Schedule At A Glance

Opening Night Celebration

6:30pm Red Carpet / 7pm Screening

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.

Films TBA

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

And So It Begins

11:45m   –  Cinearts Theater One

Drama, World Cinema, Comedy

We are proud to begin our journey into filmmaking with this presentation of brilliant short films, each with a unique story to tell. This is where it starts, with mystery, heartbreak, suspense and a dash of comedy.

Behave, Kids (USA), 10 Min, Director Tripp Crosby
When youth pastor Greggor and his girlfriend Kim are invited to house sit for his boss, Pastor Tom, they are now free to do whatever they want – in a house all to themselves.

Great Unknown, The (USA), 15 Min, Director Anna Jones
After experiencing the devastating loss of miscarriage, a woman seeks comfort in her grandmother. Through their struggle, the ancient power of sisterhood is revealed in the sacred bond they share. Featuring Oscar Winner Olympia Dukakis. 

Lullaby (USA), 3 Min, Director Bobby Serros
A young father will do anything to protect his family, even if it means losing his mind.

Master Maggie (USA), 22 Min, Director Matthew Bonifacio
A celebrity acting coach is interrupted by an unknown actor begging for her help for a TV audition.

Sides of a Horn (South Africa / USA), 17 Min, Director Toby Wosskow
This is the first film to tell the story of South Africa’s poaching war from both sides of the fence. Filmed in the areas most directly impacted by wildlife crime with an unbiased look into a modern war that is driving a species to the verge of extinction.

40 Minutes Over Maui (USA), 13 Min, Directors Michael Feld, Josh Covitt
For 40 minutes on January 13, 2018, the fate of the world hung in the balance, for Larry and Penny… their Hawaiian vacation was ruined.

It’s a Hard DOC’s Life 1

12:30pm – Cinearts Theater Two

Documentary Shorts

Documentaries deliver insight into real lives, places and things – unique and sublime, this is the first of our two dedicated blocks that offers us the opportunity to take a hard look at ourselves. Welcome to A Hard DOC’s Life.

Flip, The (USA) 3 Min, Director Reed Rickert
As someone who has explored movement free falling through the sky, French Skydiver Remi Angeli tests his mettle with a dangerous base jump. Jumping forward while flipping backward and risking his life in the adventure.

Muralist, The (USA), 10 Min, Director Eric Forman
Amongst the last of a dying breed, East Village muralist Arnie Charnick creates one final piece before he leaves New York for good. Painted in the lobby of one of Times Square’s oldest hotels, this new work celebrates an era long gone bye.

Kaleidoscope Guy at the Market, The (USA), 21 Min, Director Russell Brown
Artist Michael Shaw has been selling his unique stained-glass creations at Pike’s Place Market in Seattle for 25 years. We delve into a deeper dialogue about the universal appeal of kaleidoscopes and the human imagination.

Lily (USA), 26 Min, Director Adrienne Gruben
Artist, fugitive, trailblazer…the incredible true story of Lily Renée, who escaped Nazi-occupied Vienna as a teenager, and went on to become one of the true pioneers during the Golden Age of comics.

Still Plays with Trains (USA), 16 Min, Director Ross Kauffman
By recreating his 10th birthday with a 3000 square foot replica of the old Lackawanna Railroad in his basement, we catch a glimpse of one man’s passion to share the joy of childhood growing up in the 1950’s.

Life Interrupted

2:15 pm  – Cinearts Theater One

World Cinema, Drama, Intense Drama

Life is growth, it changes and changes those around you. We are excited to present outstanding films that deliver a look at lives authentic and powerful, some stark and unforgiving – a glimpse at Life, Interrupted.

Date (USA), 7 Min, Director Scott Rodgers
Sarah ends up back at Danny’s apartment after their date, where they open a bottle of wine and continue their evening. If only it were that simple.

How Does It Start (USA), 15 Min, Director Amber Sealey
It’s 1983 and 12-year-old Rain wants sex, the only problem is she has no idea what that means. With her self-absorbed parents distracted by their recent divorce, Rain is left alone to navigate the complexities of love and adulthood, and learns to do it her own way.

Lockdown (USA), 12 Min, Directors Logan George, Celine Held
Struggling with feelings for her best friend, 14 year-old Marie stages an almost perfect plan.

Mthunzi (South Africa), 9 Min, Director Tebogo Malebogo
The film follows Mthunzi walking home from the shops as he sees a lady go into seizures in her driveway – he is then asked to help carry her in by her niece and so becomes caught up in a world he does not belong.

Night Swim (USA), 12 Min, Director Victoria Rivera
Carson and Becca’s night is shaken up by newcomer Julie, who incites a break-in to a closed off pool nearby. As Carson begins to feel her friendship with Becca strain because of their new friend Julie, a threat appears and Carson makes a decision that will likely haunt her forever.

On The Clock (USA), 15 Min, Director Tayo Amos
When Sofia gets her first period, Lucas sets out to secure the feminine products she needs, confronting many harsh realities along the way. A kinetic and intimate portrayal of two siblings coming of age in EAST LA.

