Schedule At A Glance

Opening Night Celebration

6:30pm Red Carpet / 7pm Screening

SOLD OUT!!

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.

This Special Presentation has SOLD OUT but tickets are still available for the Encore Screening at 9:15pm.

O.I. – 19 min, Canada, N’Cee Van Heerden
A happily married husband wakes up to a totally original idea but is the only one immune to it.

Hula Girl – 11 min, USA, Riess Hill
Joan Anderson has waited 60 years to prove that “a gentleman’s handshake ” in the creation of one the world’s most popular toys, was hardly the deal it was cracked up to be, but now it is finally time to set the record straight.

The Driver is Red – 15 min, USA, Randall Christopher
Set in Argentina 1960, this true crime documentary follows secret agent Zvi Aharoni (Mark Pinter) as he searches for a mysterious man named Ricardo Klement. What he discovered in the remote outskirts of Buenos Aires would send shock waves around the world.

Under Mom’s Skirt – 12 min, France, Sarah Heitz de Chabaneix
A young woman goes with her mother for a routine medical check-up, but this appointment will provide way too much information for her to handle – shouldn’t some things remain private? Right?!

One Small Step – 8 min, USA, Andrew Chesworth & Bobby Pontillas
An ambitious young girl endeavors to realize her aspiration of becoming an astronaut with the support of her humble father. What does it take to achieve your dreams?

Skin – 20 min, USA, Guy Nattiv
A small supermarket in a blue collar town, a black man smiles at a 10 year old white boy across the checkout aisle. This innocuous moment sends two gangs into a ruthless war that ends with a shocking backlash.

Please Note: Content contained within these films are considered the equivalent to PG-13 or R ratings and contains sensitive material. Must be 18 & over to attend.

Due the high demand for tickets for our Opening Night (6:30pm) Screening, we will present an Encore Presentation to screen immediately following.

Festival Rewind: 10 Years of Make ’em Laugh

1pm  (90 mins) –  Cinearts Theater One

Comedy Screening

Please join us as we take a look back at a few of the incredible comedies that have screened during our 10 year history.  Sure to bring back a smile, a chuckle and possibly a snort or two.

Highly recommended.

Festival Rewind: 10 Years of World Cinema

11:45am (90 mins) – Cinearts Theater Two

World Class Foreign Films

Please join us as we take a look back at a few of the amazing World Class Foreign Films that have screened during our 10 year history.

Highly recommended.

World Cinema One

4:00pm (85 mins) – Cinearts Theater One

World Cinema, Drama, Comedy

We are incredibly proud to present our first selection of World Class Foreign Films as part of our 10th Anniversary Presentation.

Denmark – 17 min, France, Max Mauroux
Félix & Vincent are hanging around at night across the empty streets of a small french seaside village, trying to crash parties, open cars… but when they push open the door of a closed grocery store, they step in and accidentally become something completely different.

Two Strangers Who Meet Five Times – 12 min, UK, Marcus Markou
Alistair and Samir meet five different times, each distinct but meaningful – in different guises, different situations, and each at key points in their lives – destined to meet one last time.

By Blood – 20 min, France, Jonathan Delerue & Guillaume Enard
A mysterious knight appears, Mort-Lieu (a once ruthless warlord) believes the stranger is Death himself coming to get him. Facing his own end, Mort-Lieu has to confront his mortality and his ultimate legacy.

O.I. – 19 min, Canada, N’Cee Van Heerden
A happily married husband wakes up to a totally original idea but is the only one immune to it.

Easy As… – 16 min, UK, Andrea Niada
Two very English gentlemen sit in a very English living room attempting to find something that is universally easy. Flowing Port and mounting frustration lead to a most un-English conclusion.

Will also be screened as an Encore Presentation on Sat Night at 9:15pm

Drama, Comedy, Documentary

We begin the festivities with a smorgasbord of World Class Short Films, plus throughout the festival we will offer an Encore Bonus Film – something from our vaults and 10 years of incredible films.

The Wedding Scene – 10 min, USA, Dan Levy Dagerman
On the set of an indie movie, an actress gets cold feet on the day of her character’s wedding.

The Eleven O’Clock – 14 min, Australia, Derin Seale
The delusional patient of a psychiatrist believes he is in fact the actual psychiatrist. As they each attempt to treat their patient, the session goes out of control.

Magic H8 Ball – 14 min, USA, Dan Hass
Burned by a cheating boyfriend (and some mild chlamydia), a heartbroken pushover turns to a mysterious Magic 8 Ball for the answers. But as he starts giving into his impulses, he risks losing all control.

