When I think of psychics, I tend to imagine older people as customers. Writer/director Sydne Horton’s short film Saturday Ritual flips the script on that perception by following three female high school soccer players who visit a new psychic every Saturday for kicks.

All three actresses have great chemistry with one another, coming off naturally as friends who laugh together through the good and bad times.

To me, Sydne Horton’s film is about acceptance for the LBGTQ+ community. Saturday Ritual shows the natural reactions to being called out as different, but those true friends will stick by your side no matter who you love.

-Jason Delgado Film Threat

This is the sweetest short film I’ve seen in quite some time. When a trans masculine high schooler attends his prom, he’s understandably nervous and skeptical to be one of the nominees for Prom King. Worried about making himself vulnerable and harboring the sneaking suspicion that all of this could be an elaborate prank, his internal anxiety manifests externally in a rather wolf-ish manner.

I’m just going to come right out and say, however, that things work out for the lycanthropic lad as he gets the happy ending that we’d love to see for everyone in the transgender community. This was definitely the feelgood movie of the event.

-Bryan Christopher Rue Morgue

It’s almost hard to keep up with Horton’s successes, successes due to her ability to maneuver into positions and deliver exactly what’s needed at any given moment.

When it comes to her own work, Horton is dedicated to stories that foster social change. An activist and member of the LGBTQIA+ community, Horton describes how the personal and political have intersected in her work life.

For Horton, it’s about highlighting visibility, telling stories that matter, and emphasizing the human connection to every piece she brings to the screen. - Rhiannon Koehler Columbia College Chicago