2018 Short Films
Deer Boy
Short Film • 15’ • Poland • 2017
Director: Katarzyna Gondek
This film will be a story about a hunter’s son, who was born with antlers, and about how each man kills the thing he loves.
Ellie
Short Film • 9’ • Greece • 2017
Director: Miltiades Christides
Alarmed by area crime, Ellie panics when a hooded man enters her apartment.
Freezer
Short Film • 16’ • Greece • 2017
Director: Dimitris Nakos
Tassos, a man just over 50 years old, with a career in the marketing and commercial direction of large corporations, has been unemployed for three years now. Too old for a new beginning, but also too young to resign. His relationships with his close people are being tested, and his psychological state is marginal. His goal is one: to get out of the “freezer”.
A Drowning Man
Short Film • 15’ • Poland • 2017
Director: Katarzyna Gondek
This film will be a story about a hunter’s son, who was born with antlers, and about how each man kills the thing he loves.
Reflections
Short Film • 9’ • Greece • 2017
Director: Miltiades Christides
Alarmed by area crime, Ellie panics when a hooded man enters her apartment.
Roo
Short Film • 16’ • Greece • 2017
Director: Dimitris Nakos
Tassos, a man just over 50 years old, with a career in the marketing and commercial direction of large corporations, has been unemployed for three years now. Too old for a new beginning, but also too young to resign. His relationships with his close people are being tested, and his psychological state is marginal. His goal is one: to get out of the “freezer”.
A Ferry Tale
Short Film • 10’ • Turkey • 2017
Director: Mehmet Tigli
This short film is about a father and his two autistic children. They get on ferry in a wintry day. They meet with some disappointing incidents in their short trip. Due to some impatient passengers’ reactions to his children’s unintentional actions, father feels sad and loses his hope.
The After Life
Short Film • 17’ • Greek • 2017
Director: Christos Sagias
A man is trying to deal with the loss of his wife by keeping cooking for her, until an unexpected event changes his life.
Michalis, unable to accept his wife’s loss, cooks every day and places two dishes on the table, trying to keep her memory alive. Despite the efforts of his friend Vassilis, he remains locked in the house, only with his cooking routine. One day, life catches up with him in the most unexpected way.
Two Balloons
Short • 09’ • US • 2017
Director: Mark C. Smith
Two adventurous lemurs navigate their dirigibles halfway around the world to a place where happenstance and fate threaten to disrupt their reunion.
Blues
Short Film • 15’ • Italy • 2017
Director: Florenza Salvador
Luca and Teresa are going home after doing the grocery. While Luca is complaining about the supposed discounts at the supermarket, Teresa, suddenly, sees an open gate that leads to a fully furnished garden as if it was an apartment. Curious, she decides to go in, thinking that it’s a garden sale. But then, the arrival of the owner will make her see that enchanted garden very differently.
Meatballs
Short Film • 15’ • Greek • 2017
Director: Chrys Barmpas
Panagiotis, a young introverted architect, is in the perfect relationship. Lena, his partner, embodies everything he desires, just like he discusses with a particularly attentive man in an office. But all the characteristics that once seemed heavenly to Panagiotis, now have become a living hell.
Cube
Short Film • 23’ • Greece • 2016
Director: Alexandros Skouras
Makis, an idle person, has nothing important to show except the impressive speed with which he solves the Rubik’s Cube. Along with his sister and his mother are gathering at their family home to welcome the younger and beloved brother who returns from abroad.
Before We Heal
Short Film • 16’ • Lebanon • 2017
Director: Nadim Hobeika
Saleem and Raya, two ex lovers, meet at Raya’s place. Saleem enters the toilet and somehow gets stuck. Between the inside and the outside, trials and disappointments, laughter and hope, memories and screams, are all being shared at the doorstep.
Je suis (I am)
Short Film • 10’ • Greek • 2017
Director: Faith Strongheart
Disappointing everyone around her with her inability to meet mounting expectations, a working mother struggles to find balance.
Profiterole
Short • 12’ • Greece • 2017
Director: Chrysanthi Karfi Koi
A middle-class greek family meets for the usual Sunday table. Among various conversations about the food, the weather and everyday gossip, the members of the family start behaving violently but nobody seems to notice.
Sacrilege
Short film • 15’ • Switzerland • 2017
Director: Christophe M. Saber
The money has gone missing in the mosque of Saint-Etienne. Saoud, the gang leader is suspected.
