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The Cleveland International Film Festival promotes artistically and culturally significant film arts through education and exhibition to enrich the life of the community.
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CIFF44 Media Accreditation
For CIFF44 media accreditation information, please check back January 1, 2020. CIFF44 will take place March 25-April 5, 2020 at Tower City Cinemas.
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The Cleveland International Film Festival promotes artistically and culturally significant film arts through education and exhibition to enrich the life of the community.
Free Screening!
This screening is part of The Taste of the Festival.
Click for more information.
Film Forums
FilmForums are moderated and interactive panel discussions that feature filmmakers, community leaders, and scholars who are knowledgeable about the topic at hand.
Film forums begin after the film ends, and are 45 minutes long.
What is Stand by?
Only a portion of available seats are sold in advance in order to save room for passholders. Once these advanced tickets have sold, a film is considered on Stand By. However, even for crowded films, we can often accommodate additional patrons just before showtime.
Special Location
Akron-Summit County Public Library
60 S. High St
Akron, OH 44326
330.643.9000
Special Location
Beachland Ballroom & Tavern
15711 Waterloo Rd
Cleveland, OH 44110
216.383.1124
Special Location
Hanna Theatre
2067 East 14th St
Cleveland, OH 44115
216.241.6000
Special Location
Cinemark Valley View
6001 Canal Rd
Valley View, OH 44125
216.447.8820
Special Location
Chagrin Cinemas
8200 East Washington Street
Chagrin Falls, OH 44023
Special Location
The Nightlight
30 North High Street
Akron, OH 44308
Special Location
Cleveland State University, MU 107
2001 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44115
Special Location
Connor Palace
1615 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44115
Special Location
Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque
11610 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44106
Special Location
Ritz-Carlton Cleveland
1515 West 3rd Street
Cleveland, OH 44113
Special Location
CIFF Chat Room
Second Floor, Skylight Councourse
,
Special Location
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
1100 E 9th St
Cleveland, OH 44114
216.781-7625
Special Location
Cedar Lee Theatre
2163 Lee Rd
Cleveland Hts, OH 44118
216.321.5411
Special Location
Shaker Square Cinemas
13116 Shaker Square
Cleveland, OH 44120
216.921.9342
Special Location
Plaza Cinemas
140 Cherry Street
Kent, OH 44240
330.968.6335
Special Location
Akron Art Museum
1 S High St
Akron, OH 44308
330.376.9185
Special Location
Apollo Theatre
19 East College St
Oberlin, OH 44074
440.774.3920
Special Location
Cleveland Museum of Art - Gartner Auditorium
11150 East Boulevard
Cleveland, OH 44106
216.421.7350
Special Location
Cleveland Museum of Art - Lecture Hall
11150 East Boulevard
Cleveland, OH 44106
216.421.7350
Special Location
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
1 Wade Oval Drive
Cleveland, OH 44106
216.231.4600
Special Location
Capitol Theatre
1390 W 65th St
Cleveland, OH 44102
216.651.7295
Special Location
Near West Theatre
6702 Detroit Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44102
216.961.6391
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Wednesday, March 27, 2019
CIFF43 Opening Night will take place at Playhouse Square on Wednesday, March 27, 2019 and will include the film at 7:00 PM at the Connor Palace, followed by the reception at 9:00 PM at the KeyBank State Theatre.
USA, UNITED KINGDOM, SWITZERLAND
Directed by Mihal Brezis, Oded Binnun
Running Time: 107 Minutes
Rory MacNeil (Brian Cox) is an old-fashioned Scottish man who likes what he likes: whiskey, cigarettes, and swimming naked in the ocean. But when Rory falls ill, he must leave his isolated home on Hebridean Island and head for San Francisco in search of medical treatment. While in San Francisco, Rory reconnects with his estranged son, Ian, whom he hasn’t seen in over 15 years. Their relationship is full of resentment and unresolved baggage, as both have conflicting ideas about what it means to “be a man.” On top of their complicated history, Rory finds Ian’s fast-paced city life baffling, and struggles to fit in to this new world. Despite their differences, Rory and Ian have a lot to learn from one another, and their arguments slowly give way to acceptance and understanding. A charming blend of comedy and emotion, THE ETRUSCAN SMILE is a heartfelt film about love, forgiveness, and living life to the fullest. (In English and Gaelic with subtitles) —G.S.
Sunday, April 07, 2019
Everyone in attendance at any of the films showing in the last round is invited to join us for the Closing Night dessert reception and awards presentation program around The Fountain at Tower City Center.
The Closing Night Reception will include a brief program announcing the winners of the American Independents Competition, George Gund III Memorial Central and Eastern European Film Competition, Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Film Competition, Nesnadny + Schwartz Portrait Documentary Competition, Local Heroes Competition, the ReelWomenDirect Award, and the Roxanne T. Mueller Audience Choice Award.
USA
Directed by Emilio Estevez
Running Time: 119 Minutes
With record-setting lows in the forecast, Cincinnati is bracing for a severe cold spell. The city’s homeless population regularly seeks refuge from the elements at the downtown public library, patiently awaiting the doors to open each morning after spending long nights in a shelter or risking their lives out on the street. Stuart Goodson (Emilio Estevez) and his fellow librarians empathize with their patrons, but they walk a fine line to honor the rights of the homeless individuals while respecting other patrons’ rights to a safe, comfortable library visit. With overflow shelters at capacity on the coldest night of the year, nearly 100 homeless men, several of whom experience mental illness, hold a peaceful protest in the library, insisting on staying the night to keep warm. The police threaten the use of force to evacuate the patrons, while the media has its own intentions of reporting a version of the story for the sake of ratings instead of the truth. Caught on the frontlines, Stuart, who must choose to succumb to pressures to stand down or immerse himself in the movement. Timely, socially relevant, and altogether captivating, THE PUBLIC offers brutally honest portrayals of homelessness, addiction, and mental illness along with our willingness – or the resistance – to help our neighbors in need. – A.B.
March 27, 2019 sponsored by
March 28, 2019 sponsored by
March 29, 2019 sponsored by
March 30, 2019 sponsored by
March 31, 2019 sponsored by
April 01, 2019 sponsored by
April 02, 2019 sponsored by
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April 05, 2019 sponsored by
April 06, 2019 sponsored by
April 07, 2019 sponsored by
After Hours Shorts 1
After Hours Shorts 2
After Hours Shorts 3
After Hours Shorts 4
Animated Shorts
Comedy Shorts 1
Comedy Shorts 2
Comedy Shorts 3
Family Shorts 1
Family Shorts 2
Family Shorts 3
FilmSlam® African Diaspora Shorts Program
FilmSlam® Arabic Shorts Program
FilmSlam® Chinese Shorts Program
FilmSlam® French Shorts Program
FilmSlam® German Shorts Program
FilmSlam® International Shorts Program
FilmSlam® Middle-School Light Program
FilmSlam® Russian Shorts Program
FilmSlam® Shorts for Those with Hearing Loss
FilmSlam® Spanish Shorts Program
FilmSlam® World Language Program
Local Heroes Shorts 1
Local Heroes Shorts 2
Watch Out! Shorts 1
Watch Out! Shorts 2
Shorts Program 1
Shorts Program 2
Shorts Program 3
Shorts Program 4
Shorts Program 5
Shorts Program 6
Shorts Program 7
Shorts Program 8
Shorts Program 9
Shorts Program 10
Shorts Program 11
Shorts Program 12
Shorts Program 13
Shorts Program 14
Shorts Program 15
African Diaspora
These remarkable films feature stories from Africa, made by and about Africans and people of African descent from around the world.
Sidebar Sponsored by:
After Hours
Ready for your mind to be blown? Prowl the Festival and feast on these dark, mysterious, thrilling, and bizarre films.
Cinema en Español
This ecclectic array of Spanish-language films, and films with Spanish dialogue, explores a multitude of subjects that range from the culturally specific to the universal.
Sidebar Sponsored by:
Family Films
You can take a family trip around the world without leaving the city. These family-friendly films are great for kids and young adults.
Sidebar Sponsored by:
Film Is Art
Focusing on topics including photography, painting, illustration, model aviation, and even dog grooming, these films explore artists and the artistic process. Some of these films also highlight animation – an art form in and of itself.
Jewish and Israeli Visions
These films from–or about–Israel and the Jewish diaspora enlighten with their unique cultural perspective.
Sidebar Sponsored by:
Rochelle and Harley Gross
Nordic Adventures
These films feature fantastic, original storytelling from the Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.
Pan-Asian Cinema
Focusing on films from the Pacific Islands and the entire continent of Asia, along with stories of Asian-Americans, these films feature modern tales from ancient cultures.
Sidebar Sponsored by:
Race Relations
The films in this sidebar expand the discussion about race and ethnicity and the impact racial identity has on individuals and society as a whole.
Strangers in a Strange Land
This imperative new sidebar features the stories of people living in a foreign land, or as foreigners in their own land. These films continue the conversation about the need for mutual cultural understanding.
The Sports Section
These films focus on sports competitions and individual athletes causing any spectator to feel the emotions involved.
Voices of the Arab World
These films, hailing from many different countries, share the same language and exemplify dynamic cultures that have impacted history while continuing to mold the world's dialogue.
Sidebar Sponsored by:
Dr. and Mrs. Mousab and Mary Tabbaa and Family
Watch Out! (formerly 10% Cinema)
This long-standing sidebar (formerly 10% Cinema), features films focusing on issues, topics, and stories from the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities.
Women of the World
Once again we are proud to feature this collection of films that celebrate empowered women.
Sidebar Sponsored by:
Ad Hoc Docs Competition
Audiences at the CIFF love documentaries. Over the past several years almost half of the feature films we have presented have been documentaries, and they have won the Roxanne T. Mueller Award six of the past seven years.
