Amateur Short – Official Selection – December 2020
DontBottleUp | United Arab Emirates | 2018 | 07’
Director: Vishal Lalwani
Writer: Vishal Lalwani
Producer: Vishal Lalwani
Cast: Vishal Lalwani, Stesha , Vishal SK, Hitesh Lalwani, Shahnaz Bhandari, Evan Paul, Seema Lalwani
Synopsis: 350 million people worldwide suffer from depression. Bottling up your feelings, thoughts and emotions can be a simple reason for you to enter it. Let all out. Don’t Bottle Up. Spread the word. #DontBottleUp A movie based on true experiences.
Jane | United States | 2020 | 05’
Director: Ilene E
Synopsis: A short animated film on being proud to be Chinese American.
Animation Short – Official Selection – December 2020
Any Instant Whatever | United Kingdom | 2019 | 06’
Director: Michelle Brand
Producer: Michelle Brand
Synopsis: A man in a room, in a film – it is the becoming of something and simultaneously becoming in itself. Nothing is as solid as we believe. The film explores our perception of time and change, bodies and objects, and our inability to comprehend the full motion of things.
Wild Eyes | Germany | 2019 |06’
Director: Nina Prange
Writer: Yaël Brunnert
Producer: Tobias Gerginov
Cast: Lea van Acken, Roeland Fernhout, Luana Blus, Johanna Schmidt
Synopsis: With a classic look and experimental perspectives, “Wild Eyes” takes us into the dark world of the blind girl Kitana. Through her eyes, we can see again and understand how big the sacrifice was. A 2d animated short about friendship and guilt.
Aura | United States | 2020 | 05’
Director: Chun Chun Chang
Synopsis: The story starts from the perspective of a mortal. What he sees is the fierceness and gentleness of nature. When the affection of the goddess is intertwined with the storm, What he experiences is a dream or reality?
Jane | United States | 2020 | 05’
Director: Ilene E
Synopsis: A short animated film on being proud to be Chinese American.
After a Storm | China | 2020 | 12’
Director: Ge Jing
Writer: Linyan
Producer: Ge Jing
Cast: Ge Jing
Synopsis: This animation is an adventure, taking you into a world of consciousness. This is an exploratory animation, combining sound and picture, and space transformation. I designed three storms and nine scenes in this animation. The whole animation is not only the evolution of consciousness from birth to rebirth, but also a brainstorm, full of thinking about the human world. Each of us grows from thinking again and again, and thus gets a new life. It can be said that this animation is the most profound work of my MA course. I almost integrated myself into this animation. I know it is important to be in a society which I do not understand the culture immediately which I have to redefine myself or to know myself. So, I tried my best to understand and learn in this year. 2020 is an uneasy year, with various breaking news continuous. I also experienced the lockdown in London during the outbreak. The bits and pieces experienced during the year are condensed into this animation. I sincerely hope that it could bring you a fantastic journey.
Norabelle | United States | 2020 | 04’
Director: Zsofia Katona
Writer: Zsofia Katona
Synopsis: A naïve young girl, Norabelle learns to let go of her need to control the day and finds joy at an unexpected place.
Children Short – Official Selection – December 2020
Mara, Tank the dog and chicken legs | Thailand | 2020 | 04’
Director: Thee Khanthavit
Writer: Thee Khanthavit
Producer: Kajornphan Sumpownoi
Cast: While Tank
Synopsis: The Dog is asleep, Mara is out hunting good dreams and goes into Tank’s dream. The dream that is full of his deepest desire, which is “fried chicken legs”. Once Tank wakes up, Robo Dog is there shooting fried chicken legs to Tank’s mouth. As if Robo Dog knows what Tank’s desire is before he even knows it!
Daisies and Sparrows | Singapore | 2020 | 13’
Director: Ervin Han
Writer: Ervin Han
Producers: Elaine Chan, Bernard Toh
Synopsis: A young boy lives through both sides of parenthood in this short film about growing up and growing old.
The House | Kuwait | 2021 | 09’
Director: SAOUD BOUEBAID
Writer: Faisal Al Balushi
Producer: SAOUD BOUEBAID
Cast: Suad sulaiiman, Hussain Alhaddad, Shoog Abdullah
Synopsis: The story of a couple inside a locked room talking about their missing daughter with strange events, until they end up turning the room upside down
Debut Short – Official Selection – December 2020
FriDgid | Bulgaria | 2020 | 20’
Director: Devina Vassileva
Writer: Devina Vassileva
Producer: Devina Vassileva
Cast: Denis Hayat Izetov , Vassil Vassilev – Zueka, Siyana Yankova, Daria Zaneva, Kalina Vladimirova, Devina Vassileva, Hristo Yordanov
Synopsis: This is a story about toxic family, about control and freedom, in the heart of every home – the kitchen. frigid + rigid + fridge = FRIDGID The title encompasses the fridgid relationships in the Holodinsky family – rigid characters, gravitating around their refrigerator, the home appliance that never creates sustenance but only conserves it in coldness. This is a story about control freaks, quick tempers and being fed up. A 20 min journey through the life of the Dad and Freya, his daughter. What happens when one leaves their controlling parent?
Matroschka | Germany | 2018 | 08’
Director: Jana Filzhuth
Writer: Jana Filzhuth
Producers: Jana Filzhuth, Mariella Frey
Cast: Aline Joers
Synopsis: During her birthday Hannah es recording video messages for her ex-boyfriend to whom she has no contact since the breakup. She finally wants to tell him all the things that never have been said. Longing for liberation out of years of imagined repression. While she is trying to find closure, she is struggeling with her conscience and needs. It follows an interaction of feelings out of sarcasm, anger, grief but also honesty and joy.
Blind Alley | Bulgaria | 2019 | 20’
Director: Olga Koleva
Writer: Olga Koleva
Producer: Olga Koleva
Cast: Nadejda Koleva, Christo Petkov
Synopsis: The night after the protests in Sofia, two strangers meet and take an aimless road journey through the streets of the city.
Documentary Short – Official Selection – December 2020
Shifting of Seasons (SOS): Spring | United States | 2020 | 05’
Directors: Noah Waldron, Trevor Bloom, Charlie Craighead
Writers: Charlie Craighead, Trevor Bloom
Producers: Noah Waldron, Trevor Bloom, Emily Cohen, The Nature Conservancy, Jeff Hogan, Charlie Craighead
Cast: Trevor Bloom, Charlie Craighead
Synopsis: Our seasons are a never-ending cycle. However, climate change is altering seasonal timing in the Greater Yellowstone, with cascading effects on the area’s plants, wildlife, and us. Research from the past and present may unlock solutions for the future.
Entre Ellas | Mexico | 2020 | 24’
Director: Roxane Florin
Writer: Roxane Florin
Producer: Roxane Florin
Synopsis: In the intimacy of a laundromat in Mexico City, the lonely women of the neighborhood gathered every day in spontaneous solidarity to tell their stories. Through the exploration of their loneliness, the cycle of female memory takes shape. Like a washing cycle, Entre Ellas recounts the gestation of memories in a din of washing machine drums.
