Encounters Film Festival
DIGITAL EDITION FUNDERS
September 18-2020 October 11-2020
SPONSORS
WELCOME Digital Edition 2020
FUNDERS AND SPONSORS
FUNDERS
www.encounters.film
SPONSORS
WITH SUPPORT FROM
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MEDIA PARTNER
WELCOME Encounters Film Festival Awards .............................. 6 Juries 2020 ........................................................................... 8 Animated Encounters Programmer........................ 14 Brief Encounters Programmer................................... 15
CONTENTS
CONTENTS
IN COMPETITION A-Z In Competition Programmes ...............................18
DEPICT Depict Main ........................................................................ 72 Lockdown Depict ............................................................ 80
A Life On Earth.................................................................. 88 ACCRA Animation Festival ........................................ 89 Afrika Eye Presents ...................................................... 102 Bristol Palestine Film Festival ................................ 105 Depict Georgia ............................................................... 107 EFA Short Film Awards ................................................. 114 European Short Film ..................................................... 119 Galway Lockdown .......................................................... 122 Green Ray Film Agency .............................................. 124 IRIS Prize ............................................................................. 126 NAHEMI .............................................................................. 128 Oska Bright ..................................................................... 133 Queer Vision ..................................................................... 136 Uncertain Kingdom Vol. I & II ................................... 139
Digital Edition 2020
OUT OF COMPETITION
EXTRAS Acknowledgements & Thanks ................................ 148
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WELCOME
WELCOME Digital Edition 2020
WELCOME
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WELCOME
ENCOUNTERS 2020 FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS
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Digital Edition 2020
Encounters Film Festival presents an annual International Competition featuring the best new short film and animations from around the world. Filmmakers in competition are eligible for some of the world’s most prestigious short film and animation awards including: The Academy Awards ®, the BAFTAs and The European Film Awards. This year we had over 3,500 submissions to be considered for our competition programmes, and our preselection teams worked incredibly hard to put together the 210 films selected to compete for our awards this year.
NOMINATIONS Animated Encounters and Brief Encounters Grand Prix winners will be eligible for an Academy Award® nomination. All British films in competition are eligible for BAFTA nominations and a film from the International competition will be nominated by our juries for the European Film Academy Awards
WELCOME
AWARDS Brief Encounters Grand Prix: £2000 Animated Encounters Grand Prix: £2000 UK Student Award: £500
The film that wins this award will also be put forward as Encounters nomination to the touring programme from the European Short Film Award. In partnership with IMDb the winner of the Audience award will receive a 1 year subscription to IMDbPro, the essential resource for entertainment industry professionals.
Digital Edition 2020
UK Audience Award : sponsored by IMDbPRO: £500 & 1 year subscription to IMDbPro
International Audience Award : Sponsored by IMDbPRO: £500 & 1 year subscription to IMDbPro In partnership with IMDb the winner of the Audience award will receive a 1 year subscription to IMDbPro, the essential resource for entertainment industry professionals. Best of British: Live Action: £1000 Best of British: Animation: £1000 www.encounters.film
Children’s Jury Award: £500
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WELCOME
ANIMATED ENCOUNTERS JURY 2020
Digital Edition 2020
FLOOR ADAMS Floor Adams is an animation writer and director based in the Netherlands. She graduated cum laude at the Department of Fine Arts at the ArtEZ Institute of the Arts and studied animation at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Ghent (KASK). Before focusing on producing animation full-time, she had been working in a mental hospital, an institution for mentally disabled people and an art school for autistic students for several years. Her animated short Mind My Mind premiered at Tribeca in 2019, and travelled to 50+ festivals. It has won over 25 awards at festivals including Stuttgart International Animation Film Festival, Rhode Island, Indy Shorts, Cinanima and Anima Brussels. Mind My Mind was shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short in 2019 and was the first autonomously released short film in the Netherlands, drawing over 20.000 visitors to Dutch cinemas. Floor is currently working on a new animated short.
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DIANA MARIA ROSU Diana Maria Rosu is the founder and Artistic Director of the Accra Animation Film Festival. After acquiring her Bachelor’s degree in Audiovisual Media from the Stuttgart Media University in Germany, focusing on animation and gaming, Diana continued her studies at the University in Vienna, pursuing a Master’s degree in Digital Art. In 2017 she decided to focus her knowledge and expertise to help build the African animation community and industry and moved to Accra to start an organization dedicated to supporting, promoting and offering animators in Africa the opportunity to showcase their artistic work locally and internationally. Accra Animation Film Festival is currently in its second year, going online in partnership with Encounters Film Festival in 2020.
JIM PARKYN With over 20 years in the animation industry, Jim has been involved in many best loved animations for Aardman Animations, the BBC and many other clients. As a sculptor, model maker and character designer Jim is the helping hand behind many classic characters including Wallace and Gromit, Shaun The Sheep, Creature Comforts and animated feature films and commercials. When not making modelling clay magic in the studio he can be found in schools and universities, festivals and corporate team building sessions sharing a life long passion for plasticine. If this wasn’t enough he also has his own studio where he creates small films and online films for brands and charities.
WELCOME
BRIEF ENCOUNTERS JURY 2020 BISHA K. ALI
JAMIE DI SPIRITO Jamie Di Spirito is a writer/director from London. Di Spirito spent a number of years working as a professional actor before making the transition to filmmaking. After premiering at BFI Flare in March 2019, Di Spirito’s debut short film ‘THRIVE’ won the Academy award qualifying Grand Jury Prize for Best International Narrative Short at OUTFEST 2019, The Grand Jury Award for Best British short at BAFTA/Oscar qualifying Encounters 2019, and the Audience Award for Best short film at Inside Out Toronto LGBT Festival, as well as a number of other awards. THRIVE is still making official selection and competing at various international BAFTA and Oscar qualifying film festivals, and has just been nominated for The Iris Prize 2020.
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Bisha K. Ali is a screenwriter, director, and producer originally from London, currently residing in Los Angeles. In 2019, Bisha was announced as the Showrunner and Head Writer of Marvel Studios’ Ms. Marvel series for Disney+. Bisha’s work also includes consulting on HBO & Sky’s upcoming series The Baby and writing on Marvel Studios’ Loki for Disney+, Hulu’s Four Weddings and a Funeral, and Netflix’s Sex Education.
SELINA UKWUOMA
As well as consulting for production companies and designing and running development initiatives such as Realness Screenwriters’ Residency and the Film Prize of the Robert Bosch Foundation, Selina teaches screenwriting at the UK’s National Film and Television School and regularly mentors and leads workshops at film festivals, including Berlinale Talents Script Station, TIFF Writers’ Studio, Talents Sarajevo Pack&Pitch, and CTIFMF ADAPT.
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Selina Ukwuoma is a freelance script consultant who began her career at literary agency Curtis Brown working on theatre, film, and television projects including 2008 BAFTA winner BOY A. She has since gone on to advise on award-winning indies such as 2014 Teddy winner THE WAY HE LOOKS and 2018 Goyas triumph SUMMER 1993.
Prior to her career in the film industry, Selina travelled, taught English, and completed degrees in screenwriting, professional writing, and social anthropology. She has various interests, but is always keen to learn something new. 9
WELCOME
STUDENT JURY 2020
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ALIX TAYLOR: Alix is the BFI NETWORK Talent Executive for the South West region based in Watershed, where she supports, develops and champions new filmmakers looking to kick-start their career. While also overseeing the production and delivery of the BFI NETWORK Short Film Fund and Early Development Fund projects. Prior to joining BFI NETWORK, she was Project Manager on New Creatives (South West), the BBC Arts and Arts Council talent development scheme. Managing the selection, production and delivery of audio, film and interactive projects from artists aged 16-30 for BBC platforms. Collaborating with a network of regional partnerships across the South West to deliver mentoring, training, development and support to artists locally. Previously she programmed the digital education courses and specialised film screenings of short film, artists moving image and alternative features for the multi-arts venue, Exeter Phoenix, as well as developing new talent through their short film commissioning schemes.
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JUDE LISTER: Jude has been part of the Encounters team since working on marketing and development for the festival in 2012 and 2013. She is currently BFI NETWORK Wales Manager at Ffilm Cymru, supporting new & emerging filmmakers from across Wales. She previously managed Creative England’s iFeatures development lab for debut features, in partnership with BFI & BBC Films, as well as shortFLIX, an initiative producing short films for broadcast on Sky Arts. Jude has also run international filmmaking workshops, screening programmes and short film competitions, and was previously an editor on ‘zines covering film festivals all over the world.
MAYA SFAKIANAKI
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After graduating from the University of Kent with a degree in Film Studies, Maya moved to London where she became involved with the BFI Future Film Festival 2021 previewing, curating and hosting their weekly SCENE events on Instagram Live, writing weekly short film reviews for their social media channels, and curated an event for young people as part of the London Film Festival 2020 free public programme.
WELCOME
CHILDREN JURY 2020 The Children’s Jury award this year has been chosen by members of Into Film’s Youth Advisory Council. A panel of young people from the scheme aged 10+ watched a shortlist of films and voted for their favourite.
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Into Film is a not-for-profit organisation supported principally by the BFI (through the National Lottery), Cinema First and Northern Ireland Screen. More than half of UK schools engage with their programme of Into Film Clubs, special cinema screenings, and resources and training to support classroom teaching. For more information visit their website at www. intofilm.org.
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WELCOME
DEPICT JURY 2020 ANNEMARIE LEAN-VERCOE
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FRPS – Cinematographer. On behalf of The Royal Photographic Society Annemarie Lean-Vercoe is an Award Winning DOP (BAFTA, BIFA, Star of Tomorrow.) A Graduate of NFTS MA Cinematography, she has gone on to shoot award winning feature films, documentaries and TV for all the major broadcasters in the UK and internationally for Netflix. Most recently she has shot BAFTA winning Suffragettes with Lucy Worsley (BBC1), The Athena (Sky 1), Free Rein (Netflix). Features include Us Among The Stones, Kat & The Band, Honeytrap, Wreckers and Everyday. She has also collaborated with acclaimed British directors Michael Winterbottom (Code 46, Nine Songs) and Mat Whitecross (Moving To Mars.)
CHRIS AUTY National Film and Television School Head of Producing
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Former film critic Chris Auty has produced films including Stealing Beauty, My Summer of Love, and 24 Hour Party People and is currently Head of Producing at NFTS. He sits on the governing board of the European Film Academy and has launched a new course Creative Business for Entrepreneurs and Executives, backed by the NFTS, Ingenious Media, and Sir Richard Branson.
DAVID SPROXTON Aardman Animations Co-Founder and Trustee David Sproxton is the co-founder of Aardman. Together with co-founder Peter Lord, he has overseen the development of the company from a two-man partnership to one of the pre-eminent animation houses in the industry. He has now stepped back from his role of Managing Director, having taken the company into Employee Ownership and now sits on the Aardman Trustee Board, whilst he pursues a number of other interests.
WELCOME
JESS LOVELAND Head of BFI NETWORK
MOLLY COWDEROY Communications Manager, Shooting People Molly Cowderoy is the Communications Manager at Shooting People, the Independent Filmmakers’ Network. Shooting People facilitates creativity in film by helping members connect and collaborate to get their films made and seen. SP runs an array of filmmaker events and activities, including the career development short film competition NEW SHOOTS: FILMMAKERS. For the past six years Molly has also been a programmer for Leeds International Film Festival, curating the feature selection and the Academy Award qualifying International Short Film Competition
Digital Edition 2020
Jess Loveland oversees the national strategy for the BFI NETWORK, the BFI’s new and emerging talent development programme, working closely with the UK-wide team of Talent Execs and colleagues in the BFI Film Fund. Jess has worked within NETWORK for five years, previously she was a regional Talent Exec with Film Hub North and was also a Production and Development Exec at Creative England.
SHAMINDER NAHAL
Shaminder Nahal oversees the Grayson Perry series including the recent Grayson’s Art Club. She also commissioned 100 Vaginas, Superkids: Breaking Away from Care with Lemn Sissay, The Curry House Kid with Akram. Previously, she was Deputy Editor of Channel 4 News and Deputy Editor of the BBC’s Newsnight.
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Commissioning Editor for Arts and Topical Specialist Factual Channel 4
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WELCOME
ANIMATED ENCOUNTERS PROGRAMMER KIERAN ARGO “2020 Competition Time.
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Digital Edition 2020
What a difference a year makes… or just a few seconds! The preselection process this year remained unchanged and was, as always, an inspiring and enjoyable experience. When a film jumps out with stunning environment and character designs and is rich and complex in story you know instinctively that it will be a strong contender. Then there are films that have excellent minimalist approaches or strong experimentation and abstraction. The preselection team offered their recommendations and thoughts on the suitability or otherwise of the submissions and the festival cannot thank them enough for their invaluable dedication and useful feedback. Animators, I believe, have a better understanding of time than the rest of us mortals. The ones who study movement and divide the physics into accurate intervals know how to pace ‘natural’ behaviour in a crafted environment. They have a forensic approach to a fictional reconstruction of time and deserve all credit for their mathematical, artistic and craft skills. A few years ago the 20th edition of Encounters used the theme of 2020 as a metaphor alongside the slogan ‘looking back to look forward’. This is a familiar approach to animators. Hindsight is useful to take stock at any given moment and most animators refer back to their previous frames in order to move forward. However, it is not an exact science and is not always predictable or balanced. Just like the way this year has unfolded, even though we strive for familiarity and certainty, some things are beyond control. The practical production of animation favours a controlled environment, it does not like disruption or interruption. Many animators know, perhaps better than others, that nothing is certain no matter how much control you impose on the world. Perhaps we would all benefit if animators were in charge… perhaps they will be… one refined day?
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Good luck and stay safe.”
WELCOME
BRIEF ENCOUNTERS PROGRAMMER GAIA MEUCCI-ASTLEY “Well, we will remember 2020. The extent to which our industry has been affected by the pandemic is still being assessed, as we move through a tangle of loss, opportunities and readjustments. As a festival, we made a swift change of plan by transforming Encounters, an event whose very name defies social distancing, into our first online edition.
Digital Edition 2020
I won’t lie: it’s disappointing to know that we won’t be welcoming the short film making community to Bristol in September. The packed cinemas, the chats, the hugs, they will all be sorely missed. To focus on this untrodden path with renewed energy, it has been essential for us programmers to turn our festival’s core mission into a guiding light: in this digital Encounters, supporting outstanding emerging talent remains our raison d’être. This year’s competition programme aims to be a vibrant and timely reflection of this commitment. Change is scary. Change also brings opportunity. The readjustments required by presenting a programme online have prompted us to rethink and refresh our practice. This selfreflective process wasn’t just a by-product of a sweeping pandemic: the BLM protests and the events which put Bristol on the international headlines have also played a crucial part in instigating us to question the role our film programmes play in rebalancing diversity, representation and opportunities.
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There is a sense of urgency in the Brief Encounters selection this year. These films palpably assert their relevance in discussing themes of consent, inequality and prejudice, in subverting clichés and rejuvenating film form, in capturing pictures of modern-day Britain, in profiling up-and-coming filmmakers of colour, in highlighting the voices which, we trust, will inform the future of European arthouse cinema, and, closer to home, in celebrating the talent and diversity of Bristol filmmakers. Call us fools, but we believe the brilliance of these films will not get lost by experiencing the festival on a computer screen. As we temporarily say goodbye to Encounters as we knew it, we embrace the broader outreach created by the online model, confident that these remarkable films will connect with new audiences and decision-makers in their festival journey. “
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Digital Edition 2020
WELCOME
WELCOME Digital Edition 2020
IN COMPETITION
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A-B
2.3 X2.6 X 3.2
In Competition
3 LOGICAL EXITS
Jiaqi Wang China, UK 2019 04:00 Moon, Kareau, Cure, Cancer. How great is my hope?
