2024 Lake County Film Festival Film Slate
The Lake County Film Festival is thrilled to be returning for its 14th year of bringing the best of independent film to Lake County. The College Of Lake County again hosts the festival at the campus in Grayslake, IL for two weekends packed with film screenings. The Gorton Center in Lake Forest will also be showing some of the selected films. The festival will be held from October 31 through November 3 and November 8 through 11.
Today, we are announcing 26 feature films and 87 short films, the entire slate for the year, excluding our Closing Night films.
OPENING NIGHT HORRORS (AGAIN)
Last year we moved our Opening Night two days earlier, so we should show a locally made horror film on Halloween. This year, our Opening Night already falls on Halloween, and we’re thrilled that we can once again show a locally-made horror film.
Room Six is the story of Maxx, a college student, who is working the night shift at a vacant, rundown motel before the late-night arrival of two brothers. After a few suspicious incidents, Maxx’s curiosity (or paranoia) gets the best of her, and she decides to investigate the situation. Maxx quickly finds herself in danger as she uncovers what lies hidden in the brothers’ room.
“We couldn’t be more excited to have our film, Room Six, open up this year’s Lake County Film Festival on Halloween night!” said directors Michael Panico & Matt Hobart Miller. “As Lake County natives, this is an amazing opportunity to share our work with the local film community, as well as our family, friends, and the incredible cast and crew that helped us bring this story to life.“
On Halloween Night, Room Six will first play at 7 p.m. at The Gorton Center. “We’re thrilled to have The John & Nancy Hughes Theater once again hosting some of the always engaging and entertaining independent films selected as part of the Lake County Film Festival,” said director of film Josh Wolff. The screening will be followed by a Q&A from the filmmakers and other attending cast and crew.
Room Six will then play at the College Of Lake County in Grayslake, starting at 8:30. Filmmakers will also be on hand at that screening to answer questions.
The screening in Grayslake will be preceded by the festival’s first-ever block of short films by Lake County filmmakers at 7 p.m. The four-film block features Olivia, a documentary about a food services worker at Lake Forest College, The Mammoth In My Community, an experimental film that revolves around the wooly mammoth at Libertyville’s Dun Museum, Midwest Goodbye, a narrative film about a woman saying goodbye to her best friend on her last night in town, and A Mind Of Its Own, about a black woman’s sentient hair.
LAKE COUNTY CONNECTIONS
Besides the aforementioned opening night films, there are several others playing at the festival this year.
Two films that are showing are directed by College Of Lake County teachers. Handle With Care, a romantic drama/comedy about two people on a date together who haven’t dated in years is from multiple alumni Michael Glover Smith (LCFF2019: Rendezvous In Chicago, LCFF2022: Relative). Additionally, Emerald City, by College Of Lake County teacher Josef Steiff, chronicles two young men who cross paths on the backroads of the American Southwest. It has already been selected for 40 film festivals.
Lake County native J.D. Lopatowski, who now attends Illinois State University, has two films in this year’s festival, Portraits Of The Mundane, an experimental short film, and Role Model, a documentary about her sister (who also attends ISU), and her preparations for a fashion show. Pizza Delivery is an action comedy from Lake County native Aiden Culver, and Michael Gabriele, whose short film Room Tone has been winning awards at numerous film festivals, grew up just a few blocks from The College Of Lake County.
ADDITIONAL LOCAL CONNECTIONS
There are also plenty of films with local connections from further away. The comedy film Love & Irony was made in Milwaukee, and family drama Never Not Yours was made in Chicagoland. Chicago-based comedy/drama The Premiere was mostly filmed at Chicago’s famed Music Box Theater.
On the documentary feature side, Food Roots, Dawn Dusk, Everything’s Kosher & Fire Department, Inc. have subjects with strong Chicago connections.
RETURNING ALUMNI
While every festival is excited about returning filmmakers, this year we have one that’s extra special, the filmmaker whose work we showed the longest ago. Andy Nguyễn was still in school when he made the short film A Silent Night, which we showed in 2006, at our third festival. Now, he has directed his first feature, Fanti, a techno-thriller that he made in his home country of Viet Nam.
We also have new features from two other alumni. Ben Scholle, who showed his feature documentary Through The Cracks at the 2020 virtual LCFF, and the short film Student Of The Game at last year’s festival. His new film, Catching Bullets is about a youth mentor in St. Louis who is trying to keep children from going down the same paths he did at their age. Chicago-area filmmaker John Klein has a new feature that he has co-written and co-directed with Stephen Kniss. When three siblings in their 30s visit their parents, they are shocked to find out their parents are divorcing. John Klein was here in 2011 with the feature Happily After and co-directed 2022’s short film Static Space.
In short films, the most well-known alumni is Daniel Kolen, who directed 2008’s documentary feature Deportee. Kolen also founded and ran the Lake Forest Film Festival, which took place at Lake Forest College. His new film, the 30-minute short film The Inside Singers, chronicles a choir group run in a men’s prison in Eastern Iowa. Dramedy Fitting Descriptions is by John Mossman & Tiffany Bedwell, who directed and starred in last year’s Good Guy With A Gun.
RECOGNIZABLE FACES
Because The Lake County Film Festival highlights independent films, most of them don’t feature recognizable actors, but we’d like to highlight a few that do.
