47th Mill Valley Film Festival Short Film Lineup: A Dynamic Collection of Films Showcasing Bold Voices and Diverse Perspectives

The 47th Mill Valley Film Festival presents an exceptional lineup of short films, highlighting innovative storytelling and fresh perspectives from around the globe. This year’s selection features diverse genres and themes, offering a powerful exploration of personal, social, and cultural narratives. From emerging filmmakers to established talent, the shorts program at MVFF47 promises to captivate audiences with stories that inspire, provoke, and entertain.

The 47th Mill Valley Film Festival runs October 3-13, 2024.

SHORTS: FREEDOM – Total Program 73 Minutes

“I had my ups and downs, but I always find the inner strength to pull myself up.” In this short program, we present a collection of true-life tales about extraordinary individuals and cultural change-makers from around the world. There hasn’t been a lesbian bar in San Francisco for almost a decade but Bay Area filmmakers Meg Shutzer and Brandon Yadegari Moreno’s Mother (US 2023, 23 min) introduces us to Malia Spanyol, a self-identified dyke who sets out to build one for the next generation of women and femmes. In the thought-provoking Alok (US 2024, 19 min), director Alex Hedison delivers a compelling portrait of Alok Vaid-Menon, the internationally acclaimed non-binary author, poet, comedian, and public speaker who challenges societal norms and explores the limitless expression of self. Sarah Klein and Tom Mason’s Out of the Dark: Cal Calamia (US 2024, 8 min) provides an intimate look at the journey of professional athlete Cal Calamia, a transgender marathon runner who’s advocating for inclusion in the running world. Part memoir-style reflection and part prayer, Kirhi Nath’s Paramita (2024, 24 min) reveals Prajna Paramita Choudhury’s 25-year coming out process with her traditional Bangladeshi mother employing Buddhist practices and nature as gateways for intergenerational healing. – Kelly Clement

ALOK

Director: Alex Hedison

Filmmaker Alex Hedison delivers a compelling portrait of her friend, Alok Vaid-Menon, the internationally acclaimed, non-binary, author, poet, comedian, and public speaker. This thought-provoking short documentary explores the limitless expression of self, challenges societal norms, and inspires viewers to embrace personal freedom beyond the binaries that divide us. Featuring Dylan Mulvaney, Chani Nicholas and other cultural change makers. Produced by Natalie Shirinian, Elizabeth Baudouin and Meggan Lennon. Executive Produced by Jodie Foster.

MOTHER

Director(s): Meg Shutzer, Brandon Yadegari Moreno

In San Francisco, a city known for its queer community and bustling gay nightlife, there hasn’t been a lesbian bar for almost a decade. Driven by nostalgia for a time when queer women had spaces, Malia Spanyol, a self-identified dyke sets out to build one for the next generation of women and femmes.

OUT OF THE DARK: CAL CALAMIA

Director(s): Tom Mason, Sarah Klein

Directed by Tom Mason and Sarah Klein, this short documentary follows transgender marathon runner Cal Calamia’s journey from a conservative upbringing to becoming a nonbinary marathon champion and advocate for transgender rights. Part of the #WellBeings “Out of the Dark” docuseries, it explores Cal’s mental health struggles, their decision to come out as transmasculine, and how they found the support needed to thrive in both sport and activism.

PARAMITA

Director: Kirthi Nath

Part poetry, part memoir-style reflection and part prayer, Paramita bears witness to Prajna Choudhury’s 25-year coming out process with her traditional Bangladeshi mother. Told with intimacy, tenderness and a quiet power, Paramita invites us into a meditative spiritual experience as Prajna connects with Buddhist practices and nature as gateways for intergenerational healing.