Mahdi Fleifel Denmark, UK, Lebanon 2020 15:00
Contact email: jiaqi.work@outlook.com Animated Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Animation, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
A sociological meditation on the different “exits” that young Palestinians choose, in order to cope with life in the refugee camps. Contact email: info@squareeyesfilm.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Live Action, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
A CREATURE IN THE NIGHT
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A DOG BY YOUR SIDE
Jonathan Stimac, R.J. Shields USA 2020
04:00
A young girl is plagued by eerie sounds on the roof and around her, as she washes her cloths in an ominous old laundry shed. Contact email: jstimac@bigislandstudios.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
Selina Wagner UK 2019 03:00 The key moments in a woman’s life with her faithful companion by her side every step of the way. Contact email: selina@blobina.com
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Animated Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Animation, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
A-B
A HALF FLEDGED THING
A LYNX IN THE TOWN
John Magee UK 2019 02:00
Contact email: magee@periphery.co.uk Animated Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Animation, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Nina Bisiarina France, Switzerland 2019 07:00 A curious lynx leaves its forest, attracted by the lights of the nearby town.
In Competition
As a winged seed begins its journey in the world - some
Contact email: mikhal.bak@gmail.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award, Children’s Jury Award.
A NOBLE TRUTH
A RENAISSANCE www.encounters.film
Tia Salisbury UK 2020 16:00 When flat-earth activist Fawn takes her alternative beliefs offline and onto the streets, a face from the past leads her to wrestle with her newly found ideology. Contact email: katherine.press@blueyonder.co.uk Brief Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Live Action, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Noah Ottersen & Prach Rojanasinwilai UK 2019 24:00 After a family tragedy, Patrick returns to his grieving mother’s household where he is subject to a series of inexplicable and horrifying torments. Contact email: cottagehouseproductions@gmail.com 19
UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
A-B
A SONIC PULSE
In Competition
A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY
Antoine Marinot & Dorothy Allen-Pickard UK 2019 08:00 “Music shouldn’t be defined by hearing people because it’s about feeling vibrations and frequencies.” A Sonic Pulse explores deaf people’s experience of electronic music from a visceral, communal and scientific perspective.
Joël Curtz France 2020 14:00
Contact email: dorothypickard@gmail.com
It’s summer. Lazare picks up two hitchhikers who make him change his plans.
Brief Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Live Action, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Contact email: anais@manifest.pictures Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
ALL OF OUR SHADOWS
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ALTÖTTING
Ruth Beni & Daniel Greaves UK 2020 08:00 The film follows a day in the life of a young teenage boy as he faces his fears and concerns. Contact email: lynchjennie@yahoo.co.uk Animated Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Animation, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Andreas Hykade Canada, Germany, Portugal 2020 12:00
You know, when I was a boy, I fell in love with the Virgin Mary. It happened in a little Bavarian town called ALTÖTTING. Contact email: studio@filmbilder.de
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Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
A-B
ANGELINA
ANY INSTANT WHATEVER
Maria Piva UK, Italy 2019 10:00 Michelle Brand UK 2019 06:00
Contact email: maria.piva.pro@gmail.com UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
A man in a room, in a film – it is the becoming of something and simultaneously becoming in itself. Nothing is as solid as we believe.
In Competition
“Angelina” is a poetic subjective documentary observing the ritualistic nature of my grandmother’s life and how the routine is broken by moments of daydream.
Contact email: mail@michellebrandanimation.com UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
APFELMUS
ARKA www.encounters.film
Alexander Gratzer Austria 2019 07:00 While two birds talk about their existence, a small apple makes its way into the depths of a caveunder watchful eyes. Contact email: alex_gratzer@gmx.at Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
Natko Stipanicev Croatia 2020 15:00
A grandiose transoceanic cruise ship sailing the seas. Contact email: vanja@bonobostudio.hr Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award. . 21
A-B
ARMSTRONG
In Competition
ATOMIC LOVE
Russ Etheridge UK 2020 11:00
Mel builds sculptures of her crispsobsessed crush. When the moon vanishes before her eyes, she must find a way to save the world before it crumbles into tiny pieces. Contact email: contact@russelletheridge.com Animated Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Animation, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Imogen McCluskey Australia 2020 11:00 It’s 1988. Recently married Dana helps her eternally-single friend Aleea make a video profile for a dating service called ATOMIC LOVE, provoking a confession that forces them to address the nature of their relationship. Contact email: imymccluskey@hotmail.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
AURA
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AUTUMN WALTZ
Chun Chun Chang USA 2020 05:00 A man encounters the goddess of the wind inside a deadly storm. Contact email: chunchununa@gmail.com Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
Ognjen Petković Serbia, USA 2019 19:00 A couple is trying to reach freedom out of besieged town. On their way out stands barricaded with unfriendly soldiers. Contact email: mansarda2013@gmail.com
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Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
A-B
BACKWARDS
BARE TREES IN THE MIST
Marco Augelli UK 2019 11:00 Rajan Kathet Nepal 2019 15:00
Contact email: marco@marcoaugelli.com UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
At the onset of winter with no contact from her husband, a young mother calls on her returnee neighbour, expecting gifts for herself and her son.
In Competition
In a corporate world where everybody walks backwards, one young man stuck in a dead-end job tries to break out of the cycle of normality.
Contact email: salpafilms@gmail.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
BATTLEFIELD
BED www.encounters.film
Jannis Lenz Austria, Germany 2020 09:00 Inspired by the quote of Austrian Expressionist, Oskar Kokoschka: “Weeds are nature’s opposition to the governance of gardeners”, BATTLEFIELD shows the inner life of a military base as a microcosm that seems to have fallen out of another time. Contact email: info@refreshingfilms.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
Lucy Campbell UK 2019 05:00 Artist’s film: a couple, long married, stitch themselves together in bed, the bed itself is stitched, web-like, into the room. A reflection on the intimacy and captivity of a long relationship. Contact email: lucyhelencampbell@icloud.com 23
Brief Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Live Action, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
B-C
BENCH
BETTY
Rich Webber UK 2020 02:00 In Competition
A short film about sharing. Will Anderson UK 2019 15:00
Contact email: richwebber@hotmail.co.uk Animated Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Animation, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
An animator tries to make sense of a failed relationship. Contact email: festival@miyu.fr Animated Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Animation, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
BEYOND NOH
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BLACK GOAT
Patrick Smith USA, Japan 2020 04:00 “Beyond Noh� rhythmically animates 3,475 individual masks from all over the world, beginning with the distinctive masks of the Japanese Noh theater and continuing on a cultural journey through ritual, utility, deviance, and politics. Contact email: pat@blendfilms.com Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
Tang Yi Nepal, USA 2019 12:00 Pasang, a new girl at a nunnery, has her first period after hearing a late-night ghost story. She keeps it secret until she bleeds during a prayer session. She believes that she has been cursed and must sacrifice a black goat to avoid further misfortune.
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Contact email: yitang@nyu.edu Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
B-C
BREADLINE
CALVARIO
Carol Salter UK 2020 11:00 LluĂs Margarit Spain 2019 13:00
Contact email: rocksaltfilms@gmail.com
In a failed attempt to get back together with his ex girlfriend, Pablo realizes he’s going bald.
Brief Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Live Action, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Contact email: gerard.vidal@escac.es
In Competition
In a forgotten seaside town in the north of England, seventy eight year old Dave hands out food and kindness to those in need. After ten years of austerity, this nuanced portrait of a volunteer-run food bank penetrates the harsh reality of contemporary Britain.
Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
CARROUSEL
CASUAL TERMS www.encounters.film
Jasmine Elsen Belgium, Czech Republic 2020 11:00 Rose grows up with her snails in the park. Their park. One day she is attacked by intruders. Or is it the other way around? A film about dehumanization. Contact email: festival@miyu.fr Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
Morgan Tipping & Tommy Chavannes UK 2020 15:00 A sensory hullabaloo that explores the perspectives of neuro and mobility diverse creators of an alternative art school within a historic workhouse. Contact email: morgantip@hotmail.co.uk
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Brief Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Live Action, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
C-D
CHA
CHRISTY
In Competition
Gagandeep Kalirai UK 2020 09:00 In teaching her granddaughter how to make Cha, Bibi and Simran are pulled into the past, to Bibi’s memories of one fateful day in Delhi, 1984.
Brendan Canty Ireland 2019 15:00
Contact email: gagan13@live.co.uk UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
A 16 year-old school dropout interviews for a job, but when he’s let down by his brother, he lashes back and turns to his friends. Contact email: paula@venom.ie Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
COFFEE WITH FRIENDS
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COMMON MOLLY
Phoebe Bourke UK 2020 03:00 When a parcel arrives that no one expects, a normal Saturday morning takes a much darker turn... Contact email: allenemilykate@gmail.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Live Action, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Georgie Monica UK 2020 04:00 When a disturbing presence casts a shadow over everything you do, there comes a moment when you have to confront it. Contact email: georgiemonica@gmail.com
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UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
C-D
CRAZY
CUCKOO ROLLER
Inari Sirola UK 2019 04:00 Paddy Hay Australia 2019 16:00
Contact email: inari.sirola@network.rca.ac.uk UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
A young man wanders through harsh urban sprawl in search of a connection. And then, in nearby bushland, he encounters a fellow outlier.
In Competition
What is the crazy stigma women get in dating context? What is the culture around it? In this short we ridicule the crazy-stereotype in a form of - crazy.
Contact email: paddyhay@live.com.au Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
CUTTING
DA YIE www.encounters.film
Micah Hinchliffe UK 2020 17:00 Christian faces a long and intense night of physical suffering to get down to the weight limit for his fight, but is he ready for the emotional toll? Contact email: m.hinchliffe@westminster.ac.uk UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Anthony Nti Ghana, Belgium 2020 21:00 On a sunny day in Ghana, a foreigner approaches two children and takes them on an unexpected trip. The three of them get along so well that “Bogah�, the foreigner, starts to question his initial intentions... Contact email: festival@salaudmorisset.com
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Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
D-E
DAVID
DAWN IN THE DARK
Zach Woods USA 2020 12:00 In Competition
David needs help. So does David. Contact email: festival@salaudmorisset.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
Runyararo Mapfumo UK 2019 17:00 On the eve of her father’s birthday, Dawn and her fun uncle Nate struggle over her bedtime routine. A new dynamic to their relationship is explored as they navigate their way through a family crisis. Contact email: grace.allenbridger@gmail.com
DÉJEUNER SUR L’HERBE
Brief Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Live Action, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
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DEUX OISEAUX
Jules Bourges, Jocelyn Charles, Nathan Harbonn viaud & Pierre Rougemont France 2019 08:00 A brilliant scientist sees his convictions crumble during a picnic at the lake. Contact email: festival@miyu.fr Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
Antoine Robert France 2019 12:00 1967. Jean, an eight-years-old city boy, spends his holidays at his grandparents’ farm. He gives in candid yet cruel games on the surrounding animals. Contact email: festival@miyu.fr
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Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
D-E
DO YOU KNOW MY NEIGHBOUR
DOGEATER
Stephane Sounkassa & Stefan Sundin Sweden 2019 12:00
Contact email: stephane.mounkassa@gmail.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
Rafael Manuel UK 2019 17:00 Maria is a Filipino maid in London who dreams of gaining British citizenship.
In Competition
Jessica, 27, has a discussion with a classmate about her origins. She feels it has crossed a line, she responds to something, they did not expect to hear...
Contact email: ram.mendoza90@gmail.com UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
DRAGON RECIPES
DUMMY www.encounters.film
Maria Pavlou Cyprus, Lithuania 2019 08:00 A young apprentice witch dreams of becoming the most wicked witch around – and of course, a wicked witch needs an evil dragon… or not! Contact email: maria@pixelgiants.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award, Children’s Jury Award.
Laurynas Bareiša Lithuania 2020 14:00 Using a faceless doll criminal reenacts a brutal crime. But surprisingly he is not the one being judged. There seems to be an odd one out in the investigative group. Contact email: info@varicoloured.eu Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award. 29
E-F
EXAM
EYES ON THE ROAD
In Competition
Sonia K Hadad Iran 2019 15:00 A teenage girl gets involved in the process of delivering a pack of cocaine to its client, and gets stuck in a weird cycle of occurrences.
Stefanie Kolk Netherlands 2019 17:00
Contact email: info@squareeyesfilm.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
On a drive back home in a dirty car, three young women talk about other people. Their conversation flows naturally, and takes them into uncharted territory. Contact email: info@varicoloured.eu Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
FAMILY BONDS
www.encounters.film
FATHER
Maria Schmidt Germany 2019 07:00 The little fox Hugo has a happy family, but it’s a bit unusual - his parents are geese. They live an harmonic life until one day Hugo discovers a grown fox attacking another goose. Contact email: festival@animationsinstitut.de Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award, Children’s Jury Award.
Isabel Lamberti Netherlands 2019 24:00 FATHER investigates the relationship between a father and his adolescent son with whom he has barely been in touch for nearly six years. Contact email: femke@ijswater.nl
30
Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
F-G
FATHER OF THE BRIDE
FIGURANT
Rhys Jones UK 2020 16:00 Jan Vejnar France, Czech Republic 2019 14:00
Contact email: rhysmarcjones@gmail.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Live Action, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
A man follows some workers in an industrial area. Soon, he’s stripped from his clothes, dressed in a military uniform, armed. His determination not to fall behind is then tested by unsettling events.
In Competition
The best man attempts to keep face and deliver his speech at his brother’s wedding, following a sexual advance in the hotel bathroom by the father of the bride.
Contact email: emilie@originefilms.fr Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
FILIPIÑANA
FLICK www.encounters.film
Rafael Manuel Philippines-UK 2020 24:00 The self-contained cosmos of the golf course reflects societal structures. Although new ‘tee girl’ Isabel still has to learn the rules, she’s already looking for ways to subvert the system. Contact email: ram.mendoza90@gmail.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Live Action, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Ariel Zengotita USA 2020 11:00 A reclusive college student is driven mad after picking a booger he can’t flick away. Contact email: ariel@squidvalley.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
31
F-G
FOR BABY’S SAKE
FRAGMANTS
In Competition
Emma Lazenby UK 2020 04:00 Children exposed to domestic abuse are more likely to be abusive or experience abuse in their adult relationships, creating a cycle of trauma and risks to life chances across generations.
Neozoon Germany 2019 06:00
Contact email: emma@formedfilms.co.uk Animated Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Animation, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
People worship their consumer goods like religious cult objects. The religion venerated here is that of capitalism. The believers are only uprooted fragments of themselves Contact email: mail@neozoon.org Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
FRAGMENTS
www.encounters.film
FRIENDS
Adekemi Roluga UK 2020 10:00 Fragments is an animated, semiautobiographical film that follows a young girl as she grows up trying to navigate her society, biracial identity, and broken home. Contact email: aroluga1@outlook.com UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Florian Grolig Germany 2019 08:00 The ‘small’ one is, well, small, and the ‘big’ one definitely very very big. They are friends. Contact email: florian@smplfilms.de
32
Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
F-G
FROM OVER HERE
GOLDEN GODDESS
Patrick Buhr Germany 2020 10:00
Contact email: b.patrick.b@gmx.de Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
Michael Jenkins UK 2020 07:00 An abstract glimpse into a ritualistic prayer amongst three generations of women of African descent living in modern Britain.
In Competition
This is a film about stuttering. Oh, and also about pigeons, DNA, Goethe’s Faust, fallen trees and cat callers.
Contact email: info@8thsensemedia.co.uk Brief Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Live Action, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
GOOD THANKS, YOU?
