7:30 PM - Opening Night Feature Film Block 1 + Filmmaker Q&A - Opening Night Film
Baristas vs Billionaires
Director: Mark Mori
Producer: Mark Mori, Bob Judson, Alec Baldwin
Writer: Brandyn Cross and Mark Mori
Key cast and crew: Susan Sarandon
Genre: Documentary
Project type: Feature Documentary
Log Line: Starbucks baristas in Buffalo, NY, organize to take on corporate exploitation, sparking a nationwide, generational uprising among working-class Millennials and Gen Z as they challenge a powerful billionaire CEO and fight for their rights.
Run time: 1 hour 12 minutes
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: Buffalo International Film Festival 2025: Best WNY Feature, Workers Unite Film Festival 2025: Best Documentary Feature, Atlanta Film Festival 2026, Ethos International Film Festival 2026: Grand Jury Prize, Dunein International Film Festival 2026, Reel Work May Day Labor Film Festival 2026, Washington DC International Film Festival
Content warnings: Strong language
She Cries Murder
Director: Tony Capes
Producer: Peter Anthony
Writer: Tony Capes
Key cast and crew: Tristan Rizzuto, Kazuya Folger, Laura Mazziotti
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Project type: Narrative Feature
Log Line: Two brother private detectives work to solve the murder of a woman's husband. A case that was concluded as a suicide by local police.
Run time: 1 hour 27 minutes
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: World Premiere: Strand Theatre April 17th 2026
Content warnings: Strong Language, Death, Depictions of Violence
Colorhouse
Director: S.P. Batchelder
Producer: Nicholas Batchelder and Colette Freedman
Writer: Sanaz Tamjidi
Key cast and crew: Corin Nemec, Winter Bassett, Stakiah Lynn Washington
Genre: Thriller, Social Justice, Horror, Psychological Thriller
Project type: Narrative Short
Log Line: A group of girls who have grown up together under the captivity of a madman, hatch a violent plan of retaliation
Run time: 13 minutes 27 seconds
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: Wyoming International Film Festival, LA Shorts International Film Festival, Studio City International Film Festival, Mystic Film Festival, Portland Film Festival
Content warnings: Depiction of Child trafficking, drug use, violence, death
Doubles
Director: Conor McGrath
Producer: Sofia Campanella, Amanda Chau
Writer: Conor McGrath
Key cast and crew: Alex Strzemilowski, Nathan Vincenti
Genre: Crime thriller
Project type: Narrative short
Log Line: Two former friends and cyber security rivals secretly meet to broker a deal. However, after getting captured by rival businessmen, they realize just how much their friendship has meant to them, and just how similar they are.
Run time: 10 minutes 31 seconds
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: World Premiere
Content warnings: Strong Language, Violence
What’s Next for Jayden
Director: Sal DelGiudice
Producer: Sal DelGiudice, Melissa Aguanno
Key cast and crew: Steven Sage Goldberg
Genre: Documentary
Project type: Documentary Feature
Log Line: What's Next for Jayden follows a single mother raising her young son with Level 3 autism as she navigates the demands of caregiving while balancing a career, revealing a portrait of resilience, unconditional love, and the realities of living with autism.
Run time: 1 hour 21 minutes
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: New Jersey Doc Festival, Long Island International Film Expo, Red Movie
Awards Fest, Golden Door Film Festival
ILAAJ: Healing
Director: Joi-Noelle Worley
Producer: Kiva Worley, Joi-Noelle Worley
Writer: Joi-Noelle Worley
Key cast and crew: Siddharth Kumar, Mayuri Patel
Genre: Drama
Project type: Narrative Short
Log Line: Plagued by strange and frightening dreams, a young man struggles with the reality of his returning memory as his sister encourages him to heal from their painful past.
Run time: 9 minutes
Language: Hindi
Any screenings or awards: World Premiere
Content warnings: Death
Present Tense
Director: Holly Hudson
Producer: Holly Hudson, Alex Aymard
Writer: Holly Hudson
Key cast and crew: Holly Hudson, Christophe Guybet
Genre: Sci-fi comedy
Project type: Narrative short
Log Line: A meditation session goes off-script when the app’s AI begins to unravel mid-guidance—leaving the human on the other end to improvise calm, connection, and something that looks a lot like therapy
Run time: 4 minutes 15 seconds
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: Cleveland International Film Festival
Silicon Valley Girl
Director: Yeon Jin Lee
Producer: Celene Di Stasio
Writer: Yeon Jin Lee
Key cast and crew: Audrey Hui, Michelle Krusiec
Genre: Thriller
Project type: Narrative Short
Log Line: Everything seems perfect for a young Asian female intern at a top tech company-until an unexpected visit from a fellow intern's mother threatens to unravel the secrets she's desperate to keep hidden.
Run time: 13 minutes 19 seconds
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: LA Shorts International Film Festival
Content warnings: Death/Murder, Blood/Gore
9:30 PM - Screening Block 2MAIN + Filmmaker Q&A - Late Night Thrillers & Suspense
9:30 PM - Screening Block 2SECOND + Filmmaker Q&A - Thresholds: Beyond the Surface
10:00 AM - Screening Block 3MAIN + Filmmaker Q&A - Advocacy and Art
Dream a World
Director: Barry Rosenthal, Christo Tsiaras
Producer: Kayla Young, Daija Smith
Writer: Barry Rosenthal
Key cast and crew: Tiffany Haddish, Ringo Starr, Ty Burrell, Philip Bailey
Genre: Documentary
Project type: Documentary Feature
Log Line: See foster care through a whole new lens as a very special organization prepares foster for careers in filmmaking
Run time: 01:01:00
Language: English
The Second Life of Freddie Nole
Director: Dana Nachman
Producer: Chelsea Matter, Dana Nachman, Josh Braun, Rudy Valdez, Ryan Harrington
Writer: Dana Nachman
Key cast and crew: Chelsea Matter, Dana Nachman, Josh Braun, Rudy Valdez, Ryan Harrington
Genre: Documentary
Project type: Documentary Short
Log Line: When Freddie Nole drives to meet a man walking out of prison, he’s not just offering a ride, he’s offering hope, dignity, and a path to permanent freedom. As this vérité road trip unfolds, we come to learn the remarkable story behind Freddie’s mission, a staggering mistake that cost him 50 years of freedom but ultimately brings him right back to the prison door.
Run time: 21:35
Language: English
Mike and Billy’s American Pie
Director: Erin P.S. Zimmerman
Producer: Erin P.S. Zimmerman, Billy Cross
Key cast and crew: Billy Cross
Genre: Documentary
Project type: Documentary Short
Log Line: From their initial meeting behind the bar at Chez Panisse, to the establishment of their pie shop in Beverly Hills, Billy Cross recounts the joys and pains of his life with renowned chef, Michael James, whose life was tragically cut short by AIDS. Billy reflects on his journey of resilience, the importance of love in all forms, and the ongoing fight for LGBTQ+ rights. This is ‘Mike & Billy’s American Pie’
Run time: 20:17
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: 2025 Best Documentary Short (Kansas City Film Fest International), 2025 Best of Fest (CinemaDiverse Film Festival Palm Springs), Official Selection: 2026 Dances With Films Los Angeles, 2026 Dances With Films New York, 2025 Oxford Shorts, 2025 First City Film Festival, Semi-finalist: Dublin Film Awards, London International Filmmakers Festival
A P.U.P. Story
Director: Barry Rosenthal
Producer: W. Finn Miller, Barry Rosenthal
Writer: Bill Miller
Key cast and crew: Barry Rosenthal, Bill Miller, Barry Rosenthal
Genre: Documentary
Project type: Documentary Short
Log Line: Tails of love and affection through the eyes of the Therapy dogs of Los Angeles International Airport.
