"Painted Love"
(15 min 14 sec, Student Short, Winston-Salem, NC))
Stuck in her dreary job as a debt collector, an old-fashioned dreamer discovers a magical portal to a new world full of life and color.
Director: Michelle DeGrace
Writers: Ruby Scharf, Milena Saban
Producers: Sam Varriale, Thatcher Johnson-Welden

"Saving Billy"
(9 min 54 sec, Professional Short, Cornelius, NC)
Homelessness is not a choice. A bad decision, a natural disaster, or even the loss of a job can result in homelessness.
Writer, Director, Producer: Vickie Adams

"Solitude by Black Sabbath"
(14 min 57 sec, Student Short, Canada)
A middle aged millennial works two jobs to help support the daughter and troubled wife of his late brother while struggling to deal with his own inadequacies.
Director, Writer: AJ Vaage
Producer: Ian Fisher

"The Rocket Ship"
(7 min 42 sec, Professional Short, New York)
Seven year old Livy has seen her mother (Angie) deal with heart break and sadness too many times over; where in that she feels she has to do something.
Writer, Director: Taishon S Black
Producer: Miles Adgate

"Off The Record"
(13 min 8 sec, Student Short, Maine)
A legal videographer finds himself trapped with the sole copy of a witness's testimony.
Writer, Director: Will Berry
Producers: Gabi Rodriguez, Allie Frankel

"House of Stronzo"
(58 min, Professional Documentary, New York)
An eccentric Folk art collector attempts to find permanent homes for 5,000 pieces displayed in his Virginia house, before he dies. “House of Stronzo” chronicles the quest of Pete Cecere, one of the preeminent collectors of folk art and outsider art in North America, to find permanent homes for his “kids” – the more than 5,000 pieces of original art that are housed in his Virginia home. Pete thinks his “holy shit house” is the star of the film. But it’s Cecere’s bursting passion for his collection and life that actually steals the show.
Writer, Director, Producer: Matthew White

"Big Booom"
(4 min, Student Animation, Russia)
The history of humanity and of our planet in four minutes. An eco-friendly statement developed in a single shot that has it all: humor, action and tragedy.
Writer, Director, Producer: Marat Narimanov

"Shelter"
(7 min, Student Short, Winston-Salem, NC)
Shelter is the story of Cristina, a young undocumented woman, and her 7 year old daughter as they walk inland Texas to seek asylum. However, unbeknownst to them, the Trump Administration's Zero Tolerance Policy has just taken effect.
Writer, Director: Jo Hatcher
Producers: Olivia Moore, Epiphany James

"The Traffic Separating Device"
(15 min, Professional Documentary, Sweden)
A traffic separating device is installed in the middle of Stockholm. It is supposed to keep normal cars away and only let buses pass. It turns into a disaster as normal cars continue to go there and hundreds of cars get destroyed every week. Tragic and funny situations occur and we follow the whole mess of human failures.
Director, Producer: Johan Palmgren
Screenplay: Johan Palmgren, Julian Antell, Mattias Grosin

"LILY"
(25 min 14 sec, Professional Documentary, California)
Lily is an intimate portrait of the first female comic book artist: an extraordinary woman and formidable presence whose story is almost as heroic as her impact on modern entertainment as the co-creator of iconic works “Señorita Rio” and “Werewolf Hunters”. Filmmaker Adrienne Gruben (“Treasure Island,” “You’re Gonna Miss Me”) brings the groundbreaking story of Lily Renée to life with candid interviews, riveting archival footage, and newly commissioned illustrations. Ms. Gruben chronicles Lily’s heroic journey from Nazi-controlled Austria to New York’s Golden Age of comics. Born into an affluent Jewish family in Vienna in 1921, Lily started drawing from an early age. In 1938, during the Nazi occupation of her home country, she boarded a Kindertransport for England, leaving her parents behind. She worked for two years as a nanny, servant and mother’s helper, before reuniting with her parents in New York. Taking up art again, she would eventually land a job at Fiction House, where her creative contributions were a foundational influence on American entertainment, and paved the way for generations of women to come.
Producer, Editor: Benjamin Shearn
Exec. Producer: David Armstrong

"Boy Racer"
(4 min 25 sec, Student Short, Ireland)
Evan Murphy sneaks away into his grandfathers shed and discovers a world of trinkets to play with including his grandfathers rally car.
Writer, Director, Producer: Barry Fahy

