In a surreal synapse, a young woman laments her teen years, her home town and the death of a friend. Directed by Dani Pearce (Australia)
Peking Opera is a Chinese traditional art form with a history of more than 200 years. Seeking to receive its popularity, Chinese nationals in the U.S. are performing Peking Opera with newfound passion. The documentary Peking Opera Overseas shows Chinese in the U.S. pursuing Peking Opera and passing down this tradition to the next generation. The project features a range of performers of various identities sharing their thoughts on why they value doing Peking Opera here in the U.S. Directed by Zhaochen Zhang (USA)
During the Klondike gold rush, Tagish First Nation, Skookum Jim, hid millions of dollars’ worth of gold around the Yukon. 100 years later, Amanda, a small town wife/mother, dreams of opening Rise n’ Shine bakery on the Alaska Highway in memory of her mother. When her loan application is rejected because of her husband’s gambling problem she is spiritually crushed, and kicks Jim out. Later, when she returns to work at Mukluk Annie’s, two armed masked men hold up the restaurant and steal the historic relic “Charlie” believing that there’s gold in its snout. Amanda recognizes the men are her husband Jim and his shady friend, Randy. She volunteers herself as a hostage. After they dodge the RCMP and find a hideout, gold fever inevitably takes over, and Randy tries to steal the gold for himself. Jim and Randy fight, causing Jim to fall 100 feet into a river. Just as Randy is about to run away with the gold, Amanda catches him o guard and knocks him out. As the gold falls into the river, Amanda must choose between saving her good-hearted but very flawed husband or retrieving the sinking gold... Directed by Silver Kim (Canada)
Just your typical, mediocre, beige, room temperature sex. John and Eric put the "lust" back in "lackluster." Directed by Mitch Yapko (USA)
Lucy is a studious high school junior who dreams of attending the Sadie Hawkins dance with Tomás, a classmate who keeps to himself and sits behind her in Spanish class. After devising a way to get his attention, the two strike up a flirtatious friendship, setting off a chain of events that inspire Lucy to finally take the leap -- but just when she thinks the hard part is over, things take an unexpected, and rather mortifying, turn. Directed by Marcela Cantú Serrano (USA)
When life ends for one of the two loving people, in the life of the other person only love remains still. Regardless of the love that has been lost true love always lives and stays alive. Life will not ever be the same for the person that has lost his loved one. One day he comes across the person that took the life away from his loved woman. One absurd accident and the heartbroken man notices her picture in a stranger’s car. When he finds out the whole truth, he makes his own judgment. Directed by Oleg Loparev (USA)
Rocked by a devastating loss and a pending eviction from the home he shared with his wife, a man struggles to cope and “move forward” despite his sister’s best efforts to help him. Directed by Latasha Kennedy (USA)
Jessica, a young dance teacher working hard to make it as an actor, is betrayed by her producer boyfriend; he cheats on her, and releases a revenge video on the internet. Her life spirals downwards as she struggles with self harm. Directed by Arman S. Haghi (Australia)
A washed up drug addicted rockstar is being hunted by aliens. Directed by Doug Grean (USA)
In 1963, Asian American activist Yuri Kochiyama shook hands with Malcolm X for the first time. Over the next few years, Yuri and Malcolm would share a friendship that was grounded in fighting oppression and finding voice for their communities. In addition to sharing a passion for tackling systemic racism, they also shared a birth date, and ultimately Malcolm's final moment together. This segment is part of a Broadcast/Podcast /Webshow "From The Grassroots" By Lanita Duke (USA)
A dauntless young Victorian era Native American woman assumes the spirit of a legendary character to survive oppression. Written by Melissa Tanta (USA)
Life is kind of funny sometimes. "Under Cover Comic" is the story of a family man who, after a strange brush with death, decides to pursue stand-up comedy. In the film, he grapples with the push and pull between family, passion, and the frailty of life. Directed by Bobby Friedman (USA)
Indebted to the mob, Bobby "Boombats', an underachieving loser, hatches a half baked business venture to avoid moving back home with his suffocating Italian Mama, and his more successful, yet conflicted older brother. Directed by Matt Birman, Bryan Kowalsky and Ron Lea (Canada)
