2021 GeekFestUniverse Program

›Friday Feb 12‹

Saturday Feb 13

Sunday Feb 14

7PM – Theme: Fan Films – Friday Feb 12

The Grin Of Evil

Short Film – 00:02:07
Dir. Alejandro Fanzago – Argentina

Nominated For Best Fan Film, Best Experimental Film

Synopsis  The Grin of Evil aims to explore the Joker’s philosophy from his peculiar point of view and away from his faithful adversary. It’s a journey of what lies behind the jokes and laughs: each chapter offers a different approach of the character, who will be portrayed in various styles. As fans, our main interest is to pay tribute to the characters that made a difference in our childhood and teenage years.

Spider-Man: In The Neighborhood

Short Film, Student – 00:05:42
Dir. Landon Walsh – United States

  • Attending via Zoom Post Premiere Q&A

Nominated For Best Fan Film, Best Student Film

Synopsis When Spider-Man runs out of web fluid in his wrist shooters, he’ll have to do whatever is necessary to get into the city…

HOOD: A Star Wars Story

Animation – 00:06:17
Dir. Damon Wellner – United States

  • Attending via Zoom Post Premiere Q&A

Nominated For Best Fan Film, Best Animated Film

Synopsis Tells the comedically tragic backstory of the Star Wars universe’s favorite background character, Willrow Hood.

The Other Wayne

Short Film – 00:07:11
Dir. John-Paul Nickel – United States

  • Attending via Zoom Post Premiere Q&A

Nominated For Best Fan Film, Best Short Film

Synopsis “The Other Wayne” is a short comedy about two brothers grappling with a serious subject: Grief. Years ago, Bruce Wayne had a brother who helped him create his iconic crime fighting suit. But why has no one ever heard of this brother? What happened to the other Wayne?

Living in Crime Alley

Short Film – 00:08:35
Dir. Rob Ayling – United Kingdom

  • Attending via Zoom Post Premiere Q&A

Nominated For Best Fan Film, Best Empowerment Film

Synopsis  A single father struggles to bring up his child, a huge fan of the dark knight, in downtown Gotham, known to citizens as Crime Alley.

A Blaster In The Right Hands: A Star Wars Story

Short Film – 00:18:52
Dir. Richard de Carvalho – Australia

Nominated For Best Fan Film, Best VFX, Best Short Film

Synopsis  On the trail of a crashed Imperial Shuttle, two bounty hunters collide over a valuable cargo, only to discover they’re not the only hired guns around. “A Blaster in The Right Hands – A Star Wars Story”, is a non-profit unofficial fan-film that is not intended for commercial use produced by Lunacraft Productions. Star Wars is owned by Lucasfilm/Disney and this fan-film is not connected in any way to said companies.

Sil and the Devil Seeds of Arodor

Webisode – 00:25:00
Dir. Keith Barnfather – United Kingdom

  • Attending via Zoom Post Premiere Q&A

Nominated For Best Fan Film, Best VFX, Best Webisode/Web Film

Synopsis  A unique web/home entertainment independent drama series based on concepts from the BBC TV series Doctor Who. Featuring a disabled lead actor and a bit of political satire! SIL is worried, very worried, which doesn’t keep his reptilian skin in the best condition! Confined in a cold detention cell on the moon, awaiting a deportation hearing for trial on drugs offences on Earth, he faces a death sentence if the application is successful and he is found guilty. Can he possibly slime his way out of this one?

Live Zoom Event

Join us on Zoom for this block’s Q&A

9PM – Theme: Actors In Space – Friday Feb 12

Space Captain Smith

Live ScriptRead

TV Pilot | 47 Pages |
Screenwriter John Palfery-Smith, Screenwriter Bruce Hanson
London, United Kingdom

  • Attending via Zoom Post Premiere Q&A

Synopsis In the not-too-distant future, an alien threat looms over humanity. The British Space Empire, glorious and proud, must send a new hero to stand against the might of the Ghasts. That hero is Isambard Smith: mustachioed and dashing, he is the only man for the job, which is fortunate, because he’s also the only man available. Smith must overcome every obstacle the universe (and his mismatched crew) can throw at him as he traverses the galaxy to rescue humanity’s only hope, give the Ghasts a right, good thrashing on the way, and make it home to blighty in time for tea.

