January 2015 Selects and winners

Based on a true story, A SONG FOR MANZANAR is based on one chapter of a forthcoming novel written by author and educator Yosh Golden. It is set in 1945 Manzanar Japanese American Internment Camp and is about a young mother, Sachie, who is driven to instill hope in her playful son while try to communicate with her sister Hiroko who still lives in Hiroshima. Although not physically together, the sisters write letters to each other and through the Japanese childhood folk song, 'The Crow' they maintain hope that one they will be reunited. The film is by Yosh's daughter Kazuko Golden and is about her mother Yosh who was born in Manzanar and her grandmother Sachie, the main protagonist in the film.

A Stage For Size

Dir. By Corina Maritescu

A Stage For Size' is a short documentary telling the story of a few women whose journey in life is one of self-love, self-care and self-acceptance. In contemporary America, weight loss and weight gain are a common obsession-from the much talked about 'obesity epidemic' to the beautification industry, we all have at one point been dissatisfied with our weight. But for a small, yet active community in Los Angeles, fatness is a reason for love and pride. Together, they explore new and radical ways of looking at bodies and advocating for their (and everyone's) right to define beauty and health for themselves.Join us on this journey, be challenged and perhaps find a new perspective.

Alekto

Dir. Thomas Kaufmann

Policewoman Julia Forward is kidnapped by the Alektro Corporation and is being transported in a Body Transport Unit from Earth. Distraught and unaware of where she is, she awakens in a clearing surrounded by dense forest. Primitive armed warriors surround her and begin to close in. A chase proceeds but she is unable to flee and is captured. Alektro is a science fiction short film which invokes questions about conspiracy theories and the entire evolution of Man. An earthling is kidnapped into space, discovering parallel dimensions that she could have never imagined.

Arena

Dir. Natalie Metzger

ARENA captures the intense spiraling of corporate social combat inside an ancient stone circle. Eons ago, societies built stone circles, centers of power. Centuries later, they built cities enclosed within large stone walls. In contemporary cities without those walls, we still feel the concentrated energy of many human wills; the different loves, hopes, and fears colliding and creating urban intensity. Living in cities, we step out of our privacy into an arena of people supporting each other, battling each other, watching each other, meeting each other, taking the measure of each other.

Artemis and Bow

Dir. Corina Maritescu

Diana is a badass queer femme who is not afraid to speak her mind and whose greatest challenge is vulnerability. Archer is a trans guy with a complicated past, who's finally found his dream woman. But when they are faced with heartbreak and distrust, can they learn to make room for each other amidst the hurt? Throughout the film, Archer and Diana's relationship goes through three different moments of great challenge. With each new discovery, the two must negotiate whether to stay or leave, and reevaluate their individual roles in their relationship.

Astro Son

Dir. Michelle Cassis

Tharir, and 8-year-old kid, wants to become an astronaut to meet with his dad.

Awkward Expressions Of Love

Dir. Trilby Glover

An amusing tale of Anna, a lovelorn young gift shop owner, her much more level-headed best friend and the personal trainer at the center of the storm.

Better than Normal

Dir. Laura Rebullen

Grace, a good conservative Christian girl, feels like an outcast and abnormal, and therefore decides to lose her virginity by the peer pressure of her best friends.

Bibliophilia

Dir. Thash Mose

A meek librarian finds her life in danger when she stumbles upon the seedy underbelly of the library…

Black Sail - Chastity Belt

Dir. Maegan Houang

In this Western/Zombie mashup, after a family of Oregon Trail pioneers is stranded in an endless desert, they soon find themselves entirely unprepared to face nature’s unforgiving cruelty. Desperately low on supplies, they soon learn that nature is not their greatest enemy, but rather the boundaries each of them will push to survive.

California Women Win the Vote!

