Showcase of the best FAMILY Films from around the world today.
Playing on the Film Festival streaming service on June 19th and 20th.
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See the Full Lineup of Films:
HORIZONTES, 2min., Argentina
Directed by Ileana Andrea Gomez Gavinoser
BIRD SEARCHS HORIZONS
CLARITY, 6min,. USA
Directed by Bryce Mackie
The struggle of addiction. The healing in recovery.
LULLABY OF UKRAINE, 3min,. Ukraine
Directed by Alexander Sparinsky
Dedicated to the Children of Ukraine, victims of the brutal Russian invasion… Let everyone ask themselves and the leaders of their countries: what else has to happen, what arguments are needed that Ukraine is finally given the necessary military aid for Victory?
WEIRDOS, 6min,. USA
Directed by Paul Hollingsworth
What if Jasmine and her middle school frenemies are humanity’s best chance at stopping a Monster invasion?
DEATH PENALTY, 11min., Sweden
Directed by Adrian B. Morina
The ultimate wish of the convicted criminal, which shook everyone in the courtroom, in anticipation of the execution, asked as his last wish that the letter was handed over to his mother. The letter read:
MOBILITY RIGHTS, 20min., USA
Directed by Changhee Chun
Mobility Rights is a poetic visual examination of disabled people’s struggle in South Korea. It portrays the disabled fights being seen after decades of being denied basic rights. As an observation of the daily lives of the disabled and their fights, the film allows the audiences to not only relate to the struggle towards basic rights the disabled endure, but also reflect on their own pursuit of rights and happiness. This film highlights the experiences and challenges that they face from the general public, despite Korea’s emphasis on being a communal society.
GRANDMA PERM, 17min., USA
Directed by Changhee Chun
A personal journey to find mother’s love through this unique and popular hairstyle called “Grandma Perm” in Korea
CAMELLIA FLOWERS, 27min., USA
Directed by Changhee Chun
Using historical texts and real life accounts of victims of the tragedy, “Camellia Flowers” is a short documentary about the Jeju Uprising or the Jeju 4.3 Incident that took place from March 1st, 1947 to September 21st, 1954. Over the course of those 7 years, thousands of lives were lost and even more were impacted. With resilience and perseverance, the people of Jeju heal their community together while asking for apologies from those who were in power at the time of the incident.
EL JINETE AZUL, 4min,. Argentina
Directed by Ileana Gómez
THE CHILD GROWS AND LEARNS TO FACE HIS DIFFICULTIES
Proud to showcase these amazing films to for the 2024 FAMILY Film Festival. Over 1000 films were submitted. This is an exclusive lineup of the best short films in the world today.
AUDIENCE AWARDS:
Best Animation Film: SPIRIT OF SWEETNESS Best Black & White Film: DIVISION Best Comedy Film: CLOWN CORNER Best Coming of Age Film: ZIBAH Best Direction: BROKEN WHISPERS Best Documentary Film: MIDWEST ICE AGE! Best Drama Film: OF ENDINGS AND BEGINNINGS Best Educational Film: ASTRONOMY GASTRONOMY Best Environmental Film: THE FOREST OF THE HONEY BEES Best Experimental Film: SECOND NOZZE IN DRESDEN Best Family Film: VAARASA Best Family Animation: SOPIROCOS, CUCURINOS AND PIRICUACOS Best Fantasy Film: TOY Best Father/Daughter Film: FAVOR Best Feature Film: CANDELA Best Hand Drawn Animation: DREAM FROM BEYOND Best Historical Film: HOANG THE PAPER BOY Best LGBTQ+ Film: ON SUNDAYS Best Long Form Short Film: WHO KILLED MR. MOSS? Best Micro-Short: YUN YUN Best Mother/Daughter Film: DEAR DAUGHTER Best New Media Film: THE POOR KID Best Performances: L´IRA TUA Best Period Piece: LA DER DES DER Best Quest Film: MOON UNDER MY FEET Best Relationship Film: HAPPY BIRTHDAY Best Sci-Fi Film: METAVERSE Best Silent Film: LAW Best Social Media Film: EXIT Best Stop Motion Animation: MAGIC DOG Best Story: MALCRIADA // IMPOLITE Best Student Film: WETSITALES: APONIBOLINAYEN AND THE SUN Best Sound & Music: FLAGS Best Suspense Film: FROM KHOVRINO Best Teen Film: SHAMSHAAN Best Thriller Film: NOTHING WILL HAPPEN TO YOU
March 23rd – FAMILY SHORTS – RELATIONSHIPS
LA DER DES DER, 8min., France Directed by Patrice Guillain «If the last surviving soldier of the first World War wanted to get rid of the terrible burden that kept him alive … his name would be Simon Rosenberg.»
