Welcome to the 10th Annual Los Angeles Short Film Festival
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Film Festivals are still the best place to screen independent work and get it noticed. With YouTube and TikTok so overcrowded, good shorts often drown in a sea of bad. Showing the best of the best is priority at Los Angeles Short Film Festival. We provide filmmakers an opportunity to share their shorts with an enthusiastic and responsive audience that’s eager to see new films, new faces, and new art. Los Angeles Short Film Festival – where emerging talent finds a place to shine!
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1% of all merchandise, ticket, and VIP ALL FILMS pass sales go to FREE ARTS FOR ABUSED CHILDREN (www.freearts.org).
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Venue Address
1534 Highland Ave, Hollywood, CA 90028
(200 feet from the Chinese Theater and Walk of Fame)
Suggested Parking
6725 Sunset Blvd Garage - 250 spots
Please note festival do not validate parking
Tickets
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Submit your Film or Screenplay
Submissions are open for the next edition of the festival.
Submit via FilmFreeway here filmfreeway.com/losangelesshortfilmfestival
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Films we selected in the past
Watch anytime on Prime, Tubi and other channles here lacinefest.org/films
Films we selected this year
Saturday, April 12, 2 pm
Screening Block #1
Śokasana, Director Christopher Saint, Drama, United States, 10:20 FILMMAKERS IN PERSON!
FREELANCE, Director Luciano A. Muñoz Sessarego, Magnus I. Møller, Peter Smith, Animation, Denmark, 2:40
CHASE, Director Nathaniel Czarnecki, Drama, Poland, 5:00 FILMMAKERS IN PERSON!
#INTIMACY, Directors Jared N. Wright, Eric Ivey, Comedy, United States, 5:00 FILMMAKERS IN PERSON!
Immeasurable, Director Fanny Skura, Drama, France, 7:11 (eng subs)
VanTongerloo's Dream, Director Seth Swirsky, Animation, United States, 10:58 FILMMAKERS IN PERSON!
Legend, Directors Nathan Oliver, Dileep Rao, Drama, United States, 16:00 FILMMAKERS IN PERSON!
The Feast of Magical Small Things, Directors Sarah Frasco, Marissa Chabria, Comedy, United States, 13:41 FILMMAKERS IN PERSON!
Total Time approx. 72 minutes
Q&A with Filmmakers 3:30 pm
Break/Networking 3:50 pm
Saturday, April 12, 4 pm
Screening Block #2
Trouble, Director Jonathan Shaw, Drama, Ireland, 17:10
One Happy Customer, Director WATTS, Comedy, United States, 6:20
Missin' Mitch, Director Katherine Fisher, Drama, United States, 12:35 FILMMAKERS IN PERSON!
Love Without Borders, Director Joe Epstein, Comedy, United States, 20:05 FILMMAKERS IN PERSON!
This is IRA RICHER, Director Rick Knief, Documentary, United States, 6:23 FILMMAKERS IN PERSON!
Bottle George, Director Daisuke "Dice" Tsutsumi, Animation, Japan, 13:11
Total Time approx. 76minutes
Q&A with Filmmakers 5:30 pm
Break/Networking 6:00 pm
It's a wrap 7:00 pm
Sunday, April 13, 11 am
Screening Block #3
Goodnight Darling, Director Jef Ross Doebler, Drama, United States, 11:30
Belly, Director Tommy Sigmon, Comedy, United States, 9:38 FILMMAKERS IN PERSON!
The Nature of Death, Director Sean Cruser, Drama/Thriller., United States, 16:29 FILMMAKERS IN PERSON!
Area 52, Director Emily Dubovi, Animation, 4:20 FILMMAKERS IN PERSON!
Peace Wilderness Man, Director Tim Millard, Documentary, Australia, 35:00
Total Time approx. 79 minutes
Q&A with Filmmakers 12:30 pm
Break/Networking 12:50 pm
Sunday, April 13, 1 pm
Screening Block #4
Martin, Director Jason Neulander, Drama, United States, 8:39
Sprout, Director Carolina Bermúdez, Animation. United States, 9:29
An Alcoholic Visits Me Every night, Director Martin Malinov, Horror, Bulgaria, 8:50 FILMMAKERS IN PERSON!
