Amateur Short – Official Selection – September 2019
CowBot | United States | 2019| 04’
Director: Rahul Menon
Writer: Rahul Menon
Cast: Jonathan Johnson, Lillian
Synopsis: Based on a rumor, that might just be true.
Ava | United States | 2019 | 07’
Director: Elise Gammon
Writer: Isabel scoliard
Synopsis: In an impulsive and reckless mindset caused from her contentious relationship, Emilie decides to numb her pain by taking a pill at a party. When a party guest begins to taunt her, Emilie hastily abandons the scene to enter a nightmarish fantasy with a hallucination of her girlfriend.
Animation Short – Official Selection – September 2019
Go! Go! | United States | 2019 | 05’
Director: Patradol Kitcharoen
Writer: Patradol Kitcharoen
Roducer: Patradol Kitcharoen
Synopsis: Aaron the alligator, who lives his entire life in a tank in an animal theme park, is fascinated by the fireworks that are displayed in the park every night. He has a dream to see the fireworks up close. One day, he accidentally gets loose and makes his way into the park looking for the fireworks. It is up to Sue, the zoo keeper and Harvey the park mascot to get him back into his cage before he gets taken down by the animal control officer.
Lacuna | United States | 2018 | 07’
Director: Ryan Matthew Jolly
Synopsis: A man finds himself in a strange world, in a strange form. He cant remember anything and must journey to find himself.
And yet we’re not super heroes | Belgium | 2019 | 13’
Director: Lia Bertels
Writer: Lia Bertels
Producers: Thierry Zamparutti, serge Kestemont, Nuno Amorim, Vanessa Ventura, Jeanne Thibord, Sidonie Garnie
Synopsis: It takes time to grow up. And sometimes you even wonder if it’s really worth it… Then the children move slowly, at their own pace, the time to tame the world that awaits them. On the way, they ask questions and invent answers using their overflowing imagination. Carried by the voices of these little philosophers, the film depicts the journey of the imagination of childhood in the form of an animated road movie, populated by extraordinary créatures. A Cadillac trip during which these magnificent vagabonds share their unique experiences on the transition to the real world of adults. A journey full of surprises, doubts and joy.
Children Short – Official Selection – August 2019
Blooming | Czech Republic | 2018 | 14’
Direcotr: Dora Šustić
Writer: Dora Šustić
Producer: FAMU
Cast: Verica Nedeska
Synopsis: Two sisters, Alma (11) and Lila (6), enjoy their playful time together, having a bath. One evening, faced with a strange sensation, Alma experiences the beginning of a transformation from a child to a girl: she gets her first period. At first ignoring it, Alma deals with blood during the night, but is discovered by Lila. In panic, she asks Lila to keep a secret, but little Lila misunderstands it for sickness, thinking her sister is dying. She protects Alma from their mother’s attempts of sending her to school and spills the secret. Miljana, their mom, allows Alma to stay at home and deal with her problem on her own, giving her a space to bloom. She comforts Alma and helps her to overcome the shame. All three girls are united in the end, playing in the bath.
THE DOG’S STORY – Part II | Russian Federation | 2019 | 07’
Director: Arkhip Varfolomeev
Writer: Arkhip Varfolomeev
Producer: Katrin Gardener
Synopsis: Whatever happens is for the better! A chain of random events lead to the most unusual circumstances.
Documentary Short – Official Selection – September 2019
Caring | Russian Federation| 10’
Director: Sergey Filatov
Producers: Aleksey Nikishkin, Irina Meleshko
Synopsis: Life is not a piece of cake in the Far North. Volunteering in these place helps people to find happiness in life and work, fulfil themselves as a human. It’s documentary about Nornikel volunteers. About people who selflessly help those who are in need. They are actively involved in corporate volunteer events, helping charity organizations and animal shelters, planting trees and many others.
SEX ASSISTANT | Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela | 2019 | 21’
Director: Andres Gonzalez Majul
Writer: Andres Gonzalez Majul
Producers: Marcel Rasquin, Daniela Berlet, Andres Gonzalez Majul
Synopsis: A young couple with disabilities seek help to enhance their sexual relationship, and make a film about it. Their journey of obstacles reveal that the hardest hurdles are not physical.
The Annihilated | Hungary | 2019 | 30’
Director: Ákos Bánki
Writer: Ákos Bánki
Producer: Zsuzsi Gyurin
Synopsis: Hungary in the early sixties: a depressing, gray, intimidating country. After the defeat of the 1956 Revolution, most of the members of the opposition were in prison. Free speech was prohibited. A young man, whose name is Endre Hortobágyi would have then started his career as a painter and applied to the University of Fine Arts but the communist leaders of the university refused his application because of the political past of his father. So he joined the circle of young artists who were denying the compulsory social realism and trying to follow in secret the banned western art especially American abstract expressionism and French informel art. In the late sixties, he attended the exhibitions of the circle, which were banned in a row. The perpetual censorship and the rejections of his art made him getting worse. From 1968 Hortobágyi was becoming increasingly lonely. He was bewildered by the situation, that he was being expelled from society. Not even his friends knew much about him. He sheltered himself in his hermitage full of birds near to the forest. Even when the borders of the country opened up and most of his friends were able to go abroad and exhibit their work in public, he lived in solitude. Toward the end of his life, a retrospective exhibition was organized for him but this event took a tragic turn as well.
LOOK AT WHAT THE LIGHT DID NOW | United States | 2019 | 13’
Director: Brian Imakura
Producer: SAINT HISAKO FILMS
Cast: Bri Scalesse, Dexter Lott, Jerron Herman, KhrystyAna, MeeWha Lee
Synopsis: 21 dancers. 16mm film. 2 questions. What was the darkest moment of your life? What was the light that saved you?
