A Letter to Colleen

This raunchy animated short film gives a glimpse into the day Andy London turned 18--a day that will not stop tormenting him. In order to come to peace with himself, he writes a letter to a girl named Colleen about the moment his virginity was lost (and his performance was rated by on-lookers.) A time that was supposed to be a turning point in his personal growth ends up scarring him for life.

(9 min. Directed by Carolyn London and Andy London.)

Absolute Zero

An account of the grim and myterious death by hypothermia of a man trapped inside a refrigerated meat wagon, this Australian story is told using a combination of archival and imagined reenactments on the man's final hours.

(27 min. Directed by Alan Woodruff.)

An American In China

In search of direction for his life, David, a recent college-grad, heads to China on family business and finds Mei, a beautiful young girl who pushes him to find his path--and he in turn motivates Mei to stay the course of her own dream. This coming-of-age “fish out of water” story takes us on a fascinating journey to a world full of strange customs and people. But cultural differences, politics or distance cannot change the fact that we all share the same basic desire: to love and be loved.

(95 min. Directed by Ron Berrett.)

At The Wall

This documentary short tells the stories of the “freedom fighters” who struggled against racial injustice during the integration of Philadelphia’s Girard College, an important milestone of the American civil rights movement. From May through December of 1965 the crowds at the 10-foot-high college walls ranged from a regular band of 30, who called themselves “Cecil’s Army,” to as many as 5,000 demonstrators when Martin Luther King Jr. joined the vigil. There were daily clashes with Frank Rizzo’s police force that showed up with as many as 1,000 policemen to confront 35 protestors. Rather than focusing on charismatic, well-known individuals, this documentary is a “people’s history,” a postmodernist look at collective action told through the recollections of those who were at the wall every day.

(33 min. Directed by Warren Bass.)

Before You Enlist!

The documentary short is carried by interviews with combat veterans and family members of military personnel killed, wounded or still on duty. Straight talk from soldiers, veterans and their family members tells what is missing from the glamorous and exciting pictures presented by military recruiters and their marketing efforts. Strong visuals provide a vivid picture of the human costs of war and the realities of enlisted life and beyond. The message is not “don’t enlist” but rather to provide young people and their families a more complete picture of the life-altering consequences of joining the military – especially in wartime.

(14 min. 30 sec. Directed by Dan Preston.)

Blinders

Throughout the year, tourists from around the world travel to Central Park to ride in one of New York's legendary horse-drawn carriages. Yet the future of this industry is the subject of a highly charged debate. As a result of three dramatic and fatal accidents since 2006, the plight of the carriage horses is now in the public eye more than ever before. But the public doesn't know much more than what they see on the streets and in the news. This documentary takes viewers behind the scenes to expose the truth behind the tradition.

(33 min. Directed by Donald Moss.)

The Bronze Door

Adapted from the cult story by crime novelist Raymond Chandler, “The Bronze Door” combines period melodrama with mystery, horror, science-fiction, and dark comedy. James Cornish is a nebbish gentleman of leisure locked in a failing marriage to Llewellyn, his domineering hausfrau. Llewellyn’s disappearance brings Cornish the unexpected attentions of Detective Lloyd, leading to a climactic confrontation of Man vs. Man vs. Door.

(20 min. Directed by Dan Gallagher.)

Cadence

In a reality where human contact has become devalued, Andrea finds herself caught within a never-ending cycle of helping others reawaken long-forgotten feelings for each other. Yet the ritual has grown repetitive for her, as she questions whether or not it's too late to make an actual difference. Trapped in a never-ending cycle of awakening the memories of others, she seems doomed to lose the fragile delight of her own. She longs to escape and see for herself if her work is really making a difference in others' lives.

(15 min. Directed by Michael Madigan.)

