by Malu Jannsen, Netherlands, Belgium, 2024, 20' – In competition, regional premiere The final days of young Heylken, accused of witchcraft just as she is about to leave her village for good. Her free spirit and powerful voice will inspire twelve-year-old Griet. #ethniccleansing #balkans #war Malu Janssen (born 1989 in Eindhoven) is a screenwriter and director living in Amsterdam. After studying theater and film at Utrecht University, she enrolled at the Netherlands Film Aca

by Maryam Khodabakhsh, Iran, 2023, 13' – In competition, regional premiere Negar, a young woman with a visible scar on her cheek, begins to struggle to cover it during her engagement ceremony, tackling social norms and her identity. #violenceagainstwomen #womensissue Maryam Khodabakhsh was born in 1987 in Iran; she is a director, screenwriter, and editor. She has received 50 awards for her work. She believes that each of us has a voice, and that our mission as human beings i

di Farnoosh Abedi, Iran, 2022, 10’ – Fuori concorso, prima regionale Nel paese occupato dall’esercito degli spruzzatori, nessuno ha il diritto di crescere alcun tipo di pianta, né pubblica né privata. La maggior parte delle persone e dei soldati non sanno nemmeno come cresca una pianta o come sia fatta, finché un giorno uno dei soldati trova un seme sepolto in profondità nella polvere. Ne è molto incuriosito. È solo l’inizio di qualcosa di straordinario, qualcosa di grande, q

by Frederic Salva, Spain, 2025, 6' – Out of competition national premiere More and more often, we find ourselves caught up in conversations where immigrants are blamed for everything, and those who disagree remain silent, nodding, or smiling to avoid being noticed. This time will be different. #racism #prejudice #migrants Frederic Salva has collaborated on several social projects and short films in the fields of editing and production. In 2024, he won the Eima-Plató film comp

by Nebojsa Slijepcevic, Croatia, Bulgaria, France, Slovenia, 2024, 14' – Out of competition, regional premiere February 27, 1993, Štrpci, Bosnia and Herzegovina. A passenger train from Belgrade to Bar is stopped by paramilitary forces carrying out an ethnic cleansing operation. Of all the innocent civilians on board, only one in 500 passengers dares to oppose them. This is the true story of Tomo Buzov, the man who could not remain silent. #ethniccleansing #balkans #war Born i

by Filippo Ciccone, 20', Italy, 2024 - In competition, regional premiere A journey through four communities in Ecuador and Colombia who have chosen to radically change their lifestyles to live in harmony with nature. Through faces, everyday gestures, and lush landscapes, the film presents a possible model of sustainability, where caring for the environment becomes a collective choice and a shared dream. Yo vivo aquÍ fits into the contemporary environmental film genre, but wi

by Hamed Nobari, 1', Iran, 2024 - In competition, national preview A minute of visual poetry celebrating the wonder of childhood. Through the contrast of red and blue, the film follows a child immersed in the magic of the sea and its fish, transforming a simple gesture into a small ritual of discovery. #ecology #CinemaDArte #NatureToProtect Hamed Nobari is an Iranian director working in short films and audiovisual production. He is the founder of Elixir Image, a production a

by Farnoosh Abedi, Negar Fardiah, Iran, 2025, 25' – in competition, national premiere The unbearable lightness of the death of loved ones... There are wounds in life that eat away at you like the plague. The weight of the death of loved ones sometimes becomes so oppressive that another birth is inevitable to free oneself from it. #endoflife #parents #biology #accompanyingdeath Farnoosh Abedi was born in 1985 in Isfahan, Iran. A graduate of the Faculty of Arts and Architectur

by Marco Di Gerlando and Ludovica Gibelli, Italy, 13' - regional premiere, in competition On Holocaust Remembrance Day, a professor proposes an experiment to his class that highlights the dynamics of exclusion and responsibility. Through the students' eyes, the film questions the present and invites reflection on how the mechanisms of discrimination arise—and how to counteract them. #DayOfRemembrance #AgainstDiscrimination #CivicEducation #CollectiveResponsibility #NoToExclus

by Antoine Chapon, France, 2025, 23' – regional premiere, in competition Ten years after the demolition of the Basateen al-Razi neighborhood in Damascus, two former residents reconstruct, using their memories, what no longer exists. Through testimonies, archival materials, and the very 3D animations created by the regime to promote the new "Marota City," the film explores the violent erasure of a place and the resistance of the stories that inhabited it. A work that intertwin

by Emmanuel Rondeau, France, 2024, 24' - out of competition, regional preview Just two hours from Rome, in the wild heart of Italy, the central Apennines are home to deer, wild boar, bears, and wolves. With the return of nature, it is increasingly intertwined with the lives of the rural communities that inhabit this region. "A Story of Coexistence" explores the evolving relationship between nature and people. For those with open minds and hearts, there are surprising opportun

by Gabriele Gravagna, Italy, 2023, 15' – Out of competition Three Nigerian girls were killed in Palermo in 2011. The public will say they were just “prostitutes,” but the woman who tells us this story, looking us straight in the eye, reminds us that Loveth, Favour, and Bose were human beings. Osas Egbon is the president of the first Italian association against the exploitation of prostitution, made up entirely of Nigerian women who were former victims of trafficking. They are

by Benjamin Hindrichs 2024, 14' – Spain/Brazil/Germany | Regional premiere – in competition Lucila, an elderly indigenous healer living in the Amazon rainforest, watches the fires approach her home and community. As the threat grows, an ancient desire resurfaces, a lifelong dream, and she asks a question that is both intimate and cosmic: "What will happen when we die—me and the forest?" The film intertwines intimacy, spirituality, and the climate crisis, revealing the fragili

by Cesare Maglioni, 2025, 22, out of competition, regional preview A filmic letter a father dedicates to his newborn daughter becomes the starting point for a reflection on the future, the fragility of the planet, and the memory of women persecuted as "witches." Through poetic images and water as a recurring symbol, Maglioni intertwines intimacy and civic engagement, questioning the world we will leave to future generations. #ecology, #eco-sustainability #women'srights Cesare

by Amir Zargara, Iran, 2025, 25' – in competition, regional premiere The story follows Arash, a dedicated professional wrestler who strives to win gold medals for his country, but who ends up caught up in the turmoil of political instability and social unrest. He is faced with a choice: stand up to tyranny or pursue his personal ambitions. The film is inspired by the life of Navid Afkari, an Iranian wrestler who was executed under controversial circumstances in 2020. #activis

by Danilo Stanimirović, Serbia, 2024, 13' – in competition national premiere Miša is a quiet boy living in a Serbian immigrant neighborhood in Zurich. One day, he finds an abandoned kitten and puts it in his backpack. #deeprelationships, #affection #innerpeace Danilo Stanimirović is a young film student living in Belgrade, Serbia. He was born at the end of the 20th century in a small town, where he attended elementary and middle school. He currently studies film and digita