Synopsis: A boy who was born blind, suddenly at the age of seven sees a light. A medical examination reveals that his eyes are so dense that it takes seven years for the light to reach the retina and hence for the image to reach his consciousness.

The consequence of the eye defect translates into the mental immaturity of the man, lack of understanding of the present and belated reflections on long-gone facts. The man is never mature enough for his age and constantly lingers on the past.

Slow Light screened at nearly 50 festivals worldwide and won 25 awards. The short film was written and directed by Kasia Kijek and Przemek Adamski.

Filmmaker Ofre Sparrow Vaknin‘s Run, Little Rat! tells the story of “a struggling little rat [that] has to escape from home to find where he truly belongs.”

This is Ofre’s third year film at CalArts. It screened at the 13th Kuandu International Animation Festival, FIEC Film Festival, Film Night on Fulton, Bass Coast Shorts and others.

After graduating, Ofre joined Illumination as a Story and Development apprentice.

Illumination is the animation studio behind Despicable Me, Minions, Migration, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, The Secret Life of Pets, Sing and others.

Synopsis: Sam, Lexi and Jane spend the first day of Eighth Grade plotting a scheme to get the ultimate lunch table. Their plans unravel when Katy, a preppy, sixth-grade TikTok influencer, beats them to the coveted spot.

A short film by Ofre Sparrow Vaknin, created at CalArts.

Ofre is currently a Story and Development apprentice at Illumination, the studio behind Despicable Me and The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

Synopsis: A man and a washing machine become intimately connected. A visit from the plumber is enough to trigger a crisis in their relationship.

Directed by Alexandra Májová, Washing Machine (original title: Pracka) was a big success on the festival circuit, screening in over 50 festivals worldwide.

In Uncanny Alley, written and directed by Rodrigo Goulao de Sousa, a strange curse spreads throughout a small town.

The short horror film is broken up into three sections:

A woman is distracted while watching a film…

A late-night janitor gets a strange visitor…

Something is off with the roommate…

About the film: Impossible Journey addresses the urgent crisis in maternal health care in the United States. The pregnancy journey of Black women is marked by persistent challenges and systemic barriers, creating a nearly impossible journey for Black mothers seeking safe and equitable childbirth experiences.

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Directed by Chenghua Yang. Written by Chenghua Yang & Julie Nobelen.

Synopsis: Following a break-up, Wen sinks into melancholy. She can’t talk to anyone and therefore talks to herself a lot. By understanding that it’s not love she has lost but her confidence, she will be able to reconcile with herself and feel ready to love again.

Note from the director: “This film is inspired by my own experiences. Following a difficult breakup, I withdrew into myself. More and more, I looked at my nails and scratched my skin. Alternating between manic and depressive episodes, the fear of talking to others led me to talk to myself a lot.

During this period, I expressed myself a lot by drawing and this is how the idea for this project was born. Although dealing with melancholy through depression, this film is deeply optimistic. Mourning a relationship is a long process that is different for each of us.”