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| ImageMakers: Season Two: Episodes |
Episode one: Hangover
A WHOLE NEW DAY
USA
19 minutes
Vincent (The Sopranos' James Gandolfini) has hit rock bottom. After blacking out after a night of heavy drinking, he finds his wife (Kathrine Narducci, also from The Sopranos) has not only left with their three kids, but has emptied the apartment of all their possessions. This black comedy is written and directed by William Garcia, who used to bartend with Gandolfini prior to his big break on The Sopranos.
BURIED
Australia
7 minutes
Sometimes disposing of a body can be a real pain. It's even more difficult when your partner in crime is a lazy and forgetful drunk. Written, produced and directed by Tim Bullock, BURIED won the best film award at Sydney's Tropfest, the world's largest outdoor short film festival. Cast: Jason Gann and Clayton Jacobson.
Episode two: Waking from a Nightmare
SCHNEIDER'S 2ND STAGE
England
16 minutes
In the middle of nowhere, Joe's (Kenneth Branagh) mobile phone rings. The voice on the other end tells him to take a look in the back of his car. What he finds there is just the beginning of a nightmare that will change his life forever. Schneider's 2nd Stage marks Phil Stoole's debut as a writer, producer and director though he has worked with Branagh before, as his assistant and more recently as his stand in for the Harry Potter films.
ANOTHER LIFE
USA
12 minutes
Within the walls of a remote cabin, a man and a woman discover the thin line between love and hate. First-time filmmaker Tracy D'Arcy reveals that first impressions can be deceiving in this short shocker. Cast: William Sadler (Roswell, Shawshank Redemption) and Jessica Tuck (Murder One, Judging Amy, One Life to Live).
Episode three: Something Wicked This Way Comes
THE HITCH
Australia
15 minutes
Hitching a ride out in the country is a dangerous undertaking -- especially when there is a serial killer on the loose. Take a spin-chilling ride on a lonely stretch of highway. Written, produced and directed by Damon Herriman (who appears as the hitchhiker) and Michael Booth (who appears as the cop).
FRENCH DOORS
New Zealand
12 minutes
If houses could talk, the stories they would tell...an unsuspecting do-it-yourself type gets more than he bargained for when he installs a very unusual set of french doors in his new house. Instead of letting in light, the doors only let in darkness. Writer/director Steve Ayson previously worked as a writer/art director in advertising before moving into filmmaking. Cast: Brett Stewart and Andrew Kovacevich.
Episode four: All About Sex
PEEP SHOW
USA
9 minutes
A woman sneaks into a seedy X-rated theater. Instead of a sexually charged dance, she experiences what most women truly "want." A hilarious short film proving that men and women truly are from different planets. Charlie Call directed, produced and edited Peep Show and the film has played at over 80 film festivals worldwide and has won the best short film award in over 16 festivals. Cast: Jane Leyden, Damon Jones, Bob Kirsh.
WHITE BITS
England
4 minutes
Opportunity may knock only once, but sometimes it's better not to answer the door. Written and directed by Academy Award nominated director Alexander Jovy. Cast: Georgia Zaris, Nick Moran and James Deffern.
FUEL
Ireland
3 minutes
It's been a long day. A frazzled group of bickering old ladies pile into a car. Tempers are ready to flare when they make a stop at a gas station. When the gas attendant appears, he gives the slogan "service with a smile" a brand new meaning. Written and directed by Rachel Tillotson. Cast: Bella Emberg, Maggie Ollerenshaw, Christine Ozanne and Daniel Cerqueria.
SUNDAY MORNING
Australia
10 minutes
Meet Cathy and Andy -- tired, hung over, naked -- and meeting for the first time! A comedy written, directed and edited by brothers Michael and Peter Spierig. The brothers have gone on to direct their first feature, The Undead. Cast: Karl McMillan, Natasha Yantsch.
Episode five: The Hold Up
HONEST INJUN
USA
23 minutes
After a botched bank robbery, three men sweat it out in a greasy diner wondering how things could have gone so terribly wrong -- a bank teller lies dead back at the bank and no one knows who pulled the trigger. Written and directed by Matt Casado. Cast: Mark Pellegrino, Ricardo Molina, Danny Molina, Stephen Sorentino and Anne-Marie Polle.
