60+ COMPETITION
BLOCK I
1.The Loving Couple, dir. Mhairi Kerr, Canada 2024, 7 min. movie without dialogues
A long-term relationship can seem picture-perfect on the outside, but as this couple celebrates their fortieth anniversary, we see that life isn’t always as rosy as it appears. Animation was hand drawn on computer.
Mhairi Kerr has worked as an editor in the Toronto animation industry for almost three decades on countless productions including George of the Jungle, Welcome to the Wayne and Paw Patrol. The Loving Couple is her first film, originally written as a short story in 2001. After ten years of persistence and dedication the film is finally complete.
2.Inga, dir. Krzysztof Kopczyński, Poland 2025, 29 min. movie with Polish subtitles
Inga came to Warsaw with her blind parents, five cats and two dogs when Russia invaded Ukraine, during her 5th birthday. Film tells a story about their experiences and dreams.
Krzysztof Kopczyński – Director and producer of documentary films, film expert, professor at Warsaw Uniwersity, member of European Film Academy, Polish Film Academy, Polish Filmmakers Association and Polish Society for Film and Media Research. Received 24 film awards in 10 countries.
3.Flo Scene from The Eve of May, dir. Ray Nomoto Robison, USA 2025, 8 min. movie with Polish subtitles, original English
Evamay is visiting her hometown and meets her childhood friend, Florence whom she has not seen in 50 years. They reminisce about their childhood as best they can. This film is a scene from the feature length film “The Eve of May”.
Robison attended Film School in a small town in Montana USA. Soon after graduation he was hired to produce and direct television advertisements in Oregon USA though he longed to make films, that opportunity never came. Now retired, Robison is making movies that fulfill the passion inside him.
4.The Stream XIV, dir. Hiroya Sakurai, Japan 2025, 8 min. movie without dialogues
I observed the constantly changing and transforming appearance of the rice paddies through the process of cultivation and weather. I expressed the changing landscape by connecting the sound of wind chimes, which reflect the weather, with the cultivation process.)
Hiroya Sakurai – Born in Yokohama, Japan in 1958. Graduated from University of Tsukuba. Emeritus Professor, Seian University of Art and Design. Sakurai was awarded at Ann Arbor Film Festival (2018). Exhibitions include “Sydney Biennale”(1982) and “San Francisco International Film Festival” (2015)
BLOCK II
1.Distress Call, dir. Michele D’Anca, Italy 2024, 20 min. movie with Polish and English subtitles
Two volunteers working for the Alarm Phone receive an emergency phone call from a migrant who is on a rubber boat drifting in the Mediterranean Sea. Despite the strenuous attempt to save the one hundred migrants on board, the two volunteers assist helplessly at the shipwreck.
Michele D’Anca – Actor, screenplayer and director. After graduating in acting at the Accademia Nazionale d’Arte Drammatica “Silvio D’Amico” in 1985, he worked for the most prestigious Italian theaters until 2001. The short film “Distress Call” is his first directorial debut.
2.1948 What We Knew, dir. Jill Daniels, United Kingdom 2024, 15 min. movie with Polish subtitles, original English
1948 What We Knew is an autobiographical film shot on a smartphone in London immediately after the Israeli invasion of Gaza. The voices of three Jewish women, born in Britain in 1948 when the Israeli state was created, discuss the different (fairy) tales we were told by our families about Israel as pro-Palestinian demonstrators march through the streets in London calling for an end to the genocidal war in Gaza.
Jill Daniels has been making films since 1989. She has won many international film festival awards, including best experimental film for My Private Life II, a film about sexual identity in her Jewish family at the Ann Arbor Experimental Film Festival in the USA. In Resisters she explored the rise of the nationalist AfD and the fight against it in Berlin. Her website is www.jilldanielsfilms.com.
3.Dinosaur Man, dir. Kazuya Ashizawa, Japan 2025, 13 min. movie without dialogues
A railway deep in the mountains that is now used only by a few high school students in on the verge of being closed down. On the day that a special three-car train is operated to attract tourists, an old man comes to the railway bridge. He is trying to do something to the train. In fact, he wanted to express his gratitude to the tourists who had boarded the train.
Kazuya Ashizawa –Born in Fukushima (Japan). He worked for a national institution (Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare) from 1980 to 2014. After retiring, he taught himself film techniques. He is the director of non-profit documentary films. He owns an independent non-profit production company based in Fukushma called “Yellow Sheep Films”.
