Official Selections 2019
Official Selections & Special Screenings 2019
Please see our schedule for dates and times of screenings!
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10 Tips to Live a Better LifeDirector: Penny Wiggins, Richard Faverty|Country: United States|Run Time: 1 minutesSynopsis:
A satirical series explaining 10 ways to improve the quality of your life. As a comic and performer, Penny Wiggins has had to learn the hard way how to deal with some of the challenges facing women and, perhaps, some men too. Penny hopes these tips will make you laugh.
10 Tips will be running thoughout the festival.
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3 DaysDirector: Julie Sharbutt|Country: United States|Run Time: 12 minutesSynopsis:
When three women friends sense danger on a camping trip, they keep each other laughing until a horrible twist makes them feel more alone than ever.
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Am I Pretty?Director: Jennifer Proctor|Country: United States|Run Time: 10 minutesSynopsis:
A visually silent film appropriating audio from YouTube videos uploaded by tween and teen girls primarily in 2012 as part of a meme. In these videos, the young women entreat viewers to evaluate whether or not they are pretty and post their responses in the comments. Am I Pretty? seeks to call attention to the act of spectatorship invoked in these videos, and what results when the visual basis for judgment is withheld – an acousmatic reduction through the denial of the promised image.
Trailer or Website:https://cargo.jenniferproctor.com/Am-I-Pretty -
Athena - Goddess of Heroic EndeavorDirector: Chris Hollo|Country: United States|Run Time: 14 minutesSynopsis:
A young woman pursuing a career in both welding and modeling reveals the challenges she encounters in each.
Trailer or Website:https://vimeo.com/295438619 -
Betty - They Say I'm DifferentDirector: Philip Cox|Country: United States|Run Time: 56 minutesSynopsis:
Betty Davis arrived on the 70's scene to break boundaries for women with her daring personality, iconic fashion and outrageous funk music. She befriended Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone, wrote songs for the Chambers Brothers and the Commodores, and married Miles Davis – startlingly turning him from jazz to jazz fusion on the album she named "Bitches Brew." Despite being banned and boycotted, she then went on to become the first black woman to perform, write and manage herself. Then suddenly – she vanished.
Trailer or Website:http://www.nastygalmovie.com/ -
Born as a GirlDirector: Marek Kłosowicz|Country: Colombia, Poland|Run Time: 61 minutesSynopsis:
Pregnant girls at the age of 13 or grandmothers at the age of 26 are of no surprise in Colombian slums. In the poorest social class, violence against women is especially striking: rape, sexual abuse or sex trafficking of minors happen on everyday basis. Colombia is a country that experienced a brutal 50-years long civil war as well as ruthless drug cartels. The long escalation of violence has caused millions to suffer extreme poverty. The situation in Colombia has forced over 7 million people to leave their homes. Most of them now live in slums. Such a situation is the most difficult for women, who are additionally victims of violence and stigmatization resulting from a characteristic of Latin America machismo culture.
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DivaDirector: Maggie Levin|Country: United States|Run Time: 10 minutesSynopsis:
A fledgling pop star finds herself chained to the machine of a world tour she can't stop.
Trailer or Website:https://vimeo.com/275522028 -
DoormatsDirector: Susana Benaim, Mary Castellanos|Country: United States|Run Time: 13 minutesSynopsis:
A short film about two people who are tired of being stepped on.
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Drive BackDirector: Cherine Khoury|Country: United Arab Emirates|Run Time: 4 minutesSynopsis:
When the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia lifted its ban on women driving on June 24, 2018, young Saudi woman Rawan Hamza starts a journey of 800 kms from Dubai, UAE to Saudi Arabia, alongside her brother, to surprise her mom back home.
Trailer or Website:http://driveback-shortfilm.tbwaraad.com/ -
The Elephant's SongDirector: Lynn Tomlinson|Country: United States|Run Time: 8 minutesSynopsis:
The Elephant's Song tells the true and tragic tale of Old Bet, the first circus elephant in America, as recounted in song by her friend the old farm dog. Their story is portrayed in colorful, handcrafted animation, created frame by frame with clay-on-glass and oil pastel animation.
Trailer or Website:https://vimeo.com/248369317 -
The FeelsDirector: JJ Anderson|Country: United States|Run Time: 4 minutesSynopsis:
The Feels is a short documentary that explores one maker's beautiful and complex journey in finding balance between her mental health and entrepreneurial spirit.
