Friday, November 6, 2026

​

• 11:00 AM – For Real? - Documentary Shorts Block
   

81 Degrees West: (NC/19 mins) - A family that took a risk, sold everything they owned, went full time RV across the country encountering tough times and good times to find a new place to live. Directed by Bret A Bateman

 

Back To One-Return to Ground Zero: (NY/26 mins) - An intimate and reflective documentary about a former Windows On The World restaurant employee and 9/11 survivor as he returns to the rebuilt World Trade Center site for the first time in 24 years. Directed by Sylvester P. Lukasiewicz

 

The Hardest Working Man: (NY/15 mins) - SOUTH CAROLINA PREMIERE - Having a good shoe repairman in New York City is like having a good mechanic in LA. You just can't negotiate life on the streets without one. Lorenzo Powell has been a longtime fixture in the midtown Manhattan community for almost 20 years. He is a true artisan and master of his craft—not to mention a small business owner, surviving in a time when the mom-and-pop shops are dropping like flies in a rapidly changing metropolis. Directed by Aaron Cassara

​

​​

Q&A to follow with filmmakers in attendance.

​​

​​

• 1:00 PM - Feature Film
   

The Grid Unplugged: (CA/77 mins) - As climate disasters push our aging power grid to its breaking point, director Rick Cutter investigates whether we can transition to clean energy and upgrade our infrastructure before a catastrophic grid failure becomes inevitable. Through the impactful & devastating lens of California's recent wildfires and interviews with Global energy experts, this film explores humanity's race against time to prevent societal collapse all while building a sustainable future. Directed by Rick Cutter

​

Q&A to follow with filmmakers in attendance.

​​

​​​

• 3:15 PM - Made in the South - South Carolina Shorts Block 1

​

Happy Pines: (SC/8 mins) - A disgraced athlete seeking a second chance enrolls in an exclusive self-improvement retreat where success comes at an unimaginable price. As the program’s methods grow increasingly disturbing, she must decide just how much she's willing to sacrifice to reclaim her future. Directed by Adam Weber

 

The Understudy: (SC 16 mins) - Presented as a mockumentary, The Understudy is a dark comedy about a youth theatre production where backstage jealousy, an overlooked understudy, and the return of a local star turn opening night into a deadly battle for the spotlight. Directed by Mark A Williams

 

Guidance: (SC/10 mins) - Casey, a second grader, is called into his guidance counselor’s office to discuss his future, but everything is not as it seems. Miss Hardy, Casey’s guidance counselor with a strange affinity for cats, informs him today is the day that he will pick his career. Casey struggles to pay attention until Miss Hardy finally has enough. What follows is a surreal journey where Casey must make a choice or suffer the consequences. Directed by Quincy Moorer
 

Honeysuckle: (SC/25 mins) - WORLD PREMIERE - Craig Mason is a man whose ordinary life in the 1970s is upended by profound grief when he tragically loses his young wife. This character-driven drama strips away genre clichés to explore enduring grief, the alienation of being out of sync with time, the seductive dangers of sudden visibility in the digital age, and the human ache for a place to finally rest. Directed by Alan Ray, William Brian Baker

​

Nix Figment: (SC/19 mins) - An unsuspecting physiological thriller. Bending your mind to the possibilities of reality while lowly addressing issues like self worth & our expectations of our life. Letting comparisons be the thief of joy. You don’t know what you’ve never experienced. Directed by Cassandra Dawn

​​

Q&A to follow with filmmakers in attendance.

​​

​​

• 5:30 PM - Feature Film
   

Deb & Seth Save the World: (NY/90 mins) - A group of old friends meet up for a house party which quickly goes awry. Now the friends must work together to prevent the apocalypse. Directed by Kyle Kleege

​

Q&A to follow with filmmakers in attendance.

​​

​​

• 7:30 PM - Emotional Damage - Drama Shorts Block 
   

Fiore: (NC/6 mins) – SOUTH CAROLINA PREMIERE - A man finds himself caught in a loop of uncertainty after touching a single flower lying on the ground. Little does he know he could be the very thing that solves a mystery that's been weighing on the heart of a small town for over a decade. Directed by Bridgette Neil

 

What You Can’t See: (NC/7 mins) – SOUTH CAROLINA PREMIERE - When new student Evie, desperate to belong, discovers her maladaptive daydreams may reveal the hidden struggles of others, she must face her bully and learn that everyone is fighting battles you can’t see. Directed by Jade Watkins

​

​Spirits Talk: (SC/15 mins) - FESTIVAL PREMIERE - A grieving 20-something's reality begins to fracture when her adoptive mother, Mother Nikki, contacts her from the spirit realm. Desperate for guidance, Aya Davis must communicate with Mother Nikki one last time, or else she risks losing her stability and ability to love not only herself but others. Directed by Yasmin J. Lee