Run time: 19:48
Language: English
Welcome To Theatre
Director: Annetta Marion
Producer: Theatre Revolution
Writer: Gabrielle Fox
Key cast and crew: Michael Raymond Fox, Sean Weil
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Satire
Project type: Narrative Short
Log Line: Two slightly lovable, mediocre white theatre producers (think Archie Bunker), try to revive their festival and save the theatre from financial ruin in a post pandemic world.
Run time: 14:31
Language: English
She Fell From Space
Director: Seriina Covarrubias
Producer: Seriina Covarrubias, Nidhin Patel
Writer: Seriina Covarrubias
Key cast and crew: John Devilman, Joshua Florhaug, Mai Sato, Thomas Später
Genre: Sci-Fi, Comedy
Project type: Narrative Short
Log Line: After a fire takes his neighborhood and house, a struggling tattoo artist's life takes an even more bizarre turn when a spaceship crash-lands in his backyard, unleashing a stunning alien. To his horror, she speaks only "dog" and electrocutes people when upset. As neighbors and agents close in, he must help her adapt to Earth before love, the HOA, and intergalactic trouble collide.
Run time: 15:00
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: Golden State Film Festival, Indie Vegas Film Festival, First Contact Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Animation Film Festival (Smodcastle), Shock-A-Go-Go Film Festival (Art House Theater): Best Art Direction, Long Beach Underground Film Festival, GenCon Film Festival, Sci-Fi, Horror, and Action International Film Festival, Los Angeles Fantasy Fest, Sick Chick Flicks
The Copier
Director: Cole Quirk
Producer: Emily Redenbach
Writer: Cole Quirk
Key cast and crew: Suellen Vance, Emily Redenbach, Ruth Williamson, David Dean Bottrell, Rance Collins
Genre: Comedy
Project type: Narrative Short
Log Line: Ruby the receptionist struggles to fix the office copier while balancing an overactive imagination.
Run time: 5:58
Language: English
Rocketship
Director: Iris Almaraz
Producer: Iris Almaraz, Erin Ploss-Campoamor
Writer: Iris Almaraz
Key cast and crew: Chelsea Rendon, Mila Ibarra, Sammi Corona-Lampa, Gloria Laino
Genre: Drama, Coming of Age, Latinx
Project type: Narrative Short
Log Line: Two neglected sisters set out to retrieve their mentally ill mother from a playground, discovering grit, tenderness, and childhood resilience along the way.
Run time: 11:00
Language: English, Spanish
May I Put You On Hold
Director: Ash Blodgett
Producer: Tara Jayn
Writer: Ryan Self
Key cast and crew: Tara Jayn, Natalie Lynch, Sam Manual
Genre: Comedy, drama
Project type: Narrative Short
Log Line: While dealing with telephone customer service, Liz is accidentally transferred to the Afterlife. Now, stuck between death and hold music, Liz must outwit cosmic bureaucracy and discover what really matters, if she wants to get back to the land of the living.
Run time: 13:25
Language: English
The Donut Hole
Director: Giselle Vazquez - Ramirez
Producer: Edie Pilar Monroy, Giselle Vazquez - Ramirez
Writer: Tanya Linette Smith
Key cast and crew: Edie Pilar Monroy, Raquel Salinas, Chaz Woo
Genre: Comedy
Project type: Narrative Short
Log Line: At a donut shop, a sharp-tongued young Latina turns a petty feud into a sweet-and-dirty power play, serving her novela-loving grandma as the unexpected real winner.
Run time: 3:25
Language: English
Content warnings: Strong Language
Your Night is My Day
Director: Jen Sall
Producer: Jen Sall, Nance Messineo
Writer: Jen Sall, Ellen Huggins
Key cast and crew: Benjamin Earl Turner, Ava Hase
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Project type: Narrative short
Log Line: Worlds apart, two twenty-somethings collide over a tenuous connection, dependent on computer screens and time zones to reveal their true selves
Run time: 10:10
Language: English
Rita's Wish
Director: Cristina Sasso
Producer: Sean R Hill
Writer: Cristina Sasso
Key cast and crew: Aliza Carrillo, Luis Gelilei, Sydney Rose
Genre: Drama, fantasy
Project type: Narrative Short
Log Line: 8-year old Rita projects her pain onto the birthday doll her father gave her, until her imagination strikes back, and she must confront what she really wants.
Run time: 6:30
Language: English
Content warnings: Violence
Ride Out
Director: Ryder Kazerman, Teddy Greenwald-Schaye
Producer: Ryder Kazerman, Teddy Greenwald-Schaye
Writer: Ryder Kazerman, Teddy Greenwald-Schaye
Key cast and crew: Sean Patrick Ferris, Preston Mark, Kate Brady
Genre: Drama, Crime, Surreal, Comedy
Project type: Narrative Feature (Student Film)
Log Line: After a devastating breakup, a seasoned New York drug dealer embarks upon an ambitious night of work with his protégé where they have experiences that will change them forever.
Run time: 1:45:00
Language: English
Content warnings: Drug Use, Strong Language, Violence, Blood/gore, Death, Guns
The Talk
Director: Hila Cage Coppola
Producer: Hila Coppola
Writer: Hila Cage Coppola
Key cast and crew: Kareem Zion
Genre: Drama
Project type: Narrative Short (Student Film)
Log Line: What begins as a tender conversation between a father and son slowly reveals the unseen weight carried by the women in their lives. As the truth unfolds, the personal becomes political, exposing a system that does not protect everyone equally and turning love into a quiet reckoning with loss, legacy, and injustice
Run time: 5:00
Language: English
Content warnings: Death
Anatomy
Director: Zaki Rubenstein
Producer: Tommy Nash
Writer: Robert Alan Dilts
Key cast and crew: Sara Noah, Tommy Nash
Genre: Drama
Project type: Narrative Feature
Log Line: A dying contract killer takes on a young female protégé to carry on his work.
Run time: 01:52:50
Language: English
Content warnings: Guns, violence, blood/gore, Strong Language
Mermaid
Director: Fia Perera
Producer: Ryan Lacen, Jenica Bergere, Hilliard Guess, Fia Sophia Perera, Mary Vernieu, Toni Long, Tyler Musikanth
Writer: Fia Sophia Perera
Key cast and crew: Devyn McDowell, Arturo Luiz Soria, Nat Faxon, Mary Birdsong, Tom Kiesche, Alex Moffatt, Missi Pyle
Genre: Drama, LGBTQ+
Project type: Narrative Feature
Log Line: When a child longing to be a mermaid crosses paths with a grief-stricken drag queen on the verge of giving up, the unlikely pair form a life-saving bond - one that will force them both to risk everything in the end.
Run time: 01:32:29
Language: English
Content warnings: Depicts Suicide attempt
Love Zuri
Director: Okema T Moore
Producer: Okema T Moore, Mohamed Williams, Nofistat Almaroof, Nicole Harrison, Melina Greene
Writer: Nofistat Almaroof
Key cast and crew: Mohamed Williams, Llogan Paige, Montana Monroe Jenkins
Genre: Drama, family
Project type: Narrative Short
Log Line: Left alone with his non-verbal daughter for the weekend, a father’s fears about her autism give way to joy when her song teaches him how to truly hear her.
Run time: 19:54
Language: English
Viz-Ability Highlight Screening (Approx 45:00)
The Lost Castle
Director: Alex Lynch
Key cast and crew: Alex Lynch
Project type: Student Film
Log Line: A writer is mysteriously called into the woods to find the remains of what was once a Kings castle.
Language: English
The Creature
Director: Sebastian DiGirolomo
Producer: Sebastian DiGirolomo
Writer: Sebastian DiGirolomo
Key cast and crew: Alex Mclaughlin, Ariel Nachman, Jack Hogan, James Fusco, Annika Martens, Eugene Romanchuk, Marc Cadou
Genre: Gothic Horror, Supernatural Horror, Psychological Horror
Project type: Narrative Feature
Log Line: A man encounters a creature that he doesn't know if it's real or not after the passing of his friend.
