Best International Live-Action Short

The Best Orchestra in the World

Das beste Orchester der Welt

Like anybody, Ingbert wants to do audition as a double bass player with the Vienna State Orchestra. The auditions are anonymous, so the candidates have to play behind a curtain. When Ingbert accomplishes the best audition of the day, everyone is curious to see who is behind the curtain. The revelation leaves everybody baffled, because Ingbert turns out to be a sock. This absurdist Austrian short film gives short shrift to prejudices and ideas about diversity.

Eggshell

Life is not easy for Joey: He is bullied by older boys and his mother’s boyfriend also gives him trouble. Fortunately, he has his self-made robot head, with which he can imagine himself to be a superhero on the battlefield and escape his horrible truth. This short film provides a raw and grueling glimpse into the working class of Ireland, as seen through the eyes of an imaginative child.

HENNING BACKHAUS AUSTRIA | 2020 | 14’ | 10+

Producer Lukas Rosatti Screenwriter Henning Backhaus, Rafael Haider, Albert Meisl Editor Jana Libnik Composer Henning Backhaus Leading actors Thomas Mraz, Jörn Hentschel, Dominic Oley, Peter Huemer, Helen Hagmüller Production company Filmakademie Wien, Austria, filmakademie@mdw.ac.at, http://www. filmakademie.wien/de/

RYAN WILLIAM HARRIS

ITALY, IRELAND | 2020 | 14’ | 10+

FACTS

Dutch title Breekbaar Producer Tara O’Callaghan Screenwriter Ryan William Harris, Dario Andreani Editor Corrado Marengo Composer Alessio Festuccia Leading actors Charlie Carbery, Shauna Higgins, James Costello, Karl Gilsenan, Lee O’Donoghue Production company Giant Moa, Italy, elenfantdistribution@gmail.com Sales company Sayonara Film, Italy, sayonarafilm16@gmail.com, https://www.sayonarafilm.com/

The Flyman

Vihaan is bullied by the much bigger Akshat. To evade Akshat, he tries to become a superhero. First, he tries it as Invisible Man, but Bull Boy (Akshat) always finds him. Next, he becomes Runaway Man, but Bull Boy continually catches up with him. Eventually, he decides to become Flyman, so he tries to fly, but whatever he does, he fails. This is because Gravity (whom he sees as his little sister Aalia) stops him.

Get Up

Ela luta

Your first menstrual period is never pleasant, but Flavinha has it in the middle of her judo class, where she is the only girl. Fortunately, her teachers and classmates are helpful and in no time she is back on the judo mat. Can she once more be the best and defeat her opponents? This Brazilian film gives short shrift to taboos about menstruation and presents a strong protagonist, while the adults play a refreshingly caring and empathic role.

ROOPAL KEWALYA INDIA | 2021 | 10’ | 7+

FACTS

Producer Roopal Kewalya Screenwriter Roopal Kewalya Editor Viraj Selot Composer Shamik Mukherjee Leading actors Zachary Braz, Leysha Mange, Pallas Prajapat Production company Cornucopia Pictures, India, roopal.cornucopia@gmail.com, www.cornucopiapictures.com

LUIZA GIULIANI

BRAZIL | 2021 | 15’ | 10+

FACTS

Dutch title Kom op! Producer Giovanna Corossari, Daniela Taouil Screenwriter Luiza Giuliani Editor Carolina Serrano Composer João Gabriel Leading actors Alice Sayuri Lima, William, Isabela Ordoñez Production company FAAP, Brazil, elaluta.filme@gmail.com

Heading South

雁南飞

Chasuna is an eight-year-old girl from the Mongolian grasslands who is visiting her dad in the big city for his birthday. Once there, she finds out he has married a Chinese woman. Over the course of the night, she learns to deal with a new member of her family.

The Jackpot

Der Hauptgewinn

Thanks to his best friend Eugenie the chicken, the reclusive Albert finds himself involved in a fateful game of chance that leads him to his true love. But is it really all just a coincidence? A satirical modern fairy tale, which sees a good old homemade lemonade fight against a sticky Purple Pop monopoly, with human-chicken relationships thrown into the spotlight, while unpredictable coincidences clash with careful planning to create great twists and turns.