In the narrative features, Inbetweening features Angelo Moore, the dynamic frontman from the band Fishbone, who has appeared in documentaries we have shown both about the band (LCFF2011: Everyday Sunshine The Story Of Fishbone) and himself (LCFF2021: Forever Moore, The Angelo Project). From the Dominican Republic, Insular is the final film from Cuban actor Alexis Díaz de Villegas (Juan Of The Dead), who passed away after filming, and Omar Chaparro, from the thrilling drama The Wingwalker, starred in Pokémon Detective Pikachu.
In documentary features, Food Roots is about Chicago restaurateur and Emmy Award-winning TV personality Billy Dec. In Resynator, Alison Tavel researches the life and musical invention of her father, Don Tavel. While both Tavels are relatively unknown, the film does feature appearances from Peter Gabriel, Fred Armisen, Jon Anderson from Yes, and Mike Gordon from Phish.
In the narrative short films, you’ll find three legendary actors. Night Session, a comedy about an impromptu therapy session between a burglar and his victim, stars the legendary Richard Kind, and in the animated short The Brown Dog, which features the voices of Steve Buscemi, and what is assumedly the final role from Michael K. Williams. Williams died in 2021, and just a few months later we showed the animated film Lines, which he supplied his voice to.
In the documentary short films, you’ll follow Seth Rogen and Lauren Miller Rogen as they navigate Lauren’s mother’s early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, and their creation of a charity to help caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients in Taking Care.
COMPLETE FILM LIST
The complete list of films follows. We expect to launch the full website, with further descriptions, images, trailers, full schedule, and ticket sales next week at our website www.lakecountyfilmfestival.org
Narrative Feature Films
A Time Apart (d. Courtney Hope Therond)
75 Minutes / USA & France
Alyssa returns to Paris to finalize her divorce but while spending the week with her soon-to-be ex-husband, she starts questioning whether she’s making the right decision.
AJ Goes To The Dog Park (d. Toby Jones)
78 Minutes / USA
When AJ loses his favorite dog park, he must fight, fish, scrap, scrape, and sap to get it back.
Between The Lights (d. Michael Groom)
104 Minutes / UK
When skeptical scientist Alice falls for reluctant medium Jay, she’s taken on an odyssey of love, loss, and discovery that will turn her world upside down.
Between the Lights is a romantic drama with a liberal dose of the supernatural, in which we visit our characters over three consecutive Christmases. It is set within the ancient walls of York and the stunning natural beauty of the Lake District.
Bored Games (d. Joel Stern)
76 Minutes / UK
Six diehard board-gamers try to weather armageddon with nothing but a few games and an ever diminishing supply of rations to occupy their thoughts. A hilarious romp that firmly puts its tongue in its cheek *and* encapsulates the genre world.
Fanti (Andy Nguyễn)
109 Minutes / Viet Nam
Anh Duong’s #InstaLife is lit, until a rogue follower starts dropping cryptic DMs darker than her eyeliner. As the truth threatens to explode, is this a toxic ex, a jealous celeb, or an obsessed superfan with their own twisted endgame? Buckle up, this ride ain’t got a filter.
Hercules Recycled 2.0 (d. Don Moriarty & Greg Alt)
79 Minutes / USA
Combining the cheesiest parts of 9 epic “Sword and Sandal” movies, Hercules Recycled 2.0 is an insane, redubbed hybrid comedy/adventure set in a future where the power has run out and the world has collapsed into primal chaos.
Hidden Flora (d. Ryan Rox)
93 Minutes / USA
Roxii, a queer hopeless romantic, just wants to be loved and treated the way boys do girls. A string of boys and men inform Roxii’s view of sex and identity in late aughts Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Him (d. Rebecca Wahls)
80 Minutes / USA
The final five contestants on a reality dating show face manipulative producers, the fear of being alone forever, and their suitor’s deceitful nature. Sequestered in a remote villa, these former competitors must band together to assert their self-worth over their suitor and the show’s producers who manipulated them into falling in love.
Inbetweening (d. Mel House)
118 Minutes / USA
Eric Linson is a struggling multiracial filmmaker with a few credits to his name and absolutely nothing to show for it. Inbetweening follows his journey trying to remain afloat and healthy in the liminal space between projects…while the voices in his head steadily become louder. Some are helpful, but most aren’t…especially the Zombie Guy. Fortunately, the lead singer of Eric’s favorite band (Angelo Moore, from the legendary Fishbone, playing himself) is on Eric’s side. Inbetweening melds live action, animation, puppets, and even a musical number to reveal Eric’s increasingly fractured journey.
Insular (d. Hector Manuel Valdez)
112 Minutes / Dominican Republic
Shipwrecked on a deserted island following a perilous migrant smuggling trip from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico, a man confronts the deafening silence of isolation and questions the promise of a better life that compelled him to leave his home.
As he struggles to survive in his newfound solitude, his grip on reality is tested by an unexpected encounter on the island, forcing him to confront his deepest fears and make a fateful decision between the uncertain dangers of the outside world and a solitary existence on the island.
