OFFICIAL COMPETITION LINE UP

WELCOME TO HSF

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Beyond any cliché, love is indispensable to survive in the reality we live. It is the fuel that propels human beings and leads them to connect in an eternal quest for a better world. This collection of films presents us with diverse stories that portray the virtues, challenges, but above all, the beauty of love… “All we need is love”…

Baldy The Film

By Eddie Griffith

In this heartfelt dramedy, we meet Travis, a New Yorker whose receding hairline mirrors the distant memories of his childhood. As he navigates the vibrant chaos of his birthday and a night out, he’s haunted by looming thoughts. He has a great network of family and friends around him, but Travis doesn’t know how to open up about the insecurities surrounding his hair loss.

Details (about the end of the world)

By Elli Aspasia Papadiamanti

A short anecdote touching on the cryptic burden of Identity: A musician is thrown into crisis when, in a bewildering chain of events, his beloved violin is displaced by a contrabass. Oscillating between acceptance and denial, he struggles to come to terms with this uncanny new reality.

Encounter

By Schirete Zick, Luke Warrington

An elderly white woman with preconceived ideas encounters young Latino gangsters in a park. Scared to death, she tries to escape them, but finds there’s more than meets the eye.

Disconnected

By Juan Morales

A young, hopeless romantic must learn to navigate the pressures of the day’s dating scene if he is to find “the one.”

Sky Angels

By Ethan Daniel O’Rourke

Sky Angels tells the true story of a family stranded in the Los Padres Mountains during the cyclone bomb of January 9th, 2023. Cut off from civilization, they relied on three pilots who flew vital supplies to a 500-foot backcountry airstrip for five months, helping them rebuild a road back to civilization from their mountain homestead.

SOS, but don’t worry if not

By Florence Poppy Deary

The film takes place on a sinking WWII warship that has just been struck by a torpedo and is rapidly going under. Florence’s captain, a war veteran and decorated hero, experiences a crisis of faith—worrying, for the first time in his life, that perhaps he might come across as desperate. He instructs his Morse code operator to send out a distress message but urges him to avoid sounding ‘overbearing’ — resulting in a confused and frustrated lifeboat team who ultimately decide to ‘sack it off’.

Next Steps: How to Live Your Life and (Maybe) Even Like It

By Natasha Luttjeboer

She saw her life branching out before her like the green fig tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, a possible future beckoned. Luckily, when she turns 25, she gets an instruction manual that tells her exactly how to live her life, so she doesn’t have to worry about these things. But as she dutifully follows the steps, the instructions get stranger, and soon, the branches start to blur.

Zen and the Art of a Neighborhood Book Box

By Alexia Holdiman

Ruby, a dedicated podcast researcher, juggles work and a lonely dating life, finding comfort in her friend Ava’s advice. One day, she spots Brendan, an intriguing new face at her neighborhood little library but feels invisible when he doesn’t acknowledge her. Ava encourages Ruby to leave a note for Brendan as a leap of faith. Unbeknownst to Ruby, Brendan is grieving and searching for meaning. A mix of hope, misunderstanding, and fate leads Ruby to a moment where their paths finally collide. Their encounter hints that destiny may have always had a plan for them.

Surprise!

By Max Szykowny

Jake Samboja, a disgruntled young man burdened by his past, returns home to find a surprise party thrown by his best friend, Esau, celebrating three years of cancer remission. Overwhelmed by the crowd and his family’s disconnect, Jake’s frustration erupts, driving everyone away. Left in silence, he confronts his darkest thoughts and a hidden plan. As the night unfolds, a final, unexpected encounter could alter his path—or cement it forever.

Before the Freeze – Director’s Cut

By Tenley Eakin Raj

“Before the Freeze – Director’s Cut” is a short experimental psychodrama about a mother, anxiety, and a water bottle.

