CONSERVATORY SHOWCASE 4 AFI Conservatory Showcase

SONG OF SILENCE
2025 USA 15 MIN
DIRECTOR Vasilisa Kuzmina
SCREENWRITER Vasilisa Kuzmina, Daisy Anderson
PRODUCER Qiuping Han
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Dominika Podczaska
EDITOR Yuntong Hazel Dai
PRODUCTION DESIGNER Elli Kypriadis
In a war-torn 2071 America, Greta must protect a deadly secret in a hidden village of women, forcing her to choose between her only son’s life and the safety of her community.

THE END IS AT HAND
2025 USA 9 MIN
DIRECTOR Japhet Velazquez
SCREENWRITER Sam Gallen
PRODUCER Sam Gallen
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Diana Dahllund
EDITOR Junwu Tan
PRODUCTION DESIGNER Yuheng Kuang
A reclusive phone repairman discovers a pulsing, slime-covered organism growing inside a mysterious device. When it disappears from his desk, he searches for it — but the more he looks, the more he dreads what he’ll find.

BEST EYES
2024 USA 16 MIN
DIRECTOR Kira Powell
SCREENWRITER Kira Powell, Lauren Thomas
PRODUCER Tara Austin, Bonnie von Duyke
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Udit Nijhawan
EDITOR Sharon Shen
PRODUCTION DESIGNER Disha Shah
While commuting between her inner city neighborhood and elite private school, a biracial teen forms a friendship that challenges the version of herself her mother believes will keep her safe — leading her toward self-acceptance.

YOU & ME, CHAZ & RODNEY
2024 USA 12 MIN
DIRECTOR Lillian Lion
SCREENWRITER Lillian Lion, Cecilia Cereijido-Bloche
PRODUCER Yang Qian
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Jessica Hayes
EDITOR Elise Beers
PRODUCTION DESIGNER Nicole Baroudi
Best friends Elisa and Valerie set out on an adventure to Rodney’s house with plans to hook up for the first time. But as the night progresses, the curious 13-year-olds are confronted by their own shifting friendship.

IRON LAKE
2025 USA 19 MIN
DIRECTOR Grant Swanson
SCREENWRITER Grant Swanson
PRODUCER Annine Fan Zhang
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Ioana Vasile
EDITOR Yuchen Bobby Fang
PRODUCTION DESIGNER Emily Henninger
On a scouting trip in the 1990s, a volatile teenager expresses secret feelings for another boy. When he’s rejected, he’ll go to dark lengths to keep his secret hidden.