“Yonne” by Julietta Korbel, Yan Ciszewski | Switzerland, France | 23’ | fic | 2025 | National Premiere
Synopsis:
Morvan, 1842. On a large wooden raft heading toward the capital, Jeanne and Eugénie, two young peasant sisters, sail among the log drivers – precarious workers tasked with supplying Paris with firewood, a job reserved for men. Disguised as men, they share the boat with Maurice, a young log driver who treats them like his fellow workers.
Yan Ciszewski:
Born in 1996 in Frankfurt (Germany), Julietta Korbel is of Slovakian origin and Swiss nationality. She studied Fine Arts with a major in sculpture and video at Kingston University in London, before moving on to the FAMU (Film Academy) in Prague. In 2016, she entered the ECAL (Ecole cantonale d’art de Lausanne). Her Bachelor’s graduation film Still Working (2019) premiered at Locarno and won the Swiss Film Prize for Best Graduation Film in 2020.
Born in 1997 in Paris (France), Yan Ciszewski grew up in Switzerland and studied screenwriting at the ECAL (École cantonale d’art de Lausanne). In 2022, they were awarded the Prix d’Excellence HES-SO for their diploma work, the screenplay for a feature film entitled The Great Disappointment, for which they also directed a short film of the same name. Since 2021, they work as a script consultant and co-screenwriter on several short and feature films.
“The Seventh Month” by Aizada Amangeldy | Kyrgyzstan | 15’ | fic | 2025 | European Premiere
Synopsis:
Seven months ago, Mira underwent a serious operation - her uterus and ovaries were removed. In a society where motherhood is considered a woman's ultimate purpose, she cannot reveal this to either her parents or her husband's parents. To keep her family together and escape judgment, Mira resorts to deception: she wears a fake belly, pretending to be pregnant while their child grows in the womb of a surrogate mother. But as the "birth" approaches, the pressure intensifies.
Aizada Amangeldy:
Aizada is a dramaturgist and filmmaker from Kyrgyzstan. She graduated Dramaturgy at VGIK in Moscow, where she had the honor of being the last student of Cannes award-winning screenwriter Yuri Arabov. Throughout her career, Aizada has worked on several acclaimed TV series and documentaries, which were broadcast on the country’s main television channel. She worked as a Senior Script Editor at the National Filmstudio Kyrgyzfilm named after T. Okeev.
Aizada is a Nipkow Programm Fellow (2024) and Berlin AiR (2025), an alumna of IDFAcademy (2024) and American Film Showcase (2023), and a resident of the Fund of Art Females in Asia.
Aizada is currently deeply engaged in developing a personal trilogy exploring themes of love and religion, with three interconnected parts titled Husband, 18th Birthday, and Wife. Rooted in her own lived experience, the trilogy offers an intimate and layered perspective on identity, relationships, and belief.
“Prime” by Fruzsina Roszik | Hungary | 18’ | fic | 2024 | National Premiere
Synopsis:
Zsuzsa, an elderly woman, who works in a furniture store, escapes into her daily tasks so she doesn’t have to face her monotonous life devoid of human connections. One day, something happens that makes her question her past decisions and reminds her that she is responsible for her own happiness.
Fruzsina Roszik:
Graduated from the Hungarian Film and Theatre University, Budapest (now called FreeSzFE) with a BA Hons in Television Production. Fruzsina sees film as a platform to share what she’s learned about us, our world and its oftentimes cruel rules, with empathy and honesty. She’s interested in telling stories about how we all depend on caring for each other and how our journeys are all so intertwined. “Film helps to bear the soul and accept ourselves”, this is what inspires her to tell our stories.
“The Housekeeper” by Surya Balakrishnan | India | 23’ | fic | 2024
Synopsis:
Set in a Bombay apartment, Deepa Didi follows the quiet, everyday relationship between Abhi, a young tenant, and Deepa, his housekeeper. While Abhi’s life moves in a repetitive routine, Deepa’s days are filled with constant labour. In his absence, she briefly inhabits the space as her own; when he returns, their distance is restored. Over five days, the film gently explores how care, intimacy, and connection emerge within invisible boundaries, revealing a home shaped by presence as much as absence.
