FILM FEST PETALUMA
May 2, 2015, Mystic Theatre
Saturday Afternoon Shorts (2:30pm)
TOUGH CASE
Stefan Perez, USA, 12 minutes
Written, directed, and starring SRJC student filmmaker Stefan Perez, this funny and innovative reinterpretation of the neo-noir film attempts to crack one tough case.
A GOOD FEELING
Benoit Rambourg, France, 21 minutes
When a paraplegic archer has a surprising discovery, it’s game on.
MEND AND MAKE DO
Bexie Bush, UK, 8 minutes
This beautifully crafted and amusing stop motion features the sentimental journey of an elderly woman named Lyn as she reminisces of wartime love.
PIGS
Laura Mohai, Singapore, 8 minutes
A young boy with Down’s syndrome attempts to care for a dying piglet and comfort his grieving mother. Beautifully shot, this somber tale won Best Student Film at Palm Springs International Shorts Festival in 2014.
THE FAN
Antony Webb, Australia, 18 minutes
Daniel is an ordinary man who leads a lonely life, until the death of his mother brings a strange inheritance and an unlikely friend.
BEAR
Bård Ivar Engelsås, Norway, 18 minutes
IMPOSTER
This dark and witty claymation follows a mysterious horned creature as he spies on an unsuspecting family enjoying their evening meal.
JEAN LOUP WHERE ARE YOU?
Ian Powell, USA, 4 minutes
Local filmmaker Ian Powell delivers a heartfelt story about a little boy yearning for escape.
World Shorts Showcase (7:30pm)
THE CARDBOARD ESCAPE
Kendra Goff, USA, 5 minutes
Film Fest Petaluma alumna Kendra Goff returns with fellow student filmmaker Cole Becker in this imaginative short about an unlikely childhood friendship.
STUMPED
Robin Berghaus, USA, 10 minutes
Stumped is a stirring documentary about the survival and physical rehabilitation of a filmmaker who suddenly finds himself a quadrilateral amputee. Director Robin Berghaus profiles this well-humored and extraordinary man as we follow him on his triumphant journey to the world of stand-up comedy.
ME+HER
Joseph Oxford, USA, 12 minutes
Impressively crafted with cardboard, this animated short follows the bittersweet story of Jack as he’s forced to think outside the box to ensure he’s reunited with his beloved Jill. Official Selection of the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.
VIVID
Guillaume Foresti, France, 23 minutes
Beatrice and Laurent are having marital problems but the source of their tension might be more than they bargained for.
ANXIOUS OSWALD GREEN
Marshall Axani, Canada, 11 minutes
In a desperate attempt to cure his crippling anxiety, Oswald Greene visits a fantastical clinic to have his fate thrown into the hands of a blind nurse, a talking fly, and an eccentric doctor with a knack for rhyming.
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THE TIDEKEEPER
Alyx Duncan, New Zealand, 9 minutes
One night an old seaman dreams a storm into his bed. Starring the filmmaker’s father and inspired by his life, this mesmerizing and surreal short film brilliantly combines elements of live action and stop motion.
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THE ANSWERS
Michael Goode, USA, 9 minutes
The Answers skillfully maneuvers between comedy and heartbreak, examining the afterlife of a man with one regret: lost love. Winner of Best Live Action Short at the 2015 Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
TASTE IN GUYS
Michelle Soyoung Yu, South Korea, 11 minutes
Sunah, a hopeless romantic, goes to the market, night after night, to find a guy with the same tastes as her. Will she find her match?
Late Night Shorts (10:30pm)
SUPERHERO HOTLINE
Miles Levin, USA, 8 minutes
SRJC student filmmaker Miles Levin returns with a clever and funny short that explores a world where superheroes not only exist but have a hotline where you can summon them for help.
D-24
Wooseok Shin, South Korea, 8 minutes
This thought provoking short takes place in the year 2072, where a lonely man seeks companionship after seeing a TV commercial for android wife model D-24. But will the product live up to his expectations?
GHOST TRAIN
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Lee Cronin, Finland/Ireland, 16 minutes
Once a year, estranged brothers Michael and Peter make a reluctant pilgrimage to the old fairground where their friend Sam went missing three decades ago. This time, Michael has a secret to confess.
FINGERS
Michiel ten Horn, Netherlands, 10 minutes
Wickedly funny and not for the faint of heart, high school mathematics teacher Bernd learns his student’s morals, values, and thoughts on sexuality are quite different from what he thought they were.
8 BULLETS
Frank Ternier, France, 13 minutes
This feverish and suspenseful mixed-media animation follows a grief-stricken French expat desperately seeking vengeance against a red haired man in Taipei who smells of fried fish. Official Selection of the Toronto International Film Festival.
KEKASIH
Diffan Sina Norman, Malaysia, 9 minutes
Kekasih, meaning lover or lovers, tells the story of a botanical professor desperately searching for a way to preserve his wife after death. Captivating and challenging, this unusual sci-fi romance is packed with surprising and stunning visuals.
HE TOOK HIS SKIN OFF FOR ME
Ben Aston, UK, 11 minutes
A film filled with stunning special effects and containing elements of romance, humor, and even a little bit of horror, this original tale chronicles the story of an ordinary man who decides to take his skin off for his girlfriend.
LEGACY
Grzegorz Jonkajtys, USA, 2 minutes
In 2030, patrolling alien spaceships follow a powerful radio signal to Earth, but what will they find?
I'M YOU, DICKHEAD
Lucas Testro, Australia, 12 minutes
A man travels back in time to convince his 10-year-old self to learn guitar so he can get more action with the ladies, but time traveling is not without its repercussions.