Saturday, April 22nd, 2023
ALL FILM SCREENINGS ARE HELD AT
TCL CHINESE 6 THEATRES
6925 HOLLYWOOD BLVD.
HOLLYWOOD, CA 90028
ANNEXED
Comedy (9 min) United States
Directed By: Paul Cosby
Written By: Paul Cosby
Produced By: Kiara Lin, Paul Cosby
Cast: Violette Remington, Xavier Orozco, Charles Santa Cruz, Ethan Gilmore
Synopsis: ANNEXED follows an oddball young girl (the Conqueror) during the founding days of her new empire. Shortly after invading the quiet park, two local police officers arrive to stop her. The officers, Pete and Dave, prove no match to her combat abilities and are captured. The following morning, Pete makes the realization that the Conqueror cannot be stopped. He and Dave begin training under her, forming the first national guard to her new nation.
JIMMY BODEN
Comedy (10 min) United States
Directed By: Christopher Pickering
Written By: Christopher Pickering
Produced By: Cole Sanchez
Cast: Andrew Simmons, Matthew Rhoades, Luis Ochoa, Jacob Staudenmaier, Jack Balta, Rick Reischman
Synopsis: Jimmy Boden, an imprisoned government asset has finally reaching his breaking point.
THE FAIRCHILD
Comedy (15 min) United States
Directed By: Danny Rogers
Written By: Danny Rogers
Produced By: Alyssa Katalyna, Celai Ahmadzai
Cast: Danny Rogers, Eric Davis, Sierra Marcks, Lauren Killer, Ben Newton, Hunter C. Smith, Susan Priver, Frank Poynton, Maria Brodeur
Synopsis: The new membership desk assistant at an exclusive museum becomes a special exhibit when staff and visitors obsess over him and his hair instead of the art on the walls.
THE ERL KING
Thriller (16 min) United States
Directed By: Genevieve Kertesz
Written By: Rachel Weise, Keith Karnish, Genevieve Kertesz
Produced By: Rachel Weise
Cast: Marti Matulis, Emma Halleen
Synopsis: Set in 1800s, on the edge of the American wild, Leora, a young woman from a strict, religious family runs away from her village into the arms of an ancient woodland god who inhabits the forest. His name is the Erl King and his promise to love her and give her freedom suddenly turns sinister when Leora realizes that he‚s had other plans for her all along..
WAITING FOR SPRING
Sci-Fi (18 min) United States
Directed By: Ryan Michael Brown
Written By: Ryan Michael Brown
Produced By: Roman Musheghyan
Cast: Erin Cipolletti, Charlie Orme
Synopsis: The unknown survivor on an abandoned Mars research station is visited by a lost love after discovering the origin of life.
WISH UPON A DISCO BALL
Comedy (19 min) United States
Directed By: Anabel Inigo
Written By: Anabel Inigo
Produced By: Rachel Allen, Alissa Nguyen, Danielle Mullins
Cast: Alexis Milan Turner, Reina Macias, Sam Uehling, Stirling Bradley
Synopsis: A disco musical about two Afro-Latina sisters who find out what means to grow up – and how that doesn’t mean growing apart.
IDLE SPEED
Thriller (21 min) United States
Directed By: Yoni Azulay
Written By: Alex Gehrlein
Produced By: Zach Rineer, Yoni Azulay
Cast: Ines Hoysaetter Asserson, Nathan Vincenti, Leary McDonald, Christopher Reilly, Lawrence Trailer
Synopsis: Duncan and Ray find themselves stranded in the New Mexico desert after being ambushed by a mysterious shooter.
EXIT
Drama, Thiller (5 min) France
Directed By: Oriana Ng
Written By: Oriana Ng
Produced By: Oriana Ng, Lana Bolycheva
Cast: Federico Rodriguez, Soraya Broukhim, David Gelles, Mackian Bauman
Synopsis: A dangerous elevator ride tests a couple’s bond.
BORN UNDER PUNCHES
Drama (5 min) United States
Directed By: Gaoyang Ganjin
Written By: Gaoyang Ganjin
Produced By: Nazli Saatcioglu
Cast: Adrian Chen, Miguel Matos
Synopsis: Tyler is trapped in his father’s dream of being a boxing champion, but he’s put up with it for too long. Following the journey of his internal chaos and pursuit of freedom, Born Under Punches is about finding yourself in the prison of other people’s expectations and breaking out.
PANCAKES
Drama (6 min) United States
Directed By: Gabrielle Chapman
Written By: Gabrielle Chapman
Produced By: Raven Carter
Cast: Katie Mae Horn Gage Morgan
Synopsis: A free-spirited young woman has a one-night chance encounter with a groom, leading to something much deeper than the classic bachelor trip hookup.
