EyeForFilm logo

Festivals >> Tribeca >> 2008 >> Shorts


Tribeca Film Festival Logo
The organisers say: "This year’s shorts represent 30 countries, offering a rare cinematic glimpse of global landscapes that include Cuba, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, The Philippines and Uruguay. From fantasy narratives to gripping documentaries, these short films explore a wide range of themes and diverse subject matter." Seventy-five short films from the 2008 line-up are eligible to compete for combined cash and value-in-kind prizes totaling over $15,000 for Best Narrative Short, Best Documentary Short and Student Visionary Award. Following is a listing of the selected short films which will run in 11 programmes, plus seven films that will screen preceding features, along with what Tribeca say about them.

Read our full 2008 Tribeca Film Festival .


Sikumi (On The Ice)Cargo
(Country: France; Director: Jean-Gabriel Périot; Writer: Jean-Gabriel Périot)
Periot assembles a collage of postcards to highlight the havoc wrought by the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

(Country: Germany; Director: Renate Günther-Greene; Writer: Renate Günter-Greene)
Remnants of the Dusseldorf train station where Jews were deported to concentration camps. (D)

(Country: Turkey; Director: Reza Hemmatirad; Writer: Reza Hemmatirad)
Painted animation evoking the encounter between the great 13th Century Sufi poet Mevlana Rumi and the wandering dervish Shamsuddin of Tabriz who would become his lover and mentor. Preceding My Marlon And Brando at Tribeca Film Festival. (N)

(Country: Canada; Director: Chad Maker ; Writer: Kirk Comrie; Cast: Hugh Dillon, Ryan Ward, Philip Mansfield, Marc Kelsey, James Fearnley)
An office worker becomes much too popular when he signs up for a virtual reality social networking site. (N)

(Country: US; Director: Will Frears; Writer: Brooke Berman; Cast: Mamie Gummer, Ben Walker)
Goings on, on a New York stoop the day after Halloween. (N)

The Milky WayLast Time In Clerkenwell
(Country: Spain; Director: Richard Vazquez; Writer: Richard Vazquez; Cast: Marisa Paredes, Juan Fernández)
A woman faces a long and lonely road. (N)

(Country: Iran; Director: Babak Amini; Writer: Babak Amini; Cast: Donya Ghobadi, Pedram Seyfuri)
An Iraqi-Kurdish girl faces war and redemption. (N)

(Country: Egypt; Director: Sherif El Bendary)
An Egyptian family gathers for food and television. (S)

(Country: US; Director: Toddy Burton; Writer: Toddy Burton; Cast: Barbara Chisholm, Hannah Morgan, Garry Peters, Jessica Robertson, Nicholas Yedinak, , , , , ,)
A life or death battle is fought by a superhero. (S)

(Country: Canada; Director: Joe Balass )
Recollections on being Jewish in Iraq. (D)

(Country: US; Director: Jay Rosenblatt; Writer: Brian Hecker; Cast: Ella Rosenblatt, Jay Rosenblatt)
A father takes us through one year of trying to teach a preschooler how to make a film. Preceding Head Wind at Tribeca Film Festival. (D)

(Country: Canada; Director: Mike Palermo; Writer: Mike Palermo)
Two brothers decide how to handle a medical miracle. (S)

(Country: New Zealand, Czech Republic; Director: Leo Woodhead; Writer: Leo Woodhead; Cast: Jaroslav Horvath, Ivo Haman)
A trafficked boy is saved from his fate, but is the alternative any less bleak?

(Country: Denmark; Director: Johannes Pico; Writer: Lars Bang; Cast: Soren Malling, Mads Koudal, Charlotte Rathnov)
A cop tries to impress his partner. (N)

(Country: US; Director: Sean McPhillips ; Writer: Sean McPhillips ; Cast: Kinna McInroe, Michael Consolmagno, Yin Yue, Clare Cook, Christina Noel Reaves, Lori Byargeon)
Discover if Candi gets to have her cake and eat it too. (N)

(Country: US; Director: Edward Tyndall )
Rant and reflect with Tina Highland. (D)

(Country: Mexico; Director: Gary Alazraki ; Writer: Guillermo Arriaga ; Cast: Jose Maria Yazpik, Iliana Fox)
A roadside quandary causes a couple to question their morals. (N)

(Country: Canada/France; Director: Eric Gravel ; Writer: Eric Gravel ; Cast: Benoit Côté, Sandy Schwermer, Jean-Marc Dardenne, Chantal Poirier)
An unusual young man thirsts for friendship. (N)

(Country: India; Director: Mark Lapwood; Writer: Mark Lapwood)
A melange of mystical images from Mumbai. (D)