TOY, 11min., Greece Directed by Natasha Smyrnaiou New Years Eve. Nikos is looking for a New Year’s gift for his godchild in a toy store with a strange salesman. During his stay there, he evoked memories of his own childhood. He finally gets a toy, but not what he thinks..
DIVISION, 5min,. Poland Directed by Joanna Krochmalska It is a black comedy about a certain marriage. Unexpectedly, the man finds a divorce petition in the letterbox. He does not believe his eyes.
NOTHING WILL HAPPEN TO YOU, 20min., Spain Directed by Estela del Carmen Ada and Dani are two teenagers who fall in love. Everything is perfect, until an event changes Ada’s mind.
OF ENDINGS AND BEGINNINGS, 22min., Germany Directed by Till Gombert When Nina and Ulrich help their son Linus with his move, they observe his increasing autonomy. Surprised by some changes, the parents try to reconcile the new with the image of their son.
March 24th – FAMILY SHORTS – DRAMA
METAVERSE, 10min., Spain Directed by Rodrigo Canet Criado Year 2033. Adam is boxing through his virtual reality headset until he leaves the coverage area in an over-digitized and controlled world. Then, his senses connects him to a different and perhaps lasting reality.
L´IRA TUA, 17min., Germany Directed by Claudio D´Attis During the 2nd World War in South Italy, the farmer Celestino escapes with the americans, leaving alone his lover Grazia against an invisible enemy…
SECOND NOZZE IN DRESDEN, 18min., Italy Directed by Claudio D´Attis Dresden XVIII century. Masks were a social decoration in the ancient times, masks actually are a social distance obligation. After her big love Emilio Guarini (an important duke from Apulia, South of Italy), Miss Maria Paladini wants to stay at home… Her two sisters with the help of father Luis will find for her a new husband: the good looking prince of Spain…
SPIRIT OF SWEETNESS, 18min., Poland Directed by Malgorzata Szyszka, Ma?gorzata Arszennik My dear children, this is the sweetest, most colorful and at the same time the truest of all fairy tales ever created and which you will hear in a moment. Do not believe adults when they say that fairy tales lie also do not believe that grandfather and grandmother get bored on autumn-winter evenings and come up with uncreated stories that they later tell their children.
THE FOREST OF THE HONEY BEES, 20min., France Directed by Erwan Le Gal Isabelle is a violinist-beekeeper in the Ouessant island. She protect her bees and she inspire her daughter with stories and legend about honey bees….
March 25th – FAMILY SHORTS SHOWCASE
CLOWN CORNER, 15min., Australia Directed by Stephen Richardson A fun-filled ‘slice of life’ mockumentary that reveals the hidden world of the Clown People for the first time. http://www.clowncorner.uk/
HOANG THE PAPER BOY, 10min,. USA Directed by Ly Bolia Hoang a country boy uses his paper folding skills to prove his worth to the Princess Thy Mai.
ON SUNDAYS, 8min., Brazil Directed by Olavo Junior Domingos, an elderly man with fragile health, follows his solitary routine on a Sunday afternoon, until he receives a visit from a love from the past.
MIDWEST ICE AGE!, 8min,. USA Directed by Douglas J. Corcoran A Midwest man faces challenges as he realizes his dream of creating an ice carving company that produces spectacular art while helping to bring communities closer together.
MALCRIADA // IMPOLITE, 7min., Argentina Directed by Florencia Calcagno ESP// Magalí se sumerge en un viaje astral para aprender a valerse por sí misma. “Malcriada” forma parte de la trilogía “Amor Animal”, junto a “Otro Hermano” y “Reina”. En esta serie, se abordan distintas facetas del amor y la soledad encarnado en tres mujeres distintas, cada una representada por un animal totémico.