CODEPENDENT ON DESIRE
Drama (8 min) United States
Directed By: Merivelle Hannah
Written By: Merivelle Hannah
Produced By: Merivelle Hannah
Cast: Merivelle Hannah, Xander Crowell
Synopsis: A young woman discovers her boyfriend’s secret and undergoes the consequences of protecting her lover’s past.
COLD SUMMER
Drama (10 min) United States
Directed By: Anna Evtushenko
Written By: Anna Evtushenko
Produced By: Olga Nechaeva, Anna Evtushenko
Cast: Taylor Bazos, Joey Welsh
Synopsis: A young woman is freezing — figuratively and literally — and needs to make a life-altering choice.
MAX & TACO (GET THEIR SH!T TOGETHER)
Drama, Comedy (14 min) United States
Directed By: Caitlin Ferrell
Written By: Caitlin Ferrell
Produced By: Leila Chediak, Caitlin Ferrell
Cast: Hannah Shealy, Chris Ryan, Oliver Prose, Vishnu Sarthak Sinha, Bowdie the Dog
Synopsis: Max has been sober for six months. In all that time, she hasn’t played music. On the eve of her first concert back, she loses her dog Taco. Will she relapse? Will she make it to play her concert?
CHERRY
Drama (16 min) United States
Directed By: Miki Murad
Written By: Miki Murad
Produced By: Miki Murad
Cast: Kerry Vang, Forrest Hartl
Synopsis: A woman’s plan to poison her husband goes awry when unexpected guests arrive
GUBER
Comedy, Drama (17 min) United States
Directed By: Juliet Lucas
Written By: Juliet Lucas
Produced By: Shalisha Moreno
Cast: Kelton Elliot, Rocio Scotto
Synopsis: Guber is a story that attempts to show the small encounters with people that change lives. The story follows our main character, Carter a Guber driver, as he lives out his life mission to keep the road safe, following the death of his sister. Carter encounters all kinds of people as he drives them to their destinations. On a chance night he picks up Phoebe, a young woman who is mourning the loss of her boyfriend.
THE BIG PITCH
Drama (18 min) United States
Directed By: Robert Enriquez
Written By: Alex Morsanutto, Robert Enriquez, Jack Wolfe
Produced By: Max Gardner, Robert Enriquez, Alex Knapp
Cast: Ryan O’Dell, Louis Griffin, Jon Spano, Jo Lawrence, Gabby Huggins, Mike Santosusso, David Gibbs, Rob Resnick, Sam Jaikaran, Chris Ronin
Synopsis: A contemporary parable on the dangers of social media addiction, the story follows Marc and Peter, two young entrepreneurs on the cusp of greatness- or disaster- with a unique new app they’ve developed: Spotlight. With their partnership on a knife’s edge, they prepare for the single biggest pitch they’ll ever make, to a group of hungry venture capitalists.
FENG SHUI
Drama, Thriller (7 min) United States
Directed By: Kamran Rathod
Written By: Kamran Rathod, Nick Chang
Produced By: Kamran Rathod, Anna Robertson
Cast: Bobby August Jr., Natalia Dominguez
Synopsis: A man takes on a room mate, only his room mate doesn’t know he’s living with her…
HOUSE PHONE
Drama (9 min) United States
Directed By: Loreto Di Cesare
Written By: Titus Richard
Produced By: Loreto Di Cesare, Ciamac Parhizi, Amy Di Cesare, Riccardo Suriano, Camryn Suriano
Cast: Bailey Coppola, Cheyanna Lavon Zubas
Synopsis: A one-take duel between two characters of opposite ethics and ideals. The mystery unfolds to a climactic showdown when the two must face-off and confront the antithetical differences that brought them together.
PARADISE AWAITS
Comedy (10 min) Finland
Directed By: Henna Välkky, Samuel Häkkinen
Written By: Henna Välkky, Samuel Häkkinen
Produced By: Ville Sivonen, Henna Valkky, Samuel Hakkinen
Cast: Anu Palevaara, Ville Sivonen
Synopsis: The suitcase is packed and patiently awaits a holiday in paradise. A woman trying to leave experiences an unraveling spurt through her house to make sure she can be at peace on her trip.
