Waco Independent Film Festival 2025 – Picture Preview

2025 Waco Independent Film Festival Official Selections

OPENING NIGHT

A Christmas in New Hope

Director: Julia Barnett
Country: United States; Running Time: 94 minutes
An aspiring influencer and single mother of a girl living with Down syndrome enters a home improvement competition to save her bungalow before Christmas. Complications arise as she falls for her “Texas Famous” musician neighbor.

CLOSING NIGHT

The Ego Death of Queen Cecilia

Director: Chris Beier
Country: United States; Running Time: 86 minutes
A washed-up YouTube star blackmails an old rival in an attempt to reclaim her fame. But when things go awry, she finds herself ensnared by a drug trafficking ring. As Cecilia spirals out of control, she's forced to confront her true place in society.

ADDITIONAL NARRATIVE FEATURES

Peeping Todd

Director: Josh Munds
Country: United States, United States; Running Time: 88 minutes
When his peeping passions become compromised, Todd decides he’ll do whatever it takes to continue stalking his beloved Claire. An obsessive HOA fleet and a dense boyfriend are obstacles Todd must dance around if he wants to sing his way into Claire’s heart. As Claire gets wrapped up in the lies of her fiancé and the web of her stalker, she must escape the two most toxic relationships she’s ever faced.

The Strange Dark

Director: Chris Messineo
Country: United States; Running Time: 84 minutes
Edgar believes he can see the future, but his wife thinks he's mad, his daughter thinks he's strange, and the agents from double star accounting will stop at nothing to get their data back.

The Twin

Director: J.C. Doler
Country: United States; Running Time: 103 minutes
Following the death of his only son, a grieving father is haunted by a terrifying demon known in Irish folklore as the Fetch.

ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTARY FEATURES

Life Is Dance

Directors: Eirene Houston, Hugo Ernesto Rivalta Castro
Country: Cuba; Running Time: 80 minutes
Life is Dance follows the stories of six main protagonists, across 3 generations. Ordinary Cubans with one thing in common, their love of dance. Marta and Félix are nostalgic for the dance halls of old but still dance whenever they can. Damaris and Gusmel, are leaders of a small town dance group, it means everything to them to win the annual dance competition. Teenagers Lachy and Dayan would love to be professional dancers, if only they could just dance reggaeton and not have to learn the ‘old people’s dances.’

On Firm Ground

Director: Justin Jay Jones
Country: United States; Running Time: 70 minutes
In a race against time, two people battling Parkinson's Disease embark on a journey of hope as they undergo brain surgery to reclaim their lives. Meanwhile, fueled by personal loss, their devoted friend leads a determined charge to raise awareness for the disease in an inspiring fight for a cure.

The Pantone Guy

Director: Patrick Creadon
Country: United States; Running Time: 82 minutes
At 96 years old, Larry Herbert, known as “The Pantone Guy,” is a visionary whose revolutionary idea to standardize color remains largely unrecognized. Growing up in Depression-era Brooklyn, Larry entered the print and manufacturing trade during a time when color was a chaotic and subjective experience. He channeled his unique vision into creating the Pantone Matching System—a groundbreaking invention that established a universal language for color, profoundly enhancing artistic expression and commercial production across all industries.

Ultimate Citizens

Director: Francine Strickwerda
Country: United States; Running Time: 52 minutes
In Ultimate Citizens, Jamshid is an Iranian who came to study in 1970’s America, and due to the Revolution, never went “home.” As a guidance counselor in Seattle Public Schools, Jamshid’s best work takes place out of the building and on a playing field with “his kids,” the children of refugees and immigrants. Their parents are in the grips of their own struggles to make a living and a home in a strange land. Mr. Jamshid is the charismatic, fiery, funny human with a Frisbee in hand, who is the first to show that "love wins" on the field, off the field, at home with family, or boldly forging a new community, in a new country - one kid, chicken, extreme mile and friend at a time.

Where the Horses Heal the Soul

Director: Twila LaBar
Country: United States; Running Time: 92 minutes
Where the Horses Heal the Soul intricately weaves narratives of resilience and newfound purpose as participants at ROCK - Ride On Center for Kids connect with these majestic animals. Set in central Texas, this documentary captures the profound impact of Equine Assisted services, therapies, and activities on individuals' lives. The rhythmic motion of riding and the emotional bond with the therapy horses become catalysts for positive change. This inspiring journey unfolds as participants, including children, adults, and veterans, enhance their life skills, gain independence, and rediscover their purpose.

World Without Cows

Directors: Michelle Michael, Brandon Whitworth
Country: United States; Running Time: 85 minutes
World Without Cows is a documentary that challenges our perceptions of cattle and their role in our world. Two award-winning former journalists take you from the American heartland to Kenya, India, Brazil, and beyond, unraveling the intricate cultural, economic, and environmental threads that cows weave into our lives.

NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS

A Eulogy For The Beloved Carl Jenkins
Director: Brian Rawlins
Country: United States; Running Time: 7 minutes
A heartbroken woman encounters a conflicted contract killer who holds her at gunpoint until she offers a satisfactory prayer for the man he just murdered.

