Official Selections: 1st-7th LA Student Film Festivals
Congratulations to our accepted filmmakers!
Films are listed in alphabetical order, index to the left.
Scroll Down to learn more about each film
Tainted Treasure
World Premiere
Short
When an imprisoned mother reveals she has hidden drug money from her daughter for years, Jodie must make a decision that could either help secure a better future for her brothers or lead them down a dangerous path.
Director: Stephanie Cood
Producer: Stephanie Cood
Writer: Stephanie Cood and Adrian Kent
Cast: Sundarri Rodriguez, Chris Salazar, Graciela Patiño, Jacob Estrada, Jason Santiago
Cinematographer: Noah Lee
Editor: Stephanie Cood
Best Picture and Best Sound Design at UC Irvine’s 24th ZotFest, Silver Award for Best Drama Short and Honorable Mention for Best Student Female Director at the Independent Shorts Awards, Semi-Finalist at Indie Short Fest
Instagram: @taintedtreasurefilm, @stephaniecood
Tethered
World Premiere
Short
Ever feel like you’re being pulled from one place to another?
In this captivating film, we follow the journey of our protagonist, Boyd (Bayden Slavik), as he grapples with the challenges of balancing his roles as a farmer, visual artist, and boyfriend. Using a unique analogy of being tethered by a rope, we witness Boyd being pulled from scene to scene, symbolizing the constant struggle to meet expectations and fulfill obligations. As the story unfolds, the film delves into the universal theme of finding harmony between one's obligations and personal passions. Boyd's quest highlights the significance of preserving mental well-being while navigating the complexities of life. Through his experiences, the movie profoundly reflects on pursuing a balanced and fulfilling life.
Director: Sawyer Staloch
Producer:Brandon Krish, Oliver Ciric, Sawyer Staloch
Writer: Sawyer Staloch,
Cast: Bayden Slavik, Alejandra Cordova Rubio, Grady Behrhorst, Byerly Cline
Cinematographer (if applicable): Andrew Foley
Editor: Sawyer Staloch
Instagram: Tethered_film.2023 Instagram
The Flower Man
"The Flower Man" is the latest short film from Ethan and Luke Montgomery, or "The Montgomery Brothers." The film follows Liam, a shy high school seeking connection, who finds popularity with the help of a community flower garden. The film is colorful, fun, and thoughtful.
Directors: Ethan Montgomery, Luke Montgomery (The Montgomery Brothers)
Producers: Harrison Zeiders, Madison Pawley
Writers: Ethan Montgomery, Luke Montgomery
Cast: Charles Curtice, B.A. Tobin, Ally Hoy
Cinematographer: A.T. Etzweiler
Editors: Ethan Montgomery, Luke Montgomery
Instagram Handle: @Montgomery_Brothers
Facebook Handle: @TheMontgomeryBrothers
The Loop
World Premiere
Short
When Kaia discovers a small portal in her kitchen drawer, she begins to exchange handwritten notes with a lab scientist on the other end. As the two begin to develop a friendship through this correspondence, deeper secrets are revealed.
Director: Mira Atwah
Producer: Krishna Mukunda
Writer: Mira Atwah
Cast: Mira Atwah, Krishna Mukunda
Cinematographer: Mary Muromcew
Editor: Mira Atwah
- Oniros Film Awards Winner (Best Sci-Fi Film, Best Romance Film, Best Student Film, Best Original Story, Best Student Director) with nominations for Best Original Score and Best Producer
- LA International Short Film Festival (Indie Short Fest) Semifinalist
Instagram: @miraatwah i
The Pink Guys
Short
Director: Ziyu Fan
Producer: Ziyu Fan, Hanyang Wang
Writer: Hanyang Wang
Cast: Kangle Fan, Nanxi Zhang, Xuewei Li
Cinematographer: Ziyu Fan
Editor: Ziyu Fan
Instagram: @ziyufan_
Facebook: fb.com/profile.php?id=100085817775609
THE OTHER SIDE
World Premiere
Short Film, Sci-Fi drama
The greatest gift you can receive is yourself.
