Short Film Screenings 2025
The following films will be screened during the Albany Film Festival in the Campus Center West Boardroom.
Short Film Award winners to be announced at the Ironweed & Short Film Award Ceremony in the Campus Center West Auditorium on April 6th at 6:00 p.m.
Experimental
10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Amnic
Directed by:
Marty Hardin
Experimental Short Film
"Amnic" is the root word from which we get amnio, amniotic, and amnion – the sack that holds amniotic fluid. In his 48th experimental work, video artist, Marty Hardin uses found footage to explore themes of water and land, reproduction and mating habits as ritual, and our origins as creatures of the sea.
Cycle of Sacrifice
Directed by:
Olivia (Oli) Landsman
Experimental Short Film
Underlying urges of the feminine become harder to ignore when indulgence overtakes rational.
If I Ever Feel Better
Directed by:
Wren Martin
Experimental Short Film
The main character of the film, Hohlt, stretches himself to every extreme, convinced that it may be the answer to his internal turmoil, but he is only able to truly find solace when he rejects his belief that there will be an end to his journey and a God waiting for him.
MEME
Directed by:
Aimée Gladding
Experimental Short Film
MEME chronicles a day in a girl’s life as she attempts to recollect and reconcile her grandmother’s time on earth.
Monument
Directed by:
Jeremy Drummond
Experimental Short Film
Monument pairs hand-processed and chemically-altered Super 8mm film footage of the decaying monuments of Presidents Park (Croaker, VA) with original and community video footage captured at Marcus-David Peters Circle (Richmond, VA) during the Covid-19 pandemic and the George Floyd/Black Lives Matter protests of 2020.
Riparian Triptych
Directed by:
Marilyn McCabe
Experimental Short Film
Video poem exploring rivers and identity.
Animated
11:45 a.m. - 12:05 p.m.
A Tale with a Heavy Ending
Directed by:
Valeriia Razheva
Animated Short Film
An animated short fairy tale inspired by Lyudmila Petrushevskaya's story. It follows the Moon as she wanders the Earth, searching for something precious she has lost.
Birds of a Feather
Directed by:
Katie Cobos
Animated Short Film
A talkative parrot attempts to befriend a boy with Tourette's syndrome.
Death Register
Directed by:
Valeriia Razheva
Animated Short Film
This animated short explores the intersection of memory, grief, and the dehumanizing bureaucracy surrounding death.
Your Democracy
Directed by:
Gloria Jene’ Browne-Marshall
Animated Short Film
EMMY Award-winning animated series engages all on the U.S. Constitution.
Horror
12:15 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Another Therapy Session
Directed by:
Merritt Nowicki
Horror Short Film
A young Fiona Gale (Avery Nowicki) is having nightmares and goes to see Dr. Presley (Merritt Nowicki) a not so local therapist, to find a solution. Her dreams get worse and worse, but is the doctor helping or hurting her?
I'd Die for You
Directed by:
Ian Roach
Horror Short Film
After the murder of their best friend, Leena throws themself into an investigation to find the culprit. When their findings reveal new information about their friend, however, Leena is left questioning what was true, and what was only their fantasy.
Midnight Snack
Directed by:
Lexie Zanghi,
Emma Gutowski
Horror Short Film
A young man stresses about the murders occurring in his town when his girlfriend shows up to make him feel better.
Twice
Directed by:
Shane Cole
Horror Short Film
A man wakes up in his basement strapped to a chair. A mysterious woman blames him for a horrible crime. Did he do it or is she crazy?
Documentary
1:15 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.
God Breast America
Directed by: Monica Bliss
Documentary Short Film
In today’s sea of extremely thin performers, fat burlesque performer Teasy Roosevelt discusses why she puts her fat body on stage, and what being a fat performer means to her.
Maternal Fabric
Directed by:
Lucy Mathews Heegaard
A simple errand to a local quilt shop becomes a tender contemplation on the complexities of the maternal bond.
