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American Made
En route to vacation at the Grand Canyon, an American Sikh family suddenly find themselves stranded in the middle of nowhere when their car breaks down. In the hours spent trying to flag down help, they learn a lot about each other, their cultural beliefs, and the country that is their home. (U.S.A., 2003, 25 min. Directed by Sharat Raju.)
Deep Silence
In this deeply affecting Havana-based drama, two best friends have a plan but it’s a secret. Events conspire to leave one of them with another, life-transforming secret that seems impossible to share. Shot in Havana, this childhood tale captures the flavor of Cuban life while speaking volumes about friendship, a universal experience. (Mexico, 2003, 15 min. Directed by Gustavo Loza.)
The Dog Who Was a Cat Inside
Living together is never easy for a dog and cat. Especially when they inhabit the same body. With personalities as different as day and night, conflict is inevitable but in this animated fable, they find a happily-ever-after solution. (U.K., 2003, 3 min. Directed by Siri Melchior.)
Just a Clown
When Andrew Jarecki set out to make a short documentary about professional children’s birthday party clowns, he discovered that one of his subjects had a secret story. He refocused his efforts to make the Oscar-nominated Capturing the Friedmans. Jarecki and his team have completed their original project. Just a Clown follows the public life of Silly Billy, a.k.a. David Friedman, and fellow party clowns. (U.S.A., 2003, 20 min. Directed by Andrew Jarecki.)
Night Express
An extremely patient man shares a sleeping car on the night express with a complete hypochondriac. Anxious for his berth mate to reveal any habits that might disturb his sleep, the neurotic man subjects the other to an absurd interrogation. (Spain, 2003, 8 min. Directed by Imanol Ortiz Lopez.)
Two Cars, One Night
Three kids pass a long evening in the parking lot of a rural pub. This imaginatively shot drama sneaks a peek at that universal adolescent boy-meets-girl ritual where posturing ultimately gives way to friendship…and the first inklings of love. (New Zealand, 2003, 11 min. Directed by Taika Waititi.)
Vegetable Thriller
Tasty, beautiful, inert. Yes, but sinister? Who could have imagined such darkness lurks within the vegetable kingdom? (U.K., 2003, 2 min. Directed by Loic Sturani.)
Ash Wednesday
Long separated, their family connections tenuous, three adult siblings are reunited by a crisis. This psychological drama explores the complex nature of sibling relationships, asking where does our responsibility to family begin and end? Does family have the right to ask us to sacrifice all? Do we have the right to say “no?” (Australia, 2003, 15 min. Directed by Jason Tolsher.)
Coming Home
A woman returns home to find that everything is not quite as she remembers it. A visually mesmerizing ode to memory and change. (U.K., 2003, 7 min. Directed by Gemma Carrington.)
Cracker Bag
Autobiographical at it source, this wistful recollection centers on one of those seemingly small childhood experiences that subsequently resonates through life. Eddie is a “tomboy” obsessed with hoarding fireworks in anticipation of cracker night. The night proves more memorable than she could have imagined. (Australia, 2003, 14 min. Directed by Glendyn Ivin.)
The God
From the director of At the Ends of Earth (SF00) comes this very different and funny meditation on the human side of deity. (Russia, 2003, 5 min. Directed by Konstantin Bronzit.)
The Silent Treatment
It’s the morning after what appears to have been an eventful dinner party. Why is Sara not talking to Bill? Why won’t Bill stop talking to Sara? Is Lucy at the bottom of all this...or maybe it’s got something to do with Eddie? The director of Dumping Elaine (SF03) offers us yet another smartly ironic relationship puzzle to piece together. (U.K., 2003, 10 min. Directed by Peter Lydon.)
Soar
With his leather jacket and TV good looks, Simon looks the part he plays 24/7. A professional actor, he’s flying to Melbourne for an audition. Buckled in next to him is the geeky, chatty, and oh-so-annoying Jack. Guess what? He’s an actor too, more like a Waiting for Guffman refugee. To complete Simon’s dread: the flight’s sold out. A very funny variation on every traveler’s nightmare. (Australia, 2003, 19 min. Directed by Tristan Bancks.)
Strangers
Two men on the Paris metro. Wary strangers with nothing in common except mutual hostility. All that changes when another group of strangers sits down nearby in this wry urban tale about identities and adversaries. (U.S.A., 2003, 7 min. Directed by Erez Tadmor & Guy Nattiv.)
