Selections 2025
Battle of LA - 14:36 *WINNER*
Director: Patrick Pizzolorusso
Inspired by the 1942 UFO panic, two scientists find something strange in the sky. A sci-fi mystery of secrets, fear, and discovery.
I.M. Romance - 10:32 HONORABLE MENTION
Director: Jeffrey M. Berman
Two strangers fall in love entirely through text. A sweet and clever rom-com proving connection can still be found between the lines.
Hi I Just Moved Here - 14:00
Director: Alessandro Pulisci
Freshly divorced, Kat finds a cursed VHS and a too friendly neighbor. Nightmares follow. A chilling dive into suburban horror and fresh starts gone wrong.
Can We Talk? - 13:44
Director: Nathan Rieden
A party, a drunk boyfriend, and a girlfriend trying to speak the truth. A raw, relatable look at love, denial, and timing.
YOUNGIN - 15:55 HONORABLE MENTION
Director: Derek Michael Parker
After being questioned for his dark drawings, a boy turns his art into something healing. A powerful reflection on pain and protection.
胡蝶之夢: The Butterfly Dream - 3:17
Directors: Suhyeon Scholastica Jin & Aria Suhyun Kim
Inspired by Zhuangzi’s tale, this dreamy piece blurs reality, longing, and the question: what if not knowing is the answer?
Into the Red’s Tale - 4:05
Director: Alisdair Zhang
Little Red gets flipped — a mimic monster traps the Big Bad Wolf in a twisted new fairytale of survival. Classic story, fresh bite.
Collateral Justice - 6:08
Director: Michael DeMar
A chaotic hero tries to do good — but justice gets messy. A dark comedy about power, accountability, and saving the day… badly.
Strangers Under My Skin 3:58 HONORABLE MENTION
Director: Yifan Xiang
An aging blind painter regains sight in his final breaths, painting one last dream of love and youth. A poetic farewell to life and memory.
Reformed - 18:59
Director: Christopher O'Conner
Three men. One murder. New freedom. This docu-style piece explores justice, regret, and redemption from the voices we rarely hear.
Immortal - 6:28
Director: Alan Blake
Terrified of death, one man takes extreme steps to live forever. But what’s the cost of refusing to let go?
Selections 2025
Man Baby - 9:39 *WINNER*
Director: Aaron Murtagh
Man Baby is a deliciously eerie and absurd exploration of the fear of change in the first weeks of parenthood. Shot in the frozen isolation of Bozeman, MT, this short masterfully balances suspense and humor.
The House That Was Not - 19:56
HONORABLE MENTION
Director: Dean James Byrne
An immigrant couple faces unexplainable events on their 1870s Kansas homestead.
When You Whistle at Night - 9:02
Director: Nolan Saunders
Ella turns to the supernatural to confront her grief, with haunting consequences.
Orange County Conversation 15:00
Director: Isaiah Francis
Behind closed doors, an affluent family in Orange County grapples with a raw, controversial conversation about race and privilege in their sheltered world.
Remnants - 14:58 HONORABLE MENTION
Director: Sterling Sullivan
Through the lens of queer discovery, hometown separation anxiety, and nostalgic suburban yearning, Remnants explores the beauty and meaning found in fleeting connections.
Pesticide - 11:15 HONORABLE MENTION
Director: Will Cahill
A young woman’s battle with flies takes a dark, symbolic turn.
Clinically Un-Depressed - 4:25
Director: Christian Ramirez
A father confronts his past in this raw and moving short.
IN HER SKIN - 10:25 HONORABLE MENTION
Director: Kazım Mutlu
A VR gift sparks obsession as Şule chases a mysterious woman from the simulation.
NHU DAWN - 6:49
Director: Caitlin Whitaker
Nhu fights to escape a sinister family’s dungeon in this gripping horror.
Love Point Blank - 18:37
Director: Miguel Vite
Jackson gets a visit from Cupid herself in this darkly funny take on love and moving on.
Selections 2024
Infinity — 11:03 *WINNER*
Director: Benjamin To
A famous Japanese American ballroom dance duo must choose between their passion or their lives as WWII concentration camps begin to rise in the U.S.
Some Weed Would Be Nice — 3:33
Director: Juan De la Rosa
A group of friends run out of weed and must come up with a way to keep the high going.
Flashlight — 2:30
Director: Griffin Sendek
Short but not sweet — this eerie tale will have you questioning whether you’re really alone.
Red Leather, Yellow Leather — 11:56 HONORABLE MENTION
Director: Harry McDonough
Born out of a personal nightmare, this proof-of-concept short introduces us to Roach, a sadistic fixer tied to sinister forces. Inspired by real-life experiences of living with hostile neighbors, this tense thriller is just the beginning of a much larger story in Self Tape, a feature screenplay from McDonough.
Loaded Fries — 16:06
Director: Mark Kendrick
A quirky, heartfelt story about life’s surprises and the unexpected places where we find courage.
The Adventures of Captain Hemorrhoid and Hemorrhoid Boy — 8:37
Director: Edward Marinzel
Stop-motion animation series created in college, following the humorous escapades of two unlikely heroes.
Waves of Her — 4:27 HONORABLE MENTION
Director: Gwenn Hope
Inspired by a true story, this short shows a man’s annual journey to the beach in remembrance of his mother. An encounter with a young musician changes his ritual in a deeply moving way, inspiring the creation of a new song.
A Car Not Bought — 7:59
Director: Edmund Arellano Cleofe
A man on a journey of self-discovery realizes it's better to give back than to take for himself.
A Date With Death — 3:45
Director: Emma Karla Peet
A music video that conveys the feeling of loving someone so much that it becomes the death of you.