BETTER TOMORROW - 10 AM

by Sharvi M DCP, 102’ (India) – 2024
“Better Tomorrow” tackles the issue of party drugs among young people, exploring their devastating impact on one’s career and personal life, highlighting the pain and grief that accompany a life marked by substance abuse. At the same time, the film celebrates the triumph of the human spirit.

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Sharvi M is a director, screenwriter, and producer with a long career in Indian cinema. He worked as an assistant director from 1990 to 1999, collaborating with renowned filmmakers such as Iqbal Durrani, I.V. Sasi, P.G. Vishvambharan, and K.S. Ravikumar. Since 1999, he has directed numerous films in multiple Indian languages,including Gandhiyan(Malayalam), Campus (Tamil), Spiderman (Malayalam), Aadma Kali (Telugu), and Mr Bean (Malayalam). His recent works include Do Over (Tamil, 2022) and Better Tomorrow (Tamil, 2024).

by Leon Joosen DCP, 88’ (USA) – 2024
A young girl recounts her childhood in Displaced Persons camps after World War II, living with her mother and grandmother, while a father shares his harrowing experience in Stalin’s Siberian Gulags. Their intertwined stories form a narrative of resilience and intergenerational strength—a celebration of the human spirit.

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Leon Joosen is an internationally renowned director and animator, and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He has had a long and prestigious career in animation, contributing to iconic works such as Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Scooby-Doo, and Muppet Babies. With a rich creative background, Joosen continues to bring together storytelling and visual artistry in his projects.

DE LA CRUZ - 2.10 PM

by Michael Baez DCP, 128’ (USA) – 2024
Yoli De La Cruz, a 17-year-old high school student, seeks revenge after being assaulted by the son of a corrupt police captain. With the help of Lobo, a former fighter turned MMA coach, Yoli prepares for her confrontation and discovers her own potential to become an underground champion.

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Michael Baez is a director and producer with over 20 years of experience. He has directed internationally acclaimed short films, feature films, and stage plays. A graduate of the New York Film Academy, Baez is known for crafting powerful stories that explore complex social themes.

HEARTS OF STONE - 4.25 PM

by Tom van Avermaet DCP, 30' (Belgium) 2024

In a sculpture park at the heart of a bustling metropolis, Paula, a solitary street performer who poses as a living statue, harbors an impossible love for Agatha, a stone sculpture placed beside her usual spot. When Agatha is replaced by a modern artwork, Paula embarks on a desperate search that leads to a surprising encounter.

Tom Van Avermaet (born July 22, 1982) is a multi-award-winning Belgian director and screenwriter, recipient of the European Film Award and nominated for an Academy Award. Graduating with honors from RITCS in Belgium, he gained international recognition with his thesis film DREAMTIME – Droomtijd. His first professional short, DEATH OF A SHADOW, starring Matthias Schoenaerts, was screened at over 100 festivals and won around 50 awards, including the European Academy Award for Best Short Film and an Oscar nomination.

He is currently presenting his latest short film Hearts of Stone, starring Noomi Rapace and Jessica Barden, and is developing his first feature film The Art of Remembering with the support of the Flanders Audiovisual Fund. He is also working on an anthology series in collaboration with British writer Robert Shearman.

MATÈL - 4.55 PM

by Andrea Negroni DCP, 18' (Italy) 2024

Fabio lives with his mother and works as an assistant at a boat rental dock on a small alpine lake. His monotonous routine is disrupted by the arrival of three young men eager to sail on the lake. An unexpected event and their carelessness become the starting point for Fabio’s first encounter with an unfamiliar sense of freedom.

Andrea Negroni (born in Cremona, 1995) is an Italian screenwriter and director whose style is rooted in realism and the poetry of everyday gestures. He earned a degree in Modern Literature and trained as a photographer in Palermo, during a year of social and anthropological research in working-class neighborhoods—an experience that profoundly shaped his artistic vision and visual language.

MERCATO LIBERO - 5.20 PM

by Giuseppe Cacace DCP, 14' (Italy) 2024 – NOMINATION

Paolo, on trial at a call center, has one phone call to persuade elderly Nando to reveal his credit card details. A short film that delves into the vulnerability of the elderly, loneliness, and the moral toll of soul-crushing jobs.