Language: English
Content warnings: Blood/gore
The Two Sides of Erin
Director: Ben Chovnick
Producer: Ben Chovnick
Writer: Ben Chovnick
Key cast and crew: Courtney Autera, Lily Boisvert, Paul Schiller, Tryston Bellon, Pamela Chovnick
Genre: Drama
Project type: Narrative Feature
Log Line: A girl is depressed after a break up and meets her inner self.
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: Five Towns College Luminaries 2024
Content warnings: Mental Health Issues
9/11: One Man’s Journey
Director: Joe Maddalone
Key cast and crew: Joe Maddalone
Genre: Documentary
Project type: Documentary short (Student Film)
Log Line: A paramedic offers a firsthand look at the hidden realities of 9/11.
Language: English
Someone’s in the House
Director: Joe Maddalone
Writer: Joe Maddalone
Key cast and crew: Avery Garcia, Ava Michele Hyl, George Cassella, Judy Bauerlein
Genre: Horror
Project type: Narrative Short (Student Film)
Log Line: When two sisters are left home alone, they must avoid a violent intruder who breaks in and intends to kidnap them
Language: English
Content warnings: Volence
Autistic Mode
Director: Bob Clark, Nix Busby, Charles Moss, Malcolm Thomas, Gabrielle Teaford
Producer: Bob Clark
Key cast and crew: Bob Clark, Nix Busby, Charles Moss, Malcolm Thomas, Gabrielle Teaford
Genre: Sci-Fi, Detective, Noir, Comedy, Musical, Personal, Autobio, Cyberpunk, Gaming, Fantasy
Project type: Animation
Log Line: "Autistic Mode" is an animated anthology film made of shorts created by Autistic animators to express their perspective on the Spectrum.
Language: English
Prestige Director’s Cut
Director: Benjamin Chovnick
Genre: Documentary
Project type: Documentary feature
Log Line: A documentary about a small town senior center and its members.
Language: English
The Art of Being Different
Director: Marlow Jean Paniccia
Producer: Marlow Jean Paniccia
Writer: Marlow Jean Paniccia
Key cast and crew: Marlow Jean Paniccia
Genre: Documentary
Project type: Student Film
Log Line: I am a 15 year old autistic girl with a story that needs to be heard. With no budget and no filmmaking experience, I grabbed my iphone to document my painful and humiliating experience in Jr High school that broke me into a million pieces. The Art of Being Different is my personal journey of being a teen on the spectrum forced to juggle unrealistic expectations, social isolation, autistic burnout and the messy reality of recovery without losing hope. I made this film not for the sake of 'cinema,' but to advocate for myself and others like me. And after my recovery I am back to challenge a school system that often feels like it was built to keep us on the outside looking in.
Run time: 7:48
Language: English
Episode II: Knowledge
Director: Vladimir Maruska
Writer: Vladimir Maruska
Key cast and crew: Vladimir Maruska, Sia Maruska, Ronan Jewett
Genre: Sci-Fi
Project type: Student Film
Log Line: Episode II follows the story of Lance and Vespa as they travel across the galaxy in search of the dark warrior who almost cost them their lives. Now, as the trail grows warm, they discover a relic from the past—one that simultaneously brings them together and pushes them apart. In the uncertainty, the dark warrior emerges once more—this time, with an interesting proposition.
Run time: 18:32
Language: English
Content warnings: Depictions of death.
In the Season Thereof
Director: Nadia Moosa
Producer: Ella Britz
Writer: Nadia Moosa
Key cast and crew: Leighton Hester, Sophia Maiorano, Scarlett Reilly
Genre: Thriller, Romance, Psychological Horror, Religious Horror
Project type: Student Film
Log Line: Thrown into a new town senior year, Mark has left Utah, the Church of Jesus Christ, and a two-parent household. He quickly falls for an adventurous girl, but as religious guilt and obsession consume him, he's left with nothing but a lingering citrus stench.
Run time: 15:00
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: Harvard Divinity School Film Fest: Official Selection, Imbolg: Women Who Terrify Film Festival: Best Student Film, Anchor TV and Film Society's Annual Student Film Festival: Most Original Short, Shorts and Stout Film Festival: Best Student Film
Upside Down on Long Island
Director: David Musolf
Producer: David Musolf
Writer: David Musolf
Key cast and crew: Malena Sadaka
Genre: Drama
Project type: Narrative Short
Log Line: Life unravels as a young woman makes a surprise visit to dad's beach condo with a new boyfriend.
Run time: 19:29
Language: English
West Landing
Director: Doug Gallo
Producer: Honora Campbell
Key cast and crew: Carolyn Bajzer, Iman Amini, Hrishikesh Vasishth, Finn Campbell, Iman Amini
Genre: Documentary, Mental Health, Long Island
Project type: Documentary Short
Log Line: As open-water swimmers gather every morning in Hampton Bays, their daily swims provide a sense of community, friendship, purpose, and joy.
Run time: 15:20
Language: English
Notes on a Page
Director: Jennifer A. Uihlein
Producer: Jennifer A. Uihlein
Key cast and crew: Jennifer A. Uihlein
Genre: Documentary
Project type: Documentary Short (Student Film)
Log Line: A middle-aged mother navigates life's challenges, coming to a powerful realization: the noise that told her she wasn't good enough was wrong, fueling her to find her voice - a testament to the human spirit and importance of self-belief.
Run time: 13:34
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: Norwood Film Festival, Accolade, Marina del Rey Film Festival
Fly Away [Music Video]
Director: Charlotte Avenue Productions
Producer: Chris St John
Writer: Chris St John
Key cast and crew: Charlotte Avenue Productions, Chris St John
Genre: Folk, Americana, Country
Project type: Music Video
Log Line: A father watches in wonder as his child grows up in the blink of an eye and steps boldly into the world, carrying his love and faith along the way.
Run time: 3:55
Language: English
Rising Tides Rising Voices
Director: Peter Judge
Producer: Peter Judge
Writer: Peter Judge
Key cast and crew: Melissa Parrott, Harrison Bench
Genre: Documentary
Project type: Documentary Short
Log Line: The film highlights how high school students learn to use political and advocacy tools to create change at the local and state levels to fight climate change. This 30-minute film follows the advocacy work of high school students in "Students for Climate Action", founded in Sayville, NY in 2017, to get the "Students for Solar Act" passed by the New York State Senate, Assembly and signed by the Governor. It showcases the ups and downs of fighting climate change and the hopes for change these dedicated students have.
Run time: 26:32
Language: English
Imaginary Friend
Director: Jason Sullivan
Producer: Jason Sullivan
Writer: Jason Sullivan
Key cast and crew: Jason Sullivan
Genre: Psychological
Project type: Narrative short, Student Film
Log Line: A girl with a lot of baggage, gets pursued by a crazed lunatic out to get her, except it's all in her head...
Run time: 11:54
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: FTC 15th Annual Luminaries: Audience Choice, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Directing, Best Narrative, 2025 LIIFE: North American Premiere
Content warnings: Alcohol, Depictions of death/suicide
Strawberry Milkshake
Director: Jillian Green
Producer: Jillian Green, Arianna Breyer
Writer: Calista Cardenas
Key cast and crew: Brea Weston, Pricilla Torres, Michaela Noel
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Project type: Student Film
Log Line: A workaholic & aspiring bakery owner struggles to find a date for her best friend’s wedding, leaving her to wonder which relationships matter most
Run time: 12:55
Language: English
Nocturne in Dissonance
Director: Laura Sessi-Knott
Producer: Laura Sessi-Knott, Aidan White, Jayla Spears
Writer: Laura Sessi-Knott
Key cast and crew: Kate Ruddy, Juvan Elisma
Genre: Romance, Drama
Project type: Student Film
Log Line: A couple's anniversary celebration takes a turn when a wine bottle spills, bringing unspoken questions to the surface.
