Home » 2021 Films

The Intro

The complete film program for the 2021 Tallahassee Film Festival is below. Select films in our program will also be available to stream online in our virtual cinema during the Festival dates. Titles and streaming details to be announced.

If you’re attending in person, buy a pass and see all the films!

All films, times and venues are subject to change. Films are unrated and may contain mature content. Viewer discretion is advised.

The Venues

Theater #1 = Residence Inn & Suites – Seminole Room
Theater #2 = Cap City Video Lounge
Theater #3 = Hyatt House – Gathering Room

Special Notice

Please be considerate of other Festival guests. Masks and social distancing are strongly encouraged for indoor screenings.

The Legend

🍊 = A Freshly Squeezed Florida Film
🦩 = In competition for the Florida Filmmaker Award
🏆 = In competition for Audience Favorite Awards
🎬 = First-time filmmaker
✏️ = Student filmmaker

Awards

Award winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony on Sunday, 9/19 at 7:00 PM at the Railroad Square Craft House. Audience voting is only available at in-person screenings.

The Spotlight Films

Cryptozoo

a film by Dash Shaw

2021 | 95 mins | US | Color | Magnolia Pictures

Visionary comic book writer/artist/filmmaker Dash Shaw’s vibrant, fantastical animated feature follows cryptozookeepers through a richly-drawn hallucinatory world as they struggle to capture a baku (a legendary dream-eating hybrid creature) and begin to wonder if they should display these rare beasts in the confines of a zoo, or if these mythical creatures should remain hidden and unknown. Featuring the voice talents of Lake Bell, Zoe Kazan, Michael Cera, Louisa Krause, Peter Stormare, Thomas Jay Ryan, Grace Zabriskie and Angeliki Papoulia, Cryptozoo is written and directed by Shaw, with Jane Samborski directing the stunning animation.

IN-PERSON: Saturday, 9/18 at 9:00 PM at Railroad Square Craft House

**IN CASE OF RAIN, this free outdoor screening will be moved indoors to Theater #1 at the Residence Inn & Suites on the corner of West Gaines and Railroad****

*Cryptozoo is presented as a free outdoor screening open to the public, pass holders and patrons of the Craft House. This film contains subject matter which may be too mature for some young viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.


Courtroom 3H

a film by Antonio Méndez-Esparza

2020 | 115 mins | US | Color | Aquiyalli Films

The Tallahassee Unified Family Court of Florida specializes in judicial cases involving minors. It is the only court in the United States that deals with matters relating to children and parents. The families are summoned to this court when accused of abuse, abandon or negligence in regard to the minors. The objective of this court according to the Law is to reunite families as quickly and safely as possible. Courtroom 3H takes its inspiration from the words of James Baldwin: “If one really wants to know how justice is administered in a country, one goes to the unprotected and listens to their testimony”.

IN-PERSON: Saturday, 9/18 at 1:45 PM at Theater #1

*The film’s director is expected to be in attendance at this screening for a Q&A that will be held after the screening with the audience. This film is preceded by a special presentation of a short film selection Limestone.


Larry Flynt for President

a film by Nadia Szold

2021 | 90 mins | US | Color

A documentary that captures the larger-than-life Hustler magazine publisher’s campaign to become America’s “first porno president,” and upset Ronald Reagan’s 1984 re-election bid. Drawn from archived footage of an incomplete chronicle of Flynt’s quixotic mission, and reassembled by director Nadia Szold, it parallels the chaotic events that were fictionalized in Milos Forman’s double Oscar-nominated The People vs. Larry Flynt. Szold, working from footage originally produced by Steve Lindsey, adds contemporary interviews with Flynt’s associates and solicited a few words from the man himself, before his death earlier this year.

IN-PERSON: Saturday, 9/18 at 7:00 PM at Theater #1
ONLINE: Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM*

*If you’re watching online, stay tuned after the screening for an insightful and interesting post-film discussion with filmmaker Nadia Szold! You don’t want to miss it!


