Thursday, May 9
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"What do you want to be when you grow up?"
-- Nya Quinn Harrington, IDEA Charter School (Wausau)
"Scratched: A Vinyl Revival"
-- Molly Jackson
"Foundry Club"
-- Kyle Lehman
"BULRUSH Campaign"
-- Reed Miles Theship-Rosales
"Close to Home"
-- Benjamin Peterson
"Becoming Mad Mardigan"
-- Sullivan Tracy Weiss
"Chairs"
-- Cody Bender
"Uncommon Denominator - The Underlying Story"
-- Kevin Danny Alvarado
"Behind the Fire Fight"
-- Lyndsey Krist and Brinna Molaison
"Insomnia"
-- Gunnar Payne
"Shoot"
-- Kyle Knitter
"Confit"
-- Reed Miles Theship-Rosales
"Stalker Stalker"
-- Ayse Kiray
"Dying Up Here"
-- Tyler Glor, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
"GoodStuff"
-- Director Ethan Kulinski
"Phase III"
-- Numark Ricafranca
"Phase III" is Numark's Senior Capstone Project that was produced in his last year of Film School. He wrote "Phase III" as an inspiration to when he first moved to the United States, realizing that there are abundant opportunities in the US.
The premise of the story is inspired by the nation of North Korea, where citizens have no knowledge about the outside world and are held by the nation's strict government rules. In order to create a whole new dystopian nation for the film, Numark invented an entire language which he finds as one of the most difficult parts of creating this film.
"Entropy"
-- Bamdad Aghajani and Arian Navabi, Iran
"Resurrection under the Ocean"
-- Serkan Aktaş, Turkey
"Self-Complacency"
-- Luis Sánchez, Escuela Nacional de Artes Cinematográficas (ENAC), Mexico
"Dutch Blue"
-- Alice D'Andrea, Italy
"Vessel"
-- Bennett Michael Johnson
After his estranged father's untimely death, a young man is haunted by a vivid apparition. In an attempt to find solace and move on from his grief, he accepts an unexpected invitation to dinner. However, his search for healing takes a dark turn when he falls prey to a manipulative individual who masquerades as a well-wisher but is actually a wolf in sheep's clothing. This manipulator exploits the man's vulnerability for their own mysterious gain, and the man's life begins to spiral out of control. He must confront the harsh reality of his situation and fight to regain control, but it may be too late.
"Fiend"
-- Numark Ricafranca
"The Broken Shell"
-- Benjamin Mohr
"The Wasp’s Nest"
-- Max Helmueller
Friday, May 10
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Jay Windland
No one fights to preserve a multiplex, but some people will risk everything to save a marquee. Through booms and busts, Delft Theatres Inc. - and its innovative gem, The Nordic - endured in Marquette, Michigan for almost 100 years, even as the world changed endlessly around them.
Local kid Bernie Rosendahl’s modern crusade to restore the historic arthouse to its former glory leads filmmakers to discover a hidden cinema empire in the Upper Peninsula. Portraying the fascinating history of motion pictures through one iconic screen - and featuring dozens of Michigan locations and characters - Marqueetown is a true story of chasing your dreams, redefining failure and success, and reembracing the enduring magic of cinema.
Written and Directed by Joseph Beyer and Jordan Anderson
Based on the work of Bernie Rosendahl
Executive Producers Kathleen Glynn and Diana Milock
Original Score by Andrew Dost
Music Supervision by Willa Yudell
Additional Photography from Jack Deo and the Estate of Gary Graver
Main Titles by Henry Gretzinger
"Awakening Wanda"
-- Joel P Sacramento, Madison, WI
"Tillie"
-- Noelle P. Wilson and D Andrew Hartfield, Hudson, WI
"ARENZ: The Final Quarter"
-- Director Jacob Phillips
Rising from small-town roots to collegiate basketball stardom, Lauren Arenz’s dreams are challenged by a season-threatening injury in her last year. As she battles to salvage the rest of her career, Lauren confronts the ultimate decision: walk away from the game of basketball or fight to play in “The Final Quarter”.
Watch the trailer now!
"Enter the Room"
-- Harry Waldman, Chicago, IL
"Shrunken Head"
-- Kevin Paul Miller
"Hell is Sugar-Free"
-- Lukas Medin, Minnesota
"Cow Boy"
-- Director Arayna Birch
"The Disappearance of Norah McCloud"
-- J. Scott Sibley
"Bunny Backrooms"
-- Josiah McClelland
"The Black Spot"
-- Carter E Aakhus, Eden Prairie, MN
Saturday, May 11
Click each heading for more information about that block!
"Tasveer"
-- Saniya Paliwal and Vatsal Bucha, India
"Little Stray"
-- Kieran Latta, New Zealand
"Bahr"
-- Belal Abosamra, Egypt
"Fallin"
-- Vatsal Bucha and Sudeep Kapoor, India
"MADDIE"
-- Diana Valeria Mosquera, Vancouver Film School, Canada
"REDMAN"
-- KIM SUNGJAE, Japan
Pigsy is a street-smart loser who often messes things up. One day, he is chosen to enter the new world, to become a symbol of success. He can finally make grandma proud. Soon after, though, it turns out to be a mistake.
