Written by David Haynes, Jeremy Rubin; Directed/Produced by Jeremy Rubin
Charlie, a cute, unsuspecting, little hamster ventures out to play on a bright sun-shiny day. He comes upon his friend Franco, a squirrel, eating lunch. Unfortunately for Franco, Charlie’s dark side gets the better of him when Franco declines to share. Charlie’s twisted aggressions are satisfied just in time for dinner from his big-breasted, human mother.
5 min
Written/Directed by Vincent Lin; Produced by Caleb Medders, Matthew D’Amato, Vincent Lin
Written by Jonathan Goldstein; Directed by Bart Ovaitt, Howard Cook, Nathan Billington, Rebecca Forth, Ryan Porter; Produced by Howard Cook, Tripp Vroman
Before he became the overweight obsessive sadsack of his later years, the Penguin was a poet and a dandy, who threw lavish parties and told complex villanelles and was an expert at umbrella flight. Looking for love, he is introduced to a lovely nanny, Mary Poppins, who also prefers travel by umbrella. The results are not as he had expected; his hopes dashed by a mysterious stranger in a black cape.
8 min
Written/Directed/Produced by Kenney Broadway
In 2008, I took a camera crew and a list of questions with me to Dragon* Con in Atlanta, Georgia on a mission to gain a better understanding of why everyday adults would travel from all across the country and spend outrageous amounts of money just to dress up in costumes and act silly for four days straight. What I found more often than not was that the costumes did not transform these enthusiasts, rather their fantastic outfits allowed them to express something fundamental and real about their personalities. As I came to understand their mutual respect for one another I realized they were more than a community. They are a family.
23 min
Written/Directed/Produced by Jamieson Ridenhour
“Cornerboys” is collaborative effort between writer Jamieson Ridenhour, artist Ali LaRock, and composer Kevin Smith. The short film tells the dark fairy tale story of Jennifer Lynn, who searches the night streets for home but finds only the rat-eyed and restless Cornerboys. Inspired in equal parts by Christina Rossetti’s Goblin Market, the fairy tales both of the Brothers Grimm and of later practitioners like Tim Burton and Brian Froud, and the gritty urban Gothic fantasies of the 19th century, “Cornerboys” began life ten years ago as a long poem published in the now-defunct horror ‘zine Whispers from the Shattered Forum.
11 min
Written/Directed by Bill Plympton; Produced by Biljana Labovic
“The Cow Who Wanted to Be a Hamburger” is a children’s fable about the power of advertising, the meaning of life, and ultimately, the test of a mother’s love.
6 min
Written by Jonathan Katz, Tom Leopold; Directed by Mike Salva, Tom Snyder; Produced by Jonathan Katz, Mike Salva, Tom Snyder
Jonathan Katz is a man who is on both death row and Weight Watchers. With Tom Leopold. (It takes the “D” out of Death Row and puts it back in “Delicious” where it belongs!)
3 min
Written/Directed/Produced by Aurelio Voltaire
A mummified cat is tormented by the skeletons of past meals. Directed and animated by MTV and Sy Fy Channel veteran Aurelio Voltaire and narrated by Danny Elfman.
3 min
Directed/produced by Tal S. Shamir
The film is a short powerful manifestation of the Desert of the Real—a critical note raised by French philosopher J. Baudrillard in Simulacra and Simulation.
3 min
Written by Chris Keaton; Directed/Produced by Alex Lugones
Written by Brandon Hunt; Directed by Brandon Hunt; Produced by Brandon Hunt, George Retelas, John Meredith
A soldier must deal with his past when he returns home from fighting the undead after the apocalypse
“The Duty of Living” is a short film about a young soldier’s return to his family’s home after the zombie apocalypse.
Juan Riedinger (Jennifer’s Body, The Day The Earth Stood Still) plays Darren Stark, who’s joined up with one of the emergency squads dispatched to clear out areas with zombies still roaming the town.
As he makes his way back to his deteriorated home, he must contend with the memories of the last words he had with his family.
20 min
Written by Marc Roussel, Mark Sanders, Mark Thibodeau; Directed by Marc Roussel, Mark Sanders; Produced by Marc Roussel, Mark Sanders, Ron Basch
Blaine Sutherland, an industrial chain manufacturer, is a newly rich man. Being filthy rich is not one of the Seven Deadly Sins, at least, so he thought. Suddenly he has a target on his back as well as his wallet vis-à-vis his gold digging wife, Angela, and her hunky “boy toy,” Lance.
