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Ones to Watch: Shorts

Ones to Watch: Shorts

Six short films to catch at SXSW

Mar 11, 2025
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Ones to Watch: Shorts
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Clockwise from top left: Anna Moot-Levin & Laura Green, Ché Scott-Heron Newton, Juan Vicente Manrique, Nimco Sheikhaden, Loren Waters, Charles Frank

I leave Austin tomorrow with a heavy heart, most probably weighed down by barbecue, lone stars and 24/7 honky tonk.

There’s a certain good vibe and buzziness to SXSW unique to the festival that has carried through into a truly fun, fascinating and diverse lineup of films that capture a multitude of perspectives (y’all means all, remember) and manage, somehow, to make one feel good, even when tackling difficult subjects like death and division – something we can all use right now.

Read my spotlight on SXSW Debut Directors and Veteran Directors To Watch, parts one and two.

Director Juan Vicente Manrique behind the scenes making Looking for a Donkey

I’ll feature more films in-depth in the coming weeks, but to round up my on-the-ground coverage I’m highlighting six short films:

  • Exodus directed by Nimco Sheikhaden

  • Tiger directed by Loren Waters

  • Shanti Rides Shotgun directed by Charles Frank

  • Murewa directed by Ché Scott-Heron Newton

  • Looking for a Donkey directed by Juan Vicente Manrique

  • Camp Widow co-directed by Anna Moot-Levin and Laura Green

If you’re at the festival, both the Documentary Shorts Block 1 and 2 screen tomorrow, Wednesday, March 12 at the Rollins Theatre at The Long Center.

Follow us on instagram to see more highlights of the festival.

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On Thursday, The Gotham is hosting a virtual workshop on story structure in Documentaries. In Unstructured: Breaking Form in Documentary Filmmaking, award-winning filmmaker Laurie Townshend (A Mother Apart, Charley) examines alternative storytelling frameworks that embrace complexity, nuance, and real-world unpredictability. Through case studies, hands-on exercises, and an interview with a guest filmmaker, this three-hour course will challenge traditional narrative models and help filmmakers craft authentic, dynamic stories.

More info and tickets


An intimate portrait of two women who face unique challenges following decades of incarceration. The film bears witness to their impassioned attempts to rebuild their lives and ultimately restore their humanity.

My motivations for telling this story:

I was deeply drawn to make a film like Exodus because I’ve witnessed firsthand how incarceration fractures families, particularly for Black and Brown women like Trinity and Assia, who are so often overlooked in conversations about incarceration and reentry. My fiancé’s incarceration made me aware of how the system punishes not just those inside, but also their loved ones, forcing them to shoulder immense emotional burdens and navigate systemic barriers even after a sentence is served. My fiancé, like so many others, has had to prepare for a return to a society that too often dehumanizes and views individuals like him as disposable. Beyond the personal, there’s a broader imperative behind this film, a call to reimagine justice in a way that focuses on repairing and restoring, rather than condemning and destroying.

Our film explores the intersecting realities of incarceration, immigration, deportation, and domestic abuse, urging the viewer to consider the lasting toll of absence and how individuals and families struggle to chart a path toward true healing.

Exodus is not just about returning home, it’s about what it means to belong in a world that refuses to receive you. The title of the film speaks to the idea of a promised land that, for many, remains just out of reach after release. So often, incarceration narratives end at the moment of freedom, framing it as a conclusion. But for those who have lived it, freedom is rarely an ending. My team and I were motivated to capture the full complexity of that journey with all the hope, the setbacks, and the uncertainty that defines it.

Biggest challenges and achievements:

One of the biggest challenges was navigating how to capture the unpredictability of returning home. Life after imprisonment doesn’t follow a neat narrative arc; it’s full of stops and starts, victories and hurdles. There were moments when I questioned whether I could do their stories justice, especially when funding hurdles made it difficult to keep filming. But time and time again, the women reminded me why this story mattered and why I do this work: to carve out a space where people are seen on their own terms. Nonetheless, this process, especially within the realm of verité filmmaking, requires not only trust but an abundance of patience.

I’m genuinely just beyond proud that this film exists at all. In a time when true crime dominates and thrives on spectacle, often erasing the real, human costs, Exodus stands as an act of resistance. It’s a story that lingers in the quiet, intimate moments of survival, love, and resilience, moments that so often go unnoticed.

I’m also incredibly proud of the trust we’ve built together. Trinity and Assia have entrusted us with the rare privilege of bearing witness to their journey, celebrating their victories and grappling with their struggles. We’ve captured the quiet, joyful moments of return and reunion, alongside the raw, charged family discussions and the heart-wrenching moments of separation. Their trust in us to document such a complicated and intimate process is a profound gift, and my team and I are eternally grateful.

More info on EXODUS

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