Run time: 8:26
Language: English
Forget Me Not
Director: Isabella Laikin
Producer: Theodore Park
Writer: Isabella Laikin
Key cast and crew: Mike Tobin, Sam Owens, Alfred Pearson, Christine Mone, Christopher Grey
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Psychological, Mystery
Project type: Student Film
Log Line: A priest recovering from memory loss after an accident returns to hear confessions, only to recognize a voice that forces him to confront a buried sin from his past.
Run time: 9:12
Language: English
Content warnings: Sexual Assault
Behind the Mask
Director: Catherine Andre
Producer: Becca E. Davis
Writer: Catherine Andre
Key cast and crew: Della Saba, Kario Marcel, Jay Abdo
Genre: Drama, Fantasy
Project type: Student Cast
Log Line: After the death of a famous actor, his estranged daughter visits his home and discovers a magical THEATER MASK that whisks her back in time, to a majestic stage, where she comes face to face with him as a young man.
Run time: 15:00
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: Amazon Innovative Storytelling Award, AFI Fest, Santa Barbara International Film Festival: World Premiere Official Selection, FLICKERS Rhode Island International Film Festival: Semifinalist, SouthSide Film Festival: Official Selection, BlueCat Screenplay Competition: Semifinalist
Potato Heads
Director: Morgan Paige Hafke
Producer: Hannah Dorothy Yellen, Morgan Paige Hafke, Emily McAlpine
Writer: Morgan Paige Hafke
Key cast and crew: Jack Silver, Zoë Wojnicki
Genre: Romance, Dark Comedy, Romcom
Project type: Student Film
Log Line: Two lonely sociopaths discover their common affinity for murder and bond through bloodshed. Together, they learn that they are capable of more love than they ever thought.
Run time: 23:43
Language: English
Content warnings: Violence, Guns, Blood/gore
911: An American Requiem
Producer: Julie Broihier, Bill Zimmerman
Project Type: Documentary
Log Line: A documentary featuring firsthand stories from 9/11 responders that continue to shape our collective memory.
Run time: 01:32:43
Language: English
Content warnings: Sensitive subject material
Those Left Behind
Director: Jacob Campbell
Producer: Jacob Campbell
Writer: Jacob Campbell
Key cast and crew: Jacob Campbell, Jeanne Maurer, Jill Maurer-Campbell, Joseph Maurer, Steve Campbell, Abigail Dollries, Will Cox, Kevin Allen Caby, Wendi Litteral, Will Cox, Jessica Hinds, Avi Zev Weider, Heath Lanzillotti.
Genre: Documentary
Project type: Documentary, Short
Log Line: Using oral histories and home movies, a filmmaker explores his family's recovery from the loss of their wife, mother, and daughter in the 9/11 attacks.
Run time: 22:09
Language: English
We Want the Virus
Director: Paul Santoli
Producer: Joshua Libertine, Sterling L. Pope, Kevin Rios, Quan Logan.
Writer: Paul Santoli, Daniel Gualajara
Key cast and crew: Paul Santoli, Cody Schultz, Amy Lyndon, Elisabeth Montanaro, Sam Naismith.
Genre: Comedy
Project type: Feature
Log Line: After a blacked out night of drinking, two lifelong friends and struggling actors wake up and realize they raised 22 thousand dollars falsely claiming they had the Coronavirus, and now must go to extreme lengths in order to obtain the virus and collect their cash.
Run time: 01:21:37
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival, Winner Best Comedy and Peoples Choice. Regal L.A. Live, New York CineFest.
Stall Buddies
Director: Glenn McBride Jr
Producer: Glenn McBride Jr, Jimmy Kelly, Brannon Brass.
Writer: Glenn McBride Jr
Key cast and crew: Glenn McBride Jr, Brannon Brass, Elizabeth Brandon, Kyle Grant, Jenna Alise, Giovanni Lozada, Kevin Martin, Jennifer ELyse FeldMan, Vaughn Johnson, Cheron Bey, Cindy Brown, Sal Salanitri, Jimmy Kelly, Matthew Avery Thompson, Ryan Staton.
Genre: Comedy
Project type: Short, Web / New Media
Log Line: Two office workers become the best of friends, while sitting at opposite sides of the bathroom stalls.
Run time: 17:00
Language: English
Auditory Problems
Director: Lorin Davis
Producer: Lorin Davis, Eric Davis
Writer: Lorin Davis
Key cast and crew: Richelle Meiss, Meredith Morton, Rio Magdaleno, Kristi Clainos.
Genre: Comedy
Project type: Short
Log Line: Wrapper rage. Slurping fury. Tapping torture. Lisa’s nervous system is under assault. She wants to fight. She wants to flee. She’s got problems . . . auditory problems.
Run time: 10:55
Language: English
Curio
Director: Danielle Bainbridge
Producer: Hilary Giorgi
Writer: Danielle Bainbridge
Key cast and crew: Charence Higgins, Felicia Oduh, Brian Inocencio
Genre: Drama, Documentary
Project type: Documentary, Experimental, Short
Log Line: Curio is a short film that tells the story of Millie and Christine McKoy, two Black conjoined twins born into slavery in North Carolina in 1851. The McKoys spent the majority of their lives and careers as sideshow and freak show performers, first under slavery and later as free women. Curio unfolds in an episodic style that utilizes direct quotations from archival source material such as their autobiography, newspapers, and family reports to tell the story of where disability and slavery meet.
Run time: 14:12
Language: English
The Tea Cup
Director: ZhiMin Hu
Producer: ZhiMin Hu
Writer: ZhiMin Hu
Key cast and crew: Joyce Ji, Yu-Shan Lin, Faye Hu-Soucy
Genre: Family Drama
Project type: Narrative Short
Log Line: A teacup triggers MeiLi’s childhood memories and her bittersweet relationship with her father, who was both a victim of and an abuser within the cycle of family violence. How MeiLi confronts her past deeply influences her perspective on her past, present, and future.
Run time: 17:30
Language: English, Mandarin Chinese
Any screenings or awards: Yorkton Film Festival: Multicultural Award
A Bit of Everything and Matzo Balls Too
Director: Emily Lobsenz
Producer: Emily Lobsenz
Writer: Emily Lobsenz, Henry Tenney
Key cast and crew: Paul San Filippo, Katherine Castro, Emily Lobsenz, Rich Cutler, Natalia Bougadellis
Genre: Documentary
Project type: Documentary, Short
Log Line: From bubbes to Michelin-star chefs, composers to Holocaust survivors, Matzo Ball Soup is the protagonist of a perpetually evolving tale about cultural identity and human connection. Slipping between kitchens, hands mold and souls bare their making to craft humble ingredients into a ritual that sustains, unites, and empowers us through love, life, and loss.
Run time: 15:00
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: New York Jewish Film Festival, Sokcho International Food Film Festival, Santa Barbara Jewish Film Festival, Cleveland Film Festival, UK Jewish Film Festival, Lake County Film Festival, PHILADELPHIA Jewish Film Festival.
Thanks Babs!
Director: Jen Rainin, Rivkah Beth Medow
Producer: Jen Rainin, Rivkah Beth Medow
Key cast and crew: Clare Major, Zachary Fink
Genre: Comedy
Project type: Documentary, Short
Log Line: Meet Babs, an optimistic octogenarian speed racing through life, one five-year plan at a time.
Run time: 14:00
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: Frameline Film Festival, San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
When Memory Turns Into Sound
Director: Lemia Bodden
Producer: Lemia Bodden
Writer: Lemia Bodden
Key cast and crew: Geoff Yenson, David Dart, Brandy Troxler, Jason Joseffer, Seth Peterson, Yolonda Bodden, Brandy Troxler.
Genre: Documentary
Project type: Documentary
Log Line: WHEN MEMORY TURNS INTO SOUND highlights the creative works of two Luthiers (guitar makers), Dave and Geoff, and their Mentor/Mentee relationship that spans for 10 years. They work out of a beautiful workshop in the middle of Navarro, CA, close to the coast and Mendocino. Dave has been making string instruments since 1966 and has mentored and worked beside Geoff since 2014. As Geoff starts to break off and explore his own designs and craft, the future is uncertain for Dave's Legacy.
