‘Just a Vibe’ Shorts
*FILMMAKER IN ATTENDANCE*
What’s “the vibe?” It’s the aesthetic, flavorful qualities that make a film stand out beyond its story. These short films are all about spending time with the characters and living in their worlds.
*NOTE: This program contains a film with the Content Warning: Self-Harm
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DATE
Friday, April 12, 2024 -
TIME
6:00 PM -
VENUE
Central United Methodist Church -
TICKETS
$5
Big George
Hank Gauda is one of the lucky ones: his gig as a George Clooney impersonator keeps him afloat as a working actor in New York. But after a pandemic and a divorce, he’s not as svelte as he once was, and his longtime agent unexpectedly drops him. His nine-year-old daughter, Evie, cannot understand why her dad still wants to be an actor, a job which, to her, has only made their lives hard. Stuck in the city while he waits to hear about a callback for a gum commercial, Hank pleads his case about being an artist and the importance of living your passions, while Evie inadvertently gives her dad a lesson on the importance of being himself.
Seventeen
In California, a small town, a Chinese American teenage girl, Jasmine (17), gets pregnant and wants to keep the baby, while her pornstar mother, Yan (35), insists on having an abortion. As the fight escalates, the two realize they may have more in common despite their conflicting wishes for themselves.
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DIRECTOR
Geqi Li -
YEAR
2022 -
RUNTIME
13 Minutes -
LANGUAGE
English, Chinese -
COUNTRY
United States
When Beverly Met Reita
*Content Warning: Self-Harm
Reita Green is an 87-year-old former Hollywood actress who has been wallpapering Los Angeles homes since 1960. Reita appeared in Indestructible Man (1956), Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) and A Stranger in My Arms (1959).
As her husband’s alcoholism worsened, Reita started a wallpaper business as steady work to pay the bills. Despite losing some of her family to suicide, she continued to move through life with profound sense of gratitude and optimism.
Three years ago, Reita received a call from 28-year-old Beverly Pate, looking for someone to wallpaper her home. The two instantly connected and decided to join forces as ‘the Wallpaper Queens of Los Angeles.’ Despite their age gap, they have become the best of friends.
Reita’s wallpapering business is a metaphor for the way she lives her life – though challenges arise, she gets up each morning with perseverance to seize the day and enjoy life to its fullest.
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DIRECTOR
Brianna Schatt -
YEAR
2023 -
RUNTIME
15 Minutes -
LANGUAGE
English -
COUNTRY
United States
Synchronicity Story
When a teenage girl becomes obsessed with a boy, she starts seeing synchronous signs of
him everywhere and begins to believe it’s her mission to follow the clues the universe
is sending her.
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DIRECTOR
Sophia Bennett Holmes -
YEAR
2023 -
RUNTIME
11 Minutes -
LANGUAGE
English -
COUNTRY
United States
River Bank (Pō-Kehgeh)
A Tewa woman struggles with guilt after stealing money from a local business. Her grandmother takes her to the River to remind her of Tewa values. The Tewa woman blesses herself with River water, and the River becomes her guide. Together, they give to the people.
Silt
A Native botanist, grieving the death of a beloved aunt, travels alone to northern Mexico, where she is nourished by images of the last trip they took together traversing the Colorado River.
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DIRECTOR
Emilie Upczak -
YEAR
2022 -
RUNTIME
10 Minutes -
LANGUAGE
English, Navajo -
COUNTRY
United States