Short Films

  • 20th ANIMATION SHOW OF SHOWS to Showcase 15 Animated Short Films from Around the World

    [caption id="attachment_32641" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Weekends - Trevor Jimenez Weekends – Trevor Jimenez[/caption] The 20th Annual Animation Show of Shows returns to theaters across North America and will have its US theatrical premiere at Laemmle Theaters in Los Angeles on December 14th, and at the Quad Cinema in New York on December 28th (many other cities will follow). Since 1998, the Animation Show of Shows has been selecting the best in animated short films from around the world and has been presenting new and innovative short films to appreciative audiences at animation studios, schools and, since 2015, theaters in the US and other countries. Over the years, 38 of the films showcased in The Animation Show of Shows went on to receive Academy Award® nominations, with 11 films winning the Oscar®. The 20th Annual Animation Show of Shows will present 15 thought-provoking, poignant, and very funny animated shorts from around the world. In a year when the best and worst of human nature has been on constant display, the works in this year’s show remind us of both the universality of shared ideals, as well as the diverse challenges we face. “Animation is such a flexible and open-ended medium that it lends itself to exploring the innumerable aspects of what it means to be human,” says founder and curator Ron Diamond. “And this year’s program, as much as any of our past presentations, really illuminates human strengths and foibles, and the bonds that unite us across cultures and generations.”  The 20th Annual Animation Show of Shows represents the work of artists from six countries and includes six student films. Funny, moving, engaging, and thought-provoking, The Animation Show of Shows not only has something for everyone, but is a remarkable and insightful microcosm of our world. The show has a running time of 98 minutes and includes 15 films, four of which have qualified for Academy Award® consideration *.

    20th Annual Animation Show of Shows Lineup

    The Green Bird * – Maximilien Bougeois, Quentin Dubois, Marine Goalard, Irina Nguyen, Pierre Perveyrie, France [caption id="attachment_32644" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]One Small Step * - Andrew Chesworth, Bobby Pontillas One Small Step * – Andrew Chesworth, Bobby Pontillas[/caption] One Small Step * – Andrew Chesworth, Bobby Pontillas, U.S. Grands Canons – Alain Biet, France Barry – Anchi Shen, U.S. Super Girl – Nancy Kangas, Josh Kun, U.S. Love Me, Fear Me – Veronica Solomon, Germany Business Meeting – Guy Charnaux, Brazil Flower Found! – Jorn Leeuwerink, The Netherlands Bullets – Nancy Kangas, Josh Kun, U.S. A Table Game – Nicolás Petelski, Spain Carlotta’s Face – Valentin Riedl, Frédéric Schuld, Germany Age of Sail * – John Kahrs, U.S. Polaris – Hikari Toriumi, U.S. My Moon – Eusong Lee, U.S. Weekends * – Trevor Jimenez, U.S. The power of family ties, and specifically the enduring connection between parents and children, are sensitively evoked in Hikari Toriumi’s deeply affecting “Polaris,” about a young polar bear leaving home for the first time. “One Small Step,” Bobby Pontillas and Andrew Chesworth’s inspiring story of a Chinese-American girl’s dream of being an astronaut, centers on her evolving relationship with her father. The beautifully designed “Weekends,” by Trevor Jimenez, explores the complex emotional landscape of a young boy and his recently divorced parents, as he shuttles between their very different homes and lives. The darker side of relationships is forcefully explored in Veronica Solomon’s “Love Me, Fear Me,” a tour de force of claymation that uses dance to delve into the lengths people go to to deceive each other and try to pass for something they’re not. Eusong Lee’s “My Moon” takes a more cosmic and lighthearted approach to a troubled relationship, depicting a celestial love triangle played out by the sun, the moon, and the earth.“Carlotta’s Face,” by Valentin Riedl and Frédéric Schuld, illuminates a different kind of relationship dysfunction in its sensitive portrayal of a woman who suffers from prosopagnosia, the inability to recognize faces, and her salvation through art. Among the other program highlights are the very funny computer animation “The Green Bird,” winner of a 2018 Gold Student Academy Award® International Animation, which harks back to classic cartoons of the mid-20th century. Oscar-winning director John Kahrs’ “Age of Sail,” the latest in Google’s series of Spotlight Stories, chronicles the adventures of an old sailor who rescues a teenaged girl after she falls overboard. Alain Biet’s jaw-dropping “Grands Canons” is a dizzying symphonic celebration of everyday objects that uses finely detailed drawings created by the filmmaker. And two very short films, “Supergirl” and “Bullets,” take their inspiration from poems composed by surprisingly eloquent preschoolers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbKjakQbRzs

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  • Watch Trailer for Jeff Fry’s Anti-War Short Film KRIEG

    Jeff Fry's Anti-War film Short Film KRIEG Filmmaker Jeff Fry’s directorial debut is the Academy-qualified live-action short film “Krieg,” that follows the journey of a soldier whose remorse for inaction in the face of murder compels him to risk all to protect a wounded enemy airman. Tasked with locating a French Underground transmitter, an elite German SS mountain unit commits atrocities against their Partisan prisoners. Shamed by his involvement, one officer is compelled to leave camp and seek out the transmitter on his own hoping that, by finding the radio, he can prevent further crimes. He discovers a downed American aircraft and, in a twistof fate, finds redemption by delivering the wounded bombardier to the very enemy for whom they are searching. “Krieg” is an anti-war film that challenges our conceptions of war and how the enemy behaves, blurring the boundaries between nations to teach us that wars are not fought on the battlefield, but in the hearts of men. “Krieg” stars Heiko Obermoller (“A Cure For Wellness”), Scott Bailey (“Timeless”), Alexander Schottky (“Nikola”), Zoey Sidwell (“How To Get Away With Murder”), Alex DeVorak (”Night of the Dead: Leben Tod”), Rene Heger (“Circle”), Marko Janovic (“Then What Happened?”), Amanda Michaels (“Krieg”), Sierra Willis (“Forerunner”), Chad Evans (“Krieg”), Joshua M. Bott (“Loser’s Lounge”), John Gillen (“Surge of Power: The Revenge of the Sequel”), Matt O’Hare (“Wearing Hitler’s Pants”), Ken Collins (“Cape Fear”), and Alison Lees-Taylor (“Escape From Tomorrow”), among others. Fry wrote, produced, directed, and shot this intimate WW2 narrative. His filmmaking career has spanned from the inner workings of NASA’s Mission Control to Hollywood. For the last thirty years, he has been serving others by working on their films, hence he finally created his own, the theme of which is “serving others.” “Krieg” is actually a product of his desire to serve other filmmakers by developing a project so unique that their incredible talents would not go unnoticed. “Krieg” is still continuing its incredible film festival awards sweep, to date having received an unprecedented thirty-three awards and an additional thirty nominations. “Krieg” can next be seen by film festival audiences across the United States at the Red Rock Film Festival in Utah on November 8th, at the Alexandria Film Festival in Virginia on November 11th, and at the Dragonfly Film Festival in Tempe, Arizona on November 16th & 17th, among others. The dialogue in “Krieg” is German and French with subtitles, but the film was produced in the United States, making it “An American Foreign Film” – Fry’s trademark for his domestically produced foreign language films. Shot in 35mm, the film has an organic feel and style appropriate to the period. The costumes and props are authentic, and the scale of the film is epic, peppered with vintage aircraft and vehicles.

