Opening Night Celebration

7:00pm

Join us for our opening night slate of incredible World Class Short Films. Each of these film have been specially selected to give you a glimpse into the marvelous films that will screen over the next few nights.

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Encore Screening – Best of 2020

9:15pm

Enjoy this Encore Screening of the Best Films from our 2020 Virtual Festival.

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An Uncomfortable Truth

Friday 11:00am

(Drama / World Cinema / LGBTQIA Cinema)

Perception is sometimes reality, reality is often whatever we make of it. These amazing shorts start off our first full day of screening blocks as they navigate between An Uncomfortable Truth that is hard to accept and the surprising facts that surround them.

Denzel

9 mins / UK

Denzel follows the dating life of a young man on his journey to self-acceptance. He uses an alter ego to navigate through his social issues and self worth until finally reaching the perfect conclusion.

Seasick

11 mins / USA

Sadie, a 17-year-old ferry deckhand has her day turned upside down when she tries to delete a love-confessing text message before the rest of the crew finds out.

Sitting

12 mins / USA

Bryn’s week goes from bad to worse, when her latest babysitting gig turns out to be a grown man. Kyle is terminally ill and wants company for the last hours of his life.

The Bright Fire

15 mins / China

Two young cousins find a wonderland outside of their unstable families, without knowing the friendship they have will eventually comes to an end.

Undercut

14 mins / USA

High school female athletes become unlikely teammates in the wake of unspoken trauma.

Zarnitsa

20 mins / Russian Federation

16-year-old Alice, a lively and talented girl, gets into the cadet corps for boys and girls and falls in love with her classmate Andrey. But Andrey does not tolerate competition and Alice will have to make a choice: victory in military competitions or the love of a guy.
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World Cinema One

Friday 1:15pm

(Foreign Language / World Cinema / Intense Drama)

Welcome to World Cinema One. We are proud to present our initial block of International films which detail a broad and varied perspective from the legal issues a Chinese family deals with when a parent passes away, to a complex and powerful film that detail a single moment in time that changed the world.

Birdie

20 mins / Turkey

The story of a lonely fisherman whose relationship with life, nature and human being is fair. For him, life is about living with a full belly until a goldfinch hits his window. Will his relationship with the goldfinch change the fate of the fisherman?

Free Fall

19 mins / France

Tom is a young trader at a London bank, but his recent results have put him in the hot seat. When the first plane hit the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11th, 2001, Tom is convinced it is a terrorist attack, not an accident. He then jumps into the biggest trade of his life…

Hook Up

14 mins / Australia

Shy Lucy is keen to please her enigmatic best-friend Alice, but when a double Tinder date with two older men turns ugly, she must fight to protect Alice and in the process recognizes deeper feelings she has for her.

Snake Trail

17 mins / USA

Urged to complete the traditional Chinese death ritual as her mother’s only daughter, but without the legal documentation to prove her kinship to the woman who gave birth to her—a girl finds herself in an institutional conundrum.
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It’s A Hard Doc’s Life

Friday 3:30pm 

(Documentary Shorts)

We are pleased to screen not one but two documentary blocks this weekend with our first salvo of six incredible true stories.

Generation Impact: The Coder

6 mins / USA

Jay Jay Patton was only 13 when she designed and built Photo Patch, a mobile app to help kids send photos and letters to incarcerated parents. Inspired by her own experience; her dad was in prison for five years. Together they founded Unlock Academy, a school that provides mentoring to enable young people of color support in STEM fields.

It’s Rocket Science

5 mins / USA

Ky Michealson is a regular guy from Minnesota. he likes sushi, he loves fast cars... and he has built more rockets than anyone else on this planet.

Not the Science Type: Jessica

7 mins / USA

Dr. Jessica Taaffe is a brilliant global health scientist and microbiologist who continues to break down barriers for Latina women in her field.

Shots in the Dark

9 mins / USA

A group of friends leave a fun legacy at their alma mater by creating a not-so-secret, only-at-night disc golf course on campus that is still being played by students and alumni almost two decades later.

