Official Selections
Spring 2025
Official Selections List
Best Short Film
"Lost Paradise" by Olga Neff
"Best Short Film"
"PUPPE" by Sandra Julia Reils
"Best Short Film"
"The Chameleon Man" by Jonas Alfred Marcel Graf
"Best Short Film"
Alfred, lying about his personal life, seeks to win back Giulia and develop a film festival. While getting involved with Isabel and Valérie, women with different intentions. Between deception, professional success, and complicated relationships, Alfred will have to face the consequences of his choices.
"FLYING TO FREEDOM" by Luis Arcaráz
"Best Short Film"
Angela is an old-school educated woman, a firm believer of the sacrament of marriage and faithful to her husband. She will live an ordeal from which her only way out will be planing to use an old gun she have saved in a secret drawer, she will discover an event from her daughter that will change the plot of the story in an unexpected way
"El Poder del Diálogo" by Miguel García Bernal
"Best Short Film"
A young couple finds their relationship faltering due to a lack of communication. However, an old man with a special, will try to help them open their eyes
"PRACTICE" by Darrelle Radcliff
"Best Short Film"
A middle-age women practicing for her tennis season.
"For Better or Worse" by Oswald Hunter
"Best Short Film"
A couple that had been married for many years faced big challenges when the husband became ill with cancer. After a long period of fighting the sickness, the couple had become distant from each other. The husband struggled daily with pain and in combination with therapy his character changed. The wife finally broke to a point where she could no longer be with him even though she continued to love him. A week after the divorce was finalised, the man passed away. She still regrets the divorce almost 12 years after his passing and struggling daily with the memories of their fights that was caused by a destructive decease.
"THE KING OF FORKS" by Raphaël Lopez
"Best Short Film"
A humanitarian is tasked with transporting a box of unknown contents. When his vehicle becomes immobilized in the heart of a relentless desert, he continues on foot, accompanied by a mysterious companion he meets along the way. Together, they face a landscape as magnificent as it is hostile, while the initial mission transforms into an epic quest, revealing a destiny far grander than they could have imagined.
"a friend in the night" by Vinicius de castro gomes & Filipe coelho
"Best Short Film"
During a cold autumn night, a depressed lawyer finds a friendship that makes him review his life during his return home.
"Sabina" by Sanatan
"Best Short Film"
Sabina is an intimate, emotionally-driven short film highlighting the often overlooked struggles of South Asian women whose husbands migrate to the Gulf for economic opportunities. After only 15 days of marriage, Sabina's husband Khalid leaves for Dubai in pursuit of better financial prospects. Left behind with her in-laws, Sabina endures isolation and emotional turmoil, compounded by the subtle pressures of patriarchal control.
"Firecrow" by Markham Samuels
"Best Short Film"
Two farm workers are tasked with moving a cryptic scarecrow one day, which unbeknownst to them, has been afflicted with a powerful curse.
"Unraveling" by Rich Devaney
"Best Short Film"
When Zoe is faced with caring for her abusive mother, who is diagnosed with dementia, she discovers a chance to redefine their relationship.
"Laceless Sneakers" by Jeny Poquet & Oscar Gómez
"Best Short Film"
Julia faces challenges that will bring about big changes and it will all start when she puts on her laceless sneakers
"Tzashti-Bashti" by Diana Iulia Pap & Ovidiu Roteliuc
"Best Short Film"
The short film script offers a detailed insight into the daily struggle of homeless people, highlighting their resilience in a cold and unfriendly environment, with an unexpected ending that brings a surprise element. It is a story that conveys emotion and reflects on humanity in various social contexts.
"YESTERDAY AGAIN" by Jorge Del Toro
"Best Short Film"
As memories slip away, a widower struggles to hold onto the fragments of his past before they vanish completely. When an unexpected visitor forces him to confront what’s real and what’s fading, he embarks on an emotional journey through time, love, and identity. AYER OTRA VEZ is a poignant exploration of memory and loss, where the lines between past and present blur in a race against the inevitable.
"SHADOWS OF THE PAST" by Locky Boaretto
"Best Short Film"
"Too Much Love" by Natalia Arjona
"Best Short Film"
A long-awaited reunion of two estranged stepsisters after 20 years unearths old wounds and dark family secrets. The younger sister is thrilled to see her elder sibling, but their conversation takes an unexpected and tense turn when the older sister begins to share painful memories involving her stepfather—the younger sister's biological father. As the story unfolds, the shocking revelation threatens to shatter everything the younger sister believed about her family. In a room filled with memories and conflicting emotions, the two sisters must confront the question: how can they move forward with a truth that changes everything?
Official Selections List
Best Director
"FLYING TO FREEDOM" by Luis Arcaráz
"Best Director"
Angela is an old-school educated woman, a firm believer of the sacrament of marriage and faithful to her husband. She will live an ordeal from which her only way out will be planing to use an old gun she have saved in a secret drawer, she will discover an event from her daughter that will change the plot of the story in an unexpected way
"Margherita Sarfatti, La Regina senza Corona" by Giulia Lorusso Caputi
"Best Director"
Scrolling through the index of names in many contemporary art manuals and essays, it is difficult to find Margherita Sarfatti's name. She was the first woman in the world to structurally establish herself in the role of art critic, theorizer of an identity line for Italian art, creator of a movement such as the Novecento Italiano and promoter of Italian contemporary art on the international scene with dozens of exhibitions in important European and American capitals. For decades, however, she has been removed from memory and historiography. Why? Her personal history and long intellectual and then loving relationship with Benito Mussolini have weighed on her figure. A responsibility that does not justify the damnatio memoriae that affected Sarfatti - and many of the artists she supported - until very recent years.
"Finding Joy" by Valeri Bates
"Best Director"
Roni Gingrich is a PTSD survivor and aspiring artist whose buried childhood trauma begins to resurface in the form of sleep paralysis and recurring dreams as she unravels the truth of her past.
"El Poder del Diálogo" by Miguel García Bernal
"Best Director"
A young couple finds their relationship faltering due to a lack of communication. However, an old man with a special, will try to help them open their eyes
"IVA-LeO(≠Jewels and Guns" by Taisei Kashima
"Best Director"

