Grand Mesa Short Film Festival Evening

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

There will be a Q&A with filmmakers after each showing.

Evening Films:

"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.

 

INTERMISSION

"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.