The Moors were Arab and African Muslims from Northern Africa who liberated the people of the book in Spain.
Review by Parker Jesse Chase:
The Moors in Spain blends animation, narration, and historical dramatization to retell a story often overlooked in Western classrooms. This is the story about the arrival of Arab and African Muslims in Spain and their long-lasting impact on Europe. Based on the book The Moors in Spain: When Arab and Africans Led the World, the film reframes the Moors not as conquerors, but as liberators. A group of people who sought to bring education, technology, and coexistence to a region divided by ignorance and oppression.
The film opens in Mecca, 613 AD, “the age of ignorance,” as the narrator calls it. Through a mix of stylized animation and voiceover, we’re shown a harsh world where poverty rules and women are treated as less than human. The violence is softened by animation, yet it’s still deeply felt. The story then moves across regions from Tangiers to Guadalette, from Cordoba to Toledo each stop marking a key moment in the Moors’ mission to spread their faith and values.
At its core, the film is about the clash between religion, power, and principle. “Fear law, fear law, fear law,” echoes through one of its most memorable sequences, showing how religion, politics, and control intertwine. The filmmakers don’t shy away from depicting war and bloodshed. The battles between Muslims, Jews, and Christians are brutal, leaving viewers questioning what liberation really means when freedom must be fought for.
While the film clearly wants to honor the Moors as bringers of progress. A builder of cities, inventors of technologies, or even defenders of knowledge. Its visual storytelling often leans into the duality of contradiction. The closing narration praises their legacy of coexistence, yet the animation doubles down on scenes of chaos and rebellion. We see men cheering death, not dialogue. We see control replacing peace. It’s a tension that makes the film interesting, but also confusing in tone.
At times, the piece plays like an educational documentary and something that could be shown in a classroom. At other times, it feels more like a piece of propaganda, simplifying complex histories into a moral struggle between “white and brown,” “oppressed and oppressor.” The message is clear, but the nuance gets lost in the noise.
Still, The Moors in Spain deserves credit for tackling a subject rarely given space on screen. It reminds us history is not written by the victors, it’s rewritten by those who dare to challenge the narrative. Even with its uneven tone and heavy-handed symbolism, the film sparks important questions about faith, power, and what it really means to be free.
A visually bold, morally complex retelling of Moorish history that swings between education and agitation.
Its heart is in the right place, but its message sometimes gets buried under the weight of its own passion.
Festival played at the end of September 2025. Showcasing the best of NEW movie trailers from around the world. Over 150 submissions.
AUDIENCE AWARDS: Best Movie Trailer: bicycle Best Action Trailer: Cosmic Dawn Episode 1 Part 1 Final Sneak Peek Best Animation Trailer: Oh Deer Best Drama Trailer: Lana Tong: A tailor made tour Best Editing: Maria Niklińska Marlen – make it Best Experimental Trailer: The Skin Game: A Pornumentary Best Fantasy Trailer: Lapin Noir Best Historical Trailer: Ancestral Shadows Best LGBTQ+ Trailre: Johnny Be Good Best Mystery Trailer: Familiar Best New Media Trailer: 7 Veils Best Performances: Sensus Mori Best Proof of Concept Trailer: Battlefield Best Relationship Trailer: Maryam Best Sci-Fi Trailer: Tornado Best Society Trailer: Dating App Chronicles Best Story: Waiting for the River Best Thriller Trailer: What They Say About Carmen Best Visual Design: The Pilot Best Web Series Trailer: Spectral
The Skin Game: A Pornumentary, 1min., USA Directed by Sharon King The rise of the internet resulted in the explosion of the information age, allowing us to download a wealth of data in nanoseconds. It also gave us instantaneous access to porn. Lots and lots of porn.
Dating App Chronicles, 1min., Canada Directed by Kat Reynolds Dating App Chronicles follows Lisha, a sharp, funny, and emotionally unraveling Black millennial whose life is upended when a new job relocates her from Toronto to Vancouver—just as her long-term boyfriend dumps her. Alone in a new city and grieving a future she thought was secure, Lisha finds herself holed up in her apartment, surviving on gin, fast food, and sadness.
