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This is an archive page. For the current year's festival, please visit our main page. The fourth annual Apocalypse Later International Fantastic Film Festival (ALIFFF 2019) was held in the 3rd Street Theater at the Phoenix Center for the Arts over the weekend of Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th October, 2019. Logo by Marty Freetage. Postcard by Jason Drotman. OverviewTickets were $50 in advance ($60 at the door) and parking, popcorn and lunch was free. Thank you to everyone who submitted a film for doing so! Thank you to the filmmakers who attended and took part in Q&As:
Thomas & Mayra Bernos (Wanderboy) Thank you to our panel of judges for 2019:
Marc Ciccarone, co-owner of dark fiction publisher Bloodbound Books.
AwardsOur competition films fought it out for these awards, created and designed by the ever-fantastic Tom Deadstuff! |
Honorable mentions went to The Tangle, Séance, |
WinnersCongratulations to our 2019 winners! Best Horror Short Best Science Fiction Short Best Other Short Best Feature Festival Director's Award |
Watch the video acceptances: |
Doors opened at 10.00am on each day, with the first set beginning at 10.30am.
Saturday |
Sunday |
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Set | Start Time | End Time | Length | Set | Start Time | End Time | Length |
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Sci-Fi Shorts A | 10.30am | 12.01pm | 91:21 | Under ConTroll | 10.30am | 12.02pm | 92:25 |
Automation | 12.15pm | 1.46pm | 91:00 | Horror Shorts B | 12.15pm | 1:46pm | 91:41 |
Other Shorts A | 2.00pm | 3.30pm | 90:36 | Grand View Blvd | 2.00pm | 3.29pm | 89:11 |
Lunch | 3.30pm | 4.00pm | 30:00 | Lunch | 3.30pm | 4.00pm | 30:00 |
The Tangle | 4.00pm | 5.39pm | 99:18 | Sci-Fi Shorts B | 4.00pm | 5.15pm | 90:47 |
Horror Shorts A | 5.55pm | 7.25pm | 90:58 | My Demons Never Swore Solitude | 5.45pm | 7.11pm | 86:27 |
Artik | 7.40pm | 8.53pm | 73:37 | Other Shorts C | 7.30pm | 9.01pm | 91:33 |
Other Shorts B | 9.10pm | 10.41pm | 91:27 | Awards | 9.10pm | 9.30pm | 20:00 |
ImagesClick on any image on this page to see a larger version. |
FeaturesALIFFF 2019 included 6 feature films from 3 countries. |
Title | Year | Director(s) | Country | Length | Première? |
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Automation | 2019 | Garo Setian | USA | 91:00 | Arizona première |
The Tangle | 2018 | Christopher Soren Kelly | USA | 99:18 | Arizona première |
Artik | 2018 | Tom Botchii | USA | 73:37 | no |
Under ConTroll | 2019 | Eric Hordes | India | 92:25 | Arizona première |
Grand View Blvd | 2018 | Spencer McCall | USA | 99:11 | Arizona première |
My Demons Never Swore Solitude | 2017 | Jorge Leyva | Mexico | 86:27 |
Automation91:00, USA, dir: Garo Setian When a prototype automated worker robot named Auto has proven successful on the night shift at Alert Insulation, plans are put in motion to replace almost all the human employees with the next generation of robots—but to Auto's dismay, he is also to be replaced by the new and improved robots—something he refuses to accept, and takes murderous action to prevent. |
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The Tangle99:18, USA, dir: Christopher Soren Kelly In the near future, the Tangle connects the world. A secret government agency watches over the Tangle from within technology safe rooms, locations impermeable to the nanobots that make up the Tangle. When field agent Margot Foster is murdered in one of these rooms, it's the first murder in California in three years. Official trailer at YouTube. |
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Artik73:37, USA, dir: Tom Botchii A comic book obsessed serial killer's sinister plan to train his son to be his replacement is interrupted when the young boy lures a well-meaning stranger, Holton, back to their secluded farm threatening to expose their families terrifying secret. Official trailer at YouTube. |
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Under ConTroll92:25, India, dir: Eric Hordes Through the excavation of an old statue, a troll that had been banished into it is accidentally brought back to life. Set free, it possesses the body of a luscious blonde as a disguise. His plan is to open a portal to another dimension in order to unleash hideous creatures upon the Earth. Official trailer at YouTube. |
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Grand View Blvd89:11, USA, dir: Spencer McCall An ex cult-guru attempts to make amends for his past transgressions by hiring a failed workplace-conduct videographer to tell his highly subjective life story. |
