DC Shorts Guide 2018

DCSHORTS
FILM FESTIVAL
& SCREENPLAY
COMPETITION
SEPTEMBER 6-16, 2018
2 DC Shorts Film Festival 2018
DC Shorts Film Festival 2018 3
Table of Contents
Welcome Letter from the Executive Director...7
Festival Sponsors...8
From the Office of Cable TV, Film, Music & Entertainment...10
Festival Highlights...12
Theaters & Venues...14
Ticket Information...16
About DC Shorts...19
Online Festival & Best of DC Shorts...20
Screenplay Competition...22
Celebrations & Parties...23
Filmmaking Workshops...25
Get Involved...26
Showcases of Films...28
International and LGBTQ Shorts...47
Time & Places and Real Reel Shorts...48
Animation and Youth Shorts...49
Comedy and Women’s Shorts...50
Ripped from the Headlines and Thrills & Chills Shorts...51
DC Shorts Jury Awards...52
End Credits...53
Schedule at a Glance...54
THE 2018 DC SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL GUIDE

Publisher: Randy Shulman • Editors: Kimberley Bush & Randy Shulman • Art Direction: Todd Franson - Cover Illustration: Scott G. Brooks
• Original festival design and branding by Gene Cowan, Cowan Creative • A publication of Jansi Media, 1775 I Street NW, Washington, DC
20006 - 202-638-6830 - © 2018 DC Shorts Film Festival & Jansi Media - All Rights Reserved

Welcome
to the 2018 DC Shorts Film Festival
T
IME COMPLETELY ESCAPES ME AND OUR TINY YET Shorts Online Film Festival. Explore more than 120 films
amazing DC Shorts team, to the point where we find from our secure online portal so that no matter where you
ourselves engrossed in another extraordinary year are you can enjoy short filmmaking at its finest.
of outstanding short films, as we continue to be the proud Each year, it becomes more challenging for reviewers
purveyor and presenter of the short film format. and jurors to select for you riveting, compelling, extraor-
This year, more than 1,200 films and 70 screen- dinary films that each run between two and
plays were submitted for consideration, and 40 minutes. Since 2003, DC Shorts
all of them took us on a mind expand- Film Festival has contributed to
ing, soul searching, WTF are we the way the world views the
doing, and WTF is happening genre of short filmmaking.
journey. Our phenomenal pro- This year’s assortment is
gramming team chose 125 no different. The film-
diverse, compelling, vital, makers represented
dramatic, and hilarious feature the best in
films created by filmmak- modern-day cinemat-
ers who hail from 30 dif- ic creativity and offer
ferent countries. insight as to how to
The movement within cultivate the future we
the film industry towards want to see — one that
expanding the presence of is full of hope, equality,
women behind the camera, in imagination, uplifted voic-
the director’s role, is reflected in es, determination, humor,
a notable milestone for DC Shorts. and vulnerability.
With a total of 40 women directors, we Are you ready for this cinematic
offer more films directed by women than any ride? Join us! Sit back, absorb, engage and
prior year in the festival’s history. It highlights the mission most of all enjoy the 15th Annual DC Shorts Film Festival.
of DC Shorts, to champion the art of filmmaking all-inclu-
sively. ACTION!
What you will spend 11 days experiencing may very well
be game-changing.
With all of these amazing films comes the opportunity
to meet and interact with the filmmakers at our Q&As and Kimberley Bush
at our celebrations. If you are a filmmaker — accomplished Executive Director
or aspiring — we have workshops and seminars that can DC Film Alliance
expand knowledge of your craft. DC Shorts Film Festival
DC Shorts has always been proud to feature truly inde-
pendent films and filmmakers. In this age of smartphones,
tablets and computers, we are pleased to continue The DC

Our Sponsors
Luminary Superstar
Producer Technical
Crew
Cast

Supporting Cast

Festival Highlights
n DC Shorts
DC Shorts Party Party All Access
Show Duration
Online FestivalEEING EVERY FILM AT THE THEATER IS NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE — WE DC Shorts
S
Online Festival
are showing a staggering 125 films! The DC SHORTS ONLINE FILM
Online Fes
FESTIVAL is a great way to watch many of the films in the comfort of
your home, or on the run using a smartphone or tablet. MORE INFO ON PAGE 20.
We’re presenting ten SPECIAL SHOWCASES during the festival week. We will
screen the largest collection of LGBTQ Shorts in D.C., as well as International,
Historical, Documentary, Youth, Comedy, Animation, Womens, Thrills and Chills,
and the always-popular Ripped From The Headlines. SPECIAL SHOWCASE INFO
STARTS ON PAGE 47
Party
Q&A Lunch
The DC SHORTS Show
SCREENPLAY
All Acces Workshop
COMPETITION is an incredible evening
script readings where the audience determines the winner of a $2,000 grand
of live
Q&A Lunch Show

prize! This year’s group of 6 diverse finalists, chosen from more than 70 screen-
play submissions, hail from across the country. MORE INFO ON PAGE 22.
Our PARTIES have become legendary! They’re a great place to meet filmmakers
and make new friends. Join us for our Filmmaker Welcome Reception at Pepco
Gallery and and take in the stars at THE CITY VIEW PARTY which overlooks the
city from a private downtown rooftop. MORE INFO ON PAGE 23.
DC Shorts proudly presents jury and audience awards to our best films. These
Awards Q&A
shorts are programmed into two BEST OF DC SHORTS showcases that are
screened at the Miracle Theater on Capitol HIll on September 15th and 16th. It’s
a great way to conclude the week and catch the selections that might go on to
win an Oscar! MORE INFO ON PAGE 20.
ABOUT DC SHORTS
Established in 2003, the DC Shorts Film Festival and Screenplay Competition is an award-winning, internationally recognized film
festival held every September in Washington, D.C. Recognized by MovieMaker Magazine, USA Today, and the Washington City
VIP/ALL ACCESS WORKSHOP
Paper reader’s poll as one of the best film festivals in the world, DC Shorts champions short films and the filmmakers who create
them. DC Shorts believes in the power of short films to democratize filmmaking, permitting diverse voices to be heard from around
the globe. It proudly serves to present these voices to vast audiences every year in a welcoming, thought-provoking, and lively multi-
day event filled with filmmakers, industry leaders and film-lovers alike. The DC Shorts Film Festival and Screenplay Competition is
a program of the DC Film Alliance.
VIP/ALL ACCESS WORKSHOP
Lunch Show
12 DC Shorts Film Festival 2018 Workshop
Theaters
& Venues
THE MIRACLE THEATRE LANDMARK’S E STREET CINEMA
535 8th Street SE, Washington, D.C. Corner of 11th and E Streets NW,
Washington, DC
The Miracle Theatre is in the heart of Eastern Market/
Capitol Hill and holds 370 guests and offers Landmark’s E Street Cinema is a jewel of a
modern projection and concert sound. theater, with multiple auditoriums and a
gourmet concession stand,
complete with a full bar.
Driving
The Miracle Theatre is located Driving
on 8th Street between E Landmark will validate parking for 3 hours at
and G Streets SE. Metered street parking is available. a reduced rate after 5 P.M. on weekdays and
all day on weekends at the garage adjacent
Metro to the theater (entrance on 11th, between E
The Miracle Theatre is located 2 blocks from Eastern and F Streets — the lot closes at midnight).
Market Metro station. When you exit the station, Limited metered street parking
turn right on to 8th Street. is also available.
Metro
The Landmark E Street Cinema is located
2 blocks from the Metro Center station and
4 blocks from the Gallery Place station.
Event
Locations PEPCO EDISON PLACE GALLERY
702 8th Street NW
Washington, D.C.
LANDMARK E STREET CINEMA THE ROOF AT CARROLL SQUARE
555 11th Street NW 975 F Street NW
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C.
MIRACLE THEATRE THE LOFTS AT 600 F
535 8th Street SE 600 F Street NW
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C.

Ticket DC SHORTS ONLINE FESTIVAL
Information

We are very excited to bring you the DC Shorts Online Film Festival. More
than 100 films may be watched from Friday, September 7th through
Sunday, September 16th on any computer and most mobile devices.
Watch from a coffee shop, your office, or even in the comfort of your bed.
Within 24 hours after purchasing, you will receive an email with a unique
FILM TICKETS access code and link to the online festival website.
Each showcase runs approximately 90 minutes, and includes

7 to 9 films from around the globe.
BUY AT DCSHORTS.COM
$30 plus online service charge
BUY AT DCSHORTS.COM
$15 + online service charge BUY AT A VENUE
We highly recommend purchasing tickets online, $30
as many shows will sell out in advance.
BUY AT THE VENUE TICKETING POLICIES

$15
Box offices at each venue open 30 to 45 mins ONLINE SALES
before the first show of the day. Tickets may be purchased via our ticketing partner, TicketLeap.
We recommend that you either print your tickets at home/work,
A NOTE FREE EVENTS or use TicketLeap’s mobile app to present a “selfie ticket.” If you forget
your tickets, or do not have access to a printer, don’t worry — we can still
Free events require tickets for entry. We recommend
check you in at the door.
reserving online, as these events often sell out quickly.
IN PERSON SALES
To purchase tickets and passes in person, please visit the DC Shorts Box
PARTY TICKETS Office at each venue. Box offices open 30 to 45 minutes before the first
event of the day, and closes 30 minutes after the last event begins. DC
All parties include light refreshments and a special selection Shorts accepts all major credit cards and cash. No checks accepted.
of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Attendees must be
at least 21 years of age and present a valid photo ID at the door. EXCHANGES AND REFUNDS
All ticket and pass sales are final. There are no refunds or exchanges of
Party tickets must be purchased in advance either online tickets, party or festival passes. Please familiarize yourself with
or at a venue box office. We cannot offer door sales. our Seating Policy. There are no refunds for late arrivals.
BUY AT DCSHORTS.COM
SEATING POLICIES
All ticket and pass holders must be seated 15 minutes prior to showtime
BUY AT A VENUE to guarantee a seat. After that time, pass holders will be admitted with the
$25 general audience on a space-available basis.

• 20 minutes before each showcase: Pass holders and filmmakers are
FESTIVAL PASSES admitted to the theater.
• 15 minutes before each showcase: Ticket holders
The ALL-ACCESS PASS allows entry into every screening, are admitted to the theater.
party, and workshop — even the Best of DC Shorts! • 10 minutes before each showcase: Unclaimed seats
are sold at the theater door for $15.
The Festival Pass also includes:
• Priority seating at all screenings — you get in first! A standby line will form 45 minutes before each screening time. What are your chances
• Priority entry to all parties — you get in first! of getting in? Pretty good, since we usually release 10-20 tickets at the door.
• DC Shorts T-Shirt (while supplies last)
• Swag bag (while supplies last) We know that mistakes happen. If you present a ticket purchased in error, we will make
every effort to accommodate you at another screening of your choice on a space-
BUY AT DCSHORTS.COM available basis. Please visit the box office for details.
BUY AT A VENUE
$125

About Us
DC Shorts champions short filmmaking!
T
HROUGH A SERIES OF REGULARLY SCHEDULED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, SCREENING OPPORTUNITIES, SHARING
resources via online tools, partnering with film, arts and business organizations, and our annual DC Shorts Film Festival,
DC Shorts provides opportunities for filmmakers of every skill level to explore and learn their craft while entertaining and
expanding the horizons of audience members. The DC Shorts Film Festival was founded in 2003 by DC-based filmmaker Jon Gann,
in response to the dozens of festivals where the focus wasn’t on the filmmakers and their craft. Jon decided to start his own event,
focusing on the form he loves — shorts.
In 2006, the DC Film Alliance, a nonprofit arts organization, was created to present the DC Shorts Film Festival, and offer other
programs and resources for Washington, D.C.-based filmmakers. The Alliance helped to bridge the gap between other area film
organizations, foster a community for regional film festival directors, and sponsored monthly salons to educate filmmakers of all
levels. In response to the needs of the industry, DC Shorts has recently rebranded many DC Film Alliance activities, re-tooled others,
and now hosts year-round programming.
OUR PROGRAMS COLLABORATIVE IMPACT: DC Film Alliance works closely

DC WINS: DC Shorts WINS! are special showcases of award- with other grassroots film arts organizations on mutual topics
winning films from previous DC Shorts, plus a few that we including Submissions, Promotion, Development, and more.
wished we had been able to program. Some of the films have
received Academy Award nominations. All of the films have won FILMMAKER RESOURCES
accolades worldwide.
DC Shorts utilizes the @DCSHORTSTOOLS Twitter feed to
offer a daily collection of jobs, casting notices, and events from
DC LAUGHS: DC Shorts presents their favorite comedy films
over 20 D.C. area and national resources. Meanwhile, the DC
with live performances by the area’s top stand-up comics! Each
SHORTS TOOLKIT is an open email exchange to request
90-minute show combines film and live performance for a
information from other filmmakers, post screening information,
spectacular and lighthearted evening.
and even sell old equipment. The DC Shorts Actors List allows
for casting notices to be posted for more than 2,000 D.C. and
MENTORS/CINEMATIC CONVERSATIONS: Through East Coast Actors.
Cinematic Conversations and Mentors, we encourage
independent filmmakers to develop the skills to create
OUR INITIATIVES
outstanding media projects. Taught by film professionals and
LOCAL INITIATIVES are programs, partnerships, film blocks,
peers, these interactive sessions are designed to build upon one
and panels that support the local film community. YOUTH
another, developing the skills needed to better compete in the
INITIATIVES are youth programs, partnerships, film blocks, and
crowded field of filmmakers.
panels that expose and educate youth of all ages on film and
filmmaking that not only educate, but inspire. COMMUNITY
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: DC Shorts is proud to INITIATIVES are programs, partnerships, film blocks, and
present seminars for the Film Community on a variety of topics panels that support underrepresented and marginalized
including Lighting on a Budget, Fundraising, Contracts, Film communities.
Reviewing, and more.

