America
Widower David has spent two years badgering his bachelor brother, Ezra to join him on a trip to America. When Ezra's life takes a new turn, David fears his dreams of adventure and his life-long companion are slipping away. (Israel, 2004, 23 min. Sigal Mordechai directs.)

Backbone Tale
In this charming tale, two lonely romantics with different outlooks on life seem destined never to meet until an unlikely feathered cupid chirps up. (France, 2004, 9 min. Jeremy Clapin directs.)

Birthday Boy
In this stunning Oscar-nominated animation, little Manuk treats his Korean War-ravaged village as his private playground. After a busy day of finding treasures and playing soldier, he returns home to find a life-changing package. (Australia, 2004, 9 min. Sejong Park directs.)

Each One Teach One
By the time Jason discovered his gift for drawing, he had already spent nearly half his life in prison. Art became his lifeline, the bridge to freedom, and a transforming connection to community. (USA, 2004, 7 min. Lila Place directs.)

Everything in This Country Must
Northern Ireland, 1985. In this powerfully executed Oscar nominated drama, a teenage girl must choose between allegiance to her father and gratitude to the strangers who do them a favor. (UK/N. Ireland, 2004, 20 min. Gary McKendry directs.)

Motel
Inspired by a particularly dingy lodging experience, this comic fantasy imagines a mysterious roadside motel as a seeming oasis in the middle of nowhere. Or is it? Next time you might just sleep in the car. (USA, 2004, 7 min. Thor Freudenthal directs.)

Nits
James is obsessed with his itchy head but when his parents return home after an absence, the seven year old begins to understand some things are even more worrisome than hair lice. A tender story of a child baffled by not so easily explained adult emotions. (UK, 2004, 10 min. Harry Wootliff directs.)

Estes Avenue
It's 11 o'clock on Sunday. A day of rest. A day of peace. "God's day," if you like. Each of five residents on one street greet this day in their own particular way. (USA/UK, 2004, 3 min. Paul Cotter directs.)

Hi Maya
One day Maya and Charlotte unexpectedly meet at the hairdresser's. Even after so many years, the recognition is instant. So why do they deny knowing each other? (Switzerland, 2004, 13 min. Claudia Lorenz directs.)

Home Game
Anyone who has sought refuge in the snooze button will get a kick out of this latest sport. And it's televised! (Norway, 2004, 9 min. Martin Lund directs.)

In Too Deep
A fisherman with a squeamish conscience proves a perplexing sporting goods customer in this comedy with a barb. (Australia, 2004, 6 min. Rene Hernandez directs.)

Junebug and Hurricane
Abbie is the center of the world for her mother (Janeane Garofalo). Their days are full of time spent together. Going to the beach, visiting the aquarium...This pair is always on the move. Always.... (USA, 2004, 9 min. James Ponsoldt directs.)

Love and Laundry
As the saying goes, before and after enlightenment: the laundry. Apparently, it's also the case for this Cuba couple whose valentine romance has endured 60 years. (USA/Cuba, 2004, 7 min. Barbara Alvarez directs.)

Ryan
Animation innovator Chris Landreth (Bingo, SF99) has always eschewed convention for something deeper, more elusive. He excels with this compelling Oscar-winning portrait of Ryan Larkin, a pioneering genius of Canadian animation now turned gentleman panhandler. Disturbing, personal, wholly original. (Canada, 2004, 14 min. Chris Landreth directs.)

Tama Tu
Just as he transformed a parking lot into an intimate living room for three children in Two Cars, One Night (SF04), the talented Taika Waititi imagines a scene of unexpected humanity in the midst of war. (New Zealand, 2004, 18 min. Taika Waititi directs.)

God Sleeps in Rwanda
Capturing the personal stories of courageous Rwandan women, Kimberlee Acquaro and Stacy Sherman create an inspiring portrait of a country recovering from the genocide that decimated its very fabric. More than survivors rebuilding their lives, these women have seized an unprecedented opportunity to redefine their roles and change their nation in visionary ways. (USA/Rwanda, 2004, 30 min. Kimberlee Acquaro & Stacy Sherman direct.)

How to Make Friends
One day, at the end of her tether, a mother invites two neighborhood girls over to befriend her lonely 11-year old son. A potentially awkward scenario transforms into a charming and funny evocation of childhood, budding friendship, and rhythm. (UK, 2004, 7 min. Kara Miller directs.)