(Country: US; Director: Sasie Sealy; Writer: Sasie Sealy; Cast: Kelley Mack, Elise Couture, Billy Magnusson, Edward Saulisbury, Jordan Shipman, Vince Paul)
An older sister's romance spins 11-year-old Chloe into a world of change. (S)

(Country: Uruguay, US; Director: Leonardo Ricagni; Writer: Leonardo Ricagni; Cast: Camila Tamareo, Julio Cesar, Jorge Esmoris)
An inspirational teacher provides impetus for 10-year-old Tamara. (N)

(Country: US; Director: Ken Kokin )
A chance to meet the unselfish shoe droppers. (D)

(Country: US; Director: Ken Jacobs)
Cutting edge artist Ken Jacobs re-imagines inventor Louis Le Prince's nineteenth-century motion picture experiments. (D)

(Country: Philippines; Director: Mark V Reyes ; Writer: Manjula Nadkarni, Mark V Reyes; Cast: Angel Aquino, Robbie Felongco, Bon Vibar, Carme Sanchez)
A young mother is torn between love and a better life. (N)

(Country: US; Director: Abigail Carpenter; Writer: Abigail Carpenter; Cast: Azura Skye, Clayne Crawford, Maeve Chapman, William Steele)
Cycles of life and death intersect in 48 hours for the young woman. (S)

(Country: US; Director: Joe Wein; Writer: Joe Wein; Cast: Laura Marano, Madeline Carroll, Tim Bagley, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Mindy Sterling, Carlos Alazraqui, Patrick Kerr, Andrew Lauer)
Two third-graders embark on a mission. (N)

(Country: Brazil; Director: Davyde Wachell; Writer: Davyde Wachell; Cast: Wallace Coutinho, Marilia Coelho, Jaqueline Macóeh, Diego Ferreira, Juan Lima, Lauro Albuquerque)
Surviving the slums of Rio is a challenge for a boy and his mum. (S)

(Country: US; Director: Benita Raphan; Writer: Benita Raphan; Cast: Merce Cunningham, Ian Garrison, Andrew Granville, Avital Ronell, Oliver Sacks, , , , , ,)
Director Benita Raphan "explores the twin concepts of genius and stupidity," focusing primarily on deaf and blind Helen Keller and itinerant mathematician Paul Erd?s

(Country: US; Director: Isabella Rossellini; Writer: Isabella Rossellini; Cast: Isabella Rossellini)
A series about the sex lives of bugs, insects, and various creatures. The films are a comical, but insightful study of the curious ways that "bugs" make love.

(Country: US; Director: Paolo Borraccetti; Writer: Paolo Borraccetti; Cast: Ash Mayberry, Josip Kuchan)
An emotional collision occurs between an American soldier and his Croatian driver. (S)

(Country: Belgium; Director: Vincent Coen and Sebastiaan Lagrou ; Cast: Nona Bal, Ella Bal, Charlotte Timmers, Tom de Wispelaere, Ina Geerts, Hélène Couvert)
Fannie reflects on past choices the night before leaving the parental nest. (N)

(Country: Germany; Director: Florian Riegel)
The Pope is in the plumbing.

(Country: France, UK; Director: Virginia Gilbert; Writer: Virginia Gilbert; Cast: Gerard McSorley, Suzanne Burden)
An idyllic vacation is interrupted. (N)

(Country: Switzerland; Director: Germinal Roaux ; Writer: Germinal Roaux )
A teenage girl hunts down the thief that stole her cell phone.

(Country: US; Director: Rider Strong and Shiloh Strong; Writer: Rider Strong and Shiloh Strong; Cast: Rider Strong, Shiloh Strong, John DiMaggio, Al Vicente, Chris Solari, Devon McGinn)
Brothers Michael and Saemus come to blows over their fathers ashes. (N)

(Country: US; Director: Matthew Modine; Writer: Matthew Modine; Cast: Matthew Modine, Ewa De Cruz, Nick Raynes)
To think, or not to think, that is the question. (N)

(Country: UK; Director: Matthew Walker; Writer: Matthew Walker; Cast: James Bachman, Emma Cunniffe)
An animated animal couple try to resolve their problems. (N)

(Country: US; Director: Miguel Alvarez; Writer: Miguel Alvarez; Cast: Juan Meraz, Felix Solis)
A coming-of-age ritual defines the relationship between a father and son.

(Country: US; Director: Ryan R Spindell; Writer: Bradford Hodgson, Ryan R. Spindell; Cast: Joshua Mikel, Jessica Mansfield, Greg Thompson, Lanny Thomas, Wayne DeBary, Greg Watterson)
Inmates are running the asylum. (S)

(Country: US; Director: Alex Budovsky; Cast: n/a)
Birds go bonkers.

