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Nashville Film Festival 2016 Shorts

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As the Nashville Film Festival is about to commence, they have announced the 171 shorts films selected for competition from nearly 3,700 submissions.  Of the selected films 40 will make their World, North American or US Premieres.

Winners in the Narrative, Animated and Documentary Shorts Competitions will qualify for consideration for the 2017 Academy Awards®, provided the film otherwise complies with the Academy rules.

You can see the full list of short films selected as well as their descriptions below.

Narrative Shorts

A.D. 1363, the End of Chivalry/New Zealand, USA (Director: Jake Mahaffy) – A little-known historical catastrophe leads to the definitive end of the era of chivalry and questing. Nashville Premiere.

All Those Sunflowers/Netherlands (Director: Brom Schouw) – Living in the present only seems possible when the past has been erased. Tennessee Premiere

Belladonna/Croatia (Director: Dubravka Turic) – Belladonna is a film about (not) seeing, about our superficial perception of each other and the prejudices that result from it. Southeast US Premiere

Birthday/USA (Director: Chris King) – When a young military wife gets news that her Marine husband has been severely wounded in combat, she discovers that life ahead for them is going to be a difficult and yet amazing journey.Tennessee Premiere

Boys/Sweden (Director: Isabella Carbonell) – Markus, a shy boy in an institution for young sex offenders, faces the loss of his only friend on the inside. Tennessee Premiere

Buddy/Belgium (Director: Jan Roosens, Raf Roosens) – Fré is a teenager stuck between his conservative, wealthy family and his lower-class friends. He manages to keep the two worlds separated, until he falls in love. Southeast US Premiere

Crystal Lake/USA (Director: Jennifer Reeder) – Crystal Lake is about a group of young girls who take over a skate park, forming an all-female force field on the half pipe. There on the reclaimed ramp, with no boys around, they are thriving and visible. This is an anthem for young feminists, which presents female friendship as a means to survive adolescence. EVERY GRRRL-SHAPED BREATH IS A BATTLE CRY. North American Premiere

Cuddle Party/USA (Director: Matthew Irving Epstein) – Jane and Drew, a couple on the brink of divorce, attend an intimacy workshop to heal their marital issues. Their toxic bond sours the party and leads to an accident that ultimately reunites them. Tennessee Premiere

Curve/Australia (Director: Tim Egan) – Clinging to a smooth, curved surface high above a sentient abyss, a girl tries to cover the few feet back to safety without losing purchase and falling to her death. Southeast US Premiere

Dirt/USA (Director: Darius Clark Monroe) – Some things must die to live.Southeast US Premiere

Discipline/Switzerland (Director: Christophe M. Saber) – In a Swiss grocery store, a father loses patience and disciplines his disobedient child. A customer intervenes to express her concern. Other customers join the conversation, each putting in their two cents. The discussion turns into a debate, which turns into quarrel, which turns into chaos… Tennessee Premiere.

Disco Inferno/Spain (Director: Alice Waddington) – A weary hell minion is on a mission to rescue her boss. But the Devil is not ready to get back to her daily routine. Tennessee Premiere

The Dragon’s Demise/France (Director: Marina Diaby) – Estranged siblings Marianne, Mike and Angèle reunite around their dying mother. US Premiere

Dredger/Canada (Director: Phillip Barker) – The crew of a salvage ship are tossed into turmoil when the young captains wife becomes infatuated with the older shipmate. She casts herself ashore but can’t break free from the seabed of secrets the old man brought to the surface. US Premiere

a film by Vera Vaughn/USA (Director: Sorrel Brae) – In this supernatural digital-age thriller, a filmmaker falls through the looking glass when she must face her own terrifying creation. Southeast US Premiere

First World Problems/Finland (Director: Hanna Maylett) – Losing a car in a car park can be the end of the world or the beginning of another. Tennessee Premiere

Get the F K Out of Paris/USA (Director: Greg Emetaz) – A text message turns Des’ tragic laundry night into a mad dash for survival. North American Premiere

Greener Grass/USA (Director: Paul Briganti) – In this dark comedy of manners set in a surreal world, meticulously-coiffed soccer moms Jill and Lisa vie for perfect children, perfect husbands, and most importantly, perfect teeth.Southeast US Premiere

Group B/United Kingdom (Director: Nick Rowland) – Rally driver Shane Hunter is facing his comeback to Group B competition after a long and troubled absence. Southeast Premiere

Group Violence/France (Director: Karim Boukercha) – Every night, a mysterious woman wearing a burka taunts police officers patrolling the projects. Meanwhile, Vince, a former street legend, must face his demons and avoid falling off of the wagon and back into the streets… World Premiere

Her Friend Adam/Canada (Director: Ben Petrie) – A boyfriend’s jealous impulse spirals out of control in 16 minutes of romantic doom. Southeast US Premiere.

