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ASPEN, CO (March 4, 2020) – Aspen Film, a year-round film presenting arts and education organization, today announced the program for its 29th Annual Aspen Shortsfest. Shortsfest is an Oscar®-qualifying film festival that showcases the best in short form cinema from around the world. The six-day event takes place at Aspen’s Wheeler Opera House from March 31-April 5, 2020 and at Carbondale’s Crystal Theatre from April 3-5, 2020. The festival explores unique and compelling themes in a series of 11 programs featuring exceptional new work from established and emergent filmmakers. Culled from over 3,000 film submissions, the 2020 program includes 71 films from 31 countries. There are five (5) World Premieres, nine (9) North American Premieres, five (5) US Premieres, and one (1) International Premiere. 61% of the films in the lineup are directed or co-directed by women.

“This year we welcome a new Director of Shortsfest Programming to Aspen Film, Jason Anderson. He has been the perfect addition, leading our programming team and with them, coming up with an incredibly varied and impressive roster of short films seeking Oscar® qualification,” says Aspen Film Executive + Artistic Director Susan Wrubel. “Shortsfest continues to attract the work of wildly imaginative and talented individuals from around the globe.  We are so proud of the variety and quality of filmmaking we are able to present in our valley, and of the fact that we are able to share so many of these incredible stories with students and educators, in and out of the classroom.”

With a reputation as a premier North American festival, Aspen Shortsfest is Oscar®-qualifying in five categories of its international competition, offering a diverse and exciting selection of animation, comedy, documentary and drama—all at 40 minutes or less. As the festival is intimate in scale, attendees will appreciate the opportunity to interact and dialogue with guest filmmakers and industry experts at program Q&As, conversations and receptions.

“We couldn’t be more excited about the films selected for this year’s program,” says Director of Shortsfest Programming Jason Anderson. “We believe these are some of the most compelling, innovative, beautiful, hilarious and emotionally resonant films that our amazingly generous audience in Aspen will experience this year — we’re thrilled to showcase such an abundance of emerging and established filmmaking talent from all over the world.” Anderson’s programming team includes Angie Driscoll, Anita Tavakol and Inney Prakash.

In Shortsfest tradition, a special Ellen Jury will once again present its annual Ellen Award to a filmmaker at the Closing Night Awards Dinner. The Ellen Award honors Aspen Film’s founder and executive director Ellen Kohner Hunt, who retired in 1995.

For the third year, Aspen Film is proud to be able to present the Vimeo Staff Pick Award, a live iteration of the platform’s Staff Picks laurel. This is a prestigious honor from the creator-first platform. The winning film will be available for viewing worldwide on the Vimeo Staff Picks channel on April 6th, the day after the Closing Night Awards Dinner.

The festival is an industry-recognized destination for discovering breakthrough talent. Damien Chazelle (La La Land), Destin Daniel Cretton (Just Mercy), Jason Reitman (Up in the Air), Jean-Marc Vallée (Dallas Buyers Club) and Sarah Polley (Stories We Tell) are among notable alumni whose short films first screened at Aspen Shortsfest before they became widely recognized filmmakers.

Recent Shortsfest Oscar® success stories include, Brotherhood (2019), nominated for Best Live Action Short Film; NEFTA Football Club (2019), nominated for Best Live Action Short Film; Life Overtakes Me (2019) nominated for Best Documentary Short Subject; Sister (2019), Best Animated Short Film; Fauve (2018), nominated for Best Live Action Short Film; Weekends (2018) and One Small Step (2019), nominated for Best Animated Short Film, and Bear Story (Chile), winner of the Best Animated Short Film Oscar® in 2016.