Neda
Short film • 23’ • Germany • 2017
Director: Afagh Irandoost
The film follows Neda‘s vain attempts to reassure her identity in a fractured society. Is she German? If so, what does that mean for her? Sex and drugs temporarily free her of her displacement, as she searches for her own role and fulfilment in life. She does not feel safe in love, nor in family, and surely not at her work where spirituality has become commerce. Unable to bear these paradoxes, Neda escapes in witty cynicism. „So did you meet any ‚better‘ people?“ Neda barks at a an old classmate after he tells her about his recent trip to India. Neda’s internal conflict is part of a general struggle in the current society – who can still meet all of these lofty expectations?
Maneki Neko
Short film • 19’ • Greece • 2017
Director: Manolis Mavris
The unexpected encounter of two strangers and their agreement while waiting for a cab to share the cost of the ride, becomes the motive for the anatomy of a relationship. From the moment they enter the taxi, the driver reveals that they know each other and they have a common past, leading the couple to the landscapes of desire.
A Child Outside
Short Film • 7’ • Greece • 2017
Director: Panos Eliakopoulos
A mother alone… or not?
Just Washing… or washing up her memories?
She has to face something that lurks inside her child. Will she escape her nightmare with her sanity intact?
Reprisal
Short Film • 9’ • Lebanon • 2017
Director: Mike Malajalian
A young woman becomes anxious at the news of the return of her husband who disappeared 30 years ago during the civil war.
Savor It
Short Film • 5’ • France • 2018
Director: Stephane Baz
A day at the top of food chain, closest to the matter. A day in the culinary crash.
Mathilde 326
Short Film • 8’ • France • 2017
Director: Anais Bertrand
David is awakened by the voice of his wife, Mathilde. Tormented, she told him of his doubts. He tries to reassure her and reason. But she does not listen to him anymore. David discovers that their daughter Camille is no longer in her room.
A Dangerous Journey
Short Film • 13’ • China • 2018
Director: Yinfang Jocelyn Ping
Qian Wei, a single mother, has suffered from brain tumor. To make sure her young son being taken care after her death, she decides to take her son on a journey looking for her husband who disappeared 5 years ago. What awaits them ahead is a bizarre and horrific adventure…
Punchline
Short Film • 9’ • Switzerland • 2017
Director: Christophe M. Saber
Two wannabe gangsters can’t decide on the coolest thing to say before shooting Michel.
Visit
Short Film • 7’ • Greece • 2017
Director: Yiannis Zafiris
A road, a family, a visit.
Covered Glaciers
Short Film • 5’ • Germany • 2017
Director: Stephan Zirwes
Glaciers, massive giants at first sight, fragile monuments at second glance.
A Beautiful Mistake
Short Film • 4’ • Greece • 2017
Director: Stephan Zirwes
An apology letter to the beautiful Mother Earth.
Hominid
Short Film • 20’ • Greece • 2017
Director: Alexandros Salimis
Any primate of the family Hominidae, which includes modern man ( Homo sapiens) and the extinct precursors of man.
8th Continent
Short Film • 11’ • Greece • 2017
Director: Yorgos Zois
In Lesvos island, an old abandoned dump lies on a mountain with two big craters. The craters are overflown by thousands of life jackets from the refugee waves. A worker is the only inhabitant in this place that resembles an alien planet or a new continent.
The BEST OF EUROPE Program presents the Best European Short Films of 2018.
Since the choice is not easy, each affiliate film festival with Aegean Film Festival, proposed a film for the program.
Copa Loca
Short Film • 15’ • Greece • 2017
Director: Christos Massalas
This is the story of Copa-Loca, an abandoned Greek summer resort. Paulina is the girl at the heart of Copa-Loca. Everyone cares for her and she cares about everyone – in every possible way.
Proposed by Laurence Reymond, Programmer of Directors Fortnight – Festival de Cannes, France
Ayny
Short Film • 11’ • Germany, Jordan, Palestine • 2016
Director: Ahmad Saleh
A cruel war has taken two brothers’ home. Their mother protects them under her arms and fosters the seed of their new life. Anxious her sons could come in danger if they leave the house. But the boys chase their dream to play a music instrument they’ve fallen in love with. A beautiful Oud. They collect scrap metal to earn the money and must find out that their mother’s fear was for a good reason. But as strong birds will always fly, the two boys become one to overcome their trauma.
Proposed by Angelique Mueller, Programmer of Valletta Film Festival, Malta
The Disinherited
Short Film • 18’ • Spain • 2017
Director: Laura Ferres
Los Desheredados is a portrait of the director’s father facing the end of his family business. Pere Ferrés is 53 years old and owns a bus company. Lack of money forces him to drive clients who destroy his vehicle to bachelor parties, but he is not prepared to lose his dignity.
