BLOCK CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING FILMS:
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BALLOON (USA)
UTAH PREMIERE
SYNOPSIS: Exploring gender through the lens of the superhero myth, BALLOON questions how we raise boys when our concept of masculinity has become narrow. For fourteen-year-old Sam, surviving junior high means staying below radar. But that becomes impossible after he becomes the target of the school’s next viral video. He’s pressured to “hit back,” but Sam isn’t so sure—even if he does have super powers.
RATINGS GUIDE: Language
DIRECTOR: Jeremy Merrifield
AWARDS NOMINATIONS: Best Student Short, Best Ensemble Cast – Short, Best Cinematography – Short
DIRECTOR’S / FILMMAKER’S BIO: While at The American Film Institute, Jeremy made four short films, LINE, A TRAVELING SYMPHONY, THE BELL, and, most recently his thesis film, BALLOON, which explores questions of toxic masculinity in the way we raise our boys. He wrote and directed a spec comedy pilot, FOR REAL, which is the satirical journey exploring American narcissism in the age of the social media star. Prior to AFI, Jeremy worked in New York’s Broadway theater community where he started as an actor and ultimately began producing and directing. He produced the concert and subsequent Broadway workshop for Tony Award-winner Jason Robert Brown’s debut musical SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD. As casting director, he worked on THE BOY FROM OZ starring Hugh Jackman as well as Cameron Mackintosh’s CATS. As a director, he assisted the New York Theatre Workshop production of Houshang Touzie’s OUR SWEET LIFE BY THE PACIFIC OCEAN starring Shoreh Agdashloo and exploring the life of a Persian family living in America. Other credits include YANK! (Off-Broadway, associate producer), MARY POPPINS (Broadway, assistant to the producer), MISS SAIGON (Broadway tour). He lives with his partner in Los Angeles.
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MAGGIE MAY (AUSTRALIA)
UTAH/REGIONAL PREMIERE
SYNOPSIS: Sometimes doing nothing can be the worst move of all.
RATINGS GUIDE: Language, Adult Content
AWARDS NOMINATIONS (3): Best Screenplay – Short, Best Supporting Actress – Short, Best Editing – Short
DIRECTOR’S / FILMMAKER’S BIO: Mia’kate Russell has written and directed multi award-winning shorts: ‘Auditioning Fanny’ (2012); ‘Swallow’ (2013), ‘Death By Muff’ (2014), and ‘Liz Drives’ (2017). She also has over 15 years industry experience and extends her work as a head of make-up and special effects artist. Credits include: ‘’What If It Works?” (2017); ‘Pawno” (2015); ‘Crawlspace’ (2012); ‘Red Hill’ (2010); ‘Zombieworld’ (2015); ‘Scare Campaign’ (2015), and shorts such as ‘Mrs McCutcheon’ (2017), ‘Emo, the Musical’ (2013); and ‘Yardbird’ (2012).
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MOTHERHOOD (JAPAN)
UTAH/REGIONAL PREMIERE
SYNOPSIS: It is 1994 in a mental asylum. Pregnant Mia Sakaguchi tells the doctor that she came from the future, but no one believes her. She then discovers the shocking truth that in this era, mental patients are forced abortion.
RATINGS GUIDE: Adult Content
DIRECTOR: Tatsuro Manno
AWARDS NOMINATIONS (2): Best Foreign Short, Best Actress – Short
DIRECTOR’S / FILMMAKER’S BIO: Tatsuro Manno grew up in Osaka, Japan and traveled to the US when he was 19 to attend California State University Northridge. He graduated with a BA in Film Production. While attending college, Tatsuro was part of many productions both inside and outside of school. He was also director of his own projects. In 2011, his short film “Save Earth, Save Us” which featured environmental issues was nominated in various film festvivals all over the world including the Short Shorts Film Festival and won the Award of Merit in the Accolade Competition. He was also the media director for Japan Film Society, a Non Profit Organizaiton in the US and was in charge of all official videos for the organization’s annual film festival “LA EigaFest” After returning to Japan, he directed Japanese Kabuki super star Ebizo Ichikawa’s videos, a TV program for Canada’s 150th anniversary, and programs for NHK WORLD – JAPAN.
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PROGENY (USA)
WORLD PREMIERE
SYNOPSIS: This is a world exactly like ours, except that the wealthy elites are aliens, living and working among us, but with one key difference: they reproduce by implanting their offspring in a human host who raises the alien child as his own. When a blue-collar man is forcibly implanted with his alien boss’s parasitic offspring, he asks his wife to help him remove the parasite — a dangerous and forbidden act that puts their marriage — and their lives — at risk.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Language
DIRECTOR: Justin Daering
AWARDS WINS / NOMINATIONS (2): Best Screenplay – Short, Best Supporting Actor – Short
DIRECTOR’S / FILMMAKER’S BIO: Justin is passionate about science fiction filmmaking. He believes sci-fi stories encourage us not only to empathize but also to be curious and wonder. Justin started directing when he was ten years old, borrowing a video camera and dressing up his basement to look like a mad scientist’s laboratory. His continued interest in film led him to The University of Wisconsin where he received a BA in Cinema Studies. In 2009, his short film THE SHADOW OF THE NIGHT was featured in film festivals nationwide and in 2011 his micro-budget feature FRANCESCA premiered at the Wisconsin Film Festival. Justin has an MFA in Directing from the AFI Conservatory, and has worked as a director’s assistant on films including THE ACCOUNTANT and JANE GOT A GUN, and the television series THE AMERICANS.
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THE HANGED MAN (UK)
WORLD PREMIERE
SYNOPSIS: Broken by grief and loss, Jonathan is about to end his life when a mysterious visitor offers him a chance to change one thing in the past. He must decide whether this is a divine opportunity for redemption or in fact a curse in disguise.
RATINGS GUIDE: Adult Content
DIRECTOR: Jeremy Chi-hang Au
AWARDS NOMINATIONS (2): Best Student Short, Best Supporting Actor – Short
DIRECTOR’S / FILMMAKER’S BIO: The Hanged Man is directed by Jeremy Chi-hang Au. It is his debut and graduation film after completing MA Directing at Met Film School, London. Grew up in Hong Kong, Jeremy moved to London a year ago to pursue filmmaking following 15 years of working as a professional choreographer and dancer back home. A lifelong fantasy and sci-fi fan, he has a strong passion for telling fascinating stories with visual metaphors and has chosen filmmaking as the perfect medium to express his ideas and experience in life.
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