The Burden of the Homeland | United Kingdom | 2020 | 08’
Synopsis: My grandfather, a colonel in the Spanish Army during the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, fought for the homeland during the Spanish Civil War. On both sides, thousands lost their lives, all allegedly for the homeland. Through archive and my grandfather’s lost paintings, this short film is an essayistic exploration of the meaning of national identity, patriotism and belonging.
Pheonix | Italy | 10’
Directors: Lena e Lorenzo Mariotti
Writer: Lena
Producer: QPD news
Cast: Lena
Synopsis: A personal story about identity crisis through the exploration of Veneto, Italy
THE GODDESS IN THE POOL |Argentina| 30’
Directors: GERARDO KORN , MARTIN SERRA
Writers: MARTIN SERRA, RODOLFO MARTINEZ MENDOZA
Producers: GERARDO KORN, MARTIN SERRA
Cast: GUILLERMO ROUX , FRANCA BEER , JORGE SALMINI
Synopsis: The film shows the creation of the “Goddess in the Pool” by Argentine painter Guillermo Roux, between January and May 2016,The protagonists spend a hot summer in an empty pool, dive into a world of paint and, in the process, find a retreat to escape from dreary reality and to get carried away by the magic of art.
I am the River | Netherlands | 2020 | 20’
Director: Rashel van der Schaaf
Producers: Dobber Bolhuis, Rashel van der Schaaf
Synopsis: In this short documentary the Danube will transform from a little stream into a majestic river. The Danube is not only a lifeline meandering through Eastern Europe but is also the connector of cultures and a bridge between past, present and future. In this intimate portrait we will get to know the Danube and his surroundings from a unique perspective; through the eyes and ears of the river itself.
Experimental Short – Official Selection – December 2020
STOCKMAN | France | 2020 | 08’
Synopsis: The gap between the apparent perfection of the machines that we create and the deficiency of our own vulnerable, mortal, and messy bodies is hard to accept. In fact, it is a permanent source of a particular kind of shame, called “Promethean shame”. STOCKMAN explores this particular feeling through an experimental collage composed of hundreds of royalty free stock videos.
Dear tree, please don’t spill on our grave. |Sweden | 2020 |15’
Director: Jonne Covers
Writer: Jonne Covers
Producer: Jonne Covers
Cast: Anna Fransen, Laurens van de Linde
Synopsis: A short story about humankind. And today her name is Anna. [Work in progress: sound design not finalized. Estimated to be finished latest January 10th 2021]
Qatisa | India | 2020 | 02’
Director: Arshad Sayed
Producer: Red Kite Studio
Cast: Ritu Chauhan
Synopsis: Qetesh, the holy Egyptian goddess of love and pure ecstasy has awakened from her forced slumber. After years of searching this new world she finally finds a woman to possess. The woman fights Qetesh, as it is a huge shame and morally sinister for her sexuality to govern her character. This becomes a painfully struggling process for the woman and surprisingly for Qetesh. Qetesh uses all her power to strengthen the unity of the body and the spirit to take on a new form Qatisa.
Fireflies | Brazil | 2021 | 19’
Director: Léo Bittencourt
Writers: Léo Bittencourt , Ricardo Pretti
Producers: Léo Bittencourt, Júlia Murat
Cast: Daniel dos Santos de Andrade, Elisa Lucinda , Gabriel Fernando de Castro, Gleiton Matheus Bonfante, Lino Besser , Lourival Júnior , Niana Machado, Nico Arawá, Paulo Guidelly , Rafael Medina, Wallace Lino
Synopsis: The night side of a modernist icon. The fauna and flora of Roberto Burle Marx’s gardens inhabited by visitors to Parque do Flamengo while the city of Rio de Janeiro falls asleep.
CO-ESSENCE | Puerto Rico | 2020 | 07’
Director: Dominika Koliszewska
Writer: Dominika Koliszewska
Producer: Dominika Koliszewska
Cast: Kamila Maik, Dana Chmielewska
Synopsis: The audiovisual performance about humanity, body and love based on Jean-Luc Nancy’s theories.
Amaranthine | Singapore | 2021 | 16’
Director: Chen Jiexiao
Writer: Chen Jiexiao
Producer: Chen Jiexiao
Cast: Liu Xuan, Xu Jing, Han Bing Jing
Synopsis: From observations of daily life in Guangzhou, to chilling conciliation with the untold sacrificial stories beneath gentrification. Smell the flower’s fragrance, taste the bruise and blood.
Kilter | Australia | 2020 | 12’
Director: Rob Stanton-Cook
Writer: Rob Stanton-Cook
Producer: Olivia Hantken
Cast: Kirin J Callinan
Synopsis: Kilter explores the wreckage left in the wake of generational toxic masculinity. Following a violent crime of passion, a gentle young man descends into a tormented reality as he struggles to reconcile who he is and what he has become.
After a Storm | China | 2020 | 12’
Director: Ge Jing
Writer: Linyan
Producer: Ge Jing
Cast: Ge Jing
Synopsis: This animation is an adventure, taking you into a world of consciousness. This is an exploratory animation, combining sound and picture, and space transformation. I designed three storms and nine scenes in this animation. The whole animation is not only the evolution of consciousness from birth to rebirth, but also a brainstorm, full of thinking about the human world. Each of us grows from thinking again and again, and thus gets a new life. It can be said that this animation is the most profound work of my MA course. I almost integrated myself into this animation. I know it is important to be in a society which I do not understand the culture immediately which I have to redefine myself or to know myself. So, I tried my best to understand and learn in this year. 2020 is an uneasy year, with various breaking news continuous. I also experienced the lockdown in London during the outbreak. The bits and pieces experienced during the year are condensed into this animation. I sincerely hope that it could bring you a fantastic journey.
Incubator | Kazakhstan | 2020 | 16′
Director: Alisher Zhadigerov
Writer: Alisher Zhadigerov
Cast: Sanzhar Zhadigerov, Alisher Zhadigerov, Nurlan Kurmash, Karim Zherzat
Synopsis: Everything begins “ab ovo” – with an egg, a symbol of life . The guy nurtures his fears and hopes at the same time: he is afraid to go outside himself and does not let the chickens out. A broken Bicycle on which he winds mythical kilometers and a makeshift incubator-a surrogate of energy and an imitation of life ; to continue life, you need to break the shell and go outside, which in the end demonstrates the runaway brainless chicken, and he himself tries in vain to glue/ hide in the shell, diligently sealing the Windows: he is afraid of sunlight . This is a post-modern Comedy of the absurd.
ПUZZLE | Russian Federation | 2020 | 19’
Director: Anastasiya Sovashchenko
Synopsis: This film is about the moment when a person creates something unique and creative. We will consider what the process consists of, what hinders it and what helps. It’s like traveling from room to room, where dance parts that symbolize details of puzzle that called “Creativity” We use a novel narrative structure And single-frame shooting. Hidden cuts will help us to match parts together adds continuity to the movie.
Fashion Short – Official Selection – December 2020
Non So Dove, Ma Insieme | Italy |2020 | 07’
Director: Luca Finotti
Writer: Luca Finotti Studio
Producers: Federico Cesari, Francesco Cicconetti, Naomi Oke, Matteo Tagliabue, Diogo Alexandre Varela
Cast: Rodrigues Gomes, Camilla Vettore, Cai Yu
Synopsis: Following Floraworks, the iconic 2012 video project for italian label MSGM, director Luca Finotti collaborates once more with the brand’s founder and creative director Massimo Giorgetti for his SS21 campaign.
