2023 Award Winners

Presented by Mesa Parks +
Mesa International Film Festival

In the Plaza at Mesa City Center Park

Saturday, October 28th

6:30PM

Free For All Ages! Bring Blankets.

Film Schedule

Friday
Saturday

First Floor

A – Theater 2
B – Box Office

Second Floor

C – Theater 1 (Lower Level)

Third Floor

C – Theater 1 (Upper Level)
D – ROOM D
E – ROOM E
F – Room F
G – Room G

Friday, October 27th

floor 2 Theater 1

Yucca Block • 5-7PM

In the eccentric community of modern day East Nashville, a talented but flawed thirty-something indie folk singer finds himself at a crossroads as he struggles to strike a balance between family and career.

Runtime 35 min 20 sec Type Narrative Feature Country US Director Travis Nicholson
A husband rejected. A beautiful stranger. A dangerous liaison. For two couples enjoying a spectacular Egyptian adventure, treachery and deception cruise the Nile along with them.

Runtime 1 hr 21 min 51 sec Type Feature Drama Country US Director Marlin Darrah

Saguaro Block • 7-9PM

Barbie and Ken are having the time of their lives in the colorful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans.

Runtime 1 hr 54 min Type Comedy Country US Director Greta Gerwig

floor 1 Theater 2

Cactus Block • 5-7PM

After finally furnishing her new home, Ashley decides to host her best friends for a housewarming get-together. She tries her best to keep herself composed, and her friends alive, in spite of their terrible and life-threatening suggestions on what activities to do for the night.

Runtime 8 min 55 sec Type Short Film Country US Director David J Porras
A young woman rents a house in America’s largest ghost town, Jerome, Arizona for a business trip, but soon discovers that the house is cursed and traps any woman who enters it. The house transforms into a maze, making it impossible for the woman to escape. Will she be able to break the curse and escape the maze before it’s too late? or will she become the next victim of the cursed house?

Runtime 1 hr 41 min Type Narrative Feature Country US Director Mitesh Patel

Cholla Block • 7-9PM

In the American Old West, a Deputy Marshal puts together a posse of retired lawmen to go after a deadly outlaw. The men must navigate not only the difficult territory at their old age, but also the changing world around them. Shot in the historic Mescal Movie set in Benson, Arizona and throughout Central and South Texas, this western explores the relationships of fathers and sons while also delving into former heroes being forced to admit they are no longer in the world they helped to bring civilization.

Runtime 1 hr 30 min Type Narrative Feature Country US Director Brett William Mauser

floor 3 room d

Succulent Block • 5-7PM

Music Video

Runtime 4 min 45 sec Type Music Video Country US Director Pavel Gavrilin
A young woman conjures a lover, only to be maddened by the manifestation of her desire.

Runtime 3 min 19 sec Type Music Video Country US Director Mateo Márquez, Allison Strong
The dreams of two artists become synchronized as they attempt to face their inner shadows and unmask their true selves.

Runtime 29 min 45 sec Type Avant Garde Country Canada Director Sina Nazarian
Michael Gaismair is generally known as the leader of the oppressed people in the Tyrolean peasant uprisings in the 16th century. Yet he was far more than a simple rebel. Michael Gaismair had extraordinary foresight and he dared to fundamentally question the church and the supremacy of the nobles – which of course did not please the authorities at all.

Runtime 1 hr 16 min Type Feature International Country Italy Director Wolfgang Moser

Parodia Block • 7-9PM

What is the only provocation that could bring about the use of nuclear weapons? Nuclear weapons. What is the priority target for nuclear weapons? Nuclear weapons. What is the only established defense against nuclear weapons? Nuclear weapons. How do we prevent the use of nuclear weapons? By threatening the use of nuclear weapons. And we can’t get rid of nuclear weapons, because of nuclear weapons. The intransigence, it seems, is a function of the weapons themselves.

Runtime 8 min 6 sec Type Short Documentary Country US Director Kostiantyn Mishchenko
In an age when misinformation, alternative facts, and conspiracy theories have become mainstream, UFOs have risen to become one of the most-talked about pop culture phenomena. With all of this noise, how can we expect anyone to know how much of this is true? What is in our skies? What do we know, and how do we know it? And most importantly: Are we being visited?

Runtime 1 hr 33 min 20 sec Type Documentary Country US Director Brian Dunning

floor 3 room e

Golden Barrel Block • 5-7PM

In the weeks before the election of Donald Trump in 2016, a young, politically liberal, Iraqi, Muslim immigrant struggles to find her footing in a neighborhood of well-to-do, politically conservative, Iraqi, Christians while battling her family’s fears of deprivation and demands of loyalty to Muslim traditions.

Runtime 1 hr 58 min 47 sec Type Narrative Feature Country US Director Weam Namou

Cotton Top Block • 7-9PM

Inner Sounds is a short film about a man who lost his will to live because he lost the one thing he loves.

Runtime 13 min 47 sec Type Student Film Country Canada Director Benjamin Shimwa
The Black Mr. Rodgers is a documentary film that follows the work of Joseph Williams, who is the Founder and Executive Director of a Chicago based organization called Mr Dad’s Father’s Club. Joseph’s organization aims to keep fathers active in their children’s lives by going into the classrooms and having fathers from the community read to the kids. Often seen reading books to the children in a red cardigan, he was given the nickname “The Black Mr. Rodgers”. This film documents Joseph’s journey to enrich his community while also highlighting his rough upbringing, and current struggle to keep his program alive.

