August 20 – 23, 2015
1809 First Street, Baker City We Like ‘Em Short Films, Best of the 41st Northwest Filmaker’s Festival & Awards Ceremony
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We Like ‘Em Short Film Festival 2015
Welcome
The 6th Annual We Like ‘Em Short Film Festival will be held August 20-23. The We Like ‘Em Short Film Festival is aimed at celebrating the art of the short film, and to provide a platform for independent filmmakers to showcase their talent. This festival seeks original and entertaining animated and comedy shorts from around the world. The WLES was started in 2009 as a very small local festival featuring local filmmakers. In 2012 we decided to seek entries online, which opened us up to becoming an international film festival. For the 2014 festival, it was decided to pare our festival down a bit toward seeking only the films our staff and audiences find to consistently be the most entertaining, creative and engaging: animated and comedy shorts. The WLES film festival is a weekend festival that offers several awards, including a $250 cash award for Best Picture and a $150 award for Best Student Film. The We Like ‘Em Short Film Festival is aimed at celebrating the art of the short film, and to provide a platform for independent filmmakers to showcase their talent. This festival seeks original and entertaining animated and comedy shorts from around the world. ABOUT THE FESTIVAL The We Like Em Short Film Festival allows aspiring and professional filmmakers from around the world the chance to show their films in beautiful Baker City, a small community known for embracing the arts.
The WLES was started in 2009 as a very small local festival featuring local filmmakers. In 2012 we decided to seek entries online, which opened us up to becoming an international film festival. For the 2014 festival, it was decided to pare our festival down a bit toward seeking only the films our staff and audiences find to consistently be the most entertaining, creative and engaging: animated and comedy shorts. The WLES film festival is a weekend festival that offers several awards, including a $250 cash award for Best Picture and a $150 award for Best Student Film. ORGANIZERS Brian Vegter (Festival Director) and Derek Hosler (Co-Director) GENERAL RULES 1. All live action films must be comedies. Any other genre must be animated. 2. Films must be less than 20 minutes in length. 3. DVD copies of all films selected for the Official Selection must be received by June 1, 2014. 4. Any materials submitted will not be returned. 5. All fees are non-refundable. 6. The We Like ‘Em Short & the Eltrym Theater, LLC are not responsible for lost or damaged submissions. We Like ‘Em Short Film Festival Contact Information: Brian Vegter, Director • dogbri@icloud.com Festival mailing address: c/o We Like ‘Em Short 2339 Auburn Ave Baker City, OR 97814
We Like ‘Em Short Film Festival 2015
Thursday August 20th 7 pm (82 min)
Indecisions (5m, USA) By Hope Alexander Student Film Pursuing that one dream girl can have its twists and twins. Better watch out.
The Urge 2 – It Lies Within (8m, Canada) By Christopher Angus During a bizarre series of events a vampire discovers that harmless forest creatures, and even his own body, have turned against him.
Schedule
Gravity (2m, USA) By Colton Anderson Student Film Baker middle school film about the effects of gravity.
Daughter of an Ocean (3m, USA) dir by Kintan Chauhan Student Film By remembering the story of a fish told by her mother, Daughter realizes that the story was not just about little fish who wanted to live freely, but was meant for her to understand that she should live her life with freedom, as her mother never did.
The Sunburned (15m, Iran) dir. by Bahram Ark A narrative about a lonely and disgruntle man who takes care of sun flowers. due to his jealous of sun he takes sun flowers to a dark place but under some circumstance he himself felt captive in darkness. Finally man comes back to the farm again, however this time he
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conflicts with a mouse and tries put that mouse in cage.
Persistence Vs. Procrastination (2m, USA) By Nathan Ginter Student Film With homework to be done, a brutal battle between Persistence and Procrastination ensues.
Separated (14, USA) dir by Benjamin Freiburger When a wind-up toy’s best friend is thrown into a moving
C r o s s r o a d s P r o u d ly s u P P o rt s
We Like’M Short Film Festival A welcoming place where people meet and the arts speak. 2020 Auburn Avenue, Baker City, Oregon
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We Like ‘Em Short Film Festival 2015
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Friday August 21st 4 pm (67 min)
box that is headed out of town, the tiny robot must spring to life and rescue her before she is gone forever.
