Amateur Short – Official Selection – August 2019
Monster Under the Bed | United States | 2019 | 08’
Director: Sean Aragon
Writer: Sean Aragon
Producer: Sarah Hawbaker , Sean Aragon
Cast: Grace Smith , Jorge Alvarez , April Hilton-Pegas
Synopsis: When a lonely little girl discovers friendship and bonds with a monster under her bed, she soon realizes that the monster may be hiding his true intentions.
Sundaze | Israel | 2019 | 02’
Director: Nicole Tobin
Writer: Nicole Tobin
Synopsis: A modern-day surf film.
Animation Short – Official Selection – August 2019
The Man With Arms | United States | 2019 | 07’
Director: Chris Muse
Writer: Chris Muse
Producers: Chris Muse , UMBC
Cast: Chris Muse, Ynez Sage, John Ossing, Carleigh Welch
Synopsis: A 6 minute stop-motion short film about a small group of friends who only have eyes and legs, capable of observing the world as bystanders. One of them tells a story about something he saw: a man with arms! He is capable of interacting and manipulating the world around him, much to the amazement of the armless people.
Dinner Time | United States | 2019 | 04’
Director: Kate Renshaw-Lewis
Writer: Kate Renshaw-Lewis
Producer: Kate Renshaw-Lewis
Synopsis: Dinner Time is a hand-drawn animation about the power dynamics within a hyper-nuclear family. This film focus is on the identity of the housewife and the impact of gender roles on the child.
Colour Me Free | Singapore | 2019 | 05’
Director: Gray Hodgkinson
Writer: Gray Hodgkinson
Producer: Gray Hodgkinson
Synopsis: The animated movie “Colour Me Free” is a symbolised narrative influenced by the plight of civilians caught up in war. Through no fault of their own, these people are trapped in their cities, targeted by both sides as acceptable collateral damage, or even as human shields. This movie explores how these survivors are forced to question their allegiances, as expressed by colour, as their base human need to survive takes precedence. While no specific location is depicted, the use of coloured tiled patterns and a desert setting depicts a middle eastern reference. The visual medium used is a cross-over between animation and computer game, which makes an ironic reference to the repeated game-play of senseless war. The symbolic references in this movie are intended to raise questions in the viewer’s mind, and remind them that with some empathy and assistance, the human spirit can survive and grow.
How Méliès flew to the moon | Russian Federation | 2019 | 06’
Director: Alena Kulikova
Writers: Yury Rachmanov, Alena Kulikova, Cecilio Vargas
Producers: Vladimir Malyshev, Fedor Popov
Synopsis: Every evening, Méliès watches the moon. He is so in love and inspired by her that his only dream is to fly to the moon. Once in the sky there is a cosmic collision, which gives rise to several events.
Children Short – Official Selection – August 2019
Kazumi Racecar Pig | United States | 2019 | 10’
Director: David McBride
Writer: David McBride
Cast: Anna Brisbin, Jason Masrden, Maria DeMagistris
Synopsis: Little Kazumi is afraid of anything different than what he is used to in his Pig culture. One day, Kazumi finds himself in a world of different when he gets stranded on an alien planet. He will need to face these new things if he wants to get back home. Kazumi may even find out that different can be great and make a friend or two along the way
Dragon Recipes | Cyprus | 2019 | 08’
Director: Maria Pavlou
Writer: Maria Pavlou
Producer: The Cyprus Ministry of Education and Culture/Cultural Services (Cinema Advisory Committee), Cast: Maria Pavlou
Synopsis: ‘Dragon Recipes’ is a sweet story about friendship and acceptance, for the whole family to enjoy. The protagonist, a young apprentice witch, idolizes a really scary, green witch from magazine clippings and posters. She dreams of becoming a grand witch like her icon and of having her own fierce, fire-breathing dragon. Spontaneous as she is, our little hero decides to create her own dragon, using an old recipe and magic spells. But the inexperienced youngster will surely make mistakes; magic mistakes that will eventually get her a dragon, but not the fire-breathing one she has in mind. Instead, she gets a dragon with a big heart and a special, magical skill. The little apprentice is about to learn a very important lesson about tolerance and personal sacrifice.
Thread Bare | United Kingdom | 2019 | 05’
Director: Maddie Mortimer
Writer: Maddie Mortimer
Producer: Maddie Mortimer
Synopsis: A young boy tells his friend about his clothes that are trying to kill him. A short, surreal study in what it would be like to live in the wrong body, the wrong skin.
The Listies Work for Peanuts-Episode 1 | Australia | 2019 | 07’
Director: Natalie van den Dungen
Writers: Judi McCrossin, Kate Keegan, Matt Kelly, Richard Higgins
Producers: Judi McCrossin, Kate Keegan, Matt Kelly, Richard Higgins
Cast: Matt Kelly, Richard Higgins, Asmara Feik
Synopsis: THE LISTIES are odd couple housemates who love to have adventures. Just staying alive can be a fun challenge for them, literally. Recently, Matt was worried he was dying. He thought his bum was broken – there was a crack down the middle. On top of this their landlady, an impossibly high achieving and quick witted eight year old ABERNATHY PEANUTS, won’t stop hammering on the door with a list of demands – well it’s more a list of DEMAND seeing as there’s only one thing on the list: PAY YOUR RENT! The Listies have got bills, bills, bills so they need to get to werk, werk, werk! The only thing is, they’re not exactly what you would call employable. In fact they’ve been fired from literally every proper job they’ve ever had, (apart from when they were human cannonballs, when they weren’t fired, because they didn’t fire, so they were fired (if you catch my drift). In every episode of THE LISTIES WORK FOR PEANUTS, Matt and Rich have to get a job to pay their rent to their eight year old landlord, Abernathy Peanuts – and if they don’t… they’ll be out on their BEEPs!
Flying_Wagon | India | 2019 | 17’
Director: Kunal Narula
Writer: Kunal Narula
Producer: Kunal Narula
Cast: Sabir Khan
Synopsis: Cheel Gaadi is a local term used for airplane (Flying Wagon) which literally translates as Cheel: Eagle & Gaadi: Vehicle. It’s a story of a 10 year old boy who works in a tea stall near an airport and has a dream to sit in an airplane one day. To buy the tickets he collects money by betting with the customers on the next flight’s colour. He spends his days working in the tea stall and his nights in an abandoned sewer pipe, on a broken bridge outside the airport wall, which he has converted into his version of home. And finally when he collects the amount needed, his journey starts in the so called mature world of adults to acquire the ticket “Cheel Gaadi” is set up in the heritage city of Jaipur, Rajasthan and has been supported with a very unique folk musical perspective on storytelling; its depth and magic lies in the innocence of the kid. The film has a playback song, which is a fine rendition of a Rajasthani folk song, sung by the actor himself, adding to the rooted flavour of the film.
Commercial/AD/TVC Short – Official Selection – August 2019
575 Yunnan Miishien: Cut Your Ex off Chicken | United States | 01’
Director: Phenix Jiangfu Miao
Writer: Phenix Jiangfu Miao
Producer: Vivian Yige Wu
Z ZEGNA | Italy | 2018 | 02’
Director: Giacomo Boeri
Producer: The Blink Fish, Indiana
Cast: Alexander Zverev
Synopsis: In Z Zegna we see tennis champion Alexander Zverev take on a tennis-playing machine on the courts. When the machine comes to life – shaking with exertion, releasing smoke like sweat and making metallic sounds like breathing – could Zverev have met his match? Prepare for an epic, ironic and surreal match as Zverev, ranked fourth worldwide, faces down the ultimate partner. Luckily his skills don’t disappoint and are as flawless as the Z Zegna Techmerino wash&go suit he’s wearing.
