5-6.Sept/2014
Lubar Auditorim
Milwaukee Art Museum
16th MKE Short Film Festival
"BEST LOCAL FESTIVAL!"
Tim Lonsdale
Session 1: 6:30pm Opening Night Event (Ages 16 & up)
Qualified
(Milwaukee Premiere)
Directed by Ryan Allsop
A recent college graduate waits at a bus stop for his first job interview in months. The college graduate sits down and starts talking with a grandma who is also waiting. Both characters learn about each other and realize how unprepared the college graduate is for the interview. The reality of the world they live in is revealed as the bus approaches. Both of them go to great measures to make sure he's qualified.
Wisconsin Beer - Behind the Scenes
(Milwaukee Premiere)
Directed by Roger Bindl
From field, to fermentor, then firkin... Wisconsin Beer - 'A Behind The Scenes Look' takes viewers from the fields of hops & barley in Wisconsin to the brewers using those local ingredients. Learn about growing, harvest, and experimentation with adjuncts and barrel to finding local yeasts for unique flavors in hands on craft beer.
Rediscovering Ginny
(World Premiere)
Directed by Vito Valenti
A young man has admired Ginny from afar since childhood, although he tried, he has never been able to get next to her. Years have passed, he is presented with an opportunity to try to connect with her. Will he be ready or prepared to deal with what he has found?
Stupid Awesome
(Milwaukee Premiere)
Directed by Joseph Alane
A comatose teen has five days to live. Follows 'reality' and 'dream world' as they both draw to the same end. An exploration in stories within stories, multiple levels of narrators, and being thoroughly silly.
Soft Kneecaps
(Milwaukee Premiere)
Directed by Wil Loper & Dustin Hardy
It's a quiet day at the office; that is, until scientist Allen Smithee runs over a baby and attempts to revive it but unwittingly creates a horrific, overweight monster. When the monster invades an office meeting, all bets and umbrellas are off in this silent comedy short.
Satellite Beach
(World Premiere)
Directed by Luke Wilson and Andrew Wilson
'Satellite Beach' follows Warren Flowers (Luke Wilson) as he directs the space shuttle Endeavor's trip over surface city streets from LAX to the California Science Center. The film continues with Warren in Florida, on the Space Coast, in the town of Satellite Beach and at Kennedy Space Center where he helps direct the space shuttle Atlantis' final move.
Poupée
(Milwaukee Premiere)
Directed by Timo Von Gunten
Poupée is an artistic short film about the life of a doll in the display window in Paris. The doll tries to escape from its life behind the window of fashion into the world where it hopes to find more recognition. But in fact, the doll is just a projection of a person in real life.
A poetic reflection on appearance, solitude and self-discovery.
Billy Balfoor
(World Premiere)
Directed by Grant Wilson
In the eyes of Brian Webb, 8 year old Billy Balfoor was 'the most evilest boy on the planet', and the world needed to be rid of him. Fifteen years after his failed attempt at doing the world a favor, Brian finds himself in a sticky situation - Billy Balfoor wants an apology.
Q/A with attending filmmakers will follow
2014 Festival Film
Satellite Beach
Actor Luke Wilson talks about his award winning short, “Satellite Beach.” Turning thousands of cheering throngs and a Space Shuttle into unwitting players, he follows the Endeavor on its 3-day journey through the colorful communities of Los Angeles from LAX to its final stop at The California Science Center.
2014 Festival Film
Berxen Kulek (Lame Lambs)
Journey of a Kurdish nomad who had to make a difficult decision about his deceased brother's wife and kid in order to provide for his horde in the tough Kurdish geography in the east of Turkey.
Session 2: Sat 9/6 12:45pm WORLD VIEW (Ages 16 and up.)
Berxen Kulek (Lame Lambs)
(Milwaukee Premiere)
Directed by Yunus Yildirim
Journey of a Kurdish nomad who had to make a difficult decision about his deceased brother's wife and kid in order to provide for his horde in the tough Kurdish geography in the east of Turkey.
