Performed by Val Cole

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POEM:

I.
In Oropos, a lone warrior rode
On horseback in search of a place to rest.
He had been on a long and weary quest,
So, he pulled on the reins and his horse slowed.
Up in the trees, the afternoon sun showed
Two doves huddled together in their nest.
He stopped h...

Reading performed by Val Cole

POEM:

It was in a small town in the Midwest,
Where the following story once took place,
Between a woman and a man.
Each night, she held a cross close to her chest—
Praying just as hard as one can.
Every day, he kissed the sides of her face—
To be married soon was ...

Performed by Val Cole

Get to know the poet:

1. What is your short story about?

This short story is about an adolescent boy and girl who are best
friends and the boy comforts the girl when she fears for her older sister
taking her own life. We learn at the end of the story that the boy had hi...

Voice Over by Val Cole

Visual Design by Adam Bilyea

Produced by Matthew Toffolo

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POEM:

From the first hello to the most recent goodbye,
I can’t hide my smile when you look in my eyes.

A sweet whisper-like melody,
Every word sings quixotically.

Sideways glances from across the hall,
...

Performed by Val Cole

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POEM:

A sea of people
around me, and
yet I have never
felt so alone.

Everyone keeps
surviving, as if,
my entire world
is not crumbling
before me.

How do I live
in the rubble,
where you no
longer exist?

A sea of people
around me,
and I am
drowning,

but everyone
kn...

Performed by Val Cole

Get to know the poet:

1) What is the theme of your poem?

The theme of this poem is "ghosting"--how people move in and out of each other's lives and the hurt and longing it provokes--as well as sparking memories of joyous times spent together. I pride myself in staying i...

LOVEBIRDS, 4min., USA
Directed by Maria Corso
Betty and Ray, a wild couple on the run, live fast and love hard while staying one step ahead of the law. With their lives on the line and a clean getaway just out of reach, they attempt one more job — one which may cost them more than they can afford...

Sitka's Hidden Wonders, 43min., USA
Directed by Ben Hamilton
Sitka’s Hidden Wonders is a 40-minute theatrical nature film that blends sweeping cinematography with a deeply personal story of return. Told by award–winning wildlife filmmaker Ben Hamilton, the film explores what it means to truly see...

THE NATURE OF DEATH, 16min., USA
Directed by Sean Cruser
When an eccentric park ranger crosses paths with a grieving hiker, he offers his help in finding the perfect spot to scatter the hiker’s father’s ashes. As they venture deeper into the remote wilderness, the ranger’s true intentions begin t...

DOBRINA, 5min., Germany
Directed by Hannes Rall
Lotte Reiniger meets Sergio Leone in this animated short, where desire burns as bright as the desert sun.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

I always wanted to make a film that combines my love of the films of ...

~ Sharing several true stories of 4 LGBT people in Paris, France
Many LGBT individuals exist in hidden, unseen spaces around the world. Why do they need to come out from the closet? Because in certain countries, societies, and families, their identities and emotions as sexual minorities are neith...

THE LAST WISH, 14min., Ukraine
Directed by Ilya Noyabrev
On the threshold of the Supreme Court, everyone anxiously awaits the Decision about their fate. And only one strives to return to where a part of their soul remains...

AL RAWDAH, 7min., Saudi Arabia
Directed by Yasser Mohamed Abdelsalam
Al-Rawdah (الروضة) is a cinematic visual experience that invites viewers into the sacred serenity of Al-Rawdah Al-Sharifah, the revered space within the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah. With no dialogue, the film relies entirely on ...

SMOLDERING SMOLDERING, 5min., Ukraine
Directed by Ilya Noyabrev
This song is about the faith of the Ukrainian people in victory and a bright future, and illustrates our present.

https://www.instagram.com/anna_khanina/

BELONG TO YOU, 6min., Iceland
Directed by Ísak Magnússon, Óliver Sólberg
Belong to you follows a swimming pool employee who thinks about his relationship with his coworker on a quiet night.

Get to know the filmmakers:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

We had just graduated from high s...

INSIDE ALONE, 4min. Iran
Directed by Hossein Moradizadeh
Inside alone there is nothing. A black hole that smashes everything inside. Sometimes it's a light star. Sometimes illusion and sometimes imagination. Such a world was created.

https://www.instagram.com/mora.films/

ONE GIANT WADDLE, 8min....

The Fourth Star, 15min., USA
Directed by Carrie Anne Hunt
An estranged couple comes to terms with their daughter's death on the eve of her birthday. Pulled apart by what they love most, Carolyn and Bruce are forced into a situation where they must face what was left unspoken in order to reconcile...

Eureka!, 15min., Canada
Directed by David Creighton
In this animated micro-short, a conspiracy nut finally grasps the truth.

CANADA UNPLUGGED:( Part 1) The Perfect Storm, 56min., Canada
Directed by Sangita Iyer
A bold, eye-opening documentary from Mettle Films, directed by award winning filmmake...

FOR THE LOVE OF DOGS, 27min. India
Directed by Mohanjeet Baldev Singh Kalsi
In the biting cold of North India’s winters, thousands of stray dogs struggle to survive, unseen and unheard. But in the bustling city of Gurugram, one man refuses to look away.

https://www.instagram.com/fortheloveofdogs...