The focus of Non So Dove, Ma Insieme (I Don’t Know Where, but Together) is on the younger MSGM generation. Passionate, free and filled with enthusiasm, we bounce back from a difficult moment by claiming the now and looking into the future. Set in Milan to the sound of Italian musician Coez, the film speaks of love, desire and friendship, as we wander through a city about to burst with summer and sunshine. A celebration of the overwhelming intensity of life, Non So Dove, Ma Insieme stands as a powerful and joyful rebirth. As with all his productions, Finotti takes particular care of the cast by ensuring a strong focus on diversity. Through an open call on Instagram, he selected actor Federico Cesari (23), trans activist Francesco Cicconetti (24), fashion designer Naomi Oke (25), synchronised swimming winner Camilla Vettore (17), models Diogo Gomes (23) and Matteo Tagliabue (24) and stylist Cai Yu (24). The idea for the film was born out of a brainstorming session between Giorgetti and Finotti. “MSGM has faith in our present and looks into the future with optimism, passion and poetry. The film addresses the uncertainty we have been experiencing, but also underlines the importance of being able to face it united as one. Only together can we truly dream” – states Giorgetti.
The Awakening | Germany | 2020 | 04’
Director: Nils A. Witt
Producer: Nils Witt
Cast: Loredana Linglauf
Synopsis: The transformation of the protagonist Aenna and her awakening is expressed by moving and revolving lights. A minimalistic and cold architecture which reflects the fashion design on a formal level, serves as the location.
Mini Short – Official Selection – December 2020
For Myths and Memories | Australia | 2020 | 03’
Director: Mo Flannery
Writer: Mo Flannery
Producer: Katy Wheeler
Synopsis: A poetic interpretation of the storytelling passed on through the images taken by my father as he traveled and worked through the Southern Hemisphere in the 1960’s & 70’s. Stories of personal and parallel struggles across lands and oceans.
My dear fresh flesh | Canada | 2020 | 03’
Director: Nicolas Combettes
Writer: Nicolas Combettes
Producer: Nicolas Combettes
Cast: Étienne Geffroy, Julie Maron, Randy Delpierre, Justine Garrel
Synopsis: Horace, his body decaying, asks existential questions during the meal he is enjoying. He savours a woman’s finger from which he spits out an engagement ring. His wife, in a state similar to his, handcuffed to the refrigerator door tries with all her strength to join the feast. Seeing Philippe, lying on a chair with a bullet hole right in the middle of his forehead, Horace remembered what happened. Remembered how, while they shared their last romantic meal before falling into a deadly disease, Horace and Agnes received an unexpected visit. That from Élise, who did not expect to discover a theater of horror after introducing her fiancé to her older sister. Little before Horace is transformed by the disease, he gives his weapon to Élise to take action for her own survival.
Tedhe | India | 2020 | 02’
Director: Anant Tiwari
Writer: Rohit Mehta
Producer: Asha Azad Films
Cast: Dr(Er) Azad Jain
Synopsis: Mr. TEDHE’S neck was jug-shaped initially, but gradually it became tilted due to wrong habits. And it is not only TEDHE’s problem now but has become a Pandemic to the millions in India! When you go out tomorrow on road, just observe this pandemic but don’t come in its grip!
Monday Blues | Hong Kong | 2020 | 03’
Director: Arnold Tam
Producer: Ervan Luk
Cast: Louis Lo, Wilfred Sung, Caleb Wong, Adrain Kwok
Synopsis: On a gloomy normal Monday morning, our protagonist hits his day job as usual. Sitting in the regular catchup meeting, the sound of Chopin from the movie he watched last night still lingers. As he daydreams about watching live ballet in Europe, he travelled in thoughts and lost track of time. He finally landed on the ultimate question of every quarter-life young adult in Asia – Why do we work?
Everyday Sacred | Spain | 2020 | 03’
Director: Carmen Fortea
Writers: Paula Collado, Carmen Fortea
Synopsis: A short film about the every day forgettable nuances of an unconventional family living in quarantine.
SNOW DAY | United States | 2020 | 03’
Synopsis: A Super 8 Film by Chris Toro
When I was a kid, having a snow day meant no school, sledding, hot chocolate, and time with friends & family. Central Park has always been a sanctuary for me, and seeing it covered in snow made me feel like a kid again. I wanted to capture the parks natural beauty on film.
AZRAEL | Russian Federation | 2020 | 03’
Director: Sveta Kobrakova
Writer: The fears that live in a person’s head can become a reality.
Deleve | Russian Federation | 2020 | 03’
Director: Roma Glova
Writer: Roma Glova
Producers: Dima Grebennikov, Roma Glova
Cast: Mila Ershova
Synopsis: Teenage girl makes selfie when strange things start happening
The Easiest Things in The World | United Kingdom | 2020 | 03’
Director: Aydan Wilder
Writer: John Francis Shemmings
Producers: Aydan Wilder and John Francis Shemmings
Cast: John Francis Shemmings, Jonnathan Knowles
Synopsis: Being your best friend’s Best Man is a great honour; but when your mind is your worst enemy, it can be the greatest burden.
Scales Of Justice – EP 1&2 | Canada | 01’
Director: Ivan Hayden
Writer: Ivan Hayden
Producer: Ivan Hayden
Cast: Heidi Gwaii , Chris Champagne , Shana Chow, Liam Fisher
Synopsis: A run in the woods exposes a young woman to a supernatural world of judgement when she is rescued from a killer by a killer who is the executioner for a mythical being who sees the hearts of all involved in a crime and judges according.
Narrative Short – Official Selection – December 2020
I AM | Netherlands | 2020 | 07’
Director: Luis Jorge Mujia Duarte
Writer: Luis Jorge Mujia Duarte
Producer: Andrea Helena Noske
Cast: Andrea Helena Noske, Nolvyn Gassiot
Synopsis: A young couple lives in an apartment in some marginal neighborhood of Old Havana, Cuba. At night Andrea prepares a romantic dinner to await her boyfriend returning from his job. Andrea suffers from a psychological disorder with a double personality that she is unaware of, which makes her see a world that doesn’t exist through hallucinations and a false perception of reality, thus transforming the romantic dinner into an abominable event.
Milk Toffee | India | 2020 | 06’
Director: Pulkit Arora
Writer: Pulkit Arora
Producers: Pulkit Arora, Rigved Siriah
Cast: Tanvika Parlikar
Synopsis: In a little Goan-Catholic school, there has been a big scandal: Milk Toffee has been stolen from its jar. A Konkani school teacher has caught the little bandits, and is bound by Christ to tell their parents the truth. But an unexpected revelation forces her to choose between what is moral, and what is human.
Mary Mary Quite Contrary | United States | 2020 | 17’
Director: TinNgai Chan
Writer: TinNgai Chan
Producer: Jeanine Fiser
Cast: Chad Morgon, Levi Holiman, Mikael Mattsson, Alaya Lee Walton
Synopsis: A distraught psychiatrist tries to comfort her broken patient who locks himself in the bathroom at a home office.
