Animation Short – Official Selection – June 2020
Mime Your Manners | United States | 2020 | 04’
Directors: Kate Namowicz, Skyler Porras
Writers: Kate Namowicz, Skyler Porras
Producer: Ringling College of Art and Design
Synopsis: An arrogant man berates a mime. As a consequence, he is transformed into a mime until he learns to treat others how he would like to be treated.
Too Late | Canada | 2020 | 06’
Director: Roy Stein
Writer: Roy Stein
Producer: J.W. Cole
Synopsis: Deep into the small hours of the night, drenched in black coffee and paperwork, a lonely office worker’s sanity starts to slip away.
TOMAS. A TALE OF REDEMPTION Nº01 YEAR 2095 | Colombia | 2020 | 10’
Directors: Sandra Obando Morales, Tatiana Pinzon Salavarrieta
Writers: Diana Vanegas Márquez, Sara Vanegas Márquez, Sandra Obando Morales, Tatiana Pinzón Salavarrieta
Producer: Malpraxis Studio
Synopsis: In a post apocalyptic Bogotá, a man will do anything in order to get to Arcadia, the only place alive in the planet. No matter what it takes, he will take a series of decisions to save himself, until he is trapped by his own destiny.
Roamers | France | 2019 | 10’
Director: Simon Choupot
Writer: Simon Choupot
Synopsis: An autobiographical fresco retracing the different places where i traveled and lived. Compiled into a roaming story in mountains and villages.
Vegetables & Housing | Austria | 2020 | 05’
Director: Günter Puller
Writer: Günter Puller
Producer: Günter Puller
Synopsis: Vegetables & Housing is a short animated film opera by Günter Puller, who also wrote the libretto, composed the music, played the instruments and sang all the voices. The fact that the text is exclusively sung lends the event a fragile sensually poetic dimension that stands against an increasingly deadlocked rhetoric of discourses and attitudes. Inequality is dealt with on different levels in the film. This begins with the gender reassignment of the male waiting museum visitors and ends with the transformation of people into class warriors by a female greengrocer who appears with a vendor’s tray and demands social change.
The Society of Dads | United States | 2020 | 02’
Director: Christina Imbro
Cast: James Just, Collin Miller
Synopisis: When a man is told his wife is pregnant, he is dropped into the hall of the society of dads via recliner chair, nervous about his ability to be a good dad, he is thrown into dad-themed obstacles and, with the help of the world greatest dads, gains the confidence to face his fate.
Babble Bubble | United States | 2020 | 04’
Director: Richan Li
Producer: Pratt Institute
Synopsis: Norah’s head detaches from her body and is replaced with…different heads! Babble Bubble is a three and half-minute 2D animation which tells the story of a girl whose head detaches from her body and is replaced with different heads. It aims to portray a personal but not confessional mindset of not being mindful of daily life and splitting one’s identities and behaviors throughout different social media platforms. It is a reflection on the dissociation from self and intimacy in relationships that arises in response to hyper-mediated modern life.
Goalie | United States | 2020 | 03’
Director: Maarten Lemmens
Writer: Maarten Lemmens
Producer: Ringling College of Art + Design
Synopsis: A foosball table goalkeeper sees all the action happen on the other side of the field. In frustration he breaks away and tries to show his team and the other team that he is meant for more than just a goalkeeper. But he quickly realizes his position is an extremely vital part of the team.
DAD! | United States | 2020 | 02’
Director: Joel Erkkinen
Writer: Joel Erkkinen
Producer: Joel Erkkinen
Synopsis: A short film about the selflessness of the children we raise. All of us parents are stuck at home with our delightful offspring. They will be good citizens… eventually. Stay safe! Room Layout by Mike Owens Room Background by Ching Thao
Ironfin | United States | 2020 | 03’
Director: Chris Beausire
Producer: Chris Beausire
Synopsis: An airship-piloting drone repairman faces an enraged mechanical whale in a high-stakes chase above the clouds.
Monkey Thief | United States | 2020 | 06’
Cast: Macie M Ates, Jacob R Ates
Synopsis: Myles, a shy boy who musters the courage to face his bully, Dolores, and rescue his favorite toy from her. The ensuing battle ends prematurely as Myles makes a life-changing discovery.
Cycle | Canada | 2020 | 02’
Director: Dexter Stevens
Writer: Dexter Stevens
Synopsis: An explorer arrives at a mountaintop temple and is confronted by its guardian
Children Short – Official Selection – June 2020
Dream Store | Poland | 2020 | 26’
Director: Paweł Olearczyk
Writer: Paweł Olearczyk
Producer: Paweł Olearczyk
Cast: Bruno Grzeszykowski, Anna Dzierża, Paweł Kumięga, Andrzej Róg, Marta Kontny
Synopsis: Kacper visits the Dream Store for his 10th birthday.
Harriet and Ellie | United States | 2020 | 09’
Director: Wenhwa Tsao
Writer: Wenhwa Tsao
Producer: Wenhwa Tsao
Cast: Jodi Gage, Rehya Ciesla
Synopsis: Rheya wants to make sure that her mom, who is a Personal Chef, won’t use her pet goats for a new recipe.
The Little Hedgehog | United States | 2020 | 04’
Director: Wenju Chow
Producer: Wenju Chow
Synopsis: “The Little Hedgehog” is an animated short film. It’s a story about a hedgehog who doesn’t have spikes but tries to fit into other normal hedgehogs. This animation attempts to describe what it’s like to have a highly sensitive personality. I want people who have a sensitive personality to know that there are people in the world like you, and you are not alone.
Test Flight | Canada | 2020 | 04’
Director: Emma Momoko Frew
Synopsis: A bunny witch attempts to get her vegetable themed broomstick to fly.
