Outside the Box [Office] invites you to attend

USC Awards-Qualified Short Film Showcase

Six short films in consideration for Awards

    
    
FEATURING:

ON WEARY WINGS GO BY (Estonia)
QUI PART Á LA CHASSE / HUNTING (Switzerland)
ADULT CHILD (Norway)
COURAGE (USA)
F*CK THAT GUY (USA)
B!TCH I’M EARLY (USA)

Followed by a Q&A with the Filmmakers

7:00 P.M. on Wednesday, November 12th, 2025

The Ray Stark Family Theatre, SCA 108
George Lucas Building, USC School of Cinematic Arts Complex
900 W. 34th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007

FREE ADMISSION. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. RSVP REQUIRED.
 

CLICK HERE TO RSVP
 

About the Short Films

ON WEARY WINGS GO BY (Estonia, 11 min.)

Written & Directed by Anu-Laura Tuttelberg.

Synopsis: A wintery poem about Nordic nature. The sun moves low and days shorten. Birds fly South, porcelain animals and insects hide from the freezing wind and snow. Only a small porcelain girl wanders the abandoned landscape with no way out.

About the Writer/Director: Anu-Laura Tuttelberg graduated from the Estonian Academy of Arts in 2013 with an MA degree in Animation. She specializes in stop-motion animation. Her graduation film Fly Mill screened at numerous festivals around the world and won 20 prizes. Her first film after graduation On The Other Side Of The Woods premiered in June 2014 at Annecy International Animation Festival, has screened at more than 85 festivals and won over 12 awards. Winter in the Rainforest – the first film from the trilogy of stop-motion films with porcelain characters - premiered in 2019 at Annecy, has screened at more than 90 festivals, and won 13 awards. Anu-Laura has also created set designs for numerous stop-motion films by other directors. In 2022 she won the Estonian Film and TV Award for Best Production Design for Til We Meet Again, directed by Ülo Pikkov. Anu-Laura teaches animation at the Estonian Academy of Arts. On Weary Wings Go By is the second film in Anu-Laura’s nature trilogy shot outdoors in various locations in the world with porcelain puppets as characters.

QUI PART Á LA CHASSE / HUNTING (Switzerland, 11 min.)

Written & Directed by Lea Favre.

Synopsis: Today, Lea is going in search of a subject for a documentary film. When she reaches her chosen location, a stadium above the town, she meets someone who seems different from anyone else, and looks a bit like her. Lea believes she's finally caught her prey, but the roles end up being reversed. The hunter becomes the hunted.

About the Writer/Director: Lea Favre was born in 1997 in Sion (Switzerland). In 2020, she obtained a Bachelor's degree in both History and Aesthetics of Cinema and History of Art at UNIL (University of Lausanne), followed in 2024 by a Bachelor's degree in live action Filmmaking/Directing at ECAL (Lausanne School of Art). She took a one-year break during her studies to complete an internship on Claude Barras’s second feature film, Sauvages. This experience inspired her to make her graduation film, Qui part à la chasse, in stop motion. Driven by a strong interest in animation, she now works part-time as a production assistant at Hélium Films in Lausanne while continuing to develop her own writing projects in parallel.

ADULT CHILD (Norway, 24 min.)

Written & Directed by Hugo Francker.

Synopsis: Living a lifetime on different continents connected by self-taped videos, a non-binary filmmaker reaches out to their father to “learn how to become a man”. The lessons, however, take a turn as the father slowly learns to let go of his “baby girl” to make space for his adult child.

About the Writer/Director: Hugo Francker (1996) is a Danish documentary filmmaker interested in gender, identity and human relationships. Hugo's films revolve around participants and their longings for closer connection, often combining the personal and political. Shifting from an observational style towards more playful and experimental methods, Hugo explores being both in front of and behind the camera. Hugo has an MFA in Conceptual Documentary Directing from The Norwegian Film School and a BA in TV Directing from The Danish School of Media and Journalism.

COURAGE (USA, 15 min.)

Written & Directed by Eric Michael Hernandez.

Synopsis: Inspired by true events, Courage is the story of a young Native American boy struggling with self-confidence and societal expectations, until his uncle introduces him to the art of Hoop Dance. Through this tradition, he finds strength, resilience, and the courage to embrace his heritage.

About the Writer/Director: Eric Hernandez, a proud member of the Lumbee Tribe, is an esteemed Native American hoop dancer with over 20 years of experience. Mentored by Terry Goedel, Eric's skills took center stage as the lead in Cirque du Soleil's Totem, touring over 20 countries. A recent TEDx speaker, his mission is to challenge stereotypes and spread ancestral wisdom about Native Americans through the art of hoop dance. Now, Eric brings his story to the screen as the writer and director of Courage, a powerful short film inspired by his real-life journey of learning hoop dance from his Uncle Terry. Courage is a tribute to the strength of cultural storytelling and the importance of reclaiming identity through tradition.

