SSF @ UNC 2026

This short film is a far cry of the impulses to escape from a suffocating but all-too-familiar setting, which erodes our souls. The circular shapes, repetitive tasks, swirling movements seem to carry the lady into a sinking hole. Can she finally break free and find her way out?

Beneath the war-ravaged streets of Ukraine, a woman exists in an underground bomb shelter—a space that is both refuge and purgatory. Within these cold, breathing walls, time folds in on itself, revealing the unbroken cycle of war. She is not merely hiding; she is witnessing. Through echoes in the shelter — whispers of the past, fragments of the present, and the shadow of the future — she lives the stories of those who came before her. A child is born, only to be handed a rifle. The shelter absorbs these voices, transforming them into an eerie chorus of remembrance and inevitability. As she navigates this liminal space, she begins to see herself not as an individual but as part of a larger mechanism — a machine that recycles life into war, soldiers into ghosts. Her own body is both creator and casualty, her existence reduced to the paradox of giving life only for it to be taken away. As explosions rumble above, she is left with one question: Is escape possible, or is war the only inheritance? In the shelter, everything begins, and everything ends.

In the beginning there was a complete nothing: a nothing in which nothing existed. The smallest particle, a cell, a grain of sand. Merging, crystallizing, forming shapes. When light and dark intermingled, who could fathom the being and becoming? And when only to be seen was a swath of fog swirling, a wide horizon became apparent. A first breath, endlessly recurring, gave its weight to the waves, and against the wind. The continuity of duplication and division, forming life in tenderness and timeless trust.

Cimetre takes viewers deep into the vibrant heart of Bobo-Dioulasso’s popular neighborhoods, where life pulses on every street corner. This poetic and sensory immersion explores the essence of the cimetre, a six-meter social perimeter around homes where tradition, modernity, and solidarity intertwine. From the first light of dawn to the fiery celebrations of night, the Saint-Étienne district becomes a living tapestry of artisans, merchants, children, and dancers. Guided by cinematic storytelling, this music video celebrates the collective energy of a tightly-knit community while raising a universal question: how can we preserve connection and compassion in an increasingly individualistic world? Through vivid dance scenes, striking contrasts between tradition and modernity, and evocative symbols like the communal mirror, Cimetre captures the hidden beauty of the ordinary. A woman in a red satin dress in a garage, a dancer in white moving through a bath of black ink — each detail highlights the duality and richness of these neighborhoods. Straddling modern influences and deep-rooted heritage, this film transcends music to present an intimate, universal portrait of a world where conviviality becomes an act of resistance.

A short movement study on sapphic longing and obsession.

Convivencia brings to light the lives and stories of female essential laborers along the US/Mexico borderlands through Tap dance, Son Jarocho, and Afro-Caribbean rhythms. The film highlights interviews with migrant domestic laborers from La Colectiva de Mujeres, a female-led collective of domestic workers in California. The film addresses the struggles, resistance, and resilience of these women to showcase their significant contributions to our communities and celebrates their spirit of community, joy, and resilience. Convivencia is a unique fusion of oral histories, percussive dance, footwork, and folkloric dance from choreographer/director Vanessa Sanchez in collaboration with filmmaker John Jota Leaños.

Close your eyes. You have a minute. It’s a lot and not enough. Breathe. Ask your roommate, who is an actress, to help you. 50 seconds. Arrange a barter with a friend who will be able to make music in exchange for logos. 45 seconds. There are two ways to do things quickly: short and sweet or quick and dirty and that’s always too dirty, too late, and too quick. But don’t worry, you have time. 30 seconds. Run…a love letter to DIY films. AUDIENCE WARNING: This film contains a strobe effect that may be unpleasant for photosensitive viewers.

In a British-Ghanaian household bound by tradition and religion, a young girl lives under the oppressive control of her abusive father. At the family dinner table, heated arguments reveal the deep rift between them as they confront the scars of their shared history. AUDIENCE WARNING: This film references domestic violence and may be unsuitable for some viewers.

Your Love: ‘Walking’ Beside Me explores the dichotomy of love being in our past and supporting our steps forward. This new film work series is based on Brodsky’s live duet ‘walking’ and challenges the stigma around grief by giving audiences a moment to be present with their personal experiences of loss.

Monkey & Dog: Coded Paws – Two pals cling tightly, hand in hand they stroll, One’s a wily monkey, one’s a tail-wagging soul. How to bond through thick and thin? When one sulks, the other grins — Secret codes only “we” control! Through foggy dawns or meteor showers, we charge through thorns, we sniff wildflowers. Let the world spin fast or slow…Our friendship’s a bold cartoon — Paw prints chasing paw prints — Where? Nobody knows!