Adventure Short – Official Selection – February 2024
The Last Nanny | Spain | 25’
Director: Ainur Askarov
Writer: Ivan Avseenko
Synopsis: The daughters of the future mayor are attempted to be kidnapped by professional criminals to blackmail their father. Only the kidnappers did not take into account that these girls are much more dangerous than they seem at first sight. Through humour and comedy we convey the main idea of the film that there is nothing more important than family. Family is always there – it is hope and support.
Runaway Killers | United Kingdom | 2023 | 11’
Director: Nacho Martin
Writer: Nacho Martin Sierra
Producers: Nacho Martin Sierra, Tom Chambers, Chris Lilley, Martino Silvestri
Cast: Nora Dahle Borchgrevink, Peter Jeffries, Mike Kelson, Akil Largie, Gaston Figliozzi, Lucas Boetsch, Liam Deans, Chris Lilley, Nacho Martin Sierra
Synopsis: A deadly assassin tasked with killing her partner opts to save him instead.
Animation Short – Official Selection – February 2024
CURSED | Albania | 2023 | 15’
Director: Artan MAKO Maku
Writer: Artan Maku
Producer: Artan MAKO Maku
Cast: Elton Vogli
Synopsis: A little girl fights against evil, which had come from the space of evil. “A little girl fights against the evil that had come from the space of wickedness. The princess in the ancient castle sang about kindness, and spreading flowers, and all her doll friends followed her closely. The wicked witch of the universe represented the malicious and envious character. A wicked character, Drago, kept approaching the witch constantly. The princess was cursed by the witch and turned into a non-toxic character. The girl was determined to save the princess, now transformed into a non-toxic character. It took a lot of difficulties to rescue the princess from the curse. Finally, after many efforts and through the love of the girl, the princess returned to her original state. The love of the girl saved the princess! Life began to return to its original state. Everyone started to be happy, forgetting the difficulties of the girl. The unexpected happened! All the friends (the dolls) began to approach the princess, who transformed again into a beautiful figure in the flow of life, and they started to distance themselves from the girl. Here, the anger and jealousy of the girl begin. Then, unexpectedly, the girl forgets all her efforts… and turns into a witch, and the mother turns into a dragon.”
Slap The Deck | Turkey | 2023 | 06’
Director: Erim Xolo Xolo Cetinel
Writer: Erim Xolo Xolo Cetinel
Producer: Erim Xolo Xolo Cetinel
Stnopsis: In this classic style cartoon a jealous sailor tries to get rid of the new prodigy who seems to get all the love, but his plans just seem to blow up in his face
Two Beats | Italy | 2023 | 19’
Director: Marino Guarnieri
Writer: Marino Guarnieri
Producers: Maria Carolina Terzi, Carlo Stella, Lorenza Stella, Luciano Stella
Cast: Maria Pia Calzone, Angela Fontana, Conchita Sannino
Synopsis: Matilde, a young painter who lost her inspiration after the end of a love affair, in order to find herself, she moves into an old attic full of useless objects and memories that do not belong to her. Here she will travel between dream and reality, to the rhythm of a heartbeat that seems to have doubled, finding on waking up works on canvas that she does not remember having painted. When she discovers who is trying to communicate with her, she will become a new person to tell her story through her art.
TRANSIT | Austria | 2024 | 05’
Director: Sebastian Freudenschuss
Synopsis: Is it even possible to do self initiated, non commercial work in an office, which is the manifestation of commerce itself? Or does the commercial space itself not allow for anything non-commercial? Does everyone who works in a commercial space themselves become part of the commercial? These are the questions that drive the protagonist of TRANSIT.
Every encounter is an elsewhere | Italy |2023 | 09’
Director: Massimo Selis
Writer:Massimo Selis
Producer: Massimo Selis
Synopsis: Giulio works in his flower store. He is alone. Sara wanted to build a strong love, but she finds herself alone. Grief, an unexpected encounter will give Giulio the momentum to give love freely. Because love is either free or it is not love.