A Time Before

Director: Leo Metcalf
Country: United Kingdom; Running Time: 13 minutes
Trapped between waking life and dreams, Olly delves into his childhood memories, navigating the fantastical dream worlds his sister created to shield them from family strife. A journey into the buried past that shapes who we are.

A Woman Is Many Things (Just Fine Isn't One of Them)

Director: Chase Musslewhite
Country: United States; Running Time: 17 minutes
Jeanie has found herself in her early 40s, divorced, and in attendance of her ex-husband's engagement party. Set amidst a perfect party storm of pitying former friends and a new, gracious bride-to-be, Jeanie does her best to keep her sanity.

Allergic To Love

Director: Steven Cornfield
Country: United States; Running Time: 11 minutes
Calvin wants nothing more than to fall in love. However, the one major obstacle standing in his way is his severe allergy to love.

An Olive Branch

Directors: Sam Nutt, Shafiq Olabi
Countries: Jordan/UK/Ireland; Running Time: 19 minutes
In Amman, a Syrian refugee family faces hardship when the father falls ill. Eighteen-year-old Amal embarks on a desperate search for work, navigating the harsh realities of survival, hope, and resilience amidst an uncertain future.

The Apocalypse of Johnny Dupree

Director: Don Vanderslice
Country: United States; Running Time: 9 minutes
Johnny's tumultuous relationship with his mother began as the doctor's knife cleaved the umbilical cord - a cut that severed their fragile bond. When Johnny mysteriously vanishes, his mother's frantic search leads to a brutal discovery that reveals their ancestral terror.

Ashes to Dust

Director: Clark Lealand Childers
Country: United States; Running Time: 15 minutes
Estranged siblings Elizabeth and Danny reunite in their childhood home after the death of their eccentric mother. Without a will or any instructions, old wounds are quickly reopened and disagreements abound. A Ouija board may be the only way for “Mom” to provide the guidance they both desperately seek.

Audio Description

Director: Luke J. Salewski
Country: United States; Running Time: 5 minutes
After making a wish on his birthday, a lonely visually impaired man finds his world turned upside down by an unexpected encounter. This film was co-produced by and starring Lee Pugsley who is visually impaired.

Baby Tooth

Director: Olivia Accardo
Country: United States; Running Time: 6 minutes
A young woman puts out an advertisement for two things: to sell her Grandad's boat, and for someone to pull out her baby tooth. When a man turns up interested in the boat she partakes in some gentle flirtations in order to sell the boat, and when propositioned she offers a discount if he'd yank her tooth out. Weirded out the man hollers and flips her off and disappears. Back in her seat someone else appears, and this time they're here for the tooth.

Back To The Closet

Director: Gerald B. Fillmore
Country: Spain; Running Time: 10 minutes
After ten years living together, Sebastian is going to confess the truth to Lucia about his sexual orientation. Sebastian is a victim of social pressure and he has been leading a double life but now the time has come to confess Lucia that he is heterosexual. it's time to get out of the closet, I mean, back to the closet.

Bad Girl

Director: Vance Sparks
Country: United States; Running Time: 2 minutes
Two uncool gen-xers meet up with their hot young 'connect' for an unexpected transaction.

Banjo

Director: Cameron Poletti
Country: United States; Running Time: 15 minutes
Isaac is thrilled when his friend offers him the use of his family's cabin in the woods to lose his virginity. But when his first time goes horribly wrong, he begins to believe it may be the work of a sinister circumcision cult!

Basil King

Director: Daryl Della
Country: United States; Running Time: 22 minutes
A late night business meeting results in the brutal murder of a pizzeria owner, forcing three overzealous gangster wannabes to dispose of the body. They are about to come to terms with their lack of expertise when one wrong move thrusts all three of them into a grave too deep to climb out.

Belly Belly

Director: Gabriel Carnick
Country: United States; Running Time: 12 minutes
As two body-obsessed queer femmes begin to relax the brutal control they exert over their urges, romantic appetites are derailed by deeper cravings. Are you hungry, sweetheart?

Best Friends

Director: David Michael Wolfe
Country: United States; Running Time: 3 minutes
When a dog gets adopted at the dog pound, he has to think fast to stay with his best friend, who is being left behind.

Billi il Cowboy

Director: Fede Gianni
Country: Italy; Running Time: 15 minutes
It is the late 1960s, and in the Roman countryside, next to the construction sites of the burgeoning working-class suburbs, dozens of western films were being shot. Billi is twelve-years-old; she rides horses and dreams of being a cowboy. When a casting agent shows up looking for young extras to do some stunt work, Billi knows this is her big chance. Her family, however, thinks otherwise.

Bloody Tears

Director: Andy Racoti
Country: United States; Running Time: 13 minutes
With the aid of a mysterious stranger, a widower journeys across a fantastical land to avenge his wife's death.

Box Boy

Director: Kelsey Edwards
Country: United States; Running Time: 12 minutes
A boy raised in a rigid, beige society where boxes define life meets a colorful girl who changes the way he views the world.

The Bride's Curse

Directors: Alex Kavutskiy, Jerzy Rose
Country: United States; Running Time: 20 minutes
A little Russian fable about lies and marriage.

