Shorts Program 2
THE SHOE THIEF
Written & Directed by: Adelle Yan
Gemma, a high school super senior with a habit of stealing shoes from her one-night stands. At home, she and her Chinese mother circle each other in uneasy silence. When Gemma discovers a pair of shoes she doesn’t remember taking, she stomps through her small town determined to track down the owner – and straight into the family confrontation she’s been avoiding her whole life.
MEETING YOUR MAKER
Written & Directed by: Gregory JM Kasunich
On the set of Yappy Hour, a scrappy children’s TV show approaching its 300th episode, Otis, one of its beloved puppet stars, is unraveling. When the show is renewed for three more years, Otis spirals into despair, wanders the streets of Los Angeles, and in a final moment of despair throws himself from a bridge. Otis wakes in a surreal workshop where he is confronted by the Puppeteer who created him, and as the man begins to stitch him back together, the two enter into a darkly funny reckoning about failure, purpose, and the aching need to matter. In this strange in-between space, creator and creation begin to realize they are not separate at all, but reflections of the same wounded soul. As the truth comes into focus, it becomes clear that Otis’s collapse is really the outward expression of The Puppeteer’s own burnout, self-loathing, and fear that his life’s work has meant nothing. In the end, Meeting Your Maker becomes a surreal, handmade meditation on artistic despair, resilience, and the strange grace of choosing to go on.
GENERAL ADMISSION
Directed by: Kaily Morgan Smith
Determined to move on from her cheating, narcissistic ex, a woman shows up to a support group, desperate for a fresh start. Within seconds, she spills her darkest fears, lingering insecurities, and most awkward confessions to a circle of strangers until her search for healing takes an unexpected turn.
SELF TITLED
Directed by: Morena Baccarin
Gearing up for a big show, indie musician Anita Lawson is blindsided by multiple life-changing surprises that force her to reckon with the lessons instilled by her unconventional father.
EARTHQUAKE NOTE
Written & Directed by: Kat Foster
On the eve of her daughter’s first day of preschool, a mother’s attempt to write the perfect comfort note for the “earthquake kit” spirals into an all-night reckoning with mortality and motherhood itself.
ALBATROSS
Written & Directed by: Amandine Thomas
Maria, burdened with caregiving for her sick husband, gets invited to a party.
ADMIN
Written & Directed by: Shannon Sullivan
Thea, a casting assistant, accompanies her boss and mentor, Alice, to a meeting with a celebrated male auteur (who also happens to be Alice’s longtime friend.) When a line is crossed, Thea becomes suddenly and keenly aware of the limits of her relationship with Alice.
Stick around after the credits for a special Q&A with the filmmakers and be sure to vote for the Audience Award!