PLUS 10K

GALA HERNANDEZ LOPEZ, FRANCE/SPAIN
30′

Pol is 21 and lives with his grandmother. He dreams of living in Miami and generating 10k€ a month. He attends personal development events, follows online coaches and invests in cryptocurrencies. Pol doesn’t know when he’ll achieve his goal of becoming the best version of himself. The only thing he knows is that one day, he’ll get there.

Director Biography

Gala Hernández López is an artist, filmmaker and researcher. Her work critically analyzes new modes of subjectivation produced by computational capitalism and has been presented at international festivals and institutions such as Cannes, Berlinale, DOK Leipzig, SEMINCI, IndieLisboa, Berlinische Galerie, Cinéma du Réel, Palais de Tokyo, Punto de Vista, Documenta Madrid, transmediale, Int. Kurzfilmtage Winterthur, FRAC Île-de-France, and the Salon de Montrouge, among others. Her film La Mécanique des fluides won the César for Best Documentary Short Film in 2024.
www.galahernandez.com

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THROUGH YOUR EYES

NELSON YEO, SINGAPORE
20′

In a discotheques stuck in the 80s, four lives intertwine as each search for connection and meaning amidst the pulsating beats
and timeless allure of an era that refuses to fade.

Director Biography

Nelson Yeo is a Singaporean director. His first feature film, Dreaming & Dying, won the Filmmakers of the Present – Golden Leopard award and Swatch First Feature Award at Locarno International Film Festival 2023. His work is marked by a distinctively poetic and thought-provoking style, blending narrative depth with visual experimentation. His short films have been selected for prestigous film festivals such as Rotterdam, Winterthur, Hamburg, Taipei Golden Horse, and Cairo. His work continues to resonate on the global stage, with projects in development winning awards at international markets.

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BLACK ASPHALT

VICTOR GRILLOT, FRANCE
24′ 39”

In the darkness of a never-ending night, Ayden and Léo, a couple driving in a car, engage in a role-playing game as driver and hitchhiker. What begins as a playful exercise gradually turns into a space where racial prejudices emerge. Ayden slowly becomes aware of these underlying issues and tries to explain them to Léo, turning their journey into a heartbreaking emotional exploration.

Director Biography

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HIPPOPOTAMI

JJ LIN, CHINA/HONG KONG
13′

In the suburbs of a northern Chinese city undergoing urbanization, a quirky girl who wants to see animals in the zoo is taken for a ride which will forever change her perspective on life.

Director Biography

After obtaining a bachelor’s degree in bioinformatics, Jianjie’s passion for deciphering human existence led him to filmmaking. He received his MFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. His short films A Visit (2015) and Gu (2017) were screened at many international film festivals. Brief History of a Family, his debut feature film, double premiered at 2024 Sundance Film Festival and Berlin International Film Festival.
His latest short Hippopotami (2024) looks at the harshness and absurdity of life through the innocent eyes of a little girl.

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IN SILENCE EVERYTING ROARS

AKAKI POPKHADZE, FRANCE
22′ 30”

Georgia. In a mountain village still governed by ancient customs, two young people, Zourab and Natia, are caught making love. The news spreads, and the situation quickly becomes uncontrollable. Desire, family, honor, and tradition are the ingredients of this ensemble film, caught between two worlds.

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RAINING GRACE

CHRYSSA FLOROU, FRANCE
10′

On a rainy day, in a confessional, a woman unexpectedly faces her past.

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