MetroShorts

This is the seventh edition of our popular program of films from the vibrant, creative community of filmmakers in D.C. and the immediate Metro area.

Total running time: 87 minutes

Members of filmmaking teams from all the films are expected in person.

build me through the image

Paula Hung
USA, 2023, 9 minutes, documentary, in English & Spanish w/Spanish & English subtitles
The experiences of a father, mother, and daughter are the conduit through which the filmmaker explores the complexities of a transmarginal Latine, multiracial, and queer identity.

On The Mountain

WORLD PREMIERE
Anya Raza
USA, 2024, 12 minutes, narrative, in English and Dari with English subtitles
An Afghan family is forced to make an agonizing choice as they resettle in the United States. Inspired by true events.

Mailman

Nicholas G. Pelecanos
USA, 2023, 18 minutes, narrative
A perceived racial slight and a simple action misjudged to be an act of racial aggression alter the lives of three men forever.

One Wheel Bandit

Rick Gonzalez
USA, 2022, 5 minutes, documentary
Is it a unicycle? Did he steal the bike? How does he weave through D.C. traffic like that? Cyclist Allen explains.

The Test

Claudia Myers and Laura Waters Hinson
USA, 2023, 16 minutes, documentary, in English with English subtitles
A Ghanaian maintenance worker at a Virginia retirement community dreams of becoming an American citizen and engages the help of two elderly residents to prepare for the biggest test of his life: the U.S. citizenship exam.

Room to Breathe

WORLD PREMIERE
Dave Haft
USA, 2024, 27 minutes, documentary, in English and Spanish with English subtitles, (Closed Captions available)
Mary and Dave confront pandemic parenting and virtual school with two young kids in a state of growing emotional imbalance. In these times of collective recovery from community disconnection, this intimate portrait of family life in isolation is a tool for parents and caregivers to reflect and heal.