L’EAU EST LA VIE (WATER IS LIFE): FROM STANDING ROCK TO THE SWAMP | United States | 2019 |25’
Director: Sam Vinal
Producer: Melissa Cox
Cast: Cherri Foytlin, Anne White Hat, Patch, Eve Butler, Sharon Lavigne, Pastor Harry Joseph
Synopsis: LOGLINE On the banks of Louisiana, fierce Indigenous women are ready to fight—to stop the corporate blacksnake and preserve their way of life. They are risking everything to protect Mother Earth from the predatory fossil fuel companies that seek to poison it. STORY SYNOPSIS L’EAU EST LA VIE: FROM STANDING ROCK TO THE SWAMP follows water protector Cherri Foytlin as she leads us on a no nonsense journey of Indigenous resistance to the Bayou Bridge Pipeline (BBP) in the swamps of Louisiana. At the film’s opening, viewers are introduced to the Atchafalaya Basin, which was once a Maroon colony–a critical hub of Indigenous and black resistance. Cherri recounts her first-hand experience with the environmental destruction caused by the BP oil spill and how it devastated a local crawfisher man and his way of life. This event caused Cherri to take a hard look in the mirror and ask herself–how did I contribute to this and what can I do to change it? It’s in that moment that the fire of resistance is ignited and Cherri’s life takes a sharp turn. This seed grows into the L’eau Est La Vie Indigenous resistance camp led by a council of Indigenous women, including Cherri Foytlin and Anne White Hat. As the documentary unfolds, we get an on the ground glimpse into the 100+ non-violent direct actions that laid the base for the strongest resistance in Louisiana history. Imagine a badass environmental activist dressed in red, with matching painted finger and toe nails, climbing a pipeline crane 60 feet in the air to shutdown a worksite. Imagine a fierce Indigenous warrior making a powerful call for public support when the police have their boot on her back and their arms around her throat. Picture what’s possible when people decide to fight for their community and bend the arc of justice to the grassroots. The backlash to Cherri’s work has been ongoing death threats and physical violence. And although that violence was meant to silence her, we hear from Cherri that it actually took away her fear and emboldened her organizing. This film delves into the complex reasons that compel organizers to risk everything, including their lives, to protect their communities from irreversible corporate harm. “If our leaders won’t stand up to stop this pipeline and protect our water, then we the people of Louisiana will. We are building the L’eau Est La Vie camp to protect our water and our way of life from the Bayou Bridge pipeline.” -L’eau Est La Vie (Water is Life) Camp Statement The L’Eau Est La Vie (Water is Life) Camp is an Indigenous resistance camp fighting the Bayou Bridge pipeline from a place of love. Bayou Lafourche provides drinking water for 300,000 people. That drinking water will be contaminated when (not if) this pipeline leaks. The fight for water didn’t end in Standing Rock. The Bayou Bridge Pipeline is an extension of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) built by Energy Transfer Partners. We’ll hear from Patch, a water protector, who followed the black snake (pipeline) from his homeland in the Dakotas down to the swamps of Louisiana. Next the film travels to the Black historical Freetown community of Saint James Parish in “Cancer Alley,” Louisiana. We meet Eve Butler and Sharon Lavigne, residents who are fighting back against industry and the Bayou Bridge Pipeline that’s trying to get into their already poisoned community. The film takes us to a march against a new chemical plant that wants to come in, Sharon’s daughter chokes up as she tells her community about her 3-year old child whose “nose doesn’t work” due to the overwhelming petrochemicals in the area. Saint James residents are plagued by environmental racism which manifests as debilitating cancer, birth defects, asthma and skin conditions. That’s why it’s critical that L’Eau Est La Vie Camp and the St. James community are fighting back together. This documentary is grounded in Indigenous world views that, to the world’s detriment, have been historically marginalized or actively and violently erased. Through Cherri’s charisma, humor, and heart-felt facility with words, a multigenerational audience from diverse backgrounds can connect to her humanity and be pulled into the larger struggle for Indigenous Sovereignty. Cherri brings to the forefront the possibility of resistance, perseverance, and the power of what is possible, even in the midst of deep personal pain and a multinational corporation with billions of dollars and the backing of state forces. The film reveals that this struggle is not over a singular pipeline. Rather, the pipeline is one piece of an ongoing legacy of colonization and slow genocide. At the heart of the struggle is a battle between people and profit. We learn from Cherri that to confront the multiple interconnected issues threatening our planet, we must be radical in our imagination and bold in our actions–and that most of all that the fight must be rooted in deep love. The fight for water and life continues in the Bayous of Louisiana! Come along on the journey.
Laughter in Times of Crisis | United States | 2019 | 23’
Director: Esther Medina
Producers: Esther Medina, Eliane Gallero
Cast: Javier Romero Galue, George Harris, Luis Chataign, Erika de la Vega
Synopsis: Four comedians residing in Miami use humor in their social platforms to shed light on the crisis in their native country of Venezuela. Laughter in Times of Crisis provides a unique view on humor being used as a means to express criticism of injustice and an expression of resilience and hope of the Venezuelan people.
Experimental Short – Official Selection – September 2019
Allegro | Lebanon | 07’
Director: Karl Bou-Rjeily
Writer: Karl Bou-Rjeily
Producer: Ghada Youssef
Cast: Nathalie Maalouf, Tarek Majzoub, Rachid Hneineh, Awad Awad, Ghada Youssef
Synopsis: When creativity gets punished as error, freedom must be sought.
Auto Body | United States | 2019 |06’
Director: Ty Strange
Cast: Strange
Synopsis: An energized and in-depth look at the connections between the human body and the automobile.
Dark Sand | France | 2019 | 20’
Director :Thanasis Trouboukis
Writer: Thanasis Trouboukis
Producers: Le Fresnoy – studio national des arts contemporains, Thanasis Trouboukis
Cast: Sara Klimoska, Nicolette Picheral, Julien Bouvard
Synopsis: Alice, a young woman living in the Northern France, finds mysterious tapes with people narrating their nightmares. As she is looking for the sender, the limits between dreams and reality get obscured.
Kiss & Tell | Spain | 05’
Director: Trash Diamond
Writer: Trash Diamond
Synopsis: A woman is in a room talking on the phone after finishing the conversation strange situations begin to happen in the house. Visual poem about a woman and her way of facing her emotions.
Fashion Short– Official Selection – September 2019
Nesmeyana | Russian Federation | 2019 |05’
Director: Ulyana Spirova
Writer: Ulyana Spirova
Cast: Daria Kozlova, Jean Clement, Daria Sivakova, Anastasiya Popova
Synopsis: This this a story about a girl who never smiled.
10/6 | United States | 2019 | 12’
Director: William Nawrocki
Writer: Nigel Moore
Producers: Nigel Moore, John G. Young
Cast: Trinelle Bartholomew, Tida Lin, Cyrene Rene, Janey Lu, Nigel Moore
Synopsis: A Brooklynite is unexpectedly transported from his Prospect Heights neighborhood to a vibrant bucolic landscape inhabited with characters that lead him into an idyllic journey of discovery and wonderment. The first of an experimental film trilogy by fashion designer Nigel Moore “10/6” features pieces from JNIGEL S/S II collection.
Brava | Spain | 2019 | 02’
Directors: Roberto Aparicio Mescua, Lucía Cano Soto
Writers: Roberto Aparicio Mescua, Lucía Cano Soto
Producer: Roberto Aparicio Mescua
Cast: Elena Cristina, Hugo Mboume
Synopsis: Brava tells the story of the daughter of a famous bullfighter. She acquires the same profession by inheritance. Animal lover, is not able to end the life of a bull and less when she is in love with him. Brava defends love unconditionally to all species and rejects hatred and violence in any format, in this case, bullfighting.
Mini Video Short– Official Selection – September 2019
Whiskey Face | Canada | 2019 | 02’
Director: Brent Bouchard
Writer: Brent Bouchard
Cast: Rich Johnson, Tosca Hopkins
Synopsis: Two lawyers have a serious discussion over a drink . Will they pass the bar?
DEAD END | United States | 2019 | 02’
Director: Arly Jover
Writer: Arly Jover
Producers: Arly Jover, Blake Worrell
Cast: Arly Jover
LOVE | United Kingdom | 2018 | 02’
Director: Neda Shadanlou
Writer: Neda Shadanlou
Producer: Mike Carr
Cast: Maggie Armitage, Harry & Yoshi
Synopsis: A dark romantic tale about a woman and her dog
ONE HOT TOKYO MINUTE | Sweden | 2019 | 02’
Director: Sebastian Lindblad
Synopsis: A hot last day in Tokyo provided the perfect setting for a voyeuristic documentation of this world metropolis.
Mobile Short Video – Official Selection – September 2019
Welcome to the ends of the world | Bulgaria | 2019 | 04’
Director: Chris Zahariev
Producer: Chris Zahariev
Filtered | Canada | 2019 | 09’
Director: Paula Ner Dormiendo
Writer: Paula Ner Dormiendo, Robyn Gruszczynski
Producer: Scott Edward Morris
Cast: Sabrina Soto, Taylor Jeanette Gaudon, Karin Elyakim, Matt Quinn
Synopsis: The lives of Two best friends are revealed through cellphone footage when one night they decide to go to a party, and on their travels home, they’re stalked by an unwanted person.