ONLINE FILM FESTIVAL
DCSHORTS.COM/ONLINEFEST
DC Shorts Party A
T
HROUGH A SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT WITH THE FILMMAKERS, MORE THAN 120 OF THE FILMS WE ARE SHOWCASING ARE
available to watch online from any computer or smartphone. That is just about every film screening at the festival!
OnlineareFestival
It’s a great way to see more films, rewatch the ones you fall in love with, and connect with the filmmakers. But hurry, the films
available only from Friday, September 7th to Sunday, September 16th. Purchase access to this exclusive site online at dcshorts.com/
onlinefest or at any DC Shorts Venue.
ONLY $30 (plus online service charge)

After purchasing, you’ll receive an email with a unique access code and link to the online festival website.
BEST OF DC SHORTS DC Shorts proudly presents jury and audience awards to our top films.
MIRACLE THEATRE These shorts are programmed into two BEST OF DC SHORTS
535 8TH STREET SE PROCESS
showcases, screened at Miracle Theater on September 15th and 16th. It’s
a great way to conclude the week — and catch the selections that might
SATURDAY, SEPT. 15, AT 8 P.M. AND 10 P.M. even go on to win an Oscar! Award winners are posted on dcshorts.com on
SUNDAY, SEPT. 16, AT 4 P.M., 6 P.M. AND 8 P.M. Monday, September 10th.
Q&A Lunch Show W
ALL ACCESS WORKSHOP

T
HE DC SHORTS SCREENPLAY COMPETITION IS A VERY DIFFERENT KIND OF
screenwriting competition. A panel of reviewers, consisting of filmmakers,
screenwriters, and critics reviewed over 70 screenplays and selected the top
six to be performed for you! After a table reading, the audience will vote
for their favorite, and one lucky screenwriter will walk away with a $2,000 prize.
Screenplay winners receive $1,000 in seed money to start their project and another
$1,000 in finishing funds when the film is completed. The completed film will screen
at an upcoming DC Shorts Film Festival. Meet all of the writers after the reading at the
complimentary wine and cheese reception
The evening will also feature a screening of last year’s DC Shorts Screenplay
Competition Winner, The Pharaohs.
PROCESS
THE MIRACLE THEATRE STANDOFF
FRIDAY, SEPT. 14, 7 P.M. TOM ZANCA • RAMSEY, NJ
A distraught scientist known for advancing human gene editing
AT DEATH’S DOOR decades ago holds his grandchildren hostage in a tense standoff with
KATHERIN COOPER • WOODBRIDGE, VA negotiators over the true implications of his work.
Daryl, a depressed teenager, stirs in his sleep from the constant
nightmares. Every day is the same, he desires his mother’s affection
WHITE FERRARI
and father’s guidance, but they are oblivious to their son’s cries for
SARAH SMITH • LOS ANGELES, CA
help
Winnie tracks down her ex-lover, who betrayed her and absconded
with their ill-gotten gains, to finally take back what rightfully belongs
BY ANY OTHER NAME to her in this action short.
PETER KIMBALL • WASHINGTON, D.C.
We all know the story of Romeo & Juliet — or so we thought — but now
THE PHARAOHS
we learn the true story of what really happened to the tragic lovers. DIRECTOR: DAVID MALOUF • 18 MINS. • COMEDY • USA • WORLD PREMIERE
Based on the screenplay that won the 2017 DC Shorts Screenwriting
CHERRY GLAZED competition, The Pharaohs is a fictional dark comedy about a woman
CHRISTINE SHERWOOD • ALTA LOMA, CA in a senior living facility who is rejected by her former friends — a
A crime boss is forced to get her hands dirty to clean up her group of “mean girls” — because of her failing health.
subordinates’ mess when they fail to handle a job.
SOMBRA CITY
ELIAS PLAGIANOS • NEW YORK, NY
A romantic film noir set in the near future where murder for hire is
legal - as long as you follow the rules.

Celebrate with Us!
D
C SHORTS LOVES TO CELEBRATE OUR FILMMAKERS — AND FILMMAKER AWARDS BRUNCH
our audience! All parties include light refreshments and a Presented by The Lofts at 600 F
special selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Sunday, September 9th • 11 A.M.-1 P.M.
Attendees must be at least 21 years of age and present a valid The Lofts at 600 F • 600 F Street NW
photo ID at the door. Save money by purchasing your tickets online.
Closest Metro: Gallery Place (Red, Green and Yellow Lines)
For more information or tickets to any of our events visit festival.
dcshorts.com/parties.
Join us for our festival’s awards brunch, where the Jury awards are
announced. Get to know the best of the best from this year’s festival
PUBLIC EVENTS and network with filmmakers from around the world while enjoying
Open to the general public. However, an admission ticket is complimentary cocktails and food. Winning filmmakers are present-
required. ed with a glass trophy and showered with prize packages!
CITY VIEW PARTY

Presented by Akridge SCREENPLAY COMPETITION RECEPTION
Saturday, September 8th • 7-9 P.M. Presented by Bar Deco
Rooftop at Carroll Square • 975 F Street NW Thursday, September 13th • 7-9 P.M.
Near Metro Center (Red, Blue, Orange, and Silver Bar Deco • 717 6th Street NW
Lines) Closest Metro: Gallery Place (Red, Green and Yellow Lines)
Tickets: $25 By Invitation Only
Join this year’s screenwriters and their guests for an intimate mixer as
Celebrate DC Short’s Opening Weekend under the stars we look forward to our Screenplay Competition.
atop the roof deck at Carroll Square. Dance the night
away with DJ MIM and watch out for a special surprise
performance you won’t want to miss!
SCREENPLAY AUDITIONS
Presented by Landmark Theatres
Friday, September 14th • 10 A.M. - Noon
PRIVATE EVENTS E Street Cinema
These events are only open to All Access Passholders, visiting film-
makers, and invited guests. Don’t miss out — purchase an 555 11th Street NW
All Access Pass online or at any festival box office. Closest Metro: Metro Center
Passholders and Filmmakers Only
FILMMAKER WELCOME RECEPTION
Presented by PEPCO Edison Place Gallery Join us as we check out actors who will perform their
Thursday, September 6th • 7-9 P.M. monologue for our screenplay finalist. You can check out
PEPCO Edison Place Gallery • 702 8th Street NW the winners at our Screenplay Competition table read!
Closest Metro: Gallery Place (Red, Green, and Yellow Lines)
DC Shorts welcomes our filmmakers and pass holders to our annual

DC Shorts Film Festival. Each year we hold an exclusive party just for
our passionate go getters and film lovers, featuring cocktails, food,
music, a whole lot of fun!

Filmmaking Workshops
D
C Shorts is proud to present seminars for
filmmakers of all levels. There is no charge for
workshops, but a separate RSVP for each
workshop is required. Visit festival.dcshorts.com/
events/workshops to attend.
Workshops
SCREENWRITING: ADVANCED DIRECTING
THE NEXT LEVEL TECHNIQUES
FRIDAY, SEPT. 7, NOON-2 P.M. FRIDAY, SEPT. 7, 4-6 P.M.
LANDMARK E STREET CINEMA LANDMARK E STREET CINEMA
555 11TH ST. NW 555 11TH ST. NW
(ACTUAL THEATRE NUMBER TBD) (ACTUAL THEATRE NUMBER TBD)
16
You’ve written a solid screenplay. You’ve won a couple of script What do professional directors do that no one taught you in film
competitions. You’re even talking to producers. But you still school? In this workshop, led by George Andre Tittle, you will learn
haven’t sold anything. Learn A-list techniques that will elevate your many advanced techniques used by working directors — techniques
writing, engage readers, and impact audiences. Topics will include that will immediately elevate your work. You don’t need a big budget
compression, misdirection, restrictive point of view, foreshadowing, or the latest 8K camera. It’s about understanding what’s happening
visual storytelling, and advanced techniques for writing description in each scene, and choosing where you position the camera and every
and dialogue that will leap off the page and launch your career. element in the frame to express it. Topics will include script analysis,
The workshop will be led by George Andre Tittle, a working the value of rehearsal, the actor-director relationship, point of view,
director and screenwriter, and former assistant to Academy Award- how to develop a shooting plan, and developing a visual strategy.
winning director Barry Levinson. Tittle was a finalist for the Academy
of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ prestigious Nicholl Fellowship
in Screenwriting.
SOUND FOR INDIES:

BUDGETING & BEST PRACTICES
FRIDAY, SEPT. 7, 2-4 P.M.
LANDMARK E STREET CINEMA
555 11TH ST. NW
(ACTUAL THEATRE NUMBER TBD)
Sound is one of the most important aspects of any film. Join Mike
Panfeld as he discusses finding the right balance between budget
limitations and best practices to achieve stellar audio for your
indie film.

Get Involved!
Support Independant Filmmaking!
The generous support of individuals has allowed us to provide hundreds of thousands of individuals of all ages with high-quality
programming over the past 15 years. As a year-round nonprofit arts organization, your support is needed to continue our
programming, from the DC Shorts Film Festival to free education programs and screenings.
There are many ways to get involved and many ways to support us:
* Make a Donation Donate online today and contribute to the many initiatives at DC Shorts. Simply go to dcshorts.com/donate.
Make a donation through the mail. Check donations can be mailed to us at DC Shorts, 1317 F Street NW, Suite 920, Washington,
D.C. 20004. For more information, email info@dcshorts.com or visit dcshorts.com/donate.
* Make a Matching Gift Workplace giving programs might allow you to double your gift. Contact your company’s Human
Resources Department for specific details.
* Become a Partner/Advertiser The Festival offers exceptional sponsorship opportunities to meet your organization’s
marketing and philanthropic goals. We also offer many advertising opportunities at our events, festival program guide, slideshows,
website, and in our bi-monthly newsletter. By advertising, your organization will reach a community of loyal film fans and film
industry professionals. For more information email info@dcshorts.com.

SHOW
E STREET CINEMA
1
FRIDAY, SEPT. 7, 6:30 P.M.
CAS
SUNDAY, SEPT. 9, 5 P.M.
E
ALL DC SHORTS FILMS ARE UNRATED AND MAY CONTAIN MATURE THEMES.
SCHEDULE/FILMS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.
BLESS ME FATHER
DIRECTOR: PAUL M. HORAN • 16 MIN. • COMEDY/DRAMA • IRELAND • D.C. PREMIERE
A parish priest is faced with a moral dilemma when a parishioner comes to
deliver a confession that directly affects the priests own life. The priest is
torn between his duty to offer forgiveness, and his personal reaction to this
revelation.
MAMA
DIRECTOR: NICHOLAS BRENNAN • 7 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • USA • D.C. PREMIERE
The touching story of one incredible woman who has dedicated her life to
delivering children in her village in rural Uganda.
MANSPREADING
DIRECTOR: ABDELATIF HWIDAR • 8 MIN. • COMEDY • SPAIN • NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
One hundred and sixteen seats, a crowded subway, a long distance to travel.
NEGATIVE SPACE
DIRECTORS: MAX PORTER AND RU KUWAHATA • 6 MIN. • ANIMATION • FRANCE
My dad taught me how to pack.
THE PHARAOHS
DIRECTOR: DAVID MALOUF • 18 MINS. • COMEDY • LOCAL FILMMAKER
• USA • WORLD PREMIERE
Based on the screenplay that won the 2017 DC Shorts Screenwriting
competition, The Pharaohs is a fictional dark comedy about a woman in a senior
living facility who is rejected by her former friends — a group of “mean girls” —
because of her failing health.
FUTBOLISTAS 4 LIFE
DIRECTOR: JUN STINSON • 40 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • USA • EAST COAST PREMIERE
The film takes you into the lives of two Oakland high schoolers: One is a college
hopeful and DACA applicant navigating the reality of his immigration status,
while the other is an American citizen who lives in fear that her undocumented
parents may be deported. These youth take solace in the game of soccer that lets
them, if only for a moment, put their worries on the sidelines.

SHOW
E STREET CINEMA
2
FRIDAY, SEPT. 7, 7 P.M.
CAS
SUNDAY, SEPT. 9, 5:30 P.M.
E
GUNS FOUND HERE

DIRECTOR: DAVID FREID • 10 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • LOCAL FILMMAKER • USA • NORTH
AMERICAN PREMIERE
When there’s a gun crime in America, there’s only one place to go to trace
the gun back to its owner: Martinsburg, West Virginia. That’s where the ATF’s
National Tracing Center handles roughly 8,000 active traces per day — all while
inside a government-mandated technology time-capsule that makes searching
a database of gun owners impossible. With more gun stores in the U.S.A. than
McDonalds, Starbucks, and supermarkets combined, there’s a lot of paperwork
to manually sort through. And it’s truly a sight to behold.
MAMARTUILE
DIRECTOR: ALEJANDRO SAEVICH • 12 MIN. • COMEDY • MEXICO • EAST COAST PREMIERE
The president of Mexico spends his final days in office making plans for his
future. Everything looks in order until an international conflict interrupts his
pleasant rest.
MINSTREL VS. PUPPET

DIRECTOR: MARCUS AUBIN • 7 MIN. • DRAMA • USA • EAST COAST PREMIERE
An artistic film illustrating the internal conflict many women, particularly
women of color, experience surrounding the topics of brains and beauty. The
film also depicts how this same conflict manifests externally with some women
identifying with and relating more to their own internal level of intellect while
others identify with and relate more to their external degree of beauty.
THE DRIVER IS RED

DIRECTOR: RANDALL CHRISTOPHER • 15 MIN. • ANIMATION/DOCUMENTARY • USA
Set in Argentina 1960, this true crime documentary follows the story of secret
agent Zvi Aharoni as he hunted down one of the highest ranking Nazi war
criminals on the run.
SACRILEGE
DIRECTOR: CHRISTOPHE M. SABER • 15 MIN. • DRAMA • SWITZERLAND • D.C. PREMIERE
Money has gone missing in the mosque of Saint-Etienne. Saoud, the gang
leader, is suspected.
SPARROW
DIRECTOR: WELBY INGS • 15 MIN. • DRAMA • LGBTQ • NEW ZEALAND • D.C. PREMIERE
When the truth behind a family myth is exposed, a young boy finds the strength
to stand up for himself in an unusual way.
KUBRICK BY CANDLELIGHT
DIRECTOR: DAVID O’REILLY • 18 MIN. • COMEDY • IRELAND • EAST COAST PREMIERE
In 1973, Stanley Kubrick came to Ireland and brought the whole goddamn
British Army. A light hearted romantic comedy set behind the scenes of the
filming of Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon. Narrated by Brian Cox.

