Indie Discovery LA In NYC screenings

4/11/24 update - We are doing 1 IDLA In NYC screening on 4/20 - showing the movie MANBABY. Planning out several other screenings now for the rest of this year. Will have an update on those soon!

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I am Sujewa Ekanayake, the programmer of the indie film screening series Indie Discovery LA. In 2023 we screened indie films in LA and Chicago. In early 2024/March we plan on continuing our indie films screenings - in NYC. First planned event will feature Chetzemoka's Curse - Dogme #10 - a Rick Schmidt production, and my new film Cosmic Disco Detective Rene. These indie film screenings are community events that are of benefit to the filmmakers and indie film fans. Both films planned for the upcoming March, 2024 (the 2 films mentioned will screen later in year - 4/11 note) event are NYC Theatrical Premieres - never before shown at a NYC theater. The money raised will be used to promote the events/screenings, help take care of expenses related to producing the events.

Donors who donate $20 or more will get 1 ticket to the events/for 1 movie - as a reward (1 ticket for each $20 donation, more for additional donations of $20 each). Plus Special Thanks credit on the website for IDLA screenings - https://www.indiediscoveryla.com. Donors can contact me (use Contact option from this site or Contact info at IDLA site - https://www.indiediscoveryla.com) after the donations have been made to get details on the tickets. Tickets are limited, act fast. Donations here are the fast, early method of getting tickets to the early March events.

On Chetzemoka's Curse:

"A young woman, Marie, in her early twenties (played by Maya Berthoud), relives her past while wiling away her time as a maid in a small town hotel. She tells a true story of how she betrayed her first love, and then proceeds to convince a middle-aged man Steve (played by Stephen W. Gillard) to desert his wife and kids and take her on a fling to Thailand. Stephen's real-life wife Sue and daughter Jessica add their real-life stories, about early pregnancy and first love respectively. Even an itinerant street musician (Robert Rutledge) sings about love, telling his true tale of falling in love with his best friend. His ultimate mistake, he explains; seducing her sister. In the end the message is clear. Above all, avoid betraying yourself." From, and more info at - https://www.avclub.com/film/reviews/chetzemoka-s-curse-2001

Film was produced and partially directed by Rick Schmidt. The author of Feature Filmmaking At Used Car Prices book, several other books, and the director of over 20 films. Chetzemoka's Curse is Dogme #10 - the 10th film officially certified as being a part of the international filmmaking movement Dogme 95.

On Cosmic Disco Detective Rene:

"While it’s a sci-fi comedy, at the heart of Cosmic Disco Detective Rene is a mystery: Are there immortal time travelers? Are they a threat? Do they meant to disrupt the past? What should be done?

You might look at the above and think, “but what does that have to do with disco?” I’m so very glad you asked — Rene (Sujewa Ekanayake), the independent filmmaker that also happens to be North America’s happiest person, is also a detective – and a busy one at that. Rene solves his cases by listening to the background noise of the universe, which just so happens to be disco music. The government has a problem – and they need an innovative detective like Rene to help them determine how to proceed. Independent Filmmaker / Government Agent Ithihasaya (Genoveva Rossi) engages Rene to help advise the government on how to proceed. That’s not all that Rene has on his plate, as we also meet Chitrapati (Natalie Osborne), an independent filmmaker / film critic / theater owner who is interviewing Rene about the history of New York City independent cinema. The film covers his search for the answers to why the time travelers are among us and we get a glimpse of that process – from brainstorming the possibilities with Allyson (Alia Lorae), to checking the groove of the universe." - From review by Jamie Toth - https://somewhatcyclops.com/2023/08/09/cosmic-disco-detective-rene-and-the-mystery-of-immortal-time-travelers/

Director will attend the screening for intro and post-screening Q&A.

More info, trailers, images will be added soon.

We will announce the screening dates and location/venue by early January. Screenings will most likely be held in Brooklyn in early March 2024.

Thank you for your support for indie film art events and projects! Let me know if you have any questions.

-Sujewa Ekanayake

Programmer, Indie Discovery LA In NYC