A Mother Goes to the Beach (Portugal) by Pedro Hasrouny

Teresa, a single mother spends a day at the beach with her six-year-old son, Benji and her sister Marga, who is back to Portugal for a summer vacation. The day becomes very stressful with her sister's constant speech about her son's achievements and her criticisms towards Benji.

Running time: 00:15:28

Nico (United States) by Max Olson

Nico is a surreal drama that follows a recently transitioned trans man throughout one night as he struggles to be seen as himself. When his grieving elderly neighbor, Helen, mistakes him for her recently deceased husband, Nico is offered a ready-made masculine identity to slip into and a connection begins to form. However, when Nico finds Helen in his apartment and this identity becomes a reality, Nico must confront his relationship to gender and being perceived. 

Running time: 00:16:49

Latchkey Kids (Norway) by Sindre Mangen Haram

When twelve-year-old Erik is forced to choose which parent should have to move out during an ugly divorce, he struggles in the aftermath of his decision and how it ends up altering his relationships not only with his parents, but his two younger brothers as well.

Running time: 00:21:16

Amidst (Finland) by Pia Andell

Everything is perfect, and then, boom!

Running time: 00:29:59

Violet (Germany) by Laura Engelhardt

12-year-old Dan suffers from scoliosis and has a difficult relationship with his single mother Nadja, who works night shifts to earn a living. The most important person in Dan's life is Anna, who is paid by Nadja to look after him. Anna is like a sister to Dan. But for some time now, he has been interested in more than sibling closeness.

Running time: 00:21:00

My only enemy (Poland) by Piotr Bieliński

After a tragedy Andrzej is trying to move on. But revenge stands in the way of life. Only one question remains - a shotgun or a hammer? 

Running time: 00:18:00

Eva (Germany) by Laura Elisabeth Staab

“An action is causally connected if it cannot be thought away without the specific outcome ceasing to exist,” says Eva, a young prosecutor, quoting the cold logic of law texts. How does it apply to your life, your couple and your longing for motherhood? Drifting in the city from encounter to another, Eva confronts all the images of romantic and parental love that society has established as the status quo. Does she need this to be herself? (Léo Soesanto) 

Running time: 00:14:04

The melody of ashes (Switzerland) by Jonathan Moratal

Being haunted by the past can lead to an inferno.

Running time: 00:02:20

The Last Pencil (Belgium) by Maria Lückerath

In a world where everything must be digitized to be traceable, Idriss confronts the inevitable loss of his cherished pencil and struggles with feelings of guilt.

Running time: 00:10:00

Log Bridge (Hong Kong) by Wai In Lam

Two female high school students went to play in the mountains after school, but their apparently close relationship was actually rife with power struggles, and after the illusion of their friendship was shattered, their conflicts eventually surfaced.

Running time: 00:11:45

Wena (China) by Natalie Kung

Wena, a domestic helper who works in a middle-class family in Hong Kong, takes care of a child Natalie who lives in the shadow of her parents’ tense marriage. Natalie builds a strong bond with Wena in spite of the constant sowing of discord from her demanding mother. On the other hand, Wena is backstabbed by her avaricious husband in the Philippines who threatened Wena with their daughter...

Running time: 00:30:00

The Heart of Texas (United States) by Gregory JM Kasunich

Janie May, an aspiring country singer stuck in the paycheck-to-paycheck grind, gets big news that she’s a radio contest finalist while finishing her overnight shift at a local diner in Waco, TX. She must race to the station to sing for hometown country music hero Harlan Thompson in hopes of winning the opening act spot on his upcoming tour. In a chaotic dash to the studio, she collides her car into Jesús, an undocumented worker who refuses medical care or police assistance out of fear of being discovered and deported. The two engage in a struggle, each in pursuit of their own American dreams. In the end, they do the only thing they know how to do: fend for themselves.

Running time: 00:14:45

REEP (United States) by Jakub Blank

In the rural South, a young man’s quiet ritual unravels into a harrowing clash of piety and depravity, as hushed tension builds to a shocking, visceral crescendo.

