Congratulations to the winners
June 2021
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.
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.
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.
PEOPLE'S CHOICE ~ MICRO SHORTS
The Mustache
Lizzy Rudakas & Clark Pavlik (Chicago, IL)
A man dares to change the style of his mustache.
OFFICIAL SELECTIONS ~ JUNE 2021
(in order of appearance at the screening)
1
Tight Spot
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
Elise Jaffe
Chicago, IL
Much to her dismay, art historian Rachel has agreed to attend a speed dating event.
7
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.
10
Rust Bucket
Morgan Wynne & Roddy Hyduk
Brooklyn, NY
A portrait of a Canadian artist and his unlikely canvas.
13
Neon Heat
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
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
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
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
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?
Phakchayot Charrunchon
Thailand
Sainam gathers the courage to show her feelings for her senior crush.
31
Cultural Composition
Alva Egan
Chicago, IL
When you bite off more than you can chew but learn to love it.
2
Pneuma
Patrick Lewtschanyn
Chicago, IL
A journey of spirit, transformation and the many faces of oneness.
5
Sc@tter_me
Alex Goddard
United Kingdom
A man contemplates his final resting place.
8
Man Hit By Wave
Bryan Ward
Chicago, IL
An over-anxious man is anesthetized by a crashing wave.
11
The Original Fifty Cents
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
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
Sarah Clark
Chicago, IL
Dating is hard... Zoom dating is harder.
20
Venus
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
Carlos Douglas Jr
Munster, IN
A bold young girl discovers a hidden musical gift during her first symphony concert.
26
Kevin & Irena
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
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
Zach Dorn
Valencia, CA
An animated short about a trip from the LAX International Airport to Vancouver.
3
Falafel Sundays
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?
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
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
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
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
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
Mike Trivisonno
Chicago, IL
A tinkerer wrestles with his maddening pursuit of perfection as he completes his latest creation.
24
Whiskey Face
Brent Bouchard
Canada
Two lawyers have a serious discussion over a drink. Will they pass the bar?
27
6:23 AM
Geoffrey Breton
United Kingdom
Never forget who you've fallen in love with...
30
The Mother
Le Huy Anh
Vietnam
An adult man's journey to find his childhood again.