Voicemail

By Ruben Machado

Leo and his little daughter, Mia, have managed to leave Cuba behind and arrive in the United States, looking for a new life, they live at the south of Miami on a ranch borrowed from Miguel (the deal maker). Despite the difficulties, Leo is determined to reunite his family, since his wife is still trapped at the Mexican border, trying to cross illegally to join them. The cost of the crossing had been agreed upon at $10,000, but immigration laws have changed, and the price has increased to $15,000, a sum that Leo does not have. Under pressure from Miguel and with time against him, Leo works tirelessly to get the extra money. However, the coyotes known as “The toughs”, who are in charge of crossing his wife, begin to suspect that Leo is cheating on them and delaying payment. They threaten to take drastic measures if they don’t receive the remaining money soon. As the tension increases, Miguel, the friend who offered them shelter at the ranch, tries to help, but everything gets out of control when “the toughs” decide to act and Leonardo’s life takes an unexpected turn in just one second.

Vidunder

By Emelie Garbers

Cassie and her mom are backstage at a children’s dance competition. Something has happened. Something hidden from her but Cassie, about to go on stage, knows. Mom is falling apart. No one speaks of it, but the monster is there. Who will let it take the stage?

Verwegenheit

By Metecan Erol Duren

Trailer of an art exhibition

Mirror, mirror, broken mirror

By Anne Koolen

When an important heirloom breaks during a fight with her strict mother, Angel has to glue the pieces back together to restore her relationships with her mom and herself.

Silent Girl

By Catherine Israel

Claudia a young actress and underwater stand-in learns of the death of her biological father a renowned artist who never recognised her despite their tenuous relationship. This news and her loyalty to her parents will plunge her into a profound dilemma…

Beyond any cliché, love is indispensable to survive in the reality we live. It is the fuel that propels human beings and leads them to connect in an eternal quest for a better world. This collection of films presents us with diverse stories that portray the virtues, challenges, but above all, the beauty of love… “All we need is love”…

Rouge

By Nicholas Jackson

Rouge is an absurdist comedy taking place on May 4, 1937, in Paris, France when Detective Jean Martin is called to a local apartment building to investigate the murder of painter, Arthur Dubois.

Hogar

By Catalina Norambuena

A reflection on how we define space and the feeling we call home through different perspectives and memories.

Abyss

By Hiromasa Fukumoto

Abyss is a cautionary tale that depicts addiction to porn and social media through Joe’s increasing loneliness and obsession with his online girlfriend.

Intrusion

By Jonah Brainard

When a paramedic must get home to save his wife, unexpected twists cause him to question reality.

Canis Lupus

By Victoria Capitano

At a parole hearing for his older brother, a traumatized young man struggles to reconcile memories of the brother he loved with the crimes he committed, questioning if he can ever forgive him.

Breathe

By Zac Norrington

In 1983, Julie Ridge became the first person to swim two consecutive laps around Manhattan Island, earning her a guest appearance on “The David Letterman Show.” Now, living in Manhattan and working as a psychiatric social worker with over 30 years experience, she dives into her memories of marathon swimming, her journey with bipolar disorder, and living well with supportive treatment.

Adagio

By Sawyer Weidman

After her brother’s death, a teenage girl must find healing by recounting memories of music and origami.

Beyond any cliché, love is indispensable to survive in the reality we live. It is the fuel that propels human beings and leads them to connect in an eternal quest for a better world. This collection of films presents us with diverse stories that portray the virtues, challenges, but above all, the beauty of love… “All we need is love”…

Stuck

By Daniel Agmon, Nataya Cassirer

Distraught from his recent breakup, Ram storms out of therapy after confronting his therapist Rinat’s perceived ineffectiveness. However, an unexpected terror attack nearby forces Ram back. Amidst the city’s lockdown, the two realize they’re going to spend the next hours together, creating conflict between Ram, who is stuck with the woman he feels bears the responsibility of keeping him sane, and Rinat, who faces the challenge of maintaining her professional facade.