Runtime 24 min 42 sec Type Documentary Country US Director Gerald Hamilton
Determined not to become another statistic of the Black maternal health crisis, Janeé Washington and her husband Josh choose the rare option of hiring an experienced midwife and doula and planning to give birth at home, away from the hospital and all of its interventions. But the baby has other plans, and despite all of the team’s efforts, they end up transferring to the hospital at the eleventh hour. This is the story of the birth of one baby, with its family caught between two very different approaches to childbirth.

Runtime 1 hr 10 min 28 sec Type Documentary Country US Director Jen Gilomen

floor 3 room f

Yarrow Block • 5-7PM

“Resurrection under the Ocean” is about the resurrection of a man who was helplessly sinking to the bottom of the ocean, after falling to the bottom of the ocean, with a symbolic narrative.

Runtime 2 min 57 sec Type Short Film Country Turkey Director Serkan Aktaş
Muhannad is a professional hunter, but he is a hunter of another kind! He inherited this profession from his father, in this gloomy city, many wars took place, especially near this deep river.

Runtime 7 min 48 sec Type Short Film Country Iraq Director YASIR ASSIM Al A’ASAM
Set in Texas, Michigan, and Oregon, All in the Water raises the volume on the stories shared by people of color who are not only passionate about fly fishing, but passionate about opening up the outdoors and more specifically, the fly fishing world, to people of color so that everyone can find their way to the water to cast to a rising fish.

Runtime 18 min 50 sec Type Short Documentary Country US Director Judy Larson
Ninety percent of the world’s ancient oyster reefs have collapsed in the last thirty years. Faced with the human pressures of coastal development, pollution, reduced freshwater flow, and overharvesting, the renowned oyster reefs in Florida’s Apalachicola Bay are now slipping toward the same fate.

Runtime 1 hr 28 min 8 sec Type Documentary Country US Director Joshua Bryan McLawhorn

Agave Block • 7-9PM

Second short film in a three-part, episodic trilogy about an alcoholic woman named Kore. “Say the Quiet Part Loud”, accompanies Kore as she heads towards a dissociative fugue state.

Runtime 23 min 24 sec Type Avant Garde Country US Director Michael P. Fogerty
70% of all domestic violence reported is from sibling abuse. That’s higher than spousal abuse, and no one talks about it. My sister and I hated each other our entire lives, until November 2019. We figured out how to forgive each other, heal our past pains, and create a new sisterhood-culture.

Runtime 30 min Type Documentary Country US Director Christian Hanna, Jessica Marriott, Dr Bluma Sapir
Matthew Fast always wanted to be a soldier. He served tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. Once he was back home, his wife, Jessica, discovered his service had a hidden affect on him.

Runtime 4 min 47 sec Type Documentary Country US Director Jon Michael Shink, Michael Skinner
A short musical film that shows the eventful journey of a couple, starting from their wedlock. Painted with a brush of love, happiness, expectations, loss, and pain, this piece raises the question – what is the actual worth of things we dearly love?

Runtime 4 min 7 sec Type Student Film Country US Director Shreya Jayamohan
Set in Seattle, 2018, the film centers on 59-year-old Victor (Victor Janusz) haunted by memories –and the ghost– of his life partner who died in ‘the Plague’ of 1993. Retracing the steps of a whirlwind courtship, struggles to date again, and regular visits to his dedicated doctor (Kathy Hsieh) only intensify the flashbacks of his lost love (Ryan Higgins) and his younger self (Adam Michael Waldo). Victor finds a new perspective (through music) to the scar he must continually learn to accept –and live with.

Runtime 49 min 27 sec Type Narrative Feature Country US Director Victor A. Janusz

floor 3 room g

Moon Cactus Block • 5-7PM

Boulder Colorado and Esalen Institute USA 1960’s & 1970’s: Resulting from her studies Dr. Ida Rolf developed a program of postural re-patterning using fascial manipulation and movement education which she called Structural Integration and which is nowadays known in the public at large as ‘rolfing’.

Runtime 58 min Type Documentary Country Switzerland Director Aleš Urbanczik, Grzegorz Oleksa
Who protects the health of the citizens of the United States? This program explains the evolution of the Public Health Service and the PHS Commissioned Corps. Although invisible, they touch millions of lives every day: from fluoridated water to an America free of malaria. Narrated by Ali MacGraw, the program examines the importance of public health and how the USPHS Commissioned Corps role in health care, research and disaster relief keeps our country safe and healthy.

Runtime 56 min 46 sec Type Documentary Country US Director Chris Schueler

Feather Cactus • 7-9PM

Worldwide protests following the 2020 murder of George Floyd included calls to defund or abolish the police until a sharp rise in crime gave politicians and police supporters the fuel they needed to suppress the movement. Unfortunately, a detailed conversation about transforming public safety was never had. In this film, shot on iPhone, 10 experts discuss how policing and incarceration create more harm than good, why the system persists, and what changes can be made to make everyone safe.

Runtime 1 hr 23 min Type Documentary Country US Director Matthew Solomon
Type Documentary Country US Director BK Blaq

Saturday, October 28th

floor 2 Theater 1

Prickly Pear Block • 11AM-1PM

A teenage girl struggles with the stress of submitting a college application.

Runtime 7 min 58 sec Type Short Film Country US Director Analiz Lara-Lopez
A look into the lives of two couples as they live their respective lives over the course of a single day, highlighting that sometimes when things seem to be falling apart, they may be falling into place.

Runtime 20 min 42 sec Type Short Film Country US Director Celeste Luccitti
Rose is a legendary actress trying to revive her career. Loren is a promising filmmaker. Over the course of their many encounters, a deep friendship evolves as their love of art, understanding of grief, and faith in life’s potential guide them through personal and creative transformations. Jacqueline Bisset and Kelly Blatz star with a chemistry that is at once authentic and intoxicating.

