January 12 Thursday 8:30pm Opening Film
FRIDAY 7:50PM
TICKETS
EMPTY HAND: THE REAL KARATE KIDS
Cast and crew expected to attend
A true story of four young karate competitors who
prepare to fight against their toughest rivals in the
biggest tournament of the year. The four struggle to
balance the rigors of training with the demands of
being a young person in America.This is a tale of
dreams, aspirations, and the hope of taking home
the title of the next Karate Kid Champion.
Showing out of Competition
90min USA FEATURE DOC - FAMILY
THE POTENTIAL WIVES OF NORMAN MAO
Directed by Derek Nguyen
Norman Mao is an overweight, and socially-awkward junior
businessman from Hong Kong, who at the age of 33 is still a virgin
and unwed. Desperate to get him married, his parents take him on an
international junket across the globe to find him a worthy Chinese wife.
TRAILER 8min USA SHORT
WEST IS WEST
Directed by Andy De Emmony
Sequel to the internationally acclaimed, multi-award
winning “EAST IS EAST”, WEST IS WEST takes
the Khan family on a journey from Salford, England,
to rural Pakistan. WEST IS WEST is the coming of
age story of both 13 year old Sajid and also of his
father, 60 year old George (‘Ghengis’) Khan.
103min, UK FEATURE COMEDY
CALIFORNIA ROMANZA
Directed by Eva Mendes
Lena heads to her Auntie JoJo and Uncle Pop's for annual
Christmastime festivities. Little does she know, this Christmas,
will be like none of the rest.
19min, USA SHORT
PATHS OF HATE
One of 10 animation shorts eligible for an Oscar.
Directed by Damian Nenow
Focus on combat. The dimension of fighting is irrelevant, as well as the ideology behind it. It doesn't matter if two people are involved or millions.What remains are only scars
– bloody traces, paths of hate. “Paths of Hate” is a short tale about the demons that slumber deep in the human soul and have the power to push people into the abyss of blind hate,
fury and rage.Falling into that abyss inevitably leads to downright destruction and extinction.
10min, Poland - SHORT TRAILER
GOODBYE DADDY
(Auf Wiedersehen Papa)
Directed by Sandra Nedeleff
Little girl Charlie does not know how to cope with the separation of her parents. Inspired by a fairy tale, she believes that her father was poisoned by his new girlfriend
She tries to free her father from this spell and comes up with
a fatal plan.
TRAILER 23min, Germany - SHORT
DOUBLE HAPPY
Directed by Shahir Daud Expected to attend.
Fifteen year old Rory carries a backpack filled with homemade fireworks, a pocket knife and a Polaroid camera. He’s planned a surprise for Rebecca, but everything is destroyed when she finally reveals her motives for hanging out with him. How far can Rory
be pushed before he snaps?
15min, New Zealand - SHORT TRAILER
LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
One of 10 short films on the short list for an Oscar
Expected to attend. Directed by Michael Davies
Do you believe in love at first sight? When Arthur
(JOHN HURT) spots Ruth (PHYLLIDA LAW) he
knows in his heart that it's true...
13min, UK - SHORT
PLAYING GHOST
Directed by Bianca Ansems
Five year old Amy and her Mom are divided in grief for Dad, occupying very separate worlds in their struggle to cope. But whilst Mom sinks into numb solitude, struggling
to keep to routine, Amy seeks a more magical escape that ultimately has its own perils.
10min, UK - SHORT TRAILER
LIGHT
Expected to attend. Directed by Kosta Nikas
Few years ago Frank had an accident and lost his sight. Slowly, his relationship with this wife starts deteriorating. One day, after returning home, Frank falls and severely
hits his head, and slowly starts to regain his vision again,
but decides not to tell his wife.
13min, Australia - SHORT
DRAINED
WORLD PREMIERE
Directed by Nick peterson Expected to attend.
Told with animation and live-action, 'Drained' tells the story of how a man's selfish addictions can destroy the woman he cares for.