We're excited to once again present this competition featuring topics, subjects, and stories that go beyond the descriptions of our other competitions.
Based on audience vote, the winner of this competition will be announced at our Closing Night Ceremony and receive a $7,500 cash prize.
Competition Presented by:
Anne E. BloombergTom and Anita Cook
American Independents Competition
With big dreams and small budgets, these films represent the finest in contemporary American cinema. Based on audience vote, this year's competition will yield an increased cash prize of $7,500 to the winner announced at the Closing Night Ceremony.
Competition Presented by:
Mike and Nicki Cancelliere
Audience Choice Award for Best Short
Sponsored by Char and Chuck Fowler
Competition Presented by:
Char and Chuck Fowler
Best After Hours Short
Sponsored by Friends of Patrick McFadden
Competition Presented by:
Best Animated Short
sponsored by Reminger Co., L.P.A.
This award winner will quality for consideration in the Shorts Films Animation category of the annual Academy Awards.
Competition Presented by:
Reminger Co., L.P.A.
Best Documentary Short
sponsored by Jules and Fran Belkin
This award winner will quality for consideration in the Shorts Films Documentary category of the annual Academy Awards.
Competition Presented by:
Jules and Fran Belkin
Best Family Short
sponsored by University School
Competition Presented by:
Best International Short
sponsored by MP Star Financial
Competition Presented by:
Best Live Action Short
sponsored by Anne Bloomberg and Alan Gordon Lipson & Judy Harris
This award winner will quality for consideration in the Shorts Films Live-Action category of the annual Academy Awards.
Competition Presented by:
Anne Bloomberg and Alan Gordon Lipson & Judy Harris
Best Student Short
sponsored by MP Star Financial
Competition Presented by:
Best Women's Short
sponsored by Jinny and John Johnson
Competition Presented by:
Jinny and John Johnson
FilmSlam Student Choice Award for Best Feature
sponsored by Overdrive
FilmSlam Student Choice Award for Best Short
sponsored by Overdrive
George Gund III Memorial Central and Eastern European Competition
Twenty-nine years ago at the 14th CIFF, we launched a special focus on films from Central and Eastern Europe, the native lands of many Clevelanders. This year the CIFF is proud to present its 17th Central and Eastern European Competition. And, for the seventh year, we are deeply honored to present this competition in loving memory of George Gund III with the support of an endowment from The George Gund Foundation. This competition not only gives recognition to the films coming to us from Central and Eastern Europe, but it also awards one filmmaker a $10,000 cash prize that will be announced at our Closing Night Ceremony.
Competition Presented by:
Jurors:
Mark Adams – Mark Adams is Artistic Director of the Edinburgh International Film Festival, joining the festival in 2015. He was Chief Film Critic for the film trade paper, Screen International, as well as the film critic for The Sunday Mirror in the UK. He attends most of the key international film festivals around the world. And as a film journalist and reviewer for more than 25 years, Mark has written for Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and Moving Pictures International, as well as many national newspapers in the UK. He has also worked extensively in the film industry. He was Head of Programming at the National Theatre in London for six years and Director of Cinema at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) in London. Mark has programmed for film festivals around the world and served as a consultant for various film organizations.
Nicholas Bell – Los Angeles-based Nicholas Bell is the Chief Film Critic for IONCINEMA.com. He covers film festivals such as Sundance, Berlin, Cannes, Toronto, and AFI. A writer/journalist, Nicholas graduated with Departmental Honors in English from Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 2007.
Lenka Tyrpáková – Lenka Tyrpáková was born in Prague, Czechia and graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy and Arts at Charles University after studying Russian and Ukrainian languages. Afterwards, she studied Russian and East European Studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences. In 2005 she joined the team of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) and has been working in the Program Department since that time. Lenka is a member of the selection committee and a programmer in charge of the East of the West Competition, which focuses on debut and second films from Central and Eastern Europe, Turkey, Greece, and the Middle East. At KVIFF she is also involved in the selection of projects for the industry platform, Eastern Promises. Since 2008 Lenka has worked as a programmer for the Prague Short Film Festival and consulted with several other festivals.
Global Health Competition
The CIFF has always recognized the power of film to change people’s viewpoints about the world. This competition includes films that delve into human health-related issues (both mental and physical) and films about the health of the environment. The films in this competition will introduce our audience to an entire array of health-related issues and encourage us to question the true definition of health as it relates to individuals and the entire planet.
This year the CIFF is proud to present our fifth Global Health Competition. Based on audience vote, the winner of this competition will be announced at our Closing Night Reception and receive a $7,500 cash prize.
Competition Presented by:
Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Competition
In 2005 The George Gund Foundation granted the CIFF with an endowment to create the Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Competition as a tribute to Greg Gund. Greg’s friends and family described him as “intensely creative and talented, and wholly without pretension.” For five years Greg lived in Playa Negro near Tamarindo, Costa Rica where he immersed himself by becoming part of the local community. As much as he deeply loved his home there, Greg was also an extensive world traveler with an adventurous spirit and an insatiable curiosity about different cultures and people. He lived by this Mahatma Gandhi quote inscribed in his passport: “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” Greg died at the age of 32 in a small plane crash off the Pacific Coast on July 16, 2005.
Our Standing Up program includes “films with a conscience.” Standing Up started as a sidebar to focus on films with the mission to change the world and grew into a celebration of activism and the fight for social justice. Many of these films highlight personal stories featuring individuals who set out to teach lessons on how to live a better life. One of the aspects all these films share is the impact they make on viewers long after the credits roll. Through the films, Standing Up honors Greg Gund—as well as others with a different view of the world—and the continual fight to make it better.
Based on audience vote, the winner of this competition will be announced at our Closing Night Ceremony and receive a $7,500 cash prize.
Competition Presented by:
International Narrative Competition
The CIFF is a great way for Clevelanders to experience the different cultures, languages, and customs of the entire world. We are recognized for our well-rounded international program, and we're happy to showcase films from around the globe in the second year of this competition.
Based on audience vote, the winner of this competition will be announced at our Closing Night Ceremony and recieve a $7,500 cash prize.
Competition Presented by:
Tom Piraino & Barbara McWilliams
International Narrative Films sponsored by:
Local Heroes Competition
Local Heroes is our annual celebration of films made about Ohio, in Ohio, or by Ohioans. We are honored to once again support these films and filmmakers, hoping to empower the already booming independent film community of Cleveland and Ohio alike. Based on audience vote, this year’s competition will yield a $7,500 cash prize to the winner announced at our Closing Night Ceremony.
Competition Presented by:
Lauren Rich Fine
Local Heroes Films sponsored by:
Music Movies Competition
At the 30th CIFF we launched our Music Movies Sidebar, which has since grown into a grouping of some of our most popular films each Festival. For the sixth year in a row, we’re happy to showcase these films even more and continue the Music Movies Competition. Comprised of documentaries and narratives, this competition is based on audience vote and awards the winner with a $7,500 cash prize, which willbe announced at our Closing Night Ceremony.
Competition Presented by:
Jules and Fran Belkin
Nesnadny + Schwartz Portrait Documentary Competition
The Nesnadny + Schwartz Portrait Documentary Competition is dedicated to the life and work of our long-time board member and friend Mark Schwartz (1956-2014).
For 15 years, the CIFF has presented the N+S Documentary Competition. This will be the third year we celebrate the life of Mark Schwartz with a sharper focus on portrait documentaries. Much like Mark himself–and the creative firm he founded–the subjects in these documentaries are determined, dedicated, and daring. The films are artistic and passionate, telling stories with insight, power, and revelation.
N+S (www.NSideas.com) is a ground-breaking graphic design studio committed to telling their clients' stories through bold ideas they least expect. Film, like design, is a medium of change. Sponsoring a program that rewards excellence in that medium is a natural fit for a studio that demands the same.
Portrait documentaries in competition that are screening in the Festival will be viewed by our panel of jurors throughout the week. The winner will be announced at our Closing Night Ceremony, receiving a cash prize of $10,000.
Competition Presented by:
Jurors:
Brian Newman – Brian Newman is the founder of Sub-Genre, which consults on content development, financing, distribution, and marketing to help connect brands and filmmakers with audiences. Clients include Patagonia, REI, Keen, Yeti Coolers, New York Times, Sonos, Sundance, Vulcan Productions, and Zero Point Zero. Brian is the Producer of "Love & Taxes," "The Outside Story," "The Wild," and "The Heist," and Executive Producer of "Shored Up." Brian has served as CEO of the Tribeca Film Institute and is on the advisory board of the Camden International Film Festival.
Brian Owens – Brian Owens became Artistic Director of the Calgary International Film Festival in 2018. Prior to that, he served as Artistic Director for the Nashville Film Festival for a decade, overseeing his final festival last May. He began his career in the film industry by founding the Indianapolis International Film Festival. He has served on juries across the U.S. and Canada and has published several writings online and in print.
Nina Gilden Seavey – Nina Gilden Seavey is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and 30-year veteran of the documentary world. Nina's eclectic body of work has won numerous recognitions, including five Emmy nominations. Nina serves as the Director of the Documentary Center at The George Washington University, which she founded in 1990. She holds the academic rank of Research Professor of History and Media and Public Affairs at the university. In 2012 Nina was named on of the top 50 journalism professors in the U.S. In addition to being a filmmaker and professor, in 2002 Nina became the Founding Director of SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival (now AFI Docs). She continued with the festival as Executive Producer, strand programmer, and senior member of the management team until 2009.
