Director: Joe LoBianco
Writer: Eric B Sirota
Producers: Joe LoBianco, Tamra Pica
Composer: Eric B. Sirota
Country: United States
Genre: Musical, Horror, Romance, Sci-Fi, Drama
Overview: A movie musical, based on Mary Shelley's novel, about the human need for love and companionship. Having lost his mother at a young age, Victor Frankenstein seeks to end human mortality and arrogantly enters territory beyond his control. While he enjoys unconditional love from Elizabeth, he grants none to his creation.
Director Statement: In my adaption I set out to honor Mary Shelley’s novel. Some people have used the Frankenstein story to stoke fear of science and technology. But Frankenstein's Creature was not a piece of technology, but rather, a living being; and the work I wrote is about the human need for love and companionship. I came to this first from the music side, having studied music composition. Wanting to take people on emotional journeys, I knew I could do that with the music. But there are also stories I wanted to tell. Music can stir the soul and is a universal language. But when you find the words that join the music as equal partners, and in service to the story, propelling it forward in both plot and emotional arc, nothing is more creatively fulfilling. I just had to learn how to do that - which took me 36 years.
Director/Writer/Producer: YUTAKA HAGIHARA
Country: Japan
Genre: Documentary
Overview: In a world grappling with climate change, a significant and silent crisis is unfolding deep within the Amazon, impacting not only the planet's most vital ecosystem but also its most vulnerable inhabitants. "Buried Cries: Endangered Children of the Amazon" is an urgent and intimate exposé, revealing a challenging reality often overlooked by the wider world. The Amazon rainforest, the planet's largest and most vital ecosystem, faces extensive destruction. This vast South American rainforest experiences escalating environmental degradation, with profound implications for global climate change. Our team secured special permission to enter indigenous territories. There, beyond the persistent threat of illegal logging, the rapid surge in illegal gold mining is steadily impacting the land, directly contributing to a serious situation for its inhabitants. Among the children of the indigenous Munduruku tribe, severe health issues, including brain abnormalities and physical paralysis, are becoming increasingly prevalent, strongly suggesting mercury poisoning—these are the buried cries of a generation facing significant health risks. What lies at the root of this crisis? The symptoms bear a striking resemblance to Minamata disease, which once afflicted Japan, leading some to term this escalating situation "Amazon's Minamata Disease." Both indigenous communities and medical professionals are expressing growing concern, highlighting the potential link to mercury used in mining. Our film takes you deeper into the Amazon to confront the illegal gold miners directly and document the extensive nature of their operations firsthand. "Buried Cries: Endangered Children of the Amazon" endeavors to uncover the hidden reality of the impact quietly unfolding in the heart of the Amazon, giving voice to the endangered children whose futures face uncertainty.
Director Statement: I could hardly believe what I was witnessing. How could such a tragedy be unfolding in the heart of the Amazon? As I traveled upstream along the immense Amazon River in a small boat—its vastness sometimes obscuring the opposite bank in the haze—the landscape seemed to be an untouched paradise, far removed from human interference. Yet beyond this illusion of pristine wilderness, I encountered indigenous communities whose cries for help reverberated with desperation. The world’s attention has long been focused on the deforestation of the Amazon, but the environmental destruction I witnessed goes far beyond the cutting down of trees. The most alarming concern raised by the indigenous people was the unprecedented influx of illegal gold miners. Protected lands, which were supposed to remain untouched, were being devastated on a massive scale. Even more distressing, a medical team’s investigation revealed rampant cases of mercury poisoning among children, a direct consequence of the mining activities.
Director/Writer/Producer: Kiel Robinson
Country: United Kingdom
Type: Comedy, Short
Overview: Follow your dreams… No matter how stupid they may be. All the Kings horses invites you to a… “True story” about Sophia Henrietta, the Portuguese national who set her eyes on becoming the queen of England. what could possibly go wrong?
Director Statement: After studying through Raindance He now has TWO films to his name (“Missed Call”) and the Award winning "What did you say?".
Director/Writer/Producer: Susie Kim
Country: United States, United States
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Overview: When 30-year-old single Sarah realizes she's in a totally different life stage than her married BFFs, she dives headfirst into the dating pool - on a mission to find "Mr. Just Right".
Director Statement: Being a modern woman means juggling a hundred voices—social media, society, and a world that wants everything instantly. Comparison can drive insecurity and fear with thoughts like, "am I doing this wrong? Is it me?" But when it comes to love... should it really be this complicated? Sarah holds out on the hope that maybe, just maybe, the old ways—real conversations, slow moments, something honest—might still matter. Nobody has to be perfect, but just right...for you! This one is for the girlies.