Running time: 00:22:00

Cock (Norway) by Robin Jensen

Two sweaty men end up at odds with each other in a crowded sauna. A short film about prejudice and politics. And cock.

Running time: 00:06:30

You, Me, and That Chair (Australia) by Trivita Tiffany Winataputri, Matt Wallace

A devoted father in his late 60s is confronted with the imminent growth of his son.

Running time: 00:11:07

Butterscotch (United States) by Mayank Deogaonkar

Butterscotch is a story about acceptance. DR. MAYA SHARMA, a single mother and physician by profession, has her daughter, DIA SHARMA’s, life planned out for her. Dia is supposed to go to medical school and become a doctor, like her mother. One day, Maya is surprised to see an acceptance letter from an art school in the mail addressed to Dia. When she confronts Dia about this, they have a huge argument, where Dia finally lets out her frustrations with her mother’s controlling ways. After the argument, Maya reflects on her daughter’s words, and realizes that perhaps she had been too controlling due to her own insecurities and past experiences. As to not push her daughter further away, Maya decides to let her daughter pursue what she wants in life. Maya apologizes to Dia, and they reconcile. To celebrate, they partake in their usual tradition of movie night while they share a pint of butterscotch ice cream. 

Running time: 00:14:00

Vic's Vac Shack (United States) by Will Dorney

A vacuum repairman who blackmails customers faces his day of reckoning.

Running time: 00:15:22

Annie (United States) by Niall Cunningham

Annie and Simon are building a home and farm on an unoccupied property in Vermont. But the isolation and pressure inherent in their idealistic task begins to weigh on Annie and she starts to question whether she can stay in the relationship with Simon. 

Running time: 00:17:00

First Night (United States) by Haneol Lee

A newly immigrated Korean father goes into a deli trying to order food for his family– only with the help of a dictionary.

Running time: 00:11:43

Detour (Denmark) by Adam Brix

Johan has been waiting for this moment his entire life: He has finally found his father. He fails to build up the courage needed to confront him and just when he's about to leave - the man has a heart attack and drops to ground. Johan must now save him and face a scenario where he may never get to meet his father.

Running time: 00:13:40

Safari (Italy) by Leonardo Balestrieri

Inspired by real instances of violence against LGBT+ people, Safari follows Elia, a member of a "hunting" group,  who serves as an example of the dissonance felt when one is forced to suppress themselves. Emerging from this annihilation will be lacerating, but ineludible.

Running time: 00:15:00

Milky White (China) by Yoyo Liu

In a remote rural area, a mother tragically dies during childbirth, leaving behind a daughter who witnesses the event. With no breast milk for the newborn, the family's cow becomes their lifeline, providing sustenance and hope. The daughter's bond with the cow deepens over time, until another ruthless tragedy strikes, shattering their fragile world once more.

Running time: 00:14:22

3, 2, 1, 0 (Korea, Republic of) by Mingun KIM

Three best friends, Gyu-bin, Yu-hyeok, and Dong-hyun, get stranded on a deserted island after an accident during their trip. The three of them stay positive and work together to survive. But gradually, they start to keep an eye on each other.

Running time: 00:15:37

One Night (Italy) by Alessio Vasarin

During one night, Julius tries to confide in his friend Lara. His effort to tell the truth collides with the unspoken of both.

Running time: 00:17:00

Holy Filament (United States) by Arkan Zakharov

An avant-tech-noir outing for the AI generation, Holy Filament spends one day with a humanoid automaton (Emily Van Raay) as she challenges the confines of existence on a future Earth. Here, humans are long extinct, the machines they created left to churn through an undying cycle of progress. Intrusive visions crack through our protagonist’s programming, leading her to a liberating realization. 

Running time: 00:21:50

Knife, Chocolate (Iran) by Hooshmand Varaei

This movie is the story of a happy family! The son of the family is antisocial, psychotic, skeptic and sexist who judges women by the smell of their cosmetics!