Hands-Free | Italy | 2019 | 13’
Director: Paolo Strippoli
Writer: SALVATORE DE CHIRICO
Producers: 10D Film, AG Business & Services
Cast: CHIARA VINCI, CHIARA AQUARO, LADISLAO LIVERANI, DANIELE MARIANI
Synopsis: @iamchiaramancuso, twenty-three years old, is a pretty-looking economics student who loves to tell her happy and reassuring everyday life on Instagram, including selfies and cocktail parties. During an evening at the disco, Chiara lost her smartphone. To find him, a foreign presence, which without his knowledge begins to follow her by posting everything on his Instagram account. Chiara’s night, without a telephone, turns into an infernal vortex of danger and despair, up to a shocking ending. Who’s really following her?
Music Video – Official Selection – September 2019
May this city explode | Italy | 2019 | 04’
Director: Giacomo Spaconi
Writer: GIacomo Spaconi
Producer: La Scala Shepard
Cast: Diego Migeni, Chiara Lea
Wicked Game – Karina Ramage | United Kingdom | 2019 | 04’
Director: Rob Bell, Edward Palmer
Cast: Katie Bosworth, Aiyana Skye, James Solly
Synopsis: A jilted bride seeks revenge on those who betrayed her in this atmospheric tale set deep in the English countryside. A one-take video that slowly unravels to reveal the source of the drama.
Shivashka | Ukraine | 2019 | 04’
Director: Gleb Feldman
Writer: Gleb Feldman
Producer: Yuliia Sokoliuk
Cast: Liza, Zahar
Synopsis: This music video was created on non-commercial basis by the small team. Song “Shivashka” was written and performed by young and talented singer from Ukraine.
Klagelied einer Enttäuschten | Germany | 2019 | 05’
Director: Lady K, Robulus
Producer: La Roboká
Synopsis: Sometimes you find yourself on the wrong path. To get back on track, fight whatever is holding you back! And then, you feel like dancing again. Klagelied einer Enttäuschten (Elegy of a Disenchanted) is the newest release of La Roboká, the Berlin-based Pop insanity consisting of Lady K and Robulus. After dropping their debut EP Maskalicious this new release brings their love for operatic popsongs on a new level. An emotional, energizing anthem, highly emotional and with little care about genre.
A Queer Love Story featuring “This Is Magic” by A Great Big World | United States | 2019 | 05’
Director: Zen Pace
Writer: Zen Pace
Producer: Lizzy Coplin
Cast: Oslo Grace , Justice Jamal Jones
Synopsis: Premiered on Huffington Post! A Queer Love Story is a four-minute visual narrative that’s inspired by the queer youth inside us all. If you like this video, it would mean the world to us for you to share, comment, and spread the love. 🙂
Jazz | Armenia | 2019 | 08’
Director: David Babayan
Writer: Armine Harutyunyan
Producer: Armine Harutyunyan
Synopsis: “Jazz” is a cheerful animation sketch, a short musical improvisation. Here, from the clash of feelings, emotions and passion of the musicians of the jazz orchestra, reality changes, love and envy acquire surprisingly bright, but sometimes bizarre form, and in front of the viewer beautiful music is born.
Pearl Cadillac | United States | 2019 | 06’
Director: Clément Oberto
Producers: Boris Labourguigne, Blase Biello, Roger M. Mayer
Cast: Gary Clark Jr., Aidan Mcmillan, Tiffany Hudson
Synopsis: Gary Clark Jr. is heading down the road of life and looking back to where he came from. Shot in black and white super35mm, ‘Pearl Cadillac’ showcases moonlight as the image of a mother’s love.
Astronaut | France | 2019 | 06’
Director: Pierre Ponchant
Cast: Jeremy Mioque
Synopsis: Once upon a time, there was a broke guy who left the earth in a thrift store space suit – Astronaut is a no budget Space Odyssey, a voyage into the imaginary world of a hero who, night after night, explores the universe seeking for a safe haven.
Narrative Short – Official Selection – September 2019
Traces | Turkey | 2019 | 24’
Director: Osman Şahin
Writer: Osman Şahin
Producer: Orkun Şahin
Cast: Melih Abdullah Yavaş, Serdar Sarıkurt
Synopsis: Story of 2 soldiers returning home after captivity during the Balkan Wars in 1913.
Crazy For The Blonde | United States | 2019 | 18’
Director: Mark Clauburg
Writer: Tom Bragg
Producers: Tom Bragg, Alex Aldea, Mark Clauburg
Cast: Alex Aldea, Mike Funk, Kristin Muri, Patrick Shane, John Zion, Chris Widdop
Synopsis: Two serial killers compete for the same victim, a blonde-haired woman who has plans of her own.
AMPHITHEATER | Qatar | 2018 | 16’
Director: Mahdi Ali Ali
Writer: Mahdi Ali Ali
Producer: Basel Owies
Cast: Abdulla Ghaifan, Sana Al Habib, Gianina Panameno, Kholood Ahmed, Noor Deeb, Zoya
Synopsis: Following a sudden disagreement, a Qatari girl runs away from her controlling father during a family day out.
SH’HAB Qatar | 2018 | 13’
Director: Amal Al-Muftah
Writer: Amal Al-Muftah
Producer: Basel Owies
Synopsis: Upon hearing a myth about falling stars, a young girl’s curiosity is sparked. When night falls on AlWakrah village, she sets out on her father’s boat, with the assistance of her older brother, to chase the fabled comets.
Theory of Evolution | Macao | 2018 | 22’
Director: Ting Hang Yip
Writer: Stephanie Chen, Ting Hang Yip
Producer: ou Sa Fong, Stephanie Chen
Cast: Ka Man Yip, Mei Bo Wu, Siu Fu Leung
Synopsis: Sam Fong, who is a clerk of an advertisement company, is divorced and needs to raise his son by himself. In office, he also bears the pressure and insult from his boss. One day, accidentally, Sam finds a chance to choose his own ‘evolution’.
DADDY | Poland | 2018 | 15’
Director: Kacper Anuszewski
Writer: Kacper Anuszewski
Producers: Kacper Anuszewski, Tomasz Wolszczak
Cast: Grzegorz Juchiewicz, Kacper , Eryk Pawlikowski, Joanna Mądry
Synopsis: It is a psychological drama that raises the problem of communication between people who have children. The whole story is seen through the eyes of a small child looking at the behavior of his parents. The related situations affect his behavior and his all life.
Not Me | United States | 19’
Director: Mahmoud Salimi
Writer: Mahmoud Salimi
Producers: Maxine Sims Reye, Mahmoud Salimi, Ashley Jone, Whitney Spann
Cast: Toddrick Thomas, Mahmoud Salimi
Synopsis: An American soldier (Mike) and an Iraqi fighter (Mohammad) are handcuffed together and put in a detention center in Iraq. Mike fights for democracy and Mohammad for God. They hate each other to death but in order to survive, they have to work together. Their survival is based on each other. Stuck in a minefield, they are chased by the Iraqi fighters and American soldiers. With fear and resentment in their hearts, could they survive?
film d’auteur | Austria | 2019 | 15’
Director: Tobias Vees
Writer: Tobias Vees
Producer: Tobias Vees
Cast: Victoria Sedlacek, Andrew Collett, Simon Kriese
Synopsis: Imagine a film where you only see the eyes of two characters.. looking back at you from the big screen.. lean back as the story unfolds and experience something, you´ve never seen before.. “A young actress dreams of getting the chance to prove herself on the big screen. Hit by rejection after rejection she finally gives up, only to put her fate into her own hands, when the director of her lastest casting gets in her Taxi ..” “film d´auteur” thematizes the struggle of young actresses in a male dominated film business and sees the chance of change in cinema itself. Different narrative layers invite the viewer into a world of hopes and dreams as you only see the eyes of the two characters for almost the entire runtime..
