FESTIVAL HIATUS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

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Download our 2018 festival program.

PARKING TIPS: SANTA MONICA.

Sun. Apr. 29, 10:20am

WARPATH – SHORTS BLOCK

SCARLETT-ANGELINA – SHORT NARRATIVE

A little girl turns the table on her kidnapper. Madison Calderon, Leif Gantvoort, Anthony Jensen, Rachael Markarian, Thomas Ashworthn; Lorette Baylen, director. Family. USA

DEAR SISTER – SHORT NARRATIVE

After learning her estranged, violent father has married into another family, a woman attempts to save his new stepdaughter from the same fate. Clementine Ford; Blythe Auffarth; Jessica Harbeck, director. Adult themes. USA

VIOLA – SHORT NARRATIVE

A mousy woman goes through her day dealing with jerky men, then gets attacked that night and decides to fight back. Kerry Lacy; Vaden Thurgood; Kareem Bunton; Stacey Maltin, director. Adult themes. USA

BEFORE YOU WOKE – SHORT NARRATIVE

A woman distracts her kidnapper while she breaks her bonds, then fights for her escape. Kiea Houseton; Christian Litke; David Bradburn, director. Adult. USA

EDEN GREY – SHORT NARRATIVE

Soldier Eden Grey becomes the target of a shadow agency when she escapes a facility after being subjected to an off-the-record experiment. Mhairi Calvey; Marco Torrens; Keith Porter; Timothy Hofmeier; Hannah Chalmers; Tyrone Samuels, director. Adult. Fight action. UK

CLANDESTINY – SHORT NARRATIVE

When a covert asset is activated, she receives an unexpected visit from her estranged half-sister. Rocío Mendez; Zeniba Britt; Lowell Byers; Nicholas Applegate; Dylan Rogers, Director. Adult. USA

COYOTAJE RUN – SHORT NARRATIVE

While scouring the desert in search of her father’s grave, a young girl hell-bent on revenge comes face to face with the last man to see him alive. Jesse Biggio; Gregory DePetro; Matthew Kramer, director. Adult themes. USA

THE RIGHT THING – SHORT NARRATIVE

In the dead of night, a woman enters a convenience store with a loaded gun for reasons no one would expect. Katlynn Simone; Dazi Williams; Lance Marshall; Ronnie Cook; Andrew C. Fisher, director. Adult themes, violence. USA

AIMEE – SHORT NARRATIVE

A Spec OPS Marine returns home to suburbia to find her thirteen year old sister, Aimee, is abducted by sex traffickers. Amanda Hall; Amy Workman; Lee Whittaker, director. Adult Action/themes. USA

INNER DEMON – SHORT NARRATIVE

An internal battle takes physical form as a female MMA fighter faces her inner demons. Heidi Ford; Lori O’Connell; Kirk Caouette, director. Adult themes, fight action. Canada

Sun. Apr. 29, 10:40am

INDOMITABLE WOMEN, I

RUNNING THE 184 – FEATURE DOC

Two men and one woman attempt to run the 184 miles across New Jersey. Ryan Donnelly, Anthony Russo; Connie Gardner; Phil McCarthy; Ali Venty; Kelly Haldeman; Greg Lassik, director. Sports. Some language. Family. USA

Sun. Apr. 29, 12:00pm

PANEL DISCUSSION: WOMEN OF WEED

How Women Are Building Cannabis Into a Billion-Dollar Industry

Cannabis could be the first billion-dollar industry not dominated by men. Women are not only changing the face of today’s fastest growing industry; they’re also changing the world. Today’s female cannabis leaders explain how cannabis liberation intersects with the most urgent social issues of our time: gender parity, pay equity, social justice, human rights, and environmental sustainability. By the end, you just may be seeing green in your future.

Moderated by Windy Borman (Director/Producer “Mary Janes: The Women of Weed”). Participants include: Ophelia Chong (Founder and COO, Stock Pot Images): Wanda James (CEO, Simply Pure); Jeanine Moss (Founder, AnnaBis Style); and Karen O’Keefe (Director of State Policies, Marijuana Policy Project). Additional panelist announcements coming soon.