Oh! my Princess
(World Premiere)
Directed by Heewook SA
He (Main Character) is a Taxi driver and single father, raising his high school student daughter since his divorce. One night, a student passenger takes his taxi. On the way to her destination, He looks embarrassed by the student's violent verbal abuse. After a while, he realizes that the destination of the student is his own apartment.
watch trailer here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CnxrVg6IuQ
One Night Only
(Milwaukee Premiere)
Directed by Che Grant
Set over a single night, in and around the streets of London. A first date catastrophe or the beginning of true romance, between Mary-Ann, an uptight 40 yr old American, and Liam, a roguish 29 yr old Englishman. Yet all may not be what it seems.
At a Distance
(Milwaukee Premiere)
Directed by Baqir Rezaie
Abiha is 7. She lives on the outskirts of Quetta in Pakistan. Her father has fled to Australia and she misses him terribly. Her home has been bombed and so the family have retreated to the back rooms of the house. Abiha's mother supports her children as a schoolteacher while waiting in hope that her husband's visa is processed in Australia, and the family might reunite one day.
Abiha's life in this dangerous Hazara community is tumultuous, but Abiha continues to smile - and anyway she wants to be an artist one day.
Culling
(Milwaukee Premiere)
Directed by Barry Wilkinson
Set in the not-to-distant future, a company - CullCorp - has been set up to help 'population reduction'. Whilst making a corporate promotional video, the Head of Communications for the company is forced to deal with a bit of a problem. A young man has opted to be part of the culling process, something which has never happened before.
It seems he is using Cullcorp in order to commit suicide - something which is heavily frowned upon by the company. A discussion takes place around the ethics of assisted suicide in an over-populated world.
watch film here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B65qPhfrCls
He Loves Her, She Loves Cake
(Milwaukee Premiere)
Directed by Melissa Smith
The best part of Sandy’s day is when she stops by Henry’s patisserie shop to see her one true love – sweets. Henry and his sparky apprentice Kindle enjoy nothing more than the sight of the beautiful Sandy biting into a dessert made with passionate love. Will Sandy’s love move from the creations to the creators or does this desire stop at the sugar cane?
Ão
(Milwaukee Premiere)
Directed by Livia Cathiard
The film leads us through the inner monologue of a character who lives an experience through her own limits and through the subjective and non-linear time in which words, images and sounds intertwine.
Session 3: Saturday 9/6 2:30pm (Ages 16 and up.)
A Garden Within The Violence
(World Premiere)
Directed by Jozef K. Richards
A young campesino, Germán, recounts a week spent on a farm in 1967 in Colombia, whereby he came to fall into a pit and sustain leg injury on his way to rendezvous with his love, María, amidst the historical period of La Violencia.
watch film here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fKWC_8zxv8
Lucille
(Milwaukee Premiere)
Directed by Aaron Greer
After her mother dies, Pam retreats to the clutches of old friends and old habits-- a decision that threatens the only family she has left-- in this short film about life, love and liquor. Lucille is the first installment of a cinematic exquisite corpse, challenging directors to produce a compelling, short film with few actors, little cash, and no crew.
The Interview
(Milwaukee Premiere)
Directed by Carol Jones Potter
A job interview pushes the interviewee over the edge as the interviewer probes to find out just what kind of person is this man.
watch film here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQzpsb8vjTE
Last Call
(Milwaukee Premiere)
Directed by David Zorn
A dead man slouches over a bar. A waitress named Kiki cowers beneath. The killer's name is Lyle and he seems much more interested in contemplating the jukebox than escape. What is the connection between these three sad figures in this dark and dusty noir thriller? Who is the mystery man known as 'Brad'?
As Kiki tries to talk her way out of the line of fire, evidence of her betrayal is laid down on a two-top, and her guilt begins to wall her in.
