
Amateur Short – Official Selection – July 2020
Overbridge | India | 2020 | 10’
Directors: Nihar Kapoor, Amshu Chukki
Writers: Nihar Kapoor, Amshu Chukki
Producers: Nihar Kapoor, Amshu Chukki
Cast: Umesh Maddanahalli, Mamta Sagar, Raghu Wodeyar
Synopsis: Prabhu, a middle-aged office going man’s life spirals out of control as he keeps returning to an overbridge where he witnesses an incident.
B E A T | United States | 2020 | 06’
Director: Rich Monteiro
Writer: Tay Jones
Producers: Tay Jones, Julia Armine, Lexx Truss, Justin Uchendu
Cast: Tay Jones, Ricky Flowers Jr
Synopsis: Marcus struggles with trying to correct his path.
Animation Short – Official Selection – July 2020
Play to Prey | United States | 2020 | 15’
Director: Seren C Moran
Writer: Seren C Moran
Producer: Seren C Moran
Cast: N/A
Synopsis: A three part animated film that chronologically reenacts non-fiction incidents of sexual assault.
MY TAGALONG | Canada | 2020 | 07’
Director: Jerry WANG
Writer: Jerry Wang
Producer: Jerry Wang
Cast: Jerry Wang
Synopsis: A story about two Gemini brothers’ journey on the earth. The Older brother wants to enjoy the trip himself, but his younger brother always follows him and makes a lot of troubles.
Ya Hoota | Qatar | 2019 | 12’
Directors: Latifa Al-Darwish, Abdulaziz Yousef
Writers: Latifa Al-Darwish, Abdulaziz Yousef
Producer: Ben Robinson
Synopsis: A little girl attempts to save the moon from a gigantic whale along with her cousin. Would she succeed?
Unsquare | United States | 2020 | 06’
Director: Meiting Wang
Synopsis: Unsquare is a 2D animation about how society rejects people and/or things that are different from the “norm.” An individual whose personality departs from social norms will either cave to the social force and become normative or maintain him/herself and accept the consequence of social abandonment. Even with such high stakes, the protagonist in Unsquare ultimately chooses to maintain his own authentic personality.
Wake Up | Puerto Rico | 2020 | 04’
Director: Monica Rodriguez
Writer: Monica Rodriguez
Cast: Yulissa Diaz, Benjamin Ramos
Synopsis: Sara, a young call center representative, dreams of being a content creator but her middle-aged coworker pesters her for not focusing on her tasks and it is up to her to stay or leave her nightmarish office job.
In My Particular Case | Uruguay | 2020 | 05’
Director: CHICO JOFILSAN
Writers: Chico Jofisan, Duda Fonseca
Synopsis: In a world in which focus no longer stands out dispersion occupies the foreground. This is the theme of this film that shows different resources of animation in adapting to the rhythm of our minds. After all, what other art, if not animation, can shape so many imaginary worlds?
The Metamorphosis | United States | 2020 | 05’
Director: KAIFU LIU
Writer: KAIFU LIU
Synopsis: An animated short film that explores people’s emotions in society
Heal | United States | 2020 | 10’
Director: Ysabel Congying Li
Writer: Ysabel Congying Li
Synopsis: “Heal” is an animated story of a man who tries to find the missing wings of a newborn bird. It uses unconventional imagery to convey an oppressive society and one man’s escape from it. The art style of the film involves surrealistic visuals, similar to Salvador Dali’s artwork, to support the themes of the film.
Children Short – Official Selection – July 2020
Deep Fears | United States | 2020 | 04’
Director: Ryan Chu
Writer: Ryan Chu
Synopsis: A sea otter who is afraid of the ocean is challenged to face his fears when he loses his precious pink shell necklace at sea.
Twin Trees | France | 2020 | 05’
Director: Emmanuel Ollivier
Synopsis: A brother and sister walk along, each carrying a tree in a small pot. When they come accross a parrot and a fallen statue, they each have to choose their own journey.
The Days We Share | United States | 2020 | 17’
Director: Chantal Gabriel
Writer: Chantal Gabriel
Producers: Chantal Gabriel, Daniele Gabriel, Judy Elkins, Shantraie Rodriguez
Cast: Nelisa Nieto, Megan Ramon, Jason Sanchez
Synopsis: A passive, high school artist’s friendship with her bold but insecure best friend becomes more strained when her best friend has other ideas on how they should adjust to their first year of high school together.
Commercial /Ad/TVC – Official Selection – July 2020
Ingenue | Italy | 2020 | 02’
Director: Luca Mariani
Writers: Luca Mariani and Francesca Antolini
Cast: Giovanna Gentilomo
Synopsis: Through Alice’s work, “Ingenue”, we’ll look at the Wall&decò’s 2020 Contemporary Collection, leading wallpaper brand in Italy. A world where you can get lost, with candor and simplicity, but in which you’ll always be sure to meet each other once again.
Tribit – Unleash the True Sound | 2019 | 02’
Director: Daniel Sorochkin
Writer: Daniel Sorochkin
Producer: Daniel Sorochkin
Cast: Andrew Carter (aka Dr.Ew)
Synopsis: Competing against brands like Bose, JBL and more, Tribit wanted to create a commercial that would tell a relatable and powerful narrative, and convey a fun, engaging experience. They asked me to pitch a concept that would create the feel that your world transforms once you use Tribit’s bluetooth speaker. The idea was to use the product in the story as the device that transforms the character’s world. It was important that there’s a strong hook that makes you want to watch it until the end. The funnest part of the video was to create the seamless transition from the protagonist dancing in his room during the day, to have the wall fall revealing he is now at a rooftop party at night. That transition is important for the character development and achievement. The protagonist goes an extra step in his journey – at first he couldn’t dance, then the product gets him to dance like a pro, and finally he dances like a pro where he most wanted to – in front of people, showing off his skills, and now owning his craft.
Documentary Short – Official Selection – July 2020
Dry Tears of the Aral | Russian Federation | 2020 | 03’
Director: Danila Volkov
Writer: Danila Volkov
Producers: Danila Volkov, German Artemov, Valera Tsygankov
Synopsis: Environmental experts have rung the death knell for the Aral Sea in Central Asia. The world’s fourth largest lake in 1960, the Aral Sea has already shrunk to half its former size – a result of unsustainable cotton cultivation that began less than 40 years ago. But though the sea itself can no longer be saved, its toxic salt plains have paradoxically given rise to a new spirit in the region. The Aral Sea is only the epicentre of the “tragedy”, as Central Asians commonly refer to this legacy of environmental misuse; the damage has also consumed thousands of surrounding square kilometers. Called “the most staggering disaster of the twentieth century” by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Aral Sea basin intersects all five Central Asian republics – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – which lie in a 690,000-square-kilometer landlocked zone.
