Written/Directed/Produced by Michael Huber

Surrounded by peace, tranquility and the lushness of nature, a young, innocent woman gathers water from the river. She plucks a lotus blossom and tucks it behind her ear. As she passes through the jungle her grace, beauty and purity is evident but the sway of her hips hints at her budding maturity. Irresistibly drawn to the abandoned temple, she hesitates unsure whether she should enter. As though compelled by an unseen force she takes her first tentative steps and the transformation from girl to woman begins. When she steps in front of the statue of the temple god, she feels the goddess within stir and senses the universal power that women possess. The dance begins naïve and stylized, to impress the being within the statue. Her attempt fails to illicit a response. She turns, discouraged but even gods are not immune to a woman’s power.

Written/Directed by Steffan Schulz

Filmed partially underwater and loosely based on the poem by German writer Heinrich Heine, “Lorelei” is a story of lost love. The original poem tells the tale of a maiden on a cliff overlooking a bend in the Rhine River calling out to her former lover, a sailor navigating the treacherous curves below. Similar folklore of maidens, mermaids, and sirens seducing unsuspecting sailors can be found throughout literature. This experimental film tells the tale of a sailor drowning his sorrows in drink as he ponders the lost love of his life. Haunted by images of his former lover, the sailor finds refuge in drink, but a constant barrage of sublime reminders beckon him.

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Written/Directed/Produced by Afsaneh Zamani

An old man and a little boy left their drought-stricken and abandoned village to the endless world (infinite) seeking any sign of life.

They keep traveling through the desert, but the land becomes more bare and lifeless, until they reach the most dried and cracked land. The old man and the boy lag behind. The old man applies ointment to his hands and feet while the child applies ointment to the cracks of the land.

This is the moment when the sky begins to cry.

Written/Directed/Produced by Aurelio Voltaire

A mummified cat is tormented by the skeletons of past meals. Directed and animated by MTV and Sy Fy Channel veteran Aurelio Voltaire and narrated by Danny Elfman.

Written/Directed/Produced by Jamieson Ridenhour

“Cornerboys” is collaborative effort between writer Jamieson Ridenhour, artist Ali LaRock, and composer Kevin Smith. The short film tells the dark fairy tale story of Jennifer Lynn, who searches the night streets for home but finds only the rat-eyed and restless Cornerboys. Inspired in equal parts by Christina Rossetti’s Goblin Market, the fairy tales both of the Brothers Grimm and of later practitioners like Tim Burton and Brian Froud, and the gritty urban Gothic fantasies of the 19th century, “Cornerboys” began life ten years ago as a long poem published in the now-defunct horror ‘zine Whispers from the Shattered Forum.

Written/Directed by Sam K. Hale; Produced by Heather Henson

Events are set in motion when a mysterious Trickster hurls a star through outer space. Nani, a patchwork girl, chases the star to discover a world she’s never set foot upon. In her quest she saves the life of Shojun, a tortoise fisherman and warrior. Together they travel through his surreal, fantastic world to the star’s mountain resting place to discover its secrets.

From turbulent coastal waters to frozen mountains and unknown nether spaces, Yamasong takes the viewer on a fantastic journey filled with stunning live-action Japanese-style puppets in a hybrid world of computer-generated and real objects. Set to the music of On Ensemble, an L.A.-based percussion band, the story is an instrumental and visual metaphor for a journey taken with another across a new cultural landscape, and walking away changed from the experience.

Yamasong is an exciting blend of traditional puppet techniques married with new digital technology. From using green screen to After Effects to the Canon 7D camera, the story aims to create a visual world that is neither purely real or imaginary, but somewhere between and evocative as a place all of its own.

Written/Directed by Greg Pak; Produced by Karin Chien

In a world in which catastrophic global warming has become reality, a jaded government undersecretary (Tim Kang) flirts with a scientist (Betty Gilpin) and ends up embroiled in a radical conspiracy to save the planet — by transforming the human race itself. A parable about change, both personal and political, from award-winning director Greg Pak, “Mister Green” launches in March 2010 as part of the ITVS Futurestates series.