Orphan, The (Brazil), 15 Min, Director Carolina Markowicz
Jonathas has been adopted but then returned due to his being ‘different’. Inspired by true events.

War, Drama, World Cinema

The other side of war is filled with stories of heroism, bravery and the reality that we, as individuals, are so much more than the conflicts that we have endured. We we are the survivors.

11th Order, The (USA), 25 Min, Director Joshua DeFour
The true story of two U.S. Marines who, in a span of six seconds, must stand their ground to stop a suicide truck bomb and protect the lives of the 150 Marines and Iraqi Police behind them. A deeply personal portrait of everyday people put in extraordinary circumstances.

Autumn Waltz (Serbia), 18 Min, Director Ognjen Petković
In order to pass the barricades of a besieged town, unfriendly soldiers stand in the way between a couple and their freedom. 

Bad People (Georgia), 19 Min, Director Giorgi Tavartkiladze
In the midst of a civil war in Georgia after the collapse of the USSR in 1991, Gia tries to find medicine for his son when he meets an old friend who can help. Although he now fights for the opposite side.

Milk (New Zealand), 17 Min, Director Pennie Hunt
In 1945 on a lonely farm in coastal New Zealand, a young widow confronts two crewmen from a German submarine who have come ashore on a secret mission – to steal fresh milk.

War Paint (USA), 12 Min, Directors Joseph Colby Doler, Taylor Bracewell
A soldier fights through the heat and hell of the Vietnam War in the early 1960’s.

World Cinema 1

5pm  – Cinearts Theater One

Foreign Films, World Cinema

Join us for our initial block of World Cinema shorts, inspired and outstanding. These shorts take us to another place, inviting us to share in the lives of those across the globe. Highly recommended.

Ashes (India), 21 Min, Directors Prashant Singh, Tej Sisodia
A young boy is left devastated and full of questions when his beloved grandfather passed away, leaving him to discover more about life.

Brave Little Army (Canada), 6 Min, Director Michelle D’Alessandro Hatt
The bold new girl at school inspires three classmates to follow her down a blissful path of self-realization, where they stumble upon a dark truth that forever galvanize their friendship.

Homesick (France/Japan), 25 Min, Director Koya Kamura
Two years after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Murai braves danger and wanders through the no-go zone in order to spend time with Jun, his eight-year-old son.

Luna (USA / China), 15 Min, Director Xu Zhang
In an upscale brothel in the early 1930s Shanghai, famous prostitute, Luna, offers to play a dangerous gambling game with a mysterious guest, and their bargaining chip is a human finger.

Nefta Football Club (France / Tunisia), 17 Min, Director Yves Piat
In the south of Tunisia, two football fan brothers run into an unexpected guest while traveling near the border of Algeria. To their surprise, the fellow traveller is a lost donkey with headphones over its ears.

The World Beyond 1

7:00pm – Cinearts Theater Two

Science Fiction, Animation, Suspense

Always an audience favorite, these stylish science fiction shorts deliver a look at worlds unknown, all while giving us insight into who we are and potentially who we may become.

Highly recommended.

Boléro (USA), 19 Min, Director Sarah Gross
In a future where telepaths are used by the government to monitor the public and root out insurgents, a mute, sixteen-year-old girl seeks to avenge her father by hunting down and killing the man responsible for his death.

Bumbry Encounter, The (USA), 17 Min, Director Jay K Raja
The year is 1961. Jackie and Terry Bumbry are a couple who have a paranormal encounter with a bright light in the sky while driving near Mount Shasta. They report their experience to local law enforcement, who bring in a psychologist to assess the situation. But as the story unfolds, is the truth revealed or is there something more?

Game Day (UK), 14 Min, Director Christopher Roberts
In the future, Jeremy is summoned to play a perilous game – and soon faces an awful choice to protect his family.

Tacit Blue (China), 9 Min, Director Wenkai Duan
Carl must go to a deserted site to rescue his daughter Alice, who has been kidnapped by a man from an organized crime outfit. But she is no longer the Alice he knows, and Carl is forced to face the unknowing glaze of someone he loves.

Way the Future Was, The (USA), 24 Min, Director Raphael Kryszek
When a system error on Matt’s Amazon Alexa saves him from a fatal train crash, his co-worker Charlie discovers that he’s caught between two realities, and it’s up to her to save him from death through a new form of digital time travel.

Make ‘Em Laugh

7:30pm – Cinearts Theater One

Comedy, Farce, World Cinema

Irreverent, brilliant and laugh out loud funny. From the subtle to the extreme, please join us for the ever-popular comedy shorts screening – highly recommended!  Sure to sell out, so get your tickets early.

Men of Vision (USA), 19 Mins, Director Frank Todaro
At the turn of the 20th Century, swaggering inventor Hubert Moss is in the midst of a dry spell that threatens to ruin him. Enter a young acolyte who shows up at his door, could he and his new ideas be the salvation that Moss was waiting for?