Hot Air (4m, USA) By Maggie Hughes and Kim DeJohn Student Film The story of a cloud and a boy and a balloon
Vest (6m, USA) dir by Autumn Weideman Student Film Baker high school Film Arts Club’s story of a vest with mysterious powers.
Don’t Be Afraid of Bears (3m, USA) dir by Jill Johnston Theriophobia is a fear of the beast. Naturalist Barry Lopez defines it as fear of the beast as an irrational, violent, insatiable creature. Reflection on childhood memories and fears induce impressions of the beast within and reciprocity of species.
The Fairy Tale of the Stolen Time (20m, Greece) dir by Sofia Papachristou Once upon a time, the Time of the World had a problem. But no one took notice, because everybody was part of the World, of Time and it’s problem...
Lovelorn Siluriform (2m, USA) by Anthony Clune Karl has his act together. He owns a nice apartment and keeps a good job. The only problem is that he’s a big stinky catfish. Is there nothing in store for lovelorn siluriform than pain and rejection?
Blank Spaces-parody (4m, USA) By Delany Stone Student Film Baker middle school film musical paroday about science.
Junk Girl (15m, Iran) by Mohammad Zare “Junk Girl” is an open adapted of a Tim Burton’s short poem of the same name.
The Spooky House of Shady Lane (1m, USA) By Corrina Stadler Student Film Baker middle school film a scary film about electricity.
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We Like ‘Em Short Film Festival 2015
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depending on what hat you wear.
Tuna (7m, USA) By Dawn Jones Redstone Dana’s due for the most intense therapy session of her life— coming to terms with a tuna fish sandwich. Dana suffers from icthyophobia—an irrational fear of fish. She’s struggled with it her whole life, but in an attempt to rid herself of a stifling anxiety, she endures an intense exposure therapy session with her very patient therapist, the inauspicious sandwich, and a few surprises along the way. Based on a true story.
Fumer Tue (6m, France) dir by Denise Powers An American in Paris, trying to meet people in a city of notoriously frosty inhabitants, adopts the ways of the locals and runs into unexpected problems.
the data indicates that she is a perfect fit, he is unsure if the data will reflect reality...or if she really exists.
The Fallen Phoenix (5m, USA) By Gwendolyn Barriac and Heather Larkin ‘The Fallen Phoenix’ is the story of an established composer who struggles to write a masterpiece that pleases both himself and his sponsor. Ultimately, he realizes he has to choose between staying true to his art and pleasing those around him.
Impasse (4m, New Zealand) dir by James Hall Student Film A lone Drifter must overcome a standoff with a ragged Scumbag to quench his dying thirst. Humbug (1m, USA) dir by Rebekah Compos and Zech Compos Student Film Baker high school Film Arts Club tells the tale of how the holidays aren’t for everyone,
La Realidad (2m, USA) dir by Jared Jacobsen A computer programmer makes a date to meet a woman that he met online. Although
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TICK TOCK (9m, Turkey) dir by Zeynep Kocak An old man wakes up to a routine day with his cat, who is his only friend. After making his breakfast, while drinking his coffee near a window, he watches the street, people, and life. He wants to be inside this life like he used to be. Then he comes up with an idea to break this routine circle, and end his loneliness.
We Like ‘Em Short Film Festival 2015
6 “Pound House”. Doug is also a performer and has toured extensively across the country and internationally as his alter ego “DJ Douggpound.” Friday August 21st 9 pm (77 min)
Ding Dong (13m, USA) dir by Darren Coyle Ray and Bill are two men who are not supposed to be in this house. And they’ve got to figure out who’s leaving, and who’s never leaving.
Laura Gets Adopted (12m, USA) dir by Laura Kightlinger When a couple of swingers decide to fill the void in their lives by adopting a much older child, they’re in for a hellride of inexplicable magnitude.
Around the World In 80 Days (5m, USA) By Lexie Trivundza and Nick Trivundza The brash, young Jules Verne Jr. has just decided to go around the world in 80 days in order to live up to the books, and their legacy, that have made his name world famous.
pet, who returns home to discover that his lovely wife, Karen, has been brutally attacked. The film savors the couple’s last moments together, and exposes the inescapable and unsavory past of their masters.