12min, USA - SHORT LIVE ACTION ANIMATION TRAILER - MEET THE FILMMAKERS
FXXXEN AMERICANS
Expected to attend. Directed by Marcos De La Cruz
A Dramedy inspired by a true story. A Scottish girl, living in Los Angeles gets broken up with over text by her boyfriend.A true female William Wallace figuring out how to deal with this news decides to confront her lover only to find out who he REALLY is behind closed doors. Broken hearted and devastated and having 'lost' herself, she has an awakening and is thrown into the eyes of
someone who helps her realize who she REALLY is!
TRAILER - MEET THE DIRECTOR 12min, USA - SHORT
LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED?
Directed by K. Rocco Shields Expected to attend.
is a straight story in a gay world - which chronicles the life of Ashley, a young teen who is raised in the picture perfect all-American family with two moms, two grandpas, two uncles, and a little brother. But Ashley has a problem, she has a crush on a boy at school, which is against everything this world has ever taught her. This undeniable attraction to the opposite sex causes her to be the constant target of verbal and physical abuse until she is driven to a tragic end.
21min USA - SHORT TRAILER
THE DESPERATE
Expected to attend. Directed by Ben Hur Sepehr
On a rainy night in a concentration camp a fearsome
Nazi general is forced to plead with a condemned
Jewish doctor to save his dying only son.
MEET THE DIRECTOR 33min, USA - SHORT
THE BALLAD OF SANDEEP
Directed by Derek Frey Expected to attend.
After his IT job is outsourced to Bangalore, Sandeep Majumdar (played by Deep Roy) sets up a remote access in his apartment, tricking his former company into believing that
he is really working from India. Operating under the alias Sudesh Patel, he soon catches the eye of the company's vice president, who wants to promote him.
28min, UK - SHORT COMEDY MEET THE DIRECTOR
PATRIMONY
Expected to attend. Directed by Donald Marcus
Patrimony focuses on a critical moment in the relationship
between an elderly man and his daughter-in-law following
the unexpected death of his son/her husband.
17min, USA - SHORT
THE SELLING
ORANGE COUNTY PREMIERE
Directed by Emily Lou Expected to attend.
Richard Scarry is the kind of real estate agent you want to buy a house from . . . just not the one you want selling your house. Honest and good-hearted, he talks his clients out of
buying houses they can’t really afford. When his best friend, Dave Ross (Jonathan Klein), tries to convince him buy an old house to flip for a profit, he refuses. But when his sick
Mom’s (Nancy Lenehan) insurance claim is denied, Richard goes along with the plan to pay for her medical treatment. It's not long after Richard and Dave start fixing up the house
that the disembodied voices start talking...the walls start bleeding...and, oh yeah, that portal to the spirit realm opens up in the closet. Facing financial ruin, Richard must get rid
of the house or its ghostly inhabitants before his world
falls apart.
88min, USA - COMEDY FEATURE TRAILER
TURNING JAPANESE
Directed by Paul Bickel
A couple struggling with their finances stumble upon an unknowing sleepwalker and exploit her nightly episodes by selling tickets....and it all goes wrong with a twist.
20min, USA - COMEDY SHORT
SKEW
Directed by Sevé Schelenz Expected to attend.
When Simon, Rich, and Eva head out on an eagerly anticipated road trip, they bring
along a video camera to record their journey. What starts out as a carefree adventure
slowly becomes a descent into the ominous as unexplained events threaten to disrupt
the balance between the three close friends. Each one of them must struggle with
personal demons and paranoia as friend ships are tested and gruesome realities are
revealed...and recorded.
82min, Canada - Feature
SUDD
Directed by Erik Rosenlund
A woman on her way home becomes a victim of a strange infection. She soon realizes that an epidemic is spreading and there are larger forces at work. While
struggling to find a cure she also discovers that desperate
times require hard choices.
