2021 Schedule

Thursday, October 14: Murphy Performance Hall

Opening Night Block: 6PM - 8PM

Mid 30's Martyr

In a comedic homage to Casablanca: A woman in her mid-30s receives life-altering news, which will set her on a new journey. Her friends cry and fawn over her departure, and her boyfriend makes a desperate attempt to stop her with a proposal.

Director: Eliaz Rodriguez

Runtime: 5 min

The Drone

The Drone tells the story of DJ, a small quad-copter who is simply trying to fit in.

Director: Wojciech Lorenc
Runtime: 15 min

The Root Cellar

After investigating a deadly house fire, the Police Chief and Detective try to get answers from a mysterious man who was found in a cellar under the rubble.

Director: Kyle Kleinecke
Runtime: 15 min

Retirement Day

After 30 years of employment, Joe retires from his job so that he can spend his time with the love of his life, Eva.

Director: Cedric Thomas Smith
Runtime: 12 min

Miss Snake Charmer

The contestants for Miss Snake Charmer are not your typical high school beauty queens. These teens must show they are more than just pretty faces-that they have the guts and grit to win America's toughest beauty pageant. Contestants must prove their bravery by killing, and skinning, a rattlesnake before showcasing their talents and evening wear. The winner then spends the weekend reigning over pits of live vipers during the World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup.

Director: Emalee Arroyo & Rachael Waxler
Runtime: 1hr 6 min

Friday, October 15: Murphy Performance Hall

"Festival Power" Block: 12PM - 2PM

Power of Festivals PANEL!

James Christopher, Cedric Thomas Smith, and others host a panel on the role film festivals play in the growth of an indie filmmaker's career. Learn about the impact of Film Festivals from the filmmakers themselves! A special screening of their co-produced film A Chance of Snow will follow. You don't want to miss this!

A Chance of Snow

Tyler brings his new girlfriend, Holly (a Yankee, no less!), home to Texas for Christmas, and, as she tries to blend in, family drama threatens to overtake the holiday. Secret Santas, old flames, and Empty Nest Syndrome might be more than ol' St. Nick can handle.

Director: James Christopher
Runtime: 1hr 30 min

"Outta This World" Sci-Fi Block: 2:30PM - 4:30PM

Aurora

A woman experiences vivid memories from her past while trying to get out of a surreal, dream like place.

Director: Paulina Manseau
Runtime: 11 min

Carnage Radio

A late-night radio show DJ in a small West Texas town receives a call on the air one night from an unfamiliar voice who leads him through a mysterious mind game.

Director: James Fite
Runtime: 22 min

Goodbye

Callie, a young wife in the midst of dying. While coming to grips with an early end to her life, she looks to her best friend, Hannah, for comfort. Hannah and Amit's multiple attempts to quell Callie's fears fail, and Callie passes still thinking the worst. We learn how difficult it can be for some persons to say goodbye.

Director: Scott McEntire
Runtime: 14 min

Homesickening

Five twenty-somethings living quarantined together search for meaning in each other and confront their own mortality as they start to succumb to an impending plague.

Director: Emma Rappold
Runtime: 13 min

Infinity 7

A lone astronaut's spacecraft malfunctions, threatening to leave him stranded in orbit forever.

Director: Brett Williams
Runtime: 12 min

Population Zero

What if the only home we have ever known, Earth, became contaminated and we had to leave with only ourselves to blame? Life anywhere else proves to be a harsh one. We do our best to survive but it's always a struggle. Generation after generation, stories are handed down about how wonderful Earth once was. After hundreds of years of being away, what would we find if we went back?

Director: Brad Stewart
Runtime: 11 min

Mors Bonum

A man wakes up in a mansion with no recollection of how he got there. A mysterious figure helps him face his inner demons.

Director: Paulina Manseau
Runtime: 12 min

"Major Drama" Shorts Block: 5PM - 7PM

Baby

Time can be your biggest ally and your biggest heartache.