Documentary Short – Official Selection – August 2019
On the Frontline | United States | 2018 | 33’
Directors: Juancho Hernández Husband, Orlando Adriani
Writers: Juancho Hernández Husband, Lieska Husband Sosa, Bárbara Viera
Producers: Cristian Abarca, David Abarca, Orlando Adriani, Juancho Hernández Husband, Alejandra Pocaterra
Cast: Leo Álvarez, Juan Barreto, Carlos Becerra, Rodolfo Churion, Rayner Peña, Alejo Reyna
Synopsis: On the Frontline Tells the stories, anecdotes, and motivations of 6 photojournalists from different backgrounds who, through their images, raise the curtain on the current humanitarian crisis facing Venezuela and its people. This is a tribute to them.
Bosphorus Cymbal Masters | United Kingdom | 2019 | 10’
Director: Daniel Ali
Writer: Daniel Ali
Producer: Mustafa Bal
Synopsis: In the outskirts of Istanbul, Bosphorus Cymbals operate a factory where drum cymbals are made by hand using traditional methods dating back to the Ottoman Empire. Bosphorus Cymbal’s indisputable reputation precedes them and were even selected as the official cymbals for the film ‘Whiplash’.
Africa I Believe in You | Austria | 2019 | 24’
Director: Magdalena Frey
Synopsis: A film about a special project, founded by two Austrian medical doctors. They demonstrate to us how a charitable strategy and practical thinking can balance poverty in Africa and western prosperity. Christine Wallner had set herself the goal of establishing humane structures in Tanzania on her own private initiative – among other things by providing medical care and free local schooling. As a result, the demand for skilled personnel has led to a considerable number of valuable jobs for the people in the region.
Christine started her brilliant work around 2008. Three years later her daughter Cornelia followed. The two perfectly complement each other and together, have achieved miracles. They organize the funding of an exemplary infrastructure that is set in place to sustain itself in years to come.
In the form of sensitive atmospheric images and realistic close-ups, the film conveys the meaning of successful economic networking in a steppe landscape near the equator in Africa. The special mindset behind this organization becomes comprehensible and contagious: people want to get involved in the project.
The sound of the musician Norbert Math (“alien productions”), composed especially for this film, supports the complex pictorial footage, reinforces the images and brings them into a comprehensible form.
Collapse | United States | 2019 | 29’
Director: Nelson Varas-Díaz
Producers: Sheilla Rodríguez-Madera, Mark Padilla, Kevin Grove
Cast: Domingo Marqués
Synopsis: One hurricane, one study, thousands dead. On September 20, 2017 hurricane María hit the island of Puerto Rico with category four winds. The local government reported the number of dead at 64, while a Harvard University led study estimated 4645. This film tells the story of the research team that completed this historic study from the perspective of Dr. Domingo Marqués, the only team member to experience the hurricane firsthand. See how the local government reacted to the now famous study, and how a country that distrusts scientists prepares for the next catastrophic event.
Manpower Express – To Vietnam Along the Silk Road |Germany |2019 | 12’
Director: Waldemar Schleicher
Cast: Tobias John, Matthias Schneemann
Synopsis: A series about a bicycle tour from Germany to Vietnam along the old silk road. The trip takes Matthias and Tobias from their hometown in Germany to Istanbul and Tehran, before they cross Central Asia during winter. After some strenuous months in China and 35 weeks on the road, they finally reach the border to Vietnam…
Gascoigne | United Kingdom | 2019 | 17’
Director: Julia Frances
Writer: Julia Frances
Producer: John Giordano
Synopsis: This film explores the daily lives of the occupants of Gascoigne estate in London before it gets demolished.
RIAFN | Germany | 2019 | 30’
Director: Hannes Lang
Writer: Mareike Wegener, Hannes Lang
Producer: Hannes Lang, Mareike Wegener
Synopsis: RIAFN is a cinematic journey into the soundscape of the Alps. Idiom, song, as well as calls and commands of farmers and shepherds are condensed to create a motion picture driven by local character and rhythm. Between artistic ideal and documentarian realism, the musical portrays a utopian site detached from the compulsive speed and accessibility of communication technology saturating modern life.
Year of the robot | France | 2019 | 28’
Director: Yves Gellie
Writer: Yves Gellie
Producer: Alexandre Brachet, Camille Lacharmoise
Synopsis: This film explores the desire and wishes humans may have to form a personal daily relationship with a robot. is a series of archives detailing the first contacts and dialogs with a humanoid robot, equipped with artificial autonomy and humans. It involves elderly people sometimes afflicted with Alzheimer’s or dementia, or young adults with autism or neurological problems. Once past the surprise phase and aware of the artificial nature of the robot’s functioning, the residents try, despite everything,to forge bonds with it. Raise your arms above your head.
Experimental Short – Official Selection – August 2019
La Sabina | Mexico | 2019 | 05’
Director: Ana baer, rRocio luna
Producer: Baer productions
Cast: Rocio luna
Synopsis: La Sabina is an exploration of contemporary surrealism. Loosely based on the tales of Maria Sabina, a female shaman from the depths of Mexico who exposes the connections between the human and the spiritual worlds. This short screendance is inspired by Claude Cahun’s constant discourse of multiplicity as well as Remedios Varo’s androgynous quality of oneiric vulnerability.
Home Alone | Romania | 2019 | 14’
Director: Jean-Lorin Sterian
Writer: Jean-Lorin Sterian
Producers: Jean-Lorin Sterian, Monica Istrate
Cast: Marine Leduc, Ana Ioniță, Fabio Gerhold, Alina Tofan, George Dorobanțu, Andreea Lupescu, Radiana Enucă, Mara Căruțașu
Synopsis: We see dwelling as a natural thing we don’t have to think of, but the ability to dwell is conditioned by the environment in which we have developed our personality, interactions with our family and with the society. Any new home rebuilds our first habitation. Through Home Alone, we sought to discover each person’s “abilities” to inhabit. No matter how old or new the space we live in, we are never alone, because all our people with whom we have been involved have lived in our minds. In our turn, we also live in the minds of others. That’s where we’re waving to each other.
White Bird | Thailand | 2018 | 06’
Director: Panya Zhu
Writer: Panya Zhu
Producer: Panya Zhu
Synopsis: White birds are disappearing from this country.
