BHFF
Archives

2025

Filmmaker Selection

2024

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BLOCK 1 @ 11:30 AM

Sacrament

Director: Renato de Castro

Country: Brazil

RT: 13min

Synopsis: With only a few hours left for a marriage ceremony, the groom, the best man and the bride’s brother drink an aged whiskey while debating their relationship with the bride and their divergent values. What most of them don’t expect is that this will be the last conversation of their lives....

Fragments of Yesterday

Director: Iara Scherer Keen

Country: United States

RT: 13min

Synopsis: Zoe is a 22 year old woman who came to New York City with a big dream: being a dancer. However, along the way she ended up becoming a sex worker in order to sustain her lifestyle as well as her father’s. One day he pays Zoe an unexpected visit which will change everything....

Kosher Test

Director: Riki Rotter

Country: United States

RT: 16min

Synopsis: Tamar, an ultra-Orthodox girl from an extremist community is taken to the hospital by her beloved father who thinks she has had sex. Her relationship with her father and her virginity are tested...

Khadda

Director: Rushan Jesani

Country: United States

RT: 18min

Synopsis: Despite a captain set against him, a wealthy soccer player battles prejudice, doubt, and his own limits to prove he belongs—no matter what it takes....

The Void

Director: Sashwat Mohta

Country: India

RT: 18min

Synopsis: A once brilliant teenager battling drug addiction seeks family support to heal his emotional wounds, but his conservative father’s harsh discipline and mistrust risk tearing their family apart....

A Taste of Christmas

Director: Alexander Grohmann-Velchev

Country: Germany

RT: 20min

Synopsis: For Davis, Christmas is anything but peaceful – just an obligatory event where he’s always overshadowed by his sister. But a chance encounter with the lonely Torsten at a rest stop changes his perspective. Amid family tensions and humorous moments, Davis learns that sometimes it’s the imperfect togetherness that makes the real celebration....

Silent Cycle

Director: Smahi Anand

Country: India

RT: 22min

Synopsis: During a Navratri puja, 12-year-old Vrinda gets her first period, facing stigma and outdated traditions. Her strict grandmother, Lata, insists on unsanitary cloth rags, while her mother, Aruna, offers hesitant support. With help from her younger brother, Jai, Vrinda discovers sanitary pads, sparking a clash between tradition and modernity. As tensions peak, the family finds unity during Dussehra, symbolically burning Ravana and old taboos....

Days of night

Director: Adrian von der Borch

Country: Germany

RT: 24min

Synopsis: Eighteen-year-old Luna lives on the streets with her boyfriend Marius. They both are addicts and are prepared to do a lot to get their fix. But when Luna realizes that she is pregnant, it is not only their relationship that is at stake....

BLOCK 2 @ 11:45 AM

Engelstan

Director: Manu Coeman

Country: Belgium

RT: 27min

Synopsis: Deborah is a rather tough piano teacher. She lives in Calais, France. Mansour is a Syrian refugee with a continual big smile on his lips. He wants to cross the Channel to England. By accident, Deborah welcomes Mansour into her home. An improbable meeting, which awakens a buried and tragic past....

Voyager

Director: Joel Stephen Fleming

Country: Australia

RT: 8min

Synopsis: A young Australian naval officer endures the loss of five classmates in a training accident, only to be assigned to the destroyer HMAS Voyager on her tragic last mission....

My David

Director: Kama Sood

Country: United States

RT: 12min

Synopsis: Rose, an elderly woman appearing to struggle with dementia, is consumed by loneliness. One day, a jittery and awkward delivery man arrives at her door, claiming payment for an overdue shipment. Drawn by curiosity, or perhaps something deeper, Rose invites him inside. What begins as a mundane encounter quickly shifts into a tense power dynamic, as the two strangers expose their vulnerabilities and secrets, turning the tables on each other....

CIALT: Caught In A Love Trap

Director: Aaron Jean, Sophie von Rheden

Country: Spain

RT: 14min

Synopsis: Writer Kate Williams and songwriter Tan Zander have shared years of creative collaboration—until Tan abruptly ends their longstanding relationship with a cold, unexplained text message. Determined to confront him, Kate travels to Madrid, seeking answers. But what she finds is more than she expected—a hidden past intertwined with her own, and a long-buried secret in a mysterious wooden box....

Friday Night Flop

Director: Simon Friedberg, Elliott Gerner

Country: UK

RT: 16min

Synopsis: A mother tries desperately to reconnect with her estranged daughter in a world of digital distraction. Friday Night Flop features a debut performance by Anoushka Cowan alongside her mother Tracy-Ann Oberman....

