SUNDAY JULY 30, 1:00PM
PROGRAM 52
SHORTLIST
Unmotivated Filmmaker
USA / Comedy / 12 minutes
Director/Writer: Jo Murayama
Producer: Jo Murayama
Cast: Jonathan Tanigaki, Takaaki Hirakawa, Kyle Harrington
A filmmaker struggling to write good endings is stuck in his cycle of self-improvement as he fails to make any progress in his work. After being in his creative rut with no hope for the future, he decides to come up with endings for it.
The Stray
USA / Drama / 14 minutes
Director: Jessica Balunas
Writer: Gillian Smith
Producer: Jessica Balunas, Gillian Smith
Cast: Miah Nielson, Eileen Pimentel, Jorge Luis Moreno
At thirteen years old, the rebellious Romalie Stray finds herself enrolled in an all-female reform school where she must learn to embody a patriarchal definition of womanhood.
Farewell
USA / Drama / 11 minutes
Director/Writer: Jiayu Liu
Producer: Jiayu Liu, Ruoyue Wang
Cast: Ivonne Garcia, Jon Oshei, Matthew Capron
One day, Quintin, a funeral agent is visited by Claire in order to deal with her own funeral. During the meeting, a man, Jeffrey, breaks in. Jeffrey doesn’t allow Claire to die.
Ravine
USA / Drama / 19 minutes
Director/Writer: Selene Esperanza Alvarez
Producer: Celeste Bird, Selene Esperanza Alvarez
Cast: Eric Silva, Luis Pablo, Carlos Solórzano
In 1981 Julian, a young Mexican-American kid is forbidden to watch Baseball due to the resentment his father Adrian holds against their hometown team for evicting his family decades earlier.
Ebezina
USA / Drama / 13 minutes
Director: Ifeanyi Ezieme
Writer: Ukairo Ukairo
Producer: Zizheng Boris Liu, Devin O'Guinn
Cast: Perry Garrison Jr., Michael Christopher Rodney, Onochie Chukwurah
Through spiritual encounters with a mystery man, a piano-playing boy learns a song in hopes to reconnect with his grieving father.
The Gambler
USA / Drama / 18 minutes
Director: David R. Anderson
Writer: John J. Lynch
Producer: Larry Kaster
Cast: James Quattrochi, Mark Rolston, Amy Motta
Sometimes you need to put all your chips in... For someone else.
Stairway
USA / Drama / 7 minutes
Director/Writer: Zizheng “Boris” Liu
Producer: Edouard Fan, Chris Merola, Boris Liu
Cast: Andy Sun, Alec Wang, Patrick Plugge, Ryan Lee
Through a box of Chunghwa cigarettes offered by an old homeless man in LA Chinatown, a young Chinese American man comes to terms with his struggles during the pandemic.