Tule Elk - The Killing of a Native Species

8 mins / USA

The National Park Service has announced it will kill Tule elk in Point Reyes National Seashore to allow for expanded private ranching.

Veterans Journey Home: Kalani’s Story

30 mins / USA

Relating the stories of American veterans and their struggle to transition back to civilian life with PTSD, addiction and suicide rates much higher than the general population. This documentary focuses on these new brands of American bravery: bravery to face anguish and loss, fear and rage, paralyzing self-doubt, shame, and even self-hatred.
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The World Beyond

Friday 5:45pm

(Science Fiction / Fantasy)

Our love of sci-fi shines through as we travel to the far future, explore technological advances and transcend to The World Beyond.

Body of the Mined

15 mins / USA

A quiet, young woman moves into a new building and meets a reclusive engineer at the brink of completing a bizarre and extraordinary machine.

Katu

15 mins/ Sweden

Five years ago, humanity lost their language. A woman and a man live alone in a large mansion. One day they get a visit from a stranger. Without being able to understand each other, they need to find out what the stranger wants before more visitors arrive.

Please Hold

19 mins / USA

In the near future, a young working-class Latino is wrongfully arrested. Realizing he has no means of recourse in the fully automated, fully privatized justice system, he attempts to reach a human being who can set things right.

She

7 mins / USA

London 2091. Two service androids, a male and a female, have been abandoned in an apartment after the city evacuation. After several decades, the female android wants to know what is outside the door.

The Pill

14 mins / USA

In the near future, Alma, a 19-year-old young woman with a seemingly perfect life, has decided to enlist the services of ALAS to end her life. Belén, an employee of ALAS, is outraged by the new policy and finds herself torn between following her heart or keeping her job.

Transmission

15 mins / Ireland

UFOs? Alien abduction? A boy finds the key to extraterrestrial connection but loses his brother in the process. Can he re-connect and find a way to get him back?
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Make’Em Laugh

Friday 8:00pm 

(Comedy / World Cinema)

It’s time for comedy tonight! Highly recommended fan favorite.

An Opening

15 mins / USA

Rachel is a young artist who’s never had a show and is struggling with her identity. When she becomes friends with a woman who she discovers is a prominent art curator, Rachel becomes obsessed with taking advantage of the connection.

Archibald’s Syndrome

20 mins / France

Archibald was born with some curious curse: he can’t make a move without everyone around doing the same. Now, grown man, he robs by despair a bank and, there, meets Indiana, a young woman who has always escaped every form of control.

A Guide to Dining Out in Nairobi

10 mins / Kenya

A security guard in Kenya gets a $10 USD tip from his wealthy boss. How far can he make it go?

Liza Anonymous

11 mins / USA

A lonely millennial addicted to support groups disguises herself in different personas while trying to fit in, leading her on a theatrical journey which proves that pretending to be someone you’re not doesn’t get you any closer to feeling seen.

Made in China

7 mins / Uruguay

After matching on Tinder a young couple wakes up the morning after to find out that a strange pandemic have forced them into lockdown - together.

Rock A Bye Baby

5 mins / USA

A drug deal goes wrong when instead of cocaine the dealers find out they have a live baby, and one of them refuses to give it back.

Three Meetings of the Extraordinary Committee

18 mins / UK

When the citizens of the small farming village of Dobre vote for a mythical creature, democracy comes face to face with reality.
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I’ve Got A Bad Feeling About This

Friday 10:15pm

(Intense Drama / Suspense / World Cinema)

Something goes wrong, the feeling gets stronger and then…

:60 Seconds

18 mins / USA

What if you had only minutes to pull off your next heist? Dixon and his crew – Caleb, the tech genius, and Benny, the muscle – are about to find out when they target a remote desert casino. With only 60 seconds to make their getaway, can all the pieces fall into place or are they doomed from the start?

Boys

13 mins / USA

Two boys let their imagination run wild in a barren desert, but the fun and games end when a darker reality becomes too much to handle.

