SF IndieFest: Heart & Grit – Shorts

Filmmakers expected for post-screening Q&A!

Arrowhead
When a corrupt local sheriff’s deputy is called to take care of a body found on his patron’s land development, he instead finds the remains of a legendary Modoc warrior and a dark power that will change him forever. (Dir. Reinhard J Cate, 15 mins)

Deville
Deville is a coming-of-age comedy-drama set in early 2000s San Francisco. It follows Mikey and Alvin – two teenage friends navigating the challenges of inner-city life. As they contend with romance, peer pressure, gangs, and police encounters, the story explores themes of identity, ambition, and the consequences of youthful choices. (Dir. Fego Navarro, 15 mins)

Eye Contact
In Eye Contact, three strangers briefly lock eyes — and in that instant, we’re transported into their worlds. The film explores the visceral, vulnerable moment of recognition that sparks when two people meet each other’s gaze, even for just a fraction of a second. (Dir. Eva L Hoffman, 9 mins)

Niki-Tom-Beto
Haunted by an Aztec deity, 4 cousins in Northeast LA try to protect each other from gang violence and family strife threatening to tear them apart. Niki, Tomi, Beto, and Ernie are 4 close-knit cousins growing up in Northeast LA. As Ernie gets increasingly involved with his gang, he tries to maintain a caring and protective role with the younger Niki, Tomi, and Beto. The boys’ tight-knit relationships unravel when the Aztec goddess of refuse and regeneration Tlazōlteōtl arrives to intervene in their everyday lives. (Dir. Jon Ayon, 18 mins)

What’s Not There
This experimental short film uses mood and shadows to tell a story of transition. (Dir. Syl Sloan Sutton, 8 mins)

Wild Ones
After a botched heist leaves them with stolen drugs and a target on their back, a reckless trans hustler and their fiercely loyal best friend must outrun a ruthless mobster to escape their dead-end lives. (Dir. Leone DiSantis, 11 mins)

Duckville
A spiraling comedy of errors about a town of ducks whose mayor fears they’re just too boring, so he hires a monster to liven things up. Hijinks inevitably ensue. (Dir. Bill Plympton, 8 mins)