Best Short Films Block B (Chandler International Film Festival)

Come Out, Wherever You Are

Directed by: Caitlin Presberg

Run Time: 29 minutes 22 seconds, United States

Premiere status: Arizona Premiere

Vernon Parrish, a retired mayor of a large suburb just outside of Chicago, had moved to the small town of Livingston, Montana, for peace and solitude and to get out of the public eye. After six years, Verne’s past returns to haunt him, driving him into a self-imposed exile at his cabin in the woods, hoping to ride out the media storm. While he is away, a storm of a different form rolls in, drastically changing the world as he knew it, culminating in a tale of a man who is both a victim and a beneficiary of circumstance.

Chorus Notes

Directed by: Dana Kippel

Run Time: 24 minutes, United States

Premiere status: Arizona Premiere

A slice-of-life anecdote about the irrational process of addiction and relapse.

Trigger warning: this film deals with topics of addiction, mental health, adoption, and sexual trauma in a tasteful and educational manner to raise awareness.

The Twilight Cafe

Directed by: Michael Brant DeMaria

Run Time: 12 minutes 16 seconds, United States

Premiere status: World Premiere

An unexpected, mysterious encounter between two strangers atop a bridge one stormy eve averts a tragedy, serving as a poignant reminder that in a harsh and chaotic world, we all need a soul friend to help us survive. The Twilight Café is a film that explores the dark night of the soul we all encounter at one time or another in our lives. When lost, alone, and at the end of our rope, what helps us rejoin the dance of life?

Darcine’s Day

Directed by: Aaron Goffman

Run Time: 16 minutes 30 seconds, United States

Premiere status: Arizona Premiere

We spend the day with Darcine Thomas (Kyla Diane Kennedy), divorced and jobless, as she struggles to get back on her feet. She tries to start a new business to help those living on the street, and struggles to find her own new job, hitting obstacles at every turn. When propositioned by a good friend, she thanks him, but returns to her lonely solace, going unseen for the help she really needs.

The Shifting

Directed by: Tony Silva

Run Time: 16 minutes, United States

Premiere status: Arizona Premiere

A man searches for his lost son in a world where a phenomenon called the Shifting transports people between space and time.

Host or Publisher Chandler International Film Festival