Documentary Short – Official Selection – June 2020
Jennifer Wen Ma: Cry Joy Park—Gardens of Dark and Light | United States | 2019 | 08’
Directors: Dave Stewart Brown, Sixuan Geng
Producers: Tim McManus, Dave Stewart Brown
Synopsis: This is a short documentary film produced in conjunction with the exhibition “Jennifer Wen Ma: Cry Joy Park—Gardens of Dark and Light”. Cry Joy Park—Gardens of Dark and Light is an investigation into the construct of a utopia, inspired by the history of Charleston, South Carolina: a cultural and artistic capital of the American South, and an exemplar of its opulence and beauty. This installation aims to present both an alluring, gorgeous and otherworldly garden, and its darker counterpart. The installation features two separate gardens: a Dark one and a Light one, both representing a yin/yang balance between utopias and dystopias. About the Artist: Jennifer Wen Ma moved to the United States in 1986 and graduated with an MFA in 1999 from the Pratt Institute. Her practice draws together elements and cultural references in sensitive and unexpected ways, bridging such diverse media as installation, drawing, video, public art, design, performance, and theater. Trained as an oil painter, Ma was one of seven members of the core creative team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and received an Emmy Award for their broadcast. Her work has been shown around the world, including the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing; the Guggenheim Museum, New York; and the Metropolitan Museum, New York.
“World Premiere Video” – The Music Video that survived after Music Television didn’t | United States | 2020 | 12’
Diector: Mike J. Nichols
Writer: Mike J. Nichols
Producer: Mike J. Nichols
Cast: Mike J. Nichols
Synopsis: Over 30 years ago, a young filmmaker embarked on a mission to make a low budget Music Video using Super-8 film – This Music Video paid tribute and homages to the 1980’s Music Television channel, MTV. Inspired by Eddie Van Halen and Frank Zappa’s son, Dweezil, he borrowed a guitar and wrote his first song entitled, I WANT TO BE ON MTV – and thereafter attempted to make a music video spoofing MTV favorites like Bon Jovi, Van Halen and even the New Kids On The Block. Amazingly, MTV’s own Dweezil Zappa did a cameo in this Music Video. But… …a fire destroys all the Super-8 footage and all this time it has been presumed lost… for 30 years…. YET, during the COVID-19 SXSW shut down, The Zappa documentary lost it’s World Premiere so Mike J. Nichols – the editor of the Zappa documentary – finally found an old tape of this lost Super-8 footage and during confinement created his own surprisingly heartwarming mini documentary to turn his lost Super-8 film footage into a WORLD PREMIERE VIDEO!!!! This is an honest and feel-good testament to a time when the world loved Steven Spielberg and George Lucas and everyday kids could use Super-8 film to make their own dreams toward one day making it in Hollywood…
Birds without Wings | United States | 2020 | 25’
Director: Rishabh Thakkar
Writer: Rishabh Thakkar
Producer: Rishabh Thakkar
Synopsis: Two adults who grew up in the slums of Delhi strive to give new wings to the kids bounded by the shackles of poverty, drugs, and society.
Gaming: Oh, it’s a girl | United States | 2019 | 05’
Director: Nicole Chi
Writer: Nicole Chi
Producer: Nicole Chi
Synopsis: Five gamers share their experience as women in the gaming community.
Swipe Left: The Age of Disposable Relationships | United States | 2020 | 30’
Director: Amber Ostergaard
Writer: Amber Ostergaard
Cast: Jeffery Allen
Synopsis: A Documentary Exploring How Technology Has Changed Courtship and Communication in Romantic Relationships
Heart of the House | United Kingdom | 2019 | 08’
Director: Josiah Williams
Producer: Agnes Westerback
Cast: Philip Oliver
Synopsis: HEART OF THE HOUSE explores Philip Oliver a clockmaker from Knaresborough who is about to retire with no apprentice to take on his business. He has no choice but to shut down and sell all of his clocks. Philip takes us into the world of the dying craft he has loved so much for the last 30 years.
Maria | Argentina | 2020 | 20’
Directors: GISELA GORBALAN, FLORENCIA BOHTLINGK
Writers: GISELA GORBALAN, FLORENCIA BOHTLINGK
Producers: GISELA GORBALAN, FLORENCIA BOHTLINGK
Synopsis: María, a young Bolivian, mother of Made, a migrant woman who lives in Buenos Aires, is going to marry José. Marriage is the most important moment in the life of a Bolivian woman. As she prepares for the wedding, Maria does the day-to-day work in her mother’s greenhouse, Rita. Her life passes on one side through the frenzy of the wedding, on the other, the calm and tedium of hours of watering countless flowers. She reflects on the machismo and conservative culture in which she grew up and her desire for change and to be a valued woman. Meanwhile, we see the customs of four generations of women. Coya’s grandmother, who is visiting, Rita, her widowed mother who came as an adult, María, who came as a child, worked and grew up here, and her daughter Made, born in Argentina in the digital age
Surviving noma | France | 2020 | 05’
Directors: Claire Jeantet, Fabrice Catérini
Producer: Claire Jeantet
Synopsis: Noma is a gangrenous infection starting in the mouth caused by extreme poverty, malnutrition and poor hygiene. In just two weeks, it destroys the tissues of the face and might kill up to 90 percent of the people affected. The World Health Organization estimates it affects 140,000 people every year. At the Noma Hospital in Sokoto, Nigeria, disfigured survivors find a unique place to heal their wounds. While they suffer from pain and discrimination, they are on a life-changing journey to overcome years of isolation.
Mini Short – Official Selection – June 2020
Les Yeux Plus Gros que le Ventre | Netherlands | 2020 | 11’
Director: Marie Lormeau
Writer: Marie Lormeau
Producer: Reeled In
Cast: Alexia Fleres
Synopsis: Alexia suffers from Bulimia. As she wanders through her life, the signs of her disease are clear but yet nobody notices them. As she introspects on her behaviour and never-ending hunger, her frustration and silence grow more and more intense.
