2016 Screeners
Student Narrative
Alison and Jeremy
Alyxandra Press
US
27:27
Alison, a 25-year-old artist, is about to be reunited with her childhood love and best friend, Jeremy, whom she hasn't seen for ten years. After years of dating without success, she is excited to see him. Realizing that she has never stopped loving him, she believes, as adults, they can rekindle those feelings. But things don't always go according to plan. Unbeknownst to Alison, Jeremy has a deep secret he feels he must share with Alison at this time in their lives. He is also counting on their childhood love and friendship. This story is a sensitive portrayal of two people, who like all of us, are seeking unconditional love and acceptance. Will they find, in each other, what they both so desperately need?
Bright Black
Rene Maurin
Slovenia
25:10
A desperate painter struggling with artistic and financial hardship pawns his beloved grandfathers armchair. This mundane action propels him on a fantastic journey which transforms his view of reality.
Dog Days
Nathan Deming
US
19:05
A portrait of adolescence, brotherhood, and a moment of discovery. Stephen and Isaac are bored to death on a hot summer day when their dog mysteriously disappears.
Student Documentary
Fitting the Description in North Portland
Jarratt Taylor
US
25:44
Recently, the students of Roosevelt High School received a wake up call after a fellow student was tased by the Police in the St. John's neighborhood of Portland, OR. The stories they had been hearing about police violence weren't just news stories from another town about people they didn't know. These events were now happening in their backyard. My film is about two Roosevelt High School students as they struggle with the aftermath of the incident and the School Resource Officer who works to change students perception of the police in North Portland.
Sharing the Secrets
Drew Perlmutter
US
12:52
The Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia area is home to the highest concentration of caves in the United States. Sharing The Secrets is a documentary that showcases these amazing ecosystems and the importance of conserving them. From rappelling deep pit caves, to discovering the delicate life forms that inhabit these environments, Sharing The Secrets offers a broad perspective on not only the beauty of caves, but also their significance.
The Self Deception Artist
Maya Zaydman
Israel
48:27
Off-beat Israeli musician Yehu Yaron sets out to record a new album, an ambitious all-out magnum opus. His songs and lyrics tell his story out-loud. They are lit with the light of his newly founded family. All the while, his declining health lingers about (he is diagnosed with Multiple sclerosis), shedding darkness into his home and music. This is an intimate portrait of an artist who uses his art to cure his personal life, and his personal life to elevate his art.
Professional Narrative Short
Across
Marnix Ruben
Belgium
22:15
Freek de Jonge, a curious young dutch poet at the turn of the 1960s is struggling with convention and moral while being seduced into adulthood.
BIRTHDAY
Chris King
US
12:30
When a young military wife gets news that her Marine husband has been severely wounded in combat, she discovers that life ahead for them is going to be a difficult and yet amazing journey.
The Red Thunder
Alvaro Ron
US
6:26
Sarah (Allie Grant, "Weeds"), a nerdy teenager, needs her mom's brand new car to go on a date with Danny (Miles Heizer "Parenthood"), the boy she is in love with. Her mom, Dr. Thun (Karen Strassman, "Silicon Valley"), an absent minded Podiatrist is concerned about Sarah driving by the dangerous streets of downtown Los Angeles. She tells her daughter she may need her car if one of her patients has an emergency, but Sarah doesn't buy it. After all Dr. Thun is just a Podiatrist... Sarah receives a message from Danny asking if she is going to pick him up and she decides to disobey her mom and steal the car. Little does she know the vehicle is actually part of a secret Dr. Thun keeps and this discovery will change Sarah's life
Professional Narrative Feature
The David Dance
Don Scime
US
01:43:00
David, the host of a local, gay radio show in Buffalo, New York, struggles with self-doubt when his single sister asks him to be the father figure for her soon-to-be-adopted Brazilian child. Past and present intertwine in this bittersweet winter’s tale of a man learning to love and accept himself.
Lester
Banks Helfrich
US
01:28:00
Compulsive list maker, Lester loves legs. With the aid of four eccentric bike shop workmates, Lester sets out to find if he's remembered.
The Mourning Hills
Robert Campbell
US
01:20:37
Two sisters decide to run away and see the world together. They find themselves lost in a notorious wilderness, known as a place where people pilgrimage to commit suicide. Here, in the place where their father took his own life, they learn to grieve by growing up too fast.
Professional Documentary
Back in Time
Lee Leshen
US
01:34:29
BACK IN TIME is the feature-length documentary about the BACK TO THE FUTURE franchise. The film looks at both the making of the trilogy, as well as the cultural impact the films have had on the public over the last 30 years. With interviews featuring key-cast and crew, as well as super fans, DeLorean Time Machine owners, and of course, the creators of the first working Hoverboard, plus many more, the film defines why the trilogy still resonates with audiences of all ages, three decades after its release.