Running time: 00:15:00

Little Yellow Flower (Taiwan) by Chien-Ping Lin

Photo Retoucher A-nan returns to the old house that saddens him. The eerily beautiful yellow flowers on the loofah trellis attract a whole nest of ants. As a child, A-nan accidentally killed all these yellow flowers when spraying insecticide on them to kill the ants. In a rage, his father beat him lame. This caused a lifelong conflict between them. The elderly and paralyzed father, now wrapped in diapers and covered with ants, evokes the painful memories of A-nan’s youth. A-nan sprays and kills the ants again. But how will A-nan unravel this knotted relationship with his father, entangled for so many years? How will he restore the loving beauty of the yellow flowers that once bloomed in the courtyard?

Running time: 00:29:55

P Å R Ø R E N D E R O M M E T (Next of Kin) (Norway) by Ellen Ugelstad

Set in a confined space, the film explores an intimate support group for relatives of psychiatric patients. As Randi grapples with her sister's involuntary admission, the film delves into the delicate interplay between selfless caregiving and the imperative of self-preservation.

Running time: 00:19:30

Over The Board  (United States) by Emiliano Balado

“Over the Board”, a story about twin brothers played by Isaac Bell and Elijah Bell  who meet for the first time, under unique circumstances.  Before they can come together, however, they must first overcome their differences. Ian is a top collegiate chess player. Eric is an inmate with a gift for the game. Eric and Ian are identical twins who have never met, until today. When their worlds collide, one thing becomes immediately clear–they both share a passion, and talent, for the game of chess. But will this be enough to make them family? The only way to settle their differences, the only way to understand each other, is over the board.

Running time: 00:27:00

Remember Me (Germany) by Lukas Maximilian Olszewski

A young Doctor tries desperately to save his relationship before the truth behind his fiancé's ever growing erratic behavior is exposed, leaving him nowhere to turn.

Running time: 00:39:48

Farandole (France) by Barbara Pierron

A Princess is dying on her girlhood bed and tasks a sarcastic narrator to tell the most important moments of her life : her tragic love story with a woman with a Lion's head.

Running time: 00:14:26

Shoes (Turkey) by Sertaç Bozkurt

Soldiers interfere with a refugee group just about to cross the border, the refugees split and one woman runs deep into the woods, only to be chased by a soldier. As the game of cat and mouse gets heated, a surprising incident occurs, that makes them both question the meaninglessness of this whole thing. 

Running time: 00:05:00

Everything Tastes Today (Bulgaria) by Kristina Spassovska

On another endless summer day, in the sensual privacy of their garden, all a twelve-year-old girl wants is to be her older brother’s darling.

Running time: 00:11:50

Burn (Belgium) by Cato Catteeuw

On a tram ride along the coastline, Robin looks back on her turbulent relationship with Ada. Unspoken words are all that’s left, the broken pieces cut like glass.

But why are they not sharp enough?

Running time: 00:15:00

Threnody (United States) by Caleb Wheeler

A strange evening in a hotel room blurs with the quiet dissolution of a relationship.

Running time: 00:05:07

Sins of a Father (United States, United States) by Nuekellar Hardy

Amidst echoes of his past, Bryan embarks on a heartfelt quest to rewrite his future, confronting his father to break the chains of generational trauma and carve out his own legacy of love and growth. "Sins of a Father" is now an Africa Movie Academy Award nominee for the Best Short Film category. 

Running time: 00:13:55

The Dog (Mexico) by Rodolfo Vilchis-Conde

Dolores is a woman in her thirties who lives with Tristán, her husband who behaves like a dog. One day, while Dolores prepares to have a meeting with another man, Tristán is left alone in the house, following his animalistic routine, taking it to grotesque extremes. They both question their affection for each other, reflecting on their loneliness and dependence on the company of someone with whom they no longer feel a connection.

Running time: 00:21:05

Good Feelings (United Kingdom) by Emma Parkinson

Leah is on a self-improvement mission. And so it seems, is everyone else 

Running time: 00:04:48

While we where waiting (Netherlands) by Ludo Marbus

Mara (26) returns to her parental home a year after her mother's death, to prevent her father Simon (61) from throwing away all the things that she feels make her mother's death final. When her father finally suggests that she can sleep in the bed where her mother died, it all becomes too much for Mara.

Running time: 00:16:35

Yue Lee (China) by Yuhao Peng

A one-day portrait of a young mother trying to escape from her family in rural China.

