All Soul’s Day by Aleksandra Terpinska The Parakeets by Julie Voisin
All Soul’s Day Poland On her eighteenth birthday, Lena is trying to bond with her family, but as usual, they seem to be ignoring her. It also happens to be All Soul’s Day, a time for contacting the dead and getting together to return to one’s roots. Lena set out in search for her long-lost father. Events of the day transpire that ultimately lead her to reassess what family truly means. Written and directed by Aleksandra Terpinska. Principal cast: Jasmina Polak, Ewa Dalkowska, Anatol Fuksiewicz and Marcin Banaszewski.
The Parakeets France Lili, an ill young woman going through cancer treatment, is faced one morning with the sudden loss of her hair. She cannot bring herself to leave her apartment. Her best friend proposes a radical solution: to give Lili a radical makeover from head to toe. Lili agrees to be transformed. Little does she know that this makeover will fundamentally change not only her day, but also her life. When your inhibitions are the last things you have to lose, that’s when freedom begins. Written and directed by Julie Voisin. Principal cast: Marie Kremer, Julie Voisin, Bruno Debrandt, Helmi Dridi and Tathieu Simonet. – To learn more about the film, go to thealternative.in. – Visit the film’s Facebook page at facebook.com. – See the film’s IMDb entry at imdb.com.
What Can I Wish You Before the Fight? by Sofia Babluani After the Class by Fereshteh Parnian Zad
What Can I Wish You Before the Fight? France Marie, adopted at the age of five under strange circumstances, lives in the French countryside with her father and younger sister. Unable to talk since the day she arrived, her father encourages the slow progress she is making with her speech therapist. One fateful evening, the family finds a strange young girl hiding in their barn. On the run from the law, this stranger will change Marie’s life forever and bring her hidden past into sharp focus. Written and directed by Sofia Babluani. Principal cast: Aziza Arslanova, Liana Babluani, Jean-Louis Coulloc’h and Nastassia Legrand. – See the film’s IMDb entry at imdb.com.
After the Class Iran In this emotionally nuanced family drama, a high school teacher’s day begins with the good news of a promotion. But later, her independently minded daughter brings less welcome news. A universal story about what freedom and independence means for a modern day woman. Written, edited and directed by Fereshteh Parnian Zad. Principal cast: Fereshsteh Sadr Orafaei and Sadaf Sadri. – Watch the trailer below. – See the film’s IMDb entry at imdb.com.
No Mail by Kenn and Simon MacRae Amber Amulet by Matthew Moore
No Mail
Australia
Small minds in a small town attempt to ostracize the new postman, who happens to be Muslim, and their actions divide the town. When the postman’s co-workers rally behind him the residents are forced to face the same exclusion they imposed on him. Be careful what you wish for because there is a good chance you’ll get it. Directed by Kenn and Simon MacRae. Principal cast: Rodney Afif, Martin Vaughan, Fiona Press and Susie Porter.
– Watch the film again, below.
– See the film’s IMDb entry at imdb.com.
Amber Amulet
Australia
Meet Liam, a lonely twelve year old boy whose alter ego is the Masked Avenger, a superhero with powers so potent, not even he can fully comprehend their extent. Dressed in his superhero outfit and accompanied by his best friend, Richie the Power-Beagle, the Masked Avenger roams his neighborhood putting things right. There is a damsel in distress in the house down the block. It’s time to spring into action. This is the story about a special amulet made of amber and the potential that is locked inside all of us to do good. Written, produced and directed by Matthew Moore. The film won the top prize at the Berlin International Film Festival 2013. Based on the short story by Craig Silvey. Principal cast: Ed Oxenbould, Genevieve Hegney (who also coproduced and wrote the film), Eliza Logan and Nash Edgerton.
– Watch the trailer below.
– Visit the film’s Facebook page at facebook.com.
– See the film’s IMDb entry at imdb.com.
