Opening Night(2023)

Six Hours: Surviving Typhoon Yolanda(en)

In the middle of a broadcast about Typhoon Yolanda's initial impact, reporter Jiggy Manicad was faced with the reality that he no longer had communication with his station. They were, for all intents and purposes, stranded in Tacloban. With little option, and his crew started the six hour walk to Alto, where the closest broadcast antenna was to be found. Letting the world know what was happening to was a priority, but they were driven by the need to let their families and friends know they were all still alive. Along the way, they encountered residents and victims of the massive typhoon, and with each step it became increasingly clear just how devastating this storm was. This was a storm that was going to change lives.

For freedom and justice(da)

A picture of the life of the Danish people from the late 1820s to the introduction of the free constitution in 1849. A fictional character, Rasmus Nielsen, travels around the country, first as a traveling teacher, later in other positions, and through his experiences we are introduced to the conditions of various population groups. The central figure in the portrayal of historical figures is the politician Orla Lehmann.

The Little Guy(en)

Groot discovers a miniature civilization that believes the seemingly enormous tree toddler is the hero they’ve been waiting for.

Journey Across the Mainland(zh)

Joseph Kuo's final film.

Hulk Hogan: A Real American Story(en)

A pay-per-view special titled "Titan's Hot Ticket: Hulk Hogan - A Real American Story" featuring classic matches & segments of Hulk Hogan. Join "Mean" Gene Okerlund as he takes you on a tour of the early days of WWF Champion Hulk Hogan. Meet his parents, Pete & Ruth and get an inside look on The Hulkster. Iron Sheik vs. Hulk Hogan Wrestlemania 3 – Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant Wrestlemania 5 – Randy Savage vs. Hulk Hogan Summerslam 1990 – Hulk Hogan vs. Earthquake Wrestlemania 7 – Sgt. Slaughter vs. Hulk Hogan

13(ja)

The film is a continuous time-lapse with multiple exposures of the sunset from the same angle and position on 16mm film. The shoot was done in a span of 5 years. The title 13 is because the time-lapse has a 13-second interval per frame.

The Talking Parcel(en)

The Talking Parcel is based on a 1974 book by Gerald Durrell in which a young girl is transported to the fantasy land of Mythologia to save it from cockatrices. She is aided by a talking parrot and encounter many other magical creatures, including a mooncalf.

Transient Hotel(es)

"Transient hotel" talks about a hotel that is located in the red zone of Mexicali, on the border between Mexico and the United States. Guests are deported who convert the hotel into a temporary home while their immigration status is resolved.

Sweet Obsession(es)

When a university student moves in with a family in Mexico City, conflicts emerge. An inevitable affaire with the father, a rebellious bond with the adolescent daughter and tensions with the mother lead up to a painful secret that will shake the family apart.

The Lost Empire(en)

A police officer and her two companions battle an evil genius with diabolical plans to destroy the world. Whoever can find the three sacred jewels can anticipate total power.

Auris - Die Frequenz des Todes(de)

The great voyage of Captain Neptune(es)

Two madmen wish to avenge the historical Peruvian ship "Monitor Huascar" under the command of Capitain Grau: a hero, and a symbol of the 19th century war lost to Chile.

The Colleagues 2.0(nl)

A disjointed group of colleagues gets a new manager. For his ultimate plan to enhance their working attitude, he invites them to a team building weekend.

The Week(en)

Dick Romans is a washed up TV host whose wife walks out on him the day before their ten year anniversary celebration. Alone with his thoughts, his dog, and a ton of booze, Dick decides to go through with the week-long party... by himself. The seven event-filled days become Dick's reluctant vision quest, filled with odd characters, awkward romance, and some long-overdue self examination.

Bluey: Turtleboy (Auslan)(en)

Bingo finds a toy turtle at the playground and wants to take him home, but Dad says it's not the done thing. (Auslan)

Mostefa Ben Boulaïd(ar)

The film revolves around the life of the martyr Mustapha Ben Bouleid (1917-1956), who was a member of the Algerian National Movement, who worked with his comrades to explain the idea of the armed revolution in which he led in Aures region in 1954. The film depicts how Ben Bouleid traveled to a number of Arab countries Disguised to bring arms to Algeria for the revolution and how the French colonial forces arrested him in the Tunisian-Libyan border, and from there to Algeria to be sentenced to death.

Snow Is Falling(ru)

One day the snow left the forest and went to the city. At the same time, his leadership was the Snow Law, which says that if you fall out for the first time, you can get up and walk again, if you fall out a second time, you can also get up and go further. And if you fall out for the third time, then you will remain lying until you turn into a puddle.

$POSITIONS(en)

Blue-collar Kansan Mike Alvarado attempts to save his family from the throes of poverty by investing their savings into speculative cryptocurrencies. However, as his investment strategy decays into a full-blown gambling addiction, he sends his life into a nightmarish anxiety-inducing downward spiral, compromising his relationships with his girlfriend, his mentally disabled brother, and his recovering junkie cousin.