Calling It Quits

Dante Milestone, a world-weary baby-boomer, is not happy. His struggles with everyday life, his past, even the question of ‘the existence of a higher power’, have led him to evaluate his own life. An assessment, that ultimately drives him to leave work and success behind, and set out on a quest in search of his happiness. But it’s not that simple. After a series of painfully humorous attempts fail to provide an answer, Dante sinks even deeper until he encounters Cynthia, a spiritual guide of sorts. It is then, with Cynthia's guidance, that Dante uncovers the underlying truth and finally arrives at an answer that surprises even him.

(1 hr. 28 min. Directed by Anthony Tarsitano.)

Carissa

A chilling and touching story of a child who turned her life of prostitution and homelessness into a life of success and achievement, Carissa follows the title character as she revisits the sites of her haunting past.  As she tells her story, it is hard to believe what she was able to overcome and how successful she has become as a lawyer. In her tenacious attempt to help other young women facing similar situations, we witness how Carissa now dedicates her time and success to institutions that can help the young and unfortunate.

(27 min. Directed by David Sauvage.)

Carpe Diem

It’s just another day at the office for John Wilson, or at least he though it was. Strange letters keep appearing as he goes about his day at work, while the eerie message sends him into a fit.

(9 min. Directed by Michael Corish.)

Cat Dragged In

Cat Dragged In takes place during one day in Los Angeles when the nearby Hollywood Hills are burning. Jonathan Blake, a former TV personality who has seen better days, meets Suzanne at a strip club in the middle of the afternoon. Through the haze of alcohol and memories, he mistakes her for a woman who he used to love. As it turns out, Suzanne is this woman’s daughter. Jonathan and Suzanne spend an evening together in hopes of getting closure to their memories and finding a connection to a woman who it turns out neither of them ever knew very well. Their time together is fleeting, but transformative, like the fire that ravages LA.

(18 min. Directed by Nils Timm.)

Central Terminal

Central Terminal: Saving a Buffalo Landmark explores the storied past of the beloved train station in Buffalo, New York. Built on the cusp of the Great Depression, the Central Terminal was a hub of activity. As train travel waned in the 1970s, it closed. For twenty years, it suffered from neglect and abuse by private owners. In 1997, local preservationists acquired the building, which had been stripped of its grandeur and was in desperate need of repair. This documentary highlights the building's architectural and social significance and recent efforts to bring it back to life. It was produced by Kirsten Jahn and Scott Richardson, digital media arts students working under the guidance of Barbara Irwin, Ph.D., director of the Canisius College Video Institute.

(29 min. Directed by Barbara Irwin.)

Coffee Diva

Getting coffee is an easy task for any normal individual, but not for a Hollywood Diva because in Hollywood scandals are looming around every corner. Coffee Diva gives a witty commentary on the life of celebrities through the monologue of one experienced actress. Who knew that going to a coffee shop could lead to a public disgrace.

(12 min. Directed by Geoff Redknap.)

Confessions of an Italian American

Meet Joe Zara: Son of an Italian railroad worker who came the United States during the immigration boom of the early 20^th century. Growing up with 12 brothers and sisters in a small row house in Trenton, NJ wasn’t easy for Joe, but he managed to make it work. Now he’s ready to tell the world how his cramped upbringing helped him form solid opinions on everything from the Catholic Church to gambling addiction. Join filmmaker Fred Zara as he turns the lens on his father to uncover confessions a lifetime in the making.

(16 min. Directed by Fred Zara.)

Continuity Malfunction

The short little comedy shows two men conversing about everyday topics, however as we switch from character to character the continuity seems a bit off.

(2 min. Directed by D.W. Paone.)

Critical Condition

This heartbreaking film takes viewers inside America’s broken health care system. Critical Condition does not show only facts and statistics but rather gives disturbing and dramatic stories of real people who are entrapped in this crisis of high medical costs. It illustrates, in a highly personal way, that health care is out of reach for many Americans with severe illnesses and the result is people are losing their jobs, homes, health, and possibly their lives.

(1 hour 22 min. Directed by Roger Weisberg.)

