Content warning: TBD A collection of short films in contention for official selection, nomination as Quarterfinalist for both genre and technical categories. Audience Choice balloting is open. Your vote counts!

A coming-of-age surf documentary about Sunny Kazama

The Sea and She

A coming-of-age surf documentary about Sunny Kazama

Sharks Up Close takes viewers beneath the surface and into the world of sharks through a series of close encounters captured from just inches away. As sharks brush past the camera, a diver reflects on how stepping into their world transformed fear into fascination, offering a unique perspective on animals that have long been misunderstood.

Sharks Up Close

Sharks Up Close takes viewers beneath the surface and into the world of sharks through a series of close encounters captured from just inches away. As sharks brush past the camera, a diver reflects on how stepping into their world transformed fear into fascination, offering a unique perspective on animals that have long been misunderstood.

After having been forced to give away her infant daughter as the iron curtain rose, Gusta – a refugee who fled Soviet run East Germany after the end of WWII and immigrated to the United States in the 1960s, becomes a surrogate mother to the narrator of the film.

Ball Lightning

Since 1971, The Essex Steam Train and Riverboat has been one of Connecticut's most popular tourist attractions in the state. Today, Valley Railroad's Number 40, is taking a special excursion train across the scenic Connecticut River Valleys, from the landscapes to the rivers. Every journey is just as beautiful as it was decades ago.

The Railroad of the Valley

Since 1971, The Essex Steam Train and Riverboat has been one of Connecticut's most popular tourist attractions in the state. Today, Valley Railroad's Number 40, is taking a special excursion train across the scenic Connecticut River Valleys, from the landscapes to the rivers. Every journey is just as beautiful as it was decades ago.

t tells The journey of struggle and resistance of Tukano Chief Justino Pena. Sou leaves The upper Rio Negro and reads to Manaus carrying with him much more than memories: he bears the mission of keeping alive his mother tonge ancestral knownledge, and the traditions of his people. A histoy of courage, memory, and legacy, that echoes as a cry of indigenous identity and resistance.

BAYAROÁ

t tells The journey of struggle and resistance of Tukano Chief Justino Pena. Sou leaves The upper Rio Negro and reads to Manaus carrying with him much more than memories: he bears the mission of keeping alive his mother tonge ancestral knownledge, and the traditions of his people. A histoy of courage, memory, and legacy, that echoes as a cry of indigenous identity and resistance.

&nbsp;This cinematic documentary moves beyond the lens to illuminate the powerful stories and wisdom of women living with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer

Dreams Beyond Tomorrow

The film explores the profound impact of living in the present moment—and how it reshapes relationships, quality of life, and the entire experience of living.

Across generations, many of us share a history of searching for home, belonging, and community. For some, this journey includes shame imposed on our culture, challenges to our spiritual choices, and the ongoing erasure or devaluation of our lived experiences. These injustices persist today, and those who identify as women often face them more frequently, making it normalized, dismissed, or deemed acceptable.To Life! is a short movement film that honors the resilience of women worldwide who, despite grief, loss, and imbalance, continue to create joy, nurture community, and bring light into the world. Through embodied expression, the film centers strength, survival, and collective care as acts of resistance.

To Life!

A short movement film that honors the resilience of women worldwide

The film follows David as he discovers wheelchair tennis through a small ad in a magazine and slowly rebuilds his identity as an athlete

Lines of Determination

The film follows David as he discovers wheelchair tennis through a small ad in a magazine and slowly rebuilds his identity as an athlete

Block 4: The Real-World Block (Documentaries, Foreign Cinema)

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Celebrating the art of storytelling through short films, showcasing the work of talented filmmakers from around the world. From thought-provoking dramas to captivating animations, the festival presents a rich tapestry of storytelling, offering a platform for emerging and established filmmakers.

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