 

29TH ANNUAL ASPEN SHORTSFEST LINEUP

Tuesday, March 31 at 7:00 PM
Wheeler Opera House – Aspen
Program 1

Streets of Fury
Max Punchface loves to punch and kick anything that moves, and many things that don’t. When his fury conjures up a portal into a strange calm world, he can’t help but explore. However, the portal disappears leaving Max trapped in this cute alien land with only some friendly sheep for company & punch practice. (Aidan McAteer, Ireland, 5 MIN) U.S. PREMIERE

The Stick
Aava has but one wish: to get a dog. Meanwhile her parents’ marriage is falling apart. (Teppo Airaksinen, Finland, 11 MIN) NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

Flower Punk
From director Alison Klayman (THE BRINK, AI WEIWEI: NEVER SORRY), FLOWER PUNK is a hypnotizing short documentary that brings you inside the other-worldly work and process of Japanese artist Azuma Makoto. After encountering his boundary-pushing works, you won’t be able to think about flowers the same way again. (Alison Klayman, Japan, 29 MIN)

Daughter
Should you hide your pain? Close yourself inside your inner world, full of longing for your father’s love and its displays? Or should you understand and forgive before it is too late? (Daria Kashcheeva, Czech Republic, 15 MIN)

Kachalka
A cinematic portrait of Kiev’s Soviet scrap metal ‘Kachalka’ gym – the world’s most hardcore gym. (Gar O’Rourke, Ireland, 9 MIN) NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

I’m No Holiday
An un-candid portrait of Lawrence Sendass (Steve Zahn), a grieving fireworks photographer who attempts to reframe his work through the memory of lost love. The film humorously explores searching for the magic of the mundane through memory and art. (Rick Gomez, USA, 15 MIN) 

 

Wednesday, April 1 at 5:15 PM
Wheeler Opera House – Aspen
Program 2

Butterflies
Another Sunday in April. A kibbutz in the North of Israel. A natural phenomenon. A family on an impromptu ride, maybe the last one… (Yona Rozenkier, Israel, France, 8 MIN)

The Starr Sisters
Patte and Randa Starr are fun specialists. After growing up in an abusive household set above their father’s candy store, these sisters have spent their lives fighting to find joy and freedom. Now in their 70s, they do exactly as they please: they live together near the beach, they always have a movie on, and the candy drawer is fully stocked. (Bridey Elliott, Beth Einhorn, USA, 15 MIN)

The Couple Next Door
THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR follows a single American woman whose emotions begin to stir when an eccentric African couple move into her building. Against her better judgement, Candice finds herself subconsciously falling for a married man that reignites emotions of a life she has always wanted. Inspired by Wong Kar-wai’s IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE, the film features lush cinematography and musical sounds from West Africa, making the entire piece a cultural exchange that makes us question our morality when it comes to love, marriage, and friendship. (Abbesi Akhamie, USA, 11 MIN) WORLD PREMIERE

Daddio
A comedy about death. A year after the sudden passing of their beloved wife and mother, a dad and daughter grapple with life after loss. Grief looks very different on both of them. Paul, played by Michael McKean (BETTER CALL SAUL, SPINAL TAP), is manic. He gets a perm in order to look like Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill and begs neighbors to hot tub with him. Abby, played by Casey Wilson (SNL, HAPPY ENDINGS) is depressed. She sleeps in her closet and takes pills that mask her urges to urinate out of sheer laziness. At its heart, DADDIO is a love story between a father and daughter. Unfortunately, based on real life events. (Casey Wilson, USA, 18 MIN)

Día de la Madre
A band of juveniles embarks on a 24-hour spree of breaking into houses and causing a ruckus. (Ashley Brandon, Dennis Hohne, USA, 6 MIN)

The Physics of Sorrow
THE PHYSICS OF SORROW is a potent portrait of a dislocated generation struggling to find home as they shift through everchanging personal and geographic landscapes. (Theodore Ushev, Canada, 27 MIN)

 

Wednesday, April 1 at 8:00 PM
Wheeler Opera House – Aspen
Program 3

Yves & Variation
Every day, concierge Yves Deshommes practices his violin behind the front desk of a Manhattan office building. But during the hours outside his shift, Yves’s life is revealed to be equal parts intrepid and inspiring. (Lydia Cornett, USA, Haiti, 15 MIN)

