SHORTS FICTION
June 5, 10:30am
Venue
CWE Auditorium
Division of Interdisciplinary Studies Auditorium
The City College of New York
25 Broadway, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10004
A WINDOW ON THEIR OWN
USA | Arkesh Ajay | 4min
SYNOPSIS
Some memories we hold on to, some hold on to us. Ann, a sixty year old widow, suffers from Alzheimer´s, When her daughter Jill comes to look after her one afternoon, a conversation between them leads to doors of memories, long shut, being forced open.
DIRECTOR'S BIO
Arkesh Ajay is an Indian writer-director, currently a part of the UCLA MFA Directing program. Arkesh has been a screenwriter in Mumbai, where his feature screenplay is currently in pre-production. He has written and directed short films, documentaries, and promotional films. He is also a much-published book reviewer. Before turning to film-making, Arkesh got an MBA from the University of Delhi.Arkesh is a recipient of the UCLA Graduate Division Fellowship for the year 2013-14.
ALMA & ALEX
Dominican Republic - USA | Chris Chan Roberson | 14min
SYNOPSIS
Alex return from war catapults Alma into a role of caregiver she never anticipated. They each struggle to understand their new normal
DIRECTOR'S BIO
Chris is the Studio Manager/Lead Producer at YouTube Next Lab. He also teaches at NYU, Kanbar Institute of Film & Television. He won a Telly Award for his editing work at Robert Small Entertainment. Has edited work on television for Comedy Central, The Biography Channel, and TV Land.
BORN TO DANCE THIS WAY
USA | Jerell Rosales | 12min
SYNOPSIS
JOO SI (introducing Russell Argenal) "fierce, fabulous and overweight" auditions for the opportunity of a lifetime: to be a principal backup dancer for the sexy female pop singing sensation, THE 4PLAY LADIES (NBC's America's Got Talent, Season 6).
DIRECTOR'S BIO
Jerell Rosales is a Filipino-American LGBT writer/director. Holding a B.A. in Film/TV from the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, his award winning thesis film, Born to Dance this Way, was officially selected to 24 film festivals in North America and Europe, and won the Festival Favorite Award at the Palm Springs LGBT Film Festival. Jerell is currently pursuing his MFA in Directing at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television.
CLUB KARTOFFELSALAT
Germany | Ian Korer | 8.44min
SYNOPSIS
Two Americans are turned away at the most prestigious club in all of Germany, the Club Kartoffelsalat. When they are turned away, they realize the only way inside is to adopt the language.
DIRECTOR'S BIO
Ian Korer is a Chicago-bred media enthusiast who has a vast background in the art of producing. As a rising senior at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, Ian will be majoring in Film & Television Production with a double minor in both Producing and B.E.M.T. (Business of Entertainment, Media, and Technology). He has held production internships at Universal Motown Records developing several music video productions. The following summer, Ian found himself at Collegehumor Media, where he oversaw the production of multiple online sketches. As of 2013, Ian has worked on the development of several television & film productions at The Weinstein Company in Manhattan. During his time at NYU, Ian has held several producing roles on various short films. His latest work has been in development as an intern at both The Weinstein Company and Scott Rudin Productions.
CUANDO ESTALLE LA MAÑANA
Ecuador | Pablo Suárez | 12min
SYNOPSIS
Bakan, a young ecuadorian that lives in Barcelona, Spain, since he was a child. He and his friend got into a fight and Figths betwwen guilt and his accions wihen he runs away throug the city.
DIRECTOR'S BIO
Pablo Arturo Suarez holds a degree in Cinematography and Video from San Francisco University in Quito, Ecuador. He has produced three short films that have been selected in several film festivals around the world. He is currently working on his first feature film.
DAL SEGNO
USA | Austin S. Harris and Danielle Kampf | 2.57min
SYNOPSIS
A sad girl is reinvigorated when a motivational speaker gives her a magical cane.
DIRECTOR'S BIO
Austin S. Harris and Danielle Kampf are currently freshmen at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts majoring in film. Both have made several short films, and are in the midst of creating a webseries with several others involved in the crew of Dal Segno.
New York.
