BITTERSWEET
Dynamic Duos
Max Mir - 21, Lorenzo Fedon - 22, John Otteson - 22, Sam Lowsley-Williams - 23 | UK
"Benedict and Johnas embodied everything I wanted from the Dynamic Duos screening. I instantly fell in love with both characters and the ups and downs of their dramedy. Max Mir so eloquently combined serious conflict with a light-hearted front to give us something sweet and salty.”

THE STAMP
Palpable Performances
Lovro Mrdjen - 24 | Croatia
"My favorite aspect of this film is how eye-opening it was to see a story of immigration that had nothing to do with the US. The political statement was intricately weaved into the heartwarming narrative of a man caring for his sister, allowing the audience to deeply connect to the story.”

STEPS OF VALOR
Powerful Grit
Natalia C Bell - 23, Sophia Shi - 21, Nicolas Kalajdzic - 23 | California
"This film wowed me. What an amazingly terrible story of perseverance through outright mistreatment. The writing and performances were so strong, there were times I wanted to yell at the screen. This is a beautifully moving piece that only gets better when you see the real-life photos in the credits.”

THERE WERE FOUR OF US
Animation Celebration
Cassie Shao - 24 | California
“Cassie Shao transported me to a dream-world with this piece. From the way she plays with subtitles and sound, to her fundamental understanding that we struggle to function linearly in our own dreams, I feel like I was both pleasantly understood and amusingly confused by the experience.”

ANNA AND SLOANE GO TO THE BEACH
Growing Pains
Willa Rydall - 21, Kayla Borkovec - 21, Giovanna Zavala - 21 | California
"No filmmaker’s dinner is complete without a good ‘ol slice of life for dessert. This film pulled out some deeply buried moments from my tween development days. Willa Rydall perfectly captured the unruly world of the young female friendship in a comedic, yet sensitive anecdote.”