GOD IS A LOBSTER
All Hours Absurdity
Joji Baratelli - 20, Grace Gallagher - 19, Chelsea Eisen - 20, Brian Niles - 20 | California
"Brilliantly absurd film, created by four directors, exploring three different stories all centered around the classic red crustacean. Amazing cinematography, a greatly structured anthology and overall a great time.”

THE METAMORPHOSIS
Animation Celebration
Kafiu Liu - 24, Mengjie Huang - 24 | California
"An extremely powerful and intriguing piece with very unique visuals. An animation that explores people’s emotions in society and leaves the true meaning up for interpretation. Truly fantastic work and I am excited to see what Kaifu Liu does next.”

THE ROSE OF MANILA
Through My Eyes
Alex Westfall - 22 | Rhode Island
"Here, the fate of a young girl and an entire nation become entangled as the mother of a country is born. This film grapples with the complexities of a person and their inner dialogue, showing emotions so raw and real, making me sink deeper and deeper into this film.”

HANDSCAPE
Reclaiming Me
Yiru Chen -22, Anke Bai - 22, Kaiwen Chen - 22 | China
“This film is about a kid with a precocious nature, Cochlear Implants and a deep love for dancing. His passionate pursuits are misunderstood and questioned by his single, deaf mother. His struggle to gain his mother's approval and his connection to her held together by the silent language on his fingertips. Absolutely beautiful story, strong cinematography and structure, truly like no other film I've seen. ”

HEADLESS INTO NIGHT
Pacific Northbest
Nifemi Madarikan - 24 | Washington
"This short film is an exploration of relationships between agency and tradition in 'othered' communities. When her father sends her on a “divine” mission, Ifelayo must confront the mystical Night Mothers next door. Words cannot describe the emotions felt when watching this, however, with its powerful shots and lyrical dialogue will leave you touched and speechless.”