New Direction Competition
At the 39th CIFF we premiered our focus on debut directors whose innovative films transform the traditional notions of cinematic storytelling. Thanks to the support of CoverMyMeds, we are proud to present our fourth New Direction Competition. Screening within this competition are films created by emerging filmmakers who we believe will define the future of filmmaking. Films in competition that are screening in the Festival will be viewed by our panel of jurors throughout the week. The winner will be announced at our Closing Night Ceremony, receiving a cash prize of $10,000.
Competition Presented by:
Jurors:
Jim Brunzell III – Jim Brunzell III was born in the 70s, played sports in the 80s, went to school in the 90s, and started working at film festivals in the 2000s. He is the Artistic Director of the All Genders, Lifestyles, and Identities Film Festival (aGLIFF) in Austin, TXand the 32nd annual festival will take place August 22-25, 2019. Jim was named a "Top 10 Local Queer Hero" by the Austin Chronicle in 2016. Jim is also the Festival Director for the music/film/art festival, Sound Unseen, in Minneapolis, MN, which was named "One of the 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World for 2016" by Moviemaker Magazine and will be celebrating its 20th annual festival, November 13-17, 2019. Jim has served on numerous film festival juries and is a big sports nerd.
Megan Leonard – Megan Leonard is a producer and festival programmer based in Seattle, WA. Her short film, "Mixtape Marauders" (dir. Peter Edlund, 2017), premiered at the Academy-qualifying Aspen ShortsFest and continued to screen at festivals across the U.S. It received a Vimeo Staff Pick Premiere, as did her two previous collaborations with director Peter Edlund, "Chase the Clouds" (2016) and "The New West" (2014). In 2018 Megan co-produced and assistant directed Factory 25's feature production, "You Mean Everything To Me." Megan has also produced numerous other short films, including "I See Through You." And she has produced music videos for Mudhoney, Chastity Belt, Noah Gundersen, and more. In addition to producing, Megan has served on the Seattle International Film Festival programming team for the last ten years, where she heads the New American Cinema and SIFF ShortsFest teams. She also programs at DOC NYC, Indie Memphis, and Cucalorus. Megan has served as a mentor at SXSW and Film Independent Forum and as a juror at Fantastic Fest, Twist, and Sound Unseen.
Boyd van Hoeij – Boyd van Hoeij is a Dutch-born freelance film writer based in Paris and Luxembourg. He was a contributing critic for the U.S. trade paper, Variety, between 2008 and 2013, before moving to The Hollywood Reporter, where he reviews films from all the major international festivals, including Cannes, Venice, and Toronto. He's also the film editor of Winq magazine (Netherlands) and regularly contributes to De Filmkrant (Netherlands). Besides his writing activities, Boyd is part of the Selection Committee of the Luxembourg Film Fund and a programmer at the Luxembourg City Film Festival. He's also taught film criticism short courses and conducted shot-by-shot analyses of film classics in countries as varied as Lithuania, Ireland, Portugal, Hungary, and the United States.
Perspectives Award for Immersive Storytelling
Competition Presented by:
Programmers' Choice Award - In Celebration of the life of Toni Oliverio
In memory of long-time CIFF shorts programmer, Toni Oliverio. The award will be accompanied by a $1,000 cash prize.
Competition Presented by:
The Sloop Family
ReelWomenDirect Award for Excellence in Directing by a Woman
We are thrilled to once again celebrate female filmmakers at the Cleveland International Film Festival. The ReelWomenDirect Award, based on audience vote, will be presented to a woman director at our Closing Night Ceremony, accompanied by a $10,000 cash prize. In an industry historically dominated by men, we are honored to showcase these women–who make up nearly 40% of our feature filmmakers–and the empowered female perspectives they provide within their films.
Competition Presented by:
Roxanne T. Mueller Audience Choice Award
Roxanne T. Mueller served as the film critic at The Plain Dealer from 1983 until 1988 when she lost a six-month battle with cancer at the age of 36. Mueller was a strong supporter of the Festival and, through her writing, helped to raise the general level of film appreciation in Cleveland. She was an exceptionally engaging writer who managed to weave personal insights into her film reviews, whether she was covering popular Hollywood fare or sophisticated foreign cinema. In its 12th year, the CIFF established the Roxanne T. Mueller Audience Choice Award for Best Film to help bring this important Festival friend back into focus a bit each year. Festival patrons rate each film they see and the most popular film is announced at our Closing Night Reception. The Callahan Foundation, started in 1968 by Cleveland nuclear engineer, inventor, and businessman Joe Callahan, joins us in celebrating the 28th year of this renowned award with a $15,000 cash prize to the winner.
The Clover and Maggie Award
sponsored by Barbara Hawley and David Goodman
Competition Presented by:
Barbara Hawley and David Goodman
The Sammy Award for the Short Film with the Biggest Heart
sponsored by Marcie Goodman
The Spalding and Jackson Award
sponsored by Marcie Goodman and John C. Williams
Competition Presented by:
Marcie Goodman and John C. Williams
After Hours Shorts 1
Running Time: 96 Minutes
After Hours Shorts 2
Running Time: 98 Minutes
After Hours Shorts 3
Running Time: 95 Minutes
After Hours Shorts 4
Running Time: 95 Minutes
Animated Shorts
Comedy Shorts 1
Comedy Shorts 2
Running Time: 93 Minutes
Comedy Shorts 3
Family Shorts 1
Family Shorts 2
Family Shorts 3
FilmSlam® African Diaspora Shorts Program
Running Time: 67 Minutes
FilmSlam® Arabic Shorts Program
Running Time: 79 Minutes
FilmSlam® Chinese Shorts Program
Running Time: 71 Minutes
FilmSlam® French Shorts Program
Running Time: 84 Minutes
FilmSlam® German Shorts Program
Running Time: 68 Minutes
FilmSlam® International Shorts Program
Running Time: 79 Minutes
FilmSlam® Middle-School Light Program
Running Time: 81 Minutes
FilmSlam® Russian Shorts Program
Running Time: 78 Minutes
FilmSlam® Shorts for Those with Hearing Loss
Running Time: 80 Minutes
FilmSlam® Spanish Shorts Program
Running Time: 80 Minutes
FilmSlam® World Language Program
Running Time: 72 Minutes
Local Heroes Shorts 1
Running Time: 95 Minutes
Local Heroes Shorts 2
Watch Out! Shorts 1
Running Time: 97 Minutes
Watch Out! Shorts 2
Shorts Program 1
Running Time: 97 Minutes
Shorts Program 2
Running Time: 94 Minutes
Shorts Program 3
Running Time: 95 Minutes
Shorts Program 4
Running Time: 97 Minutes
Shorts Program 5
Running Time: 96 Minutes
Shorts Program 6
Shorts Program 7
Shorts Program 8
Running Time: 97 Minutes
Shorts Program 9
Running Time: 94 Minutes
Shorts Program 10
Running Time: 98 Minutes
Shorts Program 11
Shorts Program 12
Running Time: 96 Minutes
Shorts Program 13
Shorts Program 14
Running Time: 96 Minutes
Shorts Program 15
Running Time: 96 Minutes
United Arab Emirates
Directed By: Nada El-Azhary
Running Time: 10 Minutes
When a flirty text to her crush accidentaly gets sent to her dad’s phone instead, a shy teenager must do whatever it takes to delete the message before her dad checks his phone. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
Family Shorts 1
FilmSlam® Arabic Shorts Program
FilmSlam® Middle-School Light Program
FilmSlam® Shorts for Those with Hearing Loss
GERMANY
Directed By: Florian David Fitz
Running Time: 110 Minutes
U.S. PREMIERE Toni and Paul are best friends who have created an app that gives cell phone voices personalities to match the owners. Unknown to Paul, Toni has used Paul’s prototype app to mine intimate personal data to encourage him to... {more}
Sweden
Directed By: Jimmy Olsson
Running Time: 14 Minutes
Charlotte faces an unexpected challenge in her new job as a second-grade teacher. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
IRAN
Directed By: Jafar Panahi
Running Time: 100 Minutes
When beloved Iranian actress Behnaz Jafari receives a video from a young girl in a remote village, her life is shattered. It depicts the apparent suicide of the girl—an aspiring actress forbidden by her family to attend the conservatory in... {more}
CANADA
Directed By: André Roy
Running Time: 7 Minutes
A VR documentary about a school gym that becomes the site of an experiment in reverse inclusion when non-disabled students ask for wheelchairs so that they can play basketball with their classmates - two sisters who have muscular dystrophy. {more}
USA
Directed By: Jethro Patalinghug
Running Time: 82 Minutes
Kings and Queens, Emperors and Empresses throwing elegant balls with dazzling gowns and tiaras. The Grand Courts of Europe? No. The Imperial Court of San Francisco, the oldest LGBTQ charity in the world. Found by Jose Sarria in the 1960s,... {more}
Austria
Directed By: David Auerbach
Running Time: 29 Minutes
A beloved former communist institution fights for survival amidst the ever shifting political and economic tides of the disputed Crimean peninsula. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
UK
Directed By: Dezhou Li
Running Time: 13 Minutes
About Bintou is a short documentary about an African female Muslim student’s life in Guangzhou, China. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
ARGENTINA, MEXICO
Directed By: Gonzalo Tobal
Running Time: 108 Minutes
Before the vicious murder of her best friend, Camila, Delores lived a privileged life as a relatively well-off college student. But two years later, she’s about to stand trial for the crime, though she vehemently denies any involvement. The killing... {more}
France
Directed By: BOUTROT Lucas, CARRET Elise, CREANTOR Maoris, HUBERT Pierre, LACROIX Camille, PERROUX Charlotte
Running Time: 7 Minutes
In ancient China, a little dragon who can't breathe fire will fight to overcome his weakness in order to take part in the New Year’s celebration. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
NORWAY
Directed By: Henrik Martin Dahlsbakken
Running Time: 90 Minutes
When a mysterious bouquet of fresh roses shows up on Anita’s doorstep, her evening runs become a bit more guarded. She’s just started a new job as a substitute teacher where she struggles to fit in with her colleagues. Instead,... {more}
USA
Directed By: Derek Knowles, Spencer Seibert
Running Time: 18 Minutes
AFTER THE FIRE follows residents of Sonoma Valley as they struggle to find their places in a community that has been reshaped overnight by the historic Northern California wildfires. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
