THE FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

WINNER *Grand Jury Award Best of Fest*

117 minutes

Directed by Marc Marriott

A Japanese businessman goes on an unwitting journey of self-discovery when he takes a company trip from Tokyo to a Montana cattle ranch. 

72 minutes

Directed by Jason Goldman

Determined to make the planet a better place, former Texas cattle rancher Renee King-Sonnen transforms her husband’s beef operation into a farm animal sanctuary, encouraging other farmers to transition from animal agriculture to plant-based food production. 

103 minutes

Directed by Josh Berman

Faced with a traumatic injury that leaves you permanently disabled; how would you reinvent yourself? Trevor Kennison’s life was forever altered by a broken back – for worse and for better, in equal measures. 

WINNER *Audience Award for Best Feature*

87 minutes

Directed by Mark Bonn

“No words” can describe him, literally. Robert Shields, one of the most unique performers of the century, performing for 2 Presidents a Queen while gaining the admiration of many of Hollywood’s greats-all of it done without saying a word. 

74 minutes

Directed by Karen Akins

Filmmaker Karen Akins’ darkly quirky personal quest to curb noise pollution in her quaint Vermont village uncovers dire consequences for noise regulation, not only in her home state, but nationwide. 

100 minutes

Directed by Bill Muench

A uniquely American couple’s captivating story during the pinnacle of American exploration and social change. 

WINNER *Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature*

110 minutes

Directed by Maureen Gosling

Barbara Dane turns setbacks into opportunities, paving her own way with her art, participating in, and influencing international social justice and musical movements across nine decades.

88 minutes

Directed by Hadley Austin

A portrait of life in the radioactive desert on the Navajo Reservation, following a group of indigenous scientists, elders, and activists as they work to protect a vital living space on contaminated land. 

WINNER *Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature*

100 minutes

Directed by Zoe Eisenberg

Alienated by friends and family for her lack of ambition, 29-year-old Misha finds a dangerous acceptance in a bright 18-year-old athlete who mistakes her for a fellow student. 

66 minutes

Directed by Giuseppe Garau

After being fired, Marcella, a gentle-hearted mother going through separation, buys a tow truck, gets trapped deeper and deeper in a cynical and aggressive world until a terrible opportunity shines in front of her. 

84 minutes

Directed by Nick Cassidy and David Rice

On the night of their high school reunion, Charlie and her boyfriend Reese have come with plans to exact revenge on former classmate, Liam. The plan – to stage the same heinous crime he committed in high school, but this time collect the evidence to prove his guilt. 

WINNER *Best Vermont Feature*

95 minutes

Directed by Bess O’Brien

A documentary film that explores the day-to-day challenges and incredible resiliency that low-income Vermonters bear witness to every day. The film sheds light on an often-hidden Vermont population persevering against all odds to feed and house themselves and their families. 

106 minutes

Directed by Omar S. Kamara

Over a weekend visit in Los Angeles, two first-generation Sierra Leonean American brothers navigate the changing dynamics of brotherhood after a surprise announcement. 

 74 minutes

Directed by Michael DiBiasio-Ornelas

A rebellious teen witch is turned into a tiny werewolf and thrown into the middle of a decades-old war between one small town’s creatures of the night – and the local mafia.

82 minutes

Directed by Tommy Hyde

A hardscrabble Vermont dairy farmer risks losing the only home he's ever known to chase his dreams of dog mushing in Alaska. Meticulously captured over the course of a decade, UNDERDOG paints an intimate verité portrait of Doug Butler as he puts a curiously optimistic twist on the kinds of family farm tragedies that have marked American rural life. 

 105 minutes

Directed by Joshua Tickell and Rebecca Harrell Tickell

The solution of Regenerative farmers to bring soil health across the continent and beyond.

12 min, 22 sec

Directed by Garret Harkawik

In the 1950s Mary Tarinelli’s mother had a vision while visiting a historic site purported to be the final home of the Virgin Mary.Tarinelli recounts the story and explains the unique ways in which her mother’s experience has shaped her life. 

10 min, 30 sec

Directed by Susan Weiss 

The story of a female bodybuilder, a woman with focus, determination, and the goal to participate in a pro tournament. 

WINNER *Audience Award for Best Short*

8 min, 38 sec

Directed by Travis Van Alstyne 

A short animated film based on the true and tragic story of Vermont farmer Romaine Tenney. His farm was in the construction path of Interstate 91 in the 1960s and the State of Vermont seized his land through eminent domain. 2024 marks the 60th anniversary of his passing. 

47 min, 17 sec

Directed by Gail Osherenko 

The tale of one individual’s quest to establish a sanctuary wherein people can contemplate and rejoice in a world that has shed much of its ceremonial and profound significance. 

WINNER *Best Vermont Short*

16 min, 31 sec

Directed by Sarah Wisner and Sean Temple 

In 19th century Vermont, a young woman’s parents drink sleeping tea in order to survive the harsh winter, but an early thaw leads to horrifying results.

10 min, 30 sec

Directed by Erin Brown Thomas

Two people on a first date mask and ignore their insecurities until an event forces them to say what they’re really thinking. 

15 min, 48 sec

Directed by Azadeh Navai

To Rizzo, 8—who’s recently moved back from Tehran from California—the world is a magical place. But when she must take a class portrait, her world suddenly becomes very complicated. Does she wear the traditional head-scarf, which all girls over the age of 9 must wear—or not? 

8 min, 50 sec

Directed by Sam Benjamin

On the night before she is set to be crowned World Champion, a talented but injury cursed pro wrestler finds out that plans have changed and that she will be forced to lose the match or will be fired from the company. 

14 min, 33 sec

Directed by Cash Cassidy

Young Portland, Maine-based band LEAF plays their biggest show yet at the Portland House of Music. 

15 min

Directed by Robbie Robertson

The aftermath of an emotional funeral causes a grieving father and mother to re-examine their early life decision to have gender normalization surgery performed on their intersex infant. 

5 min

WINNER *Jury Award for Best Documentary Short*

Directed by Veena Rao

An artist gives life to the memories of our most beloved companions. 

7 min, 30 sec

Directed by Julie Sharbutt

When a phone scammer makes one last late-night call, the woman on the other end gives her much more than she bargained for.