GOODBYE GOLOVIN www.encounters.film
Molly Manning Walker UK 2020 14:00 In the aftermath of an attack, Amy is left voiceless, trapped in a whirlwind of incompetence. She must find a way to confront what has happened, in order to save what matters to her most. Contact email: info@8thsensemedia.co.uk Brief Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Live Action, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Mathieu Grimard Canada, Ukaraine 2019 15:00 For Ian Golovin, the death of his father is the chance at a new life outside his native country. As he prepares to leave and bid farewell to his sister, he is forced to face his decision. Contact email: jason@h264distribution.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award. 33
G-H
GRAB MY HAND: A LETTER TO MY DAD
GRAVEDAD
In Competition
Camrus Johnson & Pedro Piccinini USA 2019 06:00 A personal story of grief, those we look up to, and how the interactions we may deem insignificant may play a huge part in how we live our lives. Contact email: submissions@festivalformula.com Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
Matisse Gonzalez Germany 2019 11:00 On her search for something to grab on to, Rosa learns that gravity is stronger than everybody else. Contact email: festival@animationsinstitut.de Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
GREEN
www.encounters.film
HAND IN HAND
Guy Larsen & Taha Khan UK 2019 05:00 An unhealthy relationship between two forest beings leads Lemon Boy to reconsider his priorities for the future. Contact email: guy@penny4.co.uk Animated Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Animation, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award, IMDbPRO,
Ennio Ruschetti Switzerland 2019 04:00
Two politicians shake hands. The situation gets out of hand. Contact email: ennio.ruschetti@gmail.com
34
Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
H-I
HEART TO HEART
HEARTTHROB
Lilah Vandenburgh UK 2019 10:00 Chloe May Law UK 2020 08:00
Contact email: chiara@ardimages.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Live Action, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Mel, a 17-year-old guitar enthusiast, is completely obsessed with her favourite musician, Hugo Turner but she must confront this idolised version of him when he is accused of sex- ual harassment and find purpose in her own passion.
In Competition
A young girl is scared to make the first move. But her heart has something to say about it. Literally.
Contact email: hello@chloemaylaw.com UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
HEAT
HENET WARD www.encounters.film
Thessa Meijer Netherlands 2019 03:00 During an extreme heat wave, a shy girl seeks refuge in an ice cream shop. But when she looks into the eyes of the charming vendor, she is on thin ice. Contact email: juliarombout@gmail.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix,IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
Morad Mostafa Egypt 2020 23:00 Halima, a Sudanese henna painter goes to Basma’s, a young Egyptian bride to prepare her for her wedding: under the eyes of her daughter Ward, the encounter between the two women grows from complicity to suddenly unveiled tensions. Contact email: festival@salaudmorisset.com 35
Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
H-I
HIBISCUS SEASON
HOME
In Competition
Éléonore Goldberg Canada 2019 10:00 Zaire, January 1993. Rachel’s family, an 8 year old French girl, lives in Kinshasa in a house overlooking the Congo River. A sensual and intimate film about memory, writing and forgetting. Contact email: serge@ladistributrice.ca Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
Joe Cocklin UK 2019 13:00 Onboard, a colonial spaceship three weeks from its destination; Nathan, Thomas and Eleanor are conditioned for a smooth transition to life on planet Earth. Contact email: info@joecocklin.co.uk UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
HOT CHOCOLATE
www.encounters.film
HUNGRY JOE
David Hay New Zeland 2020 17:00 A young woman must deal with the suicide of her flatmate without alerting her seven-yearold sister, who is waiting nearby. Contact email: davethay@me.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
Paul Holbrook & Sam Dawe UK 2020 23:00 A single mother struggles to bond with her apathetic child; born with an insatiable and increasingly inhumane appetite. Contact email: paul@shunkfilms.co.uk
36
Brief Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Live Action, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
I-K
IF THEN ELSE
IHR (THEM)
Carla Simón Spain 2019 26:00
Contact email: fest@marvinwayne.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
Amélie Cochet & Louis Möhrle Switzerland 2019 07:00 A story about a building with an inner courtyard an its inhabitants. While the different character follow their everyday routines, trash slowly begins to pile up in the courtyard.
In Competition
Alex comes to a village bar looking for someone. Edu is dancing it like a madman ignoring that someone has come to look for him.
Contact email: ihr.shortfilm@gmail.com
I’LL PROBABLY END UP IN JAIL
Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
I’M NOT SCARED OF THE CROCODILE www.encounters.film
Alexandre Dostie Canada 2019 24:00 Maureen Sauvageau’s escape comes to an abrupt end when she drives’s her monster truck into a deadly car accident. Contact email: festival@travellingdistribution.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
Marc Riba & Anna Solanas Spain 2019 05:00 Once upon a time there was a crocodile who didn’t like to hunt. Contact email: info@stopmotion.cat Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award, Children’s Jury Award. 37
I-K
IN THE COMPANY OF INSECTS
ISLE OF CHAIR
In Competition
Duncan Cowles UK 2020 11:00 Prompted by the death of his grandfather, a filmmaker comes to terms with his feelings of loss by focussing on something smaller.
Ivyy Chen Taiwan, UK 2020 06:00
Contact email: dcowles@live.co.uk Brief Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Live Action, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
On a secluded island, a chair has fallen down. Contact email: ivyychentw@gmail.com Animated Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Animation, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award
KELLY
www.encounters.film
KERATIN
Joseph Roberts UK 2020 06:00 Kelly is having the worst morning of her life. And the dogsitter’s not having a great one either. Contact email: yes@iamjoeroberts.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Live Action, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award
James Wilson & Andrew Butler UK 2020 09:00 Keratin follows an isolated man’s ritualistic pursuit of creation in the heart of a forest. Contact email: james@backbonefilms.co.uk
38
Brief Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Live Action, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
K-L
KILLING TIME
KITTY
Maria Pawlikowska UK 2019 10:00
Loukoum can’t stand the passage of Time anymore. She decides to go face it in person and free herself from its control. Contact email: festival@miyu.fr Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
A housewife’s ambitious dinner plans are derailed when a series of strange men come knocking at her door.
In Competition
Camille Guillot, Fanny Hagdahl Sörebo, Aleksandra Krechman, Sarah Naciri, Morgane Ravelonary & Valentine Zhang France 2019 05:00
Contact email: mariapawlikowska@icloud.com UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
LIFE ON THE ROCKS
LILIANA www.encounters.film
George Pretty UK 2020 20:00 June Nelson revisits the Bass Rock, her home for three years from 1960 and reflects on the catastrophic loss of global seabird populations since. Contact email: georgepretty@hotmail.co.uk UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Milanka Fabjancic Slovenia 2019 07:00 Liliana is a beautiful girl and dedicated hard worker. But she does have a secret that keeps her going... Contact email: vanja@bonobostudio.hr Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award. 39
L-M
LIQUID SOLID
LIVE FOREVER
In Competition
Amanda Aiken UK 2020 02:00 Waves of small coloured glass pieces weave across screen. Shapes appear, merge, and disintegrate. From the chaos a form is created. Contact email: aj.aiken@yahoo.co.uk Animated Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Animation, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Gustav Egerstedt Sweden 2020 04:00 A musical love letter to the poor victims in horror films. In an anthemic song the dead unite across genres and time. Contact email: gustav@egerstedt.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
LUCKY BREAK
www.encounters.film
MARGIN OF TERROR
John Addis UK 2020 11:00 Uloaku works the graveyard shift at a remote service station and is bored out of her mind, but a chance encounter with a suspicious stranger will soon fix that. Contact email: rami.pantoja@gmail.com UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Kieran McLister UK 2020 04:00 A caffeine-fuelled plasticine comedy about a mad scientist driven to create the most terrifying giant monster ever seen – no matter how long it takes. Contact email: kieranmclister@gmail.com
40
UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
M-N
MATERIAL BODIES MATILDA AND THE SPARE HEAD
Dorothy Allen-Pickard UK 2019 04:00
Contact email: dorothypickard@gmail.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Live Action, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Ignas Meilūnas Lithuania 2020 11:00 This is a story about a girl who wants to be the smartest person in the world. When all the things she’s learned can no longer fit in one head, her mother buys her a backup one.
In Competition
Through interweaving dance and dialogue, Material Bodies is a sensual and cinematic look at the relationship between amputees and their limbs.
Contact email: festival@miyu.fr
MELTING HEART CAKE
Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award, Children’s Jury Award.
MERCURY’S RETROGRADE www.encounters.film
Benoît Chieux France 2019 11:00 To share her cake with her friend, Anna has to go through a glacial forest… that is haunted by a terrifying bearded giant. But the giant has a warmer heart than it may seem. Contact email: production@sacrebleuprod.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award, Children’s Jury Award.
Zohar Dvir UK 2020 07:00 A millennial is looking for her magic 8 ball inside her unconsciousness. Contact email:1zohardvir@gmail.com UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
41
M-N
METAMORPHOSIS
METHOD
In Competition
Xi Wang USA 2020 04:00 A butterfly explores the ruins of an ancient civilization that leads to a underground cave. In the cave,the butterfly meets the Humanoid butterfly.
Polly Holland Ireland 2020 06:00
Contact email: wangxi833@gmail.com Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
There’s method to the madness all square boi wants is his cuppa and he’s willing to face insanity to get it. Contact email: hollandpolly678@gmail.com Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
MOOMINVALLEY (SEASON 2)
www.encounters.film
MOSAIC
Steve Box Finland, UK 2019 23:00 The second season of Moominvalley, a new animated adaptation of work of Tove Jansson, brings the beloved Moomins and their friends back to our screens! Contact email: reetta.ranta@gutsy.fi Animated Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Animation, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award, IMDbPRO International Audience Award, Children’s Jury Award.
Imge Özbilge Belgium 2020 15:00 In the oldest city of the Middle East, a Kurdish student, a Muslim musician and a Christian little girl are part of a cultural mosaic. When vicious noises bring war upon their city, a mysterious sunfish appears to save them. Contact email: festival@miyu.fr
42
Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
M-N
MOTH
MOTHER DIDN’T KNOW
Wai Ying Tiffany Tong UK 2020 03:00
Contact email: yywaiww401@gmail.com UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Anita Killi Norway 2020 12:00 This film is a poetic fable about a young depressed girl. Someone who wants to stay invisible, cares about her and tries to help.
In Competition
A three minutes, 2D animation film, about the protest in Hong Kong. A group of Hong Kong people protesting against the extradition law amendment bill, concerned the bill will damage Hong Kong’s autonomy.
Contact email: post@trollfilm.no Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
MOUNTAIN HEART
MOVEMENTS www.encounters.film
Hugh Cowling UK 2019 03:00 Mountain Heart explores themes of isolation and ecological extinction through a series of oblique vignettes that build to a denouement both sad and tentatively uplifting. Contact email: hhcowling@gmail.com Animated Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Animation, , IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Dahee Jeong South Korea 2019 11:00 “Movements” is a 10-minute animated film which I drew at a rate of 2 seconds of animation per day. We are all walking, seeing, working, running, and stopping together. Contact email: festival@miyu.fr Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award. 43
M-N
MY DAD IS I, MY MOTHER IS MY BRIDE AND MY LIFE OH WELL, I CRIED MY DAD’S NAME WAS HUW. HE WAS AN ALCOHOLIC POET
In Competition
Kilhan Wittock UK 2020 11:00 This narrative experimental film-poem, invites the audience to a different level of perception of the world, different from logical and rational. The film goes by itself, it evolves freely.
Freddie Griffiths UK 2019 08:00
Contact email: kilhan@wittock.be UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Unravelling the state of mind of my late alcoholic father through the poems he left behind. Contact email: Freddiegriffiths@outlook.com UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
MY FIRST ANIME
www.encounters.film
MTHUNZI
Tommy Robin UK 2020 03:00 Nobody forgets their first time. Contact email: ockeroid@gmail.com Animated Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British Animation, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Tebogo Malebogo South Africa 2019 09:00 The film follows Mthunzi walking home from the shops as he sees a lady go into seizures in her driveway - he is then asked to help carry her in by her niece and so becomes caught up in a world he does not belong.
44
Contact email: info@theelephantvanished.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
M-N
MY HERO
MY LIFE IN VERSAILLES
Logan Jackson USA 2020 13:00
Contact email: Ljackson504@gmail.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
Clémence Madeleine Perdrillat & Nathaniel H’limi France 2019 28:00 Violette, eight, orphan moves to her uncle’s Régis, cleaner at the Palace of Versailles. She hates him and decides to not tell him a word.
In Competition
As last-minute plans for a babysitter fall apart, eight-year-old Brandon is left alone to oversee his younger brother Mason.
Contact email: distribution@filmsgrandhuit. com
MY OWN PERSONAL LEBANON
Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award, Children’s Jury Award.
NATURAL PAUL www.encounters.film
Theo Panagopoulos UK, Greece 2020 16:00 A young Greek filmmaker attempts to connect with his distant Lebanese half by discovering his mother’s secret stories of the war. Contact email: theopan9@hotmail.com UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Sam Tibi UK 2019 25:00 When introverted Paul and his self-assured flatmate meet two girls on a night out, their plan to take them home takes unexpected turns. Contact email: sam.produce@gmail.com UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award. 45
N-O
NESTOR
NIGHT BUS
In Competition
JoĂŁo Gonzalez UK, Portugal 2019 06:00 Nestor, a man with several obsessivecompulsive behaviours lives in an unstable houseboat which never stops oscillating. Contact email: emanuel@curtas.pt UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Jessica Ashworth & Henrietta Ashworth UK 2019 13:00 On the eve of her 30th birthday, a London night bus driver discovers a supernatural entity on her bus. Contact email: helen@gingerbreadpictures. com
NO MORE WINGS
Brief Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Live Action, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
www.encounters.film
NOD. WINK. HORSE.
Abraham Adeyemi UK 2019 11:00 Two childhood friends who meet at a divergent point in their lives in their favourite fried chicken shop in South London, touching on whether the decisions of the past have lifelong consequences. Contact email: abe@creativeblueballs.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Live Action, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Ollie Magee UK 2019 05:00 A film behind a horse. Obscuring the narrative. Self sabotage. Contact email: ollie_magee@hotmail.com
46
Animated Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Animation, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award,
N-O
NOISY ANIMALS IN ISOLATION
NOX INSOMNIA
Kid Carpet UK 2020 14:00 Guy Charnaux Brazil 2019 08:00
Contact email: kid_carpet@yahoo.co.uk Brief Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Live Action, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award, Children’s Jury Award.
A story about a seven-year old boy who can’t sleep. He hears something coming from his parents’ room. What could that be?
In Competition
Kid Carpet & The Noisy Animals are trying to cope with the lockdown.
Contact email: charnauxguy@gmail.com Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
OEIL POUR OEIL
ONLY A CHILD
A one sighted pirate captain keeps going on a journey to get a treasure, every time with a new crew of pirates as one sighted as he is. Contact email: francois@yummy-films.com Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award, Children’s Jury Award.
www.encounters.film
Thomas Boileau, Alan Guimont, Robin Courtoise, Mathieu Lecroq, Malcom Hunt & François Briantais France 2019 06:00
Simone Giampaolo Switzerland 2020 07:00 Only a Child is an omnibus animation short that gives shape and colour to Severn Suzuki’s original speech at the UN Summit in Rio (1992): a child’s desperate call to action for our planet’s future. Contact email: gabriella@amka.ch
47
Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
O-P
OUT WITH THE OLD
PATCHWORK CLAM
In Competition
George Summers UK 2020 08:00 A wooden doll must traverse the outside world to find his lost dollhoise, but trails a stuffed elephant. Contact email: georgesummers@studiosuzo.com UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Angela Steffen Germany 2019 04:00 Patchwork Clam has a problem: she can´t play because she´s way too shy! Will the Patchwork Pals find a way to make her come out of her shell? Contact email: studio@filmbilder.de
PEARL DIVER
Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award, Children’s Jury Award.
www.encounters.film
PER ASPERA AD ASTRA
Margrethe Danielsen Norway 2020 09:00 Three couples are drifting apart. A hedgehog falls for a balloon, but finds it hard to keep his grooming routine. There is a coldness between an arctic couple, and two oysters are longing to meet. Contact email: margrethe.danielsen@gmail.com Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
Franck Dion France 2019 12:00 The daily life of a little hen housekeeper, torn between her work, her children and her old mother. Contact email: festivals@papy3d.com
48
Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
P-R
PORTRAIT OF A WOMAN
POSTPARTUM
Natalia Durszewicz Poland 2020 05:00
Contact email: natalia.durszewicz@gmail.com Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
Henriette Rietz Germany 2020 05:00 Postpartum describes the chaotic phase in life of a new mother. Pumped up with hormones and lacking sleep, this intense time has burned deep into the protagonist’s heart
In Competition
This eponymous “female portrait” is made of social expectations, stereotypes and cultural constructs. The protagonist must continuously reject the roles imposed on her and adjust to the views of others.