The Wave | Jamaica | 2020 | 20’
Director: Julian Sonntag
Writer: Julian Sonntag
Producer: Julian Sonntag
Synopsis: The film follows the local skateboarding and surfing scene in Jamaica on their journey to the first street skatepark on the island. They get support by the Concrete Jungle Foundation and a team of international volunteers.
Valle del Silicio | United States | 2020-05-01 | 09’
Director: James Michael Douglas
Producer: Vince Williams
Synopsis: Silicon Valley follows the story of 12-year-old Wilson Chun who lives on the violent streets of Guatemala’s Zona 13. Wilson’s goal is to become a computer programmer to save his family from poverty. The one of a kind after school program “Cada Nino” might be his only chance of making his dreams a reality.
Siouxsie & the Virus | New Zealand | 2020 | 09’
Director: Gwen Isaac
Writer: Gwen Isaac
Producer: Philidda Perry
Cast: Dr Siouxsie Wiles
Synopsis: A science superhero with pink hair wages war on COVID-19 to convince an entire nation to lockdown. With time running out to fight the oncoming pandemic, an unconventional expert delivers vital information to a panicked public. Go behind-the-scenes as Dr Siouxsie Wiles faces a growing media storm from the confines of her family home. Siouxsie & the Virus is a unique insight into one woman’s countdown to a defining moment in New Zealand history. “I don’t regret for a minute standing up and playing this role.” – Dr Siouxsie Wiles
From… | Canada | 2020 | 11’
Director: Sepideh Yadegar
Producers: Deblekha Guin (Access to Media Education Society), Access to Media Education Society
Cast: Kim Villagante
Synopsis: This visual and musical feast sets the table for rich conversations about identity, belonging, creative expression, cultural appreciation + appropriation, and the complex terrain between intent, impact, and personal responsibility. Though Kim Villagante’s (aka Kimmortal) journey into the heart of who they are, and ‘what they love’ is doubtlessly unique, this story will deeply resonate with many 2nd generation immigrant youth. This short’s candid portrayal of the push/pull between adolescent pressures to conform, and ‘stand out’ also offers widely relatable gems of wisdom that can help us all along the way.
Heartbeating Times | Mexico | 2020 | 30’
Director: ALEJANDRA DIAZ, ESAUL FLORES DE A.
Synopsis: What do happy moments taste like? Eva, an 82-year-old woman who returns to the theater, shares emotions and learnings with a group of young people while they live the creation and presentation of the performance. Infecting other seniors with the emotion of reliving happy memories and inspiring young people to dialogue through art.
My Bad Sister | United Kingdom | 2020 | 14’
Directors: Joe Magowan, Charlie France
Cast: Polly Duniam, Sophie Duniam, Millie Duniam
Synopsis: Polly and Sophie Duniam are South East London’s infamous twin sisters who form the duo My Bad Sister. Since early childhood they’ve performed alongside each other as back-up dancers, child actors and MCs. In the last decade the pair’s ferocious energy and tight-knit relationship has earned them a name on the free-party and festival circuit, rapping and dancing in sync over gabber, bassline and jungle influenced beats. Joe Magowan and Charlie France’s short documentary follows Polly and Sophie as they make their way to gigs in Leeds, Berlin and Brixton, accompanied by their younger sister and unofficial manager Millie, who tries to keep her older siblings’ intense and fiery passion from boiling over.
Experimental Video Short – Official Selection – July 2020
Baby Lies Truthfully | United Kingdom | 2020 | 07’
Director: Joseph Ingham
Writer: David Robilliard
Cast: Russell Tovey
Synopsis: It’s 1987. David Robilliard is a young artist and writer in London. His work is raw as it is refreshing. It’s coarse but laceratingly clever exploring everything from dating and sex to depression and loss. Gilbert & George dub their protégé and assistant “the new master of the Modern person. Looking, thinking, feeling, seeing, bitching – he brilliantly encapsulates the “Existers” spirit of our time”. But just as his work is gaining traction David receives a diagnosis. Within the year he’s dead. He’s 36. AIDS has claimed another victim. Fast forward thirty-three years and the world is in midst of another pandemic. David’s work is about to be released onto the screen and into the world. It’s as compelling and compulsive today as it was in 1987. Voiced by Russell Tovey (Years & Years, The Pass, History Boys) and directed by Joe Ingham (Invisible Women) with a score crafted by the Helen Noir (Theo Adams Company) and featuring material from Jim Hubbard, Therese Fare and Jack Deveaux amongst others, BABY LIES TRUTHFULLY combines drama and documentary to create something unique as David himself. Russell Tovey says: “David Robilliard didn’t like to perform his own poetry live, so instead he recruited people to perform them for him, so to be asked to perform this piece ‘Swallowing Helmets’ by David was an honour that feels completely within the spirit of Robilliard’s work.” Joe Ingham says: “Much of David’s work isn’t too be found in archives or gracing the walls of galleries. The number of people who know about David and his work is sadly dwindling. He was another queer visionary whose light was vanquished all too soon. Like many others, it is a tragedy to think about what he could and would have achieved. I want a new audience to discover his wit, warmth and wisdom.” Gilbert & George says: “The choice of the delicious Mr. Tovey is a masterstroke. David Robilliard was the sweetest, kindest, most infuriating, artistic, foul-mouthed, witty, sexy charming, handsome, thoughtful, unhappy, loving and friendly person we ever met. Over the nine years of our friendship David came closer to us than any other person. He will live forever in our hearts and minds. His truthfulness, sadness, desperation and love of people gave his work a brilliance and beauty that stands out a mile.” Praise for Baby Lies Truthfully: “Baby Lies Truthfully has a Warhol-like immediacy, with flashes of Derek Jarman’s eclectic fleetingness.” Robert Cochrane “Wonderful – haunting, evocative and really quite beautiful.” Paul Flynn
Homesick | United States | 2020 | 15’
Director: Samantha Shay
Cast: Danielle Agami
Synopsis: HOMESICK is a short dance film and a viscerally tangible story of a woman and her compulsive, introverted desire for connection. Starring dancer & choreographer Danielle Agami (Batsheva Dance Company, Ate9), with music by Sara Flindt (ZAAR) and directed by Samantha Shay, Homesick is a cinematic interpretation of Agami’s solo performance “Framed”, which is centered around a break up, and the nomadic life of an artist. Not only a rounded portrait of a dancer, but of a woman inhabiting an ever evolving emotional environment, Homesick utilises the medium of dance to externalise, express, and even explain the harmony, synchronicity, and stutter of the interpersonal.