Bury Me In Armor

14 mins / USA

Dimitry George (Ed Asner) was an illustrious senator, ruthless war hero, distant father & a very troubled man who recently succumbed to Parkinson's. When a long time family friend comes to transcribe an audio collection left behind, he discovers there was much more to the story…

The Gloom / Spain

13 mins

No time for her husband’s hypochondria nor dealing with the children fighting, Laura finds herself slipping into darkness where the gloom is hoping to take you over.

Kalamiti

14 mins / USA

Missy goes to school all day, bartends nights, and raises Kalamiti in between. It’s been a rough day and when she finds her boyfriend skipping work and not pulling his weight - it just may be the final straw.

The Mark

14 mins / USA

A young single mother struggles against ominous forces, whom she believes are bent on taking her infant daughter.

Switchback

12 mins / USA

Two gang members at a safe house await. Waiting for the rest of their gang, the discussion turns to more than either expected.
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More From It’s A Hard Doc’s Life

Saturday 11:00am 

(Documentary Shorts)

 The projector fills the screen with our second block of documentary shorts, each uncovering a broad assortment of real life stories.

Finding Dohi

25 mins / USA

Daphne, a 3rd generation Japanese-American, holds on to letters sent to her mother long ago - written in Japanese. She begins a decades-long pursuit to fill in the scant details she knows about her family, answers that can only be found in a rural Japanese village.

Full Picture

12 mins / USA

Santina has been in a wheelchair since she was six years old. With meetings, hangouts and classes happening virtually due to the Coronavirus quarantine, she's experiencing something new: Choosing when (or if) to disclose her disability.

Jihad Summer Camp

16 mins / Italy

Summer 1994: in an Italian provincial Multisport Complex, the caretaker has to keep an eye on a very special private summer camp. The news reaches an elderly policeman, who decides to investigate.

The Queen of Basketball

22 mins / USA

She is one of the greatest living women’s basketball player. 3 national trophies. Scored the first basket in women's Olympic basketball at the ‘76 Olympics. Drafted to the NBA. But have you ever heard of Lucy Harris?

Dear Future Me

13 mins / USA

Sixth grade students from Maplewood Middle School participate in a rite of passage where they write a letter to their future 18-year-old selves. When they graduate, teachers mail the letters from their past selves. For over 25 years, this extracurricular assignment has encouraged students to imagine and reflect on who they are and who they will become.Film Screening / Saturday 1:15 pm
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World Cinema Two

Saturday 1:15pm

(Foreign Language / World Cinema / Intense Drama)

Join us for World Cinema Two as we unlock another group of incredible short films from across the globe.

Blue Bison

19 mins / USA

A group of vigilantes abduct wrongdoers and coerce them into confessions, forcing them back on the straight and narrow. Tonight their attempt at justice has unexpected consequences.

The Criminals

23 mins / Turkey

A social realist drama combined with the elements of the thriller. Nazli and Emre are a young, modern couple that love each other and seek to enjoy themselves. Sexuality is not a taboo for them. They freely and joyfully desire each other. Their only obstacle - everyone around them

Strike

19 mins / Canada

Hoping to impress a group of rowdy classmates, 17-year-old Jules invites them to his family's bowling alley. But when the debauchery descends into chaos, he must find the courage to defy them.

They Remained Silent

18 mins / Spain

A scrupulous lawyer with a high sense of responsibility is appointed to defend an accused young man who is charged with burning a homeless woman. A plea deal seems the most obvious solution, but her client refuses and she is forced to push for the truth.
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The Ink and Paint Club

Saturday 3:30pm 

(Animation, CG and Mixed Media)

Our focus is animation, CG and mixed media – you are entering the world of The Ink & Paint Club.

Chocolate

4 mins / China

Does men’s courtship prove your attractiveness and give you confidence? In the quest for approval, do we change ourselves too much? Chocolate examines the subtle psychology of intercourse between men and women.

Freebird

5 mins / Canada

Freebird is the coming-of-age story of a boy with Down Syndrome who learns to navigate the world with a loving mother, an absent father, a classroom bully, and a life-long crush.

Iron Farmer

7 mins / Taiwan

The Iron Farmer lives with friends that include monkey, children, and variety of robots. This delightful tale speaks to an understanding about empathy through the interaction between each character from completely different backgrounds.