Build Ramps Not Walls – 14 min, Mexico, Rebecca Scotti
Within a tight knit Mexican and American skate community on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, a young American-Mexican skater named Nat and Emilio an older Mexican skater seek a positive response to the negative rhetoric after the 2016 Presidential Elections in this documentary short.

Other People – 9 min, USA, Jacqueline Christy
A tense moment begins the chain reaction of events that leads a doting father to take his five-year-old daughter to a princess birthday party, in the home of the suburban mom that started it all. Can a milti-princess meltdown be far behind?

Always A Thorn – 23 min, USA, J.R. Griffin
Two kids on the run for different reasons, find themselves at a bus stop unable to postpone the inevitable collision course with the local police officers.

Make ‘em Laugh

7pm (88 mins) – Cinearts Theater One

Comedy, Romantic Comedy, Farce

Join us for our annual block of comedy shorts – always SOLD OUT, always fun and frequently surprising. Get your tickets early.

Sump – 14 min, UK, Mike Wozniak
When Sally’s husband is trapped in an underground cave during a diving accident she finds herself trapped in the company of a talkative constable and a very unwelcome guest.

Bloom – 7 min, Australia, Kieran Wheeler
When Andrew comes home from a weekend away and finds a single rose petal in his bed, he becomes convinced that his girlfriend has cheated on him.

Sam Did It – 10 min, USA, Dominic Burgess
Sam really loves his job working in a morgue, almost as much as he loves his celebrity idol, Alfred Molina. So, when Alfred Molina arrives on Sam’s cold hard slab, Sam’s world is thrown into chaos and despair.

Deep Dish Apocalypse – 8 min, USA, David Codeglia
As a zombie-riddled Los Angeles erupts in chaos, two co-workers bump into each other beneath the city on an abandoned subway platform. One of them makes a confession, the other makes a move, and both try to escape alive.

Holiday Hostage – 16 min, USA, D.W. Moffett
You think your family is messed up? A comedic short film about a dysfunctional Jewish family held hostage on Thanksgiving. #FML

Under The Hammer – 15 min, Australia, Daniel Reisinger
A man struggles to stop his beloved family home from selling… It’s inspired by the bizarre and extraordinary lengths my brother-in-law went to in order to stop his house from selling – after the bank foreclosed his loan.

Whelmed – 6 min, Australia, David Zwolenski
Whelmed: (verb, past tense) engulfed, submerged, buried. Gen’s just broken up with her first boyfriend, after twelve years. She hasn’t been single since she got her first flip phone. Her single friends are light years ahead of her, her couple friends are settling down and she just wants to know how the BLEEP you’re supposed to fold a fitted sheet by yourself.

Under Mom’s Skirt – 12 min, France, Sarah Heitz de Chabaneix
A young woman goes with her mother for a routine medical check-up, but this appointment will provide way too much information for her to handle – shouldn’t some things remain private? Right?!

Will also be screened as an Encore Presentation on Sat Night at 9:30pm

A Hard DOCs Life

6:00pm (72 mins) – Cinearts Theater Two

Documentary, Animation

Always an audience favorite, these documentary shorts uncover real lives and true stories in dramatic fashion as only the big screen can deliver.

Highly recommended.

Crime of the Big Leagues – 11 min, USA, Randy Field
“As virtually everyone knows, Jackie Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 and broke the color barrier in baseball. But few Americans know Lester Rodney — the sports editor of the Daily Worker and unsung hero in the fight to desegregate America’s national pastime.

My Grandfather’s Memory Book – 5 min, USA, Colin Levy
A personal reflection about an unusual sketchbook that captures a lifetime of memories, connecting three generations through drawings, writings and dialogue.

Zord – 7 min, USA, Alexander Hinojosa
A struggling beatboxer from France travels to the art form’s birthplace of New York City to experience street performing first hand in the face of financial hardship.

Hula Girl – 11 min, USA, Riess Hill
Joan Anderson has waited 60 years to prove that “a gentleman’s handshake ” in the creation of one the world’s most popular toys, was hardly the deal it was cracked up to be, but now it is finally time to set the record straight.

Day Zero – 10 min, USA, Edward Adams
You don’t get a new liver until you, and the people you love, go through hell. Patrick developed welts on his legs. He got a hernia. He went into a coma for a while. You have to be really sick to get to the top of the list. But if you’re too sick when you get there, they won’t do the transplant. It’s like a race. Who’s going to win — Patrick, or his dying liver?.

