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Typically lost amongst all the big media hoopla of panels, booths, celebrity appearances, etc., is that San Diego’s annual Comic-Con hosts an International Independent Film Festival that runs concurrently along with the convention, which will be this year on July 22-25.

This is a full-fledged fest with short and feature-length films from all over the world that are typically either genre or comic book related. The full lineup of films screening this year is listed below. Screening blocks are broken up by genre: Action/Adventure, Animation, Comics, Horror, Documentary, Humor and Science Fiction.

Not listed below are the assorted panels that will be held specifically for the festival. Plus, on Sunday there will be an Awards Presentation followed by repeat screenings of all the winners.

The festival is doing something a little bit differently this year in that it’s not going to be held in the actual convention center.

I been doing some backtracking to past reports and discovered a second trailer for Kyle Bell's The Mouse That Soared has already been uploaded.  Its a CG animated short produced by some of the crew from Laika Entertainment. Unlike the previous trailer, we actually get to meet the bird parents whom adopted the abandoned mouse and see them teach him how to fly with a not so successful result. 

Step right up and behold the harrowing and hair-raising aerial adventures of a flying circus mouse! Witness the rise of our orphan foundling as he learns valuable lessons in life and flight from two well-intentioned adoptive songbirds! Fasten your safety belts as our little faux-feathered hero reflects on his unlikely beginnings on his flight path to becoming a coveted circus sensation! Come one, come all to this high-flying tale of overcoming adversity and beating near-impossible odds!

Check out the official...

The 33rd Portland International Film Festival announces the Oregonian Audience Award winners. This year’s Festival wrapped up its 18 day run Sunday, February 28th after 195 total screenings at multiple theater locations in the downtown cultural district of Portland. This year’s Festival was attended by over 30,000 attendees and included 77 features and 39 shorts from over 40 countries.

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Audience winners include Best Narrative Feature The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (Sweden) and Best Documentary Feature The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls (New Zealand). The winner of the Best New Director Award is Hernán A. Goldfrid with Music On Hold (Argentina).

This year’s Short Film Award goes to Portland filmmaker Kyle Bell with the film The Mouse That Soared.

This year’s Piff presenting sponsors include The Oregonian and Regal Cinemas Major sponsors include the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation,...

Directed by veteran animator Kyle Bell, The Mouse That Soared is a six minute CG animated short with themes involving adoption, blended-families and nature vs. nurture.  Its produce from the crew that worked at Laika Entertainment, the studio behind Coraline and Moongirl.   

Step right up and behold the harrowing and hair-raising aerial adventures of a flying circus mouse! Witness the rise of our orphan foundling as he learns valuable lessons in life and flight from two well-intentioned adoptive songbirds! Fasten your safety belts as our little faux-feathered hero reflects on his unlikely beginnings on his flight path to becoming a coveted circus sensation! Come one, come all to this high-flying tale of overcoming adversity and beating near-impossible odds!

Check out the official site to view the concept art.  You'll find the trailer embedded below.