Ladies Kick Butt Shorts Program #5

Fine Arts Theatre
Fine Arts Theatre
Beverly Hills, California 90211
United States
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


Better Fate Than Never
Annie, a successful relationships columnist in her 50s, is blindsided when a smug, younger editor informs her that her work is no longer “click-worthy.” Her loyal readership and decades of experience mean nothing in the face of analytics, scroll depth, and social shares. Unless she reinvents herself, and fast, she’s out of a job. Her editor suggests she switch lanes entirely and write a youthful travel piece, complete with hostel-hopping and hitchhiking tips. Annie is appalled.
Devastated but not defeated, Annie turns to her older sister Maeve, a free spirit with a flair for dramatics, who convinces her to visit a tarot reader for guidance. To Annie’s surprise, the reading seems to speak directly to her crisis, and hints at movement, change, and a journey tied to deeper connection. Still skeptical, Annie drowns her frustration in wine, sarcasm, and a late-night internet rabbit hole. She stumbles across a curious dating site for singles over 40 and impulsively signs up, only to receive an email the next morning that reads: CUPID FEST – Travel to Ireland – Meet the Love of Your Life.
What begins as a desperate attempt to save her job transforms into the start of something much more personal. With a plane ticket in hand and a hint of hope wrapped in a healthy dose of skepticism, Annie finds out that chasing a story might just lead her to one of her own. Better Fate Than Never is a funny, touching exploration of modern aging, female agency, and the courage it takes to write your next chapter - even when the ink’s long dry on the last one.


Bobby Haden Church: Brother Number Two


Burke's Mattress Palace


Shepherd Moon


Sequoia
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.

