The Rochester International Film Festival (est. 1959) is one of the oldest running short film festivals and was voted  “Best Local Film Festival” by the readers of City Newspaper 2014-2019. Our event is produced and presented by Movies on a Shoestring, Inc., a 100% volunteer run festival, funded by grants, sponsors, and generous donations from supporters and audience members alike. Plan on coming to the 2023 festival on June 8, 9, and 10 at the George Eastman Musem's Dryden Theatre and see short films from around the world. 

Tonight's films are all rated PG. The program includes: 

George Lucas in Love — by Joe Nussbaum and Joseph Levy, Los Angeles, CA.   What was George’s inspiration to write his first Star Wars script? This film will give you some insight. (1999, 9 minutes)

The Choice— by Evan Kaufmann, USA. A young man who recently experienced a miraculous recovery from a terminal illness seeks the mysterious woman whose daily encouragement he credits for saving his life. (2014, 21 minutes)

Sunflower— by Yaxiong Shao, Encino, CA. When a beautiful memory turns into a haunting nightmare, a solitary man comes to terms with reality. (2020, 9 minutes).  

Him and Her— by Nathalie Lamb, Wurttemberg, Germany. What if a magical treehouse could illustrate our fantasies and desires and our personal shortcomings? (2019, 8 minutes)

Two Balloons— by Mark Smith, Portland, OR. Two adventurous lemurs navigate their dirigibles airship halfway around the world to reunite. (2019, 9 minutes)

Free—by  Ben Hartley, New York, NY. A true story of a young enslaved man who is given a pathway from slavery to freedom through literacy. (2019, 12 minutes)

The Bench— by Cameron Burnett, Malibu, CA. There is more than meets the eye in this random encounter on a park bench. (2016, 6 minutes)

 No registration required. Library programs are open and beneficial to all. We invite people with physical and/or cognitive disabilities to attend any of our activities and will strive to support individual needs. If you need accommodations to participate, please contact one of our Inclusion Coordinators, Matt Krueger and/or Amy Holland, one week prior to the program.