Directors/Writers/Producers: Andy Broadaway, Sakura Viotto
Country: United States
Genre: Children, AI, Adventure, Animation
Overview: Get ready for a heartwarming, fun-filled adventure with Delightful Droid, the friendly AI Delightful Droid, on a mission to spread happiness, wisdom, and inspiration across the globe! From the importance of kindness and compassion to the magic of teamwork and the beauty of diversity, Delightful Droid's journey teaches essential values that will resonate with children and adults alike. Packed with vivid descriptions, humor, and memorable characters, this book sparks your child's imagination and inspires their curiosity. But the fun doesn't stop there! As Delightful Droid discovers and shares its newfound wisdom, it encourages readers to engage in meaningful conversations about the life lessons it learns. This captivating story is not only entertaining but also serves as a powerful teaching tool for parents and educators. So, buckle up and embark on a magical journey with Delightful Droid, the AI Robot with a heart of gold. Prepare to be swept away by this charming tale and discover the power of compassion, understanding, and a deep appreciation for the beauty of life.
Director: Sam Cole
Producers: Michelle Porter, Rosa Gonzalez Goring
Country: Italy
Project Type: Documentary, Short
Overview: Climate change has led to record breaking hotter temperatures across the world, but also colder temperatures too. In Mongolia herders are now trying to survive in temperatures of -40° in the winter time and + 40° in the summer. As part of IFAD's Recipe for Change series British TV chef and author Si King, best known as one half of the Hairy Bikers, went to Mongolia to learn how to cook the local dish of Buzz and find out from the farmers how they are learning to adapt to the harsh winters and hot summers.
Director Statement: “Working in sub-zero conditions provided a tough filming environment — but it was nothing compared to the extreme realities Mongolian herders face each winter just to survive. Despite the harsh landscape and their basic living conditions, they welcomed Si King and the crew with immense generosity. It was an honour to film them, to share their stories, and to experience their hospitality and food.”
Director Matthijs van Esveld
Writer Rosalie Wegman
Producers Rosalie Wegman, Richard Wegman, Marieke den Breejen - Wegman
Country: Netherlands
Project Type: Drama, Family, Mystery, Short
Overview: Yara, a 13-year-old girl, has lost her mother without being able to say goodbye. When she returns with her father to the campsite where she has been camping for years, she notices strange things at night. These things point to her old caravan. Together with her best friend Deon she starts an investigation in which she learns to accept the loss of her mother.
Director Statement: I know Rosalie as a actrice since she was 9 years old and have done many projects with her since then. When she told me about Mom's secret, I was directly touched by her script and her plan for this film. She turned her fear of losing her father and not saying goodbye into what she knew a film. This was her way to release emotions.
Director/Writer: Matija Margetić
Producer: Sude Aytekin
Country: United States
Genre: Sci-FI, Dystopian, Drama, Fantasy, Short, Student
Overview: In a colorless, dystopian future where the air outside is unbreathable, a woman yearns to experience the scent of a flower-unaware that its beauty hides a deadly secret.
Director: Vinod Manikrao
Writer: Sachin Patil
Producers: Prashant Madhukar Narode, Ganesh Ingole
Country: India
Genre: Drama, Feature
Overview: Gaav Bolavato” "The Village Calls" – Sangram leaves behind a prosperous city life to fulfill his father's one dream: to make every farmer in their village prosperous. His journey of struggle begins at home and continues until the transformation of the village is complete.
Director Statement: I was born in a village, there was not much difference between the village that existed at that time and the village now, although the feeling that the village should be improved first came to my mind, nothing happened later, this happened to me as it happened to the youth of every village. Then there needs to be a medium through which enlightenment will take place and it will be more effective. Thus, the story of the movie Gaon Bolavato was born. The film was directed keeping in mind the overall development of every person in the village, geographically, politically, socially, personally. This is not a movie, but a message to today's generation that instead of living in the city and making progress, we can also do so by living in our villages and doing justice to the society. Don't let the villages that have become deserted due to urbanization become deserted. This is the message in this movie.
Director: Shubhavi Arya
Country: United States
Project Type: Animation, Experimental, Short, Student
Overview: In a magical park, two children meet across a divide — one fast like a cheetah, the other once feared. Through questions, sketches, and a desktop of dreams, they invite us into a story of transformation, truth, and imagination. Their message is simple but powerful: Be who you are. Even if you're still figuring it out. Created by two young girls (8 and 9 years old), this story reflects their hopes for a world where differences are celebrated, mistakes don’t define you, and imagination opens the door to friendship and change. Through magical characters and a handmade digital world, they tell a story many individuals long to live — where being different means being brave, and everyone belongs.
Writer: Matty Mahoney
Country: United Kingdom
Project Type: Crime, Comedy, Short Screenplay
Overview: Cookie is a little bit too old to be hanging around with the youth from the estate. Nevertheless he's determined to become one of the lads. When he gets wind of an armed robbery they're planning, he insists on helping out - an offer which the lads will later regret accepting
Writer: Vitaliy Krut
Project Type: Feature Screenplay
Overview: When violence becomes impossible, a struggling actor and a weary detective uncover the first real murder, threatening to unravel a perfect world built on illusion.