Night of the Dancing Cranes | Japan | 2023 | 10’
Director: Erina Kawai
Writer: Jun Misaki
Producer: Rei Tsukahara
Synopsis: At one summer vacation. Masaki and his grandfather head for Hokkaido to search for the crane that grandfather remembers from his memory. While following the crane at night, Masaki gets lost in the forest, but is guided by the light of fireflies and meets a mysterious white-haired young man. Will Masaki be able to see the cranes with his grandfather?
Comedy Short – Official Selection – February 2024
Octa – Global trading made clear | United Arab Emirates | 01’
Directors: Joao Manoel Machado, Henrique Bueno Ribas Ribeiro, Eduardo Pereira Lubiazi
Producers: Maria Zotman, Marchant Bellingan, Diwan de Beer
Synopsis: OCTA, an online trading platform, noticed a significant drop in users. Preliminary interviews showed that after a hiatus in global fin-tech, people showed demand for security, like licensing with the regulators or opening registered local offices. However, after a research phase, we’ve uncovered that the whole product category was experiencing a crisis of faith. A crisis that opening a few offices would hardly fix. We’ve created a fake ‘financian’ language for the characters. The properties of the language resemble something that can be identified as words and sentences, but makes no sense. We snowballed the insight of confusion in 9 countries to then reveal a solution. A brand that understands your frustration and gives you comfort. Something user-friendly. A way to see trading becoming clearer. The campaign was planned to roll out all around the globe, so we’ve adapted it with appropriate casting.
GRASS ON YOUR CLASS | France | 2023 | 25’
Director: Claire Barrault
Writer: Claire Barrault
Producer: Jonathan Hazan
Cast: Zineb Triki, Sharif Andoura, Olivier Broche
Synopsis: At the Victor Hugo High School, French teacher Leila Al Bachir has called a disciplinary hearing for one of her students: Simon Petit. In her quest to find a fair sanction for Simon, she realises her workplace is in serious trouble…
Commercial/Ad/TVC Short – Official Selection – February 2024
How About Coffee First! | Germany | 2020 | 01’
Director: Phil Ramcke
Writers: Gabriel Lorenz, Phil Ramcke
Producers: Marcel Alexander Nicolaus, Zacharias Bürck
Cast: Fenja Gerhardter, Steffen Böye, Eva-Marie Straeten
Synopsis: The moving image advertisement, based on a well-known and chauvinistic commercial, was produced for the company Café Hansa Villa Rica. This commercial is about a team of baseball players getting bitched by a teammate in the locker room because the young woman hasn’t had any coffee yet. In this context, she is portrayed as a man from the subjective perspective. When the team captains come over to bring her some, everything is fine again.
Wallypower58 | Italy | 2022 | 03’
Director: Carlo De Agostini
Writer: Barbara Bongetta
Producer: Laura Barth
Cast: The Wallypower
Synopsis: 58 is a symbol of unmatched craftsmanship and technological prowess. This film narrates the genesis of a masterpiece, a fusion of timeless design, exquisitely precise and detail-rich, concealing peerless technological innovation.
In QIWI everyone decides | Russian Federation | 2023 | 02’
Director: Alexander Igorevich Kandiba
Octa – Global trading made clear | United Arab Emirates | 01’
Directors: Joao Manoel Machado, Henrique Bueno Ribas Ribeiro, Eduardo Pereira Lubiazi
Producers: Maria Zotman, Marchant Bellingan, Diwan de Beer
Synopsis: OCTA, an online trading platform, noticed a significant drop in users. Preliminary interviews showed that after a hiatus in global fin-tech, people showed demand for security, like licensing with the regulators or opening registered local offices. However, after a research phase, we’ve uncovered that the whole product category was experiencing a crisis of faith. A crisis that opening a few offices would hardly fix. We’ve created a fake ‘financian’ language for the characters. The properties of the language resemble something that can be identified as words and sentences, but makes no sense. We snowballed the insight of confusion in 9 countries to then reveal a solution. A brand that understands your frustration and gives you comfort. Something user-friendly. A way to see trading becoming clearer. The campaign was planned to roll out all around the globe, so we’ve adapted it with appropriate casting.