The Call | Hungary | 2018 | 21’
Director: Zoltan Vincze
Synopsis: Four disabled men lie in a ward on the second floor of a rehabilitation center. Three of them have cervical spinal cord injuries, which means neither their legs nor their hands are functional: they cannot hold, they require help for the most basic tasks, they cannot get dressed, eat, sit on their own, not to mention washing themselves or going to the toilet. During the day, a new patient arrived to the ward: Ákos, the nightmare of every nurse. He keeps pressing the nurse call, he is unable to lay in any position, he feels dizzy and is in a lot of pain. The nurse keeps getting more and more frustrated, since she has forty other patients to take care of, and she does not have time to deal with the souls of the patients. The situation does not change after switching off the lights for the night, Ákos keeps pressing the nurse call, and his roommates try to calm him without much of a success. The nurse gets fed up with the situation, she rushes in and pulls out the nurse call, since she has had enough for the day, and leaves. Ákos’s condition gets worse and he faints. The roommates, who do not have a nurse call, try to shout for the nurse in their despair, but she cannot hear them through the shut door. Maybe they could call someone, but that is not an easy thing to do. Botond, who is the most able of them with his hands working, cannot make a call since his phone balance is zeroed. Tamás’s phone is working, but he is on the other side of the room. They have to get his phone somehow. Botond tries to convince Tamás to roll over – which is a nearly impossible feat for someone with that sort of disability -, because maybe that way he could reach the cord attached to the phone. Tamás, with incredible effort and the cheering of his roommates, manages to roll over. He is able to reach the cord, but getting a hold of it with his fingers paralyzed is another challenge. He seems to lose faith a couple of times, but finally, with the support of the others, he succeeds. He has the phone hanging on his hand, he tries to swing it over to Botond, but he misses, and it falls on Ádám’s bed. Botond pushes himself to the edge of the bed, and tries to reach the frame of Ádám’s bed, but in his struggles, he falls down to the floor. He crawls to the side of Ádám’s bed and finally gets the phone. Ádám and Tamás keep interrupting each other as they tell the phone number to Botond. Botond dials, takes a deep breath as he leans against the wall, and starts talking to the dispatcher…
Black Bile Chronicles 1 | United Kingdom | 2019 | 04’
Director: Kamila Kuc
Writer: Kamila Kuc
Producer: Kamila Kuc
Cast: Kamila Kuc
Synopsis: A response to Albrecht Dürer’s ‘Melencolia’ whereby ominous cinegrams of his print intercut, like cascading razors, with an isolated woman’s fraught actions and, more particularly, inactions – evoking a cathartic rhythm of repression and reconciliation.
Inscriptions of an Immense Theatre | Ireland| 2018 | 33’
Director: Ailbhe Ni Bhriain
Synopsis: With highly distinctive visuals, this film explores ideas of imperial legacy, human displacement and the anthropocene. Working with film and CGI, it conjures a disorientating vision of a future destabilised by climate change, and asks us to consider the interconnected systems of the past and present that have led to this crisis. Addressing profound contemporary issues, the film avoids polemic in favour of a visually immersive experience that is as seductive as it is unsettling.
The film is set in three distinct locations, each of which has been transformed into a site of dreamlike strangeness. It begins from within the interior of the British Museum, slowly revealing the museum’s earliest collection; it moves next to the site of a temporary accommodation centre reminiscent of those used to house asylum seekers in Ireland, the camera gliding past exterior views of its anonymous units; it ends within an empty limestone quarry, tracking the quarry’s rock surfaces and factory interiors. Linking the three seemingly disconnected sites is an exploration of displacement, loss and imperial legacy.
The title of the work derives from the earliest known museological writing in the western world – Samuel Quiccheberg’s ‘Inscriptions or Titles of the Immense Theatre’ (1565), which details the practice of museums and the organisation of the world’s objects into classes and subclasses. This was essentially an instruction manual for the creation of private collections, with an explicit western imperialist agenda. A voiceover, performed by Eileen Walsh, references Quiccheberg’s original museological text through collaged fragments. With the context and ultimate application of the text rendered uncertain, wider implications of cultural control and imperial aspiration are drawn out.
Inscriptions (One Here Now)| Ireland| 2018 | 15’
Director: Ailbhe Ni Bhriain
Synopsis: Combining film and CGI, Inscriptions (One Here Now) draws us into a world of disorientation and dreamlike theatricality. Shot within the negative space of a quarry interior, the film is built around a series of extended tracking shots; semi-abstract and spatially disconcerting, these trace the deep-time of geological sequences as they overlap with sprayed industrial codes and the scars left by machinery on the landscape. These are punctuated by interior scenes, in which a working factory is encountered in an abandoned and flooded state, inhabited by a lone monkey and birds of prey. This dystopian vision, combining real and imaginary states of aftermath, draws the viewer into an experience of displacement and a sense of place encoded by loss. Integral to the work is Susan Stenger’s layered soundtrack, which was developed from a study of the patterns of Morse code and the traditional tunes and phrases of Irish keening. The resulting melodic laments are immersed in a grounding of deep drones and atmospheres to create what she describes as a form of ‘sonic geology’.
Using highly distinctive visuals, this film explores ideas of the anthropocene and draws us into its disorientating vision of a future destabilised by climate change. While the content of the work resonates profoundly with contemporary issues, the work avoids polemic in favour of a visually immersive experience that is as seductive as it is unsettling.
MAN IN THE MIDDLE | Germany | 2019 | 04’
Director: Thomas Kemnitz
Producer: TK360
Synopsis: An abandoned listening station from the Cold War period is the focus of the video MAN IN THE MIDDLE. During a 4-minute camera ride, aspects of the topic “surveillance” are presented in a media-reflecting way. The historical view of the remaining architecture is used to visualize surveillance as a current and global reality that does not even stop in front of the viewer. In this object with the code name “Quelle1” (Source 1) the Main Administration III of the East German State Security Service intercepted the over-horizon microwave relay link between West Berlin and the Federal Republic of Germany. When in the mid-1980s a digital microwave relay link and a digital fibre-optic link went into operation parallel to this line, these were also “skimmed off” here. A „MAN IN THE MIDDLE“ was positioned. The name MAN-IN-THE-MIDDLE ATTACK today refers to a special form of attack on computer networks in which an attacker positions himself physically or logically unnoticed between the communication partners and manipulates the communication. The communication partners are fooled into believing that their counterparts to be.
A Better Tomorrow | United States | 2019 | 08’
Director: Haohao Yan
Writer: Haohao Yan
Synopsis: This is a story about waiting, which finally turns into acceptance. Joe is a veteran waiting to see a movie with a very important friend, who he had a romantic relationship with when he was young and who he hasn’t seen for years. He has low hope for his friend to show up but is too coward to call. So he just wait for a miracle to come. He wants something to happen that will suddenly make him find his place in life. That things will all suddenly fall into place.
Don’t change the topic | Poland | 2019 | 15’
Director: Hubert Patynowski
Synopsis: There are three rules on the estate: “First: never cheat your compatriots. Second: do not stick and always respond to an attack. Third – the most important: do not report to dogs. And who will break them, this one is fucked up. ” Street code, neighborhood murders and rap.
Fashion Short– Official Selection – August 2019
Upcycle | Russian Federation | 2019 | 18’
Directors: Evgenia Zaitseva, Stanislav Phalkov –
Producers: Stanislav Phalkov, Evgenia Zaitseva
Cast: Mikhail Ilyin, Kirill Andreev
Synopsis: The upcycle project is part of a huge collaboration with stylists, musicians and models. An experiment with a form in which you can come up with amazing results. The objectives of recycling are to draw public attention to environmental issues, reduce waste and foster a culture of responsible consumption.
FILM ME | United Kingdom | 2019 | 04’
Director: Ed Picard
Producers: Ed Picard, JM Seneca , Einat Dan
Cast: Isabella Besque , Andrezo Cristino, Sophia Voss, Zhong Yang, Ed Picard
Mini Video Short– Official Selection – August 2019
Scarlet Circle | United States | 2019 | 03’
Director: Ryan Cervasio
Writers: Ryan Cervasio, Anthony Janz, Jeff Naviello, Gina Ziegler
Producers: Feyza Cakici, Ryan Cervasio
Cast: Anthony Janz, Feyza Cakici, Jeff Naviello, Gina Ziegler
Synopsis: When faced with a choice, every second counts.
Brighten Up Her Day | United States | 2019 | 03’
Director: Jose Andres Cortes
Writers: Jose Andres Cortes, Walter Cignetti
Producers: Walter Cignetti, Jose Andres Cortes
Cast: Jean Fiumara, Walter Cignetti
Synopsis: Mother’s day can be every day.
UNE VRAI FEMME | United Kingdom | 2019 | 03’
Director: Geoffrey Breton
Writer: Geoffrey Breton
Cast: Aiysha Hart, Michael Lindall
Synopsis: A man repeatedly fails to get closer to the beautiful woman across the road, representing modern male entitlement and female choice.