Boys Feels: I Love Trouble(fr)

Whether it's playing games in a military zone, cheating at school tests, crossing borders for cheap thrills or doing whatever it takes to make illicit money - these boys know that with every risk, they move closer and closer to an irreversible jeopardy. Deftly exploring masculinity and peer-pressure, these five coming-of-age tales from France, the Netherlands and Lithuania from burgeoning new filmmakers demonstrate that sometimes young hearts can run dangerously free. The short films are: Gotta (2015); The Last Day of School (2019); Tree House [Cabane] (2016); Gameboy (2014); Pollux (2018).

Meet Me Again(es)

During a night out, Álmos, a queer teenager, discovers that his partner and friend have been lying to him. What begins as a painful experience soon turns into a journey of self-discovery, leading him to reconnect with a part of himself he thought was lost.

Rainy Summer Days(ca)

It's summer. Three friends meet. They will spend a few days in the mountains, camping, walking, chatting. As the days go by, so do their relationships, their misgivings, their affections. And when they return, nothing will be the same.

Sex, Party and Lies(es)

A youth group is preparing for what will be the summer of their life, including secrets, lies, sex, confusion, evenings and holidays.

A Frozen Flower(ko)

A historical drama set in the Koryo dynasty and focused on the relationship between a king and his bodyguard.

Caterina in the Big City(it)

When her social-climbing father is relocated from a one-horse town to his native Rome, 12-year-old Caterina enrolls in his old school, finding herself adrift in an environment where eighth-graders form friendships based on social class and their parents' political affiliations.

Foxfire(en)

The story of five teenage girls who form an unlikely bond after beating up a teacher who has sexually harassed them. They build a solid friendship but their wild ways begin to get out of control.

Scenes of a Sexual Nature(en)

Sex and love. Some seek it, some need it, some spurn it and some pay for it, but we're all involved in it. Set on one afternoon on Hampstead Heath in north-west London, the film investigates the minutiae of seven couples. What makes us tick?

Our Shining Days(zh)

A youth inspirational film, about how a group of high school students try to revive Chinese orchestra ensemble. They face many challenges along the way to compete nationally, including a rivalry with the more popular Western orchestra club.

Two for Joy(en)

A troubled family's problems come to a head during a stay in a seaside town.

They Have Escaped(fi)

Two troubled youths break out of their halfway house and make their way to one's home.

Bent(en)

Max is a handsome young man who, after a fateful tryst with a German soldier, is forced to run for his life. Eventually Max is placed in a concentration camp where he pretends to be Jewish because in the eyes of the Nazis, gays are the lowest form of human being. But it takes a relationship with an openly gay prisoner to teach Max that without the love of another, life is not worth living.

Ciao(en)

A man learns that his late friend had a secret online lover who is on the way from Italy.

The Man I Love(fr)

This is a combination coming out and first love story. The swimmer and diver Lucard is interested in attractive Martin. The film follows the characters' coming out with all its difficulties, the bitter-sweet pleasures of first love and the dreadful moment when one comes down to reality and realizes that one's beloved friend has a hard way to go yet. The positive message the film tries to transmit is the somewhat common motto "Live each day of your life as if it were your last."

Out of the Blur(cn)

14 vignettes without dialogue.

Partenza(hr)

The video installation entitled Partenza (Italian for departure, and used in many of Croatia’s island and coastal dialects) express the global insecurity of contemporary society and the fragility of human existence. Metaphorically, they address a story about departure, waiting and separation, dictated by migrations. In the early 20th century, it was usual yet traumatic for men to leave Croatian islands (mostly bound for the countries of South America) due to poverty and hunger. One of these tragic stories is weaved into the author’s family history. The installation is inspired by the life story of Renata’s great-grandmother who lived on the island of Brač, whose husband went to Chile looking for work in order to secure his family’s future. Like many of the island’s women, she waited for her husband who, like many of the men, never returned.

Say Less(en)

Teen siblings Cassie and Max find themselves home alone for the weekend after their parents leave town. Cassie hopes to invite her crush, Blake, over for a study date, while Max plans an intimate evening with his girlfriend, Sky. However, tensions rise when Blake doesn’t respond to Cassie’s texts, and Max taunts her about having no friends. Determined to prove him wrong, Cassie invites Oliver, a boy she previously ignored, to join the group. Cassie’s actions turn Max’s romantic plans into a chaotic double date, setting the stage for a night full of conflict and unexpected discoveries that might tear the family apart forever.

Blood Sings(pt)

Two monster friends decide to follow different directions. Decades after leaving, Naiana is a high school teacher in a small coastal town, where a hotel under renovation emanates a strange presence. Three thousand kilometers away, the devouring night involves Diego.

Beatles(no)

At long last, one of the most important novels in Norwegian history will be made into a film. Beatles relates the story of four Oslo boys born in 1951 and hooked on The Beatles, from the time they as seventh graders find themselves on the threshold of the adult world. The film is all about boyish pranks, hopes, disappointments, and of course about pretty girls, hopeless infatuations, drunkenness and parties. The world is changing, and so is the friendship between the boys. But the conclusion is, true friendship endures all - and no band in the world is better than The Beatles.