Films listed in alphabetical order. To see a schedule of the films screening in 2010 click HERE.
138 Arlington- Meagan Hoecke (Student Project, 14m, Canada), 138 Arlington recounts the story of two courageous women in a Baltimore psychiatric institution who, through their determination and audacity, become survivors against all odds.
2095- Troy Romeo (Narrative, 24m, Yorba Linda, CA) A young man who falls in love with a woman he thinks is his female co-worker, discovers that his own computer may offer him more than any human ever could.
4 Pictures- Mike Madigan (Narrative, 15m, Troy, MI) 4 Pictures’ is a personal narrative comedy that focuses on Kaitlin, living and documenting a simple day-to-day routine. Trying to avoid ‘change’ whenever possible, an unexpected revelation causes her to rethink her closest relationships.
5 CM Peter- David Boyer (Narrative,12m, Mishawaka, IN) One man’s journey to find a woman who accepts him, even if he doesn’t quite measure up. The script was the 2009 Audience Choice Winner for the MAF $100 Movie Contest.
A Fool’s Paradise (Le Paradis de l’Imbecile)- Patrick Griffin (Student Project, 13m, Lexington, NC) Joe, so immersed in his cinematic fantasies, is incapable of fulfilling the needs of his girlfriend, Sarah, in order to maintain a successful relationship ultimately forcing him to rely on his imagination while attempting to save their future.
A Piece of My Heart- R. Presley Stephens (Narrative, 13m, Tampa FL) A lonely convenience store clerk is shot through the heart during a robbery by a beautiful bandit. After his miraculous recovery, he finds himself still mentally damaged and is constantly haunted by unfathomable dreams about her.
Almost Normal- Keren Benrafael (Narrative, 22m, France) Shai is born exactly ten years after Itzhak, the first husband of his mother, has died. Itzhak is not Shai’s father; he never even met him. Nevertheless, every year, instead of celebrating his birthday, Shai has to go to the cemetery with his family and celebrate Itzhak’s death.
Always Reaching- Kikel Wisler (Narrative, 22m, Mishawaka, IN) Jacob finds Angela, an old friend, and seeks a resolution to their broken relationship which cost Jacob his wife and Angela her best friend.
As Ever, Stan- Alexander Schwarm (Student Project, 13m, Loogootee, IL) Set in rural Illinois, a new mother prepares for the most important day of her life, the day her husband returns from WWII. A true story.
Between the Lines- Alexander Rhodes-Wilmere (Narrative, 3m, Warsaw, IN) Suffering from a lifestyle of seclusion and repetition, Caleb takes his first steps towards recovery. Throughout these few months, he will face the challenge of putting his past behind him and the struggles of starting a new life.
Blindsided- Chris Pickenpuagh (Narrative, 12m, Monrovia, CA/South Bend, IN) A blind date takes a few interesting turns. Mostly south.
Blue Bus- Phillip Scarpaci (Narrative, 95m, Woodland Hills, CA) Two old friends travel from Los Angeles to New Orleans in a rickety 1968 Volkswagen bus discovering much more than just the American landscape.
Boond- Abhishek Pathak (Narrative, 26m, India) The story revolves around that timeless and controversial concept of power. The story is a powerful and graphic representation of power and its ability to corrupt.
Breadwinner- Cornelius Murphy (Student Project, 10m, Bronxville, NY) Douglas a man in the middle of his life reflects back on his relationship with his recently deceased father.
Butterfinger-Candace Infuso (Narrative, 5m, Westlake Village, CA) A convenience store owner gets even with a robber in a sweet way.
Certain Adverse Events-Nancy Edwards (Documentary, 53m, Las Vegas, NV) When a prescription drugs makes you sicker than already are, or injures you in some other way, the FDA calls that occurrence an ‘adverse event.’ A Washington, D.C. consumer advocacy group, Public Citizen, successfully sued the FDA. See why!
