Check out the 2021 festival lineup!
AmeriKKKa
Directed by Carmia Imani | 5 min
Poetry Film, Experimental, Social Justice
AmeriKKKa is an experimental poetry film designed to shed light on the harsh realities that African-Americans face in the United States. For centuries, black people have been criminalized and brutalized for the color of their skin, and the issue has not been fixed, but merely reformed into modern-day slavery. Through this film, black people begin to reclaim their power over the labels that are placed upon them in hopes of being seen as more than inferior. AmeriKKKa is to honor and pay tribute to the many black Americans who have died due to an inherently racist justice system and to encourage all people to take a stand and speak up for what is right. Anyone’s silence in the face of blatant racism and discrimination is compliance.
The Aviators: A Father/Son Story
Directed by Jeff Ogden | 8 min
A story of a father/son relationship built through flying.
The Bladesmith
Directed by Drew Dayton | 7 min
Documentary
A bladesmith in Anderson, Indiana explains how he got his start making knives for movies and collectors.
Canary
21 min | Directed by Maya Jenson
Drama
An aspiring writer pens a short story that will ultimately change not only her life, but the lives of those around her.
clarity.
Directed by Daisy Paroczy Hickey | 8 min
Drama / Experimental
Is it possible to escape the feelings that trap us in our minds? Is it possible to know which way to go? Perhaps, the journey starts from within. “Because there is only light and hope in my world and you belong rooted beside me.”
Come Home
Directed by Spencer Bowman | 10 min
Suspense
An isolated undercover agent finds community in the doomsday cult he is meant to be infiltrating.
Cutters
Directed by Matt Dillman | 10 min
Documentary
The Cutters Cycling Team has one of the greatest legacies in intramural sports. Inspired by an 1970s film and sponsored by national brands, the IU students who compete with the team show the utmost dedication and passion for their craft.
Graduation
Directed by Clarisse Gamblin | 10 min
Drama
During the week leading up to graduation, a high school senior tries to find a way to tell a close friend his true feelings for him before they both leave for college.
How to Ruin a Perfect Day the Perfect Way
Directed by Leo White | 7 min
Comedy / Drama
After a series of absurdly mundane predicaments, a young girl stumbles her way to a party to me the boys her dreams and instead finds something better.
If Not Now, Then When?
Directed by Kyle Bastin | 4 min
Documentary
Some people feel like the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s was a long time ago. It wasn’t. The fight still rages on today in the year of 2020 with many changes still not happening. If not now, then when? If not us, then who? Shot on Super 8mm film in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The Jewel of Richmond
Directed by Justin Meininger | 9 min
Documentary
Reid Memorial Presbyterian Church, an Indiana landmark celebrated for its architecture and Tiffany stained glass, was forced to close, and now the building’s future is uncertain.
Just One Word
Directed by KC Matthews | 8 min
Romance / Comedy
Jaz is in a “not-so-great” relationship. Miles is single but too shy to mingle. After a little coaxing from their friends Amanda and Bunk, will they be able to fight through their fears and say Just One Word?
Let Me Go
Directed by Alex Srednoselac | 6 min
Horror / Suspense
A disturbed young man is terrorized by a vicious shadow after attempting to take his own life.
Like and Subscribe
Directed by Spencer Bowman | 3 min
Experimental
An analog parody of YouTube-style daily vlogs, shot on 16mm film.
The Mailing List
Directed by Talon Reed Cooper | 7 min
Horror
An individualistic college student carelessly signs up for a campus club’s email list, intending to never see them again. Little does he know that its members will do whatever it takes to make him feel like part of the club—like part of their family.
Margo
Directed by Hudson Farrell | 8 min
Drama
A guy in lockdown with the virus gets worse and hopes the best for his sister.
The Missing Piece
Directed by Connor Legge | 3 min
Comedy
A family in quarantine tries doing a jigsaw puzzle but there’s a missing piece.
