37th Annual VIRGINIA FILM FESTIVAL Oct 30-Nov 3, 2024

37th Annual VIRGINIA FILM FESTIVAL October 30-November 3, 2024

Short Films: Block D

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These six narratives vary from surreal comedy to unnerving psychic drama, from slice-of-life portrait to over the top extremes, exploring both the fantastical and the all-too-real in a bite-sized format.

Cécile

2016. USA. 13 min. Director: Philippe Grenade XIV. Featuring: David Rysdahl, Joyce Feurring, Cleo Handler, Syrie Moskowitz.

A young man on a missed errand finds himself at an ominous inn, where he is lured into a mysterious and seductive world of dreams.

Greener Grass

2016. USA. 15 min. Director: Paul Briganti. Featuring: Dawn Luebbe, Jocelyn DeBoer.

In this dark comedy of manners, soccer moms Jill and Lisa seek the approval of their “friends” at all costs. This surreal world is just on the edge of consciousness—suburbia through the looking glass. Every adult wears painful braces on their straight teeth, couples coordinate meticulously pressed outfits, and coveted family members become pawns in this competition for acceptance.

Lightningface

2016. USA. 19 min. Director: Brian Petsos. Featuring: Oscar Isaac, Tim Rock, Kristen Wiig, Erika Rankin, Julie Petsos.

An origin story of sorts, Lightningface stars Oscar Isaac as Basil Stitt, who in the aftermath of an inexplicable incident decides to sequester himself inside his apartment, setting the stage for a profound transformation.

Muscle

2015. USA. 14 min. Director: Heidi Miami Marshall. Featuring: Reiko Aylesworth, Fiona Graham, Marc Menchaca.

A woman married to a terminally ill man must make the agonizing decision whether to live for him or live for herself. Their marriage was broken long before the disease, and those cracks have never gone away. Now, frayed by a life in stasis, she realizes it’s time to make a choice.

Out of the Village

2015. Ghana/USA. 17 min. Director: Jonathan Stein. Featuring: Abraham Attah, Hannah Atah, Kobina Amissah-Sam.

Shot in West Africa with a local cast and crew, Out of the Village explores the social and cultural impact of the Ebola epidemic from the perspective of an orphaned brother and sister. The short, from executive producer Bryan Singer (House, MD, X-Men), stars Abraham Attah (Beasts of No Nation).

The Projectionist

2016. USA. 18 min. Director: Megan Holley. Featuring: James Urbaniak.

You know that moment just before death when your life flashes before your eyes? Well, the Projectionist makes that happen. He’s just a low-level bureaucrat in the space between life and what comes after, but his world is about to change.

Date

Sunday, November 6

Time

5:00 PM

Location

UVA : Newcomb Hall Theater

Film Info

Runtime: 97 min.

Genre: Shorts