OCT 23 - NOV 1 WATCH.NFFTY.ORG
did u hear?! NFFTY is online this year!
yessss!!
FESTIVAL PROGRAM GUIDE
WELCOME TO NFFTY ONLINE
welcome to our first virtual festival ever
We did not wish to see such times. But in the words of a wise old wizard, all we can do is decide what to do with the time we’ve been given. NFFTY has decided to do much with that time, and while we’ve been pivoting our festival plans since the world came to a halt back in March, we’ve managed to program our biggest and boldest festival ever. The silver lining in learning how to adapt a film festival while physical gatherings in theaters remained banned here at NFFTY HQ in Seattle, is that you can reimagine what an inclusive festival can look like. For the first time, we’ve been able to work to include participation opportunities for every single filmmaker from around the world, without the constraints of travel and schedule. We hope to see and hear from all 234 official selections over the course of our 10-day festival. We’ve significantly lowered the cost of tickets and passes, and you also have the opportunity to see more than was ever possible at our 4-day physical festival. And we’re especially excited about our special guest presenters at keynotes and workshops! This is in so many ways our best edition yet, and we’re so excited to share it with you. Cheers to all of the amazing filmmakers who have shown such creative resilience while the industry has been upended. If anybody can chart the course forward in this brave new world, it’s the NFFTY community! Stay safe until we can gather together again, Dan Hudson NFFTY Executive Director
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we hope u enjoy
2020 SPONSORS PLATNUM
GOLD
SILVER
BRONZE
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2020 SPONSORS PRODUCING PARTNERS
PROGRAM PARTNERS
FUNDERS
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VIRTUAL FESTIVAL HOW-TO WATCHING AN ON-DEMAND SCREENING HOW DO I ATTEND THE FESTIVAL? You can attend all the screenings and events scheduled for this year’s NFFTY on our virtual platform by purchasing an All-Access Pass, or with an individual ticket purchase. An All-Access Pass is the easiest and most cost effective way to explore everything NFFTY has to offer! All-Access Pass ($75) All-Access Youth Pass ($60)
SUGGESTED TICKET PRICES
All individual tickets are on a “Pay-What-You-Can” sliding scale, starting at $5 below the suggested price. If you are planning to watch more than a couple on-demand screenings or events, we recommend buying an all-access pass. Tickets are all available directly on our virtual festival site. If you are able to pay more than the suggested price, your additional contribution supports access for those who cannot! If more than one person will be watching a screening or event, additional contributions are encouraged but not required. NFFTY is a 501c3 nonprofit and relies on the generosity of our festival attendees to produce this and other events. Visit watch.nffty.org to see the full virtual catalog, including all on-demand screenings and live events. To view a list of all the films playing this year, and find out which screening they are playing in, visit our Festival Guide at nffty.org/festival-2020. All On-Demand Screenings will open on October 23, when the festival officially begins at 5:30 PM PT. Live events are scheduled throughout the festival, and will become available for on-demand viewing within 48 hours of the livestream.
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To access any of our on-demand screenings starting October 23,
simply “unlock” the screening of your choice with your all-access pass, or purchase a ticket for
that specific screening. Passes are good for one unlock per
screening. Once a screening is
unlocked, you will have five days
to begin watching, and 48 hours to complete watching once you have pressed play.
Opening Night, Centerpiece and Closing Night are our Showcase Screenings, and have a limited viewing window and audience capacity. In order to reserve a
virtual seat, you’ll want to unlock these screenings in advance
with a pass or ticket! Watching these Showcases live is highly
recommended, and will be your chance to see the Q&A with the filmmakers. The films will also
be available on-demand for two days following (or prior to) the Watchparty.
RED CARPET LIVESTREAM
Join us ahead of the Opening
Night Showcase for a virtual red
carpet experience! Check out this
PARTICIPATE IN A WATCHPARTY
year’s filmmakers as they show off
A Watchparty is an opportunity to view a screening
their best looks. Plus, check out
some of the energy of attending a screening in person!
exciting interviews!
our Instagram Live feed for some
simultaneously with other audience members, and recreate The screening will be streamed live at the set time, and a
live Q&A with filmmakers will follow. You can interact with
fellow audience members using the chat feature, and can ask
questions during the Q&A portion! To attend, you will need to unlock the event with your pass or ticket, and then you simply
log in at the specified time. In order to participate in the chat or Q&A feature, you will need to be logged in on a computer or tablet, even if you are watching on your smart TV.
versions that are available starting on October 23. You are able to watch these screenings anytime, but the Q&A element will happen live, and may not be available on these screenings until 48 hours after the Watchparty.
There will be one Audience Award selected from each
selecting “Favorite Film” on the film you most enjoyed in each vote, even if you are watching from a smart TV. Be sure you
close out the festival with an awards presentation! Special guests will of categories, including the Jury
Awards and Audience Awards for every screening!
HAVE QUESTIONS OR NEED HELP DURING THE FESTIVAL?
VOTING FOR AUDIENCE AWARD WINNERS
screening. You will need to be on the computer in order to
Join us back on Facebook Live to
be presenting awards in a variety
Some of the Watchparty screenings also have on-demand
screening in the festival. You can vote for this award by
VIEWING THE AWARDS CEREMONY
Check out our extensive Festival
FAQ for more answers to common questions!
only vote for one film per screening!
LINK TO FESTIVAL Read this to get prepared for the best NFFTY 2020 experience !
#NFFTY2020!!!
WATCH.NFFTY.ORG
NFFTY staff members will be available to assist you October 23 - November 1, 9am - 9pm PT: info@nffty.org (401) 375-9836
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CREW-NECK SWEATSHIRT $36
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TOTE BAG $20
Back to school? More like back to COOL. Put the “swag” in the swag bag!
CLASSIC TEE $24
This year’s fun throwback design will be a worthy addition to your ever-growing NFFTY t-shirt collection. And it makes for a cozy work, sleep, live from home addition to your wardrobe. 8
You’ll be so stylish!
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14TH ANNUAL NFFTY NARRATIVE
GIULIA GANDINI
KELLY O’SULLIVAN
MARBELLE
MIKA KIMOTO
QUINN SHEPHARD
SEAN WEINER
PHILLIP YOUMANS
ALEXANDRE O. PHILLIPE
ROB MUNDAY
MEREDITH LAVITT
RAHUL ROY
ESY CASEY
RANA SAN
ANDREW CHESWORTH
SIQI SONG
ALEKS DMITRIJEVIC
NFFTY ‘18 & ‘19
NARRATIVE (STUDENT)
GISELLE BONILLA NFFTY ‘19
DOCUMENTARY
SEAN WANG NFFTY ‘17 & ‘18
DOCUMENTARY (STUDENT)
BRENDAN HALL NFFTY ‘18
ANIMATION
OLIVIA PECINI NFFTY ‘17
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JURY MEMBERS ANIMATION (STUDENT)
CAMRUS JOHNSON
KELLY GALLAGHER
JONATHAN KEASEY
DANNY MADDEN
EMILY WOODBURNE
DEBORAH GIRDWOOD
LESLIE RAYMOND
LAUREN PONTO
MEGHAN ORETSKY
DAVID DINNELL
DREA CLARK
DOUG KLINGER
DANIELLE HINDE
MATTHEW PELFREY
JASON CAHILL
NFFTY ‘19
EXPERIMENTAL
TALIA SHEA LEVIN NFFTY ‘18
EXPERIMENTAL (STUDENT)
JUDY K SUH NFFTY ‘14 & ‘16
MUSIC VIDEO
TIM HENDRIX NFFTY ‘12-’17
STORY STARTS HERE
REBEKAH COVINGTON
MATTHEW IRVING EPSTEIN
NFFTY ‘19
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JURY NOMINATED SCREENPLAYS AND FILMS BEST NARRATIVE SHORT BABYDYKE
Tone Ottilie - 24 Denmark
FROM THE TOP
Neal Mulani - 23, Fiona Kida - 21, Angelina Feronti - 22 California
GOD IS A LOBSTER
Joji Baratelli - 20, Grace Gallagher - 19, Chelsea Eisen - 20, Brian Niles - 20 California
NUMBER 2
Cal J.T. Moreno - 21, Francisco Serna - 21 California
PARTNERS IN CRIME Kerry LeVielle - 24 New York
PRACTICE
Moira Fett - 23, Kerry Levielle - 24, Lucy Adams - 24 New York
SI
Thomas Kim - 19, Will Noyce - 19, Ashley Chu - 24 Massachusetts
SOFT
Daniel Antebi - 23, Matthew Ballard - 24, Reid Hannaford - 23 New York
WILLY GOES WAY BACK!
Ryan Wagner - 24, Reef Oldberg - 24, Jillian Dudley - 24 California
BEST NARRATIVE (STUDENT) DOWNS OF THE DEAD
Even Husby Grødahl - 23, Jesper Breen Frilseth - 23, August Jordfald - 24, Petter Brenni Gulbrandsen - 24 Norway
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GHAZAAL
MR. WILD
MILK TEETH
STANDING ABOVE THE CLOUDS
MISFITS
TO KNOW HER
Ragini Bhasin - 23 California Felipe Vargas - 21, Jamie McNeill - 21, Brendan Bennett - 21 California Ciani Rey Walker - 21, Alexa Cha - 22, Jerry Hu - 22 California
PEEPS
Sophie Somerville - 24 Australia
THE STAMP
Lovro Mrđen - 24 Croatia
THE CLOUD IS STILL THERE Mickey Lai - 24, Lim Fang Yin - 24 Malaysia
THE MOOD IN THE UNITED STATES TODAY
Caleb Wild - 21 Florida Jalena Keane-Lee - 24, Amber EspinosaJones - 24 Hawaii Natalie A. Chao - 24 Hong Kong
WASH DAY
Kourtney Jackson - 22 Canada
YVES & VARIATION Lydia Cornett - 24 Maryland
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT (STUDENT) FOLLOW THE SUN JoeBill Muñoz - 23 California
Ward Kamel - 20, Adrian Lausell - 21, Aditya Mayya - 21 New York
IN HER CORNER
ZOE AND HANH
JOYCHILD
Emma Cataldo - 21, Nidhi Kulkarni - 24 California
Kim Tran - 24, Erin Miller - 23, Mariana Gonzalez - 24, Michael Juarez - 24 Texas
Aurora Brachman - 24 California
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Carol Nguyen - 22 Canada
A SYRIAN WOMAN
Khawla Al Hammouri - 24 Jordan
IN-BETWEEN(S)
Anissa Amalia - 24, Heather Garcia - 23, Ben Cher - 24 California
MIZUKO
Kira Dane - 24, Katelyn Rebelo - 24 New York
NO CRYING AT THE DINNER TABLE
UNFAMILIAR FIELDS Charles Duquet - 22 Canada
YOU KNOW THE DRILL
McKinleigh Lair - 23, Josh Jacobius - 23, Olivia Forker - 22 Oklahoma
YOUR FRIEND, RANGER DOUG Claire Jantzen - 20, Sara Nell - 20, Kayla Borkovec - 21, Celine Francois - 21 California
BEST ANIMATED SHORT ONLY THE MOON Maya Cueva - 24 California
PERFECT.
Daniel Epega - 16 Texas
THIS DARK THOUGHT
Kris Theorin - 21, Nik Theorin - 21, Kurtis Theorin - 24 Pennsylvania
TO THE HIGHEST POINT NEAR THE SUN Morning M. Wu - 24 California
BEST EXPERIMENTAL SHORT
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
ASTONISHING HORIZON!
CHONG THE NOMAD - TWO COLORS
Mar Sudac - 24, Adam Hersko - 23 California
Leo Pfeifer - 22 California
FACE TO FACE
CLAUD - JUST TO FORGET
Christian Krantz - 22 Oregon
Christina Xing - 20, Shane Bagwell - 20 California
FLORES DENTRO (FLOWERS WITHIN)
COBALT
Catalina Loret - 23, Gabriela Ortega - 23, Vicente Manzano - 23, Morning Wu - 23 California
Jenny Wang - 21, Jesse Moldovsky - 19, Farah Jabir - 21 New York
DON DIABLO X ELDZHEY | UFO
Ronan Mackenzie - 22, Callum Kilgarriff - 22 United Kingdom
Felix Umarov - 24, Nikita Gorodnichenko - 23 Russia
Anna Chwal - 24, Lola de Tommaso - 24, Quentin Brière - 23 Poland/France
LAIRS
JEREMY STERN - BHC
WHAT WE SEE IN THE CLOUDS
LOOPY
Barb Hoffman - 21 Washington
Max Cianci - 23, Anthony Peduzzi - 24 Pennsylvania
BEST ANIMATED SHORT (STUDENT)
BEST EXPERIMENTAL SHORT (STUDENT)
TOBOGGAN - SOUVENIRS CARÏBES
CIERVO
Pilar Garcia-Fernandezsesma - 21 Rhode Island
I NEVER PICKED COTTON
Hanna Adams, Cole Bacani, Max Edmeier, Dariel Filomeno, Alexandra Gottlieb, NamQuyen “Q” Le, Yolanda Morgan, Victoria Perez, Benjamin Ragasa, Josie Stocks, John Stover, Jinghan Tian California
KNIFE HANGING FROM A TREE Jihee Nam - 24 California
IT’S RAINING, IT’S POURING
Emma Penaz Eisner - 17 California
CHILDREN PLAY WITH FIRE
Sam Aidan Johnson - 19, Jakari Thompson 18, Vincent Prochoroff - 21, Gerry Kenah - 20 Illinois
FACADES
Gregory Alexander Foltynowicz - 21, Alexander Baker - 21 California
MY HEART IS ERASING
Joshua Ben-Dylan - 21, Dalton Harrod - 22, Ruby Rose Makkena - 21 New York
RUN AWAY, THEY’LL SEE US!
