Short Film: The Concrete River

"The Concrete River" Directed by Rich Gilliam & Joel Cocciolone

Shot on an extremely minuscule budget in Los Angeles, The Concrete River follows a mysterious hacker that finds a serial killer who has been targeting women, instead of turning over the evidence he takes matters into his own hands.

Short Film: Nowhere Line

"Nowhere Line: Voices from Manus Island" from Lukas Schrank

"An animated short film, narrated by two asylum-seeking men detained in Australia's Manus Island Offshore Processing Centre, recounting the dangerous journeys that brought them to the island and their memories of the riot that erupted in 2014.

In July 2013, the Australian Government introduced a controversial immigration policy, transferring asylum seekers arriving by boat to remote offshore detention centres on foreign Pacific islands. Seven months later, the Manus Island centre erupted in violence when police and guards put down protests with sticks, machetes and guns, and 23 year-old asylum seeker Reza Barati was killed."

Short Film: Radio

"Radio" by Cody Mathieson Packer

"A lonely, old man comes across his fathers radio which resurfaces a cherished memory from his youth."

Short Film: Bully

"Bully" Directed by Robert Weiermair

Written by Amy Whittenberger and Robert Weiermair

"A shy and sensitive 14-year-old kid is pushed to the limits... with unexpected results."

Short Film: Pride of Strathmoor

"The Pride of Strathmoor" Directed and Written by Einar Baldvin

"Pride of Strathmoor" is a gothic horror film inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft and the movie Raging Bull.  The film is the interior monologue of a bitterly racist Southern preacher who is haunted by visions of a boxing match between a white champion and a black fighter that the preacher desperately wants to believe has no chance of winning.

The film was Einar Baldvin’s masters thesis project in the animation program at USC thesis project and went on to win the "Jury Prize for Best Animated Short" at Slamdance 2015.  It took Einar Baldvin about two years to hand-draw thousands of pages, stain those pages to make them look like old journals and then edit the result into the nine-minute short.

"Extracts from the journal of Pastor John Deitman, Strathmoor, Georgia. June & July, 1927"

Short Film: Billy Boys

"Billy Boys" Directed by Fraser Rigg

Written by Fraser Rigg and Mike Wilson

"Billy Boys" is a crime drama that examines the very real issue of how 3D printed guns will impact society.

"I don't think we truly realise the power of technology, 3D printers are more accessible now than they have ever been and the reality is that to make a gun is as simple as the click of a button. I present to you..."

Short Film: The King's Pawn

"The King's Pawn" Directed by Jonah Bleicher

Written by Darren Anderson, Jonah Bleicher

"The King's Pawn" is a short film about a former chess prodigy leading an  unremarkable life who is present with the opportunity to develop a chess-playing supercomputer.  Though a supercomputer that can scan though 200 million positions per second would seem to be unbeatable, the story focuses on how humans play the game, navigating the world through instinct, creativity, and memory.  In the end, "The King’s Pawn" is a story about the marriage of technology and humanity, and how a supercomputer put a "nobody" in a winning position.

"A former chess prodigy challenges the world champion with the super computer he spent his life designing."

Short Film: Fibs

"FIBS" Written and Directed by James Sharpe

"FIBS is a story set in a nowhere town on the Bristol coast, in that strange time between school finishing and your parents coming home, and is the tale of Naomi, a teenage girl lost in a fantasy, who will say anything to try and win back her older ex-boyfriend."

Short Film: Lost in Transmission

"Lost in Transmission" Directed by Jasyn Howes

"Lost in Transmission" is a drama about a man with an obsession, and its effect on his marriage, set against a changing political climate of a nation (South Africa) on the brink of change.  A math professor bent on making contact with alien lifeforms in distant galaxies uses his knowledge of mathematics and his keen interest in radio wave technology to transmits encrypted messages into deep space in hopes of receiving something back.  As he draws nearer to his goal, he slips further away from his wife, and on one particular Sunday afternoon, everything changes forever.

Short Film: Just The One Of Us

"Just The One Of Us" Written and Directed by Paul Trillo

"Just The One Of Us" is a serene but melancholy short film about a man who discovers his doppelganger online. While the story itself is grounded in reality, it serves as a deeper metaphor for those crisis points in our lives where we wonder what we might have done differently.

"While surfing the internet one day, Byron stumbles upon a facial recognition app that allows him to identify his doppelganger then use social media to track him down.

This film was commissioned by Samsung and produced through Vimeo for the Samsung Connected Series. Vimeo asked creators to come up with ideas around how technology connects people. I had this idea about how facial recognition technology could be used to find similar looking people. It was something that was entirely possible but also very bizarre and funny. I tried to keep that balance of absurdity and unexpected realism in the film."

Short Film: Chasseur

"Chasseur" Written and directed by Christopher Soren Kelly

"Chasseur" is an atmospheric folktale set in the steamy depths of South of America.  The film consists of a powerful monologue performed by writer Christopher Soren Kelly, interspersed with dramatic scenes featuring the film's protagonist, Louis Chasseur, hunting the devil.  It's a thrilling period piece in which the heat is almost palpable.

"A Cajun devil hunter goes to the crossroads and meets the devil's attorney....."

Short Film: Death by Chocolate

"Death by Chocolate" Written and Directed by REZ (Robin Veret & Dimitri Gochgarian)

After falling from the limelight, a jaded movie finds herself unable bear up under rejection after rejection, and hires a contract killer.  After she has second thoughts, she meets with the kill to cancel the contract.

"Death by Chocolate" is a fantastic demonstration of just how much drama can be packed into a dialog between two good actors.  Written, produced and directed by REZ (Robin Veret & Dimitri Gochgarian), Death by Chocolate will keep you on the edge of your seat.

