Amateur Short – Official Selection – July 2019
PIT STOP | United States | 2019 | 04’
Director: Mikail Ekiz
Producer: Madeleine Arana
Synopsis: A Stop-Motion/3D Hybrid Short about a gas station convenience store clerk who has a Magic 8 Ball for a head that can predict the future, he lives in a constant state of paranoia due to the fear that others will discover his secret.
HOME | United States | 2019 | 02’
Director: Jack Haris
Writer: Jack Haris
Producer: Jack Haris
Synopsis: While lost in the middle of the woods, a small child looks for any semblance of safety as they try to traverse their way back home. As they travel down the twisted road, the shadows seem to dance, and the rustling of unseen creatures permeate the otherwise silent night. As the shadows begin to close in and the feeling of despair begins to overwhelm everything else, hope appears in the form of a small light.
Animation Short – Official Selection – June 2019
Fire Flower | 2019 | 06’
Director: Stephan Leeper
Producers: Stephan Leeper, Curtis Wood
Synopsis: A nun, four orphans and a glitchy robot on a quest for beauty. . . what could possibly go wrong? Princess, Fabio, Pigtails and Curly, from St. Mary’s Home for unfortunate Children, are on a field-trip to the botanical garden to celebrate Princess’ birthday. On the way they meet a curious grounds keeper and the fireworks begin. . . quite literally.
Text Complex | Japan | 2019 | 07’
Producer: Haruka Hiramatsu
Director: Mitsuko Okamoto
Synopsis: The protagonist hates the Japanese hiragana letter “hee.” Just the sight of it bothers her. But one day, she finds herself in a parallel world where the same syllabary lives a spectacular life.
Protector of the Center of the Earth | United States | 2019 | 08’
Director: Michaela Wadzinski
Writer: Michaela Wadzinski
Producer: Michaela Wadzinski
Cast: Maria Smal, Simon Gissler
Synopsis: Many kids have tried to dig to the other side of the earth, but what they find at the center may stop them.
Playing at the sea | Belgium | 2019 | 08’
Director: Sacha Brauner
Synopsis: A window onto the closed world of an undetermined beach somewhere by the North Sea, where a little boy hangs out. He meets a girl and together they play poetic, absurd, and sometimes ominous beach games.
Falafel Cart | Kuwait | 2019 | 14’
Director: Abdullah Al-Wazzan
Writer: Abdullah Al-Wazzan
Producer: Abdullah Al-Wazzan
Synopsis: During a stormy night and in the middle of nowhere, a lonely immigrant and falafel vendor stumbles upon a mysterious flower that whirls him into the memories of his past.
The Incomplete | Islamic Republic of Iran | 2018 | 07’
Director: Erfan Parsapour
Writer: Erfan Parsapour
Producer: Ali Shahdad
Synopsis: An animated short about a hungry Otter who is obsessed with perfection. His desire to live in a perfect world may cost him the chance for happiness in the real world.
Documentary Short – Official Selection – July 2019
Missing Parts – Finding My Father in Cuba | Latvia | 2019 | 23’
Director: Jake Tupman
Cast: Elina Geida, Elpidio Esposito Garcia
Synopsis: Until the age of 28 Elina Geida had no idea who her father was. As a young girl growing up in Latvia, she’d always wondered but the information wasn’t there. Then, overnight that changed when she discovered he lived in Cuba. This is her story.
The Collector | United Kingdom | 2019 | 05’
Director: Evripidis Karydis
Synopsis: Meet Mr. Paschalis, a retired bank clerk from Halkidiki, Greece. Mr Paschalis has a passion for collecting old objects. A real passion! With 2000 objects collected over the last 40 years, he has turned his home into a museum where he transforms into an eccentric tour guide who is always willing to put on a show for his visitors.