Dir. Martha Wheelock & Marita Simpson

Using both historical materials and live re-enactments, this film presents the dramatic suffrage campaign that won the Women of California the Right to Vote nine years before the Federal amendment. The Campaign becomes a role model and motivation for the rest of the country. Today the tactics and spirit of these women are a guide and inspiration for citizen activism in a democratic society. No Matter from what state you hail, this right to vote battle shows how to embrace diversities and interests for a common cause. This is history and personalities, art and argument, a foundation of civil rights here and throughout the world.

Cancun

Dir. Isabelle A. Girard

A woman damaged by life writes her suicide letter in a motel room. Surprised by her husband, she hides pills and revolver. He enters and causes a tantrum. He tries to appease their unhappiness with promises of love and travel. But who will benefit from this vacation?

Cassandra

Dir. Guy-Roger Duvert

Two thieves infiltrate a besieged medieval city, in order to retrieve an artifact. They thought they had nothing to lose. They were wrong...

Choices

Dir. Joy Mahaffey

Sarah Martin's mother is wanting a grandchild pronto!

So with the support of her friends, she tries speedating and finds a few interesting choices.

Cinder Pumpkin

Dir. Fi Dieter

Cinder Ellen James Believes all she needs for the gorgeous, unreachable Max to fall in love with her is a single chance.

Coat Room

Dir. Katie White

Lydia rejoins her family for the holidays after a few years hiatus where she faces the music of her missteps in life.

Dance of the books

Dir. Lorena Fernandez

Â¨Dance of the booksÂ¨ is a stop motion animated short film written and directed by Lorena Fernandez Carrillo. Look what surprises these timid books are hiding on a stormy night... (Â© Lorena Fernandez Carrillo, All Rights Reserved)

Dark Outside

Dir. Amanda Jermyn

A dark comedy about love, forgiveness and revenge. After punishing her husband for years of mistreatment, Christy calls on her sister for support. The situation becomes both perilous and absurd, threatening to destroy their relationship.

Daughter of an Ocean

Dir. Kintan Chauhan

By remembering the story of a fish told by her mother, Daughter realizes that the story was not just about little fish who wanted to live freely, but was meant for her to understand that she should live her life with freedom, as her mother never did.

Dinner Time

Dir. Megan Spatz

Leo, a young boy, is constantly nagged by his parents who don't understand his obsession with playing with food. Once they leave the room, however, we see the power of his imagination first-hand as he creates an epic tale with the food on his dinner plate! All stop motion sequences were created with real food.

Dreaming Foreingers

Dir. Lauren Hyun Sun Ahn

In Republic of Korea, a phenomenon similar to one experienced in America in the late 17th century is occurring today. Thousands of immigrants are immigrating to South Korea to work as laborers, yet the government ensures no rights for them. The difficulty they face is captured in the video through the interviews and clips of a group of Cambodians living at a center called the Station of Earth's People.

Effloresce

Dir. Kathleen Davison

Following a miscarriage and broken engagement, Amelia makes an unorthodox decision to move in next door to her ex, testing her theory that love can be re-purposed, but is not disposable ... her experiment is met with considerable challenges.

Ephemeral

Dir. Diego Modino

Alicia dreams of becoming a ballet dancer. In the cozy windmill where she lives with her grandmother, she impatienly waits for the moment to go for the long-awaited audition. But out there the world is not as idyllic as she thinks…

Find You

Dir. Isabelle Swiderski

RAEANNE is lost. She awakes, disoriented and unwell, deep in a forest. She finds herself faced with OLIVIA, a mysterious child who claims to know a path to safety. But the forest is fraught with unexpected dangers and RAEANNE's confusion makes the expedition arduous, forcing both RAEANNE and OLIVIA to work together to save themselves.

First Shift Back

Dir. Sara Radle

A bartender returns to work after taking some time off following the recent sudden death of her friend, who was a regular customer at the bar where she works.

Garden Party

Dir. Tamar Kummel

Vicky and her friends gather for their weekly garden tea gathering, but there's a problem.