Kimono by Maurice Hubner Other Lives by Eirik Tveiten
Kimono Germany Looking for something to eat, a homeless woman sneaks into a man’s apartment. She likes it so much she decides to secretly live there. A story about two lonely strangers with an even stranger relationship. Directed by Maurice Hubner. Principal cast: Hannah Binder and Helge Gutbrod. – Watch the trailer, below. – Visit the filmmaker’s website at maurice-huebner.com. – See the film’s IMDb entry at imdb.com.
Other Lives Norway Two apartments. Same floors. Directly opposite from one another across the alley. In one lives an older couple stuck in a routine. In the other, a young couple at the beginning of their lives together. They both watch each other’s relationships unfold from their kitchen windows, longing to switch places. The grass always looks greener on the other side. Directed by Eirik Tveiten. Principal cast: Anneke von der Lippe, Julia Bache-Wiig, Daniel Gjerde and Lars Sorbo. – Watch the trailer at filmarkivet.no. – See the film’s IMDb entry at imdb.com.
Fugu & Tako by Ben West Elephant by Pablo Larcuen Edmond Was a Donkey by Franck Dion
Fugu & Tako
Australia
Two friends have very discerning tastes when it comes to sushi. They want only the freshest sushi. When one friend reprimands the chef for stale sushi, the chef gives him really fresh sushi. You’ve heard the expression, “You are what you eat?” Be careful what you wish for. Written and directed by Ben West. Principal cast: Kentaro Hara, Kuni Hashimoto and Shingo Usami.
– Watch the trailer, below.
– Look at a behind the scenes making of video at sidefx.com.
– Read an interview with the filmmaker at fxguide.com.
– See the film’s IMDb entry at imdb.com.
Elephant
Spain
Manuel is a middle aged man with a dull life. He is trapped in a monotonous job. His family takes him for granted. But one day his doctor tells him he suffers from a rare disease that will turn him into an elephant. His life is boring no more. Written and directed by Pablo Larcuen. Principal cast: Xavier Ortiz, Cristina Rodriguez, Alexandre Novell and Marc Montserrat.
– Watch the film again, below.
– See the film’s IMDb entry at imdb.com.
Edmond Was a Donkey
Canada / France
Edmond is not like everybody else. Some may say odd. He is very well aware he is different. When his co-workers tease him by crowning him with a pair of donkey ears, he suddenly discovers his true nature. Since he can’t bring himself to be what others expect, Edmond makes the only possible choice. A haunting and empathetic tale about people who don’t fit in written and directed by Franck Dion.
– Watch the film again, below.
– Visit the film’s website at edmondwasadonkey.com.
– See the film’s IMDb entry at imdb.com.
Your Place? Germany How much would you trust a stranger? Freya meets Max on the dance floor. There’s an immediate connection and attraction. When the lights switch on in the nightclub and the crowd disperses, she makes him an unusual offer which is a bigger, more exciting adventure than a normal one night stand. Written and directed by Sylvia Borges. Principal cast: Katrin Buehring and Bjoern von der Wellen. – Watch the trailer, below. – Visit the filmmaker’s Facebook page at facebook.com. – Watch an interview with the filmmaker at youtube.com. – See the film’s IMDb entry at imdb.com.
Great Adventures by Gerard Lambkin Grandpa and Me and a Helicopter to Heaven by Johan Palmgren and Asa Blanck Cold Blood by Martin Thibaudeau
Great Adventures Australia Grandma thinks Billy and his granddad are in the living room. She couldn’t be more wrong. A sweeping suburban epic that celebrates the power of imagination and the bond between generations. Produced and directed by Gerard Lambkin. Principal cast: Levi Miller, Jack Henry, Anthony Edwards and Colleen Saunders. – Watch a clip from the film, below. – Visit the film’s Facebook page at facebook.com. – Visit the filmmaker’s website at gerardlambkin.com. – See the film’s IMDb entry at imdb.com.
