La Americanita

Running time: N/A

Shorts Program 7 - Student Shorts Competition. Short films aren't largely made with "target markets" in mind. They are gateways that open themselves to test limits and discover new voices. The results of this year's Student Shorts program reveal storytelling in its purest, most unfiltered form. Captivating tales include a dream-like silent film where a homeless girl rethinks her ideas about right and wrong; a real life story that shows women becoming stand-up comics; the poetic story of laborers forming Teatro Campesino; and even worlds where teenagers create their own meaning of success, or 80-year-old nuns demonstrate against violence. Together with offbeat comedies, subtle coming of age stories, an animated short, and a stylish boxing film, these are stories about people-like the filmmakers themselves-searching for something that makes life mean something. Reviewed by Jason Martin