Slamdance 2023 Program

Welcome to Slamdance!

Slamdance is a community, an experience and a statement. Established by a wild bunch of filmmakers who wanted to showcase the unfiltered voice of independent artists, Slamdance is an ongoing experiment that has proven, year after year, when it comes to recognizing talent and launching careers, the independent and grassroots film communities can do it themselves. Our incredible festival line-up this year and the massive support shown from our alumni and partners in creating Slamdance ‘23 reflect who we are as an artist-led organization. This year will also serve as the first in-person presentation of Slamdance Unstoppable, a showcase of filmmakers with visible and non-visible disabilities that will take place at the University of Utah. Slamdance ‘23 will take place in-person from January 20-26 in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah and virtually from January 23-29. Everyone is invited to take part! Love from the Slamdance team.

Get Ready to Slamdance

Unstoppable features and shorts screen at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City and at the Treasure Mountain Inn in Park City (TMI) where indicated. All other films screen only at the Treasure Mountain Inn in Park City. For accessibility questions email our Slamdance Accessibility Coordinator Gabe Misla here: accessibility@slamdance.com.

Treasure Mountain Inn January 20th - 26th 255 Main St, Park City UT 84060

University of Utah

January 23rd - 25th A. Ray Olpin University Union Theatre 200 Central Campus Dr, Salt Lake City UT 84112

Buy Passes Now at slamdance.com/passes

The Slamdance

Channel

January 20th - 29th The 2023 Slamdance Film Festival is online at slamdancechannel.com

2023 Slamdance Passholders & Active Slamdance Channel Subscribers can stream our entire festival program at Slamdancechannel.com Jan. 23rd - 29th, 2023. Plus get access to our full library of groundbreaking independent films.

For the full schedule of events, visit:

Friday, Jan 20

Saturday, Jan 21

Ballroom

10:15am American Pot Story + Susan & Leslie

12:30pm Stars in the Ordinary Universe + Playdate

2:45pm The Mad Writer + Strange Beasts

5pm DGA Filmmaker Welcome

7pm Punk Rock Vegan Movie

10:45am New Religion

1pm Mascot

3pm Silent Love + Fleshwork 5:15pm Nut Jobs + Horse 7:30pm Starring Jerry as Himself 9:45pm Mad Cats + Jimmy Boden

10:30am Where the Road Leads + Visiting Day

Sunday, Jan 22

12:45pm With Peter Bradley + Busy

3pm Where is The Lie? + PLSTC

5:15pm Sweetheart Deal

7:30pm Unicorn Boy + Don’t Die on Me 9:45pm Episodes

Monday, Jan 23

11am Onlookers + Slower Animals

1pm Cisco Kid + Diomysus

3:15pm The Underbug + Addresses 5:30pm Downwind + MELA 8pm Love Dump + Mahogany Drive 10:15pm Experimental Shorts

11am Waiting For the Light to Change + East End 1pm Narrative Shorts Block 1 3:15pm Fuzzy Head + Write a Song About Heartbreak 5:30pm Space Happy: Phil Thomas Katt and The Uncharted Zone + Subway Stops 7:45pm The Girl Who Was Cursed + Mind My Goofiness: The Self Portrait 10pm Wisdom Gone Wild + Good Grief

11am Documentary Shorts

Wed, Jan 25

1pm A Perfect Day for Caribou

3:15pm Narrative Shorts Block 2 5:30pm The Art of Silence + Tooth 7:45pm Cash Cow + Moomin 10pm Narrative Shorts Block 3

11am Narrative Shorts Block 2

1:15pm Love Dump + Mahogany Drive

3pm Cisco Kid + Diomysus

7:15pm Sign The Show + Elsa

9:30pm OKAY! (The ASD Band Film) + Inspire Me

11am Cash Cow + Moomin

1:15pm Animation Shorts 3:15pm Onlookers + Slower Animals

5:30pm A Perfect Day for Caribou

7:45pm Space Happy: Phil Thomas Katt and The Uncharted Zone + Subway Stops 10pm The Underbug + Addresses

11am Narrative Shorts Block 1

1:15pm Motel Drive 3:15pm The Girl Who Was Cursed + Mind My Goofiness: The Self Portrait 5:30pm The Art of Silence + Tooth 7:45pm Waiting For the Light to Change + East End 10pm Fuzzy Head + Write a Song About Heartbreak