Book of Craig, The (USA), 20 Min, Director Tyler Stuart
Craig, a failed ad man, helps his new roommate, Jesus Christ, prepare for the rapture and adjust to life in the modern world.

Coffee Time with the Bros (USA), 2 Min, Director JD Boxley
The Bros share a great coffee moment in San Francisco!

Dirty Rotten Liars (UK), 9 Min, Director Chris Chalklen
Can a support group trust their new leader, when the group is filled with nothing but compulsive liars? 

Fantastic Cars (Peru), 8 Min, Director Barney Elliott
When a father accompanies his son to buy a used automobile, he is telepathically seduced by Rosa, a pink limousine, to buy her instead. It turns out that Rosa isn’t the only car on the lot that’s got a mind of its own.

Lady Hater (USA), 8 Min, Director Alexandra Barreto
Sam, a self proclaimed “guy’s girl,” walks into the wrong room, an all-female, goddess seminar. When she tries to leave and is called out as a Lady Hater, Sam is forced to examine herself and in return asks all the women to do the same.

Last Piece, The (USA), 4 Min, Director Will Lowell
Corporate miscreant Jason Everett confronts his office rival Peter before the big marketing meeting.

Peggy (USA), 12 Min, Director Justin O’Neal Miller
Everything seems to work out perfectly for Peggy, but her social graces are put to the test when she is surrounded by admiring and covetous parents at a birthday party for her eight-year-old son. Chaos ensues.

Potato (USA), 8 Min, Director Kelly Gleason
A young woman’s boyfriend, having dinner for the first time at her parents’ house, reveals that he has never seen nor heard of a potato. Confusion ensues as the young woman scrambles to restore equilibrium.

Relationship Deli (USA), 4 Min, Director Ian Van der Werff
A deli worker and a desperate woman attempt to build the perfect relationship, sandwich style!

It Was a Dark & Stormy Night

9:30pm – Cinearts Theater Two

Intense Drama, Action and Suspence

Things that go bump in the night are on full display along with personal stories that are unlocked from a place normally hidden, a place dark and terrifying, a place of storms and foreboding – if only in our minds.

How To Be Alone (USA), 13 Min, Director Kate Trefry
When her husband leaves for the hospital graveyard shift, Lucy is left alone in the company of a particularly menacing kitchen cabinet, which she is convinced contains all her most secret fears. 

Priest, the Whore, and the Man at the Door, The (USA), 23 Min, Director Josh Litman
A coming-of-age drama about a boy who, following the death of his mother, has to put on a sexually provocative play with a girl who has no filter and secrets of her own.

Strangers We Know, The (USA), 13 Min, Director Alana Grace
A seemingly perfect woman has what appears to be a happy 30th birthday party with the ones she loves. But under her perfect façade lies a hidden life full of secrets, tragedy, and unfinished business.

Sven (USA), 11 Min, Director Christopher Rucinski
Hell is when you have to watch some wrong shit happen and can’t do shit about it.

Tattooed Heart, The (USA), 9 Min, Director Sheldon Wong Schwartz
A creative writing instructor (Jennifer Morrison, “Once Upon a Time”) at a juvenile detention center finds common ground with a troubled student, yet quickly finds herself in great danger when she decides to help her.

Teacher, The (USA), 14 Min, Director Jeremy Weiss
An unassuming school teacher is relentlessly pursued by hired assassins- but they are about to get much more than they bargained for.

Wolves, The (USA), 8 Min, Director Matthew Barber
On the eve of a comet passing strikingly close to Earth a pair of sadistic home invaders toy with a captive family, but everything changes when the comet triggers an invasion of its own.

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

Kids & Family

11:30am – Cinearts  Theater One

Family Focused, Children’s Animation

Join us as we present films for kids and their families. These short films are great for all ages and include both animated and live-action films, each with wonderful stories for the entire family. 

Leap  (USA), 4 Min, Director Chris Yoon
The journey of the imagination is on full display as a little boy must overcome a very relatable fear in this wonderful animated film.

Most Magnificent Thing, The (Canada), 22 Min, Director Arna Selznick
A timeless tale about learning through perseverance and hard work, the power of love, and selflessness. A little girl and her canine best friend happily explore the world, but when she receives her very own tool kit, they set out to make the most magnificent thing ever for her best friend – but it’s not as easy as she thinks!

Two Balloons (USA), 9 Min, Director Mark C. Smith
Two adventurous lemurs navigate their dirigibles halfway around the world to a place where happenstance and fate threaten to disrupt their reunion.

Girl At The End Of The Garden, The (Ireland), 14 Min, Director Bonnie Dempsey
From Ireland, a story of an unhappy young girl whose life is turned upside-down when she finds a mysterious runaway with psychic powers in her back garden.

My Moon (USA), 9 Min, Director Eusong Lee
A relationship between three celestial bodies; a romance between Earth, Moon, and Sun. 

All In Good Time (Ireland), 13 Min, Director Bonnie Dempsey
A comic fantasy about two children who magically communicate across the barriers of time, through messages in a bottle.