Vote for Lola, Director Emma Bartels, Comedy, United States, 12:22
Dinner Intended for two, Director Bahram Akbari Zarin Ghabaei, Experimental, Iran, 1:40
We Should Talk, Director Kerry Ware, Documentary, United States, 32:04 FILMMAKERS IN PERSON!
Total Time approx. 74 minutes
Q&A with Filmmakers 2:30 pm
Break/Networking 2:50 pm
Sunday, April 13, 3 pm
Screening Block #5
The Building Manager, Director Nick Bartlett, Comedy, Australia, 29:48
Check Out, Director Justin Stearns, Horror, United States, 7:15
May, Director Mike Montgomery, Comedy, United States, 14:19
Broken & Beautiful, Director Julie Bayer Salzman, Documentary, United States, 23:03 FILMMAKERS IN PERSON!
Total Time approx. 76 minutes
Q&A with Filmmakers 4:30 pm
Break 4:50 pm
Awards Ceremony 5:00 pm
After-Party/Networking 5:15 pm
Festival Ends 6:00 pm
Official Selection- Film details
Saturday, April 12, 2 pm
Screening Block #1
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Śokasana, Director Christopher Saint
FILMMAKERS IN PERSON! Drama, United States, 10:20 A man trapped in his memories receives an unexpected visit. |
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FREELANCE, Director Luciano A. Muñoz Sessarego, Magnus I. Møller, Peter Smith
Animation, Denmark, 2:40 A young hopefull knight reports for duty at the kings court. Little does he know that slaying dragons might now be his biggest challenge. |
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CHASE, Director Nathaniel Czarnecki
Drama, Poland, 5:00 FILMMAKERS IN PERSON! A man receives a mysterious video file on the subway that forces him to confront his own conscience. |
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#INTIMACY, Directors Jared N. Wright, Eric Ivey
Comedy, United States, 5:00 FILMMAKERS IN PERSON! A happy couple might be having problems connecting. |
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Immeasurable, Director Fanny Skura, Drama
France, 7:11 (eng subs) During a winter's night, Triskaïa, a sixty-three year old mother and archeologist, is seating at the dinner table of her family home. She is looking fondly at her husband, Plasky, who is seated straight across from her on the other side of the table.The spouses are about to have dinner surrounded by their five daughters, who are still busy setting the table and serving themselves food. Despite the distance separating them, Plasky is sending coded messages through to Triskaïa, who, amused, attempts to decipher them. At one point, one of the messages is going to upset Triskaïa, as she was sharing a peaceful moment with Plasky. What will unfold to her will then change the course of the family dinner and turn into an unexpected journey. |
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VanTongerloo's Dream, Director Seth Swirsky
Animation, United States, 10:58 FILMMAKERS IN PERSON! VanTongerloo is a hippopotamus. He had a dream. You have to see it to believe it. |
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Legend, Directors Nathan Oliver, Dileep Rao
Drama, United States, 16:00 FILMMAKERS IN PERSON! A software scientist at an online bank (Dileep Rao) forces his CEO (Nate Timmerman) to address the inequity in their pay at gunpoint. |
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The Feast of Magical Small Things, Directors Sarah Frasco, Marissa Chabria
Comedy, United States, 13:41 FILMMAKERS IN PERSON! A lonely and somewhat delusional young woman, inspired by her grandmother's old tradition, decides to host The Feast of Magical Small Things. |
Total Time approx. 72 minutes
Q&A with Filmmakers 3:30 pm
Break/Networking 3:50 pm
Saturday, April 12, 4 pm
Screening Block #2
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Trouble, Director Jonathan Shaw
Drama, Ireland, 17:10 A tense civil war drama capturing the fear and resolve of the Irish people for independence. In this gripping true story, we witness the lives of three orphaned siblings - two sisters and a brother - on the verge of a tragic event. Set amidst the backdrop of civil war, the eldest sister, Rose, struggles to keep her family intact as they await the opportunity to bury their deceased father while the town remains under lockdown. Meanwhile, the youngest sibling, Owen, haunted by guilt and brokenness after returning from a British prison camp, carries a secret that weighs heavily on his conscience. Alice, the middle child, yearns for her brother's former self, hoping he will confide in her once again. As tensions rise, a shocking revelation unfolds: during his time in the prison camp, Owen courageously assumed another man's identity to protect an IRA member, enduring unimaginable torture without revealing his true identity. His return home finds him caught in a brewing civil war and partition, he is torn between the cause he was willing to die for and the love he has for his family. The story reaches a poignant irony as Alice, unexpectedly, becomes the one to face tragedy, contrasting Owen's preparedness to sacrifice himself. This short film encapsulates the profound themes explored during the research over the past six years. Amidst the chaos and external pressures, the film underscores the power of human connection and the profound impact it can have on individuals, particularly within the context of a family. |