Prasann | Turkey | 2019 | 11’
Director: TuncTop
Producer: Merve Ayan
Cast: Prasann
Synopsis: Colomb is a very small, silent, simple fisherman village in South West India. Just 4 for months in a year many European families visit this place with their kids and many of them leave Colomb without noticing Prasann. Prasann is a nine years old, ambitious, Hindu boy. His name means “Glad” in English.
Everyday same things are happening in this routine village. Life is slow in Colomb. Sun rises, Fishermans clean their fishing nets. Local restaurant opens to serve the tourist, Fisherman boat goes out for fishing. Dogs follow them all the way on the beach. Crows flying around excited. Same cow is standing in same position. Banana Bread seller guy horns his bike and passes the restaurant. Chef cleans the fresh young hammer head shark. Banana bread seller horns his horn again when he goes back. Chef cooks the fish. Tourist is chilling. Eating and eating. European kids are watching SpiderMan on their iPad in this beautiful nature. Owner of the restaurant watches the latest Bollywood film through his 4G connection. While all of these happening Prasann is practicing fishing with his box which he found in the garbage… In Hindu religion because of their CAST system, if you born poor, you die poor. But Prasann has more than that. When you follow him, feels like he is not just obliged to be a fisherman. It’s obvious that he wants it more than anyone else on this world. He is looking forward to the day that he is gonna go fishing with his uncle and father in a beautiful Colomb morning with that amazing fishing boat. For some of us Prasann has a small world. But in reality with that ambition and creativity he can be “anything” he wants to be. Which he will maybe never be…
INTERVIEWEE: IN THE HOMEMADE WRAP | Greece | 2019 | 10’
Director: Athena Kaloulis
Producer: Athena Kaloulis
DOCUMENTARY on the last man to still be making handmade cinematic posters in Europe and maybe even the world
The Printmaker | United Kingdom | 2019 | 05’
Director:James McLean
Writer: James McLean
Producer: James McLean
Cast: Jonathan Lawes
Synopsis: Short film in association with COS about south London Printmaker Jonathan Lawes. Jonathan creates prints with a distinctly graphic edge, reflecting his love of geometry, shape, and pattern. Working in a loose, organic way, abstract compositions are formed and ultimately develop as his printing process evolves. He has a keen eye for colour and layering techniques, masking some areas off while revealing flashes of intense colour in others. After spending the best part of a decade in Berlin, Jonathan has recently relocated to Peckham, south London and works as an artist and printmaker. He divides his time between designing for a variety of interior clients and working on his own personal silk screen prints and other handmade design products. This film will be showing in COS Coal Drops Yard, on a month long exhibition on Jonathan’s work.
Experimental Short – Official Selection – July 2019
Special Zone | Spain | 2018 | 20’
Director: Lluís Nadal
Writer: Lluís Nadal
Producer: Lluís Nadal
Cast: Jordi Perelló
Synopsis: A mythical journey from light to darkness in an ordinary afternoon.
Everything that is inside you | Russian Federation | 2019 | 04’
Director: Artem Mysin
Writer: Artem Mysin
Producer: Artem Mysin
Cast: Konstantyn Kabanov, Tatyana Bykova
Synopsis: Each and everyone of us is trying to find an answer to the most important question: “Who am I?” And sometimes the answers lead us to the darkest places of our souls.
Fever Queen | United States | 2019 | 08’
Director: Nick Cotrufo
Writer: Nick Cotrufo
Producer: Alex Zhort
Cast: Haley Grosvenor, Molly Flinchum, Roberto McNutt, Amanda McNutt, Nick Blackburn, Samantha Cole, Ioana Zivku
Synopsis: In a hallucinatory world of quiet chaos, a young couple is haunted in their home by a myriad of restless souls
Mini Video Short– Official Selection – July 2019
Storm in the Palace | United Kingdom | 2019 | 02’
Director: Boldizsar CR
Writer: Boldizsar CR
Producer: Olivia Mariotti
Cast: Masha Bacer, Eugenia Fedoroseeva, Cesar Casier
Synopsis: Storm in the Palace is a Fashion Film directed by Boldizsar CR based on the social media campaign for de Grisogono. Shot on location at Badrutt’s Palace Hotel the film is exploring a stormy and luxurious night out with a surreal touch. Using campy, over the top 80’s giallo soundtrack composed by Roly Witherow and Boldizsar’s signature camerawork the film manages to capture the elegance and beauty of the models, location and fantastic jewellery of the brand.
