Sound of Silent Film Festival

Access Contemporary Music's Sound of Silent Film Festival is the only film festival in the country that features new scores performed live to modern silent films. All of the films are screened in silence with a newly commissioned score performed live.

The program this year is:

Devil's Food Cake by JohnBen Lacy and Mike Elsherif (comedy)
Music by Seth Boustead
A simpleton makes a deal with the devil in an attempt to win over a judge's heart at a cake contest.

Get the F**K Out of Paris by Greg Emetaz (Drama)
Music by Rob Steel
A text message turns a depressing laundry night into a mad dash for survival.

What If by Winnie Chung (Dance)
Music by Lynn Bechtold
In a post-gender world, men wouldn’t be punished for being vulnerable and women wouldn’t have to stay submissive in order to succeed. Unfortunately, we’ve all been subjected to the same gender narrative dating back to Adam and Eve. But what if there was another creation myth? One where gender was erased altogether?

Loopy by Max Cianci and Anthony Peduzzi (Drama)
Music by Cristina Spinei
Drawn to a mysterious window, a man decides to investigate a seemingly abandoned building. As he makes his way to the source of his curiosity, what he uncovers is worse than he could ever imagine.

Early Retirement by David Mair (Comedy)
Music by Gene Pritsker
A grizzled cop seeks vengeance for his fallen partner.

The Stain by Brian Petchers (Drama)
Music by Gilbert Galindo
A neighborhood hate crime leads to a mother’s painful discovery about her teenage son.

The Rabbit and the Snare by Callum Hotchkiss and Gemma Eve (Drama)
Music by Charles Coleman
During the turn of the 20th century, a man contemplates life when he falls into isolation after the death of his young daughter. He is forced to survive a snowy Canadian winter while accompanied by an unusual companion.

Lightmare by Josh Drake (Experimental)
Music by Peri Mauer
Lightmare was inspired by a group of youths who used to race motorcycles by my house. The film attempts to capture the anxiety of the neighborhood, using negative space as a mask to subvert the audience’s expectations of horizon and depth. In contrast, much of the content underscores the triviality of the perceived threat.

The Ephemeral Orphanage by Lisa Barcy (Animated)
Music by Natasha Bogojevich
A group of tattered paper dolls daydream alternate realities and surreptitiously explore the hidden lives of their strict and secretive caregivers. Hijinks ensue and discoveries are made as the characters live out their childhood fantasies. Created with found paper dolls cut from a 1920’s newspaper and found in an attic, the film explores the adults' attempt to dictate what girls learn, and the children’s talent for discovering forbidden knowledge.