Giuseppe Cacace (Taranto) is a director and cultural promoter. With a degree in architecture, he co-founded Detour, a renowned Roman arthouse cinema, and has been the artistic director of the AS Film Festival since 2013—the first international film and visual arts festival curated predominantly by autistic individuals. For over 16 years, he has created projects using cinema to foster inclusion and socialization for neurodivergent people. His works include Abbassa l’Italia!(selected at Cinemed Montpellier), Via Selmi 72 Cinemastation (official selection at the Rome Film Festival), and Arriva la Banda! (winner of the RdC Prize at Tertio Millennio Festival). His latest film, Mercato Libero, was funded through the IMAIE 2023 grant.

GRAFITE - 5.40 PM

by Gabriele Arpino DCP, 14' (Italy) 2025 

While waiting for her next patient, a psychologist dozes off in her office with a mysterious letter in hand. A disturbing dream jolts her awake—yet the nightmare has only just begun...

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Gabriele Arpino (Monte Argentario, 1997) is a filmmaker and film critic. He holds a degree in Performing Arts and Communication from the University of Pisa. At the age of 26, he directed his first professional short film, Graphite, at the Laboratorio D'Arte Cinematografica in Rome. He also publishes film and TV series reviews, along with amateur shorts, on his self-titled YouTube channel.

A DARK TALE - 5.55 PM

by Vincenzo Lamagna DCP, 25' (Italy) 2024

A brother and sister, separated by a tragic event, find themselves reunited at a crime scene, where they are forced to relive a violent past. Their unbreakable bond will be tested by fate again and again, transforming their lives into an ancient fairy tale without a happy ending.

Vincenzo Lamagna, born in Naples, is a director and screenwriter. He directed the award-winning short film The Magic Crown and successful documentaries such as Cafè – Storia di una flip napoletana and Caffè & Vino – due mondi un documentario. In 2023, he returned to fiction with the short film A Kiss Too Many, which received international acclaim and was distributed on ShortsTV and Amazon Prime Video.

SOMMERSI - 6.20 PM

by Gian Marco Pezzoli DCP, 20' (Italy) 2024

Santerno Valley, summer 2023. Michael and Lorenzo, two bored fourteen-year-olds, throw stones from a bridge for fun, unaware of the tragedy about to strike them. A flood is coming, ready to submerge everything.

Gian Marco Pezzoli, a director and actor born in Imola in 1992, trained with masters such as Enzo Vetrano, Stefano Randisi, and Mario Grossi at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome. Since 2011, he has directed short films recognized for their artistic value, including Labbra di riso (First Prize at the “48H Remake” competition) and Vox Populi(selected at various festivals). In 2015, he directed Prima del Buio, with Stefano Randisi and Enzo Vetrano, and in 2018 he made Mon clochard, starring Roberto Citran and Giovanni Calcagno, winner of Best Short Film at the River Film Festival in Padua and Best Screenplay at IL Film Festival in London. In 2021, he directed Miya e Jin, produced by Kamera Film, starring Maya Murofushi and Yoon Joyce.

CHRYSALIS - 6.40 PM

by Angelo Donzella DCP, 4' (Italy) 2024

Through the metaphor of a chrysalis breaking free from its shell to be reborn as a butterfly, Chrysalis tells the painful journey of a woman victim of abuse, who removes the bandages from her face to free herself from years of violence and humiliation, ultimately finding her freedom.

Angelo Donzella (Turin, 1964) is a director, actor, and musician. He began his acting career in 1993 and turned to directing in 2020, debuting with the award-winning short film Isolation. Among his most notable works are the acclaimed short films Unease (2023), The Plan (2024), and the medium-length film Surveillance (2023). A photography enthusiast since 1982, Donzella meticulously crafts both the cinematography and soundtracks in his films.

FIAMME NEL MARE- 6.45 PM

by Gabriele Giannini DCP, 15' (Italy) 2023

In a small riverside town in Italy, Maria, a young fisherwoman, falls in love with Giulio but soon faces discrimination simply for being a woman. After their marriage, the local fishing cooperative stops paying her wages, pushing her to make a courageous decision. Amid prejudice, isolation, and betrayal, the couple embarks on a painful journey of resilience in search of a better future.

Gabriele Giannini (born 1995) is an Italian director, videomaker, and digital creative. He graduated in Graphic Arts from ITSOS Albe Steiner in Milan and made the documentary Il Velo di Shara in 2013, later acquired by Feltrinelli. He specialized in Digital Videomaking at Bauer Afol Metropolitana and directed promotional content for major musicals as well as numerous short films and documentaries, including Landless (2021), C’erano una volta le Mondine (2022), and Fiamme Nel Mare (2023). Also active as a director of photography and actor, he blends creativity with technical skills in audiovisual production.

