PISS Fest! 2002 - Official Selections

See The Truth>>Directed by Jerold Howard>>California>>2001
See the Truth takes a lighthearted look at family structure and how perceptions are transferred from generation to generation. Stop-motion animation is used to illustrate the story of a well-meaning parent as he attempts to pass along his own bias to his young child. The parent experiences an epiphany when he is forced to reevaluate what he had been taught and what he has been teaching.

Educated>>Directed by Georgia Lee>>New York>>2002>>
A seemingly normal day at school turns into a surreal pursuit when 15-year old Alice (Kathy Lee) walks in on her best friend Wendy (Jenna Ushkowitz) hanging herself in the girls bathroom. Alice and Wendy are diligent, overachieving students in school and polite, well-behaved daughters in their Chinese-American community. After Wendy's aborted suicide attempt, Alice embarks on a journey to find out "why?" In the process, she uncovers a fantastical and deadly world of familial obligation, competitive pressure, and societal expectation.

rendez-vous>>Directed by Cristina Pronzati>>New York>>2002
Two New York City apartments, two people waiting for their dates (Christina Pronzati and Ira Elliot) but the evening doesn't turn out as expected.

Path>>Directed by Nan Jayaphorn and Waratap Pasayadaj>>California>>2002
A haunting cinematic montage of negative and positive images and sounds reveal a filmmaker's secret passion and memory.

Mrs. William Dixon>>Directed by Elizabeth Edwards>>California>>2001
One day in the life of Mrs. William Dixon (Treva Tegtmeier), a mother and wife. As she replays and adjusts her reality, her growing inability to communicate with her family reaches a tragic crescendo.

Birdbeat (fugue)>>Directed by Geoff Adams>>Rhode Island>>2002
The ritual hierarchy at a backyard bird feeder, accompanied by saxophone ensemble.

The Fix It Ticket>>Directed by Rebecca Ormond>>Missouri>>2002
A voluptuous 16-year old girl (Elizabeth G'Sell) is sent by her militaristic father (Robb Davis) to the local sheriff station to have a "fix it ticket" signed off.

Peep Show>>Directed by Debbie Bruce and Natalie Repp>>California>>2002
Marshmallow Peeps run amok and overpopulate the earth. You'll never look at these innocent Easter confections the same way again.

Battleship Contempkin>>Directed by Chris Brown>>California>>2001>>
A rainy day. An empty room. A man. A woman. A game by Milton Bradley. Parisian lovers (Kelly and Jonathan Dees) play a humorously perverse version of the popular American board game on a rainy day. As the consequences of losing escalate, Battleship becomes not just a game of strategy and fun, but an instrument of love and death.

The Stress>>Directed by John Ross>>California>>2001
For Jill (Halla Timon), a workaholic on the verge of a nervous breakdown, the stress of work becomes so great that she begins to have delusions of terror? But are they delusions?

Le Mime>>Directed by Brian Belefant>>California>>2002
At a Parisian flea market, a 100-year-old camera was recently discovered with a roll of exposed film inside. When developed, it revealed what is possibly the moment that the greatest mime of all time found his life's inspiration.

Sunday>>Directed by Andrew Bloch>>California>>2000
It is 1946. A bereaved war widow (Linda Purl) receives a note under her door. The contents of the note contain a message she cannot ignore.

Teatro Roots>>Directed by Kristin Pichaske>>California>>2001
When Cesar Chavez launched the Grape Strikes of the late 60's, Luis Valdez drew on his migrant labor roots and theater training to found El Teatro Campesino (The Farm Workers' Theater). Initially comprised of a few friends and family members performing political skits in the fields, the company grew to achieve tremendous acclaim, and Valdez went on to become a successful film director. In Teatro Roots, Valdez and his son Kinan reflect on how El Teatro Campesino became "the family business" and remains true to its roots.

Documentary Bootcamp>>Directed by Sheona McDonald>>Toronto, Canada>>2002>>
Six wannabe documentary filmmakers are put through their paces by Drill Sergeant Burt Suarez (James Kidnie) in their quest to understand the form and process. Do you have what it takes to be a documentary filmmaker?

Hung Up On Elena>>Directed by Randall Bobbitt>>California>>2002
Seth (Matthew Fulchiron) is a neurotic poet obsessed with his girlfriend Elena. After hearing Elena is cheating, Seth's obsession takes a turn for the worst in this twisting dark comedy.

Shoe Stalkers>>Directed by Erin Randall>>Texas>>2002
A comedy about the relationship between a man, a woman, and her shoes. Frustrated by his wife's shoe fetish, a husband takes matters into his own hands but in the process he must confront her artistic will, his own psyche, and several pairs of stilettos.

Extra "extra">>Directed by Rod Parmenter>>Washington>>2002
Background performer Rod dreams of making it BIG one day. Although he would probably settle for a speaking line.

One Evening>>Directed by Aron Steinke>>Washington>>2002>>
The story of an urban couple fenced in from nature who find themselves thinking twice about their relationship.

Boglife>>Directed by Will Jewell>>United Kingdom>>2002
24 hours in the life of a nightclub toilet. Boglife charts the toilet's descent from happy, hygienic ceramic haven to a vomit-stained, den of drugs and cheap sex before the sun rises and the cycle begins again...

i love you>>Directed by Robert Christopher Ohlson>>Texas>>2002
i love you screams, whispers and ultimately smashes the ambiguous, overused and multifaceted phrase, "I love you!"

Sorry>>Directed by Rohan Zerna>>Australia>>2001
Yes means no. Love means hate. Never say sorry for anything. Apathy and manners are the subjects of debate as two mates slog it out.

Terminator Tomatoes>>Directed by Suzanne Twining>>Oregon>>2001>>
A farmer and his daughter get in too deep with a crop of genetically modified tomatoes.