SHORTS BLOCK 1: People
06 min -- “How to Avoid Annoying People” by Ariel Nasser: Hand-drawn animation uses sarcasm and irony to criticize social behaviors such as self-centered small talk. Within a narrative structure punctuated by an infomercial announcer, this comical film reveals the harassment endured by a plane traveler as he endures verbal barrage from a fellow passenger. (Animated)
14 min -- “Operation Barn Owl” by Satsuki Okawa: Ellen's best friend Jonah wants to create a unique and picturesque proposal to his girlfriend. Banding together with a group of friends, Ellen works diligently to ensure that the meticulously planned show of affection goes off without a hitch, but issues arise along the way. Ellen must overcome her feelings for Jonah and any past promises they made to each other for the proposal to go as planned.
11 min -- “The Inheritance” by Anne M. Hamilton: After hitting a deer on her drive home through cornfields, seventeen-year-old Gitty receives an unexpected visit from her estranged father and is faced with a choice to leave the small town where she was raised for a 'brighter' future. In what seems like a simple conversation, darker subtexts emerge that touch on themes ranging from the future of traditional farming communities, to what the best kind of life is, to what we owe the people we call family.
06 min – Gramatik’s “Brave Men” by Joe Zohar: Gramatik’s “Brave Men” tells the story of an abusive husband and his seemingly beaten housewife. Concerned neighbors call the police to rid the neighborhood of this element. The husband is confronted by the police regarding these allegations and is hauled away for being belligerent and aggressive with his wife. (Music video)
19 min -- “The Box” by Christen Kimbell: A young boy, Michael, awakes to find an angel who hands Michael a beautiful wooden box and asks him to watch over it. Michael does, even though it means he has to spend more and more time alone. He keeps it safe from some bullies who try to take it. Eventually he starts to draw, then paint, the angel. His paintings make him famous, but he is still alone. When he is very old, the angel returns to him and takes the box away.
03 min -- “Lime” by Sean Carrow: Two very unlucky fishermen, Willie and Burt, are on their ship adrift at sea starving from hunger and thirst until a lone lime is discovered on board the ship offering them a glimpse of hope. The two friends turn on each other, letting their greed for the lime tack control destroying all they have. (Animated)
17 min -- “Sie heisst jetzt Lotte!” (“Call her Lotte!”) By Annekathrin Wetzel: The friendship between theater actress Maria and her Jewish friend Lea starts to break as Maria’s husband Hans rises to become an SS officer. On the day of the Jewish deportations in Munich, Maria proves what friendship means by saving Lea’s child, risking her own life, and losing Hans. Inspired by the childhood of Charlotte Knobloch, Vice President of the World Jewish Congress. (In German)
03 min -- “When He Comes Home” by Ben Phillippo: When a 1950’s housewife discovers her husband's infidelity, a neighborhood cocktail party turns into something far more sinister. In this music video set to the retro rock of Boston-based trio Banditas, you'll find the tasteful decor and clean-cut faces only serve to conceal the unspeakable...
03 min -- “Super Secret” by Jim Johnson: The story of a super villain father and his daughter. On her 13th birthday, he discovers her deep, dark, secret. (Animation)
10 min -- “Casey” by Miguel Duran: “Casey” is about a young girl who struggles with her mother's misguided attempts to show love. She finds escape as an MC in an underground hip-hop club and must decide between taking a stand against her mother, or watching her owns dreams drift away.