Burn Out

Director: Russell Goldman
Country: United States; Running Time: 13 minutes
An assistant will do anything to get a presentation in front of his boss... even set himself on fire.

But I'm a Shoe

Director: Chen Drachman
Country: United States; Running Time: 12 minutes
This is the story of a woman who wanted to fly comfortably, so she used a new service called "Objectified Travel" just to be reminded that the grass isn't always greener.

Cafunè

Directors: Carlos F. De Vigo, Lorena Ares
Country: Spain; Running Time: 8 minutes
Alma, a solitary refugee child, is thrust back into her traumatic past when her doll falls into the swimming pool, mirroring the shipwreck of the refugee boat where she was the lone survivor. Luna, her savior, steps in to help her overcome her trauma and rebuild her life.

Carmen And The Wooden Spoon

Director: Carlos Gómez-Mira Sagrado
Country: Spain; Running Time: 20 minutes
Carmen's a 7 year old girl raised by her italian Nonna. Her greatest gift to Carmen is a magic spoon which, thanks to a centuries-old spell, when savoring new dishes she can travel back to her memories and relive the anecdotes and adventures of her grandmother's life and above all, learn vital lessons that will help her in her own life.

The Carrot

Director: Joakim Benum
Country: United Kingdom; Running Time: 15 minutes
A man travels back to his smalltown home to tell his parents about the disturbing discovery he made in his brothers freezer.

Casual Vignettes of Gilded Vulgarity

Director: Paul Kaiser
Country: United States; Running Time: 12 minutes
Casual Vignettes of Gilded Vulgarity is an allegorical account told through a series of vignettes that connect the origin of American systemic and structural racism to its contemporary manifestations. The film's 12 characters are flawed archetypes found within English aristocracy and classism that carried over to form our American foundations

Cheol

Director: Yeajoon Cho
Country: United States; Running Time: 18 minutes
A Korean son returns to his estranged father's home bearing news that he'll be conscripting the way he thinks his father would've wanted - only for him to discover his father's objection and late stage leukemia.

Chivalry

Director: Charlotte Yang
Country: United Kingdom; Running Time: 14 minutes
How bad can one night get? After a mediocre date goes awry, a young woman's night spirals out of control as she confronts ever increasing absurd situations. After a man steals her purse on a first date, Ava, a young woman living in London, experiences a night like no other. Over the course of one evening Ava traverses the city confronting a series of absurd and crazy events. Spurred on by audacious and insane decisions made by others, she must re-evaluate her relationship with herself and others while navigating how to end her night.

Ciao Bella

Director: Mathilde Norholt
Country: Denmark; Running Time: 11 minutes
On the morning of her 15th birthday, Bella tries to hide the evidence of her nightly adventures and new found womanhood for her protective father.

Cockroach

Director: Heather Older
Country: United States; Running Time: 9 minutes
Juliette tries to survive a recent breakup with her longtime girlfriend by chronically masturbating and trying to convince herself to start dating men. Cockroach is a fever dream on the extreme feelings after a breakup. We spend a long day with Juliette as she navigates what would have been the two-year anniversary with her girlfriend. She tries to convince herself she can be attracted to men but instead can't look past objectifying them. Her delirium is finally relieved by an unexpected stranger. Like cockroaches, love always finds a way to survive against the odds.

The Companions

Director: José María Flores
Country: Spain; Running Time: 12 minutes
A young couple walks down the street, they have left the children at home and are going out to dinner. A crowd gathers around something.

Consequences

Director: William F. Reed
Country: United States; Running Time: 7 minutes
After horse thieves make off with a local herd, US deputy marshals Sam Jones and Juan Alexander set off to get them back. But it is soon discovered not all is as it seems.

Counterfeit

Director: Addison Ross Cendejas
Country: United States; Running Time: 11 minutes
A woman is given only five minutes to convince a young girl to testify against her trafficker.

Daddy War Bucks

Director: Jake Abraham
Country: United States; Running Time: 20 minutes
In a post World War 2 Louisiana, a polish veteran is set up by his boss to scheme an old man out of his home. As the situation quickly spins out of control, the con reveals itself to be something more sinister.

Death's Crisis

Director: E'an Verdugo
Country: United States; Running Time: 12 minutes
A grief stricken pastor gives his last sermon on how Death will one day die. Unbeknownst to him, The Grim Reaper is in the audience hearing this information for the very first time.

Decksdark

Director: Kane Wilson
Country: United Kingdom; Running Time: 16 minutes
In a dystopian realm where consciousness is encased within neural implants, Logan, a solitary Decksdark, finds himself intertwined with an ethereal entity.

Drought
Director: Zoë Marie Brown
Country: United States; Running Time: 6 minutes
One raindrop embarks on a journey to save the drought on earth.

El cacharrico
Director: Oscar Toribio Carbayo
Country: Spain; Running Time: 12 minutes
Angustias is an elderly widow who lives a sad and dull life because she misses her late husband. One day she receives a mysterious package and when she opens it he finds inside a strange object that she has never seen. With the help of her friends, she will try to find out what "el cacharrico" is for.

