FRI.

OCTOBER 23

Friday, October 23

1:00pm — Bill W.

(2012) Bill W. tells the story of William G. Wilson, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous with Dr. Bob Smith. Bill W. was included in Time magazine’s “100 Persons of the 20th Century.” Interviews, recreations, and rare archival material reveal how Bill Wilson, a hopeless drunk near death from his alcoholism, found a way out of his own addiction and then forged a path for countless others to follow. Directors Dan Carracino and Kevin Hanlon. Starring Bill Wilson, Dr. Bob, Lois Wilson, Ebby Thatcher. 104 Minutes
IN PERSON: Dan Carracino

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Friday, October 23

3:00pm — Royal Hangover

(2014) UNITED KINGDOM A Relevant portrait of a nation and its love of the drink. Critically acclaimed independent filmmaker and accomplished non-drinker, Arthur Cauty, serves up a documentary fireball, in equal parts shocking, hilarious, sympathetic and thought provoking; a film we can all toast to. Featuring Russell Brand. Director Arthur Cauty. 101 minutes

5:00-6:45pm

 Evening Shorts

Friday, October 23

Grace

(2015) Janice will face her high powered ex-husband in family court for the custody of their daughter. Staying clean is her priority but her unaccommodating boss stands in the way of Janice trying to do right. She has to face her demons of addiction and the possibility of losing custody of her daughter. Starring Marisa Vitali. Director Chris Ordal.  15 minutes

IN PERSON:  Director Chris Ordal

The 12th Step

(2015) A man searching for “something” enters an AA meeting. Watch what happens next. Director Josh Auter.

8 minutes

IN PERSON:  Director Josh Auter

Exit Road

(2014) Dane thought he left his personal demons and his drug addiction in the prison cell where he did his time.  But his first day as a free man challenges not only his promise to go clean, but his very survival.  Dane’s neighborhood does not welcome him back with open arms and an uncertain future lurks on every corner.  Director Yuri Alves.  13 minutes

IN PERSON:  Yuri Alves

Another Way Out

(2015) The story follows a teenage Hispanic girl who gets involved with drugs and gangs. She has a step-father who beats her within an inch of her life after he notices the scars on her arms from cutting herself.  In the film (as in in her real life,) the police save Ashley from her abusive stepfather and put her into Maryvale. She is sullen and depressed, until a mentor comes to Maryvale and encourages her to tell her story. Director KIDS IN THE SPOTLIGHT.

13 minutes

IN PERSON:  Gregory Metzger and KIDS IN THE SPOTLIGHT

 Reset

(2015) Rylee, a mixed-race teen descends into drug addiction while struggling with her difficult childhood. After entering treatment at a rehab facility, working through issues of identity both physical and emotional, Rylee learns recovery is a life-long process that holds no guarantees. Exploring the effects of addiction on family, Maya, Rylee’s South Asian mother, struggles to understand Rylee’s disease while coping with her own family history of substance abuse. Director Arun Vir.  30 Minutes

IN PERSON: Director Arun Vir

Friday, October 23

8:00pm How I Got Over

HOW I GOT OVER follows 15 formerly homeless and/or incarcerated women- now living in N Street Village, a community for addiction recovery- as they craft an original play, based on their harrowing true-life stories. As observers of their creative process to the rehearsals for their Kennedy Center performance, we bear witness to their transformations from victim to artist, and to the performing arts’ capacity to heal trauma, create connection, and start a conversation. Special Screening for the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services. Director Nicole Boxer. 87 minutes
IN PERSON: Director Nicole Boxer

All screenings $10 at the door

SAT.

