WEDNESDAY 23 NOVEMBER – CLOSE-UP CINEMA, SHOREDITCH
7 pm to 10 pm ADVENTURES IN SHORTS Part 1
Q&A with some of the filmmakers followed by networking in the Close-Up Bar.
TSUTSUE – by Amartei Armar (Ghana)
Ghanaian brothers, Sowah and Okai, live near a landfill which flows directly into the ocean. Okai thinks he sees a body floating amongst the garbage. Is it his brother, Sowah?
A BETTER HALF – by Marco Calvani (USA)
Incapable of intimacy and chronically depressed, Sean must come face-to-face with the person he feels is responsible for his troubled life.
THE EVIL IS INSIDE – by Martin Sharpe (Australia)
A recently divorced father confides to a friend that he’s been seeing demons in the family home.
LILI ALONE – by Zou Jing (China)
In a remote part of Sichuan, Lili escapes her gambler husband and heads for the city in a bid to earn enough money to save her dying father.
ROY – by Tom Berkeley and Ross White (Ireland)
Looking for brief moments of companionship, a reclusive widower cold calls strangers from the phone book, but accidentally calls an adult hotline.
LORI – by Abinash Bikram Shah (Nepal)
A mother sings to her 12-year-old daughter in order to calm her. But, when the lullabies end, the reality turns out to be grim and life-altering.
I WAS ATTACKED – by Sara Massieu (UK)
No matter who we are or where we are from, we are not safe. We have been attacked. But why?
SAME OLD – by Lloyd Lee Choi (USA)
One bad night for a New York City delivery driver.
SPEAK KDSK – by Dana Darie (Canada)
This short doc. pays tribute to the great painter Wassily Kandinsky, illustrating his work, his artistic uniqueness and some stories of his life through animation.
WARSHA – by Dania Bdeir (Lebanon)
A crane operator in Beirut volunteers to cover a shift on one of the most dangerous cranes, where he is able to find his freedom.
ON THE SURFACE – by Fan Sissoko (Mali)
A young black woman goes swimming in the Icelandic sea and reflects on her experience of raising a child in a country that feels nothing like home.
NINETY-FIVE SENSES – by Jerusha Hess and Jared Hess (USA)
An ode to the five senses, from a death-row inmate with little time left to enjoy them. Tim Blake Nelson and a diverse team bring to life this bittersweet tale of regret and redemption.
THURSDAY 24 NOVEMBER – CLOSE-UP CINEMA, SHOREDITCH
6 pm – 8 pm MUSIC SHORTS AND FEATURE DOCUMENTARY
Q&A after the screening with with director, Alice Tomassini plus networking in the Close-Up Bar.
TOSYA CHAIKINA – ARROWS HAVE STRUCK IN THE HEART – by Yulya Litinskaya (Ukraine)
A woman is shot down into a strange and unfamiliar world. Who are the people that seem to threaten her? Is one of them someone from a past life?
ADEQUATELY – by Leo Gorenstein (Israel)
In a Soviet Brezhnev-era apartment the mid-80s works as a distorted reflection of today. What are the acceptable limits? Who is to judge?
MMXXII – by Filip Grzincic (Croatia)
Inspiring battle of modern and traditional moral values depicted through the final days of the life of Jesus.
DANA GAVANSKI – I KISS THE NIGHT – by Gaia Alari (Italy)
A woman enters the liminal space between being awake and sleep. Can she escape the intrusive thoughts and will she ever sleep?
YANA – JUNE – by Magdalena Zielinska (Poland)
To be fully present, you must first get lost and surrender. A celebration of our vulnerability and finding inner peace – despite our failures.
KORDON – by Alice Tomassini (Italy)
Kordon is the story of five ordinary women that do something extraordinary to help. A perfect portrait of female resistance, courage and solidarity on the Ukrainian and Hungarian border.
FRIDAY 25 NOVEMBER – THE SOHO HOTEL CINEMA
8 pm – 10 pm ADVENTURES IN SHORTS Part 2
Q&A with some of the filmmakers after the screenings.
MATE – by George Alex Nagle (Australia)
In an insular working-class outpost of Western Sydney, local deadbeat John tries to re-establish his relationship with a reserved schoolboy, Jack.
GRANNY’S SEXUAL LIFE – by Urska Djukic and Emilie Pigeard (Slovenia and France)
A trip into grandmother’s youth and the memories of her intimate life illustrate the status of Slovenian women in the first half of the 20th century.
NEST – by Hlynur Palmason (Denmark)
Siblings build a tree house together over the course of a year. The beauty and brutality of the seasons, enhance their struggles and moments of joy.
PUNCH-DRUNK – by Larry Ketang and Liam White (UK)
In a cafe in Marseille, a man’s life begins to unravel when his lunch is disturbed by a chatty stranger.
SMALL CHANGE – by Max Fisher (UK)
A lonely crook accidentally bites off more than he can chew and makes a surprising new friend.
SPIDER – by Nash Edgerton (Australia)
It’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye.
BEAR – by Nash Edgerton (Australia)
Jack has a new girlfriend, but he’s still up to old tricks.
SHARK – by Nash Edgerton (Australia)
His first girlfriend was hit by a car. His second girlfriend fell off a cliff. His new wife has come prepared.
SATURDAY 26 NOVEMBER – THE SOHO HOTEL CINEMA
7 pm – 9 pm FEATURE FILM, DIRECTOR Q&A, AWARDS CEREMONY
FOUR O’CLOCK FLOWERS – by Peter Callow (UK)
In the aftermath of a fatal knife crime, two mothers must face their feelings of loss, guilt and revenge.
This screening is in association with the British Urban Film Festival.
8:15 pm Q&A with Director Peter Callow and Writer/Producer Louise Breckon-Richards
AWARDS CEREMONY
9:15 pm AFTER PARTY – Venue TBA
ONLINE Films Streaming from Wednesday 23rd to Sunday 27th November
Programme is subject to change. Some titles are only available in certain territories.
ILLUSORY LIGHT – by Changkai Wang (China)
When Zhean finds an old letter from his now deceased grandfather, old conflicts with his parents return. Can he bury the past or does he have to leave?
THE LOST – by Alex Klaus (UK)
An urban ghost story. A young mother embarks on a journey of self-discovery after the accidental death of her son.
GOOGLE DARFUR – by Robert Ruybe (U.S.A.)
You can’t stop genocide by ignoring it.
MALCOM IS MISSING – by Jari Camille Osborne and Robert Osborne (Canada)
In October 2018, Brooke Mullins packed a light bag and flew to Mexico. Not for a vacation. Five days earlier she’d received word that her father, Malcom, was missing.
RUDY – by Shona Auerbach (UK)
A poignant insight into love, loss and moving on.