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A DIRE STRAIT (USA / TAIWAN)
SYNOPSIS: A new Taiwanese mother tries to survive the strictest postpartum tradition and follows all the family rules, but soon realizes that she needs to escape.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Brief Nudity, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Liang-Chun Lin
GENRE: The Beyond, Fantastic
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premier
SCREENING DATE: Wednesday, Nov. 1st @ 2:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Liang-Chun Lin was born and raised in Taiwan. After a few years working as an Assistant Director, she returned to school and earned her Film directing MFA from Chapman University in 2021. She now works for both Taiwanese and American productions and continues to tell more Asian female stories.
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AFFECTS “JEONG-DONG” (SOUTH KOREA)
SYNOPSIS: Yoo-bin has a nervous breakdown after experiencing strange phenomena in his new home. His childhood friends So-dam and Ha-seung gather at his house to find out what’s going on, and their deep-seated traumas and wounds come to the surface.
RATINGS GUIDE: Adult Content, Intense & Scary Imagery
GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: USA Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Monday, Oct. 30th @ 2:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: He is currently a film major at Korea National University of Arts. His first short film, “Why Is It So Warm on Christmas?” was selected and invited to 29 film festivals in Korea and abroad. Jeong-dong’ is the second short film by him, who fills every one of his senses with movies alone, all year round.
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BOOBA (USA)
SYNOPSIS: BOOBA is a visually arresting and disconcerting narrative woven around Maestro, an aristocratic recluse wrestling with the rebellion of his man-dog, Booba. This domestic rebellion forces Maestro into a spiral of perceived betrayal and violent coercion.
RATINGS GUIDE: Strong Violence, Mild Language, Brief Nudity, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Gaoyang Ganjin
GENRE: Horror, The Beyond, Fantastic
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Friday, Oct. 27th @ 11:00 AM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Gaoyang Ganjin (22) is a Los Angeles-based filmmaker and landscape photographer studying Film & TV Production at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. Born in China and raised in Singapore, Ganjin’s international perspective informs his award-winning photography’s stark, ethereal aesthetic. His debut short film, Born Under Punches (2022), was featured in the Ischia Global Film Festival and Beverly Hills Film Festival.
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BOOK OF THE OLD WAYS (AUSTRALIA)
SYNOPSIS: A lost spirit tries to find his way back home in the wake of a storm which will claim his mother’s life.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, All Audiences
DIRECTOR: Jeannie Psomoulis
GENRE: Fantasy
PREMIERE STATUS: North America Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Virtual Screening on EO App – Sci-Fi & Fantasy Shorts Block #3
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Jeannie Psomoulis is an award-winning Melbourne based director. An avid lover of fantasy and myth, Jeannie crafts stories which marry wonder and spectacle with heartfelt humanity. Her works centre on themes of hope, truth and destiny.
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HEPTAPUS (USA)
SYNOPSIS: When a lonely boxer loses his dog to a rare-as-lightning incident at the beach, he struggles to regain a part of himself.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Mild Language
DIRECTOR: Cooper Troxell
GENRE: Comedy, Fantastic
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Friday, Oct. 27th @ 11:00 AM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Cooper Troxell is a New York-based filmmaker. He has an MFA in Film Directing from Columbia University. His short films have played at festivals including River Run, Thomas Edison, and Desertscape. He is the recipient of a 2022 Indian Paintbrush production grant for his short film Heptapus. He is the editor of the feature film Queen of Glory, which premiered at Tribeca 2022 and was nominated for multiple Independent Spirit Awards. As a commercial editor, his clients include Bergdorf Goodman and Christies Auction House. His stop-motion animation has been featured on the Showtime/A24 production Ziwe.
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MARTYR OF A FORGOTTEN DREAM (USA)
SYNOPSIS: In a small town somewhere in the Rust-Belt, Leon is forced surrender his Family home to foreclosure. On eviction day he must decide, leave or go down fighting.
RATINGS GUIDE: Strong Violence, Strong Language, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Ben Rummans
GENRE: Fantastic
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Friday, Oct. 27th @ 11:00 AM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Ben Rummans is a New York based Writer and Director and is originally from Cape Coral, Florida where he directed commercials for local businesses and co-founded a video restoration business in Florida. In 2018, Ben moved to Brooklyn, New York to attend New York Film Academy’s Two-Year Filmmaking Program and has since focused on narrative filmmaking, writing & directing multiple short films and music videos. He isn’t afraid of controversial subject matters and creates highly stylized films with snappy dialogue and colorful worlds.