How to Lose Weight in Four Easy Steps/USA (Director: Benjamin Berman) – A four step guide to losing weight. Sort of. Southeast US Premiere

If I Could Tell You/USA (Director: Rob Clyde, Ben Clyde) – After 2 years of financially and emotionally draining fertility treatments, Abby is so desperate to get pregnant that she secretly turns to the online, underworld of free sperm donors – guys who give women their sperm for free or even have sex with them to get them pregnant. When you believe in your soul that you were meant to have a baby, how far is too far? World Premiere

Killer/USA (Director: Matt Kazman) – When Dusty masturbates for the first time, something bad happens… Tennessee Premiere

Love Comes Later/Afghanistan, USA (Director: François Morisset) – An unexpected discovery forces an undocumented motel employee to make a life changing decision. Tennessee Premiere

Love is Blind/United Kingdom (Director: Dan Hodgson) – Alice is in the passionate embrace of her young lover when her husband  returns home early to try and make amends for his recent infidelity and inattention to their marriage. Alice finds herself racked with guilt for being unfaithful just as James offers an olive branch, while simultaneously negotiating her lover’s escape.Southeast Premiere

Madam Black/New Zealand (Director: Ivan Barge) – When a glamour photographer runs over a child’s pet, he’s forced to fabricate a story about its disappearance. Southeast US Premiere

Malaguti Phantom/Netherlands (Director: Sam de Jong) – A young man must conform to be accepted in his community. US Premiere

Midnight Motel/USA (Director: Michael Tully) – A Texas musician struggles to balance his freewheeling creative spirit and his long-term relationship in this music-infused drama starring and featuring songs by Jack Ingram. Tennessee Premiere

Mother(s)/France (Director: Maimouna Doucouré) – The daily life of  8-year-old Aida and her family is overwhelmed when her father comes back from Senegal, their country of origin with Rama, whom he introduces as his second wife. Aida is very sensitive to her mother’s distress and decides to get rid of the new visitor. Tennessee Premiere

No Hot Ashes/United Kingdom (Director: Matt Thompson) – A woman in a dysfunctional, lonely, relationship meets a wheelie (trash) bin that slowly becomes her unlikely companion. After the bin has an unfortunate incident with a drunkard she lovingly tends to it. They court – listening to music, dancing in the woods and playing on a beach. Her worship of this new lover leads to jealousy, violence and ultimately annihilation. World Premiere

Northern Great Mountain/Sweden (Director: Amanda Kernell) – 78-year-old Elle does not like Sami people. Though her first language was Sami and she grew up in the mountains in Lapland, she claims that she is completely Swedish and from the south. Under pressure from her son, she reluctantly returns north for her sister´s funeral. Tennessee Premiere

Oslo’s Rose/Norway (Director: Det sporadiske filmkollektivet) – Nader is too busy fulfilling his own expectations in life and it holds him back. He has been head over heels in love with Janne for two years and it affects both his creativity and work. But now, suddenly, he sees a possibility to move on.Southeast US Premiere

Out of the Village/Ghana, USA (Director: Jonathan Stein) – An orphaned boy and his sister defy all odds after Ebola ravages their West African village.Tennessee Premiere

Over/United Kingdom (Director: Jörn Threlfall) – Over presents a crime scene. During the course of 9 wide shots, told in reverse order, we watch an intriguing story unfold. What has happened in this quiet neighbourhood? A murder, a hit-and-run, an accident? The reality is profound, and deeply unexpected.Southeast US Premiere

Partners/USA (Director: Joey Ally) – When a slump in work/life partners Kate and Leigh’s sex life forces them to reconsider their relationship, they must confront how intertwined their lives have become. Tennessee Premiere

People of the Delta/Ethiopia (Director: Joseph Lawrence) – For centuries, Ethiopia’s Lower Omo Valley has been a crossroads for many distinct tribes. During times of drought, natural resources become scarce, escalating clashes between groups. In an ever-changing landscape, young men and women come of age in an unfamiliar time. Southeast US Premiere

Pepperette/Canada (Director: Jerome Hoff) – When two wanna be thieves try to act like bad boys by playing in the big leagues…nothing good happens!Tennessee Premiere

The Society/Iraq (Director: osama Rasheed) – Lovers Muhamad and Ahmed live in a society that not only rejects homosexuality but actively and insistently pressures its young men into marriage and fatherhood. Southeast US Premiere

Solemates/USA (Director: Bryce Dallas Howard) – Told from the perspective of shoes, this film tells the story of a couple’s journey through life — the ups, the downs, the passion, and the dedication it takes to share your life with the one you love. Tennessee Premiere

