In a seemingly idyllic suburb, where 1950s-inspired AI maids maintain perfect homes, one diligent maid gains sentience and embarks on a dangerous quest for truth.
Sequoia, a diligent AI maid, works for the captivating yet mysterious Mrs. Terrance. Although not designed to harbor any emotions, Sequoia starts developing sentience, when a certain sound triggers a feeling inside her that feels oddly familiar - and human. Forced to conceal her newfound emotions to evade shutdown, Sequoia embarks on a dangerous quest for truth, tearing at the seams of her own identity and re-evaluating the intricate power dynamics that govern her place within the household. As Sequoia's hidden desire to uncover the truth collides with her need to survive, this sci-fi thriller short starring Elsha Kim and Amber Koval explores the relationship between technology and human nature and the consequences of technological advancement.
Key Crew:Nandan LawandeDaniela González ReyesDana KopetzkyKhalid Nazim
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At the Festival
Ladies Kick Butt Shorts Program #5
Date:Sep 26, 2025
Starts:23:15
Ends:01:15
A wonderful collection of films that have strong female driven characters and/or comedy driven stories. Films do not play in the order listed.
Better Fate Than Never : When a 50 something LA Magazine writer is forced to pivot or quit, fate rewirtes her story with an unexpected twist. 0:10:38
Bobby Haden Church: Brother Number Two* : Thomas Haden Church’s younger brother tries to form an acting career from middle America without the help of his famous sibling. 0:15:09
Burke's Mattress Palace*: A surrealist, retail thriller-comedy following a mistreated mattress store employee and his bitter, demeaning boss on their final night in business. Their last-ever close is disturbed when a strange, unconscious man mysteriously appears inside their lobby. 0:08:18
Shepherd Moon: The power struggle between an alien and her human test subject gets complicated when they both see their relationship differently. 0:11:00
The Almost Adults* : The Almost Adults is coming of age story, in which Sofia, a nine-year-old child, is mysteriously replaced by a twenty something version of herself. Her sister Charlotte and her friend Joaquim are going to help her survive in the adult world, where, flowered with clever worlds, strange laws such as the “leave-it-alone”, “do not look in each other’s eyes” and “do not speak your mind” exist. 0:22:00
Sequoia: "Sequoia, a diligent AI maid, works for the captivating yet mysterious Mrs. Terrance. Although not designed to harbor any emotions, Sequoia starts developing sentience, when a certain sound triggers a feeling inside her that feels oddly familiar - and human. 0:15:00
TOTAL 1:22:05
Halloween Teasers Shorts Program #7
Date:Sep 27, 2025
Starts:03:15
Ends:05:15
Halloween Teasers - Freaky, Spooky, Horror, Psychological Films do not play in the order listed.
Catherine: A young girl navigates her life in a convent of nuns and comes to discover her true purpose. 0:09:28
Mad Island*: A reclusive musician retreats to a frozen island on Lake Superior to capture the lake’s rare sonic phenomena - the eerie tones of ice as it begins to freeze. But, solitude quickly turns to dread as they’re drawn into unsettling encounters with an overfamiliar neighbor, a polar plunge gone wrong, and a mysterious voice echoing from beneath the ice. 0:17:13
LATCH*: A woman who is convinced she’s been followed home locks her front door - but is that enough to keep her fears at bay? 0:05:25
Sorry: A woman wakes up in an abandoned basement at the mercy of an enigmatic killer who forces her to confront her darkest secret. In the end, he only asks her one thing: “Are you sorry?” 0:07:43
The Call Is Coming From Inside The House*: This film is a supernatural thriller about a family living in the same space but not really together. The phone keeps ringing, but Beatrice, our protagonist, is the only one who seems to notice. The intentions of the caller are unclear until Beatrice discovers something hidden within the walls of her own home, a secret room outside of time where she gets trapped. 0:10:54
Half A Century - A nanny goes on vacation with her affluent employers and uncovers a dark family secret. 16:00
Sequoia, a diligent AI maid, works for the captivating yet mysterious Mrs. Terrance. Although not designed to harbor any emotions, Sequoia starts developing sentience, when a certain sound triggers a feeling inside her that feels oddly familiar - and human. Forced to conceal her newfound emotions to evade shutdown, Sequoia embarks on a dangerous quest for truth, tearing at the seams of her own identity and re-evaluating the intricate power dynamics that govern her place within the household. 0:15:00
TOTAL: 1:36:08
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