Twins
Accompanying his wife on a book project about twins, director Martin Bell wanted to explore further the extraordinary bond he observed in her subjects. After being photographed, a series of identical twins of varying ages and backgrounds were asked 20 questions. This documentary is constructed from their answers. (U.S.A., 2003, 17 min. Directed by Martin Bell.)
Dad’s Dead
Childhood pranks assume an increasingly menacing tone as the narrator and his best mate, Johnno, grow up in this chilling tale of a friendship gone awry. Masterfully blending live action and digital animation, Chris Shepherd ponders the company we keep. The effect is disturbing and provocative indeed. (U.K., 2003, 7 min. Directed by Chris Shepherd.)
Grasshopper
You might be able to judge a book by its cover but you should never surmise what Bob Sabiston (Director Spotlight, SF00, Waking Life) will discover in his chance meetings with people on the street. In this latest animated interview, he has an enlightening encounter with a stranger in New York’s Washington Square Park. (U.S.A., 2003, 15 min. Directed by Bob Sabiston.)
My Parents
Maria has found the “man of her dreams.” But there’s a problem. What do you do when your very hip boyfriend wants to meet your decidedly square parents? Everybody’s in for a bit of self-revelation in this droll drama of expectations. (Germany, 2003, 18 min. Directed by Neele Vollmar.)
Night in Lima
A once-aspiring photojournalist, Marko recalls the pivotal moment when dreams, death, insomnia and intoxication precipitated his ultimate retreat. Set in Lima, Peru, 1992, amidst the Shining Path’s final wave of violence, Marko learns about the fleeting quality of life through an encounter with Rivera, a camera mercenary hooked on the adrenaline of the front line. (Spain, 2003, 15 min. Directed by Carlos Carcas.)
Press Any Button
For Sophie, every day is full of choices – woman, professional, mother, consumer. What will it be today? Visually playful, Anna Fraser’s daydream is filled with food for thought. (Australia, 2003, 8 min. Directed by Anna Fraser.)
Red Sky
Panayiotis Fafoutis (The Hawker, SF02) returns with an urban drama where the world of two ravers on ecstasy collides with that of a lonely waitress. Drenched in color and pulsing to a techno beat, this nocturnal chamber piece ponders how music and chance encounters can touch lives in unexpected ways. (Greece, 2003, 16 min. Directed by Panayiotis Fafoutis.)
The Referees
After a successful first date, Nick decides he’s ready to launch the next phase of a potential new relationship, but he’s a fellow who believes in doing things by the book. A witty take on contemporary love. (Australia, 2003, 7 min. Directed by Katrina Mathers.)
Thank You
The anonymity of the commute loses its impersonal edge in this comedy about people, public transportation, and one wonderfully weird guy. (Belgium, 2002, Directed by Christine Rabette.
It’s Like That
Every year families with young children arrive on Australian shores, seeking asylum. Arriving illegally, they are held in detention centers, sometimes for years. This unusual collaborative documentary tells the stories of three such children in a surprisingly effective and poignant way. (Australia, 2003, 8 min. Directed by the Southern Ladies Animation Group.)
Kabul Cinema
Rescuing scraps of flaming film from a besieged movie theater, a 13-year-old Afghan movie fan creates a pushcart cinema of his own. Among the flock of street children drawn to his mobile attraction, he finds the girl he adores. A flight of fancy made bittersweet by its reality – Kabul on the verge of falling to the Taliban. (Afghanistan, 2002, 17 min. Directed by Mirwais Rekab.)
The M Word
It’s all about getting what you want in this droll comedy of two business executives fiercely negotiating the terms of a long-term deal. (U.S.A., 2003, 4 min. Directed by Rocky Morton.)
The Man Without a Head
Preparing for a date with the girl of his dreams, our charming hero moves with the expressive grace of Fred Astaire. For this important occasion, he needs something really special…If you let this oddly beguiling partner lead, he’ll waltz you through a mesmerizing world that lingers. (France, 2003, 3 min. Directed by Juan Solanas.)
My Name is Yu Ming
In this amusing twist on immigrants and the native tongue, a young Chinese man decides to move to Ireland. But first he’s determined to learn its official language. Upon arrival in Dublin, Yu Ming is puzzled by his failure to communicate. (Ireland, 2003, 13 min. Directed by Daniel O’Hara.)
Nibbles
A manically silly, Oscar-nominated paean to the joys of family, fishing, and fast food. (U.S.A., 2003, 5 min. Directed by Chris Hinton.)