Love & Irony (d. John Biesack)
110 Minutes / USA
From the safe confines of the bike shop they work at, life-long friends, Charlie and Francis, spend their days dismantling the post-modern world they live in, rattling off “self-evident” truths about dunk-tank clowns, sociology majors, and all of the archetypes in between. Their dynamic is upended when Charlie has a chance encounter with Chloe, a beguiling photojournalist capable of carving up his idiosyncrasies and beliefs with razor-sharp precision. As the two navigate the land mines of past, present, and future relationships, Chloe begins to teach Charlie that the things he holds close to his chest and dear to his heart might – ironically – not be so close and dear as he thought.
Never Not Yours (d. John Klein & Stephen Kniss)
81 Minutes / USA
30ish siblings Michael, Ellie, and James drive to their family cabin to visit their parents Jonathan and Maddie. But when their mom and dad unexpectedly announce their divorce, chaos ensues.
The Premiere (d. Jon Silver)
81 Minutes / USA
Jacob is a young filmmaker at his first big movie premiere, but the event is in doubt due to technical issues and phantom appearances on the screen. The expectations are high and the pressure to be successful is mounting as the tension is growing with every complaint and problem to solve.
Everything that could go wrong does go wrong. In the 90 minutes leading up to the premiere, his family shows up too early, his divorced parents bicker, the cast complains about their screen time, the projectionist can’t get the files to play and the only press that comes is watching every embarrassing moment. All of these nuisances are exacerbated by the rumored arrival of a famous Actor.
Annoying audience members and paranoid visions keep Jacob stressed and hurried. Jacob must overcome doubts, and coordinate with the venue and projectionist, all while fending off criticisms, expectations, and disturbing figments of his imagination.
The Problem Of The Hero (d. Shaun Dozier)
85 Minutes / USA
It is March, 1941, at the St. James Theatre in New York. On the eve of opening night, a difference of opinion over a single page of the script threatens an impasse between two literary giants of the 20th Century— one a black man and one a white man. As dress rehearsals, led by the mercurial Orson Welles, continue around Richard Wright (renowned, controversial author of Native Son) and Paul Green (Pulitzer-Prize winning playwright & social justice advocate), the ensuing argument— delving deeply into race, class, patriotism, politics, and personal story & agency— seems destined to dissolve the writers’ genuine friendship. The Problem of the Hero is a film exploring issues that mirror the tenor of the times in which we live; and is based on EbzB Productions’ stage play, Native, by Ian Finley, and upon Richard Wright’s own play, The Problem of the Hero. The film moves from the backdrop of Wright’s novel, Native Son, in 1930’s Chicago and into the film’s backdrop of the United States on the precipice of entering World War II.
Room Six (Michael Panico & Matt Hobart Miller)
81 Minutes / USA
Room Six is the story of Maxx, a college student, who is working the night shift at a vacant, rundown motel before the late-night arrival of two brothers. After a few suspicious incidents, Maxx’s curiosity (or paranoia) gets the best of her and she decides to investigate the situation. Maxx quickly finds herself in danger as she uncovers what lies hidden in the brothers’ room.
The Wingwalker (d. Alonso Alvarez-Barreda)
117 Minutes / Mexico & USA
A young widower is deported as his daughter is scheduled for a heart transplant, this will lead him to orchestrate the boldest border crossing plan in history.
Documentary Feature Films
Ain’t Got Time To Die (d. Martin Krafft)
68 Minutes / USA
After a long-awaited move to Montana to live out of her RV, Rachel Heisham receives a terminal cancer diagnosis that forces her back home to confront a complicated past. The filmmaker becomes increasingly involved in her story and has to grapple with the weight of that involvement.
Catching Bullets (d. Ben Scholle)
84 Minutes / USA
A generation ago, Darren sold dope. Behind a gun and a bullet-proof vest, he once made a name for himself in Walnut Park, one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in St. Louis — a city itself haunted by a perennially high murder rate. Now in his 50s and marked with the scars of 13 bullets, Darren buys a condemned church building in his old neighborhood and channels his energy into establishing a youth mentoring center, dedicated to breaking the cycle of violence he once perpetuated. When Preston, the 18-year-old son of Darren’s late friend, is tempted by the allure of street-level drug dealing, Darren pledges to save Preston from winding up in a jail cell or worse.
Dawn Dusk (d. Blue Gerber & Jason Gerber)
92 Minutes / USA
Chelli Look, an artist and designer specializing in handbags, faces overwhelming grief after the murder of her sister by her brother-in-law. In the years that follow, Chelli journeys towards healing, faces emotional setbacks, and moves on from creating out of pain, to making space for deeper restoration. Reconciling her healing with her future as an artist, Chelli has an unexpected revelation that leads her to close her business & brand, and look to a new “pink in the sky.”
Everything’s Kosher (d. Adam Fried)
78 Minutes / USA & Germany
Adam, a divorced, Jewish father, from Chicago, lives in a small, German town steeped in the shadows of antisemitism and Nazi history, Adam attempts to open a Jewish deli, to establish a link to his upbringing and try to find comfort and connection in his town. As Adam struggles with his new life, a painful rift with his estranged father, a man who abandoned Adam and his family decades ago, grinds at his soul. Driven to break the abandonment issues and heal the wounds of his past, Adam embarks on a mission to reconcile with his family. His quest takes him around the globe from Germany to the doorstep of his father in the US, a man he has not been close to for forty years. In this life-changing journey, Adam grapples with the ghosts of his past, searching for the strength to forgive and move forward, in order to be the best father he can be, to his little girl.
