STAND CLEAR OF THE CLOSING DOORS by Sam Fleischner. 2013. 107 min.
An undocumented family living in Rockaway Beach are flung into chaos when their high-functioning autistic 13-year-old (Jesus Sanchez-Velez) gets lost in the hum of the MTA tracks and flickering patterns found within traincar windows. His mother (Andrea Suarez Paz, who was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for her outstanding performance) determinedly searches for him, her immigration status looming. The film’s production in fall of 2012 changed course when Hurricane Sandy hit, forcibly rewriting the story’s end. An odyssey into the NYC subway system from the eyes of a runaway teen.
Rockaway Film Festival would like to thank VBX™~Vernam Basin Terminal for generously hosting us at the Arverne Cinema in addition to BBX™~Barbadoes Basin Terminal for contributing to such.
RFF also thanks Rockaway Artists Alliance and the National Park Service for hosting us in Fort Tilden.
RFF is proud to be sponsored by Blundstone®, Istic Illic Pictures, and NYC Ferry. The festival is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support provided by FRANC.