Moonshadow – 5 min, USA, David Elkins
The great eclipse of 2017 has passed, but here is your chance to experience it once again in this spectacular cinematic short, filmed with multiple cameras directly in the path of totality in an isolated mountain range in Eastern Oregon.

Walk Walk Walk: The Story Of Stand Proud – 18 min, USA, Ken Kobre
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, hundreds of young polio victims unable to walk or even stand are given a new lease on life with the work of Dr. Jay Nash and the non-profit medical organization called Stand Proud.

I Love Your Fu@#ing Name – 9 min, Canada, Finn O’Hara
Starring Liz Taylor, Brigitte Bardot, Peter Pan and Ronald McDonald. Yes, those are their real names. A film about the complex relationships people have with their given names.

Beyond Midnight

9:30pm (88 mins) – Cinearts Theater One

Intense Drama, Horror, Suspense

Late in the evening as the darkness fills the sky, whether it is on the road or behind closed doors, join us for these tales of suspense.

Mona – 9 min, USA, Adam Finley
Mona, a beautiful young con artist, has found men to cause nothing but trouble in her life. So she lures them in with her girlish charms and takes what she pleases… karmic justice. That is until, she tries to swindle the wrong guy…. or maybe just the right one. When Bonnie met Clyde, on Christmas.

Night Call – 18 min, USA, Amanda Renee Knox
When on a routine patrol, a Black female cop living in and patrolling Inglewood gets called to a disturbance she is forced to make an unprecedented life altering decision.

Rider – 9 min, USA, Aaron Wasserteil
After an altercation between a rideshare driver and his passenger, the night quickly takes an unexpected turn.

Mamba – 12 min, USA, Sam Puefua
After being left for dead at the hands of her brother, a rogue assassin goes after his most trusted employee, ‘The Gatekeeper’, to stake information and leave his empire in ruins.

Mates – 6 min, USA, Max Price
Two young friends try and escape the the daily grind by looking for some peace on the factory roof each night, but somehow life always seems to find them.

Tutu Grande – 13 min, USA, Derek Sitter
When the tables are turned, is justice or fear on the agenda – as we torture a torturer.

Thin Walls – 5 min, USA, Susan McCormick
At school, the things overheard through thin walls can change a life in an instant.

Latched – 17 min, Canada, Justin Harding
A choreographer pursues creative inspiration at a cottage retreat with her demanding toddler, and unknowingly awakens a vile fairy corpse in the process.

Due to the subject matter, no one under 18 will be admitted.

Sins Of The Fathers

9pm (80 mins) – Cinearts Theater Two

Intense Drama

The sins of the past are revealed in these dramatic shorts. With a look into family dynamics that are sometimes raw and painful, harsh and unforgiving.

De la Madre – 28 min, USA, Keith Lango
A mother must confront her own dark past if she has any hope of a future with her own daughter.

Caroline – 12 min, USA, Celine Held, Logan George
When plans fall through, a six-year-old is faced with a big responsibility on a hot Texas day.

Champ – 12 min, USA, Nashwa Zaman
After nearly a year without hearing from her father, Alice is confronted at school by him and a request that could change their lives forever.

White River Tales – 28 min, USA, Joachim Gautier
A struggling young father must face his dark past and decide his future after his mother is involved in a fatal car accident.

Due to the subject matter, no one under 18 will be admitted.

Kids & Family

11:00am (85 mins) – Cinearts  Theater One

Family Focused, Children’s Animation

Earthy Encounters – 25 min, UK, Sam Johnson
15-year-old Kyle believes he can save his dying older brother with a plant he’s found at the back of a garden centre. Problem is, there’s a shadowy government agency out to destroy it first.

El Cielo a mi Favor – 4 min, USA, Salvador Ilizaliturri
El Cielo A Mi Favor, tells the story of the lengths that our heroine, a well-balanced and hypnotizing ballerina, will go through to protect the one she loves.

Intrepid – 17 min, USA, Alexa Tuttle
In an effort to make her senior trials unforgettable, a brilliant and overly ambitious witch named Hazel attempts to steal the ancient book of Merlin from her magical school’s enchanted library!

Bullies – 28 min, USA, Daniel Bydlowski
Eugene, a shy 10-year-old boy, is bullied every day until he discovers a secret underneath the school that keeps him safe, but there is a price to pay…

First Comes Love – 3 min, USA, Daniel Ceballos
This is the story of love and marriage between Zoey and Eric, that asks the question, “what does this actually mean for their relationship moving forward?” Have things gone too far? Has this been too fast? And where will they be, once recess is over?

