To The Zero Line (Ukraine) by Benjamin I. Goldhagen

In war, the mind gets focused on the essence of life. Family, friends, food, heritage, what you'll fight for, what you might die to keep. The choices one makes each morning when the sun rises. To The Zero Line takes place during a time of war, during the full scale invasion of a European country, Ukraine. At stake are the hospitals, churches, music, art, children, pregnant women, expectant fathers, against a force determined to murder all of it. Genocide. You experience the perpetual cycle of life of the invaded, the birth of two children, a wedding, death, the loss of a loved one, Soldiers in battle on the zero line, and back in the cities, towns and villages each person has his or her own personal zero line. You experience people from outside the country flooding in to help in what ways they can. Each adding a small part to a big puzzle. If you're in the UK, USA, Germany or France, you might ask yourself, How am I so different? What would I do if death comes knocking on my door or my parents' door or my school door or my church's door. The film is an opportunity to think for yourself. Everybody in life is going to the Zero Line. The point of contact with your worst fears. Where the enemy is. Horrible hours, and brutal seconds. Where you need true friends and your best moments.

Running time: 02:27:00

Alone (United States) by S Columbus

Documentary about the difference of being alone and feeling alone.

Running time: 01:42:11

Let it Dance (Australia) by Carolyn Corkindale

Born of a poor family in Paris, Guy Detot transforms himself through passion and luck into an international ballet dancer, dancing with Pina Bausch in The Rite of Spring. Guy moves to Australia for love and originates work with Australian Dance Theatre, before being aged out of ballet and embarking on a journey to use his love of movement to create emotion-driven wood sculptures, based in Penola, South Australia.

Running time: 01:20:25

Out of sight, by the forest (Poland) by Nadina Dobrowolska

"Out of sight, by the forest" is a poignant documentary exposing the brutal reality of Polish fur farms. With extraordinary sensitivity, the filmmakers present the story of three activists - Aleks, Angelika and Bogna - who for years have tirelessly documented the suffering of animals raised for fur. Their heroic struggle against the powerful fur lobby and heartless bureaucracy creates a narrative full of tension and moral challenges. The film chronicles the unseen actions of the investigators, who have spent a decade exposing the scale of injustice against animals. Together with the activists, we look into the dark recesses of the farms, where foxes, mink and raccoons suffer in cramped cages. The documentary is non-violent, but its minimalist approach to portraying suffering heightens the dramatic overtones, forcing the viewer to reflect on consumer choices and animal rights.

Running time: 01:15:00

Die Bergmanns / The Bergmanns (Germany) by Susanne Hensdiek

A portrait of the identical twins Matthias and Christian Bergmann.  As a child, one is healthy and strong, the other is often sick and weak. At 17, a doctor realizes at the last minute that Matthias is deathly ill.  He only has one extremely shrunken kidney and this has gradually poisoned him – nobody realized it. It is a miracle that he is still alive, they say in the hospital. 

Christian donates one of his two healthy kidneys to him.  A difficult time begins for both of them. Almost 18, they want to go out, party, let it rip like others their age. They party hard, dance, drink alcohol and smoke. Reason and prohibitions are of secondary importance. The film tells the story of their kidney transplant. More, it shows the brothers' love of life, the mischief and anarchy despite the adverse circumstances, and the remarkably close bond that they share. And yet they want to break away from each other.

Running time: 00:52:00

A New Perspective (Germany) by Alexandra Begue

"A New Perspective" immerses viewers in the heart of South Africa in 2018, where wildlife and flora conservation intertwines closely with the fight against poverty.  Tracing the journey of the NGO "Elephants, Rhinos and People" over 10,000 km and charting its progression until 2023, the film unveils the synergy between community development and environmental preservation. 

Running time: 00:29:47

Voicemails For The Unknown Receiver (Philippines) by Mario Ventura Cabus

An experimental documentary about the relationship between mother and son separated by distance, but connected by phone call conversations. It is a film consisting of two parts: first, a black and white city symphony lensed through an unexposed perspective with colored subtitle language translations; and second, a fragmented ballad of colorful memories through a personal, experiential expression without the need of understanding the language used. Encompassed with the leitmotif of Mozart’s piano concerto, the film juxtaposes congruent images of everyday life into themes and variations expressing viable movement and interjection.

Running time: 00:20:00

Iris (Canada) by Gabriela de Andrade

Ever since Iris, a French-Congolese woman, left Montreal, she has nurtured her relationship with Gabriela through voice messages. In this film, her voice gives hints of a return that exists only through Gabriela's eyes. The film is a kind of affective cartography of their interposed exchanges, Iris by voice and Gabriela by image. A reflection on the bond of friendship and sisterhood  despite physical distance.

Running time: 00:17:00

Confessions of a Childfree Woman (United Kingdom) by Paula Kuzmickaite

Young, bisexual and Childfree woman, confesses through tape about her experiences and revelations about navigating modern life.

Running time: 00:15:00

Further Proof of the Existence of Dragons (Germany) by Alexander Fuchs

We see its scales, its joints, its eyes. An attempt at poetically documenting the effects of Ichthyosis.

Running time: 00:07:15

Above Us (United States) by Freddie Paull

Unified by a rare cosmic event, the eyes of New York City gaze up to the sky for a fleeting moment of calm - the last of its kind for another 55 years.

Running time: 00:06:30

Moms (United States) by Sonya Gadet Molansky

"Moms" is a study on understanding the feeling of being the child and simultaneously the mother of ones own mother. Mothering, like all forms of care giving, is never a one way street, giving and receiving care has an inherent reciprocity. The film explores what my role is in raising my mother and her me through improvisational movement and weight negotiation layered with an interview of her that I recorded while we were walking through a canyon.

Running time: 00:06:21

Jelly & Igloos (Belgium) by Kris De Meester

In “Jelly & Igloos" we delve into the whimsical yet purposeful world of future food artist Mie Goffin. Through her introspective narration, we are invited into her creative process, shaped by childhood memories, a commitment to sustainability, and an unyielding desire for innovation. Goffin's journey unfolds as she navigates the dualities of her dreams and challenges. She vividly describes her recurring dream of being trapped in a jelly, a metaphor for the creative struggles she faces. Despite the whimsy, there's an underlying tension—an urgency to break free and realize her umami-filled ideas.

Running time: 00:04:32