More of Something
Directed by Kevin Nettles | 18 min
Romance
Two guys meet for a hook-up, but find there is something more, if you are open to it.
Morning Sun
Directed by Caitlin Noppenberger | 13 min
Suspense
Taking place over one night, MORNING SUN opens on an act of violence that plunges a backwoods commune and a group of invading locals into darkness that threatens both of their worlds. The escalating conflict forces both groups to question just how much they’re willing to sacrifice in order to protect their own.
Ms. Rossi
Directed by Pat Battistini | 3 min
Comedy
While on her way to a business meeting, Ms. Rossi takes an interesting detour.
MTXE: Mental Toughness Xtra Effort
Directed by Emmanuel Terrell | 9 min
Documentary
A wrestling team provides guidance and support for young men on the east side of Indianapolis.
Nora
Directed by Jake Vriezelaar | 6 min
Drama
Quarantine takes away a rite of passage for Nora, a member of the class of 2020.
Palace
Directed by Andrew Paul Davis | 94 min
Drama
The family-fractured lives of a stubborn auto-mechanic, a retired widower, and a repressed college student intertwine at a bar in rural Indiana.
Paradox
Directed by Glenn A. Pratt | 8 min
Sci-fi / Comedy
A man from the future visits a scientist and tells her she’ll invent time travel. However, she must attract her future husband first. When things don’t work, she learns what it means to be yourself before losing that future forever.
The Pieces We Have
Directed by Adam King | 35 min
Drama
An aspiring stand-up comedienne must navigate the dysfunction brought on by her suicidal brother and obnoxious sister while they road trip together to their mother’s wedding.
Power Chord
Directed by Hanyu Hu | 34 min
Drama
After a heartbreaking breakup with his girlfriend, a college student who can’t play guitar decides to start a punk band with his friends to rebel against their boring ordinary life.
Running
Directed by Chad Veal | 4 min
Experimental
A guy in isolation uses running as a coping mechanism.
Sabbath
Directed by Joseph Ford | 9 min
Drama
While taking a day off from work, a struggling, single ex-mother is forced to confront constant reminders of her past.
StalkHer
Directed by Caleb Allison | 10 min
Suspense/Horror
Someone is following Emma, stalking her. She can’t see who and doesn’t know why but they have a connection. Wherever she goes, day or night, it doesn’t matter, they won’t stop following her.
Standown
Directed by Benni Little | 5 min
Drama
Tiffany is enjoying the fall weather in a downtown park when she is approached by Stan, who is less than flattering. What happens next is a lesson Stan won’t soon forget.
This Is Quarantine
Directed by Christian Collins | 3 min
Comedy
A guy stuck at home during quarantine tries to find ways to use the time.
Time to Heal
Directed by Tucker Gragg | 22 min
Documentary
As of July 2020 there had been four million cases of Covid in the United States. Time to Heal tells the story of the first case at Monroe Hospital – a small hospital with a big heart that serves the Bloomington community and surrounding rural area.
Unanswered Questions
Directed by Talon Reed Cooper | 3 min
Drama
When saying “I love you” proves to be too difficult for Drew, Jay confronts him…passively.
WANTED: John Dillinger
Directed by Scott Umsteadt | 41 min
Documentary
Character study of Hoosier bank robber John Dillinger.
West Park
Directed by Stuart Elmore | 20 min
Drama
On their way to their father’s funeral, two estranged siblings rekindle their relationship through a visit to their old, family-owned roller rink.
What Tiger Wishes
Directed by Chris T.W. Anderson | 22 min
Drama
A little girl draws images of an idealized reality to escape her troubled childhood and broken family.
Wild Winds: Spirit of the Bison
Directed by Sawyer Pasma | 10 min
Documentary
A buffalo preserve in northern Indiana is home to over 250 wild bison (also known as “buffalo”). Their human caretakers share their passion for the United States’ national animal, and its importance to the nation’s history and future.