BATTLEFIELD, 1min., Malaysia Directed by Xiang Wan The story is people have a peaceful life, but dictator wants to destroy, so the people have to fight .
Waiting For The River, 3min., USA Directed by Kit Wilson In 1944 a young girl escapes a deadly flood, only to discover years later the myth of a Phantom Bear that saved her.
WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT CARMEN, 2min., Portugal Directed by Eve Ferretti, Pedro Mota Teixeira “What They Say About Carmen” brings to light the story of a 10-year-old girl who was born without arms, narrated by a voice that uses a “borrowed” discourse, typical of those who “say that…” This narrative, coming from someone who never knew Carmen, adopts a memorial tone that contrasts with the animated image, revealing the true essence of the protagonist. This confrontation between the visual narrative and the verbal discourse invites us to dive deeper into Carmen’s life.
Lapin Noir, 1min., France Directed by Simon J. Proctor The secret Academy of the Lapin Noir, in Paris, has sent Johnny to America on an important mission . But it is not going very well. He is in hospital actually. He has crashed (and been shot). And now the Blue Foxes are after him. And he can’t quite remember what the Mission is. . Its complicated…
Directed by Lakshen Sundaram Spectral is a web series pilot. It’s a story about Maria, a young hard-working janitor who works overnight at a high school and during one of her shifts, she discovers that the school is haunted by ghosts. With the help of the lax security guard Tony and the occult-expert student Kane, they work towards uncovering the mysteries of the school and the reason behind the undead. All while the mysterious Mr. Bagwell dines with his illicit lover, Penelope.
Tornado, 1min,. Iran Directed by Majid Farzolahi A big spaceship comes to Earth and creates a massive tornado to destroy everything. (This film is a metaphor about global problems and how humanity faces them. This film shows how weak and vulnerable humanity is with all its technology)
7 Veils, 42sec., Greece Directed by Evi Tzortzi, Giorgos Alexakis The essence of life is protected by seven veils. One after the other, all veils are lifted. Past is explained, faith in life is restored, the eternal spiral is still alive.
FAMILIAR, 10min., France Directed by Julien Homère Elodie wakes up in the middle of the night, alone in the marital bed. Getting up to look for her husband, she comes face to face with his black silhouette at the end of the bedroom corridor. He has the same voice as her husband, speaks like her husband but… Is this her husband ?
Lana Tong: A tailor made tour, 2min., Hong Kong Directed by Sing Jantzen Tse Lana Tong, a tour guide who migrated to Hong Kong less than a decade ago, guides audiences through a post-pandemic Hong Kong undergoing rapid shifts in its political and socio-cultural landscape. Her journey is disrupted by two disembodied voices—native narrators steeped in Hong Kong’s 80s to 00s ethos. Offering corrections rooted in a native perspective and drawing from their upbringing in Hong Kong’s 80s to 00s milieu, they recount the city’s geography and the values of freedom championed by earlier generations, paradoxically steering Lana to rediscover the city through their lens. Amid the tides of time, questions arise: Can a city’s soul survive relentless tides of change? Will its people cling to inherited ideals, flee, or forge new meaning from the fragments?
Ancestral Shadows, 1min., USA Directed by Wilma Casal The reunion of three sisters leads to a journey through the shadows of their ancestors.
Oh Deer, 46 sec., South Korea Directed by Jeongeun Lee “Oh Deer” is a poetic interactive animation that follows the journey of a being in search of itself.
Cosmic Dawn Episode 1 Part 1 Final Sneak Peek, 2min., USA Directed by Cosmic Dawn a fight between Vallazar and Tiatha
Johnny Be Good, 36sec., USA Directed by Chase Ramsey, Johnny Hebda Gay relationships are messy. Let’s be real—between the swipe-left culture, hookup apps on every corner, and the glorification of open relationships, monogamy gets treated like some dusty relic from the past. But why should queer couples chain themselves to “traditional” rules that weren’t even made for us? Who actually wants to settle for a relationship that feels like a straight, invented by straights, cookie-cutter cage dressed up as commitment?
