1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Los Girasoles
Jose and Manuel Lagares (Spain, 35mm) 15 minutes
Winner of Best Animated Short in Spain, the film chronicles the romance between two sunflowers as they make their break for freedom. With breathtaking color and design, Los Girasoles is a Van Gogh come to life.
Underground
Aimee Lagos & Kristin Dehnert (USA, 35mm) 11 minutes
Director Aimee Lagos challenges audiences to confront their fears and preconceptions in this short film about a woman being stalked on a New York City subway. Underground is a timely reminder that things aren’t always what they appear to be.
Escape
John Rice (Ireland, 35mm) 8 minutes
Confined to a prison cell for life after committing a crime of passion, a man plunges deeper into a secluded world of despair and torment until he finally discovers forgiveness through a canvas. Escape is a moody meditation on release and redemption.
Paprika
Katalin Nivelt Anguelova (USA, 35mm) 8 minutes
Upon biting into a very unusual pepper, a scientist discovers a potent little visitor who will change his life and the rest of the world forever. Based on a true story, Paprika employs whimsical animation and fanciful narration to bring history to life.
Photo
Andre Fabrizio (USA, 35mm) 11 minutes
A young man who fears obscurity attempts to immortalize himself in the snapshots of strangers. Through a bizarre turn of events he obtains notoriety, but looses the ability to reveal his true identity. Photo offers a comic look at self-image, fame, and contentment.
Sr. Trapo
Raul Diez (Spain, 35mm) 12 minutes
When a ragged traveler finally catches sight of his train in the distance, he makes every effort to catch it, unaware of the type of journey that actually awaits him. Through striking computer animation, Sr. Trapo provides a glimpse into a desolate dream world.
Fishy
Deva Palmier (UK, 35mm) 10 minutes
When a lonely woman develops an unusually close relationship with her goldfish, she experiences a fabulous change within herself. Through ambitious visual storytelling, Fishy puts a darkly comic spin on the age-old wisdom “be careful what you wish for.”
Aunt Luisa
Tim Miller and Paul Taylor (USA, 35mm) 3 minutes
A group of talented houseguests ease the isolation of an aging widow until she begins to realize that her visitors have some very unusual characteristics. With stylish animation, Aunt Luisa is a humorous and hopeful reflection on loneliness.
We Have Decided Not To Die
Daniel Askill (Australia, 35mm) 10 minutes
Portraying the three rituals that bring about the transformation of three fatalistic individuals, We Have Decided Not To Die is an exquisite, experimental examination of expectation and transcendence.
Backseat Bingo
Liz Blazer (USA, 35mm) 5 minutes
Backseat Bingo explores love and sex in the golden years as senior citizens discuss the role of romance in their pasts and futures. Watercolors and fabrics combine in this animated documentary to create a remarkable convergence of visual textures.
Walkentalk
Phil Zlotorynski (USA, 35mm) 10 minutes
A young man is forced to recognize his strange affliction – an obsession with all things Walken (Christopher that is). Brilliantly cast, Walkentalk is the hilarious expose of a very little-known social disorder. Official selection of AFI – Los Angeles and SXSW.
The Story of the Weeping Camel
Byambasuren Davaa and Luigi Falorni (Germany/Mongolia, 35mm) 93 minutes
Sure to be one of the most memorable films of the year, The Story of the Weeping Camel transports us to the Gobi Desert where a family of Mongolian nomads helps deliver a brilliant white camel calf. Shocked by the difficulty of the birth, the mother rejects her newborn, compelling the family to perform an ancient ritual in an effort to reunite the pair. Comprised of reality, myth, and magic, The Story of the Weeping Camel examines the roles of modernization versus tradition, technology versus nature, and knowledge versus belief, renewing our faith in the cosmic connections between all living things. Southern CA Premiere!
Screenwriting Reading & Roundtable
Join the writers of the top three scripts in AVIFF’s first ever screenplay competition along with several other accomplished screenwriters from this year’s festival for a roundtable discussion. The session will begin with readings from each of the top screenplays, including this year’s winner, BRO (Bull Riders Only) by Melinda May.
