Don't Pick Up

When Louisa enters a children's bookstore, she has nothing particular in mind. That's not necessarily a good thing. Given her history of uncontrollable impulses, it's a dicey situation. Chris, the kind and single manager, awkwardly flirts with his equally uncomfortable customer. Neither person has a clue where this is heading. 

A budding romance would be exciting. But what if Louisa's secret albatross derails everything...again? This somewhat creepy rom-com will keep you guessing from start to finish. Will Louisa walk away with a new beau, or will he have to call the police? 

New York-based director Jeremiah Kipp brings out the chemistry and inners lives of both actors in this probing, unpredictable short film. You can watch the trailer here: 

Trail Mix

The thru-hiking community doesn't get much press, and in an era when almost everyone is interconnected in a somewhat closed system 24/7, it's not hard to see why those who unplug are off the collective radar. Trail Mix is a fascinating look at long-distance hikers who traverse the entire 2,000 plus mile Appalachian Trail that runs from Georgia to Maine. 

Director Glenn Robert Sweitzer has a taste for adventure and off-grid living himself, as he spends much of his free time traveling cross country in a van. Yet Sweitzer is quick to cite his lack of backpacking experience prior to embarking on an ambitious project that involved hiking end-to-end himself. 

The people he meets along the way—and the deep, philosophical worldview they share despite the disparate motivations behind their quest—shape this film project in a manner reminiscent of nature's often unnoticed but irrepressible force. There is a sense of the trail making the film as much as Sweitzer does. As one subject of the film puts it: "The trail...it won't give you anything if you don't let it. You have to kind of let the trail break you down a little bit."

Why would people quit their careers, give up their homes and shed just about every worldly possession they own, then submit themselves to a trail? Do they have anything of value to say to the rest of us who remain plugged into a grid that sketches out a different path? These are questions worth exploring, so Sweitzer exercised his artistic freedom and made this revealing documentary. 

You can watch a teaser here: 

The Fries Rebellion

After moving from Cincinatti to the Lehigh Valley, a sullen teenager feels too lost to perform in school. The biggest stumbling block at the moment is a history report on the area, a subject about which she knows nothing. But Mom drops a hint—their family has ancestral ties to this part of eastern Pennsylvania—and from there the schoolgirl's keen sixth sense takes over. 

She begins to experience visions of historical events that took place around a 1799-1800 tax revolt known as Fries's Rebellion. Her report takes a back seat to these spectral phenomena, a change of circumstances that she finds both fascinating and terrifying. 

Director Dan Hertzog collaborated with the Lower Macungie Township Historical Society to create this imaginative docudrama. The historical reenactments are very well produced, written and directed. If education and entertainment are the main objectives of The Fries Rebellion, the project is a big success. 

By the end of the film, the high school student has quite a story to tell in her book report. You can watch the trailer here: The Fries Rebellion Trailer

Artists at the Edge

On the northern tip of Cape Cod, Massachusetts sits a quaint seaside town called Provincetown. Long known as a haven for artists, LGBTQ+ culture, art lovers and foodies, the close-knit community combines an appreciation for history with a yearning for progress. 

Against this backdrop, Executive Producer and Director Patrick Riviere produced this documentary to highlight two talented local artists: Kenny Lockwood and Darlene Van Alstyne. Van Alstyne sings, dances, and acts while wearing her BIPOC LGBTQ+ identify with pride. And style! Lockwood, a senior LGBTQ+ identifying resident of Provincetown, collaborates with Van Alstyne and other artists for the greater good. 

This film is keenly interested in the big picture, with an emphasis on fostering creativity, equality and action at a time when society at large is polarized. When some people are still considered "other" on the wider stage, Director Riviere focuses his camera lens on a place where the Pilgrims landed and the quest for self-determination springs eternal. 

You can watch the trailer here: Artists at the Edge

Second Chance City

In this absorbing drama, a young man faces a callous world after his release from prison. His only safety net is his successful older brother, who tries to help, but their long gap in communication leaves this relationship tenuous. 

There are other problems, and one is pressing: a former acquaintance in prison is demanding money, and fast. There are also glimmers of hope when a girl says she's cool with his past. Good things start to develop there. But as much as this ex-con wants to leave his whole incarceration experience far behind, the vortex of the past keeps pulling him back under the waves. Now he has a decision to make: how can he overcome fate without committing a crime that will put him right back behind bars?

New Jersey-based director and co-producer Chris Cardillo tells his story with a measure of East Coast grit, which makes the film feel authentic. His inspiration was a younger sibling's arrest for a minor, non-violent offense. Although prosecutors eventually dropped the charges, the elder Cardillo gained a new perspective on ex-convicts who are free in name only, with tough stigmas that make reintegration into society extremely difficult. 

You can watch the trailer here: Second Chance City Trailer

The Root

In this disturbing short film, four women make a sacred pact. If one of them ever strikes it rich, she must share her good fortune equally with the rest. As a faith-based film, the expectation might be for someone to struggle before doing the right thing, but this is no plain-vanilla Christian story. 

When a member of the group hits a big lottery jackpot, she does precisely and only the wrong thing. The evil thing. She digs in hard, and no moral boundary will stop her from hoarding the money for herself. 

Tennessee-based actress, writer and producer Courtney Lee Simpson makes her directorial debut with The Root, and the final product is bold. The Tennesseean explores the dark side of the human soul in a way that is both terrifying and compelling, a combination that will keep moviegoers on the edge of their seats.  

You can watch the trailer here: The Root Trailer

Direct Action

An idealistic teenager named Emily Phillips leads a street protest in London. In her crosshairs is a coal mine, an enterprise that she condemns as deeply outdated and culpable for global warming. The protest is blocking traffic and creating a public disturbance, which brings the ardent environmentalists face-to-face with local police. To top it off, Emily's father is opposed to her radical spirit. 

Soon she is on trial, and the question on the court's mind is whether a principled, if misguided, young woman can learn a life lesson and gain leniency, or head down the path of a permanent criminal record. The tension is high in this true-to-life drama from the United Kingdom. 

Award-winning writer and director Tor Kristoffersen, who based the story on his own protest experiences and environmental sympathies, brings a palpable sense of realism to this narrative short film. At times, it feels almost like a documentary, and no doubt Kristoffersen wants his film to form a basis for meaningful discussion. 

You can watch the trailer here (parental discretion advised):