My Head
Who are you? Who would you like to be? One young man explores infinite amusing possibilities in a most clever way. (Norway, 2004, 3 min. Knut Petter Ryan directs.)

One Year Down
There's a man sporting a cape, running around the streets of New York, eager to help someone - anyone. When a stranger spurns his good intentions, this everyday superhero sinks into despair. Who can save the man who longs to save the world? Unexpected motivations lead to surprisingly poignant solutions. (USA, 2004, 12 min. Bill Gullo directs.)

Raccoon
It's a bitter winter day in 1968 when two best friends set out across a field. Fresh from boot camp, Randy is days away from Vietnam and Bailey agrees to go hunting, hoping to mend their estrangement. Both realize the importance of this day. A story of friendship and lost trust, Trey Nelson's evocative chamber piece also tells a bigger tale - of a time, a place, and a nation. (USA, 2004, 19 min. Trey Nelson directs.)

Rain Is Falling
A young girl carries out her daily chore of lugging heavy pots of water over vast, parched distances back to her village. But once home, her work has just begun and there is a storm brewing. With humanity and quiet grace, this eloquent film speaks volumes about love and devotion. (Germany, 2004, 15 min. Holger Ernst directs.)

Tell Me Not to Worry
If you are lucky enough to find your guiding star, you don't throw it away over trifles. A sweet animated fable. (Norway, 2004, 5 min. Maria Trovatten & Karin Jacobsen direct.)

The Twelve Months
Jonathan Nix (Hello, SF04) returns with this colorfully animated folktale of a young girl, her evil stepmother, four impossible tasks and the kindness of a most unexpected ally. (Australia, 2004, 8 min. Jonathan Nix directs.)

Brand Spanking
With schools struggling in these "no child left behind" times, this animated satire proposes a unique funding solution. (UK, 2004, 10 min. John-Paul Harney directs.)

Cuco Gomez-Gomez Is Dead!
A fast paced and inventive whodunit about the mysterious murder of a residential hotel's meekest tenant. The super, the basement dweller, the mumbling boxer...Cuco's meddling neighbors are all convinced they alone know who committed the crime. Or do they? (USA, 2004, 10 min. Francisco Lorite directs.)

Fade to Black
Dumped by her boyfriend, Emma decides to make a video diary, documenting her quest to win him back. A series of failed schemes later, she opts for a radical path, but when the price proves prohibitive, Emma takes things into her own hands. (UK, 2004, 10 min. Gary Martin directs.)

Little Terrorist
When a Pakistani Muslim boy accidentally crosses the landmine-ridden border, he suddenly finds himself a "terrorist," relentlessly pursued by Indian soldiers. Stumbling upon an unusual ally, Jamal receives a life lesson in prejudice, boundaries, and unexpected solidarity between conflicted cultures. This moving tale received an Oscar nomination. (UK, 2004, 15 min. Ashvin Kumar directs.)

Magda
Chel White (Dirt, SF99) returns with this deadpan animated tale of circus love and a headliner act starring two wooden mannequins. (USA, 2004, 6 min. Chel White directs.)

Rave Against the Machine
During the 1990s "Siege of Sarajevo," a dedicated band of musicians, DJs, and others created a vibrant underground music scene with one goal in mind: preserving the sanity of young Bosnians. From the clubs to the parties to Radio Zid, Saravejo's wartime voice, this lively documentary traces an important creative spirit that thrived in the midst of a war zone. (UK/Bosnia-Herzegovina, 2004, 24 min. Richard Rudy, James Harvey, Stevan Riley, Holly Lubbock direct.)

Taps
Two faucets are in synch. Much to their chagrin, the third is not. A bit of whimsy, to be sure. (UK/Wales, 2003, 3 min. Matthew Gravelle directs.)

Victoria Para Chino
For immigrants, illegally crossing the border holds enormous allure - and, in the wake of 9/11, increasing danger. In May 2003, a truck carrying more than 80 undocumented workers from the Mexican border drove into the heartland of Texas with tragic results. This compelling drama puts the human face back in the headlines. (USA, 2004, 14 min. Cary Joji Fukunaga directs.)

Family Portrait
Thirty six years after Gordon Parks photographed the Fontenelle family for Life magazine, siblings Richard and Diana render their own family portrait as they recount their painful childhood memories in this sensitively observed documentary. (USA, 2004, 28 min. Patricia Riggen directs.)