DE COMO HIPOLITO VAZQUEZ ENCONTRO MAGIA DONDE NO BUSCABA
Argentina | Matías Rubio | 15min
SYNOPSIS
Hipólito Vázquez is an old talent's scout, that, among his loyal partner Cholo, is looking for a little child whose supposed to "do magic with the football".
Therefore they go on a long journey to the distant Club "La Camelia." But as the trip goes along, not everything goes as planned and maybe what he ends up discovering was not exactly what he expected to find.
DIRECTOR'S BIO
Born in Buenos Aires. Studied Image and sound design at University of Buenos Aires. Has worked as a film editor and vfx composer. From 2012 he develops as a film director for the advertising industry.
New York.
SENO DE LA ESPERANZA
USA | Freddy Vargas | 15min
SYNOPSIS
Cheddy García plays Sonia Marmolejos, a young Dominican mother of five, who helped several orphan Haitian babies after Haitis 2010 earthquake in such a tender and unselfish way that it touched the hearts of everyone in the nation of the Dominican Republic and the world. Based on a true story.
DIRECTOR'S BIO
Freddy Vargas studied film at St. John´s University, where he won multiple awards for his shorts "Uptown" (1994) and "Victor" (1995). Since graduating, he has written produced and directed a number of award-winning films. His screenplay for Hispaniola (2007) won the HBO/NYILFF Short Film Competition that granted him $15,000 to produce the film. He is currently working on the development of a musical comedy as his first feature film based on his 2008 short Pinchos y Rolos. "Milk of Hope"is his 9th short film.
ERASED
USA | Alison Corsie | 4.06min
SYNOPSIS
A woman is seen exiting a building and she then contemplates her past relationship. The viewer is taken through each stage of the couple's life together. She then is forced to make an important choice: to leave him or to stay.
DIRECTOR'S BIO
Alison Corsie is currently a senior at Hunter College. New to film, she is passionate about cinematography and hopes to have a bright future in the film industry.
GIVE IT OUT, LET IT IN
USA | Victoria Duncan | 2.55min
SYNOPSIS
Give Out, Let In is a love story between a father and his son. A man is startled by the sight of the freedom tower as it causes painful memories of the past to rush into his mind.
DIRECTOR'S BIO
Victoria Duncan is a sophomore majoring in film and television production at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. She has always had a strong passion for the arts and hopes to become a professional director or a producer one day.
LA DIVANEE
USA - Colombia | Jessica Sofia Mitrani | 14min
SYNOPSIS
La divanee is based on the real story of the Catalan countess of Guell, palomba Matas Mujika de Pumeral y Santiago .She reclined herself on a chaise lounge at the age of 18 with the intention to never stand up again.
DIRECTOR'S BIO
Colombian-born, New York–based artist Jessica Mitrani works in multiple media, from performance and sculpture to film and video. Employing narrative, humor, and psychoanalytic tropes, she investigates the social and aesthetic construction of femininity and how it shapes identity.
LA DONNA
USA | Nicolás Dolensky | 15min
SYNOPSIS
The night. One night. Perhaps any night anywhere. It rains. A woman. No. A man. A man and a woman. No. A man, a woman and someone else. The table. A table. A table immersed in alcohol, singing, playing music. The music. No, jazz. JAZZ! The seduction, the crossing. Acting, pretend. Laught. The kisses. No. Decline. One night, a woman a man and someone else, on a table. No. The Void.
DIRECTOR'S BIO
Nicolas Dolensky born in Salta, currently majoring in Cinematography at "Universidad del cine" in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Nicolas showed early signs of passion in directing films and started filming with his own personal camera while being a high school student. He eventually filmed his first self-made movie at the age of fourteen called "Que lindo será volar". At age sixteen he continued that intrinsic passion combined with social awareness and produced "Dignidad Secuestrada", a controversial film about human trafficking. Although he did not have budgets for either films, he managed to obtain resources with huge efforts in order to produce both films which were shown on important Theatres in Salta and the money raised was donated to a small acting school in Salta. "Universidad del Cine" and Salta´s City Government supported Nicolas with a small budget in the development of his short film "La Donna". Nicolas is currently writing the sketch for his first professionally produced full length film.
