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 In her crosshairs is a coal mine, an enterprise that she condemns as deeply outdated and culpable for global warming.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): 

Because I Love You

In this chilling short film, Marco and Joanna live the American Dream. They own a mansion, attend glittering parties, and enjoy all the finer things in life. But Joanne seems to be hiding something from her powerful husband, and no amount of material success can salve his wound of jealousy. 

Marco is used to getting his way in everything, yet now he feels three inches tall. He trusts his instincts, and within that supreme trust, there is zero room for a simple misunderstanding. Therefore, he will confront this threat head-on. He comes up with a plan and sets it in motion. 

Award-winning writer, director, and producer Bob Celli is at the top of his game with Because I Love You.  Despite an impressive number of wins and nominations, he continues to innovate and create, making this latest project a thriller that will linger in your mind after the final credits roll. 

You can watch the trailer here: Because I Love You Trailer

The EKSPATS - We're Going to Africa

In this biting satire, a quintessential American family moves to Nigeria in search of better opportunity. Their main breadwinner is Bill Diamond, a middling consultant with a dim future here in the States. He leaps at the offer to work for a Nigerian magnate, Solomon Babatunde, and informs his wife they are moving. Having not been consulted, she balks until he assures her the trip will further his career. She wants to get ahead, too, so she agrees. 

The question of whether this is a wise move, and whether their lack of worldly experience leaves them naive to many risks, will be answered after their jet lands in Africa. They may not even make it out of the airport in one piece, but they will press on anyway, because that is what strivers do. 

Helmer Ron Myrick, an animation veteran with an industry career spanning over forty years, sends two distinct cultures on a collision course in this TV pilot. The chances for laughs, insights and social commentary are high amidst this offbeat plot, and he succeeds in scoring many points. At the same time, he leaves the audience wondering what will happen to this downtrodden family as they try to rise out of their mundane existence. 

You can watch the trailer here: The EKSPATS Trailer

Come Out, Wherever You Are

Set in the verdant landscape of Montana, this narrative short features a man whose western ruggedness is tested by deep wells of regret. All Vernon Parrish wants from this rural area is a little peace and quiet, but it's not likely he will get it. When a local newspaper publishes a hit piece as he arrives in town, the retired mayor from a Chicago suburb escapes to his cabin. 

Now things are on the verge of getting a lot worse. The director of the film, Caitlin Presberg, has a penchant for surprise. As Parrish settles into the slow pace of fly fishing and the front porch, forces far beyond his control are descending on the land. 

What happens next will leave you questioning who can be trusted and where, exactly, a person can find safety. You can watch the trailer here: Come Out, Wherever You Are Trailer

2024 Awards

Film Jury Awards

Best Picture - Trust in Love (Mick Davis, USA) 
Nominees: Out of State-A Gothic Romance, Not for Nothing, Burst the Silence, The Problem of the Hero

Best Student Film - Tangerine Drum Machine (Reilly McHugh, USA)
Nominees: Lovie Dovie, Slanted Perspectives: My Life with SMA, The Hauntings of New Hope, Adagio, Mike & Frank, Living All of Life

Best Alternative Film -  Divine Instinct (James Gossard, USA)
Nominees: Who Followed Us Home, The Blood Orange, Order My Steps, The Sun Rises in the East, The Problem of the Hero, White Noise, I Approve this Message

Best Short Film - What Ever Happened to Jonny Faith (Benjamin Pollack, USA) 
Nominees: Mayfly, My Over There, Shatter the Glass, Minutes to Go, The Portrait, Payment in Kind, Pushover, Gypsy Rose Leezinski

Best Short Short -  Millie's Care Free Day (Mike Licisyn, USA) 
Nominees: The Blood Orange, Lovie Dovie, Stay, Look Back and Laugh, Pushover, Earth Machiavelli, In Search Of, Dad Bod

Best Documentary -  Take the Ice (Rachel Koteen, USA) 
Nominees: Hopper X Vermeer, Take the Ice, Rhino Man, Jerry's Last Mission, Breaking Tradition: The Hugh McElroy Story, Tell Me Iggy, Undivide Us, The Carnival: 125 Years of the Penn Relays

Best Horror Film -  Quiet! Mom's Working! (P Patrick Hogan, USA)
Nominees: Dark Mommy, Girl with the Grey Eyes