Hypothetical 2 (4m, Australia) By Jackson Tozer The sequel to the award winning micro short ‘Hypothetical’, Hypothetical 2 is about Two friends trash talking their roommate through a series of ‘Would you rathers...’
Friday August 21st 7 pm (60 + min) A Special Evening with filmmaker and editor Doug Lussenhop Doug Lussenhop is a comedy writer, director and performer. His unique style can be seen on shows such as Portlandia, Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, The Eric Andre Show, as well as his own web series,
One Voice (7m, USA) dir by Patrick Cavanaugh Four friends are sharing a fun, lively meal when things take a turn for the unexpected.
Liability (6m, USA) By Travis Altken Liability is a comedy thriller about Dr. John Spooks, a pup-
Culinary Choral (3m, Austra-
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We Like ‘Em Short Film Festival 2015
7 Bottleneck (m, USA) dir by Joanna Priestly Bottle Neck is a luminous crush of still life silhouettes, abstract shapes and complex, interlocking patterns that renovate the commonplace objects of a classical painting genre in a modern setting.
lia) By Matthew Spasaro Student Film A sordid love triangle reveals the transgressions of one man’s eating habits.
All Time Full Time (6m, USA) dir by Blake Linzey During a bickering holiday get together, a young man reveals a deep, dark secret to his family.
The Meisner Epiphany (6m, USA) By Eliaz Rodriguez An eccentric acting instructor guides his pupils through a crash course on the famed Meisner Technique. When he calls upon two of his students to perform an exercise, one actor haphazardly finds the dramatic breakthrough which may lead him to the final act of his unfulfilled career.
Online U (5m, USA) dir by James Hilderbrandt You can have the full college experience now without leaving your bedroom.
FIXED (7m, Australia) dir by Codey Wilson and Burliegh Smith Jemimah wants Tilly to have puppies. At any cost.
Femto Management: A Micromentary (12m, USA) dir by Martin Sweeney “Can I really do every job at this company better than anyone else? All the people I’ve hired specifically to do those jobs? Of course. Of course, I can. But that’s not the point. That doesn’t scale.” — Michael
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We Like ‘Em Short Film Festival 2015
8 Fertik, father of Femto-Management.
My Kingdom (4m, USA) dir by Debra Solomon Inspired by a poem by W.H. Auden, ‘My Kingdom’ is a musical, not-so-meditative meditation on personal space, done in hand drawn, frame-by-frame animation.
A Man Wakes Up (14m, USA) dir by Voki Kalfayan The story of a man immersed in a life of habit and routine who, though lonely to the outside eye, seems content to live his stark existence. One morning he awakes to discover an unexplained change in his routine, his apartment, his life!
Saturday, August 22nd 4 pm (86 min) Jumping Out of A Moving Vehicle for An Appropriate Reason (1m, USA) By Steve Stark Johnny just can’t help himself
Love^2 (2m, USA) dir by Aria Carpenter Student Film Baker high school Film Arts
Club tells the tale of two students smitten with each other end up in detention.
Cel shaded animated weirdness. Goatoodles debate that which can’t be argued or resolved with words, and come to the only possible conclusion.
Totentanz (Dance of the Dead) (15m, USA) dir by Whit Deschner Held hostage in his own house by a degenerative back for over a year, Whit Deschner spent his captivity piecing together a visual journey of his journeys picked from 50,000 pictures and 40 countries. His unique music-driven style combines the romance of stills with the movement of a movie. This fastpaced picture pilgrimage is 16 minutes long, 10 minutes wide and has no depth whatsoever.
One Drink (2m, USA) By Jacob Greenawalt Everyone’s least favorite Uncle gets drunk at the yearly holiday party.
Deliberation (2m, USA) dir by Pat Yaney
One Foot In (9m, USA) By Alexis Preston Student Two men discuss life, death, aliens and Cheetos while on their way to a funeral.
We Like ‘Em Short Film Festival 2015 The Intervention (5m, Canada) dir by Kimberly Huie Kei’s friends stage an intervention and find things have gotten even worse than they feared, but the experience draws them closer together curiously close.
Beverly (4m, USA) By Eliaz Rodriguez Beverly is wrapped up in her thoughts as she strives to land the man she deserves.