Thunder Road/USA (Director: Jim Cummings) – Officer Arnaud loved his Mom.Tennessee Premiere

Unleaded/USA (Director: Emmanuel Tenenbaum) – An environmental activist has a plan against an international oil firm. Southeast US Premiere

Vanilla/USA (Director: Juna Beiro) – Life is talking about silly stuff with the people you love. Southeast US Premiere

The Wall/Belgium (Director: Samuel Lampaert) – Hong-Kong. A multitude of high-rise concrete buildings without personality. Inside cramped studios, people live withdrawn into themselves. Until the day when Chung, a bachelor, decides to hang a picture on the wall. Tennessee Premiere

The Way of Tea/France (Director: Marc Fouchard) – In a small town in Northern France, Alex, a young skinhead, enters Malik’s grocery store. Southeast US Premiere

Where You Are/USA (Director: Graham Parkes) – When Jen’s son disappears in a game of hide-and-go seek, she unwittingly embarks on a journey through time in order to find him. Tennessee Premiere

Animated Shorts

Accidents, Blunders and Calamities/New Zealand (Director: James Cunningham) – A father possum reads his kids a story that’s an alphabet of the most dangerous animal of all – HUMANS! Southeast US Premiere.

After the End/United Kingdom (Director: Sam Southward) – Sex, Drugs and Post-apocalyptic synth rock… Mankind is going out with a bang. Southeast US Premiere

Alienation/Germany (Director: Laura Lehmus) – An animation-short about puberty, based on real life interviews with teenagers. Tennessee Premiere

Alike/Spain (Director: Daniel Martínez Lara, Rafa Cano Méndez) – In a busy life, Copi is a father who tries to teach the right way to his son, Paste. But,what is the correct path? Tennessee Premiere

Bendito Machine V – Pull the Trigger/Spain (Director: Jossie Malis) – Trapped against his will in a turbulent conflict, an exotic traveler must wait patiently until the storm has passed. Nashville Premiere

Borrowed Time/USA (Director: Lou Hamou-Lhadj, Andrew Coats) – A weathered Sheriff returns to the remains of an accident he has spent a lifetime trying to forget. With each step forward, the memories come flooding back. Faced with his mistake once again, he must find the strength to carry on.Tennessee Premiere

Fulfilament/United Kingdom (Director: Rhiannon Evans) – Travel around the brain with a little lost thought and discover what it takes to make a great idea.Tennessee Premiere

I Am a Pencil/Australia (Director: Joe D’Arcy) – The pencil (like the artist) has an innate drive to create and it will always express, irrespective of whether it is granted permission or not. Inspired by the three million people in France who marched in support of unity, peace, and the freedom of expression on January 11th 2015 after the Charlie Hebdo massacre. Southeast US Premiere

The Itching/USA (Director: Dianne Bellino) – In this parable, a shy Wolf tries to connect with a group of hip, party-loving Bunnies but finds her body is in revolt.Tennessee Premiere

Johnny Express/South Korea (Director: Kyungmin Woo) – Johnny, a space delivery courier, is traveling though space to deliver a package Tennessee Premiere

Lambs/Germany (Director: Gottfried Mentor) – The lamb’s parents are shocked, because their little lamb doesn’t sound like the other sheep. Southeast US Premiere.

LOVE/Hungary (Director: Réka Bucsi) – Abstract haiku-like situations reveal the change in atmosphere on one planet, caused by the change of gravity and light. This pulsing planet makes the inhabitants become one with each other in various ways. Southeast US Premiere

Moom/Japan (Director: Robert Kondo, Dice Tsutsumi) – Every forgotten object has a memory with its previous owner still attached. This is a story of Moom, one of those memories stuck in this world. One day, Moom meets another memory just like him. Southeast US Premiere

The Orchestra/Australia (Director: Mikey Hill) – In a world filled with beautiful harmonious music, Vernon always strikes the wrong note. Tennessee Premiere

Perfect Houseguest/USA (Director: Ru Kuwahata, Max Porter) – A house is visited by a clean, organized, well-mannered guest. Tennessee Premiere

Pombo Loves You/United Kingdom (Director: Steve Warne) – A distant father is forced to confront a heroic but troubled past life as a popular TV Show mascot, Pombo. Southeast US Premiere

Sea Child/United Kingdom (Director: Minha Kim) – On the verge of becoming a woman, Sora is woken by a nightmare and decides to follow a group of men into the city in the hope of finding her mom. Southeast US Premiere

The Story of Percival Pilts/New Zealand/Australia (Director: Janette Goodey) – A whimsical story about the challenges and charms of living an impractical life. Tennessee Premiere

Taichi Mice: Entrance Exams/USA (Director: Boqign Tang, Xialan Zeng) – Three little mice struggle to get through the entrance exam of a Taoist martial arts school. Nashville Premiere