Contact email: hallo@herzette.de Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
PRELUDE
PRINCESSA DE WOKING www.encounters.film
Simon Ellis UK 2020 08:00 Threat looms and most have fled. While the queen prepares to evacuate, a determined few seize an opportunity. Contact email: info@simonellisfilms.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Live Action, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Big Red Button, Johnny Burns & Pier van Tijn UK 2020 08:00 At her mother’s funeral, Becky Hello is shocked to discover that her father has already found a new fiancé. Is it true love, or is she after the family inheritance? Contact email: pier@bigredbutton.tv
49
Brief Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Live Action, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
P-R
PROTOCOLE SANDWICH
In Competition
PURPLEBOY
Valérie Bousquie, Joséphine Meis, Côme Roy, Antoine Vignon & Benjamin Warnitz France 2019 06:00
Alexandre Siqueira Portugal, France, Belgium 2019 14:00
In a wild an inhabited desert, a team of rangers is in charge of rescuing people who got lost there. Contact email: festival@miyu.fr
Oscar is a child who sprouts in his parents garden. Nobody knows his biological sex but he claims the masculine gender...
Awards Eligible For: Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
Contact email: patrick2carvalho@gmail.com Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
RAIN
.
www.encounters.film
RED ANTS BITE
Piotr Milczarek Poland 2019 05:00 The Rain’ is a simple animated film on collective consciousness. It talks about how no accountability for our actions pushes us to thoughtlessly follow the crowd, which may lead to a tragedy. Contact email: festiwale@fumistudio.com Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
Elene Naveriani Switzerland 2019 23:00 In Georgia, two stranded Nigerians, Obinna and Afame, navigate the sleeping city of Tbilisi. As day breaks, their ambiguous affection begins to show. Contact email: prod@alvafilm.ch
50
Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
R-S
REFLECTION
REPETITION
Juan Carlos Mostaza Spain 2020 12:00
Contact email: internacional@agenciafreak. com Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
Kevin McGloughlin Ireland 2019 06:00 The struggle for a fruitful future is challenging with the distractions of everyday life alongside its ever-growing technological ‘advancements’. The hope is for humanity to strive through all of this in a meaningful and positive way.
In Competition
Clara is a nine-year-old girl with a distorted view of reality. She’ll fall into a pit from which she can only make her way up through great effort and assistance from the people close to her.
Contact email: kmcgloughlin@gmail.com Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
RETURNING
REX SONG www.encounters.film
Lucy Bridger UK 2020 14:00 A retired teacher confronts some unexpected emotions as she struggles through the discomfort of a heatwave. Contact email: ailsavanessatapping@gmail. com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Live Action, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Andrew Brand UK 2020 03:00 A young T-Rex struggles with an identity crisis. Contact email: office@badstudio.co.uk Animated Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Animation, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
51
R-S
ROUGE ROUTINE: THE PROHIBITION
In Competition
Kostis Theodosopoulos Greece 2019 19:00 A sexist violence incident fires tension in Danai’s friendship with Ilona and Toufa. Torn between theory and practice, the three friends realize that patriarchy won’t die with bottles (only), and they now have marks to prove it. Contact email: ktheodosopoulos@gmail.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
Sam Orti Spain 2020 09:00 In a dark world, ravaged by lies and dominated by fear, we continue our selfdestructive routines toward extinction. Please note: the language in this film is made up Contact email: conflictivos@conflictivos.com Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award
SAD BEAUTY
www.encounters.film
SCHWEINEREI
Arjan Brentjes Netherlands 2020 10:00 In a heavily polluted world, a young woman mourns the disappearance of animal species. When she falls ill due to a bacterial infection, nature appears to send her a message in her hallucinations. Contact email: info@arjanbrentjes.nl Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
Vera Falkenberg, Livia Werren & Stephanie Thalmann Switzerland 2019 05:00 Anita has been suffering under the tyranny of the professors at the animal research clinic for years. When she meets the pig Sirius, she realizes that she has to take her fate into her own hands.
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Contact email: vera.falkenberg@gmx.ch Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
S-T
SH_T HAPPENS
SEX MOVES
Alex Bernas UK 2020 02:00
The caretaker exhausted by everything, his frustrated wife and one totally depressed deer. Their mutual despair leads them to absurd events, because... shit happens all the time. Contact email: bfilm@bfilm.sk
A young man walks around London, asking strangers how to have sex.
Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
Contact email: alexbernas@googlemail.com
In Competition
Michaela Mihalyi & David Stumpf Czech Republic, Slovakia, France 2019 14:00
Animated Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Animation, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
SHE
SHOEGAZING www.encounters.film
Matt Greenhalgh UK 2020 05:00 A frantic young woman struggles against an unstoppable inner voice that battles against all logic, rhyme or reason... compelling her to endure a physical, mental journey that takes her right to the very edge. Contact email: submissions@festivalformula.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Live Action, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Servane d’Alverny France, UK 2020 13:00 On a desolate road, Gabrielle would rather isolate herself than having to confront the journey. A story about loneliness, denial, and the overwhelming emotions of living in a world on fire. Contact email: servane.alverny@gmail.com UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award. 53
S-T
SIGNS
SILENCE
In Competition
Dustin Rees Switzerland 2020 11:00 An electrician follows his nightly routine setting up signs in the city. He goes through life unnoticed and out of touch with the world, until he realises which signs he should be paying attention to. Contact email: vanja@bonobostudio.hr Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
Brwa Vahabpour Norway 2020 16:00 Nine-year-old Bahar recently lost her ability to hear. Due to lack of resources in the village, she is omitted from school. This feeling of alienation is the beginning of a series of desperate acts culminating in an attempt to cure herself. Contact email: renee@oslo-pictures.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
SINK OR SWIM
www.encounters.film
SIX TO SIX
Alisa tritenko UK, Russia 2020 14:00 “Sink or Swim� is an absurdist comedy about Kate, a British young woman, who ended up in Russia fighting to reunite with her son after he was abducted by her ex-husband. Contact email: alisa.tritenko@gmail.com UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award
Neta Cohen Israel 2019 08:00 During the lengthy sleepless nights, the familiar home surroundings of a new mother take on a dark, eerie appearance. Contact email: netacohen3@gmail.com
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Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
S-T
SO WHAT IF THE GOATS DIE
SOUP
Sofia Alaoui France, Morocco 2019 24:00
Contact email: contact@enviedetempete.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
Inga Sukhorukova Russia 2020 12:00 Tolya called his father all of a sudden, on Wednesday, and said that they need to meet. His father is guessing, why today? So many years have passed after they parted because of a big scandal.
In Competition
Abdellah, a shepherd living in the mountains, is forced to brave the snow in order to get food and save his cattle. Once he gets to the village, he faces a supernatural phenomenon.
Contact email: hanna@eastwood.agency Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
SPEED
STILL WORKING www.encounters.film
Ben Mitchell UK 2019 02:00 First impressions are so important. Contact email: ben@shyguys.co.uk Animated Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Animation, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Julietta Korbel Switzerland 2019 18:00 In an abandoned factory destined to be demolished, Pavel’s routine, the guardian, is disturbed by the arrival of a young engineer who discovers an unusual electric activity, a running turbine. Contact email: ali.sinaci@thera-production.ch
55
Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
S-T
SUDDEN LIGHT
SYMBIOSIS
In Competition
Sophie Littman UK 2020 15:00 Mia takes her sister Squeeze to walk their dog in the fields near their home. The landscape morphs around them, tricking them and introducing Mia to a strange man lurking at the edge of a dark wood. Contact email: tom@wellingtonfilms.co.uk Brief Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Live Action, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Nadja Andrasev France, Hungary 2019 13:00 A betrayed wife starts to investigate her husband’s mistresses. Her jealousy is gradually replaced by curiosity. Contact email: festival@miyu.fr Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
TAKE ME WITH YOU
www.encounters.film
TALK RADIO
Chloe Ladds UK 2019 03:00 An old lady reminisces about the alien she befriended in her youth who promised to take her with them to see the stars. Contact email: dterkelsen@aub.ac.uk UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Ben S. Hyland UK 2020 09:00 Pauline and Barry are seemingly happily married, until Pauline tunes into relationship hour and recognises the voice spilling a lifetime of regrets on live radio. Contact email: adam@hiddenartfilms.com
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Brief Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Live Action, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
T-U
TERMINATED:TEETH&TINDER THAT WHICH IS TO COME IS JUST A PROMISE
Freya Billington UK 2019 05:00
Contact email: freyabill73@gmail.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Live Action, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Flatform Italy, New Zealand, Netherlands 2019 23:00 In a long sequence through Funafuti island, the state of drought and flooding alternate fluidly, seamless manner.
In Competition
TERMINATED:TEETH&TINDER swipes between post-marriage breakup, middle-aged Tinder and a lost front tooth.
Contact email: giulia@dugong.it
THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF AWESOME
Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
THE BIG APPLE www.encounters.film
Allison Brownmoore UK 2020 07:00 The Amazing Adventures of Awesome is a hand illustrated animated film about a young autistic girl at the heart of a quiet revolution. Contact email: design_al@me.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Live Action, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award, Children’s Jury Award.
Igor Bastidas USA, Germany 2020 04:00 A rare fruit that keeps changing shape, my personal document of the first year living in New York. Contact email: thegiblife@gmail.com Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award. 57
T-U
THE BITE
THE BOX
In Competition
Pedro Neves Marques Portugal, Brazil 2019 26:00 Between a house in the Atlantic forest and a genetically-modified mosquito factory near São Paulo, a polyamorous, non-binary relationship struggles to survive an epidemic spreading across Brazil. Contact email: pf@portugalfilm.org Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
Marie-Pierre Hauwelle France 2019 11:00 There’s nothing unusual about receiving a package in the post. ‘Yes, but...what if...?’ are the wretched type of thoughts that cause Chloé to conjure up farfetched scenarios... Contact email: diffusion@xbofilms.com Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
THE BRIDGE
www.encounters.film
THE BUTTERFLY
Catherine Fauteux Canada 2020 09:00 A woman slips into Alzheimer’s disease and before sinking, she’s holding on to the memory of a missed appointment near a covered bridge. Akin to her memory dislocated, the Bridge becomes a vast mess where hope and mind are laid astray. Contact email: catherine.fauteux@live.ca Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPro International Audience Award.
Noel Clarke UK 2019 11:00 When stolen from his home as a caterpillar and kept in a jar, a little hero faces the most incredible obstacles to get back home. Contact email: julia@unstoppableftv.com
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Brief Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Live Action, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award, Children’s Jury Award.
T-U
THE DREAM OF B. SOARES
THE EDGE
Thibault Chollet France 2019 06:00 Zaide Kutay & Géraldine Cammisar Switzerland 2020 08:00
Contact email: contact@gaspfilms.com Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
A lone truck driver drives his load, a ferris wheel, through a remote desert landscape. Trapped in his fears and habits, he hardly dares to step out of the sheltered driver’s cabin.
In Competition
I am like a pendulum that can’t stop waving, always moving, never reaching.
Contact email: ursula.ulmi@gmx.ch
THE FLYING GOLD OF ARABUKO
Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
THE GIFT www.encounters.film
John Davies Kenya, UK 2020 10:00 The Flying Gold of Arabuko is the literal and living story of the butterfly effect. It follows the practise of sustainable butterfly farming and how it has become an unlikely saviour of the last and largest wild forest of the East African Coast.
Laura-Beth Cowley UK 2019 04:00
Contact email: johndaviesstudio@gmail.com
What if the monthly curse was actually a gift?
UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Contact email: lbyellow@hotmail.co.uk Animated Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Animation, IMDbPRo UK Audience Award.
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T-U
THE GRAVE OF ST ORAN
THE GREAT MALAISE
In Competition
Jim Batt Australia, USA 2019 09:00 Master storyteller Neil Gaiman narrates a strange tale of saintly murder & the dark history behind the chapel on Iona. Brought to life with beautifully illustrated paper cutouts and stopmotion techniques. Contact email: battsignal@gmail.com Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
Catherine Lepage Canada 2019 06:00 A young woman describes herself and her life in glowing terms, but the visual narrative tells a different story: with heart-rending power it illustrates the heavy burden of anxiety carried by this worried overachiever. Contact email: d.viau@nfb.ca
THE HEAVY BURDEN
Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
www.encounters.film
THE INK DOESN’T DRY
Yilmaz Ă–zdil Turkey 2019 18:00 AVDEL feeds his family with the salary of the donkey BOZO who works in the sanitation service of the city of Mardin in Turkey. Contact email: yilmazozdil@gmail.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award
Felix Herrmann Germany 2020 15:00 Two friends live together. They observe the culture, the church, the dating, the relationships and each other. The film follows their paths of finding their own creative way of being religious. Contact email: felix-herrmann@gmx.de
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Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO
T-U
THE INVISIBLE BOY
THE LAST EPISODE
James Fitzgerald Ireland, UK, Germany 2020 21:00 nuQ Japan 2019 04:00
Contact email: seamus.waters.film@gmail.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Live Action , IMDbPro UK Audience Award.
Futako, a girl reincarnated from scraps of last year’s fireworks, is destined to burst on the day of this year’s fireworks. Retracing the past days, she awakes her instinct to soar and shine in the night sky.
In Competition
When a young girl goes missing in a small town, a troubled fisherman is forced to confront the past that destroyed his family.
Contact email: entry@c-a-r-t-e-blanche.com
THE LAST FERRY FROM GRASS ISLAND
Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
THE LAST TRAIN www.encounters.film
Linhan Zhang Hong Kong, USA 2020 14:00 A Hong Kong hitman retires as a fisherman on the peaceful Grass Island. One day, his Chinese apprentice shows up, tasked to kill him before the last ferry departs. Contact email: elise@shortcuts.pro Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
Ross Hogg UK 2019 03:00 A diverse cross section of tired, drunk, disgruntled, joyous and riotous strangers, pushed together within the confines of the last train home. Contact email: ross@rosshogg.com
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Animated Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Animation, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
T-U
THE METEOR & THE MOON
THE PASSERBY
In Competition
Beorn Leonard & Sarah Feldlaufer UK 2019 05:00 A charming meteor crash lands into a lonely moon, kick-starting an unlikely relationship. - - Inspired by a patient at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children.
Pieter Coudyzer Belgium 2020 17:00
Contact email: alexander@breakingproductions.com
On a summer day, the paths of two boys unexpectedly cross.
Brief Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Live Action, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Contact email: linda@soilart.be Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
THE PHYSICS OF SORROW
www.encounters.film
THE SCARECROWS
Theodore Ushev Canada 2019 28:00 The Physics of Sorrow tracks an unknown man’s life as he sifts through memories of his youth in Bulgaria through to his increasingly rootless and melancholic adulthood in Canada. Contact email: d.viau@nfb.ca Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
Dan Hodgson Japan, UK 2020 18:00 Japan’s ageing crisis is mounting, the country’s villages are disappearing. This is the story of one community’s peculiar struggle for survival. Contact email: julia@happenstancefilms.com
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UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
T-U
THE SONG OF A LOST BOY
THE STICK
Daniel Quirke UK 2020 10:00
Contact email: festivals2@nfts.co.uk Animated Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Animation, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Teppo Airaksinen Finland 2019 11:00 A little girl really wants a dog. Her father gives her one chance to get it. Will she succeed?
In Competition
Ben a young choir boy, who after his voice breaks mid solo, has a crisis of faith, decides to run away from his community.
