LACFF PROGRAMS
Inmates with Talent FEATURE FILM
If "laughter is the best medicine," can it help turn lives around in prison? In 2008, two comedians had a wild idea — so wild, it landed them in prison. Their mission was to bring a talent contest to the incarcerated, giving them a stage and a mic to express themselves. Filmed over 14 years, the documentary follows where participants are now, showing how attitudes, perceptions, and even the language around incarceration have evolved. This is the story of an improbable journey—and the unexpected impact of comedy, creativity, and second chances behind bars. Imagine Borat meets America's Got Talent behind bars, giving people a second chance at life. After receiving unprecedented prison access, the filmmakers produced an off-the-wall docu-comedy with actor and rapper Ice-T. Two comedians clown around inside a real prison with over 2,400 incarcerated men and earn their trust, prompting convicts to drop their guard and open up about their experiences. The high-energy adventure, shifting from comedy to drama to emulate prison life, ramps up to an epic talent showdown that’s both lit and inspiring, providing hope, confidence, and ultimately steering the men toward better paths—but will they stay there? Despite challenges such as COVID-19, the team reconnected with participants inside and outside of prison to complete the story. There’s a “method to the slapstick madness,” using comedy as a catalyst for positive change. The film doesn’t glamorize prison; it motivates convicts to live successful, law-abiding lives.
Shorts programs are listed in alphabetical order not the order of appearance. No late seating please.
Finding Our Way SHORTS
A collection of heartfelt, surreal, and funny stories about people searching for connection, identity, and purpose in a changing world. From video game families and children’s authors to scouts, cult survivors, and quirky neighbors, these films remind us that every path has its own twists.
Films in this program include:
A Simple Life — A family of Sims must endure the return of their gamer “god” on stream.
Children’s Books — A beloved author tries to break free from her illustrator, only to uncover his dark secret.
Gramps — A make-out session goes horribly wrong when Carol meets the legend of Old Gramps.
Heavy Petting — A veterinary tech struggles to balance compassion with the demands of her job.
How to Be a Hot Guy — A bite-sized comedy about image, confidence, and being “that guy.”
Identity Crisis — While packing their childhood room, Kay confronts all the lives they might have lived.
In Jeff We Trust — Two girls regret joining a cult… but is it too late to escape?
Kaleb & Ms. Kelsey — A puppet comedy where a curious kid learns adult slang from his eccentric neighbor.
The Cradle — In a near future, babies are grown in machines — but what happens when the power goes out?
The Joy Scout — A genderqueer teen fights for a place in the Salmon Scouts.
The Last Vote — A young man votes far right and faces unexpected consequences.
The Joke’s on Us SHORTS
Shorts Program
Fast-paced, irreverent, and packed with laughs, this program features comedians, misfits, and everyday oddballs navigating absurd scenarios. From dating mishaps to over-the-top performances, each short proves comedy thrives in the unexpected.
Films in this program include:
Another Day in the West — A cowboy defends the honor of his love in this satirical Western.
Forked Tongue — A 20-something secretly creates male-voiced erotica while living with her mother.
Lazy Girls — Dancers at the club redefine “doing the least” in this hilarious satire.
Man on the Street — An aging content creator makes one last grasp at cultural relevance.
Nothing Bad Ever Happens — Best friends face hidden struggles when one pushes for a beach day.
Portrait of an Artist — A mockumentary series skewering contemporary art and artists.
Ring Ring — A best man’s blunder with wedding rings turns into a fight for survival.
SCOUT — A woman books a horse ride only to discover her mount is… different.
Severed — A woman stumbles upon a life-changing discovery.
The Whiskey Experience — A bartender transforms a night out into something unforgettable.
You Play Too Much — Narrated by Fred Armisen, this stop-motion series revisits childhood friendship, bullies, and playground “laws” of the 1980s.
Close Encounters SHORTS
From eccentric families to cryptid hunters, this block blends quirky comedy with unexpected drama. These stories highlight the strange and surreal ways people search for meaning, connection, and sometimes just a good laugh.
Films in this program include:
Big Footprints — A Bigfoot hunter gets help from his half-brother as they search for the infamous cryptid in this comedic mockumentary.
