CONSERVATORY SHOWCASE 1 AFI Conservatory Showcase

THE APPLE PICKER’S SON
2025 USA 16 MIN
DIRECTOR Yang Zimik
SCREENWRITER Yang Zimik, Dulguun Bayasgalan
PRODUCER Cathy Ni
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Liz Mealey
EDITOR Shiyi Xie
PRODUCTION DESIGNER Oscar O’Neill
Afaaq, a Kashmiri boy with supernatural powers, learns his father will be picking apples in a war-torn region of Kashmir. Afaaq must stop him from leaving before the apples ripen and the harvest begins.

JIA
USA 12 MIN
DIRECTOR Samantha Mandich
SCREENWRITER Samantha Mandich
PRODUCER Paloma Pinto
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Rebecca Richard
EDITOR Sydney Sullivan
PRODUCTION DESIGNER Natalie Peracchio
Jia loves her bestie Nina more than anything, but when Nina tells Jia she wants to attend the school dance with a boy and not with Jia as planned, a choice is made that changes their friendship forever.

PATAKHA
2025 USA 15 MIN
DIRECTOR Rohit Relan
SCREENWRITER Umut Ipek
PRODUCER Tiffany Wu
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Brooke Mueller
EDITOR Siddharth Lal
PRODUCTION DESIGNER Reem Alshaini
Radha, an 11-year-old girl in rural India, loses her backpack on her first day of work at a factory. She journeys to retrieve the school bag and with it, her dreams for the future.

BEWARE THE WOLVES
2025 USA 19 MIN
DIRECTOR Alex Bush
SCREENWRITER Alex Bush, Annabel Newland
PRODUCER Ilias Kyriakidis
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Matthew Rove Roveto
EDITOR Vaishnavi Upadhyay
PRODUCTION DESIGNER Demie Cao
During an extended stay, Carlisle and his older sister endure strict treatment from their grandmother and ailing grandfather. When Carlisle witnesses a disturbing violation, he must forge a path for their escape.