Ari, a young man with great ambition, dreams of working in the lucrative world of television, but fears that he won't be hired due to his Ethiopian roots. He lives on Tel Aviv with his girlfriend, Noga, and tries to go about his business as usual.
Ari goes to visit his father, Shalom, and shares his concerns with him. Shalom responds by giving Ari a mysterious bracelet that has been in their family for generations.
The next day, Ari realizes that his world has changed completely and that the societal hierarchy is the opposite of how he's accustomed to: Ethiopians are now the reigning class and white are now minorities.
Just as things were looking great for Ari, he discovers that the change in the social hierarchy comes with consequences and he must decide how to face them.
Director: Idan Bashari
Producer: Haim Twito
Producer: Ziv Tondovsky
Writer: Idan Bashari
Cast: Yaniv Zanava, Tagel Eliyahu, Solomon Mersha
Cinematographer: Omer Cohen
Editor: Reut Rose, Idan Bashari
The Soul of Nashville
West Coast Premiere
Short Film
“Exit 207: The Soul of Nashville” tells the story of Jefferson Street in North Nashville, a proud and resilient community that thrived during the Civil Rights Era, was deeply affected by the construction of Interstate 40 and is now fostering the future identity of Nashville’s Black community.
Director: Chase Thomson
Producer: David Pang and Chandler Maynard
Cast: Lorenzo Washington, Carlos Partee, Charlane Oliver, Ladonna Boyd, Ken Springs, Rev. Bernard Lafayette, Caroline Rosenberg
Website: nashvillesocialjustice.org
Instagram: @exit207doc
This Is Real Love
West Coast Premiere
Short
Two painters quarrel over a secret painting and a mutual love interest.
Written, Directed, Shot, and Edited by Joseph Salvatore
Cast: Brendan Mohen, PJ Beigh, Alex Koenigsberg
Boom Operator: Thomas Salvatore
This Is Real Love has, thus far, screened at 10 festivals and won five awards, including audience choice at the Adrian International Film Festival.
Website: filmfreeway.com/ThisIsRealLove
Instagram: @jojosalvatore
Tune In When You Get Home
USA Premiere
Short
Rosa takes her friends Will, Zoe and Dan on a holiday in the South of France. The week starts, beautiful and promising, but the four friends are all dealing with personal worries. As Will and Rosa realise their feelings for one another, Rosa has to face in the meantime the traumatic events of her past to move on. At the end of the holiday, Rosa is opening herself to the possibilities of the future and starting to heal.
Director: Maëlle Leggiadro
Producer: Severine Jully
Writer: Maëlle Leggiadro
Cast: Sonia Bekam, Adele Harding, Joseph Knight, Mansour Dagher, Maelle Leggiadro, Valentin Messelem, Laurie Teigell, Ombeline Guillem
Cinematographer: Camille Tosca
Editor: Floriane Peguy
Official Selection Paradise Short Film Festival, Finalist Award Roma Short Film Festival, Honourable Mention Award Tokyo International Short Film Festivals
Instagram: @tuneinwhenyougethome @maelle.lgdr
Facebook: Maëlle Leggiadro
TBone and Gurt
TBone and Gurt are best friends who just want to sell some tart berry juice, but when a rival competitor by the name of Benson outsells them, they challenge him to a good ol' fashion tart berry off. This film is Darren's senior honors thesis and took him about 9 months to fully produce.
Director: Darren Rubin
Producer/Animator: Darren Rubin
Writer: Darren Rubin
Cast: Sana Aladin, Darren Rubin, Caleb Martin-Rosenthal, Jacob Ehrlich
Editor: Darren Rubin
Instagram: @tboneandgurt
The Beetle and the Firefly
Los Angeles Premiere
Short
“The Beetle and the Firefly" is a 5-minute drama. A struggling writer must confront himself, his grief, and his entire system of beliefs to overcome his writer's block or lose his shot at his life's dream. That's when he receives a special visit.