Navozande, the Musician

15 mins / France

At the time of the attack of the Mongols, a young musician and the love of his life are separated from each other. Fifty years later, the musician is summoned to perform at the castle of the Mongols where his beloved is being held.

Shooom’s Odyssey

26 mins / France

Shooom, a baby owl, hatches just as a storm turns the bayou surrounding her tree upside down. No sooner has she fallen from her nest, then the little fledgling totters off into the mangrove, pushing a second egg from the brood along with her. Come hell or high water, she’s determined to find a family.

There You Are

6 mins / USA

After the death of her mom, Su feels estranged from her father. In honoring their traditional family camping trip on his birthday, she hopes to reconnect with him. But when her father cancels it in deference to his new girlfriend, Su is forced to deal with her unresolved grief.
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Musically Inclined

Saturday 5:45pm

(Drama / Music / Musicals)

Music is part of the story, often the focal point for each of these captivating World Class Short Films as we present Musically Inclined.

“enough”

13 mins / USA

A dream, a nightmare, a musical. Shot over 10 years, this surreal hip hop odyssey unpacks the stormy inner world of Nathan Nzanga, a Congolese-American artist coming of age in a fractured nation.

Frank & Emmet

12 mins / USA

This is the story of two life-long friends and show-business partners who, after weeks of drifting apart, sit together to have a much-needed conversation. Their friendly dialogue takes a turn when they address head-on the one thing they’ve never talked about: One of them is a puppet.

Girl With A Thermal Gun

11 mins / China

During the pandemic, a grocery delivery man is busier than ever. He receives orders, fills shopping carts, and delivers packages. Receive, fill, deliver; from dawn to dusk, day in and day out. As he grows tired, a feeling of loneliness washes over him and he begins to feel defeated—until…

Good Night

8 mins / Australia

A busy sound engineer accepts a last-minute recording session instead of heading home to his family, the session is not what he expects and find himself deeply affected by the music.

In The Event Of My Death

20 mins / USA

Jeremy. Just. DIED. So, in the event of his death, he leaves behind a series of clever clues and witty video messages for his best friend and bandmate Sam, and his brash sister Mandy, which sends them on an adventure through their shared past.

Raymond

14 mins / USA

An engaging young musician is forced to find cash quick in order to get his horn from a pawn broker, in time for the audition of a lifetime.
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The Human Experience

Saturday 8:00pm 

(Drama / Suspense / Comedy)

Uncovering the reality behind the human condition, we can reveal the bond between us and how we can become the best versions of ourselves.

3:35 to Boston

8 mins / USA

A military wife, struggling to balance all the pieces of her life, breaks down when she realizes nothing is going how she had originally planned.

Feeling Through

18 mins / USA

The first film to star a deaf blind actor, is also a coming of age story that follows a teen wandering the streets of New York, desperate for a place to crash when he encounters someone in need of help getting home. From an awkward meeting between strangers emerges an intimate bond, and a journey that changes them forever.

The Forgotten Place

11 mins / USA

All Eric ever wanted was a friend. He just never knew how to find one. Adapted from short play of the same name (winner, 2018 Samuel French Off Off Broadway Short Play Festival, 2019 Short+Sweet Hollywood.)

Grow Old With Me

6 mins / USA

A threatening medical diagnosis prompts a young couple to dramatize their golden years.

Majestic 8

28 mins / USA

Set in 2008, MAJESTIC 8 follows high schooler Brandon, whose desperate search for a job leads him to the poorly managed Orlando branch of the Majestic Theatres cinema chain, where he shakes up the dynamics amongst the young, eccentric staff.

The Plumber

6 mins / USA

As curfew approaches, an everyday heroine risks it all in a smuggling operation within Nazi-occupied Poland.

Refrigerate After Opening

6 mins / USA

A man, down on his luck finds a second shot at life when a refrigerator does much more than just keep his food cold.
Tickets & Passes

It Was A Dark & Stormy Night

Saturday 10:15pm

(Horror / Intense Drama / Supernatural)

A bump in the night, a bloodcurdling scream. You are stuck in a place both shocking and revealing, it was a Dark & Stormy Night.