​

Loving Emma: (SC/19 mins) - Haunted by memories of a lost love and unsure of what she truly wants, a young college student spirals through longing and regret as she navigates the fragile space between past and present - stuck between the memory of a connection and the reality of distance. Directed by Elijah Gittens​

 

Downtown Disarray: (GA/11 mins) - Downtown Disarray follows wounded outlaw Jeremiah Wood, a rugged cowboy in a modern city after a heist gone wrong. Seeking refuge in a derelict bar, he confronts his younger brother Otis, who betrayed him to the law in exchange for his own survival. As tensions rise, the brothers engage in a brutal fight over their failed dreams of freedom and their fractured loyalty while the ruthless Sheriff and his forces close in. Faced with Otis's conflicted conscience and the Sheriff's ultimatum, Jeremiah makes a desperate final stand, choosing the life of an outlaw over surrender, only to meet his tragic end in a hail of bullets. Directed by William Gilbert Harwell

 

The Day Elvis Died: (MO/13 mins) - It is August 1977 and Elvis Presley is dead. The domestic violence movement has just started to slow burn across the country, spotlighting abuse, long since kept secret. Amidst the turmoil hope seems to break on the horizon. But for one Mother and child, is escape truly possible? Directed by Elizabeth Stuelke

 

​​

Q&A to follow with filmmakers in attendance.

​

• 9:15 PM - Feature Film
   

Cavegirls: (SC/77 mins) - Sisters Ike and Rose are both under the thumb of the same charismatic drug kingpin, Fig. When a rival captures Ike, Rose reluctantly agrees to Fig's plan for a rescue mission. But Rose has a secret agenda: to bring down both Fig and his rival in a single chaotic clash. Directed by David Axe, JB Torres Medina

​

Q&A to follow with filmmakers in attendance.

​

​

Everyone is invited to join us at
Hendrix Roof Top: 1649 Main Street, Suite 200, Columbia SC 29201
for an official unofficial after party take over!  Have a few drinks and mix and mingle with the filmmakers and attendees. Located just steps away from the theater.

​

End Day 1

​

​

​

Saturday, November 7, 2026

​​

• 11:00 AM - Sketchy Business - Animation Shorts Block
   

As The Crow Flies: (CA/3 mins) - A wonky rhythmic train with seemingly no destination. Directed by Andrew Leighton Webb

​

Alienated! (SC/3 mins) - “Alienated!” follows our protagonist, an skittish, orange lizard-like alien named Gary, as his home is attacked by large purple monsters. Hijinks ensue as Gary runs for his life and attempts to survive in an unfamiliar wilderness and travels further and further away from home. Directed by Andrew Erbskorn

 

Stardust to Stardust: (SC/11 mins) - A mysterious accident leaves an astronaut floating in space. She encounters living stars in different stages of the star cycle as she journeys to find their creator. Directed by Mariana Beltran

 

Bird Song: (CA/10 mins) - EAST COAST PREMIERE - On a rainy night in the heart of the city, a hooded, an unstable man engineers a dead bird with his own voice, in order to sing his own bird songs and ultimately get the perspective he needed. Directed by Timothy David Orme

 

Adder Stone: (NY/5 mins) - In folklore, adder stones are believed to have magical properties. The stones, which have naturally occurring holes, are believed to allow people to see through the disguise of a witch or fairy by peering through the hole. This hand-drawn animation drifts through dreamlike imagery of a fairy world. It explores the concept of an alternate reality that runs alongside our own—a female, dreamlike space that can only be accessed through magic or invitation. Directed by Rachael Walker

 

Sundays: (NY/7 mins) - In this intimate, 2D animated, memoir, a daughter navigates the aftermath of loss as she reflects on the weekly rituals she once shared with her father. Directed by Ashley Gerst

 

The Mini Chainsaw Massacre: (KS/5 mins) - WORLD PREMIERE - While driving a forgotten back road, a young couple is forced into a brutal fight for survival against a chainsaw-wielding madman. Directed by Adam Raynes

​

Bridge – My Little Friends: (Japan/10 mins) - "I'll bring Shiro to you.I promise!" Jin, the cat, made this promise to Mugi, who is deeply sad about losing her beloved dog, Shiro.Jin loves Mugi very much and, after hearing the story of the "Rainbow Bridge" from his owner Aki, he decides to take Mugi to meet Shiro at theRainbow Bridge! Can Jin heal Mugi's sadness? With the help of nearby pigeons and squirrels, Jin's great plan is now underway! Directed by Kazuyuki Ishihara

​

Q&A to follow with filmmakers in attendance.

​​

​​

• 12:30 PM - Feature Film

​

Squatch: (NC/87 mins) - Two park rangers take it upon themselves to relocate a newly discovered Sasquatch from the smoky mountains, to the pacific northwest after tech giant Alphazon threatens to tear down the forest. Directed by Aaron Mull

​​

Q&A to follow with filmmakers in attendance.