SHOW
3 CAS
E E STREET CINEMA
FRIDAY, SEPT. 7, 9 P.M.
FOR A BETTER LIFE

DIRECTOR: YASMIN MISTRY • 10 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY/ANIMATION • USA • D.C. PREMIERE
Sold for $100 at the age of 5, Fekri suffers through years of abuse before his
plight is discovered. After almost a year of hospitalization and therapy Fekri
moves into a group home where he finds support, mentorship, and eventual
forgiveness towards the family that sold him.
A BEAUTIFUL VILLAIN’S GREED

DIRECTOR: DOMINIQUE WILMORE • 2 MIN. • ANIMATION • LOCAL FILMMAKER • USA • D.C.
PREMIERE
Inspired by Wynton Marsalis’ 2007 Jazz release Supercapitalism, the film
combines bright visuals and upbeat music to show someone consumed with the
art of consumption, and how this beautiful villain takes her addiction to retail to
menacing new heights.
THE OVERCOAT
DIRECTOR: PATRICK MYLES • 19 MIN. • COMEDY • UK • EAST COAST PREMIERE
A lonely social outcast gets a glimpse of what life is like for someone popular, and
cannot let it go, even in death.
ABEYANCE
DIRECTOR: CHARLES BEALE • 4 MIN. • SCI-FI/HORROR • USA • EAST COAST PREMIERE
A malfunction in the stasis system leaves a man trapped in a state of sleep
paralysis as he travels to colonize a distant planet: a journey destined to take
twenty-seven years.
MY FIRST TIME
DIRECTOR: JESS JACKLIN • 3 MIN. • COMEDY • USA • EAST COAST PREMIERE
A unexpected comedy with an unreliable narrator, My First Time tells the tale of
the mourning of a first love.
THREE PAGES (TROIS PAGES)

DIRECTOR: ROGER GARIÉPY • 15 MIN. • DRAMA • CANADA • D.C. PREMIERE
An unassuming middle-aged accountant learns he has only weeks to live. Rather
than tell everyone, he determines to learn the three pages of a Bach adagio for
piano he’d abandoned as a child. That accomplished, he performs the piece for
his wife and friends, completing his life and thanking those who brightened it
along the way.
SIDELINED
DIRECTOR: GALEN SUMMER • 40 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • USA • D.C. PREMIERE
In 1978, several NFL cheerleaders posed in Playboy magazine after receiving
approval from team management. But when the issue hit newstands,
cheerleaders were fired, the San Diego Chargettes were disbanded, and the story
made it to newspaper headlines, talk shows, and TV news around the country.

SHOW
4 CAS
E STREET CINEMA
FRIDAY, SEPT. 7, 9:30 P.M.
E
HAIR WOLF
DIRECTOR: MARIAMA DIALLO • 12 MIN. • COMEDY/ACTION • USA • D.C. PREMIERE
In a black hair salon in gentrifying Brooklyn, the local residents fend off a
strange new monster: white women intent on sucking the lifeblood from
black culture.
A TAXI OF COLDNESS
DIRECTOR: JOONHA KIM • 20 MIN. • COMEDY/DRAMA • SOUTH KOREA • D.C. PREMIERE
A man rides a taxi late at night. When the taxi driver offers him chewing
gum, he remembers his mother’s “drugged gum” story. Then the taxi
driver says, ‘Did you hear about those criminal taxi drivers?’ But after
repeated offers, the man accepts the gum after all.
THE PICK UP
DIRECTOR: GIOVANNA CHESLER • 10 MIN. • COMEDY • LGBTQ • LOCAL FILMMAKER • USA
• D.C. PREMIERE
Melanie, a teen resentful of her divorcing parents and craving
independence, doesn’t like surprises. When Mom picks her up from swim
practice and their trip gets derailed by a flat tire and a stranger, Melanie
finds herself choosing a new road.
NEVADA
DIRECTOR: EMILY ANN HOFFMAN • 12 MIN. • ANIMATION/COMEDY • USA • D.C. PREMIERE
In this stop-motion animated comedy, a young couple’s romantic weekend
getaway is interrupted by a birth control mishap.
EMPIRE ON MAIN STREET

DIRECTOR: JESSICA CONGDON • 24 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • LGBTQ • USA • D.C.
PREMIERE
A tireless entrepreneur jump-starts the transformation of a neglected
vacation town, until her ambition pushes her to the brink.

SHOW
E-STREET CINEMA
5
SATURDAY, SEPT. 8, 11 A.M.
CAS
MONDAY, SEPT. 10, 5 P.M.
E
EDWARD HOPPER & MARSHALL’S HOUSE

DIRECTOR: BOB BURNETT • 8 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • LOCAL FILMMAKER • USA
A short visit through five generations of a family’s history, focusing on the artist,
Edward Hopper, who captured their home one sunny Fall morning in 1932. This
meditative short film, presents how the concept of family and an artist’s work can
reach beyond the confines of a period.
TWEET-TWEET
DIRECTOR: ZHANNA BEKMAMBETOVA • 11 MIN. • ANIMATION • RUSSIAN FEDERATION • D.C.
PREMIERE
Our life is like walking on a tightrope. In times we are scared or lost we lose
balance. When we are happy and excited we forget we walk on a rope. We can
even fly! Main characters are girl Luba and her friend Sparrow. Silly Sparrow
doesn’t know fear. By playing with him, Luba forgets she is on a rope.
SHADOW BOXER (SKYGGEBOKSER)

DIRECTOR: ANDREAS BØGGILD MONIES • 22 MIN. • DRAMA • DENMARK • EAST COAST PREMIERE
Eight-year-old Luna lives alone with her mother Isabella, a professional boxer.
During an important match, Isabella is badly hurt and ends up in a wheelchair.
Luna takes on the lonely fight to encourage her mother to believe once again in
becoming the fighter and mother who Luna knows, loves, and needs.
DICKY & FLO

DIRECTOR: TREVOR KRAVITS • 8 MIN. • DRAMA/COMEDY • USA • D.C. PREMIERE
Flo is a sweet old taxidermist living in the Chicago neighborhood Albany Park.
She has a quirky habit of talking to corpses like her stuffed dog, hamster, and her
deceased husband, Dicky. As she takes Dicky out on the town, the beautiful day
takes her all around the city and closer to accepting Dicky is no longer there.
THE AVOCADO (EL AGUACATE)

DIRECTOR: DARWIN SERINK • 11 MIN. • COMEDY/DRAMA • USA • EAST COAST PREMIERE
After several unsuccessful attempts, Raul finally gets the courage to ask his
co-worker, Rosa, out on a date. To his surprise, she says yes, but when the
anticipated day arrives, Raul is met with an unforeseen event that changes his life
forever.
63 BOYCOTT
DIRECTOR: GORDON QUINN • 29 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • USA
In 1963, two hundred fifty thousand students boycotted the Chicago Public
Schools to protest racial segregation. The film connects the forgotten story of one
of the largest northern civil rights demonstrations to contemporary issues around
race, education, and youth activism.

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E STREET CINEMA
6
SATURDAY, SEPT. 8, 11:30 A.M.
CAS
MONDAY, SEPT. 10, 5:15 P.M.
E
CAROLINE
DIRECTORS: LOGAN GEORGE AND CELINE HELD • 12 MIN. • DRAMA • USA • D.C. PREMIERE
When plans fall through, a six-year-old is faced with a big responsibility on a hot
Texas day.
FENCE (GARDHI)
DIRECTOR: LENDITA ZEQIRAJ • 15 MIN. • COMEDY/DRAMA • KOSOVO • EAST COAST PREMIERE
Little Genti wants a puppy. He expresses his wish at the family gathering, after his
friend Xeni shows at the door, with his dog friend Aja. This fires up discussion among
the grown ups. Ignored by grownups and despite his mother’s disapproval, Genti
joins Xeni and Aja on the street, continuing to find his new puppy-friend.
SIX MILES OUT

DIRECTOR: HOSAM ABU DAN • 11 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES • NORTH
AMERICAN PREMIERE
Gaza fishermen sail into to the Mediterranean for the night to bring in a catch to eat
and sell, an act of bravery, since the Israeli Navy prowls nearby ready to shoot.
LIFE AFTER
DIRECTOR: RIA TOBACCOWALA • 13 MIN. • DRAMA • LGBTQ • USA
Nisha, a single mother and Indian immigrant, travels to New York City to clear out
her daughter Zara’s apartment. Out of her element in the big city, Nisha discovers
surprising new details about Zara. With help from her best friend and a stranger,
Nisha uncovers the truth about her daughter’s life.
CREATURE FROM THE LAKE

DIRECTORS: RENATA ANTUNEZ, ALEXIS BÉDUÉ, LÉA BRESCIANI, AMANDINE CANVILLE, MARIA CASTRO
RODRIGUEZ, LOGAN CLUBER, NICOLAS GRANGEAUD, CAPUCINE RAHMOUN-SWIERCZYNSKI, VICTOR
ROUXEL, ORIANNE SICCARDI, AND MALLAURY SIMOES • 5 MIN. • ANIMATION • FRANCE • D.C.
PREMIERE
In the ’80s, a manly and experienced monster hunter hero of a low-budget TV show,
followed by his fat cowardly camerawoman, venture to a remote lake on the night of
a full moon, when mysterious disappearances tend to occur.
SHAD RUN
DIRECTORS: BEN DORGER AND BECKY HARLAN • 26 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • LOCAL FILMMAKER • USA
• WORLD PREMIERE
By the 1970s, shad fish numbers were so low that even the most seasoned anglers
went home from a day on the river empty-handed. Overfishing, pollution, and
a loss of habitat brought on by the construction of dams, threatened American
shad not only in the Potomac but all over the east coast. This short documentary
film chronicles the abundance, demise, and triumphant return of a native fish,
highlighting the citizens who refused to let them fade away and those who are still
united by the quest to fish the Potomac’s renowned shad run.

SHOW
E STREET CINEMA
7
SATURDAY, SEPT. 8, 1:30 P.M.
CAS
E
OPENING NIGHT
DIRECTOR: MARGARET BIALIS • 5 MIN. • ANIMATION/MUSICAL • USA • D.C.
PREMIERE
A man reflects on formative conflicts from his past with optimism, humor, and
gratitude... with a musical twist. Look within...then dance it out.
THE LESSON (LA LECCIÓN)

DIRECTOR: HUGO GÓMEZ • 13 MIN. • THRILLER • SPAIN • EAST COAST
PREMIERE
Javier is a prestigious executive with a life full of luxury and money. He makes
decisions that contribute to poverty and exploitation of families that that seem
like only numbers for him. Everything will change when Oscar appears and gives
him a lesson he will never forget.
TEETH
DIRECTOR: THOMAS HOGBEN • 11 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • UK • U.S.
PREMIERE
Every crooked lateral incisor or overzealous premolar tells a story, and Teeth is
a short film exploring the relationship we have with these dental companions
and how they impact our lives. The film explores our need to conform and our
obsession with appearance in this age of the selfie, and questions how far should
we go to look normal.
THE RED TREE (L’ALBERO ROSSO)

DIRECTOR: PAUL ROWLEY • 20 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • IRELAND • D.C.
PREMIERE
Narrated by renowned Italian actor Leo Gullotta, The Red Tree tells the little
known history of Italian gay men being arrested and exiled to a remote island
during Mussolini’s Fascist regime. An elderly man returns to the island of San
Domino where 60 years before during the Fascist era he was imprisoned with
hundreds of other men for being homosexual.
ROUND TRIP (SIVUV)

DIRECTOR: LOREN TRABELSI • 6 MIN. • DRAMA • ISRAEL • D.C. PREMIERE
A young girl becomes compromised after she accepts kindness from a stranger
on a bus.
THAT WAS AWESOME!