USA
Directed By: Ofra Bloch
Running Time: 94 Minutes
When Jerusalem-born trauma expert, Ofra Bloch, first set out to make this documentary, her original focus was on the legacy of the Holocaust in Germany and creating conversations between the children of Jewish survivors with the children of Nazi perpetrators.... {more}
SUDAN, SOUTH AFRICA, QATAR, GERMANY
Directed By: hajooj kuka
Running Time: 78 Minutes
Adnan is torn. He’s in love with Lina, but he’s really in love with Nancy, his beloved AK47. The civil war in Sudan has been on hiatus during the rainy season, but the time has come for Adnan to rejoin... {more}
Spain
Directed By: Bernabé Rico
Running Time: 15 Minutes
Madrid, Christmas 2009: a newborn is abandoned in the middle of the street. With only the shelter of a sports bag, the baby undertakes a journey of survival at the hands of nocturnal beings who, although overtaken by events, will... {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
United Kingdom
Directed By: Ben Adam-Harris
Running Time: 4 Minutes
A skeleton struggles to let go of an ex lover. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
USA
Directed By: David Maddox
Running Time: 9 Minutes
A well meaning math teacher finds herself trumped by a post-fact America. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
USA
Directed By: Jacqueline Olive
Running Time: 89 Minutes
Public reports prove nearly 5,000 lynchings took place from the 1890s through the 1960s, an era of American history that still haunts black and white communities. For much of the nation, these horrific acts may feel like a distant memory.... {more}
USA
Directed By: Erick Stoll, Chase Whiteside
Running Time: 76 Minutes
On a busy boardwalk of Puerta Vallarta, Diego weaves in and out of the crowds on his unicycle. But his carefree life of being a surf instructor abruptly changes direction when he’s forced to move back home to Colima to... {more}
USA
Directed By: Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert
Running Time: 115 Minutes
Dayton, Ohio has a rich history of innovation and industry as the home for the aviation pioneer Wright Brothers, companies such as National Cash Register, and artists including poet Paul Laurence Dunbar. In the early 20th century, the region was... {more}
USA
Directed By: Pat McGee, Adam Linkenhelt
Running Time: 105 Minutes
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, more than 115 Americans die every day from opioid overdoses. The epidemic knows no boundaries, affecting people from all walks of life, regardless of race, gender, or socioeconomic status. Many times, the... {more}
USA, DENMARK, NORWAY
Directed By: James Longley
Running Time: 117 Minutes
The children of Kabul, Afghanistan have never known peace. Raised amidst the chaos and violence of continuous conflict, their curious minds try to make sense of their circumstances and the fate of their homeland. Attempting to provide some sense of... {more}
POLAND, SPAIN, BELGIUM, GERMANY, HUNGARY
Directed By: Raúl de la Fuente, Damian Nenow
Running Time: 86 Minutes
It’s 1975 in freshly liberated Angola, and a horrific war is erupting between the Socialist and Democratic factions of the country. As world powers choose sides, the bloody civil-conflict spreads far beyond Angola’s borders and onto the international stage, becoming... {more}
CANADA
Directed By: Nicholas de Pencier, Jennifer Baichwal, Edward Burtynsky
Running Time: 6 Minutes
A VR documentary that immerses viewers in the Dandora Landfill - the largest of its kind in Kenya. A landfill that receives about 2,000 tons of waste per day, it also represents an emerging microeconomy of the more than one... {more}
CANADA
Directed By: Nicholas de Pencier, Jennifer Baichwal, Edward Burtynsky
Running Time: 7 Minutes
A VR documentary that captures the largest ivory burn in history, which took place in Nairobi National Park in April 2016. Over 100 tons of confiscated elephant tusks and rhinoceros horns (equaling between 105 to 150 million dollars) were set... {more}
CANADA
Directed By: Jennifer Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier, Edward Burtynsky
Running Time: 87 Minutes
For nearly 12,000 years, civilization as we know it has formed within the Holocene Epoch. This geological time scale can be read within the stones of the Earth. For the last ten years, a group of scientists has been investigating... {more}
USA
Directed By: Paul Connor, Josh Chesler
Running Time: 7 Minutes
THE APPLICANT tells the story of Adam Parker, a complex man with good intentions who finds himself trapped in a high-tech world of unlimited power, resources, and seemingly unlimited corruption. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
USA
Directed By: Bola Ogun
Running Time: 9 Minutes
When Lauren and Bill's 14 year-daughter says she's going to her first dance with her classmate, Ryan, they question their preconceived notions of her sexuality and their openness as parents. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
UNITED KINGDOM
Directed By: Oliver Krimpas
Running Time: 79 Minutes
WORLD PREMIERE When a location scout tours an old French chateau for a possible film production, he spends the afternoon engaged in a dynamic conversation about philosophy and science with the property’s representative. She is a beautiful young woman who is... {more}
Spain, US
Directed By: Erika Sanz
Running Time: 15 Minutes
Eli, a writer in the doldrums and Angela an aspiring actress, are on the brink of a breakup but an unexpected visit from the past will change everything. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
GERMANY
Directed By: Florian Gallenberger
Running Time: 115 Minutes
Georg “Schorsch” Kempter has never been a man of many words. He spends his days working quietly as a gardener and landscaper in a small Bavarian town. His marriage has lost the little spark it had, and his daughter has... {more}
NORWAY
Directed By: Magnus Meyer Arnesen
Running Time: 91 Minutes
With only a few weeks left of his probation period, Joachim’s struggle with heroin addiction seems to be behind him. On the surface, he appears to be back on track with a steady job and productive therapy sessions—when he’s not... {more}
JAPAN, FRANCE
Directed By: Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
Running Time: 120 Minutes
A chance meeting at her favorite photography exhibit leaves Asako swept up in love. Meek in nature, Asako finds the sexy, free-spirited Baku irresistible, and the two are immediately smitten. Asako’s best friend, Haruyo, warns her that Baku is nothing... {more}
Venezuela
Directed By: Manuel Trotta
Running Time: 18 Minutes
Beto, a sophisticated man, returns to his remote hometown with the goal of bringing his senile father to a care home in the city. But his father, Don Alfredo, does not want to leave home until he fulfills his only... {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
USA, AUSTRALIA
Directed By: Martin Taylor
Running Time: 20 Minutes
A ground-breaking, first-person cinematic VR thriller that blurs the lines of reality through the story of Harry - a man obsessed with solving a mysterious lucid dream. {more}
United Kingdom
Directed By: Alberto Corredor
Running Time: 15 Minutes
Kevin is haunted by grief and has questions that only the recently deceased can answer. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
France
Directed By: Donato Sansone
Running Time: 5 Minutes
In the beginning was the Stain. A paintbrush reveals a being of gouache, opens him, transforms him, twists him, completes him. From this accelerated evolution arises a conquering being. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
Canada
Directed By: Christina Willings
Running Time: 23 Minutes
Beauty explores the lives of five gender-creative kids, each uniquely engaged in shaping their ideas of what it means to be fully human. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
USA
Directed By: Elliot Dickerhoof
Running Time: 4 Minutes
Even in the 18th century musicians had to deal with the usual criticisms from music producers. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
US
Directed By: Aaron Smithson
Running Time: 12 Minutes
While hiking the Appalachian Trail, a deaf couple argue over the moral implications of giving their child a cochlear implant. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
FilmSlam® Shorts for Those with Hearing Loss
Shorts Program 4
USA
Directed By: Hannah Pearl Utt
Running Time: 98 Minutes
Stage manager Rachel Gurner still lives in her childhood apartment—along with her off-kilter actress sister, Jackie; eccentric playwright father Mel; and deadpan preteen niece Dodge—above the tiny theatre they own and operate. Level-headed and turtleneck-wearing Rachel is the only thing... {more}
USA
Directed By: Sarah Berkovich
Running Time: 12 Minutes
Experience life through the eyes of Henry Evans in this interactive VR documentary. After suffering a stroke which left him paralyzed, he uses cutting-edge technology to connect with the world he was forced to leave behind. {more}
UNITED KINGDOM
Directed By: Simon Amstell
Running Time: 85 Minutes
Seven years ago, young Benjamin Oliver wowed the critics and won awards for his first film, “Happy.” Now he is finally releasing his long overdue follow-up, “No Self”—an odd mix examining his inability to maintain relationships, coupled with Buddhist philosophy.... {more}
United Kingdom
Directed By: Garry Crystal
Running Time: 17 Minutes
A classic suburban tale of parenthood, bereavement and a mysterious pug. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
China
Directed By: Mengchen Niu
Running Time: 24 Minutes
Besieged follows the lives of Yang and Victor, Chinese half-brothers who have been in competition with each other their entire lives. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
United Kingdom
Directed By: Kerry Skinner, Stewart Alexander
Running Time: 8 Minutes
You don't want to come between this girl and her bike. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
Family Shorts 1
FilmSlam® International Shorts Program
FilmSlam® Middle-School Light Program
USA
Directed By: Brandon LaGanke, John Carlucci
Running Time: 10 Minutes
A typical family is terrorized by a revolutionary new A.I. product. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
Ireland
Directed By: Carol Freeman
Running Time: 7 Minutes
A baby whale separated from his family discovers a caged bird; the sole survivor of a shipwreck. Together they struggle to survive lost at sea. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
Indonesia
Directed By: Sil van der Woerd, Jorik Dozy
Running Time: 5 Minutes
