Cinetopia Screening: “The Fits”

The N’Namdi Center for Contemporary Art is a proud host venue for this year’s Cinetopia Film Festival.

The Center will be screening “The Fits” on June 4, at 7:00pm.

Film Description: Toni, an 11-year-old tomboy (ROYALTY HIGHTOWER), trains as a boxer with her brother at a rec center in Cincinnati’s West End, but becomes fascinated by the dance drill team, The Lionesses, that also practises there. Drawn to their strength and confidence, Toni eventually joins the group, tirelessly rehearsing the routines, befriending some of the girls, and even piercing her ears to fit in. But when members of the tight-knit group start experiencing mysterious fits of shaking and fainting, Toni’s desire for acceptance becomes complicated. Director Anna Rose Holmer’s debut explores the female experience through Toni, a tomboy who longs to join her school’s dance team. She is fascinated by the confidence that the girls exhibit as they sashay through school. Toni’s existence is wildly different as she trains in the boxing gym with her brother and a pack of boys. The film moves with Toni as she observes the male dominated world that is her comfort zone and the group of empowered females that is foreign to her. The dance team’s sense of community intrigues her and propels her into trying out. As Toni practices to become one of the dancing “Lionesses,” she witnesses dancer after dancer fall under mysterious spells. The unexplained outbreak further complicates the eleven-year-old’s need for acceptance. Holmer deftly creates a landscape that allows the protagonist to explore adolescence through extracurricular activities rather than a love interest. Royalty Hightower commands the screen as Toni and subtly captures the struggle for self-discovery.

More info on the film: http://www.cinetopiafestival.org/show/the-fits/

More info on Cinetopia: http://www.cinetopiafestival.org/

Purchase tickets: http://prod3.agileticketing.net/WebSales/pages/info.aspx?evtinfo=214839~ae02ff9d-4f54-43e7-8468-d93560b73bec&

Purchase passes: http://www.cinetopiafestival.org/tickets/