Fatherland

By Ania Johnston

Sabina, a 22-year-old medical student, is tasked with burying her grandfather’s ashes in Rutki-Kossaki, Poland. According to her grandfather’s will, she must enlist the help of her estranged half-uncle, Mietek, a 78-year-old farmer and Rutki-Kossaki local. As Sabina and Mietek navigate their contrasting values and personalities—her quiet demeanor and trust in scientific progress contrasting with his outspoken attitude and naturalist mindset—the story explores themes of mortality, generational grief, and how family lineage can lead the heart to peace.

Apocalíptica

By Diego Oliva Tejeda

After Inés and her grandmother learn about a military coup breaking out in their home country, the young woman tries desperately to get ahold of her loved ones back home. However, as the night progresses, doubt, pain and powerlessness start to take hold of Inés, threatening to destroy her relationship with her grandmother and her sanity…

Invitation

By Makamae

Claire hasn’t seen her childhood best friend Alice in years, and she’s content to keep it that way. But when her headstrong older sister Heidi drags her to Alice’s wedding anyway, she meets a little boy who reminds her a little too much of herself.

Wind in the Temple

By Ming Huang

Yuheng plans to settle in London after graduating from college to escape from his divorced parents. Before leaving his hometown in China, he went to the temple to visit his Taoist grandpa. He thought no one cared about him. However, it turns out to be that they just don’t how to love each other.

Baggage

By Lucy Davidson

Three girlfriends check in their baggage at the airport, but one is carrying a little more than the others. As they travel along the conveyor belt to security, can she hide what’s inside?

No Man’s Land

By David Evans

In a shocking display witnessed by the entire township, Amado murders his lifelong friend, Esteban. Through a retrospective lens, the narrative unfolds from three distinct perspectives: the townspeople, Amado, and Sofía. Revealing the complex tapestry of motivations, secrets, and circumstances that culminated in this tragic event.

The Trees Hold Great Sorrow

By Carice van Heusden

What is the meaning of reality when you live in the past?

30-year old Alula has retreated to a remote cabin in the woods, seeking to get away from a traumatic event that continues to haunt her. In the film, two disparate worlds are interwoven: on the one hand, the genuine reality of the cabin, and on the other hand, a dark, abstract limbo, which is a manifestation of Alula’s trauma.

Together with her partner, Orpheo, Alula attempts to come to grips with reality, but her trauma world continues to expand and interject. The supposedly safe cabin turns into an arena of internal strife. Reality and fantasy blend together as Alula relives her trauma.

The film is a hypnotising journey through Alula’s journey of processing her trauma, challenging the viewer to walk the fine line between the real and the imaginary. A raw and poetic exploration of the destructive and transformative power of confronting one’s shadow.

Humid Summertime

By Shuo Wang

In the last summer vacation before coming of age, Xiao Nan returned to her hometown where she grew up as a child and heard about the recent situation of her cousin Li Nian. So, she went alone to the city where her sister worked and uncovered many private secrets about her growth. Grandpa once said that the days of the past could be dried by the sun, so, how has your summer been?

The Day of Cucurbitaceae

By Emilio Landi

“The Day of Cucurbitaceae” follows Ron, a bitter man on a supermarket trip, humorously venting about his wife, their strained marriage, and her fitness obsession. His musings on “cucurbitaceae” mirror his frustrations, culminating in a small triumph as he buys a steak and learns a trivial fact, reclaiming a shred of control.

Mine

By Sebastián Felipe Eguiluz

On a couple’s trip, a city girl will visit the country house of her boyfriend’s grandfather, who comes from the old Chilean landowning aristocracy. During her stay, the young woman will discover the cruelest and darkest edges of old traditions rooted in the Chilean countryside.

Beyond any cliché, love is indispensable to survive in the reality we live. It is the fuel that propels human beings and leads them to connect in an eternal quest for a better world. This collection of films presents us with diverse stories that portray the virtues, challenges, but above all, the beauty of love… “All we need is love”…

Our Gift to the World

By Rudolf Šmíd

The animated film Our Gift to the World deals with world-renowned personalities who were born in the Czechia, and one indecent graffiti unknown in the world except the Czechia, which only Czechs know. They have been passing it on conspiratorially for five hundred years. In the twentieth century, this symbol of a woman’s lap got out of enclosures and walls and into the top of Czech culture.