Sun. Apr. 29, 12:20pm

KICKIN’ ASS / TAKIN’ NAMES – SHORTS BLOCK

AUTO-STOP (HITCHHIKING) – SHORT NARRATIVE

Backpacker young woman is hitchhiking in the mountains. An elegant man driving a sportscar stops by and gives her a lift. As they talk, the man seems nice – but kind of weird. Finais Schwinn; Nicolas Robins; Cédric-Alexandre Saudinos, director. Fight action. France

NIGHT RUNNER – SHORT NARRATIVE

In the aftermath of an attack, Riva Harris finds she has superhuman strength. Hollis Fox; Enrique Novello; Jayson Wesley; Michael Joseph Robinson; Tara Novie, Brandon Scott Hughes, director. Adult themes. Violence. USA

ALYCE SEARCHES – SHORT NARRATIVE

A woman walks into a strip club and beats the hell out of everybody so she can find her sister. Dina Cataldi; Victoria De Mare; Dane Oliver; ER Ruiz; James Kwong; Jeff Pollard; Katy Foley; Lawrence Le, director. Fight action, adult themes. USA

SLICKED BACK – SHORT NARRATIVE

Two partners break into a house and battle demons. Joy Ryan; Michael Tomsu; Savannah Gilmore; Shyaam Karra; Greg Feiner; Patrick Tomsu; Matthew Tallamantes, director. Monster violence. USA

NO TRACE – SHORT NARRATIVE

An undercover cop robs a bank for the mob, only to find herself on the run from her own former partners. Alex Marshall-Brown; James Kyson; Pia Shah; stunt coordinator America Brown; Rand Behr, director. Fight action. USA

PIMPKILLAH – SHORT NARRATIVE

When a ruthless killer searches for her estranged sister she’s propelled into LA’s underbelly of prostitution and human trafficking leading her down the dark path of retribution. Michelle Jubilee Gonzalez; Terrence Julien; Bryan Royal; Angelica Amor; Christie Insley; Sarah Bitely; Sarah Bitely, director. Adult themes, violence-fight action. USA

WHEN KIDS GROW UP – SHORT NARRATIVE

A defenseless woman is savagely attacked by a group of vicious men, only to reveal her own brutal intent against them. Marrisa Labog; Luke Cook; Everette Wallin; Siaka Massaquo; Shahoub Roudbari, director. Adult themes. Graphic fight violence. USA

UFO DIARY – SHORT NARRATIVE

Two Women’s Army Corps officers in the early days of WWII fight an alien invasion of LA, becoming the unlikely heroines of one of the most famous UFO incidents in history. Govindini Murty; Rachel Newell; Jason Apuzzo, director. Family. Sci-fi action. USA

Sun. Apr. 29, 12:40pm

INDOMITABLE WOMEN, II

CHINA DOLL – SHORT DOC

China Doll is a provocative exploration of gender stereotypes, romance, and rock climbing. Heather Weidner; Chris Weidner; Jon Glassberg, director. Family. USA

4 DANCERS’ DREAMS – FEATURE DOC

Four aspiring young dancers pursue their dreams to become professionals. Cori Caulfield; Hailey Rekunyk; Jaelan Mills; Lauren Phillips; Tiana Pazdirek; Nancy J. Lilley, director. Family. Canada

Sun. Apr. 29, 2:00pm

PANEL DISCUSSION: CROWD FUNDING TO BUILD INDEPENDENCE

Thinking about making an amazing movie or show? GREAT! We wanna watch it. But first: how are you going to fund it, and – when you’re finished – who’s going to watch it? Most people think about crowdfunding simply as a fundraising tool, but it is so much more than that: it’s a great way to start (or continue) developing a direct connection with your audience, which, as we all know, is essential for building a sustainable film career that leads to distribution and the opportunity to, you know, make more than one thing.

