DECIBEL
"Decibel" follows Scout, a talented but struggling musician, who performs in a small, sparse club. Her unique looping performance catches the attention of Donna Alby, a wealthy and enigmatic former biotech entrepreneur turned record label owner. Donna invites Scout to record at her isolated, cutting-edge studio in the desert, promising her creative freedom and financial reward. Scout is intrigued and agrees, seeing this as a chance to elevate her music. However, upon arriving at Donna's high-tech, wirelessly integrated studio, Scout quickly realizes that Donna's intentions go beyond mere music production. The studio is more than it appears—its technology monitors and manipulates Scout’s biorhythms, and Donna pushes Scout to create under increasingly stressful and invasive conditions. Scout becomes a prisoner of Donna's vision, her creative freedom hijacked by the eerie, experimental environment. As tensions mount, Scout must find a way to regain control of her music and her life, navigating Donna’s obsessive behavior and the terrifying hold the studio has over her."
Dir. Zac Locke, 80min, 2024, USA, MN Premiere
IN THE DARKNESS
A frightened and lonely child arrives at an orphanage, where a newly acquired friend finds a way to shine light on his grief that he has to pass on to the next newcomer.
Dir. Adilet Abish, 6min, 2024, Kazakhstan, USA Premiere