October 11, 2021
THE TRAIN STATION
DescriptionBiosContactDescription In this beautifully animated documentary short, filmmaker Lyana Patrick narrates her family's powerful story of love and survival at Lejac Indian Residential School. Screens as part of MEET THE PRESS SHORTS 1 Bios Lyana Patrick is a member of the Stellat’en First Nation (Carrier Nation) on her father’s side and Acadian/Scottish on her mother’s...
October 11, 2021
THEY WON’T CALL IT MURDER
DescriptionBiosDescription Mothers, sisters and grandmothers of those killed by Columbus police, seeking justice in a community bound together by grief and a system that refuses to call these killings murder. Screens as part of MEET THE PRESS SHORTS 4 Bios Melissa Gira Grant is a staff writer covering justice at The New Republic. Ingrid Raphaël...
October 11, 2021
SUNDOWN
DescriptionBiosContactDescription Michel Franco returns to AFI FEST with his latest film which follows a family emergency that summons siblings Neil and Alice Bennett away from their luxurious Acapulco vacation and back to London, with Neil conveniently discovering his passport has disappeared, keeping him in Mexico with thin promises of a speedy return. Armed with his...
October 11, 2021
SWAN SONG
DescriptionBiosTrailerDescription World Premiere There will be a post-screening conversation with Benjamin Cleary (Director), Mahershala Ali (Actor) and Naomie Harris (Actor) moderated by LA Times’ Mark Olsen. Set in the near future, SWAN SONG is told through the eyes of Cameron (two-time Academy Award® winner Mahershala Ali), a loving husband and father diagnosed with a terminal...
October 11, 2021
TAKEOVER
DescriptionBiosContactDescription An exploration of July 14, 1970, when members of the Young Lords Party stormed the Lincoln Hospital in South Bronx, making their cries for decent healthcare heard by the world. Screens as part of MEET THE PRESS SHORTS 3 Bios Emma Francis-Snyder is a New York-based activist and documentary filmmaker. She is a 2020...
October 11, 2021
STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE
DescriptionBiosContactTrailerDescription North American Premiere In Singapore, where even vapes are illegal, three rebellious schoolgirls are caught smoking by the principal. Their revenge prank takes a sinister turn. Screens as part of SHORTS PROGRAM 4 Bios Siyou Tan is a Singaporean filmmaker based in Los Angeles and an alumnae of the AFI Directing Workshop for Women....
October 11, 2021
SIMPLE AS WATER
DescriptionBiosDescription Talent attending in-person screening: Megan Mylan (Director), Robin Hessman (Producer), Steven Schulman (Cast), Abed Sabha (Cast), Omar Sabha (Cast). The impact of humanitarian crises knows no real borders. The Syrian civil war has devastated its people, causing refugees to migrate far and wide in efforts to survive. Academy Award®-winning director Megan Mylan (LOST BOYS...
October 11, 2021
A SUMMER PLACE
DescriptionBiosContactTrailerDescription On the day of Tina’s birthday, she is ready to give up on everything until an extraordinary encounter changes her life. Screens as part of SHORTS PROGRAM 1 Bios Alexandra Matheou is a Cypriot screenwriter, director and producer based in London, Cyprus and Athens. She holds a Law LLB and an LLM from King’s...
October 11, 2021
SPACESHIP
DescriptionContactTrailerDescription When a Latina transwoman in East LA is on the verge of losing her daughter to child services, she begins to unravel after confronting her buried traumas and fears. Screens as part of AFI CONSERVATORY SHOWCASE 3 Contact Susan Dretzka AFI Conservatory sdretzka@afi.com Trailer
October 11, 2021
SOFT ANIMALS
DescriptionBiosContactDescription Two ex-lovers cross paths in a train station. Screens as part of SHORTS PROGRAM 4 Bios Renee Zhan is a Chinese-American director and animator from Houston, Texas. In her films, Zhan is primarily interested in exploring topics of the body, nature, sexuality – all things beautiful, ugly and squishy. Contact Renee Zhan ummrenee@gmail.com
