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"Babyteeth" plays at the San Francisco Trans Film Festival • November 15 at 7:00pm at the Roxie Theater • Program 4: Transgeneity

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"Babyteeth" plays at the San Francisco Trans Film Festival • November 15 at 7:00pm at the Roxie Theater • Program 4: Transgeneity -- 

The world is fraught for little ones.
The world is much more fraught for little ones who are also outsiders...

Be it by race, gender, or class. I know this all too well. BABYTEETH the short film, is intended to thrill and delight the casual viewer. They will be able to experience horror from a place of safety in the theatre…

But, like all fairytales, this film also serves as a coded message, a warning, from those of us who have experienced the evil that men do, to those little ones who are about to walk into the darkness…

BEWARE the wolf in the woods—it will kill you!
BEWARE the witch with the candy house—she will eat you!
And BEWARE the monster under your bed because it is, in fact, real, and it will… get you! But it may not be the only monster in your house…
“Babyteeth is a personal story for me. The events in Babyteeth were all experienced or witnessed by me. It’s a true story. A disturbing one. All the pieces are there, in the film, just slightly more decomposed. That is enough. I don’t wish to discuss them…”
— Paul X. Sanchez IV, writer & director

Paul X Sanchez IV, writer and director

Paul is a 2024 Sundance Episodic Lab Fellow.

Paul’s films have played in most major festivals around the world and he is the founder and Director of The International Surrealist Film Festival (1993-present) showcasing Surrealist films from over 60 countries. Paul has directed and shot music videos and films for such bands as: REM, The Dandy Warhols, Moby, The Zambonis, The Happiest Guys in the World, Mr. Flannery, The Neighbourhood and many more.

Despite becoming homeless at 15, and being unhoused for 5 years, Paul attended NYU TISCH, SUNY PURCHASE FILM and AFI.

Paul’s self-portrait photographs have been collected by MoMA, The Museum of Modern Art, NYC. Paul was Moby’s touring keyboardist and documentarian and played everywhere from David Letterman to Woodstock '99. He was the DP on the documentary (and Sundance darling): MODULATIONS about the history of electronic music.

Paul (under the German pseudonym: SCHAUMGUMMI) has had two top 10 dance hits in Germany. Paul penned the Lifetime movie FATHERLY OBSESSION and he was an EP on a show loosely inspired by his childhood, at Sony TVs Gemstone Studios.

Paul's short film ONION UNDERWATER  that, thanks to your support, was a WORLD WIDE HIT and a TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL sensation.

A song written about Paul by THE PHILISTINES JR.

Jacob Mendel, cinematographer and editor

Jacob Mendel is an independent filmmaker and works professionally as both a cinematographer and an editor. His work ranges from narrative, to music video, to documentary, often exploring unique intersections of cinema and music. Jacob was selected to participate in the Kyoto Filmmakers Lab in Japan and was admitted to the cinematography program at the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. Jacob has and continues to collaborate with prominent figures within the field of visual culture including Sophie Muller, Philip G. Atwell, Randee St. Nicholas, Xan Cassavetes, Paul Yates and David LaChapelle. He has received numerous filmmaking awards including 'Best Foreign Short Film' at LA Action On Film Festival and 'Director To Watch' at Los Angeles 3D Film Festival, and was selected to be a speaker at TEDx University of Michigan. His portfolio can be found here.

Jason A. White, producer

Babyteeth is a dream. Really, a nightmare, an interpretation of the filmmaker Paul X Sanchez IV’s real life trauma brought to the screen in a cinematic poem. Much like a dream it has a non-traditional narrative structure, with frightening elements and moments of ethereal beauty. The horror is existential, in the way that real life horror can be… unsettling, open-ended, unresolved, and possibly ever-present, visually, aurally, and emotionally.

I’ve known Paul for close to two decades, having become instant friends when we met. We share a passion for art, films and storytelling, both mainstream and obscure. Somehow, in our deep cut conversations, we manage to both surprise and educate each other. Paul, a talented writer-director-producer-photographer-musician-teacher, has been instrumental in supporting me on my directorial journey, literally, assembling a production team together for my first film. It only made sense that I help produce this short film (based on a feature he’s written). I liken our relationship on this project to that of Mel Brooks and David Lynch on “The Elephant Man.” While I mostly write and direct comedy, I know an artist when I see one. Paul is that artist. I’m very proud to be part of this collaboration, and happy for Paul to realize his vision.