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  • Watch FREE Online NOW Documentary Short Film THE FAMILY BUSINESS: TRUMP AND TAXES

    The documentary short film The Family Business: Trump and Taxes follows a team of New York Times investigative reporters through their diligent and intense efforts in uncovering the information that led to this exclusive report. Directed by Emmy(R) nominee Jenny Carchman and produced by Oscar(R) nominees Liz Garbus and Justin Wilkes of THE FOURTH ESTATE, SHOWTIME is offering the documentary short film for free online and across multiple platforms. Embedded for more than a year inside The New York Times, Carchman and her film crew trail Times investigative reporters David Barstow, Russell Buettner and Susanne Craig as they expose the untold story of how Donald Trump became rich. Mr. Trump has proclaimed himself to be a self-made billionaire but what these reporters found offers a very different account, based on tens of thousands of pages of financial documents they obtained, including more than 200 Trump family tax returns. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQwsPcToCQQ image via Youtube screenshot

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  • Mahaliyah Ayla O’s MASKS and Kevin David Lin’s MONDAY Sweep Major Awards at 13th NBCUniversal SHORT FILM FESTIVAL

    [caption id="attachment_32414" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]“Masks” by Mahaliyah Ayla O “Masks” by Mahaliyah Ayla O[/caption] The six finalist films and filmmakers of this year’s 13th Annual NBCUniversal SHORT FILM FESTIVAL, were honored with a finale screening and awards ceremony at the Directors Guild of America in Hollywood. Comedian-actor Zainab Johnson (“Late Night with Seth Meyers,” HBO’s “All Def Comedy”) kicked off the evening with screenings of the six finalist shorts, “B.U.T.S: Spanish Class,” “Kyenvu,” “Masks,” “Monday,” “Rani” and “We Know Where You Live,” before an audience of industry professionals including network, cable and film executives as well as managers, producers and agents. “I’m proud that over the past 13 years, our short film festival has not only celebrated those voices, but advocated for them beyond the festival to provide them with opportunities in the industry,” said Karen Horne, SVP of Programming Talent Development & Inclusion, NBC Entertainment and Universal Television.

    13th Annual NBCUniversal SHORT FILM FESTIVAL Awards

    HARNESS Social Impact Award: “Kyenvu” “Kyenvu” writer-director Kemiyondo Coutinho was awarded a $10,000 cash grant for her short film about a young Ugandan woman who struggles to find her footing in a patriarchal society that entitles men to women’s bodies . https://vimeo.com/250220907   Outstanding Comedy: “B.U.T.S: Spanish Class” “B.U.T.S: Spanish Class” co-creators Irene Lucio and Emma Ramos were presented with a $5,000 cash grant and a DJI OSMO+ Handheld Gimbal 4K camera with full accessory kit for an episode from their sketch comedy web series that parodies and satirizes the many ‘afflictions’ of the modern-day woman told through a Latina lens. In “Spanish Class,” a couple gets way more than they bargained for when they set out to learn Spanish in a week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aC_7xSn5vIw Outstanding Drama: “Masks” “Masks” writer-director Mahaliyah Ayla O was presented with a $5,000 grant and a DJI OSMO+ Handheld Gimbal 4K camera with full accessory kit for her film about a closeted Persian woman’s experience after surviving a mass shooting. https://vimeo.com/264696824 Outstanding Writer: Hammad Rizvi, “Rani” Writer-director Hammad Rizvi was awarded a $5,000 cash grant in addition to final round placement in NBC’s Writers on the Verge program that prepares talented writers for staff writing positions on scripted series. He also received the newly released Final Draft 11 software on all platforms and a Fire TV Cube, the latest hands-free streaming media player with Alexa voice command. Rizvi’s short film “Rani” centers on a socially outcast transgender Pakistani woman who sets out to take care of an abandoned child. The short stars trans activist Kami Sid as the titular character in her first acting role. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6wTh9Ifw_c Outstanding Actor: Kevin David Lin, “Monday” Actor Kevin David Lin from the short film “Monday” was awarded a talent holding deal with NBC, a premiere headshot package with JeanPaul SanPedro, a fund for unlimited private audition coaching and advanced acting classes and a $1,000 wardrobe allowance. Lin starred as the central character in “Monday” about a conflicted young hustler who’s forced to confront the immorality of his occupation. Outstanding Director: ­Dinh Thai, “Monday” “Monday” writer-director Dinh Thai received a studio production services package courtesy of Universal Operations, including one day of shooting on the Universal Studios back lot and an $8,500 valued package including lighting, grip, props and costumes as well as one day of sound mixing. He was also awarded a $60,000 camera package from Panavision’s New Filmmaker Program, a longtime festival sponsor, and final round placement in NBCUniversal’s Emerging Directors Program that provides a pipeline for ethnically diverse directors to break into television by offering shadowing opportunities and an in-season commitment to direct an episode of an NBCUniversal scripted series. Next Generation Filmmaker Award: Dinh Thai, “Monday” Writer-director Dinh Thai won the festival’s inaugural Next Generation Filmmaker Award for his short film “Monday” about a conflicted young hustler who’s forced to confront the immorality of his occupation as he ‘code-switches’ through various cliques in his daily dealings throughout Los Angeles . https://vimeo.com/280413643   Critics’ Choice Award: “Masks” “Masks” was chosen as the most impactful short by a jury of 25 film and television critics and entertainment writers. This year’s jury included journalists from The Advocate, Brown Girl Magazine, Essence, CNN, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, Her Campus, The Hollywood Reporter, Huffington Post, Kore Asian Media, Latina, the Los Angeles Times, Moviemaker Magazine, NewNowNext, Screen International, Slate, The Teal Mango, TVGuide, USA Today, and Vanity Fair, among others. Los Angeles Film Critics Association President Claudia Puig presented the award to “Masks” writer-director Mahaliyah Ayla O. She received a DJI Phantom 4Series Quadcopter Drone with 4K Digital Camera and corresponding accessories. Audience Award: “Masks” The audience at the finale screening voted “Masks” as its favorite film amongst the six finalists. Writer-director Mahaliyah Ayla O received a $1,000 cash grant and a 4 TB external hard drive for her next project. The festival’s finalists and semifinalists also received an array of prizes including a limited run on COMCAST’S XFINITY to 29 million viewers across the world starting December 1 as well as the opportunity to stream their film on the NBCU SHORT FILM FESTIVAL Hulu Channel and EVERYBODY DIGITAL, a mobile app exclusively for short film content created by actor-writer Allen Maldonado (“The Last O.G.”). They also all received a copy of newly released Final Draft 11 on all platforms from the festival’s returning sponsor.