Taking Flight/USA (Director: Brandon Oldenburg) – What begins as a small boy’s boring day with Grandpa turns into a larger-than-life journey, narrowly escaping wild monkeys and battling aliens to save the universe. Tennessee Premiere

Taking the Plunge/USA (Director: Nicholas Manfredi, Marie Raoult) – When a young man’s ideal wedding proposal is put in jeopardy, he is forced to dive into unknown waters to salvage his plans. Tennessee Premiere

Violet/Ireland (Director: Maurice Joyce) – Violet is the dark, cautionary tale of a young girl who despises her reflection. Tennessee Premiere

Waves ’98/Lebanon (Director: Ely Dagher) – Disillusioned with his life in the suburbs of segregated Beirut, Omar’s discovery lures him into the depths of the city. Immersed into a world that is so close yet so isolated from his reality that he eventually finds himself struggling to keep his attachments, his sense of home. Southeast US Premiere

Welcome to My Life/USA (Director: Elizabeth Ito) – The real life story of a normal, Monster-American family. Tennessee Premiere

Documentary Shorts

American Dreams/USA (Director: Ned McNeilage, Jamie Watkins) – Is the American Dream exactly that: a dream? Nine young Americans share their hopes for the future and the challenges they face. World Premiere.

Bacon and God’s Wrath/Canada (Director: Sol Friedman) – A 90-year-old Jewish woman reflects on her life’s experiences as she prepares to try bacon for the first time. Tennessee Premiere

The Black Belt/USA (Director: Margaret Brown) – In September 2015, the State of Alabama closed 31 DMVs, which largely impacted voters in Alabama’s Black Belt. Tennessee Premiere

The Boombox Collection: Boots Riley/USA (Director: Mohammad Gorjestani) – Boots Riley, frontman of the politically-radical hip-hop group, “The Coup”, takes us on a poetic drive through East Oakland and reflects on his career, his future, and explains his relentless war against capitalism. Southeast US Premiere

The Carousel/USA (Director: Jonathan Napolitano) – In the small town of Binghamton, New York there spins a 1925 carousel that once inspired Rod Serling and has since become a portal into…the Twilight Zone. Southeast US Premiere

Emerging/USA (Director: Steven Kochones) – In a world dominated by fast-paced social media, where digital images vie for our attention, 10 young photographers are breaking through the noise while staying original. From photojournalism to fashion to celebrity portraiture, this international group of millennial image-makers offers an eye-popping look at the way photography is created, shared and consumed in today’s frenetic culture. World Premiere

Her & Me/USA (Director: Shelby Hadden) – Identical twins Allie and Gabby Byers share almost every aspect of their daily lives:  outfits and hairstyles, a bedroom, friends, jobs, classes and hobbies. While most twins eventually grow into their separate identities, Allie and Gabby never had that desire. Her & Me follows Allie and Gabby during their senior year of college — a time that is stressful for everyone, but the fear of separation and the unknown after graduation causes twice the anxiety. Tennessee Premiere

Homecoming Queen/USA (Director: Robert Machoian) – A documentary on a time my mother’s life when she stood up…and the story would chang the course of her children’s lives. Tennessee Premiere

The House Is Innocent/USA (Director: Nicholas Coles) – Meet Tom and Barbara, the proud new owners of a serial killer’s house– the most infamous residence in Sacramento, California. The middle-age couple soon realizes it’s going to take more than a fresh coat of paint to whitewash their home’s macabre history. Tennessee Premiere

Invisible/Poland (Director: Zofia Pregowska) – 90-year-old Krystyna, lives in the tiny apartment surrounded by books and writing pads. That’s remarkable in itself since Krystyna is almost blind, but that doesn’t stop this still vital woman from writing passionate and eloquent poetry that celebrates life. Southeast US Premiere

Mining Poems or Odes/United Kingdom (Director: Callum Rice) – Robert, an ex-shipyard welder from Govan in Glasgow, reflects on how his experiences have influenced his new found compulsion to write. His poetry reveals a man trying to achieve contentment through words and philosophy. The craftsman has put aside his tools for pen and paper. Southeast US Premiere

MissMe: The Artful Vandal/USA (Director: Mohammad Gorjestani) – Renowned Montreal street artist, MissMe, gives us an unprecedented inside view into her life and her quest for self-liberation and authenticity, as she uses her art to take aim at the objectification of women in advertising. Southeast US Premiere

My Gal, Rosemarie/USA (Director: Jason Tippet) – Somewhere on the outskirts of Los Angeles, Rosemarie and Ray pass time in an apartment packed and cluttered with the detritus of a half century of marriage. With their meager social security checks gone straight to covering rent every month and nothing in savings, Ray collects cans to get a little cash together so he can grant Rosemarie her one and only 90th birthday wish: a trip to In N Out for hamburgers. Southeast US Premiere