BIO John Palfery-Smith is an experienced Production Manager and Line Producer across film and television, John has worked all over the world and in mediums ranging from A-List indie movies to top-flight sports television to long-running kids’ shows. He has now turned his hand to writing for Smith!, helping to finish the pilot and put together a fledgling production plan for the new show.An avid comedy fan, John has helped in the development of many of the characters, the structuring of the plot and the modernisation of much of the humour in the pilot.

BIO Bruce Hanson has been a player in British theatre for many years. An actor and director with a diverse screen-and-stage background, including featuring in the Harry Potter franchise, Bruce acquired the rights to Smith! after getting in touch with the author and pitching him his ideas.An avid sci-fi fan and the resident authority on all things Toby Frost and Space Captain Smith, Bruce has planned out the creative entirety of the adaptation and its subsequent series, spin-offs and potential mixed-media and merchandising opportunities.

Join us on Zoom for this Live ScriptRead


Friday Feb 12

›Saturday Feb 13‹

Sunday Feb 14

11AM – Theme: Animation Can Explain Whatever The Mind of Man Can Conceive ~Walt Disney – Saturday Feb 13

Tino Pizza “New Crap”

Animated Film – 00:10:00
Dir. Benoit Créac’h, Dir. Julia Gaudard – Germany

  • Attending via Zoom Post Premiere Q&A

Nominated For Best Animated Film, Best VFX

Synopsis  Tino Pizza and his old pal Smelly Feet meet like almost everyday at the Bar & Flies to discuss possible businesses & profitable ventures. the green dog and his sausage friend decide to start their own drink brand, and come up with the most promising name: “New Crap”.

Bugbottle

Animated Film – 00:15:45
Dir. Beau Janzen – United States

Nominated For Best Animated Film, Best VFX, Best How To Film, Best SME Film

Synopsis  Is it possible to trap an ant within a closed bottle in such a way that it can simply walk out? Bugbottle explores the possibilities in constructing structures that extend beyond our traditional three-dimensional space.

Animating Aeroplane Jelly

Short Documentary – 00:18:00
Dir. Michael Kraaz – Australia

  • Attending via Zoom Post Premiere Q&A

Nominated For Best Animated Film, Best History Film, Best Unusual Interest Film, Best Short Documentary

Synopsis As an animator, Eric Porter was largely self-taught. In 1942, an opportunity arose that changed the course of his career. Through a casual conversation he found himself commissioned to make an animated cinema commercial for local entrepreneurs Bert Appleroth and Albert Lenertz who wanted new and exciting ways to promote their very successful Aeroplane Jelly, a brand of brightly packaged crystals that was famous for a catchy song they used to promote the jelly on radio.

Live Zoom Event

Join us on Zoom for this block’s Q&A

12:30PM – Theme: Physics Isn’t The Most Important Thing. Love Is ~Richard P. Feynman – Saturday Feb 13

I Love My Wife… 

Short Documentary – 00:05:55
Dir. Ian Tierney – United Kingdom

  • Attending via Zoom Post Premiere Q&A

Nominated For Best Physics Film, Best Short Film, Best History Film, Best Personal Interest Film

Synopsis  The true story of Nobel Prize winner Richard Feynman and his wife Arline. Following Richards death in 1988, a sealed envelope was discovered Inside was a letter written by Feynman to his high-school sweetheart and first wife Arline, unearthing a private tragedy that he had suffered when he was just 28. This is a film about that letter.

A Day With Particles

Short Documentary – 00:29:49
Dir. Daniel Scheirich, Dir. Martin Rybar, Dir. Vojtech Pleskot – Switzerland

  • Attending via Zoom Post Premiere Q&A

Nominated For Best Physics Film, Best Science Film, Best SME Film, Best Short Documentary, Best International Film

Synopsis You think you know what a physicist’s life is like? Follow a day in the life of a typical physicist using a mixture of live action and cartoon drawing, with a few fascinating facts and anecdotes along the way.

