Mabel is a young Chinese American girl living in Chicago’s Chinatown. Unsure of what to write in her “What the American West Means to Me” paper, she sets off on a train with a bowl of sentient ramen to find answers. She traverses through the Rocky Mountains, abandoned ghost towns, until finally arriving in California, only to discover that her ancestors never left. On a journey beyond their wildest dreams, Mabel and her ramen sidekick reimagine what the American West means to them.

Ramen Western

After encountering a spectacular scene of shimmering waters in Alabama Hills, K can no longer close her eyes. A terrifying diagnosis sends her on a journey to Owens Lake for remedies, only for her to discover the tragedy St.Francis dam collapse and a drained lake. There, K meets others suffering from the same illness, a community that has learned to care for another. As the sun sets and night falls, they begin to swim together as if the water were still there, or had finally returned.

A Swim in the Desert

The film explores&nbsp;the evolving nature of cultural&nbsp;leadership across the Sāmoan diaspora, as more individuals abroad take on highly respected matai (high chief) roles traditionally rooted on the island. Centered on the Tuimaseve family, the story examines how matai titles are understood today, particularly by those who have never lived in Sāmoa, don’t speak the native language, yet are entrusted with upholding vital cultural responsibilities. What does a matai look like for this new generation? And how do they shape, preserve and redefine cultural legacy from afar?

Tuimaseve: A High Chief Story

A daughter in the womb hears her mother sing to her. She starts to wonder what their life would be like and creates scenarios like buying a toy at the store, making food together and her mother doing her hair. But as the memories replay, we find that those memories were not all hugs and kisses. The daughter cries to her mother, asking why she would ever do those things to her. But she soon starts to understand her mother. Although not fully forgiving her, she now understands that the love she had in the womb would never be the same as when she grows up. Film Content Advisory: Baby Crying Noises

Hugs & Kisses

A young woman makes her way to the States in search of her runaway younger sister. Over the course of night, the two search–for each other, for themselves, for some steady ground–in an unfamiliar city. Sketches of aliens, moving paintings, and fish with strange names are the unexpected conduits for the answers they are looking for.

Somewhere to be

My father was a footballer. In 1985, he led the South Korean National team to their first world cup appearance in 32 years. Weeks before the world cup, he tore his meniscus and never got to play at the world’s stage. He never got over his unfulfilled dream, and from when I was 7 to 16, he was absent from my life– pursuing a career as a football agent and scout. The youngest of his four kids, I was raised by my siblings in his absence. With this in mind, I ask the question: Where do your dreams end and mine begin? This film is a means of reconciling with my dad– learning about him through spoken interview, archival footage, and our love for football, coming to terms and understanding our strained relationship and who I am.

My Father was a Footballer

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Armed With a Camera Vol. 2026 | Shorts Program

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