Animation Short – Official Selection – January 2022
Monsieur Sachet | Canada | 2021 | 10’
Director: Mathieu Girard
Writer: Mathieu Girard
Producer: Mathieu Girard
Synopsis: Monsieur Sachet is a wicked escalation of tragicomic anecdotes happening in a colorful, crazy and completely absurd atmosphere.
Monsters | Russian Federation | 2021 | 11’
Director: Ilya Sergeev
Synopsis: The world is completely taken over by monsters. A lone traveler rides his motorcycle in search of a safe place. He notices a village in the distance, perhaps this is what he is looking for. Suddenly, the traveler crashes his motorcycle without reaching his destination. He meets a dog. The dog wants to make friends and begins to follow the traveler. Together they find a new vehicle. But it won’t be easy to leave. Fleeing from monsters, the traveler falls into a trap.
A Brief History of Us | Poland | 2021 | 07’
Director: Etgar Keret
Writer: Etgar Keret
Producers: Piotr Furmankiewicz, Mateusz Michalak, Hamutal Gur
Cast: Molly Ringwald
Synopsis: The story is about a couple who have gone so long together that they almost became one.
The Heritage | Guatemala | 2021 | 10’
Director: German Roberto Almaraz
Writer: German Roberto Almaraz
Producer: Raul Castillo
Cast: Sofia Castillo, Carmen Mazariegos, Ricardo Giron, Jose Davila, Juan Davila, Andres Almaraz, Ricardo Ortiz, Andreina Santos, Darwing Giordano, Henry Josue Almaraz, Grete Galvez, Katya Villatoro, Selvin Castillo, Rudy Barillas
Synopsis: Maya a 5-year-old girl gets lost in due to her extreme curiosity
Favaloro | Mexico | 2021 | 08’
Directors: Edgar R. Ruiz Lozano, Nora E. Márquez Munguía
Writers: Edgar R. Ruiz Lozano, Nora E. Márquez Munguía
Producers: Edgar R. Ruiz Lozano, Nora E. Márquez Munguía, Jessamyn Sainz, Vera Ruiz
Synopsis: Favaloro, is a scientific mouse who lives depressed, looking for the formula of happiness, without imagining that this formula will change his life forever. (Stop Motion Film)
Gift | China | 2021 | 14’
Director: Jiaqi Bin
Writer: Jiaqi Bin
Producer: Xi Liu
Synopsis: The arrival of a hen broke the peace of life. In order to find their most cherished toy, the hostess’s lovely and naughty dog lies in the story of maturity in the process of hen struggle
Nirvana | China | 2019 | 02’
Director: Luna Sue Huang
Synopsis: In Buddhism, all the suffering in the world comes from ignorance and greed. In this noisy, busy world, we are used to running all the time, deceiving ourselves to race to the end, to chase happiness, but we haven’t even found the right starting point; we haven’t noticed the real important things, so we forget our feelings in this nothingness. The original meaning of nirvana is “extinguishment”, not death. What extinguishes is not human nature, but the flame of greed, hatred and illusion. Maybe when we can live in the present day, we can become real people. ‘It’s like a strong wind blowing fire, not into the fire, but out of it.’ In this animation, I experimented with using oil paint as the medium, mono print as the method to draw each frame, using Buddhist metaphors as visual elements to tell the story of a person’s change from sad, angry, empty emotion to observe themselves and finally know the meaning of life.
Documentary Short – Official Selection – January 2022
The art of reinventing | Belgium | 2020 | 10’
Director: Louise Loly
Writer: Louise Loly
Synopsis: This documentary tells the similarities between the professions of potter and ceramist through the story of Vincent Kempenaers and Jacques Loly and focuses on an art that has always been considered minor.
I Closed My Eyes | Netherlands | 2021 | 23’
Director: Tuna Tunaboylu
Writer: Tuna Tunaboylu
Producers: Tuna Tunaboylu, Yahya Özel, Enzo Dumettier
Cast: Tuna Tunaboylu
Synopsis: This documentary investigates a long durational performance by Tuna Tunaboylu, an art student from Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam. An encounter with a blind lady in the metro station made him wonder how it would be to live without sight. From the 1st of March till the 31st of March 2019, Tuna wore a sleeping mask, effectively making him blind. How does this situation affect your daily life? What happens to other senses when we eliminate one? Do people treat you differently? While interrogating possible answers, Tuna came across new questions, coming from both himself and others. During this performative experiment, his friends and family became a part of this journey. Since his environment was included, the experiment became an inner and social investigation. Thirty days of sight fasting became an expedition of self and social realization rather than just a physical experiment. The conversations about the performance with different people brought up the ethics of the project. There were many polarized opinions, but in the end, everybody was there to witness the ceremony of the reopening of his eyes at Amsterdam’s Stedelijk Museum.
