Screening:
Saturday, April 29, 9:45 PM

These short films are to features what short stories are to novels. Unlike the feature film, with its multiple story lines, requisite plot points, and three-act structure, shorts must be compact and succinct-all while building towards an epiphany.

Good Luck (dir. Jason Botkin, 2000, 13 min., 16mm, stars Frank Ball, Clarissa Ngo, Tara Welch, Chris Conrad, Matt Reese) Set in a tattoo parlor, Good Luck is a thoughtful and dramatic look at a man who has lost all passion for his art form. One night, an Asian woman comes into his shop to get her first tattoo. At first, the artist refuses. But her story inspires him-and he embarks upon the commission with renewed vigor.

Twin Cousins (dir. Rod Gailes OBC, 1997, 28 min., 16mm, stars Azziza Bacote, Jasmine Carr, Grace Garland) Vonda and Boogie are best friends. Vonda is from a middle-class family, while Boogie is a sassy young sister of meager means whose world is turned upside down by the death of her mother. Boogie is sent to live with her aunt, Hattie, who plans to send Boogie to a girls' boarding school. Facing the threat of separation, Vonda schemes to raise her grades so she can go to school with Boogie. "A beautifully photographed, masterfully directed portrait of childhood. Well done!"-Spike Lee

Mike Malloy (dir. Jeff Stacy, 1999, 25 min., 16mm, stars Jim Hild, Gerard Ender) In the dark days of the depression, four gangsters, grasping at their chance for material gain embark upon an insurance fraud. An over-insured and unsuspecting sap is chosen and marked for extinction. The poor unfortunate: Mike Malloy. What the gangsters don't know is that years of hardship and alcohol have rendered Mike "seemingly unkillable." As their increasingly drastic measures continue to fail, their paranoia drives them toward their own pathetic downfall.

Graham's Diner (dir.Courtney Byrd, 2000, 22 min., 16mm, stars Yolanda Snowball, Tamara Taylor, Julie Davis, L. Scott Caldwell, Victor Williams, Kimberly Huie, Kalua Brown, Sean Thomas, and Garrett Morris) Yolanda Snowball plays Graham, a successful photographer who returns home with intention of selling the family diner-and making everyone involved a profit. The only thing is, the family doesn't want her to sell. They like the family business. When a mysterious visitor enters the scene, Graham might just change her mind.

Presented by: Many of the filmmakers and cast members including Jason Bodkin, Chris Conrad, Rod Gailes ODC, and Jeff Stacy.