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  • DTLA Film Festival Reveals 2018 Short Form Content Lineup incl. 77 Short Films

    [caption id="attachment_32129" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]AKEDA (The Binding) AKEDA (The Binding)[/caption] The DTLA Film Festival revealed the short form content programming at the upcoming 10th edition of the festival, consisting of 77 short films, TV pilots and web series episodes. Anchoring the festival’s short film content programming are the short films series, curated by Robert Torres ”Emerging Artists,” “Queer Expressions,” “Our Modern World,” “Strange Encounters,” “Spotlight on Latin Shorts” and “DTLA Shorts.” Sosa curated three other series of shorts program under the banner of “L.A. Artists,” which showcases local LA talent. Rounding out the short-form content are programs devoted to new and established web series and to TV pilots, both with a focus on women and people of color. Monica Jones curated the TV web series; Jade Jenise Dixon and Suki Ramirez curated the TV pilots series. The 10th annual DTLA Film Festival takes place October 17 to 21 at Regal L.A. LIVE and venues throughout downtown Los Angeles. A complete list of short-form content screening at the festival follows:

    EMERGING ARTISTS

    THE SUMMER OF THE ELECTRIC LION Chile| Narrative | 2018 |22 mins. Director: Diego Céspedes Hidden in a house far from the city, Alonso accompanies his sister, Daniela. She waits to become the seventh wife of El León (The Lion), a prophet who, rumors says, electrocutes you when you touch him. KILN USA| Narrative | 2018 | 5 mins. Director: Salamo Manetti-Lax A short culled from footage the director shot in high school 10 years ago in upstate New York. A remembrance, a haunted collective portrait, and a critique. AKEDA (THE BINDING) USA| Narrative | 2017 | 18 mins. Director: Dan Bronfeld An orphan boy has his humanity tested when a film director encourages him to give a violent performance that will blend fiction with reality. I CAN ONLY TALK TO YOU WHEN I STAND IN SHADOWS USA, China| Narrative | 2018 | 5 mins. Director: Yuchi Ma A girl in her late teens contemplates the conflict between family identity and self, in face of the cruelty of times. This is a brief moment of the director’s coming of age. INSOMNIA France| Narrative | 2017 | 2 mins. Director: Islena Niera Lacosta It’s night and a boy can’t fall asleep. SOÑADORA USA| Narrative | 2017 | 10 mins. Director: Maria Altamirano A hardworking high school senior faces circumstances beyond her control that may hinder her path to college. HEY, BOY! USA| Narrative | 2018 | 20 mins. Director: Nathan Mulroy St. Valentine strikes an unsuspecting teenage lover

    QUEER EXPRESSIONS

    MOLT France, Sweden| Narrative | 2018 | 14 mins. Director: Nathalie Alvarez Mesen The summer sun sets in rural Appalachia as 12-year-old Cadie and her neighbor, Sarah, redefine their friendship on the eve of burgeoning sexuality. JIM USA |Animation | 2017 | 9 mins. Director: Sam Gurry Jim assembled these floppy disks in the late 1990s with images and samples sourced from online chat rooms. How do you connect with someone you can’t see? That you don’t know? One short email conversation provides his name. ASIAN GIRLS Australia| Narrative | 2017 | 6 mins. Director: Hyun Lee Chan is a Chinese factory worker who lives alone. Every night, she suffers from horrific nightmares involving the woman in the apartment next door, a Japanese office lady. MONOGAMISHUSA| Narrative | 2018 | 14 mins. Director: Nardeep Khurmi Sagar and Nishi and explore the dynamics and strength of two non-traditional couples, in which agreements are made and boundaries are challenged. FOR NONNA ANNA Canada| Narrative | 2017 | 14 mins. Director: Luis De Filippis A trans girl has to care for her Italian grandmother. She assumes that her Nonna disapproves of her – but instead discovers a tender bond in their shared vulnerability. WAFFLES USA| Narrative | 2017 | 4 mins. Director: Foster Wilson The morning after a casual one-nighter with an older woman, Gina scrolls through her Facebook feed, only to discover that the person in bed beside her is the epitome of everything she loathes in this world. A DOLL’S HUG Taiwan| Narrative | 2017 | 20 mins. Director: Rob Lo Domestic, school violence and societal violence continually challenge and threaten the Taiwanese teenage boy, XiangYu. He seeks to escape from the undesirable reality to take shelter in his imaginary Barbie doll world.

    OUR MODERN WORLD

    RAPAZ Chile| Narrative | 2018 | 13 mins. Director: Felipe Gálvez Ariel gets involved in a teenager’s civil arrest, who is accused of stealing a phone. A mob surrounds the young man and some curse and beat him, some defend him. The police aren’t showing up, so Ariel must decide what side he is on. PERFECT MAN USA| Narrative | 2018 | 9 mins. Director: Nic Collins and Jake Andrews Set in the very near future, a virtual reality -addicted girl must follow a government mandate to remove her VR headset for 3 hours. When her dismal reality sets in, she goes online and orders Perfect Man: a robotic humanoid love companion. VERMINE Denmark| Animation | 2018 | 6 mins. Director: Jeremie Becquer A Rat poet, whose hopeful poetry contrasts the world in which he lives in, gets confronted with the harshness of a society biased toward Mice. CAROLINE USA| Narrative | 2018 | 10 mins. Director: Logan George and Celine Held When plans fall through, a 6-year-old is faced with a big responsibility on a hot Texas day. THE BRINK USA| Narrative | 2018 | 7 mins. Director: Ricky Rhodes and Arnold Aldridge Pushed to the edge by abusive co-workers, an odd IT guy takes unthinkable steps to handle his grim reality. NADIA’S VISA USA, Jordan| Narrative | 2018 | 18 mins. Director: Hanadi Elyan After failing to obtain a travel visa to meet with her family, Nadia finds herself stuck in a moral dilemma. JUDGEMENT Philippines| Narrative | 2018 | 14 mins. Director: Raymund Ribay Gutierrez Joy, a mother of a 4-year-old girl, finally decides to file a case under domestic violence against her abusive husband, Dante. THE RIGHT CHOICE UK| Narrative | 2018 | 10 mins. Director:Tomisin Adepeju With the help of The Adviser, a husband and wife must answer three seemingly harmless questions to create their perfect designer baby.