My own colors | Mexico | 2021 | 15’
Director: Brenda Elizabeth Garcia Lopez
Writer: Brenda Elizabeth Garcia Lopez
Producer: Jose Hernandez Rivera
Cast: Eduardo Delgadillo
Synopsis: Lalo a 14 year old boy, is forced to leave his house home in which he lived for more than twelve years due to Covid 19 pandemic; He will need to face his new reality. He is more than welcome at his aunt Mayela ́s house, but he will live with twelve more people; in a reality in which their parents are gone, they must leave school and begin to work.
Once upon a bridge in Vietnam | France | 2021 | 33’
Director: François Bibonne
Writer: François Bibonne
Producer: François Bibonne
Cast: Charles Montalembert, Aurelien De Bonnefon
Synopsis: A French reporter investigates western classical music in Vietnam and gets enrolled in an epic journey.
Send Nudes | United States | 2021 | 09’
Director: Jonny Kapps
Writers: Rachel Warren, Jonny Kapps
Producers: Jonny Kapps, Rachel Warren
Synopsis: In this film we embed with a nudist club located in upstate New York for a weekend to explore why they feel more comfortable with their clothes off rather than on. As we journey into a risqué sub culture, we learn that this world has less to do with being nude and more to do with accepting who you are at the core.
Time Frame(s) | United States | 2022 | 06’
Director: Christian D. Bruun
Writer: Christian D. Bruun
Producer: Christian D. Bruun
Cast: Unknown No.1, Unknown No.2
Synopsis: Brief moments in life.
Experimental Short – Official Selection – January 2022
Time Frame(s) | United States | 2022 | 06’
Director: Christian D. Bruun
Writer: Christian D. Bruun
Producer: Christian D. Bruun
Cast: Unknown No.1, Unknown No.2
Synopsis: Brief moments in life.
It Takes Time To See | United States | 1999 | 13’
Directors: Deborah Fort, Marsha Tallerico
Writer: Marsha Tallerico
Cast: Marsha Tallerico, Laura Roland, Skyler Fort
Synopsis: An experimental documentary about Yvonne Rainer’s pivotal post-modern dance piece, “Trio-A”. The film uses the essay “The Mind is a Muscle”, by Marsha Tallerico as the foundation of this exploration of dance.
Vancouver | United States | 2021 | 33’
Director: Ralph B. Pena
Writer: Ralph B. Peña
Producer: Ralph B. Peña
Cast: Cindy Cheung, James Yaegashi, Daniel K. Isaac, Shannon Tyo, Mark Blashford, Tom Lee, K.T. Shivak
Synopsis: A mixed-race family relocates from Japan to the American Northwest hoping to find more stability, only encounter casual racism and even more trouble with their teenage daughter.
ZERO | China | 2021 | 19’
Director: Yugao Zheng
Writer: Yugao Zheng
Producer: Yugao Zheng
Cast: Danni Cao, Lei He
Synopsis: When she created a body for her, but her finally escaped from it, how to link each other between real and virtual? Are we just sensors with mind? Will artificial intelligence be more human than human? Let’s begin the story with love, virtual, but real.
Laundry Room Promenade | United States | 15’
Director: Jeremiah M. Carter
Writer: Jeremiah M. Carter
Producers: Sarah Viviana Valdez, Jeremiah M Carter
Cast: Erin Lingard, Sarah Viviana Valdez
Synopsis: Ally falls in love with a young student named Sara. Ally’s unconventional expressions of love lead to an ecstasy-filled and petty-crime-driven first few dates. Sara quickly becomes disinterested. Ally is left to reflect on the highs and lows of love as she does her laundry and misses the touch of her ex-lover.
