Official Selection - Albuquerque Live Festival
Thursday, August 24th - Sunday, August 27th 2023

All screenings will be at:
Guild Cinema
3405 Central Avenue NE Albuquerque, NM ---> Map


Thursday, August 24th - Pre Festival Mixer at Rob's Place - 4:00pm to 7:00pm
4310 Central Ave SE, Ste C (Connected to O'Niell's Pub)
***Filmakers, Crew, Friends, and Family! (No pass or ticket needed)***

Friday, August 25th 1:00pm
Filmmaker Q&A Follwing Film Block



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Eva
(Dir. Jonny Wildey)
[UK]

A trip into abstract fragmentation.

The Righteous
(Dir. Stephen Michael Kelly)
[USA]

Deeply religious detective interviews a man who he thinks is a serial killer and is compelled to act.

The Nana Project
(Dir. Robin Givens)
[USA]

Set in the competitive world of chess, we follow Nana’s (Academy Award Winner Mercedes Ruehl) journey in a heartwarming feel-good comedy about reuniting her grandsons (Will Peltz and Nolan Gould) and supporting her retirement community.

Friday, August 25th 3:30pm
Filmmaker Q&A Follwing Film Block



Dreamland
(Dir. Brandon Taylor)
[USA]

The theme of self-discovery is carried into Brandon Taylor’s official music video for “Dreamland”, where the opening scene shows Brandon Taylor incarcerated alone in a small prison cell. The distressed chants of fellow inmates seemingly becomes too much to handle. Brandon Taylor’s conflicting emotions cause him to fall to his knees, asking for help from above to find inner peace within himself. Escaping into a spiritual and musical dreamland, Brandon Taylor discovers that he is finding his way to Dreamland through the pain, not around or over it. Brandon Taylor then finds the strength to return and cope with his current reality, rather than trying to escape from it.

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TRUST
(Dir. Erik D Beacham)
[USA]

A story of 3 best friends, who are trying to kill each other.

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Night of the Vampire
(Dir. Noah Eoin McCay)
[USA]

Six people are trapped in a small store as a vampire invasion begins outside, a seventh sits in the back of the store already bitten. Unsure if the man will turn the people in the front must separate fact from fiction and decide whether or not to kill the man in the back.

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NT3
(Dir. Kendrick Whiteman)
[USA]

A man gets lost in a strange empty theater where it slowly becomes apparent that logic doesn’t apply there.

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Lost Time
(Dir. Dannelle M Kirven)
[USA]

Young couple with plans to get away for the weekend, but with a turn of events they end up helping a mysterious stranger in need. There’s more to this stranger than meets the eyes. What they thought would be a nice weekend trip is derailed by a helpless stranger. Their kindness is tested as they learn more about the stranger.

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Rezd Out
(Dir. Alica Sheyahshe Mteuzi)
[USA]

Rezd Out highlights the complexities of life and loyalty as two friends are compromised by a night of binge drinking and drug use. As one woman strives for the future while the other is hardly coherent, the bond between friends and family is truly put to the test.

Vengeance Saloon
(Dir. James E Blackburn)
[USA]

A stranger rides into an abandoned Western town after receiving a threatening letter. He rides in looking for trouble only to find that trouble is looking for him.

Friday, August 25th 6:00pm
Filmmaker Q&A Follwing Film Block



Gold In Them Hills
(Dir. Jeremy Johnstone)
[USA]

An homage to European film noir of the 20th century.

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Harbinger
(Dir. Alex Jack)
[USA]

Desperate to find answers after finding his wife dead, Ash investigates the origins of a mysterious signal which leads him to answers he wasn’t looking to find…

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SYOTOS
(Dir. S Edward Eastep)
[USA]

A vagabond father and daughter duo who often find work as stringers must travel to New Mexico to investigate and record unusual atmospheric events. Each is faced with the developing circumstances of an extraterrestrial event that could divide them forever.

Traffic Stop
(Dir. Manuel Hunick)
[USA]

A police officer never knows what a traffic stop may bring - and this one's completely unexpected.

A Fight I Did Not Pick On
(Dir. Shihyun Wang)
[USA]

A master architect with recent health problem got Covid and could not get a negative result for over a month. He decided to take on an offer from a friend. 10 days later, he is back to negative. Although there is no telling on what or if the remote energy did anything. He is grateful for the help that came when he needed it most.

Veterans and the Scourge of Invisible Illness
(Dir. Moe Taylor & Kristal Kent)
[USA]

Disabled Veterans suffer from a laundry list of disabilities that are not apparent on the surface but are very real. Brian Stivale discusses these disabilities with three disabled veterans and learns how they are impacted in American society.