What’s Wrong, Emma

Director: Teo Frank

Country: France

RT: 23min

Synopsis: After receiving a signed copy of her ex-partner’s debut novel, Emma, an emerging writer visiting the south of France for her father-in-law’s birthday, feels… wrong!...

BLOCK 3 @ 1 PM

It’s My Party

Director: Sarah Ann Shankman

Country: United States

RT: 6min

Synopsis: Jenny is trying to make herself a birthday cake but her chronic illness is making it difficult. Her sister, Ana shows up and makes matters worse. She wants to vlog Jenny’s birthday to get back in the good graces of her followers after being canceled. Tension rises as they get into a fight only sisters could have and then realize what they both needed most of all was just a night with each other....

Inaudible Articulations

Director: Julia Lipsztein

Country: United States

RT: 10min

Synopsis: Inaudible Articulations tells the story of Jamie, a young man grappling with bipolar disorder, whose turbulent inner world strains his relationships with his mother and girlfriend, Tara. Through moments of despair and brief solace, Jamie’s journey captures the quiet resilience and support needed to face his own mental health battles....

Chasing Daylight

Director: Genesis Santiago

Country: United States

RT: 11min

Synopsis: A story about a group of friends learning to love one another and find the joy and healing they never received in the place that was supposed to be home. All the while becoming their own found family....

Little Candy Girl

Director: Una Smoole

Country: United States

RT: 13min

Synopsis: A miniature girl who tap dances in candy machines runs away with a curious and charming rescuer, only for her to realize that she must be the one to save herself....

Click

Director: Jonathan Aspin

Country: United States

RT: 15min

Synopsis: A coming of age story revolving Emaline, a Sophomore in High School who is coping with transferring to a brand new school district in the wake of just losing her father, trying to find something, anything to be passionate about....

Starting Line

Director: Brenton Bender

Country: United States

RT: 15min

Synopsis: When a cross country coach pits two siblings against each other, Brody pushes himself to outpace his younger brother, Archie. But restless nights and a botched practice cause Brody’s frustration to boil over and he lashes out – leaving Archie injured and forcing them both to deal with the consequences....

Énouement

Director: Angel Lu

Country: United States

RT: 15min

Synopsis: Jen, an ambitious film industry amateur, struggles to balance her demanding job and caring for her grandfather with dementia. When a work crisis collides with her caregiving duties, tensions rise, leading to a moment of frustration. However, upon discovering a heartfelt letter from her grandfather, Jen is forced to reevaluate her priorities and redefine the essence of love and time in this New York City-set short film, Énouement....

Stay Here

Director: Marley Rankin

Country: United States

RT: 15min

Synopsis: A coming-of-age story about a 14-year-old girl obsessed with womanhood. She eagerly awaits the milestones that come along with it and cannot wait to grow up. However, when faced with a harsh reality that she did not anticipate, she must consider whether she is really ready to be an adult....

The Blue Inside

Director: Arya Jo Singh

Country: United States

RT: 15min

Synopsis: When struggling alcoholic Mo takes Naya to their town’s daddy daughter dance, his daydream of reconnecting with her shifts into a nightmare as he is forced to publicly confront their strained past, and must choose between accepting reality or drowning in dangerous delusions....

Private I

Director: Evan Patrick Adams

Country: United States

RT: 17min

Synopsis: A bellboy who uses his camera to spy on guests follows a mysterious woman with a dark secret, but he’ll need to investigate himself first....

BLOCK 4 @ 1:40 PM

Singularity

Director: Ali Aksu

Country: United States

RT: 16min

Synopsis: Filmed on Richard Branson’s private Necker Island, Singularity brings together AI experts, philosophers, and innovators to explore the profound impact of artificial intelligence on humanity. Covering ethics, governance, warfare, and society’s future, the documentary delves into the existential questions AI poses. As technology evolves, Singularity challenges viewers to consider the balance between innovation and control, urging us to confront the responsibility of shaping a world where machines and humans coexist....

World Without Cows

Director: Michelle Michael, Brandon Whitworth

Country: United States

RT: 85min

Synopsis: A documentary that challenges our perceptions of cows and their role in our world. Two award-winning former journalists take you from the American heartland to Kenya, India, Brazil, and beyond, unraveling the intricate cultural, economic, and environmental threads that cows weave into our lives. Explore the impact of these animals and the far-reaching implications of their absence....

BLOCK 5 @ 2 PM

Binge!

Director: Sam David Zhang, Rohit Relan

Country: United States

RT: 3min

Synopsis: A television addict discovers a strange broadcast one day while watching TV. As he gets hooked on what he sees, he begins to have an uncanny resemblance to the horror on screen....

