SHORTSFEST 2021 at-a-glance ALL TIMES ARE MOUNTAIN TIME TUE APR 6 WED APR 7 THU APR 8 FRI APR 9 SAT APR 10 SUN APR 11 7AM MT 4:30-6PM MT 4:30-6PM MT 3PM MT 1PM MT 12PM MT All Shorts Sip & Chat Session Sip & Chat Session Eventive Workshop: Dolby Workshop: RED Workshop: Programs Unlocked: w/ Inga Diev w/ Sudeep Sharma From Programmers The Role of Intro to the Watch Windows Aspen Art Museum Aspen Art Museum to Curators Sound Design RED Arsenal Begin Filmocracy Space Filmocracy Space Red Brick Center For Red Brick Center For Red Brick Center For Eventive the Arts the Arts the Arts 6PM MT 6PM MT Filmocracy Space Filmocracy Space Filmocracy Space 6PM MT Shorts Program 03 Shorts Program 05 Shorts Program 01 Filmmaker Q&A Filmmaker Q&A 4:30-6PM MT 3PM MT 2PM MT Filmmaker Q&A Eventive Livestream Eventive Livestream Sip & Chat Session Shorts Program 09 Shorts Program 11 Eventive Livestream w/ Opal H. Bennett Filmmaker Q&A Filmmaker Q&A 7:30PM MT 7:30PM MT Aspen Art Museum Eventive Livestream Eventive Livestream 7:30PM MT Shorts Program 04 Shorts Program 06 Filmocracy Space Shorts Program 02 Filmmaker Q&A Filmmaker Q&A 4:30-6PM MT 11:59PM MT Filmmaker Q&A Eventive Livestream Eventive Livestream 6PM MT Sip & Chat Session Shorts Programs Eventive Livestream Shorts Program 07 w/ Diana Williams Unlock Windows Filmmaker Q&A Aspen Art Museum Close Eventive Livestream Filmocracy Space Eventive SAT APR 17 7:30PM MT 6PM MT 6-7PM MT Shorts Program 08 In Conversation with Shortsfest Awards Presentation Filmmaker Q&A Filmmaker Reinaldo Eventive Eventive Livestream Marcus Green Eventive Livestream 7PM MT Award Winners Screening 7:30PM MT Eventive Shorts Program 10 Filmmaker Q&A PROGRAMS AND EVENTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE Eventive Livestream April 6-11, 2021 @aspenfilm #Shortsfest2021 aspenfilm.org PROUD SUPPORTERS OF ASPEN FILM 2 welcome as we get ready to present the 30th edition (and second virtual incarnation) of Aspen Shortsfest, we’re happy to note that our goal has remained the same in spite of the many changes and challenges of recent times. That’s to introduce our audiences to an incredible bounty hello and welcome to the of new films by cinematic talents from all over 30th edition of Aspen Shortsfest! We’re proud to the world, movies that are as compelling, moving, be celebrating our third decade of the best in short exciting, hilarious and surprising as anything else cinema from around the globe with you. While we you will see this year. We’re enormously grateful are disappointed not to be gathering in our usual to be able to celebrate the achievements of so Shortsfest home — the historic Wheeler Opera many filmmakers who are following their passions House in downtown Aspen — we are incredibly and sharing their stories and visions. And as appreciative that our program is once again, diverse and different as these films can be, they available for viewing nationwide, which is one of are all testaments to cinema’s power to forge the silver linings we have discovered. connections and foster empathy; two things that feel especially valuable these days. Once again our incredible programming team has navigated their way through nearly 3000 Along with my programming team of Angie PROUD SUPPORTERS OF submissions to find 80 essential films to share with Driscoll, Anita Tavakol and Inney Prakash as well you over eleven terrific programs. Our hope is as our invaluable pre-screeners, I want to say that you’ll discover new voices, unique locales, and how thrilled we are to present the abundance of ASPEN FILM visionary visuals, and run the gamut of emotions as gripping dramas, delightful comedies, insightful you watch our offerings and experience our events. documentaries and ingenious animations that comprise Aspen Shortsfest’s 2021 selection. We This year, we have created “virtual entry” to iconic were all awed by the amount of craft, care and downtown Aspen Buildings through an interactive feeling that went into these films, both before map of the town for your to experience festival and after their creators realized that their works happenings at the virtual Aspen Art Museum, the would be entering a far different world than they virtual Hotel Jerome, the virtual Red Brick Center may have imagined. for the Arts , and the virtual Wheeler Opera House . We hope that No matter what you choose to view or attend, we these films get all hope that you are able to appreciate the richness the attention they presented off and on screen by this year’s roster of so richly deserve renowned and upcoming filmmakers, as well as our and we thank knowledgeable Industry Guests. We are so proud our audience for of the talent collaborating with us for our milestone greeting them with anniversary. open eyes, hearts Thanks for watching and we hope you enjoy all of and minds. our presentations! Jason Anderson Director of Programming Susan Wrubel Executive + Artistic Director 3 programmers JASON ANDERSON ANGIE DRISCOLL