2025 SELECTIONS

Veda Lee is an illustrator/animator, as well as a filmmaker from Hong Kong. Currently studying Character Animation at Calarts, she is passionate about telling stories that evoke a sense of warmth and nostalgia. Some of her previous works include ‘To The Class of Us (2024)’ and ‘Rush Hour (2023)’. (Instagram: @sakuraopal)

Syed Ahmad Rufai is an independent film maker and multimedia journalist who works at the intersection of contemporary politics, surveillance, and culture. Hailing from the mystical valley of Kashmir, Rufai’s formative years were shaped by the region’s long-standing political conflict and spiritual heritage

Gabriel is a senior film student at Ithaca College. He has taken classes in film, photography, art and graphic design. Originally from New Jersey, Gabriel aspires to be an art teacher and create more experimental films in the future.

John Williams (17, Director/Writer), Tesu Ham (17, Videography/Editing), and PJ Gammons (17, Videography/Sound) are high school Seniors living in Sudbury, Massachusetts. John was inspired to create a documentary after traveling for service-work to rural Cuba and learning more about why people choose to leave their home countries for the US. Tesu and PJ both have a love of film and a gift and passion for the technical sciences of computers, video and sound. All three boys are good friends who are glad they still like each other after traveling the border together and then working late nights at John’s house after their day jobs to complete this project, fueled only by burritos, pizza, and brain breaks from pickup basketball games

Victoria Capitano is currently a student at Emerson College studying film. She enjoys directing, writing, cinematography, and photography. She is based in Boston and San Diego, and is very excited to have her film show local to where it was filmed!

Based in Red Hook, New York, Noah Murphy grew up making short youtube videos with friends and this eventually developed into a strong interest in filmmaking. Now, at 21, Noah attends SUNY Purchase for film, having worked on various projects for school and personal interest. Since attending Purchase, he has delved more into an experimental and honest corner. Much of his work now explores themes of childhood, nostalgia, dreams, and loss. At this stage of his career, Noah aspires to work more in experimental filmmaking and editing, wanting to express more through video.

Yeva Wild (19, New York, USA) is a Ukrainian filmmaker and actress studying at Columbia University. She has screened work at both local and international festivals, including the Young Filmmakers Film Festival(MA) and the National Film Festival in Ukraine, where her short film received the award for “Best Short Film in the Fiction Genre.” She works primarily in the thriller and documentary genres.

Emily McShane is a 18 year old filmmaker from Dallas, Texas. She is currently studying Film/Animation/Video at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island. Her filmography explores the unification of diverse stories and their representation and digital animation. By infusing the stories she tells with her own personal experiences, she finds they are the most engaging and authentic.

Katie Pak is a Junior BFA Media Arts Production major with a minor in Business Studies and Communication for the Arts at Emerson College. She quickly climbed the ladder at Emerson College’s student production company, Emerson Independent Video, where she scored on-set roles such as Director of Photography only her freshman year. Since then, she has applied herself to all sorts of industry level work, interning for Our National Conversation, Another Age Productions in Newton, the Massachusetts Film Office, and 3Pas Studios. As of late, Katie is directing all her focus into a year and a half-long passion project that she is using as her BFA thesis — a new, upcoming project titled Down by the Harbor. 

Brendan Noone (Co-Director/Producer/Editor/Sound Mixer)

Brendan Noone (He/Him) is a Junior Film major with an audio production minor at Ithaca College. Brendan is passionate about film editing and documentary filmmaking and plans to concentrate on post-production after college. Gourdlandia is his second documentary short film he has been involved in and he has just finished his position as a documentary development intern at After Hours Productions.

Abigail Simoncini (Co-Director/Producer/Cinematographer)

Abigail Simoncini (She/Her) is a recent Ithaca College graduate with a bachelor’s in film and a minor in art. She has worked on various projects as a crew member, including production designing her thesis film, directing a scripted ICTV show, and being an art department intern with Waterloom and Armadillo Productions. Her main career goals are to direct and do production design for film and television. Gourdlandia is Abigail’s first documentary short film.

