Tokyo Toy Boy (Belgium) by Esli Balatova

In a world of loneliness, Tokyo Toy Boy searches for a reason to keep going. Through an intimate portrait, the documentary explores the battle between self-destruction and a better day tomorrow. Kazuho, ​​a 24-year-old former host boy in the shady neighborhoods of Tokyo, bears the scars of a lost generation.  Tokyo Toy Boy follows Kazuho's inner struggle. Between the urge for death and the hope for tomorrow, he quietly fights on and shows the struggles of young adults worldwide.

Running time: 00:22:37

Georgie (United States) by Jennie Butler

An ex-mobster reflects on life, love, and loss after spending 32 years in prison.

Running time: 00:14:20

Unscarred (Belgium) by Théo Roland

This is the story of the evolving relationship between a mother and her son. The mother is bipolar and has violent outbursts. After years, the mother becomes stable, and they decide to make a film together, playing themselves in it. This move symbolizes the end of their chaotic journey.

Running time: 00:21:35

To My Grandfather by Sofia Samoylova

Ukraine (Region Poltava), 2026. After the death of her husband, an elderly woman is left alone. In the rooms they once shared, life is meant to go on – slowly, gently, wrapped in grief, pain, but also love and strength. The granddaughter is the author of the film. With this cinematic work, she creates a farewell letter full of love: from the 92-year-old woman to her husband, and from the granddaughter to her grandfather. About loss, love, and the way to live with death.

Running time: 00:10:15

The Missing Post Office (France) by Clement Lefer

In the Seto Inland Sea, the abandoned post office of Awashima was transformed into a sanctuary for undelivered letters, sent to the lost, the dead, or no one at all. At 91, postmaster Katsuhisa Nakata continues to care for these fragments of memory. The Missing Post Office is a quiet, cinematic meditation on time, absence, and the emotional weight of words that may never be read.

Running time: 00:08:50

Manya (Portugal) by Faebitha Rahiman, Camila Amado Restrepo, Mariia Ivashchenko, Jean Jurado

Manya recalls the night when the Russian forces first attacked Kyiv. One of the initial missiles struck her building, her home. She gradually returns to her work as a foley artist. Manya reflects on the concept of "cool" kids from school who influenced her to try her first cigarette. She will go on to take up smoking. She smoke with her father for the first time while looking at the massive crater left by the Russian missiles in her building. Distracted and unable to focus on her work, Manya questions the audience on where she is supposed to go from here.

Running time: 00:07:04

No Longer / Not Yet (France) by Jacquelyn Elder

No Longer / Not Yet is an intimate observational documentary focusing on the very few moments just before a performer steps on stage. In this interval of time and space leading up to a performers first step on stage we are "no longer" rehearsing, and "we are not quite yet" on stage. Understanding this liminal space is part of performers job that is not often seen or spoken of but without a doubt expected. In No Longer / Not Yet the camera lens makes visible this pre acceleration removed from the performance itself and aims to expose the labor of the dancer as being something more than just the physical or expressive act of “dancing”. What narrative do we have to tell ourselves to make it feel safe enough to take those first steps on stage? Coping with the “unknown” in live performance is a creative act filled with rigor, discipline, and vulnerability. 

Running time: 00:16:38

Dans un Souffle (Belgium, Hungary, Portugal) by Catarina Couto Gonçalves

Dans un Souffle is a breath caught on ice, tracing, figure skater, Nina Pinzarrone's fragile yet unyielding pursuit of perfection. In blank and white, it traces fleeting shapes and expressions, exploring the quiet resilience behind her graceful facade.

Running time: 00:15:00

The Caretakers | Care for one. Protect the whole. (United States) by Mital Patel

At Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya, where biodiversity thrives alongside the last two northern white rhinos on Earth, The Caretakers follows the rangers, handlers, and former caretakers whose lives are shaped by protecting what remains. Through intimate daily rituals of trust, frontline anti-poaching work, and the emotional weight of witnessing a species disappear, the film reveals conservation not as an abstract idea, but as a human commitment, passed from parent to child, forged in conflict between people and wildlife, and sustained by teamwork that stretches from local experts to international scientists working to bring the northern white rhino back. As the story widens beyond rhinos to lions, elephants, and the land itself, The Caretakers makes a simple case with urgent stakes: care for one, protect the whole, because every species matters, and balance depends on us all.

