SATURDAY 2:00 // SHORT DOCS

Director: Sarah Lasley

Country of Origin: United States

US PREMIERE

Synopsis: A director making a documentary about the perils of fossil fuel extraction is consistently subverted by an AI agent that wants to tell a generic love story. Moved by the sacrifice of youth activists in Lutzerath, Germany, Sierra and her team attempt to finish their no-budget documentary while warding off an AI agent empowered with toxic positivity. When the film’s crew is absorbed into the AI’s rom-com, Sierra fights for control over her project however she can. Made in collaboration with Gen Z film students at Cal Poly Humboldt, the film looks at generational responses to the climate crisis through an absurdist lens, connecting the extraction of natural resources to the extraction of our human data and the extraction of our attention in this post-information era.

Trailer | Website

Director: Desirée Tolchin

Country of Origin: United States

Synopsis: A once-close bond now tinged with emotional distance. A 60-year-old father and 25-year-old daughter confront their changing dynamic and the challenges of reconnecting.

Trailer | Website

Director: Amelia Kramer

Country of Origin: United States

Synopsis: The Invisible Crown follows Endometriosis warrior Hannah Lindgren as she wrestles with medical trauma and finds methods of healing mind and body. Abstract visuals painting the complexity of her inner emotions are paired with the outer reality she faces.

Trailer

Director: Bill Callahan and Kieran Hanson

Country of Origin: Singapore and United Kingdom

Synopsis: What can noses tell us about Chinese identity, and the PRC's increasingly important place in the world? There are so many different kinds of noses. But what can they tell us? Can they be political? Throughout Chinese history, noses have been used to separate Chinese people from foreigners. In the present day, they can also be the key to changing your destiny. If we know more about noses, perhaps we can better understand how China sees itself and its increasingly important place in the world.

Trailer

Director: Fotis Zampetakis

Country of Origin: Spain / Greece

US PREMIERE

Synopsis: "I thought of all those gloves I see here and there on the street and it's like they're waiting for someone to turn around, look for them, take them back". A tale on missing gloves, loss, absence, resilience and the journey to find our other half - or ourselves.

Trailer