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Watch these seven short films transform from light and funny to heartfelt and dramatic, as they explore issues of relationships further complicated by sexual desires.


Conehead
It's a very hot day and Conehead is in pursuit of the ice-cream van! (US)


Baiano
Two friends bridge the distance between them, as they mail each other pages from a daily calendar. (Italy)

First Prize - MonFilmFest, Vignale M.to, Italy
First Prize - Etruria Cinema, Rome, Italy


Happy

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The film follows three young boys living at Green Chimneys, a residential treatment center for children with emotional, behavioral, social and learning challenges. Located on a farm, the center is designed for severely disaffected inner city youth, and teaches them socialization skills by assigning each one an animal to nurture. Thirteen-year-old Anthony is struggling to control his explosive temper. Twelve-year-old Eddie is confused about his once acceptable behavior of stealing and lying. And Mike, who?s eleven years old, is nervous about starting a relationship with his mother.

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An aging loan shark (the late Victor Argo, Taxi Driver, King of New York) wrestles with the regret and redemption in director Art Jones' film that rails against homogenization while celebrating what makes New York unique. Hugo thinks that New York is losing its soul, and that faceless buildings and vacant people are replacing the old-time New York he loves. But when visions interfere with his daily rounds, he must determine for himself what is real and what is not.

Features rarely seen views of New York, including a climactic scene shot atop the Brooklyn Bridge.

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El Cid Rivera (Damian Young) is 33 and has never left Manhattan Island; neither have his childhood friends, whom he meets every day at the same bar around the same table. He's tired of his humdrum life and a going-nowhere career. And he's been saddled with the name of an epic hero played on-screen by Charlton Heston (his mothers favorite). Bouncing between dead-end jobs, El Cid struggles to find his calling, yet fears he'll never succeed on the epic scale his mother expects.

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Almost one hundred years later after the 1910 Mexican Revolution, the last of the soldiers who fought beside General Emiliano Zapata offer their chilling testimony of the Liberation Army of the South. They speak on the failure of the Revolution and of today?s neoliberal governments, of the agrarian and ecological disaster threatening their country and of the looming civil war if the Zapatista ideals they represent continue to be ignored.

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Seven eye-popping, jaw-dropping, cheek-blushing, tear-jerking, awe-inspiring, mind-bending, gut-busting short films!

These gems are some of the top audience and media favorites from the Cinequest Film Festival.

Bullethead
A man is surgically altered to become the world's most aerodynamic human. (USA)


How High the Castle Walls?
Hospital as seen through the eyes of a cancer patient. (Scotland)

Best Short Narrative Film - Cinequest Film Festival


When Ponds Freeze Over

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The story of six Bulgarian youths as they experience extreme highs and turbulent lows, dreams and suicidal evils of heroin addiction. Invisible will throw you into the intimate veracity and shocking obsession influenced by the euphoria of heroin. This emotional and captivating film will guide you through the sobering reality that follows, without passing judgment, trivializing, denigrating, or exploiting the subjects involved.

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Cinequest is proud to present Cortos de Mexico, a Spanish-language shorts program that showcases the breadth of talent from Mexico?a spectacular group of films that celebrate the life and brilliance of a thriving artistic culture. The program?s variety of moods is evident in the blend of irony and suspense, comedy and drama to the magical and surreal. Cortos de Mexico is also remarkable for its diverse array of styles?featuring animation, action or dream-like imagery. One thing is for sure, each short holds something new, something bold and something

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Past Maverick Spirit recipient William H. Macy to attend this special presentation.

Cinequest Maverick Spirit Award recipient William H. Macy is one of today?s most adventurous and dynamic actors, so it?s no surprise when he effortlessly brings the character of Edmond Burke to life. A dark comedy whose screenplay is written by another of today?s masters, David Mamet (adapted from his play), Edmond follows a cynical businessman as he sets out on a terrifying, existential search for truth, self-discovery and salvation.

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Director Chris Brown (Daughters, Cinequest 1998) returns to the festival with his latest feature, the tale of a struggling novelist, a drug dealing mother, and a sexually reckless foreign exchange student. While sharing a house in Oakland, their lives intertwine to create a tempest that each must face in his/her own way. Brown?s direction is fluid and stylish, blending compelling characters with real-life drama and humor.