Half of Me | Australia | 2019 | 20’
Director: Katrina Mathers
Writer: Kerry Drumm
Producers: Kerry Drumm, Rowan Howard, Lee McClenaghan
Cast: Lee McClenaghan
Synopsis: A mother finds a letter from her daughter postmarked nearly two years ago.
NAIDA | Russian Federation | 2019 | 20’
Director: Yury Sholin
Writer: Ivan Gamayun
Producers: Yury Sholin, Sergey Znamensky
Cast: Igor Savochkin, Maria Fotchenkova, Aleksey Filimonov
Synopsis: The stray dog of Naida becomes the only friend of the severe security guard Sergey who lost meaning of life after loss of the family. But he should make difficult a choice soon…
Alexandra | United States | 2019 | 15’
Director: Sultankazy Pirzhan uulu
Writer: Guljan Tokogul, Sultankazy Pirzhan uulu, Maksat Bolotbekov
Producer: Kristin Nomura
Cast: Alexandra El Kahwagi, Chris Kriesa, Brandon Demchack , Erkin Shakenov
Synopsis: A famous Lebanese actress arrives in Los Angeles for a tape audition of her first American film. She wakes up in the interrogation room, but the last thing she remembers was that she was picked up from the airport.
Milkshake | Spain | 2019 | 27’
Director: Andres San Juan
Writer: Andres San Juan
Producers: Acaba Trapo Films, Tithily Films, Films Austers
Cast: Jorge Velásquez, Carlos Guardiola, Inma García, Esteban Ciudad, Alvaro Doñate, Yoko
Synopsis: Death dances amongst the everyday lifes of four neighbors of Madrid.
Border Crossing | Poland | 2019 | 15’
Director: Agnieszka Chmura
Writer: Agnieszka Chmura
Producer: Piotr Lenar
Cast: Pola Galica Galoch, Agnieszka Koscielniak, Andrzej Rozmus, Andrzej Franczyk
Synopsis: A thriller based in the summer of 1989, the final year of communism in Eastern Europe, inspired by a childhood memory of crossing the border – not only between countries, but between the instinctive world of nature and the incomprehensible world of the adults. The story follows paths dictated by the little girl’s attention going from the bees buzzing around, to the rising tension between her parents, to the frightening border guard pacing along the queue. As the heat rises and the atmosphere thickens, can the little girl melt the border guard’s icy heart? “Border Crossing” premiered at Krakow Film Festival 2019 (National competition) and won Best Short Fiction Award at Bihać Avantura Film Festival 2019.
Beyond Home | Slovenia | 2019 | 20’
Director: David Sipoš
Writer: Matjaž Feguš
Producer: David Sipoš
Cast: Tjan Premzl, Alja Horvat, Dean Kikec
Synopsis: Boy and girl growing up in poverty miss their father and decide to make a change in their lives. The village children help them with their adventure and the boy goes to search for his father across the ocean.
Where Dreams Rest | United States | 2018 | 15’
Director: Elaine Wong
Writer: Elaine Wong
Producers: Lareina Joelle, Ariel Du
Cast: Michelle Sun, Zhan Wang
Synopsis: In this poetic, impressionistic, realistic coming-of-age film, Ah Wei, a young woman from rural China, decides to cross the US-Mexico border through the underground tunnel to reunite with her husband in the United States. She soon realizes the journey is not about the crossing, but about mending the discrepancies between expectations and reality once she gets there.
My Adventure | Slovakia | 23’
Director: Roman Gregorička
Writers: Roman Chrappa, Roman Gregorička
Producer: Roman Chrappa
Cast: Christopher Michael Pauliny, Peter Kadlečík
Synopsis: A boy and his father are struggling together in their city life. One day father took his son into the wild, trying to teach him a real life lesson. A short drama about courage, the power of nature, family, and surviving the unknown challenges of the life.
Liar | Hungary | 2019 | 22’
Director: Albert Kámán
Writers: Albert Kámán, Dorottya Bánkövi
Producer: Zsuzsanna Fülöp-Biri
Cast: Edit Nagyistók, Bendegúz Garai
Synopsis: EN A young couple spends the weekend in the country house of the boy’s family, but nothing happens according to their plans. The girl finds some incriminating evidence to suggest that her boyfriend cheated on her. All their problems they tried to sweep under the rug reveal themselves, but the girl’s accusations against her boyfriend become wilder and wilder. She tries some psychoactive drugs to ease the crucifying insecurity she feels, but the drugs just raise her doubts. She feels she goes crazy while her dreams and reality become one distorted horrible sight. The journey into the deepest inside of her soul shows the darkest secrets of her and she must face her biggest fear: her own conscience. Directorial concept The storyline of the film called ‘Liar’ moves on a psychical level instead of a physical one. The characters are nameless because the film rather portrays and emphasizes their human qualities and prefers to personify the situation they experience. This story describes the feel of remorse by using metaphoric images which show how someone feels under the influence of the psychical pressure, how emotions distort reality in which an inside viewpoint and an outside reality run into one another and how people try to project their own failures onto someone else in order to ease the burden of their responsibility. The film prefers to represent the main character’s point of view by stunning close-ups. As the story moves forward and the girl experiences more and more pain of chaos, the sunlit environment also becomes a dark and stormy place over time. The creators reversed the context of the earring-unfaithfulness theme of German dramatist Georg Büchner’s Woyzeck. There is a specific reference about it at the end of the film. The leading idea of the storyline is also built as a reference to the Dutch painter, Jan Vermeer van Delft’s artwork, Girl with a Pearl Earring. The electroacoustic soundtrack of the film has a unique sounding, composed by one of the best-known Hungarian composers, Erkel, Lajtha and Bartók-Pásztory Laureate, Gyula Bánkövi. Jászai Mari and Kossuth Laureate actor and director, honored by the title of ‘Actor of the Hungarian Nation’ Andor Lukáts, whose directorial profession inspires and influences the director’s cinematic art the most, appears in the last scene of the film.
HU Fiatal pár érkezik egy erdei házba, hogy nyugalomban tölthessék együtt a hétvégét. Az idilli környezet azonban nem a kikapcsolódást és feloldódást hozza el számukra. A lány gyanús jeleket talál, amikből arra következtet, hogy barátja megcsalja őt. A hétköznapokban elpalástolt problémák a felszínre kerülnek, a fiút pedig egyre érthetetlenebb vádak érik. A lány tudatmódosító szerekkel próbálja enyhíteni a kínzó bizonytalanságot, de azok csak fokozódó gyanakvását erősítik. Elhatalmasodik rajta az őrület, álom és valóság torz rémképpé mosódnak össze. A belső utazás a lány lelkének mélyére, sötét titkaihoz vezet. Legnagyobb félelmével kell szembenéznie: saját lelkiismeretével. RENDEZŐI KONCEPCIÓ A Hazug című film cselekménye nem fizikai, hanem lelki síkon játszódik; szereplői névtelen, metaforikus alakok. A történet szimbolikus képekkel mutatja be a lelkiismeretfurdalást és a bűntudatot. A cselekmény tehát pusztán lelki projekció, azt ábrázolja, hogy mi játszódik le az emberben, ha nyomás nehezedik rá; érzései miként torzítják a valóságot, a belső nézőpont hogyan mosódik össze külső valósággal. A film végig a főszereplőre koncentrálva, az ő szemszögéből, szűk, nyomasztó beállításokkal meséli a történetet. A cselekmény előrehaladtával, ahogy a lány lelkében egyre inkább káosz lesz úrra, úgy válik a napsütötte környezet fokozatosan sötét, viharos és nyomasztó hellyé. A filmben a német drámaíró Georg Büchner: Woyzeck fülbevaló-hűtlenség motívumát fordították meg a készítők; erre a film zárójelenetében külön utalást tesznek. Illetve a holland festő Jan Vermeer van Delft, egyik leghíresebb művére, a Leány gyöngy fülbevalóval című festményére reflektálva építették fel a film alapgondolatát. A film egyedi hangzású, elektroakusztikus zenéjét Magyarország egyik leghíresebb kortárs zeneszerzője, a többszörösen elismert – Erkel, Lajtha- és Bartók-Pásztory díjas Bánkövi Gyula készítette. A film utolsó jelenetében titokzatos módon tűnik fel az író-rendező – Jászai Mari-díjas, Kossuth-díjas, Nemzet színésze, Lukáts Andor, aki a rendező példaképe, filmművészetének egyik fő inspiráló személye.