Petra Julia Rosas (Co-Director/Cinematographer)

Petra Julia Rosas (she/her) is a filmmaker in training at Ithaca College with a major in film production and a minor in screenwriting. She has worked in various positions in various student projects, including sound mixer, boom operator, director, editor, actress, script supervisor, and screenwriter. She has interned with TORQ Sports as an editor and POW Creatives as a production assistant, as well as filled multiple roles at Blue Boots Entertainment LLC. vertical project. Currently, she strives to break into the production world as an equipment operator and as a staff writer. Gourdlandia is Petra Julia’s first documentary short film, but hopefully not her last.

Yunqing Pan is a student animation filmmaker originally from Guangzhou, China. She is currently studying Character Animation at the California Institute of the Arts, and her passion lies in telling compelling stories through storyboarding and animation.

I am a 17-year-old senior at Woodside Priory School in Portola Valley, California, originally from India, and passionate about bridging divides through storytelling and service. I founded a social enterprise in India, “Together We Rise,” to promote inclusiveness through intercommunity kindness workshops and a 60-person strong student ambassador program. I have also interned with Seeds of Peace, a global nonprofit that focuses on empowering young leaders from regions of conflict and has over 8000+ alumni. I am conducting research with Professor Kouchaki from Northwestern University on how positive media reduces prejudice and with Assistant Professor Feyaad Allie from Harvard on measures to achieve intra-group solidarity. I am proud of my award-winning documentary Humanity Over Hate, which is deeply personal to me—rooted in my lived experience and shaped by urgent questions of our time. At school, I am a St. Thomas Aquinas Fellow—selected for service leadership and have been profiled as “the kind of brave that can bring peace to the world”!

Charlotte Winter is a young Canadian filmmaker who is passionate about storytelling and was recently awarded Best Youth Film at the Okotoks Film Festival in Alberta. Imagination was made over the course of a semester while learning to animate using the 3D software Maya. Charlotte learned so much making this film and is excited for it to be screened at TRIFEST!

Isaac Ensel is a documentary film studies student at Ithaca College in NY. Growing up on the coast of Maine in his small town, he learned the importance of community and the stories they hold. As he travels and enters other communities he aims to capture authentic stories and universal messages so they can be shared with the world.

Jetske Lieber (1999, Nijmegen) is a film director living and working in Amsterdam. During her studies at the Netherlands Film Academy she discovered a love for capturing the small things in everyday life. She made her acting debut in the short film Marlon Brando (2020, Vincent Tilanus), which was selected for Cannes’ Semaine de la Critique. However, Jetske much prefers to be on the other side of the camera.

Her third-year film Laundry (2023) was selected for the Go Short – International Short Film Festival. Jetske’s graduation film January (2024) was awarded the KNF Prize at the Netherlands Film Festival. January had its world premier at the International Competition of the Poitiers Film Festival, where it won the Prix Manifest. In addition, Januari was selected for the Compétition Films d’Ecole at the Premiers Plan FF.

Jetske makes films of close personal relevance, with social dialogue between the lines. In her work she looks for akwardness, sincere attempts at connection, the beauty of failure and love! She hopes her films encourage her audience to look at the world more closely, and perhaps more sweetly.

Hannah Lane grew up in North Adams, Massachusetts. She is in her final year at York University in Toronto, where she is completing her B.F.A in Film Production. Hannah plans to work out of Toronto for the upcoming future. Her second year film “Just One Night” is her directorial debut, winning “Best Second Year Fiction” at her school’s juried awards, Cinesiege. She hopes to continue pursuing her passions in writing/directing as well as film editing.

Elise Kenney lives locally and has been a creative her whole life. She enjoys making short films at home with her family and friends, drawing, painting, writing, and music, specifically playing the drums. Her film The Aquadon was accepted to the Young Filmmakers Festival at the Triplex in 2024, and this year, she decided to create and submit another short film with the same group of people.

Amarise DeFranco is a Miami born and LA based Character Designer & Visdev artist currently attending CalArts where she’s pursuing her BFA in Character Animation. She loves all things visual development, but character design in particular has always had a special place in her heart. Amarise dreams of one day running/directing her own feature film, becoming an art director & lead character designer, and overall just making an impact in this industry!

