Ousmane (Canada)

By Jorge Camarotti​

 

Synopsis: Ousmane, a newly arrived immigrant living in Montreal, faces a challenging situation when he meets an elderly disoriented lady at the end of his workday. Running time: 00:25:09.

 

Selections/awards: Toronto International Film Festival, Boston Short Film Festival

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About the director: Born in Sao Paulo. In 2003, Jorge moved to Montreal, where he pursued a career as a professional photographer and then as filmmaker. Since his beginnings in filmmaking 10 years ago, Jorge has directed a dozen short films, both documentary and fiction, always remaining true to giving voice to the most aggrieved individuals of our society. Jorge wrote and directed Kinship (2019), which was selected in many reputable film festivals such as Palm Springs International, Maryland, Clermont-Ferrand (Sodec), Regard and which received a nomination at the 2020 Canadian Screen Awards for best live-action. Besides working as a mentor for aspiring BIPOC filmmakers, Jorge is now working on his first feature film, Edith.

2020 (USA)

By Tom Bessoir​

 

Synopsis: A film for 2020, a year to remember. 2020 different colors create a flicker film. Music by Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth). Running time: 00:01:41.

 

Selections/awards: Super Shorts NY&LA, Brussels Independent FF, Bruges International Film Festival

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About the director: Tom (NY, 1957) studied mathematics and electrical engineering while also taking advantage of Art School classes, focusing on film theory and studying experimental filmmaking with Robert Breer. In the late 1970s, he started photographing the downtown music scene. His photographs have appeared on dozens of records as well as in films, books, magazines, and newspapers. Tom's experimental films often use mathematics to explore perception and the structure of cinema. In the arts, he is best known for Microfilm (1979), Digits of Pi (2019), and his photography documenting downtown NYC.

The Pitch (USA)

By Eno Freedman Brodmann​

 

Synopsis: A satirical short film that spoofs the advertising industry by imagining a potential collaboration between chicken nuggets and bluetooth speakers. Starring Lourdes Hernández, it follows a call between an agency creative and director trying to one up each other on the most important product of the year...vegan chicken nuggets. Ridiculous, absurd, yet only too real, The Pitch is a commentary on the agony of the creative process until it all becomes a mess. Running time: 00:08:10.

 

Selections/awards: Obskuur Ghent Film Festival

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About the director: Eno Freedman is a commercial and music video director, designer, and classically trained musician. His voice gravitates towards mindful comedy and tasteful satire. Usually painted in rich colors, his filmic worlds try to make the audience laugh and then also feel heartwarmed. His training and passion for sound has landed him opportunities to curate music for LVMH, Soho House, Art Basel Miami, and Norwood Arts and many music-geared projects. Originally from New York City and an NYU Tisch graduate he currently lives and works in Los Angeles.

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Scars (Canada)

By Alex Anna​

 

Synopsis: Alex Anna’s body is a canvas : her scars come to life to tell a new story of self-harming. Live action and animation intertwine in this short and poetic documentary, both intimate and universal. Running time: 00:10:00.

 

Selections/awards: Brussels Independent FF, Boston Short FF, Hong Kong Arthouse FF (Best Documentary), Toronto Arthouse FF (Best Documentary Short), Ghent Viewpoint Documentary FF, and more.

 

About the director: Alex Anna is a director and script supervisor in love with cinematographic language and words in all their beauty. As a queer and feminist filmmaker, she signed her first short film “The Fruit of Our Womb” in 2017 (as Laurie Mannessier), and uses art as a way to fight for a better world.

Idol (Australia)

By Alex Wu​

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Synopsis: A young Chinese celebrity is called into an emergency meeting after a fan of his commits suicide. Running time: 00:18:30.

 

Selections/awards: Brooklyn FF (Spirit Award in Short Narrative, Outstanding Achievement in Performance (Best Male Actor)), Sydney FF (Dendy Award for Best Australian Live-Action Short Film), Adelaide FF, Flickerfest International Short FF, and more.

 

About the director: Alex Wu is an award-winning Australian filmmaker. The son of Chinese immigrants, Alex was born and raised in Canberra, Australia, where at the age of seventeen, he made his first short film on Super 8mm, ‘Compass’ (2011), a western that went on to win the Audience Choice Award at the 2011 Canberra Short FF and top prize at the 2011 Leonid Film Awards. In 2015, his short films 'Beneath The Cotton Clouds' (2014) and 'Freight Train' (2014) screened at festivals including the LA Indie FF, Toronto Student Film Festival, Edmonton IFF and Barcelona FF. In 2016, his graduate film 'Motown' (2015) had its world premiere at the 60th BFI London FF, followed by a successful international festival run.

Heat Wave Hallucination (USA)

By Jil Guyon​

 

Synopsis: Heat Wave Hallucination is a kaleidoscopic self-portrait that transports the viewer into a psychedelic world of vibrant color and dramatic, hypnotic sound. Running time: 00:01:29.

 

About the director: Jil Guyon is an award winning multi-disciplinary artist and performer. Her performance-videos have screened at theaters, cinemas, museums, galleries, and concert halls worldwide.

METUBE: AUGUST SINGS 'UNA FURTIVA LAGRIMA' (AUSTRIA)

By Daniel Moshel​

 

Synopsis: The third part of the internationally award-winning MeTube short film series. This time the intergalactic music nerds August and Elfi conquer the opera stage and orchestrate their final adventure in an opulent manner. Running time: 00:10.00.

 

About the director: Daniel Moshel (Germany) currently lives as a writer/director in Vienna, Austria. The project "Metube" started as an homage to thousands of ambitious YouTube users and video bloggers. The sequel MeTube 2 followed. Both MeTubes were screened on more than 600 festivals (including two nominations on Sundance 2013 & 2016), received more than 60 awards, and gathered over 4 million web views. Currently Daniel works with his team of writers on features and tv shows.

Mamma (Norway)

By Aslak Danbolt​

 

Synopsis: It’s Christmas Eve, and Synnøve is searching for her drug-addicted daughter Michelle in an almost desolated city. (Synnøve and Michelle are mother and daughter in real life and play versions of themselves in a story that is very close to their own lives.) Running time: 00:15:00.

 

Selections/awards: Aesthetica Short FF, Brussels Independent FF, Norwegian Short FF, Ankara Accessible FF (Best Film, Best Director), Bergen IFF, Hong Kong Arthouse FF, and more.

 

About the director: Aslak Danbolt is a Norwegian filmmaker who lives and works out of Oslo, Norway. He studied Documentary Directing at Lillehammer University College and later attended The London Film School. His grad film 'Last Base', was selected for more than 120 festivals (including Tribeca, Chicago & Slamdance) and won numerous awards. He directed the documentary series 'Petter Uteligger – 52 dager på gata i Oslo' (2015), which was nominated for 5 Norwegian Golden Screen Awards 2016, winning Documentary Series and Audience Award.