Guitar Lessons

Dir. Deborah Geffner

Claire, a married woman, considers an affair with her daughter's guitar teacher, only to learn that her desires lead to a tragic end.

Hair

Dir. Bryce Marrero

A comedy exploring the relationship between a obliviously dorky hair stylist and her self-centered beauty pageant-obsessed younger sister.

HANDS

Dir. LUCIANA CAPELA

Hope is a sweet girl who dreams about finding her perfect match and she believes that hands are the way of being sure if the person is the right one.

HAPPILY EVER SPINSTER

Dir. Charlie Vaughn

Although twenty-nine year old Zoeie may be looking for the love of her life, there is hardly anything romantic about this comedy. Based on a true story.

Hard

Dir. Alexandra Kotcheff

A twenty-five year woman questions her virginity with a therapist while keeping one big secret to herself.

Hidden Heart

Dir. Susan Gallagher

When life gets muddy, put on your big girl boots. After Jodie's dysfunctional family falls apart and she's betrayed by a friend, she finds relief in the strength and humor of her boot stomping Aunt Viva Lea.

Icebox

Dir. Momo Lee Aoi

In a world where one cannot look over their shoulder without being watched, no secret is safe. Adam, a young man trying to recover from a bad breakup and unemployment, unwittingly hacks into the security system and discovers a secret of his 80 year old neighbor, Mrs. Bean. After confronting his neighbor, Adam agrees to assist with the chore, however being young and foolish gets the best of him. Adam, backing out at the last minute, and it leads to unexpected consequence.

IN PLAIN SIGHT: Stories of Hope & Freedom

Dir. David Trotter & Noah Lamberth

Executive produced and narrated by Natalie Grant, IN PLAIN SIGHT is an inspiring documentary featuring the work of six female abolitionists as they fight against sex trafficking in the United States. Journeying to six US cities, the film opens the viewer's eyes to what's happening down the street 'in plain sight.' Through engaging interviews with numerous victims of sex trafficking, the force, coercion, and deception of the children and women becomes apparent. In the midst of the darkness, stories of hope and freedom emerge as each survivor shares how she was impacted through the work of a sex trafficking aftercare home founded by one of the featured abolitionists.

J.R. Richards ~ Precious Stone

Dir. Min Reid

A dark music video for J.R. Richards (original lead singer/songwriter of 'Dishwalla') of his song 'Precious Stone' that featured on 'Criminal Minds'!

Jet Lag

Dir. Rachel Avery

An unhappy couple travel to Hollywood from a far away land to try to salvage their relationship but when they each experience jet lag at opposing times of the day, their adventures take them closer to themselves, re-igniting their passion for life and thus each other.

Jupiter's Glare

Dir. Rebecca Gower

A massive gender crisis has gripped the planet. Women vastly outnumber men and the authorities try all sorts of incentives to help restore the balance.The time has come for one teenager to face up to a difficult choice - one which has life-long consequences and no teenager feels ready to answer: Shall I become male or female?

Last Writes

Dir. Pewee Piemonte

Friday 1/23/2015 Block 2

A woman tired of her unsupportive family decides to find out about her banished uncle after he dies. She stumbles upon a plethora of 'love letters' written to him during World War II. She sets out to find the author of these letters who only goes by 'B.' Who she finds as her uncle's true love is quite different than she imagined; but the love she finds is the kind she could only pray for in her own life.

Letters To R

Dir. Jessy Leigh Smith

A documentary unveiling the beginnings of a beautiful love affair through actual letters, handwritten, by a young army man, to his sweetheart, 'R,' during the Korean War in 1951. A true love story; the dialogue comes solely from the letters written by the late, Larry Rubinstein.

Little Treasure

Dir. Victoria Zika

After Ginnie's boyfriend proposes to her in an extravagant manner, she examines her unexpected response in a musical journey through her own memories.

Lossed

Dir. Carlos Carrasco

Two friends experience a surprising role reversal while facing an emotional crisis.

