2019 OFFICIAL CIFF SELECTIONS
Features, Shorts, Music Videos & Screenplays - in alphabetical order.
10 SYLLABLES
Dir. Emily Skyle-Golden
Short Film Program #8
Saturday, July 27th
5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
One woman's inspirational journey to turn her #metoo into everyone's #nomore.
15 DOWN
Dir. Mike Hayhurst
Short Films Program #4
Friday, July 26th
5:45 p.m. - 7:45 p.m.
A transformative summer finds 3 generations of the Yau family discover what it means to be a mother and a daughter.
3 DAYS
Dir. Julie Sharbutt
Short Films Program #1
Thursday, July 25th
9:30 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.
When three women friends sense danger on a camping trip, they keep each other laughing until a horrible twist makes them feel more alone than ever.
40 MINUTES OVER MIAMI
Dir. Michael Feld, Josh Covitt
Short Films Program #8
Saturday, July 27th
5:30 p.m - 7:30 p.m.
For 40 minutes on January 13, 2018, the fate of the world hung in the balance, for Larry and Penny... their Hawaiian vacation was ruined.
ABOVE THE HIDING
Dir. Bryon Evans
Short Film Program #6 Music
Friday, July 26th
11:00 p.m. - 2:00AM a.m.
THE NOVELISTS
A boy grows up struggling with what society expects him to be.
ADINA E - CHANGING
Dir. Yoni Goodman
Short Film Program #6 Music
Friday, July 26th
11:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
A young girl runs away from home, not knowing where her path will take her, she heads out on a journey of self discovery.
ALERT
Dir. Marcus Støren
Short Film Program #9
Sunday, July 28th
11:15 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.
After a five year old girl dies during an operation her parents sue the doctor believing he is responsible for her death.
ALL I SEE IS THE FUTURE
Dir. Nancy Dionne
Short Film Program #2
Friday, July 26th
11:15 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.
An Optometrist and a former inmate form an unlikely relationship that helps the vision of his future come into sight.
ANAMNESIS
Dir. Vincent Moran
Short Film Program #11
Sunday, July 28th
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Anamnesis is a family drama/thriller that focuses on the fickle nature of memory and the impact it has on us and our love ones.
AROUND THE SUN
Dir. Oliver Krimpas
Feature Film Two
Friday, July 26th
1:30 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Touring a repossessed chateau, a film location scout falls for its flirtatious representative, who recounts the story of an influential book written there.
AUGUST IN THE CITY
Dir. Christie Conochalla
Short Film Program #7
Saturday, July 27th
1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Two young women find themselves completely drawn to each other but one fears the repercussions of society in 1978 Brooklyn.
BAD PEOPLE
Dir. Giorgi Tavartkiladze
Short Film Program #3
Friday, July 26th
3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
1991 Tbilisi, Georgia after the collapse of the USSR, in the midst of a civil war, Gia tries to find medicine for his son when he meets an old friend who fights on the opposite side.
BAD TRASH
Dir. Stephanie Franz
Short Film Program #1
Thursday, July 25th
9:30 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.
While struggling to put a past relationship behind her, Nicole’s day takes a turn when she begins to suspect someone is stalking her.
BE A BEAR - ABOUT LINKS
Dir. Duccio Parisini
Short Film Program #6 Music
Friday, July 26th
11:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
A reflection of different worlds, held side-by-side served with a side of irony.
BERTIE
Dir. Garry Crystal
Short Film Program #14
Sunday, July 28th
1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
A classic suburban tale of parenthood, bereavement and a mysterious pug.
BLACK STAR RISING
Writer: Doug Williams
Table Reading
Sunday, July 28th
3:45 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.
Barbara Jordan conquers poverty and racism to become a leading black politician in the 1970s.
BREATHE
Dir.Mitch Yapko
Short Film Program #1
Thursday, July 25th
9:30 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.
When Marvin comes home from work one day, he discovers that not everything is as it was when he left - it seems that the air outside isn't for everyone anymore.
BUT FIRST...
Dir.Erin Brown Thomas
Short Film Program #8
Saturday, July 27th
5:45 p.m. - 7:45 p.m.