Contact email: otto.suuronen@ses.fi Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
THE TIGER WHO CAME TO TEA
THE TWO TALES www.encounters.film
Robin Shaw UK 2019 24:00 A mysterious tiger turns up unannounced and invites himself in for afternoon tea. Young Sophie and her mummy watch in fascination as the tiger proceeds to eat not only their tea, but the entire contents of the fridge! Contact email: vanessa@lupusfilms.com Animated Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Animation, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award, Children’s Jury Award.
Isaac Knights-Washbourn UK, Portugal, Estonia, New Zealand 2020 06:00 A father, a son and all the precious particles left behind. - After losing his father at a young age, filmmaker Isaac KnightsWashbourn explores fragmented memories of his childhood. Contact email: knightswashbourn@gmail.com 63
UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
T-U
THE VIBRANT VILLAGE
THE WALK
In Competition
Weronika Jurkiewicz Poland, Hungary 2019 07:00 In a quiet Hungarian village, men gather to swill beer at the bar. Meanwhile, the women are busy at work, contributing their time to the mass production of sexual satisfaction.
Yoakim Bélanger Canada 2020 05:00
Contact email: katarzyna.wilk@kff.com.pl Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
Women of all ages emerge from the shadows and together, walk toward a light, Guided by their instincts, they will face and transcend their own limits. Contact email: festival@travellingdistribution.com Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
TIE
www.encounters.film
TINA
Alexandra Ramires Portugal, France 2020 12:00 Under a gloomy sun, two characters look for adaptation. Contact email: emanuel@curtas.pt Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
Dubravka Turić Croatia 2019 15:00 In an apartment where every object belongs to the past, Tina is trying to revive the holiday rituals. As New Year’s Eve is approaching, festivities and fireworks keep intruding into her private space. Contact email: info@varicoloured.eu
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Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
T-U
TO THE DUSTY SEA
TOO LATE
Héloïse Ferlay France 2020 13:00 Roy Stein Canada 2020 06:00
Contact email: distribution@vivement-lundi.com Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
Deep into the small hours of the night, drenched in black coffee and paperwork, a lonely office worker’s sanity starts to slip away.
In Competition
Left alone in the deepest of the summer, Malo and Zoe are trying their best to catch their mother’s elusive eye.
Contact email: roysteinanim@gmail.com Animated Encounters Grand Prix,IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
TOT
TRANSIT www.encounters.film
Aimée Kirkham Priester, Tom Getty & Fiona McLaughlin UK 2020 13:00 Staged in a dense mythical forest, the story is told from the perspective of TOT, a young girl who carries the unassuming and turbulent force of grief with her, fashioned in a delicate glass Jar. Contact email: fiona@tauntstudios.com UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Ariq Anam Khan UK, Bangladesh 2020 20:00 In an overcrowded, chaotic, lonely city – a salesman waits for a visa, hoping to change his luck and create a better future for his family. Contact email: ariqanamkhan@gmail.com UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award. 65
U-W
UFO
UMBILICAL
In Competition
Harvey Gardner UK 2019 17:00 After years of estrangement, two brothers encounter their father living in a mysterious Scottish community. But how far are they willing to go to reconnect with someone they barely know? Contact email: harveygardner14@gmail.com UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Danski Tang USA, China 2019 07:00 An animated documentary exploring how my mother’s abusive relationship shaped my own experiences in boarding school.Through a conversation, my mother and I learn to understand and support each other. Contact email: danskitang@gmail.com Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
UNDERNEATH
www.encounters.film
VERISIMILITUDE
Calif Chong Hong Kong, UK 2019 19:00 Jane is a high-minded married woman in her late thirties. Since her husband is sick, the obligation of running the family rest solely on her shoulders, in which expressing sexuality becomes a luxury. Contact email: califcnm@gmail.com UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
David Proud UK 2020 13:00 Verisimilitude is a short film about an unemployed disabled actress who is frustrated as all the disabled acting jobs go to able bodied actors. Contact email: justi@104films.com
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Brief Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Live Action, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
W-Y
WADE
WALKING A FINE LINE
Kalp Sanghvi & Upamanyu Bhattacharyya India 2020 11:00
Contact email: wadethefilm@gmail.com Animated Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
abcde Flash Switzerland, UK 2019 05:00 abcde Flash, the film’s creator and protagonist, approached a sex worker for guidance towards new thrills, challenges and boundaries with her curiosity leading the way.
In Competition
In a version of Kolkata, India rendered unliveable by sea level rise, things take a dark turn when a family of climate change refugees are ambushed by a tiger on the flooded streets.
Contact email: anissa.gabelmann@gmail.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Live Action, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
WALTER THE DOG
WE ALL JUST WANT TO BE MAD www.encounters.film
William Haigh UK 2019 14:00 When Christopher finds a sinister double of his dog, sinister things start happening. He can’t tell them apart and must choose between losing his best friend and living with a demon doppelganger dog. Contact email: william.haigh@lfs.org.uk UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Flora Tennant UK 2020 20:00 Arabella is comfortable with Eve. She is self conscious in front of Fred. Until she discovers how to free herself to be regardless of context. Contact email: floratennant@aol.com UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award. 67
W-Y
WHERE TO LAND
WHITE AND FLUFFY
In Competition
Sawandi Groskind Finland 2020 15:00 An elderly mute woman finds herself on a remote island, where she subsequently meets a young man who longs to visit his mother.
Tim Grabham UK 2020 06:00
Contact email: sawandi.groskind@gmail.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
A hand drawn, synesthetic inspired animation for the track ‘White and Fluffy’ by Floating Circles Quartet. Contact email: studio@iloobia.com Animated Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Animation, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
WHITE EYE
www.encounters.film
WILD WILL
Tomer Shushan Israel 2019 21:00 A man finds his stolen bicycle and it now belongs to a stranger. In his attempts to retrieve the bicycle, he struggles to remain human Contact email: shira.m.hochman@gmail.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
Alan King Australia 2019 13:00 When a lost and disorientated man is brought back to the local police station for assistance, things quickly disintegrate into hell on earth. Contact email: alanwking@hotmail.com
68
Brief Encounters Grand Prix, IMDbPRO International Audience Award.
W-Y
WINTER COAT
WOMEN WHO DO NOT SLEEP
Werner Vivier UK 2020 11:00 Jakub Dvořák Czech Republic, UK 2020 21:00
Contact email: werner.vivier26@gmail.com Brief Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Live Action, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Jana, who’s in her fifties, lives alone with her 15 year old daughter Johanka. Her loneliness along with rising fears of old age makes her put pressure on her married lover while Johanka stumbles into her first sexual experience.
In Competition
While out on a day of errands, an act of petty crime provides a glimpse into the unique bond between Nathalie and Wayne, revealing the intricacies of motherhood and family bonds.
Contact email: jakubdvorak97@gmail.com
YELLOW GINGHAM
UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
YOU AND ME www.encounters.film
Camille Gibut UK, France 2019 07:00 Yellow gingham portrays a house emerging from an elusive memory. It’s a journey near a whispered window, a dream of a stair in the deserted garden. Contact email: camille.gibut@gmail.com UK Student Award, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
Karni and Saul UK 2020 03:00 An Isolation dance music video by karni and Saul for Micah’s emotional new song You and me . inspired by home isolation connection, dance and the online video culture currently present . Contact email: krispykarni@gmail.com
69
Brief Encounters Grand Prix, Best of British: Live Action, IMDbPRO UK Audience Award.
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www.encounters.film
In Competition
A-B
A-B In Competition
www.encounters.film
DEPICT
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MAIN DEPICT
SPONSORS
Depict
SUPPORTED AND MANAGED BY:
SPONSORED BY:
www.encounters.film
WITH SUPPORT FROM:
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PROMOTED BY:
Depict is Watershed’s super short filmmaking competition part of Encounters Festival challenging filmmakers from across the globe to create an imaginative and original short film of 90 seconds or less, a unique opportunity for emerging talent to get exposure and the support they need to take their career to the next level.
Depict
Join Depict Producer Maddy Probst and Watershed Cinema Curator Mark Cosgrove for the Depict Watchalong & Awards, a chance to come together to watch this year’s Depict selection chosen from over 1,360 entries from over 80 countries. Get to know some of the talent behind the films and be the first to find out who has picked up an Award. The films selected for the main Depict competition are up for multiple awards and prizes. The Depict 2020 Jury will select the main Depict Award of £1,500, the Royal Photographic Society Award of £1,000, the Depict British Award, a talent development package supported by BFI NETWORK, NFTS and BAFTA and the Depict Random Acts Award, priceless exposure and mentoring c/o Channel 4 Random Acts. New this year, there is also an extra selection of Lockdown Depict shorts, many created in response to our #shortitout call to action earlier this year, a collaboration with BFI NETWORK, Encounters as well as industry partners including Channel 4, BAFTA and Aardman Animations. Join in the Lockdown Depict Watchalong on Sat 26 Sept 14:00 (BST.) Vote and comment on your favourite films in the Depict selection towards the Depict IMDbPro Audience Award at depict.org
MAIN DEPICT
DEPICT 2020 SELECTION
www.encounters.film 73
MAIN DEPICT
ABOUT SELF-CONFIDENCE (AND INSECURITY)
Lucas Pelaes Brazil 2020
BLUE
Depict
Two girls talks and a ghost appears.
Paulina Jaklik Poland 2019
B.I.A.B.
www.encounters.film
The reversed story of a fight on a peaceful beach witnessed by the unknowing child. Done on paper with ink and watercolors.
Ryan Francis UK 2020
CHOREAK
A short story about the pressures and difficulties of being black.
Yashar Faraji Iran 2020
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An ant falls in the direction of road construction.
MAIN DEPICT
CLICK/WHEEL
Gavin Williams UK 2020
CHRONICALLY LOCKED DOWN DOUBLE WORD SCORE
A dynamic study of the effects of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder from inside the mind of a sufferer.
DILEMMA
Depict
Charli Whatley UKKeith Allott 2020 UK
Tapping into a shared empathy, Charli Whatley 2020 talks about the parallel between lockdown and Lockdown boredom leads to a flirtatious game how her life already was due to chronic illness of Scrabble between neighbours Jamie and ME/CFS. Ashley, but does Jamie have the nerve to make the next move?
www.encounters.film
Sundeep Toor UK 2020
ECHO
An abstract film debating the age old question, what came first . . . the Chicken or the Egg?
Daryna Kuzmina Ukraine 2020 An ode to the irrevocable past, without which there is no future.
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MAIN DEPICT
FABULOUS
James Skinner UK 2020
I’LL CALL YOU LATER
Depict
When Alice is dared by some older girls to steal a glossy fashion magazine, she learns that the biggest dare is to be yourself.
Maria Scutaru Romania 2020
GAIA
www.encounters.film
What does later mean to you? Time means different things to different people.
Brenda Ximena Roldan Romero UK 2020
LIQUID SOLID
Gaia stands for ‘Mother Earth’. This piece is a social tribute for those animals lost in the Australian bush fires.
Amanda Aiken UK 2020
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Waves of small coloured glass pieces weave across screen. From the chaos, a form is created.
MAIN DEPICT
MY TIME WITH JOE
Dean Leon Anderson UK 2020
SUPER 8 SKATE
ONLY US AND FISH
Depict
A love story, chronicling the life of an Irish woman marrying a black professional boxer in the 1950’s, and the joys and challenges they faced.
Asymmtry Collective Jonas Erler & Marian RĂśder Germany 2020 Stop-Motion short, shot on Super 8 film to express the love of skating and filmmaking.
THE ATTRACTION
Oneiric vision of the world after the big flood. Seemingly calm and untroubled atmosphere is interrupted by feelings of anxiety.
www.encounters.film
Agata Piasecka Poland 2020
Antoine Le Gallo France 2019 While humanity is doomed to live underground because of the too high temperatures on the surface, a woman and her son make an attraction become unique to the world.
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MAIN DEPICT
THE BIGGER THE HOOP
Francesca Salmasi UK 2019
THE WALL
Depict
The Bigger the Hoop is a minute long short film exploring the female experience through the words that are often used to hold women back.
THE FATHER OF TREES
Fareideh Naderi Iran 2019
www.encounters.film
A group of students play volleyball during break, however they are separated by much more than just a wall‌
Teymour Ghaderi Iran 2020
THIRST FOR LIFE
A man collecting plastic bottles in nature to water trees.
Shaan Couture, Jonas Dinal France 2019
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2054, global warming pushed people out of the cities. Few survivors struggle to live through this hostile world.
MAIN DEPICT
UNREALITY
Kevin Rahardjo Indonesia 2020
WATER
A girl is walking through scenery and enjoying nature but something is bothering her. Depict
Cesar Diaz Melendez Spain 2020
WHO IS BILL
A journey to discover the importance of water in our lives.
A widow employs the dark arts to see her husband once more.
www.encounters.film
Sophie Mair & Dan Gitsham UK 2019
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LOCKDOWN DEPICT
LOCKDOWN DEPICT
Earlier this year as the UK entered lockdown, Watershed teamed up with Encounters and BFI NETWORK, Encounters as well as industry partners including Channel 4, BAFTA and Aardman Animations to launch #shortitout a call to action encouraging filmmakers to capture and share their view of this unique moment in just 90 secs as well as providing them with a space for peer support and inspiration. Whilst some of us struggled with isolation, stress or even grief, and others were just at a loose end looking for something to do, lockdown has resulted in some inspired creative responses as this selection of lockdown Depict shorts demonstrates.
Depict
Join in the Lockdown Depict Watchalong on Sat 26 Sept 14:00 (BST) for a chance to watch the films collectively, get to know some of the talent behind the films and find out about how they approached filmmaking in these challenging times. Vote and comment on your favourite films in the Lockdown Depict selection towards the Depict IMDbPro Audience Award at depict.org
www.encounters.film
Watch back some of the #shortitout Filmmaker Front Room Q&As including Desiree Akhavan, Ben Wheatley, Jim Cummings and Ă…sa Lucander plus access tips and resources on how to make your own short films at home: encounters.film/ shortitout.
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THIS PROGRAMME IS PRESENTED TO YOU BY:
LOCKDOWN DEPICT
ANTIDOTE
Daisy Moore UK 2020
ART OF NOISE
A documentary love letter to coping mechanisms, the nurses of the NHS and their close ones who have supported them through the pandemic. Depict
Will Webb UK 2020
CHRONICALLY LOCKED DOWN
Two neighbours engage in a battle of wills over music.
www.encounters.film
Charli Whatley UK 2020
COLIN-19
Tapping into a shared empathy, Charli Whatley talks about the parallel between lockdown and how her life already was due to chronic illness ME/CFS.
Gemma Rigg UK 2020 Everyone has hopes and dreams, even this COVID-19 microbe. Colin always wanted to travel, but he didn’t realise his actions would cause the next plague.
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LOCKDOWN DEPICT
DANCE IN
Anthony Vander UK 2020
FEVER: LOVE IN THE TIME OF CORONA
Depict
Just my mum dancing her way during lockdown.
EDIE+ELINS MAGIC SHOW
Clemily Martin UK 2020
www.encounters.film
Tensions are high in an apocalyptic, Coronastruck London as one lustful lady flirts her way through passengers on the Tube, determined to pin down some Friday night fun.
Edie Morris Wales 2020
HOW ISA STAYS HAPPY IN LOCKDOWN
A short animated magic show created at home during isolation. Featuring myself and my housemate, shot on an Iphone and Inspired by Georges Méliès.
Luke Romo Hodges, Nick Davidson United Arab Emirates 2020
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Isa explains how she continues to feel happy during lockdown.
LOCKDOWN DEPICT
MEASURING UP
Eloise Heath UK 2020
MOTHERS
When social distancing hits, a jaded New York detective comes out of retirement- her unconventional methods are about to come into their own... Depict
Gloria Kurnik UK 2020
MISSION COVID-19
This is a tribute to all mothers in the lockdown, it takes an immense amount of creativity to keep everybody sane.
www.encounters.film
Peter Vadocz Hungary 2020
ON THE MOON
We live in a historical time; the mission is very hard and very easy at the same time: only step back and stay at home.
Graham Hughes Scotland 2020 An introvert muses over how little her life has changed during lockdown.