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REQUIEM (UK)
SYNOPSIS: Requiem is set in 1605, against the backdrop of the witch trials. It’s a coming of age story, following Evelyn as she engages in a game of cat and mouse against her father, Minister Gilbert, in order to be with Mary, the woman she loves.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Em J. Gilbertson
GENRE: Horror, Fantastic
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Oct. 26th @ 2:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Em J. Gilbertson (they/them) is a writer/director from Liverpool, working across film, television and music videos. Em is represented by Independent Talent and is a recent graduate of the prestigious NFTS’ Directing Fiction course and a Channel 4 Scholar. Their graduation film “Requiem”, starring Bella Ramsey, won for Best Postgraduate Drama at the Royal Television Society Student Awards 2022 and has been selected for multiple BAFTA qualifying film festivals. Since graduating, Em has done some second unit directing on BBC’s “Silent Witness” and ITV’s “Malpractice”. Previously, Em shadowed BAFTA nominated Phil Barantini and the legendary Mary Harron. Em has also directed multiple music videos that have featured on MTV and in Kerrang!
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RINGING ROCKS (USA)
SYNOPSIS: A young man takes his grief-stricken boyfriend to recover at an idyllic desert resort, but awakens to an eerie new reality.
RATINGS GUIDE: Adult Content, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Gus Reed
GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Friday, Oct. 27th @ 8:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Gus Reed is a director, writer and performer from Cape Cod, currently based in LA. His films center queer characters in stories of the eerie and the uncanny.
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TEN WITH A FLAG (UK)
SYNOPSIS: In a society where the government predicts the genetic intellectual capacity of every newborn child, a pregnant woman’s fetus is rated a perfect, but unusual 10.
RATINGS GUIDE: All Audiences
DIRECTOR: Vasco Alexandre
GENRE: Sci-Fi, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: USA Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Oct. 26th @ 5:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Born in Lisbon in 1993, Vasco Alexandre graduated with a Film BA from Middlesex University, London and a Film Directing MA from Screen Academy Scotland, Edinburgh. His debut short film, Yard Kings (2020), which he wrote and directed, picked various prizes, including 2 UK Royal Television Society Awards in 2021. His most recent credits include the short films Gummy Bear (2023), Ten With a Flag (2023) and Super-Sub (2023).
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THE MANAGEMENT (GERMANY)
SYNOPSIS: A lost tourist just wants a good old soy milk pumpkin spice latte. She finds her way into a creepy old delicatessen that has a lot waiting for her, none of it being any kind of hot beverage
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Mild Language, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Sebastian Ganschow
GENRE: Horror, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Wednesday, Nov. 1st @ 8:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Sebastian Ganschow was born in 1994 in Hamburg. He was still a young boy when he started to shoot ridiculous internet-shorts with his friends. After he finished high school, he began working as a camera assistant and studying as a digital media major at Hamburg Media School. Meanwhile he realised several projects as cinematographer as well. Two years ago he finally left Hamburg for the small town of Ludwigsburg to master the ancient art of filmmaking at Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg. He has since shot several short film, commercials and music videos as cinematographer and occasionally as director.
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THE MANTIS (USA)
SYNOPSIS: This girl’s got a kink for necks. Better pop your collar.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Brief Nudity, Strong Sensuality, Adult Content, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Wylie Rush
GENRE: Horror, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Saturday, Oct. 28th @ 11:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Wylie is a queer filmmaker who has worked and interned for numerous production studios, including Marvel and Stonestreet Studios (the official screen acting school of NYU Tisch). After graduating from Pomona College with a BA in art history, Wylie formrf a production company that focuses on creating short film and advertising content. He currently resides in Los Angeles, and recently graduated from CalArts with an MFA in Film Directing.
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THE OLD YOUNG CROW (JAPAN / USA)
SYNOPSIS: An Iranian boy befriends an old Japanese woman at a graveyard in Tokyo.
RATINGS GUIDE: All Audiences
GENRE: Fantasy, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Virtual Screening on EO App – Animated Shorts Block #5
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Liam LoPinto is a filmmaker and animator from New York City. He graduated from NYU’s UGFTV Program in 2017 and attended Waseda University in Tokyo and California Institute of the Arts for Character Animation. His film “The Old Young Crow” won the Best of Fest award at Palm Springs in 2023.
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THE SPIRIT BECAME FLESH (USA)
SYNOPSIS: An unbeliever returns to his old religious community, only to find that they have fallen prey to a sinister monster that they believe is the Holy Spirit of God.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Mild Language, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Jesse Aultman
GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday, Oct. 31st @ 8:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Jesse Aultman is a writer and director interested in exploring ideas about the American South and mythology. Originally from Alabama, Jesse fell in love with the horror genre through urban legends and campfire stories. For him, these stories fostered a deep childhood fascination in what remains hidden outside of human view – the mystical, unknowable, supernatural. He is now pursuing his MFA in Film and Television Production at the University of Southern California and is the recipient of the Fox Fellowship Scholarship and the Irving Lerner Endowment Finishing Fund.
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THE THIRD EAR (USA)
SYNOPSIS: After seeing a botched depiction of himself, Sammy, a nude drawing model, sprouts an ear from the back of his head, spiraling his sense of self-image and life out of control.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Nathan Ginter
GENRE: Horror, Comedy, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Saturday, Oct. 28th @ 11:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Nathan Ginter is a writer/director/editor from Kalamazoo, Michigan, with a passion for embracing and subverting genre.
