Short Films in 2017 UMFF

2017 UMFF Short Films

		AGRINOUI Cyprus\|20 minShort\|Animation\|Fantasy Director/Producer: Alexis Chaviaras Writers:Alexis Chaviaras, Christiana Vasiliou Cast: Christina Pavlidou, MarinosHadjivasiliou, FilipposSofianos, Christos Grigoriadis Synopsis: A young mare visits Cyprus to take part in races. Frustrated from failure, she abandons the racetrack after confronting her strict father. The mare will meet new friends who will try to help her find her lost courage.			BATTLE BROTHERHOOD Russia\|45minShort\|Documentary Director/Writer: IskanderGaliev Producer:Val Opolinski Cast: RuslanAushev, Andrew Botrell, Vadim Fersovich Synopsis: The movie tells the story of veterans, both American and Russian, who passed the hardest test of life. Russia and the United States relations are going through a bad stretch. But human friendship is something that a government cannot ban.

		BLINDATE USA\|6minShort\|Romance Director/Writer: Melissa Papel Producer:Mikey Gilmore Cast: Melissa Papel, Tyler Ham Pong Synopsis: Two people meet for the first time. Leyla has a rock attitude, smokes and drinks, while Vincent seems to be a clean cut guy. But is that what really triggers Vincent's initial hesitations and awkwardness?			CAPOEIRA - LIVE THE GAME USA\|16minShort\|Documentary Director: Eric Joddy Matthews Synopsis: This is a short documentary based on the lives of Anthony Santo Domingo (Mentor & Instructor of the Live the Game program) and Demetri Tye (Capoeira student). It speaks to their difficult upbringings and how studying Capoeira helped them to overcome a lifetime of social issues such as bullying and violence

		CONTIGO USA\|9minShort\|Documentary\|Family Directors/Producers/Writers: Dan Boord, Luis Valdovino Cast/Music: Santiago Jimenez Jr. Synopsis: Contigo is a waltz with family and tradition, close to the South Texas border. The project is based on a song written by one of the pioneers of Conjunto music, Don Santiago Jiménez.			DEAR MISTER PRINCIPAL Belgium\|29minShort\|Drama\|History Director/Producer/Writer: KatiaKissina Synopsis: A group of adolescents from immigration backgrounds explore the past of their 100 year-old school for a history assignment. Instead of getting on with his task, Omar wanders through the hallways, looking for his partner, who has mysteriously disappeared.

		FIFTY RUPEES ONLY Spain\|28minShort\|Documentary Director/Writer: NagoreEceiza Producer:Igor Arabaloaza Synopsis: Bollywood films feed the imagination of millions of youngsters in India by projecting wonderful and passionate love stories. But the reality is quite different. Many parents decide their children´s fate with the “SAGAI”.			FINAL DECISION USA\|7minShort\|Drama Director/Writer: Elaine Del Valle Producers: Elaine Del Valle, Taryn Kosviner, Lionel Christian, Brittany Markowitz Cast: Berto Colon, Elyn Jaime Jenkins, Elaine Del Valle Synopsis: A little girl watches over her dying father, in hopes of reuniting her grief stricken parents in the afterlife. Can one family's selflessness lead to a never-ending love?

		MARCH FOR LIFE AROUND THE WORLD USA \|4minShort\|Documentary Director: Ted Maynard Synopsis: While the March for Life was born in the United States as a response to Roe v. Wade, it is by no means alone. Around the world numerous marches have sprouted up to defend the sanctity of human life. The Pro-Life movement is truly a global phenomenon.			MEET ME AT A FUNERAL USA\|11minShort\|Drama Director: Kerry Mondragon Writer: Zoë Kim Cast: Harold Perrieneau, Zoë Kim, SadhanaSom \| Synopsis: A dying man and a suicide survivor befriend one another while both attending a stranger’s funeral.

