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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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“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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
Sam Did It[/caption]
LA Shorts International Film Festival will showcase 333 films coming from 23 countries on July 25 through August 2, 2018. Opening day will be held downtown at LA LIVE Regal Cinemas. The following 8 days move to Leammle Noho 7.
This year LA Shorts presents the first annual NEW WAVE CHINESE FILMMAKERS on opening day July 25 consisting of three film programs by Chinese American filmmakers.
There are 44 curated film programs, some of the special theme programs include: British Shorts, Crime, Romance, Parts Unknown, Southeast Asia, Sci Fi Fantasy, , Music, Horror/Suspense, Directed by SuperWomen, Comedy, Family/Kids, Animation, Documentaries, Awards Encore Screening.
The Documentary programs includes shorts from powerhouse creators; NETFLIX, ESPN, NEW YORK TIMES, WALL STREET JOURNAL, THE ATLANTIC.
The animation block contains shorts from BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT, DREAMWORKS ANIMATION, THE CARTON NETWORK, LEVEL-5, SEGA OF AMERICA.
This year’s list of films include celebrities, Billy Bob Thornton, Katie Holmes, Jane Lynch, Alfred Molina, Michael Madsen, Rob Belushi, Cameron Douglas, Philip Baker Hall, M. Emmet Walsh, Bubba Sparxxx, Rhea Perlman, Robert Davi, Eric Roberts, Joan Collins, Lea Thompson and David Arquette.
Winners in four categories will automatically become eligible for consideration by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS®). Over the course of 22 years, the Festival has presented 55 films that have gone on to receive Academy Award® nominations. Winners will be announced at a encore screening on Thursday, August 2 at Leammle Noho 7.
In addition to the award-winning short films, the festival welcomes industry professionals presenting master classes, workshops, panel discussions free to participating filmmakers.
THURSDAY, JULY 26, 4:00 PM
Actors Read Screenplay Finalist from LA Shorts Competition
FRIDAY, JULY 27, 5:00 PM
Workshop – Pitching Session with Carole Dean (CEO – From The Heart Productions) and Carol Joyce (film producer)
SATURDAY, JULY 28, 5:00 PM
Masterclass – From Shorts to Features: If I Can Do It – Anyone Can! How to Reach Your Goals by Pen Densham (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Twilight Zone, Outer Limits)
MONDAY, JULY 30, 3:00 PM
Masterclass by Blizzard Entertainment Gurpreet Wahla (video game and animation producer)
TUESDAY, JULY 31, 4:00 PM
Interactive Discussion -Diversity in Film with Lionsgate’s CodeBlack Productions executive Christina Sibul
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1, 4:00 PM
Workshop – Breaking Into The Industry with film producer Tom Nunan and writer/actor Lisa Ebersole
This year LA Shorts presents SUMMER FILM AND ACTING CAMP FOR TEENS, JULY 30 – AUGUST 2, 2018 at The Art Institute of California – Hollywood.
At the Summer Film and Acting Camp, students will collaborate in different roles to create a story and execute the filming with guidance from industry professional instructors and mentors over the course of four days.
Flip the Record[/caption]
The PBS Online Film Festival returns for a seventh year July 16-27 featuring 25 short-form independent films from multiple public media partners and PBS member stations. The PBS Online Film Festival is part of a multi-platform initiative to increase the reach and visibility of independent films, and to provide a showcase for diverse storytelling that inspires and engages.
The festival will be available via PBS and station digital platforms, including PBS.org. As in previous years, films will also be available to stream on YouTube and Facebook.
This year’s lineup features films from the Black Public Media, Center for Asian American Media (CAAM), Independent Television Service (ITVS), Latino Public Broadcasting, National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP), Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC), POV, To The Contrary, Vision Maker Media and World Channel, as well as PBS local member stations, including DPTV (Detroit), KLRU-TV Austin PBS, Louisiana Public Broadcasting, NET (Nebraska), Twin Cities Public Television, UNC-TV, Vermont PBS, WNET (New York) and WSIU (Illinois).
“Every year, PBS and its member stations challenge ourselves to elevate the breadth and depth of innovative storytelling through our work with the PBS Online Film Festival,” said Ira Rubenstein, Chief Digital & Marketing Officer. “The world of filmmaking is changing, and filmmakers can make as much of an impact on small screens as they do on big screens. The festival amplifies unique stories from an exciting collection of filmmakers across the country, reaching viewers on platforms as diverse as the films themselves.”
