Short Film Screenings 2024
The following films will be screened during the Albany Film Festival in the Campus Center West Boardroom.
Short Film Award winners to be announced at the Ironweed & Short Film Award Ceremony in the Campus Center West Auditorium on April 6th at 6:00 p.m.
DRAMATIC I
10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
AN OCCURRENCE
Directed by:
Dien Vo
Dramatic Short Film
A distant, culturally-mixed family attempts a ceremonial day together. Lifelong emotions surface through small gestures, while the world around them keeps changing and carries on.
DEAD DROP
Directed by:
Benjamin Reeves
Dramatic Short Film
When the FBI exposes a spy cell in New York, a Russian sleeper agent faces a deadly choice between her own freedom and her mission.
PHILADELPHIA BOUND
Directed by:
David Pisani
Dramatic Short Film
When fate provides Tommy with the chance to finally move out of the old neighborhood, he must decide if he is willing to leave behind everything he has ever known and loved.
THE JOURNEY OF MALCOLM MIRACLE AND DAVE
Directed by:
J. Anthony Roman
Dramatic Short Film
This film is an urban fantasy that deals with second chances, hard changes, prison, and pro wrestling!
DRAMATIC II
12:00 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.
KEEPSAKE
Directed by:
Rachel Patrice
Dramatic Short Film
A man makes a journey through Washington Square Park to discover himself through a keepsake.
LETTING GO
Directed by:
Pamela Gebhard
Dramatic Short Film
A story of a typical breakup with a bit of a twist, Letting Go is a short film about two lovers who feel at their rope's end with their relationship. Except, one isn't so much so.
MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFE
Directed by:
Iniabasi Nelson
Dramatic Short Film
In his final attempt to heal, a grief-stricken, distressed man enters an experimental program that forces him to confront dark truths.
MIDNIGHT CHRYSALIS
Directed by:
Camren Missimer
Dramatic Short Film
A teenage girl who is burnt out and doesn't succeed as much as her past self.
MOLTING
Directed by:
Maia B Kromer
Dramatic Short Film
A shapeshifter loses their powers, but learns how to control their appearance in the ways that they can.
PENNY
Directed by:
Rachel S. Thomas-Medwid
Dramatic Short Film
A female chef attempting to make a romantic connection fights dark impulses as memories of her mentally ill mother bleed into current-day life.
THE HOLLOW
Directed by: Yvonne Trobe
Dramatic Short Film
A retelling of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, set in Columbia County, New York with filming on location at sites associated with Washington Irving and the original story.
EXPERIMENTAL
1:30 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.
APPLICANT 101
Directed by:
Alex Zaghloul
Experimental Short Film
A dark and suspenseful thriller, this short film explores the psychological toll of a job interview where patience and adherence to instructions are paramount for the protagonist's sanity.
"!"
Directed by:
Elaina Couse
Experimental Short Film
Inspired by the director's difficulty in beginning tasks, and the resulting whirlwind of manic work that she inevitably puts herself through just before a due date.
ELECTRA WASP
Directed by:
Wasan Hayajneh
Experimental Short Film
An experimental animated psychobiography about the death and life of trailblazing pilot Amelia Earhart. It is a retrospective of her emotional world and an exploration of what drove her to pursue her passion for flying.
JUAN
Directed by:
Azriel Chavez
Experimental Short Film
The emotions of a touch-sensitive boy expressed through surrealism.
MASKED MACABRE
Directed by:
Tom Walsh
Experimental Short Film
A woman condemned to death escapes.
MEMORY
Directed by: Dylan Ferrara,
Max Greenblat
Experimental Short Film
When he forgets his password, he must venture deep into his memory to retrieve it.
OFFSTAGE
Directed by:
Jacob French
Experimental Short Film
A theatre actor struggles with life between gigs.
ON PEDESTAL
Directed by:
Maya Rosenthal
Experimental Short Film
Three figures of the past, present and statue find what legacy means to them within the art world.
SPOILED
Directed by: Saige Kanik
Experimental Short Film
Jamie gets a moldy sandwich for lunch. Pepper the Panda learns how to keep food clean!
COMEDY
2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.
BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME
Directed by: Lexie Zanghi
Comedic Short Film
After experiencing a breakup, Lana wants to get back into the dating world, this time online. After endless swipes and matches, does she find love at first swipe?
DON'T BE A WEENIE
Directed by: Milla Benadony
Comedic Short Film
Greg must carry on with his family's legacy by competing in the annual hot dog eating competition, leading to issues in his marriage.
Earth Day 2030
Director: Joe Murphy
Comedic Short Film
HOT SODA
Directed by:
Nello DiGiandomenico
Comedic Short Film
Outraged over the approval to double the fracking operations devastating her hometown, a young woman is forced by her sick father to serve the fracking company’s CEO when he dines at their failing restaurant.
PTO
Directed by: Taylor Becker
Comedic Short Film
After receiving news that his vacation request had been denied, a burned-out employee deals with the repercussions of having the audacity to ask his manager for some time off.
Earth Day 2030
Director: Joe Murphy
Comedic Short Film
TAILS SIDE UP
Directed by: Elijah Gaddy
Comedic Short Film
After picking up a penny with its tails side up, a young man on his way to work has a ridiculously unlucky morning
DOCUMENTARY
4:00 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.
INVISIBLE TARGETS: THE RISE OF AAPI HATE CRIMES
Directed by: Devin Kennedy
Documentary Short Film
America's Asian population has endured continuous hardship and discrimination, being branded as a "model minority" during peaceful times and facing racism during crisis.
PINS AND NEEDLES
Directed by:
Claire Beseler
Documentary Short Film
In a private tattoo studio, a filmmaker experiences the wonder of human connection.
PIZZA DREAMS
Directed by:
Alexander Campo
Documentary Short Film
Michael Graziano was my great-grandfather. This is the true story of my development as a chef and as a man told through our shared canvas: pizza.
QUE SERÁ, SERÁ: THE BERT WEINBERG STORY
Directed by:
Leo Rosenblum
Documentary Short Film
Bert Weinberg shares his outlook on life, and his personal secrets to being happy and enjoying his everyday life through the lens of a person who got a chance when so many others didn’t.
THE BORICUA'S DILEMMA
Directed by:
Sebastian Nazario-Colon
Documentary Short Film
Explores the history of U.S. colonialism and the political status debate in present- day Puerto Rico through the lens of three politicians and three civilians.
Without Shame, Without Stigma, Without Fear
WITHOUT SHAME, WITHOUT STIGMA, WITHOUT FEAR
Directed by: Liam Shields
Documentary Short Film
Sue Perlgut, an activist and filmmaker, shares her experience having an illegal abortion pre- Roe v. Wade. We explore the work of local activist group “End Abortion Stigma.”