WIFF Official Selection 2024
| Project Title | Directors | Synopsis |
| “ILLUSION” | MUSTAFA SANCAK | A woman gets pregnant following a rape but she decides to abort the baby. The operation is carried out with the support of her husband. Both the rape and the abortion have had extremely deep and devastating impacts on her psychology; hence she alienates herself from her husband and all the areas of life. In the wake of this severe trauma the woman will never be able to relate to real life again. |
| Save The Last Dance For Me | Noah Dolinsky | Two young women in Bangkok, Thailand, cross paths as they each try to chase after their dreams. Benne is a young woman who aspire to be a successful actress and singer. For her living she performs as a sexy dancer at nightclubs. In her free time she sings karaoke on her IG account. View is another young woman who aspire to be a photojournalist, but for now settles for doing videography in casting auditions. She is following Benne on IG and secretly in love with her. She thinks of a way to meet her and help her pursue her career at the same time. |
| Promise | Sion Tudor owen | Mother daughter relationship face’s huge pressure.Embroiling the church in an end of life question |
| Libra | Jonathan Everett | Plagued by nightmares, fledgling vigilante, Thomas, visits a counselor, but the road to balancing his mind is not what he anticipated. |
| Cinema 6 – A Halloween Special | Dalton Mugridge, Scott Pitman | Halloween night at Cinema 6 takes a turn for the worst when Scooter, Dustin, and Mack wake up in horrific traps not unlike something from a popular Horror franchise… |
| Trumpet Player | Felino Dolloso | About a person who starts to question his line of work, he wrestles between his duty and morality. |
| O palhaço que há em nós | Eduardo Robalo | “O palhaço que há em nós”, a Black Castle production, director Eduardo Robalo invites the audience to enter the parallel reality hidden in a clown’s smile. “He says he will be a clown until his last day, but father, you will be a clown, forever. An actor in soul, a clown at heart.” |
| Bromates | Nicoletta Hanssen | Bromates is a comedy series about three, male roommates that try to solve life’s problems together. Although the situations may seem silly to you, it’s always a matter of life or death to them. They give each other misguided insight as they tackle every situation that may come up in the world, on the internet, or simply in the apartment. |
| Project Title | Directors | Synopsis |
| Missionary | Peyton Flake | A young Mormon couple explore sexual alternatives while trying to maintain their virginity for marriage. |
| An Important Message | Victor Simeon Keas | A woman will have her pain packaged and sold for an audience! |
| Dance with Death | Grace Para | Death offers a helping hand to an elderly woman who has been left to rot by the living. |
| Zombie Revolt | Kevin Jones | Enemy armies are forced to join together when faced with the zombie apocalypse. |
| Biological Clock | David McMartin | A childfree woman discovers to her horror that she is pregnant. Confronted by her family’s pressure to have children, she distorts reality to induce her own miscarriage and reject parenthood. |
| Swiped | Billy Kay | LOGLINE: As two wifi-crossed strangers try to make an online love connection, one unwittingly becomes leading man in the other’s bizarre digital daydream. SYNOPSIS: A GIRL sits alone at her local neighborhood bar, bored, swiping away at the dating app on her phone in vain. However, one particular profile catches her eye… and as she daydreams about the handsome stranger in the photo, her GUY unwittingly becomes the leading man – and pawn – in her fantasy. SWIPED is about how modern society uses digital technology and social media excessively as its primary way to connect, and how this ultimately hinders organic human interaction and relationships. As Guy gets pushed deeper and deeper into Girl’s bizarre digital world, will it be too late for them to create a true offline connection in the real one? |
| The Misprint | Jasper Lin | A lone technician’s attempt to clone himself using cutting edge technology goes horribly wrong. |
