Selection of the Best of The Fest over 10 Years.

CHUCHOTAGE
Dir: tbc
UK 3mins

desc tbc

CATS, WHY DO WE NEED THEM?
Dir: tbc
UK 3mins

desc tbc

KING OF SEA
Dir: tbc
UK 3mins

desc tbc

TOAST
Dir: tbc
UK 3mins

desc tbc

THE WATER’S EDGE
Dir: tbc
UK 3mins

desc tbc

PATTERNS
Dir: tbc
UK 3mins

desc tbc

MOTH
Dir: tbc
UK 3mins

desc tbc

QUIETUS
Dir: tbc
UK 3mins

desc tbc

DOMAR
Dir: tbc
UK 3mins

desc tbc

THE FATHER, THE SON & THE RAV KALMENSON
Dir: tbc
UK 3mins

desc tbc

Filmmakers share their films and stories; a fun Q&A with Mark and Jamie.

SILENT NIGHT
Dir: Michal Cygan
UK 11mins

Grace, who is deaf, gets a job as a graphic designer at travel agency. Since her new colleagues don’t know sign language, Grace feels isolated. However, at the office Christmas party, she will receive an unexpected gift.

WHEEL GONE KID 4
Dir: Wayne Kelly
UK 11mins

In the aftermath of the plane crash! Houdini lands in hospital, The Wheel Gone Kid lands on his feet and Spanners and Tuppance land in trouble with Chief Inspector Conker played by legendary football manager Neil Warnock. Though he gives them a clue to where Aki and Yoshe might be. Can Spanners and Tuppance follow Conker’s tip off and help Houdini recover his millions from The Wheel Gone Kid?

UK Premiere.

CURRENT
Dir: Shuheng Zhang
USA 8mins

An Uber driver who wants to make a movie himself is booked to go to a film festival for the first time…

ROOM 224
Dir: Jack Haynes
USA 19mins

A lonely banker hires an escort for a night of escape, but can they find unexpected solace in one another?

Drama and documentary shorts.

FOR THEM
Dirs: Lucca Murto
UK 12mins

When Aline, an immigrant in London, wakes up with an unwanted visitor on her doorstep, she must think fast to save herself and secure her future.

GOLDFISH
Dir: Islam Hassouna
MALAYSIA 15mins

With a goldfish to care for and no money, two young siblings in Kuala Lumpur race against time to feed their new pet and keep it hidden from their mother.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Dir: Laura Gregory
UK 6mins

At a New Year’s Eve party, heavily pregnant Grace and her friend Beth, are faced with every woman’s worst nightmare – for Beth, a man who can’t seem to make up his mind. For Grace, having to try and not wee herself because of a stubborn zip on her jumpsuit. But an unexpected ‘visitor’ is about to make this New Year’s Eve one they will remember forever…

HELIX
Dir: Ben Blissett
UK 12mins

After waking up in an abandoned structure, a man with no memory must escape a mysterious unknown creature and a seemingly endless deathloop to return to his family.

IT’S NOT ME, IT’S YOU
Dir: Coco Taylor
UK 13mins

Lottie is falling in love with Josh, but as she navigates the emotional rollercoaster of their romance she starts to wonder if she is being loved or love-bombed.

REFLECTION
Dir: Julia Libera
UK 7mins

We invited 30 women to participate in a documentary film. Thirty women share their reflections and thoughts about themselves in front of a mirror.

SAINT CATHERINES
Dir: Orla Murray
UK 12mins

A friendship group’s reality is rocked when it comes out that one of them has sexually assaulted another.

SWEET
Dir: Susanna Booth
UK 5mins

Events take a chilling turn when a woman welcomes a new neighbour.

Documentary Shorts

AGE
Dir: Siyi Gu
UK/CHINA 10mins

Women can experience age anxiety, especially in China, where tradition expects women to get married before the age of 30. At the age of thirty, the film-maker chose to defy convention and study abroad instead of getting married, which led to questioning from her family and society.

REFLECTION
Dir: Julia Libera
UK 6mins

We invited 30 women to participate in a documentary film. Thirty women share their reflections and thoughts about themselves in front of a mirror.