​​

​​

• 2:30 PM -Punchlines - Comedy Shorts Block

​

CVNT: (CA/17 mins) - SOUTH CAROLINA PREMIERE - A struggling single mother turns to a bizarre side hustle to make a better life for her baby daughter. Directed by Nicole Higgins

 

The Shaolin Scoop Technique: (NY/10 mins) - After learning that his brother has been killed by the ruthless Rick, Apprentice Ho vows revenge. Seeking justice, Ho turns to his beloved master, Yuckabee, who agrees to train him in an ancient and forbidden palm-and-finger combat technique known as the Shaolin Scoop. As Ho prepares for his final confrontation, the line between legend, ritual, and ridiculousness begins to blur — culminating in a battle that tests both his skill and his belief in the myth he’s been taught. Directed by Joseph Rocco Plescia

 

The Artis Residence: (NC/10 mins) - When Vera, the matriarch of the quirky Artis family, decides to make a break with her old life, she finds she has to resort to unique measures. Directed by Sarah Dresser

 

Raccoon Soup: (AK/15 mins) - In 1973, an overworked waitress fights awful customers, a sexist boss, and a feral raccoon to earn a sponsorship to her local knife throwing contest. Directed by Janie Gentry

​

Q&A to follow with filmmakers in attendance.

​​

​​

• 4:15 PM - Feature Film
   

Crime and Parody: (NY/87 mins) - SOUTH CAROLINA PREMIERE - In 2016, amateur comedian Anthony Novak created a parody Facebook page mocking his local police department. The page was satire, but police took it very seriously. They raided Anthony’s home, threw him in county jail, and charged him with a felony carrying up to 18 months in prison. In the years that followed, Anthony fought to defend his First Amendment right to criticize the government. With support from The Onion, his case reached the U.S. Supreme Court as debates over free speech and political expression intensified nationwide. But ultimately, the story of a second arrest just 15 miles from Anthony’s home revealed the most serious consequences when constitutional rights break down. Directed by Will Thwaites​

​

Q&A to follow with filmmakers in attendance.

​​

​​

• 6:30 PM - Death in Small Doses - Horror Shorts Block
   

The Caller: (FL/2 mins) - Based on a true event that happened to the filmmaker. The Caller: U-ride Ops blends thriller, action, and real-world education to protect drivers, empower communities, and ignite conversations about gig-worker safety. This is not just a film. This is a movement. Directed by Christine S Roundtree

 

Spells of the Dead: (GA/6 mins) - A group of teens playing with a Ouija board make fun of the wrong ghost. Directed by Nick Laws

 

Crowded Out:  (NY/9 mins) - SOUTH CAROLINA PREMIERE - During a desperate search for parking in the city, Owen picks up a strange hitchhiker who offers help, but instead gives unwanted opinions, and leads to more hitchhikers. Directed by Brian Lederman

 

Kidz At Play: (NM/14 mins) - As the world tries to find its new normal after the apocalypse, an overprotective mother must stop an Exterminator from killing her zombie children and those of the other families in her idyllic neighborhood. Directed by Brent Peterson

 

Aperitif: (GA/12 mins) - Jason Miller played by Justin Cole (Tulsa King) has fallen from grace, taking refuge in an exclusive restaurant under eccentric chef Victor Blackwood. The sinister side of the kitchen is revealed, when Victor confesses the menu serves human flesh, Jason cooks in terror—until terror hardens into revenge. Pride carries him forward as Jason confronts the diner who commissioned the feast: Thornwall, the owner and ring leader of the restaurant. Directed by Benjamin William Dockter

​

Q&A to follow with filmmakers in attendance.

​

• 8:00 PM - Feature Film

The Host: (CA/105 mins) - A couple’s weekend getaway at a remote rental estate begins to unravel when their host’s presence lingers… and leaving becomes harder than staying. Directed by Ryan Gregory Phillips

​

Q&A to follow with filmmakers in attendance.

​

​

Everyone is invited to join us at

Hendrix Roof Top: 1649 Main Street, Suite 200, Columbia SC 29201

for an official unofficial after party take over!  Have a few drinks and mix and mingle with the filmmakers and attendees. Located just steps away from the theater.

