Animation Short – Official Selection – June 2022
Don’t die on me | Israel | 2022 | 03’
Director: Ori Goldberg
Writer: Ori Goldberg
Producer: Itamar
Cast: Shlomo Cohen
Synopsis: Asthmatic Matti is coughing again, and again he hears the irritating sentence “Don’t die on me”. only this time, he’s going to. A revolting portrayal of the noisy life inside a malfunctioning body, and the sweet, deadly silence that stops it.
The Social | Chameleon | United States | 2022 | 10’
Director: Alex Ross
Writer: Alex Ross
Producers: Andrew Austin, Alex Ross, Vrinda Sood, Spencer Turley, Shayna Naemi
Synopsis: Cosmo the chameleon doesn’t fit in with the other animals. No matter how hard he tries, he just can’t seem to find his place in the jungle. Then, everything changes when he meets another chameleon who shows him how to live by his own true colors!
Audition in Hell | New Zealand | 2021 | 16’
Director: George Port
Writer: Mark Blum
Producers: George Port, Mark Blum
Cast: Mark Blum, Lee Wilkof, Austin Pendleton, George Port
Synopsis: Alan discovers he is auditioning in hell. He meets an old friend in the waiting room and amusing discussion ensues…
9:30 AM | United States | 2022 | 02’
Director: Jiawen Liang
Synopsis: 9:30 Am is a short 3D motion graphic animation. The project will look colorful, stylized, and a little bit abstract. It tells the story of a young man chasing a nonexistent job offer in a daydream. The project was created using a standard 3D character animation workflow but uses Cinema 4D as the main software to animate the character. The software includes Maya, Cinema 4D, Redshift, ZBrush, Substance Painter, and Marvelous Designer. 9:30 Am is inspired by a psychological problem called maladaptive daydreaming. Sufferers of this condition will daydream for a long time and become seriously addicted to it, thus affecting normal life. While few people indulge in daydreaming this much, many of us have tried to escape the pressures of real life in our dreams, myself included. It’s not the right way to solve a dilemma, but I think it makes for an exciting story. I wanted to express a general mood of joy in this animation, with some excitement and absurdity.
Time Trip Time | Republic of Korea | 2022 | 04’
Director: Taewan Kim, Shunny Kim
Synopsis: A mad clock takes the viewer on a trip to a random planet. Which happens to work in a different conception of time than we know. Made in relay process (a tight knit aesthetic collaboration between two animators), the results are unexpected and mind tripping. The artists wish a fun and unusual experience to the audience, as they welcome them to the world of Time Trip Time.
MACHINES “Pilot” | Italy | 2021 | 05’
Director: Cristian Ciumac
Writer: Cristian Ciumac
Producer: Leonardo Del Casale
Synopsis: Machines, a series made in mixed animation techniques which tell the relationship between man, machine and divinity.
The [CATHARSIS] of Icarus | United States | 2022 | 03
Director: Maria Rita Nascimento
Writer: Maria Rita Nascimento
Synopsis: The times when Icarus falls in love with the sun, but he knows that this relationship will not end well… But for Icarus, these cautions went in at one ear and out by the other as he lives a love story.
The little matchsticks girl | Netherlands | 2021 | 04’
Director: Mickey Cohen
Writers: Hans Christian Andersen, Malou De Roy van Zuydewijn
Producer: Company New Heroes
Cast: Elsa May Averill
Synopsis: This modern version of The Little Matchstick Girl shows that the story in this old fairytale still applies to this day. A group of seven children from 5th grade from different neighborhoods in Amsterdam formed the illustration team. In the animation you see different versions of the girl and the different visions the girl has. The children have drawn their dreams of warmth, food and gifts causing the viewer to get an insight in the desires of a current 10 to 11 year old. The animation is an interplay between professional artists and children to create a contemporary version of a universal fairytale that shows how poverty knows many faces.
King of Claws | United States | 2021 | 04’
Director: Trevor Von Klueg
Writer: Vivian Raine
Producer: Vivian Raine
Synopsis: Fans of Rick and Morty, Futurama, Adventure Time & Invader Zim will be thrilled with The Stolen Moans animated music video – The King of Claws, a fun but cautionary tale about a megalomaniacal, computer savvy cat, hellbent on world domination. Lovingly animated by the talented Trevor Von Klueg (Teen Titians Go!, Black Dynamite, Metalocalypse), The King of Claws is filled with chaotic feline fun and mayhem. Will he be stopped or will he cause all of man (and dog) kind to kneel to his furry reign? You’ll have to watch to find out! StolenMoans.com vonklueg.com
Emotional Baggage | United States | 2022 | 03’
Director: Yuen Wang
Writer: Yuen Wang
Producer: Ringling College of Art and Design
Cast: Natalie Rarick, Evan Wang, Jessica Wang
Synopsis: After hanging up on her mom, a girl’s suitcase comes to life as “Emotional Baggage” in an attempt to repair their relationship.