Lovers, Dreamers

Dir. Robin Zweig

An experimental short film based on Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream

Melanie

Dir. Tiffany Wu

A woman recovering from sexual assault finds solace in martial arts. As she begins to reclaim her identity, she hatches a plan that brings her face to face with her attacker - but this time on her terms.

Modern Homemakers

Dir. Ashley Maria

A boyfriend and girlfriend whose relationship reverses stereotypical gender roles start down a rocky road to creating a home together. Can these two become modern homemakers, or will the pressure of gender norms push them apart?

Monogamish

Dir. Bill Hendricks

With their marriage on the rocks, Helen and John desperately attempt to salvage their relationship. To that end, they visit the home of Sheryl, a lively yet mysterious housewife who befriends the unhappy couple. As the night progresses, Sheryl's intentions become more clear, even as she copes with the ever-bickering twosome. What results is anything but an ordinary gathering among friends.

Mythica: A Quest For Heroes

Dir. Anne Black

Friday 1/23/2015 Block 2

Stuck in a life of indentured servitude, Marek dreams of becoming a wizard. When she meets a beautiful priestess, Teela, in need of help, Marek escapes her master and puts together a team of adventurers - including Thane the Warrior and Dagen the Thief – and embarks on an epic quest to free Teela’s sister from a vicious ogre.

On Georgia's Mind

Dir. Montana Mann

After getting a clean bill of health along with a truly annoying dating challenge from her oncologist, 40-something Georgia takes surviving to the next level by plunging into her first so-called date after divorce, all while blogging about it on her mommy blog, ON GEORGIA'S MIND. Most of the time Georgia tries to do everything right, to color within the lines, but that doesn't stop her from fantasizing about what she'd really like to do instead. Through the help of her loyal readers and two opinionated sidekicks, Georgia gets ready for the most important effing date of her life.

On the Bridge

Dir. Emily Abt

A man and woman are falling for one another but things may not be what they seem. Both faced with a tough decision, we see what power really lies in acceptance and trust as impending danger looms at the door.

One More Day

Dir. Jean Barker

It's the year 2084, and Chloe (80), enters a Euthanasia Preparedness Center to begin a mandatory process leading to a peaceful death. But after she runs into long-lost childhood sweetheart Tom (also 80) in the center, they decide to escape to live or die on their own terms on the outside.

Panic Button

Dir. Jonathan Lawrence

Panic Button has the driving force of a rock song, and so much power and emotion in the lyrics and in the voice telling the story! It is Misty's voice. It is her very personal story.Panic Button explores the relationship with 'self', and if that relationship is suffering, than all things in a person's life will be adversely affected.It's a roller coaster ride filled with stunts, action, wire work, ratchets and a 40 foot high fall! The visual effects are extraordinary! The mirror world set is so beautiful, yet haunting.It's a dark, deep emotional story!Misty's only wish is that the story inspires people!

Peter's Ashes

Dir. Julie Herlocker

After a beloved son and husband passes away, the three women closest to him have a knock-down, drag-out over what his final wishes were for his remains.

Plastic

Dir. Olivia Saperstein

Brian (Yuval David) buys a blow-up doll somewhat regrettably. But soon after, his roommate, Steve (Keith Kingbay), finds it in his closet and brings it out just in time for their party. The doll is perversely enjoyed by all except Carrie (Cait Bliss), who sympathizes with this personified object. As the party rolls on, we can't help but question the mortality of this piece of plastic. A fun, yet vulgar story that calls into question objectification, gender stereotypes, and the strange alienation of post-millennial dating life.

Plus

Dir. Chun Chun Chang

There are 2 little creatures who want to kiss. On the other hand,they can't even touch each other.