Run time: 7:34
Language: English
Erika: The Road Taken
Director: Heidi Hornbacher
Producer: Heidi Hornbacher
Writer: Heidi Hornbacher
Key cast and crew: Erika Bizzarri
Genre: Documentary
Project type: Documentary, Short
Log Line: Nearing 100 years old, an American expat in Italy reflects on the challenges she faced there as a young widow and what it means to age.
Run time: 7:32
Language: English, Italian
Affordable Housing
Director: Eunice Levis
Producer: Okema Moore
Writer: Wi-Moto Nyoka
Key cast and crew: Ianne Fields Stewart, Lyrica Okano, Kujo Ashanti, Bobby DeJesus.
Genre: Horror
Project type: Short
Log Line: A too-good-to-be-true apartment pairs pragmatic Constance with awkward Hailey—but as strange nightly events escalate, the roommates begin to question what they’ve really signed up for.
Run time: 16:00
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: Winter Film Festival NYC, Philadelphia Latino Arts & Film Festival
The Circle
Director: Heloise Chung
Producer: Jonathan Gonzalez
Writer: Heloise Chung
Key cast and crew: Aria Song, Keiko Carreiro, Tom Clancey
Genre: Drama
Project type: Short
Log Line: When Agnes is let go from her gallery, she receives a visit from her future self. Her message: forget art, get a real job. In a moment of desperation, she makes a choice, but is it the right one?
Run time: 5:23
Language: English
How to Build a Life
Director: Simbi Hall
Producer: Joseph Wilson
Writer: Indira Gibson Wilson
Key cast and crew: Glenn Childress, Marzell Martinear, Timmion Lichtenberg, Sherice Watson, James Bond, Tate Mack, Matt M. Gibson, James Robinson, Indira G. Wilson, Marsha Thompson, Cooper Barnes
Genre: Drama
Project type: Short, Television
Log Line: After a bitter divorce, an aspiring home improvement expert returns to her midwestern hometown, buys a hundred year old mansion and begins the journey to refurbish the house… and her life. But starting over ain’t easy, especially with an evil codependent mother looking to be cared for, a dating pool full of old boyfriends and a dream house that’s turning into a nightmare.
Run time: 30:00
Language: English
Ways to Fly
Director: Kirby Marshall-Collins
Producer: Efa Akutekha, Musau Onwubiko
Writer: Kirby Marshall-Collins
Key cast and crew: Briana Monet, Kyrie McAlpin, Fadhia Carmelle Marcelin, Zaire Davis, Ashley Chatman, Blake Smith
Genre: Family, Narrative, Youth
Project type: Short
Log Line: When her barrettes mess up her pirouettes, an excitable, hyper-focused Black girl must power through the distractions — and her mother’s expectations — to fly like the ballerinas do.
Run time: 14:55
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: Panavision New Filmmaker Program - Grant, Grant Recipient, Pan African Film Festival -World Premiere Official Selection, Oak Park Black Film Festival - Northern California Premiere
Official Selection, Black Harvest Film Festival - Official Selection, Cucalorus Film Festival - Official Selection, BAMKids Film Festival - New York Premiere, Black Film Space x CliveRD Proof of Concept Grant - Semifinalist, ScreenCraft Film Fund - Quarterfinalist, Believe Psychology Film Festival - Grand Prize - Best Short.
Tough Enough
Director: Laura Somers
Producer: v.c. rhone, Litefoot, Charley Flyte
Writer: Laura Somers
Key cast and crew: Steve Gainer, Litefoot, Lee Eden
Genre: Drama, Historical
Project type: Short
Log Line: In 1947 small-town Texas, societal norms are challenged when a determined teenage girl — with the support of her Cherokee coach — joins the high school football team. Based on a true event.
Run time: 15:35
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: 2024 ScreenCraft Screenplay Film Fund - Semifinalist, 2025 Roy W. Dean Short Film Grant - Finalist, LA Film Fest - Los Angeles Premiere/Official Selection.
Development
Director: Chloe Caudillo
Producer: Via Bia, Haskiri Velazquez, Sal Lopez, Alan Luna.
Writer: Chloe Caudillo
Key cast and crew: Haskiri Velazquez, Raquel McPeek Rodriguez, Leticia Castillo, Jeff Lorch, Sal Lopez.
Genre: Comedy Drama
Project type: Short
Log Line: Struggling to climb the corporate ladder, a Latina office worker finally lands a leadership training seminar, only to realize that to be successful, trainees must become clones of the "nepo baby" boss.
Run time: 10:13
Language: American Sign Language, English, Spanish
Any screenings or awards: Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival - Special Screening, New York Latino Film Festival - Official Selection, NewFilmmakers Los Angeles - Official Selection, Seattle Latino Film Festival - Pacific Northwest Premiere/Official Selection, Whistler Film Festical - Official Selection, Micheaux Film Festival - Official Selection, Phoenix Film Festival - Arizona Premiere/Official Selection, San Diego Latino Film Festival - San Diego Premiere/Official Selection, GRRL HAUS Cinema - Official Selection, Mírala Film Festival - Best Narrative Short.
A Paradox of Quantum Superposition
Director: Sandy Parker
Producer: Julie D. Holman, Kathryn J. Hatam, Miles Doleac, Sandy Parker.
Writer: Sandy Parker
Key cast and crew: Kate Adair, Robbie Marshall
Genre: Drama
Project type: Short
Log Line: When a woman realizes her cat is missing, it will take a dream of a memory of long-ago dreams to bring her into a better reality.
Run time: 7:49
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: Austin Micro Film Festival - Best Science Fiction Screenplay Award Winner.
The Departing Present
Director: Jade Anderson
Producer: Jade Andersoin
Writer: Jade Anderson
Key cast and crew: Anna Featherstone, Stephen Balsamo, Jasmine Wing, Kunpeng Lu, Kimberly Dallas, Joel Salguero, William Yang, Floral Yu, Madison Moskowitz, Angelique Dorcely, Amy Gaipa, Kate Levitt.
Genre: Drama, Romance, Coming Of Age
Project type: Short
Log Line: A young woman, haunted by the ghost of her late sister, meets a young man who changes her view on life.
Run time: 6:47
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: Stony Brook University Capstone Festival - World Premiere, Mastic Beach Mini Indie Film Festival - Official Student Screening Selection.
Debbie Walks Her Duck
Director: Nikki Braendlin
Producer: Melissa Balint
Writer: Nikki Braendlin
Key cast and crew: Jill Lover, Paloma Ronquillo, Sacha Smith.
Genre: Drama
Project type: Short
Log Line: Debbie walks to the nail salon, oblivious to the crises unfolding around her.
Run time: 6:45
Language: English
Lovebirds
Director: Maria Corso
Writer: Matt Hamilton
Key cast and crew: Janna Jalla, Vinny Carty.
Genre: Drama/Adventure
Project type: Short
Log Line: Betty and Ray, a wild couple on the run, live fast and love hard while staying one step ahead of the law. With their lives on the line and a clean getaway just out of reach, they attempt one more job — one which may cost them more than they can afford.
Run time: 4:11
Language: English
10:00 AM - Screening Block 3SECOND+ Filmmaker Q&A - Short Form Story Block
12:00 PM - Screening Block 4MAIN + Filmmaker Q&A - Student Feature / Short
12:00 PM - Screening Block 4SECOND+ Filmmaker Q&A - Deep Character Study
2:00 PM - Screening Block 5MAIN + Filmmaker Q&A - Underserved Voices - Child POV
2:00 PM - Screening Block 5SECOND + Filmmaker Q&A - Viz Ability and Student Films
4:00 PM - Screening Block 6MAIN + Filmmaker Q&A - Sayville & Long Island Locals
4:00 PM - Screening Block 6SECOND + Filmmaker Q&A - Student Films
7:00 PM - Screening Block 7MAIN + Filmmaker Q&A - 9/11 Memoriam Block
7:00 PM - Screening Block 7SECOND + Filmmaker Q&A - Comedy Block
9:30 PM - Screening Block 8MAIN + Filmmaker Q&A - Unique Stories
9:30 PM - Screening Block 8SECOND + Filmmaker Q&A - Avant-Garde & Mixed Shorts
11:30 PM - Screening Block 9MAIN + Filmmaker Q&A - No Sleep Friday Night
Slumber Still: Dawn of Shadows
Director: Patrick Sherrard
Writer: Patrick Sherrard
Key cast and crew: Michael Mingoia, Danielle Colette, Edis Delgado.