		MONDAY USA\|19minShort\|Drama\|Comedy\|17+ Director/Writer: Dinh Thai Producers:Dinh Thai, Brian Burgett, Joshua Falcon Cast: Kevin David Lin, Grace Shen, Intae Kim, LA Williams Synopsis: In the culturally diverse world of Los Angeles, a young hustler navigates through various cliques while facing racism, danger and a moral struggle with his illicit occupation. And it's only Monday.			PERCEPTION USA\|19minShort\|Drama Director/Writer: Andy Cruz Producers:Mauricio Mendoza, Michael Notarile Cast: David Barrera, Carlos Abdalla, Eddie Ruiz Synopsis: A young boy, the son of a Mexican immigrant, can draw anything from his memory to perfection. Yet he perceives the world differently and he shows this in his art..

		PRIDE AND FURY USA\|15minShort\|Drama\|Family\|War Director/Writer: John Mendoza Producers:John Mendoza, Lily Martini Cast: Samantha Hope, Trevor Scott Synopsis: Upon performing heroically in Afghanistan, a soldier learns that a member of her unit is to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. A decoration she believes she deserves. In her torment she commits a brutal crime then must face her actions.			REFUGE USA\|20minShort\|Documentary\|Drama Director/Producer: Matthew. K Firpo Synopsis: The Refuge Project is a multimedia chronicle of human stories from the European Refugee Crisis, focused on humanity and hope.

		REUBEN USA\|15minShort\|Drama Director/Writer: KaisaniaCalubaquib Producers:KaisaniaCalubaquib, Sebastien Dulac Cast: Len Rella, Nicholas Carter Synopsis: A successful, perfectionist man is battling with the loss of his wife and stuck with his son who has Autism.			THE LITTLE HORSE WHISPERER China\|45minShort\|Documentary Director: Lu Han Producer:Xun Hong Writers: Lixuan Han, Qi Zhan Cast: Ao Tan, Mingxuan Li, Xiwen Yu, ShiruQiu, Lixuan Han, Fei Yue Synopsis: The film is a documentary of a 15-years-old girl who has a great experience in the “ihorse”horse-riding winter camp.

		THE STORY OF CLOTHES India\|4minShort\|Documentary Director/Writer/Producer: Tanmay Srivastava Synopsis: It's about the journey of Mughal empire and it's clothes from 1526 to 1857 in India .			THE TIBETAN GIRL China\|30minShort\|Documentary Director: HuaqingJin Synopsis: The film portrays the purity and religious piety of Drolma who comes from Sichuan,China, along with her happiness and sadness, which are presented to reveal the conflicting nature of Tibetans’ beliefs and traditions in the face of modern urban civilization.

		TURN BLUE USA\|9minShort\|Drama Director/Writer: ArsalAsal Producer:Jordan Anderson Cast: BerilBulat, Velson D'Souza, Lamin Leroy Gibba, Meghan VanArsdalen Synopsis: A young foreign couple tries to find ways to stay in the US legally. Lucky for them, their best friends have a solution.			VICTOR & ISOLINA USA\|6minShort\|Animation\|Documentary Director: William Caballero Producers:William Caballero, Elaine Del Valle Animators: Chang Kim, Chris Cookson, Ray RayMitrano Synopsis: This is an Animated 'he said/she said' interview with an elderly Latin couple, who once loved each other and then went their separate ways.

		WE ARE HEROES Spain \|29 minShort\|Documentary Director: Juan JaumeFernández Producer:Boa Mistura S.L. Synopsis: Boa Mistura, an art Spanish collector, travels to Nairobi, Kenia, developing a protection in one of the biggest slums in Africa, Kibera, where 3 million people survive each day with less than 1€ per day. The film shows how art can be a tool that can be used to inspire a change.			WE'RE NOT WHITE USA\|45minShort\|Documentary\|Comedy Director: Imad Hassan Producer/Writer:AmerZahr Synopsis: The film explores Arab American identity and the community's existence as legally 'white' on the US Census Form.Arab American comedian and writer AmerZahrtakes us this journey with his unique brand of stand-up comedy, expert interviews, and man on the street interviews.

		WISHMAKERS USA\|35minShort\|Documentary Director: Cheryl Halpern Producers:Cheryl Halpern, Elena Lefkowitz, Mitchell Stuart Writers: Cheryl Halpern, Elena Lefkowitz, Alex Dolginko Synopsis: This is the story of the Tulip Winery that was established in a residential adult special needs community, the Village of Hope in Israel's Jezreel Valley, and fosters a caring environment while providing employment, dignity and purpose for the residents.