The 2024 LA Shorts International Film Festival ON-DEMAND
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Ephemeral
Japan / HighSchool/Drama / 6 minutes
Director/Writer: Keishi Ichikawa
Producer: Keishi Ichikawa
Cast: Mona Yamamoto, Kensei Okamoto
Lonely high schooler Sarah seeks joy in daydreams, inspiring her to make friends. As her journey unfolds, the line between dreams and reality blurs, inviting viewers to a poignant exploration of the transient nature of happiness and self-discovery.
Above the Clouds
China / HighSchool/Doc / 16 minutes
Director: Shangning Lu
Producer: Shangning Lu
Cast: Mingjie Wang
This short documentary delves deep into a truly awe-inspiring story, recounting the experiences and reflections of an 83-year-old shaman (wizard) of the Qiang ethnic group from China, who faced dramatic shifts in life after the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake — a catastrophic disaster that took away the life and livelihood of thousands.
Nix's Symphony
Canada / HighSchool/Animation / 6 minutes
Director/Writer: Karina Loerchner
Producer: Karina Loerchner
Libelle, Nix's mother, possessed exceptional abilities. She not only excelled in the fields of science and engineering, but also gained fame as a distinguished inventor and composer. Nevertheless, at a tender age, Nix, an aspiring musician and inventor in her own right, is now burdened with the responsibility of upholding this remarkable legacy.
The Pleasures of the Damned
Australia / Drama / 5 minutes
Director/Writer: James Lawler
Producer: Anton Trivic, James Lawler
Cast: Richard Mueck, Kate Mayhew
An Americana bar holds a dramatic confrontation when an old drunk’s unstoppable day drinking is questioned by a young bartender.
Inspired by the Charles Bukowski poem; a glimpse into what keeps an addict drinking and the quiet suffering of those who seemingly give up everything in search of pleasure.
Trapeze
Italy / Music / 2 minutes
Director/Writer: Elisa Tron
Producer: Elisa Tron
After being inspired by the song, Elisa Tron created this music video entirely with AI technology. She generated about 2,800 images using Midjourney and 1,000 short video clips using Runaway and compiled this music video with them. The result is a wildly imaginative and intense journey to a parallel universe with endless possibilities.
The Music Factory
Norway / Animation / 9 minutes
Director: Cina Espejord, Alf Martin Løvvold
Writer: Jake Brunger
Producer: Fredrik Fottland, Sigurd Slåttebrekk
Cast: Nathaniel Liodden, Tind Kirvil Haaland Tjore
In “The Music Factory” we meet Herbert, who has synesthesia; a cross-sensory condition that makes him see shapes and colours when he hears sound and music and we are presented with the story of how he found his way to the music factory.
Clout
United Kingdom / Drama / 20 minutes
Director: Jordan Murphy Doidge
Writer: Jordan Murphy Doidge, Tom Duthie, Tristam Thomas
Producer: Francis Chapman, James Knowles, Lindsay Freya Cullen
Cast: Archie Yates, Nadine Marshall
A lonely teenage boy risks everything to prove himself in a bid for online fame
A Fateful Weekend
USA / Drama / 14 minutes
Director: Tony Doupe
Writer: Ronald Lamont Canfield
Producer: Ronald Lamont Canfield, Tonya Skoog
Cast: Eden Eernissee, Leah Lee, Jason Adkins
The weekend of JFK's assassination as seen through the eyes of a seven-year-old boy. With minimal understanding of "the President" he tries to process the sadness that consumes his mother, grandparents, and the people across the nation grieving on the news. The weekend contrasts the tragic loss of a beloved President while finding some semblance of normalcy and joy as the family celebrates his little brother's sixth birthday the very next day.
The Jukebox
USA / Drama / 18 minutes
Director: Jon Housholder, Jeff Schafer
Producer: Brent Kunze
Cast: Zach Humphrey, Joseph Gray
Memories of the past swirl in the mind of a young man who must watch as his father succumbs to a terminal illness. After working to put the past behind him, the young man, now a father himself, must finally confront his grief by finding peace through a jukebox once owned by his late father. The surprise discovery of an audio recording from his youth reminds him of his father's love and gives him the peace he has been searching for.
Errand
USA / Comedy / 14 minutes
Director: Nicholas Goodwin Hutchison
Writer: Nicholas Goodwin Hutchison, Cristobal de Losada
Producer: Ethan Labouisse, John Hardy
Cast: Ephraim Birney, Brad Oscar, Olivia Nikkanen
When the boss at a small midtown Manhattan bank gives Arnold Johnson the wrong account number, Johnson’s life is upended by a seventy four million dollar mistake. It’s up to him to set things right, rekindle old flames, and navigate the surreal landscape in this major errand of a film.
Amplified
Jordan / Drama / 19 minutes
Director/Writer: Dina Naser
Producer: Batoul Ibrahim
Cast: Malak Nassar, Nadeem Al Rimawi, Suhad Khatib
Amplified is an intimate portrayal of Hind, a charming young Karate athlete with a hearing disability. Following a violating incident at the Karate center, Hind’s world gets distorted.