11:15am Downwind: Panel Discussion 12:30pm Documentary Shorts 2:45pm Starring Jerry as Himself 5pm Narrative Shorts Block 3 7:15pm Stars in the Ordinary Universe + Playdate 9:30pm New Religion

11:15am Silent Love + Fleshwork 1:30pm Experimental Shorts 3:45pm Nut Jobs + Horse 6pm Where the Road Leads + Visiting Day 8:15pm Mascot

Official Sponsors

Media Sponsors

Narrative Features

Sun 1/22, 3:15pm; Tues 1/24 7:45 / Narr. Feature / Netherlands / 45 min / N. American Premiere

the Girl WhO WaS curSed

Director/Writer: Zara Dwinger

When the quirky boy across the street disappears, Gizem has to get out of her comfortable cloud of smoke to find out where he is.

Double-bill with MiND MY GOOFINESS: The Self-Portrait

Fri 1/20, 1:15pm; Mon. 1/23 8pm / Narr. Feature / USA / 51 min / US Premiere

lOve duMp

Director: Jason Avezzano / Writers: Leila Gorstein and Jesse Kendall

Trash-filled love ensues when a quirky antique shop owner searches for her missing father, and falls for a determined dog lawyer along the way.

Plays with Mahogany Drive dir. by Jerah Milligan, written by James Carr, James III, Jonathan Braylock, Jerah Milligan

Sun 1/22, 3:15pm; Tues 1/24 7:45 / Narr. Feature / USA / 43 min / World Premiere

Mind My GOOfineSS:

Director/Writer: Alex Michel

A strange dream; favors for friends; the end of the world. It’s just one of those days for Alex as he runs errands he never needed to, all while making sense of a recurring deja vu throughout the journey of his day.

The Self-Portrait

Double-bill with The Girl Who Was Cursed

Sun Jan 26, 10:30 AM

Sat 1/21, 9:45pm; Tues 1/24 3:15 / Narr. Feature / Japan / 88 min / World Premiere

Mad catS

Director/Writer: Reiki Tsuno

Taka, a shiftless young man, sets off on a quest to find his brother Mune. Teaming up with a quirky new friend and an edgy, mysterious young girl along the way, Taka finds himself taking on a pack of vicious monster cats determined to execute unscrupulous pet shop owners.

Plays with Jimmy Boden dir. by Christopher Pickering

Sat 1/21, 10:45am; Mon 1/23 9:30pm / Narr. Feature / Japan / 101 min / N. American Premiere

neW reliGiOn

Director/Writer: Keishi Kondo

Miyabi has lost her only daughter in an accident. One day, she meets a strange man. The man demands that she let him take a picture of her spine.

Sat 1/21, 5:15pm; Wed 1/25 3:45pm / Narr. Feature / Canada / 84 min / US Premiere

nut JObS

Director/Writer:

Benjamin

Sun Jan 26, 10:30 AM

Sat 1/21, 5:30pm; Wed 1/25 1pm / Narr. Feature / USA / 95 min / N. American Premiere

a perfect day fOr caribOu

Director/Writer: Jeff Rutherford

An estranged father and son spend the day ambling around a cemetery, wandering the wilderness, searching for family, and stumbling through disharmony and heartache.

Fri

StarS in the Ordinary univerSe

Director/Writer: Bowon Kim

Three stories from three different earths in the multiverse. Plays with Playdate dir. by Cory Snearowski

Sun 1/22, 7:30pm; Tues 1/24, 10:45am / Narr. Feature / USA / 91 min / World Premiere

Director/Writer: Matt Kiel

When a heartbroken young artist is sucked into a unicorn-run alternate dimension, they must help conquer a dark force in order to bring peace to the kingdom and themselves.

Plays with Don’t Die on Me dir. by Ori Goldberg

Sun 1/22, 7:45pm; Tues 1/24, 11am / Narr. Feature / USA / 89 min

Director: Linh Tran / Writers: Linh Tran, Jewells Santos, Delia Van Praag

After undergoing dramatic weight loss, Amy is torn between her loyalty and an attraction to her friend’s new boyfriend.