In this workshop, you’ll learn:
• Why audience building is essential for a film career (and crowdfunding)
• How to define, find, talk to, and grow your audience
• How to prepare for a successful crowdfunding campaign (incl. goal, incentives, communication plan)
• Why staged financing might be right for you
Fun fact: attendees of this workshop have a 100% success rate on Seed&Spark!

Gerry Maravilla is an LA-based filmmaker and the Head of Crowdfunding at Seed&Spark. Gerry has made several award-winning shorts, including Cross, which he funded on Seed&Spark and went on to screen at the Newport Beach Film Festival, Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, and many more. His work has been featured in press outlets such as Business Insider, Pitchfork, Remezcla and more. Find Gerry on social media for the real scoop: @gerrymaravilla

Sun. Apr. 29, 2:20pm

FUTURE TIMES AND GOOD OL’ DAYS – SHORTS BLOCK

FIRST SAMURAI IN NEW YORK – SHORT NARRATIVE

In the late 1800s, a Japanese samurai family, who recently immigrated to New York, clash with local Irish gangsters out for blood. Adult themes. Maho Honda; Kyo Kasumi; Gabe Fazio; Mike Houston; Justin Ambrosino, Director. Sword violence. Fight action. Language. Subtitles. USA

PROTECTRESS – SHORT NARRATIVE

During battle, a healer duels with her mortal enemy in an unsettling form, facing an impossible choice that will forever forge her destiny as a warrior. Joanna Ke; Charlotte Bjornbak; America Young, Director. Fight action. USA

SHIELDMAIDEN – SHORT NARRATIVE

In medieval Norway, a defiant young Viking woman named Sigrid is thrust into a fight for survival when a violent raiding party invades her homeland. Olena Medwid; Aaron Harrison; Jackson Berlin; Richard Wasnock; Shawm McKinney; Benjamin Janicki, director. Fight action. USA

TRIALS OF EMBER STAGE ONE – SHORT NARRATIVE

A warrior fighting to escape a virtual world is forced to relive the death of her only brother. Amy Schumacher; Jayme Woscjechowski; Steve Lamorte, Director. Fight action. USA

THE ZONE – SHORT NARRATIVE

A young woman turns to sport hypnosis to improve her boxing skills and faces the challenge of an underground fight that may change her life. Denisse Bon; Anthony Ray Parker; David Tirado; Sarah Brown; Monica Azevedo, Director. Boxing. USA

LOST IN TRANSIT – SHORT NARRATIVE

A martial arts teacher gets caught up with the possession of a briefcase being protected by a girl he knows. Cassandra Ebner; Ken Do; Osric Chau; Berlin Lu; Simon Chin, Stanton Chong, Director. Adult. Fight action. Canada

RFLKTR – SHORT NARRATIVE

A pilot crashlands on an alien planet where she faces an unexpected enemy. Breeda Turner; Mark K Turner, Director. Sci-fi action. USA

FORCE AND THE FURY – SHORT NARRATIVE

A Jedi crash lands on a barren planet and is pursued by a mysterious Sith who seems to know him. Aris Juson; Deborah Lee Smith; Jason Satterlund, Director. Sci-fi sword action. Family. USA

Sun. Apr. 29, 2:35pm

WAR STORIES

DONUT DOLLIES – FEATURE DOC

In 1968, two best friends joined an elite team and flew into a war zone wearing powder blue dresses. They were Red Cross Donut Dollies. Norman Anderson, director. War. USA

Sun. Apr. 29, 4:00pm

PANEL DISCUSSION: WARRIOR WOMEN

At Artemis, we believe femininity has never been about passivity. Women have been warriors since the dawn of time. In this year’s panel we’ll meet and talk to women blazing a warrior trail in business, sports, history, and then some.

