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If you haven’t seen, or heard of, Dear Zachary- and sadly, the chances of that are quite high- then you simply must watch it. It is one of the best documentaries I have ever seen, and definitely the most emotionally devastating- it is more effective and powerful that Catfish, Fahrenheit 9/11, The Cove or even The Imposter. Perhaps the reason it is so is because its director, Kurt Kuenne, was at the heart of the documentary- the subject of the documentary, the late Dr. Andrew Bagby, was Kuenne’s close friend- Bagby was murdered by his ex, also the mother of his son, Zachary. The documentary serves not only as a tribute to Andrew by those who knew him best, but also a harrowing portrait of how Andrew’s murderer escaped justice.

Kuenne is an eclectic and talented guy- in addition to directing documentaries like Drive-In Movie Memories and feature films such as Scrapbook,...

Another flick to just hit our radar is Shuffle and after digging a bit into the meaty details of the flick we've deemed the endeavor cool enough to clue you in on. Read on for the first word and look at the teaser art!

Part "Twilight Zone"-style mystery, part Frank Capra fantasy, Shuffle stars Tj Thyne, star of the hit TV show "Bones", in his first turn as a leading man in a feature film. The film’s voluminous prosthetic old age make-up is by Barney Burman, winner of the 2010 Academy Award® for Best Make-up for Star Trek. The film was written, directed and scored by Kurt Kuenne, filmmaker of the acclaimed documentary Dear Zachary: a letter to a son about his father and the hit short film Validation, also starring Tj Thyne.

Shuffle is world premiering at the Hollywood Film Festival on October 21st and headed to the...

We all know Kurt Kuenne as the man who ripped our hearts out, twisted them, and then handed them back in a emotional and sticky mess with Dear Zachary, A Letter to a Son About his Father. What you might not know, especially if the turmoil of that documentary wiped away from earlier moments, is that he also likes comedy. The year before Zachary hit, short film fans got a taste of sugary, feel-good Validation, starring Bones' Tj Thyne.

Like most good shorts, the premise is simple: Thyne plays a man who validates parking lot tickets. However, he doesn't just stamp the paper and shoo customers on their way. Each is served with their own specialized validation, like: "You. You are awesome." His popularity quickly grows to epic proportions, no stodgy folk being able to stand their crabby ground as the simple parking validator becomes a superstar, even validating...

How to describe Kurt Kuenne's short film, Validation? It's a tiny little masterpiece of score and scope and vision, and it's remarkably simple, turning on the premise: what if one guy 'validated' your parking and also 'validated' your existence? (It's such an Amelie-like crowd-pleaser of a fable that it's hard to reconcile that it's done by the same director who did last year's devastating, excellent, must-see documentary, Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father.) Once the initial sweep of drums cues up and the likable, gentle Hugh Newman (Bones' T.J. Thyne) starts 'validating' a 'customer' you're hooked: 'You've got powerful features, man, anyone ever tell you that? Listen, you look a little down...someday people are going to see you for who you really are. You. Are. Great.' The story, of course, happens when Newman meets a woman who he can't make smile. You're so smart,...

What if parking validations aren't just about getting free parking? What if it truly gives you "validation," in the truest meaning of the word? In this 16-minute fable, a parking attendant gives his customers more than just free parking, he also gives compliments to everyone by telling them their good features. Yes, everyone, even George W. Bush. This little gem is written and directed by Kurt Kuenne, the man behind the gutwrenching 2008 doc Dear Zachary. It's a feel-good counterpoint to the sadness and anger of his feature doc, but it has the same energy that makes both films a must watch.

Composer turned filmmaker Kurt Kuenne’s short film Validation is “a fable about the magic of free parking.” Bones star Tj Thyne stars as Hugh Newman. Some of you might recognize Kurt as the director of one of this year’s best films — a heart wrenching documentary called Dear Zachary (if you haven’t seen it, don’t even read anything about it — just rent it — You Need To See It). I was originally hesitant to include this short as part of /Film’s Big Directors Small Films series, as I’m afraid not enough people know who Kuenne is yet, but I’m sure thats about to change. Dear Zachary is probably one [...]...