Short Film Program

Genre in Translation

Whether action, horror, thriller, or black comedy, these international genre exercises prove pulse-quickening cinema transcends language.

Coming Soon

Everyone remembers their first international film—and the realization that some of the most mind-blowing cinematic experiences were ready to be discovered at the click of a closed-captioning button. These six shorts from Asia to Latin America run the gamut of vampires, talking fish, girl gangs, and just plain stomach-churning tension, leaving you breathless as your heart nearly skips ahead of your reading comprehension. Thrilling and chilling, these genre highwire acts never get lost in translation.

The Films

Don’t f*ck with Ba (Đừng giỡn mặt với Bà.)

Sally Tran | US | 14

In a Chinatown slum, Thao discovers her grandmother beaten to death and robbed of her collection of gold jewelry. Frustrated by the authorities' lack of interest and assistance, she mobilizes her community, and Thao's quest for street justice is bolstered by her female peers, all of whom are similarly marginalized by poverty but bound by solidarity. Head-to-head with the young thieving gang, they fight to success, finding a sense of peace and new sense of purpose in their communities.

Exceptional Tales from a Young Female Team: REDS

Tom Espinoza | Argentina | 15

Carmen practices Vaulting and has a tense relationship with her coach and team mates, as they will introduce her to a strange rite.

HITO

Stephen Lopez | Philippines | 22

Between nuclear reactors and military curfews, 14-year-old Jani lives in a dystopian world oppressively devoid of empathy. Together, she and her slippery new friend Kiefer the talking catfish gear up to strike a surreal blow for freedom. (Simon Hofmann)

Please Make It Work

Daniel Soares | Switzerland, Portugal | 14

Cláudia is a Portuguese immigrant who deals with a terrorizing boss, her rejecting daughter and the strong mountain wind, as she cleans sophisticated AirBnB’s in the Swiss Alps.

SUCK

Takuya Miyahara | | 17

Event Details