JUST A LITTLE | Austria | 2022 | 03’
Director: Hanna Gruber
Writer: Lena Rose
Producers: Lena Rose, Hanna Gruber, Lauren Klocker
Cast: Lena Rose
Synopsis: JUST A LITTLE poses questions that are rarely being discussed in society. It is hard to share one’s truth especially when it brings a certain ‘heaviness’ or ‘darkness’ with it/. Too often we hear that one should rather focus on the ‘positive’, keep on moving forward and ignore whatever burdens the soul. But what if there is no way to get past your trauma? What if self-destructive thoughts eat you alive and take away all the joy and all the hope? JUST A LITTLE is an internal discourse, a fragile poem, an honest insight. It creates a space where contemplation of one’s life and death are allowed to exist as part of our journey.
Fashion Short – Official Selection – January 2022
Transgenesis | Germany | 2020 | 02’
Director: Pia Mozet
Writer: Pia Mozet
Producer: Pia Mozet
Cast: Paula Rieck
Synopsis: A girl living in a post-apocalyptic world where she uses her observations of insects to sew clothes which will lead to a transmutation of herself. A Fashion Clip for the collection of Irene Jia, Ravensbourne College London, for AEDA 2020.
SOD II | Islamic Republic of Iran | 2021 | 03’
Director: Moein Safarzadeh
Writer: Sarah Diodonita
Producer: Sarah DioDonita
Cast: Erberk, Poupee, Anastasia, Tariq, Tabesh, Altin
Synopsis: If you have a sense of being a woman or a man , If you have a face with different colors If you are a believer , Jew or a Christian at the end of these paths you will discover a Dio (God)
The Trip | Germany | 2021 | 04’
Director: Daniel Lathwesen
Writer: Daniel Marc Lathwesen, Michael Münch Daniel
Producer: Marc Lathwesen
Cast: Milas Haller, Dominik Heinrich, Hannah Heise, Jakob Heß, Shima Jafari, Keisha Olafusi, Jacob Rott, Nils Wojak, Otilia Toma, Deian Toma
Mini Short – Official Selection – January 2022
Bath | Russian Federation | 2021 | 02’
Director: Roma Glova
Writer: Roma Glova
Producer: Roma Glova
Cast: Kseniya Guseva, Elizaveta Boyko
Synopsis: There’s something behind the curtains
Birdwatching | United States | 2021 | 02’
Director: Cheryl Wong
Writer: Cheryl Wong
Producer: Shao Min Chew Chia
Cast: Geoff Lee, Boy-yo Korodan, Cheryl Wong
Synopsis: A young woman visits the beach with her aging father to do what he’s always loved – birdwatch.
The Agency | United Kingdom | 2021 | 02’
Director: Tom Laxton
Writer: Dan Robins
Producers: Dan Robins, Tom Laxton, Holly Prentice
Cast: Dan Robins, Holly Prentice
Synopsis: Friends against each other, the world in the balance, Michael needs answers. What will he do when he finds out Chloe has betrayed him?
The Last Walk | India | 2021 | 03’
Director: Lawrence Chandam
Writer: Lawrence Chandam
Cast: Chandam Ranjan Kumar
Synopsis: The story of an old blind man coming to terms with saying goodbye to his long time canine friend.
Dream of eternity | Cyprus | 2022 | 02’
Director: Laurentius Emmelmann
Producer: Paolo Nizam
Cast: Jane Budarina, Fotis Karalis, Thomas Charalambous
Synopsis: Is love between a fisherman and a mermaid possible? The film is a poetic approach to defining who you want to be.
TRICKY MAN! | France | 2021 | 03’
Director: Marie Coustaury
Writer: Marie Coustaury
Producers: Marie Coustaury, Florent Sabatier
Cast: Marie Coustaury, Loïc Bartolini
Synopsis: Let’s welcome Thierry and Martine, finally back at the office after lockdown…
Revenge of a Grandmother | Switzerland | 2022 | 03’
Director: Timur Örge
Writer: Caroline Felber
Poducer: Mumukuba
Cast: Caroline Felber
Synopsis: A grandmother takes revenge on a priest for the sexual abuse of her grandson.
