In director Chris McCaleb’s 15 Minutes at 400 Degrees, a man (Richard Riehle) is dealing with the death of his partner by bonding online with a webcam woman (Elizabeth Gillies) who re-creates his late wife’s recipes — until everything changes when a robber (John Gemberling) breaks into the man’s house. Meanwhile, two women in a retirement home (Christina Pickles and Angélica María) suddenly find themselves on an “internet journey” to search for a lost family member, in Paul Becker’s Connie + Consuelo. The two films are just a small sampling of L.A. Shorts International Film Festival, one of the largest gatherings devoted to short films in the world. Dozens of films from the annual festival have been nominated for and won Academy Awards in recent years, and LASIFF has been the launching pad for numerous important short films.

Laemmle NoHo 7, 5240 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood; Thurs., July 18, through Thurs., July 25, 1-11 p.m.; $15-$295. (310) 478-3836, www.lashortsfest.com

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.