Best Documentary Short

Kourtney Jackson - 22
Canada

As they get ready for the day, three young Black women discuss the public perception of their Blackness in its relation to their personal journeys in cultivating a strong sense of self.

Reclaiming Me

Lydia Cornett - 24
Maryland

A New York City doorman wears many hats—father, art curator, and violinist—as he works tirelessly to give back to his community in Haiti.

Opening Night Showcase

Kira Dane - 24, Katelyn Rebelo - 24
New York

Inspired by a Buddhist ritual to grieve abortions, a Japanese-American woman reevaluates what it means to end her own pregnancy.

Art in Motion

Khawla Al Hammouri - 24
Jordan

A portrait of resilience. Eight Syrian women living in Jordan recount their personal stories of survival, trauma, and transformation amid the ever-changing refugee crisis.

Reclaiming Me

Anissa Amalia - 24, Heather Garcia - 23, Ben Cher - 24
California

This is a pilot episode of In-Between(s) docu series that was started by Anissa Amalia. In-Between(s) is a project exploring the notion of home and self. For the pilot, we follow Anissa's story, as they navigate Ramadan as a non-binary muslim and Southeast Asian in America; an ode to self-discovery and finding place within their own roots.

Saturday Night Shorts

Jalena Keane-Lee - 24, Amber Espinosa-Jones - 24
Hawaii

Standing Above the Clouds follows Native Hawaiian mother-daughter activists as they stand to protect their sacred mountain Mauna Kea from the building of the world’s largest telescope.

Closing Night: What Do You Stand For?

Caleb Wild - 21
Florida

An intimate conversation with my grandfather’s friend in Florida, a year after he passed away.

Through My Eyes

Natalie A. Chao - 24
Hong Kong

Filmed decades apart on the same miniDV camcorder, TO KNOW HER is a poetic exploration of my family’s relationship with my mother, who passed away when I was 14 years old to clinical depression. As a director and cinematographer I am always trying to understand the gaze I carry - but instead of searching for it I realised in these home video tapes that I inherited my camera tendencies from my mother, because she always pointed the camera at the subject who mattered to her most.

Call Your Mother