"A Touch of Sugar"
(32 min, Professional Documentary, New York)
More than 30 million Americans have diabetes - about 1 in 10 people. "A Touch of Sugar" discusses the type 2 diabetes healthcare crisis that affects every community in the United States, told through the voices of people united in their struggle with this chronic disease. Acclaimed actress and documentary spokesperson Viola Davis, the first African American to earn the Triple Crown of Acting, lends her voice as the film’s narrator to share, for the first time, how type 2 diabetes has impacted her family, and to powerfully speak for the millions of Americans affected by this disease. Created in collaboration with Merck, and directed by Ani Simon-Kennedy, "A Touch of Sugar" challenges the national perception of life with type 2 diabetes. Interviews with patients and their loved ones, as well as doctors, advocates and thought leaders in the space, reinforce type 2 diabetes as an urgent public health issue. As Shenekqual prepares for her wedding, Stewart heads to Capitol Hill, Susie arms herself with the information she needs, and Niurka receives support from her family, "A Touch of Sugar" sheds light on how we can confront this epidemic - one patient and one community at a time.
Writer, Director: Ani Simon-Kennedy
Producers: Conrod Kelly, Elisia Canna,
Kristen McBride, Kristin Sockett
Narrated by: Viola Davis

"Rachel's Pitch"
(12 min 33 sec, Student Short, Marion, SC)
In this satirical portrayal of the entertainment industry, join Rachel Jensen, a quirky but ambitious young filmmaker, as she attempts to pitch her ideas to Mr. McKnight, an intimidating big-time producer.
Writer, Director: Julia Fulmer
Producers: Jennifer Fischer, Ramon Hamilton

"iRony"
(7 min 53 sec, Animated Student Documentary, Australia)
A film that explores the relationship between man and technology...told from the perspective of a phone. Variously described as an Animation, an Experimental Film, a Narrative, a Documentary or a Film-Poem depending on who you speak to, this hand drawn animated film is based on the poem 'Seven Billion' written by the film director that won 2 National poetry awards: The Young Australian Writer’s National Award for Poetry, selected out of a field of 30,000 and the Karen W Treanor Poetry Award (Youth). iRony has been selected to 7 Academy Award Qualifying Festivals.
Writer, Director, Producer, Animator: Radheya Jegatheva

"Unrepresented"
(1 hr 24 min 11 sec, Professional Documentary, MI)
It’s no secret that special interests bankroll campaigns and relentlessly lobby to rig the system in their favor. Unrepresented pulls back the curtain to investigate the mechanisms that propel Congress's corruption cycle- giving political insiders enormous, unchecked power. Democratic and Republican party leaders alike encourage us to believe that the political divide is wider than ever. In reality, the vast majority of Americans agree on basic reforms to outlaw the wanton political corruption from both parties, but politicians won't pass them. Unrepresented reveals the opportunities and challenges as committed public servants, non-partisan activists, and everyday Americans build unprecedented movements to fix the broken system before it's too late.
Director: Daniel Falconer
Writer: Andrew Rodney
Producers: Eric Bruggeman, Andrew Rodney, Daniel Falconer

"Introducing Skully"
(4 min 30 sec, Student Animation, CT)
A trailer to Skülly's debut story: Meet our hero, Skülly on the tail end of one adventure, and crashing himself into the next.
Director: Kirk Wallace
Writers: Adam Danielson, Kevin Wallace, Jeremy Lwamugira, Jeff Guerra, Latham Arnott
Animator: Latham Arnott

"No Sanctuary"
(16 min 56 sec, Student Documentary, Winston-Salem, NC)
On June 17th, 2015, Dylann Roof shot and killed 9 African Americans in the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. On June 19th, 2015, several family members of the “Emmanuel 9”, as they have come to be known, stood before a court and surprised the entire nation when they outwardly forgave Roof at his bond hearing. Though each family member reacted differently to the shooting and the trials, there was a unifying theme between them all: each individual life was unexpected and indefinitely changed forever. Through a collection of interviews, trial footage, home videos and personal testimonies, this documentary will explore the lives of these families in search for the answers only those with such experiences could have.
Director: Nathan Knox
Producers: Moriah Hall, Emmilee Millhouse