Anne at 13,000 ft.

a film by Kazik Radwanski

2019 | 75 mins | US | Color | The Cinema Guild

An electrifying pairing of two of the brightest young stars in cinema in director Kazik Radwanski (Tower, How Heavy This Hammer) and rising talent Deragh Campbell (I Used to Be Darker), Anne at 13,000 ft reveals a director and star in perfect sync. From a rip-roaring skydive to moments of quiet reverie, Radwanski captures Anne’s experience with an unflinching directness, a volatile mix of Dardenne brothers immediacy and Cassavetes naturalism. And yet even from this privileged vantage point, it’s impossible to predict what Anne will do next.

IN-PERSON: Sunday, 9/19 at 3:00 PM at Theater #3
ONLINE: Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM *

*If you’re watching online, stay tuned after the screening for a post-film Q&A with the star Deragh Campbell and filmmaker Kazik Radwanski.


Tes yeux mourants
That Cold Dead Look in Your Eyes

a film by Onur Tukel

2021 | 91 mins | US | In French, English, German | B&W, Color | Dark Star Pictures

Things are not going well for Leonard on the week of his 40th birthday. He’s about to lose his girlfriend, his home and his job. To make matters worse, he’s experiencing strange hallucinations. Is it stress or an after effect of the high speed theta boxes that have recently been installed all over the city? Whatever the cause, something odd is going on and if Leonard doesn’t snap out of it soon, he’ll be trapped in this nightmare forever.

From the twisted mind of writer-director Onur Tukel (a two-time TFF veteran with Summer of Blood and 2018’s opening night film The Misogynists), comes the world’s first existential black-and-white homoerotic sci-fi horror – in French, with subtitles! Oui! Set in a peculiarly Tukel-esque version of New York City, the film serves up a terrible cook who struggles to escape the strange vortex that his life has become, goaded by his ex-girlfriend’s arrogant father, a fading photographic legend trying to make a comeback. Meanwhile, people keep turning into zombies … or are they?

IN-PERSON: Saturday 9/18 at 4:30 PM at Theater #2


Official Selections – Features


The Conference of the Birds

a film by Kevin Contento

2020 | 75 mins | US | In Arabic & English | Color | 🍊🦩🏆

A handful of esoteric tales awaken three Florida boys to seek the Simorgh. Jean, Boleg, and Carter encounter a Poet searching for the Sun. His recitation of Sufi poetry tells of the allegorical journey the world’s birds undertake to their king, the Simorgh. This catapults their lives into seven vignettes. The Conference of the Birds weaves together a handful of Farid Ud-Din Attar’s twelfth-century tales with everyday life in rural Pahokee, Florida and presents a series of portraits that triumphantly exhibit the true nature of the strong Black man in a culture that continues to perpetuate an image of degradation.

IN-PERSON: Sunday 9/19 at 4:45 PM at Theater #3
ONLINE
: Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM

*The filmmaker is expected to be present for a discussion following the in-person screening.


すけって ごらん
Love, Life and Goldfish

a film by Yukinori Makabe

2021 | 92 mins | Japan | In Japanese & English | Color | 🏆

Makoto (Matsuya Onoe) is an elite bank clerk who works for a big bank at their Tokyo headquarters. Due to a minor mistake, he is demoted to a small branch office in a country town. Devastated by his situation, he retreats into musical daydreams of fantasy and runs into an interesting cast of characters who accentuate the small town, until he finally meets the beautiful Yoshino (Kanako Momota). She runs a goldfish scooping store. Makoto falls in love at first sight.

IN-PERSON: Sunday, 9/19 at 1:00 PM at Theater #3
ONLINE
: Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM


Roman Candle

a film by Joe Blank

2021 | 72 mins | US | Color | 🏆

Roman Candle follows the evolving relationship of a young couple living in New York City. After being introduced by a college friend, the two unnamed characters form an immediate connection. As their relationship progresses, the honeymoon fades and the two are forced to grapple with their own changing identities and career ambitions. The film is a personal, relatable story about tumultuous and passionate young love in the midst of discovering identity.

