2024 Featured Films
Alter
Alter is about a young person facing a realization about how they express themselves. When an anxiety-inducing accident brings forth a vision of who they could be, they are not sure if they can show the truth to their mother or if they must tidy up their thoughts and not let the imperfections be seen.
Dir. Ronnie Gilmore
Cure
Dir. Korey McElligott
Through love and imagination, a young girl and her mother learn how to hold on to hope.
Hummingbirds
Dir. Ricardo Bouyett
Dir. Francesca Brescia
Toñito and Carlito are forced to navigate Toñito's suicidal ideation after it's triggered by his estranged family inviting him to his brother's wedding. The two reflect on their families and wonder if they can stand the test of time in the absence of their loved ones.
Lovie Dovie
Marine life enthusiast Dovie St. James must come to terms with her sexuality when she is unexpectedly charmed by the new girl in her class.
Dir. Thomas Calvin Schultz
The Pencil
Sara, a struggling artist who discovers a unique pencil that can solve all her problems. But her dreams turn into a nightmare when a malevolent demonic creature from Kazakh legends gets unleashed.
Always & Forever
A whimsical story about two young girls who happen to meet in a vast world and develop a lifelong friendship with one another. Follow their journey as they go through the ups-and-downs of life.
Dir. Dorothy Teng
This experimental film aims to spark a broader conversation about the cultural forces that shape our understanding of who we are, and the ways in which we construct our own narratives of selfhood.
DIGITAL DAYDREAM
Dir. William Ojeda
I Can No Longer See
Dir. Raine Yung
A collection of films facing facets of self—revolting indulgence to sustain (Eat Me, 2021); oil and water of truth and artifice (EXERT, 2022); perpetuated objectification (Consume, 2021); an external tragedy self-imposed (I'm not ready, 2023); an attempt to wash it all away (Cope, 2021)—trauma dilutes one’s grasp of reality. *Audience Award Winner*
NARCISSUS
A woman gets stuck staring at her reflection and eventually gets sucked in.
Dir. Insidious Studios
A woman who—like everyone else at her gym—walks on the same treadmill every day is fascinated by a person with a unique workout routine. When that person switches treadmills and runs directly next to the woman, she begins questioning their destiny in her life and the monotony of her own routine. *Jurors Award Winner*
Dir. LeeAnne Lowry
The Treadmill Switcher
Why The Dogs and Wolves Fear Each Other
Dir. Sydni Wolpert
Told in its original language by narrator Mike Pace, this short highlights a story from the Lenape (Delaware) tribe of Native Americans.
Bosom
Dir. George Ellzey Jr.
When estranged sisters Jade & Amber attend their mother's funeral, long-held resentments and painful secrets come out into the open.
Dream Sequence is a music video for the band De Stijl (Ehmed Nauman and René Bedolla) from Chicago, USA. An inventor creates an anti-gravity machine that feeds on his dreams. People and objects become weightless in different locations throughout Chicago.
Dream Sequence
Dir. Glen Obear
I Found It
Dir. Charles Fox
Documenting my discovery of the powerful DIY Chicago music scene from moving to the city in 2018 to after the COVID-19 Pandemic. Exclusive footage of notable independent Chicago rock bands, hip hop artists, & more.
Other Dan’s Ex-Girlfriend
Dir. Bianca Caniglia
In this black-and-white, comedic love-letter to Chicago, Gracie locks herself out of the apartment she is cat-sitting for without her phone and without her shoes. Now she must journey across the cold city in her socks and navigate some strange encounters on the way to retrieving the spare key. *Jurors Award Winner*
Themme Fatale
Dir. Alyssa Rae Thomas
Two characters in a film noir struggle to determine who should be the detective and who should be the femme fatale.
WORKING DAYS
Dir. Jules Martinez
Sebastian, a daydreaming artist and aspiring magazine creator who has ambitions to explore every country in the world and document his travels.
During his maladaptive daydreaming, reality comes crashing down on him showing that he’s still in the same place as he was.
Cerecloth
Dir. Adamson Novak
When long-awaited rest is found amidst lonesome insomnia, our dreams visit us with those we wish to sleep beside again, unseen selves, the mourning dove, and birthday cake. *Audience Award Winner*
Dir. Sophie Chevako
How To Spot A Heterosexual
George Hughes (Kyle Dal Santo) informs the American public of the looming terrors of heterosexuality infiltrating our society. Through a series of examples, Hughes illustrates the best practices in How to Spot a Heterosexual.
I Said, No
Dir. Gabriella Wiltz
A young woman and her friends teach a man to respect her "no."
Sleepover
Dir. Kari Layland
When a game of Truth or Dare goes terribly wrong, four 6th graders' problem solving skills are put to the test.
We Want A
Dir. Michelle Joy Jardine
Four college besties and certified party girls get together for a celebration brunch. But when what they're celebrating unexpectedly changes (...maybe?), their bonds are tested like never before.
2023 Featured Films
Good Poetry - Dir. Charles Fox
Do you carry a poem in your pocket?
I Wish I Had Her Body - Dir. Alyssa Rae Thomas
Jealous of the pretty girl next door, Jade makes a wish. Much to her dismay, the universe takes it literally.
ritual / release / roses - Dir. Swan Scissors & Krista Bloom
A full moon ritual performed by two friends to release gender expectations and longings that were holding them back.
Boysenberry Night - Dir. Sophie Chevako & Shalyn Delhaes
On the opening night of “Romeo and Juliet,” our title stars begin to realize their gender envy for each other and while still in love, they clash, taking out insecurities on their partner.
Honeybun - Dir. Alex Tammaru
Two siblings meet up at a diner to talk about the recent news of their father.
Rebound - Dir. Moon Abbott
Through a series of homoerotic hallucinations brought on by a book, Gwen finds herself in a troublesome love triangle.