Coffee literally changes the way I see, think, and interact with other people. BUT FIRST is my way of exploring this through two of my favorite mediums, film and dance.
CATCH & RELEASE
Dir. Laurie Colbert, Dominique Cardona
Feature Film
Saturday, July 27th
11:15 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.
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A gripping psychological drama that explores and humanizes the abortion controversy by taking the anti-choice agenda to a frightening new battleground.
COLLAR
Dir. Russ Emanuel
Short Film Program #9
Sunday, July 28th
11:15 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.
What happens when a seemingly ordinary priest is confronted by a seemingly ordinary man?
COMPARTMENTALIZATION STORAGE FACILITY
Dir. Eliaz Rodriguez
Short Film Program #7
Saturday, July 27th
1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
A skeptical woman checks out an extraordinary storage facility where customers can, quite literally, compartmentalize their issues.
CRUNCH EP.1
Dir.Brad Vance
Short Film Program #11
Sunday, July 28th
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
An outsourced tech worker turns his basement into six tiny, Hong Kong style living quarters, and rents them out to desperate millennials.
CURTAINS
Dir.Gar Hoover
Short Film Program #7
Saturday, July 27th
1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
An avant-garde theatre director in a career tailspin is a die-hard purist in a sell-out world...
DOG YEARS
Dir. Jason Harris
Short Films Program #4
Friday, July 26th
5:45 p.m. - 7:45 p.m.
Two people. Two dogs. One complicated relationship
DOUCHEAHOLICS
Dir. Sean McCarthy
Short Films Program #4,7,9
T-Bag - Friday, July 26th 5:45 p.m.
D'Angela - Saturday, July 27th 1:30 p.m.
Ted - Sunday, July 28th 11:15 a.m.
Doucheaholics Anonymous is an int'l fellowship of people who want to better themselves.Not really.
It's just a bunch of douchebags. In a meeting. Being douchey.
DRIP
Dir. Jillian Cantwell
Short Film Program #1
Thursday, July 25th
9:30 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.
A leaking air conditioner drives a Manhattanite to his breaking point, triggering an unthinkable accident that sends him on a hilarious journey across town
FAMILY
Dir. David L Bradburn
Short Films Program #4
Friday, July 26th
5:45 p.m. - 7:45 p.m.
What appears to be a random act of helping is really a familial one.
GILTRUDE'S DWELLING
Dir.Jeremy Lutter
Short Film Program #5
Friday, July 26th
9:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Orphaned at the age of eleven, Giltrude, an interdimensional shut-in, has waited fifteen years for her parents to come home. When a life or death dilemma comes knocking, Giltrude must look beyond her front door and learn to face the outside universe.
GINGERBREAD
Dir. Kendell Courtney Klein
Short Film Program #3
Friday, July 26th
3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Set on a single night during the bloodiest days of the Civil War, GINGERBREAD chronicles Abraham Lincoln through the darkest night of his Presidency as he reluctantly agrees to join Mary Todd in a séance to contact their recently departed son.
GOODBYE CHINA
Dir. Paolo Zialcita
Short Film Program #2 - Docs
Friday, July 26th
11:15 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.
The story behind the disappearance of Reno's once prolific Chinatown.
GROW OLD
Dir. Mike Sorrentino
Short Film Program #6 - Music
Friday, July 26th
11:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
A magical tale about devotion and falling in love.
GUEST OF HONOR
Dir. Lisa Belcher
Short Film Program #7
Saturday, July 27th
1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Struck by tragedy, a married couple goes ahead with their anniversary party, when an unusual guest arrives.
HONK FOR JESUS
Dir.Adamma Ebo
Short Films Program #4
Friday, July 26th
5:45 p.m. - 7:45 p.m.
In the aftermath of a huge and ridiculous scandal, a pastor and his wife must reconcile their faith with their personal demons, in order to make the biggest comeback that commodified religion has ever seen.
HOW CAN I TELL YOU
Dir. Barbara Creutz
Short Film Program #6 -Music
Friday, July 26th
11:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
The words and woes of exile by Estonian poet-singer Lembe Lokk.How Can I Tell You is a sentimental journey through language and imagery.