Hello Ahma
With their passports stuck in America’s immigration bureaucracy, 8-year-old Michelle and her parents cannot return to Singapore for Grandma’s funeral. The parents try to maintain traditional funeral rites in their new home, as Michelle absolves her grief and guilt by searching for Grandma’s reincarnation in a pet-store turtle. But Grandma struggles to stay alive under Michelle’s eager and amateur ministrations.  (Siyou Tan, USA, Singapore, 16 MIN)

The Flame
A young girl and boy in a remote town remember a time before a cold wind first swept across the land. It was when fire meant something different; when the fire was a warm, safe and familiar place for families to sit together; where stories were passed down, where culture was kept alive. (Nick Waterman, Australia, 12 MIN) NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

Marcy Learns Something New
Feeling run down by the usual cycle of self-improvement programs, a widow (Rachel Dratch) tries going to a dominatrix workshop. Inspired by success in the class, she meets a younger man online and embarks on a first dominant experience with him. While Marcy’s earnestness despite her lack of experience is comical, the film ultimately explores themes of hope, loneliness and finding freedom. (Julia Kennelly, USA, 16 MIN) WORLD PREMIERE

Grandad was a Romantic
A child documents the love life of her Grandad – a man who has a reputation for being a passionate romantic. She tells the story of how her Grandad came across a picture of her Granny for the first time and decided in that moment that she must be the love of his life. He marries her, and they start a family together, but Grandad’s boundless romance never dies. It will take him in unforeseen directions. (Maryam Mohajer, UK, 4 MIN)

I’ll End Up in Jail
Maureen Sauvageau’s escape comes to an abrupt end when she drives her monster truck into a deadly car accident. Stuck in the middle of nowhere, she must share the company and the blame of a rather touching junkie dubbed Jelly the Loon. (Alexandre Dostie, Canada, 23 MIN)

 

Thursday, April 2 at 5:15 PM
Wheeler Opera House – Aspen
Program 4

Coffee Shop Names
Three Indian people imagine their personas as their “coffee shop names,” the names they give baristas because their real names are hard to pronounce. As they imagine, they realize their personas are more ingrained in them than they thought before they return to work. (Deepak Sethi, USA, 8 MIN) 

Wallace
A short documentary about a town in Northern Idaho where brothels were open, tolerated, and ingrained within the local community until 1991. The majority of residents viewed prostitution as a legitimate business, and madams as legitimate business owners. The madams played a large role in civic contributions; the doctors had weekly check-ups with the prostitutes; and the children trick or treated at the brothels. And while some don’t miss the brothels, most wish they were still around. Welcome to Wallace. The Last Western Town. (Delaney Buffett, USA, 18 MIN)

The Blue Cape
Two months after Hurricane Maria landed on the shores of Puerto Rico, the power remains out and the infrastructure continues to collapse. Junior, a ten-year-old boy, is summoned by his mother to search for the medicine his grandfather so desperately needs. He puts on a blue cape, made of the tarp that covers his room. (Alejandra Lopez, Puerto Rico, 5 MIN)

Bag
Using only cardboard, hot glue and lo-fi special effects, BAG follows the journey of a plastic bag unchanged by time as it travels from the streets of New York City, to the dump, to the sea, and into the distant future. As the climate changes, the seas rise and civilizations fall, the bag remains the same. BAG is an ode to the foreverness of plastic and the permanence of the disposable. (Robin Frohardt, USA, 8 MIN) WORLD PREMIERE

Viral
VIRAL attempts to authentically portray the effects of opioid addiction and internet venom, shedding light on those who suffer from both of these societal wrongs. Faceless internet attacks affect real people and what’s uploaded can have consequences that last infinitely longer than the event itself. (Donald Broida, USA, 11 MIN)

A Youth
Peyman and his friends are a group of Afghan teenagers on the cusp of adulthood, who find themselves stuck in Athens. In limbo but armed with a new-found freedom, they kill time by aimlessly strolling around the city, sharing jokes, rap battles, stories of the past, and dreams of the future. As Peyman waits for news that could shake his false state of harmony, he looks for answers amongst his friends and family, trying to make sense of the world around him through his music and poetry. (Giorgio Bosisio, UK, Italy, Greece, 40 MIN) WORLD PREMIERE