Behind the Face

Director: Hillfigure Hwang

Country: United States

RT: 4min

Synopsis: Street noise. Pollution. Career. Deadlines. Responsibilities. Relationships. Social Media. Comparisons… The constant overstimulation and urban anxieties push an introverted young woman to enter a world of surreal nervous breakdown....

Hide & Seek

Director: Shahmeer Madni

Country: United States

RT: 10min

Synopsis: After running over their son’s dog, a soon-to-be divorced couple dispute hiding it before he realises. When Anya leaves her son alone with their dog to go confront her cheating husband, things take a turn for the worst as a heated argument turns into a tragic loss. However, from grief, retribution arises, allowing Anya to find revenge and pursue the glimmer of light in her uncertain future, but at the expense of her child’s innocence....

Damned

Director: Lukas Anderson

Country: United States

RT: 11min

Synopsis: When a desperate father breaks house arrest, his determined parole officer tracks him by his ankle monitor. When a demon surfaces from hell to collect the father’s soul, he becomes the target of a violent two-pronged chase....

Good People

Director: Paul Cosby

Country: United States

RT: 12min

Synopsis: When a cynical young man meets his new neighbors, he’s confronted by the fact that they may be perfect. Will he find a crack in their scheme? or can two people really be flawless?...

The Things We Keep

Director: Joanna Fernandez

Country: United States

RT: 15min

Synopsis: Receiving word her estranged mother is unable to take care of herself, Kate returns to pack up her mom’s house and send her to a nursing home. Unfortunately, it’s a big task: her mother is a lifelong hoarder. As Kate unravels the mystery of her mother’s obsession and illness, she discovers that the hoarding was actually self-preservation. There is evil in the house’s walls, and they must be covered at all costs....

Rain

Director: Imogen McCluskey

Country: United States

RT: 18min

Synopsis: The appearance of a mysterious orange light upends a fraught family Christmas, forcing their pregnant daughter to decide between the overbearing expectations of her family or her own safety....

Breaking Character

Director: Joey Buzzella

Country: United States

RT: 20min

Synopsis: Theo Maddison, a struggling LA actor, blurs the line between his performance and his own malicious thoughts as he commits further to a serial killer role....

BLOCK 6 @ 3:30 PM

Afloat

Director: Reilly Johnson

Country: United States

RT: 12min

Synopsis: Avery, a new hire at Chicago Seas Boat Tours, attempts to stay afloat as she encounters a harrowing call to action on the Chicago River...

Shorthanded

Director: Jack Martino

Country: United States

RT: 13min

Synopsis: A Hispanic hockey player battles through a shoulder injury as he tries to secure the last spot on a highly competitive team under the command of a coach with racist tendencies....

Stride

Director: Alazar Aklilu

Country: United States

RT: 13min

Synopsis: Mac, an 18-year-old track athlete, pushes his limits for the opportunity of a lifetime—a scholarship that could change everything. But as he ignores his father’s growing concerns, he faces a challenge that tests not just his body, but his very sense of purpose....

Aperture

Director: Julie Anne Koehnen

Country: United States

RT: 14min

Synopsis: After trying to make it in the corporate world, a young photographer with no real-world success is forced to come to terms with her creativity if she is to find her real place in life....

Traveling Mercies

Director: Niva Dorell

Country: United States

RT: 15min

Synopsis: Two Black high school students have different attitudes about the daily micro aggressions they experience in an ultra wealthy neighborhood of Houston, TX. When one of them encounters a shocking outburst at their private prep school, they’re both forced to reexamine their viewpoints....

Theater Kid

Director: Liam Burns

Country: United States

RT: 18min

Synopsis: A high school senior Kenneth nearly jeopardizes his schools theater production because of his delusions of grandeur and a treatment of his fellow cast mates as well as his crush Jane....

BLOCK 7 @ 3:40 PM

Lost Wolves of Yellowstone

Director: Thomas Winston

Country: United States

RT: 92min

Synopsis: On January 12, 1995 wolves returned to Yellowstone, 50 years after their extirpation. Mollie Beattie, the first female director of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, carried the first Canadian born wolf into The Park’s experimental acclimation enclosure, Alpha Female Wolf No. 5. From that day forward, their lives would be forever connected. This is the untold story of Mollie’s Pack and the Lost Wolves of Yellowstone....

BLOCK 8 @ 4 PM

Cecilia’s Ship

Director: Bret McKee

Country: United States

RT: 10min

Synopsis: A fatigued single mother, with a young dying daughter, is plagued by insomnia and a recurring dream. Cecilia’s Ship is a short film that is haunting, touching, and teaches acceptance, especially in the face of trauma. Cancer doesn’t discriminate....