The symbolic story of a man arriving on a perfect Earth, who encounters his nemesis in the form of ocean pollution. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
USA
Directed By: John William Ross, Michael Thelin, Jerome Sable, Chris Leone, Ben Franklin & Anthony Melton, Toby Meakins, Andrew Laurich, Rob Savage, Jack Bishop & Justin Nijm
Running Time: 21 Minutes
An innovative cinematic collaboration presented in 10 genre bending 2-minute shorts, BITE SIZE HORROR is a festival of fright and delight that explores every facet of the unknown. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
Black Knuckle & Deputy Maltese
USA
Directed By: Jason Phillips
Running Time: 15 Minutes
In the western town of Coal Ridge, a deputy keeps his love a secret until the outlaw who stole his heart is taken hostage. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
US
Directed By: Mike Berry
Running Time: 10 Minutes
A young girl helps the homeless by supplying them with blankets. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
USA
Directed By: Nicholas D'Agostino
Running Time: 9 Minutes
An ex con gets wrapped up in a con within a con. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
USA
Directed By: James Morosini
Running Time: 5 Minutes
A guy and his girlfriend are forced to navigate new territory when he's caught wearing her dress. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
Poland
Directed By: Milena Dutkowska
Running Time: 15 Minutes
Bogdan and Rose have been married for many years. Now they find their daily lives are filled with silent moments of reciprocal malice. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
Boiled Angels: The Trial of Mike Diana
USA
Directed By: Frank Henenlotter
Running Time: 105 Minutes
Freedom of speech is one of America’s most cherished rights, protected by the First Amendment. But as some have learned, not all speech is covered by it. One such exception is obscenity, defined by Merriam-Webster as “any utterance or act... {more}
USA
Directed By: Jeremy Borison
Running Time: 13 Minutes
While Oma and her granddaughter pack up the belongings of Oma's recently deceased husband, truths come to light about her granddaughter's sexuality and Oma's own secret life before the Holocaust. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
Boy Howdy! The Story of Creem Magazine
USA
Directed By: Scott Crawford
Running Time: 73 Minutes
BOY HOWDY! THE STORY OF CREEM MAGAZINE chronicles what some consider to be the greatest rock ‘n’ roll magazine ever made (with an iconic mascot designed by cartoonist, Robert Crumb). In this compelling film, Alice Cooper, Cameron Crowe, Michael Stipe,... {more}
Brainiac: Transmissions After Zero
USA
Directed By: Eric Mahoney
Running Time: 108 Minutes
When Brainiac was starting out, being from Dayton, Ohio wasn’t exactly the coolest thing for a band to claim. But the foursome wore it like a badge of honor. Fronted by singer/multi-instrumentalist Tim Taylor, the indie rock outfit was ahead... {more}
UNITED KINGDOM, USA
Directed By: Robert Ryan
Running Time: 87 Minutes
Nuns with guns who sell weed! It may sound like the plot of some exploitation film, but it’s actually a summary of BREAKING HABITS, an explosive documentary directed by Robert Ryan. The story follows Christine Meeusen, a divorced former corporate... {more}
USA
Directed By: Tom Shadyac
Running Time: 100 Minutes
In the summer of 2002, Brian Banks was charged with dragging a female classmate into a stairwell and raping her. Though Brian maintained his innocence, he agreed to a plea bargain to avoid decades of imprisonment. The accepted plea deal... {more}
Canada/Tunisia/Qatar/Sweden
Directed By: Meryam Joobeur
Running Time: 25 Minutes
Mohamed is a hardened shepherd living in rural Tunisia with his wife and two sons. He is deeply shaken when his oldest son Malik returns home after a long journey with a mysterious new wife. Tension between father and son... {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
FilmSlam® Arabic Shorts Program
FilmSlam® International Shorts Program
Shorts Program 7
INDIA
Directed By: Rima Das
Running Time: 95 Minutes
As a teenage girl growing up in rural India, Bulbul struggles to find her place within a traditional society where women are expected to be modest and well-behaved. Her rebellious spirit and curious mind don’t exactly fit into the gender... {more}
France
Directed By: Daouda Diakhate
Running Time: 30 Minutes
Omar is thirty years old when he gets out from a long stay in psychiatric hospital. He goes back into the district where he lives with his father and his younger sister. The only thing which interests him is to... {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
USA
Directed By: Daniel Bydlowski
Running Time: 28 Minutes
A 10-year-old boy is relentlessly bullied until he discovers a secret beneath his school that promises to keep him safe -- if he's willing to play by the rules. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
France
Directed By: Nirina Ralantoaritsimba
Running Time: 19 Minutes
Max is an ambitious young man. His dream school is an oral exam away from becoming reality but first he needs his grandmother's assistance and she needs his as well. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
FilmSlam® French Shorts Program
FilmSlam® World Language Program
Shorts Program 10
Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles
SPAIN
Directed By: Salvador Simó
Running Time: 77 Minutes
After screening his latest film, “L’Age D’Or,” surrealist filmmaker Luis Buñuel is roundly condemned for blasphemy. The church, his friends, and even his own mother ostracize him, and he cannot get funding to do further work. After reading an ethnography... {more}
United States
Directed By: Erin Brown Thomas, Mike Esperaza
Running Time: 5 Minutes
Life before and after coffee. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
LUXEMBOURG
Directed By: Fabrizio Maltese
Running Time: 104 Minutes
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE At 203.5 square miles, California City is the third largest city in the state of California in terms of area. Founded in 1958 by sociologist/real estate developer, Nat Mendelsohn, it was supposed to become the next big metropolis.... {more}
USA
Directed By: Sabina Vajrača
Running Time: 18 Minutes
When a talented yet struggling actress Laura has an uneasy encounter with a top Hollywood director at the biggest audition of her career, she has to make a decision of whether to take the role, or walk away from her... {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
Campfire Creepers: Midnight March
USA
Directed By: Alexandre Aja
Running Time: 12 Minutes
When the ruthless counselors of Camp Coyote force the kids to take a ritualistic midnight march, one fed-up boy reveals a terrifying secret about himself, in this 80s-style horror VR series. {more}
Campfire Creepers: Skull of Sam
USA
Directed By: Alexandre Aja
Running Time: 12 Minutes
This creepy episode of the Camp Coyote-set VR horror series is about a couple who encounter a vicious stranger in the woods, played by the iconic Robert Englund. {more}
USA
Directed By: Hernan Barangan
Running Time: 101 Minutes
At age 15, Hernan Barangan was diagnosed with Leukemia. Unknown to him at the time, he was one of roughly 70,000 teenagers diagnosed that (and every) year. Just when life was beginning to unfold, he had to battle to keep... {more}
Finland
Directed By: Mika Tervonen
Running Time: 8 Minutes
A man brings his daughter to work for career day, despite his unconventional line of work. In the process they go through a conflict which allows them to see one another in a different light. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
SPAIN
Directed By: Arantxa Aguirre
Running Time: 105 Minutes
Everything should be falling into place for Carmen, whose gypsy parents run an antique booth at a local market. The gorgeous teenager is engaged to handsome Rafa and dreams of being a hairdresser. Yet her world is upended after she... {more}
USA
Directed By: Rob Fruchtman, Steven Lawrence
Running Time: 87 Minutes
New York City streets are home to at least half a million feral or abandoned cats. Thankfully, the city also has an abundance of generous people who want to give these furry creatures better (and safer) lives. Although THE CAT... {more}
USA
Directed By: Magdolin Turner
Running Time: 3 Minutes
Marie wants nothing more than a good night's sleep, but, a lurking creature has other plans. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
SPAIN
Directed By: Javier Fesser
Running Time: 124 Minutes
In CHAMPIONS, Javier Gutiérrez stars as Marco Montes, a well-known, blowhard assistant coach who gets fired for pushing his boss during a game. He then goes out drinking to drown his sorrows and ends up getting arrested for drunk driving.... {more}
USA
Directed By: Michael Engler
Running Time: 108 Minutes
Inspired by true events and based on Laura Moriarty’s novel of the same name, THE CHAPERONE whisks audiences back to Prohibition-era Wichita, Kansas, where two women’s lives unexpectedly intersect. Louise Brooks, a 16-year-old gifted dancer, has been accepted to a... {more}
USA
Directed By: Steve Brown, Timothy Wheeler
Running Time: 81 Minutes
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE Decades after Albert Einstein’s death, scientists and astronomers around the world are still pursuing the theoretical fragments unleashed by his explosive theory of general relativity and gravitation. The ideas of gravitational waves and dark matter have enthralled scientists,... {more}
USA
Directed By: Mike Reft
Running Time: 10 Minutes
When a shy student musters up the courage to ask out his chemistry classmate, his plan goes awry after his love letter lands on the wrong student's desk. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
USA
Directed By: David Nessl
Running Time: 10 Minutes
My dog had a dream and he told me about it. I made a movie about that dream. This is that movie. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
AUSTRALIA, CHINA
Directed By: Olivia Martin-McGuire
Running Time: 86 Minutes
Before young Chinese couples get married, they take elaborate pre-wedding photographs comprising multiple outfit changes and whimsical settings. Such aspirational pictures are meant to reflect fulfilling the dream of pairing up and finding love—something still vitally important to Chinese parents—while... {more}
Chowboys: An American Folktale
Canada
Directed By: Astron-6
Running Time: 9 Minutes
Three idiots are lost in the woods on the coldest night of the year. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
USA
Directed By: Nicole Klaymoon, Morgan Wise
Running Time: 5 Minutes