In a near-future where the elements of love (IVA-LeO) are visible, Man calls it highly toxic and Woman holds up a gun.

IVA-LeO flows from the lovers' eyes.

A gunshot.

He called the sea eternity, she freedom.

The geese were crying.

"I Heart Willie" by Alejandro G Alegre
"Best Director"

An obsessed psychopath leads her friends into a deadly mousetrap where pure evil seeks to harvest their skin and embody the very character that he helped create, in this horrific origin story of the

most beloved cartoon character of modern times.

"OFF THE MARK" by Wera Uschakowa
"Best Director"

„OFF THE MARK” is documentary about climate change, the “Green Shift” and plastic pollution in the Norwegian Finnmark.

"YESTERDAY AGAIN" by Jorge Del Toro
"Best Director"
As memories slip away, a widower struggles to hold onto the fragments of his past before they vanish completely. When an unexpected visitor forces him to confront what’s real and what’s fading, he embarks on an emotional journey through time, love, and identity. AYER OTRA VEZ is a poignant exploration of memory and loss, where the lines between past and present blur in a race against the inevitable.
Official Selections List
Best Feature Film
"Falling Out" by Austan Brown & Chris Thomas
"Best Feature Film"
Four friends meet up for their 20th high school reunion and decide to make a week vacation out of it. Nostalgia amongst old buds can only hold them together for so long though, as a nuke goes off a few hours from their location and traps them inside— lifting the veil of familiarity and forcing them to realize how much they actually hate each other. Get ready for a falling out in a fallout.
"Finding Joy" by Valeri Bates
"Best Feature Film"
Roni Gingrich is a PTSD survivor and aspiring artist whose buried childhood trauma begins to resurface in the form of sleep paralysis and recurring dreams as she unravels the truth of her past.
"The Perfect Family" by Pablo De Antuñano
"Best Feature Film"
The COVID pandemic only sharpened and exacerbated the hidden vices of society
contemporary.
Stress, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, techno-dependency, domestic violence and addictions are the new horsemen of the apocalypse that corrode and tear down what was the most solid social structure for millennia: The family.
Normalization and invisibility are the first obstacle to mental health and in this film we wanted to make a global call to recover the safest place we have: our home.
"Oversteer" by Derrick Lui
"Best Feature Film"
A teenager gives up everything and leaves home, and tries to succeed as a car mechanic/racer against all odds.
Official Selections List
Best Actor
"The Chameleon Man" by Jonas Alfred Marcel Graf
"Best Actor" — François Daves
Alfred, lying about his personal life, seeks to win back Giulia and develop a film festival. While getting involved with Isabel and Valérie, women with different intentions. Between deception, professional success, and complicated relationships, Alfred will have to face the consequences of his choices.
"a friend in the night" by Vinicius de castro gomes & Filipe coelho
"Best Actor" — Vinícius de Castro Gomes
During a cold autumn night, a depressed lawyer finds a friendship that makes him review his life during his return home.
"YESTERDAY AGAIN" by Jorge Del Toro
"Best Actor" — Frank Rodriguez
As memories slip away, a widower struggles to hold onto the fragments of his past before they vanish completely. When an unexpected visitor forces him to confront what’s real and what’s fading, he embarks on an emotional journey through time, love, and identity. AYER OTRA VEZ is a poignant exploration of memory and loss, where the lines between past and present blur in a race against the inevitable.
Official Selections List
Best Actress
"Everything Happens" by Andrew Ducky Dutkiewicz
"Best Actress" — Yolanda Messina Dutkiewicz
A mother prepares a family dinner. Her son made other plans. A dog gets lost. Everything happens.
"Finding Joy" by Valeri Bates
"Best Actress" — Valeri Bates
Roni Gingrich is a PTSD survivor and aspiring artist whose buried childhood trauma begins to resurface in the form of sleep paralysis and recurring dreams as she unravels the truth of her past.
"FLYING TO FREEDOM" by Luis Arcaráz
"Best Actress" — Dacia Arcaráz
Angela is an old-school educated woman, a firm believer of the sacrament of marriage and faithful to her husband. She will live an ordeal from which her only way out will be planing to use an old gun she have saved in a secret drawer, she will discover an event from her daughter that will change the plot of the story in an unexpected way
"Laceless Sneakers" by Jeny Poquet & Oscar Gómez
"Best Actress" — Carmen Podio
Julia faces challenges that will bring about big changes and it will all start when she puts on her laceless sneakers
Official Selections List
Best Supporting Actress
"FLYING TO FREEDOM" by Luis Arcaráz
"Best Supporting Actress" — Marta Fernanda
Angela is an old-school educated woman, a firm believer of the sacrament of marriage and faithful to her husband. She will live an ordeal from which her only way out will be planing to use an old gun she have saved in a secret drawer, she will discover an event from her daughter that will change the plot of the story in an unexpected way
Official Selections List
Best Editing
"Firecrow" by Markham Samuels
"Best Editing"
Two farm workers are tasked with moving a cryptic scarecrow one day, which unbeknownst to them, has been afflicted with a powerful curse.
"Everything Happens" by Andrew Ducky Dutkiewicz
"Best Editing"
A mother prepares a family dinner. Her son made other plans. A dog gets lost. Everything happens.
"El Poder del Diálogo" by Miguel García Bernal
"Best Editing"
A young couple finds their relationship faltering due to a lack of communication. However, an old man with a special, will try to help them open their eyes
"I Heart Willie" by Alejandro G Alegre
"Best Editing"

An obsessed psychopath leads her friends into a deadly mousetrap where pure evil seeks to harvest their skin and embody the very character that he helped create, in this horrific origin story of the

most beloved cartoon character of modern times.

"OFF THE MARK" by Wera Uschakowa
"Best Editing"

„OFF THE MARK” is documentary about climate change, the “Green Shift” and plastic pollution in the Norwegian Finnmark.