Proposed by Emilia Mazik, Programmer of Short waves Festival, Poland
Dummy
Short Film • 20’ • Latvia, China • 2016
Director: Chang Yongliang
A young boy abandoned by his mother grows up with his grandmother in rural area in China. One day a travelling Peking Opera company arrives to perform.
Proposed by Thom Palmen, Festival Director of Jinzhen International Short Film Festival, China
Downsizing up
Short Film • 15’ • Belgium • 2016
Director: Peter Ghesquiere
Imagine a world where everyone has trisomy 21. When Eric is born it’s quickly obvious that he’s different than everyone else: He’s missing a chromosome!
Proposed by Heinz Hermanns, Berlin International Short Film Festival – Interfilm, Germany
Astrometal
Short Film • 15’ • Greece • 2017
Director: Efthimis Kosemund Sanidis
Two boys and a girl prepare for nightclubbing in the heart of Athens. Arriving, they face a deserted club, where music plays blaring but there is no one to listen.
Proposed by Enrico Vannucci, Programmer of Venice Film Festival, Italy
The 2018 Sundance Channel Short competition ran in four European countries – Spain, France, Belgium and Poland. In collaboration with the Sundance Institute, a Grand Jury Prize winner was selected from each country and the winning films premiered at the 2018 London Film Festival. Fans also took part by voting for their favourite film to receive the Vimeo Audience Award.
The Sundance Channel Shorts competition perfectly represents the unique spirit of Sundance Channel. As the destination for independent films internationally, Sundance Channel is ideally placed to showcase and support emerging talent in the European filmmaking community.
For the sixth consecutive year, Sundance Channel is partnering with the Aegean Film Festival in Patmos, whose mission is to celebrate creativity in independent film from around the globe aligns with the Sundance Channel vision.
A Chacun Sa Malediction (Count Your Curses)
Short film • 9’ • Belgium • 2018
Director: Lorene Yavo
Language: French
In a town where supernatural beings are part of everyday life, two roommates face a recurring problem: their house spirit was devoured by an unknown creature overnight. They go on their way to find a replacement spirit and a solution to their pest problem.
Tête d'Oliv… (Keep your hair on, Oliver)
Short film • 12’ • France • 2018
Director: Armelle Mercat
A fifty years old chemist – Olivier, does everything in order to hide his baldness from his wife. Worried that she might not love him with his hairless head, he has created a skillful routine to disguise it. But one day Olivier is forced to use an extreme solution that might affect the couple’s life.
El camino de Santiago (The Road of Santiago)
Short film • 13’ • Spain • 2016
Director: Mario Monzo
On a quiet day of summer Santiago disappears from the village. Upon known this Eva Maria, his wife, will look for him.
Good Mourning
Short film • 10’ • South Africa • 2018
Director: Ian Morgan
Good Mourning is a dark comedy about Ted, a professional mourner, who loves his job to death. Until one day he is challenged by a disbeliever, Sandrine, who questions his morals and ethical standpoint and the conversation take an unlikely turn.
Silvia in the Waves
Short film • 13’
Director: Giovana Olmos (Concordia University)
The course of mourning carries Silvia, a 40 years old trans woman, and her family through the waves of memory and rebirth, death and survival.
Cry Baby
Short film • 5’
Director: Xiner Jiang (Rhode Island School of Design)
The noise of the crying baby is very annoying.
Sin Cielo
Short film • 25’
Director: Jianna Marten (Columbia University)
Delia and Memo are like most teenagers; defiant, hormonal, always on their phones; except they live in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods bordering Northern Mexico – where Dollars rule and missing girls’ bodies turn up mysteriously in the river or never at all.
Lotus Lantern
Short film • 6’
Director: Xingpei Shen (Rhode Island School of Design)
A peek into the wax lotus. Lotus Lantern is a tribute to the late Chinese singer Zhou Xuan, a missing link between the filmmaker’s queer identity and Chinese heritage.
Life After
Short film • 12’
Director: Ria Tobaccowalla (New York University)
While packing up her daughter’s apartment, a single mother discovers startling details about her only child, which challenge her ability to process a recent loss.
Sober Octaves
Short film • 24’
Director: Felege Gebru (Brown University)
Sober Octaves explores the nuances of fighting against the status quo from the perspective of three young black men. Computer-generated interludes and live-action narratives aid the storytelling of this visual album.
84 SHEEP
Short film • 11’
Director: Thomas Georgiadis
MOV BAK PLJIZ
Short film • 14’
Director: Keith Albert Tedesco
TOXICITY
Short film • 10’
Director: Angelique Mueller
VIVA MALTA
Short film • 7’
Director: Federico Carnevali
ENTROPY
Short film • 35’
Director: Massimo Denaro