“Oh Crappy Day” [PG - 17 minutes - Short]

Director Jon Bacon; Raleigh, NC

On a blind date with a charming young woman, a film student struggles to keep his OCD on the down low.

“Thundercluck: Chicken of Thor” [PG - 3 mins 14 sec- animation]

Director/Animator Paul A. Tillery IV; Savannah, GA

This film chronicles the birth, life, and legacy of Thundercluck, the viking chicken with the power of thunder.  Half mortal. Half god. All natural chicken.

“That Bites!” [PG - 44 minutes - documentary]

Director Jack G. Yonover; Wilmette, IL

A documentary made by a 12 year old boy about  the fears and frustrations of food allergies from the perspective of kids.

“T.P.” [PG - 10 minutes - animation]

Director Bob Blevins; San Francisco, CA

A naive roll of toilet paper awakens in a disgusting gas station bathroom, and is horrified to discover what fate has in store for his kind. Inspired by his traumatized but well intentioned companion, he resolves to escape captivity and determine for himself how his destiny will unravel.

“Omo Child: The River and the Bush”

[PG-13 - 1 hour 29 min - documentary]

Director John Rowe; Rancho Santa Fe, CA

For many generations people in the Omo Valley (southwest Ethiopia) believed some children are cursed and that these ‘cursed’ children bring disease, drought and death to the tribe. The curse is called ‘mingi’ and mingi children are killed. Lale Labuko, a young educated man from the Kara was 15 years old when he saw a child in his village killed and also learned that he had 2 older sisters he never knew who had been killed. He decided one day he would stop this horrific practice. Filmed over a five year period we follow Lale’s journey along with the people of his tribe as they attempt to change an ancient practice.

“Take Care” [PG-13 - 18 minutes - short]

Director Jeremy Braverman; Pittsburgh, PA

A ‘cancer comedy’ about a theater undergrad and aspiring actress taking care of her terminally ill father, a charming, fast-talking schemer left without health insurance or a support network when his health goes south. When he realizes the demands of his care are forcing her to give up on her dreams, he tries to do the right thing--not exactly his strong suit. This character-rich dramatic comedy finds humor and grace in the most difficult of circumstances.

“Runaway” [pg-13 - 27 minutes - short]

Directed by Annette Assmy; Germany

A film about an unusual friendship and the courage to take risks for others., The 15 year old Tanja runs away from the girl´s house in search of her last keepsake of her dead mother. During her chase she is passing the way of the girl Amira. Both are living in difficult life-situations and they make a dangerous deal. Can they free themselves?

“Hop Scotch the Funk Dumpling”

[PG-13 - 15 minutes - short]

Producer, Editor Joel Black; Florida

A lonely privileged kid and a street hustlin’ hobo discover the value of friendship through their shared love of break dancing.

“First Language - The Race to Save Cherokee”

[PG - 56 minutes - documentary]

Directors Danica Cullinan, Neal Hutcheson; Raleigh, NC

The Cherokee Indians of North America were once the dominant power in what is now the Southeastern United States. The creeks, valleys and mountains of Appalachia are reflected in their traditions and in the rhythms of their ancient native language. Around 14,000 Cherokee remain in their ancestral homeland in the mountains of North Carolina, but few among them still speak their native language, and no children are learning the language at home. The community loses more of its speakers every month, and the time remaining to teach the language to young Cherokee is running out. As the community is acutely aware, a language is not a code for another language, but a powerful vessel of knowledge and world view. Recognizing the imminent loss of the core of their heritage, the Eastern Band of Cherokee are now taking extraordinary steps in a fight to preserve the language, including the establishment of a total immersion preschool and elementary school. First Language documents a native community coming to terms with their identity in the context of modern American life. In English and Cherokee.

“I AM SAMI”

[PG-13 - 15 minutes - short]

Directed by Kae Bahar; Iraq, United Kingdom

For ten year old Sami, despite the ongoing war raging around his Middle East home, life is fairly straightforward. He enjoys showing off to the beautiful girl next door and spending time with his family. But, with a sick father, Sami needs money to buy medicine. He is able to get that money by selling ‘blue’ films to the American soldiers at the local army base.  It is here that he befriends Oscar, the soldier who is his most regular customer and who has taken an interest in Samis family.  But life becomes more complicated when Sami is confronted by a well-known local villain. Discovering his friendship with the Americans, Sami is asked to choose between the American enemies or his own people.  When his father and brother are taken from their home during a night raid by American forces, Sami learns that friendship is not easy in a time of conflict.  He is forced to choose just who his real friends are and to decide where his loyalties should lie.  It is a decision that could deprive him of his childhood and change his life forever.