Moderated by Sherry Lee Meredith, founder Go Curvy, Entrepreneur. Panelists include Barb Stegemann, best-selling author, renowned in business, perfume and humanitarian circles; Sarah Brown, ARMY Soldier Readiness Trainer, US Army Ranger trainer for women, entreprenuer; Nita Marquez, 20 year fitness veteran and athliesure clothing designer; Alison MacLean combat camera person Afghanistan; Walter Penrose, Jr. PhD, author, historian.

Sun. Apr. 29, 4:10pm

AHEAD FOR BUSINESS, I

MARY JANES: THE WOMEN OF WEED – FEATURE DOC

Women are changing the face of today’s fastest growing industry – cannabis. Join filmmaker Windy Borman as she discovers how they’re also changing the world. Windy Borman; Melissa Etheridge; Betty Aldworth; Kaylene Alvarez; Sara Batterby; Windy Borman, director. Drug themes. USA

Sun. Apr. 29, 4:40pm

UNDERESTIMATED WOMEN – BLOCK OF FILMS

HOT BREAK – SHORT NARRATIVE

Post divorce and mommy-hood, Lexi Futterman uses unusual tactics to break back into the TV writing biz, and she’s taking a handsome young millennial along with her! Rene Ashton; Ethan Peck; Brian Van Holt; Connor Trineer; Nadine Ellis; Lisa Demaine, director; Cary Bickley, Writer; Melanie Backer, Producer. Adult themes. USA

AMERICAN QUEEN – SHORT NARRATIVE

A young, veiled woman endeavors to overcome society’s preconceptions by competing in a beauty pageant. Sharmita Bhattacharya; Yasmine Vega; Nina Nayebi; Natalie Nasr, Hind Metwalli, director. Family. USA

DEAD MEET – SHORT NARRATIVE

Cleo is an assassin and has been for years. But it’s a lonely job- although you get to travel and meet people, you’re usually putting bullets in them- so she turns to internet dating. Ryan is a nice, normal guy. Francesa L White; Reuben Williams; Dean Williams; Richard Usher; Daniel J. Brant, director. Adult themes, fight action. UK

KALI DIARIES ENTRY #3 – SHORT NARRATIVE

Two women fight furiously with knives in a tunnel. Lauara Mary Kim; Amy Johnston; Lauara Mary Kim, director. Adult violence. USA

DEVIL SITS ON BOTH SHOULDERS – FEATURE NARRATIVE

Evelyn Black is a pickpocket who stole the wrong wallet. The wallet she lifted, was actually being tracked down by a hit woman named Georgina Vitis. Georgina Philipps; Kelley VosBurgh; Cornelia Hanes; Drew Allen; J Gulinello; Jake Cullens; Joshua Price; Jonathan Shatoff, director. Adult themes, violence. USA

Sun. Apr. 29, 6:00pm

PUNCHLINES – SHORTS BLOCK

REKINDLED – SHORT NARRATIVE

Kate gets the chance via a magical Groupon to rekindle romance with the love of her life. Kelly Vrooman; Dyan Riley Snyder; Aaron Schwartz; Asher Grodman; Teri Reeves; Erin Thomas Brown, Director. Adult. USA

INCENDIO – SHORT NARRATIVE

A feisty, angry Brit finally shows for her blind date and inspires her mild-mannered date gives in to his passionate side. Hannah Barefoot; Aris Juson; Slater Dixon, Director. Adult themes, violence. USA

LOQUITA – SHORT NARRATIVE

A girlfriend goes over to meet her boyfriend’s parents for the first time and disaster happens. Zully Garica; Amy Schumacher; Elizabeth Alvarez; Josten Rositas; Gerardo Martinez; Kayden Phoenix, Director. Family. Fight action. Ghosts. USA

HOW TO BE ALONE – SHORT NARRATIVE

A reminder of self love and that life doesn’t always have that Hollywood ending. Sylvie Rae; Manya Glassmam, director. Family. USA

HEARTS AREN’T LONELY – SHORT NARRATIVE

Singer/songwriter NJP has created a love letter to Los Angeles, shadowing her youth and the loss of innocence towards her relationship with the music industry. NJP (Natasha Pasternak); Carline Spencer; David Webb & Cary Lalonde, Director. Music Video. USA

