Love and Death in Los Angeles (2012)

Corrosion

Wallace, an obsessive college swimmer, navigates a swimming injury and romantic tensions with a teammate.

Carne

After a dreadful incident coupled with an ungovernable paroxysm of violence, a butcher will fall into a downward spiral that will burn to the ground whatever dignity still remained in him.

Collateral

Cab driver Max picks up a man who offers him $600 to drive him around. But the promise of easy money sours when Max realizes his fare is an assassin.

Angst and Treason

During an awkward family gathering, María, a young lady going through a love crisis, discovers a secret that will transform her reality.

White Echo

Five women in their thirties examine their own power in life.

The Van

The van finally stops, the doors open and Ben comes out alive. A few more fights and he will be able to pay his way out of Albania, and hopefully, take his father with him.

Anna

Living in war-torn Eastern Ukraine Anna is an aging single mother who is desperate for a change. Lured by a radio advertisement, she goes to party with a group of American men who are touring the country, searching for love.

The Distance Between Us and the Sky

Night, national road. Two strangers meet for the first time at an old gas station. One has stopped to gas up his bike, while the other is just stranded. Lacking the 22 euros he needs to get home, he will try to sell him the distance that separates them from the sky.

All Inclusive

Kalervo, a bullied, downtrodden white-collar man whom nobody takes seriously, receives an unexpected gift from Annukka. A gift which Kalervo soon realizes has the power to change his life. The bill is due, and payback never tasted sweeter.

Who Talks

Caught on opposing sides of a debate about a proposed centre for refugee children, two parents try to navigate the turbulent tides of public opinion.

And Then the Bear

When a boy’s close bond with his mother is imperiled one night by the arrival of a mysterious stranger, matters of nature and nurture collide.

Pretty Boy

Sean is taken to a motel and is given a prostitute for his 18th birthday by his father. He must sleep with her to "fix" his questionable homosexuality. "Pretty Boy" is a coming of age story of a young bullied teen, Sean, struggling with his sexuality and the hardships of high school. After his father finds some questionable magazines in his room, this devout Christian will go to any lengths to get his son to find the light and "perform" the way a man should. Sean is introduced to Katie, a prostitute that understands the stigmas of modern society and helps him see the true light that is within him.

The Reaper's Image

Legend has it that the Delver Glass is cursed and certain souls who look into it see a reaper in the reflection, these selected people disappear soon after. (Adapted from the Stephen King short story.)

Sound & Colour

Hannah returns home to face her dysfunctional and emotionally-repressed family after her attempted suicide. Her journey towards healing intertwines with the humorous clashes and unique bonds within the family.

Qaid

In India's 2020 COVID lockdown, a girl named Brishti finds herself trapped in her own home in an unfamiliar city far from her hometown, struggling to meet basic needs and cope with her family's expectations following recent layoffs.

Little Wings

The dramatic short, Little Wings, explores the trauma of child abuse through the eyes of a ten-year-old boy named Thomas. In this emotional tale, Thomas learns about the Legend of the Butterfly from his mother, Emily. The Legend states that if you whisper a wish to a butterfly and then set it free, the butterfly will carry the wish off to the heavens to be granted. Thomas loves butterflies and seeks the escape he needs in the pages of his favorite butterfly book. Butterflies are his only true happiness while growing up on a farm with his abusive father. After Thomas saves a butterfly from a spider's web, a stranger arrives at the farmhouse. As the tale continues, Thomas ultimately finds his freedom and steps into the unknown world of "Joy".

Jean Fell in Love

Jean, 18 years old, is the prodigy heeler of his village rugby club. While his team is defending its title, he falls madly in love with Ayoub, a player from the opposing team. The brotherly relationship he has with his teammates turns out to be more fragile than he thought.

Answer

A seemingly innocent voicemail message left on a man’s answer machine by his ex, soon turns on its head when we learn of his dark past in their relationship. We quickly learn that our protagonist may not be as innocent as he seems, through the heart-wrenching monologue delivered to him via the tiny machine in his home.

The Great Artist

A gifted artist finds himself in a broken balance between creating world class art and the all too silent struggle of self care as his life begins to unravel because of his Dissociative Identity Disorder.