DIRECTOR: ARLEN KONOPAKI • 18 MIN. • COMEDY • USA • WORLD PREMIERE
When a floor hockey team of adults with special needs gets pushed around one
too many times off-the-court, they decide to stand up for themselves on-the-
court in the game of a lifetime.
BINI
DIRECTOR: ERBLIN NUSHI • 20 MIN. • DRAMA • LOCAL FILMMAKER • USA •
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
At the outbreak of the Kosovo War, six year old Bini is only thinking about his
most prized possession, a piece of candy. When suddenly he and his family are
faced with life threatening obstacles, Bini learns that candy may not be the only
thing of value he loses that day. War and family come together in this touching
film about love, loss, and sacrifice.
SHOW E STREET CINEMA
8
SATURDAY, SEPT. 8, 2 P.M.
CAS
E
TRUE LOVE IN PUEBLO TEXTIL (AMOR VERDADERO EN PUEBLO TEXTIL)

DIRECTOR: HORATIO BALTZ • 5 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • USA/CUBA/ • EAST COAST PREMIERE
Nine-year-old Maribel explains to us how it feels to be stricken with the world’s oldest infliction: love.
TANIEL
DIRECTOR: GARO BERBERIAN • 20 MIN. • DRAMA • UK/ARMENIA • U.S. PREMIERE
A historical drama focusing on the damages of war, both physical and emotional. War permeates the
country and mass arrests take place across a city while the poet’s home is broken, his name ticked
off the list never to return again — a casualty of the Armenian Genocide.
THE LIKES AND DISLIKES OF MARJ BAGLEY

DIRECTOR: TAYLOR STANTON • 14 MIN. • ANIMATION/DOCUMENTARY • USA • D.C. PREMIERE
In this innovative documentary, a family recreates itself using stop-motion animation. The film
tells the lifelong struggle of Marj, the matriarch of the Bagley clan, to find happiness. Marj battles
infidelity, broken noses, dysfunctional relationships, giant birds, and a fateful game of cards with
her grandchildren. Through a combination of interviews and recreations, her family reflects on the
legacy of a woman who they realize they may not understand.
THE SON, THE FATHER…

DIRECTOR: LUKAS HASSEL • 13 MIN. • HORROR/DRAMA • USA • D.C. PREMIERE
The events on a young boy’s birthday have twisted consequences far into his future. The script
on which The Son, The Father is based was a finalist in the 2016 D.C. Shorts Film Festival and
Screenplay Competition.
THE EDGE OF DAYBREAK

DIRECTOR: ALIX LAMBERT • 10 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • LOCAL FILM • USA • D.C. PREMIERE
It doesn’t take a seasoned musician, engineer, or producer to marvel at The Edge of Daybreak
and their sole record, Eyes of Love. Though rightly acclaimed for soulful melodies and passionate
vocals, the record is ultimately infamous for having been recorded in one take at the Powhatan
Correctional Center’s recreational area by a six-inmate group, each member — then serving
sentences ranging between six and 60 years — whisked back to their cells as soon as they’d hit the
last note on the final track.
TRANSMITTER RECEIVER (ÉMETTEUR RÉCEPTEUR)

DIRECTOR: VINCENT WILSON • 9 MIN. • SCI-FI/YOUTH • CANADA • EAST COAST PREMIERE
In order to escape the monotony and boredom of the end of the school year, a young boy fabricates
a transceiver-receiver to communicate with strangers in the sky. The bright imagination of a child is
brought to life in this touching and beautiful film.
THE UNDERTAKER’S SON

Dir: THE AFFOLTER BROS. • 14 MIN. • DRAMA • CANADA • EAST COAST PREMIERE
Despite his desire to do anything but, Christopher Redding is attending work with his father for
the first time to learn the macabre family business. When the duo is faced with a tragic death,
Christopher is pushed to his breaking point revealing a deeper conflict that simmers just below
the surface. Set in a small frontier town circa 1867, this short Western examines the lives that
are affected after the infamous gunfights, shootouts, and robberies so often depicted in the
beloved genre.
SUN SHINE
DIRECTOR: WALKER HARE • 9 MIN. • DRAMA • USA • EAST COAST PREMIERE
When an African American teenager gets a seemingly depressed white guy to open up, she
discovers he’s on his way to commit a horrible act.
SHOW
E STREET CINEMA
9
CAS
E
A LIFE LIKE THIS

DIRECTOR: ISAIAH TOUR • 12 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY/ANIMATION • NEW
ZEALAND • D.C. PREMIERE
A young New Zealander doesn’t know much about his father even though they
have lived together for almost twenty-five years. Isaiah decides to make a film
about his dad, a survivor of the Khmer Rouge regime in the hope that it will bring
them together. Using animation the two work together to explore Huat’s untold
refugee story.
BEFORE PRISON
DIRECTORS: EMILY HARGER AND OLIVIA MERRION • 8 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY
• USA
Robyn Allen’s 20-year prison sentence for trafficking drugs is far more
complicated than it appears. Abuse has plagued her family, and Robyn’s painful
memories are just the tip of the iceberg.
MARGUERITE
DIRECTOR: MARIANNE FARLEY • 19 MIN. • DRAMA • CANADA • D.C. PREMIERE
For several years now Marguerite, a diabetic woman in her seventies, has been
getting daily visits from Rachel, her home health nurse. In spite of her declining
condition, Marguerite has been gradually emerging from her loneliness as she
experiences moments of tenderness and sensuality, under Rachel’s care.
PUSHING SKILLS
DIRECTOR: MICHAEL A KREHAN • 17 MIN. • DRAMA/SCI-FI • USA • D.C.
PREMIERE
A street-smart hustler uses his invention to give people extraordinary skills for
few hours but finds himself in trouble when the wrong people hear about it.
JAB JAB
DIRECTOR: REUBEN MILLNS AND THOMAS HARRAD • 5 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY
• UK • U.S. PREMIERE
A portrait of Grenada’s annual J’ouvert festival. Every year, thousands of
Grenadians congregate in the middle of the night to “play Jab,” covered head-to-
toe in motor oil as a powerful symbol of remembrance, celebration and defiance.
WHAM
DIRECTOR: ROBERT BRUCE CARTER • 3 MIN. • COMEDY • USA • EAST COAST
PREMIERE
Two people fall violently in love on the sidewalk — and a ripple effect ensues.
FACING MECCA
DIRECTOR: JAN-ERIC MACK • 25 MIN. • DRAMA • SWITZERLAND • D.C.
PREMIERE
Pensioner Roli comes to Fareed’s assistance when the Syrian refugee is faced
with the burial of his Muslim wife. Together they stumble into a bewildering
forest of Swiss bureaucracy to which Roli finds a beautifully simple answer. A
touching story of how one man helps a refugee during one of the largest refugee
crisis in recent history. One small act of kindness can change the world.

SHOW
10 CAS
E STREET CINEMA
E
LITTLE FIEL
DIRECTOR: IRINA PATKANIAN • 16 MIN. • ANIMATION/DOCUMENTARY •
MOZAMBIQUE
Guns are not killers. They are pieces of metal that can be reassembled into
anything, including a little boy, a bird or a rose. Just as they make them, we can
unmake them, one by one.
LET ME DANCE (LAISSEZ-MOI DANSER)

DIRECTOR: VALÉRIE LEROY • 17 MIN. • DRAMA • FRANCE • D.C. PREMIERE
Mylène, 45, is a maid on a ferry boat. Tonight her colleagues are organizing a
surprise party for her birthday. But on the gift voucher, Mylène reads her old
name, a name that she doesn’t want to see anymore — her male name.
MOVING VIOLATION
DIRECTOR: LAURA HINSON • 12 MIN. • COMEDY/DRAMA • USA
A jilted bride finally faces the truth about her ex-fiancé after a newly-installed
speed camera on her street pushes her to the edge.
OPEN YOUR EYES

DIRECTOR: ILAY MEVORAH • 14 MIN. • DRAMA • ISRAEL
Ilana arrives for her monthly treatment at the eye clinic. Her doctor is absent
and is replaced by Dr .Khoury. Ilana precepts herself as a liberal woman but
there is no chance that an Arab doctor will give her a shot in the eye. Yohai, who
understands that his mother is losing her eyesight, won’t let her leave.
MY GRANDFATHER’S MEMORY BOOK

DIRECTOR: COLIN LEVY • 4 MIN. • ANIMATION/DOCUMENTARY • USA • D.C.
PREMIERE
A personal reflection about an unusual sketchbook that captures a lifetime
of memories, connecting three generations through drawings, writings and
dialogue.
THE PECULIAR ABILITIES OF MR. MAHLER

(DIE BESONDEREN FÄHIGKEITEN DES HERRN MAHLER)
DIRECTOR: PAUL PHILIPP • 29 MIN. • DRAMA • GERMANY • D.C. PREMIERE
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.

SHOW
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11
CAS
TUESDAY, SEPT. 11, 5 P.M.
E
REMEMBERING PORT CHICAGO

DIRECTOR: ALEXANDER IRWIN • 9 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • USA •
WORLD PREMIERE
In California’s Bay Area, a painful memory lingers of the Port Chicago
disaster of WWII, when hundreds of the Navy’s first black sailors perished.
DIAPERS FROM MELQUIADES (PAÑALES PARA

MELQUIADES)
DIRECTOR: GANDHI RAMOS • 20 MIN. • DRAMA • MEXICO • D.C.
PREMIERE
Domingo, goes to the market´s town to sell hats. Along the way, he takes
the opportunity to visit his brother Melquiades, who is terminally ill.
OUR SONG TO WAR (NUESTRO CANTO A LA GUERRA)

DIRECTOR: JUANITA ONZAGA • 14 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • BELGIUM •
Crocodile-men, a mystic river, some kids that like fishing and a war that
ends all share the same Colombian land — Bojaya. In this place, villagers
have strange beliefs and celebrate the “Novenario” death ritual.
WANDERING EYES
DIRECTOR: MAKAN TALAYEH • 15 MIN. • DRAMA/THRILLER • USA •
EAST COAST PREMIERE
The lives of two seemingly disconnected couples, each with an
unapologetic cheating spouse, come together in a twisted tale of betrayal
and revenge as all four cross paths in an unexpected way.
THE MUD
DIRECTOR: BRANDON LAKE • 6 MIN. • ANIMATION/DRAMA • USA
A self reflection on the relationship between race, heritage, and
stereotype, The Mud tells the story of a clay figure who struggles against
outside forces that seek to overtake and disfigure his very essence.
Through dance and movement, he strives to understand and find himself.
OSTRICH
DIRECTOR: PATRICK WALSH • 14 MIN. • DRAMA • UK • WORLD
PREMIERE
Late at night in a Westminster bar, principled junior broadsheet journalist
Will Hewitt meets with no-nonsense Deputy Finance Minister Pippa
Thomas for a routine interview on recent government fines imposed
on the world’s largest banks. Their early exchanges spark fireworks as
liberal idealist grills conservative elite, but Will’s true intentions are
soon revealed as he ambushes Thomas with accusations of financial and
political corruption.
SEND US SMOKES
DIRECTOR: MICHELLE KEE • 10 MIN. • DRAMA/MUSICAL • CANADA •
D.C. PREMIERE
When 7-year-old Adelaide finds the care package of cigarettes she
prepared for her father won’t be delivered to him as he serves on the front
lines of World War I, she decides to embark on a fantastical adventure to
take it to him herself.
SHOW
E STREET CINEMA
12
CAS
TUESDAY, SEPT. 11, 5:15 P.M.
E
THE WORLD IS ROUND SO THAT NOBODY CAN HIDE IN THE

CORNERS – PART I: REFUGE
DIRECTOR: LEANDRO GODDINHO • 13 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • GERMANY • D.C.
PREMIERE
The journey of an African gay refugee seeking asylum in Germany.
THE WORLD IS ROUND SO THAT NOBODY CAN HIDE IN THE

CORNERS – PART II: THE KISS
DIRECTOR: LEANDRO GODDINHO • 5 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • GERMANY • D.C.
PREMIERE
An African refugee visits the Gay Holocaust Memorial in Berlin.
FUNERAL
DIRECTOR: LEAH SHORE • 8 MIN. • COMEDY/DRAMA • USA • D.C. PREMIERE
When a pregnant woman delivers a convoluted speech to a gathering of family and
close friends, she must face the consequences. She then retreats to a waiting room
where the surreal meets the real by a water cooler.
CAMILLE (QUAND J’AI REMPLACE CAMILLE)

DIRECTORS: RÉMY CLARKE, LEÏLA COURTILLON, NATHAN OTAÑO • 7 MIN. •
ANIMATION • FRANCE • D.C. PREMIERE
Laure must replace a deceased swimmer in the relay swim team. The qualifiers
are near and the team worries about their chances at winning. The grief and stress
pushes Laura to obsess over the one she replaces, Camille.
FAUVE
DIRECTOR: JEREMY COMTE • 16 MIN. • DRAMA • CANADA • D.C. PREMIERE
Set in a surface mine, two boys sink into a seemingly innocent power game with
Mother Nature as the sole observer.
RED VELVET ( )
DIRECTORS: MAHMOUD SAMIR AND YOUSSEF MAHMOUD • 15 MIN. • COMEDY/
DRAMA • EGYPT • NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
When Nancy suffers from a sudden cardiac arrest in a morning, her only chance of
survival lies in the hands of her oblivious five years old son, Asser.
PAINTED CITY
DIRECTOR: CAITLIN CARROLL • 26 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • LOCAL FILMMAKER
• USA
Painted City explores the history of Washington, D.C.’s community murals and the
preservation issues they face in rapidly changing neighborhoods by following one
local woman’s efforts to study and save them.