Runtime 1 hr 22 min Type Narrative Feature Country US Director Russell Brown

Aloe Vera Block • 1-3PM

Dana has everything a young woman could every ask for: the perfect job, the perfect girlfriend, and the perfect life she always dreamed of having. However, one day everything turned upside down as she loses everything she ever loved all within Twenty Four Hours.

Runtime 6 min 28 sec Type Student Film Country US Director Ana Masley
A daughter and mother frantically prepare to visit a loved one struggling with mental illness while bickering over who cares for her more.

Runtime 10 min 37 sec Type Short Film Country US Director Georgia F Daly
Matt, a loner alcoholic at rock bottom, struggles to maintain sobriety for 30 days so he can honor his mother’s dying wish, to visit her in hospice, sober. His book-thumping AA sponsor, Fred, offers him refuge at his farm, where Matt meets Yup’ik, a stray dog — played by a real-life Husky rescue — with a unique athletic talent. The man and dog relationship is challenging at first, but with the help of a close-knit Montana community, the two strays find a connection and discover what it takes to pull through to the finish line.

Runtime 1 hr 37 min 17 sec Type Narrative Feature Country US Director Robert Grabow, Michael Peterson, Andrew McGinn

Coyote Block • 3-5PM

“Mariupol Defender” is a powerful tale of courage, sacrifice and perseverance. The film follows the journey of Roman, a 20-year-old Ukrainian warrior who lost a hand and a leg while defending Mariupol in April 2022. Despite his wounds, Roman remains steadfast in his commitment to his country and his cause. After being captured by the Russians and spending three weeks in prison, Roman is eventually exchanged and travels to the United States to receive new prostheses that will help him return to the frontline.

Runtime 27 min Type Documentary Country Ukraine Director Stanislav Puzdriak
Returning to Iran after many years in exile in Finland, Sam (Ramin Sohrab) finds that he has not yet escaped his past. A shady figure kidnaps his wife Emma (Jessica Wolff) in order to drag him into a violent scheme for revenge. But Sam is a relentless fighting machine who will stop at nothing to rescue the woman he loves. When it comes to deciding their future, the past will not stand in their way…

Runtime 1 hr 30 min Type Feature Best Action/Thriller Country Finland Director Ramin Sohrab

Cottontail Block • 5-7PM

Mysterious natural forces transport Alistair and David to the Lost World but how they get back home is another question.

Runtime 11 min 22 ces Type Short Film Country US Director David James Nielsen
Full Moon tells a story about a little girl and her big sister celebrating Halloween. The little girl wonders about the man who she believes lives on the moon, who she also believes might need her help. Her big sister helps the little girl carry out her well-intentioned deed.

Runtime 5 min Type Animated Short Country US Director John Vo, Ken Yoffe, Ellen Weisberg
Sibeal must revive her family’s legacy to save her missing friend, Mani, from a werewolf before it’s too late.

Runtime 6 min 48 sec Type Short Film Country US Director Meghan McCullin
Adaptation of the Aesop fable about a frog who is annoyed by the crazy antics of his fellow frogs, so he asks Zeus to send them a king to bring order to the pond.

Runtime 4 min 27 sec Type Animated Short Country US Director Andreas Lawrence Peterson
In 1985 a retired Japanese American war veteran tells his Grandson his hardships and the part he played in world war 2. His travels from the relocation camp in Arizona to the dark mountains of France on a rescue mission to save a lost battalion all to prove his allegiance to the United States of America.

Runtime 1 min 36 sec Type Animated Short Country US Director Bradford Uyeda
A community comes together to save a teenager from an aggressive form of brain cancer when this teenagers entire Catholic High School, student body and staff all 1700 of them, say a prayer over this teenager and 2 weeks later his tumor is gone.

Runtime 1 hr 27 min Type Feature Faith Based Country US Director Eddie McClintock

Diamondback Block • 8:30-10PM

“We Walk” is an homage to the citizens of Mesa who make our city an amazing place to live, work and play. It chronicles the positive vibe, diversity, dynamic culture and limitless adventure welcoming everyone, regardless of ability, to enjoy our collective riches and experiences.

Runtime 4 min 36 sec Type Music Video Country US Director Chris Barron
In March 2022, at the 94th annual Academy Awards, Troy Kotsur became the first Deaf man to take home the best supporting actor Academy Award for his moving portrayal of Frank Rossi in CODA. During his emotional acceptance speech, Troy paid tribute to his dad, or as he so eloquently put it, his “hero”.

Runtime 23 min Type Documentary Country US Director Sean Schiavolin
RSVP

floor 1 Theater 2

Brittlebrush Block • 11AM-1PM

Awadagin Pratt: Black in America is a moving 25:30 documentary that combines performance and interview footage to provide an intimate view of prejudice in America and the racial injustice faced by famous concert pianist Awadagin Pratt. Awadagin Pratt: Black in America confronts issues of privilege and racism in America and tells a personal account of an all-too-common experience for many people of color in America and worldwide.

Runtime 25 min 25 sec Type Documentary Country US Director Michelle Bauer Carpenter
In the early 1900s, African Americans struggled to have the honor to fight in World War I. Now, a century later, minorities are disproportionately called up to serve, defend, and die for their country.

Runtime 1 hr 30 min Type Documentary Country US Director Robert Darwell

Chuparosa Block • 1-3PM

1957. Two crime organizations. Two people sent in to avert a war. Who will walk away?

Runtime 29 min 40 sec Type Short Film Country US Director Walter Ernest Haussner
Nine Key Members Control The Council. The Council Controls The Committee. The Committee Controls The Population. “They have Changed Our Way of Life.”