    STRANGE ENCOUNTERS

    BOTANICA Netherlands| Narrative | 2017 | 13 mins. Director: Noël Loozen A garden-center employee fears his possible infertility. While the pregnancy wish of the love of his life is growing, shame starts to take a hold on him. INTIMITY Netherlands| Documentary | 2017 | 5 mins. Director: Elodie Dermange As she is showering, dressing and putting on her make-up, a woman bares her soul. THE CHIRPING USA| Narrative | 2018 | 10 mins. Director: Matt McKinney A mother and her adult son work some things out while trying to rid their home of a pesky cricket. LIRA’S FOREST Canada| Narrative | 2017 | 8 mins. Director: Connor Jessup As the end of her life approaches, an old woman encounters a strange spirit from a nearby forest. TRESPASS USA| Narrative | 2018 | 6 mins. Director: Erik LeDrew The actions of a trigger-happy cop come back to bite him in the ass. A P.O.V. fright flick. PRIVATE JOY USA| Narrative | 2018 | 9 mins. Director: Owen Kaye In the final days of their relationship, a fading actress and her younger, animal lover are torn apart by lust, jealousy, anger and magic. HEART CHAKRA USA| Animation | 2017 | 7 mins. Director: Angela Stempel Mae’s life is routinely disrupted by the advice from her online crystal healer and her devotion to horoscopes. Armed with healing crystals and numerology, Mae is ready to follow the predictions on an unexpected path to find her soulmate. KIMCHI USA, South Korea| Narrative | 2018 | 14 mins. Director: Jason Segars As his family argues about his end-of-life care, an elderly Korean man reflects on his life with a stranger. SOLAR WALK Denmark| Narrative | 2018 | 20 mins. Director: Réka Bucsi The unreal journey of individuals and their creations through time and space.

    SPOTLIGHT ON LATIN STORIES

    ONE OF THESE DAYS USA| Narrative | 2018 | 20 mins. Director: Rudy Lopez After unfortunate circumstances, Manny, an aspiring musician, must decide between becoming the sole guardian of his uncle’s daughter, Marisol, and pursuing his band’s tour of the U.S. CHIADO Brazil| Narrative | 2018 | 15 mins. Director: Fenando Belo A woman and her boyfriend go on a last road trip when she decides to end her own life. KEEP EM’ WHITE USA| Narrative | 2018 | 14 mins. Director: Sandra Lindqvist Two Hispanic teenage boys from South Central LA take a bus ride to the other side of town in search of a famed basketball player. EL GALLO USA, Mexico| Documentary | 2018 | 14 mins. Director: Michael Medoway Gallo takes us on a visceral journey through the life of Juan ‘El Gallo’ Estrada, the former Flyweight champion of the world and one of Mexico’s most famous boxers. ¿FAMILIA? USA| Narrative | 2018 | 14 mins. Director: Kase Pena and Marlene Forte A transgender woman navigates life while dealing with a pesky teenage neighborhood boy who’s in love with her, a married lover with empty promises, and a family back home who demands her financial support at any cost, even her personal safety. CARRO USA, Brazil| Narrative | 2018 | 12 mins. Director: Gustavo Rosa An undocumented Brazilian immigrant living in the Boston area decides to buy a car in an effort to better his life before returning home.

    DTLA SHORTS

    REDEMPTION SQUARE USA| Documentary | 2018 | 20 mins. Director:John Moody In the footsteps of many unique Angelenos, a down-on-her-luck woman finds a new identity in Pershing Square, a notoriously unloved space in downtown Los Angeles. TOKEN USA| Narrative | 2018 | 25 mins. Director: Joy Shi Two artists in different stages of life and success deal with the effects of love, ego and loss in modern-day LA. BROCCOLI USA| Narrative | 2018 | 7 mins. Director: Phil Rosanova and Will Reiland After a scare at the office, a man must decide between his compulsive diet of only broccoli and his own mortality. DECEMBER USA| Narrative | 2018 | 7 mins. Director: Luciana Faulhaber At year’s end a woman tries to move on as her past comes rushing back. In matters of the heart do we take a risk before it’s too late or hope for a second chance? This movie is about the messes we make. THE HOAXING USA| Narrative | 2018 | 25 mins. Director: Bevin McNamara A young artist couple moves into a painter’s studio where the previous tenant hacked two people to death. The couple quickly discovers the studio harbors dark secrets. THE LION AND HIS WALL USA| Narrative | 2018 | 17 mins. Director: Raphael Krigel and Austin Dalgleish The film follows one of LA’s most prolific artists as he attempts to paint the largest mural in the world by a single individual. But this artist’s aspirations extend far beyond this one wall, and he’s not afraid to prove it.

    LA ARTISTS SHORTS

    SOMEDAY USA| Narrative | 2018 | 16 mins. Director: J.S. Mayank Two strangers meet on a 14-hour non-stop flight from Sydney to Los Angeles. Adam is a world-famous composer, but Melody doesn’t recognize her flight companion. Along the way, they laugh, flirt and pour their hearts out… a connection made more beautiful precisely because of its fleeting nature. CREATE USA| Narrative | 2018 | 3 mins. Director: Mikkel Aranas An artist finds himself in the middle of the wilderness wanting to create. After seeking guidance from the ultimate creator, he’s inspired by the elements around him and begins to create using what’s in front of him. A beautiful dance ensues between art and artist. ABUELA’S LUCK USA| Narrative | 2018 | 9 mins. Director: Ricky Rosario A young man’s relationship with his grandmother is altered forever after a chance visit to his neighborhood Dominican bodega. THE ENLIGHTENMENT PROJECT USA| Documentary | 2018 | 17 mins. Director: D’Angelo McCornell and Martel McCornell A grieving mother Yvonne Pointer from Cleveland, OH and an impoverished boy from Ghana, Africa turn their pain into purpose, and their purpose into action by educating the youth and strengthening communities together. AVOWED USA| Narrative | 2017 | 13mins. Director: Summera Howell A young nun-to-be struggles to find God inside Robin, a non-responsive adult whose brain stopped developing before he was born. GRIT USA| Narrative | 2018 | 11 mins. Director: Charles Lee Wilson After a long day’s work, a young teacher returns to find his home has been burglarized. When he discovers his relation to the culprit and their motive, he resorts to rogue tactics in order to save a loved one spiraling down a deadly path. #WHERE IS BEAUTY USA| Narrative | 2017 | 11 mins. Director: Angela McCrae An introspective visual artist dealing with the pressures of social media embarks on a journey of self-discovery capturing everyday life through SnapChat, which unexpectedly transforms her perspective of beauty. PARALLAX USA | Narrative | 2018 | 4 mins. Director: Ajiri Akpolo Two lovers try and find the right words to say to each other. BLACK CHICKS USA, Canada | Narrative | 2017 | 12 mins. Director: Neil LaBute A man and a woman, one white, one black — what could possibly go wrong? LET MY PEOPLE VOTE USA| Documentary | 2018 | 18 mins. Director: Gilda Ann Brasch Filmed during the 2016 presidential election, this verité short covers a day-in-the-life of civil rights activist and former felon Desmond Meade. What begins as an upbeat day of faith in our democratic process, ends with a heartbreaking realization and a call-to-action. GLORIA’S CALL USA| Documentary | 2018 | 16 mins. Director: Cheri Gaulke From the cafes of Paris to the mountaintops of Samiland, a scholar’s life is forever changed through her friendships with the women artists of Surrealism. FOXES USA| Narrative | 2018 | 14 mins. Director: Tristan Taylor An African-American man struggles to unmask his depression, while admitting he’s never been his younger brothers’ hero. THE PRICE WE PAY USA| Narrative | 2018 | 8 mins. Director: Jesse Garcia A scarred soldier, suffering from PTSD, who comes home from war to find his relationship with his neighborhood, best friend and wife, not how he left it. But is what he’s seeing, real? AMERICAN NIGHTMARE USA| Narrative | 2018 | 7 mins. Director: Jesus Nebot A traffic stop due to speeding takes a turn for the worse, landing a mother and her 5-year-old daughter in jail.