Listen To Me Sing | United Kingdom | 2019 | 12’
Director: Isabel Garrett
Producer: Emily Everdee
Synopsis: A miserable hotel performer is struggling to use her voice, and finds herself desperate to re-learn how to express herself. One day, she finds a walrus in her bathtub and falls in love – and this encounter might well be the making of her.
Weekend in the Forest | Switzerland | 2020 | 18’
Director: Micha Meyer
Writers: Micha Meyer, Timon Meyer
Producer: Micha Meyer
Cast: Gregory Reymont, Christina Spaar
Synopsis: Alex is afraid of his girlfriend Amina and regularly dreams of her killing him. When she takes him on a camping trip to the forest and he confesses that he cheated on her, he fears the worst. But to his amazement Amina reacts calmly and understandingly. Nevertheless, she behaves extremely strangely towards him afterwards. Alex’s distrust grows. Are his nightmares coming true?
Leonidas and the Fish | Cyprus | 2020 | 13’
Director: Alexander Machlouzarides-Shalit
Writers: Alexander Machlouzarides-Shalit, Isaac Fisher
Producers: Alexander Machlouzarides-Shalit, Natalia Der Partogh
Cast: Nikitas Kozlov, Melissa David, George Avraam, Zenonas Economides, Christos Drakos
Synopsis: A Cypriot boy’s perception of life changes when he catches a big fish.
HABEMUS BY BIKE | France | 20’
Directors: LEO FAIVRE, CAROLINE BRENOT
Writers: LEO FAIVRE, CAROLINE BRENOT
Producer: ASTER PRODUCTION
Cast: ISMAEL TIFFOUCHE NIETO, CHRISTOPHE CHERRIER, LYNDA MANCHON
Synopsis: A journalist goes with a priest to a village in the centre of France, to cover a report on an inter-regional cycling race organized by and for churchmen.
“Breadcrumbs” | United States | 2020 | 28’
Directors: Lilia Le Dieu, Konstantin Pivovar
Writer: Konstantin Pivovar
Producer: Lilia Le Dieu
Cast: Patrick Merveille, Michael Ossedryver, Lauren Schoepfer
Synopsis: C., a needy man, knocks on the doors of a next door building and asks its residents for some bread for his starving children. P. opens the door and they engage in a long conversation about selfishness and good deeds. C. tries to explain his point that people help others to feel good about themselves, not necessarily because of pure altruistic motives. P. gives C. all of his bread to prove he’s a good person, and C. leaves. The next day when he enters the elevator with the neighbor L. he sees this note: “Dear residents, recently I came to your building, because my family was starving. I went through every floor, knocking on every door. And none of you, not even one soul in this building gave me anything. I wanted to let you know”.Feeling betrayed and embarrassed of what the neighbors will think of him, P. tears off the note and pays a visit to C. After a heated conversation, C. starts typing more notes. He explains that it doesn’t matter if anyone knows about the act of kindness as long as it was really done. His goal was to “save P. from his ego”. Shocked and furious, P. smashes a typewriter on C’s head in front of his little children, leaving him breathless on the floor. He returns to his building and plans to knock on every door to let everyone know that he has actually shared bread with C.
Kilter | Australia | 2020 | 12’
Director: Rob Stanton-Cook
Writer: Rob Stanton-Cook
Producer: Olivia Hantken
Cast: Kirin J Callinan
Synopsis: Kilter explores the wreckage left in the wake of generational toxic masculinity. Following a violent crime of passion, a gentle young man descends into a tormented reality as he struggles to reconcile who he is and what he has become.
Sundown Trail | United States | 2020 | 14’
Director: Luke Guidici
Writer: Luke Guidici
Producers: Luke Guidici, Patrick Reasonover, Matthew Edwards, Victoria Hill
Cast: Mason McNulty, Joshua Loren, Philip Wheeler, Jason Daniels, Giovanny Vasquez
Synopsis: In a post-apocalyptic world where toxic mushrooms have made the air deadly to breathe, a timid boy must learn to trust a thieving bandit in order to save his dying father. Subtitles/Closed Captioning available in French, Italian, Spanish
Drawn In | Australia | 2020 | 11’
Director: Alice Yang
Writer: Alice Yang
Producer: Julia Halloran
Cast: Lucinda Lake, Jazmine Deng
Synopsis: A reclusive girl finds solace in a notebook that brings to life anything she draws, up until she spawns a nightmarish creature.
Woods in The Rain | China | 2020 | 12’
Director: Jim Zou
Writer: Jim Zou
Producers: Jim Zou, Chengying Zou
Cast: Izel Chen, Wenjing Shi
Synopsis: Two strangers, a divorced woman and a traveling girl with a mysterious past, gradually form a bond while the sadness in both of their memories is revealed.
Shevolution | United States | 2020 | 19’
Director: Seidy Lopez
Writer: Minerva Vier
Producers: Seidy Lopez, Minerva Vier, Justin Huen, Ivan Davila, John Ealy
Cast: Minerva Vier, Justin Huen, Ivan Davila, Marie-Francoise Theodore, Robert Dominick Jones, Gina Kelly, Chris Game
Synopsis: Millie, a recovering alcoholic-addict, falls in love and marries Cillian, another alcoholic-addict with bipolar disorder. When Cillian relapses and becomes abusive, Millie is faced with the hardest decision: Who will she save – the man she loves or herself? An intimate memoir, “Shevolution” is a candidly unfiltered look at the journey of a broken woman finding her own strength. “Shevolution” is directed by Seidy Lopez, one of the stars of Netflix’ “Selena, The Series”. Written and produced by critically-acclaimed actress & filmmaker, Minerva Vier, the original script of “Shevolution” won the Best in Half-Hour Television category at the 2018 Screenplay Festival in Sherman Oaks, CA.
No/Low Budget – Official Selection – December 2020
Zeno’s Paradox | Italy | 13’
Director: Martin Basile
Writers: Martin Basile, Andrea Salomone
Producers: Vittorio Saldutti, Martin Basile
Cast: Vittorio Saldutti, Stella Fonte, Emanuele Pacca, Guido Iozzi, Daniele Foglietta, Martin Basile
Synopsis: Vittorio suddenly leaves college and gets back to his family in the countryside. Something convinced him that the dark secret he shares with his parents will stop him from fulfilling his aspirations.
Not Alone | Germany | 2020 | 09’
Director: Marvin Rodriguez
Writer: Marvin Rodriguez
Cast: Mathilda Keck
Synopsis: Hannah is home alone, waiting for her boyfriend. Since theres maintenance the power is cut. In the darkness Hannah is faced with strange happenings.
Skip Tracer | United States | 2020 | 05’
Director: Sydney Tooley
Writer: Sydney Tooley
Producers: Katelyn Botsch, Jessica Hudkins
Cast: Kylie Renwick, Ava Culpepper, Sam Jones
Synopsis: A bounty gains an unlikely protégé.