IN-PERSON: Saturday 9/18 at 4:45 PM at Theater #1
ONLINE
: Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM

*The filmmaker is expected to be present for a discussion following the in-person screening.


This is Where I Meet You

a film by Katharina Ludwig

2019 | 80 mins | Germany | In German & English | Color | 🏆

Charlotte is an actress struggling with her craft and even more with herself. She has messed up yet another audition and even her self-written monologue seems to be working against her. Frustrated by the realities of an artistic career and her fear of failing, Charlotte escapes on a trip to a music festival in sunny Croatia with her boyfriend Georg. But the trip’s dynamic changes when their plans of a fun-filled couples vacation misfires: While Georg spends his time at the music festival in the hope of scoring a DJ gig, Charlotte is left stranded at their campground. She embarks on a journey of her own, encountering Benno, a self-proclaimed shaman; and mysterious dropout Tami, to whom Charlotte feels an attraction. Both of them quickly become close companions on Charlotte’s journey of self-discovery.

IN-PERSON: Saturday, 9/18 at 6:30 PM at Theater #2
ONLINE
: Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM


Official Selections – Shorts


Browse all shorts below or jump to a shorts program using the buttons to learn more!


60 Seconds

a film by John Quigley

18 mins | US | Color | Action, Suspense | 🏆 🎬

What if you had only minutes to pull off your next heist? Dixon and his crew – Caleb, the tech genius, and Benny, the muscle – are about to find out when they target a remote desert casino.

This film screens as part of the Hollywood-in-the-Making shorts program.

IN-PERSON: Sunday 9/19 at 2:45 PM in Theater #2
ONLINE
: Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM


Arachne

a film by Adam Kritzer

5 mins | US | Color | Experimental, Performance | 🏆

“Her hair, touched by the poison, fell off, and with it both nose and ears; and the head shrank up; her whole body also was small; the slender fingers clung to her side as legs; the rest was belly. Still from this she ever spins a thread; and now, as a spider, she exercises her old-time weaver-art.”  -Ovid, Metamorphoses

This film screens as part of the High Art shorts program.

IN-PERSON: Sunday 9/19 at 1:00 PM in Theater #2
ONLINE
: Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM


Barrier

a film by Niels Bourgonje

9 mins | Netherlands | In French | B&W | Drama, War | 🏆

September 1944. Two Canadian soldiers find a boy washed up on the Dutch beach. Where did he come from and can he be trusted?

This film screens as part of the Hollywood-in-the-Making shorts program and preceding the film Roman Candle.

IN-PERSON: Sunday 9/19 at 2:45 PM in Theater #2
ONLINE
: Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM


Buried Words

a film by Nicholas Orris

17 mins | US | Color | Drama | 🏆

Megan bonds with her non-custodial mother through virtual reality, but everything changes when her mom suffers from a stroke during one of their sessions.

This film screens as part of the Family Plots shorts program.

IN-PERSON: Saturday 9/18 at 11:30 AM in Theater #1
ONLINE:
Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM

*The filmmaker is expected to be present for a discussion following the in-person screening.


Chapter 9

a film by Jake Brown

28 mins | US | B&W | Experimental, Horror | 🍊🦩🏆 🎬

Caught in the clutches of a nefarious island, Edward Prendick crosses a terrifying Thing that soon wreaks upon him a flood of endless torment. With one treacherous turn after another, Prendick must make his way through this world or suffer the end of his own. Inspired and creative, the film features an original score and was captured entirely on Super 8 film at Northwest Florida state and local parks.

This film screens as part of the High Art shorts program.

IN-PERSON: Sunday 9/19 at 1:00 PM in Theater #2
ONLINE:
Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM

*The filmmaker is expected to present for a discussion following the in-person screening.


