A showcase of the best Female Films from around the world today!
AUDIENCE AWARD WINNERS: Best Short Film: Obedience Best Visual Design: Cycle of Emotions Best Story: Dis-connected Best Direction: The Taste of Pork Belly
Cycle Of Emotions, 6min, Greece Directed by Natasha Smyrnaiou In a hidden search… In the complex stages of exploration that the Soul goes through… Through the emotions… Discovers… Accepts… Learns… Evolves… Getting Free… Pictures, music and movement… In a film art video performance of 6’.
Dis-connected, 10min., Spain Directed by Estela del Carmen Andrea is a girl addicted to her cell phone, until one day she is forced to live a day without him.
Obedience, 12min., Spain Directed by Maria Carmen Sánchez A girl is kidnapped by a couple of men, who claim to be vampires.
The Taste of Pork Belly, 20min., Taiwan Directed by Sophie Shui The preschooler A-Mao spends his days fooling around and exploring with his little sister and his buddy A-Bao. When they are hungry, there are sweet potatoes and snails to eat, and from time to time A-Mao can also eat some of the pork belly that his mother has gotten as a “gift.” A-Mao’s childhood is free and happy.
A showcase of the best fantasy/sci-fi films from around the world today.
AUDIENCE AWARDS: Best Feature Film: APPology Best Short Film: The Nest Best Direction: Ekorts Best Performances: Liquid Love
APPology, 105min., Switzerland Directed by Marco von Moos 5 very different friends embark on a journey to create the ultimate app that turns you into your perfect self, all controlled by an Artificial Intelligence.
Ekorts, 6min., Austria Directed by John Whitehand, Julia Hulle, Alexander Bachmayer Daniel finds himself locked in a deserted buliding, no way out. Something is going on, but he can’t explain it.
Liquid Love, 15min., USA Directed by Dave McGrath It’s New Year’s Eve, Jillian is about to make a monumental resolution. She is giving up one of her two favorite things: Wine or Coffee. As she struggles to make up her mind, Wine and Coffee try to convince her that the other should be the one to go. When Jillian is ready to leave for the party, she announces her decision.
Audience Award Winners: Best Feature Film: I WANT TO BACK HOME Best Short Film: THERAPY Best Direction: HUG ME Best Story: THE TOUCH Best Micro-Short: LOVEBIRDS
Hug Me, 19min., Spain Directed by M. Carmen Sánchez Dalia lives on her birthday. Everyone hugs her, everyone ignores her…
Therapy, 10min,. Spain Directed by M. Carmen Sánchez “Therapy” deals with the day-to-day life of a woman, Lola, who feels neglected by her husband, Manolo, and thinks that, through therapy with her psychologist, she can fix the situation.
Summer Turns to Fall, 1min., Canada Directed by David Creighton This micro-short, black and white animated film, is dedicated to suicide awareness, and those who are left behind.
The Touch, 13min., Croatia Directed by Marko Visković, Erik Kyle Lončar After just being informed about her sister’s death, Dolores spends the evening alone waiting for her husband to return home from a business trip. What was supposed to be a tear-soaked night turns into a surreal experience that will challenge our heroines view on life, death and family.
LOVEBIRDS, 4min., USA Directed by Maria Corso Betty and Ray, a wild couple on the run, live fast and love hard while staying one step ahead of the law. With their lives on the line and a clean getaway just out of reach, they attempt one more job — one which may cost them more than they can afford.
I want to back home, 85min,. Spain Directed by Miguel Ángel Mengó Ana, 14 years old, coexists with the terminal illness of his mother and his father’s sorrow . One day, her aunty and her daughter, Laura, the same age as Ana, propose her to live in another village. That will change the lives of Ana and Laura forever.
A showcase of the best animation films from around the world today.
AUDIENCE AWARDS: Best Short Film: INSIDE ALONE Best Story: ONE GIANT WADDLE Best Music Video: IF I WERE A PONY Best Micro-Short: VIPER PRODUCTS Best New Media Film: TORNADO: WAR OF THE WORLD
INSIDE ALONE, 4min. Iran Directed by Hossein Moradizadeh Inside alone there is nothing. A black hole that smashes everything inside. Sometimes it’s a light star. Sometimes illusion and sometimes imagination. Such a world was created.