Genre: Horror
Project type: Feature
Log Line: In this Sleep Paralysis thriller, you will meet the Wilsons. In 1986, the Wilson family's very happiness and existence are threatened and rocked to the core when dark entities invade their home, minds and....dreams. The final slumber is just the beginning of the nightmare. Made by a small Long Island based production company. The independent film makers are born and bred Long Islanders. Movie completely shot on Long Island.
Run time: 01:28:32
Language: English
Frankslist
Director: Christine Celozzi
Producer: Ming Fen Congdon, Rose Michelle Knight, Alexa Frisch.
Writer: Christine Celozzi
Key cast and crew: Christine Celozzi, Alessandra Levy, Katie Notovny, Mitchell Slan, Rebecca Gomberg.
Genre: Horror/Satire
Project type: Short
Log Line: A simple interview spirals into a nightmare of bizarre encounters and escalating chaos. [absurdist satire]
Run time: 14:19
Language: English
The Shower
Director: Okema T Moore
Producer: Guneet K. Singh, Lawrence "Law" Watford, Okema T Moore.
Writer: Isabelle Pierre
Key cast and crew: Isabelle Pierre, Okema T. Moore.
Genre: Thriller, Drama
Project type: Short
Log Line: A woman’s grief turns a baby shower into a test of motherhood, worth, and survival…because the one and only guest may never get to leave.
Run time: 10:32
Language: English
Opting In
Director: Susan Dynner
Producer: Susan Dynner, Kira Leinonen, Shauna Grace.
Writer: Susan Dynner
Key cast and crew: Shauna Grace, Philip Lubin, Leonora Pitts.
Genre: Dark Comedy, Thriller, Romantic Comedy
Project type: Short
Log Line: Burned out on dating apps, a hopeful single woman gives romance one last shot, only to find her latest match might be perfect in all the wrong ways.
Run time: 13:45
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: D.C. Independent Film Festival - World Premiere; Official Selection, Cinequest Film Festival - West Coast Premiere Official Selection
Beautiful, Pam
Director: J.R. Stokes
Producer: J.R. Stokes, Tom Ciorciari, Peter Konsevitch, Sara Stabile.
Writer: J.R. Stokes
Key cast and crew: Tom Ciorciari, Bec Fordyce, Peter Konsevitch.
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Project type: Feature
Log Line: “This is Me”, A Queer sex-worker undergoes a crisis of identity, addiction, and depression amidst the week of their son's 18th birthday.
Run time: 01:03:35
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: B. Frank Film Festival, Big Apple Film Festival, Queens World Film Festival - Winner for Best Actor, Finalist for Best Feature, Finalist for Best Director, Winter Film Festival NYC - Best Picture Winner, Best Director Nominee, Las Cruces Film Festival, Off Hampton Film Festival, Open Gate Film Festival - Winner for Best Director, Winner for Audience Choice Award, Nominated for Best Ensemble, Nominated for Best Actor, Garden State Film Festival - Narrative Feature Winner, Best Actor Nominee, Best Supporting Actor Nominee, Best Supporting Actress Nominee, Long Island Cinema Festival - Best Director Winner, Best Screenplay Winner, Best Feature Nominee, Best Cinematography Nominee; Best Actor Nominee, Best Actress Nominee
A Comfort
Director: Jenny Curtis
Producer: Jenny Curtis
Writer: Jenny Curtis
Key cast and crew: Jenny Curtis, Georgiana Curtis, Leanna Tallmeister, John Beatty, Paul Cross, Chris Porter, C.J. Drumeller, Pierce Cooke.
Genre: Drama
Project type: Short
Log Line: Set in the not-so-distant future, against the backdrop of a militaristic authoritarian regime with the horrors of the outside world circling in. When a young girl is dropped off with her estranged aunt, they must find in each other what it means to feel safe.
Run time: 16:23
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: Lighthouse Film Festival - World Premiere
I don’t Know if I’ll Have to Say Everything Again (Eu não sei se vou ter que falar tudo de novo)
Director: Vitória Fallavena, Thassilo Weber
Producer: Alina Lyra
Writer: Vitória Fallavena, Thassilo Weber
Key cast and crew: Angela Rebello, Raphael Vianna, Rodrigo Graciosa, Bea Palma, Paulo Francisco Paes, Adonias Dantas, Clara Diegues.
Genre: Drama, LGBT
Project type: Short
Log Line: Fernando meets his mother weekly at a café. During their encounters, he always tells her that he is gay. Ana, who has Alzheimer's, has difficulties in remembering her son's sexuality; what we are left to question is whether she truly forgets or if she chooses not to remember.
Run time: 14:10
Language: Portuguese
Any screenings or awards: Bengaluru International Short Film Festival - Indian Premiere; Official Selection, Mill Valley Film Festival - Bay Area premiere; Official Selection, MiX Festival Internazionale di Cinema LGBTQ+ e Cultura Queer - European Premiere; Special Mention, Festival Rio LGBTQIA+ - World Premiere; Audience Award - Best Short Film,Festival de Cine de La Habana - Cuba Premiere; Official Selection, Melbourne Queer Film Festival - Australian Premiere; Official Selection, 32° Festival Mix Brasil de Cultura da Diversidade - Official Selection - Competition, Long Beach QFilm Festival - International Premiere; Official Selection, Tag! Queer Shorts Festival - Hispane/Latine Creativity Award, FanCineQueer | Festival Internacional de Cine LGBTI de Extremadura - Spanish Premiere; Official Selection, Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival - Official Selection, 6ª TRANSFORMA - Festival Internacional de Cinema da Diversidade de Santa Catarina - Official Selection, DIGO - 10° Festival Internacional de Cinema da diversidade sexual e de gênero de Goiás - Official Selection, Reel Out Charlotte - Official Selection, Festival MIX México - Cine, Diversidad Sexual y de Género - Mexican Premiere; Official Selection, Everybody's Perfect - Geneva International Queer Film Festival - Swiss Premiere; Official Selection, BEYOND: The Cary Film Festival - Official Selection, Ridgway Independent Film Fest - Official Selection, 22 OutfestPerú Film Festival LGBT+ - Peruvian Premiere, Milwaukee Illuminate Film Festival - Best of Fest Award, HIVE: International Short Film Days Berlin - German Premiere, Seattle Latino Film Festival - Official Selection, Endimaris Sitges LGTBIQ+ Film Festival - Official Selection, Festival de Cinema de Trancoso - Best Short Script, FilmPride - Brighton & Hove Pride LGBTQIA+ Film Festival - Official Selection, New York City Short Film Festival (NYC Shorts) - Best LGBT+ Film, Spokane International Film Festival - Golden SPIFF - Best Short
11:30 PM - Screening Block 9SECOND + Filmmaker Q&A - Midnight Vibe
12:00 PM - Screening Block 9ASECOND - REACH with Actor Garrett Clayton, Podcast recording (Scoop on the Stoop)
Reach
Director: Leif Rokesh
Producer: Maria Capp, Autumn Bailey, Charles Box, Grant Harling
Writer: Johnny James Fiore, Maria Capp, Grant Harling
Key cast and crew: Garrett Clayton, Corbin Bernsen, Johnny James Fiore, Joey Bragg, Jordan Doww
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Coming of Age
Project type: Narrative Feature
Log Line: A socially awkward teenager plans on killing himself, until Clarence, the new quirky kid in school, befriends him.