Documentary Short – Official Selection – February 2023
Historiae vivae | Poland | 2023 | 18’
Director: Iwona Pasińska
Writer: Iwona Pasińska
Producer: Polish Dance Theatre
Cast: Evelyn Blue, Kacper Bożek, Momoko Den, Bartosz Dopytalski, Julia Hałka, Patryk Jarczok, Jerzy Kaźmierczak, Zbigniew Kocięba, Mateusz Krzysiak, Katarzyna Kulmińska, Dominik Kupka, Daniel Michna, Jinwoo Namkung, Katarzyna Rzetelska, Sandra Szatan, Zofia Tomczyk, Emily Wong-Adryańczyk, Dominik Dudek, Michał Beszczyński, Spiner
Synopsis: Drawing from various forms of expression, from line drawing through collage, patchwork, and cartoons, “Historiae vivae” revives the unique atmosphere of silent cinema. It is permeated with the warmth exuded by body language, yet simultaneously surreal due to its black-and-white tonality—these are the “splinters of everyday life” that allow us to embark on a journey through time. This journey takes us back to the origins of cinema, captivating us with the use of historical filmmaking methods, stylish frames, and the characteristic text boards seen in black-and-white films. Live music performed by a pianist adds another layer, reminiscent of the old cinema where live improvisation accompanied the displayed scenes. “Historiae vivae” is also a journey into the second half of the 20th century, evident in the graceful references to fashion, social customs, and popular ballroom dances. The patina of the past, visible in both form and content, causes us to watch these “living stories” from a distance, as if in detachment. Yet, at the same time, we are aware that they could have occurred in the past, present, or future. We watch with attention, a desire to capture the quickly passing moment, with amusement at the comedic situations, and with tenderness for human quirks. The essence of silent cinema lay in the use of gesture and facial expressions as means of expression. “Historiae vivae” draws from this source, narrating ordinary things in a light and playful manner, transforming them into something extraordinary through the magic of the silver screen.
Seeking Thomas | United Kingdom | 2023 | 04’
Director: Julia Lisa Zlotnick
Producers: Julia Lisa Zlotnick, Emerald Nguyen
Cast: Jonny Aubrey-Bentley, Cameron Everitt, Eliza Williams
Synopsis: A visceral dance film about a young man who is struggling with his mental health.
SUNRISE | United States | 2023 | 05’
Director: Doudou Yi
Producer: Doudou Yi
Cast: Sun Kim
Synopsis: Exploring the synergy of culture, dance and empowerment arisen out of the Hip Hop community in New York City, this documentary short follows dancer, dance educator and movement artist Sun Kim across distinct locations in New York City, in her own words, through timeless movement.
Debut Short – Official Selection – February 2024
The Delicacy | Poland | 2024 | 10’
Director: Jacek Nastal
Writer: Jacek Nastal
Producer: Jacek Nastal
Cast: Laura Leish, Pawel Siwiak
Synopsis: “The Delicacy” is a 10-minute immersion into the emotions of a first date. A woman and a man. An unsuccessful encounter. Awkward conversation and even more challenging moments of prolonged silence. Is it worth going through this? What can be done differently? How to find out if the right person is sitting across from you? In ‘The Delicacy’, instead of a quick farewell, the characters take a step that many only dream of…
Harbour | Canada | 2023 | 17’
Directors: Brenda Whitehall, Keara Barnes
Writer: Juliana Bergstrom
Producers: Juliana Bergstrom, Brenda Whitehall, Keara Barnes
Cast: Juliana Bergstrom, Sarah Formosa, Adrian Neblett, Danielle Klaudt, Melissa Oei, Gigi Neil, Ashley Chung
Synopsis: After giving up her career as a professional dancer to be with her dreamboat boyfriend, Harbour makes a devastating discovery that prompts her to reevaluate what really matters.
