Award-winning films showcased in new season of KQED’s Film School Shorts

The second season premieres Monday, April 7, at 7:30pm on KQED 9.

KQEDannounces the second season of its national production Film School Shorts, a half-hour weekly series that showcases short student films from across the country. The 10-episode season premieres in the Bay Area on Monday, April 7, at 7:30pm on KQED 9 and features some of the best short films from NYU, Columbia University, CalArts, University of Michigan, UCLA, USC, University of Texas amongst many others. The short films included represent a wide-range of styles and content and introduce vibrant, young filmmakers that are soon to make an impact in the industry. Accolades for season 2 films include three Student Academy Awards and honors from major film festivals including Toronto International and Sundance.

The series continues Monday nights at 7:30pm through May on KQED 9. On a weekly basis starting Wednesday, April 2, full films will become available online at pbs.org/filmschoolshorts. The series has an active community of filmmakers and fans on Facebook and Twitter, as well as trailers, interviews and behind-the-scenes footage on its YouTube channel.

The second season opens with two Student Academy Award–winning films: Eusong Lee’s Will and Mark Raso’s Under. Will, which Lee completed at CalArts, is a touching animated short that follows a young girl who has lost her father during the September 11^th terrorist attacks. Lee creates a visually stunning world as the girl wishes to turn back time. Under, which also received honors at the CINE Competition and the Las Vegas International Film Festival, is a love story about Sydney, a relapsed drug addict, who is convinced to journey to a country cabin to detox by her fiance Tom. The couple is caught in an avalanche and must face their mortality while stuck under the snow. Columbia graduate Raso creates surprisingly realistic special effects on a very small budget and draws emotionally-wrenching performances from his cast.

Upcoming episodes include Destin Cretton’s Short Term 12, which has been made into a feature-length film that captured both the SXSW Grand Jury Narrative and Narrative Audience Awards; the eerily humorous award-winning film Penny Dreadful; Ringling College of Art and Design’s Student Academy Award-winning animated short Dia de los Muertos; and Doubles with Slight Pepper,an award-winning, vibrant Trinidadian drama co-produced by director Spike Lee.

Social Media Toolkit PDF: Film School Shorts Social Media Toolkit

Member Guide Article PDF: Film School Shorts Member Program Guide Article

Film School Shorts is a national production of KQED. The series producer is Lisa Landi and the associate producer is Bobbak Sabet. KQED’s vice president of television is Michael Isip and the executive producer is Scott Dwyer. Film School Shorts is made possible by a grant from Maurice Kanbar and by the members of KQED.

ABOUT KQED PUBLIC TELEVISION:
KQED Public Television, the PBS affiliate that serves Northern California, is one of the country’s most popular public television stations. It brings the values of public media to homes around the Bay Area with Emmy Award–winning programming that inspires, informs and entertains, including Masterpiece Classic: Downton Abbey, Masterpiece Classic: Sherlock Holmes, American Masters, Great Performances, NOVA and Nature. KQEDprovides the best in independent film, including POV, Independent Lens, Film School Shorts, Truly CA: Our State, Our Stories, and ImageMakers. KQED produces local series like Check, Please! Bay Area, KQED NEWSROOM, San Francisco Operaand ImageMakers, as well as popular programs for national broadcast such as Essential Pépin and QUEST. KQED also distributes programming to public media stations across the country including The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!, Roadtrip Nation and  Joanne Weir’s Cooking School. For more information, please visit kqed.org/tv.

SEASON 2 EPISODE DESCRIPTIONS

Monday, April 7, 2014, at 7:30pm TOGETHER ALONE Sometimes, moving on requires a confrontation — with yourself.Will by Eusong Lee (CalArts) On 9/11, a young girl wishes she could go back in time. Winner of a Student Academy Award.Under by Mark Raso (Columbia) A recovering drug addict and her fiancé journey to a remote country cabin so she can get clean. Winner of a Student Academy Award.

