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SHORTS PROGRAM
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Intelligentia
Directed by Ken Shinozaki 12 mins | USA | English An AI Auditor conducts an interview with a new AI program to detect what's known as a Type IV Entity: a conscious being. Director's Bio: Ken Shinozaki is an emerging Los Angeles-based director known for his aesthetic sense and unconventional approach. His expression of his images are stunningly powerful and generate strong emotional connection with the viewer. His versatile skill allow him to spread in diverse scenes from narratives, commercials, promotional and music videos, documentaries. Shinozaki is not only a visual director, but emphasize emotional engagement with the viewer in a narrative based approach. He has mastered the latest cameras as well as most lenses from various eras and cinematic techniques. Ken is unafraid to push the limits of cinematic expression by incorporating all aspect of visual contents. Through his eyes, all visual communication becomes an art form. |
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Tina
Directed by Gayatri Bahl 9 mins | Thriller | USA | English TINA is a surreal thriller about a woman who goes through self-transformation therapy only to be haunted by an Indian classical dancer, forcing her to confront herself in a way she never expected. Director's Bio: Gayatri Patel Bahl is a multi-disciplinary artist, award-winning filmmaker, actress, Indian classical dancer and entrepreneur. Gayatri’s journey has led her through Bollywood as the lead of the Hindi Film "Let's Dance"; from founding Textured, a web development company, to co-founding Leblum, a Techstars NYC 16′ company; and finally to writing, directing and starring in TINA, an award-winning short film which is currently on the festival circuit. Performing for over 25 years, Gayatri can be seen in Mr. Robot, Showtime's The Loudest Voice, HBO's Vinyl, Law & Order SVU, the Hindi Film Let’s Dance, and Rishta.com (Netflix). As an Indian classical dancer, Gayatri was featured by Elle Magazine's Movement Series and has graced the stage of the world renowned Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theatre, NYC’s SummerStage, NJPAC and has been featured in the Huffington Post, Elle Magazine US, Times of India, Real Bollywood, Sa Dance Company, Filmfare Magazine and ETC Networks. |
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Kumquat
Directed by Meeni Hardart 10 mins | USA | English After suffering a heartbreaking loss, Amanda is haunted by hallucinations of the lingling-o- a Filipino fertility symbol. Director's Bio: Born and raised in New York, Vienna and Karachi, Meeni is interested in telling stories about women and bridges. Bridges are people who, like herself, are both and neither; connecting two disparate cultures, classes or moments in time through a single person. Meeni began her filmmaking journey as a directing candidate in the inaugural class at the Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema. |
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The Silent Fall
Directed by Helen Jung 5 mins | Experimental/Music Video/Silent Film | USA | English The Silent Fall is inspired by the iconic aria from the opera, La Traviata. With themes of desire and mortality, our film (filmed on 16mm) is about an ambitious fighter pilot who must face her fate after a devastating plane crash. Shot on location surrounded by 500-ft tall sand dunes, this contemporary silent film is a poignant piece that features minimalist yet surrealist visual storytelling. Director's Bio: Born in Seoul and raised in New Jersey, Helen first got involved in filmmaking during her years in Emerson College in Boston. While earning a BFA degree in Theatre Design, she was able to bridge her dramatic studies with her eye for visuals for the film medium. Since 2011, Helen traveled extensively and briefly lived in India, Prague, and Taiwan, teaching English part-time and accruing invaluable life experiences. She then lived in South Korea for 3 years, working as a line producer/producer/assistant at Mofac Studio and Alfred Image Works (formerly Mofac & Alfred), the leading VFX company and one of the top-ranking animation studios in South Korea. There, she worked on projects lead by prominent South Korean directors, including Jae Hyeok Jang and Woo-Suk Yang, with high-profile South Korean and Chinese talents including Girl’s Day, Apink, Park Hyo-Shin, Si-Wan Lim, Yang Yang, and Wang Leehom. Helen currently resides in LA, working as a freelance director under Black Raspberry Productions, LLC. |
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Searching for the None
Directed by Jean Louis Droulers 12 mins | Romance, Comedy, Drama | USA | English | New England Premiere Hunter, a young hopeless romantic, enlists a hypnotherapist to hypnotize him into believing that he'll never find the love of his life. |
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In Sync
Directed by Eddie Shieh 5 mins | Comedy | USA | English A young couple walk a fine line while thriving in an open marriage until they catch each other breaking their own rules. Director's Bio: Eddie Shieh (pronounced ‘She’+’yeah’) is a Twindad by Day and Filmmaker at Night. His fraternal twin boys were born in 2017. Eddie directed the semi-finalist short play "That Kid" written by Jane Willis for the 2016 Samuel French OB Short Play Festival. His screenplay “La Grippe” shortlisted at the first European Sundance Screenwriting Lab, Italy in 2015. He was a finalist nominee to the 2014 Fox Global Directors Initiative fellowship and a Grand Prix Finalist with his short film “Tu e Eu” at the 2011 Academy Qualifier Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia in Tokyo, Japan. His short works have won Best Direction, Actor, Actress, Ensemble Cast, Cinematography, Editing and Original Soundtrack with numerous nominations in multiple categories from major international festivals. Eddie is also a member of the Writers Guild of America since selling his first screenplay in 2007. His passion for story stems from a former life as an advertising agency creative director for worldwide brands. On occasion, he predicts weather with his surgically repaired joints (no app yet). |