Welcome to the Future – 001 AC | India | 2020 | 01’
Director: Upendra Pinnelli
Producer: Upendra Pinnelli
Synopsis: A simple short which predicts a small scene from a typical Indian family in the future
I’m not alone, I have a dog | Taiwan | 2020 | 03’
Director: Sheng Ting Shen
Writer: Sheng Ting Shen
Producer: Sheng Ting Shen
Cast: Yi Tien Cheng
Synopsis: A girl loves spending time with her dog. She’s not alone, but she’s lonely.
Long Way Down | United States | 2020 | 02’
Director: Brandon Lopez
Writer: Brandon Lopez
Producer: Brandon Lopez
Synopsis: A round, chunky cat is lazily playing with a squeaky mouse toy on top of a steep staircase. After accidentally nudging the toy, the feline heads down into an inevitable predicament.
The Egg Timer | United Kingdom | 2020 | 02’
Director: David Walsh
Writer: David Walsh
Producer: David Walsh
Cast: David Walsh
Synopsis: It’s a lazy Sunday and I fancy a soft boiled egg. Unfortunately I picked the cheekiest one from the box and the lazy Sunday turns into quite the opposite. Or shall I say “Egg chase”
Mobile Short – Official Selection – June 2020
Remote Love | Germany | 2020 | 05’
Directors: Linda-Schiwa Klinkhammer, Timo Baer
Writers: Linda-Schiwa Klinkhammer, Timo Baer
Producers: Kathraina Kolleczek, Lea Neu
Cast: Lea van Acken, Adiran Julius Tillmann
Synopsis: “You slipped under my bed” Up to now, Lou & Konstantin were doing quite well in bed, but via videocall everything is somehow different. How do you love someone if you can’t touch each other?
Out of Thin Air | United States | 2020 | 03’
Director: Alexandra Guillossou
Producer: Alexandra Guillossou
Cast: Wolfgang Nelson
Synopsis: This documentary short outlines the Philosophy of Available Resources from an actor who practices it not only in film but also in furniture making.
My Life : Something Different | Czech Republic | 2020 | 04’
Director: Jan Moravec
Writer: Jan Moravec
Producer: Los Rentalos
Synopsis: We are watching on life of one young man from his birth, by school, first love and adult live. Now he is on crossroad and they are in crusial moment..
Music Video – Official Selection – June 2020
Head Down | Canada | 2020 | 04’
Director: Benjamin Stewart
Writer: Benjamin Stewart
Producer: Jon Landry
Cast: Quenny Stevens , Wesley Thomas , Jordan Pirri , Brady Leights
Synopsis: A mad scientist accidentally creates a horrible monster that must be stopped! At ALL costs!
Fool At The Door | Puerto Rico | 2020 | 04’
Director: Oswaldo Colon Ortiz
Writer: Oswaldo Colon Ortiz
Producers: Oswaldo Colon Ortiz , Mario Negron Gonzalez
Cast: Mario Negron Gonzalez
Synopsis: Music video for Puerto Rico’s experimental rock band Fantasmes, for their single “Fool At The Door” from the band’s latest, self-titled record, released in September of 2019. The song is about a journey through uncertainty and the road to peace with oneself, about taking action now or never, and although these are never easy travels, these actions are defining and consequential–similar to the times we are living in. The video portrays the idea of an endlessly cycling journey, mirroring the song’s composition, and the visuals are meant to take you on a baffling and harrowing ride of the soul. It follows a man through that journey, bound to repeat his actions but liberating himself in the process. The video was produced by Mapora, a puerto rican based production label dedicated in the creation of films and videos. It was also done in collaboration with Discos Casa Fantasmes, home and recording label/studio of Fantasmes.
TSOY IS DEAD! | Russian Federation | 2020 | 06’
Director: Alexander Solovyov
Writer: Alexander Solovyov
Producers: Georgiy Cherdantsev, Kesh, Alexander Efoshkin, Alexander Solovyov
Synopsis: Nine-year old Kim lives in North Korea. Surrounded by a totalitarian regime every day is the same – until the moment when Viktor Tsoy’s rock concert interferes with the usual TV Signal. Kim is shocked by what he sees and becomes obsessed by the rock star, trying to move and dance like him. Kim is not the same person anymore, but will his new personality be accepted by his surroundings?
Breadcrumbs | Greece | 2020 | 05’
Director: Jan Eilhardt
Writer: Jan Eilhardt
Producer: Eilhardt Productions
Synopsis: A wild breadcrumb ceremony teaches four ducks everything they need to know in life: Hunger, greed and slaughter
RED (The colour of Love) | Pakistan | 2020 | 06’
Director: Nabeel Qureshi
Producer: Fizza Ali Meerza
Cast: Sonya Hussien, Mohsin Abbas Haider
Synopsis: The freedom of being able to express oneself and live a life in a manner that is true to one’s identity. Its a Story of a woman who is standing up for her right to be allowed to make her own choices about the way she represents herself. She does not want to be defined by her culture, spirituality, clothing or image in the community.
Narrative Short – Official Selection – June 2020
How to leave the dating pool in 21 days | Hong Kong | 2020 | 19’
Directors: Laurence, Tong Kwok Ching
Writers: Laurence, Tong Kwok Ching, Ryan Wong, Barry Chan, Ben Choi, Kevin Wong
Producers: Laurence, Tong Kwok Ching
Cast: Barry Chan, Cara Chan, Ryan Wong, Ben Choi
Synopsis: There are 21 days left before the results of the public exam for university admission are announced. Barry, one of this year’s examinees, who has never had a date before, hopes that before the end of his secondary school life, he could find a girlfriend. Ryan, one of Barry’s buddies, who has countless dating experience, has set down a plan for Barry to get a girlfriend within 21 days. In those 21 days, will Barry really be able to get the girl of his dreams and leave the pool of dateless guys?
A fan’s bible | Canada | 2020 | 22’
Director: Pépito
Writer: Pépito
Producer: Pépito
Cast: Pascale Boulay, Karl Walcott, Alexandra Doucet, Kevin Sin
Synopsis: Gabriella will do everything to build a relationship with her favorite singer.
