California Women’s Film Festival
January 2018 selections and Winners
Official Selections
Abigail And Libby
Dir. Kelsey J. Nash
Abigail, a type-A basket case and Libby, her A-list shrink, must uncover the secrets of inner peace...before Abigail strikes again !!
All Good
Dir. Jessica Petelle
Leila (Diana Gitelman) is white-knuckling it tonight. After spending the evening at a wedding reception fulfilling her duties as the Maid of Honor, she has returned to her hotel suite to hide away from temptation and maintain her near 6 months of sobriety.
Amatriciana
Dir. Francesca Nobili
A docu-claymation about the invention of Amatriciana sauce, an ancient story of taste, research and passion.
American Boy
Dir. Audrey Arkins
Alex Lopez is a happy, normal kid...until the outside world comes crashing in.
Beauty School
Dir. Samantha Shada
A young girl learns what it takes to behave like a woman with a little help from her older cousin, and the beauty industry.
Bernice
Dir. Whitney Catandella
A mother struggles to find peace during the final days of her daughter's life.
Bert
Dir. Aaron Bush
A young girl escapes the oppression of her alcoholic mother with the help of her best friend, the monster who lives under her bed.
Bi The Way
Dir. Sarah Kaufmann
"Bi The Way" is an absurd drama short about the struggle of a bisexual guy, Eren, and his traditional Turkish family. Eren decides to introduce his boyfriend, Nicholas, over a family dinner. Little does he know that his mother Su invited Eren’s ex-girlfriend Lisa. Ultimately, leading into a catastrophic conflict of viewpoints.
Blame
Dir. Bita Elahian
The Young man after seven marriage fights with his wife about having children, not realizing that their lives are about to change forever.
Bound
Dir. Loyd Bateman
Day in, day out we make hundreds of decisions, big and small, but have you ever wondered if those decisions are truly coming from within you? How strongly are we influenced by those closest to us as we pave our path in life?
Bozonova
Dir. Cris Graves
BOZONOVA is a bawdy comedy about a professional clown gigolo who sets out to exact his revenge on his former protégé and nemesis.
Cigarettes & Chocolate Milk
Dir. LIsa McNeely
Olivia’s life is made up of tennis lessons and video games until one day Sammi, a kind of, sort of friend from camp, pops back in to her life. As the two get closer Olivia gets farther away from herself.
Climax
Dir. Chloe Gebacz
A young woman's interrupted masturbation forces her to explore alternative methods for release.
Dedication
Dir. Tyna Ezenma
“Dedication” is the story of a maid working in a hotel who uses a black magic spell in the hopes of harnessing the talent of one of the hotel’s frequent guests—an eccentric writer—and passing it on to her unborn son.
Eagle Wings
Dir. Paloma Perez
A supposedly cured paranoid schizophrenic goes on her first normal date in years, but despite her treatment, her delusions start to return and things go very very wrong.
Eat Me!
Dir. Ilina Perianova
Glittering socialite Laura starts slipping from the daily reality of a weight obsessed rich man's mistress.
Fast, Fierce And Fabulous
Dir. Emilio Martinez
An elite private investigator injured on the job must decide whether to branch out on her own or trust the judgement of the man who was her trainer.
Finn’s Whistle
Dir. Kelsey Selby
Finn Ellis, a spunky, imaginative, and confident ten year old, lives in a small suburb with her father and sick mother. Finn only wants one thing, for her mom to recover. Finn's mother has told stories of a 'magic whistle' that was a childhood keepsake, something that always made things better. Finn embarks on a journey to find the magic whistle in hope to save her mom before it's to late.
Force Of Evil
Dir. Jordan Tager
The stop motion video for the song “Force of Evil", produced by animator Jordan Tager, was created using paper which she hand painted with gouache. Contrasting barren and lush landscapes, the video plays on the song's idea of self renewal. Self centeredness and the constant dismissal of Earth's decaying ecosystems will eventually lead to the destruction of our home planet. How much time do we have left?