Adventure Brothers Save Christmas! | United Kingdom | 2020 | 16’
Directors: Paul Longley, James Longley
Writers: Paul Longley, James Longley
Producers: Paul Longley, James Longley
Cast: Paul Longley, James Longley, Trevor Longley, Sue Longley, Katie Bocuher, Emily Laws
Synopsis: After their late grandfather leaves Paul and James a box of their old childhood drawings and a bag full of potential titles to create stories from, the brothers are thrust head first into the middle of an adventure made from their own imagination with the mission to save Christmas from the depths of despair. Can they save the festive season? Or is it doomed forever?
Series (Web/TV) – Official Selection – December 2020
Noir Brothers | Italy | 2020 | 10’
Director: Daniele Gangemi
Writer: Daniele Gangemi
Synopsis: In a frenetic, chaotic and disordered Catania, Renny and François, the second impeccable and the first decidedly off-putting, are the right men to solve the strangest and most desperate cases imaginable.
PAUSE | United Kingdom | 2019 | 21’
Director: Iona Morrison
Writer: Iona Morrison
Producer: Iona Morrison
Cast: Chris Dunn, James Munro, Adam Rhazali
Synopsis: Joe, a young musician from Glasgow, is extremely passionate about a band he has set up with two of his best friends from college – David and Michael. Being the drummer of the band, Joe is constantly exposed to loud noises but the adrenalin of performing distracts him from the pain that this is causing him. When driving home after a gig with his mum, their car is hit by a lorry from the side and they are flipped into the air. Surviving with only a few cuts and bruises, they are both grateful to be alive but do not realise the drastic impact that this event will have on them for the rest of their lives. A few weeks pass and Joe starts to notice a high pitched noise everywhere he goes. He is unable to concentrate at school and cannot perform to his usual standard during band practice. Joe is quite a shy person and does not want to show that he is in pain so he decides to keep it to himself. His friends and family become increasingly more worried about him but since David and Michael both have their own issues (Michael is trying to find a way to tell his family that he is gay and David’s abusive stepdad has just been let out of jail), their efforts to help him are very slim. Frustrated by how much this is ruining his life, Joe runs away from home but when the high pitched noise appears again, it all becomes too much for him. After coming into contact with a deaf veteran, Joe realises that there may be a way for him to overcome his issues and he eventually goes on an adventure of self discovery and creative realisation.
Color Me: The documentary Series | Germany | 2021 | 08’
Director: Tavo Ruiz
Producer: Manuel Zurloh
Synopsis: COLOR ME: THE DOCUMENTARY SERIES is a documentary web series, focused on filming each queer character reacting to interviews of themselves about their life stories. Posing in front of a colorful background while their half naked bodies are presented in black and white. During their interviews, we will discover the different hues of these persons only for their skins to find their own colors at the end. Season one is all about THE BERLIN BOYS!
Scales Of Justice – EP 1&2 | Canada | 01’
Director: Ivan Hayden
Writer: Ivan Hayden
Producer: Ivan Hayden
Cast: Heidi Gwaii , Chris Champagne , Shana Chow, Liam Fisher
Synopsis: A run in the woods exposes a young woman to a supernatural world of judgement when she is rescued from a killer by a killer who is the executioner for a mythical being who sees the hearts of all involved in a crime and judges according.
Adventure Brothers Save Christmas! | United Kingdom | 2020 | 16’
Directors: Paul Longley, James Longley
Writers: Paul Longley, James Longley
Producers: Paul Longley, James Longley
Cast: Paul Longley, James Longley, Trevor Longley, Sue Longley, Katie Bocuher, Emily Laws
Synopsis: After their late grandfather leaves Paul and James a box of their old childhood drawings and a bag full of potential titles to create stories from, the brothers are thrust head first into the middle of an adventure made from their own imagination with the mission to save Christmas from the depths of despair. Can they save the festive season? Or is it doomed forever?
Short Comedy – Official Selection – December 2020
PARENTHOOD 2050 | Russian Federation | 2020 | 09’
Director: Svetlana Bolycheva
Writers: Lana Bolycheva, Eugene Orlov
Producers: Oriana Ng, Lana Bolycheva
Cast: Lizzie Short, Michel Turtle, Terence Chen
Synopsis: Lylith and Henry a couple who cannot conceive visit a futuristic clinic to create a genetically modified baby by choosing all qualities from appearance to the character. However, the baby genome will be based on parents genes. This experience creates tension in the relationship as their genome analysis leads them to discover that the mother has no capacity to love. Father cannot believe it, because there live seemed to look happy and full of love. Was it just his perspective or a lie? They can not afford to give their baby the ability to love, because the price for it is too high. They are risking to have a healthy baby without any ability to Love. Nevertheless, Lylith doesn’t mind it and even finds some advantages of it.
The Wine | United States | 2020 | 11’
Director: Jack Shulruff
Writers: Jack Shulruff, Delaney Rowe
Producers: Marlee Learner, Jack Shulruff
Cast: Delaney Rowe, Damian Joseph Quinn, Jack Shulruff, Marlee Learner
Synopsis: A struggling Los Angeles duo dines at a restaurant far beyond their means on a Valentine’s Day they’ll never forget.
Adventure Brothers Save Christmas! | United Kingdom | 2020 | 16’
Directors: Paul Longley, James Longley
Writers: Paul Longley, James Longley
Producers: Paul Longley, James Longley
Cast: Paul Longley, James Longley, Trevor Longley, Sue Longley, Katie Bocuher, Emily Laws
Synopsis: After their late grandfather leaves Paul and James a box of their old childhood drawings and a bag full of potential titles to create stories from, the brothers are thrust head first into the middle of an adventure made from their own imagination with the mission to save Christmas from the depths of despair. Can they save the festive season? Or is it doomed forever?
Short Dance/Musical – Official Selection – December 2020
The Protocol | United Kingdom | 2020 | 13’
Director: Avatâra Ayuso
Writer: Avatâra Ayuso
Cast: : Jordan Ajadi, Chloe Hillyar, Georgia Thompson
Synopsis: Directed by Avatâra Ayuso as part of a triptych of works based on the same concept, The Protocol is filmed using a colourful, eccentric and retro-vintage cinematic language where the performers in confidence to the viewer, express their thoughts, exposing their contradictions, fears and worries about our relationship with the other. This digital take on The Protocol was inspired by our society’s virtual encounters that have become so indispensable and frequent in our current working realities.
Out Of Ordinary | Switzerland | 2020 | 09’
Directors: Luca Signoretti, Tobias Buchmann, Alicja Pahl
Writer: Luca Signioretti
Producer: ZHdK
Synopsis: This film is from the everyday viewer’s perspective. It explores what it might be like to travel through the frames and screens, that otherwise keep a voyeur and his or her fanciful ideas and longing experiences at a distance and, instead, turn them into a real-life journey.
Short Drama – Official Selection – December 2020
Swine | Mexico | 2020 | 05’
Director: Aquiles Cervantes
Writer: Aquiles Cervantes
Producers: Alejandra García , Antonio Urdapilleta , Aquiles Cervantes
Cast: Jorge Lan
Synopsis: Jose a grown man, has continuos fights with himself over his eating disorder.