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One Happy Customer, Director WATTS
Comedy, United States, 6:20 Set in the red-light district of a heightened world that mischievously blends live action and animation, One Happy Customer follows the daily routine of an older sex worker. Luring clients in, snatching up their cash, and using her special trick to leave them satisfied—and more importantly, to get them out of her hair as quickly as possible. She’s listless, even bored. It’s business as usual, until one customer—an old, seemingly decrepit man—arrives looking for something more. And he’s got a trick or two of his own to impress the woman who’s seen it all. |
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Missin' Mitch, Director Katherine Fisher
Drama, United States, 12:35 FILMMAKERS IN PERSON! An off-putting and weirdly dark take on mixing love and show business, Missin Mitch tells the story of an overly attentive assistant who goes the extra mile to impress an actress turned Hollywood writer in hopes of catching her eye. When he misjudges his attempt at courtship, it culminates into a violent surprising turn of events putting their agreed upon working relationship at risk. |
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Love Without Borders, Director Joe Epstein
Comedy, United States, 20:05 FILMMAKERS IN PERSON! What seems like a marriage of convenience between an American and a young Vietnamese woman devolves into something much stranger... |
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This is IRA RICHER, Director Rick Knief
Documentary, United States, 6:23 FILMMAKERS IN PERSON! Explore the mind, life, and influences of this visionary artist who landed in SOHO, NY in the 1980’s amongst notable figures in the art world. Discover how a critical early event inspired the breakthrough that shaped his foundational works. |
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Bottle George, Director Daisuke "Dice" Tsutsumi
Animation, Japan, 13:11 A strange creature living in a bottle of alcohol is captured by a little girl, and in her hour of need he must remember who he is and why he is stuck. |
Total Time approx. 76 minutes
Q&A with Filmmakers 5:30 pm
Networking 6:00 pm
It's a wrap 7:00 pm
Sunday, April 13, 11 am
Screening Block #3
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Goodnight Darling, Director Jef Ross Doebler
Drama, United States, 11:30 A father navigates his daughter's fear while wrestling with his own. |
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Belly, Director Tommy Sigmon
Comedy, United States, 9:38 FILMMAKERS IN PERSON! A pregnant woman gets stuck on the couch and questions her capabilities as a soon-to-be mother. |
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The Nature of Death, Director Sean Cruser
Drama/Thriller, United States, 16:29 FILMMAKERS IN PERSON! When an eccentric park ranger crosses paths with a grieving hiker, he offers his help in finding the perfect spot to scatter the hiker’s father’s ashes. As they venture deeper into the remote wilderness, the ranger’s true intentions begin to blur. |
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Area 52, Director Emily Dubovi
Animation, 4:20 FILMMAKERS IN PERSON! The most intelligent, most talented scientists in the world work at Area 51... then there's Area 52. |
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Peace Wilderness Man, Director Tim Millard
Documentary, Australia, 35:00 'Peace Wilderness Man' explores the life of wilderness guide Lex Reilly. Born and raised in Australia, Lex uses a near-spiritual connection to nature to help navigate life's challenges. A veteran of the war in Afghanistan, Lex suffered significant trauma following that experience. Immersing himself in nature in the Arctic Circle's vast expanse of wilderness and calm, Lex has fashioned a way of living which allows him to develop as a human being and find a degree of inner peace. |
Total Time approx. 79 minutes
Q&A with Filmmakers 12:30 pm
Break/Newtworking 12:50 pm
Sunday, April 13, 1 pm
Screening Block #4
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Martin, Director Jason Neulander
Drama, United States, 8:39 A middle-aged man awakens to find his world upside-down. |
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Sprout, Director Carolina Bermúdez
Animation. United States, 9:29 Sprout is a small robot that tends a garden alongside his owner. One day Sprout is left to care for the garden himself and must put the garden back together after it is wrecked by mischievous critters. |