Director: Lorenzo Mendoza
Producer: Joanna Fernandez
Writer: Lorenzo Mendoza
Cast: Tyler Schuelke
Cinematographer: Haoyue Yang
Editor: Joanna Fernandez
- Official Selection Japan International Film Festival
- Official Selection Roma Short Film Festival
- Best VFX Nominee Flamingo Film Festival
Instagram: @axtronfilms
Twitter: @axtronfilms
The Drowning of Alaia Elliot
World Premiere
Short
After the loss of her best friend, Thomasin finds herself sifting through memory after memory searching for some kind of sign.
Director: Angelina DeMonte
Producer: Sydnie Herbert, Briana Lucia, Seyf Naman, Theo Camara, and Jada Snagg
Writer: Angelina DeMonte
Cast: Anastasia Lugova, Carli Bertonneau, Madison Cayer
Cinematographer (if applicable): Liza Ovsiannikov - Assistant DPs: Justin Nicholson, Kalyn Thompson
Editor: Theo Camara
This project was a labor of so much love and hard work from every single person involved. There is a part of each of us, cast and crew, in this film and it wouldn't be the same without any of these brilliant pieces.
Instagram: @imistudioproductions
The Deceased
World Premiere
Andy leads a life with sadness after the death of his partner Luis. After experiencing a strange incident in the house, he decides to contact his boyfriend...
Director: Francis Wu
Producer: Francis Wu
Writer: Francis Wu
Cast: Francis Wu, Luis Cázarres
Cinematographer: Xinyun Lyu
Editor: Francis Wu
Instagram: @franciswuworld / @franciswufilms
The Last Comedian
A short documentary that follows three comedians’ journey through COVID-19, and their trials and tribulations adapting to new restrictions, cancellations, and adaptations. This documentary examines the comedy scene in Los Angeles post-pandemic.
Director: Benjamin Meppen
Producer: Grace Rynerson
Writer: Benjamin Meppen
Cast: Bruce Vilanch, Sandy Hackett, and Hadley Sachs
Cinematographer: Harlowe Schuman
Editor: Benjamin Meppen
The Playlist
USA Premiere
Sally, Edward, and Yb work at 3 Spins Record store and radio Station, each of them are at a different stage and cross road in their career. Through different sides of the Playlist each of them will explore their next moves, through the music their emotions associate with.
Director: Lewis Junger
Producer: Anna Kubat
Writer: Lewis Junger
Cast: (Yb., Montanna Jones, Sho Eba)
Cinematographer: Jacob Weston
Editor: Jay Yearsley
Production Designer’s: Jarrah O’Connell, Chloe Andrews
(SIDE C) Best Student Reel Music Video Festival, (SIDE C) Peoples Choice Award Reel Music Video Festival, Offical selection Sydney Lift of Festival.
Instagram: @the_playlistfilm/
Facebook: fbcom/The-Playlist-Short-Film-107035211770988/?ref=page_internal
Third Culture Kids
USA Premiere
Short Doc
If you are from more than one place or culture, where do you belong? This question is explored in the film Third Culture Kids in which the filmmaker grapples with being a Chinese-American adoptee. The short documentary follows the filmmaker as she journeys with Sen Zhan, a Berlin-based artist and community builder, through Sen's multiple modes of self-expression. The film explores what she learns from Sen and the other third culture people they meet in the process. Ultimately the questions around belonging and identity are transformed through the experience of being understood.
Director/ Producer/ Writer: Lily Shannon-Sutter
Cast: Sen Zhan, Lily Shannon-Sutter
Cinematographer: Milena Mooradian
Editor: Lily Shannon-Sutter
Third Culture Kids is the filmmaker's undergraduate thesis film while studying abroad in Germany last Fall. It was chosen as 1 of the 5 best films of the program that year.