    TV PILOT SERIES | THRILLER-CRIME

    THE ONLY FLIGHT USA| Narrative | 2018 | 13 mins. Director: Royston Innes When a group of unwitting strangers wake up on an airplane in midair they must learn the true nature of why they were deemed enemies of the state. PAWG – DAY 12 “PRETTY ASS WHITE GIRL” USA| Narrative | 2018 | 20 mins. Director: John Eddins The uniqueness at the very end of this tale gives birth to a strange beginning as lovers reunite 12 days after one of them gets a whole new lease on love. THE PLURAL OF BLOOD USA| Narrative | 2017 | 20 mins. Director: Mary-Lyn Chambers Diana Santiago is an African American police wife, joyfully on the verge of adopting a black baby boy. Her world unravels when her husband, LAPD officer Alejandro Santiago, finds himself amid the fatal police shooting of an unarmed black teenager.

    TV PILOT SERIES 2 | COMEDY

    GREENPORT USA| Narrative | 2017 | 27 mins. Director: Shannon Goldman This is a story about a struggling Hollywood filmmaker, who is determined to show the world that an autistic kid can do anything. WED-LOCKED USA| Narrative | 2018 | 23 mins. Director: Malcom Barrett and Tina Huang Recently married, Denise & Robert deal with the ups & downs of marriage in this true-to-life comedy. Laugh and cry alongside our fledgling couple as they navigate everything from sex shop shyness and pubic hair politics, to having to tell their spouse they can’t cook.

    WEB SERIES | DRAMA-SUSPENSE

    MAKEUP AND BREAKUP SERIES – EPISODE 7 “WHEN THINGS FALL APART” OF SEASON 2 USA| Narrative | 2018 | 23 mins. Director: Eric J. Dickens When Brooke blindsides Blake and ends their two-year relationship, Blake doesn’t hesitate before jumping back into the New York dating scene. Instantly he finds a new love interest and regains his confidence. Once things begin to get serious, Brooke resurfaces and wants to claim what was once hers. Confused, Blake finds himself caught in the middle. When the dust settles, who will win him over in the end? STAGED – EPISODE “EVERYONE ISN’T WHO THEY POST TO BE” USA| Narrative | 2017 | 10 mins. Director: Abai Dunbar Staged explores the struggle to self-discovery for four social media influencers, in a world where nothing is what it seems and no one is who they claim. WHO KILLED MADAM SILVA – EPISODE 1 USA| Narrative | 2017 | 5 mins. Director: Anne Reis A maid and a driver come across the corpse of their mistress stretched out on the floor of the main living room. Both had reasons to commit the crime and both suspect one another. CHRONICLES OF JESSICA WU- EPISODE 1 – “MEET JESSICA” USA| Narrative | 2017 | 6 mins. Director: Zane Hubbard This is the story of Jessica Wu and her living with autism.

    WEB SERIES 2 | COMEDY

    AVANT GUARDIANS THE SERIES – EPISODE 1 “THERAPY SESSION 1” & EPISODE 2 “THERAPY SESSION 2” USA| Narrative | 2017 | 6 mins. Director: Clarence Williams, IV Episode 1 – Razz tells her therapist why she has nicknamed her beloved human Creepy Charlie, exploring re-appropriating negative labels. Episode 2 – Razz dives into her past life and the open wounds of feeling the need to justify her lifestyle-a style change to be more palatable to those who misunderstand her. FML SERIES – EPISODE 2 – “BEFORE THE PARTY” USA| Narrative | 2017 | 12 mins. Director: Viktoria I.V. King We got to get tipsy before the party starts! We get an insight into the separate lives of each friend as they prepare for Jeanette’s big birthday party later tonight. DATING AND WAITING – EPISODE 3 “THE PACT” USA| Narrative | 2018 | 7 mins. Director: Lawrence Saint-Victor Sisters Chastity and Geneva face off and get real with their sex lives. What ensues is a very interesting pact. THE FOB AND I – SEASON 2 EPISODE 1- “RESIST” USA| Narrative | 2017 | 5 mins. Director: Meenakshi Ramamurthy A trip for dosas takes a turn when Sita is forced to confront her feelings about immigrants. BREEDING GROUNDS-EPISODE – “BAKE SALE PART 1” USA| Narrative | 2017 | 11 mins. Director: Susan Skoog A privileged stay at-home mother aggravates her bake sale co-chair. After the two end up on the brink of fisticuffs, Debra gets a call that her mammogram is positive. SK & J – EPISODE 2 “GOOGLE IT!” and EPISODE 3 “COMMA” USA| Narrative | 2018 | 5 mins. Director: Jenn Liu (Google it!) and Susan-Kate Heaney (Comma) Episode “Google It!” – Sue-Kate is late (as usual!) meeting Jenn for sushi, and compounds the situation by asking Jenn for directions. Jenn (as usual) tells her to Google it. Some things never change. Episode “Comma” – The simple debate over the placement of a comma reveals Sue-Kate and Jenn’s inner thoughts about writing, friendship and how much they hate working with one another. SYCAMORE VALLEY – EPISODE 1 – “INTROS”USA| Narrative | 2018 | 4 mins. Director: Marisa Luz Kayla and Curtis get prepped for the exciting journey of their televised home-buying adventure, and they meet their realtor, Cece, for the first time. Early warning signs that trouble may be brewing are quickly forgotten after a few glasses of cheap Chardonnay. WAKING UP WITH STRANGERS- EPISODE 1- “PRETTY IN PINK” AND EPISODE 7- “PANIC ROOM” USA| Narrative | 2018 | 7 mins. Director: Antoine Perry EPISODE 1 “Pretty In Pink” – Chloe wakes to find her favorite one-piece dress has been unwittingly turned into separates. EPISODE 7 “Panic Room” – After a heavy night of drinking, Xavier wakes up with more questions then condom wrappers. SHUGS & FATS: SEASON 2 EPISODE 2 -“SPEED DATING” and SEASON 3 EPISODE 5 “LOST IN CONEY ISLAND” USA| Narrative | 2015,2016 | 6 mins. Director: Alex Mallis Episode 2 “Speed Dating” – Dating in NYC is hard. There’s OK Cupid, there’s Tinder, there’s Craigslist Missed Connections, but none of these will get you married to Justin Bieber. The surefire solution? Speed Dating. Romance is negotiable. Efficiency is key. Episode 5 “Lost In Coney Island” – It’s late, it’s lonely, and Coney Island is a shitty place to be stuck. Luckily, Fats has a brilliant idea for getting picked up and brought back home.

