Med Selkies, 11min., UK

Directed by Kelly Ann Buckley

Med Selkies is a poetic film exploring a near-future climate crisis where land is ravaged, and a lone human drifts at sea. Succumbing to the depths, the human encounters an ancestral, aquatic force – beings who once diverged from humanity to adapt to life beneath the waves.

https://www.instagram.com/k_a_b_art_n_sound

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

~ This was an expansion of a project I did for Focal Point Gallery – a wonderful contemporary arts gallery in SouthendonSea, UK. I was lucky enough to be commissioned to create an exhibition for their FPG Sounds programme. My project – Echoes in the Fossils – was a sound-led audiovisual 5 part piece – focused on rising sea levels and lost past & imagined future soundscapes, ranging from Mesolithic to Anthropocene epochs, which touched upon futuristic polymer-human hybrids. Med Selkies was a continuation of that exploration, after Echoes in the Fossils had finished. I am interested in the Aquatic Ape theory and the idea that there may be some human cousin out there in parts of the ocean we don’t know about. Med Selkies evolved from my thinking about that, and what may happen if we are forced to return to the ocean, living with them, because of climate change. This was combined with the thinking about humans carrying micro plastics in their bodies vs the plastic eating microbes scientists are now working with. What if these grow huge, and we become the food? It’s all very mixed up thinking and dreamlike and I suppose this vibe was carried through to the film

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STAYCATION, 93min,. USA

Directed by Russell Emanuel

How is the world affected by a catastrophic event? Everyday people live through a government mandated quarantine during a global pandemic while desperate scientists race to find a cure before it’s too late.

https://russem.com/

https://www.instagram.com/russem31/

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

It was the Covid Pandemic. Everything was shut down so my late filmmaking partner Emile Haris (who unfortunately passed away during post-production in July 2023) and I went about to create a film about a pandemic against what seemed insurmountable odds (nothing was open).

From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

Emile Haris and I started with a short film called “Routine” which we filmed in April 2020 at the start of the pandemic when even SAG-AFTRA was shut down and we couldn’t go outside. So he and I took it upon ourselves to film a 5-minute proof of concept prequel called “Routine” at my condo with a non-SAG-AFTRA actress Paige Laree Poucel and we hired an amazing DC/Marvel Comics Artist Dave Beaty to “draw” the third act which took place outside and hired two amazing voice actors Bill Victor Arucan and Alan Courtright. Due to the success of this film, along with head executive producer Bill Victor Arucan (who reprised his role of ‘Rob Peterson’ from “Routine” and the Peterson name itself is a running gag in all my 6 feature films), we successfully raised the money to do “Staycation” and started filming in November 2024 when SAG-AFTRA was re-opened but with severe Covid restrictions. We then filmed piecemeal over 2 years, finally completing shooting in November 2022.

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Home, 11min., Belgium

Directed by Hanne Schillemans, Ralph Timmermans

Home is a short film about the fragility of life and the virtue of solitude. A faceless figure attempting not to resist the endless waves of pointlessness.

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

Home grew out of a shared fascination with the fragile, often uncomfortable terrain of solitude. We were both navigating a kind of existential tension: the absurdity of life, and the strange peace that can arise when one stops resisting it. The idea that everything is ultimately out of one’s control and perhaps even pointless and the realization that this, paradoxically, can be liberating. That thought, oddly enough, gave us comfort. The film became a way to give form to that feeling.

From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

It’s hard to say exactly when the idea began. We think Home found us during a hike through desolate nature, when we unexpectedly came upon an empty house. It felt like stumbling into the middle of a concept. We didn’t plan it, we just recognized it. From that moment to the final cut, the process took about 18 months. Much of that time was spent letting the idea unfold, allowing it to simmer before taking shape.

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La Ghostification, USA, Musical

Directed by Lena Glikson

A surreal and symbolic journey through the inner world of a girl processing abandonment and emotional distress. Through haunting imagery — from mirrored selves red to threads like tears and disturbed dancing — the video explores the psychological aftermath of being ghosted. Set to a dark, emotionally charged track, the visuals blur the line between dream and nightmare, revealing a desperate attempt to communicate with someone who has vanished without a trace.

https://www.instagram.com/lena_glikson_mx/

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

I was going through a very dark and isolating period in my life, where I felt completely abandoned. As a musician, creating music has always been a natural form of healing for me. I wrote, produced, and recorded the song as a way to process those emotions—but it didn’t feel complete. Since I spend most of my professional life shaping music for films as a film and TV music editor, it felt instinctive to add a visual layer to the storytelling. That’s how the music video for La Ghostification was born.

From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

It took around two and a half months to complete the project, with most of that time spent in pre-production. I initially planned for just one shoot day in a photo studio, but during the editing process I realized we needed more footage to fully support the visual story—so we went back and shot additional material.Since I normally edit music to picture, it was exciting (and intense) to work the other way around—editing picture to music. I’m incredibly grateful to my editor and cinematographer, Eduard Asaturov, who trusted me and gave me the space to be as detailed and specific as I needed to be.