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Make a Wish
Directed by Dinh Thai 9 mins | Dark Comedy | USA | English A light-hearted comedy about the sweetest fiancé giving her boyfriend the best birthday present ever. Director's Bio: Dinh Thai is an Asian-American writer/director by way of commercial directing based in Los Angeles. Born in Vietnam, fled to France, and finally settling in Los Angeles, the 80s and 90s nurtured a fascinating cultural mix that strongly informs Dinh’s filmic approach and aesthetic. Dinh’s narrative work has aired on HBO and Cinemax. Specifically, MONDAY, a short film he wrote and directed has garnished over 50 festival awards and nominations, including first place in the inaugural HBO Asian Pacific American Visionaries competition, Outstanding Director, Outstanding Actor and Next Generation Filmmaker Award at the prestigious NBCU Shorts Festival, Best Direction at the New York Television Festival and The One Screen Festival, Best Short Film at CATALYST, and Best New Filmmaker of the Year at NFMLA. Along with being in the Disney|ABC Director Program, Dinh has shadowed on American Horror Story (Ryan Murphy's Half-Initiative), MAYANS M.C. (Fox 21 TV), and directed an episode of New Amsterdam (218 ‘Matter of Seconds”) through NBC’s Emerging Director Program. He is also actively pursuing film and TV directing assignments as well as developing a show based on his short film and other multicultural ideas. |
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Brunch Wars
Directed by Kamran Khan 10 mins | Dark Comedy | USA | English Three best friends meet every month for a cook off where they each prepare a dish and try and outdo one another. But this time, revenge is on the menu when unresolved issues from their past bubble to the surface. Director's Bio: Kamran's passion for storytelling is a common thread through his writing, directing and award winning photography, which has been featured in Ron Howard's Project Imagination, the Hasselblad Masters Competition, and PDN Magazine's Digital Imaging Awards. His scripts have placed in the New York Television Festival, American Zoetrope, Scriptapalooza, WorldFest Houston, and Screencraft script contests and the New Hope Film Festival. Kamran is also a member of the NY State Bar where his passion for fictional storytelling is not as enthusiastically received. |
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The Chef
Directed by Hao Zheng Drama/Sci-fi | USA | English/Chinese In the near future, when all labor works are replaced by humanoids, a Chinese chef, Pu (60s) is ordered to pass on his cooking skill to a humanoid robot William and to teach him Chinese cooking. Designed to satisfy his owner, William tries to follow Pu’s every instruction, but his robotic demand for precision and perfection is essentially contradictory to Chinese cooking. At the same time, the protests against AI replacing the human labor are more and more intense. Qiang, Pu’s apprentice is also one of the protestors. Since Qiang disappoints Pu time and time again in cooking, Pu starts to get closer with William, which pushes him to the opposite of human beings. Pu becomes at a loss in this dilemma. Director's Bio: Hao is a writer/director with experiences in both China and the US. Hao received his BFA Film Production degree at Emerson College and his MFA Directing degree at the American Film Institute Conservatory. With the support of his mentors Kevin Bright (producer, Friends) and Julian Higgins (director, House M.D.), Hao has directed many short films, music videos and commercials with international recognition. He is currently in pre-production for a mini-series and working as a director on the Sina Burning Man Project. Other than directing, Hao has also starred in many renowned Chinese TV shows and films such as Kang Xi Si Fang (2013) and Legend Of Didao(2015). |
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Pussy Talk
Directed by Kim Tran 7 mins | Comedy | USA | English Kate's date is going well. Until her vagina ruins it. Director's Bio: Kim Tran is a director, writer and okay-loved middle child of two Viet immigrants. She’s written for Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls, was a 2019 semifinalist for the NBC and Disney Writers programs and a finalist for the HBO Pitch Competition at Women in Comedy Festival. She is currently a Michener Fellow. She performs with "Y'all, We Asian", Austin's first all Asian-American improv troupe. Her love language is fighting over the bill. |
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Becoming Eddie
Directed by Lilan Bowden 16 mins | Comedy | USA | English/Korean | New England Premiere In 1985 suburban America, a Korean American boy named Yong has trouble fitting in with his classmates who only see him as a foreigner. In an effort to become popular, Yong makes a wish to become his idol, the world’s most famous foul-mouthed comedian. But when his wish comes true, it brings results that are both unexpected and profane. Fun Fact: Writer/Producer Ed Lee is a professor in the Visual and Media Arts Department at Emerson College Director's Bio: Lilan is an actor/comedian who plays Bex on Disney Channel’s Emmy nominated show ANDI MACK (3 seasons/winner of GLAAD/nominated for Peabody Awards). Her credits also include FUTURE MAN, LOVE, PARKS AND RECREATIONS, LIFELINE (YouTube Red), and I AM WATCHING YOU (Lifetime). She is a trained sketch and improv performer from Upright Citizens Brigade Theater LA. House teams include Rococo (Harold/improv) and Bonafide (Maude/sketch). Lilan has written and directed material for FUNNY OR DIE, Samsung’s MILK app, and Casting Society of America with her writing and sketch comedy partner Wilder Smith. They continue to perform live as LILAN AND WILDER. |
