2026 Woodstock Museum Film Festival Films
September 1st, Tuesday
7:30 Second Chance 7:54 On the Second Floor 8pm Land of the Mustaches 9:50 Drive Through the Smoke
7:30 Second Chance
Filmmaker witnesses disturbing incident at school. Helps to understand vulnerable juveniles. Filmmaker is 15 years old & videos with camera. 8m39s
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Second Chance takes a step towards better understanding, compassion and ultimately, hope for juveniles who are some of the most vulnerable in our society, and who are also part of its future.
An inspired young filmmaker who witnessed a disturbing incident at school looks inside Juvenile Hall and Court, through the moving account of a juvenile offender and his parents, as well as the insights of the judge, attorneys and probation officer. Second Chance takes a step towards better understanding, compassion and ultimately, hope for juveniles who are some of the most vulnerable in our society, and who are also part of its future.
Director Biography – India Anne Mitchell
India Mitchell discovered her love of storytelling through filmmaking in middle school when her school in California changed to an online format for one year. At that time, India used an old cellphone to shoot footage about her dramatically changing world. India’s first student film, “Capes”, was honored in 2022. Her second student film, “The Innocent”, received several recognitions at film festivals in 2023. Her third student film, “Guiding Light”, released in 2024, received over 50 awards and was screened at over 250 film festivals around the world. India releases her fourth student film, “Second Chance”, while she is 15 years old and is in her first year of high school.
Director Statement
India was inspired to make this film, Second Chance, because of an incident at her school, which caused her and other students to be curious about the juvenile justice system. Then, this project took her on a yearlong journey that led her to better understanding, compassion and ultimately, hope.
Last year, there was a disturbing incident at India’s junior high school, which the police discovered was a student prank. She also found that students, parents and others in the community tend not to know much about the juvenile justice system. India made “Second Chance” to shine a light on juvenile justice and the possibilities for youth and their families that face it, as well as to let others know why it is best not to end up there. She tells this story of second chances through the moving words of a juvenile offender and his parents, as well as the observations by the juvenile court judge, attorneys appointed to represent the juveniles, and the probation officer. India feels that the community should care about what happens in the juvenile justice system, because youth are some of the most vulnerable in our society, and also, they are part of its future.
7:54 On the Second Floor
Explore the second floor of this apartment building providing subsidized apartments for mostly elderly and infirmed. Compares the Haves” and “have nots.”
This work is part of a video series that was shot in an apartment building that provides subsidized apartments for residents who are mostly elderly and infirm. Each of the videos in the series explores the spaces and characteristics of a different floor of the building (“On the Second Floor,” “On the Third Floor,” “On the Fourth Floor,” “On the Fifth Floor,” and “Fade Out in Color”).
The second floor of the building features several old/forlorn/discarded chairs that are scattered in the liminal spaces. I have never seen anyone sitting in those chairs. (Who would want to?) And considering the depressing atmosphere of the building, it doesn’t surprise me that the public water fountain doesn’t work.
I suppose that this video can be summed up as a comparison between the “haves” and the “have nots.” Into which category do you fit? If you are a “have not,” sit down in one of these chairs and relax. You are not alone.
8pm Land of the Mustaches
Story of one family growing up in the Displaced Person’s refugee camp after W.W.II., and held in prison camp by U.S. soldiers. The are eventually freed and came to America. True story. Q&A 1hr:28m
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Celebration of resilience and the human spirit. Autobiographical story of a young girl growing up in Displaced Persons refugee camps after World War Two left them starving and stateless.
For the children and women of all wars, it never leaves.
“Land of the Mustaches” is an autobiographical story of a young girl growing up in the Displaced Persons refugee camps with her mother and grandmother after World War II. They had been left starving and stateless, and her father’s disappearance into Stalin’s notorious Gulag labor camps in Siberia with only what he was wearing the day he was abducted—two hard paths that parallel each other until they finally merge into one story: The ultimate celebration of resilience and the human spirit.
Noted film critic Rex Reed said, “I found your film to be so tender and truthful and honest … It is constantly mesmerizing.”
Our film is a visual memoir told through rich and real vignettes, heightened by archival footage and animation, illuminating how inter-generational, female family life persists and humans persevere even in the most extreme circumstances: In 1947, there were still about a million refugees in the Displaced Persons camps of occupied Europe; there are over a hundred million globally today. The mind struggles to comprehend such numbers, but the story of one family is recognizable. In our seemingly endless wars, the plight of their voiceless victims–families stripped of everything, women and children left on their own with no support, left bereft–is just as true today as it was 80 years ago when I grew up in the rubble and converted concentration camps.
It was shot in two back-to-back 18-hour days. We chose to film minimalistically and theatrically, using the early style and approach of Brian de Palma, with whom Rutanya had worked in his films Greetings (’68) and Hi, Mom! (’70). At the end of the second day of shooting my D.P. handed me the 3 1/2 hours of film. I held the film in my hands and thought: What now? May this film be an inspiration to all the first time filmmakers.
Six Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences members came together to make this unique, truly independent, and micro-budget film: Actress Rutanya Alda (The Deer Hunter, Mommie Dearest, Amityville II, among 110+ film and TV credits), writer, producer, and performer of Land of the Mustaches; acclaimed Emmy-nominated editor, David Ray (Scarface, Reds, All That Jazz, the Bronx Tale); brilliant Emmy-winning composer, Charles Bernstein (ASCAP Deems Taylor award, 140+ films); director and award-winning filmmaker, Leon Joosen (Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Scooby-Doo, Muppet Babies); Emmy-winning animator, Candy Kugel (owner Buzzco Associates, award-winning animation studio whose films acquired by the Museum of Modern Art Film Archive including over two dozen indie films and the original MTV ads and IDs, www.buzzco.nyc), and producer Donna Dickman (who publicized Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Pianist, and The Motorcycle Diaries.)
Director Biography – Leon Joosen
Leon Joosen is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences with a long and distinguished career in animation and directing. Credits include Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Scooby Doo, and The Muppet Babies. IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0429749/
Director Statement
Rutanya, who is a longtime friend of mine through the Academy, called me in the middle of the Covid pandemic to ask if I wanted to make a movie about her childhood in refugee camps. I’d been inspired by her biography almost as long as I’ve known her and I immediately said yes: I totally wanted to help her tell it, and after brainstorming how to best do that within a micro-budget (under $100k), we decided to consciously adopt conventions from theatre, filming the feature in two 18-hour days (!) in an ever-changing blackbox, using archival historical footage and animation to enhance her writing and storytelling, and I couldn’t be more proud of our team’s collective achievements with this project. It’s said in dark times the stars don’t go out; I don’t want to write any spoilers here, but “Land of the Mustaches” not only illustrates the hows and whys of this saying perfectly, it artistically transmutes lived pains of intergenerational women’s issues and dire humanitarian issues into something beautiful.
9:50 Drive Through the Smoke
A Night with John Popper Musician faces once-in-a-lifetime session amidst a string of tragic events. Q&A
One musician faces down a once-in-a-lifetime session amidst a string of tragic events.
Director Biography –
Born in Michigan with a love for music and photography, William Saunders has pursued a career in Television and Film production since moving to New York City in 2009. His credits range from underground music videos and documentaries to popular reality TV shows. His company Fourth.Media handles live productions, streaming events and post production. If you’re lucky you’ll catch him behind the drums in a metal band.
Director Statement
Fearlessly pursuing story.