9 Narcoleptic existentialism meets broadcast journalism and the assassination of an American president, all set to the toe-tappin’ rock stylings of Grammy Award-winning duo They Might Be Giants. Mr. Invisible (14m, UK) dir by Greg Ash A solitary old man seems almost invisible to the world around him. But on a journey up to London we find that the old man’s “invisibility” may actually be the his greatest weapon. Saturday, August 22nd 7 pm (80 min)
Cooler (2m, UK) dir by Paul Moxon Tragic tale of a love affair between a Water cooler and a photocopier.
Beard (6m, UK) By Phil Haine Two men discuss the social, religious and sartorial effects of growing a beard.
Am I Awake (3m, USA) By Alex Italics
MAKEOVER (7m, Australia) dir by Don Percy Spring is in the air and it’s time for a change! Horrie, a lonely widower, misses his wife (and dog) and decides it’s time to start dating again. He finds the perfect woman (complete with pooch) via a singles magazine.
Outlines (4m, UK) By Daisy Gould 99.9999% of the universe is empty space, simply nothing at all. But still Oliver struggles to cope with his overwhelmingly chaotic life.
The Great Salt Lick Benefit Auction September 19, 2015
We Like ‘Em Short Film Festival 2015
10 UPA and Playhouse Pictures.
All Im Saying - James (4m, Hungary) By Péter Vácz A man goes on a quest to find the spirit of a woman to whom he could never say goodbye. A touching music video about loss and grief.
Palmer’s Beard (8m, USA) dir by Brad Lambert From the time of the American Revolution until the Civil War, it was inconceivable that a respectable American man would grow facial hair. When Joseph Palmer chose to defy social norms and grow a robust beard in 1830s Massachusetts, he became a social pariah and a martyr for civil liberties. PALMER’S BEARD tells his true story through animation inspired by 1950s studios like
Love Happened (3m, USA) dir by Sean Michael Smith John is a seemingly average young man going through the breakup of an average relationship. Little does he know that he is part of a mainstream romantic-comedy screenplay being made by a stubborn and talentless writer. Not wanting to take part in the story presented to him, John tries to live his own life despite the writer’s attempts to get his characters back into the original plot.
zombies roam the earth in search of delicious brains from human survivors. One zombie, in particular, is in search of something larger.
Do Gooder (5m, USA) dir by Ryan Darst There is only so much time to do good in the world and young Melissa Calhoun is going to make the most of it...unfortunately, you don’t always know when that time will run out!
The Proposal (8m, United Kingdom) dir by Simeon Lumgair Rich and handsome. Tall and stylish. Smart and charming. The Man with Everything... except a wife to grow old with. Because after years of dating, Scott Anderson knows that even the most Special Someone wouldn’t be enough to fill the hole in his heart. Then Scott has a brainwave. The light bulb flickers on.
Zombie Zealot (3m, USA) dir by Michael T. Scott In a post-apocalyptic world,
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We Like ‘Em Short Film Festival 2015
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dir by Grant Mueller A blooming young man falls in love with a flowery woman. But will things wilt when he finds out she owes some seedy people money? For My Youth the Bell Tolls (3m, USA) dir by Tony Estrada A melodramatic boy recounts the ups and downs of his life at his 10th birthday party.
Mirror in the Mind (2m, South Korea) dir by SeungHee Kim A woman looks into her mind and chases her ideals on a tightrope.
THE DIRDY BIRDY REDUX (8m, USA) dir by John R. Dilworth The Dirdy Birdy Redux is a story about a dysfunctional relationship between a cat and a bird.
A SPLENDID AFFAIR (9m, France) dir by Laurent Ardoint and Stéphane Duprat A new affair for a private investigator. May Flower (8m, USA)
manager navigates the missions on his own accord while the citizens, reporters, and officials are perplexed by his involvement.
The Distant Touch (5m, USA) dir by Jun Chen and Yang Yang Student Film The Distant Touch is a 2D animation about a baby fox’s quest to find his mother. It shows the inner world of an animal that has been destroyed by human beings.
