We wanted to make a film that we could make on an iPhone where we could almost use a ‘Guerrilla filmmaking’ style to the shooting in a day or two. I came up with the idea of Sneeze after a huge sneeze that made me forget for a second where I was…and then the idea of transportation from a sneeze came.
What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
Amazing comments and such insightful thoughts about the film. We felt humbled and so very pleased. Thank you.
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SOUTH GEORGIA. In the heart of the wild, 30min,. Ukraine Directed by Andrii Andreiev As it sometimes happens in this vast Universe, a remarkable coincidence brought together a multitude of talented cinematographers, musicians, and film editors in the making of a documentary about South Georgia. We also incorporated AI to recreate historical footage from the early 20th century, capturing the spirit of the first Antarctic explorers.
Messages From The Multiverse, 14min., USA Directed by Pete Russell The architects of an intergalactic backyard theme park clear up common misconceptions about the multiverse in pop culture.
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Pushing Up Daisies, 2min., USA Directed by Morgan Notari Pushing Up Daisies is a 2D Animated Short Film that follows Daisy, a lingering ghost who learns the importance of death after she accidentally kills a flower and observes the new life that sprouts in its place.
ORGANIC ARCHITECTURE, 2min., Spain Directed by Marta Fidalgo ORGANIC ARCHITECTURE is an academic work of the School of Architecture of the Francisco de Vitoria University of Madrid, whose objective is to approach architecture through a video of less than 2 minutes of duration made with a cell phone.
We Can, We Have, 4min., USA Directed by Dennis Eugene Johnson We Can, We Have is a poetic tribute to heroes of the civil rights and human rights movement and other African American heroes..
CROSSING, 3min., Italy Directed by Alessia Ambrosini Late evening in Tokyo. A man is on his way home on the subway after a day’s work, lost in his daily routine. Suddenly there is an explosion. The man is catapulted into another dimension.
Beyond the pain, 2min., France Directed by Farah Tagauly, Annaëlle Maillot It is a film that talks about the hero in each of us and that life sometimes, often, always puts to the test. With courage, work and resilience, nothing becomes insurmountable. We can all make the world more beautiful, we just have to want it.
1965. A small man in a big world works hard to close a deal, doing everything he can to please his boss. But the clock is ticking, and someone is out to get him.
Director Statement I’ve always been intrigued by films that have compelling stories told within the confines of few settings. That is why directing The Call, as well as co-writing it, means a lot to me. Despite the film’s one setting and the protagonist’s seemingly trivial predicament, its story still takes a deep dive into the darkest corners of the human condition. The film stems from my fascination with dark and sinister tales that are grounded in reality. Thus, I saw The Call as an opportunity to create a metaphor for the anxious and paranoid times we live in.
This production was truly a labor of love. From the very beginning, I envisioned the film to be shot on 16mm black and white film with a 4:3 aspect ratio. This combination was very effective in terms of creating a sense of claustrophobia which speaks to the protagonist’s state of mind. The cinematographer, Armaan Virani, completely understood the look I was going for and implemented it perfectly. Casting the film was very exciting. As soon as I watched Tom’s audition I knew he was the right choice. His talent, dedication and attention to detail shine thru in his performance.
Unfortunately, production was delayed twice due to the challenges presented to us by the pandemic. But my collaborators and I didn’t let these setbacks stop us. We worked hard on getting all the details right knowing the film will get made no matter what. And that it did. I am proud of the film and look forward to screening it for festival audiences.
Seth, a college senior, is home for winter break. He’s spending a day relaxing and shopping on Fairfax Avenue when he’s suddenly confronted by an Orthodox Jewish man asking Seth if he’s Jewish. Seth’s chance encounter leads to a profound spiritual experience with life-changing implications.
Director Statement ANTISEMITE is a film about self-discovery in a time of fear and violence. Fear of one’s heritage, and fear of exploring and expressing one’s identity. For the past two thousand years, Jewish people have been the victims of antisemitism, being forced to live at the margins of whatever society they happened to call home at the time. Sure, assimilation provided some cover, but the fact remained and still remains to this day, Jews have always been Other. ANTISEMITE explores the themes around a unique component of being Jewish in today’s world, the capacity to be Jewish without actually being Jewish. It’s a paradox that many modern Jews face, and it’s a sense of inner conflict that many seek to avoid. Following the uptick in violence against Jewish people in North America last year, our writer Etan Marciano channeled his anger, fear, confusion, and sense of ambiguity into a narrative that sought nuance in the face of an increasingly binary conversation about what it means to be Jewish in today’s world.
