Featured this season are the best short films from major institutions like NYU, Columbia University, UCLA, USC and University of Texas. Expect to see Grainger David’s acclaimed dark parable The Chair (NYU), Elizabeth Orne's whimsical Crazy Glue (NYU) and Angela Torres Camarena’s timely and dangerous Northeast Front (University of Texas). Your living room becomes a film festival screening room with films that have wowed audiences at Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, Telluride and South by Southwest.
Film School Shorts kicks off its premiere episode with two wonderful short films about romance. Emily Carmichael’s The Hunter and the Swan Discuss Their Meeting (NYU) explores courtship by inviting us to have dinner with a Brooklyn hipster couple, a mythical hunter and his girlfriend, who just happens to be a swan. Needless to say, things don’t go too well. Luke Matheny’s Academy Award-winning God of Love (NYU) introduces us to love spun Raymond Goodfellow, a lounge-singing darts champion whose hopeless attempts at wooing band mate Kelly Moran are solved by a mysterious, magical box of love darts. Or so he thinks.
Each film has been personally selected by series producer Lisa Landi and executive producer / KQED Public Television program director Scott Dwyer to deliver an experience that will make viewers laugh, gasp and empathize, sometimes in the same breath.
The series website, kqed.org/filmschoolshorts, will offer detailed descriptions of each episode, links to each filmmaker’s website, and opportunities to view some of the films again on the Web. The site also features interactive components that allows viewers to leave comments and vote for their favorite films.
Stay on top of the film school scene at facebook.com/FilmSchoolShorts and follow @FilmSchoolShort. Watch trailers, biographical videos and sneak peeks behind-the-scenes of current and future productions on youtube.com/filmschoolshorts
Film School Shorts is scheduled to begin airing nationally on public television in 2013 (check local listings).
Eight of the featured short films will be available in their entirety on PBS Video for a limited time. Release dates TBA. Titles include: God of Love, I Feel Stupid, Spark, Northeast Front, Kiss Me, Bicycle, A Doctor's Job, Teleglobal Dreamin’
Website and Social Media:
kqed.org/filmschoolshorts
kqed.org/fss
Facebook: facebook.com/FilmSchoolShorts
Twitter: twitter.com/FilmSchoolShort
Google+: plus.google.com/105316669917866867558/posts
YouTube: youtube.com/filmschoolshorts/
Pinterest: pinterest.com/kqed/film-school-shorts/
Social Media Toolkit: Film School Shorts Social Media Toolkit
Program Guide Article: Film School Shorts Program Article
Media and Promotions Contacts:
Social Media:
Aldo Mora-Blanco, 415-553-2865, amorablanco@kqed.org
Publicity: Evren Odcikin, 415-553-8451, Evren@kqed.org
Production Team:
Series Producer: Lisa Landi
Associate Producer: Mike Kahn
Editor: Peter Borg
Design: Zaldy Serrano, Christina Zee White
Original Music: Written and Produced by Trifonic
Announcer: Katie Koskenmaki
Audio: John Andrieni
Interactive: Marie K Lee, Kevin Cooke, Phil Cho
Digital Communications Specialist: Aldo Mora-Blanco
Publicity: Evren Odcikin
On Air Promotion: Bridget Louie
Legal: Abby Staeble, William Lowery
Director of TV Production: Sandy Schonning
Executive Producer: Scott Dwyer
Film School Shorts Season One
Episode 1: OKAY, CUPID
The Hunter and the Swan Discuss Their Meeting (NYU) photo
A Brooklyn couple have dinner with a hunter and his girlfriend, a magical swan woman whose captured robe led to their courtship. The evening goes one direction – downhill. A short film by Emily Carmichael.
God of Love (NYU) photo
2011 Oscar winner for Best Live Action Short, God of Love follows Raymond, an artist who combines singing with his champion dart-throwing ability to harness the power of love. A short film by Luke Matheny.
“I’m just a guy. I have very good aim. And I have these magical arrows.” Raymond Goodfellow, God of Love
Episode 2: GROWING PAINS
I Feel Stupid (UCLA) photo
Lein is an awkward teenager, obsessed with pigeons. When her childhood friend Amber comes to visit, Lein’s world opens far beyond the pigeon coop. A short film by Milena Pastreich
My Name Is Your First Love (Columbia University) photo
A teenager works as a gardener for his neighbor. His infatuation with his employer deepens and his afternoon hedge trimming turns into an obsession. A short film by Rob Richert.
Episode 3: LETTING GO
The Chair (NYU) photo
As a mysterious outbreak of poisonous mold invades a small town, a boy attempts to understand his mother's death and the roots of this strange plague. A short film by Grainger David. Winner - Short Film Jury Prize 2012 SXSW Film Festival and official selection at Cannes.