No/Low Budget – Official Selection – September 2019
Casanova | Belgium | 2019 | 10’
Director: Ulf Larsen
Writer: Ulf Larsen
Producers: Ulf Larsen, Colin Donner
Cast: Daphné Huynh, Antojo Otero
Synopsis: After a party, a guy (Antojo Otero) takes a cab with a girl (Daphné Huynh). She invites him to spend the night at her house. It is the simple story of a one-night stand, a moment of life.
The Finding | Ukraine | 2019 | 04’
Director: Gleb Feldman
Writer: Gleb Feldman
Producer: Yulia Sokoliuk
Cast: Elizabeth Shapiro
Synopsis: Apocalypse was finally announced and she tries to find someone or something that matters the most.
Box Paul | Russian Federation | 2019 | 12’
Director: Viktor Belanov
Writer: Viktor Belanov
Producer: Viktor Belanov
Synopsis: A girl facing a difficult life situation decides to take a quite peculiar move – she tries an online service of psychological counseling. At first, it seems to her that the voice belongs to nothing but a soulless robot. However, her opinion changes when she starts feeling true emotions in what she thought was just a mechanic voice.
TransNOIR | Denmark | 09’
Director: Dave Michael Guller Grønvall-Pedersen
Writer: Helle Højland
Producers: Dave Michael Guller Grønvall-Pedersem, Helle Højland, Jacob Michael Larsen, Lene Jørgensen
Cast: Kenneth Heerstedt, Sascha Arai, Jens Rost, Jacob Michael Larsen
Synopsis: A classic film noir detective case becomes more personal than he had anticipated, with personal insight
Pissed | United Kingdom | 2019 | 04’
Directors: Fabian Broeker, Ben Jones
Writers: Fabian Broeker, Ben Jones
Producers: Fabian Broeker, Ben Jones
Cast: Kathi DeCouto, Julien Romano, Georgina Whittaker, James Fowler, Josh Belnik
Synopsis: A wine tasting that defies conventional logic.
Pandemia | Hong Kong | 2019 | 04’
Director: Yiannis Biliris
Producer: Gwendoline Biliris
Synopsis: The messaging. The infinite social media scrolling. People are multitasking between games and the stock market, watching movies whilst skipping continuously 15 seconds ahead – all of this while even crossing the street. The film is based on real images. We focus only on public spaces as, until recently, this part of our social environment remained unchanged. Until yesterday, the roads were there to remind us that we are part of an extended social group, that there are other realities out there, beyond those we believe in and those we are comfortable with. In the same way, the streets were there to dilute ourselves into the social ‘we’. Yet today, we see a large proportion of people walking around isolated, and disconnected, from the reality surrounding them. In the end, everything comes down to the question: “who is responsible for this new behavior?” Social media and attention engineers. They wrote code, taking into account human behavior and playing with our dopamine levels. Is it worrying that our attention became a commodity? Machines learning to decide what comes next on our screens? Mobile and Internet? Technology? What about our individual responsibility? Internet, mobile phones, social media, etc… are new magic tools in our hands. We are able to empower our lives in similar manners, as the steam and the discovery of the wheel did in the past. For now, we are still little kids playing with new, freshly discovered toys. We enjoy a superpower, we enjoy pleasure and opportunities – all whilst being totally unaware of the possible downsides. Or, at least, unaware of the upcoming changes. What does human experience mean? Are we heading towards a new norm, before we even realize it?
Short Comedy – Official Selection – September 2019
Outer Space Love Story | United States | 2019 | 11’
Director: Iva Gocheva
Writers: Julia Joyce-Barry, Iva Gocheva
Producers: Iva Gocheva, Julia Joyce-Barry, Nicholas Rubin
Cast: Bohdana Smyrnova, Grace Rex , Julia Joyce-Barry
Synopsis: Three women learn to navigate the nebulous constraints of a love triangle gone straight to the moon.
Nay York | Germany | 2018 | 27’
Director: Vera Brueckner
Writer: Vera Brueckner
Synopsis: Two young girls escaping to New York. One is filming, the other one is looking for some opportunities. A city of thousand streets and the very question where you want to go.
That thing between us | Denmark | 2019 | 26’
Director: Dave Michael Guller Grønvall-Pedersen
Writer: Dave Michael Guller Grønvall-Pedersen
Producer: Dave Michael Guller Grønvall-Pedersen
Cast: Afshin Firouzi, Martha Overgaard Bach, Michael Robdrup
Synopsis: Their relationship is reached a point, where they cannot be in the same room. Without falling asleep…
Another Satisfied Customer | United States | 2019-03-27 | 04’
Director: Peier “Tracy” Shen
Writer: Peier “Tracy” Shen, Anton Shavlik
Producer: Rex Reyes
Cast: Madeleine Falk , Kurt Carley
Synopsis: A retired ballerina is ready to end her life when the door bell rings. Is life gonna give her a second chance?
Garbage | Netherlands | 2019 | 07’
Director: Marc Eikelenboom
Writers: Marc Eikelenboom, Marnix Hoogerwerf
Producers: Thijs de Neeve, Jennifer Eikelenboom, Marc Eikelenboom
Cast: Loes Schnepper, Rian Gerritsen, Davis Lee DeRock jr., Chad Crenshaw
Synopsis: When two sisters have to sell their beloved auto club – which they inherited from their dad – because of financial problems, one of them thinks she found the right investers. But the American project developers’ plan rubbed them completely the wrong way.
Genericamente | Italy | 18’
Director: Giulio Neglia
Writer: Giulio Neglia
Producers: Nuovo Imaie, Duel Produzioni
Cast: Paolo Triestino
Synopsis: The attribute ‘crowd’ is not always look kindly upon, to the most not always its meaning alludes to a compliment, but for others it may be a sense of redemption, a breath of relief, a pebble removed from the shoe, a little brick that leads to dream the castle of life. They are the crowds. The ‘crowds’ are known to the most with the name of ‘extras’. They hide in cinematographic works in the so-called ‘mass scenes’, perform the most vortical interpretations showing a certain versatility: from the painter to the policeman, from the waiter to the gardener, from the fireman to the butcher. The ‘crowd’ is the figure certainly less recognized by the public, but esteemed and considered with pride and satisfaction from the components of its category. It remains, despite everything, irremovable by the film industry. Being a crowd is a job? Paolo, that dreams of being an actor, but with very poor results, is more used to appear in marginal roles. Paolo will tell us which are the enormous sacrifices, renunciations, senses of responsibility, injustices that torment the show business. From the eyes of the workers of cinema, Paolo tells an italian cross-section and, despite the economic difficulties, believes in a better world, more congenial and coherent to his dreams; these are the ones who for years have made Paolo dream, leaving aside the parental obligations: the eternal struggle between man and human being.