Level One | United States | 2022 | 04’
Director: Christopher Bennett
Writer: Christopher Bennett
Producer: Christopher Bennett, Shaina Holmes
Synopsis: Three friends get together to play a video game. Each player chooses a character that represents their inner-self. Once the game begins, it is almost like they are living through their video game counterparts. Will their real-life relationships change how they play? Who will win?
Commercial/Ad/TVC – Official Selection – June 2022
Chicken Wings Commeical | 2022 | 01’
Director: Yuchi Tian
Writer: Yuchi Tian
Cast: Justin Avila, Jase Rhodes, Noemy Del Mar
Beer Commercial | United States | 2020 | 01’
Director: Yuchi Tian
Cast: Likun Jing
Synopsis: Beer is also elegant.
Debut – Official Selection – June 2022
Road Trip | 2022 | 05’
Director: Carly Lindon-Forrester
Writer: Carly Lindon-Forrester
Producer: Carly Lindon-Forrester
Cast: Carly Lindon-Forrester
Synopsis: A road runner reflects on the long term residual effects of taking LSD. Road Trip reimagines how thoughts bloom and breakdown, replacing tabs for sneakers for a different type of high.
Tall Grass Silence | Netherlands | 2022 | 12’
Director: Mikolaj Stojanow-Jaskot
Writer: Mikolaj Stojanow-Jaskot
Producer: Bram Arts
Cast: Bogdan Samardak, Diron Sterk
Synopsis: In the abstract world of the young man, nothing seems to make sense. Each circumstance slowly shapes his distorted self-image and leads to bigger chaos in his head.
Documentary Short – Official Selection – June 2022
The Moroccan Tea | Netherlands | 2021 | 17’
Director: Kristina Daurova
Producer: Kristina Daurova
Synopsis: An inner journey, an exploration of a foreign culture through a traditional gesture – making tea. When I attended a Moroccan women’s morning tea gathering and asked if I could stay, Fatima replied: “Of course you can stay, we are the same!”. This phrase guided me on my journey with my Moroccan neighbours. My body and mind were like a sponge, absorbing its surroundings. The Moroccan tea turned into a metaphor for a safe and warm place. A place where it doesn’t matter which language we speak, where we can communicate with our bodies, a place where we can be so different yet similar at the same time.
Fuck You Dover | United Kingdom | 2022 | 19’
Director: Benjamin Schildknecht Kodboel
Producer: Elena Valeri
Synopsis: Three fractures from the English Channel crossings as it appears in Dover, where the desperate images of migrants have become a daily occurrence for the local brits, who have become completely apathetic when a tragedy occurs by their sheer indifference and minimization of the calamity.
AL DIAZ: LIKE A BOMB | United States | 2022 | 08’
Director: Jane Brill
Producer: Jane Brill
Cast: Al Diaz
Synopis: In 1976 Al Diaz and Jean Michel Basquiat became fast friends at City As High School. Together they created SAMO©, the street tag that would change the course of their lives forever. With a music track that pulses through memories, Artist and graffiti legend, Al Diaz recounts this gritty coming of age story and lands us in the here and now with his poignant messages and hard won wisdom.
Shetani | Germany | 2019 | 19’
Director: Niva Ehrlich
Writers: Niva Ehrlich, Zakaria Rahmani
Producer: Zakaria Rahmani
Cast: Mnyaka Sururu Mboro
Synopsis: More than 40 years ago, Mboro was commissioned to search for the head of the Tanzanian resistance fighter Mangi Meli in Germany and return it to his home country. Mangi Meli was hanged by German colonialists in 1900. Subsequently, they shipped his head to Germany for “racial research”. From Berlin, Mboro embarked on a decades- long and yet unsuccessful search through ethnological collections and institutions.