As We Are
(Milwaukee Premiere)
Directed by Danny Rodic
Experience the journey of the band, CircleSwitch with current members Kenny James, Danny Rodic, Johnny “ROCKit” Wahlen and Eddie Gunz. Never before in their history did there exist such a window of opportunity in revealing what all will find as an open book of personal expression and good times.
The Roxy Incident
(Milwaukee Premiere)
Directed by Kris Schulz
The Roxy Incident is a throwback to the detective thrillers of yesteryear. Private Eye Carson Fuller needs to solve his toughest case yet and get his brother out of prison in this Film Noir stylized puzzle of a short.
watch film here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NR--Pfu3h48
Loss
(Milwaukee Premiere)
Directed by Nelson Oliveras
A father seeks professional help as he struggles to forgive his wife for the untimely death of their son.
watch film here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utittmpHXeM
Clean Break
(Milwaukee Premiere)
Directed by Michael Chmiel
Karen's preternatural stalker may be back, but she's moving forward. Preferably in one piece. Clean Break is a comedic, genre-bending take on a modern horror staple through the lens of relationships.
Q/A with attending filmmakers will follow
2014 Festival Film
Clean Break
Karen's preternatural stalker may be back, but she's moving forward.
2014 Festival Film
DOMINA
Domina is an intergalactic bounty huntress on the trail of a fugitive SlaveBot.
2014 Festival Film
Cold Feet
A look at the life of a mop boy.
Session 4: Sat 9/6 4:40pm (Ages 16 & up)
Domina
(Milwaukee Premiere)
Directed by Justin Staggs
Domina is an intergalactic bounty huntress on the trail of a fugitive SlaveBot. On the heels of a violent space battle, the two enemies crash down on an uncharted desert planet. Stranded, bored, and lonely for companionship, Domina resurrects the comatose SlaveBot to assist her while she awaits her rescue party. An unexpected relationship blossoms between the two beings and Domina's feelings are put to the test when her band of violent Bounty Hunters finally arrive to rescue her. A twisted Sci-Fi tale with a dash of Robinson Crusoe and Romeo and Juliet.
Stalker and Friend
(Milwaukee Premiere)
Directed by Brian Ewig
A man reevaluates his approach to dating.
Ballonatic
(Milwaukee Premiere)
Directed by Josh B. Bryan
Free man
(Milwaukee Premiere)
Directed by Justin Leyba
After getting away from committing a horrific crime, a single father must deal with his guilt after his daughter was accused of stealing her classmate's phone.
watch film here:
Worthless
(Milwaukee Premiere)
Directed by Madeleine Stoppleworth
An abusive con-man has his sights set on taking a train and its passengers for everything he can even if it means pushing his human-traffic accomplices to their breaking point.
Dear 11009
(Milwaukee Premiere)
Directed by Aaron Orullian
Lost in a world of data entry and carbon paper, a lonely office worker starts to suspect that the night worker who shares his desk is a gourmet chef. As the two begin to exchange anonymous notes and sauces on the desk between shifts, an unlikely devotion develops which threatens to disrupt the order of the office.
Through the Chaos
(Milwaukee Premiere)
Directed by David Busse
At the 2013 Boston Marathon two bombs detonated near the finish line. This found footage documentary tells the story of a musician who decided to go explore and observe what was happening during the aftermath and how he used his saxophone to capture the mood of the city the following day. His memory of the tragedy is reconstructed through an interview and footage captured by spectators during and after the bombings.
Cold Feet
(Milwaukee Premiere)
Directed by Daniel D'Alimonte
Andy is a delicatessen worker eager to make a name for himself in the mob. When he reluctantly agrees to cut up a dead body for his boss, Herman, Andy finds it difficult to summon the courage. When the truth is revealed that Herman has been deceiving him all along Andy summons the will to finish the job and prove himself to Herman and eventually the underground crime world.
