SATURDAY, JULY 25th, 2026 Program

Fishers Island Community – Short Film Submissions

“The Roommate” — Jesse Green
I am a Columbia student as well as a producer at Drew Barrymore’s talk show, and I made this short film for my class last fall. It stars the dean of the Columbia Film Department, Rob King, and has a cameo by Tony Danza.

“Once Upon a Pattern” — Alex Wolf
Alex Wolf is a RISD sculptor and the inventor of the Pattern Alphabet, a set of nature’s core patterns used by NASA in their AI and tested for UNICEF for preschool spatial literacy. Research shows that by age 4, kids can see these forms in the PatternABC, which was tested multiple summers at IPP with kids 4–10. DaVinci Vision is learning to see form like an artist and function like a scientist.

Fishers Island Filmmaking Workshop – Community Films

“April” — Eliza Schmidt
Spring comes late and leaves quickly on the island. April is fleeting. This is April.

“Today Is a Gift” — Rosanna Anderson
On two beautiful days in April, I filmed the waves and birds at South Beach, and was delighted when a plane landed at Elizabeth Field and a big ship passed by. A sound recording provides some of my thoughts at the time.

“Dreams Commons Portrait” — Véra Haddad
A portrait of an ordinary day for an island resident.

“Pinkfish” — Claudia DeSimone
Where pink fish and controlled burns meet.

“Someone Is Always Watching” — Bella Harris
Is it a dream, reality, or something more sinister?

“The Stretch” — Jess Hall
A recapturing of an encounter on the Fort Stretch.

“Room” — Devin Kucsera
There is something hiding in the bunker…

“Cat Politics” — Gail Edwards
A comedy starring my two Maine Coon kitties, Maxie, age 2, and Buddy, age 11; features a boxing match over a box and their makeup.

Fishers Island Filmmaking Workshop – Student Films

“Pen and Paper” — Caleb Piper and Madelyn Seal
Two people travel across the island to find each other.

“Asteroid Chicken” — PJ Etes, Maia Gello, Evan Garner, Connor Dube, Maria Da Costa
A scientist discovers he’s made a grave mistake and unleashed a murderous chicken upon planet Earth.

“The Knife” — Tyler Aiello, Theodore Anderson, Kyle Coker
A student is mysteriously injured and it is up to a group of friends to uncover the reason why.

SUNDAY, JULY 26th, 2026 Program

“Island Voices” Short Documentaries
This collection of short documentary films created by Fishers Island students honors the lives, stories, and journeys of members of the Fishers Island community.

• “Island Voices” — Tommy Doyen — by Anthony Toldo
• “Island Voices” — Jim Wall — by Griffin Harris, Lukas Norton, and Dallas Rodriguez
• “Island Voices” — Sarah and Steve Malinowski — by Ariah Vona
• “Island Voices” — Ellen Parker — by Bella Harris

A Q&A with the student filmmakers and the island residents whose stories are featured in the films will follow the screening.

Special Thanks and Acknowledgements

The Fishers Island Theater extends its deepest gratitude to all the filmmakers who submitted their films for inclusion in our second short film festival. Your creativity, dedication, and passion for storytelling have brought this festival to life, and we are honored to showcase your incredible work.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this festival possible, including the island residents and their families who helped share their stories in the “Island Voices” documentaries.

A special thanks to the Lighthouse Works, the Henry L. Ferguson Museum, and the Union Chapel for your collaboration. We celebrate the talent, hard work, and artistry of each contributor, and we look forward to many more years of celebrating film and storytelling on Fishers Island.

With gratitude,
The Fishers Island Theater Short Film Festival Committee