Big Fish - Rumba Rwandaise (Belgium) by Luzie Kurth

*** 31ème Quinzaine du cinéma francophone Paris, Ceres Food Film Festival New York

The film Big Fish - Rumba Rwandaise immerses into the world of Mère Josee, who invites the viewer to embark on a culinary journey through Congolese and Rwandan cuisine that goes beyond the sense of taste. Sharing food means sharing stories. A cinematic portrait of a passionate woman who sets the pace in her own dance of life, even if her freedom to move ends where the European border regime starts.

Running time: 01:19:00

This is where we meet (Austria) by Mindaugas Drigotas, Berta Tilmantaitė

We believe in the power of humour and laughter and its positive impact on the wellbeing of people in times of hardship and crisis. No matter at what age or for what reason, life can sometimes bring us face to face with feelings of dreariness and loneliness, evoking moments of anxiety, fear and despair. This might be how an infant in hospital about to undergo major surgery experiences the situation or how a disabled teenager fighting to stay strong after a car crash lives their worst nightmares when told they may never walk again. But when a smile or a few notes of music are shared, when colours emerge and feelings of happiness fill the room, then you can actually sense that something positive is taking place..... our clown doctors are on the move. They live right in the moment, caring passionately for all those who need love and a bit of uplifting. They improvise as they go from bedside to bedside, connecting with those who are ready to reach out. They spread the spirit of joy from the most remote places on earth to the clinic down the road. Yes, the power of humour and laughter can indeed positively influence the wellbeing of people in times of hardship and crisis.

Running time: 00:30:00

Alone (United States) by S. Columbus

*** Critics' Choice International Film Festival, Brussels Independent Film Festival

Documentary about the difference of being alone and feeling alone.

Running time: 01:42:11

Unmuted (United States) by Dena Hysell-Cornejo

Unmuted follows eight women from across the globe through their journeys of reclaiming their agency and rebuilding their lives against seemingly insurmountable odds. With interviews led by Constance Wu (Crazy Rich Asian), Marie Avgeropoulos (The 100), and Torrey DeVitto (Chicago Med), audiences will learn about the complex socio-cultural factors that lead to people becoming victims of gender based violence, including Child Marriage, Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting, and Acid Attacks - along with the non-traditional solutions that individuals and non-government organizations (NGOs) are using to protect women and girls.

Running time: 00:30:02

Nook with a View (United Kingdom) by Eduarda Vieira

While stuck at home, an architect decides to spend his time crafting intricate illustrations. In this short documentary, he reflects on his phase of unprecedented creativity against a backdrop of toilet roll shortages, social distancing, remote working, and other challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Running time: 00:15:44

AI in the Street: Drone Observatory (Australia) by Thao Phan, Jeni Lee

Logan is one of the world’s largest drone delivery trial sites. What do locals feel about the presence of commercial and autonomous drone delivery systems in their neighbourhood?

Running time: 00:12:36

Holding On (United Kingdom) by Emma Croft

Holding on tight, learning to let go. Through intimate diary footage filmed over a period of 10 years a single mother records her son’s transition into manhood whilst struggling to keep a connection with him through his love of skateboarding. The result is a raw and uniquely powerful portrait of the tension within a mother son relationship viewed from a perspective that is rarely explored. While the mother tries to hold on tight, her son is teaching her to let go.

Running time: 00:08:48

Maslenitsa (United Kingdom) by Polina Kulbachevskaia

Costume designer Anna Sverdlova reveals her artistic connections with the cultural heritage behind her historical headpiece reconstructions, inviting viewers on an exciting journey through the world of fashionable folklore.

Running time: 00:03:21

Aka 赤 (Mexico) by Abinadi Meza

In Aka 赤 ("red" in Japanese), processed bullet train recordings create an ethereal soundscape as crimson textures and forms transport viewers through layers of memory or consciousness. Sound and saturated color merge to explore a space between seeing and dreaming.

Running time: 00:06:00

Prison is Cool (United States) by Elya Randrianaivo

A white supremacist looks back on his time in prison, seeking to make amends.

Running time: 00:04:00

Quadratura (Italy) by Sara Bonaventura

*** Brussels Independent Film Festival

Inspired by dark ecology and the Mandel'štam's poem of the voice over, the 16mm film evokes the loop of systemic predator-prey models, starting from microscopic beings - didinium and paramecium - passing through plankton, jellyfish, insects, fish, crustaceans and human apex predators. The found footage comes from a collection of educational films by the American Coronet, Ecological biology, an attempt to spread ecological thought at the end of the 70s. I intervened analogically on the edited material, scratching the Darwinian parable highlighting its shadows that obscure the stars, and so the delicate balance of complex ecosystems. The piece bends the original meaning of the didactic video, with a bitter twist through the scratched montage and the poem of the voice over.

Running time: 00:03:2

Six (United States) by Diana Cignoni

Mental Health. Depression. Grief.

Running time: 00:13:00

The Untranslatable Forest (United States) by Ivan Miguel, Andy Camou

*** SF Doc Fest San Francisco, Manchester Animation Film Festival

A journey through a surreal airport where nature and untranslatable words unexpectedly reveal on the way.

Running time: 00:02:30