Brutally attacked by three masked men on Halloween night, a homeless girl faces her worst nightmare… until time stops… and she meets two mysterious strangers who can’t save her, but might help her save herself.
AUDIENCE AWARD WINNERS:
BEST SCI-FI FILM: PROGENY
BEST FANTASY FILM: ANIMAL HEADS
BEST PERFORMERS: BROLGA
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: DOFFICE
BEST SOUND & MUSIC: NICE SHOES
Theme of night: Closed in situations.
NOTE: Festival took place during the COVID-19 virus lockdown so all screenings were held in private.
In an old cabin, adrift in time and space, a once-spirited Jamie (Jesse Moss) is forced to relive recent events and come to terms with the toughest choice of his life.
Having been forced into hiding, Jamie and his mentor, Sam (Phil Granger), bide their time before making their next move. Jamie feels the wall at their backs, and survival instincts kick in when they can’t stay ahead of the intelligent and ruthless Captain that is chasing them (Anne Marie DeLuise).
Where Darkness Lies is a psychological fantasy drama short film that captures the consequential nature of human actions, as well as the need to accept how they may redefine us forever.Director Biography – Chino Saavedra
In a ravaged future-Australia, a solitary hermit guarding a priceless treasure is forced to offer sanctuary to a young girl who is fleeing murderous scavengers. With danger around every corner, can they learn to survive together?
Caroline Iaffaldano is a Los Angeles based filmmaker with a passion for directing, writing and production design. She is currently studying Film & Television Production at the University of Southern California.
Caroline previously studied fashion, human rights, and environmental science at NYU, and her enthusiasm for style and pointed social commentary is highlighted in the short films she has directed.
Director Statement
As a woman, I am acutely conscious of the societal pressure on women to bear children and have a family despite their career goals. That is why I was immediately drawn to the script of Flour Baby and its depiction of two women grappling with the concept of motherhood and deciding whether or not it is for them.
I am always attracted to stories with strong elements of fantasy that are grounded in reality and wanted to use that dualistic genre to explore the double life women must live to be viewed as successful in society. Additionally, I wanted to tell a story that demonstrated how strong female friendships can help women accomplish whatever they desire, including one of the most monumental achievements in life: motherhood.
My goal is to make films that reflect a female point of view and to tell stories that shine a light on the impossible societal standards women are held to. The strong aesthetic behind Flour Baby is a visual representation of the extravagant nature of these gendered politics. I hope that the contrast of high style and pointed humor in Flour Baby makes for a unique, fun and poignant film that is driven by a strong female point of view.
In a world where a woman must prove that she is capable of caring for a child before she’s allowed to conceive, a hopeful mom recruits the help of her BFF to pass the state’s rigorous test: to take care of a bag of flour for an entire year.
This is a world exactly like ours, except that the wealthy elites are aliens, living and working among us, but with one key difference: they reproduce by implanting their offspring in a human host who raises the alien child as his own. When a blue-collar man is forcibly implanted with his alien boss’s parasitic offspring, he asks his wife to help him remove the parasite — a dangerous and forbidden act that puts their marriage — and their lives — at risk.