SCREENING TIME & TICKETS:

THURSDAY, MARCH 26
5 PM
MARTHA’S VINEYARD PLAYHOUSE

49 min.

Followed by a discussion with director Cece King

This short-film program pairs two candid portraits of place-based communities shaped by labor, environment, and shared values. When Dishwashers Were Kings captures Telluride’s disappearing ski bum culture, through the lives of those who built community around seasonal work and friendship, while Si La Isla Quiere (Island Willing) explores life on Chile’s remote Robinson Crusoe Island as residents navigate environmental stewardship and outside pressures. Together, the films examine how people define home, sustain community, and protect ways of life rooted in place.

Tickets for this screening are general-admission and pay-what-you-can. The suggested ticket price is $20. If you can pay more, we greatly appreciate it!

DOCUMENTARY SHORTS LINEUP

  • WHEN DISHWASHERS WERE KINGS


    Dir. Brent Englund | Documentary | U.S.A. | 2025 | 20 min.

    Made by locals about locals, this short documentary explores the ski bum culture in Telluride, Colorado. Through the personal stories and reflections of the dishwashers, lift operators, and dreamers who built a community around snow, work, and friendship, the film captures a disappearing way of life shaped by passion, resilience, and love for the mountains.

  • SI LA ISLA QUIERE (Island Willing)


    Dir. Cece King | Documentary | U.S.A. | 2025 | 29 min.

    This ensemble portrait explores life on Chile’s remote Robinson Crusoe Island, where a deeply rooted culture of environmental stewardship and community resilience faces new pressures from conservation policy and outside forces. Through intimate vignettes and the voices of island residents, the short documentary explores what it means to live in harmony with nature and defend a way of life that sees the island itself as both setting and protagonist. This film won the audience award for best documentary short at the 2025 Hamptons International Film Festival.