MARYAM, 4min., Afghanistan Directed by Zainab Entezar a girl that her father rent him
Sensus Mori, 26sec., USA Directed by Sydney Rincón When an elusive society agrees to be interviewed, a journalist must contend with their ideologies or risk falling prey herself.
Maria Niklińska Marlen – make it, 3min., Poland Directed by Dominika Machel
The Pilot, 1min., USA Directed by Susan Lockwood A reenactment of an autobiography of a French contactee with many past lives as a commander of E.T.s who wants to, in his first Earth incarnation, rise up through the ranks of pilots and flight supervisors, then leave his wife and family in the middle of the night to be allowed to train to fly the ship, the first human on Earth to do so.
‘It’s up to you to make a future that has you in it…’ We follow Zoe (Martinez) and her dad, Gerry (Jones) in a ‘day in the life’ of an autistic actress running the gambit of stereotypes she has to deal with – and her dad’s battle in supporting her forging that path for herself – in a funny, frustrating, painful and sometimes triumphantly sarcastic kind of way.
The short Once More, Like Rain Man is a real tribute to a feisty, determined young autistic actress. The film, consisting largely of a long series of her auditions over a day reveals how people (without autism) often do not fully recognize the truthfulness and charm of people with autism, seeing them only in a stereotypical light. This is in opposition to the on-screen relationship we see between the lead character and her loving, caring father who fully appreciates her habits, quirkiness and idiosyncrasies, as is very apparent with the sparkling banter between them in the screenplay – – such heartwarming chemistry and playfulness.
The cinematography is remarkable with a series of zoomed-in, intimate moments, most notably during the lead’s dynamic monologue under a bright spotlight on a bare theatre stage. Effective use of circular panning, and extreme close ups capture the lead’s inspired melodic song and quick-witted, well-edited monologue.
In terms of location choices, audition rooms of all shapes and set decorations serve to capture the lead’s long and rather frustrating attempts to fully win over the often bored, uninspired auditors. It will be fantastic to follow the career of this talented lead performer in real life. She will no doubt be successful, despite the limitations of many of those in casting, who have limited understanding of those with autism.
Festival played at the end of July 2025. Showcasing the best of NEW movie trailers from around the world.
AUDIENCE AWARDS: Best MOVIE TRAILER: One of Us Pt 1 Best Action: Joan & Talbot Best Animation: A dream in waking life Best Black & White: 3 Days Best Cinematography: Doing Nothing, Going Nowhere Best Comedy: The Christopher Nolan Experience Best Documentary: Black Printmakers of Washington DC Best Drama: Dilemma Editing: In Hell With Ivo Best Experimental: wur. Best Fantasy: Kaelara: The Summoned Blade Best Horror: Shadow of the Imposter Best Montage Trailer: The Tank Best Music Video: Blow Me Down Best New Media: The Morgue Best Performances: Black / White & the “Other Colours” Best Sci-Fi: A Probability of Nature Best Student Trailer: Mx. Best Visual Design: Confession of a serial killer Best Web Series: We Sock – End of the world
wur, 18 sec., Directed by Anthony Rodriguez
Blow Me Down, 30 sec., USA Directed by Marta Renzi By turns goofy, sexy and poignant, BLOW ME DOWN messes with 3 dimensions and the 4th wall – or is it the 5th?
BLACK PRINTMAKERS OF Washington DC, 4min. USA Directed by Susan J. Goldman Washington, D.C. has a rich history of Black owned printmaking workshops where artists thrived and formed community.
THE TANK trailer, 1min., USA Directed by Richard G. Miller 761st tank divison battles the Nazi in the battle of the Bugle.
Joan & Talbot trailer, 30sec. USA Directed by Megan Mann In the heat of the Hundred Years’ War, English Lord Talbot and the fierce French warrior Joan la Pucelle clash on the battlefield outside Orléans.
Kaelara: The Summoned Blade, 1min, USA Directed by Chris Vallone In a realm shattered by decades of tribal war, an unstoppable horde rises, forcing enemy clans into a fragile alliance.