LOOKING
USA | David Jaffe | 10min
SYNOPSIS
Looking is about an overweight girl struggling to regain confidence after a stupid mistake that brings her insecurities to the surface. The location is Brooklyn and New York City, a setting where citizens are constantly bombarded by sex and "ideal" body images through ads, music, and other people. The story opens on this Melissa´s morning rituals, showing us exactly who she is and what she is looking for. Immediately upon stepping outside, she is objectified and ridiculed by her neighbor. Later, in the evening, she spots a handsome boy who she believes is looking at her. Sparked by hope and fueled by confidence, she goes to talk to him, but he immediately laughs in her face. The remainder of the film shows how she deals with the events of the day emotionally and how she is eventually able to regain the confidence she has worked so hard to build, this time with a new understanding of who she is and how she is viewed.
DIRECTOR'S BIO
David Jaffe was born and raised in Pennsylvania. He has been interested in film since age fourteen and currently attends Tisch School of the Arts and New York University.
LOS SANTOS
Puerto Rico | Coraly Santaliz | 15min
SYNOPSIS
Juan Santos and his wife are being kidnapped by mistake, but for their surprise they are not the only Santos kidnapped. Another couple with the same last name 'Santos' is also being kidnapped by mistake. The Santos will try to work together to escape their not so smart kidnappers.
DIRECTOR'S BIO
Coraly worked as a Script Supervisor in movies like "The Rum Diary" with Johnny Deep and "El Cantante" with Jennifer López. She won the first place in the National Short Script Competition with her screenplay "El Anillo". In 2006 she directed "Victoria" a TV movie that won the Paoli Award as best TV movie of 2006. In 2012, her screenplay "La Espera Desespera" won the Colab Script Contest sponsored by the Puerto Rico Film Commission.
MI MARIDO
Argentina | Hugo Emilio Blajean | 16.09min
SYNOPSIS
Maria is a housewife and is married with Diego, a fanatic soccer unbearable. Maria recounts her life with Diego and discover that she is uncomfortable with her marriage. Maria is looking for a change. Diego however, does not even know that there is a conflict in his marriage.
DIRECTOR'S BIO
He was born in 1981, Argentina. He is a filmmaker. During his studies he made several short films, commercials and music videos. Was assistant director and editor. He's scriptwriter and writes his first feature film.
OSLO
Cuba | Luis Ernesto Doñas | 13min
SYNOPSIS
Amanda´s yearning for snow pushes her to dangerous extremes. Worried, her husband Raul decides to bring the winter to their home.
DIRECTOR'S BIO
THE PERFECT MAN
USA | Shannon Brown | 13.25min
SYNOPSIS
When Jill can't find a boyfriend, she decides to grow one - in her bathtub.
DIRECTOR'S BIO
Shannon Brown is an NYU film student and independent filmmaker living on the Lower East Side. A martial artist for 12 years and frequenter of the Renaissance Faire, Shannon brings her eclectic background into her films. She is currently in development of her feature version of "The Perfect Man" executive produced by animation producer Sang Jin-Bae.
TINY ACTIONS
USA | Lexie Grace | 15min
SYNOPSIS
A young Latina teacher (Susana Victoria Perez) is so desperate to get out of teaching elementary school that she wrongly profiles her Latino student (Marc Figueroa) to advance her own agenda.
DIRECTOR'S BIO
A recent graduate of New York University, Lexie Grace majored in Film and Television. She focused on writing and directing. As far as directing goes, Lexie's favorite part is the actor-director relationship. Lexie has interned for various production companies like Nickelodeon, BBC Motion Gallery, and the British Broadcasting Corporation. Lexie has written several comedy features. She too believes Billy Wilder's quote, "If your going to tell the truth be funny or they will kill you".
THE TESTTAKER
USA | Tom Mishra | 6.30min
SYNOPSIS
The film focuses on Jay Hotlz, an SAT hitman for hire; pay him the right fee and he'll get you the score of your dreams. He guides the audience through the underground world of SAT cheating as he shows you his tricks and strategies for beating the system. The Test Taker was influenced by real events and at its heart, the film aims to satirize the hypocrisies behind the standardized testing system and the victims people like Jay Holtz cheat.
DIRECTOR'S BIO
Tom Mishra is a hard working film student from NYU. Born and raised in Long Island, he witnessed a competitive and contagious culture and thought it would be a great world to satirize in a film one day. He hopes to continue to make comedic films with meaning.
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