FILM FEST WRAP-UP
23rdAnnual Standing Rock International Short Film Festival. January 31,2026. The Kent Stage.
Standing Rock Cultural Arts would like to thank all those who came out Saturday night to celebrate our 23rd Annual Standing Rock International Short Film Festival on one of the coldest nights of the year! It was a special night of visual storytelling that included an appearance by award winning animator, Liam LoPinto, who screened “The Old Young Crow” as well as another short animation titled, “French Fly”, and a work in progress. Liam provided insight into his techniques and background in the art of film, video, and life drawing.
The audience,at the beautifully renovated historic Kent Stage, was moved to applause and laughter throughout the evening. There were 13 films in the competition that came from places as far away as South Korea and Croatia, and as nearby as Kent, Ohio.
The festival culminated in a live dance performance by Cleveland Butoh Dance Company, Birds Who Walk At Night. The dancers, Laura Swedenborg ,Genevieve Jencson, and Hope Schultz provided an experiment in movement set to a new film by festival Director, Cindy Penter titled.“The Four Seasons”. It was a truly amazing performance beyond what words can describe.
As for the competition, it was tight, with one attendee expressing how difficult it was to decide on a favorite “I’ve been to a lot of these, and usually there’s a few that are easy to discard...but not this time. There wasn’t one that couldn’t get the top vote”
When the dust settled, however, here’s how it played out.
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
1. Mr. Chicken’s Pilgrimage. Ohio. 12:50
-Directed by Sam Shaffer
2. Railbound. Ohio. 10:00.
-Directed by Jonathan Perry
3. F.U. Bob: An Insight Into The Life and Work of Robert E. Wood. Ohio. 11:55
-Directed by Aaron Christopher Hider
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JURIED CHOICE AWARD
1. No Room. Croatia. 6:26
-Directed by Jelena Oroz
2. Adas Falasteen(Palestine Lentils). Gaza. 7:55
-Directed by Hamdi Khalil Elhusseini, Samar Taher Lulu
3. Cats. Serbia, Switzerland. 13:10
-Directed by Danilo Stanimirovic
Thank you to Tom Simpson, Richele Charlton, and Ian Simpson of the Kent Stage for hosting the festivities! We look forward to next year’s festival in late January 2027. Hope to see you there!
Jeff Ingram/Executive Director
Standing Rock Cultural Arts
300 N. Water St.,Ste H
Kent, OH 44240
330-673-4970
www.standingrock.net
Standing Rock Cultural Arts is a 501 (c)(3), charitable, non profit art and education organization based in Kent, Ohio. Donations are tax exempt and greatly appreciated.
ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
WHO: STANDING ROCK CULTURAL ARTS AND THE KENT STAGE
WHAT: THE 23rd ANNUAL STANDING ROCK INTERNATIONAL SHORTS FESTIVAL AND COMPETITION.
-SHORTS FROM CROATIA, SOUTH KOREA, GERMANY, SWITZERLAND, OHIO, AND MORE!
-FEATURED ARTIST: LAST YEAR’S PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD WINNER, LIAM LOPINTO WILL BE IN PERSON SCREENING HIS FILM “THE OLD YOUNG CROW” AND OTHERS.
-CASH PRIZE FOR PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD.
-CERTIFICATE AWARD FOR JURIED CHOICE WINNER
-LIVE DANCE PERFORMANCE BY CLEVELAND DANCE TROUPE, BIRDS WHO WALK AT NIGHT/ PERFORMING TO A FILM BY CYNTHIA PENTER TITLED “THE FOUR SEASONS”
WHEN: SATURDAY, JANUARY 31st, 7:00 PM, 2026
-Doors Open at 6:30pm
WHERE: THE HISTORIC KENT STAGE. 175 E. MAIN ST. DOWNTOWN KENT, OH
ADMISSION: $10 GENERAL. $5 STUDENTS/SENIORS
-TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR OR ONLINE @ WWW.KENTSTAGE.ORG
ABOUT THE FEATURED ARTIST, LIAM LOPINTO.