 

Thursday, April 2 at 8:00 PM
Wheeler Opera House – Aspen
Program 5

Broken Bird
Birdie, a biracial girl raised by her Jewish mom in a New Jersey suburb, spends a rare visitation day with her father while preparing for her Bat Mitzvah. They share a meal, she overcomes her doubts, and decides to risk inviting him back into her life. Birdie confronts what independence means as she steps into adulthood on her own terms. (Rachel Harrison Gordon, USA, 10 MIN)

No Crying at the Dinner Table
Filmmaker Carol Nguyen interviews her family to craft a portrait of love, grief and intergenerational trauma. (Carol Nguyen, Canada, 16 MIN)

Darling
An erotic dance theater in Lahore prepares for a new show just as a sacrificial goat disappears; an attractive trans girl aspires to grab the limelight and a naive young man falls in love. (Saim Sadiq, USA, Pakistan, 15 MIN)

See You Next Time
SEE YOU NEXT TIME uses the beauty industry as a window into the relationship between East Asian and Black women. Through the voice of a nail technician and her client, the film focuses on how women from these communities overtly and covertly bring their experiences with race and foreignness into this self-care routine. Expressed as a dialogue between two seemingly familiar women of color, the film is an inquiry into what is gained and lost from intimacy without context. At its core, it’s a story about how two women see each other and themselves in a space unlike any other in their world. (Crystal Kayiza, USA, 6 MIN)

The Manila Lover
Norwegian Lars (46 years) has fled from his money trouble in Norway and is visiting Manila, the capital of the Philippines. Here he pretends to be successful and feels like a Nordic king. He has high hopes for the romantic and loving relationship he recently started with the Filipina Abigail (42 years). But when she turns him down, Lars has to face his own prejudices and deal with this very uncomfortable situation. In just one day everything’s changed, he is no longer a Nordic King. (Johanna Pyykkö, Norway, 26 MIN) NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

And Then The Bear
That very night, houses will burn. Men and women will tremble. Hordes of children will come together and howl as they dance alone on the ashes like wild bears. It only takes one shout to wake them all from their slumber! (Agnès Patron, France, 14 MIN)

 

Friday, April 3 at 5:15 PM
Wheeler Opera House – Aspen
Program 6

Hot Flash
Ace Naismith is having a hot flash, and she is about to go live on local television. How one woman tries to keep her cool when one type of flash leads to another. HOT FLASH is a journey into the funny, uncomfortable, and sometimes maddening world of an aging professional woman navigating a culture that puts great emphasis on physical appearance. (Thea Hollatz, Canada, 10 MIN)

Little Chief
It’s just another typical day at a rural elementary school on a reservation in Oklahoma. Little Chief, the school’s mascot, appears faded on the walls as a proud symbol of a rich and complicated history. It’s a world that is stacked against them, but Sharon shows up each day to guide her 5th grade students through it. Bear is having a particularly hard time, enduring challenges both at home and in the classroom. He is desperate to escape it all, and Sharon is left chasing a little boy who is running to nowhere. (Erica Tremblay, USA, Seneca Cayuga Nation, 12 MIN) 

Pampas
Sexual signaling and suburban myth; what does your front garden say about you? Plants were used in 1970s suburbia to send seductive signals to neighbors, or so rumor has it. A hybrid documentary exploring the truth in the botanical myth; what went on behind closed curtains? PAMPAS is a fetishistic flirtation. A look at sexual signaling, female desire, subcultures, and suburban legend. Featuring model and author Naomi Shimada in her acting debut. (Jessica Bishopp, UK, 5 MIN) INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE 

