GLOBAL SOCIAL ISSUES FILM
BIRD DAY
Davood Haseli, Mohammad Naseri DCP, 14' (Iran) 2025
A young boy ventures into the forest to hunt butterflies but encounters a bird hunter and becomes fascinated by a rifle. After finding a fledgling, he raises it and releases it into the sky, gradually seeing all birds as his own and losing interest in hunting.
Davood Haseli (Iran, 1987) is an Iranian writer and director known for his narrative sensitivity and innovative visual approach. He explores universal themes through intimate and touching stories.
Mohammad Naseri (Iran, 1964) is a seasoned Iranian writer and director. His works are distinguished by their emotional depth and ability to reflect the complexities of Iranian society through cinematic language.
CHASING JOSEPHINE
Dianne Bartlow DCP, 15' (USA) 2024
After discovering that her grandmother was Josephine Baker’s lover, a Black queer woman embarks on a journey from Los Angeles to Paris, retracing her grandmother’s steps and rediscovering herself.
Dianne Bartlow is a director, screenwriter, and producer who has won three Emmy Awards. She has collaborated with CBS/KCBS Television, Lifetime, Entertainment Tonight, and The Oprah Winfrey Show. She won Emmy Awards for the short films Bread and Roses Café and Serving from the Heart (Meals on Wheels), produced in partnership with the Directors Guild of America Women’s Steering Committee and Santa Monica CityTV. As Co-Executive Producer, she recently received two Telly Awards for Hope Builders: Making a Difference in the Inland Empire. Bartlow was honored by the Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center for her outstanding contributions as a filmmaker and entertainment industry leader. She is an active member of the African-American and Women’s Steering Committees of the Directors Guild of America. A professor in the Department of Gender and Women’s Studies at California State University, Northridge, she holds a Ph.D. in Communication from the University of California, San Diego.
CHRYSALIS
Angelo Donzella DCP, 4' (Italy) 2024
Through the metaphor of a chrysalis breaking free from its shell to be reborn as a butterfly, Chrysalis tells the painful journey of a woman, a victim of abuse, who removes the bandages from her face to free herself from years of violence and humiliation, finally finding her freedom.
Angelo Donzella (Turin, 1964) is a director, actor, and musician. After starting his acting career in 1993, he transitioned to directing in 2020, debuting with the multi-award-winning short film Isolation. Among his major works are the acclaimed short films Unease (2023), The Plan (2024), and the medium-length film Surveillance (2023). Passionate about photography since 1982, he meticulously curates cinematography and soundtracks in his films.
DARCINE'S DAY
Aaron Goffman DCP, 17' (USA) 2024
A short film about a woman in Los Angeles struggling to find a job, a home, and a meal—remaining invisible to those who could truly help her.
Aaron Goffman is a Property Master and director born in Hollywood. With a long career in the film industry, he is a member of the Directors Guild, Art Directors Guild, Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, IATSE Local 44, and Property Masters Guild. During the 2023 strikes, he wrote and directed his first short film, Darcine’s Day, which premiered at the LA Shorts International Film Festival (Oscar-Qualifying) and was screened at over 50 festivals worldwide, winning awards for Best Screenplay, Directing, Short Film, and Actress. He continues to work as a Property Master, but his creative success as a director is driving him to further explore this path.
IL BINARIO MORTO
Antonio Maciocco DCP, 24' (Italy) 2023
In a timeless Sardinia, Tommaso, a young man searching for his path, meets Franco, a man trying to recover lost time. Together, in an abandoned train station, they reflect on life—between nature, traditions, and imagination—turning a dead-end track into a new starting point for self-discovery.
Antonio Maciocco (Alghero, 1974) is an Italian director and screenwriter. A Law graduate, he trained at Laboratorio Cinema 87 in Rome, Scuola di Televisione Mediaset, and the New York Film Academy. His award-winning works include the short films Permesso?, Labbra Mute, Achentannos, and the documentary L’ultimo Barbiere di Carrera Longa, which received numerous awards at national and international festivals. His poetic vision explores Sardinia’s traditions, nature, and imagination.
LA LIXEIRA - THE INVISIBLES' DIGNITY
Guido Galante, Antonio Notarangelo DCP, 12' (Italy, Mozambique) 2022
In a landfill in Maputo, where 700 families survive among the waste, a man dedicates his life to teaching photography, graphic design, and writing to the invisible children of the neighborhood, giving them the chance to tell their own stories and transform despair into hope.
Guido Galante (Matera, 08.12.1966) holds a degree in Motor Sciences and has dedicated himself to the A Mundzuku Ka Hina educational project, continuing the work of his late brother Roberto. The school-laboratory in Mozambique offers training in photography, graphic design, and writing to young people from the Maputo landfill, orphans, and street children, helping them integrate into the workforce.
