Cinema Femme 2026: Shorts Program 1

Opens October 12

Part of: Cinema Femme Short Film Festival 2026

DCP

"A Stitch of Vintage" - Dir. Carolin Pech, 16 mins, UK

Cami, an aspiring fashion designer is determined to show that fashion and beauty have no age.


"The River We Dare To Look At" - Dir. Amber Yanguo Hou, 8 mins, Czech Republic

After an accidental escape from home and marriage, Nara returns alone to the city where she once studied abroad, in search of a long-lost friend. Along the way, memories of a river and a choice repeatedly emerge in her mind, as the journey gradually becomes one of self-rediscovery and revisiting the moment that seemingly shaped the course of her life.


"The Actress & The Photographer" - Dir. Casey Hartnett, USA

A photographer invites an actress to partake in a photo shoot where she expresses her boundary of not wanting to do nudity. Ignoring her request, The Photographer pushes The Actress to go past her comfort zone, to which she complies until she reaches a point of no return. The question remains, did she actually consent? Filmed entirely in one take, the film depicts the desire for acceptance as it is dangerously contrasted with the blurred lines of consent.


"So, Boom" - Dir. Abby Pierce, 14 mins, USA

With time running out, Sweet Tea gives her younger sister a crash course in how to jail: who to trust, how to make bootleg makeup, how to cook. But as the sun rises, one question remains. Does she take the lesson or run?


"Black Shawl" - Dir. Kamila Boichenko, 27 mins, Poland/Ukraine

A mother and daughter are going through hard times in a refugee camp. The father has disappeared while fighting for Ukraine’s freedom, leaving them among other women with similar fates. Fear, uncertainty, and crushing loneliness are emotions almost all of them know well. Yet even growing closer to one another carries risks – not all of which they are aware.


"Everyone Has Issues" - Dir. Christie Lynn Smith, 14 mins, USA

Sara, a neurotic and determined woman, struggles to connect with her unusual new boyfriend.


"reTIRED" - Dir. Mari Jaye Blanchard, 9 mins

In the near future, elderly Millennials maintain a flood town's Trash Wall -- until one woman sees what's on the horizon.


"Brewer" - Dir. Erika Valenciana, USA

Brewer is a short documentary juxtaposing poetic visuals of the craft beer brewing process with the reflections of underrepresented brewers confronting bias in their industrial work environment.

Limited Availability

Music Box Theatre screens films of all genres and from every era of cinema, both new releases and repertory. These films may sometimes contain upsetting, outdated, or offensive material. While we aim to introduce many of our screenings, we do not always provide warnings about potentially triggering content within the films we screen. We encourage our patrons to research the film before they attend using trailers, reviews, or content information found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com.

Showtimes for Cinema Femme 2026: Shorts Program 1