Monday, April 14, 2014, at 7:30pm THIS PERFECT WORLD When mother’s away, how will the children play?Short Term 12 by Destin Cretton (San Diego State) One eventful day at a group home for at-risk adolescents turns into a personal journey for the head counselor. The short was adapted into a feature film.Dia de los Muertos by Ashley Graham, Kate Reynolds and Lindsey St. Pierre (Ringling College of Art and Design) A little girl experiences the Mexican holiday Day of the Dead in the land of the dead with the help of someone very special to her. Winner of a Student Academy Award.

Monday, April 21, 2014, at 7:30pm HOLY HIPSTER What separates piety and pleasure?Duvid by Chelsea Rebecca (University of Michigan) Pressured by his Satmar Hasidic community to settle down and start a family, Duvid Stern decides to experiment with the world of underground electronic music and psychedelic drugs.

Monday, April 28, 2014, at 7:30pm THE CAKE IS A LIE Sometimes, there is no gold at the end of the rainbow.Springtime by Erica Liu (NYU) In search of her “springtime,” an 86-year-old pork sungmaker quits her shop in rural Taiwan to head to the big city.Doubles with Slight Pepper by Ian Harnarine (NYU) Despite their strained relationship, a young Trinidad street-vendor must decide if he will help save his estranged father’s life.

Monday, May 5, 2014, at 7:30pm BIG CITY BLUES A big city can be a confusing place.Priceless Things by Sarah-Violet Bliss (NYU) When a piece of jewelry goes missing in a salon in Brooklyn, a recently engaged couple suspect the immigrant employees know more than they admit.I Am John Wayne by Christina Choe (Columbia) In New York City, an urban cowboy avoids going to his friend’s funeral.

Monday, May 12, 2014, at 7:30pm SUGAR & SPICE Two deliciously dark films turn the tables on the hunter.Penny Dreadful by Shane Atkinson (Columbia) A novice crook kidnaps the wrong girl…and learns the hard way that you don’t mess with Penny.Delicacy by Jason Mann (Columbia) A culinary connoisseur and an expert chef go on a hunt for a rare animal.

Monday, May 19, 2014, at 7:30pm LIFE DURING WARTIME During wartime, chaos is not limited to the battlefield.They Also Serve by Michael Meehan (CalArts) A mother’s nerves start to fray as she waits for her soldier son to arrive home for his welcoming party.Road to Peshawar by Hammad Rizvi (University of Texas) During the Soviet-Afghan War, a father leads his injured daughter through the treacherous Peshawar Pass. In a literal minefield, her fate becomes linked to that of a Soviet sniper.

Monday, May 26, 2014, at 7:30pm DADDY DEAREST Under duress, children form their own independent paths.First Match by Olivia Newman (Columbia) Fourteen-year-old Mo is the only girl on an all-boy wrestling team. Despite her practice and training, her first high school wrestling match introduces a new challenge.Efrain by Matthew Breault (USC) Ten-year-old Efrain’s father teaches him never to steal, but the lesson comes at a price on the charged Mexican border.

PLEASE NOTE: In June, the series switches to Thursdays, at 7:30pm.

Thursday, June 19, 2014, at 7:30pm WHEN WE WERE YOUNG Growing up is always harder than expected.Blue Boy by Alex Jablonski (UCLA) Credited with saving a kid’s life, a teenage lifeguard decides to act on his romantic obsession with a gorgeous country club wife.Bombshell by Erin Sanger (NYU) All Daisy wants to do is be one of the boys, but when she tags along with her brother and his troublesome friends, she realizes where her heart really lies.

Thursday, June 26, 2014, at 7:30pm INTO THE DARK Can your executioner help you accept your fate?A Better Place Than Thisby Daniel Grove (USC) An executioner on Singapore’s death row tries to help a young convict accept her fate, even though it means facing his own demons.