"Tick Tock"
(14 min 48 sec, Professional Short, Canada)
Post merger Justine Jason is tasked with the systematic resizing of the newly formed company. But when she fires company veteran Mitchell Lamb he does the unthinkable and the outcome pushes her over a psychological tipping point. A woman of upper management fires a company veteran simply because it is “good business.”
Director, Producer: Morgan I.P. Fics
Writer, Producer: Jarret Wright
Producer: Robin Blanchard

"Ouroboros"
(8 min 1 sec, Student Short, WI)
A cycle of pursued acceptance met by rejection is threatened when one character sees the world for what it truly is.
Director: Emma Keehan
Writer: Nick Early
Producers: Emma Keehan, Andrew Harrington

"Do You"
(18 min, Professional Short, CA)
Jane (Lacey Chabert), newly pregnant, is determined to make amends with her estranged and mentally ailing mother Gloria (Wendie Malick), now living in a senior care home where she torments her caregiver, Donny. Upon arrival, Gloria recognizes Jane not as her daughter but a friend who's come to entertain her every whim. Now Jane must play along with Gloria's game in an effort to finally reconnect.
Director: Kenry Allan Hutchinson
Writer: Mandy Konis
Producer: Justin Steele
Key Cast: Wendie Malick, Lacey Chabert

"Fall of the Matador"
(9 min 34 sec, Professional Short, NC)
A young matador struggles with his craft as bullfighting threatens not only his life but his emotional and spiritual existence. Set in Madrid (2007), a matador by the name of Mateo Garcia is expected to become a great bullfighter like his father. Mateo lacks conviction and as he ages he begins to resent his predestination. His mental stability falters and the pressure of greatness alongside his soft nature leads him to turn to Christ for absolution. The pain he caused to countless bulls plagues him as he begins a down-ward spiral of insanity, ultimately leading to death. He does not fear but embraces the process which he believes is an offering to God. As Mateo prepares for his most important fight of the season he arrives at a breaking point. Years prior, his father died in the same arena he is to fight in later that day. Mateo pleads with God in the hopes that he will grant him strength, but God does not answer. The mental collapse leads him to enter a state of purgatory where his past opponents finally catch and deliver him to his maker.  
Writer, Director, Producer: Griffin Hart Davis
Key Cast: Will Moreno, Jorge Soto and Virginia Fores

"When All That's Left Is Love"
(1hr 17 min, Professional Documentary, FL)
When All That’s Left is Love is the emotionally gripping story of a wife’s determination to care for her Alzheimer’s-stricken husband in their home. With unprecedented, behind-the-scenes access, the film reveals the toll that the disease takes on families coping with Alzheimer's, while also showcasing the power of love that sustains both patients and caregivers.
Director, Producer: Eric Gordon
Editor: Walter J. Collins

"Anacronte"
(14 min 58 sec, Professional Short Animation, Argentina)
Anacronte and the Sorcerers of Evil, without any emotion and fulfilling their destiny, they put to test humanity's happiness in a struggle that, in short, has each of us as winners and losers.
Directors: Raúl KolerDirector, Emiliano Sette
Writers: Raúl KolerWriter, Sabrina Pace
Producers: Emiliano Sette, Yashira Jordán, Francisco Zamudio
Art Director: Nelson Luty
Animation direction: Ezequiel Suarez Greck

"La Loche"
(56 min, Profession Documentary, Canada)
After a deadly school shooting in a remote Canadian aboriginal community took the lives of four people and injured seven others, a caring teacher sought to present a healing opportunity for the students. She asked a TV celebrity that the students admired, if he would consider coming on a canoe trip with 8 boys directly affected by the shooting. Les Stroud, creator and host of the international TV series Survivorman, boarded a plane for the far northern community of La Loche, Saskatchewan, with no agenda but to spend time with the students, in the greatest place of healing on earth; the wilderness. This is a story of how nature heals. It is an illustration of how young men and women born of aboriginal descent and living far away from the pollution and crime of big cities are, in actuality, no different than any teenager in society today. With one camera, a paddle and a desire to help, Stroud allows the young men to tell their own story. The stories of their lives, their town, the shooting and most importantly, of their hopes and dreams.
Writer, Director, Producer: Les Stroud

"ETERNITY"
(23 min 49 sec., Student Short, Ukraine)
Once upon a time in the nearest future humanity overcome the death by digitizing the human's souls. So, we will be granted with Eternity. But what happened if Eternity faced with Love?
Writer, Director, Producer: Anna Sobolevksa
Writer: Alina Semeryakova
Producer: Vladimir Yatsenko