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An Alcoholic Visits Me Every night
Director Martin Malinov Horror, Bulgaria, 8:50 FILMMAKERS IN PERSON! an end-stage alcoholic's bottle is mysteriously filled every night. As bite marks appear on his body, he quesitons reality and comes head-to-head with himself and the force responsible for his drinking |
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Vote for Lola, Director Emma Bartels
Comedy, United States, 12:22 Lola Sutherland has always been number one in everything, but when her chance of getting into a top college is jeopardized, she campaigns for student council president in order to get ahead. Her best friend Val films a documentary of her progress along the way. Lola drives Val away with her reckless campaign tactics. At the final speech Lola finally realizes her feelings for Val and is faced with the decision between what she believes she should do and what she wants to do. Lola runs from the speech, forfeiting the campaign and reunites with her best friend and true love, Val. |
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Dinner Intended for two, Director Bahram Akbari Zarin Ghabaei
Experimental, Iran, 1:40 A young couple who have agreed to separate and divorce. Their only child is challenged on the subject. |
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We Should Talk, Director Kerry Ware
Documentary, United States, 32:04 FILMMAKERS IN PERSON! Amidst a society obsessed with youth, Chet (93) and Sylvia (84) defy conventions, forming deep and meaningful friendships with individuals 50 years their junior. |
Total Time approx. 74 minutes
Q&A with Filmmakers 2:30 pm
Break/Networking 2:50 pm
Sunday, April 13, 3 pm
Screening Block #5
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The Building Manager, Director Nick Bartlett
Comedy, Australia, 29:48 Theo Crowe (The Building Manager) is a Strata Law authoritarian of the building he manages. He operates through one law and one law only. Strata law. If only he could realize the laws are in the way of him connecting with others, and ultimately himself. |
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Check Out, Director Justin Stearns
Horror, United States, 7:15 Newly divorced Jared is forced into the Maroon Motel for the night, but the room is already occupied. |
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May, Director Mike Montgomery, Comedy, United States, 14:19
May is reliving the same year over and over again. She's unable to escape the minutiae of her office job and the loneliness of her marriage. That is until a kind moment is caught on camera that changes her fate forever. |
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Broken & Beautiful, Director Julie Bayer Salzman
Documentary, United States, 23:03 FILMMAKERS IN PERSON! A woman whose daughter was murdered in a mass shooting finds a way to piece her life back together. Using the Japanese art of Kintsugi as a metaphor for repair, this short doc about one woman’s grief journey offers hope to those suffering from devastating loss. |
Total Time approx. 76 minutes
Q&A with Filmmakers 4:30 pm
Break 4:50 pm
Awards Ceremony 5:00 pm
After-Party/Networking 5:15 pm
Festival Ends 6:00 pm
Screenplays we selected this year
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Happy Cry
Writer Jen Grubbs Amid challenging circumstances at home and school, a young girl desperately trying to be good finds unexpected hope. |
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Lab Partners
Writer Tommy Britt Preeti and Daniel have won the Future Physicians essay contest, but when they struggle to raise their creative writing grades, the nightmare begins. |
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Ambient Light
Writer H.Cherdon Bedford In 1885, a struggling mother in rural Texas must convince her reluctant but loving husband that, despite not having the money, the family must have their first and only photograph taken to preserve the memory of their baby son and young daughter before time runs out. |
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The Cactus Creek Cantina
Writer Stuart Long A bounty hunter travels the old west in pursuit of mystical creatures. On his way to Tartarus Texas he stops off at the Cactus Creek Cantina for a pail of beer and encounters a nest of vampires. |
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Underbelly
Writer Joshua Ridings When Danial, a fear-controlled optimist, embarks on a journey to return a lost wallet, he must overcome Nancy, a powerful and twisted community leader, or lose the life he has just built. |
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It's Open
Writer Doug Maguire A homeowner, his teenage son, their new gardener and a shocking discovery! |
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Hemingway Country
