Saturday Film Schedule
April 13, 2024Features – 10:45AM-7:00PM Shorts – 11:00AM-7:00PM
Awards Ceremony – 8PM-9PM
Feature Theater
10:45AM - 7:00PMShowing in the Auditorium
10:45AM - SHOWCASE: The Rainbow Prince
Dir. Laura Napier, Produced by Doug Claybourne (35min)
A spin on the classic tale The Sleeping Beauty, this film flips the traditional fairy tale narrative to expose children to new models of power and heroism.
11:30AM - Block 1: Lebanese Burger Mafia
Dir. Omar Mouallem (1hr 40min)
A crowd-funded feature documentary about Burger Baron, a rogue fast-food chain with mysterious origins, a cult following, and a secret pathway to the immigrant dream.
1:30PM - Block 2: Firebird
Dir. Colleen C. Brady (1hr 40min)
In a Pennsylvania suburb, a tight-knit community spends months building a giant wooden bird, only to burn it down during an annual festival. This film is a wholesome look into an unconventional tradition that inspires hope and new beginnings.
3:30PM - Block 3: The Voices Project: Immigration
Dir. Timothy McDermott, Alicia Nordstrom (1hr)
The story of immigration through the eyes of five unique people. Funny and poignant, gives viewers a look at the complicated issue of immigration from those who have truly lived through it.
5:00PM - Block 4: MYSTERY BOX CHALLENGE
Films submitted to the Mystery Box Challenge will be shown, followed by a short Q&A and awards ceremony.
6:00PM - Block 5: ROAR
Dir. Alexander Monelli (1hr 30min)
The Southern Columbia Tigers high school football team faces unprecedented challenges as they go for a Pennsylvania record sixth consecutive state championship. This documentary goes in the locker room and behind the scenes of the most decorated team in state history
Shorts Theater
11:00AM - 7:00PMShowing in the Scout Room
Block 1 - Animation
11AM - 1PMOUT NEAR WINNIE (3min 51sec) Dir. Marcelese Cooper
A man recounts a wild goose chase in Winnie, TX.
AMPLIFYING FEEDBACK LOOP (2min 25sec) Dir. Vanessa Sweet
Unfolding visual poetry loops and transforms, advocating for the need for sustainable futures and community action.
GORO GORO (3min 7sec) Dir. Ryotaro Sawada, Agatha Tiara Christa
Goro Goro follows the story of Daigoro, a baby thunder god, who dreams of being as powerful as his father. Through his thunderous journey, he realizes that he can achieve his dreams in his own unique way.
JIM'S INTERVIEW (3min 55sec) Dir. David Michael Wolfe
When Jim oversleeps his alarm, it’s a race against time to get to his job interview.
NALB NOUM (10min) Dir. Xzaviah J. Stone Sr.
An arcane massacre on the Black community is unfolding as a black teen and his friends’ journey to discover the truth behind an old folklore.
WHAT IS STOP MOTION ANIMATION (4min 44sec) Dir. Erika Lynn Delis
An old puppet teaches the newbie armature about the wonderful world of stop motion animation.
THE RAINBOW PRINCE (35min) Dir. Laura Napier, Produced by Doug Claybourne
A spin on the classic tale The Sleeping Beauty, this film flips the traditional fairy tale narrative to expose children to new models of power and heroism.
Block 2 - Drama
1PM - 3PMKNIGHT'S REST (16min 16sec) Dir. Robert Cordaro
In this dark and existential romantic comedy, two strangers meet at a nondescript healthcare facility and form an unexpected bond.
TOTALED (9min 40sec) Dir. Jeffrey Charles Morgan
A husband struggles with his mentally ill spouse, while their young son’s future hangs in the balance.
CARAVAN (26min 30sec) Dir. Szonja Szabo
Four young people set off for the Adriatic in a retro motorhome. Eszter and Dávid, as well as Zoé and Ábel, form a couple. The van is fast, they stop at secluded bays, swim, collect shells, cook over a campfire. Everything seems idyllic and happy. But there are already small signs that there are problems in both loves. Over time, this culminates.
BROTHERLY LOVE (7min 8 sec) Dir. Shamus Duffy
A young man, who does not know the city of Philadelphia very well, loses his phone at a subway station. How he gets it back is beyond anyone’s imagination.
TINA (14min 20sec) Dir. Laura Sweeney
This film is a heartfelt dramedy about two people who knew each other way back when and are surprised to meet up again.
OF ONE'S OWN (12min 37sec) Dir. Jack Calvin Girod
After coming out as gay to his family, James is finally able to go out and experience the LGBTQ community, and try to meet people in a speed dating event. However, James is worried his usual self is perfect, and is conflicted on how to represent himself, and struggles with his self identity when confronted by LGBTQ+ peoples at the bar.
Block 3 - Documentaries
3PM - 5PMAPPRECIATION - THE TOMIKO MORIMOTO WEST STORY (20min) Dir. Michael Dwyer, Chuck Gomez
The life of Tomiko Morimoto West and her resiliency in life after living through the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima when she was 13 and how a catastrophic event influenced her to advocate for global peace.
PROTRACT PITTSBURGH (18min 5sec) Dir. Dean Bog
This film illustrates sustainability transitions based on three examples in Pittsburgh, and what we can learn from such examples about sustainability, community, and our shared future.
PARDON ME (30min 50sec) Dir. Shuja Moore
A documentary short film that presents the case for how pardons can give individuals the opportunity to live as full citizens and contribute to their best ability, at the same time uplifting the lower income communities in which they live. The film features interviews with key civic leaders and the stories of two people going through the pardon process, one of whom received a pardon.
FORGED IN STEEL (7min 8sec) Dir. Matthew Ryan Heffner
This documentary short details the American workers of the Bethlehem Steel Plant. The history and importance Bethlehem Steel had in making America what it is today comes straight from the mouths of men who worked there for decades. From building the country to saving it, Forged in Steel shares the story of what hard work can do for the community and beyond.
FACES (13min) Dir. Grant Hamilton, Owen Mercier
Interviews with 24 people about what makes us human.
Block 4 - Comedy
5PM - 7PMTHIS WAY TO THE EGRESS (11min 24sec) Dir. Rich Drees
A meetup between strangers who recently arrived to the waiting room in purgatory.
DEWSKI (17min 37sec) Dir. John Bradley
With the world poised to fall apart, a frazzled young bachelor ventures out for one last night of debauchery. What begins as a no-strings-attached fling quickly devolves into a crisis of identity.
MEATS AND CHEESES (6min 18sec) Dir. Brian Kesek
One of three friends vastly underestimates his knowledge of protein and dairy consumables.
PEANUT BUTTER (8min 8sec) Dir. Chelsea Komorowski
Angela is almost at one million subscribers on her YouTube channel and needs all her videos to be absolutely perfect. Things go south when her interns make a crucial error during filming.
TRIM (9min 59sec) Dir. Josiah Persad
Zack, a recent high school graduate whose endearing unkempt hair matches his somewhat introverted nature changes when he receives an invitation to a party where the girl of his dreams will be. In the midst of this comedy, drama, and romance, Zack unexpectedly discovers a newfound sense of courage.
THERE WILL BE BUC-EES (2min 26sec) Dir. Zack Wilcox
A man tries to successfully explain his enthusiastic love for Buc-ee’s to his accountant.
I HAD A GREAT TIME LAST NIGHT (9min 24sec) Dir. William Martinko
Two down-on-their-luck stoners execute a bank heist when one realizes he went on a date with the teller the night before.