| Ancient Evil: FrankenCock | Ryan McDonald | A fast paced, twisted tale of obsession and dark desires, a brilliant but unhinged surgeon, Dr. Frank Stien, redefines the boundaries of life and death. After an accident leaves him without his own manhood, he uses forbidden knowledge to construct a Frankenstein monster from his own severed appendage. As the creature awakens, it quickly descends into madness and threatens to consume them both. “Ancient Evil: FrankenCock,” is a provocative, insane, and chilling exploration of the consequences of playing god with the very essence of humanity. |
| Sorry I’m Late! | Donovan Smith | Xavier is having the worst day of his life, but how much is too much? Can he shake the debilitating overwhelming feeling of self worthlessness, or will it push him over the edge? A very serious film about a very serious subject – mental health. |
| Housebroken | John Kestner | A family is stunned to discover that their young daughter’s new puppy is a werewolf. |
| Tina | Laura Sweeney | Our new short film TINA is a heartfelt, story about two people who knew each other back when and are surprised to meet up again. We think viewers will absolutely relate, especially if they’ve ever encountered someone from their past who influenced them at a key juncture in their life, or if they’ve gone searching online for an old friend, teacher, boss, whoever…and been surprised by how much they’ve both changed! The story of TINA is especially relevant right now because it features a character who gives a positive voice to the transgender experience that we seldom see in films today. We believe this kind and thoughtful story will raise important conversations about trans rights. If you believe as we do, that everyone has the right to live their most honest and truthful life, we hope you’ll include this film in your festival. |
| Imoceanation | Kimber Leigh | A journey of imagination revealing a world of possibilities. |
| Car Trouble | Aahir Ghosh | Two skilled hot-headed mechanics engage in a heated battle over a car’s engine problem but as their egos clash and sparks fly, they must confront their own immaturity to fix their real issues. |
| The Poppy Club | Jessica Orcsik | “The Poppy Club” is a vivid narrative that explores the complexities of identity and self-discovery through the character of Poppy, who personifies various aspects of the human psyche inspired by the Five Jungian Aspects and the archetypal framework of “The Breakfast Club.” The script delves into Poppy’s internal struggle with her shadow, anima, animus, and persona, representing her fears, desires, and societal roles. As Poppy interacts with these facets of her personality, portrayed as distinct characters, she grapples with self-acceptance, the pressures of conformity, and the journey towards embracing her true self. The story unfolds in a series of introspective and confrontational moments, leading Poppy towards a realization about the importance of authenticity and the complexity of the teenage experience. |
| Crystal Galaxy Enforcers | Kirk Howle | Flying through space in a crystal ship, Modnar encounters an annoying nemesis. |
| Suit of Sorrow | Gary Taylor | Positive and negative entities fight for control of a woman’s soul. |
| Les Bêtes | Michael Granberry | “LES BÊTES” Produced, Directed & Animated by Michael Granberry Original Score Composed by Lito Velasco Synopsis: A mysterious rabbit with a set of magic keys summons a host of strange creatures to entertain a wicked king and his decadent court in this dark stop-motion animated fantasy inspired by the works of Ladislas Starevich. About the production: A four-year labor of love begun in 2020 as a “pandemic lockdown project” and completed in 2024, “Les Bêtes” was conceived to be a zero-budget, entirely recycled film in the style of a 1930’s Ladislas Starevich animation. Even the stop-motion characters, all of which were originally constructed for other projects that never materialized, were repurposed after rotting away in storage for almost two decades. |
| By Your Side | Indra Warikoo | When mental health challenges drive a couple apart, learning from the experiences of others dealing with similar challenges helps them understand their own situation better, and they learn that empathy and understanding can heal deep wounds. |
| The Connoisseur | Eric Morgret | You’ve been invited to a very special wine tasting. |
| INSECTS IN THE CITY | Mark Polish, Lumo | Dr. Magdalena “Maggie” L’Amour is a Love Bug and highly sought-after “sex therapist” who navigates her love life through a society driven by sex, which is rife with wicked rituals, disturbing behaviors, and carelessness. But in the midst of it all, Maggie manages to find humor in the absurdity of her surroundings. Along with her tight-knit group of friends, she works to navigate the complexities of love and life in this hilarious and sex-filled world. |