Celine Hung is an aspiring animator currently studying at California Institute of the Arts. She loves heartfelt narratives and cats, and is currently a proud owner of five of them (many of whom inspire the subjects of her stories). She hopes that you will enjoy her film!

17-year-old Director Cameron Hersly is a Senior at Scarsdale High School in Scarsdale, New York. Cameron directed the short experimental film ‘Method’ at the Northwestern National High School Institute for Film Production during the Summer of 2024. After working as a crew member on several shorts at school, this film is her directorial debut. Since then, Cameron has directed and written many other short films. Cameron is now in the process of applying to film schools and will attend college in the fall of 2026.

Claire Delany, originally from Wenonah, New Jersey, is a senior at Ithaca College studying Film. She has worked on upwards of twenty films during her time at Ithaca, and is currently working on her thesis film Swine. She is focused on making human and empathetic female driven films. She believes a good film has the ability to change the world.

Felix Lipp came to LA from Germany to study Character Animation at CalArts. Before that, they worked as an actor, film editor, piano teacher and life model. Now, he’s back in Europe to make more films and explore acting in drawn images.

Nick Lussier is a cinematographer, director, and writer from the Berkshires of western Massachusetts. He recently graduated Summa Cum Laude from Syracuse University’s film program and currently works in production in Boston.

Madison Koren, 22, grew up in rural Prince George, Virginia with limited access to technology, which fostered her creativity. She was able to find homemade entertainment through creating stories and acting them out with her friends and sisters as a child. Since then she has always dreamt of making storytelling her career. Madison finds most of her inspiration for her films in poems she reads or writes herself. Creating stories that showcase real female experiences is what fulfills her the most as a filmmaker.

Qingyu Huang (age 22) China: Qingyu Huang is a multidisciplinary creator working with different time-based mediums, including animation, installation, sound, and writing. They find inspirations in shapes and volumes of time and space, objects, wind, water, trains, and more. They look into honest communication of the nuances and the confusing nature of experiences and thoughts.

Rita Chen is a Los Angeles-based visual development artist with a background in character design and background layout/paint. She is passionate about illustration and sequential storytelling. Outside of work, she enjoys salmon sashimi, deep-dive video essays, and Dungeons & Dragons.

My name is Lisa Marchetti. I am 22 years old, and I’ve lived in Simsbury, CT my whole life. I have four siblings and two dogs. This past May, I graduated from Trinity College in Hartford, CT with a degree in Film Studies. I have loved films and filmmaking for as long as I can remember. I love writing, directing, filming, editing, and everything in between. I am currently working as an assistant editor for the Hartford Film Company.

I’m Annie, born and raised in the UK where I studied history then worked in finance and business before switching to my passion in animation. I am currently studying at the California Institute of the Arts where I hope to continue sharing personal stories that inspire me and broaden my artistic practice. I was 25 years old during the completion of this film and it was done in LA, California.

Peer Langenheim (20) grew up in Berlin, Germany – now studying BA Film at ZHdK Zürich. His filmmaking focuses on small personal narratives told in unexpected ways – often incorporating Coming of Age elements, questions about identity and belonging.

Ava Azarmi is an aspiring filmmaker and professional overthinker studying character animation at CalArts. Her latest short, Soup!, has screened internationally, including at PBS’s Fine Cut Festival, Animation Block Party (where it won Best Student Film 2025), and the CalArts Producer’s Show. When she’s not killing off small, innocent creatures in her films, she’s usually buried in a YA novel—or imagining who’s reading this bio. Hi, bio-reader.

Celeste Edelson is a director from San Francisco. After working as a crew member on many short projects, this film was made over the course of her senior year at high school as a capstone project. Her inspiration comes from her relationships with family members and old friendships. Now 18, Celeste will be attending Tisch School of the Arts to continue learning and growing as an artist. Her goal is to direct a feature film for a major production company.

Yonah Sadeh is a director and cinematographer based in the Berkshires. His work spans narrative films, documentaries, and promotional pieces, with a focus on authentic, visually striking storytelling. His films often explore social issues and highlight the stories within his community. His narrative work is shaped by his documentary background, where he looks for honesty in performance and a sense of realism that feels lived in.

