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English
Human Rights Spotlight
,
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
1001cuts
Film
1001cuts
Directed by Sarah M Temkin
“1001cuts” explores the careers of female surgeons who benefited from Title IX, a law that opened doors for...
Human Rights Spotlight
,
International Spotlight
,
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
13 Driver’s Licenses
Film
13 Driver’s Licenses
Directed by Ryoya Terao
The discovery of 13 confiscated driver’s licenses from 1938 leads a band of high-school students and their tenacious...
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
23 Mile
Film
23 Mile
Directed by Mitch McCabe
23 Mile chronicles cataclysmic events in Michigan throughout 2020–including the plot to kidnap governor Witmer. This experimental nonfiction...
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
A Body Called Life
Film
A Body Called Life
Directed by Spencer MacDonald
Jame seeks to understand his own place in the cosmos by delving into the hidden world of microscopic...
Studio Spotlight
A Real Pain
Film
A Real Pain
Directed by Jesse Eisenberg
Mismatched cousins David and Benji reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother and confront…
American Indie Spotlight
,
Robert French and French-Language Focus
,
Women in Film Spotlight
A Time Apart
Film
A Time Apart
Directed by Courtney Hope Therond
Alyssa returns to Paris to finalize her divorce, but while spending a final week with her soon-to-be ex-husband,...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
Robert French and French-Language Focus
,
Women in Film Spotlight
After Annecy
Film
After Annecy
Directed by Rebecca Holstein
One month after a chance encounter in the town of Annecy, France, Remi travels to Northern Ireland in...
Human Rights Spotlight
,
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Race in America
,
Spotlight on Inspiration Documentary Competition
Ain’t No Back to a Merry-Go-Round
Film
Ain’t No Back to a Merry-Go-Round
Directed by Ilana Trachtman
Follow the story of five Howard University students who sat on a carousel in 1960 and those who...
International Spotlight
,
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
All Things Metal
Film
All Things Metal
Directed by Motoki Otsuka
In the Patterson brothers’ metal shop, they lead a double life: by day, crafting beautiful heirloom ironwork, and...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
Women in Film Spotlight
AM I
Film
AM I
Directed by Ce Liu
An 8-year-old Asian girl, Maya, tries to buy a rabbit cake on Mother’s Day for her violent uncaring...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
American Oxygen
Film
American Oxygen
Directed by Adam Hazelton, Emily Hazelton
Sam — a young woman living on supplemental oxygen — races to catch the last bus to Los...
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
An Extraordinary Place
Film
An Extraordinary Place
Directed by Tom Bell
For those who crave a personal connection to music, this is the story of a quirky Maine radio...
Fine Arts Spotlight
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International Spotlight
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Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
ANAGAMA
Film
ANAGAMA
Directed by Guillermo Asensio
Born in Taiwan and raised in Scotland by her adoptive British parents, Chen su li (Nancy Fuller) is...
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Are You My Brother?
Film
Are You My Brother?
Directed by Daniel A. Nelson
This story follows the filmmaker’s connection with Oscar Iglesias, a 47-year-old Puerto Rican tattoo artist in North Carolina,...
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
Women in Film Spotlight
Bad Hostage
Film
Bad Hostage
Directed by Mimi Wilcox
After being held hostage, the filmmaker’s grandmother shocked her small town by declaring she felt more threatened by...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
Women in Film Spotlight
Before You
Film
Before You
Directed by Lauren Merage
A first-time mother’s euphoric pregnancy spirals when she receives a heartbreaking medical prognosis about her unborn child –...
International Spotlight
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Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Behind The Mask
Film
Behind The Mask
Directed by Håvard Bustnes
This Documentary follows Abduweli, a Uyghurs refuge, as he must choose between shedding light on the genocide in...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Belief
Film
Belief
Directed by Christian Loubek
Lennox happily unpacks his new home alongside his wife and daughter. His joy turns to shock when he...
American Indie Spotlight
Ben and Suzanne, A Reunion in 4 Parts
Film
Ben and Suzanne, A Reunion in 4 Parts
Directed by Shaun Seneviratne
In Ben and Suzanne: A Reunion in 4 Parts, Ben travels to Sri Lanka to rekindle his romance...
Human Rights Spotlight
,
International Spotlight
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Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
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Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
QFest LGBTQ Spotlight
Bender Defenders
Film
Bender Defenders
Directed by Ira Putilova
Four members of the queer martial arts club “Bender Defenders” in East London celebrate trans people in sports...
