Just Being Here | 13 mins 18 secs
Directed by Matteo Moretti (Vermont) | Winner of Audience Favorite
Walter has lived alone for most of his life and doesn’t venture far from his house, but his life is far from ordinary. He finds solace and wonder in the nature of his backyard in the company of special friends.
Yellow Cards for Equal Pay | 10 mins 40 secs
Directed by Maia Vota (Vermont)
*** Winner: Goldstone Award for Most Promising Filmmaker, sponsored by Bill Stetson***
Members of the Burlington High School girls soccer team, inspired by the U.S. national soccer team and their lawsuit for equal pay, and Change the Story, recount the launch of their #EqualPay movement.
Captive/Captifs | 18 mins 20 secs
Directed by Philippe Vanasse-Paquet (Québec)
Xavier, 16 years old, gets mysteriously trapped in a creepy basement with his younger brother, Léo. Their individual struggles to break out make them confront their relationship in new ways
Clear as Crystal | 9 mins 36 secs
Directed by Christopher Brown (Vermont)
Sponsored by Anne Barbano and Michael George
A student on the autism spectrum magically receives the ability to read social cues, but will his newfound gift empower or crush him?
Cooking the Quotes | 10 mins 3 secs
Directed by Zane Swift (Vermont)
A young newspaper journalist, Jimmy Jacks, gets kicked out of a press briefing. After another paper threatens to publish a story of the event, Jacks is given one day to find them a better story and save his career.