Program I – afternoon: total running time – TBD A Pirate Named Ned – Jury’s Choice Award - Animation 8 min. by Steve Gentile, Dorchester, MA. “A Pirate Named Ned' explores the competing versions of the life story of 'Golden Era' pirate Edward 'Ned' Low, who is portrayed in historical texts as both sadistic monster and single parent pirate. The film also makes a link to modern Somali pirates and the evolving distortion in their story. Employing both humor and abstraction, “A Pirate Named Ned” is an animated essay that challenges the accepted understanding of a character who existed on the fringe of early Colonial American society by questioning the validity of the historical record. Egghead – Jury’s Choice Award - Experimental 1 min. by Patrick Longstreth, Marina Del Rey, CA. A bizarre breakfast encounter explores gender roles, reproduction, and the cycle of human life. Consider the Ant – Jury’s Citation Award - Documentary 11 min. by Emily Fraser, Stanford, CA. Abandon all hope ye who enter here? A personal search for ethics in the post-modern wilds of an overpopulated planet - where Catholic guilt, environmental destruction, and the fascinating lives of ants collide. Featuring Paul Ehrlich, the world's leading expert on overpopulation, this kaleidoscopic journey of science and spirituality asks us, as individuals and as a species, "who are we?" and "who do we want to be?" Without a Doubt – Jury’s Stellar Award - Animation 6 min. by Gerald Guthrie, Urbana, IL. “Without a Doubt” is a digital animation that illustrates a variation on the 17th century philosopher Rene Descartes' view of the world. This time-based visual metaphor pulls together Descartes' understanding of geometry, expressly the Cartesian co-ordinates of X, Y and Z, and his most famous statement, “I think, therefore I am,” to create an introspective dimension within our own understanding. Gaia – Director’s Choice Award - Experimental 15 min. by Nick Graalman, Adelaide, Australia. Gaia (Mother Earth) is struggling for survival in an increasingly degraded and urbanized planet. Nature is so vast that our minds are sometimes overwhelmed by our role and responsibility in the delicate web of life. Our urban landscape continues to dominate the globe with little thought for the consequences and the resources it requires. “Gaia” uses the evocative blend of movement, music and film to highlight this reality and remind us of our kinship with planet earth. Through the language of dance, “Gaia” tells a universal story that is relevant across the globe. Fishwife – Jury’s Choice Award - Animation 4 min. by Luke Jaeger, Northampton, MA. An enigmatic dancing man and a dog-headed woman celebrate the birth of a fish-child, then watch as it takes flight. This bittersweet animated short evokes parenthood’s complex emotional landscape. Artwork for “Fishwife” was hand drawn on paper, then digitally captured and composited to maintain a handmade quality. The Here After – Director’s Choice Award - Documentary 14 min. by Lauren DeFilippo, Gainesville, FL. “The Here After” is a personal non-fiction film based on filmmaker Lauren DeFilippo's relationship with her father and his obsession with death. As they plan and stage his long-standing vision for his Viking funeral, DeFilippo explores our shared fears of death, loss, and the human need to be remembered. A Thousand Miles from the Sea – Director’s Choice Award - Experimental 12 min. by Marta Renzi, Nyack, NY. A carful of young people arrives at an empty house, catching the attention of a woman - or is she a memory? - in the attic. As they try on old clothes and new identities, she guides them, unseen to greater intimacy and delight. Mario – Director’s Choice Award - Animation 3 min. by Tess Martin, Rotterdam, Netherlands. In playgrounds in Italy a folk song “Tutti Mi Chiaman Mario,” that dates back to World War I, is still chanted by children. This paint on glass animation tells the dark tale of a soldier who returns home from war to find his girlfriend has left him. The Stick Maker – Director’s Choice Award - Documentary 4 min. by Curtis Albucher, Philadelphia, PA. For the Onondaga, the game of lacrosse is played for the pleasure of the Creator, and has a deep meaning for the players and their community. Traditionally it was a method of spiritual healing, and today it is played to honor past traditions. Alfred Jacques is an Onondaga lacrosse stick maker who has been making sticks for over fifty years. He respects his ancestor’s ways and even lives by them. For over 50 years he has poured his soul into every lacrosse stick he has ever made. With his wealth of knowledge, he teaches the deeper meaning within the game and the importance of the Lacrosse stick. Lightning In The Hand – Director’s Choice Award - Narrative 15 min. by Joey Grossfield, Brooklyn, NY. Big business, the law, struggling silver miners, and a lone Apache youth clash over a claim dispute in 1890’s New Mexico.