Las Vegas Lift-Off Film Festival Online 2016

note that the numbers on this page are not direct correlations to the Vimeo listings

1.

"The Keys" - Music Video
Dir. Sonia Benarab, Archie Thomas, Joe Hoster
Five years ago a young man met an ex-ballerina during the last month of his North American adventure. Little did he know, it was the start of a love story, which would change him, forever. Unfortunately, this romance was short lived as they both travelled back to their homes, 10'000 miles apart. As he mourned, he felt the depths of his soul darkening beyond recovery. He felt as though he had lost a part of himself forever . What was he to do with his life now ? Oliver Goldsmith says : « Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall » Despite this, he wasn’t alone. His family and friends gave him the strength to carry on, and look forward. They became a pillar on which he could lean. Only one more thing made him feel better; made not of blood and bones, but wood and strings; The piano - when he played, he felt uplifted, his heart beating a little faster, tears running down his cheeks. He felt alive. Instrumental to his recovery, the piano became a companion. He bought one score, actually two, started to play the first but never touched the second. Interpreting was not what he liked. He wanted to create beauty out of thin air & imagination. He realised he was destined to be a composer. Joe Hoster was born.

2.

1994 AD
Dir. Adam Getz
It is 1994. Grunge dominates the airwaves. Pop is out. Plaid is in. A new rock star emerges, commanding the scene. One problem, though: He's dead.

3.

3 daYs
Dir. Chris Marks, Gilly Petrovic
Debauchery and happenstance conspire to manifest an accidental hero trapped in a history doomed to repeat itself.

4.

A Haunting on Butterscotch Lane
Dir. Ryan Nelson
Two brothers, one haunted house, and a lot of Cheetos.

5.

A Life - Uma Vida
Dir. PAULA palumbo
An abstract painter sees the film of his life passing through his mind minutes before his death.

6.

A Matter of Husbands
Dir. Devin Murphy
A young wife confronts an up-and-coming actress about having an affair with her husband.

7.

Araneae Dei
Dir. maxine fone
A vulnerable child living with an addict parent decides to kidnap God.

8.

Be Now
Dir. Graham Atkins-Hughes
It's 'The Morning After', and Karen isn't sure what she thinks about that. As the present moment jumbles in her mind with fragments of what happened the night before, she's close to something like madness.

9.

Beak> 'Broken Window'
Dir. Tia Salisbury
A daily commute goes horribly wrong in this promo for BEAK>

10.

Beatin
Dir. Quentin Perez
A young woman dreams of idyll but her fantasy quickly turns into a nightmare.

11.

Before It's Too Late
Dir. Judith Jerome
Grandpa and his grandson, Louie, love going to the movies and fly fishing together. It becomes apparent that Grandpa, a decorated WWII fighter pilot, is losing the skills to safely drive. His family struggles over this issue, but it's Grandpa who must make this difficult and once in a lifetime decision to give up his car keys before it's too late.

12.

Black, Not Gray: Ankara Rocks!
Dir. Ufuk Onen
The story of the rock and metal music scene in the '80s and '90s in Ankara, the capital of Turkey -- the city which is deemed to be 'gray', considered as 'lifeless', 'soulless' and 'dull', and labeled as a 'city of politics' -- and a band's attempts to get out of it despite their love of their hometown.

13.

BLANK FACE
Dir. Satish Reddy Parpelly
Its is a thriller drama about a guy who is searching for his identity.

14.

Blind Date
Dir. Darren Rudy
Dating is complicated enough, but when trying to meet "Peep2Peep", this young couple confront the silent film near-misses of modern times.

15.

Blind Light
Dir. An Pham
After a broken marriage, Kim throw her life in to the shadow. When her mom health failed, dream and passion was awaken again.

16.

BLOOD & CURRY
Dir. atul sharma
She came for the American dream but found a living nightmare.

17.

Blueberry Gone
Dir. Joseph Anaya
Struggling to let go..Emily gives one last phone call to her loved one.