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TRAPPED (UK)
SYNOPSIS: A trapped scientist battles for survival in a zombie-infested lab, facing a new threat: a rogue rat stealing his scarce food supplies.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Language, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Semyon Voinov
GENRE: Horror, Sci-Fi, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Oct. 26th @ 2:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Semyon Voinov is a digital artist, game designer and filmmaker. While building a successful career in game development, he explored new creative fields and engaged in the world of filmmaking. Recently, Semyon graduated from the London Film School with distinction.
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VESPA (USA)
SYNOPSIS: After receiving a strange invitation, Luiza visits her mother’s new home, inadvertently assuming her role in a peculiar natural cycle.
RATINGS GUIDE: Sensuality
DIRECTOR: Olívia Ramos
GENRE: Horror, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday, Oct. 31st @ 11:00 AM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Olívia is an emerging Brazilian-American filmmaker living in the green mountains of Vermont. She holds her MFA from Brooklyn College’s Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema and draws much of her inspiration from surrealist, fantastical literature and nonhuman nature. Together, these spheres have catalyzed an interest in bizarre biomimetic storytelling – a lens that informs Vespa and her upcoming work.
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VIRGINS FOR SATAN (USA)
SYNOPSIS: Mac is a religious, horny girl on a mission to lose her virginity. After getting rejected by her sexy church crush, Satan offers her the chance to snag the guy of her dreams. But, when dealing with the devil, there’s always a catch…
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Language, Sensuality
DIRECTOR: Ashlynn Judy
GENRE: Fantasy, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Virtual Screening on EO App – Comedy Shorts Block #4
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Ashlynn Judy is a writer, director, and filmmaker based in Los Angeles, CA. She attended Santa Monica Community College for two years before transferring to the University of Southern California. In 2022, Ashlynn graduated from USC with a degree in Film and Television Production. She directed the senior thesis dark comedy “Virgins for Satan.” Now, Ashlynn is developing a feature film.
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VOYAGER (SPAIN)
SYNOPSIS: A truck driver discovers the ability to abandon her body, and travel the world outside the boundaries of her physical self.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Language, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Pablo Pagán
GENRE: Fantasy, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Monday, Oct. 30th @ 5:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Pablo Pagán, born in 2001, is a film director, writer and producer from Valencia. At the age of 16, he directs and produces his first short film “Pawns”: a first hand look inside the Spanish Civil War, told through the eyes of gen Z. Financed almost exclusively through crowdfunding, it was selected in numerous festivals all around the world, winning the award for Best International Short Film at the prestigious “AAHSFF” festival in New York, the largest student festival in the world, becoming the first Spanish short film awarded in the history of the contest; in addition to obtaining two awards at Cinemajove – Valencia International Film Festival.
He is currently in the distribution process of his latest short film “Voyager”, a neo-noir thriller with fantastic elements. Produced by ESCAC Films, and partially financed through crowdfunding, it premiered in some of the world biggest genre film festivals, including: Screamfest (Los Angeles) and Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival (Belgium), while also winning the Audience Award at the 23rd Landshut Film Festival.
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WHAT LIES WITHIN (USA)
SYNOPSIS: Emile returns home to his estranged grandmother Marley after graduating from college, only to find their inexplicable history that has been bubbling away underneath the surface, begin to boil over once more.
RATINGS GUIDE: Language, Strong Sensuality, Brief Nudity, Adult Content
DIRECTOR: Subhro Das
GENRE: The Beyond, Fantastic
PREMIERE STATUS: North America Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Wednesday, Nov. 1st @ 2:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Subhro Das is from Bangalore South India where he started making films with his younger sister and best friend at the age of 12. A graduate of the University of West London and USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, he has been obsessed with genre films and experimented a great deal with the genre in film school. He strives to make films that elicit conversation.
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WORK LIFE (USA)
SYNOPSIS: Four corporate co-workers unknowingly cross paths during a chaotic weekend that leaves their lives intertwined through improbable twists of fate.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence
DIRECTOR: Kevin Ung
GENRE: Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday, Oct. 31st @ 11:00 AM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Kevin is a graduate of USC’s MFA in Film & TV, a Television Academy fellow, the first Star Trek Command Training Program fellow, and the recipient of the top fellowships from USC and the Hong Kong government. He is one of the few Cambodian directors in America. His recent films have won at the Oscar-qualifying Cleveland International Film Festival, the Pittsburgh Shorts Film Festival, Desertscape, and First Look, amongst others. His films have received awards and distribution worldwide. His new feature, ‘The Phantom’, produced by John Wells will be released soon. He is the son of Cambodian genocide refugees, and his filmmaking subjects are often influenced by his family’s experience in Cambodia and America..
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