THE PROGRAM
The Festival program is made up of two completely different 1 ½ hour selections of diverse
short films from around the world, edited into one continuous film experience. All the films
are family friendly and appropriate for children of any age (although Program #2 has some
films with subtitles which can be a challenge for younger children).
Program #1 features a more light-hearted selection of commercials and animated, documentary
and narrative films.
Program #2 has films that are thought-provoking and hilarious.
Yes, you do need to get tickets to both programs to have the full experience of amazement and
amusement. (Don't worry, there's a one hour break between programs).
Program #1 [especially suitable for younger children] (94 minutes)
Light-hearted narrative, documentary & animated Films, including William
Wegman's masterpiece starring his 4 Weimaraners in full costume
HARVEY DOGS HOME (1:00) A deliciously funny British vignette promoting adoption in
an enchanting way.
FOREVER HOME (6:00) Peter Mcevilley's touching tale of the profound love and joy that
dogs from shelters give us and inspire from us.
LOOKING FOR LOVE (3:00) Director Blaire Dobieski in Melbourne, Australia stars her
own rescued Black Lab Helen in this cautionary tale of the pitfalls and surprises in looking for
love online.
THE LEWIS LECTURES (7:30) Merrill Markoe's animated depiction of what dogs are actually
thinking and doing when we leave the house will leave you howling with laughter- and reluctant to
leave your dog home alone ever again!
SURFice (5:00) Director Judy Fridono's video has been seen over 4 million times online, depicting her
dog's early development to become a service dog - but how instead she had a career change and
became a surfer - a SURFice dog - to raise money for charitable causes.
BISCUIT/RETURN TO SENDER (5:00) Reel Rock films and director Jaime Bogardy
documented the most breath-takingly athletic little dog you'll ever see: Biscuit the Jack Russell
Terrier, who boldly climbs sheer cliffs and then teaches her puppy to follow in her paw steps.
BETA (13:00) Jon Lefkovitz creates a delightful tale of a couple who have adopted a dog and try to
answer the question many people want to know: can my dog understand me, and what is she saying in
return? And what happens when only one partner can hear the dog?
REWIND (4:00) Razor Jane's music video starring her own unusual dog has a rollicking plot will have
you tapping your foot or paw to the delightful song.
BIDEAWEE ADOPTION PSA (1:00) An entirely fresh look at why it is preferable to adopt a pet.
CONVERSATION WITH MY DOGS (2:45) Humorist Merrill Markoe”s sardonic sense of
humor shines through here, in creating the dialogue many of us don't experience with our own
dogs: “Why are you following me everywhere?”.
USEFUL DOG TRICKS (4:00) Heather Brook's Jack Russell Terrier Jesse is an inspiration in
the myriad ways a dog can help around the house.
DINE IN THE DARK (:30) Jake Shannon, an Australian student, made this lively PSA for
Guide Dogs for the Blind – which was shown on local television to encourage people to hold a
“dine in the dark” fund-raising dinner party, with guests blind-folded, to help understand living
with vision-impairment.
THE HARDLY BOYS IN HARDLY GOLD (28:00) The great photographer and dog-centric New
Yorker William Wegman made this astonishing film in 35 MM in 1995, and graciously had it re-mixed
and remastered it in high definition specially for the Dog Film Festival. Starring four of his female
Weimaraners in full costume, with Bill Wegman's deadpan voice-over carrying the plot, this film shows
Wegman's genius as an original creative force in making his dogs part of his art.
A BOY AND HIS DOG (9:30) Director Jonna Mciver made this deeply affecting documentary
featuring Owen, a very little boy (with a tremendously challenging physical disability) in
England and Haatchi, a very big dog (with 3 legs and no tail), who was tied on a train track and
left to be run over. He was saved by the RSPCA and adopted by Owen's family for him. The
story of what they mean to each other is a shining example of how “Love changes everything.”
HARVEY & HARMONY (1:00) This quintessentially British little ad series makes you wish you
could tune in to the BBC all the time.
Program #2 (102 minutes)
Thought-provoking documentaries and more sophisticated narrative films
(some foreign language with subtitles).
THE MAJORITY PROJECT (1:00) Animal Farm Foundation created this lively PSA to
educate against breed discrimination by showing how many different people own and love their
pit bulls.
DOG YEARS (4:00) Director Sam Hearn's voice-over is a hilarious depiction of the thoughts
of a dog who questions his relationship with his frequently absent owner.
THE POODLE TRAINER (7:45) Vance Malone's profound character study of a circus
trainer, whose performing poodles are the center of her universe.
LE SAUVETAGE (6:00) Peter Mcevilley's winsome faux-French tale of how dogs view us
and bring us together – starring the rescued performing Olate dogs, promoting adoption.
LA VIE D'UN CHIEN (The Life of a Dog) (13:00) Director John Harden made this amazing
sci-fi film which he describes as: “Paris, 1962: a lonely scientist devises a formula that
transforms him into a dog. It's only when he changes back to a human that his troubles begin.”
SECOND CHANCES (20:00) Director Steven Latham made a series of films featuring
shelter dogs for PBS. In this segment, female prisoners socialize and train dogs from shelters to
become service dogs - while bringing joy, a sense of purpose and redemption to the
incarcerated women paired with them.
989 MILES HOME (15:00) A student film that cleverly depicts the extraordinary voyages of hope and
love made by volunteers, who transport dogs from poverty in a struggling little shelter in the South to
eager adoptive arms in the Northeast.
MYRA & PRINCE (4:00) Director Christine Kim is a Social worker for homeless people,
especially those with dogs, and was the curator of the show “My Dog is My Home – The
Experience of Human-Animal Homelessness” at the National Museum of Animals and Society
in Los Angeles. This uplifting film is about Myra, who became homeless and remained that
way because no shelter would allow her in with her dog Prince - until she found the PATH
shelter in Los Angeles where the PETCO Foundation had installed an adjoining facility for the
pets of the residents - and they came in from the cold and got their own apartment.
NYC – LIFE ON A LEASH (15:00) Mike Carroll's documentary film shot in 1999 gives a
curious, poignant view of our attitudes back then to dogs. It follows a dog walker as he picks
up more than 30 dogs from their city apartments and takes them to play in the park.
THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MOLLY (6:45) British director Sue Carpenter created this
love tribute to her Black Lab Molly, a rare dog who inspired those around her.
VALENTINA (9:30) Spanish directors Crespo and Romera created this wry little tale of an
estranged couple and their Pug Valentina, who brings them back together. (in Spanish, subtitled).