Dad, David & Danny | India | 2020 | 20’
Director: Suveer Bhambhani
Writer: Suveer Bhambhani
Producer: Asha Azad Films
Cast: Dr(Er) Azad Jain, Anuj Singh Duhan
Synopsis: Dad, David & Danny is the story of Tony D’souza, his son- David and their pet- Danny. The film, in chapters, revolves around the fractured relationship Tony shared with his son and how Danny, made all the difference. Tony, just before his demise, leaves behind a letter for David and it is the voice of Tony reading the letter that tells us a dramatic tale of this father-son relationship.
Ultra | Portugal | 2020 | 24’
Director: João Lourenço
Writer: João Lourenço
Producers: João Lourenço, Cristiana Gaspar, Maria Rui Livramento
Cast: Gustavo Rocha, Gabriela Leão, Francisco Lima, Catarina Lacerda, Paulo Calatré
Synopsis: Struggling to fulfil the burden of manhood that has been bestowed upon him, a teenager is at a crossroads between a shattered home life, and the cruelties of youthful love.
HOMECOMING | Armenia | 2020 | 19’
Director: Raffi Movsisyan
Writer: Raffi Movsisyan
Producer: Vardan Hakobyan
Cast: Shant Hovhannisyan
Synopsis: Hayk returns to Armenia from his latest stint as a migrant worker, coming home to celebrate the New Year with his family. His wife, three children and mother wait for him in a distant village. He soon realizes that he has lost his position as the head of the home, and the distance separating him from his family is not just a measure of physical space.
Suta(The Daughter) | India | 2020 | 24’
Director: Dr(Er) Azad Jain
Producer: Dr(Er) Azad Jain
Cast: Dr(Er) Azad Jain, Pratiksha Jain Naiyar, Malhaar Rathod
Synopsis: Suta (The Daughter) is the story of a bold and smart daughter who fights for the sacrifices her mother’s dreams which are sacrificed and went unnoticed in the family. She emerges victorious and sees that her mother gains back her confidence.
Haiku | United States | 2021 | 09’
Director: Matthew Quaid
Writer: Matthew Quaid
Producers: Matthew Quaid, Anthony Sandoval
Cast: Dano Jason, Sherill Quinn
Synopsis: Years of inseparable moments are ended after a sudden twist of fate. Isaac and Natalie meet one last time to say goodbye.
Spleen | Canada | 2020 | 07’
Director: Maxime Duval
Writer: Maxime Duval
Producer: Maxime Duval
Cast: Pierre-François Bouffard, Alexandra Doucet, Antoine Byatt
Synopsis: A father is getting more and more anxious as his family is getting further away from him.
Breathe | Japan | 2020 | 33’
Director: Kazuya Kitao
Writer: Kazuya Kitao
Producer: Kazuya Kitao
Cast: Yumi Mizutani, Tsubasa Tanizawa, Yusuke Funaki
Synopsis: One night, Misa quarrels with her boyfriend Kota and leaves the house. It’s midnight, and she strolls along Tama River with her friend Mikio as an uneventful time goes by.
Louise & Louise Denmark | 2020 | 24’
Director: Danny Thykaer
Writers: Tanja Fleth Boenke, Danny Thykaer
Producers: Tanja Fleth Boenke, Danny Thykaer
Cast: Tanja Fleth Boenke, Nikolai Dalgaard, Rikke Toft, Mette Omann Hansen, Sanne Sol Kristensen, Anne Giver Pedersen, Peter Boenke, Suzie Boenke, Christian Iversen, Thomas Hüberts, Simone Vinzent, Mathias Hjørnholt, Diana Moisa, Simon Kaarfast, Anton Hjort Nielsen, Anis Ashfaq, Martin Dupont
Synopsis: Louise is going through stages of depression, but is unaware of it. It creates a split personality, that affects her surroundings. The story unfolds fragmented, to align with her fragmented personality.
A.I. | United States | 2020 | 12’
Director: Yifan Du
Writer: Yifan Du
Producer: Fiona Ruan
Cast: Iris Liu, Luke Frisbie
Synopsis: Alice and Robert are a couple who have been married for many years. Because of some quarrel, Alice accidentally killed Robert by mistake. In order to cover up this incident and make up for her mistake, she contacted an underground scientist and extracted Robert’s memory and put it into the body of the clone robot, but only deleted the memory of being mistakenly killed by Alice and all quarrels, thus giving birth to the A.I. robot with Robert’s memory and appearance. Until one day Alice peeks into Robert’s diary and discovers a shocking secret that she is also an A.I. robot.
Alone at Last | Finland | 2020 | 20’
Director: Toni Silvennoinen
Writer: Toni Silvennoinen
Producer: Toni Silvennoinen
Cast: Saana Laigren, Tuulia Lindholm
Synopsis: Helena and Teresa have done something and now an unknown force is chasing them for it. The women find refuge in an empty bar, where their relationship and dynamics open up layer by layer.
A Simple Twist Of Fate | United Kingdom | 2020 | 12’
Director: Fynn Lithgow
Writer: Shahzain Khan
Producer: Faith Starie
Cast: Eyiara Olugunna, Davin Ansel, Grace Butler, Luis Amália, Miles Horsham Batley, Andrew McDonald
Synopsis: Set in 1959, ‘A Simple Twist of Fate’ sees a young waitress named Adele catering to the host of a lavish New Year’s Eve party. What seemed like a simple job has her caught in a plot for revenge between a father and son.
Mutation | Morocco | 2020 | 18’
Director: Reda Lahmouid
Writer: Afaf El Haddioui
Producer: 799 Collective
Cast: Marius Zamfir, Dominique Noël, Laurence Mainville-Ouellet, Antoine Cusson
Synopsis: In the year 20XX, the Lemon Company guarantees a harmonious society for all its citizens… While musical instruments are forbidden, the life of Marius, delivery boy for Lemon, changes when he discovers a guitar in front of his door…
Snow in April | Ukraine | 2020 | 11’
Gleb Feldman Gleb Feldman Yuliya Sokoliuk Aleksandr Rudinskiy, Lera Koptseva, Lin Nhuien Sometimes people leave without saying the right words. Young lady silently experiences the emotions of the breakup, while imagining herself in a completely different place. This is impossible for her boyfriend to understand.
The Master | China | 15’
Director: Yinghao Li
Writers: Yinghao Li & Leyao Gao
Producer: Haibo Liu
Cast: Ma Jin
Synopsis: A knowledgeable homeless suddenly become an internet influencer because of a speech video, however, he gradually loses himself.
Short Fantasy/Sci-Fi – Official Selection – December 2020
The Final Wish | United States | 2020 | 28’
Director: Luis Perez Villegas
Writers: Luis Perez Villegas, Joe Wakefield
Producers: Luis Perez Villegas, Tiffany Leon, Lizzy Ana Wakefield
Cast: Ali Freeman, Croix Provence, Cinthya Brasil, Fernanda Hay, Anastasia Kraft, Desiree Marz, Julia Marz
Synopsis: “The Final Wish,” a comedy/action short film about a 10-year-old girl who wants to become a super heroine. When a meteor falls on her house, her dream comes true but with this, she realizes it’s not easy being super.