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LOCKDOWN DEPICT
PLEASE, CALL ME BACK
Christine Ubochi UK 2020
SHOPPING TRIP
Depict
Having been separated from his family due to self-isolation, an older man receives updates on their life through voicemail.
QUARANTINE CHORUS
Barry Wilkinson UK 2020
www.encounters.film
A man ventures out to the shops during a serious viral pandemic.
Edoardo Sartori UK 2020
STOCKOLM SYNDROME
During the COVID-19 lockdown a musical battle begins between a guitarist and a tambourinist. Happily, a little girl will help them to play harmoniously together.
Ben Marshall UK 2020
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A seemingly innocent phone call between a young woman and her Swedish mother slowly reveals secrets that don’t bode well for her Tech-Deck obsessed partner
LOCKDOWN DEPICT
TEXTURES OF A CONFINEMENT
Alejandro Bonilla Venezuela 2020
TOGETHER | FRAGMENTED
A woman spending a quarantine alone starts merging with her apartment.
Depict
WHO IS YOUR EVERYBODY?
Flora Martyr UK 2020 A short animated documentary exploring the changes faced amidst the current Covid-19 pandemic.
In March 2020 I started recording my conversations with friends and family during lockdown. Without them knowing. This film is dedicated to all of them.
www.encounters.film
Ozzie Pullin UK 2020
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www.encounters.film
In Competition
A-B
A-B In Competition
www.encounters.film
OUT OF COMPETITION
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A LIFE ON EARTH Out Of Competition aaaaaaaaa www.encounters.film 88
A LIFE ON EARTH
A LIFE ON EARTH
Benjamin Wigley UK, Canada 2018 66:00 A Life on Earth is a hand-crafted film that uses the cycles of life over the four seasons at an allotment to structure a personal, poetic, hypnotic regression in time, on a family’s journey through Invitro Fertilisation process (IVF).
We see 'A Life on Earth’, presented on a temporary erected projection screen standing in the now dormant allotment space, that is featured within Wigley’s celluloid feature film. There is an augmented sense of memory when watching the film within the context of this re-wilded space. It is a contemporary ruin, an archeology, recaptured by Mother Nature; and this chimes with some of the allegory within the film about humanity’s connection with nature, and the importance of a harmonic balance.
This is the AAFFia 2020 official selection showcasing a range of both professional and student African animation. AAFFia is at its second edition and aims at helping the African animation ecosystem grow and flourish. The submissions have grown considerably since last year and this is a selection and a wide overview of the talent on the African continent.
Out Of Competition
A SPECIAL GIFT - A TROUBLEMAKERS STORY
A LITTLE BIRD TOLD ME ABOUT THE ABC www.encounters.film
Nildo Essá Mozambique 2019 06:00
ACCRA ANIMATION FESTIVAL
ACCRA ANIMATION FESTIVAL
Lili, Stretch and ZéGordo, AKA, the Troublemakers, decide to surprise their friend Rosita by decorating her school for the neighborhood’s annual Christmas dinner.
Georg Diederik Grobler South Africa 2019 05:00 A series for 2 to 4 year olds about the adventures of three little birds and their friends. In the pilot episode the three little birds tells us about the ABC. 89
ACCRA ANIMATION FESTIVAL
A MOMENT IN TIME
Belal Saeed & Abdel Hakim Egypt 2017 05:00
A SELFIE WITH MY GREAT GRANDPARENTS
www.encounters.film
Out Of Competition
Tells the story of a child trying to wake up from a coma, he starts looking for the door that takes him out of the maze that he spins in, and when he finds the door that bring him back to life once again the had time run out.
BINDING ADVENTURES
Mikylah Spangenberg South Africa 2019 04:00
Kudzi Synos Zimbabwe 2020 03:00 A young boy leaves his parents home to travel from London to Zimbabwe there he spends the summer with his extended family in Harare, with plenty of adventure.
BREATHE
June and Timothy Watts are late for their train. June starts reading a book as Tim continues playing on his gameboy. The gameboy dies leaving Tim bored.
Georg Diederik Grobler South Africa 2020 04:00
90
Created during March 2020, this experimental stop-motion film reflects the anxiety of the artists involved as the anxiety around the COVID-19 virus grew globally.
ACCRA ANIMATION FESTIVAL
CANARY’S ECHO
Christopher Ellis South Africa 2019 04:00
DASSIE
Somewhere along the outskirts of Johannesburg. Milo, a young illegal miner descends down into another abandoned mine, for another day of scavenging.
DRUNKEN DREAMS
An unlikely friendship between a clumsy meerkat and an overly quiet dassie is tested by the harsh environment of the beautiful, yet unpredictable Kalahari Desert.
EMBER www.encounters.film
Esther Kemi Gbadamosi Nigeria 2020 08:00
Out Of Competition
Kayley Wagner & Abdullah Akram South Africa 2019 05:00
Drunken Dreams highlights the devastating effect of alcohol, the hopelessness of old age and making a difference against all odds. In the end, it’s really a matter of choice.
Caitlin Hoseck & Celeste Jamneck South Africa 2018 04:00
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In the Fynbos, Mbali a Nature Sprite looks at all the plants with concern. She tries to revive a wilted flower. Defeated, Mbali sees fiery embers float past.She follows and find a Fire Sprite scorching plants.
ACCRA ANIMATION FESTIVAL
EXAM
Boukef Med Taher Shawki Algeria 2020 02:00
FLOW
www.encounters.film
Out Of Competition
Between past and present, the film attempted to recall that the relative imbalance of social and economic life in the world today due to the Covid 19 virus is a true test that can only be overcome through commitment.
Thalisa Pillay South Africa 2019 04:00
FLOWER IN THE SUBWAY
Flow, an inquisitive, young jellyfish swims through the ocean in a search of a friend. Throughout her journey, she constantly gets rejected by many characters - specifically a crab that she tried her best with by offering him a new shell.
Christine Le ClĂŠzio South Africa 2019 04:00
FOWL GOBLIN
Deep within the sewer systems lies a city full of bustling rats. Theo, a plain, lonely rat makes his way toward the subway, seemingly invisible to the rats around him. Until he purchases a dazzling jacket which he hopes will gain him social recognition.
Samantha Nortje South Africa 2019 05:00
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In the depths of the African Savannah, a mischievous, pie loving goblin begins his daily routine by visiting his best friends’ on a chicken farm, while cleverly managing to avoid the clutches of a vigilant farmer.
ACCRA ANIMATION FESTIVAL
FTFO
Kanso Ogbolu Nigeria 2019 05:00
GANJA
A collection of creepy short stories.
GENERAL MEOW
Ndiogou, a young Indian hemp addict, is about to smoke his last joint. To get in the mood he sings an old song by Bob Marley which happens to be the magic formula of the Ganjas.
CLEVER SPIDER AND THE COLOSSUS MAN www.encounters.film
Wanjeri Gakuru Keya 2020 10:00
Out Of Competition
Ndiaye Amath Senegal 2019 11:00
An adventure road trip and stop motion film. Partnered couple, Razzo, a lovable triceratops & Bee, a whip-smart trans animal find themselves in a bit of a pickle when they are caught trespassing on a mysterious property.
Suleiman Surajo Nigeria 2018 11:00 Based on Hausa culture of West African oral folktale, Gizo Da Basamude (Clever Spider and the Colossus Man) tells the tale of a gigantic Egyptian that came to Hausa land and challenge the people with an impossible task. 93
ACCRA ANIMATION FESTIVAL
HADIDANCE
Luke Viljoen South Africa 2018 04:00
I EXIST
www.encounters.film
Out Of Competition
One night a female bird heads to a bar determined to find love. Outwardly she seems to be incredibly outgoing and popular, everyone seems to want to get her attention, but underneath there is a dark layer of insecurity.
I’M LIVING IN GHANA GET ME OUT OF HERE
Ouammou Achraf Morocco 2019 06:00 Omar nickname Bob , is a rapper with specefic needs , He sees himself as a creative person capable of changing the world.
Comfort Arthur Ghana 2019 06:00
ISOLATED
From being swindled by a immigration officer to fighting with a hairdresser. I’m Living in Ghana Get Me Out OF HERE are short stories about the filmmakers experience migrating from London to Ghana.
Brian K Tarus Kenya 2018 03:00
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A short thriller film that centers around a patient, Mosa, who wakes up to find the hospital that he is admitted to has been attacked and patients murdered by a mysterious creature.
ACCRA ANIMATION FESTIVAL
KITWANA’S JORUNEY
Ng’endo Mukii Kenya 2019 06:00
LOLA
This is the story of a boy named Kitwana, A boy who laughed and played,and went to school, and did all the things that children do. One day Kitwana’s life would change and not for the better, This however, no body knew.
LOS MAGOS
A feel-good short film about the life of an unappreciated cactus and the challenges she faces in her day-to-day life. A cactusshaped balloon bursts into her life and Lola’s perspective changes.
MACHINI www.encounters.film
Muti South Africa 2019 01:00
Out Of Competition
Kandyce van Rooyen South Africa 04:00
As the stinging sand billows across the desolate plains of a distant desert, two sorcerers come face to face to settle a quarrel in a test of skill and strength.
Frank Mukunday & Tétshim Democratic Republic of Congo 2019 10:00 By necessity and especially by the force of the machine we have become sleepwalking beings beings deprived of God, the damned of the earth and test subjects over the black market of history test subjects of the machine. 95
ACCRA ANIMATION FESTIVAL
MESSAGE BEATS
Natasha Nayo Ghana 2019 02:00
MR. PURPLE
www.encounters.film
Out Of Competition
Adia, an odd village girl, stumbles upon a magical talking drum and transforms into a fighting warrior- a Magical Drummer! Can she save her village?
NKOZA & NANKYA, ENJOVU, THE ELEPHANT TAIL
Osama Abouzaid Egypt 2019 10:00 The film revolves around the idea of intolerance and how some people want to practice dictatorship by imposing their views on others.
Solomon W Jagwe Uganda 2019 05;00
RECYCLE
Maama Nankya shares a bedtime story with Nankya, featuring a song called Enjovu. The story is based on an old folk tale and Luganda nursery rhyme we used to sing as kids growing up in Uganda.
Mohamed Said Badr Egypt 2019 05:00
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This film is a graduation project from the Faculty of Arts and Design of the Media Arts Department at Pharos University in Alexandria.
ACCRA ANIMATION FESTIVAL
RUBY AND ROACH
Erentia Bedeker South Africa 2020 09:00
SHELVED
Two sale toys, cruelly rejected by the buying public because they are different, make a daring escape and end up somewhere quite unexpected and somehow wonderful...
SOULEYMAN
Within the aisle of a library, an old lady librarian goes about her work pushing a trolley, while a DIY book wakes on a bookshelf where he gazes at the Romeo and Juliet screenplay book.
Aloïs Agboglo Benin 04:00
Out Of Competition
Kyle England South Africa 2019 04:00
STRING BALL www.encounters.film
“Souleyman” is a little boy, a fan of a super hero who saves people in danger in the city. The latter inspired her to do good to those around her.
Aaia Fouad Madany Egypt 08:00 The pictures taken by photographers always play the role of witness, create memories, and draw attention to the horrors and terrorism that conflict creates, but certain images have had an impact on the world and play a special individual role during the turnover of wars. 97
ACCRA ANIMATION FESTIVAL
SUN AND MOON
Amira El Badry Egypt 2020 04:00
SUPER GIRLS
www.encounters.film
Out Of Competition
A man is sitting alone in an “ahwa” — a traditional Egyptian coffee shop, playing chess by himself. He sits there staring at the chessboard contemplating the black and white pieces as he projects his inner struggles onto the chess game.
Bereket Tibebu Ethiopia 2019 04:00
THE BOY AND THE ROBIN
Super Girls is a short 3d stylized animation that is about the relationship between a single super woman mother and her daughter who has also super powers. its about the relationship a mother ought to have with her daughter no matter how super she is.
Tamika Bramwell South Africa 2019 05:00
THE LEGEND OF LWANDA MAGERE
A heroic cowboy must prevent a squad of armed goons from escaping the town after a bank heist. At least, that’s what young Adam believes he must do in his imagination.
Kwame Nyong’o Kenya 2020 10:00
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On the shores of the great lake of Africa, a virtuous young warrior is gifted with superhuman powers, powers that act to test his integrity and mores.
Emily Davie South Africa 2019 05:00
THE PASSPORT OF MALLAM ILIA
ACCRA ANIMATION FESTIVAL
THE OTHER SIDE
Our story begins on a chicken farm in the Karoo. We are introduced to the loud and obnoxious Clucky who wakes all of the chickens up.
The passport of Mallam Ilia tells the story of love, vengeance and conquest set in ancient Northern Nigeria in the 19th century.
THE SUGARCANE MAN www.encounters.film
Bassem Ben Brahim Tunisia 2019 14:00
Out Of Competition
THE RED FISH
Chekwube Okonkwo Nigeria 2019 02:00
Salim, a child of immense imagination, suffering from inequality within his family, composed of his grandmother and sister Farida. He does all the work, unlike his sister, who only has to study.
Tina Obo & Leroy Le Roux South Africa 2019 05:00
99
The story plays on how the innocence (children) are being used for the purpose to fight in a purposeless war that is based on the true facts of a Warlord named Joseph Kony in Northern Uganda.
ACCRA ANIMATION FESTIVAL
THE SYMBOLIC OF LOOT
Akoda Kossi Messan Togo 2020 05:00
THREE TEASPOONS OF SUGAR
www.encounters.film
Out Of Competition
The king of mangou kingdom wage a war against the midi kingdom. Then he geos to the spirit master to ask for help.
Kabelo “Cabblow” Maaka & Dr Tshepo P. MaakaCountry South Africa 12:00
TRIUMPH
In a household where meal times are a delightful feast full of bonding, fellowship & good eating, 3 members of this tight knit family are diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus.
Somtochukwu Onubogu Nigeria 2019 03:00
UMUZUNGU OBRONI
A short story that explores the journey to the top. A journey filled with many distractions, mystery and uncertainty.
Tinne Kieckens Rwanda 2020 02:00
100
The story of a little girl who went on to belong in a place she was not born in.
ACCRA ANIMATION FESTIVAL
UNA DAY DE MATTA
Antoine Onomo Emmanuel Cameroon 2019 12:00
UNDONE
A young student accustomed to foolish plans that he often narrowly misses, finds himself stuck in front of his creditors during a rather complicated day.
UNTITLED
Dotty lives alone in her house, finding comfort in her daily knitting routine. When she knits she enters a world where her memories come to life.
This was an audio visual experiment to explore what a collage animated video would look like. The audio happened by accident when going through Mzee Jomo’s old speeches and a voice message a friend sent me were mixed together.
www.encounters.film
David Mwangi Kenya 2020 01:00
Out Of Competition
Sara Laubscher & Saira George South Africa 2018 04:00
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AFRIKA EYE PRESENTS Out Of Competition www.encounters.film
AFRIKA EYE PRESENTS
Afrika Eye is delighted to be partnering with Encounters Festival to screen "African Women in the Time of Covid-19" and applaud the women who had the courage and creative energy to make these films. The Ladima Foundation, a Pan-African not- for-profit organisation, which supports women in creative industries offered African women the opportunity to share their stories focusing on the personal, economic and social impact of Covid-19 on their lives. Drawn from 18 countries in Africa, these are the winning entries. The pandemic has had a palpable impact on women across the continent, revealing the often extreme circumstances women find themselves in. Stories of domestic violence, loss of opportunities and burden of care are thrown into sharp relief by their counterpart, which is one of resilience and hope.
BEING
Malak El Araby Egypt 2020 02:00
BLUNDER
The film is about how everyone took everything for granted before the pandemic. How the little things in life is what matters most. How we never realize what we have until it is lost. What we miss and what we should appreciate in life after all of this is over.
