Cast: Sunny Pang, Serena Sim
Cinematography: Haruld Goh
Editing: Spencer Boey, Yong
Sound and Music: Jerry Teo
Producer: Adriane Lee
Written and Directed by: Craig Rosenthal

SYNOPSIS
A first time robber holds up a convenience store with hilarious consequences.

THE FILMMAKER
“The Trainee” is the first short film by writer/director Craig Rosenthal. His other films are considerably shorter because he pays his rent working in an advertising agency writing 30 second television commercials.

Cast: Nedumudi Venu, Vinita Vishwanath, Sudeep K.G. Vivek, Shreya
Cinematography: Ranganath Babu
Editing: Baiju Kurup
Sound: Godly Timo Koshy
Music: John P. Varkey
Screenplay: Priya A. S, Sanju Surendran
Producer: Film and TV Institute of India
Directed by: Sanju Surendran

SYNOPSIS
When moving house, a father’s mind is in a mysterious state. His daughter’s face keeps flashing before him. Her life plays and laughs in his mind. At first the stories about his daughter are not believable. Then when he reads her diary…

THE FILMMAKER
Born in 1980, Sanju Surendran majored in Zoology. He participated in film clubs and documentary film making before joining the Film & TV Institute of India. Surendran graduated in film direction in 2007.

Voice Talents: Adel Kerpely, Hyejin Kwon, JiHyun Ahn, Kuni Chang
Animation: JiHyun Ahn
Editing and Sound: JiHyun Ahn
Screenplay: JiHyun Ahn
Directed and Producer: JiHyun Ahn

SYNOPSIS
A car accident forces a family to commit a crime against human morality. But no one blames them because they have their own circumstances.

THE FILMMAKER
JiHyun Ahn was born in Seoul in 1980, and spent her childhood in Japan where she was exposed to many unique animation films. She studied architecture and interior design at Yonsei University in Korea. During her school, spending more time on manipulating 2-D and 3-D graphic programs, her interests shifted towards computer graphics, leading her to flash and video animation studies at the School of Visual Arts in New York. JiHyun recently graduated with a Masters degree, and has endeavoured to create animation projects that are reflective of her quirky imagination.

Cast: Jeannette Gaussi
Cinematography: Kaya Behkalam
Editing: Kaya Behkalam, Jeannette Gaussi
Sound: Kaya Behkalam
Screenplay: Jeannette Gaussi
Produced and Directed by: Jeannette Gaussi

SYNOPSIS
The only existing evidence of the protagonist’s early childhood are twenty pictures. In staged cinematographic rituals, she tries to close the gap by finding herself in these pictures.

THE FILMMAKER
Jeannette Gaussi was born in 1973 in Kabul, Afghanistan. She studied at the University of Applied Sciences Berlin-Potsdam (FH-Potsdam), and then freelanced as Art Director in Berlin, Bombay and London. Gaussi has also worked on several film and art projects, and has been a curator in Berlin and Bombay.

Cinematography: Farhan Hafeez
Editing: Ali Kapadia
Voice: Zia Mohiyuddin
Musical Score: Ali Kapadia
Screenplay: Ali Kapadia
Producer: Jami
Directed by: Ali Kapadia

SYNOPSIS
The film is based on a Faiz Ahmed Faiz poem. The poem refers to the state of mind in a time of struggle. The project was created in reaction to what we, as Pakistanis, have gone through in the past few years.

THE FILMMAKER
Ali Kapadia is an aspiring filmmaker who hails from a core information technology background. He began his career as a graphic designer, and later progressed to computer programming and system engineering. Ali won the national multimedia championship in 2003 and again in 2004 (at GIKI – interactive media category). In 2005 he made Pakistan’s first stop motion animation music video. He now lives and works in San Francisco as a product manager for a Silicon Valley based Tech Company.

Cast: Aureo Gomez, Patricia Cercas, Oscar Alvarez, Cristina Lanza Cinematography: Emiliano Llamosas
Editing: Pedro Diaz
Sound: Martin Qesku
Music: Santander Moldavian Band, Alex Haynes, Raphael
Producer: Rafael Nieto
Written and Directed by: Arantzazu Gomez Bayon

SYNOPSIS
Estrella guides viewers through a colourful journey through different episodes of her young life. “A Quiet Man” celebrates life, culture, memory and imagination.