I'M SORRY
Dir. David L Bradburn
Short Films Program #4
Friday, July 26th
5:45 p.m. - 7:45 p.m.
A young African American man spends his last free day before heading to prison apologizing to everyone near and dear to him for betraying their trust in him.
INFLATIO
Dir. Bryon Evans
Short Film Program #1
Thursday, July 25th
9:30 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.
A man awakens to find himself kidnapped, bound and gagged by a mysterious captor. Over the course of the night he will discover the true meaning of his abductor’s intentions.
LABORATORY CONDITIONS
Dir. Jocelyn Stamat
Opening Night
Thursday, July 25th
7:00 p.m. - 9:15 p.m.
Movies in the Park Screening
Friday, July 26th
9:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
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A physician investigating a missing body disrupts an unlawful experiment.
iRONY
Dir. Radheya Jegatheva
Short Films Program #4
Friday, July 26th
5:45 p.m. - 7:45 p.m.
A film that explores the relationship between man and technology...told from the perspective of a phone.
IT'S BIG
Dir. Cris Graves
Short Film Program #7
Saturday, July 27th
1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
A touchy subject tests an old friendship.
LAST OF THE BURLY GIRLS
Writer: John Pisano-Thomsen
Table Reading
Sunday, July 28th
3:45 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.
A celebration of late 1930's New York burlesque at it's finest & the indomitable spirit of those fearless, independent women who graced the burlesque stage while surviving the Depression and a sexist world.
LIZZY...FROM TULSA
Writer: Josh Hope
Table Reading
Sunday, July 28th
3:45 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.
After her sudden divorce, a woman travels back home to Oklahoma to spend Independence Day with her overbearing family.
LOVE POSSIBLY
Dir.Michael Boccalini, Che Grant
Feature Film
Saturday, July 27th
3:45 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
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A rom-com obsessed virgin finally finds a fiancee on a Russian bride site & realizes rom-com rules don't always work.
MOON RABBIT
Dir. Kae Ho
Short Film Program #3
Friday, July 26th
3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
During a visit to her grandparents in Japan, everything changes for 7-year-old Rio, who is obsessed with the Japanese folklore, Moon Rabbit.
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NO. 89
Dir. Freddy Carter
Short Film
Saturday, July 27th
3:45 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
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Rachel runs a bespoke break up service, but how many times do you have to break up before you finally move on?
NORA EPHRON GOES TO PRISON
Dir. Hannah Elless
Short Film Program #9
Sunday, July 28th
11:15 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.
Friendship transcends fantasy in this musicalized love letter to Nora Ephron and New York City.
OUR FATHER'S CABIN
Dir. Jon Olav Stokke
Short Film Program #3
Friday, July 26th
3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
When past merges with present, two half brothers get a last chance to say goodbye.
PASSIVE AGRESSIVE DADS
Dir. Jim Picariello
Short Film Program #10
Sunday, July 28th
1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Two middle-aged dads just want to spend a quiet day with their daughters at the park.
POSSESSIONS
Dir. Zeke Farrow
Short Film Program #1
Thursday, July 25th
9:30 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.
Zeke decides to sell all his things and make a documentary about it. He discovers that some possessions are easier to let go of than others.
PROPOLIS, PART 7
Dir. Patricia Beckmann Wells
Short Film Program #10
Sunday, July 28th
1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
A sister and brother are trapped in a closet as punishment by an alcoholic mother, but escape means they must face a far more nefarious world outside the doors of the closet.
RED
Dir. Alexander Stephens
Short Film Program #6 Music
Friday, July 26th
11:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m.
Lucy Daydream and Alpha 5 soar into space on a rocket ship to find something new.
RELATIONSHIP DELI
Dir.Ian Van der Werff
Opening Night
Thursday, July 25th
7:00 p.m. - 9:15 p.m.
Movies in the Park Screening
Friday, July 26th
9:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
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A deli worker and a desperate woman attempt to build the perfect relationship, sandwich style!
