2015 Lineup

Feature Film

CHRYSALIS

100 minutes / United States / Director: John Klein

Joshua and Penelope are survivors of a deadly infection that laid waste to humanity 25 years ago. When they encounter fellow survivor Abira, their lives are forever changed as they fight off the remnants of the infected.

Shorts Program #1

BEVERLY

4 minutes / United States / Director: Eliaz Rodriguez

Beverly is wrapped up in her thoughts as she strives to land the man she deserves.

DRIFTING

7 minutes / United States / Director: Joel Benjamin

When life’s stresses physically manifest themselves, Simon is left to survive in the middle of the ocean on an airplane wing, fishing for better memories and fruit candies.

EARLY RELEASE

8 minutes / United Kingdom / Director: Miguel Guerreiro

In a prison’s interview room, a convicted killer is accused of smuggling a hand-made gun into his cell. He promptly denies the accusation, suspecting that it’s all part of a psychological test being carried out by his female interviewer. A normal day-to-day procedure, he reckons.

EARLY RELEASE

7 minutes / United States / Director: Jill Sachs

Lovely young Evelyn prepares for a date, but when she looks in the mirror she finds the frightening reflection of herself as an old woman.

I’VE JUST HAD A DREAM

7 minutes / Spain / Director: Javi Navarro

They say that dreams are dreams … the only thing that makes them different is the person who dreams.

LOVE ME TINDER

11 minutes / United Kingdom / Director: Sami Abusamra

An older woman and a younger man spend an awkward evening together after meeting on a dating app. A dark comedy about an encounter between two lonely strangers.

NOBODY

17 minutes / United States / Director: William Bryan

A biographical story of Elvis Presley in high school in Memphis, 1953, featuring his tender relationship with his loving mother, his devoted teacher, and the senior year talent show that changed everything.

TOM IN AMERICA

17 minutes / United States / Director: Flavio Alves

For 50 years, Michael and Betty have been united by one guiding principle: no secrets. But when a provocative Tom of Finland doll triggers Michael’s long-buried desires, Betty discovers that secrets have been part of their life all along.

Tom in America stars Academy-award nominees Burt Young & Sally Kirkland.

WHAT’S EATING DAD?

11 minutes / United States / Director: Michael Goldburg

When Chloe meets her boyfriend’s parents for the first time, what’s really for dinner is something she never imagined. In the vein of Woody Allen meets “Shaun of the Dead, “What’s Eating Dad?” is a hilariously absurd horror-comedy about literally surviving the future in-laws.

Shorts Program #2

BORDER TRAFFICKING

16 minutes / Austria / Director: Peter Rautek

A woman in her mid twenties is trapped in a miserable existence as a sex worker in a small Czech village close to Austrian border.

DEADLY

9 minutes / Ireland / Director: Aidan McAteer

Deadly tells the story of Boney, a working stiff in a dead-end job. That is until he has a run-in with a spirited old lady named Bridie.

FIRST METRO

6 minutes / France / Director: Hugo P. Thomas

Damien recently became a hobo, and he is about to beg in the subway for the first time, which is why he is rehearsing in public toilets. Not satisfied with his first draft, he will then make up new versions of his life.

LIKE EMMY

19 minutes / United States / Director: Ken Cohen

Ever since Emmy died, Roman has dated girls that look like her had she gotten older, and when he sees a “have you seen me?” postcard for a girl that disappeared when she was her age, he is certain that if he found her today she would be perfect.

SHOTGUN

12 minutes / United States / Director: Maverick Moore

Three girls burn rubber and leave no survivors on an inexplicably wild ride.

STUNG

8 minutes / Canada / Director: Zachary Vito

Stung follows the story of two young boys caught up in the fervor of summer break. In a naive attempt to help his friend after he is stung by a bee, Mackenzie unknowingly threatens the innocence of their friendship by inciting a moment of unintentional intimacy.

THE LISTING AGENT

13 minutes / United States / Director: Jared Hillman

A desperate, down-on-his-luck real estate agent must carry out his client’s unorthodox demands before closing the sale.

Shorts Program #3

CARRY ON

16 minutes / China / Director: Yatao Li

1944, Japanese Occupied China.

NIGHT SHIFT

13 minutes / United Kingdom / Director: Richard Higson

‘An easy kidnap in the country’, they said. Lenny and Chris head to a mysterious manor house for a special job. But it gets complicated. Very complicated. And they haven’t reckoned on just who they’re there to kidnap, and who else might have had the same idea.

NO LOVE LOST

15 minutes / United Kingdom / Director: Shekhar Bassi

An obsessive stranger with unexpected intentions threatens a young couple’s illicit relationship.

THE LEGEND OF FICTION: OUR GUIDE THROUGH FAIRY TALES

3 minutes / United States / Director: Shaun Pope

This movie was inspired by 2D video games. It’s about three heroic Warriors helping a local Blacksmith
save his Beautiful Daughter from a vicious, no good, rotten Beast.