One Small Step – 8 min, USA, Andrew Chesworth & Bobby Pontillas
An ambitious young girl endeavors to realize her aspiration of becoming an astronaut with the support of her humble father. What does it take to achieve your dreams?

Embattled: The Other Side Of War

11:30am (85 mins) – Cinearts Theater Two

Drama, Animation, Historical

The Visitor – 11 min, Australia, Justin Olstein
Awakened in the dead of night by a frantic young woman on the run, Naomi grapples with a situation that defies belief and must decide how far she will go to protect her visitor from imminent danger.

Weltschmerz – 17 min, USA, Christian Walsh
After a failed escape attempt, a concentration camp prisoner is left in the hands of an SS Officer while awaiting her public execution. Meanwhile, two children play in a creek, far from the horrors of the Holocaust.

Window To The World – 11 min, Netherlands, Martijn Schinkel
In a war zone, photojournalist Eva is caught up by her newly found subject – a little girl covered in dust as bombs hit the building they are in. But how far will she go for a chance of that one perfect picture?

JAP – 11 min, USA, Derek Pike
Set in 1945, Daiki & Sam frustrated by the never ending confines of the Gila River Japanese internment camp, decide to chance a naive exit. An opportunity to see life outside again, to escape the mental and physical prison they’ve been subjected to, that carries great consequences. Based on a true story.

Do No Harm – 8 min, USA, Marielle Woods
A combat medic attempting to hold on to humanity in the midst of a war much bigger than himself. A medic’s job is to fix people up, but how does that obligation reconcile with someone trained to fight and may be asked to kill?

The Chocolate Soldier – 12 min, USA, Jackson Smith
1945. Germany after the War. Maria with her mother are two refugees working on a farm. When an American soldier connects with Maria through a single act of kindness, it offers a powerful lesson in compassion and humanity during the most inhuman of times.

The Driver Is Red – 15 min, USA, Randall Christopher
Set in Argentina 1960, this true crime documentary follows secret agent Zvi Aharoni (Mark Pinter) as he searches for a mysterious man named Ricardo Klement. What he discovered in the remote outskirts of Buenos Aires would send shock waves around the world.

Life Interrupted

2pm (91 mins) – Cinearts Theater One

Drama, Comedy

Souls Of Totality – 19 min, USA, Richard Raymond
Lady 18 (Tatiana Maslany) and Guy 3 (Tom Cullen) have a secret. They are members of a cult that believes if they die during a Solar Eclipse their souls will be taken to paradise. But that’s not their secret… They are also profoundly in love.

Yogurt – 20 min, USA, Mark Lammerding
Two girls discover memory is as subjective and ever-changing as love and friendship.

Parts & Labor – 22 min, USA, Benjamin Galland
Greg is a builder of vintage motorcycles. Clean and sober, he’s made a truce with the demons of his violent past. But now Tim, the son he abandoned long ago, is back from a prison term, bringing years of pain and resentment with him. Father and son are going to have to forgive one another or die trying.

Good Mourning – 10 min, South Africa, Ian Morgan
Ted, a professional mourner, just loves his job to death. Until he is challenged by a disbeliever, Sandrine, who questions his morals and the ethical standpoint of his chosen profession.

Skin – 20 min, USA, Guy Nattiv
A small supermarket in a blue collar town, a black man smiles at a 10 year old white boy across the checkout aisle. This innocuous moment sends two gangs into a ruthless war that escalates with devastating results.

World Cinema Two

2:30pm (83 mins) – Cinearts Theater Two

Foreign Films, World Cinema

Silent Campine – 15 min, Belgium, Steffen Geypens
Flanders, Post World War I. A traumatised ex-soldier and his obedient son go hunting every day in order to survive and take care of the mortally ill mother. Daily pushed to their limits, until there’s a point of no return.

Carga – 20 min, UK, Yad Deen
Marta and Juan travel to Iraq to uncover the secrets of an abandoned cigarette factory.

Silence Please – 17 min, Spain, Carlos Villafaina
Dani is a young guy that works in a warehouse and wishes things were easier for him and his family. He lives with his mother and brother, Javier, who suffers from cerebral palsy while working on an internship at the neighborhood library, but a little incident disrupts the family routine.

Babs – 13 min, UK, Logan George & Celine Held
An estranged son discovers an alarming purchase made by his late father.

Metroland – 12 min, UK, Benjamin Bee
When Ben’s mum passes away he finds out it’s not too late for them to take one last trip. The only problem is, Ben’s older sister Sam isn’t in on the plan. A short comedy film about family, death and the ridiculous things that we do for the people we love.