What must we endure to break through and fly? Chrysalis explores the urgency of transforming our pain through poetry and dance. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
Hungary
Directed By: Barnabás Tóth
Running Time: 16 Minutes
Sometimes it's hard to be a conference interpreter. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
USA
Directed By: Jesse Sweet
Running Time: 83 Minutes
Fifty miles north of New York City, in the town of Monroe, lies Kiryas Joel—a 1.1 square-mile community, home to nearly 25,000 Ultra-Orthodox Hasidic Jews. The village was first established as a safe haven for Holocaust survivors who immigrated to... {more}
USA
Directed By: Ky Dickens
Running Time: 69 Minutes
What do Kleenex, the Pillsbury Doughboy, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and the Wassup Bud Light commercial have in common? They were all created by Chicago advertising firms. In fact, most of the advertising techniques we use and reference today come... {more}
FRANCE
Directed By: Julie Bertuccelli
Running Time: 93 Minutes
Passersby swarm to Claire Darling’s (Catherine Deneuve) front yard where she’s hosting an impromptu garage sale of her life’s possessions. Her priceless antiques, including a collection of intricate clockwork dolls, now sit vastly underpriced in order to empty her estate... {more}
Spain
Directed By: Julieta Alcaide
Running Time: 13 Minutes
Maria is a single mother who works as a cleaning service employee for a large enterprise. Overwhelmed by her precarious life, Maria decides to set up a plan and set it into motion. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
FRANCE
Directed By: David Oelhoffen
Running Time: 111 Minutes
Although Driss and Manu grew up in the same tight-knit Moroccan/Algerian community in Paris, their lives have taken completely opposite paths. While Driss has made a name for himself as a narcotics officer, Manu, along with the rest of their... {more}
USA
Directed By: Erika Davis-Marsh
Running Time: 22 Minutes
A young dancer struggles with her bi-cultural identity when she meets a confident young Deaf man who stirs up conflicted feelings about growing up hearing in a Deaf family. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
Spain
Directed By: Pau Bacardit
Running Time: 15 Minutes
In the immediate future, where technology increasingly invades human existence, the Renewed® company offers personality and interest updates to live connected to the rest of the society. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
USA
Directed By: Monisha Dadlani
Running Time: 16 Minutes
An inexperienced high school senior, obsessed with erotic and young adult fiction sets out to lose her virginity on prom night. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
SLOVENIA
Directed By: Darko Stante
Running Time: 93 Minutes
After assaulting a young woman who questioned his manhood, Andrej, a troubled son whose parents cooperate with the authorities, is sent to a youth center. Supposedly a rehabilitative facility, the center’s staff is easily cowed by the violent youths in... {more}
Canada
Directed By: Nicolas Beauchemin
Running Time: 5 Minutes
A corner store robbery goes wrong when Patrick meets an unexpected acquaintance. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
USA
Directed By: Jingjing Tian
Running Time: 6 Minutes
Cowboy Joe is about a Chinese cowboy who stands up to his father for the first time and the consequences that he must deal with as a result. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
Switzerland
Directed By: Lorenz Wunderle
Running Time: 10 Minutes
A coyote loses his wife and children from an attack of wolfs. Anguished from human emotions he's trying to process the experience. Besides grief and delusion, evil takes up more and more space. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
USA
Directed By: Terrence Crawford
Running Time: 89 Minutes
WORLD PREMIERE Some call the 21st century the post-AIDS years, thanks to activism and new medications. New York and other centers of gay life have new generations of LGBTQ people who feel free and safe. Over the years, however, another ravaging... {more}
BELARUS, USA, GERMANY, RUSSIA
Directed By: Darya Zhuk
Running Time: 93 Minutes
It’s 1996 in post-Soviet Belarus, and all Velya wants is to escape into her music. Cassette tapes and night clubs offer temporary relief, but her big dream is to become a world-class DJ in Chicago, the birthplace of the house... {more}
USA
Directed By: Rob Lambert
Running Time: 114 Minutes
U.S. PREMIERE Ronnie is a young white male, struggling with the pressures of life. He’s unemployed, rejected from the military for being mentally unstable, and lives at home with his ailing and nagging mother. When it comes to dating, things aren’t... {more}
GERMANY
Directed By: Christian Alvart
Running Time: 131 Minutes
During an autopsy, Dr. Herzfeld finds a capsule in the corpse's brain containing his daughter Hannah's name and cell number. Hannah has been abducted and her father must contact “Erik” for further instructions. Erik's phone is answered by an artist... {more}
ITALY, GERMANY, SWITZERLAND
Directed By: Laura Bispuri
Running Time: 100 Minutes
During a carefree summer in Sardinia, reserved pre-teen Vittoria befriends an unlikely woman: volatile and dramatic Angelica, whose life is unmoored by personal debt and bad decisions. However, when the young girl learns a carefully guarded family secret—Angelica is actually... {more}
FRANCE, QATAR, LEBANON, SYRIA
Directed By: Soudade Kaadan
Running Time: 90 Minutes
In ancient folklore, losing one’s shadow is a metaphor for losing oneself. In the powerful and brilliantly acted THE DAY I LOST MY SHADOW, director Soudade Kaadan uniquely spins this concept where it’s the horrors of war that will steal... {more}
Spain
Directed By: Diego Porral Soldevilla
Running Time: 2 Minutes
The monologue of a grandfather. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
FilmSlam® Shorts for Those with Hearing Loss
FilmSlam® World Language Program
USA
Directed By: Tara Atashgah
Running Time: 5 Minutes
Multiple people experience love in one day. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
Germany
Directed By: Lina Jakobi
Running Time: 4 Minutes
Deaf is about one hearing person and one deaf person who are interested in each other but do not dare to say until the end. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
TUNISIA
Directed By: Mohamed Ben Attia
Running Time: 104 Minutes
For high school standards, Riadh and his 19-year-old son, Sami, are close. While the father and son enjoy running errands and going for walks in the park, most of Sami’s spare time these days is spent studying for his upcoming... {more}
USA
Directed By: Leah Galant
Running Time: 13 Minutes
Inge Ginsberg, a 97-year old Holocaust survivor, has taken up death metal music. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
USA
Directed By: Vivian Vázquez Irizarry, Gretchen Hildebran
Running Time: 76 Minutes
The South Bronx smoldered for nearly ten years. In the 1970s, the New York City borough lost almost 80% of its housing to fires, displacing 250,000 residents from their homes. Once a thriving, integrated community of African American, Irish, Italian,... {more}
USA
Directed By: David Codeglia
Running Time: 9 Minutes
As a zombie-riddled Los Angeles erupts in chaos, two co-workers bump into each other beneath the city on an abandoned subway platform. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
USA
Directed By: Joe Boothe
Running Time: 10 Minutes
A flaky delivery driver's night veers off course when he stumbles into a lover's quarrel gone wrong. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
United States
Directed By: Lily Daroff
Running Time: 10 Minutes
A short psychological thriller about a young girl named Mallory who begins to believe that her best friend Caitlin is a figment of her own imagination. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
USA
Directed By: Benjamin Howard
Running Time: 10 Minutes
In the early sixties, a sexually conflicted teenager finds faith and acceptance after escaping the tortures of electrotherapeutic conversion therapy. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
PORTUGAL, FRANCE, BRAZIL
Directed By: Gabriel Abrantes, Daniel Schmidt
Running Time: 93 Minutes
On the day of the World Cup Finals, Portuguese soccer star, Diamantino, loses both his beloved father and the big game for his team. Diamantino, who is a man of child-like compassion and whim, abandons his sport and decides to... {more}
United States
Directed By: Piripinghi
Running Time: 3 Minutes
A music video of the song Digital Age by Evangelia, illustrating the wonders and frustrations of trying to find love in a world of technology. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
USA
Directed By: Katrina Reschke
Running Time: 8 Minutes
Megan stumbles through feelings of anxiety and invalidation as her fruitless attempts to retell an incident of sexual harassment leave her powerless. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
USA
Directed By: Laura Holliday
Running Time: 11 Minutes
An exploration of the normalization of rape culture through our language and the aftermath of rape itself. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
ISRAEL
Directed By: Yona Rozenkier
Running Time: 91 Minutes
After a year of estrangement, Yoav, the prodigal son, returns to his family’s kibbutz for his father’s funeral. There he reconnects with his brothers, Itai and Avishai. With the 2006 Lebanon War raging, Yoav’s youngest brother, Avishai, prepares for the... {more}
USA
Directed By: Aina Dumlao, Bru Muller
Running Time: 18 Minutes
An unflinching look at the plight of immigrants victimized by violent crimes and the obstacles they face - told thru the eyes of one victim. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
USA
Directed By: Robyn Symon
Running Time: 85 Minutes
WORLD PREMIERE In America the profession with the highest rate of suicides is doctors. Seemingly, against all reason, those who swore oaths to save lives are taking their own at a rate double that of the general public. There are startling... {more}
ITALY
Directed By: Matteo Garrone
Running Time: 102 Minutes
Marcello is a quiet and sweet-natured man who owns a small dog grooming business. To make extra money, he sells cocaine on the side. Despite his involvement with local crime, Marcello is well-known and respected in the community. To make... {more}
Australia
Directed By: Jill Robinson
Running Time: 10 Minutes
Don't Call Me Beautiful is a 2017 biographical documentary chronicling the life of Aboriginal woman Zeitha Murphy after she was taken from her birth mother at merely 3 months of age. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