CARMA | United States | 2019 | 20’
Director: Sunny Na
Producers: Tien Nguyen, Amanda Lau, Unique Cooper
Cast: Robert Chestnut
Synopsis: Edmond, a desperate husband, drives you through the most thrilling and intense night of his life.
I heard silence from her | Republic of Korea | 2020 | 29’
Director: Geena Jung
Writer: Geena Jung
Producer: Jihye Yoon
Cast: Seoneun Choi, Jisook Kwak, Euijin Jo
Synopsis: In a town filled with old houses. A kid’s cry breaks through the silenced filled town, causing the dogs to join with their barks. In one dark and narrow alley, stands a girl filled with nervousness. The mix of sounds: the crying, sounds of someone being beat, a man cursing and yelling, bother her and she can only imagine what nightmare is taking place inside. One night, her dog is barking and yapping much more than usual, she proceeds to go over to her dog to check and is faced with someone who seems to have fallen asleep in the living room, looking unstable and lonely. The next morning, all the sounds seem to have stopped and the town seems to be covered in a shroud of silence, only to then find her dog has mysteriously died.
Father-time | Bulgaria | 2019 | 12’
Director: Martin Iliev
Writer: Martin Iliev
Producer: Angel Ivanov
Cast: Iosif Shamli, Martin Ivo Paunov
Synopsis: An ever absent father has only few minutes to teach his eleven-year-old son a life lesson before leaving him again.
All That You Love Will Be Carried Away | United States | 2020 | 30’
Director: Thad Lee
Writer: Thad Lee
Producer: Thad Lee
Cast: Johnny McPhail
Synopsis: A Salesman’s love of bathroom graffiti may save his life on a cold, dark Nebraska night. Based on a short story by Stephen King.
No/Low Budget – Official Selection – June 2020
Identity Crisis | United States | 2020 | 07’
Director: Natalie Nichols
Cast: Andrew Mouet, Tyler Fitzpatrick
Synopsis: A cyborg named Scott is looking for the perfect gift for a loved one, but not all is well in this futuristic city when he finds his own picture on a wanted poster….
Fingernails | United Kingdom | 2020 | 05’
Director: Sam Brewster
Cast: Kate Tattersfield
Synopsis: You know when you spend so much time alone that you start talking to yourself? Well, has a part of yourself ever started talking back? A woman living alone is tormented by some tiny rowdy visitors and goes about finding a way to silence them.
Egg | Australia | 2020 | 04’
Director: Esther Yong
Writer: Esther Yong
Producers: Esther Yong, Marguerite Eudes, Criss Gidas
Cast: Stephanie Lillis
Synopsis: A young mother experiencing the uncontrollable anxiety of postnatal depression must confront her struggle with motherhood, coming to terms with her transformed reality in order to survive.
An Insta(nt) Story | United Kingdom | 2020 | 04’
Director: Matteo Valentini
Writer: Matteo Valentini
Producer: Matteo Valentini
Cast: Ayvianna Snow, Matteo Valentini
Synopsis: A guy and a girl casually meet in a room while checking their social media. The two meet, fall in love and break out without ever stop looking at their phones.
To Serve or Protect | United States | 04’
Director: David Garegnani
Writer: David Garegnani
Producers: David Garegnani, Sera-Lys McArthur
Cast: Sera-Lys McArthur, Zainab Musa
Synopsis: Detective Emily Romero has one shot to convince a fugitive’s mother to give up her only son, but soon learns there’s more to the story.
Black Coffee | United States | 2020 | 14’
Director: Vito Lyles
Writer: Deanna Alisa Ableser
Producer: Deanna Alisa Ableser
Cast: Charlotte Williams, Tony DeCarlo
Synopsis: A woman and a man sitting in a coffee shop toy around with the idea of a simple kiss between strangers.
Apartment Orgy | Germany | 2020 | 02’
Director: YI LING YAP
Writer: Yi Ling Yap
Producer: Yi Ling Yap
Dynopsis: An apple tries to restore social order in the kitchen while humanity struggles to stay at home during COVID-19 pandemic. The story is inspired by Berlin’s clubbing culture and was filmed in quarantine.
Short Comedy – Official Selection – June 2020
Lend Me Your Sugar | Norway | 2020 | 09’
Director: Geir Jardar Olsen
Writer: Geir Jardar Olsen
Producer: Egil Pedersen
Cast: Ivar Nørve, Henny Moan, Per Tofte, Unni Bernhoft
Synopsis: A grumpy recluse is challenged by his cheerful, love-struck neighbor. Every day she shows up on his doorstep hoping to “borrow sugar,” her need for companionship clashing with his privacy. But what if his rejections finally work, and the lady vanishes?
No place like lockdown | Poland | 2020 | 13’
Director: Mariusz Kuczewski
Writers: Marcin Baczyński, Mariusz Kuczewski
Producer: Magdalena Kuczewska
Cast: Mariusz Drężek
Synopsis: Piotr has a wonderful family, a beautiful house, and decent earnings. When the world is struck by the pandemic, everything changes. Piotr is required to home quarantine. He isn’t worried, as he’s feeling great. In fact, he’s looking forward to spending two weeks with his family. But his wife – afraid of contracting the virus – takes the children and goes away to stay at her mother’s place. Although she leaves the house stocked up on food, she forgets to replenish toilet paper. How will a guy who’s never had to use a washing machine cope on his own? Will he realize how much he’s taken his family for granted?