​

End Day 2

​

​

​

Sunday, November 8, 2026

​

​

• 10:00 AM - The Lab - Experimental Shorts Block
   

What is Love?: (SC/12 mins) - An insecure down and out man tries to get back into the dating scene and scores a date with his work crush, hoping to get a Valentine's Day kiss. The only problem is the slew of commentators each with their own love problems who constantly overanalyze the date. Directed by Thomas Palevich

 

Momma/Mother: (SC/9 mins) - On a secluded back road in the South, a young couple prepares to bury a dark secret. But as buried resentments surface and carefully laid plans begin to unravel, loyalties shift, truths emerge, and nothing is quite what it first appears. Momma/Mother is a Southern Gothic psychological thriller exploring manipulation, trauma, and the devastating cost of revenge. Directed by Mikael James, Gabriel Zepeda

 

Good-Man: (NC/10 mins) - Set in suburban America, Henry Goodman fights to liberate his own mind and overcome his father's small-town ideas of being a good man. Directed by JM Salamone

 

Are We Just Flowers?: (SC/10 mins) - A poem about a flower goes through an existential crisis. Directed by Eugene Rocco Utley

 

HVAC: (CA/11 mins) - In a blue-collar Missouri town, a 13-year-old HVAC apprentice grappling with confusing desires becomes entangled in a surreal, dangerous encounter at the local theatre—where longing and innocence bleed together in one irreversible night. Directed by Jackson McKeehan

​

Q&A to follow with filmmakers in attendance.

​​

​​​

• 11:30 AM - Feature Film

​​

C.R.E.A.M. : (TN/50 mins) - A modern-day adaptation of Shakespeare's "Romeo & Juliet" told entirely through the lyrics of the Wu-Tang Clan. Directed by Ryen McPherson

​

​

Q&A to follow with filmmakers in attendance.

​​​​

​​

• 1:00 PM:  Southern Exposure – South Carolina Shorts Block 2

​​​

5 Hours Earlier: (SC/7 mins) - A family facing an impossible situation must decide how far they're willing to go for the people they love. Directed by Joy Stamp

 

Unknown Territory: (SC/10 mins) - While sorting through their old belongings in their late grandmother's house, two estranged sisters encounter something mysterious and must work together to escape. Directed by Jenivee Bevan

 

Guardian Angels: (SC/9 mins) - SOUTH CAROLINA PREMIERE - A wisecracking guardian and her favorite nemesis wage a secret, slapstick war over one blissfully oblivious family. Foxy is the guardian assigned to one ordinary family who have no idea they're being protected… or hunted. When her recurring nemesis Viper resurfaces with an arsenal of stuff toys and ice cream, Foxy and her comms-tech Angie have one chaotic afternoon to keep the peace without the family ever noticing the cartoon war raging just out of frame. Directed by Collins Abbott White

​

Mentally Sharp: (SC/12 mins) - A comedian competing in a national competition bombs in spectacular fashion. Directed by Rico Yass’e

 

Coloring Girl: (SC/29 mins) - When young Sydney is delivered to foster home matriarch Brenda, the prospect of a brighter life appears on the horizon. Now, she has a new friend, a mommy who cares about her, and flowers. Yet, as their journey unfolds, we find Sydney becomes defiant, selfish, and... wrong. Brenda recognizes the darkness may have something to do with Sydney's artistic talent, and needs to act fast before she too is consumed by the malevolent force. Directed by Robert Wesley Filion

Q&A to follow with filmmakers in attendance.

​​​

​

• 3:00 PM - Feature Film

​

Into The Wilderness: (SC/80 mins) - WORLD PREMIERE - A family sends their daughter on a camping trip only to suspect trouble when they lose contact, and set out into the woods to find her. Directed by Samuel W. Reed​

​

​Q&A to follow with filmmakers in attendance.
 

​

• 5:00 PM:  Short Fuse – Action Shorts Block
   

When the Moon Goes Down: (SC/9 mins) - Two men revisit the night of their violent deaths over a cordial glass of whiskey. Directed by Trever Riney

 

Till Death: (SC/7 mins) - After a wealthy man suddenly goes missing, his wife, who he was attempting to divorce, becomes the primary suspect of a cunning detective's investigation. Directed by Enzo Leventis-Cox

 

Sportman: (TN/12 mins) - A vigilante superhero who saves the life of a fanboy from his former employees in his darkest hour. Directed by Chandler Gibson

 

Matchmaker: (NC/9 mins) - The perfect action hero has gone too long without a challenge and is yearning for a new adversary to give his life meaning again. Directed by Jack Floyd

 

Pocket Change: (CA/15 mins) - When the power goes out at a roadside diner in the middle of nowhere, a mysterious drifter and his seemingly worthless quarter hold the key to saving everyone from a deadly threat. Starring Emmy-nominee Freddy Rodríguez (Six Feet Under). Directed by Tanner Mobley, Heston Roewe

​

​Q&A to follow with filmmakers in attendance.

​

• 6:30 PM - Feature Film
   

​The Rattlin’ Bog: (CA/90 mins) - When three friends embark on a weekend getaway, their bond is put to the test as pride, fragile egos, and jealousy threaten to tear them apart. Directed by Maxwell Klaiber

 

​Q&A to follow with filmmakers in attendance.
 

• 9:00 PM - SCUFFY Awards