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My Demons Never Swore Solitude86:27, Mexico, dir: Jorge Leyva Set in 1854 at a cabin near to the Arizona border, where a gold-panner and his wife are haunted by a figure of a man she believes to be a demon. Convinced that she is cheating on him with another settler, he roams the countryside in his pursuit. Official trailer at Vimeo. |
ShortsALIFFF 2019 included seven sets of short films. Sci-Fi Shorts AThe Sci-Fi Shorts A set ran 91:21 and included 7 films from 5 countries. |
Title | Year | Director(s) | Country | Length | Première? |
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Blink | 2018 | Benjamin Anderson & Sawyer Purman | USA | 6:05 | Arizona première |
Deliver | 2018 | Ricardo Farias | Mexico | 8:00 | Arizona première |
The Body Client | 2018 | Alexander Frank | Germany | 20:06 | Arizona première |
Pinki | 2018 | Spike Hyunsuk Kim | South Korea | 10:40 | Arizona première |
Caronte | 2017 | Luis Pineda | Spain | 15:52 | no |
Simulation | 2019 | Hashem Al-Ghaili | Germany | 23:32 | US première |
This is Fine | 2019 | Roth Rind | USA | 7:06 | Arizona première |
Blink3:54, USA, dirs: Benjamin Anderson & Sawyer Purman Blink is a short film telling the story of the first manned mission to Jupiter, and the fate of the crew who venture into the eye of the great red storm. |
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Deliver8:00, Mexico, dir: Ricardo Farias In the near future. Humanity is on the edge of extinction and survival has become a perverse game. A couple travels somewhere unknown to make a trade-off. What they'll exchange is a mystery, but, what they will receive in return could save them. What is this couple willing to sacrifice in order to survive? |
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The Body Client20:06, Germany, dir: Alexander Frank Unable to pay back his student loans, a young man is hunted down by the Citizens Financing Office, which gives him one way to escape imprisonment: offer his services to the Body Client. |
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Pinki10:40, South Korea, dir: Spike Hyunsuk Kim In a back street, a scrap monster makes a sudden lunge at a man. A pink-haired girl helps him, and their future is down to whether he remembers her or not. |
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Caronte15:52, Spain, dir: Luis Pineda Debbie is rude with her own family. But after a dramatic car accident, she starts to regret about the way she behaved with them. Unexpectedly, Debbie's story connects with Arsys's, an experienced military and space fighter pilot who tries to survive a huge space battle which takes place on other time... another galaxy... another universe. Official trailer at Vimeo. |
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Simulation23:32, Germany, dir: Hashem Al-Ghaili An advanced alien civilization builds a simulated reality where infinite beings, including humans, are imprisoned. Official trailer at YouTube. |
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This is Fine7:06, USA, dir: Roth Rind A meteor is hurtling towards Earth, and there's nothing we can do to stop its imminent impact. For three ex-best friends, that might be the best thing that's ever happened to them. |
Other Shorts AThe Other Shorts A set ran 90:36 and included 9 films from 4 countries. |
Title | Year | Director(s) | Country | Length | Première? |
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Not Your Day | 2018 | George Meyers | USA | 5:36 | Arizona première |
I Don't Want to Be Alone | 2018 | Sergio Rozas | Spain | 10:12 | Arizona première |
Straw, Wood and Brick | 2019 | Companyia Mec Mec | Spain | 8:32 | Arizona première |
The Third Man | 2018 | Andrés Daniel Sainz Hernando | Spain | 14:10 | North American première |
Removal Process | 2019 | Samuel Scott | Canada | 4:26 | World première |
Wanderboy | 2019 | Thomas Bernos | USA | 16:28 | Arizona première |
Capitán Kinesis | 2018 | Carlos Jofre | Spain | 10:52 | Arizona première |
Draw Your Gun | 2018 | Wouter Jansen | Netherlands | 15:21 | no |
I Can | 2019 | Diana Elizabeth Jordan | USA | 4:59 | Arizona première |
Not Your Day5:36, USA, dir: George Meyers Vic is having a really bad day. It gets even worse when a carjacker decides to jump into Vic's car and control his destiny. But the balance of power can change very quickly sometimes, and by the end of the ride the carjacker is the one having a really bad day. |
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I Don't Want to Be Alone10:12, Spain, dir: Sergio Rozas A lonely girl walks around a future Tokyo chased by weird huge monsters. Even though she fights them, the monsters just keep growing in size and number so the girl has to make a decision.