Books (the Pilot) — An author inherits her father’s bookstore and must fight to keep it alive with her eccentric employees.
SEE YA: The Whole Story — A novice pilot, his girlfriend, and a mechanic fall into a love triangle with comic role reversals.
The Family Pickle — Family rivalries, a hallucinating grandfather, and a pickleball obsession collide in this gritty family comedy.
The Fugly Duckling — An irreverent, revenge-fueled spin on the Hans Christian Andersen classic.
Venuses — A dysfunctional family of five “professional” women and their gay pimp juggle drama and comedy in this bold series.
Virtual Screening
1-800-CHOICES
A desperate young woman must make a fateful decision about her immediate future that will change her life forever.
All Hail the Pumpkin Spice
This modern high school spoof follows a high school girl seeking popularity who joins the powerful Pumpkin Spice Girls clique, unaware it's a cult. Her quest for popularity turns terrifying when she's kidnapped to be sacrificed.
American Pledge
"American Pledge" delves into the life of Benny, an anxious college freshman determined to transform his social status by pledging to the infamous Sigma Beta Phi fraternity. As Benny navigates frat politics, identity crises, and the pursuit of acceptance, he uncovers a scandalous past that threatens to repeat itself.
Bad Atmosphere
Eight scientists are locked inside a fully enclosed Simulation Mars Base for a two year mission. All they need to do is execute some science, grow some food, and try not to kill each other.
Bastards
Welcome to The Medical Health Centre Practice Surgery, where the word 'patient' takes on a whole new meaning.
BOSS OF THE TOSS
While balancing a relationship with his girlfriend, a down and out cornhole player must compete in a high stakes, underground tournament to help his grammy pay off a bookie.
BORSCH & BURGER
A Russian illegal immigrant earns money in the United States in all possible ways—from cutting marijuana to fetish photo shoots. Her new neighbor, a law-abiding American postman, is involuntarily drawn into her crazy adventures.
Brush Me
"Brush Me" is a quirky and hilariously absurd stop-motion short that transforms everyday toothbrushes into the stars of a playful and provocative narrative. With a janky yet charming animation style, the film delivers a wild tale of flirtation and passion, amplified by tango music and humorous voice acting, exploring offbeat, risqué humor that is both bold and fun.
Capture the Moment
A mockumentary short about a semi-professional nature photographer and why he shoots exclusively on "Polaroid."
Catcall
Lucy and Chase celebrate their first anniversary with dinner. However, Lucy struggles to cope when Chase gets more attention. This film satirizes gender roles while exploring the modern ego.
Clemenzia visits Handel Hendrix House London
British aristocratic opera singer socialite Clemenzia Von Trunksale visits Handel Hendrix House Museum in London and ends up jamming with the ghosts of George Frederick Handel and Jimi Hendrix.
Divorce Ranch
June 1949. Heiress Mitzi Ballantyne has gone missing during her “Reno-vation” at the Sidewinder Resort. Detective Francis O'Connell steps into a den of liberated ex-wives, crooked cops, runaways, and divorcees in this female-forward, west-of-center take on the classic noir.
Distant Relatives
Two relentless sisters use their unquie connection to fame to garner favor at a local restuarant.
Douche Canoe
A music video that satirizes the greedy, environmentally destructive elites who can’t tell their mouths from their derrières.
Everything Is Melting
A friend group goes to earth-changing measures to help one of their own get over a guy.
Fate of the World
Decades after a global apocalypse, two brothers, raised in a junkyard, finally set out in their homemade car to see the world...
G.L.A.D.I.S
Four unruly volcanology students arrive at Europe's most active volcano, Mount Etna, to test G.L.A.D.I.S — their prototype eruption prediction device. But as their priorities shift and romances simmer, all readings point to catastrophe.
Happy Meat
When a lab-grown vegan meat develops teeth, the company owners face an escalating set of moral dilemmas, as the situation spirals out of control.
Hiphop Purée
Two sisters confront supernatural suburban forces and their own dark secrets on a perilous journey to Thursday night dinner.
How You Were Made
Synopsis needed.