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Race in America
Black Table
Film
Black Table
Directed by Bill Mack, John Antonio James
In 1993, the largest class of black students in Yale’s history arrive on campus, just as the country...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
Women in Film Spotlight
Bob
Film
Bob
Directed by Tianyu Du
A Chinese immigrant family arrives in the USA with limited financial resources. The mother is determined to provide...
Animation Spotlight
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Cinema for Students Programs
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Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Brim Broome Boulevard
Film
Brim Broome Boulevard
Directed by PJ Magerko-Liquorice
When a child wanders through a set of mysterious doors, they embark on a journey of self-discovery where...
Cinema for Students Programs
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Environmental Focus
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Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Broken Flight
Film
Broken Flight
Directed by Erika Valenciana, Mitchell Wenkus
Hundreds of bird species migrate through Chicago each year, but collisions with glass in skyscrapers pose a major...
Animation Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
Women in Film Spotlight
But I’m a Shoe
Film
But I’m a Shoe
Directed by Chen Drachman
This is the story of a woman who wanted to fly comfortably, so she used a new service...
International Spotlight
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Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Calf
Film
Calf
Directed by Jamie O'Rourke
A sinister farm accident leaves Cáit with a terrible decision to make.
Cinema for Students Programs
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Environmental Focus
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Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Capturing the Carbon
Film
Capturing the Carbon
Directed by Jack Winch, Janice Overbeck
Capturing the Carbon: A Journey to Net Zero follows host Rob Riggle, on a journey to learn about...
International Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Ceres
Film
Ceres
Directed by Amelia Sears
A daughter seeks refuge from her emotionally abusive partner at the home of her estranged mother.
Environmental Focus
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Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
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Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Chasing Time
Film
Chasing Time
Directed by Jeff Orlowski-Yang, Sarah Keo
Over the course of the 15-year Extreme Ice Survey project, photographer James Balog and his team brought some...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Check Please
Film
Check Please
Directed by Shane Chung
A high-octane martial arts action comedy about two Korean-Americans fighting for their lives… over who’s paying for dinner.
Cinema for Students Programs
,
Environmental Focus
,
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Chouteau: Scenes from Below
Film
Chouteau: Scenes from Below
Directed by Nevin Dubinsky
“Chouteau: Scenes from Below” delves into the lives of cavers who navigate tight spaces, jump across chasms, and...
International Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
Women in Film Spotlight
Clodagh
Film
Clodagh
Directed by Portia A. Buckley
A lonely priest’s housekeeper encounters a young Irish girl of exceptional talent.
International Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
QFest LGBTQ Spotlight
Close Encounters
Film
Close Encounters
Directed by Ken McDonnell
A dreamlike moment of reconciliation comes for two old lovers, torn apart over 20 years ago, who run...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Cornucopia
Film
Cornucopia
Directed by Andrew Kevelson
A man locked inside a room is forced to finish a feast in exchange for his freedom.
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Curls
Film
Curls
Directed by Aaron Sheer
A rebellious Jewish boy, stifled by his Orthodox community and dysfunctional family, schemes to replace his religious curls...
Fine Arts Spotlight
,
Human Rights Spotlight
,
International Spotlight
,
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Robert French and French-Language Focus
Dancing On The Edge Of A Volcano
Film
Dancing On The Edge Of A Volcano
Directed by Cyril Aris
After the devastating explosion on August 4th, 2020, in Beirut, a film crew faces a tough choice: continue...
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
David Again
Film
David Again
Directed by Adam Elliott
David Again tells the story of David Dennis, his road to recovery from drug and alcohol addiction, and...
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Di Sarno- The story of Emilio’s Ballato
Film
Di Sarno- The story of Emilio’s Ballato
Directed by Johannes Kroemer, Lou Carvell
Di Sarno–The story of Emilio’s Ballato tells the story of a magical and legendary Manhattan restaurant.
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Women in Film Spotlight
Diane Warren: Relentless
Film
Diane Warren: Relentless
Directed by Bess Kargman
Diane Warren: Relentless is an intimate Documentary exploring the life and career of prolific songwriter Diane Warren, known...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
Women in Film Spotlight
Disordered, Recovered, Whatever
Film
Disordered, Recovered, Whatever
Directed by McKenzie Moser
After a person with bulimia binge-eats a pie on Thanksgiving, she has one hour to part with her...