THE AMAZING JOURNEY OF JACOB A RIIS
Dir: Marcus Mandai
DENMARK 3mins

The legendary Danish-American Jacob A. Riis was one of the 19th century’s most innovative journalists and the father of modern documentary photography.

Tormented by unrequited love, Jacob A. Riis emigrated from Denmark to the United States in 1870, becoming an innovative journalist and photographer, and the very definition of the American dream.

THE VOYAGE OF CORAL COLONIES
Dir: Dr Alongkot Chukaew
THAILAND 6mins

The Voyage of Coral Colonies follows a nine-year-old Charn, a curious young explorer with a passion for the ocean. Setting out to discover the beauty of the coral reefs, he dives into a world filled with vibrant colors, various species of fish, and intricate coral formations. But Charn’s journey takes an unexpected turn when he encounters a wise, gentle sea turtle, A Hawksbill Sea Turtle.

YASUKE THE AFRICAN SAMURAI
Dir: Scott Palazzo
USA 7mins

Yasuke was history’s first foreign samurai, who lived and fought in 16th-century Japan. Uprooted from his home of Africa, Yasuke rose through the ranks of feudal Japan to become an elite soldier, and dear friend of a warlord. This animation film uncovers a forgotten story.

Documentary feature: River

RIVER
Dirs: Jennifer Peedom, Joseph Nizeti.
Australia 75 mins

A cinematic and musical odyssey that explores the remarkable relationship between humans and rivers. Written by Robert Macfarlane with music by Richard Tognetti and the Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO) and featuring music by Jonny Greenwood and Radiohead and narration by Willem Dafoe.

My Friend Miles feature film and other stories

CORDY
Dirs: Jeff Hinz
USA 5mins

For John Hinz, his leukemia journey leads him to a magical cure.

MY FRIEND MILES
Dir: Pieter Solta
BELGIUM 77mins

My friend Miles (doesn’t like short titles, he doesn’t like titles at all, he loves flower petals that disappear when you hold them between your fingers, so you better get rid of your identity-identity because your identity has gotten rid of you long time ago). Miles, a particularly playful spirit, lures his friend Solta on a journey from Berlin to Friuli, Picardy and Venice, through his life, through the minefields of identity politics, and through the black hole of our oblivion as to what the world could be. Ultimately, he returns to Ireland, the land of his childhood, where he played marbles during the troubles. Solta tries to track him down, to figure him out, to picture him. Miles, however, marbles in his pockets, infinity in his fingers, constantly eludes him. A magical fairy tale about a mystic with political gusto, based on real facts.

SALAMANDER’S LAND
Dir: Ekaterina Ulyanova
RUSSIA 9mins

A wounded man regains consciousness to find himself a guest in the land of salamanders. A friendly guide leads him through the city, where he gradually comes to understand the true nature of salamander society.

UK Premiere.

The Rhythm of Life expressed in experimental films and live performance.

LET EVERYTHING HERE BE GROUNDED
Dirs: Sara Eelen & Bas Schaevers
BELGIUM 12mins

Words are formed in the landscape, giving a voice to nature, which has been endangered by humans. This poetic film aims to bring people closer to nature and to spark a conversation about grief and care for nature.

DO SHOOTING STARS EVER PASS EACH OTHER BY?
Dir: Ida Lasic
USA 6mins

A mesmeric animation film in which star-faced dancers find each other in a galaxy of connection and loss.

European Premiere

JUST ME
Dir: Ishvar Krishnan
INDIA 4mins

Memories, dreams, illusions … all clinging on to the ‘now’ to keep themselves alive. Will ‘now’ continue to be a slave to these, or will it kill them all and just be what it has always been – now?

PURPLE CAT
Dir: Josua Graf
GERMANY 5mins

A poet finds himself within the four walls he has built for himself. A typewriter, candlelight, a couch – one might think it’s the perfect retreat. But he is not alone. Time and again, a peculiar visitor makes her presence known: a purple cat.“ A poet finds he is not alone as a peculiar visitor makes her presence known: a purple cat.

UK Premiere

TOUGH
Dir: Barry Hollow
UK 2mins

A poetry film about the passage of life and the concept of freedom.

