2018 Screeners
Youth Films
Status
Harrison Davis
USA
00:07:20
Filmed entirely through the use of social media, this short film follows privileged teens who become obsessed with a mysterious, expensive acne medicine sold by an individual in a skull mask.
Halfway House
Bentley Eldridge
US
00:15:48
In a small Pacific Northwest town, citizen Ronald Alabama provides a room for a prisoner out on parole in order to earn much needed cash. The prisoner, Jeff Jacobs, joins the household. Ronald has neglected to explain the situation in advance to his family. They are not amused. Chaos ensues, tempers flare and relationships are strained to the breaking point. Will Ronald be able to resurrect his marriage? Or will this attempted halfway house prove an utter disaster for everyone involved?
Days of Our Rovers
Gerry Orz
US
00:04:39
3D animated web-series about adventures of- Nasa Rovers on Mars
Student Narrative Short
It’s Just a Gun
Brian Robau
US
00:14:05
Imagine in the life time of a gun all the hands it passes through. It's Just A Gun is just one chapter in that story. When a young boy named Gabe finds a .38 caliber Smith & Wesson revolver, it will set in motion a series of events that will change him forever.
Yuna’s Lunch
Myeongjin Park
US
00:15:57
Yuna makes lunch box meals and then eats these with her customers. Her most customers are lonely and share a feeling that there is something lacking in their life. One day, She meets Anthony who is delusional and suffers from multiple personalty disorder, and is forced to face her own troubling memories of the past.
Spark
Aharonit Elior
US
00:05:47
A girl finds someone to spark her flame.
Student Documentary
Driven Blind
Geoff Groberg, Scott E. Schimmel
US
00:14:51
Driven Blind follows Dan Parker, a world champion drag racer, as he struggles to adjust to a new reality after a tragic racing accident that left him blind. Though Dan cannot see he has not given up his love of working with his hands, or his love of racing, and is doing everything he can to stay involved in the sport, and stay behind the wheel.
Grandma Dorota
Agnieszka Gasiorek
Poland
00:10:00
Documentary short film about the director’s grandmother, which was deported to Siberia by the Soviets in 1950. The film explores how this tragic event has affected on her life and her further identity. But also how it has affected her granddaughter.
Dancing in Limbo
Amanda Larsh, Hannah Bradford, Caroline Roffe, Nick McDonald
US
00:14:00
When dance becomes the only way to express yourself and forget your troubles, true passion emerges. It’s this passion to overcome, to prove themselves and to show the world that they’re people too that drives a group of young dancers inside the Dzaleka Refugee Camp to prove they’re just as good as their American idols.
Professional Narrative Shorts
Flip the Record
Marie Jamora
US
00:14:42
n this 1980s coming-of-age story set to pulsing hip-hop music, a Filipino-American teen discovers her identity through a budding talent for turntablism. A little-known but lasting explosion of hip-hop culture grew out of the Filipino-American community of 1980s San Francisco. This film takes us into the beat of an aspiring mobile DJ crew in '84, as 14-year-old Vanessa, sick of the the constraints and boring piano lessons in her conservative Filipino-American household, starts teaching herself on the sly how to scratch on her older brother’s turntables. We follow Ness as she discovers her talents and place in the local music scene of the era.
Crab Trap
Shea Sizemore
US
00:24:48
Crawling back from the edge of society, Thirsty tries to prove he’s a “changed man” to his sister in order to gain access to his daughter once again.
New Neighbors
E.G. Bailey
US
00:09:25
New Neighbors is a story about a mother and her two sons who move to a new neighborhood, and because of all the killings and assaults on Black lives she is determined to keep her family safe. She takes to the neighborhood with kids in tow. A clever, resourceful, and unique approach to the BLM dialogue.
Professional Narrative Feature
Cortez
Cheryl Nichols
US
01:39:00
After a canceled tour, flailing musician Jesse Lirette seeks out an old flame in a small town in Northern New Mexico. When an arrogant attempt at inserting himself into her family fails, he must confront the mistakes of his past on his own.
