Janet "Lovey" Herrmann, who programmed the first SLIFF shorts program and continues to help evaluate submissions, chooses her favorites from this year's selections.
In this program
Black Goat
Directed by
Yi Tang
Nepal
U.S.
2019
12 minutes
Nepali
Best Live Action Short. A new girl at a nunnery has her first period after hearing a late-night ghost story and believes that she has been cursed, requiring her to sacrifice a black goat to avoid further misfortune.
Cueball
Directed by
Brandon C. Lay
U.S.
2020
14 minutes
English
Sara is a TikTok and Instagram model stuck at home during the pandemic with her layabout boyfriend.
Duo
Directed by
Francesco Saviano
U.S.
2020
16 minutes
English
A New York City songwriting team takes one last shot to do something they have never done before: write a hit song.
Leaving to Live
Directed by
David Rodrigues
France
2019
8 minutes
French
Alexandra plans to leave her husband but needs to ensure her daughter mentions nothing of the plan.
Out of Place
Directed by
Peier "Tracy" Shen
U.S.
2019
20 minutes
Chinese, English & Spanish
A young aspiring Chinese pianist and a Mexican house painter, unaware that they are neighbors, go through a day of disillusionment in symphony.
She Who Wears the Rain
Directed by
Marianne Métivier
Canada
2019
17 minutes
French
After a difficult visit with her dying father, Agnes escapes to a pension in the forest but must confront her grief.
Ungubani (Who Are You?)
Directed by
Booker T. Mattison
U.S.
2019
16 minutes
English
A young Black man puts himself at risk to save a young White woman in distress.
The Way We Roll
Directed by
Matt Marencik & Steve McWilliams
U.S.
2019
19 minutes
English
Crime caper meets road movie in this inspired effort co-written one letter at a time by Frankie Kineavy, who was born with cerebral palsy and is non-verbal, communicating only through an alphabet board.