Insomnia
In this lyrically drawn piece, a sleepless man sets out on a nocturnal quest for milk to satisfy his cat. (Latvia, 2004, 7 min. Vladimir Leschiov directs.)

One Weekend a Month
Megan McDermott is busy getting her kids out the door when the phone rings. With that call, a family's life changes forever. An original perspective on a timely issue. (USA, 2004, 12 min. Eric Escobar directs.)

Our Time Is Up
Dr. Leonard Stern (Kevin Pollak) has always treated his patients with the cool detachment befitting his profession. Therapy takes time, even years. But one day he's compelled to adopt a fresh method of treatment with results both funny and heartening. (USA, 2004, 14 min. Rob Pearlstein directs.)

Return I Will to Old Brazil
Alex Budovsky (Bathtime in Clerkenwell, SF 04) returns with another wildly imagined world, this time set to Geoff Muldaur's definitive rendition of 'Brazil.' (USA, 2004, 4 min. Alex Budovsky directs.)

Silent Companion
Undeterred by the looming U.S.-Iraq war and despite lurking dangers, a solitary boatman steers his way through the maze of reedy marshes along the border with Iran, intent on his important personal mission. This quiet drama is a tribute to human resilience in the face of historical events. (Iran, 2004, 15 min. Elham Hossein zadeh directs.)

Smoke-Flavored Life
Spirited Younghee possesses a healthy dose of curiosity. She's not a bad kid. It's just that she's often left to her own devices that only seem to lead to trouble. A chance to comfort her mother leads to a surprisingly tender conclusion. (South Korea, 2004, 21 min. Eunjung Ryou directs.)

Alice and Me
Simon has agreed to drive his aunt Mala and two of her friends to the seaside. What he hasn't counted on is their meddling in his private life. Cramped quarters and a cell phone quarrel with his girlfriend make for one funny car ride. (Belgium, 2004, 19 min. Micha Wald directs.)

Being Good at Mikles
Sergio and Maria have invented a strange game that they've played their entire lives. We first meet them as adults and go backwards in time. Along the way we glimpse the game, learn the rules, and understand why they've come to excel at it. (Italy, 2004, 17 min. Christian Angeli directs.)

Broadcast 23
Professor Russell Morgan thinks he's onto the scientific breakthrough of the century. He couldn't be more right - or more wrong. A dark comedy from the maker of Tom Hits His Head (SF03). (USA, 2004, 7 min. Tom Putnam directs.)

Dimmer
Commissioned by the band Interpol and evocatively conceived amid the decaying rust belt of upstate New York, this stylized documentary focuses on Mike, a blind teenager and his gang of sight-impaired friends. (USA, 2004, 12 min. Talmage Cooley directs.)

From One Room to Another
Bowling pins. Men rotating on an airport baggage conveyor. An unusual television chain letter. These and other disparate images coalesce into a striking collage that makes you chuckle and think. (Finland, 2003, 10 min. Risto-Pekka Blom directs.)

Gash
So what does it take to make a really successful short? This funny exposé tells all. (UK, 2004, 4 min. Alex Kirkland, Stephen Scott-Hayward & Matt Smith direct.)

The Man Without a Shadow
A man makes an unusual deal with the devil in this animated allegory indirectly inspired by Goethes Faust. Elegantly choreographed, it's a visual treat. (Canada/ Switzerland, 2004, 10 min. Georges Schwizgebel directs.)

The Raftman's Razor
Jesse and Stuart are two typically goofy adolescents with a particular passion for a mysterious comic book hero. They spend a summer trying to figure out his secret. A film as wonderfully offbeat as its subject. (USA, 2004, 7 min. Keith Bearden directs.)

Screwback
Harry thought his past was behind him. But he was wrong. In this menacing thriller, the hit man's old boss calls him back for one last job. But they don't know Harry. Nobody does. (Ireland, 2004, 10 min. Brian O'Malley directs.)

La Descente
When you've lost everything, there's only one way to go. The laugh-out-loud latest from the creators of Le Cheval 2.1 (SF04). (UK, 2004, 2 min. Alex Kirkland & Stephen Scott-Hayward direct.)

In Your Dreams
Did you really think your dreams were your own? Welcome to Dreamworx where Central Casting meets REM. When you go to sleep, they go to work...with amusing results. (Australia, 2004. 7 min. Greg Williams directs.)