Fire Department, Inc. (d. Colin C. Hughes)
77 Minutes / USA
A suburban firefighter’s labor union finds itself under a different kind of fire when the Village Mayor announces he’s privatizing their department to save money. What results is a five-year-long legal battle with the potential to change labor law for the entire country.
Food Roots (d. Michele Josue)
60 Minutes / USA
Food Roots follows longtime Chicago restaurateur and Emmy Award-winning TV personality Billy Dec, as he sets off on a journey to his mother’s native Philippines, to find his last living elders, learn the recipes of his ancestors, and gain a deeper understanding of his cultural and culinary identity.
Out There: A National Parks Story (d. Brendan Hall)
70 Minutes / USA
When filmmaker Brendan Hall saw that the National Parks Service was celebrating its 100th anniversary, he and his childhood friend Anthony Blake decided to set off on a 10,000-mile road trip through the park system.
Along the way, the two record stories of the people who work in the parks and those that come to enjoy them, as part of the rich tapestry of the history of the park system emerges. They hear profound stories of people from all ages, walks of life, and cultures that come to the parks seeking tranquility, healing, motivation, and connection to the natural world.
Between the spectacular shots of the parks and compelling interviews are colorful bits of old maps, posters, and travelogs. This stunning road trip is a tribute to the national parks and their history and is also a recognition of the people that appreciate them and work to maintain their beauty.
Resynator (d. Alison Tavel)
96 Minutes / USA
Inventor Don Tavel died suddenly when his newborn daughter was just ten weeks old. Growing up surrounded by mythical stories of her “genius” father, Alison’s life is consequently absent from any meaningful connection to him. Not until she is in her mid-twenties and on tour with rock musician Grace Potter is the seed planted to discover what he invented. Resynator is a narrative documentary that begins when Alison rescues Don’s synthesizer prototype from her grandmother’s attic. What starts as a curious resurrection project of her dad’s Resynator soon launches into an insatiable, globe-trotting quest to untangle the web of myths and unlock the deep secrets surrounding his life and invention.
Aided by estranged family, lost friends, fellow inventors, and celebrated musicians (Grace Potter, Peter Gabriel, Fred Armisen, Gotye, Jon Anderson, and more), Alison soon comes to discover Don’s brilliance herself. But in unpacking his life, she also discovers unsettling truths about her father that don’t align with her long-held perception of him, as the picture of a vulnerable man emerges to replace the superhero version she had imagined all her life. Not only can she finally relate to him on a human level, but their parallel Resynator journeys reveal an indomitable bond between them. The score features the resurrected Resynator.
Scream Of My Blood (d. Nate Pommer & Eric Weinrib)
90 Minutes / USA
With Ukraine’s sovereignty and cultural identity under perilous threat, punk icons Gogol Bordello, is using their music as a rallying cry for a nation. Through never-before-seen photo and video archives spanning two decades – including concert performances, backstage moments, and intimate interviews – this film follows the epic journey of Eugene Hütz, Gogol frontman and one of the greatest storytellers of our time. A Romani born in Ukraine, Hütz fled his homeland during the Chernobyl disaster. Now, after years of exorcising demons through his music, he is going home to face down the biggest demon of all. A wild punk-rock-doc that explodes off the screen, Scream of My Blood is a testament to the power of speaking your truth, no matter the cost.
Narrative Short Films
[INSERT SHORT FILM TITLE] (d. Kory Orban)
12 Minutes / USA
In the mind of every filmmaker, there are two wolves locked in an epic, eternal, and fierce battle for control and influence. The combatants? The analytical left brain and the whimsical right. [INSERT SHORT FILM TITLE] personifies these cerebral hemispheres in the monumentally (or at least marginally) comedic performances of Chrissy Mozylisky and Matthew MacCaull, evoking the cinematic manifestation of that cerebrum arm wrestle in the form of a meta-troll of the short film genre.
A Mind Of Its Own (d. C.C. Randle)
12 Minutes / USA
C.J., a black woman, is a hard worker and is looking to move up the corporate ladder. When she comes into work on the day of her big presentation with a new hairstyle, her literal, loud-talking hair causes her coworkers to react in a less-than-ideal manner where she faces racial microaggressions. She must then decide: is her hair worth the headache, or will she just let her hair have a mind of its own?
Afterschool (d. Ripa Lim)
14 Minutes / Hong Kong SAR China
A young girl, perpetually uprooted by her transient life, grapples with inertia at a new school. Resistant to forming connections, she unexpectedly befriends another student, leading to after-school adventures that challenge their fears and forge a bond against uncertainty.
The Ally (d. Jennifer Marie)
11 Minutes / USA
An energetic, young, white chick blurs the lines of black culture appreciation with appropriation, now she must avoid losing her dream job and her dignity.
As Easy As Closing Your Eyes (d. Parker Croft)
21 Minutes / USA
A grieving mother battles her addiction to a black-market drug that gives her life-like dreams about the son she lost.
Between Us (d. Minkyo Park)
7 Minutes / USA
After the loss of his wife, a father and his daughter discuss what to do with her leftover clothes. They attempt to find conversation in the blank space that was once their singular connection.
Cakes! (d. Johnny Herbin)
2 Minutes / UK
A grieving woman follows a singing cake into a magical world within her oven.