Runtime 1 hr 25 min 3 sec Type Feature Country US Director Jonathan M. Fedkiw

Scorpion Block • 3-5PM

A young woman pays tribute to her late husband by hanging photos on a wall and reminiscing old memories.

Runtime 4 min 4 sec Type Music Video Country Canada Director Arthur de la Rambelje
When heartless evil came to the homes of Ukrainians, it ruined everything they loved. But it cannot destroy the spirit of people who strive for freedom!

Runtime 41 min 30 sec Type Documentary Country US Director Karmel Bortoleti
In a profession that few ever see, and even fewer understand, a crisis is brewing amongst today’s first responders. Over 37% meet clinical diagnosis for PTSD, and most go untreated and even unrecognized. In a culture where showing vulnerability means showing weakness, this ground-breaking documentary attempts to break down these barriers and smash the stigma of mental health in the fire service.

Runtime 1 hr 7 min 43 sec Type Documentary Country US Director Cody Shea

Gila Block • 5-7PM

Priya in her fifth month of pregnancy expresses the desire to move back to India and Sid obliges as he sees this as an opportunity to move past his dark secret relationship. The couple throws a big bash before the day of travel to their friends and families/ Sid wakes up in the morning completely naked with the entire house empty and Priya goes missing. Sid will be detained and he requests the cop to search for his missing wife. There comes a shocking twist that Sid never existed in the government records. Sid tries to prove his existence but he loses the battle because he couldn’t provide any sort of evidence that proves his existence. With the beautiful world, Sid and Priya were planning to build collapsing around him, Sid makes a radical from the cops becoming a fugitive and goes on the quest to find out the truth. Sid meets a smart yet broke attorney, Dev who helps him with the quest which quickly escalates into becoming his most challenging and darkest case ever. What happened to Priya? Why was Sid’s Identity wiped out? Is Sid hiding something?

Runtime 1 hr 54 min 39 sec Type Feature International Country US Director Kiran Kondamadugula

Jackrabbit Block • 7-9PM

Dreamlike animation brings Poe’s unforgettable poem to life, with desolate, macabre, and volcanic imagery.

Runtime 7 min 6 sec Type Animated Short Country US Director Gary D. Rhodes
When her bionic boyfriend Ethan proposes, Jackie finally feels like she has found her happily ever after— until a chance encounter with another human shows her how messy love can really be.

Runtime 12 min 12 sec Type Short Film Country US Director Kaylin Rizer Allshouse
Qwerty has been studying to pass his Turing test for months, but will all his hard work pay off?

Runtime 6 min Type Short Comedy Country US Director Jonason Pauley
After receiving a coded transmission from extraterrestrial life, Amos embarks to fulfill a life long dream, only it doesn’t go the way he thinks.

Runtime 17 min 37 sec Type Short Comedy Country US Director TD Stahl
Robert Daniels is in hell. The worst thing he could possibly imagine has happened. He lost the love of his life in a tragedy that never should have happened. With the aid of a therapist, Dr. Christopher Virgil, will Robert be able to navigate the darkness that has consumed him? Will he be able to overcome the grief that has wrecked his soul?

Runtime 16 min Type Short Film Country US Director Casey Davis
Two agents investigate a potential super-powered criminal to learn what abilities he may possess.

Runtime 9 min 8 sec Type Short Horror/Sci Fi Country US Director Chris Hanna
Man’s Insatiable Quest to the stars ignited by Galileo in 1609 leads to the invention of the Hubble telescope that has captured the greatest cinematic drama in human history, the birth and formation of the universe transpiring over nearly 14-billion years, emanating from a source of energy so powerful that it can only be described as supernatural in nature. Based on the Book “Hubble Reveals Creation.”

Runtime 37 min Type Short Documentary Country US Director Joseph Paul Hutchins

Bobcat Block • 9-11PM

After getting stuck in an elevator with a homeless man, a wealthy businessman must confront his own biases and preconceptions while learning the value of empathy and compassion.

Runtime 7 min 11 sec Type Short Film Country US Director Alden Mann
The Benetto family is scattered to the winds in Brooklyn, NY, and there’s no predicting where they will end up. Relationships keep shifting. Generations keep trying to adapt to a new world. With lots of sharp comedy and drama, their paths wind a crooked trail back to a final family dinner, with totally unexpected visitors and results.

Runtime 1 hr 43 min Type Narrative Feature Comedy Country US Director Jon Delgado

floor 3 room d

Cardinal Block • 11AM-1PM

A wife and entrepreneur devoted to her family and business tragically loses everything as her health mysteriously declines. Why is she now abandoned by everyone and faced with an uncertain future? The answer is revealed through a series of startling events and a final, uncomfortable diagnosis.

Runtime 9 min 6 sec Type Animated Short Country UK Director Sean Alexander Carney
A woman with with a severe form of muscular dystrophy is forced to reinvent herself while helping others live with the disease.

Runtime 11 min Type Short Documentary Country US Director Jared Jacobsen
Pushed out of corporate UK at the peak of their careers due to toxic sexism, racism, and other disfunction senior women leaders rebuild their careers and lives on their own terms doing work they love…and making money.

Runtime 1 hr 21 min Type Documentary Country US Director Jimi Okubanjo

Cactus Wren Block • 1-3PM

Almost Home is a feature-length documentary that examines the many challenges individuals face when they get released from prison and the positive impact they can have if given the opportunity to succeed.

Runtime 1 hr 27 min Type Documentary Country US Director Bill Wisneski

Roadrunner Block • 3-5PM

After waking up in a stranger’s apartment, a man begins wandering through lost memories, reluctantly remembering a part of his past he tried to forget.

