day
WED
Charter Arts
NMIH
Touchstone
Charter Arts
NMIH
Touchstone
NMIH
Touchstone
VENUE: CHARTER ARTS | 321 E. 3RD ST.
Animation Block 1 Time: 5:20pm
Friendly Fire directed by Tom Koryto Blumen
2022 | 6 minutes | animated short
A friendly soccer game between an Israeli soldier and a Palestinian boy that takes place on the West Bank barrier starts to escalate into an uneven battle. The film was painted frame by frame on the wall and become part of the ongoing conflict by staining the wall with over a hundred liters of paint.
Garrano directed by Vasco Sá and David Doutel
2022 | 14 minutes | animated short
A Garrano horse is forced to pull a heavy load under a blazing sun. Young boy Joel discovers a man who is about to set a forest on fire.
Beyond the Fringe directed by Han Tang, Costanza Baj, and Giulia Zanette
2022 | 5 minutes | Animated Short
In a quiet evening, an intriguing little paper figure magically emerges from a notebook. At first, it was full of curiosity and excitement. But soon, when the little paper figure suddenly discovers just how small and fragile and alone it is in this big, foreign world, fear sets in and causes it to crumble up. The little paper figure dives into its unconsciousness to discover where it came from and finds the strength to make the tough decision to rip itself from the paper where it came from in order to explore the world beyond. This is a coming-of-age story about leaving home.
fur directed by Zhen Li
2022 | 7 minutes | animated short
a crush gone moldy…
Broken directed by Farzaneh Omidvarnia
2023 | 17 minutes | animated short
Everything is peaceful, until an unknown aggressor repeatedly breaks the living room window glass…
Balcony Cacophony directed by Quentin Haberham
2023 | 5 minutes | animated short
When a rich lady with a passion for topiary must swap her mansion with lush gardens for a tiny council flat, she finds it difficult to cope with her new neighbour and his strange hobbies.
The Record directed by Jonathan Laskar
2022 | 9 minutes | animated short
An antique music instrument dealer recieves a magical vinyle record from a traveller: “It reads your mind and plays your lost memories”. Obsessed by this endless record, the antique dealer listens to it again and again, and the memories reemerge until one last and most painful memory is revealed: how he got separated from his mother on the Swiss border during World War II.
Lipstick of the Brave directed by Bill Plympton
2022 | 6 minutes | animated short
Lipstick of the Brave represents the animated journey of Madstone Rowan, composer and performer, as they find inspiration in the rock and pop music which inspired them to move beyond the gender binary and embrace their non-binary self. Through Bill Plympton’s poignant animation, homage is paid to the songs and artists that lifted Madstone on their journey as the film seeks to connect with the audience in a way that inspires the viewer to see their own sense of personal power as a part of a world that collectively embraces all expressions of gender and sexuality. The animation is set to the music written and sung by Madstone Rowan.
Sixteen King’s Daughters directed by Anne H Beal
2021 | 4 minutes | animated short
‘Sixteen Kings’ Daughters’ tells the story of a young woman who turns the tables on a malicious intruder. Contrary to most Appalachian murder ballads, in this one, the woman prevails!
New Moon directed by Jeff Le Bars and Jérémie Balais
2022 | 11 minutes | Animated short
An imaginative surrealist journey of young Jay Jay and his mother Edie. Their inner city dreams are illuminated by the New Moon accompanied by magic of Aretha Franklin playing on a summer’s eve on a transistor radio in a backyard in West Philadelphia.
VENUE: NMIH | 602 E. 2ND ST.
Time: 5:20pm
The Record directed by Jonathan Laskar
2022 | 9 minutes | animated short
An antique music instrument dealer recieves a magical vinyle record from a traveller: “It reads your mind and plays your lost memories”. Obsessed by this endless record, the antique dealer listens to it again and again, and the memories reemerge until one last and most painful memory is revealed: how he got separated from his mother on the Swiss border during World War II.
Pistoleros: Death, Drugs and Rock n’ Roll directed by Steven B Esparza
2022 | 63 minutes | documentary feature
Pistoleros is the inspiring true story of brothers Mark and Lawrence Zubia. Musicians from an early age. The brothers formed several bands at the forefront of the 1990’s Tempe music scene made famous by Billboard charting artists such as Gin Blossoms and The Refreshments. Despite landing a million dollar major label record deal, Mark and Lawrence’s fortunes were repeatedly tested by alcoholism, suicide and opioid addiction.
VENUE: TOUCHSTONE | 321 E. 4TH ST.
Documentary Block 1 Time: 5:20pm
Swimming Through directed by Samantha Sanders
2022 | 15 minutes | documentary short
As the brutal Chicago winter draws near, Deirdre, Helen and Jennefer—avid open water swimmers—make a pact to continue through the snow and ice as the pandemic rages on. This intense commitment becomes their salvation from lockdown and helps alleviate each of their personal struggles. Initially just acquaintances, Swimming Through follows their friendship as it coalesces around their commitment to the daily ritual of swimming at sunrise in Lake Michigan.