OCTOBER 24

1:00 PM

SHORTS ON A SATURDAY AFTERNOON

TICKETS for all shorts just $10 at the door

Saturday, October 24

Higher Power

Music video. Director Mark Rossella. 4 minutes

IN PERSON: Director Mark Rosella

Saturday, October 24

Take Care

(2014) In this dramatic short, a young girl comes of age sooner than she should as she watches her mother cope with her tough life by drinking. Director Danielle Dunnigan. 10 minutes

IN PERSON: Director Danielle Dunnigan

Saturday, October 24

Good Words

(2014) This short and poignant film traces the story of Elizabeth, a gifted and highly qualified candidate attending a job interview. All appears to be going well until the conversation turns towards the subject of mental illness. Director Robby Reis.  10 minutes 

Saturday, October 24

Christmas Carol

(2015) Carol lives on the streets of Liverpool. It’s two days before Christmas and we find her struggling with her addictions and homelessness. She finds a discarded Santa outfit  and Carol’s life changes. This film explores the possibility that sometimes we are what we wear and what we wear is key to how we are perceived and treated by others. Director Damien Ward.  United Kingdom.  11 minutes

Saturday, October 24

Redemption 101

(2014) Thalia abuses drugs and has resorted to prostitution to support her habit she began as a teen. Thalia enters a sober house for women to seek help to get clean. She’s in a women’s sober house and has four days clean when reality strikes she is faced with losing custody of her infant daughter. Director Sebastian Rothwyn. 40 minutes

IN PERSON: Producer Darrell Kieth Harris

TICKETS $10 at the door

Saturday, October 24

3:00pm — Lambert & Stamp

(2014) Aspiring filmmakers Chris Stamp and Kit Lambert set out to find a subject for their underground movie, one that will reflect the way it feels to be young and dissatisfied in postwar London. The duo finally discover a band called the High Numbers with that perfect rebellious restlessness. Abandoning their plans to make a film, they instead decide to mentor and manage this group, later called, The Who. The result was rock ‘n’ roll history. Director James D. Cooper. 117 minutes
IN PERSON:  Jean Campbell LCSW, TEP, and guests

Saturday, October 24

6:00pm — Slipdream
Special 10th Anniversary Screening

(2005) In this experimental update of Jack and the Beanstalk, a streetwise pot dealer is catapulted on a mystical adventure when he trades his father’s gold watch for a pair of psychotropic seeds.  Director Marc Grant.  85 minutes
IN PERSON:  Producer Sam Siegel and cast members

Saturday, October 24

8:00pm — Amy

(2015) AMAZING FILM from BAFTA Award-winning director Asif Kapadia (Senna), AMY tells the incredible story of six-time Grammy-winner Amy Winehouse – in her own words. Featuring extensive unseen archival footage and previously unheard tracks, this strikingly modern, moving and vital film shines a light on our culture and the world we live in today. Director Asif Kapadia. 128 minutes

All screenings $10 at the door

SUN.

OCTOBER 25

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Sunday, October 25

1:00pm — Come Back Jeetu

(2015) Filmed in India, Director Jaswant Singh Mintu made this exotic film in dedication of those innocent girls, daughters, sisters, and mothers who are being “compelled to walk on the razor’s edge and burning flames of drug addiction through no fault of their own. Director Jaswant Singh Mintu. 147 minutes

Sunday, October 25

4:30pm — Straight Outta Tompkins

(2015) A forlorn teenager abandoned in New York City spirals out of control. He transforms from a troubled kid to an accidental addict after mistaking the welcoming embrace of a Lower East Side drug dealer for the love of family. Offering a humorous take on the absurdity of the junky lifestyle, STRAIGHT OUTTA TOMPKINS also presents a fearlessly honest portrayal of the violence and danger that come with teen drug use. Director Zephyr Benson. 92 minutes

7:00pm

Evening Shorts

Sunday, October 25

Veterans Affairs

(2013) Known best for his viral, controversial documentaries made while serving as a Marine during the U.S. invasion of Iraq. In Veterans Affairs, Kenneth Anderson pours his own experiences into this short that sees a veteran struggling when he returns to the States.  Director Kenneth Anderson.  14 minutes

Conversation With a Cigarette

(2014)  A cat-and-mouse game ensues between a man and his greatest enemy, an addiction that has a stranglehold on the man. Can he break free?  Director Russell Brown. 18 minutes
IN PERSON: Director Russell Brown