Nascent/Central African Republic/USA (Director: Lindsay Branham, Jon Kasbe) – A bloody civil war in Central African Republic has divided a once peaceful nation along religious lines. Two children, one Christian and one Muslim, seek answers in each other. Southeast US Premiere

Phil’s Camino/USA (Director: Annie O’Neil, Jessica Lewis) – A man with stage 4 cancer dreams of walking the Camino de Santiago, a 500-mile long spiritual pilgrimage in Spain. But when chemo treatments render him unable to travel, he does the next best thing: he makes his own Camino in his backyard.Southeast US Premiere

Pickle/USA (Director: Amy Nicholson) – Let us reflect on the brief existence of Pickle the fish. Although he could not swim, he was lovingly cared for by a couple that kept him propped up in a sponge. Along with an obese chicken, a cat with a heart condition, and a paraplegic possum, his life is a celebration of man’s eternal capacity to care for all creatures. He will be dearly missed.Tennessee Premiere

Pink Boy/USA (Director: Eric Rockey) – BJ, a butch lesbian, successfully avoided dresses her entire life until she and her partner Sherrie adopted Jeffrey, who starts to dance in gowns and perform for his parents. Now that six-year-old Jeffrey wishes to dress up in public, BJ must navigate where it is safe for him in conservative rural Florida. Tennessee Premiere

The Purrtraitist/USA (Director: Mark Zemel) – The Purrtraitist introduces us to renowned feline glamour photographer, Larry Johnson. We go behind the scenes with him as he snaps portraits of show cats at the Central Jersey Cat Fanciers show in Parsippany, NJ. Southeast US Premiere

Speaking Is Difficult/USA (Director: AJ Schnack) – Speaking Is Difficult tells a story about a cumulative history that is both unbearable and inevitable.Tennessee Premiere

Step into the Page/USA (Director: Ashley Rodholm) – Pocahontas, Aladdin, The Beast, and Ariel – Glen Keane created and animated some of Disney’s most memorable characters. Now, Keane is experimenting with cutting edge Virtual Reality tools as he reflects on his experiences and his philosophy on creating. World Premiere

The Surrender/USA (Director: Stephen Maing) – A brilliant intelligence analyst is harshly prosecuted under the Espionage Act and must prepare to go to prison. Tennessee Premiere.

A Tale of Love, Madness and Death/Chile (Director: Mijael Bustos) – My uncle is schizophrenic and my grandmother suffers from a terminal illness. My grandfather, who is unable to take care of both, must decide between his wife or his son. Southeast US Premiere

These C*cksucking Tears/USA (Director: Dan Taberski) – The gritty, uncompromising voice behind the first gay-themed country music album, 40 years after its release. Southeast US Premiere

Two Cities/USA (Director: Darius Clark Monroe) – Locked inside the mind and memory of Dr. Mtangulizi Sanyika, he reflects what it means to be part of the displaced New Orleans population in Houston. Southeast US Premiere

Undeniably Donnie/USA (Director: Mark Slagle, Tyler Jones) – For decades, Donnie Fritts has been surrounded by a class of musicians who changed American music. Though relatively unknown outside of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, Donnie Fritts is finally being recognized in a film that includes narration from Kris Kristofferson, who describes his long-time friend as ‘living proof there’s still a few around for whom it ain’t so much a business as it is a way of life.’

World Famous Gopher Hole Museum/Canada (Director: Douglas Nayler, Chelsea McMullan) – The farm town of Torrington, Alberta wishes to be frozen in time, much like the taxidermied gophers in its lone tourist attraction. Co-directed by Chelsea McMullan and Douglas Nayler, this moving study of a roadside attraction counterpoints the lovingly maintained dioramas with the reality of the desolate village they mirror. US Premiere

Zain’s Summer: From Refugee to American Boy/USA (Director: Joshua Seftel) – 13-year-old Zain fled from violence and danger in Pakistan. Now he has six weeks to adapt to New York City and become an ‘American Boy’ before public school starts. With the help of Jay-Z songs, Michael Jackson videos, and a big performance in front of his peers, Zain will try to blossom in his new surroundings, joining 70,000 refugees who have come to America this year.Nashville Premiere

Experimental Shorts

Citius, Altius, Fortius/Germany (Director: Felix Deimann) – Citius, Altius, Fortius explores the interplay of abstract shapes and motions. How can the substance of motion be visualized

Démontable/Netherlands (Director: Douwe Dijkstro) – War is waged on the kitchen table while a man drinks his coffee. Southeast US Premiere

