Ali Asgari
Synopsis :
Young Fatima holds a secret that could change her fate; she must place her trust in a doctor to make a tough decision between cultural tradition and medical ethics.
Director Biography :
Born in Iran, Ali Asgari is a prominent Iranian cinema figure with more than 200 awards to his name. Two of his shorts (More Than Two Hours 2013 and The Silence 2016) were nominated for Palme d'Or at Festival de Cannes and The Baby was in short film competition of Venice Film Festival 2014.
Ali's films are concerned with precarious lives who live at society's margin in his native country Iran. His debut film Disappearance was developed at the Cinafondation residency of Festival De Cannes and had its world and North American premiere at Venice International Film Festival and Toronto Film Festival 2017.
Until Tomorrow his second feature film was recently premiered in Berlinale 2022.
Ali is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Guilherme Daniel
Synopsis:
A message of praise to the President concludes a Party assembly, sparking apotheotic applause.
In the middle of the crowd inquisitive eyes of the State Police look for the slightest sign of dissent, and the ovation does not cease.
Director Biography :
Guilherme Daniel graduates in Applied Mathematics before joining Film School in 2009. Since 2012 he works in Film and Advertisement in the Camera department. As a DoP he shoots 18 short-films, five documentaries and two features films.
From 2013 on he writes and produces short-films. In 2017 directs “Depois do Silêncio”, work to be followed in 2018 with “A Estranha Casa na Bruma”; 2019 with "Erva Daninha"; 2021 with “Os Abismos da Alma”; and “Aplauso”, premiering in 2023. These movies won awards in national and international film festivals, having won the National Competion at MOTELx twice, an unprecedented feat.
Dídac C. Forroll
Synopsis :
A blind man and his homeless guide survive in the harsh medieval times by traveling through the mountains and stealing from the corpses they find along the way.
Director Biography :
Director of the short films "Claudia's Shoe", "Dr. Kurth and the seeds of corruption", "The last shot", "The longest road" and "The traveler's feet".
Elias Suhail
Synopsis :
A young Moroccan mother, trapped in a mundane existence, confronts her dreams and fears, leading to the agonising decision to forsake all she knows, even her children. Blending cinemá verite with superstition and allegory, the film draws from the director's own family history, highlighting the complexities of maternal sacrifice and defiance against patriarchal norms.
Director Biography :
Elias is a British-Moroccan writer and filmmaker whose works steadily gaining attention for his compelling stories that traverse borders and challenge norms.
His short story, 'The Horrors I Have Seen' was selected from more than 750 submissions to 'A Writing Chance' in 2021, an initiative co-developed by New Writing North and actor, Michael Sheen. This acknowledgement signalled Elias's entry into commissioned writing.
Elias has since contributed several creative nonfiction pieces to the New Statesman, had work featured on BBC Sounds as well as performed to sell-out live audiences.
His film, 'Beneath a Mother's Feet', brought to life with the support of the BFI Network, is loosely inspired by his own mother's difficult experience of walking out of her life in Morocco and leaving her young children behind. The film, which blends the styles of cinema verité and surrealism and is interspersed with elements of superstition and metaphor, marks Elias’s debut film as a screenwriter and director.
His work is interested in creating complex characters and narratives that resist simplicity, aiming to compel a deeper questioning of our ethical and moral frameworks.
Dian Weys
Synopsis :
The term "bergie" is a South Africanism that refers to people that are homeless, since
they usually sought refuge on the slopes of Table Mountain (in Afrikaans, ‘Tafelberg’).
When a law enforcement officer has to remove homeless people to make way for a 10km
fun-run, he has to navigate the complex intersection of the law and personal
responsibility when confronted with the dignity of those often ignored.
Director Biography :
Dian Weys studied BCom Law and English Honours at the University of the Free State
and Honours in Film & Television Studies at the University of Cape Town. He completed a
Masters in Film Studies cum laude at the University of Cape Town in 2016 and has since
published research papers on cinematic ethics, responsible filmmaking and short film
studies. "Versnel", his first short film, screened at fifteen film festivals, including five
Oscar-qualifying festivals. "Plaashuis", his crowdfunded second short film, was selected
at festivals such as the FIAPF-accredited Tampere Film Festival and Message to Man IFF.