Surya Balakrishnan:
Surya Balakrishnan recently directed two episodes of the critically acclaimed Amazon series Khauf. A graduate in Graphic Design from the College of Fine Arts, Bangalore, she later trained in filmmaking at the New York Film Academy. She co-founded Footloose Films, a production company primarily focused on advertising, and has directed numerous television commercials.
While advertising remains her main field, she is currently in post-production on her first feature documentary, Amarkatha, an eco-political exploration of the Amarnath pilgrimage in Kashmir.
Her latest short film, Deepa Didi, premiered at the Indian Film Festival of Stuttgart and screened at several international festivals, including Vancouver and IFFI, where it was part of the Indian Panorama section. It also received a jury award at the MIAMI Short Film Festival. Her earlier shorts, Arre Baba and Kheer, were widely acclaimed, with Kheer earning a Filmfare nomination in 2017.
“The Bezoar” by Laure-Elie Chenier-Moreau | France | 17’ | fic | 2024 | National Premiere
Synopsis:
After losing her mother, Anna discovers a hairy monster in her home. She has to live with this strange creature, as tender as it is unhealthy, without losing her footing.
Laure-Elie Chenier-Moreau:
Born in Le Mans in 1988, Laure-Elie moved to Paris at 18 to study acting at Cours Florent and Cours Périmony. She directed her first short film, Cadavre Exquis (2012), which won awards at festivals in Metz and Nogent. She has since worked on music videos (CAPTURE, Lorène Aldabra) and advertising projects (UNESCO, Ador Media Factory).
Her second short film, A Dimanche Prochain (2014), starred Fanny Cottençon and Amélie Etasse and was widely screened at festivals across France. After several years in Asia, she returned to France in 2018 to develop new projects, including the series Garde à Vue and the screenplay YMIR, selected at Clermont-Ferrand 2022. Her short film Le Bézoard received institutional support, and her first documentary, The Sarthois, has won multiple international awards.
“My Brother Lyosha And I” by Lena Tronina | Kazakhstan | 15’ | fic | 2025 | National Premiere
Synopsis:
Rudny, North Kazakhstan. Mid-90s. It’s just another day in the lives of a brother and sister - until it’s not. In a home where violence comes in cycles, the two navigate the silence, the chaos, and each other. Can they break free from the patterns they’ve inherited, or is it already too late?
Lena Tronina:
Lena Tronina is an established actress from Kazakhstan, who mostly works in Europe and Russia.
In Europe, Lena is known for Kids Run, which premiered at the Berlinale in 2020, as well as Once Were Rebels, iconic German series Tatort that was shot in Luzern and Peripherie (Zurich film festival).
Recently, Lena tried her hand at directing and produced a short film called My brother Lyosha and I in her hometown Rudny, in Kazakhstan. Lena is currently developing the script for her debut feature film Lucky is NOW. She’s going to act in this film, direct and produce it. It is a road movie. The film will be shot in Kazakhstan.
“Lease Me Alone!” by Sandrine Brodeur-Desrosiers | Canada | 12’ | fic | 2024 | National Premiere
Synopsis:
As they are signing their new lease, two longtime roommates realize that their new landlord is going to evict them illegally. They decide to fight to keep their apartment.
Humor, violence, western, kung fu… in the middle of the holly season
Sandrine Brodeur-Desrosiers:
Sandrine Brodeur-Desrosiers holds a BFA in Film Production from Concordia University and an MFA in Acting from the Drama Center London (UAL) and a professional certificate in Feature writing from L’INIS. During her studies, she had the chance to perform at the Shakespeare Globe in London and The Vakthangov theatre in Moscow. Sandrine has performed music since primary school (cello and singing) and sometimes she composes scores for her films.
Sandrine wrote and directed over 15 short films and 1 feature that were screened in different festivals around the world. She won several prizes such as the Crystal Bear at the Berlinale, the Grand Prix Canadian at Regard (Oscars qualifying prize), 2 nominations at the Canadian Screen Awards, selection at TIFF, Canada TOP10, and many more. Sandrine is now writing her next features, LES ÉPHÉMÈRES and NOÉMIE LA NUIT.