8-800 | Russian Federation | 2019 | 15’
Director: Ivan Zakharenko
Writer: Ivan Zakharenko
Producer: Ivan Zakharenko
Cast: Alexey Koryakov, Aleksandra Artemeva
Synopsis: A call center girl quarrels with a client during a conversation. Deciding to sort things out, she suddenly falls in love.
Short Drama – Official Selection – September 2019
Killing Stacy | Denmark | 2019 | 25’
Directors: Liva Lervig Haue, Alexander Sørensen
Writers: Liva Lervig Haue, Alexander Sørensen
Producers: Amalie Lintrup, Liva Lervig Haue, Alexander Sørensen
Cast: Marco Marc, Marie-Louise Damgaard, Bastian Bertelsen, Stefan David, Filippa Rye Rønhof
Synopsis: Marcus is the guitarist and leading force behind struggling rock band, Killing Stacy. On the night of their biggest gig yet, everything is falling apart and Marcus is desperately trying to save the show. Unbeknownst to his band mates, Marcus has gotten an offer to join a highly successful band if he plays an impressive show. Can Marcus overcome his band’s dysfunctional nature and pull of their best gig to date, all in order to leave his friends behind?
Subnivean | United States | 2019 | 10’
Director: Jonathan Perry
Writer: Jonathan Perry
Producers: Rachel Fromwiller, Allen Hendrick
Cast: Christian Leonard, Cody Struck
Synopsis: After a vicious chase home from gathering firewood, an innocent boy unknowingly leads his brother to fall through an isolated pond. The boy has to accept and use his twisted hallucinations of hatred as his only hope to break the ice and save his brother in time or die trying.
Intervene | United States | 2019 | 09’
Director: Chris Weatherly
Writer: Jonathan Boettcher
Producers: Jonathan Boettcher, Leah Roop
Cast: Sarah Cleveland, Jacob
Synopsis: This fictional narrative is based on a series of interviews and research in order to authentically address real circumstances in the Evansville, Indiana area. A recurring theme that appears in almost all of our research and listening is the damage caused by isolation. This story emphasizes how isolation and trauma are both causes and results of substance abuse, and how the shame and social stigma of addiction drive a person further into isolation.
Origin | United States | 2019 | 15’
Cast: Aaron James (A.J.) Jastrab, Sean Ian, Dennis Hunda, Jordan Sartor-Francis, Christine Nordstrom, Ryan G. Beard, Fred Robbins, Tonya Caswell, Keagan Marcella
Synopsis: A young child, obsessed with heroes, deals with a life of abuse and an attentive bartender strategically inserts himself in a place that breeds it.
VALARI (The Boomerang) | India | 2019 | 23’
Director: Jayakumar Barade
Writer: Jayakumar Barade
Producer: Aparna Jayakumar
Cast: Asai Thambi, Kavisekhar Samy
Synopsis: Two acquaintances meet after a while, one still with bitter memories and vengeance over the other. Will he succeed having his vengeance, remains to be seen.
Provisional Infinity | France | 08’
Director: Annabelle Rodicq
Writer: Annabelle Rodicq
Producer: Annabelle Rodicq
Cast: Annabelle Rodicq, Benjamin Douba Paris
Synopsis: Infini Provisoire is a fatalist love poem told to the person who will break our heart. We dive into an intense love story defined on the one hand by hope, the gift of oneself, the evidence of love and on the other hand, disillusionment, disappointment and the feeling of abandonment. The film therefore tends to emphasize the distress that we can feel when it is difficult to foresee a personal reconstruction after a breakup.
Aurora | Netherlands | 2019 | 05’
Director: Bart Dokter
Writer: Bart Dokter
Producer: Worldvisuals Film/Francois Pieneman
Cast: Raymond Thiry, Maartje Remmers
Synopsis: Aurora and her father share a special connection to Iceland and specifically with its northern lights. Aurora has even been named after it. This shared connection is the reason for their journey to see the northern lights one last time together. During this journey father seems to carry a heavy load which is getting heavier each step they take.
Father | Poland | 2019 | 13’
Synopsis: Young woman returns to her family home after years of absence to close the chapters of her past.
Cruel Summer (Vară Crudă) | Romania | 12’
Director: Alex Turda
Writer: Alex Turda
Cast: Diana Craciun, Alina Misoc
Synopsis: A runaway teenager returns home hours before her mom’s birthday party in an attempt to try and talk things out with her older sister.
Where Dreams Rest | United States | 2018 | 15’
Director: Elaine Wong
Writer: Elaine Wong
Producers: Lareina Joelle, Ariel Du
Cast: Michelle Sun, Zhan Wang
Synopsis: In this poetic, impressionistic, realistic coming-of-age film, Ah Wei, a young woman from rural China, decides to cross the US-Mexico border through the underground tunnel to reunite with her husband in the United States. She soon realizes the journey is not about the crossing, but about mending the discrepancies between expectations and reality once she gets there.
My Adventure | Slovakia | 23’
Director: Roman Gregorička
Writers: Roman Chrappa, Roman Gregorička
Producer: Roman Chrappa
Cast: Christopher Michael Pauliny, Peter Kadlečík
Synopsis: A boy and his father are struggling together in their city life. One day father took his son into the wild, trying to teach him a real life lesson. A short drama about courage, the power of nature, family, and surviving the unknown challenges of the life.
Liar | Hungary | 2019 | 22’
Director: Albert Kámán
Writers: Albert Kámán, Dorottya Bánkövi
Producer: Zsuzsanna Fülöp-Biri
Cast: Edit Nagyistók, Bendegúz Garai
Synopsis: EN A young couple spends the weekend in the country house of the boy’s family, but nothing happens according to their plans. The girl finds some incriminating evidence to suggest that her boyfriend cheated on her. All their problems they tried to sweep under the rug reveal themselves, but the girl’s accusations against her boyfriend become wilder and wilder. She tries some psychoactive drugs to ease the crucifying insecurity she feels, but the drugs just raise her doubts. She feels she goes crazy while her dreams and reality become one distorted horrible sight. The journey into the deepest inside of her soul shows the darkest secrets of her and she must face her biggest fear: her own conscience. Directorial concept The storyline of the film called ‘Liar’ moves on a psychical level instead of a physical one. The characters are nameless because the film rather portrays and emphasizes their human qualities and prefers to personify the situation they experience. This story describes the feel of remorse by using metaphoric images which show how someone feels under the influence of the psychical pressure, how emotions distort reality in which an inside viewpoint and an outside reality run into one another and how people try to project their own failures onto someone else in order to ease the burden of their responsibility. The film prefers to represent the main character’s point of view by stunning close-ups. As the story moves forward and the girl experiences more and more pain of chaos, the sunlit environment also becomes a dark and stormy place over time. The creators reversed the context of the earring-unfaithfulness theme of German dramatist Georg Büchner’s Woyzeck. There is a specific reference about it at the end of the film. The leading idea of the storyline is also built as a reference to the Dutch painter, Jan Vermeer van Delft’s artwork, Girl with a Pearl Earring. The electroacoustic soundtrack of the film has a unique sounding, composed by one of the best-known Hungarian composers, Erkel, Lajtha and Bartók-Pásztory Laureate, Gyula Bánkövi. Jászai Mari and Kossuth Laureate actor and director, honored by the title of ‘Actor of the Hungarian Nation’ Andor Lukáts, whose directorial profession inspires and influences the director’s cinematic art the most, appears in the last scene of the film.
