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Shorts Program 8: Student Short Film Competition - Student filmmakers may be the ultimate Mavericks: they find their voices, push the envelope and get their stories told - often in the face of limited resources. In this year's student short line-up, the maverick spirit is on full display. In This Place, Catharsis and Magellan feature young protagonists in search of their place in a changing world; Kavi, Daughters and The Late Mr. Mokun Williams are different takes on social issues facing the global community; Comfortable Distance and Non-Love-Song explore the complexities of unspoken feelings in relationships; and El Deseo proves that a sexual awakening can happen at any age. Rounding out the series are films from San Jose State University, De Anza College and Stanford University, showing the artistic richness emanating from our own backyard. Other featured shorts are The Bird Photographer - dir. Marty Cooper (San Jose State University), Complete - dir. Jeremy Inman (San Jose State University), Just Add Water - dir. Marty Cooper (San Jose State University), Psycho Sundae - dir. Brian Pahl (De Anza College), Shelter - dir. Jason Sussberg (Stanford University), and Vol De L'amour - dir. Alaric Holloway (De Anza College).

Blue Ridge - The quiet desperation of being stuck in a moment. A storm has been brewing inside J.T. for a long time now. Unstable and on edge, J.T. lives alone in a rotting, rural trailer park. After unexpectedly falling in love with Sara, J.T. envisions a life for the two of them managing a beachside amusement park. Life at the trailer park threatens their dream, however, when landlord Mr. Johnston seeks to keep J.T. under his thumb. The two new lovers begin to feel increasing pressure on their relationship, and J.T. soon faces a crisis that challenges him to make changes to his life in order to move away from his unhealthy environment and follow his and Sara’s dream. Director Vincent Sweeney’s feature debut, Blue Ridge, is a thoughtful, character-driven story fraught with tension about the hard choices one must make when threatened from within and without.

The Days of Desire (A Vagyakozas Napjai) - She may not speak, but she sees and hears everything. A mute, young wanderer, Anna, lands a job as a housekeeper for a cosmopolitan married couple. The position seems simple at first, but as time passes and tensions crack her bosses’ placid surfaces, she comes to realize that her new household is anything but a peaceful one. Anna’s presence affects the family in profound ways, prompting them to face buried secrets while offering a chance for redemption. But will her ethics be challenged when she becomes involved with a smitten young suitor? Following in the footsteps of the acclaimed Hungarian filmmaker Bela Tarr, Jozsef Pacskovszky delivers a provocative and highly emotional tale of human desire, salvation and the burden of playing silent witness to the affairs all around us.

The Square - Two lovers...a botched crime...a lot of pain. Married man Ray Yale spends most of his time overseeing a construction site and running around with his neighbor Carla. One day after discovering a bag of cash hidden by her husband, Carla persuades spineless Ray to burn the house and run off with the dough. Influenced by his past promise of "being together when the time's right," Ray initially agrees, but later changes his mind. Unfortunately, a miscommunication with hired arsonist Billy causes the plan to go terribly wrong. Ray and Carla soon find themselves attempting to conceal the evidence and ward off Billy, while simultaneously dealing with a stream of blackmail demands. All of this leads to an intense climax that is both savage and pleasing. Filled with vibrant characters and intricate events, Director Nash Edgerton's modern-day noir engages and gratifies from beginning to end. This film will be preceded by the short film Spider (Director: Nash Edgerton, Country: Australia, Film Info: 10 min) - Jack and Jill are always hurting each other's feelings. But like mum said, "It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye."

Shorts Program 7: Comedy Favorites - Laughter is the best medicine, and these short films will have you in stitches. You'll learn how to survive in the post-apocalyptic world, and how to save lives like an action hero. You'll watch the tables turn when the Devil meets his match on his wedding day, and meet women who seek and celebrate divorces instead of marriages. These nine shorts spare no one as they poke fun at everything from midlife crises to awkward situations between friends (and pets) to strange "first dates." This collection of shorts is guaranteed to get you laughing. The Shorts Program 7 includes the following films: The Action Hero's Guide to Saving Lives - dir. Justin Lutsky (United States), Always a Bride - dir. Danny Strauss (United States), The Devil's Wedding - dir. Dan Cadan (United Kingdom), Ducked and Covered: A Survival Guide to the Post Apocalypse - dir. Nathaniel Lindsay (Australia), Man's Best Friend - dir. Timothy Plain (United States), Midlife - dir. Michael Swingler (United States), Nothing Happened - dir. Julia Kots (United States), True Beauty This Night - dir. Peter Besson (United States), and Two Theories, One Stone - dir. Aaron Houston (Canada).