Bunny (Columbia University) photo
Inspired by a true childhood event, a young boy in Philadelphia marches into the ghetto to retrieve his pet rabbit from the boy who stole him. A short film by Robert Snow
Episode 4: FIRE AND FURY
Fireworks (Columbia University) photo
Against a Fourth of July backdrop in Los Angeles, two boys with firecrackers go on a quest to impress a group of girls. A short film by Victor Hugo Duran
Pearl Was Here (CalArts) photo
A scraggly girl slips away from her mother to hide among stuffed animals in the safe and sealed environment of a claw machine. A short film by Kate Marks.
Spark (University of Texas) photo
Ricky is left outside while his dad visits a lady friend. Suddenly, he’s confronted by her daughter, Callie. A short film by Annie Silverstein.
Episode 5: BLOOD IS THICKER THAN MUD
The Fighting Kind (Chapman University) photo
Davin, estranged from his family for years, returns home in desperate need of financial help. He learns that his sister may be the sibling who’s truly in need. A short film by Nils Taylor.
Northeast Front (University of Texas) photo
Based on a true story, Esperanza’s love for her children knows no bounds, but her limits are pushed when she is forced to save her son from Mexico’s dangerous cartels. A short film by Angela Camarena Torres.
Episode 6: MAN UP
The Genius From Quintino (Columbia University) photo
Ricardo, a mechanic nicknamed 'the genius', lives in Quintino, just north of Rio de Janeiro. When a mysterious young boy shows up at his garage with a broken toy, Ricardo is suddenly faced with his forgotten past. A short film by Johnny Ma.
Kiss Me (UCLA) photo
Boxer Kid Vargas is forced to face up to a devastating truth after he kills his opponent, Johnny Vasquez, in the ring. Consumed by the guilt of killing, Kid’s shame is intensified by his repressed homosexuality. A short film by Jules Nurrish.
Episode 7: SUM OF ITS PARTS
Crazy Glue (NYU)
A story about love, glue and its extraordinary bonding properties for a husband and wife. A short film by Elizabeth Orne.
Bicycle (Biola University) photo
Mamoru Amagaya is humiliated by a co-worker and leaves his job. Now alone and without work, parts of Mamoru’s bicycle begin to disappear. When the only remaining piece is a lonely bell, Mamoru receives an envelope revealing where the missing bike parts might be retrieved. A short film by Dean Yamada.
Episode 8: RISKY BUSINESS
A Doctor's Job (UCLA) photo
Dr. Ramon Moran is an ER physician and cab driver. Set in Peru, Ramon picks up a fare that will radically change his day. A short film by Julio O. Ramos.
Teleglobal Dreamin’ (Tisch Asia) photo
Rosa is a Filipina telemarketer with a crush on Dale, a corporate-trainer from Hollywood. After learning he’s an actor, Rosa presses to be his guide around town. Word about Dale’s ‘fame’ spreads quickly, until an unexpected turn of events changes things dramatically. A short film by Eric Flanagan.
Episode 9: CREATURE COMFORTS
Caterwaul (CalArts)
An aging fisherman seeking closure over the death of his wife develops an unusual relationship with a lobster. A short film by Ian Samuels.
Josephine and the Roach (USC)
A surreal, offbeat story about a cockroach who falls in love with the woman whose apartment he infests. They make beautiful music together, but her brutish husband stands in the way of their happiness. A short film by John Langager.
Episode 10: STRANGE BEDFELLOWS
The Passage of Mrs. Calabash (AFI)
On an overnight train journey, a troubled young woman and a retired professor exchange stories of love and loss. Told in reverse, the layers of their relationship are gradually stripped to reveal their deepest secrets. A short film by Scott Tuft.
The Girl and the Fox (Savannah College of Art and Design)
The laws of the wild are unforgiving. An isolated family living in the wilderness has fallen on hard times. Supplies are running low, and the young daughter discovers a fox killing their livestock. She has no choice but to track down the animal in order to ensure the survival of her family. A heartfelt story about revenge, forgiveness and salvation. A short film by Tyler J. Kupferer.
About KQED KQED (kqed.org) has served Northern California for more than 50 years and is affiliated with NPR and PBS. KQED owns and operates public television stations KQED 9 (San Francisco/Bay Area), KQED Plus (San Jose/Bay Area) and KQET 25 (Watsonville/Monterey); KQED Public Radio (88.5 FM San Francisco); kqed.org and KQEDnews.org; and KQED Education. KQED Public Television, one of the most-watched public television stations in the country, is the producer/presenter of national programs such as Sound Tracks; California Forever; and Essential Pépin. KQED Public Radio is the most-listened-to public radio station in the nation and the most popular in the Bay Area. Visit www.kqed.org for more information.
About NETA The National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA, netaonline.org) is a professional association that serves public television and education by providing quality programming, educational resources, professional development, management support, and national representation. NETA distributes over 2,000 hours of programming each year to public television stations in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