Narrative Short – Official Selection – January 2022
The wake | France | 2019 | 25’
Director: Riad Bouchoucha
Writer: Riad Bouchoucha
Producers: Emmanuel Wahl, Adrien Bretet
Cast: Bellamine Abdelmalek, Salim Kechiouche, Djemel Barek
Synopsis: Salim comes to collect at his mother’s body. But very quickly between religious customs that he does not understand and the constant comings and goings of strangers, the young man feels uncomfortable in the small family apartment. When Imad arrives as a prodigal brother, it is too much for Salim.
A comme Azur | France | 2021 | 24’
Directors: Chiara Malta, Sébastien Laudenbach
Writers: Chiara Malta, Sébastien Laudenbach
Producer: Offshore (Emmanuelle Latourrette)
Cast: Anais Demoustier, Philippe Laudenbach
Synopsis: School is over. Benjamin is 5 years old and is going on holiday to the sea with his mother and Charlotte, his 12-year-old older sister. A COMME AZUR is the chronicle of this summer through the letters of the alphabet. During a holiday and 26 letters, Benjamin experiences his first sentimental pain and grows up. And that is how he gives himself to the vast world that hides behind words.
Last Call For Us | Australia | 2021 | 10’
Director: Chris Yip, NJ Hartley
Writer: Chris Yip
Producers: Chris Yip, NJ Hartley
Cast: Cam Ralph, Taylor Buoro
Synopsis: After contemplating suicide, a man calls his wife one last time where we discovers that all is not what it seems in their relationship. Secrets will be revealed and trust will be tested.
Tundra | Cuba | 2021 | 30’
Director: José Luis Aparicio
Writer: Carlos Melián
Producers: Leila Montero, Daniela Muñoz, José Luis Aparicio, Gabriel Alemán
Cast: Mario Guerra, Neisy Alpízar, Laura Molina, Jorge Enrique Caballero, Jorge Molina
Synopsis: Walfrido Larduet, a lonely electrical inspector, dreams of the Red Woman, whose image persists and becomes an obsession. Something tells him she is near. Over the course of a day, Walfrido will follow her trail as he travels through the suburbs of an infested city.
The Bridge | Canada | 2021 | 25’
Director: Rodrigue Hammal
Writer: Farhad Ahi
Producers: Farhad Ahi, Sasan Asvandi, Pooya Sayyadi
Cast: Clair Claire Shenstone-Harris, Brian Scott Carleton
Synopsis: The Bridge is about two strangers who meet on a bridge in an unprecedented situation. The events go completely different from their expectations.
Suit & Bone | United Kingdom | 2021 | 07’
Director: Dulani Wilson
Writer: Dulani Wilson
Producers: Lincia Daniel, Dulani Wilson
Cast: Joerg Stadler, Shanika Warren-Markland, Hugo Nicolau
Synopsis: A callous and brazen gambler enters a holy place, risking all to obtain a great power. Cards and dice may be familiar tools of his vice, but they are also called “The Devil’s Playthings” and “The Devil’s Bones” for a reason.
MANUEL | Italy | 2021 | 19
Directors: Mario d’Anna, Stefano Mangoni
Writer: Mario d’Anna
Producers: ASST Mantova, My Sound, STRONGVILLA, Mantova Film Commission
Cast: Tommaso Lucchini, Teresa Turola, Danny Bignotti, Giorgio Cagliari, Luigi Castelli, Alessandro Girelli
Synopsis: In 1943, a Jewish family hides from the nazi roundups. Adam, a 10-year-old boy, following a strange dream, starts a mysterious countdown.
Many happy returns | Russian Federation | 2021 | 30’
Director: Виталий Александрович Кошкин
Writer: Виталий Александрович Кошкин
Producer: Михаил Александрович Алексеев
Cast: Алексей Черкасов
Synopsis: Through the story of the hero’s life, the viewer learns the history of the temple of John the Predtecha. This is the arrest of the first abbot of the church, the salvation of the icon from the destroyed church, and the stories of the lives of people who, despite the hard times – persecution of the church, the war – were able to keep faith in their hearts, thanks to the fact that the doors of the church from 1903 to the present day have always been are open.
The Final Masterpiece | Brazil | 2021 | 15’
Director: Patrick Hanser
Writer: Patrick Hanser
Producer: João Pedro Carvalho
Cast: Paulo Azevedo, Marcelo Zorzeto, Beto Schultz, Vitor Vieira
Synopsis: Two retired detectives, who were active during the Brazilian dictatorship, must confront the past when asked to depose to a Truth Commission regarding their investigation into the suicide of an artist and his infamous last masterpiece.