15min, Sweden, Denmark
SUPERVISE YOUR KIDS / K-12
Directed by Mekayla Longpre Northwood High School, Irvine CA 2min/Grade12
TOGETHER WE CAN CREATE WORLD PEACE
Directed by Emily Baker - Thurston Middle School - Laguna Beach, CA - 5 min/Grade 6
SMALL VS. BIG
Directed by Pierre Schantz - Stonegate Elementry - Irvine, CA - 7 min/Grade 5
HELLO
Directed by Anika Parekh - Oak Creek Elementary - Irvine, CA - 1 min/Grade 3
LOST PLAYER
Directed by Nicolas Alvarez - Canyon View Elementary - Irvine, CA - 5 min/Grade 5
UNLUCKY CHAMPION
Directed by Izabella Olivia - Canyon View Elementary - Irvine, CA - 5 min/Grade 2
WORLDS APART
Directed by Michael Zachary Huber
Part science fiction, part thriller and part cautionary
fairytale, Worlds Apart encompasses the universal
themes of innocence, friendship and the possible
fate of humanity.
9min, USA - SHORT ANIMATION TRAILER MEET THE DIRECTOR
LIVE OUTSIDE THE BOX
Directed by Shu-Hsuan Lin
The leading character Simon is a workaholic without any social contact. Gradually his world becomes smaller and smaller and even at the very end, there is nothing left in his world but only his work. This severe impact finally wakes him up and now Simon has to find the right way
to bring his life back before everything is too late...
(Academy of Art University School of Animation & Visual Effects)
TRAILER 4min, Taiwan - SHORT ANIMATION
TEST SUBJECT B
Directed by D.B. Hansen Expected to attend.
Take one 10 year-old boy genius, add a little extra free time, and mix with the frustration of yet another family move. The result? Nicholas has determined once and for all to plan his own destiny--by building a time machine. But when the initial tests go awry, particularly the one involving his little
sister Bethany, Nicholas must scramble back in time to set things straight... before his mother finds out.
20min, USA - SHORT FAMILY COMEDY MEET THE DIRECTOR
AD & SUBTRACT
Expected to attend. Directed by Laura Stephens
After his boss announces putting an ad in the paper, a junior accountant fears his own job is in jeopardy. Thinking he can control the situation, the junior accountant naughtily rewrites all the incoming resumes. However, the faxes start coming in faster and faster, as he frantically tries to keep pace with the flood of applications. What he doesn't realize, though, is that the more he sabotages the efforts of applicants, the greater a lesson he learns in the end.
4min, USA - SHORT ANIMATION
6GUN
Expected to attend. Directed by Hebron Simckes-Joffe (Chapman)
Years after the kidnapping of his child, and the murder of his
wife, Silas locates and identifies the culprit as his former
friend, and current gubernatorial candidate, and sets out to
exact revenge. Six bullets will fire...but from which gun?
TRAILER 15min, USA - SHORT
MOSSADEGH
Directed by Roozbeh Dadvand (USC) Expected to attend.
Iran. 1959. It is six years after the CIA orchestrated coup that overthrew democratic Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh from power. Now living under house arrest
and suffering from a life-threatening condition, Mossadegh must decide whether or not to trust a brilliant American physician that is sent to treat him.
24min, USA - SHORT TRAILER
TO REST IN PEACE
Expected to attend. Directed by Fawaz Al-Matrouk (USC)
“To Rest in Peace” is inspired by the true story of Malek, a Kuwaiti man during the Iraqi Invasion in 1990. Day after day, he passes two dead bodies that no one is burying. He wants to find out why, but everyone is afraid to interfere during wartime. Caught between his fear of death and his respect for human dignity, Malek decides to bury the bodies himself by the side of the road.
TRAILER 18min, USA - SHORT
INSIDE OUT
Directed by Taylor Rummell (Chapman) Expected to attend.
Harry Dengler must overcome his Agoraphobia
(fear of going outside) in order to fall in love with
the new girl who moves in across the street.
21min, USA COMEDY - SHORT TRAILER MEET THE DIRECTOR
US
Directed by Àlex Lora Cercos (City College of New York)
A girl with different boys thinks...
A boy with different girls thinks...
meanwhile the same question divide them...