Runtime 16 min 54 sec Type Student Film Country UK Director Guilherme Régio
After 20 years in prison, a man wrongfully convicted of murder is released and rebuilds his life. The victim’s husband is obsessed with a documentary about the case and futilely tries to get the case reopened. Then the prosecutor is kidnapped in a desperate attempt to find the real killer.

Runtime 1 hr 28 min Type Narrative Feature Country US Director Brian McQuery

Tortoise Block • 5-7PM

Original score for The Last Cloudweaver

Runtime 3 min 59 sec Type Original Score Country UK Director Ros Gilman
Original Song composed for I DRUM

Runtime 3 min 48 sec Type Original Song Country US Director Hannah Rey
The film is a powerful exploration of the immigrant experience in the United States. It highlights the many challenges and obstacles that immigrants face, but it also shows the resilience and determination that drives them to succeed.

Runtime 1 hr 22 min 19 sec Type Documentary Country US Director Stanislav Puzdriak

Chuckwalla Block • 7-9PM

“Mirrorty” is about the mysterious disappearance of a man who lives alone in a city where people are vanished mysteriously, who is alienated from society and ignorant to social tragedies.

Runtime 10 min 59 sec Type Short International Country Turkey Director Serkan Aktaş
True crime super-fan, Will Wesley, has seen it all, but tonight a face in the dark may outsmart him.

Runtime 18 min 23 sec Type Short Film Horror/Sci Fi Country US Director Clinton Cornwell
After savaging a reclusive Director’s new film, a disenchanted Film Critic is surprised to find himself invited to dinner with them, where their match of wits soon turns into something far more sinister.

Runtime 1 hr 20 min Type Narrative Feature Country US Director Michael Allen Hennesy

Lizard Block • 9-11PM

In the middle of the desert, a cult leader tries to keep his following alive.

Runtime 3 min 49 sec Type Music VideoCountry US Director Michael Buckius
Many years ago, corrupted spirits overtook the Luna forest, causing a war between humans and spirits that took the life of a brave warrior, Akira. Akira’s sons train for the day to vanquish these spirits, but when younger brother Kaya ventures into the forest, older brother Sasha is forced to face the darkness and save his brother before his soul is taken.

Runtime 17 min 37 sec Type Student Film Country US Director Aidan Atchison
Alone at home, a forty-year-old occupies his days of confinement between sport, cultural activities and telephone discussions with Franck, his only friend. One morning, he discovers an old coin under his kitchen vent. The following days, everyday objects appear in the same place (a knife, a pen, a baseball, etc.) Until the day when a personal object plunges him back into his past… He will then navigate between appearances, dream and reality. Who sends him these objects? What purpose ? Is Franck really his friend? So many questions that will haunt him and make him sink into a delirious paranoid spiral.

Runtime 1 hr 31 min Type Feature Action/Thriller Country France Director Fabien Carrabin

floor 3 Room E

Primrose Block • 11AM-1PM

“Symphonic Sketches” tells the story of one classical music concert performed by the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra. Musicians from diverse racial backgrounds connect to the repertoire in unique ways and stage an unforgettable performance.

Runtime 9 min 19 sec Type Short FilmCountry US Director Chris Barron
Struggling as a “high-sensitive” from childhood, Grammy-nominated musician Steve Roach found peace in the desert and takes the qualities of the desert—stark beauty, contrasts, silences, heat, and the palpable presence of suspended time—and turns it into a creative compass for his life and music. He has released nearly 300 albums since 1979, making him an Arizona treasure and one of the most prolific and significant cultural figures of the American school of electronic/ambient music scene.

Runtime 44 min Type Documentary Country US Director Kurt Lancaster
An Azorean living in Lisbon, has lost his vinyl collection from his youth, driving him on a quest for his records, in a tropical and isolated island in the middle of the Atlantic. A rescue for his lost youth in the 80’s.

Runtime 1 hr 1 min Type Documentary Country Portugal Director Tiago P. de Carvalho

Larkspur Block • 1-3PM

A mysterious invasion of flesh-eating creatures terrorizes a small fishing village. What are these things, and where are they coming from? THE GROTTO OF DEATH is one of hundreds of comic books drawn by Julio Camarena Pérez. At its peak in the 1970s, Mexico was the world’s largest per capita producer of comic books — and Julio Camarena Pérez was one of its most elevated practitioners. Today, the Mexico comics industry is dead, and Camarena’s work is forgotten. A beautifully drawn black and white comic, THE GROTTO OF DEATH, is presented episodically as the Octogenarian comic book artist slowly draws a grimacing skull and tells the story of his life and work.

Runtime 15 min 49 sec Type Short DocumentaryCountry US Director Christopher Sperandio, Brian Huberman, Augusto Mora
This short film explores the life and work of the renowned sculptor Aris Demetrios, known for his innovative use of materials and his quest to create art that engages with the natural world. Through historical interviews with Demetrios himself and current interviews with those who knew him best, we gain insight into his creative process, his inspirations and his legacy. The film takes us on a journey through some of his most iconic pieces, from his towering outdoor sculptures to his delicate mobiles, revealing the beauty and complexity of his art. Ultimately, the film celebrates the life of a true visionary whose work continues to inspire and captivate audiences today.

Runtime 14 min 57 sec Type Short Documentary Country US Director Josh Aronson
The first feature-length documentary on Mexican urban art and graffiti was shot over the course of four years without any financial support from institutions. It is based on the coexistence of the community of Mexican urban artists, is independent and one hundred percent free in its expression. It also extends to the other branches of Mexican hiphop and skateboarding. The documentary familiarizes us with the development of the movement from its beginnings to the present day with a focus on its essence of rebellion and resistance. It presents urban arts as a path of freedom and independence of an individual, who is confronting the global power of the capitalist system and its attempt to invade our lives and the way we behave. The film also points to the characteristic feature of Mexican counterculture in relation to the resistance of native cultures.