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
Show-Me Cinema
Doom & Despair
Film
Doom & Despair
Directed by Jonathan Childs
Follow Zach Gass as he attempts to ride one of the hardest bike-packing races in the country, Doom...
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Dreamcaster
Film
Dreamcaster
Directed by William Maher
From trying to fit into a sport-centric town to developing a passion for sports, Cameron Black, who is...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
Women in Film Spotlight
Dust to Light
Film
Dust to Light
Directed by Jenna Dorian
When an estranged daughter packs up her late father’s home, an eerie wind lures her to a mysterious...
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
Spanish-Language Focus
Edel Rodriguez: Freedom is a Verb
Film
Edel Rodriguez: Freedom is a Verb
Directed by Adrienne Hall, Mecky Creus
The film chronicles Cuban-American artist Edel Rodriguez’s journey from his early life in Cuba to his rise to...
Free Programs
,
Human Rights Spotlight
,
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Race in America
,
Spanish-Language Focus
Emergent City
Film
Emergent City
Directed by Jay Arthur Sterrenberg, Kelly Anderson
Emergent City chronicles a decade in a working class neighborhood at the edge of a changing Brooklyn. As...
International Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
Women in Film Spotlight
End of Infinity
Film
End of Infinity
Directed by Flora Charlotte Lopategui
Two young women share jokes and quiet moments on a bus ride through the English countryside, revealing their...
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
Race in America
Enfield: What Is Inherited
Film
Enfield: What Is Inherited
Directed by Angela N. Robinson, Naomi Despres
The Documentary follows Mondale Robinson, the mayor of Enfield, North Carolina, who returns to his hometown to demonstrate...
International Spotlight
,
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Eternal Father
Film
Eternal Father
Directed by Ömer Sami
Fearing he won’t see his children grow up, Nasar chooses to be cryogenically frozen after death, prompting his...
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Expiration Date
Film
Expiration Date
Directed by Giles Perkins
The end of an era looms as 4th-generation dairy farmer, Ned, nears a long overdue retirement.
Environmental Focus
,
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Facing the Falls
Film
Facing the Falls
Directed by Celia Aniskovich
Cara Elizabeth Yar Khan, suffering an aggressive, muscle-wasting disease, sets off with a team on a 12-day expedition...
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Fallout
Film
Fallout
Directed by Madison Hill
Fallout examines how the United States Military, in collusion with the private manufacturing industry, perpetuates the cycle of...
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Far West
Film
Far West
Directed by Stephen Michael Simon
Deep in the untamed landscapes of the “Far West” and devoid of all modern comforts, artist Lala delves...
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
QFest LGBTQ Spotlight
Fierro
Film
Fierro
Directed by Edward Tyndall
Richard Fierro, the Army veteran credited with stopping the Club Q mass shooter, recounts the life experiences that...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
Women in Film Spotlight
Fishtank
Film
Fishtank
Directed by Wendi Tang
Jules has been sober for a year, but she can’t stop vomiting goldfish. Striving to put her life...
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Follow the Sun
Film
Follow the Sun
Directed by Sybil Wendler
Born in postwar Japan, Akemi never knew her American sailor father. At age 65, with the help of...
Cinema for Students Programs
,
Human Ties
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Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Show-Me Cinema
Forever Endeavor
Film
Forever Endeavor
Directed by Jonthan Mann, Mary Anne Rothberg
Through the eyes of notable individuals and prominent figures, this movie takes a lighthearted look at life’s heavy...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Fractal
Film
Fractal
Directed by Anslem Edmund Richardson
A Deaf boy calls upon a mysterious creature to find solace from tragedy.
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Gone
Film
Gone
Directed by Hunter Nickless
Luca, a teenage boy navigates life through his new surroundings, life lessons, and clouded memories.
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Grand Super Buffet
Film
Grand Super Buffet
Directed by Joe Soonthornsawad
Two Asian American college students struggle to reconnect at their favorite hometown Chinese buffet. Over the course of...
International Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
HoleY
Film
HoleY
Directed by Bavly Soliman
Mark, a 32-year-old Christian Orthodox, is determined to lose his virginity while visiting NYC from Egypt, so he...
Human Rights Spotlight
,
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
Race in America
How to Sue the Klan
Film
How to Sue the Klan
Directed by John Beder
Learn the story of the five Black women and a young civil rights lawyer who took on the...
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Humor Me
Film
Humor Me
Directed by Kaitlyn Calta
A filmmaker challenges her unemployed father to try stand-up comedy. Will he flourish or flop?
