Short Attention Span Cinema: StoryCorps Stories that Connect Us
Friday, September 5 - Thursday, October 16, 2025
As part of our ongoing Short Attention Span Cinema program, IFC Center is proud to share a collection of shorts from StoryCorps before our regular feature presentations.
From first dates to lifelong love, sibling bonds to friendships that sparked change, these stories show the many ways our lives intertwine. Each one is a reminder that connection—whether found in family, community, or chance encounters—can leave lasting marks on who we are. Together, they celebrate love, courage, and the joy of being part of one another’s stories.
9/5-9/11: WILD IN LOVE (2:34 min) | It was 1954 when Jackie and Bud Jones went on their first date. Bud Jones was a taxidermist who started his business when he was a teenager in Tallapoosa, Georgia. When Jackie sat in Bud’s car, she quickly discovered that she was in for a wild ride with Bud. At StoryCorps, they shared the story of how the early adventures in their romance led to a lifelong partnership.
9/12-9/18: A GEM OF A GUY (3:24 min) | Rob Rigano always loved vehicles — and the thrill of sneakily rolling a car down the driveway as a child. So when StoryCorps’ Airstream trailer stopped in San Diego, his older brother, Phil, knew it was the perfect place to take him. The brothers traveled down memory lane, laughing about high jinks from their childhood and celebrating Rob as a brother and figure in his community.
9/19-9/25: SHADES OF LOVE (2:28 min) | Cheri Lindsay and her father Phillip both have a rare skin condition called vitiligo. They gradually lose pigment in their skin, often in patches that can grow over time. Cheri always remembers her dad having vitiligo. In this animation, part of StoryCorps’ Brightness in Black initiative, they talked about when it first showed up for her.
9/26-10/2: A TIME TO SPEAK (2:58 min) | In 1975, Tech. Sgt. Leonard Matlovich — known to friends as Mat — appeared on the cover of TIME magazine, challenging the military’s ban on gay service members. He was the first openly gay man to appear on the cover of a national publication. At StoryCorps, his friend, Jeff Dupre, remembers meeting Mat — and the quiet courage that led him to make history.
10/3-10/9: LATE NIGHTS AT DUBROW’S (2:27 min) | It was the late 1930s in Brooklyn when Van Harris met his wife-to-be, Shirley. The couple went on to share a 75-year relationship, and were well known for performing comedy together in Borscht Belt resorts in New York State for nearly 40 years. But there was another place they loved to spend time together — Dubrow’s Cafeteria. At StoryCorps, the duo shared stories of the characters they met at the cultural landmark.
10/10-10/16: THE HUMAN VOICE (2:45 min) | The great oral historian Studs Terkel was an inspiration to StoryCorps, and he was also an early participant in the project. In this animated short, he speaks out on what has been lost in modern life and where he sees hope for our future. At the age of 96, Terkel passed away in October of 2008.