Passing Hearts
Inspired by a newspaper article, Johan Brisinger brings subtle mystery and emotional depth to his quiet drama about a young boy’s quest for answers. Daniel finds them in a small, yet momentous meeting that gives his life new and unexpected meaning. (Sweden, 2003, 13 min. Directed by Johan Brisinger.)
The Sofa Principle
Seven days. Two guys. One sofa. A brilliant solution to that annoying contemporary dilemma: social interaction. How to avoid or initiate it on your own terms. (France, 2003, 10 min. Directed by Mike Guermyet & Samuel Hercule.)
Success with Sweetpeas
To use the vernacular, this animated delight is a hybrid of sorts. Competitive growers, showers, and arrangers speak more in poetry than prose about the irresistible (and typically English) pursuit of the perfect sweet pea. (U.K., 2003, 6 min. Directed by Samantha Moore.)
Consent
Jason Reitman (In God We Trust, SF00; Gulp, SF01) returns with a comic quickie about young love in the age of litigation. (U.S.A., 2004, 6 min. Directed by Jason Reitman.)
Contamination
Cross-contamination of genetic material spirals out of control in Carl Stevenson’s dystopian future. A haunting world where the very familiar takes on an eerie unfamiliarity. (U.K., 2003, 6 min. Directed by Carl Stevenson.)
Dangle
Curiosity gets the better of a man who comes upon a velvet rope hanging from the sky in this bit of whimsy. (Germany, 2003, 6 min. Directed by Philip Traill.)
A Different War
Jerusalem during the Intifada. Living in a besieged Israeli neighborhood, ten-year-old Nuni finds his dreams at odds with the expectations of his family, schoolmates, and environment. It is a conflict with which he must come to terms. (Israel, 2003, 15 min. Directed by Nadav Gal.)
Express Checkout
She’s the cashier. He’s the love-lorn customer. And then there’s the panhandler just outside who offers to watch groceries and dispense romantic advice. A charming tale where true romance is not included in your six-item limit. (Italy, 2003, 10 min. Directed by Francesco Falaschi.)
From Woodside, Queens
Kyle is a struggling stand-up comedian. He spends hours polishing his routine, often for an appreciative audience of one – his grandmother. With equal doses of humor and humanity, this true story finds a young man at an important crossroads: should he follow his dream or give it up? From Woodside, Queens, it’s a long road to Gotham. (U.S.A., 2003, 14 min. Directed by Matthew Bonifacio.)
Jo Jo in the Stars
Set in a hauntingly beautiful gothic world, two lovers make a stand against those who would destroy them. True love, self-sacrifice, heroism and murderous jealousy play out in this captivating animated miniature. (U.K., 2003, 12 min. Directed by Marc Craste.)
Le Cheval 2.1
A man contemplates his essence in this hilariously absurd short. (U.K., 2003, 2 min. Directed by Stephen Scott-Hayward and Alex Kirkland.)
One Flight Stand
This tongue-in-cheek tale of altitude and attitude showcases the clever humor of writer-director Saladin Patterson (writer for TV's Frasier and the upcoming feature The Fighting Temptations). As Ben and Alexis, a prototypical modern-day couple, actors Marc Blucas (First Daughter, The Alamo, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Aisha Tyler(Meet Market, Talk Soup) deftly capture Patterson’s signature mix of biting satire and witty banter. (U.S.A., 2003, 12 min. Directed by Saladin K. Patterson.)
The Road to Gulu
A journey to the Heart of Darkness is hardly expected by two naïve American filmmakers tailing President Bush’s trip to Uganda. But prostitutes, political refugees and an expatriate doctor guide them to a harrowing trip along the road to Gulu. Traveling with thousands of children fleeing terrorist abduction, what they find at the road’s end is a chaos that offers a true test of Bush’s $15 billion commitment to fight AIDS in Africa. (U.S.A., 2003, 14 min. Directed by Tom Folsom and Nick Harder.)
Underground
This smart action thriller offers a heart-racing game of cat-and-mouse guaranteed to have you on the seat’s edge. Set in the subway of an anonymous city, a woman is being chased. What lies ahead is not what you expect and will leave you thinking. (U.S.A., 2003, 11 min. Directed by Aimee Lagos & Kristin Dehnert.)
American Made
En route to vacation at the Grand Canyon, an American Sikh family suddenly find themselves stranded in the middle of nowhere when their car breaks down. In the hours spent trying to flag down help, they learn a lot about each other, their cultural beliefs, and the country that is their home. (U.S.A., 2003, 25 min. Directed by Sharat Raju.)