Postcards from the End of the World
Trapped in a seemingly dull family vacation, Dimitra, Dimitris and their two daughters will have to find a way out of a secluded island in the Mediterranean, when confronted with the unexpected end of the world. (Konstantinos Antonopoulos, Greece, 23 MIN) U.S. PREMIERE 

Why Slugs Have No Legs
Slugs were not always without limbs. But they have always been slow. In fact, they are so slow that they become unbearable for their co-workers, the ever-busy bees. During the big financial crisis in the city of insects, the bees see only one way to save their once flourishing business. What follows is a big step in the evolution of animals. (Aline Höchli, Switzerland, 11 MIN)

Thirsty
The story of a female mosquito who learned about love from her mosquito mother: “…it’s worth spending a lifetime to find,” Mama said. But she has yet to find him, until one day she lays her bug-eyes upon a very special Young Man playing basketball by the sea — newly heartbroken from an ex who cheated. When our protagonist bites him, she tastes his blood and falls deeply in love, desperate to find him and be with him. But this bite doesn’t just itch, the Young Man slowly begins to hear our mosquito’s deepest thoughts and desires, only to turn into a mosquito himself, and return her love. A Little Mermaid-vampire comedy, THIRSTY explores the ups and downs of falling in love. (Nicole Delaney, USA, 12 MIN)

John Was Trying to Contact Aliens
John Shepherd had a special mission in life: to make contact with aliens. Over the course of thirty years John transformed his grandparents’ home in rural Michigan into an incredible laboratory from which he broadcast experimental music millions of miles into space. JOHN WAS TRYING TO CONTACT ALIENS charts the rise and fall of this one-man SETI project, before opening up into a broader story about the human need for connection. (Matthew Killip, USA, 16 MIN)

 

Friday, April 3 at 8:00 PM
Wheeler Opera House – Aspen
Program 7

En Route
When Inay (9) and her little brother have to join their father on a special trip through the city, she tries everything to cause a delay. She knows that if they arrive late at their destination, she will be rewarded with loads of sweet desserts. (Marit Weerheijm, Netherlands, 10 MIN)

South of Bix
A story about Molly, a young woman who returns home to say goodbye to her estranged grandfather before he passes. As Molly tries her best to seek connection in spite of her Grandfather’s dementia, the interaction tests each other’s limits and Molly’s ability to forgive. The film explores how we navigate our personal allegiances and family ties. (Justine Lupe, Briana Pozner, USA, 14 MIN)

Story
A reflection about modern man in an age of omnipresent technology. Looking through stories – a popular function in many social media platforms – we see people who are lonely, lost or already indifferent about reality surrounding them. Action takes place during one day and it’s told by short, often (auto)ironic scenes, where virtual world sinks to reality. (Jola Bankowska, Poland, 5 MIN)

Sorry Not Sorry
Feride is on her way home from a party when she meets a group of young choir-singing boys in a wooden boat. When she helps them with their motor problems, she is unwillingly taken out for a ride in the Swedish summer night. (Julia Thelin, Sweden, 15 MIN) NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

Awaiting Death
A son arrives at the hospital to watch his father’s death bed. When the son wants a last nice moment, his father would rather find out what to do with the two opened cans of mustard. (Lars Vega, Isabelle Björklund, Sweden, 12 MIN)

All Cats Are Grey in the Dark
He calls himself “Catman”. Christian lives with his two cats Marmelade and Katjuscha. They are inseparable. As he is yearning to become a father, he decides to fertilize his beloved cat Marmelade by an exquisite tomcat from abroad. ALL CATS ARE GREY IN THE DARK is a melodrama that portrays an unconventional relationship between animal and human. (Lasse Linder, Switzerland, 18 MIN)

Bablinga
Moktar always said that when he will shut his bar Bablinga down, he will return to Burkina. This day has arrived, but he’s not really ready to leave. Despite himself, ghosts invite themselves to celebrate a last evening. (Fabien Dao, France, 15 MIN) NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE 

 

Friday, April 1 at 7:30 PM
Crystal Theatre – Carbondale
Program A
Refer to Program 1 in Aspen.