Awaiting the Lightning Bolt

By Marco Russo

In Awaiting the Lightning Bolt, Renato, an eccentric Renaissance inventor, dares the impossible: capturing a lightning bolt in a jar! Fuelled by ambition and defying the skepticism of his peers, he races against time in a thrilling journey, where each storm offers an extraordinary glimpse into the mysteries of nature and the power of love.

The Threshold

By Walter Rastelli

In a world populated entirely by puppets who are unaware of their condition, a young couple finds themselves aimlessly wandering through an amusement park, yearning for excitement. He is a workaholic, consumed by his job, while she is on the brink of motherhood. Little do they know that their lives are about to be forever transformed.

Bobel’s Kitchen

By Fiona Rolland

Bobel, a poisonous little mushroom, dreams of becoming a cook at his village market. But the prejudices of the villagers will make his task difficult.

Stoned for Christmas

By Morgan Young

“Stoned for Christmas” is a multimedia whirlwind and a love letter to weed. This short film follows the adventures of one cannabis courier delivering at Christmastime.

Beyond any cliché, love is indispensable to survive in the reality we live. It is the fuel that propels human beings and leads them to connect in an eternal quest for a better world. This collection of films presents us with diverse stories that portray the virtues, challenges, but above all, the beauty of love… “All we need is love”…

River Oaks

By Kalyani Persaud

As a young gymnast prepares for competition, a sinister truth is revealed about her coach.

Mother/Daughter

By Julian Morales

Yamila is suddenly paid a visit by her long lost daughter, Sofia, who she had given up for adoption over 18 years ago.

Human Resources

By Jay Ness

A human resources professional must teach a timid new hire how to perform empathy. As she instructs him through a series of social behaviors, they form an unlikely connection.

Our Loyalties

By Alexia Portal

Summer 1990. Elsa and her father go on vacation to the South of France. They meet up with old friends and their four children in a house lost in the hills. Immediately, the complicity between adults and children is rekindled. But Elsa senses a growing tension and secretly worries.

Everything In This World Is Exactly What It Is

By Filippo Di Franco

As her memories begin to fade, a woman in the autumn of her life spends her days with a teenage girl—a reflection of her younger self—whose profound presence forces her to confront her memories and, ultimately, her sense of self. This series of vignettes explores memory loss, identity, and the cycles of life.

Atlas

By Freddie Green

At the secretive Bletchley Park during the Second World War, an intelligence analyst feels the weight of the world on her shoulders as she’s forced to confront the cost of war and the barriers set before her. Inspired by the true story of the writer/director’s grandmother.

The Rise & Decline of Punk Rock

By Dustin Haney

A group of young punk rockers get swept up into the surge of third wave emo. Spiraling through the fame, fun, & ultimately extreme fallout as the scene gives way to changing times when larger genres taint the shine of a well loved scene.

We Live Here Now

By Justin Senkbile

Abandoned by the roommate she’d been expecting to live with, Caroline finds herself stuck in a new city alone, in an apartment and neighborhood she can’t afford.

Wake up Cal

By Anthony Chirco

A sleep-deprived man caught in a series of nightmares must confront his fears and childhood memories to wake up on time — or risk missing a life-changing interview.

Earthworms

By Caitlin Noah

Earthworms is a short Sci-Fi adventure film about a Martian girl who steals a spaceship and travels through the stars in an attempt to prove to her skeptical neighbor that life on Earth exists. She discovers a land left barren from decades of climate change, but meets a teenage boy wandering the desert on his motorcycle and the two make an exchange that will change their lives.