TUSCANY | United Kingdom | 2019 | 03’
Director: Geoffrey Breton
Writer: Geoffrey Breton
Cast: Charity Wakefield, Dave Newman
Synopsis: A couple are clearing plastic from the banks of the river Thames, when she decides to take feminist action.
Duel | United Kingdom | 2019 | 02’
Director: Avgousta Zourelidi
Writer: Avgousta Zourelidi
Producer: Emma Hanson
Cast: Pippa Moss, Sophie Thomas, Jordan Phillpotts, Sam Hall
Synopsis: An absurd comedy about a man in the 19th century who is mysteriously propelled forward in time during a duel for his honour and his life
Pneuma | United States | 2019 | 01’
Director: Patrick Lewtschanyn
Writer: Patrick Lewtschanyn
Producer: Patrick Lewtschanyn
Cast: Karina Devine
Synopsis: A journey of spirit, transformation and the many faces of oneness.
Music Video – Official Selection – August 2019
Geshem – Telephone | Israel | 2019 | 05’
Director: Kip (Broken Fingaz)
Writer: Kip (Broken Fingaz)
Producer: Kip (Broken Fingaz)
Stoned Pirates – Nothing | Algeria | 2019 | 06’
Director: Khaled sahour
Writer: Khaled sahour
Producer: Khaled sahour
Synopsis: An astronaut sees his world losing it’s balance and starts falling into the void to go on a journey through what is a visual representation of a person’s mental space in hope to break a routine only to go back to where he was in the beginning.
Dilemma – Feenix | Finland | 2019 | 04’
Director: Jesse Haaja
Writers: Jesse Haaja, Dilemma
Producer: Suomen Musiikki
Cast: Daniell Bennett, Dilemma
Synopsis: Rise like a Feenix.
Imahot [Mothers] | Israel | 2019 | 05’
Director: Benjamin Esterlis
Writer: Benjamin Esterlis
Cast: Asaf Manor, Efrat Kolberg, Tomer Beitan
Synopsis: The old pictures on the wall tell a story, the old & haunted kind. music video that combines live action & animation for the Israeli indie-rock band Af Paam Lo Haita Lee.
Black Violet | Germany | 2019 | 04’
Director: Lara Celenza
Writer: Lara Celenza
Producer: Natalie MacMahon
Cast: Mishell Ivan Walton
Synopsis: The Fool’s Journey from the Rider-Waite tarot becomes the story of every artist who has to suffer and grow in order to blossom into a successful, confident, wise person in the World.
Narrative Short – Official Selection – August 2019
The Boy | United States | 2019 | 09’
Director: Hao Cui
Writers: Hao Cui, Zhirui Wang
Producer: Yang Ding
Cast: Jesse Howland, Lara Helena, Nate Johnson, Benedikt Sebastian, Jack Heath
James lives in a re-married family. His step father, Frank, lost his sculpture which is extremely expensive. Frank thinks that James stole his sculpture because James hold a bag and not show to anyone. Frank and Jame’s parents tries to get the bag. They find that there’s a football inside the bag. James feels so disappointed about his family and decide to suicide. He jumps into the pool to kill himself and his stepbrother who took the sculpture see his dead body. He drops the sculpture by accident.
STOPPED CLOCK | China | 2019 | 13’
Director: Qin Lei
Writer: Qin Lei
Cast: Wang Jianbing, Zha Liqin
Synopsis: A father who loves his daughter but is not good at expressing his emotion, a daughter who is reluctant but wants to be recognized, when the daughter who leaves home suddenly comes back, and the problem brought back at the same time triggers a series of conflicts between the two, the father and the daughter should How to face…
LOST | China | 2019 | 16’
Director: Huang Yuankai
Writer: Huang Yuankai
Producer: Zhao Yingjie
Cast: Li Zhen, Xiao Lajiao
Synopsis: Li Yang, a psychological doctor, one night he got off work as usual, but there was a car accident happened oh his way home. After he destroyed the man’s body, he thought he was safe, however, the same thing happened again at the second night, he seemed to be caught in a perpetual curse……
Change | Kazakhstan | 19’
Director: Arman Baimuratov
Synopsis: In the megalopolis among concrete and glass boxes there is no place left for real-life human communication. City of work and city of constant employment, chaos and crowd. All this vanity was watched from the balcony by the old man Maksut who wanted to change this situation
Storm | France| 2019 | 8’
Director: Constance Guirlet
Synopsis: During a storm, two children have to face an unknown force brought by the wind.
The Stop | Poland | 2018 | 15’
Director: Bartosz Reetz
Synopsis: Jakub takes his last bus to school in the nearby town to get the results of the secondary school leaving exam. His ultimate visit to school marks the end of one stage in his life and the beginning of another.
The last teacher | Kazakhstan | 18’
Director: Alen Rakhmetaliev
Synopsis: The history teacher, Yerzhan Kaidarovich, is a gentle person. Disobedience of students in the classroom is common. His son, a pupil of the same school, is subjected to violence among high school students, whether he will stop the disgrace over his child.
Hide and seek | Kazakhstan | 29’
Director: Venera Kairzhanova
Writer: Venera kairzhanova
Cast: Sultana Bektasova, Hadidja Satay
Synopsis: Two little girls’ light childhood goes dark every time it contacts with the world of adults. Can they hide in the sunny world or the clouds of the stark realities of life will find them?
DIVA & ASTRO | United States | 2018 | 09’
Director: Angel Barroeta
Writer: Angel Barroeta
Producer: Angel Barroeta
Cast: Sharle Taule, Sabrina Salvador, Rob Gooman
Synopsis: A streetwise posse idly roams the evening in the hood they call home. Diva and Astro follow parallel paths in real time, hurtling irrevocably toward the consequences of the habits they find hardest to overcome.
The Eye Of Tonlifornia | China | 2019 | 16’
Director: Ge Qianqian
Writer: Ge Qianqian
Producer: Yang Ziqiao
Cast: Liang Qiao, Fang Diudiu
Synopsis: A-hai a depressed editor in Beijing for seven years, suffered an unexpected car accident on a 48-hour sleepless overtime morning and entered into another dimension of time and space. Another dimension of himself is a handsome and dazzling rock star. During a performance, an extraordinary event led A-sen to decide to change and find himself again. Originally, both A-sen and A-hai are just the shadow and memory of the writer when he was young. In his dream and reality, there is an unexpected wish in his heart.
05:15 AM | Spain | 2019 | 17’
Director: Andreu Corberà
Writer: Andreu Corberà, Jorge Moratal
Producer: Andreu Corberà
Cast: Cristina García, Jordi Tamarit, Pura Marco, Juanjo Tomás
Synopsis: An elderly couple will cover the pain caused by Alzheimer’s through a romantic game in intimacy. Gradually, the husband worsens his situation, while the wife, blinded by love, tries to subtract seeing her husband again as before.
THE AQUARIUM | Denmark | 2017 | 30’
Director: Peter Ahlén
Writer: Andrea Winding
Producers: Anne Falkesgaard Hansen, Sofie Brandt
Cast: Maria Winther Nørgaard, Elias Munk, Jonathan Bergholdt, Peter Aalbæk Jensen
Synopsis: In a dystopian world underneath the ground, a mysterious boss dictates the rules of the young people living and working here. They each work in a club, taking care of dedicated club members day after day. Carla is responsible for the Aquarium Club where her only friends are the fishes. One day things changes, when Carla suspects there is more to this world than living alone in isolation. When she meet the boy Zac, who is in charge of the Motor Club a whole new world opens; a fascinating world which introduce friendship and love. But Carlas discovery comes with consequences, which may be fatal.