Cubicle Genius

In this black and white homage to the Twilight Zone, Chris realizes that his co-workers are all zombies, mindlessly repeating the same tasks over and over, as if time has stopped! He tries to escape, but the building is surrounded by wasteland. We realize that Chris, like all his co-workers, is doomed to repeat these same moments forever!

(12 min. Directed by Suzanne Sitelman.)

Cutter

As this bloody and violent film opens, an unsuspecting police officer is slain at the hands of Daniel Cutter, a professional hit man. His secret life is kept hidden from his girlfriend, Abigail, who he met following a violent confrontation with a mugger in the park. As Cutter's celebratory night out with his girlfriend commences, our protagonist finds himself the victim of an ambush in Abigail's apartment, and survives the attack only to discover that his girlfriend has been double-crossing him for a year in order to avenge her father's murder by Cutter.

(23 min. Directed by Mark Mavrothalasitis.)

Dead of Ardennes

During the Battle of the Bulge, an inept captain leads the remnants of his team through the Ardennes Forest. Those subordinates beneath him begin to question his lead as he slowly is broken down by his failures in the field. The stoic and battle hungry sergeant must then take action to keep his remaining men safe and out of harm's way. The struggles come to a head as the men capture a German soldier, and the sergeant and the captain clash in a way with deadly consequences.

(20 min. Directed by Michael Mustizer.)

English Language (With English Subtitles)

A witty, black-and-white film of the classic story of a heartbroken boy whose girlfriend has left him because of the lack of communication in their relationship, but eventually the girl returns. This story may seem like one’s typical romantic comedy; however, it is not because it contains English subtitles, which becomes a third character in the narrative. The subtitles reveal information, summarize the story, and even question other characters. The role of the subtitles creates a new twist on a run-of-the-mill love story.

(19 min.  Directed by Tim Plester.)

Escape From the Fire

Taking place in 1943 Nazi-occupied Poland, this film tell the story of seven-year-old Avi, who has narrowly escaped from a Nazi concentration camp, as he races desperately through a thick forest while being pursued by SS officers. He seeks shelter in a large, broken-down barn where he is helped to escape the soldiers by a young girl. These two abused children overcome immense danger and, in their fight for survival, rediscover a little bit of humanity left in a world filled with evil and hatred. At the end, however, Avi continues his journey alone.

(13 min. Directed by Joel Dunn.)

First Person

The film unfolds through the eyes of six promising inner-city Philadelphia teens, using video diaries to explore the difficulties of pursuing college while navigating the responsibilities of family, the pressures of the streets, and the absurdity of a school system that fails to graduate almost half its students. Following the students' paths as they lead to community college and the corner, to pending motherhood and to prison, First Person provides a deeply personal examination of how the road to college too often leads to a dream deferred.

(90 min. Directed by Benjamin Herold)

Flyboys

Jason and Kyle, recent friends from different sides of the tracks, become embroiled in the adventure of their lives when they discover a mysterious airplane at the local small-town airport. These two boys find their courage tested when they accidentally stow away aboard the airplane, which is owned by the mob. Adventurous plot twists leads to the discovery that they are alone on the plane, forced to take the controls and land the plane themselves. But their troubles are only beginning as Jason and Kyle realize that they've foiled a heist to steal millions of dollars from the mob in this high-action, coming-of-age film. (118 min. Directed by Rocco DeVilliers.)

Footsteps, A Journey in Faith

Twelve religious leaders of very different traditions come together for an extraordinary trip to the Middle East; to a land they’ve read about, a land they’ve preached about for years, and a land some of them will see for the very first time. This feature-length documentary follows these leaders into the Holy Land where they witness each other’s faith and hope to deepen their friendship in the process. But friendships are quickly tested when a kidnapping threat in Bethlehem tears the group apart.

(1 hr. 2 min. Directed by Dennis Mahoney)

Freefall

A Manhattan businessman sits down for a snack in the park on a pleasant Spring day, when he is suddenly distracted by the echoes of planes flying overhead. Suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome, this relives the events of 9/11.

(9 min. Directed by Pawell Pawelczak.)

