CAA Sets Dates, Lineup For 8th Annual Moebius Film Festival

Creative Artists Agency announced on Monday that the eighth edition of CAA Moebius, their annual screening series showcasing diverse student filmmakers from around the globe, will return as a live event from June 7-8.

The 2023 lineup for CAA Moebius, which is taking place in CAA’s Ray Kurtzman Theater, features storytellers from Malaysia, New Zealand, France, Switzerland, China and Canada, as well as the U.S. With their live-action and animated shorts, filmmakers will represent such academic institutions as USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, the School of Film/Video at CalArts, Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, the American Film Institute Conservatory, and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

Conceived in 2015 by then-trainees and now CAA Motion Picture agents Christina Chou, Zach Kaplan and Pete Stein, among others, the festival is planned and hosted by a group of young leaders across the Motion Picture and Television Departments, including Porschia Adler, Maxx Annunziata, Michael Gianino, Gabrielle Koones, Edward Lau, Jessica Lee, Drew Leffler, Sally Nanez and Kyle Pane.

The fest is part of CAA’s larger commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, within the agency and beyond, which it’s also supported through such initiatives as the Writer’s Bootcamp, the Full Story Initiative and CAA Amplify.

“I remember seeing Abi Corbin’s riveting SUITCASE during our inaugural year of Moebius and had such excitement seeing her directorial debut, BREAKING with clients EPIC Magazine producing,” stated Chou. “There has been such thoughtfulness, intentionality, and passion sewn into the Moebius program over the last several years by the next-gen leaders at our company. It has been a joy and inspiration to see and support such intelligent and amazing filmmakers every year!”

View this year’s Moebius lineup below.

DAY 1 – Wednesday, June 7th 

AFTER SUNSET, DAWN ARRIVES (USC) 

Writer/Director: Andy Yi Li 
Producer: Andy Yi Li, Bei Lameng, Yaxing Lin, Yifan Wang 

In the early 2000s, Los Angeles, introverted and unsociable 65-year-old Wan falls in love with a man who is nearly 30 years his junior and struggles to embrace his homosexuality, which he had suppressed his entire life, while also confronting his guilt towards his deceased wife. 

CHERUBS (AFI) 

Writer/Director: Anne-Sophie Bine  
Producer: William David Rodbell 

At arts camp, a reserved 13-year-old girl feels seen for the first time when an older counselor takes her under his wing. As the boundaries of their friendship begin to blur, she must reckon with the unexpected consequences of her self-discovery. 

SONATA (UNCSA) 

Writers/Directors/Animators: Madison Crisp, Abby Davenport, Fern Singleton and Vic Sosa, with story by Hailey Hudson and Ava Tennis 
Producer: Robert Mageau and Hailey Hudson 

When a blackout derails a young man’s plans for the perfect first date, he must navigate his nerves, the heat, and a mischievous band of shadows if he has any hope of connecting with the girl of his dreams. 

WHERE NO ONE LIVES (Chapman) 

Director: Li Anne Liew 
Writer: Li Anne Liew, Vi Nguyen, and Julianne Yang  
Producer: Cynthia Wang 

On one night, three lonely next-door neighbors find themselves in search of connection, forgiveness, and company in an old apartment building. 

FATHEAD (USC) 

Writer/Director: C. Craig 
Producers: Alexa Villarreal, Letia Solomon, Mitchell Graham Colley, Anthony Gaitros, Brandyn Johnson 

When one of the last free children of Junkyard Paradise has her brother stolen away from her, no Ragamuffin army or vicious beasts will stop her from getting him back. 

DAY 2 – Thursday, June 8th 

OPERA (CalArts) 

Writer/Director/Animator: Janelle Feng  

A Peking Opera troupe performs in North America for the first time. Xutian, Maomao, and Chengyuan have different feelings about their upcoming performance. 

AVES (AFI) 

Director: Eli Snyder 
Writer: Eli Snyder, Kevin Sweeney, Hayley Tibbenham 
Producer: Shunchao Xu, Tara Austin 

After a sudden encounter with a mysterious student, a tenured ornithologist and war veteran is forced to remember the realities of his past. 

SUCK HARD (AFI) 

Writer/Director: Eva Neuwirth 
Producer: Joss Utting 

Reeling from an earth-shattering break up, a 17-year-old girl prepares to return a box of stuff to her ex-boyfriend and enlists her three best friends to help her execute a questionable plan. 

CARCASS (AFI) 

Director: Eric Wang Schwager 
Writer: Cyrus Yalda, Eric Wang Schwager 
Producer: Haley Beasley 

A medieval executioner, cast out from society, must choose between survival or redemption when a young boy is sentenced to death. 

HEAT! (Chapman) 

Director: Patricio de la Maza 
Writer: Ella Genovese 
Producer: André Cristofi 

After being promoted in a Michelin-star kitchen, a promising yet disturbed girl must gain the approval of the ruthless head chef at the expense of her sanity. 

THE COWBOY PECAN PIE (AFI) 

Writer/Director: Paul Cadenhead 
Producer: Yuchuan Xing 

When a seven-year-old boy is abused by his neighbor, he transcends reality into the mystic Wild West where he meets a larger-than-life cowboy who teaches him the art of self-reliance.