​by Steve Edwards DCP, 121’ / USA / 2024
Lucky Jack – The Power of Areté is an inspirational documentary that follows the extraordinary journey of Jack, a man who overcame severe addiction and personal challenges. He finds inner strength through the ancient Greek concept of “Areté” — the pursuit of moral excellence and the fulfillment of one’s highest potential. Through extreme sports, resilience, and spiritual awakening, Jack’s story becomes a powerful testament to transformation and the pursuit of purpose-driven living.

Steve Edwards is a filmmaker and champion for New Jersey excellence. His documentary feature Lucky Jack, a tribute to his parents, will debut at the Jersey Shore Festival this summer. At its core is the Ancient Greek ideal of Areté, a concept Steve explored in a 2022 TEDx talk about living purposefully and striving for personal excellence. This is Steve’s debut film. Named one of New Jersey’s most influential figures by NJ Business Magazine in 2015, Steve has made it his mission to celebrate and elevate the Garden State’s greatest achievers through the New Jersey Hall of Fame (NJHOF). As president and one of the founders of the NJHOF, he has produced 16 unforgettable induction ceremonies, honoring and hosting a remarkable lineup of icons including Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Buzz Aldrin, Toni Morrison, Yogi Berra, Mary Higgins Clark, Tony Bennett, Jack Nicholson, Keith Richards, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, Susan Sarandon, Quincy Jones, Michael Douglas, Meryl Streep, Wyclef Jean, Kelly Ripa, Danny DeVito, and Jason Alexander. Steve was instrumental, along with Jon F. Hanson, in the construction of the nation’s first 20-million-dollar, 10,000 SF state-of-the-art NJHOF Entertainment & Learning Center (ELC) at American Dream. It features the Model T that Henry Ford gifted to Thomas Edison, a Hologram Karaoke Stage, and a Late-Night Jersey Television Studio that showcases holograms of dozens of Jersey legends who share their wisdom about reaching the pinnacle of their professions. Additionally, Steve played a major role in renaming the New Jersey Garden State Parkway Service Areas, honoring inductees. He led the installation of Michael Graves-designed exhibits at high-traffic locations including Newark Airport, NJ Transit stations, DMV offices, and NY Waterway terminals, reaching an annual audience of over 100 million people.

SUPERBI- 9.05 PM

by Nikola Brunelli DCP, 16' (Italy) 2024
In Ascoli Piceno, “SUPERBI” is a historic shop renowned for making the city’s most famous stuffed olives since 1864. Fulvio has been managing the family business for years, but lately, he’s grown tired of the work (though he’d never admit the drop in quality). Everything changes when a new fried olive shop opens in town, run by his young rival, Ismail, upsetting the delicate local balance...
Nikola Brunelli, a director born in Ancona, is the founder of the satirical group Ware en Valse, known for creating comedic sketches and collaborating on successful web projects (ScuolaZoo, Il Pancio, Federico Clapis, Michael Righini). In 2016, he signed an exclusive contract with the agency NetAddiction, producing commercials for international brands. With his group WeV, he won the Longless Film Festival with LowBudget – L’Attore Cane and received a Special Mention at the European Independent Cinema Night with Quando Sarò Grande, also awarded Best Screenplay at the 48h Film Festival in Rome. Since 2021, he has directed TV commercials for national networks, and in 2023 he won the Solinas Award – Experimenta Series for Amadon, a tragicomedy about couriers co-written with E. Mochi and A. Salerno.

PROFONDO NERO- 9.25 PM

by Roberto Pili DCP, 3' (Italy) 2024 – NOMINATION
Deep Black explores creativity as a form of resilience and art as a way to face mental health challenges through the intense story of Davide Lai, known as NERO in the urban art scene.

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Roberto Pili (Cagliari, 1981) is a documentarian, photojournalist, and videomaker with a strong background in visual journalism. He has worked with major Italian and international outlets such as La Nuova Sardegna, L’Espresso, and The Telegraph. A specialist in current affairs and culture, he has been the official photographer for the Babel Film Festival and a photojournalism instructor. His main documentaries include Lucy – A Pioneer's Destiny (2023), Bboy Fiero: Passion is my Strength (2021), and CA4arts – 4 Arts, One Road (2012).