Through the Looking Glass

11:45am – Cinearts Theater Two

Drama, Suspense

Ideas within the realm of illogical behavior, unsettling and vivid in an almost unreal environment – Through the Looking Glass exposes the unnatural nature of these stories and delivers thought-provoking answers that will definitely make you think.

A Snake Marked (Canada), 14 Min, Director Juan Riedinger
A convict receives a surprise visit, forcing him to face his past, blurring the lines of his present reality.

Dodgson (USA), 21 Min, Director Dan Michael
Upon the discovery of his estranged father’s death, a jaded therapist with a severe speech impairment is forced to confront former childhood traumas. He approaches the issue head on with a rather unorthodox method of treatment.

Self Tape (USA), 10 Min, Director Sam Kressner
After putting herself on tape for a role, a young actress meets up with an indie director at a cafe. She soon realizes his ill intentions as we witness the coercive power dynamics in Hollywood through her eyes.

Tea Time for Lions (USA), 19 Min, Directors Joel Fleurent, Rob Fleurent
The bond of two sisters growing up in an abusive home.

Will “The Machine” (USA), 14 Min, Director Kent Lamm
During a dreary winter in Richmond, Virginia, an elite high school football star must face an outsider in a series of races. But when the demons keeping him running finally surface, he begins to embody the city’s conflicted and tumultuous history as the former capital of the Confederacy.

Without (USA), 11 Min, Director Jacob Combs
Each day, a woman engages in a protective ritual of drawing a circle of ash around the isolated cabin she lives in with her baby. But when the circle’s power gets disrupted, the border between past and present begins to dis

Return of the Ink & Paint Club

2:15pm – Cinearts Theater One

Animation, CG, Stop Motion

Using a myriad of styles and methodologies, these amazing animated shorts deliver so much more than just a visual feast – these are incredible stories that resonate with the passion of the filmmakers themselves.

Closed Circuit (USA), 6 Min, Director Lauren Morrison
A robot cares for a ship full of sleeping passengers on an interstellar voyage, and one day she discovers she is not alone.

Featherweight (UK), 9 Min, Director Kayleigh Gibbons
A dark humoured and expressive character animation about a Father and Daughter coping with the loss of a central family member.Whilst grieving in a graveyard, the Daughter is disrupted by a blackbird defecating onto her Mother’s grave. A fire of rage lights up inside of her and she sets out to direct it in various violent ways, whilst the Father chooses to shut himself up in an agoraphobic state and ignore everything. Can they proceed as a new family, smaller yet stronger?

Ladder to You (UK), 4 Min, Directors Victoria Watson, Chris Watson
Ladder to You is an octogenarian love story. Old Eric is tired of life without his dear wife, Elsie, but in his darkest moment she shows him that true love never dies.

Mind My Mind (Netherlands), 30 Min, Director Floor Adams
When relying on social scripts to survive the social world, it’s not easy to go off-script. Especially if you’re obsessed with German dive bombers and just want to date a girl.

My Moon (USA), 9 Min, Director Eusong Lee
A relationship between three celestial bodies; a romance between Earth, Moon, and Sun. Presenting “My Moon”, a new short film directed by Eusong Lee, brought to you by King of Pine in collaboration with Chromosphere.

Two Balloons (USA), 9 Min, Director Mark C. Smith
Two adventurous lemurs navigate their dirigibles halfway around the world to a place where happenstance and fate threaten to disrupt their reunion.

Wild Love (France), 7 Min, Directors Paul Autric, Quentin Camus, Léa Georges, Maryka Laudet, Zoé Sottiaux, Corentin Yvergniaux
While on a romantic getaway, Alan and Beverly cause a fatal accident. This crime shall not remain unpunished.

Tacit Blue (China), 9 Min, Director Wenkai Duan
Carl must go to a deserted site to rescue his daughter Alice, who has been kidnapped by a man from an organized crime outfit. But she is no longer the Alice he knows, and Carl is forced to face the unknowing glaze of someone he loves.

World Beyond 2

2:30pm – Cinearts Theater Two

Science Fiction, Comedy

We are privileged to have not one, but two exceptional sci-fi blocks to choose from – enjoy these short films that cater to a place of the imagination and introduce us to the other side of a World Beyond.

Home in Time (Canada), 18 Min, Director Patrick Hagarty
Kate and Felix get a surprise visitor for Christmas – an older, drunken Felix, from 2044. He’s come back to visit his young family, when things were good. Before everything went to shizz.

N.I. (USA), 6 Min, Director Sallyanne Massimini
After years of advancements in artificial intelligence, it has paved the way for a new, more advanced form – N.I. (Neo Intelligence). We see the ways in which this technology has integrated with human emotions, through a romantic encounter gone horribly wrong.

Progeny (USA), 29 Min, Director Justin Daering
In a world where wealthy elites are actually aliens living among us, humans are routinely implanted with alien offspring who raise the child as their own. When a blue-collar man is forcibly implanted with his alien boss’s parasitic offspring, he asks his wife to help in a dangerous and forbidden act.