Last Christmas – 7 min, UK, Oliver Kember
Steve is robbing houses on Christmas Eve, dressed as Santa. He comes face to face with his worst nightmare in Polly, a feisty 7 year old who finds Santa in her living room, taking her presents away…

Return Of The Ink & Paint Club

4:30pm (85 mins) – Cinearts Theater One

Animation, 2D, 3D, Stop Motion

Cat Noir – 6 min, Switzerland, O’Neil Bürgi
A letter, a broken heart. The sound of the rain. A black cat, a plan.

El Cielo a mi Favor – 4 min, USA, Salvador Ilizaliturri
El Cielo A Mi Favor, tells the story of the lengths that our heroine, a well-balanced and hypnotizing ballerina, will go through to protect the one she loves.

Invaders – 14 min, UK, Daniel Prince
On Christmas Eve, a small UFO struggling find his place in the universe follows his two mischievous friend’s down to earth, whilst trying to impress and gain their acceptance he inadvertently changes Christmas forever.

Blind Mice – 9 min, USA, Nicholas D’Agostino
Upon his release from prison Walter falls back in with his old gang of hustlers. In this con within a con will he be the one left holding the bag?

One Small Step – 8 min, USA, Andrew Chesworth & Bobby Pontillas
What does it take to achieve your dreams? An ambitious young girl endeavors to realize her aspiration of becoming an astronaut with the support of her humble father.

Pour 585 – 5 min, USA, Patrick Smith
A timid character with a wine glass for a head grows larger than his numbered peers while participating in a prosaic cycle of pouring. The conflict occurs when the sequence is interrupted and a new order is established, possibly more tyrannical than the first.

First Comes Love – 3 min, USA, Daniel Ceballos
This is the story of love and marriage between Zoey and Eric, that asks the question, “what does this actually mean for their relationship moving forward?” Have things gone too far? Has this been too fast? And where will they be, once recess is over?

Elora – 7 min, USA, Caroline Choi
A daughter, her father and their time together, showcased in this beautiful animated story.

Bristled – 5 min, USA, Scott Farrell
After countless blind dates that have gone poorly, Bernard swears that his next date will be “the one.” But could her flaw be too much for him to overcome?

L’Homme et le Poisson – 5 min, Canada, Lewis Leon
Set against the backdrop of a vast, frozen tundra; a grizzled fisherman sets his sights on a very familiar fish.

Rebooted – 4 min, USA, Sagar Arun
Owl Guy, an old-school retro superhero, comes face to face with his rebooted counterpart, the new and improved Owl Guy.

The Driver Is Red – 15 min, USA, Randall Christopher
Set in Argentina 1960, this true crime documentary follows secret agent Zvi Aharoni (Mark Pinter) as he searches for a mysterious man named Ricardo Klement. What he discovered in the remote outskirts of Buenos Aires would send shock waves around the world.

Meet The Filmmakers

5pm (90 mins) – Cinearts Theater Two

Special Presentation

Each year we are excited to deliver this special presentation.  Meet the Filmmakers offers a chance to explore two films that have met the challenge of cinematic excellence with an in depth discussion with the production teams that brought the films to life.

Guest Of Honor – 12 min, USA, Lisa Belcher
Struck by tragedy, a married couple goes ahead with their anniversary party, when an unusual guest arrives.

#NoMore – 16 min, USA, Emily Skyle
With one action, he took away her choice. With one voice, she started a movement. #NoMore is about one woman’s journey to turn her #metoo into everyone’s #nomore.

The World Beyond

7:15pm (93 mins) -Cinearts Theater One

Sci-Fi, Fantasy

UI – Soon We Will All Be One – 14 min, Austria, Johannes Muecke & Patrick Sturm
When hard-bitten ranger Kira is sent out on another patrol mission, she discovers a mysterious, large object in the vastness of Antarctica. Is this a message, a trap or something altogether alien.

Echoes – 12 min, USA, Mark Kerins
An ordinary family outing becomes a waking nightmare when a young mother loses her children and her search for them forces her to confront the echoes of a past she cannot escape.

The Replacement – 15 min, USA, Sean Miller
On election night, a janitor feels cheated out of a life he might have lived when his own clone becomes President. He goes on a bender to seek justice, encountering new forms of prejudice, dismissal, and classism. In a society where the morality around cloning is dividing the masses, physically looking like the newly elected President has its own dangers…

Suspended – 8 min, USA, William Groebe
A short film about a girl whose nightly bus ride home makes an unscheduled and deadly stop.

