The entire program will screen once, then a second time with commentary by the directors.

A person talking during a film can be the most annoying thing imaginable – unless that person is the director. Join Vimeo curator Ina Pira as she screens select Nitehawk Shorts Festival Award Winners with live, unscripted commentary from some of the best of NSF19!

Founded in 2008, Vimeo Staff Picks has emerged as one of the preeminent channels for online video and one of the most coveted awards for young filmmakers, having helped launch the careers of many celebrated directors. Hear from the next generation of storytellers in a format that’s sure to be eclectic and insightful.

NIGHT SWIM (12 min)
Director Victoria Rivera
Audience Choice Award for Closing Nite
Three teenage girls break into a shut down pool. When uninvited guests show up, their friendship is tested and one of them is left behind.

SEE YOU NEXT TIME (6 min)
Director Crystal Kayiza
Audience Choice Award for Closing Nite
SEE YOU NEXT TIME reaches across the nail salon table to capture the intimate moments shared between a Chinese nail artist and her Black client.

END OF TUNNEL (5 1/2 min)
Director Sam Sulam
Music Driven Award Winner
Henny Mack ruminates on his past failures and how he uses positive feedback as a freestyle rap MC to propel him away from the negativity in his neighborhood.

THE MAKING OF PANTHERA (5 min)
Co-Director Renee Mao
Audience Choice Award for Opening Nite
Brooklyn-based drag queen Panthera Lush spends painstaking hours behind the sewing machine designing couture-worthy looks. Weaving cinéma vérité and choreographed drama, this documentary short follows Panthera and her chameleonic friends to take a closer look at the creative process behind the ever-evolving art form of drag.

PRINCESS RITA (10 min)
Writer Mallory Rice
NSF19 Jury Award Winner
A lonely insurance adjuster becomes consumed by his desire to meet his internet girlfriend, who claims to be a princess from a faraway country.