YUAN YUAN

UNITED STATES, CHINA | 2020 | 13’ | 10+

FACTS

Dutch title Op weg naar het zuiden Producer Yuan Yuan, Meng Fei Screenwriter Yuan Yuan Editor Yuan Yuan Composer Lu Wang Leading actors Fala Chen, Tongalag, Chasuna Production company Tisch School of the Arts, United States, https://tisch. nyu.edu/ Sales company Shortcuts, France, festival@shortcuts.pro, http://shortcuts.pro/

ALICE VON GWINNER

GERMANY | 2020 | 23’ | 8+

FACTS

Dutch title De hoofdprijs Producer Hana Geißendörfer Screenwriter Alice von Gwinner Editor Maximilian Raible Composer Gary Hirche Leading actors Daniel Krauss, Britta Horn Production company Geißendörfer Film- und Fernsehproduktion KG (gff), Germany, info@gff.film

Leo

A boy is giving a report about a football match, like a real commentator. But why is he reporting? Who is he reporting to? What is he actually watching? At first, we stay close to the boy’s expressive face, but after a while the camera zooms out to reveal his companion: a blind friend. In the end, it turns out they are in a refugee camp and are watching soldiers play.

Little Bear

Ourse

Little Bear is a sleepwalker who tends to run away at night. Her mom is trying to convince her to accept the doctor’s treatment, but she’s not willing to. She is desperate however to understand where her sleep takes her during the night. Maybe it means more than a dream? To figure out the answer, this time Little Bear and her best friend go out into the unknown themselves.

MOEIN ROOHOLAMINI

IRAN | 2020 | 5’ | 9+

FACTS

Producer Moein Rooholamini Screenwriter Moein Rooholamini Composer Moein Rooholamini Leading actors Mostafa Moosavi, Mohammad Matin Ziafat, Hasan Khoshhalatw Production company Iranian Youth Cinema Society (IYCS), Iran, mirabbaskhosravi@gmail.com

NICOLAS BIRKENSTOCK

FRANCE | 2020 | 27’ | 11+

FACTS

Dutch title Kleine beer Producer Anthony Doncque Screenwriter Nicolas Birkenstock, Jonathan Colinet Editor Floriane Allier Composer David Trescos Leading actors Armande Boulanger, Eliès Bachta, Aude Ruyter, Theo Soumphonphakdy, Swann Birkenstock Production company Ts Productions, France, tsproductions@tsproductions.net, http://tsproductions.fr/contactez-nous

The Penguin’s Flight

Το πέταγμα του πιγκουίνου

In this Greek short, in which both the summer and loneliness jump off the screen, Elli tries to find her cat. Her parents are about to get a divorce and she spends the summer with her dad, who seems to pay little or no attention to her. When at one point her cat runs off, she starts looking for the only source of affection she still had.

The Science of Wishes

A young girl is certain her big sister has magic powers, as her wishes always seem to come true. Even her existence, being born in the world, results from her sister’s wish. For her school science project, she is ready to convince the class, who do not seem to buy the idea, she is right. From a kid’s perspective and with seemingly childish argumentation, this film examines the close bond between siblings within a family.

STELLA SEREFOGLOU GREECE | 2021 | 17’ | 10+

FACTS

Dutch title De reis van de pinguïn Producer Stella Serefoglou, Iraklis Mavroidis Screenwriter Stella Serefoglou Editor Christos Giannakopoulos Composer Dimitris Apostolakidis Leading actors Giasemi Lamprid Lampridi Production company IKIRU, Greece, stellaserefoglou@gmail.com

MICHELLE BADO

LEBANON | 2021 | 13’ | 6+

FACTS

Dutch title De wetenschap van wensen Producer Nicholas Toubia Screenwriter Michelle Bado Editor Nicholas Toubia Composer Dany Bou Maroun Leading actors Emma Abi Habib, Emma Nasr, Anna Deeb Production company Notre Dame University Louaize, Lebanon, admission@ndu.edu.lb

Sea Dragon

In 1812, a young fossil hunter finds something truly remarkable in the Jurassic cliffs of Dorset. The girl’s revolutionary findings could challenge the entire worldview in the 19th century, but can a young girl fight against the natural order of the world? Inspired by the childhood of fossil hunter and palaeontologist Mary Anning, this short film credits the contribution of this talented woman, who discovered her first ichthyosaur skeleton at the age of twelve.