Jeremy Schaefer - 22 Kentucky
Ryan Henry Knight - 20, Shantel Lankford - 20, Ahab Mullick - 19, Nicholas Jensen - 20 Georgia
THE KITCHLETS
TENDER HEARTS
THE BOX ASSASSIN
Clarisse Chua - 24 California
Lauren Jevnikar - 21 New York
TUNA
THERE WERE FOUR OF US
風不太冷 IN PASSING
TO THE GIRL THAT LOOKS LIKE ME
Cliona Noonan - 22, Cian Hughes - 23 Ireland Esther Cheung - 21 Canada
THE PEACH SCARF Del Sego - 22 Illinois
Cassie Shao - 24 California
Ewurakua Dawson-Amoah - 21, Farah Jabir 21, Adrian Sobrado - 19 New York
WAITING
Moira Fett - 24 New York
NEZZA - CORAZON FRIO
Lindsay Sunada - 23, Jensen Vinca -23, Harley Astorga - 23 California
NOTHING’S REAL
William Lancaster - 20, Grace Gallagher - 18, Izzy Cassandra-Newsam - 20, Sofia Wolfson - 19 California
RAINY DAY
John Chigas - 22, Breanne Wilhite - 18, Jessica Harper - 19, Cassandra Cavanaugh - 20 California
BEST PILOT SUNSHINE ROOM Tiffany Lin - 21 California
LUCY THE NONBELIEVER
Liv Coron - 20, Emmy St. Pierre - 20 California
THE NARNIE
Georgina Cahill - 22 California
BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY OUT THE POT
Nifemi Madarikan - 24 Washington
SOME OTHER PLACE Solstice Harris - 22 Utah
SWEETIE
Christl Stringer - 24 New Jersey
Sayna Fardaraghi - 20, Amber Bardell - 20, Maryam Hassan Ali - 20, René Andrade - 21; United Kingdom
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LIVE EVENT SCHEDULE ALL EVENTS IN PACIFIC TIME ZONE (PT) FRIDAY OCT 23
SUNDAY OCT 25
4PM Virtual Red Carpet
4PM Stock Footage Challenge Watchparty w/Live Q&A 6PM Call Your Mother Watchparty Live w/Live Q&A
MONDAY OCT 26 OPENING NIGHT SHOWCASE WATCHPARTY W/LIVE Q&A OCT 23 5:30pm
We’re kicking off NFFTY’s first ever virtual
festival with an outstanding lineup of some
9AM Seed&Spark Distribution Down Low Workshop 3PM Story Starts Here Live Table Read Pt 1
of the best emerging filmmakers out there.
6PM Story Starts Here Live Table Read Pt 2
world and uncover intriguing new talents and
TUESDAY OCT 27
Come of age with characters from around the tunes. A selection of inspirational stories and indomitable spirits are on display -- a proper preview of what you can experience in the next ten days!
3PM Panel: After the Festival Circuit is Over 6PM Keynote: Carlos Lópes Estrada
WEDNESDAY OCT 28 SATURDAY OCT 24
3PM Workshop: Remote Collaboration with
4PM Keynote: Jim Cummings
Davinci Resolve
7PM Saturday Night Shorts Watchparty w/Live Q&A
5PM Happy Hours Shorts Watchparty w/Live Q&A
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THURSDAY OCT 29
6:30PM Costume/Mask Contest
3PM Workshop: How to Make it Work Where You Are
7PM Thrills & Chills Watchparty w/Live Q&A
FRIDAY OCT 30
SUNDAY NOV 1 10AM Salient Simulations Watchparty w/Live Q&A 1PM Panel: Future of the Industry
CENTERPIECE WATCHPARTY W/LIVE Q&A
5PM Awards Ceremony Livestream
OCT 29 5:00pm
If NFFTY was a solar system, this screening
would be the sun! At the center of it all, these films burn bright, depicting emotional truth
and sharing stunning stories. A breathtaking meteor shower of shorts, join us live as we celebrate some of the most magnificent movies in the Milky Way.
CLOSING NIGHT: WHAT DO YOU STAND FOR? WATCHPARTY W/LIVE Q&A NOV 1 3:00pm
Now more than ever, we need stories that
will shape our future. Experience this lineup of unflinchingly truthful films, and let these filmmakers’ voices resonate with you and
propel you forward. As we bring NFFTY 2020 to a close, we hope leave with hope for the
future and confidence that we’ll be okay -- if
3PM Workshop: Shooting Microdocs on Smartphone
we listen to the next generation.
7PM All Hours Absurdity Watchparty w/Live Q&A
SATURDAY OCT 31 10AM Beyond the Veil: New Frontiers in Genre Filmmaking 12PM Scan|Design Masterclass 2PM Alexandre Phillipe Masterclass 15
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WORKSHOPS, PANELS & KEYNOTES KEYNOTE: PUSHING BOUNDARIES: SEIZING THE MEANS OF PRODUCTION WITH JIM CUMMINGS Saturday, October 24 4pm PT
Award-winning quadruple-threat Jim Cummings joins us to share his experience on navigating the industry as an independent filmmaker from idea inception to dynamic distribution. He’ll give his expertise for each step of the process, whether you’re making a short, a feature, or a short-to-feature. Having found success himself on an untraditional path, Jim will shed a light on the realities and limitless possibilities of “doing it yourself.” Followed by a Q&A moderated by NFFTY alum Anna Baumgarten, a Short to Feature Lab Fellow whose short film Disfluency (NFFTY ‘18) is being developed into a feature film to be released in 2021.
WORKSHOP: DISTRIBUTION DOWN LOW Presented by Seed&Spark Monday, October 26 9am PT
Distribution is one of the most mysterious and misunderstood topics for independent creators. Join us as we break down the current landscape of distribution for independent film and TV, including the economics of different avenues to take, the right questions to ask potential partners, and what needs to be done from pre-production through post-production to set yourself up for success.
STORY STARTS HERE TABLE READ Presented by Point Park University Monday, October 26 Part 1: 3-5pm Part 2: 6-8pm PT
Hear all of the finalist scripts from our Story Starts Here Competition read aloud in their entirety! Three pilots and three shorts - six yet-to-be-made projects that you could be the first to witness! Tune in at the awards ceremony Nov 1st to learn which scripts win a jury prize!
PANEL: AFTER THE FESTIVAL CIRCUIT IS OVER Tuesday, October 27 3pm PT
Join this illustrious panel of industry professionals for a discussion on how to get your short film distributed once you’ve done the rounds at awesome festivals like NFFTY! How do you leverage your internet premiere for maximum exposure and/or revenue? Find out from our panelists Sophie Carroll (DUST), Bri Castellini (Seed&Spark), Jason Sondhi (Short of the Week), and MarBelle (Director’s Notes).
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MORE WORKSHOPS, PANELS &KEYNOTES KEYNOTE: AN EVENING WITH CARLOS LÓPEZ ESTRADA Tuesday, October 27 6pm PT
Join us for a moderated Q&A as a NFFTY alumnus guides us through highlights from Carlos López Estrada’s esteemed career, and Carlos fields questions from emerging filmmakers on his process and shares industry pro tips. Carlos’s debut film, BLINDSPOTTING, premiered opening night at Sundance 2018 and subsequently sold to Lionsgate for a theatrical release. The film was produced by Snoot Entertainment and stars Daveed Diggs. Carlos was selected for Variety’s 10 Directors to Watch for 2018 List and was recently nominated by the DGA for Outstanding Directorial Achievement of a First-Time Feature Film Director for 2018. Carlos is also a prolific music video/commercial director and a founding partner of the multi-disciplined production studio, Little Ugly. He’s worked with musicians such as Billie Eilish, Father John Misty, Thundercat and Flying Lotus, Carly Rae Jepsen, Capital Cities, Clipping and Passion Pit.
WORKSHOP: HOW TO MAKE IT WORK WHERE YOU ARE Thursday, October 29 3pm PT
Join filmmaker Danny Madden (Beast Beast, Sundance & SXSW 2020) as he shares his tips and tricks on how to bring your best ideas to fruition with whatever resources you’re working with. From super low-budget filmmaking to working with new talent, tune in for inspiration on how to step up your game by making the most with what you already have!
WORKSHOP: SHOOTING SOCIAL MEDIA MICRO DOCS ON YOUR SMARTPHONE Presented by New York Film Academy Friday, October 30 3pm PT
In this workshop, you will be introduced to the art of creating cutting-edge Micro Docs for social media distribution. These 1-5 minute mini-documentaries have become some of the most powerful and popular media available, reaching more people and having a bigger impact than most Hollywood movies. And they can frequently be shot using the camera in your smartphone. Filmmaker and NYFA Documentary Filmmaking Chair, Andrea Swift, and Academy Award nominated cinematographer and NYFA Documentary Cinematography professor, Claudia Raschke, will introduce the key concepts and demonstrate smartphone cinematography techniques for two types of shoots commonly used in micro docs.
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PANEL: BEYOND THE VEIL: NEW FRONTIERS IN GENRE FILMMAKING Saturday, October 31 10am PT
Digital media expert Anna Levine (DUST) leads a conversation of NFFTY alumni Gigi Saul Guerrero, Noah Wagner, Lizz Marshall, and Austin S. Harris as they discuss their work pushing the boundaries of genre filmmaking.
MASTERCLASS: PAINTING IN TIME Presented by SCAN|DESIGN Saturday, October 31 12pm PT
Similar to real life, the complex villains of Isabella Eklöf’s films are both attractive and repulsive at the same time, but what is the key to casting and working successfully with actors? In this Masterclass, the Danish director and former NFFTY award-winner Lin Alluna talks to the awardwinning Swedish director and scriptwriter Isabella Eklöf, who dares to have fun with her art, while ruthlessly using her personal experience as honest inspiration for her unusual films.
MASTERCLASS: ALEXANDRE O. PHILLIPE PRESENTS “MONSTERS AND METAPHORS” Saturday, October 31 2pm PT
The horror genre, arguably more than any other, has had the space to do bold things -- to be transgressive, and leave an indelible mark on the medium of film. Horror can also explore difficult or even unspeakable subjects, and move audiences through powerfully visceral and metaphorical imagery. Known for pulling back the curtain on the scariest moments in film, 3-time Sundance Film Festival alum Alexandre O. Philippe explores the history of horror, the importance of the genre, and why monsters make excellent metaphors – with a focus on Psycho, Alien, and The Exorcist.
PANEL: FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY Sunday, November 1 1pm PT
We’ve heard it said that the youth are the future, so who better to divine what’s next for the film industry than this panel of NFFTY alumni? An honest and open discussion with the participant filmmakers, we will hear what moves they’re making and what artistic and career insecurity they are facing in our new reality. Join us as we close out NFFTY 2020 with this forum for sharing best practices and recovery tactics, and figuring out which short term pivots will turn into long term changes post-pandemic.
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STOCK FOOTAGE CHALLENGE The NFFTY 2020 Stock Footage Challenge was developed this year as a safe and engaging alternative to our classic 48-Hour Film Off event. Beyond just high school media programs, this year we opened the challenge to non-profit media arts programs serving high-school age youth. Here is the list of participating schools/ organizations: The Chicago High School for the Arts St. Margaret’s Episcopal School NOVAC Born Digital Youth Media Program The Stony Brook School Episcopal High School
Mount Si High School
Seattle Academy
Barrington High School
Marysville High School
Westlake High School
Burnaby High School
Chaminade College Preparatory
Tahoma Senior High School
Wicomico High School
Canyon Crest Academy
Mountain View High School
Using nothing but the provided libraries of stock footage and production music, the challenge was to create a short film that shared the theme of our Closing Night showcase, “What do you stand for?” The film could be a PSA, a short news segment, or anything else the filmmakers wanted, but it needed to focus on specific, current social justice or political issues that directly impact the filmmakers and their community. Thanks to the generosity of our partners at Audiosocket, we are pleased to offer the following awards and prizes for this challenge: First Place - $1,000 cash to the winning film program + Audiosocket Annual School Package ($2,500 value) + One-year Individual Subscriptions to Audiosocket for winning team members Second Place - Six-month Individual Subscriptions to Audiosocket for winning team members Third Place - Three-month Individual Subscriptions to Audiosocket for winning team members
YOU CAN VOTE FOR THE WINNING FILM!
Check out the screening block anytime on Eventive, or tune in to the live watch party on Sunday, October 25, 4pm PT
Watch and Vote!
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VIRTUAL FILMMAKER SUMMIT SATURDAY OCTOBER 24 + SUNDAY OCTOBER 25
Filmmaker Exclusive! Join us on Airmeet for the first weekend of the festival for an allvirtual conference. Get to know your fellow filmmakers through networking activities, and participate in workshops and roundtable discussions. Registration information emailed directly to participating filmmakers. We look forward to seeing you there!
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24 TAKING THE LEAP: MAKING YOUR FIRST FEATURE
9am PT Are you interested in taking the plunge into feature filmmaking? A panel of NFFTY alumni experts - both those who have completed a first feature and those who are in the midst of the process - are here to talk you through their experiences! While the short to feature jump may seem daunting, you’re bound to get a strong start after absorbing all of the invaluable advice of these fine folks!
SO YOU WANNA MAKE MUSIC VIDEOS?
10am PT Join NFFTY alumni and other top pros as they discuss the state of the industry, what record labels and artists are looking for in video pitches, how to leverage working in music videos to get other commercial work, should you freelance solo or sign with an agency, and all the other ins and outs.
GETTING YOUR STUFF MADE: FROM SCREENWRITING TO PRODUCING
1pm PT Screenwriter and producer Sev Ohanian overviews his career and move from journalism to entertainment. He details rising up as an independent producer, writing his own material, and seeing everything through to release. From co-producing FRUITVALE STATION to writing and producing SEARCHING to executive producing SPACE JAM 2, he’ll go over the tips of the trade that got him where he is today.
ALUMNI PRESENTATION 2pm PT 22
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25 HOW TO SURVIVE (AND THRIVE) AS A FREELANCE FILMMAKER
9am PT This NFFTY alumni-led workshop will discuss ways to navigate life as a freelance filmmaker including how to negotiate prices and fees, how to build connections, and finding ways to create and maintain financial stability.
FELLOWSHIPS, GRANTS, AND ARTIST SUPPORT: HOW TO LEVERAGE YOUR AGE AND TALENT
10am PT Beyond film school, festivals, blogs, and video tutorials...what other resources are out there to help get you to the next level? Hear from NFFTY filmmakers who have been awarded grants, fellowships, and participated in programs specifically designed with developing young artists in mind. You can also talk directly to representatives from some of these programs at the Virtual Table Fair immediately following!
STUDENT FILMMAKING, ARTISTIC IDENTITY, AND RESILIENCE 1pm PT
Presented by Interlochen Center for the Arts Join us for a provocative conversation about artistic identity and filmmaking featuring Michael Mittelstaedt, Division Director of Film and New Media at Interlochen Center for the Arts. Attendees will learn to curate their key influences and develop their artistic identities in order to better access their creative ideas in visual storytelling.
