'American Thief' by Alumni to Screen at the Oldenburg International Film Festival

American Thief, co-written by film alumni Missy Hernandez ’17, Miguel Silveira ’15 and Michel Stolnicki ’17, directed by Silveira and produced by Stolnicki, will have its international debut at the Oldenburg International Film Festival. The film premiered at the Maine International Film Festival this past July. 

American Thief  is “a documentary/narrative hybrid filmed and scripted around true events between 2015—2019.” The story follows teenage hackers Toncruz and Diop in their attempts to use an increasingly technological world to their advantage: Toncruz wants to reveal the extent of government surveillance while Diop seeks to avenge his father’s murder. Also in the fray are a political conspiracist vlogger, an artificial intelligence programmer, and an incendiary Unidentified User. 

Since 1994, the Oldenburg International Film Festival “has evolved while preserving its intimate atmosphere and founding purpose: to celebrate and support the diverse voices and visions of independent filmmakers, to honor the creativity of the artists upon which the Festival depends, and to create a unique experience and inspiring meeting place for filmmakers, audiences, and media professionals.” American Thief will screen alongside Michael Maxxis’s Puppy Love, Miles Hargrove’s Miracle Fishing, and Ben Epstein’s Buck Alamo. 

Silveira’s past work includes the award-winning narrative films Devil’s Work and Rooftop Wars as well as the documentaries Rebel Music: Venezuela, I Am a Visitor in Your World, and Manbird. 

Stolnicki writes, produces, and directs feature films, documentaries, and short films, which include Stranded Fish and Standing8. 

Hernandez is an associate producer for Terence Nance’s Peabody Award-winning television series Random Acts of Flyness, and her documentary film I Don’t Dream in Spanish Anymore is in production. 

The 2020 Oldenburg International Film Festival will run September 16—20. Due to Covid-19, the festival will screen online as well as on-location this year.