LUTAH: A passion for Architecture: A life in Design
Melinda Gandara
US
01:05:35
LUTAH explores the life of a remarkably versatile architect who left an impressive legacy. Initially eclipsed by her male contemporaries in the early 20th century, Lutah Maria Riggs navigated her way through the male-centric world of architecture and brought a freshness to the established architectural styles of Southern California. Riggs blazed a trail for women, relying on the courage of her convictions and a hint of eccentricity. She pursued her passions and created a life of independence, an exceptional choice for a woman at that time. Never before seen photographs and journal entries from Riggs’s personal collection, and candid interviews, this documentary reveals a side of Lutah Maria Riggs that has gone unnoticed.
No. 2: Story of the Pencil
William Allen
US
01:04:00
No.2, overlooked as a common tool, continues to lose dominance in a media saturated world. However, history tells a different story. The Pencil changed everything. Invention, craftsmanship, art, engineering, manufacturing, government, history, and business are a result of the pencil. Although the Pencil technology provided a way to move thoughts to a tangible form, technology is never static. As technology is a key focus to every aspect of society today, the pencil begins to lose its significance. With so many aspects of society existing in binary code, the pencil needs to be honored. We are in a battle against time. If we move away from using this analog piece of technology, what is society losing? How significant is the pencil to ingenuity? Should we care if the pencil shifts to the backseat? No.2 film seeks to develop the historical significance of the pencil in a charming and emotional story of a common ordinary tool.
Undeniably Donnie
Mark Slagle
US
19:35
For decades, Donnie Fritts has been surrounded by a class of musicians who changed American music. Though relatively unknown outside of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, Donnie Fritts is finally being recognized in a film that includes narration from Kris Kristofferson, who describes his long-time friend as 'living proof there's still a few around for whom it ain't so much a business as it is a way of life.'
Vanguard
Balloon Ride
Evan Hughes
Australia
5:22
The story follows a young boy who is part of a dysfunctional family. He and his mother are victims of domestic violence inflicted by the father. The boy dreams of escaping with his mother, only to wake up to a tragic reality.
Makeshift Satellite
James C. Walzel
US
4:32
Oslo's trailer park home falls into a sinkhole, and he must choose between a life of warm simplicity and rigid luxury.
Sister
Renee Fisher
US
8:13
The reflections of a young woman in search of her lost sister.
Young Filmmaker
Keep it Clean
Evan Sennett
US
11:24
A greasy, disgusting salesman dies in a clean freak's home. The clean freak has to figure out what to do with the body.
One Day on Carver St.
Azure Allen
US
3:38
One Day on Carver Street tells the story of Charlie's Place and its owner, Charlie Fitzgerald. Charlie's Place was a stop on the famous Chitlin' Circuit, and hosted the hottest musicians of the day. In the post-war Jim Crow south, Charlie's Place was a rare pocket of diversity in a world where the lines between black & white were firmly drawn.
Tree Hugger
Kira Bursky
US
13:06
In search of magic, high school freshmen Clara gets involved with Leo, an older boy, but the fantasy world in her head darkens when Leo takes advantage of her.
Alabama
April Showers
Jessica Chriesman
US
9:33
Two reporters get more than they bargained for when they arrive to report on a haunted house.
Casual Conversation
Jessica Luna
US
7:50
Two reporters get more than they bargained for when they arrive to report on a haunted house.
City Federal
Josh Carples
US
15:08
With news of a promotion and an engagement ring in his pocket, Jeff plans to have an unforgettable night with Katherine. But plans change as a dangerous man from Katherine’s past – a sociopath bent on greed and revenge – resurfaces and forces Jeff into an impossible situation. With Katherine’s life in the balance, Jeff has no choice but to obey.
Dead Saturday
Jeremy Burgess
US
9:00
Jimmy is convinced he's found a way to release his inner demons without going against the will of God: Dead Saturday, the time between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, when Jesus is “dead” and our sins are overlooked. But when he confronts Pastor Malcolm, the man who unknowingly inspired the idea, the conversation gets heated.
Final Moments
Mary Kathryn Phillips
US
4:39
Brothers at heart, young Kevin Matthews and Johnny Michaels must must face the reality of death after Johnny is wounded in combat. In battle, anything can happen.
