All About the Music: Films Celebrating Miami Live Music MonthFilm in itself makes a strong impact on viewers – when combined with other art forms, it provides audiences with an all encompassing, visceral experience. The films selected as a part of this program incorporate music, dance, and visual imagery, be it five dancers across remote landscapes, or one simply hopping from Sweden to New York City, in order to move audiences like visually orchestrated symphonic pieces. Pay close attention to these short films, and let them move you. Thugs, The Musical! – Dir: Liam Sullivan – NARRATIVE - 0:25:49 – USA'Thugs, The Musical' is a faux documentary about Michael Gardner, a mediocre, slightly delusional, 'non-urban' black actor in Hollywood. After years of auditioning but not being considered 'black enough' to be cast in any of the stereotypical roles that his fellow black actors have been getting (the Gangsta, the fast-talking Sidekick, the doomed Black Guy at the party in the horror movie), Michael decides to write, direct and star in his own theater production - an epically bad play called 'Thugs, The Musical!' - To show Hollywood (and the world) that he, too, can 'act black.'  Lost in Motion - Ben Shirinian – EXPERIMENTAL - 0:03:34 – CANADADirector Ben Shirinian captures both the power and poise of ballet in an evocative new short film featuring world renowned dancer, Guillaume Cote. The Living Things - Phil Davis – MUSIC VIDEO - 0:03:20 – USAA cast of organisms sing, dance, mutate, and explode in time to the song 'The Living Things' by the Spinto Band. Created frame by frame, using a mix of drawings on paper and pixilation animation of the band members. Elon + Emmanuelle - Natalie Galazka – EXPERIMENTAL - 0:05:00 – CANADAWhat if your shadow revealed the light inside?  What would your soul say if it could dance aloud?  What if someone paused long enough to really see?  And could say 'I love you' without uttering a word?  Join Elon and Emmanuelle in a whimsical, moving street art piece told through dance.  This short magical realism tale unravels a chance encounter between strangers, their merging imaginations and falling in love without words.  Featuring Montreal dance artists Elon Hoglund and Emmanuelle Le Phan. Manhattan Melody - Sasha Gordon – NARRATIVE - 0:19:00 – USAManhattan Melody is the thrilling and bittersweet musical story of Holly Knolls: a lonely young manicurist who finds unexpected adventure with a charismatic thief.  From One Island to Another - Paul Jerndal – MUSIC VIDEO - 0:05:57 – SWEDENThe film is a non-profit project where more than 20 Swedish creators got together to create a film where many skills are combined such as architecture, music, photography, film, fashion and design. The film is based on filmed scenes and still photography in stop motion. The soundtrack, “Sky”, is a specially made track for the film by a upcoming Swedish artist.  The film shows us that what could seem to be the largest contrasts sometimes are not. By taking the audience from the Swedish Island to the island Manhattan in New York City through buildings, design and fashion, the contrasts are suddenly erased - and finally it seems like very similar places. Gravity of Center - Thibaut Duverneix, Victor Quijada – EXPERIMENTAL - 0:14:16 – CANADA'Gravity of Center' is a short-film adaptation of Victor Quijada's full-length work for RUBBERBANDance Group. Follow this pack across remote landscapes as the need for individualism is suffocated by their dependence on the group. Through visceral physicality, five world-class dancers embody animal instinct in this striking film directed by Thibaut Duverneix and Victor Quijada, and photographed by Christophe Collette. Guang - Shio Chuan Quek – NARRATIVE - 0:14:00 – MALAYSIA Guang is a story about two brothers. The elder brother, Wen Guang is Autistic. Wen Guang is often misunderstood.  Above all, he suffers from attention deficiency disorder, struggles with social interaction, and has difficulty performing day to day obligations. He also has a secret passion. To make ends meet, Wen Guang is coerced by his younger brother into looking for a job to share his burden on meeting their monthly expenses. Throughout the film we see Wen Guang searching for a job, his daily routines and his secret passion as he searches for the final glass that will bring him a simple, pure, hard earned, fleeting moment of joy. GA 12.00