4. Trochę się lubię bić, dir. Tadeusz Mission, Poland 2025, 5 min. movie with Polish and English subtitles, original Polish
Documentary film. Made in a form of a monogue by the main protagonist who takes part in boxing trainings. Her story is supplemented by statements form her daughter and her coach.
Tadeusz Mission – Film amateur-senior. “The Life of Pruszków Plate” – a fictionalized documentary. “Visit” – a feature film
.BLOCK III
1.Because I Love You, dir. Bob Celli, USA 2024, 14 MIN. movie with Polish subtitles, original English
Marco and Joanna enjoy an electric marriage, until Marco is witness to a series of events that lead him to suspect Joanna is having an affair with a co-worker. Starring Bob Celli (Gotham), Jennifer Plotzke (Blacklist), Dave Roberts (Blue Bloods), and Melissa Joyner (The Morning Show).
Bob Celli –In front of the camera, along with starring in upcoming Because I Love You, Bob recently co-stared on the City on a Hill, FBI: Most Wanted, Blacklist, and was a guest star on Gotham.
2,Quahoggers: Rhode Island’s Iconic Shell-fishermen, DIR. David Helfer Wells, USA 2023, 15 MIN. movie with Polish subtitles, original English
Go offshore with Rhode Island’s legendary Quahoggers, working shell-fishermen, who dig clams up from the mud of Narraganset Bay by hand, using metal rakes and brute strength. Distinctive characters speaking with unique accents, they explain the process of Quahogging, the joys and challenges, and their worries for the future.
David Helfer Wells is an award-winning visual storyteller, using various media (exhibitions, books, newspapers, magazines and motion pictures) to explore important socio-political stories. His films have been juried into festivals worldwide.
3.Any Way Out, dir. Alistair Kerr, Scotland 2024, 10 MIN. movie without dialogues
A man is imprisoned for life on a remote Pacific island for a crime he didn’t commit… Is there any way out?
Alistair Kerr is an animator and artist from Kilmaurs in Ayrshire Scotland and runs Front Room Productions (also on YouTube) from the front room of his house. Specialising in stop motion animation, he immerses himself in every stage of the production process, from script writing, character creation, set design, music, editing and post production. He has won numerous awards at film festivals both domestically and internationally. Following a 45 year career as a musician, and as a roads inspector, he began creating animations 5 years ago in retirement.
4.Pole bitwy, dir. Andrzej Mamcarz, Poland 2025, 6 min. movie with Polish and English subtitles, original Polish
A lonely old man invites to his home a young attractive woman. What seems to be an unusual routine, gradually becomes a space in which one can fulfill his passions and nurture inside world, in which the line between nostalgia, play and tenderness become to fade.
Andrzej Mamcarz – For most of my life, I was not involved in film. A dozen or so years ago, I’ve decided to fulfill my dream from youth, I finished Acting study and became an actor. At the age of 60, I started studying Film Directing at Warsaw Film School.
THROUGH GENERATIONS COMPETITION
.BLOCK I
1.Nie ma mnie, dir. Daniel Le Hai, Poland 2024, 24 min. movie with English subtitles, original Polish
„I’m not here” by Daniel Le Hai is a story about a man, who years later returns to his family home to confront with his past and rebuild relationship with his alcoholic father and brother. The film is about confrontation with painful memories and an attempt to find oneself in new, but at the same time old reality.
Daniel Le Hai – Graduated Krzysztof Kieślowski’s Film School in Katowice. Director of Photography, director.
2.Maruja, dir. Álvaro G. Company, Spain 2024, 9 min. movie with Polish and English subtitles
Maruja, 80 years old, her husband has recently died. She spends his days without human contact, but, from time to time, she receives a call from a teleoperator…
Álvaro G. Company (Alicante, 1991) studied cinematography at the Ciudad de la Luz Study Center. He has directed short films recognized with different awards and selections such as “Irreversible” (2017), “Fin” (2018), “Capricho” (2020), “Bien, bien” (2022), or “Mesa para 3” (2022) or “Little” (2023), working with well-known artists. In his track record he has accumulated more than 350 selections and 100 national and international awards at festivals. At the same time, he directs the audiovisual department of Grupoidex, producing and making advertising spots for well-known brands.
3.Wind’s Heritage, dir. Nasim Soheili, Iran 2024, 30 min. movie with Polish and English subtitles
Mohammad Wali Gandami is the last miller who knows the techniques of building and repairing of traditional Iranian windmills. At the age of 68, he is still responsible for the maintenance of windmills in the city of Nashtifan.