Fezeka Tholakele South Africa 2019 02:00
102
Blunder is about a couple who planned to get married before lockdown was introduced, with all the rules and regulations everything came to pause however the girlfriend’s uncles decided to show up for lobola negotiations.
AFRIKA EYE PRESENTS
FACE MASK FOR SALE
Neha Manoj Shah Kenya 2020 02:00
I’LL CALL YOU LATER
They say this is the new norm, that things will be okay. At first, it’s all fun and games, but time has a way of draining you. This is the story of a single mother in the time of Corona, stuck, with no choice but to survive.
Aurelie Stratton South Africa 2020 02:00 Jo and Bec are sisters and can only communicate through video calls during lockdown. Jo has not been taking Bec’s calls because she is hiding something. Lockdown has been more dangerous for Jo than Bec realises.
LOVE, ZWADI www.encounters.film
Faith Ilevbare Nigeria 2019 02:00
Out Of Competition
LOOP: EVERY END HAS A BEGINNING
Loop is a short film highlighting the negative effect of domestic violence on children exposed to such violence during the lock down.
Wambui Gathee Kenya 2020 02:00
103
With the lockdown measures being enforced, vulnerable women and young girls are put in a position where the life-threatening outside is safer than their own homes and at times forced to make difficult choices.
AFRIKA EYE PRESENTS
MOYO
www.encounters.film
Out Of Competition
Hellen Samina Ochieng Kenya 2020 02:00
MY SUNSHINE
Moyo tells the story of Achieng, a young single mother working as an underpaid nurse in Mbagathi Hospital, Nairobi. She struggles with the grim financial, mental and physical realities of being a single mother, and the pressures of being a front-line, essential worker.
THE TEMPEST
Chioma Divine Favour Mathias Country 2020 02:00 This short story is about the struggle of a single mother with a disabled child, trying to fend for herself and her baby at the same time surviving the the effect of the pandemic. She did all she can to stay strong and sharp even in the face of tribulations.
Skinnor Davillah Agell Kenya 2020 02:00
WORLDS APART
The Tempest is a short film about a dancer Davillah_S expressing how Covid -19 has changed her family and personal life, as well as millions of other lives across the globe.
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Yehoda Hammond Ghana 2020 02:00 Rhema and Erica are Junior high school students whose education has been interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. The differences in their economic situations have directly altered the course of their education and how they cope with the current times.
Bristol Palestine Film Festival (BPFF) is proud to be celebrating our 10-year anniversary in 2020 - 10 years of funny, tragic, inspiring cinema, reflecting life in Palestine. This year we are delighted to be collaborating with Encounters Film Festival to present an exciting programme of short Palestinian films under the theme Shades of Protest. Featuring archival footage, experimental work, documentary and humour, this compelling mix of new films highlights Palestinian resilience in all its forms. To learn more about the Bristol Palestine Film Festival 2020, which takes place in December, please visit ww.bristolpff.org.uk.
Out Of Competition
BODIES IN MOTION
GAZAGRAPH www.encounters.film
Rehab Nazzal Canada, Palestine 2019 03:00
BRISTOL PALESTINE
BRISTOL PALESTINE FILM FESTIVAL
Using hundreds of silhouettes of stone-slinging protestors, this powerful silent film explores the symbolic gestures that have marked the Palestinian uprisings.
Yousef Nateel Palestine 2018 40:00 Documentary exploring the way in which Gaza’s social and political past has been recorded across the decades through photography. 105
BRISTOL PALESTINE
JUHANA THE WHALE
Karam El Ma Canada 2016 13:00
MADE IN PALESTINE
Out Of Competition
Coming-of-age feature exploring the isolation faced by a refugee mother and her daughter as they await their claimant hearing in Toronto, Canada.
MARADONA’S LEGS
Mariam Dwedar US, Palestine 2019 08:00
www.encounters.film
A touching portrait of the last remaining factory in Palestine to produce the keffiyeh, an iconic symbol of Palestine and its heritage.
Firas Khoury Germany, Palestine 2019 23:00
UNTIL THE LAST DROP
On a quest to complete their 1990 World Cup album, two young brothers are determined to find ‘Maradona’s legs’, the last missing sticker.
Tim Webster UK, Palestine 2019 20:00
106
Eye-opening documentary of two farmers in the West Bank, one Israeli and one Palestinian, farming the same land but with unequal access to water resources.
Depict! Georgia is a joint program between Encounters Film Festival, Tbilisi International Film Festival, and British Council Georgia. The short film competition took place for the first time in December 2019 in the framework of the 20th-anniversary edition of Tbilisi International Film Festival. A total of 30 films were selected and screened at Amirani Theatre.
DEPICT GEORGIA
DEPICT GEORGIA
Out Of Competition
123
16-YEARS-OLD WIVES
Life is short. Sometimes you can’t even count to three.
www.encounters.film
Ani Chikhladze Georgia 2019
Gulgun Mammatkhanova Georgia 2019 Early marriage in Georgia, a region populated by ethnic minorities, is a common story that everyone is talking about. The author finds a way to give a voice to women who whisper their stories. 107
DEPICT GEORGIA
3..2..1..
Out Of Competition
Mariam Samushia Georgia 2019
APOLLO
As the great director once put it: “Every story has a beginning, a middle, and an end. Not necessarily in that order”. For a film that must end in 90 seconds, perhaps the first two parts of it are non-essential?
Levan Gelashvili Georgia 2019
CELEBRATION
www.encounters.film
The documentary film about the cinema ”Apollo”, which is more than a hundred years old. The unique modern style building was the centre of Tbilisi cinema life during a long period, but nowadays it is useless.
Shorena Tevzadze Georgia 2019
DEAD
Maybe it’s a celebration for one but the last day for another?! - The film observes an event in the mountain village of Georgia and talks about life from a little lambs perspective.
Guram Geguchadze Georgia 2019
108
Man dies, but his family members can’t notice this.
DEPICT GEORGIA
DOUBLES
George Todria Georgia 2019
EX PARTE MEA
What happens when film storyboard characters come alive? They try to find love. Out Of Competition
FEMININE HAPPINESS
Guram Megrelishvili Georgia 2019 The film is about the peculiarity of perception. An elderly man buys condoms and goes up to the basement with a teenager. From the third person, the fact can be evaluated differently, which often has nothing to do with reality.
FROM HOME I HAD...
Overview of the feminist flatmates’ apartment with cats walking around.
www.encounters.film
Mzeo Kandelaki Georgia 2019
Tato Gogoladze Georgia 2019 We asked refugees of Russia-Georgia war to show us one of the most valuable thing they took the last minute while leaving home during the war. 109
DEPICT GEORGIA
I PREFER LIVING IN COLORS
Keti Kamushadze Georgia 2019
IS IT POSSIBLE?
Out Of Competition
The film demonstrates how love can color up a person’s life and make it far more exciting than just black & white.
LIFE IN 90 SECONDS
Nika Kokhreidze Georgia 2019
www.encounters.film
Man who makes music with his body impulses, and prays for electricity.
Keti Natsvlishvili Georgia 2019
MAGICIANS OF THE BLACK SEA
The short film shows us one person’s story, which makes us think about how people spend their lifetime.
Maka Kiladze Georgia 2019
110
The film aims to artistically reflect on considerable indications of the beginning of the ancient oriental civilisations of the universe, found specifically in the Black Sea region
DEPICT GEORGIA
MEMORIA
Gabriel Jobava Georgia 2019
MOTIVATION
This is a film about a condition that is part of our daily life - a condition we are no longer afraid of. Loneliness.
PARTY PEOPLE
Out Of Competition
Ani Zghenti Georgia 2019 The story is about a boy who is motivated to succeed in life. His primary inspiration is the girl he is in love with.
RABBIT
www.encounters.film
Davit Shekriladze & Giorgi Kharadze Georgia 2019 “Party People” is about being lonely in a place full of people
Tamar Basaria & Davit Chakaberia Georgia 2019 Sometimes we don’t feel like we’re adults until we run into kids. Children who look you in the eye reading the truth. 111
DEPICT GEORGIA
RIDE
Tornike Margvelashvili Georgia 2019
SOUND ATELIER
Out Of Competition
A girl is taking a train ride, her thoughts start to wonder, taking her to the moments of transcendence, where past and future meet.
Sophio Chkeidze Georgia 2019
THE DEATH
www.encounters.film
What are the noises that fill local alteration shop? The rhythm, flow and pattern creates this very special music that you will definitely hear if you listen closely enough.
Mariam Mumladze Georgia 2019
THE MONSTERS
There are some tragic moments in everybody’s life but they have their special charm as well. The plot is about a bird which is run over by a car.
Lizi Beridze Georgia 2019
112
The short film “Monsters” is about a monster who suffers with Existential crisis. He and his love interest try to get answers about the meaning of life.
DEPICT GEORGIA
THE STEPS
Natia Bregvadze Georgia 2019
TIME
Every step we make shapes a new version of ourselves. Every time we put on our shoes, we are someone else. Steps are what remains from those diverse journeys. Out Of Competition
WAR, WAR, WAR
Giorgi Janjghava Georgia 2019 For the girl, addicted to the computer, time passes faster, as she’s locked up in a virtual life, the real life is getting out of her hand.
WTF LOVE ( WHERE TO FIND LOVE)
The short film - “War War War” is the first episode of eight short movies about crushing wars which happened in Tbilisi, in my room. Film shows us that it’s better to play with toy soldiers than with human lives.
www.encounters.film
Vakhtang Kantaria Georgia 2019
Sophio Chkeidze Georgia 2019 Where do people meet their soulmates. Where do people find love? Does the place matter? Or is it the timing?
113
EFA SHORT FILM AWARD Out Of Competition www.encounters.film
EFA SHORT FILM AWARD
EFA Shorts is the European Film Academy’s short film tour, which brings the latest EUROPEAN SHORT FILM candidates, nominees and winner to audiences across Europe – and beyond. The programme features a selection from the 20 European Short Film Candidates, each of them selected at a renowned European (short) film festival as candidate for the European Film Awards 2019.
(FOOL TIME) JOB
Gilles Cuvelier France 2017 17:00
A WORTHY MAN
Pedro has found a new job. A kind of strange one, but these days, he can’t afford to be fussy. It’s a real chance! Anyway, he’s never been the kind of getting cold feet ...
Kristian Håskjold Denmark 2019 19:00
114
Night after night Erik works alone in his bakery. His only company is the late-night radio show, which he persistently attempts to get through to to be honoured “Joker of the Week”.
EFA SHORT FILM AWARD
BLACK SHEEP
Ed Perkins UK 2019 27:00
BLACK SUN
After the dog days, a coming storm approaches during a sudden road trip to a distant island for a funeral. While the deceased is buried in haste, a man makes detour through Aegean Turkey: a dip in the sea, a dream at a town hotel, a light sleep at a hammam, a visit to the coffin-maker.
EDNA - ONE OF MANY
After the dog days, a coming storm approaches during a sudden road trip to a distant island for a funeral. While the deceased is buried in haste, a man makes detour through Aegean Turkey: a dip in the sea, a dream at a town hotel, a light sleep at a hammam, a visit to the coffin-maker.
EGG www.encounters.film
Vuk Mitevski North Macedonia, Belgium 2019 11:00
Out Of Competition
Arda Çiltepe Turkey, Germany 2019 20:00
EDNA is animation which was inspired by the refugee crisis, where Macedonia played the unfortunate role of a transit country; in essence it is a love story set in a very unusual circumstances.
Martina Scarpelli France, Denmark 2018 13:00 A woman is locked in her home with an egg. She eats the egg, she repents. She kills it. She lets the egg die of hunger. 115
EFA SHORT FILM AWARD
EXCESS WILL SAVE US
Morgane Dziurla-Petit Sweden 2019 14:00
FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT
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www.encounters.film
Out Of Competition
In a small village of the North of France, an attack alert has been set off due to the combination of two events: the beginning of the hunting season and an argument between drunk Polish workers.
Nina Fischer & Maroan el Sani Germany 2019 29:00
HARD ON
Evoking the Olympic marathon in Rome 1960 in which Ethiopian Abebe Bikila won Africa’s first gold medal, running barefoot and becoming a sporting legend and symbol of an Africa freeing itself from colonialism in the process,
Joanna Rytel Sweden 2019 19:00
OSLO
Secretly she is filming everything. In a surreal apartment a cougar, a guest, a child and promises of a dog - if the child plays along.
Shady Srour Israel, Germany 2019 16:00 Ziad, a Palestinian day laborer, is denied entry into Israel for work that day. The East Jerusalem border guards offer no explanation. Not wanting to return home empty handed after promising his daughter meat for dinner, he needs to get creative.
EFA SHORT FILM AWARD
PATISION AVENUE
Thanasis Neofotistos Greece 2018 12:00
RECONSTRUCTION
Yanni’s mum is on her way to audition for a role as Shakespeare’s Viola, when she learns that her young son has been left home alone.
THE CHRISTMAS GIFT
Olda (17) is an accused waiting for his trial in a detention centre for juveniles. The monotone prison life is gradually intertwined with memories of a police reconstruction.
THE TENT www.encounters.film
Bogdan Muresanu Romania, Spain 2019 13:00
Out Of Competition
Jiří Havlíček & Ondřej Novák Czech Republic 2019 15:00
On the 20th of December, 1989, a few days after Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu’s bloody repression in Timisoara, a father’s quiet evening turns to sheer ordeal as he finds out that his little son has mailed a letter of wishes to Santa.
Rebecca Figenschau Norway 2019 17:00 A dysfunctional family of four is going camping, and poor communications skills make it a struggle to co-operate when trying to put up a complicated tent. 117
EFA SHORT FILM AWARD
WEIGHTLIFTER
Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk Ukraine, Poland 2019 30:00
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www.encounters.film
Out Of Competition
Professional weightlifter Petro is preparing for an important competition. But before the competition, he receives tragic news that force him to make a difficult decision. Petro’s inner conflict makes him into more than just a mechanical bundle of muscles.
Nine European short film festivals join forces again to present to you the second edition of the European Short Film Audience Awards! After winning favour with their national audience, these nine short films are now on the quest to win the hearts of 511 million Europeans. After touring for one year and presenting this programme to audiences at over ten festival partners the overall audience favourite will be announced in Brussels and receive a 3500 Euro prize offered by the Representation of the European Commission in Belgium.
EUROPEAN SHORT FILM
EUROPEAN SHORT FILM AUDIENCE AWARDS
Participating festivals include: ALCINE Festival de Cine de Alcalà de Henares, Brussels Short Film Festival, Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, Vila do Conde Short Film Candidate, Encounters Film Festival, Go Short International Short Film Festival Nijmeg, Interfilm Berlin, Lviv International Short Film Festival Wiz Art and Tampere Film Festival.
Out Of Competition
A SISTER
MANOLO MONTESCO Y CARMELA CAPULETO www.encounters.film
Delphine Girard Belgium 2018 17:00 A night. A car. A woman in trouble. A call.
María Jáimez Spain 2019 30:00 What would happen in the life of Romeo and Juliet if they had not died adolescents? How would their days be at 90? 119
EUROPEAN SHORT FILM
MEMORABLE
Bruno Collet France 2019 12:00
MIND MY MIND
www.encounters.film
Out Of Competition
Louis, a painter, and his wife Michelle have recently experienced some strange events. The universe around them seems to be changing. Slowly, furniture, objects, and people lose their realism. They come apart, sometimes they disintegrate.
Floor Adams Spain 2019 30:00
NORTEĂ‘OS
Chris, an autistic young man who camouflages his obsession with dive bombers, gets by with the help of Hans, the little guy who lives in his head and translates Chris’s social scripts for him.
Grandmas UK 2018 09:00
PLUS ONE
Barry, a mild mannered fool from somewhere in the Northwest attempts to elicit the help of his ex-girlfriend after brutally murdering his grandmother with a hammer.
Myroslava Klochko Czech Republic 2019 23:00
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Happy newlyweds Ida and Jura are expecting a child. Ida suddenly finds out that the child will be special. She is unsure of how Jura will react when he learns the news, or what life with an extraordinary child will bring.