Dusty

By Jeremy Lindsay Taylor

After the death of his best friend, we follow Dustin on a grief-induced bender for one. Amidst the chaos, he accidentally mixes her ashes with a fat slug of cocaine, and to his utter confusion, Ashleigh appears. He realises the more ashes he combines with the ever-growing quantity of drugs, the more vivid Ashleigh becomes, and the longer she stays. They proceed to have the time of their lives. Dusty goes to great lengths to keep her memory alive, taking his mind and body to places they were never meant to go.

Back Story

By Seth Reuben Jacobson

Two actors’ love-hate relationship comes to a head when they suspect the Phantom of the Black Box may be lurking in the shadows.

Beyond any cliché, love is indispensable to survive in the reality we live. It is the fuel that propels human beings and leads them to connect in an eternal quest for a better world. This collection of films presents us with diverse stories that portray the virtues, challenges, but above all, the beauty of love… “All we need is love”…

Karesansui

By Kito Hasuda

“Karesansui” is a style of garden typical of Japan that expresses flowing water and mountains, in other words nature, without using water.
What I wanted to portray in this film is the very phenomenon of “being alive.”
It is a work that captures that there is no substance, distinction or division in it.
Human perception has created distinctions and divisions in the world, but in reality everything in the world is a phenomenon, and I felt that this is the uniqueness of the world, and I created this film.

Say Something in German

By Amit Barnathan, Mila Stephan

Lena, a German student, and Ben, an American Jew with German roots, unexpectedly run into each other outside of a night club in Munich. They have not seen each other for years, nor did they think they would ever meet again.
The encounter leads to a long night in the city, with a second (and perhaps a last) chance for the two to say the things they never dared to say, portraying the challenges of the third generation of the Holocaust.
In the shadow of today’s political conflicts and the new “modern” rise of Antisemitism, Say Something in German faces the challenge of a man and a woman to find their place as two individuals in a world of politics and history.

Madonna Mia

By Valentina Garrett

A Cumming Of Age Story. Set in a small catholic town in Italy, 15-year-old Gaia tries to navigate her sexual fantasies while completing her confirmation.

Dive Deep

By Veerle Ackerstaff

In ‘Dive Deep,’ the adolescent inner world of Storm (18), a skater with cerebral palsy, is exposed as he struggles with anxiety. His attempt to suppress the memories of his ‘fuck ups’ and to conceal his sadness over his mother’s absence leads to tension at home and distance from his friends. When his boyfriend breaks up with him, Storm becomes even more fragmented and is forced to choose between facing his emotions or risking losing everything, including himself.

The Neighborhood

By Tania Scalercio

This is the story of a place that served for seven years as the filming location for the television series ‘My Brilliant Friend’, based on Elena Ferrante’s acclaimed novels. Told through the perspective of Alba Rohrwacher, the protagonist of the series final season, and through nature, which adapted and thrived in this place over time, the story captures the place’s ephemeral transformation. Originally a true non-place, it came to life as ‘The Neighborhood’ (‘Il Rione’), the largest open-air film set in Europe. Yet, after filming ended, The Neighborhood was demolished, returning the place to the non-place it once was, except in the memory of those who lived and breathed it.

The Tree

By Hilton Pelser

A young woman finds herself in a moment of rude awakening. That the magical world of her childhood bedtime stories does not exist. It’s also about the power and therapeutic nature of art and creativity and how it can be a catalyst for you to access, feel through, express and process your emotions.

Luminia

By Hervé Faula

In a barren desert, a young woman wanders lost, another steals a crucial object,
and a third is imprisoned. As their stories unfold separately, the boundary between
reality and fiction blurs, revealing unexpected connections and leaving their fates
hanging in the balance.

One’s Own Luck

By Karoline Teska

A Blacksmith who is obsessed with lucky charms kidnaps a Chimney sweep in the hope of thereby winning the lottery.