5min, U S A, Spain - SHORT
QUIRK OF FATE
Directed by Marco J. Riedl (FH Dortmund University)
A quirk of fate leads Luke Hallow to risk violating his parole and losing his newly won freedom. He has to save the life of his nine-year-old daughter, Noel, who urgently
needs a donor heart. Only a miracle keeps him from losing
everything forever.
45min, Germany - SHORT TRAILER
AL MARTHA LAUF
Expected to attend. Directed by Ma'ayan Rypp (Tel Aviv University)
Martha is a foreign worker employed as a caretaker of sick old woman who refuses to die. Martha's only moments of freedom come when she delves into her imaginary world. Feeling trapped and lonely, Martha tries to free herself but the authorities make it clear to her that until the old woman dies she must stay. She decides to fight for her freedom but reality pushes her into her fantasy world, one last time.
25min, Israel - SHORT
I WISH SOMEONE WERE WAITING FOR ME SOMEWHERE
Directed by babak amini Expected to attend.
Maryam, who is 3 months pregnant, has placed her destiny in jeopardy. Her affair with a married man, her pregnancy, and now the relentless calls for abortion has now reached a crossroad in her life and each choice has a price. Will she keep her kid?
30min, Iran - SHORT
SKATEISTAN
Directed by Orlando von Einsiedel
In a country with innumerable problems, Skateistan represents an oasis where children can be children and where they can build the kinds of cross-cultural /
class relationships that Afghanistan needs for future stability.
10min, UK, Afghanistan - SHORT
DAY AT THE POOL
Directed by Ian Douglass, Eric Fulford Expected to attend.
A Day at the Pool is a documentary-style film that attempts to uncover the true origins of modern skateboarding. Interviews with Tony Alva, Stacy Peralta, Jay Adams and
the rest of the Dogtown Crew reveal that an anonymous local kid may have been largely responsible for the skateboarding revolution that lead to their success in the late 70s.
24min, USA - SHORT TRAILER
CHRISTEL CLEAR
Expected to attend. Directed by Susanne Barr
This is the mesmerizing story of Christel Nani, who spent 16 years as a trauma RN in New York City's busiest emergency rooms. Christel's life is turned upside down when she realizes she knows the medical diagnoses of her patients before any x-rays are given, or tests taken.
16min, USA - SHORT MEET THE DIRECTOR
IN GOD WE TEACH
SOUTH COAST PREMIERE
Directed by Vic Losick Expected to attend.
'In God We Teach,' is the controversial story of Matthew LaClair, a student at Kearny (NJ) public
high school who secretly recorded his history teacher, David Paszkiewicz in class, and accused him of proselytizing for Jesus. After approaching the local school board for redress and receiving none LaClair took his secretly recorded tapes to the media.
63min, USA - FEATURE
EMPTY HAND:
THE REAL KARATE KIDS
SOUTH COAST PREMIERE
Expected to attend. Directed by Kevin Derek
A true story of four young karate competitors who prepare to fight against their toughest rivals in the biggest tournament of the year. This film is an open
window into their private lives. From the confines of the Karate dojo, to the wider outside world and beyond their comfort zone, the four struggle to
balance the rigors of training with the demands of being a young person in America.This is a tale of dreams, aspirations, and the hope of taking home
the title of the next Karate Kid Champion.
(Playing out of competition)
TRAILER 90min, USA - FEATURE FAMILY DOCUMENTARY
SHANGHAI LOVE MARKET
Directed by Craig Rosenthal
Every weekend in Shanghai's famous Peoples' Park,
parents hang posters to match-make their unwed children.
But when true love is at stake, sometimes even the
best-laid plans have a funny way of coming undone.
9min, China, Singapore - SHORT
THE LOVES OF PHARAOH
"The Loves Of Pharaoh" (1922) was Lubitsch’s last big film
production before he left Europe to continue his career in
America; with this film he intended to finally convince
Hollywood of his qualities as a director. With Emil Jannings
playing the lead of Pharaoh Amenes, Lubitsch had one of the
great male actors of the time on his cast. Filmed on the southern
outskirts of Berlin, Lubitsch built a huge Egyptian palace, an
ancient Egyptian city location and a gigantic Sphinx in real-size
scale, spectacularly emulating ancient Egypt. No expense was
spared; the director clothed his actors in lavish costumes,
employed thousands of extras and filmed battle scenes
from a balloon.