Blood Country
Travis Mills
US
01:30:00
Blood Country tells the true story of events which took place in and around Lawrence County, Mississippi in 1884, based on the short story by Robert E. Jones titled "The Outlaw, the Sheriff and the Governor". The film is about a man accused of killing his brother and the honorable sheriff who has to bring him to justice.
My Name is Myeisha
Gus Krieger
US
01:22:00
A beloved teenager crosses over into a hip-hop-musical dreamscape at the moment of her tragic death and contemplates her life; what it was and what it could have been.
Professional Documentary
Whitman, Alabama
Jennifer Crandall
US
00:40:00
Journalist and filmmaker Jennifer Crandall--born in Africa and raised in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Haiti--has spent the past two years traveling across Alabama, filming people from all corners of the state reading from Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself," an epic poem about American identity. The result is Whitman, Alabama, a 52-part documentary series that reveals the threads that tie us together—as individuals, as states, as a nation, inside of a shared universe. This series is still in development. There are 17 videos produced and published so far. There will be 52 videos in total.
Rodents of Unusual Size
Chris Metzler, Jeff Springer
US
01:11:00
The residents of Louisiana never know what will attack them next: floods, hurricanes, even monstrous swamp rats. Gigantic orange-toothed nutria are eating up the coastal wetlands, destroying the landscape, and threatening the very existence of the human population. This invasive South American species breeds faster than the roving squads of hunters and trappers can control them. But the people who have lived here for generations are not the type of folks who let their land—and their livelihoods—recede into the Gulf without a fight. Meet fisherman turned bounty hunter Thomas Gonzales and a pack of colorful diehards as they defend their land, culture, and way of life against the unforgiving forces of nature. It is man vs. rodent. May the best mammal win.
The Home for Wayward Babydolls
Andrew Reed
US
00:12:00
A Vietnam Veteran turns his house into a home for lost and abandoned baby dolls as he copes with late onset PTSD in this southern documentary.
Vanguard
Parthenon
Frank Mosley
US
00:14:05
A naked body moves a stranger to empathy. PARTHENON is a slippery, dizzying provocation on art, control, and perception. A recipient of the 2015 Oak Cliff Film Festival Filmmaker's Grant and made with the generous participation of the New York Academy of Art, the film dissects the male gaze that has perpetuated throughout history.
Confetti
Machete Bang Bang
US
00:08:21
After finishing his cleaning for the day, Pigeon notices something odd about his room's main light and with the help of inter-dimensional space traveler, Broad Billed Bob, he has an experience he is likely not to forget.
What’s That in the Ground?
Wally Chung
US
00:02:14
When you want one thing, sometimes you get the complete opposite or something worse.
Alabama Films
1954
William Davis
US
00:12:17
Three teenagers are going through a resegregation in a small town fighting for their friendship.
33 Cloudless Blue
Colton McCormick, Daichi Shigematsu
US
00:20:35
David live a solitary life as a hermit and online shopping addict. When a mysterious woman breaks into his home one night in search of an ultra rare set of salt and pepper shakers, David must overcome his obsession and fight for his life
Behind the Scenes of a Thesis
Shaquielle J. Shoulders
US
00:11:50
The film Follow these three film students as they try to complete their senior thesis, and discover what it truly takes to be a filmmaker.
Bermuda City Web Series – episode 4
Julian Jay Burton
US
00:21:19
The plot thickens as Detective Jordan Long finds more clues that leads to his framing. With new information of his clone and the abduction of fellow cop, Trevor Black, Detective Long must continue at all cost.
Bermuda City Web Series – episode 5
Julian Jay Burton
US
00:16:02
Nancy Wolfson is held captive in the lair of Detective Jordan Long's clone. Long, a prisoner against time, tries to get information from another newly revealed clone, Matt Summer.