Citizen Pratt- Stephen Roberts (Comedy, 9m, Durham, NC) Candidate Simon Pratt battles a slick opponent, his own awkwardness, and a severe case of flop sweat.
Dirty Deeds- Brenda Mills (Student Project, 7m, Tallahassee, FL) A savvy newspaper reporter gets trapped in the office of a local gangster while searching for a story.
Esther’s Diary- Mariusz Kotowski (Narrative, 75m, Austin, TX) The adult children of two holocaust survivors are brought together by a diary left by ones recently deceased mother. The diary links their families, their past and tells of dark secrets hidden by their mother’s for years. This is a story of love, reconciliation and forgiveness.
Father & Sister- Soyeon Kim (Animation, 5m, South Korea) An innocent chance occurrence leads to a little house of worship excitement.
Fight for the Planet- Colin Carter (Documentary, 61m Canada) Fight for the planet is a documentary about climate change, and focuses on the physical, social and economic impacts of global warming. Directed by 16 year old Colin Carter!
Friends and Lovers- Ron Pike (Narrative 90m, San Jose, CA) Sometimes the heart needs a mechanic. After a failed relationship with a waitress, a young gay man is challenged by his love for a straight mechanic.
Game Night- Jennifer Williams (Narrative, 31m, Seattle, WA) When Tanya invites her alcoholic mother over to play Scrabble with her and her newly sober girlfriend, the evening quickly devolves into another kind of game where resentments and past hurts collide.
Garaged- Sean Edward Day (Narrative, 7m, Upland CA) After hastily loading what appears to be an occupied body-bag into the trunk of his car, a young man becomes trapped – ‘Garaged’ – by a combination of faulty, uncooperative technology and a dose of karma.
Ghost Conversations- Jeremy Bessoff (Experimental, 8m, Chicago, IL) A moment that conjures the ghost of a WWII Flying Ace and traps him between two inescapable landscapes: The desolation of war and the safety of domesticity. The experimental drama is enacted between a life-sized marionette and a model airplane.
Harvey Putter Preview- Tim Richardson, Michael Kouroubetes (Promo, 3m, Edwardsburg, MI) A peek at the upcoming feature film release “Harvey Putter and the Ridiculous Premiere” coming out this summer.
Journey of the Turtle Photographer- Michael Carey (Documentary, 25m, Alabama) A personal journey of Michael Carey a underwater videographer who travels the world in search of sea turtles in their natural environments. This journey follows Michael to Hawaii to dive with a leading sea turtle biologist to witness some rarely seen behavior.
Le Retour- Rachel Earnest (Narrative, 20m, Oceanside, CA) After studying abroad in France, Katherine returns home to southern California and struggles to readjust
Lose Yourself in Me- Steve Berkowitz (Music Video, 6m, Sherman Oaks, CA) Three couples explore their sensuality alone and together.
Love and Valor- Charles Larimer (Documentary, 89m, Chicago, IL) The movie, narrated by Brian Dennehy, is based on the book ‘Love and Valor – Intimate Civil War Letters Between Captain Jacob and Emeline Ritner,’ which was featured by the Smithsonian in the month after 9/11.
Movers & Stakers- Nancy Carlson (Documentary, 57m, Muncie, IN) Established by President Jefferson in 1806, the National Road is the country’s first federally-funded highway. Focusing on the 156-mile Indiana segment, this one-hour documentary tells 13 stories of the people and places that endear this road to travelers even today.
Mu-emptiness- Ria Ama (Animation, 16m, Los Angeles, CA) A painted Phoenix wills herself into the world where she encounters love, loss, longing and eventual enlightenment.
My Mother Said (Kuna Ni Nanang)- Jessica Sison (Documentary, 5m, San Francisco, CA) In this day and age, when everything is documented and even cell phones have cameras, one woman has no souvenirs or photos of her beloved mother.
Non Love Song- Erik Gernand (Narrative, 8m, Chicago, IL) On the last day of summer before heading off to college, two 18-year old best friends attempt to connect as adults and for the first time in their lives share a real moment.