Q/A with attending filmmakers will follow
Session 5: Sat 9/6 6:45pm, JURIED FILMS (Ages 16 & up)
ON/OFF
(Milwaukee Premiere)
Directed by Thierry Lorenzi
ON/OFF is a french sci-fi short film (13 minutes) produced by Julien Renaud and Thierry Lorenzi, whose theme is transhumanism and post-humanity. ON/OFF follows astronaut Meredith having only one mysterious voice message to stay connected to his humanity. Directed and written by Thierry Lorenzi with Carole Brana (A L'Aventure, Red Nights) and Arben Bajraktaraj known for playing the Azkaban Death Eater in the last three episodes of Harry Potter.
Rabbit
(Milwaukee Premiere)
Directed by Laure de Clermont
A formalist portrait of a woman who is introducing an animal therapy program to a Washington State maximum security prison. We follow the process of a small white rabbit being delivered to and then given to a seemingly disinterested inmate. If the inmate is capable of taking proper care to look after the animal, her sentence may be minorly reduced. Left alone in the confinement of her cell, the inmate struggles to connect with Alex, the rabbit.
Solace
(Milwaukee Premiere)
Directed by Hans Montelius
A man looks at pictures of a girl on a computer. Then she shows up. But is she real or just a figment of his imagination?
Vial
Directed by Imagination Upgraded
Three strangers are put into a room and have no idea why. When the crazed Dr. Smithee brings in an antidote and relays the message that only one can be saved. What makes someone better than everyone else?
Give It Up For The Girl
(World Premiere)
Directed by Carol Brandt
Three friends (Don, Les, and Sam) haven't seen each other in three years. The trio decides to get together for New Year's Eve at the suggestion of Don, and write a play before the clock strikes 12 for the new year. Everything starts out fine, they all try to be polite and cordial. That is, until they start drinking. We find out that each of them has a secret they have been trying to hide from the others.
Rejected
(Milwaukee Premiere)
Directed by Craig A. Knitt
We follow Craig, an aspiring filmmaker, as he desperately tries to figure out the secret to getting into film festivals. The people in his life each have their own ideas and advice. A typical day for him unfolds in a somewhat surreal story that flows from idea to idea. Ultimately Craig discovers just what he needs to do.
Tough Cookie
(Milwaukee Premiere)
Directed by Bobby Schmidt
'Tough Cookie' is a grind house film about foxy ladies know as 'Troop Sisters'. They are a crime organization masquerading as a wholesome bake sale organization. Their competing crime syndicate the 'Troop Brothers' is moving in on the Troop Sisters' turf. Caught in the middle of this budding turf war, Madge a former Troop Sister is brought back into the seedy underworld of the Troop Sister world.
House Call
(Milwaukee Premiere)
Directed by Graham Denman
A disturbed man shows up at a dentist's house in the middle of the night, demanding to have his teeth pulled.
watch film here:
Q/A with attending filmmakers will follow
2014 Best Film
On/Off
ON/OFF follows astronaut Meredith having only one mysterious voice message to stay connected to his humanity.
2014 Honorary Mention
Rabbit
A formalist portrait of a woman who is introducing an animal therapy program to a Washington State maximum security prison. We follow the process of a small white rabbit being delivered to and then given to a seemingly disinterested inmate
2014 Best Wisconsin Film
Give It Up For The Girl
Three friends try to write a play on New Year's Eve without jeopardizing their friendship.
2014 Sponsors
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2014 Winners
BEST FILM:
ON/OFF by Thierry Lorenzi
BEST WISCONSIN FILM:
Give it Up For The Girl by Carol Brandt
2nd Place/Honorary Mention:
Rabbit by Laure de Clermont
Best Director:
Graham Denman (House Call)
Best Ensemble:
Tough Cookie
Best Actor:
Izabella Jo Tschig (Solace)
Artistic Achievement:
Rejected by Craig A. Knitt
Audience Favorite:
Tough Cookie
2014 Winners
Marty Kaszubowski, the producer of Give It Up For The Girl. That Milwaukee film won Best Wisconsin film with MC John Van Slyke
The producer of Give It Up For The Girl