ADELINA
Drama (10 min) United States
Directed By: Jack McMillan
Written By: Jack McMillan
Produced By: Natalia Corzine, Jack McMillan
Cast: Olivia Francis, Steven Smith
Synopsis: “Adelina is a medical dummy who harbors a deep love for a medical student named Tony. Although she can’t speak, her life feels perfect when he’s around. Adelina serves as a cautionary tale about falling for someone. The euphoric splendor of happiness is a feeling that’s hard to live without. Often times we’ll do anything to have it, even if it means warping our sense of reality to create ideas that aren’t actually there.”
ARE YOU AWAKE?
Sci-Fi (11 min) United States
Directed By: Gabriel Caste
Written By: Gabriel Caste
Produced By: Gabriel Caste, Alex Exline, Lauren Caste
Cast: Ellyn Jameson, Paul Archer, Gabriel Caste, Begine White-Klein
Synopsis: In this psychological thriller, a woman working as a door-to-door wake-up caller encounters a client refusing to leave his bed, who recounts his terrible nightmares.
BOYHOARDER
Drama (14 min) United States
Directed By: Gabrielle Carrubba
Written By: Gabriel Barreto, Tabitha Ashura
Produced By: Kerri Mandelbaum
Cast: Alexis Molnar, Liza Anne, Sky Lakota-Lynch, Izzy Heltai, George Eve, Sean Harrison Jones
Synopsis: At a small BOYHOARDER show, super-fan AMMONIA watches, entranced by ALEX, her lyrics, and her gory show of murdering her boy band members. Ammonia is taken away by a boy wishing to court her – but he doesn’t realize this enthusiastic fan is out for blood, literally. As her killings continue, the band catapults further into the public eye, and Alex further into descent from this loss of control. Ammonia thinks she’s been killing to HELP Alex be rid of these pests, but little does she know, Alex isn’t as grateful as she expects. When a sociopathic misandrist comes under threat, she has to retaliate.
GET TO THE WIRE
(15 min) Australia
Directed By: Paul Burns
Written By: Paul Burns, Maggie Brittingham
Produced By: Maggie Brittingham, Eli Elisco, Paul Burns
Cast: Maia Abbas, Taj Aldeeb
Synopsis: In a dystopian future, an Australian-Iraqi woman held captive in a chaotic and brutal British immigration detention centre takes up severe measures to survive and reconnect with her estranged family.
YOU CAN’T BE HERE
Sci-Fi (16 min) United States
Directed By: Zachary Pope
Written By: Zachary Pope
Produced By: Zachary Pope, Amy Pope
Cast: Tanner Thomason, Ketta Kachemov, Alvin Heng, Lauren Taylor Brooks
Synopsis: After humanity’s destruction, one man wanders the wasteland in search of a safe place to settle down, until one day he is confronted by a group of people who don’t belong.
SUBHUMAN
Sci-Fi (22 min) Netherlands
Directed By: Arjen Schotel
Written By: Arjen Schotel
Produced By: Robin Bruinsma, Andre Bechtold, Joost Rueck, Arjen Schotel
Cast: Lucas Tavernier, Isnelle Da Silveira, Zouhair Mtazi
Synopsis: When a global pandemic breaks out, humanity is put to the test. Millions of people die and those who remain are divided into two camps: the top of society and the bottom, the ‘subhumans’. In the midst of this chaos, there are people who put their own interests first, but those of someone else. Lucius belongs to the top, but puts his life at risk for the fate of the other.
ENTERING PORNLAND: DARREN
Documentary (12 min) United States
Directed By: Benjamin Nolot
Written By: Benjamin Nolot
Produced By: Benjamin Nolot
Cast: Darren Edwards
Synopsis: Darren was a military vet looking for a fresh start when he landed a last-minute acting gig in a porn film. After rising to the top in his new career, his fast-paced life came to a crashing halt when he contracted HIV. Labeled a pariah by the porn industry, Darren speaks about the unsafe working conditions in porn as he struggles to put his life back together.
DESTINATION ANGELS
Documentary (18 min) United States
Directed By: Daniel Lir, Jim Sampas
Written By: Dru DeCaro, Chris Mansfield
Produced By: Dru DeCaro
Cast: Chris Mansfield, Maxine Woodring, Adam Kobylarz
Synopsis: Relive the troubled rise and fall of Beat Generation icon Jack Kerouac on a turbulent ride through California, narrated by Norman Reedus and starring tragically poignant folk hero FENCES. The Boston-born intellectual underdog, a crooning blend of Will Hunting & Kerouac himself, FENCES sets off from Venice Beach through Big Sur, San Francisco, Napa Valley and beyond, following footprints and riddles left in never-before-seen Kerouac poems, writing and recording songs in roadside motels and railyards along the way. Love, loss, humor, connection, trial and error, and inescapable change all combust in the bottled lightning that is Destination Angels.