Astrea | Italy | 2020 | 23’
Director: Marco Testoni
Writer: Fabio Bianchi
Producer: Accademia di Belle Arti Sassari “Mario Sironi”
Cast: Daniele Monachella, Maurizio Pulina, Chiara Murru, Sasha Solinas, Luca Dettori
Synopsis: MISTER MORA HAS LOST ENTHUSIASM FOR HIS LIFE. HE GOES TO A CUTTING EDGE CLINIC TO UNDERGO A VERY PARTICULAR OPERATION.
Technolost | United States | 2020 | 15’
Synopsis: This movie represents a plethora of issues and ideas I have about technology, some of which are more accessible than others. It is about identity, space, and media consumption. It grapples with the space of the internet. It deals with the phenomena of digital identities and in the process mauls over the relationship between older forms of technology and newer ones. The piece is deeply personal; the body of animated images come from my own engagement with the internet and parts of the physical set I built is made up of my own pieces of broken technology. This movie is seriously playful. Humor is used as a form of wit. Suspense outweighs the necessity of a formal narrative structure. A basic plot summary might be as follows: A character is identified solely by their use of social media before being transported to a cyber junkyard where they meet their doom from a power plug. The ideas in the piece are up for interpretation; as long as you aren’t bored I have succeeded. I hope that this piece is not overly complicated and that a child could pick up on various aspects of the film.
ALIE | Ukraine | 2020 | 20’
Directors: Kadim Tarasov, Viktor Romaniuk
Writer: Kadim Tarasov
Producer: Andriy Rizol
Cast: Dmytro Korshak
Synopsis: On September 5, 1977, the American robotic space probe Voyager was launched into space for exploring the Solar system and outside it. A gold disk containing coded information was on board. On the disk were recorded greetings and invitation to visit the Earth in all languages of our world. The film tells the story of an alien ALIE by name who responded to the invitation from inhabitants of the Earth. Gravity that confined ALIE to a wheelchair, people around him, who dont understand each other, homesickness. Thats not all the problems the hero faced being among people. The moment he meets his love seems to lose touch with reality. But he finds the path to himself.
Pure Energy 2101 | Spain | 2020 | 11’
Director: Francisco García Mateos
Writer: Francisco García Mateos
Producer: StellarBeat Productions
Cast: Lou Marie Roche, Idgy Drummond
Synopsis: In 2101 the air is unbreathable. The toxic dust stains everything around us with ocher. Humanity survives, but at a price that some are unwilling to pay.
Sundown Trail | United States | 2020 | 14’
Director: Luke Guidici
Writer: Luke Guidici
Producers: Luke Guidici, Patrick Reasonover, Matthew Edwards, Victoria Hill
Cast: Mason McNulty, Joshua Loren, Philip Wheeler, Jason Daniels, Giovanny Vasquez
Synopsis: In a post-apocalyptic world where toxic mushrooms have made the air deadly to breathe, a timid boy must learn to trust a thieving bandit in order to save his dying father.
Subtitles/Closed Captioning available in French, Italian, Spanish
Stop Motion – Time Lapse – Official Selection – December 2020
Farmed City Wave | United States | 2020 | 15’
Synopsis: The world is still out there and evolving, and we are all stuck at home. The youth of today still needs to explore to find their own way , and shape what the world will become. This is one story.
Norabelle | United States | 2020 | 04’
Director: Zsofia Katona
Writer: Zsofia Katona
Synopsis: A naïve young girl, Norabelle learns to let go of her need to control the day and finds joy at an unexpected place.
Student Short – Official Selection – December 2020
MILK ME | Norway | 2020 | 23’
Director: Jørgen Jensås Sivertsen
Writers: Jørgen Jensås Sivertsen, Tarald Aas Reite
Producer: Cecilie Stubberud Aas
Cast: Brede Fristad
Synopsis: In a remote Norwegian valley, the young farmer Per lives his lonely life. He shares the farm with “Vigdis,” his only cow. Their peaceful days will shortly end when Per discovers techno music. He falls in love with the techno, and Vigdis and the farm becomes a second priority.
Pyskador | United Kingdom | 2020 | 12’
Director: Noel Chojnacki
Writer: Noel Chojnacki
Producer: Noel Chojnacki
Cast: Arran Cookson , Gabriele Metrikyte
Synopsis: The psychological horror thriller Pyskador is set in a dilapidated caravan and a small fishing boat on Cornwall´s coast. It follows an incident in the life of a rugged and heavily alcoholic fisherman in which he kills his wife. Plagued by the crime and by a vast amount of Vodka his perception of reality and time soon blurs into a state of horrific irreality out of which it seems there is no escape. Trapped in this trauma he is forced to re-live the day after day.
Lifelines | United Kingdom | 2020 | 11’
Director: Rhona Duffy
Writer: Rhona Duffy
Producer: Rhona Duffy
Synopsis: Ross McKellar overcame a battle with depression only to find himself in a struggle with the benefits system. Beautifully shot on Scotland’s Union Canal to wonderful music, Lifelines tells the story of Ross’s experience with Universal Credit, and the financial and emotional impact of having his benefits sanctioned before he managed to secure a permanent job at Scottish Canals.
Can I commit suicide? | Republic of Koreea | 2020 | 16’
Director: Jason Hamin Hwang
Writer: Jason Hamin Hwang
Producer: Jason Hamin Hwang
Cast: Yun Jiwon, Kim Hyunsoo, Kwon Hyejeong, Lee Jaehoon
Synopsis: The world attacks a teacher accusing her of limiting the freedom of expression when she tries to teach and guide a student who wants to commit suicide.
Degenerate(RenJianJi’E) | China | 2020 | 34’
Director: Yanlin Chen
Writer: Yanlin Chen
Producers: Chaguo Chen, Yanlin Chen
Cast: Qiming Liu, Yanlin Chen, Fei Gao, Hailun Gu, Yusheng Jiao, Siyuan Du
Synopsis: My suspenseful short film “Degenerate (RenJianJiE)” tells the story of the butterfly effect— which links a pyramid selling gang leader, a film director, and a director of a mental hospital. It took around 4 months to create, and comes out at around 34 minutes.
The Anatomy of an Oceanic Mind | United States | 2020 | 08’
Director: Tristan Reed
Writer: Tristan Reed
Producer: Tristan Reed
Cast: Hayden Donaldson, Bryce Huff, Tristan Reed
Synopsis: After a trio of friends consumes an unknown, hallucinogenic drug, they experience a situation of serenity and terror.
And I, And I | Hong Kong | 2020 | 27’
Director: Lam Yan Yue
Writer: Lam Yan Yue
Producer: Lam Yan Yue
Synopsis: Judy, a single mother and Peter, her intellectually disabled son have been through 45 years with each other. As minorities, lives were half spent with forgotten dreams and helpless love. Yet, they found a temporary exit through music. This film tried to document their days and stories.
Honey! | Canada | 13’
Director: Onna Pluciennik
Writer: Onna Pluciennik
Producers: Onna Pluciennik, Ashvin Anandarajah
Cast: Kaleb Horn, Jana Sosic, Emilia McCarthy
Synopsis: “Honey!” is a story of the effects of fame on a friendship. When Honey’s acting career takes off and he finds himself in the centre of attention, what happens to his close friend Dani?
