These inventive local shorts blending fiction, animation, and documentary filmmaking showcase the wide range of talent across Chicago and Illinois.

Chasm

Director –  Joel Benjamin – US

In this vivid sci- fi animated short, a space ore-miner crashes onto a forbidden planet after pushing his luck too far. Stranded with limited time to escape the blast radius of his ship, he suddenly faces an unexpected, high-stakes moral dilemma.

Run Time: 12 min.

I Am the Passenger

Director – Todd Lauterbach – US

Relying on an unconventional, intimate interview and abstract imagery, this documentary attempts to fill a hole in the filmmaker’s memory: what happened to him during the 45-minute drive he took with a friend after his father went missing?

Run Time: 7 min.

Marlene

Director – Andy Berlin – US

After receiving ominous medical news, Marlene finds her world turned upside down. This delicately crafted local drama puts its main character into the spotlight through expressionist direction and an impeccable lead performance.

Run Time: 6 min.

Nick Santore

Director – Jake Zalutsky – US

By tactfully recording a meeting between a father and his grown-up son, this short documentary crafts a complex, elusive portrait of an unbreakable family bond.

Run Time: 17 min.

Nomad

Director – Brad Bischoff – US

A husband tries to take his wife out for the night, but their guests stand in the way in this subtle local drama starring Malik Bader (Cash Only).

Run Time: 9 min.

Retrocognition

Director –Eric Patrick – US

Old-time radio undergoes an extreme makeover in this collage-style animated short that blends audio fragments of Golden Age shows to craft a brand new cocktail of explosive domestic drama.

Run Time: 18 min.

The Same River Twice

Director -Weijia Ma – US

A young daughter give life to her father’s childhood memories in this vibrant animated short that infuses nostalgia with color and soul.

Run Time: 12 min.

Unknown Unknown

Director – Ed Flynn – US

A spacey customer is stranded after-hours in an unusual supermarket in this bizarre local short filled with absurd, Dadaist humor.

Run Time: 12 min.

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