WHY DOES THE HERO’S JOURNEY WORK? 2pm PT
Presented by Hussian College Beneath the Hero’s Journey are the narrative patterns of day and night, wake and dream, lunar months, procreation, mortality and the seasons. You already know these stories—they have been taught to you in school, and they have been conditioning your body since before you were born. This talk is about leveraging the knowledge you already have to teach you something essential – something screenwriters need to know – the Hero’s Journey as story structure.
Wow I’m so excited for the Filmmaker Summit this year!
Me too!!!
Not a filmmaker, but curious about the content? Look for pre-recorded sessions from the Summit coming to Eventive starting Monday, October 26! Plus, we have lots of exciting keynotes and guest speakers throughout the festival. Check out the full schedule and details on Pages 12-17.
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OPENING NIGHT SHOWCASE
We’re kicking off NFFTY’s first ever virtual festival with an outstanding lineup of some of the best emerging filmmakers out there. Come of age with characters from around the world and uncover intriguing new talents and tunes. A selection of inspirational stories and indomitable spirits are on display -- a proper preview of what you can experience in the next ten days!
Watchparty FRI OCT 23 5:30 PM PT On-Demand OCT 23-25
PRACTICE
Moira Fett - 23, Kerry Levielle - 24, Lucy Adams - 24, New York A dystopian story of two young girls who face mounting pressure from their school’s administration after a moment of sexual experimentation is documented by the body cameras pinned to their uniforms.
*This screening may not be suitable for all ages
GHAZAAL
Ragini Bhasin - 23, California A 13-year-old feisty Afghan refugee hustles around in a refugee camp as she experiences her period without having access to any sanitary napkins.
YVES & VARIATION
SOFT
A New York City doorman wears many hats— father, art curator, and violinist—as he works tirelessly to give back to his community in Haiti.
Sam struggles to untangle his sexuality and his complicated relationship with his martial arts coach.
Lydia Cornett - 24, Maryland
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Daniel Antebi - 23, Matthew Ballard - 24, Reid Hannaford - 23, New York
CLAUD - JUST TO FORGET
Christina Xing - 20, Shane Bagwell - 20, California A coming of age music video
I NEVER PICKED COTTON
Hanna Adams, Cole Bacani, Max Edmeier, Dariel Filomeno, Alexandra Gottlieb, NamQuyen “Q” Le, Yolanda Morgan, Victoria Perez, Benjamin Ragasa, Josie Stocks, John Stover, Jinghan Tian, California Yolanda Morgan recalls her experiences with racism and the impact it has had on her. Produced in USC’s CTAN 470 Documentary Animation Production class by 12 student directors.
SATURDAY NIGHT SHORTS Watchparty SAT OCT 24 7PM PT
Live from Seattle, this is Saturday Night Shorts! Join us for a showcase of some truly stellar cinema and dive headfirst into the depths of drama, self-discovery, and revelatory resilience.
*This screening may not be suitable for all ages
On-Demand OCT 23 - NOV 1
LENA
Gosha Shapiro - 24, Lucy Putnam - 23, California A 9-year-old girl plays translator during a parent-teacher conference between her Russian dad and her American teacher.
LIMELIGHT
Claire Gostin - 21, Ana Telfer 20, Aodhan Ozawa Burns - 20, Samantha Sadoff - 21, California In the midst of a rebellion in the Republic of Congo, two young women must grapple between their political allegiances and their love for each other.
COMING TO LIGHT
CIERVO
IN-BETWEEN(S)
21 year-old Aaron is trying to come to terms with the sexual abuse he suffered as a child, except the trauma has manifested itself as a terrifying monster..
An emotionally haunting and visually beautiful experience, ‘Ciervo’ tells the story of a young girl who holds violence, submission, and independence in an uneasy balance as one morphs into the other.
This is a pilot episode of InBetween(s) docu series that was started by Anissa Amalia. InBetween(s) is a project exploring the notion of home and self. For the pilot, we follow Anissa’s story, as they navigate Ramadan as a non-binary muslim and Southeast Asian in America; an ode to selfdiscovery and finding place within their own roots.
¡CHAPORAZZI!
FROM THE TOP
Hector Bell - 22, Declan Duffy - 22, Cameron Armstrong - 22, Jamie Farrington - 23, UK
César Martínez - 24, New York Outside of El Chapo’s Brooklyn trial, his mythology appears in media spectacles, sidewalk conversations and selfies.
Pilar Garcia-Fernandezsesma - 21, Rhode Island
Anissa Amalia - 24, Heather Garcia - 23, Ben Cher - 24, California
Neal Mulani - 23, Fiona Kida - 21, Angelina Feronti - 22, United Kingdom An unnerving incident begins to chip away at a young songwriter’s state of mind.
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CALL YOUR MOTHER Watchparty SUN OCT 25 6PM PT
Sade Abiodun - 24, Jonathan Michala - 21, Michael J. Ivory - 23, New Jersey
examine the bonds of motherhood, paying special attention to both the hardships and the heartfelt mom-ments. Everyone and their mother will be watching, you should too!
*This screening may not be suitable for all ages
On-Demand OCT 23 - NOV 1
GODSPEED
Every day is Mother’s Day in this screening! These stories empathically
AMALIÉ
Megan Mathieson - 22, Zoey Schilling - 21, Monica Mai - 21, Nandini Kochar - 20 , New York
JOINING THE BIRDS
Carrie Carusone - 21, Francisco Cabrera - 21, Chris Violette - 21, Alexander Ullom - 21 , Florida
Poetry, music, and visuals converge to lead us through the life of a Black girl as she becomes a Black woman. As she is forced to make sense of the dynamic tension between the child she was and the woman she will be, she draws strength from the one person who knows her best: her mother.
In post-communist Prague, Amálie struggles to find her voice amidst a generational clash with her mother, who remains haunted by the recent terrors she witnessed.
Living in a cramped apartment on the beach, Jia longs for the affection of her immature mother, Kata. When Jia seeks Kata out at her favorite club, her mother’s sudden attention is as alluring as it is disorienting.
TO KNOW HER
ZOE AND HANH
BREASTMILK
A young woman is caught in a lie by her suspicious mom. With tensions already high from recently losing a loved one, their relationship unhinges.
Breastmilk follows a mother daughter duo as they consider the reality that Dana isn’t Kat’s biological mother.
Natalie A. Chao - 24 , Hong Kong Filmed decades apart on the same miniDV camcorder, TO KNOW HER is a poetic exploration of my family’s relationship with my mother, who passed away when I was 14 years old to clinical depression. As a director and cinematographer I am always trying to understand the gaze I carry - but instead of searching for it I realised in these home video tapes that I inherited my camera tendencies from my mother, because she always pointed the camera at the subject who mattered to her most. I want to throw that loving gaze out back towards her and all of our lives. With the help of my father and sister, I want to share each of our perspectives and invent our gaze.
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Kim Tran - 24, Erin Miller - 23, Mariana Gonzalez - 24, Michael Juarez - 24, Texas
Roxy Sorkin - 19, Christina Xing 21, Sophia Heriveaux - 20, Brian Niles - 20, California
FLIGHT OF THE KIWI
Sarah Nocquet - 20 , New York A daughter must face her passive-aggressive mother in order to finally move out of the family home, but she is forced to confront everything she assumes about their relationship when an accident happens.
HAPPY HOUR SHORTS Watchparty WED OCT 28 5PM PT
Cheers! Who doesn’t love a virtual happy hour? Join us for some lighthearted laughs and a lovely lineup of comedies and killer ensembles. Bring Your Own Bev!
On-Demand OCT 23 - NOV 1
CREAT(E)URE
Zane Rubin - 22, California Three strangers bond in an abandoned subway car trying to avoid the evil lurking outside.
MAC/BETH
Gabrielle Giacomo - 21, New York It’s tech week for The Scottish Play and newbie drama teacher Beth has it totally under control... well, that is until her chaotic cast and cocky lead, Mac, push her to her breaking point and she accidentally releases an ancient curse upon them all (um, whoops). Now, Beth must teach them to work together if they want to save the show, and like also, their lives?!
TODAY I’M GONNA GET A REAL JOB Ben Kadie - 24, Reef Oldberg - 24, California When a magical briefcase shows up outside Cory Wong’s window, the funk guitarist considers giving up music for a nine-to-five.
THE BATTLE OF BILLY JOE
Natalie LaTurno - 21, Andrew Trice - 20, Jaci Herron - 22, Casey Stone - 24, Missouri Rivals Annie Boakley and BobbieSue battle each other over their beloved Billy Joe, only to discover a shocking revelation that nobody could foresee in this wild western showdown.
FRIENDS DON’T DIE
Dan Lesser - 21, Kimberly Vela 21, Hayley Stablow - 22, California A sibling-run punk band must survive the night when one of them is bitten during the zombie apocalypse.
PLEDGE IT
STARCROSSED
POST LOVE
One elementary school, twenty children, how could saying the pledge of allegiance go so wrong?
An astronaut becomes a cosmic tourist on the streets of Paris. He must return to the stars soon, but there’s something that could keep him bound to Earth: he’s fallen in love.
Three elderly women from the west of Ireland rob post offices to move to a romantic paradise and break free from their nursing homes.
Rachael Sonnenberg - 23, Catalina Rojter - 22, Sarah Levi 22, Connecticut
Jacob Langsner - 19, Jem Margen - 20, Nevada
Max Barry - 22, Erik Scarsella - 23, Tiernan O’Rourke - 22, Evelyn Hassett - 19 , Ireland
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CENTERPIECE
If NFFTY was a solar system, this screening would be the sun! At the center of it all, these films burn bright, depicting emotional truth and sharing stunning stories. A breathtaking meteor shower of shorts, join us live as we celebrate some of the most magnificent movies in the Milky Way.
Watchparty THU OCT 29 5PM PT
On-Demand Oct 29 - Oct 31
TO THE GIRL THAT LOOKS LIKE ME
Ewurakua Dawson-Amoah - 21, Farah Jabir 21, Adrian Sobrado - 19, New York To The Girl That Looks Like Me is an experimental poetry piece that celebrates black women, who continue to thrive in a system that was not built for them. This visual poem explores themes of culture, cultural appropriation, self-love,
*This screening may not be suitable for all ages
SI
CHILDREN PLAY WITH FIRE
After a baseball game, an Asian-American boy navigates micro-aggression with his friends through seemingly innocent jokes and games.
A young Chicagoan reconciles with the murder of his older sibling.
Thomas Kim - 19, Will Noyce - 19, Ashley Chu - 24, Massachusetts
Sam Aidan Johnson - 19, Jakari Thompson 18, Vincent Prochoroff - 21, Gerry Kenah - 20, Illinois
and self-discovery through a string of vignettes that combine dance, folklore, modern culture, and spirituality.
NO CRYING AT THE DINNER TABLE Carol Nguyen - 22, Canada
Filmmaker Carol Nguyen interviews her family to craft a portrait of love, grief and intergenerational trauma.
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HEIGHTS
Major Dorfman - 24, Aarón Trujillo - 23, New York Over the course of an afternoon, two brothers must decide whether or not they will remain silent about a horrible secret.
THE MOOD IN THE UNITED STATES TODAY Ward Kamel - 20, Adrian Lausell - 21, Aditya Mayya - 21, New York
When a live-in nurse fears her immigration status is in jeopardy, she reluctantly agrees to her elderly patient’s Green Card marriage proposal — and must quickly learn to navigate the shifting dynamics of the relationship.
ALL HOURS ABSURDITY FRI OCT 30 7PM PT
Kylie Murphy - 22, New Jersey Talk to your doctor today to see if Advertocil is right for you.
ALFIE IN LOVE
Christian Flashman - 24, Moss Perricone - 23, Zack Kawasaki 23, New York While staying at a Bed & Breakfast to escape a recent breakup, Alfie finds himself trapped in a strange love triangle with his host and their other guest.
a unique way of understanding the world, and they’re ready
to share their perspective through bonding bathroom breaks, knife games, and bird calls. Just try to avoid the pincers!
On-Demand OCT 23 - NOV 1
ADVERTOCIL
Get those laughs locked and loaded! These filmmakers have
*This screening may not be suitable for all ages
I THINK MY SLEEP PARALYSIS DEMON IS A CASTING DIRECTOR
WELCOME TO MY NEW CYBORG BODY!
GOD IS A LOBSTER
Shannon is convinced that the demon who lurks over her at night wants to cast her in a movie, but her friends need proof.
A haul video from the future.
In this absurdist anthology film from four directors: a girl needs her brother to fulfill an odd request... a good trip turns bad... a CEO gets invited to a mysterious party... and it all centers around the iconic red crustacean.
PEEPS
TUNA
NUMBER 2
Peeps is a peek into the inner world of a turbulent teenage friendship group on their afterschool shopping trip.
A late-night supermarket cashier with a strange obsession is visited by a mysterious customer.
Eric must learn to tackle day-today life after discovering that Crohn’s disease can be a real pain in the butt…literally.
Derek Mari - 24, California
Sophie Somerville - 24, Australia
Lucy Soutter - 21, Matthew Michaud - 22, Pennsylvania
Cliona Noonan - 22, Cian Hughes - 23, Ireland
Joji Baratelli - 20, Grace Gallagher - 19, Chelsea Eisen - 20, Brian Niles - 20, California
Cal J.T. Moreno - 21, Francisco Serna - 21, California
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THRILLS & CHILLS SAT OCT 31 7PM PT On-Demand OCT 23 - NOV 1
SKITOZ
Legend has it that if you say “NFFTY” in the mirror three times, all of the monsters in this screening will visit you in your dreams! Buckle
up for some seriously spooky stories that’ll send shivers down your spine -- and whatever you do, don’t get out of the car! *This screening may not be suitable for all ages
Presented by
MILK TEETH
SILHOUETTE
An orphanage spirals into mayhem when a boy discovers a shadowy creature who comes to collect more than just the children’s teeth...
While going on a weekend road trip with friends, a lonely teenage girl has visions of a dark, grisly monster, which start to become all too unnerving as the trip progresses.
THE PAINTED
MY HOUSE
DOWNS OF THE DEAD
A man undertakes a dangerous ritual in an attempt to save his ailing wife.