Shower Boys

After a heated training match with the sports team, twelve-year-old best friends Viggo and Noel go home together to have fun. In the games they play, they challenge each other’s limits and masculinity. However, an unexpected intervention is performed by the adults. This short film poses questions as to what society allows a male friendship to be.

JAMES MORGAN

UNITED KINGDOM | 2020 | 17’ | 8+

FACTS

Dutch title De zeedraak Producer Terhi Kylliäinen Screenwriter James Morgan, Lawrie Doran Editor Gaia Borretti Composer Jack Wyllie Leading actors Kiara Holley-Paliano, Nathaniel Parker, Harvey Dean, Michael Howe Production company Becklow Films, United Kingdom, terhi12@gmail.com Sales company Atelier de Film, Romania, contact@atelier-de-film.ro, https://www.atelier-de-film.ro/

CHRISTIAN ZETTERBERG

SWEDEN | 2021 | 9’ | 11+

FACTS

Producer Liselotte Persson Screenwriter Christian Zetterberg, Albin Abrahamsson Editor Jakob Eliasson, Albin Abrahamsson Composer Fredrik Jonasson Leading actors Lucas Andreasson, David Ramirez Knezevic, Robin Stegmar Production company Graklippan, Sweden, christian@graklippan.se

Spotless

Vlekkeloos

Getting your period is never fun, but for some women and girls it’s a real drama. For fifteen-year-old Ruby, for example, who lives with her mother and sister in a depressing suburb. They don’t have much money; her mother has a lot of debts and works day and night to make ends meet. Ruby gets food from the food bank every week, but they don’t have tampons there. And buying them is expensive.

This realistic drama shows how essential sanitary towels and tampons are if you want to be part of society. Ruby wrestles with this problem every month and doesn’t want to bother her mother with it, as she has enough to worry about already. And she doesn’t want to keep troubling her best friend either. Eventually, she takes a drastic step.

Stephanie

Stephanie, a talented gymnast, prepares for the Belgian Championships, but is told she needs to rest due to a foot injury. She goes on nonetheless and lies to her coaches about the pain she suffers. Only when it is almost too late, coach Patricia starts realising it is not wise to keep pushing Stephanie. This short film, selected by Cannes, presents a critical view of the pressure exerted on gymnasts.

EMMA BRANDERHORST

THE NETHERLANDS | 2021 | 15’ | 12+

FACTS

Dutch title Vlekkeloos Producer Marc Bary Screenwriter Milou Rohde Editor Tessel Flora de Vries Composer Hans Nieuwenhuijsen Leading actors Astrid van Eck, Wendy Ruijfrok, Ilva Los, Alicia Prinsen Production company IJswater Films, The Netherlands, films@ijswater.nl, www.ijswater.nl Sales company Kapitein Kort, The Netherlands, info@kapiteinmedia.nl, www.kapiteinmedia.nl

LEONARDO VAN DIJL

BELGIUM | 2020 | 15’ | 10+

FACTS

Producer Gilles De Schryver Screenwriter Leonardo Van Dijl Editor Ludo Troch Leading actors Sofie Decleir, Charlotte Verwimp, Stefan Gota, Bien de Moor, Benjamin Ramon, Production company De Wereldvrede, Belgium, post@dewereldvrede.be Sales company Square Eyes, The Netherlands, info@squareeyesfilm.com, https://squareeyesfilm.com/

The Technique

La Tecnica

Cesare, a tourist who has just arrived in the village, meets Leonardo, a shepherd’s son. Over the course of the summer, Cesare decides to take Leonardo under his wing and show him the ropes, specifically when it comes to seducing girls. Leonardo seems hesitant and unsuccessful at first, but eventually gets the hang of it. This, the director duo’s first foray into non-commercial short-form narrative, provides a striking and realistic look at teenage love.