Splashback
Croatia / Comedy / 29 minutes
Director: Luka Hrgović, Dino Julius
Writer: Dino Julius
Producer: Niko Sučič, Ljubo Zdjelarević
Cast: Alan Hay, Matthew Simpson
The film takes place in 1969 at NASA during the first manned landing on the Moon. On the fringes of this great triumph of humanity is George Losser, the beleaguered warehouse supervisor who wants to put an end to one of the biggest urinary challenges for every man: splashback.
The Last Minute
China / Sci-fi / 7 minutes
Director: Shi Huang
Writer: Jiayin Xu
The story takes place in quadruple narrative spaces. The first narrative space is an outer planet, where the protagonist struggles to find an oxygen cylinder.
The Door
Canada / Drama / 14 minutes
Director/Writer: Alexander Seltzer
Producer: Mark DeLottinville, Sam Rudykoff
Cast: Tanaya Beatty, Raymond Ablack, Mercedez Gutierrez
A year after their daughter's disappearance, Kara and Felix struggle to move on in their own ways as their marriage falls apart around them. But when a mysterious door appears in her kitchen, Kara becomes obsessed with uncovering what lies behind it at any cost. Even as it threatens to reopen old wounds.
Run Tana Run
China / Web / New Media / 8 minutes
Director: Kvon Chen
Writer: Yujie Li, Kvon Chen, Xueyang Tan
Producer: Duosheng Xie, Zikang Liang, Zikang Liang
Cast: Sumengxi Sun, Yaze Li
A virtual girl who struggles to fit in at a human college, goes on an infinite adventures with her goofy human classmate across the multiverse
I Will Bury You
Canada / Drama / 8 minutes
Director/Writer: Ravi Steve Khajuria
Producer: Ravi Steve Khajuria, Colin Glazer, Sergio Di Zio
Cast: Sergio Di Zio, Colin Glazer, Saul Rubinek
I Will Bury You is a Canadian, dark comedy series that follows two brothers as they attempt to carry out their mother’s final wishes by scattering her ashes in the places she loved… if only they can figure out where that might be.
Trinidad
Mexico / Drama / 11 minutes
Director/Writer: Jose Manuel Azuela Espinosa, Jos Azuela
Producer: Jose Manuel Azuela Espinosa, Jos Azuela
Three children steal their beloved grandfather's ashes from a cemetery to keep him close throughout their lives.
Good Girl
Denmark / Drama / 13 minutes
Director: Helene Madsen Smed
Writer: Sara Dhimitri
Producer: Sara Dhimitri, Mathilde Klostermann, Ane-Kathrine Lamdahl Pedersen
Cast: Sara Dhimitri, Emil Holmsteen, Mathilde Klostermann
GOOD GIRL is a story about Emilie who faces the guy who raped her, Simon, on a night out. To her surprise, he doesn't seem to recognize her.
AstroNots
Australia / Comedy / 10 minutes
Director: Andrew Seaton
Writer: Adam Dunn, Aaron Glenane
Producer: Nick Mutton
Cast: Aaron Glenane, Adam Dunn, Krew Boylan
Astronots is a short comedy about two astronauts about to take off on a vital mission to Mars. We open with a montage
showing just how serious, how crucial this mission to Mars is.
Queen of Hearts
Canada / Drama / 9 minutes
Director/Writer: Adam Chase
Producer: Adam Chase, Stu Cooke, Douglas Armstrong
Cast: Matt Mylrea, Brad Kelly
In a dusty old western bar, a gang leader and his men play a poker game. Their evening takes an unexpected turn when a mysterious stranger joins the game.
Somewhere Near Nijmegen
Ireland / Drama / 26 minutes
Director/Writer: Kealan Ryan, Mark T. Ryan
Producer: Kealan Ryan, Mark T. Ryan, Ludwig Bachmann
Cast: Franz Gnauck, Markus Knoppers, Kealan Ryan
In eastern Netherlands, 1944, Operation Market Garden is underway. Three American paratroopers get separated from their battalion after landing several kilometres from their target.
Tap of the Reverie
Saudi Arabia / Dance / 6 minutes
Director: Asiah Essam Alsalem
Producer: Varya Yurova
Cast: Jemima Tawose
"Tap of the Reverie" illuminates the forgotten legacies of past black tappers through a stylish pastiche of iconic musicals. The
Shadowland
Norway / Drama / 24 minutes
Director/Writer: Niels Windfeldt
Producer: Lasse Nyhaugen, Niels Windfeldt
Cast: Arnar Aanes Bjorøy, Elise Palmeira, Ellen Palmeira
A cellphone, belonging to a dead woman, starts ringing relentlessly at a morgue - a shy autopsy assistant unwillingly answers.
New Nina
Canada / Drama / 13 minutes
Director/Writer: Celeste Wylie
Producer: Celeste Wylie
Cast: Celeste Wylie, Ryan Northcott
We're introduced to a typical routine day of a “good” housewife with a rebellious edge, Nina, in her seemingly picture perfect world.
