Shorts Block: American Film Institute Women Directors Showcase

Leo stands out in a crowd. That’s not always a good thing working in a fish cannery in Alaska. His dreams of leaving this small town are hard fought, until a new boy moves to town and sees him for who he really is – an international superstar.

Burn Brightly is the story of Andy Shaw, a 15-year-old who is allergic to the sun.  From his second-story room, Andy watches the suburban street outside.  It’s through that window that he falls in love with the 40-year-old woman who jogs by his house each day.  He’s watched her for months.  And today is the day Andy will profess his love, somehow — even if it means putting himself directly in harm’s way.

An imaginative boy develops a friendship with his odd neighbor be believes could be a superhero.

When the producer of a hit reality TV show receives inside information about a contestant from the show’s psychologist on its closing night, her moral compass is tested.

A mysterious young woman visits a middle-aged father in a Serbian village, compelling him to uncover a dark secret buried in his wartime past.

A middle-aged seamstress, sold into marriage as a child, finds a unique opportunity to reclaim her life.

An unlikely mom is forced to confront her young son’s autism after they have an unexpected encounter with one of her johns.

Courage, love and memory collide as two generations of women bear witness to the brutality of wild horse roundups in the American West.