CARGO
Dir: Gizem Tataroglu
CANADA 5mins

Trapped inside the boxes, the migrants helplessly and frantically observe their surroundings. The protagonist begins to remember their past: how they once had a beautiful life, lost their child in a war in their homeland, and felt hopeless at their grave. Each migrant embarked on this journey in search of a “better life” and freedom. Throughout the process, their experiences are expressed artistically through dance. At the final stage of waiting, they all rebel and decide to tear open the boxes they are trapped in, fighting for their freedom. In their endless search for freedom, now they must rip apart these boxes to escape. In their endless search for freedom, now they must rip apart these boxes to escape.

PLAYING HOUSE
Dir: Jennifer Scully-Thurston
USA 13mins

Playing House is a cautionary tale of adventuring into a girl’s fantasy, the disappointment of that reality, rejecting a predetermined life and the vulnerability and uncertainty of taking destinity into your own hands.

A TRANSCRIPTION OF THE SHEEPBITER’S HANDWRITTEN CONFESSION
Dir: Anne Ciecko
USA 5mins

In this experimental videopoem (part pastoral, epistle, observational documentary, and memory narrative – but all true), the narrator, survivor of an unthinkable act of disfigurement, recalls a brief period of becoming both woolly and wolfen in the aftermath.

TEASING THE EDGE
Dir: Kavisha Mandalia
UK 5mins

A woman speaks to a long ago self, peeling back the layers, lifting the lid. Teasing the Edge is an experimental film which plays in the space between hope and grief.

CLOUDS
Dir: Fiona Maura
USA 5mins

The music video “Clouds” by Fiona Maura depicts a powerful journey of metamorphosis, breaking free from past constraints and emerging from the cocoon of trauma into a state of renewal and strength. Through a raw, intense dance duet with choreographer William Harris III, Fiona captures the emotional struggle of shedding corrosive connections and reclaiming herself. Blending movement and her expertise in sound healing, the visuals evoke a deep sense of transformation and empowerment. Directed with striking, evocative imagery, “Clouds” invites viewers to embrace their own journeys of healing and self-rebirth.

3 6 5
Dir: Matt Sedgley
UK 4mins

A spoken word poetry film narrating the internal dialogues, of overcoming long term anxiety and finding identity, spanning 3 6 5 days of the year.

STAR JUMPS
Dir: Cally Trench
UK 1min

‘Star Jumps’ is a very short animation film, which starts with a starry skY…

European Premiere

A FULLY EMBODIED WOMAN
Dir: Anna Kuzmina
USA 5mins

“A Fully Embodied Woman” is a short film that follows a female dancer’s journey of self-discovery. Through mesmerizing dance sequences and intimate conversations, we witness her exploring her identity and delving into her deepest thoughts and emotions. Set in her Brooklyn apartment, the film captures the dancer’s raw and authentic moments as she grapples with issues of sexuality, artistry, jealousy, and more. Ultimately, the film is a tribute to the power of femininity and its ability to express the complexities of women’s experience.

MY GREAT GREAT AUNTY ROSE
Dir: Lee Campbell
UK 3mins

‘Now as it happens, as it goes, “A whimsical poem!” exclaims Aunty Rose.’

Comedy feature: Four Mothers

FOUR MOTHERS (15)
Dir: Darren Thornton.
Ireland 89 mins

A struggling novelist who is forced to take care of three eccentric older women – and his own mother – over the course of one chaotic weekend in Dublin. Winner of the BFI London Film Festival Audience Award, this uplifting comedy-drama follows an unlikely found family on an emotionally charged journey of self-discovery and acceptance. Starring James McArdle, Fionnula Flanagan.

A cheeky combo. A short and a feature; And Through the Portal We Go

TOBY
Dirs: Joseph Betteridge
UK 20mins

Inspired by true events, ‘Toby’ follows a new employee brought in to help secure the biggest Investor the company has seen. With his unorthodox methods – unseen by his new boss – there is a dawning of realisation moment when Toby oversteps the mark in a way that could ruin the reputation of the company and destroy an entire history of family business. When Toby is fired, he doesn’t leave without a parting shot.

World Premiere

AND THROUGH THE PORTAL WE GO
Dir: Mike Hayhurst
USA 83mins

Katie, Craig, and Mikey are the final three members of a cult that has prepared for years to achieve transcendence by stepping through a portal. After completing their final duties, the trio enter the portal… only to find themselves back at the start of the previous day. In an attempt to complete their transcendence, the trio must figure out why they are unable to get through the portal as their fellow cult members did. Will adhering closely to the cult’s teachings help them finally achieve perfection, or will they need to learn more about themselves – and each other? A cult has prepared for years to achieve transcendence by stepping through a portal. For the remaining three members, this is the day!