FOR SALE | Greece | 2019 | 18’
Director: Apostolos Karoulas
Writer: Dimitris Kaligos
Producers: Dimitris Kaligkos, Dimitris Tsakaleas, Maria Laskaridou
Cast: Yiannis Drakopoulos, Konstantinos Mistakidis
Synopsis: Thanasis decides to sell his paternal home, where he lives, in order to get rid of his loneliness. When he will open a new door in this world though, his plans will take another turn.
No/Low Budget – Official Selection – August 2019
Maria On A Wire | France | 2018 | 16’
Director: Christophe Granger
Writer: Christophe Granger
Producer: Mariella Parisi
Synopsis: To get her daughter back and avoid sinking, Maria has to fight, against everyone and herself.
THE SCHOOL OF INSULTS (L’ECOLE DE L’INSULTE) | Switzerland | 2019 | 05’
Director: Philippe Lawi
Writer: Philippe Lawi
Producer: David Castillero
Cast: Harris Procopiu
Synopsis: This is a fake documentary about a school located in a village called « FuckOff ». Here, Since the Asshole party has come into power, insults are mandatory in any form of communication between residents. However, some individuals suffer from politeness. Consequently, professeur Papillon created the school of insults.
Narziss | Germany | 2019 | 08’
Director: Maximilian Andreas
Producer: Boris Salatino
Cast: Tom-Veit Weber
Synopsis: The shift from self-hatred to self-love. From a loss to the inner perfection that tears you apart. A poetic, visual and auditory exploration of narcissism.
FIRE EXTINGUISHER | Spain | 2019’ | 05’
Directors: Rodrigo Sopeña Costales, Joana Solnado
Writer: Rodrigo Sopeña
Producer: Rodrigo Sopeña
Cast: Virginia Vargas
Synopsis: Milagros is obliged to install a fire extinguisher in her chapel. But first she will have to ask someone’s permission… Rodrigo Sopeña (“Club Houdini”, “Fermat’s room”) and Joana Solnado (“Morangos com Açúcar”, “Paixão”) present this unusual short film made during the workshop “Filming in Navarre with Asghar Farhadi” under the supervision of the Iranian filmmaker winner of two Oscar. Asghar Farhadi said: “I like it because it’s a complete movie, and it’s something new. It will please those who believe in God and those who do not”.
Just Friends | Spain | 2018 | 03’
Director: Marc Lesperut
Writer: Marc Lesperut
Producer: Anna Casals
Cast: Katrin Vankova, Adrià Triviño
Synopsis: Sometimes the thrill when starting a new relationship leads to a downfall of irrespressible emotions. Our main character leaves an intimate voice message while confronting her doubts. She is looking for closure without no one else’s approval. She is now ready to fly alone.
Opposition | United States | 2016 | 05’
Director: Justin Jahn
Writer: Justin Jahn
Producer: Justin Jahn
Cast: Robert Maples, Gary Wagner
Synopsis: The opposing forces between good and evil have always existed throughout time, whether it be in Cinema or Society.
Short Comedy – Official Selection – August 2019
The Sofa | Republic of Moldova | 2018 | 25’
Director: Iulia Puica
Writer: Tatiana Besliu
Producer: Sergiu Barajin
Cast: Mihai Curagau, Sergiu Finiti, Sergiu Voloc, Dana Ciobanu
Synopsis: The story is about two old men. One day they are invited to a friend’s wedding. On the wedding day, not knowing what present to give, they randomly decide to take the sofa from the courtyard. They steal a car, get the sofa on the top and hit the road. Little do they know, about the troubles this sofa would cause them.
THE TOWER OF PISA | Romania | 2019 | 21’
Director: Bogdan ILIESIU
Writer: Ionut GAGA
Producers: Bogdan ILIESIU, Irina ENEA, Ionut GAGA, Rares ABRAHAM, Horatiu CURUTIU
Cast: Andrei MIERCURE, Iulia VERDES, Adrian TITIENI, Sergiu COSTACHE
Synopsis: V., an obsessive-compulsive young man who rarely speaks, is working as a parking valet at a hotel. His life revolves around his job, where he parks the cars at millimeter precision and his spare time, which he spends in his methodical tidy apartment. One day, a new employee, Cosmina, invades his working space. She’s the total opposite of him, talking a lot and very fast and doing a lousy job at parking cars. Still, the two of them fall in love.
Outer Space Love Story | United States | 2019 | 11’
Director: Iva Gocheva
Writers: Julia Joyce-Barry, Iva Gocheva
Producers: Iva Gocheva, Julia Joyce-Barry, Nicholas Rubin
Cast: Bohdana Smyrnova, Grace Rex , Julia Joyce-Barry
Synopsis: Three women learn to navigate the nebulous constraints of a love triangle gone straight to the moon.
Bloody Mary | Sweden | 2018 | 15’
Director: Erica Elfström
Writer: Lars Klintwall
Producer: Erica Elfström
Cast: Emelia Hansson
Synopsis: Mary tries to score the famous rockstar Julien by pretending she is a famous Swedish music journalist. To her surprise she succeeds to get into Juliens lounge and get invited to his suite. Mary thinks her goal is reached and sex is on, until an unwanted monthly surprise turns up.
FLAWLESS | France | 2019 | 08’
Director: LEVY CLAUDE
Writer: LEVY CLAUDE
Producer: JONATHAN BOLUS
Cast: ZOE CORRAFACE, DIOMAY SARR, AUDREY QUOTURI
Synopsis: A young man is going on a first date with a young lady, but things will take an unexpected turn because of a new mobile app
Is You Is? | United States | 2019 | 13’
Director: “The Sanderine Brothers” Kelly Perine , “The Sanderine Brothers” Bry sanders
Writer: Kelly Perine , Leanne Melissa Bishop
Producers: Kelly Perine , Mike Dunham, David Wetzel
Cast: Kelly Perine, Leanne Melissa Bishop, Marla Black , J. Maddox, Steve Samson, Irene Nester, Curtis Webster, Aaron Lucas, Amber Nicole Gilbert
Synopsis: Candice & Peter, a dating couple, will find out at Candice’s birthday party if there’s going to be a little addition to their twosome.
WOMANIZER | Russian Federation | 2018 | 04’
Director: Evgeniy Karelinov
Writer: Evgeniy Karelinov
Producers: Sergey Streltsov , Aleksey Baskakov
Cast: Vladimir Andrianov , Dinara Shugurova , Nerius Marcus
Synopsis: After a hard day, the office worker has to stay overnight to complete the task of the boss, but he can’t concentrate on the work due to loud sound from the printer….
Short Drama – Official Selection – August 2019
The picture at your back | Italy | 2019 | 19’
Director: Frida Bruno
Writer: Frida Bruno
Producer: Raffaele Buranelli
Cast: Adriano Giannini, Valentina Cenni
Synopsis: A successful psychotherapist that has lost his wife and daughter few years before, is the author of a novel about what he has learned from his tragic loss. The book is called “The death that doesn’t divide” A young woman, charmed by that read, contacts him to start her psychotherapy. This is what is seems. But what is she really after? In the suspended time of the rigorous psychoanalytical setting a man whose past has broken his life meets a woman whose future is a great unknown.
The woman in the room | Greece | 2018 | 15’
Director: Romanos Papaioannou
Writer: Romanos Papaioannou
Producer: Romanos Papaioannou
Cast: Dimitris Alexandris, Ersi Malikenzou, Tsimaras Tzanatos
Synopsis: A man, plagued by his demons has to take the decision to euthanize his ill mother.
