A kaleidoscope of stories examines the sacred, visceral, and deeply personal experience that is our relationship with our bodies. Whether it is uplifting the gender expansive, depicting sexual awakenings or needs, challenging taboos around bodies that menstruate, or addressing inner struggles and resilience, these films navigate what it means to inhabit a body, learn from our limitations, and encourage us to embrace and love the darkest parts of ourselves. Keeping mind and body in sync is an ongoing process and existing in our bodies and honoring our most authentic sense of self in a world not made for the vulnerable is an act of courage.

Directors Alexandra Qin, Raul Villalba, Ilanna Barkusky, Kameishia Wooten, Maria del Mar Rosario, and Erin Macpherson are expected to attend

Total Runtime 94 min

Thirstygirl
Alexandra Qin (USA 2023, 10 min)
A sex-addicted young woman sneaks away periodically to cope with her desire while on an important road trip with her sister.

Playground
Raul Villalba (Spain 2023, 16 min)
Amidst a pulsing crowd at a Barcelona rave, Uri tries to find a rhythm and pieces of themselves in others.

La Perra
Carla Melo Gampert (Colombia, France 2023, 14 min)
Ink and watercolor surrealist illustrations explore what it’s like to inhabit an oversexualized body and how to make sense of our desires in a society that shames them.

I Did Not Wake Up Dead Today
Erin Macpherson (Belgium, Hungary, Portugal, South Africa 2023, 18 min)
Using a teddy bear as a stand-in for themself, a director expounds candidly about their depressive episodes.

Don’t Look Down
Ilanna Barkusky (USA 2023, 8 min)
A serious brain injury dashes Kiana Davis’s dream of competing in the Olympics. Who is an athlete when they can no longer perform? Confronted with that question, Davis finds a new dream and sense of purpose.

Choices
Kameishia Wooten (USA 2022, 12 min)
Under the bleachers of a Los Angeles high school, three friends reflect on their decisions surrounding pregnancy and motherhood, and the freedom to choose their path.

Punta Salinas
Maria del Mar Rosario (Puerto Rico 2023, 16 min)
A 16-year-old awaits her period after having sex for the first time, learning to own her power as she becomes more familiar with her body.