I’m Aaron Weil and I’m 16 and I live in Lenox, Ma. I’m a junior at Lenox Memorial High School. For my whole life, I’ve always been surrounded by movies and pop-culture, with my mother being a huge reason for that. But a couple years ago, I discovered a true passion for film, and I haven’t stopped thinking about film since. I’ve done workshops and have watched numerous videos on film techniques. And I also did a Digital Media course at my school last year. Which introduced me to the actual making of films and it really helped me get to where I am today. I’m so grateful for my film being in this film festival and I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I do. 

John Earling is a filmmaker and videographer from Titusville, New Jersey.  At Wesleyan University, he studies Anthropology and Film, while continuing to pursue independent filmmaking, stand-up comedy, and experimental theater.  John’s filmmaking and work are informed by ethnographic fiction that often draws inspiration and connections from musical performance.  He currently lives between New Jersey and New York City with his partner, Lilly, and their two cats, Edith and Delphi.

Vatsal Gaur (25) is a writer & director living in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He found his way into cinema long before he knew it could be a career. Raised on Bollywood and late-night Hollywood films, his interest slowly evolved into an obsession which eventually led him to world cinema, where storytelling started feeling like a purpose.

He completed a master’s degree in film and television and has worked across different formats while holding onto the stories he wanted to tell.

Olya Borovets is a 20-year-old Ukrainian filmmaker and actress based in New York. After moving to the United States two years ago, she has been pursuing a degree in Film and Electronic Arts at Bard College, where she is now a junior. Last summer, Olya worked in New York City with the See Memory Team, a documentary production company, gaining experience across both pre- and post-production. Her work draws on her international background and passion for storytelling, and she is currently developing new film projects that explore the intersections of identity, memory, and community.

Sydney is a 24 year old director, animator, writer, and cartoonist based in Los Angeles. They strive to make cartoons that are funny, appealing, and subversive. Merging the conflicts of everyday life with surreal and absurdist situations.

Madeline Shaw is a 21 year old Taiwanese-American animator and filmmaker from NJ, currently studying Character Animation at CalArts. She loves watching game shows, mystery whodunits, and everyday shenanigans, and would love to board on feature films someday!

Director Nathan Wahl, 14 years old, Simsbury, CT. USA

Sticky Turtle Productions (Nathan Wahl, Issac Bates, Andrew Taggard, Owen Harrington, Dylan Roseski, Jack Stapleton, Nicholas Mortensen) have been making films together since 2023. What started as a funny name turned into a passion for filmmaking. Anything is possible when you put a group of funny teenagers together. Sit back, relax, and enjoy:)

My name is Gyumin Choi, and I am a 22-year-old student from Korea currently studying Character Animation at CalArts. My first BFA1 short film, Together, was created during my studies in California, USA.

I am a 23-year-old animator based in Los Angeles, California. I recently graduated from California Institute of the Arts and I am working to become a storyboard artist in the animation industry, in my free time I also create and publish comics.

Jasper Fletcher and Lukas Fletcher are fraternal twin brothers and frequent artistic collaborators. This past spring, Jasper graduated from Wesleyan University, and Lukas graduated from Bennington College— both having studied a mix of visual and performing arts. Jasper and Lukas are the oldest of 7 kids, all of whom grew up in Northampton, MA.

Annie Rongwei Qin (21, Beijing, China) is a filmmaker and senior at NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Trained as a professional Classical Chinese dancer, she brings the grace of movement into her cinematic language, striving to create films that serve as a bridge between Eastern and Western cultures. Her work has been recognized with awards including the Golden Documentary Award at the 2025 Japan World’s Tourism Film Festival, the Special Award for Youth Documentary at the 2024 Shenzhen Youth Film Competition, and an Honorable Mention at the New York International Film Awards.

Giovanni Edwards is a 20-year-old animator and filmmaker from Madison, CT. He has worked on several animated projects, including the Amazon Prime Video animated series Helluva Boss. He is currently attending the California Institute of the Arts, where he studies Character Animation.