(Country: US; Director: Brian Doyle)
Brian Doyle intermingles, in lyrical fashion, abandoned homes and buildings with changing weather patterns surrounding a rocket launch.

(Country: US; Director: Ed Lachman)
Three stories of sacrifice from Nepal. (D)

(Country: US; Director: Laurent Briet; Cast: Gina Williams, Jason Cuadra, Ismael Cornier, Angel Gonzales)
Kick some butt. (N)

(Country: Iraq; Director: Ali Taleb )
A 20-year-old Iraqi refugee in Amman, Jordan works as a prostitute to support herself. Preceding Baghdad High. (D)

(Country: Slovenia; Director: Miran Zupanic; Writer: Miran Zupanic; Cast: Iva Krajnc,Vladimir Vlaškalic,Julijana Zupanic, Barbara Vidovic, Mateja Pucko, Urska Vucak)
Miran Zupanic; North American Premiere) Lack of day care leads to desperation for a working mum. (N)

(Country: US; Director: Nicholas Ozeki ; Writer: Nicholas Ozeki ; Cast: Boris Orozco, Minni Jo Mazzola, Maynor Alvarado, Cecilia Franco, Ramon Chavez, Antonio Farre)
A teenage Casanova teaches his best buddy how to talk to girls.

(Country: US; Director: Jessica Habie)
A timely tale of today’s military. (D)

(Country: France; Director: Luc Moullet; Writer: Luc Moullet; Cast: Claire Bouanich, Lucas Harari, Iliana Lolic)
Going to buy milk from the farmer next-door can be a real drama.

(Country: US; Director: Aaron Rapke; Writer: Aaron Rapke, Stewart Kaye ; Cast: Robert Berlin, Andy Waldschmidt, Ryan Andes, Genievieve Morritt, Richie Allan, Quinn Johnson)
A New York cop steps in front of the camera (S)

(Country: Belgium; Director: Psyché Piras and Sophie Collay ; Writer: Psyché Piras and Sophie Collay ; Cast: Psyché Piras, Benoît Verhaert, Elie Lison)
Once a month, on a full moon night something magical happens. (N)

(Country: US; Director: Jessica Sison)
Elena, 99, recounts her life in mere minutes.

(Country: Ireland; Director: Steph Green ; Writer: Steph Green ; Cast: Olutunji Ebun-Cole, Norma Sheahan, Simon O'Driscoll, Sinead Maguire, Fionn O'Shea, Byron Kumbala)

(Country: US; Director: Dana O'Keefe; Writer: Dana O'Keefe; Cast: Alex Kliment)
A troubled artist tries to make sense of things. (N)

(Country: US; Director: Mark Mollenkamp; Writer: Mark Mollenkamp; Cast: James McCarthy, Michael Arnold, Scott Peat, Sara Messer)
Fear of the dark is illuminated. (N)

(Country: UK; Director: Fiona Colins)
Real men do embroidery. (D)

(Country: US; Director: Leighton Pierce; Writer: Leighton Pierce)
Water imagery engages the experience of elasticity between varying states of mind.

(Country: US; Director: Scott Nyerges )
An abstract rendition of the melting of the polar ice caps.

(Country: Iceland; Director: Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurdsson ; Writer: Huldar Breidfjord ; Cast: Johann Sigurdarson, Sigurdur Skulason, Lilja Thorisdottir, Petur Einarsson, Sveinn Olafur Gunnarsson, Runar Juliusson)
A man's boots aren't made for selling. (S)

(Country: Israel; Director: Lior Geller ; Writer: Lior Geller; Cast: Waseem Nur Habshi, Daniel Chernish, Mahmud Mura, Osama Rabaya, Haled Mayer Marwat)
A 13-year-old Arab and an Israeli ex-soldier connect. (S)

(Country: France; Director: Didier Canaux; Writer: Didier Canaux; Cast: Philippe Clay, Andrée Damant, Elisa Heusch)
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder for a grandfather. (N)

(Country: US; Director: John Magary; Writer: John Magary; Cast: Al Thompson, J D Williams, Dane Rhodes, Karen Pritchett)
After MacArthur's savings are stolen from his FEMA trailer, he and his cousin Natt take work gutting a house.

(Country: US; Director: Rebecca Dreyfus )
A camera-shy photographer. (D)

(Country: Germany; Director: Nico Zingelmann; Writer: Nico Zingelmann; Cast: Herbert Knaup, Christoph Bach)
Hell hath no fury like an employee scorned. (S)

(Country: US; Director: Andrew Okpeaha MacLean; Writer: Andrew Okpeaha MacLean; Cast: Tony Bryant, Olemaun Rexford, Brad Weyiouanna)
An Inuit hunter inadvertantly witnesses a murder.

