Slamdance Film Festival 2009

An AWOL National Guard soldier recounts his desperate move to join the military and his eventual realization that violence was an impossible option for him.

Art photographer Shawn Burnett reluctantly agrees to move to a rural farmhouse to help his wife, Helen, recover from a personal tragedy. Shawn begins experiencing unsettling events surrounding an old cabin on the property. At first skeptical of a local legend regarding the cabin’s history, Shawn soon becomes convinced that the farm is haunted. As a ghostly presence manifests itself in increasingly deadly ways, Shawn encounters disturbing echoes from his own troubled past.

Lured from his hovel by his desire for a panda girl, manic Mr. Kasch chokes on the tragic covenant he made to his dead beloved. The Covenant of Mr. Kasch is an eclectic view into the trials and tribulations of love. - Joy Saez, Director of Writing Competitions/Film Programmer

CurrentTV short documentary program winners screen as the culmination of the “A Chance At Slamdance” competition.

Zach and Kendra are the cutest couple you'll ever meet; their friends can't get enough of them. Unfortunately, that all ends when Tim and Tammy move into town. After being dethroned from their coveted position, Zach and Kendra have to create a new identity in order to stand out from the pack. Funny. There’s a strong whiff of truth about the way we see ourselves and the roles we play in social groups in this film. Luckily the filmmaker is irreverent enough to entertain us with it, and not condemn us too harshly. - Sam Roberts, Director of Film Competitions

A moving portrait of the bustle and permanence of a city, "Dahlia" juxtaposes the stable forms and patterns of life with the frenetic behavior of humanity, set to a driving score of vocal percussion.

An innovative and surreal music video where the band performs within a black void of distorted perceptions and shadows.

A little girl is writing a letter to her pet hamster Fatty, in a fantasy story where stop motion characters are combined with collage backgrounds and cut outs of real hamsters to illustrate Fatty’s journeys and encounters. A touching story about a Hamster and the girl who loves him. Gorgeously animated using photography, collage, and hand drawn animation – a visual treat. - Sam Roberts, Director of Film Competitions