Together
World Premiere
Together is a silent and intimate portrait of a relationship. The film presents slices of life of a young couple as their relationship grows and falls apart through the passing of time.
Director, Producer, Writer, Editor and Music Composer: Leon Guallart Dïaz
Director of Photography: Diego Andoni Rubio
Cast: Schuyler Girion, Theron Cook
Instagram: @leonguallart
Twin Aces
Short
In desperate need to pay for their mother’s surgery, fraternal twins attempt to con an underground poker game run by a dangerous crime family.
Director: Jozeven June
Producers: Parvathi Devi, Nayeli Quiroz, Seia Watanabe
Writer: Jozeven June
Cast: Timothy Kennedy, Sarah-Michele Guei, Ariana Pantaleo, Luke Brodowski, Dylan Perez, Joshua Payne
Cinematographer: Alexander Nguyen
Production Designer: Kristy Morales
Composer: Howard Huang
Editor: J.J. Tolibao
Website: twinacesfilm.com
Instagram: @twinacesfilm
To Be Traumatized
World Premiere
To Be Traumatized is an autobiographical journey of a young woman navigating hurt and healing after a doctor's moment of negligence. In a therapist session, Nicole unpacks her most traumatic memory, shown through a series of dream-like vignettes.
Director: Shelby Stewart
Producer: Emily McTyre
Writer: Shelby Stewart
Cast: Olivia Hendrix, Holly Allen
Cinematographer: Claire Davis
Editor: Shelby Stewart
Instagram: @tobetraumatizedfilm/
Two Knights
Short
A boy and his mom play a daring game of chess as their lives flash before their eyes.
Director: Quinn Friedman
Producer: Quinn Friedman
Writer: Quinn Friedman
Cast: Tiffani Van E, Cooper Friedman, Cameron Pench
Cinematographer: Quinn Friedman
Editor: Quinn Friedman
Instagram: @quinnfriedman
Two Tickets to Mars
World Premiere
Two Tickets to Mars is a student short film that sets out to explore the inner mania of a young woman as she asks for the ultimate commitment.
Director: Kavita Parekh
Producer: Reid Hannaford, Maddy Mock
Writer: Kavita Parekh
Cast: Emily Sullivan, Devin O'Brien
Cinematographer: Ranya Chen Aloui
Editor: Allamaprabhu Pattanashetty, Kavita Parekh
This short has been the recipient of the Makower Family Post Production Grant, winner of IndieFEST's "Award of Merit", and an official selection of LA Student Film Festival. The filmmakers are honored and humbled by the recognition so far received, and cannot wait to get together again for the next one!
Tejano Night
While at a family gathering in South Texas, an awkward Mexican-American, Mijo, is forced to tag along on his cousin’s night out after butchering his Spanish pronunciation in front of his family.
Director: Alex Rosales
Producer: Alex Rosales, Monica Santis, Carlos Estrada, Lizette Barerra, Humberto Perez
Writer: Alex Rosales
Cast: Harold Fisch, Christopher Alvarenga, Nasir Villanueva, Katy Atkinson, Anne Frances
Cinematographer: Alonso Luján
Editor: Alex Rosales, Cameron Garland
Recipient of 2021 LMAS Graduate Student Award, 1st Place, University of Texas at Austin,
Deep in the Heart Film Festival - Best Student Film Award
El Paso Media Fest - Best Student Film Award
Festival De Cine Latino Americano - Corazon Latino Award
42 CineFestival - Honorable Mention for Texas Short
Website: tejanonight.info
Instagram: @tejanonight
Facebook: @tejanonightfilm
The Begonia Garden
West Coast Premiere
While war is raging outside, Adam and Bar, neighbors, meet in the staircase between sirens. The war and their budding relationship force Adam, a loner foley artist, to deal with his personal and social anxieties.
