Month: October 2026

October 22, 2026November 3, 2026

True story, beneath Washington Square, an urban park in Philadelphia, lie buried the bodies of hundreds of enslaved people. What if, one night, they all came back as zombies, but they only ate white people?

Run Wild

2026 Official Selection: Featurette – Arthouse/Experimental

A 70’s love-child endures a piercing life lesson during a rare weekend visitation with her addicted, estranged father recently released from prison.

Program 12 – Pivotal Spotlight · Sat, Dec 5, 2026 · 8:00 PM

Director(s): Roxanna Lewis
Writer(s): Roxanna Lewis
Producer(s): Roxanna Lewis, Rachel Stander, Tracy A. Martin, Karine Mauffrey, Kimberly Seilhamer
Key Cast: Jophielle Love, Eric Palmer, Lidiya Korotko, Sally Struthers, Jonny Walker
Editor(s): Matt Westlake
Cinematographer(s): Kate Ketcham
Production Designer(s): Linda Dahlem
Sound Designer(s): Matt Broadfoot
Composer(s): Dave Eggar and Phil Faconti

Language: Arabic, English

Runtime: 21m

Country: United States

Synopsis: Rayla, an eight-year-old love child from a violently broken home, is torn between adoring and fearing her estranged alcoholic father, Taz. When the obligatory weekend visitation finally transpires, Rayla finds herself forced into a terrifying task in the desert.

In English and Arabic with subtitles.

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The Black Abbey

2026 Official Selection: Screenplay – Screenplay – Feature Film

Screenplay Awards Ceremony · Sun, Dec 6, 2026 · 2:00 PM

In 1890s Whitby, a dying stranger brings a creeping sickness to a remote abbey, forcing Benedictine monks to confront an ancient terror that warps flesh and tests faith.

Writer(s): Michael Consiglio, Alex Klein

Language: English

Country: Not Specified

In 1890s Whitby, a devastating storm delivers a dying stranger to a remote abbey, where a brotherhood of Benedictine monks soon discovers a creeping sickness—one that warps flesh, tests faith, and threatens to unravel them from within. As isolation deepens and the darkness spreads, the monks must confront an ancient terror before it consumes them all.

Out Of My System

2026 Official Selection: Short Film – Drama

Is healing from addiction or a first love truly possible?

Program 02 – Originality Spotlight · Fri, Dec 4, 2026 · 7:15 PM

Director(s): Viveka Garza Gómez
Writer(s): Viveka Garza Gómez
Producer(s): Viveka Garza Gómez, Amirah Adem
Key Cast: Viveka Garza Gómez, Alexander Faeron
Editor(s): Jewells Santos, Nicole Russell
Cinematographer(s): Ziqi Yang
Production Designer(s): Emma Pine
Sound Designer(s): Ben Kruse
Composer(s): Alexander Hansson

Language: English

Runtime: 11m

Country: United States

Los Angeles Premiere

Synopsis: After receiving a crushing email from her first love, Renata retreats into the woods to avoid slipping into old habits. Obsessing on how to reply she quickly spirals into a violent night with what once threatened to destroy her.

Blonde in the Congo

2026 Official Selection: Screenplay – Screenplay – Feature Film

Screenplay Awards Ceremony · Sun, Dec 6, 2026 · 2:00 PM

Let the culture clashes and love affairs begin.

Writer(s): Bren Bennington Dahl

Language: English

Country: Not Specified

An adventure seeking college grad girl who wants to see the world, joins the Peace Corps and gets posted in the African Congo. There she takes a wild ride juggling language challenges and culture clashes while falling in love with two very different fellow volunteers, who end up changing her life forever.

The Devil’s Lettuce

2026 Official Selection: Short Film – Comedy

In this 90s PSA, a rebellious teen shrugs off his father’s anti-drug sermon and learns the hard way that marijuana might just be "the gateway drug to hell."

Program 01 – Creativity Spotlight · Fri, Dec 4, 2026 · 7:00 PM

Director(s): Richard Rogers
Writer(s): Richard Rogers
Producer(s): Ryan Bedsaul
Key Cast: Ryker Baloun, Corey Landis
Cinematographer(s): Matthew Roveto
Composer(s): Rock Burwell

Language: English

Runtime: 12m

Country: United States

Synopsis: In this 90s PSA, a rebellious teen shrugs off his father’s anti-drug sermon and learns the hard way that marijuana might just be "the gateway drug to hell."