WaitinG fOr the liGht tO chanGe

Plays with East End dir. by Grant Curatola, written by

Sun 1/22, 10:30am; Wed 1/25 6pm / Narr. Feature / Serbia / 82 min / World

Where the rOad leadS

Jana

Plays

Grant Curatola, Dan Roe

Director/Writer: Nina Ognjanovic

runs to save the life of a foreigner who can take her far away from her home town.

with Visiting Day dir. by Diego F. Rodríguez Ocampo

Premiere

Alexandre Leblanc

tells his ex-girlfriend Angie that he joined a cell of left-wing terrorists to get revenge on her former boss, who owns a right-wing radio station, leaving Angie wondering if he made that up only to win her back.

Plays with Horse dir. by Diana Gong

Documentary Features

Sat 1/21, 11am; Wed 1/25, 7:45pm / Doc. Feature / USA / 98 min / World Premiere

caSh cOW

Director/Writer:

In the Fall of 2020, a financially struggling actor camps and explores early Mormon historical sites as he anxiously awaits national broadcast for his Domino’s Pizza commercial.

Plays with Moomin dir. by Zach Dorn

Fri 1/20, 3pm; Mon 1/23, 1pm / Doc. Feature / USA / 84 min / US Premiere

ciScO Kid

Director:

In a queer portrait of the contemporary American West, Eileen–a young, solitary maverick–forges a life among the discarded remnants and lingering memories of a desert ghost town called Cisco.

Plays with Diomysus dir. by Emily Morus-Jonez

Fri 1/20, 2:45pm; Tues 1/24, 1pm / Doc. Feature / USA / 71 min / World Premiere

the Mad Writer

Director/Writer: Zach Kashkett

With his star on the rise, Hip Hop phenom L’Orange confronts a stunning diagnosis that threatens both his hearing and his burgeoning career.

Plays with Strange Beasts dir. by Darcy Prendergast

Sun 1/22, 1:15pm; Thurs 1/26, 2:45pm / Doc. Feature / USA / 60 min / World Premiere

MOtel drive

Director/Writer: Brendan Geraghty

Within a community of motels infamous for illicit activity, the Shaw Family grapples with housing insecurity and addiction while trying to raise their young son. When California’s High-Speed Rail Project displaces them, a glimpse of stability appears within reach. A vérité, street level vantage of post-industrial America, documented over eight years, on one city block.

Sat 1/21, 3pm; Wed 1/25, 11:15am / Doc. Feature / Poland, Germany / 73 min / US Premiere

Silent lOve

Director/Writer:

After their mother’s death, 35-yearold Aga has to take care of her teenage brother, Milosz. There is one thing she isn’t telling him about: her ongoing relationship with Maja. An unconventional family is being born in a small, conservative Polish village.

Plays with Fleshwork dir. by Lydia Cornett

Matt Barats

Emily Kaye Allen

Marek Kozakiewicz

Sat 1/21, 7:45pm; Tues 1/24, 5:30pm / Doc. Feature / USA / 55 min / World Premiere

Space happy:

Phil Thomas Katt and the Uncharted Zone

Over the course of five decades, a group of ragtag artists make “so bad it’s good” music and videos in Pensacola, Florida under the direction of the eccentric Phil Thomas Katt. It’ s a portrayal of creative minds pursuing art against all odds — and talent.

Plays with Subway Stops dir. by Joe Zakko

Sat 1/21, 7:30pm; Mon 1/23, 2:45pm / Doc. Feature / USA / 75 min / World Premiere

StarrinG Jerry aS hiMSelf

Sun Jan 26, 10:30 AM

Sun 1/22, 5:15pm; Tues 1/24, 7:30pm / Doc. Feature / USA / 100 min

SWeetheart deal

Directors:

Four sex workers caught in the spiral of addiction turn to a selfproclaimed healer offering friendship and a path to salvation from the streets inside his roadside RV. But just as they begin to rebuild their lives, a shocking betrayal comes to light that will change them all.

Sun Jan 26, 10:30 AM

Sun 1/22, 12:45pm; Tues 1/24, 5:30pm / Doc. Feature / USA / 92 min / World Premiere

With peter bradley

Seventy-nine

Plays

Director: Law Chen; Writers: Jerry Hsu, Law Chen

A family documents how their immigrant father Jerry, a recently divorced and retired Florida man, was recruited by the Chinese police to be an undercover agent.

