Independent Lens: Audience Award Favorites

www.pbs.org/independentlens/insideindies/shortsfest/

C. Beck

“Nature is the best teacher,” says woodblock print artist Charles Beck. C.BECK, the short, is a poetically paced portrait of the artist, a native of Minnesota, who manages to discover beauty in obscure places. Whether it’s on a railroad track, a hiking trail or marsh, Beck finds and incorporates unusual materials, which provide the vision for his art. Throughout his process, Beck remains open to “accidents” that provide inspiration and new directions for his work.

Bullet Proof Vest

Welcome to Richmond, California, the most dangerous city in the state—and the 11th most dangerous city in the U.S. With an average of one homicide every 10 days, many parents are afraid to let their children outside. Nine-year-old twins Mustapha and Jyeshria know they can’t go to the park unaccompanied. “Your parents need to be there with you, so they can block the bullet,” Jyeshria explains. In 2006, fed up with the gun violence decimating the city's young men, residents took over the four most dangerous parks, camping in tent cities in a desperate stand for peace.

Dry Clean Only

One night, a couple shows up at a dry cleaners in a rush to have their clothes cleaned. The young clerk eyes their blood-spattered garments warily. As the clothes wash and the couple waits, an uneasy mood falls over the tiny shop. No one seems to know how this trip to the cleaners will end.

The Furniture

In this short, dark comedy, a disturbed man confronts the demons of loneliness and the universal fear of… furniture? You’ll never look at your coffee table the same way again.

House of Elegance

Step inside the House of Elegance, where women have been coming for beauty rejuvenation and good conversation for over 40 years. Meet one loyal customer who travels ten hours from Oklahoma to Austin, Texas to have her hair done. For the women of the House of Elegance, both beauticians and customers alike, the salon has been an integral part of life since Mrs. Ella Mae Pease opened her business in the 1960s.

L.A. Noir

In this suspenseful tale, a working stiff poet chases after a beautiful but mysterious woman, only to find that he’s the one who's being stalked. Poetic and thought-provoking, L.A. NOIR blends Bukowski-inspired poetry, The Twilight Zone and film noir to deliver a hybrid that writer Ricardo Acuña calls “existential horror.”

The Metamorphosis

It’s hard to say what came first—the pain, the pounding or the tiny growth on the back of Stan Leiber’s head. But, when Stan wakes up one morning to find that the growth has matured into a yarmulke, he decides to leave his home and face a buried past. With his yarmulke slowly growing, Stan journeys through a scenic countryside, isolated and afraid. When the pounding sound draws Stan to a synagogue, he finds himself confronted with a shared history. Told through the eyes of a Holocaust survivor, the story of Stan Leiber reminds us that we are all part of something bigger, no matter how much it may hurt.

Pin Point

This decidedly creepy animated short takes audiences inside a gloomy orphanage where an evil caretaker seasons the children’s gruel with poison. A newly arrived little girl decides to take matters into her own hands—aided by an unlikely secret weapon.

Translate

How would it feel to be born into the “wrong” body? TRANSLATE introduces viewers to “transgender,” a relatively new term in the lexicon. Meet four members of the transgender community who share their thoughts on gender identity and "passing” in society, coming out to friends and family and their struggle to find acceptance.

Waving the Flag

Spoken word artist Harryette Mullen riffs on the Pledge of Allegiance in a poem that investigates the symbolism of the American flag and what it represents. As Mullen’s words comment on war, consumerism and fear of dissension, animator Sheila M. Sofian’s digitally created images and altered photographs interpret and illustrate the poem. The result: a thought-provoking and visceral critique of patriotism.

We Are Made As One

Over 27,000 homeless veterans live in Los Angeles, many of them with substance abuse and mental health disorders. Against seemingly insurmountable odds, a group of formerly homeless veterans recovering from addiction have come together to form L.A.’s New Directions Choir. Together, they find healing through the power of song, reconstructing their lives, rebuilding families, forming new friendships and spreading joy and inspiration through the beauty of their voices.