Judges have selected the final films for the 2009 Washington DC Independent Film Festival. Congratulations filmmakers!

• The Acceptable Sin, directed by Jack Truman

An award winning doc that reveals the views of a 60-something liberal woman in the Bible Belt who shares her thoughts on obesity and religion. (Documentary) 5 min / U S A / 2008

• Across the Atlantic, directed by Precious Stone

DC Filmmaker Stone shot over five days in Paris, Across the Atlantic follows the budding friendship between Oumar, a Sengalese university student in Paris, and Anna, an African American student visiting France. As Anna and Oumar compare experiences, they connect on many levels and discover fresh perspectives on life. (Short) 18 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2008

• Article VI: Faith, Politics, America, directed by Bryan Hall

Article VI examines the intensely divisive - - and sometimes bigoted - - role of religion in contemporary American politics. The film ranges from shockingly angry man-on-street interviews to moments of compassion and understanding as the camera examines the conflict inherent in the interplay of religion and politics, especially as that conflict has escalated during the last two decades. (Documentary) 90 min / U S A / East Coast Premiere / 2006

• Bad High, directed by Corey Bodoh-Creed

Award winning short that tells the story of how after discovering the body of a dead police officer in his backyard, a Rastafarian must hide the body to keep the authorities from finding his marijuana crop. (Short) 5 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2007

• A Bakery Story, directed by Matt Bizer

In the storybook town of New Braunfels, Texas, two best friends, Craig and Angel, together open their very own bakery. What starts out as a fairytale of friendship slowly turns when a fiery new employee named Lacy is hired into the business and when Lacy and Angel form a relationship, dark secrets are revealed and spirals downward to an ending you will never expect. (Short) 20 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2009

• Beautiful Hills of Brooklyn, directed by Ragnar Freidank

Award winning short based on the diary written by 80-year-old Jessie Singer Sylvester between 1976 and 1978; we enter an ordinary life full of undiscovered riches. (Short) 37 min / U S A / 2008

• Because There Are Things You Never Forget, directed by Lucas M. Figueroa

Naples (Italy), 1950. Four friends are playing soccer out on the street when their ball is accidentally kicked into the evil old lady's yard. They'll never play with their ball again and for that the revenge will be deadly. (Short) 13 min / Spain / World Premiere / 2008

• A Better Life, directed by Luis Fernandez Reneo

Based on a true story, A Better Life is the faithful account of three Mexican children who got lost in the Sonoran desert while trying to cross the U.S. border. A story that repeats itself every week in the border towns of Mexico, feeding one of the most profitable illegal businesses: immigrant smuggling. (Short) 13 min / Spain / World Premiere / 2008

• Birdy, directed by Agnieszka Woznicka

Award winning animation that follows the story of Birdy, a wingless outsider who dreams of flying. It is a story of desire, determination and the terrible thresholds one can cross to realize dreams. (Animation) 7 min / U S A / North American Premiere / 2008

• BORF!, directed by Paris Bustillos

This documentary by DC Filmmaker Bustillos chronicles the story of Borf graffiti and the events that lead to his arrest. (Documentary) 26 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2006

• Broken Rainbow, directed by Chia-Chien Mai

Award winning animation that tells a story about freedom, constraint and death. A melancholy lamb was caged in the zoo literally dying for freedom outside. In order to finish his suffering and gain freedom, he tried to break the cage, however, he doesn’t know that something behind the door is waiting for him. (Animation) 8 min / U S A / 2008

• BYRD: The Life and Tragic Death of James Byrd Jr., directed by Eligah Jason

In 1998, in Jasper, Texas, James Byrd, Jr. was walking home. Three white men picked him up and then dragged him with a truck to his death (Documentary) 75 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2008

• Calendar Girl, directed by Jason Hall

Award winning short set in rural New Jersey, a suicidal waitress encounters a road-worn serial killer known for leaving pin-up photos of his victims. (Short) 20 min / U S A / 2007

• Cam2Cam, directed by Davy Sihali

A young woman, Lucy, receives a message of a girl friend of hers, whom invites her for a Webchat. After a while, her friend begins to get undressed on her Webcam. Intrigued, Lucy looks and is caught at the game, in an erotic and quite disturbing atmosphere. (Short) 26 min / France / World Premiere / 2008