NOT ALL WHO WANDER ARE LOST – SHORT NARRATIVE

A beautiful young woman driving a Harley-Davidson across the desert pulls into a gas station where she sees another young woman being man-handled. She comes to her aid. Heather Bonomo; Louise Bond; Tim James; Daniel Ash; song by Stadium; Benjamin Pollack, Director. Domestic violence. USA

STUNT MOM – SHORT NARRATIVE

A mother who is a professional stunt woman. Her children want to be involved in her work. Janelle Tedesco; Vance Barton; Shannon Morrall, Director. Family. USA

DON’T MESS WITH JULIE WHITFIELD – SHORT NARRATIVE

When new parent Rachel attempts a coup on the school board to oust Julie, it leads to a bloody battle that only one woman will survive. Mary Elizabeth Ellis; Casey Wilson; Brian Sacca; Jennifer Zaborowski; Elizabeth Laime; Amy Barham, Director. Adult satire. Comic violence. USA

VESTIGE – SHORT NARRATIVE

A newlywed couple is interrupted in their hotel suite by a man sent to save the Future. Hailey Vest; Walker Snow Harrison; Dartanyin Hawkins; Adnrew Richardson, Director. Adult. USA

TIME’S UP – SHORT NARRATIVE

When an assassin catches up with her mark, it leads to an unexpected outcome. Ann Roy; Warren Brooks; Ann Roy, Director. Family. USA

SANDRA WEST DIARIES: THE BLONDE WITH THE IRON FIST – SHORT NARRATIVE

Sandra West is a sultry and lethal freelance spy and ex agent of T.H.E.M., who plays by her own rules in a world of danger and intrigue. Olivia Dunkley; Esteban Cueto; Glenn Takakjian; Inga van Ardenn; Fernando Jay Huerto; Tess Marie Dunkley; Scott Rhodes, Director. Fantasy, comic fight action. Adult themes. USA

FOR MURIEL – SHORT NARRATIVE

After their regular aerobics class, three ladies of a certain age plot the best way to rob a bank. Concetta Tomei; Mindy Sterling; Rakefet Abergel; Rebecca Shapiro, Director. Comic action. USA

SHADY OAKS TAKEDOWN – SHORT NARRATIVE

Residents of a nursing home are much more dangerous than they appear. Thresa Richardson; Peggy Glenn; Patricia McNeely; Don Appleby; Rookie Morgan, Director. Comic fight action. USA

COMBAT NUNS: ALL OR NOTHING – SHORT NARRATIVE

A nun confesses her sins to a priest, including beating up bad guys. Dot Marie Jones; Steve Apostolina; Gary Kasper; Rick Williamson, Director. Adult themes. USA

Sun. Apr. 29, 6:30pm

THE DATING GAME

STUCK – FEATURE NARRATIVE

A down on her luck woman decides to win her ex-boyfriend back by moving in with him and his fiancé. Heather Matarazzo; Joel McHale; Felicia Day; Christina Moore; Kirsten Vangsness; Jilliam Armenante, Director. Adult situations. USA

Sun. Apr. 29, 8:00pm

A SEX TYPE THING

BEAUTY BITES BEAST – FEATURE DOC

Often humorous, always dynamic documentary which flips ideas of women’s self-defense upside-down. Dolores Huerta; Gavin de Becker; Riane Eisler; Ellen Snortland; Dr. Bessel Van der Kolk; Ellen Snortland, director. Adult themes. USA

Sun. Apr. 29, 8:35pm

AHEAD FOR BUSINESS, II

PERFUME WAR – FEATURE DOC

Using the corporate world, a single mom creates an unlikely weapon in the fight for world peace after her best friend, a soldier, is almost killed by a terrorist. Barb Stegemann; Capt. Trevor Greene; Michael Melski, Director. Adult war themes. Canada

Download our 2018 festival program.

PARKING TIPS: SANTA MONICA.