Aphrodite | Russian Federation | 2020 | 03’
Director: Kalyuzhnaya Anastasia, Kochergina Maria
Writer: Kochergina Maria
Producers: Kochergina Maria , Kaluzhnaya Anastasia
Cast: Evdokimova Iraida
Synopsis: In the light of the promotion of equality, we forget about the polarity that is given to us by nature. This opposite is shown in the difference of energy, demonstration of which is not immediately noticeable in the metropolis. Megapolis removes the gender and equates male and female energy. But only by losing the necessity of society, we can understand our origins and feel freedom. Aphrodite is the oldest image of a woman who has hardly escaped herself from the gravity of society – an example that is not outdated at all. The example of the real woman which is relevant for the present time. She showed how nature and the acceptance of the self-energy can overcome rejection by society and get the title of the Goddess of Love. Lina can’t find a common ground with the city where she lives. Mental desolation becomes a habitual guide of her reality. Lack of similar attitudes and approaches to life from people around and the noisy city motivates her to leave away. By reaching the place of power, Lina notices a group of young women who are spending time in a meadow near the river. They are dressed almost the same, they have the same physique, but all of young women have different faces. Lina decides to join the mysterious company.
AFFIXED | Australia | 2020 | 09’
Director: HIMANSHI HANDA
Writer: HIMANSHI HANDA
Cast: SHALANE CONNORS, BEN HAMILTON
Synopsis: Affixed is a short experimental film which explores how obsession traverses in the mind, submerging one in a repetitive rhythm . Xara is a personification of obsession who finds her muse in Ben and makes him obsessed with a particular tune of music. The film is divided into three chapters with each chapter exploring what obsession does in a person’s mind in stages. The elements which Xara interacts with is a metaphorical representation of various human emotions.
Luna | Sweden | 2020 | 08’
Director: Niklas Hermansson
Writer: Niklas Hermansson
Producer: Niklas Hermansson
Cast: Herman Mild
Synopsis: Klas goes back to a remote forest to better document a previous experience.
Transfigured | United States | 2020 | 01’
Director: Andy Ramirez
Cast: Laura Danko
Synopsis: A young woman undergoes a dark and sinister transformation.
Mini Video Short – Official Selection – July 2020
Ham | France | 2020 | 03’
Directors: Bob FOKOUA, Louise FERRY
Writers: Louise FERRY
Cast: Louise FERRY, Charles LAGRANGE
Synopsis: A couple is doing groceries at a supermarket. Her mind seems somewhere else – while he is losing his patience. The ham shelf turns out to be the perfect occasion for an unexpected announcement.
This Summer | United Kingdom | 2020 | 02
Director: Galina Chakarova
Writer: Galina Chakarova
Producer: Galina Chakarova
Cast: Nusa Faric
Synopsis: Nat is working from home in isolation, when she falls into a daydreaming state reminiscing about the summer.
Lockdown with a Baby | Israel | 2020 | 02’
Director: LYR BEN-ARI
Writer: LYR BEN-ARI
Producer: LYR BEN-ARI
Cast: LIN BEN-ARI, RENE BEN-ARI, LYR BEN-ARI
Synopsis: A 2 minute Montage that summarises a day in a life of two young parents with their baby during the Coronavirus Lockdown. Just like the lockdown, as the day progresses it gets more frustrating for the young couple that find them selfs repeating their actions trying to relieve the boredom and take their mids of when will this all end and much more important, when will this baby fall asleep already?!
Behind the Curtain | Italy | 2020 |02’
Director: Giacomo Boeri, Matteo Grimaldi
Producer: Antonio Guarrella
Synopsis: The Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (National Chamber of Italian Fashion) presents Behind the Curtain, the latest fashion film directed and produced by the Milan-based Creativity Factory The Blink Fish. Shot to celebrate Milan Fashion Week AW20/21, Behind the Curtain reveals the secrets of a truly unusual backstage in one long take. A flawless choreography by Laccio takes us through the preparations for a catwalk on the (strictly green) runway of Milano Fashion Week. The different looks of the models were carefully selected by stylist Giulia Sanna with a focus on supporting the local design scene by featuring a wide range of brands based in Italy, from emerging to more established, namely Annakiki, The Attico, L’Autre Chose, GCDS, MSGM, Paula CademarAct N°1, Annakiki, Arthur Arbesser, Blazé Milano, Calcaterra, DROMe, Fantabody, Giannico, GCDS, Gilberto Calzolari, Marco de Vincenzo, Marco Rambaldi, Nico Giani, Sara Battaglia, Stella Jean, Tiziano Guardini, Vìen and Vivetta. The Blink Fish and the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana have been collaborating since 2016, developing an increasingly strong online presence with fresh and relevant video content with each fashion season. Some of their most recent works, such as Start the Buzz, Be Ready and Waiting Room, have been internationally recognised, selected and awarded by several film festivals, including Berlin Commercial, Aesthetica Short Film Festival and the LA Fashion Film Festival.
BOX | United Kingdom | 2020 | 03’
Director: Helmie Stil
Cast: Oliver Busch, Evie Busch, Lennert Busch, Helmie Stil
Synopsis: One family living their normal lives, in a five-sided box during lockdown.
Keep Rising Kolkata | India | 2020 | 03’
Director: Arjun Mukherjee
Writer: Arjun Mukherjee
Producer: Wunderman Thompson Kolkata
Synopsis: Kolkata is languid. Beautiful. Uplifting. It breathes slowly. Takes its time. And moves at its own pace. Yet this city knows how to fight, protest, raise a voice, stand together, and if needed even stay at home. This is a tribute to Kolkata during these tough times by people who love this city. Photographers, instagrammers, RJs, musicians, editors, CGI artists, advertising folks and most importantly friends came together to create this unhurried tribute to their home…from home. This is a crowd sourced film, from instagrammers and press photographers.
The Wolf | United States | 2020 | 03’
Director: Leah Loftin
Writer: Leah Loftin
Cast: Leah Loftin
Synopsis: In 1905, a mother mourns the loss of her daughter to influenza. Trapped in the home with her threatening husband, she seeks an escape from her pain.
Music Video – Official Selection – July 2020
In Front | Puerto Rico | 05’
Director: Oswaldo Colon Ortiz
Writers: Jorge E. Perez Torres, Oswaldo Colon Ortiz, Eduardo Benson
Producers: Oswaldo Colon Ortiz, Jorge E. Perez Torres
Cast: Jorge Perez Bras, Jorge E. Perez Torres
Synopsis: ‘In Front’ – ‘Al Frente’ – is a music/short documentary of a day in the life of Jorge Perez Bras (Father), who fights with a neurological disorder called Autoinmune Encephalitis, and his son, Jorge E. Perez Torres, who is one of his family caretakers. Visually you experience one day with both of them, all that which the father goes through and the daily routines of the son while taking care of him. Sonically we experience the song made by Las Abejas, lyrics written by Jorge E., which point of view is from a fully conscious father who observes as he reflects and experiences the effects of his condition on his mind and body.
