SCREEN

Shorts Program 3: DocuNation - The natural and the uncanny come together in this exceptional set of shorts from around the world. Growing old (and in love) together is the subject of Undertow Eyes, a beautiful poem that follows an elderly Brazilian couple's reminiscences over the decades. Memory figures in a completely different way in Clandestine, a virtuosic mini-masterpiece about family and identity that emerges from a unique case of espionage. Just as fascinating is Notes on the Other, a sharp and witty anecdote that zeroes in on an annual Spanish celebration of a certain famous writer and the secrets he may have carried with him. Within a Perfect World, the "imperfect" pupils of Centre Academy Special School poetically imagine their own ideal world. Finally, How Green Was Our Valley takes us through an entrancing tour of an Iranian valley where ancient tradition is engaged in a tug of war with encroaching modernity.

Hell Is Other People - Meet Morty, master of the awkward moment. Single, unemployed and forever scrambling for money and love, Morty specializes in finding new ways to make his friends feel uncomfortable. Whether being talked into posing for an eccentric artist’s photo project or vainly trying to romance an ex-girlfriend with lines like “You’re beautiful when you’re indignant,” he seems to have taken Sartre’s titular adage to heart. But is he really Chattanooga’s biggest loser, or a forlorn psychiatrist who just can’t seem to take his own advice? That’s the question at the heart of Jarrod Whaley’s deadpan treat. Charting the different relationships within a group of friends with lucid emotion and dry wit, the film manages to be both a wise comedy and a look at the characters’ often painful need for human connection. The film is preceded by the short film Parallels (Director: Frank Door, Country: USA, Film Info: 16 min.) - Caught in the middle of her own psychotic rampage Katie must come to grips with her own identity with the help of a stranger.

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. 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).