DEAR DAUGHTER, 7min., USA Directed by Rob Underhill, Vanessa Neff A mother’s tribute to her daughter and a reflection on how the love for her evolved throughout the years.
WHO KILLED MR. MOSS?, 26min., Australia Directed by Ben Whimpey In a world of 10-13 year-old children, who all have cars, jobs, motives, fancy hats and handlebar moustaches, we meet Detective Donahue, a cool yet daring protagonist, who solves classic crimes of the jazz era. In this classic ‘who dun it?’ Donohue committed by a cast of dangerous bad guys. But Donahue isn’t a badge-wearing, donut-eating police detective. She’s a lock-picking, pipe-smoking private investigator. If the job pays, she’ll take it. In this episode Mr Moss has been murdered and she needs to work out who from all the suspicious subjects in the mansion did the dirty deed.
SOPIROCOS, CUCURINOS AND PIRICUACOS, 6min., Argentina Directed by Ileana Andrea Gomez Gavinoser SOPIROCOS, CUCURINOS AND PIRICUACOS COME AND GO
FROM KHOVRINO, 8min,. Russia Directed by Daria Elena Dashunina At night in Moscow a little girl Dana is rushing home through dark alleyways. She’s being chased by a suspicious-looking man. hen he finally catches up with her, it turns out he wants to make a gift for a girl, about which she had dreamed of for many years. But their meeting prepares surprises. The thriller develops into a social drama and both become victims.
BROKEN WHISPERS, 63min., Syrian Arab Republic Directed by Amir Athar Soheili, Amir Masoud Soheili Weary of the creative process, an old painter fixes a broken instrument he finds in the rubble. When his students go around looking for someone who can play the instrument, they meet other artists bearing the scars of war.
CANDELA, 95min., Spain Directed by Manuel Camacho Bea is an immature 16 year old teenager who lives with her mother in a suburb of a large city. Bea just enjoys life and she has fun with her best friend Sandra. No matter what happens around her. But one day will appear a 7 year old mysterious girl called Candela. Thereafter Bea’s life will change, beginning a process of maturity, while a strong relationship between the two states. But, who is Candela?
DREAM FROM BEYOND, 4min., Albania Directed by ARMAND BORA, BERTRAND SHIJAKU THE CITY NEEDS TO SLEEP BUT THE ACOUSTIC POLLUTION DOES NOT ALLOW IT
FLAGS, 4min., UK Directed by Richard Anthony Dunford Two flags are about to be hoisted for the very first time. One flag is super excited. The other is scared of heights.
EXIT, 3min., India Directed by Komalankutty Methil Social media is often an exit from existing social relations.
LAW, 3min., Serbia Directed by Nenad Teofilovic The pathway to the peace and truth leads through persecution of law and justice. Only ones with a pure soul will persists on that vicious turnpike.
YUN YUN, 2min., Canada Directed by Emily Ma Yun Yun (??) eats dinner with her family every night. When she goes to live on her own, the realization dawns on her that eating alone can be lonely.
THE POOR KID, 1min,. UK Written by Badradeen Mohammed It’s about the importance of education.
March 29th – ASIA FESTIVAL
FAVOR, 20min., South Korea Directed by Sun Woo Kim When mother had some problems and left home, Seonwoo comes back home to take care of his father. Father asks Seonwoo three favors during his stay.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, 12min., South Korea Directed by Ahn Sangwook Soocheol tries to give a birthday party which he couldn’t do when he was alive for his wife Heeyeon with his 10 yearold daughter, Arin’s help.
MOON UNDER MY FEET, 20min., Philippines Directed by Richard Soriano Legaspi After years of imprisonment abroad for a crime he did not commit, Lino finally returns to his small town. He hopes to relive his lost dreams and bring back everything that was taken away from him. With his red suitcase filled with misery and uncertainty, he reunites with his past. Revisiting what he left behind, he discovers that life went on without him. As he tries to fill the emptiness, he realizes that he is now the void.
WETSITALES: APONIBOLINAYEN AND THE SUN, 12min., Philippines Directed by Jade Dandan Evangelista Aponibolinayen is a lovely maiden who went into an unplanned trip to the heavens and met the man of her life, Ini-init. An enchanted adventure mixed with culture and traditions of the Tinguian Tribe. Based on a Philippine Folk Tale.