POWER

Dir. Jeanny Gering

The brutal gang rape of a young woman in Delhi shocked the world. Self-defense teacher Debi Steven traveled to India to show thousands of girls and women how to fight back if they're attacked or raped. Debi is on a mission to end violence against women and to protect others from what she had to experience. POWER follows her through India and asks: what has changed for the lives of women in India since the Delhi gang rape in 2012?

Prelude

Dir. Mitra Shahidi

Prelude is a whimsical story of a creative little girl and her scientist grandfather. A series of happy accidents cause the relationship between these two get stronger.

Primrose Lane

Dir. Kathleen Davison

The decision to enter an unlocked home triggers an irreversible chain of events for Robin and Chris, catapulting them into an alternate reality where they are not as alone as they think.

Retch

Dir. Caitlin Noah

Retch is a surrealistic view of a young girl's perception of her first love and the unsettling moments leading up to her encounter with her ex after their break up.

Ropes

Dir. Watts

A head cheerleader has something to hide. She goes to the end of her rope to keep it from the rest of the school

Rue's Eden

Dir. Micaela Colman

Guilt is useless. Rue is struggling to find a way through her grief. The loss of Luke, her previous lover is dragging her into the depths. Rue enjoys feeling the weight of it as it pulls her under. The guilt is gone there, but it's only for as long as she can hold her breath.

Seeds of a Generation

Dir. Karen Criswell

SEEDS OF A GENERATION is a short documentary exploring the hopes, fears, and dreams of two young women, who have grown up in middle class homes in the Midwest, as they graduate from high school and move forward with their lives. The documentary explores personal, generational, and political influences that strongly shape their views of the world that awaits them.

Son Shine

Dir. Katrelle Kindred

Son Shine, follows the story of 12 year old Hakeem Brown on the heels of his thirteenth birthday. Known in his neighborhood as the good kid, Hakeem is a honor student and an obedient son. However, things begin to change for Hakeem as he becomes aware of the political climate in his South Los Angeles Neighborhood during the announcement of the Rodney King verdict. Watching his neighborhood erupt into flames from his bedroom window, Hakeem disobeys his parents by joining the chaos of the riots. Now face to face with the realities of the uprising, Hakeem has to make the decision to be a part of the solution or to become a part of the problem.

Still

Dir. Missy Hernandez

A young couple struggles to reconnect after the loss of their baby.

Strangle Me Elmo

Dir. Cortney Wright & Daniel Lynn

A young mother at the breaking point sits down next to a complete stranger at the park. As they talk, she admits to her deepest fears for the 1st time.

SUBMERGED

Dir. Lexi St. John

SUBMERGED is a thrilling drama exploring the suffering mind of a father when he hears the news of his son's untimely death. This film dives deep into the psychologically distressed mind of a man who needs to learn how to find himself before he can find and help his son.

Surrender

Dir. Tjardus Greidanus

Surrender explores how one woman's unhappy marriage changes who she is.

Taking The Lead

Dir. Jennifer Page

London Lacey (Jennifer Neala Page, The Master) clashes with Los Angeles living after some truth telling from her boyfriend Jarred (John T Woods, House, CSI, 24) and a new friend. After hitting rock bottom she seeks the help of therapist Summer Blossom and her devoted group of misfits (Laura Waddell, Saving Mr Banks, Torchwood).

The Crossing

Dir. Nathalie Biancheri

In a remote Italian town in 1961 teenage Eileen lives an isolated existence in the empty halls of her decadent family home. She's a misfit in the sleepy seaside village and only finds respite from her loneliness by swimming for hours every day. When a journalist convinces her to try and be the youngest person to cross the English Channel Eileen thinks it is her chance to escape and do what she loves most. But the harsh pressures of training clash dramatically with Eileen's naive passion and dreams.

THE DIVIDE

Dir. Ashley Monti

Every choice has a consequence.

The Drive

Dir. Felicia Gonzalez Brown

With life in her rear view, will friendship bring her back?

The Eggs-pert

Dir. J. Bretton Truett

A lesbian couple make a last-ditch effort to conceive a child.