The Pursuit of Happiness
Monique Zavistovski (USA, video) 18 minutes
Zavistovski’s documentary delves into the realities of depression in American society. Through recent interviews and archival footage, she reveals the quagmire of issues surrounding sorrow. From shopping to popping pills, this film explores the lengths to which people will go to pursue happiness.
Riding To Red Bluff: A Bull Rider’s Story
Sarah Garvey (USA, video) 17 minutes
Garvey offers a glimpse into the life of a modern cowboy as she follows California bull rider Shane Gordon and his friends as they prepare for competition and speculate about their futures. Stereotypes are obliterated as the young men reveal the depth of their many interests and the complex issues that surround a profession out of the past.
Out of Status
Pia Sawhney & Sanjna Singh (USA, video) 11 minutes
In post 9/11 America, the curtailment of civil liberties has had an enduring impact on American Muslims, especially in New York. This timely film examines families who were torn apart by the selective enforcement of new and existing immigration policy. It chronicles examples of not only recent immigrants, but naturalized US citizens as well.
Childless By Choice
Amy Slucter (USA, video) 21 minutes
Childless By Choice addresses the role of child rearing in contemporary society and the adults who consciously choose to abstain from it. Slucter explores the broad range of perspectives on parenthood – from solemn duty to exalted privilege – and presents the idea that while a person’s house may be empty, their life can still be full.
Jumpers
Mark Rinehart (USA, video) 25 minutes
Jumpers follows two BASE jumpers as they travel from the canyon-lands of Moab to the skyscrapers of San Francisco, revealing candid insights about their motivations as well as extraordinary courage and physical prowess. Body-mounted cameras plunge thousands of feet off cliffs, bridges, antenna towers, and buildings, creating unforgettable images.
Oh! My Dear Desire,
Frank V. Ross (USA, video) 107 minutes
Frank Ross’ low budget indie feature demonstrates how one can make a thoughtful and poignant film without significant capital. Digitally shot in 30 days, the film chronicles the intertwining stories of three men the week before high school graduation and how the decisions they make define the rest of their lives and the lives of those they love. Each of these men concedes to his drive for risk, lust, and volatility – feelings that are at once a source of irrationality and creativity, spiritual devastation and rebirth. West Coast Premiere!
A panel discussion with the filmmakers will follow the screening.
Did You Ever…
Justin Leonard Stauber (Germany, video) 29 minutes
In Did You Ever, a woman picks up a handsome young hitchhiker on a desolate desert highway. As their banter becomes more personal, intense visions cause her to question whether she is toying with innocent fantasies or flirting with a dangerous reality.
The Stranger
Brad Furman (USA, 35mm) 27 minutes
Clinging to the last vivid memories of her husband, a pilot’s widow and son are visited by a stranger who endows them with the most precious of reminders. Beautifully shot in the Antelope Valley, The Stranger is a testament to the power of faith and remembrance.
Chicken Party
Tate Taylor (USA, video) 28 minutes
After committing a few petty indiscretions, several people gather to serve their court-ordered penitence—roadside litter removal. With a superb cast headed by Allison Janey, Chicken Party is a comic reflection on weakness, complete with orange jumpsuits, sadistic community service officers, and a large bucket of chicken.
Reveille
Adam & Donovan Montierth (USA, 35mm) 12 minutes
When an Army veteran becomes the neighbor of a Navy veteran, the ritual of raising the flag becomes a showy game of one-upmanship as the men attempt to display their gallantry and patriotism in a touching and humorous story about devotion and friendship.
Uncle Sam Wants You!
David Houts and Andrew Dunn (USA, video) 90 minutes
Uncle Sam Wants You! is a dramatic, funny, and poignant look at the battles fought on the home front to fill the ranks of the US Marine Corps. Shot at a recruiting office in Queens, New York, the film examines how the modern military sells soldiering and patriotism to savvy young consumers, defining itself in the process. We follow recruiters, trying to meet their monthly quotas, as well as recruits, often struggling for a better life, as they go from initial meetings to boot camp. With stories of triumph and failure, the contrast between the self-indulgent appeal of civilian consumer culture and the life-threatening vocation of soldiering is never more stark than in times such as ours. US Premiere
Black Gulch
Michael Strode (USA, 35mm) 15 minutes
When bank robbers choose the wrong day to prey on a small town, they find one young boy who appears to be the only survivor of a merciless supernatural predator. Through phenomenal special effects, Black Gulch offers a darkly humorous look at revenge.
