Still from The Bone Comb
Directed by: Maurice Allen John
BIFF Shorts: Resilience + Resistance
Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center
Bold cinematic visions exploring cultural connections to the past, present and future.
Runtime is 89 minutes.
“The Bone Comb”
Maurice John, Jr. (Dir), 6 minutes, Allegany Seneca Nation/USA, Buffalo Premiere
Hayden Haynes (Seneca Nation of Indians, Deer Clan) undertakes a unique and singular project in which he carves a centuries-old fragment of bone, bridging ancient Seneca practices with the present.
“Nina’s Eyes”
Lukia Costello (Dir), 13 minutes, USA, World Premiere
Director Lukia Costello in attendance.
Artist Nina Murashkina and filmmaker Anastasiia Kirii explore the intersections of art and identity. Against the backdrop of war, displacement and migration, they discuss Nina’s work—a bold fusion of folklore, femininity, and eroticism—while confronting questions of exile, patriarchy, and the place of positive creation in times of violence.
“303”
Gentian Doda + Lorin Terezi (Dir), 22 minutes, Albania, US Premiere
In Albanian w/ English subtitles.
Before the fall of the Berlin Wall, in the remote mountains of dictatorial Albania, the Spaç political prison held its inmates under the most inhumane conditions. One day, a visitor arrives from afar, bearing news locked inside a wooden box.
“You Are Special”
Ilya Noyabrev (Dir), 18 minutes, Ukraine, US Premiere
In Ukrainian w/ English subtitles.
A lonely man, once a boy who dreamed of elephants and believed his old Steinway's white keys held their spirit, rediscovers the fading melody of his childhood in a smoky bar where music had long gone silent
“Beauty of Sorrow”
Josh Park (Dir), 14 minutes, USA, New York State Premiere
In English, Japanese, and Korean w/ English subtitles.
As she cares for her ailing mother, a peasant woman tells the story of three men who perpetrated Korea's national grief.
“Headstrong”
Mohamad Kamal Alavi (Dir), 20 minutes, Iran, Western New York Premiere
In Persian w/ English subtitles.
On the eve of her exam, a young girl in Tehran crafts a female-bodied centaur. Tomorrow is a pivotal day for her—and for her father. They stand opposed, but only the one who is truly Headstrong will emerge victorious.
Many thanks to Manifest Pictures.
Still from Nina’s Eyes
Directed by: Lukia Costello
Still from 303
Directed by: Gentian Doda and Lorin Terezi
Still from You Are Special
Directed by: Ilya Noyabrev
Still from Beauty of Sorrow
Directed by: Josh Park
Still from Headstrong
Directed by: Mohamad Kamal Alavi