Hollis Treasures
Robert Campbell
US
11:30
Tim Hollis is a Birmingham, Alabama author and historian. He is also the owner and curator of the most incredible collectibles museum in the world. With toys and games from the 60s, 70s and 80s, and built as an addition to his childhood home, the museum not only preserves the memories of countless visitors, but also the memories of his entire life.
The Pragmatic Vestige
Brandon Rieff
US
9:53
A young man attempts to piece together clues of a mysterious message. The story is broken and fragmented, and the audience discovers many details just as the main character, Joshua, is as well.
The Process
Griffin Rogers
US
8:55
A writer is torn by the drama of his own characters, and he struggles to find his story.
Ruby
Mary Kathryn Phillips
US
6:21
Ruby, a young female runner, was an aspiring Olympian on her way to Rio in 2016 when a horrible accident landed her in a wheelchair, almost completely paralyzing her. Hanging on to the last hope she has left, Ruby fights and tries to overcome her condition in order to get back to her passion. Although she almost gives up after trying so long, Ruby decides to try one last time. It does not matter whether or not she will make it this time, but rather that she will always keep trying.
Stay
Paige McCay
US
4:55
Being gone is easy, never looking back is easy, but leaving? No, there is nothing easy about leaving.
Titanic Boy
Andrew Reed
US
7:21
When most people are asked to name a life changing event in their adolescence, few people would claim the Titanic, a 100+ year old ship, had a profound impact on them. Yet 13 year old Luke proudly says 'The Titanic changed my life!' Through a traditional documentary approach and poetic animated sequences, the film explores the life of this unique young boy whose interest in the Titanic has been both the cause of and solution to many of his problems
Tutwiler
Evan Owens
US
16:37
Inspired by true events at Alabama's only women's prison, Julia Tutwiler Rehabilitation Center, Tutwiler shed's light on the sexual & physical abuse that the inmates go through on a daily basis just to receive necessities such as clothes, food, tampons, or toilet paper.
Veteran’s Day Reunion
Ian Cunningham
US
10:00
The National Veterans Day Parade began in Birmingham, AL. Over the years, it has become so much more than a parade. It is a homecoming. It is a family reunion. Not everybody gets a hero's welcome in their own hometown. For two men, it is a cathartic meeting place; a reminder of their first strange encounter in a faraway land.
Wisdom Tooth
David Seale
US
7:57
A short film about the cavity within. A woman's fears about an impending meeting with the dentist are assuaged by a precocious girl in the waiting room.
Alison and Jeremy
Alyxandra Press
US
27:27
Alison, a 25-year-old artist, is about to be reunited with her childhood love and best friend, Jeremy, whom she hasn't seen for ten years. After years of dating without success, she is excited to see him. Realizing that she has never stopped loving him, she believes, as adults, they can rekindle those feelings. But things don't always go according to plan. Unbeknownst to Alison, Jeremy has a deep secret he feels he must share with Alison at this time in their lives. He is also counting on their childhood love and friendship. This story is a sensitive portrayal of two people, who like all of us, are seeking unconditional love and acceptance. Will they find, in each other, what they both so desperately need?
Bright Black
Rene Maurin
Slovenia
25:10
A desperate painter struggling with artistic and financial hardship pawns his beloved grandfathers armchair. This mundane action propels him on a fantastic journey which transforms his view of reality.
Dog Days
Nathan Deming
US
19:05
A portrait of adolescence, brotherhood, and a moment of discovery. Stephen and Isaac are bored to death on a hot summer day when their dog mysteriously disappears.
Student Documentary
Fitting the Description in North Portland
Jarratt Taylor
US
25:44
Recently, the students of Roosevelt High School received a wake up call after a fellow student was tased by the Police in the St. John's neighborhood of Portland, OR. The stories they had been hearing about police violence weren't just news stories from another town about people they didn't know. These events were now happening in their backyard. My film is about two Roosevelt High School students as they struggle with the aftermath of the incident and the School Resource Officer who works to change students perception of the police in North Portland.
Sharing the Secrets
Drew Perlmutter
US
12:52
The Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia area is home to the highest concentration of caves in the United States. Sharing The Secrets is a documentary that showcases these amazing ecosystems and the importance of conserving them. From rappelling deep pit caves, to discovering the delicate life forms that inhabit these environments, Sharing The Secrets offers a broad perspective on not only the beauty of caves, but also their significance.
The Self Deception Artist
Maya Zaydman
Israel
48:27
Off-beat Israeli musician Yehu Yaron sets out to record a new album, an ambitious all-out magnum opus. His songs and lyrics tell his story out-loud. They are lit with the light of his newly founded family. All the while, his declining health lingers about (he is diagnosed with Multiple sclerosis), shedding darkness into his home and music. This is an intimate portrait of an artist who uses his art to cure his personal life, and his personal life to elevate his art.