Trailer or Website:http://www.hrdwrker.com/ -
From The Afghan People For AmericansDirector: Esther Hyneman|Country: United States, Afghanistan|Run Time: 46 minutesSynopsis:
In Afghanistan, one of the most dangerous countries for women, filmmakers explore the progress the people have made in overcoming the social ills that have impeded their country's development, especially the oppression of women and the denial of education to girls. The primary voices in the documentary are those of the Afghan people, who speak for themselves and their country throughout the film.
Trailer or Website:https://www.efhfilms.com/ -
Gloria's CallDirector: Cheri Gaulke|Country: United States|Run Time: 17 minutesSynopsis:
Scholar Gloria Orenstein's life is forever changed through her wild journey into friendships with the women artists of Surrealism. As she witnesses the visionary art and personal struggles of Leonora Carrington, Jane Graverol, Leonor Fini and Meret Oppenheim, she discovers her personal calling as a pioneer scholar of Surrealism and ecofeminism. Gloria's Call takes viewers from the cafes of Paris to the mountaintops of Samiland through richly layered art, animation and personal storytelling. This film delightfully reveals an often unseen history of women in the arts.
Trailer or Website:http://gloriascall.com/ -
Hair TriggerDirector: Taylor Schafer|Country: United States|Run Time: 8 minutesSynopsis:
School shooting survivor Sadie, her mother Terry, and Sadie's best friend Elyse struggle to reconcile the night before the rest of Sadie's classmates return to school without her.
Trailer or Website:https://vimeo.com/256353126 -
The Hanji BoxDirector: Nora Jacobson|Country: United States|Run Time: 60 minutesSynopsis:
The Hanji Box is about Hannah, an American mother emerging heartbroken from a divorce, and Rose, her adopted Korean daughter. When the mysterious Hanji Box—Rose’s precious link to Korea—is broken, Hannah travels to New York’s Koreatown to try to mend it. By chance she meets a charismatic Korean artist, who takes her on a journey of cultural discovery. Nuanced performances by the actors illuminate issues of longing and belonging, loss, mothering, identity and US-Korean history. The Hanji Box was inspired by the autobiographical memoir of an adoptive mother haunted by the origins of her adopted Korean children.
Trailer or Website:http://thehanjiboxmovie.com/ -
HappyDirector: A.R. Kagan|Country: United States|Nevada Filmmaker (Las Vegas)|Run Time: 16 minutesSynopsis:
In this "Horro-mance," a socially awkward clown discovers the thin line between love and lust as he pursues a beautiful and sympathetic aerialist.
NSC Student.
Trailer or Website:http://aprilrayne9.wixsite.com/arkagan/development -
He Said, She SaidDirector: Sara Friedman|Country: United States|Run Time: 5 minutesSynopsis:
Sara goes up for a job against a real crybaby in a world where men and women are held to very different standards.
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Hello DarlingDirector: Anais Thomassian|Country: United States|Nevada Filmmaker (Las Vegas)|Run Time: 12 minutesSynopsis:
A fed up woman transforms after she finds something in an old woman’s closet.
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I'm Just HereDirector: Lara Aslanian|Country: United States|Run Time: 16 minutesSynopsis:
In an instant, we can make decisions to fly away from it all and give up or stay and fight to thrive. I'm Just Here is a short story that makes us stop, even if it's just for a moment, and realize that we have more in common with those around us than we ever think we do. It shows us just how impactful three small words can be.
Trailer or Website:https://www.imjustherefilm.com/ -
Icarus RisingDirector: Sara Hermann|Country: United States, United Kingdom|Nevada Filmmaker (Las Vegas)|Run Time: 32 minutesSynopsis:
Icarus Rising is the story of two best friend fighter pilots, one in the USAF and one in the RAF, and the aftermath of a friendly fire incident.
Trailer or Website:http://icarusrising.com/ -
ImpulseDirector: Jemsen Yumico Bollozos|Country: United States|Nevada Filmmaker (Las Vegas)|Student|Run Time: 10 minutesSynopsis:
A documentary about a dancer and her struggles as an artist. A story about how dance influences her life and the people around her.
"I considered myself an artist; yes a dancer, a performer, someone who's crazy, but I am an artist!" - Kalie Mclaughlin
UNLV Student
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Jephthah's DaughterDirector: Tova Beck-Friedman|Country: United States|Run Time: 5 minutesSynopsis:
Based on the biblical story of Jephthah's Daughter, the video-poem is a monument to an unnamed victim sacrificed on the altar of a victorious father, unnamed but not spared.