Recovery

(2013)  Recovery follows a retired boxer with a troubled past as he considers whether to train a young, ambitious Mixed Martial Arts fighter who comes armed with a message to the old boxer.  Director Robert Waters.  8 minutes

Lapse

(2012) A broken man goes through a single day of his life, reliving the dark turns that brought him to his substance riddled present. A dark, jarring opening quickly descends into a long dark night of the soul for one man who must face his demons and if he can, return to the light. Director Anthony Salerno.  30 minutes

Sunday, October 25

8:15pm — AS I AM: The Life and Times of DJ AM

(2015) AS I AM: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF DJ AM covers the late, great mash-up pioneer’s entire life from seed to sorrow: his meteoric rise to become the first million dollar DJ in the U.S., his storied personal life including a long-running struggle with addiction, titanic efforts to help others in recovery, his tabloid romances as well as his survival from a fiery plane crash with Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker, which is all a lead-up to his controversial and untimely death in 2009. Director Kevin Kerslake. 97 minutes

All screenings $10 at the door

MON.

OCTOBER 26

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Monday, October 26

1:00pm — An American Epidemic

(2015) From the Director of, “Kids Are Dying” comes a documentary film that took one state’s problem to a national level. “An American Epidemic” grew out of a New Jersey project exposing the opioid and heroin epidemic and uncovers the far-reaching effects of America’s most serious public social health crisis through the eyes of parents, siblings and recovering addicts. Director Michael DeLeon. 90 minutes
IN PERSON: Michael DeLeon

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Monday, October 26

3:00pm — The Other Side of Cannabis:
Negative Effects of Marijuana On Our Youth

(2015) We warn our youth about alcohol and both prescription and illegal drugs, yet, our youth believe marijuana is safe and natural with no health risks. This documentary tells the stories of individuals of all ages, as well as interviews with top researchers across the United States who elaborate on the effects of marijuana facing our adolescents, teenagers and young adults, all with still-developing brains. Director Jody Belsher. 72 minutes
IN PERSON: Jody Belsher

Monday, October 26

5:00pm — Archie’s Final Project

(2014) Archie Williams is a 17-year old media geek who has suddenly found himself the most-talked-about kid in school.  He has announced that he’s going to kill himself – on camera – for a class project.  His classmates, parents, the most beautiful girl in school, and a “Shady Bunch” of shrinks, doctors, pill-pushers and counselors descend on Archie.  Some are hoping to save him, some want to imitate him, others try to push him over the brink.  David Lee Miller.  110 Minutes.
IN PERSON: Special Guests

Monday, October 26

8:00pm — Girl on the Edge

(2014) A powerful, true story about the journey of a troubled teenage girl who finds healing in the most unlikely of places, and who must choose to either invest in her own recovery or succumb to the trauma of her past. Starring Taylor Spreitler, Gil Bellows, Peter Coyote and Mackenzie Phillips. Director Jay Silverman. 105 Minutes
IN PERSON: Jay Silverman and guests

All screenings $10 at the door

TUES.

OCTOBER 27

Tuesday, October 27

1:00pm — Sobering Thoughts:
Three Mothers’ Stories of Addiction

(2015)  This documentary that tells the story of three mothers who used drugs and alcohol during their pregnancy. Drinking and using while pregnant is an unfortunate reality that many women face alone, this film highlights women who have walked through this very painful experience giving a voice to healing, focusing on recovery, relapse, motherhood and spirituality. Director Kristen Bornhorst.  25 minutes

Tuesday, October 27

28 Days – Special 15th Anniversary Screening

S2000) After getting into a car accident while drunk on the day of her sister’s wedding, Gwen Cummings is given a choice between prison or a rehab center. She chooses rehab, but is extremely resistant to taking part in any of the treatment programs, refusing to admit that she has an alcohol addiction. The path to recovery will not be easy, and success will not be guaranteed or even likely, but she is now willing to give it a try. Starring Sandra Bullock, Viggo Mortensen, Steve Buscemi. Director Betty Thomas.  103 Minutes
SPONSORED BY NEW DIRECTIONS FOR WOMEN