Novelties- Ken Cohen (Narrative, 83m, Chicago, IL) Ian purposely loses his cell phone to meet girls, while a novelty newspaper creator deals with an egotistical drug user turned tattoo addict.
O Pintor De Ceos (The Painter of Skies)- Jorge Morais Valle (Animation, 20m Spain) From the darkness of the lost cliffs, a crazy painter, marked by his past, and his faithful assistant try to find a solution against perpetual storms. The Sea is destroying their home. A magic boiler and some tormented ghosts will help them to find the light.
Panico a Una Muerte Ridicula (Panic to a Ridiculous Death)- Rubin Stein (Narrative, 15m, Spain) Tom is obsessed by ridiculous deaths. A tragic piece of news will mark the beginning of a strange travel through fear, love and destiny.
Pieces- Laura Wilson (Student Project, 17m, Lake Onion, MI) Mark is an isolated and reclusive man with a secret. He has the annoying ability to see other people’s memories…except for Ella’s, a mysterious woman who Mark keeps running into.
Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead- Lloyd Kaufman (Narrative, 87m, New York, NY) When the American Chicken Bunker, a military-themed fried-chicken chain, builds a restaurant on the site of an ancient Indian burial ground, local protesters aren’t the only ones crying fowl!
Queerborn & Perversion- Ron Pajak (Documentary, 105m, Chicago, IL) Quearborn & Perversion illuminates LGBT history of America’s Heartland, from the speakeasy era to the dawn of disco, from America’s first gay rights group in 1924 to its first gay pride march in 1970.
Red Revenge- Eunha Choi (Student Project, 6m, Brooklyn, NY) Red Revenge is a woman revenge dream story related to her dream from childhood. Through her emotional and weird dreams she found that she becomes to be mature.
Rosie Girl- Don Swanson (Student Project, 11m, Indiana, PA) A stranger stole Rosie’s mother away as she was telling her about her special gift. Now Rosie has found them, and witnessing her mother’s brutal murder is about to awaken the hidden power of an innocent girl.
Royalty Free- Michael Bernstein (Student Project, 10m, Orange, CA) Charlie is an entertainer who can bring a smile to anybody- except one miserable audience member. Every entertainer has an ego, even if he’s a street performer who’s only 12-years-old.
Scoring the Dream- Thomas Johnson (Documentary, 13m, Pendleton, IN) Steven had a dream; to some day score the songs that danced in his head with an orchestra. This is his story, his journey to realize this dream. It shares the inspiration for his romantically themed songs and his emotions as he finally listens to his music come to life.
Severing the Soul- Barbara Klutinis (Experimental, 18m, San Francisco, CA) Found footage interweaves an account of Rosemary Kennedy’s lobotomy procedure in 1941 with an overview of the psychosurgery movement of the 1930’s-1960’s in the US.
Signatures- Matt McKenna (Narrative, 6m, Santa Cruz, CA) One volunteer collects signatures for the good of the cause while the other is just in it for the free coupons.
Skylight- David Bass (Animation, 5m, Canada) An animated mock documentary about the ecological plight of penguins in the Antarctic, possibly foretelling cataclysmic results for the rest of the world.
Slice of Pie- Tim Reischauer (Narrative, 35m, Sherman Oaks, CA) Carter is a middle-aged divorcee with his eye on Juanita, the waitress at the local diner. In an attempt to woo the girl of his dreams he waxes philosophical about the merits of pie.
Small Change- Jessica Stone (Narrative, 16m, South Bend, IN) Garrison meets with his father, who he hasn’t seen in 6 years, to be confronted with the knowledge that his dad is dying of cancer and contemplating suicide.
Statler’s Tapes- Tim Connery (Narrative, 15m, Chicago, IL) A farmer at the end of his life embarks on a retrospective journey in search of his missing wife across a wind-weathered landscape that has become increasingly unfamiliar.
