Shorts Programs

These student-directed short films showcase the talent of up-and-coming filmmakers through a wide variety of stories and styles. 

KATTI (Unfriend)

Directed by Kanishka Aggarwal 
USA/India, 14 min.
Southeast premiere

In a lively Indian household celebrating the birth of a baby boy, a spirited eight-year-old girl confronts the sting of gender bias and the complexities of sibling rivalry as she struggles for her family's attention, only to realize the unbreakable bond with her sister when the threat of separation looms. 

Producers: Wenfeng Li, Kanishka Aggarwal 
Cast: Siyona Ailiani, Ashi Sharma 
School: Chapman University

See Me

Directed by Cormac Fingeret 
USA, 17 min.
Southeast premiere

At 12 years old, Connor was groomed by a man he met online. Ten years later, he drifts through the eight nights of Hanukkah, disappearing into strangers and chasing a closeness that evaporates before he can name it. When his father reaches out, Connor must face the boy he once was and the fracture he still carries. 

Producer: Amanda Skye Acosta 
Writers: Cormac Fingeret, Amanda Skye Acosta 
Cast: Zachary Golinger, Harry Slattery, Sean Patrick Folster
School: New York University

Rio Negro

Directed by Luke Cooper Escobar 
USA/Ecuador, 17 min.
U.S. premiere

In 1990s Ecuadorian Amazon, 18-year-old Yutzo watches his father’s health deteriorate as a mysterious illness spreads through their community. Desperate to afford medicine, he turns to his estranged uncle Fausto, who offers him work with the oil industry operating in the region.

Producer: Cristina González Toscanini
Writers: Luke Cooper Escobar, Alessa Maiuri  
Cast: Gandy Shaín, Fabricio Lalama, Yarina Andi, Ricardo Grefa
School: SCAD

The View Was Everything

Directed by Blais Cameron
USA, 12 min.
U.S. premiere

Young couple Leo and Mia spend their days chasing a future together. As seasons pass and Mia’s health declines, their long-promised trip to Croatia remains just out of reach. Leo races the clock to make Mia’s biggest dream a reality. 

Producers: Blais Cameron, Caroline Boland, Evyn J. Barron
Writer: Blais Cameron
Cast: Christopher Burns, Sydney Jasper
School: SCAD

The Kalgan Horse

Directed by Zichen Zhao 
China/USA, 16 min.
Georgia premiere

In the borderlands of farming and herding in northern China, a Mongolian horse awaits the fate of castration, while a 10-year-old boy, determined to protect it, must confront violence and cruelty beyond his understanding. 

Producer: Zichen Zhao
Writers: Yue Zhang, Zichen Zhao
Cast: Aban, Yang Yang, Si Feng
School: Columbia University

Killer of Men

Directed by Jordan Betine 
USA, 13 min.
Georgia premiere

In 1830s South Carolina, Mace is an enslaved fighter whose brutal victories earn money for the men who own him. After killing another man in a bloody death match, he returns expecting to move on as he always has. Instead, he finds an enslaved community mourning the very man he killed.

Writer: Jordan Betine
Producer: Ruoxiao li
Cast: Erik Orjiako, Sandra McDaniels
School: AFI

Cadencia

Directed by Paulís Cofresí 
USA, 15 min.
Georgia premiere

For nine-year-old Lola, evenings are shaped by her single mother’s orchestra rehearsals. On the night of Lola’s birthday, Aileen begins her first day as concertmaster, becoming the first woman to hold the position in the institution’s history. As rehearsals unfold, Lola wanders familiar backstage corridors and empty halls, finding ways to occupy herself.

Producers: Camila Reus Figueroa, Krizia Belén Monserrate 
Cast: Marina Echevarría Reus, Marietere Vélez, Willie Denton
School: School of Visual Arts