Short Film Screenings 2023
The following films will be screened during the Albany Film Festival in the Campus Center West Boardroom
The Short Film competition and prize money is made possible through the generosity of the Brendan Fahy Bequette Fund, established in 2023 to honor the brilliant but short life of filmmaker + photographer Brendan Fahy Bequette.
A book featuring Brendan's photography will be available for sale at the film festival and at https://bfbfund.com/#bfb-book
All proceeds from the sale of his book and photographic prints will benefit programs that nurture and support young artistic talent in all forms and disciplines.
COMEDY
Campus Center West Boardroom – 10:45 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
CHOPPED LIVER
Episode 4
Directed by: Shannon Plumb
Comedic Short Film
Following in the tradition of CAROL BURNETT, MONTY PYTHON and SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, Shannon Plumb puts together a timely sketch variety show featuring Rosie O'Donnell.
PROFESSIONAL INTERN
Directed by: Stokes Harvey
Comedic Short Film
Professional Intern is about a father's struggle to talk about his internship at his daughter's elementary school career day. The father fights for his career day time slot but ultimately must accept that his daughter is embarrassed that her father is a 30-year-old intern.
Earth Day 2030
Director: Joe Murphy
Comedic Short Film
ROMANCE
Directed by:
Giorgi Tkemaladze
Comedic Short Film
Henry is a 20 year-old American studying Georgian folk music. He is gay and has a strange habit. At night he likes to sing in the park for his amusement. One night, this strange habit gets him into an adventure where he will be a hostage, victim, fiance, sweetheart, knight and participant in a strange exotic tradition.
RUSTLERS PROMENADE
Directed by: Charity Buckbee
Comedic Short Film
A gang of rustler's rob a group of unsuspecting country folk.
Earth Day 2030
Director: Joe Murphy
Comedic Short Film
THE STAMP
Directed by: Sharon Mayo
Comedic Short Film
A satire on how to complete a task within government bureaucracy.
EXPERIMENTAL
Campus Center West Boardroom – 12:15 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
COMPASS
Directed by: Laura Frare
Experimental Short Film
This video/poem uses the metaphor of the internal compass and the homing pigeon to represent the magnetic pull of "home," and its elusive qualities throughout our lives.
MESSY BOYS
Directed by: Kyle Kleege
Experimental Short Film
After losing her job, Alina answers a help wanted ad and enters a whole new world.
POMEGRANATE
Directed by:
K. A. Laity
Experimental Short Film
A surreal tale of the power of the taste of the fruit.
THE FRIDGE
Directed by: Livia Silverbush
Experimental Short Film
Filmmaker finds beauty in Albany's most contentious abandoned building, providing commentary against the historic view surrounding the ugliness of abandoned structures.
YARNS
Season 1, Episode 1
Directed by:
Sam Gorenstein
Experimental Short Film
Sometimes, you adapt a book into a film. Other times, you just film the book itself and hope the audience will imagine goodcinematography.
YOUR DAY
Directed by: Paul Camarata
Experimental Short Film
It's a story of "ever upward" when a seemingly simple one room collection of mementos reveals itself as the magical lens into the day's "who knows what ceiling." Capturing the spirit of the late great Stan Lee's favorite catchphrase, "Excelsior!", YOUR DAY is a plucky love note to the sunny side of life.
DRAMATIC I
Campus Center West Boardroom – 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
WAKENER
Directed by: Anthony Ferraro
Dramatic Short Film
Wakener is a Sci-Fi Horror film that follows a broken and haunted ship technician and a young, honorable military officer. Their paths collide when a ghost ship powered by tech outlawed centuries ago mysteriously appears at Point Station. The station's chief officer orders the ship secretly investigated for nefarious reasons. As a result, the Technician and Officer are compelled to fulfill an ancient and catastrophic destiny.
BASHFULLY ALIVE
Directed by:
Rebecca Moore
Dramatic Short Film
Two shy people try their best to go to a party..,
TO BE HONEST
Directed by:
John Robert Hammerer
Dramatic Short Film
Two exes attempt to reconnect, unaware they each have something to hide.
LAURINA
Directed by: Sylvia Caminer
Dramatic Short Film
LAURINA is based on a real-life childhood journal written by a grandmother which portrays a snapshot of early 20th century Immigrant life.
DOCUMENTARY
Campus Center West Boardroom – 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
ALEXEI SINYAVIN SPEEDCUBER
Directed by: Aaron Anidjar
Documentary Short Film
A mini-documentary about Alexei Sinyavin, a high school student who is ranked 5th in the world in the Megaminx Rubik's Cube and about his journey both becoming a top speedcuber and finding a community in which he belongs.
AMERICAN NIGHTMARE/AMERICAN DREAM
Directed by: Diana Devlin and Grace Zinnel
Documentary Short Film
Four New Yorkers, born into poor families, struggle to escape poverty, and conquer overwhelming odds to pursue a college degree, to create their own American dream.
HONORING SACRED GROUND
Directed by: Peter Rafalow
Documentary Short Film
This documentary short honors the Haundenosaunee (Iroquois) way-of-life legacy, Clan Mother leadership, and sacred land in Central NY. HONORING SACRED GROUND is the intro film to the five-part series called VIRTUAL VIDEO VISITS along The Central New York Women's Rights Corridor.
STRUGGLE. TRIUMPH.
REPEAT...
Directed by:
Pamela Chris Howard
Documentary Short Film
The stories of civil rights activists from the Capital
District of New York are presented with photos and footage from the 1950's till present day.
THE CROQUET HOUSE
Directed by: Paul McGreevy
Documentary Short Film
Immediately following the death of Leo Paul McGreevy, his son must host the 31st annual family croquet tournament. But with the head of the family gone, the purpose of this unique tradition comes into question.
UKRAINIANS IN EXILE
Directed by: Janek Ambros
Documentary Short Film
Two-time Oscar winner Janusz Kaminski presents Potyahz z Ukrayiny - a woman in Ukraine tells us her story and the hopes she has of other countries taking care of those who were forced to leave her country.
DRAMATIC II
Campus Center West Boardroom – 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
EXPOSURE THERAPY
Directed by: Shane Tully
Dramatic Short Film
A young woman struggles with thoughts of killing her best friend.
SYMPTOMS OF INCARCERATION
Directed by: Owen Miller
Dramatic Short Film
Taking his final march through the halls of the prison he spent the last 2 decades of his life in, Martin Charter’s freedom is finally within reach. He takes his first step out of the prison and breathes in the fresh air. Martin robbed a bank 20 years ago but now he has another shot at life. This time, he has no intention of letting it go to waste.
THE BASEMENT
Directed by:
Rick James Aydelott
Dramatic Short Film
In the apocolyptic aftermath of a zombie outbreak, two survivors battle the harsh truths of their present situation, finding out sometimes love can make things worse.
THE DWINDLING FIRE
Directed by:
Christina Lilavois
Dramatic Short Film
A teenage girl who is burnt out and doesn't succeed as much as her past self.
BROKEN
Directed by: Merritt Nowicki
Dramatic Short Film
A girl with a broken foot is haunted by a broken man in her backyard.
ANOTHER SWELL DAY
Directed by:
Evens Yurvie Angulo-Duvil
Dramatic Short Film
An animation following a young girl who has been recently diagnosed with a rare blood disease known as HAE (Hereditary Angioedema). It is a story of a nervous child growing into a confident adult who has refused to let her trials overwhelm her. It is dedicated to all HAE patients and all the trials that they go through.
WORDS UNSAID
Directed by: Morgan Heyward
Dramatic Short Film
A father attempts to send a long-awaited message.