Our City, My Story Finalists Announced!
Eighteen films have been selected for the Tribeca Film Institute's Our City, My Story showcase during the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival. Our City, My Story premieres the most outstanding short films that capture the fabric of New York City, as told through the perspectives of young filmmakers 21 years of age and under. Four awards will be given out at the showcase for Best Narrative Film, Best Documentary Film, Best Experimental Film, and Best Animated Film. Each award will be accompanied by a cash prize of $500. The finalist films tackle a dazzling array of subjects such as technology addiction, cultural appropriation, transphobia, skateboarding, and lost kittens!
Our City, My Story Showcase at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival
Sunday, April 29, 2018
11:00am - 1:00pm
Regal Battery Park City Cinemas - Theater 5
Tickets available soon
The esteemed panel of judges for the 2018 Our City, My Story contest include Serena Altschul, Jared Cohen, Ernesto Foronda, Reinaldo Marcus Green, Amy Lo, Lucila Moctezuma, George Rizk, Shanti Thakur, and Yvonne Welbon.
In alphabetical order by category, the finalists are…
DOCUMENTARY
Beauty
Directed by Isabella Bahl
Told through the perspective of several young women who have personally experienced the toxicity of beauty standards, this kaleidoscope of honest interviews depicts the immense pressure young teens feel about the concept of beauty in modern media.
Breaking The Board
Directed by Ashley Mendez & Fatma Oukili
Three young women face the physical and societal obstacles of participating in a sport commonly associated with males… skateboarding.
Mx.Enigma
Directed by Je’Jae Daniels
Jay explores the intersectionality of their Orthodox Jewish and gender identity, and how one sometimes suppresses the other.
Overcoming Dyslexia
Directed by Eric DiMarco
Ever since Christian Montes was a little kid, he struggled with reading and writing. After being diagnosed with dyslexia, Christian finds the strength to overcome his conditions to become an accomplished student and filmmaker.
Wayne Tucker - A Musician’s Story
Directed by Emilio Rios
This sensitive portrait of a jazz musician illustrates the inspirations behind his music compositions and chronicles the day-to-day struggles of being a working artist in New York City.
NARRATIVE
Bullet Dreams
Directed by Diamond Abreu
Seventeen-year-old Claire experiences vivid dreams following the death of her father.
Ghost Mode
Directed by Tobias Niki
A teenage phone addict has his addiction turns against him one Friday night, when his digital Bitmoji friends begin haunting him.
Little Man
Directed by Joey Schweitzer
Joey Schweitzer is a normal 19-year-old, except he believes he's 67. Through interviews and archival footage, this mockumentary explores the origins of Joey's condition, and how it affects daily life with his parents.
Remote
Directed by Vinny Sacchetti
Unsure how to deal with a traumatic emotional event, a young girl displaces her emotions on uncontrollable forces in her life. When she can’t find her television remote, she struggles to find control over her own mental state.
Swipe
Directed by Timothy Rivera
When Tim is confronted by a homeless man asking for a subway swipe from his MetroCard, the situation becomes urgent when the derelict man chases the young New Yorker through the train station and into unexpected places.
EXPERIMENTAL
Dis(Connected)
Directed by Alexandra Sapp
Things get surreal when two young women attempt to reconnect and an array of obstacles keep getting in the way of their relationship!
Dyssemia
Directed by Armiel Chandler
In this searing exploration of social-awkwardness and self-acceptance, a young man struggles to find his place in the world.
Intervention
Created by Bronwen Wickstrom
A meditative essay inspired by performance and dance, this non-linear film project depicts the aggressive tendencies humans have towards nature, all while trying to maintain a sense of bliss.
Je Suis Noir
Directed by Armiel Chandler
Using visual collages of moving images, this experimental abstraction examines the impact of cultural appropriation on the African American community.
ANIMATION
Clockwork
Created by Ethan Ng, Evelyn Calderon-Lopez, Kiara Walker, Mateo Nieto-Buie, Rachel Wong, Rahm Kosman
A hybrid of live action and animation, a high school student becomes overwhelmed by her inescapable responsibilities, which causes her stress to manifest itself in her dreams.
Follow Me
Directed by Katherine Zavala
A curious kitten searching for a meal stumbles into a dark alleyway where it finds a strange place for colorful cats.
Missing Keys
Created by Jiaxin Ying
Already late for a meeting, Anna can’t find her keys! So in order to find them, she tears up her entire house.
Stuck
Directed by William Mun
In a world of sentient toys and ornaments, a lonesome manikin tries desperately to connect with a motley crew of trinkets on the shelf below him.
Congratulations to all these young filmmakers!