Suddenly, Senorita Peligro and her ruthless band of international art thieves invade Blaine’s office and demand the whereabouts of a certain individual. Blaine has no idea! He just wants his severed body parts re-attached. Angela doesn’t care but certainly wants the reward. Who is the Elusive Man?
15 min
Written/Produced by Arielle Boisvert; Directed by Kenny Chow
When a newly patented birth control begins to show its side effects, Dr. George Manning must take to the streets with his wife and idiot brother in the hopes of finding a weapon against the most terrifying adversary imaginable: a PMS-driven legion of blood-thirsty zombies.
God help us all.
18 min
Written/Produced by Gordon Ray, Jack Walsh; Directed by Jack Walsh
As any visitor to Dragon*Con knows, every Labor Day weekend, tens of thousands descend upon Atlanta for the largest convention of geeky pop-culture fandom in the Southeast. From science fiction celebrities and their obsessive fans to colorfully costumed characters engaged in mock combat, this documentary explores the Woodstock for nerds known as Dragon*Con. Featuring interviews with fans, staff, performers, artists, stars and would-be superheroes, Four Days at Dragon*Con examines the sense of community and acceptance that draws together what is often seen as a marginalized subculture. With footage of the magnificent Dragon*Con parade, the greatest collection of homemade costumes to be found anywhere, and a stirring climax centered around an ambitious attempt to break the world record for dancing to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” Four Days at Dragon*Con is quirky and fascinating fun.
(Screened out of competition)
55 min
Written/Directed by Andrew W. Jones; Produced by Andrew W. Jones, Jeanette McNeil, Priscilla McEver
In the annoyingly sparkly future-scape of Neo-Mega-Ultra Tokyo, reporter Holly Malone tracks a murderous urban legend. She discovers that a chain of drug-related killings leads down a supernatural trail—a trail that ends with no average pill pusher, but Frank Dancoolo: Paranormal Drug Dealer!
A comedy featuring a goofy blend of computer generated overkill, cartoon physics, and stop-motion monsters.
8 min
Written by Carl V. Rossi; Directed/Produced by Patrick Bosworth
When John is visited by an Angel he learns a disturbing truth about how he spends his time on the Internet.
7 min
Written/Directed by Franklin P. Laviola; Produced by Franklin P. Laviola, Jack Lambert, Michael Gallart
“Happy Face” is a psychological thriller about a troubled Hollywood starlet named Katie who seeks to escape from the media spotlight by hiding out in a rehab facility on Long Island. However, when Les, her overbearing agent, tracks her down and attempts to whisk her back to LA, Katie must plan her next move, even if it means taking drastic measures that will affect the course of their twisted relationship and her own identity forever.
14 min
Written by Derek F. Meyer, David B. Whitmore; Directed by Derek F. Meyer; Produced by Laurie Bookhardt
William, a young and eager shop attendant, works in the magnificent world of chemicals and artistry as a hatter’s apprentice. His passion for hat making is only matched by his desire for Sophia, a local flower peddler.
Inspired by constant belittling from his off kilter master and the overly pompous Earl of Longford, William creates his own hat, directly defying the Hatter’s warnings.
At first, his creation seems perfect, as it gives him the confidence to approach Sophia. But when an unexpected side effect turns his fantasy into a nightmare, it’s a struggle to escape before the madness takes over.
16 min
Written by Brandon McCormick, Charlie Wetzel, Nick Kirk; Directed by Brandon McCormick; Produced by Brandon McCormick, Nick Kirk
“Heartless: The Story of the Tin Man” is an adaptation true to L Frank Baum’s original story from his book The Wizard of Oz. In this tragic story, a young ambitious woodsman falls in love and loses his heart in his work and to his own efficiency.
While trying to stay true to the source material, the filmmakers have re-imagined the world of Oz and its inhabitants with their own creativity and style.
21 min
Written/Directed/Produced by Mark Smith
A damsel in distress, tied to the railroad tracks, calls for help. Tangent Man, a terribly talkative superhero, shows up just in time… well, almost.
1 min