The Elephants
Director: Antonio Maria Castaldo
Country: Italy; Running Time: 13 minutes
On a cold and dark night along a country road, a vehicle veers off the road and plunges into a ravine. Rescuers must act promptly to save Andrea, the driver, who is trapped inside the car. During the rescue, the personal challenges of Carlo and Luca, two team members, come to light. Carlo, experienced and composed, must manage the pressure of the rescue and help Luca, a firefighter going through a tough time in his life, to overcome his fears. As time passes and the operation becomes increasingly complex, touching details of Andrea's life emerge, leading the rescuers to reflect on the need for a human and empathetic approach to unlock the situation.

Elvira
Director: Sarah Segal-Lazar
Country: Canada; Running Time: 10 minutes
In a sleepy seaside community, where secrets simmer beneath the surface, a woman obsessed with mystery novels becomes convinced that her chicken can solve crimes. But when her prized poulet suddenly goes missing, whispers of fowl play begin to spread.

Emma's Social Battery
Directors: Jannet Lopez, Carlos Jimenez
Country: United States; Running Time: 15 minutes
Introvert Emma pushes her weak social battery to the limit when she invites new friends to her house.

Endzgiving
Director: Tina Carbone
Country: United States; Running Time: 11 minutes
This is gonna be Will's last Friendsgiving.

Fast
Director: Clayton Henderson
Country: United States; Running Time: 14 minutes
Overweight Jake begins to lose his sanity after being put on an extended fast by his intense personal trainer

Flightpaths
Running Time: 6 minutes
When their father, an intrepid explorer of the cosmos, passes away, his two sons find themselves scattered across different corners of the galaxy, each continuing the legacy of space exploration he instilled in them. One day, on separate planets, both sons witness a rare celestial phenomenon - a mysterious event that sparks vivid memories of their father and the lessons he taught them. As they gaze at the same cosmic wonder from afar, they are reminded of his passion, wisdom, and the unspoken bond they shared with him. In a moment of quiet reflection, the brothers reconnect through the shared experience of their father's memory, drawing strength from his influence as they chart their own paths in the vast, uncharted space.

The First
Director: Susan Ruth
Country: United States; Running Time: 15 minutes
Michael Phillips is now a man. At least that's what his father has informed him on the day of Michael's fourteenth birthday. The year is 1928, and the fidgety, unsure boy waits his turn to experience a family tradition that has been a rite-of-passage in his family for generations. As the night progresses, his anticipation is met with terror, as he navigates expectations and a millennia of wrongdoing.

For Pete's Sake
Director: Gerald B. Fillmore
Country: Spain; Running Time: 12 minutes
Jim is going insane, he has been in the hospital forever. When the doctor finally arrives with his tests, the results are unexpected. A matter of laugh or death.

George
Directors: Aaron Craig, Alex Craig
Country: United States; Running Time: 16 minutes
George works at a crematorium by day and loves baking by night. His two passions soon overlap a little too much.

German Ridge
Director: Sam Sulam
Country: United States; Running Time: 11 minutes
In the heart of the South Carolina wilderness, Ed, a weary game warden and military veteran, embarks on a routine patrol at German Ridge. What begins as a simple task turns harrowing when he stumbles upon an abandoned meth lab and the body of a young teenager. This discovery triggers a haunting PTSD episode, as Ed envisions his own son in place of the corpse. Battling waves of panic and despair, he grapples with the isolating nature of his trauma. Returning home, Ed struggles to fulfill his roles as a father and husband, finding solace in the unwavering support of his wife, Morgan. The film delves into the profound question: Can someone truly suffer alone?

The Ghost
Director: Allyson Morgan
Country: United States; Running Time: 11 minutes
A woman is ghosted by the man she's dating ...and then the haunting begins.

Grand Romantic Gestures
Director: Marissa Falsone
Country: United States; Running Time: 13 minutes
On the night of their one year anniversary Joe proposes to his girlfriend, Katie, under unusual circumstances. Caught off guard, she must decide if he is really the only man in the world for her.

Guardian Angel
Director: Charles Olsen
Country: Australia; Running Time: 10 minutes
A young doctor gets in over her head moonlighting as the backyard bullet wound surgeon for a crime gang.

Healing Hands
Director: Jordan Ochel
Country: United States; Running Time: 15 minutes
A deaf boy longing for acceptance finds himself in a situation that will change his understanding of what it means to be "complete."

Heavy is the Head
Director: Chap Edmonson
Country: United States; Running Time: 10 minutes
Heavy is the Head is a short experimental film that navigates the journey of a black boy coming of age in America. The story is an exploration of identity and the expectations that weigh on a boy learning to navigate a world that often sees him before he truly sees himself.

Hema
Director: Ritvik Dhavale
Country: United States; Running Time: 17 minutes
Having recently arrived in America with her husband and son, Hema finds herself culturally displaced and must redefine her identity as a dependent mother. An encounter with a young Marathi man threatens to upend her already fragile existence.

His Mother
Director: Maia Jo Scalia
Country: United States; Running Time: 14 minutes
Upon receiving a disturbing email from her son, a mother drives frantically to his school hoping to avert the unimaginable.