Elisa Levine, Gabriel Miller; Writer: Karen KH Sim

Director: Alex Rappoport

years old and overlooked since the 1970s, abstract artist Peter Bradley reflects on life and shares his artistic process on the cusp of his rediscovery.

with Busy dir. by Jan Otto Ertesvåg

Director: Louis Crisitello

aMerican pOt StOry: OaKSterdaM

Breakout Features

Sun 1/22 5:30pm; Wed 1/25, 5:30 pm / Breakout Feature / Switzerland, Germany / 82 min

the art

Director/Writer: Maurizius Staerkle Drux

The first feature documentary about the legendary pantomime Marcel Marceau. As a child, Marceau experiences the execution of his Jewish father by the Nazis. A trauma that motivates him to join the French resistance and spurs his deep conviction in the art of silence.

Of Silence

Plays with Tooth dir. by Jillian Corsie, written by Katie Gault

fuzzy head

Director/Writer: Wendy McColm

Insomnia-ridden Marla is on the run after the murder of her mother. Now, Marla must confront her everlasting void to find out the truth of what really happened and at last, undo all that’s been done.

Plays with Write a Song about Heartbreak dir. by Jonny Look

Sat 1/21, 1pm; Wed 1/25, 8:15pm / Breakout Feature / Netherlands, Belgium / 100 min / World Premiere

MaScOt

Sat

3:15pm;

OnlOOKerS

Director: Kimi Takesue

A visually striking, immersive meditation on travel and tourism in Laos, reflecting on how we all live as observers. Traversing the country’s dusty roads and tranquil rivers, we watch as elaborate painterly tableaus unfold, revealing the whimsical and at times disruptive interweaving of locals and foreigners in rest and play.

Plays with Slower Animals dir. by John C. Kelley

Sun 1/22 10pm; Tues 1/24, 3:15pm / Breakout Feature / USA / 84 min / US Premiere

Director: Remy van Heugten; Writer: Gustaaf Peek With his radical behavior, teenager Jerry endangers not only himself but his entire family.

1/21,

Mon 1/23 11am / Breakout Feature / USA, Laos / 72 min / World Premiere

the underbuG

Director: Shujaat Saudagar;

Writers: Shujaat Saudagar, Abas Dalal, Hussain Dalal

As India is ravaged by sectarian violence on the eve of its Independence Day, two rioters take refuge in an abandoned house. An eerie presence in the house haunts the men to the edge of sanity.

Plays with Addresses dir. by María Luisa Santos, Carlo Nasisse

Where iS the lie?

Director: Quark Henares; Writers: Quark Henares, John Bedia

Hopeless romantic Janzen Torres matches with the handsome and seemingly perfect Theo Balmaceda on a dating app, but he ghosts her, leading her into an intricate web of deceit, lies, and catfishing led by a sociopathic mastermind.

Plays with PLSTC dir. by Laen Sanches

Sun 1/22, 3pm; Thurs 1/26, 1:45pm / Breakout Feature /Phillippines / 89 min / World Premiere

MOvie

Spotlight Features

Director:

The ongoing relationship between the worlds of punk rock and animal rights and how the music became a breeding ground for vegan activism.

Writers: Warren Etheredge, Mark Shapiro Hiroshima. Nagasaki. Mercury, Nevada? The latter was the site for the testing of 928 nuclear weapons on American soil from 1951 to 1992. The fallout is still lethally impacting Americans today. Plays with MELA, dir. by Kris Mercado

SpOtliGht ShOrt

Mela

dir. by Kristian Mercado 12 min. • USA • World Premiere

As a young mother and aspiring Reggeaton dancer, Mela must navigate the challenges of balancing family while fighting to pursue her dreams of success. Plays with Downwind

Directors: Mark Shapiro, Douglas Brian Miller;

Dimitri Coats

a defeated adult store owner,

Moby

Sun 1/22, 11am; Tues 1/24, 1pm

blOcK 1

Narrative shorts

Lollygag

dir. by Tij D’oyen 10 min. • USA

A woman recounts her sensual yet macabre memory about the boy next door.

Endless Sea dir. by Sam Shainberg 19 min. • USA

Carol finds out that her heart medication has tripled in price, sending her on a desperate mission to find a solution, but when none presents itself she is forced to take matters into her own hands.

Gary Screams For You

dir. by Cody McGlashan, Nolan Sordyl; written by Cody McGlashan 15 min. • USA

A campus security guard discovers his wildest side when his obsession with a viral video prompts some very unruly behavior.