Director: Paulina Manseau
Runtime: 8 min

Post It

When a man finds a strange note in his home, his mind begins to unravel alongside the mystery.

Director: Alison-Eve Hammersley
Runtime: 7 min

Breaking Brokenness

After her release from prison, Frankie tries to repair her relationship with her unforgiving daughter, LaToya.

Director: Cedric Thomas Smith
Runtime: 22 min

What People Are

When a homeless man accosts Kelsey, Kent comes to her rescue. After a round (or two) of drinks as thanks, Kent and Kelsey find themselves alone. Kelsey quickly realizes that what people are is not always how they appear.

Director: Jordan Wilson
Runtime: 6 min

Third Base

A young girl meets a homeless ex-baseball player. The common bond of their love for baseball brings them close together. Then tragedy strikes…

Director: Katt Gilcrease
Runtime: 40 min

Hermit

A Widower comes to terms with the loss of his soulmate on a night that would have marked their eighteenth wedding anniversary.

Director: Aimiende Negbenebor Sela
Runtime: 15 min

Cybil

It's not a sin if you have no choice...

Director: Katie Martin
Runtime: 12 min

Sunrise

Kim and Brendan have just come home from a night out when things get a bit out of hand. Kim is left to pick the pieces and find strength during a very fragile time.

Director: Sean Patrick Leonard
Runtime: 5 min

"Stressed and Giggles" Block: 7:30PM - 9:30PM

Two Dum Micks

Down on their luck, Mick and Mickey meet in jail and hatch a scheme to get rich.

Director: D.B. Sweeney
Runtime: 5 min

Javelina Run

Two idiot ranch hands pretend to be fugitive train robbers to impress the ladies at a wild west saloon.

Director: Lisa Belcher
Runtime: 19 min

Empty Nester's Handbook

A married couple has to learn how to reconnect after their last child goes off to college.

Director: David Reyes
Runtime: 1hr 27min

Friday, October 15: Brooks & Bates Theater, SAPAC

"People Being People" Block: 3PM - 5PM

Assisted Living

A shy, comic book-obsessed young man finds an unlikely hero when forced to room with a cranky, older man in an assisted living facility.

Director: Mitchel Allen & Kasey Engle
Runtime: 20 min

Advice

A year after the passing of his wife, a father gets advice from his son on how to get back into the dating scene.

Director: Pat Battistini
Runtime: 10 min

En Tus Brazos Esta Noche (In Your Arms Tonight)

A young maid contemplates her future after having an affair with her rich employer, who is struggling to reconnect with his wife after she was sexually assaulted over a year ago.

Director: Jonathan Gonzales
Runtime: 24 min

Last Stand to Nowhere

The Earp sisters and Doc Holliday resolve to eliminate the Clanton Gang problem in the only way they know-how, at the end of a gun barrel, in this all-female re-imagining of the Gunfight at the OK Corral.

Director: Michelle Muldoon
Runtime: 15 min

The Lost Weekend

After a rough breakup, Charlie dives headfirst into the world of online dating. Guided by his friend, Rufus, Charlie meets the charmingly complicated Maggie Mae. Charlie learns the differences between expectations and reality, as he's forced to confront the challenges of maintaining a relationship in the digital age. In an era where everyone's connected, Charlie's never felt more apart.

Director: Ryan O'Leary
Runtime: 14 min

The Incredible Enzo

A little magic goes a long way. A young boy in unfortunate circumstances meets a tired busker, who proves to him how magical life can really be. Richard Riehle stars in The Incredible Enzo.

Director: Devin Berko
Runtime: 10 min

Safe & Happy

An ex-cop and father tries to reinvent himself but must confront a shocking truth about his past.

Director: Richard Ulrich
Runtime: 10 min

Ms. Rossi

While on her way to a business meeting, Ms. Rossi takes an interesting detour.

Director: Pat Battistini
Runtime: 5 min

Quietness

After the passing of a loved one, Aaron grapples with his own isolation and receives a visit from a close friend.