Pulso

Plot unavailable

My Little Boy

Berlin, 1934. Many men are forced to live their hidden homosexuality. Erich, a photographer, has an appointment in his photo studio with Wolfgang, a Nazi soldier, with whom he shares a loving, tumultuous, and passionate relationship. For both of them, this should not be a problem, but appearances deceive.

ESCAPE

Escape is a short film that was made in 48-hours for the 2880 Film Challenge in Mississippi in November of 2019. It went on the be selected as the winner for the challenge. Written and Directed by Jake Cockrell and Sam Graef. Robert Smith goes to work every day and does his job. But the mundane work, overtime, and high-pressure demands from his boss can't compete with his true passion.

The Big Score

This film was made in 52 hours for the Belhaven B52 Film Challenge. It won in the College/Adult Category. The prompts given were: There must be a theme of perseverance. There must be a water bottle. And there must be something orange. Clifford has found out about a big score and he convinces Tweety Bird to go along with him to get it.

Lost Angel

When a young Dutch tourist gets stranded at the start of his US vacation, he finds help from an unlikely stranger.

Closets

It's 1986, tormented teenager Henry is struggling with his sexuality and abusive home life. Henry sits in his closet contemplating suicide. In a flash of light he is transported to 2016 where he meets teenager Ben — now occupying his room 30 years later.

What Bitch?

An argument between two families in a thrift store erupts into a full-scale brawl.

Second Thought

Chris and Art lead parallel lives, starting their day with similar routines in different locations. Both go to Provincetown, a welcoming haven for the LGBTQ+ community, where their paths cross on a dating app. A steamy encounter follows their first meeting, but a dramatic turn occurs when one blocks the other the next day.

Równonoc

Plot unavailable

In Seventh Heaven

Sofiane lives in a high-rise block at the edges of Paris. A violent young man, he tries to be like his gang of friends. However, Sofiane is attracted to guys. Through his contradictions, he embodies the confusion of today's idle young people who have lost their bearings and live withdrawn into themselves.

The Glutton

Gulosus (the glutton), is an alluring yet disturbing view of gluttony in contemporary culture. The film is in stop motion, with one photo being taken every 6 seconds, and contains over 130 individual sound effects and foley sounds. The piece draws from the compositions of traditional vanitas paintings and photography. It was also heavily influenced by a genre of youtube called 'Mukbang' (korean for 'eating show'), where people consume mass amounts of unhealthy and idealistic foods for viewers to watch. All of these elements came together to form an opinion on greed and vanity through a relatable but confronting menu. Influencing artists: PES Jan Svankmajer Reynold Reynolds Chen Fei Achievements: BUFTA Bond University awards - nominated best overall film - nominated best director - winner best experimental - winner best sound design Artexpress exhibitions at - Margaret Whitlam gallery - virtual gallery VX - Maitland regional art gallery

Crónica de un Secuestro

Plot unavailable

Coming Back

Great Britain voted to leave the EU. While euphoria and disappointment are mixed among the population, William decides to go to visit his parent discovering that love could be hidden in unexpected choices.

Jeremiah

An Asian-American high school football player is forced to confront his deepest fears after a strange encounter with a mysterious figure.

Alien

Reonghee and I are illegal aliens. Yesterday, Reonghee died while running away from the Immigrant Office Agents. The company we worked for is only concerned about covering up the mess. I'm going to find Reonghee, whose body the company has hidden somewhere, and give her a funeral that she deserves.

Arcángel

Archangel is a fifty year old peasant facing accelerating vision loss. Before total darkness overtakes him, he needs to find a nursing home for Patrocinia, an elderly woman from his community that is totally dependant on him.

B-167-980-098

The bodies of two young men are found in a small town in Northern Mexico, along with a AR15 weapon, which as we will follow back in time will see where it came from, the USA.

What Did They Say?

A 1-minute film about the experience of young immigrant children having to translate for their parents. Presented by NextShark.

One Hundred and Twenty-Eight Thousand

Nearly one in ten Czechs over the age of 15 face some form of distraint, under which their property is seized because of money they owe. Every day, more and more people fall into the debt trap, but Karel is on the other side of the barricade – it is his job to collect their debts.

The War Game

Two boys quarrel over a toy pistol in an ever escalating game.