 

Saturday, April 4 at 2:00 PM
Wheeler Opera House – Aspen
Program 8

Troublemaker
Obi is hot, bored, and desperate for something to do. When his best friend, Emeka, gives him a packet of firecrackers, the boys decide to have some fun. But things escalate in unexpected ways, as Obi learns for the first time that actions have consequences, and there are still things he cannot understand. Set in Eastern Nigeria, this is a coming of age story about masculinity, violence, and the effects of war on community, and across generations. (Olive Nwosu, Nigeria, 11 MIN) 

Status Pending
Five first-generation immigration lawyers in the Los Angeles area support each other through a group chat as they navigate the rapidly changing and hostile world of immigration law under the current administration. (Priscilla Gonzalez Sainz, USA, 26 MIN)

Heading South
Eight-year-old girl Chasuna travels from her home on grassland to visit her father who lives in the big city. However, during her father’s birthday party, Chasuna finds out her father has remarried to a Chinese woman. Chasuna has to learn how to accept her as part of the family. (Yuan Yuan, China, USA, 12 MIN) WORLD PREMIERE

Asmahan the Diva
Asmahan, diva and Druze princess had a short life, but what a life! Weddings, glory, spying, lovers, alcohol, poker, suicides, murders, scandals… This oriental Marilyn marked the great era of Egyptian musicals. Even today, her voice still echoes throughout the Middle East and her mysterious death in the waters of the Nile continues to fuel the wildest rumors… (Chloé Mazlo, France, 6 MIN) NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

Lovely Day
A young construction worker, anxious about the state of his relationship, spends a day prepping to meet with his significant other. (Bo Mirhosseni, USA, 7 MIN) U.S. PREMIERE

The Chef
In the near future, when all labor workers are replaced by humanoids, a Chinese chef, Pu (60s) is ordered to pass on his cooking skill to a humanoid robot, William, and to teach him Chinese cooking. Designed to satisfy his owner, William tries to follow Pu’s every instruction, but his robotic demand for precision and perfection is essentially contradictory to Chinese cooking. At the same time, the protests against AI replacing human labor are more and more intense. (Hao Zheng, USA, 19 MIN)

Something to Remember
A lullaby before the great disaster. Two pigeons visit a zoo without animals, a snail measures his blood pressure at the doctor, in the CERN laboratory something has gone terribly wrong. Six moments from our age, like memories of the world we leave behind. (Niki Lindroth von Bahr, Sweden, 5 MIN)

 

Saturday, April 4 at 5:15 PM
Wheeler Opera House – Aspen
Program 9

Maradona’s Legs
During the 1990 World Cup, two young Palestinian boys are looking for “Maradona’s legs”; the last missing sticker that they need in order to complete their world cup album and win a free Atari. (Firas Khoury, Germany, Palestine, 23 MIN)

Umbilical
An animated documentary exploring how my mother’s abusive relationship with my father shaped my own experiences in a boarding school as a child in China. The societal pressures on my mother to hide her abuse and her desire to protect me ultimately created a situation where I was subjected to the same societal pressures. Our shared desires for intimacy, safety, and normalcy have been constantly at odds with the realities that surround us. The parallels between my mother’s experiences and my own are abstracted. Through a conversation as adults, my mother and I learn to understand each other and support one another. (Danski Tang, USA, China, 7 MIN)

Hinekura
Aotearoa: 1600’s While playing games with her friend Tama (13), Hine (also 13) gets her first period. Protective and gentle, Tama escorts her to her mother. The whanau joyously send her to a distant site set aside for sacred female rituals. She is accompanied by other women from the tribe, including her mother Marama, her sister Rona and a guard, Te Haeata. When they arrive, Hinekura experiences her first ritual into womanhood. (Becs Arahanga, New Zealand, 18 MIN)

Quiet Carriage
It’s an age-old problem. The commute, the daily grind, the same old faces not offering so much as a smile. For Derek, it’s an evening train ride home like any other. Apart from one thing. That girl on her phone. Talking loudly in the quiet carriage. Derek wonders – doesn’t she know what she’s doing? Doesn’t she care? Of course not. She’s not one of us. If she were part of our tribe, she’d know there are rules that have to be followed. (Ben S. Hyland, UK, 5 MIN)