“Bergie” is his third short film which screened at festivals such as Clermont-Ferrand,
Palm Springs, ZINEBI Bilbao, Busan ISFF and won the Tanit d'Argent for Best Short Film
at the Carthage Film Festival. He is currently a joint-PhD candidate at the University of
Groningen and Stellenbosch University.
Versnel (Accelerate) [2017]
Plaashuis (Farmhouse) [2021]
Bergie [2022]
Mélanie Laleu
Synopsis :
Binaud would like to tell the story of his love for Claude, the slowest cashier in the world, but he is questioned by the police.
Director Biography :
Mélanie has a Master's degree in audiovisual and multimedia communication and works as a production manager in an audiovisual production company. At the same time, she started to write. In 2008, she created La Main Productions with four other collaborators. She will produce her first short film with the company in 2011-2012. In 2012, she co-wrote her first feature film Zim Zam with Baptiste Gourden and the producer Pascal Barbier from A Travers Le Miroir. In 2016, A Travers Le Miroir, in co-production with Offshore, produced her 2nd short film Noyade Interdite, which met with great success at festivals and was pre selected for the Cesars. In 2018, she co-wrote and co-directed Elle s'appelait Baby. In June 2022, she shoots her 3rd short film in solo Binaud & Claude, produced by A Travers Le Miroir inco-production with White Boat Pictures. Mélanie continues to develop several fiction projects including a first feature film.
Kálmán Nagy
Synopsis :
When 9-year-old Ábel is attacked by his classmate Bence at school, his father decides to visit Bence's parents to put an end to the constant harassment. However, the conversation does not go as hoped and confronts father and son with a moral dilemma.
Director Biography :
Kálmán Nagy was born and raised in 1992 in a small town in Hungary. Since 2012 he lives in Vienna where he began his studies at the Filmakademie Wien in 2016. He graduated in 2021 in the directing class of Michael Haneke. His short film “Olyan dolgok - Things like” was awarded and screened at many international film festivals, including Palm Springs International Shortfest and HollyShorts Film Festival.
Mark Gerstorfer
Synopsis :
A deportation in Vienna in the middle of the night. Police officer Nancy and her colleague Albert have the task of evicting a family. Together with a police unit, they ambush an Albanian family without a valid residence permit. The situation escalates and the events of the night leave everyone involved traumatized.
Director Biography :
Mark Gerstorfer studied photography at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna before taking up his directing studies at the Vienna Film Academy with Michael Haneke. He received the START scholarship of the Federal Chancellery as well as the annual scholarship of the province of Salzburg. He completed his directing studies at the Vienna Film Academy in the master class with Prof. Michael Haneke with distinction.
Filmography:
2018 TNT Boxerstory 19.22 min
2016 Die Frau, die sich als Geisel nahm 11 min
2014 Erlösung / Salvation 29 min
2010 Lebensretter Konstantin 30 min
Guillermo Cabot
Synopsis :
A city bus runs through the city. It stops and an Arab couple gets on. He addresses her in a loud, nervous voice. The passengers watch the increasingly heated argument with distrust and concern until one of the passengers decides to intervene: "You, habibi, sit down...".
Director Biography :
Since my childhood I have enthusiastically cultivated my two passions: cinema and music. In a late vocational call, at the age of 44 I threw myself into writing my first feature film script: "El medio hombre que salvó un imperio" which was selected in the Madrid CreaLab programme of 2018 managed by the ECAM and the Consejería de Cultura de la CAM. The script finally resulted in an ambitious miniseries project that was selected for the 2021 CAM development grants for the development of series and was a finalist in January 2022 at the Girona Film Festival for the one-to-one pitch competition with Netflix.
In these 4 short years of filmmaking, I made my debut in the world of short films with the writing and directing of "DeMented", opera prima that accumulates to date a total of 42 selections and 9 awards at national and international festivals and I also directed in early 2021 my second short film "Habibi", whose tour in the festival circuit begins in early 2022 and accumulates to date more than 20 selections and awards.
With the writing of my second short film script: "Desde..." I am selected in June 2021 in the script competition of the Navarra International Film Festival and it is also a finalist in the shortpitch competition of the Skyline Festival of Benidorm in March 2022.
Ho-Seung Lee
Synopsis :
Du-hyun is in the middle of a trial for committing and simple assault.
One day, his future mother-in-law visits and asks for his criminal records.