The perfect spot | France | 2019 | 18’
Director: Laura RICHARD
Writer: Maryline MAHIEU
Producers: Gaultier BARRA, KN5 PRODUCTION, Laurent PARIS
Cast: Bruno HENRY, Laurent PARIS
Synopsis: In a small corner of green paradise, two beautiful brothers, whose opinions differ totally on the ecology should never have gone fishing together. The fact that the fish do not bite on that Sunday does not improve their relationship. In fact, they come to argue from one end to the other of the day, totally forgetting the chance they have to be in a sublime setting. And then suddenly, miracle! A key ! Are they reconciled unless? …
Story | China | 2020 |12’
Director: Rosa Wang
Writer: Rosa Wang
Producer: Rosa Wang
Cast: Claudia Carrera, Eloy López
Synopsis: A woman goes to visit her psychologist husband at his work, while in the waiting room an assistant speaks with her and reveals something that turns her world upside down.
Gentil.le | France | 2020 | 21’
Directors: Olivier Aufauvre, Lauréline Kuntz
Writers: Lauréline Kuntz, Olivier Aufauvre
Producers: Pauline Moreau, Geoffroy Virgery
Cast: François Rollin, Lauréline Kuntz, Padrig Vion
Synopsis: Aurelia, an actress, have an appointment in à gastronomic restaurant with Thierry, a cultural man who must support her shows. During the meal, Aurelia narrate him her story with Jean-Guy, a malicious patron who was to support her performances too. She confides endlessly about her sexuel mishaps with the cinema world and asks herself what are the true intentions of Thierry.
Summer Time | France | 2020 | 15’
Director: Andra Tévy
Writers: Andra Tévy, Manoline Beautier
Producer: Jonathan Hazan
Cast: Ophelia Kolb, Alice Barnole, Sylvain Dieuaide, Hervé Terrisse, Samuel Brafman
Synopsis: A summer Sunday on a café terrace near the Mediterranean coast. Everyone can’t help but notice their seemingly peaceful neighbors at the other tables. Subjective and distorted perceptions, an impression that the grass is greener elsewhere… The ensuing comparisons and criticisms trigger a crisis at their own tables.
Day of Danger | Philippines | 2019 | 14’
Director: Cynthia Saluba
Writer: Cynthia Saluba
Producer: Cynthia Saluba
Cast: Joyce Baclili, Carla Zarcal, Ren Medina, Alecks Ambayec, Tads Obach, Rolando Inocencio
Synopsis: An oblivious young woman faces her greatest fear of expressing herself to other people when she accidentally ends up killing someone.
At Home with… Nick Mullins | United Kingdom | 2020-06-24 | 08’
Directors: Paul Longley, James Longley
Writer: Paul Longley
Producers: Paul Longley, James Longley
Cast: Paul Longley, James Longley, Trevor Longley, Susan Longley
Synopsis: The “At Home with…” team spends some time with football referee Nick Mullins, a man who has dreamt of being a referee since he was a child. We follow Nick as he copes with life in lockdown during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has kept him away from his beloved job. Nick opens up and gives us an insight into his life, his passions and his dreams for the future.
Series (Web/TV) – Official Selection – June 2020
Gods Game | France | 2019 | 25’
Director: Tony Chaslas
Writer: Tony Chaslas
Producers: Tony Chaslas, Rafael Vanister
Cast: Anne-Solenne Hatte, Luc Gentil, Edouard Cheny
Synopsis: 2018. Lucas, a local journalist, has just lost his grandfather. The day before the funeral, Lucas had a dream that brought him back to 1998 during an event he had already experienced. Upon awakening, he can no longer distinguish the dream from reality, which he thinks he has changed.
True Demon | Germany | 2019 | 12’
Director: Jan Zenkner
Writer: Hanno von Contzen
Producers: Max Lais, Hanno von Contzen, Jan Zenkner
Cast: Olivia Burkhart, Marcel Kowalewski, Justus Johanssen
Synopsis: Anna and Jess have been looking forward to going camping together. But their fun trip is cut short when Jess suddenly disappears under mysterious and seemingly supernatural circumstances. Now, Anna resolves to search for Jess and enlists her friends Lukas and Ben to join her. Equipped with cameras, they document and post their journey online for everyone to witness, as it leads them to find brutal creatures and a wide-ranging conspiracy. With each step down this sinister path, Anna discovers ever more of her own dark past… but that is only the start. TRUE DEMON is a fictional web series presented as an authentic vlog channel, with the videos filmed, edited and uploaded to YouTube by Anna and her friend Ben. While playing with the conventions of the format, TRUE DEMON also makes use of all its possibilities within the narrative. Anna regularly does live streams, interacts with the community and tells them in her vlogs what’s going on when the cameras aren’t running – an action-packed mystery in the style of a real YouTube channel designed to excite, engage with and share.
Short Drama – Official Selection – June 2020
Not Your Average Bear | Canada | 2020 | 15’
Director: Cliff Skelton
Writer: Simon Longmore
Producers: Adam Lolacher, Simon Longmore
Cast: Simon Longmore, Mauri Momose, Andrew Ucrianet, JC wendt, Christy Webb Gibson, Lisa Faist, Dominik Longmore, April Telek, Reese Alexander, Kevin O Grady, Adil Zaidi
Synopsis: A daring robbery pulled off by the most unlikely of culprits. What an average man will do when pushed to his limits.
The Simple Path | United States | 2019 | 17’
Director: Charles Moore
Writer: Charles Moore
Producers: James Madio, Linda Will, Bob Bryan
Cast: Shba Cochrane, Mario Beverly, Annie Kitral, Bryant Carroll, Debrae Barensfeld
Synopsis: “The Simple Path” follows the decision making of Nevaeh, an elder care nurse who struggles emotionally when one of her long-term elderly female patients, Helen, no longer has the financial ability to support the costs associated with the care facility for which she works. In an impromptu act, Nevaeh makes the decision to move Helen home with her to provide ongoing care with the help of her younger brother, Aman, who just returned home after a 4-year stint working as an oversees Peace Corp Volunteer. Although the subject matter of “The Simple Path” is distressing in the realistic challenges for many elderly, the story finds emotional balance in the random acts of kindness that certain humans are willing to provide to those in need.