Best Action Thriller -  Mayfly (Keith Andreen, USA) 
Nominees: Launch at Paradise, Earth Machiavelli, Girl with the Grey Eyes

Animal Welfare -  Rhino Man (John Jurko II, Matt Lindenberg, Daniel Roberts, South Africa, UK, USA)
Nominees: Menhaden: The Biggest Little Fish You've Never Seen, By My Side

Cultural Spirit -  Undivide Us (Kristi Kendall, USA)
Nominees: The Carnival: 125 Years of the Penn Relays, Rhino Man, Take the Ice, A Perfect Love, Black Uniform, Pioneering Women Muralists of Hyde Park, Single-Use Planet 

Best Short Documentary -  My Dear Hanna (Matthew Sullivan, USA)
Nominees: This Is Where I Learned Not to Sleep, Joe Barry Carroll, See Me, Hear Me, Know Me: The Welcome Project PA, Living Positive, My Superpower, I Am Living, Dad Bod

Best Foreign Film - Living All of Life (Marlen Rios-Farjat, Mexico)
Nominees: Walk With Me, The Old Young Crow, Je, Living All of Life, Black Sugar Red Blood, Moratorium, About People and About War

Community Spirit - Black Uniform (Robert Darwell, USA)
Nominees: The Sun Rises in the East, The Asbestos City, New Hope Rondo, The Hauntings of New Hope, Pioneering Women Muralists of Hyde Park, See Me, Hear Me, Know Me: The Welcome Project PA, I Am Living, Lady Ivory: The Life & Music of Liz DuFour

Best Local Film - See Me, Hear Me, Know Me: The Welcome Project PA (Eli Laban, USA)
Nominees: The Hauntings of New Hope, New Hope Rondo, Lady Ivory: The Life & Music of Liz DuFour, The Blood Orange

Best Biographical Film - Jerry's Last Mission (Louisa Merino, USA)
Nominees: My Dear Hanna, Tell Me Iggy, Black Uniform, Breaking Tradition: The Hugh McElroy Story

Best Experimental Short - Dark Mommy (Courtney Eck, USA)
Nominees: Interview with Traveler #582, Pushover, I Approve this Message, Adagio

Indie Spirit - Out of State-A Gothic Romance (Victoria Bugbee, USA)
Nominees: Burst the Silence, Black Uniform, The Asbestos City, Breaking Tradition: The Hugh McElroy Story

Best Animation - Black Sugar Red Blood (Luigi Toscano, Germany)
Nominees: Lovie Dovie, The Old Young Crow, Who Followed Us Home

Best Animated Film - Lovie Dovie (Francesca Brescia, USA)
Nominees: The Old Young Crow

Female Eye Filmmaking - Hopper X Vermeer (Annie Dautane, France)
Nominees: Girl with the Grey Eyes, Lovie Dovie, Stay, Look Back and Laugh, Gypsy Rose Leezinski, In Search Of

Best Sci-Fi Film - Launch at Paradise (Carrie Ann Quinn, USA)
Nominees: Interview with Traveler #582, Earth Machiavelli, Pushover

Best Comedy -  Brute Force (Tyler A. Wallach, USA)
Nominees: Pushover, Full Throttle Paradise, Coney Island Surprise, Low Risk Spectre, The Toms, Gypsy Rose Leezinski, Quiet! Mom's Working!, Dating Audrey

Best Period Film -  The Problem of the Hero (Shaun Dozier, USA)
Nominees: About People and About War, My Over There

Student Cultural Spirit - Mike & Frank (Kylie Conner-Sax, USA)
Nominees: The Hauntings of New Hope, Slanted Perspectives: My Life with SMA, Lovie Dovie

New Hope - This Is Where I Learned Not to Sleep (Anne de Mare and Kirsten Kelly, USA)
Nominees: Breaking Tradition: The Hugh McElroy Story, The Asbestos City, My Superpower, A Perfect Love, Our Flag Was Still There, Living Positive

Artistic Spirit - Tell Me Iggy (BLONDY Sophie, France)
Nominees: Rhino Man, Kenyatta: Do Not Wait Your Turn, Take the Ice, Divine Instinct, Hopper X Vermeer

LGBTQ+ Spirit -  There Are Things To Do (Mike Syers, USA)
Nominees: Love Dovie, See Me, Hear Me, Know Me: The Welcome Project PA, New Hope Rondo, Lady Ivory: The Life & Music of Liz DuFour, Mike & Frank, Living Positive, Trust in Love