Hodge-Podge
Director: Max Scherr
Country: United States; Running Time: 13 minutes
A delivery driver discovers a man trying to kill himself. He saves him once, then again and again as his suicide attempts get more desperate.

Homework
Director: Nacho Arjona
Country: Spain; Running Time: 15 minutes
Homework is a 3D animated short film that follows the imaginative adventures of a pencil and its friends, using their unique abilities to help each other in unexpected situations, inside of the school where all of them live.

How to Be High All the Time
Director: Colette Robicheaux
Country: United States; Running Time: 11 minutes
A college student attempts to return her overdue library books and is forced to face reality in the process.

I am Not the Voice in my Head
Director: Derek Fleming
Country: United States; Running Time: 7 minutes
In this psychological thriller, a guilt ridden man awakens in a surreal environment where he faces the part of himself that wants to take the easy way out.

in the Event of
Director: Natalie Lynch
Country: United States; Running Time: 7 minutes
May we please have your attention for a short but important safety video that could just save your life, as planes are falling out of the sky all the time right now.

Into the Reds Tale
Director: Alisdair Zhang
Country: United States; Running Time: 4 minutes
An abomination mimic creature enters the story of 'Little Red Riding Hood' and disguises itself as her, tricking the Big Bad Wolf into walking into a trap

Kitty Bravo in Freefall Failure
Director: Narrative
Country: United States; Running Time: 1 minutes
This animated short film is an action-packed rollercoaster featuring daredevil cat Kitty Bravo!

Lab Rats
Director: Stimson Snead
Country: United States; Running Time: 19 minutes
A man finds himself in cage, like a lab rat. The most recent abductee of a prolonged alien invasion. There he joins a woman, a day-one abductee, long consigned to the mind altering drugs given to her by their alien overlords. Together, they must decide whether or not to succumb to being pets or face the absurd horror of their reality and find a way to escape the lab.

Lequando
Directors: Roxanne Rapp, Eric James Gravolin
Country: United Kingdom; Running Time: 13 minutes
A seemingly perfect first date is interrupted by a couple's dating app that has doubts about anything but less than 100% compatibility.

MascLooking
Director: Jonathan Brandon Hammond
Country: United States; Running Time: 9 minutes
After two friends banter over the pros and cons of using Grindr, one is left chatting with a mysterious stranger. And he's getting closer...

Mr. Mittens
Director: Glenn Maxwell
Country: United States; Running Time: 10 minutes
Mr. Mittens lived with a loving family until one day they decided to neuter him, leaving him with no choice but to get revenge on every person involved in the removal of his testicles.

Neches
Director: Katy McCarthy
Country: United States; Running Time: 9 minutes
In Neches we join an older woman who experiences a quiet telepathy with the Neches River. She is our guide, although she can't promise us answers. The river offers us the woman's memories, as she recalls being a young girl warmly introduced to the spirit of the landscape by her mother.

Nunnery, Probably
Director: Sam Black
Country: United States; Running Time: 8 minutes
After a few successful dates, a couple's future is tested by the revelation that one of them plans to join a nunnery...probably.

The Ohio, Texas Remix
Director: Ya'Ke Smith
Country: United States; Running Time: 15 minutes
A woman travels from Ohio to Texas to kidnap her son from her estranged ex-husband. Based on a true story.

Obit
Director: Ben Tedesco
Country: United States; Running Time: 23 minutes
An introverted, lonely, obituary writer deals with mortality in her own way, while navigating her own unfulfilled life.

On Air
Director: Colby Barrios
Country: United States; Running Time: 3 minutes
In the late 1960s, a retiring news anchor is brought back to broadcast one last time.

Out of Reach
Director: Cosmo Rudd
Country: United States; Running Time: 5 minutes
When two best friends who both have disabilities are left alone, they discover a major difference in their personalities.

Pace
Director: Beck Williams
Country: United States; Running Time: 15 minutes
Struggling with dysphoria, a boxer wrestles with the decision to transition at the potential cost of their marriage. When another boxer who shares their identity enters the gym, the two find solace in training together while navigating their own challenging journeys.

Palmdale
Director: Lauren Moreno
Country: United States; Running Time: 21 minutes
A teenage girl chooses to take matters into her own hands as an eviction looms over her family's trailer. Set in the overlooked beauty of Palmdale, California, the film explores the unmatched bond of a brother & sister looking to maintain innocence in a harsh world.

People Walk Dogs Late at Night in the Suburbs
Director: Drake Wootton
Country: United States; Running Time: 24 minutes
A married high school teacher attempts to keep his life together after having an affair with his student. As the film builds in intensity, we follow two parallel stories: (1.) The teacher as he desperately clings to his unraveling world, fearful his student will disclose his transgression, and (2.) the pregnant wife, as she hires and forms a connection with the class clown from her husband's class.

The Picnic
Director: Cory DeMeyers
Country: United States; Running Time: 2 minutes
A sunny picnic, a casual question, and a little too much confidence - what starts as a charming first date quickly takes an unexpected turn in this fast-paced comedy about instincts, miscommunication, and the fine line between flirting and fighting.