| Astray | Andrew Merfeld | Longing to be a world-renowned painter, Chirs has developed an obsession for obtaining inspiration in his own torment. When his sister, Jen, informs him of a startling family tragedy, this pursuit begins catching up with him in unsettling ways. Now, he must decide whether to continue with the biggest art competition of his life or return to what remains of the family he had left behind. |
| Dopamining | Jyot Bhalla | Dopamining is a sci-fi drama about depressed Marge who, in a last ditch effort to find happiness, goes for a brain massage but soon finds herself trapped in a bizarre political scandal. |
| Atomic Blue | Ninno Mazzone | Three long-lost friends go to the beach to meet up around a campfire. Under the influence of alcohol, the discussion quickly turns to revelations about the difficult period they have been through since their last meeting. |
| Taking Your Crack at Filmmaking | Kimber Leigh | Award Winning Indie Director Kimber Leigh shares how you can film on a low to no budget film. |
| Book Club | Diane M. Dresback | The first meeting for a new book club doesn’t go as planned. |
| Forever | Jeff Lane | Sam and Crystal, childhood friends turned soulmates, journey through life’s stages together. Fist love, then marriage, and family, until a peaceful farewell leaves a legacy of love. |
| The Allergy Table | Pat Battistini | When the new kid shows up, the regulars show him the rules and duties of eating at a grade school allergy table. |
| The World’s Worst Porn Film | Pat Battistini | What was supposed to be a historic porn movie shoot turns into a disaster. |
| Meat Lovers | Allen Martindale | In a seemingly ordinary suburban home, a family’s peaceful football afternoon takes an unexpected twist, revealing the hidden cost of their sinister cravings. As the game plays on, the true nature of their indulgences comes to light, leading to a chilling conclusion. |
| Black Tea | Duran Cribbs | Paul comes home from work to his wife and two adopted daughters to discover that his wife is dealing with traumatic issues from her past. |
| Little Candy Girl | Una Smoole | A miniature girl who tap dances in candy machines runs away with a curious and charming rescuer, only for her to realize that she must be the one to save herself. |
| It’s probably not John | Louise Lohmann Christensen | In a grief circle, Laura shares her recent journey of losing John. How she sleeps on the floor, can’t keep her job, how friends disappear and how time spitefully continues to pass, though she wants it to stop. She shares how one day; she has a pivotal moment that brings her back from the darkness and restores her ability to live again. |
| Hey Man | James Oxyer | Trevor needs to get something off his chest. After a late-night party, he decides to open up to his buddy, Cole. Then the nightmare begins. |
| Open Doors | Paula Christine Vasquez | In this silent short film, a man and a woman are brought together by one dog. Inspired by Charlie Chaplin, this Rom-Com will bring laughter, tears, and joy to all viewers. |
| Elevate El Paso: The Painting | Hector Caleb Lara | “Elevate El Paso, The Painting” is a documentary that explores the concept of elevating a city through art and community engagement. Centered around artist Hal Marcus’s latest masterpiece, “Elevate El Paso,” the film delves into his vision as an artist and what it means to him to Elevate El Paso. It showcases Marcus’s vibrant painting that captures El Paso’s spirit, landmarks, and diverse culture. The documentary interweaves interviews with various community leaders and artists, highlighting the shared goal of creating beauty and fostering positive change. Through Marcus’s artistic process and philosophy, the film illustrates how art can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary, serving as a powerful tool for community inspiration and elevation. |
| #Trucker | Jesse Pringle | An awarded army veteran returns home from war but he’s been changed. This former military interrogator has an unquenched thirst for blood and his victims have become those who travel the same road. |
| Take a drag | Amir Vafaei | “Take a Drag” is a short animation which illustrates the pervasive negative impact of media on individuals and society. |
| In Transit |