NULL NULL
Germany
5 minutes
When a man finds himself in a difficult situation he must rely on the kindness of a stranger in this short comedy. Written, produced and directed by Uwe Irnsinger. Cast: Jorg Annen and Ralf Schmidt.
Episode six: Highway Justice
JUDGEMENT
USA
29 minutes
Welcome to Judgement, Texas, a small town where nothing of significance ever happens -- until today. Deputy Sam Taylor (Matthew McConaughey) pulls over an African-American man for speeding who fits the description of a suspected murderer. Judgement is a finely tuned discourse on the ethics of racial profiling. Directed by David Winkler. Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Clarence Williams III, Illeana Douglas.
Episode seven: Love and War
THE BOOK AND THE ROSE
USA
29 minutes
A classic romance, set in 1942, about two people brought together by fate when a young soldier, about to ship out to Europe, finds an old book filled with mysterious notes. The film was short-listed for a 2003 Academy Award and has played in over 50 film festivals in the United States alone. Directed by Jeff Bemiss and based on the two-paragraph story, "The People with the Roses" by Max Lucado. Principle cast: Chris Kennedy, Carey Lessard and Elaine Fabyanic.
Episode eight: Seriously, Let's Get Animated
MORE
USA
7 minutes
A tired, old inventor struggles to find meaning in his bland, colorless life and breaks out of his oppressive assembly-line existence by creating a remarkable invention -- special goggles that allows the wearer to see only beautiful things, only to learn that true happiness cannot be manufactured. Directed and animated by Mark Osborne.
SENTINELLES
Canada
7 minutes
A stunning animation that blurs the line between the living and the inanimate. Dawn in a dream-like, surreal city. From their posts high atop a skyscraper, the metallic heads of two eagles come to life in a poetic tale of love and survival. Written and directed by Guy Lampron, Sentinelles took a team of 15 people three years to complete.
THE PERIWIG MAKER
Germany
15 minutes
Set in rat-infested London during The Black Plague, this absorbing puppet animation portrays a solitary wig maker in the throws of a fateful decision when a sick little girl knocks on his door. This haunting Oscar-nominated film is narrated by Kenneth Branagh, directed by the brother and sister team of Steffen and Annette Schaeffler, and based on the Daniel Dafoe novel, "A Journal of the Plague Year."
Episode nine: Comedy of Life
GEORGE LUCAS IN LOVE
USA
9 minutes
What do you get when you cross Shakespeare in Love with Star Wars? George Lucas in Love is a clever fictional chronicle of the filmmaker's inspirations for his films. Directed by Joe Nussbaum and Joseph Levy. Cast: Martin Hynes, Lisa Jakub.
DANGLE
Germany / England
6 minutes
A man goes for a walk in the hills and finds a rope inexplicably hanging from the sky. As he struggles with his decision on whether to pull or not to pull he ultimately comes to the realization that every action has a reaction -- and in this case, it literally comes with strings attached. Written, directed and acted by Philip Traill.
KARLCHEN'S PARADE
Germany
8 minutes
One man's dream of being a drum major comes true in the absurd, Buster Keaton-esque comedy. Written and directed by Michael Ester, this film shows that some people really do march to the beat of a different drum. Cast: Dirk Bach and Elizabeth Scherer.
HEAP OF TROUBLE
England
4 minutes
A group of men wreak havoc as they take to the streets to fight for emancipation from their suburban shackles. Writer/director Steve Sullivan was shocked and amused when postcards promoting the British film were banned by the US post office.
Episode ten: Life is One Big Roller Coaster Ride
THIS GUY IS FALLING
USA
11 minutes
Wayne is a dreamer, a nice guy, but not the brightest person in the world. He magically transforms into a superhero when the careless flick of an anti-gravity switch throws the entire planet into chaos. When all hell breaks loose, never underestimate the power of love. It took Michael Horowitz and Gareth Smith (with the help of many talented friends) two days to shoot the actors and three intense weeks to create the gorgeous special effects. Cast: Todd Giebenhain, Lela Lee, Maria-Elena Laas, Colburn Tseng.
IN GOD WE TRUST
USA
16 minutes
Sent to Limbo by a speeding truck, Robert escapes purgatory to try to adjust his score with hilarious results. Will his well-intended efforts result in a visit to the pearly gates or put him on the express elevator to Hell? Only God knows. Written and directed by Jason Reitman, produced by Dan Dubiecki. Principle cast: Richard Speight, Jr., Shelley Berman, Jeff Witzke and Jim O'Heir.