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
Women in Film Spotlight
I Have Love In Me
Film
I Have Love In Me
Directed by Anne DeMelo
In the rural Virginia woods, a teenage long-distance runner struggles with a crush on a teammate who torments...
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
(I’m Not) Your Negroni
Film
(I’m Not) Your Negroni
Directed by Antonio Tarrell
Award-winning bartender Joseph “Joe” Stinchcomb stirs up the small town of Oxford, Mississippi when he launches a craft...
Animation Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Is Joe Home?
Film
Is Joe Home?
Directed by Robert Tate
“Is Joe Home?” is a Short film inspired by voicemails and sketches from the filmmaker’s friend, revealing childhood...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
It Takes A Village
Film
It Takes A Village
Directed by Joshua Kissi
The year is 1965. In the isolated town of Winneba, Georgia, Isaiah Cooke prepares his son, Lawrence, for...
Asian Focus
,
International Spotlight
,
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
It’s Not About Ketchup
Film
It’s Not About Ketchup
Directed by Nasser Saeed
It’s Not About Ketchup is a Documentary about a couple facing a challenge in their relationship through the...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
Women in Film Spotlight
Jedo’s Dead
Film
Jedo’s Dead
Directed by Sara Nimeh
When a young middle-eastern girl finds her grandfather dead, she is forced to grapple with the earthly rituals...
Free Programs
,
International Spotlight
,
Women in Film Spotlight
JUST A FARMER
Film
JUST A FARMER
Directed by Simon Lyndon
When Alison’s beloved and hard-working husband, Alec, dies unexpectedly, she must manage a failing farm, care for her...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Just For Now
Film
Just For Now
Directed by Elliot Wilks, Victor Kuchmaner
While celebrating what may be the biggest scientific discovery of all time at her friend’s diner, Jessica meets...
Cinema for Students Programs
,
International Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Just Kids
Film
Just Kids
Directed by Alessandro Riconda
Nine-year-old Alisha is tired of being the only girl on the rugby pitch, but after clashing with yet...
American Indie Spotlight
,
Human Rights Spotlight
,
Women in Film Spotlight
Lady Parts
Film
Lady Parts
Directed by Nancy Boyd
Lady Parts” follows Paige, an aspiring screenwriter in Los Angeles who, just days before landing her dream job,...
American Indie Spotlight
Laws of Man
Film
Laws of Man
Directed by Phil Blattenberger
U.S. marshals, Frank and Tommy, have their hands full as they travel to the remote town of Gilead,...
Animation Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
Women in Film Spotlight
Le Charade
Film
Le Charade
Directed by Erika Totoro
A psychological comedy set in a run-down 1950s diner, “Le Charade” follows the final performance of a lonely...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
Women in Film Spotlight
Le Parrot
Film
Le Parrot
Directed by Rachael Sonnenberg
Three siblings return home for their mother’s funeral. Chaos ensues when they discover she has left behind a...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
Spanish-Language Focus
Little Haiti, Miami, USA
Film
Little Haiti, Miami, USA
Directed by XF Serrano
After her son passes away, Erma (50s, Cuban) enlists the help of Wilky (14, Haitian-American) to find the...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Lyrical
Film
Lyrical
Directed by Carter M. Stewart
A privileged, Black law student, trying to escape pressure from his dad, finds himself in a potential police...
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Masterpieces
Film
Masterpieces
Directed by Daniel Roman Hidalgo
Artist Armando Flores presents a stunning museum-quality replica, showcasing the culmination of a lifetime of skill and craftsmanship.
Human Rights Spotlight
,
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
More Than Brothers
Film
More Than Brothers
Directed by Andrea von Siebenthal
Following the retreat of U.S. forces from Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban is now hunting down and killing...
American Indie Spotlight
,
International Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Morningside
Film
Morningside
Directed by Ron Dias
Morningside explores personal struggles, relationships and societal challenges faced by community members amid emerging threat of gentrification.
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
Race in America
Mr. Troy
Film
Mr. Troy
Directed by Ken Gregory
Mr. Troy is a Documentary chronicling Troy D. Brown’s extraordinary career as a world-renowned ballet dancer who overcame...
International Spotlight
,
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Murals
Film
Murals
Directed by Alex Topaller, Daniel Shapiro
Using 3-D scanning, “Murals” gives viewers an opportunity to immersively experience the personal impact of the warfare and...
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
My Father’s Name
Film
My Father’s Name
Directed by Susanna Styron
When Lee Ed Frazier’s daughter, Jan, makes a shocking discovery about her father years after his death, she...