The Cut | Australia | 2023 | 12’
Director: Xunyan Liu
Writer: Xunyan Liu
Producer: Xunyan Liu
Cast: Azaleia Bradley, Tommy Corrigan, Serkan Tokgoz
Synopsis: A 30 years old actress Kate has stayed unemployed for almost 2 years but she always pretends to be well. After accidentally meeting her high school classmate Jack in the cafe, she finally learns to embrace reality, stop lying, and make efforts to her acting dream.
Satya | India | 2023 | 26’
Director: Naveen Vijay Krishna
Writer: Kadali Satyanarayana
Producers: Harshith Reddy, Hanshitha, Sai Tej
Cast: Sai Dharam Tej, Swathi Reddy
Synopsis: Satya is the the journey of a girl from an ‘over protected’ childhood walking into the freedom that was gifted to her by her husband who himself is fighting some bigger battles in life.
Who were you in new York | Brazil | 2024 | 14’
Director: Stella Rea
Writer: Stella Rea
Producer: Luísa Galatti
Cast: Luísa Galatti, Stella Rea
Synopsis: “who were you in new york” proposes a dive into memories and wishful thinking through Sofia’s journey in a trip that allows her to imagine who her mother was when in New York.
LINDA | Germany | 2023 | 07’
Director: Monty Schön
Experimental Short – Official Selection – February 2024
The Edge | Turkey | 2023 | 06’
Director: Recep Akar
Writer: Recep Akar
Producer: Merve Akar
Cast: Ebru Cansız, Çiğdem Erkaya, Can Gökdoğan, Emre Olcay, Uygar Özçelik
Synopsis: Some of us are aware, some of us are not, but we are all teetering back and forth on the edge of the same cliff, trying to keep our balance. Will a wind take us down, will a hand grab us and pull us over the edge, can hope sustain us in these uncertain and turbulent times? “TheEdge” is a short film about the fragile balance of life and existential questions.
VIGIL | Australia | 2024 | 15’
Directors: Pippa Samaya, Tara Jade Samaya (The Samaya Wives)
Producers: : Irine Vela, Kate Therese Gillick
Synopsis: AN OUTER URBAN PROJECTS PRODUCTION The film VIGIL is the first work of a larger project that brings together an exceptional creative team of writers, performers, dance artists, film makers and community to examine the intersection of public and private safety with race, gender and terror. This film is about the layers of trauma of an abusive relationship or event. An intimate reflection on the ripple effects of gender-based violence. The work is an embodied devotion about the power of the collective, a congregation, a vigil. VIGIL is an experiential and communal work being created by Outer Urban Projects, Naarm/Melbourne, Australia. *Naarm is the Aboriginal name for Melbourne which comes from the Woi Wurrung language, spoken by the traditional owners of the City of Melbourne and its surrounds.
I Will Remember What I Forgot | United States | 2023 | 10’
Director: Heidi Duckler
Producer: Heidi Duckler Dance
Cast: Raymond Ejiofor
Synopsis:A Heidi Duckler Dance Original Film. What happens internally when we suffer in silence? The most difficult step in mental health recovery is asking for help. This film follows a person’s journey from walking in the door to his recognition of who he is.
Fantasy / Sci-Fi Short – Official Selection – February 2024
Pinwheel Horizon | United States | 2022 | 14’
Director: Ian Ebright
Writer: Ian Ebright
Producers: Kieran Schafer, Kelly Campelia, Ian Ebright, Christopher W. Graham
Cast: Cassie Stires, Steven Soro, Maz Siam, Lowell Deo
Synopsis: On a barren planet, three elite warriors learn their final confrontation- a gang of 40- is waiting for them nearby.
