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OFFICIAL COMPETITION PROGRAM 2026
SHORT FILMS
MEXICO/NETHERLANDS/USA
SYNTHESIZE ME
Bear Damen
Violeta, the young daughter of a widowed electrical maintenance worker, retreats to her mother's neglected music workshop to play music to remember her. When she causes a widespread power cut tensions rise between father and daughter bringing their grief to boiling point.
GERMANY
LIKE OTHER PEOPLE
Luisa Nollke and Leo Dzhyshyashvili
When a condom breaks, Nina and Danil wander the night in search of a pharmacy and a decision. As they face a possible pregnancy, their undefined relationship forces a deeper question: is family a choice, a coincidence, or a privilege of the settled?
USA
THE ACTOR
Alex Hagani
In a frantic race against time, struggling actress Anne must juggle chaos- and a high-maintenance dog named Macy- as a series of mishaps threaten her chance at a career-changing audition.
FRANCE
AN EXCESS BAGGAGE
Myriam Garcia Marienstras
Sophie hides her unease within the intense bond she shares with her daughter, Lila. When Lila leaves for summer camp, Sophie finds herself alone for the first time, overwhelmed by separation and emotional dependency. As the day unfolds, she drifts through encounters and small gestures, trying awkwardly to fill the void. An Excess Baggage portrays a woman whose love, though sincere, becomes too heavy to carry.
BOSNIA and HERZEGOVINA
ŽIVA
Tamara Maksimović
Živa is a poetic exploration of inner struggle and liberation. Trapped by the oppressive green threads, Živa’s body and spirit begin to dissolve. From the red world, her unconscious, she draws strength and reclaims her freedom, breaking the bonds that hold her. Through movement, self-discovery, and the blending of green and red, she creates a radiant new harmony. A story of resilience, transformation, and the beauty of setting oneself free.
ITALY
AURA
Stefania Accettulli
Aura, a judoka who refuses any kind of emotional connection, tries to teach the art of judo to Miriam, a girl traumatized with haphephobia and afraid of being touched.
SERBIA
EXAM
Ljudmila Korobova
An absurd morning becomes an exam for the young couple Nadja and Milos. Will they pass it?
UK
HOPES and BEANS
Klara Kaliger
On a grey London morning, Zoe offers to buy a stranger a coffee after reading about it in a self-help book. And it goes terribly wrong. So she starts over – even worse. And again – absolute car crash. Until we realise we’re stuck in a loop of the worst possible scenarios inside her socially anxious, overwhelming mind.
UK
THE PEARL COMB
Ali Cook
In 1893, a fisherman’s wife becomes the first person to cure someone of tuberculosis. A doctor, intent on proving a woman’s place is in the home and not practising medicine, investigates - only to discover the source of her unearthly power.
RUSSIA
GOOD ENOUGH
Anna Fradkina
When Santa doesn’t show up at the kindergarten recital, Olga is pushed to play the role. But her son wants to perform only for his mother — not a man in a fake beard. Caught between the show and her child, she must decide whom the celebration is really for.
MONTENEGRO
SPECIAL DAY
Katarina Bulajić
"Divan dan" (Special Day) is a film about relationships.
The story focuses on Ana, mother of one-year-old Sofija. Motherhood, poor communication with her partner, and the societal expectations she feels enslaved by, awaken a deep sense of dissatisfaction within her.
At her daughter's first birthday party, an event she spent months preparing, exhaustion and a series of incidents lead her to a breaking point.
SWITZERLAND
PINA
Florian Kasperski
Pina, a 62-year-old lawyer, is in denial about her increasing dementia and is desperate to convince her colleague that she can still work.
KAZAKHSTAN
THERE IS NO SENSE
Kara Sariyeva
Through five senses, each chapter explores a different perception—sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell—through symbolic references to iconic works of art. A poetic and emotional journey, questioning what remains after all senses fade away.
GERMANY
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BARONESSE
Mark Lorei
A young baroness finds herself trapped in the center of a gothic fairy tale. While two overzealous brothers compete for her affection by completing mystical tasks, she attempts to break free from the patriarchal narrative imposed upon her.
CHINA
CAR
Mengfei Li
The story centers on Lu Youran, a 20-year-old who, under her mother's urging, sets out on a journey to sell her deceased father's car. Along the way, she encounters a mysterious 40-year-old car buyer named Zou Min. As she delves into Zou Min's past, the secret of her father's other family with Zou Min is uncovered...
SPAIN
THE PREY
Clara Casado
Two siblings, long separated by a troubled past, are compelled to reunite to honor their late father’s final will, an obligation that leads to a revealing confrontation.
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