CONSERVATORY SHOWCASE 2 AFI Conservatory Showcase

DOG SEES GOD
USA 16 MIN
DIRECTOR Yana Gladkikh
SCREENWRITER Alex Bush, Ilias Kyriakidis
PRODUCER Andrew Svistunov
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Junxiong Joshua Zhu
EDITOR Zheyu Ian Jiang
PRODUCTION DESIGNER Shengtao Anakin Li
When a meteor lands in his backyard, killing his beloved dog, suburban misfit Atticus channels his grief into his garage-punk band as he wrestles with teenage angst, fractured family dynamics and a growing government presence in his neighborhood.

AZUL
2024 USA 15 MIN
DIRECTOR Santos Arrué
SCREENWRITER Santos Arrué
PRODUCER Yoko Chen
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Alexandra Geneviève Agar
EDITOR Lu Li
PRODUCTION DESIGNER Jessica Burnam
Struggling to cope with her sister’s unexpected passing, 17-year-old Azul finds solace in an unexpected place: a lady Lowrider Car Club.

BEHIND THE MASK
USA 14 MIN
DIRECTOR Catherine Andre
SCREENWRITER Catherine Andre
PRODUCER Becca E. Davis
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Simran Sawhney
EDITOR Matthew Gelzer
PRODUCTION DESIGNER Irena Weaver
After a famous actor’s death, his estranged daughter looks for closure at his house. She discovers a magical theater mask that whisks her back in time to a grand stage where she comes face-to-face with him as a young man.

OLDMAN’S BLUES
2025 USA 15 MIN
DIRECTOR Ziyi Zeng
SCREENWRITER Ziyi Zeng
PRODUCER Tianyu Yang, Ali Buckner
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Keren Paldi
EDITOR Ann Zhao
PRODUCTION DESIGNER Tang Hu
Grappling with dementia, eighty-year-old Kang longs to return to China. When a yellow crane appears, memory and reality blur — guiding his spirit home in a final goodbye seen only by his granddaughter.

TEEN MARY
2025 USA 20 MIN
DIRECTOR Ali Rosenthal
SCREENWRITER Ali Rosenthal
PRODUCER Bridger Zadina, Hector Martinez
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Jodi Savitz
EDITOR Carter Huang
PRODUCTION DESIGNER Abbie Vance
Teen Mary gets pregnant by Nazareth’s biggest player, Gabriel. Facing death, she and her gay BFF Joseph hatch a plan: convince everyone that God is the father, turning scandal into scripture to survive.