A family game night turns ugly when a troubled mother, desperate to keep her turn in the game a secret, threatens to send her family into utter chaos.
Alexis Perrotte - 22, Diego Perrotte - 22, California A caravan in the American desert ... An old couple ... A beer, a joint and mosquitoes.
Sasha Sibley - 22, Thomas George - 21, Donovan Sierra - 22, California
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Felipe Vargas - 21, Jamie McNeill - 21, Brendan Bennett - 21, California
Alexander Edep - 20, Michelle Separzadeh - 21, Zane Vieira - 20, Aleia Jacobs - 19, California
Lucca Vieira - 17, Ryan Orejarena 17, Dean Milan - 17, Logan Seelig - 16, Florida
Even Husby Grødahl - 23, Jesper Breen Frilseth - 23, August Jordfald - 24, Petter Brenni Gulbrandsen - 24, Norway You wouldn’t wanna be stuck at work when the Zombie Apocalypse breaks out. Especially if you work at a housing for the mentally challenged.
THE GIRL IN THE WOODS
Laura Kulik - 23, Logan Fulton - 24, California A woman meets a terrible fate after she gets into a car accident on an isolated forest road.
SALIENT SIMULATIONS SUN NOV 1 10 AM PT
On-Demand OCT 23 - NOV 1
ANGELA DIGITAL LEARNING ASSISTANT
Whether you want to travel in time or stop in a singular moment,
this lineup of shorts will let you live out your wildest transtemporal fantasies! Enjoy an array of (virtual) realities -- just don’t let anyone steal your identity while you’re wired in! *This screening may not be suitable for all ages
Presented by
LIGHTHUNGER
GRIEF.EXE
With Angela® Digital Assistant, stay connected like never before.
Lighthunger. A typical symptom of patients, who suffer from Lebersche kongenitaler Amaurose, LCA for short. They are born with eyesight, but bit by bit they will lose it. Laika has LCA. Today she lives alone, came to terms with her situation and wants to stay inconspicuous. Yet nobody knows her dark past.
A young man participates in a basic simulation meant to help him mourn over his passed loved one, an experience which is interrupted by a malfunction in the system.
ACCOMPLICE
TOGETHER
SUNSHINE ROOM
A man is forced to experience the memories of the person he accidentally killed.
Two lovers create a time bubble in an attempt to live within one perfect moment.
LUNA
IDENTITY CRISIS
A young man obsessively searches for his long missing family who he believes have gone through a portal to another dimension.
A cyborg named Scott is looking for the perfect gift for a loved one, but not all is well in this futuristic city when he finds his own picture on a wanted poster....
Marshall Leming - 24, Brendan Boyle - 24, California
Matthew Avery Berg - 18, California
Kora Vanderlip - 23, Lukas Vanderlip - 21, Canada
Lukas Kellner - 23, Germany
Laine Elliott - 21, New York
Natalie Nichols - 22
Dylan Santa Cruz - 17, California
Nick Lopez - 22, Tiffany Lin - 20, Nate Cohen 21, Liam Walsh - 21, California Cutting-edge technology allows a young woman to grow up alongside her beloved Abuela. But on the verge of leaving for college, her financial realities threaten to erase their relationship -- for good.
WILLY GOES WAY BACK!
Ryan Wagner - 24, Reef Oldberg - 24, Jillian Dudley - 24 Willy, an oddball outcast grieving the loss of his mother, visits a suspicious doctor who recruits Willy for a mysterious and dangerous experiment.
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CLOSING NIGHT: WHAT DO YOU STAND FOR? SUN NOV 1 3PM PT
On-Demand OCT 30 - NOV 1
Now more than ever, we need stories that will shape our future. Experience this lineup of unflinchingly truthful films, and let these filmmakers’ voices resonate with you and propel you forward. As we bring NFFTY 2020 to a close, we hope leave with hope for the future and confidence that we’ll be okay -- if we listen to the next generation. *This screening may not be suitable for all ages
STANDING ABOVE THE CLOUDS
YOU KNOW THE DRILL
Standing Above the Clouds follows Native Hawaiian mother-daughter activists as they stand to protect their sacred mountain Mauna Kea from the building of the world’s largest telescope.
As combative active shooter drills unfold in rural Wyoming, a child psychologist implores her community to consider the consequences.
YOUR FRIEND, RANGER DOUG
MISFITS
A 94-year-old Glacier National Park ranger confronts the decline of the park he calls home as he reflects on his life and the legacy he will leave behind.
When they learn their friend has kidnapped a cop on the night of MLK Jr.’s assassination, two sisters and leaders of the Black Panther Party must set aside their differences to navigate one of the most turbulent nights in history.
Jalena Keane-Lee - 24, Amber EspinosaJones - 24, Hawaii
Claire Jantzen - 20, Sara Nell - 20, Kayla Borkovec - 21, Celine Francois - 21, California
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McKinleigh Lair - 23, Josh Jacobius - 23, Olivia Forker - 22, Oklahoma
Ciani Rey Walker - 21, Alexa Cha - 22, Jerry Hu - 22, California
WITNESS
Kira Findling - 22, California The filmmaker steps outside in a world where women go missing every day.
ANIMATION CELEBRATION On-Demand OCT 23 - NOV 1
ANXIETY
Eva Ulreich - 12, Virginia
What’s in the box?! Clever commanders of the digital pencil and
paintbrush come together in this screening to create a collection of
animated chronicles. Become the hero you truly are, and check out these films!
THE METAMORPHOSIS
Kafiu Liu - 24, Mengjie Huang - 24, California
Presented by
THERE WERE FOUR OF US Cassie Shao - 24, California
Young girl fights her inner demons.
An animated short film that explores people’s emotions in society.
In a room, there are four people.
GOLEM
CHECK YES!
MURMUR
As chaos rises, a rabbi creates a miracle out of clay.
Reineldis De La Cruz is a seventeen year old senior in Inwood NYC with big dreams to be a hero. Despite her mother’s wishes, she proves that she has what it takes.
Two islands each with a lonely resident, how will they reach each other?
THE BOX ASSASSIN
SOPHIE AND JACOB
THE PEACH SCARF
The Box Assassin is a short film about a pizza delivery boy’s unforgettable night of running into a slick, legendary assassin that defeats his enemies in clever ways you couldn’t imagine.
Inspired by the true story of family, and finding home, no matter the circumstance. Sometimes home cannot be a place, and becomes simply a memory, a mindset, or is found in another person
While browsing in the market, Daisy is distracted by a bird who has stolen a scarf from a pretty stranger, Camille and though she hops to action to help reclaim the scarf for her, she runs into trouble along the way. Undeterred, Daisy finds her own way to restore the beloved peach scarf to Camille.
Theo Taplitz - 17, California
Jeremy Schaefer - 22, Kentucky
Luciannys Camacho - 21, New York
Max Shoham - 16, Canada
Rachel Middleton - 22, United Kingdom
Del Sego - 22, Illinois
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It’s time to get that animation education! A masterclass in mediums,
ANIMATION SENSATIONS
these films create whole worlds from scratch and capture characters in drawn drama. Join these treasure hunters, house spirits, and
On-Demand OCT 23 - NOV 1
ALMOST SEVEN YEARS Colleen Sinclair - 21,California
“Almost Seven Years” is a film about when Colleen Sinclair’s dad passed away. It is a story that explores both the grief of losing someone and the happiness of having been able to know them.
WELCOME HOME.
Sarah Wimbish - 17, Lilly Parker - 18, Meera Gandhi - 17, Natalie Piszcz - 17, Virginia “Welcome Home.” follows the late Edward Morton upon entering the after life. Despite the fact that he now rests in a place he once called home, he quickly realizes it’s not home when it’s empty.
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perfectionist personages on their ardent adventures!
Presented by
EMPTY NEST
Janeth Rivas-Castillo - 18, Tallulah Bonifield - 15, Maren Timpe - 16, Florida The littlest bird of the family finds himself facing the day they must leave the nest, with hazardous winds blowing. His siblings head off into the world with ease, but the little one finds it difficult to even start ... is he doomed to fail or can he fly with the best?
GODMOTHER DEATH
Matt Lashko - 20, Andrew Bajanov - 20, Russia A retelling of the classic fable by the Brothers Grimm. Is it possible to become a renowned and successful doctor when your Godmother is Death herself?
PERFECT.
Daniel Epega - 16, Texas A stick figure realizes that “perfection” is more than what it seems.
NEARSIDERS
Ryan Trumpler - 22, Kaz Fantone - 22, Wyatt Hall - 22, Matthew Pinkney - 22, California Join Max and Alan, treasure hunters in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, as they get caught in a breakneck chase for earth’s most delicious devourable.
KNIFE HANGING FROM A TREE Jihee Nam - 24, California Sour grapes.
THE KITCHLETS
Clarisse Chua - 24, California Mina lives alone in her apartment accompanied by three little house spirits, the Kitchlets, who feed off her positive emotions and take care of her negative ones.
There are things to do in Seattle‌
You just have to know where to look.
EverOut.com/Seattle
ART IN MOTION On-Demand OCT 23 - NOV 1
Get ready to be transported to a magnificent museum where the paintings are moving -- with stop motion animation, watercolor delights, and enrapturing choreography all on display, you won’t want to miss this enchanting exhibition! *This screening may not be suitable for all ages
MOVEMENT FOR CHANGE
BLOOM
COBALT
African culture has had an important influence on the world of dance. From ballet to the charleston and hip-hop, the roots lie in Africa. Learning about each other might be the key to changing America.
In an abstract world made of clay, a girl is faced with a haunting incident of sexual assault and must find a way to come to terms with it.
In a post-apocalyptic world, two zombies struggle to make sense of their memories through a static screen.
DRUG ABUSE & MECHANICAL PENCILS
FLORES DENTRO (FLOWERS WITHIN)
Edy Recendez - 24, Tennessee
Sophia Mickelson - 18, Mia McCarthy - 17, California A daughter recounts her experiences with her father and his addiction.
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Ella Fields - 16, California
Catalina Loret - 23, Gabriela Ortega - 23, Vicente Manzano - 23, Morning Wu - 23, California Two women searching for “perfect beauty” realize that their biggest fight is not against each other. Flores Dentro is a visual journey on how beauty standards imposed on women have blinded them from the power that lies within.
Jenny Wang - 21, Jesse Moldovsky - 19, Farah Jabir - 21, New York
CONSIDERATIONS OF INFINITY Kira Bursky - 23, North Carolina
A metaphysical documentary following an artist’s mental health journey throughout creating a reality bending immersive installation in her apartment, putting her inner world on display.
These filmmakers are all so talented!! :-O
IKR!!! :D
HAJUN BLOOMS
Ji Yoon Kim - 20, Corey Nguyen - 21, Sophie Beauchamp - 22, California
BINATE
Marcus Aubin - 22, Ali Webb - 23, Sam Howells - 23, Illinois
In an attempt to explore their sexuality, Hajun descends into the heart of their Church’s core beliefs of denial and shame.
An exploratory look at the dual, internal conflict an artist navigates when putting her work on display, expressed through physical movement and contemporary dance.
STOKE CHASERS
MIZUKO
Jo Anna Edmison - 20, Ian McMullen - 24, California With a filter that is oh-so-California, this film — which was shot on Kodak film — celebrates young women athletes breaking into sports long dominated by men. They are skateboarders, surfers and longboarders. “Headstrong is a word reserved for girls who break the mold,” one says. “And the mold is to play it safe.”
TO THE HIGHEST POINT NEAR THE SUN Morning M. Wu - 24, California
A journey on the never-ending search of belongingness, pieced together by artworks made from 2010 to 2020: 800+ drawings, animations, videos, 300+ photos taken from California, Paris, China, and flights in between.
Kira Dane - 24, Katelyn Rebelo - 24, New York Inspired by a Buddhist ritual to grieve abortions, a Japanese-American woman reevaluates what it means to end her own pregnancy.
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BREAKING THE MOLD On-Demand OCT 23 - NOV 1
LOOPY
Max Cianci - 23, Anthony Peduzzi - 24, Pennsylvania Drawn to a mysterious window, a man decides to investigate a seemingly abandoned building. As he makes his way to the source of his curiosity, what he uncovers is worse than he could ever imagine.
Forget the formulas, we’re going off-book! Prepare yourself for mindbending manipulations and ingenious investigations in this lineup of excellent experimentals. Just don’t get stuck in a time loop! *This screening may not be suitable for all ages
BLUE NUDE
Zhaoying Li - 20, Shaomin An - 23, Canada Blue Nude is about a story of a girl getting her voice back after losing it. This film explores loneliness, anxiety and gender expectations related to social media.
OH YEAH
Lilena Marinou - 20, Kara Bartek - 21, Emily Miller - 19, Martin Blanco - 21, Greece Discovering that the body is very much like a playground, a place where sex can be playful, a young woman explores the joy of giving pleasure to herself and eventually invites others to join her in doing so too.
RUN AWAY, THEY’LL SEE US!
ITS RAINING, IT’S POURING
A woman’s day is interrupted by the presence of an unwelcome guest.
Distant memories of the past are recalled through fleeting fragments by a man in his eighties.
LAIRS
FACADES
WAITING
An artistic, expressive, experimental short film that explores the dynamic, complex connections between self-awareness and relationships. Specifically, the relationship difficulties individuals may experience when there’s a lack of selfawareness and understanding of oneself.
A short experimental film based on the quarantine period of the recent pandemic focusing on theme of waiting, and how with time good things will come.
Ryan Henry Knight - 20, Shantel Lankford 20, Ahab Mullick - 19, Nicholas Jensen - 20, Georgia
Emma Penaz Eisner - 17, California Lairs, layers, liars: In this poetry film, hatred insidiously supplants a couple’s love.
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Ronan Mackenzie - 22, Callum Kilgarriff - 22, United Kingdom
Gregory Alexander Foltynowicz - 21, Alexander Baker - 21, California
SODIUM BLUES
Caoimhin Coffey - 22, Ronan Cooper - 22, Rachel McGill - 22, Barra O’Connor - 23, Ireland For a young man, the light of other days, other loves, is the orange glow of sodium street lamps.
Sayna Fardaraghi - 20, Amber Bardell - 20, Maryam Hassan Ali - 20, René Andrade - 21, United Kingdom
COME AS YOU ARE On-Demand OCT 23 - NOV 1
Whether you’re a member of the sultry sculptors club or a glam rocker extraordinaire, there is a place for you here! You don’t want to miss these striking subjects discovering, asserting, and celebrating all aspects of their individuality and identity!