Chase Me (d. Sal Ardongde)
3 Minutes / USA
When runner Tony comes upon a curiously competitive runner, Eva, their encounter turns into a fierce race of athleticism and wits. Who might Eva be?
The Chronocular Device (d. Edward Loupe)
16 Minutes / USA
A shadowy figure, upon breaking into an abandoned home, finds a strange device that allows him a glimpse into the home’s past.
Contagious Swagger (d. Calvin Callins Jr.)
12 Minutes / USA
A Black young man visiting his Asian girlfriend’s parents’ house for dinner for the first time. His Air Jordan footwear could be the answer to solve a dramatic forbidden love story.
Cottage Grove (d. George Ellzey Jr.)
13 Minutes / USA
A young man struggles to communicate with his stroke-afflicted father, and at the same time, stay true to himself.
Daly City (d. Nick Hartanto)
16 Minutes / USA
An Indonesian boy and his mother attend a church potluck and lie about their dish.
Death Grip (d. David Silset)
20 Minutes / Denmark
Noah is desperately trying to hide his addiction to porn. With a girlfriend who only wants to be close to him, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to maintain a loving relationship, while holding her at arm’s length. Noah decides to seek help for his addiction, but in his desperate attempt at recovery, he ends up pushing those around him away, leaving him more isolated than ever.
Dignity (d. Pat Battistini)
25 Minutes / USA
Dignity is a love story between a woman and her family. However, the family’s strength is tested when a moral decision must be made.
Don’t Forget (d. Jeremy Stuart Thompson)
7 Minutes / Canada
A story about a fella and his wife about to drive to an event. Well, Just as long as he remembered everything of course.
Emerald City (d. Josef Steiff)
21 Minutes / USA
Two young men cross paths on the back roads of the American Southwest and despite their different backgrounds, find common ground along the Border.
Fitting Descriptions (d. Tiffany Bedwell & John Mossman)
10 Minutes / USA
Dina, an aging CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) stage actor haunted by a past humiliation, tries to jump-start her failing on-camera career by rebranding. Outside a Chicago coffeehouse Dina begrudgingly solicits passersby for first impressions, then weathers the resulting IRL likes, comments, and plain indifference of strangers and her industry alike. But when her past and present collide, Dina’s authorial CODA “voice” awakens.
Golden Child (d. Hannah Levin)
10 Minutes / USA
A young woman is reunited with her childhood friend at a pool party and reckons with the fact that he used to pee on her when they were kids.
Hair (d. Wendy Mateo & Lorena Diaz)
6 Minutes / USA
In Mari’s salon, it’s just another day where they spill the tea about life. But today Christina comes in late and through her hair mishaps, they rally around her when the truth is revealed.
Handle With Care (d. Michael Glover Smith)
8 Minutes / USA
A woman and a man go on a date, both for the first time in years. Each faces the dilemma of how open and honest they should be.
Happy Death Day (d. Shay Kuehlmann & Kate Roxburgh)
11 Minutes / UK
What if everyone knew the exact moment they were going to die? What would you do on your last day alive? Mira happily prepares for her death day by throwing a party and spending her last moments doing exactly what she loves. A surreal comedy about embracing death and living life exactly the way you want to.
Hatırlama (d. Josh Folan)
8 Minutes / USA
An American woman wanders into a Turkish antique store and chances into a moment of humanity with the shopkeep that changes her quality of life.
Hello? (d. Mac Montero)
3 Minutes / UK
It’s the 90s in London. During her lunch break, a businesswoman calls her boyfriend for phone sex. It doesn’t quite go to plan.
Henry e Sue (d. Manuel Calisti)
15 Minutes / Italy
Henry, a composed and orderly boy, is dragged on a night of adventures out of his reach by Sue, a girl with her head in the clouds, who makes him change his perspective on an important issue.
Hikikomori (d. Benjamin Steinberg)
19 Minutes / USA
A young man who hasn’t left his bedroom in 8 years is assigned a mannequin and has a week to find a romantic partner or face public execution.
Jackie | Winter Edition (d. Rafał Karnicki)
6 Minutes / Poland
When Jackie’s symbol of love, the ugliest snowman you’ve ever seen, is brutally destroyed, the winter peace turns into a bloody fight for honor.
Kino Kopf (d. Jack Cosgriff)
11 Minutes / Czech Republic
Kino Kopf, a sentient humanoid VHS camera dreams of an electric cowboy as their memories flash through their lens.
Kombucha! (d. Jake Myers)
7 Minutes / USA
A musician trapped in an office job tries the free kombucha that helps his coworkers hit their quotas with a smile. Unfortunately, the kombucha has a series of nasty side effects that give new meaning to being consumed by your work.
Little Issues (d. Jerah Milligan)
5 Minutes / USA
Mid-coitus, Andy discovers a blip in her new relationship that sends her running to her roommates to help her overcome this Little Issue.
The Lure (d. Tony Hipwell)
2 Minutes / UK
Late at night, a lone fisherman is hoping for a quiet night but soon realizes they are not the only one hoping to hook something.
THE M3NAGE (d. Barrett Hooper)
5 Minutes / Canada
Meg and Bill are happily married and madly in love, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need to spice things up in the bedroom. Saddle up with this crazy couple as they go to hilarious lengths to heat things up between the sheets.