Episode eleven: Comedy Through a Dark Lens
ZEN AND THE ART OF LANDSCAPING
USA
17 minutes
Zen, an unsuspecting lawn care worker, finds himself in the middle of a bubbling family crisis. Long buried secrets are revealed with rapid fire frequency in this outrageous comedy that puts the fun in family dysfunction. Director David Kartch won a Student Academy Award for his efforts on this film. Cast: Greg Haberny, Kathleen Garrett, Jacob Pitts and Mark Blum.
LAST ATTACK OF THE BEAST
USA
12 minutes
When you're the only one around, is there no such thing as right and wrong? A modern Sergio Leone/Sam Peckinpah style apocalyptic western with machines instead of horses. Writer/Director Gerardo Naranjo won a Director's Guild Award for this short film. Principle cast: Dennis Deal.
ImageMakers season two
Episode twelve: Strange Love
SERAGLIO
USA
13 minutes
in this surprising tale of passion and adultery, an unhappy housewife becomes an unlikely seductress after finding an anonymous letter tucked inside a cabbage from her garden. Her behavior turns the quiet suburban neighborhood upside down. Written, produced and directed by the husband and wife team of Gail Lerner and Colin Campbell. This film was rejected by the first seven festivals it was submitted to but went on to be nominated for an Academy Award. Cast: Debra Christofferson, Gary Kelley and Joseph Grimm.
KITCHEN SINK
New Zealand
14 minutes
From the bowels of a kitchen sink comes a dark and tender love story. Written and directed by Alison Maclean, director of the feature film “Crush.” Cast: Theresa Healey, Peter Tait.
Episode thirteen: A Second Chance
HIGHRISE
Scotland
3 minutes
A young mother wonders how she take care of a baby when she can't even take care of herself? A shocking look at one woman's struggle with domesticity, motherhood and depression. Written, produced and directed by Gabrielle Russell. Cast: Kelli Hollis.
BRIGHTNESS
USA
26 minutes
Waking and finding themselves in a desert landscape, two small time crooks stumble upon a mysterious warehouse where they meet a strange man named Bix (played by Eric Idle of Monty Python fame) who gives them one more shot...but at what? Directed by Andrew Tsao and written by Todd Messegee. Cast: Chad Lindberg, Greg Fawcett, Fay Masterson and Eric Idle.
Episode fourteen: Bless the Beasts
LAMB
Australia
7 minutes
A father and his blind son scratch out a living on their drought-stricken homestead, with a pet lamb as their only hope against starvation. Directed, produced and written by Emma Freeman, the first woman in the Tropfest's history to win the best film and director award. Principle cast: Robert Menzies and Orpheus Pledger.
FROM WHERE I'M STANDING
New Zealand
10 minutes
A family of geese become the catalyst for building tension between a young married couple. When an unexpected event reveals their very different views of responsibility and compassion, they discover they don't know each other as well as they thought they did. Can the geese and their marriage be saved? Written and directed by Annalise Patterson.
CHALK
Holland
12 minutes
A prisoner fills his cell walls with exotic and magic images to make his life in captivity more bearable. When night falls, a secret routine unfolds. A female guard sneaks him pieces of chalk for his drawings. When the sadistic head guard learns of their clandestine relationship, someone may very well wind up dead. Written and directed by Diederik van Rooijen. Principle cast: Daniel Boissevain, Thekla Reuten and Rodney Beddall.
Episode fifteen: With Criminal Intent
THREE CORNERED HAT
USA
7 minutes
A man encounters a Spanish Pirate digging a hole in his lawn searching for treasure -- in present-day Berkeley. Directed by local filmmaker Tony Liano. Principle cast: Al Liner, Luis Saguar and Nail Sherief.
GREEN MONKEY
England
10 minutes
A weary London detective interviews an odd assortment of witnesses to an armed robbery, all of whom saw something different. Directed and written by Robert Sprackling. Principle cast: Steve Eliot, Max Sprackling, Liz Morton and Glenn Davis.
THE ROBBER
USA
12 minutes
A cat burglar (in this case dog burglar) winds up locked inside an apartment after his intended victim escapes. It's only him and the victim's harmless dog, when the police come knocking at the door. Directed and written by Michael Meyer. Principle cast: Robert Kerbeck.
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