SHORTS: I WAS HERE – Total Program 83 Minutes

“You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you.” In this program indigenous filmmakers embody this belief expressed by Vice President Kamala Harris in their explorations of how where and who we came from informs the person we are today. Phumi Morare’s Why The Cattle Wait (South Africa 2024, 21 min) is the intimate tale of a goddess who tries to win back the affection of her former lover who has moved on in life without her. Three generations of women in a Sámi family have connected over time through practicing joik—a Sámi oral tradition that combines music and storytelling in Radio-Jus Sunná / Sunná Nousuniemi and Guhtur Niillas Rita Duomis / Tuomas Kumpulaine’s Áhkuin (Finland 2024, 19 min). Filmmaker Lansana Mansaray documents his returns home in From God to Man (Ma ŋaye ka Masaala a se ka Wɔmɛti) (Sierra Leone 2024, 15 min). In Laha Mebow’s coming-of-age film Tayal Forest Club (Taiwan 2024, 19 min), it’s through the help of their ancestors that two Atayal teens manage to find not only their way home but also themselves. We Would Be Freer (Canada/Palestine 2023, 9 min) reflects on the connection between colonization and nature through the use of sumac by a Palestinian refugee and a woman from the Mohawk community of Kahnawá:ke. In Alex Nystorm’s Four Nights and a Fire (USA 2023, 12min), a fire is kept alive for four nights while an Ojibwe man processes the death of his father whose spirit, unbeknownst to him, is watching on. —Bri’anna Moore

ÁHKUIN

Director(s): Radio-Jus Sunná / Sunná Nousuniemi, Guhtur Niillas Rita Duomis / Tuomas Kumpulainen

Three generations of women in a Sámi family have connected over time through practicing joik—a Sámi oral tradition that combines music and storytelling.

FROM GOD TO MAN

Director: Lansana Mansaray

Filmmaker Lansana Mansaray documents his return home.

FOUR NIGHTS AND A FIRE

Director: Alex Nystorm

A young Ojibwe photographer stubbornly takes on the responsibility of keeping a sacred fire alive for four consecutive days and nights in mourning of his father. His father’s spirit tries to reach him from the other side.

TAYAL FOREST CLUB

Director: Laha Mebow

Is getting lost the best way to find yourself? In this coming-of-age tale from Taiwan’s first Indigenous female director, two Tayal youth learn to navigate life’s challenges by paying close attention to lessons that only the land can offer.

WE WOULD BE FREER

Director: Rana Nazzal Hamadeh

We Would Be Freer reflects on the connection between colonization and nature through the use of sumac by a Palestinian refugee and a woman from the Mohawk community of Kahnawá:ke.

WHY THE CATTLE WAIT

Director: Phumi Morare

Why The Cattle Wait is the intimate tale of a goddess who tries to win back the affection of her former lover who has moved on in life without her.

SHORTS: SWEET DREAMS – Total Program 74 Minutes

“Can you hold my hands and be my guide? Clouds filled with stars cover your skies.” This documentary shorts program reflects on the value of intergenerational community, love, and activism. In Yoontaek Hong’s Sunchong (US 2024, 14 min), an 89-year-old Korean immigrant who volunteers at a senior center reflects on his life’s journey with his beloved wife. An Indigenous women’s motorcycle group rides to end the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women while a member of their community searches for a missing sister in Prairie Rose Seminole and Katrina Lillian Sorrentino’s We Ride for Her (US 2023, 18 min). Derek Knowles’s The Bird Rescue Center (US 2023, 13 min) captures the people at a Northern California bird rescue who give wildlife a second chance. In Loren Waters’s ᏗᏂᏠᎯ ᎤᏪᏯ (Meet Me at the Creek) (US 2023, 9 min), a Cherokee Nation citizen, a Waterkeeper Warrior, leads the effort to restore Oklahoma’s Tar Creek. From Iowa to Guam, an aspiring costume designer visits their homeland to make costumes for a children’s theater and reconnect with distanced parents in Hao Zhou’s Wouldn’t Make It Any Other Way (US 2024, 20 min). – Diana Sánchez Maciel

THE BIRD RESCUE CENTER

Director: Derek Knowles

A cinematic window into the world of a California bird rescue sanctuary and the people who give wildlife a second chance.