Wrigley
A strong, surly, silent type and his motor-mouth sidekick stew in a parked car in a modest suburban neighborhood. What are they waiting for? And why? (USA, 2004, 15 min. Oliver Refson directs.)

Against the Sun
This stylishly realized documentary follows Tymofy, a quirky young Ukrainian artist, as he parties, picnics, throws pots, philosophizes on art and his equally eccentric dog, exasperates his girlfriend, and, oh yes, constructs ceramic sculpture on a sandy beach. (Ukraine, 2004, 20 min. Valentin Vasyanovych directs.)

The Angel of Chilside Road
A mother. A father. A young boy. Where is the little girl? Jonathan Darby returns with this touching memento for a family's loss. (Canada/USA, 2004, 4 min. Jonathan Darby directs.)

The Balloon
This visually lyrical piece uses a boldly simple graphic style to tell the cautionary tale of a little girl who eludes her mother's watchful eye only to fall into an adventure chasing her lost balloon. (USA/Spain, 2004, 9 min. Satinder Singh directs.)

Dog Years
Ben, 39, Leo, neutered mongrel needs love, G.S.O.H. essential. Everyone will want to take him home. (UK, 2004, 4 min. Richard Penfold directs.)

Elephants Never Forget
One market day, Juan and his teenage sister leave their remote rural home with a darker purpose than shopping in mind. A gripping character study in which a heart's desire duels with reality. (Venezuela/Mexico, 2004,13 min. Lorenzo Vigas Castès directs.)

Goodbye, Cruel World
A charming black comedy about a shy young boy who finds a bizarre but imaginative way of sustaining a friendship. (UK, 2004, 12 min. Vito Rocco directs.)

Goodnight Irene
In the waiting room of a local medical center, three Seminole patients wile away the hours by sharing some laughs and poignant truths. A beautifully observed study of three strangers united by time. (USA, 2004, 13 min. Sterlin Harjo directs.)

Lorenzo
This colorful Oscar-nominated animated romp from Disney studios' Mike Gabriel (Pocahontas, The Rescuers Down Under) centers on a pompous, pampered cat named Lorenzo who faces catastrophic consequences when his tail develops a lively personality of its own. Based on an original idea by legendary Disney writer/artist Joe Grant, (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Dumbo). (USA, 2004, 5 min. Mike Gabriel directs.)

The Lost Cause
A soldier's commitment to his cause takes a heavy toll on his family. Expectation overturns expectation to bittersweet effect in this directorial turn by screenwriter Jim Taylor (Sideways, About Schmidt). (USA, 2004, 13 min. Jim Taylor directs.)

On a Monday
With a disarmingly friendly, conversational tone, Hanan and Nabil, an ordinary middle-aged Egyptian couple, invite us into their home and confide what happened to them - on a Monday. (Egypt, 2004, 7 min. Tamer El-Said directs.) 9:00pm

Bagelized!
Director Matthew Bonifacio (From Woodside Queens, SF04) returns with a comedy about a Brooklyn bagel maestro reluctantly compelled to share the secrets of his craft with a pretty and mysterious trainee. (USA, 2005, 4 min. Matthew Bonifacio directs.)

The Big Empty
Producer Dan Dubecki (Consent, SF04) teams up with directors Newton Thomas Sigel and Lisa Chang for this truly wacky dramedy about a young woman's (Selma Blair) search for a cure for her mysterious ache. What starts out as a trip to the doctor's becomes a completely different journey of infinite proportions. Our prognosis: you've never seen anything like this! (USA, 2005, 21 min. Newton Thomas Sigel and Lisa Chang direct.)

City Paradise
Gaelle Denis (Fish Never Sleep, SF03) continues her fascination with fish, cultural alienation, and watery misadventures in this whimsically inventive depiction of a stranger in a strange land. (UK, 2004, 6 min. Gaelle Denis directs.)

Guard Dog
Why do dogs bark at such innocent creatures like pigeons and squirrels? What are they so afraid of? In his Oscar nominated latest, Bill Plympton (Parking, SF03) answers that eternal question. (USA, 2004, 5 min. Bill Plympton directs.)

Last Full Show
The yearning for love and adventure strikes at any age. In this richly textured cruise through Filipino nightlife, a young boy and an older man learn a painful lesson in forbidden love after meeting at a Manila movie theatre. (USA/ Philippines, 2004. 18 min. Mark V. Reyes directs.)