Experimental Short – Official Selection – June 2022
Becoming Creature | United Kingdom | 09’
Director: Zoë Marden
Writer: Zoë Marden
Producers: Zoë Marden, Rosie Taylor
Cast: Zoë Marden, Clio Marden
Fish kissed | Greece | 2022 | 11’
Director: HYPERCOMF
Writer: HYPERCOMF
Producer: HYPERCOMF
Cast: Romanna Lobach, Polyxeni Faliaga, Sofia Argyropoulou, Paola Palavidi
Synopsis: Fish kissed is a short film about the relationship between the urban home and the ocean, the narrative takes place entirely over a kitchen sink. Fish kissed examines both the physical connection between human spaces and marine ecosystems and their cultural connection, for example through references of food preparation, traditional song, eco-news and climate worries, the practise of ichthyomancy (a divination by means of the heads or the entrails of fishes) and biopsy, to foresee the future . The film stars a woman and a sea urchin whose relationship seems to be based on a parallel co-domestication process . The film examines the juxtaposed perception of the sea as a “trophos” -a pleasure, resource and nutrition provider- and waste ground, the cultural stylisation of the marine ecosystem mostly by the tourism and energy sectors and the future of the oceans. This film is produced as part of the project Marine Caves and Benthic Terrazzo, an art and science collaboration between Hypercomf and marine biologist Markos Digenis. Within the framework of STUDIOTOPIA program at Onassis Stegi with support of the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.
Snails | United States | 2022 | 05’
Director: Dorothea Braemer
Synopsis: A dream about my mother and snails that my daughter interprets for me.
Tall Grass Silence | Netherlands | 2022 | 12’
Director: Mikolaj Stojanow-Jaskot
Writer: Mikolaj Stojanow-Jaskot
Producer: Bram Arts
Cast: Bogdan Samardak, Diron Sterk
Synopsis: In the abstract world of the young man, nothing seems to make sense. Each circumstance slowly shapes his distorted self-image and leads to bigger chaos in his head.
Fashion Short – Official Selection – June 2022
‘AN ODE TO TEENAGEHOOD (AND DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES)’ United Kingdom | 2021 | 06’
Director: Celia Arias
Synopsis: ‘We all are incredibly fragmented as human beings. We all have conflicting desires and believes. This film is a meeting point of collective experiences, an insight into a ‘quantum’ family setting where everyone exists in the same space whilst navigating different realms of reality. It’s not (only) so much about the individual styles but about their identity: the teenagers fragile-strength of character they arm themselves with to “be out” and present themselves into the World, glimpses of a family presence suggest that whilst some of them are finding their own identity others are loosing theirs. The observer is able to witness multiple points of view and have the capacity to observe different states of mind and emotion. This is a coming of age story, with its tenderness and its chaos but where love and companionship prevail above all.’ FEATURED BRANDS: 666999acc BIRKENSTOCK CAITLIN YATES Charles Jeffrey LOVERBOY Dosisg6c FALKE FIORUCCI INTROVERTED ANGEL JIMMY CHOO MIU MIU NATACHA MARRO NATASHA ZINKO NODRESS PRANGSTA COSTUMIERS RICHARD QUINN ROKER ATELIER SAMUEL SLATTERY SHUSHU THONG TEKLA Teodora Mitrovska TOGA VALENTINO
Mijo | Mexico | 2021 | 05’
Director: Mazdey Snob
Writer: Mazdey Snob
Producer: Snob Solutions
Cast: Gerardo Rocha, Dolores Black, Alejandra soto
Synopsis: Mijo is a young dreamer, suddenly blessed with the gift of King Midas. However his ability has a unique twist: whatever and whoever he touches is stylishly pimped up. Shot in the uncharted streets of Mexico City, Mijo is a colourful and fun fashion film inspired by the pachucos fashion from the 40s. The film is a collaboration with independent local artists, showcasing traditional Mexican tailoring, fashion, music and illustrations all in one project. Channeling the city’s edgy and urban spirit, Mijo reinterprets the myth of King Midas through a modern Mexican lens. Fun Fact The word Mijo is a contraction of the Spanish words mi and hijo, meaning my son. This is a term of endearment which roughly translates as darling or dear used in Spanish-speaking countries to refer to someone younger.
Music Video – Official Selection – June 2022
Stay Inside – Fracture | United States | 2022 | 04’
Director: Stephen Mlinarcik
Writer: Stephen Mlinarcik
Producer: Concetta Morabito
Cast: Angèle Pressley, Brian Birnbaum, Bryn Nieboer, Chris Johns, Chris Lawless, Crystal Cox, Jamie Avery, Jessica McIlquham, Matthew Jonathan, Mike Rugnetta, Rob Schnabel, Olivia Hern, Vishnu Anantha
Synopsis: Unbeknownst to most, there is an indiscriminate hour during which people feel the physical effects of what they’re watching on television. What begins as a mysterious means of connecting to a sensation quickly unravels into desperate scenarios in which the lives of the viewers, and those around them, are inextricably altered.
Faces | United States | 2022 | 04’
Director: Arnav Shah
Writer: Arnav Shah
Producer: Umang Sampat
Cast: William, Richard Rivera
Synopsis: Steve, 63, reminisces his good old days as he tackles loneliness and aging.