European Premiere

SALAMANDER’S LAND
Dir: Ekaterina Ulyanova
RUSSIA 9mins

A wounded man regains consciousness to find himself a guest in the land of salamanders. A friendly guide leads him through the city, where he gradually comes to understand the true nature of salamander society.

UK Premiere.

Drama, comedy and other genres.

PASSENGER PRINCESS
Dirs: Sarah Knoetig
UK 7mins

Kevin is a devoted cab driver whose effort and passion bring a little bit of peace and comfort to the stressful streets of London. An ode to the taxi drivers on our streets.

UK Premiere.

WE HAVE SINNED BEFORE YOU
Dir: Ifat Nener Orgad
ISREAL 20mins

Yom Kippur is the only day of the year when the Dagan family does not use electronic devices. When Roni suggests playing a game where everyone has to ask for forgiveness for something bad they did, and everyone has to accept their forgiveness, she doesn’t imagine what secrets and difficulties will arise from this innocent game.

UK Premiere.

SPLISH, SPLASH, SPLOSH!
Dir: Lily Eloise Ward
UK 5mins

Have you ever let the weather, or a bad moment ruin your whole day? Jeremy has. Is today another one of those days, or will an encounter with a forest dweller who loves to come out in the rain, change his perspective?

CHICKENMANIA
Dir: Joe Selby
UK 15mins

A young man starts a gruelling transformation into a chicken, much to the dismay of his housemate.

RED BUCKETS
Dir: Patrick Moser
USA 4mins

Surreal animation reflects on a failed attempt to clean fish as a privileged child on the southern coast of the USA.

BOYS LIKE YOU
Dir: Paul Holbrook
UK 17mins

Why is a middle-aged woman choosing an encounter with this young man? What do they both want? And what will the consequences be?

APPLE CIDER LOVE
Dir: Stuart McClymont
UK 4mins

A 3-minute comedy about a bored marriage, love, revenge and a spider, shot on one reel of unedited Super 8 film.

POLES APART
Dir: Erin McLeod
UK 15mins

When Maureen discovers that her local town hall has been converted into a bar, she rallies her knitting circle for a protest, only to find herself questioning whether she and the owner, Siobhan, are really so different.

FINAL WHISTLE
Dir: Lotti Bauer
SWITZERLAND 3mins

Grand gestures, determined expressions and tight legs: footballers kick, jump and dance in this collaged animation film.

UK Premiere.

JIG JAG
Dir: John Dawson
USA 1min

“Jig Jag” is an experimental film made in 2024 by Colorado artist and filmmaker John Dawson. This short film is 100% hand made by scratching and drawing directly onto 16mm film stock. It comes to life with a pulse, abstraction that moves. I am taking an old school technique and trying to do something current with it.

A FEW MORE MINUTES, PLEASE
Dir: Dylan Scott
UK 10mins

A quiet nineteen-year-old struggles to order at a restaurant. How can he cope with the building pressure to choose a purpose in life when he can’t even choose what to order? And how will his friends react?

THE CALL
Dir: Mark Singer
UK 5mins

Phillip really needs help. Help is just a phone call away, but will his mum be able to work her phone?

Time to decide; time to reflect. Mixed genres.

ATTIC ARCHAEOLOGY
Dirs: Ben Woolley
UK 5mins

After accidentally blowing a hole in his ceiling, an early 20th-century scientist discovers the ruins of an ancient civilization in his loft.

LES JOURS HEUREUX
Dir: Johanna LeGrand
FRANCE 16mins

An elderly couple spend their final evening together. One last bath. Their last dinner. Their last dance.

THE GYMNAST
Dir: Julie Mayhew
UK 3mins

A lonely woman experiences a transformation after meeting a familiar stranger…

SAND CASTLES
Dir: Yana Riahi
ISREAL 16mins

Ofer’s dream is to win back his wife, Yael, and daughters, who left him following his addiction to trading stock options. At a random visit to the bank, he decides to take a new loan and starts trading again. He feels successful until his investments crash and his debts have mounted.