Director: Ron Goldin
Produceres: Saray Salman, Jordan Sultana, Shahar Tenne
Writer: Elinor Kolton & Ron Goldin
Cast: Adam Hirsh, Bar Akerman
Cinematographer: Yotam Eytan
Editor: Asaf Lavi Harel
Official selection of The Haifa International Film Festival
Official selection of The Boston Film Festival
Official selection of The Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival
Official selection of The 33 Girona Film Festival
Official selection of The Miami Short Film Festival
Official selection of The Paris Art and Movie Awards, PAMA
Official selection of The BLOW-UP · International Arthouse Filmfest · Chicago
Official selection of The The European Independent Film Award
Official selection of The Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival
Official selection of Dam Short Film Festival
The Letter
Short
A young struggles with the perils of waiting until the last minute.
Director: Cameran Ford
Producer: Cameran Ford
Writer: Cameran Ford
Cast: Lilia Steel, Tyler Baum
Cinematographer: Cameran Ford
Editor: Cameran Ford
Winner of Student Emmy for Directing
Website: cameranford.com
Instagram: @cameranford
The Pack
USA Premiere
Director: Jean-Marie Bonny
Producer: Walid Bekhti
Writer: Jean-Marie Bonny
Poitiers Film Festival - Panorama 2019
FIFAM Festival International du film d'Amiens - Out of Competition 2019
Rome Prisma Independent Films Awards - Official selection 2020
Venice Films Awards - Finalist 2020
Festival du Film Jeune de Lyon - Out of competition 2020
The Lift-Off Sessions UK - Official Competition 2020
Fantastic Film Festival of France - Best Student Film 2020 / Best French director / Best cinematography / Best composition
3rd Meihodo Youth Festival Japan - Competition 2020
IIth Los Angeles Student Film Festival - Compétition 2021
Instagram: @prazwall, @bambinocrimilae
The Outcoming
Online World Premiere
The Outcoming is a coming-of-age comedy short film written and directed by Maxim Varen. It revolves around a closeted teenager, Sam, who is struggling to find enough courage to come out to her conservative parents.
Director: Maxim Varen
Producer: Maxim Varen, Michael Sasaki
Writer: Maxim Varen
Cast: Liz Richman, Rebecca Ritz, Danny McFarland, Alaska Renee
Cinematographer: Marco Marchiori
Editor: Maxim Varen
Film’s website:
imdb.com/title/tt11743734
THEO: Beyond Expression
West Coast Premiere
Theo, a talented voice actor who stutters in his real life, suffering from this unspeakable pain and getting further away from his family. When he almost loses his job, he realizes he needs a way to express himself before life turns him upside down.
Director: Lamu Yangchu
Producer: Iris Gao
Writer: Lamu Yangchu
Cast: Travis Mitchell, Melissa Roth, Ava Milan, Michael J.Coppola, Bryan Maher, Colin White, Olgierd Minkiewicz
Cinematographer: Evan Feng
Editor: Lamu Yangchu
2019 LAIFF indie short fest (December): “Best Student short” “Best Student Director” “Outstanding Achievement Award of performance (Travis Mitchell)”
2020 Student Feedback Film Festival: Official Selection
2020 New York FEEDBACK Film Festival: “Winner BEST PERFORMANCES”
Truth
World Premiere
What does it mean to be present? Why is it important to be honest? How can we best practice living our truth? Did Jesus do psychedelics? Questions like these are explored, yet juxtaposed by the seemingly mundane rituals of day to day life.
Director: Nadia Holcomb
Producer: Nadia Holcomb
Writer: Nadia Holcomb
Cast: Nadia Holcomb, Julien Lavigne, Anna Lu
Cinematographer: Nadia Holcomb
Editor: Nadia Holcomb
Truth is my very first film and was a joy to make. It is very personal and very honest. Not only did it teach me a lot about the process of making a film, but it taught me a lot about myself, as well. I had so much fun working on it that I am finding myself desperate to learn everything I can about filmmaking. My dream is to do this forever.