The Blazing World – 13 min, USA, Carlson Young
Margaret has been plagued with dreams of a strange world since she was a little girl. After a mysterious man with a map visits her one night, she decides to give in to the incessant calls of The Blazing World…

Dawn Of Man – 6 min, USA, Victor Ridaura
When a phone call wakes up AJ from his sleep, he will have to deal with a situation none of us ever imagines will happen to us.

Earthy Encounters – 25 min, UK, Sam Johnson
15-year-old Kyle believes he can save his dying older brother with a plant he’s found at the back of a garden centre. Problem is, there’s a shadowy government agency out to destroy it first.

A Dark & Stormy Night

7:00pm (72 mins) – Cinearts Theater Two

World Cinema, Intense Drama, Action

What Happened To Evie – 11 min, UK, Kate Cheeseman
A schoolgirl’s splintered memories of a sexual assault reveal a reality that when revisited from an alternative perspective uncovers a very different truth.

Delivery – 10 min, USA, Joe Boothe
A flaky delivery driver’s night veers off course when he stumbles into a lover’s quarrel gone wrong.

Knock At The Door – 9 min, UK, Michael Constable
On an autumn afternoon, an elderly Mrs Harris gets ready for a relaxing evening at home when she is interrupted by a stranger at her doorstep. Convinced by the stranger’s charm, Mrs Harris let’s him in to her home.

The Badlands Girl – 18 min, USA, Evan Ari Kelman
Against the backdrop of the North Dakota Badlands, a rugged frontier woman is caught between two worlds and two lovers.

Blinders – 13 min, USA, Edward Klau
Ray is blackmailed into killing a blind woman but receives the shock of a lifetime when he falls in love with her. In a matter of only minutes, he must decide between losing his life and saving another.

The Dark Kill – 8 min, USA, Kenneth Lui
An armed standoff between crime bosses violently ignites in a hail of bullets when one boss is convinced the other betrayed him and suddenly the lights go out.

Make ‘Em Laugh – Encore Screening

9:30pm (88 mins) – Cinearts Theater One

Comedy, Romantic Comedy, Farce

Join us for our annual block of comedy shorts – always SOLD OUT, always fun and frequently surprising. Get your tickets early.

Sump – 14 min, UK, Mike Wozniak
When Sally’s husband is trapped in an underground cave during a diving accident she finds herself trapped in the company of a talkative constable and a very unwelcome guest.

Bloom – 7 min, Australia, Kieran Wheeler
When Andrew comes home from a weekend away and finds a single rose petal in his bed, he becomes convinced that his girlfriend has cheated on him.

Sam Did It – 10 min, USA, Dominic Burgess
Sam really loves his job working in a morgue, almost as much as he loves his celebrity idol, Alfred Molina. So, when Alfred Molina arrives on Sam’s cold hard slab, Sam’s world is thrown into chaos and despair.

Deep Dish Apocalypse – 8 min, USA, David Codeglia
As a zombie-riddled Los Angeles erupts in chaos, two co-workers bump into each other beneath the city on an abandoned subway platform. One of them makes a confession, the other makes a move, and both try to escape alive.

Holiday Hostage – 16 min, USA, D.W. Moffett
You think your family is messed up? A comedic short film about a dysfunctional Jewish family held hostage on Thanksgiving. #FML

Under The Hammer – 15 min, Australia, Daniel Reisinger
A man struggles to stop his beloved family home from selling… It’s inspired by the bizarre and extraordinary lengths my brother-in-law went to in order to stop his house from selling – after the bank foreclosed his loan.

Whelmed – 6 min, Australia, David Zwolenski
Whelmed: (verb, past tense) engulfed, submerged, buried. Gen’s just broken up with her first boyfriend, after twelve years. She hasn’t been single since she got her first flip phone. Her single friends are light years ahead of her, her couple friends are settling down and she just wants to know how the BLEEP you’re supposed to fold a fitted sheet by yourself.

Under Mom’s Skirt – 12 min, France, Sarah Heitz de Chabaneix
A young woman goes with her mother for a routine medical check-up, but this appointment will provide way too much information for her to handle – shouldn’t some things remain private? Right?!

World Cinema One – Encore Screening

9:15pm (84 mins) – Cinearts Theater

Dark Comedy

We are incredibly proud to present our first selection of World Class Foreign Films as part of our 10th Anniversary Presentation.

Denmark – 17 min, France, Max Mauroux
Félix & Vincent are hanging around at night across the empty streets of a small french seaside village, trying to crash parties, open cars… but when they push open the door of a closed grocery store, they step in and accidentally become something completely different.

Two Strangers Who Meet Five Times – 12 min, UK, Marcus Markou
Alistair and Samir meet five different times, each distinct but meaningful – in different guises, different situations, and each at key points in their lives – destined to meet one last time.

