Virago | Kerli Kirch Schneider | 15' | EST
In Virago village, where no man has lived long enough to see his fortieth birthday, Tõnu is about to turn forty. This Estonian film, with impressive and outstanding production elements, is doused in black humour and has clearly put director Kerli Kirch on the map, turning her into a major player of the short film world. After the premiere at the influential Montreal Festival du Nouveau Cinema, the film began an impressive festival run, including events such as Trieste and POFF shorts.
Caranguejo Rei | Enock Carvalho, Matheus Farias | 23' | BRZ
Eduardo (Tavinho Teixeira) has a mysterious disease taking over his body. The appearance of crabs everywhere in the tropical city of Recife may have something to do with it. Brazillian directors Enock Carvalho and Matheus Farias return to FEST, after presenting Room for Rent a few years ago, with another genre piece that is bound to enrapture the audience once again with its eerie vibe.
Postcards from the End of the World | Konstantinos Antonopoulos | 23' | GRC
Trapped on a seemingly dull family vacation, Dimitra, Dimitris and their two daughters have to find a way out of the secluded island in the Mediterranean when suddenly confronted with the apocalypse. Postcards from the End of the World is both a classic Greek Weird Wave piece and a film that stands on a unique pedestal of cinematic innovation. With this stunning masterpiece, Greek director Konstantinos Antonopoulos will undoubtedly leave a lasting mark on the film world in the coming years.
ANNA | Dekel Berenson | 15' | GBR
Living in war-torn Eastern Ukraine, Anna is an aging single mother desperate for a change. Lured in by a radio advertisement, she attends a party with a group of American men who are touring the country, searching for love. Anna was nominated for a short Palme d'Or, TIFF, AFI Fest and has been widely selected at several other events. Such success is justified: filmmaker Dekel Berenson is quickly becoming a name on the international scene. With Anna, he returns to FEST, after competing last year with his equally stunning and provocative Ashmina.
Things Like | Kálmán Nagy | 25' | AUT
Éva sits desperately on her best friend’s couch. For a while, she has suspected her husband Zoltán of sexually abusing their daughter, Anna. Éva has been away for a few days, but ever since she's returned Anna has been wetting herself, which she has never done before. When Anna integrates sexual sentences into her game while playing, Éva's fear grows and she secretly makes an appointment with a psychologist. Emotionally charged and impressively performed, Things Like is a disquieting experience, exploring the subject of child molestation with a necessary courage and decisiveness that will stun audiences.