Runtime 1 hr 16 min 46 secType Documentary Country Czech Republic Director Karolína Alvarez

Mariposa Block • 3-5PM

Two old friends revisit the major venue of their childhood to honor a lost friend — though they soon realize that they, along with their friend, are trapped in the past.

Runtime 12 min 56 sec Type Student Film Country US Director Samuel Mitchell
Three teenagers who live in a remote village nestled among the mountains spend their days playing merry games. Each of the teenagers in these games forgets about the problems in their families. But adult reality slowly creeps up on each of them. A reality where dads fight each other for a place in the sun or just get drunk. And mothers in the pursuit of happiness sometimes forget about the little ten-year-old happiness left at home. And children who do not know how to pray, like birds, pray for the happiness of their mother, and the love of their parents.

Runtime 1 hr 31 min Type Feature Drama Country Kyrgyzstan Director Aibek Daiyrbekov

Vervain Block • 5-7PM

The aftermath of an emotional funeral causes a grieving father and mother to reexamine their early life decision to have gender normalization surgery performed on their intersex infant.

Runtime 15 min Type Short FilmCountry US Director Robbie Robertson
A father and mother are faced with the painful task of washing and shrouding their deceased transgender daughter. Shrouding is an Islamic religious practice that is deemed obligatory to carry out upon death. But when no one agrees to wash her and shame falls onto the family, how far is the father willing to go to make sure his “son” is washed?

Runtime 11 min Type Short Film Country Jordan Director Ahmad Alyaseer
A blisteringly hot summer day. Psychotherapist Ina notices something is wrong with her. But she doesn’t have time to worry about it: Patients are waiting at the practice, her daughter is threatening to move in with her father, her boyfriend wants to emigrate to Finland, and her self-centered mother is celebrating her 70th birthday. Ina wants to please everyone. But then everything changes.

Runtime 1 hr 20 sec Type Feature International Country Germany Director Katharina Woll

Chicory Block • 7-9PM

This short film explores Mesa’s underground tunnels.

Runtime 6 min 26 sec Type Short DocumentaryCountry US Director Marcus Langton
A vagabond father and daughter duo who often find work as stringers must travel to New Mexico to investigate and record unusual atmospheric events. Each is faced with the developing circumstances of an extraterrestrial event that could divide them forever.

Runtime 14 min 23 sec Type Short Film Country US Director S Edward Eastep
BASED ON TRUE EVENTS. Thursday March 13th, 1997 marks the date of the Phoenix Lights, the largest mass UFO sighting in US History. The night of the incident, four Phoenix residents vanished in the Estrella Mountain National Park, south of Phoenix, becoming the longest unresolved missing person’s case in Arizona history.

Runtime 1 hr 26 min Type Feature Horror/Sci Fi Country US Director Keith Arem

Chia Block • 9-11PM

During a mysterious pandemic, Cassie’s quarantine life has turned into a routine, day in and day out. Nothing new seems to happen, until she realizes she’s out of coffee. And she’s determined to get her cup of joe, even if she must face the horrors of the outside world. Because “she’d kill for a cup of coffee.”

Runtime 4 min 33 sec Type Short Horror/Sci FiCountry US Director Russ Emanuel
A man meets his clone for the first time and passes on some important information regarding his future.

Runtime 5 min Type Short Film Country US Director Alexander Stephens
A young kid is woken up to reality and begins exploring what life has to offer… until we realize things may not be what they seem.

Runtime 7 min 16 sec Type Short Film Country US Director Nelson Hill
30-year-old Andriana and her husband Keith are on their way home from marriage counseling. Adrianna has suffered from postpartum depression, as well as writer’s block since her debut novel became a best-seller. Andriana is also still suffering from her father’s death 5 years prior, and it’s affecting her relationship with Keith. Determined to escape for a few days and work on her book, Andriana heads to her family’s remote cottage, leaving Keith to watch their 3 year-old daughter Lizzy – an unusual presence in the family, who understands more than her age.

Runtime 1 hr 31 min 47 sec Type Narrative Feature Country US Director Anurag Rudra

floor 3 Room F

Ash Block • 11AM-1PM

“Kalu – Growing Up Wild” is a short documentary about the challenges a baby spider monkey named Kalu faces growing up in the jungle of the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica. He must learn to climb, forage for food, communicate, face predators and make difficult decisions in order to survive. It shows the resilience and beauty of nature and highlights the importance of protecting it for future generations. The film is narrated by George McGavin, one of Britain’s leading entomologists and naturalists, and produced with support from the BioSur Foundation, a NGO working to protect rainforest in Costa Rica.

Runtime 14 min 33 sec Type Short Film InternationalCountry UK Director Roman Willi, Matteo Clarke
In a forest plagued by drought, a group of mycelia fungus struggles to provide nutrients and moisture to a desperate root system, which affects the entire terrestrial story.

Runtime 9 min 8 sec Type Faith Based Country US Director Michal Joy Hall Bravo Ramírez, Rachel Lee Hall
Broken Worlds: The Island is a feature documentary that explores the contrasts and challenges of life on the tiny island of Vieques, Puerto Rico. The film takes place during Hurricane Maria and its aftermath, revealing the beauty and danger of a place with a complicated history. Vieques was once used as a bombing range by the US military, making it one of the largest superfund sites on Earth. Despite this, the island is also home to the brightest bioluminescent bay on Earth, making it a popular tourist destination.

Runtime 54 min Type Documentary Country US Director Robyn Flanery

Ponderosa Block • 1-3PM

A husband has his faith tested when he and his wife join her bitter, terminally-ill father for lunch.

