BIFF Shorts: Students (Sunday Showcase)

The next generation of great storytellers, now. Runtime is 100 minutes.

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“Sweet Bunch of Daisies”

Annette Murray (Dir), 8 minutes, USA, Western New York Premiere

Director Annette Muray in attendance.

After {Fauna} ends an unwanted pregnancy, {Flora} decides they must embark on a surreal journey through which they face the intricacies of friendship and grief.

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“Catherine”

Reagan Christie (Dir), 10 minutes, USA, Buffalo Premiere

A young girl navigates her life in a convent of nuns and comes to discover her true purpose.

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“Things We Cherish”

Joel Mulindwa (Dir), 8 minutes, USA, World Premiere

Director Joel Mulindwa in attendance.

Drawing from archival presence and personal longing, Things We Cherish explores the complexities of cultural memory, diasporic identity, and the quiet reconciliation that can happen when the past is not merely observed but listened to.

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“The Trap”

Vitalii Havura (Dir), 8 minutes, Poland, US Premiere

Tensions between an estranged son fighting for his country and a mother torn between her family and political leanings come to a head in the Russian-occupied city of Kherson, Ukraine.

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“Pin”

MJ Golzari (Dir), 5 minutes, WNY Premiere

Director MJ Golzari in attendance.

In a peaceful home shadowed by distant chaos, a woman tends to her quiet rituals. As the winds rise, the boundaries between serenity and turmoil begin to blur.

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“Essence”

Natalie Bucki (Dir), 2 minutes, World Premiere

Director Natalie Bucki in attendance.

Time is of the essence.

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“Adam”

Fadi Azra (Dir), 3 minutes, Syrian Arab Republic, New York Premiere

Waking to a face without eyes, in a body he no longer recognizes, Adam experiences the fracture between past and present, the erosion of memory that time brings, and the haunting fear of losing where he belongs.

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“Jabberwock”

Eddie D. Murphy (Dir), 5 minutes, USA, World Premiere

Director Eddie D. Murphy in attendance.

Alice finds herself in an odd world in which she must find and confront the Jabberwock in Eddie D. Murphy’s reimagining of Lewis Caroll’s Alice in Wonderland.

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“Soma on Stage”

Jay Ramos (Dir), 6 minutes, USA, World Premiere

Director Jay Ramos in attendance.

A puppet-maker and her puppet contemplate the differences between them and the tensions of our reality.

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“Rocco”

Luke Gallagher (Dir), 8 minutes, Canada, World Premiere

Director Luke Gallagher in attendance.

A spirited young rescue dog navigates the sensory overload of the big city and the concerns of his new owners.

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“Be Happy”

Angel Barber (Dir), 30 minutes, USA, Festival Premiere

Director Angel Barber and Producer Eddie D. Murphy in attendance.

Ten years after his show is canceled, a disgraced children's entertainer at rock bottom is taught how to be a better person when his old characters come to life.

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