Bésame Lento | Guatemala | 2020 | 04’
Director: Zzyzx
Producer: Vince Williams
Cast: Ranfis, Sage del Campo
Synopsis: Love is often only a fantasy so Kiss Me Slowly. KISS ME SLOWLY (English Lyrics) I finally gathered enough strength To try one more time again You look so well Didn’t know how to approach But the distance made me pay And hurt me even more I wanna see you again, again Kiss me slowly Kiss me slowly Kiss me slowly Kiss me slowly Now that we coincide tell me what would you do If we were finally left alone I see your pupils react as they expand When I see you in the eyes You know? When it rains even the moon Fits in a puddle of water And when your lips get closer, I swear That one is the devil and the other one is god Kiss me slowly Kiss me slowly Kiss me slowly Kiss me slowly
Andre Cahoun: Short Term | Canada | 2020 | 01’
Director: Andre Cahoun
Writer: Andre Cahoun
Producers: Andre Cahoun, Julian Lomaga
Cast: Andre Cahoun
Synopsis: Music video/Mini movie for “SHORT TERM” by Andre Cahoun.
Dermot Kennedy / Giants | Spain | 2020 | 04’
Director: Oriol Puig
Earth Odyssey – Asaf Avidan | Germany | 2020 | 05’
Director: Adi Halfin
Producers: Bobbi Jene Smith, Or Schraiber
Cast: Morgan Bobrow-Williams, Vinson Fraley, Mariko Kakizaki , Doug Letheren, Yiannis Logothetis, Rachael Osborne, Ian Robinson, Or Schraiber, Bobbi Jene Smith, Imre Van Opstal, Tom Weinberger, Leal Zielinska
Synopsis: Earth Odyssey was made by dancers from different continents filming themselves in their confinement with their personal phones and computers. It was made in the first week of April 2020 while almost 2 billion people around the globe were unable to move freely due to the restrictions imposed in an attempt to prevent the spread of the CoronaVirus.
Tom Deliver – Official Music Video | Australia | 2020 | 04’
Director: Rebecca Thomson
Producer: Monique Brumby
Cast: Monique Brumby
Synopsis: A music video for Tom Deliver, a song by Tasmanian singer/songwriter Monique Brumby.
Narrative Short – Official Selection – July 2020
TWO OPTIONS | France | 2020 | 10’
Director: Gon Caride
Writer: Gon Caride
Producers: Gon Caride, Arturo M. Merelo, Andrés Caride, Diane Malherbe
Cast: Jan Soja, Noël Faure
Synopsis: In the country of freedom, equality and fraternity, in this new Europe without borders, besieged by fear and intolerance, a polish immigrant will have to face the reality of racism.
Untouchability | India | 2020 | 07’
Director: Haresh Narayanan
Writer: Haresh Narayanan
Producer: Dilani Rabindran
Synopsis: When carrots become a rare commodity in their Chennai suburb, Moorthy learns what his longtime neighbor & acquaintance, Ragavan, really thinks of him.
Consolation | Russian Federation | 2020 | 21’
Director: Lina Asadullina
Writer: Lina Asadullina
Producer: Lina Asadullina
Synopsis: A female translator of the Greek language from time to time has sex at nights in cars with some occasional taxi drivers. She doesn’t meet them anymore. But one enchanted taxi driver migrant (a person born in former Soviet Republic – Georgia) is trying to find her and he is detained by the police instead. Only this beautiful stranger can help him…But she has to overcome her fears and hang-ups in order to help him.
Champion | Mexico | 2020 | 18’
Director: Oscar Rodriguez Gorriz
Writers: Oscar Rodriguez Gorriz, Miguel Valdez-Lopez
Producer: Ana Medellin
Cast: Miguel Sierra Martínez, Fernanda Arredondo, José Roberto Cáceres, Alejandra Pier Galindo, Federico Gramlinch Pérez, Eugenio Elizondo Chapa, Sergio Quiñones
Synopsis: As a young runner prepares for the big race, the strain from his parents’ push for excellence puts his love of the sport to test.
Happy Birthday, My Love | Slovakia | 2020 | 22’
Director: Jana N.
Writer: Jana N.
Producers: Jana N., Rick McCallum, Joseph Weintraub, Pavla Prunerova
Cast: Klara Issova, Nicholas Pinnock, Sergej Onopko
Synopsis: On the night of their shared birthday, Veronika and John N. get a present they don’t want to be given. Happy Birthday, My Love is an absurd drama with a gun, sugar-free gummy bears and threesome that didn’t happen. Veronika and John N. play sex games on the night of their shared birthday. And this year seems to be no different. While the couple is waiting for a stranger to join them in the play, the rules of the game, as well as the story of their marriage, are unwinding. John, seemingly nervous to team up with another male force in bed, in fact hires a hitman. Veronika, a pretty good player herself, finds out about his plan and secretly doubles the offer. As it is their last night together, they play accordingly. But, there is one more player who wants them both dead. Happy Birthday, My Love is an absurd drama with a gun, gummy bears and threesome that didn’t happen.
Focal Point | United States | 2020 | 15’
Directors: Matthew Devlin, Kyle Reardon
Writer: Matthew Devlin
Producers: Matthew Devlin, Mehdi Darlis
Cast: Henri Mossiat , Tatum Nickerson, Jennifer Shea, Craig Capone
Synopsis: When Lucas finds himself battling a potential lifetime of epilepsy. He strives to live the life of a normal kid, despite the unique obstacle he now faces.
Pê | Brazil | 2019 | 16’
Director: Patrick Hanser
Writers: Patrick Hanser, Kevin Hanser
Producers: Giovanna Castellari, Giulia Valente
Cast: Pedro Henrique Lima, Matheus Guerra, Leticia Sobral
Synopsis: Two brothers, one with dyslexia, the other having a hard time accepting his brother as he is, discover the meaning of brotherhood as they move to a dead-end street after their father’s death.
Bare trees in the mist | Nepal | 2019 | 15’
Director: Rajan Kathet
Writer: Rajan Kathet
Producer: Prajjwal S.J.B. Rana
Cast: Laxmi Bardewa, Sarita Giri, Jeevan Baral, Nisum Limbu, Kashib Karki
Synopsis: Kaali and her young son hear that a villager who returned home from abroad has brought them gifts. At first Kaali rejects this possibility outright. But a combination of poverty, desperation and hope eventually makes her walk miles to greet him. At the onset of winter with no contact from her husband – himself somewhere in Arabia – Kaali finds herself on the brink.
TMARAMRLT | United States | 2020 | 07’
Director: Egor Barkanov
Writer: Pete Lynch
Producer: Pete Lynch
Cast: Mani Yarosh, Pete Lynch
Synopsis: As they go about their work, an assassin couple discuss their physical and existential futures in this poetically-written dark comedy crime noir.
