2024 OFFICIAL SELECTION

 

THE MOVIE MAN

An eccentric entrepreneur looks back on his life’s work – owning and operating an idiosyncratic multiplex in the forest of Northern Ontario.

Documentary Feature
Country: Canada
Runtime: 01:30:00
Director and writer: Matt Finlin
Producers: Ed Robertson, Karen Barzilay, Paul Atkinson

BREAK

Shot on Black & White 35mm and set in the 60s, BREAK is the story of a young drummer who is looking to calm his nerves in front of two veteran musicians and fulfill his dream of being a drummer in a jazz trio.

Short Narrative
Country: United States
Runtime: 00:08:45
Director and writer: Sam Henderson
Producers: Sam Henderson, Ryan Romine, Rachel Jobin
Key cast: Wes Cunningham, Bob HessKey, Calder MeisKey, Jackie Whitmill Jr.

BENNY & JAMES

A man, unsettled by his imminent life-changing decision, suspects his terrifying dream and his husband’s daunting parallel encounter might be a signal from God to cancel a long awaited arrival.

Short Narrative
Country: United States
Runtime: 00:14:50
Director and writer: Logan Vaughn
Producers: Laurie Bernhard, Ria Pavia, Mayon Denton, Robert Arnold
Key cast: Phillip James Brannon, Calvin Leon Smith

THE SLIGHT DEVIATION OF THE ATOMS

At a party, Xavier is eagerly waiting for a girl he met the night before. But then he gets to know another girl, Alice. Atoms are flying straight through the infinite void until the slight deviation of one of them creates a series of unpredicted moves.

Short Narrative
Country: France
Runtime: 00:18:30
Director and writer: Antoine Denis
Producers: Camille Deleau
Key cast: Andranic Manet, Clara Antoons

DANZONEROS

Entering a ballroom is like being on the edge of another world, far from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
A buoyant Gilmpse into a community of elegant dance veterans who for 40 years have been gathering in the last remaining historic ballroom in Mexico City, in honour of Danzón.

Short Documentary
Country: Mexico
Runtime: 00:07:00
Director: Chiara Bonetti
Writer: Chiara Bonetti, Alicia Fernandez
Producers: Adriá Paituví, Chiara Bonetti
Key cast: Mario Morales, Ricardo Zamorano, Paula Tiburcio, Marry Azcanio, José Luis Mendez, David Shalom

CHASING LIGHT

Within the cultural landscape of Manhattan’s Chinatown, six business owners and community leaders reflect on the neighborhood’s evolving identity, the imperative to document its change, and the importance of bolstering future generations while honoring heritage in sustaining the neighborhood’s future.

Short Documentary
Country: United States
Runtime: 00:13:22
Director and writer: Geoff Sean Levy
Producers: Ian Kaplan
Key cast: Wellington Chen, Sio Wai Sang, Warren Chin, Yanyun Kin, Jose Pacheco, Suemei Leung, Bayer Lee, Khanh Tran, Spencer Okada

LIMITS

In a forest he digitized, Simon runs. Running embodies the intimate link between the protagonist and a forest that has witnessed multiple personal events and that is now being destroyed by a gravel pit. Simon questions his relationship with the living world, the limits of matter, and the limits of digital representations of nature.

Experimental
Country: Switzerland
Runtime: 00:07:40
Director: Simon de Diesbach
Writer: Simon de Diesbach, Olivier Vonlanthen
Producers: Fred Truniger

CORNERBOY

A bad boy gets possessed by a fly (aka the devil/death) which confronts him with his own personality. This narration is wrapped up in a fresh genre bending experimental dance film.

Experimental
Country: Germany
Runtime: 00:06:06
Director and writer: Kai Kurve
Producers: Karina Kirschner, Kai Kurve
Key Cast: Piotr Simba Abramowicz

THE BRAVE LOCOMOTIVE

An Old West musical tale with 1940s flair about a mighty little train facing harrowing disaster.

 

Animation
Country: United States
Runtime: 00:07:18
Director/Producer: Andrew Pierce Chesworth
Key Cast: Morgana Hasil, Kari Shaw Akers, Andra Suchy, Drew Jansen, Suzie Juul, Abilene Olson, Dan Kase

 

GROWNUP

A peculiarly precocious boy whose perfectly well-adjusted life comes to a halt when his long lost father returns to make amends.

 

Animation
Country: United States
Runtime: 00:05:10
Director/Producer: Jee Kim
Key Cast: Brad Avenyou, Nicholas Contreras, Boston Mullen

PAPIROLA

Nico is an energetic 8-year-old boy who has the ability to fold all objects as if they were made of paper. On a lovely autumn morning, he happily gathers all the things he loves about his house while preparing himself for a life-changing voyage.

Animation
Country: Spain
Runtime: 00:07:00
Director: Fabián Molinaro San Martín
Writers: Manuel Zapater, Sheila Ballesteros, Violeta Just, Gabriel and Fabián Molinaro
Producer: Andrea Reche
Key Cast: Piotr Simba Abramowicz

STAGES OF LOST FREEDOM

Derek ‘Dice’ Livingston was incarcerated for nearly two decades. This animation uses Dice’s own words and narration to show the emotional journey of losing one’s identity to long term incarceration, with each entry brought to life by a different animator.

 

Animation
Country: United States
Runtime: 00:07:25
Director: Kamran S Rosen
Writers: Kamran S Rosen, Derek Livingston
Producer: Kamran Rosen
Key Cast: Derek Livingston