Fox in the Mirror

Fox in the Mirror is conceived as a concert: in the literal sense as a musical performance and in the figurative sense as actions occurring simultaneously. The protagonists are inanimate objects representing dancers, singers and musicians. There is a convergence of incongruent elements, the familiar and the perplexing, and the tragic and comical.

(20 min. Directed by Liliana Porter.)

Greetings From the Shore

Still reeling from the death of her father, a young girl spends one last summer at the Jersey Shore before heading off to college. But when her plans fall apart, the girl stumbles into a mysterious world of Russian sailors, high-stakes gambling, and unexpected love.

(1 hr. 58 min. Directed by Greg Chwerchak.)

Happily Ever After

Did you ever wonder what happens when the last page is turned? This film allows you to find out by pushing the boundaries of traditional cinematographic storytelling. It's warm and beautiful, and yet in a most innovative and lighthearted way, it's asking us to think, and think hard.

(4 min. Directed by Lidia Sheinin.)

Have You Ever Heard About Vukovar?

Tim, a young American veteran just back from the war in Iraq, must come to terms with his troubled past and make a decision about his future. On the eve of his return to war, he meets an unlikely guide in the form of a Croatian refuge whose taxi is taking him to speak at a high school. The exchange between the two men forces them to examine issues of life and death and duty and honor. They learn that, even though they come from opposite ends of the world, they have many issues in common.

(15 min. Directed by Paolo Borraccetti.)

Holler Back - [not] Voting in an American Town

Through revealing interviews, non-voters express their anger at a corrupt and unresponsive system. Set in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in 2004, with the race for president in a dead heat, the film digs into American elections to look at the ugly underbelly of our democracy. The film constructs a bridge between two communities--non-voters and activists, who are both honest and eloquent about what our democracy could be and what it is. 

(95 min. Directed by Lulu Fries'dat.)

Homeland

Upon completing his service in the Israel Defense Forces, Kobi Zucker needed to get away from the pressures of the Middle East. With memories of his tour of duty in the territories fresh in his mind, he comes to New York City on his way to South America. While working to earn money for his trip, Kobi meets the girl of his dreams. Beautiful and intelligent, Leila is everything that Kobi has ever wanted. But Leila is Palestinian, having come to New York from the West Bank with her family following the death of her oldest brother during the Intifada. Despite their differences, Kobi and Leila fall in love, but can this love overcome the ancient hatreds and unhealed wounds dividing Israelis and Palestinians.

(1 hr. 35 min. Directed by Michael Eldridge.)

Mathematically Alive: A Story of Fandom

This engaging documentary is for devoted sports fans of any kind.  The directors introduce us to a spectrum of New York Mets devotees, taking us on their roller coaster ride of emotions through the 2006 playoffs. Their fanaticism makes for a fascinating looks into an unexamined part of everyday life: sports fandom.

(94 min.  Directed by Joseph Coburn and Katherine Foronjy.)

The Man of the Lake

This documentary short tells the story of an 89 year old man who chose a lifestyle on the water, getting all of his nutrients from sea plants and product of the lake. This interesting short looks at a lifestyle like nothing that exists in modern times.

(12 min. 30 sec. Directed by

Mugs

Viewers will be transfixed by 100 celebrity mug shots rapidly morphing from one to the next in a way that will act on the mind of those individuals who gaze at the flashing images. Celebrity faces turn into seamless figures that dance on the screen to a continuous flow of a positively eerie beat. The recurring images make a daring statement on the culture of celebrities.

(5 min. Directed by Ronnie Cramer.)

Papiroflexia

Papiroflexia, the Spanish word for “Origami,” is the animated tale of Fred, a skillful paper folder who could shape and reshape the world with his hands. Originally created as a poem by the director, it was turned into a short animated film created in the UCLA Animation Workshop. 

(2 min. 30 sec. Directed by Joaquin Baldwin.

