First Take Shorts Series

Join us as we celebrate the work of local filmmakers with another installment of the First Take Shorts Series. Our diverse lineup will feature some of the best independently produced works by local filmmakers, who range from students to seasoned professionals. Supported by a grant courtesy of the Vesta Fund.

Followed by a Q&A and awards ceremony with the filmmakers. Garden, County, and Ambler screenings will feature different shorts – catch all three! Free for Members.

Official Selections

The Way Things Used 2 B
16 min - dir. Ciara Naughton, Kurstin Moser
Spoiled, college-dropout Jenny thought she had her life figured out. But when fate turns her world upside down by reuniting her with her old classmate Darren, she's forced to reconcile with her past and learn that things aren't always the way they used to be.

King's Ransom
4 min - dir. Halle Jones
A short observational documentary following a charismatic chess player in New York City.

The Hot Box
6 min - dir. Jake Caddeau
In this traumatic-comedy, brothers rehash an incident from their childhood in a sauna.

Fuel the Flames
4 min - dir. Tyler Walton
What do you get when you mix a pumpkin with fire and magic on Halloween Night?

Herrontown Woods: The People's Park of Princeton
14 min - dir. Stephanie Liao
In the northeast of Princeton lies Herrontown Woods, a nature preserve and arboretum of over 142 acres. Its rich history, culture, and community outreach have made it invaluable to fostering nature appreciation and preservation for people of all ages.

My Plastic Lung
10 min - dir. Nicholas Diodato
A disabled teenager with artificial lungs that need to be manually operated by another person begins to lash out against his family.

Flighty
10 min - dir. Giovanni Staricco
In this comedic and surrealist short, Sasha must grapple with her newfound independence after graduating from college with a degree in Education. Sasha struggles to contain her feelings of overwhelm as she manages living on her own for the first time, paying bills, grading papers, responding to emails, tracking her expenses, and keeping up a social life. Luckily, the universe reminds her to look to her passions, and therein lies the answer to her problems.

Woof.
10 min - dir. Edward Hoke
A dogfluencer hits f*ck it after he goes viral for animal abuse.

Director Various

Country USA

Language English

Aspect 1.85