KUNGFU WATER (CHINA) BY JODY XIONG

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Synopsis: Gung Fu -- the best example would be a glass of water. Why? Because water is the softest substance in the world, but yet it can penetrate the hardest rock or anything -- granite, you name it. Water also is insubstantial; by that I mean you cannot grasp hold of it, you cannot punch it and hurt it. So every Gung Fu man is trying to do that; to be soft like water, and flexible and adapt itself to the opponent - BRUCE LEE. With a sense of humor and exaggeration, this animated advertisement shows the powerful cleaning function of the Trinity Healthy Dishwasher by Vatti, a Chinese brand dedicated to high-end intelligent kitchen appliances. Running time: 00:02:00.

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MULIKA (DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO) BY MAISHA MAENE

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Trailer

Synopsis: An 'afronaut' emerges from the wreckage of a spaceship in the volcanic crater of Mount Nyiragongo. As he descends into the city below, encountering the people of present-day Goma, he begins to understand what he must do to change the future for his people. Running time: 00:13:35.

Selections/awards: Sundance FF, Locarno FF.

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CHICAGO (PORTUGAL) BY JOÃO POMBEIRO

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Synopsis: This animated short film/music video was created by the director/animator João Pombeiro for the track "Chicago" by the Chicagoan musical producer Lance Skiiiwalker. Both video and music are homages to the spirit of Chicago and its people. As we travel from the Southside to Downtown we go through a collage of historical references, from civil rights movements to architecture, music, culture, and its diverse social fabric that thrives on the diversity of its multicultural neighbourhoods and communities. "CHICAGO" is taken from the EP "Tales From The Telescope Chapter 2: Internal Shine". Running time: 00:03:40.

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THE TIME OF A DANCE (BELGIUM) BY MISHA IDRISS VAN DER WERF

Synopsis: "The time of a dance" is about the day-to-day life of a young, Benin fisherman who is in the transition period between grieving the death of a loved one and accepting it. Running time: 00:14:30.

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FLOCK众 (UK) BY FIONA CHEN

Synopsis: "Flock 众 studies the theme of the spiral of silence, a theory that states that we are more likely to remain silent about our opinion, if we believe that the perceived majority opinion is different from ours. In society, sometimes we are silenced by our own choices and other times by authority. I am an introvert, and even though I spend a lot of my time thinking, I do not like voicing myself in public. Both my inability to voice myself as well as the lack of choice in voicing myself haunt me, as I realised I am just one single sheep in a flock, more often than not my opinions are not dependent on my ideas but on the 'sheeple' that together form the majority. With image metaphors and active motions of drawing and erasing, Flock 众 is an attempt to speak up about the forbidden, despite apparent fear." Running time: 00:01:06.

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RED GIANT (BELGIUM) BY ANNE VERBEURE

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Trailer

Synopsis: On top of a hill, the giant listens to the everyday thoughts and conversations of the other people. However, the loneliness and multiplicity of the voices gradually become too much for the giant. Running time: 00:10:14.

Selections/awards: Film Fest Gent, Short Film Festival Leuven, VAF Wildcard Animation, Anima (Best national student short), JEF (Best student short), and more.

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LABORATORY NO.2 (KURDISTAN) BY EDRIS ABDI, AWARE OMER

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Trailer

Synopsis: 'Documentary Laboratory No. 2' is the story of an old man who has been working in the autopsy department of Sulaimaniyah University of Medical Sciences for 14 years. During these 14 years, he works on a corpse. He finally retires. Finally, he decides that... Running time: 00:16:17.

Selections/awards: Int Slemani FF (Best Short Documentary), Big Sky Documentary FF, Krakow FF, Martovski - Belgrade documentary and short FF, Super Shorts London (Best Documentary), Viewpoint Documentary FF, and more.

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VEGETATIVE (FRANCE) BY HANNAH PAPACEK HARPER​

Synopsis: Vegetative is a short visual poem; an experimental video which was created during the first Covid19 lockdown in spring 2020. This abstract piece plays with text and video and brings a dreamlike inner space into being. It explores the rapport toward nature and intimacy that we were forced to change abruptly. Running time: 00:00:47.

Selections/awards: Berlin Flash FF, Super Shorts London, Amsterdam Independent FF, and more.

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UPSODOWN (AUSTRALIA) BY NATHAN CEDDIA

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Synopsis: An omniscient narrator leads us through various surreal worlds exploring the disconnect between humanity and nature. We are reminded that all living things are connected and collectively shared, on this planet - our home. Through the power of sharing, we can promote hope and reconnect. All it takes is a bit of reflection. Running time: 00:10:00.

Selections/awards: Sydney World FF (Best Australian Film), Venice Film Week (Best Experimental Film), Amsterdam Independent FF (Best Experimental Film), Toronto Arthouse FF, Super Shorts NY, and more.

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THE BOY WHO COULDN'T FEEL PAIN (GERMANY) BY EUGEN MERHER

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Trailer

Synopsis: ‘The Boy Who Couldn't Feel Pain’ is set in Grants, New Mexico and tells the fictional small-town legend of Chester, a street fighter who can't feel any pain. When Annie, a bowling alley employee who just moved into town challenges him for a fight, things begin to change. Running time: 00:20:00.

Selections/awards: Young Director Award Cannes, Oaxaca FF, Bolton FF, British Urban FF, Tirana IFF (Best Student Short), Cinéfest Sudbury, Montreal International Black FF, European Short FF of Villeurbanne, and more.

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