Collar
Russ Emanuel
US
00:14:40
What happens when a seemingly ordinary priest is confronted by a seemingly ordinary man? While reading the Bible on a particularly windy day, Father Harris is confronted by a tall stranger, one who makes him question his beliefs and motivations. And all in a quest for the truth, however horrifying. Not even a helpful woman can save this priest, who must make a choice. For not all sins can be forgiven.
Commit to the Song: The Joe Thomas Jr. Guitar Pull
Josh Carples
US
01:34:09
"Commit to the Song: The Joe Thomas Jr. Guitar Pull" tells the true story of the humble beginnings of a monthly songwriters series in Montgomery, Alabama. The format and location - a late 1930s era church converted to a community theater - provide an intimate experience for listeners, as if they were not just at a concert, but part of a conversation. However, the musical aspect is just one part of a larger story that involves death, an amputation, and a continuing legacy of songwriters that travel from miles around to share their stories and music at the event.
Community of the Cards
David Love, Ben Johnson
US
00:04:38
In the heart of Alabama a large group of avid card players have formed a tight knit community around a small shop called Card Addicts. Here, the owners and employees work hard to foster a safe, fun environment in which players gather from miles around to play, compete, and live life together.
Crashscene
Jonathan Adam Davila
US
00:08:42
Direct Action: A Tale of Two Governments in 1963 Birmingham
Tommy Vincent Wier
US
01:26:40
DIRECT ACTION is a film that explores a pivotal story beyond the headlines during the civil rights turmoil that gripped Birmingham, Alabama between the years 1961-63. Local and national black activists rallied thousands of citizens in protests and boycotts against segregation while the shocked world looked on. Out of the public eye pragmatic businessman Sid Smyer fronted a reformist white business movement who met secretly with black leaders in support of gradual integration. But Birmingham officials led by Public Safety Commissioner “Bull” Connor thwarted their efforts by enacting and enforcing local segregation laws. Facing alienation from peers and hostility from the local government, Smyer, other businessmen and a small group of lawyers orchestrated the historic change in government that ousted Bull Connor and the other commissioners and helped dramatically alter Birmingham’s socioeconomic and political future.
Drum Loop
Aaron Reynolds
US
00:03:08
A conceptual short/music film in which a drummer disappears and reappears at his drum set.
Family Dinner
Mary Charles Ramsey
US
00:02:23
Far West
Colton McCormick
US
00:13:31
A Chinese couple studying in rural America begin to question the nature of their relationship.
Fear and Preparation
Bobby Martin, Andrew Johnston
US
00:03:11
The film is entirely centered around the idea of phobias and conquering fears. In the film, concepts are inner sanctums and inner turmoil are intertwined with conflict with fear itself, and how to progress forward and what that may mean.
Forgive-Don’t Forget
Brad Bennett, Jonah Gueizo
US
01:10:52
During Japan's surrender at the end of World War II, numerous swords were confiscated by American officers. In order to better understand the past and build a bridge between cultures in the present, a filmmaker attempts to return one of these surrendered swords to its original owner.
Get Off the Dock
Preston Booth
US
00:10:51
Nathan Miller directs "In His Wakes", a non-profit watersports outreach that seeks to bring watersports to inner-city children. By facing their fears on the water, participants are empowered to tackle challenges in their day to day life.
Helium
Brian White
US
00:12:48
A balloon goes on a murderous rampage, for love.
I Love People
Tanner Lynn
US
00:06:40
A functioning cannibal loses his human burger at an office BBQ. He must find it or risk being outed. He doesn't.
In-Between
Lane Brunson
US
00:28:17
“What happens in the last few minutes of brain activity after someone dies?” The inspiration for this short film derives directly from that statement. The film itself is about a young man who has awoken, after he has died, in a life center. Wyatt, our young man, struggles with the fact that he has passed; he is stuck in this purgatory, set in a life center, until he reaches his evaluation day. Along the way, Wyatt meets an unlikely friend, Petey, who helps Wyatt come to terms with his early passing and find the beauty in life even when it has been lost.