Pocha
Director: Anna Lisa Padilla
Country: United States; Running Time: 13 minutes
A young woman struggles to learn Spanish in order to reconnect with her immigrant grandfather, but when life gets in the way, she learns that love transcends language.

Resaca
Director: Joe Borg
Country: United Kingdom; Running Time: 11 minutes
When a severely hungover man finds himself on areluctant walk with a new neighbor, the pair must overcome a language barrier to find common ground and a much-needed support system.

Ripper Was Here
Director: Joel Kazuo Knoernschild
Country: United States; Running Time: 19 minutes
Based on the true story of Lt. RJ Rippenkroeger, the first man in space. In 1961, recently declassified documents reveal American Astronaut Lt. RJ Rippenkroeger beat the Cosmonauts into space by 71 days. Unfortunately, catastrophic events and a government cover-up sealed Rippenkroeger's mission forever from the history books, until now.

Romchyk
Director: Alexis Bicât
Country: United Kingdom; Running Time: 12 minutes
Following a deadly missile attack, Romchyk's life is shattered forever. Despite severe burns and wearing a medical mask, he pursues his dream of ballroom dancing, embodying resilience, hope, and the enduring human spirit amidst tragedy.

Room Service
Director: Nieves Garcia Perchin
Country: United States; Running Time: 18 minutes
Victoria battles vivid intrusive thoughts as she comes off her antidepressants so when disturbing events begin to occur during her engagement celebration in a luxurious hotel, she can't tell if the danger is real or if it's all in her head.

Sender Unknown
Director: Lauren Coggiola
Country: United States; Running Time: 11 minutes
In the vibrant heart of Los Angeles, Grace, a young woman with a seemingly perfect life, begins to receive mysterious packages each Saturday, each one more bizarre than the last. These unexpected deliveries disrupt her routine and unearth hidden anxieties, leading her down a dark path of self-discovery. As Grace grapples with the chaos in her life, her mental state spirals, pushing her to confront her inner demons. The climax of her unraveling occurs when the final package arrives - an unmarked box containing a gun. Faced with a life-altering decision, Grace must choose between succumbing to despair or embracing the unknown to reclaim her identity.

Shitty Therapy
Director: Javier Polo
Country: Spain; Running Time: 10 minutes
In 2012, two biology students created fecomagnetism, a parody of pseudotherapies that claimed to cure all kinds of diseases by mixing poop with magnets. All they wanted was a funny review, but shit gets out of hand. How long would it take for people to realize that it was all fake?

SilverSizzle
Director: Brian Russell
Country: United States; Running Time: 14 minutes
Two widowers enlist the aid of a cemetery caretaker to find new love among widows visiting their departed spouses. Widower Buddy has some experience being alone when he meets Jamie while visiting the graveside of his recently departed wife. Engulfed in loneliness, Jamie gets pulled into life in all its messiness when Buddy tells him about getting old, "the options are not kind. Loneliness, irrelevance, invisibility."

Something Blue
Director: Samantha Nisenboim
Country: United States; Running Time: 10 minutes
A bride, struggling with cold feet, finds herself at a crossroads moments before the ceremony.

Speechless
Director: Melissa Bronski
Country: United States; Running Time: 11 minutes
Two friends navigate grief while learning how to communicate in their new normal.

Sunny Afternoon
Director: John Field Brown
Country: United States; Running Time: 12 minutes
In this suspenseful and twisted crime/thriller, a young mobster faces a life-altering confrontation with his menacing associate in a New York City jazz club when a seemingly routine payday meeting takes an unexpected turn.

Sunscreen
Director: Edna Luise Biesold
Country: United States; Running Time: 11 minutes
When Shelby and Mason get to the beach, they realize that neither of them brought sunscreen. Mason takes the blame, but when the bottle resurfaces at an inopportune moment, it turns out he did nothing wrong. - This cautionary tale observes how accountability is handled in a crumbling relationship.

Supercritical
Director: John Osment
Country: United States; Running Time: 7 minutes
In a post-apocalyptic nuclear fallout shelter, a young scientist bothers their team leader with a series of progressively inane HR requests.

Tandem
Director: Katarzyna Lewek
Country: Poland; Running Time: 6 minutes
Antek lives like he's in a cage. A red couch, two mice, and a walkman are the whole world for a person who will probably never walk again. But one day, an unexpected visit recalls his old passion, when his friend pulls him outside to try riding tandem.

That Fateful Picnic
Director: Alexa Loftus
Country: United States; Running Time: 3 minutes
For some reason, Paul gets invited to the picnic, and sure enough, the picnic gets weird.

Therapist Crush
Director: MJ Kaufman
Country: United States; Running Time: 7 minutes
Soul-searching transmasculine Frankie has a crush on his hot, new therapist, until one day things get too real.

The Time Capsule
Director: Michael Charron
Country: United States; Running Time: 6 minutes
Four childhood friends reunite to dig up a time capsule after 30 years... and encounter some unexpected visitors.

To Write The Ending
Director: Shaler Keenum
Country: United States; Running Time: 16 minutes
When a street poet finds a typewriter that allows him to write the future, he uses it to try and find love.

