Love is Found in Unexpected Places

Jason Richard Boyer | US

Run time: 10:49 min.

Synopsis:
For Simon, finding love in 2020 is more of a challenge than he was expecting.

Bella   

Stefan Stojanovic | US

Run time: 10:00 min.

Synopsis:
An elderly woman is ​confronted by an intruder in her home. Shortly after she realizes a familiar face and a familiar feeling.

Bio: After picking up the camera at the age of 11, Stefan was captivated by the world of motion pictures.. His passion for storytelling motivated him to create original short films, music videos, and documentaries. At 16 years old he wrote & directed his first 50-minute film "The Violin". Stefan went on to make a documentary film "Voices of Refugees", produced with the support from the European Youth Forum in Brussels. The film premiered at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France. It was screened in more than 20 countries worldwide, spanning 4 different continents, receiving an award for the best short film at the film festival in Paris. Stefan has worked with professionals in the music industry across Europe. Some of his notable works include a music video starring a Croatian pop star Tony Cetinski, and a music video for the band "Balkanika", presenting Serbia at the Eurovision Song Contest in Lisbon in 2018. As of 2020, Stefan is a Fulbright Scholar, producing new short films in the United States, while completing his MFA in Film at Ohio University. in 2023, his primary goals moving forward are working in the film industry and writing & directing feature narrative films.

Trapped

Samuel Tony | US

Run time: 7:30 min.

Synopsis:
Two thieves find themselves in an uncomfortable and hilarious position when they're forced to hide from the law.

Bio: Samuel’s passion for filmmaking ignited during the pandemic in 2020 when he stumbled upon a captivating Behind-The-Scenes video of Wes Anderson’s Grand Budapest Hotel. Inspired, he delved into the art of screenwriting. As soon as filming resumed, Samuel eagerly joined the Columbus Independent Filmmaking community, lending his talents to various roles from Production Assistant to Cinematographer. With two completed short films now making waves in the festival circuit, one of which he directed, Samuel is excited to continue his journey and expand his horizons in the world of filmmaking.

Last Word

Diek Grobler | South Africa

Run time: 10:00 min.

Synopsis:
Every fourteen days a language dies. The woman wakes up lonely. She searches the city for somebody who speaks her language, someone who can understand her. The Linguist notices her voice and tries to find her as she travels through the city. At the edge of the city she makes a discovery. Laaste Woord is a parable of the tragedy of the gradual extinction of the world’s languages.

Bio:
Diek Grobler lives and works in Pretoria, South Africa. He trained as a visual artist and has been working with animation for 20 years. His films for children have won awards at KROK, Hiroshima, Tindirindis and Teheran. Since 2009 he has focuses in his personal work on animated poetry-film.

Holy Moly Meteorite!  

V. Leigh | US

Run time: 2:58 min.

Synopsis:
A meteorite is headed to earth and Patty and Bobby are on their first (and last) official date. What could go wrong?

Bios:
V. Leigh is a dream maker, a lover of imagination, and a storyteller. She earned a BFA in Motion Pictures & Television from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, where she studied both visual storytelling and writing for the screen.

V. Leigh has worked in the entertainment industry for the better part of the past twenty years and spends her time supporting artists and helping their dreams come true. She is excited to finally share her own stories in the written and visual form.

Although V Leigh has spent years on both coasts, she currently lives in the Hudson Valley, NY, where she grew up. And, it only took her thirty plus years to learn to tolerate cold winters. She spends her time lovingly harassing her husband and hugging her mother. She wouldn’t get anything done if it weren't for their support.

V. Leigh loves music, her MacBook Pro, camels and has The Office playing on repeat... all day, every day.

Blue Hour

J.D. Shields | US

Run time: 15:51 min.

Synopsis:
Two personal journeys intersect when a struggling young photographer is hired for a cheap last minute portrait gig. The unfolding photo session, while transient, leaves an indelible mark on both women.

BLUE HOUR is a meditation on the intensity of transitory moments, the fleeting exchanges and interactions that have the power to alter your mood, day or life. Often it is only with the clarity of hindsight that we can identify these moments. Rarely does one sense the tectonic shift as it's happening. Rene and Jaz are aware of the emotional exchange passing between them and we, like them, are left to wonder how this encounter will leave an indelible mark and shape the course of their lives.