ONE GIANT WADDLE, 8min., USA Directed by Kevin Jones A group of penguins watching the moon landing gets jealous of the astronauts’ constant bragging about taking giant steps. While the penguins watching are stuck on Earth, with gravity keeping their steps so tiny that their walking style is mockingly referred to as waddling.
IF I WERE A PONY, 4min., USA Directed by Leonard Eckhaus If I Were a Pony by Leonard Eckhaus is the story of a boy and his pony told from the Pony’s perspective. The pony and the boy share many adventures. They ride across streams; they ride with friends and sometimes they just enjoy each other’s company.
VIPER PRODUCTS, 2min., Canada Directed by David Creighton
Tornado: War of the world, 15min., Iran Directed by Majid Frazolanhi An alien race attacks another planet and after destroying it, attacks Earth with its spaceships. One of the ships destroys cities using a large tornado. In another place, the ships destroy buildings with lasers. The armies of countries fight against the aliens. While a gate opens and many spaceships attack Earth. Godzilla enters and calls on the superheroes of Earth.
Showcase of the best POLITICAL FILMS in the world today.
Audience Award Winners: Best Feature Film: CANADA UNPLUGGED:( Part 1) The Perfect Storm Best Short Film: Eureka!
Eureka!, 15min., Canada Directed by David Creighton In this animated micro-short, a conspiracy nut finally grasps the truth.
CANADA UNPLUGGED:( Part 1) The Perfect Storm, 56min., Canada Directed by Sangita Iyer A bold, eye-opening documentary from Mettle Films, directed by award winning filmmaker Sangita Iyer, explores diverse Canadian voices discussing the impact of mass immigration in Canada. In this two-part series, we hear real concerns, lived experiences, and urgent questions about Canada’s immigration system, cultural cohesion, housing crisis, and economic pressures.
A showcase of the best from the STYLE, EXPERIMENTAL, FASHION festival.
AUDIENCE AWARDS: Best Short Film: FOR THE LOVE OF DOGS Best Direction: ALEPH
FOR THE LOVE OF DOGS, 27min. India Directed by Mohanjeet Baldev Singh Kalsi In the biting cold of North India’s winters, thousands of stray dogs struggle to survive, unseen and unheard. But in the bustling city of Gurugram, one man refuses to look away.
ALEPH, 29min,. Brazil Directed by Joao Butoh To live or not to live in the shadow of a society. Can politics, religion and ethnicity force you to live up to established standards? What is the price of your happiness? Live your life or live the life that others attribute to you?
A showcase of the best European Films in the world today.
AUDIENCE AWARDS: Best Short Film: TOY Best Story: KAZBEGI Best Micro-Short: KINOKARENINA Best New Media Film: Retrato (Portrait) Best Visual Design: GLASOUT
Kazbegi, 5min., Slovakia Directed by Yakiv Antypenko Set to a traditional folk song recorded live at a Georgian wedding, this short documentary immerses viewers in the natural and cultural rhythm of the Kazbegi region. With no narration, the film focuses on the detailed sound design and visual atmosphere — where every insect and breeze plays like an instrument in a living orchestra.
TOY, 11min., Greece Directed by Natasha Smyrnaiou New Years Eve. Nikos is looking for a New Year’s gift for his godchild in a toy store with a strange salesman. During his stay there, he evoked memories of his own childhood. He finally gets a toy, but not what he thinks..
KINOKARENINA, 1min,. Ukraine Directed by Andrii Makarchenko She really wanted their wedding day to last forever. But… Dedicated to Jean Cocteau and Leo Tolstoy.
Retrato (Portrait), 1min., Spain Directed by Ignacio Rodó Your portrait can capture you. You decide how to shine in it.