MISS MERCY – The Toilers | United Kingdom | 2021 | 04’
Director: Gethin Anthony
Writer: Gethin Anthony
Producers: Roger Thomson, Dayna Leavitt
Cast: Ellie Fanyinka, Geoffrey Breton, Michael Winder, Roger Thomson, Spud MacBain, Christoph Ashok
Synopsis: The music video for The Toiler’s 2021 single MISS MERCY
11 days | Germany | 2022 | 05’
Director: Veronika Bolotina
Writer: Veronika Bolotina
Producers: Virginia Mercedes, Kian Altmann, Yannic Nixdorf, Tim Zhanpeissov, Greta Griniute
Cast: Altmann, Karina Rudi, Jose Artero, USED
Synopsis: 11 Days is a romantic tale of isolation. This is a story about a girl who is stuck in her relationship memories. She sits in her room and listens to the music of the Used band. But the magical world of memories begins to get weird when the boys from the band began to be more present in it, thereby reminding her of how fictional her world is.
A Maiden Made Not of Clay | Japan | 2022 | 06’
Director: Kohei Takeda, Shumile
Producer: Shumile
Synopsis: The setting of this story is early modern Ireland. Many battles broke out. The bard harper keeps playing the harp with recalling his memories. His mind is stuck in the past and couldn’t be happy until he notices the incredible truth…
King of Claws | United States | 2021 | 04’
Director: Trevor Von Klueg
Writer: Vivian Raine
Producer: Vivian Raine
Synopsis: Fans of Rick and Morty, Futurama, Adventure Time & Invader Zim will be thrilled with The Stolen Moans animated music video – The King of Claws, a fun but cautionary tale about a megalomaniacal, computer savvy cat, hellbent on world domination. Lovingly animated by the talented Trevor Von Klueg (Teen Titians Go!, Black Dynamite, Metalocalypse), The King of Claws is filled with chaotic feline fun and mayhem. Will he be stopped or will he cause all of man (and dog) kind to kneel to his furry reign? You’ll have to watch to find out! StolenMoans.com vonklueg.com
Narrative Short – Official Selection – June 2022
Recoil | Israel | 2021 | 21’
Directors: Noam Sobovitz, Hila Salomon
Writers: Noam Sobovitz, Hila Salomon
Producer: Moran Kedem
Cast: Noam Tal, Carmel Bin, Noam Sobovitz, Hilal Kabub
Synopsis: When Dafna (16) asks Lior (17) to join her on a trip to the river of the settlement where they live, which is a conflict area, he has no choice but to agree, or she’ll suspect he is afraid .When his older brother shows up to guard him, they are dragged on a shaky journey from which none of them will return as he was.
Checkpoint Charlie | Denmark | 2021 | 15’
Director: Kaan Arici
Writer: Pejman Khorsand-Jamal
Producers: Pejman Khorsand-Jamal, Kaan Arici
Cast: Pejman Khorsand-Jamal, Martin Arnold Agersnap, Celine Mortensen, Nicklas Kingo
Synopsis: When a black market deal goes wrong, U.S. sergeant Charlie is forced to bring along a sick girl over the border.
Queen Of Your Heart | Spain | 2022 | 14’
Director: Patricia Pepen
Writer: Patricia Pepen
Producers: Daniela Cortes, Tina Farrok, Patricia Pepen
Synopsis: La Mami is a Drag Queen and at the end of her show she seeks to relieve her loneliness with the boy she likes, a heterosexual delivery man whom she calls from time to time. This time she has taken the courage to declare her love for him even if it means losing him forever.
New Mom | Russian Federation | 2022 | 15’
Director: Alexander Kuzovkov
Writers: Alexander Kuzovkov, Ilya Ponomarev
Producers: Evgeny Drukovsky, Sofya Kudrya
Cast: Sofia Schmit, Olesya Shilyakova, Vasily Kondrashin, Maria Dolganeva
Synopsis: Little pioneer Marusya lives in a room with her parents. But one day, mom disappears, and dad brings another woman into their home. The new mother does not like to share the living space with the girl. Then, together with Marusya’s dad, they get rid of her.
A River Apart | China | 2022 | 20’
Director: Gang CHAI
Writer: Mohan REN
Producer: Mingyang LI
Cast: Xian DU, Chenggang CHAI
Synopsis: A prostitute and a thief meet. They want to lean on each other and get to know each other.
Whale Heart | United Kingdom | 2022 | 12’
Director: Phillip Edge
Writer: Phillip Edge
Producer: Phillip Edge
Cast: Liam J. Barr
Synopsis: A young man spends his life searching for something he lost as a child.