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Bay for Blood, 18min., USA

Directed by Harry Waldman

James and Rob are hiding out in isolation to fix their mutual issues. As time progresses, the two reveal facts regarding their disturbing past relationship. An acquaintance of James’, Jessica, finds herself in an uncomfortable position as she contemplates the best way to handle the situation.

https://www.instagram.com/hwaldman18/

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

-I had a pretty toxic relationship with a friend in high school. He pretended to be my friend, but seemed to enjoy watching me suffer more than anything. His behavior around me was very fickle, sometimes being really kind to me, and at other times, being the complete opposite. I felt that I needed to get this story off of my chest, which has been very cathartic.

James is actually very loosely based on myself at my worst moments. Of course, I don’t condone anything he does throughout the film and have never hurt anyone the way he hurts Rob and Jessica, but I empathize (even though I also fear and despise him) with the character in that he feels that he is always being let down by those around him. In general, I believe that creating complex characters often requires giving them flaws that can make them unlikeable at times, and I always do my best to try to walk in the shoes of the anti-hero or villain in order to portray them in a more genuine manner.

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SILENT TOKEN, 14min., USA

Directed by Camilla Della Vecchia

When Sonia, a descendant of a secretive law enforcement group becomes the target of a ruthless enemy from the past, she must uncover the truth about her family’s legacy. Guarded by the fiercely loyal protector Michael Stone and the powerful coin that she inherited. As danger closes in she must decide whether to stay hidden or embrace her destiny in the fight against corruption.

https://www.instagram.com/silent_token_film

Get to know the filmmaker:

I’ve worked in the film industry for the last 6 years, and for the last few years I’ve been working full time on a popular widely watched syndicated tv show. That experience inspired me to create a character and develop a short film with a compelling story of my own.

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INTERWOVEN, 24min., USA

Directed by Dawn Carpenter

In the wake of the textile industry’s decline, a community in North Carolina fights to reclaim its economic future through innovative worker-owned cooperatives and sustainable practices, transforming the remnants of their industrial past into a beacon of hope and resilience for future generations.

http://www.interwoven-film.com/

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-interwoven

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UNTIL DEATH DO US PART, 15min., USA

Directed by Joseph Kandov

A wife’s dark secret unravels late one night, binding her husband to an intense conversation that may take a turn for the worst.

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

I thought of the opening scene first. It sort of came to me, and I thought it was a killer opening for a story, but I wasn’t sure what I’d use it for at that moment, be it a feature or short film, an episode of a series, ect. I just knew I had an awesome opening that could be used for something, so I wrote it down and put it away until I figured out what to do with it. Over time, as I went back to it and thought about where the opening could go, how it could be used, ect. I had more ideas come to me such as the ending. And after I had the opening and ending figured out, I knew it could be something special, and decided that a short film format for the story would best for the time being, with the potential to become a feature length should the story garner significant interest from audiences. From there, I slowly but surely fleshed out the remainder of the story that would connect the opening and closing scenes.

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FLÜGGE, 25min., Germany

Directed by Leopold Schraudolph, Dani Rose Cortés

In an Austrian mountain village in 1914, the determined Amelie (20) must defy her father’s wishes of running the family sewing business to pursue her own dreams of flight and seize her only chance at finding true freedom.

Get to know filmmaker Finn-Oliver Walter

The motivation behind “FLÜGGE” came from a deep-seated fascination with aviation and a desire to highlight the largely untold stories of female pioneers in early aviation. Growing up with a pilot father, Leopold’s (Writer, Director, Producer) bedtime stories were filled with epic adventures of heroic aviators. However, Amelia Earhart was the only female aviator represented in these stories. This realization inspired him to explore and celebrate the rich yet vastly underrepresented legacy of women aviators. Through Amelie’s journey – a fictional tale inspired by real-life trailblazers – we aim to shed light on their incredible contributions and the timeless themes of dreams, freedom, and emancipation.

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Beat Keepers: The Next Chapter, 43min., Canada

Directed by Cindy Goldberg

A powerful and inspiring documentary that follows a group of talented female drummers as they unite for a life-changing three-day retreat in Dallas, Texas. Through the raw energy of rhythm, unwavering mutual support, and a shared passion for music, these women forge deep, lasting connections and celebrate the transformative power of music to heal, empower, and unite.

https://beat-keepers.com/

https://www.instagram.com/cindygoldbergdrummer

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-beat-keepers

Get to know the filmmaker;

What motivated you to make this film?

I wanted to spotlight female drummers—many of whom are breast cancer survivors—who lift each other up through rhythm and resilience. Their stories deserved a stage, and I wanted to give them one.

From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

Just under a year. It’s a sequel to my 2019 film, building on that foundation with a new chapter, new faces, and a deeper focus on community.

How would you describe your film in two words!?

Bold. Uplifting.

What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

Staying true to a tight indie budget.

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