Grandpa and Me and a Helicopter to Heaven Sweden The relationship between a remarkably perceptive young boy and his wise, bedridden grandfather overflows with humor, warmth and love. They share jokes, talk love, sex and politics, and enjoy each other’s company as only best friends can. As the old man senses that he has reached the end of his days, he takes his grandson into the forest in search of a special mushroom. With a light touch and an extraordinary sense for the fleeting moments in life, the film offers a moving reflection on being young and old; living and dying; and the legacy we leave behind. Directed by Johan Palmgren and Asa Blanck. – Watch the again, below. – See the film’s IMDb entry at imdb.com.
Cold Blood Canada A stressed and exhausted mother brings her terrified son to the hospital. A poignant tale about the sacrifices we unquestionably make for family. Written and directed by Martin Thibaudeau. Principal cast: Julie Roussel and Andre Kasper Kolstad. – Watch the trailer, below. – Learn more about the film at exposurefilm.ca. – See the film’s IMDb entry at imdb.com.
Watch a clip from Great Adventures:
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Wind by Robert Lobel Bear Me by Katarzyna Wilk Marcel, King of Tervuren by Tom Schroeder The Origin of Creatures by Floris Kaayk
Wind Germany Global warming has taken its toll on a windy town. The inhabitants are resourceful and adapt to the new routine — that is until the gust stops… then things really get “blown” out of whack. Directed with humor, creativity and simplicity by Robert Lobel. – Watch the film again, below. – Read an interview with the filmmaker at directorsnotes.com.
Bear Me Germany / Poland One day, I found a bear… or he found me. I couldn’t get rid of him. We became to closest of friends. The film shows how love makes for strange bed partners. Directed by Katarzyna Wilk. – Visit the filmmaker’s blog at bearmemovie.blogspot.com. – Visit the filmmaker’s Facebook page at facebook.com. – See the film’s IMDb entry at imdb.com.
Marcel, King of Tervuren United States Marcel the Rooster, survives bird flu, alcohol, sleeping pills and his son Max. Despite being blind in one eye, he remains the proud King of Tervuren. Never underestimate the willpower of a one-eyed rooster. Cats are said to have nine lives. How many lives does a rooster have? A Greek tragedy as acted out by Belgian roosters. A mesmerizing animation directed by Tom Schroeder as told to him by his friend Ann (who also narrates the film). – Watch a clip from the film, below. – To watch an interview with the filmmaker, go to youtube.com. – To read interviews with the filmmaker, go to mnoriginal.org and minnanimate.com. – See the film’s IMDb entry at imdb.com.
The Origin of Creatures Holland A futuristic vision of a world after a catastrophic disaster and those left behind to pick up the pieces. From the rubble bizarre life forms with recognizable human parts bond together. Due to miscommunication this exercise, as with the Tower of Babel, is doomed to fail. A creepy, mind bending and might we say, “eye-popping” animation by Floris Kaayk. – Watch the film again, below. – To see another film from the wild imagination of Floris Kaayk, watch Metalosis Maligna at youtube.com. – See the film’s IMDb entry at imdb.com.
Dotty by Mick Andrews and Brett O’Gorman Kiruna Kigali by Goran Kapetanovic
Dotty Australia Sitting on her bed in a nursing home, a stubborn old woman struggles to send an important text message to her daughter. When her morning cup of tea arrives, Dotty manages to rope someone else into her endless battle with her cell phone. Through stubborn persistence, love conquers technology. Directed by Mick Andrews and Brett O’Gorman. Principal cast: Joyce Irving and Alison Bruce. Joyce fulfilled a lifelong dream of acting in a movie. It took her 91 years to do it, but she did it. – Watch the film, below. – Watch an interview with the filmmaker at youtube.com. – Watch an interview with the actress at 3news.co.nz. – See the film’s IMDb entry at imdb.com.
