Shorts Program: Discovery – First Time Filmmaker

This is a featured presentation of our Discovery program area.

Breathe (Neefs0) {New York Premiere}
Director and Writer: Aisha Jama
Narrative Short, 2020 [USA] English, 3 minutes
Raha’s special day comes to a halt when her anxiety (un)expectedly takes center stage.

Patriot Day
Director and Writer: Nailah Robinson
Narrative Short, 2020 [USA, UK] English, 14 minutes
As tragedy strikes down the street in Washington DC on 09/11/2001, stoic Jamila navigates her preteen life and waits from her mom to come home from work so that they can celebrate her birthday.

NAPS
Directors: Martinique Watson & Tarik Smith
Narrative Short, 2020 [USA] English, 10 minutes
A young black woman faces conflict when going against what is normal in her community.

Closing Annisa {New York Premiere}
Director: Sophie Luo
Documentary Short, 2020 [USA] English, 10 minutes
In this intimate portrait, filmmaker Sophie Luo follows Chef Anita Lo as she closes down her Michelin-starred restaurant Annisa after 17 years. As the restaurant gets auctioned off and Chef Lo faces the crossroads of what comes next, conversations with the chef and her team show that Annisa’s legacy extends far beyond food.

Jamie {New York Premiere}
Director and Writer: Esmé Creed-Miles
Narrative Short, 2020 [UK] English, 14 minutes
A struggling nineteen year old is contemplating ending her life. On the train to her nan’s, her journey is interrupted by another young woman’s death.

Adullam
Director and Writer: Regina Hoyles
Narrative Short, 2020 [USA] English, 14 minutes
Everybody on the block knows Rasheeda. On a typical day in the Chicago Southland, she bumps into her close friend Femi at the park, checks out the newest dance craze, and chills with friends at your usual kickback. But while Rasheeda revels in Black joy, she also comes to terms with her reality, unsure if who she is will ever truly be accepted.

The Cuddler
Director and Writer: Lurdes Maswanganye
Narrative Short, 2020 [South Africa] English, 23 minutes
This film is a light hearted drama-comedy which follows Dikeledi, a young woman who finds purpose and happiness as a cuddle partner to the lonely and misunderstood. She lies about her career to her father to keep him “happy”. When he discovers the truth about her profession he gives her an ultimatum to either quit this “disgraceful” vocation, which has given her more happiness and purpose than she has ever known, or leave her father’s house and risk the end of their relationship. Her decision only become more complicated with the arrival of a highly “problematic” client.