Asan | Kazakhstan | 2018 | 27’
Director: Berik Zhakhanov
Writer: Berik Zhakhanov
Cast: Azat Zhumadil
Synopsis: Asan is a typical teenage boy, who lives by rules of the streets. He fights with age-mates, gets in troubles with the police. His mother raises his alone; they don’t live with their father. One morning they receive the word of Asan’s father’s death. Asan with his mother and uncle goes at his father’s funeral. On the way at the funeral Asan remembers his childhood, his father. Sad and happy moments. The film shows the boy’s internality, his forgotten feelings for his father. The film tells us about a teenage boy who has changed, who grew up and realized, but the most important he has forgiven his father and remembered happy moments of his childhood. On the way at the funeral, Asan doesn’t understand a close link with his father and doesn’t feel anything to him. He argues with his mother and uncle. He doesn’t expect as well as his mother that the meeting with his father will bring up so many feelings. Asan rethinks his behavior and takes the staff from the Elder, which is the symbol of the family name: Asan is a head of the family now.
Kabbalat Shabbat [The Welcoming of the Sabbath] | Israel | 2018 | 13’
Directors: Benjamin Esterlis, Naama Hacohen
Writer: Naama Hacohen
Cast: Naama Hacohen, Lucy Dubinchik, Tomer Beitan, Yonatan Leibovich, Neta Zilberstein
Synopsis: The story of a young Jewish orthodox woman on her path to discover her true sexual & emotional identity. based on the true story of Naama Hacohen.
Asra | Brazil | 2018 | 16’
Director: Caio Cortonesi
Writer: Caio Cortonesi
Producers: Caio Cortonesi, Raphael Cardoso
Cast: Humberto Pedrancini, Débora Aquino, Juliana Drummond
Synopsis: A religious and traditionalist man, defeated by an incurable degenerative disease, decides to end with his own suffering. He entrusts his son Omar, with whom he has a difficult relationship, with the task of finding someone to end his pain.
To Hell with Codes | France | 2018 | 14’
Director: Léopold Legrand
Writer: Léopold Legrand
Producer: Charlotte Reichenbach
Cast: Olivier Rabourdin, Slimane Dazi, Marouan Idoub
Synopsis: “Despite their high-security building, Death could easily get into their apartment.” Patrick Pelloux, emergency doctor.
Beyond the river | Italy | 2019 | 15’
Director: Luca Zambolin
Writers: Luca Zambolin, Alessandro Padovani
Producer: Francesco Bonsembiante
Cast: Brixhilda Shqalsi, Marco Paolini, Elisabetta Salvatori
Synopsis: In occupied Italy during the 1940s, Antonia, her mother and a dozen peasant women live on a farm. There are no animals as they have all been seized by the Germans. One day, Antonia wanders to the river that divides the countryside from the city and finds a horse that has escaped from the war. Deciding to keep it, she puts everyone’s life in peril.
JIMMY & THE WIND | United States | 2019 | 26’
Synopsis: After years of grinding you finally get a boat-load of money from investors and a free building in California to build your dream company. A celebration. Drinks flow. People dance and cheer. And you…. Sitting alone frowning in the corner. What the HELL is good?”
EXTRA INNINGS | United States | 2019 | 09’
Director: John Gray
Writer: John Gray
Producers: John Gray, MELISSA JO PELTIER
Cast: Peter Riegert, TJ Thyne
Synopsis: A reporter interviews a major league baseball manager in an attempt to uncover secrets.
VIOLETTA | Greece | 2019 | 15’
Director: Fivos Imellos
Writer: Fivos Imellos
Producer: Fivos Imellos
Cast: Argyris Xafis, Elsa Lekakou
Synopsis: After the sudden death of Violetta’s mother, her father is looking for a way to renew their relationship. But he will face the powerful character of Violetta, and his own mistakes of the past.
Reflection | Netherlands | 2018 | 14’
Director: Pim Sollie
Writer: Pim Sollie
Producer: Josie Taalman
Cast: Jurriën Trappel, Carly van Drie, Rutger Beugeling
Synopsis: Daan seems to have his life together. He runs a successful art gallery in Amsterdam and has a rich social life. But beneath that shiny surface, Daan struggles with his self-image. During the opening of his latest exposition he can no longer ignore himself. He leaves the city and retreats into the woods, where he’s forced to really look himself in the eye.
I AM GOD | United Kingdom | 2019 | 09’
Director: Madalina Mateciuc
Writer: Madalina Mateciuc
Producer: Madalina Mateciuc
Cast: Emma Findlay, Luke Aquilina , Bejoy Sanjeev, Faisal Akram, Diane Brooks, Scott Collins, Rachel Cooper, Linda Pandelus, Gerard Rogan
Synopsis: ‘I am God’, follows the journey of Ana, a teenager battling PTSD, desperate to gain control over her life. ‘I am God’ is paving the way towards girls empowerment and well-being in a broken modern society.’ Spiritual healing has an ancient pedigree, with much evidence of success.
The Museum Exhibit | Ukraine | 2019 | 19’
Director: Christina Zinchuk
Writers: Julia Oreska, Christina Zinchuk
Producers: Christina Zinchuk, Serhiy Zlenko
Cast: Ostap Stupka, Anzhelika Hyrych, Hlib Melnychuk
Synopsis: Fred loses his job because of misunderstanding and decides to prove his innocence with tapes of his colleagues. This collecting of information soon becomes his obsession leading to divorce and estrangement with other people. He considers himself to be a founder of his own museum but in fact he is only another exhibit of it.
BERGEN | Germany | 2018 | 05’
Director: Agnes Regan
Writer: Agnes Regan
Producers: Theresa Sophie Albert, Agnes Regan
Cast: Caroline Felber, Theresa Sophie Albert, Elmar Gutmann, Tim Osten
Synopsis: Great misfortune brings back together an estranged mother and daughter. The daugther tries to take care of the old woman, a feeling of belonging cannot be forced, though. Deprived of her autonomy the mother seeks refuge in a place beyond reach.
MOTHER’S LAND | Germany | 2019 | 08’
Directors: Theresa Sophie Albert, Agnes Regan
Writer: Agnes Regan
Producers: Theresa Sophie Albert, Agnes Regan
Cast: Saskia von Winterfeld, Friederike Frerichs
Synopsis: 1944, the end of the second world war is near. In a remote village near Berlin two women stand their ground. An old bedfast mother rules over house, farm and her unwed daugther. When the daughter allows herself some quiet bliss with a russian labourer, the forced solidarity is thrown into turmoil.
A Mind’s Eye | United States | 2019 | 11’
Directors: Rebecca Kirsh, Benjamin West
Writers: Benjamin West, Rebecca Kirsh, William Huang
Producers: Benjamin West, Rebecca Kirsh, William Huang
Cast: Jess Perry, Belinda Watson, Matthew Sara, Megan Jay, Riley Huff
Synopsis: A newly blind man learns to appreciate his remaining four senses.
Silent Ties | Greece | 2019 | 07’
Director: George Leontakianakos
Writers: George Leontakianakos, Alexandra Dyranis – Maounis
Producers: Steven Gekas, George Leontakianakos
Cast: Dimosthenes Filippas, May Sevastopoulou, Myrto Pavlakou
Synopsis: It is All Souls’ Day and Yorgos communicates with his dead mother just before making the biggest decision in his life.
The Rosy Summer Day | United States | 2019 | 10’
Nicole Shan
Qing Yin
Grace Adair, Amitai Porat, Dayana Espinoza
A lonely sick girl lives in a hospital, the beautiful life only appears in her imagination..