Last Week at Ed’s
For years, filmmakers Lawrence and Meg Kasdan ate at a 60-year-old diner in West Hollywood called Ed’s Coffee Shop. When Ada, the diner’s manager and daughter of its original owners, announced that she was closing the place, her large circle of regulars was crushed. LAST WEEK AT ED’S is a film the Kasdans made about the final days of the diner, its eccentric characters, and the depth of feeling a beloved business can generate in a close-knit community.  (Lawrence Kasdan, Meg Kasdan, USA, 39 MIN)

 

Saturday, April 4 at 8:00 PM
Wheeler Opera House – Aspen
Program 10

Character
Actor Mark Metcalf made his reputation playing aggrieved authority figures, most famously in NATIONAL LAMPOON’S ANIMAL HOUSE and BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER. Now in his 70s, he takes a critical look back on his life and career in this meditation on power, privilege, and the perils of being a “type.” (Vera Brunner-Sung, USA, 17 MIN)

The Tail
Ekrem, a middle-aged man in existential crisis, suffers from an extraordinary condition. He has been dealing with this situation for a long time in his own way… A very bizarre way. One day he encounters his pretty neighbour Şevval; when he goes to take out the trash as usual. She is aware of Ekrem’s situation and doesn’t seem to care about it at all. The conversation between them on the way to the dumpster brings them closer and turns into an inner journey for him. (Yiğit Hepsev, Turkey, 10 MIN)

No Hard Feelings
A playful, yet endearing comedy inspired by heartbreak, confusion and self-doubt. Rodney’s (Paul Henri) crumbling ego is at breaking point and if his best pal Slim (James Ballard) can’t whip him into shape before his big date tonight, he might just lose it. (James Ballard, Paul Henri, Australia, Indonesia, 6 MIN)

Pitch Black Panacea
Amy and Carl both have lazy eyes. In an effort to find a DIY cure they’ve signed up for an unusual treatment. (Tom Hardiman, UK, 7 MIN) U.S. PREMIERE

Bye Bye, Body
Nina is quite literally working her ass off at fat camp. She’s determined to drop the weight and live the life she’s always dreamt of. But in her final weigh in, she fails to meet her goal, and despite the protestation of her best friend Paloma, Nina turns to fat-camp bad girl, and weight loss leading scorer Kay for her secret to success. But Kay’s secret has a lot more in store for Nina than she expected. (Charlotte Benbeniste, USA, 10 MIN)

The Manchador
Mina and Saeed live a stressful life in the Iranian capital, Tehran. Being a woman in Iran is not particularly easy and Mina sees a future for the family elsewhere. She wants to move abroad, but Saeed then invents a device that places the responsibility for the hijab where it belongs – with the men whose gaze women need protection from. The Manchador is a satire about life in modern day Tehran, seeing, our senses, and spirituality. (Kaveh Therani, Norway, Germany, 20 MIN) NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

Recoding Art
On an October evening, the digital media researcher Gabriel Pereira sent an e-mail to Brazilian artist Bruno Moreschi. The message marked the beginning of a research project that involved creating an unprecedented platform that centralized 7 commercial Artificial Intelligences to read the collection of Van Abbemuseum, a Dutch museum of contemporary art. (Bruno Moreschi, Gabriel Pereira, Brazil, 15 MIN) NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

 

Saturday, April 4 at 5:30 PM
Crystal Theatre – Carbondale
Program B
Refer to Program 2 in Aspen.

 

Saturday, April 4 at 7:30 PM
Crystal Theatre – Carbondale
Program C
Refer to Program 4 in Aspen.

