FILM FEST PETALUMA
May 4, 2019, Mystic Theatre
Saturday Matinee Shorts (12:00pm)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Grant Anderson and Neo Wagner, USA, 5 minutes
After wishing his deceased father a happy birthday, a young man finds himself on a dizzying, inescapable journey into the unknown. The result is a fascinating blend of narrative and experimental cinema that earned Santa Rosa High School students Grant Anderson and Neo Wagner the Sonoma County Student Film Festival Audience Award.
MARGUERITE
Marianne Farley, Canada, 19 minutes
When a seventy-year-old diabetic woman finds out that her home care nurse is in an intimate relationship with a woman, she gradually emerges from her loneliness and is able to confront feelings and desires that she had suppressed when she was young. Nominated for Best Live Action Short at the 2019 Academy Awards.
DIDDL ZAPPING
Thomas Goletz, Germany, 3 minutes
Diddl and Diddlina love watching movies together, but when the TV set is struck by lightning Diddl decides to put on a show of his own.
TWO LIVES
Alberto Collado De Lis, Spain, 6 minutes
Walking home after work, Marcos bumps into an old crush from high school. As forgotten memories and feelings resurface, he realizes that his friend’s life has taken an entirely different path.
ETERNITY
Anna Sobolevska, Ukraine, 24 minutes
It’s 2058 and corporations are able to digitize the souls of the dying and place them in the digital hereafter, beyond the grave. Ian and his wife have opposing ethical views on the issue, until an unforeseen event makes Ian reconsider his principles.
FIRST DISCO
Helen Reilly, Ireland, 18 minutes
Ireland, 1983. Kelly feels awkward and self-conscious around her first crush. Her new braces don’t make it any easier, but with the help of her best friend, she comes to a personal epiphany.
KEEP THE GASLIGHT BURNING
Lou and Dave Elsey, USA, 19 minutes
Every night the ghost of Mr. Maxwell terrorizes his wife, but as long as the gas lights are on, he cannot enter her bedroom. Mrs. Maxwell’s new lady’s companion is brave enough to take on the job of feeding the gas meter, but when the ghost finally materializes, things take an unexpected turn.
Saturday Afternoon Shorts (3:00pm)
AUDITIONS FOR THE KING
Devin Lehrer, Candice Penland, and Yareen Avni, USA, 10 minutes
Elliot Tilich is hoping to enter the national Elvis Presley Tribute Artist Contest in Memphis. Training is hard, but with the help of a professional Elvis coach, Elliot is confident he’ll succeed. Written and directed in the style of a Christopher Guest faux documentary, Auditions for the King is a collaborative effort by SRJC students and features a stand-out performance by Eli Torres as the main character.
SOMEBODY AND NOBODY
Joscha Douma, Germany, 27 minutes
In this German kammerspielfilm dressed like a western movie, notorious bandit Black Wolf sends his henchmen to rob a family riding home on the heels of a lucrative business deal. Aron, the bravest family member, manages to rout the robbers, but the unexpected consequences of his heroic gesture prompt his reserved brother Jonah to prove his manliness and gain the respect of his disapproving father.
ANIMAL BEHAVIOR
Alison Snowden and David Fine, Canada, 14 minutes
Four animals meet once a week in a group therapy session led by Dr. Clement, a canine psychotherapist. When a cynical newcomer named Victor joins the group, his confrontational, matter-of-fact attitude brings the group to a breaking point.
RELICIOUS
Eugenio Villani and Raffaele Palazzo, Italy, 8 minutes
With so many different brands available, shopping for yogurt can be a difficult task. And when your grocery store is the allegorical type, making an informed choice is crucial.
NURSERY RHYMES
Tom Noakes, Australia, 5 minutes
A metalhead singing nursery rhymes on a rural highway might sound like material for a Surrealist film, but as soon as the camera moves and unveils the surroundings, a different, unexpected narrative begins to unfold.
BLOCK
Mostafa Rabbani, Iran, 15 minutes
When his parents go out of town for a couple of days, Ehsan asks his best friend to help him find a prostitute and bring her home, without drawing the attention of his judgmental neighbors. The goal is quickly achieved, but when Ehsan wakes up in the morning and realizes that he overslept, he finds out that sneaking the woman out of the building without getting caught by the other tenants is going to be a much more difficult task.
CLAC!
Fabien Ara, France, 19 minutes
Brigitte decides to announce an important decision in a restaurant, with the hope that the public setting will discourage her daughters from making a scene. Surrounded by quiet restaurant patrons, the family discussion begins. Official selection at the 2018 Cannes Festival for the Semaine du Cinéma Positif.
Saturday Evening Shorts (7:30pm)
SCRIPT TO SCREEN
Sophie Martinez, USA, 5 minutes
Aspiring filmmakers learn that originality can be a tough goal when fighting budget constraints. SRJC student Sophie Martinez wrote and directed this parody of her personal experience for the Sonoma County Student Film Festival.
SHADOW ANIMALS
Jerry Carlsson, Sweden, 21 minutes
Marall follows her parents to a party where she’s reminded to behave properly. There she observes the social rituals and finds the adults’ behavior increasingly strange. Official Selection at the Palm Springs International ShortFest.
BIRD KARMA
William Salazar, USA, 5 minutes
When a gluttonous long-legged bird finds a pond filled with fish, he can hardly believe his good luck. Overwhelmed by the possibilities, he starts chasing a beautiful colored fish, but the karmic consequences of his greedy behavior will prove highly unfortunate.
ABOUT THE BIRDS AND THE BEES
J. J. Vanhanen, Finland, 12 minutes
It’s not easy to be a teenager in a small, isolated, frozen town. When you need to take care of a private matter, it’s more than likely that you’ll bump into the wrong people at the wrong time.
BENEATH THE INK
Cy Dodson, USA, 12 minutes
A tattoo artist in Ohio decides to challenge his Appalachian region by offering free tattoos to cover up previous mistakes. His motto is simple yet persuasive: “Bring me your mistakes and let’s erase the hate.”
AFTERWORK
Andrés Aguilar, Ecuador, 6 minutes
Groompy is a cartoon actor stuck in the same daily routines–at work, at home, and while commuting. Constantly chasing the proverbial carrot dangling in front of his eyes, one day he realizes that it may be beyond his reach.
PINK ELEPHANT
Ado Hasanović, Italy, 18 minutes
A Bosnian exchange student living in Italy goes back to Sarajevo to visit her parents and brings her new Italian boyfriend along. Everything goes smoothly until the father notices a tattoo on his daughter’s back.
A NIGHT AT THE GARDEN
Marshall Curry, USA, 7 minutes
On Feb 20, 1939, more than 20,000 people packed Madison Square Garden in New York City for an event now erased from popular memory. After locating and restoring the original footage, Marshall Curry edited it and set it to music, but instead of adding a traditional voice-over commentary, he decided to let the images speak for themselves. Nominated for Best Documentary Short at the 2019 Academy Awards.
CHORUS
César Tormo, Spain, 4 minutes
A father with a strict idea of rock and roll music harshly criticizes his daughter’s musical style. But on the day of her birthday his uncompromising musical convictions are about to be debunked.