Student Short – Official Selection – August 2019
Silent Ties | Greece | 2019 | 07’
Director: George Leontakianakos
Writers: George Leontakianakos, Alexandra Dyranis – Maounis
Producers: Steven Gekas, George Leontakianakos
Cast: Dimosthenes Filippas, May Sevastopoulou, Myrto Pavlakou
Synopsis: It is All Souls’ Day and Yorgos communicates with his dead mother just before making the biggest decision in his life.
The Rosy Summer Day | United States | 2019 | 10’
Director: Nicole Shan
Producer: Qing Yin
Cast: Grace Adair, Amitai Porat, Dayana Espinoza
Synopsis: A lonely sick girl lives in a hospital, the beautiful life only appears in her imagination.
Baba Joga | Poland | 2019 | 30’
Director: Michalina Przewdzing
Synopsis: Dorota is a young mother, she works in the library, she is limping on one leg. She lives in a small town, that seems to be as dormant as her, her husband Marek and their dreams. She meets a mysterious yoga trainer who recently came to her town. Since yogini Wiola has appeared, their peaceful life changes. She tears them out of a dream.
The Audition | Austria| 2019 | 22’
Director: Guy Lichtenstein
Synopsis: Sarah (30) is a gifted cellist. Despite her talent, she still has to play at smaller events.
In one of these unloved appearances at a wedding, she unexpectedly meets Jürgen, her ex-boyfriend – the groom. The two evade each other. Old memories of the once common life come up. Sarah remembers the successful audition in France. How she won the audition and yet didn’t take the cello solo position for the sake of the relationship.
It is still her secret.
Bravely Sarah strokes her bow over the strings and processes the past.
Finally, she can find closure to the story and find herself again, while around her wedding is being celebrated.
Don’t Blame Jack | United Kingdom | 2019 | 30’
Producer: Dale John Allen
Cast: Jordan Tweddle, Kane Surry, Lydia L’Scabies, Tracy Gabbitas
Synopsis: DON’T BLAME JACK follows the newly diagnosed, manic-depressive, Jack, as he battles with the thought of life without his beloved ‘mania’. Now on a daily cocktail of anti-psychotics and anti-depressants Jack searches for the adrenaline fuelled, extraordinary manic highs in the most ordinary of places. Jack escapes his drab, routine-filled existence by jumping into the arms of strangers, searching for moments of magic. DON’T BLAME JACK captures the limbo of self-identity after a diagnosis of serious mental illness. Can the dullness of ordinary life ever compare to the magic of mania? And is sanity and stability worth the sacrifice? https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8706080/
The Dogs I’ve Met Throughout My lIfe | United Kingdom | 2019 |3’
Director: Inez Skilling
Writer: Inez Skilling
Synopsis: A tribute to the dogs that impact our life.
The Last Day of May | China | 6’
Director: Yili Han
Writer: Yili Han
Producer: Sido Yao Lv
Cast:Fukun Li
Synopsis: As a middle school Chemistry teacher, Chen Jun never loses sight of her originality. Facing the pressure from both school and family, Chen Jun used the flour-explosion experiment to make a counterattack.
Cure All | New Zealand | 2019 | 15’
Director: Yu (Cora) Gu
Writer: Yu (Cora) Gu
Producers: Dr Paul Wolffram, Yu (Cora) Gu
Cast: Chris Gordon, Kevin Orlando, Rebecca Parker, Barry Mawer, Holly Smith
Synopsis: Jay, in his 20s, has always had a condition that makes him extremely sensitive to his surroundings, and any of his senses can cause tremendous pain. Due to this condition, he has not lived a normal life outside his family or house. His mother, Melissa, and his younger sister, Zoe, are deeply damaged and exhausted from having to look after him and bear his fragility. This long term depressive family atmosphere is dragging the family members away from each other. However, because of a lack of connection to the outside world, Jay is whole heartedly optimistic about his life. He believes everyone loves him and cares about him. Jay’s life flips upside down when one day a man dressed like a snake oil salesman comes to his house and offers him a bottle of magic liquid that the salesman claims can cure any disease, including Jay’s pain. After drinking the liquid Jay not only loses his pain but also loses all types of feelings and emotions. No longer needing to physically care for him, his family’s resentment becomes obvious, but Jay is not able to feel any sadness from this anymore. Jay makes many attempts to experience things he couldn’t have done before, such as listening to music, outdoor activities, eating different foods, having a relationship etc. He tries so hard to feel something, but reality fails him again and again. Jay’s endlessly repeating loop of daily life is more “painful” than the physical pain that Jay had before. After what feels like any eternity to Jay, he attempts to commit suicide, but is unable to even die anymore.
Ouroboros | United States | 2016 | 9’
Director: Emma Keehan
Writer: Nick Early
Producers: Emma Keehan, Andrew Harrington
Cast: Kyra Renee
Synopsis: One masked dancer threatens the cycle of pursued acceptance met by authoritative rejection when part of her facade falls away and she can truly see.
VINCENT | United States | 2019 | 20’
Director: Gabriele Di Sazio
Writer: Gabriele Di Sazio, Christina Yang
Producer: Disi Guo
Cast: Dakota Kappen, Beau Garrett, James Oliver, Vincent Washington
Synopsis: On his 21st birthday, Vincent gets persuaded to follow his friend Bunny to a brothel where he will meet a woman that looks like his mother.
I Am | United States | 2018 |12’
Director: Marc Berenguer
Writer: Christian Haywood
Producers: Horia Cojan, Grace Bouchard
Cast: Caroline Short, Tom Nash
Two Women Can Tango | United Kingdom | 2019 |19’
Director: Maria Abdel Karim
Writers: Maria Abdel Karim, Kyle Redmond-Jones
Producers: Maria Abdel Karim, Kyle Redmond-Jones
Cast: Stephanie Tripp, Maria Forrester
Synopsis: Reem, a Palestinian young woman living in London on a sponsored visa, has only a couple of months before her visa expires when she meets Alma, a Jewish -British Tango instructor who sweeps her off her feet the moment they have their first Tango dance together. As the dance and the feelings between the two women escalate, Reem’s days in London become countable. She is left with only one choice to make that can alter their destiny!
WHY NOT? | Turkey | 2019 | 11’
Director: Buğra Mert Alkayalar
Writer: Buğra Mert Alkayalar
Producer: Buğra Mert Alkayalar
Cast: Ceyda Çınar Onbul, Serhat Onbul, Bünyamin Kutluca, Zeki Akın
Synopsis: Today, people can communicate and meet without knowing each other because of the point where technology has come. Here, on the evening of an ordinary day, a man and a woman decide to meet. Their purposes are as different as themselves.
Watta | Thailand | 2019 | 25’
Director: Sittiwat Thipthanaoran
Outing | China| 2019 | 23’
Director: Luo Shuhang
Writer: Luo Shuhang
Producers: Cai Huimeng, Luo Hongsheng
Cast: Zeng Zixin, Cao Yanfen, Wang Xinyi
Synopsis: The spring is approaching. Zhang Li is sitting downstairs in the hot pot restaurant counting flowers; Chen Ke is trancing before the beverage cabinet; and Zhou Hui enters the kitchen to heat the pot. They are expecting, looking forward to, in their repeated lives, a spring outing.
Waiting for you | Russian Federation | 2019 | 11’
Director: Evgeniya Justus
Writer: Evgeniya Justus
Producers: Dmitriy Yakunin, Evgeniya Justus, Pavel Peregudov
Synopsis: For more than 60 years, every year on the same day, Martha comes to the fortress of Santa Barbara to meet her long-lost brother during the Spanish Civil War.
