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Festival Schedule
Stay tuned for the full schedule of films and panels!
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25TH
6:00PM VIP Networking Event
Buster Browns Big Dog Lounge
313 Conant St., Maumee, OH 43537
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26TH
10:00AM Filmmaker Coffee Networking
Levi & Lilac’s
301 River Rd., Maumee, OH 43537
THEATER #1
12:00PM Mini Features
Monarch
Directed by Anthony Wright
Length: 43:09
A young man named Danny time travels back one year to prevent the death of his wife. Unexpected surprises lurk around every corner, as Danny tracks down her killer.
The Best Union That Money Could Buy
Directed by Mike Balonek
Length: 45:00
After a shady contract, three former Jeep workers go to the FBI to report alleged corruption going on at their plant, sparking a massive Justice Department investigation into the UAW that resulted in historic reforms of the union and major contract wins against the Big Three automakers.
2:00PM Shorts Block #2 - Local / Ohio Shorts 1
Girl in the Woods
Directed by Claudia Pak
Length: 9:09
Trapped in a painful cycle of shame and depression, a woman stumbles upon someone she's long been neglecting—her own inner-child.
Jars of Sound
Directed by Amy Piero
Length: 4:22
A silent world. A woman. And jars that contain sound.
Decaying Fragments
Directed by Anthony Reyes
Length: 7:09
A soldier on a survey mission in a quarantine zone survives a helicopter crash but slowly loses his mind.
Fever Dream
Directed by Gabe Rios
Length: 7:47
A woman with a high fever starts to experience strange events.
Inside the Writer's Mind
Directed by Amy Piero
Length: 5:28
A writer sits down—determined to finally get some work done—and finds herself immediately ambushed within her own mind. Imposter Syndrome, Intrusive Thoughts, Reason... can she navigate the chaos of her own psyche?
Watchers
Directed by Isabel Zeng
Length: 6:33
An experimental short film in which a myopic woman visits her optometrist and inadvertently discovers her inner vision.
Braids
Directed by Charles Wetzel Jr.
Length: 8:48
When Jim reveals he learned to braid hair from his late sister — and that today would have been her birthday — his friend Lesley refuses to let the day go uncelebrated. What starts as a quiet college movie night turns into a spontaneous road trip, a cemetery after dark, and a birthday cake for the deceased.
3:40PM Shorts Block #4 - Local / Ohio Shorts 2
Holy Crap
Directed by J.W. Cox
Length: 10:00
After Sue Ellen loses her job, she prays that God will intervene. When she discovers what might be an answer to prayer, she realizes it's her chance to cash in.
Last Crossing
Directed by Heather Bayles
Length: 7:54
Haunted by the feeling that her late father is reaching out from beyond, a grieving Donna Grant seeks closure at a private seance in a remote warehouse. But as the ritual intensifies and the atmosphere turns deadly, Donna must discover her father's message before the bridge between worlds collapses forever.
Company Christmas
Directed by Digger Pierce, Aaron Gfell, Brent Gfell
Length: 19:46
A man loses his job just before Christmas, and his mind follows.
All of You
Directed by Heather Bayles
Length: 5:00
A happily married couple faces an unexpected challenge that forces them to confront what it truly means to love every side of the person you're with.
The Pumpkin Killer
Directed by Hivemind Films
Length: 6:04
A serial killer comes home.
The Forbidden Peach
Directed by Spencer Stamitoles, Bradley Tumasian
Length: 4:58
6:00PM Q&A with Sam Jaeger
7:20PM Feature - Stalker Jane (1:37:00)
THEATER #2
1:00PM Shorts Block #1 - Student Shorts - Toledo School for the Arts
2:40PM Shorts Block #3 - Student Shorts - University of Toledo
4:20PM Shorts Block #5 - Student Shorts - Bowling Green State University
Memory Box
Directed by Gwen Decker
Length: 5:12
Shattered by a recent breakup, a woman sorts through a box of mementos left by her former partner.
The Icarus Project
Directed by Luke Wilson, Sebastian Hahn
Length: 7:37
In a dark future, Kade is a 20-year-old genius who is secured a release from prison through a specialized work program that ultimately sends him into outer space.
One Night Only
Directed by Thomas Castillo
Length: 28:00
In this shaggy dog romantic comedy, a struggling musician blows into a quirky Ohio town and becomes smitten with a cute townie. But, with the next show looming, she has one night only to make a choice as to give love a shot or keep the music dream alive.
5:40PM Shorts Block #6 - Local / Ohio Shorts 3
Pink Room
Length: 8:03
Hidden Motives
Directed by Rosebelle Easthom
Length: 10:37
When one simple mission goes awry, two secret agents must trust and fight for each other.
Beckoning
Directed by Donovan Predovich
Length: 10:42
When an average office worker starts seeing glimpses of future events when he goes to sleep, his decision making and confidence of these new-found powers will test to see if he can truly control them.
Picture Taker
Directed by Joe Zappa
Length: 11:21
A private eye begins to see the same man in every photograph he's ever taken.
Casting Call
Directed by Lina Ross
Length: 9:35
Three girls field all sorts of personalities on dating apps in this absurdist comedy.
When the Sun Sets
Directed by Brandon Hendrix
Length: 15:00
After being suspended from her job, down-and-out she-detective Cass obsesses over the scraps of evidence left behind from a disturbing cold case.
