2020 Virtual Festival Films and Descriptions
Note: All non-English films will have English subtitles.
All Q & A Sessions will be conducted via Zoom.
Films will be accessed through the program Canvas. Details about how to login to view films will be sent after pass purchase.
Feature Length Films
All Its Name Implies
Run Time: 1:38:45
Director: Ev Durán
Country: United States
Genre: Documentary
Language: English
"All Its Name Implies" focuses on the resilient residents of Paradise, California in the aftermath of the devastating Camp Fire in November of 2018. This documentary film features moving testimonials from survivors of the inferno, and showcases the power of the human spirit as it follows townspeople who are determined to rebuild their beloved community.
Father's Girl
Run Time: 1:17:48
Director: Luke Ailabouni
Country: United States
Genre:
Language: English
The film follows an unfortunate relationship between a father and his daughter, while also touching on opioid use and addiction. It features original music from several young musicians.
AWARDED BEST MIDWEST ROOTS
Midnight Song
Run Time: 1:30:07
Director: Arunjit Borah
Country: India
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Language: Assamese
Mou is a quiet housewife stuck in an unhappy marriage with her husband, Bikramjit. For years, she has held her tongue and served him, and in return, he has been ungrateful and rude. Mou and Bikram take a trip to their Bungalow in the country. What starts out as a normal night takes a strange turn when an unexpected visitor shows up. Mou and Bikram give the visitor hospitality, and as Mou talks to this newcomer, she begins to realize that there is more to life than her selfish husband and unhappy marriage. The events of the night unwind alarmingly--one person becomes a murderer while another becomes alive for the first time in years. Mou is faced with a decision when the morning comes, and her entire world changes.
Repossession
Run Time: 1:36:09
Director: Goh Ming Siu
Co-Director: Scott Hillyard
Country: Singapore
Genre: Drama, Horror, Psychological Thriller
Language: English, Mandarin, Malay, Cantonese, Hokkien
50-year-old Jim loses his high-flying job in status-conscious Singapore, but his ego and pride compel him to hide this from his wife and daughter. His only confidante is his best friend. Desperately clinging onto the material symbols of his past success, he unlocks a hibernating malevolent force, with sinister roots in long-buried secrets. As his dream life crumbles around him, worlds collide, the lines between then and now become increasingly blurred, and Jim descends into a waking nightmare.
AWARDED BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE
That is All
Run Time: 1:48:25
Director: Mark Weeden
Country: Canada
Genre: Drama
Language: English
While trying to navigate life as he enters his 30s, Ryan slips further into loneliness. A chance meeting with a friend's boyfriend, Sam, changes that trajectory, and as they grow closer, Ryan must come to terms with who he is, and what that means for him and the life he's been living.
The Last Day on Duty / La última Guardia
Run Time: 1:12:50
Director: Jon Cortegoso Otaduy
Country: Spain
Genre: Documentary
Language: Spanish
“La última Guardia” covers the last stretch of the career of Javier Herrán, a firefighter stationed in Urioste (Bizkaia). As he approaches retirement, you will get an insight into the workings of a well-oiled group and, particularly, the life of one of the brigade’s most eccentric firefighters with rank of corporal, who does not want to face up to retirement. The film focusing on his journey along with Javier Galbarriartu opens a window onto the work of a profession whose members risk their lives for other citizens. This documentary that discusses life and ageing reveals the feelings of the main character who still seems young, both physically and at heart, and who loves a job that he does not want to give up.
AWARDED BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Shorts
A Home for Curiosities
Run Time: 0:16:43
Director: Ben Tobin
Country: United States
Genre: Short, Fantasy
Language: English
A young boy discovers a house full of forgotten imaginary friends. Along with his friend Alice, Wallace helps bring these curiosities back to the real world to meet new human companions.
AWARDED BEST FAMILY FRIENDLY FILM
Avelina
Run Time: 0:03:16
Director: Reanna Madson
Country: United States
Genre: Short
Language: English
A look at love at first sight.
DeadMe
Run Time: 0:13:07
Director: Paul Hart-Wilden
Country: United States
Genre: Short, Horror
Language: English
Someone is targeting the lost, the lonely and the curious. If you text 'deadme' to the special number it just might be the last thing you do.
Enijami
Run Time: 0:19:28
Director: Ashley Price
Country: United States
Genre: Short, Fantasy
Language: English
A girl named Emily is bullied. To cope with her difficult reality, she escapes into a world she has created in her imagination: Enijami. Her imaginary friends and the beauty of her world give her temporary comfort. After an encounter with some kids at a church, she learns she can face reality by trusting in Jesus.
Go Go, Boy!
Run Time: 0:06:05
Director: Oriana Oppice
Country: United States
Genre: Short
Language: English
Bobby is a boy living in the middle of the WWF craze. Everyone around him is WWF crazy, so Bobby feels immense pressure to be just like them. But when Bobby looks at himself in the mirror, he sees someone a little… different. Bobby remembers he had found a flyer with a different kind of men on it… male dancers. He imitates the men on the flyer, moving the way he wants to move. Bobby transports himself into his fantasy world, floating across the stage effortlessly, dancing to his own beat. In this new world, he can be free of the wrestling ring’s ropes, free from society’s expectations of who he should be. Here, he is allowed to feel accepted, worthy, and fabulous. As his mother interrupts his dance session, he hops back into reality and back into bed, out of breath but happy.
Hot Diggity
Run Time: 0:01:17
Director: Danielle Pedersen
Country: United States
Genre: Short, Animated
Language: English
Hot Diggity is the short story of dog seeking to avenge his feathery friend by stealing hot dogs.