JOHN LEGUIZAMO LIVE AT RIKERS
Documentary (26 min) United States
Directed By: Elena Francesca Engel
Written By: Elena Francesca Engel, John Leguizamo
Produced By: Elena Francesca Engel, Ben Konigsberg
Cast: John Leguizamo, Rikers Inmates
Synopsis: Actor John Leguizamo performs his one-man Broadway show, Ghetto Klown, for an audience of over 400 inmates at Rikers Island Correctional facility. Following his performance, Leguizamo holds group discussions with justice involved young men awaiting trail or sentencing. By sharing his personal journey of adversity and self awareness, he encourages them to reflect openly about their own lives. This film brings attention to the serious challenges and human side of incarceration.
TO LIVE AND DIE IN THE MIDWEST
Documentary (53 min) United States
Directed By: Taylor Mahoney
Written By: Taylor Mahoney
Produced By: Taylor Mahoney, Arielle Brachfeld, Hank Braxtan, Joel Cochran
Cast: Joel Cochran, Nik Linenberger, Nate Williams, Taylor Mahoney, Hank Braxtan, Arielle Brachfeld, Rachel DeWeber, Michael Jai White
Synopsis: To Live and Die in the Midwest is a documentary feature length film about the struggles of creating an indie movie in a small Colorado town. It is reflection on Art’s effect on suicide, a time capsule of the hysteria of the pandemic and a time capsule of filming DEAD ZONE.
KOOK STREET
Documentary (15 min) United States
Directed By: Jeremy Kemp
Written By: Jeremy Kemp
Produced By: Jeremy Kemp
Cast: David Buckingham
Synopsis: Throughout Los Angeles are wooden telephone poles. For some, these poles are used as a place for free advertisement: For some ‘Missing Dog’ for others, like metal sculptor David Buckingham, they are a canvas. Forging metal letters out of old, colored scrap metal – David goes around the city in the middle of the night and spells out ‘Kook’ in metal letters onto the side of these poles. What, or who, is a Kook?”
CASE FOR KINDNESS
Documentary (96 min) United States
Directed By: Steven Sawalich
Written By: Steven Sawalich, Randy Ward, Melinda Cea
Produced By: Steven Sawalich, Randy Ward, Teri Weinberg, Melinda Cea, Isabelle Thomas, Victoria Smith
Cast: Ben Affleck, Lady Gaga, Dalai Lama, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Steven Sawalich
Synopsis: Case For Kindness is a journey to understand the true nature of Kindness, making a case for why it is our best way forward as a society. The film will examine different themes of kindness while exploring various stories, cultures and conversations. We carefully thread the themes of bullying, hate, mental health, racial injustice, food insecurity and climate change across the entire Documentary Feature. We go to different parts of the United States to interviews experts, leading authorities and find real life moments to build the case that inspires humanity to understand the need and benefits of adopting Kindness.
BARE METAL
Documentary (11 min) United States
Directed By: Brandon Gries, Johnathan Shoemaker, Ryan Freng
Written By: Brandon Gries, Johnathan Shoemaker, Ryan Freng
Produced By: Brandon Gries
Cast: Ali Ruckteschler, Nancy Novak, Brigette Douglass, David Gottfried, Stacy Smedley, Christian Belady, Joe Kava, Kevin Brown, Philip K. Bell
Synopsis: In “Bare Metal,” experts in the built environment discuss the exponential growth and consequence of digital infrastructure on our world and lives. It explores the urgent imperative to make it sustainable, describing the current role digital infrastructure plays in reducing the environmental impact of the digital age through collective actions in renewable and carbon-free energy and its growing strategic attention on embodied carbon. How much faster could we accelerate decarbonization if digital infrastructure worked boldly and directly with the deep end of their supply chain to revolutionize industrial processes and accelerate capital flow and the adoption of emerging industrial technologies?
TRACKS: STUMBLING STONES AMSTERDAM
Documentary (11 min) United States
Directed By: Maclovia Martel
Written By: Maclovia Martel
Produced By: Michael Potter, Margaret McCarthy
Cast: Alexander Stukenberg
Synopsis: Tracks: Stumbling Stones Amsterdam, explores the laying of “Stolpersteine” memorial stones honoring Holocaust victims, installed in front of the homes along the central canals in Amsterdam. A central theme of this film is the power and importance of remembrance. In the Jewish tradition, as long as a person is remembered they continue to live.
WHO ARE THE MARCUSES?