Writer Darren Crawford Sullivan This is a one-act play of Hemingway's earlier short stories that demonstrate a great relevence to this modern age. The set is simple and creates a throughline that connects all five stories. Other consistencies is a repeating character of Nick. These stories also model much understanding of Hemingway's themes and biography: unwanted pregnancies, sexual assault, traditional marriage, and PTSD in soldiers returning home from war. |
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Escape
Writer Ian Roman “Escape” plunges viewers into the gripping narrative of Ian Roman, who finds himself ensnared within a bewildering virtual reality simulation. As Ian grapples with the disorienting effects of this artificial construct, he must navigate through layers of illusion and deceit to uncover the truth behind his confinement and secure his freedom. The story unfolds as Ian awakens within the simulated beach environment; an immersive creation intricately linked to his past interview experience. Haunted by fragmented memories of the interview, where he was confronted with a perplexing question about his deepest fear, Ian realises the sinister depths of the simulation he’s trapped within. Alone on the virtual beach, Ian’s survival instincts are put to the test as he endeavours to decipher the simulated world around him. Through a series of montages showcasing Ian’s ingenuity and determination, viewers witness his transformation from a bewildered participant to a savvy navigator of the digital landscape. Just as Ian’s resolve is tested to its limits, a glimmer of hope emerges with the discovery of a distant vessel on the simulated horizon. However, the boundaries of reality blur further as the simulation takes a surreal turn, with the beach environment morphing into a room filled with mirrors, each reflecting Ian’s own image back at him. In a climactic moment of revelation, Ian comes face to face with the true nature of his predicament as he confronts the spectre of his deepest fears within the simulated realm. As the deafening sound returns, signalling a shift in his simulated reality, Ian must summon all his courage and cunning to outwit the confines of the virtual prison and secure his escape. “Escape” explores themes of illusion, self-discovery, and the quest for liberation as Ian grapples with the intricate machinations of the simulated world in his relentless pursuit of truth and freedom. |
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Vengeance Rising
Writer Rita Prakash In the era of "The Troubles", in 1972, A young man is disgusted by the violence and terror going on in Northern Ireland. Meanwhile, a mysterious force approaches him only for one task. |
Organizers Judges
Tory Nelson Judge
Brian Dillon Judge
Peter Rautek Judge
David Brown Judge
E.M. Spairow Judge
Michael Gene Conti Judge
Alexandre Richard Judge
Joseph Guice Judge
Elysia Rotaru Judge
Marta Topolska
The festival is organized by
The Festival is organized by Mark Mos, Los Angeles-based Kodak Entertainment Imaging Awarded filmmaker and Film Premieres organizer. Mark has organized premieres such as Oscar's Awarded "Gladiator" (Russell Crowe), "Mission Impossible 2" (Tom Cruise), "Gone in 60 seconds" (Nicholas Cage, Angelina Jolie), "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (Jim Carrey), and much more. Mark is also a filmmaker; he has a master's degree in TV and Film Production. His films were shown at film festivals in cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago or Salt Lake City, and also European countries.
Mark co-produced these films and compilations below
Watch them all at www.lacinefest.org/films
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Congratulations to all Winners.
BEST DRAMA Śokasana
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM CHASE
BEST COMEDY #INTIMACY
BEST ANIMATION VanTongerloo's Dream
BEST MALE DIRECTING DUO Legend, Directors Nathan Oliver, Dileep Rao
BEST FEMALE DIRECTING DUO The Feast of Magical Small Things, Directors Sarah Frasco, Marissa Chabria
BEST FEMALE DIRECTOR Missin' Mitch, Director Katherine Fisher
BEST MALE DIRECTOR Love Without Borders, Joe Epstein
BEST DOCUMENTARY This is IRA RICHER
BEST PERFORMANCE Sarah Kopp Belly
BEST STORY The Nature of Death
BEST PROOF OF CONCEPT Area 52
BEST HORROR An Alcoholic Visits Me Every Night
BEST SCREENPLAY Martin
BEST LOCAL (LOS ANGELES BASED) PRODUCTION We Should Talk
BEST OF THE FESTIVAL Broken & Beautiful
SCREENPLAYS
BEST UNPRODUCED SCREENPLAY Happy Cry
BEST MALE WRITER (UNPRODUCED SCREENPLAY) It's Open Doug Maguire
BEST STORY (UNPRODUCED SCREENPLAY) Hemingway Country
BEST CONCEPT (UNPRODUCED SCREENPLAY) I Don't Even Skate
BEST FEMALE WRITER (UNPRODUCED SCREENPLAY) Vengeance Rising
Event photos and Diplomas images (2 pages):
https://snapped4u.com/galleries/22292
1% of all merchandise, ticket, photoso and VIP ALL FILMS pass sales go to
FREE ARTS FOR ABUSED CHILDREN (www.freearts.org).