Maggie’s Not Okay (d. Vance Smith)
12 Minutes / USA
Maggie, a chronic people pleaser, is always getting pushed around. But when she tries to return a lost cat to his owner, Maggie is finally pushed too far and decides to push back… in a most unexpected way.
The Mammoth In My Community (d. Sean Anderson)
6 Minutes / USA
A man believes there’s a mammoth in his community, and he’s determined to find it.
Midwest Goodbye (d. Noah Tomlinson)
14 Minutes / USA
Nervous about her upcoming big move after college, Frankie spends her final night in town bidding a drawn-out farewell to her best friend.
My Best Nut (d. David Bradburn)
22 Minutes / USA
Jude isn’t the life of the party; he is the party. But this is only after he’s forced to spend his days in the hospital fighting cancer. Soon the patients around him look forward to seeing him as much as they don’t look forward to their next round of treatment.
My Dreams Have Been Dark Of Late (d. Joshua Warren)
4 Minutes / UK
A knight finds himself at the mercy of his armour.
My Son Went Quiet (d. Ian Bawa)
14 Minutes / Canada
After the death of his wife, a South Asian father and his son begin seeing a shadow around the walls of their home, who the son believes to be his mother.
Night Milk (d. Tiger Hornby)
13 Minutes / USA
A troubled lesbian, experiencing intrusive sexual thoughts, confronts her girlfriend and the men of her nightmares.
Night Session (d. Ballard C. Boyd)
11 Minutes / USA
When a burglar unexpectedly runs into a homeowner during a theft, the robbery morphs into a makeshift therapy session, with the burglar helping the homeowner process his impending divorce – all while the homeowner helps to rob his own apartment.
Night Shift (d. Dexter Blanchard)
4 Minutes / USA
A new father who works the night shift as a security guard must fight his personal issues within the confines of a film studio while an unexpected intruder stalks him.
Over The Shelter (d. Ian Cardinali)
13 Minutes / Italy
After a space mission, an astronaut tries to explain to her son what it’s like to see Earth from Space. In the attempt to describe this captivating experience, her words blend with the child’s imagination, resulting in an intimate journey about existential questions.
Passenger (d. Josh Aubin)
9 Minutes / Canada
After a car crash she can’t remember, Jessie searches for answers while trying to balance her relationship and her job as an actress.
Pizza Delivery (d. Aidan Culver)
6 Minutes / USA
Two college roommates are deep in a heated debate over which fast food burger reigns supreme when their argument is abruptly interrupted by a pizza delivery guy with shocking intentions.
Portraits Of The Mundane (d. J.D. Lopatowski)
3 Minutes / USA
Three characters exist in the world: One person scrolls on their phone, one person works on their laptop, and one person wakes up late after sleeping in. Eventually, something changes that connects their worlds in unexpected ways.
The Recipe (d. Tawan Bazemore)
21 Minutes / USA
In a reimagined America where slavery and the Jim Crow South never existed, Olufemi Adisa is burdened with her dying mother’s last request—to find Carol Anne Cole and deliver a cherished family recipe. This recipe, intended to fulfill a promise Olufemi’s father made but never completed, symbolizes a chance at healing and forgiveness. However, the path to reconciliation is obstructed by a violent shared history, including a murder that occurred 22 years earlier.
Righteous Self (d. Matt O’Connell)
18 Minutes / USA
A frustrated young man struggles to escape a men’s self-help retreat led by a mysterious influencer.
Room Tone (d.Michael Gabriele)
9 Minutes / USA
When a sound guy’s attempt to capture “room tone” is constantly thwarted by the noisy antics of his coworkers, he takes extreme measures to achieve silence.
Runaway (d. Sebastian Boneta)
7 Minutes / USA
A short remix of “Stop The Runaway”, an 1804 runaway slave ad published in the Nashville Register.
Shannon Is Strange (d. Don Hessell & Alan LaFave)
17 Minutes / USA
A phone call sends Shannon through a labyrinth on her way to an epic showdown with the elusive Jack. Will she succeed or fail at her quest? What we know for sure is that Shannon Is Strange.
Embark on a Bowie-inspired odyssey that celebrates deep tracks, eclectic friends, playful diversions, and the underdog in a small town.
Shoes (d. Mostafa Keshvari)
5 Minutes / Canada
The tale of an Iranian girl is told through the eyes of her shoes, capturing her journey from the first steps to the very last.
Spark Plug (d. Cole J Sheldon)
12 Minutes / USA
The willfully neglected remains of a shattered relationship are tested when Emma has no choice but to ask for Oliver’s help to fix her car.
Sterling (d. Gunnar Sizemore)
10 Minutes / USA
Sterling follows Clancy, an amateur late-night radio host, who decides to play his recently deceased jazz hero Sterling Hutch’s final recorded single on air. However, Clancy comes to find that what exists on the record isn’t music.
Super Real Super Grounded (d. Margaux Susi)
7 Minutes / USA
The life of an actor is one of indignity, pain, and constant rejection. And we think that’s pretty funny. This comedic short reveals the lengths to which an out-of-work actor will go in hopes of booking a precious non-union commercial for grapes.
Supercritical (d. John Osment)
7 Minutes / USA
In a post-apocalyptic nuclear fallout shelter, a young scientist bothers their team leader with a series of progressively inane HR requests.