"A former movie star has a hard time adjusting to life after fame. Somewhat anxious, yet determined, she meets with her hired killer to cancel the contract."

Short Film: Dollar Night

"Dollar Night" Written & Directed by Marco Antonio Martinez

"Dollar Night tells the story of Andy, a vibrant 80 year old theater projectionist whose love and passion for cinema is tested when faced with the closing of his beloved theater."

Short Film: Prosopagnosia

"Prosopagnosia" by Hugo Keijzer

Prosopagnosia is a cognitive disorder that prevents a person from being able to recognize faces.  In this short film, the only witness to a murdered is the victim's best friend, who suffers from prosopagnosia.

What makes "Prosopagnosia" a good film is that it's not science fiction film, but rather, a great use of medical science to create a mystery.  The resulting story is entertainingly drama, but of course, not everything is as it seems.

"Alfred finds his best friend dead in her apartment and looks the perpetrator right in the eyes. Too bad he can’t recognize anyone’s face.

Alfred suffers from a condition called Prosopagnosia, more often called Face Blindness, what implies he is unable to recognize or remember anyone's face, not even his own. On the other end of the table in a dark interrogation room sits inspector Peck. He is in charge of investigating the puzzling murder of Alfred's best friend."

Short Film: STRINGS

"STRINGS" Written & Directed by Jimmy Loweree of UnbundledUnderground

"Strings" is a dark short film that tells a story succinctly without a lot of explanation.  The crisp, clean cinematography and slick fight choreography compliment a very cool concept that will leave you wanting more...

Even if you tried to guess it beforehand, I'd wager you still won't see this ending coming.

Strings is an intense short film about a captive woman who is kept sedated for a very good reason. She is extremely valuable, and the battle to free her will determine her fate.

Shot in two days in Los Angeles, it was a test to see how ambitious the team could be with limited resources.

Short Film: KOISHI

"KOISHI" by Hikari Toriumi

"Koishi" is a beautifully animated short film about overcoming loss.

"A boy overcomes the loss of his father through the encounter with the spirits of ancestor. The title is a Japanese pun, "KOI" being the kind of fish used for the flag designs and "KOISHI (こいし)" meaning "I miss you"."

Short Film: ROAR

"ROAR" Written & Directed by Stuart Langfield & Dylan Rekert

"Roar" is a mind-boggling supernatural drama that offers a very grounded take on the whole superhero genre.  The film is about people with super powers that they spend their entire lives struggling to control.  Powers that ultimately consume them.

"ROAR is a supernatural drama about generational bonds and disconnects. It is a grounded take on the superhero genre, told through real themes and experiences. It explores the commitments of a family divided by age and pride, who are brought together to fulfill a promise made many years ago. Roar is a film about people with extraordinary powers. Powers they spend their lives battling to control and which ultimately consume them."

Short Film: The Alchemist’s Letter

"The Alchemist's Letter" Directed by Carlos Stevens

"The Alchemist's Letter" is an animated short film in which a young man explores his late father’s lab and learns all about his father’s arcane invention, a device that can turn objects into gold, but at the price of his most precious memories. The short combines gorgeous steampunk elements with the gravitas of John Hurt's narration with magical results. It tells two parallel stories - one of a father who sacrificed his memories to a machine capable of transforming metals into gold in the name of greed and a second about a son who is faced with the decision of whether or not to follow in his father's footsteps.

Funded through KickStarter, the short film was created by team of artists from LAIKA, which isn't surprising given the mesmerizing beauty of the piece. Daniel Casey of Boxtrolls and Coraline served as the film's art director. "Getting the film this far has been the greatest journey of our lives," the team wrote on their Kickstarter page. "We've been working on it for nearly 5 years and have battled every single day to keep it alive." 

It's a testament to the power of KickStarter that a film of this quality that might never have seen the light of day has been released free to the world.

"A visually rich, darkly inventive fairy tale directed by former Student Academy Award® finalist Carlos Andre Stevens. Starring 2-time Academy Award® nominee John Hurt (V for Vendetta, Alien, Hellboy, The Elephant Man, Midnight Express) and up-and-coming star Eloise Webb (Cinderella, The Iron Lady)."

Short Film: Pioneer

"Pioneer" Written & Directed by David Lowery

"Pioneer" is a very sweet film about a man who tells his son a tall tale about how he met the boy's mother and became his father.  The film's tender, intimate atmosphere woven by the man's hushed storybook tone holds our attention firmly despite the fact that the film consisting entirely of dialogue. 


In an interview with Filmmaker Magazine he explains “I reached a point in the script where it became very difficult, I was trying to make it an action movie, but I wasn’t sure why I wanted to make the story. So I did what I always do when I’m fed up, which is go for a run.” While jogging, Lowery came up with the idea for Pioneer “The whole story erupted in my mind,” says Lowery. “It was just there.”

"Pioneer" became something of a sensation on the festival circuit back in 2011, and Lowery credits the short film as having helped him draw the industry recognition that ultimately allowed him to make his 2013 feature film Ain’t them Bodies Saints starring Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara.  According to Lowery, having a short film shot in the same spirit as his script had been written helped studios justify taking a risk on the director. 

Short Film: Madama Butterfly

"Madama Butterfly Opera Strip" from Mark Warner

"Madama Butterfly" is undoubtedly one of the world’s favorite operas telling the tragic story of Cho-Cho-San and her love for a U.S. naval officer.  This gorgeous animation was created by Mark Warner for Sinfini Music and was also shown at the Royal Opera House during their staging of the opera.  It may be abridged, but it tells the story beautifully.