Independent Shorts Awards

A couple on a hike has a conversation about the hike and their couplehood.
Directed by Christopher O’Reilly (USA)

Marcel is a world renowned fashion model who has recently become overshadowed by Finnlay, an up and coming star. Marcel’s uncontrollable jealousy causes a fight over his rightful place on the runway.
Directed by Steven Aripez (USA)

Social media influencer CaliCalvin has an assistant, Derek. Being Cali Calvin’s assistant is tough, he is more insufferable than his name. Can Derek tolerate being Cali Calvin’s assistant?
Directed by Peter Calvin (USA)

A grieving woman’s attachment to a mysterious child threatens her marriage and her sanity.
Written by Rachel Thomas-Medwid (USA)

Emina is a war crimes victim who is having trouble accepting her horrific past. In her desperation, she seeks the counsel of Starchild who is all too happy to put her suffering into cosmic perspective.
Written by Caleb Parazette and Jarret Rosenblatt (USA)

Jenni is a young, beautiful Latina who loves her friends and family. When she learns that her best friend is planning to have an abortion, she is devastated and does not understand why any mother would do that to her child. Jenni has a close relationship with her own mother and even gives her a special friendship necklace on her 40th birthday. However, Jenni discovers a secret about her mother that threatens to destroy the love they share.
Directed by Ray R Hungria (USA)

Distinguishing itself through innovative format, and raw emotion, this “FilmTrack” to Lindsay Katt’s new Musical Record “The Avant-Gardener” is tackling new ground on the frontier of artistic visual storytelling/Experimental Film. 
Captured through the lens of ten interlocking musical vignettes, 
(each produced in a different style of film making) we follow the story of a young Artist’s life, through the trials and challenges of her self discovery. We experience her journey through time, space, and her subconscious mind, as we are invited to explore themes of connection, purpose, and the complexity of the human spirit.
Directed by Lindsay Katt, Heather Matarazzo, Jeremiah Kipp and Carl Byrd (USA)

A young woman, Bernadette, has a near death experience that pushes her to deal with a tragedy she ignored a year ago.
Directed by Allison Alonzo (USA)

Set in the woods of parts unknown, “Like Wolves” tells the story of a man in hiding, whose isolation is broken by the arrival of a familiar face from the sins of his past.
Directed by Michael Silva (USA)

Evin takes on a new high school student to tutor, Ally, and they quickly develop a close, sisterly relationship. After accidentally discovering Ally’s struggle with bulimia, Evin is quickly triggered by her own past battles with eating disorders. Evin tries to confront Ally to help her, and must decide to either fight through Ally’s defensive tactics to get the help she needs, or leave her to possibly fight this disease for years to come.
Directed by Brooke Trantor (USA) 

“The Lovers Lyfe” is based on a true story that shows no matter how long or how far apart if its meant to be, it will be. “The Lovers Lyfe” is set in Pittsburgh in the early 90s with Nina, a young, ambitious single mother from Pittsburgh, who lost her mother tragically to cancer while she was pregnant with her daughter. Her love for her daughter was so great that she turned tragedy into focus by doing what she had to do to provide for herself and her daughter. She obtained a fake ID so she could work in one of Pittsburgh’s hottest nightclubs, Forbes Studio, as a high paying bartender. With the help of friends and loved ones, she was able to hustle and make a decent living for herself and her daughter when she was just 19 years old. Chris, originally from New York, was a top student at his university in Pittsburgh and he brought his New York spirit of survival with him by opening up one of the only hot dog stands in the area as a way to take care of himself and pay for college. The two cross paths early on with a chance meeting at Forbes Studios, but time and circumstances kept them apart for a couple of decades. Who would have thought a simple Facebook message would rekindle a lost love in such an unforgettable way. Here’s the story of “The Lovers Lyfe”…
Directed by Emmai Alaquiva (USA)

A young thief break in an old man’s house. But the thief has been catch by the old man. What the old man will do?
Directed by Lan Liu (USA)

After getting fired, young single-mom Beth (Vivian Kerr) finds herself living in her car and struggles to hide her homelessness from her estranged brother Ben (Anthony Rapp).
Synopsis: Scrap follows a young single-mom, Beth, who is newly homeless. Laid off from her white-collar job, Beth struggles to maintain the appearance of a successful middle-class lifestyle, as she bounces around the neighborhoods of Los Angeles. Hoping to land a new job and change her situation before her family and friends find out, Beth dodges phone calls from her estranged older brother Ben and struggles with the guilt of having left her young daughter Birdy in his care. Unable to face her own failure, Beth must deal with the very real dangers of living out of her car and confront her own pride before she can reconnect with her brother and provide for her daughter.
Directed by Leena Pendharkar (USA)

Charly Hammerswell is a mild-mannered horribly henpecked accountant. His only joy in life is collecting antique 8mm movie machines. His latest find captures much more, than just Life.
Directed by Lawrence Whitener (USA)