Nasim Soheili –I hold a Master’s degree in Social Communications and have worked for many years as a social journalist. After completing a one-year filmmaking program at the Iranian Youth Cinema Society, I began conducting research and producing short documentaries. My earlier works include “Maat” and “Eil Banu”. “Maat” was screened at several international festivals, including the “Cinema Verite” International Documentary Film Festival. In addition to filmmaking and research, I currently teach at universities and film schools, where I mentor students in the fields of cinema and media. Documentary filmmaking has become a powerful tool for me to amplify underrepresented voices and explore overlooked aspects of cultural and social life in Iran and beyond.
4.SilverSizzle, dir. Brian Russell, USA 2024, 14 min. movie with Polish subtitles, original English
Widower Buddy has some experience being alone when he meets Jamie while visiting the graveside of his recently departed wife. Engulfed in loneliness, Jamie gets pulled into life in all its messiness when Buddy tells him about getting old, “the options are not kind. Loneliness, irrelevance, invisibility.” SilverSizzle embarks on an absurd exploration of older people living life right up until the end.
Brian Russell grew up and then worked in business, business, business for what felt like forever. In 2009 he accidentally started shooting and editing video. Along the way, he became a multi-award winning director and cinematographer. Russell has worked with the likes of Edwards Burns, Zoe Kravitz, Arianna Huffington, and has even profiled the entire cast of Saturday Night Live. He was the cinematographer of the Tribeca Film Festival selection The Counterfeiter, which was later broadcast on ESPN. In recent years, his writing and directing has garnered dozens of film festival awards.
BLOCK II
1.A Perfect Day, dir. Mariela Arile, Spain 2025, 18 min. movie with Polish and English subtitles
Julia leaves the hospital in a rush to reunite with her long-time friends. Together, they plan to celebrate in a house by the lake, a place brimming with shared memories. As the party unfolds with carefree joy, Julia finds herself facing an important decision.
Mariela Arile – BA BSc Honours Degree in Audio Visual Media and Design Studies at the University of Central Lancashire, UK. Worked as a researcher at ITV and BBC after graduation and Film Festivals in Manchester. Formed the distribution and production company, Candella Films Ltd. Manchester, UK
2.Emilia, dir. Rafa Arroyo, Spain 2024, 20 min. movie with Polish and English subtitles
The fractures in the reception system of the Spanish State leave thousands of undocumented immigrants on the streets every year when they reach the age of majority. Emilia Lozano, an unwavering activist for human rights and the feminist movement, in her ongoing struggle for social justice, redefines the concept of family for many of them through love, empathy, and solidarity.
Rafa Arroyo is a director and cinematographer from La Mancha who previously used to work as a telecommunications engineer until he decided to quit it for his passion and dream, which is working in the world of cinema. He started by directing his short films and working in the advertising industry. Recently, he produced his documentary short film “Soul Lines” (2021), a tribute to his mother’s life, which was nominated at the 2023 GOYA Awards.
3.Widzisz?, dir. Cezary Orłowski, Poland 2025, 18 min. movie with English subtitles, original Polish
Teresa’s quiet life is thrown into chaos when a stain on her kitchen window is proclaimed a miracle. As pilgrims flood her home and her husband, Henryk, thrives in the spotlight, Teresa feels increasingly invisible. Torn between faith, societal expectations, and her own desires, she struggles to reclaim her sense of self in a world that overlooks her.
Cezary Orłowski –A director of award-winning short films and theatrical creator, born in 2001. Growing up behind theatre scenes shaped his personal view of the world. A graduate of Theatre Knowledge at the Theatre Academy in Warsaw, he now studies directing at the Warsaw Film School. His latest film, “Jestem” (Here for You), featuring Katarzyna Figura alongside actors with Down syndrome, has been appreciated worldwide for its inclusive and innovative vision.
4.Holy Heavêness, dir. Farnoosh Abedi, Negah Khezre Fardyardad, Iran 2025, 9 min. movie without dialogues
The unbearable lightness of the death of loved ones… There are wounds in life that eat away at you like leprosy… The weight of the death of loved ones sometimes becomes so overwhelming that to get rid of this weight another birth is inevitable.
