2020 ShortFest Archive
Women Filmmakers
Women at the helm.

I Am in the World as Free and Slender as a Deer on a Plain
A young woman explores her sexual autonomy through a series of discomfiting encounters in Sofia Banzhaf’s uncommonly deft and perceptive look at millennial romance.
In competition for Best International Short
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Running Time: 12

I Know Her
In the afterglow of a seemingly fated hookup, two women realize that perhaps they have a little too much in common.
In competition for Best LGBT+ Short
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Running Time: 3

I Lost My Mother’s Ashes
The day before her mother's memorial, Caroline realizes she has lost her mother's ashes. With no time left and fear of causing her sister Josephine further grief, Caroline must decide what to do.
In competition for Best U.S. Short
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Running Time: 13


It's Nothing
Recent graduate Robin returns to her parents’ house and obsessively starts to dig a hole, encouraged by an impossibly perfect girl; but as she digs, she heads further down a path of self-destruction.
In competition for Best Midnight Short
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Running Time: 16



Jesa
The Korean tradition known as Jesa is amusingly explored and dissected from two very different points of view — the filmmaker’s mom and dad — in this stunning and inventive ode to food, culture, and one delightfully eccentric family.
In competition for Best Student Animated Short and Best Student Documentary Short
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Running Time: 6

July 96
Sophie, 10, spends her summer vacations with her mother and her cousin Laurence. But Laurence has grown up and her mother's thoughts are elsewhere. While the whole country is still looking for two missing little girls, Sophie discovers that this will be her last summer as a child.
In competition for Best International Short
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Running Time: 25

Kama'aina
A queer sixteen-year-old girl, Mahina, resides in the predominantly Native Hawaiʻian neighborhood of Wai’anae, Oahu. After suffering abuse from her stepfather, Mahina must navigate life on the streets, until she eventually finds refuge at the Pu’uhonua o Wai’anae––Hawaiʻi’s largest organized homeless encampment. WINNER: Best... Read More
Running Time: 17

Kapaemahu
Long ago, four extraordinary individuals of dual male and female spirit brought the healing arts from Tahiti to Hawaii. Beloved by the people for their gentle ways and miraculous cures, they imbued four giant boulders with their powers. The stones still stand on Waikiki Beach, but the true story behind them has been hidden –... Read More
Running Time: 8

Keep It Quiet
Corey, a veterinarian, keeps her depression secret from family and friends, until one day she decides to take her own life.
In competition for Best U.S. Short
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Running Time: 14



The Last Day of Autumn
A group of forest animals secretly collects parts from abandoned bicycles, with the intention of constructing vehicles adapted to their size. They are preparing for a great race.
In competition for Best Animated Short
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Running Time: 7