The 7th Floor- Andrew Seely (Student Project, 17m, Clovis, CA) In 1940s San Francisco, a self-serving private detective resorts to deceit and blackmail in an attempt to pay off his escalating gambling debts.
The Alpha and the Mega- Morgan Mead (Documentary, 60m, Indianapolis, IN) Local filmmaker Morgan Mead explores the megachurch phenomenon with a look at the different types of megachurches, their origins, and of course their opposition. Find out the real truth about America’s largest churches.
The Empress- Lyle Piso (Animation, 8m, Canada) Trevor and Martha see each other across a dingy bar and fall in love. The couples’s shyness is only overcome in a mutual dream where their shadows dance together. Inspired by the song ‘The Empress’ by the Montreal band BRIGA.
The Familiar- Riley Walsh (Experimental, 22m, Canada) Sam Matheson has accepted a very odd job: be the personal caretaker of an immortal, amoral, bloodsucking vampire.
The Interview- Dave McLeod (Narrative, 6m, Canada) Toby shows up to a corporate interview expecting to wow them with his charm. What he doesn’t realize is that his interviewer has more sinister intentions for him.
The Last Page- Kevin Acevedo (Narrative, 21m Glendora, CA) Jason Adams is a tortured author struggling to find the perfect ending to his latest story. While taking a break from writing, Jason is catapulted into a bizarre series of events; each event pushing him further away from finishing the last page.
The Misadventure- Jeremy White (Narrative, 29m, Washington DC) An unambitious gardener falls for one of the employees at a new office building. But his attempts at winning her affection get him in too deep when he finds himself impersonating an employee and making deals with the company manager.
The Offering- Bonnie Phelps (Animation, 7m, Sunnyvale, CA) The modern era of computer animation meets an ancient tale of seduction. Is there anything that is not immune to a woman’s powers, even golden statues?
The Penny- John Cessna (Student Project, 28m, Elkhart, IN) After seeing a musical on their first date, Jack and Maureen find a heads-down penny on the sidewalk. Against Jack’s advice, Maureen picks it up and the two go from seeing musicals to living them.
The Red Shoes-Hsin Yin Sung (Student Project, 11m, Chicago, IL) A pair of red shoes can cause a battle between a bride-to-be and her mother.
The Vaudevillian- Bryan Nest (Student Project, 16m, Los Angeles, CA) A ventriloquist’s relationship with his dummy is strained after they lose their job with a traveling vaudeville act. The ventriloquist realizes he is able to scam farmers for money, much to the dummy’s dismay, and loses his conscience so that he can continue.
The Toxic Avenger (Narrative, 87m, New York, NY) Not all monsters are scary to people. Not if it’s one fighting crime in the Garden State.
Trippin’- Devi Snively (Narrative, 87m, Mishawaka, IN/Los Angeles, CA) Three couples go to a remote cabin in the woods and, lo and behold, bad things happen.
Waffles for Virginia- Jim Dougherty (Narrative, 26m, Anderson, IN) There is a Santa Claus and Dad has the science to prove it!
Walla Walla Wiffle- Robert Sickels (Documentary, 7m, Walla Walla, WA) Walla Walla Wiffle. Where men are boys. The film documents the joy they take in being able to revert to the simplicity of their youth, if only for a day.
War Story, Love Story- Matthew Evans (Student Project, 10m, Arkansas) A married couple, celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary, relive their experiences during the Korean War. Included in the film are historic photos and relevant information about what has been referred to as ‘The Forgotten War.’
We Are Here- Yonghwa Choi (Student Project, 4m, Jersey City, NJ) The earth is buzzing with all kinds of things such as the wind, the trees and people-even the din of traffic. This short animation spells out in whimsical terms what we’re doing to ourselves.
You’re a Good Man, Antimin- Jonathan Staav (Narrative, 26m, Canada) In a dystopian state, long after the nuclear wars have erased mankind’s memory of the past, NEW SOCIETY has created an ordered state based on the ideals of social Darwinism.