Professional Narrative Short
Across
Marnix Ruben
Belgium
22:15
Freek de Jonge, a curious young dutch poet at the turn of the 1960s is struggling with convention and moral while being seduced into adulthood.
BIRTHDAY
Chris King
US
12:30
When a young military wife gets news that her Marine husband has been severely wounded in combat, she discovers that life ahead for them is going to be a difficult and yet amazing journey.
The Red Thunder
Alvaro Ron
US
6:26
Sarah (Allie Grant, "Weeds"), a nerdy teenager, needs her mom's brand new car to go on a date with Danny (Miles Heizer "Parenthood"), the boy she is in love with. Her mom, Dr. Thun (Karen Strassman, "Silicon Valley"), an absent minded Podiatrist is concerned about Sarah driving by the dangerous streets of downtown Los Angeles. She tells her daughter she may need her car if one of her patients has an emergency, but Sarah doesn't buy it. After all Dr. Thun is just a Podiatrist... Sarah receives a message from Danny asking if she is going to pick him up and she decides to disobey her mom and steal the car. Little does she know the vehicle is actually part of a secret Dr. Thun keeps and this discovery will change Sarah's life
Professional Narrative Feature
The David Dance
Don Scime
US
01:43:00
David, the host of a local, gay radio show in Buffalo, New York, struggles with self-doubt when his single sister asks him to be the father figure for her soon-to-be-adopted Brazilian child. Past and present intertwine in this bittersweet winter’s tale of a man learning to love and accept himself.
Lester
Banks Helfrich
US
01:28:00
Compulsive list maker, Lester loves legs. With the aid of four eccentric bike shop workmates, Lester sets out to find if he's remembered.
The Mourning Hills
Robert Campbell
US
01:20:37
Two sisters decide to run away and see the world together. They find themselves lost in a notorious wilderness, known as a place where people pilgrimage to commit suicide. Here, in the place where their father took his own life, they learn to grieve by growing up too fast.
Professional Documentary
Back in Time
Lee Leshen
US
01:34:29
BACK IN TIME is the feature-length documentary about the BACK TO THE FUTURE franchise. The film looks at both the making of the trilogy, as well as the cultural impact the films have had on the public over the last 30 years. With interviews featuring key-cast and crew, as well as super fans, DeLorean Time Machine owners, and of course, the creators of the first working Hoverboard, plus many more, the film defines why the trilogy still resonates with audiences of all ages, three decades after its release.
LUTAH: A passion for Architecture: A life in Design
Melinda Gandara
US
01:05:35
LUTAH explores the life of a remarkably versatile architect who left an impressive legacy. Initially eclipsed by her male contemporaries in the early 20th century, Lutah Maria Riggs navigated her way through the male-centric world of architecture and brought a freshness to the established architectural styles of Southern California. Riggs blazed a trail for women, relying on the courage of her convictions and a hint of eccentricity. She pursued her passions and created a life of independence, an exceptional choice for a woman at that time. Never before seen photographs and journal entries from Riggs’s personal collection, and candid interviews, this documentary reveals a side of Lutah Maria Riggs that has gone unnoticed.
No. 2: Story of the Pencil
William Allen
US
01:04:00
No.2, overlooked as a common tool, continues to lose dominance in a media saturated world. However, history tells a different story. The Pencil changed everything. Invention, craftsmanship, art, engineering, manufacturing, government, history, and business are a result of the pencil. Although the Pencil technology provided a way to move thoughts to a tangible form, technology is never static. As technology is a key focus to every aspect of society today, the pencil begins to lose its significance. With so many aspects of society existing in binary code, the pencil needs to be honored. We are in a battle against time. If we move away from using this analog piece of technology, what is society losing? How significant is the pencil to ingenuity? Should we care if the pencil shifts to the backseat? No.2 film seeks to develop the historical significance of the pencil in a charming and emotional story of a common ordinary tool.
Undeniably Donnie
Mark Slagle
US
19:35
For decades, Donnie Fritts has been surrounded by a class of musicians who changed American music. Though relatively unknown outside of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, Donnie Fritts is finally being recognized in a film that includes narration from Kris Kristofferson, who describes his long-time friend as 'living proof there's still a few around for whom it ain't so much a business as it is a way of life.'
Vanguard
Balloon Ride
Evan Hughes
Australia
5:22
The story follows a young boy who is part of a dysfunctional family. He and his mother are victims of domestic violence inflicted by the father. The boy dreams of escaping with his mother, only to wake up to a tragic reality.