Mummeh | United Kingdom | 2019 | 02’
Director: Kieran Stringfellow
Writer: Kieran Stringfellow
Producer: Malachy O’neill
Cast: amantha Vaughan, Daniel Bell
Synopsis: A young boy asks his mum some very tedious questions while waiting for his doctors appointment.
My Moment – Sennheiser Spec Spot | Germany | 2019 | 02’
Director: Jakob Harms
Synopsis: A mannequin finds its Momentum.
The F word | United States | 2019 | 03’
Director: Lucia Rinaldi
Producer: Whitney Cheng
The Animator | United States 2019 | 1′
Director: Trent Shy
Synopsis: An animator takes his anger out on the source of his frustration… his puppets.
The Chart | United States | 2019 | 03’
Director: Kimberley Hellem
Writers: Mario Candelaria, Tara Cannistraci, Kimberley Hellem
Producers: Kimberley Hellem, Tara Cannistraci, Mario Candelaria
Cast: Tara Cannistraci, Mike Mondrone
Synopsis: FBI? CIA? Mob takedown? What do these two need to figure out as the clock ticks…
Music Video – Official Selection – July 2019
ALPHA | Italy | 2019 |03’
Director: Simone Marangi
Writer: Simone Marangi
Producers: The Blink Fish, Lorenzo Majno, Carlo Alpeggiani, Irene Toniolo, Lisa Valcarenghi
Cast: Aomi Muyock, Thomas Costantin, L’Osannah
Synopsis: A dark trip through vice and desire.
Solar – Lunacy | Poland | 2019 | 05’
Director:Jakub blank
Writer: Jakub blank
Synopsis: Love drives us crazy, it is a drug, psychosis, it besieges us all, losing control of who we are. The story of two couples who are very in love, we see them in different situations full of tension. Unfortunately, all this leads to decay. History of the break-up of the relationship.
Black Champagne | United States | 2019 | 06’
Director: Jeremiah Williams
Writers: Jeremiah Williams, Kenya Crawford, Karahn Crawford-Cole
Producers: Fadjar Kurnia, Rafico Lingga
Synopsis: Black Champagne tells the story of an ancient, magical, Black civilization that attempts to regain their power after falling under relentless attack by a ruthless, exploitative, foreign invader. This is the first installment of an animated music video mini-series. Part II is tentatively titled “Heaven” and is currently in production.
SMACK | 2019 | 04’
Directors: Marta Kaczmarek, Roberto Cura
Writers: Marta Kaczmarek, Roberto Cura
Producer: Papaya Films
Cast: Elżbieta Studniarek, Grażyna Jasiewicz
Synopsis: Music Video made for Papaya Young Directors competition’s 2019 edition.
It was a directorial debut of a creative duo Marta Kaczmarek & Roberto Cura.
Narrative Short – Official Selection – July 2019
Waterfall | Australia | 2017 | 15’
Director: Nora Niasari
Writer: Nora Niasari
Producer: Mary Minas
Cast: Asal Shenaveh, Greg Stone, Gity Madani
Synopsis: Fourteen-year-old Zahra cannot come to terms with her Iranian mother’s new Australian fiancé, Peter. In an attempt to unite the family, Peter and Leila take Zahra on a road trip in search of a waterfall. As they travel deeper into the rainforest, Zahra’s growing tensions with Peter lead to an inevitable distance from the person she loves most.