Forty Nine Fifty
Dir. Crystal Pastis
Human connection emerges from the most unexpected of places when an EMT responds to a suicide threat.
Get Home Safe
Dir. Larissa Pruett
Joystick Games created 3rd person adventure game, 'Get Home Safe.' The object of the game is to walk home from the bar as a woman, and get home safe.
Girl Code
Dir. Casey Gates
When girls talk, there's what they say, and what they're REALLY saying. The story is about two ex-best friends running into each other at the gym. But what you'll get is a closer look at female friendships and how women communicate, for better or worse.
Here, Hold Grandma
Dir. Emily McGregor
Ellen, a nitpicking wasp, and Kelly, her free-spirited, 20-something daughter clash in the desert while fulfilling Grandma’s final wish… to spread her ashes on the exact spot Ellen was conceived.
Hot Break
Dir. Lisa Demaine
Post divorce and mommy-hood, Lexi Futterman uses unusual tactics to break back into the TV writing biz, and she's taking a handsome young millennial along with her!
Hot Girls
Dir. Alberto Belli
What if Michael Bay directed HBO's Girls? A sobering look at Hollywood directors' sexist take on women.
I Am Rebecca
Dir. Kate McCaslin & Eve Doherty
I Am Rebecca traces the story of Rebecca Mabior, a refugee living in the midwest, and follows her to the women's march in Washington, D.C. in search for equality in today's political landscape.
In Between
Dir. Melissa Perl
A man struggling to communicate with his 60 year-old father has to rely on his 10 year-old son for help.
In Flames
Dir. Carissa Kacmarek
A couple goes into the woods for a romantic getaway, when a drifter crashes their weekend. Will their quality time go up in flames?
It Began Without Warning
Dir. Jessica Curtright & Santiago C. Tapia
Change is coming.
Katie And Ben
Dir. Nell Teare
A vignietted dramedy of a modern day romance: the romantic beginnings, the falling in love, the falling apart, and finding each other on the other side.
Kill The Devil
Dir. Ryland Swartz
An uncompromising young writer/actress tries to pitch a new screenplay but can't get anyone to listen.
Killed In Action
Dir. Christine Weatherup
A WWII widow is visited by a troubled veteran who served with her husband. He shares a dark secret he’s been keeping from the war... but can she come to accept it?
Kinesthesia
Dir. Carrie Prince
Minny struggles to reconnect to a time in her life when she felt pure joy. Unsure if she can trust her memories, she sets out to learn if such happiness ever truly existed, and if it's possible to feel again.
Lady Labyrinth
Dir. Jo Pratta
After a very painful divorce, Dina feels depressed and disoriented. Meditating in labyrinths, she walks her way back to herself and her passions.
Light As A Feather
Dir. Lisa J Dooley
A ghost story told at a spooky sleepover becomes all too real.
Little Elizabeth
Dir. Elizabeth Ayiku
A woman with childhood trauma takes a compassionate journey in order to heal herself.
Loophole
Dir. Katie Larsen
A young woman wakes in a precarious situation, with a strange man, who will decide if she lives or dies.
Melanin
Dir. Kiki Finley
Melanin is a poem written by a 13 year old girl as a class assignment about learning and encouraging her friends to appreciate all different skin tones.
Marisol
Dir. Juan Escobedo
A little girl from East LA dreams of the perfect Quinceañera dress when her life takes a drastic turn after an incident of domestic violence.
Mother
Dir. Nicole Taro
A woman with multiple personality disorder recounts a murder she committed from her different personalities in a 1950’s mental ward.
Muscle Memory
Dir. Flo Miles
A short film about family, memory and cutlery.
Niccolo
Dir. Janice Wu
Martha, an established pianist, struggles with her mother's pressure and the looming shadow of her young prodigy brother, Niccolo, who went deaf at a young age.