Live Zoom Event

Join us on Zoom for this block’s Q&A

1:00PM – Theme: A Page of History is Worth a Pound of Logic ~Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. – Saturday Feb 13

Golden Legs

Music Video – 00:03:14
Dir. Spencer Davies featuring Spencer Krasch – United States

Nominated For Best Music Video, Best Costume

Synopsis  The theme is 1700’s/Marie Antoinette, and the main character is a flirtatious suitor of the queen who eventually is pursued in a horse chase after overstaying his welcome. The music video is for the song “Golden Legs” by Spencer Krasch, a modern rocknroll love piece.

Font of Infamy

Short Documentary, Student – 00:09:10
Dir. Savvas Constantinou – Cyprus

  • Attending via Zoom Post Premiere Q&A

Nominated For Best Animated Film, Best History Film, Best Unusual Interest Film, Best Student Film

Synopsis A comedy imbued documentary, about the history of typefaces. While headlining the most popular and infamous font of ‘em all…Comic Sans.

The London Monster

Short Documentary – 00:22:00
Dir. Dennis Mohr – Canada

  • Attending via Zoom Post Premiere Q&A

Nominated For Best Animated Film, Best Short Documentary, Best History Film

Synopsis  In 1790, nearly a century before Jack the Ripper stalked the streets of London, another predator held sway: a bizarre serial attacker known as the London Monster assaulted more than 50 women in the capital. Since this kind of sadistic behaviour was quite unheard-of at the time, there was general outrage among the Londoners, and the capital’s female world was in a turmoil.During his reign of terror, the Monster became a psychopathic celebrity, inspiring newspapers, caricatures and plays.

Live Zoom Event

Join us on Zoom for this block’s Q&A

2:00PM – Theme: Baby Zoomers – Saturday Feb 13

If Zoom Was Around in 1988…

Experimental Film – 00:07:41
Dir. Jo Luijten – The Netherlands/Belgium/ Germany/United States

  • Attending via Zoom Post Premiere Q&A

Nominated For Best Retro Tech Film, Best Tech Film

Synopsis If the communication app Zoom was around in 1988 in a parallel universe.

Remotely Working

Webisode – 00:11:27
Dir. Garrett Tripp, Writer, Producer Bill Baber – United States

  • Attending via Zoom Post Premiere Q&A

Nominated For Best Tech Film, Best Short Film, Best Webisode

Synopsis Five quirky diverse millennials working remotely for an international tech giant must win a product competition or everyone will be fired. Meanwhile, none of these independent co-dependents has a personal life that’s even remotely working. (Single-cam TV-14)

Live Zoom Event

Join us on Zoom for this block’s Q&A

2:30PM – Theme: I Just Need Some Space –  Saturday Feb 13

A Spacetime Trilogy with Jared Kaplan

Web Film – 00:14:07
Dir. Emily Driscoll – United States

Nominated For Best Space Film, Best Astronomy Film, Best Science Film, Best SME Film, Best Short Documentary

Synopsis  Jared Kaplan, theoretical physicist at John’s Hopkins University, looks to black holes, gravity, and even a dazzle of zebras, to examine profound and whimsical questions about our universe.

NASA’s Incredible Discovery Machine:
The Story of the Hubble Space Telescope

Short Documentary – 00:51:16
Dir. Paul Morris – United States

Nominated For Best Space Film, Best Astronomy Film, Best Science Film, Best Short Documentary

Synopsis Using mostly archival footage, this documentary is meant to celebrate the human sprit behind the legendary Hubble Space Telescope.

  • Keywords #NASA #Space #Hubble #HubbleTelescope #Astronomy

Live Zoom Event

Join us on Zoom for this block’s Q&A

4:00PM – Theme: MovieGeeks – Saturday Feb 13

Like in Movies ( 映画かよ。)

Web Film – Webisode – 00:27:27
Dir. Yoh Komaya – Japan

  • Attending via Zoom Post Premiere Q&A

Nominated For Best Websisode, Best Unusual Interest Film, Best International Film

Synopsis  Web comedy series about movie nerds in Japan. Minoru’s passion is movies. But his love for movies is so strong that it is also a curse to his life. His friends are also crazy about movies, and when they get together, a trouble often occurs because of their strong love for movies.

