Bentonville Film Festival – Shorts Program

By: Jennifer Vintzileos

This year’s Shorts Program provided viewers with a diverse range of stories. From immigration to asylums and horror to women football players, each film identifies and showcases the heart of the Bentonville Film Festival. Here are some of my favorite shorts from this year’s lineup:

#Whitina – Directed by J. Jean Smith

As a teenage influencer, Genesis Valdez (Inde Navarrette) has shied away from her Hispanic heritage and done everything within her power to disassociate. This includes spending more time with her cheer-team bestie Ashley (Nova Chez) while her childhood pals Belle (Keyla Monterroso Mejia) and Chris (Xolo Maridueña) fall to the wayside. But when a visit from ICE goes horribly awry, Genesis finds that she gains a whole new social media following as #Trapselena while she figures out what to do next. Smith showcases how immigration is a social issue that has taken a front seat for younger generations.

I Am Normal – Directed by Olia Oparina

Inspired by the Rosenhan Experiment in 1973, a young woman named Keira (Nora-Jane Noone) meets with Dr. Rosenhan (Saul Rubinek) and agrees to be part of the experiment. During her stay at the asylum Kiera assumes the fake identity of Cara Lane and documents her stay. As Kiera is forced to extend her time there beyond her will, she begins to delve deeper into her alias and befriend patient Nancy (Anya Bay). The line between sanity begins to blur as Keira is forced to deal with her own prior trauma over her sister Nina’s death and questioning whether she was sane to begin with.

Womanhood – Written and Directed by Sierra Swartz

Older sister Cleo (Sierra Swartz) and younger sister Didi (Juliette Allison Bailey) are at different parts of their journey on becoming women—now if only they could stop being at odds with one another. As Cleo explores her sex life with boy-toy boyfriend Travis (Andi Rexha), Didi is just starting out in womanhood and trying to balance her social life while becoming more interested in boys. Swartz shows how two sisters can be so completely opposite yet find common ground in their biological dilemmas.

Koreatown Ghost Story – Directed by Minsun Park and Teddy Tenenbaum

When Hannah Lee (Lyrica Okano) is summoned to the house of Mrs. Moon (Margaret Cho), a friend of her parents, the visit turns into anything but pleasant. Seeking a wife for her late son Edward (Brandon Halvorsen), Mrs. Moon presents the idea of necrogamy (posthumous marriage) to Hannah in exchange for inheriting Mrs. Moon’s estate when she eventually passes. Yet the price Hannah pays to this agreement may be more than she bargained for, especially when Edward himself is stuck in an almost Grudge-like limbo in the house. Park and Tenenbaum examine the balance between this peculiar tradition and the horrific effect it can have on those who are forced to partake in it.

First Down – Directed by Carrie Stett

In Utah, Crys Sacco is the Head Couch and Co-Founder of the Utah Girls Tackle Football League. Comprised of young women from 3^rd to 12^th grade, football is more than just a sport to these girls. For many it has become a place to vent frustration, to feel accepted and to escape from the reality of their home life. But more than anything, the league gives women the opportunity to play what is largely considered a man’s sport. Stett shows us that even in a sport dominated by men, women have also found their place.