International Competition Program 2018

The international festival program is the quintessence of the most interesting, according to our program coordinators, festival short films of the last two years from around the world, 16 works from 13 countries chosen from nearly 1000 submissions. From cold Canada north to peaceful India, our selection will tell you the unusual stories about common experiences that we do not see every day, that we have no time to notice and comprehend. Together with the characters, you will have a chance to immerse yourself in these experiences and find a new look at the parts of daily life we do not usually see.

Ticket for all events is available here.

AFTER DAWN 24’ Nicolas Graux Belgium 2017

Pawel is absolutely positive that separation has completely dampened his feelings for the young man he was in love with. But when he finds an unexpected visitor at home one rainy afternoon, it turns out it might all have been a little different.

AS LONG AS IT TAKES 13’ Abeille Tard Canada 2017

Ben is in his fifties, William has seventeen. Together, for just a moment, they will let go and let themselves be carried by the music.

BOTANICA 14’ Noël Loozen Netherlands 2017

A garden-center employee fears his possible infertility and realizes that sometimes you have to swallow your pride to let love overcome.

CHANEL 10’ Humberto Vallejo Dominican Republic 2017

Chanel doesn’t live in New York like she has led all her family to believe. A voice message puts in danger the double life she has built for her baby daughter and herself.

COUNTERFEIT KUNKOO 15’ Reema Sengupta India 2017

In a city that houses millions, all Smita needs is one small room. But she finds herself fighting beasts of a different kind as she discovers a strange prerequisite to renting a house in middle-class Mumbai.

ELA – SKETCHES ON A DEPARTURE 25’ Oliver Adam Kusio Germany 2017

Ela lives in a small provincial town in Poland. Her daily life is stuck in a routine, balancing work and family. But Ela has a dream: Like many young Polish people, Ela, too, wants to escape the tristesse of the council housing estate and move West, into a better life.

GRANDPA WALRUS 14’ Lucrèce Andreae France 2017

On the cloudy, windy beach, Granny is praying, Mum is shouting, the sisters don’t care, Lucas is alone. Grandpa was a weird guy, now he’s dead.

I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU, CONNY 31’ Amanda Kernell Sweden-Denmark 2017

It’s minus 30 degrees in a small, forgotten village in northern Sweden. Conny, 20, stalks around with his hoodie up like a restless criminal, not welcome anywhere. Yesterday, in a panic, he deserted his girlfriend just as she was giving birth to their child. Now he has regrets and wants to come back. What will it take for her to forgive him?

JUCK 17’ Olivia Kastebring, Julia Gumpert, Ulrika Bandeira, Dea Saracevi Sweden 2018

Juck is a 17-minute film which is a hybrid between documentary, dance and fiction. The film depicts the all female dance group JUCK who made a name for themselves in 2013 with a video that became a viral hit all over the world.

MERRY-GO-ROUND 12’ Ruslan Bratov Russia 2017

The restaurant is closing, and Oleg Maratovich wants to celebrate. Taking along three of his employees, who are no longer able to resist his charm, he sets off in search of adventure. The story then has a completely unexpected twist.

PARADES 27’ Sarah Arnold France 2017

Faced with the injustices of this world, Margot has lost all hope in the future. Giving up on politics, she decides to entrust her fate to the Dardu, a legendary carp that supposedly predicts the future. But the lake’s rules have changed: fishing is now forbidden.

THE RABBI 20’ Uriya Hertz Israel 2017

Michael is a charismatic and much-admired Rabbi at a Jerusalem Yeshiva. When his favorite student, Gadi, shares with him his innermost secrets, Michael’s familiar, secure world comes into question.

RETOUCH 19’ Kaveh Mazaheri Iran 2017

In the corner of the home, Maryam’s husband does weightlifting. Suddenly, the weight falls on his throat and puts him between life and death. Maryam tries to save him, but she just decides to stop helping and stand and watch her husband’s death. After she makes sure her husband is dead, gathered her stuff and goes out with her child. During the day, she pretends her husband is got disappeared and she does not have any news.

THE GLASS PEARL 15’ Tommi Seitajoki Finland 2017

A 12-year-old boy plunders garbage cans in a suburb, searching for something that might lead to a reward.

WASTE NO.1 MONEY 17’ Jan Ijäs Finland 2017

Inflation has resulted in the Zimbabwe dollar completely losing its value and the banknotes are literally recyclable goods, which nowadays are turned into tablecloths and lampshades, for example.

WOULD YOU LOOK AT HER 18’ Goran Stolevski Macedonia 2017

A hard-headed tomboy spots the unlikely solution to all her problems in an all-male religious ritual.