Short films

The Butler of Van Der Waal House

Friday, 2 – 4 p.m.
The Forum

World Premiere

8 minutes

After a young boy loses his mother, he schemes to stop his wealthy father’s attempts to find a new bride. Orson, the butler, is the only person who sees the pain the boy is going through and attempts to save the boy from despair.

Director: Adam Kreps Producer: Marty Lang Editor: Will Bigham Production Company: Florida State University

Cemetery

Saturday, 10 a.m. – noon
The Forum

North Carolina Premiere

7 minutes

The story of a man and his wife grieving over the sudden death of a loved one. The man is unable to leave the grave at the cemetery and his wife is unable to visit it. Their saving grace is their daughter, who gives her father the strength to leave the cemetery.

Director/Editor: Anthony Faust Producer: Anthony Faust, Kenneth Emeson Production Company: Mercurius Films

Decidedly French

Saturday, 10 a.m. – noon
The Forum

U.S. premiere

17 minutes

As the film opens, our hero Dennis has locked himself in the bathroom, much to his girlfriend Rena’s chagrin. It appears we are waiting for Dennis’ best friend, William. Dennis is convinced he’s being betrayed by Rena and his friend, and an arduous, explicit interrogation ensues. This dark comic fantasy about jealousy, sex and paranoia suggests that curiosity not only killed the cat, but ripped it to pieces in a feral rage.

This film contains adult material.

Director: Andrew Hurley Producer: Jennifer Costuros Editor: Joe McKay Production Company: Thinky Thinkerton

throw

Friday, 11 a.m.- 1 p.m.
Saturday, 12:30 – 2:30 p.m.
Diana Wortham Theatre presented by Sonopress

World Premiere

7 minutes

A young artist struggles against his pragmatic father.

Filmed in North Carolina.

Director: Rick Fisher Producer: Rick Fisher, Jim Drew, Tom Hohman Editor: Christina Penn Production Company: Knack Films

Dutch Bird

Friday, 2 – 4 p.m.
Saturday, 2:45 – 4:15 p.m.
The Forum

North Carolina premiere

20 minutes

A heartwarming comedic short film starring David Kelly (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) has a twist in its tale that takes a look at ethics and friendship.

Director: Kirk Weddell Producer: Mark Shields, Kirk Weddell Editor: Geoff Moseley Production Company: One Take Pictures/Catchlight Productions

The Empty Building

Friday, 2 – 4 p.m.
The Forum

North Carolina premiere

40 minutes

Inside an empty building, a man arrives on a floor that seems eerily familiar. This is the story of a man with an abandoned, abusive past that comes back to haunt him, and The Building that has decided now is the time to confront it. Are the stakes too high to run away again? It is a wonderland where his choices will determine his fate and, for this man, it’s where all origins of hope exist.

Director: Giovanni Sanseviero Producer: Yurgi Ganter, Philip Gordon Editor: Maya Stark Production Company: Empty Building Production Corporation

Every Thirty Seconds

Saturday, 12:30 – 2:15 p.m.
The Forum

North Carolina premiere

6 minutes

Every 30 seconds, a man is hit by a drunk driver. Meet the next man. A short, twisted comedy that provides an alternative interpretation of a commonly miscommunicated statistic.

Director: Jeremy Corray Producer: Marcus Freeman Editor: Dan Bussey Production Company: Prodobot

Getting Through to the President

Saturday, 4:45 – 6:45 p.m.
The Forum

North Carolina premiere

7 Minutes

This film documents the humor and sincerity of hundreds of New Yorkers who, for four days, fed quarters into a payphone in Greenwich Village and braved busy signals and excessive hold times in an effort communicate to the president their views on topics such as the environment, healthcare, gay marriage and the war in Iraq.

Director: Emily Kunstler, Sarah Kunstler Producer: Haskell King Editor: Moira Demos Production

Hometown Security

Friday, 8:45 – 10:15 p.m.
Saturday, 4:45 – 6:45 p.m.
The Forum

North Carolina premiere

8 Minutes

An Asheville man makes a statement about tourism in his town.