Summer Revenge | China | 2020 | 15’
Director: FANG WEIHAN
Writer: FANG WEIHAN
Producers: LI CAI, SHEN YUNAN
Cast: LI JUNYAN, ZHANG QINGYUAN
Synopsis: The story was mainly about the first rebellion of a boy who gave up an important table tennis match. He lived under the oppression of collectivism and never even considered breaking this “balance”. But in the summer of 2015, he found the secret of his parents and missing the place he used to have fun, so he decided to do something. This ‘revenge’ was the family, collectivism, and the response to the morbid society of the time.
THE BUZZ IN THE VOID | Latvia | 2020 | 22’
Director: Sabīne Veldre
Writer: Beate Olekte
Producer: Sabīne Veldre
Cast: Ģirts Krūmiņš, Guna Zariņa, Baiba Broka, Toms Liepājnieks
Synopsis: Ainars has been the principal of the Music School for forty years until he is unexpectedly fired. Ainars feels betrayed, seeing him unhappy, his wife Anita decides to act. When the new principal candidate arrives at the music school, the world created by the two of them collapses. The new suppresses the old and it just seems that everything that has been done before is left in vain.
Don’t Mind the Ghost | United Kingdom | 2020 | 15’
Director: Abigail Raney
Writer: Abigail Raney
Producers: Abigail Raney, Leo Eleftheriadis
Cast: Kat Harrison, Alexandra Janzer, Stephen Corrall
Synopsis: A spooky and darkly funny short film about a woman who rents a house in the country for some quiet relaxation, only to find that it’s haunted. Her initial fear soon becomes intrigue, and she attempts to communicate with the ghost – but that might be a terrible mistake.
Perfect Lover | China | 2020 | 11’
Director: Andy Hong
Synopsis: Godard’s 《It’s My Life》 is showing in the cinema. Man C notices woman L and tells her that they once met. Woman l didn’t believe it at first, but men constantly appeared in front of her and added details of their past.
A MORNING, A MOTHER & A BOY | Denmark | 2020 | 10’
Director: Katrine Weber
Writer: Katrine Weber
Producer: Ecole de Leth
Cast: Silas Weber Hougesen, Katrine Weber
Synopsis: An everyday drama portraying one morning in the life of a mother and her 4 year old son. We follow the mother and child through all the morning routines while the boy tries to stretch out time to avoid going to kindergarten. But there is no way out. The separation between the two is inevitable as it is for most parents and children in Denmark every day. The film is a slice of life and a (self-)portrait about motherhood and its dilemmas that many parents will recognise from their own lives.
Jane | United States | 2020 | 05’
Director: Ilene E
Synopsis: A short animated film on being proud to be Chinese American.
After a Storm | China | 2020 | 12’
Director: Ge Jing
Writer: Linyan
Producer: Ge Jing
Cast: Ge Jing
Synopsis: This animation is an adventure, taking you into a world of consciousness. This is an exploratory animation, combining sound and picture, and space transformation. I designed three storms and nine scenes in this animation. The whole animation is not only the evolution of consciousness from birth to rebirth, but also a brainstorm, full of thinking about the human world. Each of us grows from thinking again and again, and thus gets a new life. It can be said that this animation is the most profound work of my MA course. I almost integrated myself into this animation. I know it is important to be in a society which I do not understand the culture immediately which I have to redefine myself or to know myself. So, I tried my best to understand and learn in this year. 2020 is an uneasy year, with various breaking news continuous. I also experienced the lockdown in London during the outbreak. The bits and pieces experienced during the year are condensed into this animation. I sincerely hope that it could bring you a fantastic journey.
Norabelle | United States | 2020 | 04’
Director: Zsofia Katona
Writer: Zsofia Katona
Synopsis: A naïve young girl, Norabelle learns to let go of her need to control the day and finds joy at an unexpected place.
Drawn In | Australia | 2020 | 11’
Director: Alice Yang
Writer: Alice Yang
Producer: Julia Halloran
Cast: Lucinda Lake, Jazmine Deng
Synopsis: A reclusive girl finds solace in a notebook that brings to life anything she draws, up until she spawns a nightmarish creature.
Goodbye Dolly Morris | Australia | 2020 | 27’
Director: Blake Hurford
Writer: Blake Hurford
Cast: Leila Broughton, Blake Hurford, Henry Phillips, Jaxon Graham-Wilson
Synopsis: In this dark take on the classic family sitcom, Dolly Morris, the youngest of her family must navigate her way through a twisted, happy world in order to find the source of a constant laugh track that seems to be taunting her every move.
A Simple Twist Of Fate | United Kingdom | 2020 | 12’
Director: Fynn Lithgow
Writer: Shahzain Khan
Producer: Faith Starie
Cast: Eyiara Olugunna, Davin Ansel, Grace Butler, Luis Amália, Miles Horsham Batley, Andrew McDonald
Synopsis: Set in 1959, ‘A Simple Twist of Fate’ sees a young waitress named Adele catering to the host of a lavish New Year’s Eve party. What seemed like a simple job has her caught in a plot for revenge between a father and son.
Animali | Germany | 2020 | 14’
Director: Elisabeth Wilke
Writers: Elisabeth Wilke, Nina Moog
Producers: Hochschule für Fernsehen und Film München
Cast: Emma Rizzo, Giorgia Nassuato, Marcello Nassuato
Synopsis: During a sweltering summer in Rome, Emma explores her neighborhood next to the train tracks. Emma plays ball in the street, watches trains, teases her sister, and serves lunch in a nearby restaurant. She wanders to discover dogs, cats, and elephants. Along the way, Emma makes some magic.
Land of Pyrite // Land of Gold | United States | 2020 | 18’
Director: Stephen Nigro
Writer: Stephen Nigro
Producers: Abby Urban, Madison Stevens
Cast: Zach Tinker, Jill Renner, Steve Voldseth, Christine Kellogg-Darrin
Synopsis: A young private detective is handed his first case by a family friend. Despite his best intentions, he quickly finds himself in over his head and involved in unexpected ways. Land of Pyrite // Land of Gold is a short film about land-use, Los Angeles, and a young man forced to confront his privilege.
Woods in The Rain | China | 2020 | 12’
Director: Jim Zou
Writer: Jim Zou
Producers: Jim Zou, Chengying Zou
Cast: Izel Chen, Wenjing Shi
Synopsis: Two strangers, a divorced woman and a traveling girl with a mysterious past, gradually form a bond while the sadness in both of their memories is revealed.
The Master | China | 15’
Director: Yinghao Li
Writers: : Yinghao Li & Leyao Gao
Producer: Haibo Liu
Cast: Ma Jin
Synopsis: A knowledgeable homeless suddenly become an internet influencer because of a speech video, however, he gradually loses himself.
Trailer – Official Selection – December 2020
The Last Wolves | Spain | 2020 | 02’
Director: Iker Bilbao
Writer: Iker Bilbao
Producer: Iker Bilbao
Cast: Daniel Ferreiro
Synopsis: In 2236, a group who have renounced society, will face the extinction of the human race.
Infected | Spain | 2020 |04’
Director: Alfonso Moreno
Writer: Alfonso Moreno
Producer: Alfonso Moreno
Synopsis: A dystopian glimpse into the fall of contemporary western society by Madrid punk band A.C.T., animated and directed by 21 year Minneapolis resident Alfonso Cronopio.
