The Desire

A devotion to beauty, aching and isolation.

“It took us two years to make! It was completed right before COVID-19 hit and has some eerie foreshadowing.” – Usama Alshaibi

YEAR 2020 RUNTIME 7 minutes LANGUAGE English COUNTRY United States PREMIERE U.S. Premiere

FILMMAKER Usama Alshaibi & Talia Watrous

Fifth Metacarpal

“I broke my hand last summer.”

A memoir of tenderness hazarded, muted ache, and a fibreglass cast.

“Described by critics as “LGBTQ+ adjacent” and praised for its depiction of “non-model minorities” .. originally shot as a commission for Toronto’s 8 Fest.” – Scott Fitzpatrick

YEAR 2018 RUNTIME 6 minutes LANGUAGE English COUNTRY Canada

FILMMAKER Scott Fitzpatrick

Temporary Solution for the Permanent Problems: #1

Temporary Solution for the Permanent Problems is an installation piece that includes three video monitors, one large projection and a couple of installation props. The videos focus on the engagement of her choreography in a factory-like way by giving a sense of extreme anxiety or uncomfortableness. In #1, the artist being wrapped by another performer in a manufactured plastic wrap, then being left alone on the floor in a bleak space.

The audience may accepts her work in a visceral way, but the theme of the work is about the vulnerability of the body.

“Although a place seems to be useless, you can shoot your film in an artistic way. (My location was the basement of my apartment.)” – Jihea Han

YEAR 2019 RUNTIME 11 minutes COUNTRY South Korea, United States PREMIERE Midwest Premiere

FILMMAKER Jihea Han

RUN!

Shot at sites of nuclear development, detonation, industry, tourism, and activism, RUN! examines the ways that ideologies of war structure landscapes, community rituals, cinematic technology, entomology, pandemic management, and even notions of LGBTQ liberation.

“RUN! was shot at the abandoned Black Hole Museum of Nuclear Waste founded by anti-bomb activist Ed Grothus, the edges of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Trinity Site where the first atomic bomb was detonated, the perimeter of the decommissioned Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant, and the valleys of Vermont’s Green Mountain range.” – Malic Amalya

YEAR 2019 RUNTIME 11 minutes LANGUAGE English COUNTRY United States PREMIERE Chicago Premiere

FILMMAKER Malic Amalya

Children of the Moon

A film about the consequences of leaving an all-consuming way of life. Three people born and raised in the Unification Church (a cult formed in Korea in the 1950s), all having left the Church in their adulthood, examine their experiences within and without the cult that defined their entire universe.

YEAR 2019 RUNTIME 18 minutes LANGUAGE English COUNTRY United States PREMIERE World Premiere

FILMMAKER Will Klein, Tymon Brown, Mac Smullen

Gitter Land

A young and timid artist embarks on a fantastical journey after escaping a field trip with her antagonistic teacher. Will she find her way to Glitter Land?

“The cast/crew is 85% Female and/or LGBTQIA, Over three gallons of glitter and fake bird poop were used in the making of this film, and 5 main actors had to be cast for the same role of Grace.”

YEAR 2020 RUNTIME 8 minutes LANGUAGE English COUNTRY United States

FILMMAKER Kurt Jolly

Breath Control

Heartbreak, breathplay, suspension bondage, and a conscientious ghost create a queer tale of redemption set in the woods.

“Shot on 16mm Ektachrome! Also, filmed at “Bash Bish Falls State Park” – what a name…” – Carson Parrish

YEAR 2020 RUNTIME 10 minutes LANGUAGE English COUNTRY United States PREMIERE Midwest Premiere

FILMMAKER Carson Parish