The discrete way | France | 2019 | 25’
Director: Ho Lam
Writer: Ho lam
Producer: Jonathan Hazan
Cast: Duke Habib, Li Heling, Tapa Sudana, Shue Tien
Synopsis: Wai, a young Asian man in his twenties, lives at his aunt and uncle’s. He works for them as a delivery man. Trapped in a tedious life conditioned by work and a withdrawn community, he meets a solitary man. This encounter will move him deeply.
Tina & Sendy | Croatia | 2018 | 18’
Director: Hani Domazet
Writer: Hani Domazet
Producer: Mirta Puhlovski
Cast: Tihana Lazović, Sanja Milardović
Synopsis: A journey through one day and one night. One porn audition, two girls and the big force that will put that female friendship on test.
Chrysalis | Italy | 2019 | 11’
Director: Beatrice Nalin
Writers: Beatrice Nalin, Federico Mazzei
Cast: Ester Pantano, Simone Chiacchiararelli
Synopsis: Anna is a young woman with anxiety disorders and panic attacks. She has also developed a strong agoraphobia that forces her to stay inside the house. Her brother tries to take care of her in the hope that she will recover from this condition, which is incomprehensible to him. Anna is an artist. Until a few months ago she has had a satisfactory life, but now she looks like a chrysalis sleeping in its silk cocoon – a safe and timeless place. Her work is in a dead end, her flat and lonely days go by monotonously. But in Anna’s deepest unconscious lives a soul capable of rebelling against her own body, a soul which will emerge violently under an unexpected form.
100 EUR | Austria | 2018 | 25’
Director: Aleksey Lapin
Writer: Aleksey Lapin
Producer: Claudia Joldes
Cast: Iulian Postelnicu, Alfredo Minea, Claudia Joldes, Thomas Mratz, Tom Feichtinger
Synopsis: Vienna during Christmas time 2017. ION has read a curious article about Hitler, wo might be found in Argentina, while his older half-brother ANDREI seems to have other problems on his mind. Following the two Romanian half-brothers and their preparations for leaving the city, money is only one side of the coin.
Short Comedy – Official Selection – July 2019
Family jewels | China | 2019 | 15’
Director: Wang Lei
Writer: Wang Lei
Producer: Wang Yin
Cast: Liu Kai, Fu Qi, Cheng Hong, Wang Wei
Synopsis: Our story happens at the time of family planning. In the Chinese countryside, a simple-minded old man undergoes a vasectomy. Human nature is neither good nor evil, it is only a series of absurd actions generated by the abnormal time in which we grow.
FATHER AND DAUGTHER | France | 2019 | 23’
Director: Eric DU BELLAY
Writer: Eric DU BELLAY
Producer: Romain VISSOL
Cast: Sébastien CHASSAGNE, Audrey GIACOMINI, Sabrina SEYVECOU
Synopsis: Paul is taking care of his 6-months odl baby girl Lou – alone and full-time. He never leaves his neighborhood and doesn’t take calls. His loved ones are beginning to worry.
About Faith, Lies, Homely Brute And National Pride | Russian Federation | 2019 |16’
Director: Gennady Kuznetsov
Writer: Ben Gurashke
Producer: Gennady Kuznetsov
Cast: Vladimir Kapustin, Irina Oleynik, Igor Belousov, Alina Kalashnikova
Synopsis: An ordinary Russian husband and his ordinary Russian wife have an argument on the phone. The day comes to a close with an austere dinner. While mom is on her way home from work, dad shares the family’s ugly secret with the children — and they can hardly believe it.
The Victory of Charity | Austria | 2017 | 25’
Director: Albert Meisl
Writer: Albert Meisl
Producer: Lena Weiss
Cast: Rafael Haider, Erwin Riedenschneider, Nora Czamler
Synopsis: not yet
What The Hell | United States | 2019 | 11’
Director: Dede Harlan
Writer: Dede Harlan
Producer: Rachel Ma
Cast: Dede Harlan
Synopsis: What The Hell is a story about two neighbors who don’t get alone with each other end up killing themselves into a heaven and hell transfer station, where they are told only one person can go to heaven, and they have to make a choice.