Soy No Soy | Denmark | 2019 | 19’
Director: Frederik Paludan
Writer: Frederik Paludan
Producer: Penelope Bjerregaard
Cast: Jacob August Ottensten, Karla Løkke, Laura Skjoldborg, Karla Rosendahl Rasmussen, Marie Reuther, Anne Hauger, Sofia Zoe Anissi, Albert Rosin Harson, Allan Christoffersen
Synopsis: On the first day at his new school, Mathias is given the worst possible homework: write an essay about yourself – in Spanish. The timid Mathias struggles to find the words. A minor identity crisis – en español – was not his idea of a good start. However, the essay is quickly put on hold, as he discovers that the deaf girl from school is spying on him. Mathias tries to suss out her motives, but learns that the espionage is about more than mere curiosity.
Metoo | Netherlands | 2020 | 14’
Director: Sophie Koster
Writer: Sophie Koster
Cast: Vasiliki Kanellopoulou, Melina Chrysanthopoulou, Sofia Zervakou, Katerina Mageraki, Pavlina Kalaitzoglou, Iris Mitreli, Beatrice Pellizzato, Ilaria Rivetti, Viviana Pacchin, Sara da Costa Pereira & Julia Chacón.
Synopsis: A dance tribute to the #Metoo movement. In this short dance film we follow different characters who go through a certain phase that a #MeToo victim has experienced. Including spoken texts that are written and inspired by #metoo victims that guide you through these phases: innocence, violence, silence…
Undo | Australia | 2020 | 16’
Director: Morteza Halimi
Writer: Morteza Halimi
Producer: Morteza Halimi
Cast: Jason McKell, Jacqui Story, Laneth Sffarlenn, Terrence Antoniak
Synopsis: Max creates a machine that can undo things. His journey to madness begins when he undoes his own unborn baby by mistake.
The Talk | United States | 07’
Director: Philip A. Anderson
Writer: Alexandra Keister
Producer: Alyssa Roehrenbeck, FJ Pratt
Cast: Raquell Mansell, Glenn McCumber, Jessi D. Walters
Synopsis: Marcelle has been living a lie and she knows it’s time to finally come out. Her words are bound to blindside her parents, but she’s determined to stay true to herself no matter what. That’s why today, she has…the talk.
Rum Go! | United States | 2020 | 22’
Director: Markus Thorington
Writer: Markus Thorington
Producer: Working Brilliantly
Cast: Joseph Lloyd Lopez, Glen McDougal, Pamela Munro, Liam Gallogly, Oksana Hollinger
Synopsis: The never-ending film… A man gets caught in a living nightmare after he becomes enamored with his best friend’s “far-fetched” fantasies. Possible pilot for 10 episode series “Rum Go!” Each episode featuring a peculiar narrative, intended to illustrate a fundamental spiritual truth. Episode 1… Cycle of Suffering
The Girl at the Window | 06’
Director: Des Kennedy
Writer: Lisa McGee
Producers: Lyric Theatre, BBC Northern Ireland
Cast: Anthony Boyle, Julie Lamberton
Synopsis: Shot during COVID-19 Lockdown using social distancing techniques. Jimmy has recently been bereaved and is packing up his parents’ belongings. As he works his way through the artefacts of his childhood home he starts to suspect he is being watched…
No/Low Budget – Official Selection – July 2020
THE DRIFTER – CHAPTER IV: THE TWINS | Canada | 2017 | 09’
Director: Michael Thai Nguyen
Writers: Michael Thai Nguyen, Walter H May
Producer: Judy Chui
Cast: Sergio Di Zio, Dmitry Chepovetsky, Krista Morin, Alex Cabrera-Aragon
Synopsis: Jenny is unhappy but not surprised by her twin brother being late again. And Quinn couldn’t even follow her simple instruction. As they move along their afternoon as best as they can, Jenny is getting increasingly frustrated. When their voices rise in a heated argument, a stranger appears and starts an innocent & inquisitive conversation, steering the twins’ afternoon into an unexpected turn.
The Morning After | United Kingdom | 2020 | 07’
Director: Alexander Machlouzarides-Shalit
Writer: Alexander Machlouzarides-Shalit
Cast: Gordon Peaston, Charlotte Whitaker
Synopsis: The morning after a one night stand, brings complications to a new relationship. (A Film based on a Directed Improv)
A Good Idea | Denmark | 2020 | 05’
Director: L. Csillag
Writer: L. Csillag
Producer: L. Csillag
Cast: Anine Lindvig, Lasse Fogelstrøm
Synopsis: Freja had a good idea the night before, but after waking up it’s gone. Frustrated for not writing it down, Freja goes on a little quest to remember what the brilliant idea was.
The Ballerina | Australia | 2020 | 05’
Director: Scott White
Writer: Scott White
Cast: Paige Langford, Vicki Gard, Matias Klaver
Synopsis: What does it mean to be truly successful in any art form? When a young girl returns home she must deal with her mother and traditional attitudes in order to rekindle her love for dance.
The Space | United Kingdom | 2020 | 05’
Director: Poppy Angel O’Hagan
Writer: Poppy Angel O’Hagan
Producers: Rosie Robinson, Nell Gordon-Hall
Cast: Belle O’Hagan, Cassia Crimin
Synopsis: You would never be as nasty to others as you are to yourself. This is the story of creating space in your head. This is not a story of learning to love yourself, but one about learning to be KIND to yourself.
Tato Taty | Singapore | 2020 | 06’
Director: Dagomir Kaszlikowski
Writers: Stefan Nimmrichter , Dagomir Kaszlikowski
Producer: Dagomir Kaszlikowski
Cast: Dagomir Kaszlikowski
Synopsis: A day in a life of an estranged father during a pandemic lockdown. His teenage daughter nags him to make a telephone call to someone they both know. Reluctant at first, he dons a vintage leather jacket, police shades and dials a peculiar number on an old rotary phone. The call is brief but the next morning he is a different man.
Overbridge | India | 2020 | 10’
Directors: Nihar Kapoor, Amshu Chukki
Writers: Nihar Kapoor, Amshu Chukki
Producers: Nihar Kapoor, Amshu Chukki
Cast: Umesh Maddanahalli, Mamta Sagar, Raghu Wodeyar
Synopsis: Prabhu, a middle-aged office going man’s life spirals out of control as he keeps returning to an overbridge where he witnesses an incident.
My Bad Sister | United Kingdom | 2020 | 14’
Directors: Joe Magowan, Charlie France
Cast: Polly Duniam, Sophie Duniam, Millie Duniam
Synopsis: Polly and Sophie Duniam are South East London’s infamous twin sisters who form the duo My Bad Sister. Since early childhood they’ve performed alongside each other as back-up dancers, child actors and MCs. In the last decade the pair’s ferocious energy and tight-knit relationship has earned them a name on the free-party and festival circuit, rapping and dancing in sync over gabber, bassline and jungle influenced beats. Joe Magowan and Charlie France’s short documentary follows Polly and Sophie as they make their way to gigs in Leeds, Berlin and Brixton, accompanied by their younger sister and unofficial manager Millie, who tries to keep her older siblings’ intense and fiery passion from boiling over.