Toots.
Director: Chris Alan Evans
Country: United States; Running Time: 12 minutes
When his aging mother's health declines due to Parkinson's, a devoted son grapples with the challenges of becoming her caregiver.

Trivia is Illegal: 2045
Director: Gabe Lipton, Davin Fitch
Country: United States; Running Time: 8 minutes
In the year 2045, trivia is illegal. But that hasn't stopped illicit trivia leagues from cropping up around the country, operated in secret by the brave men and women who refuse to let the pastime die. Our story takes place on the night of the trivia league finals, where one such group has gathered in a rundown house to crown a winning team. At first, the coast seems clear... until suddenly, their contest is interrupted by a violent knock at the door. It's the Secret Trivia Police.

Voyager
Director: Pablo Pagán
Country: Spain; Running Time: 20 minutes
When a shy, socially anxious night janitor, cleaning up after Barcelona's affluent party crowd, discovers a mysterious drug that lets her shed the boundaries of her physical self, she breaks out of her isolation and opens herself up to the people she desires... but her newfound freedom comes at a heavy cost.

Wabi-Sabi
Director: Josephine Green Zhang
Country: United States; Running Time: 20 minutes
When an insecure, half Japanese woman's invited on a date to a traditional tea ceremony, her best friend's advice on how to avoid white-guys-with-Asian-fetishes threatens to ruin her love life and sanity.

We're Kinda Different
Director: Ben Meinardt
Country: Canada; Running Time: 3 minutes
Follow the adventures of this peculiar hero as he sings his way through a mundane office building to profound results.

What I Am
Director: Jackie Oudney
Country: United Kingdom; Running Time: 26 minutes
A woman suffers amnesia after an accident at home, embarking on a journey of self-discovery that leads to the reclamation of her agency.

What It's Like To Be Okay
Director: Noah Bean
Country: United States; Running Time: 19 minutes
When struggling actor Terry Moore puts his career before his family, he must find a way to make amends for his mistake and reconnect with his heartbroken daughter.

When Everything Was Blue
Director: Christina Chironna
Country: United States; Running Time: 14 minutes
A heartfelt drama that unfolds through the intimate lens of a home video camera. It tells the story of Luke, a firefighter, and his family, as they navigate the heartbreaking aftermath of September 11th. Capturing the family's everyday moments, juxtaposed against the backdrop of Luke's declining health due to 9/11-related illnesses, the film immerses us in the love, grief, and strength of a family as they confront a system that chooses to ignore the ongoing challenges of a tragedy that continues to shape their lives.

When Shadows Lay Darkest
Director: Jacob Leighton Burns
Country: United States; Running Time: 10 minutes
"It's only a movie... it's only a movie... it's only a movie..." But what if it wasn't ONLY a movie? A young woman fights for her life when a 1970s movie slasher terrorizes her from beyond the tv screen.

DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS

A Strong Woman
Directors: Theo Gee, Will Atherton
Country: United Kingdom; Running Time: 24 minutes
A Strong Woman is a short documentary celebrating the strength of three record-breaking female athletes. Beyond their incredible lifts, it explores their resilience, dedication, and ability to shatter societal perceptions of female power in sport and life.

Beneath the Same Sky
Director: Christine Kane
Country: United States; Running Time: 12 minutes
In the borderlands of El Paso, Texas, Fidel confronts the complex reality of his life as a Border Patrol agent. Finding himself at the edge of two nations, he works to enforce the law while uncovering the human stories behind the headlines - of dreams pursued and lost, hopes carried and shattered.

Far West
Director: Stephen Michael Simon
Country: United States; Running Time: 18 minutes
Drained by the fast-paced urban lifestyle, New York City artist Lala makes a bold decision to uproot herself and seek solace in the untamed landscapes somewhere far west. Stripped of the familiar comforts of running water, electricity, and constant connectivity, she faces the daunting challenge of building a life from scratch. Amidst the solitude of her surroundings, Lala's journey becomes a quest of self-discovery. Devoid of noise and distractions that once clouded her perception, she delves into the depths of her being, unraveling layers of introspection and vulnerability.

Georgie
Director: Jennie Butler
Country: United States; Running Time: 14 minutes
An ex-mobster reflects on life, love, and loss after spending 32 years in prison.

The Gig: From Students to Professionals
Directors: Eva Rodriguez, Brooklyn Starts
Country: United States; Running Time: 7 minutes

Ink or Dye
Director: Lane Michael Stanley
Country: United States; Running Time: 17 minutes
How a young couple who met in a recovery house became artists, entrepreneurs, and community leaders.

Punk Rock Baseball
Directors: Nathan Schiefelbein, Reid St. John
Country: United States; Running Time: 18 minutes
The story of the first sandlot team in Dallas, Texas.

Rolling Film, Rocking History, Al Maysles Captures the Beatles
Director: Bart Weiss
Country: United States; Running Time: 11 minutes
Al Maysles tells the story of how he shot the Beatles coming to the USA for the first time.

