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Congratulations to the winners
June 2021

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BEST FILM ~ SMALL SHORTS

Muffy

Emily Draper (New York, NY)

A woman in 1970s' suburbia gets sweet, creamy revenge when her husband flirts with another woman in front of her.

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BEST FILM ~ MICRO SHORTS

A Cold Dinner

Gulzhan Sitakhmetova (Russia)

A cold dinner is a dish with bad news. Today it will be more disgusting and destructive than yesterday; and tomorrow will not come at all.

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PEOPLE'S CHOICE ~
SMALL SHORTS

Final Deathtination

Marika Tamura (Japan/USA)

A man who is about to hang himself
encounters Death who is a "travel agent" for finding the best place to die. The odd pair end up on a world tour.

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PEOPLE'S CHOICE ~ MICRO SHORTS

The Mustache

Lizzy Rudakas & Clark Pavlik (Chicago, IL)

A man dares to change the style of his mustache.

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OFFICIAL SELECTIONS ~ JUNE 2021

(in order of appearance at the screening)

Official Selections June 2021

1

Tight Spot

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Kevin Haefelin

Switzerland

Shining the shoes of a walk-in customer, a shiner discovers his client’s dark secret.

4

The David's of Dating

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Elise Jaffe

Chicago, IL

Much to her dismay, art historian Rachel has agreed to attend a speed dating event.

7

Muffy

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Emily Draper

New York, NY

A woman in 1970s' suburbia gets sweet, creamy revenge when her husband flirts with another woman in front of her.

10

Rust Bucket

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Morgan Wynne & Roddy Hyduk

Brooklyn, NY

A portrait of a Canadian artist and his unlikely canvas.

13

Neon Heat

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Mike Trivisonno

Chicago, IL

A woman using the latest VR technology soon realizes that her simulated world is more real than she expected.

16

iDad

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Gregg Jaffe

Chicago, IL

A modern interpretation of the parent and child relationship. Is this an ordinary or extraordinary day?

19

Waiting by the phone

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Olivia Jensen

Chicago, IL

A woman grieves her dead sister by trying to keep her memory alive, by taking care of both her and herself.

22

Birth Cycle, a flip book by Zak Zych

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Zak Zych

St. Louis, MO

After nine months in the womb a baby makes a daring and dramatic entrance into the world!

25

Martin the Sea Turtle

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Molly Clark

United States

Martin the sea turtle recalls how he turned his traumatic past of being abandoned on the beach into a thriving present working at a local resort.

28

Huh?

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Phakchayot Charrunchon

Thailand

Sainam gathers the courage to show her feelings for her senior crush.

31

Cultural Composition

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Alva Egan

Chicago, IL

When you bite off more than you can chew but learn to love it.

2

Pneuma

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Patrick Lewtschanyn

Chicago, IL

A journey of spirit, transformation and the many faces of oneness.

5

Sc@tter_me

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Alex Goddard

United Kingdom

A man contemplates his final resting place.

8

Man Hit By Wave

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Bryan Ward

Chicago, IL

An over-anxious man is anesthetized by a crashing wave.

11

The Original Fifty Cents

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John Akre

Minneapolis, MN

John F. Kennedy is no longer with us, but he can still inspire and protect us through his presence in the Kennedy half dollar.

14

Breaking & Entering

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Nancy Khurana

Chicago, IL

Two burglars out of their element break into a house to find the occupants have just moved in, making for an awkward encounter.

17

Total Catch

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Sarah Clark

Chicago, IL

Dating is hard... Zoom dating is harder.

20

Venus

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Carmen Jaffe

Chicago, IL

This is a story about how a girl named Venus was born. We watch her grow into a woman and discover who she really is.

23

Kenya's Symphony

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Carlos Douglas Jr

Munster, IN

A bold young girl discovers a hidden musical gift during her first symphony concert.

26

Kevin & Irena

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Prashanti Aswani

United Kingdom

An interview from the British Sound Library between Kevin, 1954- (male, university professor) and Irena, 1948- (female, retired) from Warwick on how they met.

29

The Lost Art of Being Mediocre

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Kolja Haaf

Germany

As a truth-or-dare game gets out of hand the players find themselves confronted with their own banality.

32

LAX to Vancouver

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Zach Dorn

Valencia, CA

An animated short about a trip from the LAX International Airport to Vancouver.

3

Falafel Sundays

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Pracheta Ahana Alam & Fahim Arif

Bangladesh

A short film about a connection to a time, food and a person who serves it, exploring the fleeting connections and tiny interactions that become a part of our nostalgic past.

6

Daddy Issues?

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Tony Kelly

Ireland

A young woman brings her new boyfriend home to meet her parents for the first time as he tries to win the approval of her over protective father.

9

Unsub #3

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Becka Riccio

Chicago, IL

Unsub #3 is a first attempt at a stop-motion film, made entirely from paper. The story plays with humanity and nature, bringing them together in an abstract way.

12

To Roar For

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Danny McCarthy

Chicago, IL

Earl, a former hero and current security guard, has lost his sense of purpose in life. Madeline, a lonely street performer, struggles with her own. They meet, life changes.

15

How to Make a Phantastik Film

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Lindsay McIntyre

Canada

A satirical look at a prototype retro housewife and her attempts at counter-culture. Brought to you by Phantastik!

18

P I C K I N G

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Claire Kinnen

United States

This is a short poem film shot on super 8 and alternately titled "The ego in a breakup."

21

The Tinkerer

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Mike Trivisonno

Chicago, IL

A tinkerer wrestles with his maddening pursuit of perfection as he completes his latest creation.

24

Whiskey Face

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Brent Bouchard

Canada

Two lawyers have a serious discussion over a drink. Will they pass the bar?

27

6:23 AM

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Geoffrey Breton

United Kingdom

Never forget who you've fallen in love with...

30

The Mother

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Le Huy Anh

Vietnam

An adult man's journey to find his childhood again.

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