INNEY PRAKASH ANITA TAVAKOL JASON ANDERSON INNEY PRAKASH Director of Programming Inney Prakash is a film curator based in NYC. He’s on the Jason Anderson is a programmer, writer and lecturer cinema programming team at Maysles Documentary based in Toronto. He’s the programmer for Short Cuts, the Center in Harlem, and is the Founder/Director of Toronto International Film Festival’s annual program of Prismatic Ground, a new festival centered on experimental short-form cinema. He’s also the Director of Programming documentary launching April 2021. He’s worked with other for the Kingston Canadian Film Festival, the country’s festivals including Sundance, Ann Arbor, Freep, Human largest standalone festival of Canadian movies. He has Rights Watch, DOC NYC, SXSW, and as a judge for the served on juries for festivals such as Hot Docs, Vienna International Documentary Association. Independent Shorts, the Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival, and Nordisk Panorama. Previously a longtime ANITA TAVAKOL critic and columnist for Toronto’s Eye Weekly and The Anita Tavakol began her career as Program Coordinator for Grid, he currently writes about film and music for such the Women in Politics and Government Career Learning publications as Uncut, Sight & Sound, and Cinema Scope. Days at Youth in Motion. She has worked at the Canadian He teaches film criticism at the University of Toronto. His Film Centre’s Worldwide Short Film Festival, was a member first novel Showbiz was published by Toronto’s ECW Press of the Programming Committee at the Revue Cinema, in 2004. Raised in Calgary, he lives in Toronto with his wife, assisting in the selection process for the Short Shorts daughter and too many records. festival, and has served in a variety of roles at the Toronto International Film Festival, where she is currently the Short ANGIE DRISCOLL Cuts Programming Associate, including Jury Coordinator Angie Driscoll brings over 15 years of film programming for the first Short Cuts Jury and, most recently, Associate experience to her work as Programmer at Aspen Programmer, Industry. Shortsfest. She has programmed for a variety of international film festivals including the Toronto VOLUNTEER PRE-SCREENERS International Film Festival, the Canadian Film Centre’s Aaron Adelman, Anna Binkley, Penny Brown, Martin Worldwide Short Film Festival, the Toronto Urban Film Champagne J. Jr, Ziska Childs, Cara Dyksen, Ginny Festival, Hot Docs and Nordisk Panorama. She has curated Epsten, Jesse Garcia, Talita Garcia, Lisa Gerstner, Monica for Babelgum, consulted for the Sundance Film Festival, Gleberman Rose, Carolyn Golbus, Philip Golden, Siddhanta Reel Canada, and the Prism Prize, and is currently Senior Goswami, Julia Haugan, Karen Hawkes, Gretchen Hayduk- Shorts and Senior International programmer for Hot Docs, Wroblewski, Tracy Hritz, Gilbert Khoury, Jared Leighton, a consultant for the Athena Film Festival and Midtnorsk Pamela Mackey, Jeremy Martin, Olive Nwosu, Lexi Paparo, Filmsenter, and a writer for international sales agent Aubrey Polliard, Tracey Powell, Gail Sachson, Bonnie Magnetfilm and online magazine Cinema Scandinavia. Shappell, Natalia Snider, Emily Taylor, Kathy Weiss, Jamie White, Wendle Whiting, Lisa Wolfe, Jane Zinner 4 jury MERYAM JOOBEUR KEYA KHAYATIAN RACHEL ROSEN MERYAM JOOBEUR KEYA KHAYATIAN RACHEL ROSEN Meryam is an Academy Award Keya Khayatian is a Partner in the Rachel Rosen is a San Francisco nominated Tunisian director, based in Motion Picture Literary department of Bay Area based independent film Montréal, Canada. Her work includes leading talent and literary agency UTA. programmer and awards consultant. both documentary and fiction. Her He began his entertainment career in Rosen is currently a member of the short films GODS, WEEDS AND 1995 as an agent trainee in the UTA selection committee for The New REVOLUTIONS (2012) and BORN IN mailroom. He was quickly promoted to York Film Festival. Previously, she THE MAELSTROM (2017), starring departmental assistant specializing in was Director of Programming for Sasha Lane, screened internationally. film rights for literary properties, and SFFILM which presents the annual San Her Academy Award-nominated Short in 1997 he was promoted to agent. He Francisco International Film Festival. BROTHERHOOD (2018) screened at was promoted to Partner in 2017 and She was Director of Programming 150+ festivals and won 75 international became an Associate member of the for Film Independent and the Los prizes. She is co-owner of the Tunisia Academy that same year. He also Co- Angeles Film Festival for eight years. based production company Instinct Heads the Media Rights Group at the She has worked in various capacities Bleu with producer Sarra Ben Hassen agency. With a keen eye for spotting for New York’s Film Forum, the and is currently developing her first original artistic voices, Khayatian has New York Film Festival, and Tri-Star feature project MOTHERHOOD.