It’s a vicious world and she just wants to make sure that her daughter is in good hands.
Director Biography :
Ho-seung Lee is a filmmaker from South Korea.
He got his BFA in Film at Seoul Institute of the Arts.
From [The Fugitive] in 2013, directed 5 short film til [I Beg For] 2023.
His 2019 short film [PLAY] was screened at the Buffalo International Film Festival and Horrorfest International.
Now he is work as an assistant director in Korean Drama and films.
He participated in production in the recently released Drama Series [PAYBACK] and Feature film [The Devil's Deal].
And the Disney+ original [The Worst Evil] is also set to be unveiled in the second half of 2023.
Samer Battikhi
Synopsis :
A series of confrontations and conflicts occur during the show in many sections of the theatre between Yomna and Khalil over the importance of stopping the play as it is provoking Mr. Ameen and the Brown Suits Committee.
Will Yomna succeed at completing the show?
Director Biography :
Film and TV director and screenwriter who has been working in the film industry in Jordan since 2015. He worked on several local and international projects as an assistant director.
He directed, written, and produced several short films, most notably “Arnoos” which was nominated for several international festivals, and "Kroka".
He is currently working on developing his first feature film, and two TV series: "TheShopping Square" and “Propaganda".
Gustavo R. Cuneo
Synopsis :
Lucia and Omar, a young couple, decide to spend a few days of vacation at the beach. One afternoon, while Lucia is reading on her deckchair, Omar is intercepted by some young girls with whom he takes some pictures, they chat and laugh. Lucia, who observes everything from a distance, is triggered by something, a latent memory.
Director Biography :
Born in the south of Spain (Vega Baja, Alicante), Gustavo R. Cuneo is a filmmaker who has mixed his work with various artistic disciplines.
His interest in expression through audiovisual media has led him to capture reflections on humanity and its contradictions in various video clips and short films.
Naji Ismail
Synopsis :
Based on true events. In Alexandria, Mai acts as a parent to her brother as their mom is quarantined with a deadly disease. Mai wears a gas mask while delivering food, keeping the illness hidden. As her uncle threatens eviction and demands to see her mother, Mai counts down to her 21st birthday. On the final day, she reveals the terrifying secret to her mother.
Director Biography :
Naji Ismail was born in 1983 in one of Cairo underprivileged/poor neighborhoods, Ain Shams. A couple of years later he moved with his family to their village in Upper Egypt where he lived until he moved back to Cairo to join the Higher Cinema Institute from 2001 to 2006.
In 2010 he was selected among 20 directors by George Washington University for a scholarship on how to make a documentary. The scholarship was for 6 weeks.
In the second half of 2012 he founded “Rahala Production and Distribution”, a production company aiming to work on the production of low budget films yet with good quality, through a different production system that what is prevailing in Egypt.
In 2013 Naji written and directed short documentary “Om Amira” The film was screened in Berlinale 2014 in the short film competition.
In 2016 he written and directed short fiction “The Builders”, the film was screened in Dubai film festival.
Naji produced 5 films
1 -Om Amira 2014 -short documentary
2 -The Builders 2016 -short fiction
3 -Fathy Doesn't Live Here Anymore 2016 - short Experimental
4 -128 Blue-Fiat 2019 -short fiction
5 -Where Did Ramses Go? 2019 feature documentary.
Cédric Prévost
.
Synopsis :
After months of a long-distance relationship via a dating site, Thomas asks Marie, who lives on the other side of the country, to finally meet in person. But before that, she will make a shocking revelation for the young man.
Director Biography :
Cédric Prévost directed 7 short films before the latest one BUG. He also wrote 2 novels : “Trompe l’amour” (Editions Actes Sud – 2004, also published in Germany, South-Korea, Italy and Russia) & “Sain et sauf” (Editions Valat – 2000, Editions Babel – 2004). Since 2000, he is professor of drama at “Cours Florent” in Paris.
Tan Ce Ding
Synopsis :
A young scam call operator is thrust into a moral dilemma as she navigates a life-changing situation.
Director Biography :
Tan Ce Ding is a Malaysia-based filmmaker who works as a Director and Writer. He is an alumnus of the Asian Film Academy (AFA) where he won the Motion Picture Association (MPA) President's Special Recognition Award.
His short film “The Masseuse” (2018) is successfully acquired by Hollywood powerhouse Miramax Studio, to be developed into a feature film.
