SHORT BLOCK 12

BEFORE THE THUNDER

Iowa Premier

After another devastating loss, an aging female pro MMA fighter finds her career at risk and goes back to her family’s home. While there, she experiences strange visions of her past and is forced to deal with a suppressed childhood memory and the possible consequences of her career.

Directed by: Yelena Krivosheyeva

Produced by: Yelena Krivosheyeva

Runtime (minutes): 16

Language: English

Country: USA

Rating: GA

Subtitles: YES

CHASERS

Iowa Premier

A young musician arrives at an LA house party full of struggling twenty-somethings, eager to ask her crush to be her date to her sister’s wedding, but his hot-and-cold behavior leaves her confused. As she confides in her distracted friends—each caught up in their own dramas—a deeper truth about their lives starts to surface. Through flashy dialogue, a flashback, and a literal flash mob, CHASERS dives into the world of ambitious urban creatives, exploring the fine line between drive and exploitation, and the lies we tell ourselves to keep moving forward—all in one continuous 30-minute shot.

Starring: Ciarra Krohne, Louie Chapman, Keana Marie

Directed by: Erin Brown Thomas

Produced by: Elle Shaw, Olivia Haller

Runtime (minutes): 30

Language: English, Tagalog

Country: USA

Rating: M

Subtitles: YES

GIVEN

Iowa Premier

When an encounter with her high school boyfriend, Eric, reveals life-shaking news to Callie, a woman hiding out from life by working as a desert diner manager, she must decide if she will stay in her safety bubble or change a decision she made 25 years ago that will set her life on an unknown course.

Starring: Glory Simon, John Charles Meyer

Directed by: Marissa Vonn

Produced by: Sami Bass

Runtime (minutes): 15

Language: English

Country: USA

Rating: GA

Subtitles: YES

MY ЊУЈОРК [NEW YORK]

Iowa Premier

MY ЊУЈОРК [NEW YORK] is a short film about Macedonian immigrant and a Trans woman who are newcomers to the city. Their chance encounter on a fateful night might jeopardize their future but it will definitely change their lives.

Starring: Tony Naumovski, Kya Azeen, Nikola Aceski

Directed by: Alrick A Brown

Produced by: John Michael Reefer, Charles Plath, Tony Naumovski

Runtime (minutes): 16

Language: English, Macedonian

Country: USA

Rating: M

Subtitles: YES

PERLA

USA Premier

Perla is he who waits hunched around the corner waiting for you intentionally. He can change your life in a blink of an eye. Perla will become your destiny.

Starring: Fernando Jiménez, Pepa Acosta, Ignacio Nacho

Directed by: Ignacio Nacho

Produced by: Belén Carbajal

Runtime (minutes): 12

Language: Spanish

Country: Spain

Rating: M

Subtitles: YES

RUIN FALLS

Iowa Premier

RUIN FALLS tells the story of two childhood friends, Ethan and Kyle, who become inseparable after Ethan's father dies of an opioid overdose. Years later, the growing fractures in their friendship surface when Ethan is forced to confront Kyle about his emerging alcoholism.

Starring: Jack Dullnig, Tony Stevens Colton Aldridge

Directed by: Caleb Gonzalez

Produced by: Lance Childers, Caleb Gonzalez

Runtime (minutes): 15

Language: English

Country: USA

Rating: M

Subtitles: YES

ZARI

Iowa Premier

Amidst preparations for her sister’s wedding in India, young American Neelu forges an unexpected connection with Zeyb, a quiet sari store clerk with a secret.

Starring: Aesha Soni, Kamal Batra, Richa Kalra

Directed by: Shruti Parekh

Produced by: Kajri Akhtar, Shruti Parekh

Runtime (minutes): 19

Language: English, Hindi

Country: USA

Rating: GA

Subtitles: YES