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https://cinemas17.eventive.org/schedule/the-young-the-dramatic-shorts-68dc2dbfae7971335d6dfdd3

Prepare for an afternoon of emotional depth and contemporary struggle. This powerful shorts program explores the collision of tradition and modernity, testing the resilience of its characters. In “Barrio,” a recent college graduate fights to save her aunt’s beloved Mexican bakery from the creeping shadow of gentrification in Portland. Then there’s “Shelf Life” from Brazil, where an unemployed, pregnant ER nurse must confront the sudden chaos in her personal life after her hospital abruptly shuts down. The lineup also features stories of personal liberation and overcoming grief, including “The Mourning Of,” where a woman processes the loss of her mother in the most unusual way—by attending strangers’ funerals.

SPRINKLE/STEPHENS’ PLAYING WITH FIRE

Lightning ignites a devastating firestorm, forcing Bay Area artist/activists Annie Sprinkle & Beth Stephens from their redwood forest home. But the wildfire is just the beginning of their transformative journey, as they craft a cinematic reckoning with the power of fire–with its capacity to destroy and renew. Created through an ecosexual lens (imagining the Earth as a lover), and narrated by a mythic white peacock, their compelling story weaves a tale of resilience, queer love, and environmental awakening. Instead of fighting fire, can we learn to live with fire? This vibrant feature, introduced by Annie and Beth in person, documents the couple’s adventures in the wake of disaster, while also honoring the broader communities impacted by ecological and social fires. Enlisting a collective of artists, witches, Indigenous elders, and formerly incarcerated firefighters, Sprinkle & Stephens examine the ways in which queers–and all humans–can support the health of the Earth. The film sports an electric score by experimental composer Guillermo Galindo, Lady Monster’s tassel-twirling burlesque, a dangerous full-body fire stunt by the artist Cassils, a volcanic fire-play massage with sex educator Barbara Carrellas, and an impassioned ritual by performance-poet Guillermo Gómez-Peña. Shapeshifters suds on tap! $13