Ten Years

Dix ans

Léo throws a birthday party for his tenth anniversary. All of his friends are jealous of the drone he received, but when the group walks off for a few minutes and returns, the drone has vanished. What follows is a fierce discussion within the group about who misplaced the drone, why, and how the culprit will have to account for himself. This French short film addresses themes like group pressure and friendship in a probing way, and how the two can sometimes go hand in hand.

CLEMENTE DE MURO, CLEMENTE DE MURO, DAVIDE MARDEGAN

ITALY | 2020 | 10’ | 10+

FACTS

Dutch title De techniek Producer Antinea Radomska, Niccolò Dal Corso, Antonio D’Angelo Screenwriter Clemente De Muro, Clemente De Muro Editor Anna Laura Carolla, Davide Mardegan Composer Jimmy Fontana, Garry Bonner, Alan Gordon Leading actors Leonardo Giannelli, Cesare Costagli, Nilde Pantani Production company Dinamo srl, Italy, tinydistribution.shorts@gmail.com Dinamo srl, Italy, tinydistribution.shorts@gmail.com Sales company Zen Movie, Italy, distribuzione.zenmovie@gmail.com, www.zenmovie.it

CLÉLIA SCHAEFFER

FRANCE | 2020 | 15’ | 10+

FACTS

Dutch title Tien jaar Producer Ethan Selcer Screenwriter Clélia Schaeffer Editor Anaïs Manuelli Composer Clément Defosse, Odile Bruckert Leading actors Jules Lachaux, Gaëtan Amiel, Maïlys Bouis, Albane Latgé, Oscar Abraham Production company Quartett Production, France, info@quartettproduction.com, http://www.quartettproduction.com/fr/presentation/

A Wish Upon a Satellite

Kingitus orbiidilt

Otto finds a little spacecraft and a dog with the name ‘Laika’ engraved on its collar in the forest. While Otto is lucky enough to be found by a searching team, Laika has fled. Otto is certain that the dog is the gift his deceased parents had promised him, sent from the heavens, but no one seems to believe him, since the famous space dog Laika died long ago in space.

Aeronaut

Ultra-short, lovingly made stop-motion animation about ten-year old Kevin, who is growing up in a family with a tyrannical father. He wants to escape from this situation and dreams of becoming a pilot, finally leaving it all behind him – literally – with his little sister Jaimy.

His dreams are symbolised by his beautiful new model aircraft, which he takes incredibly good care of. It is a symbol of the freedom he so longs for. But one day his sister gets hold of this favourite toy, really putting his brotherly love to the test. Will he be able to recapture his dream without it falling apart? And what is really more important: the love between brother and sister, or his love of this inanimate object?

LEENI LINNA

ESTONIA, FINLAND | 2021 | 17’ | 8+

FACTS

Dutch title Een satelliet verschiet Producer Merja Ritola, Karin Reinberg-Shestakov Screenwriter Leeni Linna, Leana Jalukse Editor Jussi Rautaniemi Composer Janek Murd Leading actors Otto Samuel Kahar, Otto-Samuel Kahar, Andres Raag, Ursula Ratasepp, Külli Teetamm, Anne Reemann Production company Revolver Film, Estonia, revolver@revolver.ee

LEON GOLTERMAN

THE NETHERLANDS | 2021 | 2’ | 6+

FACTS

Producer Paul Mathot, Thijme Grol Screenwriter Leon Golterman Editor Leon Golterman Composer Arend Bruijn Leading actors Belinda van der Stoep, Yootha Wong-Loi-Sing, Raymond Thiry Production company Pedri Animation BV, The Netherlands, paul@pedri-animation.com, www.pedri-animation.com Distributor Kaboom Distribution