“Break Shit” (shorts program)
Saturday, June 13, 2026, 12:00 noon, Presidio Theater, 99 Moraga Ave. in the Presidio
Streaming encore: Friday, September 11, 2026 to Monday, September 21, 2026
- ๐ Watermelon in Wintertime, dir. Kana Azhari, 2025, USA, 4 min., in English with open captions; ๐ World premiere
- ๐ Wheels & Roses, dir. Pearl Low, 2025, USA, 8 min., in English with open captions
- ๐ The Second Spring, dir. Jalena Keane-Lee, 2025, USA, 11 min., in English with open captions
- ๐ Flores del corazรณn, dir. Maria CD, 2026, USA, 6 min., in English with open captions
- ๐ Leo Lets It Rain, dir. Jasmin Prophete, 2025, USA, 11 min., in English with open captions
- ๐ Tending To, dir. Chinyce Cole-Henry, 2026, USA, 8 min., in English with open captions
- ๐ Breaking It All (Tout casser), dir. Cรฉlia Mebroukine, 2025, France, 23 min., in French with English subtitles
๐ Watermelon in Wintertime,
dir. Kana Azhari, 2025, USA, 4 min., in English with open captions
๐ World premiere
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| Watermelon in Wintertime |
QWOCMAP blurb: Set in Oakland, Watermelon in Wintertime is a radical horror music video. A being who embodies society’s outcasts is forced to eat surreal winter watermelons, the media-fed narratives of war and genocide made visceral. Their journey is a protest that stretches from America to Palestine to Sudan.
My take: Heartfelt protest song encompassing multiple wrongs in the world, although I’m pretty sure a lot of the symbolism flew right over my head. Highly recommended, especially for activists.
• IMDb: no listing found • Official website • Filmmaker • Instagram: @Saankofa.Music • Facebook • preview • watch online •
๐ Wheels & Roses, dir. Pearl Low, 2025, USA, 8 min., in English with open captions
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| Wheels & Roses |
QWOCMAP blurb: In Wheels & Roses, Sahara, a teenager with no magic in a world full of it, lands in the middle of a roller derby league run by spell-slinging skaters. She’s determined to prove she can win without it.
My take: A cute and fun little animation, with a bit of the feel of the motivational Saturday morning cartoons meant not only to sell breakfast cereal but also to teach the power of teamwork coupled with valuing individual strengths. Unfortunately, I didn’t really get any sense of the world full of magic, or of the school or the team that Sahara is part of or who the other team are, or even what their magic-infused version of roller derby is about. Recommended, but it felt incomplete, without the context that would breathe life into the story.
Incidentally, the subtitles at the end are in Japlish, with English words and Japanese words jumbled together in the natural flow of the truly bilingual.
• IMDb • Official website • Filmmaker • Instagram: @OrangeBlossom__Official [note: two underscores] ◦ @fumichun • YouTube: @OrangeBlossomStudios • Facebook • preview • other •
๐ The Second Spring, dir. Jalena Keane-Lee, 2025, USA, 11 min., in English with open captions
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| The Second Spring |
QWOCMAP blurb: In The Second Spring, Oakland dancer, teacher, and choreographer Sarah Crowell redefines her relationship with her body and her craft as she moves through menopause, confronting what it means to age as a female athlete.
My take: Jalena Keane-Lee brought us last year’s outstanding QWOCFF featured screening, ๐ Standing Above the Clouds. In The Second Spring, she grapples with the process of aging, with the particular challenges of menopause for someone who has already noticed that her body isn’t as flexible and energetic as it once was. It’s an honest and open-hearted look at the shifts we undergo in life. Highly recommended.
• IMDb: director • Official website • Filmmaker • Instagram: @Jalena.KL • Facebook • preview • watch it on vimeo •
๐ Flores del corazรณn, dir. Maria CD, 2026, USA, 6 min., in English with open captions
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| Flores del corazรณn |
QWOCMAP blurb: In Flores del corazรณn, a human wanders, ponders their identity, and finds their way.
My take: The title is Spanish for “Flowers of the Heart.” The narrator has a daydream about moving to Maine, but wonders if they will have good phแป and other foods of home, among many other musings. It’s a very personal story, but one we are happy to tag along for. Highly recommended.
• IMDb: no listing found • Official website • Filmmaker • Instagram • Facebook • preview • other • Flores del corazon •
๐ Leo Lets It Rain, dir. Jasmin Prophete, 2025, USA, 11 min., in English with open captions
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| Leo Lets It Rain |
QWOCMAP blurb: In Leo Lets It Rain, Leo, a trans man with undiagnosed ADHD, is on his way to win back his ex-girlfriend when a storm derails everything, forcing him to slow down whether he wants to or not.
My take: The main character, Leo, is a bit of a hot mess, having yet another bad day, with everything going wrong. The ADHD means that he has trouble keeping even basic daily life on track, to the point that he often forgets to eat breakfast. When his girlfriend breaks up with him, he wants her back, but things are on shaky ground even before the literal storm blows in. We feel his frustration, particularly as the rain derails Leo’s plans for the beau geste to win back the girl, but I didn’t really feel connected to Leo, who feels impossible to pin down long enough to allow the audience to relate. Recommended, but it felt like there was much more to the story than we got to see.
• IMDb • Official website • Filmmaker • Instagram: @LeoLetsItRain • Facebook • preview • other •
๐ Tending To, dir. Chinyce Cole-Henry, 2026, USA, 8 min., in English with open captions
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| Tending To |
QWOCMAP blurb: In Tending To, a group of twentysomethings gather around a midnight bonfire. The conversation starts light and doesn’t stay that way.
My take: This film was made on not just a shoestring budget, but a budget of second-hand dollar-store shoestrings. But the cast and crew clearly felt a commitment to the project, and that energy came through more strongly than the unpolished delivery. The heart of the characters emerges as the conversation unfolds to deeper levels. Highly recommended.
• IMDb: no listing found • Official website • Filmmaker • Instagram • Facebook • preview • other •
๐ Breaking It All (Tout casser), dir. Cรฉlia Mebroukine, 2025, France, 23 min., in French with English subtitles
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| Breaking It All |
QWOCMAP blurb: In Breaking It All, the case involving Farah’s best friend’s rape is dismissed. What follows is Farah letting a newfound drive for justice reshape her life.
My take: Farah’s best friend’s rape case is dismissed for lack of evidence beyond “he said, she said.” With the legal system unable to provide any justice, Farah and her friend turn to more unconventional ways to seek to balance the scales. Breaking It All (Tout casser) is a visceral exploration of the drive for justice (or vengeance, whichever comes first), and the power of women acting in solidarity. Highly recommended.
• IMDb: director • Official website • Filmmaker • Instagram: @CeliaMebroukine • Facebook • preview • other • Celia Mebroukine •
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