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The Pleasures of the Damned 

by James Lawler

The 2024 LA Shorts International Film Festival ON-DEMAND

 

Watch all the digital film lineup on The Shorts Network.

ONLY $40.00/month July

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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'

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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