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Tuesday, October 27

4:00pm — The Courage to Love

(2014) The Courage to Love is a personal documentary about sexual addiction from the perspective of four people who share their stories of addiction and recovery. The film looks into each of their pasts to see what contributing factors led to their addiction and looks at the variety of behaviors in which they acted out sexually. Each person talks about the treatment that helped them to overcome their sexual addiction so they could experience love and intimate relationships for the first time. Director Paul Ginocchio.  57 Minutes
IN PERSON: Paul Ginocchio, MFT

Tuesday, October 27

6:00pm — Voices

(2014) The award-winning documentary, Voices, features the stark and intimate portraits of three very different individuals and their struggle with severe mental illness in America. The stories of Sharon, Thomas and Aaron illuminate the challenges, realities, and complex emotions and choices that surround people with psychotic mental illness and those who love them. Director Hiroshi Hara and Gary Tsai.  56 minutes
IN PERSON: Director Gary Tsai, MD

Tuesday, October 27

8:00pm — AfterParty Magazine
Story Telling Time – Sober Sex for Beginners

The women of AfterParty Chat tell poignant and often hilarious stories about their experiences RE: Sex and Sobriety. You won’t want to miss this!  STARRING Danielle Stewart – Mary Patterson Broome – Susanna Brisk
and your Mistress of Ceremony, ANNA DAVID

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT –
www.brownpapertickets.com

All screenings $10 at the door

WED.

OCTOBER 28

1:00 PM

AFTERNOON SHORTS

Tickets for all shorts $10 at the door

Wednesday, October 28

Released

(2014) This first-time filmmaker’s documentary short exposes dark familial secrets, a broken mental health system and the triumph of the human will over tragedy, trauma and self harm. Released casts an unflinching eye and lands a stinging blow against abusive authoritarians, stigma and insensitivity. Director Susan Spangenberg. 28 minutes
IN PERSON: Susan Spangenberg

Wednesday, October 28

Teaser

(2015) Teaser is an avant-garde style film about a young gay man’s struggle with drug abuse and his revulsion or inability to deal with the fact that he is gay thanks negative messages from the media. This young man falls into the world of drugs as a way to es-cape or even forget who he is.  The problem is no matter how hard or how often you try to escape yourself, you can’t. Director Adam Jones.  8 minutes
IN PERSON: Director Adam Jones

Wednesday, October 28

SLLiP

(2015) Based on true events, SLLiP is a heartfelt yet disturbing look into the life of a hard-working, blue collar, family man, who is injured at work and is prescribed pain medication. What should have been benign pain treatment has become a painful addiction-one that could destroy what he cherishes most – his beautiful wife and his treasured baby girl. Original score. Director Rob Lewis. 13 minutes
IN PERSON: Director Rob Lewis

Wednesday, October 28

Methe

(2015) After what should have been an ordinary night out with his wife, a man struggles to keep his life on track despite his wife’s denial of anything that is wrong with their lives. Director Ron Trejo. 16 minutes

Wednesday, October 28

The 12th Step

(2015) A man searching for “something” enters an AA meeting. Watch what happens next. Director Josh Auter. 8 minutes

IN PERSON:  Director Josh Auter

Wednesday, October 28

Exit Road

(2014) Dane thought he left his personal demons and his drug addiction in the prison cell where he did his time.  But his first day as a free man challenges not only his promise to go clean, but his very survival.  Dane’s neighborhood does not welcome him back with open arms and an uncertain future lurks on every corner.  Director Yuri Alves.  13 minutes

Wednesday, October 28

4:00pm — Kansas St.

