{"id":89664,"date":"2026-08-18T14:16:06","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T21:16:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/?p=89664"},"modified":"2026-08-18T14:16:48","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T21:16:48","slug":"no-mercy-film-series-long-beach-60-seconds-short-movies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/eat-see-do-2\/see\/no-mercy-film-series-long-beach-60-seconds-short-movies","title":{"rendered":"At the No Mercy film series, you\u2019ve got 60 seconds to win the audience’s heart"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Inside DiPiazza\u2019s restaurant in Long Beach last week, a small crowd had no idea what they were about to see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On screen, a video \u2014 rendered completely with AI \u2014 flickered to life. It showed a girl singing in some kind of fight club interspersed with freeze frames.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The audience was not happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After 60 seconds, someone paused the video, and the crowd was asked to render its verdict: \u201cNo mercy!\u201d they shouted. They didn\u2019t want to see any more. Organizers quickly put on the next short film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the next hour, the screenings continued. The crowd voted on everything from monochrome zine videos and music videos to \u201880s-inspired shorts. They shouted \u201cmercy\u201d if they wanted to see more after a minute and \u201cno mercy\u201d if they\u2019d had enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Carmen Smith gives a thumbs down at a film being shown at the No Mercy film series in Long Beach on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The format at the aptly named No Mercy film series<\/a> is a democratized rejection of the traditional festival format where \u201cyou submit online, you go into a pool with a million people, and whoever is on the other end is curating, judging, picking stuff based on their criteria,\u201d said organizer Kyle Waters Geller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Geller spent 20 years in television, production and independent filmmaking before starting a nonprofit media organization in Long Beach called Pound Video Magazine<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t been on the festival circuit in a long, long time, but when I was, I hated it. I hated it. It was like festivals were being so inclusive that they were being exclusive,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He started No Mercy to give artists a different way to showcase their work, with films judged by their peers. He\u2019s held three events so far, with another slated for October.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n Link<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Anyone who wants to screen their work can show up and throw their short film into the ring. They\u2019re picked at random \u2014 no pre-screening \u2014 and played for the audience to decide if they want to keep watching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome be judged by your peers; don’t be scared. Trial by screen,\u201d Geller said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The screenings end up being more than just a place to watch a few films, said Richard \u201cRAS-1\u201d Smith, a musician who attended the most recent one. They encourage people to go out and create, knowing there are spaces where they can share what they make.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s putting themselves out there,\u201d Smith said. \u201cIt\u2019s to help people get better. But also, it\u2019s to bring the community together as people and artists.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Kyle Waters Geller, center and other panelists speak with a filmmaker after his short film screened at No Mercy in Long Beach on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And at the end of the night, regardless of whether their film got cut off or not, each artist gets to participate in a Q&A after their screenings, where they discuss their work and get feedback from the crowd and a small panel assembled by Geller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Octavio Gutierrez, who showed his homemade music video at DiPiazza\u2019s, said it was valuable feedback. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very important because I\u2019ve been making music for 3 years now, and I don\u2019t know where to showcase my music. And this event, actually, I was able to showcase my music, and having to show my video was amazing because I got to see people\u2019s actual reaction,\u201d Gutierrez said. \u201cThis type of event is helpful for small-time bands because in this industry it needs community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another attendee, Nick Eismann, said events like No Mercy give artists and creatives like himself the chance to overcome self-doubt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Crystal Naldi talks about her film “You Fight Like A Girl” at the No Mercy film screening in Long Beach on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo have a festival like this where it\u2019s really just people having fun at the end of the day and sharing whatever it is they make no matter how big or small the budget and getting that chance to boost their confidence is a really important space to hold,\u201d Eismann said.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moving forward, Geller hopes the festival continues to grow, allowing more artists to be seen while creating a space where they can have fun, be judged and improve their work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next event is scheduled for Oct. 3 at DiPiazza\u2019s and is free to attend. Individuals interested in submitting work can bring it on a hard drive to the event; no registration is required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Follow No Mercy on Instagram<\/a> for more info on upcoming screenings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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