Hubbards dir. by Kevin Ralston 5 min. • USA

An intense dive into the world of one man and his quest.

Alegrías Riojanas 28 min. • Spain dir. by Velasco Broca, written by Velasco Broca, Lucía Moreno

An ophthalmologist’s confession gets interrupted when the priest who was attending him leaves in an emergency. On his way to his office, he is fatally run over by a car, and his immortal soul is thrown into a purgatory populated by grotesque creatures.

Stalled dir. by Eric Rich, written by Brett Osinoff, Eric Rich

13 min. • USA • World Premiere

A man spirals into insanity after a child crawls into his bathroom stall and refuses to leave.

Cold & Sara dir. by Brenna Power

11 min. • USA • World Premiere

Emmy mourns a tragic loss while her sister, Sara, relentlessly tries to lighten her spirits in this increasingly frenetic interaction between real life siblings.

It’s Time You Died Already dir. by Hadar Morag

17 min. • Israel • US Premiere Confined by the walls of their home, Evie and her mother Rose struggle with the inevitable presence of an uninvited tenant.

The Windmill of Death dir. by George Daniell

32 min. • Portugal • World Premiere The road was open, they turned right.

Gwendoline

dir. by Joaquim Bayle

22 min. • France • World Premiere Roaming the streets on their tandem bike, young French post-punk musicians Micka and Pierre hit the road in a desperate search for some fans.

Our Males and Females

dir. by Ahmad Alyaseer, written by Ahmad Alyaseer, Rana Alyaseer 11 min. • Jordan • World Premiere

A father and mother are faced with the painful task of washing their deceased transgender daughter, but when no one agrees to wash her, how far is the father willing to go to make sure his “son” is washed?

Sidewalk Artist dir. by David Velez & Brandon Rivera 20 min. • USA • World Premiere

A documentary film crew follows a contractor who leaves his mark on concrete sites throughout a North Texas town.

The laughing woo woo dir. by Amir Youssef 16 min. • USA, Egypt

Setup in San Francisco, during the 2011 Arab Spring that left Egypt in turmoil. A lonesome Egyptian asylee with a wooingly contagious laugh, battles his bizarre misfortunes to follow immigration procedures, and his only hope is his greedy lawyer.

Noizu - Summer 91 (Looking Back) dir. by Rupert Hoeller 3 min. • Austria, UK

A man discovers movement in everyday objects and starts dancing his way across the city.

ShOrtS befOre featureS

Mahogany Drive

Fri 1/20, 1:15pm; Mon. 1/23 8pm

dir. by Jerah Milligan, written by James Carr, James III, Jonathan Braylock, Jerah Milligan 13 min. • USA • World Premiere

Three Black men on vacay soon realize the house that they’re staying in is killing white women! Plays with Love Dump

Jimmy Boden dir. by Christopher Pickering 10 min. • USA • World Premiere

Sat 1/21, 9:45pm; Tues 1/24 3:15pm

An imprisoned government asset whose sole purpose is determining the serving sizes of snacks has finally reached his breaking point. Plays with Mad Cats

Playdate dir. by Cory Snearowski 4 min. • USA

Fri 1/20, 12:30pm; Mon 1/23, 7:15pm

It’s a play date. Plays with Stars in the Ordinary Universe

East End

dir. by Grant Curatola, written by Grant Curatola, Dan Roe 10 min. • USA

Sun 1/22, 7:45pm; Tues 1/24, 11am

The sordid details of a vicious crime are recounted and remixed through the rumor mill of a community gripped by paranoid fear and morbid curiosity. Plays with Waiting for the Light to Change

Visiting Day dir. by Diego F. Rodríguez Ocampo

Sun 1/22, 10:30am; Wed 1/25 6pm

15 min. • Cuba, Colombia • N. American Premiere Jose tries his best to adapt to his father’s home, where he visits every other week. Plays with Where the Road Leads

Write a Song about Heartbreak

dir. by Jonny Look

13 min. • USA • World Premiere

Sun 1/22 10pm; Tues 1/24, 3:15pm

A musician under the gun to churn out a hit runs his muse ragged, draining him of every lyric he’s got no matter the cost. Plays with Fuzzy Head

Tooth dir. by Jillian Corsie, written by Katie Gault

4 min. • USA • World Premiere

Sun 1/22 5:30pm; Wed 1/25, 5:30 pm

Fed up with decades of abuse from forced perfection, a TOOTH takes matters into its own hands, launching a full scale attack. Plays with The Art of Silence

Sat 1/21, 1:15pm; Thurs 1/26, 12:30pm

Animation shorts

Arrest in Flight

dir. by Adrian Flury 8 min. • Switzerland • US Premiere

This experiment in film sets the stage for a hitherto unseen magical life form.