Patricia Baltimore

Patricia Baltimore is a proud, outspoken African American woman who spent seven years on the streets of Philadelphia. We meet her as she enters her first home. Optimistic that she has overcome homelessness, Patricia encounters other homeless people on the streets of Philadelphia and tries to help them as they confront the impossible conditions placed on them by the city and state government. The documentary explores homelessness as a lived experience and questions whether a home is a privilege or a right.

(57 min. Directed by Eran Preis.)

Peace in Our Time

The film is a political satire about living in the USA under the intrusive monitoring of the Patriot Act. Javier, an ordinary young Canadian living in New York City, lives in fear that the US government can monitor everything people do and say. One morning, during an Internet meeting, his Norwegian colleagues, Arnie and Alfred, take their jokes too far and Javier learns that surveillance can become dangerous.

(13 min. Directed by Rich Devaney.)

Pop Foul

When a boy returning home from a Little League baseball game sees his father take a beating from a local thug, the pair enter into a secretive pact designed to hide the disturbing incident from the boy’s mother.

(19 min. 30 sec. Directed by Moon Molson.)

Public Interest

A social commentary on how obsessed our culture has become with reality television, Public Interest delves into the minds and actions of those who put these programs on the air, those who aspire to be on them, and ultimately, the American culture that makes them so popular. Looking not only at how crazy the spectacle has become, but also how outrageous it could easily get, the film is very timely for those who are still sorting out their reactions.

(85 min. Directed by Brad Robinson.)

Rabia

The film is a story of a female suicide bomber, Rabia, and what motivates her to consider violence. After her marriage falls apart, she is determined to use her life to make a statement. Flashbacks of Rabia’s life are shown in order for viewers to witness the struggle this woman had to go through during her lifetime. A dramatic ending has audiences dumbfounded, questioning Rabia’s last final mission.

(24 min. Directed by Muhammad Ali Hasan.)

Radical Jesters

This film profiles and looks at the work of 12 performers and artists, provocateurs, and interventionists who engage in social critique, media hoaxes, culture jamming, and imaginative art practices.  They speak about their work and how it addresses a world fashioned by and by habits of conspicuous consumption. 

(75 min. Directed by Tim Jackson.)

Rebel Song

A woman and two men play out their broken lives amongst the swaying trees, singing hymns of love, lust and murder.  An old and feeble farmer acquires a strong man worker by way of debt payment. Not only does he ask the man to do his yard work, but he also requests that he help satisfy his woman. Yet, as the man and wife become increasingly terrorized, they form a child-like bond, whispering thoughts of escape together, out of the forest.  

(15 min. Directed by Simon Arthur.)

Remo Usai

The film shows the enormous life and work of Antonio Remo Usai, the greatest composer in the history of Brazilian cinema, with a filmography of almost 140 films. Remo studied with legendary film composer Miklos Rozsa back in 1956 at the University of Southern California. Rozsa was the composer for films like Ben-Hur (1959) and Alfred Hitchcock's Spellbound (1945). The documentary is directed by Bernardo Uzeda, a 22-year-old filmmaker, who is also a film composer--and who became an intimate friend of the legendary Remo Usai during the production of the film.

(20 min. Directed by Bernardo Uzeda.

River Ways

The documentary explores the lives of regular working people affected by the issue of whether to remove four dams on the Snake River in Eastern Washington. Environmental groups and fishing interests criticize the dams for their negative impact on salmon populations, but agricultural communities dependent on the dams oppose efforts to remove them. Combining interviews with careful everyday observation, and set against the scenic backdrop of the Pacific Northwest, River Ways takes us into the world of tribal and commercial fishermen, wheat farmers, salmon advocates and more. What emerges is a complex portrait of an issue that reaches to the heart of the ideological differences that characterize and divide the Pacific Northwest.

(85 min. Directed by Colin Stryker.)

Sell Me a Dream

This short documentary captures the nature of military recruitment in post 9/11 America using interviews from Vietnam and Iraq War Veterans, counter-recruitment activists, and military personnel. The film is also driven by footage of the war in Iraq. Sell Me a Dream is about the economic draft and patriotic wave that has swept over America.