BELGIUM
Directed By: Stijn Coninx
Running Time: 139 Minutes
During the 1980s, Belgium was terrorized by a series of mass shootings attributed to a group called the Nijvel Gang. In one of these savage attacks, Albert’s daughter and granddaughter are killed. His grandson, David, survives, but is seriously injured.... {more}
USA
Directed By: Nick Cavalier
Running Time: 28 Minutes
Down Again is an allegorical film about Chimaira frontman Mark Hunter and his struggles with mental health. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
Dream Homes According to Kids: Milo
USA
Directed By: Rebecca Blumhagen
Running Time: 3 Minutes
Five-year-old Milo describes the architecture of his dream home. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
United Kingdom
Directed By: Laura Seixas
Running Time: 9 Minutes
Dreaming Whilst Black is a 9-part comedy web series that follows a young, passionate, but naive filmmaker, Kwabena, who struggles to navigate between his dreams and reality. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
Australia
Directed By: Natalie Erika James
Running Time: 11 Minutes
A young pianist is forced to confront her fear of motherhood when she marries into a remote island community with bizarre fertility rituals. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
USA
Directed By: Thiago Dadalt
Running Time: 16 Minutes
When a nonverbal autistic teen’s family is falling apart, he must find his voice to keep them together. Based on a True Story. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
CZECHIA
Directed By: David Ondříček
Running Time: 150 Minutes
The real-life 1961 Dukla mine disaster in Czechoslovakia, which killed 108 miners, casts a long shadow over the deeply moving drama DUKLA 61. Handsome Petr is away at college, but he ends up returning home with his quietly ambitious girlfriend,... {more}
USA, UNITED KINGDOM
Directed By: Andrew Slater
Running Time: 90 Minutes
Director Andrew Slater teams up with musician, Jakob Dylan, in ECHO IN THE CANYON, a profile of the Laurel Canyon music scene of the mid-60s. Dylan, singer for the Wallflowers, solo artist, and son of Bob, acts as interviewer, speaking... {more}
USA
Directed By: Lynn Tomlinson
Running Time: 8 Minutes
"The Elephant's Song" tells the true and tragic tale of Old Bet, the first circus elephant in America, as recounted in song by her friend the old farm dog. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
United Kingdom
Directed By: Colin Gerrard
Running Time: 11 Minutes
A terrorist attack raises uncomfortable questions about immigration, identity and morality. When a group of disillusioned strangers encounter Eli, an elderly man, can the harrowing events torn from his past influence their future? {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
Germany
Directed By: Anne Weigel
Running Time: 10 Minutes
Ella tells the story about a young woman growing up. The older she gets, the more she struggles to fit in. It's an inner fight against the feeling of losing yourself under the pressure of society. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
SLOVENIA, CROATIA, SERBIA
Directed By: Miha Mazzini
Running Time: 86 Minutes
Yugoslavia is no more, and war rages on in Croatia against Serbia. Seemingly untouched by the violence, Ana has just given birth to a beautiful baby girl. The hospital, however, has no record of Ana’s existence. Ana must remain in... {more}
USA, UNITED KINGDOM, SWITZERLAND
Directed By: Mihal Brezis, Oded Binnun
Running Time: 107 Minutes
Rory MacNeil (Brian Cox) is an old-fashioned Scottish man who likes what he likes: whiskey, cigarettes, and swimming naked in the ocean. But when Rory falls ill, he must leave his isolated home on Hebridean Island and head for San... {more}
The Extraordinary Journey of Celeste Garcia
CUBA, GERMANY
Directed By: Arturo Infante
Running Time: 92 Minutes
Extraterrestrial beings from the planet Gryok have been secretly living in Cuba to study earthlings. Now Gryok wants to establish an intergalactic exchange program, inviting some people to spend time on their planet. Retired teacher, Celeste Garcia, is given a... {more}
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile
USA
Directed By: Joe Berlinger
Running Time: 108 Minutes
A chronicle of the crimes of Ted Bundy from the perspective of Liz, his longtime girlfriend, who refused to believe the truth about him for years. {more}
FRANCE, RUSSIA, ARMENIA
Directed By: Yury Bykov
Running Time: 109 Minutes
Life in small town Russia is difficult for the men who clock in at the factory every day. On top of struggling to support their families on meager wages, their paychecks are often withheld by the corrupt oligarch who owns... {more}
FRANCE
Directed By: Louis Garrel
Running Time: 75 Minutes
After many years together, Marianne abruptly tells Abel she is pregnant by their mutual friend, Paul, and she is going to marry him. Abel steps aside but never stops loving her. Years later, Paul suddenly dies in his sleep. At... {more}
TAIWAN, HONG KONG, SINGAPORE, MALAYSIA
Directed By: Ying Liang
Running Time: 107 Minutes
Yang Shu, a Chinese filmmaker, has been living in exile in Hong Kong for the last five years. Although her latest film has been banned in China due to its negative tone towards the Chinese government, she and her family... {more}
China
Directed By: Yifei He
Running Time: 12 Minutes
When her grandfather's death reveals her family's hidden Muslim past, a young Beijing girl goes in search of her roots despite her family's disapproval. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
Canada
Directed By: Alexandra Lazarowich
Running Time: 13 Minutes
FAST HORSE follows the return of the Blackfoot bareback horseracing tradition in a new form: the Indian Relay. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
USA
Directed By: Eric Ian Goldberg
Running Time: 8 Minutes
Past grudges, fresh injuries, bad serves and death threaten the weekly tennis match of four lifelong friends. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
Spain
Directed By: Germán Sancho
Running Time: 8 Minutes
A young girl experiences the most terrifying fears when the lights are turned off in her room. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
Femme Queen Chronicles - Episode 1 - The Clock
USA
Directed By: Ahya Simone
Running Time: 11 Minutes
Femme Queen Chronicles is a web-series about the lives of four black trans women as they navigate through love, life, trade, and shade in the city of Detroit; written, directed, and brought to life by black trans women themselves. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
ETHIOPIA, ISRAEL, GERMANY, FRANCE
Directed By: Aäläm-Wärqe Davidian
Running Time: 93 Minutes
It’s 1989 in Addis Ababa and the Ethiopian Civil War is ongoing, with no end in sight. All men between the ages of 15 and 30 must enlist in the Ethiopian army or face extreme punishment. Day and night, young... {more}
France
Directed By: Paul Marques Duarte
Running Time: 25 Minutes
Adèle, an english teacher is about to board in Saint-Malo with her class on a ferry to England. But this time she needs to put up with the arrival of a new pupil who is about to disrupt the crossing... {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
New Zealand
Directed By: Phil Brough
Running Time: 9 Minutes
When a city made from cardboard catches fire it is up to the local fire chief and his brave deputies to save Cardboard City from total destruction. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
Animated Shorts
Family Shorts 1
FilmSlam® International Shorts Program
Shorts Program 2
USA
Directed By: Tom Surgal
Running Time: 68 Minutes
There have been several great jazz documentaries throughout the years, but they’ve largely ignored the genre’s eccentric, avant-garde little brother, free jazz. This lack of representation bothered director Tom Surgal, who decided to devote an entire film to the unconventional... {more}
CANADA
Directed By: Jasmin Mozaffari
Running Time: 93 Minutes
Best friends Lou and Chantal are itching to leave their small town in favor of a more exciting locale (specifically, New York City) and have the money and transportation secured to make the move. The departure can’t come soon enough... {more}
United States
Directed By: Lindsay O'Keefe
Running Time: 5 Minutes
After Emily and Charlie's first day of school, their family will never be the same. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
Ireland
Directed By: Helen O'Reilly
Running Time: 19 Minutes
It's 1983. Culture Club are No.1, everyone's watching Knight Rider and Kelly Harrison is not only experiencing her first crush, she's going to her first disco. The only problem is she's getting braces on her teeth before the big night. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
HONG KONG, CHINA
Directed By: Stanley Kwan
Running Time: 100 Minutes
Xiuling retired from the spotlight five years ago, but her highly-anticipated return to the stage opposite her long-time rival sets the gossip cycle abuzz. Her co-star, the up-and-coming actress and supermodel, Yuwen, received her first big break when she was... {more}
USA
Directed By: Phil Kibbe
Running Time: 81 Minutes
WORLD PREMIERE Winning a championship is everything in popular professional sports, as it often brings athletes fortune and fame. However, the sport at the heart of FLOAT isn’t exactly pro, nor is it well-known. This intriguing documentary, with its stunning cinematography,... {more}
IRELAND
Directed By: Carmel Winters
Running Time: 101 Minutes
Irish tradition may forbid it, but young Frances dreams of being a world-class boxer. Growing up in 1960s Ireland as part of a family of nomadic travelers, Frances inherits a love of boxing and Muhammed Ali from her father, Michael,... {more}
United States
Directed By: Noah Cutwright
Running Time: 4 Minutes
A tennis ball dreams of being a famous wimbledon tennis ball, but instead finds himself the chew toy of a hyperactive puppy. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
SPAIN
Directed By: Miguel Ángel Lamata
Running Time: 98 Minutes
THE FOOTBALLEST is a fun-filled adaptation of The Mystery of the Sleeping Referees, a book in Roberto Santiago’s popular Spanish children’s series that shares the film’s name. It centers around Pakete, an 11-year-old soccer player on the Soto Alto school... {more}
USA
Directed By: Paul Allman
Running Time: 38 Minutes
The true story of an act of extraordinary courage by Master Sargeant Roddie Edmonds, a devout Christian from Tennessee who risked his own life to save the lives of 200 Jewish G.I.s when they were prisoners of the Germans in... {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