The Hive | South Africa | 2022 | 23’
Director: Greg Karvellas
Writer: Julie-Anne McDowell
Producers: Daniel Galloway, Julie-Anne McDowell Hegarty, Casey Diepeveen
Cast: Julie-Anne McDowell, Andrew Buckland, Sibonga Nduli, Gabriella Samson, Lindokuhle Maseti-Breakfast, Simthembile Breakfast, Darryn Thackwell, Casey Diepeveen
Synopsis: Flora is used to being wanted. Needed actually. But once her inattentive husband Andrew gets busy with his bees after their kids leave home, she finds herself rather needy and wanting. When her flirtatious attention seeking gains a larger audience than intended, Andrew finally notices and looks to reconnect.
Dill Pickle | United States | 15’
Director: Krzysztof Pietroszek
Writer: Katherine Mansfield
Producer: Krzysztof Pietroszek
Cast: Jim Thalman, Caroline Duncan, Delilah Harvey
Synopsis: When WWI is abiut to end, Robert finds the love of his life, Vera. But their meeting does not go as one may expect.
The Olympian | United Kingdom | 2022 | 04’
Director: Louise Ford
Writer: Louise Ford
Producer: Abby Sutherland
Cast: Paksie Vernon
Synopsis: Two sisters take a walk and their historic sibling rivalry rears its head once again.
The Keys | Australia | 2022 | 19’
Director: Pann MuruJaiyan
Writer: Pann MuruJaiyan
Producers: Genya Mik, Pann MuruJaiyan, NIrmala Krishnan
Cast: Steven Sheeran, Annika Goessens, Luisa Tascone
Synopsis: Los Angeles 1949. Rupert, a young real estate agent, to prove his merit, pilfered an estate listing from his office. Upon arriving at the listed residence, he senses something amiss with the tenants of the house. Rupert is forced to consider, has his desperation for success cost him more than he can afford?
Gum Cigarette | Greece | 2022 | 18’
Director: Angelika Katsa
Writers: Angelika Katsa, Stergios Paschos
Producer: Sofia Dimopoulou
Cast: Ana Mandic, Sofia Labrinou
Synopsis: Alexandra a young mother (30) and Senka (8), a hyperactive and impulsive little girl will be forced to “grow up” abruptly. One morning they will hastily load the car with their belongings and leave the house where they lived, in the peaceful suburbs of Athens. They will start travelling by road to Serbia, Alexandra’s country of origin,which is unknown to Senka. Senka will not be able to say goodbye to her dad. Senka thinks that they are going to visit her grandparents, as Alexandra avoids telling her the truth. Alexandra’s squinting eyes, lurking tension and some unanswered phone calls are slowly creating a sense of anxiety in Senka. The atmosphere in the car is heavy. Alexandra tries to hide her sorrow while Senka refuses to even look at her. They leave behind the place that was their home for so many years. They will spend the night in an old epmty resort by the sea. In the inhospitable space of the room, Senka and Alexandra will try to get closer to each other. A phone call that Alexandra will make to her mother in the middle of the night, will wake Senka up. It is this phone call that will confirm to Senka that the real reason they are travelling to Serbia is her parent’s separation. Senka will break out, refusing to believe what she heard. When the anger subsides, mother and daughter will finally come closer. Senka, exhausted from crying, will fall asleep deep in her mom’s arms.
Dvija | India | 2022 | 01’
Director: AK Srikanth
Writer: AK Srikanth
Cast: Savitha Sastry
Synopsis: An astounding short film on life, existence, and re-birth, ‘Dvija’ asks deep and profound questions that shall make the viewer debate it for days! The film is choreographed and performed by Savitha Sastry – yet another feather in the cap of the much celebrated renaissance architect of Bharatanatyam. Writer and Director AK Srikanth has put together a spectacle that is amongst his most ambitious in it’s scope. The music weaves it’s magic on the viewer with it’s intensity and beauty and is composed by Abhay Nayampally.
No/Low Budget– Official Selection – June 2022
MAYSA | Netherlands | 2021 | 10’
Director: Leila Sahir
Writer: Leila Sahir
Producer: Julia Rombout
Cast: Derin Mine Oksal, Sergio Fontana, Abdellah Assaid, Kerolos Girgis, Imane Hanouche
Synopsis: Self-proclaimed rap queen Maysa (15) is not afraid to speak her mind. She has a sharp tongue during a late-night hangout with friends. But when the atmosphere changes, it turns out that expressive rap queens can also freeze up.
