Independent Shorts Awards

Mingle

In this comedy, Tyler is overwhelmed by the pressure of his hypochondriac mother with the desire for him to find a girlfriend and have a baby. He goes out on a mission to find a relationship at a speed dating event but an unlikely person may be the prize.
Directed by Ty Cooper (USA)

Dawg Gone Day

A socially-awkward, self-professed gamer/geek, sets off for some serious r&r in nature – by booking a scenic, hilltop Airbnb. But his plans for fun in the sun quickly head south… after one of the homeowner’s uber pampered poodles goes missing.
Written by Jean Buschmann (USA)

Change

A late-night at the laundromat turns deadly for a mother and her daughter.
Directed by Joe Jennings Jr. (USA)

Mon Coeur Greenland

Seven friends, best yacht crew, ingenious sea chef, own cozy sailboat, warmth, and joy inside, chilly arctic summer outside, relaxed hiking, sailing all days and nights long, gigantic bizarre Icebergs.
Directed by Andrii Andreiev and Olga Andreieva (Ukraine)

Partying with Communists

After being blacklisted by movie mogul, Richard Berns, actress Daphne Dayes reclaims her stardom with the help of Bellmont Studio’s overlooked minority actors.
Directed by Vincent Blake (USA)

Raymond

After receiving a life-changing diagnosis, Raymond must figure out how to break the news to his family, without ruining what time they have left together.
Directed by Madeline O’Hara (USA)

Mirrorcide

“Mirrorcide” is an artistic short film about teenagers and their own image, filtered excessively through the camera phone, about the isolation of the individual caused by the obsession with self-image.
Directed by Mara Cracaleanu (Romania)

Last Call

An abrasive and cunning salesman named Thomas finds out that his father is dead when his estranged brother Derek barges in on the middle of an important sales call. Derek takes Thomas to their father’s house where they find his dead body still sitting on the couch with a bottle of pills. Derek doesn’t have the courage to call 911 and Thomas berates him for his emotion over their abusive father. Derek leaves and Thomas verbally lashes out at his dead father until he realizes he can’t change anything anymore. Thomas calls 911 and makes peace with his father. He also reunites with his brother finding the longing for connection with Derek.
Directed by Jarrod Anderson (USA)

Switch

When a young girl wakes up after a head injury and does not recognize anything or anyone around her, she begins to uncover the sinister and frightening truth about her identity. A shocking ending where the journey from overwhelming grief and desperation to sociopathic behavior, is very short.
Directed by Nicole Ludowese (USA)

Liquid Soul

Heartbroken and high from huffing gasoline, a psychotic fuel tanker driver plots revenge on the girl that broke his heart, her whole family, and their dog.
Directed by Allen Phillips and Trampas Smith (USA)

Don’t Mess with Lucy

Young Lucy always enjoyed family time with her mother Anna and older sister Meghan after her parents split up and her father relocated to Australia. When they both acquire new boyfriends, Lucy is having none of it and along with her trusty best friend Charlie, she plots to jeopardize both relationships.
Directed by Malcolm Holt (UK)

Miazmat

“Miazmat” is an attempt to reverse engineer the vision that drove S.I. Witkiewicz to create his 1922 painting composition.
Directed by Klaudiusz Wesołowski (Poland)