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13 CAS
E
E STREET CINEMA
CUBEMAN (KOCKAEMBER)
DIRECTOR: LINDA DOMBROVSZKY • 19 MIN. • DRAMA • HUNGARY •
D.C. PREMIERE
An elderly man is unable to accept that he is made to retire and his life
takes a dramatic turn, when he realises that he cannot finish the work
of his life.
QUEENS IN TRAINING
DIRECTORS: DEANNA DEL CIELLO AND ANNA MOLINARO • 15 MIN. •
DOCUMENTARY • USA • LOCAL FILMMAKER
Two young African-American girls learn to play chess competitively and
apply those skills to obstacles of race and gender as they prepare for a
citywide co-educational tournament in Washington, D.C.
REVERIE
DIRECTORS: EMILY DEWOOLFSON AND KATY HANNAH • 5 MIN. •
ANIMATION • USA • LOCAL FILMMAKER • WORLD PREMIERE
A girl dreams of the way she wishes the world could be... or perhaps the
way the world already is.
DEJA VU (DÉJÀ VU)

DIRECTOR: OLIVIER LABONTE LEMOYNE • 9 MIN. • THRILLER/HORROR
• CANADA • U.S. PREMIERE
A young woman meets with her best friend in a local diner to tell him
about the fantasy she recently accomplished. But when a mysterious
man enters, she is struck by a feeling of deja vu. Everything around her
starts to resemble a nightmare she’s had.
HOLLY GOES TO THERAPY

DIRECTOR: CAT VENTURA • 15 MIN. • COMEDY • USA • EAST COAST
PREMIERE
A troubled woman participates in an unconventional therapy session.
PERIOD. END OF SENTENCE.

DIRECTOR: RAYKA ZEHTABCHI • 25 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • INDIA
The story of a quiet, profound revolution taking place for women in
Northern India, where the stigma of menstruation limits their potential.
Without sanitary products or proper education about their bodies,
millions of girls end up missing school or dropping out entirely once
they begin their periods. But in a modest room in a rural Indian village,
local start to produce and sell thousands of pads to local women in an
effort to improve feminine hygiene.

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14
CAS
E
SPACE BUTTHOLE
DIRECTOR: DAVID CHAI • 8 MIN. • ANIMATION/COMEDY • USA • D.C. PREMIERE
In the annals of mankind, we will realize that humans have been mistreating Mother
Nature for far too long. It was only a matter of time before the universe blasted back.
Please join us in experiencing a warning from the deepest bowels of the galaxy. Can
humanity squeeze out a solution before it goes to pot? Don’t stall to find out!
END OF THE LINE

DIRECTOR: JESSICA SANDERS • 15 MIN. • COMEDY/DRAMA • USA • D.C. PREMIERE
A lonely man goes to the pet store and buys a tiny man in a cage and the two must
learn to get along, or at least co-exist...which will not be easy!
THE LAST DANCE

DIRECTOR: CHRIS KELLER • 8 MIN. • DRAMA/SCI-FI • UK • EAST COAST PREMIERE
In the not-too-distant future, an old man works alone in his garage — click-click-clicking
the hours away on an old desktop computer. His name is Hugo, and he’s making
something — something great. Today, the not-too-distant future will become the not-
too-distant past.
POKER NIGHT
DIRECTOR: MICHAEL THOMAS TAYLOR • 9 MIN. • COMEDY/THRILLER • USA • EAST
COAST PREMIERE
Bill always hosts poker night. It’s just kind of his thing. This time, though, things get
considerably out of hand. In a sick turn of events, friends are pitted against one another
to survive.
EMERGENCY
DIRECTOR: CAREY WILLIAMS • 12 MIN. • COMEDY • USA • D.C. PREMIERE
Faced with an emergency situation, a group of young Black and Latino friends carefully
weigh the pros and cons of calling the police. People of color have the internal conflict
of desiring to move freely in this country but fearing they are not able to do so.
Emergency is a timely commentary on an issue that plagues many people of color in
our country today — fear of police.
THE LAST GREAT AMERICAN WHALE

DIRECTOR: ALEX HUEBSCH • 15 MIN. • MYSTERY • USA • WORLD PREMIERE
John’s just lost his child. His marriage is falling apart. His career is being taken over by
younger, faster, smarter people. So what’s he to do? He flees his life for the freedom
and adventure of the ocean and a dying American Dream, but a vicious circle always
seems to bring him right back to where he started.
VIEW
DIRECTOR: GABRIEL GALLINDO • 15 MIN. • THRILLER • BRAZIL • EAST COAST
PREMIERE
The most famous Brazilian Youtuber is kidnapped and forced to continue posting
vídeos in captivity, asking her fans to donate her ransom via a crowdfunding campaign.
LABORATORY CONDITIONS
DIRECTOR: JOCELYN STAMAT • 17 MIN. • DRAMA/SCI-FI • USA • D.C. PREMIERE
A physician investigating a missing body disrupts an unlawful experiment. Starring
Marisa Tomei and Minnie Driver.

SHOW
E STREET CINEMA
15
SUNDAY, SEPT. 9, NOON
CAS
E
THE JOURNEY TO ICELAND (EL VIAJE A ISLANDIA)

DIRECTOR: CÉSAR VALLEJO DE CASTRO • 13 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • SPAIN •
D.C. PREMIERE
Maybe all this happened to me, the meaning of my life is to help all people
coming from behind me to be able to do something as human as dying, but to
die without suffering.
OCULUS MALUS
DIRECTORS: FÉLIX BENICOURT, MAXIME BLIN, MATHIEU BOUZARD, CAMILLE
BULLET, VALENTIN CHOTEL, ADRIEN KOTTELAT, QUENTIN MASINGARBE AND
DORIAN MOUTY • 5 MIN. • ANIMATION • FRANCE • EAST COAST PREMIERE
A crazy scientist creates special glasses in order to examine some little creatures
that are invisible to human eyes. These creatures may just explain a good
proportion of our little daily annoyances.
WHO DECIDES
DIRECTOR: MYLISSA FITZSIMMONS • 8 MIN. • DRAMA/HORROR • USA • D.C.
PREMIERE
Death can no longer be denied. A sick woman and a young girl engage in a
discussion about who decides when it’s your time to die.
HIATUS
DIRECTOR: KEVIN HAEFELIN • 12 MIN. • COMEDY • SWITZERLAND • D.C.
PREMIERE
A philosophy teacher discusses religion in class. In the street he is confronted
with his subject matter in an unexpected way.
LABOR
DIRECTOR: CECILIA ALBERTINI • 13 MIN. • DRAMA • USA • EAST COAST
PREMIERE
A surrogate mother faces a harrowing dilemma when asked to abort the baby she
carries for another woman.
MARCH FOOL (POISSON DE MARS)

DIRECTORS: PIERRE-MARC DROUIN AND SIMON LAMARRE-LEDOUX • 14 MIN. •
COMEDY/DRAMA • CANADA • EAST COAST PREMIERE
Struggling with depression, Louis is dragging himself out to his despicable
brother’s birthday party with his despicable sister. When he finds out that they
are planning a prank on him for April Fools Day, Louis takes it a little too much on
a personal level.
PIETAS
DIRECTOR: ROB WATERS • 4 MIN. • COMEDY • USA • D.C. PREMIERE
Sometimes the toughest part of your day is explaining it to a loved one.
POT OF GOLD: THE ORIGIN OF THE JAPANESE BIDET

DIRECTOR: DAIEI ONOGUCHI • 20 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • LOCAL FILMMAKER
• USA • D.C. PREMIERE
Why are Japanese so obsessed with bidet toilet? A curious filmmaker goes on a
journey to answer the question.

SHOW
E STREET CINEMA
16
CAS
E
THE ROAD BETWEEN US

DIRECTORS: JOANNE FEINBERG AND KATHERINE ROSELLI • 14 MIN. •
DOCUMENTARY • USA • EAST COAST PREMIERE
A father and son bicycle 2,701 miles across America on Route 66. They discover
that the road between them is the life path that connects.
DO NO HARM
DIRECTOR: MARIELLE WOODS • 8 MIN. • DRAMA • USA • D.C. PREMIERE
A short film about 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 who is trained to fight and
may be asked to kill?
WEEDS
DIRECTOR: KEVIN HUDSON • 3 MIN. • ANIMATION/COMEDY • USA • D.C.
PREMIERE
Weeds tells the story of a dandelion, rooted on the wrong side of the driveway
in a barren yard surrounded by dry dirt and dead grass. Just across the
concrete lies another yard, where the sprinklers spray water endlessly, and the
greener grass holds the promise of a better life. While watching helplessly
as its fellow weeds wither away and die, the dandelion faces a decision: take
action or suffer the same fate.
EVIE’S CHRISTMAS GIFT

DIRECTOR: DAWN FIELDS • 9 MIN. • DRAMA/HORROR • USA • D.C.
PREMIERE
After the loss of her mother, Evie rebels against her father and his over-the-
top Christmas spirit. Evie learns a scary lesson, however, when she opens her
Christmas presents before Christmas morning.
MAGIC ALPS
DIRECTORS: ANDREA BRUSA AND MARCO SCOTUZZI • 15 MIN. • DRAMA •
ITALY • D.C. PREMIERE
An Afghan refugee arrives in Italy with his goat and seeks political asylum for
both of them.
GYPSY’S KISS
DIRECTOR: PAUL MURPHY • 9 MIN. • COMEDY • UK • D.C. PREMIERE
A widow with a distant son, Judith is alone, and takes life as she finds it.
Devoting her life to her late husband Fred and her son wasn’t easy, but she
never sought thanks and never complained. So every year she marks the
anniversary with a pilgrimage to his grave, and every year she’s reminded just
how much Fred meant to her.
SABER ROCK
DIRECTORS: THOMAS LOCASTRO AND MATTHEW LOCASTRO • 30 MIN. •
DOCUMENTARY • LOCAL FILMMAKER • USA
A flamboyant, fiercely loyal interpreter named Saber Rock helps turn the tide of
Helmand Province, Afghanistan against the Taliban and towards the support of
coalition forces. As his successes mount, so do the threats against him.

SHOW
E STREET CINEMA
17
CAS
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 12, 5 P.M.
E
CASEY
DIRECTOR: SHANRICA EVANS • 6 MIN. • DRAMA • USA • D.C. PREMIERE
A teenager with gender dysphoria witnesses the physical assault of a transgender
woman.
ZERO GRAVITY
DIRECTOR: THOMAS VERRETTE • 17 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • USA • WORLD
PREMIERE
An 11-year-old Mexican-American girl competes in a middle-school program
to control robotic satellites aboard the International Space Station, as part of a
nationwide competition to inspire marginalized youth.
BLOOM
DIRECTOR: KIERAN WHEELER • 7 MIN. • COMEDY/DRAMA • AUSTRALIA • U.S.
PREMIERE
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.
WEEKENDS
DIRECTOR: TREVOR JIMENEZ • 15 MIN. • ANIMATION • USA • D.C. PREMIERE
A young boy shuffles between the homes of his recently divorced parents. Surreal
dream like moments mix with the domestic realities of a broken up family in this
hand animated film set in 1980s Toronto.
WE KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE

DIRECTOR: HONORA TALBOTT • 13 MIN. • COMEDY • USA • D.C. PREMIERE
When a Mexican American couple moves into a trendy, gentrifying L.A.
neighborhood, two hipsters invite themselves over to offer a “warm welcome.” But
as the night goes on, it’s clear these neighbors are not what they seem: cold pressed,
cold brewed, and cold blooded.
CELLS
DIRECTOR: RAYMOND WOOD • 12 MIN. • THRILLER • USA • D.C. PREMIERE
When a reputable doctor finds himself held captive by a group of masked intruders,
he struggles to understand their motives while being forced to answer why billions
of dollars go wasted each year in the name of medical research.
HOW TOMMY LEMENCHICK BECAME A GRADE 7 LEGEND

DIRECTOR: BASTIEN ALEXANDRE • 10 MIN. • COMEDY • CANADA • D.C. PREMIERE
Ophelia is an 11-year-old girl who lives with a complex: she’s never been kissed.
First, find a suitable candidate: Tommy Lemenchick. Second, orchestrate a situation
that leads to her first kiss. At school the following day, we discover how Tommy
Lemenchick became a Grade 7 legend.
BENEATH THE INK

DIRECTOR: CY DODSON • 13 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • USA • D.C. PREMIERE
In a time when society’s belief systems are seemingly changing, or even reverting in
time, one Ohio tattoo artist Billy Joe White is challenging his community by saying
“bring me your mistakes.” A timely look at hate and racism in the western foothills of
the Appalachian region that reveals heartfelt stories of change and redemption.

SHOW
E STREET CINEMA
18
CAS
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 12, 5:15 P.M.
E
BLACK, I AM (NEGRA SOY)

DIRECTOR: LAURA BERMÚDEZ • 13 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • HONDURAS • NORTH
AMERICAN PREMIERE
A beautiful and touching story of the Afro-Caribbean Garífuna people in Honduras,
focusing on three women and a girl who tell of their aspirations, happiness, and being
there for each other.
DOUBLE TAP
DIRECTOR: WAKA BROWN AND STAN KANG • 10 MIN. • COMEDY • LOCAL FILMMAKER
• USA • WORLD PREMIERE
Buffy has a secret: She’s in love with her boss, Dan, but can’t admit it, choosing instead
to stalk him on Instagram. That is, until she accidentally “double taps” on one of his posts
which leads to wildly unsuccessful attempts to cover her tracks. The script Double Tap is
based on was a finalist in the 2017 DC Shorts Film Festival and Screenplay Competition.
IT’S THE DYSTOPIAN FUTURE!