We are currently trying to turn Babyteeth into a feature film.

  • Arnold Ramm

  • Kailee Goodine

  • Flawless Post -

    Rik Michul
    Howard Shur

  • Michael Clarke
    Jacob Mendel

  • Paul X Sanchez IV

  • Faith Dincolo, William Dickerson, Michael Flannery, Peter Katis, Sergei Kremeneski, Charlie McPike, Jacob Mendel

  • Nellie Cherkovski, Lina Mattle, Grandma Maureen, Nina Simmons, Manny Siverio, Sera Beth Timms

  • Jacob Mendel

  • LiveGrain

  • BabyBlu Catering

  • Joshua Sarner

  • Jessica Ackerson, Alex Ivey, Andtheitch, The Armour-Garb Family, James A. Arrison, Lia B, Tom Becker, Mick Betancourt, Bobby Boermans, Lucy von Brachel, Eric Bradford, John C. Brookins, Christopher Brown, Jennifer Burton, James V. Carrier, Adora Cheung, Steven Daniel, Leon Dewan, William Dickerson, Faith Dincolo, Elizabeth Dufford, Jonathan Eisen, Margaret Filanosky, Michael Flannery, Sharon Flinder, Juliet Gamarci, Jason Goldman, Dean Haspiel, Mark Heidmann, Lucy Hoffman, Julia Humphries, Joshua Sarner, Norman Johnson, Anne Hall, annakathleen, Tarquin Katis, Flory Katz, Ben Katz, Maggie Robinson Katz, Anna-Marie Kellen, Kyle Kramer, Sergei Kremenetski, Allard Laban, Jaime Lamond, Jordan Lassiter, Nina Bird Lawrence, Kristin Lax, Mike and Susan Leber-O’Shea, Eric Lindbom, Marcus Loscalzo, Christopher John Luna, Kat Manalac, Jonathan Mann, George Martinez, Jill McGraw, Scott B. Morgan, John Mullin, Michael Nankin. “Niblettes” Peter Daniel Jacobs, Martin O’Connell, Vinnie Pagano, Christina Ruggiero, Anna-Lise Santella, Nicomedes Santiago, Adam Sarner, Herbert Schofield, Don Scribner, Melissa Steffans, Tom Taylor, Filippos Tsapekis, Kim Van Munching, David Wanger, Ann Wright, Jeffrey P. Yates, Wendy Young, Melinda Zupaniotis, Sam Zuckerman

  • Rebecca Yates, Baby Julian, Tom Runquist, John Mullin, Michael Nankin, Iris Cahn, SUNY PURCHASE, Scott Schofield, Mick Betancourt, Tom Katis, Peter Katis, Ann Katis, Tarquin Katis, Henry Katis, Helen Katis, Dani Woolwine, Lauma Katis, Jim Katis, Will Katis, Save the Cat, Joann and Marty, Brandon Yates, Josh Sarner, BJ Markel, Tanya Tull, Dani Tull , James Carrier, Nakia Stull Carrier , Madchen and Linus
    Michael Scarnati, Kurt Leon, Leon Dewan, Dan Leonard, Mike O’shea, Susan Leber, Jason Goldman, Adora Cheung, Kim Rand Van Munching, Chris Van Munching, Will Dickerson, Nick and June, Tom Garrett, Francesco Choquet, John G. Young, Peter Schulze, Rick Ross, Xan Cassavetes, SUNY PURCHASE, NYFA, Ed Timpe, Lee Gordon, Daniel Berger, Michel Moon, Dan Solinger, Mondo boys, MJ, Adam Rejwan, Dr. Lauren “Stinky” Ross, Dave Zamboni, Stouty, Matt Kohnen, David “Spaceman” Armstrong, Lorraine Miller, Carol E Dean - From The Heart Productions , Marcus Loscalzo, Sean-Paul Cardamone, Nina Simmons, Manny Siverio, Rik Michul, Jell-O pudding, Jesse Blanchard, Davis Grubb, Charles Laughton, Miranda July, Melvin Van Peebles, CT/HC, Val Lewton, DC Fontana, Adam Roche, Mark Gatiss, Vedanti Rathod, Manny Siverio, Carole Dean, David Weddle, Steph Borise, Caleb Oglesby, Songhuan Li 

This film is dedicated to Brian McBride