Runtime 10 min 14 sec Type Faith BasedCountry US Director John Kestner
Calvin Lee and Marisa Prince are Believers of Color – and frustrated Evangelical outsiders – seeking more for the American Christian Church. “Are We There YET” follows their cross country Road Trip to better understand the Doctrine of Discovery, its connection to contemporary Christian Nationalism, and if it’s possible to chart a new course for the American Christian Church.

Runtime 36 min 25 sec Type Faith Based Country US Director Marisa L.R. Prince
“How can the creator of the universe be smaller than me?” Black Latine people around the world practice a myriad of faith traditions. This short-form documentary explores dynamic identities of these AfroLatine people and their journey for a home, a faith in Blackness.

Runtime 26 min 50 sec Type Faith Based Country US Director Charles Reynoso
A 2023 documentary about the late Rev. H. K. Rasbach who served as pastor of Hope Lutheran Church in Hollywood, California from 1947 to 1980. Rev. Rasbach saw Cecil B. DeMille’s 1923 silent THE TEN COMMANDMENTS on its original release when he was 10 years old and it inspired him to enter the ministry. This experience culminated in a friendship with Mr. DeMille during the last decade of Mr. DeMille’s life.

Runtime 42 min 18 sec Type Faith Based Country US Director Darryl M. Haase

Willow Block • 3-5PM

Since 1921, the Miss America Pageant has been an iconic institution that inspired women and men alike. Granting scholarships to its participants and leading the way in service organizations around the world, the Miss America institution blazed a humanitarian trail. In recent years, growing cynicism and public controversies have marred the once-celebrated pageant and placed its future on uncertain ground.

Runtime 1 hr 36 min Type DocumentaryCountry US Director John Daniel Fisher, Stephen Andrew Fisher

Mesquite Block • 5-7PM

A stubborn man denies his wayward brother’s attempt to reconnect, escalating their couples date into a drunken ping pong match that’s about more than it seems.

Runtime 22 min 10 sec Type Short Film Country US Director Frank Romano, Nick Romano
How far will a Ferraristi go with his dedication to the Italian marque? See how one Swiss businessman went from fan to Le Mans Ferrari driver in just five years.

Runtime 40 min Type Documentary Country UK Director Michael Fox
Directed by AFI Award Winner Stefano Da Frè & produced by Laura Pellegrini, and in collaboration with the Russo Brothers National film forum grant: “STOLEN DOUGH” is the true story of Anthony Mongiello. A young Italian American Chef who, at the age of 18, invented and patented Stuffed Crust Pizza. This patent was stolen by Pizza Hut, and what follows are the real life events of a 1 Billion dollar lawsuit.

Runtime 46 min 1 sec Type International Country US Director Stefano Da Frè

Palo Verde Block • 7-9PM

A hardworking insecure girl from a family fallen into poverty is forced to make an irreversible sacrifice to save her family, and her dreams of continuing education.

Runtime 23 min 54 sec Type Short Film Country UK Director Alessandro Repetti
Daisy Moreau’s dream is to become an actress and her goal is to get into a Performing Arts School. She must present her family background to the admissions director which may be a challenge – considering Daisy’s family history which includes professional wrestling, blackmail, and a deadly plastic baby.

Runtime 15 min 24 sec Type Short Film Comedy Country US Director Janssen Swent, David Luck
The film deals with the flexibility of the sentences as well as the flimsy arguments that are heard from time to time by the defense lines of the lawyers through the lens of a black comedy.

Runtime 23 min 23 sec Type Short Comedy Country Greece Director Ντίνος Μαχαίρας
One fine day in a rural village in Maharashtra, a man commits an act of violence and justifies it in the name of peace. This starts the journey of his self introspection. Fire is the only one who is witness to his self destruction.

Runtime 18 min 02 sec Type Short Film International Country India Director Rohan Apte

Ironwood Block • 9-11PM

A broken lone gunslinger hunts the creature responsible for the death of his wife and children with the help of an ancient magical Grimoire.

Runtime 18 min 39 sec Type Short Horror/Sci Fi Country US Director Donovan Smith
Five criminals pick the wrong safe house to lay low after robbing a bank.

Runtime 15 min Type Short Horror/Sci Fi Country Canada Director Adam Kirkey
3 years have passed since the grizzly murders at Devils Ridge , now a soon-to-be retired FBI agent and his family must struggle to survive before they become the next sacrifice in the twisted minds of the crimson cult. Will they survive or will it be too late?

Runtime 1 hr 29 min 29 sec Type Narrative Feature Country US Director Thomas Rivas

floor 3 Room G

Cypress Block • 11AM-1PM

A Documentary film about the life and activism of LGBTQ Scot Kath Duncan The most important Uk Civil rights leader past 100 years but almost forgotten in time until my Highly acclaimed stage play #liberty and my biography of Kath The Last Queen Of Scotland stage play Liberty.

Runtime 40 min Type Documentary Country UK Director Ray Barron Woolford FRSA
In this documentary special, KHOU 11 examines the origin and history of the Pride Houston Parade. The program also highlights the personal stories of the grand marshals of the 2022 parade.

Runtime 47 min 35 sec Type Documentary Country US Director Dale Lockett

Juniper Block • 1-3PM

When Jackson was born, he was only expected to live for a few months. But today is his 25th birthday, and this special milestone is an opportunity to celebrate a story that’s not only about Jackson – his unique obstacles, his magnetic spirit, his inspiring endurance – but about those who love and care for him too, and whose own words help shape a portrait of a man whose life holds lessons for us all.