Avenue Louise | Belgium | 2019 | 30’
Director: Thierry Dory
Writers: Thierry Dory, Christophe Beaujean
Producers: Joao Vinhas, Stéphane Collin
Cast: François Vincentelli, Françoise Oriane, Alexandre Von Sivers, Fred De Loof, Mara Taquin
Synopsis: Yesterday, Bernard had everything to be happy. A successful company, a beautiful four-fronted villa, an automatic lawn mower, a happy divorce and two children. Today, Bernard is going through a rough patch. But Bernard will bounce back. Bernard, it’s a guy who bounces back. We can trust him.
Short Drama – Official Selection – July 2019
The Nun’s Kaddish | Portugal | 2019 | 07’
Director: Luis ismael
Writer: The Center for Historical Research of the Jewish Community of Oporto
Producer: Jewish Community of Oporto
Synopsis: A heart-warming vignette that portrays a true story of inter-religious kindness when a Nun observes a Jewish ritual.
The Last Dream of Kabuki | United States | 2019 | 05’
Director: Wanderson Dos Santos, Fini Maza
Producer: Daniel Merendoni
Cast: Wanderson Dos Santos, Celina Alva
Synopsis: The Last Dream of Kabuki through a XII century Japanese style poetry highlights the passion, honor and death of our main subject connected to present day. This visual poem shot in a dreamy landscape it shows us the inner struggles and demons that we can all relate to.
Kasumi | 2019 | 13’
Director: Candice Mechaly, Philippe Gray
Writer: Candice Mechaly
Cast: Philippe Gray, Candice Mechaly
Synopsis: What happens when everything has been said and there is nothing left to say ? This movie is about a break up, about how you look at someone you loved so much for the last time, how you touch each other for the last time. A couple trapped in wooden cottage, will try to work their couple out and make it though the mist.
A Remarkable Career | Australia | 2019 | 10’
Director: Paul William Dawkins
Writers: Paul William Dawkins, Lauren Hamilton Neill
Producers: Paul William Dawkins, Lauren Hamilton Neill
Cast: Lauren Hamilton Neill, Zoe Carides, Lauren Grimson
Synopsis: Meet Ellen. She’s famous. Really famous… An interview with a notorious woman takes unexpected twists and turns.
Terminus | Netherlands | 2019 | 14’
Director: Jan Pool
Writer: Jan Pool
Producer: Jan Pool
Cast: Joy Verberk, Sander van Amsterdam
Synopsis: Two people, a boy and a girl on a train. They don’t know each other. Both on their way to tie up loose ends. Is there a place they are running to or is it something that they’re running from? After they meet their lives will never be the same again.
30 |Cyprus | 2018 |15’
Director: Constantinos Patsalides
Writer: George Avraam
Producer: George Avraam
Cast: Popi Avraam, Gianna Lefkati, Spyros Georgiou, Andreas Nicolaides
Synopsis: Cyprus,1974. Maria is trying to find anything she can about her son who is in the battlefield. A shocking twist of fate determines the course of the rest of her life. Chypre,1974. Maria est à la recherche d’information concernant son fils qui se trouve sur le champ de bataille. Un terrible revirement de situation va changer le cours de sa vie.
Student Short – Official Selection – July 2019
How good that you are here! | Austria | 2019 | 06’
Director: Elias Rauchenberger
Writers: Elias Rauchenberger, Julia Graninger, Mara Uhl, Philipp Hafner
Producers: Elias Rauchenberger, Philipp Hafner
Cast: Lukas Michelitsch
Synopsis: “How good that you are here!” is about a young pianist, who starts to rethink past relationships, because he has to deal with a detuned piano string.
