Shorts 4: Hecho en Texas
Everything is bigger in Texas, even our shorts!
Join us for a collection of short films made by Texas filmmakers. The screening will be followed by a discussion with some of the filmmakers in attendance.
MR. ZOOT SUIT
USA / 2018 / 16 min / Houston Premiere
Synopsis
After putting his dreams on hold, a university housekeeping supervisor follows his passion for dancing and educating others about the history of the zoot suit.
About the Director
Chan’Cellore Makanjuola is a filmmaker from Dallas, Texas. She graduated cum laude in Spring 2018 from Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) in San Antonio, TX where she received her BA in Digital Film and Multimedia Production with a minor in English. During her college career, she made several short films and videos for her undergraduate portfolio. She served as news anchor and reporter for OLLU’s student-produced newscast, The Lake Front, where she interviewed guest speakers, writers, students, and faculty to name a few.
HOURGLASS
USA / 2018 / 9 min / World Premiere
Synopsis
Hourglass is about a young man named Brian who is introduced to an Hourglass with a mysterious power to bring a loved one back to life for an hour. A story about relationships and moving on.
About the Director
Albert Gonzalez is an award-winning video director that has been creating videos professionally since 2009. With over 80 music videos directed and one of his short films, The Desk, going viral on Youtube and accumulating over 4 million views, he is making a name for himself in the film industry. He’s worked with record labels and companies such as Sumerian Records, Equal Vision, Rise Records, Razor & Tie, and directed video content for companies such as number one real estate company in the world Simon Property Group, Inc., MSN, TruTV, and more.
ATLANTIC CITY
USA / 2017 / 15 min / Houston Premiere
Synopsis
Pony and Junior are two south Texas drifters – brothers in spirit, if not blood. Pony’s last connection to his estranged mother is a postcard she sent twenty years ago from Atlantic City. When Junior refuses to help find his mother, Pony resorts to taking a job from a local thug to raise the money to search for her himself. It’s here that he meets a fifteen-year old runaway that he tries to help.
About the Director
Austin-based filmmaker Miguel Alvarez has received awards from the Directors’ Guild of America, Panavision’s Emerging Filmmaker program, the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts, the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture, and the Austin Film Society for his previous short films. He was selected as a Screenwriting Fellow for the Latino Screenwriting Project sponsored by Cinefestival and Sundance for his feature screenplay, La Perdida. He also serves as Executive Producer for Austin Film Festival’s award-winning television show, On Story.
GRANDE MACCHIATO
USA / 2017 / 7 min
Synopsis
An old cop reflects over his life while having his usual coffee and pie. Never becoming the detective he hoped to be, an opportunity arrives that causes him to break his routine.
ROOMIES
USA / 2018 / 8 min
Synopsis
Three roommates use their apartment’s unique feature to smooth out their sales pitch to a potential new leaser.
About the Director
Christian Torres is a director based in Houston, Texas.
ACID TEST
USA / 2017 / 14 min
Synopsis
When a teenage girl drops acid and comes home to her parents, she sparks a hallucinogenic family meltdown.
About the Director
A native of Washington, DC, Jenny graduated from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts with a MFA in Film Production where she won a coveted directing scholarship and focused on writing, directing, and producing scripted and documentary films. While at USC, she produced the 35mm thesis film Pebbles, the Super 16mm thesis film Fist of Iron Chef, and the documentary Unsyncables at Any Age, and wrote and directed her own 35mm thesis film Searching for Angels which screened at the DGA’s First Look Festival.