Babe Beach dir. by Ida Lasic 8 min. • USA, Croatia

In the span of ten years, a club empire has taken over the small remote Croatian island of Pag.

Baloney Beacon dir. by Max Landman 5 min. • USA

A godlike alien hungers for exotic delicacies from the deepest reaches space in this stop-motion animated film made entirely with balloons.

Hierophany dir. by Maria Nitek 4 min. • Poland • N. American Premiere

Hot Dogs! dir. by Frank Volk 7 min. • USA

A hot dog man has a crisis of faith.

Juice dir. by Mona Keil, written by Mona Kiel, Lion Durst

5 min. • Germany • N. American Premiere

Meaty creatures must learn to share their juicy world with the pesky little bugs, before they run dry.

Sliver Cave dir. by Caibei Cai

14 min. • China • US Premiere

Hunting an animal, taking a picture, watching a video - these three are all about capture: to find, to chase, to catch.

To Fall dir. by Ivan Morales Jr.

14 min. • Germany • World Premiere

I had to fall to know the floor, I had to get up to know myself.

ShOrtS befOre featureS

Horse

dir. by Diana Gong

4 min. • USA

Sat 1/21, 5:15pm; Wed 1/25 3:45pm

A struggle between inner chaos and reality explodes to create a world of cowboys, horses, and western landscapes. Plays with Nut Jobs

PLSTC dir. by Laen Sanches

2 min. • France • World Premiere

Sun 1/22, 3pm; Thurs 1/26, 1:45pm

Welcome to the world of PLSTC, an undersea dystopia that submerges you in the disturbing reality of plastic pollution in our oceans. Plays with Where Is the Lie?

Don’t Die on Me dir. by Ori Goldberg

3 min. • Israel

Sun 1/22, 7:30pm; Tues 1/24, 10:45am

As asthmatic Matti coughs again, he hears the irritating sentence “Don’t die on me”. A revolting portrayal of the noisy life inside a malfunctioning body, and the deadly silence that stops it. Plays with Unicorn Boy

Unstoppable shorts

Tues, 1/24, 9:45pm (TMI); Mon 1/23, 5:25pm (U of Utah)

blOcK 1

Here Comes Frieda

dir. by Robin Takao D’Oench, written by David Lavine

9 min. • USA

In a not-so-distant future, a young blind woman seeks to redeem her winning lottery ticket off a desperate and weary planet Earth.

A Black Saturday

dir. by Tori Sampson

8 min. • USA • World Premiere

There is something magical about Saturdays in black homes, Nia & Bakari show us firsthand.

Jenna Has To Live dir. by Katie Hopkins

12 min. • USA • World Premiere

A Type 1 diabetic’s health hangs in the balance when she decides to ration her remaining insulin after selling some to make rent.

Christina dir. by Gerald Fantone, written by Brooke Banning

17 min. • Canada • World Premiere

A woman with Down syndrome longs for independence from her overprotective mother until an unexpected illness forces her to take on new responsibilities.

Just Right dir. by Camille Wormser

15 min. • USA • World Premiere

A peek inside the absurd and whimsical mind of Mel, a woman with severe OCD who just wants to do something new with her day.

Queen Moorea

dir. by Christine Fugate

27 min. • USA

A spirited Asian American homecoming queen and her friends, all born with genetic conditions, struggle to fulfill their dreams in a world that refuses to accept them for who they are.

Teacher of Patience*

dir. by Carmen Vincent 29 min. • USA

Over 20 years after Emily Felter is diagnosed with Down syndrome, paramedic (and Emily’s father) Tom develops a presentation to share her story with other first responders.

*Screens with Sexual Healing at the TMI, Thurs 1/26, 4pm; in the shorts block only at the University of Utah.

Susan & Leslie*

dir. by Claire Barnett 5 min. • USA

A slice-of-life documentary following a visually-impaired married couple as they prepare for a trip to the grocery store.