Who Dun It?
(Dir. Manuel Hunick)
[USA]

A renowned homicide detective, Quixote Oleander, and a fresh, up and coming homicide detective, Alexander Stone - both know something the other doesn't.

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LUCID
(Dir. Andy Nyikos)
[USA]

Cryptic nightmares - wilting flowers, blood-soaked sheets - threaten to tear Lyssa away from her infant daughter, caring partner, and idyllic home life, forcing her to confront the very nature of her reality and accept a heart-crushing truth.

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Who Would Murder A Tailor
(Dir. David Biagini)
[USA]

The body of a tailor is on the kitchen floor. Who killed him?

408
(Dir. Ron Wiesberg)
[USA]

While in a hospice waiting room, a young woman meets someone who challenges everything about the life she knows.

Bobble Head Exordium
(Dir. David D Perez)
[USA]

An alcoholic journalist investigates a perplexing internet phenomenon that dates back to 2005, leading him into a rabbit hole and resulting in the disappearance of his principal informant.

Never Mime
(Dir. Joe Griffenberg)
[USA]

A Mime tries to find love only to find he isn't exactly the girl's type.

Friday, August 25th 8:30pm
Filmmaker Q&A Follwing Film Block



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Danger
(Dir. Ned Stresen-Reuter)
[USA]

A moody mid-tempo 80’s esq bop produced by Junior Sanchez offers an exciting musical landscape filled with pulsating sounds and throbbing rhythm as well as Roberts vibrant and signature vocal style that brings the music to life.

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Faith & Joy
(Dir. Hope Martinez)
[USA]

Two sisters learn how to reconnect after much time apart. Siblings may not always understand each other, but they will always love each other.

Reunion
(Dir. Jonathan Nagel)
[USA]

Middle-aged ex-bandmates, Mike and Charlie, reunite to pay tribute to their late friend/bandmate, and the night spirals when Mike pushes to get the band back together, but Charlie remains dead set on leaving the past behind.

Rob in the Doghouse
(Dir. Emily Cates)
[USA]

During an unexpected foot shortage, people turn to desperate measures to eat. Rob bullies others to survive but when he enters the quarantined home of Sola who has lost her loyal companion, he is forced into an unusual state of captivity.

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Cassie + Lennon
(Dir. Mary Elizabeth Lumley)
[USA]



Reunion
(Dir. Vivian Nesbitt)
[USA]

Two old friends meet for lunch, but soon find out they are they are meeting for more than food.

Saturday, August 26th 1:00pm
Filmmaker Q&A Follwing Film Block



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That’s What I’m Gonna Do
(Dir. Michaël Theus & Nicolaï Tchetchelachvili)
[CH]

Music Video of the first single of Dr Savage

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Loose Change: A Memoir of Childhood
(Dir. Andrew Bateman)
[USA]

A man-child sets off to buy a new cage for his beloved hamster, but is enticed into a world of hedonism. He must become resourceful to make ends meet.

Hallelujah
(Dir. Ronald James Tomaino Jr)
[USA]

Phil and Linda Oliveira understand that every note strung and sang can have a life-changing impact. Their non-profit organization “The Freedom In Music Project” embraces this thought, outreaching to under privileged youth by playing faith based music and donating acoustic guitars. However, there’s much more to this story that all connects back to one legendary musician and his music studio.

Infinite Simulations
(Dir. Jonathan Nagel)
[USA]

Seeking emotional resolution, Bill tours a simulation facility where he chooses to experience a virtual encounter with his deceased brother.

Out of Order
(Dir. Scott Langford)
[USA]

With a sudden disruption to her career, Annie is forced to look within herself to find what she wants out of life while fighting to do what we all must do - keep going.

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Shipping Them
(Dir. Ryan Rox)
[USA]

A non-binary daydreamer pines for the life of the girl next door, but soon finds out the grass isn't always greener on the other side.

Let It Begin
(Dir. Jonathan Nagel)
[USA]

Medicine Music video about the duality of being a human being

Saturday, August 26th 3:30pm
Filmmaker Q&A Follwing Film Block



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Milton
(Dir. Kevin Machate)
[USA]

The touching, poignant story of an elderly couple on vacation while struggling with their physical limitations and sharing memories of a life fully lived.

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Erik
(Dir. David Kodheli)
[ALB]

Erik finds himself in a school and immediately gets a crush on a girl named Ela.

To Say Goodbye Is To Die A Little
(Dir. Michele Ly)
[USA]

To Say Goodbye… follows a late night ride share where their journey is the same but their destinations are very different.

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Blackbird
(Dir. Morgan Davies)
[USA]

Alma, a young black teenager recovering from Bulemia meets Noa, new roommate at an eating disorder treatment center. Seemingly, the two could not be more different, yet they will soon find they have more in common than they realize.