MEET ME AT THE CREEK

Director: Loren Waters

Cherokee elders, like Rebecca Jim, believe that what happens to the water happens to us. Without it, we cannot move culture forward and we cannot exist here. ᏗᏂᏠᎯ ᎤᏪᏯ (Meet Me at the Creek) tells a story of interconnectedness and Cherokee values through the lifelong fight of Rebecca Jim, a Cherokee Nation citizen and Waterkeeper Warrior, as she leads the effort to restore Tar Creek located in Miami, Oklahoma. U.S. government officials have designated Tar Creek as “irreversibly damaged,” but Rebecca refuses to accept that.

SUNCHONG (순정)

Director: Yoontaek Hong

An 89-year-old Korean immigrant who volunteers at a senior center reflects on his life’s journey with hisbeloved wife.

WE RIDE FOR HER

Director(s): Prairie Rose Seminole, Katrina Lillian Sorrentino

An Indigenous women’s motorcycle group rides to end the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women while a member of their community searches for her missing sister and tries to heal her shattered family.

WOULDN’T MAKE IT ANY OTHER WAY

Director: Hao Zhou

Having built a colorful queer life in an American prairie town, an aspiring costume designer visits their island homeland of Guam to make costumes for a children’s theatre and reconnect with distanced parents.

SHORTS: RING THE ALARM – Total Program 71 Minutes

“Tell me how should I feel when I know what I know.” This international collection is a vivid exploration of families who are confronted with some very harsh truths. In Marek Čermák’s Everything Will Ok Again (Czech Republic 2023, 20 min), a mother must come to terms with her son’s character when he unexpectedly makes the local news. In Juan Paulo Laserna’s Not My Name (Colombia 2024, 19 min), a family goes on a treacherous road trip when their country is beset by political violence. In Drew McCoy and Anthony Gilmore’s There Will Be Hurt (US 2024, 18 min), the release from prison of a man responsible for a young woman’s death sets her family reeling with its own set of questions and struggles. And in Talia Light Rake’s The Captives (US 2024, 14 min), a mother and daughter learn some surprising insights when they have a candid face-to-face. These stories remind us that a family’s complex dynamics can strike some very familiar chords. – Sterling Hedgpeth

THE CAPTIVES

Director: Talia Light Rake

Jolie, a Juilliard graduate, gives up on her dreams and moves back home when her mother, Emmilene, is diagnosed with cancer. Ten years later, when her life is at a standstill, her mother’s health is declining, and an old flame resurfaces in her life, Emmilene gives Jolie an ultimatum where she is suddenly forced to face who she is and who she wants to ultimately become.

EVERYTHING WILL BE OK (VŠECHNO BUDE ZASE DOBRÝ)

Director: Marek Čermák

An elderly woman’s quiet morning turns into the toughest day of her life with an unexpected visit from her son. He informs her that he is the unknown murderer the police has been searching for.

NOT MY NAME (No es mi nombre)

Director: Juan Paulo Laserna

When a well-off Colombian family has to travel on a violent country road to visit their ailing grandfather, their reliance on their youngest child to conceal their fake identities will expose him to the reality of war.

THERE WILL BE HURT

Director(s): Drew McCoy, Anthony Gilmore

There Will Be Hurt is a mournful story about people sobered and haunted by their traumatic past, it’s a story about lost souls fighting to come to terms with their shattered lives while exploring the compelling thematic triangle of: revenge, redemption, and justice. In our story, the shared pain becomes a driving force, pushing the characters into unexpected decisions. It encourages the audience to reflect on the intricacies of human nature and the extraordinary lengths individuals will go to to seek justice and retribution.