WHEELS GO ROUND

17 minutes / United States / Director: Dewayne Bontrager

160+ days a year, a mother deals with the nearly impossible task of getting her child out the door for school. What happens inside a her mind when that child no longer exists. What happens if she is the reason the child no more. “Lilly, its time to get up.”

CHARLIE

23 minutes / United States / Director: Shawn Ryan

No one ever listened to Charlie, until he stopped talking.

Shorts Program #4

IN CAPRICIOUS HANDS

5 minutes / United States / Director: Stephan Larson

Living in a box, life is pretty bleak and boring. And then a window opens.

CONSOLATION PRIZE

12 minutes / Canada / Director: Todd Kipp

A delusional deadbeat dad living on an inherited wasteland of wrecked cars and trucks, tries to connect with his son over a surprise weekend visit.

INDIGO

19 minutes / Sweden / Director: Paul Jerndal

Two young, lost souls in New York City share a common struggle – they are stuck in lives they do not feel they belong to. She is an adored actress and he, a bike messenger.

OLD DOGS NEVER DIE

26 minutes / United States / Director: Jim Dougherty

For his 71st birthday, Harry Dunn decides he wants to ride a bike across the country. The only problem is, Harry has never learned to ride a bike.

SHEVENGE

12 minutes / United States / Director: Amber Benson

From director Amber Benson (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”), comes this genre-bending comedy about three girlfriends fantasizing over wine and makeup about enacting the worst kind of revenge on their unassuming boyfriends – She-Venge!

THE PLATINUM PLAN

5 minutes / United States / Director: Chris Pickenpaugh

An incident, a policy, a strange seductive option: when Type-A Tamara experiences a major bump in the road, it may be time to re-evaluate her afterlife insurance.

WELCOME TO FOREVER

12 minutes / United States / Director: Laddie Ervin

It’s 2067. A service truck stops in front of a neglected old house. A government technician gets out and walks to the back where he severs a “Life-Link Cable.” His name is Cal Jenner and he’s here to terminate Mr. Cooper, a digitized person whose been malfunctioning for years.

Student Shorts Program #1

ACHMED’S BURIAL

17 minutes / United States / Director: Travis Slagle

A pet undertaker prepares a unique funeral for an Iguana in hopes of winning the heart of the woman he loves.

BOY WONDER

18 minutes / United States / Director: Zack Brewer

Ten-year-old Adam Rogers works to buy an action figure of his favorite superhero, the virtuous Captain Amazing — however, after helplessly witnessing a classmate be bullied, he learns it doesn’t take superpowers to be a hero.

HELL! VISA

4 minutes / United States / Director: Junjie “Jake” Zhang

An unhappy man contemplates moving to Hell for its great weather, job opportunities, and excitement.

JUICE

3 minutes / United States / Director: Alyssa Neece

A young mother grieves the death of her son, and has to ask the question, “Does time really heal all wounds?”

DISCONNECTED

9 minutes / United States / Director: Chad Montgomery

After most of the population is wiped out by disease, one man wanders the empty landscape alone and haunted by memories.

THE CUTTING ROOM

13 minutes / Colombia / Director: Marco Velez

When François gets hired by the director Rizzoli to edit his latest film, he becomes terribly obsessed with Isabel (the star of the film) while a coworker, Sophie, has a crush on him, which it will make him go into a dark rabbit hole that will make him do horrific things in the name of this obsession.

TIGER

14 minutes / United States / Director: Cody Mathieson Packer

A young street kid and lonely housewife connect in the strangest of situations, discovering they both fill a void for each other in their lives.

WALLS

3 minutes / United States / Director: Gabrielle Giacomo

“Walls” is a trip into the human mind. This short experimental film portrays the tendency to shut others out when grieving.

YOUR EVER AFTER

22 minutes / United States / Director: T.A. Manchester

A wandering mother, her wandering son, a widower musician, and a lonely granddaughter all cross paths following the Vel’ d’Hiv roundup of Jewish persons in France, and must come to terms by letting go of their old lives.

Student Shorts Program #2

A BOY’S PRAYER

29 minutes / Taiwan / Director: Chao Koi-Wang

A 17 years old loser meets a mysterious and beautiful cleaner girl by chance. They have totally different characters and backgrounds; however, they start to have a wonderful adventure in garbage dump. Ultimately, they change each other.

BEDTIME

6 minutes / United States / Director: Cooper Justus

A young boy enlists his brother’s help to get to the restroom after a monster appears under his bed, but when the monster overpowers his brother, the boy is forced to muster his courage and face his fears.

OSTRICHLAND

14 minutes / United States / Director: David McCracken

A poignant comedy about two estranged brothers who drive across the country in a truck full of their dead dad’s UFO memorabilia.

MOTHS

23 minutes / United States / Director: Andy Fortenbacher

While awaiting her father’s return from the WW2 front lines, a 9-year-old girl helps the disfigured town outcast secretly nurture a rare breed of moths.

SURA: THE EMPEROR’S BANQUET

25 minutes / United Kingdom / Director: Bareun Jo

On 15 August 1945, a group of Japanese soldiers decide to kill themselves in a small underground bunker … except one.

