• Acts of Defiance

With these films about facing adversity and holding firm against the powers that be, this program highlights the lengths some are willing to go to to fight for themselves, thier principles and others.

Short Films

BACKBONE

Cole, a teenager with a broken back, lives with his domineering alcoholic mother who cannot retire because of his condition. At the expense of his own health, Cole will have to deal with the consequences of her actions.

FRANCIS BACON

When a disillusioned young woman drops out of college, she wanders around Chicago searching for meaning and connection.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

A Native American man takes a Happy Thanksgiving wish from a bank teller so personally, his rage drives him to carry out a bizarre revenge plan.

MARA HAS THREE JOBS IN SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO

After the death of her father, a young woman takes on a third job to make ends meet in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

THE QUEEN VS. TEXAS

In the face of Texas' oppressive stance on LGBTQIA+ communities, Hermajestie the Hung, a resolute queer activist and drag queen, leads a movement to empower her community through the art of self-expression and the fight for social justice.

SANGRE VIOLENTA / SANGRE VIOLETA

Why does the Mexican government consider the feminist movement a bigger threat than most drug cartels? Three narratives illuminate the motivations behind their activism, including a radical feminist collective, an inspiring survivor of an acid attack, and a grieving father.

THE SMALLEST POWER

Recorded in secret in Iran at the height of the women-led uprising, an Iranian medical resident risks her life to protect a fellow doctor from arrest by the country’s secret police.

ShortFest 2024