Pigsy does not want to be treated as a joke anymore. He makes a secret deal with Bull Demon King. He stays in Sanzang’s group, and gives the information to Bull Demon King who wants to achieve eternal life. In exchange for information Bull Demon King promises to show him a secret passage to the new world.
As Pigsy completes his tasks, he discovers that Bull Demon King will take many people’s lives in order to achieve immortality. Even his grandma is in danger.
He must do everything in his power to stop this together with his partners. He must save Sanzang, grandma, and everyone else.
"Freedom St. 24/2"
-- Galya Bistritskaya and Katerina Eli, Israel
"Half Empty"
-- Katarzyna Orłowska, Poland
"Travel Bug"
-- Elie Haf Walters, United Kingdom
"0:00 A.M."
-- Yuanshen Yang, China
"The Present"
-- Arowan Parker, South Africa
"Bloom"
-- YINYI WU, China
"Awaiting the Sun"
-- Monica Maheswari W. Indralista, Indonesia
"It Will Pass Away"
-- Nan Yao, China
"Operatie Operatie"
-- Nina Fock and Jordi van Ieperen, Netherlands
"Lights"
-- Jitka Nemikinsová, Czech Republic
"Treasure Haunt"
-- Carlos Lerma, Chicago, IL
"Return to Sender"
-- Olivia Williams, West Virginia University
"GoroGoro"
-- Ryotaro Sawada and Agatha Tiara Christa, Savannah College of Art and Design
"Shining Stars"
-- Cathy Lin, SCAD
"SymBionic"
-- Director Jack Tenbusch, Columbia College Chicago
![A poster and four stills from the short film SymBionic. The poster shows a robot with a rectangular face and one bright blue dome for an eye while the other eye hole is empty. The first still shows a small yellow bird squinting at a bright light. The second shows the text "Warning: Obsolete Model! [Recycle]" over the image of a small robot. The third shows the yellow bird flying over a large robot reminiscent of a scorpion holding a tree in its front claws. The final still shows a robot similar to the one on the poster, but with two glowing blue eyes.](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20%285%29_0.png)
"Grizzly Business"
-- Director Kyle Nelson, University of Oregon
"Somewhere Over"
-- Jazmyn Yun Babler
"Button Eyes"
-- Michael Hubble
"Jim’s Interview"
-- David Michael Wolfe
"Love & Death"
-- Greg Radi, Chicago, IL
"Shakespeare For All Ages"
-- Hannes Rall, Germany
"Little Traveler"
-- Hannah Grace Neist, Eau Claire, WI
"Nubbinwood"
-- Director Tim Granberg, El Segundo
"The Anti-Hero"
-- Tessa Rose Jackson and Franklin Mansion, United Kingdom
"Unified"
-- Luke Bassuener, Madison, WI
"The Seal Woman"
-- Rói Davidsen, Faroe Islands
"Hinter-Land"
-- Christopher Angus, Canada
"Closet Combat Ep.2"
-- Augustus Hinton, Minneapolis, MN
"Tennis, Oranges"
-- Sean Pecknold, Los Angeles, CA
Ellie Nikoo is a passionate animator originally from Iran and now residing in Denver, CO. She initially pursued Physics during her college years. However, a collaborative animation project with friends reignited her passion for animation. She pursued her formal studies as an MFA student in Animation at The University of Art in Tehran, Iran, while also immersing herself in Iran's 2D animation industry.
In 2014, Ellie immigrated to the United States with her husband and was accepted into Virginia Tech's MFA in Creative Technologies program. There, she delved into 3D animation, expanding her skill set and artistic horizons. Transitioning into academia after graduation, Ellie found fulfillment as a teacher but ultimately realized her longing for more hands-on involvement in animation creation.
Motivated by her deep-seated love for animation, Ellie redirected her path, prioritizing her artistic endeavors. This led her to PBS Wisconsin, where she now works as an animator and animation director, bringing her childhood dreams to life with each frame she animates.
"Fed"
-- Michael Bartolomeo, United States
"Malakout"
-- Director Farnoosh Abedi, Islamic Republic of Iran
"Scars"
-- Riccardo Schalcher , Switzerland
"Dead Astronaut: The Swan and the Crab"
-- Benjamin D Hinz
"THE SPRAYER"
-- Director Farnoosh Abedi, Islamic Republic of Iran
In the land occupied by the Sprayers Army, no one has the right to grow any kind of plants either in public or private.
Many of the people and soldiers do not even know how a plant grows or what one looks like. One day, one of the soldiers finds a seed buried deep down in the dust, and his curiosity is just the beginning of something extraordinary, something big, something revolutionary.