Bravo Marcel: The Century Climber directed by Hannes Tell
2022 | 22 minutes | documentary short
Still climbing on the sharp end of the rope at 99 years of age, Marcel Remy is a truly unique climbing super hero of our time that shows us in an incredible way that you are really never too old to achieve your goals in climbing and lead an inspiring life.
Time & Temperature directed by Justin Foreman
2021 | 21 minutes | documentary short
An intimate portrait of a unique artist’s life, this film follows Maestro Gianni Toso, a lifelong student of glass from Murano, Italy, with 700 years of tradition to his family’s name. His one-of-a-kind glassworks are only part of the maestro’s story, as he presents perspectives on life, learning, and passing the torch to the next generation of glassblowers.
The Ruth Brinker Story directed by Apo W Bazidi
2022 | 23 minutes | documentary short
At the age of 63, retired food-service worker Ruth Brinker became a pioneer of HIV care in her community and would become a legend among San Franciscans. The AIDS epidemic hit San Francisco the hardest and created a wave of fear and uncertainty that left many victims feeling hopeless and alone. Brinker, a woman whose deep compassion became a source of strength for others struggling to cope with the times, began cooking meals in her kitchen to deliver to her neighbors who were too ill to take care of themselves. Her goal was to not only provide meals but to also revitalize the city’s sense of community and spend time with HIV/AIDS patients to end the isolation they experienced. Providing meals with love became the hallmark of her mission. The work of Brinker and her growing team of volunteers led to Project Open Hand, the largest provider of nutrition to the HIV/AIDS community with sister organizations across the country. Ruth Brinker’s legacy carries on today as Project Open Hand has once again joined the frontlines in facing the crisis of the COVID19 pandemic.
VENUE: CHARTER ARTS | 321 E. 3RD ST.
Comedy Block 1 Time: 7:20pm
Fiesta Blood directed by Elena Fazio
2022 | 2 minutes | animated short
An avenging piñata is fighting back against the brutality of birthday party piñata murder on a mission to save his fellow brethren.
Shark directed by Nash Edgerton
2021 | 14 minutes | narrative short
Completing the trilogy of wickedly dark comedy shorts that began with Spider and Bear, Nash Edgerton finds a perfect match in Rose Byrne as Sofie, a woman who loves pranks just as much as Jack, Edgerton’s onscreen alter ego. Alas, the couple’s quest to outdo each other may lead to the most outrageous calamity of all.
Two Chairs, Not One directed by Austin Kolodney
2021 | 11 minutes | narrative short
A disgruntled customer (Caitlin Reilly, Hacks, Loot, Barry) confronts a furniture dropshipper (George Basil, Crashing, Flaked, Werewolves Within) whom she believes should have shipped her two chairs, not one.
Plausible Audio directed by David Pierce
2021 | 5 minutes | animated short
When your new audiobook subscription is some guy making up stories as he goes along.
Virgins for Satan directed by Ashlynn Judy
2022 | 14 minutes | narrative short
Mac is a religious, horny girl on a mission to lose her virginity. After getting rejected by her sexy church crush, Satan offers her the chance to snag the guy of her dreams. But, when dealing with the devil, there’s always a catch…
Something Fishy directed by Christina Woo
2022 | 4 minutes | animated short
Sara is getting ready to go on a date with her new boyfriend, but Jessica, Sara’s pet goldfish, notices something not quite right about him.
We Forgot About the Zombies directed by Chris McInroy
2022 | 4 minutes | narrative short
Two dudes think they found the cure for zombie bites.
What a Trip! directed by Collin Kornfeind
2022 | 15 minutes | comedy short
Two downtrodden strangers go on a vision quest to cure their depression but end up trying to figure out why they have matching visions of a manic, talking wolf-bear named Kevin.
VENUE: NMIH | 602 E. 2ND ST.
Time: 7:20pm
The Fire Cats directed by Katharine Parsons
2021 | 80 minutes | documentary feature
THE FIRE CATS – Save Something Small is the inspirational story of a group of animal rescuers who devoted months to rescuing cats who survived the Tubbs wildfire that was hot enough to melt glass and to return them to the families who had lost everything. The experience transformed everyone: the rescuers, the cats, and the fire families. But a year later, when the monstrous Camp Fire wiped out Paradise, the authorities tried to stop them.
VENUE: TOUCHSTONE | 321 E. 4TH ST.