Documentary (86 min) Israel
Directed By: Matthew Mishory
Written By: Matthew Mishory, Golan Friedman
Produced By: Brad Schlei, Álvaro Fernández, Rob Levine, Marc Bennett
Cast: Warren Buffett, Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Daniel Gordis, Micah Goodman, Genealogist E. Randol Schoenberg, Seth M. Siegel
Synopsis: Who are the Marcuses uncovers a mysterious Long Island couple whose half a billion-dollar gift inspires Middle East peace and climate action through water technology. Co-starring Warren Buffett, who said, “A wonderful film recounting the remarkable tale of Israel, water, and philanthropy. I am proud to have played a small part.”
HANG UP
Comedy, Drama (9 min) United States
Directed By: Tsarina Merrin
Written By: Tsarina Merrin
Produced By: Tsarina Merrin
Cast: Tsarina Merrin, Blu DeTiger, Al Merrin, Sandy Sabean, Parker Silzer IV, Rex DeTiger
Synopsis: “A mid-20s woman drives around LA, texting loose friends and dialing booty calls to no avail. The evening descends into a self destructive joy ride whose catalyst becomes all too clear in a final phone call with her parents. In the haze of booze and isolation, Hang Up explores language in its many forms. Through text, dialogue and subtext it guides the story, showing what happens when a woman‚ as language fails her as words and their meanings misalign.”
BASTARDS
Comedy, Drama (14 min) United States
Directed By: Tyler Chan
Written By: Tyler Chan
Produced By: Tyler Chan, Alan Chan, Jack Ho, Shengyun Xue, Shumei Wang
Cast: Jeremy Lister, John Jacob, Mark Hayes, Rene Sambrailo, Isaac Nevrla
Synopsis: Bradley receives a new job from Mr. Green to investigate if his wife is cheating on him. Things seem to be going well, but Bradley is unaware of the danger that is approaching. Larry and Jerry are suffering from paying back the money borrowed from Mr. Green. They are unaware that the way they choose to make money will affect the life of other people. Will these four people get away with the troubles caused by their ignorance and recklessness?
LA CALIFORNIA
Drama (96 min) Italy
Directed By: CINZIA BOMOLL
Written By: Cinzia Bomoll, Christian Poli, Piera Degli Esposti
Produced By: Cinzia Bomoll, Karina Jury
Cast: Silvia Provvedi, Giulia Provvedi, Lodi Guenzi, Eleonora Giovanardi, Alfredo Castro, Andrea Mingardi, Stefano Pesce, Angela Baraldi, Nina Zilli
Synopsis: In order to transform into the person you aspire to be, sometimes it’s necessary to empathize with someone vastly different from yourself, even if that person is your beloved. This can involve a confrontation, especially if it occurs in a remote Italian town called “La California” where the rugged inhabitants may become intertwined in your life and potentially even rescue you. This coming-of-age narrative, which doubles as a thriller, is set in a rural Italy so unpolished and authentic that it elevates the crime story. Who was Ester, really? The truth remains veiled within a local news report that simply accepts her suicide. However, with the perseverance of her twin and the aid of the La California residents who always fight for justice, the truth will be uncovered, paving the way for a brighter future where everyone can breathe easy once again, thanks to the solidarity of this tight-knit community.
SOUL STREET
Documentary (11 min) United States
Directed By: Patrick Reynolds and Hamilton Von Watts
Written By: Patrick Reynolds
Produced By: Hamilton Von Watts, Patrick Reynolds
Cast: Craig Adams, Rainey Vexon, Curtis Alexander, Jake Barker, Jordan Garrett, Tamala Viola, Michael Wheeler, King Strang, Lauren Pittman
Synopsis: Two filmmakers hit the streets of the United States in search of street performers and meet artists who demonstrate a deep commitment to their own art as they express themselves in environments that are raw and uncompromising, but also pure and beautiful.
KING OF KINGS : CHASING EDWARD JONES
Documentary (98 min) France
Directed By: Harriet Marin Jones
Written By: Harriet Marin Jones, Michel Fessler, Giles Gardner
Produced By: Harriet Marin Jones, Quincy Jones, Debbie Allen
Cast: Quincy Jones, Harriet Jones, Nathan Thompson, Timuel Black
Synopsis: Gangster for some, philanthropist for others, who was really Edward Jones? In the 1930’s and 1940’s, this descendant of slaves becomes one of the richest men in the United States thanks to the Policy business, an illegal numbers game, that ultimately became the modern State Lottery. But in these times of segregation, his success and unfailing support to the African American community are a problem. In conflict with both the mob and the Feds, he is forced into a life on the run. Exploring the rise and fall of the most famous Policy King of all times, the filmmaker, Edward Jones’ granddaughter, uncovers an unparalleled story.