*This screening may not be suitable for all ages
Presented by
THE LONELY PRINCE
DUNGAREES
VENUS
LÚBTHA
A lonely Prince, drowning in melancholy, invites a Sculptor to his court to create a piece of art just for him. As the Sculptor spends his days chiselling away on a block of marble, the Prince too discovers a new side of himself, for a brief moment forgetting the world of solitude that surrounds him.
Transgender Blake and cisgender Cane hang out, play video games and grapple with their insecurities. This is their love story.
A girl meets a goddess (and falls in love).
Lúbtha’ is a short film inspired by true events and follows the story of a teenager dealing with his sexuality whilst having to grow up in early 90s Northern Ireland. As physical and mental abuse become a daily struggle, Fintan retreats into a world of anger and silence. With no solution on the horizon, he yearns to escape from the small town he’s been trapped in all his life, bringing nothing but his younger brother. As he comes closer to planning his journey to freedom, one night he is shown the reality of acceptance and love.
JOYCHILD
BABYDYKE
ALL THE YOUNG DUDES
A young child tells their mother “I’m not a girl” for the first time.
Frede goes with her big sister to a queer techno party to win back her ex. When this goes wrong she tries to follow her sister’s less romantic advice on how to get over your ex and not be a babydyke.
Sohail “Sunny” Grover - 21, Shivin Grover - 24, India
Aurora Brachman - 24, California
Abel Rubinstein - 22, United Kingdom
Tone Ottilie - 24, Denmark
Jamie Griffiths - 19, Grace Dashnaw - 21, Vermont
Ethan McDowell - 21, Lucy Carruthers - 20, Ireland
William Stead - 21, Cameron Greco - 21, Chris Violette - 21, Aaron Brooks - 20, Florida
Georgia, USA, 1973. Glam rocker Billy rebels against his conservative high school, inspiring admiration from an unlikely ally with a desire to walk on the wild side.
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CONNECTED BY MORE On-Demand OCT 23 - NOV 1
This poignant program professes lesser known ways we can relate to
one another. Tune in for voicemails, voiceovers, and vignettes of vibing apartment-dwellers, stay for the comforting community created! Presented by
WHAT WE SEE IN THE CLOUDS
Barb Hoffman - 21, Washington A lonely animator seeks companionship through asking her friends to tell her what they see in cloud pictures. She then proceeds to animate their visions.
THE ARTIST, THE OLD MAN, AND THE WAITER
Gustav Bondesson - 21, Sweden A young blasé artist is enlightened in the search for her upcoming single when she encounters an old man, and a waiter.
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FACE TO FACE
Christian Krantz - 22, Oregon Young adults across the globe describe technology’s effect on intimacy and their relationships.
JEREMY STERN - BHC Moira Fett - 24, New York
In this one-shot music video for Jeremy Stern’s song, “BHC,” we find ourselves drawn into the lives of four strangers living in New York City through their apartment windows.
HOME(SICK)NESS
Daria Litvichenko - 18, Katrin Potapenko - 20, Terry Pham - 24, Sofia Jürimäe - 19, Estonia Guuspraba, swamps, and tram conversations
OUT OF PLACE
Peier “Tracy” Shen - 24, Mengying “Irene” Yang - 23, Cyrum Aytana Ramirez - 23, California A young aspiring Chinese pianist and a Mexican house painter, unaware of them being neighbors, go through a day of disillusionment in symphony.
DESERT MOURNING
Henry Kinder - 24, Sam Wolff - 24, New York Focused on the ongoing conflict over the Grand StaircaseEscalante national monument in southern Utah, this short documentary investigates how individuals from different communities neighboring the land grapple with boundaries, and lifestyles, in flux. When landscapes and economies change around us, whose values do we prioritize, and who gets left behind?
DYNAMIC DUOS On-Demand OCT 23 - NOV 1
Move aside, Kirk and Spock! Doc and Marty who? Han and Chewie’ve got nothing on the dynamic duos in this screening! Longtime friends and unlikely pairs come together to tackle their troubles, you don’t want to miss these truly terrific twosomes! *This screening may not be suitable for all ages
PARTNERS IN CRIME
Kerry LeVielle - 24, New York Two best friends rob a house to get fast cash for an abortion.
CARRIE FISHER IS DEAD Tiffany Lin - 21, California
A young boy acquires a fish named Carrie Fisher. Then she dies.
PLAYING WITH FIRE
BITTERSWEET
KAAWAY
In one afternoon on the block, we follow a Chinese American young man as he navigates through his neighborhood environment and his immigrant mother’s household.
A hopeless baker’s attempt at taking his own life is interrupted by a persistent child in need of a birthday cake.
“Kaaway,” which translates to “enemy,” is a story set in the mid ‘90s of the U.S. and focuses on two 11-year-old Filipino boys. Jonathan was born and raised in the U.S., while Calag was born and raised in the Philippines. After getting into a fight at school, they are forced to spend the day at the same house and the discord is inescapable.
Kevin Tsai - 22, Katiana Weems 23, California
Max Mir - 21, Lorenzo Fedon - 22, John Otteson - 22, Sam LowsleyWilliams - 23, Spain
CEASE
PLANET COZMO
Patti and Trish; best friends on the cusp of college life. A fatal and traumatic event, on the eve of their goodbye, will change their friendship forever.
A starstruck girl encounters her hometown hero after a show at a dive bar and accompanies her, hoping to show off her demo tape.
Philip Emo - 23, Dylan Keenan 23, Keen Murphy - 22, Cormac Campbell - 22, Ireland
Wester Demandante - 21, Colvin Ang Wei Song - 22, Kamali Gilbert - 24, Jiyoung Park - 24, California
Jack Campise - 22, Misha Maguire - 22, Giovanna Zavala - 22, Jake Coury - 22, California
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FAMILY PORTRAITS On-Demand OCT 23 - NOV 1
LAWN DOGS
Leonardo Martinez - 22, Neha Nagavalli - 21, Giovanna Zavala 22, Jackson Mach - 21, California In the wake of their parent’s absence, two brothers have to learn to adapt to their new lives together.
SURNAME
Jason Yamamoto - 21, Victoria Rice - 20, Alexander Lyon - 20, California A young Asian-American tries to earn the blessing and respect of his girlfriend’s Caucasian father. During a tense dinner, perspectives are challenged over the topics of masculinity, race, and lineage, while both parties question what it means to be a family.
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Say cheese! All families are complicated, yet full of inevitably relatable intricacies. These snapshots stage stories in households that are unique, yet remarkably recognizable. Take a (moving) picture, it’ll last longer! *This screening may not be suitable for all ages
MISSED
Briar Bodle - 21, Kasia Jarecki - 21, New Zealand A recently widowed, young father struggles to emotionally support his 8-year-old daughter while dealing with his own unexpressed grief. Having avoided all conversation of his wife’s death to his daughter’s detriment, an anxiety triggering pit stop during a Mother’s Day car trip ends up being the catalyst for the conversation that needed to be had.
DIA DE LAS MADRES (MOTHER’S DAY) Moises Barba - 22, David Hutchinson - 24, California
Separated by the US/Mexico border for more than 30 years, Eddy and his mom try to reconnect over the phone.
THE CLOUD IS STILL THERE
Mickey Lai - 24, Lim Fang Yin - 24, Malaysia A young woman grapples with clashing religious beliefs as she prays for her terminally ill grandfather.
AVANT QUE TU PARTES (BEFORE YOU LEAVE) Juliette Poitras - 21
A taming game between a father and his daughter, after two years of absence.
A FAMILY REUNION
Ben Kadie - 24, Joy Sunday - 23, California Young Kelly invites her emotionally distant father to hunt for ghosts in her recentlydeceased grandfathers house.
IN VITRO
Mackenzie Thomson - 21, Dylan Freeman - 21, Eimear Doherty 21, Liam Lyall - 21, England Natalie and Lucas can’t conceive a child naturally. Individually, they begin to question whether their hope for a child is the only thing that’s keeping their marriage together.
FAMILY STREAM-ALONG On-Demand OCT 23 - NOV 1
It’s fun for the whole family! Grab the kids and settle down for a fully-
packed program of monster slaying, espionage, and #plantlove. *Kids welcome, only youthful adults allowed*
SPROUT
ROOTS
When a young girl finds a flower growing in her apartment complex, her world is changed forever. Her dull, lonely life blossoms as she and the flower grow together.
In the year 1977, a young deaf boy lives alone in the woods with the only thing that has ever been able to understand him...a tree.
Georgina Cahill - 21, California
Nicole Barley - 20, Dallas Jenkins - 20, Zachary Jones - 20, Kenzie Uhr - 21, New York
EVE’S DINNER
INTI
Raised Yuan Yuan, her only child up and sent her abroad for further education, the mom is going to have the Spring Festival Eve’s dinner alone for the first time.
When her older brother falls ill, a young girl seeks the one cure to save him in a seclusive forest, but is nature playing tricks on her?
Quincy Huanxi Li - 22, California
Mariel Sosa - 22, California
DISTANCE & LONGING
Mikkel Warrer - 20, Cecilie Christiansen - 20, David Ostenfeld - 20, Denmark In an analog world, a boy named William lives alone with his father. He finds his diseased mom’s camera and with that a whole new world opens before his eyes. A world full of memories his grieving dad has tried to forget.
YELLOW CARDS FOR EQUAL PAY Maia Vota - 18, Vermont
Members of the Burlington, VT High School girls soccer team recount the launch of their viral #EqualPay movement, inspired by Megan Rapinoe and the U.S. women’s national soccer team, from its humble beginnings to national media coverage.
OVERTHROW
UNLIMITED
Tensions rise when a younger brother finally defeats his older brother in a fighting game!
A documentary revolving around a San Diego wheelchair basketball team and how the players are not held back by their disabilities.
John Donaldson - 20, Monty Patino - 20, Arielle Steele - 20, Erin Jarrett - 21, Texas
Nicholas Cornick - 17, Riley Scott 17, James Wilkey - 16, Gabe Yung - 16, California
YUAN YUAN AND THE HOLLOW MONSTER
LE PRINCE OUBLIÉ
Eight-year-old Yuan Yuan (Jackie) is determined to protect her newest pet, a tiny turtle named Lucy, at all costs. Even if it means chasing down a massive hurricane called the Hollow Monster.
Through a series of time and fate, a young con artist is faced with the decision on whether or not to preserve the legacy of motion picture and its original inventor.
Catherine Chen - 22, Diego Yanez - 22, California
Chloe Aguirre - 22, Hailey Burns - 22, Emmeline Shafer - 19, Alex Fowler - 20, California
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GROWING PAINS On-Demand OCT 23 - NOV 1
These coming-of-age stories will leave you feeling maximum nostalgia (or impending dread-citement) as you relive moments of adolescence and recall those fickle feelings of fighting to fit in. You’ll make it through, just watch your head! *This screening may not be suitable for all ages
ATHOL PARK
Clark Burnett - 22, a.k. payne - 21, Lelai Givens - 23, New Jersey A girl investigates the disappearance of a school teacher. What she finds changes her life forever.
ANNA AND SLOANE GO THE THE BEACH
Willa Rydall - 21, Kayla Borkovec - 21, Giovanna Zavala - 21, California The summer is almost over and thirteen-year-olds Anna and Sloane are ready to grow up – or at least Anna is. A cross-county scooter trip to the beach proves to be harder than expected when an encounter with some older kids derails their plans and reveals the different thoughts the girls have about growing up.
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CLARA’S ROOM
MÁS BOWLS
Clara’s bedroom is the starting point for a mosaic of moments, to provide a glimpse of the life contained therein. The awkward romances, ritualistic tasks, familial tension - the concept of ‘Clara’s Room’ came from a desire to explore the things which play a crucial part in forming who we are.
Davey needs to win the high school quizjam if he is to help pay for his girlfriend Lex’s abortion. Habitually oblivious but generally well meaning, Davey is only a few correct answers away from the $125 they need.
LIFE IN THE BETWEEN
UNDER THE LIGHTS
Sarruh, a six-year-old girl in biracial limbo, looks to her father and sisters to piece together where she belongs in the United States.
Sam is a boy with epilepsy, so desperate to feel like a regular kid, he goes to prom knowing that the lights will make him have a seizure.
Pippa Molony - 19, Cait Bird - 21, Conor Bradley - 21, Jack Doyle 19, Ireland
Siara-Lauren - 21, Esther Miller 21, Geena Marie Hernandez - 21, Clio Perkins - 21, Florida
Max Tullio - 22, Genevieve Scott - 20, Andrew DeNatale - 22, New York
Miles Levin - 24, Spencer Howson - 21, Nicole Jordan-Webber - 24, Ceylan Carhoglu - 24, California
HEADER
Mark Kuhlmann - 24, Philip Steger - 22, Germany When Lars gets further and further behind in the initially still funny duel with his brother Kai and thus also threatens to lose the love of his mother, he is faced with a decision: Will he fight or will he give up?
IF YOU GO
Florence Winter Hill - 20, Graham Roberts - 20, Teresa Hunter De Terry - 21, Ed Stone - 24, United Kingdom Whilst waiting for their car to be fixed after breaking down in the English countryside, Ella & her mother Amy face a conversation neither of them are ready to have.
I MADE YOU A MIXTAPE (SIDE A) On-Demand OCT 23 - NOV 1
Slaps, bops, and bangers galore! This specially curated collection of
music videos is guaranteed to get you out of your seat and moving to the beat!
*This screening may not be suitable for all ages
NEZZA - CORAZÓN FRÍO
Lindsay Sunada - 23, Jensen Vinca -23, Harley Astorga - 23, California
TWO COLORS - CHONG THE NOMAD Leo Pfeifer - 22, California
A dance-based exploration of what it take to allow yourself the vulnerability to fall in love
Nezza sings and dances to camera.
TOBOGGAN - SOUVENIRS CARAÏES
Anna Chwal - 24, Lola de Tommaso - 24, Quentin Brière - 23, Poland/France A joyful dialogue between two lovers at the beach in a pastel universe..
DON DIABLO X ELDZHEY - UFO
A CAVED MAN FOREVER ALONE
GRANATA - BED AND DESK
A musical engineer studies the artist’s body, head, heart, bloodstream to create a new track. But perhaps they are both just small specks of dust in the vast space that the audience is exploring?
