Short Film screenings
Audiences screened the short films below selected for the Albany Film Festival in the Comedic, Dramatic, Experimental, and Documentary Short film categories on the NYS Writers Institute YouTube channel.
Each of these shorts have a connection to New York State.
Select short films were also screened at the Malta Drive-In Theatre event on Thursday, April 29, 2021.
Visit the Albany Film Festival Short Film Awards announcement
Comedies
DREAM CAFÉ
Director: Dasha Khritankova
Comedic Short Film
An absurd comedic drama about a young man Nick, who is obsessed with his dream of owning a café.
SIBLING RIVALRY
Director: Don Colacino
Comedic Short Film
A small town election becomes a battle of ideals for a rivalrous brother and sister.
Earth Day 2030
Director: Joe Murphy
Comedic Short Film
Dramatic
BOYD
Director: Michael McBride
Dramatic Short Film
27 year old Baker Boyd takes his last chance to get out of a forgotten Americana by filming his reality TV audition with his childhood friends over the course of one day.
THE GRANDMOTHER
Director: Michael Banks
Dramatic Short Film
Director Michael Banks passed peacefully in February 2020 following a ten-year long struggle with two brain tumors. “The Grandmother” was his senior film.
FLYING COLORS
Director: Muneib Chater
Dramatic Short Film
Joseph Evans loses his father in a tragic car crash. Since then, life hasn’t been the same, until he meets a man who claims he can change his world.
SUDDEN
Director: Charity Buckbee
Dramatic Short Film
A senior citizen fights loneliness by becoming a home health aide and helps patients with their daily activities.
SEVERANCE
Director: John Robert Hammerer
Dramatic Short Film
When Freddy and Martin learn that the warehouse where they work is closing down, the news throws the two friends into a tailspin.
ONE MATCH
Director: Kewan J. Harrison
Dramatic Short Film
A college student engulfed in crippling guilt has a life altering confession to make.
Experimental
ALIGN
Director: Sandra Gallardo
Experimental Short Film
Artists find creative expression and personal joy in a wide variety of art forms.
DIE GROTESKE
Director: Gemma Gallucci
Experimental Short Film
Phil and the other two actors on their film set are having a hard time connecting with each other.
THE PLAZA
Director: Jordan McClendon
Experimental Short Film
A music driven figure skating routine that magically conjures Albany’s Empire State Plaza into being.
I AM HER
Director: Sydnie Heslop
Experimental Short Film
A documentary featuring the voices of Black women talking about their experiences being both Black and woman.
A VERY SIMPLE OBJECTIVE
Director: Brandyn Johnson
Experimental Short Film
The man’s objective is clear—to be free.
Documentary
BUILDING A STAGE
Director: Sydnie Heslop
Documentary Short Film
In a white dominated world of theatre, what do people of color do? They carve out their own spaces, because when it comes down “to be or not to be” they choose to be!
FROM A DAUGHTER TO HER MOTHER
Director: Kassielle Pena
Documentary Short Film
A detailed interview with the daughter (Mayra Pena) of a woman (Victoria Matias) with dementia and other sicknesses.
GIFTS OF LIFE: PROFILES IN COURAGE FROM THE TRANSPLANT COMMUNITY
Director: Michael Drucker
Documentary Short Film
Meet Shelby, Jack and Jennifer ... three young organ transplant recipients who each received the gift of life.
RICH ATMOSPHERE: THE MUSIC OF MERCHANT-IVORY FILMS
Director: Stephen Soucy
Documentary Short Film
Oscar-winner, Director, Screenwriter, James Ivory narrates a moving tribute to his long-time composer, Richard "Dick" Robbins, in this short animated film.
HOPE SERVED FRESH - RECOVERY FRIENDLY EMPLOYMENT
Director: Jessica Vecchione
Documentary Short Film
A pizzeria owner in Oneonta New York decides to create a "sober and recovery friendly" workplace.
MENKES DISEASE: FINDING HELP & HOPE
Director: Daniel DeFabio
Documentary Short Film
Academy Award nominee Mary McDonnell narrates this look at a rare fatal genetic disorder called Menkes Disease.