NBCUniversal’s 12th Annual Short Film Festival has just named 16 semi-finalists, and with a slew of exciting, creative new visionaries telling powerful, diverse stories, the competition is stiffer than ever.
This year, NBC received over 4,200 submissions, double the amount from last year. Ten out of the 16 short films were written or directed by women, with a significant number of Asian American stories. The network’s strong presence at other film festivals such as the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival has accounted for the record number of submissions.
While Hollywood critics have bemoaned lackluster summer movie releases, Karen Horne, NBC’s SVP of programming talent development and inclusion, said she believes that the success of the festival reveals the power of and need for more diverse stories and that these voices have a place in society.
“We’re making strides, but we’ve still got a long way to go,” Horne told Kore about the state of diversity and inclusion in the film industry. “Hollywood needs to catch up to our festival.”
Semi-finalist titles will be screened in New York on Aug. 15 and 16, and a winner will be chosen in Los Angeles on Oct. 18. The winners will be awarded prizes that include development meetings and holdings with NBCUniversal, as well as cash grants to finish up some of their in-progress projects.
Among the semi-finalists are two episodes from the “Misery Loves Company” web series, led by Sara Amini and Emily Chang; Joey Ally’s “Joy Joy Nails,” about a Korean manicurist whose life gets turned upside down when a Chinese employee joins her team at the eponymous nail salon; and Cynthia Kao’s “Groundhog Day for a Black Man,” which taps into the ongoing conversation about race relations between communities and their respective law enforcement officers. These are just a handful of the submissions written, directed and starring Asian film talents in NBCUniversal’s festival.
Discover the 16 short films that are up for the big prize below:
“Akashi”
Mayumi Yoshida’s “Akashi”
Written and directed by Mayumi Yoshida. Kana, a young Japanese woman, receives news that her grandmother has passed away. During her trip to attend the funeral, she recalls intimate conversations with her grandmother that lead her to examine her own life.
“Audible Static”
Written and directed by Sai Selvarajan. Thaddeus, a clever teenager with a speech impediment, creates a new way to communicate his feelings to his crush.
“Brothers”
Written and directed by Emmett Lundberg. Four transgender male friends explore life and love in Brooklyn. This episode of the web series focuses on Max as he opens up to his new girlfriend that he is transgender.
“Couples: Movie Night”
Directed by Ryan Sulak, written by Chris Sturgeon. A quiet night in for couple, Sara and Adam, turns into an epic thrill-ride to find the perfect movie in a race against time before Sara falls asleep.
“Cul-de-sac”
Directed by Damon Russell, written by Shawn Christensen. Parents living at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac discover a listening device inside their son’s teddy bear.
“Emergency”
Directed by Carey Williams, written by K.D Davila. A group of Black and Latino college students carefully weigh the pros and cons of calling the police when faced with an emergency situation.
“Groundhog Day for a Black Man”
Cynthia Kao’s “Groundhog Day For A Black Man”
Written and directed by Cynthia Kao. A black man continually relives the same day until he can survive an encounter with the police.
“Joy Joy Nails”
Written and directed by Joey Ally. Sarah manages a Korean-owned nail salon with an ever cheerful iron fist. New manicurist Mia, who is Chinese, starts working at the salon and attracts the affections of Sarah’s love interest. Threatened, Sarah becomes increasingly antagonistic toward Mia and later discover truths about herself and Joy Joy Nails.
“Lost Dogs”
Directed by Cullan Bruce, written by Cullan Bruce and Chris Lee. A woman ridiculed by her family longs to escape. Striking a deal with her brother to clear his illegal debt, she delves deeper into darkness.
“Madaran”
Written and directed by Rayka Zehtabchi. An Iranian mother decides whether to end or spare the life of her son’s killer.
“Misery Loves Company 1: Pussy”
Directed by Gloria Calderon Kellett, written by Sara Amini and Emily Chang. Two friends navigate being women of color in a post-election world, while trying (and failing) at a #blessedlife in LA. In this episode, Sara and Emily deal with cat-callers on the street.
“Misery Loves Company 3: Racist”
Directed by Nadine Truong, Written by Sara Amini and Emily Chang. In this episode, Sara and Emily encounter micro and macro aggressions.
“Mr. and Mrs. Kim”
Directed by Jaehuen Chung, written by Josh Aichenbaum. Joshua Kim makes up a glamorous story about his Korean immigrants parents for his fourth grade class. He later discovers that their real-life backstory is more extraordinary than what he could have ever imagined.
“Mrs. Drake”
Directed by Caitlin FitzGerald, written by Kyle Warren. Laura is a single mother struggling to raise her son Jack. She is thrown into a spiral of confusion and guilt when Jack comes home from school claiming his teacher locked him in a closet.
“Night Call”
Directed by Amanda Renee Knox, written by Joseph Sousa. During a routine patrol, a Black female cop is called to a disturbance that leads to her making a life-altering decision.
“Pop Rox”
Nate Trinrud’s “Pop Rox”
Directed by Nate Trinrud, written by Alyssa Lerner. Jesse, an Iranian-American teenage girl, decides to tell her best friend, Roxanne, that she’s in love with her.