SHORTS: SUPERPOWER – Total Program 65 Minutes

“When I’m standing in this mirror, after all these years, what I’m viewing is a little different.”  These shorts immerse themselves—and the adventurous viewer—in entertaining flights of fancy. In Kara Herold’s The Callback (US 2024, 13 min), an ambitious actress finds her way, and herself, on the road to building a character. Cassie Shao’s beautifully surreal landscape is the entrancing hook to the animated This is a Story Without a Plan (US 2023, 8 min).  A deep dive into micro-biology is the core of Jesseca Ynez Simmons’s remarkable experimental film Heaven in a Wildflower (US 2024, 6 min). In Alexander Seltzer’s film, a grieving couple find a bizarre portal when they deal with loss and The Door (Canada 2024, 14 min). The arrival of aliens dovetails nicely with a dissatisfied wife’s wishes in Timothy Michael Cooper’s Knead (US 2024, 11 min).  And finding your true identity sometimes means revisiting ghosts from the past in Skye Schoenhoeft’s touching The Curtains Glow at Night (US 2024, 13 min). – Sterling Hedgpeth

THE CALLBACK

Director: Kara Herold

The Callback is a short comedy about a struggling artist in an out-of-touch film industry. The film blends fiction, animation, humor, and poetry to call out an industry where women are underrepresented and underwritten.

CURTAINS GLOW AT NIGHT

Director: Skye Schoenhoeft

When Wren comes home from college, they discover a ghost in their childhood bedroom.

THE DOOR

Director: Alexander Seltzer

A year after their daughter’s disappearance, Kara and Felix struggle to move on in their own ways as their marriage falls apart around them. But when a mysterious door appears in her kitchen, Kara becomes obsessed with uncovering what lies behind it at any cost. Even as it threatens to reopen old wounds.

HEAVEN IS A WILD FLOWER

Director: Jesseca Ynez Simmons

In ‘Heaven in a Wild Flower’ we immerse ourselves in a lyrical exploration of the perilous consequences of pesticides on bees and their intricate ecosystem. In a mesmerizing microscopic world, science meets artistry, fraught with danger and beauty.

KNEAD

Director: Timothy Michael Cooper

When an alien landing mysteriously drives people around the world to achieve their deepest dreams, an aspiring baker in an unhappy marriage wonders why she hasn’t been affected at all—forcing her to take matters into her own hands.

THIS IS A STORY WITHOUT A PLAN

Director: Cassie Shao

Beautifully surreal landscape is the entrancing hook to the animated This is a Story without a Plan.

SHORTS: TIME TO COME HOME – Total Program 69 Minutes

“Words can’t express what I feel inside of my flesh.” Whether they’re new partners or soulmates, these stories of love and attraction run the gamut of experiences both fresh and familiar. Steve Sanders’s CRAB CLAW (US 2024, 9 min) features an incredibly awkward marriage counseling session. In Lucy Tietler’s KEEP IT OPEN (US 2023, 10 min), the prospect of a menage a trois does not quite go as expected. An old flame and trans friend discover that the road to identity can be beautifully fluid in Nadia Johnson and Ben Snyder’s SOMETHING BORROWED, SOMETHING PINK (US 2024, 10 min). A young man and his cat find their household in upheaval when a new girlfriend appears in Britney Fan’s animated THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE… (US 2024, 3min). Being the object of attention yields some surprising responses for a young girl in Scott Burkhardt’s EXUVIA (US 2024, 12 min). A queer teen finds herself at a crossroads when her choices are challenged by religious dogma in Naomi Iwamoto’s SIXTEEN (US 2024, 14 min). And a moment and a lifetime are encapsulated in a single, hypnotic point of view in Paula Levine’s amazing FIVE MINUTES TO FIVE YEARS (US 2024, 11 min). Don’t miss this collection that has a lot of laughs and a surplus of heart. – Sterling Hedgpeth

CRAB CLAW

Director: Steve Sanders

A couple’s therapy session unravels when Cathy reveals the source of their marital woes is her mutated crab claw.

EXUVIA

Director: Scott Burkhardt

EXUVIA ex·u·vi·ae, (noun, biology)

– an animal’s cast or sloughed skin, especially that of an insect larva.

Rising freshmen Izzy and Annabelle are best friends but when the girls receive unsolicited attention from a group of older boys at the pool Annabelle’s conservative mother blames Izzy. Faced with a difficult situation at home and no money for new school clothes Izzy takes matters into her own hands when an opportunity presents itself and steps into her power in defiance of a judgmental world.