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The Call of Water
(Dir. Kaya Tone)
[USA]

Flung into the astral-plane, Nadia must face ancient forces in order to realize her responsibility to her homeland.

Saturday, August 26th 6:00pm
Filmmaker Q&A Follwing Film Block



Etherboy Saves the World
(Dir. Ethan Michael Johnson)
[USA]

Follow the extraordinary journey of Ethan, a brilliant kid with a passion for Quantum mechanics. Despite battling epilepsy, he remains determined to make the world a better place. Through his unwavering spirit, he defies the odds and seeks groundbreaking theories. Facing challenges head-on, Ethan discovers the power of empathy and compassion, inspiring those around him. In a climactic battle against adversity, his brilliance sparks a global revolution, unveiling a visionary invention that merges science and compassion. "The Life of Ethan" is an epic tale of resilience, love, and the indomitable human spirit, illuminating a path towards a brighter future.

Fierce
(Dir. Sam Quinn)
[USA]

A man stalks a woman with a divine secret.

Perfect Vision
(Dir. Aaron Alexander)
[USA]

Tenacious Detective Raen confronts a pregnant woman named Coxwain, who justifies the murder of five children as a necessary step toward 'Perfect Vision'. When Coxwain takes drastic action during the interrogation, Raen is forced to confront her own demons and make a fateful decision with far-reaching consequences.

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Bonding
(Dir. Luke Rex)
[USA]

A solitary figure at an empty bar, CIA clinical and forensic psychologist, Dr. John Flemington, is planning to visit his girlfriend in Mexico when he is pressured by mysterious underground operatives to join them on a secret mission. He really doesn't have a choice.

The Empyrean
(Dir. Hannah Smith)
[AU]

In a future world full of darkness and oppression, a young girl, inventive and determined, fights to see ‘the stars’ for the first time.

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Cosmo
(Dir. Brandon James Carter & Camille Summer Rose Carlson)
[USA]

An astronaut mourns the deaths of her canine companions. A pet shop employee seeks to help her fill the fluffy void. Unsuccessful, they both despair until a comet and an unexpected visitor descend destructively upon the city. They hatch a plan to save the day with a cosmically large game of fetch.

Let's Raid Area 51
(Dir. Fran Zayas)
[USA]

A band of three oddball stoners journey to raid Area 51.

Lucidity
(Dir. Matthew Smaldone)
[USA]

Nanotics are the future of hallucinogens. They give your mind complete autonomy, but not without side-effects. When a girl walks into a world she isn’t prepared for to use this drug in her search for closure, she will learn just how deep the rabbit-hole goes and how hard it is to climb out of.

Saturday, August 26th 8:30pm
Filmmaker Q&A Follwing Film Block



view trailer
REVERSE
(Dir. Christophe Lenoir)
[FR]

With the help of her alters, an ex-spy with dissociative identity disorder hatches a plan to get revenge on the one-eyed, the man who tried to kill her.

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Wolf + Lamb
(Dir. Giuseppe Schettino)
[IT]

Wolf + Lamb (Lupo + Agnello) is above all a "coming-of-age novel", based on the immortal and homonymous fable of Aesop. It is the story of the relationship Luca (Ladislao Liverani), Thomas (James Ferrara) and Elisa (Virginia Diop) entertain one another and behaviors such as bullying and the search for identity. Unbeknownst to them, are guided by a mysterious professor (Lino Guanciale) anthropology, and his blonde assistant, in this "Bildungsjourney" between ancient masks, religious festivals and archaic rituals that will inevitably lead our protagonists to confront each other and understand that wearing a mask is not enough to be what you want to be, but above all, every choice has consequences and responsibilities. With an unexpected ending and absolutely open to any further development.

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Physis
(Dir. Walter Rastelli)
[IT]

φύσις is the original and fundamental reality, the intrinsic nature at the base of all things. It represents a universal principle, not dependent on social conventions, collective morality or human laws. Deep in a claustrophobic routine, an office worker lives his monotonous life. His soul has become poisoned and appears as a thick black liquid... His silent cry for help will not remain unheard.

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Chateau Laurier
(Dir. James Stewart)
[CA]

Edwardian newlyweds Hattie and Vivian navigate their lives on the other side of happily ever after and learn that life as heirs to the grand Chateau Laurier hotel comes with slings, arrows, enemies, opportunities and strife.

Sunday, August 27th - AWARDS CEREMONY at M'tucci's Bar Roma - 5:30pm
3222 Central Ave SE
***Everyone welcome! (No pass or ticket needed)***

Sunday, August 27th - AFTER PARTY immediately following Awards Ceremony at M'tucci's Bar Roma
3222 Central Ave SE
***Everyone welcome! (No pass or ticket needed)***