Satellite Beach (26m, USA) By Luke Wilson and Andrew Wilson Satellite Beach follows the unique journey of the Endeavour space shuttle as it travels through the streets of Los Angeles to the California Science Center and the final move of the Atlantis space shuttle to the Kennedy Space Center. Watch as Warren Flowers, a devoted and unlikely shuttle
Sunday August 23rd 11 AM (85 mins) THE BEST OF THE 41st NORTHWEST FILMMAKERS’ FESTIVAL sponsored in part by: Laika FESTIVAL TRAILER: WE MAKE (1 min.) Andy Blubaugh / Portland, OR PAINTING JOHN (10 mins.) Audrey Hall / Livingston, MT (DOC) Through the intimacy of life portraiture, a lone rancher and a wandering artist forge an improbable bond. MAIKARU (7 mins.) Amanda Harryman / Edmonds, WA (DOC) With inspirational optimism, Maikaru doesn’t let a childhood filled with violence and human trafficking dictate his future. REZ CARZ (7 mins.) Clancy Dennehy / Vancouver, BC (NAR) Abandoned cars rest
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We Like ‘Em Short Film Festival 2015
12 silently in fields for decades, still holding secret conversations within their bodies. An all-native cast, Tantoo Cardinal (dances with Wolves) and Gary Farmer (dead Man) are unseen ghosts breathing life into pivotal moments of sex, birth, and death. THE BEAST INSIDE (4 mins.) Amy Enser, Drew Christie / Seattle, WA (ANI) Told through spoken word rap and illustrated with hand-drawn animations, a teen in a homeless family describes his challenges and celebrates the triumph of his creative self. THE BEAR’S PROGRESS (9 mins.) Malia Jensen / Portland, OR (EXP) An inhabited bear costume wanders in the landscape doing what bears do and do not do. ANXIOUS OSWALD GREENE (15 mins.) Marshall Axani / Vancouver, BC (NAR) Oswald Greene visits a fantastical clinic to
address his crippling anxiety and his fate falls into the hands of a blind nurse, a talking fly, and an eccentric doctor with a knack for rhyming. PROXIMITY (4 mins.) Joshua Cox / Portland, OR (ANI) A Victorian gentlemen and a sixties cowgirl explore the kitschy depths of love and betrayal. COOPED (9 mins.) Mike A. Smith / Portland, OR (ANI) Only a doorknob and a non-opposable thumb stand in the way of a housebound dog. (9 mins.) TACO NIGHT (16 mins.) Kyle Eaton / Portland, OR (NAR) Two old friends who haven’t kept in touch drop by a party where they encounter a combative couple. DAVE’S BEARD (4 mins.) Evangeline LaRoque / Eugene, OR (ANI) A catchy song elucidates the nocturnal secret life of Dave’s adventurous beard. Sunday August 23rd 1:30 PM (60 mins)
The 6th Annual We Like ‘Em Shorts Awards Ceremony Nominated films are as follows Best Picture Satellite Beach - by Luke Wilson and Andrew Wilson The Distant Touch - by Jun Chen and Yang Yang All I’m Saying – by Péter Vácz Tick Tock – by Zeynep Kocak For My Youth the Bell Tolls – by Tony Estrada Best Director Luke Wilson and Andrew Wilson for – Satellite Beach Greg Ash for – Mr. Invisible Jun Chen and Yang Yang for – The Distant Touch Laurent Ardoint and Stéphane Duprat for – A Splendid Affair Tony Estrada for – For My Youth the Bell Tolls Best Student Film Hot Air – by Maggie Hughes and Kim DeJohn The Distant Touch – by Jun Chen and Yang Yang One Foot In – by Alexis Preston Indecisions – by Hope Alexander
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Culinary Choral – by Matthew Spasaro Best Cinematography Cooper James - for One Foot In Bud Kremp - for Satellite Beach Oliver Loncrane - for Mr. Invisible Hamid Mehrafrouz - for The Sunburned Julien Gueraud - for A Splendid Affair Best Actress Laura Kightlinger – in Laura Gets Adopted Brooklyn Revell - in Do Gooder Kimberly Huie - in The Intervention Amara Harnisch - in Fixed Jane Curtin - in My Kingdom Best Actor Luke Wilson – in Satellite Beach Julian Glover – in Mr. Invisible Daniel Higgins – in Am I Awake Dominic Luevano – in For My Youth the Bell Tolls Stéphane Duprat – in A Splendid Affair Tom Travers – in Makeover
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