FIVE MINUTES TO FIVE YEARS

Director: Paula Levine

A familiar and banal space of a parking lot transforms into something unfamiliar and uncanny. What is usually the welcomed end of a day becomes a liminal space that exists somewhere between ‘before’ and ‘after.’

KEEP IT OPEN

Director: Lucy Teitler

A queer couple is tested when a mystery man comes to town.

SIXTEEN

Director: Naomi Iwamoto

When a Japanese American teenage girl is faced with the reality of being sent to conversion therapy, she has to choose herself or the community she was born into.

SOMETHING BORROWED, SOMETHING PINK

Director(s): Nadia Johnson, Ben Snyder

An old flame and trans friend discover that the road to identity can be beautifully fluid.

THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE

Director: Britney Fan

A chaotic battle ensues between a cat and a girlfriend in order to compete for the love and attention from the oblivious boyfriend.

SHORTS: SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS – Total Program X Minutes

Who says that watching Saturday morning cartoons with the family ended with the 20th century? Not us! Join us for this fun frenzy of animated wonders for kids of all ages, presented in collaboration with the Poppy Jasper International Film Festival. Films include: Martha Grant’s LLAMAS AT THE LAUNDROMAT (Canada 2023, 2 min), a delightful musical starring dancing llamas in fashionable attire; Annastacia Henry-Ramos’s LUNAR POWER (US 2024, 3 min), in which video game nut Miguel has a cheeky chat with his older, wiser Cousin Amaya; Venus Jones’s LIL RED IS RIDING THE WRONG WAY IN THE HOOD (US 2023, 8 min), a rap fairytale filled with valuable life lessons; Paperface’s THINK TOO MUCH (UK 2023, 4 min), a musical journey through a landscape of broccoli; Peter Gardner’s ADVENTURES WITH THE CARETAKER (US 2022, 25 min), featuring Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster and the Abominable Snowman; Alex Ross’s The Social Chameleon (US 2022, 9 min), an inspiring story about finding your true colors and Guillermo Gomes’s THE CROW AND THE SQUIRREL (US 2018, 4 min), a beautiful lesson in communication and compassion. – K.D. Davis

ADVENTURES WITH THE CARETAKER

Director: Peter Gardner

Adventures with the Caretaker features Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and the Abominable Snowman.

THE CROW AND THE SQUIRREL

Director: Guillermo Gomez

The Crow and the Squirrel provides a beautiful lesson in communication and compassion.   

LIL RED IS RIDING THE WRONG WAY IN THE HOOD

Director: Venus Jones

Venus Jones’s Lil Red is Riding the Wrong Way in the Hood is a rap fairytale filled with valuable life lessons.

LLAMAS AT THE LAUNDROMAT

Director: Martha Grant

Martha Grant’s Llamas at the Laundromat is a delightful musical starring dancing llamas in fashionable attire.

LUNAR POWER

Director: Annastacia Henry-Ramos

Video game nut Miguel has a cheeky chat with his older, wiser Cousin Amaya.

THE SOCIAL CHAMELEON

Director: Alex Ross

An inspiring story about finding your true colors.

THINK TOO MUCH

Director: Paperface

A musical journey through a landscape of broccoli.

SHORTS: LOVE/HAPPY (YOUTH WORKS) – Total Program 88 Minutes

“The ups and downs are worth it, Long way to go, but we’re workin’.” This year’s collection of peer-reviewed, youth-produced short films showcases storytellers who are redefining humor in comedies, personal stories in documentaries, and murder in thrillers. It’s an inspiring display of emerging young talent: PRACTICAL RABBIT HUNTING STRATEGIES FOR THE MODERN MAN (Rishan Sathiyaa, US 2024 , 11 min), MINUS DAISY (Samuel Green, US 2024, 5 min), LIKE A STONE OR FLOWER (Kaiya Ming Jordan, US 2024, 10 min), FOREVER MINE (Isabella DeWitt, US 2024, 3 min), KILLER LOVE (Jace Skinnell, US 2024, 8 min), BICKERING (Gabrielle Hanson Chong, US 2024, 1 min), THE LAST SUPPER (Trudy Flashford, Canada 2024, 4 min), THE CHIHUAHUA SHAKE (Chase Olivera, US 2024, 14 min), THE ALIEN (Maxwell Warner, US 2024, 10 min), GUIDING LIGHT (India Anne Mitchell, US 2024, 5 min), APPA TALES: STORIES FROM MY GRANDFATHER (Noah Shin, US 2024, 6 min), SOLE SISTA (Emerie Elise Boone, Australia 2024, 6 min), DREAMKEEPING (Mimi Muhle, US 2024, 5 min).  – Diana Sánchez Maciel