Clave

a film by Alex Argiles

15 mins | US | In Spanish | Color | Drama | 🍊 🦩🏆 ✏️

Though his family’s jazz club is the hub for Cuban culture in Ybor, Alfredo refuses to live in the past. Until his father falls ill.

This film screens as part of the Portraits shorts program.

IN-PERSON: Saturday 9/18 at 11:45 AM in Theater #2
ONLINE:
Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM


Clay Umbrella

a film by Neil Howard Butler

3 mins | US | B&W | Doc, Experimental | 🏆

A documentary short illustrating a young musician’s practice during the lost seasons of sheltering in the time of COVID-19.

This film screens as part of the Portraits shorts program.

IN-PERSON: Saturday 9/18 at 11:45 AM in Theater #2
ONLINE:
Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM

*The filmmaker is expected to be present for a discussion following the in-person screening.


Cocaine

a film by Justen Mann

7 mins | US | Color | Crime, Suspense | 🍊 🦩 🏆 🎬

Danny, an ascending lieutenant in a Miami gang, has his plans interrupted when his associate gets caught up with a rival biker gang.

This film screens as part of the Hollywood-in-the-Making shorts program.

IN-PERSON: Sunday 9/19 at 2:45 PM in Theater #2
ONLINE:
Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM


Death Valley

a film by Grace Sloan

11 mins | US | Color | Experimental, Art | 🏆


It’s New Years’ Eve 2080 and Earth is uninhabited. A new age radiologist travels from outer space to practice yoga in front of a desert sunset when an earthquake hurls her from a cliff.

This film screens as part of the High Art shorts program.

IN-PERSON: Sunday 9/19 at 1:00 PM in Theater #2
ONLINE:
Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM


Derelict

a film by Mitchell Cole

21 mins | US | Color | Suspense, Crime | 🍊 🦩 🏆 🎬

Meth has become seemingly impossible to score for Adam, a struggling addict. He must go to great lengths in order to get his next fix in the small town of Altha, Florida.

This film screens as part of the Hollywood-in-the-Making shorts program.

IN-PERSON: Sunday 9/19 at 2:45 PM in Theater #2
ONLINE:
Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM

*The filmmaker is expected to be present for a discussion following the in-person screening.


The Happy Pill

a film by Kayla King

14 mins | US | Color | Horror, Comedy | 🍊 🎬

Neglectful family and abusive work relationships beat Amy into trying every pill under the sun, until she finally takes the revenge that some may find hard to swallow.

This film screens as part of the Women on the Verge shorts program.

IN-PERSON: Saturday 9/18 at 11:00 PM in Theater #2
ONLINE:
Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM

*The filmmaker is expected to be present for a discussion following the in-person screening.


Herzog & Morris

a film by Neil Howard Butler

15 mins | US | B&W, Color | Drama, Comedy

A comedic noir that dramatizes a pivotal moment in the real life relationship between Werner Herzog and Errol Morris during the summer of 1975.

This film screens as part of The Last Laugh shorts program.

IN-PERSON: Saturday 9/18 at 2:15 PM in Theater #2
ONLINE:
Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM

*The filmmakers are expected to be present for a discussion following the in-person screening.


How Loving U Changed the World

a film by Haley McCormick

5 mins | US | Color | Experimental, Art | 🍊🦩 🏆

A short experimental film taken on a road trip through the West Coast during the 2021 Pink Moon, captured on a cheap point-and-shoot camcorder, run analog through a video mixer and collaged both electronically and manually.

This film screens as part of the High Art shorts program.

IN-PERSON: Sunday 9/19 at 1:00 PM in Theater #2
ONLINE:
Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM

*The filmmaker is expected to be present for a discussion following the in-person screening.


Gilt

a film by April Nations

9 mins | US | Color | Drama, Horror | 🍊 🦩🏆

Stranded in the South with no access to women’s health services, a 16-year-old enlists an old friend to carry out an improvised abortion.