The Day You Find Your Name

2026 Official Selection: Short Film – Drama

During the Black Panther movement, a pregnant Afeni Shakur battles 189 felony charges, forced to defend herself in a trial that could cost her freedom and her unborn child’s future

Program 22 – Thrilling Spotlight · Sun, Dec 6, 2026 · 5:30 PM

Director(s): Dominique R. Draper
Writer(s): Dominique R. Draper
Producer(s): Dominique R. Draper, Qingyi Song, Brana Monet, David Ahaiwe Dixon
Key Cast: Journey Carter, Mitchell Edwards
Editor(s): UTKARSH KUMAR
Cinematographer(s): Brana Monet & Sika Stanton
Production Designer(s): CAMILA RODRÍGUEZ
Sound Designer(s): JIAQI "ARABELLA" BAI
Composer(s): Tristan Jones

Language: English

Runtime: 15m

Country: United States

Synopsis: From her jail cell, eight months pregnant, Afeni Shakur writes a letter to her unborn son, Tupac, reflecting on her transformation from Alice Faye Williams into a Black Panther leader. As government surveillance and betrayal threaten the movement, Afeni and twenty fellow Panthers face 189 felony charges in the historic Panther 21 trial. With her freedom and unborn child’s future at stake, Afeni chooses to defend herself in court against a system determined to silence her.

October 21, 2026

The Day You Find Your Name

2026 Official Selection: Short Film – Drama

During the Black Panther movement, a pregnant Afeni Shakur battles 189 felony charges, forced to defend herself in a trial that could cost her freedom and her unborn child’s future

Screening date & tickets — to be announced

Director(s): Dominique R. Draper
Writer(s): Dominique R. Draper
Producer(s): Dominique R. Draper, Qingyi Song, Brana Monet, David Ahaiwe Dixon
Key Cast: Journey Carter, Mitchell Edwards
Editor(s): UTKARSH KUMAR
Cinematographer(s): Brana Monet & Sika Stanton
Production Designer(s): CAMILA RODRÍGUEZ
Sound Designer(s): JIAQI "ARABELLA" BAI
Composer(s): Tristan Jones

Language: English

Runtime: 15m

Country: United States

Ever Green & The F***ing Spectrum

2026 Official Selection: Short Film – Drama

A raw exploration of neurodiversity, family dysfunction, and the Hollywood gaze on disability.

Program 04 – Impactful Spotlight · Fri, Dec 4, 2026 · 9:20 PM

Director(s): Peter Kangas
Writer(s): Peter Kangas, Josiah Polhemus
Producer(s): Peter Kangas, Josiah Polhemus, Taylor Rust, Elissa Down
Key Cast: Brendan Looney, Leo Burnett, Josiah Polhemus
Editor(s): Matthew R. Smith
Cinematographer(s): Frank Paul Perez
Sound Designer(s): Owen Peterson
Composer(s): Katherine Beggs

Language: English

Runtime: 15m

Country: United States

Los Angeles Premiere

Synopsis: Paul, a young autistic man, struggles to process his father’s terminal cancer diagnosis while haunted by Ever Green—a character from a Hollywood autism film he despises. Through therapy sessions and painful memories, Paul confronts his grief, his strained relationship with his father, and society’s stereotypical portrayals of autism. A raw exploration of neurodiversity, family dysfunction, and the Hollywood gaze on disability.

October 20, 2026November 3, 2026

The Blue Hand

2026 Official Selection: Featurette – Documentary

An LAPD officer fired toward partygoers at a South Central block party. Then detectives used a shadow warrant to investigate a shooting victim.

Program 21 – Cutting Edge Spotlight · Sun, Dec 6, 2026 · 5:15 PM

Director(s): Jayrol San Jose, Ben Camacho
Producer(s): Ben Camacho, Jayrol San Jose
Editor(s): Jayrol San Jose
Cinematographer(s): Jayrol San Jose

Language: English

Runtime: 21m

Country: United States

Synopsis: On June 3, 2020, LAPD Officer Nathaniel Beck, assigned to the Community Safety Partnership, fired five shots toward partygoers at a South Central block party. One bullet hit a man in the face. LAPD never disclosed Beck’s CSP assignment. Detectives then used a search warrant to investigate a shooting victim and never returned it to the court, leaving no public record. The Blue Hand, by Ben Camacho and Jayrol San Jose, follows what happened after the gunfire stopped.