This year's 47 US short films were selected from a record 3,267 submissions. They are split into dramatic, animation and documentary categories.
575 Castro St and The Archive
575 Castro St
(Country: US; Year: 2008; Director: Jenni Olson)
A light and motion study accompanying a tape recording by Harvey Milk to be played "in the event of my death by assassination".
The Archive
(Country: US; Year: 2008; Director: Sean Dunne)
Documentary about the world's largest vinyl record collection, examining the man who owns them and the current state of the American record industry.
Chop Off
(Year: 2008; Director: M M Serra)
An exposition of the dark, fearful recesses of the human psyche by filming the body modification of performance artist R K, who literally risks 'life and limb.' R K's body is his medium and amputation is his art.
Good: Atomic Alert
(Country: US; Year: 2008; Director: Max Joseph)
An examination of nuclear arms asking who has them, what are their intentions, and what would happen if a nuclear weapon hit New York City?
Good: Internet Censorship
(Country: US; Year: 2008; Director: Morgan Currie, Lindsay Utz, James Jones; Screenwriter: Mattathias Schw)
Internet censorship can take many forms, from restricting private internet access to blocking searches for politically volatile keywords. This film explores how different countries apply their bodies of censorship to cyberspace.
Chop Off and So the Wind Won't Blow it All Away
I Knew It Was You
(Country: US; Year: 2008; Director: Richard Shepard)
John Cazale appeared in just five films - The Godfather, The Conversation, The Godfather, Part Two, Dog Day Afternoon, and The Deer Hunter - and all were nominated for Best Picture. This documentary is a fresh portrait of the acting craft and a tour through the movies that defined a generation.
The Kinda Sutra
(Country: US; Year: 2008; Director: Jessica Yu)
A combination of interview and animation that explores the youthful misconceptions of a spectrum of people over the universal question: How are babies made?
Sister Wife
(Country: US; Year: 2008; Director: Jill Orschel; Writer: Alexandra Fuller, Jill Orschel)
DoriAnn, a Mormon Fundamentalist, shares a husband with her younger biological sister. During a private bathing ritual, DoriAnn explores the surprisingly universal challenges of her marriage.
So the Wind Won't Blow it All Away
(Country: US; Year: 2008; Director: Annie P Waldman)
Two and a half years after Hurricane Katrina, wanting to graduate high school with their friends, a group of students return to New Orleans despite their parents' relocation and absence.
SUSPENDED
(Country: US; Year: 2008; Director: Kimi Takesue)
The film documents and re-contextualises the experience and perception of suspended time, capturing a range of evocative moments that reveal states of emotional and physical suspension.
Utopia, Part 3: The World’s Largest Shopping Mall and Good: Atomic Alert
Utopia, Part 3: The World’s Largest Shopping Mall
(Country: US; Year: 2008; Director: Sam Green, Carrie Lozano)
A tour of the world's largest shopping mall, located near Guangzhou, China. Built three years ago, the South China Mall was supposed to be a celebration of consumerism and Vegas-like spectacle.