Black Bag | Canada | 2021 | 10’
Lee Foster
Lee Foster, Dave Poulin Lee Foster, Dave Poulin Steve Kasan, Paul Chiusolo, Rob Notman
Two US Marines are trapped behind enemy lines with vague mission objectives and an even more mysterious package…
7 Star Dinosor Entertainment | India | 2021 | 20’
Director: Vaishali Naik
Writer: Vaishali Naik
Producers: Vaishali Naik, Sushma Naik, Ketan Pedgaonkar
Cast: Kapil Dev, Rahul Sahu
Synopsis: Few years back, Sudhir and Vinod- two brothers- put up a Business together, ‘7 Star Dinosor Entertainment’. Dressed as giant dinosaurs they would dance to Bollywood songs at weddings, birthday parties and mall events. They would practise dinosaur moves and enact scenes from their all time favourite Jurassic Park movies. They enjoyed peeking through windows and chasing screaming kids through corridors. Life was good. But today we find them two years deep into the pandemic. No public functions are allowed anymore. We find the brothers jobless and hungry. The giant dinosaurs cramped with them in a single tiny room of the shoddy tenement. The food is running out and so is the patience. When it comes down to the last morsel, will they split it in half or will they come to blows- one brother against the other?
Trooper | United States | 2022 | 12’
Directors: Olivia Kovach, Coral Untalan
Writers: Olivia Kovach, Coral Untalan
Cast: Olivia Kovach, Jessica Joy
Synopsis: Everyone has secrets. Do you know what secrets your neighbors keep? One determined young girl will do whatever it takes to beat her rival, until she discovers the dark secrets down the street. Trooper: Sugar and Spice and nothing nice.
The Dishwasher | United States | 2021 | 12’
Director: Yuanhao Du
Writer: Chuck McMahon
Producers: Grace Chang, Stuart Venner
Cast: Chadd Chang
Synopsis: Tired of studying and eager to make money, Dustin jumps at a blue-collar job offer – only to find his resolve tested when he discovers that the dishwasher exists at the bottom rung of the restaurant staff and must take on all the dirty work that flows through the kitchen.
Rosa | Germany | 2021 | 12’
Director: Pete Schilling
Cast: William Cooper, Emmanuel Ohene Boafo
Synopsis: While a white, middle-aged man wakes up in the basement of an isolated house with no memory, he meets his black warden who helps him discover the reason why he is imprisoned. GEORGE THOMPSON is standing in front of a locked door, slamming against the door. He is devastated and after 2-3 additional knocks, he stops and starts strolling through the almost empty room. How long has he been there? Who captured him? He can’t remember. His thoughts are interrupted by a person saying his name on the other side of the door: “George. How are you?“. It’s the voice of TRAVIS ANDERSON. He is not the cold-blooded serial killer, that we thought he were. As the conversation progresses, we learn that Travis’ sister is in a coma. George is being accused of having tried to rape and beaten her. He denies the accusations, but we cannot be sure that he is telling the truth. Travis doesn’t want him to get away because he doesn’t trust in the police. He attacks George orally and tells him to give him a reason to believe in his innocence. George firstly doesn’t know what to say and is trying to make sense of all this. His mind is running wild on how to escape this situation. Again he goes through his pockets to look for cues before Travis makes his final resolution.
A new perspective | Italy | 2020 | 19’
Director: Emanuela Ponzano
Writers: Emanuela Ponzano, Simone Riccardini
Producers: Offshore (France), Redstrings (Italy), Kaos Films (Italy)
Cast: In a dense forest, in the early morning of an unidentifiable remote era, a 12-year-old boy is concentrated in his hunt for precious objects together with his companions. Attracted by strange sounds, the boy decides to move on to an abandoned wooden hut. Through the window, the boy discovers a crying child. She seems lost. The boy decides to open the window, but once it is open, he discovers bodies piled up in a row, soldiers and a tall barbed wire. Called back by his friends to go home, the boy crosses the fence trying to find the girl. Where are we? … and when?
Wild seasons | France | 2019 | 20’
Director: Nathalie Giraud
Producer: Fabrice Préel-Cleach
Synopsis: Wintertime. Like every year, Billie and Elisa are spending the holidays in the family house in Corsica. The two sisters are back to their playground and their habits. But the teenagers have grown, as well as their desires.