Ten Days (d. Anastasia Savinova)
25 Minutes / UK & Serbia
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine breaks out, Lena tries to convince her Russian family to see the reality of the forthcoming war, yet trapped in a world of distorted truths and conflicting loyalties the family goes towards a rift.
Tethered (d. Stephen T Lally)
24 Minutes / Ireland
Trapped by tragic circumstances in rural Ireland, a grieving teenager and a mysterious old storyteller are freed by an ancient legend and a timeless song.
Tina (d. Laura Sweeney)
14 Minutes / USA
A heartfelt, story about two people who knew each other back when and are surprised to meet up again.
True Lies (d. Roni Levkowitz)
9 Minutes / France
In a world of lies, Julie, a young woman, takes her boyfriend, Anthony, to a specialist. This appointment is her last hope to cure him of the strange ailment that plagues him: he has stopped lying.
The Venus Gambit (d. Thomas Nicol)
7 Minutes / USA
A casual date turns into a match of minds and hearts on the chessboard.
We’ve Been Bamboozled! (d. Pamela Falkenberg & Jack Cochran)
7 Minutes / USA
Combines images of a world powered by fossil fuels with a shocking poetic summary extracted from the oil industry’s own proprietary reports, revealing just how much the fossil fuel industries knew about climate change and its dangers … and just how long they chose to keep that information to themselves (since at least 1959).
Documentary Short Films
The Cicadian Rhythm (d. Ananya Chandhok, Shannon Driscoll, Ian Gibson & Ryland Pietras)
10 Minutes / USA
This May, cicadas take center stage, covering the Chicagoland area. As locals itch at the not-so-phantom feeling of bugs crawling across their skins, the red-eyed beauty turns out to be one girl’s muse. The Cicadian Rhythm follows Nina Salem, founder of The Insect Asylum, as she prepares for the historic event. Combining science and art, Salem and hundreds of artists paint the town (and larger-than-life plaster cicadas) red.
Engraved (d. Tiffany Jiang)
16 Minutes / USA
Galvanized by devastating events early on in their lives, two New Yorkers find ways to channel their grief into acts of kindness that serve others. The film invites viewers to reflect on what it means to live with and find comfort in grief, in all its different forms.
Facing The Falls (d. Celia Aniskovich)
34 Minutes / USA
Facing the Falls tells the story of international disability rights advocate and entrepreneur, Cara Elizabeth Yar Khan. Deep in the throes of an aggressive, fatal muscle-wasting disease and no longer able to walk unassisted, Cara ventures out on a daring, 12-day expedition through the Grand Canyon. Cara’s journey to live an extraordinary life and shatter the stigma against people living with disabilities unexpectedly becomes a deep dive into fear, trust, and vulnerability. As the entire expedition team grapples with unanticipated dangers in a truly remote wilderness, they also come face to face with their individual demons, insecurities, and internal conflicts. Facing the Falls is a story of fear, adrenaline, ambition, determination, hubris, courage, and perseverance against the odds.
The Inside Singers (d. Daniel Kolen)
30 Minutes / USA
Beginning in 2009, a groundbreaking choir practiced at the 900+ person medium-security prison in eastern Iowa, the Oakdale Prison. Approximately 30 inmates (the Inside Singers) and 30 outside volunteers (the Outside Singers) have participated in the program at a time. Together they have composed original songs, shared written reflections, and performed together at Oakdale for incarcerated audiences and outside guests.
The Last American Gay Bar (d. Kristian Day)
22 Minutes / USA
As three gay men come of age and explore their sexuality in 1960s Iowa, the United States goes to war with Vietnam. The young men enlist or are drafted, forced to live in the closet as they face their own mortality. The Stonewall Riots bring gay rights into mainstream conversation, and the men come home to a changed nation.
Losing Blue (d. Leanne Allison)
15 Minutes / Canada
What does it mean to lose a color? Losing Blue is a cinematic poem that delves into the impending loss of some of the most extraordinary blues on Earth—the otherworldly blues of ancient mountain lakes. Glacier-fed alpine lakes each have a unique blue formed by the mountains and ice that shaped them. These intense colors hold the memory of “deep time,” geological processes millions of years old. Now climate change is rapidly accelerating environmental shifts and causing some of these spectacular blues to vanish.
Olivia (d. Juliana Corral Bustamante)
16 Minutes / USA
Olivia Vázquez has worked in the library cafe of Lake Forest College for over 20 years, she is a central piece of the community building within campus, but who is she? Olivia is a short documentary that recollects facets of her life to get to know who is behind the counter.
Role Model (d. J.D. Lopatowski)
4 Minutes / USA
Sa, Lopatowski, a Fashion Design & Merchandising Major at Illinois State University, discusses her experience as a model leading up to the ISU Spring 2024 Fashion Show.
Taking Care (d. James Keach)
38 Minutes / USA
The story of Lauren Miller Rogen and Seth Rogen’s courtship and marriage as their families face the complexities and heartbreak of Lauren’s mother’s advancing early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Through intimate interviews and supporting footage of their entertainment industry friends and colleagues, the film sheds warmth and light on Alzheimer’s through storytelling, celebrity comedy, medical insights, and abiding love.