THE ALIEN

Director(s): Radio-Jus Sunná/Sunná Nousuniemi, Guhtur Niillas Rita Duomis/Tuomas Kumpulainen

Three generations of women in a Sámi family have connected over time through practicing joik—a Sámi oral tradition that combines music and storytelling.

APPA TALES: STORIES FROM MY GRANDFATHER

Director: Noah Shin

My grandfather recounts stories from his childhood when he was growing up during and after the Korean War.

BICKERING

Director: Gabrielle Hanson Chong

Best friends Harriet and Priscilla argue over a small misunderstanding

THE CHIHUAHUA SHAKE

Director: Chase Olivera

Experience this musical comedy about a famous Parisian dachshund who is tasked with painting a portrait of a crazy chihuahua who just won’t stop shaking. Only a local band can help the chihuahua explain that there’s more to his shake than meets the eye. This project is a completely original and fresh tale, made by an 18-year-old director, told with beautiful scenery, an enchanting score, and knee-slapping visual gags throughout.

DREAMKEEPING

Director: Mimi Muhle

A housekeeper at a hotel makes the tough decision to leave her job for a better future.

FOREVER MINE

Director: Isabella DeWitt

Reminiscing on the memory of a past relationship.

GUIDING LIGHT

Director: India Anne Mitchell

Through the compelling interviews of the lead prosecutor, the defense attorney and the police chief, “Guiding Light” tells the story of a young teen (Polly Hannah Klaas) in a small town in America who was kidnapped from her bedroom during a slumber party while her family was in the house.  In “Guiding Light”, India Mitchell, a teen growing up in the same town thirty years later brings a fresh perspective and highlights the importance of the legacy of this case to the continuing endeavor to keep children safe.

KILLER LOVE

Director: Jace Skinnell

Cupid with a knife.

THE LAST SUPPER

Director: Trudy Flashford

Hell breaks loose when Betty’s narcissistic grandmother and obnoxious older sister come home for a family dinner.

LIKE A STONE OR FLOWER

Director: Kaiya Ming Jordan

Three artists of different generations reflect on the ability of art to transcend rationality and logic.

MINUS DAISY

Director: Samuel Green

After his favorite stuffed animal, Daisy, is taken away by his dad, a young boy must go on a frightening nighttime journey throughout his house to get it back.

PRACTICAL RABBIT HUNTING STRATEGIES FOR THE MODERN MAN

Director: Rishan Sathiyaa

A boy hunts a rabbit on his 18th birthday in an attempt to understand what it means to grow up.

SOLE SISTA

Director: Emerie Elise Boone

Chelsea navigates the feeling of being different as the only black girl in school and sits in limbo between feeling included but not embraced, after experiencing micro-aggression after micro-aggression. Chelsea decides life would be easier if she looked just like them. 

The following two short films will precede Tummy Tom and the Lost Teddy Bear

THE ANCHOR AND THE KITE

Director(s): Jeff O’Brien Myers, Forest Blakk

The Anchor, weighed down by his existence, dreams of freedom beyond his isolated island, while The Kite, free to roam but lacking control, drifts aimlessly through life. When their paths cross, the forces that once held them back unite them, and together, they find love and balance. They discover that true fulfillment comes not from the world they explore, but from being together, wherever they may be.

THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE…

Director: Britney Fan

A chaotic battle ensues between a cat and a girlfriend in order to compete for the love and attention from the oblivious boyfriend.