“BLUE” [PG - 24 minutes - short]

Director Derek Donovan; NC

Blue is about Jed, who lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains with his dog Blue. The film follows their relationship as it goes through changes and they learn how to live and let go.

“Popcorn Sutton: A Hell of a Life” [R - 1 hour 26 min - documentary]

Director Neal Hutcheson; Raleigh, NC

Maggie Valley moonshiner Marvin Popcorn Sutton rose from humble roots to become a modern folk hero before his untimely death in 2009. His notoriety was powered by appearances in numerous documentaries and he is often cited as the inspiration for the dreadful reality television show, Moonshiners. Born and raised in the remote Appalachian community of Hemphill, his formative years were spent in a world half a century behind the rest of the country. He inherited the craft of whiskey distillation from his grandfather and father, as it had been handed down to them from their Scots-Irish ancestors. His mountain community, nestled against the recently created Great Smoky Mountains National Park, had been newly thrust into contact with unprecedented numbers of outsiders. Sutton’s distinctive mountain character, talent for distillation, disdain for authority and flair for showmanship would lay a singular path for him to follow, and he followed it to the end. Sutton won renown for a superior quality moonshine and became a celebrated outlaw cast in the mold of American folk heroes, before he took his own life to spurn a prison sentence. Sutton’s’s life is depicted with unprecedented clarity and detail in A HELL OF A LIFE, a revealing, all-new documentary filmed over the last ten years of his life.

“LUNCHSAQ” [PG - 7 minutes - short]

Writer/Director Aubrey Danielson; Florida

After getting hosed in a lunch-time snack trade, a boy, Christopher, sets out to bring down the corrupt snack-food trading market his suit-clad classmate, Quinton, has started.

“Birthday” [PG - 11 minutes - short]

Director Chris King; Roseville, CA

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.

“You See Me” [R - 1 hour 11 min - documentary]

Director Linda J. Brown; Long Beach, CA

Filmmaker Linda Brown’s father embodied 1960s masculinity. But when a devastating stroke leaves him vulnerable and dependent, Linda decides to confront the silence surrounding his troubled and violent past. Drawing on home movies, family photos and interviews, she reveals secrets, uncovers lies, and discovers a redeeming treasure in a lost family video. The result is an engrossing journey about the danger of carrying unresolved grief to our graves. You See Me is a brave, inspiring and empowering film that documents the essence of the human condition and seeks to face the past with courage in order to change the future.

“Eight Zero Eight” [PG - 5 minutes - documentary]

Director Alexandre Mello; Brazil

As a teenager, Elon tries to follow his first passion, football, getting to play on a great team in Brazil. In a twist of fate, he decides to start a new story. Elon discovers apnea diving. In his first competition, he breaks the national record. But the difficulties of not being a sponsored athlete made him look for a plan B. He studies architecture, which sparks another talent he's had since childhood. Here comes the Elon Constantine painter who quickly gains prominence in galleries throughout Brazil. As a successful artist, now he can invest in diving. Then, Elon returns to his old dream, breaking the world deep diving record.

“Awaken” [R - 1 hour 28 min - feature]

Director Mark Atkins, Los Angeles, CA

In this action thriller, Billie Kope, searching for her sister who disappeared in Mexico, awakens on a remote island with no memory of her abduction. She teams up with a group of survivors, where her skills in Russian Special Forces combat help them resist sinister black operations soldiers who hunt them down and abduct them for reasons unknown. For Billie, the mystery of the island is ultimately connected to the fate of her missing sister and one which when uncovered, will bring violence down on not only the island but the perpetrators of this bizarre and diabolical scheme in continual need of fresh victims to awaken.

“Worldly Possessions” [R - 18 minutes - short]

Director Robert W. Filion, Shelby, NC

Stephen Drake’s sworn duty is to stop the demons from entering our world. But when a brutal murder brings Stephen back to his hometown, he faces a few demons of his own.