This film screens as part of the Women on the Verge shorts program.

IN-PERSON: Saturday 9/18 at 11:00 PM in Theater #2
ONLINE:
Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM


In A Bad Way

a film by Kyle Taubken

9 mins | US | Color | Drama | 🏆

A blue-collar gambling addict reaches a new low on Christmas Eve.

This film screens as part of the Family Plots shorts program.

IN-PERSON: Saturday 9/18 at 11:30 AM in Theater #1
ONLINE:
Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM


It’s Over

a film by Charlie Andelman

3 mins | US | Color | Comedy | 🍊 🦩 🏆 ✏️

With only five minutes to go until the end of the world, Alice makes the unimaginably brutal decision to break up with her girlfriend, Bex.

This film screens as part of The Last Laugh shorts program.

IN-PERSON: Saturday 9/18 at 2:15 PM in Theater #2
ONLINE:
Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM

*The filmmaker is expected to be present for a discussion following the in-person screening.


Labor Day

a film by Haya Alghanim

10 mins | US | Color | Drama | 🏆 ✏️

When Dina is invited to spend Labor Day weekend on a trip to the Hudson Valley with a new group of friends, she slowly realizes these women aren’t what they seem to be.

This film screens as part of the Family Plots shorts program.

IN-PERSON: Saturday 9/18 at 11:30 AM in Theater #1
ONLINE:
Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM


Lie Low

a film by Christopher Hyde & Hope Moon

11 mins | UK | Color | Comedy | 🏆

Noughties reality TV star Amber Seven is just trying to get a bit of peace and quiet, lounging around the pool. But her electric pink Motorola Razr just won’t quit. As the calls keep rolling in, she starts getting a sinking feeling…

This film screens as part of The Last Laugh shorts program.

IN-PERSON: Saturday 9/18 at 2:15 PM in Theater #2
ONLINE:
Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM


Limestone

a film by Paula Andrea Gonzalez-Nasser

11 mins | US | Color | Drama | 🍊 🦩 🏆 🎬

Eager to go home with a former lover after a night out in Miami, a young woman decides to cut the night short in an unconventional way.

This film screens as part of the Women on the Verge shorts program and preceding the feature Courtroom 3H.

IN-PERSON: Saturday 9/18 at 1:45 PM in Theater #1 preceding Courtroom 3H
IN-PERSON: Saturday 9/18 at 11:00 PM in Theater #2 as part of the Women on the Verge program
ONLINE:
Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM


Meet Your Match

a film by Z L Spivey Jr.

17 mins | US | Color | Drama, Horror | 🍊 🦩 🏆

A woman cleverly lures a persistent stalker into thinking that she will be his next victim, but the tables swiftly turn when he realizes the trick is on him.

This film screens as part of the Women on the Verge shorts program.

IN-PERSON: Saturday 9/18 at 11:00 PM in Theater #2
ONLINE:
Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM

*The filmmakers are expected to be present for a discussion following the in-person screening.


Мерген
Mergen

a film by Raiymbek Alzhanov

26 mins | Kazakhstan | In Kazakh | Color | Suspense, Adventure, Fantasy | 🏆 ✏️ 🎬

On the strife-torn Central Asian steppe, a boy named Mergen must defend his family in place of his absent father. He does so with courage, cunning, and above all, a mystical gift from his grandmother. An ambitious first film from a student of Kazakh National Academy of Arts and shot completely on-location in Kazakhstan.

This film screens as part of the Hollywood-in-the-Making shorts program.

IN-PERSON: Sunday 9/19 at 2:45 PM in Theater #2
ONLINE:
Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM


Mors dag
Mother’s Day

a film by Jeanine B Frost

13 mins | US | In Danish, English | Color | Drama | 🏆 ✏️

Ellen’s ability to keep her traumatic past at bay is challenged when she discovers her adoptive child’s periods have started. Battling with memories she must navigate her own damaged self-perception to offer up support to those she loves.