The Empty Morning

Dir. Carina Tautu

The Empty Morning is about a young acting student at a top level university, Michelle. She has a love-at-first-sight encounter with street-smart Adonis, only to possibly lose him in a drive-by shooting on one of the border streets between the college dorm and his well-known dangerous neighborhood.

The Event

Dir. Izabela Borowska

A young dancer, who survives a horrific bus accident is trapped in an extraordinary world, between life and death, which sweeps him into a whirl of emotional adventures related to dance and music. He must weight his desire and decide what to choose, life or love.

The Greatest Gift

Dir. Yilei Zhou

A heart-warming story about a Chinese girl, Ling, who tries to honor her parents with the expensive foreign food as a gift on Chinese New Year.

The Last Resort

Dir. Terry Ross

Donna Fisher is accused of "resorting" in this 1960s -era comedy. Can she find justice in this madcap courtroom?

The Love that Remains

Dir. Louisa Grams

A young girl that grows up with her best friend has to realize and accept the fact that he won't be there when he is needed most.

THE TRIC IN ME

Dir. Jodi Jacobs

A middle school art teacher, struggles with a compulsive hair-pulling disorder while dealing with a past childhood trauma, that still shadows her life.

Throwing Stones

Dir. Amber Rapp & Anthony Ladesich

Bonding over everyday frustrations Mark and Sarah prove that simple acts often provide a means for profound confessions.

Till Then

Dir. Benjamin Wolff

An unspoken connection between two elderly neighbors, who share a daily ritual but who have never actually met, deepens when they face the inevitable...together.

Time

Dir. Elpida Panourgia

Ora, in the past was a young ballerina, who had a very weird relationship with time. For her, the big clock that she was staring everyday, was the ruler not only of her dance, but of her life as well. Only when the clock stops, does she realize that clocks cannot define time, we are.

Times Like These

Dir. Lorena Gordon

'Times Like These' is a film inspired by a true story. The film tells the story of a Marisol who finds the courage to leave her abusive and cheating husband.

Traces of Memory

Dir. Jody Jaress

Traces Of Memory, is a psychological drama about a woman's fractured mind and what happens when she can no longer differentiate between her reality... and the truth.

Unsolved

Dir. Julia Camara

Unsolved is a film noir about two female police detectives investigating a brutal murder of an aspiring actor in 1947 Los Angeles.

Use Me Up

Dir. Dawn Alden

Love takes many forms, no matter how uncomfortable that makes your friends and family. 'Use Me Up' is a nice family film about an interracial Dom/Sub relationship. Inspired by the Bill Withers' song, 'Use Me.' Shot in 2012 in Los Angeles with an all female crew, and shot from the female gaze.

Wedding Dress

Dir. Haroula Rose

Michael has been estranged from his family for a long time. When he shows up at his brother John's house unexpectedly, Rayanne, his new sister-in-law, decides to let him in. But things are not always as they seem, and people may not be who they say there are.

Wedlocked

Dir. Samia Zaidi

In this short comedy, a relationship is challenged when the husband, Tyler (Tyler Ham Pong), is questioned about his immigration status in the US. Lest he be deported back to Canada, his wife, Christina (Christina Jun) has to come to the rescue. That would be all well and good if their marriage wasn't a lie. Will the couple's secrets hinder his chances at becoming an American citizen? Ask not what you can do for your wife, ask what your wife can do for you.

WINTER ROSE

Dir. ANITA GEORGE

IN THE WINTER OF 1944, ROSE GIVES ANA THE STRENGTH TO SAY GOODBYE.

Witches

Dir. Michelle Steffes

When a witch in a close-knit coven finds something better to do on a Saturday night, old resentments bubble to the surface.

Within

Dir. Erin Offenhauser

A documentary vignette about a young woman who finds her true self within a modern day counter-culture.

You've Probably Dated My Mom

Dir. Amy Coughlin