HU Fiatal pár érkezik egy erdei házba, hogy nyugalomban tölthessék együtt a hétvégét. Az idilli környezet azonban nem a kikapcsolódást és feloldódást hozza el számukra. A lány gyanús jeleket talál, amikből arra következtet, hogy barátja megcsalja őt. A hétköznapokban elpalástolt problémák a felszínre kerülnek, a fiút pedig egyre érthetetlenebb vádak érik. A lány tudatmódosító szerekkel próbálja enyhíteni a kínzó bizonytalanságot, de azok csak fokozódó gyanakvását erősítik. Elhatalmasodik rajta az őrület, álom és valóság torz rémképpé mosódnak össze. A belső utazás a lány lelkének mélyére, sötét titkaihoz vezet. Legnagyobb félelmével kell szembenéznie: saját lelkiismeretével. RENDEZŐI KONCEPCIÓ A Hazug című film cselekménye nem fizikai, hanem lelki síkon játszódik; szereplői névtelen, metaforikus alakok. A történet szimbolikus képekkel mutatja be a lelkiismeretfurdalást és a bűntudatot. A cselekmény tehát pusztán lelki projekció, azt ábrázolja, hogy mi játszódik le az emberben, ha nyomás nehezedik rá; érzései miként torzítják a valóságot, a belső nézőpont hogyan mosódik össze külső valósággal. A film végig a főszereplőre koncentrálva, az ő szemszögéből, szűk, nyomasztó beállításokkal meséli a történetet. A cselekmény előrehaladtával, ahogy a lány lelkében egyre inkább káosz lesz úrra, úgy válik a napsütötte környezet fokozatosan sötét, viharos és nyomasztó hellyé. A filmben a német drámaíró Georg Büchner: Woyzeck fülbevaló-hűtlenség motívumát fordították meg a készítők; erre a film zárójelenetében külön utalást tesznek. Illetve a holland festő Jan Vermeer van Delft, egyik leghíresebb művére, a Leány gyöngy fülbevalóval című festményére reflektálva építették fel a film alapgondolatát. A film egyedi hangzású, elektroakusztikus zenéjét Magyarország egyik leghíresebb kortárs zeneszerzője, a többszörösen elismert – Erkel, Lajtha- és Bartók-Pásztory díjas Bánkövi Gyula készítette. A film utolsó jelenetében titokzatos módon tűnik fel az író-rendező – Jászai Mari-díjas, Kossuth-díjas, Nemzet színésze, Lukáts Andor, aki a rendező példaképe, filmművészetének egyik fő inspiráló személye.
Stop motion – Time lapse – Official Selection – September 2019
GRIT | United Kingdom | 03’
Director: Matt Thomas
Synopsis: A frantic pursuit through a surreal labyrinth of concrete corridors. GRIT is a stop motion animated short film – Matt’s final year project for the BA (Hons) Animation course at UWE Bristol.
The Great Popcorn Escape | Canada | 2019 | 08’
Director: Scott Edward Morris
Writer: Scott Edward Morris
Producer: Scott Edward Morris
Synopsis: Ben Straughen , Katherine Mackenzie, Christopher McPhearson, Ben Straughen , Scott Edward Morris
When the rest of her friends are taken away to be eaten, Poppet, a brave young piece of popcorn must gather her strength to rescue them from a dangerous fate.
Amazing Switzerland 8K – A Hyperreal Timelapse Adventure | Switzerland | 2019 | 04’
Director: Andreas Köng
Producer: Andreas Köng
Synopsis: Hyperreal timelapse. I proudly present my first Hyperreal Timelapse Adventure. With the three Hyperreal sequences I recorded the sky and foreground at different times and then put them together in the postproduction. I invested a lot of time to merge these two times perfectly.
Student Short – Official Selection – September 2019
Haiku | India | 2018 | 14’
Director: Kumar Mayank
Writer: Kumar Mayank
Producers: Vijay Roy, Kumar Mayank
Cast: Zedric Von, Halim Kash, Justin Daniel H. Aguiting, Ken Damasco
Synopsis: A man gets sexually violated by a few strangers he met in a bar on a drunken night. It leaves him numb before the first phase of coping mechanism kicks in to negotiate and make sense of what had happened and deal with its associated memories.
she. | South Africa | 2019 | 06’
Director: Felix Koelble
Writer: Felix Koelble, Johnmark Kimiywe, Samantha Howarth, Natalie Frohmann
Producer: Samantha Howarth
Cast: Johnmark Kimiywe, Byron Mitchell, Felix Koelble, Alex Jeaven
Synopsis: Sculptor, Larry Matthews, has love delivered to his doorstep. It’s an instant connection – via Bluetooth.
Zest For Life | Norway | 2019 | 14’
Director: Tommy Bardal
Writer: Tommy Bardal
Producer: Line Hofset
Cast: Odd Roald Horjem, Ranja Elisabeth Berg Kopeseng
Remote Control | United States | 2019 | 03’
Directors: Sasha Lee, Yejin Choi
Synopsis: A couple argues over which TV channel they prefer: a bright unicorn show and a hipster-noir film. Their fight leads them to the deconstruction of reality. Are they controlling the TV or are they controlled by TV? With a remote, they have to reach to reconciliation.
Paper Boats | United States | 2019 | 15’
Director: Gonzalo Guajardo-Fajardo
Writers: Gonzalo Guajardo-Fajardo, Abezash Tamerat
Producers: Gonzalo Guajardo-Fajardo, Helana Papayanopulos, Bakyt Zhumadilova
Cast: Semenesh Chesa, Samuel Ghebreselassie, Merone Misiker, Briana Stoakley, Samrawit Kefale-Mareye, Maric Yates, Dylan Boland
Synopsis: Why can’t Rahel bring herself to sign her artwork? The visit of her high school academic triggers memories of why she is haunted by her surname, yet would not consider changing it.
Quiet Crossing | United Kingdom | 2019 | 04’
Director: Patrik Krivanek
Writer: Rik Hulme
Producer: Ella Eddy
Cast: Tullia Pagano, Matej Paprciak, Jack Purkis
Synopsis: 45,000 sections of reinforced concrete – three tons each.
Nearly 300 watchtowers., over 250 dog runs, twenty bunkers.
Sixty-five miles of anti-vehicle trenches—signal wire, barbed wire, beds of nails. Over 11,000 armed guards.
A death strip of sand, well-raked to reveal footprints. 200 ordinary people shot dead following attempts to escape the communist regime.
96 miles of concrete wall. Families divided, loved ones lost… “Quiet Crossing is a strong emotional, political story filmed by the Film BA students at the University of Westminster/Westminster Film School (London). It is a 1967 story of East German students, opponents of the communist regime, who are trying to emigrate to West Germany hidden at the back of a food delivery truck. They must remain quiet at the time of arrival at the border crossing point, or they will be discovered and executed for their anti-political activities. Anna’s and Yans’s sleeping baby on board is a time bomb that can explode at any time, and something unexpected happens…” https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10981428 – Please rate our film WINNER – Košice International Monthly Film Festival (2019, Kosice, SK) OFFICIAL SELECTION – Bensenville Short Film Festival (Bensenville, USA) OFFICIAL SELECTION – NukhuFest (2019, New York, USA) OFFICIAL SELECTION – Wallachia Int’l Film Festival (2019, Bucharest, RO) OFFICIAL SELECTION – Rome Independent Prisma Awards (2019, Roma, IT) OFFICIAL SELECTION – The Lift-Off Sessions (2019, Pinewood Studios, London, UK) OFFICIAL SELECTION – CineShots (2019, London, UK) MONTHLY EDITION – Miami Independent Film Festival (2019, Miami, USA)
You’re So Far Away | United States | 2019 | 04’
Director: Jeongki Kim
Synopsis: An ominous force violently separates two bears in space. A friend is lost but not forgotten.