*Screens with American Pot Story at the TMI, Fri 1/20, 10:15am; in the shorts block only at the University of Utah.

1/26, 10am (TMI); Wed 1/25, 5:10pm (U of Utah)

Millstone

dir. by Peter Hoffman Kimball

16 min. • USA • World Premiere

Entirely in American Sign Language and featuring an all-Deaf cast, this is is a dark, emotional thriller about a desperate, grieving couple who think they have found the only therapist who can give them what they want: to make them forget they had ever had a child.

Charlie and the Hunt

dir. by Jenn Shaw

14 min. • USA

A young girl goes on a whimsical adventure, and faces her fears while setting out to recover a sentimental family treasure.

My Eyes Are Up Here

dir. by Nathan Morris, written by Aminder Virdee, Arthur Meek

14 min. • UK • N. American Premiere

A disabled woman sets off on a mission to get the morning after pill. The only thing in her way is... everything.

Don’t Worry About

dir. by Melissa Kong

13 min. • USA

It

After her father’s death, a woman in intensive therapy for debilitating contamination OCD must confront his death and her OCD with a totally normal, not weird at all, therapy exercise.

The Cunning dir. by Alexandra Maher

13 min. • UK • US Premiere

Accused of witchcraft, a mother and daughter hatch an ambitious plan for escape where even the tiniest mistake will result in certain death.

Snail dir. by Aminreza Alimohammadi

13 min. • Iran • US Premiere

A mother wants to find a vocal test for her son.

Safe as Houses

dir. by Mia Mullarkey, written by Sarah Ahern

16 min. • Ireland • N. American Premiere

On a hot summer’s day, Aggie, a woman with Down syndrome, offers shelter to a young girl, Lucy, when her home life is not so welcoming.

Inspire Me*

dir. by Sophie Saville, written by Madeleine Stewart

11 min. • Australia • N. American Premiere

Determined to become the most inspirational disabled person ever, Madeleine Stewart embarks on a journey to become a Paralympian.

*Screens with OKAY! (the ASD Band Film) at the TMI, Fri 1/20, 9:30pm; in the shorts block only at the University of Utah.

Good Grief*

dir. by Rob Sharp

10 min. • UK • World Premiere

Four mothers experience the agony of child loss in a film that highlights the importance of grief.

*Screens with Wisdom Gone Wild at the TMI, Tues 1/24, 10pm; in the shorts block only at the University of Utah.

Elsa*

dir. by Cameron S. Mitchell, written by Cameron S. Mitchell, Julia Muniz 8 min. • USA

A Deafblind fencer and author competes in all arenas just for the right to be seen.

*Screens with Sign the Show at the TMI, Fri 1/20, 7:15pm; in the shorts block only at the University of Utah.

EXperimental Shorts

Mon 1/23, 10:15pm; Wed 1/25, 1:30pm

Aribada

dir. by Simon(e) Jaikiriuma Paetau & Natalia Escobar in collaboration with Zamanta Enevia; written by Friederike Hirz in collaboration with “Las Traviesas”

30 min • Colombia, Germany

The magical, the dreamlike and the performative coexist in the world of Las Traviesas, a group of indigenous transwomen in the Colombia Coffee Region.

Ele of the Dark dir. by Yace Sula 13 min. • USA

A nonbinary visual artist contemplates their relationship with darkness and its hold on their complexion, trauma and queerness.

Grillz & Mirrors dir. by Michael U. Olowu 4 min. • USA • World Premiere A Jaw Dropping, Mind Bending experimental piece that leaves you in awe.

Reality Is Not Good Enough dir. by Rashayla Marie Brown 21 min. • USA

Much to her daughter’s chagrin, a glamorous biracial adoptee from a Trumpmaniac family dreams of being a reality TV star, no matter how exploited she might become.

Red Threads dir. by Yuchi Ma 12 min. • China, USA

A single-channel video that navigates the simultaneous existence of filial love and filial guilt within the experience of a Chinese Parachute Kid, utilizing a combination of live-action cinema, Sims 4 Machinima, Browser / Webcam aesthetic as well as lots of sewing, redness, and thread!

Mon 1/23, 12:30pm; Wed 1/25, 11am

Documentary shorts

The Unicorn in Snowpants Suddenly Ran Off dir. by Philipp Schaeffer

18 min. • Germany • N. American Premiere

For three confident children, blindness is not a disability but rather a different kind of normal. Unicorns, call centers and flying grandfathers each play a role.