100 min., Germany - FEATURE
EXCLUSIVE
A FILM LOST FOR 80 YEARS - RESTORED
PREMIERES AT IRVINE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
WHERE IS HE?
Directed by Emily Lu - Downtown Community Television Center (DCTV) New York, NY 7 min/Age 18
HATRED TO YOUR HOME
Directed by Derek Horton - Downtown Community Television Center (DCTV) New York, NY 5 min/Age 17
BLACKBURN THE SURVIVOR
Directed by Amanda Hoang - Northwood Highschool - Irvine, CA 3 min/Grade 11
RED RIBBON WEEK
Directed by Nathan Rickard - Northwood Highschool - Irvine, CA 2 min/Grade 11
ACTIONS FOLLOW US
Directed by Mallory Arkin - Northwood Highschool - Irvine, CA 1 min/Grade 12
THE IDEA
Directed by Kim Brucal - University High School - Irvine, CA 5 min/Grade 12
THE ASCENSION
Directed by Gershon Sng - South Island School - Hong Kong 6 min/Age 17
CONSEQUENTIAL LIES
Directed by Alex Fjellberg Swerdlowe - Weston High School, CT 17 min/Age 18
BEATBOXING - THE FIFTH ELEMENT OF HIP HOP
Directed by Klaus Schneyder
It was in the late 70s that a youth culture evolved in the
poorer parts of New York which combined several
disciplines under the name of Hip Hop. Apart from the four
classic elements of Graffiti writing, DJing, Breakdancing,
and Rapping, the musical side of this culture was enhanced
by a fifth element called 'Beatboxing'.
From the hardship of poverty and the lack of instruments,
a pioneer was inspired to imitate drum rhythms with his
mouth - his brilliance creating the term 'Human Beatbox'.
The documentary integrally covers a variety of musical
technical abilities. Beatboxing has become a multilingual
and diverse instrument applied in all genres of music. The
documentary shows how this modern style of music has
spread and how it continues to enrich the
entertainment world.
55min, USA - FEATURE DOCUMENTARY TRAILER
MISSED CALL
Expected to attend. Directed by Justin Wells (Art Center College of Design)
Missed Call is a story about a young man who wakes up one morning only to discover that he has inadvertently slept through his own wedding.
10min, USA - SHORT
UNFORGETTABLE
Expected to attend. Directed by Eric Williams
Star of "Unforgettable", Brad Williams,
will also be participating in the Q&A
What if you could remember every day of your life?
Brad Williams, nicknamed 'the Human Google', finds himself
the center of unexpected worldwide curiosity as only the second
person ever studied for hyperthymesia, an extremely detailed
autobiographical memory. His unlikely journey provides an
intimate and funny portrait of a unique individual and a broader
rumination on the mysteries of the human mind.
88min, USA - FEATURE DOCUMENTARY
THE FORGOTTEN BOMB
Directed by Stuart Overbey
When the Cold War ended, the generations that lived through it were relieved to finally vanquish the specter of a mushroom cloud from their minds. But today, nearly twenty years on, thousands of nuclear weapons in the United States and Russia remain on high-alert, still poised to destroy the planet.
In Japan, atomic bomb survivors struggle with nightmarish memories and negative health effects; atomic veterans, down-winders, and atomic workers around the globe also continue
to suffer from the effects of radiation exposure.
The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 may have temporarily damaged the soul of Japan, but has anyone ever taken an account of what the Bomb has done, and continues to
do, to the soul of the country that dropped it? How might we alter the soul of a nation in order to truly live without the specter of total destruction?