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  • Ava DuVernay’s Short Film AUGUST 28 Starring Lupita Nyong’o to Debut on OWN [Trailer]

    NEW YORK, NY - MAY 20: Lupita Nyong and Ava DuVernay from 13th pose with an award during The 76th Annual Peabody Awards Ceremony at Cipriani, Wall Street on May 20, 2017 in New York City. “August 28: A Day in the Life of a People” a short film by acclaimed director Ava DuVernay will make its national television debut on OWN on Tuesday, August 28 at 7 p.m. ET/PT. Starring Lupita Nyong’o, Angela Bassett, Don Cheadle, Regina King, David Oyelowo, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, André Holland, Michael Ealy and Glynn Turman, DuVernay’s 22-minute scripted film uses a robust combination of both documentary and narrative techniques to transport viewers through six stunning historical moments that all actually occurred on the same day in various years. Written, produced and directed by DuVernay, “August 28” traverses a century of black progress, protest, passion and perseverance of African-American people. The project gives historical perspective within the creative framework of one date that has had a profound effect on America including: the passing of The Slavery Abolition Act on August 28, 1833, the lynching of Emmett Till on August 28, 1955, the first radio airplay from Motown Records on August 28, 1961 with The Marvelettes “Please Mr Postman,” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech during the massive March on Washington on August 28, 1963, Hurricane Katrina making its tragic landfall on August 28, 2005 and then-Senator Barack Obama’s acceptance of the Democratic nomination for the presidency on August 28, 2008. The film was lensed by cinematographer Malik Sayeed and edited by Oscar nominee Spencer Averick. Ten-time Grammy nominee Meshell Ndegeocello composed the score. Paul Garnes produced, with co-producers Tilane Jones and Tammy Garnes.
    Image: NEW YORK, NY – MAY 20: Lupita Nyong and Ava DuVernay from 13th pose with an award during The 76th Annual Peabody Awards Ceremony at Cipriani, Wall Street on May 20, 2017 in New York City.

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  • 2018 HollyShorts Film Festival Awards – Guy Nattiv’s SKIN Wins Best Short Film

    2018 HollyShorts Film Festival Awards Winners Skin Directed by Guy Nattiv took the top prize for Best Short Film at the 14th edition of the Oscar Qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival Awards Ceremony last night hosted by Gabrielle Loren.  Grand Jury Prize went to Souls of Totality Directed by Richard Raymond. Best Director went to Randall Christopher for The Driver Is Red. Best Short Shot on Film went to Trapeze USA by Mark Anthony Green. The Panavision Future Filmmaker Award went to Daniel Drummond for A Foreman. The HollyShorts 2018 Screenplay Competition Winner Presented by Seattle Film Summit went to Best Seller by Nora Kirkpatrick. The 15th Anniversary of HollyShorts will take place on August 8-17, 2019 at the TCL Chinese 6 Theaters. The festival begins taking early bird submissions for next year’s festival on September 23, 2018.

    HollyShorts Awards 2018 Full Winners List

    Best Action Mascarpone Jonas Riemer Best Animation The Driver Is Red Randall Christopher Best Cinematographer The Other End Of The Earth Aaron Grasso Best Comedy Must Kill Karl Joe Kicak Best Coming Of Age Melody Bernard Kordieh Best Diversity Diwa Aina Dumlao, Bru Muller Best Documentary Hula Girl Amy Hill, Chris Riess Best Drama Phone Duty Lenar Kamalov Best Editing The Sermon Paco Sweetman Best Female Director Magic ’85 Annika Kurnick Best Horror Bite Size Horror Andrew Laurich, Anthony Melton, Ben Franklin, Chris Leone, Jack Bishop, Jerome Sable, John Ross, Justin Nijm, Michael Thelin, Rob Savage, Toby Meakins Best International Matria Alvaro Gago Diaz Best LGBT Pop Rox Nate Trinrud Best Music Video Sea Thor Brenne Best Narrative A Drowning Man Mahdi Fleifel Best Period Piece Cypher Lawrence Le Lam Best Produced Deer Boy Paweł Kosuń, Agnieszka Janowska Best Romance Fill Your Heart With French Fries Tamar Glezerman Best Sci-Fi Paleonaut Eric McEver Best Screenplay 1. Best Seller – Nora Kirkpatrick 2. Melville – Jeremy Storey 3. Conviction – Nino Mancuso Best Student Falling Ewen Wright Best Thriller Baghead Alberto Corredor Best TV Pickup Jeremiah Kipp Best VFX UI Soon We Will All Be One Johannes Mücke, Patrick Sturm Best VR A Yosemite Welcome… Kevin Pontuti Best Web Series Little Italy, LA Adriano Valentini Honorable Mention Magic Alps Andrea Brusa, Marco Scotu Kodak Honorable Mention Always Remember Me Nell Teare Best Panavision Future Filmmaker Award A Foreman Daniel Drummond Best Director The Driver Is Red Randall Christopher Best Grand Jury Souls Of Totality Richard Raymond Best Short Film Prize Skin Guy Nattiv

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  • 36 International Short Films in Short Cuts Program of 2018 Toronto International Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_31342" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]The Ambassador's Wife The Ambassador’s Wife[/caption] 36 short films will make up the International portion of the Short Cuts program at this year’s 2018 Toronto International Film Festival. The lineup of provocative, exciting shorts includes 14 World Premieres and works from 32 countries, in 19 different languages, with a strong array of new voices. Of the 36 films in the selection, 18 were directed or co-directed by women. Highlights among the selection of live-action narrative films include Reed Van Dyk’s Interior, a bold follow-up to his recent Academy Award–nominated DeKalb Elementary ; A.V. Rockwell’s vivid and vital drama Feathers; Héctor Silva Núñez’s exceptional exploration of identity in The Foreign Body; and Charles Williams’ All These Creatures, an emotionally wrenching drama that won the Short Film Palme d’Or at Cannes. The 2018 program also includes such fascinating short documentaries as Theresa Traore Dahlberg’s The Ambassador’s Wife, an elegant study of a woman who represents the complexities of class, women’s roles, and post-colonialism, and Jayisha Patel’s Circle, a haunting documentary that tells the horrifying story of a young woman caught in a cycle of abuse. Amazing animations are also prominent at this year’s Festival. Standouts include: Emma de Swaef and Marc James Roels’ This Magnificent Cake! , a wildly ambitious and original stop-motion marvel that uses stories set in the Belgian Congo in the 19th century to reveal the absurdity and horror of European colonialism in Africa; Anca Damian’s free-flowing yet astoundingly intricate The Call; and Donato Sansone’s Bavure, a bravura display of eye-popping, mind-bending, and body-morphing ingenuity. The 43rd Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 6 to 16, 2018.