Seth, our film’s lead, is a version of a growing Jewish American archetype. His Judaism is only as deep as his vague awareness that he’s Jewish. He’s a born and raised Angeleno. He’s the son of an immigrant Israeli father who rejects his religious past, and an American-born mother who never cared to embrace her Judaism. His parents have offered him no sense of what it means to be Jewish, and in that void of his identity, Seth has naturally sought a sense of self in the secular culture around him. Instead of his faith or spirituality, he defines himself by his taste in fashion, music, the content that he consumes and the multicultural friends he surrounds himself with. But however much of an echo chamber Seth has created for himself, he still yearns for deeper meaning, purpose and connection. Seth’s chance encounter with an Orthodox Jewish man– similar to the type of encounter Etan experienced all the time as a teenager growing up in New York City — acts as a catalyst that changes Seth’s life. But the question remains, does Seth have the courage to pursue his Jewish identity knowing that it could alienate him from his family and friends? And if so, does he have the resolve to cope with the specter of hate and violence that awaits?
ANTISEMITE is a film that I believe will resonate with everyone who sees it, as the themes are universal. It’s a film about finding your place in the world and the consequences of that. I too have a father from another culture, who overcorrected and assimilated into American culture, erasing his ties to his native land. I have had to discover that for myself, in a journey similar to Seth’s, and have faced the repercussions of living between being Other and an American upbringing. This is a film that audiences will surely identify with, and garner some deeper understanding of themselves.
After humanity’s destruction, one man wanders the wasteland in search of a safe place to settle down, until one day he is confronted by a group of people who don’t belong.
Smile for the Dead, 54min., USA Directed by Hamilton Young Ward True crime meets the paranormal as “Smile for the Dead” uncovers the eerie mystery of William H. Mumler’s spirit photography and his ghostly portraits that baffled the 1800s. This documentary investigates Mumler’s techniques and why society so needed him in the post Civil War era.
What motivated you to make this film? I love a good mystery and this one was particularly challenging to follow the threads of it. The more I learned about it, the more i wanted to share this story and mystery out to the world.
What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video? I was extremely nervous about it but my producer said I really needed to see it and was extremely touched when I saw the reactions.
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longing/belonging, 3min,. Canada Directed by Rachael Withers, Niamh Wilson longing/belonging follows a queer femme struggling to break out of the mold of their straight relationship and their journey to discovering identity and community.
Redundant – Official Music Video, 3min., UK Directed by Roni Skaly Redundant is a queer activism fan funded project raising awareness to abuse done on transgender and non-binary youth through conversion therapy. At the time this project was produced, the gay conversion therapy ban in the UK did not include a ban on conversion therapy done on transgender and non-binary youth, today the ban includes gender as well. ‘Redundant’ had also been reviewed by Pink News.
Dead Girl, 9min., USA Directed by Kenz Benmosbah After her untimely death, Dani comes back from the dead on Halloween night and goes on a quest to win her fiancée back.
20:15 MÉXICO DF Directed by Alejandro Di Meglio In the vibrant heart of Mexico City, two women meet and begin a tender, reflective journey together. Through intimate conversations, they explore themes of memory, love, and the passage of time. Their connection becomes a window through which they gaze not only at their present but also at the infinite possibilities of their past and future. A beautifully crafted short film that captures the delicate intricacies of love and the fleeting nature of time.
PAGES IN THE WIND, 14min., USA Directed by Lucas Haviland As Bailey sits in the park, he starts to reminisce about his journal entries over the past month. Through flashes to these entries, Bailey and his boyfriend, Gavin, experience the various intricate elements of their relationship. All the while Bailey takes in the environment around him in the present day. When his best friend, Corrine, stops by to surprise him, they start to catch up on the past week. Bailey quickly remembers that his entries might be less realistic than he wants them to be. And that his roommate, Gavin, will probably never be the man he needs in his life.
Bug Eye, an entertaining short, can really make a viewer squirm — the film’s almost incessant buzzing effectively sets the tone for the lead’s obsession with bugs, and the intensity of his focus sells it. The performer playing the bug lover’s partner shows a patient acceptance of this seeming eccentricity. Even the local friend who comes over to help fix the water heater reveals a gentle kindness towards the bug lover, until he leaves in a tizzy after being harassed by flying insects.
The comfortable cottage-style house works well to suggest an area surrounded by many airborne and crawling creatures. While much of the film is without a soundtrack save for the buzzing, the heavy drumming and symbols add to the hilarity of the bug lover’s winged run.
The crunchy edible bug props also add to the potential for viewers to be squeamish. Although quite brief, this short does a convincing exploration of someone’s obsession, and manages to do it in an upbeat, amusing way. It may bug you, but it’s worth it!
In war-torn 2062, a grounded fighter pilot agrees to raise a genetically-modified child, only to discover his precocious daughter’s DNA is designed for nefarious purposes.
Cast: Tasos Hernandez, Isabella Salazar, Steven Dudley, Jade Holman-Travis, Sami Martinez, Rhianna DeVries
Director Statement TEST DRIVE is a film about the lows to which those in power will stoop in order to maintain control.
On a personal note, TEST DRIVE borrows heavily from a time in my life when I was a single dad: all the good intentions, bad mistakes, and ugly things I’d do to keep my daughter safe.
Festival Reviews 