Official Selections List
Best Original Score
"Firecrow" by Markham Samuels
"Best Original Score"
Two farm workers are tasked with moving a cryptic scarecrow one day, which unbeknownst to them, has been afflicted with a powerful curse.
Official Selections List
Best Cinematography
"The Chameleon Man" by Jonas Alfred Marcel Graf
"Best Cinematography"
Alfred, lying about his personal life, seeks to win back Giulia and develop a film festival. While getting involved with Isabel and Valérie, women with different intentions. Between deception, professional success, and complicated relationships, Alfred will have to face the consequences of his choices.
"OFF THE MARK" by Wera Uschakowa
"Best Cinematography"

„OFF THE MARK” is documentary about climate change, the “Green Shift” and plastic pollution in the Norwegian Finnmark.

Official Selections List
Best Animation
"Forever" by Jiaxing Yang and Xiaoxi Zhang
"Best Animation"
A young adult comes home to organize his father’s belongings and inadvertently finds his childhood VR goggles, which open up memories of the past. In his early childhood, his father died unexpectedly, leaving him without closure. Through the VR goggles, he discovers that he may have a second chance to say goodbye to his father
Official Selections List
Best Original Screenplay
"Shadows of Mary" by Francis Erdman
"Best Original Screenplay"
Haunted by the loss of his first love, a psychologically fractured man stalks a fading TV actress, convinced that destroying her will erase his pain—but when her fiercely protective bodyguard uncovers his obsession, a deadly game of cat and mouse begins, where only one will survive.
"CHARLOTTO" by Lee Townson
"Best Original Screenplay"
When Charlotte wins £18.5 million on the Lotto, she can't tell a soul—especially not her estranged husband Raif, a ridiculous party clown she'd rather see in debt than rich. With only her flatmate Helen and the oddball newsagent "Bearded Dragon" in on the secret, Charlotte must keep up appearances as a broke office worker.