Luna | Sweden | 2020 | 08’
Director: Niklas Hermansson
Writer: Niklas Hermansson
Producer: Niklas Hermansson
Cast: Herman Mild
Synopsis: Klas goes back to a remote forest to better document a previous experience.
Transfigured | United States | 2020 | 01’
Director: Andy Ramirez
Cast: Laura Danko
Synopsis: A young woman undergoes a dark and sinister transformation.
B E A T | United States | 2020 | 06’
Director: Rich Monteiro
Writer: Tay Jones
Producers: Tay Jones, Julia Armine, Lexx Truss, Justin Uchendu
Cast: Tay Jones, Ricky Flowers Jr
Synopsis: Marcus struggles with trying to correct his path.
The Wolf | United States | 2020 | 03’
Director: Leah Loftin
Writer: Leah Loftin
Cast: Leah Loftin
Synopsis: In 1905, a mother mourns the loss of her daughter to influenza. Trapped in the home with her threatening husband, she seeks an escape from her pain.
Short Comedy – Official Selection – July 2020
Dead People Problems | Australia | 2020 | 13’
Director: Paul William Dawkins
Writer: Paul William Dawkins
Producers: Paul William Dawkins, Allison Fenwicke
Cast: Lauren Hamilton Neill, Lauren Grimson, Sam Glissan
Synopsis: A brother and sister find out that the dead can be just as – if not more – annoying than the living. They will have to survive some real horror, and also some really, really annoying horror.
Acting Stupid | Israel | 10’
Director: Lyr Ben Ari
Writer: Lyr Ben Ari
Producer: Yarden Avriel
Cast: Udi Persi, Lyr Ben Ari, Kai Peker, Moti Tigar
Synopsis: Matan (35) is a committed actor preparing for his role as an undercover police officer in a new TV series. As part of his character work, he grows a mustache and tries cocaine for the first time in his life. He tests out his improvisation skills with an unpredictable young drug dealer. But he soon learns that unlike the movies; in real life there’s no one to shout “CUT” when things are getting out of control.
“Toxic Kiss presents: Achtung, Mein Kunst (A Story of Fringe Dwellers)” | Australia | 2019| 19’
Director: Josh Mawer
Writers: Richie Black, Clare Hennessy
Producers: Richie Black, Clare Hennessy , Stephanie Begg
Cast: Richie Black, Clare Hennessy, Stephanie Begg, Jodine Muir, Steve Maresca , Alexis Orosa
Synopsis: A new Australian mockumentary that’s a loving ode to the fringe art scene, “Achtung, Mein Kunst” follows the misadventures of a fictitious theatre company and their quest for artistic nirvana (the proverbial “kunst”). Ahead of their acceptance into the “Fringe-Dwellers Festival”, the theatre troupe “Toxic Kiss” have been approached by a German television crew to film their process. The company’s founder Margot Koch (played by Clare Hennessy) is sure that the documentary will be a recording of their success (accolades and approval of her peers). But disaster, general incompetence and her own ego stand between her and glory. Along with her hapless collaborator Benedict J. Jay-Jaye (played by Richie Black), she must find the resolve to conquer a lack of time, resources, talent and an audience to discover sublime kunst. The series is composed of five web episodes of approximately 2-4 minutes each. It is framed as “Achtung, Mein Kunst”, the title of the documentary made by a “German Art Collective”. Directed by Josh Mawer. Written and performed by Clare Hennessy and Richie Black. With Stephanie Begg, Jodine Muir, Steve Maresca and Alexis Orosa.
7 Steps to Inspire Creative Writing | United States | 19’
Director: Zebulon Griffin
Writer: Zebulon Griffin
Producers: Zebulon Griffin, Cory Messer, Chaysen Beacham
Cast: Rachel Keaton, Mathew Weitz
Synopsis: A politely crazed fan secretly intervenes in the life of her new favorite novelist. Her clandestine actions yield unintended consequences driving the author to the brink of madness.
Short Drama – Official Selection – July 2020
My Dad | Iceland | 2019 | 15’
Directors: Margrét Kjærnested, Sigfús Heiðar Guðmundsson
Writer: Margrét Kjærnested
Producers: Margrét Kjærnested, Kristinn Örn Elfar Clausen, Maria Araceli, Sigfús Heiðar Guðmundsson
Cast: Kristinn Örn Elfar Clausen, Aldís Amah Hamiltion
Synopsis: Þór and his girlfriend Hildur go through a parents worst nightmare as their child dies during labor. As Hildur deals with this loss in healthy way Þór’s toxic masculinity prevents him from opening up about how he truly feels and loses Hildur in the process.
Anagnorisis | Spain | 2018 | 15’
Director: Arturo Dueñas Herrero
Writer: Laurentino J. Dueñas Herrero
Producer: Laurentino J. Dueñas Herrero
Cast: Julio Lázaro, Carlos Pinedo , Olga Mansilla
Synopsis: A new doctor has just arrived at a nursing home, where he meets a patient tormented by a past which he cannot remember. This doctor will help him do it, without anticipating the consequences.
Cold Mind | United States | 2020 | 16’
Directors: Harrison Dove-Green, Austin Smith
Writers: Austin Smith, Harrison Dove-Green
Producers: Rachel Lebak, Vince Williams
Cast: Ryan Kaiser, Mia Ritter
Synopsis: After surviving a massive cave-in, a coal miner must face his inner demons in order to free himself, all with a canary at his side.
The Wolf | United States | 2020 | 03’
Director: Leah Loftin
Writer: Leah Loftin
Cast: Leah Loftin
Synopsis: In 1905, a mother mourns the loss of her daughter to influenza. Trapped in the home with her threatening husband, she seeks an escape from her pain.
Someone | Japan | 2020 | 27’
Director: Ai Kawamata
Writer: Ai Kawamata
Producer: Eiji Kitahara
Cast: Saki Tanaka
Synopsis: One day, Yuko receives a divorce notice signed by her husband who had already left their apartment. Being struggle to put her stamp on it to agree to a divorce, she goes to work and make and sell stamps for customers. She is asked by her elder sister to look after her nephew after work, and reluctantly spends half a day with him. While spending time with her nephew, Yuko starts questions herself about “not having become a mother”, “non-returnable time with her husband”, and “her own future”.
Rationale | Canada | 2020 | 11’
Director: C. Blake Evernden
Writer: C. Blake Evernden
Producers: C. Blake Evernden, Gianna Isabella
Cast: Douglas MacArthur
Synopsis: Late one wintry night, Douglass Haitner reminisces on his life and the meeting of his true love, his memories twisting and devolving, fighting to maintain his romantic vision in a dark world.
Back Then | Peru | 2020 | 15’
Director: Hernán Velit
Writer: Hernán Velit
Producer: Hernán Velit
Cast: Denise Arregui, Eduardo Camino
Synopsis: Lucia and Jorge, both in their forties, divorced and with one child each, had sex 5 months ago. One afternoon, in bed, they have for the first time a conversation about who are they and where they come from.