Last Game | Israel | 2019 | 14’
Director: Jordan Sultana
Writer: Jordan Sultana
Producers: Saray Salman, Shahar Tenne
Cast: Yussuf Abu Warda, Arie Tcherner, Shula Revach.
Synopsis: Benny has been working for many years as a local bowling alley operator. Erez, the owner of the hall and Benny’s friend, decides to sell the place. Benny, in a last attempt to change the decision, challenges Erez to a “last game”. A game that will determine the fate of the place. And the game begins…
Night Out | Israel | 2019 | 21’
Director: Maor alteras
Writers: Maor alteras, Danna levy
Producer: Maggie basilia
Cast: Lenna Pogosov, Yahav Winner, Sophia Ostrisky, Rani Blair
Synopsis: When Gloria realizes her long-term relationship has become grey and dull, she decides to take Nir out for a romantic restaurant date. Her plans unravel when they discover that the restaurant is being used as a movie set –and then they’re given the chance to be with each other (based on “Mon Plaisir” – a short story by Miranda july).
SONATA | Turkey | 2019 | 14’
Directors: Barış Çankaya, Gökhan Mahan
Writers: Barış Çankaya, Gökhan Mahan
Producer: Gökhan Mahan
Cast: Numan Çakır, Zeynep Buse Kale, Caner Güllüpınar, Kamer Çakır, Gökhan Mahan
Synopsis: Our movie is inspired by the novel “The Kreutzer Sonata”, by L.N. Tolstoy. On a train, a middle-aged man, who recently lost his wife, gets involved in a conversation about love and relationships with other passengers. Against common thought, he defends the thesis that love is not a poetical and pure sentiment, as the other interlocutors naively think. While he talks about romanticized male-female acting models, which are typical of a patriarchal society, he supports his thesis by giving examples from his marriage with a series of flashbacks. He narrates the events, which led to his wife becoming independent from him and later die.
YOU KNOW WHAT I HAVE NIGHTMARES ABOUT | Serbia | 2019 | 17’
Director: Aglaja Filipovic
Writer: Aglaja Filipovic
Producer: Akademija Umetnosti Beograd
Cast: Gordana Djokić, Jovana Dragaš
Synopsis: Sunny and Hannah are living together in the big city. Sunny is aspiring actress and she’s intensely preparing for her new play to premiere. Hannah is dealing with her own demons alone.
LEAD | Germany | 2019 | 30’
Director: Benjamin Leichtenstern
Writer: Benjamin Leichtenstern
Producers: Laura Roll, Laura Mihajlovic, Caroline Meyer
Cast: Daniel Christensen, Julius Feldmeier, Giulia Goldammer, Cornelius Obonya, David Zimmerschied, Thorsten Krohn
Synopsis: Bavaria 1866. Alois has lost his will to live, marked by the brutal fights of the war, and shuts himself away from the outside world into the cold mountains. When the deserted Friedrich steals his life’s savings, Alois’ spirits are revived. He hunts down the Prussian through the cold and rough mountain landscape. When Alois finally catches him, three bandits cross their way. This situation forces the enemies to stick together and a fight for justice and trust arises between the two men.
Reverse | Thailand | 2019 | 11’
Director: Panya Zhu
Writer: Panya Zhu
Producer: Panya Zhu
Synopsis: Aim, a writer who still stuck with the past reunite with her estranged ex-lover whose relationship fell apart because of stigma towards homosexuals.
The F word | United States | 2019 | 03’
Director: Lucia Rinaldi
Producer: Whitney Cheng
The Last Ride | China | 2019 | 23’
Director: John Jiang
Writers: John Jiang, Hang Zhao
Producers: Ted Wang, John Jiang
Cast: Lawrence Chen, Jing Zheng
Synopsis: Wu is a tightfisted taxi driver who worships his money. Intrigued by a generous offer for fare, he steps on the journey with his wealthy passenger. This is their ‘last ride.’