Fine Arts Spotlight
,
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
My Missing Screw
Film
My Missing Screw
Directed by Nitsan Bar Tal
In 1996, after a suicide attempt and recovery Raffael begins creating a symbolic 10-foot screw. As he recovers,...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Neither Donkey Nor Horse
Film
Neither Donkey Nor Horse
Directed by Robin Wang
Amidst the outbreak of the 1910 Manchurian Plague, a young Chinese doctor must defy prejudices of both the...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Night Moves
Film
Night Moves
Directed by Michael Blair
On an a winter night in Queens, two strangers meet outside a pupusa restaurant. Slowly, the sounds and...
American Indie Spotlight
,
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
On My Way to Where
Film
On My Way to Where
Directed by Dianna Dilworth, Julia Greenberg
On My Way to Where: A Documentary about Dory Previn, an influential 1970s cult singer-songwriter who famously goes...
American Indie Spotlight
,
New Filmmakers Forum
Paper Marriage
Film
Paper Marriage
Directed by Jeff Man
Produced by the Duplass Brothers, Fanny, a Chinese immigrant, pays Jeff to be her fake husband in a...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Plantasy
Film
Plantasy
Directed by Peyton Tenison
An agoraphobic half-plant half-woman is thrust into a nightmarish reality when her water supply is suddenly shut off....
Cinema for Students Programs
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Practice Space
Film
Practice Space
Directed by Dan Perlman
Close friends Edwin and Steven advise each other on dating and drama — based on zero experience —...
American Indie Spotlight
,
Women in Film Spotlight
Queen of the Ring
Film
Queen of the Ring
Directed by Ash Avildsen
“Queen of the Ring” tells the remarkable true story of Mildred Burke, the first million-dollar female athlete in...
Free Programs
,
Human Rights Spotlight
,
International Spotlight
,
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
Ray of Hope
Film
Ray of Hope
Directed by Nikila Cole, Ryan Singh
Ray of Hope follows Rathika Sitsabaiesan, a former Canadian MP who fled Sri Lanka’s conflict as a child,...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Re-Entry
Film
Re-Entry
Directed by Ariel Mahler
When a trans-scientist rediscovers a lost satellite from her former life as a NASA engineer, she’s forced to...
International Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Recursive Dreams
Film
Recursive Dreams
Directed by Max Vanderspuy
In a world where screens don’t exist and curated memories are uploaded directly to one’s mind, Zin, desperate...
Animation Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Remember Us
Film
Remember Us
Directed by Pablo Leon
A journalist documents the experiences of those who lived through the 12-year Salvadoran Civil War, exploring childhood loss,...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
Women in Film Spotlight
Remento
Film
Remento
Directed by David Shane, Thaddeus McCants
A passive activist with selective memory stumbles through a week of social justice, repeatedly concluding that Black Lives...
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Ripple
Film
Ripple
Directed by Michael McCourt
Rae Ripple, a welder from the outskirts of West Texas, transforms neglected metal into works of art and...
Cinema for Students Programs
,
Free Programs
,
Human Rights Spotlight
,
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Race in America
,
Spotlight on Inspiration Documentary Competition
Rising Hope
Film
Rising Hope
Directed by Theo Avgerinos
In this cinematic portrait of the forgotten Mississippi Delta, inspired citizens share vibrant testimonies of hope in the...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
River of Grass
Film
River of Grass
Directed by Derek Magyar
A young soldier returns home from Vietnam seeking a fresh start with his family. His efforts to prove...
International Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Room Taken
Film
Room Taken
Directed by TJ O'Grady-Peyton
Set in Ireland, Isaac, unhoused and desperate, becomes a secret house guest to Victoria, an elderly blind woman....
International Spotlight
,
New Filmmakers Forum
Run
Film
Run
Directed by Bernard kordieh
JB, a struggling writer, runs to escape memories of a toxic relationship. His encounter with a man living...
American Indie Spotlight
Saturn
Film
Saturn
Directed by Eric Esau
When a strange planet appears in the sky over a picturesque seaside town, James, one of the town’s...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
Women in Film Spotlight
Schrödinger’s Brother
Film
Schrödinger’s Brother
Directed by Elizabeth Perla
“Schrödinger’s Brother” is a dark comedy about a young woman who must call 911 for help because she...
International Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
Women in Film Spotlight
Screentime
Film
Screentime
Directed by Alexandrena Parker
“Screentime” is a social commentary narrative illustrating the contrast between digital screens and the tactile world in childhood,...
Environmental Focus
,
Free Programs
,
Human Rights Spotlight
,
Human Ties
,
International Spotlight
,
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Spotlight on Inspiration Documentary Competition
,
Women in Film Spotlight
Searching for Amani
Film
Searching for Amani
Directed by Debra Aroko, Nicole Gormley
A 13-year-old aspiring journalist investigates his father’s murder in Kenya’s largest wildlife conservancy. As a severe drought worsens,...
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Spotlight on Inspiration Documentary Competition
,
Women in Film Spotlight
Shari & Lamb Chop
Film
Shari & Lamb Chop
Directed by Lisa D'Apolito
Shari & Lamb Chop tells the inspiring story of Shari Lewis, a multi-talented woman who, despite being underestimated...
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
She Marches in Chinatown
Film
She Marches in Chinatown
Directed by Della Chen
She Marches in Chinatown is an inspiring story of the Seattle Chinese Community Girls Drill Team, founded in...
American Indie Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
Women in Film Spotlight
Single Car Crashes
Film
Single Car Crashes
Directed by Brittani Ward
Due to a devastating car crash that took his best friend life, Sean, a one-time promising baseball recruit,...
Human Rights Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
QFest LGBTQ Spotlight
,
Women in Film Spotlight
Sixteen
Film
Sixteen
Directed by Naomi Iwamoto
When a Japanese American teenage girl is faced with the reality of being sent to conversion therapy, she...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
Women in Film Spotlight
So, That Happened
Film
So, That Happened
Directed by Neha Aziz
Sheila and Imran haven’t seen each other since college, but when Imran moves back to Austin, an opportunity...
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Space Coast
Film
Space Coast
Directed by Justin Barber
People from around the world gather on the Space Coast to witness the launch of Artemis-1, the ‘World’s...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
Women in Film Spotlight
Stalled In Eight Etudes
Film
Stalled In Eight Etudes
Directed by Kersti Bryan
Eight lives intersect in a municipal courthouse bathroom and find a surprising humanity.
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Stone Dead
Film
Stone Dead
Directed by Freddie Gluck
Stone Dead explores the life of Rex, a reclusive marble sculptor in a small Colorado town, who lives...
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Race in America
,
Show-Me Cinema
Stone Feather
Film
Stone Feather
Directed by Justin Henley, Ose Enaholo
An underground music collective, known for their electric performances in St. Louis, MO, has to find the courage...
American Indie Spotlight
,
Show-Me Cinema
Sugarhouse
Film
Sugarhouse
Directed by Frederick C. Jones, Shirlee A. Wilson
Abandoned at the sugarhouse by her outlaw father, Maisie, a sweet-natured teenager, tries to hold the family together,...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
Women in Film Spotlight
Superman Doesn’t Steal
Film
Superman Doesn’t Steal
Directed by Tamika Lamison
Based on true events and set during the 1970’s Atlanta child murders, “Superman Doesn’t Steal” introduces Harriet and...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Taha
Film
Taha
Directed by Mahyar Mandegar
In a rundown Iranian circus in LA, 70-year-old groundskeeper decides to participate in the show in order to...
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Tahnaanooku’
Film
Tahnaanooku’
Directed by Justin Deegan
An artistic and emotional celebration of the environmental activism of Darlin Deegan and her efforts to protect the...
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Ten Times Better
Film
Ten Times Better
Directed by Jennifer Rita Lin
Driven by his refugee mother to excel in white America, George Lee, an 88-year-old blackjack dealer in Vegas,...
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
The Action Man
Film
The Action Man
Directed by Eros Zhao
A window into the life and work of piano technician Franco Skilan as he completes the restoration of...
Free Programs
,
International Spotlight
,
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
The Animal Thing
Film
The Animal Thing
Directed by Adam Linzey
Through his filmmaker son’s lens, an intimate portrait of Animal Rights pioneer and theologian Andrew Linzey is revealed—a...
American Indie Spotlight
,
Human Rights Spotlight
,
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Race in America
,
Spotlight on Inspiration Documentary Competition
The Calling
Film
The Calling
Directed by Asako Gladsjo
“The Calling” tracks a diverse group of medical students at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
Women in Film Spotlight
The Candy Lady
Film
The Candy Lady
Directed by Monique Morton Derouselle
A neighborhood candy lady’s normal day goes awry when she awakens an antique magical typewriter that brings her...