IN THE SHADOW | France | 2022 | 10’
Directors: OPHÉLIE KOERING, SOPHIE BACRY PICCIOTTO
Writer: Laura Pelerins
Producer: Collectif Sous Contrôle
Cast: Marie-Bénédicte Roy, Romuald Vachet, Tessa Volkine, Anne Broussard, François Rimbau, Jacques-Henry Fabre, Françoise Lorente, Fabien Le Mouël
Synopsis: In reaction to the number of laws and by-laws aiming at destroying all cultural institutions and artistic life in France, resistance networks have taken shape operating covertly. But the Nemeos secret police has its sources of information and plans to silence the dissidents. The chase begins…
Blue Hour | Sweden | 2022 | 10’
Director: Alexandra Redwood
Writer: Alexandra Redwood
Producer: Alexandra Redwood
Cast: Theo Martinez
Synopsis: A fifteen-year-old boy dreams about the year 2020 and reflects back on his feelings of loss, aloneness and disconnect.
Tall Grass Silence | Netherlands | 2022 | 12’
Director: Mikolaj Stojanow-Jaskot
Writer: Mikolaj Stojanow-Jaskot
Producer: Bram Arts
Cast: Bogdan Samardak, Diron Sterk
Synopsis: In the abstract world of the young man, nothing seems to make sense. Each circumstance slowly shapes his distorted self-image and leads to bigger chaos in his head.
Presence | Taiwan | 2021 | 16’
Director: Yun Lee
Writer: Yun Lee
Producer: Ting Yu Wu
Cast: Tsung I Shen, Yi Liang Chen
Synopsis: “Presence” illustrates a journey of a young man who returned to his hometown from far away. When he finally reached the doorstep, he found out the key is gone, hence an aimless wandering into the night. Walking through the streets in Tainan, memories of good old times, relationships and wishes mixed together, reflecting this city which seemed both estranged and familiar. In the gentle night, he looked for his identity, and in the morning, he woke up.
Short Comedy – Official Selection – June 2022
Good Evening | France | 2022 | 23’
Director: Antoine Giorgini
Writer: Antoine Giorgini
Producer: Marie Dubas
Cast: Georgia Scalliet, Romain Cottard, Édouard Sulpice
Synopsis: VALENTINE and ALEX (35) join TIM (25), Valentine’s little brother, in Wimereux at the family vacation home. Tim claims to have discovered a makeshift camp in the garage and pretends to think that it was set up by a migrant. Alex and Valentine, who understood that he was making them a hoax, decide to pretend to believe it.
New Mom | Russian Federation | 2022 | 15’
Director: Alexander Kuzovkov
Writers: Alexander Kuzovkov, Ilya Ponomarev
Producers: Evgeny Drukovsky, Sofya Kudrya
Cast: Sofia Schmit, Olesya Shilyakova, Vasily Kondrashin, Maria Dolganeva
Synopsis: Little pioneer Marusya lives in a room with her parents. But one day, mom disappears, and dad brings another woman into their home. The new mother does not like to share the living space with the girl. Then, together with Marusya’s dad, they get rid of her.
Funny You Should Say That | United States | 13’
Director: Rob Tode
Writer: Rob Tode
Producers: Rob Tode, LauraLove Tode, Ryan Dobbs
Cast: Ryan Dobbs, Imani Caldwell, Jeff Poole, Fernando Borrero, Rachel Flores, James G Pearlman
Synopsis: On the advice of a co-worker, Jimmy risks it all to pursue his dream job.
Short Drama – Official Selection – June 2022
Luka | United States | 2021 | 04’
Director: Shiyue Xu
Writer: Shiyue Xu
Producer: Shiyue Xu
Synopsis: On a hot summer afternoon, as various people come and go at the central market, a young boy starts noticing his own shadow.
1999 | Bulgaria | 2021 | 21’
Director: Alexander Milushev
Writer: Alexander Milushev
Producer: Match Frame studio ltd
Cast: Todor Nedialkov
Synopsis: A kid from the outskirts of Sofia, Bulgaria in the year of 1999, mad about clocking his favorite ‘90s arcade game, is faced with a decision to make – to remain just a kid living in the world of game heroes or make first steps to growing up.
Gum Cigarette | Greece | 2022 | 18’
Director: Angelika Katsa
Writers: Angelika Katsa, Stergios Paschos
Producer: Sofia Dimopoulou
Cast: Ana Mandic, Sofia Labrinou
Synopsis: Alexandra a young mother (30) and Senka (8), a hyperactive and impulsive little girl will be forced to “grow up” abruptly. One morning they will hastily load the car with their belongings and leave the house where they lived, in the peaceful suburbs of Athens. They will start travelling by road to Serbia, Alexandra’s country of origin,which is unknown to Senka. Senka will not be able to say goodbye to her dad. Senka thinks that they are going to visit her grandparents, as Alexandra avoids telling her the truth. Alexandra’s squinting eyes, lurking tension and some unanswered phone calls are slowly creating a sense of anxiety in Senka. The atmosphere in the car is heavy. Alexandra tries to hide her sorrow while Senka refuses to even look at her. They leave behind the place that was their home for so many years. They will spend the night in an old epmty resort by the sea. In the inhospitable space of the room, Senka and Alexandra will try to get closer to each other. A phone call that Alexandra will make to her mother in the middle of the night, will wake Senka up. It is this phone call that will confirm to Senka that the real reason they are travelling to Serbia is her parent’s separation. Senka will break out, refusing to believe what she heard. When the anger subsides, mother and daughter will finally come closer. Senka, exhausted from crying, will fall asleep deep in her mom’s arms.