When The LAPD Blows Up Your Neighborhood dir. by Nathan Truesdell

19 min. • USA

Tensions rise on a busy street as news organizations and local residents witness an extremely volatile situation turn into a literal powder keg.

Fearless Juan dir. by David Pombo

15 min. • Colombia • N. American Premiere

After dedicating his whole life pleasing the dead, Juancho starts to worry about when his time will come.

A Guide For When Immigrants Become Ancestors dir. by Iliana Garcia

6 min. • USA

An intimate portrait of a fourth-generation Mexican Filipino American™, as they navigate what it means to inherit an identity rooted in cultural memory.

Baghdad on Fire dir. by Karrar Al-Azzawi

31 min. • Norway • World Premiere

Tiba joins Iraq’s youth protests where she braves bullets and tear gas with the hope of reclaiming her nation.

ShOrtS befOre featureS

Moomin

dir. by Zach Dorn

5 min. • USA, Israel

Sat 1/21, 11am; Wed 1/25, 7:45pm

A filmmaker attempts to fulfill a promise to an x-girlfriend in Canada. Plays with Cash Cow

Diomysus

dir. by Emily Morus-Jonez

5 min. • Wales, UK

Fri 1/20, 3pm; Mon 1/23, 1pm

Diomysus: More than Monogamy - How conscious is your bias? Plays with Cisco Kid

Strange Beasts

dir. by Darcy Prendergast

10 min. • Australia

Fri 1/20, 2:45pm; Tues 1/24, 1pm

Strange Beasts chronicles the meteoric rise and fall of the Bacchus Marsh Lion Safari. Plays with The Mad Writer

Fleshwork

dir. by Lydia Cornett

7 min. • USA • World Premiere

Sat 1/21, 3pm; Wed 1/25, 11:15am

At a butcher shop in Jeromesville, Ohio, four meat processors situate their labor within their own minds and bodies. Plays with Silent Love

Subway Stops

dir. by Joe Zakko

18 min. • USA • World Premiere

Sat 1/21, 7:45pm; Tues 1/24, 5:30pm

A cinematic experience of the New York subways, featuring the commuters, panhandlers, and performers passing through. Plays with Space Happy

Busy

dir. by Jan Otto Ertesvåg

7 min. • Norway

Sun 1/22, 12:45pm; Tues 1/24, 5:30pm

At first glance, beach snails and humans are nothing alike, but if we look more closely, we might find we share more than meets the eye. Plays with With Peter Bradley

Addresses

dir. by María Luisa Santos, Carlo Nasisse

15 min. • Costa Rica • World Premiere

Sat 1/21 10pm; Mon 1/23, 3:15pm

In a country with no numerical system for street addresses, a young woman explores the unique system that has taken hold, and the prospect of its rapid disappearance. Plays with The Underbug

Slower

Animals

dir. by John C. Kelley 7 min. • USA

Sat 1/21, 3:15pm; Mon 1/23 11am

While aimlessly following a winter goose migration across the American south, a professor slips in and out of childhood memories that all surround a forgotten trauma. Plays with Onlookers

Episodes

Sun 1/22, 9:45pm; Thurs 1/26, 11:30am

Honeycomb

dir. by Sam Roden; written by Joseph L. Roberts, Sam Roden 32 min. • USA • World Premiere

After a string of losses, an over-the-hill indie rocker must give everything to keep his dreams of stardom alive.

Momo Local

dir. by Alexia Colette

45 min. • France • World Premiere

When a schizophrenic dumpster diver in Paris meets a female artist inspired by waste, he must overcome his greatest fear as the world around him turns pink.

Off Fairfax

dir. by Erica Eng, written by Rell Battle 7 min. • USA

Three friends who work at a strip mall solve black conspiracies during work hours.

Palookaville dir. by Theodore Collatos 17 min. • USA • World Premiere

Things get turned upside down when JoJo wakes up believing he’s Joe Louis - one of boxings greatest legends…

Who’s Annie?

dir. by Sophia Peer, written by Sophia Peer, Annie Sicherman 30 min. • USA • World Premiere

After jail-time, 12-step programs and five marriages, Annie begins her acting career in her mid-fifties with the help of a young director she met at a Burger King in Queens.