Hunter’s Cabin

14 mins / Canada

A young father withdraws to a remote cabin to face his curse alone, but he's not the only one with a dark past in the woods tonight.

Inheritance

13 mins / USA

A Black family in rural Vermont attempt to live a life of solitude and cope with the ghosts living on their property.

Jumpin’ Jacob

10 mins / USA

A Girl plays a haunted melody. The haunted melody plays with the Girl.

Last Night

29 min / USA

Olivia, a lonely teenager, seeks a way out of her depression and attends a party thrown by an eccentric cult leader, who promises to alleviate her suffering. She is surprised when she spots a popular classmate at the party, who is unaware of the party’s sinister plans.

Lisa

13 mins / USA

While a young girls family falls apart she inadvertently summons a demon that seduces her into self mutilation in order to gain occult powers.

The Wrangler

5 mins / USA

On the run from a vampire hunter with a personal vendetta, immortal fugitive Kaia hides her lover from the monster she used to be.
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Kids & Family

Sunday 11:00am 

(Family Friendly Cinema / Animation)

 Join us for our Kids & Family block, a safe haven of quality films for the whole family. Includes both live action and some animated selections.

Graceland

13 mins / USA

A southern mom's life is all-shook-up when her fourth grader claims to be reincarnation of the king of 'rock-n-roll.'

Ian, A Moving Story

9 mins / Argentina

Ian was born with cerebral palsy. Like all kids, he wants to have friends, but discrimination and bullying keep him from his beloved playground. Ian won't give up easily, accomplishing something that will surprise everyone.

“Are You Okay?”

8 mins / USA

Told through the perspective of a 15-year old girl, Raquelle, who witnesses her classmate Noah being bullied. When doing the right thing transforms her from bystander to victim, she finds herself trapped in the same emotional quicksand of her peers.

First Born

6 mins / USA

Determined to gain favor in his family's eyes and match his sister's status, a boy must prove his worth and show his potential in an upcoming martial arts competition.

Mishou

7 mins / Germany

The lives of four lively Arctic hares take a turn after discovering a strange new creature.

Sea Dragon

16 mins / UK

A young fossil hunter makes a groundbreaking discovery, challenging the worldview of 19th century England.
Tickets & Passes

Our Family Ties

Sunday 1:00pm

(Drama / Documentary / World Cinema)

A difficult subject at the best of times, family dynamics can be close and personal or distance and hard to relate – but all have familiar themes and these World Class Short Films deliver insight that we know to be true.

Blue

15 mins / USA

A father with a missing son is conflicted when a strange man arrives at his doorstep, knowing more about the boy than he should.

The Book of Ruth

14 mins / USA

Margo, Dan, Jordan, and Lizzy visit grandmother Ruth for Passover. Later that night, Lizzy finds Ruth watching a midnight news story about Anne Frank’s death. Lizzy then confesses to have known a related secret for years and Ruth is left with some explaining to do.

Lost in the Shuffle

13 mins / USA

A flyer that says “Lost iPod Shuffle”, connects Sophia with Sean who shares that it was the last gift his brother gave to him before his untimely passing. This leads them both down a journey of dealing with their own grief and understanding who people are by the objects they leave behind.

Morasa Polo / Over My Dead Body

25 mins / USA

When a young Jewish Persian-American woman tells her parents that her fiancé is Muslim, they make her choose between him and them.

Tape 23

6 mins / USA

Tape 23 follows an adventurous son and willing father as they film an episode of their home movie series, a memorial to things that cannot last.

Why Do People Lie

13 mins / Spain

Javi and his mother are in front of the hospital with a suitcase for staying there for a few days. She’s just suffered a mild schizophrenia episode, but she feels good and she doesn’t want to go in. Two people with a common enemy, but with opposing goals. Who will win?
Tickets & Passes

What the What?

Sunday 3:00pm 

(Drama / World Cinema / LGBTQIA Cinema)

Perception is sometimes reality, reality is often whatever we make of it. These amazing shorts start off our first full day of screening blocks as they navigate between An Uncomfortable Truth that is hard to accept and the surprising facts that surround them.

