We’re ready to dazzle you with our kickoff program, which includes several World Premieres and directorial debuts. Settings include the wasteland of a kid’s birthday party, an evangelical community in Oregon and the conflicted mind of a kidnapped woman. Grief, humorous interpersonal strife, and tough choices all play out to great effect.

Q&A moderated by Cristina Cacioppo, Nitehawk Cinema

You’re Invited to Tuscan’s 5th Birthday Party!
Lee Eddy / U.S. / 2023 / 14 min. / English
When her only son’s birthday party is ruined by a runaway pony, a stressed mother deals with the chaotic aftermath.

Meal Ticket
Wes Andre Goodrich / U.S. / 2024 / 13 min.  / English
Twelve minutes before showtime, a music manager is forced to decide what to do with life-changing news about his client, a hot-headed hip-hop star on the rise.

Hickey
Giovanna Molina / U.S. / 2023 / 20 min. / English
Three sisters come of age within a strict evangelical community in rural Oregon.

Homolita
Jude Dry / U.S. / 2024 / 8 min. / English
Two writers debate art and sex over a picnic date. As tensions rise, so do libidos, sparking an erotic dance between our better judgment and a need to get laid.

It Burns
Kate Maveau / Belgium / 2024 / 11 min. N/A
As the boundaries between the living and the dead blur, Irène’s denial navigates through the five stages of grief.

Baby Tooth
Olivia Accardo / U.S. / 2024 / 6 min. English
Marina has enlisted the help of a stranger to get rid of either her baby tooth, or her boat, whichever he prefers.

Female Captive
Brit Crawshaw, Josh Hayward / U.S. / 2023 / 12 min. / English
Dive inside the mind of a female captive as all the conflicting parts of her fight over what is true and what to do.

Dead On Arrival
Don Ahmad / U.S. / 2024 / 19 min. / English
After learning his abusive father is dying in the hospital, a troubled young man investigates a strange dream.