Texas Hospitality
If you knew your next meal would be your last, what would you choose? An intriguing treatment of a critical issue. (USA, 2003, 4 min. Michael Pfaendtner directs.)

La Vie d'un Chien (The Life of a Dog)
It's Paris, 1962. A scientist has invented an exhilarating formula that threatens to alter the man-canine equilibrium, as we know it. This immensely clever, deadpan spoof pays homage to an unlikely pairing of low-budget sci-fi and French film. (USA, 2004, 13 min. John Harden directs.)

Insomnia
In this lyrically drawn piece, a sleepless man sets out on a nocturnal quest for milk to satisfy his cat. (Latvia, 2004, 7 min. Vladimir Leschiov directs.)

Other Shortsfest Programs

Low-Cost Filmmaking...on Film!
Steven Garfinkel of Eastman Kodak will discuss economical ways to shoot on film for highest quality results. A perennial filmmaker favorite, this information-packed presentation will cover options in equipment, stock, and post-production services and includes comparisons of shooting in Super 16mm and 35mm.

This series of informative presentations and hands-on demonstrations is led by industry professionals. Focusing on timely issues facing filmmakers of all levels and offering plenty of opportunity to ask questions, Lounge Acts will deepen your knowledge of shorts, whether you make them or watch them. Topics include taking your film to the next level, exhibition opportunities beyond the festival circuit, low budget shooting, and more.

Beyond Festivals: Distribution & Exhibition Opportunities for Shorts
Shorts are hot and the market of opportunity is expanding. This discussion will offer insight into current distribution channels including television, video on demand, broadband internet, and more. Moderated by award-winning filmmaker Adam Collis, panelists include Scott Dwyer (Program Director, KQED Public Television, San Francisco), Megan O'Neill (Vice President of Acquisitions & Development, Atom Films), Linda O. Olszewski (Head of Shorts Division for The Hatchery), Romen Podzyhun (Founder & Programming Director for Canada's Movieola, The Short Film Channel), and Beau Buck (CEO, BigDigit Inc.).

This series of informative presentations and hands-on demonstrations is led by industry professionals. Focusing on timely issues facing filmmakers of all levels and offering plenty of opportunity to ask questions, Lounge Acts will deepen your knowledge of shorts, whether you make them or watch them. Topics include taking your film to the next level, exhibition opportunities beyond the festival circuit, low budget shooting, and more.

How Your Short Can Take You to the Next Level
Now that you've completed your short, how do you get it seen by people who can help you realize your film dreams? Who should look at it? How do you get it to them? What kind of press kit should you include? Does your short have feature potential? John Halecky (IFILM's Content Department) and Corey Peterson (Acquisitions & Sales, Apollo Cinema) will share some short filmmaker success stories and offer helpful tips on how your short can take you to the next level in your film career.

This series of informative presentations and hands-on demonstrations is led by industry professionals. Focusing on timely issues facing filmmakers of all levels and offering plenty of opportunity to ask questions, Lounge Acts will deepen your knowledge of shorts, whether you make them or watch them. Topics include taking your film to the next level, exhibition opportunities beyond the festival circuit, low budget shooting, and more.

Mobile Master Class
Beau Buck (CEO, BigDigit Inc. which runs mFlix Channel) will conduct a hands-on mobile media workshop, demonstrating and answering questions on how short films are streamed to mobile and cell phone networks. In this fascinating 90-minute seminar, short digital films will be 'mobilized' and uploaded to a mobile phone network. This cutting-edge technology demonstration is a must for anyone curious about this intriguing future for the moving image.

This series of informative presentations and hands-on demonstrations is led by industry professionals. Focusing on timely issues facing filmmakers of all levels and offering plenty of opportunity to ask questions, Lounge Acts will deepen your knowledge of shorts, whether you make them or watch them. Topics include taking your film to the next level, exhibition opportunities beyond the festival circuit, low budget shooting, and more.

MASTERWORKS - THE DIRECTOR'S CHAIR
Panel Members:

FRANK PIERSON (moderator)
A distinguished screenwriter and noted director, Frank Pierson earned an Oscar nomination for his debut, the screen adaptation of Cat Ballou in 1965. Two years later he was nominated for Cool Hand Luke and in 1975 he won an Oscar for his original screenplay, Dog Day Afternoon.

