Program Description

Thrust into moments of upheaval, characters navigate shifting power dynamics, personal reckonings, and the weight of irreversible choices in this powerful collection. These stories highlight the tension between control and vulnerability, forcing individuals to confront societal structures, their own limitations, and the unpredictable nature of fate. In these narratives, some young people navigate the fragile threshold between innocence and responsibility, while others struggle with the tension between ambition and accountability. Other characters face the final chapters of life, reckoning with solitude and legacy, or wrestling with the lingering echoes of trauma and public scrutiny. Across time periods and landscapes, each story immerses us in a world where control is fleeting, stability is an illusion, and survival, be it emotional, physical, or social, demands resilience. Together, these films paint a compelling portrait of lives in flux, shaped by forces both personal and systemic. —Amir George

Films are in alphabetical order rather than order of play. Total runtime 109 min. All of the films below are in competition.

Filmmakers from After What Happened at the Library, Buick, Dawn Every Day, and Memories of Zhi are expected to attend for a post-screening Q&A.

After What Happened at the Library
California Premiere
Syra McCarthy (USA 2024, 15 min)
After a terrifying, real-life encounter, a drag queen grapples with overwhelming public attention, struggling to reclaim their identity and peace in the aftermath of the unsettling event.

Bad or a Moment
California Premiere
Daniel Soares (Portugal 2024, 15 min)
A disastrous team-building event leads an architect to confront the unintended consequences of his latest project, the gentrification of a lower-class neighborhood.

Buick
World Premiere
Michael Godere (USA 2024, 12 min)
In 1990s New Haven, three teenagers cruise the city, blasting Brand Nubian’s latest album, but their carefree night takes a violent turn when they decide to catch a late movie.

Dawn Every Day
California Premiere
Amir Youssef (Egypt 2024, 20 min)
In 1956 Egypt, at a crowded family party, young Nabil struggles to understand its social dynamics and his place in the adult world.

Nine Days in August
California Premier
Ella Knorz (Germany 2024, 17 min)
After she discovers she is pregnant,18-year-old Lea navigates the complex bureaucracy of having an abortion.

Memories of Zhi
California Premiere
Mingxin Li (China, UK 2024, 23 min)
After accidentally killing a boy, 16-year-old orphan Zhi seeks refuge in a Buddhist monastery, unknowingly forming a bond with the victim’s mother, leading to a tense journey of deception, fate, and redemption.

Retirement Plan
Bay Area Premiere
John Kelly (Ireland 2024, 7 min)
Upon retirement, a man reflects on the joys, opportunities, monotony, and loneliness of his new life stage and contemplates on what comes next in this poetic Irish animated film.

Short Film Print Sources

Accessibility Information

Closed Captions are not currently confirmed for this program
Audio Descriptions are not currently confirmed for this program
American Sign Language Interpretation is not currently scheduled for this program