This film screens as part of the Family Plots shorts program.

IN-PERSON: Saturday 9/18 at 11:30 AM in Theater #1
ONLINE:
Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM


Il confine è un bosco
My Border, My Forest

a film by Giorgio Milocco

17 mins | Italy | In Croatian, Italian | Color | Drama | 🏆

Ivan is a 60-year-old worker born in former Yugoslavia. He lives with his wife in a small village called Torviscosa in the Friuli region of Italy . One day he decides that the time has come to undertake a journey that will take him back to the places of his childhood, trying to solve the sense of guilt that he has felt since he was a child.

This film screens as part of the Family Plots shorts program.

IN-PERSON: Saturday 9/18 at 11:30 AM in Theater #1
ONLINE:
Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM


No Islands: Serena Viola Corson

a film by April Cluess & Will Crowley

29 mins | US | Color | Doc, New Media | 🍊 🦩 🏆 🎬

No Islands is an interview-driven docuseries that profiles artists, activists, and other cultural leaders in and around Tallahassee, FL. In this episode, Tallahassee artist Serena Viola Corson discusses how her work reflects her experiences and interests, including poverty, environmentalism, masculinity, and solidarity.

This film screens as part of the Portraits shorts program.

IN-PERSON: Saturday 9/18 at 11:45 AM in Theater #2
ONLINE:
Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM

*The filmmakers are expected to be present for a discussion following the in-person screening.


The Not So Perfect Polly

a film by John Forier

14 mins | US | Color | Comedy, Horror | 🍊 🦩 🏆 🎬

An unsuspecting young man accidentally makes a blood-pact with a small, demonic, plastic parakeet who seeks to isolate and possess him.

This film screens as part of the Women on the Verge shorts program.

IN-PERSON: Saturday 9/18 at 11:00 PM in Theater #2
ONLINE:
Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM

*The filmmakers are expected to be present for a discussion following the in-person screening.


Nursery Rhymes

a film by Michael Kam

10 mins | Singapore | In Chinese, English, Japanese | Color | 🏆

1940’s colonial Singapore. A Chinese girl has to play a nursery game among English children and is reminded of her place. Another Chinese girl has to sing a Japanese nursery song for an official while her true voice remains silenced.

This film screens as part of the High Art shorts program.

IN-PERSON: Sunday 9/19 at 1:00 PM in Theater #2
ONLINE:
Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM


One More Time

a film by F C Rabbath

13 mins | US | Color | Romance, Comedy | 🍊 🦩 🏆

Alex, a waiter, encounters an old friend and asks her out. When tragedy strikes, a determined Alex defies mortality itself to show up for the date with his dream girl.

This film screens as part of The Last Laugh shorts program.

IN-PERSON: Saturday 9/18 at 2:15 PM in Theater #2
ONLINE:
Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM


Out in the Desert

a film by Natalia Fentisova

5 mins | US | Color

A physical and psychological journey discovering the Self. Shot on 16mm film and hand-processed, this experimental short explores the mystical terrain of Joshua Tree through the medium of pure cinema.

This film screens as part of the High Art shorts program.

IN-PERSON: Sunday 9/19 at 1:00 PM in Theater #2
ONLINE:
Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM


Pap Trap

a film by Rachel Napolitano

6 mins | US | Color | Comedy | 🏆

Based off of a true life experience, Pap Trap is a short “gyne-comedy” about a pill poppin’ party girl in search of her next fix, only to find herself in the middle of a well-woman exam gone wrong.

This film screens as part of both the Women on the Verge and The Last Laugh shorts programs.

IN-PERSON: Saturday 9/18 at 2:15 PM in Theater #2 as part of The Last Laugh program
IN-PERSON: Saturday 9/18 at 11:00 PM in Theater #2 as part of the Women on the Verge program

ONLINE: Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM

*The filmmaker is expected to be present for a discussion following the in-person screenings.


