The Arbiter
New/Next '23 + '24
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Comedy, Short Films, 15-May-2025
Two teams of men compete in a game of their own invention until a problem arises and an arbiter steps in to solve their dispute. Kati Skelton directs “The Arbiter,” a comedy made of dramatic prose, friars, and fishermen. In the banquet hall of a motel, two teams of men stand divided. They’ve been playing their game for 50 years, but the center piece of the game — a spinning wooden wheel crucial to the game’s fairness — has corrupted due to unknown forces. An arbiter named Pasquale notices the conundrum and offers his take on what must be done to restore justice. Pasquale pleas, the men apprehensively watch, and suspicion follows. With it’s wardrobed characters and their passionate tradition, Skelton’s film is an elaborate exploration of trust and authority, similarly committed to the absurd as her previous shorts, “POT’S N’ TOTS,” and “Business.” -JM. Director/Writer/Editor: Kati Skelton. DP: Justin McWilliams. Cast: Nate Smith, David Lowe, Will Dixon, David Brown, Mark Bracich, Michael Villar, Jordan Michael Blake, Wyatt Fair.
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