Category: Films in Competition

An arthouse non-dialogue piece on the contrast between dying love and new love. A 17-year-old girl has to make a decision whether to leave her family forever and follow her newly found love or to stay and live through the pain of her parents dying relationship.
Directed by Matt Kaal (Australia)

“In Ancient Egypt, Sheut was the shadow. One could not be without a shadow, and a shadow could not be without a body.”
Luis is a sailor currently living and working on a cargo ship. A disturbing dream will lead him to start a journey into his past, in which he must relive his fears and memories in order to find himself again, facing his darkest part –– his shadow.
Directed by Teo Belton (Peru)

Olivia is an idealistic school teacher in a relationship with a lawyer who suspects she’s being unfaithful. The truth is, a night a week, Olivia transforms into her alter ego, Prince Of Persia, the local leading player the game, Invaders, a clandestine game played physically using the android from iconic Space Invaders, stuck in signposts in the streets, read as a QR code using a phone app to open missions, recharge lives and rise levels combating with martial arts techniques.
Olivia needs to accomplish a mission to rise up to level eight and gain access to play in Paris in the Continental league, however, she’s ambushed by two players, Atari and Pac-Man, who break the game’s rules to steal her mission and lives. In a jiu-jitsu pose, Atari and Prince Of Persia recognize themselves, what can jeopardize their real lives.
Upon game over for Prince Of Persia, she remembers why she started playing the game, to get over a heartbreak, what motivates her to fight her way back in the game so she visits Wallace, the Game-master, to finish her mission.
Directed by Marta Jiménez (Spain)

The world like I knew it was gone. Everything was dry, lean, harsh and collapsing. My brain was translating images of destruction and death. Only seeing traces of old habits remaining in ruins. Sometimes I could hear distant noises of social movements, like the radiations of a parallel universe evolving around me. But I it felt like too far away to be reached. What happened to these potentials? My mind was covered in sand and dust, slowly disappearing forever…
Directed by Etienne Perrone (France)

Life is full of running, distress and sadness if what is needed is out of reach!
Directed by Mohammad Amin Kamali (Iran)

At the same time that Elisa says goodbye to Heliomar, she meets the young Michel.
Directed by Renan Brandão (Brazil)

A little girl discovers her grandfather’s vintage film camera and suspects it might be haunted.
Directed by Shona Dutta Charlton (UK)

After an argument with his wife, things go from bad to worse for Peter as the simple task of disposing of a dead body gets increasingly difficult.
Directed by Matthew Diulus (USA)

In the year 2015, the promulgation of the Constitution of Nepal 2015 initiated the country’s transition to a federal state, thereby providing an opportunity for local participation in government giving people a stronger voice in how their communities are governed. The Local Level Election Act 2017 mandates that two of the ward members elected for each ward must be women and one of the two women must be a Dalit, in a total of 6743 wards. The film tries to explore the dilemma of one of such locally elected representatives from Terai region of Nepal, whereby belonging to a certain marginalized community is boon as well as bane. While her representation is a direct outcome of the aforementioned provision, the fact that the candidate has been elected by virtue of being a Dalit woman ironically prohibits her meaningful participation in the exercise of her rights and responsibilities as a Ward member. She is just a proxy leader, with no say of her own in decision making and her role as a Ward member, which makes it only harder for her to live up to the expectations of the people who elected her. This is the story of Mrs. Jasodhiya Paswan, who wants her voice to be counted, not just on paper but in reality. This is an effort to raise the voice of thousands like Jasodhiya Paswan.
Directed by Shristi Joshi (Nepal)

“The Reeves” is a psychological horror short film based on a screenplay written by Lavern Spruill. The film follows Grant Reeves and his girlfriend, Vanita, as they head out for a weekend trip to visit Grant’s twin brother, Dr. Reeves. Grant grows concerned after discovering his brother and Dr. Reeves, his wife, and son aren’t home to greet them. A quick turn of events quickly unravels the truth behind this family’s secrets.
Directed by Lavern Spruill (USA)