International Spotlight
,
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
The Castle
Film
The Castle
Directed by Chris Grubb, Stephen Williams
The Castle is a Welsh folk story about an Afghan war veteran with PTSD who fought homelessness and...
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
The Cinema Within
Film
The Cinema Within
Directed by Chad Freidrichs
Have years of cinematic viewing led us to internalize the unnatural jumps between viewpoints crafted by film editors,...
Cinema for Students Programs
,
Free Programs
,
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Race in America
,
Women in Film Spotlight
The Debutantes
Film
The Debutantes
Directed by Contessa Gayles
How does one come out into society in a way that honors and fosters a development of one’s...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
The First Time
Film
The First Time
Directed by Michael Chi Peer
A modern couple comes to an uncomfortable crossroad in their relationship, and it doesn’t smell good.
Environmental Focus
,
International Spotlight
,
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
The Last Observers
Film
The Last Observers
Directed by Maja Karlsson
This is the story of the last remaining manual weather station in Sweden and the couple who operate...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
Women in Film Spotlight
The Lift
Film
The Lift
Directed by Laura Maccabee
Following the loss of his husband, a grief-stricken retiree finds renewed connection with a mysterious young woman who’s...
American Indie Spotlight
,
Women in Film Spotlight
The Loved & Lost
Film
The Loved & Lost
Directed by Anna Thalman
Becca and Cal, two parents lost in the struggles of their dried-up careers, search for meaning while managing...
International Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
The Mediator
Film
The Mediator
Directed by Dean Leon Anderson
Chris, bedridden and paralyzed after an accident, is cared for by his sister Olivia. When Olivia hires Mary,...
American Indie Spotlight
,
Free Programs
,
Human Ties
The Midway Point
Film
The Midway Point
Directed by Lucca Vieira
Jake, a high schooler on the autism spectrum feels disillusioned with the world until he meets Alice who...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
Spanish-Language Focus
The Mourning Of
Film
The Mourning Of
Directed by Merced Elizondo
Maribel has been mourning the tragic loss of her mother in the most peculiar way imaginable— by secretly...
Free Programs
,
Human Rights Spotlight
,
Human Ties
,
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Race in America
,
Spotlight on Inspiration Documentary Competition
The People’s Way
Film
The People’s Way
Directed by Ashley Tyner, William Taft Tyner
Grappling with the impact of George Floyd’s murder in Minneapolis, three community organizers, Jeanelle Austin, Toshira Garraway, and...
Human Rights Spotlight
,
International Spotlight
,
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
The Presidents’ Tailor – From Auschwitz to the White House
Film
The Presidents’ Tailor – From Auschwitz to the White House
Directed by Rick Minnich
Martin Greenfield learned to sew while mending Gestapo shirts in Auschwitz, and went on to make suits for...
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
QFest LGBTQ Spotlight
The Queen Vs. Texas
Film
The Queen Vs. Texas
Directed by Emil Lozada, Raemonn James
In the fight for social justice and freedom of artistic expression, a drag queen makes sure Texas clearly...
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
The Solace Of Sisterhood
Film
The Solace Of Sisterhood
Directed by Anna Andersen, Geneva Peschka
The Solace of Sisterhood follows the Caramel Curves, an all-Black female biker crew in New Orleans as they...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
Women in Film Spotlight
The Soldier & The Butterfly
Film
The Soldier & The Butterfly
Directed by Stefano Da Frè
The Soldier & The Butterfly is a poignant tale of forbidden love set against the backdrop of Japanese...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
QFest LGBTQ Spotlight
The Sound of Walking
Film
The Sound of Walking
Directed by Sche-Hao Wang
A gay son is unexpectedly visited by his blind father while in the company of his boyfriend, a...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
The Stardust Motel
Film
The Stardust Motel
Directed by Ori Ben-Shahar
The Stardust Motel follows Delle Barker, a junior reporter determined to prove herself in the cutthroat industry of...
Human Rights Spotlight
,
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
The Strike
Film
The Strike
Directed by JoeBill Muñoz, Lucas Guilkey
The Strike is a Feature Documentary that tells the story of a generation of California men who endured...
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
The Test
Film
The Test
Directed by Claudia Myers, Laura Waters Hinson
With dreams of becoming an American citizen to provide a better life for his family he hasn’t seen...