The Odd | United Kingdom | 02’
Director: Roberto Vivancos
Writer: Roberto Vivancos
Producer: Roberto Vivancos
Cast: Alison Garner
Synopsis: The effects of anxiety and depression create a sudden body paralysis.
The Favor | France | 2019 | 15’
Director: HENRY Bruno
Writer: MAHIEU Maryline
Producer: BARRA Gaultier
Cast: HENRY Bruno, TREBEL Anne-Sophie
Synopsis: CHRISTELLE works with PASCAL. They appreciate each other, are courteous to each other and are inclined to render each other mutually. But Christelle becomes strange, absent and bothered. One Sunday while Pascal is at home with his family, Christelle calls him and asks him to come because she has a problem. Worried, Pascal immediately goes home. There, she asks him to make him a child. Pascal, a good family man, is shocked and tries to bring her back to reason but the more he opposes, the more Christelle tries to convince and charm him. Subtitles Italien, Allemand, Anglais, Arabe, Chinois, Espagnol, Brésilien.
“My Train Leaves Tomorrow at 7 O’Clock” | United States | 2020 | 10’
Director: Konstantin Pivovar
Writer: Konstantin Pivovar
Producer: Lilia Le Dieu
Cast: Alyssa Grace, Maria Pinsent
Synopsis: The girl prepares for an adventure of a lifetime. She packs a suitcase, puts on her best clothes, new shiny boots and gets on the train. Well, that’s what she hopes to do. In reality, she spends days in her bedroom, locked by her mother, fantasizing about finally leaving one day. Everything that you will see in the first few minutes is a visually and musically striking fantasy blended with girl’s reality.
Meet the Neighbors | United States | 2020 | 18’
Director: Derin Egrikavuk
Writer: Derin Egrikavuk
Producers: Emily Miller, Pinar Binay, Alexander Zinn, Sofia Bara
Cast: Madi Mitts , Campbell Symes, Orlando Cintron Jr., Aaron Kheifets, Kenneth King
Synopsis: Dylan and her boyfriend Alex are in for a perfect night – a beautiful, unoccupied apartment all to themselves. A teenage dream. However, things turn sour after Dylan overhears the neighbors upstairs having a violent fight. She feels uncomfortable just letting it happen, and so when Alex firmly refuses to get involved, she knows she has to choose: his comfort or her conscience. She sneaks up the fire escape for a peek. Separately, pregnant Marlo is trying to help her blundering fiancé Eric gather enough money to settle a debt. However, the menacing lender Alfie comes knocking before they have the full sum. The ensuing interaction quickly escalates to a fight, where Marlo stabs Alfie with his own knife in self-defense. She immediately fears the consequences for her unborn daughter, heightened even more when she sees horrified Dylan at the window looking in. When these two couples’ paths converge in a single gaze, they find themselves pitted against one another. Dylan must now get herself and Alex out of harm’s way, while Marlo and Eric must ensure they cover their tracks in a situation spiraling out of control. In the end, Marlo knows she has to tie up loose ends, and makes the difficult decision to kill them. Unaware of this, Dylan lets her naive desire to help the vulnerable pregnant woman get the best of her, bring about her demise and Alex’s.
Student Short – Official Selection – June 2020
Black Bear | United Kingdom | 2020 | 11’
Director: Peter Paton
Writer: Peter Paton
Producer: Liam Morgan
Cast: Andrew Joshi, Anita Garcha, Brendon Riley, Paul Dewdney
Synopsis: After a traumatic experience we follow Riley through his trials and tribulations living with OCD. Black Bear aims to challenge the stereotypes and educate audiences on the symptoms and struggles of OCD through our protagonist Riley, and his road to recovery. Riley is robbed at the start of the film which triggers his OCD. He is struggling to live with the anxiety and how it affects his daily life, work, and relationships. Riley is suggested therapy sessions at the local church by his friend Shane, where a member Jeffrey tells a fable about dealing with mental health, a little at a time, day by day. This is the moving story of a man’s battle with his mental illness.
Sophie and Jacob | Canada | 2020 | 09’
Director: Max Shoham
Writer: Max Shoham
Producer: Max Shoham
Cast: Will Hochman, Olivia Nikkanen
Synopsis: Inspired by the true story of family, and finding home, no matter the circumstance. Sometimes home cannot be a place, and becomes simply a memory, a mindset.
St. Moritz | Israel | 2019 | 07’
Director: Joseph Balaclav, Raz Sonnenfeld
Writer: Joseph balaclav, Margarita Balaklav
Producers: Joseph balaclav, Raz sonnenfeld
Synopsis: The relations between a mother and son are tested during the preparations for the Passover cleaning ritual.
The traveller | Italy | 2019 | 13’
Director: Ludovica Zedda
Writer: Ludovica Zedda
Producer: Istituto Cinematografico Michelangelo Antonioni, Ludovica Zedda
Cast: Maria Luisa Zaltron, Federica Ferro, Matteo Bosurgi, Paola Magister
Synopsis: Marta is on a train to France to join the love of her life. However, due to a peculiar amnesia, she cannot remember his name. A doctor and a young artist join her on her journey, to help her remember…
Space Ranger | United States | 2019 | 14’
Director: Sarah Evans
Writer: Sarah Evans
Producers: Mega DaFiaghor, Meezahn Senbetta
Cast: Ryan Foreman, Evelyn Halbach
Synopsis: In order to find a journal that was accidentally thrown away, a teen boy must enlist the help of a child who spends her free time in a landfill.
Sooner or Later | Israel | 2019 | 19’
Director: Gadi Rimer
Writer: Gadi Rimer
Producer: Tommy Oren
Cast: Omer Etzion, Neta Shpigelman, Udi Razzin
Synopsis: Adam’s longing to his ex-girlfriend, Alona, leads him to break into her new house. When she discovers him there, they are forced to deal with the pain caused by their separation.