The junkie’s daughter | China | 2019 | 12’
Director: Ning Ding
Writer: Ning Ding
Producer: Wentao Wang
Cast: Zi Jin
Starry Night | Ireland | 2019-05-27 |14’
Director: Emma Smith
Writer: Rachel Moloney
Producer: Caoilinn Handley
Cast: Hazel Clifford, Ciara Ivie, Hannah Smullen, Cameron Barron
Synopsis: With her future hanging in the balance, Cara has a choice to make – abandon her sisters, and pursue her dream in London? Or sacrifice herself, so that one day they too might stand a chance? ‘Starry Night’ was led by a crack team of women both on screen and off, with almost all of the roles – in all departments – filled by incredible young women at the start of their careers.
Chimera | Greece | 10’
Director: Melpomeni
Writer: Melpomeni
Producer: Maria Laskaridou
Cast: Natasha Rumyantseva, Dimitris Kapetanios
Synopsis: The Creator follows her mature self, her simulation, in a walking misty, hallucinatory. The hesitation and the cowardice itself keep it in the unfinished journey. She senses her escape, she realizes it, in this unfinished journey.
Home | Lebanon | 2019 | 19’
Director: Adam M. Jammal
Writer: Adam M. Jammal
Producer: Ghada Youssef
Cast: Yara Zakhour, Elie Choufani, Sasha Yousuf
Synopsis: After the death of her daughter, Lama decides to move out of her family home. However, a presence in the house keeps her from completing the act.
Encrypted | United States | 2019 | 4’
Director: Grey Smoley
Writer: Grey Smoley
Producer: Josh Magpantay
Cast: Mariah Barrera, Alexia Pereyra
Synopsis: A girl who is addicted to her phone gets consumed by her technology when she goes to the computer lab to meet her friend.
Short Horror – Official Selection – August 2019
Supervivere (The Escape) | Spain | 2018 | 12’
Director: Paco Arasanz
Writer: Paco Arasanz
Producer: Paco Arasanz
Cast: Julio Hidalgo, Maider Uriarte, Juan Sánchez-Guardamino Elorza, Lucas Pulido, Jose Cartón, Antonio Esquinas
Synopsis: 1937, Spanish Civil War. Three Republican soldiers desert, escaping the horror. Or at least, that’s what they believe.
Repent | Taiwan | 2019 | 05’
Director:歐崇安（Alan, OU）
Writer: 歐崇安（Alan, OU）
Producers: Tzu-yen, Tsou
Synopsis: The story is about a mother repented to her daughter, who had already died, with guilty. When the mother came to the location, she found out the house were full of charms and dead atmosphere. When the mother repenting, she could feel that her daughter was standing by her side.
Shadow At The Door | United States | 2019 | 04’
Director: Roshni Bhatia
Writer: Roshni Bhatia
Producer: Andrew Mayne
Cast: Anastasiia Polishchuk
Synopsis: In Roshni Bhatia’s short film, Shadow at the Door, a troubled young woman searches for an intruder in her home unaware that what she’s really looking for may be something she refuses to see.
Short Fantasy/Sci-Fi – Official Selection – August 2019
The Old Woman Who Hid Her Fear Under The Stairs | United Kingdom | 2017 | 16’
Director: Faye Jackson
Writer: Faye Jackson
Producer: Faye Jackson
Cast: Sara Kestelman
Synopsis: An old woman finds a way to remove her fear and she stashes it in a tin under the stairs. At first, she enjoys her new found freedom from anxiety, but when she notices a stranger watching her house, the fear under the stairs becomes harder and harder to ignore.
Oneiroi | Israel | 2018 | 12’
Directors: Idan Melchior, Daniel Siton
Writers: Idan Melchior, Daniel Siton
Producers: Idan Melchior, Daniel Siton
Cast: Tom Shinitzky, Dania Landsberg
Synopsis: In the Oneiroi community, children are put into vessels where their sleeping and dreaming dependencies are suppressed. When the growing process is complete, the children, now men and women, are joining the community in working non-stop in typing and creating an unknown code. In the growing process of U-11, an error occurred in his suppression of dreams, which later allowed him to day dream about O-16, who is sitting in front of him day and night. His dreams are finally being turned into reality when both of them are chosen for the procreation process, where he will finally unite with the girl of his dreams. However, things aren’t going as planned, and the unity of her with him isn’t quite what he expected.
Best fairy for Cinderella | Russian Federation | 2019 | 12’
Director: Alexander Baskakov
Writer: Peter Samoilov
Producer: Alexander Baskakov
Cast: Barbara Borodina, Nikolay Kovbas, Irina Barinova
Synopsis: Once upon a time, in a faroff kingdom, there lived a fair young maiden – Cinderella. She dreamed of getting to the ball. Will meet the beautiful prince. But everything went wrong…
Kokosmos | United Kingdom | 2018 | 02’
Director: Anna Radchenko
Synopsis: Shot in Moscow by the award-winning director and photographer Anna Radchenko, Kokosmos is a tribute to Russia’s infatuation with space. Somewhere between a fashion film, a music piece and an experimental video, Kokosmos embraces reality and extends it through magical realism by visually answering the question: what if? The video is Radchenko’s first piece combining CGI with real footage, a direction that she is looking to explore with her future productions. Kokosmos is a collaboration with model Yana Dobroliubova, recognised for her striking and ethereal looks which break away from traditional beauty standards. Inspired by Dobroliubova’s unearthly aesthetic, as well as Japanese manga artist Shintaro Kago, Radchenko expresses our constant need to explore and search by focusing on the concept of the all-seeing eye. The music and sound was custom made specifically for this piece. Collaborating with creative music and sound design duo Playhead, they worked with the London-based singer songwriter Alyusha Chagrin to create an otherworldly-sounding language to fit the scenario. Similarly, the choice of clothing and make-up is also meant to fit with post-soviet space theme; Radchenko brings in elements of folklore by specifically selecting Russian fashion designers and sticking to a neon color palette featuring bright shades of green and purple.
Way home XI | Austria | 2019 | 20’
Director: Emanuel Bachnetzer
Synopsis: What would the world look like if it had been 1234 years ago? What would the Alps look like if the valleys were contaminated and no human life could live there? The realm of the seven eagles in another time. The former fighter Johann makes his way home to the contaminated capital to make peace with his family. The adventure begins. . . Johann and his goal to let the past rest. Wie würde die Welt aussehen, wenn vor 1234 Jahren etwas anders verlaufen wäre? Wie würden die Alpen aussehen, wenn die Täler verseucht wären und kein menschliches Leben dort leben könnte? Das Reich der 7 Adler in einer anderen Zeit. Der ehemalige Kämpfer Johann macht sich auf den Heimweg in die verseuchte Hauptstadt, um mit seiner Familie Frieden zu schließen. Das Abenteuer beginnt… Johann und sein Ziel, die Vergangenheit ruhen zu lassen.
…and in silence. | Russian Federation | 2019 | 05’
Director: Irina Grineva
Writer: Irina Grineva
Producer: Sergey Grinev
Cast:Anatoly Sveshnikov, Natalya Prozorova
Synopsis: Astronaut Kostik is peforming desperate attempts to fix his ship’s lifepod systems while a mysterious voice from the recorder haunts him.
Every Shadow Seems Alive | Brazil | 2019 | 16’
Director: Leandro Afonso
Writer: Leandro Afonso
Producer: Leandro Afonso
Cast: Fernanda Marques
Synopsis: A woman leaves her house. At work, at the subway, at the car, at the street, the daily thriller.