Makeshift Satellite
James C. Walzel
US
4:32
Oslo's trailer park home falls into a sinkhole, and he must choose between a life of warm simplicity and rigid luxury.
Sister
Renee Fisher
US
8:13
The reflections of a young woman in search of her lost sister.
Young Filmmaker
Keep it Clean
Evan Sennett
US
11:24
A greasy, disgusting salesman dies in a clean freak's home. The clean freak has to figure out what to do with the body.
One Day on Carver St.
Azure Allen
US
3:38
One Day on Carver Street tells the story of Charlie's Place and its owner, Charlie Fitzgerald. Charlie's Place was a stop on the famous Chitlin' Circuit, and hosted the hottest musicians of the day. In the post-war Jim Crow south, Charlie's Place was a rare pocket of diversity in a world where the lines between black & white were firmly drawn.
Tree Hugger
Kira Bursky
US
13:06
In search of magic, high school freshmen Clara gets involved with Leo, an older boy, but the fantasy world in her head darkens when Leo takes advantage of her.
Alabama
April Showers
Jessica Chriesman
US
9:33
Two reporters get more than they bargained for when they arrive to report on a haunted house.
Casual Conversation
Jessica Luna
US
7:50
Two reporters get more than they bargained for when they arrive to report on a haunted house.
City Federal
Josh Carples
US
15:08
With news of a promotion and an engagement ring in his pocket, Jeff plans to have an unforgettable night with Katherine. But plans change as a dangerous man from Katherine’s past – a sociopath bent on greed and revenge – resurfaces and forces Jeff into an impossible situation. With Katherine’s life in the balance, Jeff has no choice but to obey.
Dead Saturday
Jeremy Burgess
US
9:00
Jimmy is convinced he's found a way to release his inner demons without going against the will of God: Dead Saturday, the time between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, when Jesus is “dead” and our sins are overlooked. But when he confronts Pastor Malcolm, the man who unknowingly inspired the idea, the conversation gets heated.
Final Moments
Mary Kathryn Phillips
US
4:39
Brothers at heart, young Kevin Matthews and Johnny Michaels must must face the reality of death after Johnny is wounded in combat. In battle, anything can happen.
Hollis Treasures
Robert Campbell
US
11:30
Tim Hollis is a Birmingham, Alabama author and historian. He is also the owner and curator of the most incredible collectibles museum in the world. With toys and games from the 60s, 70s and 80s, and built as an addition to his childhood home, the museum not only preserves the memories of countless visitors, but also the memories of his entire life.
The Pragmatic Vestige
Brandon Rieff
US
9:53
A young man attempts to piece together clues of a mysterious message. The story is broken and fragmented, and the audience discovers many details just as the main character, Joshua, is as well.
The Process
Griffin Rogers
US
8:55
A writer is torn by the drama of his own characters, and he struggles to find his story.
Ruby
Mary Kathryn Phillips
US
6:21
Ruby, a young female runner, was an aspiring Olympian on her way to Rio in 2016 when a horrible accident landed her in a wheelchair, almost completely paralyzing her. Hanging on to the last hope she has left, Ruby fights and tries to overcome her condition in order to get back to her passion. Although she almost gives up after trying so long, Ruby decides to try one last time. It does not matter whether or not she will make it this time, but rather that she will always keep trying.
Stay
Paige McCay
US
4:55
Being gone is easy, never looking back is easy, but leaving? No, there is nothing easy about leaving.
Titanic Boy
Andrew Reed
US
7:21
When most people are asked to name a life changing event in their adolescence, few people would claim the Titanic, a 100+ year old ship, had a profound impact on them. Yet 13 year old Luke proudly says 'The Titanic changed my life!' Through a traditional documentary approach and poetic animated sequences, the film explores the life of this unique young boy whose interest in the Titanic has been both the cause of and solution to many of his problems
Tutwiler
Evan Owens
US
16:37
Inspired by true events at Alabama's only women's prison, Julia Tutwiler Rehabilitation Center, Tutwiler shed's light on the sexual & physical abuse that the inmates go through on a daily basis just to receive necessities such as clothes, food, tampons, or toilet paper.
Veteran’s Day Reunion
Ian Cunningham
US
10:00
The National Veterans Day Parade began in Birmingham, AL. Over the years, it has become so much more than a parade. It is a homecoming. It is a family reunion. Not everybody gets a hero's welcome in their own hometown. For two men, it is a cathartic meeting place; a reminder of their first strange encounter in a faraway land.
Wisdom Tooth
David Seale
US
7:57
A short film about the cavity within. A woman's fears about an impending meeting with the dentist are assuaged by a precocious girl in the waiting room.