“Truth Bubbles” [PG - 4 minutes - short]

Director Charlie Ball; Wilmington, NC

A couple’s old arguments threaten to drown Shelly until she finds the courage to breathe.

“OzLand” [PG-13 - 1 hour 55 min - feature]

Director Michael Williams; West Point, MS

In a dry and dusty post-apocalyptic world, two wayfarers wander aimlessly until Leif finds a copy of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Using the world around him to interpret what he reads, Leif allows the book to challenge the beliefs, friendship, and even the very survival of these two divergent travelers.

“Unmappable” [PG-13 - 22 minutes - documentary]

Directors Diane Hodson, Jasmine Luoma; Winston-Salem, NC

Unmappable is a documentary short that weaves together the life and work of iconoclastic psychogeographer and convicted sex offender, Denis Wood. This meditative portrait will unveil the inner workings of a man whose work is lauded as poetic, artful and innovative - a man who unapologetically pushes boundaries both personally and professionally. The film explores the events that have defined his life by pointing at ideas, thoughts and beliefs that we usually do not think of as being mappable or explainable.

“The 13th Step” [PG-13 - 1 hour 19 min - documentary]

Monica Richardson; Los Angeles, CA

Recently on CBS 48 Hours, The 13th Step a documentary that exposes the secret truth about the famous alcohol recovery group: Alcoholics Anonymous. This film explores aspects of AA’s image: over decades AA has become a haven for sexual predators, violent criminals. Like abusive priests in the Catholic Church, pedophiles in the Boy Scouts, AA too has attracted convicted sex offenders who are protected by the institution. Filmmaker Monica Richardson, a leader in protecting vulnerable members who left AA after 36 years, has used her unprecedented access to members to gain unforgettable footage that documents the horrific abuses that occurs within rogue AA groups. It shows for the first time the deadly abuses that must be stopped before more are molested, raped and killed.

“The Present” [G - 4 minutes - animation]

Director/Animator Jacob Frey; Germany

“Bird” [PG - 10 minutes - short]

Director Mark Winters; Chicago, IL

A shut in is forced to leave his apartment when a pigeon wounds itself on his porch window, and only he can save it.

“Resilient” [PG - 35 minutes - documentary]

Director Stephen Panaggio; Grand Rapids, MI

Resilient is an excavation into the lives of several survivors experiencing late effects after their cancer cures. It is a film that seeks to open up a conversation around a difficult and generally overlooked question: “Is cure the end of the story?”

“A Spring Has Passed By” [PG - 6 minutes - short]

Director Eva Daoud; Bahrain

The winds of change have passed by and were called the Arab Spring. He is a man swept by the blowing winds that had taken all that’s dear to him and left him with invisible remnants imprinted deep into his soul.

“OLD?!” [PG - 51 minutes - documentary]

Director Katherine Roselli; Ashland, OR

OLD?! is a 55 minute documentary showcasing over seventy people with poignant stories and plain-speak wisdom about the life journey of aging. These individuals, from 10 days to 101 years old, offer funny, touching and inspiring stories as they share their perspectives about what it means to be old.  Throughout the film OLD?! invites us to embrace our own aging process

“TICK TOCK” [PG - 9 minutes - animation]

Director Zeynep Kocak; Turkey              

the beautiful thing is not the goal you achieve, it is the road that takes you there with hope!

“Herb Key: Nurturing American Heritage” [PG - 30 minutes - documentary]

Directors Rebecca Jones, Jim Lloyd; Lexington, NC

Herb Key: Nurturing American Heritage is a short documentary featuring Herb Key, a master musician and luthier from North Carolina.  Herb grew up in Wilkes County learning about traditional Appalachian music from his family and neighbors in the 1950s.  Herb enjoys a do-it-yourself lifestyle making his own tools, building his own beehives, and raising his own fruits and vegetables, many from seeds derived from plants his grandmother grew.  For many years he worked as wood worker and began repairing acoustic instruments in the 1970s.  Today, he is known as one of the best guitar repairmen in the region working alongside renowned Virginia luthier, Wayne Henderson. Herb is a keeper of stories and relishes in singing story-songs about Wilkes County legends like Otto Wood and Tom Dooley.  Through his music and his revived vintage acoustic guitars, Herb preserves a piece of the American culture.