2020 Film Selections:

Plants are illegal. Not enough water. However, on the train to the Isle of Plastic, two young wards of the state sneak in some gardening.  Practical effects, cardboard props, and...

Daniel, a highly accomplished dancer, comes home from college only to find himself entangled in a battle between himself and his concerned father.  Screening in the Twisted Deceiver Shorts Block.

Black communities in Chicago, Detroit, and Durham use Afrofuturism as a tool to inspire young people, organize politically and economically, and reimagine the spaces around them in this captivating experimental...

After nearly a decade of conflict, Syrian refugee women are some of the most vulnerable amid the crisis. Thousands have lost their families and husbands, and now must provide for...

A young Chicago woman with a well-kept secret enjoys a typical day in the south suburbs. Regina Hoyle's directorial debut is a sharp and stylish social commentary. Hoyle was raised in the...

After multiple encounters with her bully and a little academic inspiration, an African-American teen girl finally stands up for herself against classmates that question her cultural identity.  Screening in the...

Melinah is a sex worker, camgirl and activist with cerebral palsy, this short intimate documentary explores her work, philosophy, and the intersections of her identity. Screening in the Hairy Nut...

Aloma and Mila are two women who meet under the fantastic lights of fake summer cities on the coast of Valencia, Spain. Mila is in search of a place to...

A Scientist uses a series of torture related experiments on a variety of house plants in order get them to communicate with humans. Screening in the Hairy Nut Disco Shorts...

Augustus, a literate, escaped slave masquerading as a free man in Massachusetts just prior to the Civil War, experiences nightmares of his son's death and a future America that resembles...

Told through compiled voicemails and damaged analog tapes, this piercing short film offers an intimate look into a daughter's complicated relationship with her father. Increasingly callous messages play in contrast...

A woman copes with bad therapy, heartbreak and blackheads. Screening in the Weeping Toothcrust Shorts block.

Desiree and Shenice go out for a fun night of dancing, but when Shenice takes things a step too far, Desiree is confronted with who Shenice really is and how...

After his older brother Casey returns home from a prison sentence, Caleb’s relationship with his best friend Jason is put to the test. Screening in the King Oyster Shorts block.

A lyrical documentary short based on a love letter written by an immigrant bull rider to his wife back home in Mexico. Screening in the Dewdrop Dapperling Shorts block.

Complicated love and a stirring self-awareness take over this lusciously-haunted video. Screening in the Slippery Jack Shorts block.

With filmmaking and performance as primary media, Danielle Deadwyler blurs the line on labor of the black body. Through experimental and theatrical exhibition structures, she especially bolsters the black female...

Three Indian people imagine their personas as their "coffee shop names," the names they give baristas because their real names are hard to pronounce. Screening in the Hairy Parachute Shorts...

After a decade apart, two old friends, John and Brent reminisce over drinks and remember the good ole days of their past. As the drinks flow, Brent takes the opportunity...

Don't Touch Your Face!! A Public Service Announcement. Song by The Lunachicks' Gina Volpe.  Screening in the Hairy Parachute Shorts block.

One afternoon, Alisha and Chris are hanging out on her fire escape when Alisha recalls a childhood anecdote revolving around her heritage. A short documentary about having a mixed identity...

Graduates of an obscure German art school become guinea pigs for a young woman’s mediation skills when their relationship turmoil reaches fever pitch in a shopping mall parking lot. Screening...

When faced with the opportunity for a solo performance, an aging dancer must question whether her moral compass and personal integrity are important enough to stand up to a choreographer’s...

Look deeper into the many phases and processes of Elizabeth Darrow's art work in this documentary by local filmmaker Christina Capra.  Screening in the Dewdrop Dapperling Shorts block.

One day, a strange thing comes to her, who is suffering from being sexless with her boyfriend. Screening in the Hairy Nut Disco Shorts block.

A titillating spiritual comedy about seeking your joyful, deepest nature through technology, human connection...and sweat. Screening in the Hairy Parachute Shorts block.

Indigenous scholar and poet Lyla June challenges the status quo when she decides to run for House of Representatives in New Mexico’s District 47. Future Ancestor follows her through a...

Within the midwestern animal kingdom, teenage workplaces like Dairy Queen are known to employ some of the most savage beasts of prey.  In this comedy about animal instincts to protect...

An epic documentary of the world's greatest hacky sacker. Screening in the Slippery Jack Shorts block.

An experimental drop into the whimsical world of the Atlanta airport, as seen through an Alien girls' eyes. Screening in the Weeping Toothcrust Shorts block.

An experimental narrative comprised of over-the-phone and in-person interviews with Craiglist posters whose missed connections happened on the subway. Using the website’s iconic interface to display the transcript, the visuals...

A woman re-caulks a tub by herself.  A Film about Anxiety. Screening in the Slippery Jack Shorts block.

A short documentary about the reunion and repair between Mike Africa Jr and his mother Debbie Africa—a formerly incarcerated political prisoner of the MOVE9. In 1978, Debbie, then 8 months...

An animated documentary exploring humanity’s relationship with nature through a world of interviewed “animals.” Screening in the Gassy Webcap Shorts block.

Jack is naked. Jack is pretending to play guitar. Jack looks silly. Screening in the Hairy Nut Disco Shorts block.

We've all done it. Looked at someone and formed an opinion. How often have we formed a negative sentiment based on how a person looks? How often have we thought...

Kapaemahu reveals the healing power of four mysterious stones on Waikiki Beach – and the legendary transgender spirits within them.  Long ago, four extraordinary individuals of both male and female...

A poetically visual essay that explores freedom and versatility for the black man. Kindred Kings illustrates the journey for us to remember that black men are Kings, Kindred Kings. And...

