_{Directed by: Gwyneth Christoffel}

This nicely done four-minute animated short is about a lonely cupcake who decides to do something about it by making another one. Despite a number of obstacles, she overcomes her challenges with creativity and style. In the end, this four-minute short is a zippy, impressive and feel good experience for all. Directed by Gwyneth Christoffel, the film was a finalist in the High School Film Competition during the 2012 Heartland Film Festival.

_{Directed by: Tatiana McCabe;}

Tatiana McCabe's 12 minute documentary short film Restoring Sight in Bangladesh is one of those films that serves to remind us here in the U.S. just how amazing it is to have even the most basic of healthcare. Having just experienced cataract surgery myself a little over a year ago, McCabe's film served to remind me to be thankful of that less than an hour surgery that so vastly improved my life. In this film, McCabe looks at what cataracts are and how they've become such a problem in areas of the world such as Bangladesh. As always seems to be the case, the solution is simple. So, why aren't we doing more to solve it?

_{Directed by: Jorge Estrada; Written by: Jorge Estrada and Alfredo Castaneda; Vocal Work by: Joaquin Cosio; OFFICIAL WEBSITE}



One of the 2012 Heartland Film Festival's more powerful short films, Jorge Estrada's animated The Revolution of Juan Escopeta takes place in 1819 Mexico as Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa fight for the Mexican Revolution. In one isolated mining town lives an eleven-year-old boy named Gapo. One day, the military comes to Gapo's village looking for his older brother, a revolutionary outlaw. Gapo decides to head north in search of his brother, but the young man is not alone - he's accompanied by Juan Escopeta, a gunman for hire.

With simple yet beautiful animation, The Revolution of Juan Escopeta tells an eloquent story incredibly well in this tale of courage and resilience. The film was nominated for the Silver Ariel in the screenplay category of Mexico's Ariel Awards and, indeed, it is the story here that makes this film a treasured selection during the 2012 Heartland Film Festival.