18.

BONDAGE
Dir. Esquire Jauchem
An amusing evening in the House of Bondage with dominatrix Mistress Terri where anything is possible and everything is unexpected as her customer insists on playing out racial stereotypes and ends up challenging the very nature of her daily existence.

19.

breakage
Dir. Steve Parys
A friend’s enthusiasm about her new boyfriend causes Ally Kent to revisit her own relationship with Frank Brown, the love of her life.

20.

Brother Valentine
Dir. Tim Rundel
On August 7, 1974, an Oklahoma City family is devastated after their 15-year-old son brutally murders his older sister. This documentary revisits the overwhelming effects on the Valentine family some 40 years later. The film explores the controversial justifications made by this teenage boy in regards to his motives for killing his sister (via interviews with the prosecutor, his defense attorney, neighbors and his mother). A close-knit community is outraged when the Valentine family hires a prominent defense attorney to keep their son out of jail. Public records request during the filming of the doc uncovers stunning details and buried secrets about this preventable tragedy.

21.

Cataclysmic Iridescence
Dir. Kelsey Pope
Three ethereal beings, the souls of YOUNG DAMON, YOUNG AARON, and YOUNG ANGIE wait in purgatory with the physical manifestation of their own innocence in their hands. [The film rapidly interweaves the parallel rising actions and climaxes of the three following stories] A young girl, CELESTE, wakes in the middle of the night to a commotion outside the bedroom and wakes her older brother, Young Damon. The two creep to the door to see their father beating their mother. Influenced by this, the next time she annoyed him, Young Damon starts a fight with his sister. Flash forward: DAMON, the young adult, beats his girlfriend. They struggle until she escapes and calls the cops. Damon is arrested. Damon (the spirit) is haunted by his-self’s actions. The cell that Damon (the young adult) is locked in opens a portal to his childhood closet. He returns to the night he and his sister watched their parents’ fight. Damon rushes towards his past self and sister but cannot reach them. The girl, Young Angie, is home alone one night when her mom returns with her latest boyfriend. Curious, Young Angie watches as they make-out. She sneaks into her mom’s bathroom to experiment with make-up. Flash forward: ANGIE, the young adult, is a prostitute. She works the streets as Angie (the spirit), mourns the loss of innocence. Angie (the prostitute) returns after work to see her spirit in the mirror staring back at her before disappearing. Abandoned by herself, she laments for change. The boy, Young Aaron, waits for his dad for his dad to return home from work to spend time with him. However, when his father does arrive he drinks himself to sleep instead. Young Aaron watches. Aaron (the spirit) is let down once again. Young Aaron tries alcohol. Flash forward: AARON, the young adult, is an alcoholic. Wasted, he finds his old baseball glove, which takes him back to the day he tried his first beer. Aaron tries to stop Young Aaron but just can’t get through to him. Inspired by their attempts and will to change, the three ethereal spirits grant their younger selves a chance to go back and redeem themselves. Young Aaron puts back the beer. Young Angie decides to preserve her innocence. Young Damon comforts his sister. The spirits are freed from purgatory.

22.

CENSORS
Dir. Max Coltorti
N/A

23.

Cinnamon
Dir. Kamal
Its a story of a newly elected mayor who comes from a family where his dad was verbally and physically abusive to his mom. He is waiting to go on a chat show. On the chat show, he ends up saying good things about his dad. The story shows psychological effects of domestic violence on a person.

24.

Creature at The Bates Motel
Dir. Joel Umano
In the first music video ever to be filmed at the famous "Bates Motel," home to the Alfred Hitchcock thriller, "Psycho," comes big band crooner Brian Evans delivering the first Halloween-themed music video in decades. The video features famous American comedian, "Carrot Top."

25.

Crime Sweepers
Dir. Lance Mora
Dusty Floors and Tony Danza. They're Cops. They're Brooms. They're Broom-Cops.

26.