VAARASA, 20min., India Directed by Manoj Naiksatam Babu is running his ancestral business of making lord Ganesh’s idols in rural area of Konkan. As Ganesh festival is about to arrive, he is busy in making idols and his both daughters are supporting him with great enthusiasm.
ZIBAH, 28min., India Directed by Arunjit Borah Erem is a free spirited college student who dreams of winning a dance competition, taking the medical exam and building her career; but her closest kin, including her grandmother Shagufta and father Ali are adamant to marry her off to a London based banker, proposed by their close acquaintance Maulana with a condition. A condition that shrieks for the pain and humiliation of generations, Allen has to be “pure”.
SHAMSHAAN, 18min., India Directed by Bittu Kumar A wish to study takes life. 14 year old child widow Lachi want to study but she got forcefully married again and she has to pay her life in order to wish of study.
Mystic, prophet, healer, love-god – Grigori Rasputin’s unique talents bring him to St. Petersburg’s luxurious Winter Palace to heal the dying Prince Alexei, heir to the throne, in the waning days of Tsarist rule. When Rasputin succeeds, he becomes spiritual aid to the royal family, and infamous national celebrity to a public that is becoming increasingly critical of its rulers. Rasputin’s hedonistic desires, and the negative attention he draws to the ruling order, is upsetting to a certain faction of the nobility, who plot to kill him in an effort to restore the clean image of the Russian royalty, and to maintain their power in a time of revolutionary crisis. Rasputin’s prophesy that his murder by Royalty proves true, leading to the destruction of the Tsar and his dynasty. This is a dark historical comedy about the first tabloid star Grigori Rasputin … told with puppets.
High Calorie is a tale about a very fat boy ‘Meftun’ who lives with his grandmom in Istanbul. Due to his obesity, some people have prejudices towards him. However, he is happy and at peace with himself. One day he meets a girl named Sahika on the internet. Although Meftun show his face and body, Sahika hides her face on the webcam. She stipulates that she will show her face fully, in case Meftun loses a great deal of weight. Therefore, Meftun starts a diet and does a lot of physical exercises in order to get the deal through. During this slimming process, Meftun experiences some funny and touching occasions. He often visualizes Sahika’s face while he’s running. Due to some bad incidents, he takes guard against Sahika and forces her to reveal her face from then on.
Diana Losen graduated with her MFA in Writing for the Screen and Stage from Northwestern University in June 2016. Immediately after graduating, Diana acted in A Red Orchid’s production of Sick by Seven and was named a 2016 Academy Awards Nicholls Fellowship semifinalist for her screenplay The Brief & Brilliant Reign of Billy Tread. She went on to produce the world premiere of the play Taught by Mercedes Lake at the American Theater of Actors in New York City. Priest to Priest is her first short film.
Director Statement
I write and direct coming-of-age screenplays and teleplays navigated by protagonists who wield humor like a weapon as they fight to survive, find purpose, and grow up. I craft worlds that mirror our own but also veer off into the fantastical, using supernatural situations to provide escape and metaphor. My stories emphasize the value of the unconventional families we create for ourselves and explore the darker side of young love with romances of the forbidden or doomed variety. I’m interested in examining The Big Things such as meaning and our human obsession with it, the kaleidoscope of identity, and what sets us free. I write stories that capture the strangeness of adolescence, the melancholy of childhood, and the irony of adulthood.
LOGLINE: A nine-year-old priest seeks a mentor to help him defeat the antichrist, a devious middle-school bully.
SYNOPSIS:
Billy Tread (9) delivers a passionate prayer and is overheard by the unconventional, wise Father Williams. Billy introduces himself to Father Williams as a fellow priest but before he can ask for his counsel in defeating the antichrist (Axel Greene, grade 7) he must listen to Father William’s strange confession.
He scores goals like Ronaldo. Though reading out loud or writing doesn’t work as well. But as shy Noah falls in love with a girl, neither nimble feet nor a quick tongue matter and the key to fortune is something else: patience.
The prompt for this film was “ever since that day, things will never be the same”. The story of a girl, Julia, and her grandfather. Julia grows up with a fierce bond with her grandfather, and as she gets older, so does he – and his memory is disappearing. One day he sees Julia as a complete stranger, and that devastates her, and must learn how to cope the best way she can.
FESTIVAL for FAMILY 