A Caved Man Forever Alone represents a movement. Via music video format, it tells the story of a young man’s inner thoughts on relationships and society, as well as how the public consumes young entertainers.
The Bed and a Desk music video follows Granata as his personal shadow puppet show expands into the outside world and dives deeper into his own imagination.
Felix Umarov - 24, Nikita Gorodnichenko - 23, Russia
Dusan Brown - 17, Jeremy Basset - 18, California
Nathan Ginter - 19, Wylie Soltes 19, Shane Bagwell - 20, Michigan
RODNEY CHROME - PULPIT
Zachary Dov Wiesel - 20, Shane Bagwell - 21, Shuni Chopra Dhar 21, Lauren Nicola - 20, Australia First single from Rodney Chrome’s debut album Queer Pressure.
PROCESS (F.O.O.L)
ALONE SOMETIMES
SEND TO VINCE!
Process explores the intersection between mourning over a breakup and mourning over the passing of a loved one. For the process video, Kia exists on the neutral ground between emotionally present and totally lost, life and beyond.
Expanding on the EP’s themes of isolation and loneliness, the “Alone Sometimes” music video depicts Sabrina surrounded by dancers, yet completely unaware that she is not alone. The video is about accepting the hard truth of reaching out for help, for connection, and for someone to truly understand what you’re going through.
Last year, back when we had music festivals, I went to the back of the crowd at Vince Staple’s set at The Governors Ball Music Festival and gave my 360 camera to the person in front of me. This is the story of that camera. 45
Francisco Covarrubias - 22, Samantha Sadoff - 23, California
Isabella Danzi - 22, Julia Kupiec - 22, New York
Ani Acopian - 24, California
I MADE YOU A MIXTAPE (SIDE B) On-Demand OCT 23 - NOV 1
LOKL YOKL - DOWN THE LINE
Ryan Rosenblum - 24, Stephen Boyer - 21, California Stuck with his band playing a dead end dive bar in the middle of nowhere, Chris dreams of rescuing his dream girl and escaping into the sunset. If only life were that simple.
RAINY DAY
Let’s get musical, musical! These earworms will burrow into your brain
and have you belting out into oblivion! This program is a prime playlist you can’t miss. You love to hear it...and see it! *This screening may not be suitable for all ages
KINI SOLANA & LOUIS QUANTRILLE - NOT UR B*TCH
Jessie Butera - 24, Samantha Aspe - 24, California Two call girls falls in love with the same caller! :O
WOMEN!
Sofia Mellander - 24, England WOMEN! is a celebratory pop video shot in the Swedish archipelago in the middle of the ocean on a hot day in August.
DEAD EMERSON - SUCKER PUNCH
FIRST DAY BACK
Official music video for “Sucker Punch” by Dead Emerson. Shot on the iPhone 11 Pro by two guys named Dean that lived together for a very, very short period of time.
What does it feel like when you finally return to a place you love? First Day Back captures that excitement, the smile that emerges across your face.
SOMETHING BETTER
TIME AIN’T ENOUGH
NOTHING’S REAL
A music video showing young women experiencing heartbreak for the first time, and coming together to heal. Made by young filmmakers, we see women discovering their self worth.
Glen as a child had a passion for music and songwriting, but a disdain for schoolwork. Glen gets into issues with his family because of this, causing turmoil at home. Glen finds his only option for peace of mind is going back to his passion.
A girl tries her best to navigate a normal day in a world that begins to change and warp in unusual ways, making it harder and harder for her to make sense of everything around her.
John Chigas - 22, Breanne Wilhite - 18, Jessica Harper - 19, Cassandra Cavanaugh 20, California Inspired by both contemporary and classic musical films, Jessica Harper smiles at the clouds as she parades through a studio backlot, performing an intricate choreography with a flock of colorful dancers.
Lilia Buckingham - 16, Jillian Shea Spaeder 16, Ky Baldwin -18, California
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Dean Emerson - 24, Dean Parker - 22, California
Rooftop - 19, New York
Stuart Summerville - 22, Rebecca Malaret - 24, California
William Lancaster - 20, Grace Gallagher - 18, Izzy Cassandra-Newsam - 20, Sofia Wolfson 19, California
IMMERSE YOURSELF On-Demand
OCT 23 - NOV 1
Let’s hear it for the world-builders! This program parades production prowess like no other. If you’ve been feeling cooped up, these films will set you free. Your screen is but a portal to a new universe, thanks to these shorts! *This screening may not be suitable for all ages
THE SUBSTITUTE
Malibu Taetz - 23, Director & Writer) Joshua Vanderlinden - 24, Canada A passionate substitute teacher must protect her disinterested class from an ancient curse.
OUT OF STOCK
Mariah Hall - 21, Bryan Taira - 21, Connie Ticho - 21, Enrique de La Garza - 22, California In 1973, the host of The Tonight Show, Johnny Carson, made a joke that toilet paper was going out of stock. By the next day, stores across the country were completely sold out. This is the story of the first day of the toilet paper crisis.
SWIPE RIGHT FOR MURDER
THE SAME STORY
An aspiring crime writer, forced into online dating by her best friend, finds her perfect match on a website. Unfortunately, their interests are a little too closely aligned, only it’s not fiction crime he likes to dabble in.
Madeline, a young journalist covering the trial of an old friend, can’t stop thinking of all the events that brought them there.
Raine Bracken - 21, Natalie O’Neill - 21, Savina Monopoli - 20, Caitlin Bevington - 20, Canada
Alice Airoldi - 22, Jesse Pamintuan - 23, Jacob Kornfeld - 21, Santiago Arias-Rozo - 22, California
INCOGNITO
Jacky Song - 23, Katie Anne Moy - 22, Jackson Casimiro - 23, Logan Fulton - 24, California 1995, Los Angeles, when a young woman claims to have teleported from the past, her primary doctor begins to believe her story and decides to take the investigation into his own hands, unveiling the truth behind an uncanny story.
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FILMMAKING AT Interlochen
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HELPING OUR COMMUNITY COMES WITH THE TERRITORY. Around here, “business as usual” means giving back to the community. It means leading by example. Paying it forward. And doing good, where good is needed most. Our commitment to local philanthropy is as important as our commitment to our customers. ColumbiaBank.com
Application fee waiver code: NFFTY20
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Member FDIC Equal Housing Lender
PACIFIC NORTHBEST On-Demand OCT 23 - NOV 1
We gonna rock down to PNW Avenue! This lineup of fantastically
talented filmmakers reign from crafty Cascadia. Showcasing some of
the best and brightest in our own backyard, check out their captivating creativity!
Presented by
*This screening may not be suitable for all ages
SOME BUNNY TO LOVE
ONE MINUTE TO MIDNIGHT
THE DAYS ARE JUST PACKED
After a man makes an unlikely friend in the apocalypse, he finds himself faced with an impossible choice between companionship and survival.
A scientist creates a powerful weapons energy source, more powerful than he knows.
A young filmmaker struggles to say goodbye to his best friend before he moves away across the country.
NO FAN OF ANDY
SUPERBODY
6.4.89
Ben Nakhuda - 23, Ethan Seneker - 23, Tatiana Elliott - 17, Abhi Goyal - 17, Canada
Kai Tomizawa - 16, Oregon After a pet-related mishap, a devoted but misguided friend has to carry out an absurd plan for redemption.
A PERIOD PIECE
Taylor Amble - 20, Jordan Wilson - 21, Jaimie Hansmire - 19, Ethan Lochridge - 18, Washington A middle school girl gets her first period and tries to keep it a secret from her dad and brothers.
James Brammer - 16, Jasper Swift - 17, Claire Kilkenny - 17, Washington
Ethan Hawthorne-Dallas - 19, Jessica Lueck 20, Ang Tantuico - 20, Georgia After seeing a commercial for a new workout bike, a man becomes obsessed with his routine; and the woman on the screen.
Miles Dixon - 18, Nik Gradisnik - 18, Chris Golden - 23, Oregon
Abel Fong - 21, Washington Things that never happened on June 4th 1989.
HEADLESS INTO NIGHT
EVERYTHING BAGEL
When her father sends her on a “divine” mission, Ifelayo must confront the mystical Night Mothers next door. Inspired by ‘Daughters of the Dust’ (1991), this short film explores relationships between agency and tradition in ‘othered’ communities.
In the surreal world of Seattle suburbia, an ensemble of slackers and outcasts navigate young adulthood... and also maybe fight a robot.
Nifemi Madarikan - 24, Washington
Brendan Hickey - 18, Elliott Atkinson - 20, Marley Rankin - 17, New York
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PALPABLE PERFORMANCES On-Demand OCT 23 - NOV 1
Settle in for a showcase of scene-stealing stars! These thrilling thespians will subject you to a spectrum of sentiments. Powerful and passionate performances promise that this program will be a hit! *This screening may not be suitable for all ages
THE STAMP
BACKWATER
The clock is ticking for a foreigner, an immigrant faced with the coldblooded bureaucracy of a foreign country, as he tries to prove he is related to his younger sister and prevent separation. Nobody hears their voices, lost in translation.
A young man proposes to his girlfriend on a magical summer evening, but doesn’t end up getting the answer he initially expected.
HYMN TO OTSUCHI
FOR KATE
THE OTHER SIDE
In a grief-stricken Japan that is unable to cope, one man takes it upon himself to help it heal. He builds a telephone booth that leads to nowhere, but carries voices through the wind. The story is based on true events and follows one man’s journey as he helps different families deal with loss.
Living in a dysfunctional home, Kate finds comfort in playing piano with her caring neighbor, Alan. However, when she needs him most, he is taken away from her.
Days before his 18th birthday, Abel (Ethan Herisse, “When They See Us”) finds himself about to age out of his orphanage and leave his younger brother, Kiya, behind. But when a prospective adopting couple threatens to break their relationship apart, the brothers wrestle with the reality of never being adopted. Inspired by a true story.
Lovro Mrđen - 24, Croatia
Daphne Daniels - 20, Lana Nguyen - 21, Cameron Kostopoulos - 21, California
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Mone Frogg - 22, Torjus Thesen - 23, Norway
Claire Imler - 20, Jessica Stossel - 19, California
VIRGINIA
Francesco Puppini - 23, Kayleigh Platt - 24, Jack Armour - 22, Joel Renberg-Fawcett - 23, Italy Virginia, a psychic living in a petrol station, doesn’t want her son to leave home - an old memory of a fire haunts her and starts to resurface as a tragic flashback.
Josh Leong - 19, Sofia Bara - 20, Tom Ingwersen - 21, New York
POWERFUL GRIT On-Demand OCT 23 - NOV 1
A provoking program of perseverance! From claustrophobic military bases to oppressive educational institutions, the super strength and
daring determination these characters muster will leave you in awe. Just watch your fingers!
*This screening may not be suitable for all ages
EYES OF EIDOLON
Davi Pena - 21, Addison Toney - 21, Kai Dickson - 22, Devon Solwold - 20, Georgia A surreal narrative about love, loss and the memories that haunt us.
THE HUNT
Vincent D’Alessandro - 22, Finley King - 21, Kirsten Pasewladt - 22, New Jersey Spivey, a hardened private on a claustrophobic, American military base, entangles herself in an intimate relationship with the selfproclaimed alpha of the base. As tensions in her arrangement grow high, power and masculinity are put into question, forcing Spivey make unimaginable decisions in order to assert her own dominance.
THE PUPAL STAGE
WASTE AWAY
CEREAL
A young transgender woman just beginning her transition is thrown into a coming out party by her cis friends. What starts as a night of celebration takes a turn when she begins to feel ill.
In a trash-filled city, a homeless woman’s encounter with a fish takes an unexpected turn.
What happens to a kid when years of neglect and anger fester?
THIS DARK THOUGHT
FINGER
Tee Jaehyung Park - 19, California
Kris Theorin - 21, Nik Theorin - 21, Kurtis Theorin - 24, Pennsylvania While babysitting her newborn sister, a young astronomer struggles with a dark thought after encountering something eerie in the night sky.
Elly Stern - 21, Canada
Justin Diezmo - 21, Valentina Garcia Salazar - 21, Karen Habib 21, Canada After Sean; a reclusive 17 year old high school student, injures his finger in gym class during a game of football, his life spirals down a dangerous path in search of self-validation and empathy from others.
Dusan Brown - 18, Faith Tucker 20, Jeremy Basset - 19, California
PASOS DE VALOR
Natalia C Bell - 23, Sophia Shi - 21, Nicolas Kalajdzic - 23, California Steps of Valor follows a pregnant MBA student in the ‘90s whose due date conflicts with her final finance exam; however, her male professor won’t make any accommodations. Determined to create a better life for her Mexican-American family, Valentina takes the exam despite giving birth only three days before it. Inspired by the true story of the director’s birth.
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RADICAL EXPERIMENTS On-Demand OCT 23 - NOV 1
BULLETS MADE OF WILDFLOWERS
Take a stroll down the boulevard of avant-garde! This lineup of films
rigorously reevaluates classic conventions. Creative experimentation at its finest is on display in this screening -- what more could you ask for? *This screening may not be suitable for all ages
PORTRAIT OF MY REFLECTION
PAGE BLANCHE
Portrait of My Reflection explores a conversation between a girl and her reflection.
A writer struggles to find the perfect ending for his story. He becomes trapped in an enormous void with a singular light emanating from a blank sheet of paper.
TENDER HEARTS
MY HEART IS ERASING
YACHATS
When parsing together memories of a warm summer afternoon, a woman unearths true feelings about intimate moments she spent with her partner.
An intense and intimate portrait of a young boy with a secret.
Shot on the Oregon Coast, YACHATS is a silent thriller film that follows the conscious of our subject, haunted by a ubiquitous black figure. Faced with the decision to embrace illusion for the sake of himself, he must venture past old barriers — little does he know, fear might be his collapse.
INDIAN AMERICAN
METAMORPHISM
ASTONISHING HORIZON!
An experimental documentary that explores the conflicting identities of an Indian American teen.
Under great pressure, humans undergo similar steps of metamorphism.
In a tilted Los Angeles, news reporters are infuriated by protests for more positivity.
Reed Cash Carson - 23, Luciana Salinas - 24, Alex Gagliardi - 22, Illinois The morning of her best friend’s funeral queer activist, Clementine, wakes up to discover a purple wildflower growing out of her forehead.
