Rust(NaN)

Soulmate(en)

Thirteen-year-old Mila Malinov wakes up alone in the back of a cab. Arriving at the densely packed apartment block of zone 21, she makes her way to her room as the watchful eye of the global government hovers above in the form of monitor drones. Across the courtyard, another set of eyes watches her, a protective Mother. Her room is small, cubed, and very simplistic. In her ear, a voice keeps her company. Her father, Darko Malinov checks in. He speaks to her through an earpiece making sure she’s okay. The next day, Mila visits the local bartering station that’s at the end of the long alley that hugs her apartment block. Currency in this world has resorted back to bartering, swapping items for other items. Mila finds a group of interested buyers and swaps a capacitor for some food, all while her father guides her. That night, she shares a meal with her father via voice, wishing that he was there instead. As Mila sleeps, a figure sneaks up to her door making Mila nervous.

Spaceman(en)

SPACEMAN uses mime, stop motion, classic animation, and theatrical elements, to explore one artist's loss of creative passion, and his journey to get it back again.

The Last Exhibition(fr)

A perspective-shifting tale of how a trip to an art gallery leads to an out-of-this-world experience.

Fresh Peach(ja)

An argument over what appears to be an unusual fruit produces unexpected results.

Smash Cuts! Super Sci-Fi Shorts Fest(en)

Host Scott Forrest presents a curated compilation of eight independent short films in this rapid-fire science-fiction feature. Genres collide, narratives twist, aesthetics clash, and even humor, both campy and dystopian, showcase the vast creative possibilities of each story's individual world, offering the viewer a brief glimpse into the lives of every character's attempt to survive the otherworldly chaos around them. Released in 2001, the selected shorts span original creation dates of 1997 to 2001; most of the featured filmmakers also appear as themselves in short video interviews to talk about their inspirations, creative process and motivations while working on their individual shorts.

Black Mist(es)

Black drops fall from the water faucets, peek through the drains, and flood the city. Sisters Paula and Teresa, cornered in their apartment, can do nothing but observe as that strange substance takes hold of their lives. Hypnotized, with nowhere to go, they come into contact with the liquid. Gradually, reality begins to distort and they get lost in it.

Ciro-Norte(es)

On stormy night in an ugly urban landscape, Ciro Norte, a scientist with wild hair and thick glasses, straps himself to a chair he's has fashioned with wires: lightening strikes, convulsing him. It seems his experiment has not worked. The next day, he drives his jalopy to a bar, sits alone, and weeps. But suddenly, a vortex sucks him into a dream state where he wanders, escapes man-eating fish, confronts his doppelganger, walks through a field of giant flowers, and comes upon Venus herself, buried up to her shoulders in sand. She is a giant, and she takes him to her breast. He wakes from the vortex, back in the bar, his mood transformed.

Wartime(en)

While on a seemingly routine delivery run for the Brigadier, Benton finds himself close to his childhood home, where ghosts from his past have never rested easily… Trapped in a nightmare world where past and present are one, will he be lost forever or can he fight his way back to reality, where he is desperately needed?

La Jetée(fr)

A man confronts his past during an experiment that attempts to find a solution to the problems of a post-apocalyptic world caused by a world war.

B-Class Cultural Heritage(ja)

An urban skateboarder lands on a manhole—a cultural artifact protected by a shadowy association—and takes an unexpected and possibly lethal penalty.

Lurk(en)

In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer. This fan-film imagines one night in the futuristic city of Haddyn and the 19-year-old Slayer, Melaka Fray.

The Division(en)

The Division employs time agents to go and fix events from the past to make a better future. Presented in a mockumentary style, this project was created as part of a 48 hour film competition to make a trailer for a non-existent movie.

Contato(pt)

Sera's Chronicles: The Prologue(en)

Sera, a Spiritual Energy Balancer, meets an Elitist Life Force Sucking Vampire over some wine.

Expiration(en)

After an underdog programmer finds out his beloved robot girlfriend is going to expire, he must connect the pieces of clues from her broken mysterious memories to save her life against all odds.

Dream Girl(en)

Humans use technology to improve their lives, to forge connections, to create time that doesn’t exist, to replace real interactions. When we devise a second version of ourselves on social media, do we lose a piece of our true selves in the process? Do our digital connections threaten our real life relationships? What happens if the filtered characters we’ve imagined take on a life of their own?

Vestige(en)

A young boy who has lost his father. An old man seeking a connection with his grandson. A supernatural discovery that might provide them both with the answers they crave.

De Novo(pt)

Highland(da)

The Highland, a region of Denmark that has been overtaken by an elite of totalitarian women. Lea fights for the survival of her son, Eddie, and meets a man named Levi who can help them escape. Will they succeed?

Young Liars(en)

In hopes of breaking a lucrative story, a young journalist tests out an experimental psychic technology only find himself trapped inside someone else’s nightmare. (Screamfest)