Encore Presentation of the Grand Mesa Short Film Festival

Parents, please be advised, many films contain adult content.

Synopsis of films to be shown (not necessarily in this order):

"Day in the Coffee Shop"- Jake Toltz (4:09)

What a day in the Main Street Coffee Shop looks like from a customer's perspective

Jake grew up in Costa Rica and always loved film, so he moved to Massachusetts at the age of 14 and started college.  At the age of 20, he graduated with a BA in Film and Digital Media.

"Finding Home"- Shea E. Butler (14:01)

When six year old Charlie is put into an induced coma, his only lifeline is his mother reading his favorite book "Finding Home: The Adventures of Abo, The Wild African Puppy". The wild African puppy's journey symbolizes Charlie's battle to return home to his mother.

Shea is a published author and award-winning director. Born in Cairo, Egypt to American parents living abroad, Shea has a love for traveling.  Her most awe-inspiring trip was a horseback riding safari in Botswana.  Nothing like being charged by two lions to get your creative juices flowing!

"The Singing Girl"- Lucas Smith (9:29)

A woman who sees the world as a musical, and can only sing, tries to survive her first day as an insurance salesperson. Will they take 'note' of her talent, or will she be in 'treble'?

Lucas is a video editor from Denver, Colorado. He attended the Denver Film Society's Young Filmmakers workshop from 2016 to summer of 2018. Since then, he's worked on various short scenes and sketches.

"Beyond the Paths of the Sun and the Year"- Evan Curtis (2:30)

An exploration of a sacred space through a childhood relic, the toy boat. Inspired by Gaston Bachelard's Topoanalysis, "...study of the sites of our intimate lives", and the relationship between memory and the environment.  Filmed in the Adirondacks of New York.

Evan is an award-winning independent stop motion animator and filmmaker. Growing up in the Adirondack Mountains provided adventure and inspiration for themes that explore our place in an everchanging landscape.

"Squirrel"- Jim Clemens (5:43)

A movie about a man, a couple of squirrels, and a bad dog.

Jim has been an actor in the Denver improv world for 7 years and this is his first short film.  The movie also stars Daisy, who lives in Cedaredge.

"Observer"- Ethan Kereszturi (13:24)

Two media journalists stumble upon a murder curated by other media journalists trying to make their own fortune.

Ethan is from Highlands Ranch and a recent college graduate from Western Colorado University, located in Gunnison. I majored in film studies and this film is the culmination of my education.

"The Confluence"- Courtney Blackmer-Raynolds (16:09)

This short documentary explores how the physical landscapes of the Grand Canyon shape the cultural, emotional, and spiritual landscapes of the Navajo people who inhabit it.

Courtney is a documentary filmmaker who is committed to the preservation of Western landscapes and the well-being of those who call this home. Her films highlight the experiences of indigenous people, ranchers, outdoor recreationists, spiritual leaders, and social and environmental activists to explore the deep and varied connections between people and place in the Rocky Mountain West.

"The Waystation"- Shea E. Butler (18:52)

What happens when you are trapped between heaven & hell?  In a barren landscape, desperate to escape, desperate to survive, and your only lifeline is The Waystation. This short film examines the consequences of choices.

Shea is a published author and award-winning director. Born in Cairo, Egypt to American parents living abroad, Shea has a love for traveling.  Her most awe-inspiring trip was a horseback riding safari in Botswana.  Nothing like being charged by two lions to get your creative juices flowing!

"Desire"- Isabel Otis (3:44)

A tragic love story about perilous desire.

Isabel just recently moved to Cedaredge.  She's been living in Colorado for only two years, originally from Brooklyn, NY. She was traveling the country for several years when she fell in love with the beauty of the Western Slope. Isabel has been making films since she was in high school, and is currently going to school to be a Video Production major.

"Thunder Rises"- Evan Curtis (4:10)

In a vanishing wilderness, man silences the freedom of the wolf.  A stop motion animation filmed on the Grand Mesa.

Evan is an award-winning independent stop motion animator and filmmaker. Growing up in the Adirondack Mountains provided adventure and inspiration for themes that explore our place in an everchanging landscape.

"The First Guardian"- Catrina Odom (1:45)

An animated short film that follows Earth's first spirit guardian, roaming the barren land, bringing life into existence in its wake. She harnesses magic that is passed down to her creations to continue the world-building process. Prevalent themes of environmentalism push the narrative and help mold this magical world.

Catrina is a recently graduated animator and illustrator with a BFA in Animation, Film, Photography, and Motion Design. She finds inspiration in animals, nature, and the subtleties of conscience life, growing up in rural areas of Colorado, which played a part in cultivating her fascination with Earth's incredible forces.

"Untitled Interview"- Tommy Bonner (8:29)

A short film shot in two days all by one man.  To keep his job, a journalist (Tommy) must interview a newly ordained priest (Father Patrick) about the evening before's exorcism.

Born and raised in South Dakota, receiving a BFA in Animation, Film, Photography, and Motion Design, with a minor in Graphic Design, Tommy is a non-traditional student. He excels at what he puts his mind to, all the while providing leadership qualities.

"Darkness in Daylight"- Bennett Peel (7:13)

This was my senior thesis film. It is a stop-motion piece filmed with LEGOs.  However, it is not for kids. This film is about the adventures of monster hunter Iro Blacc and friend Vincent Blud.  I hope you enjoy!

I specialize in stop-motion animation and photography. As a child, I was fascinated with the incredible worlds that my imagination could take me to. The only problem was no one else could see them. Thus my love for stop-motion film was born. Now I use the toys that fuel my imagination to open a window into my reality.

"Life Is Better When You Lie On the Ground"- Collin Jackson (4:09)

A Super 8 film examining the comforts versus restrictions of religion and how faith versus experience makes up one's world.

Collin is a vaguely pretentious, yet self-deprecating student filmmaker at Colorado Mesa University, whose films deal with themes of religion, self-worth, identity, and society - all while often using dark satire and/or celluloid.

"A Few Acres At a Time"- Will Sardinsky (6:58)

Lani  Malmberg, a self-identified "Gypsy Goat Lady", brings life back to the land with her herd of 500 goats.

Will, born and raised in Carbondale, Colorado, is a visual storyteller.  He is passionate about exploring the relationship between humans and their environment.  Will's work expresses his fondness of the Colorado landscape, making vast, untouched areas of the West a home for his subject and his audience.