But hiding wealth is harder than it looks. Frustrated, Charlotte starts using her fortune for secret revenge on those who've wronged her—her sleazy boss, her useless ex, and anyone else who crosses her.
"The Adventures Of C.J." by Gaby Day
"Best Original Screenplay"
C.J. takes a journey back in time to his childhood home in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, NY, in 1976. He is accompanied by his eccentric childhood friend, Victoria, who is an entertainment news reporter, renegade therapist, and scientist. Victoria exposes C.J.'s corrupt ways, revealing that he has been robbing banks and stealing cars to maintain a false image as a top MC. She further jeopardizes his music career as a ten-time platinum gangster rapper by publicly calling him out as a fraud and a part of the MeToo movement.
"Finding Joy" by Valeri Bates
"Best Original Screenplay"
Roni Gingrich is a PTSD survivor and aspiring artist whose buried childhood trauma begins to resurface in the form of sleep paralysis and recurring dreams as she unravels the truth of her past.
"HIGHRISE" by Mattia Passaro
"Best Original Screenplay"
Mary Miller, once a hardworking and joyful woman, is desperate to confront her past trauma as she returns to the Highrise Jazz Lounge. There, she begins to question her morals, and soon her reality, as she confronts the man who ruined her life.
"THE KING OF FORKS" by Raphaël Lopez
"Best Original Screenplay"
A humanitarian is tasked with transporting a box of unknown contents. When his vehicle becomes immobilized in the heart of a relentless desert, he continues on foot, accompanied by a mysterious companion he meets along the way. Together, they face a landscape as magnificent as it is hostile, while the initial mission transforms into an epic quest, revealing a destiny far grander than they could have imagined.
"The Ibex" by Sergio Pazos Conde
"Best Original Screenplay"
In a village in the Oscense Pyrenees, people start disappearing. The ghost of an old creature is on the lips of the villagers. A journalist investigates the matter and discovers a hidden truth and a fatal outcome.
Official Selections List
Additional Categories
"Firecrow" by Markham Samuels
"Best Makeup"
Two farm workers are tasked with moving a cryptic scarecrow one day, which unbeknownst to them, has been afflicted with a powerful curse.
"IVA-LeO (≠Jewels and Guns)" by Taisei Kashima
"Best Experimental Film"
In a near-future where the elements of love (IVA-LeO) are visible, Man calls it highly toxic and Woman holds up a gun.
IVA-LeO flows from the lovers' eyes.
A gunshot.
He called the sea eternity, she freedom.
The geese were crying.
"The Game is Over" by Mathias Bocquillon
"Best Music Video"
"Mutilatus" by Edison Sun
"Best Student Film"
A man, a plan, and a code, on June 22, 1991, a night where the smell of gunpowder began to imbrute him.
"Always on my mind" by Asya Acun
"Best Short Documentary Film", "Best Producer" — Sara Alves
Always on my mind is an experimental doc short film done with a collage of videos, shot by Ukrainian refugees all over the world. These letters and poems are dedicated to their families and country they were forced to leave behind due to the recent war. The nostalgia of a country that was once called home.
"The Invisible Cord" by Asya Acun
"Best Director Debut"
A young girl grieving the loss of her best friend stumbles upon an old photograph, triggering a flood of memories and emotions. As she retraces the moments they once shared, the weight of grief lingers, pulling her between the past and present. In the end, she chooses to let go, leaving the photo behind. Though she moves on, an invisible cord still ties them together, a bond unbroken by time.
"Lost Paradise" by Olga Neff
"Best Experimental Film"
"PRACTICE" by Darrelle Radcliff
"Best Student Film"
