A study of people who are looking to fulfil their inner desires and passions, who find themselves in an eclectic array of situations and environments. By allowing these bold images and ideas to grow, we are able to delve into worlds that we might not otherwise have seen.
A Love Song In Spanish
Director: Ana Elena Tejera | France / Panama | 2021 | 24 Minutes | UK Premiere
She lives a lonely monotony, her days are a routine of repetitive actions. Then she stops and in the silence she remembers the body of a man stroked by war. She tries to free herself of the memory, but the memory goes through the skin…
Cast: Yolanda Mathieu , Candido Ríos , Servicio Nacional de Fronteras de Panamá
Writer: Ana Elena Tejera | Producer: François Bonenfant | Director of Photography: Mateo Guzmán | Editor: Ana Elena Tejera
A Portrait
Director: Carlotta Beck Peccoz | United Kingdom | 2020 | 3 Minutes
Following a journey to Dungeness and Prospect Cottage, Christopher Hughes reminisces about his life, his career and his friendship with Derek Jarman. The film was originally made for Straight 8 2020. For the nature of the competition, it was shot on a single roll of Super8 film and edited in-camera.
Cast: Christopher Hughes
Writer: Carlotta Beck Peccoz | Producer: Karen Simon | Director of Photography: Timothy Wood, Ivan Wood | Music: Alessandro Giovanetto
Echo
Director: Lieke Bezemer | The Netherlands / Japan | 2020 | 7 Minutes
Echo is the embodiment of the hidden world within a damaged mind. Confrontational yet poetic, this cinematic essay explores the overwhelmingly complex aftermath of trauma caused by sexual abuse. Invisible processes of trauma are visualised by natural phenomena, set against the snowy backdrops of Hokkaido, North Japan.
Cast: Lieke Bezemer
Writer: Lieke Bezemer | Producer: Elyse de Waard | Director of Photography: Nick Tucker | Editor: Erik van der Bijl | Music: Sound Potion
Fifty Miles
Director: Eilif Bremer Landsend | Norway | 2021 | 10 Minutes | UK Premiere
What’s life like on a small island far out in the sea? Fifty Miles is a documentary which gives us a glimpse of the exciting and dramatic life of the little but great Turid, who lives on a small island called Selvær fifty miles off the North-Norwegian coast.
Cast: Turid Myhre
Writer: Eilif Bremer Landsend | Producer: Eilif Bremer Landsend | Director of Photography: Torkel Riise Svenson | Editor: Ines Den Hollander | Music: Daniel Herskedal, Jakop Janssønn, Ville Langfeldt
Hanging On
Director: Alfie Barker | United Kingdom | 2021 | 11 Minutes
A neighbourhood unites when faced with eviction in this creative documentary spotlighting the strength of community. Set in Leeds, where 60 coal-mining houses still stand, Hanging On reminds us of the people slipping through the cracks of society and explores what it means to have a home.
Cast: Mark Field, Cindy Readman, Janet Ferguson, Sam Readman, John Readman
Producer: Hollie Bryan | Director of Photography: Ben G. Brown | Editor: Alfie Barker | Music: Benjamin Squires
Radio Vanille
Director: Jack Laurance | United Kingdom | 2020 | 12 Minutes | European Premiere
Vanilla, a byword for boring, is anything but. A local journalist discovers a world of vanilla gangs, mob justice and murder. Despite being kidnapped twice, Marino continues to expose the truth about Madagascan Vanilla. From the gangs, to the billion dollar flavouring businesses, to the consumer – we are all culpable.
Cast: Marino Rajaonina, Norsette Nirina, Mr Augustin, Robert Zara
Producer: Fran Cousins | Director of Photography: Ali King | Editor: James Demetriou | Music: Thomas Ragsdale
The Elvermen
Director: Isla Badenoch | United Kingdom | 2021 | 14 Minutes | European Premiere
As the sun sets on the banks of the River Severn on the outskirts of an impoverished city in the UK, a group of men gather in a race to catch a vanishing creature; the elusive elver. The Elvermen reveals the last of a hidden community saving an endangered fish.
Website | IMDb | Twitter | Instagram
Cast: Elver Dave
Producer: Joe Binks | Director of Photography: Anna MacDonald | Editor: Nicole Halova, Jamie Kataky | Music: Mike Day
They Saw The Sun First
Director: Stefan Hunt | United States of America | 2020 | 8 Minutes
Best Documentary Short Nominee
They Saw the Sun First is a timely film by Stefan Hunt featuring real interviews with New York’s elderly and a dreamy score by FKJ. Brought to life through dance, performance and the magic of imagination, the poignant message in this film could not be more relevant in these times.
Cast: Latoya Edwards, Nancy Schuler, Derrell Bolling, Alain Auture, John Thomas
Writer: Stefan Hunt, Vanessa Marian | Producer: Olivia Carolan | Director of Photography: Cole Graham | Editor: Lucas Baynes | Music: FKJ
White Room
Director: Jakub Jirásek | Czech Republic | 2021 | 6 Minutes | International Premiere
White torture is complete sensory deprivation and isolation.The prisoner is locked in a cell that is completely white: the walls, floor and ceiling, as well as their clothes and food. White Room is a visual exploration of an authentic testimony from a prisoner who survived white torture.
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Cast: Hasan Rezaei, Viktorie Macánová, Mária Zajacová, Adda Keddam, Eduard Vlk
Writer: Jakub Jirásek, Tomáš Frkal | Producer: Tomáš Šimon | Director of Photography: Tomáš Frkal | Editor: Alan Sýs | Music: Štěpán Oves, Ondřej Holý