Director: Dylan Owen
Runtime: 11 min

"Redemption" Block: 5:30PM - 7:30PM

The First Time After

A study of the beauty and pain of reconciliation after adultery.

Director: Calvin Walker
Runtime: 15 min

Lion Killer

A struggling Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor and a domestic abuse survivor, grapple with their past while trying to learn how to love once again.

Director: Derrick Fury
Runtime: 1 hr 23 min

"The World's A Little Off" Block: 8PM - 9:30PM

Mettle

A group is attacked by an unknown assailant. Mica is knocked unconscious during the attack and thought dead by the attacker. She awakens the next morning, feels different, and begins to seek out the unknown attacker.

Director: Robert McDorman
Runtime: 12 min

Little Goat

Ren, a young orphaned girl with a disfigured face, has always dreamed of being loved and accepted in a dystopian Los Angeles where beauty is not only an ideal but law. When she is captured and taken to Mr. Nofsker's Home For Beautiful Angels, whose failing proprietor was once known for miraculous transformations, she soon learns that beauty is demented and comes with tragic consequences.

Director: Drew Dammron
Runtime: 35 min

Killer Assistant

Have you ever wondered how movie killers are so damn efficient? Well, we did too. So we decided to take a deeper look inside the mythos of the movie killer. And we found that they had a secret weapon. A Personal Assistant.

Director: C. Michael Whaley
Runtime: 13 min

The Blue Heart of Lady Redd

After numerous deaths of young women, all tied to the infamous murderer known as "The Lady Killer", Rita Redd chooses to take matters into her own hands to stop this menace; invoking her own form of justice.

Director: Christian D. Nelson
Runtime: 11 min

The Highway

After getting a flat tire, a woman and daughter go on the run to avoid the pursuit of the stranger who offered to help them.

Director: Caleb Henry
Runtime: 11 min

Saturday, October 16: Murphy Performance Hall

"Morning Funnies" Shorts Block: 11:30AM - 1:30PM

Damsel

A medieval comedy about a knight's 'happily ever after' gone horribly wrong.

Director: Scott Langford
Runtime: 15 min

Zap!

An astronomer sharing online backyard observations of the center of our galaxy has a run-in with mosquitoes and a not-so-trusty bug zapper.

Director: Philip Sedgwick
Runtime: 5 min

Your First Day in Hell

In this dark comedy short, it's their first day in Hell and for orientation six damaged souls have to make it through a boring power point presentation before they can enjoy their eternal damnation.

Director: David Reyes
Runtime: 13 min

The Pickle

In a small town, a long-time feud between two neighbors is reaching a fever pitch. The laid-back sheriff and his wisecracking sidekick try to keep everything from getting out of hand but this proves harder than they expected.

Director: Kyle Kleinecke
Runtime: 14 min

Joe Returns A Video

Joe realizes that his rental of Steven Seagal's Above The Law is overdue by 10,592 days.

Director: Robert Neilson
Runtime: 12 min

Pop

Pop is a short comedy about a skilled ladies' man helping out a younger guy in the best way he knows how even if it isn't the truly best way. Pop has a thing for the ladies, and the ladies have a thing for Pop.

Director: Scott McEntire
Runtime: 13 min

The Assistant

Being a celebrity assistant can be hard; being a social media influencer's assistant is impossible. How long can Derek last as Calvin's assistant before he #snaps?

Director: Peter Calvin
Runtime: 14 min

"Courage Rising" Block: 2Pm - 4PM

Walking Point

A young marine learns to cope with the horrors and heartache of combat in the Pacific alongside his donated canine companion.

Director: Bob Nevens Jr.
Runtime: 27 min

Shaholly

This story talks about the struggles of a congenital amputee who was once told that she could never become a model.

Director: Wojciech Lorenc
Runtime: 4 min

Fearless

An intimate portrait of a boxing gym in a small town of Conroe, Texas. The film is constructed as an allegory for the challenges faced by people of color and immigrants in the US.

