The Junction
AJ Lambert
United States, 2025, 40 min.
Includes adult language.
AIFF Award Winner:
Best Short Feature
Rose's dead father had a gift she shares, and she isn't sure what to do with it. Her mother, Annie, has lived outside their connection; now that he's gone they are even farther apart. They move to where James Dean died on a dangerous road. Rose starts seeing things and slowly deteriorates, while her frustrated mother becomes obsessed with an unknown girl killed at the famous intersection. Their bond unexpectedly leads Annie where she belongs.
Director's Statement
The Junction is partly about who gets to be remembered. I had recorded a song called "Staff of the Flag", which I wrote after noticing that the roadside memorial to James Dean got attention, even though several “nameless” people died there. I wanted to write about a mother who places flowers at a site where her child was killed, across the road from the movie star's shrine. When someone close to me had a breakdown and I was powerless to help her, that location became a visual symbol of the pain when you can't give someone your love.
Category: Drama, Award Winner.
Themes: Family, Relationships.
Saturday, April 5
The Screening Room
10:30pm
Filmmaker in Attendance
More in Drama
-
Perros (Dogs)
Gerardo Minutti Bonilla
Uruguay, 2025, 102 min.The Saldañas have new tasks for the summer: looking after the dog and house of the Pernas, their neighbours. The house is a small luxury that is the... more ›
-
Niki•Tomi•Beto
Jon Ayon
United States, 2025, 18 min.Niki, Tomi, and Beto are 3 young cousins being cared for daily by Tomi’s older brother, Ernie. Despite being in a gang, Ernie does his best to impart... more ›
-
Happy Anniversary
Munjal Yagniik
United States, 2026, 7 min.On their anniversary night, Sarah and Chris—an interracial couple—find their celebration disrupted when their rideshare driver’s small talk... more ›