Berdyans’k | Ukraine | 2023 | 16’
Director: Tom Hopkins, Kateryna Paida
Writers: Kateryna Paida, Tom Hopkins, Sophia Lyons, Ted Endo, Jonathan Dungan
Producer: Ciaran Grace
Cast: Julia Vyshnevska, Yana Koroliova
Synopsis: Lera, a young Ukrainian refugee who has recently reached Ireland, who, fearing the worst, uses dark-web séance software (The Orb) to discover that her sister Maryna has died in the conflict back home. Through The Orb she makes contact – and discovers that her sister Maryna is disoriented and stuck in an after-death limbo, based around the beach that they went to as children. The beach is in Berdyans’k – a Sea of Azov resort currently under Russian occupation. Together, the sisters must find a way to come to terms with what has happened and find a way for both of them to move on…
Mini Short – Official Selection – February 2024
BOLD | United States | 2023 | 03’
Directors:Alla Kovgan, Miko Malkhasyan
Writer: Alla Kovgan
Producers: Alla Kovgan, Miko Malkhasyan
Cast: KIRA ANNY DI PIETRANTONIO, ANN KATHRIN KÜPPER, ERIN GETTELMAN, KIRA SANTIAGO, TAYLOR AILEEN GLENN, JENNA SCHAELING
Synopsis: A surreal night shift of a female prison guard turns into a juggling fiesta, celebrating diversity and solidarity of women.
A Burning Woman | France | 2024 | 03’
Director: Alex Aymard
Writer: Alex Aymard
Producer: Alex Aymard
Cast: Emilie Jonckeau, Fabien Tissot, Charlotte Herzog, Béatrice Lezaun, Judith Grobla, Ann-Aymone Robine, Nancy Dib
Synopsis: The daily hell of women suffering from domestic abuse, trauma and fire.
Plastic | Portugal | 2023 | 02’
Director: Tiago Soares
Writer: Tiago Soares
Cast: André Carvalho
Synopsis: Nowadays, protecting the environment is essential. Not recycling can be fatal!
The little romance of Will-o’-the-Wisp and Raindrop | Belgium | 2024 | 03’
Directors: Baptiste Denuit, Johan Denis
Writer: Baptiste Denuit
Cast: Baptiste Denuit, Alice Borgers
Synopsis: It’s the love story between a man who burns what he touches and a woman with a magic umbrella.
When a Man Is Suspicious | United States | 2024 | 03’
Director: Sche-Hao Wang
Writer: Sche-Hao Wang
Producer: Sche-Hao Wang
Cast: George Triplette, Maria Jones
Synopsis: A short comedy about a middle-aged man who overhears his wife’s phone call and starts to doubt her loyalty to him.
Music Video – Official Selection – February 2024
“I LOVE YOU” BY NAAMA CHETRIT | Israel | 2022 | 04’
Director: Guy Nahum Levy
Writer: Naama Chetrit
Producer: Naama Chetrit
Cast: Naama Chetrit, Asaf Jonas
Synopsis: A music video clip for my song “I LOVE YOU”. The video tells a story about love and an estranged relationship, from the point of view of a woman who is constantly testing her partner’s love for her. The coldness and alienation in the relationship is evident in the domestic dynamics, when the man prefers to deal with his career than his relationship with her. The song tackles issues around naivety and unrealistic expectations in a sweeping offering of “I love you”
Savage | Israel | 2024 | 06’
Director: Chen Ben Findling
Producer: Chen Ben Findling
Synopsis: An abstract psychadelic animated music video inspired by a Peyote trip in Mexico.
“Savage” is about the fine line between wild and human, based on the concept that the line resides in each and every one of us. The wild represents all our basic and natural needs as animals, while man represents all our higher needs by virtue of being human beings with emotional intelligence, when we constantly live on the fine line between them. The song describes four main lines in our lives and an imaginary spectrum on which we move. Each verse tells about a man’s war between the physical and the metaphysical, and how we try to deal with this war. The word in Hebrew derives from the biblical verse: “He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.”
The Puppet Groove | Germany | 2023 | 05’
Director: Stefan Eling
Writer: Stefan Eling
Producer: Stefan Eling
Cast: Sofie Kienzle, Rüdiger Lensing
Synopsis: This music video is a puppet animation that tells the story of a band whose singer comes out with his trans identity.