By Blood – 20 min, France, Jonathan Delerue & Guillaume Enard
A mysterious knight appears, Mort-Lieu (a once ruthless warlord) believes the stranger is Death himself coming to get him. Facing his own end, Mort-Lieu has to confront his mortality and his ultimate legacy.

O.I. – 19 min, Canada, N’Cee Van Heerden
A happily married husband wakes up to a totally original idea but is the only one immune to it.

Easy As… – 16 min, UK, Andrea Niada
Two very English gentlemen sit in a very English living room attempting to find something that is universally easy. Flowing Port and mounting frustration lead to a most un-English conclusion.

Musically Inclined

11:30am (90 mins) – Cinearts Theater One 

Music, Animation, Documentary, World Cinema

Music is the core to these short films, possibly a key aspect, a subtle accent or the way the story is delivered, please join us for the first screening of the day complete with a performance by the San Jose Pop Up Choir.

The Reason To Live – 11 min, USA, Boyoung Kim
An optimistic, busking musician tells his story about how music has transformed his life from his troubled past and why he can’t give up playing music.

Voxgirl – 23 min, USA, David Bashford
A former kids’ TV actor who has garnered an unwanted cult following, looks to reinvent herself and legitimize her music career.

One Small Step – 8 min, USA, Andrew Chesworth & Bobby Pontillas
What does it take to achieve your dreams? An ambitious young girl endeavors to realize her aspiration of becoming an astronaut with the support of her humble father.

Room Tone – 15 min, USA, Morgan Cooper
Lloyd is a man in his late-20s who works as a freelance sound mixer in Kansas City, MO. Lloyd loves his job, is good at it, and has a nice, stable life… but he can’t seem to let go of an unfulfilled dream.

The Elephant’s Song – 8 min, USA, Lynn Tomlinson
An old farm dog recounts the true tale of Old Bet, the elephant at the start of the American circus. Their mournful melody is hand-crafted using painterly clay-on-glass and oil pastel animation.

Melodi – 12 min, Singapore, Michael Kam
An awkward, lonely boy is infatuated with his new neighbour, a young caregiver. In his own way, he reaches out to her…

World Cinema Three

12pm (90 mins) – Cinearts Theater Two

Drama, Foreign Films

In our final block of World Cinema selections, we are honored to present these brilliant films from across the globe.

The Peculiar Abilities Of Mr. Mahler – 29 min, Germany, Paul Philipp
East Germany, 1987: The special investigator Mahler is said to have paranormal abilities. The police assigns him to solve the case of the 6-year-old Henry Kiefer, who is missing for weeks now, before this issue leads to political tensions with the West. But then he brings something to light that makes this family tragedy especially political…

Three August Days – 20 min, Estonia, Madli Laane
In the midst of the political upheaval of the early 1990s, an Estonian girl and a Russian boy reach across cultural lines to unite over a shared bottle of American soda.

The Last Babushka Doll – 14 min, Australia, Angelo Salamanca
In the mystical Blue Mountains, a paramedic faces his most confronting case. With 7 seconds to decide, will he follow rules to prolong a patient’s suffering or risk his career by ending their pain?

Man Of The Hour – 18 min, UK, James Curle & Linda Ludwig
Gemma receives a mysterious invitation to a birthday party. She must pass herself off as the old friend of an enigmatic millionaire, Jeremy and mingle with his glittering guests. But Gemma can’t help but wonder who Jeremy is and why he’s tasked her with such a peculiar job.

Take A Shot – 9 min, Canada, Camille Verschooris
A group of freshmen soccer players are on top of their game. They quickly learn the need to balance social life and soccer life.

NorCal Filmmakers

2:30pm (79 mins) – Cinearts Theater One

Drama, Comedy, Animation, Documentary

We are tremendously excited to deliver these films that each have a measure of a home-grown aspect to them, with casts and crew or locations from Northern California highlighted prominently. With crew/cast members in attendance.

The Tolls – 20 min, USA, Liz Anderson
At the end of WWII, a U.S. Signal Corp radio operator comes face to face with Die Glocke (The Bell), a secret S.S. weapon with dimension altering capabilities, and the potential to reunite him with his missing wife.

Sonder – 13 min, USA, Neth Nom
For years, Finn and Natalie walked the same path. But when their time together comes to an end, Finn finds himself lost in a mysterious land. Paralyzed by the fear of moving on, he is at risk of losing himself.