Steve lives both his past and present concurrently. As time is compressed and he flows through spirals of love and sexuality, Steve finds himself in a transition; stuck between a...

Against the landscape of a rural reservation in Oklahoma, the lives of a Native woman and nine-year-old boy intersect over the course of a school day. Exhausted and burned out,...

A man waits for a continuously delayed train. Screening in the Weeping Toothcrust Shorts block.

On a crazy day during mercury retrograde, a family’s deepest secrets come to the surface forcing them to realize they are not the model African family. Screening in the Twisted...

Ayana and John are the mother and father of three wonderful children, whom are growing up in a military community. John is an Army officer and Ayana is a family...

Two lovers do their last load of laundry.  Screening in the Twisted Deceiver Shorts Block.

A lonely man finds a love connection.  Screening in the Slippery Jack Shorts block.

As last-minute plans for a babysitter fall apart, eight-year-old Brandon is left alone to oversee his younger brother Mason. Screening in the Powdery Piggyback Shorts block.

Latin for the word Blacks, Negros is an experimental social justice film depicting the young black male experience in modern day Miami. The story follows James, 14, as he overcomes...

Two hunters encounter misfortune in the woods.  Screening in the Hairy Parachute Shorts block.

Speculating about the birth of Rock n' Roll and the best curl pattern. This film explores Black queer identity and self acceptance as a pathway to personal utopia. Origin of...

After years of transitioning in front of a camera, Aydian Dowling discusses how allowing his transition to be visible via YouTube has helped the trans community as a whole grow...

A woman goes on a live talk show to confront a famous music producer, only to find him armed with the elusive "perfect apology." Screening in the Slippery Jack Shorts...

Schroon Lake is a film by Eryka Dellenbach in collaboration with performance artists Matty Davis and Ben Gould adapting their work Carriage to the 9-mile long frozen lake in the...

Second Seed is a dance horror film responding to D.W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation.  Griffith’s film is an assertion of white cultural and intellectual supremacy, a call to...

Laughter is the best medicine. Screening in the Hairy Nut Disco Shorts block.

A young boy in a Mexican border town hustles any way he can to help his family but learns some very cruel realities when the girl he likes gets 'disappeared'....

While rehearsing his act backstage minutes before a comedy show,  quadriplegic "sit down" comedian Leo receives an unexpected phone call from his ex-girlfriend Robin. The conversation quickly turns personal, and...

Decades of logging have drastically changed the landscape and lifestyle of those who call the Solomon Islands home. Now, the last untouched forest of the country is at risk of...

A darkly comedic 35mm short film about the horrors of bikini waxing. Screening in the Hairy Nut Disco Shorts block.

Standing Above the Clouds is a story of inter-generational women activists, who call themselves Ku Kia'i Mauna, or guardians of the mountain. The film follows three sets of mothers and...

A murderous spirit metes out vengeance on those it believes responsible for it’s death by luring their children away. Screening in the Powdery Piggyback Shorts block.

In the South Carolina Indigenous Guatemalan community, women face healthcare barriers that make it difficult to carry their pregnancies to term. Here, pregnant Erlinda longs for the familiar tastes of...

A young woman on a hot date is having the worst period of her life.  A visceral, comedic, body-positive short film that demystifies taboos surrounding menstruation. Filmed over two days...

A narrative of being a black girl in a black world, and being forced to deal with the reality of being seemingly invisible in the real one.  Screening in the...

Informed by a mysterious voice, an imprisoned young woman must pass a series of enigmatic tests or face a violent death as the terrifying situation unlocks a dormant power in...

An anthology series about love and grief during quarantine. Filmed entirely during the Coronavirus Lockdown using Social Distance and Virtual Directing.  Screening in the Slippery Jack Shorts block.

An aspiring artist discusses the challenges of finding affordable housing in a new city, and the compromises she has to make with her spooky new roommates. Screening in the Hairy...

 A day in the life of 2 moms, Kitty (a pot smoking therapist) and Rita (an inept hair cutter). They worry that their 15 year old daughter has a secret...

A fierce story about a twelve year-old girl who vows to catch and kill the Rougarou, the fabled werewolf of Louisiana lore. Screening in the Powdery Piggyback Shorts block.

In 2019, scientists discovered that several trees in Eastern North Carolina’s Three Sisters Swamp are over 2,000 years old; one is at least 2,624 years old. Located in a remote...

A 13-Minute, 8-Song Animated Odyssey. Screening in the Weeping Toothcrust Shorts block.

Filmed at Masonboro Island, an undeveloped barrier island in southeastern North Carolina, “Tides” contemplates the liminal space between the modern technological world and that more ecological dimension we label as...

The U.S. Government has just announced the outbreak of a deadly new disease and requires all citizens to remain in their homes. But this outbreak, we soon learn, has been...

When a young girl preparing for her Bat Mitzvah, the Jewish coming-of-age ritual, befriends a Holocaust survivor elder both lives are changed forever as they journey from darkness to healing...

Turfing is an Oakland-born dance form that combines roots in gang culture with elements of tutting, gliding and bone breaking; Turf Nation follows the street dancers perform on BART (Bay...

A boy's secret love for his closeted bully drives him into an unconventional road to confession and its consequences. Screening in the Powdery Piggyback Shorts block.

Moniri and Kheradmand family are in park for a picnic. But after finishing their meal, it is revealed that they are here for something else. Screening in the Purple Jellydisc...

The Oakland musicians of SOL Development use hip-hop, jazz and soul to tell stories about the effects of policing, mass incarceration and gun violence, and the band members work to...

Zibi Yajdan tells the story of the Kalamazoo River and her relationship to the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Pottawatomi people (Gun Lake Tribe) in the wake of the Enbridge Pipeline 6B oil spill....