In Hell With Ivo Trailer, 2min., Bulgaria Directed by Kristina Nikolova Bulgarian queer artist Ivo Dimchev captivates audiences worldwide with his electrifying art shows, which blend singing and songwriting, theatre, dance, and visual art.
Shadow of the Impostor, 1min. UK Directed by Ortino Yang Shadow of the Impostor is a surreal psychological short film that follows Aiden, a struggling actor on the verge of a breakdown as he prepares for a major audition.
DILEMMA trailer, 1min., USA Directed by Travan Jay Hiatt Dilemma is a tense psychological thriller that delves into the consequences of a single, reckless decision.
One of Us Pt 1, 1min,. USA Directed by Laquan D. Burroughs Three college kids look to join the nations most prestigious joint Fraternity, Alpha Omega Phi, and there’s only one more step for them to compete.
A Probability of Nature, 24sec., USA Directed Eian Hazzard A Probability of Nature is an experimental short I made on the Information Age.
Doing Nothing, Going Nowhere, 45sec., USA Directed by Brandon Houser “Doing Nothing, Going Nowhere” is a zero-budget experimental short film that emerged during the writing and recording of an original alt/indie EP inspired by the 2000s–2010s soundscape.
The Christopher Nolan Experience trailer, 3min,. Canada Directed by Matthew Putnam, Diego Pereira When struggling creative Christopher Nolan is dumped by his girlfriend upon her discovery that he is not the legendary director.
A dream in waking life, 35sec. Iran Directed by Hossein Moradizadeh A man is walking down the street in the dark and dreaming, suddenly the wind blows.
The Morgue, 11sec., Iran Directed by Majid Farzolahi A zombie girl comes out of the morgue and is horrified by the image of the movie The Ring on the TV.
We Sock – End of the world, 2min., Finland, Directed by Petri Puroaho I created a web series with my spouse in 2020 to pass the time while living in long distance relationship, and then the process started to have a life of its own and became bigger than us.
Mx., 14sec., UK Directed by Wwenen Lusa “Mx.” is a title used as a gender-neutral alternative to Mr. or Ms., reflecting inclusivity in gender identity.
Confession of a serial killer, 1min., Italy Directed by Francesco Maffei Max Rinaldi, a journalist and blogger with a past as a film critic, receives a phone call from a man announcing that he is a serial killer and wants to provide him with a confession of his heinous murders
Black / White & the “Other Colours”, 1min., Turkey Directed by Doğa Yılmaz A man gets ready to go out. When he steps outside and integrates into society, he becomes a different person.
Manuel the barber, 7min,. Portugal Directed by José Augusto Carvalho One daughter and two grandchildren. He loves his daughter very much, but he hasn’t told her yet, maybe he’ll tell her today, after shooting this film.
what about the children, 81min., USA Directed by Cortez Mack, Anthony Hill, Selena Sumrell an inspirational film about the struggling relationship between the parent and the child, and how the child deals with the neglect
Hypnagogia, 4min., UK Directed by Ysabelle Taylor Hypnagogia is the transitional state of consciousness between wakefulness and sleep. A sensation of semi-consciousness or trance where images float sometimes randomly, sometimes sequentially through our minds.
Seeking Tranquility, 4min., UK Directed by Ysabelle Taylor An improvised dance film in collaboration with dancer Aleth Berenice and composer Alberte Erantis. Filmed at Acosta Dance Centre, located in a historic building of the Woolwich Royal Arsenal in London.
Indyana Jones – End of the world, 25min., Finland Directed by Petri Puroano Sometimes filming a movie is not easy when people involved in the film-production have a different vision of the final product. Star wanna-be faces these challenges and struggles with motivation to move forward when dealing with the demands from the films director, producer and reacting to animals on set. All this dream-chasing moves “Indyana” into direction that was not planned. The film is a parody, almost like a mockumentary while trying to show respect towards the original movies which this one is based on. This shortfilm, fan film, is a prequel-film that launches season 5 for “We Sock” webseries & feature film.
Festival Reviews 