Run time: 01:32:00
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: Westfield International Film Festival 2019, Cinema at the Edge Independent Film Festival 2020: Best Actor - Garrett Clayton
Content warnings: Depression, Suicide, Gun Violence, Death, Drug/Alcohol Addiction, Bullying, Abuse, Homophobia, Strong Language
He/She/Us
Director: Susan Kelejian
Producer: Alice Manica, Devorah Cutler-Rubenstein
Writer: Susan Kelejian
Key cast and crew: Nicole da Silva, Emmett Preciado
Genre: Drama
Project type: Narrative Short
Log Line: When she meets him again for the first time in over a year and struggles with his physical transformation, he tries desperately to convince her that love is “deeper than pronouns.”
Run time: 18:54
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: New York Monthly Film Festival 2025, Paris Film Awards 2025: Gold Award, Florence, Film Awards 2025: Best Drama, New York Movie Awards 2025: Best Drama, Best First Time Director, London Movie Awards 2025: Best Indie Short Film, Eerie International Film Festival 2025: Best Film – Audience Choice, California Women’s Film Festival 2026, Golden State Film Festival 2026, WILDsound Festival 2026, Hawaii International Film Festival 2026, Film Endowment Festival 2026, Albuquerque Film Festival 2026: Everybody is Somebody Award, Cannes "Next Step" Film Festival 2026, InterCultural Voices Film Festival 2026
Content warnings: Transphobia
The Owls
Director: Taylor McNulty
Producer: Taylor McNulty
Key cast and crew: Jacquelyn Chin, Pearl Rhein
Genre: Uplifting Documentary
Project type: Documentary Short
Log Line: Each week, a group of Old Widowed Ladies, known as the OWLS, gathers for dinner, finding friendship, laughter, and a way forward through their shared grief.
Run time: 16:28
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: Jersey Shore Film Festival 2026: Best Short Documentary, Round the Globe Film and Music Festival 2026: Women's Issues Award, Citrus Circuit Film Festival 2026: Best Short Documentary, Centre Film Festival 2026, Short Sweet Film Festival 2026, Miami Beach Film Festival 2026
Content warnings: Mentions of Death
Marianne And The Rebels
Director: Pierre Guy
Producer: Brian Urbina
Writer: Elena D Clark, Pierre Guy
Key cast and crew: Anthony Robert Grasso, Joe Penczak, Elena D Clark
Genre: Comedy, History, Satire
Project type: Narrative Short
Log Line: In 19th-century Europe, an independent young woman, Marianne, finds herself caught in a love triangle with Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, forcing the self-proclaimed revolutionaries to confront the one thing their grand theories can't explain: matters of the heart.
Run time: 11:32
Language: English, French
Any screenings or awards: Washington DC International Cinema Festival 2025: Best Dark Comedy Short
Content warnings: Infidelity
Level One
Director: Roxy Shih
Producer: Cole Wede, Kelsey Nie, Evan Nie
Writer: Kelsey Nie
Key cast and crew: Toy Lei, Scott Rosendall
Genre: Sci-fi
Project type: Narrative Short
Log Line: A stripped down look at the claustrophobic experience of being trapped, not just in space but also in time.
Run time: 7:11
Language: English
Father Daughter Dance
Director: Gabrielle Fox
Producer: Theatre Revolution, Studio 129
Writer: Gabrielle Fox
Key cast and crew: Michael Patrick Sullivan, Pëtra Denison
Genre: Family Drama
Project type: Narrative Short
Log Line: After years of dancing around their differences, a daughter confronts her father about his "hunting" trip with the guys
Run time: 11:32
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: Peekskill Film Festival 2022, Chain NYC Film Festival 2022, Katonah Classic Stage Film Festival 2022: Audience Choice Award, Lady Filmmakers Film Festival 2022, Austin Revolution Film Featival 2023: Best Drama Short
Content warnings: Family Relationship Issues, Strong language, Politics, Mention of Animal Deaths, Mentions of Murder
Trouble
Director: Annetta Marion
Producer: Gabrielle Fox
Writer: Gabrielle Fox
Key cast and crew: Donna Vivino
Genre: Political Drama
Project type: Narrative Short
Log Line: A high school teacher is confronted by what trouble means and who gets to define it.
Run time: 8:11
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: Glass Ceiling Breakers 2026, Peekskill Film Festival 2026, Chain Film Festival 2026, Rhode Island International Film Festival 2026, MOM Film Festival 2026,
Content warnings: Strong Language
Rock Island Prison 1864
Director: Joy Shannon
Producer: Joy Shannon
Writer: Joy Shannon
Genre: History, Drama
Project type: Narrative Short
Log Line: A Black Union soldier guards his ex-master, a Confederate prisoner, who vows to re-enslave him.
Run time: 6:49
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: Queens Underground International Black History Film Festival 2025, The People's Film Festival 2025, The Virginia Black Film Festival 2025, 'Pulling Focus' African American Film Festival of the Quad Cities 2025, Chambana Film Festival 2025, The Los Angeles Underground Railroad Film Festival 2025, Emerging Lens Cultural Film Festival 2025, The Soul 4 Reel Film Festival 2025, Bill Johnson Black Film Festival 2025, Olive-Harvey College Criminal Justice Short Film Festival 2025, Las Vegas Black Film Festival 2025, The LA Independent Women Film Awards 2025, Brooklyn International Short Awards 2025, The IndieFEST Film Awards 2025: African American Theme Award, Los Angeles Film Awards 2025, Venice Shorts Film Festival 2025, Chicago FEEDBACK Film Festival 2025: Best Drama Short, Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival: Best Drama Short
Content warnings: Racism, Slavery, Abuse
Neverland
Director: Erik Wegner
Producer: Erik Wegner, Chris Victor, Kyle McCuiston
Writer: Erik Wegner
Key cast and crew: Lauren Alexandria Kittrell, John Varina, Daniel O'Shea
Genre: Drama, Romance
Project type: Narrative Feature
Log Line: Emma drifts between reality and fantasy as she fights to survive the pain of the life she cannot escape from, while relentlessly struggling to have the life she always dreamed of.
Run time: 01:22:00
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: World Premiere
Content warnings: Mental Illness, Strong Language, Infidelity
The Runner of Pamplona
Director: Steve Rahaman
Producer: Erik Wegner
Writer: Erik Wegner
Key cast and crew: Isa Feliu, Daniel O'Shea, Cathy Rocher
Genre: Drama
Project type: Narrative Short
Log Line: One Day...One Audition...One Last Chance...After a series of mistakes that kept Alba from her dream of becoming an actress, she now has one last chance to get everything she always wanted as she races through the city to reach an audition that could change everything.
Run time: 25:35
Language: English
Content warnings: Sick Parent, Strong Language
Ask the Blessing
Director: V.C. Rhone
Producer: V.C. Rhone, April Sharp
Writer: Rachel Barrett
Key cast and crew: Bryan Schany, Luke David Hamilton, Alina Harmann
Genre: Period Drama
Project type: Narrative Short
Log Line: During America's Victorian Era of 1901 a family struggles to pick up the pieces after the return of an estranged patriarch.
Run time: 10:20
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: Simi Film Fest 2025, Indie Film LA 2026
Content warnings: Absent Parent, Violence
Stakeout
Director: Micah Khan
Producer: Natalie Stavola, Francesco Cordaro, Katrina Kearns, Victoria Diana, Micah Khan
Writer: Victoria Diana, David Wappel
Key cast and crew: Seth Gilliam, Sonja O'Hara
Genre: Thriller, Horror, Crime
Project type: Narrative Short
Log Line: On a tense stakeout, two weary cops debate the value of their work—unaware that something sinister stalks the streets… and them.
