RUN AWAY, THEY’LL SEE US
Breaking the Mold
Ryan Henry Knight - 20, Shantel Lankford - 20, Ahab Mullick - 19, Nicholas Jensen - 20 | Georgia
"Amidst ongoing protests against racial violence and constant news about yet another death at the hands of police brutality, it’s disturbing to hear a sitcom laugh track underscore similar wanton death - but the simple setup of this short clarifies so much about the struggle. The contrast of seeing blatant pain and loss while hearing hyperbolic joy is a scary and skin-crawling choice by Ryan Henry Knight, and regardless of your skin color or identity, you should sit with this one for a while.”

TO THE GIRL THAT LOOKS LIKE ME
Centerpiece
Ewurakua Dawson-Amoah - 21, Farah Jabir - 21, Adrian Sobrado - 19 | New York
"You’ve got to give it up for a poetic short that directly encourages the young viewer to embrace and celebrate what makes them different, while showing the wide range of emotions that’ll boil up while doing so. Ewurakua Dawson-Amoah rolls up so many aspects of the Black experience in just five minutes and showcases some amazing makeup, production design, and scenery to back up the powerful spoken word.”

WELCOME TO MY NEW CYBORG BODY
All Hours Absurdity
Lucy Soutter - 21, Matthew Michaud - 22 | Philadelphia
"I truly did feel welcomed to at least one new cyborg body after watching this short, and I’m thankful the tour guide has a sense of humor. Lucy Soutter brings some great absurdity to our experimental line-up this year with a literally stripped-down exploration of all of the nooks and crannies we live with every day.”

I DRAW ON EVERYTHING
Reclaiming Me
Johanna Xue - 20 | Hungary
“Now is as good a time as any to reflect on the experiences that brought us to where we are today, and some are bound to cause joy and some are bound to cause pain. Johanna Xue walks us through reflections of micro-aggressions couched in the way others describe her eyes, and it’s a powerful examination of the lasting effect of our words.”

MY HEART IS ERASING
Radical Experiments
Joshua Ben-Dylan - 21, Dalton Harrod - 22, Ruby Rose Makkena - 21 | New York
"If we had to rank the secrets we keep, where would family secrets land? What if they were about family, from family? Joshua Ben-Dylan has put together a short that is touching, yet heartbreaking, and intimate, yet stark. I couldn’t help but include this in my picks as we navigate times where we are virtually closer than ever, but physically kept apart from everyone in our lives at the same time.”