Running time: 00:14:59

Darlinghurst Eats Its Young (Australia) by Madeleine Preston

“…the future is known, it's the past that's always changing…” Based on a box of photographs left to Madeleine after her best friend Maggie died by suicide, ‘Darlinghurst Eats Its Young’ is a moving account of a group of friends, artists and musicians living in Darlinghurst (Sydney) in the early 80s. When Madeleine is a teen, she meets Maggie who welcomes her into her Darlinghurst fold. Here Madeleine feels accepted as part of a group of people who didn’t care who she was. In their inner-city enclave of squats, Madeleine finds a new kind of family with Maggie at the helm. The 20-something Darlinghurst group comes of age through alt music, drugs, art and friendship…but some of them don’t make it. Beautifully edited by Kathy Drayton (Girl in a Mirror: A Portrait of Carol Jerrems, The Weather Diaries), the soundtrack features electronic music from the time including Severed Heads, Scattered Order, Wet Taxis and Systematics.  Madeleine Preston’s ‘Darlinghurst Eats Its Young’ is a deeply personal narrative formed out of the artist’s own experience. Madeleine passed away on March 14th, 2022 after a short battle with cancer. She finished the script and recorded her narration just two weeks before her death. 

Running time: 00:16:24

The Last Island (Sweden) by Tobias Hansson

On the far edge of the world lies an island where myth and reality merge. Waves carve the shoreline, voices of ancestors linger in the wind and life follows a rhythm older than time. The Last Island is a meditative journey into solitude, memory, and the fragile bond between humans and nature.

Running time: 00:14:38

Caretaker (United States) by Verónica Rose Wood

When Antonio receives improper care from his doctor and loses his sight, his sister puts her life on hold and moves to Texas to take care of him full time. A story of the generational history of caretaking in an immigrant Mexican family - and the weight, love and breaking points of familial sacrifice. This is a documentary film I made of my mother, uncle, and grandparents. 

Running time: 00:08:41

The Mysteries of the Horizon (France) by Mathieu Sauvat

Divided into four chapters, The Mysteries of the Horizon is an initiatory documentary narrating the pursuit of a dream at the borders of reality. Beneath its oneiric aspects, this film explores themes of chance, destiny, and human connection. For while this adventure leads us through its twists and turns, it is carried by the encounter with Michel.

Step into the horizon!

Running time: 00:29:57

From Earth to Earth: The Lost Art of Dying in America (United States) by Maxwell Schweik, Alyssa Beebe, Chess Cabrera, Reed Freedman, Mikayla Hall

“From Earth to Earth” takes a critical look at the rituals dictated by America’s death-denying culture and asks, “how can people trying to cope with the death of a loved one be better served?” Our documentary takes the viewer deep into the woods of Vermont and the meadows of central New York where deathwork pioneers are inspiring a new way of thinking about life, death, and our enduring connection to nature. Along the way, we explore the systematic problems of the death industry and provide insight into alternative paths for returning our bodies to the embrace of the Earth. You will meet traditional morticians, advocates of natural burial, people dealing with the death of loved ones,  and Vermont's very own “tiny death witch.” Along the way, you will discover a whole new approach to burial, funerals, and life itself.

Running time: 00:18:45

Simulating Space (United States) by Dave Croyle

The space industry is undergoing unprecedented transformation, spearheaded by scrappy start ups, ambitious national space programs, and bold innovators.  In this documentary, we explore how simulation is revolutionizing the space sector, pushing the limits of innovation, and driving mission success in an increasingly challenging and unforgiving environment.

Running time: 00:21:11

Voice Notes on Death (Germany) by Romy Persaud Drennan, Harry Crampton

A film about mortality. We asked friends and family about their relationship with death, a topic we had not openly discussed with them before. A collection of voice notes are woven together with Super 8 footage. Filmed over the course of one month during winter in Berlin.

Running time: 00:19:55

Situational Awareness (China) by Yuehan Wang

situational awareness uses archival footage of Southern California's military operation and invites the audience to an accelerated fall into an interrogation of complicity.. Fixating on damaged footages, dropping frames, and layered effects, an affect of resistance emerged.

Running time: 00:15:14

Traveling flower (Poland) by Alina Dzmitrovich

Two-year-old Sappie has a childhood with no map, growing up in places where most people fear to go—following her parents, Ben and Eilidh, who work as guides in the planet’s most remote and unusual corners.