REPRESENTATIVE
Dir. Kelly Wittenberg
Short Film Program #11
Sunday, July 28th
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
1. typical of a class, group, or body of opinion. 2. a person chosen or elected to speak and act on behalf of others in a legislative assembly or deliberative body. 3. serving as a portrayal or symbol of something.
Robot Will Protect You
Dir.Nicola Piovesan
Short Film Program #8
Saturday, July 27th
5:45 p.m. - 7:45 p.m.
A sci-fi animation about a little girl's search for meaning in a world without emotions.
Rubicon Road
Dir. Ben Wolan
Short Film Program #7
Saturday, July 27th
1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
A couple trying to connect on a weekend getaway discover that there are some strings attached with their vacation home that they weren't anticipating.
Sac de Merde
Dir. Greg Chwerchak
Opening Night
Thursday, July 25th
7:00 p.m. - 9:15 p.m.
Short Films Program #8
Saturday, July 27th
5:45 p.m. - 7:45 p.m.
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An unlucky-in-love yet irrationally optimistic New Yorker who thinks her luck has changed when she spends the night with the man of her dreams. As it turns out, he might just be full of shit. Literally.
Snaggletooth
Dir. Colin Bishopp
Short Film Program #1
Thursday, July 25th
9:30 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.
All Mary-Alice wants is a puppy... But first she needs to get something straight.
Sorry, Not Sorry
Dir. Monique Sorgen
Short Films Program #4
Friday, July 26th
5:45 p.m. - 7:45 p.m.
A couple's oneupmanship reaches unbelievable heights after a man eats his wife's plums.
SPARKY by molly BANG
Dir. Mahesh Madhav, Colin Zeal
Short Film Program #6 -Music
Friday, July 26th
11:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
A mysterious auctioneer entices attendees to bid on peculiar musical instruments. Upon accepting their prizes, each member is transported to another realm where debauchery and frivolity await.
Sunrise
Dir. Sean Patrick Leonard
Short Film Program #3
Friday, July 26th
3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Kim and Brendan have just come home from a night out when things get a bit out of hand. Kim is left to pick the pieces and find strength during a very fragile time.
Sylvia
Dir. Richard Prendergast
Short Film Program #5
Friday, July 26th
9:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
A loving family set off in their car on what seems like a carefree family outing.
Tacos for [Redacted]
Dir. Emily Skyle-Golden
Short Films Program #4
Friday, July 26th
5:45 p.m. - 7:45 p.m.
An (almost) entirely true story about a popular Design Show Host that spent 10k on a crowdfunding site to buy a role in a Hollywood Star’s next big film. He never got the role or a refund…so he got revenge
The Anarchists' Picnic
Dir. Lucia Starbuck
Short Film Program #11
Sunday, July 28th
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
For governments and non-profits, it takes a long time and a lot of money to implement policies that help the homeless. Meanwhile—dinner’s at 5:30. A group of anarchists hosts a weekly potluck for anyone who's homeless or needs a meal.
The Encounter
Dir. Thomas DeCarlo
Short Film Program #9
Sunday, July 28th
11:15 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.
Nothing goes as planned when a rookie government agent goes off on his own to hunt down his first UFO and earn the respect of his peers.
The Encounter (Feature Script)
Writer: Thomas DeCarlo
SHORT SCREENPLAY
FINALIST
After a chance encounter with an alien, a rookie in a secret government agency must prevent his superiors from instigating an intergalactic war.
The Great Unknown
Dir. Anna Jones
Opening Night
Thursday, July 25th
7:00 p.m. - 9:15 p.m.
Short Film Program #5
Friday, July 26th
9:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
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When a woman (Desirée Matthews) experiences a miscarriage, she arrives at her grandmother's (Academy Award winner Olympia Dukakis) door seeking a witness to her profound grief.
The Interview
Dir. Nate Duncan
Short Film Program #9
Sunday, July 28th
11:15 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.
The Interview is a film about a young man pursuing business success who, during a life-changing interview, comes face to face with the realization that he has lived a mediocre existence
The Last Herd
Dir. Joseph Flannery
Short Film Program #10
Sunday, July 28th
1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
The Last Herd, an independent conservation film, documents this delicate balance and provides an example of how free-roaming bison and private interests can co-exist.