Rebooted – 4 min, USA, Sagar Arun
Owl Guy, an old-school retro superhero, comes face to face with his rebooted counterpart, the new and improved Owl Guy.

Moonshadow – 5 min, USA, David Elkins
The great eclipse of 2017 has passed, but here is your chance to experience it once again in this spectacular cinematic short, filmed with multiple cameras directly in the path of totality in an isolated mountain range in Eastern Oregon.

Growing Pains – 27 min, USA, Indy Dang
Moe, an introverted teenager with cancer, navigates adolescence after receiving a terminal diagnosis.

The Return OF Harbor Porpoises To San Francisco Bay – 10 min, USA, Jim Sugar
After a 65-year absence, porpoises that inhabited San Francisco Bay (SF Bay) for millennia have now returned, thanks to human activities which have caused the Bay to become cleaner and more productive.

That Which Divides Us

3pm (81 mins) – Cinearts Theater Two

Suspense, Documentary, Drama

The struggles, the hardships and realities that the world places in front of each of us are laid bare in these dramatic offerings.

Emergency – 12 min, USA, Carey Williams
Faced with an emergency situation, a group of young Black and Latino friends carefully weigh the pros and cons of calling the police.

Skin – 20 min, USA, Guy Nattiv
A small supermarket in a blue collar town, a black man smiles at a 10 year old white boy across the checkout aisle. This innocuous moment sends two gangs into a ruthless war that ends with a shocking backlash.

Marcus – 10 min, USA, J.R. Poli
A group of men struggle with a life changing decision. They find themselves on different sides of an argument that could potentially lead to a tragic ending.

What Happens To A Dream Deferred – 11 min, USA, Scott Boehm
An intimate portrait of a day in the life of two DACA recipients, José Adrián Badillo Carlos and Osvaldo Sandoval, graduate students at Michigan State University whose lives were thrown into limbo after the Trump administration’s decision to rescind the Obama era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program on September 5, 2017.

Ablution – 15 min, USA, Omar Al Dakheel
The bond between a disabled Muslim father and his son is tested when love is pitted against religion.

Running Eagle – 13 min, USA, Konrad Tho Fiedler
A young American Indian girl, on the run from the North Dakota oil patch, is determined to get back to her home in Blackfeet country, Montana.

Due to the subject matter, no one under 18 will be admitted.

The Human Experience

5pm (79 mins) – Cinearts Theater One

Comedy, Music, Fantasy, Documentary

The world is a harsh place, frenetic and busy. This is your chance to slow down, to relax and enjoy what is best about the human condition. These World Class Short Films deliver something special, please join us as we explore The Human Experience.

Twenty-One Points – 11 min, New Zealand, Pete Circuitt
Twenty One Points is a light-hearted and eccentric buddy movie between a grown man, his imaginary friend, and his Mum. Set over a single day in suburban New Zealand.

Time Traveller – 12 min, Ireland, Steve Kenny
A ‘Back To The Future’-obsessed traveller boy strives to finish building his own DeLorean replica before his family are evicted from their halting site.

Guest Of Honor – 12 min, USA, Lisa Belcher
Struck by tragedy, a married couple goes ahead with their anniversary party, when an unusual guest arrives.

Dear Mom – 4 min, USA, Travis Lupher
A heartwarming story of love, sacrifice and what it means to be a mom.

The Mingle – 16 min, USA, Jacob Pinger
A real-life comedy about a young, widowed mom who attends an awkward singles dating event, and is surprised to discover what she was really looking for.

Chateau Laurier – 8 min, Canada, James Stewar
Set in 1912 Ottawa’s historic grand hotel on the eve of a young couple’s arranged wedding, Chateau Laurier offers a wry slice-of-life glimpse into romance in Canada in the 1900s.

Zord – 7 min, USA, Alexander Hinojosa
A struggling beatboxer from France travels to the art form’s birthplace of New York City to experience street performing first hand in the face of financial hardship.

The Race – 10 min, USA, Dina Rudick
A young, idealistic Huntington’s Disease researcher comes face-to-face with three generations of a family devastated by the fatal, incurable disease she studies.

What’d I Miss?

6:00pm (90 mins) – Cinearts Theater Two

Comedy, Drama, World Cinema, Animation

Special Presentation

Join us as we present a final look at films that you just may have missed. Each will be specially selected and announced over the weekend, based on conversations with audience members, ballot results and input from the festival co-founders.

Films TBD

Awards Ceremony & Screening – Our Closing Night screening delivers many of the Award Winning films that were featured during our four days of cinema excellence, this will include a presentation of Awards and the announcements of the the Audience Award Winners as well.

Films TBD.