Sif, a young girl living with her father and younger brother in the Viking era sees a mysterious flaming object crash down from the sky. Her adventurous nature compels her to investigate what happened. Directed by Arnar Freyr Tómasson and Stefán Mekkinósson (Iceland)
An ice-cold war photographer, who accompanies a small group of mercenaries in a valley, meets a little deaf girl, who will change his life forever. Directed by Meg (Germany)
This short documentary follows three female football referees as they claim access to a powerful role in a male-dominated industry. Annice Canady was the first female football referee to officiate a NCAA game in 2001. She is revered as a trailblazer, opening the door for other women to call the shots. The three-time cancer survivor doesn’t shy away from reporting harsh realities on what it was like being the first female on the field. Tangela Mitchell has the “it” factor in officiating with intangible qualities to succeed. She’s ambitious and has the talent to officiate in the NFL someday. Tangela carries Annice’s baton with grace as she continues to advance in the pipeline. Mary Podesta officiates for the love of the game and being part of the football community. Her sound bites are self-deprecating, entertaining, and funny. This timely and engaging film reveals the struggles and triumphs of three referees who didn’t set out to be trailblazers but are, by their very presence, opening doors for women who will arrive after them. Viewers will get to know each ref as they pursue professional excellence and chase their love of the game. Directed by Shantel Hansen (USA)
A 10-episode coming-of-age web series about cultural identity in Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, an overachieving student tries to gain the attention of her favorite celebrity by converting her school's charity fashion show into a flashy display of Hong Kong culture, but gets accused of being too westernized. Fueled by pineapple buns and Cantonese soap operas, she devises a checklist for what it means to be "local" and embarks on a not-so-subtle quest to complete it before the show. Directed by Jane Chow (USA)
After the death of her father, a suicidal young woman must overcome her depression by facing the force of the Grim Reaper. Directed by Angela Sanner (USA)
A small town man tries to catch himself in the act of a heinous crime that an anonymous caller manipulated him into committing. Directed by Sahil Kaur (USA)
In a Chinese tourist group among the heat of the Nevada desert, a teenage daughter fighting with her father encounters a mysterious woman. Directed by Peiqi Peng (USA)
A young aspiring musician befriends a lonely truck driver, who picks her up as she hitchhikes her way to Los Angeles. Directed by Allisyn Arm (USA)
On an evening of perpetual waiting, the repetition of an uninspired relationship leaves room for Katherine to find what she needs in the most unexpected way during a post-abortion ER visit with her boyfriend. Directed by Camille Hollett-French (Canada)
When Garrett finds himself pup sitting for Trina, it quickly becomes one of his most memorable jobs in LA. Directed by Keith Hudson (USA)
An indifferent couple goes out for coffee, one of them thinks it's just another day, but in fact, it is far from it. Directed by Alexander Spanos (USA)
Once there was a time when images were made from head to hand. Devices came into being which allowed the chemical capture of light. Persistence of vision, motion. Electrical capture of light. Distribution and broadcast, reception with the set. Computers - the pixel - a fraction of light - more like pointillism, a comic. The speed, multiplicity of transmission - active viewership. The generation of synthetic images to replicate the real, not necessarily in terms of realism of representation, but in terms of realism in interaction. Interaction, an extension of active viewing. Randomness increases. Screen being replaced by an immersive experience. Projection of a holographic image. Virtual becomes a replacement space. Directed by Julie Goldstein (USA)
After finding a lost letter, an astronautical engineering student seeks escape from 1960s academia by becoming pen-pals with a mysterious Brit; when they finally meet, he must decide what's more important, reality or fantasy. Directed by Myles Yaksich (USA)
Each year, tens of thousands of people leave their countries and make the journey to the United States. This mass displacement of people is a consequence of western imperialism, neoliberalism, capitalism, and colonialism. “Prevention through Deterrence”, a US border enforcement policy from the 1990s, forces people to cross the most remote and dangerous areas of the US- Mexico border. Under this policy, the United States has increased border militarization, created new physical barriers, and increased restrictions at traditional ports of entry to intentionally push travel through the most isolated areas of the Southwest. The increasing criminalization of humanitarian aid workers and destruction of life-saving supplies is making the journey even more dangerous. In the deserts, thousands die, disappear, or are abused by organized crime groups or federal agents. This story takes place in Brooks County, Texas, 70 miles north of the Southern border. A checkpoint placed on Highway 281 strategically pushes people to cross through isolated and privately owned ranch-lands. In order to circumvent the checkpoint, people must walk up to 60 miles through dense brush with temperatures reaching over 100 degrees. Each year, hundreds of people perish in the ranches due to dehydration and exposure to the elements. A large number of them are found on The Cage Ranch. In this film, Thomas S. shares his experiences as a rancher/ trapper on The Cage for 36 years. Directed by Lia Smaka (USA)
