All Films

Thaco

2008 • 50 min • United States of America

Get your geek on! THACO is the story of four nerds in their 30s - adults, but not grown up - who never quite get around to the dungeon adventure on game night. Jon (the rules lawyer) and Duck (the hardcore gamer) harass Bill, their DM, while waiting for the perpetually late Aaron to show up. They go over the games that have affected, infected, and generally warped their minds - and they wouldn't have it any other way.

Do You Know What Time It Is?

2008 • 49 min

Particle physicist Professor Brian Cox asks, 'What time is it?' It's a simple question and it sounds like it has a simple answer. But do we really know what it is that we're asking? He investigates the concept of time, exploring its origins and its limits, and questioning whether travelling through it will ever be possible. Brian visits the ancient Mayan pyramids in Mexico where the Maya built temples to time. He finds out that a day is never 24 hours and meets Earth's very own Director of Time. He journeys to the beginning of time, and goes beyond within the realms of string theory, and explores the very limit of time. He discovers that we not only travel through time at the speed of light,but the experience we feel as the passing of time could be an illusion.

Santa: The Fascist Years

2008 • 3 min • United States of America

We all think of Santa as "Jolly old St.Nick". But who knew that he has a dark hidden past that's very un-jolly? This short film uncovers and explores Santa's flirtation with politics and greed.

The Basket

2008 • 2 min • United Kingdom

Watch as a man with emo hair is driven to insanity by a sentient basket in this surrealist short film

El Abuelo

2008 • 4 min • United States of America

Shot on location in San Antonio, Texas, El Abuelo is an intimate portrait of local educator and poet, Joe Jimenez. Through the meditative process of ironing his clothes (a duty often identified as "women's work"), we experience Joe in that familiar goal of finding the perfect crease. Of all domestic chores, ironing is the only one a "homeboy" is more than happy to master, as masterful ironing is the key to reaching an appearance of perfection; perfect creases work hand in hand with the power of attraction. In voiceover, Joe reads the lines from his poem "El Abuelo," as we learn the potency these perfect creases possess in capturing the attention of his "first vato" -- his first love of another man.

Little Canyon

2008 • 20 min

Greta's dad is moving the family cross-country, promising a California paradise and packing half the household into a dented station wagon.

In the Beginning: Quo Vadis and the Genesis of the Biblical Epic

2008 • 44 min • United States of America

The making of Quo Vadis (1951).

Boys

2008 • 32 min • South Korea

Tae-jun accidentally brakes Jin-uk's kite. Perhaps because he feels sorry for it, Tae-jun begins to show his interest in Jin-uk and becomes close with him by remaking a kite. Bum-seok, a friend of Tae-jun, has conflicts with Jin-uk, without any clear reason for it. This film is a story of the three boys, Tae-jun, Jin-uk, and Bum-seok.

Leon in Wintertime

2008 • 26 min • France, Canada

One winter, a ravenous ogre terrorizes the land of King Balthasar. Meanwhile, a blizzard is brewing in Léon’s heart. Braving the cold, this adopted bear cub runs away from home. Léon has many an adventure during his travels. He befriends a hedgehog and an elephant, confronts an ogre, and sets Princess Molly Gingerbread free. His courage and integrity eventually lead him back to his family. In the end, the cub earns everybody’s respect.

Instead of Abracadabra

2008 • 22 min • Sweden

A man who still lives with his parents tries to realize his dream of becoming a magician.

Urban Legend Story Hikiko

2008 • 42 min • Japan

3D CG-animated movie about Hikiko, who is a character of a Japanese urban legend. She was violently treated all the time by her parents and classmates at the elementary school and she's extremely ugly due to the constant violence. To revenge, she caught students from elementary school and drag them on the floor until they're badly mutilated.

Factory Farmed

2008 • 6 min • United Kingdom

Short film made for the SCI-FI-LONDON 48 hour film challenge 2008 in association with the SciFi Channel.

Schrader's Exorcism

2008 • 52 min

A documentary chronicling director Paul Schrader's ride through hell and back while making film history with his prequel to The Exorcist. Schrader, after being fired from the production and his version of the film shelved, is brought back 2 years later to complete it on a shoestring budget. In true cinéma vérité style we watch as Schrader and editor Tim Silano work all the angles to get the film on its feet and over to Europe for the world premiere.

Cirque du Soleil: A Thrilling Ride Through Kooza

2008 • 46 min

Cirque du Soleil presents A thrilling ride through Kooza, a captivating documentary that looks at the creative process of Kooza, the latest and critically acclaimed touring show from Cirque du Soleil. Embark on a journey that starts at the humble beginnings of some of Cirque's creative pioneers as they share their personal voyage - and a few revealing anecdotes - that highlight the multiple stages of the creation of a live show.

Sparky & Mikaela

2008 • 10 min • United States of America

The exploits of a Wonder Woman wannabe and a vulgar raccoon.

Quick Feet, Soft Hands

2008 • 25 min • United States of America

A young woman's hopes of moving up are tied to a minor league baseball player. As he falls deeper into a batting slump, the couple must cope with the day-to-day realities of being young and poor, and they must confront the prospect that they may never make it to the big leagues.

Luz Industrial Mágica

2008 • 7 min • Brazil

The Ballad of Betty & Joe

2008 • 12 min

Every morning Betty tramps alone through the big city to join her fellow buskers in the pedestrian tunnel below, trying to earn a living. But her earnings are meager, and to make things worse, the new security guard, Joe, is trying to confiscate her fiddle. While Betty dreams of fame and fortune, Joe dreams of earplugs – something’s got to give!

Hello Sailor!

2008 • 37 min • United Kingdom

Cast and crew discuss the making of The Sea Devils, from the television series Doctor Who.

Surrogate

2008 • 57 min • Israel

Eli is a 32 year old man who has problems with relationships with women. Hagar is a surrogate, an alternative partner for practical, sexual therapy. They meet once a week and practice a relationship and intimacy in laboratory conditions. The fictitious relationship between them exposes them both physically and emotionally and brings to surface repressed fears from the real world. The changes Eli goes through during the therapy, along with the secrets revealed, not only shake his own life, but also the life of his family. Between clinic walls, due to an "artificial" process, Eli learns how to love for the first time.

A Vodka Movie

2008 • 14 min

Three vignettes detail Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim's failing attempts to create an Absolut Vodka commercial with their irate friend Zack Galifianakis.

A Perfect Place

2008 • 24 min • United States of America

Losers get involved in a crime that could lead to murder.

Do Unto Otters

2008 • 13 min • United States of America

When the Otters move in next door to Mr. Rabbit, he does not know how to act with them. This is the story that highlights how to be a good neighbor and friend - just simply follow the Golden Rule!

He Who Made Monsters: The Life and Art of Jack Pierce

2008 • 25 min • United States of America

Tribute to Universal make-up artist Jack Pierce who created some of the studio's most famous works including Frankenstein's Monster, the Wolf Man, the Mummy and countless other creatures. Rick Baker, Tom Savini, Howard Berger, Bob Burns, Scott Essman, Kim Newman, Gregory Nicotero and others discuss the work of Pierce and his enduring legacy.