Run time: 10:52
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: Smodcastle Horror Film Festival 2025, Lake Placid Film Festival 2025, Albany Film Festival 2026: Best Horror Film, Rung Film Festival 2026
Content warnings: Strong Language, Murder, Violence, Blood/Gore
The Three Phases Of Fern
Director: Bill Blaney
Producer: Bill Blaney
Writer: Bill Blaney
Key cast and crew: Tony DeRiso, Jon Howard, Richard Blaney, Michelle Cain
Genre: Drama, Coming of Age
Project type: Narrative Short
Log Line: A shy high school senior becomes involved in his town's drug subculture in 1980 Long Island.
Run time: 31:24
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: Long Island International Film Expo 2023: Best Short
Content warnings: Drug Use/Addiction, Violence, Strong Language
If Only You Were Free
Director: Gregory Cusumano
Producer: Gregory Cusumano, Danika Cusumano, Jeremy Maupin, Anthony Moore
Writer: Gregory Cusumano
Key cast and crew: Amy Pemberton, Jeremy Maupin, Harriett Weaver
Genre: Horror, Thriller, Drama, Romance
Project type: Narrative Short
Log Line: A surgeon straining under the pressure of his career and marriage, becomes imprisoned to the very thing he thought would set him free.
Run time: 24:00
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: FirstGlance Film Festival Philadelphia 2018, Horror Films in Hotlanta 2019, HollyShorts Monthly screenings 2019, 19th Kansas International Film Festival 2019, JellyFest - Season 4 2019Pasadena Horror Film Festival 2020: Audience Award
Content warnings: Sexual Themes, Death, Alcohol Use, Violence
1020
Director: Julie Goldstone
Producer: Annie Huang, Ally Maki, R.K. Russell, Rhea Damani
Writer: Nat Mauldin
Key cast and crew: Ally Maki, Alysia Reiner, Sarunas Jackson, Yuji Okumoto
Genre: comedy, drama
Project type: Narrative Short
Log Line: Max, a woman in her early thirties who has recently lost her mother, attempts to reconnect with her estranged father in a comedy about grief, longing, and magical thinking.
Run time: 19:19
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: LA Shorts International Film Festival 2026, HollyShorts Film Festival 2026
Content warnings: Strained Parental Relationships, Sickness, Death, Strong Language
We Got Ours
Director: Alycia Lynette Cooper
Producer: V.C. Rhone, Corey Grant
Writer: Alycia Lynette Cooper
Key cast and crew: Rell Battle, Dominique Witten, Luenell Campbell, Michael Colyar, Omar Gooding, Flame Monroe
Genre: Comedy
Project type: Narrative Short
Log Line: While backstage at a comedy show, three comics make a pact not to perform if the promoter doesn't pay all three of them what's owed before the show begins.
Run time: 12:38
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: BraveMaker Film Festival 2025, Diversity In Cannes 2025
Content warnings: Strong Language
Writing for Timothèe
Director: Dana Nachman
Producer: Chelsea Matter, Dana Nachman, Lesley Powers, Lilian Chiang
Writer: Dana Nachman, Lilian Chiang, Braden Kelly
Key cast and crew: Chelsea Zhang, Landon Moss, Ren Asher, Ryan Hotes
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Project type: Narrative Short
Log Line: A struggling film student with a secret identity as the anonymous author of a cult Timothée Chalamet fanfic races to erase all evidence when the actor himself is unexpectedly on his way to her apartment.
Run time: 12:00
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: Alliance of Women Directors Capstone Screening 2025, Cinequest Film Festival 2026
Content warnings: Strong Language
The Dads
Director: Luchina Fisher
Producer: Luchina Fisher, Stephen Chukumba
Key cast and crew: Dwyane Wade
Genre: Documentary
Project type: Feature Documentary
Log Line: A group of dads building a movement to support their trans and gender expansive kids are forced to make an impossible choice amid a shifting political landscape: stay and fight or flee the country.
Run time: 1:12:00
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: SXSW 2026, Florida Film Festival 2026, Milwaukee Film Festival 2026, NewFest Pride 2026 Cinema Q 2026 - Audience Choice, Best Feature Film, Newburyport Film Festival 2026, Sofia Pride Film Fest 2026, Thrive Youth Center 2026, Sea Cliff Film Festival 2026 California Film Institute Pride 2026, Bentonville Film Festival 2026, Sedona Film Festival Pride Screening 2026, Frameline Film Festival 2026, Alliance For Full Acceptance Community Screening 2026, The Dads Foundation Screening 2026, QFest St. Louis 2026, Pickford Film Center 2026, Zinegoak Bilbao Film Festival 2026, Eugene Friends Church Screening 2026, Bangkok LGBTIQ+ Film Festival 2026, Thailand Film Festival for Women’s Rights 2026, Maine International Film Festival 2026, Maine Tucson LGBTQ Education Foundation Film Festival 2026, Woodshole Film Festival 2026, Rainbow Connections 2026, Film Out San Diego 2026, Prairie Pride Film Festival 2026 Tucson Dads Meetup 2026, Morehouse College Human Rights Festival 2026
Content warnings: Transphobia, Homophobia
Find An Identity
Director: Maria Capp
Producer: Rubyll Banuelos, Maria Capp, Steve Capp
Writer: Maria Capp
Key cast and crew: Segun Oduolowu, Tim Hutchinson
Genre: Social Issue Documentary
Project type: Documentary
Log Line: This heartfelt documentary explores sexuality and adolescent identity formation in the face of bullying, mental illness, and self-doubt.
Run time: 39:00
Language: English
Content warnings: Bullying, Mental Health, Suicide
The Egg
Director: Nick Rampulla, Alex Lepping, Asher DeVerna, Owen Parrott
Producer: Nick Rampulla, Alex Lepping, Asher DeVerna, Owen Parrott
Writer: Nick Rampulla, Alex Lepping, Asher DeVerna, Owen Parrott
Key cast and crew: Nate Clancy, Louis Plastini, Taylor Mason, Leo Hill
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Crime
Project type: Web Series
Log Line: A college freshman, Jonas, takes advantage of a rumor, straining his relationships with his introverted roommate Charlie and his cousin Taylor, who is struggling to finish her senior play.
Run time: 2:16:13
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: Sayville Theatre Premiere July 2025
Content warnings: Strong Language, Crime
The Jewish Jail Lady and The Holy Thief
Director: Victor Velle
Producer: Barry Rosenthal
Writer: Nick Shanmans
Key cast and crew: Harriet Rossetto, Mark Borovitz
Genre: Documentary
Project type: Documentary Feature
Log Line: A documentary that explores the troubled pasts of Rabbi Mark Borovitz and Harriet Rossetto, leading to the creation of the Beit T’Shuvah, a unique global recovery center
Run time: 60:04
Language: English
Any screenings or awards: Boston Independent Film Awards 2022 CKF International Film Festival 2022, Los Angeles Reel Recovery Film Festival 2022, Miami Indie Film Awards 2022, Milan Gold Awards 2022, New York International Film Festival 2022, Santa Barbara Film Awards 2022, Vegas Movie Awards 2022, SoCal Film Awards 2022, New York Independent Cinema Awards 2022, LA Sun Film Fest 2022, Venice Shorts 2022
Content warnings: Alcoholism, Death, Strong Language, Sexual Themes, Absent Parent, Mental Health Issues, Infidelity
Unspoken
Director: Maciej Adamek
Producer: Jacek Kucharski
Writer: Maciej Adamek
Key cast and crew: Mateusz Skalski, Marcin Szymański
Genre: Documentary
Project type: Documentary Feature
Log Line: A portrait of 26-year-old Matthew - a young man who stutters and wants to realize his childhood dream. He wants to become a Polish champion in acrobatics.
Run time: 51:30
Language: Polish
Any screenings or awards: The Rhodope International Film Festival 2025, Lighthouse Lens Film Festival 2026: Best Feature Documentary, The Atlantis Awards 2026: Best Director & Best Documentary Feature, Puerto Aventuras International Film Festival 2026, Frozen River Film Festival 2026: Special Jury Award, Awesome International Film Festival: 2026
Content warnings: Death