Papa was a rolling stone | Romania | 2019 | 12’
Director: Roșu Florin
Writer: Roșu Florin
Producer: Roșu Florin
Synopsis: Nelu, a young man raised by his uncle, following an accident due to a brick, goes on the adventure of his life in the footsteps of his father with his new friend, the brick.
Love Lies Bleeding | Taiwan | 2019 | 15’
Director: Angel Teng
Writer: Angel Teng
Producer: Shan Wu
Cast: April Liu, Kiki Chen
Synopsis: It’s been five years Laura hasn’t seen Hattie since they abruptly broke up due to Laura’s betrayal. Visiting Los Angeles for her touring exhibition, Laura grabs the chance to stay in Hattie’s apartment as a reconnection. They keep a polite and safe distance. They’re like normal old friends while something slowly reveals. Hattie finally unleashes how much pain she’s suffered when she gets drunk in the bar. However, she switches her mood in a flash. On the last night before Laura’s flight, they talk in the darkness. The pure attraction seems coming back to them. They’re getting closer until they are so close that they cannot resist the desire any more. They make out. Laura regards sex as a proof of forgiveness. However, Hattie despises Laura for her recurrent cheating. The joy of sex becomes unbearable laceration inside Laura’s body, like a gunshot.
Winter’s Winter | United States | 2020 | 16’
Director: Jiajun Wang
Writer: Jiajun Wang
Producer: Yiheng Guo
Cast: Yunzhi Wang, Yining Gu, Tom Chou
Synopsis: It’s a story about a new illegal immigrant from China, named Winter who just finds herself a job in a Chinese restaurant, has to decide her fate after the owner’s sexual harassment . As she finally makes up her mind to leave this country, she must ask the owner for her passport, which was held by the owner as a guaranty since she is an illegal worker. The owner, a pervert who has his eyes on Winter for a long time decides to use this opportunity to ask Winter for a sexual favor in order to give her the passport. As Winter refuses, the owner tries to rape her. In defending herself, she hurts the owner badly and flee.
In Vitro | United Kingdom | 2020 | 18’
Director: Mackenzie Thomson
Writer: Mackenzie Thomson
Producer: Dylan Freeman
Cast: Yemisi Oyinloye, Sean Ward
Synopsis: Natalie and Lucas have almost everything; a stable and comfortable income, a beautiful home and a close circle of friends. Yet there’s one piece left to complete their jigsaw. A child. One negative pregnancy test after another results in the gradual breakdown in the relationship between the couple. Individually, they begin to question whether their hope for a child is the only thing that’s keeping them together. Due to the Covid-related lockdown, our filming was cut short by one shoot day. However, we have produced an animatic [00:12:44-00:13:11] to display the missing scene, which will be shot and completed very soon!
Detective 8-Ball | United States | 2020 | 06’
Director: Jake Wichansky
Writer: John Apted
Producer: Cheri Jia
Cast: Emma Svitil, Marifé Quesada, Andrew Hamilton
When Detective Clemens tries using his “Magic” 8-Ball to solve a murder, his new partner discovers what is really going on.
Monkey Thief | United States | 2020 | 06’
Cast: Macie M Ates, Jacob R Ates
Synopsis: Myles, a shy boy who musters the courage to face his bully, Dolores, and rescue his favorite toy from her. The ensuing battle ends prematurely as Myles makes a life-changing discovery.
Cycle | Canada | 2020 | 02’
Director: Dexter Stevens
Writer: Dexter Stevens
Synopsis: An explorer arrives at a mountaintop temple and is confronted by its guardian
Short Fantasy/Sci-Fi – Official Selection – June 2020
Nelson | India | 2020 | 34’
Directors: Vicky Valsan , Cipin Valsan
Writer: Vicky Valsan
Producers: Lakshmi V M, Praseed M Varma, Sangamithra Asok, Shamnad Khan, Aveeena Ghosh Dutta, Sreelakshmi Babu, Vishnu Dileep, Nifil Valiyakath, Shifna Rahiman, Jeevanandham Shanmugham, Renjith R, Chandu R S, Yeswanth R, Shamal Joshi, Anoop K V, Jithin Jayachandran, Dony Perumal, Anoop S, Sreeshma Sreedharan, Naveen V M, Morvin Antony, Hari K Rajeev
Cast: Joe John Chacko, Shamnad Khan, Vinodh Mohanan, Joey
Synopsis: NELSON is a psychological thriller that takes place in the forests of southern Kerala. People living around the forest are witness to strange changes in the environment As a consequence, the government starts evacuating people from the area. Nelson, an environmentalist, comes to the forest to find out the root cause of these strange occurrences. His investigations put him on the right course only to be challenged by political interventions later.
The Last Piece of the Puzzle | United Kingdom | 2020 | 09’
Director: Nicolo Goattin
Writer: Nicolo Goattin
Producer: Rosie Goodwin
Cast: Natasha Chant , Angela Munnoch , Ian McShee
Synopsis: Hope, a young but inquisitive girl, has a seemingly perfect but repetitive life. Hope starts seeing mysterious logos on her belongings, including the pill she’s forced to take daily. Worried, she spits her pill out secretly. After a while she develops splitting headaches and hallucinates the logo shining all around her to the point of collapse. She wakes up in bed that night, only to find her mother with a glowing tube in her stomach, staring at her. This scares Hope, so she starts banging on the windows in an escape attempt. After a hard hit, the view outside glitches, and everything goes black. The ceiling glitches next, leaving Hope staring up into the sky. With no roof, Hope climbs up the walls to escape, only to see infinite rows of identical, roofless houses and the logo glowing in the sky.
Coma | United States | 2020 | 04’
Director: Pavel Dovgal
Writer: Pavel Dovgal
Producer: Pavel Dovgal
Cast: Alyona Ponomarenko, Ekaterina Dzhiadze Downey
Synopsis: The pilot crashes and crashes with an unopened parachute into the ocean. After the hallucinations of the Bardo, she finds herself alive but already on the shore and in a completely different world.