The Mortality Game
Writer: Ed Vela
Table Reading
Sunday, July 28th
3:45 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.
Three unlikely friends, all terminal patients at the same mid-west hospital, decide to embark on one final "last hurrah" road trip across the country, all the while playing a dangerous game of death cheating one-upmanship.
The Orchestra
Dir. Curtis Matzke
Short Film Program #1
Thursday, July 25th
9:30 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.
A young woman is haunted by an undead orchestra when she finds herself alone in an empty theatre.
The Party
Writer: Jesse McCloskey, Quinton Bunk
Table Reading
Sunday, July 28th
3:45 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.
Thomas, a deeply neurotic man, is invited to an Independence Day party by his neighbor and love interest, Kevin. In an effort to impress Kevin, he buys flowers and prepares his "famous" deviled eggs to bring to the party. Despite his efforts, Thomas doesn't get the reaction he expected.
The Premonition
Dir. James Ersted
Short Film Program #1
Thursday, July 25th
9:30 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.
It is Halloween night and the kiddies are out trick-or-treating when an unexpected guest comes a-knocking.
Starring Betsy Baker (Linda from the original Evil Dead).
The Replacement
Dir.Sean Miller
Short Film Program #8
Saturday, July 27th
5:45 p.m. - 7:45 p.m.
In a society where the morality around cloning is dividing the masses, physically looking like the newly elected President has its own dangers…
The Silo
Writer: Talie Melnyk
Table Reading
Sunday, July 28th
3:45 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.
The only thing smaller than the prairie town of Sylvan Lake, are the minds of the people who live there. Except for seventeen year old artist, SAM SIMCHUK. When she tries to solve the forty year old mystery behind the ghost she befriends, Sam's forced to choose between chasing her dreams, defending her friend or saving her mother's life.
The Traffic Separating Device
Dir. Johan Palmgren
Short Film Program #2 - Docs
Friday, July 26th
11:15 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.
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A traffic separating device is installed in the middle of Stockholm. It is supposed to keep normal cars away and only let buses pass. It turns into a disaster as normal cars continue to go there and hundreds of cars get destroyed every week.
When Sweden faces a mysterious attack Alex is forced back to his childhood village. There he must be reconciled with both his father and youth love, Anna, while they all struggle to survive.
This Side Has Dreams Too
Dir. Spencer Rabin
Short Film Program #2 - Docs
Friday, July 26th
11:15 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.
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Mexican artist Enrique Chiu is painting the longest mural in the world on the border wall separating Mexico and the United States.
Three Days in the Hole
Dir. Candice Carella
Short Film Program #3
Friday, July 26th
3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
A young Yezidi girl, Luna, is captured during the the Islamic State’s siege of her home town Shingal/Sinjar, Iraq and sold as a slave. She must learn to survive in a windowless underground dungeon shared with two other captives, and with their help, she musters the strength required not only to stay alive, but to eventually escape for the sake of her people.
Turtle
Dir. Matt Kenchington
Short Film Program #9
Sunday, July 28th
11:15 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.
It was a blistering hot day, and, as a chubby kid on summer break, Bruno's only goals were to avoid his chores and stay cool while awaiting the sweet jingle of the ice cream truck.
Watch Room
Dir. Noah Wagner
Short Film Program #5
Friday, July 26th
9:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Three maverick computer scientists are working to develop human-friendly artificial intelligence within the safety of a virtual reality environment... until the AI learns it's at risk of being shutdown, and turns the tables on its creators.
Will "The Machine"
Dir. Kent Lamm
Opening Night
Thursday, July 25th
7:00 p.m. - 9:15 p.m.
Short Films Program #5
Friday, July 26th
9:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
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Denzel Whitaker (Black Panther) and Chris Fornataro (Bad is Bad) star in this brooding character portrait of an elite high school football star consumed by ambition. When Will faces defeat to an outsider in a series of races, the demons keeping “The Machine” running finally surface
You Move Me
Dir. Gabriel Bienczycki
Short Film Program #6 -Music
Friday, July 26th
11:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
A music video for the 2016 release of the single You Move Me, by Pramillo.