F*CK THAT GUY (USA, 17 min.)

Written & Directed by Hanna Gray Organschi.

Synopsis: 1992 Connecticut. Desperate to keep the attention of her intoxicating older best friend, Frankie sets out to prove that sex is no big deal.

About the Writer/Director: Hanna Gray Organschi is a New England filmmaker with an MFA from NYU Tisch. She received the New York Women in Film & Television Scholarship for her breakout short film BEA, SERIOUSLY (Hamptons International Film Festival), won the NYU Tisch Wasserman King Award for her short film MERCI, POPPY (HollyShorts Film Festival), and is the recipient of the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative Reproductive Rights Accelerator Award and the Spike Lee Production Fund for her thesis film F*CK THAT GUY (Silver Grand Jury Award at PROOF Film Festival by the American Cinematheque and Best Live-Action Short Film at the Oscar-Qualifying DeadCenter Film Festival). Hanna’s upcoming feature debut RUBBER HUT was selected for the Sundance Screenwriters, Directors, and Producers Labs, The Gotham Week Project Market, the NYU Purple List, the NYU Production Lab Development Studio, the Sundance Walt Disney Company Project Advancement Fund, and the Film Independent Fast Track Finance Market. Hanna’s work explores strong, stubborn female protagonists who seek autonomy with self-knowledge.

B!TCH I’M EARLY, Jesse Cowell (USA, 6 min.)

Written & Directed by Jesse Cowell.

Synopsis: In the corporate world, being FIRST is all that matters. Two Latina women, a generation apart, find themselves locked in an absurd battle for a coveted promotion. Desperate to outshine each other, the ladies escalate their rivalry from petty arguments to an all-out race to the office. “B!tch I’m Early” delivers a masterclass in comedic timing and mounting tension with an eclectic, diverse cast to back it up. This six-minute gem manages to pack the punch of a full feature, hilariously skewering corporate culture while reminding us that in the rat race, we’re all running in circles.

About the Writer/Director: Jesse “Jeskid” Cowell is a trailblazing filmmaker with over 30 years of experience crafting bold, emotionally resonant stories. He took to the web in 2003, becoming one of the first filmmakers to hone his craft in front of a massive online audience. A Webby Award winner with nearly a billion views for his directing and producing work, Jeskid’s influence spans independent film, digital series, and branded storytelling. He has written and directed two independent features online, and his comedy series garnered 10 million views in 2022 alone. His work has been featured in a chapter of a USC textbook, cementing his legacy as a creator who helped shape the digital filmmaking landscape. Jeskid’s journey is a testament to the power of persistence and authenticity. He continues to innovate, inspire, and prove that art thrives when the artist stays true to who they are.

About Outside the Box [Office]

Outside the Box [Office] is a weekly showcase for upcoming releases highlighting world cinema, documentary and independent film titles. The series draws from around the globe to present movies that may challenge, inspire or simply entertain.

To view the calendar of screenings, click here

To SUBSCRIBE to our MAILING LIST for upcoming free screenings and events, e-mail the word "Subscribe" to: aago@cinema.usc.edu
 

Check-In & Reservations

The USC School of Cinematic Arts operates all of its programs and activities consistent with the University’s Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor.

This screening is free of charge and open to the public. A reservation confirmation will automatically be sent to your e-mail account upon successfully making an RSVP through this website. Doors will open at 6:30 P.M.

All SCA screenings are OVERBOOKED to ensure seating capacity in the theater, therefore seating is not guaranteed based on RSVPs. The RSVP list will be checked in on a first-come, first-served basis until the theater is full. Once the theater has reached capacity, we will no longer be able to admit guests, regardless of RSVP status.

Accessibility Needs

Individuals with disabilities who need accommodations to attend this event may contact Alessandro Ago, Assistant Dean, Programming and Special Events, at aago@cinema.usc.edu or 213-740-2330. It is requested that individuals requiring accommodations or auxiliary aids such as sign language interpreters and alternative format materials notify us at least seven days prior to the event. Every reasonable effort will be made to provide reasonable accommodations in an effective and timely manner.

Parking

On-campus parking at the University of Southern California is limited. We recommend buying a day pass for the Royal Street Structure, located at the intersection of Royal Street and W. Jefferson Blvd. Parking passes are $20/car. For more information about parking at USC, please visit USC Transportation Website:

https://transnet.usc.edu/index.php/daily-and-hourly-parking/
https://transnet.usc.edu/index.php/about-us/entrance-hours/

Contact Information

Name: Alessandro Ago
Email: aago@cinema.usc.edu