Stop-Motion/Time-Lapse – Official Selection – June 2022
Stop Motion Animation–“Illusion” | China | 2021 | 04’
Director: Julie Zheng
Writer: Peiyu Zheng
Producer: Peiyu Zheng
Synopsis: My stop motion animation animation is about a girl addicted to the likes that she receives from social media and tries to create a perfect illusion of herself and her boyfriend online. She based her happiness on illusionary likes that she receives, but she must face the reality as the illusions eventually fades.
Warm Hands | Japan | 2021 | 05’
Producer: Ayano Kinashi (dwarf)
Synopsis: A patient spends a sleepless night alone in a hospital room. “I got cancer … I’m scared” She sighs and closes her eyes, wondering if she should post it on SNS. Then suddenly, she seems to be in the mountains, walking towards the summit. Along the way, she encounters many difficulties, but she moves forward with the support of various animals. What will she see at the top of the mountain?
JOE | United States | 2021 | 04’
Director: Noah Rogers
Producer: Kristin Solid
Synopsis: JOE is about a washed up Clown, who is given a second lease on life when a street-wise Scamp reminds him of what it means to be an artist.
Student Short – Official Selection – June 2022
Mileage | Canada | 2022 | 08
Directors: Jennifer Wu, Kym Santiana, Ruyee Lu, Christopher Hsueh, Nicole Taylor-Topacio, Joy Zhou, Ruby Saysanasy, Miranda Li, Saul Benavides
Synopsis: One dark rainy evening, a young woman hails a cab and an old rusty taxi picks her up to take her home. In a moment of comfort, she looks at her reflection and see herself aging. The once old driver is now becoming younger. Confused and scared, she tries to stop the car, but her efforts are futile. The faster they go the faster she ages and the younger the driver becomes. They fight for control of the car leading to an accident, which only the woman makes it out alive. Now able to escape, she realizes this taxi was like no other, it could give her youth but at the price of the passenger. Old and weak, she looks at the haunting car, her only way back to youth. She decides to continue the cycle and pick up another passenger.
Balloom | Canada | 2022 |07’
Synopsis: Balloom is a fourth year thesis film about a Clown who struggles to accept the inevitable demise of his balloon animals but gains a new perspective on life thanks to those around him. It is a heartfelt story about the importance of appreciating the present and coming to terms with the difficulties of loss.
Left the bicycle behind | Hungary | 2021 | 19’
Director: Dóra Laky
Writer: Dóra Laky
Producer: Tamás Noveczky
Cast: Emőke Piti, Zsolt Dér
Synopsis: Máté’s moving out of Luca’s place is not easy, as they are unable to face a suddenly appearing shadow of their past.
BUSHO Film Festival 2022 – Official selection LA Indies – Best Short Film LA Indies – Best Director (Dóra Laky) LA Indies – Best Actress (Piti Emőke) Venice Shorts – Best Cinematographer (Balazs Marton HCA)
Half-meter | China | 2022 | 23’
Director: Zebang Yang
Writer: Zebang Yang
Producer: Yixuan Qi
Cast: Donghui Cai, Yanping Chen
Synopsis: This is a story in the village. This is a story about people in the village. Guo and Pao are childhood friends and neighbors. Yet their friendship almost breaks for just that half-meter when building their new houses. The conflicts escalate, bringing tears, laughter, and memories. But, little do they know, that half-meter becomes the key to a new emerging friendship…Spoken in Hokkien, the story shows the authentic appearance of a Southern Fujian village in the director’s memory.
Retrospect | China | 2022 | 06’
Director: Cui Yang
Synopsis: It tells the story of the protagonist, Xiao Sha, who finds someone destroying the caisson fresco. With butterflies as the clue, it describes the change of xiao Sha’s mentality from timid to brave. Xiao Sha tries to recover the caisson pattern and develops herself into an animated short film, using her own ability to protect dunhuang Caisson.