AWARDED BEST ANIMATED SHORT
L'observateur
Run Time: 0:06:05
Director: Simon Anderson
Country: United States
Genre: Short, Thriller
Language: English
A man walking in the woods quickly finds something very interesting to look at.
Lost in Connection
Run Time: 0:07:56
Director: Lukas Medin
Country: United States
Genre: Short
Language: English
A college student faces the psychological and fantastical consequences of his phone addiction.
Night Off
Run Time: 0:04:06
Director: Delany Glass
Country: United States
Genre: Short
Language: English
A young man is excited to enjoy a peaceful evening to himself, but when his friends show up uninvited, he must find a way to compromise and keep the peace.
Oppure
Run Time: 0:19:12
Director: Peter Galante
Country: United States
Genre: Short
Language: English
A cinema operetta. A female massage therapist enters an alternate reality, triggered by her touch on her client’s body. A consistent and powerful message is woven within, that nothing is ever finalized or finished. Encompasses the unspoken energy exchange and plays on feelings, emotions and senses between people. What memory is whose, we never know.
Party Tonight
Run Time: 0:02:38
Director: Kathryn Elwood
Country: United States
Genre: Short
Language: English
A fun and exciting night out quickly goes awry when Em is faced with a difficult situation, leading her to realize her true allies may not be who she expected.
Precipice
Run Time: 0:18:22
Director: Noel Davis Poyner
Country: United States
Genre: Short, Drama
Language: English
A grieving woman discovers an app that offers an unconventional method for alleviating her pain.
Punch Me
Run Time: 0:06:15
Director: Tim Schwagel
Country: United States
Genre: Short
Language: English
Two girls rob a gas station...poorly.
Rear View
Run Time: 0:17:02
Director: Steve Kniss
Country: United States
Genre: Short, Drama
Language: English
Miles, a grieving husband, and Madison, his seven-year-old daughter, find themselves in a church, surrounded by silent, nameless mourners, supporting them after the death of Annie, Miles’ wife and Madison’s mother. Unable to comprehend the loss and make sense of it for Madison, Miles struggles to grieve while being a present father. When the isolation and sadness becomes too much, Miles suggests taking a trip and the next day, he and Madison embark on a road trip to the place where Miles and Annie fell in love. Through flashback, Miles remembers the special moments he shared with Annie, conversing about life, parenting, and everything in between. This opens up a conversation with Madison, as they remember Annie, what they loved most about her, and how they will continue forward without her.
Shadows
Run Time: 0:14:42
Director: Melonie Gartner
Country: United States
Genre: Short
Language: English
A wheelchair-bound artist, who survived an attempt on her life, becomes trapped in house caught between a paranormal entity and the killer who has returned to finish the job.
Shift Change
Run Time: 0:36:13
Director: Bill Roach
Country: United States
Genre: Short
Language: English
The economic engine of Janesville, Wisconsin was its massive General Motors Assembly Plant. And when the plant shutdown, this quintessential all-American factory town went from boom to bust overnight. The GM plant was the town’s soul, its body, its blood and its purpose.
Shots
Run Time: 0:05:40
Director: Lukas Medin
Country: United States
Genre: Short
Language: English
A young man, grieving a tragic event, makes a shocking encounter while drinking his sorrows away in a bar.
AWARDED BEST STUDENT FILM
Spike and Melody
Run Time: 0:02:19
Director: Amabelle Johnson
Country: United States
Genre: Short, Animated
Language: English
In this world, Paleco is a product that allows children to have customized dinosaurs as pets. Our main character, Melody, wants one for her birthday but her mom can’t afford it. However, Mom ends up finding a bootleg version, DinoGo, instead. But something doesn’t seem quite right when the egg finally hatches...
The boy who wanted to fly / El niño que quería volar
Run Time: 0:20:33
Director: Jorge Muriel
Country: Spain
Genre: Short, Drama
Language: Spanish
In the Madrid of the 80s, Ivan, a five-year-old boy, is confronted with the birth of a new brother. His sister is dad´s favorite, the newborn is mom's favorite. Which place does he take in this new situation? What if He could fly and escape?
AWARDED BEST NARRATIVE SHORT
The Great Boundary Waters Adventure
Run Time: 0:13:14
Director: Mason Horacek
Country: United States
Genre: Short
Language: English
A group of friends, a school bus, and a dad embark on an epic expedition to explore Minnesota's great Boundary Waters.
The Vasectomy Doctor
Run Time: 0:10:48
Director: Paul Webster and Gregory Burrowes
Country: Ireland
Genre: Short, Documentary
Language: English
Andrew Rynne was the first doctor to perform a vasectomy in Ireland, he estimates he’s performed over 35,000 of them now. This is a distinction that did not come without controversy in the extremely Catholic Ireland of the seventies and eighties, but Rynnepersevered in the face of opposition from the church. In the eighties, he challenged the restrictive laws on contraceptives by selling condoms without a prescription. He got his day in court and forced the government to change policy. In 1990, Rynne was about to perform a vasectomy on a patient, when a gunman came in and shot him. After surviving this attempt on his life, Rynne would later meet with his assailant and forgive him.
AWARDED BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Walls of Limerick
Run Time: 0:07:31
Director: Arturo Bandinelli, Kat and Dawg Productions
Country: Ireland
Genre: Short, Dance, Music
Language: English
'Walls of Limerick' is a statement on the psychological effects that harsh political borders have on people. It offers the viewer a window into the dancers’ internal worlds, where they go to escape from their bleak, oppressive reality. Gravity’s pull is constantly changing planes in this world and they have the freedom to articulate their feelings through movement. Both together and alone, they are able to express themselves and a bond is formed. As the distress and anxiety builds from external forces, their only way out is up the wall that both divides and supports them. With an army at their back and freedom in their hearts, the dancers struggle and fight to overcome the barriers in their way.