SHAKESPEARE FOR ALL AGES- 9.30 PM

by Hannes Rall DCP, 3' (Germany/Singapore) 2022
Shakespeare's works are timeless: this film proves it through a unique, dialogue-free visual journey that captivates audiences of all ages.

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Hannes Rall is a German director and animator known for his experimental and animated shorts combining culture, history, and art. A professor at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, he has directed award-winning films shown at international festivals, reinterpreting classics like Shakespeare’s plays through innovative visual styles.

I DREAM MY DREAM- 9.35 PM

by Monique van Kerkhof, Bo Oudendijk DCP, 5' (Netherlands) 2023 
A dreamlike journey exploring love, freedom, and instinct, weaving awareness and the subconscious into a dance of movement and imagery, where dreams seek a deep, authentic reality.

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Monique van Kerkhof is a Dutch performer, director, producer, and designer known for her multimedia events, performances, artistic projects, art films, documentaries, and installations. After years in cities like Barcelona, New York, and Tokyo, she founded MONDESIGN in Japan in 2002. Back in the Netherlands since 2012, she created groundbreaking works like A Modern Opera in a Reservoir and Tunnel Vision, blending dance, art, and technology.

Bo Oudendijk is a Dutch interdisciplinary artist and performer raised in Tokyo. With academic training in Knowledge Engineering, Liberal Arts, and Interdisciplinary Arts, he creates works that merge performance, dance, video, and multisensory experiences with scientific exploration.

CRITICAL- 9.40 PM

by Corey Descant DCP, 4' (USA) 2024 
Critical is the official music video for the film Problematic Intentions, a powerful fusion of imagery and music that captures the essence of the film through intense rhythms and compelling visual storytelling.

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Corey Descant, aka PanicDaPlug, is a videographer and graphic designer from Marksville, Louisiana. He started as a cover art designer for local artists and later worked with major names like Mista Cain, Boosie Badazz, and Mo3, earning a platinum plaque for Tic Tok. Transitioning to music video direction, he has produced over 100 videos, surpassing 200,000 views. His video for V-LO The Maestro reached over 1 million views. With over a decade of experience, Corey has become a prominent figure in the music industry.

by Den Baurin DCP, 3' (Hungary) 2025 
A romantic pop ballad capturing the magic of a moonlit night. With heartfelt lyrics and an enchanting melody, it explores love, freedom, and intimacy between two souls under moonlight—complemented by a music video shot in stunning Budapest.

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Den Baurin is a Ukrainian musician and singer based in Hungary, performing across Europe. He blends pop and dance genres, sharing his music on platforms like YouTube and SoundCloud. He has performed at major international events, including the Laima Rendezvous Jurmala 2024 music festival in Latvia, where he presented the song “Грай, музико, грай!” recorded in Buenos Aires.

THE GHOST WOLVES- 9.50 PM

by Erika Errante Baruffaldi DCP, 3' (Italy) 2024
A young girl wanders lost in a magical, surreal world—an inner nightmare that psychologically chains her to her phone screen. In this delirium, leading to her disintegration into a small rectangular light, the Texas band The Ghost Wolves and two white wolves also appear.

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Erika Errante Baruffaldi is an Italian director and screenwriter who began her career in 2005. In 2007, she won a screenplay competition for Turin World Book Capital, and her short film EartHeart was presented at SFC Cannes in 2008. After exploring documentary and assistant directing, she focused on music videos from 2016, directing over 160 projects, some award-winning. She is currently developing her debut feature film, a thriller short, and an animated series.

DREAM- 9.55 PM

by Paul Spurrier DCP, 140' (Thailand) 2024
Dream! is a groundbreaking cinematic musical set against the breathtaking landscapes of Thailand. The story follows an orphan girl determined to find a family, weaving together 18 original songs, a fully Thai cast, and daring visual design. Merging the spirit of classic Hollywood musicals with the vibrant colors of contemporary Thai culture, the film explores themes of hope, perseverance, and belonging.

Paul Spurrier is a British filmmaker who has made Thailand his creative home. Known for his innovative approach to storytelling, Spurrier was one of the first Western directors to create a full-length feature entirely in the Thai language (P). His unique ability to blend cinematic narrative with local cultural elements has earned his work international acclaim.