Le choix de Sofia | Canada | 2020 | 12’
Director: Alain Deslongchamps
Writer: Alain Deslongchamps
Producers: Eleni Larchanidou, Waheed Naddafi, Alain Deslongchamps
Cast: Véronique Gallant, Ray Blaze, Denis Fortin, Meliza Lejeune, Sasha Dominique
Synopsis: Sofia, a superwoman in a man’s world, a marketing specialist is trapped in an episode of her stressful daily life, overlooking herself until she hits a wall. The film sets up a parallel between Sofia’s life and the climate change problems, initiated through the denial of her soul for the benefit of our mass consumption society.
NA Y’A LUCKY | Italy | 2020 | 20’
Directors: Dione Roach, Uberto Rapisardi
Writers: Dione Roach, Uberto Rapisardi
Producers: Dione Roach, Uberto Rapisardi
Synopsis: At fourteen, Ryan is the bread-winner for an extended family of children who have been left by their parents attempting to reach Europe overland. The children live isolated in a development area, a fragmented village on the outskirts of a big city on the coast of Cameroon. Unable to make a living only by fishing, Ryan is also the head of a small gang of child-thieves. As he struggles with the responsibility of feeding and protecting his younger siblings we witness Ryan’s exile from childhood and the magical world it rep resents.
Student Short – Official Selection – July 2020
Non-negotiable | Colombia | 2020 | 15’
Director: Nestor Serrano
Writer: Nestor Serrano
Producer: Sara Jaramillo
Cast: Joan Henao, Nicolás Almanza , Daniela Gómez, Martha Liliana Calderon, María Paula Ruiz
Synopsis: It is Julia and Adonai’s Wedding. Román, a former police negotiator, is attending the wedding. His ex-girlfriend, Anaís, is attending too, given the fact that they are both friends of Julia. Suddenly, Anaís asks Román to help her out with a little issue involving the groom and bride. Turns out the little issue consists of Adonai holding Julia hostage and demanding the wedding to be cancelled. Román tries to negotiate with Julia’s mother to cancel the event, but soon finds out this will be impossible because of the great benefit everyone gets out of the wedding. When Adonai is about to crack and kill Julia and himself, Roman gets him to confess his big secret: He is gay. But Julia and her mother knew this all along, and nothing will stop them. Julia will be happily married.
Fata Morgana | Israel | 2019 | 12’
Directors: Daniella Bokor, Leanna Berkovitch
Writers: Leanna Berkovitch, Daniella Bokor
Producers: Bezalel academy of arts & design, Halel Gliksberg, Leanna Berkovitch, Daniella Bokor
Cast: Rachel Bat Adam, Cristina Luisa, Anna Barsky
Synopsis: Three women living life as nomads. Christina travels the world, Anna takes her daughter wherever she goes, and Rachel has made her home under a branch roof, in a tent and in a cave . What does each woman pack in her knapsack before she sets out on her own? The movie confronts the conflict between the stability of motherhood and life at home, and the yearning to wander
Pomodoro Feels | Egypt | 2020 | 04’
Director: Hana El Sadek
Writer: Hana El Sadek
Producer: Hana El Sadek
Cast: Helena Banerjee
Synopsis: A journey with Lola, dreamy and melancholic, illustrating her loss of physical feel. We go with her on a visual journey of expression of her world while revealing her secret to her boyfriend.
Inside · Outside | France | 2019 | 15’
Directors: Alice Boccara-Lefèvre, Charlotte Ballet-Baz
Synopsis: “In the letters, we cannot say our real name”. With Catherine, we discover some precious and surprising epistolary relationships. For almost 25 years, she had been corresponding with incarcerated persons, whose words inhabit her apartment. Another voice, from a former female inmate, echoes her.
We Robbed Jorge. | France | 2020 | 14’
Synopsis: We Robbed Jorge is a social drama in which a group of young mexicans try to make a living in a tough neighborhood of Mexico City
Down Deloro River | Canada | 2020 | 13’
Director: Josh Wood
Writers: Josh Wood, Alec Macri
Producer: Paige Currie
Synopsis: On the run after looting a prospector, William makes his way down a river to Deloro Ontario where a man will trade gold for cash. After taking cover in this mysterious man’s cabin, William soon realizes he isn’t so much interested in his gold, but something much more valuable.
Jericho | United States | 2020 | 12’
Direcor: Tiffany Joy Taylor
Writer: James Michael Douglas
Producers: Jasmine Thompson, Vince Williams
Cast: Tiffany Vordjorbe, Anthony Barker, Frances Owens, Rashaan McMillan, Philip Wrencher, Mia Carr
Synopsis: An amateur boxer must overcome her family’s discouragement to seek a career in pro boxing.
Rabbit and the Snare | Canada | 2019 | 13’
Directors: Calum Hotchkiss, Gemma Eva
Writer: Gemma Eva
Producer: Gemma Eva
Cast: Martin Ouellette, Kitu Turcas
Synopsis: During the turn of the 20th century, a man contemplates life when he falls into isolation after the death of his young daughter. He is forced to survive a snowy Canadian winter while accompanied by an unusual companion.
I Want Candy | United States | 2019 | 22’
Director: Diego Riley
Writers: Diego Riley, Will Buckley, Tommy Hauldren
Prodcers: Diego Riley, Will Buckley
Cast: Tess Finley, Rob Nagle, Matt Mitchell, Olivia Gill, Katie Chang, Eliamani Ishmael, Miguel Garcia, Diego Riley, Paul Hartel, Julie Bergman
Haute Couture | United States | 2020 | 08’
Director: Wells Watson Jr.
Writers: Thomas Monsellato, Wells Watson Jr.
Producers: Ethan Kobrin, Jessica Zheng, Alec Cohen-Schisler
Cast: Andy Johnson, Jessica Tanir, Tyler Tripler, Cliff Lobrutto, Alice Kelly, Halley Dunn
Synopsis: As his model girlfriend becomes the focus of the fashion industry, a young, narcissistic fashion photographer, fearful for his status in the relationship, seeks to sabotage her prints and simultaneously her future.
Alex & Nadia Forever | Israel | 2020 | 20’
Director :Ronen Naor
Writer: Ronen Naor
Producer: Assaf Drori
Cast: Sandro Zildman, Xenia Dorfman
Synopsis: Drenched in guilt and longing to his beloved Nadia, who was murdered by an unknown killer, Alex secludes himself at home while her family mourn her in their home. Mysterious mail deliveries to Nadia often arrive, easing his loneliness. Old videos of them on his phone make him miss her until it hurts. Out of the house windows he can see the woods where she was murdered and it hunts his mind. As a coping mechanism, Alex starts to slowly take on her identity. First he puts her jewelry on, then cuts his hair like her and eventually puts on her yellow dress. Slowly he starts redecorating the house, covering the walls with paintings of the smiley faces she used to love. In his despair, Alex decides to go out to the infernal woods and attempt to end up with the same fate as Nadia’s, but the unknown man who appears from the darkness passes over him. Eventually Alex decides to go share his sorrow with her family, while looking like her. At first they don’t know how to react to his bizarre appearance but the hardship and sorrow force them to allow him some room.
