! (Carolin Färber, director) - will be New York premieres. They will be joined in the line-up by the award-winning Floating Sunflowers, which stars Emmy Award nominee Anna Chlumsky and Francisco Solorzano, and A Memory, featuring Irina Varina and Peter Jensen.

Named after its founders' hometowns (Denver, Memphis, New York), the DAMN Film Series will present an array of short films from seven countries and across the United States between January and June 2015. Included in the mix is Phoebe Driscoll's award-winning documentary Pharaohs of Memphis about the Memphis dance jookin. That film will be presented in April along with a variety of dance events.

"We are excited by the diversity of the 24 short films we will showcase during the first half of 2015," said co-producer Phil Newsom. "Thirteen are from women filmmakers, and our selected films also include work from Iran, Spain, Greece and the United States."??Tickets to the January 13th screening are $6 and may be purchased in advance at www.damnfilmseries.com. Future dates will be announced soon.

Founded by film and theater producers Phil Newsom and Lanie Zipoy, the DAMN Film Series' mission is to showcase the best damn films through screenings in Denver, Memphis and New York and to offer filmmakers and audiences the opportunities to mix in a collegial atmosphere. For more information, visit www.damnfilmseries.com.

January Screening

Floating Sunflowers / U.S.A. (Director: Francisco Solorzano; Screenwriter: Jason Furlani) Floating Sunflowers tells the story of June (Anna Chlumsky), a still-life painter, and Henry (Francisco Solorzano), a fiction author, each caught in an emotional winter of their own. Unable to tap into their creative spirit, all seems lost for Henry and June, when a simple twist of fate exposes each of them to the symbols of each other's dilemma. ?

A Memory / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Irina Varina) On a summer night a man is waiting to reconnect with his past, but THE PAST has different plans.

Leben! (Touching Life) / Germany (Director and screenwriter: Carolin Färber) A man suffering from an obsessive-compulsive disorder spends one day way outside his comfort zone to get his life back on track.

The World Is Burning / Canada (Director and screenwriter: Justin Oakey) A young man returns to a traditional life in Newfoundland after tragedy strikes.

February Screening

Between I & You / U.S.A. (Director: Conor Stratton; Screenwriter: Matthew Klein) is a dynamic portrayal of an affair at risk. As Michael plans the perfect MORNING from the bathroom of their hotel suite, Natalie finds that she's being missed at home. With real-world consequences at the door, the pair is forced to confront the true nature of their relationship.

?Burning Up! (Director: Mark Philip Lichtenstein; Musical Written by Pamela Weiler Grayson & Rick Bassett) When a married couple hit a rough patch, they each consider infidelity, only to rediscover their love.

Complete Sentences? / U.S.A. (Director: Monica Palmieri; Screenwriter: chandra thomas) He made the romantic brunch. He got the ring. He's down on one knee, but will she say yes? A comedy about love, relationships, food and baseball.

The Future / Australia (Director and screenwriter: Venetia Taylor) When you're young and in love the future seems bright... but then what?

Need for Speed (Dating) / United Kingdom (Director: Mary Nighy; Screenwriter: Allyson Morgan, Based on Outline by Geoffrey Fletcher) Polly and Nate have the perfect relationship - except she's packed up and moved to London and yearns for something (or someone) new. In this modern twist on a romantic comedy, Polly learns that what she's searching for may not be so easy to find.

March Screening

?The Balloon / Greece (Director: Natalia Lampropoulou; Screenwriter: Sotiris Petridis) A little girl has just lost her father and the presence of a balloon makes her forget everything.
?Daughter / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Assia Lakhlif) When Nadia braves a difficult decision that may disappoint her family, she' s willing to go any length to conceal her secret.

Dolae / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Sanya Sequeira) How do we perceive love? How does someone show the amount of love they have for each other? To some it's when you are left powerless. When being with each other makes you one.

Ringo / U.S.A. (Director: Yaara Sumeruk; Screenwriters: Chris Davis and Yaara Sumeruk) When the nest gets too empty to bear, a lonely mother hires a young male prostitute for an evening.

?The Ticket Seller / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Laura Archer) Inspired by the Norman Rockwell painting of the same name, the film follows the ticket seller, an older gentleman, going about his daily work.

April Screening?

Pharaohs of Memphis (Director: Phoebe Driscoll) Jookin is a form of dance that originated in Memphis in the 1980s. Characterized by in-depth interviews and breathtaking dance footage, Pharaohs of Memphis reveals the fascinating world of jookin - how the dancers reconcile the past, thrive in the present, and approach the future.

May Screening

An Actor Under the Bus / U.S.A. (Director: Gia McKenna; Screenwriter: Gianmarco Soresi) captures life at the bottom of the entertainment food chain as Gianmarco, our unaware, unabashed, unprepared actor, valiantly struggles for fame, fortune, and more fame.

Casitas (Grown Ups) / Spain (Director: Javier Marco; Screenwriter: Belén Sánchez-Arévalo) Carlos and Marta, both 35-years-old, are living the life they've always dreamed of: a house with a yard, a dog, and they're even about to have a child, but there's no such thing as a perfect life.

Jack & Paul / U.S.A. (Director: Jayce Bartok; Screenwriter: Thomas Moore) is about a therapist and his patient both trying to make a phone call that will save their relationships.

Juice It / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Christina Raia) A young couple attempt a seven-day juice cleanse, but quickly realize it's much more difficult than they anticipated.

June Screening

Gasmask / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Pablo Bonelli) A scavenger in a ravaged WASTELAND comes across an abandoned house deep in the woods. He discovers a family living there that doesn't take kindly to strangers.

Hoblio / Italy (Director and animator: Piero Tonin) A pilgrim carrying a heavy burden travels through a dark forest to a radiant valley. Along the way, he encounters four mysterious characters on his search for spiritual freedom.

Najes (The Unclean) / Iran (Directors and screenwriters: Bahram & Bahman Ark) follows a Muslim man who hits a dog with his taxi. Since dogs are believed to be unclean in his faith, he struggles with whether to TAKE CARE of THE DOG or to abandon it?

The Mysterious Disappearance of the Town's Last Resident / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Damon Mohl) Amidst a ghost town's dilapidated ruins, one resident still resides, but he won't be there much longer.

This New York Story / U.S.A. (Director: Robbie Tann; Screenwriter: Steven King & Grayson Powell) Friendship and love are not all they seem to be in this relationship thriller.