The Yellow Bike

By Mario Bergmann, Hasan H. Taşgin

The story is based on true events. Can (30) lives in Berlin, Neukölln, and is trying to finally make his way in the theater world. During an audition for a role, he faces racism and prejudice, but he counters the humiliation with humor. Feeling down, he meets a friend who tries to cheer him up by giving him a bicycle. However, the joy over the new bike quickly fades when Can realizes that someone is missing this exact bike and is looking for it online. Believing in his good karma, Can decides to return the bike to its original owner. But what during the handover happens is not at all what he was expecting. This film depicts the daily racial prejudice faced by people who are not considered white Germans. Our hero tries to be a good person and fit in, but in the end, he is reminded that none of his efforts matter when he comes from the wrong neighbourhood, has the wrong name, and does not have the right ethnic appearance. It’s about systemic discrimination in Germany, which is consistently neglected by society and politics.

Father to Son

By George Perrin

When the remains of Soviet soldiers are discovered by a boy in the garden of his family’s summer cottage, his grandfather must reveal a long-kept secret about what happened there during World War II.

La croix et le fer

By Delphine Seignon

1685. The Edict of Nantes is revoked. Protestants are hunted down and persecuted, forced to flee for their survival. In the midst of this chaos, Rose, an ardent revolutionary, remains faithful to her promise. Since years, she braves the dangers to visit, in secret, a mysterious prisoner. But this time, everything will change.

After Anna

By Lucie Plumet

One evening, the doorbell rings at Adrien’s house. It’s Victor, whom he hasn’t seen for years: his sister, Anna, has disappeared. They set off to find her in the streets of the Paris suburbs. But as the two friends worry about Anna, they come face to face with their own frailties.

Hypatia

By Mari Mantela

An anomaly named Hypatia causes disturbance in time and gravity. Two persons are allowed to study it at a time. The woman believes in science, the man in miracles. Could Hypatia give them more time together?

Battle of Flowers

By Luis Felipe Villaverde de Almeida

Niterói, 1924. It’s Carnival. Three men – Agripino, Orlando and Gaspar – go to a brothel on the outskirts of the town. While waiting for service, they play, talk and discuss. Agripino, the protagonist, goes through an existential crisis inspired by psychological traumas from his childhood.

A saga

By Dayse Amaral Dias

Após uma enchente devastar a pequena cidade de Estrela do Sul, a jovem Maria Flor embarca em uma jornada mágica e desafiadora para salvar sua mãe doente. A única cura está em um remédio feito com raros ovos de vagalumes. Determinada, Maria Flor explora os recantos do município, onde encontra personagens inusitados: como o otimista carroceiro Felizardo, que lhe ensina sobre esperança, e o melancólico caminhoneiro Zé Firmino, que carrega histórias de saudade e perda.

1% of war

By Mykola But

The film “1% of War” by Denys Khrystov is a short, concise documentary composed of several stories united by one location, one time frame, and one war. The film includes the evacuations of various people and not only people that took place in the Avdiivka direction during the final days of the battle for the city.

La musica nel sangue

By Alessandro Zaffanella

Luigi is a boy with music in his blood. This is not just a figure of speech; music actually flows in his blood. His parents subject him to medical examinations to understand the origin of the problem, but no one can solve the mystery. Only a specialist doctor is able to make a diagnosis: Luigi does indeed have music in his blood, but he also has a rarer and more serious syndrome…

Beyond any cliché, love is indispensable to survive in the reality we live. It is the fuel that propels human beings and leads them to connect in an eternal quest for a better world. This collection of films presents us with diverse stories that portray the virtues, challenges, but above all, the beauty of love… “All we need is love”…

Hong Kong 1946

By Alex Ngan

February 1946. The war is over and the British are back in Hong Kong after the Japanese surrender. George Wong has been arrested and is now under interrogation. He claims he was only a driver for the Kempeitai, but many witnesses told a different story. Through a series of flashbacks we find out about Wong’s past life and the choices he made to survive during the wartime occupation. His story, like for many Hongkongers at the time, often involved difficult and dangerous choices that took people across the line between right and wrong.