械化/Mechamorphosis (International Version) | China | 2020 | 15’
Director: Bowen Tan
Writers: Bowen Tan, Roderick Rascoe
Producer: Ben Clerveaux
Cast: Jie Liu, Yalin Wang, Xiaoyang Rong, Wenping Wang, Minghao Fu
Synopsis: At the dawn of Chinese Robotic era, in a world where robot-human symbiosis and educational pressures collide, Yining, a young schoolboy learns to cope with the rigors of family pressure and mechanical success.
Kobi’s Toast | United Kingdom | 2020 | 04’
Director: Pei Yi Tong
Synopsis: Kobi is a hungry red squirrel who wants something to eat. When some toasts POP out and surprises Kobi, he discovers his new love for toast. Kobi goes on a trip to a toast world – and he only wants more!
I was still there when you left me | Belgium | 2019 | 23’
Director: Marie Mc Court
Writers: Marie Mc Court, Abdoulkarim Hamadi
Producer: Mediadiffusion
Cast: Anaé Romyns, Joël Bunganga
Synopsis: Lila, 7 years old, is saved by Karim, her young neighbor, from a fire she thinks she started. They take shelter in an apartment from where they see their tower burning. But when Karim realizes his friend is still in the building, he wants to go back. Out of his sight, Lila locks the door and hides the key of the apartment.
Clean Exit | Israel | 2020 | 19’
Director: Eyal Levine
Writer: Eyal Levine
Producers: Eyal Levine, Almog Hodedad
Cast: Eyal Levine, Rachel Karen Davis, Efrat Yosha, Yuri Levin, Almog Hodadad, Noe Elkayam
Synopsis: In a world where a huge company has monopoly on suicide, We follow Adam, On his last day on earth.
Short Fantasy/Sci-Fi – Official Selection – July 2020
Val | United States | 2020 | 20’
Director: Jeriel Yordan
Writers: Andrew Cathlin, Jeriel Yordan
Producers: Joshua C. Jackson, Gabriella Rodriguez, Evan Carrington, Matthew Walker
Cast: Alanna Sibrian, Kyle Seitz, Chris Korkalo, Candace Heidelberg-Denison
Synopsis: In a wasteland world a 16-year-old orphan commits a crime and is sent to do community service at a junkyard where she meets a junk-collecting creature, and through their interaction, he helps her discover her self-worth.
Where Do They Come From? | Austria | 2020 | 20’
Director: Manuel Hüttner
Writer: Manuel Hüttner
Producer: Harry Kemp
Cast: Lukas David Schmidt, Ariana Victoria Martín-Lobera, Gerulf Dösinger, Benjamin Bliemegger
Synopsis: Lukas’s simple, mundane life is turned upside down after meeting the girl of his dreams.
La Catrina | Mexico | 2019 | 23’
Director: Javier Porragas
Writers: Javier Porragas, Emerson Hill
Producers: Ritesh Matlani, Javier Porragas, Zach Houston
Cast: Kiara Quimera, Irakli Lomaia, Adelita Rockhill, Kaylah Zander
Synopsis: On Dia-De-Muertos, in the colorful city of San Miguel, an eleven-year old girl, Manuela, stays indoors to avoid all the celebrations and revelry on a night that honors the dead in all of Mexico. Still coping with the grief of her mother’s untimely death, Manuela refuses to participate in the building of altars that worship the dead, expressing the futility of the occasion as it won’t bring back the mother she lost. As Pilar, her grandmother, returns home from the carnival, to find a defeated and annoyed Manuela, she tries to console the little girl with a paper doll of La Catrina, an iconic character in Mexican culture. When Pilar retires for the night, an eerie feeling takes over the house as Manuela stands over the humble altar of her mother. Soon, the floor is covered with Marigold flowers. Standing tall and mighty in the living room in front of her is La Catrina. As the night passes, Manuela opens up and speaks of fond memories with her mother. As a parting gift, La Catrina hands Silvia’s dragonfly necklace to Manuela as a keepsake, reigniting her faith on the special day that went by because the dead aren’t dead, until they are forgotten.
Circadian | United States | 2020 | 11’
Director: Dylan Lunt
Writer: Dylan Lunt
Producer: Brie Seaton
Cast: Nikolas Mikkelsen, Nicole McClellan, Chelsea Patarini
Synopsis: A spaceship captain awakens to find his wife, and half the ship is missing, and struggles with the ship’s A.I. to discover the truth.
Short Horror – Official Selection – July 2020
Son of a human being| Russian Federation | 2020 | 10’
Director: Evgeny Vedrov
Writer: Evgeny Vedrov
Producers: Evgeny Vedrov, Roman Radkevich
Cast: Sergey Guzeev, Olesya Bondareva
Synopsis: A door slam wakes up a client of a small-town guest house in the middle of the night. Trying not to give himself away, he starts moving stealthily around the rooms in search of the one who woke him. But his journey turns into a mystic quest.
Midnight Movie : Magnum Opus | Tunisia | 13’
Director: Myriam Khammassi
Writer: Myriam Khammassi
Producer: Higher School of Audiovisual and Cinema
Cast: Aymen Ben Hamida
Synopsis: In his quest for the perfect sculpture, aiming to reproduce the human body and especially the flesh, Slim, a sculptor, will go as far as kill to create the perfect exposure, the perfect mix between pulp and clay.
Stop-Motion/Time-Lapse – Official Selection – July 2020
CNUT | Australia | 2020 | 04’
Directors: ARACOURT Studio, Courtney Westbrook
Writer: Barry Staff
Producer: Katherine Shearer
Synopsis: CNUT is a 3-minute stop motion animation exploring the conflict between nature and man’s technology. CNUT is inspired by the story of King Canute (or Cnut) who demonstrates to his subjects that even the most powerful human cannot control the impending tide or nature. We follow our well-dressed protagonist as he tirelessly battles with his environment and task of taking a good selfie. Will he succeed?
The Deadly Lupus Flower | Canada | 2019 | 11’
Director: Neil Warren
Writer: Neil Warren
Producer: Neil Warren
Cast: Chris Massoglia
Synopsis: A poor fisherman encounters a strange girl and is beset by werewolves while trying to help her.
Invention In C Major | United States | 2020 | 04’
Director: Richard D Lopez
Writer: Richard D Lopez, Alfi Alvarez
Producer: Richard D Lopez
Synopsis: Haunted by the music coming from inside her, a music machine comes face to face with reality when an unexpected visitor appears. Will her past dictate her future?