Viewers are encouraged to vote for their favorite film to win the “Most Popular” award, and a distinguished panel of eight jury members will select their favorite film of the festival for the “Juried Prize.” This year’s jury members include International Documentary Association Executive Director Simon Kilmurry, Black Film Critics Circle Founder Mike Sargent, WGBH Educational Foundation Executive Producer Judith Vecchione, Firelight Media & Films Documentary Lab Manager Chloe Walters-Wallace, Digital Media Executive Adnaan Wasey, Senior Director of Programming & Development at PBS Pamela Aguilar, FRONTLINE Producer & Editor Michelle Mizner and American Experience Producer Eric Gulliver.
Short films featured in the 2018 PBS Online Film Festival include:
Black Public Media
“Heroes of Color”
An educational video series highlighting the outstanding achievements of people of color.
CAAM
“Flip the Record”
In this 1980s coming-of-age story, a Filipino American teen flips the narrative by teaching herself how to DJ.
“Our Time”
A dark family secret opens up a young child’s eyes to a sobering reality, but also love.
DPTV
“Hungry for Love”
Two down-and-out foodies embark on an all-night dining adventure through Sapporo, Japan.
“The Book Club”
A sequel to the stop-motion short film “The List,” “The Book Club” is, at heart, a love story, but carries a deeper message about staying true to oneself.
ITVS
“Pops Ep. 1 “La Guardia Adjusts to Fatherhood””
Pops tells three stories of African Americans from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds and regions, all deeply engaged in the beautiful struggle of fatherhood.
“The F Word Ep. 1 ‘F Is for: Foster Care’”
A queer Bay Area couple bumble through a bureaucratic maze as they seek to form their family by adopting from foster care.
KLRU
“Animal Facts Club Presents – Endangered Rituals”
The curious mating rituals of the endangered Attwater Prairie Chicken and Houston Toad.
Latino Public Broadcasting
“Caracol Cruzando”
A Costa Rican girl decides if she will bring her pet turtle across the U.S. border.
Louisiana Public Broadcasting
“Mr. United States”
Today, Avery D. Wilson appears to be a confident pillar of his community, but in this uplifting story, he reveals otherwise. Avery was bullied as a child and later questioned how being gay would affect his faith. As an adult, he feared how his parents would react to his secret. It wasn’t until years later that Avery learned to accept himself – to love himself – and become Mr. United States.
NALIP
“Desde el principio”
In the darkness of a soundproof recording studio, a conversation sparks between two voice actors dealing with a shared tragedy.
“The Melancholy Man”
“The Melancholy Man” tells the story of the world’s saddest man who meets the world’s saddest woman. Through a fantastical lens, these characters come together in their harmonious misery and find something that surprises them both.
NET Nebraska
“Total Eclipse of the Heartland”
From sky to prairie, relive the Great American Eclipse of 2017 in 360 degrees.
PIC
“Ka Piko”
When his girlfriend dies during childbirth, Makana, a young Native Hawaiian man, must perform a traditional birthing ritual with his girlfriend’s overbearing father.
POV
“Redneck Muslim”
A Muslim hospital chaplain honors his Southern heritage while challenging white supremacy.
To The Contrary
“Ties That Bind”
A personal and heartfelt documentary on one family’s experience with gender transition.
Twin Cities Public Television
“I Am a Refugee”
There are 64 million refugees in the world. This film explores their experience.
“Women in Sports Leadership”
Explore why having women coaches matters, hear some of their barriers and celebrate a few successes.
UNC-TV
“Cowgirl Up”
A cowgirl from Natchez, Mississippi pursues her lifelong dream to become the first African American female in the National Finals Rodeo.
Vermont PBS
“Black Canaries”
Isolated, desperate, and haunted by his coal-stained birthright, Father continues his daily descent into the accursed Maplemine — even after it has crippled his ancestors and blinded his youngest son.
Vision Maker Media
“A Redemption Story”
See how Leo Yankton (Oglala Lakota) contributed in efforts to protect the water on the Standing Rock reservation and continues to find ways to have a positive impact with Native Country and the rest of the world.
World Channel
“Black Muslim Woman”
Against a rhythmic score, Mikel Aki’leh delivers a powerful poem on beauty and blackness.
WNET
“Stronghold of Resistance: Sable Island & Her Legendary Horses”
This short film takes viewers to the shores of Sable Island, a remote strip of land less than a mile wide, whose only full-time inhabitants are a herd of near-mythical wild horses; no human attempts at colonization have ever succeeded.