Born in Chappaqua, New York, and raised and schooled in New England and New York, Frank Pierson served in WWII and received his B.S. in Cultural Anthropology from Harvard. During the 50s he worked as a correspondent for Time and Life magazines before writing for television series, such as Have Gun Will Travel and Route 66. Some of his other writing credits include The Looking Glass War, The Anderson Tapes, and Presumed Innocent.

In addition to writing for television, he also produced and directed several episodes. He directed his first feature film, The Looking Glass War in 1969. Some of his other feature directing credits include the 1976 version of A Star Is Born and King of the Gypsies in 1978. In the 1990s, Frank Pierson focused most of his energy writing teleplays and directing television movies, including the well-wrought Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee (1994), Dirty Pictures, Conspiracy, and Soldier's Girl, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

President of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and Artistic Director of the American Film Institute's Center for Advanced Film Studies, Frank Pierson is also a member of the teaching staff for the Sundance Institute. He serves on the boards of the Artists Rights Foundation and the Humanities Foundation, is past president of the Writer's Guild of America, and a past member of the Board of the Los Angeles Theatre Center. His awards also include the Writers' Guild Laurel Award for Lifetime Achievement in Screenwriting, and the WGA Valentine Davies Award for Service to the Motion Picture Industry.

JON AMIEL
A graduate of Cambridge University, Jon Amiel launched his directing career at the Hampstead Theatre before moving to directing for the Royal Shakespeare Company. He subsequently joined the BBC as a story editor and was soon directing television dramas, such as Busted with Alan Rickman, The Luck Child for Jim Henson's Storyteller series, and Dennis Potter's The Singing Detective, hailed as a new benchmark for television drama and gathering acclaim around the world.

In 1989 Jon Amiel's feature film debut Queen of Hearts opened the Cannes Film Festival and won international recognition including Best First Film at the Montreal Film Festival. Tune in Tomorrow, based on the novel Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter by Mario Vargas Llosa, was his American film debut. Jon Amiel's most recent film credits include The Core, starring Hilary Swank, Entrapment with Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta Jones, The Man Who Knew Too Little with Bill Murray, Copycat starring Holly Hunter and Sigourney Weaver, and Sommersby with Richard Gere and Jodie Foster. His recent television work includes the pilots for the series Eyes and Reunion for ABC and Fox, respectively.

TODD GRAFF
Todd Graff is an accomplished screenwriter and actor in film, theatre, and television. He has been acclaimed for his performances in such films as The Abyss, Dominick and Eugene, Five Corners, Sweet Lorraine, and City of Hope. Todd Graff's writing credits include Fly by Night, Used People, Angie, The Beautician and The Beast, as well as re-writes on Dangerous Minds, The Preacher's Wife, Zoolander, and Coyote Ugly. Todd Graff has also written The Crowded Room for New Regency Films, and is currently writing Grooveyard for Paramount/MTV Films, as well as Tomorrow Never Knows, the film biography of Beatles manager Brian Epstein, to be played by Jude Law. Todd Graff's acclaimed directorial debut, Camp, was in Dramatic Competition at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival, and was subsequently released by IFC Films.

ALEXANDER PAYNE
Alexander Payne made his feature film debut with Citizen Ruth, which won the top prize at the Munich Film Festival and for which Laura Dern won Best Actress at the Montreal Film Festival. He followed up with Election, a film that earned him and writing partner Jim Taylor Best Screenplay awards from the Writers Guild of America, the New York Film Critics Circle, and the Independent Spirit Awards, as well as an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. At the Independent Spirit Awards, Election also won Best Film and Best Director. Alexander Payne was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Director for his next feature, About Schmidt. He and Taylor received the Golden Globe for Best Screenplay, and Jack Nicholson and Kathy Bates were nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress Oscars. His latest collaboration with Jim Taylor, Sideways, recently won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, as well as six Independent Spirit Awards including Best Screenplay and Best Director.

Originally from Omaha, Nebraska, Alexander Payne received Bachelor of Arts degrees in History and Spanish Literature from Stanford University before earning a Master of Fine Arts in filmmaking from UCLA.

JOHN POLSON
A native of Australia, actor-director John Polson began his film career by making shorts. In the early 1990s, his first short, Surry Hills, 902 Spring Roll (1993) served as the genesis of Tropfest, now considered one of Australia's most prestigious short film showcases (see Australian Cool, Sunday, April 10). A theater and screen actor since 1983, John Polson has appeared in numerous film and television productions including the role of Glen in the feature film The Boys that secured him the Australian Film Institute's Best Supporting Actor Award (1998). Most recently, he appeared in Mission Impossible II in 2000.