Series (Web/TV) – Official Selection – January 2022
Beaver Boys | United States | 2021 | 19’
Director: Jeffrey Ho
Writer: Jeffrey Ho
Producers: Justin Fedor, Jeffrey Ho
Cast: Jeffrey Ho, Michael Perez
Synopsis: The Beaver Boys follows the journey of two quirky characters as they attempt to save the planet from plastic pollution and are determined to protect Mother Nature. Kow, played by actor Jeffrey Ho, is feisty, outspoken and ambitious in his mission. Situated at the fictional Balls Lake, Kow first meets Desiderio, played by actor Michael Perez. Battling with feelings of worthlessness, Desiderio attempts to drown himself but is guided by Kow to instead take-up arms against plastic and to save the planet. While offering a positive message, the comedic juxtaposition of these two endearing characters and their developing friendship will draw you into their offbeat little world.
ЛАМПА/LAMP | Russian Federation | 20’
Director: Ilya Kulikov
Writer: Ilya Kulikov
Producer: Ilya Kulikov
Synopsis: Kostya is 23, he lives in a garage and grants wishes. And not simple, but the most intimate: if you need to ruin someone’s life, take revenge or do something out of the ordinary, welcome to the Lamp application. The only employee of the company, he is also its owner Kostya knows his business perfectly. Tremble, unfaithful girls, insufferable bosses and treacherous friends, the genie Kostya is coming to you!
Short Comedy – Official Selection – January 2022
Caesar’s Dying Wish | United Kingdom | 2021 | 03’
Director: Alex Cooper
Writer: Alex Cooper, Tom Blackwood
Producer: Bea Cartwright
Synopsis: Caesar discovers a way his name can live on in eternity.
Brew Story | United States | 2021 | 05’
Director: Jake Barcus
Writer: Jake Barcus
Producer: Jake Barcus
Cast: Joe Quinn, Jake Barcus, Miguel Brown, Brian Kenny
Synopsis: Desperate to stay awake, one man journeys to great lengths for a cup of coffee.
Banned Betsy | United Kingdom | 2020 | 11’
Director: Leah Revivo
Writer: Leah Revivo
Producer: Bradley Kiel
Cast: Christi Van Clarke, Edward Bassett
Synopsis: After another bad day at work Betsy visits her weary friend Kurt for some canine therapy. A surprisingly aggressive dose of self-reflection soon follows as she traverses the colourful workings of her subconscious.
Short Dance/Musical – Official Selection – January 2022
Margaritki | Russian Federation | 2021 | 01’
Director: Анастасия Васильевна Вядро
Writer: Анастасия Васильевна Вядро
Producer: Анастасия Васильевна Вядро
Cast: Александра Вуколова, Мария Егорова, София Матвеенкова
Synopsis: A surreal world of women existing in a confined space, in a closed community, in the absolute “here”. All events and actions are looped, tomorrow there will be a New day, a new dedicated, a new rebel, a new outcast. Self-preservation. Desire for approval. Leadership versus friendship. Follow the crowd and their wild will or be out of the circle. System or death.
The Stone Age | United Kingdom | 2021 | 08’
Director: Alison Piper
Producers: Lewis Wardrop, Dave Neilson
Cast: Harvey Littlefield
Synopsis: The Stone Age responds to poet Jen Hadfield’s synthesis of human and non-human experience and explores who we are as individuals, and who we are in relationship to the places we call home.
Inbetweeners | Israel | 2021 | 22’
Director: Gabriel Schneider
Writer: Alma Karvat Shemesh
Producer: Jason Perkins
Synopsis: Over the course of one day, five individuals will cross each other’s paths in the urban landscape of Tel Aviv. Within their mundane routine, a collective need for self-expression and movement will emerge
Short Drama – Official Selection – January 2022
Kings | United Kingdom | 2021 | 21’
Director: Edward Newman
Writer: Luke Daniels
Producer: Ruaridh Mackay Sheppard
Cast: Luke Daniels, Ahmat Raheem, Joshua Plummer
Synopsis: A social realist piece based on a true story, tackling the issues of cuckooing and county lines drug trafficking.
