The Mindbenders series showcases the more "out there" shorts that we receive. Sometimes controversial, sometimes comical, these are the shorts that leave you thinking, arguing, and on rare occasions…
1999
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The Mindbenders series showcases the more "out there" shorts that we receive. Sometimes controversial, sometimes comical, these are the shorts that leave you thinking, arguing, and on rare occasions, vomiting. One thing is certain, they are never boring. It's no wonder it is one of our most popular shorts series. Don't miss the films everyone will be talking about.
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Miles and Toni are two twenty-somethings made for each other. So why can't they stop arguing? Their turbulent love-hate relationship is the basis for She Smokes, Christa Collins's funny and smart film. Jonathan Wald's Just Out of Reach is a few fleeting moments in two people's lives. But these bits of time tell us volumes about their May-December relationship. A guy tells the bartender a story that couldnât possibly be true. Or could it?
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This series of short films could also be called "On the Other Side of Sesame Street." These films feature children but are not necessarily meant to be seen by children. Herein we feature the trials and tribulations children and teens face growing up in today's world. Those awkward physical changes, teen pregnancy and motherhood, parental pressures, and homosexual panic ... they're all here for your viewing enjoyment!This group of talented filmmakers, using a variety of narrative styles, explores the pain and confusion of coming of age.
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From the darkly brooding to the playfully inventive to the dizzyingly frenetic...this year's crop of animated short films runs the gamut of style, theme, mood and technique. Pencil/pen sketch, claymation and stop motion are all represented. All these films do, however, share at least one thing in common: their creatorsâ unique vision. Each film, in its own way, reveals the artistâs talent for bringing to life that which only existed in his/her mind and reflects the dedication that this art form demands.
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"You talkin' to me?" Johnny DeMartino is a solid actor who's made a living being typecast as a "goombah." As his frustration reaches new levels, his life takes a drastic turn when he is secretly recruited for an audition to be the lead in Martin Scorsese's new film, as long as he keeps it just that - a secret. A dream come true for Johnny, but he didn't count on the fact that it is also the dream of all his best friends.
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It's not a wonder that Wilbur Falls garnered the Best Drama and Best First Feature Award at the Las Vegas International Film Festival. It's also no wonder that the film has become the favorite at many festivals. Even more impressive than Danny Aiello's or Sally Kirkland's performance in Wilbur Falls is the fact that writer/director Juliane Glantz was just 21 when she completed the film. At the heart of this story is Renata, a shy and awkward young woman who becomes the victim of a cruel high school prank.
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"Fast, funny, visually hip, but with a freshness." Variety, among other industry trades, has some strong words for writer/director Davide Ferrario's We All Fall Down. Walter wanders aimlessly through his life while others watch him go by. Our twenty-something "rebel without a cause, a job, or even a girlfriend" spends his life bouncing between his parents, his aunt, and the university. Walter doesn't know it, but he longs to lose his virginity. His only serious relationship is with the aunt who raised him.
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An outstanding ensemble cast highlights this powerful and thought-provoking film as part of our tribute to Jennifer Beals. Suzanne (Beals) and her husband Rob (Tenney) are happily expecting their first baby. Rob, a dedicated geneticist, is working on the cutting edge of prenatal tests for various diseases. He believes in the good his work can bring, so he agrees to have his unborn baby tested for everything his work can determine. But now that science can discover virtually everything about their baby, the young couple and their families are faced with having to deal with what they learn.
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"After I'd seen The Searchers a few times, it was completely fixed in my mind. The film was such a seminal and primal experience that I was absolutely convinced I had dreamed it, which was just right, because that's in keeping with the movie. It almost should be dreamed." - John Milius. Have you ever passed up an opportunity to be involved with something great and kicked yourself for not doing it? If you miss this one, you may find yourself with a long-lasting bruise.
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When one thinks of German cinema, "intimate comedies" do not immediately come to mind. That is what makes The Trio such a treasure. A band of petty thieves, Zobel and Karl (a long-time gay couple) and Lizzie (Zobel's daughter), work shopping malls and train stations picking pockets. But when Karl is injured and the cute, young Rudolf is recruited to join the team, the very existence of the group is in jeopardy.