Experimental Short Video – Official Selection – June 2020
Coma | United States | 2020 | 04’
Director: Pavel Dovgal
Writer: Pavel Dovgal
Producer: Pavel Dovgal
Cast: Alyona Ponomarenko, Ekaterina Dzhiadze Downey
Synopsis: The pilot crashes and crashes with an unopened parachute into the ocean. After the hallucinations of the Bardo, she finds herself alive but already on the shore and in a completely different world.
Solitude | Ukraine | 2019 | 28’
Director: Yelizaveta Smith
Writer: Yelizaveta Smith
Producer: Oleksandr Fomenko, Alina Gorlova, Lena Yakovitska, Eugene Rachkovsky
Cast: Olena Ponomarenko, Vasil Skakun, Anatolyi Paduka, Maksym Victorovich
Synopsis: During a large storm carries, the sea flushes a Second World War bomb to the beach of a port city. The city authorities decide to evacuate the area. Khrystyna is a 45-year-old single woman who lives in a run-down building, destined to be demolished. Khrystyna is afraid of changes but on the day of the evacuation, Khrystyna has no choice but to leave the place she is so used to. The gathering point for the people in the theatre of the city. There she meets a young man Elijah – a stage worker, who is responsible for the evacuated people. Khrystyna finds herself in the place where Elijah lives – in the small room behind the scene. Elijah is a man without a home and a family. He uses props as furniture and chooses to be lonely as a way to be free. Between these two people, there is an understanding and intimacy that frightens both.
The animal that therefore I am | Netherlands | 2019 | 11’
Director: Bea de Visser
Writer: Bea de Visser
Producer: Bea de Visser
Cast: Erin Hill, Hertog, Onida, Alexandra
Synopsis: “What does the animal see when it looks at me?” Three animals and a woman in an enclosed space. As they study each other, their own methods of communication create a wordless conversation. We view them in close-up and from various perspectives, with the woman as a solitary species in this universe.
The Monster | United States | 2020 | 6’
Director: Josh Collins
Writer: Joshua Collins , Svitlana Chaynikova
Producer: Joshua Collins , Svitlana Chaynikova
Cast: Joshua Collins
Synopsis: A man under quarantine discovers a monster in his closet.
Season of Aeon | Singapore | 2020 | 9’
Director: Kassandra Lim
Writer: Kassandra Lim
Producer: Kassandra Lim
Synopsis: The worldʼs most valuable fashion brand LK stages the largest ever fashion show, a redefined season that will drift aboard an archive of the traditions of the endangered Indian Ajrakhpur block printing, unfolding a spectacle at a container port once in a decade. The very industrial mechanisms that have created disposable fashion seasons have been reengineered to celebrate and value traditional handcraft. Once a decade, people chase after it like the Northern Lights.
Short Horror – Official Selection – June 2020
Sensor | United States | 2020 | 04’
Director: Brian L Tan “BLT”
Writer: Jonathan Hirsch
Producer: Andrea Pasquettin
Cast: Dana Lee, Nikki SooHoo
Synopsis: Haunted by his experiences from the war, a Vietnam Veteran has had enough. Placing motion sensors around his property, he’s decided to face his demons once and for all. Unfortunately, he’s in for more than he bargained for. Starring Dana Lee (Dr. Ken, Pineapple Express, Rambo) and Nikki SooHoo (Lovely Bones, Stick It, Bring It On, Heathers). Directed by: Brian L. Tan “BLT” Shot & Edited by: Trevor Hollander Written by: Jonathan Hirsch Production Designer: Danielle Lee Production Assistant: Yukali Wennekes 1st Assistant Camera: Daniel Appel 2nd Assistant Camera: Michelle Mendoza Make Up Artist: Gabriel Lane BTS Photographer: Mike Adan Gaffer: Eduardo Gonzalez Swing Grip: EJ Manolo Special Thanks: Josh Dove, Melissa Humiston, Hideaway Ranch
Rangda | Republic of Korea | 2020 | 19’
Director: E Seul An
Writer: E Seul An
Producer: Hyeran Cho
Cast: Jinhee An, Yeaheun Choi
Synopsis: Ji-yoon, who injured her leg and got hospitalized ends up in a bed next to a patient who looks much older than her actual age. In the tense atmosphere, she feels comfort dUe to her caregiver, Haehwa, but that night Ji-yoon happened to witness her eccentric behavior.
Zoom and Gloom | United Kingdom | 2020 | 08’
Director: Nicholas Jones
Synopsis: After an ill fated trip to a supermarket, Lina returns home with more than toilet roll.
The Saverini Widow | France | 2020 | 19’
Director: Loïc Gaillard
Writer: Loïc Gaillard, Wilfried Méance
Producer: Jonathan Hazan
Cast: Christiane Conil, Toussaint Martinetti, Cédric Appietto, Marie-Pierre Nouveau
Synopsis: Bonifacio 1883, extreme south of Corsica. The widow of the late Saverini lives in an isolated house near the cliffs, with her only son Antoine, and her dog. During the day, she assists women giving birth in town. One night her son is killed in a clash. The murderer flees to Sardinia. Her world falls to pieces…
Stop-Motion/Time-Lapse – Official Selection – June 2020
Apartment Orgy | Germany | 2020 | 02’
Director: YI LING YAP
Writer: Yi Ling Yap
Producer: Yi Ling Yap
Synopsis: An apple tries to restore social order in the kitchen while humanity struggles to stay at home during COVID-19 pandemic. The story is inspired by Berlin’s clubbing culture and was filmed in quarantine.
Homeward | Israel | 2019 | 05’
Director: Shirley Neeman
Writer: Shirley Neeman
Producer: Shirley Neeman
Synopsis: A woman leaves her home with only a suitcase in her hand. Exile is a lonely place, a search of a lost feeling of belonging, of identity and security. Nothing but a portrait on the wall to remind you where you came from, but it will not tell you who you are. Objects become a true companion when the searching road is the only place that feels like home.