Kima’s Café
Javier Moody
Occupants
Russ Emanuel
US
01:20:35
'Occupants' is a film about Annie Curtis, an award-winning documentarian and her husband Neil. Annie and Neil embark on a '30 Days of Clean Living' documentary, setting up cameras all over their house to document, via the Internet, their new eating habits. By doing so, half of their cameras capture a parallel version of themselves - a version that ultimately unravels and threatens their very existence.
Pretty…for a Dark Skinned Girl
Renee Williams
US
00:02:51
Ms. Sinclair is an African American woman that has lived most of her adult life being complimented on her beauty, but not without the added commentary of her darker skin complexion. She finally confronts the issue with grace and dignity.
Reverie with April and Diane
Daichi Shigematsu
US
00:11:03
Rocket City Shakedown
Benjamin Stark
US
00:16:32
"Rocket City Shakedown" is a “slacker noir” that follows REX (Lincoln Greer), a crusading young eccentric, on a comedic journey into the mind-numbing world of government bureaucracy and corporate rat races in his technology-driven hometown. As Rex bumbles his way closer and closer to the truth, he finds his own assumptions about the world around him to be less and less reliable.
Slingers
Adam Edwards
US
00:15:08
Slingers is a short documentary that explores the life of a small town beekeeper and his struggles to harvest an annual crop of nature's gold; honey.
Sorry Charlie
Paige McCay
US
00:26:00
When long time friends Charlie and Brit come to a crossroads in their relationship, they must decide what is worth fighting for and what they have to let go of.
Take Time
Kelvin Wooten
US
00:04:30
Music video for indie recording artist, Wu10.
The Alabama Bigfoot Society
Tashina Southard
US
00:09:27
Jim Smith, the founder of the Alabama Bigfoot Society talks about how he became interested in the search for Bigfoot and the nature of belief.
The Art Collector
Charles D. White
US
00:12:13
Shephard Krill is the praetorian of the Mongrels motorcycle gang whose reputation for carrying out the gang's version of justice has left a trail of dead and bloody bodies. He has always freely enacted this justice whenever and however he wants. Then he encounters "The Art Collector."
The Day Before
Geoff Marslett
US
00:15:00
Marriage is scary. You give up a lot. Hopefully it is all worth it. In this frightening & ridiculous & tragic & romantic comedy the losses are literal when a pre-wedding hunting trip in the Colorado mountains spins out of control. Now the happy couple must struggle to make everything right again.
The Forgotten Treasure
Tam Le
US
00:10:00
Two young girls find a treasure box in the woods.
The Inside Outside
Caroline Ficken
US
00:08:54
Josie Parrish, a young girl struggles to understand herself amidst her complicated relationship with her seemingly unforgiving mother.
The Neals Need a Third Wheel
Tashina Southard
US
00:22:13
Rachel Neal became a family and maternity photographer because she couldn't have children of her own. She wanted to capture moments she might never have for her clients. Through the unexpected tool of social media, she and her husband found their son. They share their story about open adoption and becoming a family.
The Shed
Aaron Reynolds
US
00:02:17
A haunted shed lures an innocent victim into its evil clutches.
The Smell of Success
Bryant Hasheider
US
00:01:14
A cashier chases down a shoplifter.
The Trial of the Rockstar
Austin Parsons
US
00:34:21
Ricky Trixx (Myk Watford), a seasoned musician, tries to understand his own relevance in the music world, meanwhile, struggles with addiction and depression.
This Train: The Gospel Sessions
Kelvin Wooten
US
00:39:28
Director Kelvin Wooten gives us an inside look at the making of This Train: The Gospel Sessions, a traditional gospel recording by jazz guitarist Eric Essix at Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, AL which features a host of Alabama artists and creators.
Top Shelf
Colin Albea
US
00:13:13
A man battling homelessness and addiction breaks his somber routine to try and restore a small part of his happier past.
Two by 4
Ian Bondurant
US
00:05:37
A young tree attends its first day of public high school.
Wrastlin
Josh Snead
US
00:10:00
A night of wrestling at the 431 Sports Arena in Boaz, Al
