By Adam Frazier

A man is left for dead in the middle of the desert. His hands are tied behind his back, a black hood pulled over his head. He has no memory of who he is or how he got there. His only clue is a piece of paper in his pocket with the name "Manny Elder" written on it.

Written and directed by Henry Barrial, Pig has been described as a psychological thriller in the vein of Christopher Nolan’s mind-bending Memento. It's been an official selection at over 30 film festivals since premiering last April at the Nashville Film Festival, garnering several Best Feature awards.

Pig producer Mark Stolaroff (Manic) is a founding partner of Antic Pictures, an LA-based production company producing a slate of low budget, high quality digital features.

A Houston native, Stolaroff has seen his family, one by one, migrate to North Carolina over the years. His sister, Shelley Stolaroff Segal, who is a playwright and an actress, went to UNC Chapel Hill and later moved to Greensboro with her husband and two children.

“My mother, who lived nearly 60 years in Houston — 44 in the same house — just moved out last summer to be closer to my sister and her family," says Stolaroff. "We helped her move across the country and into her new house in Greensboro, and now, with no official ties to Houston, Greensboro is where I call my home away from home.”

Stolaroff applied to the Charlotte Film Festival specifically to screen the film for his sister's family and her friends. “My sister and her 15-year-old daughter, Jordan, have become a part of the creative community in that area, acting in plays, short films, and even features.”

“Back in 2008, I brought my last film, True Love, to the Carolina Film & Video Festival and screened it for this group. This year, I'm looking forward to having my brother-in-law and his doctor friends see Pig. A former neurosurgeon, I'm sure he will particularly connect with this material. You'll know what I mean when you see it.”

Pig screens at 6:45 p.m. Monday, March 26, at Epicentre Theaters, 210 East Trade St. Tickets, which are $10 and include complimentary parking for three hours, can be purchased at the festival’s website here.