In a globe-trotting journey through various perspectives on nuclear weapons, filmmaker Bud Ryan takes us from the Peace Museums of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, to the 'Nuclear
Science' museums of the United States; to the place that birthed the atomic bomb, (and cares for it still) the state of New Mexico,
where Ryan now lives.
Featuring former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz, authors Gar Alperovitz and Jonathan Schell, Japanese bomb survivors,
and many others, 'The Forgotten Bomb' explores our preconceptions about nuclear weapons and their history, investigates how they inform our sense of identity, and
discovers what the Bomber can learn from the Bombed.
94min, USA - FEATURE DOCUMENTARY
HIDDEN SOLDIER
Directed by Alejandro Suárez Lozano
Hunted down and out of ammunition,
Private Wilson suffers strange interferences.
TRALER 11min, Spain - SHORT
AMONG THE RUGGED PEAKS
The Carla Laemmle Story
West Coast Premiere of her new Documentary
Directed by Tom Tangen Expected to attend.
39 min., USA - SHORT DOCUMENTARY
A Tribute to Carla Laemmle
APPEARING IN PERSON
Silent era starlet
still active in showbiz at the age of 102
Rebecca Isabelle "Carla" Laemmle
(born October 20, 1909) is an American
actress and the niece of Universal Pictures
founder Carl Laemmle. She was a movie
actress in the 1920s and 1930s, and is,
along with Lupita Tovar, one of the very
few surviving actors of the silent film era.
-The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
-Uncle Tom's Cabin (1927)
-The Hollywood Revue of (1929)
-King of Jazz (1930)
-Dracula (1931)
-Mystery of Edwin Drood (1935)
-The Adventures of Frank Merriwell (1936)
-On Your Toes (1939)
OUR FATHER’S WAR: A VIETNAM JOURNEY
Expected to attend. Directed by Randall Wilson
David Lopez served in Vietnam in 1967. The 18 year old
Marine was involved in some of the bloodiest and fiercest
battles in that year. David returns to Vietnam with his
family to try and find peace and bury the ghosts of war.
39 min., USA - SHORT DOCUMENTARY
THE BULL RUNNERS OF PAMPLONA
Directed by Aubrey Powell Expected to attend.
For more than 100 years people have traveled from the 4
corners of the world to join in the wolds largest Fiesta in
Pamplona Spain. Over 8 days 2000 each day will join in one
of the most exciting events on the planet: to run with the
bulls. Most will run away in fear but there is a small group
who are committed to try to join with the herd and to run
with the bulls as an almost spiritual guest. They train, they
prepare and they are very serious about putting their lives in
the way of ultimate danger, but above all they are dedicated
to the freedom of choice that allows them this great privilege.
61m, UK - FEATURE DOCUMENTARY
THE MULBERRY TREE
Expected to attend. Directed by Mark Heller
The Mulberry Tree finds three characters at the crossroads
of their faltering lives, who through their complex and
sometimes unlikely relationships, find self worth, personal
redemption, and the lost ability to love, amongst the painful
and dysfunctional damage of their own passed tragedies.
88min, USA FEATURE
STEVE
Directed by Rupert Friend
Starring: Colin Firth and Keira Knightley
Steve is about a man who comes to tea.
16min, UK - SHORT
CITY OF GARDENS
Directed by Camilo Vila
Starring: John Robinson,
Michael DeLorenzo
and Alex Meraz
A young California surfer, Wayne Montgomery,
gets framed on phony drug charges and thrown
into a Peruvian political prison for communist
dissidents in 1980. Wayne encounters a series
of eccentric and dangerous characters in prison
who compel him to grow up in a hurry and find
a way to escape. Based on a true story.
100m, Peru, USA - FEATURE
WALTER
Directed by Jonathan Browning Expected to attend.
Since his wife's passing, Walter finds himself alone. He reaches out to his family and friends, only to be told that they don't have time for him. Finally he has the idea
that the elderly aren't the only ones marginalized in
today's society. he finds friends in an unlikely place.
