Festival 2020

Christmas Roast

Alexander Baghdasaryan, Armenia

The protagonist in the “Christmas Roast” has a job in state service. He administers the letter of the law and does it in good faith. However, once the callous letter of the law appears in conflict with the so-called lex non scripta our man finds himself in a quandary.
Sometimes the law has a destructive effect on human destinies. And it is in these dramatic circumstances that he stands next to them. He has no power to do anything, being a small rivet in the overwhelming system, which, however, he gladly uses as a smokescreen, enjoying his comfort and taking delight in power.

Tomatic

Christophe Saber, France

Three best friends, Jimmy, Samy and Sofi, have the trailblazing idea: to turn a chocolate dispenser into a pot-vending machine. Also, there’s a dog in the film.

The Miracle / El Milagro

Daniela Lopez Lurgo, Chile

The Miracle tells a day of the life of “La Flaca” a young mother of two
little girls, who lives in the house of the parents of his current partner David. Flaca can not stand the terrible suspicion that David has a secret and decides to face him. The fateful outcome is a bitter drink
where Flaca faces the truth.

Innocence

Ben Reid, UK

When a worker falls to his death at a care home, it appears to be a terrible accident. But when a detective questions a young man with Down syndrome spotted at the scene, they uncover a crime more shocking than anyone imagined.

Sticker

Georgi Unkovski, Macedonia

After an unsuccessful attempt to renew his car registration, Dejan falls in a bureaucratic trap that tests his determination to be a responsible father.

November 1st

Charlie Manton, UK

Traveling to witness the execution of her son’s murderer, a mother is torn between retaliation and reconnecting with her estranged daughter.

La Hague

Mathieu Naert, France

Julien lost his job from the local factory “La Hague”. He tries to convince Louis, his friend and engineered, still employed at the factory, to join him in blackmailing the factory’s HR manager in order to find his work and his old life back. However, unforeseen events will change his plans.

Topanga

Aycil Yeltan, Turkey/USA

Hearing impaired, homeless Gala escapes from a man who continually abuses her. While her life becomes a routine in an abandoned old truck on a mountain road, she is unaware the abusive man finds out where her hiding place is.
One night, after a brutal attack, she finds the strength to stand up one last time and starts walking. She has no clue where this survival walk will end up and change her life forever.

Method

Robert Grabow, USA

A Machiavellian acting teacher pushes an aspiring actor to her
emotional breaking point with his unconventional “method.”

Homesick

Koya Kamura, Japan

Two years after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Murai braves danger and wanders through the no-go zone in order to spend time with Jun, his eight-year-old son.

The Size of Things/ El Tamaño de las Cosas

Carlos Felipe Montoya, Colombia

Diego lives with his father in a house without things, without furniture, without anything. One day he finds a chair deep in the woods and desire of possession arises. Diego takes the chair back home but the father disagrees and orders him to return it. At night, the father recognizes the boyʼs feeling of dearth and allows Diego to bring the chair again. Diego returns to the forest but something has happened, something really big. He canʼt bring the chair this time.

Starboy

Joëlle Bentolila, UK

A mystical young Hasidic man increasingly doubts his identity, his gender, and the nature of being as conflict between him and his pious young wife escalates with shocking consequences.

Anna

Dekel Berenson, UK/Ukraine/Israel

Living in war-torn Eastern Ukraine, Anna is an aging single mother who is desperate for a change. Lured by a radio advertisement, she goes to party with a group of American men who are touring the country, searching for love.

Yarne

Andrew Karkower, USA/Nepal

The money earned by 11-year-olds Sonam and Tashi for doing prayers is only enough to share one small Coke. Sonam is lucky to even get a sip before Tashi, the monastery bully, drinks the entire bottle. Yarne is an annual six-week period when Buddhist monks remain within the monastery grounds for focused study and practice, yet for child monks, it’s more like house arrest. Tired of wasting his money, Sonam decides to save up every rupee he earns during Yarne to buy a soccer ball, but first he will have to stand up to Tashi.

Henet Ward

Morad Mostafa, Egypt

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.

Neapolitan Arrangement / Arreglo Napolitano

Rodrigo Ruiz Patterson, Mexico

Sara, a thirty years old flight attendant, starts to believe that her obsessive ex-boyfriend could kidnap her sun; so she needs to take a desperate decision.

Blue Flower

Saadi Constantine, Switzerland/Romania

Winter 2017, Ana and Amara, a young couple from Bucharest take a radical decision. In order to finance the treatment of Leo, their 3-year-old son suffering from an under-oxygenation of the brain, Ana is going to work as a Cam-girl. In the fascinating video chat studios of Bucharest, Ana will become – for her colleagues and for the hundreds of ‘’members’’ who will follow her around the world.
In this film, the actors play their own role and all the places are authentic.

Fairyocious/Féeroce