Cycle
Dir. Zander Stone
In an effort to win back his ex-girlfriend, Devan becomes addicted to exercise and develops dangerous eating habits. In today's health-obsessed culture, how much is too much?

27.

Dichterliebe: POETLOVE
Dir. David Paul
A modern adaptation of Robert Schumann's 19th century art-song cycle, which tells the story of a young man who experiences his first love and heartbreak, throwing him into deep despair, until he finds his conduit through art.

28.

Everything Changes
Dir. Simeon Taole
Two people on an afternoon date try to make a connection and find their lives forever altered.

29.

Guilt
Dir. ?
Two middle-aged siblings who have a lot to feel guilty about are reunited at their parents’ home following the funeral of their dad, an unrelenting tyrant. When they hear terrifying noises in the middle of the night, they fight over who’s to blame for bringing back dad’s angry ghost. Or are the noises something else entirely?

30.

HATCHET LADY CRIMES
Dir. Chris J'tot
In small towns there are small crimes, she prays for small towns, not for small crimes.

31.

Her Name Was Jenny Vol.2
Dir. Eddie Augustin
Robert never wanted anything he couldn't get... Except one thing. Tonight, he will put it all on the line to finally get what he thinks he deserves.

32.

Hold Steady
Dir. Jessica Paliza
A woman confronts her trauma with the aid of a metronome and her neighbour’s flat-pack furniture...

33.

Home From War
Dir. Jonathan Dillon
Two wounded females Marines return from Afghanistan and meet in a U.S. Army Hospital in Germany, on their way home. They now must face a battle they were not trained to fight. Those who love them the most, can sometime be their greatest foes.

34.

Insomnia
Dir. Kenneth Sanabria Jiménez
An ill man in the terminal phase spends his last night in a row of delirious and contradictory feelings, imagining himself next to his sleeping wife to whom he hasn’t told about his condition.

35.

Karma
Dir. Richard Goldstein
After losing everything during the recession, Albert may have a second chance at success when he finds a wallet stuffed with cash. All he has to do is make the right decision.

36.

Knights of New Jersey
Dir. Michael Hadley
A comedic, behind-the-scenes look at the daily grind and petty politics faced by a troupe of Renaissance Faire actors. Despite a series of increasingly painful humiliations and mishaps, these friends pursue a world of make believe where virtues like courage, honor and leadership are real.

37.

Let Those Blues In
Dir. Paul Webster
A portrait of Paddy Smith, an Irish blues musician who used his love of music to conquer his demons.

38.

Lightheaded
Dir. Steve Parys
Lightheaded is a romantic comedy in which the lonely Nora discovers she has a very persistent guardian angel who is hell-bent on helping her find happiness again.

39.

Lost Vegas Hiway
Dir. Zohaib Latif
10 songs. 10 Lives. One Night at the Gateway Motel

40.

LOVE IS BLIND
Dir. Sabine Crossen
Tristan falls in love with a blind patient of his, Angel. They get married and have a beautiful boy but when he finds out that not only the operation he performed on her to save her sight failed but that she also contracted a lethal virus...he takes drastic measures to make her last wish come true.

41.

Loved App
Dir. James Oliver
A lonely man searches for love through a dating app, as the chance of a physical connection becomes increasingly difficult. Loved App is an award winning, satirical romance that explores the idea of projecting false personas of ourselves in order to feel accepted in an image-obsessed society. "A warm and genuine film that took on the contemporary angst of online dating and alienation. We thought it was a very well-told story and all the elements were strong and contributed to a memorable film." Carol Morley and Cairo Cannon - Director and Producer of ; "The Falling", "Dreams of a Life" and "The Alcohol Years".

42.