Comedy Block 2 Time: 7:20pm
Boomerang directed by Rylee Jean Ebsen
2022 | 13 minutes | narrative short
After losing her job, a flailing millennial is forced to move back into her childhood bedroom and navigate life with her dysfunctional parents. Determined to take on a lover, she re-connects with a middle school crush.
Falls Cry directed by Joshua Wann
2023 | 6 minutes | narrative short
A story about one boy, living on one block, in one crazy world.
Period Drama directed by Anushka Tina Nair and Lauryn Anthony
2022 | 2 minutes | animated short
In Victorian-era England, highly precocious and imaginative eleven-year-old Georgiana Crimsworth is up late enjoying a good book. She suddenly experiences cramps and finds blood on her sheets. Not having received the talk yet, she doesn’t understand that this is her first period, and she thinks she’s dying. Her imagination runs amok as she searches for answers among sins and deadly disease, and fears the worst for what this means for herself and for her family.
Cherry directed by Kate Stanley Brennan
2021 | 18 minutes | narrative short
Cherry’s Mum has big dreams for her 7 year old football fan to win the Xtravadance Dance Championship, when a rival encounter has an unexpected outcome.
Troy directed by Mike Donahue
2022 | 16 minutes | Narrative Short
Troy has loud sex. Troy has loud sex 24-7. Troy shares a wall with Thea and Charlie. Troy is ruining their lives… or is he saving them? A darkly comedic tale of New York neighbors, the ways in which we become interwoven with the lives of strangers, and the unexpected consequences of unasked-for intimacy.
Cat and Moth directed by India Barnardo
2022 | 7 minutes | animated short
A fluffy white cat wants nothing more than to find the most comfortable spot in the universe, but little does she know someone else has their eye on it too.
Everything I Learned When My House Burned Down directed by Joe Pickett
2022 | 9 minutes | Comedy short
Comedian Jacy Catlin was living the simple life in his remote log cabin in rural Wisconsin, eking out a living as a comedy writer and self-producing numerous comedy shorts. One fateful February, on the coldest day of the year, a fire in his wood stove spread out of control, and the house and all of his family’s belongings were destroyed. After the smoke had cleared, he returned to his former home to shoot one last comedy film.
VENUE: CHARTER ARTS | 321 E. 3RD ST.
Documentary Block 2 Time: 9:20pm
The Wintering Grounds directed by Jeff Springer
2022 | 26 minutes | documentary short
For most of the year, bands of world class freestyle kayakers roam the land in search of waves. But when the rivers freeze, everyone finds their way to a special spot on the Chattahoochee River on the Alabama-Georgia border. Squatting in an abandoned parking lot, they spend the winter training for the next world championships on North America’s best winter whitewater. Although called “certifiable lunatics” by the locals, this tight knit group is proof of the power of family and that indeed everything is more fun with friends.
Hellbent directed by Justin Grubb and Annie Roth
2022 | 19 minutes | documentary short
In a small rural town in Pennsylvania, the refuge of a rare salamander and the only source of clean drinking water for 700 people is threatened by the installation of a fracking waste injection well, prompting community members to band together and mount an epic fight for the rights of their people and nature.
Lalito 10 directed by Jordan Matthew Horowitz
2021 | 17 minutes | documentary short
When COVID-19 forced his school to close and remote learning proved impossible, a teacher in Guatemala built a classroom on wheels to bring education directly to his students.
Inside the Beauty Bubble directed by Cheryl Bookout and Cheri Gaulke
2021 | 31 minutes | documentary short
Enter a pastel dreamland of 3,000 vintage beauty artifacts in the desert community of Joshua Tree, California and meet “America’s hairstorian” Jeff Hafler as he struggles to keep his roadside attraction afloat during a remarkable year that changes his life and the lives of his husband and son.
VENUE: NMIH | 602 E. 2ND ST.
Time: 9:20pm
Satan Wants You directed by Sean Horlor and Steve J. Adams
2023 | 88 minutes | documentary feature
Satan Wants You tells the untold story of how the Satanic Panic of the 1980s was ignited by “Michelle Remembers”, a lurid memoir by psychiatrist Larry Pazder and his patient Michelle Smith. Supported by the Catholic Church, the bestselling book relied on recovered-memory therapy to uncover Michelle’s childhood abduction by baby-stealing Satanists. Amplified by law enforcement and America’s Daytime TV boom, satanic rumors spread through panic-stricken communities across the world, leaving a wave of destruction and wrongful convictions in their wake. This film digs deep into the roots of moral panics and cult conspiracies, showing how these events still affect and distort our reality today.
VENUE: TOUCHSTONE | 321 E. 4TH ST.
Time: 9:20pm
Scrapper directed by Charlotte Regan
2023 | 84 minutes | drama feature
Georgie, a dreamy 12-year-old girl, lives happily alone in her London flat, filling it with magic. Suddenly, her estranged father turns up and forces her to confront reality.