Runtime 12 min 4 sec Type Documentary Country US Director Denver Hollingsworth
This short documentary film tells the story of a man who uses his talents to support and lift his community. When the “Black Lives Matter” movement grew in awareness, Marcus Baskerville head brewer of Weathered Souls Brewing Co. wanted to shed light on the growing problem of inequality and police brutality. This is where the “Black is Beautiful” project was born. We follow the impact of the initiative and where it is today.

Runtime 32 min 49 sec Type Documentary Country US Director Marco Antonio Ortega
The newest hope for cancer is actually one of the oldest. Buried for a century, the metabolic theory of cancer is overturning entrenched dogma and reshaping the future of cancer treatment.

Runtime 59 min 59 sec Type Documentary Country US Director Maggie Jones, Brad Jones

Acacia Block • 3-5PM

Deep in the research laboratory of Triple Hills Pharma, an accidental discovery could save the lives of millions, unless it kills profits.

Runtime 12 min 25 sec Type Short Film Country US Director Barak Shpiez
A Grey pupil in the Star Wars universe is subjected to a physical and mental test by his mentor to prove that he is on the right path of the Force: being neither Jedi nor Sith.

Runtime 13 min Type Short Horror/Sci Fi Country Netherlands Director Joshua Richard van ’t Hoff
In a future in which a personalized algorithm decides which major students have to pick, Kate, an econ major with an artistic calling, is faced with the choice of trusting the system or trying to subvert it from within.

Runtime 9 min 31 sec Type Short Film Country US Director Max Delfino
At the end of 2019, Cheng Gong and his wife had a big fight over their household duties. His wife was fed up with Cheng Gong choosing work over his family. In anger, she left him a divorce agreement and took their daughter, Qiqi, to her mother’s house. Cheng Gong, taking the advice of his good friend Qiangzi, decided to go to South Korea to relieve his stress. Despite enjoying himself in South Korea, Cheng Gong still missed his wife and daughter. However, after failing to reach his wife several times, Cheng Gong began to collapse emotionally and started drinking to drown his sorrows. Under the influence of alcohol and the atmosphere, Cheng Gong gradually lost consciousness. When he woke up, he found himself alone on a bench in the park, having lost all his money and belongings while he was drunk at the bar. At first, Cheng Gong thought he simply got lost. However, he soon discovered that he was about to face a world-shaking change.

Runtime 29 min 55 sec Type Student Film Country China Director Shuokai Zhao
Meet Daniel Whittaker, a happily mediocre man who makes a modest living writing how-to-books. His agent has been after him to become a flashy social media personality, but Daniel’s content with the way things are. Until the day he begins receiving text messages from a mysterious stranger.

Runtime 20 min Type Short Film Country US Director Rich West
A young physicist lives out his life in search of his greatest scientific discovery and finds one extraordinary truth.

Runtime 24 min 55 sec Type Short Horror/Sci Fi Country US Director Richard Lounello

Sycamore Block • 5-7PM

Music Video

Runtime 3 min 10 sec sec Type Music Video Country US Director Emma Boere
Scoops, Toronto’s iconic ice cream parlour, is struggling to stay afloat. When the enthusiastic Kira joins the shop, she takes it upon herself to rejuvenate the business, despite pushback from her lay co-worker Dez and her conspiracy obsessed manager, Rollins.

Runtime 15 min Type Student Film Country Canada Director Denzel Noylander
After their plane crashes, two soldiers reflect on their past as the attempt to find their way back to base.

Runtime 7 min Type Short Film Country US Director Jacob DeGeer
Alex, a young content creator, ran away from her childhood home at a young age because of her abusive father. Years later, Alex’s channel blows up after one of her friends, Chase, overshares details of her past to an online audience. Now that her original audience is seen as obsolete by some, she must decide whether to cater to the new audience for fame or stay true to herself by continuing to do what she loves.

Runtime 24 min 37 sec Type Short Film Country US Director Will Hoxie
A young adult (Brian) is visited by his brother, Jeremy, who needs a place to stay as he settles into his new city. The two polar opposite personalities begin to clash as Jeremy’s presence poses a threat to Brian’s way of life. Brian’s uptight personality and unreasonable living standards rub off on Jeremy, creating an incredible amount of tension. Bad blood, stemming from a traumatic past event reveals the shocking truth of the brothers’ current situations, as Brian struggles to differentiate between reality and his worst nightmares.

Runtime 15 min Type Short Film Country US Director Harry Waldman
Two strangers connect over shared feelings of aimlessness, loneliness and the desire for genuine friendship.

Runtime 10 min Type Short Film Country Australia Director Joshua Allen
Circus short film Inspired by the Pasila Street Art District in Helsinki exploring urban life from unexpected angles. Collaboration between contemporary circus group Race Horse Company, music producer RRKK and the Helsinki Urban Art.

Runtime 4 min 51 sec Type Avant Garde Country Finland Director Antti Suniala
Danny had a normal life, but one day everything changed.

Runtime 9 min 51 sec Type Documentary Country US Director Nicholas Manting Brewer

Sage Block • 7-9PM

Crimson goes back in time to stop a massive event that changed her life forever. To do this, she has to face her younger self, and directly face her childhood trauma, neglect and fears head-on.

Runtime 17 min Type Student Film Country US Director Cheyanne Glazier
Mili watched in horror as her mother was murdered 11 years ago, becoming another Missing and Murdered Indigenous statistic. Now 17, Mili’s former crew kidnaps her girlfriend after Mili chooses her MMA team over the gang. Tribal cops and an agent from the Federal Missing and Murdered Unit are on the case, but Mili waited for the authorities once…she won’t wait this time.

Runtime 1 hr 46 min Type Narrative Feature Country US Director Katy Dore, Jack Kohler

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