Shorts 5 – Coming Through

This compelling program of short films explores moments of transformation, reckoning, and self-discovery across the American South, Mexico, and beyond. From restless teenagers confronting uncertain futures to adults grappling with family secrets, addiction, identity, and belonging, these stories capture characters at pivotal crossroads in their lives. Richly drawn and deeply human, the films blend coming-of-age journeys, intimate family dramas, and lyrical portraits of marginalized communities, offering a powerful look at the choices that shape who we become.

A post-screening discussion with the filmmakers of Tesoro is expected to follow the program.

Cottonmouth

A film by Cole Johnson

Based in the humid heart of rural Alabama, this is the tale of Chip and Fish — two twenty-something drifters bound together by dreams, dependency, and addiction. Haunted by lost love and failed fatherhood, Chip spirals toward a reckoning with his past as he tries to reconnect with Day, the mother of his daughter, Anya. What begins as a night of underground music and misguided hope descends into violence and revelations illuminated by burning bonfires. Cottonmouth is a fractured love story about broken men grasping for grace in a world that’s given them none.

2025 | 16 mins | US | Color | Drama, Southern Gothic

Twig

A film by Alec Lipscomb

Twig takes place over the course of a summer day at a skate park. A determined 13-year-old boy struggles to land the simplest trick, yet he believes he’s destined for greatness. As he attempts to drop into the pool, he uncovers a group of skaters, their troubled pasts, and something deeper within himself.

The filmmaker Alec Lipscomb is expected to be in attendance at the screening for a post-film discussion.

2026 | 17 mins | US | Color | Drama, Coming of age

Julie Takes A Walk

A film by Frankie Pedersen, Shea Vassar

Julie’s life choices have always been dictated by her family, but this all changes when she is told just moments before her wedding that she was adopted. Confused and shocked, she runs away and follows the only clue she has to a small town on the other side of Oklahoma.

2025 | 14 mins | US | Color | Comedy, Drama

Tesoro

A film by Samuel Correa

Tesoro is a drama about David, a Colombian immigrant boy staying at the Chateau motel in Panama City Beach, Florida. On the Fourth of July, David is left alone with little supervision and must find what it means to grow up in a place that isn’t fully his home.

2026 | 10 mins | US | B&W | Drama, Coming of age

The filmmakers Samuel Correa, Ariya Beckler, and Juan Martinez are expected to be in attendance for a post-film discussion.

Jonás

A film by Patricio De La Maza Mendizabal

In rural Mexico, Jonás, a teenager who will soon become a father, has secretly decided to run away.

2026 | 16 mins | Mexico | In Spanish w/ English subtitles | Color | Drama, Coming of age