DIRECTOR: BENJAMIN FOLSTEIN • 2 MIN. • ANIMATION • USA • EAST COAST
PREMIERE
A giddy jaunt through the future that may come to pass…
NIGHT CALL
DIRECTOR: AMANDA RENEE KNOX • 18 MIN. • DRAMA • USA • D.C. PREMIERE
On a routine patrol, a black female cop patrolling Inglewood gets called to a disturbance
and is forced to make an unprecedented life-altering decision.
STATE OF EMERGENCY
DIRECTOR: TAREK ROEHLINGER • 12 MIN. • DRAMA • GERMANY • D.C. PREMIERE
Two soldiers in the everyday life of Paris are guarding an official building. An abandoned
bag, curious onlookers, and a crazy tramp move the situation to a climax, as the lines
between normalcy and danger disappear.
THE HOBBYIST
DIRECTOR: GEORGE VATISTAS • 9 MIN. • THRILLER • USA • D.C. PREMIERE
A neo-noir thriller centered around a mysterious druggist visited by Sangstrom, a
seemingly ordinary man in search of an undetectable poison. He winds up getting more
than he bargained for from the sagacious alchemist. Based on the 1961 short story by
Fredric Brown.
TO BREATHE FREE
DIRECTOR: DAVID BARNHART • 16 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • LOCAL FILMMAKER • USA
• D.C. PREMIERE
To Breathe Free follows the 5-year journey of a Syrian family fleeing the war in Homs to
the refugee camps in Jordan and starting a new life in Washington, D.C. Using home
movies, phone video, family photos and interviews with family members and former
refugees, this short documentary gives an intimate and unique perspective not seen in
current media reporting on the refugee crisis.
CIVIL
DIRECTOR: STEPHEN TAKASHIMA • 17 MIN. • DRAMA • USA • EAST COAST PREMIERE
A black door-to-door salesman struggles to make his first sale when he spots a
Confederate flag hanging on the wall of his potential client.
SPECIAL SHOWCASES
T
he 18 Showcases on the previous pages were designed to exhibit
the breadth and depth of short filmmaking, including a variety of
genres and styles. The Showcases on the following pages present
films in a thematic presentation with each film relating to a topic or style.
YOU’RE NOT FROM AROUND HERE CINEMA 10% (LGBTQ SHORTS)

(INTERNATIONAL SHORTS) E STREET CINEMA
E STREET CINEMA WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 12, 7:15 P.M.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 12, 7 P.M. THE WORLD IS ROUND SO THAT NOBODY
MAMARTUILE CAN HIDE IN THE CORNERS – PART I: REFUGE
DIRECTOR: LEANDRO GODDINHO • 13 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • GERMANY • D.C. PREMIERE
DIRECTOR: ALEJANDRO SAEVICH • 12 MIN. • COMEDY • MEXICO • EAST COAST PREMIERE
The journey of an African gay refugee seeking asylum in Germany.
The president of Mexico spends his final days in office making plans for his
future. Everything looks in order until an international conflict interrupts
THE PICK UP
his pleasant rest.
DIRECTOR: GIOVANNA CHESLER • 10 MIN. • COMEDY • LOCAL FILMMAKER • USA • D.C.
PREMIERE
SACRILEGE
Melanie, a teen resentful of her divorcing parents and craving independence,
DIRECTOR: CHRISTOPHE M. SABER • 15 MIN. • DRAMA • SWITZERLAND • D.C. PREMIERE
doesn’t like surprises. When Mom picks her up from swim practice and
The money has gone missing in the mosque of Saint-Etienne. Saoud, the
their trip gets derailed by a flat tire and a stranger, Melanie finds herself
gang leader, is suspected.
choosing a new road.
OPEN YOUR EYES7
DIRECTOR: ILAY MEVORAH • 14 MIN. • DRAMA • ISRAEL
LET ME DANCE (LAISSEZ-MOI DANSER)
DIRECTOR: VALÉRIE LEROY • 17 MIN. • DRAMA • FRANCE • D.C. PREMIERE
Ilana arrives for her monthly treatment at the eye clinic. Her doctor is absent
and is replaced by Dr Khoury. Ilana considers herself a liberal woman, but Mylène, 45, is a maid on a ferry boat. Tonight her colleagues are organizing
there is no chance that an Arab doctor will give her a shot in the eye. Yohai, a surprise party for her birthday. But on the gift voucher, Mylène reads her
who understands that his mother is losing her eyesight, won’t let her leave. old name, a name that she doesn’t want to see anymore — her male name.
FENCE (GARDHI) THE WORLD IS ROUND SO THAT NOBODY CAN

DIRECTOR: LENDITA ZEQIRAJ • 15 MIN. • COMEDY/DRAMA • KOSOVO • EAST COAST PREMIERE HIDE IN THE CORNERS – PART II: THE KISS
Little Genti wants a puppy. He expresses his wish at the family gathering, DIRECTOR: LEANDRO GODDINHO • 5 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • GERMANY • D.C. PREMIERE
after his friend Xeni shows at the door, with his dog friend Aja. This fires up An African refugee visits the Gay Holocaust Memorial in Berlin.
discussion among the grown ups. Ignored by grownups and despite his
mother’s disapproval, Genti joins Xeni and Aja on the street, continuing to THE RED TREE (L’ALBERO ROSSO)
DIRECTOR: PAUL ROWLEY • 20 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • IRELAND/ITALY • D.C. PREMIERE
find his new puppy-friend.
Narrated by renowned Italian actor Leo Gullotta, this short documentary
THREE PAGES (TROIS PAGES) that tells the little known history of Italian gay men being arrested and
DIRECTOR: ROGER GARIÉPY • 15 MIN. • DRAMA • CANADA • D.C. PREMIERE
exiled to a remote island during Mussolini’s Fascist regime. In the film, an
An unassuming middle-aged accountant learns he has only weeks to live. elderly man returns to the island of San Domino where 60 years before
Rather than tell everyone, he becomes determined to learn the three pages during the Fascist era he was imprisoned with hundreds of other men for
of a Bach adagio for piano he’d abandoned as a child. That accomplished, he being homosexual.
performs the piece for his wife and friends, completing his life and thanking
those who brightened it along the way.
LIFE AFTER
DIRECTOR: RIA TOBACCOWALA • 13 MIN. • DRAMA • USA
Nisha, a single mother and Indian immigrant, travels to New York City to
SHADOW BOXER (SKYGGEBOKSER)
clear out her daughter Zara’s apartment. Out of her element in the big city,
DIRECTOR: ANDREAS BØGGILD MONIES • 22 MIN. • DRAMA • DENMARK • EAST COAST
Nisha discovers surprising new details about Zara. With help from her best
PREMIERE
friend and a stranger, Nisha uncovers the truth about her daughter’s life.
Eight-year-old Luna lives alone with her mother, Isabella, 32, a professional
boxer. During an important match Isabella is badly hurt and ends up in
SPARROW
a wheelchair Luna takes on the lonely fight to encourage her mother to
DIRECTOR: WELBY INGS • 15 MIN. • DRAMA • NEW ZEALAND • D.C. PREMIERE
believe once again in becoming the fighter and mother who Luna knows,
When the truth behind a family myth is exposed, a young boy finds the
loves, and needs.
strength to stand up for himself in an unusual way.
ALL DC SHORTS FILMS ARE UNRATED AND MAY CONTAIN MATURE THEMES. SCHEDULE/FILMS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.
ANOTHER TIME, ANOTHER PLACE TEETH
DIRECTOR: THOMAS HOGBEN • 11 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • UK • U.S. PREMIERE
E STREET CINEMA Every crooked lateral incisor or overzealous premolar tells a story, and
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 12, 9 P.M. Teeth is short film exploring the relationship we have with these dental
companions and how they impact our lives. The film explores our need to
conform and our obsession with appearance in this age of the selfie, and
SCHEDULE/FILMS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. questions how far should we go to look normal.
TANIEL LITTLE FIEL

DIRECTOR: GARO BERBERIAN • 20 MIN. • DRAMA • UK/ARMENIA • U.S. PREMIERE DIRECTOR: IRINA PATKANIAN • 16 MIN. • ANIMATION/DOCUMENTARY • USA/MOZAMBIQUE
War permeates the country and mass arrests take place across the city whilst Guns are not killers. They are pieces of metal that can be reassembled into
the poet’s home is broken, his name ticked off the list never to return again — a anything, including a little boy, a bird or a rose. Just as they make them, we
casualty of the Armenian Genocide. A historical drama focusing on the damages can unmake them, one by one.
of war, both physical and emotional.
THE EDGE OF DAYBREAK
KUBRICK BY CANDLELIGHT DIRECTOR: ALIX LAMBERT • 10 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • LOCAL FILMMAKER • USA • D.C.
DIRECTOR: DAVID O’REILLY • 18 MIN. • COMEDY • IRELAND • EAST COAST PREMIERE PREMIERE
In 1973 Stanley Kubrick came to Ireland and brought the whole goddamn It doesn’t take a seasoned musician, engineer, or producer to marvel
British Army. A lighthearted romantic comedy set behind the scenes of the at The Edge of Daybreak and their sole record, Eyes of Love. Though
filming of Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon. Narrated by Brian Cox. rightly acclaimed for soulful melodies and passionate vocals, the record is
ultimately infamous for having been recorded in one take at the Powhatan
THE DRIVER IS RED Correctional Center’s recreational area by a six-inmate group, each member
DIRECTOR: RANDALL CHRISTOPHER • 15 MIN. • ANIMATION/DOCUMENTARY • USA — then serving sentences ranging between six and 60 years — whisked back
Set in Argentina 1960, this true crime documentary follows the story of to their cells as soon as they’d hit the last note on the final track.
secret agent Zvi Aharoni as he hunted down one of the highest ranking
Nazi war criminals on the run. EDWARD HOPPER & MARSHALL’S HOUSE
DIRECTOR: BOB BURNETT • 8 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • LOCAL FILMMAKER • USA
SEND US SMOKES A short visit through five generations of a family’s history, focusing on the
DIRECTOR: MICHELLE KEE • 10 MIN. • DRAMA • CANADA • D.C. PREMIERE artist, Edward Hopper, who captured their home one sunny Fall morning in
When 7-year-old Adelaide finds the care package of cigarettes she 1932. This meditative short film, presents how the concept of family and an
prepared for her father won’t be delivered to him as he serves on the front artist’s work can reach beyond the confines of a period.
lines of World War I, she decides to embark on a fantastical adventure to
take it to him herself. EMPIRE ON MAIN STREET
DIRECTOR: JESSICA CONGDON • 24 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • USA • D.C. PREMIERE
THE PECULIAR ABILITIES OF MR. MAHLER (DIE A tireless entrepreneur jump-starts the transformation of a neglected
vacation town, until her ambition pushes her to the brink.
BESONDEREN FÄHIGKEITEN DES HERRN MAHLER)
DIRECTOR: PAUL PHILIPP • 29 MIN. • DRAMA • GERMANY • D.C. PREMIERE
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- ANIMATION DOMINATION
old Henry Kiefer, missing for weeks now, before this issue leads to political E STREET CINEMA
tensions with the West. But then he brings something to light that makes
this family tragedy especially political. THURSDAY, SEPT. 13, 5 P.M.
THE REAL REEL (DOCUMENTARY SHORTS)

NEGATIVE SPACE
E STREET CINEMA DIRECTOR: MAX PORTER AND RU KUWAHATA • 6 MIN. • ANIMATION • FRANCE
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 @ 9:15 P.M. My dad taught me how to pack.
SCHEDULE/FILMS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. REVERIE
DIRECTORS: EMILY DEWOOLFSON AND KATY HANNAH • 5 MIN. • ANIMATION • LOCAL
FILMMAKER • USA • WORLD PREMIERE
THE ROAD BETWEEN US A girl dreams of the way she wishes the world could be — or perhaps the way
DIRECTORS: JOANNE FEINBERG AND KATHERINE ROSELLI • 14 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • the world already is.
USA • EAST COAST PREMIERE
A father and son bicycle 2,701 miles across America on Route 66. They WEEDS
discover that the road between them is the life path that connects. DIRECTOR: KEVIN HUDSON • 3 MIN. • COMEDY • USA • D.C. PREMIERE
A dandelion is rooted on the wrong side of the driveway in a barren yard.
OUR SONG TO WAR (NUESTRO CANTO A LA GUERRA) Across the concrete lies another yard that holds the promise of a better life.
DIRECTOR: JUANITA ONZAGA • 14 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • BELGIUM • NORTH AMERICAN While watching as its fellow weeds wither away and die, the dandelion faces
PREMIERE a decision.
Crocodile-men, a mystic river, some kids that like fishing and a war that
ends all share the same Colombian land — Bojaya. In this place, villagers
have strange beliefs and celebrate the “Novenario” death ritual.