Trailer or Website:https://tbfstudio.com/project/jephthahs-daughter/ -
Keely and DuDirector: Laurie Colbert, Dominique Cardona|Country: Canada|Run Time: 80 minutesSynopsis:
Adapted from the Pulitzer Prize nominated play by Jane Martin, Keely and Du is a gripping psychological thriller that explores and humanizes the abortion controversy by taking the anti-choice agenda to a frightening new battleground.
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LikenessDirector: Emily Diana Ruth|Country: Canada|Run Time: 9 minutesSynopsis:
On a rare visit to her childhood home, a young woman is catapulted into the past life of her mother.
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A Little Bit PregnantDirector: Summer Chastant|Country: United States|Run Time: 9 minutesSynopsis:
A dark comedy about a woman trying everything to convince herself that having a baby can save her marriage.
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Love Always, MomDirector: Tricia Russo, Craig E. Shapiro|Country: United States|Run Time: 94 minutesSynopsis:
After 3 plus years battling stage 4 breast cancer, Trish Russo and her husband Greg, make the controversial decision to embark on a journey to have a child using an egg donor and a surrogate. The couple pick up the camera and turn it on themselves, initially to provide a resource for others who need to use alternative technology to build a family but it becomes much more than that. With both tears and laughter, we follow Trish and Greg as they get unique offers from friends and family to be surrogates and egg donors, follow them in the OR as they retrieve eggs and transfer embryos, and finally experience all the nerves and joys of pregnancy and birth.
Trailer or Website:https://vimeo.com/269262349 -
Moon RabbitDirector: Kae Ho|Country: Japan, United Kingdom|Run Time: 14 minutesSynopsis:
During a visit to her grandparents in Japan, everything changes for 7-year-old Rio, who is obsessed with the Japanese folklore, Moon Rabbit.
Trailer or Website:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBc-MHZACXE -
Mouchette on East 4thDirector: Gaby Leyner|Country: United States|Run Time: 13 minutesSynopsis:
Lilah and Dan, two film students, go for drinks after their second dinner date. Dan's remarks and his conversation with his friend, the bartender, become increasingly condescending and vaguely misogynistic. Lilah offers, as a rebuke, her inspired reenactment of the climactic scene from a classic French movie about a silenced young woman.
Trailer or Website:https://vimeo.com/321161082 -
Mr. Right NowDirector: Carl Bartels|Country: United States|Run Time: 15 minutesSynopsis:
Of course a woman can get sex anytime she wants, right? Right?! Not Amy!
When you're forty, hot and smart, getting laid should be as easy as a smile, a drink, and 'your place or mine.' Not for Amy! If there are plenty of fish in the sea, what is wrong with her that she can't land even one and what is she willing to go through to get a man into bed?!
Trailer or Website:https://www.bellipoma.com/ -
Night Comes OnDirector: Jordana Spiro|Country: United States|Run Time: 86 minutesSynopsis:
Winner of the Sundance 2018 Innovator Award.
Angel LaMere is released from juvenile detention on the eve of her 18th birthday. Haunted by her past, she embarks on a journey with her 10 year-old sister that could destroy their future. Written by Angelica Nwandu.
VANGUARD SCREENING honoring Jordana Spiro & Angelica Nwandu
Trailer or Website:http://www.samuelgoldwynfilms.com/night-comes-on/ -
#NoMore AKA 10 SyllablesDirector: Emily Skyle-Golden|Country: United States|Nevada Filmmaker (Reno)|Run Time: 16 minutesSynopsis:
With one action, he took away her choice. With one voice, she started a movement.
After the justice system fails her, Parker sets off on a journey to turn her #metoo into everyone's #nomore.
Every media sound bite in this film is from an actual sexual assault case. Every #nomore message is from one of the 500+ survivors that bravely shared their story with us.
Trailer or Website:https://www.10syllables.com/ -
PaigeDirector: Bjarne Salen|Country: United States|Run Time: 22 minutesSynopsis:
Follow the best female big wave surfer on the planet, Paige Alms on her journey in Hawaii to surf the biggest waves in the world while being a great inspiration to the next generation.
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PlantsDirector: Mike Suchmann|Country: United States|Run Time: 18 minutesSynopsis:
Plants is the story of Amy, a weed dealer in New York City, dealing to make ends meet. She's never been failed by her trusty referral system, until she gets a text from Mark, one fateful summer afternoon.