Deep Silence
In this deeply affecting Havana-based drama, two best friends have a plan but it’s a secret. Events conspire to leave one of them with another, life-transforming secret that seems impossible to share. Shot in Havana, this childhood tale captures the flavor of Cuban life while speaking volumes about friendship, a universal experience. (Mexico, 2003, 15 min. Directed by Gustavo Loza.)
My Parents
Maria has found the “man of her dreams.” But there’s a problem. What do you do when your very hip boyfriend wants to meet your decidedly square parents? Everybody’s in for a bit of self-revelation in this droll drama of expectations. (Germany, 2003, 18 min. Directed by Neele Vollmar.)
Press Any Button
For Sophie, every day is full of choices – woman, professional, mother, consumer. What will it be today? Visually playful, Anna Fraser’s daydream is filled with food for thought. (Australia, 2003, 8 min. Directed by Anna Fraser.)
Strangers
Two men on the Paris metro. Wary strangers with nothing in common except mutual hostility. All that changes when another group of strangers sits down nearby in this wry urban tale about identities and adversaries. (U.S.A., 2003, 7 min. Directed by Erez Tadmor & Guy Nattiv.)
Twins
Accompanying his wife on a book project about twins, director Martin Bell wanted to explore further the extraordinary bond he observed in her subjects. After being photographed, a series of identical twins of varying ages and backgrounds were asked 20 questions. This documentary is constructed from their answers. (U.S.A., 2003, 17 min. Directed by Martin Bell.)
Two Cars, One Night
Three kids pass a long evening in the parking lot of a rural pub. This imaginatively shot drama sneaks a peek at that universal adolescent boy-meets-girl ritual where posturing ultimately gives way to friendship…and the first inklings of love. (New Zealand, 2003, 11 min. Directed by Taika Waititi.)
Bathtime in Clerkenwell
This cleverly graphic animation spins the tale of a British revolution literally gone ”cuckoo!” (U.S.A., 2002, 3 min. Directed by Alex Budovsky.)
Caught in Paint
This artistic documentary captures the essence of a dynamic, all-day collaboration between choreographer David Parsons, the Parsons dancers, and painter Rita Blitt. Creative sparks do defy gravity! (U.S.A., 2003, 6 min, Directed by Rita Blitt.)
Creature Comforts: Cats or Dogs?
Boasting the largest cross-section of domesticated clay critters on the big screen, this latest from the creators of Wallace and Gromit examines both sides of that age-old debate: Cats? Or dogs? The two most popular pets go head to head. (U.K., 2003, 9 min. Directed by Richard Goleszowski.)
Excursion
A satirical look at one man’s efforts to escape his mundane existence. Along the way he encounters a bizarre set of obstacles, including a briefcase full of preconceptions and a corporate refrigerator bent on world domination. (Australia, 2002, 3 min. Directed by Cris Jones.)
Gowanus, Brooklyn
Gowanus, Brooklyn. Where a twelve-year-old girl, who has discovered her teacher’s secret life, is compelled to investigate further. With a rich texture and standout performances, this keenly-observed tale captures the daily rhythms of a girl and her habitat. (U.S.A., 2003, 19 min. Directed by Ryan Fleck & Anna Boden.)
Houdini’s Hound
To impress his cousin, Fredrik is eager to prove he’s as talented as the great escape artist Houdini. But Klara wants to keep him on a leash. They compromise by creating the “Houdini slave” game. But when put to the test will Fredrik succeed? A charming tale of love, magic, and denial – all on a summer’s day. (Norway, 2003, 14 min. Directed by Sara Johnsen.)
Like Twenty Impossibles
When a Palestinian film crew decides to bypass a military checkpoint by taking a detour, the geopolitical landscape unravels. Occupying the space between fiction and reality, this intriguing drama questions fragmentation, the opportunism of artists, and more. (Palestine, 2003, 17 min. Directed by Annemarie Jacir.)
Talking with Angels
Ten-year-old Alan is the little man in his family and it’s an enormous responsibility. His mother, tormented by an inner world of voices, seems as much a child as her four neglected kids. It is Alan who looks out for them all: directing, cajoling, fiercely protective. No stranger to stories of families on the margins, Yousaf Ali Khan (Skin Deep, SF00) brings us another penetrating tale of the ties that bind. (U.K., 2003, 18 min. Directed by Yousaf Ali Khan.)
7:35 in the Morning
One morning a woman notices something strange at the café where she has breakfast every day. Bartender, waiters, and customers – everyone is sitting in silence. Suddenly a song can be heard. (Spain, 2003, 8 min. Directed by Nacho Vigalondo.)
