CAA has announced the lineup for the tenth edition of the CAA Moebius Film Festival, a two-day screening series showcasing graduate student filmmakers, which is set to take place from May 28–29.
This year’s lineup features 10 short films, across live-action and animation, selected from 170+ submissions, the most ever for the festival. Themes explored, in genres ranging from drama to comedy to horror, include self-actualization, coming-of-age, and family. This year, Columbia University will be represented at the festival for the first time ever, alongside such returning institutions as Chapman University, the AFI Conservatory, NYU, England’s National Film and Television School, and CalArts.
Since its founding in 2015, Moebius has played a part in the developing careers of filmmakers like Felipe Vargas (Rosario), Oran Zegman (Honor Society), Max Barbakow (Palm Springs), to name just a few. Conceived by then-trainees and now CAA Motion Picture agents Christina Chou, Zach Kaplan, and Pete Stein, along with Lingie Park, Moebius is organized by a team of young leaders across the agency, including Odessa Chiklis, Olivia Guevara, Sidney Jaet, Brendan Kim, Jessica Lee, Cameron Mendez, Jack Spencer, Saundarya Thapa, Lex Torrington, Jordyn Walker, and Nick Wnuk.
“Reaching our tenth year is a milestone that speaks to the power and promise of emerging filmmakers,” said Chou, Kaplan, and Stein in a joint statement. “With each edition, Moebius continues to grow in scale and scope, and this year’s submissions reflect a global range of voices, bold ideas, and cinematic vision. We’re proud to provide a platform where the next generation of storytellers can be discovered and celebrated.”
View this year’s lineup below.
NIGHT 1 – WEDNESDAY, MAY 28TH
THE WRATH OF OTHELL-YO! directed by Kwesi Jones (NYU)
When the lead of an erotic Othello adaptation fails to get erect, a PA volunteers to double-in but discovers that rising to the occasion is harder than he thought.
GIRLS IN REAL LIFE SITUATIONS directed by Ofre Sparrow Vaknin (CalArts)
Sam, Lexi, and Jane spend the first day of eighth grade plotting a scheme to get the ultimate lunch table. Their plans unravel when Katy, a preppy sixth grade TikTok influencer, beats them to the coveted post.
BRUNO & ELENA directed by Javier Hirschler (Columbia)
On the last day of high school, Bruno finally manages to charm the girl of his dreams and invites her over to his house. But his mother, Elena, won’t stay in her room.
DANDELION directed by Fiona Obertinca (AFI)
In 1970s Los Angeles, rebellious queer teen Margaret gets thrown out of yet another foster placement and finds herself in the company of a mysterious social worker who is tasked with finding Margaret a new home before the break of dawn.
NERVOUS ENERGY directed by Eve Liu (NYU)
On the cusp of success/failure, two unhinged female filmmakers decide to break up with their boyfriends, and for once, make a bold decision with their lives.
NIGHT 2 – THURSDAY, MAY 29TH
FOLLOW ME WHEREVER I GO directed by Maxwell DeFalco (Chapman)
A deeply religious single mother is determined to start her life anew and will stop at nothing until she gets what she wants—her son’s best friend.
A VERY NORMAL-SEEMING MAN directed by Allamaprabhu Pattanashetty (NYU)
A man pitches movie ideas to his filmmaker son… all starring himself.
DAD SWAP directed by Ethan Mermelstein (Columbia)
Ethan Mermelstein’s dad is a dick, and he’s had enough. So, he swaps him out with his dad’s best friend/nemesis, Ron.
FAWN directed by Molly Mayhew (NFTS)
Following the sudden passing of her parents, Fawn is forced to return to a house she hasn’t called home in a very long time. As painful memories begin to seep through, Fawn is thrown onto the difficult path of reconnecting with a past she thought she had left behind.
TEEN MARY directed by Ali Rosenthal (AFI)
Mary is a teenage girl living in Nazareth in the year Zero (but speaking in modern dialogue). She’s a normal teen: horny. But when Mary gets knocked up by a hot, married shepherd and might get stoned to death for adultery, she and her gay best friend Joseph hatch a plan to save their lives. They’ll convince everybody that God made Mary pregnant—with the new Messiah.
