New Independent Film BUSHWICK BEATS To Open Bushwick Film Festival

A new independent film based in the heart of Brooklyn's hot Bushwick neighborhood entitled "Bushwick Beats" will get its international premiere at the Mill Valley Film Festival in the San Francisco area followed by a red carpet reception and screening at the opening party of the Bushwick Film Festival in New York City tonight.

Bushwick Beats: What do a single mother with ALS, a vampire, and two lovers stuck in separate TIMELINES have in common? What about an aspiring young graffiti artist, a middle-aged widow, and a teenage poet? Though their paths don't always cross, their lives unfold in Brooklyn's vibrantly multicultural neighborhood of Bushwick, which becomes a distinctive character that ties these six diverse shorts together. The street art, cramped apartment quarters, and sprawling rooftop views characteristic of Bushwick help give these otherwise stylistically disparate stories a sense of visual continuity, as the characters take on challenges that may otherwise be insurmountable if it weren't for the power of unconditional love. At times poignant and at others absurd and comical, Bushwick Beats speaks to the resilience of the human spirit. This thrilling omnibus feature boasts a roster of diverse, up-and-coming NYC filmmakers, including Sundance Film Festival award winner Anu Valia (Lucia, Before and After) and Cannes and Tribeca Film Festival alum Sonejuhi Sinha (Love Comes Later).

The film features a cast of established actors including: Britt Baron (Glow, Grey's Anatomy), Henny Russell (Orange is the New Black), Britne Oldford (American Horror Story), Marlene Ginader (Maniac), Mugga (Billions), Nadia Dajani (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Hazelle Goodman (Heat, Hannibal), Keenan Jolliff (Monsters and Men, The Get Down, ), and Max Baker (Hail, Caesar!, Revolutionary Road).

The film was produced by Julie Christeas of Tandem Pictures, Lawrence Mattis of Circle of Confusion and Katerina Yarotskaya and Aleksey Ageyev of Big Green Alien and features the talent of an array of local artists and musicians.

Following its West Coast premiere, the film will be officially kicking off the Bushwick Film Festival (BFF) at the event's Opening Night. There will be a Red Carpet gala screening and reception at local hotspot House of Yes on Wednesday, October 10th. A Q&A with the cast, crew and filmmakers will also be held.

About the Directors And Their Contributions to "Bushwick Beats"

ANU VALIA is an Indiana-born, New York-schooled filmmaker whose award-winning short films have screened across the country and abroad. Her short film, LUCIA, BEFORE AND AFTER, won the Jury Prize for US Fiction at Sundance Film Festival. She has directed episodes for Comedy Central's THE OTHER TWO, created by former SNL head writers Sarah Schneider and Chris Kelly, and Paramount Network's FIRST WIVES CLUB, created by GIRLS TRIP writer, Tracy Oliver. She is the Director and Executive Producer of Adult Swim's, SOFT FOCUS WITH JENA FRIEDMAN.

WOLVES: Matching narrative script with cinema verite style, this is a fly-on-the-wall look at a day in a Bushwick high school.

BRIAN SHOAF is a writer and director best known for his feature film Aardvark (Great Point/Universal), which stars Zachary Quinto, Jenny Slate, Sheila Vand and Jon Hamm, and made its world premiere at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival, as well as the award winning independent pilot Hamsters.

CELESTE: As she arranges to leave her Brooklyn apartment for a nursing home, Celeste, a single mother rapidly succumbing to ALS, struggles to prepare her young son for what's ahead.

A. SAYEEDA MORENO is a director, screenwriter and proud native New Yorker. Her short, White, premiered at SXSW and screened at Tribeca Film Festival, BAMcinemaFest, and MOCADA Museum, among other international venues. The feature-length script White won the San Francisco Film Society Hearst Screenwriting Award and is a 2018 Athena List winner. Sayeeda's short Sin Salida, aired on HBO/HBO Latino and was a finalist at the American Black Film Festival.The Grey Woman premiered at Lincoln Center and won the Hallmark short film competition. Sayeeda earned her MFA in Film from NYU where she was a dean's fellow. She is a Film Independent and Sundance Women in Finance Fellow. In addition, Sayeeda was selected to be a participant in both the AT&T/Tribeca Untold Stories Pitch Competition and Tribeca ALL ACCESS in 2017. Sayeeda is currently developing her feature film I'm Not Down and White. Sayeeda is an artist in residence at Bard College.

TOY/TAG/BREAK: Tyra finds truth and heartache when she abandons her brother Matteo deep in Bushwick so that she can join her graffiti idol, Cesar and paint some walls for the first time. But what is unveiled is BEYOND expectations and Tyra finds her true mentor in as unexpected source.

SONEJUHI SINHA began her directing career with a narrative short film, Love Comes Later, which was one of ten short films accepted to the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. Sonejuhi was selected for the prestigious Shoot

New Director's Showcase in New York and participated in Tribeca Film Institute's prestigious Through Her Lens program where she was mentored by Dee Rees, Catherine Hardwicke and Rashida Jones, among

others. She is the recipient of the Jerome Foundation Grant and Tribeca's prestigious IWC award. Her feature narrative Stray Dolls, a Crime / Drama starring Cynthia Nixon, Rob Aramayo, Olivia Dejonge and Geetanjali

Thapa, is listed in Filmmaker Magazine's most anticipated films of 2018.

LOVE TRUMPS HATE: is a story about an outsider desperate to fit in a community that ostracizes her and who, against all odds - finds unconditional love.

JAMES SWEENEY is an actor-turned-playwright-turned-filmmaker who was born in Alaska. His work has been featured on Short of the Week, Vimeo Staff Pick and played at film festivals worldwide. He is currently in post-production on his feature debut, Straight Up, produced by Valparaiso Pictures, in which he directs and co-stars opposite Katie Findlay.

LONG TIME DISTANCE: Benny and Marie are in a committed "long time distance" relationship - they're hopelessly in love at home in their Bushwick loft, but they can't be together outside because they live three years apart.

CHLOE SARBIB is a screenwriter and director based in Brooklyn. Her recent short film, GO TELL YOUR FATHERS, was an official selection at Palm Springs International ShortFest in June. Another short, GIRL FRIEND, won Best Student Short at the Provincetown Film Festival, and will play NewFest in October. Her previous work has featured Brad Dourif, James Franco, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson. She is currently working on 2 features scripts, and is an MFA candidate at Columbia University, where she received the Janowsky Screenwriting Fellowship.

NO MATTER WHAT: After the love of her life dies, Geri is struggling: sympathetic platitudes aren't helping, and all the magic has gone out of her world. On the day of his funeral, he tries to put some of it back.