-Liam LoPinto is a filmmaker and animator from New York City. He graduated from NYU Tisch's UGFTV program in 2017. He also studied at Waseda University in Tokyo and attended CalArts' Character Animation program from 2017-2021. His work, “The Old Young Crow” was Last Year’s People’s Choice and Juried Choice Award Winner. He will be in person, available for Questions.
ABOUT THE DANCE TROUPE, BIRDS WHO WALK AT NIGHT.
-The Birds Who Walk at Night Butoh Collective are a group of women in Northeast Ohio brought together by their love of movement, singing, and creating together. They offer site-specific, process-based performance experiences of Butoh dance and healing sound. Genevieve Jencson, Hope Schultz , and Laura Swedenborg will be performing at the festival.
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FILM DESCRIPTIONS
1. Biosphere. Ohio. 3:30
Directed by Jen Poland,Emerson Santuomo
-The band Kiss Me Deadly plays in an abandoned observatory as Mother Nature reclaims the historical landmark in Cleveland Oh.
2. F.U. Bob: An Insight Into The Life and Work of Robert E. Wood. Ohio. 11:55
Directed by Aaron Christopher Hider
-We explore the life of Kent, Ohio artist Robert E. Wood — a complex and often misunderstood figure who rejected social norms in pursuit of his art.
3. Cats. Serbia, Switzerland. 13:10
Directed by Danilo Stanimirovic
-When eight-year-old Miša finds an abandoned kitten in the street, he tries to provoke the affection his parents are not providing.
4. hi how are you? Ohio. 6:13
Directed by Shannon Metelko
-The attempt to grasp and articulate feelings of change through spoken word, ambient sound, and experimental film.
5. Adas Falasteen (Palestine Lentils). Gaza. 7:55
Directed by Hamdi Khalil Elhusseini, Samar Taher Lulu
-"Palestine Lentils"is a documentary film that tells the story of a Palestinian chef and his role in using his hobby as a shield against the famine caused by the war on Gaza, preserving the spirit of resilience and hope within his community.
6. Anywhere My Canvas. South Korea, Georgia. 7:25
Directed by Sangsun Choi
-Youngsook and Mia are artists with immigrant backgrounds living in America.Their unique life experiences have deeply influenced their artwork in compelling ways.
7. Prayer of The Sea. Germany. 6:30
Directed by Martin Gerigk
-A composer recounts a dream from his youth that inspired the slow movement of his first string quartet, Prayer of the Sea. The dream,depicting a peaceful dissolution into the sea and wind, symbolized his future death.
8. Shattered. Ohio. 8:20
Directed by Laure Quinlivan
-A true story of how gun violence changes family's lives, forever. A midwest city wanted a film showing the devastating impact of gun violence on survivors.
9. Mr. Chicken’sPilgrimage. Ohio. 12:50
Directed by Sam Shaffer
-3 Men travel to the resting place of a brave Chicken.
10. Dance Rustique. Ohio. 5:35
Directed by James Brian Joyce
-Music video: Violinist Will Hagen performs Eugène Ysaÿe's Sonata No. 5 for Violin, Op. 27 (II. Danse Rustique).
11. School of Rocky. Ohio. 5:20
Directed by Chloe Niesz Kutsch
-"The School of Rocky" is about a Rocky Horror Picture Show shadow cast and the Queer community built around it.
12. Railbound. Ohio. 10:00.
Directed by Jonathan Perry
-Railbound is a poetic film built directly from the photographs of the prolific American photographer, Mike Brodie. The film pushes the boundaries of generative AI, indistinguishable from live action footage.
13. No Room. Croatia. 6:26
Directed by Jelena Oroz
-In this film, cars have legs. They are everywhere and they show no consideration for others. It's time to get revenge!
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