The Core (Romania) by Robert Obert

This short animated film illustrates a common consciousness from which materialized instances of feminine and masculine emerge, only to morph again into a single core. It is a metaphor of a love connection between two partners, fueled from the same source, but also for the power of creation that consciousness holds. This  also collects and shows sections of each partner’s transformation process, revealing and underlining that everything begins and ends from and into a single point, it shows the nucleus of narratives from each individual,  their symbiosis and eventually their exit. The author considers this animation a meta frame where we can be spectators to a process of creation and emotion.

Running time: 00:01:11

Aka 赤 (Mexico) by Abinadi Meza

In Aka 赤 ("red" in Japanese), processed bullet train recordings create an ethereal soundscape as crimson textures and forms transport viewers through layers of memory or consciousness. Sound and saturated color merge to explore a space between seeing and dreaming.

Running time: 00:06:00

20:15 México DF (Argentina) by Alejandro Di Meglio

In the vibrant heart of Mexico City, two women meet and begin a tender, reflective journey together. Through intimate conversations, they explore themes of memory, love, and the passage of time. Their connection becomes a window through which they gaze not only at their present but also at the infinite possibilities of their past and future. A beautifully crafted short film that captures the delicate intricacies of love and the fleeting nature of time.

Running time: 00:06:32

Something's Wrong With Kit (United States) by Lida Everhart

A newly-turned teenage vampire struggles to keep her violent nature a secret from her overbearing mother. Meanwhile, she suspects that her only friend, Maria, is close to finding out her secret.

Running time: 00:19:20

The Weight of Sight (Norway) by Truls Krane Meby

The Weight of Sight is a playful and deeply personal essay where director Truls Krane Meby, through a massive archive of his own material - anything from DV-tapes to 35mm - explores the last 20 years of digital development - how it’s influenced the images we make, and our bodies. What kind of images do we get of the world now that everyone is a photographer, and what does it do with how we unfold our identities? How has the internet both captured and freed us? And will Truls even dare to show this film?

Running time: 00:19:30

Lumen (Canada) by Stéphanie Bélanger

It has been raining heavily for months and the sixth wave is depressing humanity. In this prevailing darkness, Claude, 70 years old, compulsively buys lamps online to break his solitude and bring light into his life, at any cost.

Running time: 00:13:21

More Than Brothers (United States) by Andrea von Siebenthal

Since the precipitous retreat of the U.S. forces from Afghanistan in 2021 and the subsequent power takeover by the Taliban, the Afghans who helped the Allies are being hunted down and killed.  “More Than Brothers” portrays the personal sacrifices and political engagement of two Green Berets in a race against time to save the Afghans who kept them safe during their deployments as well as two of their Afghan allies whose lives have been completely uprooted since the chaotic withdrawal. This short documentary is a deeply mournful film that highlights the human cost of political decisions.

Running time: 00:23:30