It was during his acting experience making the mini-series Viet Nam (1986) that John Polson developed an interest in directing. All along he continued to make shorts like An Evening with Herman (1986), Harold's Retirement (1988), and the award-winning What's Going On, Frank? (1995). In 1998 he turned to directing features with Siam Sunset, which won awards at several international festivals including the Cannes Film Festival. In 2002 John Polson directed his first U.S. feature, Swimfan. His second U.S. feature, Hide and Seek, starring Robert De Niro and Dakota Fanning opened earlier this year. He is currently attached to several feature film projects as director and producer, both in the US and Australia.

JIM TAYLOR
Born and raised in Seattle, Mr. Taylor attended Pomona College in Claremont, California and received his MFA from NYU in 1995. For the past 15 years he and Alexander Payne have collaborated, co-authoring four screenplays: Citizen Ruth, Election, About Schmidt, and most recently, Sideways.

The screenplay for Election received an Independent Spirit Award, as well as awards from the Writers Guild of America and the New York Film Critics Circle. Election was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. About Schmidt was honored by the Hollywood Foreign Press with a Golden Globe for Best Adapted Screenplay. Sideways was recently honored with an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, as well as six Independent Spirit Awards including Best Screenplay.

In addition to continuing his creative partnership with Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor is currently at work on two screenplays, which he will direct. The first is an original story for Scott Rudin Productions and the second is an adaptation of John Steinbeck's The Winter of Our Discontent, produced by the Steppenwolf Theater Company's film division. Having directed two shorts, Memory Lane and Living Will, he returns to Shortsfest with his latest directorial turn, The Lost Cause that screens out of competition.

THE BEST OF TROPFEST
Tropfest, Sydney, Australia

Undoubtedly, Australia's Tropfest is one of the coolest short film festivals on the planet. And it certainly attracts the biggest single audience - an annual outdoor crowd in excess of 130,000 on a single night! What started as a cast and crew screening of a short at a local Sydney cafe in the early 1990s has become the premiere creative platform for Australia's aspiring filmmakers. Participating filmmakers abide by three rules: Their film must be seven minutes or less. Its premiere must be Tropfest. And that year's Tropfest Signature Item, selected to inspire creativity (e.g. a pickle, chopsticks, a kiss), must appear in the film, showing it was made specifically for the festival. Tropfest's aims are simple: to stimulate the production of shorts and provide as large an audience as possible for the work of Australia's emerging filmmakers.

We're delighted to welcome the creative vision behind Tropfest, actor-director John Polson (Swimfan, the recent Hide and Seek with Robert DeNiro) who continues to hold the artistic reins of this amazing event. The evening will feature a selection of John's favorite Tropfest shorts from over the years, as well as some special footage to give you a taste of the festival. If you like your shorts smart, snappy and truly short, this special presentation is the perfect ending to Shortsfest 2005!

Tropfest Shorts to be Presented:

Australian Summer
1st Place, Tropfest 2005.
Two men, one alleyway, and an entire world to explore.
(6 mins 43 secs, Luke Eve directs.)

Bomb
Best Comedy, Best Screenplay, People's Choice Award, Tropfest 2005.
In this tragi-comedy, a man thinks his day can't get any worse. But it can...
(3 mins 30 secs. Alister Grierson directs.)

Effective Towel Flicking - Introductory Techniques
2nd Prize, Tropfest 2003.
A hilarious look at how to turn an ordinary towel into an effective weapon.
(4 mins 31 secs. Mike Sharman & Andrew Tomazos direct.)

Fingerprints
Finalist, Tropfest 2005.
A cop's hunt for clues becomes much more than routine as his search reveals a devastating truth...
(6 mins 59 secs. Cathrine McVeigh directs.)

Garbage Man
Finalist, Tropfest 2005.
A comic horror film in which a lone female is stalked by a cardboard cut-out of a world-leader.
(6 mins 46 secs. Henry Naylor directs.)

The Little Woman
Tropicana Award, Tropfest 2004.
In this mini-comedy, Ted wants the police to get his wife and kids back. The police are more interested in finding out just how nuts Ted is.
(7 mins. Greg Williams directs.)

Lucky
2nd place, Tropfest 2005.
An action movie in which Lucky finds himself in a bind.
(4 mins 24 secs. Nash Edgerton directs.)