Milton is a Shitbag
Courtney Davis (USA, video) 5 minutes
Milton is a small orange kitty who hates his owner’s guts. He also works for Pat Buchanan. Milton is a Shitbag is an amusing, animated flick about the love/hate relationship between a woman and her evil, Pat Buchanan-loving cat.
60 Seconds
Martin Weisz (USA, video) 15 minutes
Upon waking naked in the desert, a man journeys to the city where he finds a world strikingly similar to the one he remembers, but with a fundamental difference. Gorgeous footage of the Antelope Valley helps to tell this fluid tale of life and death.
Darkness Minus Twelve
Antonio Negret (USA, 16mm) 13 minutes
Blindfolded in a tiny room in Columbia, a young man awaits his fate at the hands of his kidnappers while rescuers race to save him, minutes before the deadline. Arresting images heighten the intensity of this fictional tale about a very real human problem.
Bludren
Jill Johnston-Price (USA, video) 7 minutes
In Bludren, a pair of vampire twins lure a creature into a mysterious world. Unfolding in a gorgeous combination of 2D and 3D hand-painted computer animation, the film looks at the bizarre relationships and interactions that exist in the world around us.
Nassrasur (Wet Shave)
Boris Schaarschmidt (Germany, BetaSP) 10 minutes
When an elderly barber receives a late-night visit from a stranger in need of a haircut, his suspicions are raised, as are those of a passerby who sees the shop’s light at midnight. Intrigue unfolds in Nassrasur as each person is revealed to be other than he or she seems.
Why the Anderson Children Didn’t Come to Dinner
Jamie Travis (Canada, video) 16 minutes
After painful attempts at consuming their birthday breakfast and lunch, three seven-year-olds take an unusual dinner-time stand against their mother’s culinary abuse. Few shorts today are as exquisitely directed as this dark, visual feast for the eyes.
I am Stamos
Rob Meltzer (USA, 35mm) 17 minutes
When a character actor’s wish to become a leading man comes true, he miraculously begins to photograph as John Stamos, provoking the unholy wrath of Stamos himself. Official selection of the US Comedy Arts Festival and SXSW.
Grand Theft Parsons
David Caffrey (USA/UK, 35mm) 88 minutes
Shot in just 24 days in the Antelope Valley, Grand Theft Parsons is the incredible true story of a funeral pact between country music star Gram Parsons and his road manager Phil Kaufman. The pair had (drunkenly) agreed that when one of them died his spirit would be freed by burning the corpse in the majestic desert of Joshua Tree, California. Johnny Knoxville shines in his first dramatic role as Kaufman along with a strong ensemble cast including Christina Applegate, Robert Forster, and Michael Shannon. With beautiful cinematography and a memorable score, this bizarre indie buddy film is destined to become a cult classic. Official selection of the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. West Coast Premiere!
Dead and Breakfast
Matt Leutwyler (USA, 35mm) 86 minutes
This impressively stylish, over-the-top, gore-drenched, horror/musical/comedy is a film you won’t soon forget! Stranded in a small town, six friends soon become the prime suspects in a double homicide just as an evil spirit possesses most of the town’s quirky residents. Armed with a rusty chainsaw, a can of gasoline, and half a box of shotgun shells, our young heroes face a mob of zombies. Hilarious musical narration by Southern California songwriter Zach Selwyn will have you tapping your toes to decapitations and grooving to zombie dances as you laugh and cringe your way to the film’s climax. Southern California Premiere!
AVC Student Shorts
Join AVIFF for its first showcase of films produced by past and present AVC students including Tickle of Evil by Douglas Garvin, director of Johnny Good Neighbor, a 2003 AVIFF midnight favorite, and Silent Razor, Scarefest winner for Best Sound and Best Special Effects, directed by Otis Johnson.
Scrabylon
Scott Petersen (USA, video) 51 minutes
Featuring the most invincible anagrammers, the fiercest rack balancers, and the most formidable bingo experts in the world, Scrabylon presents the wacky world of competitive scrabble. Scott Petersen presents the eccentric and compelling people from around the globe for whom letters and points are everything. This documentary allows us to take part in the passion and excitement of the game as the players vie, not only for the title and $25,000 purse, but also for the perfect word…the perfect play.