FOR A BETTER LIFE are faced with life threatening obstacles, Bini learns that candy may not be
DIRECTOR: YASMIN MISTRY • 10 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • USA • D.C. PREMIERE the only thing of value he loses that day.
Sold for $100 at the age of 5, Fekri suffers through years of abuse before
his plight is discovered. After almost a year of hospitalization and therapy TRUE LOVE IN PUEBLO TEXTIL (AMOR VERDADERO EN
Fekri moves into a group home where he finds support, mentorship, and PUEBLO TEXTIL)
eventual forgiveness towards the family which sold him. DIRECTOR: HORATIO BALTZ • 5 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • USA/CUBA • EAST COAST PREMIERE
Nine-year-old Maribel explains to us how it feels to be stricken with the
CREATURE FROM THE LAKE world’s oldest infliction: love.
DIRECTORS: RENATA ANTUNEZ, ALEXIS BÉDUÉ, LÉA BRESCIANI, AMANDINE CANVILLE, MARIA
CASTRO RODRIGUEZ, LOGAN CLUBER, NICOLAS GRANGEAUD, CAPUCINE RAHMOUN- FAUVE
SWIERCZYNSKI, VICTOR ROUXEL, ORIANNE SICCARDI, AND MALLAURY SIMOES • 5 MIN. • DIRECTOR: JEREMY COMTE • 16 MIN. • DRAMA • CANADA • D.C. PREMIERE
FRANCE • D.C. PREMIERE Set in a surface mine, two boys sink into a seemingly innocent power game
An experienced monster hunter hero of a low-budget TV show, followed with Mother Nature as the sole observer.
by his cowardly camerawoman go to a remote lake where mysterious
disappearances tend to occur. RED VELVET (‫)تيفليف دير‬
DIRECTOR: MAHMOUD SAMIR AND YOUSSEF MAHMOUD • 15 MIN. • COMEDY/DRAMA •
TWEET-TWEET EGYPT • NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
DIRECTOR: ZHANNA BEKMAMBETOVA • 11 MIN. • RUSSIAN FEDERATION • D.C. PREMIERE When Nancy suffers from a sudden cardiac arrest in a morning, her only
Luba plays with her friend Sparrow, who doesn’t know the meaning of fear. chance of survival lies in the hands of her oblivious five-year-old son, Asser.
CAMILLE (QUAND J’AI REMPLACÉ CAMILLE) TRANSMITTER RECEIVER (ÉMETTEUR RÉCEPTEUR)

DIRECTORS: RÉMY CLARKE, LEÏLA COURTILLON, NATHAN OTAÑO • 7 MIN. • FRANCE • D.C. DIRECTOR: VINCENT WILSON • 9 MIN. • SCI-FI • CANADA • EAST COAST PREMIERE
PREMIERE In order to escape the monotony and boredom of the end of the school
A woman obsesses over a deceased swimmer she replaces in a relay race. year, a young boy fabricates a transceiver-receiver to communicate with
strangers in the sky.
NEVADA
DIRECTOR: EMILY ANN HOFFMAN • 12 MIN. • COMEDY • USA • D.C. PREMIERE ZERO GRAVITY
A young couple’s romantic weekend getaway is interrupted by a birth DIRECTOR: THOMAS VERRETTE • 17 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • USA • WORLD PREMIERE
control mishap. An 11-year-old Mexican-American girl competes in a middle-school
program to control robotic satellites aboard the International Space Station,
WEEKENDS as part of a nationwide competition to inspire marginalized youth.
DIRECTOR: TREVOR JIMENEZ • 15 MIN. • USA • D.C. PREMIERE
A young boy shuffles between the homes of his recently divorced parents. HOW TOMMY LEMENCHICK BECAME A GRADE 7 LEGEND
Surreal dream like moments mix with the domestic realities of a broken DIRECTOR: BASTIEN ALEXANDRE • 10 MIN. • COMEDY/YOUTH • CANADA • D.C. PREMIERE
up family. Ophelia is an 11-year-old girl who has never been kissed. She finds a
suitable candidate in Tommy Lemenchick, and we discover how Tommy
SPACE BUTTHOLE became a Grade 7 legend.
DIRECTOR: DAVID CHAI • 8 MIN. • COMEDY/SCI-FI • USA • D.C. PREMIERE
A warning from the deepest bowels of the galaxy. Can humanity squeeze
out a solution before it goes to pot?
ROTFLMAO (COMEDY SHORTS)
MY GRANDFATHER’S MEMORY BOOK E STREET CINEMA
DIRECTOR: COLIN LEVY • 4 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • USA • D.C. PREMIERE THURSDAY, SEPT. 13, 7 P.M.
A personal reflection about an unusual sketchbook that captures a lifetime
of memories, connecting three generations. ALL DC SHORTS FILMS ARE UNRATED AND MAY CONTAIN MATURE THEMES.
OPENING NIGHT
DIRECTOR: MARGARET BIALIS • 5 MIN. • MUSICAL/COMEDY • USA • D.C. PREMIERE MANSPREADING
A man reflects on formative conflicts from his past with optimism, humor, DIRECTOR: ABDELATIF HWIDAR • 8 MIN. • SPAIN • NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
and gratitude, with a musical twist. One hundred and sixteen seats, a crowded subway, a long distance to
travel.
FUNERAL
YOUTHFUL INDISCRETIONS DIRECTOR: LEAH SHORE • 8 MIN. • USA • D.C. PREMIERE
E STREET CINEMA When a pregnant woman delivers a convoluted speech to a gathering of
family and close friends, she must face the consequences. She then retreats
THURSDAY, SEPT. 13, 5:15 P.M. to a waiting room where the surreal meets the real by a water cooler.
SCHEDULE/FILMS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. PIETAS
DIRECTOR: ROB WATERS • 4 MIN. • USA • D.C. PREMIERE
BINI Sometimes the toughest part of your day is explaining it to a loved one.
DIRECTOR: ERBLIN NUSHI • 20 MIN. • DRAMA • LOCAL FILMMAKER • USA • NORTH
AMERICAN PREMIERE
At the outbreak of the Kosovo War, six year old Bini is only thinking about his
most prized possession, a piece of candy. When suddenly he and his family

HIATUS An artistic film illustrating the internal conflict many women, particularly
DIRECTOR: KEVIN HAEFELIN • 12 MIN. • SWITZERLAND • D.C. PREMIERE women of color, experience surrounding the topics of brains and beauty.
A philosophy teacher discusses religion in class. In the street he is confronted
with his subject matter in an unexpected way. MARGUERITE
DIRECTOR: MARIANNE FARLEY • 19 MIN. • DRAMA • CANADA • D.C. PREMIERE
HOLLY GOES TO THERAPY For several years now Marguerite, a diabetic woman in her seventies, has
DIRECTOR: CAT VENTURA • 15 MIN. • USA • EAST COAST PREMIERE been getting daily visits from Rachel, her home health nurse. In spite of
A troubled woman participates in an unconventional therapy session. her declining condition, Marguerite has been gradually emerging from
her loneliness as she experiences moments of tenderness and sensuality,
END OF THE LINE under Rachel’s care.
DIRECTOR: JESSICA SANDERS • 15 MIN. • USA • D.C. PREMIERE
A lonely man goes to the pet store and buys a tiny man in a cage and the BLACK, I AM (NEGRA SOY)
two must learn to get along, or at least co-exist. DIRECTOR: LAURA BERMÚDEZ • 13 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • HONDURAS • NORTH
AMERICAN PREMIERE
OCULUS MALUS A beautiful and touching story of the Afro-Caribbean Garífuna people in
DIRECTORS: FÉLIX BENICOURT, MAXIME BLIN, MATHIEU BOUZARD, CAMILLE BULLET, Honduras, focusing on three women and a girl who tell of their aspirations,
VALENTIN CHOTEL, ADRIEN KOTTELAT, QUENTIN MASINGARBE AND DORIAN MOUTY • 5 happiness, and being there for each other.
MIN. • ANIMATION • FRANCE • EAST COAST PREMIERE
A crazy scientist creates special glasses in order to examine some little THE LIKES AND DISLIKES OF MARJ BAGLEY
creatures that are invisible to human eyes. These creatures may just explain DIRECTOR: TAYLOR STANTON • 14 MIN. • ANIMATION/DOCUMENTARY • USA • D.C.
a good portion of our little daily annoyances. PREMIERE
In this innovative documentary, a family recreates itself using stop-motion
MY FIRST TIME animation. The film tells the lifelong struggle of Marj, the matriarch of the
DIRECTOR: JESS JACKLIN • 3 MIN. • USA • EAST COAST PREMIERE Bagley clan, battles infidelity, broken noses, dysfunctional relationships,
A unexpected comedy with an unreliable narrator, My First Time tells the giant birds, and a fateful game of cards with her grandchildren. Through a
tale of the mourning of a first love. combination of interviews and recreations, her family reflects on the legacy
of a woman who they realize they may not understand.
THAT WAS AWESOME!
DIRECTOR: ARLEN KONOPAKI • 18 MIN. • USA • WORLD PREMIERE PERIOD. END OF SENTENCE.
When a floor hockey team of adults with special needs gets pushed around DIRECTOR: RAYKA ZEHTABCHI • 25 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • INDIA
one too many times off-the-court, they decide to stand up for themselves The story of a quiet, profound revolution taking place for women in
on-the-court in the game of a lifetime. Northern India, where the stigma of menstruation limits their potential.
Without sanitary products or proper education about their bodies, millions
of girls end up missing school or dropping out entirely once they begin
EMERGENCY their periods. But in a modest room in a rural Indian village, local start to
DIRECTOR: CAREY WILLIAMS • 12 MIN. • USA • D.C. PREMIERE produce and sell thousands of pads to local women in an effort to improve
Faced with an emergency situation, a group of young black and Latino feminine hygiene.
friends carefully weigh the pros and cons of calling the police.
I AM WOMAN RIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES

E STREET CINEMA E STREET CINEMA
THURSDAY, SEPT. 13, 7:15 P.M. THURSDAY, SEPT. 13, 9 P.M.
MAMA GUNS FOUND HERE

DIRECTOR: DAVID FREID • 10 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • LOCAL FILMMAKER • USA • NORTH
DIRECTOR: NICHOLAS BRENNAN • 7 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • USA • D.C. PREMIERE
The touching story of one incredible woman who has dedicated her life to AMERICAN PREMIERE
delivering children in her village in rural Uganda. When there’s a gun crime in America, there’s only one place to go to trace
the gun back to its owner: Martinsburg, West Virginia. That’s where the
ATF’s National Tracing Center handles roughly 8,000 active traces per
ROUND TRIP (SIVUV) day — all while inside a government-mandated technology time-capsule
DIRECTOR: LOREN TRABELSI • 6 MIN. • DRAMA • ISRAEL • D.C. PREMIERE that makes searching a database of gun owners impossible. With more
A young girl becomes compromised after she accepts kindness from a gun stores in the U.S.A. than McDonalds, Starbucks, and supermarkets
stranger on a bus. combined, there’s a lot of paperwork to manually sort through. And it’s truly
a sight to behold.
BEFORE PRISON
DIRECTORS: EMILY HARGER AND OLIVIA MERRION • 8 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • USA THE AVOCADO (EL AGUACATE)
Robyn Allen’s 20-year prison sentence for trafficking drugs is far more DIRECTOR: DARWIN SERINK • 11 MIN. • COMEDY • USA • EAST COAST PREMIERE
complicated than it appears. Abuse has plagued her family, and Robyn’s After several unsuccessful attempts, Raul finally gets the courage to ask his
painful memories are just the tip of the iceberg. co-worker, Rosa, out on a date. To his surprise, she says yes, but when the
anticipated day arrives, Raul is met with an unforeseen event that changes
MINSTREL VS. PUPPET his life forever.
DIRECTOR: MARCUS AUBIN • 7 MIN. • DRAMA • USA • EAST COAST PREMIERE

OSTRICH ABEYANCE
DIRECTOR: PATRICK WALSH • 14 MIN. • DRAMA • UK • WORLD PREMIERE DIRECTOR: CHARLES BEALE • 4 MIN. • SCI-FI/HORROR • USA • EAST COAST PREMIERE
Late at night in a Westminster bar, principled junior broadsheet journalist A malfunction in the stasis system leaves a man trapped in a state of sleep
Will Hewitt meets with no-nonsense Deputy Finance Minister Pippa paralysis as he travels to colonize a distant planet: a journey destined to
Thomas for a routine interview on recent government fines imposed take twenty-seven years.
on the world’s largest banks. Their early exchanges spark fireworks as
liberal idealist grills conservative elite, but Will’s true intentions are soon WANDERING EYES
revealed as he ambushes Thomas with accusations of financial and political DIRECTOR: MAKAN TALAYEH • 15 MIN. • DRAMA/THRILLER • USA • EAST COAST PREMIERE
corruption. The lives of two seemingly disconnected couples, each with an unapologetic
cheating spouse, come together in a twisted tale of betrayal and revenge as
VIEW all four cross paths in an unexpected way.
DIRECTOR: GABRIEL GALLINDO • 15 MIN. • DRAMA/THRILLER • BRAZIL • EAST COAST
PREMIERE EVIE’S CHRISTMAS GIFT
Most famous Brazilian Youtuber is kidnapped and forced to continue DIRECTOR: DAWN FIELDS • 9 MIN. • DRAMA/HORROR • USA • D.C. PREMIERE
posting vídeos in captivity asking her fans to donate her ransom via a After the loss of her mother, Evie rebels against her father and his over-the-
crowdfunding campaign. top Christmas spirit. Evie learns a scary lesson, however, when she opens
her Christmas presents before Christmas morning.
CASEY
DIRECTOR: SHANRICA EVANS • 6 MIN. • DRAMA • USA • D.C. PREMIERE CELLS
A teenager with gender dysphoria witnesses the physical assault of a DIRECTOR: RAYMOND WOOD • 12 MIN. • THRILLER/DRAMA • USA • D.C. PREMIERE
transgender woman. When a reputable doctor finds himself being held captive by a group of
masked intruders, he struggles to understand their motives while being
STATE OF EMERGENCY forced to answer why billions of dollars go wasted each year in the name
DIRECTOR: TAREK ROEHLINGER • 12 MIN. • DRAMA • GERMANY • D.C. PREMIERE of medical research.
Two soldiers in Paris guard an official building. An abandoned bag, curious
onlookers, and a crazy tramp move the situation to its climax. The lines THE SON, THE FATHER...
between normalcy and real danger disappears. DIRECTOR: LUKAS HASSEL • 13 MIN. • HORROR/DRAMA • USA • D.C. PREMIERE
The events on a young boy’s birthday have twisted consequences far into
SIX MILES OUT his future. The script The Son, The Father is based on was a finalist in the
DIRECTOR: HOSAM ABU DAN • 11 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES • 2016 DC Shorts Film Festival and Screenplay Competition.
Gaza fishermen sail into to the Mediterranean for the night to bring in a DEJA VU (DÉJÀ VU)
catch to eat and sell, an act of bravery, since the Israeli Navy prowls nearby DIRECTOR: OLIVIER LABONTE LEMOYNE • 9 MIN. • THRILLER/HORROR • CANADA • U.S.
ready to shoot. PREMIERE
A young woman meets with her best friend in a local diner to tell him
BENEATH THE INK about the fantasy she recently accomplished. But when a mysterious man
DIRECTOR: CY DODSON • 13 MIN. • DOCUMENTARY • USA • D.C. PREMIERE enters, she is struck by a feeling of deja vu. Everything around her starts to
In a time when society’s belief systems are seemingly changing, or even resemble a nightmare she has had.
reverting in time, one Ohio tattoo artist Billy Joe White is challenging
his community by saying “bring me your mistakes.” A timely look at hate WHO DECIDES
and racism in the western foothills of the Appalachian region that reveals DIRECTOR: MYLISSA FITZSIMMONS • 8 MIN. • HORROR • USA • D.C. PREMIERE
heartfelt stories of change and redemption. Death can no longer be denied. A sick woman and a young girl engage in a
discussion about who decides when it’s your time to die.
SUN SHINE
DIRECTOR: WALKER HARE • 9 MIN. • DRAMA/COMEDY • USA • EAST COAST PREMIERE A TAXI OF COLDNESS
When an African American teenager gets a seemingly depressed white guy DIRECTOR: JOONHA KIM • 20 MIN. • DRAMA • SOUTH KOREA • D.C. PREMIERE
to open up, she discovers he’s on his way to commit a horrible act. A man rides a taxi late at night. When the taxi driver offers him chewing
gum, he remembers his mother’s “Drugged Gum” story. Then the taxi
driver says, “Did you hear about those criminal taxi drivers?” But after
THRILLS AND CHILLS repeated offers, the man accepts the gum after all.
E STREET CINEMA
THURSDAY, SEPT. 13, 9:15 P.M.
POKER NIGHT
DIRECTOR: MICHAEL THOMAS TAYLOR • 9 MIN. • COMEDY/THRILLER • USA • EAST COAST
PREMIERE
Bill always hosts poker night. It’s just kind of his thing. This time, though,
things get considerably out of hand. In a sick turn of events, friends are
pitted against one another to survive.