INTERMEZZO
Dir: Putik Amirasari
INDONESIA 2mins

In this animation film, a dancer is trapped in her own idea of perfection. Can she escape, and what would escape mean?

3400Kg
Dir: Atefeh Nafari
IRAN 13mins

A middle-aged woman struggling with obesity faces a critical decision when her pursuit of a life-changing gastric bypass surgery takes an unexpected turn. On the verge of qualifying for the insurance-covered procedure, she suffers a debilitating stroke. Now, she must make a life-altering choice: follow a strict diet to prevent another stroke or consume high-fat foods to reach the weight required by her insurance, further endangering her health.

BRIDGE
Dir: Adam E Stone
USA 2mins

‘There’s no bridge back.’ Impressionistic nightscapes punctuate this two-minute poetry film about illness and wellness.

JANUARY 19TH
Dir: Jake Liban Pezzack
UK 11mins

Romantic recollections of the love of her life fill the mind of an elderly care home resident.

NATSUKASHII
Dir: Lucy Downham
UK 5mins

Happy nostalgia. ‘Natsukashii’ tells the story of one night of remembering, as memories of a certain time, and a certain person, come flooding back.

NOWHERE
Dir: Erfan Parsapour
IRAN 13mins

Will Peyman find Mahsa before time runs out? Will their fractured relatrionship survive?

Gala film screening, commendations and celebrations.

BEYOND THE HOOK
Dirs: Amit Bensangi
ISREAL 3mins

An eccentric fisherman, obsessed with catching the biggest fish, discovers that sometimes the smallest and most unexpected inspirations hold the greatest value.

ROSES ARE RED, EVERYTHING ELSE IS BLUE
Dir: Charlie Schanschieff
UK 13mins

“Roses are red (everything else is blue)” is a powerful anthology that delves into the often unspoken and misspoken struggles of men’s mental health. Through a series of five evocative monologues and poems, the film sheds light on the inner turmoil that many men face but rarely express. Each segment is set in a familiar, seemingly mundane location where men might find themselves alone—a place where they can reflect in solitude.The film is performed by men, each in their respective locations, creating a chorus of voices that call for compassion, understanding, and systemic change. Men, each in their respectiv locations, creating a chorus of voices that call for compassion, understanding, and systemic change.

NIGHT WHISPERS
Dir: JAdrian Leon
UK 7mins

A night of passion takes a terrifying turn for Tom when his date starts talking in their sleep. It maybe best to sleep with the night light on next time…

THE EDENBOUND
Dir: Andrew McGee
UK 13mins

Amid an unending planetary war, a pilot faces a devastating choice between duty and compassion.

SHOWTIME
Dir: Dante Black
USA 6mins

Anna, a young livestream/influencer, prepares for her broadcast amidst the chaos of her untidy apartment. During her stream, she navigates a mix of praise and harsh criticism from viewers.”Accidentally” she leaves her webcam turned on while receiving a phone call about a bill. As viewers rally with financial support, Anna’s orchestrated move to extend the livestream is revealed, showcasing her manipulation of digital interactions for survival. The film highlights the dual nature of internet fame.

THE REAL AMERICAN DREAM
Dir: Rita Damiron & Isabella Breton
USA 2mins

‘There is a space in the heart that never fills up.’ Two sisters separated by the Atlantic talk about their lives, and one shares her personal American Dream.

47:10:00
Dir: Serna Amini
IRAN 15mins

After a devastating accident, Hossein learns his wife needs a heart transplant within forty-eight hours to survive. Desperate, he turns to the black market, where he is forced to make an unthinkable decision: sell his son to an infertile family to afford the surgery. With no other choice, Hossein agrees, hoping this sacrifice will be enough to save his wife as the operation begins.

BADMOUTH GRANDMA
Dir: Timothy Blackwood
USA 6mins

Down and out comic John gets the opportunity of his life to headline a show at LA’s biggest comedy club. But there’s a catch, the show’s tonight and he’s only got 4hrs to prepare new material. His biggest problem isn’t beating the clock, it’s shutting up his hyper sensitive roommate, long enough to get through writing a joke. Luckily, his no nonsense, gulag-surviving Siberian Grandma comes to the rescue.