Get ready, film buffs. The Modern Hotel’s in-room film festival 39 Rooms brings some truly stellar short films to the comfort of your hotel room!

A combination of one of the country’s most creative hotel experiences and unique film festivals—you can’t buy tickets; you have to be a guest at the Modern to attend—39 Rooms showcases independent short films from around the world on the hotel’s closed-circuit Channel 39. 

Text from the Modern Hotel’s in-room short film festival program. The film festival is titled 39 Rooms. Now playing on channel 39 in all of the Modern’s hotel rooms in Boise, Idaho.

The current batch includes a comedy about a girl, a dragon, and her would-be rescuer; a documentary featuring a helpline for children who need a listening ear; a drama about an adolescent boy’s troubled memories of a mysterious infestation and his father’s unravelling; a musical tale of witches, persecution, and revenge; and more. The films come from Iran and New Zealand, Mexico, Poland, France—with themes universal and unique, familiar and fantastical.

Each film is less than 20 minutes long, for a total running time of 2 hours and 22 minutes. Guests can dip in and watch a few here and there during downtime, or watch the whole festival on a night in, propped up on one of the Modern’s notoriously comfortable mattresses. The films are carefully curated by knowledgeable film experts, and well worth a look. “Bringing the film to the audience, instead of the other way around; what a brilliant idea,” says featured director Samantha Silva. The Modern: the only place to stay in Boise where you can see what they’re watching in the rest of the world.

We’ll be taking submissions for our in-room film festival’s 2021-22 season on FilmFreeway soon! Click here to view dates and submit a film.

The 2020-21 Lineup:

First page of the Modern Hotel’s in-room short film festival program. The film festival is titled 39 Rooms and it plays on channel 39 in all of the Modern’s hotel rooms. The first film is a drama titled All These Creatures directed by Charles Williams. The film is 1a 13-minute long drama and was made in Australia 2018. The still from the film shows two people with black skin. One is behind the other with their arm’s wrapped around and hands over the forward person’s eyes. The forward person appears to be giggling. The second film is titled Listen (Luister) directed by Astrid Bussink. The film is a 15-minute long documentary created in the Netherlands 2017. The still is from the perspective of a person riding a skateboard through fallen golden-colored leaves on the ground. The third film is titled What Do Dragons See in Girls Like Me directed by Gerard Mates. The film is a 15-minute long comedy made in Mexico 2019. The still is of a woman standing on the ground, being held or grabbed in the front claw of a building-sized dragon. The fourth film is titled Little Hands directed by Remi Allier. The film is a 15-minute long drama created in France 2017. The still is a close-up of a child’s green eye. The fifth film is titled A Father’s Wish directed by Oliver Green. The film is a 13-minute long comedy made in New Zealand 2017. The still is of a man wearing a dark blue Adidas track suite facing a pregnant woman and the two are sitting and talking to one another.Second page of the Modern Hotel’s in-room short film festival program. The film festival is titled 39 Rooms and it plays on channel 39 in all of the Modern’s hotel rooms. The first film is a drama titled All These Creatures directed by Charles Williams. The film is a 13-minute long drama and was made in Australia 2018. An adolescent boy attempts to untangle his memories of a mysterious infestation, the unravelling of his father, and the little creatures inside us all. The second film is titled Listen (Luister) directed by Astrid Bussink. The film is a 15-minute long documentary created in the Netherlands 2017. The Kindertelefoon (Child Helpline) provides a listening ear when children have problems growing up and have trouble speaking to their parents and friends. The third film is titled What Do Dragons See in Girls Like Me directed by Gerard Mates. The film is a 15-minute long comedy made in Mexico 2019. Elena is an Instagram celebrity princess who has been kidnapped by a dragon. Jorges is a knight who resumes her. Will they live happily every after. The fourth film is titled Little Hands directed by Remi Allier. The film is a 15-minute long drama created in France 2017. Leo is the son of the director of an industrial plant. When employees find out that management is about to close the factory, Bruno, a radical worker, abducts Leo to negotiate. The fifth film is titled A Father’s Wish directed by Oliver Green. The film is a 13-minute long comedy made in New Zealand 2017.An expectant father, stuck in the doldrums of middle New Zealand, wants a better life for his unborn son and hatches a plan to get him out of the inevitable trap of macho Kiwi maledom. Intermission is 90 seconds. Advisory: these films contain adult themes and language.Third page of the Modern Hotel’s in-room short film festival program. The film festival is titled 39 Rooms and it plays on channel 39 in all of the Modern’s hotel rooms. The sixth film is titled Ismail directed by Javad Abdolahzade. The film is an 11-minute drama made in Iran 2017. The film still pictured is of four people. One stands in the foreground, three stand in further away in a line. The figures are silhouetted against a yellowish sky and they stand in a hilly desert landscape. The seventh film is titled All Inclusive directed by Corina Schwingruber Ilic. The film is a 10-minute documentary made in Switzerland 2018. The film still is of a group of more than ten people talking in smaller groups, dressed in white uniforms with hats and blue and gold details. The eighth film is titled Fascinatrix directed by Justyna Mytnik. The film is an 18-minute musical made in Poland 2018. The film still shows what appears to be some sort of combustion making apparatus underwater spewing sparks. The ninth film is titled Cleats directed by Abdullah Sahin. The film is a 10-minute drama made in Turkey 2019. The film still three young people standing on a swinging bridge talking and looking over the side of the bridge. The tenth film is titled Social Mediation directed by Matt Pittroff. The film is a 13-minute comedy made in the United States 2018. The film still shows a man and woman seated on one side of a glass conference table with the backs of two figures visible in the foreground, seated across the table. Each person has a glass of water on the table in front of them and a notepad. Fourth page of the Modern Hotel’s in-room short film festival program. The film festival is titled 39 Rooms and it plays on channel 39 in all of the Modern’s hotel rooms. The sixth film is titled Ismail directed by Javad Abdolahzade. The film is an 11-minute drama made in Iran 2017. The film still pictured is of four people. In a dream, Leila talks to three family members: A man who was executed in Iran’s 1970’s revolution, a man who never returned from the war, and a man whom she loves. The seventh film is titled All Inclusive directed by Corina Schwingruber Ilic. The film is a 10-minute documentary made in Switzerland 2018. Under the spell of mass entertainment on the hit seas. The eighth film is titled Fascinatrix directed by Justyna Mytnik. The film is an 18-minute musical made in Poland 2018. A fugitive woman, driven by revenge, dresses as a witch hunter and enters the Inquisition’s castle. The ninth film is titled Cleats directed by Abdullah Sahin. The film is a 10-minute drama made in Turkey 2019. Three friends need cleats so that two of them can try out for a local football team. One of the boys shares his new cleats with his Syrian refugee friend. The tenth film is titled Social Mediation directed by Matt Pittroff. The film is a 13-minute comedy made in the United States 2018. A couple have shared a carefully curated life together on social media. Now it’s up to their attorneys to fairly divide that life in to two lives. Total running time: 2 hours 22 minutes. Advisory: These films contain adult themes and language.

Thanks for watching!

For more information about our 39 Rooms Film Festival, email robert@themodernhotel.com.