Wild Animal
United Kingdom / Drama / 19 minutes
Director/Writer: Beth Park
Producer: Molly Murphy, Isabella Speaight
Cast: Charlotte Riley, Liam Whiting, Tilly Steele
'A successful woman finds an abandoned baby and is stalked by the mother'
Cookie Box
Malta / Drama / 22 minutes
Director/Writer: Adam Żurawiecki
Producer: Andre Loggenberg, Yaw Amponsah, Tomasz Wójtowski
Cast: Frida Cauchi, Joyce Everest, Mikhail Basmadjian
Palesa, a graduate migrant working as a hospital cleaner, wants to follow her true calling, risk everything, and help entirely paralyzed patient Maria. She can sense that what happened to Maria wasn't an accident.
Deserters
United Kingdom / Drama / 20 minutes
Director: Guido Zanghi
Writer: Benjamin Greaves-Neal, Guido Zanghi
Producer: Benjamin Greaves-Neal, Rakan Zahed
Cast: Oliver Asante, Trevor Murphy, Sonny Mihajlovic-Drake
Flanders, 1916. Tommy Tull, a young West Indies recruit, flees a violent mission in the forests of Belgium. Exhausted and terrified, he encounters Finn, a mysterious Irish officer, who takes him to an isolated cabin and takes care of him.
Odaparta
Puerto Rico / Drama / 20 minutes
Director/Writer: Giovannie Ortiz
Producer: Kenny Orlando
Cast: Fernando Tarrazo, Juliana Rivera, Linnette Torres
Pick up the phone! A young man must stop hiding from his problems and listen to the truth, even if he doesn’t like the answer.
Pasifika Drift
Australia / Comedy / 12 minutes
Director: Alana Hicks
Writer: Natasha Henry
Producer: Charles Olsen
Cast: Edward O'Leary, Mel Ree, Nicholas Hope
When a young Papua New Guinean/Australian man gets involved in a life of crime to provide for his pregnant girlfriend, a proud PNG woman challenges him to reconnect with his heritage.
The Last Sketch
Germany / Animation / 24 minutes
Director/Writer: Edgar Huebert
Cast: Marvin Moers, Alina Rausch, Alina Rausch
The film portrays Teo's inner struggle, which is symbolized by his drawings. After the death of his child, he can no longer draw, because the last picture is a line that symbolizes the end.
Muna
United Kingdom / Drama / 19 minutes
Director/Writer: Warda Mohamed
Producer: Angela Moneke, Simon Hatton
Cast: Kosar Ali, Raha Isse Farah, Elmi Rashid Elmi
British-Somali teen Muna (Kosar Ali) is desperate to go on the school trip - to have fun with her mates, escape the monotony of her household and, of course, provide the greatest playlist of all time (!!). But her parents aren't so sure.
French
Israel / Drama / 18 minutes
Director/Writer: Dylan Joseph
Producer: Marek Rozenbaum, Kobi Mizrahi, Dylan Joseph
Cast: Hadas Yaron, Rona-Lee Shimon
A nail appointment takes a dramatic turn as Sari, Alona's manicurist and confidante, suspects her of betrayal.
Basha
India / Animation / 21 minutes
Director/Writer: Anirban Paul
Producer: Anirban Paul
Cast: Anirban Paul
Playful adventure of two brother, in nature take a somber twist after a haunting dream exposes consequences. Their quest navigates environmental consciousness and the pursuit of redemption.
Rivals
USA / Drama / 17 minutes
Director: Aaron Alexander
Writer: Nick Heeb
Producer: Aaron Gonzales
Cast: Luce Rains, Arron Shiver, Gene Hunt
During the Great Depression, Kennicke, a rancher in western South Dakota, hires on vagrant workers, only to murder them when it comes time to pay. When a new vagrant, The Stranger, arrives on the ranch and asks for work, Kennicke hires him on.
The Last Temptation
Iran / Drama / 19 minutes
Director/Writer: Ali Saadatmand
Producer: Ali Saadatmand
Cast: Alireza Nikkhah, Mojtaba Shafiee, Yeganeh Mohammadi
A man finds himself trapped in the world of Faust, where he must confront his deepest nightmares and desires. He meets devil and a pale girl in this world, and to set the girl free, he must make a choice and do sacrifice. At the end, he makes the girl leave the hell she's trapped in, and as the payment, he becomes the devil of the world as the previous devil exits.
Spirit Of Place
United Kingdom / Drama / 26 minutes
Director/Writer: Jack Cooper Stimpson
Producer: Jack Cooper Stimpson, Lewis Brierly, Izzy Meikle Small
Cast: Rakhee Thakrar, Jordan Peters, Hannah Chinn
Athel and Edward enjoy visiting the wetlands. Edward likes watching the birds, whilst Athel seems to have a much deeper connection to the landscape. When Athel makes a discovery, she is forced to re-examine what the wetlands mean to her.