Running time: 00:15:09

Because We Are Born Girls (Belgium) by Maggie Lung

A pregnant woman is told by a Belgian abortion center that she must endure a mandatory 6-day reflection period before undergoing the procedure. Those 6 days of isolation trigger memories and doubts about the future. While trying to give her decision a place, she reflects on what it is like to be a woman in the cultures she is a part of.

Running time: 00:14:57

A Birmingham Symphony (United Kingdom) by Jemma Saunders

A poetic exploration of Birmingham, inspired by the city symphony films of the 1920s and 1930s, in which a personal place-mosaic is created through a sonic-screen collaboration between filmmaker and composer.

Running time: 00:12:04

Ujvala Jupalli: Asterisk Athlete (United States) by Josephine Harrison

A meditative documentary following the story of Ujvala as she details what being an athlete means to her and the first time she realized she wasn't just an athlete but a female athlete. We see aspects of her training, and also more reflective moments as she tells her story. 

Running time: 00:09:00

Ad Libitum (Mexico) by Antonio Guajardo Lara

The lead dancer Ernesto Mejica suffered a knee injury during a rehearsal. He has been dancing ballet his whole life. Now he needs surgery and he has no guarantee of dancing again on a professional level. What happens when you are no longer able to pursuit your passion? Who are you if not a dancer? What it's left?

Running time: 00:34:02

Anima (France) by Elsa Poissonnet-Boyer

How do we keep our balance when landmarks change?  “Anima” is a documentary about ethics and commitment in a changing world. Through their dances, the film questions five characters: a child, a teenager, a migrant, a pregnant woman and an elderly man, who meet in a collective improvisation and bear witness to their ways of coping with life's movements.

Running time: 00:30:00

Woman Rising (United States) by Matilde Simas

Woman Rising is a documentary that exposes the dark reality of sex and human trafficking in America.  The film follows the journey of Cary Stuart, a young woman from Maine who was trafficked for years, and who managed to escape and rebuild her life with the help of a dedicated network of supporters. Through Cary’s personal testimony and interviews with experts, advocates, and law enforcement, the film reveals the shocking prevalence and complexity of this modern-day slavery, and the urgent need for more awareness, resources, and legislation to combat it. 

Running time: 00:24:00

Body of Noise (United States) by Al Crockett

Documentary profile of Victoria Shen (a.k.a. Evicshen), an experimental musician and inventor whose improvised live shows blur the divide between audience and performer. 

Running time: 00:07:35

Chinatown's Last Emperor (Australia) by Tyler Kang

A time-capsule piece for the community in Sydney’s historic Chinatown. Through conversations with three elders from the community, we delve into their memoirs of the area, capturing 100 years of history and culture that is on the verge of being lost forever.

Running time: 00:05:41

Buzz (United States) by Nina Ruggero

A retired 70-year-old, affectionately known as “Buzz,” finds ways to distract himself from the persistent noise in his ears. 

Running time: 00:05:00

This week doesn't really exist (Germany, Poland) by Piotr Goldstein, Olga Łojewska, Maksymilian Awuah

Every day thousands of people in Polish regions bordering Germany wake up in the middle of the night and travel 2-3 wours each way to work in one of the many warehouses in Brandenburg or the giga-factory producing electric cars in Grünheide, close to the Polish border. This short, polyphonic film relates the experience of such cross-border commuters. Through a simple circular narrative that mirrors time dilation, repetitive highway landscapes, and passing hours, the film visualises the embodied experience of everyday circular migration.

Running time: 00:04:33

Greetings from Summerland (United States) by Harry Rabin, Joey Szalkiewicz

An atmospheric scientist in Summerland, CA grapples with an invisible threat—methane leaking from abandoned oil wells—in a fight to reveal how addressing these long-neglected remnants of our past could be pivotal in the fight against climate change.

"Greetings from Summerland" reveals the little-known history and environmental aftermath of the world's first offshore oil wells in Summerland, California, from their origins in the 1800s to contemporary capping efforts. This investigative documentary delves into these early oil ventures' significant local and global repercussions. By spotlighting the critical issue of methane emissions from abandoned wells, it emphasizes the urgent need for increased awareness, innovative solutions, and collective action to address environmental degradation and safeguard our planet's future resources.

Running time: 00:21:00