    International Films in 2018 Toronto International Film Festival Short Cuts Program

    A New Year ( Akhali Tseli) George Sikharulidze | Georgia World Premiere A Wedding Day ( Un jour de mariage) Elias Belkeddar | Algeria/France North American Premiere All Inclusive Corina Schwingruber Ilić | Switzerland North American Premiere All These Creatures Charles Williams | Australia North American Premiere The Ambassador’s Wife Theresa Traore Dahlberg | Burkina Faso/Sweden Canadian Premiere Ballad of Blood and Two White Buckets Yosep Anggi Noen | Indonesia World Premiere Bavure Donato Sansone | France World Premiere Birdie Shelly Lauman | Australia International Premiere The Call ( Telefonul) Anca Damian | Romania North American Premiere Circle Jayisha Patel | United Kingdom/Canada/India North American Premiere Dodgy Dave Charlotte Regan | United Kingdom World Premiere Dulce Guille Isa, Angello Faccini | Colombia/USA International Premiere Everything calms down ( Todo se calma) Virginia Scaro | Argentina World Premiere Facing North ( Bukiikakkono) Tukei Muhumuza | USA/Uganda World Premiere The Fall ( La Chute) Boris Labbé | France North American Premiere Feathers A.V. Rockwell | USA World Premiere The Field Sandhya Suri | France/United Kingdom/India Canadian Premiere The Foreign Body ( El Destetado) Héctor Silva Núñez | Venezuela/France World Premiere Fuck You Anette Sidor | Sweden North American Premiere Guaxuma Nara Normande | France/Brazil North American Premiere Hector Malot: The Last Day of the Year ( Ektoras Malo: I Teleftea Mera Tis Chronias) Jacqueline Lentzou | Greece North American Premiere The Imminent Immanent ( Baga’t Diri Tuhay Ta’t Pamahungpahung ) Carlo Francisco Manatad | Philippines/Singapore/Italy World Premiere Interior ( Interiør) Reed Van Dyk | Norway/USA World Premiere Judgement Raymund Ribay Gutierrez | Philippines North American Premiere L’été et tout le reste Sven Bresser | Netherlands North American Premiere Lou Clara Balzary | USA World Premiere Old Thing ( Ha’Alte-Zachen) Roni Bahat | Israel International Premiere The Orphan ( O Órfão) Carolina Markowicz | Brazil North American Premiere Reneepoptosis Renee Zhan | Japan/USA North American Premiere Shadow Cut Lucy Suess | New Zealand North American Premiere Shinaab: Part II Lyle Corbine Jr. | USA World Premiere This Magnificent Cake! ( Ce Magnifique Gâteau!) Emma de Swaef, Marc James Roels | Belgium/France/Netherlands Canadian Premiere To Plant a Flag Bobbie Peers | Norway/Iceland World Premiere Umbra ( Tariki) Saeed Jafarian | Iran North American Premiere Viktoría Brúsi Ólason | Iceland International Premiere Winners Bitch Sam Gurry | USA World Premiere

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  • Netflix Releases Most Inspiring Trailer for ZION on High School Wrestler Born Without Legs

    [caption id="attachment_27267" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Zion Clark appears in ZION by Floyd Russ | photo by Gregory Wilson Zion Clark appears in ZION by Floyd Russ | photo by Gregory Wilson[/caption] Netflix released the trailer for the Zion, a gripping portrait of Zion Clark, a young wrestler born without legs who grew up in foster care. The documentary short, premiered earlier this year at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and launches globally on Netflix on August 10. Zion is a gripping portrait of Zion Clark, a young wrestler born without legs who grew up in foster care. Clark began wrestling in second grade against his able-bodied peers. The physical challenge became a therapeutic outlet and gave him a sense of family. Moving from foster home to foster home, wrestling became the only constant thing in his childhood. The Netflix original documentary short is directed by Floyd Russ. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWo0MN_tY1E

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  • Toronto International Film Festival Reveals 24 Canadian Short Films on 2018 Lineup

    [caption id="attachment_27110" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Accidence Accidence[/caption] The Toronto International Film Festival revealed the 24 Canadian short films on the 2018 lineup that will excite, challenge, and inspire Festival audiences this September. The 2018 lineup celebrates the work of 15 female filmmakers, 15 TIFF alumni, and two Indigenous filmmakers. “We are thrilled to be able to present so many compelling new works by some of the best filmmakers in the country. This year’s program includes both emerging talents and directors who continue to amaze us.” said Lisa Heller and Jason Anderson, Short Cuts Programmers TIFF. The Festival’s Canadian short-film selection showcases masterful films that tell stories of complex human relationships and introduce a range of characters facing diverse challenges, from coming to terms with one’s own identity to understanding the importance of heritage, family, and the fragility of friendships. Highlights from returning TIFF alumni include: Galen Johnson, Evan Johnson, and Guy Maddin’s latest film, the action-packed Accidence; award-winning editor Matthew Hannam’s directorial debut, Paseo; Caroline Monnet’s portrait of a Chippewa female mixed martial artist, Emptying the Tank; and Amanda Strong’s stunning new stop-motion animation, Biidaaban (The Dawn Comes). The Festival’s Canadian short-film slate also includes: Alison Snowden and David Fine’s Animal Behaviour, which marks the Academy Award–winning duo’s first collaboration with the National Film Board in 20 years; Claire Edmondson’s EXIT, a powerful drama starring Maria Bello; Jérémy Comte’s award-winning drama Fauve; a striking film from emerging Toronto filmmaker Sofia Bohdanowicz, Veslemøy’s Song; renowned visual artist Celia Perrin Sidarous’ Slip; and the latest from Colombian–Canadian filmmaker Lina Rodriguez, ante mis ojos. All 20 Canadian films in the Short Cuts programme are eligible for the IWC Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Short Film and the IWC Short Cuts Award for Best Short Film. The 43rd Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 6 to 16, 2018.