Bombay Summer
Swirling with the saturated colors and rain-drenched passion of a Bollywood romance, Bombay Summer innovatively mixes melodrama and documentary styles to give a surprisingly intimate look into the extraordinary lives of two ordinary people living in the slums of Bombay. (India, 2003, 10 min. Directed by Raaghav Dar.)
Fast Film
From Frankenstein to Cary Grant, classic Hollywood cinema is ingeniously reconfigured in this breath-taking reassemblage of iconic film moments. This thrillingly wild ride has everything: the hero, the villain, the damsel in distress, the fight, and especially - the chase! (Austria/Luxembourg, 2003, 14 min. Directed by Virgil Widrich.)
Hello
Can analog find true love in a digital world? Leave it to the wise old gramophone to offer answers to a lovesick loner in this delightful animated twist on a classic story. (Australia, 2003, 6 min. Directed by Jonathan Nix.)
Krumped
In Krumped, photographer David LaChapelle celebrates “clowning,” an underground phenomenon where gangs of kids paint their faces and attempt to dance rivals into submission. Unlike traditional gangs, the clowns are anti-drug and anti-violence. With an eye for striking images, LaChapelle meets the clowns on their own home turf of L.A.’s Compton to capture a movement that’s helping a community. (U.S.A., 2003, 24 min. Directed by David LaChapelle.)
Loose Ends
The merits of E.T. vs. Star Wars are merely the pretext for an increasingly heated debate between two buddies. It is indeed a long drive home in this funny take on friendship and estrangement. (Norway, 2003, 9 min. Directed by Stig Svendsen.)
Mating Call
Reducing the search for an appropriate mate to the basest of animal instincts. Forget online dating, perhaps we should take a cue from the animal kingdom. (Mexico, 2004, 3 min. Directed by Patricio Serna.)
WASP
Zoe lives on the edge, just one neglectful step away from losing her kids to social services. Nostalgic for her pub-hopping, good time girl days, the still young single mum happens upon an old admirer. But what to do with her hungry brood? With a brilliant economy and pathos, Andrea Arnold explores a precarious balancing act where parenthood, poverty, and desire vie for center stage. (U.K., 2003, 23 min. Directed by Andrea Arnold.)
Cracker Bag
Autobiographical at it source, this wistful recollection centers on one of those seemingly small childhood experiences that subsequently resonates through life. Eddie is a “tomboy” obsessed with hoarding fireworks in anticipation of cracker night. The night proves more memorable than she could have imagined. (Australia, 2003, 14 min. Directed by Glendyn Ivin.)
Dangle
Curiosity gets the better of a man who comes upon a velvet rope hanging from the sky in this bit of whimsy. (Germany, 2003, 6 min. Directed by Philip Traill.)
The Dog Who Was a Cat Inside
Living together is never easy for a dog and cat. Especially when they inhabit the same body. With personalities as different as day and night, conflict is inevitable. But in this animated fable, they find a happily-ever-after solution. (U.K., 2003, 3 min. Directed by Siri Melchior.)
Hello
Can analog find true love in a digital world? Leave it to the wise old gramophone to offer answers to a lovesick loner in this delightful animated twist on a classic story. (Australia, 2003, 6 min. Directed by Jonathan Nix.)
Houdini’s Hound
To impress his cousin, Fredrik is eager to prove he’s as talented as the great escape artist Houdini. But Klara wants to keep him on a leash. They compromise by creating the “Houdini slave” game. But when put to the test will Fredrik succeed? A charming tale of love, magic, and denial – all on a summer’s day. (Norway, 2003, 14 min. Directed by Sara Johnsen.)
Love Tricycle
This colorful animation brings life and emotion to the town of Rimside, where three bicycles find themselves in a love triangle. When Beau and Harley clash, sparks fly, but only one of them deserves to take Bec’s handlebar. (Australia, 2003, 13 min. Directed by Andrew Goode.)
Showa Shinzan
Amid war and deprivation, a small Japanese village bears witness to the amazing spectacle of nature – and a young girl’s eyes open to the world around her in this beautifully animated film based on actual events. (Canada, 2002, 13 min. Directed by Alison Reiko Loader.)
A Work in Progress
While composing a story about a bear trying to fit in, a lonely little girl learns a lesson as valuable to herself as to her story’s hero in this endearing tale. (U.S.A., 2002, 8 min. Directed by Wes Ball.)
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