Stalking The Bogeyman
Directors: Markus Potter, Jack Dorfman
Country: United States; Running Time: 9 minutes
The true story of investigative journalist David Holthouse who plots to kill the man who sexually abused him when he was seven years old. A reconstruction of the intended murder and outcome, blending live-action, animation, and documentary elements.

Teddy
Director: Lauren Santucci
Country: United States; Running Time: 16 minutes
Teddy is a verité portrait of a male birth doula working to improve birth outcomes for Black women in Houston, Texas. A security guard by day, Timothy Gant Jr. trained to become a doula after hearing about his own mother's birth story as a child. As a doula working predominantly with Black women, Timothy helps his clients achieve a positive, safe, and empowering birth on their terms.

The YOX2 Experience
Director: Mathew Ruggieri
Country: United States; Running Time: 11 minutes
As Shaun Jones closes his beloved reptile shop in Waco, Texas, he faces the heartbreaking reality of letting go - leaving behind everything he built to chase his true purpose in the jungle of South America.

They Call Me The Tattoo Witch
Director: Lindsay Nyman
Country: United States; Running Time: 14 minutes
In Hanoi, Vietnam, tattoo artist Tran Ngoc specializes in the rare and challenging art of tattooing over scars. Despite the social stigma surrounding tattoos in Vietnam, Ngoc empowers her clients, including breast cancer survivors and women with self-harm scars, to reclaim their bodies, demonstrating that her work is a profound act of compassion and resilience.

Underdawgs
Directors: Brie Electra, Charity Robinson
Country: United States; Running Time: 23 minutes
Underdawgs shares the true story of Austin Underwood, an inspirational figure with Down syndrome, and his mother, Jan, as they challenge stereotypes and empower individuals with learning differences to set expectations, not limitations.

MUSIC VIDEOS

Foster the People - Lost in Space
Director: Rupert Höller
Country: Austria; Running Time: 4 minutes
An ecstatic and surreal dance extravaganza with bold colors and a retro futuristic touch.

Hatman
Director: Andrew Ducky Dutkiewicz
Country: United States; Running Time: 4 minutes
A music video for the song "Hatman" by Capital Vice out of Austin, Texas.

Jeff Hilliard - My Face
Director: Jeff Hilliard
Country: United States; Running Time: 4 minutes
Powerful executive who has an interesting way to relieve stress through creative role-play.

Neon Moon
Director: E'an Verdugo, Francis Juarez
Country: United States; Running Time: 3 minutes
Music Video about a neon moon.

Wateke
Director: Luis Figueredo
Country: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela; Running Time: 3 minutes
A music video performed by Danny Pryp.

SHORT SCREENPLAYS

Ambient Light
Writer: H.Cherdon Bedford
In 1885, a struggling mother in rural Texas must convince her reluctant but loving husband that, despite not having the money, the family must have their first and only photograph taken to preserve the memory of their baby son and young daughter before time runs out.

Blood and Sex Over Ambition
Writer: Chen Drachman
In 1888 Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin shared a home in Provence, France for two months, at the end of which Van Gogh suffered a breakdown. To this day, no one knows what happened. Or do we?

Epilogue
Writers: Laura Katherine Winter, Nathaniel Davis, Bob Dodd
Glen and Jasmine did the impossible. They survived a serial killer. Now they are attempting to put their lives back together. It turns out living is a lot harder than dying.

Gorgeous As You Are
Writer: Keaton A Morris-Stan
​​Evelyn is on the prowl at the local dive bar. But when her influencer roommate Bianca shows up, so does the competition. Will sisterhood prevail, or is this night headed towards devastating consequences?

Life of the Party
Writer: Joe Neil Hayes
Lewis shits his pants at a Halloween party, and that isn't even close to being the most embarrassing thing he does that night.

Meeting Your Maker
Writer: Gregory JM Kasunich
After a shocking plunge off a Los Angeles bridge, a beloved children's TV puppet awakens in a surreal workshop and confronts his creator—a puppeteer battling his own demons. Together, they embark on a journey of self-repair and rediscovery, proving that even in a world of felt and fluff, purpose and resilience can mend a broken heart.

Olivia Colman Says My Farts Don’t Stink
Writer: Lisa Marie Tedesco
Alex and Fiona are newly together in their cute little queer relationship. They’re ready for the next level - to be on “farting terms".

The Frog
Writer: Kevin McDermott
A young boy out hunting for frogs comes upon strange fruit hanging from a tree.

The Jello in Room 913
Writers: Justin Wheeler, Natalie Lynch
A man wakes up in a hospital room with a snarky teen in the bed next to him. They form an unlikely bond.

The Last Mediation of Christ
Writers: David Schleicher, Mike Bell
It’s a Hell of a ride as the Devil shares her gripes, Eve mediates, and Jesus tries to love his enemies

The Survivor
Writer: Kevin Machate
The lone survivor of an alien mining camp attack, Kel must wait out the next four days until a rescue shuttle arrives to take him home. Until then, he must deal with power fluctuations and failing systems with his only assistance coming from the AI computer system of an orbiting satellite.

Three Grams
Writer: Jenny King
A short drama about a small town pharmacist who must set aside her beliefs in order to fill a lethal prescription, or take a stand and face the consequences.