(2015)  In an attempt to escape her dark past, Dorsey Jones runs deeper into a darker future until she is forced to face herself and heal the wounds of childhood. Filmed in Los Angeles.  Director Norris Young.  92 minutes
IN PERSON: Director Norris Young

Wednesday, October 28

6:30pm — Susan Whingham

Susan Whingham is a student at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco studying Motion Picture and Television directing. Her films have appeared in over a dozen film festivals in the U.S. and internationally. The REEL Recovery Film Festival is proud to showcase four of her shorts that embrace the destruction of addiction and the hope and light of recovery: Cling, The Danger in Happiness, Her Undying, Self in Silence and Solitude. Director Susan Whigham. 25 minutes

IN PERSON: Susan Whingham

Wednesday, October 28

7:00pm – Deal With It

(2015) Shamira Raphaëla lives a seemingly successful life as a documentary film director. But her reality is that her father and brother, who are both in and out of jail. Her dad Pempy, has used heroine and crack for more than thirty years, and has a long criminal record. Her brother Andy, is following in his fathers’ footsteps. A extraordinarily raw and personal film about destructive family patterns and unconditional love. This film seems to prove addiction is not a disease. Director Shamira Raphaela. 58 minutes
In Dutch with English Subtitles

Wednesday, October 28

8:30pm — Imperfect Sky – Los Angeles Premiere

(2015)  Torn apart during adolescence, estranged brothers reunite. The younger, a 16-year old on the fast track to college with his entire life ahead of him. The older, a 21-year old heroin addict and street hustler who’s settled for rock bottom. Starring Blake Scott Lewis and Sam Lucas Smith. Director Graham Streeter.  25 minutes

IN PERSON: Graham Streeter, Producer Alex Lebosq, Blake Scott Lewis, Sam Lucas Smith and all cast members

All screenings $10 at the door

THURS.

OCTOBER 29

Thursday, October 29

1:00pm — Big Sur

(2013) Sudden fame and a self-destructive lifestyle were taking a toll on Jack Kerouac following the unparalleled success of his groundbreaking novel, On The Road. Once a hero of the Beat Generation, Kerouac now sees only a vestige of his former self, ravaged by alcohol and drugs. Kerouac leaves New York for California, on a quest for redemption in Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s isolated Big Sur cabin. What ensues in those fateful three weeks in August, 1960, is both terrifying and revelatory. Director Michael Polish. 81 Minutes

Thursday, October 29

3:00pm — Under the Volcano

(1984) Based on the extaordinary, groundbreaking novel (1947) by Malcolm Lowry. Geoffrey Firmin is a British consul living in alcoholic disrepair and obscurity in a small southern Mexican town in 1939. The Consul’s self-destructive behavior is a source of perplexity and sadness to his nomadic, idealistic half-brother, Hugh, and his ex-wife, Yvonne. Starring Albert Finney and Jacqueline Bisset. Director John Huston. 112 minutes

Thursday, October 29

5:15pm — Time’s Up

(2012) A film by Lance Juracka about two generations of a family dealing with alcohol addiction. The film was made when Lance was a film student at NYU and 12 years later he died from alcohol addiction. Nancy Juracka, Lance’s mother, wants to use to film to help other families that are struggling with this dreaded disease. Director Lance Juracka. 17 minutes
IN PERSON: Lance’s mother, Nancy Juracka

Thursday, October 29

Reaching Out

(2015) This documentary takes a close look at the desperate phone call an addict makes for help. It’s the first step. Those on the receiving end of that call will do anything to be of service and try to hang on to the hand that reaches out to them. Director Matt Heckathorn. 34 Minutes
IN PERSON: Matt Heckathorn

All screenings $10 at the door

Thursday, October 29

7:30pm — SPECIAL CLOSING NIGHT EVENT – LIVE! Sponsored by RecoveryAS.com
“SAY EVERYTHING”
DR. GABOR MATÉ In Conversation with IONE SKYE

A freewheeling discussion about addiction, modern culture, behavioral disorders,preventative health care techniques, Amy Schumer, the Beatles, classical music, safe injection sites, the therapeutic value of pets, literature, films, Rumi and Recovery.

Reserved seats available to private reception/buffet
immediately after “SAY EVERYTHING”

In Conversation 7:30 – 8:45pm
Buffet 9:00 – 10:00
Buffet: Salomi Indian Restaurant, 5225 Lankershim Blvd.

Individual tickets: “SAY EVERYTHING” $25
Reserved seats and reception / buffet $65s

TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE AT:

www.brownpapertickets.com

Schedule Subject to Change