    SHORT CUTS

    7A Zachary Russell | Canada World Premiere Accidence Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson | Canada North American Premiere Animal Behaviour Alison Snowden, David Fine | Canada North American Premiere Biidaaban (The Dawn Comes) Amanda Strong | Canada World Premiere Brotherhood ( Ikhwène) Meryam Joobeur | Tunisia/Canada World Premiere Caroni Ian Harnarine | Canada/Trinidad and Tobago/USA World Premiere Dziadzio Aaron Ries | Canada World Premiere Emptying the Tank Caroline Monnet | Canada World Premiere EXIT Claire Edmondson | Canada/USA World Premiere Fauve Jérémy Comte | Canada Toronto Premiere GIRLFRIENDS ( AMIES) Marie Davignon | Canada World Premiere Glitter’s Wild Women Roney | Canada World Premiere Good Boy Fantavious Fritz | Canada World Premiere If This Isn’t Love ( Si ce n’est pas de l’amour) Luiza Cocora | Canada World Premiere Little Waves ( Les petites vagues) Ariane Louis-Seize | Canada World Premiere My Boy ( Mon Boy) Sarah Pellerin | Canada World Premiere Norman Norman Sophy Romvari | Canada World Premiere Paseo Matthew Hannam | Canada World Premiere The Subject ( Le sujet) Patrick Bouchard | Canada Toronto Premiere Veslemøy’s Song Sofia Bohdanowicz | Canada North American Premiere

    WAVELENGTHS

    ALTIPLANO Malena Szlam | Chile/Argentina/Canada World Premiere ante mis ojos Lina Rodriguez | Colombia/Canada World Premiere Sira Rolla Tahir | Canada World Premiere Slip Celia Perrin Sidarous | Canada Toronto Premiere

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  • Penelope Cruz, Whoopi Goldberg, Jane Lynch Among 2018 HollyShorts Film Festival Lineup

    [caption id="attachment_31174" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]THE BIRDS SING TO LOUD starring Jane Lynch THE BIRDS SING TO LOUD starring Jane Lynch[/caption] The Oscar-Qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival today unveiled the Official Selections of the upcoming 14th edition taking place August 9 to 18, 2018  at the TCL Chinese Theater, Harmony Gold Theater and other locations in Hollywood. Nearly 400 short films will compete for the festival’s top prizes. Last year HollyShorts finalists included 3 out of the 5 Live Action Oscar nominees and the winning short Silent Child from Rachel Shenton and Chris Overton. This year, HollyShorts received an all-time record 5,000 submissions from over 80 countries. The competition will feature Live Action, Animation and Documentary Shorts as well as web series, student shorts, music videos, TV pilots, and VR. The festival also features a screenplay competition where the winning short gets greenlit, shot and shown at next year’s festival courtesy of Evil Slave Productions. This year’s competition lineup is the most star-studded. Standouts include Penelope Cruz’s short documentary SOY UNOENTRECIENMIL which explores childhood leukaemia, Ramon Rodriguez’s (The Affair) ROUND, Liz Lachman’s PIN-UP starring Angela Sarafyan (Westworld), Kelley Kali’s LALO’S HOUSE starring Garcelle Beauvais and Jimmy Jean-Louis, Jarod Einsohn’s Long Walk Home (Produced by Anthony Hemingway) starring Ryan Rottman, Jocelyn Stamat’s LABORATORY CONDITIONS starring Minnie Driver, Kevin Alejandro’s (Arrow) LUCIFER, Fox and Mars Candy Brands short BITE SIZE HORROR (Directed by a team of up and coming horror directors), Choice Skinner’s BLACK LIGHTNING- TOBIAS REVENGE starring Jay Hunter (If Loving you is Wrong), Jack Kenny’s THE BIRDS SING TO LOUD starring Jane Lynch, Mark Lobatto’s STEALING SILVER starring Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones), Michael Reilly’s HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME starring Whoopi Goldberg, Oscar nominated animator Bill Plympton’s MODERN LIVES, Guy Nattiv’s SKIN starring Danielle MacDonald (Patti Cake$), Tyler Winther’s GOLIATH 22 starring Jaylen Moore (SIX), R.H. Norman’s HAJJI starring Ross Marquand (Walking Dead), Lisa Edelstein’s (House) UNZIPPING, Omar Benson Miller’s (Ballers) ADVANTAGE OMAR, Jaclyn Bethany’s THE DELTA GIRL starring Isabelle Fuhrman (Orphan) and Caitlyn Carver (I, Tonya) among others. The festival will announce additional films in the coming week, include opening night and closing night programs. Image via Twitter

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  • Lineup of Short Films to Kick Off 22nd Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_27267" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Zion Clark appears in ZION by Floyd Russ | photo by Gregory Wilson Zion Clark appears in ZION by Floyd Russ | photo by Gregory Wilson[/caption] An unforgettably memorable selection of short films from around the world and New England will kick off the 22nd Annual Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival on Tuesday, August 7, 2018. The Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF) is one of only a handful of qualifying Festivals with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences-the Oscars–in the Live Action, Animation and Documentary short categories, the Canadian Screen Awards and the British Academy of Television & Film Arts (BAFTA). The World Premiere of Chris Overton’s “The Silent Child” took place at RIIFF last year, received the Festival’s Grand Prize and Academy nomination, and went on to receive the coveted Oscar®. Starting on Tuesday night, Flickers launches a year-long “Celebration of Women in Film and Arts” (#WomenInTheArts). To celebrate this focus, the Festival has dedicated this year’s event to Dr. Winifred E. Brownell, a groundbreaking educator and Dean Emerita of the Arts and Sciences at the University of Rhode Island. Her visionary work propelled the University to become a leading hub for film media studies and nurtured the Festival during its infancy, spurring it to become the internationally acclaimed event that it is today.

    OPENING NIGHT ROSTER OF FILMS:

    TIGHT SPOT | Directed by: Kevin Haefelin | 4 min. Switzerland, USA, 2018. Shining the shoes of a walk-in customer, a shiner discovers his client’s dark secret. ZION | Directed By:Floyd Russ | 11 min. USA, 2017. Zion is a short documentary about the life of Zion Clark, a young wrestler who was born without legs and grew up in foster care. CAROLINE | Directed By:Celine Held and Logan George | 12 min. USA, 2018. When plans fall through, a six-year-old is faced with a big responsibility on a hot Texas day. FALL RIVER | Directed by: Pat Heywood and Jamil McGinnis | 7 min. USA, 2018. Through the intimate reflections of one extraordinary woman, Fall River tells the story of a family’s tragedy, the once-thriving city they inhabited, and how hope can blossom in unexpected places. In the search for closeness, for comfort, for history — what does it mean to be from somewhere? THE COLLAR | Directed by:Viktoria Runtsova | 23 min. Russian Federation, 2017. A modest young woman buys the new collar for her clothing. But the collar starts to rule her life leading to an important decision. TYRANNOSAURUS FUNK | Directed by: Sandra Boynton | 4 min. USA, 2017. 2-D animated musical short about the particular joys of being king of the dinosaurs. It’s sung from the point of view of a confident T. Rex—voiced by Samuel L. Jackson, set to a lively funk accompaniment. Drawn and directed by Sandra Boynton, song written by Boynton & Ford. MARGUERITE | Directed by: Marianne Farley | 19 min. Canada, 2017. An aging woman and her nurse develop a friendship that inspires her to unearth unacknowledged longing and thus help her make peace with her past. GEOFF | Directed by:Michael Rouse and Will Kenning | 20 min. United Kingdom, 2017. Bridging Fear with Love and Peanuts. FERN | Directed by: Johnny Kelly | 6 min. United Kingdom, 2017. A woman loses her husband, and finds a houseplant. ONE SMALL STEP | Directed by: Bobby Pontillas | 8 min. USA/China | 2018. Luna, a young Chinese American girl, dreams of becoming an astronaut. Supported by her humble father, Luna endeavors to make her dreams come true.

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