“Wind Back”
A sealed door divides a little boy from his mother. He will go to great lengths to be with her, but when that barrier breaks down, the boy will have to become an adult.
WSIU
“Super Predator: Preludes of the Black Fish”
Parallels the predator-prey relationship of a black man and social boundaries.
The Birth of the Camera Phone – Jonathan Ignatius Green[/caption]
Mozilla, the non-profit organization behind the Firefox browser, is partnering with Rooftop Films to bring a memorable evening of film and discussion called “Terms of Service”to the roof and courtyard of The Old American Can Factory, in beautiful Brooklyn, New York on Saturday, July 21 at 8PM ET. “Terms of Service” is free with RSVP on the Rooftop Films website.
The July 21st screening in New York will be the first of four free screenings in different cities featuring short films relating to the internet. Rooftop Films and Mozilla will also bring short film programs to Austin, Toronto, and Berlin in the fall.
“Mozilla’s not-for-profit mission is to ensure the Internet is a global public resource, open and accessible to all,” said Michaela Smiley, Senior Brand Strategist at Mozilla. “Film is a powerful way to communicate what’s at stake when the web gets unhealthy, which is why we are incredibly excited to partner with Rooftop Films to bring these stories to New Yorkers and beyond.”
“As the subtitle for Mozilla’s IRL podcast states, online life is real life,” said Dan Nuxoll, artistic director of Rooftop Films. “Too often we speak of the internet as if it is something that exists separate from our lived reality, when in fact it is a network interwoven with nearly every aspect of our daily life. The films that we have chosen for this program explore some of the many unexpected connections made possible by the networked world, and we are excited to be partnering with such an innovative organization as Mozilla to connect these films with bigger audiences in New York and all over the world.”
Mattteo Servente, director of WE GO ON, Winner 2017 Memphis Film Prize[/caption]
The 10 film finalists for the 3rd annual Memphis Film Prize (August 3-5) with the top award of $10,000 cash were announced today. The ten finalists will play at the Memphis Film Prize Fest, August 3-4 at the Malco Theater in Overton Square. The ten shorts will play throughout the two days of the festival, and a combination of judges and the audience help determine the Grand Prize winner.
The 10 films (and filmmakers) that will compete for the $10,000 Grand Prize include; Daniel R. Ferrell’s DEAN’S LIST; Donald R. Meyers’s HYPNOTIC INDUCTION; Kevin Brooks’s LAST NIGHT; Will Robbins’s MINORITY; Robb Rokk’s OUTSIDE ARCADIA; Kyle Taubken’s PATRICK; Jason S. Lockridge’s THE STIX; Drew Fleming’s TRAVELING SOLDIER; Arnold G. Edwards II’s WAYWARD SON; and Marcus Santi’s YOU DON’T KNOW JACK SQUAT: THE TRIAL.
“Across the board, these filmmakers poured their hearts and souls into their projects and put the indie film spotlight on Memphis and Shelby County,” said David Merrill, the Memphis filmmaker liaison. “I couldn’t be prouder of the work that was done and of our ten Memphis Film Prize finalists.”
Gregory Kallenberg, founder and executive director of the Film Prize Foundation, said, “This was our largest group of participating filmmakers and, by far, our best crop of rough cuts to choose from. While I don’t envy their task, I can’t wait for our Memphis Film Prize fans to help choose our $10,000 winner in August!”
2018 Memphis Film Prize Jury
Thelma Adams (Journalist and Film Critic – Real Clear/Life, contributing writer for Variety)
Nelson Kim (Journalist and Film Critic – Hammer to Nail)
Victoria Negri ((Writer, Director, Producer, and Actor – GOLD STAR; Director of 2 WEEKS, Producer of THE FEVER AND THE FRET)
Brandon Oldenberg (Academy Award-winning filmmaker – THE FANTASTIC FLYING BOOKS OF MR. MORRIS LESSMORE)
Farah White (Producer and Actor – DAYLIGHT’S END, THE LADIES OF THE HOUSE)
The Memphis Film Prize combines elements of a film competition and festival, inviting filmmakers from all over the world to create and present a 5-15 minute short film with just one rule – it must be shot in Shelby County, TN. Filmmakers shot their films beginning in February and submitted them in June, when a rough cut of the films were due to contest organizers.