The Iron Mule is a collective of filmmakers and film lovers who have gathered monthly in New York City since April 2002 to celebrate funny and inventive short cinema among friends. In the following eight years, the Iron Mule has screened over 700 films from around the world, from high budget movies with "name" actors, to no budget films made by high school students. If it's short and it's funny, we'd love to screen it. Based at 92YTribeca in New York City, the Iron Mule has also curated film screenings at Non Grata in Tallinn, Estonia, and at Mass MoCA. Films screened at the Iron Mule have gone on to be seen on HBO, Cinemax, the Sundance Channel, Comedy Central and the BBC, and have also screened at Cannes, Sundance, and the HBO Comedy Arts Film Festival among many other places. Writers, actors, and comedians whose work has appeared at the festival include Stephen Colbert, Chris Elliott, Dana Gould, Aziz Ansari, Paul Scheer, and writers for the Daily Show, Saturday Night Live, the Sarah Silverman Show, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and The Tonight Show. But Festival founders Victor Varnado and Jay Stern aren't impressed with names; they pride themselves on showing funny, smart, short comedy films from any source. Jay Stern has produced and directed more than 30 short films which have screened in festivals across the U.S., Canada, and Europe. His first feature film, The Changeling, opened in May, 2007. His second feature, Lost Things, is currently in post production, and his third feature, The Adventures of Paul and Marian is currently in fundraising and preproduction. Jay has also produced two projects with Victor Varnado: Roboto Supremo, (a short featuring a giant robot and Michel Gondry) and the comedy concert feature The Awkward Comedy Show. In addition to his film work, Stern is a member of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab and has directed and produced more than 20 theatrical productions. He is also the director of Quicksilver Radio Theater's award-winning radio dramas which have been syndicated internationally. www.adventuresofpaulandmarian.com Victor Varnado is a comedian, actor, writer, and director. As a comedian he has appeared on Late Night With Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Comedy Central, and as an actor he has appeared alongside Eddie Murphy, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Julia Stiles, and Werner Herzog. As a director, Victor has worked with Charlie Murphy and Dave Attell (in Warner Brother's Twisted Fortune) and with Michel Gondry for Victor's short film Roboto Supremo. His latest feature, The Awkward Comedy Show, a documentary about alternative African-American comedians, premiered on Comedy Central this April, and is available on DVD from New Video. www.bestalbino.com

Featuring music by Pat Ryan & special guests