Kiruna Kigali Sweden / Rwanda In the midst of a snowstorm, a woman is driving her way to the hospital in Kiruna, the northernmost city in Sweden. Under the scorching sun in a remote village near Kigali, Rwanda, another woman is being carried to the nearest hospital on a stretcher by the village boys. Two single mothers to be on the verge of giving birth are separated by thousands of miles, but share the same fear of childbirth and being a single parent. Written, produced and directed by Goran Kapetanovic. Principal cast: Malin Crepin, Mukundente Fiona and Assad Kasasa. – Watch the trailer, below. – Visit the film’s website at kirunakigali.com. – Visit the film’s Facebook page at facebook.com. – See the film’s IMDb entry at imdb.com.
The Voorman Problem by Mark Gill The Big Leap by Kristoffer Rus
The Voorman Problem England Doctor Williams is called in to examine the enigmatic Mr. Voorman, a prisoner with a peculiar problem — he believes he is a god. The doctor must decide on the sanity of Mr. Voorman. Is he a faker or a lunatic? Diagnose him insane and they can ship him off to the asylum and he’ll be out of their hands. But before making a decision, the doctor has several questions in relation to Voorman’s claim: why would a god choose to be straitjacketed in a prison and why do all the inmates believe his claim? The 2014 Academy Award nominated short was written and directed by Mark Gill. Principal cast: Martin Freeman (Sherlock! and The Hobbit) and Tom Hollander. – Visit the film’s website at thevoormanproblem.com. – Visit the film’s Facebook page at facebook.com. – Watch an interview with the filmmaker at forbes.com. – To read interviews with the filmmaker, go to rwufilm.blogspot.com and studiosystemnews.com. – See the film’s IMDb entry at imdb.com.
The Big Leap Poland / Sweden Three people meet atop a skyscraper. They have the same intention – to commit suicide due to a major financial crisis. The conflict quickly escalates when they discover that they all represent a different conviction about the afterlife. The believer, the agnostic and the atheist know the only way to find out the truth is to take The Big Leap. Written and directed by Kristoffer Rus. Principal cast: Gustaf SkarsgÃ¥rd, Tilly Scott Pedersen and Arkadiusz Jakubik. – Visit the film’s website at bigleapthemovie.com. – Visit the film’s Facebook page at facebook.com. – To learn more about the film, go to prasaifilm.pl and media.atmgrupa.pl. – Watch a behind the scenes of this film at vimeo.com. – Watch an interview with the filmmaker at youtube.com. – See the film’s IMDb entry at imdb.com.
43,000 Feet by Campbell Hooper Explosions by Christopher Frey Bridge by Jochen Fitzherbert
43,000 Feet
New Zealand
You think you’ve got problems? When statistician John Wilkins is sucked out of a plane at 43,000 feet, he calculates that he has exactly 3 minutes 48 seconds before he hits the ground. Realizing he has several minutes before impact, he reflects on his past, formulates a plan to survive the fall, and rehearses what he will say to the media afterwards. Directed by Campbell Hooper. Principal cast: Dylan Pharazyn.
– Watch the film again, below.
– See the film’s IMDb entry at imdb.com.
Explosions
Australia
As gravity appears to fail all around them, the inhabitants of a neighborhood begin to mysteriously float into the sky. After failing to save her boyfriend from this phenomenon, will she succumb to the same fate? The visually stunning film is a haunting and poetic look at loss. Written, directed and produced by Christopher Frey. Principal cast: Tegan Crowley.
– Watch the film again, below.
– Visit the filmmaker’s website at christopherfrey.com.au.
– See the film’s IMDb entry at imdb.com.
Bridge
New Zealand
A woman finds herself alone after dark waiting for a train on an empty platform… or so she thinks. She starts to run as she is pursued by a faceless stranger. She slips and is knocked out. When she wakes up, her world is truly upside down and she must decide if it’s time to let go of the past. Written and directed by Jochen Fitzherbert. Principal cast: Will Wallace and Sara Wiseman.
– Watch a clip from the film, below.
The Gate by Matt Westrup Peaceforce by Peter Gornstein
The Gate
England
A new virulent strain of rabies is thought to be responsible for a number of horrible deaths in the city of London. It soon becomes clear that the cause of the condition has a much more sinister origin. Did you know that 95% of the human genome is composed of redundant gene sequences? They appear to have no known biological function… until now. A creepy sci-fi tale written and directed by Matt Westrup. Principal cast: John Mawson, Robert Rowe, Jonathan Andrews, Andelys Tomlinson and Elle Lewis.
