Short Slot 1 - Inherited Dreams

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A MARY CAN DREAM

Directed by Shin-Fei Chen
Narrative Short
United States | 21 min | 2025

A Taiwanese immigrant mother and her Americanized daughter clash over their conflicting dreams.

I WISH I WERE PRETTY

Directed by Hanah Chang
Narrative Short
United States | 20 min | 2025

‘I Wish I Were Pretty’ explores how Korean beauty standards affect our protagonist’s ability to love herself. Areum (“beautiful” in Korean) is monolidded and, therefore, “average”. Which is fine – she’s always managed to deal with being compared to her gorgeous best friend, Jane (as in plain Jane). But when a man humiliates Areum in front of Jane, Areum has to finally face this long-festering wound or let it control her forever.

LIGHT SHINES IN THE DARKNESS

Directed by TJ Hill & Travis Agnew
Documentary Short
United States | 10 min | 2025

A healing art and music project created by students, parents, and teachers in response to the December 16, 2024 shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin—tracing a journey through grief toward hope and healing.

OLD GIRL IN A TUTU: SUSAN RENNIE DISRUPTS ART HISTORY

Directed by Cheri Gaulke
Documentary Short
United States | 8 min | 2025

Feminist scholar and artist Susan Rennie uses her iPhone to insert her queer, octogenarian body into masterworks of art, disrupting the male gaze. This playful short follows a gallery exhibition of Rennie’s work, blending humor and sharp critique into an exuberant celebration of feminist art, aging, and identity.

THEM THAT'S NOT

Directed by Mekhai
Narrative Short
United States | 19 min | 2025


At her grandmother’s repass, Drea, a Deaf, queer poet estranged from her family, seeks refuge in quiet corners of her childhood brownstone. When her father arrives on prison furlough to mourn his mother, the two must confront their shared grief and fractured bond before he returns to prison.