Wandering Glider

Director: Ara Torosian

Country: United States

RT: 13min

Synopsis: This artistic film delves into the topic of Iranian immigration and the pursuit of dreams without a clear understanding of the future. It tells the story of disappointed individuals who attempt to change their lives but find themselves disconnected from reality....

Sins of a Father

Director: Nuekellar Hardy

Country: United States

RT: 14min

Synopsis: Amidst echoes of his past, Bryan embarks on a heartfelt quest to rewrite his future, confronting his father to break the chains of generational trauma and carve out his own legacy of love and growth....

Remnants of Nova

Director: James Barker

Country: United States

RT: 15min

Synopsis: Dani and Nova’s band finally lands their first big gig—until Nova, battling depression, drops out, shattering their relationship. As Dani faces the stage alone, Nova spirals into crisis in this raw, urgent portrait of queer love, mental health, and the fragile chords that hold us together....

Bald

Director: Monique Straw

Country: United States

RT: 15min

Synopsis: After receiving life-altering news, a woman embarks on a transformative journey that pushes her beyond the safety of her comfort zone. Daring to embrace new experiences and confront hidden fears, she rediscovers parts of herself she never knew existed....

The Joke’s On Them

Director: Gary O. Bennett

Country: United States

RT: 16min

Synopsis: A driven businesswoman is forced to reevaluate her career after being diagnosed with a brain tumor. In the process, she is drawn to a subordinate whom she believes is repeating her own past mistakes....

The Second Oldest Man Alive

Director: Jeremy Max

Country: United States

RT: 22min

Synopsis: While reading a book of world records with his great-grandchildren, William Bennett discovers that the world’s oldest man is just days older than he is. Seeing this as a way to cement his legacy, William attempts to outlive the oldest man....

BLOCK 9 @ 5:30 PM

America’s Next Best President

Director: Katie Cassidy

Country: United States

RT: 7min

Synopsis: A spoof on American politics told as a game show. America’s votes are in and we’re down to the final five contestants. Watch to find out who The Next Best President of the U.S. is gonna be…...

I Don’t

Director: Gabriella Kessler

Country: United States

RT: 12min

Synopsis: I Don’t is about a runaway bride who decides that instead of walking down the aisle, she’s running—far, fast, and toward a version of freedom she left behind. However, she must confront complicated truths in order to stop running away from herself....

O.C.D.

Director: Luca Pizzoleo

Country: United States

RT: 13min

Synopsis: A neurotic delivery driver named Owen battles his OCD at a local convenience store while his TikToker girlfriend plans an exposure therapy dinner date at home. But when she helps him resist his compulsion, it subsequently triggers the apocalypse....

Solutions

Director: Dan Aid

Country: United States

RT: 18min

Synopsis: In a last ditch effort to extricate herself from the ramshackle farce of her suburban existence a woman caught between her dysfunctional husband and her densely loyal lover attempts to off one while framing the other....

The Method

Director: Rick Rocha

Country: United States

RT: 23min

Synopsis: A legendary acting teacher’s relentless pursuit of perfection pushes an overly eager student into the dark depths of his own psyche. As the student becomes engulfed in a masochistic and obsessive acting method, the lines between reality and performance blur. Soon, the series of events takes a criminal turn, leaving the audience questioning… Where does the act end, and reality begin?...

A Conscious Uncoupling

Director: Alex J Britten

Country: United States

RT: 24min

Synopsis: A couple facing the rocky shoals of their relationship chickens out and decides to ‘Consciously Uncouple’, but throughout the process they’re forced to face the emotions they’ve been avoiding...

Rock N’ Rolled

Director: John Fahy

Country: United States

RT: 29min

Synopsis: Young tightly-wound accountant Harmony Hart brings her new boyfriend Felix Silva home to NYC to meet her mother, the world-famous rock star Desiree Hart. The legendary diva and her entourage of colorful collaborators put Harmony and Felix through the rock n’ roll ringer, testing the limits of their budding romance. Think Meet the Parents meets Almost Famous....

BLOCK 10 @ 5:45 PM

Call Me Shamsz

Director: Geoff Browne

Country: United States

RT: 11min

Synopsis: At 15, Shamsz’s world was shattered by a shocking diagnosis. Now, a decade later, this documentary follows his journey from despair to hope, as he inspires Nigeria’s youth....

The Connector

Director: Ian Mitchell

Country: United States

RT: 11min

Synopsis: The Connector is a short documentary that uncovers the transformative power of bridges in underserved African communities, highlighting how these structures transcend their physical form to become symbols of empowerment, driving social change, gender equality, and sustainable development across the continent....

