Romantic short films about the sacrifices and struggles we all endure for love. Includes a spectacular new short by Spike Jonze.

HOPELESSLY DEVOTED

How far would you go for love? Would you drive five hours on a bus full of strangers if a court made your relationship legal? Would you leave the comfort of your little fishbowl and cling to a moving truck with all your tentacles? Would you disassemble your own mainframe? The people, robots, and myriad creatures in this program are questing for love. They are willing to make bizarre sacrifices, overcome obscure obstacles, and literally open their guts and hearts to the most seductive of emotions.

This is a program that shows the power (and the dangers) of love. These are films that approach romance from an unusual perspective-passionate, devoted, but skewed. With this show, the lonely will be amused, the disheartened will be inspired, and everyone will be desperate for love.
-Mark Elijah Rosenberg

THE FILMS

OKTAPODI (Julien Bocabeille | France | 2:30 min.)
Two octopi in love will need all the inventiveness they can muster if they’re going to escape from the grasps of a stubborn restaurant cook. Nominated for the 2009 Academy Award for Best Animated Short. oktapodi.com

ONE SQUARE MILE OF EARTH (Jeff Drew | Albuquerque, NM | 13 min.)
At a happening night spot somewhere in the animal kingdom during the 1970s, a cast of curious characters flirts, fights, fools around and looks for love in this adorable animated satire. jeffdrewpictures.com

ROB AND VALENTYNA IN SCOTLAND (Eric Lynne | UK / USA | 23 min.)
A confused American travels with his long-lost Ukrainian cousin to the Highlands of Scotland and misconstrues her emotional signals. A nuanced dark comedy that effectively captures a budding relationship and the forlorn confusion of misplaced love. robandvalentynainscotland.com

HEARTLAND TRANSPORT (Cody Stokes | St. Charles, MO | 7 min.)
On April 3, 2009, the Iowa Supreme Court unanimously upheld the ruling that there was no governmental interest in denying citizens marriage licenses based on their sexual orientation. Immediately following, Ed Reggi and Scott Emmanuel chartered a bus taking seventeen same sex couples to Iowa to be legally married. codystokes.com

TILL UN-DEATH DO US PART (Mark Elijah Rosenberg & Stephanie Skaff | Brooklyn, NY | 3 min.)
A zombie and an alien in love.

OBVIOUS CHILD (Gillian Robespierre | Brooklyn, NY | 23 min.)
A romantic comedy about an unplanned pregnancy, an abortion, and a great first date in an unlikely location. gillianrobespierre.com

I’M HERE (Spike Jonze | Los Angeles, CA | 35 min.)
A love story about the relationship between two robots living in LA. This charming and dark romantic comedy aches with the passion of sacrifice, as Spike Jonze once again proves his dazzling agility with simple stories that reveal complex emotions through poignant visual metaphors. imheremovie.com

Venue: Open Road Rooftop above New Design High School (Lower East Side)
8:00pm: Doors Open
8:30pm: Live music by Frances
9:00pm: Films
11:30pm: After party with complimentary drinks courtesy of Radeberger
Tickets: $10 online or at the door