Rainclouds | United States | 2023 | 08’
Director: Ricardo Bouyett
Writers: Ricardo Bouyett, Savanna Dickhut
Producer: Daisy Cardenas
Cast: Hayley Carbonaro, Alexander Stuart
Synopsis: A long form music video featuring Burr Oak’s newest single coming out in 2024, “Rainclouds” a part of their upcoming EP. The music video introduces us to Annabelle’s world in Texas where she falls in love with Adam only to find out their relationship is tumultuous at best. Annabelle discovers she’s pregnant and evaluates whether or not she should tell Adam, let alone keep the baby. “Rainclouds” sets the stage for the rest of her journey in Burr Oak’s newest EP coming out in late 2024.
No/Low Budget – Official Selection – February 2024
Hot Patch! | Netherlands | 2023 | 07’
Director: Sara Ottoline Elzinga
Writer: Sara Ottoline Elzinga
Producer: Daisy Corbin O’Grady
Cast: Anna Fleuri Wolters, Maha Eljak, Winnie Conradi, Abir Hamam, Frank Ogilvie
Synopsis: The punk band Hot Patch is driving to their next show. The car is filled with excitement and giggles until flashes of memories make them realise: ‘’This is not what we want!” Hot Patch is over and done with! A new future is looking brighter than ever. They can be anything they want, if only they could shake off the past.
A Grain of Sand | Hungary | 2024 | 07’
Director: Roland Földi
Writers: Roland Földi, Gergő Mészáros
Cast: Gergő Mészáros, Leila Sipos
Synopsis: A seemingly ordinary young man wakes up a woman laying in a desert, who has been asleep for a long time. As they speak, it starts to turn out that they are something more than they appear to be.
Kordovero 22 | Israel | 2023 | 20’
Directors: Gal Primack Najari, Kedem
Writer: Gal Primack Najari
Producer: Gal Primack Najari
Cast: Two men meet through a screen and struggle to get closer in an impossible pre-written reality
Who were you in new York | Brazil | 2024 | 14’
Director: Stella Rea
Writer: Stella Rea
Producer: Luísa Galatti
Cast: Luísa Galatti, Stella Rea
Synopsis: “who were you in new york” proposes a dive into memories and wishful thinking through Sofia’s journey in a trip that allows her to imagine who her mother was when in New York.
Still Yesterday | Italy | 2023 | 09’
Director: Giulio Maria Cavallini
Writers: Claire Bruno, Francesco Tosco
Producers: Federico Meneghini, Ludovico Casalone, Claire Bruno, Francesco Tosco, Giulio Maria Cavallini
Cast: Sandra Toffolatti, Maria Laila Fernandez, Riccardo Livermore
Synopsis: Can we live without passion? Can we love our neighbor more than ourselves? Philosophy is a discipline that constantly raises questions. Lisa and Giacomo, a very loving couple, will find the wrong answers.
LINDA | Germany | 2023 | 07’
Director: Monty Schön
Sails of Sorrow (EN) / Trauerschiff (AT) | Austria | 2023 | 11’
Director: Artemisia Refle
Writer: Artemisia Refle
Producer: Artemisia Refle
Cast: Susi Ramberger, Doris Buchrucker, Martina Spitzer, Franz Weichenberger, Lina Kuball, David Ketter
Synopsis: A small group of family members has gathered for a funeral reception to bid a final farewell to Heinzi, the departed patriarch of the family. Expectations and worldviews of family members collide, leading to exchanges of trivialities and moments of rudeness, gradually thinning the table. Where has everyone disappeared to? A reflection on the wordlessness that accompanies grief. Die kleine Trauergemeinschaft hat sich versammelt, um bei einem gemeinsamen Essen Abschied vom verstorbenen Heinzi zu nehmen. Dabei prallen Erwartungen und Weltanschauungen der Familienmitglieder aufeinander. Es werden Belanglosigkeiten und Grobheiten ausgetauscht, bis der Tisch immer leerer wird. Wo sind denn alle geblieben? Eine Bestandsaufnahme der Sprachlosigkeit im Angesicht von Trauer.