No pain
Dir. Mürfila
A music video, from the Spanish band Mürfila. This video was shot in August 2015 in USA, a real road movie set in several American states: from Virginia Beach to the West Coast. It´s an iconic journey of 8000 kilometres that crosses the most emblematic places of this country: the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, the Park of the Sequoias, or cities like Los Angeles, Las Vegas or Seattle ... NO PAIN is a tribute to everything that fascinates the American world: its deserts, its parks, neon cities, remote villages, endless highways, motels ... And could not miss the film references, as the film True Romance, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Drive, Natural Born Killers ... There are also musical references, as the bridge that Kurt Cobain used to kill his time as a teenager in Aberdeen, now full of painted people worldwide. Bridge talking Nirvana song "Something in the Way". NO PAIN is a journey, a road trip all the way, a cocktail of emotions, love and freedom..

43.

One Smart Fellow
Dir. Timothy Busfield
While on a weekend vacation a family experiences a big change. The women's courage and character shine in this comic tale.

44.

Operation A.N.G.E.L
Dir. André Pretorius
Armed with his imagination and a cardboard submarine, 12 year old Ruan dives into the unknown, searching for the healing Angel Jellyfish in a valiant attempt to save his terminally ill father.

45.

Player Two
Dir. Zachary Antell
Player Two is a short animation that explore the relationship that develops between two brothers of differing age growing up, and how video games foster that bond.

46.

Release Me
Dir. Jeremy J Hawkes, Adalia Tara
"Release Me" by singer/songwriter Adalia Tara, is about overcoming the social pressures that we all face, and the unattainable idea of perfection that we project upon one another. The song speaks about shedding the many masks we wear that cover our authentic selves; our beautiful vulnerability. When we set ourselves free from other people's expectations of us, we begin to come alive! **The only instrument in this song is Tara's VOICE!!! Including all the beats and sounds you hear! 🙂

47.

Retriever
Dir. Joo Hwan Kim
A homeless immigrant worker, who makes a living by selling stolen dogs to a butcher, befriends a golen retriever that he was supposed to sell.

48.

Rising From Divorce
Dir. David Jasse
Ground-breaking documentary film for Jewish Orthodox Community that looks at increasing rate of divorce and communal responsibility to help parents of divorce and children of divorce to thrive.

49.

Samantha Gets Back Out There
Dir. Nicholas Thurkettle
Samantha was married to Ronnie for twelve years. Twelve good years in her mind. Then a strange twist of fate parted them and she still has no idea how to process the loss. Set up on a date, she tries to see fresh possibilities in front of her – over wine, salad and pasta she jokes, she flirts, she looks at the man in front of her and feels the start of desire again. But raw memories and unresolved feelings take over, and even though she knows she is sabotaging the date, she is helpless but to share the story of herself and Ronnie, because the need to be heard has become far more important than the date. Tonight was just too soon for Samantha.

50.

Soul Song
Dir. Sarah Phillips
In a world where everyone has a melody that accompanies their soul, every day is an exploration in harmony and dissonance at any given time. But when everyman Archer meets Meara, whose melody so wholly complements his, it changes his whole life.

51.

The Blood in Our Veins
Dir. Mateo Marquez
When Daniel Royas decides to take his ill mother, Alejandra, to be seen at a local clinic on his birthday, little do they know the terrible news that lies ahead. After being told that Alejandra has been diagnosed with cancer, Daniel must confront the realities of the situation; how to cope with his mother's imminent death and protect his younger sister Sofia. At it's core La Sangre en Nuestras Venas takes an introspective look at the life of undocumented immigrants in New York City through the lens of this small family. Their struggles as well as their triumphs through love and unity.

52.

The BREAKTHROUGH
Dir. Quinton Morris, Steve Arcenio, Vivian Phillips
Chevalier de Saint-Georges meets Queen Marie-Antoinette, who invites him to Versailles to perform with her at her estate. He composes the G minor sonata along with two other sonatas that they perform together in the celebrated venue. Quinton Morris presents Saint-Georges’s debonair personality through the violinist’s high profile career, his romantic relationships with various women, and the numerous social setbacks he faced as an African-French musician. This film is an introduction to Saint-Georges, a musician of African origin who against all odds, rose to become one of the most prolific and forgotten figures of the 18th century.

53.

The HOAX
Dir. Rodney Gray
'The HOAX' is an independent examination of the abuse of power and lack of regulation in the homeowners' association (HOA) industry; a business whose key selling point is the protection of property values.

54.

The Perfect Dish
Dir. Dale Metz, TL Westgate
Every man has cravings

55.

The Rituals - In The Night
Dir. Brian Lipko
As the sun goes down, two lovers start to learn that they've met their match for better or worse.

56.

The Secret Life of Balloons
Dir. Lauren & Nina Graham
The Secret Life of Balloons explores the parallel journeys of a boy and his girlfriend at very different stages of existence. Left lost and believing they’ll never connect again, this uplifting short film asks questions about the boundaries of love, life and letting go. Sometimes there’s only one thing left to say and only one way to say it.

57.

The Travelling Salesman
Dir. Luke Murphy
A young widower's deal with the Devil is the potential catalyst for a second war between Heaven and Hell.

58.

TO BE AN AMERICAN
Dir. Ken Hurley
Explore the American Identity. What should it mean . . .? TO BE AN AMERICAN

59.

UNFORGETTABLE
Dir. Jay Rao
A man who's lost his memory wanders the streets of Saigon until he is drawn to a mysterious woman.

60.

We Remember
Dir. John Gallagher
After a night of debauchery, Anders has no idea what to expect when he is summoned to his estranged father's death bed.

61.

Weird Hot: Baby Lucky
Dir. M. Sean McManus
N/A

62.

Whispering Goliath
Dir. Ruben Permel
Whispering Goliath is a Short film inspired by the live painting Say Something from the Solo Show Brushes with Fame by Writer and Director RuBen Permel. His powerful color washes explore an Artist who allows his work to be taken and show as their own. This beautifully shot composition flows with imagery, symbolism and music by Faure. Ryan an introvert painter knowingly trades his transforming cocoon canvases for a fantasy of companionship. Ryan played by Brien McCrea can hide behind the layers dripping hues but until he speaks his own truth he will never be heard. Whispering Goliath expresses “I am not what you see” and ask you to look beyond the splashes of color to see what is written in black and white.The Creators of this film are all award winning in each their fields. They have come together on this project to evoke a vision by first time Film Director RuBen Permel. You can take what is not givenI can hide within my hue, But a whisper as load as a roar is not heard until I am true.

63.

Witch In Me
Dir. Jacopo Miceli
"Witch In Me" is the first episode in "The Funeral Of My Expectations" trilogy, the new EP from upcoming singer songwriter Cecilia G. She sleeps, she dreams, she wakes, he’s there. She sleeps, she dreams, she wakes, he’s there. She sleeps, she dreams, she wakes, he’s… gone. After the monotony of her married life is shaken up by her husband’s moonlight visits elsewhere, our woman decides she is going to follow him one night to find out exactly what he’s been up to. Her husband unknowingly leads her down into the neon rabbit hole of a sleazy inner city night. Far from the comfort of their bed, he has no idea he is about to be caught in the act. The second chapter of the story, "When He Loves", will be unveiled in January 2015.

64.

I Am Good
Dir. Noora Albright
A story of a chance encounter between two very different women. Miranda is a bored housewife, and Sabrina is a supermodel who's having the worst day of her life.

65.

The 7th Wave
Dir. Ben-Alex Dupris & Derrick J. LaMere
In 1989, Emmit Oliver, a Quinault Tribal elder organized the “Paddle to Seattle” as a part of Washington State Centennial Ceremony revitalizing a tradition that was lost for many years. now known as the Canoe Journey, the event has become symbol of cultural revitalization on a national level. In 2013, the Quinault hosted what was one of the largest Canoe Journey in native american history. This film follows their journey in the days leading up to The Paddle to Quinault.

66.

Last Night
Dir. Pedro Gueller
A man chases his wife and ends up involved in a crime.