For My Crimes - Marissa Nadler
United States
Directed By: Tyler Smith
Running Time: 4 Minutes
The live acoustic video for an original song by singer-songwriter Marissa Nadler. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
USA
Directed By: Patrick Green
Running Time: 19 Minutes
A tale of 2 street artists and 1 viral Harvey Weinstein statue that shook up the 90th Oscars Awards. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
DENMARK
Directed By: Bille August
Running Time: 162 Minutes
Raised in poverty by an oppressively religious father, Per always felt like a stranger in his family’s home. An engineering genius, he has spent his life designing methods to harness energy and to create a system of canals that would... {more}
USA, CANADA
Directed By: Zach Lipovsky, Adam B. Stein
Running Time: 104 Minutes
Seven-year-old Chloe has never been outside. Her father (Emile Hirsch) forbids it, telling her bad people want to kill them and they must stay hidden. One day Chloe defies dad, going outside for ice cream from a Mr. Snow-Cone truck.... {more}
Sweden
Directed By: Anette Sidor
Running Time: 15 Minutes
Alice is together with Johannes but she doesn't have enough space to be herself. On a night out with friends, she steals a strap-on and challenges her boyfriend's thoughts about girls. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
USA
Directed By: Jonnie Stapleton
Running Time: 15 Minutes
A shy young girl spends time with her eccentric grandpa while her mother is away for work. Together, they embark on an adventure with a magical cornet that makes people dance. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
Family Shorts 3
FilmSlam® African Diaspora Shorts Program
FilmSlam® Middle-School Light Program
Shorts Program 11
RUSSIA
Directed By: Mikhail Zygar
A mobile docu-series that reimagines the year 1968 - the year that created the world as we know it - with the technology of today. Each episode tells the story of a 1968 hero via a smartphone they could have... {more}
USA
Directed By: Aviv Mano
Running Time: 3 Minutes
A macho toy arcade prize is quick to judge a young girl who wants to win him, and goes on a life changing journey in attempt to stop her from winning enough tickets and taking him home. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
Animated Shorts
Family Shorts 2
FilmSlam® Middle-School Light Program
FilmSlam® Shorts for Those with Hearing Loss
USA
Directed By: Flavio Alves
Running Time: 88 Minutes
Tina and her grandmother, Eliana, are undocumented immigrants living in New York. Eliana wants to return to Mexico, but Tina needs to stay in the States so that she can safely transition—a difficult journey for anyone, but especially true for... {more}
USA, UNITED KINGDOM
Directed By: Sarah Kerruish, Matt Maude
Running Time: 93 Minutes
Once upon a time, a group of wizards had a vision that would change the world. This vision was GENERAL MAGIC, one of the most important and influential companies almost nobody has ever heard of. A spin-off of Apple, their... {more}
USA
Directed By: Jonny Look
Running Time: 15 Minutes
In order to extract real emotions out of his new song, Eric D. Johnson of the Fruit Bats has teamed up with an Emotional Engineer to help record his new record. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
USA
Directed By: Shannon Service, Jeffrey Waldron
Running Time: 90 Minutes
Decades of illegal fishing practices have depleted the Gulf of Thailand’s seafood stock, forcing companies to cast their nets off more distant shores. To keep a $6.5 billion seafood industry afloat with no line of employees willing to work on... {more}
USA
Directed By: Emily Kassie
Running Time: 70 Minutes
One in four girls and one in six boys in America will experience sexual assault before the age of 18. While the numbers are staggering, these victims are anything but statistics. A GIRL NAMED C, a documentary illustrating the life-altering... {more}
Good Girl Gone Bad (Petting statt Pershing)
GERMANY
Directed By: Petra Lüschow
Running Time: 97 Minutes
Seventeen-year-old Ursula feels misunderstood by everyone in her small town. Like many girls her age, she fantasizes about exploring her sexuality with the local boys, but instead finds herself the victim of cruel jokes by her peers. Her parents are... {more}
USA
Directed By: Jocelyn DeBoer, Dawn Luebbe
Running Time: 98 Minutes
On a whim, Jill gives her baby to her neighbor, Lisa. When Jill’s other child turns into a dog after falling into their pool, she wants the baby back, but Lisa refuses. And just who is the killer of the... {more}
France, Brazil
Directed By: Nara Normande
Running Time: 14 Minutes
Tayra and I grew up on a beach in the north east of Brazil. We were inseparable. The sea breeze brings me back happy memories. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
USA
Directed By: Penny Lane
Running Time: 95 Minutes
In HAIL SATAN?, director Penny Lane chronicles a controversial and growing movement known as The Satanic Temple. Based in Salem, Massachusetts, the group was formed in 2013 by Malcolm Jarry and Lucien Greaves, whose initial purpose was to troll the... {more}
NORWAY
Directed By: Eirik Svensson
Running Time: 80 Minutes
After her mother’s apparent suicide on the eve of Christmas, 15-year-old Vilde finds herself completely alone. In the wake of tragedy, she is forced to contact a father she’s never known, but receives no reply. As social services tries to... {more}
France
Directed By: Erwan ALEPEE
Running Time: 3 Minutes
Alex is calling a number he knows all too well. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
DENMARK, NETHERLANDS, SWEDEN, THAILAND
Directed By: Janus Metz, Sine Plambech
Running Time: 91 Minutes
Over 900 Thai women currently live in the Jutland region of Denmark. A quarter century ago, there was only one. Her name is Sommai, a former sex worker from Thailand. Neils met her there on a sex-tourism trip and brought... {more}
Canada
Directed By: Sophie B. Jacques
Running Time: 10 Minutes
When Emillie returns home after renting her house to strangers, we witness what actually happened during her absence. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
United States & United Kingdom
Directed By: Peter Baynton
Running Time: 3 Minutes
Ben posts himself from New York to London to visit the girl he loves. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
COSTA RICA, CHILE
Directed By: Neto Villalobos
Running Time: 84 Minutes
The sophomore film of Chilean director, Neto Villalobos, HELMET HEADS is a coming-of-age dramedy about an immature bike messenger nicknamed Mancha (the moniker refers to a sizable, blotchy birthmark on his face, for which he’s playfully teased). Mancha lives a... {more}
GREECE, FRANCE, SERBIA
Directed By: Nikos Labôt
Running Time: 90 Minutes
When a severe recession makes finances tight for families all over Greece, shy but determined housewife, Panayiota, secures a job as a mall cleaner to support her husband and kids. Although she’s used to handling household domestic chores, ̶in between... {more}
USA
Directed By: Patrick Creadon
Running Time: 100 Minutes
In 1970 Notre Dame President Father Theodore Hesburgh said, “We don’t prove anything by burning something down. We prove something by building it up.” It’s a 50-year-old quote of profound wisdom that is still needed now, perhaps more than ever.... {more}
Hidden Blueprints: The Story of Mikey
USA
Directed By: Jeremy Lee MacKenzie
Running Time: 16 Minutes
A praying mantis named Mikey becomes a legend after dying in a corporate prison riot. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
UKRAINE, FRANCE, POLAND
Directed By: Alisa Kovalenko
Running Time: 86 Minutes
Alina Shilova, the focal point of the intimate and emotional documentary, HOME GAMES, has had a tough life. The 20-year-old Kiev, Ukraine native once lived on the streets after her alcoholic mother landed in jail, and, even today, stability remains... {more}
CANADA
Directed By: Paisley Smith
Running Time: 15 Minutes
One host family’s emotional story of their life with international students - a VR testament to how complete immersion in another culture can create a clash of expectations and change our understanding of family, hospitality, nationality, and love. {more}
USA
Directed By: Megan Brotherton
Running Time: 4 Minutes
The hottest quality in a man isn't his six-pack. It's his Dad skills. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
How to Get Out of a Speeding Ticket
USA
Directed By: Timothy Hautekiet
Running Time: 4 Minutes
How far would you go to get out of a speeding ticket? {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
israel
Directed By: Noa Gusakov
Running Time: 15 Minutes
Abigail is heavily pregnant. But something is missing. Terrified about the imminent birth, she kidnaps a comforting partner in crime for one afternoon. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
Hugh Hefner's After Dark: Speaking Out in America
CANADA
Directed By: Brigitte Berman
Running Time: 101 Minutes
While the old joke that some men only read Playboy for the articles is told with sarcasm, the truth is there was more to the late Hugh Hefner’s work than just centerfolds. His full revolutionary impact is revealed in this... {more}
Australia
Directed By: Hawanatu Bangura
Running Time: 9 Minutes
Seven Afro-Australian women explore the impact of western media on their identity and understanding of beauty. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
FRANCE
Directed By: François Vautier
Running Time: 4 Minutes
Witness Arthur C. Clarke’s prophetic 1964 speech - predicting many of the technologies in our lives today - in this futuristic, experimental VR film. {more}
USA, UNITED KINGDOM
Directed By: Adam Randall
Running Time: 96 Minutes
Filmed in neighborhoods surrounding Cleveland, I SEE YOU stars Helen Hunt as Jackie Harper, whose affair has just been discovered by her husband, Greg, and son, Connor. And neither can stand to look at her. To take his mind off... {more}
I Used to Be Normal: A Boyband Fangirl Story
AUSTRALIA
Directed By: Jessica Leski
Running Time: 96 Minutes
A viral sensation for her explosive emotions, Elif daydreams of One Direction and feels she can only relate to other 1D fans. Sadia launched her own Backstreet Boys e-newsletter to keep fellow fans apprised of the band’s latest news and... {more}
Argentina
Directed By: Abel Goldfarb
Running Time: 10 Minutes
Ian was born with cerebral paralysis. Like everyone else, he wants to have friends. Like no one, he needs to work hard to get it. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
Animated Shorts
Family Shorts 3
FilmSlam® Middle-School Light Program
Shorts Program 4