ROUTINE – Yewon Kim

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Original Film Title: ROUTINE

Writer’s Name: Yewon Kim

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: English

Runtime: 11 Pages

Film Description:

In 2024, Kim Sung-won (68), a stoic journalist with a career-marked deformity on his face, packs his belongings into a cardboard box after thirty years of service. Among his things is a warped, rain-damaged journal from 1987. Yoon Ji-ho (26), a restless and “hungry” reporter digging into the past, approaches Kim to ask about an article he wrote decades ago. Though Kim warns her that “it’s best not to go there,” Ji-ho seizes an opportunity to steal his 1987 notebook.The story flashes back to Seoul, 1987. A young Kim investigates the death of a university student, Park Jong-chul, who allegedly died of “cardiac arrest” during “routine questioning”. Kim uncovers evidence of torture and asphyxiation, but his editor orders him to destroy the report to stay safe. After receiving a threatening phone call and being brutally assaulted by a mysterious man, Kim’s attempt to reveal the truth is violently suppressed, leaving him with a permanent scar.Back in the present, Ji-ho realizes history is repeating itself. Her own brother, Yoon Min-jun, has recently died in police custody under the exact same “routine” circumstances. Driven by grief and the evidence in Kim’s notebook, Ji-ho prepares to finish the investigation Kim started. The film ends as the two reporters meet in an elevator—representing the passing of a dangerous, yet necessary, torch of truth.

AHEAD OF HIM – James Damian Houston

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Original Film Title: AHEAD OF HIM

Writer’s Name: James Damian Houston

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: English

Runtime: 82 Pages

Film Description:

Set in the early 1980s, Ahead of Him follows Ben, a quiet, observant boy who experiences the world through movement, rhythm, and physical awareness. At home, he navigates an unstable family environment by creating order in small, precise ways. When he leaves for a structured summer science camp, Ben encounters a world that mirrors how his mind works — one built on systems, mechanics, and intentional motion. As he learns to adapt to new spaces and relationships, Ben slowly discovers a fragile independence, carrying pieces of home with him while beginning to shape a life that is finally his own.

Limit Exceeded – dir. Setareh Samandari

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Original Film Title: Limit Exceeded

Director’s Name: Setareh Samandari

Writer’s Name: Sargon Yoseph

Producer: Katie Taylor, Habib Zargarpour, Brandon Stacy, Sargon Yoseph, Ford Bowers

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: English

Runtime: 15 minutes

Film Description:

A husband and wife preparing for their first child seem to have the perfect future ahead of them—until cracks in their reality reveal that nothing is quite what it seems.They want to use K.O.-drops on a wealthy banker. But they are beginners, and their plan goes terribly wrong.