7:20PM Feature - My Name is Robert Ruark (55:00)
CONFERENCE ROOM
1:40PM Workshop #1 - On-Set Positions with Bob Fredericks
3:40PM Workshop #2 - Accounting for Film with Aaron Cherr
5:00PM Headshot Sessions with Toledo Talent (first come first serve)
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27TH
10:00AM Filmmaker Coffee Networking
Levi & Lilac’s
301 River Rd., Maumee, OH 43537
THEATER #1
12:00PM Feature - Looking at Madness (1:20:00)
1:40PM Shorts Block #8 - Ohio / Regional Shorts
Marlee X
Directed by Grant Beachy
Length: 12:24
A raw and unfinished journey of a Rust Belt artist as they work to understand their creative industry, their history, and themselves.
Three Strikes
Directed by Michael DeSanto
Length: 7:04
So Tender a Flame
Directed by Carolyne Paschal
Length: 14:59
A grieving carpenter's life is upended when two orphans arrive at his doorstep, setting him on a path of healing.
The Seance Spectre
Directed by Michael DeSanto
Length: 13:00
The Pretender
Directed by Seth Cousin
Length: 20:18
A young woman and not-so free spirit stuck in a dead-end office job, is given the responsibility of delivering the files of a high-profile celebrity. She sees it as an opportunity to finally climb up the corporate ladder. But will this obstacle-ridden journey she's sent on build her up or break her down?
3:20PM Shorts Block #10 - National / International Shorts 2
Alienated!
Directed by Andrew Erbskorn
Length: 3:15
A skittish, orange lizard-like alien named Gary is attacked by large purple monsters. Hijinks ensue as Gary runs for his life and attempts to survive in an unfamiliar wilderness and travels further and further away from home.
Chi
Directed by Shankar Sudhakaran
Length: 9:00
After being abandoned in the wake of a terminal diagnosis, an aging chihuahua sets out on her final journey, not to outrun the inevitable, but to discover what it truly means to find unconditional love.
A Butler's Job
Directed by Madison Arellano, Faye Kennedy
Length: 4:43
An impeccably mannered butler takes to the streets of London to rescue a sickly detective from a seemingly nefarious vampiric organization.
After
Directed by Wesley Boone
Length: 15:00
A couple confronts the meaning of love, loss and legacy in a world where death is now a choice.
Wish In One Hand
Directed by Cosimo Solazzo
Length: 6:52
Facing the encroaching effects of an incurable disease, Julia decides to take control of her own destiny.
The Pearl Comb
Directed by Ali Cook
Length: 20:00
In 1893, a fisherman's wife becomes the first person to cure someone of tuberculosis. A doctor, intent on proving a woman's place is in the home and not practising medicine, investigates - only to discover the source of her unearthly power.
5:00PM 48-Hour Film Challenge Films
6:20PM Awards Ceremony / Networking
7:20PM Feature - Burt (1:18:00)
THEATER #2
12:00PM Shorts Block #7 - Doc Bloc
Freehand: The Muralists of Fort Wayne
Directed by Anna Porter
Length: 11:01
Mural artists in Fort Wayne, Indiana, use their gifts to create beauty and develop their community.
Sacrificed; Trading Art for War!
Directed by Douglas J. Corcoran
Length: 11:48
A Midwest man traded his extraordinary art ability and promising future for love and country.
Hands That Fed Us
Directed by Benvindo Pereira
Length: 12:48
Told through the eyes of an old family friend, this nonfiction short follows an Irish chef whose lifetime in the kitchen—and late-career reinvention—spark a deeper appreciation for cooking and connection.
Midwest Ice Age!
Directed by Douglas J. Corcoran
Length: 7:42
A Midwest man faces challenges as he realizes his dream of creating an ice carving company that produces spectacular art while helping to bring communities closer together.
1:45PM Shorts Block #9 - National / International Shorts 1
Janet
Directed by James Valiyakulathil
Length: 12:10
Janet, a pregnant 17-year-old living in her car, is working a grueling shift at a diner when her water breaks. With no money, support, or working phone, she endures labor alone on a desolate rural road and delivers her baby in the front seat. Driving to a hospital with her newborn, she makes the agonizing decision to surrender the child to a safe haven baby box.
Terminal
Directed by Ellice McCoy
Length: 7:49
In the near future, through medical science, loved ones are able to communicate with a dying spirit in hotel limbo, giving them one last minute to say their goodbyes.
My Grandmother's Cardinals
Length: 13:55
Dark Horse
Directed by Ellice McCoy
Length: 9:01
When an evil horse possesses his rider to commit murder...
Pop
Directed by Ed J. Castaneda
Length: 7:30
Pop: This Song Will Leave You Breathless. An cursed musician spirit searches for her next meal in the heart of a drum school and finds plenty with teh souls of its occupants.
3:20PM Roundtable with Sam Jaeger
CONFERENCE ROOM
1:00PM Workshop #3 - Table Read with the Glass City Screenwriters
2:20PM Workshop #4 - Self-Tapes with NexGen Talent
4:00PM Headshot Sessions with Toledo Talent (first come first serve)
Plan Your Trip
In this map we've listed our event locations, as well as places to dine, grab a drink, and rest your head!