Antonio Notarangelo (Matera, 29.08.1966) is a cinematographer with extensive experience in film and television, having worked with internationally renowned directors such as Mel Gibson and Catherine Hardwicke. Among his recent works is the documentary Notarangelo, Ladro di Anime, created in collaboration with Istituto Luce and the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome. He currently focuses primarily on documentary filmmaking.
LET ME PUT IT THIS WAY
Damla Ersan DCP, 20' (Turkey) 2024
In a matriarchal society where gender roles and meanings are reversed, Arya, a symbol of power and freedom, and Meriç, an emblem of morality and docility, meet for the first time after connecting on social media. But is the real issue in today's relationships merely the social meaning of gender, or does it lie in human selfishness, the loss of pure emotions, and a lack of awareness?
Damla Ersan has produced two short films in 2018 and 2020. Dehşet Konağı was broadcast on BluTV in Turkey and on Northern Visions - NVTV, Latest TV, and Sheffield Live! in the UK and Ireland. Viran was screened at numerous international festivals. In 2021, she wrote Let Me Put It This Way, supported by the General Directorate of Cinema of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey. In 2024, she directed Let Me Put It This Way as her debut short film.
L'UOMO GRASSO
Simone Menzio DCP, 7' (Italy) 2024
Adam must prepare a lavish feast every night to feed a monstrous creature known as the Fat Man. But one night, something goes terribly wrong...
Simone Menzio is a director and video production professional at S.G.I. srl since 2015. Since 2017, he has been teaching Digital Video at the Istituto Europeo di Design (IED). He has directed commercials for Lauretana, Lavazza, Carioca, and Magneti Marelli, as well as music videos for The Brand and The Italian Tenors.
From 2020 to 2021, he hosted the horror podcast Nightmare Before Breakfast on Radio Rebel, and in 2022, he founded the YouTube channel Sin Theory Time, dedicated to horror film analysis. In 2023, he produced the short film Nessuna via di fuga, winner of the "Genre Film Awards" at the Monza Film Festival. In 2024, he directed his first horror short film, L'Uomo Grasso.
MARIANNA
Luigi Di Domenico DCP, 20' (Italy) 2024
Inspired by real events. A year after their separation due to a hidden abortion, Marianna and Davide find themselves fighting on opposing sides during an ecological uprising aimed at carrying out a coup d'état.
Luigi Di Domenico is an Italian director, screenwriter, and producer. He has directed four short films: Martino (2018), Anti (2021), Yohiro (2021), and Marianna (2024), garnering 80 selections at international film festivals and winning 25 awards.
TANNIM
Lorenzo Levach DCP, 15' (Italy) 2024
In a world devastated by a strange plague that has made the air unbreathable, a boy wearing a gas mask wanders along a beach, searching for shelter and, above all, the meaning of his solitary existence.
Lorenzo Levach, born in Rome, holds two master's degrees in Filmmaking, with a final project in directing, and in Film Criticism from the Sentieri Selvaggi Film School. He co-founded the independent production company Coda Film, through which he produced and distributed the short film TANNIM.
THE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL
Mikaeel Dayani DCP, 15' (Iran) 2024
In a school where students take part in the revolution for women's freedom, the principal opposes the movement, driven by seemingly logical reasons, creating a conflict between youthful ideals and institutional authority.
Mikaeel Dayani (born in 1989) is a social journalist who has brought his experience in documenting realities with strong social impact into filmmaking. He holds a master's degree in Media Management from the University of Tehran and has trained in film directing at the Iranian Youth Cinema Association.
THE UNSEEN WOUND
Parag Chhapekar DCP, 25' (India) 2024
A couple of software engineers abandon the American dream to dedicate themselves to serving their community in their native Indian village. However, the birth of their dark-skinned daughter forces them to confront deep-rooted prejudices, societal judgment, and their own internal biases, embarking on a transformative journey of acceptance, resilience, and unconditional love.
Parag Chhapekar has 25 years of experience in the Bollywood film industry. He has interviewed leading actors and actresses of Hindi cinema and received numerous accolades. The creator of successful programs such as Parag Dil Se(Live India, TV18), he launched shows like Cinema A to Zee (Zee) and Mirch Masala (Star). As an actor and director, he has appeared in films like OMG 2, Youngistan, and Chal Chale. As a director, he has produced short films for Zee Media, while his film Suno was screened at the Cannes Film Festival. He has served on juries for the National Awards and the Indian Film Panorama and has collaborated with international festivals such as Ladakh and Lonavala.