Piccolo is Black.

a film by Ryan Joiner & Landon Watford

13 mins | US | Color | Doc | 🍊 🦩 🏆 ✏️

After decades of Black Americans consuming insulting misrepresentations of their culture, they find a familiar home in Japanese culture and in anime characters like Piccolo.

This film screens as part of the Portraits shorts program.

IN-PERSON: Saturday 9/18 at 11:45 AM in Theater #2
ONLINE:
Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM


Please Don’t Touch My Hair

a film by Yamoaa Gyimah

16 mins | US | Color | Doc | 🍊 🦩 🏆 ✏️ 🎬

A multicultural crew explores the complexities of making a film about Black hair.

This film screens as part of the Portraits shorts program.

IN-PERSON: Saturday 9/18 at 11:45 AM in Theater #2
ONLINE:
Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM

*The filmmaker is expected to be present for a discussion following the in-person screening.


A Righteous Man

a film by Zach Freeman

7 mins | US | Color | Drama | 🍊 🦩 🏆 ✏️

When a pastor’s sex addiction begins to affect both his marriage and job, he must finally confront his sins and seek redemption.

This film screens as part of the Family Plots shorts program.

IN-PERSON: Saturday 9/18 at 11:30 AM in Theater #1
ONLINE:
Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM


Dhulo
The Scapegoat

a film by Tathagata Ghosh

25 mins | India | In Bengali | Color | Drama, Suspense | 🏆

A firebrand young woman decides to stand up against the patriarchy and politics-of-hate that has begun to infiltrate her rural Bengali village and threatens to destroy her way of life.

This film screens as part of the Hollywood-in-the-Making shorts program.

IN-PERSON: Sunday 9/19 at 2:45 PM in Theater #2
ONLINE:
Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM


Small World

a film by Jim Ford

3 mins | US | Color | Comedy | 🏆

Two strangers meet in a far away land and realize they are from the same town.

This film screens as part of The Last Laugh shorts program.

IN-PERSON: Saturday 9/18 at 2:15 PM in Theater #2
ONLINE:
Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM


Stalling It

a film by Caroline Ward & Jemma Moore

7 mins | UK | Color | Comedy | 🏆 🎬

It’s 1988, Sammy, Bethan and Jo are bridesmaids. We join them in the midst of the time honored female tradition…the joint bathroom break.

This film screens as part of The Last Laugh shorts program.

IN-PERSON: Saturday 9/18 at 2:15 PM in Theater #2
ONLINE:
Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM


Superstar

a film by Jordan Hidalgo

15 mins | US | Color | Drama | 🏆

A day in the life of Martin, a homeless man attempting to keep his individuality despite being dehumanized by everyday society.

This film screens as part of the Portraits shorts program.

IN-PERSON: Saturday 9/18 at 11:45 AM in Theater #2
ONLINE:
Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM


Trade Center

a film by Adam B Baran

8 mins | US | Color | Doc, Experimental

The voices of five gay men who cruised for sex at the World Trade Center in the 1980s and 1990s haunt the sanitized, commerce-driven landscape that is the newly rebuilt Freedom Tower campus.

This film screens as part of the Portraits shorts program.

IN-PERSON: Saturday 9/18 at 11:45 AM in Theater #2
ONLINE:
Available Friday, 9/17 from 7:00 PM through Sunday, 9/19, 9:00 PM


Unemployable

a film by Mike Ott

33 mins | US | Color | Comedy, Drama

31-year-old Cory lives with his mom. Despite a set of serious life choices facing him, Cory’s main priority is to get a new tattoo sleeve, which he can hardly afford, so he sets out to get a job with the support of his only friend, his tattoo artist Louie.

This film screens as part of The Last Laugh shorts program.

IN-PERSON: Saturday 9/18 at 2:15 PM in Theater #2


The End.

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