Resistance, The (USA), 13 Min, Director Natasha Straley
In a dystopian near-future, the US has been overthrown by a cabal known as The Regime Republic. Best friends Emma and Chloe fight back by starting an underground resistance movement, but must find a new way of getting their message out after a failed first attempt.

Virtually (USA), 20 Min, Director P. Patrick Hogan
A woman struggling to survive alone in a post-apocalyptic wasteland discovers a virtual-reality machine where she can escape from her loneliness into a scenic virtual world. But upon falling in love with a man inside this virtual world, she must choose between her love and her life.

The Uniqueness of Me

4:45pm – Cinearts Theater One

Comedy, Drama, LGBTQI

Not truly understanding who you are or where you fit in, these are universal themes best explored in these exceptional tales that reveal the Uniqueness of Me.

Black Hat (USA), 15 Min, Director Sarah Smith
One night, a seemingly pious Hasidic man living a secret double life misplaces his black hat which will cause his two separate lives to collide in a way he never imagined.

Dee-Brief (Australia), 10 Min, Director Sarah Hickey
After Dee breaks up with her long term partner, she moves in with best friend Kate to try and put the pieces back together. These two best friends try their best to navigate their late 20’s in Melbourne, but ‘adulting’ is hard when your best friend is just so damn excited to have you around again.

Greta (USA), 27 Min, Director Sparkman Clark
Struggling with depression post college, 22-year-old Greta tries to find one thing about adulthood that doesn’t suck. Plagued by self-loathing, hopelessness, and existential dread, it all seems like a lost cause until she meets a woman named April.

Interview, The (USA), 15 Min, Director Nate Duncan
A young man pursuing business success comes face to face with the realization that he has lived a mediocre existence and lost sight of what is most important. He suddenly has to explain a lifetime of casual choices that will decide his very future during this life-changing interview.

Jack and Anna (USA), 15 Min, Director Ksenia Ivanova
A young couple living a happy life on their farm, are suddenly confronted by a man from the past threatens to destroy everything they have.

Meet The Filmmakers

5:15pm (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.

Join us as we watch each film and have a moderated discussion on how each of the films were made, with the directors of both films will be in attendance.

Influence (USA), 29 Min, Director Indy Dang
Cal, a private school student struggling with his identity, starts to explore rebellion after his older brother suddenly drops out of college. A moving story written, edited and directed by Indy Dang. SJSFF alumni.

Pipe Dream (USA), 19 Min, Director Chris King
Each year thousands of budding actors take that huge leap of faith in search of stardom, this is the story of once such actress. With nothing but her talents and determination, would go from anonymity to Broadway stardom within a few short years. She would later become known as the beloved legend of stage and screen, Carol Burnett. A true to life story written, edited and directed by Chris King. SJSFF alumni.

World Cinema 2

7pm  – Cinearts Theater One

Foreign Films, World Cinema

Please join us for the second edition of World Cinema selections, this outing includes selected shorts from France, Finland, India, Singapore and more.

CA$H (Singapore), 12 Min, Director Tan Wei Ting
Troubled over the prospect of losing their jobs to a cashless system, four cashiers stage a revolt by locking themselves inside the supermarket late at night.

Dunk (France), 20 Min, Director Sophie Martin
Jully, a 14 year old girl, gets her world turned upside down when her parents are struck in a tragic car accident. After being placed in foster care overnight, basketball becomes the key to integrate herself again and overcome her anger and sadness.

I’m Listening (Finland), 12 Min, Director Katja Korhonen
In the last hours of the night, Mirja, a Night Radio host, gets a call on the air of a possible end of the world. Soon this unexpected call starts bursting Mirja’s bubble in a way she never would have expected.

Kneeling Sheep (USA / China), 15 Min, Director Hai Rihan
A Mongolian single mother fights to save her son who is about to be executed, only to discover that the absence of justice is crushing her life.

SVAH: So be it! (India), 14 Min, Director Gauri Daswani
A young woman wanting to get married navigates the difficulties of two families meeting, all while dealing with the burden of a secret she feels must be revealed.

To The Sea (Australia), 13 Min, Director Emily Dynes
When a strange disappearance rocks a tiny seaside town, a young girl remains determined to continue the search.

The Human Experience

7:15 pm – Cinearts Theater Two

World Cinema, Comedy, Drama

The Human Experience explores the good in humanity, detailing the ways that we have found to share, nurture and take care of the human spirit. Warm and authentic, these films are highly recommended and are always a crowd-pleaser. 

A Birthday Gift (China), 13 Min, Director Dan Zhou
Jia and Man meet in a stairwell instead of studying on Saturday at school, but when the secret of their shared romantic feelings are put to the test, they must decide what to do and how that will change their lives.

Believin’ (USA), 15 Min, Director Daryl Lathon
A comedy about mourning.

How To Swim (Israel), 15 Min, Director Noa Gusakov
Abigail is heavily pregnant, but something is missing. Terrified about the imminent birth, she kidnaps an unsuspecting stranger to comfort her for one afternoon.