Running time: 00:14:29

Frayed (United Kingdom) by Ben Silver, Nadine Iskandar

Relentless ambition drives an obsessive young actress to the brink, under the influence of a brilliant yet controversial director

Running time: 00:19:43

Made to order (France) by Joss Berlioux

A couple eagerly awaits the birth of their "perfect" child, designed through a genetic customization program. But in the delivery room, the quest for perfection takes a chaotic turn. A satire on our modern obsessions.

Running time: 00:03:00

Sio Roho Yangu - Not My Soul (United States, United States) by Joe LoBianco

In 1807, a young slave is condemned to a sweltering hot box for her defiance, facing torment and uncertainty. Trapped in the oppressive heat, she struggles to survive, oscillating between fleeting hope and crushing despair. She draws strength from distant memories and spirituals. As her spirit is tested, the journey transforms from a desperate victim into a determined fighter, in a powerful testament to resilience and the unbreakable human will.

Running time: 00:14:29

Le Porte Del Paradiso (Italy) by Gabriele Gasparotti

A man is watching to some footage on a Super 8 where two mysterious girls move in spaces in a continuum mirror game until a murder occurs. Is it reality or fiction? Are the girls killing the man who is filming to became the demiurge of the opera or are they killing themself to escape the opera or is it just fiction?

Running time: 00:09:00

Fellow of Fate (Belgium) by Melchior van den Boogert

Two brothers reunite in the snow-covered capital. One of them seems to have forgotten something crucial, which leads to rising tensions between them.

Running time: 00:05:28

The Man Within (Belgium) by Pierre de Mûelenaere, Antoine Veldekens

Ever since Antoine hung a monumental portrait in his living room, his grasp on reality has been slipping, rendering him incapable of leaving his apartment. Now Antoine must confront the sinister forces lurking within the painting. "The Man Within" is the story of possession, capturing the moment of enactment. Directed by Pierre de Mûelenaere and Antoine Veldekens, "The Man Within" marks their debut as a directing duo. It serves as the first chapter of a larger story called "The Deep," which revolves around a series of demonic paintings.

Running time: 00:07:30

For Sale (Belgium) by Lidewij Deroo

For sale explores the phenomenon of American-inspired suburban neighborhoods, where the pursuit of homeownership has become a defining measure of success. The dream of 2.5 kids, a dog, and a house with a fence symbolizes a high standard of living, independence and social status. Set against the backdrop of a neighborhood in Galway, Ireland, the film follows a family’s day as they strive to attain their dream house. However, their pursuit exposes them to a range of consequences: long commutes, a growing sense of isolation in car-centric developments, increased carbon emissions and mounting financial pressures. Is this imported version of the American Dream truly what we desire? As green spaces are swallowed up by housing projects and the pressure to own a house intensifies. 

Running time: 00:03:00

CU: Farewell (Ukraine) by Anar Azimov

The protagonist recalls her past while her daughter is going to leave her forever. Years ago, the protagonist came from a province to a big city to get rid of poverty. Marriage to a gangster didn’t make her happy. She fell in love with her husband’s accomplice and soon got pregnant.  Murder seems the only solution to the lovers…

Running time: 00:41:30

Karla (Canada) by Naomi Baker

Karla, a seasoned acting coach, sits off stage listening to her student, Julie, rehearse a monologue. As Julie recites her lines, Karla bursts on stage and begins to drill Julie on acting fundamentals and how to make it in the business. When Julie storms out of the theatre, Karla, alone, performs the mono

Higher Grounds (United States) by Joe Kramer

On the fateful day intelligent life arrives to destroy Earth, one slacker alien gets sidetracked when he’s smitten with a bitter barista. Suddenly, our survival depends on whether this space-schmuck can get her number, before his plucky partner blows us sky high.

Running time: 00:16:59

Fish And Cheese (Germany) by Sina Guntermann

The 16mm short film "Fish and Cheese" is a sentimental observation showing the short-lived friendship between two girls. A dreamy view by the first-person narrator of an undefeatable girl, Vittoria, who remains like a souvenir even after she is gone.

Running time: 00:06:48