DC SHORTS JURY AWARDS
D
C SHORTS IS PROUD TO OFFER BOTH AUDIENCE AWARDS AND JURY AWARDS. THE
Jury is comprised of local, national, and international industry professionals. Some of
the winning films will screen in the Best Of The Fest Showcases September 15th and
16th. See page 20 for screening times and watch the website for titles.
The 2018 DC Shorts Film Festival Jury

DOCUMENTARY LOCAL FILMMAKERS
GREG BISHOP - Programmer and Content Manager at ANDRE HEREFORD
the Atlanta Film Society Contributing Editor, Metro Weekly and Programming
SEAN FLANAGAN - Writer/Producer, Magnetbox Films Co-chair, Reel Affirmations Film Festival
Show Durati
SAMANTHA STARK - Video Journalist for The New York CAROLYN HOEHNER
Times, Director Program Coordinator at the Washington Jewish Film
Festival and Washington Jewish Music Festival
U.S. NARRATIVE ARIEL LEE
JOSEPH CARR - Artist Services Director at Indie Director of Programming at the Washington West
Memphis Film Festival Film Festival
JEANNIE DONOHOE - Writer/Director of Game (Jury
Award Winner DC Shorts U.S. Narrative Competition ANIMATION
2017) AMANDA QUAID
BRIAN SPATH - St. Louis International Film Festival Director/Actor and Director of Toys (Jury Award
Narrative Shorts Programmer Winner DC Shorts Animation Competition 2017)
KEITH CARTER
INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE Director/Animator, Quality Cheese Productions
IAN HUNT DUFFY - Director/Producer at Failsafe Films SHANNON LEWIS
and Director of Gridlocked (Jury Award Winner DC Executive Producer, Passion Animation Studios
Shorts International Narrative Competition 2017)
JAMIE GRECO - Senior Programmer at Raindance Film
Festival
GREG SORVIG - Director of Film Programming at
Heartland Film
JURY AWARDS
Award for Outstanding Animated Film
Award for Outstanding U.S. Narrative Film
Award for Outstanding International Narrative Film
Award for Outstanding Documentary Film
Award for Outstanding Local Film
Award for Outstanding First-Time Filmmaker

End DC Shorts would never happen without the incredible volunteer staff of judges,
ushers, venue managers, and interns. We appreciate their dedication, positive energy,
camaraderie and fun spirit — during the festival and all year long.
Credits FESTIVAL STAFF

Kimberley Bush, Executive Director
Joe Bilancio, Director of Programming
FESTIVAL INTERNS
Adam Rarey, Programming
Marlie Austin, Programming
DC SHORTS
BOARD OF
DIRECTORS
Jasmine Bryant, Assistant Director of Programming Matthew Hao, Anne O’Leary
Raedorah Stewart, Venue Manager Filmmaker Hospitality Coordinator Carolyn Rogers
Matt Welker, Venue Manager Sam Danish, Christian Oh
Chris Rothermel, Director of Global Development (Jan.-May 2018) Filmmaker Hospitality Coordinator Dan Casey
Stephen Michael Kuster, Nataliya Zalevska
Public Relations Zhibo Lai
FILM AND SCREEN- Nouran Ragaban Emily Morrison Miranda Johnson The DC Shorts Film
PLAY REVIEWERS Patty Rhule Emma Mankey Hidem Naomi Johnson Festival is funded in
Alexander Putz Pete LaMaster Erica Ginsburg Nell Minow part by the DC Com-
Alisha Scott Rudi Rudolph Ericka Boston Odessa Ghadar mission on the Arts
Andrea Turnbough Sam Henderson Gediyon Kifle Paul Bruce and Humanities, an
Ashley Trick Shannon Madden George Andre Tittle Pierre Walcott agency supported by
Benjamin Patch Somair Feroz Heidi Nel Randy Shulman the National Endow-
Bonnie Rowan Theresa Horne Herbert Niles Rene Caitlin Campbell ment for the Arts.
Candace Brenner Thomas Rondinella Huda Asfour Rong Wang
Carlos A.Sanchez Vicki Steinwurtzel Jacob Crawford Sarah Cohen DC Shorts is a
Cheryl Wiggins Jeff Gray Scott Brooks non-profit organiza-
Daphne Macy SPECIAL THANKS Jenna Nicole Salmon Shamia Holloway tion that serves and
David Joyner Alex Kogan Jiho Sohn Steffanie Finn strengthens the media
Diane Murdock Alexis Rodriguez Jo-Ann Neuhouse Sonny Izon arts in the greater
Duygu Eruçman Amy Austin Jody Kilbasa Sylvia Blume Washington, D.C. area.
Elise Gurney Angie Gates John Mason Tanya Hilton More information at
Erin Fowler Anglatette Glymph John Parker The Team at The Lofts dcshorts.com
Evy Barry Anthony Green John Wang At 600 F
Grace Choi April Mandell Juliet Main The Team At IPitch ARE YOU A FILM-
Gwen Petty Ariel Lee Kala Guess Todd Franson MAKER OR WRITER?
Irelene Ricks Arlene Kaminsky Kaylinn Solazzo Tony Tribby Get ready to enter
Jeffrey Simpson Brenna O;Malley Kenneth Davis Tracie Hovey your film or script for
Kat Cooper Cassandra Mil Keyonna Jones-Lind- Zachary Poli DC Shorts 2019. Visit
Kenyatta Skyles Chris Garlock say Zhibo Lai our website dcshorts.
Kimberly Sapre Chris Huntley Kyle Bragg com in January 2019
Krystle Kline Christian Oh Lela Singh Festival website for rules and special
Lenore Yaffee Garcia Cori Dioqino Liz Rubando developed by Patrick early-bird entry dis-
Leslie Kenna Dara Sanders Luke Crowe Calder, The Design counts. Who knows?
Malikkah Rollins David Rorabaugh Marga Varea Foundry You might have your
Mansoor Ahmed Dee Sanae Maria Akay project enjoyed by
Marlie Austin Dewey Tron Marshall Nord Festival Marketing hundreds of people
Megan King Dylan Frayser Maura Mazurowski and PR by Peter next September!
Michelle Mangano Echo Xie Melissa Bisagni Morgan, Morgan Ink.
Nicole Bryant Elena Moscatt Melissa Houghton Marketing, LLC
Nina Lescher Emily Aguilar Mike Panfeld

Festival at a Glance
E Street Cinema E Street Cinema Miracle Theatre Other Locations
Theater A Theater B (see page 14)
Thurs., 9/6 7:00 Filmmaker Welcome

Reception
12:00 Workshop: Screenwriting 7:00 Showcase 2

2:00 Workshop: Sound 9:30 Showcase 4
Fri., 9/7
4:00 Workshop: Directing
6:30 Showcase 1
9:00 Showcase 3
Sat., 9/8 11:00 Showcase 5 11:30 Showcase 6

1:30 Showcase 7 2:00 Showcase 8 7:00pm City View Party
4:00 Showcase 9 4:30 Showcase 10

Sun., 9/9
2:30 Showcase 17 3:00 Showcase 18 11:00 Filmmaker
5:00 Showcase 1 5:30 Showcase 2 Awards Brunch

Mon., 9/10
9:00 Showcase 9
9:15 Showcase 10
Tues., 9/11 5:00 Showcase 11 5:15 Showcase 12

Wed., 9/12 5:00 Showcase 17 5:15 Showcase 18

7:00 You Are Not From Around Here 7:15 Cinema 10%
9:00 Another Time And Place 9:15 The Real Reel
5:00 Animation Domination 5:15 Youthful Indiscretions

Thurs., 9/13
7:00 ROTFLMAO (Comedy Shorts) 7:15 I Am Woman
9:00 Ripped From The Headlines 9:15 Thrills And Chills
Fri., 9/14 10:00 Screenplay Auditions 7:00 Screenplay Competition

8:30 Screenplay Reception
Sat., 9/15 8:00 Best of DC Shorts -

Show A
10:00 Best of DC Shorts -
Show B

Show A
Sun., 9/16 6:00 Best of DC Shorts -
Show B
Show A

DC Shorts Guide 2018

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DCSHORTS

THE 2018 DC SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL GUIDE

4 DC Shorts Film Festival 2018

DC Shorts Film Festival 2018 7

8 DC Shorts Film Festival 2018

DC Shorts Film Festival 2018 9

Q&A Lunch Show

14 DC Shorts Film Festival 2018

Each showcase runs approximately 90 minutes, and includes

BUY AT THE VENUE TICKETING POLICIES

16 DC Shorts Film Festival 2018

OUR PROGRAMS COLLABORATIVE IMPACT: DC Film Alliance works closely

DC Shorts Film Festival 2018 19

ONLY $30 (plus online service charge)

Q&A Lunch Show W

ALL ACCESS WORKSHOP

22 DC Shorts Film Festival 2018

CITY VIEW PARTY

DC Shorts welcomes our filmmakers and pass holders to our annual

DC Shorts Film Festival 2018 23

SOUND FOR INDIES:

DC Shorts Film Festival 2018 25

26 DC Shorts Film Festival 2018

28 DC Shorts Film Festival 2018

GUNS FOUND HERE

MINSTREL VS. PUPPET

THE DRIVER IS RED

DC Shorts Film Festival 2018 29

FOR A BETTER LIFE

A BEAUTIFUL VILLAIN’S GREED

THREE PAGES (TROIS PAGES)

30 DC Shorts Film Festival 2018

EMPIRE ON MAIN STREET

DC Shorts Film Festival 2018 31

EDWARD HOPPER & MARSHALL’S HOUSE

SHADOW BOXER (SKYGGEBOKSER)

DICKY & FLO

THE AVOCADO (EL AGUACATE)

32 DC Shorts Film Festival 2018

SIX MILES OUT

CREATURE FROM THE LAKE

DC Shorts Film Festival 2018 33

THE LESSON (LA LECCIÓN)

THE RED TREE (L’ALBERO ROSSO)

ROUND TRIP (SIVUV)

THAT WAS AWESOME!

TRUE LOVE IN PUEBLO TEXTIL (AMOR VERDADERO EN PUEBLO TEXTIL)

THE LIKES AND DISLIKES OF MARJ BAGLEY

THE SON, THE FATHER…

THE EDGE OF DAYBREAK

TRANSMITTER RECEIVER (ÉMETTEUR RÉCEPTEUR)

THE UNDERTAKER’S SON

A LIFE LIKE THIS

36 DC Shorts Film Festival 2018

LET ME DANCE (LAISSEZ-MOI DANSER)

OPEN YOUR EYES

MY GRANDFATHER’S MEMORY BOOK

THE PECULIAR ABILITIES OF MR. MAHLER

DC Shorts Film Festival 2018 37

REMEMBERING PORT CHICAGO

DIAPERS FROM MELQUIADES (PAÑALES PARA

OUR SONG TO WAR (NUESTRO CANTO A LA GUERRA)

THE WORLD IS ROUND SO THAT NOBODY CAN HIDE IN THE

THE WORLD IS ROUND SO THAT NOBODY CAN HIDE IN THE