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Straw, Wood and Brick8:32, Spain, dir: Companyia Mec Mec We all know the story of the three little pigs... Maybe now is the time for his revenge... Official trailer at YouTube.
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The Third Man14:10, Spain, dir: Andrés Daniel Sainz Hernando An old town. The night with its lights, its shadows, its deafening silence. A man walks down the empty streets. Someone follows him. A chase begins... Official trailer at Vimeo. |
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Removal Process4:26, Canada, dir: Samuel Scott An online conspiracy theorist waits for his latest video to export but begins to suspect he's being watched. |
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Wanderboy16:28, USA, dir: Thomas Bernos At death's door and ready for his final voyage, old Ben is visited by Paco, the imaginary friend he grew out of long ago. Ben cannot see nor hear him anymore, but the boy won't give up and will follow his old buddy till the end of the road—to mysterious islands or fantastic worlds?—where it leads matters not. |
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Capitán Kinesis10:52, Spain, dir: Carlos Jofre Sebastián is a retired superhero who lives alone in a small flat. He leads a quiet life and it's ages since he last used his superpowers, but an unexpected visit puts his world at risk and he will be forced to defend it. |
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Draw Your Gun15:21, Netherlands, dir: Wouter Jansen Enter the bleakest place in the ugly sad and forgotten sewers of the old west. A ghost-town where the scent of anything good seems to be long gone. When local artist Luc le Blanc draws the portrait of his enemy on a wanted poster, a chain reaction of killings and fraudulence is started. Official trailer at Vimeo. |
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I Can4:59, USA, dir: Diana Elizabeth Jordan I Can follows Ellie our heroine as she is emotionally bombarded by friends, family and her mentor to see if she is strong enough to face an unstoppable foe, herself. |
Horror Shorts AThe Horror Shorts A set ran 90:58 and included 6 films from 5 countries. |
Title | Year | Director(s) | Country | Length | Première? |
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The Greeting | 2019 | Michael Ricci | USA | 9:52 | Arizona première |
Drops | 2018 | Sergio Morcillo | Spain | 14:35 | Arizona première |
Atomic Ed | 2018 | Nicolas Hugon | France | 11:50 | Arizona première |
Stalag III-C | 2019 | Jason Rogan | Belarus | 11:50 | Arizona première |
Virus | 2018 | Gabriel Kaluszynski | France | 21:49 | Arizona première |
The Host | 2018 | Pawel Son Ngo | Poland | 15:00 | Arizona première |
The Greeting9:52, USA, dir: Michael Ricci Something terrifying has happened in a remote midwestern town. Two mysterious scientists search for answers. Official trailer at Vimeo. |
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Drops14:35, Spain, dir: Sergio Morcillo Marta is a teenager whose parents died two years ago. One night, while alone at home, she will discover the truth about the pain that is tormenting her. Official trailer at YouTube. |
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Atomic Ed11:50, France, dir: Nicolas Hugon Ed, an introverted and passionate DIY man, is, despite himself, the favorite victim of Mark, the neighborhood motorcycle gang leader. His only friend, Gus, tries in vain to push him to rebel and conquer the heart of the beautiful Julia. The day when the body of one of the members of Mark's band is found horribly mutilated, the events rush, the gang lash out on Ed. Ed has no choice but to take responsibility and an improvised weapon to become the one he has always dreamed of being. Official trailer at Vimeo. |
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Stalag III-C11:50, Belarus, dir: Jason Rogan In the final days of World War II, US paratrooper Joe Boyd leads a daring escape from a Nazi POW camp, only to face a more horrifying evil beyond the prison walls. Official trailer at Vimeo. |