A comme Azur | France | 2021 | 24’
Directors: Chiara Malta, Sébastien Laudenbach
Writers: Chiara Malta, Sébastien Laudenbach
Producer: Offshore (Emmanuelle Latourrette)
Cast: Anais Demoustier, Philippe Laudenbach
Synopsis: School is over. Benjamin is 5 years old and is going on holiday to the sea with his mother and Charlotte, his 12-year-old older sister. A COMME AZUR is the chronicle of this summer through the letters of the alphabet. During a holiday and 26 letters, Benjamin experiences his first sentimental pain and grows up. And that is how he gives himself to the vast world that hides behind words.
Toutes les nuits | France | 2021 | 22’
Director: Latifa Saïd
Writer: Latifa Saïd
Producer: Filmo 2
Synopsis: “Belleville. A working-class parisian neighbourhood. For 2 years, Nadia has been living alone with her son, Samy, 15 years old. She teaches french to chinese prostitutes in an association. Committed to her work, she gets close to one of her students, Mei, who is saving money to make his son travel to France. But one night, Mei is arrested by the police and risks expulsion. Nadia will do whatever it takes to protect her, even if her son Samy gets farther.”
A new perspective | Italy | 2020 | 19’
Director: Emanuela Ponzano
Writers: Emanuela Ponzano, Simone Riccardini
Producers: Offshore (France), Redstrings (Italy), Kaos Films (Italy)
Cast: In a dense forest, in the early morning of an unidentifiable remote era, a 12-year-old boy is concentrated in his hunt for precious objects together with his companions. Attracted by strange sounds, the boy decides to move on to an abandoned wooden hut. Through the window, the boy discovers a crying child. She seems lost. The boy decides to open the window, but once it is open, he discovers bodies piled up in a row, soldiers and a tall barbed wire. Called back by his friends to go home, the boy crosses the fence trying to find the girl. Where are we? … and when?
The wake | France | 2019 | 25’
Director: Riad Bouchoucha
Writer: Riad Bouchoucha
Producers: Emmanuel Wahl, Adrien Bretet
Cast: Bellamine Abdelmalek, Salim Kechiouche, Djemel Barek
Synopsis: Salim comes to collect at his mother’s body. But very quickly between religious customs that he does not understand and the constant comings and goings of strangers, the young man feels uncomfortable in the small family apartment. When Imad arrives as a prodigal brother, it is too much for Salim.
Wild seasons | France | 2019 | 20’
Director: Nathalie Giraud
Producer: Fabrice Préel-Cleach
Synopsis: Wintertime. Like every year, Billie and Elisa are spending the holidays in the family house in Corsica. The two sisters are back to their playground and their habits. But the teenagers have grown, as well as their desires.
ALLEGRO | Nigeria | 2021 | 24’
Director: Joel Osamudiame Adegboye
Writer: Joel Osamudiame Adegboye
Producer: Joel Osamudiame Adegboye
Cast: Daniel Idiabor
Synopsis: A young Violinist pushes himself to the limits as he tries to audition for a seat at an orchestra, however, it has disastrous consequences on himself and those around him
Rosa | Germany | 2021 | 12’
Director: Pete Schilling
Cast: William Cooper, Emmanuel Ohene Boafo
Synopsis: While a white, middle-aged man wakes up in the basement of an isolated house with no memory, he meets his black warden who helps him discover the reason why he is imprisoned. GEORGE THOMPSON is standing in front of a locked door, slamming against the door. He is devastated and after 2-3 additional knocks, he stops and starts strolling through the almost empty room. How long has he been there? Who captured him? He can’t remember. His thoughts are interrupted by a person saying his name on the other side of the door: “George. How are you?“. It’s the voice of TRAVIS ANDERSON. He is not the cold-blooded serial killer, that we thought he were. As the conversation progresses, we learn that Travis’ sister is in a coma. George is being accused of having tried to rape and beaten her. He denies the accusations, but we cannot be sure that he is telling the truth. Travis doesn’t want him to get away because he doesn’t trust in the police. He attacks George orally and tells him to give him a reason to believe in his innocence. George firstly doesn’t know what to say and is trying to make sense of all this. His mind is running wild on how to escape this situation. Again he goes through his pockets to look for cues before Travis makes his final resolution.