Student Short – Official Selection – February 2024
Crybaby | Turkey | 2023 | 18’
Director: Elif Öner
Writer: Elif Öner
Producers: Batuhan Semir, Soner Öner, Elif Öner
Cast: Elif Öner, Ayşegül Akyüz, Ceren Köse, Durukan Çelikkaya, Emrecan Karakurum, Melih Güneyli, Zişan Güner, Aytunç Taylan, Aysel Kağıtcı
Synopsis: Elif is going abroad for her master’s degree and her friends throw a surprise farewell party for her. Unexpected tensions arise at the party and Elif starts to see demons that no one else sees but herself. She is all alone with her demons in the crowd.
Level Par | United Kingdom | 2023 | 15’
Director: Joe Banks
Writer: Joe Banks
Producers: Joe Banks, Meena Scandar, James Lambert
Cast: Charlie Cain, Ben Gardner Gray, Sue Pearson, Neve Lofthouse
Synopsis: Fred Rogers is diagnosed with a condition called LHON. This leads him to rapidly lose his sight. He is forced to leave university and return home to live with his mum. He struggles to adapt to his new life and in turn takes it out on those around him. His mum forces him to try golf, but it goes dismally. However, unwavering in her determination she forces him back but with the help of a local pro. The pro and Fred click and Fred falls into a trance state where he can see the ball with his eyes shut.
Flame | Belgium | 2023 | 21’
Director: Johanne Vandersteen
Writer: Johanne Vandersteen
Producer: Andre Goldberg
Cast: Feeniks Vandervliet
Synopsis: Féeniks presents themself as W.H.O.R.E.S. – Witch Healer Organizing Radical Eco-Society.
Hailing from their utopia on Planet T.R. – Tender Revolution – Féeniks invites us to rise against injustice with help from their Ferocious Faerie toolkit. “FLAMME” is the portrait of transformagical person evolving in a society where bodies are trapped by laws. “FLAMME” invites us to escape our cages, to transform ourselves in soft fire… to burn and be reborn as many times as is necessary.
Perfect City: The Bravest Kid | United States | 2023 | 07’
Director: Shengwei Zhou
Writer: Shengwei Zhou
Producers:Shengwei Zhou, Lei Wang
Cast: Shengwei Zhou, Meng We
Synopsis: Chased by his nightmare knife hand, the paper boy has to confront his real fear which supposed to be his hope.
The Care You Give | France | 2023 | 14’
Director: Umi Ito
Writer: Daniela Esposito
Cast: Alžběta Malá, Simona Prasková, Martin Hronský Krupa
Synopsis: A home-care nurse is hired to take care of a capricious aging woman.
Crescendo | China | 2024 | 08’
Director: Sihan Xie
Writer: Sihan Xie
Producer: Zhishan Chen
Cast: Zhiqi He
Grape | China | 2024 | 13’
Director: Angel Yan
Writer: Angel Yan
Producers: Angel Yan, Chaoqun Zhang
Cast: Angel Yan, Zhengting Chen, Yumeng Qin, Chaoqun Zhang
Synopsis: The college girl unexpectedly finds herself pregnant while facing with the lockdown of the campus. With no other options, she decides to handle the situation on her own.
Clear Days | Australia | 2023 | 10’
Director: Kumbelin Fox
Writer: Kumbelin Fox
Producer: Ethan Clark
Cast: Georgia Faa, Helen McKenzie-Ross, Kalani Cameron
Synopsis: Upon meeting at a park bench, a young woman exchanges life stories with an elderly lady who struggles with her fading memories.