4min, USA - SHORT
SECRET CLUB
Directed by Ben Kadie - Interlake High School - Bellevue, WA 3 min/Age 16
EMBRACE DIVERSITY
Directed by Austin Fickman - Thurston Middle School - Laguna Beach, CA 3 min/Grade 8
DIVERSITY IN THINKING
Directed by by Fergus O’Conner - Vista Verde - Irvine, CA 2 min/Grade 8
DIVERSITY COLORS
Directed by Troy Charbonnet - Sierra Vista Middle School - Irvine, CA 2 min/Grade 7
THE DOG THIEF
Directed by Christopher Dierenfeldt - Manhattan, KS 10 min/Age 16
CAFFEINATED
Directed by Mary ClareT Plaschke, Flintridge Preparatory School - La Canada, CA 9 min/Age 16
KAHANIKAR
One of 45 animation shorts eligible for an Oscar.
Directed by Nandita Jain
7 year old Nirmala attempts to grapple with the demons of her grandfather's dementia when he forgets the details of her favorite story. Nirmala confidently takes up her grandfather's role of storyteller, by putting on his glasses, in the hope that by telling the story correctly, she can get
rid of the demons that riddle her grandfather's version.
10m, UK- SHORT ANIMATION TRAILER
DEEP BLUE BREATH
Expected to attend. Directed by Patricia Cardoso
In 'Deep Blue Breath', Clay travels deep inside his body to an animated dream world where he engages in battle against the Evil Lord Vater and his army of Kuk-nuks. Meanwhile, in the waking world, a medical team struggles to save Clay's life.
TRAILER 18m, USA - SHORT LIVE ACTION ANIMATION
NANUQ
Directed by Jill Jones Expected to attend.
A young girl plagued by illness.
A cold, unforgiving land.
A steadfast protector who will help illuminate her way.
18min, USA - SHORT LIVE ACTION ANIMATION TRAILER
THE MAKER
Directed by Christopher Kezelos
A strange creature races against time to make
the most important and beautiful creation of his life.
TRAILER 5min, Australia, USA, UK - SHORT ANIMATION
THE DEATH OF TOYS
Directed by Lisa Gold (AFI) Expected to attend.
Ten year-old SETH wants to give up his toys, but his
work-numbed mother LILY needs the spark of their
playtime more than he does. Her insistence that he
keep the toys leads to some unexpected places.
12m, USA - SHORT TRAILER
THE EAGLEMAN STAG
Directed by Mikey Please
Peter’s life has been spent in both fascination and fear of his quickening perception of time with age. As he nears the end of his days, his interest turns to obsession and he undertakes progressively extreme measures to control and counter times increasing pace. Peter also discovers that if you repeat the word ‘fly’ for long enough it sounds like you’re saying ‘life’.This is of no real help to him. His answers lie in the brain of a beetle.
TRAILER 10min, UK - SHORT ANIMATION
THE CARRIER
Directed by Scott Schaeffer
'The Carrier' tells the story of a grieving mother dealing with the loss of her philandering son. She discovers a secret that will profoundly influence her life, the lives
around her, and ultimately a new understanding of
her son.
18min, USA - SHORT TRAILER
DEEPER THAN YESTERDAY
Directed by Ariel Kleiman
After three months submerged underwater, the men have
become savages. Oleg fears that losing perspective may
mean losing himself.
TRAILER 20min, Australia - SHORT
THE BURYING BEETLE
Directed by Dave Rock Expected to attend.
A boy trying to cope with his terminally ill father's impending death befriends the pastor at a local church
and becomes convinced that his father must repent and get baptized in order to save his soul before he dies. His father, a scientist and avowed atheist, doesn't quite see it that way.
27min, USA - SHORT
THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF ROCKY
Directed by Kevin Meul
In a comic way, 'The extraordinary life of Rocky” sketches a psychological portrait of an unusual individual against the background of a piece of Belgian history. A modern
fairy tale, about a lot of bad luck and a little bit of bliss.
TRAILER 14min, Belgium - SHORT
WINTER FROG (GRENOUILLE D'HIVER)
Directed by Slony Sow
Benjamin, winemaker, sees his wife die in his arms following a long illness. Only one way for him: death.