It Came to This
A short romantic fantasy comedy about a woman writer and her boyfriend whose plans to move in together are interrupted. Love should inspire compromise, right? At least until an ugly lamp becomes more than just a light, but the flame that could light their relationship on fire.
Jeff Hilliard - My Face
Powerful executive who has an interesting way to relieve stress through creative role-play.
Josie's Lonely Hearts Club
A semi-scripted audio drama set in the studio of New Mexico’s 3rd-best romantic advice call-in show, where listeners eavesdrop on on-air chaos and off-air personal evolution as Josie navigates love, heartbreak, and transformation.
Last Zombie
The last day in the life of the last zombie on earth.
Murder for Dummies
Back in the nineties, ventriloquism was bigger than the Spice Girls and Princess Diana put together... ...you remember that, right? Of course you do. It definitely happened.
My Turn!
One sunny morning in Jakarta, Indonesia, Beth and her younger sister Liz become fierce rivals in their race to the bathroom. Beth regrets unintentionally hurting her little sister during the scuffle, and they both realize how much they care about each other.
Oh... Sheet
A bedsheet ghost is challenged by a fastidious new tenant in his home who cannot be scared.
Popes
A group of inept Catholic priests are tasked with creating The Vatican's online hub.
Single Buffalo
As Catherine tries to keep her composure in hopes of finding a connection, her date ticks her off to where she has no other option but bursting into a musical dance number.
Streusel
A juvenile 20-something celebrating her dead mother’s birthday with her estranged family clashes with her responsible sister over their mother’s wedding band, and they regress to their high school personas.
The Boulder Theory
After falling in love with a boulder, two glyptodons brawl over their shared romantic interest.
The Exorcist Girlfriend
Jared fights for his life to bring back his girlfriend after she gets possessed by his jealous hypermobile ex.
The First Bar Mitzvah
When the Rabbi of a synagogue falls ill, a young rabbinical intern must lead the congregation through a Bar Mitzvah service for the first time in his career. While practicing his speech, he is interrupted by an unsuspected visitor who he turns to for help.
The MJ Mishap
A Michael Jackson tribute acapella group prepares for the biggest performance of their careers, but when the lead member of the group doesn't know about MJ's "controversial" past, it throws the fate of the group in jeopardy.
The Modern Woman
Miss Plain Jane tries to improve her life by committing to follow an outrageous and ill-advised crash diet, attempting to keep up appearances but quickly losing her composure. A humorous look at beauty standards and self-improvement culture that affects young women everywhere.
The Retirement Plan
Chloe, a young mother in the Victorian suburbs, plans to write a tell-all book about her seedy past with the undercover police force to support her struggling family. On her daughter’s birthday, her domestic life collides with her past as a hardened undercover cop.
The Thirst
A man living in a remote area discovers he's out of water on a scorching day. Guided by a magic stick, he embarks on an unexpected journey to find relief.
The Trillionaire
A childish eccentric jerk, newly minted as the world's first trillionaire, is reunited with his estranged, cautious, brainy cousin to outsmart the Illuminati and protect his absurd wealth while regaining the favor of the public.
True Crime Rectum
In this 8-part darkly comedic whodunit audio drama, a canceled gossip vlogger and a journalist travel to the village of Rectum to solve a cold case of a wealthy businessman murdered during an orgy — but everything goes horribly wrong.
Un Artiste Prétentieux (A Pretentious Artist)
An artist, who can see ultra black, creates one final masterpiece before retreating to the woods, believing no one could ever truly understand his genius. A satirical examination of humanity’s ability to find meaning almost anywhere.
Undelivered
Jonas, a down-on-his-luck food delivery driver, discovers a loophole in the app. His life changes for the better… or so he thinks.
Unserious
A comedy sketch show.
VIATICUM
Albert Lewis reveals during Last Rites that he killed a man in his youth and escaped punishment. His hospice nurse and the priest clash over the nature of sin, leading to an unorthodox confrontation at the edge of death.
Worms
Since the age of five, Ronny has been eating worms. Now beginning high school, he must decide whether to maintain his unusual habit or change himself to fit in.