The Quilters (d. Jenifer McShane)
31 Minutes / USA
In Licking, Missouri, a quilting group in a men’s maximum security prison sews birthday quilts for every foster child in the county. Through this process and the powerful relationships forged, these men transform. Their self-perception shifts and they redefine their relationship with the community outside which has long forgotten them.
Vibrations: Vanguards and Guardians (d. Benjamin Steger)
36 Minutes / USA & Viet Nam
Art is the language of truth. Vietnamese society changed rapidly in the last thirty years and this transformation is reflected in the experiences of three musicians who studied at the National Academy for Music in Vietnam during both the “closed” and “open” periods. Pham Thi Hue works to preserve the ancient Ca Tru musical form. Vu Nhat paves a foundation for electronic music. Experimental composer Kim Ngoc challenges conventions and redefines art in Vietnam.
Vibrations: Dharma Punks (d. Benjamin Steger)
39 Minutes / USA & Indonesia
In Dharma Punks, disc jockey/band manager Rudolf Dethu unpacks the history of Bali’s thriving punk scene. Marshello Aryafara leads a good-timing rockabilly band as a father of two and a hard-working lifeguard. Jakarta soul-singer Iqua Tahlequa defies social taboos and makes an impressive debut.
Vibrations: Offerings (d. Benjamin Steger)
35 Minutes / USA & Indonesia
Music is a conduit to the divine. “In Balinese, there is no word for music,” says ethnomusicologist and gamelan orchestra composer, Wayan Sudirana. Music as both a gift and an offering is deeply ingrained in the Balinese way of life. I Made and Suasthi Bandem trains the next generation of Balinese musicians and dancers. Guitar wizard Wayan Balawan innovates by blending traditional gamelan music with jazz. Musical ambassador Nita Aartsen hosts the Tepi Sawah Festival, Bali’s only music festival featuring exclusively Indonesian artists from across the archipelago.
Animated Short Films
#DoudouChallenge (d. Julie Majcher, Alexandra Delaunay-Fernandez, Sixtine Emerat, Marine Benabdallah-Crolais, Scott Pardailhé-Galabrun & Noémie Segalowicz)
6 Minutes / France
On the road to her family vacation, Olivia, a 10-year-old girl hooked on her phone and social media, is abandoned by her parents in a highway service area. Alone with her plushie, he tries to get her off her phone to play, but things take an unexpected turn!
A Trip To Somewhere Else (d. Maria Sterr)
5 Minutes / USA
An Alien goes on a trip.
Boat People (d. Thao Lam & Kjell Boersma)
10 Minutes / Canada
As a little girl in Vietnam, Thao’s mother would rescue ants from bowls of sugar water. The tiny creatures would later return the favor, leading her desperate family through darkness—and pointing the way to safety.
The Brown Dog (d. Nadia Hallgren & Jamie-James Medina)
14 Minutes / USA
Night after night, a watchman clocks into his lonely booth and spends hours composing endless security logs to stay awake, as he slowly descends into darkness.
Feeling The Apocalypse (d. Chen Sing Yap)
7 Minutes / Canada
A psychotherapist struggling with climate anxiety explores what it means to live in a dying world.
Learning To Fly (d. Samuel Alexander Slowik)
3 Minutes / USA
Learning To Fly is a stop motion film by Sam Slowik featuring the adventure of Lego man and his rig friend, as they set out to learn how to fly.
Olive Coffee (d. Dingding Luo)
7 Minutes / USA
An elderly man named Oliver chose not to be reborn.
Paumo D’amour (d. Ian Halley, Nathan Hermouet, Luka Croisez, Laurène Vaubourdolle & Jade Van De Veire)6 Minutes / France
Instead of giving his wife the attention she deserves, Dédé sends all his love to his vegetable garden. One day, all his delicious tomatoes mysteriously disappear.
Quem Salva (d. Laure Devin, Maxime Bourstin, Nathan Medam, Charles Hechinger & Titouan Jaouen)
7 Minutes / France
Sidnei is a young recruit of the fire department fighting forest fires in the Amazon. During his first mission, he will be separated from the group and will have to undertake a perilous mission, guided by his mentor, Joao. Sidnei will be confronted with a choice: follow the orders of the hierarchy or save a thousand-year-old tree at the risk of his life.
Rodent (d. Joe Fereday)
7 Minutes / UK
A rat transports us through the last vestiges of humanity as it forages for food, confronted by a formidable threat, we discover the true magnitude of recent global events.
The Unseen (d. Francesco Guarini)
3 Minutes / UK & Spain
Timo is busy making his nest when he hears a reply to his mating call. Desperate to find his mate, he takes flight, only to find the source of the reply is not what he had hoped.
Music Videos
BLYTH (d. Tom Dream)
6 Minutes / Australia
This short film music video hybrid is an exploration of the witch burnings and the dancing plagues of the 16th Century which swept across Europe like wildfire
Hurricane (d. Michele Benigna)
4 Minutes / Italy
Directed by Mann Friday’s very own drummer, Michele Benigna, “Hurricane” ventures into the heart of a tempestuous love story, showcasing the raw intensity and powerful resurgence of emotion amidst the rugged coastline of Wellington, New Zealand.
Tilt by Palm Ghosts (d. Ben Nissen)
4 Minutes / USA
Tilt is a somewhat abstract music video that follows a shadowy character as she moves through a chaotic and tense city to a quiet loft where she dances her way toward joy.