– Watch the film again, below.
– To learn more about the film, visit aidyreviews.net.
– See the film’s IMDb entry at imdb.com.
Peaceforce
Denmark
Copenhagen, Denmark. 2045. A global economic collapse has left humanity on the brink of total anarchy. A young, inexperienced and idealistic peacekeeper volunteers for an unusual mission. Elephants had become extinct years ago, but the locals tell of an elephant that is currently on the loose leaving dead and injured in its wake. He decides to appease the locals and visits them, but before long he is in over his head. The short film is based on “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell. The film won top prize at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short film Festival in 2011. Directed by Peter Gornstein. Principal cast: Cyron Melville, Soren Poppel, Hening Jensen, Andre Babikian, Silja Byske and Anders Hove.
– Watch the trailer, below.
– To learn more about the film, visit maxon.net.
– Visit the film’s Facebook page at facebook.com.
– See the film’s IMDb entry at imdb.com.
Do I Have to Take Care of Everything? by Selma Vilhunen No Comment by Alexandra Naoum The Date by Jenni Toivoniemi The Op Shop by Lee Rogers
Do I Have to Take Care of Everything?
Finland
All hell breaks loose when a family oversleeps on the day they are supposed to be attending a wedding. A comedy featuring disinterested kids, a clueless husband and a wife who has to take care of everything herself — sound familiar? Someday they will be able to laugh about it while we viewers can get immediate gratification. The 2014 Academy Award nominated short was directed and written by Selma Vilhunen. Principal cast: Joanna Haartti, Santtu Karvonen, Ranja Omaheimo and Ella Toivoniemi.
– Watch the trailer, below.
– To read interviews with the filmmaker, go to manhattanshort.com and blogs.indiewire.com.
– See the film’s IMDb entry at imdb.com.
No Comment
France
When an English speaking tourist asks a beautiful young woman for directions in Paris, she reads him the riot act, assuming he’s simply trying to pick her up. Things are rarely quite what they seem. Directed by Alexandra Naoum. Principal cast: Alexandra Naoum, Jonathan Burteaux and Oliver Maltman.
– To read an interview with the filmmaker, go to manhattanshort.com.
– See the film’s IMDb entry at imdb.com.
The Date
Finland
Tino, a geeky and shy teenager, has to host a date for Diablo, his family’s pedigree stud tomcat. An embarrassing frank mother and her good looking daughter arrive with their prized possession. The animals get down to business in the next room for everyone to hear while their owners make small talk over coffee and cake. It’s an awkward situation for Tino, who tries his best to behave as a young man should. But it is truly mortifying when your pet is so much more experienced with the opposite sex than you are. The film won the Short Film Jury Award for International Fiction at Sundance in 2013. Written and directed by Jenni Toivoniemi. Principal cast: Oskari Jousten, Paivi Makinen and Anna Paavilainen.
– Watch the trailer, below.
– Watch an interview with the filmmaker on youtube.com.
– See the film’s IMDb entry at imdb.com.
The Op Shop
Australia
It came in a box. No name. No description. Just a strange donation that three elderly women at a thrift shop were determined to sell for $3.50. But then…and then again… and once more… they slowly unlock its secret. Director Lee Rogers’ film was shot in one day in a total of 120 takes. Principal cast: Janet Foye, Isabel Harkensee, Joy Westmore and Keith Gordon.
– Watch the trailer, below.
– Visit the filmmaker’s website at leerogers.com.au.
– Read about the film at if.com.au and graffitiwithpunctuation.net.
– To read an interview with the filmmaker, go to mkeshortfest.blogspot.com.
– Visit the film’s Facebook page at facebook.com.
– See the film’s IMDb entry at imdb.com.
Watch a trailer for Do I Have to Take Care of Everything?:
