Narrative Short Competition presented by Vimeo
Narrative Short Program 2
Exceptional storytelling that captivates, surprises, and excites.
Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.
Program Includes:
After reading "Tuesdays with Morrie", Leonard is drawn into the profound extremes of human emotion, feeling the world with overwhelming intensity. As he navigates the light and dark corners of his psyche, he gradually loses his sense of self and his grip on reality. Inspired by true events. "Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom. Published by Penguin Random House Publishing. Used with permission.
After a long battle with cancer, Joanna's doctors finally give her the sorry news, citing that the final weeks of her life will be incredibly painful. Luckily, she lives in a state that offers access to Death With Dignity end of life medication, and thanks to modern technology they're able to conveniently ship the medication directly to her. Unfortunately, the systems in place don’t necessarily make anything easier, and Joanna is faced with a series of mishaps that make the last few hours of her life some of the most stressful, at least... until she encounters Mark.
After a hurricane ravaged his hometown, Cheo and his mother Isabel, are restless about the whereabouts of his brother’s remains. With the next hurricane looming around the corner, Cheo and a hired hand, Juanko, break and enter into the cemetery to rescue his brother's remains.
Violeta, the young daughter of a widowed electrical maintenance worker, retreats to her mother's neglected music workshop to play music to remember her. When she causes a widespread power cut tensions rise between father and daughter bringing their grief to boiling point.
"One Day This Kid" depicts a deftly-composed array of small yet pivotal moments that depict Hamed, a first-generation Afghan-Canadian man, as he takes steps toward establishing an identity of his own while always conscious of his father's shadow. The film is inspired by the late David Wojnarowicz' prolific queer text "Untitled (One Day This Kid...)", a photo-collage from 1990 that shares the tragic story of a young boy growing up in a society that rejects him at all costs.
In her tiny house in District 4, Saigon, 101-year-old Ngoai survives through quiet resilience. Every evening, she hosts an underground card game, a traditional Vietnamese pastime, to earn enough to survive the next day. With her loyal cat by her side and the support of neighbors, Ngoai navigates the challenges of aging and poverty. The card games are more than just a way to make ends meet, they bring laughter, warmth, and a sense of connection to her life. Though the slums weigh heavily on her, Ngoai’s strength and the care of her community help her live with dignity, making her a beloved figure in their world.
"The Sentry" follows a suave Western spy who thinks he's got it all figured out - infiltrate a jungle bunker in Cambodia, handle a few guards, get home in time for martinis. But when one particularly stubborn sentry refuses to leave him alone, our flustered spy discovers that his world of international intrigue is no match for something far messier: real life. A cheeky dismantling of spy tropes that serves up action and heart with a side of cultural comeuppance.