Reviving the Legend
Directed by:
Ian McGrew
Documentary Short Film
With a single facebook post, a small mountain in upstate New York received national attention and captured the hearts of the
entire ski industry.
Tarik Shah - Don't Play
Like Them
Directed by: Barry Rubinow
Documentary Short Film
Tarik Shah is a supremely talented jazz bassist, a beloved teacher of music and martial arts, a trusted friend and mentor to many. How did he end up being entrapped by the FBI and locked away in solitary confinement for over 2 and a half years.....unjustly imprisoned for 15 years?
The New Jim Crow in East Ramapo
Directed by:
Emily Shores
Documentary Short Film
In 2009, the town of Ramapo NY began to change. What was once an area populated primarily by people of color now had a majority White population. With more White residents came more White school board members, and new religious private schools. Problems started to arise in the public schools which were attended by majority Black and Latinx students. The New Jim Crow in East Ramapo explores the issues caused by gentrification, voting violations, and poor allocation of funding in the East Ramapo Central School District.
Comedy
3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Damsel in Distress
Directed by: Simone Kisiel
Comedic Short Film
Vivian is having a rough day. But this security guard's day is about to get a whole lot rougher. Damsels are causing distress and not everything is as it appears to be in this snapshot of justice going wrong, crime going right, and the most expensive cup of coffee in New York City.
HEIRLOOM
Directed by: Alec Simmons
Comedic Short Film
Heirloom is a queer climate film set in an absurd and not-so-unrealistic 2044. Food is no longer recognizable — insects are the dominant protein, and synthetic vegetables no longer taste or feel like anything — which is why one family makes it their objective to find an "Old Tomato".
Krazy Oats!
Directed by:
Anthony J Grocki
Comedic Short Film
A writer over-journals a bit which poses a threat to his romantic relationship.
Second Coming
Directed by:
Victoria Diana
Comedic Short Film
A strict Christian family sits down for Christmas dinner when Jesus magically appears and tells them the World is going to end, and sleeping with their daughter, Kimberleigh, is the only way to stop it.
Sketchy Characters
Directed by:
Jacob French
Comedic Short Film
After unknowingly drawing a murderer, an aspiring artist becomes the only source of evidence in an ongoing case.
Sockless Sammy's
Slippery Situation
Directed by: Matthew Bukzin and Oscar Sales
Comedic Short Film
When Sammy's prized socks mysteriously disappear, his life spirals into chaos, leading to an absurd investigation involving eccentric suspects, a budding conspiracy theory, and a shocking revelation that the culprit might be closer than he thinks.
Dramatic
4:15 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.
Anomaly
Directed by:
Ryan Jenkins
Dramatic Short Film
A renowned magician features an inexplicable illusion in his final run of performances. Meanwhile, a government agent who witnesses the baffling act becomes hell-bent on uncovering its method.
Destiny
Directed by:
J. (Jose) Anthony Roman
Dramatic Short Film
A girl spends the day with her father, pitting her against his addiction. The film is based on the filmmaker's childhood experiences.
THE COORDINATES
Directed by:
Despina Moraitou
Dramatic Short Film
A husband and wife lawyer-team are caught between an ethical and a moral dilemma in the aftermath of their guilty client’s acquittal when the victim’s mother begs them to reveal her grave.
The Sapphire Door
Directed by:
Daniel Shillinglaw
Dramatic Short Film
After struggling to conceive, Rose and Arthur's once-solid relationship begins to unravel, forcing them to redefine love and family.
Tiny Dancer
Directed by:
Isabel Cama
Dramatic Short Film
It is the last day of summer vacation – the eve of Chiara’s annual parting. Loosely inspired by my own experiences, Tiny Dancer follows two sisters – one older, the other younger – on a special but fleeting adventure at the amusement park. The love they have for one another is in full force, and the differences in how they show that in full display. The inescapable feeling of grieving the present before it becomes the past surrounds them.