Father’s Footsteps | Syrian Arab Republic | 2023 | 29’
Director: Mohamad W. Ali
Writer: Mohamad W. Ali
Producers: Ishita Mehta, Tushar Tyagi, Mohamad W. Ali, Youssef Ali
Cast: Nowar Yusuf, Veer Behal, Jennifer Sidhu, Sara Altawil
Synopsis: In the Syrian War, a woman lost her husband trying to hide the truth from her tongue-tied(Muted) child by acting the father role, facing life alone trying to protect her family.
Tenet of Loyalty: Mandala Drama | China | 2023 | 29’
Director: Linghao Wang
Writer: Linghao Wang
Producers: Zhikeng Huang, Shiqi Wang
Cast: Linghao Wang, Jianheng Wu
Synopsis: After the car accident, Bao Chufei let the hospital diagnose the permanent part of the wrong memory loss through the gang, and lost the five-year clip of acquaintance with Chen Bin. Therefore, Bao Chufei mistakenly imagined that he had a brother who was hospitalized because of a car accident and needed a sum of money. Chen Bin knew that the gang had come to trouble him, so he also arranged a play, but in Bao Chufei’s opinion, it was a play. Chen Bin used Bao Chufei’s wrong memory to let him know himself again, and then used the magic weapon to let Bao Chufei get a sum of money, and then used the dispute to kick him away, so that he forgot his brother and Chen Bin in his memory and lived alone. And all of this was designed by Bao Chufei, using Chen Bin’s emotions to make him experience the loss of his loved ones and let the Huayi Gang find Chen Bin’s revenge, who had escaped for a long time. Finally, Bao Chufei took the mask alone and revitalized the Wang family.
Fly-Tipping | United Kingdom | 2023 | 10’
Director: Gareth Malone
Writer: Gareth Malone
Producer: Laura Cunane
Cast: Sky Sinclair
Synopsis: Margo contemplates her future after losing her baby.
Agamat | Russian Federation | 2023 | 30’
Director: Vasily Stokovsky
Writer: Vasily Stokovsky
Producers: Olga Storchilova, Vasily Stokovsky
Cast: Boris Khvoshnyansky, Taisha Chistyakova
Synopsis: After the tragedy – the death of a child, Lily tries to continue an ordinary life, although she is experiencing an existential crisis. She has an unusual dream about a comet, which she discusses with her therapist. After that same comet unexpectedly appears in the sky, Lily realizes that there is some kind of connection between her and a celestial body called Agamat that threatens the planet. As panic mounts, the world around her changes and her dreams and visions intensify until she enters into direct dialogue with the celestial body.
TRANS PUNK | United States |2023 | 33’
Director: Margaret Anne Plumb
Writer: Margaret Anne Plumb
Producer: Skyler Bowen
Synopsis: A member of the trans community explores the hateful rhetoric and hyperbole surrounding the “transgender issue.” This intimate conversation, featuring those spewing the hate and those most affected by it, will aim to thrash, bash, and smash, this so called “issue.”
Sails of Sorrow (EN) / Trauerschiff (AT) | Austria | 2023 | 11’
Director: Artemisia Refle
Writer: Artemisia Refle
Producer: Artemisia Refle
Cast: Susi Ramberger, Doris Buchrucker, Martina Spitzer, Franz Weichenberger, Lina Kuball, David Ketter
Synopsis: A small group of family members has gathered for a funeral reception to bid a final farewell to Heinzi, the departed patriarch of the family. Expectations and worldviews of family members collide, leading to exchanges of trivialities and moments of rudeness, gradually thinning the table. Where has everyone disappeared to? A reflection on the wordlessness that accompanies grief.
Die kleine Trauergemeinschaft hat sich versammelt, um bei einem gemeinsamen Essen Abschied vom verstorbenen Heinzi zu nehmen. Dabei prallen Erwartungen und Weltanschauungen der Familienmitglieder aufeinander. Es werden Belanglosigkeiten und Grobheiten ausgetauscht, bis der Tisch immer leerer wird. Wo sind denn alle geblieben? Eine Bestandsaufnahme der Sprachlosigkeit im Angesicht von Trauer.