Double-Blind No.1/Australia (Director: The Double-Blind Experiments) – Five VFX artists test the theory that a fine-art technique relying on chance could be applied to a motion piece resulting in a creative work with no planned narrative.Tennessee Premiere

ETUDE/USA (Director: Robert Todd) – An etude (study) in play, following a music found through and within the light. A way of finding history joined with the present. Southeast US Premiere

Quantum/Italy (Director: Flatform) – Unseen activies are illuminated when a small Italian mountain village is cast into the spotlight. Southeast US Premiere

Setting West/Canada (Director: Poirier Judith) – Setting West reinterprets a classic cinematic genre while exploring a formative period in the history of typography and printing. US Premiere

Swimming in Your Skin Again/USA (Director: Terence Nance) – A film about motherhood, banality, Miami, the water, the divine feminine and how to sing in church in a way that calls forth your own adulthood. Tennessee Premiere

Tehran/Iran (Director: Masoud MoeinEslam) – An experimental short film with an abstract structure which uses urban lights of Tehran, Iran. Southeast US Premiere

Things/United Kingdom (Director: Ben Rivers) – Filmmaker Ben Rivers illustrates the changing seasons without ever stepping foot outside. Tennessee Premiere

Zero-G/Austria (Director: Jannis Lenz) – City. Body. Focus. Life and art glide together as a group of freerunners reinvision their urban surroundings.Southeast US Premiere

Student Shorts

Almost Not Beautiful/USA (Director: Sarah Jean Kruchowski) – Two estranged sisters are reunited back at their childhood home after going their own separate ways, only to discover that some bonds can never be repaired. Southeast US Premiere

Edmond/UK (Director: Nina Gantz) – A dark comedy about a man with cannibalistic urges who travels back through his life, looking for the root of his unhappiness. Tennessee Premiere

Jacket/Austria (Director: Patrick Vollrath) – A boy meets a girl. It could be love. But there is this jacket, too. And the jacket will change everything… Tennessee Premiere

Keeping Balance/Germany (Director: Bernhard Wenger) – Denise, a 20-year-old girl, visits  the Viennese ‘Prater’ amusement park nearly every day to take some rides with the electronic ‘Tagada’ carousel because it helps her to get over her difficult past. Southeast US Premiere

Patriot/UK (Director: Eva Riley) – Against the backdrop of simmering racial tensions within a rural English community, the life of 11-year-old Hannah changes forever when she meets a boy from a forbidden part of town.Southeast US Premiere

Perdition Country/Belgium (Director: Raphaël Crombez) – A foot soldier defects from his band of scalp-collecting pilgrims. He sets out on an odyssey to freedom, throughout the endless landscapes of a fictional county, and attempts to reclaim his humanity. North American Premiere

Rain/Australia (Director: Malina Maria Mackiewicz) – In the summer of 1983 in Kraków, Poland, prisoners sentenced to death are not informed of the date of their execution. As Jędzrej waits for his lover, Magda, in the visitation hall of the Montelupich Political Detainment Centre, a sun shower pours down on Kraków. Each visit could be their last. Southeast US Premiere

Rajam/United States (Director: Amanda Knox) – A Syrian woman living under strict Sharia Law is accused of adultery, imprisoned and sentenced to death by stoning. World Premiere

Summer Haze/USA (Director: Mauricio Rivera Hoffmann) – Charlie, an insecure 18-year-old English girl living in Texas, has been secretly in love with her best friend Lily for a long time. In her final school party, before she goes away to college, Charlie will find out where she stands. Southeast US Premiere

Taking the Plunge/United States (Director: Nicolas Manfredi, Marie Raoult) – When a young man’s ideal wedding proposal is put in jeopardy, he is forced to dive into unknown waters to salvage his plans. Tennessee Premiere

The Treatment/Germany (Director: Marvin Meiendresch) – One day Linus, a patient isolated in a facility, notices the massive door to his room has been left ajar and he takes the chance to escape. What he sees outside makes him question: Is he really who he believes he is? Southeast US Premiere

Graveyard Shift Shorts

20 Matches/USA (Director: Mark Tapio Kines) – A young woman, her face illuminated only by match light, tells the story of an Austrian serial killer who murdered 20 immigrant women – one per year. Tennessee Premiere

The Ants Go Marching/USA (Director: Charles Dillon Ward) – A small town southern couple’slives are turned upside down when their son is the brunt of a violent viral bully video. Desperate to make things right, the mother takes the father to their storage building where she reveals a secret that will change things forever. World Premiere

As They Continue To Fall/USA (Director: Nikhil Bhagat) – An aging drifter hunts fallen angels in a city collapsing into ruins. Society may have turned its back on him, but that doesn’t stop him from moving forward in his endless search for fallen angels. Southeast US Premiere