EUROPEAN SHORT FILM
REVOLVO
Francy Fabritz Germany 2019 08:00
THE MARVELOUS MISADVENTURES OF THE STONE LADY
Two women are kidnapping a dubious rightwing politician by elegantly stealing his car with him caught in the boot. What seems like a supposedly harmless ride at first glance turns into a plan of revenge.
Tired of being a banal architectural ornament, a sculpture runs away from the Louvre to confront real life on the streets of Paris.
A docufiction that tells the story of bird extinction from the point of view of northern bald ibis, and the reintroduction project attempting to bring this species back in Europe.
www.encounters.film
Minna Rainio & Mark Roberts Finland 2020 24:00
Out Of Competition
TO TEACH A BIRD TO FLY
Gabriel Abrantes France, Portugal 2019 20:00
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GALWAY LOCKDOWN Out Of Competition www.encounters.film
GALWAY LOCKDOWN
We present a celebration of the life and work of producer and director of the late Maria Manton. Sadly Maria passed away this May. Maria produced an array of adverts and short films over her 25 years in the animation industry. She worked and collaborated with many directors and creators and worked with many companies. Working with talents such as U2, Ray Harryhausen, Run Wrake, Roy Lichenstien. She collborated with companise such as Munky, Bermuda Shorts and was the co-founder of Slinky Pictures. Her work was much loved by both the audience and creators. Here we have a selection of projects which she produced.
BEFORE YOUR EYES
Barry Fahy Ireland 2020 05:00
DEVOLVED
explores the idea of rewatching the story of your entire life play out in front of you. Every moment that shaped your life in some way.
Colin Fleming & Adam Brennan Ireland 2020 08:00
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Adam starts of his work from hom life well, but quickly lets things fall apart.
GALWAY LOCKDOWN
JOHNNY AND THE KING
Patrick Joy Ireland 2020 04:00
PINTS IN A TIME OF COVID
A valiant hero battles a dastardly evil.
Out Of Competition
THE REMOTE OFFICE
Conor Quinlan & Brendan Quinn Ireland 2020 06:00 Conor and Brendan try their best to relive the pub experience remotely.
An office group of colleagues deal with the difficulties of working from home with an unusual mix of boss and employees.
www.encounters.film
Adrian Conway Ireland 2020 08:00
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GREEN RAY Out Of Competition www.encounters.film
GREEN RAY FILM AGENCY
Green Ray, presents a selection of new shorts by exciting new talents illustrating aspects of contemporary Irish lives. From Kerry to Waterford from Connemara to Belfast, the programme includes comedies, drama and documentary shorts.
ROUGH
Declan Lawn & Adam Patterson Ireland 2020 14:00
SPREAD THE WINGS
A film about a dog sentenced to death by gangsters, but also about those who have been forgotten by Northern Ireland’s peace process.
Alice McDowell Ireland 2020 12:00
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Sisters Maggie and Nora are from the Irish Traveller community - an indigenous nomadic ethnic minority. Every Summer, they rekindle their connection with the land.
GREEN RAY
THE INVISIBLE BOY
James Fitzgerald Ireland 2020 20:00
THE WEST KERRY COWBOY
Cian O’Connor Ireland 2019 18:00
Out Of Competition
When a young girl goes missing in a small town, a troubled fisherman is forced to confront the past that destroyed his family
Big Mac and his Dad, Frank, live a lonely life in the heart of West Kerry. He seeks acceptance of himself, through his father.
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IRISP RIZE Out Of Competition www.encounters.film
IRIS PRIZE
Queer Vision, the Bristol Pride film festival is proud to partner with IRIS Prize and we continue to showcase the best of the Iris Prize from the 2019 festival winners plus a special selection of the best of the best.
BLACK HAT
Sarah Smith USA 2019 15:00
GRETA
Shmuel is a pious man leading a simple life. But when his family leave town for a few days, he steps into a different world.
Sparkman Clark USA 2019 30:00
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A comedy about depression. Don’t worry, it’s about love too.
IRISP RIZE
MY BROTHER IS A MERMAID
Alfie Dale UK 2019 20:00
OUTDOORING
An imaginative 7 year old discovers that his teenage sibling is transgender.
Maxwell Addae USA 2019 18:00
Out Of Competition
U FOR USHA ( U USHACHA )
Kobby arrives late to his nephew’s naming ceremony. How could he have missed such an important event? But Kobby has a secret – and a plan.
ZEBRA
www.encounters.film
Rohan Kanawade India 2019 22:00 As a single mother unable to read or write, Usha finds herself drawn to her children’s English teacher in ways she never knew possible.
Julia Ocker Germany 2013 03:00 One day the zebra ran against a tree.
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NAHEMI is the National Association of Higher Education in the Moving Image, made up of fifty film schools, academies and universities, at both undergraduate and postgraduate level across the UK and Ireland. Each year we select the best short films submitted from NAHEMI members and screen them at festivals such as Encounters. Obviously this year has been marred by the Covid pandemic and most film schools had to bring their final year productions to a dramatic halt. But sometimes creativity thrives in the face of adversity, and this year's selection seems as strong as ever, cutting across the genres of drama, documentary and animation, with a diverse and eclectic array of voices, that reflects the UK's continued standing as one of the world's leading providers of film education.
Out Of Competition
NAHEMI
NAHEMI
www.encounters.film
BEHIND THE MASK
Sophie Lee UK 2020 05:00
CHRISTMAS AT BROADMOOR
With the outbreak of coronavirus, Chinese students were attacked because of wearing face mask.Therefore, to prevent this happen,Lee prepares a spicy spray with her.
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Tilly-Fleur Hutchinson UK 2020 03:00 A social worker, John, is invited to celebrate Christmas in his new place of work: Broadmoor Psychiatric Hospital. When he arrives, he finds he is sitting between a notorious gangster, and a 13-time serial killer, neither of whom seem interested in celebrating.
NAHEMI
DARKROOM
Dylan Friese-Greene UK 2020 09:00
DOWN THERE THE SEA FOLK LIVE
Stan Greengrass UK 2019 16:00
ETHICAL SAUCE
Out Of Competition
Two classmates develop a print in their college darkroom after-hours. Tensions are exposed.
Starting hormone replacement therapy lowers the voice and can damage singing abilities permanently; ‘down there the seafolk live’ attempts to convey the sacrifice that lies within the decision to transition as a transgender performer.
JUDE
www.encounters.film
Pauline McGrath UK 2020 13:00 A vegan and a werewolf fall in love.
Amos Menin UK 2019 1O:00
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A young boy flees with his family from Nazi Germany on Kristallnacht to Czechoslovakia, but the Nazi’s follow, and he escapes as his parents send him on a Kindertransport train to England.
NAHEMI
LA VOLPE
Out Of Competition
Yergalem Carimini UK 2020 08:00
MY NAME
Made under lockdown conditions in her home country of Italy, Yergelem Carimini’s short film “La Volpe” is an amazing example of a single location film. Yergalem is in her second year of study on BA (Hons) Film at Plymouth College of Art.
Yang Li UK 2020 09:00
NURSE’S DIARY
www.encounters.film
Can relationships succeed when memories are controlled by the leaders of a dystopian society.
Yuanhongdou Zhong UK 2020 09:00
PARACHUTE
A nurse reflects on her work during the pandemic in China.
Joe Pilkington UK 2020 11:00
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Three childhood friends attempt to rekindle their friendship after years of separation, the three individuals gradually understand that any continuation of this friendship is obsolete.
NAHEMI
RAGPICKERS
David Taylor UK 2020 11:00
SHOEGAZING
Servane D’Alverny UK 2020 13:00
SPAGETTI
Out Of Competition
What to do when you are a skint student with a passion for fashion but a hate for waste.
One car, five girls, the end of the world.
THINGS THAT HAPPEN
A personal visual and aural journey exploring the past 6 years of life.
www.encounters.film
Molly York UK 2020 03:00
John Renney UK 2020 06:00 Rock bottom is a hard place to get back up from.
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NAHEMI
UFO
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www.encounters.film
Out Of Competition
Harvey Gardner UK 2020 16:00 After years of estrangement, two brothers encounter their father living in a mysterious Scottish community. But how far are they willing to go to reconnect with someone they barely know?
If ever there was a time to use our imaginations to escape the ordinary, it is now. For Encounters, Lead Programmer Matthew Hellett curates a programme of films from around the world that explore the universal desire to drift and dream. We'll take you on a trip; from the vast utopia's of Back to Back Theatre's Radial Dundee to the inner vision of Hugo Karlsson's awardwinning You and Eye. Discover the vibrant world of learning disability film culture hosted and celebrated by Oska Bright Film Festival.
OSKA BRIGHT
OSKA BRIGHT
Oska Bright is a BAFTA qualifying film festival, funded by the BFI through the National Lottery. The 10th edition of the festival takes place in 2021 and is open now for submissions. oskabright.org
Out Of Competition
ENID AND VALERIE
ESCAPE THE ORDINARY
Venture into the dreams of lone spinster Valerie, where she meets Enid. Could this be the start of an unlikely friendship?
www.encounters.film
Mattie Kennedy UK 2018 02:00
Ray Jacons UK 2019 03:00 Escape the Ordinary is the story of a young woman travelling through time and space to a new world. 133
OSKA BRIGHT
RADIAL DUNDEE
Out Of Competition
Tamara Searle & Rhian Hinkley Australia 2018 08:00
THE LOST ONES
A continuous sequence of action, capturing the beautiful idiosyncrasies of people, bodies, communities and landscapes.
Maria Castillejo Carmen, Maëlle Grand Bossi & Elisabeth Silveiro France 2018 13:00
THE TRAIN
www.encounters.film
A supermarket at the end of the day. While a few customers are finishing their groceries, a hooded intruder breaks into the store.
Aaron Dunbar USA 2017 06:00
UONTED!
“A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.” A tale of artistic obsession.
Daniele Bonarini Italy 2018 13:00
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Tiziano wants to go to the Cinecittà World amusement park at all costs to visit the Old West. Will what he finds there be different to what he’d imagined?
OSKA BRIGHT
WHAT’S THE TIME?
William Hanekom UK 2018 07:00
YOU AND EYE
It’s a beautiful day in Margery Daw, the land where the Dollykins live. Red, Yellow and Blue live in a house and go for a walk in the forest. Out Of Competition
Hugo Karlsson Sweden 2020 04:00 What happens when your drawings come to life? A man works at his desk and is surprised when his illustrations become a new friend.
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QUEER VISION Out Of Competition www.encounters.film
QUEER VISION
Queer Vision is the Bristol Pride film festival presenting a diverse programme of LGBT+ films including animation and award-winning short films. Our focus is on widening engagement, increasing audience viewing and screening opportunities of and for LGBT+ content films and filmmakers. We’re also proud to partner with IRIS Prize, Queer Vision being a selection partner for their Best of British Competition. We are excited to be able to continue to deliver an exciting programme of LGBT+ films for you in partnership with Encounters; Best of British Competition Selection and Best of Iris Prize 2019.
ALL THE REASONS BEHIND A KISS
Aimie Willemse UK 2019 03:00
GLUE
After a theatre student writes LGBT+ characters in her zombie apocalypse play, her lecturer rebukes her for just following the latest trend.
Eleanor Capaldi UK 2019 04:00
136
Bonds are tested when Agnes meets her ex for the first time since they broke up.
QUEER VISION
MY GOD I’M QUEER (VOL1)
Matt Mahmood-Ogston UK 2020 30:00
OUR HISTORY: FROM THE GREENWICH LESBIAN AND GAY CENTRE TO METRO CHARITY
Thomas Line UK 2019 24:00
ORIN & ANTO
Out Of Competition
Can you be Muslim and gay? A bereaved fiancé goes on a deeply personal journey in this documentary to try and understand the challenges of what it’s like to be queer and Muslim, in the hope of preventing another young LGBT+ person taking their own life.
Since 1984, METRO Charity has been providing support and services for the LGBT community in Greenwich and south-east London; this documentary film follows Our History.
QUEERING DI TEKNOLOJIK
A young, non-binary visitor to London returns to their Airbnb to find an older gay man has moved in while they were out. In a small studio flat over one turbulent night, Orin and Anto confront the queer generation gap and decide to make space for each other.
www.encounters.film
Michael Achtman UK 2019 20:00
Timothy Smith UK 2019 08:00
137
A message from the future. Spoken by the collective digital voice of a group of queer artists and activists, this collaborative project speculates about the possibilities of a temporality yet to come.
QUEER VISION
PINK AND BLUE
Out Of Competition
Charlotte Firmin UK 2019 03:00
SWIVEL
Pink and blue is a short animated documentary exploring the life of a transgender man, their experiences of growing up, feeling different, and their coming out story.
Lois Norman UK 2019 06:00
THE CATALYST
www.encounters.film
Gender- fluid dance story. What if you can be all of who you are and still allow another? That, just for one night, judgement no longer exists? What if love isn’t a gender, it’s a swivel of the heart?
Callum Angel UK 2019 07:00
WE ARE NOT WHO THEY SAY WE ARE
A loud and colourful, a young man thrust into a strange journey filled with animated male nudity exploring queer masculinities and online culture.
Manu Valcarce UK 20 18:00
138
This documentary tells the story of Arcoiris, a group of LGBT+ human rights defenders in Honduras. In recent years, the organisation has faced mounting attacks and threats following relentless public abuse and stigmatisation.
www.encounters.film
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Digital Edition 2020
WELCOME
WELCOME Digital Edition 2020
www.encounters.film
EXTRAS
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EXTRAS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS & THANKS
Digital Edition 2020
ENCOUNTERS FILM FESTIVAL TEAM: Festival Director: Festival Assistant: Marketing Coordinator: Festival Producer: Animation Competition Programmer: Live Action Competition Programmer: Bookkeeper: Graphic Designer: Digital Marketing Assistant: Guest Programme Coordinator: Social Media Assistant: Video Editing Assistant:
Rich Warren Roxy Imam Becky Megson Dave Taylor-Matthews Kieran Argo Gaia Meucci-Astley Fiona Morgan Marta Celio Rosie Couch Marcin Gawin Jack Warne Dee Hassan
COMPETITION PROGRAMMING: Animated Encounters Competition: Brief Encounters Competition: UK Student Programme:
Kieran Argo Gaia Meucci-Astley Iris Došen, Apostolia Katsiantridou, Malaika Kegode & Varun Raman .
COMPETITION PRESELECTORS
www.encounters.film
Animated Encounters: Brief Encounters:
Kieran Argo, Matea Malic & Ben Mitchell Gaia Meucci-Astley, Jonathan Bygraves, Eibh Collins, Kirsten Geekie, Jude Lister, Vithiya Narayan.
ENCOUNTERS BOARD MEMBERS Chair: Simon Perry Catherine Allen Paul Appleby Freya Billington Ayan Cilmi Natalie Collier Steven Coombe Rosa Corbishly Jon Gill Liz Harkman Lisa Howe Euella Jackson Will Massa James Mullighan David Sproxton Alison Sterling
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FESTIVAL SERVICES Festival Trailer:
Matt Harris-Freeth Robot Dinosaur
EXTRAS Digital Edition 2020
Attend any online event before 30 September 2020 and receive 20% off
Develop your creativity, expand your knowledge and set yourself new challenges with a RPS Distinction. Judged by an esteemed panel including: MAX ROBINSON FRPS
www.encounters.film
FILM, DIGITAL & MULTIMEDIA DISTINCTIONS
NEW MEMBER OFFER
ANNEMARIE LEAN-VERCOE FRPS
RACHEL MORRISON FRPS SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 30 October 2020
DICK POPE FRPS FOR MORE DETAILS VISIT: rps.org/qualifications/film-distinction
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IMAGE CREDIT: Max Robinson FRPS, Leaving the temple at sunset, Jodhpur
Encounters Film Festival Digital Edition 2020 Cover design by Marta Celio