Lauren Jevnikar - 21, New York
Ahan Kadam - 16, California
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Marley Rankin - 18, Washington
Joshua Ben-Dylan - 21, Dalton Harrod - 22, Ruby Rose Makkena - 21, New York
Kate Saltel - 17, Texas
Félix-Antoine Gagnon - 18, Canada
Blair Barnes - 23, Simon Calem - 22, Kevin Wang - 23, California
Mar Sudac - 24, Adam Hersko - 23, California
RECLAIMING ME On-Demand OCT 23 - NOV 1
Put a new lens on life! This collection of films explores the triumphs and struggles of investigating and embracing your own identity. A laudable lineup of filmmakers grappling with their place in the world and boldly broadcasting their truest selves! *This screening may not be suitable for all ages
Presented by
TRUE TO YOU
WASH DAY
A SYRIAN WOMAN
A brief lyrical work of visual poetry that captures a newly out young Mexican gay man as he muses on his internal war with religion and identity.
As they get ready for the day, three young Black women discuss the public perception of their Blackness in its relation to their personal journeys in cultivating a strong sense of self.
A portrait of resilience. Eight Syrian women living in Jordan recount their personal stories of survival, trauma, and transformation amid the everchanging refugee crisis.
I DRAW ON EVERYTHING
NAME ME
SLEEPWALKER
IN HER CORNER
A Chinese girl thinks about how people see her eyes.
A transnational Chinese reflects on her names and identities.
What does it take to stay awake when the reality is tough and home is far away? Using archival footage of the Sunflower Movement that took place in Taipei, Taiwan in 2014 as a starting point, the filmmaker reflects on her ideas of home, politics, and the importance of being present.
‘In Her Corner’ is an intimate look into the lives of three very different women who box. Boxing is about discipline, power, and movement. It is violent yet beautiful, brutal and refined for those who practice it.
Jacob Charton - 22, California
Johanna Xue - 20, Hungary
Kourtney Jackson - 22, Canada
Sia Peng - 22, New Hampshire
Khawla Al Hammouri - 24, Jordan
Andrea Yu-Chieh Chung - 23, Taiwan
HANDSCAPE
Yiru Chen - 22, Anke Bai - 22, Kaiwen Chen - 22, China Contemporary Shanghai, summer. Xia Qing, a hard of hearing boy longs to overcome an obscure self-identity crisis through the silent language on his fingertips, while seeking his single deaf mother’s approval of his passion in dance.
Emma Cataldo - 21, Nidhi Kulkarni - 24,California
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SLICE OF LIFE
Everything is cake! This program will weave you in and out of days and
On-Demand OCT 23 - NOV 1
IN PASSING
Esther Cheung - 21, Canada A portrait of seventies Hong Kong, as my parents remember it.
YEARS
Danielle Schmidt - 22, Maryland Grace has an eating disorder. Even the most mundane moments at school and at home are fraught with a quiet tension, as she attempts to either conceal or voice her inner workings.
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moments in the life of some scintillating strangers and slip you into some liminal spaces and ephemeral places. I’ll take that perfect piece please! *This screening may not be suitable for all ages
BROWN BODIES IN A FAR SEA
Joshua Co - 23, Ethan Gogue - 21, Nainoa Andrade - 24, Douglas Haban - 20, Hawaii
I’M CALLING YOUR FATHER Leon Ristov - 20, North Macedonia
After hearing about an incoming hurricane, a young girl makes preparations to defend her home.
When sixteen-year-old Damjan gets jumped by neighborhood hooligans, his hardheaded mother comes up with a plan to protect him.
GOYISHE
WINTER COAT
Struggling to fit in with her mother’s new found Orthodox Jewish faith, a teen is forced to choose between religion and the life she left behind.
While out on a day of errands, an act of petty crime gives a glimpse of the unique bond between Nathalie and Wayne, revealing the subtle intricacies of connection and family.
Griffin Cubero - 20, Kevin Yu - 20, Nicole Porter - 20, Emily Park - 21, New York
Werner Vivier - 23, Vicky Man - 21, United Kingdom
FOLLOW THE SUN
JoeBill Muñoz - 23, California Follow the Sun is an observational documentary that captures the everyday moments of a migrant shelter in Mexico City filled with losses, triumphs, and excruciating moments of waiting. Follow the Sun invites you to understand life in limbo.
WHAM
Boris Vesselinov - 19, California A struggling guitarist gets the chance to impress Austin’s top music producer — moments after a dangerous drug dose.
THE CARDS YOU’RE DEALT On-Demand OCT 23 - NOV 1
HOME
You can still lose with a royal flush, and win with nothing -- it’s all about how you play your hand. The filmmakers in this screening expertly investigate opportunity, access, and navigating the lemons life gives you. We’re not bluffing, these films are upping the ante! *This screening may not be suitable for all ages
CRUZ
GLORY GOAL
A young man in Oaxaca runs into successive dead-ends while searching for a better life and gainful employment in a violent, impoverished society.
Glory Goal’ explores the inner-city youth perspective on organized soccer in Toronto. A community exploited by gentrification and privatization seek answers regarding the recreational green space available to them.
VALLE DE SILICIO
TOOMSBORO
GIFTED HANDZ
Wilson Chun is growing up on the streets of Guatemala’s Zona 13, known for its gang activity. Wilson’s goal is to save his family from poverty and “Cada Nino” might be his only chance of making his dreams a reality.
Two brothers in a small Georgia town find a large sum of money in a crashed car and have different ideas about what to do with it.
A documentary following a West London barber, as he reminisces on his entry into his profession and how it saved him from other fates.
Michelle Saguinsin - 18, Florida After a decade and a half away, I visit what has been told is Home. The Philippines, a land unknown to me is explored along with my unwritten history.
James Michael Douglas - 21, Noah Amedick 20, North Carolina
Andrea Rosales - 23, José Garrido - 24, Mexico
Liam Tangum - 21, Paolo Wolfsdorf - 20, Jake Coury - 21, Noelle DeAngelis - 21, Georgia
Serville Poblete - 24, Sujen Sivagnanasundram - 24, Canada
Raza Tariq - 17, United Kingdom
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THROUGH MY EYES On-Demand OCT 23 - NOV 1
Did you know you can walk a mile in someone else’s shoes from the
comfort of your own couch? Peer through a hypothetical window and
witness people from across the world navigating their own challenges, relationships, and a few of life’s biggest questions. Get to know your neighbors!
MR. WILD
Caleb Wild - 21, Florida An intimate conversation with my grandfather’s friend in Florida, a year after he passed away.
BETWEEN THE NOTES
Jordan Hwang - 24, New York
Cho-Liang Lin, a world class violinist and soloist, created the “Taipei Music Academy & Festival” where he invites masters and rising musicians from around the world to perform together in his home country in Taiwan. The story follows four young students who are all at pivotal stages in their lives as they tackle doubts and insecurities while preparing for their professional music careers.
THE BIRD IN THE HOUSE
Justin Fargiano - 22, Connecticut A portrait of a nurse dealing with the pandemic, who happens to be my mother.
THE ROSE OF MANILA
NOTHING DOWN ABOUT IT
APPLE PIE & OTHER LESSONS
An imagining of the formative years of Imelda Marcos, who as the First Lady of the Philippines, would become known for her lavishness and detachment from her country’s social reality. Here, the fate of a young girl and an entire nation become entangled as the mother of a country is born.
Nothing Down About It follows Paul, a German man with Down syndrome, through work, life, and love. Extraordinary is in his DNA.
Apple Pie & Other Lessons is a short doc about family, food, and the complexity of mother-daughter relationships that intersect with mental illness. Filmmaker, Emily Ryder, interviews her mum and aunt as they prepare an apple pie based on their late mother’s recipe, and reflect on how her struggles with mental health impacted their relationship with her & coloured their views of motherhood.
ONLY THE MOON
UNFAMILIAR FIELDS
Through animation, Director Maya Cueva’s father recounts his immigration story from Peru to the United States in the 60s, and what it means to grow old as a Latino in the age of Trump.
Liliane decides to move to a nursing home to care for her husband, who is slowly losing his sense of self. A touching voyage into the unpredictable world of aging.
Alex Westfall - 22, Rhode Island
PAPI
Gabriela Ortega - 24 , California An intimate portrait the filmmaker’s father as he introduces her to the world of 4x4 overlanding travels in Dominican Republic.
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Skyler DeYoung - 21, Emma Forthofer - 21, Maximilian Beißel - 19, Colorado
Maya Cueva - 24, California
Emily Ryder - 22, Stephanie Nakashima - 21, Katja de Bourbon - 21, Samantha van der Bent - 21, Canada
Charles Duquet - 22, Canada
“When we were working late hours at AFI, people would come and ask, ‘Don’t you want to go home?’ I would say that I’m already there.” –Omer Ben-Shachar, AFI Class of 2018
Your best work starts here. The AFI Conservatory is dedicated to creating a vibrant, inclusive community for storytellers. Omer Ben-Shachar, AFI Class of 2018
Asher Jelinsky, AFI Class of 2018
STUDENT ACADEMY AWARD ® BRONZE AWARD WINNER
STUDENT ACADEMY AWARD ® GOLD AWARD WINNER
Hao Zheng, AFI Class of 2018 S TUDENT ACADEMY AWARD® SILVER AWARD WINNER
Earn a Master of Fine Arts degree in Cinematography, Directing, Editing, Producing, Production Design and Screenwriting.
APPLY NOW AT AFI.EDU
CELEBRATING TWO NFFTY PARTNERSHIPS 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF SCAN|DESIGN FOUNDATION PARTNERSHIP This is the 10th annual NFFTY that has received support from Scan|Design Foundation to power our ongoing collaboration with StationNext! Scan|Design Foundation is our largest historical contributor, and has been a keystone to our success. Over the past decade, the Scan|Design Foundation Masterclass has brought world-class (and Oscar recognized) Danish film creators to NFFTY for enthusiastic audiences of emerging and aspiring filmmakers. Over 2000 NFFTY alumni to date have had the opportunity to learn directly from one of the world’s most recognized nations in cinematic excellence, Denmark. A unique three-way partnership, Scan|Design Foundation, NFFTY, and StationNext look forward to another decade of providing high quality experiences and educational opportunities to rising filmmakers.
Be sure to check out this year’s Masterclass featuring Isabella Eklöf (BORDER, 2018) and NFFTY alumnus Lin Alluna, streaming Sat 10/31 at 12pm PT! StationNext is a film school for young people between the ages of 13 and 20 from all over Denmark, with students attending classes one evening per week for three years or attending film camps. Scan|Design Foundation was founded in 2002 and is dedicated to fostering Danish American relations.
ANNOUNCING JDOGG SCHOLARSHIP FUND PARTNERSHIP On April 17, 2011, the world lost one of its bright lights. Justin Amorratanasuchad died in a tragic accident in Boston, while doing what he loved most: telling a story through film. He was just a year away from completing his film degree at Emerson. To honor the creative energy Justin brought to the world, his family and friends have established a scholarship fund for advanced studies in Film/Television and Media Production studies. The Scholarship provides up to $31k support for film school expenses to graduates of high school production programs who have the talent but need financial assistance to pursue their dreams, like Justin. His friends called him JDogg, The JDogg Film Scholarship (JDogg) has taken on that nickname as well. During his last year in high school, over college-level competition, Justin won the Jury Prize for Best Experimental Film at NFFTY 2008. JDogg Scholars have regularly had official selections and won awards at NFFTY since 2013, and NFFTY is proud to announce that as of 2020 it is the new qualifying festival partner for the JDogg Scholarship Fund! For more information on the partnership and to learn how to apply, visit https://www.nffty.org/the-justin-amorratanasuchadscholarship-fund.
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WE ARE:
Honoring the Past Celebrating the Present Envisioning the Future
SPECIAL THANKS
NFFTY is grateful to the following persons who have contributed to NFFTY in the past year: Sara Albertson Jill Altemus-Fields Theresa Ambat Shawn Andersen Katrien Andria-Habermann Zachary Bailey Peter Barnes Beth Barrett Kate Becker Jeffrey Bisch Anna Bliner Robert Bojorquez William Brand Ian Brindle Donna Brown Karen Bystrom Daniel Calzaretta Kelly Campelia Kevin Conner Monique Courcy Caroline Cumming Jackson Davis Christopher Day Jonna Dickison Antjelina Eckman Mark Eisner Ryan Elizalde Kenny Ellis Liv Faris Adrienne Fox Maja Gans Giulia Gandini Suzie Gardner Martha Garrett Alex Gasparetto Ashley Genevieve Bobbi Ginder Frank Harris John Harrison Ashraf Hasham Caelin Homola (Moore) Vivan Hua Dan Hudson Mitchell International Sydney Jarol Olivia Jensen Aaron Jin Ben Kadie Laila Kazmi Aaron Keteyian Dennis Kim Hilary Klein Ron Klein Alex Krauka-Kroeka Charlene Laporte Matthew Law
Matt Lawrence Dan Lesser Stefanie Malone Catherine McCarthy Ben McCarthy Catherine McCord Rebecca McCord Peter McKeon Kathleen Mullen Tomoko Nagata Copon Heidi Nelson Chris Newell Antjelina Newman Su Ngouv Paris Nguyen Brian Niles Kathryn Orwig Leo Pfeifer Lesley Pfeifer Will Phan Conor Powell Sara Rankin Virginia Rathburn Caroline Rensel Theresa Robinson Alex Rose Robert Roth Bryan Roth Line Sandsmark Lori Seago Kyle Seago Phil Seneker Ethan Seneker Nesib Shamah Joyce Shimizu Paul Siple Lillian Smith Nicole Stellner Brent & Courtney Stiefel Kevin Stiller Adam Stone Kaitlin Suggs Daniel Taplitz Susan Thomas Bonnie Trueman Laura Valiente Kora Vanderlip Carl Kadie & Nanci Vaeth Al Hillel & Sue Wiedenfeld Zachary Williams Kinnon Williams John & Karin Williams Nat Wilson
NFFTY is grateful to the following funders who are supporting this year’s edition: Scan|Design Foundation Seattle’s Office of Arts & Culture 4Culture King County Creative Washington State Arts Commission National Endowment for the Arts Robert Chinn Foundation SiTy Foundation Morgan Family Foundation Harley Soltes Charitable Fund
NFFTY gives additional thanks to the following people and organizations: Leilani Lewis Ariel Glassman, Joseph Krebs & Carlo Scandiuzzi @ Scandiuzzi Krebs Vivian Hua & Jonah Kozlowski @ Northwest Film Forum Laura Jean Cronin @ Reel Grrls Pro Peter Barnes & Tess Stuart @ Clatter&Din Dominique Thomas @ Langston Hughes Performing Art Institute Ashraf Hasham & Tina LaPadula @ Seattle’s Office of Arts & Culture Alex Rose @ Seattle Office of Film + Music Toby Brooks & Meredith Lavitt @ Sundance Ignite Blair & Craig Brooke-Weiss @ JDogg Scholarship Fund Ulrik Krapper @ StationNext Christina Raia @ Seed&Spark Sean Weiner @ Jacob Burns Film Center Creative Culture Aleks Dmitrijevic & Noel Goodwin @ BFI Future Film Nina Sanders, Michelle Li & Fischer Wong @ BAYCAT Heike Dempster @ YoungArts Matt Miller & Ben Wiessner @ Vanishing Angle Amy Astley @ Disney Animation Julie Bergstein & Jeffrey Bowers @ Vimeo
Additionally All our presenters and panelists, jurors, and other festival guests.