Best Supernatural Film -  Pushover (Brian Lederman, USA)
Nominees: Low Risk Spectre, Dark Mommy, Mayfly

Best Webisode - About People and About War (Artel Film Production, Russian Federation)
Nominees: Coney Island Surprise

Best Music Video -  Dreaming (Jim Vacca, USA)
Nominees: Holding You Tight, The Light, Living All of Life

Best Alternative Music Video - The Light (Vincenzo Carubia, USA)
Nominees: Holding You Tight, Living All of Life

Best Narrative Feature -  Not for Nothing (Tim Dowlin and Frank Tartaglia, USA)
Nominees: The Problem of the Hero, Trust in Love, Out of State-A Gothic Romance, Burst the Silence

Best Musical Score - Burst the Silence (Eric D. Schaeffer, USA)
Nominees: Living All of Life, The Blood Orange, Not for Nothing, Out of State-A Gothic Romance, Hopper X Vermeer, My Dear Hanna, Rhino Man, The Problem of the Hero

Best Director -  Rachel Koteen (Take the Ice, USA)
Nominees: Tim Dowling and Frank Tartaglia (Not for Nothing), Mick Davis (Trust in Love), Annie Dautane (Hopper X Vermeer), BLONDY Sophie (Tell Me Iggy), Matthew Sullivan (My Dear Hanna), John Jurko II, Matt Lindenberg and Daniel Roberts (Rhino Man), Shaun Dozier (The Problem with the Hero)

Audience Choice Awards

Best Student Film - Tangerine Drum Machine (Reilly McHugh, USA)
Best Documentary - The Asbestos City (Joe DeVito III, USA)
Best Short Documentary - White Noise (SanMartin Garcia, USA)
Best Short Film - Dating Audrey (Dan Hertzog, USA)
Best Narrative Feature - Out of State-A Gothic Romance (Victoria Bugbee, USA) 
Best Webisode - Coney Island Surprise (Chris Marcantel, USA)

Script Jury Awards

Best Script - The White Rose (David Joseph Cooley)
Nominees: All I Want for Christmas, Graham, Sundown, The New Moon in the Old Moon's Arms

Best Narrative Feature Script - Sundown (Gretchen Elizabeth Jackson)
Nominees: Graham, The White Rose

Best Short Screenplay - All I Want for Christmas (Linda Tancs)
Nominees: The New Moon in the Old Moon's Arms

Rhino Man

During the production phase of this important and riveting documentary, the central subject of the film, Anton Mzimba, was assassinated in his South African home. The wildlife traffickers responsible for the heinous crime also injured his wife.  

Rhino Man is a conservation film and much more. Mzimba and other field rangers at the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve have been fighting poachers and illegal wildlife traffickers for decades despite the high personal risk. At its core, the film is a tribute to their bravery, integrity and military-grade training. 

Yet the images of rhinos suffering are comparably moving. Co-Directors John Jurko II, Matt Lindenberg and Daniel Roberts took care to let Timbavati's rangers tell their stories and explain why they would give their lives for another species. Their reasons are deeply thoughtful—even soul-stirring. The rangers' shared vision for their nature reserve is one of compassion and selfless service over vast expanses of time. 

Important people and organizations are involved in this project. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, President of United for Wildlife and heir to the throne for the United Kingdom and Commonwealth, contributes on-camera remarks from his unique perspective as an activist and future head of state. The Prince's sophisticated contributions toward reducing the illegal wildlife trade are praiseworthy and game-changing. His Royal Highness's work is also entirely charitable, as United for Wildlife is a program of The Royal Foundation, the philanthropic vehicle of The Prince and Princess of Wales. 

Other notable supporters of the film include Thin Green Line, Southern African Wildlife College, International Ranger Federation, Game Rangers Association of Africa and the previously stated Timbavati Private Nature Reserve. This documentary pays due homage to the people on the front lines of a global wildlife trafficking war. At the same time, it raises questions. Can the world stand by while one species after another becomes extinct? When should humans risk their lives for such a cause? What are the implications for animals, the planet, and us? The rangers in Rhino Man probe these thoughts, and act on their convictions, as you will see if you check out this cutting-edge film. 

You can watch a teaser here: Rhino Man Teaser