Live Zoom Event

Join us on Zoom for this block’s Q&A

5PM – Theme: Anarchy is a State of Society Where The Only Government is Reason ~Michael Schwab – Saturday Feb 13

Red Steel Dawn

Music Video – 00:04:09
Dir. Peter Tintle – United States

  • Attending via Zoom Post Premiere Q&A

Nominated For Best Music Video, Best Non-Conformist Film

Synopsis  A Live Music Video from “Insert, Eject: The Mormons Live at Cafe NELA” – 15 songs recorded live at Cafe NELA in Los Angeles, CA

Immortality or Bust

Feature Documentary – 01:17:00
Dir. Daniel Sollinger – United States

  • Attending via Zoom Post Premiere Q&A

Nominated For Best Non-Conformist Film, Best Feature Documentary, Best Personal Interest Film

Synopsis  Immortality or Bust follows Zoltan Istvan’s Transhumanist Party presidential campaign.

Live Zoom Event

Join us on Zoom for this block’s Q&A

6:45PM – Theme: Larpers, Gamers, Dragons, Robots – Oh My!  – Saturday Feb 13

Artemis

Short Film, Student – 00:12:26
Dir. Jack Warren – United States

  • Attending via Zoom Post Premiere Q&A

Nominated For Best Cosplay Film, Best LGBTQ Geek Film, Best Short Film

Synopsis Hayes struggles to fit in with his sword-swinging, live action role playing friends, but his discovery of a sparkling blue dress transforms a game of pretend into a journey of gender discovery.

Kill: Norwood

Short Film – 00:12:56
Dir. Lexy Anderson – United Kingdom

Nominated For Best Gamer Film, Best LGBTQ Film, Best Short Film

Synopsis Overprotective parents, Jonathan and Nancy, attempt to pry their game-obsessed daughter, Maxine, away from the screen and back to reality by hiring an online assassin.

Les Vaisseaux du Destin (Vessels of Destiny)

Short Film – 00:14:30
Dir. Franie-Éléonore Bernier – France/Quebec, Canada

Nominated For Best Gamer Film, Best Short Film, Best Retro Tech Film

Synopsis As she is about to undergo surgery, Réjeanne realizes that she might not make it. She decides to satisfy her last wishes by inviting her oldest friend JB over to play their favourite video game: Vessels of Destiny.

The Legend of Stella

Short Film – 00:17:56
Dir. Aileen Sheedy – United States

  • Attending via Zoom Post Premiere Q&A

Nominated For Best Gamer Film, Best Cosplay Film, Best Short Film

Synopsis After a failed attempt to reconnect with her VR-obsessed husband, a frustrated Cosplayer constructs a real-life game that her husband must beat to save their relationship.

Robocup – Robots Can’t Jump

Short Documentary – 00:20:21
Dir.  Silvia Schmidt – United Kingdom/Canada

  • Attending via Zoom Post Premiere Q&A

Nominated For Best Gamer Film, Best Tech Film, Best Short Documentary, Best Robotics Film

Synopsis This documentary follows a team of programmers take their little robots across the Atlantic – to play football! The film shows not only the super-human effort of the programmers, but also the progress these autonomous robots make on the field – will they manage to win a game?

Man Of Fire

Short Film – 00:20:50
Dir. Heather Schmidt – Canada/United States

  • Attending via Zoom Post Premiere Q&A

Nominated For Best Fantasy Film, Best Short Film, Best Costume, Best VFX

Synopsis When a sword maker is accused of treason and sentenced to death by dragon, he must become allies with the dragon in order to survive. Stars Lance Reddick (John Wick, Bosch, The Wire, Fringe).