The Attacker | Republic of Korea | 2019 | 14’
Directors: Kwon, JeongYeon
Writers: Kwon, JeongYeon
Producers: Kwon, YoungTai, Lee, MyeongOk, Kim, JeongSeon
Cast: Kim, JiWon, Kwon, JeongYeon, Kim, JunHan, Lee, JiWoo
Synopsis: Sang-gun, who only lives in the room, records the video every day. Sang-gun encountered deliveryman Ki-Jun, recalls memories of the past.
Ukde | Turkey | 2019 | 19’
Director: Ecem Çelik
Writer: Ecem Çelik
Producers: Gülten Tepe, Emira Mustafa, Berna Özcan
Synopsis: The film deals with a universal immigrant problem that suddenly enters the life of a woman. Güzide is a tailor. She has a routine life, strictly adheres to his own rules. One day Leyla comes to Güzide’s house with a little girl. Leyla asks Guzide to take care of the child for a few days, says that she will go out of town for work and will get her back. The tailor does not accept. Leyla leaves the house on the pretext of speaking on the phone and does not return. This little girl (Ecca) touches Güzide’s past and makes sure she doesn’t feel alone. One day Leyla comes back. On that day, Güzide feels her loneliness again.
Kami-Oshi | Thailand | 2019 | 05’
Director: Jittarin Wuthiphan
Writers: Jittarin Wuthiphan , James Matheson
Producers: Puntira Rattnprakan, Patipon Satongta
Cast: Pakasit Sodsri , Saifah Tanthana
Synopsis: When a father and a son have an heated argument over their belief, that in the end, no one really knows what their belief and the word “KAMI-OSHI” really is.
The Wallet | Israel | 2019 | 28’
Director: Ravid Maimon
Writer: Ravid Maimon
Producer: Shahar Tenne
Cast: Ori Smama, Dana Fried, Yuval Livni, Rimon Carmi
Synopsis: While visiting the movie theater, Regev forgets his wallet at the popcorn stand. On his return, Avia, the popcorn vendor, says a mysterious blonde took the wallet and went into the movie. Without a movie ticket, and with the ticket checker, Elisha, on his tracks, Regev must solve the mystery.
A Glimpse of Happiness | Austria | 2018 | 13’
Cast: Giuseppe Rizzo, Luna-Sophie Michelon
Synopsis: A family of three: father, mother and daughter. The father is currently not working while the mother pursues her career purposefully. Father and daughter spend the day together, because it is the birthday of little Lisa. During the day, some strange scenarios arise before the daughter suddenly disappears. A Shortfilm Drama about loss…
PAPA-FIGO | Brazil | 2018 | 17’
Director: Alex Reis
Writer: Alex Reis
Producers: Marcus Araujo, Alex Reis, Beatriz Piffer, Filipi Nunes
Cast: Chiara Scalett, Vitor Abate, Herbert Richers Jr
Synopsis: A child’s play turns out to be a nightmare when they set out to challenge an urban legend.
Short Horror – Official Selection – September 2019
Mr Kunibert | Finland | 2019 | 13’
Director: Tapio Antere
Writer: Tapio Antere
Producers: Tapio Antere, Johannes Ahonen
Cast: Saana Laigren, Marko Loukaskorpi
Synopsis: A young couple goes on an unusual date to explore one of the haunted places in the middle of the woods in the cold winter of Finland.
Z-GOAT: First Bleat | Belgium | 2018 | 13’
Directors: Julien Jauniaux, Bertrand Leplae
Producer: Laurent Meeus
Cast: Océane Weyer, Hugues Hausman, Simon Damamme
Synopsis: The year is 2078. Resources are scarce and the world is slowly dying. Darwina the young huntress will encounter a new threat very soon.
The Soul Collector | United States | 2019 | 04’
Director: Nick Peterson
Writer: Nick Peterson
Producers: Mali Elfman, Michael May, Nick Peterson
Cast: Michael May, Dee Bradley Baker, Tierney Michon, Travis Cox
Synopsis: A mother is followed home one night by masked man. But what lies behind the doors of her house, is something no one expects.
Along the Creek Road | United States | 2018 | 22’
Director: Russell Reed
Writer: Serg Garcia
Producers: Serg Garcia, Learda Shkurti
Cast: Marcelle Purdy, Xavier Alvarado, Austin Vaught
Synopsis: Along the Creek Road is a thriller that follows the story of Jenkin, a persistent and caring reporter covering the 15th anniversary of the Oaksville Disappearance. While trying to interview the town’s residences, she discovers a haunting hidden secret that reveals the truth about everything.
Fresh | United States | 2019 | 11’
Director: Tatiana Wisniewski
Writer: Tatiana Wisniewski
Producers: Carlo Cosio, Tatiana Wisniewski
Cast: Lestonja Diaz, Mika Shepherd, Joseph Miller, JC Henning
Synopsis: After accidentally doing a ritual, Emily, a Philosophy student, has to face the biggest moral dilemma of all: kill or be killed.
PAPA-FIGO | Brazil | 2018 | 17’
Director: Alex Reis
Writer: Alex Reis
Producers: Marcus Araujo, Alex Reis, Beatriz Piffer, Filipi Nunes
Cast: Chiara Scalett, Vitor Abate, Herbert Richers Jr
Synopsis: A child’s play turns out to be a nightmare when they set out to challenge an urban legend.
Short Fantasy/Sci-Fi – Official Selection – September 2019
THE SECRET BOX – The Rise of Paperboy | Ireland | 2019 | 10’
Director: G.S. Leitgeb
Writer: G.S. Leitgeb
Cast: Senan Jennings, Degnan Geraghty, Desmond Eastwood, Charlie Hughes, Johnathan French, Wesley O’Duinn
Synopsis: As part of THE SECRET BOX Trilogy, THE RISE OF PAPERBOY comes to us as a stand-alone motion picture short, introducing us to a 7-year-old Paperboy and letting us witness his first encounter with ancient paranormal forces in 1885. An abandoned street-kid in the docks of New England, Codie ‘Paperboy’ Basket is present when old adventurer Abe T. Huxley and his bunch of henchmen fail to open a lost wooden box. Facing this group of shady giants, Codie needs to pluck up all his courage and put his mind to the test, being the only one capable of unlocking the box. A path opens in front of Codie, that will lead him to become the true ringmaster of moving pictures, and the founder of the quirky Entertainment Network KTC® in 1964. NOTE: Trailer and Screener are not the official release versions and only suited for internal festival-staff. Intro & Outro Credits are currently just placeholders. For promo versions suited for public, please get in contact with submitter. NOTE: The official website is still under construction as well.
Those Beautiful Moments | Netherlands | 2019 | 15’
Director: Vasily Chuprina
Writers: Vasily Chuprina, Andreas Illmer, Constantin Ershov
Producers: Vasily Chuprina, Svetlana Samarina
Cast: Valery Dyachenko
Synopsis: A stroll in the park, a cute little dog, a loving wife. “Those beautiful moments” tells the story of a scientist on the search for eternal beauty and life. The short poses the question of moral limits of science, dilemmas a genius scientist faces.
Trailer – Official Selection – September 2019
10/6 TRAILER | United States | 01’
Synopsis: A Brooklynite is unexpectedly transported from his Prospect Heights neighborhood to a vibrant bucolic landscape inhabited with characters that lead him into an idyllic journey of discovery and wonderment. The first of an experimental film trilogy by fashion designer Nigel Moore “10/6” features pieces from JNIGEL S/S II collection.
GLO | United States | 2019 | 01’
Director: Max Barker
Producer: Max Barker / FOXY BLUE PRODUCTIONS
Cast: Sky Ravenscroft
Synopsis: Toxic dayglow radiation forces the world into a fearful state of unrest.