“Resonance” by Anna Zêpa | Brazil | 20’ | fic | 2025 | National Premiere
Synopsis:
The desire for freedom still resonates in Margarida and the idea of being stuck in a daily routine leaves her suffocated.
Anna Zêppa:
Director, screenwriter, actress and producer, her short films are Ressonância (fic_2025) and Adelaide, aqui não há segunda vez para o erro (doc_2021). She wrote and directed together with Ana Carolina Marinho the shorts Quando o Amor não Respira (fic_2024) and Desacuendando o Acuenda (doc_2021). With the audiovisual collective Arenga Filmes, she is credited as executive producer and appears as an actress in the short Entre (fic_2019), and she was part of the team of screenwriters and cinematographers for the feature Eu também não gozei (doc_2024). She is a master’s candidate in Film Project Development at ESTC / IPL and a founding partner, together with Carlos Segundo, of the Brazilian production company Rabo de Olho Filmes.
“XY” by Alice Gadbled | Belgium | 19’ | fic | 2025 | International Premiere
Synopsis:
In the middle of a scorching summer, X, 25 years old, returns to her home village to celebrate her mother's birthday. Y joins her for a walk. In the forest's shadow lie secrets that are about to catch up with her.
Alice Gadbled:
Alice GADBLED is a French director, screenwriter and casting director for film and television.
Currently based in Brussels (Belgium), she is a graduate of the University of Strasbourg (France) and the Institut des Arts de Diffusion (Belgium) in film directing.
Her short BAYA (2018) premiered at the Palm Springs International ShortFest. Her following fiction short Rock Out (2019) premiered at the FILMSCHOOLFEST Munich where it was awarded the Prix Interculturel. Both films were selected to numerous festivals around the world where they were awarded several prizes.
Alice addresses complex subjects and emotions in her projects such as grief, vulnerability, family ties, and trauma. With expertise and sensitivity, she creates sensory films that invite conversation. Her latest film, XY (2025), is produced by Artémis Productions and Jabu-Jabu Productions and is currently being distributed by the Belgian Short Film Agency.
“¡salsa!” by Antonina Kerguelén Román | Colombia | 14’ | fic | 2024 | National Premiere
Synopsis:
In between prejudiced gazes, Margarita, a free-spirited woman and salsa music lover, walks away from her marriage searching for her own identity. Her path crosses with Liana’s, a deaf tourist. Seeing in Liana a world foreign to her own, Margarita finds the perfect company to explore her true being and decides to teach Liana how to dance, understanding her deafness as an opportunity for a different type of communication, tactile and corporeal.
Antonina Kerguelén Román:
Antonina is a queer Colombian writer/director, SCAD alumna, and a Creative Producer at AG Studios, where she works making original narrative content. Their debut short film "¡salsa!" had its world premiere at the 22nd edition of the Tribeca Film Festival in 2024.
“The Gift” by Lara Izagirre Garizurieta | Spain | 14’ | fic | 2025 | National Premiere
Synopsis:
Desirée, Samara, and Aurora travel from their neighborhood on the outskirts of Bilbao to the city center to buy a gift for their niece. Their day takes a turn for the worse when the shop assistants falsely accuse them of stealing.
Lara Izagirre Garizurieta:
After studying filmmaking at the UPV/EHU and NYFA, she founded Gariza Films.
Between 2010 and 2014 she wrote and directed various short films. In 2015, she premiered her first fiction feature film An Autumn without Berlin (2015) at SSIFF, awarded with the Goya for Best New Actress. Her second feature film Nora (2020) also premiered at the SSIFF.
In recent years, Lara Izagirre has produced many projects led by women, such as 20,000 Species of Bees, which premiered at the Berlinale.