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Virus21:49, France, dir: Gabriel Kaluszynski In a pre-apocalyptic world where the Earth is dying, Stéphane, recently returned to his hometown, has only one idea in mind: find his daughter in the north. And for that, he does human trafficking with his childhood friend Driss. The latter, knowing that Stéphane needs money to cross, offers him a last move to recover a large sum of money. Sell a mysterious mute girl to a dangerous man. Official trailer at Vimeo. |
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The Host15:00, Poland, dir: Pawel Son Ngo Two women who conduct meteorite research rent a room at a single man's house in a secluded location. Day by day their interaction and behaviours become stranger. Is it the influence of the secret finding or a sign of some hidden motives? Within a few days their lives will change completely. Official trailer at YouTube. |
Other Shorts BThe Other Shorts B set ran 91:27 and included 9 films from 5 countries. |
Title | Year | Director(s) | Country | Length | Première? |
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2001: A Space OdysSEX | 2018 | Hikaru Tsukuda | Japan | 3:37 | North American première |
Competitive Mourning | 2019 | Kevin Beauchamp & Mando Lopez | USA | 4:15 | Arizona première |
Yes But No | 2018 | María Dioni | Mexico | 4:35 | Arizona première |
Actuary | 2019 | MK Hill | USA | 7:20 | Arizona première |
Conspiracy Party | 2019 | H. Nelson Tracey | USA | 7:55 | Arizona première |
Five Course Meal | 2018 | James Cadden | Canada | 7:22 | Arizona première |
Pipe | 2018 | Max Isaacson | USA | 11:58 | Arizona première |
Stigma | 2018 | David Velduque | Spain | 14:59 | Arizona première |
Escape from North Korea | 2019 | Keith Eng | USA | 29:26 | Arizona première |
2001: A Space OdysSEX3:37, Japan, dir: Hikaru Tsukuda A fossil of tissue paper is discovered in Africa. A professor says that a male ape used the tissue for masturbation. His assistant raises an objection. They get in a fight. Finally, the truth becomes clear. |
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Competitive Mourning4:15, USA, dir: Kevin Beauchamp & Mando Lopez A man stalks his prey on the streets of Los Angeles, but on this occasion picks the wrong person to mess with. |
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Yes But No4:35, Mexico, dir: María Dioni Josefina is fed up. Guilty or not, Juan will pay. |
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Actuary7:20, USA, dir: MK Hill An android that can predicts people's date of death is suspected of murder. |
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Conspiracy Party7:55, USA, dir: H. Nelson Tracey A guy invites a girl he's recently started dating to his friend Ozzy's apartment for a party. Unbeknownst to him, it's a "Conspiracy Party". |
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Five Course Meal7:22, Canada, dir: James Cadden Mark and Jenny agree to take part in a mysterious experiment for money. Things get exceptionally messy. Based on the short story by Josh Saltzman. Official trailer at YouTube. |
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Pipe11:58, USA, dir: Max Isaacson When Pup, a young girl living on the fringe of a bombed out town, finds a dead body washed up on the beach she brings it home to give it a proper burial. But other people have plans for the body and Pup's refusal to give it up brings hell down upon she and her father's heads. |
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Stigma14:59, Spain, dir: David Velduque It's friday night, the bell rings and Alex opens the door to the worst of his fears. Official trailer at Vimeo. |
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Escape from North Korea29:26, USA, dir: Keith Eng In a distant 1980's future, America's last ninja must rescue the president's daughter from the supreme leader of neo North Korea. Official trailer at YouTube. |
Horror Shorts BThe Horror Shorts B set ran 91:41 and included 6 films from 6 countries. |
Title | Year | Director(s) | Country | Length | Première? |
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Deliria | 2018 | Tomas Stark | Sweden | 8:02 | Arizona première |
Swipe | 2019 | Niels Bourgonje | Netherlands | 5:48 | Arizona première |
Séance | 2019 | Johannes Franke | Germany | 25:21 | Arizona première |
The Summoned | 2018 | Matthias Couquet | France | 29:58 | Arizona première |
The Knowledge | 2019 | Alexander Osman | UK | 13:59 | Arizona première |
The Rejected | 2019 | Onur Doğan | Turkey | 8:33 | Arizona première |
Deliria8:02, Sweden, dir: Tomas Stark A slow, hot summer afternoon. A father sleeps while his child is drawing with pencils in a crossword puzzle. A wind moves through the grass—something bad is about to happen. Official trailer at Vimeo. |
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Swipe5:48, Netherlands, dir: Niels Bourgonje A girl finds out that she has a match on a dating app with a stranger, despite swiping him to the left moments ago. She starts to fear that the man is dangerously close to her. Official trailer at Vimeo. |
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Séance25:21, Germany, dir: Johannes Franke Mentalist Erik Svenson and his medium Eva Brandt specialize in classic ghost summons for private and social occasions. Although Eva seems to have been exhausted for weeks now, Erik drages her from one séance to the next, since their performances have turned out to be a lucrative business. On this evening their job leads them to Jochen Buchholz, who has inherited the house of his grandmother and wants to surprise some of his friends with a true ghost summon. They are skeptical, expect a harmless trick show off and a fun evening. Given the unsettling energies in the house, Eva is increasingly insecure about whether the séance at this strange place is a good idea. |
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The Summoned29:58, France, dir: Matthias Couquet Paris, 1920. Four veterans of the Great War painfully try to recover from this dreadful experience. But for them, the horror is only beginning. For in the midst of their dreams, a dark and sinister entity has arisen... |
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The Knowledge13:59, UK, dir: Alexander Osman It's a dark night in London 1991 and there's a serial killer on the loose. Two men go about their business oblivious to the dangers at large when fate brings them together in a black taxi. This seemingly random encounter sparks an escalating feud that leads to a brutal and devastating finale as our loyalties plunge first one way and then the other. Official trailer at Vimeo. |
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The Rejected8:33, Turkey, dir: Onur Doğan A woman who lives alone at home wants to get rid of her unborn baby by applying an abortion. But that won't be as easy as she thinks. |
Sci-Fi Shorts BThe Sci-Fi Shorts B set ran 90:47 and included 7 films from 6 countries. |
Title | Year | Director(s) | Country | Length | Première? |
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Genesys One | 2019 | Cesar Turturro | Argentina | 12:30 | North American première |
Bear with Me | 2018 | Carlos Cortes | USA | 16:13 | Arizona première |
Mens Sana | 2018 | Ludovica Musumeci | UK | 14:30 | Arizona première |
Better Strangers | 2019 | Riley Dayne | Canada | 2:30 | Arizona première |
Iris | 2019 | Paige Miltenberger | USA | 10:49 | Arizona première |
In Her Image | 2018 | Nikoloz Kevkhishvili | Georgia | 19:54 | no |
Hot Knife Cold Butter | 2019 | Zaina Salameh | Qatar | 14:21 | no |
Genesys One12:30, Argentina, dir: Cesar Turturro In 1974, a scientist, who was hired to design one of the most powerful and destructive war machines in history, has the task of sending a message to space trying to describe humanity as a peaceful race that only seeks to answer that question. Are we alone in the universe? Official trailer at Vimeo.
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Bear with Me16:13, USA, dir: Carlos Cortes A rusty, nursing robot must decide between dragging his former patient, who is dressed as a bear, back to the hospital, or let him catch a glimpse of the horizon in the wilderness. |
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Mens Sana14:30, UK, dir: Ludovica Musumeci A scientist, Joyce, searches for a cure against 'Statera'—an android parasite able to control human consciousness. However, an unexpected revelation forces Joyce to question everything she knows about herself and the world she lives in. Official trailer at YouTube. |
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Better Strangers2:30, Canada, dir: Riley Dayne Ethan and Sam meet at a bar after using new dating app, their night is unforgettable, one for the ages. But is this first date really what it seems? |
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Iris10:49, USA, dir: Paige Miltenberger A sci-fi drama following a woman's experience after a personal tragedy as she struggles to keep herself together by throwing herself into creating the first fully sentient artificial intelligence, regardless of the toll it takes. |
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In Her Image19:54, Georgia, dir: Nikoloz Kevkhishvili A desperate mother descends deeper into the labyrinth of virtual reality, willing to sacrifice everything to rescue her son from a familiar kidnapper. Official trailer at Vimeo. |
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Hot Knife Cold Butter14:21, Qatar, dir: Zaina Salameh A young man infatuated with the 'vintage' phenomenon of romance is caught in an era of clinical matchmaking. But will his faith in the natural human expression of love reverse his world's engineered laws of genetic compatibility? |
Other Shorts CThe Other Shorts C set ran 91:33 and included 7 films from 4 countries. |
Title | Year | Director(s) | Country | Length | Première? |
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Who You Are: The Commercial | 2018 | Joel Jay Blacker | USA | 4:45 | Arizona première |
The Arrow Falls | 2019 | Jeremy Garcia | USA | 12:22 | Arizona première |
Beyond Us: A Last Story After the Collapse | 2019 | Maxime Tiberghien | France | 4:39 | Arizona première |
Troll Bridge | 2019 | Daniel Knight | Australia | 15:54 | Arizona première |
No Easy Target | 2019 | Orion James Couling | USA | 16:06 | Arizona première |
Cold Storage | 2016 | Thomas Freundlich | Finland | 8:46 | no |
The Widow | 2018 | Brendan Young | Australia | 29:01 | no |
Who You Are: The Commercial4:45, USA, dir: Joel Jay Blacker The accidental invention of an asshole AI spells trouble for a tech startup in the late 80's. In The Commercial Daryl and Jonathan, two computer engineers, prepare for the launch of their product, a sentient machine that can read souls, by attempting to film a commercial. The machine proves difficult to work with, forcing them to find a compromise. |
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The Arrow Falls12:22, USA, dir: Jeremy Garcia In a desolate future a mother and daughter try not just to stay alive but keep their relationship intact.
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Beyond Us: A Last Story After the Collapse4:39, France, dir: Maxime Tiberghien What will we leave behind after the collapse? We think that if we disappear the earth will be safe again... It is not true. Beyond Us is a journey through our masterpiece of Desolation.. |
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Troll Bridge15:54, Australia, dir: Daniel Knight An old barbarian and his talking horse embark on a suicidal quest to battle a bridge troll. Troll Bridge is a live-action/hand animated hybrid, lovingly crafted from the Discworld fairy-tale by Sir Terry Pratchett. Official trailer at YouTube. |
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No Easy Target16:06, USA, dir: Orion James Couling The First Order continues to rule the galaxy with an iron will. The Resistance, broken and splintered, holds on to the last pieces of hope. Yet on a far off moon of the galaxy, hope lives among the people in a small colony. This small colony escaped from the strict rules and ways of being to create a new home that welcomes all people of all abilities. They are resilient, they are strong, and they are No Easy Target. No Easy Target is a Star Wars Fan Film featuring actors with Down Syndrome alongside their peers. The diversity in the film reveals a galaxy rejected society. Let your expectations be blown away as the Jedi show the universe how capable they really are by being resilient, strong, and fighting to bridge the social gap. In this revolution of inclusion, you too can witness the first time a Star Wars fan film features main action characters with actors who have Down Syndrome. Official trailer at YouTube. |
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Cold Storage8:46, Finland, dir: Thomas Freundlich Cold Storage is a short dance film that pays homage to the virtuosic physical performances and melancholy comedy of the classic silent screen. On a desolate arctic shore, a lonely fisherman discovers his prehistoric counterpart frozen in the ice, and thaws him out as his newfound soul brother. Official trailer at Vimeo.
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The Widow29:01, Australia, dir: Brendan Young Set in Melbourne, Australia in 1965, a Sicilian widow fights for her life when members of the local Calabrian mafia murder her husband and try to seize control of his produce business. Official trailer at Vimeo. |