Tracks
Corrie Francis (USA, 16mm) 2 minutes
Evoking the awe of the African Savannah at sunset, wild animals gather in a moody landscape for a last drink before nightfall. With the aid of a unique combination of fluid sand animation and backlit collages, Tracks creates a subtle, striking tribute to nature.
Who’s Your Daddy
Matt Ehlers (USA, 35mm) 4 minutes
When a group of babies is born sharing the same odd characteristic, a group of husbands band together to seek out the culprit. From the creator of Lunch, a 2002 AVIFF favorite, Who’s Your Daddy presents a hilarious scenario of illicit liaisons behind closed doors.
Charlie 2.0
Matthew Hsu (USA, 35mm) 13 minutes
After confronting a woman on the street, Charlie discovers that she is his new boss. Tired of being pushed around, he decides to inflict his own form of prankster justice. Charlie 2.0 reminds us that those who set out to get even often get more than they expect.
Overpass
Alan Price (USA, video) 7 minutes
When a young boy travels through a world of massive desert highways, he ultimately learns to shape and rearrange his environment. Overpass takes us on a fluid, animated journey of change and revision.
19 at 11
Directed by Michael Schwartz (USA, video) 14 minutes
In 19 at 11, two anchors fight for supremacy on the battleground of the nightly news. One will loose as the other gains a bittersweet victory, painting an intimate portrait of power and ambition. Official selection of the Cannes Film Festival.
Everloving
Steve Johnson (USA, video) 4 minutes
Inspired by the music of Moby and the paintings of Beksinski, Everloving features a surreal dreamscape in which two mysterious forms join together. The film artfully blends sounds and images into a vision that is both graceful and provocative.
Fragile
Sikander Goldau (Germany, 35mm) 20 minutes
One day in September a woman starts a long journey. Visiting the people she loves to say goodbye, she never mentions that it may be a long time before they see one another again. Elegantly shot and richly layered, Fragile is a multifaceted look at life’s passage.
Point of View
Il-hyang Jang (USA, video) 4 minutes
When the worlds of two unlikely neighbors collide, we discover a stunning gap between their perspectives. Funny and clever, the film is ultimately a plea for tolerance and acceptance.
Space Grandpa
Dustin Gould (USA, video) 9 minutes
A teenage boy attempts to fulfill a birthday wish by making his grandfather’s life-long dream come true while contending with his mother’s reservations about the venture. Space Grandpa is a poignant tribute to family, loyalty, and the journey of life.
Free Radicals
Mahyar Abousaeedi & Ed Chen (USA, 35mm) 8 minutes
Dreaming of hot sand and mahi-mahi, three Rocky Mountain cockroaches enter the extreme ski contest of a lifetime – off a 12 foot rooftop. The world’s first cockroach home video, this film offers a look at a group of tiny individuals who are larger than life.
Dance With Me
Devon Chivvis (USA, 35mm) 15 minutes
A gift from a mysterious stranger helps an old man to regain the feelings of his youth, but he ultimately realizes that his love for his wife is magic of the most valuable sort. Dance With Me reminds us to appreciate the extraordinary in what we already possess.
September 11
Various directors (Various countries, 35mm) 135 minutes
September 11 is a stunning cinematic response to the global reverberations of 9/11. Eleven eminent international filmmakers were each invited to develop an 11-minute short film. The result is an engaging, provocative, and powerful collection of films from locations around the globe. Participating filmmakers include Ken Loach (UK), Sean Penn (US), Claude Leloach (France), Mira Nair (US/India), and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (Mexico). This astounding exercise in point-of-view demonstrates how one’s personal worldview is dramatically shaped by the circumstances into which we are born.
On the Downlow
Tadeo Garcia (USA, video) 85 minutes
Set in Chicago’s Little Village, On the Downlow is the explosive story of the relationship between Isaac and Angel, two young Latinos in a south side Chicago gang. The decisions these men make and the paths they take trap them in a community where rules can’t be broken and secrets won’t be tolerated. With a surprising tenderness and characters who defy stereotyping, On the Downlow is an unconventional look at life in the hood. West Coast Premiere!