Asian Focus
,
International Spotlight
,
New Filmmakers Forum
,
Women in Film Spotlight
The Umesh Chronicles
Film
The Umesh Chronicles
Directed by Pooja Kaul
A woman questions the nature of freedom as she contrasts her privileged life with that of those who...
International Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
The Understudy
Film
The Understudy
Directed by Peter Pasyk
An understudy actor receives the call that he must go on last-minute to replace the star of a...
Animation Spotlight
,
International Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Three Hares
Film
Three Hares
Directed by Paloma Baeza
Three Hares weaves an enchanting creation myth and the mystical origin story of the ancient three hares symbol...
American Indie Spotlight
To Die Alone
Film
To Die Alone
Directed by Austin Smagalski
After suffering a terrible injury while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, Irving must find a way to escape...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
To End All Spells
Film
To End All Spells
Directed by Nana Kwabena, Zak Cedarholm
Amidst her village’s near extinction, a desert warrior fights to protect the sacred Palve fruit, which connects the...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
Women in Film Spotlight
Two Breaths
Film
Two Breaths
Directed by Kateryna Kurganska
After a man-made disaster decimates an evergreen island, a stranded 11-year-old girl must first survive and then find...
Oscar® Submissions
Under the Volcano
Film
Under the Volcano
Directed by Damian Kocur
The Ukrainian family of four is spending the last day of their vacation on the island of Tenerife....
Environmental Focus
,
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
SLIFF/Kids Family Films
,
Spotlight on Inspiration Documentary Competition
Unearth
Film
Unearth
Directed by John Hunter Nolan
After decades of battling to protect their homeland from North America’s largest open-pit copper mine, Yu’pik Alaskan sisters...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
Show-Me Cinema
Us + One
Film
Us + One
Directed by Andy Compton
Things get weird for a lonely single when he unknowingly swipes right on a married couple’s attempt to...
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Voices
Film
Voices
Directed by Randy Field
Sparked by the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court reversal of Roe v. Wade, residents of Rossmoor, a senior living...
Animation Spotlight
,
International Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Wander to Wonder
Film
Wander to Wonder
Directed by Nina GANTZ
Mary, Billybud, and Fumbleton – miniature human actors from the ’80s kids’ TV show “Wander to Wonder,” –...
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
We Ride For Her
Film
We Ride For Her
Directed by Katrina Lillian Sorrentino, Prairie Rose Seminole
A group of Indigenous women motorcyclists rides to raise awareness about the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous...
International Spotlight
,
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Weree
Film
Weree
Directed by Tal Amiran
Haunted by the horrors of the Liberian war, renowned self-taught artist Johnson Weree longs for a brighter future...
Fine Arts Spotlight
,
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
Westermann: Memorial to the Idea of Man If He Was an Idea
Film
Westermann: Memorial to the Idea of Man If He Was an Idea
Directed by Leslie Buchbinder
The Movie Westermann: Memorial to the Idea of Man If He Was an Idea is a documentary about...
International Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
What Men Do For Love
Film
What Men Do For Love
Directed by Sai Karan Talwar
An aging dentist kidnaps a young man with intentions of killing him because he’s had an affair with...
American Indie Spotlight
,
International Spotlight
,
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
What’s Next?
Film
What’s Next?
Directed by Taylor Taglianetti
At 100 years old, Dr. Howard Tucker holds the Guinness World Record as the world’s oldest practicing doctor....
American Indie Spotlight
,
New Filmmakers Forum
,
Women in Film Spotlight
Where in the Hell
Film
Where in the Hell
Directed by Laramie Dennis
When her girlfriend vanishes mid-road trip, sardonic prop master Kasey ends up stranded in a California backwater. She...
Human Rights Spotlight
,
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
Where the Bullets Go
Film
Where the Bullets Go
Directed by Cody Duncum
When a young boy shoots at a bird and misses, he embarks on a search to find where...
Human Rights Spotlight
,
Leon & Mary Strauss Documentary Spotlight
,
Race in America
White With Fear
Film
White With Fear
Directed by Andrew Goldberg
An explosive deep dive into the cynical, decades-long strategy of Republican politicians and conservative media to exploit America’s...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
With Love, Charlie.
Film
With Love, Charlie.
Directed by Jaren Hayman
Two families from across the globe find their lives forever changed due to a fateful encounter on the...
Oscar® Qualifying Shorts Competition
,
Show-Me Cinema
Your Last Wishes
Film
Your Last Wishes
Directed by Mason Beck
Following the death of his best friend, Sammy must take their last words to heart and complete the...
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