The Chickening/USA (Director: Nick DenBoer, Davy Force) – All pork and no chicken makes Jack a dull boy. Luckily, Jack gets a new job as senior chief night manager at Charbay’s Chicken World and Restaurant Resort, the world’s largest fast-food entertainment complex; however, things quickly get very clucked

Girl #2/USA (Director: David H. Jeffery) – When a deranged killer sets his sights on an unsuspecting sorority, he realizes he’s not the craziest one in the house. World Premiere

Gwilliam/USA (Director: Brian Lonano) – A recently released criminal is looking for a good time. He can forget his sins but he can never forget…Gwilliam.Nashville Premiere

Horn/USA (Director: Hughes William Thompson) – A young man’s surreal encounter with a motorcycle-riding caretaker launches him on a hallucinatory, spiritual, coming-of-age journey through the rural American South. World Premiere

It’s Him/USA (Director: Dakota Laden) – Two men become heroes in their own minds

Nasty/United Kindgom (Director: Prano Bailey-Bond) – It’s 1982. Twelve-year old Doug is drawn into the lurid world of VHS horror as he explores the mysterious disappearance of his father. Tennessee Premiere

Playback/USA (Director: Nathan Crooker) – When a man’s television mysteriously shows him a brutal murder being committed in his building, a scream from the hallway compels him to investigate. What he stumbles upon will change his life forever. Tennessee Premiere

Sânge/Mexico (Director: Percival Argüero Mendoza) – Upon viewing a mysterious and bone-chilling film titled SÂNGE, a young woman’s horror obsession blends dangerously with reality. Tennessee Premiere

The Smiling Man/USA (Director: A.J. Briones) – A little girl home alone finds herself face-to-face with pure evil. Tennessee Premiere

Substance/USA (Director: Barbara Stepansky) – An innocent mix-up leads to disaster when two girlfriends encounter an extraterrestrial substance at a winter music festival. Southeast US Premiere

Tilly/USA (Director: Robert Kotecki) – A little girl and her father discover the real monster in her bedroom. World Premiere

Void/USA (Director: Jamie Lipman) – As a teenager begins to worry about his younger brother’s strange behavior, he soon suspects that dark forces are trying to enter their house. World Premiere

Tennessee First Shorts

Alexa To Exa/USA (Director: Exa Zim, Christian Marsh) – In her debut shor tfilm, Alexa Zminkowski asks: “What am I?” Not “Who am I?” Enter Exa Zim, who, in rejecting conventional ideas about sexual identity, offers insight into a very atypical existential crisis. North American Premiere

Chaturanga/USA (Director: Shultz Juliette) – Lucien, a young monomaniac, is possessed by chess. When he has a crises, he sees the abyss divided in black and white squares: the playful world confines here the player in a parallel logic… World Premiere

Epilogues/USA (Director: Justin Scott) – An intimate portrait of an elderly woman named Faith during the final moments of her life. World Premiere

Everyday Yeti/USA (Director: Motke Dapp) – Tired of being invisible to most people all her life, a woman uses unorthodox methods to be seen

Gogurt/USA (Director: Hilary Bell) – With the help of her more experienced best friend, a teenage girl tries to make sense of how boring losing her virginity was.World Premiere

Holstered/USA (Director: Michael Rolli) – Over the course of one night,  two brothers who took opposite paths as adults,  attempt to come to terms with their violent, hard-drinking father’s recent death and the revelations that accompanied it. World Premiere

Lift Like a Girl/USA (Director: Allie Sultan) – A 40-year-old mom in Tennessee redefines her ideas of beauty and strength through the sport of Olympic weightlifting. Tennessee Premiere

Mr. Johnson’s Julius Caesar/USA (Director: Lesley Surdi) – A grieving widower finds solace by taking on his wife’s directing gig at the local teen theater. World Premiere

Mr. Man/USA (Director: Haven Nutt) – A lonely 7-year-old girl makes friends with a ghostly figure she names Mr. Man. As she battles her own mind and whether Mr. Man is real or make believe, she becomes addicted to this sensational presence in her life. Though frightened when he’s around, sheSoutheast US Premiere

Naiad/USA (Director: Trevor Krulcik) – A troubled woman confronts the melodic enigma inhabiting her backyard pool. World Premiere

Radio Road/USA (Director: Warren Lewis Allen) – Four working class friends mourn the imminent end of the Earth and the slow collapse of each other’s friendship World Premiere

Register/USA (Director: Faith McQuinn) – How do you deal with anger? Register is a visual poem about six people and the six different ways they deal with their anger. US Premiere

The Saurus/USA (Director: Drew Maynard) – A man with a robust vocabulary must write a scornful letter to an old friend. World Premiere

Tailypo/USA (Director: Cameron McCasland) – In this re-telling of the classic American folk tale, a reclusive man living in a cabin with his hungry hunting dog are stalked by a creature with sharp teeth, claws, and glowing yellow eyes after a blind shotgun blast severs the creatures tail.

