Synopsis & Film Details
Fresno Film Festival Short Film Competition
With filmmaker appearances and post-screening Discussion Circle
NOTE: This program is family friendly.
Butterfly Dreams
Director: Venkat Krishnan • USA/India • 23 minutes
In the drama “Butterfly Dreams,” 9-year-old Sumi works in a garment factory in rural India. Exploited as a child laborer by her bosses, she must find a way to pursue her dream of learning how to read and write. When an educated stranger comes to town, Sumi sees her chance to leave the factory. In Tamil, with English subtitles.
IMDb
Young Americans
Director: Kevin Lacy • USA • 30 minutes
On the verge of aging out of foster care, 17-year-old Mercedes needs money and she needs it now in the coming-of-age crime drama “Young Americans.” She decides to manipulate Denver, a former high school classmate with a massive crush on her, to plan and execute a bank robbery.
IMDb
Around the Corner
Directors: Jacalyn White and Joell Hallowell • USA • 13 minutes
The experimental biography “Around the Corner” tells the story of one very hot summer day in 1968, when two young girls took an endless, unforgettable drive with their mother. The filmmakers cobble together a collage of images and music to re-create one seemingly simple, yet surprisingly complex, round-trip to town and back.
Website
Families Are Forever
Director: Vivian Kleiman • USA • 21 minutes
The documentary “Families Are Forever” tells the story of Tom and Wendy, devout Mormon parents living in a conservative community. They attend church every Sunday, actively serving in their ward, raising five children, and knocking on doors to promote support for California’s Proposition 8 to prevent same-sex marriage. Then one day, Wendy reads 13-year-old Jordon’s diary and discovers he is gay, changing their lives forever.
IMDb
Dance of the Books
Director: Lorena Fernández Carrillo • USA/Spain • 4 minutes
In the stop-motion animated film “Dance of the Books,” see what surprises these timid books are hiding on a stormy night. Our reader details the launch of an artistic counter-strike for the hearts of the world.
IMDb
SCREENING SPONSOR
The Fresno Bee