Live Zoom Event

Join us on Zoom for this block’s Q&A


Friday Feb 12

Saturday Feb 13

›Sunday Feb 14‹

11AM– Theme: With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility ~Ben Parker – Sunday Feb 14

Super Bois

Short Film – 00:09:00
Dir. Jon Mancinetti – United States

  • Attending via Zoom Post Premiere Q&A

Nominated For Best SuperHero Film, Best Empowerment Film

Synopsis An indie filmmaker discovers his full potential by making a superhero movie with his brother, a young man with autism. Based on director Jon Mancinetti’s unique relationship with his brother Joel.

Brass Ring 

Short Film – 00:09:59
Dir. Zachary Ross – United States

  • Attending via Zoom Post Premiere Q&A

Nominated For Best SuperHero Film, Best Empowerment Film

Synopsis A fanatic finally meets his favorite over-the-hill wrestler at a mediocre comic book convention and attempts to make him relevant again.

  • Twitter @BrassRing_Film
  • Keywords #Heroes #Idols #Wrestling #BodySlam #RevengeOfTheNerds #ComicCon

Pallidus

Webisode – 00:13:43
Dir. C.S. John – Canada

Non-Competition

Synopsis The crew of the spaceship Hiraeth discover they are hauling a deadly cargo in this gritty, retro style sci-fi film. In the midst of the breakdown of their relationship.. Taryn and Myfanwy stumble into a life and death emergency and each faces the decision whether to sacrifice herself to save the other.

Zero Issue

Short Film – 00:30:00
Dir. Jim Fagan  – United States

  • Attending via Zoom Post Premiere Q&A with Ali Keller, Producer, Adam Harum, VFX and Michael Joseph Murray, Actor

Nominated For Best SuperHero Film, Best VFX, Best Mocumentary

Synopsis Dale Dinkle, is a guy whose only goal in life is to be recognized for his power: the ability to move objects with his mind. Every year Dale competes in a festival, where aspiring superheroes try to make a name for themselves. But, Dale fails to win and he becomes determined to achieve the fame he thinks he deserves. Will Dale aim for fame at any cost, even if it means becoming a villain?

Live Zoom Event

Join us on Zoom for this block’s Q&A

12PM – Theme: Nerds We Should Know – Sunday Feb 14

Secrets of the Universe

Short Documentary – 00:42:25
Dir. Stephen Low – United States

  • Attending via Zoom Post Premiere Q&A

Nominated For Best Space Film, Best Astronomy Film, Best Science Film, Best Physics Film, Best SME Film, Best Short Documentary

Synopsis We are at the beginning of a period of unprecedented technological advancement, catalyzing a new age of scientific discovery. Travel with us on this immersive giant screen film, as we explore the most exciting machines ever conceived by man, including the Large Hadron Collider and James Webb Space Telescope. See how these new experiments allow us to look deeper into our origins, and unveil the mysteries of dark energy, dark matter and extra dimensions.

The World of Thinking

Feature Documentary – 00:57:20
Dir. Misha Wessel, Dir. Thomas Blom – Netherlands

  • Attending via Zoom Post Premiere Q&A

Nominated For Best Science Film, Best Physics Film, Best SME Film, Best Feature Documentary

Synopsis Five of the most brilliant scientists of our time, gathered at the famous Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, take us on their search for a groundbreaking discovery. They face an enormous challenge. Because how do you go beyond the existing frontiers of human #knowledge? By becoming part of their world, we experience that a scientific breakthrough is not merely a light bulb-moment. It is a demanding process with emotional setbacks, anxiety and insecurities. But it is also driven by boundless ambition, truthfulness and unimaginable perseverance. Starring: Fields medal-winner Vladimir Voevodsky, Wolf prize-winner Freeman Dyson and Breakthrough prize-winner Nima Arkani-Hamed.

Live Zoom Event

Join us on Zoom for this block’s Q&A

3PM – Theme: GeekFestUniverse Award Ceremony – Live – Sunday Feb 14

Join us LIVE on Zoom and Facebook as we hand out the 2021 GeekFestUniverse Awards to Filmmakers Around The World!

Hosted by New Jersey Filmmaker and all-around TopGeek – Thomas Florek.