AIFF Shorts: Local Visions

Screening Times: Friday, April 14 at 6:45pm Saturday, April 15 at 5:30pm Sunday, April 16 at 3:00pm MY SUMMER VACATION (9 min) Elementary student, Cass, gives an unorthodox presentation on her summer vacation to Pompeii. Director: Kelly O'Sullivan SWIMMING THROUGH (15 min) As the brutal Chicago winter draws near, Deirdre, Helen and Jennefer—avid open water swimmers—make a pact to continue through the snow and ice as the pandemic rages on. This intense commitment becomes their salvation from lockdown and helps alleviate each of their personal struggles. Initially just acquaintances, Swimming Through follows their friendship as it coalesces around their commitment to the daily ritual of swimming at sunrise in Lake Michigan. Director: Samantha Sanders ROGER J. CARTER: REBEL REVOLUTIONARY (5 min) 'Roger J. Carter: Rebel Revolutionary' follows Chicago portrait artist Roger J. Carter as he creates colorful, unique images of African American revolutionaries through the use of toy soldiers on canvas. Staggering, vibrant, and complex, Roger’s work combines familiar faces with skilled craftsmanship and biting social commentary, highlighting the wars the marginalized face as they attempt to dismantle an established system. Director: Justin Fairweather MYLAR BALLOON (5 min) This short documentary explores the fracturing of the filmmaker's relationship with his mother after uncovering a betrayal that occurred years prior. By combing through old photos, videos, and documents, he tries to reckon with the dichotomy between his often fond memories of childhood and the extent to which his mother was manipulating him financially. Director: Luke Bechtel UNDECIDED (10 min) Three women’s different perspectives on motherhood collide in a workplace bathroom while one waits to discover whether she is pregnant. Director: Betty Allen & Andy Woodward