A middle-age women practicing for her tennis season.
"Dad's Lullaby" by Lesia Diak
"Best Feature Documentary"
The unseen damage inflicted by war on personal relationships pushes war veteran Serhiy away from his family. Haunted by loss and war, he battles to reconnect with his wife, Nadiia, and their three sons, Sasha (11), Artem (8) and Nikita (3).
The film takes an unexpected turn when Serhiy turns the camera on the director herself. This role reversal creates a space for vulnerable dialogue about love and human relationships as the filmmaker shares her own experiences of a breakup with another Ukrainian war veteran. The trust and empathy built between the protagonist and the filmmaker not only convey war’s lasting emotional toll but also showcase the healing potential of storytelling and documentary filmmaking.
"The Chameleon Man" by Jonas Alfred Marcel Graf
"Best Director Debut"
Alfred, lying about his personal life, seeks to win back Giulia and develop a film festival. While getting involved with Isabel and Valérie, women with different intentions. Between deception, professional success, and complicated relationships, Alfred will have to face the consequences of his choices.
"A Girl Takes a Walk in the Forest" by Kristen Lauth Shaeffer, Robin R. Shaeffer
"Best Short Documentary"
"A Girl Takes a Walk in the Forest" documents the production of a collaborative animation project between a mother and her elementary-age daughter. Over the span of three years, they storyboard, direct, act, record, score, and animate a short fantasy film together. In their story, a child wanders through the woods, finds a mysterious glittering object, and puts it in her pocket. When she sees a second mysterious object, she thinks of keeping it too, but instead returns the original one to the forest to remain in its habitat. When the two sparkly objects come together, they multiply and fill the woods with glittering light.
"The First Image Of The World" by Francois Giard
"Best Experimental Film", "Best AI Film"
Images are everywhere—omnipresent and deeply intrinsic to humanity. This is even more evident with the rise of images generated by artificial intelligence tools. If our world is built on representations, one question remains: what was the first image?
This short docufiction features Schopenhauer, Kant, Simondon, Sontag, Godin, Varela, and McLuhan exploring the concept of the first image of the world.
"Finding Joy" by Valeri Bates
"Best Director Debut", "Best Poster"
Roni Gingrich is a PTSD survivor and aspiring artist whose buried childhood trauma begins to resurface in the form of sleep paralysis and recurring dreams as she unravels the truth of her past.
"Margherita Sarfatti, La Regina senza Corona" by Giulia Lorusso Caputi
"Best Feature Documentary"
Scrolling through the index of names in many contemporary art manuals and essays, it is difficult to find Margherita Sarfatti's name. She was the first woman in the world to structurally establish herself in the role of art critic, theorizer of an identity line for Italian art, creator of a movement such as the Novecento Italiano and promoter of Italian contemporary art on the international scene with dozens of exhibitions in important European and American capitals. For decades, however, she has been removed from memory and historiography. Why? Her personal history and long intellectual and then loving relationship with Benito Mussolini have weighed on her figure. A responsibility that does not justify the damnatio memoriae that affected Sarfatti - and many of the artists she supported - until very recent years.
"Laceless Sneakers" by Jeny Poquet & Oscar Gómez
"Best Director Debut"
Julia faces challenges that will bring about big changes and it will all start when she puts on her laceless sneakers
"Charlie Chaplin and The Hobo" by Janaun Melvin
"Best Student Film"