Hypocrite (USA), 11 Min, Director Brett Maline
Phil gives advice for a living but he’s never taken his own…it’s way easier for him to take advantage of people underestimating him for having Klippel Feil Syndrome.

Jack (USA), 8 Min, Director Nick Paoness
A man comes to grips with the fate of his sick cat, the only way he knows how.

Portraitist (Luxembourg), 16 Min, Director Cyrus Neshvad
A grandfather at the edge of despair is called to care for his sick granddaughter. Through their shared love of art, they rekindle a relationship that brings beauty to her world and transforms the darkness in their lives into something beautiful.

Translator, The (Singapore), 16 Min, Director Pagorn Jungrungruang
Jonathan is a professional translator who excels at helping others communicate, but personally lacks every social skill imaginable. His latest project, being the on-set translator for a biscuit commercial, triggers a set of circumstances that will take him on a turbulent journey of self-discovery.

Laughter After Dark

9:15pm  – Cinearts Theater One

Dark Comedy, Animation

Not for the faint of heart, these dark comedy shorts are hilarious and will definitely make you laugh out loud.  That’s assuming you are NOT easily offended. You have been warned.

Game Night (Australia), 8 Min, Director Penelope Berkemeier
Hosts Martha and Gary are determined to host a fun games night for two other couples, the uber-bubbly Olive and Steve, and the fractious Matt and Jess as a way of staying calm in the bomb shelter while they’re waiting for the apocalypse to pass. 

Hors Piste (France), 6 Min, Directors Léo Brunel, Loris Cavalier, Camille Jalabert, Oscar Malet
The two best rescue workers of the region are ready for their new mission. Despite their professionalism and true determination, nothing will go as planned.

Made Public (USA), 14 Min, Director Foster Wilson
Dave commits the cardinal sin of asking the night before his vows (via social media), IF he should get married. Now in an effort to save his marriage before it’s even begun, he must confront his own cold feet, a Greek chorus of bridesmaids and the bride herself, who is just not having it.

Rubbish Robbers (Norway), 11 Min, Director Anders Teig
When a gang of thieves decide to break into a bank, they quickly realize what a terrible mistake it was to involve Klaus as part of the group.

Six Pack (USA / Australia), 6 Min, Director Madeline Mack
Russell really loves beer, tonight he’ll wish he never stopped to pick up the six pack.

Sorry, Not Sorry (USA), 8 Min, Director Monique Sorgen
A couple’s one upmanship reaches unbelievable heights after a man eats his wife’s plums. Good thing he left a note.

Stew, The (USA), 9 Min, Director Chris Wood
A husband and wife stubbornly soldier on through an unhappy marriage, despite the poison their relationship has become. An offbeat comedy simmering with passive-aggression and absurdity in a stylized 1970s world.

White Guys Solve Sexism (USA), 6 Min, Director Christopher Guerrero
Two men realize that all of their favorite movies, films produced by Harvey Weinstein are now sexist, leading them down a dark path of discovery.

Wild Love (France), 7 Min, Directors Paul Autric, Quentin Camus, Léa Georges, Maryka Laudet, Zoé Sottiaux, Corentin Yvergniaux
While on a romantic getaway, Alan and Beverly cause a fatal accident. This crime shall not remain unpunished.

Make ‘Em Laugh – Encore Screening

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

Comedy, Romantic Comedy, Farce

Join us for a Special Presentation of an encore screening of our comedy block from Friday.  Irreverent, brilliant and laugh out loud funny. From the subtle to the extreme, please join us for the ever-popular comedy shorts screening – highly recommended! 

Men of Vision (USA), 19 Mins, Director Frank Todaro
At the turn of the 20th Century, swaggering inventor Hubert Moss is in the midst of a dry spell that threatens to ruin him. Enter a young acolyte who shows up at his door, could he and his new ideas be the salvation that Moss was waiting for?

Book of Craig, The (USA), 20 Min, Director Tyler Stuart</span
Craig, a failed ad man, helps his new roommate, Jesus Christ, prepare for the rapture and adjust to life in the modern world.

Coffee Time with the Bros (USA), 2 Min, Director JD Boxley
The Bros share a great coffee moment in San Francisco!

Dirty Rotten Liars (UK), 9 Min, Director Chris Chalklen
Can a support group trust their new leader, when the group is filled with nothing but compulsive liars? 

Fantastic Cars (Peru), 8 Min, Director Barney Elliott
When a father accompanies his son to buy a used automobile, he is telepathically seduced by Rosa, a pink limousine, to buy her instead. It turns out that Rosa isn’t the only car on the lot that’s got a mind of its own.

Lady Hater (USA), 8 Min, Director Alexandra Barreto
Sam, a self proclaimed “guy’s girl,” walks into the wrong room, an all-female, goddess seminar. When she tries to leave and is called out as a Lady Hater, Sam is forced to examine herself and in return asks all the women to do the same.

