Short Cuts

Total running time: 102 minutes

MetroShorts Q&A with Juliet Burch

with director Lourdes Portillo (State of Grace), director Miguel Angel Caballero, and actor/EP Luis Aldana (Acuitzeramo)

with director Maya Albanese (Freeze), director Bridgit Moloney (Blocks), and director Natasha Ngaiza (A Mother)

with director Nicole Ballivian (Joe & The Shawl)

with director Stenzin Tankong (Sekool)

Freeze

Maya Albanese
USA, 2020, 15 minutes, narrative
Joy, 35 and single, races against the clock to freeze her eggs.

A Mother

Natasha K. Ngaiza
USA, 2019, 16 minutes, narrative
As a town copes with the disappearance of a little girl, a mother of two must come to terms with her own decision to abort an unexpected pregnancy.

Driving Lessons

Marziyeh Riahi
Islamic Republic of Iran, 2019, 13 minutes, narrative
According to the laws of Iran, Bahareh must have her traditional, chauvinistic husband accompany her to driving lessons so she and her male instructor will not be alone.

No, I Don't Want to Dance!

Andrea Vinciguerra
UK, 2019, 3 minutes, animation
In an era when few can stand by, one filmmaker finds his unique call to action and reveals a shocking societal plague silently stalking our citizens. The dangers of dance are exposed in this hilarious cautionary Techno-tale. These are dark times. SXSW 2020 Special Jury Recognition.

Blocks

Bridget Moloney
USA, 2019, 11 minutes, narrative
A mother of two young children spontaneously begins to vomit toy blocks. Some may find this gross, but very relatable.
English closed captions available

Joe & the Shawl

Nicole Ballivian
USA, 2019, 11 minutes, narrative
Joe, an adorable tow truck driver, really digs Kelli, a fellow North Carolinian, when he answers the call to change her dead battery. But Joe's interest takes a sharp right turn when he learns that Kelli is a Muslim.

Sekool

Stenzin Tankong
India, 2019, 14 minutes, narrative
Singay recollects the moment in his childhood when officials from the 'Rural Education Department' came to his remote Himalayan village to take him to a new place called "school". Sekool is the first work in Tankong's journey of bringing the stories of the nomads of Changthang in southeastern Ladakh and their beautiful culture and tradition to the world.

Acuitzeramo

Miguel Ángel Caballero
USA/Mexico, 2019, 16 minutes, narrative
Salvador, a gay Mexican elder, has lost his partner of 15 years. When his partner's estranged son arrives from Chicago to attend the funeral, family secrets are exposed, identities and perceptions are challenged.