THE FILMMAKER
Arantzazu Gomez Bayon’s interest in filmmaking developed from her earlier acting and photography experiences. While studying film and video in London, she was involved in numerous short films as writer, camera person, editor, and director. “Un Hombre Tranquilo” is Bayon’s second film. Her first film “The Saint Has Lost Her Patience” won the Nahemi-Kodak Prize for Creative Filmmaking in 2002, and was selected for several international film festivals.

Cast: Carlo D’Ursi, Stefania Orsola Garello, Asier Etxeandia
Cinematography: Gian Enrico Bianchi
Editing: Abel Gomez
Sound: Alesandro Bianchi
Music: Francesco Cerasi
Producer: Carlo D’ Ursi
Written and Directed by: Andres Koppel

SYNOPSIS
Inside the European Union people will need much more than simply sharing the same currency if they are to feel like brothers and sons of a common mother, Europe.

THE FILMMAKER
Andres Koppel was born in Freiburg, Germany, in 1964. He studied audiovisual science in Madrid and film direction and screenwriting at UCLA (USA). Among other films, he has written “Intacto”, “Twelfth Night” and “Real: the official movie from Real Madrid.” He is the director of the short film “La Raya” (1997). “Union Europea” is his fourth short film.

Cast: Sukanya Sanyal, Aditi Tondon, Rajesh Gupta, Honey Chhaya, Alaknanda Roy.
Cinematography: Neeraj Sahay
Editing: Arindam Ghatak
Sound: Sanjay Kurian
Musical Score: Mangesh Dhakde
Screenplay: Ruchi Pugalia
Producer: Uttam Pugalia
Directed by: Ruchi Pugalia

SYNOPSIS
The film explores the evolving relationship between a grandmother and her grandchild as they start looking at each other as individual women with independent identities. The two characters also go through personal transformations in order to cope with the different milieus that they belong to.

THE FILMMAKER
Ruchi Pugalia graduated in visual communication (film and video) from the National Institute of Design. She has directed a short film, “Is Pal”, and has worked in different capacities on 3 feature films: “Mixed Doubles” (Rajat Kapoor), “The Namesake” (Mira Nair) and “Bheja Fry” (Sagar Ballary).

Cast: Bhuvanesh Shetty, Rasika Dugal, Balibhadra Bhatt, Namit Das, Deepak Chauhan.
Cinematography: Daniela Paasch
Editing: Amber Bemak, Anushka Shivdasani Rovshen
Produced and Directed by: Anushka Shivdasani Rovshen

SYNOPSIS
This film is about two people with different ideologies trying to come together. Naveen, who works for a religious publisher and wears many rings, moves into a strange new neighbourhood where he meets Sonali. As he settles into the neighbourhood and becomes content with daily life, the gods grow jealous. Every ring he wears is meant to protect him from a fear, but they are now becoming an obstacle for him. He is warned by an astrologer that Sonali will upset his belief system. The story explores themes of astrological superstition and destiny.

THE FILMMAKER
”Us Paar” was funded by the Gelman Fellowship Grant. Anushka has also directed another short film, “A.M.” Both films have been screened at the Gene Siskel Film Centre, Chicago and at various international film festivals. Anushka teaches video at Sophia Polytechnic College, and is currently working as a line producer with Dungarpur Films.

Cast: Texma Blasco, Mikel Albisu, Mia Dancey, Christine Massa, Paula Klein, Jerome Veyhl
Cinematography: Noah Pankow
Editing: Khaled Salem
Sound: Jorge Corral
Musical Score: Eduardo Arbide
Screenplay: Eduardo H. Garza
Producer: Sylvia Vivanco
Directed by: Eduardo H. Garza

SYNOPSIS
Two stories that intersect with the rain: a little girl that faces autumn for the first time in a different country and struggles to cure the supposed sickness of the plants and two old friends that live in an old folks home and want to complete their list titled: “100 things to do before we die.” A reflection of life that discovers that death is not found in the completion of life but in forgetfulness.

THE FILMMAKER
Eduardo was born in Monterrey, Mexico, in 1978. Striving to mix poetry and narrative, Eduardo entered the advertising industry in Mexico. He served as an assistant director on several feature films including, “Veritas”, “The Prince of Truth”, and “Cielito Lindo.” He then pursued a masters degree in the fine arts with a focus on filmmaking in Paris, France. “Vert D’ Automne” is his second and latest short film where his ambition of uniting narrative filmmaking and poetry is achieved.