Last Piece, The (USA), 4 Min, Director Will Lowell
Corporate miscreant Jason Everett confronts his office rival Peter before the big marketing meeting.

Peggy (USA), 12 Min, Director Justin O’Neal Miller
Everything seems to work out perfectly for Peggy, but her social graces are put to the test when she is surrounded by admiring and covetous parents at a birthday party for her eight-year-old son. Chaos ensues.

Potato (USA), 8 Min, Director Kelly Gleason
A young woman’s boyfriend, having dinner for the first time at her parents’ house, reveals that he has never seen nor heard of a potato. Confusion ensues as the young woman scrambles to restore equilibrium.

Relationship Deli (USA), 4 Min, Director Ian Van der Werff
A deli worker and a desperate woman attempt to build the perfect relationship, sandwich style!

Family Matters

12:30pm – Cinearts Theater One 

Drama, Comedy

Family dynamics are in full force, the good, the bad and yes, those moments that are ugly, real and part of who we are. Making the most of our family interactions and with those that you consider family, these shorts reveal even more about ourselves.

Count (USA), 13 Min, Director Samuel Askland Gordon

When his protective sister falls ill during a practice race for the upcoming school field day and is rushed to the hospital, a young boy with OCD must survive his strained relationship with his controlling older brother.

Elephante (USA), 5 Min, Director Caitlyn Knisely
A couple on the brink of splitting up find a mediator in their stuffed elephant.

From This Day Forward (UK), 15 Min, Director Karel van Bellingen
Ellie must gather her strength on the morning of the hardest day of her life. Unwaveringly, she prepares her last act of love, but while navigating this she is met with a new profound decision that rests on her shoulders.

Hall, The (USA), 14 Min, Director Ted Leonard
An abusive, family patriarch brings estranged siblings to a hospital, resulting in a decision that will change all their life paths forever.

Lost Weekend, The (USA), 14 Min, Director Ryan O’Leary
After a rough break up, Charlie is forced to confront the challenges of relationships in the digital age after he meets the charmingly complicated Maggie through online dating. In an era where everyone’s connected, Charlie’s never felt more apart.

One Twice a Day (USA), 4 Min, Director Sofia Streisand
During a routine health check a doctor discovers that there’s something terribly wrong with his patient.

Pozole (USA), 10 Min, Director Jessica Mendez Siqueiros
When Maia, a mixed race Latina woman, sets out to reconnect with her traditional Mexican roots on her Nana’s 100th birthday, things go terribly wrong.

Road to Zion (USA), 15 Min, Director Andrew Reid
A Jamaican immigrant finds his life in LA shaken by forces outside his control as he struggles to decide how far he is willing to go to protect his family.

World Cinema Three

12pm – Cinearts Theater Two

World Cinema, Drama, Foreign Films

In our final block of World Cinema selections, we are transported from Norway to Australia, the UK to Nepal, across the globe and back again. Join us for another terrific example of World Class Short Films.

Arch-Rival (China), 5 Min, Director Liu Qiang
In this stop motion animated fable, a lone gunslinger must confront the unthinkable – himself.

Ashmina (Nepal), 15 Min, Director Dekel Berenson
In an impoverished country, rife with contradiction, a young girl is torn between her obligation to her family and the influence of foreign visitors.

Ella (Norway), 15 Min, Director Tommy Naess
Ella is about to visit her fifteen year old daughter who is in prison for murder. Wanting nothing more than to give her a hug, we see a mother’s unbreakable love confronted by a daughter who doesn’t want to be touched.

Hot Water (USA / Australia), 20 Min, Director Madeline Mack
Freshly divorced and new to the US, Jeanne finds herself navigating the world of house mates for the very first time.

Rocket Boy (UK), 5 Min, Director Simon Sorted
As we reach the 50th anniversary of the first moon mission, we hear the account of a man who witnessed the launch first hand. As he recalls the awe inspiring event, the story is told through the eyes of a young boy, who’s power of imagination makes the impossible become real.

Sound of Two (United Arab Emirates), 12 Min, Director Sachin Ramdas
A college professor wakes up in an interrogation room without any recollection of his past. A cat and mouse game of high stakes takes place between him and his interrogators.

Taking a Piss (Canada), 9 Min, Director Josh Romyn
On a seemingly regular morning, two lovers immersed in a clandestine life are at a crossroads.

Time Machinery (Canada/Switzerland), 6 Min, Director Mei Fa Tan
In the 1970’s, a mother and her 9 year-old son gifted with a fertile imagination, are briefly trapped in an old elevator. The boy is convinced that the machine allows them to travel through time. Now, 40 years later, the mother seems to believe it as well.

The Alternative Universe

3pm – Cinearts Theater One

Fantasy, Aventure

We are tremendously excited to deliver these amazing films that tap into the power of the fantastic, something askew, where something quite different is just around the corner – and the answers are never whats expected.

All In Good Time (Ireland), 13 Min, Director Bonnie Dempsey
A comic fantasy about two children who magically communicate across the barriers of time, through messages in a bottle.

