Newport Beach Film Festival 2008

A man weighs the consequences of excessive self defense.

in 1999 James and Amy meet at a scholarship awards banquet for their school. They bond over their shared disinterest in the obvious hypocrisy of the event until Amy is called to the stage as the recipient of the school's top award. Sure that what they had was real, but seemingly betrayed, James is left to choose between joining the party and taking the scholarship or leaving everything at the ceremony. A Y2K bug causes the city to explode at the crux of this decision allowing James and Amy to cut through pretenses and express their feelings before being consumed by fire.

The story takes us into the hearts and minds of five unforgettable Afghan women in real life dramas striving to move forward from burqas to boutiques. They survive in a land devastated by three decades of war and foreign occupation, where deep-rooted cultural mores impede the progress of women. These brave women attempt to better their lives through business--specifically sewing and embroidering. Presented with a life altering opportunity to travel to New York City, to Seventh Avenue, where fashion reigns, they must get permission from their husbands to make the trip. Some do, others are left to remain in the dust of Kabul.

Daniel, a young man living in Hong Kong, is tormented by the death of his fiancee. After visiting a psychic, he discovers that her spirit is in limbo and he is the only one who can release her. In order to save himself and his dead fiancee, Daniel must make hard choices in a race against time itself.

“Tres” is a compilation of three short stories of intense emotional connection captured in a fleeting moment from three outstanding directors.

Short films screening in this program include: Breaking Down Carla, Doves, Nothing, Soup Ladle

Harold’s desire for living ended when his wife of 60 years passed. Fading memories and a dusty old house is all Harold has left. Can a knock at the door from an unwelcome visitor change things around in time?

A man discovers himself after traveling back in time. Throughout his travel, he encounters a naked girl in the forest, an eccentric man with his face covered by a pink bandage, and a disquieting mansion on the top of a hill. All of these are pieces that form an unpredictable jigsaw puzzle where terror, drama, and suspense will lead to an unthinkable crime.

Fictional film student Harvey Stevens created "The Toll" under the guise of a student project. A five-time award winning computer-animated mockumentary and character study, "The Toll" follows Harvey as he delves into the realm of not-so-fantastic myth to interview a troll who lives under a bridge. The troll is, for lack of a better word, evil. He is aggressive, uncouth, temperamental, and has a nasty habit of eating people. His pet is a malicious cross between a dragon, a pug, and a Cuisinart. Yet strangely, the troll wants acceptance from the society he preys on, and sees the young filmmaker as an opportunity to clear up the "misunderstandings" that have always plagued him. As Harvey rolls the camera, the troll's comments on work, life, and love range from somewhat inappropriate to outrageously delusional, slowly revealing the hilariously tragic figure of a monster in denial.