• The Candy, directed by Ruben Figueres

A 90 second short of a kid that wants, but cannot have, a candy. (Documentary) 1 hr 48 / U S A / World Premiere / 2008

• Caught in Paint, directed by Rita Blitt

Award winning documentary Caught in Paint captures painter/sculptor Rita Blitt painting on transparent surfaces while the David Parsons Dance Co. dance in mid-air thru the painting imitating Blitt's paint strokes. Photographer Lois Greenfield shoots dynamic stills during the process. (Documentary) 5 min / U S A / 2005

• Caution Sign, directed by Wade Carney

A couple argues over the road sign they pass on their way home through the woods, 'S-L-O-W. O-W-L-S,' exposing the cracks in their relationship as they stubbornly refuse to see the signs of trouble ahead. (Short) 12 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2008

• Chainsaw, directed by Dennis Tupicoff

An award winning surreal animation that describes how romance is like a chainsaw: a very dangerous beast indeed. (Animation) 24 min / Australia / U.S. Premiere / 2007

• A City to Yourself, directed by Nicole Macdonald

Detroit is a city that has lost a million people since the 1960s. Today, less than a million people remain. We know a lot of bad things happen when a city clears out. But is there anything good about it? This personal documentary from a life-long Detroiter looks at the plus side of having a "city to yourself." (Documentary) 24 min / U S A / 2008

• Code Name: Butterflies, directed by Cecilia Domeyko

Code Name: Butterflies tells the powerful story of the Mirabal sisters of the Dominican Republic who in the 1950s, under the code name 'Butterflies', created a secret resistance movement against Dictator Rafael Trujillo. When the tyrant had the women assassinated, a country rose up against Trujillo and he was killed. The courage of these women, simple wives and mothers who helped bring freedom and democracy to their country is legendary. (Documentary) 63 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2008

• Collector, directed by Dempsey Tillman

An award winning short that recounts the life of Justin Sayer who struggles with a mental illness that has consumed his life. (Short) 14 min / U S A / 2008

• Congressman Robert Smalls: A Patriot's Journey from Slavery to Capitol Hill, directed by Adrena Ifill

Writer/Director Adrena Ifill brings us a documentary about the life of Robert Smalls, whose courageous journey from enslavement to election helped shape American democracy into what it is today. Elected one of the first ever African American Congressmen in 1875, Smalls fought tirelessly for civil rights during his five terms in office, and paved the way for current African American politicians like President Barack Obama. This documentary, narrated by actor Sean Patrick Thomas, explores the leadership and legacy of Smalls. (Documentary) 56 min / U S A / 2009

• Coyote Travels to Gringolandia, directed by Summer Simpson

Luz and Lola are finally going to join their Mami in the United States. But before they can reunite, the young girls must use their wits and courage to overcome the dangers of the road to El Norte. (Animation) 7 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2008

• Crossing Numbers, directed by Abel Gonzalez

An award winning short that takes a humorous look at a serious issue - what if an illegal immigrant falls dead in the Mexican-American Border and no one is around, will it make a sound? Does anyone care? (Short) 12 min / U S A / 2007

• Crude Independence, directed by Noah Hutton

A compelling new documentary that takes us to the booming town of Stanley, North Dakota, sitting atop the largest oil discovery in North American history. Through stunning cinematography of the northern plains and revealing interviews with farmers receiving checks for wells on their property and oil workers filling the motels, bars, and jails. It also portrays small town America facing the unyielding global thirst for oil and all the accompanying change. (Documentary) 70 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2008

• Da Capo, directed by Mathew Tucciarone

A thought-provoking short exploring the parallel between music and life. (Short) 15 min / Canada / World Premiere / 2008

• The Danaides' Barrel, directed by David Guiraud

In the desert, a man is buried to his neck in the sand. One does not know anything about him. A brunette, dressed in red veils, walks away without paying any attention to him. After getting out of his sand cradle, he will head for the horizon to meet his object of desire. (Short) 12 min / France / World Premiere / 2008

• Daniel Finds His Walking Stick, directed by Gary Hebert

Daniel Finds His Walking Stick is a collage of memories from a man suffering from Alzheimer’s. It is a funny and sad portrait of the plight of an aging lonely man in a changing world. (Animation) 7 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2008

• David & Fatima, directed by Alain Zaloum

David, a young Israeli Jew, and Fatima, a beautiful Palestinian Muslim girl, meet and fall in love - forbidden love. They struggle to beat the odds and in doing so challenge not only their families but fate itself. (Feature) 2 hrs / Israel / 2007

• The Day After Peace, directed by Jeremy Gilley

The Day After Peace charts the remarkable 10-year journey taken by award winning filmmaker Jeremy Gilley to establish a day of Peace on September 21st. During the course of his mission the camera follows Gilley as he galvanizes the countries of the world (Documentary) 81 min / United Kingdom / North American Premiere / 2008

• The Day the World Forgot, directed by Chris Engle

An award winning short that recounts the life of a lone businessman who comes to terms with his own demise in the face of humanity's mysterious suicide. (Short) 10 min / U S A / 2007

• Dear Angela, directed by Evan Briggs

The story of an unlikely friendship between two women who find common ground in their tragic pasts. (Documentary) 12 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2008

• Demons of Cairo, directed by Ahmed Zaloum Atef

The "slumdogs" of Cairo, this award winning Egyptian narrative feature depicting the life of over 2 million street children in Egypt, their escapades and conflicts, their laughter and sadness. (Feature) 92 min / Egypt / US Premiere / 2006

• Drowning, directed by James Z. Feng

This film depicts the struggle of an immigrant family's attempts to assimilate into American life. (Short) 17 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2008

• The Empty Job, directed by Antares Bassis

France, in the near future. Unemployment raises to 35%. To solve the problem, the Government votes a new law called “The Empty Job.” High salaried people must employ an unemployed person in their house. This is the way the Remiot, an upper-class couple, meet Elise, a young unemployed person. This forced co-habitation will bring Mr. Remiot to wonder about his way of life and his own existence. (Short) 29 min / France / World Premiere / 2007

• Evelyn, directed by Shih-Shan Chen

Evelyn, a teen-aged girl who is committed to a married man plans on giving up everything for him. However, after her Christian mother finds out Evelyn’s secret, she reproaches Evelyn for her looseness in life. Evelyn turns to the married man but is harshly rejected. At last she decides to take revenge on him. (Short) 13 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2008

• Even in My Dreams, directed by Flavio Alves

A humorous look at Michael, an elderly, world-worn widower, in his pattern of mundane daily urban meanderings, happens upon a Tom of Finland doll in a sex shop window. His fascination with the erotic doll is the trigger for a belated and reluctant sexual self-discovery at the end of a lifetime of sexual repression. A series of dreams and stream of consciousness vignettes moves Michael from surprise to hope to love affair ending in violence and betrayal. (Short) 8 min / World Premiere / 2008

• The Evil Twin, directed by Yun Wang

A girl falls in love with a man she sees at her mother's funeral. Since she cannot forget that man, she starts to find out who he is. At the end she meets him again but also finds out the truth she never wants to know. (Animation) 4 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2008

• Excision, directed by Richard Bates

A neglected teen takes refuge in the dreams that used to haunt her and orchestrates a shocking plan to prove her worth to her disapproving parents. (Short) 18 min / World Premiere / 2008

• Feast, directed by Adel Kerpely & JiHyun Ahn

Fat Man eats up everything around him. When he finally stops; it's too late. (Animation) 3 min / U S A / DC Premiere / 2006

• Fish, directed by Tracy Rector

Award winning short that shows the difficulty of being an urban Indian, but add a skateboard, a fish and a little magic and things can change.(Short) 5 min / U S A / 2007

• Food Fight, directed by Chris Taylor

Food Fight is a fascinating look at how American agricultural policy and food culture developed in the 20th century, and how the California food movement rebelled against big agribusiness to launch the local organic food movement. (Documentary) 83 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2008

• Foreign English, directed by Armand Diab

An award winning short that recounts the story of an elderly man, in his late 60s, who is unable to understand women when they talk to him. When he finds himself in a situation with other 'confused' young men, he is finally able to see what it's like to be on the 'deaf' side. (Short) 13 min / U S A / 2008

• Gerald's Last Day, directed by Shel Rasch

Gerald the dog has been scheduled for termination by the pound at 5:00. Today is his last chance to seduce a potential adopter.....can he do it before his time runs out? (Animation) 12 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2008

• The Gift Box, directed by G. Tyler Clancy

As two adult sisters attend their murdered father’s funeral, they confront their mother's blatant neglect and denial concerning their father’s sexual and mental abuse of them since childhood. (Short) 16 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2006

• God of Tears, directed by Max Margulies

An award winning animation mixed with live action that tells us how some people still like the taste of rainbows. (Animation) 20 min / U S A / 2009

• Got a light, directed by Sergio Marcos

A young photographer wants to smoke a cigarette. He asks his friends for a light, but instead of helping him, people ask him favors and this gets him into a chain reaction of problems which make his long day very crazy. Taking on a multi-genre tour of sensations mixed with surrealism. (Short) 30 min / Paraguay / World Premiere / 2008

• Grenade, directed by Mark-Alexander Hartwin

An award winning short about three boys playing with toy guns who are confronted with the reality of war when they find a real grenade. (Short) 7 min / Australia / World Premiere / 2008

• He is Empty for Love, directed by Galen Fletcher

A lonely bank teller's tragi-comic love story told as a stylized studio musical, set to a variety of musical genres. (Short) 17 min / Canada / 2008

• Heads N Tailz, directed by Stephen Brooks

Quantum weirdness random. Heads N Tailz takes place in a world where the flip of a coin is used to determine winning or losing, right or wrong, and living or dying. Violence dominates this world and while it seems fun and entertaining at first, once the law of averages balances things out the reality of its fatal effects cannot be denied. (Feature) 85 min / U S A / US Premiere / 2006

• Henry O!, directed by Ziad Hamzeh

Henry O! is a journey of humble beginnings and overwhelming obstacles, of faith in the human spirit and endless love of life and family, of sky-high dreams and aspirations achieved, all amidst the cheering crowds and major league heroes of America’s favorite pastime - baseball. (Documentary) 71 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2008

• Here's Herbie, directed by Mary Wickliffe

A despondent teenager who wishes he had a life is inspired by a guy who’s full of it on a New York subway. (Short) 11 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2008

• Hooking Up, directed by Mark L Taylor

A humorous tale that young and old can relate to as the baby boomer generation takes responsibility for their aging parents. In less than four minutes, we share the ups and downs of a couple getting ready for a big date at a surprising location. (Short) 3 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2008

• The Horribly Slow Murderer with the Extremely Inefficient Weapon, directed by Richard Gale

An award winning short that recounts the epic story of one man's encounter with what could be the most relentless murderer of all time. (Short) 10 min / U S A / 2008

• How To Be, directed by Oliver Irving

An award winning wry comedy about twenty something Art, who moves back in with his parents, hits a quarter-life crisis and enlists the help of a self-help guru. A timely look at the increasingly common phenomena of grown-up children living at home, frustrated creativity and self-help. (Feature) 85 min / United Kingdom / 2008

• Hunt, directed by Yohei Ito

Award winning collaboration between two Japanese animators residing in Tokyo and Kyoto, and a group of experimental avant/pop musicians in New York City. (Short) 3 min / U S A / 2008

• An Immigrant Girl's Journey, directed by Lonny Stevens

A human interest docudrama chronicling three years in the life of Alexi Alcedo, a seven-year old Filipino girl-child caught in the mix of her mother’s dream, to escape the hell of living in Smokey Mountain for the 'good life’ in America. (Short) 22 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2008

• In Control, directed by Ana de Lara

A touching, award winning short that depicts how a young boy resorts to his remote control in order to deal with the painful experience of domestic violence. In Control speaks volumes without the use of dialogue, allowing the viewer to share the voicelessness of the child; and in the silence, to witness the grace of imagination. (Short) 4 min / Canada / U.S. Premiere / 2008

• In Our Lifetime, directed by Allison Bonner Shillingford

African-Americans who have lived through fifteen presidents, Jim Crow and the Civil Rights Movement, share their thoughts and feelings on the possibility of a black president in their lifetimes. (Documentary) 29 min / United States / World Premiere / 2006

• In the Name of the Son, directed by Harun Mehmedinovic

An award winning short that show how after years after escaping war, a Bosnian refugee is forced to confront his past. (Short) 25 min / U S A / 2007

• Jewsus, directed by Benjamin C. Bliss

A Jewish kid inherits the powers of Jesus on prom night. (Short) 17 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2008

• Karaoke Show, directed by Karl Tebbe

A hilarious, award winning animation showing the man behind the camera, dancing and dreaming away to be the next Michael Jackson. He should stick to his amazing animation and pick up a few dance lessons along the way. (Animation) 4 min / Germany / U.S. Premiere / 2008

• The Kiddush Man, directed by Yitz Brilliant

Award winning, touching, coming-of-age drama set in Israel, about 10-year-old Yoni who each Sabbath attempts to sneak past curmudgeonly Mr. Katz into kiddush before the end of services-- but one day Mr. Katz is nowhere to be seen.(Short) 10 min / U S A / 2008

• Knock Knock Who's There, directed by Adam & Evan Beamer

Award winning film about friendship, marijuana, armed robbery and denim. (Short) 9 min / U S A / 2008

• Larry and Roz, directed by Kristen Palana

Award winning animation tells the story of Larry, a 93 year-old widower confined to a nursing home, who remembers a time when he had more spring in his step. Based on real audio recordings from 2002, animator Kristen Palana uses individually painted digital images to imagine and recreate her grandfather’s first attempts to woe his beloved Roz. (Animation) 3 min / Italy / 2008

• Le Concorde's Parallel Lives, directed by Alex Mechlin

A music video featuring Chicago's Le Concorde. (Short) 5 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2008

• Look At Me, directed by Daniel Turner

A dark tale of voyeuristic fantasies that come nightmarishly true in this surreal and gripping fantasy-noir. (Short) 20 min / United Kingdom / World Premiere / 2008

• Magic Kisa, directed by Saliva Mathieu

Psychological thriller on the topic of the gemellity, Magic Kisa tells the meeting again of two twin brothers after years of separation. One leaves prison and the other lined up and founded a family. Associated by long years of swindle and chicaneries, their destinies rock in one night. (Short) 30 min / France / World Premiere / 2007

• The Maid, directed by Heidi Saman

The Maid, an award winning short narrative film, examines the moments in which we are forced to understand that other people are real in the same way that we are. Rasha is an Egyptian house maid, who is not so skilled at her job. When Rasha's suspicions of her employers are confirmed, she must come to terms with her perceptions of trust, duty and place within the family household. (Short) 19 min / Egypt / 2008

• The Making of Agamemnon, directed by Jose Saldana

Explores the condition of deafness by documenting theatre director Ethan Sinnot as he directs the drama Agamemnon using an all deaf cast and crew. Sinnot's play is a metaphor for the deaf world that the documentary's director Saldana and all those he is filming live in everyday. (Documentary) 20 min / U S A / 2008

• March Point, directed by Tracy Rector

Cody, Nick and Travis, three teens from the Swinomish Tribe, wanted to make a gangster movie, but they ended up filming one about the impact of two oil refineries on their rez. (Documentary) 53 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2008

• Martha, directed by Katja Straub

Award winning short, Martha shows the view on life through the eyes of an 11-year old girl that struggles to accept her family (the most embarrassing family in the world, Martha is convinced). After many recent moves, due to her father's adventurous nature, Martha and her family just moved to a small Texan town to take over a restaurant. Martha struggles to adjust to the new environment. She directs her frustration onto her little brother and finds outlets for it in vivid daydreams, where she fantasizes about how her life might otherwise be. We follow Martha into her world where reality and imagination merge into one. Martha is about coming to terms with, and eventually accepting, one's roots, blending humor and drama into a short film that combines realism and surrealism. (Short) 14 min / U S A / East Coast Premiere / 2006

• Excision, directed by Richard Bates

A neglected teen takes refuge in the dreams that used to haunt her and orchestrates a shocking plan to prove her worth to her disapproving parents. (Short) 18 min / World Premiere / 2008

• Miracles

/ U S A

• Mom, directed by Jane Clark

Mom is a real time 10 min slice between a daughter and her mother with Alzheimer's. (Short) 10 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2008

• Music, directed by Asier Urbieta

A boy discovers respect through music admiration. (Short) 4 min / Spain / World Premiere / 2007

• The Music Lesson, directed by Virginia Galloway

Triumph in Africa, not tragedy. Collaboration, not charity. Abundance of spirit, not poverty of resources. (Documentary) 71 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2008

• Near the Egress, directed by Antonio Martinez

Over 800 tintypes, produced in stop-motion time, capture the sublimity and spectacle of the modern circus. (Short) 5 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2008

• Neena, directed by Jarrett Eitner

Neena is the story of a young orphan living in Eastern European post Soviet corruption. She crosses paths with an American documentarian, Guy, who sees her helplessness and promises her a better life. (Short) 10 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2008

• Noor, directed by Razan Ghalayini

Noor's birthday plans take a turn when she and her mother get caught in an Israeli Defense Forces imposed curfew. (Animation) 24 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2008

• Norman Normal: A Modern Metamorphosis, directed by Suzanne Sitelman

A modern take on a classic short story, this adult fairy tale explores a most normal man who suffers a most abnormal transformation. (Short) 18 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2008

• Obara & the Merchants, directed by Manauvaskar Kublall

Award winning animation, Obara hunts for food while his village suffers from famine. Finally, success, Obara gets an animal. But three hungry merchants approach his compound. What will Obara do? (Animation) 7 min / U S A / 2007

• Official Selection, directed by Brian Crano

Satire of short experimental and art films in festivals. Or a film about Emily Dickenson (Mama Mia) having psycho-sexual fantasies about Jesus being waterboarded by a butcher. (Short) 10 min / U S A / 2008

• Old Days, directed by Matthew Shapiro

An award winning coming-of-age dramedy about a 74-year-old woman who reluctantly enters a retirement community and struggles to find her niche within the eccentric residents' social hierarchy. (Short) 23 min / U S A / 2008

• One Nice Family Photo, directed by Tom Senior

My family rarely gets together, so when it happens we always take a photo. As if dinner with nine people and the dog isn’t memorable enough! (Animation) 4 min / United Kingdom / World Premiere / 2008

• Orlok (Sneak Preview), directed by FW Murnau and restored by Keith Carter

(Feature) / U S A / World Premiere / 2008

• Outsource, directed by Daniel Trezise

An award winning short that tells the story of Max, who is about to awaken his long dormant desire for human contact. In his tiny cell of pure function and wall-to-wall screens, he performs menial tasks for the bourgeoisie through a robotic pod. When he discovers a way to communicate to Alice, in the neighboring cell, he’ll stop at nothing to reach her. (Short) 11 min / U S A / 2007

• Pachamama, directed by Toshifumi Matsushita

In the Salar de Uyuni, where many families work with salt, there is a 13 year-old boy named Kunturi who lives a normal life, much like the others in his village, until suffers when his Grandmother dies and his friend moves away. He decides to go on his first trip with the llama caravan throughout the “rota de la sal”, exchanging salt for other goods. Kunturi’s life changes for the better when he arrives to the town of Maca for the “tinku” festival. There he finds the most beautiful girl of his dreams, Ulana. They meet and live out their dream “to run together across the white sea" that is the Salar de Uyuni, until they reach the end of the horizon. (Feature) 104 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2008

• People Like Us, directed by Brett Smith

On July 24, 2006, the City Council of Orlando voted to enact Ordinance 18A, making it illegal for any one individual or group to feed more than 25 homeless people at a time in downtown Orlando. Less than a year later, Eric Montanez became the first person in Florida’s history to be arrested for the crime of feeding the homeless. What followed was a community divided with one side rallying behind the rights of the homeless and the other side challenging the intentions of volunteer organizations holding the feedings. Currently awaiting trial for charges of unconstitutionality, the fate of ordinance 18A raises one integral question – is food a right or a privilege? (Documentary) 8 min / U S A / 2008

• Plastic Soup, directed by Kate Bernier

The San Francisco Chronicle calls it a 'continent-size toxic stew of plastic trash' - and cleaning it up isn't even an option. (Documentary) 6 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2008

• Purge, directed by Brad Kammlah

Struggling to mask the pain from years of sexual abuse, Joy finds herself trapped in a secret addiction. But when her mother refuses to believe the truth about her father, Joy tries to find her own way out. (Short) 16 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2008

• Rachel, directed by Chris King

When a suburban couple finally meets the pregnant young woman whose baby they are going to adopt, they are left with haunting and unforgettable memories of her forever. Based on a true story. (Short) 13 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2008

• Railed, directed by Ryan Fox

Four-thousand miles of tracks, three-hundred unsuspecting passengers, two actors and one train. What could possibly go wrong? It all depends, because on the track where reality meets fiction, everyone has a story. (Feature) 80 min / U S A / 2008

• Scaredy Cats, directed by Bossi Baker

Two friends traveling through a dystopian landscape are thrust into peril when they meet another drifter who tests the strength of their friendship. (Short) 15 min / U S A / 2008

• Scion, directed by Michael Rossetti

A lonely being searches for companionship and the meaning of existence. (Short) 11 min / World Premiere / 2008

• Sebastian's Voodoo, directed by Joaquin Baldwin

A voodoo doll must find the courage to save his friends from being pinned to death. (Animation) 4 min / U S A / 2008

• Slipdream, directed by Marc Grant

A street smart pot dealer in Los Angeles delivers his goods by bicycle, but when he trades his father's gold watch for a couple of 'magical' seeds, Jack transcends his addiction by growing a pair of beanstalks which produce a uniquely psychedelic ascent. (Feature) 85 min / U S A / 2005

• Southern Exposure, directed by Susan Chien

An award winning animation that recounts the story of a young Chinese-American woman moves to a small rural town in the South. Hilarity and misunderstanding ensues. (Animation) 5 min / U S A / 2008

• Still Life, directed by Jaehee Lee

There is a pregnant woman. Like withering flowering plants in her house, she is also losing vitality of her life. One day, a stray cat appears before her and it reveals her sad past. Will she see any ray of hope? (Short) 17 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2008

• Stirring Water, directed by John Kamys

The Haitian proverb, “stir water to make butter” is manifested in a compelling and thoughtful modern travelogue. (Documentary) 15 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2008

• Swimming Moon, directed by Nahomi Maki

A being is driven to madness by the full moon, discovering a sensitive, beautiful and deep dream world. (Animation) 4 min / U S A / 2008

• Symphony, directed by Erick Oh

A sentient creature tries to escape from a reality of being swept away and assimilated into the mainstream, regardless of its own will. The topic of this abstractedly crafted animation applies to anything that struggles to be free. It can be a phenomenon occurring deep within the mind or an individual confronting the standardized masses. (Animation) 5 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2008

• Takoma Park, directed by David Andalman

DC filmmaker recounts the life of a young wannabee who has dreams of being in the NBA, taking care of his girlfriend who is pregnant with someone else's kid, and is far from figuring out that he is just a geek from Takoma Park. (Short) 10 min / U S A / 2008

• The Tangent, directed by Vincent Vesco

A young man washing his car offers an attractive woman a ride wherever she wants to go. The two set off on a journey with no plans and no direction, but as their relationship grows can they continue living their life of the rock-and-roll aesthetic or will they have to compromise and settle down? (Short) 12 min / France / World Premiere / 2008

• The Turtle, directed by Andrew Money

A bumbling gangster named 'The Turtle' is having the night of his life when a combination of coincidence, clumsiness, and the accidental death of a casino cocktail waitress causes everything to spiral out-of-control in this dark comedy of errors. (Short) 29 min / U S A / 2008

• The Ville, directed by Amy Bench

A quiet contemplation of race, identity, fear, and acceptance in today's urban America. (Documentary) 16 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2007

• Vroom - Vroom!, directed by Tess Sweet

After getting dumped by her boyfriend and stranded in the desert, a heartbroken woman meets an unlikely trucker with a tool box full of miracles and an invitation to a magical place. (Short) 10 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2008

• Way Home

/ U S A /

• Whisper Me a Lullaby, directed by Christina Vinsick

A young woman reflects upon a family secret. (Short) 5 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2008

• Witch Hunt, directed by Don Hardy

Sean Penn executive-produces and narrates this gripping documentary of an American Witch Hunt that chronicles entire families whose lives are destroyed when a community is whipped into a frenzy by allegations of child molestation. (Documentary) 91 min / U S A / World Premiere / 2007

• The Workout, directed by Sami Khan

Earving and his teenage son Terry don’t have the best relationship, so to get through this weekend they’re going to have to do some heavy lifting--literally. (Short) 11 min / U S A / 2008

• The World On Fire, directed by Jack Niederer

Where do you turn when a blaze sets the world on fire and everything turns to ash? (Short) 15 min / New Zealand / North American Premiere / 2005