Student Short – Official Selection – January 2022
I WANT TO BE A WRITER | Russian Federation | 20’
Director: Ilya Sazhin
Writer: Ilya Sazhin
Synopsis: He’s a teenager living alone. Every week a beautiful woman dying of cancer visits him to have sex and a good time. He, unaware of her true motives, gives in completely, enjoying her company. Their game goes too far when she takes out a gun, and he can’t find the strength to talk her out of murder.
Genethic | Spain | 2021 | 03’
Directors: Laia Batlle Bos, Cristian Casas Castillo, Laia Cuffi Falgueras, Marina Salas Ferré, Irene Fernández Ayguadé, Sergi Ferrà Montero, Gerard Grifell Botargues, Silvia Ros Fité, Sergi Solanes Vilanova, Felix Tejedor Regás, Joan Valdivielso Llaudet
Synopsis: For the first time, a cute little creature will come outside to see the world. The creature will find surrounded itself by magic and adventures, but will everything be as beautiful as it seems?
Rainbow | United States | 2021 | 09’
Director: Hui Tan
Writer: Hui Tan
Producer: Liliana Brown
Cast: Walter Santucci
Synopsis: This is a fabulous film that confronts the cultural backdrop of the Chinese taboo that forbids dialogue about poverty or financial want, in this tale of love, learning, enlightenment, creativity and growth, two children discover a way to give a Mother’s Day gift beyond the value of money.
KLIMAX | Germany | 2021 |03’
Director: Bea Hoeller
Producer: Jiayan Chen
Synopsis: In KLIMAX, we explore the inner world of female lust, in order to redefine images of the female sex, already negatively connoted, and thus create new aesthetic associations of femininity. Our main protagonist, Barbie, goes through a process of transformation. She emerges like Alice in Wonderland into a magical world, a place of temptation and joy. It is a fantastic place that makes her change little by little to get rid of her stiffness and repression. Klimax is supposed to show how unique and beautiful every single woman’s body is.
Not the 80ths | Germany | 2022 | 17’
Director: Marleen Valien
Writers: Marleen Valien, Max Rauer, Christine Duttlinger, Ludwig Meck
Producers: Christine Duttlinger, Markus Krojer, Ludwig Meck, Lotta Schmelzer
Cast: Deniz Orta, Merlin Rose, Joshua Jaco Seelenbinder
Synopsis: Two people, one restaurant, some preconceptions and a bit of fish.
Pantanal: A Charred Wetland | United Kingdom | 2021 | 15’
Director: Laura Pennafort
Writer: Laura Pennafort
Producer: Laura Pennafort
Synopsis: Located in the heart of Brazil, the Pantanal is a tropical wetland packed with the most remarkable wildlife. It has a global importance due to its characteristic water cycle and annual floods, which create waterlogged soils that function as a carbon sink. The annual floods are also essential to maintain a huge diversity of unique species. However, due to human actions, the floods are now becoming smaller and rivers are drying out, which is causing severe droughts. The consequences of this became evident in 2020, when huge wildfires destroyed over a quarter of this biome, killing millions of animals along the way. Two brave locals – Eduarda and Jorge – decided to give their all to rescue and save the lives of severely injured animals along the way.
Middle Name (Deuxième Prénom) | Canada | 2021 | 04’
Director: Vivien Forsans
Synopsis: The story of a mother who died four years after giving birth to her only son, a father who raised him through grief and trauma, and a little boy lost in the forest.
SERGE | France | 30’
Director: Tristan Guignard
Writer: Tristan Guignard
Producer: Tristan Guignard
Cranberry Juice | Austria | 2021 | 30’
Director: Ani Novakovic
Writer: Ani Novakovic
Producers: Ani Novakovic, Kristian Machtlinger
Cast: Xiting Shan, Aaron Karl, David Wurawa
Synopsis: Suffering from unexplained vaginal pain, a frustrated acting student goes to a string of doctors, convinced that she is going to find a specialist who will figure out what’s wrong with her.
LET ME RIDE | United Kingdom | 2021 | 08’
Director: Juliette Joy ANQUETIL
Writer: Benjamin WOLFIN
Producer: Edgar VAZQUEZ
Cast: Jonah PAULL, Rob TREND, Kirsten SHAW
Synopsis: A young boy fixes a broken family bond by accepting the help of his estranged grandfather when learning to ride his bike.