Alright

By Caleb Clowe

After the death of his wife, a recently estranged father is forced to reconcile with his daughter through the unlikeliest of means: the Nutcracker.

Blood & Water

By Luke Langsdale

Kitty, a teenage girl struggling with addiction and Trav, her combat veteran father, take a horse trek into the Montana wilderness in order to repair the damage war has done to their relationship, only to be thrown headfirst back into conflict when they unwittingly stumble across a back-woods meth lab.

Reconsolidation

By Abbie Lucas

After a tragic accident takes the life of his best friend, a grief-stricken introvert copes with the loss using memory-alteration therapy, but he soon learns that some memories don’t want to be forgotten.

L’Inverno (The Winter)

By Karin Kelly

A major snowstorm looms in this female-driven drama where a daughter discovers her aging mother has been the victim of a crime. The violation triggers memories and insecurities, causing both women to reconsider their futures.

So Many Tears

By Akeem J Wright

In the vast expanse of a relentless desert, a determined seeker embarks on a quest to find a legendary diamond. Days of hardship and dwindling hope culminate in a moment of revelation when a distant light reveals the sought-after gem, sparking a final, triumphant sprint towards it.

Luz

By Alfonso Otero Mireles

In a secluded colonial convent, a sisterhood’s faith fractures when celestial manifestations provoke a theological crisis, blurring the line between divine revelation and sinister omens.

Petition

By Michael Pettit

Jack is a petition circulator with a god complex. He falls deeper into his delusions as the consequences of his actions take their toll.

End Of The Tunnel

By Sean Simpson, Stephen Mckendree

After a devastating personal loss, a man embarks on a journey through familiar places that are now shadowed by grief. End of the Tunnel is an emotionally charged exploration of loss, resilience, and the unexpected moments that guide us back to the light.

Pocha

By Anna Lisa Padilla

A young woman struggles to learn Spanish in order to reconnect with her immigrant grandfather, but when life gets in the way, she learns that love transcends language.

Beyond any cliché, love is indispensable to survive in the reality we live. It is the fuel that propels human beings and leads them to connect in an eternal quest for a better world. This collection of films presents us with diverse stories that portray the virtues, challenges, but above all, the beauty of love… “All we need is love”…

Lia: Body of Work

By Susan Weiss

This project has several themes. It is about the act of looking, not the male sexual gaze, but everyone looking and watching, with the mirror, the camera, and the computed being the other major characteristics. Our culture today demands that we observe and communicate via the internet and cellphone and Lia uses these to her advantage to tell her version of beauty and accomplishment. The story also asks the viewer to assess what they consider to be beauty feminine, and if is the same for everyone.

The Gift of Darkness

By Lauren David

José García Antonio is a sculptor in a small village in Oaxaca, Mexico. When José suddenly becomes blind, he and his family support each other and learn of the power of hope, faith, and love. José surprises everyone when he discovers that he can continue sculpting without his sight. José’s perseverance and zest for life soon draw people from around the world to meet him and buy his art in his studio called Hands that See. He comes to see his blindness as a gift rather than a curse

Breaking the Mould

By Phillida Perry

A visceral glimpse into the life and work of acclaimed New Zealand artist Jaime Jenkins whose unconventional upbringing combines with the elements to inform her ceramic explorations.

Fatbardha

By Kitty Kentezi

An elderly couple next door is facing the ultimate challenge: old age & death.

American Problems, Trans Solutions

By Nazenet Habtezghi

Black trans people are among the most marginalized of marginalized Americans. But those closest to the nation’s most pressing problems are often able to craft innovative solutions.

Angelita

By Amira Rose Stone

With intimate attention to transformation in body and culture endured across oceans and time, “Angelita” poses a question from granddaughter to grandmother: what lives and dies at the other end of sacrifice?

Deluded – The Making of ‘Far From Nowhere’

By Alec Bowman_Clarke

Josienne Clarke allowed a film crew access to her rented cabin in the woods studio whilst recording her latest album, ‘Far From Nowhere’.