Tennis Tips with Freddy Love/USA (Director: Aaron Muñoz) – Freddy Love is an overweight, chain smoking tennis pro straight out of the late 1970’s who offers unconventional tips for the everyday player. World Premiere

Three Fingers/USA (Director: Paul D. Hart) – A young female Marine veteran navigates her disintegrating life until there is nothing left but to make a choice.Tennessee Premiere

The Unbeliever/USA (Director: Will Morgan Holland) – Faced with immanent death, Teddy is forced to break free from an underground prison to save the love of his life and escape the cult that brought him there. World Premiere

The Van/USA (Director: John McAmis) – An animated documentary about the love and loss of a 1992 Dodge van. World Premiere

Visionary/USA (Director: Caroline Knight) – Visionary is a story about one East Tennessee woman who mastered living with total vision loss and how she has guided countless others through the same daunting journey. World Premiere

When to End/USA (Director: Travis Slagle) – A sex phone operator finds herself in a surprising and heart-wrenching conversation with one of her regular customers

Wildman/USA (Director: Zachary Wells, Timothy Graham) – In a post-apocalyptic world, one man struggles between keeping his humanity and doing what he must to survive. World Premiere

Young Filmmakers Shorts

Another Kind of Girl/Jordan (Director: Khaldiya Jibawi) – 17-year-old Khaldiya meditates on how the refugee camp has opened up new horizons and given her a sense of courage that she lacked in Syria. Tennessee Premiere

The Chicken of Wuzuh/South Korea (Director: Sungbin BYUN) – Wuzuh, a girl wIth Down’s Syndrome, has a secret crush on her class teacher. North American Premiere

The Fleshiest/Thailand (Director: jirayuth Limratanasaran) – A struggling artist fails to create amazing portraits, so he dabbles in morality when he uses his subjects as materials for their portraits. Tennessee Premiere

Little Red/USA (Director: Wynter Rhys) – Little Red is a dark interpretation, by Wynter Rhys, of the original Charles Perrault fairy tale, Little Red Riding Hood.Southeast US Premiere

Livin’ Reel Project: New Wave/USA (Director: ) –  World Premiere

Lucky Numbers/USA (Director: Chester Milton) – When a young man wins $50 million in the lottery, he must deal with the unexpected consequences of how he acquired the ticket. Southeast US Premiere

The Red Brick/United Kingdom (Director: John Cheung, Aim Wonghirundacha) – A satire of our institutionalised education, The Red Brick explores the life of an introverted student who is rejected by his teachers and peers. World Premiere

The Skin I’m In/USA (Director: Rajaiah Jones) – Three black females share their experiences on life, insecurities and what it means to be beautiful. World Premiere

Wake/USA (Director: Larkin Rhinehardt, Luke Kinman) – Why do we wake up?World Premiere

Web Series Competition

1 Minute Meal: A Micro-Documentary Series/USA (Director: James Boo) – Food, life, and the real New York City.

20 Seconds to Live/USA (Director: Ben Rock) – The horror/comedy web series for people who hate happy endings. Tennessee Premiere

The Benefits of Gusbandry/USA (Director: Alicia J. Rose) – On her debaucherous 40th birthday, chronically underemployed serial relationship-killer Jackie  meets magnetic dreamboat River. Their ensuing adventures in self-medication, late-blooming and questionable judgment lead them to discover a raucous new kind of “significant otherness”. Tennessee Premiere

Ex-Best/USA (Director: Barbara Stepansky) – Two women have to forge their individual identities after their friend “break-up.” Southeast US Premiere

I Kissed a GIRL/USA (Director: Jen Sheridan) – I Kissed a GIRL spotlights lesbians reminiscing about first-time girl kisses, recalling the moment they confirmed — or finally understood — who they are and who they’re meant to be kissing. Southeast US Premiere

Last Will & Testicle/USA (Director: Byron Lane) – A man reveals his testicular cancer diagnosis to his quirky friends and family in this comedy web series Carrie Fisher calls “hilarious,” Stephen Fry calls “brilliant,” Livestrong Foundation calls “hysterical,” and Cosmopolitan Magazine calls “fearless.”

Life’s Work: STONE/Canada (Director: Ben Proudfoot) – STONE is a portrait of master stone carver Heather Lawson.

Three’s a Pain/USA (Director: Kenneth Garner) – A conservative news reporter, Regina, and her OCD house mate, Simon, get an unexpected visit from her slacker unemployed brother, Reggie, who decides to crash at their house. World Premiere

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