MetroShorts 2

This is the eighth edition of our popular program of films from the vibrant, creative community of filmmakers in D.C. and the immediate metro area.

Total running time: 83 minutes

Members of filmmaking teams from all the films are expected in person.

Back to the Sky

Amin El Siwi
USA, 2024, 13 mins, documentary
Driven by her passion for raptors, a licensed falconer transforms her home and yard into a sanctuary for injured and displaced birds of prey. She discovers that offering them a second chance at survival simultaneously reshapes her own life.

Door of No Return

Sylvia Solf, Suzanne Smith
USA, 2024, 16 mins, performance
Full-body artist Gregory Maqoma navigates his own identity through a deeply personal narrative performed at House of Slaves on Goree Island, Senegal, a landmark to one of humanity's most horrific journeys.

Rain

Vasilios Papaioannu
USA/Greece/Italy, 2024, 6 mins, experimental, in Greek with English subtitles
Rain is the fabric of this collage of 16mm footage, digital video, and archival footage documenting a verbal interaction between two people.

Bad Survivor

Alex Dvorak, Katie North
USA, 2024, 12 mins, narrative, in English, Spanish and Czech with English subtitles
After being "broken up with" by her oncologists, a sarcastic young cancer patient — or should I say survivor — struggles to adjust to life at home with her multicultural family during her first day in remission.
#BadSurvivor #AlexDvorak

Foxhole

Nick Dugan
USA, 2025, 13 mins, narrative, in English and Spanish with English subtitles, East Coast Premiere
A meditative groundskeeper finds tranquility in the idyllic Virginian countryside by tending to a bucolic inn, until his past catches up to him.

Mainspring Harbor: the Oyster Farmers of Block Island Sound

Jesse F. Pearlmutter
USA, 2024, 8 mins, documentary
Oyster farming and sustainable aquaculture are showcased against the backdrop of Rhode Island's beautiful Block Island Sound in this contemplative nonverbal documentary.

Cherry-Colored Funk

Chelsie Pennello
USA, 2025, 17 mins, narrative
A scheming hustler faces a relentless reckoning on the grand opening of his Italian ice shop.