Filmed in North Carolina. This film contains adult content.

Director/Editor: Shane Peters Producer: Athos, 48 Hour Film Project Production Company: Athos

Moondance

Friday, 2 – 4 p.m.
Saturday, 2:45 – 4:15 p.m.
The Forum

North Carolina premiere

14 minutes

Little Red Riding Hood’s not so little anymore and she’s really tired of being a victim. To avenge the brutal murder of her Grandma, she must find the Wolf, killing anyone or anything that tries to stop her. But is she a hero? Or is she as bad as the Big Bad Wolf?

Director: Will Bigham Producer: Tony Ciarlariello Editor: Greg O’bryant Production Company: Florida State University

The Offering

Saturday, 12:30 – 2:15 p.m.
The Forum

North Carolina premiere

10 minutes

Without dialogue or music, this film portrays the progression and passing of life as it evolves through love and friendship between a Japanese monk and a young novice, from their initial encounter to their final parting.

This film contains adult content.

Director/Producer: Paul Lee Editor: Miume Jan Eramo Production Company: Ganymedia, Inc.

Quitters

Saturday, 12:30 – 2:15 p.m.
The Forum

World Premiere

12 minutes

Jake and Bobby are friends, roommates and drinking buddies. When Bobby announces a radical change in his lifestyle – quitting smoking – Jake informs him he doesn’t have a chance. The two friends enter into a high stakes bet as to who can go longer without a cigarette. Intertwining addiction and competition, the bet grows into an obsession and unhinges the two from reality, ultimately playing out with comic and tragic circumstances.

Director: Henry Miller Producer: Marissa McMahon, Michael Gunther Editor: Michael Gunther, Jamie Manlio

Signficant Romance in Compressed Time

Saturday, 12:30 – 2:15 p.m.
The Forum

World premiere

18 Minutes

A man and a woman meet, fall in love, move in together – then unravel in record time. This revealing short distills a common romance into a series of tidy signifiers: high points, emotional steps, key disagreements and other telling moments.

This film contains adult content.

Director: Michael Scasserra Producer: Michael Scasserra, Christopher Landy Editor: Christopher Landy Production Company: Stained Shirt Films

The Sky Is Falling

Friday, 2 – 4:15 p.m.
Fine Arts Theatre, upper

Saturday, 5 – 7 p.m.
Fine Arts Theatre, lower

North Carolina premiere

20 Minutes

It’s the Great Depression. And several patrons of the Excelsior Hotel have recently “checked out” by way of the rooftop. Jay, a bellboy, must now prevent a determined patron from jumping to his death, so the front-desk girl he loves won’t lose her job.

Director: Adam J. Kreps Producer: Nicholas Huynh, Daniel Tenkman Editor: David Holland Production Company: Florida State University

Song of the Lesbian Pirates

Friday, 8:45 – 10:15 p.m.
Saturday, 4:45 – 6:45 p.m.
The Forum

World premiere

25 Minutes

A pair of hapless but determined artistes embrace their entwined fate as the second coming of Gilbert & Sullivan, producing a kinky, inept opera about lesbian pirates. But first they must convince an exasperated producer to open her checkbook. That shouldn’t be so hard – everybody likes lesbians, right?

Filmed in North Carolina. This film contains mature content.

Director/Editor: Ben C. Snyder Producer: Ben C. Snyder, Jenny Snyder Production Company: Subcreations Productions

Tracks

Saturday, 10 a.m. – noon
The Forum

North Carolina premiere

21 minutes

Frizzy is one darn serious environmental science teacher. And when she inherits a serious piece-of-crap car from her very estranged father, she is seriously going to get rid of it. But how do you unload a lemon, especially when it keeps giving you pieces to a puzzle about the father you thought you wanted to forget?

Director: C.C. Webster Producer: Erik Mattox Editor: Brett Levner Production Company: Big Guy Productions