CAMP Film + Fest

This dynamic block features three short films exploring reality, connection, and survival. Aidan Gallagher’s Natural Twenty follows four college friends on a real-life Dungeons and Dragons quest to retrieve the "Scroll of Truth," blurring fantasy and reality. Gallagher’s thrilling narrative tests the limits of friendship.

Nneka Julia’s Passing Through tracks a woman rescuing her relationship, facing a conflict with her boyfriend that leads to a pivotal choice between the familiar and the unknown. Julia’s intimate storytelling shines.

Nicholas Adams’ Return to Sender sees two dystopian couriers stranded in a delivery truck, finding connection in a world where survival means dancing through shadows. Adams crafts a gripping dystopian tale. Together, these films challenge perceptions—through quests, relationships, and survival—offering an emotional, thought-provoking journey for festival attendees.

This intimate block presents two short films on identity and perception. Sonya Akulshina’s How Long Until Now? follows a young woman whose routines blur with surreal inner visions, questioning reality. Mamadou Yattassaye’s Vis à Vis portrays a West African son and his immigrant father trapped in an elevator, confronting generational disparities and the fragmented nature of West African identity in America. Akulshina and Yattassaye, both masterful storytellers, craft haunting and raw narratives. From surreal introspection to cultural clashes, these films explore personal and familial echoes, inviting attendees to reflect on the boundaries of self and heritage in a deeply resonant experience.

Two coworkers unknowingly share the same lucid dream where they are married.

This gripping block features three short films exploring hidden motives and complex relationships. Philip and Timothy Linnik’s They Were Art Thieves follows two brothers in a life where survival means dancing through the shadows, facing the chance to live out their dreams through freedom. Monique Yvonne’s Ashes to Ashes portrays a young woman receiving mysterious objects that blur reality and illusion, forcing her to confront the unknown. Harold Bohorquez’s Zulian Pretzel depicts a police officer recruiting two teenage hustlers to his wife’s failing restaurant, uncovering a hidden pregnancy, a fractured marriage, and the true meaning of family. The Linniks, Yvonne, and Bohorquez craft intense, evocative narratives that delve into deception, survival, and personal reckoning. This block offers a thrilling exploration of shadowy intentions and emotional truths, perfect for attendees craving stories that challenge and captivate.

This mesmerizing block features two short films delving into hidden truths and fantastical realms. Zach Schy’s Make No Change follows a reclusive coder who builds a ‘pleasure machine’ that disconnects him from reality, forcing him to confront his chronic escapism. Jordan Studdard’s Keep of Secrets transports us to a fantasy world where diverse jobs define society, and one character manages everyone’s secrets, navigating the burden of trust and power. Schy and Studdard, both innovative storytellers, craft compelling narratives that explore isolation, responsibility, and the weight of hidden knowledge. From a coder’s detachment to a secret-keeper’s duty in a magical realm, this block unveils the tension between inner worlds and external realities, offering festival attendees a thought-provoking journey through stories that blend the cerebral with the fantastical.