Negah was born 1984 in Tehran/Iran. Graduated in Russian language. She made: 2022-“The Sprayer”, 2025-“Holy Heavêness”, 2027-“Crying Whale”
Farnoosh Abedi was born in 1985 in Isfahan/ Iran. Graduated in Theater He has made more than 20 short animated films and TV series, documentaries and one Feature Animated. His films was presented and screened in more than 1000 domestic and international film festivals and received 320 awards.
5.Pasja według Agnieszki, dir. Wojciech Staroń, Poland 2025, 50 min. movie with Polish and English subtitles, original Polish
In the dim of her editing room, Agnieszka Bojanowska, a master of filmmaking, takes on another challenge. At her side is the extraordinary Bogdan Dziworski, with whom she has shared a passion for filmmaking for years. She edited many of his films, which have gone down in cinematic history. Although they feel the weight of every moment, their latest film is neither a race against time nor a farewell, but a celebration of art, friendship, and the will to create. It is a tribute to their passion for cinema.
Wojciech Staroń – Director of Photography, Film director. Awarded Silver Bear on 61st Berlinale for cinematography of “El Premio” directed by P. Markovitch. His directorial debut, “Siberian Lesson” (1998), won awards at festivals in Krakow, IDFA, and Cinema du Reel. “Argentinian Lesson” (2011) won awards at Cinema Eye Honor, the Krakow Film Festival, DokLeipzig, and Camerimage, among others. The film “Brothers” (2015) won the Semaine de la Critique in Locarno. As a cinematographer, he worked with Krzysztof Krauze and Joanna Kos-Krauze on “Saviour Square” (Golden Frog Polish Camerimage Competition 2006), “Papusza” (Manaki Brothers Bronze Camera 2013), with Lidia Duda on “Entangled” (Award for cinematography Krakow), “Chicks” (PSC Award 2023), with Diego Lerman on “Refugiado” (Quinzaine des Réalisateurs, Cannes 2014), M. Mubarak on “Autobiography” (Venice Orizzonti 2022), with V. Kairis on “January” (winner Tribeca 2022) and with L. Achour on “Red Path” (Locarno, Camerimage 2024). Professor at the State Film School in Łódź.
.BLOCK III
1.Alfredo, dir. Michael Chrisoulakis, Australia 2025, 23 min. movie with Polish subtitles, original English
Retirees Frank and Marlene live with their beloved dog Alfredo – more than just a pet, he’s the glue holding their fractured relationship together. Their romance and intimacy have long since faded, and they haven’t spoken directly in years, using Alfie as their go-between and unwitting therapist. But when their delicate balance is disrupted, Frank and Marlene are forced to confront just how far apart they’ve truly become.
Michael is a seasoned TV Editor having worked with major US and Australian entertainment companies. Before entering the world of editing, Michael worked in film education, facilitating filmmaking courses, seminars and networking events. He has directed several acclaimed short films that toured festivals worldwide. His feature film directorial debut, “LOS ANGELES OVERNIGHT,” a micro-budget, indie crime thriller featured Hollywood veteran Peter Bogdanovich. Michael continues to develop creative projects including short films and tv series concepts.
2.Trzy opowiadania o Basi, dir. Mateusz Pietrak, Poland 2023, 29 min. movie with English subtitles, original Polish
An intimate portrait of Basia, an energetic lady in her eighties. We observe her as a sister , a grandmother and a mother. In simple scenes from her daily life, humour meets nostalgia as the essential themes of love, aging and death are unexpectedly touched upon.
Mateusz Pietrak – student of the Lodz Film School, Film and TV Direction Department, a graduate of DOK PRO documentary course at Wajda School. He is finishing his diploma thesis in philosophy at the University of Warsaw. He was professionally connected for several years to the Iluzjon Cinema and the National Film Archive – Audiovisual Institute.
3.Bałtyk, dir. Iga Lis, Poland 2025, 63 min. movie with English subtitles, original Polish
“Bałtyk” is a bittersweet portrait of Miecia – the queen of the seaside smokehouse, a woman with a sharp wit and her own philosophy of life. The film tells a story of strength, passion, and the suspension between the past and what is yet to come, with Baltic folklore as a backdrop. The film opened Krakowski Festiwal Filmowy. Award for best cinematography on film festival Młodzi i Film in Koszalin.
Iga Lis – Born in 2000 in Warsaw. Graduated History on London School of Economics. Her film “In My Day” and “Bałtyk” premiered on Millennium Docs Against Gravity and Krakowski Festiwal Filmowy. She directed a music video “Gelato” by Taco Hemingway, which was awarded in Los Angeles.