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2020 NFFTY STAFF DAN HUDSON Executive Director
NFFTY SCREENING & SCREENPLAY COMMITTEE NFFTY is a program of The Talented Youth, a 501c3 non-profit Greg Arietta Robert Bojorquez Kevin Conner Avery Ducey Dan Hudson Sydney Jarol Madison Lindsey Chloe Rankin Jessica Stossel Amy Williams
AMY WILLIAMS Program Director
SYDNEY JAROL
Marketing & Operations Manager
HANNAH MUELLER Festival Production Coordinator
KELLY CAMPELIA Program Coordinator
AVERY DUCEY
Lead Programming Intern
JESSICA STOSSEL Virtual Festival Programming Intern
CHLOE RANKIN Assistant Virtual Programming Intern
BARB HOFFMAN
Social Media Manager 60
MEET THE DESIGNERS This year’s festival branding and graphic design was done by a design duo, Yvonne Chan & Yvonne Chien, who coincidentally have nearly the same name.
YVONNE CHAN
Yvonne Chan is a Seattle native who works as a designer, illustrator, and artist. She has spent several years freelancing and has done work for clients including REI, Starbucks, and NW Folklife. Her art has been commissioned for public display in both Renton and Auburn. You can see more of her work here: yvonnechan.org IG @novemberdays_
YVONNE CHIEN
Yvonne Chien is a visual designer who enjoys using different mediums to connect brands with their audience. She has worked with clients ranging from community organizations like Country Doctor Clinics to tech startups and corporations, like Microsoft. You can see more of her work here: yvonnechien.com IG @yvonnechiens
NFFTY TEAM
Executive Director – Dan Hudson Program Director - Amy Williams Marketing and Operations Manager - Sydney Jarol Festival Production Coordinator - Hannah Mueller Program Coordinator - Kelly Campelia Lead Programming Intern - Avery Ducey Virtual Programming Intern - Jessica Stossel Assistant Virtual Programming Intern - Chloe Rankin Marketing and Development Intern - Isabel Cunningham Programs and Operations Intern - Madison Lindsey Senior Programmer/Podcast Producer - Robert Bojorquez Senior Programmer - Kevin Conner Festival Design – Yvonne Chan & Yvonne Chien Trailer Editor – Amy Williams Public Relations - Smarthouse Creative
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Ryan Elizalde – President – Marketing Director, Better Properties Eastside Susan Thomas – Vice President – Filmmaker & Blueberry Farmer William Brand – Treasurer – CPA Phil Seneker – Secretary – Senior Developer, Video, T-Mobile Kate Becker – King County Creative Economy Strategist Matt Lawrence – Media Educator Peter Barnes – Principal, Clatter&Din Ben Kadie — Filmmaker Alex Johnston — Filmmaker, Scholar & Media Educator, Seattle University
BOARD EMERITUS
STORY OF NFFTY 2007: Jesse Harris realizes the need for an organization to support young
filmmakers and joins with Jocelyn R.C. and Kyle Seago to launch NFFTY as a
one-night festival with 14 films, and to form a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, The Talented Youth.
2008-2009: NFFTY expands to a three-day event, screening 113 films with over 4,000 in attendance, and launches year-round programming, NFFTY 365. In 2009, NFFTY begins accepting international films.
2010: NFFTY expands again to become a four-day festival, featuring 190 films from 33 states and 16 countries and additional networking opportunities for filmmakers. A 48-Hour Film Contest is added to the festival weekend.
2011: Now the world’s largest film festival for emerging filmmakers, NFFTY
2011 screens 225 films, adds even more programming and opportunities, and is attended by over 200 filmmakers and an audience of 8,500.
2012: NFFTY adds the Future of Film Expo trade show to the festival and
features eight panels, 14 workshops, and over 30 exhibitors. Festival attendance exceeds 10,000.
2013: NFFTY features 215 films from around over 30 countries and launches NFFTY Creative, connecting brands with NFFTY alumni to work on original
projects. NFFTY alumni are now working for prestigious companies such as Pixar and HBO.
2014: NFFTY launches a Young Women in Film initiative, a year-round effort to support young female filmmakers. Of the 214 films that screen, over 40% are
directed by women. NFFTY alumni produce both an original documentary and a
national televised commercial for NFFTY Creative partners, garnering both ADDY and Telly Awards.
Jesse Harris - Founder Jocelyn R.C. - Co-Founder Kyle Seago - Co-Founder
2015: NFFTY features a record 248 films from 30 states and 25 countries, with
ADVISORY BOARD
2016: The 10th anniversary festival includes 227 films from 24 countries, as well
Ben Kadie - President – Filmmaker Laura Holliday - Vice President - Filmmaker Morgana Mckenzie - Director & Filmmaker Pranay Patwardhan - Creative Director at Animal, New Delhi, India Noah Wagner - Director & Filmmaker Dennis Kim - Filmmaker Catherine McCord - Filmmaker Kira Bursky - Filmmaker & Founder of All Around Artsy Carol Nguyen - Filmmaker Sindha Agha - Filmmaker Natalie Harris - Filmmaker Abena Taylor-Smith - Filmmaker Christina Xing - Filmmaker & Creative Director Leah Galant - Filmmaker
over 12,000 in attendance and 48% female-directed films. The festival adds its Works-In-Progress event and launches the NFFTY Alumni Advisory Board.
as an inaugural screenwriting competition: Story Starts Here. NFFTY takes its first steps into VR/360° with a panel and product demos. Starting to be recognized
as one of the leaders in the film festival world, NFFTY is named “One of the 50
Best Festivals Worth the Entry Fee” by MovieMaker Magazine, TeenTix Best Film Organization, and one of FilmFreeway’s Top 100 Rated Festivals.
2017: NFFTY forges into its second decade with the largest festival yet, featuring 257 films from around the world. NFFTYX launches with a full VR/360° event
featuring a boot camp and screening gallery. The Story Starts Here Screenplay Competition and Works In Progress round out a wildly successful year!
2018: The four-day festival moves to October, and after receiving over 1,300
submissions, NFFTY screens 266 films from 24 countries and 24 U.S. States. In
partnership with Oculus, NFFTYX creates an entire VR/360° gallery with NFFTY Official Selections from filmmakers and creators 24 and under. Over 50% of
NFFTY 2018’s Official Selections are directed by female or non-binary identifying filmmakers!
2019: NFFTY more than doubles the number of professional development
events offered at the festival, and co-produces the 2nd Annual Film Career Day with the City of Seattle, including a keynote from Oscar-winning NFFTY alumna Rayka Zehtabchi. Producing partners of the 13th festival include Seed&Spark, NowThis, Sundance Institute, and Vimeo. Now 13 years strong, NFFTY has
developed robust juries across eight competitions, with 31 jurors from film
studios, festivals, and other positions of influence in the industry. Additionally, NFFTY is able to offer direct financial support to filmmakers, with cash prizes for award winners totalling $10,000. NFFTY alumni take center stage at the
festival as never before, including 13 as jurors, 4 as panelists, and 4 as workshop creators.
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INDEX A A Caved Man Forever Alone...45 A Family Reunion...42 A Period Piece...49 A Syrian Woman...53 Accomplice...31 Advertocil...29 Alfie in Love...29 All the Young Dudes...39 Almost Seven Years...34 Alone Sometimes...45 Amalié...26 Angela Digital Learning Assistant...31 Anna and Sloane go to the Beach...44 Anxiety...33 Apple Pie & Other Lessons...56 Astonishing Horizon!...52 Athol Park...44 Avant que tu Partes (Before You Leave)...42
B
Babydyke...39 Backwater...50 Between the Notes...56 Binate...37 Bittersweet...41 Bloom...36 Blue Nude...38 Breastmilk...26 Brown Bodies in a Far Sea...54 BULLETS MADE OF WILDFLOWERS...52
C
Carrie Fisher is Dead...41 Cease...41 Cereal...51 ¡Chaporazzi!...25 Check YES!...33 Children Play With Fire...28 Chong The Nomad - Two Colors...45 Ciervo...25 Clara's Room...44 62
Claud - Just to Forget...24 Cobalt...36 Coming to Light...25 Considerations of Infinity...36 Creat(e)ure...27 Cruz...55
HEADER...44 Headless into Night...49 Heights...28 Home...55 Homesickness...40 Hymn to Otsuchi...50
Dead Emerson - Sucker Punch...46 Desert Mourning...40 Dia de las Madres (Mother's Day)...42 Distance & Longing...43 DON DIABLO X ELDZHEY | UFO...45 Downs of the Dead...30 Drug Abuse & Mechanical Pencils...36 Dungarees...39
I Draw on Everything...53 I Never Picked Cotton...24 I Think My Sleep Paralysis Demon Is A Casting Director...29 Identity Crisis...31 If You Go...44 I'm Calling Your Father...54 In Her Corner...53
D
E
Empty Nest...34 Everything Bagel...49 Eve's Dinner...43 Eyes of Eidolon...51
F
FACADES...38 Face to Face...40 finger...51 First Day Back...46 Flight of the Kiwi...26 Flores Dentro (Flowers Within)...36 Follow the Sun...54 For Kate...50 Friends Don't Die...27 From the Top...25
G
Ghazaal...24 Gifted Handz...55 Glory Goal...55 God is a Lobster...29 Godmother Death...34 Godspeed...26 Golem...33 Goyishe...54 Granata - Bed and a Desk...45 GRIEF.exe...31
H
Hajun Blooms...37 Handscape...53
I
風不太冷 In Passing...54
In Vitro...42 In-Between(s)...25 Incognito...47 Indian American...52 INTI...43 It's Raining, It's Pouring...38
J
Jeremy Stern - BHC...40 Joining the Birds...26 Joychild...39
K
Kaaway...41 Kini Solana & Louis Quantrille - Not Ur B*tch...46 Knife Hanging From a Tree...34
L
Lairs...38 Lawn Dogs...42 Le Prince Oublié...43 Lena...25 Life in the Between...44 Lighthunger...31 Limelight...25 Lokl Yokl - Down the Line...46 Loopy...38 Lúbtha...39 Luna...31
M
Mac/Beth...27 Más Bowls...44 Metamorphism...52
Milk Teeth...30 Misfits...32 Missed...42 Mizuko...37 Movement for Change...36 Mr. Wild...56 Murmur...33 my heart is erasing...52 My House...30
N
Name Me...53 NEARSIDERS...34 NEZZA - Corazon Frio...45 No Crying at the Dinner Table...28 No Fan of Andy...49 Nothing Down About It...56 Nothing's Real...46 Number 2...29
O
Oh Yeah...38 One Minute to Midnight...49 Only the Moon...56 Out of Place...40 Out of Stock...47 Overthrow...43
P
Page Blanche...52 Papi...56 Partners in Crime...41 Peeps...29 Perfect....34 Planet Cozmo...41 Playing With Fire...41 Pledge It...27 Portrait of My Reflection...52 Post Love...27 Practice...24 PROCESS (F.O.O.L.)...45
R
Rainy Day...46 Rodney Chrome - Pulpit...45 Roots...43 RUN AWAY, THEY'LL SEE US!...38
S
SEND TO VINCE!...45 Si...28
Silhouette...30 SKITOZ...30 Sleepwalker...53 Sodium Blues...38 SOFT...24 Some Bunny to Love...49 Something Better...46 Sophie and Jacob...33 Sprout...43 Standing Above the Clouds...32 Starcrossed...27 Steps of Valor...51 Stoke Chasers...37 Sunshine Room...31 Superbody...49 Surname...42 Swipe Right for Murder...47
T
Tender Hearts...52 The Artist, The Old Man, and The Waiter...40 The Battle of Billy Joe...27 The Bird in the House...56 The Box Assassin...33 The Cloud is Still There...42 The Days are Just Packed...49 The Girl in the Woods...30 The Hunt...51 The Kitchlets...34 The Lonely Prince...39 The Metamorphosis...33 The Mood in the United States Today...28 The Other Side...50 The Painted ...30 The Peach Scarf...33 The Pupal Stage...51 The Rose of Manila...56 The Same Story...47 THE STAMP...50 The Substitute...47 There Were Four of Us...33 This Dark Thought...51 Time Ain't Enough...46 To Know Her...26 To The Girl That Looks Like Me...28 To the Highest Point Near the
Sun...37 Toboggan - Souvenirs Carïbes...45 Today I'm Gonna Get Myself a Real Job...27 Together...31 Toomsboro...55 TRUE TO YOU...53 Tuna...29
U
Under the Lights...44 Unfamiliar Fields...56 Unlimited...43
V
Valle del Silicio...55 Venus...39 Virginia...50
W Waiting...38 Wash Day...53 Waste Away...51 Welcome Home...34 welcome to my new cyborg body!...29 Wham...54 What We See in the Clouds...40 Willy Goes Way Back!...31 Winter Coat...54 Witness...32 WOMEN!...46
Y
YACHATS...52 Years...54 Yellow Cards for Equal Pay...43 You Know the Drill...32 Your Friend, Ranger Doug...32 Yuan Yuan and the Hollow Monster...43 Yves & Variation...24
Z
Zoe and Hanh...26
#
6.4.89...49
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