Cinematography: José Antonio Muñoz (Molina)
Art Director: Daniel Reguilón
Sound: Bruno Borbolla
Music: José A. Pérez , Javier Romanos
Producer: Never Land Films
Directed by: Carlos Talamanca

SYNOPSIS
Victor is a 9 year old boy who dreams about bringing his dead father back to life by replacing his vital organs with parts of an old motocycle, “Victor and the Machine” merges fantasy with reality to tell a story about the power of dreams.

THE FILMMAKER
Born in 1978, Carlos Talamanca graduated in cinema (specializing in screenwriting) at TAI School in Madrid, and is now studying film media studies at Complutense University, where he has been granted a diploma of excellency.

Cinematography: Aage Hollander
Editing: Jelmar Hufen, Marco Mocking
Sound: Niels Den Otter
Music: Maarten Spruijt
Producers: Jelmar Hufen, Christoph Koelemeijer
Written and Directed by: Jelmar Hufen

SYNOPSIS
Two aggressive drunks kick four ten-year-olds out of their favourite playground. When they realise their parents are not going to help them, there’s only one solution: they have to find a way to get the toughest boy in the neighbourhood to help them.

THE FILMMAKER
While working as assistant on various jobs in the Dutch film industry, Jelmar Hufen saved for his own film project. In 2005, with his savings and the help of some generous movie companies he began filming “Voor Een Paar Knickers Meer.” In September 2006 the film premiered at the Netherlands Film Festival. Currently the film is travelling the world. As a result of his successful debut, Hufen is currently working as a commercial director in the Netherlands.

Cast: Tom Schilling, Manfred Zapatka, Dietrich Hollinderbaumer, Marijam Agischewa
Cinematography: Sebastian Lempe
Editing: Christoph Strothjohann
Sound: Philipp Schafer
Music: Element of Crime
Screenplay: Marek Helsner
Producer: Valentin Greulich
Directed by: Timon Modersohn

SYNOPSIS
Wigald is just about to commit suicide when his father walks in. Oblivious to his son’s emotional state, the father begins discussing his own issues, seeking sympathy from Wigald.

THE FILMMAKER
Timon Modersohn was born in 1978, and studied psychology at the University of Berlin. Since 2000 he worked as assistant director on several film projects and commercial shoots. Modersohn has been studying film at the German Film and Television Academy (DFFB) since 2003.

Cast: Kais Nashif Shmil Ben Ari
Cinematography: Shai Peleg
Editing: Boaz Heller
Voice: Andreas Kongsgaard Mogensen
Musical Score: Roi Erez
Screenplay: Eli Azuri and A Bodin Saphir
Producer: Baher Agbaria, Ren Ezra, A Bodin Saphir
Directed by: A Bodin Saphir

SYNOPSIS
Two fierce enemy combatants, Shmil Ben Ari (“Nina’s tragedies & co”, “See and become”) and Kais Nashif (“Paradise now”), who are embroiled in a nameless war, find themselves stranded together in a desert. They become locked in a continuous spiral of violence, hatred and regret. As the two worlds collide, the brutal realities of war are explored and laid bare by two men who don’t want to be there.

THE FILMMAKER
A. Bodin Saphir is a Dane who was educated in England. He spent a year working and living in Israel before gaining a BA honors in neurophilosophy from Duke University, North Carolina and studying experimental and avant garde film at University of California, Berkeley. After working for a year in the Danish film industry, he went back to study and received an MA in scriptwriting from Goldsmiths College in London. From 2005 onwards, he has worked on short films, music videos, theatre and still photography in London.

Cast: Krzysztof Czeczot, Joanna Janiszewska, Lukasz Sikora
Cinematography: Tomasz Woznuczka
Editing: Danirl Gasiorowski
Voice: Zofia Kucharska, Kowlaik and Daniel Gasiorwski
Screenplay: Kuba Czekaj
Producer: Kinga Klusak
Directed by: Kuba Czekaj

SYNOPSIS
Malina and Zurek spend their time making silly movies on a cell phone. One day they become witness to a crime and their lives change rapidly. Another character, a boy called Milky, cannot get better after his mother’s death. Much to his displeasure, Milky’s father tries to find another woman to replace his mother. These characters’ lives overlap one night and together they begin a mysterious journey.

THE FILMMAKER
Kuba Czekai was born in Wiroclaw, Poland in 1984. Kuba attended film/ TV school in Wroclaw and is a graduate student of direction at the Radio and Television Department in Katowice, Poland. Kuba has made a number of short films and documentaries.