(Country: Sweden; Director: Ulrik Friberg ; Writer: Ulrik Friberg ; Cast: Laszlo Hago, Josephine Bauer, Niclas Abrahamsson)
A couple may never get a chance to remember their night together. (N)

(Country: Netherlands; Director: Stefan van de Staak ; Writer: Stefan van de Staak; Cast: Sarah Pach, Daniele Trio)
Nostalgic story about longing and staying young forever. Preceding 57,000 Kilometers Between Us. (N)

(Country: Canada; Director: Emmanuel Shirinian; Writer: Amy Cameron, Emmanuel Shirinian; Cast: Michael Cohen, Danny Wells, Joel Keller)
A rabbi suffers an existential crisis. (N)

(Country: France; Director: Frédéric Farrucci; Writer: Frédéric Farrucci; Cast: Bernard Alane, Cyprien Fouquet, Alain Blazquez, Marc Wilhelm)
A medical examiner's assistant will do anything to keep his job. (N)

(Country: Iran; Director: Bahar Behbahani; Writer: Bahar Behbahani; Cast: Bahar Behbahani, Andre Hovsepian)
A woman questions love, humanity, identity, freedom and femininity when everything is normal. Preceding Somers Town. (N)

(Country: US; Director: David Andalman; Writer: David Andalman; Cast: Brandon Thane Wilson, Keziah Niambi John- Paul, Vikrum Mathur, David Aaronson, Martha Bergmark, Elliott Andalman)
A pasty basketball player longs for some color in his life. (N)

(Country: US; Director: Brian Lilla; Cast: Princess Donna, Lorelei Lee)
Lorelei Lee and Princess Donna reveal pleasure and pain. (D)

(Country: US; Director: Joel Schlemowitz; Writer: Joel Schlemowitz; Cast: Gecko Saccomanno)
Experimental filmmaker Joel Schlemowitz pays tribute to electrical engineer Nikola Tesla. (D*)

(Country: Italy; Director: Michele Alhaique; Writer: Federico Mazzei ; Cast: Lorenzo De Angelis, Andrea Meloni, Fabio Scotti, Alessio Attanasio, Danilo Meloni, Giada Fradeani, Giordano de Plano)
Footballing boys learn lessons in sportsmanship. (N)

(Country: Japan; Director: Hyoe Yamamoto ; Writer: Hyoe Yamamoto )
Writers block causes a roadblock between two women. (N)

(Country: Israel; Director: Pazit Lichtman; Writer: Pazit Lichtman; Cast: Avital Abrgel, Sharon Fridman, Yifat Hagbi, Mital Glazer, Ayala Zamir, Maya Madger, Yiftach Erez)
A couple question their commitment at a Jewish divorce ceremony. (S)

(Country: Cuba, Puerto Rico; Director: Claudia Calderón ; Writer: Claudia Calderón, Leopoldo Nakata, Fernando de Peña ; Cast: José Antonio Rodríguez, Antulio Marín, Annia Bu, Caridad Amarán, Alejandro Chiu, Mario Guerra, Luis Alberto Delgado, Hilda Chiu, Marlenys Choy Chang, Bárbara Díaz, Joan Abreu)
A delivery boy from Havana’s Chinatown longs to alter his destiny. (S)

(Country: Canada; Director: Jeff Chiba Stearns; Writer: Jeff Chiba Stearns)
Animated self-reflection on to-do lists.

(Country: US; Director: Leetal Platt; Writer: Leetal Platt; Cast: Hamilton Longyear)
A dinner to remember. (S)

News & Features Baby Mama

Although some of the films at FrightFest had a cutting edge, many offered variations on older movies - we examine the killers and the copycats in our postmortem.

In our exclusive interview Brit acting stalwart Perry Benson talks about his contrasting roles in Somers Town and Mum & Dad.

At least they will be, if you take them to the Family Friendly Film Festival in Manchester this August.

Sunshine director 'delighted' by invitation.

The Frijj Film Festival offers a classic selection.

The numbers are now in and they suggest a big event in the making.
Playing Now! australian film fest - global haywire


Touring the country throughout March, it features Her Name Is Sabine, pictured above.


Celebrating the best new Spanish language films from across the globe, touring to Ireland from March 20.


Festival placing the spotlight on humanitarian issues across the globe, tours internationally from March onwards.

Archive australian film fest - global haywire

Highlights of 2007-2008.

Highlights of 2007-2008.

Highlights of 2006-2007.

Archive of festival coverage.

Reviews and features from New York.

Coverage of the 2007 festival.
Daily diary and reviews from 2005-2008.

Cinema with a Latin flavour.
Search

Google

EyeForFilm Web
Browse our
Browse our
Browse our
FILM | DVD | INTERACT | NEWS
Site designed by e-creationz
2006-2008 Eye For Film. All rights reserved.