Short Film Program
The Other
Directed by Nolan Hieu Trifunovic (USA, 2021, 14 min.)
Two combatants are trapped in a mysterious hotel where they can’t die and don’t know how to leave. Stuck in a seemingly endless cycle of violence, they must change their tactics and learn to understand one another in order to save themselves.
These Final Hours
Directed by Lionel Coleman (USA, 2021, 11 min.)
Set against the backdrop of the Black Lives Matter protests, Curtis is a young African American struggling through his days in America—but what you see isn’t necessarily the truth.
Ivar Tunnel: Shook Ones
Directed by Akilah Walker (USA, 2022, 9 min.)
A darkly comedic social thriller that glimpses into the psyche and isolation of a Black woman. Leigh Jones has moved into a new neighborhood in Hollywood, just beyond the Ivar Tunnel. Since moving, Leigh been has met with icy glares and chilling shrieks from her neighbors. Leigh takes counsel from her friend Nicole, who reminds Leigh that she “is the boogeyman” and that her neighbors are “shook ones.” That reminder, along with liquid courage, drives Leigh back to the Ivar Tunnel, where she attempts to take matters into her own hands.
Nkemefuna “What is mine cannot be lost”
Directed by Kaelo Iyizoba (USA, 2022, 15 min.)
Nkem and her brother struggle through the anniversary of their father’s death, when an encounter forces them to confront their identity in America.
The old man next door
Directed by Aidan Otene Dickens (New Zealand, 2021, 15 min.)
Matiu, a war veteran who struggles with PTSD and agoraphobia, is unable to leave the safety of his home since his wife’s passing. Shy student Yvonne from next door, his only visitor in self-imposed isolation, struggles with her own mental health. Distraught when her boyfriend leaves her, she stops taking her medication and soon spirals out of control. Matiu is the only witness to her descent into madness, which poses a threat to her life. He must find the strength within to cross the threshold and save her, or remain a prisoner of his fear—and his conscience.
Code Switch
Directed by Davis Alexander James and Micha Lyric Borneo (USA, 2022, 5 min.)
Code Switch follows a Black trans person as they navigate the barbershop, illuminating the complexity and dynamism of gender expression.
Two Dead Government Officials
Directed by Charles Mawungwa (Zimbabwe, 2020, 22 min.)
After signing a law that declares all forms of corruption punishable by death, the Zimbabwean minister of National Security learns that her daughter has been arrested for the same crime. Based on the award-winning play by Thandiwe Mawungwa.
Filmmaker Q and A
A prerecorded video Q and A is included with this film rental.
Film Rental Information
Available to rent through 11:59 pm on June 30. This film cannot be rented outside the United States and is available to watch only during the period specified. Once rented, the film may be viewed on the Video Content page.
Festival Passes
If you wish to see multiple films in the Roxbury International Film Festival lineup, purchase a festival pass!
There are separate passes for in-person and online screenings. To access all in-person and online events, please purchase both passes.
ROXFILM@Home Pass
$50; available through June 30, 11:59 pm
The ROXFILM@Home Pass grants access to all online screenings.
In-Person Pass
$165; available through June 25, 5 pm
The In-Person Pass grants access to all events in the festival, including those at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Hibernian Hall; the Boston Public Library’s Roxbury branch; and ArtsEmerson. See a full list of in-person screenings at roxfilmfest.com.
Note that additional venues will be listed on your pass purchase as Non-MFA screenings.