Let´s go. | Austria | 2022 | 30’
Director: Anna Unterweger
Writer: Anna Unterweger
Producer: Sabine Katharina Weissensteiner, Carla Bambauer
Cast: Johanna Mertinz, Florentin Groll, Marlena Marie Grübl, Benedikt Steiner, Imke Siebert, Benedkit Laumann, Klaudia Golberg, Barbara Macheiner
Synopsis: 1968. Four friends spend their last summer together where life-changing decisions were made. 2021. Years later, two of the four friends visit the lake house again, to finally answer the question “What would have happened if”.
First Semester of Second Grade | China | 2022 | 22’
Director: Chengqing Zhu
Writer: Chengqing Zhu
Producer: Siyuan Liu
Cast: Haofei Chen, Lin Chen, Haoxu Bao
Synopsis: The young home tutor, who, with all good intentions at the beginning, eventually can’t refrain from intruding into the family of the single mother and the innocent son.
ARMCHAIR | Russian Federation | 2022 | 29’
Director: Alexandra Shishova
Writer: Alexandra Shishova
Producer: Mikhail Sazanov
Synopsis: A young enthusiast arrives in a small town to make his dream come true: to become an employee of the library named after A.P. Chekhov. However, the decision of the city administration dramatically changes his plans and makes him challenge the authorities.
The Dream Doctor | United States | 2022 | 06’
Director: Jovan Antonio Gonzalez
Writer: Jovan Antonio Gonzalez
Cast: Alannah Hall, Jovan A Gonzalez, Alex Patterson
Synopsis: A fox therapist asks her bird patient Robin to talk about a strange dream that triggered him to call for an emergency appointment. What he reveals is an intense, vivid, and mystical vision that changes his life forever.
How to Drive | Canada | 2022 | 02’
Director/Animator: Joshua Stewart
Synopsis: A six step process to driving a road vehicle, which emphasizes our natural embodiment of these mechanical vessels.
Horned Cook, Gola | United States | 2022 | 07’
Director: Adam Musa Othman
Writer: Adam Musa Othman
Synopsis: A dragon enters his living room, trying to remember something… He then goes to work.
Gloves Up | United Kingdom | 2022 | 20’
Producer: Raphael Ameyinoge
Cast: Sam Jolliffe, Bob Bell, Fran Lawton, Peter McCrohon, Tippers Pritchard
Synopsis: An eager young fighter with a disapproving family and a boxing coach with a traumatic past, try to overcome their personal issues by letting each other into their lives.
Taking the desert | Switzerland | 2021 | 14’
Director: Noémie Guibal
Producers: Jean-Guillaume Sonnier, Thomas Reichlin
Cast: Luc Chessel
Synopsis: Cevennes, 1702. In a totalitarian political state, four men take up arms.
FlugelBound | Australia | 2021 | 08’
Director: Ryan Farr
Writer: Ryan Farr
Producer: Blake Battersby
Cast: Ian Callahan
Synopsis: Layton gets a wake up call, when he finds empathy for a cockroach in the loo. After a bizarre spiritual encounter with a colourful character, Layton knows he must break free. After all, we all know what it feels like to get pissed on sometimes.
Maiden | United States | 2022 | 12’
Director: Elyse Gottuk
Writer: Elyse Gottuk
Producer: Elyse Gottuk
Cast: Joanae Lawrence, Elizah Hill, Steven Gamble, Sondra Wymar
Synopsis: A woman, in the 1860’s, is forced into yet another arranged marriage. To the surprise of her maid, her mother has gone to every length, to insure she can not spoil this one.
For the family | Ecuador | 2021 | 12’
Director: Rodney Marcelo Ledesma
Writer: Rodney Marcelo Ledesma
Producer: Rodney Marcelo Ledesma
Synopsis: In a world hit by the pandemic, the Yuquilema Guachamín, a family of street vendors, seek to keep their homes warm despite the precarious conditions in which they live. Love and perseverance are engines that move each of its members, who still dream of a better future, especially for the little ones in the home, which will surely come soon.
Emotional Baggage | United States | 2022 | 03’
Director: Yuen Wang
Writer: Yuen Wang
Producer: Ringling College of Art and Design
Cast: Natalie Rarick, Evan Wang, Jessica Wang
Synopsis: After hanging up on her mom, a girl’s suitcase comes to life as “Emotional Baggage” in an attempt to repair their relationship.
Level One | United States | 2022 | 04’
Director: Christopher Bennett
Writer: Christopher Bennett
Producers: Christopher Bennett, Shaina Holmes
Synopsis: Three friends get together to play a video game. Each player chooses a character that represents their inner-self. Once the game begins, it is almost like they are living through their video game counterparts. Will their real-life relationships change how they play? Who will win?