(12 min. Directed by Joleen Ong, Courtney Caroll, Bill Leonardo, Michael Sarpong and Brian McGovern.)

Silver Tongues

A wandering couple travels the road, becoming different people in each town, playing a gleefully sadistic game of deceit. These con artists then prey on senile dementia sufferers, convincing the patients that they are beloved family members. But no one is quite who they seem to be in this unusual film.

(25 min. Directed by Simon Arthur.)

Simulacra

Imagine living in a world where there is no such thing as natural life. Everything is a machine lacking humanity. Now imagine discovering the last piece of organic life left and the adventure one robot would embark upon in retrieving it. Simulacra is a delightful animated film that gives hope to all. Or does it?

(4 min. Directed by Tatchapon Lertwirojkul.)

So Long

An insight into the life of man who is being deployed to the Middle East, showing the self-destructive activities he employs as he faces an uncertain future. Newspaper articles fill up the screen with thousands of true stories of those men who had to be shipped off to such a treacherous place. The shocking behavior of this man is juxtaposed with his life in Iraq, revealing the heavy reality of the situation.

(12 min. Directed by Brandon Bley.)

Soldier’s Heart

Vietnam vet Elliot has held it together until now, but he is forced to redesign his blueprint for living. Old feelings about his experience as a soldier in the Vietnam War re-appear affecting and concerning his wife Linda, his parents, and fellow veteran Richie. Certain truths of Elliot's war experience emerge with heart and humor to provide a deeper understanding of his father, a World War II veteran, and forge a new path in his marriage to Linda, also rediscovering his bond with Richie.

(1 hr. 23 min. Directed by Brian Delate.)

Spine Tingler

The film chronicles the last great American showman, filmmaker William Castle, a master of ballyhoo who became a brand name in movie horror with his outrageous audience participation gimmicks. This is a rags-to-riches tale of a larger-than-life showman who climbed his way up the Hollywood ladder by reinventing himself as a modern P.T. Barnum, all the while driven by a fear of failure and a longing to be respected among his peers.

(78 min, Directed by Jeffrey Schwarz.)

Struck

This romantic comedy tells the story of a man’s desperate pursuit of love. Struck by an arrow through the chest, Joel learns to live with his strange condition and state of loneliness through his everyday life. However, he does not know that his life is about to change forever in this uplifting film that proves people can find love if you are persistent enough.

(7 min. Directed by Taron Lexton.)

Sweetie

Driving through a quiet suburban neighborhood, Lilly comes across a little girl playing by herself in her front yard, without any apparent parental supervision. Concerned for the welfare of the child, she stops to examine the situation more closely. Lilly has to get involved, and find out what is going on. Her paternal instincts can't let her just leave the small child by herself. She decides she has to search the house and find out what is going on. And it may be the last mistake she ever makes.

(22 min. Directed by Andrew Sayre.)

Sympathetic Details

This film follows Jonathan, an assassin, through two assignments during which he makes a moral decision to leave his life of professional murder. It is a psychological thriller, defined by character and dialogue rather than the action. A tragic accident causes this conflicted assassin to reevaluate his morality. As a result, his defiance of protocol forces the hand of his unforgiving employer and places him and those closest to him in extreme danger.

(58 min. Directed by Benjamin Busch.)

Synapse

Seth Alden, a 28-year-old graduate student in neural science, has been experimenting with the possible electromagnetic manipulation of the brain. He is led to experiment on himself, giving him an ability similar to telepathy. Through a new perspective, Seth begins to experience other people's perceptions, vulnerabilities, ulterior motives, and inner selves. As the telepathic ability grows, he experiences repeated blackouts and alternate realities. He becomes isolated and paranoid... In a dramatic twist, his wife chooses to join him in the search for alternate realities.

(92 minutes. Directed by Sloan Copeland.)