But a young Japanese woman, coming specially to taste his wine, will gently bring him to mourn the
death of his wife by a series of symbols and exchanges between two cultures.
18min, France - SHORT TRAILER
BRINGING KING TO CHINA
Directed by Kevin McKiernan
A former ABC Iraq war correspondent,
director Kevin McKiernan
(Good Kurds, Bad Kurds) turns the camera on
his grown daughter Cáitrín as she attempts to
produce a play about Martin Luther King, Jr.
in China. Her quest to build a bridge between
countries is shaken by cross-cultural
misunderstanding. Collaborating with
Oscar-winning cinematographer
Haskell Wexler (Who’s Afraid of
Virginia Woolf, Bound For Glory),
McKiernan brings a personal
touch to global issues.
FEATURE DOCUMENTARY
TRAILER 85m, China, USA, Iraq, India
PROTECT THE NATION
Directed by C. R. Reisser
“Protect the Nation” is a tender and intimate look inside the struggles of a community and the consequences of greed, miscommunication and hate. When faced with the unexpected kindness of a stranger, a young boy begins to question himself. Does he have the courage
to do what's right?
16m, Germany, South Africa - SHORT
I AM NASRINE
U.S. PREMIERE
Expected to attend. Directed by Tina Gharavi
I am Nasrine is a Young Iranian girl’s journey of coming
of age as events beyond beyond her control send her as a
refugee into a new world with new challenges. A film
about love, self discovery and the eternal search for home.
TRAILER 82m, UK, Iran - FEATURE
DAVID AND GOLIATH
Directed by George Zaverdas Expected to attend.
'David & Goliath'' is based on an extraordinary true story set in 1943 Czechoslovakia. David, a Jewish resistance fighter, flees for his life as he is being hunted down by Nazi soldiers. David finds refuge in a dog house and ultimately a ferocious German Shepherd becomes his saviour. Based on the story of resistance fighter David Bako.
12min, USA - SHORT
AWARDS PRESENTATION
At Edwards Westpark 8
IRAQ WAR, LOVE GOD & MADNESS
O.C. PREMIERE
Directed by Mohamed Al-Daradji
Truth is stranger than fiction as we
soon realize when we are
voyeuristically lead on a personal
journey into Iraq as film director
Mohamed Al-Daradji and
his crew attempt to shoot a film
encircled by war and senseless
violence.
FEATURE DOCUMENTARY
TRAILER 85min, Iraq
GOOD MEN
Directed by Brian Connors Expected to attend.
GOOD MEN is a 12 minute short drama about two elderly Jewish men ( Ed Asner and Mark Rydell ) who get into a serious argument over the controversial circumstances surrounding the 9/11 attacks on The World Trade Center.
12m, USA - SHORT
ORANGE DRIVE
Directed by Mark Lester - (UCLA) Expected to attend.
After buying a demo CD from a parking-lot rapper and hitting a bird with his car, Danny begins embarking on the relationships and mistakes of his youth. From the objective
point of view of Danny's car, we see him make friends, ditch them for girls, get into fights, cheat and generally ruin his life, allowing us to ask if Danny is really behind the wheel
of his life or if he's just along for the ride.
11min, USA - SHORT TRAILER
Consider a Pass – A pass gets you a greater level of access and lets you bypass the regular ticketing process.
General Admission for ANY one showing $12
( click on the ticket button on the orange bar next to the show to buy ticket for that screening)
Day Pass
Thursday $16 BUY
Friday $32 BUY
Saturday $48 BUY
Sunday $56 BUY
Monday $40 BUY
5 day Pass $150 BUY
All Access Pass $175 BUY
Awards Show $20 BUY
LOVE, AT LAST
SOUTH COAST PREMIERE
Directed by Alexander Jeffery Expected to attend.
A celebrity couple in the late 1950’s reflects on their past
before facing the inevitable present.
5 min., USA - SHORT
Festival Location: EDWARDS WESTPARK 8 3755 Alton Parkway Irvine, CA