Trailer or Website:https://vimeo.com/310681125 -
Razzle My BerriesDirector: Heather Aradas|Country: United States|Nevada Filmmaker (Las Vegas)|Run Time: 9 minutesSynopsis:
A 1950’s beauty shop holds the town’s secret to youth in a pretty little jar. Sarah, the new holiday hire, learns what some women will do to keep themselves looking razzled and dazzled.
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RepresentativeDirector: Kelly Wittenberg|Country: United States|Native of Nevada|Run Time: 9 minutesSynopsis:
1. typical of a class, group, or body of opinion. 2. a person chosen or elected to speak and act on behalf of others in a legislative assembly or deliberative body. 3. serving as a portrayal or symbol of something.
Trailer or Website:http://kellywittenberg.com/ -
Rise of the CatwomanDirector: Markiss McFadden|Country: United States|Nevada Filmmaker (Las Vegas)|Run Time: 13 minutesSynopsis:
An origin story fan web series following Selina Kyle as she rises from orphanhood as a street level cat burglar working for Sal Maroni's gang, to a strong and bold Catwoman set on a journey of revenge.
Trailer or Website:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMBVvFVOEPQ -
The RivetersDirector: Kate Felix|Country: Canada|Run Time: 3 minutesSynopsis:
Fed up with her 'lame duck' status, The Upstart decides to face The Patriarch in a 1940's feminist throw-down.
Trailer or Website:https://elokofilms.com/the-riveters/ -
SarahDirector: Shanny Chen|Country: United States|Run Time: 3 minutesSynopsis:
This is a story of a mysterious little girl who collects glass bottles from the ocean. With each bottle she collects she hangs them under a gazebo at the end of a dock.
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Silver GirlsDirector: Mike Breen|Country: United States|Nevada Filmmaker (Reno)|Run Time: 13 minutesSynopsis:
What's a best friend for if not some precious meddling?
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Still LifeDirector: Jennifer Dean|Country: United States|Run Time: 2 minutesSynopsis:
A short-short film celebrating the art that keeps us sane even when life makes us crazy.
Trailer or Website:http://jenniferdean.biz/index.php/projects/still-life/ -
SwiftDirector: Byeo Ri Kim, Hae Deun Woo, Ye Bin Ahn|Country: United States|Student|Run Time: 5 minutesSynopsis:
Adventure created by students from the School of Visual Arts in New York City who study visual effects.
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The SummerlandsDirector: Kathryn L Bucher|Country: United States|Run Time: 90 minutesSynopsis:
Deeds is 13 and a bit of an oddball. Jill is a caustic 40. Half-sisters but complete strangers, they're not thrilled to be stuck in a car with each other for the next 5 days. The world outside the windows can pass in a blur unless you get out of the car. But then you have to deal with the people. Some are good, some... not so much.
Road movie, travelogue, experimental documentary, The Summerlands is the story of half sisters on a road trip up Eastern California's Highway 395.
Trailer or Website:https://www.straypetsfilms.com/ -
This Is CindyDirector: Terance Miller|Country: United States|Run Time: 30 minutesSynopsis:
Real estate agent Cindy Luzak gets stuck with a house she can't sell because it's haunted by the ghost of a little girl.
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UnderpressureDirector: Lilli Schwabe|Country: Austria|Run Time: 33 minutesSynopsis:
Clara, an aspiring gynecologist, is enthusiastically supporting her patients, no matter if they are bringing a child into the world or are making the decision to have an abortion. At the same time, she is attempting to be a good wife and loving mother to her two little children. However, with the increasing pressures of daily life, her self imposed belief systems are beginning to falter, her duties in the clinic suddenly seem insurmountable and her family life is slipping away.
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Veins of LifeDirector: Muslima Gulyamova|Country: United States|Run Time: 7 minutesSynopsis:
Veins of Life is a poetic adaptation of a passage from Hermann Hesse’s Bäume: Betrachtungen und Gedichte (Trees: Reflections and Poems) that celebrates life and nature. At the center of the story is Sayuri, who yearns to reconnect with her inner self. This longing brings her back to the forest of her childhood memories and dreams.
Trailer or Website:https://elephanttribe.org/ -
What RemainsDirector: Chiara Fleischhacker|Country: Germany|Run Time: 8 minutesSynopsis:
At the end of her wedding day, the bride Elaha has locked herself in the bathroom with her two closest friends to insert an artificial hymen inside her. But now Elaha is hesitating. The clock is ticking and the bathroom seems to be getting smaller and smaller.