Short Stories 1

A kaleidoscopic lens on our world today.

Total running time: 89 minutes

Carmela

Vicente Mallols
Spain/France, 2025, 14 mins, Animation, in Spanish and Valencian with Spanish and English subtitles
At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, Carmela joins the militias alongside thousands of other women to confront fascism and defend womens rights. Her story unfolds through her poignant letters from the front lines.

Ludmilla

Vinicius Moreira
Brazil, 2025, 15 mins, Narrative, in Portuguese with English subtitles, North American Premiere
When her fourth-grade students beg to participate in the Interschool Dodgeball Games, an unmotivated Phys Ed teacher is confronted by her past and learns that there are some things sweeter than victory.

Black Boys Being Beautiful

Kelvin Z. Phillips
USA, 2025, 6 mins, Experimental
This poetic and visual meditation explores the transformation of society's perception of Black males from childhood to adulthood.

As I Lay Dying

Mohammadreza Farzad, Pegah Ahangarani
Islamic Republic of Iran, 2025, 15 mins, Experimental, in Persian with English subtitles
We were many, but when it was all over, we went our separate ways. In the chaos of the Iranian protests after the presidential election of 2009, a young Green Party member recounts with an unearthly calm both the violence and solidarity of a moment in time.

The Muse

Wanda Nola
Canada, 2025, 17 mins, Documentary, US Premiere
The friendship between a young Chinese fine-art photographer and a 74-year-old Newfoundlander becomes the catalyst for a unique artistic vision, while challenging our preconceptions of intergenerational relationships.

Beast of the Seine

Jon Portman
USA, 2025, 13 mins, Animation
When the children of a quaint Parisian village are terrorized by a sinister threat, a remarkable Newfoundland emerges as an unlikely hero until a shocking revelation changes everything. Inspired by real events.

For My Ela

Mallika Prasad
India, 2025, 14 mins, Narrative, in English Hindi with English subtitles, North American Premiere
In the wake of loss, armed with a Polaroid camera and little else, Ela embarks on a pilgrimage to the majestic and desolate Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh.
#ForMyEla #MallikaPrasadSinha #aeif

Candy Bar

Nash Edgerton
Australia, 2025, 6 mins, Narrative
A man finally feels ready to embrace parenthood after a young girl in the concessions line tells him he looks like her dad.