Babbit & the Dream Team

12 mins / USA

A creature named Babbit puts on a theater play to express his feelings through dance for the first time and is surprised by the result.

Don vs. Lightning

12 mins / UK

All Don wants is a quiet life in the Scottish Highlands. Unfortunately the universe has other plans.

Moskova Forever

13 mins / Finland

Timo meets the woman of his dreams in a weird bar complex, she is something different and absolutely more than she appears.

Philanthropy

12 mins / USA

Five wealthy benefactors suddenly find themselves covered in blood when their sushi model takes a chopstick to the jugular. Now two detectives, one a seasoned pro and the other a Patrick Swayze superfan, must cut through this motley gang’s self-centered attempts to manipulate the truth, and get to the bottom of this utterly first world crime.

Smiles

13 mins / Spain

Borja is about to meet his girlfriend's parents for the first time. A tricky moment made even more awkward by the smiles that surround him.

Squish

13 mins / Belgium

Tom just crushed something… Tom needs to step up and take care of his 5 year old son Sam while his wife leaves on a work trip. True to form, he forgets Sam’s guitar lessons but nothing will prepare him for his next big mistake
Tickets & Passes

Life Interrupted

Sunday 5:00pm

(Foreign Language / World Cinema / Intense Drama)

Welcome to World Cinema One. We are proud to present our initial block of International films which detail a broad and varied perspective from the legal issues a Chinese family deals with when a parent passes away, to a complex and powerful film that detail a single moment in time that changed the world.

Blood on the Risers

19 mins / USA

It is 1945 and World War II is over. Charlie Evans, a paratrooper who jumped into Normandy on D-Day has made it home to his wife, Afton, who has no idea about the burdens and trauma that Charles has brought home with him.

It’s So Charming

27 mins / Denmark

Silvia, who is pregnant, is at her parents in-law wedding anniversary and she has been looking forward to finally meeting them. She quickly realizes, that Christian has a horrible relationship with his father, so Silvia decides to reconcile the two men, though this proves easier said than done.

Marlon Brando

19 mins / Netherlands

Best friends, Cas and Naomi are graduating from high school and spend every second of their days together. Within their friendship they experience a feeling of ultimate safety. But when their future plans are seemingly different, their relationship wobbles.

Sales Per Hour

7 mins / USA

Sales Per Hour tells the story of a young woman who faces a moral dilemma when she witnesses a sexual encounter in a dressing room at the clothing store where she works.

A Work of Art

18 mins / USA

While her Uncle works on his greatest masterpiece, a young girl battles depression - both unaware their unlikely family of two is running out of time.
Tickets & Passes

World Cinema Three

Sunday 7:00pm 

(Drama / World Cinema / LGBTQIA Cinema)

Perception is sometimes reality, reality is often whatever we make of it. These amazing shorts start off our first full day of screening blocks as they navigate between An Uncomfortable Truth that is hard to accept and the surprising facts that surround them.

Georgia

29 mins / Republic of Korea

When the police refuse to investigate their daughter’s alleged suicide, two computer-illiterate parents decide to design a protest banner to confront the tragedy head-on.

Jilted

8 mins / UK

When Chloe leaves her fiancé at the alter she has to figure out, after 'I don't', what comes next?

The Act

17 mins / UK

1965, the eve of decriminalization for acts of male homo- sexuality. Matthews, a young gay man at odds with the world, discovers love, sex and a family in the backstreets and underground bars of Soho.

Majority

15 mins / UK

Single mother and immigrant; Sonia works in affordable housing. When a resident makes an official complaint against her, she must continue to face each one of them without bias.

Snorrie (Mustachio)

11 mins / Netherlands

Absurd tragicomedy about thirty-something Freek, who is reuniting with his imaginary friend from the past, who is looking for closure.
Tickets & Passes

Closing Night – Award Winners

Sunday 9:00pm

(Drama / Comedy / Suspense / Documentary)

We are pleased to present select films from our festival this weekend, these films have been awarded Best Of in various categories. Join us as we celebrate the brilliance of these World Class Short Films.

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