Bio: J.D. SHIELDS is an award-winning writer and director from Atlanta, Georgia. An alumna of the AFI Directing Workshop for Women, her short film BLUE HOUR, supported by Women In Film, had its premiere at the 2023 Brooklyn Film Festival and subsequently played at HollyShorts among others. Award-wining and BAFTA-qualified, Blue Hour won Best Film and Best Actor (Doyin Domingo) at MKE Short Film Fest, Best Drama Short at Baltimore International Black Film Festival, Best American Indie Short at Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, the Student Narrative Shorts Jury Award at SCAD Savannah Film Festival, the Audience Award for Best Student Film at Pittsburgh Shorts Film Festival and is currently a Best Short Film nominee for the Oscar-qualifying Pan African Film Festival.

Her television credits include EMPEROR OF OCEAN PARK (MGM+) and THE COMPANY YOU KEEP (ABC). She has developed projects with Emmy-nominated showrunner Leslye Headland and Marsai Martin's Genius Entertainment as well as written for DreamWorks TV Animation, Wondery and Sony Pictures Entertainment. She penned the award-winning short film WEDNESDAY, which screened at the LA Film Festival, Palm Springs Shortfest, and the American Black Film Festival where it was an HBO Shorts Finalist, later streaming on HBO.

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A Ranger’s Way

Scott Danzig | US

Run time: 5:09 min.

Synopsis:
An army ranger tries to record his suicide note while receiving video calls from the dead.

This script started off as a simple idea suited for the pandemic, but it evolved into a deeper story about a soldier who survived a war yet cannot escape it. It dives into how memories can trap us and how our connections can help us navigate through feelings of loss and despair.

Bio:
Scott Danzig, also a software engineer and photography enthusiast, first embraced his passion for filmmaking in 2010. He has since leveraged his technical savvy to master the craft through self-study and on-set experience, learning both process and theory. Scott continues to produce his own creative works, competing in film festivals, always experimenting and reaching for the next level. He serves as a community leader, engaging local filmmakers, assisting crews how he can, and mentoring. Scott prides himself for his professionalism, striving for quality and delivering on his promises.

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Deer Heaven

David Malone & Melaniia Kaliian | US

Run time: 6:37 min.

Synopsis:
A father gets his ideal Father Day’s gift, but his kids must face a moral dilemma in the process.

Bio:
David Malone works in the department of writing, producing, acting, and sound design. He’s well known for being a unique, creative, and diverse artist across a wide range of genres in the arts. David has garnered a lot of attention from his comedy albums (available on all streaming platforms) and animated short films on his YouTube channel (Malo Da Maker) which he produces, writes, and voice acts.

David is passionate about screenwriting and acting; in hopes of one day becoming a staff writer for a network television series and more. David sees no limits to what he can do in the world of comedy and film. As of right now David has just obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Game Design from George Mason University. Currently, he’s heavily involved in improv comedy at Dojo Comedy and acting classes at the Studio Acting Conservatory in Washington D.C.

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Late Fee

Richard Sperry, Quinn Robertson & JJ Handley | US

Run time: 6:46 min.

Synopsis:
Only wanting to watch Family Ties and eat cereal, John has an unexpected solicitor. Buster is an intrusive bruiser and debt collector, and has cornered his prey. Touting nearly a decade of Blockbuster late fees, John has to find the missing tapes or cough up nearly $40,000.

Bio:
Richard Sperry, Quinn Robertson, and JJ Handley are graduates of Marshall University's Video Production program and located in Huntington West Virginia. Having worked together on many projects in and out of class, they have been honing their craft collaboratively since 2019.

Daisy Chain

Tina Kakadelis | US

Run time: 1:37 min.

Synopsis:
"daisy chain" is a self-portrait told through recently digitized 8mm reels of film of my mother’s childhood. It was my father who took the time, energy, and effort to save these memories that are not his own. I think there’s something valiant in the potentially futile effort of preservation. In order for a memory or a film or anything to stand the test of time, there must be someone who takes care of the artifact. It was one thing for my father to digitize the reels, but it’s another to make sure those videos are maintained for the future. I also wanted to play with memory and its fallible nature by not limiting myself to images of my mother as the “main character” of the 8mm footage. As time goes on, will any of us be able to recognize which images are my mom and which are not? Will that matter as the memory of creating this film becomes hazier and hazier?

Bio:
Tina Kakadelis is a film critic, video editor, pop culture writer, and infrequent filmmaker. She currently resides in Pittsburgh, but has not tried French fries on a salad...yet. You can find more information at tinakakadelis.com

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