Up & Comers

Carpet Boy is the true story of Iqbal Masih, a Pakistani boy who was sold as a bonded labourer at the age of four to a carpet maker. It is the hidden story of millions of children in today's world who are sold into virtual slavery by their impoverished families to make goods, which are sold in the West as luxury products. It is the story of a boy who learned the ways of resistance through being sold as a four-year-old into slavery, fought the system all his short life, was instrumental in liberating thousands of children like him who were in bondage and ended his days tragically.

Real life comes to the big screen, and is expressed through a close-knit group of 5 friends who begin to experience the rollercoaster that life becomes in their 20's. They try to navigate everything from crescendos of happiness to unexpected turmoil that makes them tackle issues such as purpose, identity, relationships with family, friends, and of course...love. Alyssa, who is searching for her purpose in life begins to question her relationship with Reem, who is looking for his own ways of getting ahead after his basketball dreams come crashing down. His best friend Drea battles not only with her family but with herself as she goes on her emotional journey of gender identity. Meanwhile, Carmen, infatuated with a faster lifestyle, begins to see that everything that glitters isn't gold when it comes to the men she attracts. Then there is Tyler, the certified lover boy who must learn that love is blind, but he cannot be blinded by love. Sure to be a relatable story of lessons and transitions for this group of twenty somethings.

The story of two sisters, Lilia and Trining, who have adopted three children (Lilia adopted Pilar and Joven, Trining adopted Ito). Trouble, lies and violence ensue as Lilia's children fall in love, and Trining's son gets infuriatingly jealous.

Different is the story of a woman with a traumatic brain injury, (Annabeth Gish), and her mentally challenged husband, who have a child of normal intelligence, and how the larger family comes to terms with the parents being 'different.' Gish plays Hope, who is left mentally disabled after a car accident when she was 11. Her mother, played by Lynn Redgrave, is unable to come to terms with her daughter's imperfections sends her away to special schools. After a twenty-year separation, the two are forced to reunite and confront their emotional issues in an attempt to reclaim their lost relationship. It explores the human desire to be accepted and valued just as we are. Hollywood Reporter called it "the best of the best." It was a finalist for a Pen West writing award.

Photographer Sara is constantly being offered high-paying commercial work, but is losing sight of her artistic nature, which made her a success. Her best friend not only challenges her to go back to her roots but he might also be in love with her. Amy suffers a loss that has changed her life. Her mother tries to help, her brother doesn't know what to do, and her father gets her to throw a party for her dead grandfather. Katie is an actress in an unpredictable relationship with a more-successful but less-talented actor. She is trying to decide which career path to follow, and her boyfriend only makes things worse. Beth is a psychiatrist who keeps her secrets hidden deep inside. By coincidence she ends up at a patient's party, which causes her to open up in a new way. The stories come together, with each revealing a little bit about the human struggle.