Charlie is a tramp. When a Hobo comes to call on his hospitality, things take an unexpected turn

"OFF THE MARK" by Wera Uschakowa
"Best Feature Documentary"

„OFF THE MARK” is documentary about climate change, the “Green Shift” and plastic pollution in the Norwegian Finnmark.

"Son of Samoa" by Laman Time
"Best Short Documentary"

"Son of Samoa" is a 10-minute documentary directed by Laman Time, offering an intimate exploration of the Samoan tattooing tradition, Tatau, and its profound impact on personal and cultural identity. Time reflects on his own journey of reconnecting with his heritage, addressing themes of family disconnection and self-discovery. The film features insights from Tamoko/Tufuga artist Inia Taylor, who discusses the significance of belonging through cultural practices, and Pacific art advocate Bonni Tamati, who emphasizes how self-love fosters broader communal connections. This documentary serves as a poignant narrative of hope and self-love, resonating universally while providing a specific lens into Samoan culture

"CODDESS VARIATIONS" by Herve Martin Delpierre
"Best Experimental Film", "Best Dance Video", "Best Costume Design"
The Moon gives the unique and fleeting power to a Goddess to appear on earth in the most secret room of the mythical Paris Opera. By changing from a plaster statue to a living sculpture, the goddess will be able to experience the metaphorical emotions of a woman's life. Maiden, Mother and Crone... The explosion of this freedom of movement makes the goddess choose the language of dance for her intimate and philosophical journey.
"I AM AN AMERICAN" by Giovanni Abitante
"Best AI Film"
This documentary is the result of extensive research, based on original photographs, archival documents, and firsthand testimonies. The visuals are based on the censored images of Dorothea Lange, commissioned by the U.S. government but later suppressed for decades. With AI, I have brought these photographs to life, recreating the world within them while remaining faithful to historical reality.
"Chthonic" by Tremayne LaMont
"Best AI Film", "Best Experimental Film", "Best Trailer"
What is a myth? What is a legend? What is a story, a fable, a lore? Something to ponder forevermore. Hearing chatter and gossip. Hearing light whispers leaving sensual lips. They are doing this, they are doing that. They say this happened at night. They say that happened on this fateful day. All these rumors and old wives' tales. That what they say. Whispers coming from the underground. Riding the wind saying something that might be profound.
"Interpreting Erik" by Donald D'Haene
"Best Feature Documentary"
How the loss of one family's displaced brother [in Vancouver, BC] taught them not to see homeless people as just the end result; they were once beautiful, talented, creative and loved; they were us. Human. Erik was not nothing; he was everything.
"Outrage Olympics" by David Levin
"Best Music Video"
Outrage Olympics is a song about how we live in a world of surveillance, and it’s too late to turn back. We are being surveilled by the government, and we are surveilling each other. If somebody says the wrong thing and offend the wrong people, whether intentional or not, their life can be ruined in the blink of an eye. This dangerous exists on all sides of the political spectrum. We live in the dystopian present. The song has references to George Orwell and Aldous Huxley.
This site was made on Tilda — a website builder that helps to create a website without any code
Create a website