Director: Wojciech Lorenc
Runtime: 1 hr 30 min

"Antagonizing The Humorous" Block: 4:30PM - 5:30PM

You're The Puppet

Laramie and Leonard are the hottest comedy duo in the local scene. Tired of Leonard getting all the credit, Laramie considers branching out on his own.

Director: Michael Charron
Runtime: 13 min

Random Knowledge

The final round at a pub trivia game puts the random knowledge of six oddly-matched teammates to the test. ...but knowing is only half the battle.

Director: Michael Charron
Runtime: 17 min

Lonely Hearts

Celeste, a lonely outcast, searches for love and understanding online and meets a charming man who has a much different date night in mind.

Director: Dennis Cahlo
Runtime: 16 min

Killer Friends

Two Hit Men on their way to do their daily job, do a hit! They find themselves in another mundane argument, this time, it's about 90's sitcoms.

Director: Peter Calvin
Runtime: 6 min

Saturday, Oct. 16: Brooks & Bates Theater, SAPAC

"Learn Something" Documentary Block: 11AM - 1:30PM

A Fresh Perspective

In 2018, a group of African-Americans create the nation's first-ever black beer festival, a historic event aiming to reshape the future of craft beer.

Director: Aaron Hose
Runtime: 12 min

Cranio Men

Craniosynostosis is a rare birth defect correctible with a controversial surgery. The surgery removes bone from the skull of the affected baby and averts potential brain damage or death. But it is deemed cosmetic and elective causing parents much confusion. Trevor Baierl sits down with Kase Johnstun (author of "Beyond the Grip of Craniosynostosis") to help inform the public about the birth defect and life since they both received the controversial surgery over 40 years ago.

Director: Trevor Baierl
Runtime: 15 min

Composite

A mother-daughter art story, Composite explores the role of the forensic artist at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation by tracing the unlikely beginnings of the original GBI sketch artist and following it through to the legacy continued by her daughter.

Director: Patrick W. Shaver
Runtime: 30 min

Honor Chair

Saving a Hero's Place is a nonprofit in Texas made up of police officers and craftsmen. Their mission is to memorialize fallen officers. Together, they set out on an intimate journey and demonstrate what it means to never be forgotten.

Director: Patrick W. Shaver

Runtime: 35 min

West Texas Relics

There are not many antiques and vintage stores in West Texas, so that makes each one of them special to collectors and antique lovers. This short documentary introduces three dealers in the Permian Basin.

Director: David Marquez
Runtime: 5 min

The Green Light: Life After a Heart Attack

A silent killer that can be heard around the world - the heart attack is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. If your body is an engine then the heart is the fuel pump. This short documentary disassembles a moment in professional funny car driver, Paul Lee's life as his career comes to a sudden stop. This is a story of recovery, rehabilitation, and revival.

Director: Courtney Dixon
Runtime: 12 min

"Rise Above" Block: 1:30PM - 3:30PM

Queen For A Day

A short comedy about drag queens and marriage.

Director: Sav Rodgers
Runtime: 5 min

Scattered

A brother and sister make an overnight drive to scatter their parent's ashes.

Director: Mike Donis
Runtime: 11 min

Dear Leo

Dear Leo follows the story of Annie Duncan as she graduates from high school and starts her freshman year of college, as told through the perspective of letters with her middle-school cousin Leo.

Director: Emma Rappold
Runtime: 1 hr 33 min

"Alot Going On" Block: 4PM - 6PM

Hollowed

A terminal illness brings a couple back together and rekindles a love that had lost its way.

Director: Cedric Thomas Smith
Runtime: 24 min

Hell in a Handbasket

Dale Borger, a lonely research scientist in the Arctic struggles to maintain his solitary existence. With the world failing from a global pandemic, all hopes fall on Dale's shoulders as he represents the last stand for humanity.

Director: Lee Chambers
Runtime: 5 min

The Keeper

Celeste and Robert meet at a speed dating event. A lonely widow yearning for connection and a lover of art in search of perfection.

Director: Bob Celli
Runtime: 14 min