100 SUNSET
Jun
2
5:00 PM17:00

100 SUNSET

Teenaged introvert Kunsel (Tenzin Kunsel) lives in a Toronto apartment complex with her aunt and uncle, keeping insistently aloof from them and the rest of the local Tibetan community—which she prefers to surreptitiously view through a camcorder, scored in one of her many compulsive thefts. But Passang (Sonam Choekyi), a new arrival accompanied by her much older husband (Lobsang Tenzin), exercises a special fascination for Kunsel. The two young women bond and Kunsel is drawn ever deeper into the morass of Passang's life, including her troubled marriage and a risky scheme that might at last force Kunsel off the sidelines.

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HONEYJOON (Opening Night + Q&A)
Jun
24
6:30 PM18:30

HONEYJOON (Opening Night + Q&A)

Winner of the 2024 AT&T Untold Stories competition in collaboration with Tribeca, HONEYJOON from filmmaker Lilian T. Mehrel is a hilarious, relatable, and bittersweet portrait of love and loss. Mother and daughter duo June (Ayden Mayeri) and Lela (Amira Casar) embark on a vacation together following the loss of a family member, only to discover that their expectations for the trip differ greatly from reality. With the help of a charming (and handsome) tour guide, both women begin to see each other and themselves in a new light as they navigate grief, tension, and the complicated process of moving forward.

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Texas Shorts Block + Q&A
Jun
25
5:25 PM17:25

Texas Shorts Block + Q&A

Five narrative and documentary films spotlight the work of Texas filmmakers and artists. WINTER CEREMONY brings together a divorced couple as they celebrate their daughter's college graduation. A young woman buys a baby conception dream, a TAEMONG of peaches, from her photographer. In HOW WE GRIEVE, siblings Meghan and Justin Ross process the death of their aunt with the one of the few tools they have: comedy. An Iranian-American girl dreams of contacting her dad who is lost behind the digital blockade of Iran's FIREWALL. Festival alum Xinyan Yu bring us the poetry of Austin-based poet CINDY TRAN: FROM HERE TO HERE, finding literary imagery in all things, small and large and everything in-between, from Yelp reviews to family trauma.

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TIKTOK NEVER DIES + Q&A
Jun
25
7:35 PM19:35

TIKTOK NEVER DIES + Q&A

SXSW Grand Jury Prize winner for his 2018 feature PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF DESIRE, Hao Wu continutes his examination of the digial apparatus with the most talked about app: TikTok. After TikTok faced a nationwide ban over security concerns, three TikTokers took action in the fight to court. The larger fight over political power, free speech, and people’s livelihood are all captured in a hysterical energy that matches the twists and turns in and out of the court. An essential documentary bound to spark many conversations with policymakers and children about who controls the narratives behind social media.

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TRACES OF HOME (Centerpiece Night + Q&A)
Jun
26
7:45 PM19:45

TRACES OF HOME (Centerpiece Night + Q&A)

Filmmaker Colette Ghunim collages her parents’ histories of their homes in Mexico and Palestine. Ghunim’s camera intricately meditates the generational trauma and grief that bounds her family. TRACES OF HOME functions as a reminder that while "home" as a physical site may be eroded by geopolitical shifts or the passage of time, its essence persists and reconstructs within the daily rituals, emotional landscapes, and oral histories of the diaspora. A knockout debut feature that's as much an external quest as an internal one.

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Jun
27
11:00 AM11:00

Documentary Shorts + Q&A

In this compelling block of short documentaries, vulnerable filmmakers pursue personal and political history to reveal what it means to leave a legacy. A filmmaker delves into the forgotten history of the Chinese in Cuba through its last descendants (BARRIO CHINO HAVANA). An Iranian woman’s resistance takes the form of documenting street protests from behind windows (MEMORIES OF A WINDOW). A dark preservation lab shows an international student diligently archiving union newspapers (DAILY WORKER). A mothers still waiting for her son vanished as one of many forced disappearance of Sri Lankan Tamils (A FLOWER FALLING BACK INTO THE EARTH). A former USC student reclaims justice and healing in the aftermath of assault (UNFOLDING). A Taiwanese American baker living her dream baking cookies in Paris (COOKIE, LOVE). Together, these stories uncover and archive hidden truths. - Alishba Javaid, Short Film Programmer

*this film block is eligible to be redeemed as part of a 5-ticket package.

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