Hooked

Director: Glen Fulthorpe

Country: United States

RT: 29min

Synopsis: Hooked follows a filmmaker’s journey into his family’s history of alcohol and opioid addiction, addressing generational trauma and the complexities of fatherhood while seeking redemption and understanding....

In a Box: Deported Noncitizen U.S. Veterans

Director: Cutty Cuthbert

Country: United States

RT: 34min

Synopsis: In a Box profiles Edwin Salgado (a deported U.S. Marine Corps veteran) and Daniel Oyarzabal (a recently repatriated U.S. Air Force veteran). The film also explores the policies that enable and perpetuate the deportations of noncitizen veterans of the U.S. military. In a Box includes reporting from Tijuana, Mexico; La Mesa, California, and Los Angeles, CA....

BLOCK 11 @ 6:45 PM

Stairs of Love (Escadaria do Amor)

Director: Gui Agustini

Country: United States

RT: 19min

Synopsis: Julia discovers Carlos intends to propose to her. This makes insecurities that were previously pushed aside resurface. In a struggle with love and with two strong and divergent personalities, the couple tries to survive this turbulent phase, exploring the traumas of their relationship, such as complicity, honesty, and their racial difference....

One Night

Director: David Laňka

Country: United States

RT: 91min

Synopsis: Two years ago, it seemed that Adam and Eliška could do everything. He was a successful rock guitarist. Now Adam’s done two years in jail, working as a digger, can’t get a proper job. And it’s the whole bleak situation of their lives and the fact that Eliška has to sell herself via livechat for money that goes over Adam’s head one night....

BLOCK 12 @ 7:30 PM

Sheepdog

Director: Steven Grayhm

Country: United States

RT: 128min

Synopsis: A decorated combat Veteran is court ordered into treatment when an ex-convict shows up on his doorstep and reveals that he must put himself back together again....

BLOCK 13 @ 7:45 PM

Aliens Don’t Like White People

Director: Parker Reininga

Country: United States

RT: 9min

Synopsis: Two friends, caught in a debate about the existence of aliens and their public relations, commit to a routine break-in, only to stumble into a bizarre surprise....

The Alibi

Director: David Chrzanowski

Country: United States

RT: 17min

Synopsis: In a near-empty, Detroit dive bar, circa 1984, a ten-year-old boy waits for his father to be done working. Alex’s childhood hangout may not exactly be conventional, but he worships his Dad. And he’s always felt safe around his crew. Until now. Because when the “job” his Pops is running goes sideways, Alex must prove his worth by completing a dangerous mission....

The Comic Shop

Director: Jonathan L. Bowen

Country: United States

RT: 95min

Synopsis: A former illustrator, Mike runs a struggling comic shop in suburban Las Vegas. Disillusioned by his life at middle age, his dreams seemingly long behind him, he struggles with alcohol abuse. When a young customer, Brandon, moves to town and takes interest in his shop and illustrating skills, the two form an unlikely friendship that leads Mike back toward his dreams with Brandon hoping to follow....

BLOCK 14 @ 8:50 PM

Dwelling Among the Gods

Director: Vuk Rsumovic

Country: United States

RT: 102min

Synopsis: In 2015, as Hungary prepares to close its borders to refugees, a young Afghan woman and her family reach Belgrade during their exhausting journey to Europe. There, she discovers her younger brother Ali, who arrived in Serbia before them, has drowned and will soon be buried unnamed. While thousands rush desperately towards Hungary’s closing borders, she refuses to leave Belgrade before burying her brother under his proper name. The true story of modern Antigone....

BLOCK 15 @ 9:30 PM

Informal Croocks

Director: Matteo Saradini

Country: United States

RT: 80min

Synopsis: Set in Los Angeles in the mid-90s, four young criminals are caught while robbing a bail bond store. When interrogated by the sharp Detective Keane, they all tell their version of the facts. Who is telling the truth?...

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BHFF Archives

Filmmaker Selection

BLOCK 1 @ 11:30 AM

BLOCK 2 @ 11:45 AM

BLOCK 3 @ 1 PM

BLOCK 4 @ 1:40 PM

BLOCK 5 @ 2 PM

BLOCK 6 @ 3:30 PM

BLOCK 7 @ 3:40 PM

BLOCK 8 @ 4 PM

BLOCK 9 @ 5:30 PM

BLOCK 10 @ 5:45 PM

BLOCK 11 @ 6:45 PM

BLOCK 12 @ 7:30 PM

BLOCK 13 @ 7:45 PM

BLOCK 14 @ 8:50 PM

BLOCK 15 @ 9:30 PM

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