Team Everest: A Himalayan Journey

The film chronicles a group of trekkers as they set out to reach the world's highest mountain. If they succeed, they'll become the largest group of people with disabilities ever to reach Everest Base Camp. The participants trek 21 days with a Nepali support team engaged to help push, pull, and carry members over the rugged, steep terrain. Team Everest dares us to reach beyond our perceived limitations, and documents the strength of the human will and our unlimited capacity to dream.

(111 min. Directed by Andrew Cockrum.)

The Great Pretenders

This witty comedy tells the story a white collar businessman who is forced to turn to the help of an outsourcing agency when he is let go by his employer.  Although promising at first, Scott Matter soon learns that he is stuck in “corporate purgatory” where the exaggerated office workers around him eventually reveal their true colors. Perhaps the film’s tagline describes it best: “Unemployment is a full-time job.”

(30 min. Directed by Jeremy Cohen.)

The Pardoner's Tale

During the Great Depression, Jacob, Jeremiah, and Lucas leave behind lives of loss and failure in Montana and set out to find work in Colorado. On their way, they must employ desperate and selfish measures to get by, often stealing from others in order to survive. When they stumble upon a resting place that should provide some relief, they instead find something that opens a door into the darkest part of who they are. Based on Geoffrey Chaucer’s 14th-century short story of the same name, The Pardoner’s Tale follows three friends as greed and murder tear them apart.

(18 min. Directed by Dan Olson.)

Thursday Night

A girl comes to grips with the realities of one Thursday night as past, present, and future coincide. Through artistic cinematography, Thursday Night takes an interesting look at this girl’s experience.

(4 min. Directed by Sean Gill.)

Twilight of Youth

An interesting take on facing your dislikes, Twilight of Youth tells the story of a young man who is forced to cope with his fear and disdain for the elderly when he is diagnosed with an disease that ages him at an extremely rapid pace. The main character is forced into an extreme lifestyle change when his appearance, as well as his health, deteriorates.

(28 min. Directed by Jerald Fine.)

Uncovered

This powerful documentary film brings viewers inside the lives of the Nazaretyan family. George and Narine are two loving parents struggling with health care for their twin girls who were born three months premature and require specialized medical attention. Sadly, the crisis of America’s health care system leaves this family without insurance for their disabled children, and a pile of medical bills that threaten their survival. This film will leave audiences with sadness and anger but also perhaps with hope that the health care system crisis will be resolved.

(18 min. Directed by Roger Weisberg.)

Voir

A young woman, Jane Milton, awakens to a nightmarish environment and is forced to respond to the harsh realities surrounding the multiple dimensions of voyeurism.

(11 min. Directed by Jason Flynn.)

The Weight of the Kiss

This short is an exploration of the duplicitous nature of infidelity examined through the pantomimes of guilt, passion, love, lust, conscience and the thankless citing of discovery.

(13 min. Directed by Dammy O’.)

What I See When I Close My Eyes

This short documentary looks at how several of Phnom Penh's 20,000 street kids are being helped by Mith Samlanh/Friends International. The children's stories range from the simple wish of a young girl to have enough soap, to the bold dream of a teenage boy to help drug addicts kick their habit and find work. Much of the film is told through the life-sized self portraits the children draw of themselves-an art project inspired by the film's title.

(30 min. Directed by Leslie Hope.)

Yesterday Was A Lie

A new film noir that follows female detective, Hoyle, on a surreal journey questioning what is real and what is simply illusion by the bending of reality, time, and truth. By the end of the film, Hoyle, along with viewers, discovers the only answers that can be found are hidden within the human heart. The film is a combination of a detective mystery story and science fiction.

(89 min. Directed by James Kerwin.)

Zefirino: The Voice Of A Castrato

Anthony Roth Costanzo strode onto stage of Princeton University's Richardson Auditorium and broke into song. His voice brought to life the celebrated art of a castrato named Zefirino, an imaginary character he had created for his senior thesis, leading to a full-scale operatic production. The film follows Costanzo on his creative journey from rehearsal to performance--a journey that ultimately would take him from the classrooms of Princeton to the papal halls of the Vatican.

(22 min. Directed by Gerardo Puglia.)