SHORT BLOCK 11

CROSSROADS

Iowa Premier

When Emily and Jacob become unexpectedly pregnant they are forced to face a tough decision on what to do with the baby.

Starring: Venus Monique, Alexander Jesus Burgos, Jessica Maldonado

Directed by: Jessica Driskill

Produced by: Jessica Driskill, Tyler Driskill

Runtime (minutes): 20

Language: English

Country: USA

Rating: GA

Subtitles: YES

DEAR DAUGHTER

A mother's tribute to her daughter, and a reflection on how the love for her evolved throughout the years. A touching true story.

Starring: Vanessa Neff, Carson Castillo, Christian Melvin

Directed by: Rob Underhill, Vanessa Neff

Produced by: Rob Underhill, Vanessa Neff

Runtime (minutes): 7

Language: English

Country: USA

Rating: GA

Subtitles: YES

FERARRI

USA Premier

Twelve-year-old Nico feels embarrassed by his dad. Not like other children who just feel embarrassed by their parents, but because his dad is 70. That’s what he tries to hide from his classmate Luisa, who seems to have a much cooler dad. On Luisa’s birthday Nico gets himself into a tricky situation with some surprising consequences.

Directed by: Philip Ivancsics

Produced by: Philip Ivancsics

Runtime (minutes): 7

Language: German

Country: Austria

Rating: GA

Subtitles: YES

FLOCKY

Iowa Premier

FLOCKY is an animated allegory navigating pregnancy, exploring the connection between a mother and her unborn child. Set in a melancholic and enchanting world, the film beautifully captures the essence of love, and the poignant nature of loss.

Starring: Chaka Da Silva, Kaylin Lee Clinton

Directed by: Esther Casas Roura

Produced by: Esther Casas Roura, Juan Carlos Concha

Runtime (minutes): 10

Language: Catalan, English, Spanish

Country: Spain

Rating: F

Subtitles: YES

LION SPIRIT

USA Premier

In a complex familial dynamic, a father and daughter navigate their intertwined desires, with the daughter challenging her father's participation in a lion dance competition during illness, and the father resisting her Antarctic expedition, all against a backdrop of shifting time, where the family struggles with identity, tradition, and reconciling Chinese culture with familial harmony.

Directed by: Xuanning Zhang

Produced by: Chaun Gai

Runtime (minutes): 24

Language: Chinese

Country: China

Rating: GA

Subtitles: YES

MY OVER THERE

Starring Emmy winning actor Penny Fuller, this short film is about Lenore McDowell, a veteran of WWI. Lenore, an Army nurse, reveals a dramatic and deeply personal part of her life during her time “over there” that she has never shared before. Inspired by a true story.

Starring: Penny Fuller, Nicole Roberts

Directed by: Bob Celli

Produced by: Bob Celli, Laura Delano, Margaret Romolo-Zukor

Runtime (minutes): 13

Language: English

Country: USA

Rating: GA

Subtitles: YES

SILVERSIZZLE

Iowa Premier

Widower Buddy has some experience being alone when he meets Jamie while visiting the graveside of his recently departed wife. Engulfed in loneliness, Jamie gets pulled into life in all its messiness when Buddy tells him about getting old, "the options are not kind. Loneliness, irrelevance, invisibility." SilverSizzle embarks on an absurd exploration of older people living life right up until the end.

Starring: James Naughton, Boyd Gaines, Mike Boland

Directed by: Brian Russell

Produced by: Lisa DeTullio Russell, Brian Russell

Runtime (minutes): 14

Language: English

Country: USA

Rating: M

Subtitles: YES