 

Sunday, April 5 at 11:30 AM
Wheeler Opera House – Aspen
Family Program

Little Grey Wolfy. Summer Party
Little Grey Wolfy’s birthday is soon! Wolfy is dreaming about a real birthday cake with candles and cream for his birthday party. But everyone knows that cakes do not grow in the forest on trees! However, this is not a problem for his good friends. (Natalia Malykhina, Norway, 6 MIN)

Nest
To a rhythmic drumbeat and in vibrant strokes of color, a lovesick bird-of-paradise prances through the black of the night, flaunting his majestic plumage in an attempt to impress the females. (Sonja Rohleder, Germany, 4 MIN)

Melting Heart Cake
To share her chocolate « cœur fondant » with her friend, Anna must cross a glacial forest. Said forest is haunted by a new resident, a terrifying bearded giant. All animals that cross his path disappear and, of course, the mole’s route leads to him… but the giant has a warmer heart than it may seem. (Benoît Chieux, France, 12 MIN) U.S. PREMIERE 

What’s My Superpower?
Nalvana feels like all of her friends have some type of superpower. She has friends with super speed, friends who can jump so far she thinks they can fly, and friends who are better than her at a million other things. As Nalvana tries out each of her friends’ superpowers with no success, she wonders if she might be the only kid in town without a special talent. But then her mom shows Nalvana that she is unique and special—and that her superpower was right in front of her all along. (Justin Heymans, Canada, 10 MIN)

The Last Day of Autumn
Forest animals secretly collect abandoned bike parts with the intention of building vehicles that fit their size. A great race is preparing. The last day of Autumn’s race. (Marjolaine Perreten, Switzerland, Belgium, France, 7 MIN)

My Brother Luca
When an imaginative little girl discovers that her older brother might have superpowers, she sets out on a quest to make sure everyone else sees him as she does. (Carlos Algara, Catalina Serna, Mexico, 9 MIN)

Cat Lake City
Percy Cat is looking forward to a relaxing day in CAT LAKE CITY – the cats’ vacation paradise. But the place turns out not to be exactly what he expected. Not even the spot on the towel is as safe as he thought. (Antje Heyn, Germany, 7 MIN)

The Tattooed Torah
Over the last three decades, the beloved children’s book by Marvell Ginsburg, “The Tattooed Torah,” has been a powerful resource for Holocaust education for children all over the world. The adaptation of “The Tattooed Torah” into an animated short film is a three-generational endeavor, initiated by Marvell’s daughter, Beth Kopin. Now more than ever, it is essential to continue teaching the lessons of the Holocaust to young children in an impactful and palatable way, so that such horrific events are never forgotten and never repeated. (Marc Bennett, USA, 21 MIN)

 

Sunday, April 5 at 5:30 PM
Crystal Theatre – Carbondale
Program D
Refer to Program 6 in Aspen.

 

Tickets:
Advance tickets are available for purchase for Aspen Film members beginning Wednesday, March 11. Public tickets will go on sale to the public Wednesday, March 18. All tickets will be available at the Wheeler Opera House Box Office and aspenshowtix.com. Tickets for the Crystal Theatre will also be sold at Bonfire Coffee in Carbondale starting on March 18. VIP and Priority Pass options are available to new and current members. Aspen Film will offer a Super Screener pass ($150) for young professionals (35 & under), which includes access to all programs, panels and receptions, in addition to a one-year Aspen Film Director-level membership.

 

Sponsors:
The 29th Aspen Shortsfest is made possible by the generous support of Alpine Bank, Aspen 82, Aspen Alps, Aspen Public Radio, The Aspen Times, Frias Properties, The Gant, Hotel Aspen/Molly Gibson Lodge, Hotel Jerome, Jimmy’s Aspen, Modern Luxury/Aspen Magazine, Mountain Chalet, North of Nell, and SAGindie. Aspen Shortsfest is also charitably underwritten by grants from AspenOUT, Colorado Creative Industries, Colorado Office of Film, Television & Media, Melinda Goldrich, National Endowment for the Arts, Les Dames d’Aspen, Thrift Shop of Aspen and the Wheeler Opera House (City of Aspen) Arts Grant Program.