Noble Creatures
Dir. Daniel Lafrentz
Two adversarial escaped convicts - with different ideas about how to hold onto their freedom - are hunted through the Louisiana swamp by a tortured, but resolute, female corrections officer.
Nose Job
Dir. Michelle Gritzer
After being dismissed in the middle of an audition by an ego-maniacal director because of her large nose, Sarah decides she's had enough. She pulls a gun and holds the director and the casting director hostage until they allow her to complete her audition.
Oil Men
Dir. Samuel Larson
Oil Men is the first film to share the story of Canada's controversial oil sands through the lens of female characters.
Operation Baby
Dir. S. Sharath Chandra
A young Couple Who Desperately wants a baby goes crazy trying anything and everything to get Pregnant and save their marriage.
Path Of Dreams
Dir. Tamara Ruppart
In poetic Japan, Ono no Komachi, a beautiful poetess, strikes a tantalizing bargain with Shosho, a charming and eager suitor. If he comes to write poetry with her for 99 nights, she says they will have the possibility of creating a love more beautiful than poetry. Only on the 99th night, will she take him as her lover.
Pearl
Dir. Brandon Jameson
In the fall of 1943, Pearl, the unwanted infant daughter of a society couple, is thrust into the wary arms of her beautiful, stylish Grandmother.
Possibility
Dir. Siena Pinney
"Possibility" is a dreamlike exploration of two defining moments in a young couple’s life as they struggle with the decision to have an abortion.
Proxy
Dir. Haidi Marburger, Nina Hoffmann & Ramon Arango
A grieving mother uses left behind data to create a replica of her dead son. Her longing wish to have him back seems fulfilled, but soon the child must realize the limits of his artificial existence.
Remission
Dir. Sarah Willgrube
A former couple reunites under circumstances for one final moment of closure.
Reset
Dir. Nina Rausch
When your life doesn't go the way you planned, it might be time to consider a reset. Matt and Amy have the kids from hell, and perhaps it is time to start over! In this dark comedy, Matt has to convince his wife their life would be better without the kids, and they should consider selling them...
Respire
Dir. Amy Williams
The beauty and breath of youth takes a turn for the worst when an intoxicated teen finds her asthmatic friend unconscious at a college party.
Rumours
Dir. Kätlyn Cuilla-Martinez
A dark comedy about a young rocker couple go through a break up at an inappropriate time.
Secret
Dir. Amit Hagin & Ido Hagin
Lea lives alone with her mother but she’s kept secret from her mother’s new boyfriend. While her mother is juggling between her parenting life and her love life, Lea delves deeper into her childlike mysterious world.
Selling Isobel
Dir. Rudolf Buitendash
A thriller about sex-trafficking based on true events, featuring the real victim in true life playing herself.
Shattering
Dir. Keyan Miao
How a teenager's life should be? Preparing for college? Hanging out with friends? Volunteering for the community? Saoirse can enjoy none of these. She has a more serious case to deal with. Her family is about to falling apart because of a secret. Her secret.
Sherry
Dir. Mary Gulino
Sherry is an unassuming receptionist at a dance studio until the day she seizes an opportunity to “be brave.”
Shieldmaiden
Dir. Benjamin Janicki
In medieval Norway, a defiant young Viking woman named Sigrid is thrust into a fight for survival when a violent raiding party invades her homeland. Now, Sigrid must use all her training as a Shieldmaiden to defend her people as the rival clan begins to hunt her down.
Sponsored
Dir. Nika Burnett
An English-Italian farce about communication, and miscommunication.
Sweet Blight
Dir. Carlos Moreno Jr.
After eight years, Celisse confronts her assailant...once best friend... and her daughter's father. Can her daughter Maya, Celisse's SWEET BLIGHT, help her find beauty through tragedy.
