The LA Shorts International Film Festival, the city’s longest-running shorts festival, screens over 350 films annually and draws 10,000 attendees
Three student films from Santa Monica College (SMC) have been chosen as official selections in the “Live Action” category for the 29th annual LA Shorts International Film Festival, running July 16-28 at Regal LA Live in downtown Los Angeles. The selected films, “Ends and Means,” “Fear and Tremble,” and “No Return,” qualify their creators for competition in the Academy Awards and BAFTA, as the festival is accredited by both organizations and the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television.
The LA Shorts International Film Festival, the city’s longest-running shorts festival, screens over 350 films annually and draws 10,000 attendees, including Hollywood professionals and emerging filmmakers. Over the years, 68 filmmakers showcased at the festival have earned Academy Award nominations.
Produced through SMC’s Film Production Program in Film 32 and Film 33 classes, the films were mentored by faculty, including professors Salvador Carrasco and Simone Bartesaghi. Each short reflects diverse storytelling rooted in American historical narratives.
“Ends and Means,” directed by Karly Kato Bang, follows Milagros, a Mexican immigrant housekeeper, whose relationship with her liberal film director employer, Frank, is tested when a shady investor with ties to her past arrives for dinner. The cast includes María Montenegro, Bobby Appelbaum, and Daniel Mora.
“Fear and Tremble,” written and directed by Alci Rengifo, depicts a tense interrogation from the life of Salvadoran poet and revolutionary Roque Dalton, featuring Oscar Torres, Wayne Hodges, Damián Delgado, and Elisa Lucía.
“No Return,” directed by Sebastian Carrasco, reimagines a scene from Spike Lee’s “25th Hour” set during the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, with Bobby Appelbaum as a captured American mercenary facing a Cuban commander, played by Laura Urgelles, and Trécey Dory as a menacing soldier.
SMC’s film program has a strong track record, with student works earning accolades such as production grants from the Golden Globe Foundation, the Russo Brothers Italian American Film Forum, and awards at festivals like the Ojai Film Festival, Vienna Independent Film Festival, and San Diego International Film Festival.
For more details on the festival, visit www.lashortfest.com.