Change, The (USA), 20 Min, Director Nick Anderson
A group of children band together in a post-apocalyptic world, looking out for each other and protecting the younger kids from the “monsters” from without and within. 

Chaos (Germany), 5 Min, Director Samuel Auer
A one-shot fairytale about the devil, greed and time. 

Hour After Westerly, The (USA), 25 Min, Directors Nate Bell, Andrew Morehouse
Davis Harwell is a meticulous man whose life has grown comfortably dull. Visions of a lighthouse, a row of cottages, and a beautiful woman he’s never met before may reveal the answers, but he uncovers more than he bargained for.

Rocket (USA), 6 Min, Director Christian Walsh
Barricaded in the safety of a closet, a young couple tries to distract themselves from the chaotic world outside.

Troll Bridge (Australia), 16 Min, Director Daniel Knight
An old barbarian and his talking horse embark on a suicidal quest to battle a bridge troll. Troll Bridge is live-action / hand animated hybrid, lovingly crafted from the Discworld fairy-tale by Sir Terry Pratchett.

It’s a Hard DOC’s Life 2

2:30pm – Cinearts Theater Two

Documentary

We are honored to present more than a single block of documentary shorts.  These masterfully crafted films deliver what all good documentaries can, a hard look into the lives and places that we might otherwise never get a chance to see or connect with.

Coach (USA), 26 Min, Directors Jordan Axelrod, Matthew Ellison
Former SF State Women’s Soccer head coach Tracy Hamm takes on the challenge to become one of the first American woman to earn her UEFA A license, which will allow her to coach any women’s team in the world.

Guaxuma (Brazil), 14 Min, Director Nara Normande
Sea breezes, happy memories, and returning home – we reminisce on the lives of two inseparable individuals growing up on a beach in the north east of Brazil in this dazzling mix media animation.

Lost Weekend (USA), 14 Min, Directors Bradford Thomason, Brett Whitcomb
It’s 1984. Two friends from a small-town in Pennsylvania win a chance to party with one of the biggest rock bands on the planet courtesy of MTV. The contest offered them 48 hours with Van Halen, but could have cost one of them their life.

Girl in the Hallway (Canada), 10 Min, Director Valerie Barnhart
Why does ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ give Jamie nightmares? It’s been 15 years and the girl in the hallway haunts him still.  An animated true-crime documentary that reveals the days leading up to the disappearance of Xiana Fairchild of Vallejo, CA.

Traffic Separating Device, The (Sweden), 15 Min, Director Johan Palmgren
A traffic device meant to allow buses through and to keep cars at bay, causes an impressive number of wrecked vehicles while shattered individuals are left to deal with the hundreds of cars the device destroys each week.

Closing Night – Best of the Festival

6pm – Cinearts Theater One

Comedy, Music, Fantasy, Documentary

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.

Musically Inclined

5:15pm – Cinearts Theater Two

Music, Musicals, World Cinema

Each year we are happy to deliver films that have a musical basis at its core, it could be an exceptional score – a song buried deep within or possibly a traditional musical. Combined with a special performance by the San Jose Pop Up Choir, this makes Musically Inclined a true festival favorite.

One Fourth Gone (USA), 19 Min, Director Andy Arthur Smith
One Fourth Gone is an original musical about a young man with OCD who uses the power of music to cope with his anxiety caused by his absent father’s return.

Red Watch (USA), 4 Min, Director David Kennedy
A spoken word short film.“In this snappy spoken-word short film saturated in primary colours, a woman recites an unrequited goodbye to her ex-boyfriend’s red watch.”

Rewind (China), 20 Min, Director Ying Liu Hatch</span
A girl receives a gift, an AI robot version of the boyfriend she just broke up with, who comes with a remote control that allows her to correct his every move. 

Stood Up (Canada), 5 Min, Director Cjay Boisclair
Charming, loyal and perpetually single Ben is tired of always being the best friend and wing-man. After deciding to shake things up, he agrees to a blind date. But, when things go awry, will fate step in and save him from forever being friend-zoned?

Swan Song (Australia), 6 Min, Director Blythe Ashton
A musical comedy about Sarah, a young woman with an odd “affliction” – that causes her to sing her thoughts and feelings out loud. But today she has had enough and has decided to kill herself, what better way to end it all then in song.

I’m Listening (Finland), 12 Min, Director Katja Korhonen
In the last hours of the night, Mirja, a Night Radio host, gets a call on the air of a possible end of the world. Soon this unexpected call starts bursting Mirja’s bubble in a way she never would have expected.

Most Magnificent Thing, The (Canada), 22 Min, Director Arna Selznick
A timeless tale about learning through perseverance and hard work, the power of love, and selflessness. A little girl and her canine best friend happily explore the world, but when she receives her very own tool kit, they set out to make the most magnificent thing ever for her best friend – but it’s not as easy as she thinks!

At each screening (during the festival) we collect ballots where film-goers give us their input as to films that connected with them,

Festival Rewind allows us to present the Audience Choice winners on the big screen, to share once again..