One Down
Best Editing, Tropfest 2004.
A Polish immigrant is confronted with his past while completing a newspaper crossword.
(5 mins 56 secs. Gary Cunliffe directs.)

Rattus Pistofficus
Finalist, Tropfest 2005.
Animated comedy in which a man and a rat struggle for their right to shelter.
(5 mins 30 secs. Josh Reed & Sam Reed direct.)

Too Far
Finalist, Tropfest 2005.
Comical story of a paranoid father who over reacts to the Y2K bug, the threat of terrorism and water restrictions.
(6 mins 50 secs. Matthew Peek directs.)

Wilfred
Best Comedy, Best Male Actor, Tropfest 2002.
A man and a dog vie for a woman's attention. Can they come to a compromise? Not likely.
(6 mins 45 secs. Tony Rogers directs.)

Yin
3rd prize, Young Talent Award , People's Choice Award, Tropfest 2004.
A poignant animation about two characters who must find a way to become part of the stars.
(6 mins 59 secs. Costa Avgoustinos directs.)

Local Filmmaker Showcase 2005

Boys Boys Boys, 1 min.
Filmmaker: Erika Murillo - Student from Latino Documentary Workshop

Soccer, 2 min.
Filmmaker: Daniel Saporita - Student from Latino Documentary Workshop

What Are You Afraid Of, 5 min. (Student) Glenwood Springs.
Filmmakers: Cassidy Willey, Sabra Morris, Rick Lefavre, Jake Hudson, and Joel Weddell.

Balancing Point, 6 min. Aspen.
Filmmaker: Danny Brown

Simple Pleasures, 3 min. (Student) Basalt.
Filmmakers: Lindsey Mclaughlin, Kyle Pfab, Kelci Vannice, Javier Morales, Leslie Benson, Stephanie Morley, and Kari Heuer.

From Fear to Faith, 8.5 min. Basalt.
Filmmakers: Rosa Bielec, Annalisa Hodgkins and Tom Eldridge.

Seminar 126, 2 min. Glenwood Springs.
Filmmakers: Lynn Aliya and Barry Smith.

Mastication Sensation, 4 min.(Student) Basalt.
Filmmakers: Ari Wolters, Matt Hobbs, Jordan Bacheldor, Mario Landa, Nima Noori, and Wade Vittany.

State Dreams, 10 min. (Student) Basalt.
Filmmaker: Matt Hobbs.

The Making of an Angel, 6 min. Aspen.
Filmmakers: Shane Ebrahimi, Joel Belmont and Libby Selikoff.

Kumquat, 5 min. Basalt.
Filmmakers: Paul Molak, Greg Kowalik, and Bill Fisher.

The Busk, 4 min.(Student) Carbondale.
Filmmakers: Jay Bashant, Jack Rugile, Brendan Giralbot Kendragros, Sam Pickard, Scott Fishbein, Mikey Inverso, and Aaron Hughes.

Locker 87, 1.5 min. (Student) Carbondale.
Filmmakers: Mollie Honan, Austin Ford, Ian Roeber, and David Thorpe.

The Cold, 10 min. Carbondale.
Filmmakers: Robert Congdon, Julian Goodwin, Rudy Carsals, Jason Congdon, Tim Goodwin, and Shane O'Reily.

The Game (ll Gioco), 1 min. (Student) Carbondale.
Filmmakers: Olivia Britz, Brandon Howard, Jake Boyle, Ryan Romero, and Olivia Britz.

A Good Strong Roof, 5 min. Glenwood Springs.
Filmmaker: Tony Gault.

Candy, 2 min. (Student) Aspen.
Filmmakers: Hunter Shaw, and John Chau.

The Real Chainsaw, 5 min. Glenwood Springs.
Filmmakers: Paul Douglas, Jacen Kraynek, Chris Gorges, Marty Hoffman and Tim Kidd.

Going Up, 5 min. Glenwood Springs.
Filmmaker: Caleb Liston

Last of the Cowboys, 10 min. Carbondale.
Filmmakers: Chip Comins, Jetzen O'Conner, and Jolie Ramo.

Cheap Trick, 1 min. (Student) Glenwood Springs.
Filmmakers: Nic Sher, Jordan Howes, Jake Snyder, Brendan Girardot, Chris Garnes, Thomas Simmons, Noah Leffler, and Brandon McDuffy.

My Mother, 2 min. Aspen
Filmmaker: Dianna Platero.