Tampons, Our Closest Enemy
Dir. Audrey Gloaguen
This is an International investigation about dangers of the tampons. Cases of menstrual toxic shocks are increasing around the world and woman that have been close to death are witnessing. Thanks to independant studies and tests, we know now that tampons contain dioxinS, toxic components, among 10 the most dangerous chemicals classified by the WHO.
The Caregiver
Dir. Ally Downs
An elderly man who has lost the will to live hires a new caregiver who is down on her luck and together they help each other find hope and meaning in life.
The Changing Room
Dir. Elisabeth Seldes Annacone
THE CHANGING ROOM – is an award-winning hybrid narrative & documentary. The narrative tells the story of Joelle Asher, who has a complete meltdown while shopping for an outfit to wear on a blind date, while the documentary end sequence features realwomen talking about their personal changing room experiences
The Flood
Dir. Adam Dietrich
An elderly man, Mick (Ed Asner) loses his wife of fifty years to illness. The Flood explores the strength and frailty of the human spirit and the bonds we create as Mick tries to piece a life together and manage his grief without the love of his life.
The Funeral Party
Dir. Ryan H Gowland & Patrick McGinley
Three people use a work party to further their own lives: Julia is trying to impress a rich executive while covering up a dark secret about her her angry boyfriend from his Russian maid while Ryan tries to leverage a new job for himself, and Molly attempts to sell her romance novel.
The Galen Project
Dir. Brooke Cookie Schulte & Sarah Schulte
Consumed by the death of her brother, Kieran is forced into rehab where she must confront her addiction.
The Good Samaritan
Dir. Brooklyn Hudson
A homeowner gets more than she bargains for when she lets a child with a skinned knee into her home to wait for his family to pick him up.
The Hopeless Journey
Dir. Dontell Antonio
As a consequence of her mother's selfish and bad life choices, a teenage girl is forced to live a dangerous life without hope it will end.
The King In The Ring
Dir. Heather Hillstrom
Through a documentary lens, this drama follows an underground boxing ring where participants pay to fight a man who looks like Jesus Christ.
The Lottery
Dir. Karen Linton
What kind of life can you have when your life is assigned for you by your government?
One young woman tries to exercise what little freedom she has in order to change her life.
The Purple Hat
Dir. Gregory Doucette
New Orleans - The French Quarter - 1938. It rains heavily as a mysterious stranger walks into a bar and tells his story. He expects to see a woman murdered tonight. Again. He thinks she's a ghost, for he's seen her murdered twice. Each time by a
young man...always a different young man...
The Romantic Method
Dir. Maggie Hart
After a breakup, a young woman decides to take emotions out of dating and find her soulmate using logic, statistics, and The Romantic Method.
The Same Conversation
Dir. Marjorie DeHey
Relationships are difficult and there is always that one argument, that one conversation that couples have over and over again.
The Shower
Dir. Jen Sanders
An homage to Buñuel's The Exterminating Angel, The Shower is a dark comedy about a baby shower that goes on too long.
This Is Jack
Dir. Darrett Sanders & Amanda Tepe
When Mr. G assigns a future-self writing assignment it forces Jack to look deeper into his fears, insecurities and confusion.
Those Lips
Dir. Steven Krimmel
A young woman discovers the horrors of her plastic surgeon and his eerily similar patients.
What Happened At The Rio
Dir. John Dassonville
A 20th Century gumshoe butts heads with his 21st Century secretary. Too bad they’re called assistants these days.
When Kids Grow Up
Dir. Shahaub Roudbari
WHEN KIDS GROW UP is a short action drama exploring the harsh pathology of violence. With her car broken down on the side of the road, soft-spoken Mackenzie takes refuge in a bar nearby. Approached by a group of men offering help, pleasantries quickly escalate to savage aggression. Much to their surprise, Mackenzie soon reveals her brutal intent.
Wisdom Teeth
Dir. Sydney Gabel
A young woman goes to a job interview after getting her wisdom teeth taken out.