“Cracks run through this multicolored glass” by Francisca Ponce González | Chile | 15’ | fic | 2025 | Regional Premiere
Synopsis:
Valentina (23) shares a room in a hostel in Paris. Her new roommate, Nadia (50), brusquely demands that she not look at her while she washes in the room’s sink. Intrigued by strange sounds, Valentina observes her and discovers a scar on her breast. Her impertinence sparks a tense conversation marked by hostility and prejudice, dividing them culturally, religiously, and linguistically.
Francisca Ponce González:
From Santiago, Chile, she graduated in Film Directing from Universidad Mayor in 2019. She has worked as an executive production assistant at Quijote Films, Storyboard Media, and Altiro Films. She was the international area coordinator at Chiledoc/CCdoc. In 2022, she worked as a translator and researcher for Lone Scherfig on La contadora de películas. In 2024, she received a film grant to direct her first short film.
“Majonezë” by Giulia Grandinetti | Italy | 22’ | fic | 2025 | Regional Premiere
Synopsis:
Elyria lives in a family ruled by her strict father in a remote mountain village in Albania. Trapped in this oppressive society it becomes harder and harder to hide her growing anger. Then one day her desire to rebel takes over.
Giulia Grandinetti:
Giulia Grandinetti made her debut as director in 2020 with the independent feature film Alice and the Land that Wonders, and then dedicated herself to a trilogy of dystopian short films: Guinea Pig, Tria - del sentimento del tradire (World Premiere at Venezia Film Festival 2022 - Orizzonti Short Films Competition) and Majonezë.
She is currently preparing her next feature film titled Jaune et Bleu.
She is creatively fascinated by the formula of dystopia, by taboos and by the dreamlike dimension. The starting point for each of her creations is work on the body.
“Where are you?” by María Moreno Novoa | Spain | 14’ | fic | 2025 | National Premiere
Synopsis:
The last days of summer, Nahia and Laura, 25, drive along the roads of Navarra. They are both about to fulfill their teenage dreams, even though it may lead them down different paths.
María Moreno Novoa:
María Moreno Novoa (Pamplona, Spain, 2000) is a screenwriter from Navarra, graduated from the Master's in Film and Series Screenwriting at the URJC, in Madrid. Her project El año de la envidia, co-written with Kevin Rodrigo Pérez and Lucía Pérez Oroz, has been part of the development program La Residencia Navarra. Her latest work as director and screenwriter is Where are you?, which participated in the Short Corner of MAFIZ (Malaga Film Festival). She also works as a production assistant in commercials and short films.
“Sam & Lola” by Mahaut Adam | France | 20’ | fic | 2024 | Regional Premiere
Synopsis:
Sam and Lola can’t stand their third roommate, Paul, who madden them. When, after yet another argument, they accidentally kill him, all hell breaks loose. And it doesn't get any better when Paul's girlfriend Katty turns up at the apartment.
Mahaut Adam:
Mahaut Adam wrote and directed her first film in 2023, My little Daddy, in which she stars alongside Anaïde Rozam, Jean-Luc Vincent and Martin Jauvat. This hilarious, zany comedy, selected at the Pantin festival and awarded at Cabourg, was part of the César 2024 Official Short Fiction Selection. With Sam & Lola, Mahaut puts her sharp sense of humor to work in a feminist buddy movie, forming a trio with Anaïde Rozam and Eva Huault that's as crazy as it is free.
“She Will Rock You” by Yebin Hyeon | South Korea | 17’ | fic | 2025 | European Premiere
Synopsis:
Yongsik is abruptly and absurdly dumped by Deokja. But no matter how much he thinks it over, he doesn’t want to break up with her. He begins to chase after something—anything—that might bring her back. Though Deokja has, quite literally, turned into a stone by the time they meet again, Yongsik still decides to try.
Yebin Hyeon:
Born in 1999 in South Korea. After graduating with a major in Film and Arts from Soongsil University, she is currently working at a production company, experimenting with various genres of video. She doesn't have much attachment to life, but when she thinks about the scenario.pdf files that haven't yet become films, she feels she absolutely cannot die like this. Her fourth directorial work, She Will Rock You, is one of those pathetic and persistent processes.
