Shorts Programs

The uplifting nature of connection through friendship, memory, assistance, and ancestry resonates deeply through these endearing short films. 

The Making of Taylor Square

Directed by Caroline Josey Karoki 
USA, 25 min.

Gullah Geechee storyteller Sistah Patt Gunn leads a diverse coalition in a three-year battle to rename Savannah’s Calhoun Square — once honoring pro-slavery advocate John C. Calhoun — after Susie King Taylor, a Civil War nurse, educator, and formerly enslaved woman. Despite legal barriers and opposition, the film chronicles a community’s resilience and determination to reclaim history. 

Producer: Abbey Hoekzema 
Cast: Sistah Patt Gunn, Rosalyn “Rouz” Rouse

The Second Life of Freddie Nole

Directed by Dana Nachman 
USA, 22 min.
Georgia premiere

When Freddie Nole drives to meet a man walking out of prison, he’s not just offering a ride, he’s offering hope, dignity, and a path to permanent freedom. As this vérité road trip unfolds, the remarkable story behind Freddie’s mission is revealed: a staggering mistake that cost him 50 years of freedom but ultimately brings him right back to the prison door. 

Producers: Dana Nachman, Chelsea Matter 

32B

Directed by Mohamed Taher 
Egypt, 19 min.
Georgia premiere

In 2005 Cairo, a single dad is told his teen daughter needs a bra. His clumsy attempt to bring it up leads to an excruciatingly awkward conversation, followed by a nightmare of a bra-shopping trip. He rehearses how to “introduce” it at home, only to be blindsided when she strolls in, leaving him frozen, humiliated, and questioning every parenting choice.

Producer: Safei El Din Mahmoud 
Writer: Haitham Dabbour 
Cast: Mohamed Mamdouh, Hana Sheha, Jessica Hossam El Din, Ahmed Dash 

The View

Directed by Alli Sadegiani 
Sweden, 18 min.
Southeast premiere

In 1980s Sweden, an immigrant boy drifts through 8-bit glow, Prince-fueled dreams, and a secret friendship as he searches for identity and love. The View is a kaleidoscopic journey through belonging, pressure, and the fragile places where acceptance lives. 

Producer: Alli Sadegiani, Jeremy Quist, Alicea Engquist 
Writer: Alli Sadegiani 

I Got You

Directed by Jayme Lawson 
USA, 11 min.
World premiere

After disappearing almost 20 years ago, a father creeps back into his daughter’s life, forcing her to navigate the pull between her lover’s arms and her dying father’s — all while confronting the wounds of her past. 

Producers: Nicole Palermo, Kelli Reilly, Jade Lewis
Writer: Jayme Lawson
Cast: Jayme Lawson, Motell Foster, Joshua Boone

The Old Man and the Barber

Directed by Nima Fakhrara
USA, 12 min.
Southeast premiere

An old man walks into a quiet barber shop and begins sharing the story of his life. As memory and identity slip, a simple haircut becomes a quiet meditation on aging, legacy, and the need to be heard before we’re forgotten. 

Producers: Ali Mashayekhi, Kico Velarde, Joanna Velarde
Cast: Mahmud Behrouzian, Dadyar Vakili, Niousha Noor