Vortex Film Festival Schedule

Friday, Sept 25

Reception & Registration      5:30 PM
Coyote Gallery
Featuring Native foods prepared by Sara Packard

Sponsored by Dr. Sam Herley
Chair, History/Social Sciences, Chadron State College

Nine Little Indians      7:00 PM
+ Panel discussion

Executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, Nine Little Indians is the harrowing story of the nine Charbonneau sisters and their childhood schoolmates who endured horrific abuse at St. Paul’s Indian Mission School in Marty, South Dakota.

Told through cinematic recreations, vérité of survivors and surveyors at the school, and first-person accounts from both the accusers and the accused, Nine Little Indians is a story of hope in the face of injustice and highlights the now elderly sisters’ two-fold goal: to change South Dakota laws to protect future generations, and to bring missing children home.

Saturday, Sept 26

SIDE 1

Registration      9:30 AM
Coyote Gallery

Coffee and snacks provided

Festival Welcome      10:00 AM
Vortex organizers

Comedy Block      10:10 AM

Most Likely to Succeed | Dir. Ty Hudson | Mohomet, IL
The Mulberry Sisters Mysteries | Dir. John Barnes | Sioux Falls, SD
Zoey vs AI Microwave | Dir. Tom Schoening & John Murphy | Sioux City, IA
FREEZE | Dir. Tate Mohlenkamp | Pipestone, MN
Gourmet | Dir. Jason Nevin | Sioux Falls, SD

Short Break      11:30 AM

Drama Block A     11:45 AM

No Trespassing | Dir. Daryl Hrdlicka | Westbrook, MN
RELEASE | Dir. Ken White | Omaha, NE
CON | Dir. Brandon Lynch | Des Moines, IA
The Farewell | Dir. Peter Buckley | New Ulm, MN
Cost of Living | Dir. Emily Vortherms | New York, NY
Last Call | Dir. Melrose Johnson | Brandon, SD

Lunch Hour      1:00 PM

Imagining the Indian      2:00 PM
+ Q&A with Director Ben West & Producer Yancey Burns

Imagining the Indian is a comprehensive examination of the movement to eradicate the words, images, and gestures that many Native Americans and their allies find demeaning and offensive. The film takes a deep dive into the issues through archival footage and interviews with those involved in the fight. The psychological research is clear: the use of Native American mascots is detrimental, not only to Native people, but to marginalized groups everywhere.

Short Break      4:00 PM

Drama Block B      4:15 PM

Hi8 | Vagrant Films (Aberdeen ReelRoad48 Winner) | Aberdeen, SD
Welcome to the BHUC | Dir. Scott Thornburg | Rapid City, SD
Out of Body | Dir. Nyxx
Romance Cleanup on Aisle 5 | Richard Morell | Fairfield, IA
Journeys of Hope – Daniel Bergeson | Sioux Falls, SD

Dinner Hour      5:30 PM

Alien Diner      7:00 PM
+ Q&A with Director Caron Knecht and the Dakota Boys

A slow night at a Midwestern small-town diner turns into a paranoia-filled fever dream when the diner’s pancake batter is revealed to be contaminated with alien DNA.

After Party      9:30 PM
XIX Brewing Company

SIDE 2

Workshop – Festival Submission Tips & DCP Creation       10:30 AM
Hosted by Casey Kelderman & Paul Ebsen

Short Break      11:30 AM

Student Block      11:45 AM

The Interrogation | Caleb Huet | Wayne, NE
Threat – Jarod Rogers| Hastings, NE
You, Too – Gina Hoogendoorn
The Sunny Side – Mitch Leahy | Oshkosh, WI
The Dreamer – Caleb Huet | Wayne, NE
Winter WONDERland | Maggie Kruger | Aberdeen, SD
Retcon | Jesse James | Wayne, NE
Mirror Sickness | Shirin Jafarizadeh | Vermillion, SD

Lunch Hour      1:00 PM

Horror Block     2:00 PM

Zombeans| Dir. Tate Mohlenkamp | Pipestone, MN
Solitude, or The Madness Takes Us All  |  Joshua Weixelman | Lincoln, NE
Box | Dir. Ben Griffin | Watertown, SD

Short Break      3:00 PM

Encore: Comedy Block      3:10 PM

Short Break      4:00 PM

Workshop – Intimacy Coordination      4:15 PM
Hosted by Emily Vortherms

Dinner Hour      5:30 PM

Sunday, Sept 27

SIDE 1

Encore: Drama Block A      11:00 AM

Lunch hour      12:00 PM

Encore: Student Block      1:00 PM

Short Break      1:45 PM

Encore: Horror Block      2:00 PM

Short Break      2:45 PM

The People’s Somewhat Random Festival Awards      4:30 PM

SIDE 2

Workshop – Lighting a Scene      10:00 AM
Hosted by Adam Dyess

Short Break      11:00 AM

Encore: Drama Block B      11:10 AM

Lunch hour(ish)      12:10 PM

Fool’s 48 Block      1:00 PM

By Our Powers Combined: Dance of the 5 Elements | Clown Pizza
Book Clerb | Feral Cat Party
“A” Novel Plan | Closer to Fine Productions
FIL from Space | Cartoonic Crew
A Sign at the Crossroads | Applause Please
Creature from the Slurry Mixer | HBTC
Pen Pals | The Summer Advocates
War: A Sports Film | Team Venture
Woven, Lies | Good Movies
Odyssey of the Amulet | IWB Productions
House Sitter Needed | Full-Circle Film Co-op
I Lost My Keys | Clean Mouse Productions