Documentary Shorts Program

THE HEALING WALL

With a special Q&A with the filmmakers

57 minutes / United States / Director: Christopher Kosiniski

The Healing Wall is a story about the development of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. and its unforeseen ability to heal a nation from one of the most controversial conflicts in U.S. history.

DOCKERY & SON

With a special Q&A with the filmmakers

14 minutes / United States / Director: Jack Truman

An eye-opening slice of life at a Mother and Son’s junk store in a ghost town.

SHOULD TOMORROW BE

With a special Q&A with the filmmakers

24 minutes / United States / Director: Malini Goel

A NW Indiana physician suffers a fall that paralyzes him from the neck down. He is faced with a choice to live as a quadriplegic or exercise his right to die while he and his family grapple with this irreversible decision.

Experimental & Music Videos

AM I AWAKE?

3 minutes / United States / Director: Alex Italics

BIG UPS

3 minutes / United States / Director: Stephen Tringali

IS IT MY TURN

6 minutes / Canada / Director: Shelagh Carter

IT’S IN THE MIND

6 minutes / United States / Director: Michael Ezrachi

METROPOLITAN TRIANGLE GARDEN

4 minutes / United States / Director: Rui Hu

MOSAIC DANCE

2 minutes / United States / Director: Junjie “Jake” Zhang

PERSISTENCE OF TIME

7 minutes / United States / Director: Kelsey Juddo

PETER ON YOUR MIND

3 minutes / United States / Director: Joe Pickett

RETURN OF THE WORM

2 minutes / Australia / Director: Samuel Galloway

SCARLET

11 minutes / Canada / Director: David Latreille

WILD CARDS

4 minutes / United States / Director: Rafael Omar Cruz

Student Showcase: Notre Dame Film Festival

COLD OPEN

7 minutes / Directors: Brian Lach, Lesley Stevenson

Writer’s block meets actor’s ambitions in a slick trip through a rough draft.

CURRY & ERIN

10 minutes / Directors: Eric O’Donnell, Maureen Gavin

Stricken with ALS, and blessed with a loving husband, a day in the life of Nashville artist Erin Brady Worsham is like no other.

EAT SLEEP RIDE

15 minutes / Directors: Mikey Nichols, Lauren Josephson

9-year old CJ Burford hears God’s call to ride his bike across America, with the family RV right behind him, and the media tagging along.

ISN’T IT PRETTY TO THINK SO

17 minutes / Directors: John Rodgers, Carleigh Coyne

After a short stint in a rehab facility, Owen comes home to find that some things never change.

J2K

12 minutes / Directors: Grace Carini, Hunter Speese

A dermatologist, a librarian, and a grocery store clerk. Not exactly the three wise men, but some pregnancies are just surreal.

LOVE THY NEIGHBOR

10 minutes / Directors: Bryan Daly, Jill Chipley

The girl next door is looking for love in all the wrong faces.

METTA JOHNSON’S VIDEO PORTFOLIO

8 minutes / Directors: Will Neal, Nick Desmone

Metta Johnson wants to be a big time Hollywood director. But he has no talent and no creative skills. Here’s proof.

MUCH ADO AFTER SCHOOL

16 minutes / Directors: Brian Lach, Nicole Sganga

An ambitious after school program brings out the inner Bard in a group of South Bend students.

REPARATION

10 minutes / Directors: Anthony Patti, Bryan Dimas

Stylishly haunting, a young woman attempts an escape from a prison-like mental institution.

THE NIGHT OUT

11 minutes / Directors: Mitchell Abraham, Zachary Ostapchenko, Weibo Chen

There’s a party at the house down the street … or is there?

THE WAY THINGS WERE

10 minutes / Directors: Blake Avery, Zuri Eshun

A teenager’s stable world cracks when his desire for a college education forces him to confront the weight of his damaged family – and ultimately, his closest friend.

MAF Special Showcase: Mid-America Filmakers

SOMETHING’S IN THE TOILET

3:30 minutes / United States / Director: David Boyer

An older couple are the key to saying the world from an alien invasion.

SHERLOCK HOLMES: THE CASE OF THE SEXY VAMPIRE

7:30 minutes / United States / Director: Barbara Devereaux

What really happened when the famous detective met a ravishing vampire? It’s not so elementary, dear viewer!

A MAN HAS TO BE CAREFUL THESE DAYS

25 minutes / United States / Director: Steve Barnett

A man wrestles with his alter ego and discovers he’s not the only one.

COMA

7:30 minutes / United States / Director: David Boyer

A hit man teaches his young protege a lesson in humanity.

THE WISH

54 minutes / United States / Director: Rose Waldschmidt

A good deacon’s answer to a wish will give new meaning to “be careful what you wish for”.

IMMIGRATION: THE UNPARDONABLE SIN

80 minutes / United States / Director: Andrew Mwangi

A revealing perspective of the immigration debate told from professionals working in the immigration field and from a representative subset of the general public.