7 Short Films | trt 73 min
Written and directed by talented youth between the ages of 15 and 21, this program is filled with refreshing animation, documentaries, and experimental short films reflecting youth culture today. Fun and diverse, this compilation of shorts will win the heart of anyone who watches.
THE ASCENCION
Director GERSHON SNG
Hong Kong | 6 min | Mandarin w/ES
A beggar comes upon a box with the power to change his life for the better. However, to his horror upon witnessing the box’s power, his fellow beggars plot against him to obtain it.
BIG CITY, SMALL TOWN
Director STEFANOS TAI
USA | 14 min | English
This mini documentary is one 16-year-old’s account of the unsettling changes his neighborhood has undergone as a result of the real-estate and economic downturns. The film shows the broader human impact of New York City’s residential rent laws in protecting many of its oldest and most established communities.
COMRADES
Director PAOLO BITANGA
USA | 8 min | English
Fourth-graders Ronald and Diego are best friends and comrades in a roleplaying war-game until betrayal blurs the lines between real and make-believe.
FIRE IN OUR HEARTS
Director JAYSHREE JANU KHARPADE
India | 27 min | English, Marathi w/ES
Jayshree was born to an indigenous family who have been disenfranchised at the very bottom of India’s social and economic ladder. With courage and conviction, Jayshree illuminates the tenacious efforts of the tribal union for equal rights to education and worker dignity.
I AM AN ASIACAN
Director JESUS OLVERA
USA | 10 min | English
Director Jesus Olvera captures how a Mexican teen overcomes his insecurities and struggles by joining the “Asiacans”, a dance club that previously was all Asian.
LOVE EARTH
Directors CHIEN-CHUN TSENG & YU-HSUAN TSENG
Taiwan | 3 min
Using found objects and recyclables, this animation presents imaginative scenes of natural landscapes and animals through the eyes of children, reminding us to cherish the Earth we inhabit.
LOVE LIFE, LIVE YOUR DREAM
Director ANTHONY ANGLIN JR.
USA | 5 min | English
This short documentary interweaves interviews and live performances of the young artist Craig Furnivall, based in San Diego, who talks about how music is the passion and aspiration of his life.