OFFICIAL SELECTION
UNWELL WOMAN
Directed by Daniella DeVinter
United Kingdom
A night at the library turns into a nightmare when a student discovers a haunted painting, unleashing the dark secrets of her long-dead mother...
Blending live action with stop-motion shadow puppetry, this short gothic horror resurrects the monstrous legacy of hysteria, and the medical myths that have made monsters of unmaternal mothers.
Written, produced, and directed by Daniella DeVinter
Starring Lydia Makrides of Netflix's DARK
Amuse-Bouche
Directed by Matthew Turner
United Kingdom
It’s Christmas Eve at the quaint bistro the ‘Amuse-Bouche’. The staff: Digby, Rhys, Jess and Frankie have to fight through the chaos of the day. On top of having a power outage disrupt the service suddenly, Digby has to accept the reality of his relationship with Jess all the while cooking the special meal for the evening service.
The Other Side of Despair
Directed by Varsy Buchmann
Switzerland
"The Other Side of Despair" is a moving portrait of a young Armenian artist, Art Petrosyan, who sets fire to his own paintings. Shot during a time of profound loss and upheaval in the aftermath of the forced deportation of 110,000 people from Artsakh, it provides a unique and thought-provoking perspective on the relationship between art, identity, and the struggle for survival.
Chambers Street
Directed by Scott Dempsey Keenan
United States
A young man, shadowed by the ghost of his ex-girlfriend, spirals into the loss of the relationship.
The Yard
Directed by Maxwell Bamber, Jack Margerison
United Kingdom
This short film follows the Wootten's, a family of boatwrights that have been honing their craft on the Thames for nearly 120 years across five generations. The river and timber runs in their blood in equal measure, but it hasn't always been a smooth ride. The family has had to adapt through the decades, now utilising a number of modern techniques, albeit alongside the tools passed down by their forebears.
Flocky
Directed by ESTHER CASAS ROURA
Spain
FLOCKY is an animated allegory navigating pregnancy, exploring the connection between a mother and her unborn child. Set in a melancholic and enchanting world, this story captures the essence of love, and the poignant nature of loss.
Ice Cream Headache
Directed by Benjamin K. Dyson
United Kingdom
Jeremy is a young man who is Autistic and wants to find love for the first time. He tries online dating and is negotiating that landscape, and after a false start, he does some soul searching for the right venue, enter Jessica, could she be the one?
Prism
Directed by Gina Hara
Canada
Prism is a visually striking short experimental fiction film, following Miranda as she bursts from her beige cocoon and embraces her queer identity for the first time.
In a hyper-sexual world, there are very few movies exploring what it feels like to be on the asexual spectrum. Director Gina Hara sets out to create refreshingly unique asexual representation on the silver screen, while taking inspiration from movies by Maya Deren and Roy Andersson.
Hungry Like The Wolf
Directed by Kieran Dee
United Kingdom
Musicians Cam and Adam find themselves caught in a hedonistic spiral. Adam has had enough of it, whereas Cam is still young, dumb and full of himself.
Millie
Directed by Pedro Greig
Australia
With her family slowly breaking apart, a vibrant, spirited 10-year old girl escapes to a strange, magical world that helps her navigate the turbulence at home.
Bound
Directed by Mason Garner, Nadia Koolina
New Zealand
Bound is a CG animated short film about Turnip, a forgotten imaginary friend who longs for someone to stay. When Oliver, a runaway child, stumbles into his world, their friendship fills the enchanted Knot Woods with laughter and adventure. But the woods have their own magic, and the longer Oliver stays, the more he begins to change. Turnip must face a painful truth and learn that the depth of a friendship is not tied to its length. A poignant tale of love, loss, and change, Bound is a tribute to the friendships that shape us forever.