Audience Award Winners
(Audience Winners will be posted by Jan. 16th)
1st Place
Hot Break Dir. Lisa Demaine
2nd Place
Path Of Dreams Dir. Tamara Ruppart
3rd Place (Tie)
The Caregiver Dir. Ally Downs
Sweet Blight Dir. Carlos Moreno Jr.
Blame Dir. Bita Elahian
Jury Category Winners
(Category Winners will be presented at the end of the film’s screening block)
Best Feature Film
Selling Isobel Dir. Rudolf Buitendash
(Presented at the end of Block 6 on Saturday 1/13/2018)
Best Short Film
The Hopeless Journey Dir. Dontell Antonio
(Presented at the end of Block 4 on Saturday 1/13/2018)
Best Feature Documentary
Tampons, Our Closest Enemy Dir. Audrey Gloaguen
(Presented at the end of Block 3 on Sunday 1/14/2018)
Best Short Documentary
I Am Rebecca Dir. Kate McCaslin & Eve Doherty
(Presented at the end of Block 2 on Saturday 1/13/2018)
Best Student Film
Eat Me! Dir. Ilina Perianova
(Presented at the end of Block 3 on Sunday 1/14/2018)
Best Foreign Film
Secret Dir. Amit Hagin & Ido Hagin
(Presented at the end of Block 3 on Sunday 1/14/2018)
Best Animation
Proxy Dir. Haidi Marburger, Nina Hoffmann & Ramon Arango
(Presented at the end of Block 1 on Saturday 1/13/2018)
Best Music Video
Force Of Evil Dir. Jordan Tager
(Presented at the end of Block 4 on Saturday 1/13/2018)
Best Experimental Film
Melanin Dir. Kiki Finley
(Presented at the end of Block 3 on Saturday 1/13/2018)
Best Feature Script
Ripple by Heather Faris
(Presented at the end of Block 2 on Friday 1/12/2018)
Best Short Script
Never Loving David by Kelly Jean Karam
(Presented at the end of Block 2 on Friday 1/12/2018)
___________________________
Feature Script Finalist
Akatewa by Jean-Marie Mazaleyrat & Edith Woi
As An Actress by Maria Hinterkoerner
Subterfuge by Paula Brancato
The Ache For Distant Places by Rosemary Griggs
The Polish Medallion by Sivonne Smith
The Venus Syndrome by Lynn Vincentnathan
Short Script Finalist
Borderline by Adriana Dushaj
Little Texas by Marissa Vonn
Scary Lucy by Sheila Schroeder
The Cull by Leslie Linder
Jury Creative Nominees
(Creative Winners will be announced and presented during the opening night party on Friday, Jan. 12th which starts at 10pm)
Best Director
Tamara Ruppart - Path Of Dreams
Rudolf Buitendash - Selling Isobel
Ilina Perianova - Eat Me!
Dontell Antonio - The Hopeless Journey
Amy Williams - Respire
Best Actress
Morgana Wise - Loophole
Marissa Labog - When Kids Grow Up
Luella Hill - Sweet Blight
Lindsey Shope - The Lottery
Frida Farrell - Selling Isobel
Best Supporting Actress
Nicole Barre - Nobel Creatures
Luiza Grigorova - Eat Me!
Cameo Sherrell - Dedication
Ally Downs - The Caregiver
Cameran Surles - Katie And Ben
Best Actor
TJ Kayama - Path Of Dreams
Ed Asner - The Flood
Wesley Williamson - The Hopeless Journey
Gabriel Olds - Selling Isobel
Micah Hauptman - Killed In Action
Jury Creative Winners
(Creative Winners will be announced and presented during the opening night party on Friday, Jan. 12th which starts at 10pm)
Best Director
Amy Williams - Respire
Best Actress
Frida Farrell - Selling Isobel
Best Supporting Actress
Cameran Surles - Katie And Ben
Best Actor
Wesley Williamson - The Hopeless Journey