Audience Awards: Best Short Film: MELODRAMA Best Direction: SIZWE Best Peformances: QUANTUM CAUSALITY CONUNDRUM Best Story: Don’t pretend you didn’t see me Best Micro-Short: THE PRISONER
THE PRISONER, 1min., India Directed by Allabhya Ghosh Life is confined to a ten-foot-by-ten-foot room. That’s the norm in the suburbs now.
Don’t pretend you didn’t see me, 1min., Argentina Directed by Jimmy Alejandro Castro Zambrano The narration of the experiences of a blind person who moves through the city.
MELODRAMA, 34min., Italy Directed by Giuseppe De Vuono Rebecca Reveal, a promising designer, lives with her husband in an old farmhouse lost in the middle of the countryside. She is a beautiful woman, visionary and devoted to the art world, he a paranoid and egocentric man. They seem the picture of the perfect family, but both are hiding a secret that will push them beyond their limits.
Sizwe, 28min., South Africa Directed by Ayanda Makayi The story of a young, deaf Xhosa girl, overcoming adversity in the height of lockdown to save her gogo (grandmother).
Quantum Causality Conundrum, 2min., USA Directed by Aki Aitos While walking back to a college campus, Emma and Lila delve into the nuances of quantum mechanics and causality, balancing profound curiosity with the practical need to get to class on time.
Question & answer session after the festival screening with filmmakers from the August 14, 2025 festival at the Carlton Cinemas, in downtown Toronto, Canada.
Conversation with directors: – Josh Holliday Hammerstone Meets Woofstock – Filmmakers of Crabsassin
Hammerstone Meets Woofstock, 20min., Canada Directed by Josh Holliday A film that straddles the line between narrative and documentary, landing squarely on comedy. Steve Hammerstone is a small town radio host and big time buffoon, who’s sent to explore Woofstock: North America’s largest festival for dogs.
Best Film: Crabsassin Best Micro-Short: Brush Me Funniest Film: Douche Canoe Best Performances: Hammerstone Meets Woofstock Best Direction: A Fair Sister Best Relationship Film: Red Plump Tomatoes Best Story: Dangle the Cat Best Twist Film: The Surgical Treatment Best New Media Film: B.I.
SEE THE LINEUP OF FILMS:
DANGLE THE CAT, 13min., Ireland Directed by Niall Reynolds 3 thieves are chased into a messy situation, involving 2 cat thieves, an unhappy couple, a con man and yes… A cat.
The Surgical Treatment, 5min., USA Directed by David Gray A satirical observation of the advertising business through the aspect of the pre-production process. A funny perspective on treatments and what it might be like if another industry had to go through what directors. producers and creative people go through on every project in the process of bringing something to life. In this case, literally.
B.I., 15min., Australia Directed by Stuart Morley A businessman’s battle with Artificial Intelligence.
Douche Canoe, 2min., USA Directed by Craig Melville Brother Mouth presents ‘Douche Canoe’, a music video that satirizes the greedy, environmentally destructive elites who can’t tell their mouths from their derrières.
Hammerstone Meets Woofstock, 20min., Canada Directed by Josh Holliday A film that straddles the line between narrative and documentary, landing squarely on comedy. Steve Hammerstone is a small town radio host and big time buffoon, who’s sent to explore Woofstock: North America’s largest festival for dogs.
Crabsassin, 1min., Canada Directed by Studio S222 (14 students) A stormy night at the docks, a killer is out for his target…
A Fair Sister, 8min., USA Directed by Matt LaCorte Two sisters meet for lunch and share secrets.
RED PLUMP TOMATOES, 13min., USA Directed by Nick Wilson After moving in with his young and successful girlfriend Tara, Desmond has found himself in a bit of rut. Experiencing feelings of insecurity towards himself and his personal relationships, he is beckoned to attend a meeting by a close friend, Nympho-Nick, in order to tackle these harmful thoughts.
Brush me, 2min., Austria Directed by Nikolaus Jantsch In a bustling bathroom, amidst the chaos of everyday life, two toothbrushes, find themselves drawn to each other. “Brush me” is a heartwarming tale of love, loss, and the resilience of the toothbrush spirit.
Festival Reviews 