In 2022, he directed and wrote his latest short film "Please Hold the Line", which had its World Premiere in the 79th Venice Film Festival.
Abdullah abdulrahman alkhamees
Synopsis :
For many years in Saudi, men and women were isolated in different departments in the workplace, and Arabic was the dominant language. The story is about a Saudi man named Battal, after months of not being at work, he returns to find that men and women were now working in the same department, and English is the primary language of the workplace, which sends him into shock.
Director Biography :
A filmmaker who started as a documentary filmmaker and then tried to find his voice in fictional films. Strong passion for writing and directing unique stories from Saudi culture.
Ramazan Kılıç
Synopsis :
A little Kurdish girl tries to put a smile back on her grandmother’s face after the disappearance of her television, her only window into the world.
Director Biography :
Ramazan Kılıç who was born in Ağrı, East of Turkey 1993 studied Cinema-Tv, and Literature at İstanbul Şehir University in Istanbul.
His previous film “The School Bus” competed in many prestigious film festivals. Including, Clermont-Ferrand, Leeds, PÖFF Shorts, Odense, Palm Springs, Indy Shorts, and Bogoshorts. And, he was involved as a producer for The Moisture which had its World Premiere at the 79th Venice International Film Festival in the Orizzonti Short Film Competition.
His latest film Things Unheard Of won the Special Jury Mention award at Clermont-Ferrand 2023.
Nadia Al-Khater
Synopsis :
To marry his true love, Nasser must first convince a panel of officials to give their approval.
Director Biography :
Soon
Shalini Adnani
Synopsis :
A man is summoned from Mumbai to his village to deal with a termite infestation threatening to destroy his childhood home.
Director Biography :
Shalini Adnani is a Chilean-Indian writer and director based in London.
Her latest short film White Ant premiered at Sundance 2023.
Her India-set debut feature is in late stage development with Film4.
She has a BA from Bard College in Political Philosophy & Latin American Studies and is represented by Liam Francis Quigley at 42 MP.
Emad kassem
Synopsis :
The story of a girl who finds her luck in the path of two men, one
of whom needs help, and the other bears greed, and perhaps
the worst. What will she do and how do the events end with the
three of them.
Director Biography :
Emad kassem is a director that currently lives in Cairo, Egypt.
Born in Cairo, studied in Faculty of applied arts, in which he
holds a degree in Egypt, He worked as a photographer make a
famous Egyptian cinema movies poster for more than 10 years.
He works as a director, Creative director and producer for many
music videos in the Egyptian and Middle Eastern Arab singer.
He studied film making in Arab school for cinema and Tv and
started his career in the filming direct his first movie.
Walid Messnaoui
Synopsis :
In his desperate hunt for a way out of his gloomy existence on the rough streets of Casablanca, a young burglar named Amine discovers a sealed jewelry box that represents his ticket to a brighter future in Europe.
However, when other gangs find out what’s in his possession, he must brave their treacherous terrain and face his own demons to keep his dream alive.
Director Biography :
Born in Casablanca, Walid Messnaoui graduated from the ESAV film school in Marrakech with a degree in directing and editing. In 2015, while pursuing a master's degree in editing, he directed the documentary "SIX AND ZERO", which was critically acclaimed and selected by numerous international festivals, including Malmoe Arab Films in 2016.
Driven by his passion for filmmaking, he sought opportunities to expand his knowledge and participated in various workshops and residencies around the world. Among them were "La Fémis: Summer University" in France, "Fajr Talent Campus" in Iran, and "INTERACTION Camp" in Serbia. In 2022, he made his directorial debut with the poignant short film "NO KEY", which received acclaim and awards from numerous international festivals. These include the International Short Film Festival of Clermont-Ferrand 2023, Fantaspoa International Fantastic Film Festival of Porto Alegre 2023, Best Short Film at the Maskoon Film Festival 2022, and Best Director at the International Independent Film Festival of Casablanca 2023.
Nejib Kthiri
Synopsis :
Omar, a desperate teenager tries to escape his dejected reality by collecting magazine cut outs.
Director Biography :
Nejib Kthiri is an award-winning Tunisian-British filmmaker and musician. He pursued his studies in music and sound engineering at The University of West London in 2011. Later, he ventured into the cinematography department, where he took on various roles.