All Films

Out of Nowhere

2012 • 7 min • Israel

An old lifeguard arrives every day for work, when in fact the swimming pool he guards has been empty for years. One day, an unexpected guest appears out of nowhere, filling him with doubts about his everyday reality.

Titanic and Me

2012 • 52 min

This documentary talks with the descendants of families affected by the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. It includes stories from the builders, the passengers, the rescuers and even some who ignored the call for help.

Petey & Ginger

2012 • 59 min

When the global economy collapses the only true victors are those that weren't invited to the boom. Petey plays in a band and works in a pornography warehouse; Ginger works the night shift in a bar. From opposite coasts of the country, the two provide their personal takes on individual vs. collective crisis, together weaving a narrative that exposes a wasteland of shattered economic dreams, unfulfilled social promises and a bleak reality that only music and friendship can float freely above.

The Story of the Turban

2012 • 40 min • United Kingdom

In September 2011, Sikhs from all over Britain gathered in Parliament Square to protest. The focus of their concern was the turban. Since the terrorist attacks of the 21st century Sikhs believe their turbans have singled them out for discrimination. In a case of mistaken identity the Sikhs claim they've been wrongly regarded as religious terrorists and subjected to increased airport security searches. This documentary traces the history of the turban in the Sikh religion, from its roots in Moghul India, through the battlefields of Europe, to the fight for British Sikhs to wear it without fear. It reveals that the turban is a crucial symbol of the Sikh faith - one that Sikhs will even risk their lives for.

Waiting to Whisper

2012 • 15 min • Philippines

It is in the culture of the Filipinos that when a person dies, you can whisper and send your wishes to the dead. The film is about a family who happens to take care of their ailing mother / grandmother. They see this as a burden in their lives and they wait for her death so they could whisper their wishes.

Breadfruit and Open Spaces

2012 • 30 min • United States of America, Guam

This half-hour educational documentary is shot in an intimate, backyard style. Breadfruit & Open Spaces gives a rare look into the personal stories and open living spaces of the Chuukese and Yapese people who live, work, and attend school on Guam, the land where they now grow and prepare their traditional foods. It explores their journey and challenge to hold their ground and find a voice on a new island, while also maintaining their ties to their families on their home islands in the Federated States of Micronesia.

The Song For Rain

2012 • 8 min • China

The animation tells the story about a gloomy rainy season, a boy who accidentally met a little fox. There are two worlds, one is a humid but oppressive city, the other is bright and natural but needs water.

Mad Mimes

2012 • 30 min • Russia

An anthropological study of a cargo cult in a fictitious self-marginalized commune, which existed next to the Moscow Ring Road - a highway that marks the boundaries of the Russian capital - and survived mainly on roadside trash. Although the road provided for their basic needs, the existence of the commune was extremely precarious and highly dependent on the roadway's fluctuations. This dependency led them to develop a cargo cult of the road.

Meow Meow's Little Match Girl

2012 • 60 min • Australia

Direct from London's glittering West End, our favorite multi-award winning international cabaret sensation, Meow Meow (Vamp), returns to Sydney Festival with a perfectly wild take on Hans Christian Andersen's bittersweet fable. With Malthouse Theatre director Marion Potts, composer Iain Grandage (Optimism), the Wild Dog Orchestra and the ever-dexterous Mitchell Butel (Woyzeck), Meow and her cohorts ignite a fantastical flight of musical fancy with dark, cut throat comedy and a whiplash score.

Bat

2012 • 12 min

David, a sensitive 12-year-old boy, is teased and alienated by his brutish older brothers and father, until he gets a bit of vindication.

Hairy

2012 • 4 min • Spain

A filmmaker scrutinizes his coarse body hair.

Bad Bitch

2012 • 20 min • Brazil

Three friends plan a jewelry store heist, to unexpected results.

Dirt Racer

2012 • 2 min

A saturday evening at the Lone Star Speedway with JR, a young circle track dirt racer.

Sex file: Musabori nikutai sennyû

2012 • 60 min • Japan

A time when sex among citizens was regulated by law, and people with legal licenses could have sex if they matched their licenses and heard the authentication tone. Torikotsu Chicken Life (commonly known as UL) was a membership-based organization that ostensibly sold Torikotsu Chicken eggs, but secretly dealt in counterfeit licenses and drugs. Legendary female investigator F.G infiltrates UL as Fumio..

Langka Receh

2012 • 6 min • Indonesia

In a small Indonesian town, a young girl named Darti often receives candy instead of coins as change at the local shop, with the excuse that coins are scarce. As she quietly collects these candies, a small personal crisis forces her to find a creative solution using what she has. A heartfelt and honest short film about childhood, poverty, and resourcefulness.

Cenizas

2012 • 10 min • Argentina

Inspired by a massacre that occurred in a General Villegas ranch on May 8, 1992, and which still remains unpunished.

Kappa

2012 • 6 min

Kappa is a nightmarish tale that could be a comedy following the downfall of two housemates at the hands of a mythical creature from Japanese folklore.

Baghdad Messi

2012 • 19 min • Belgium, United Arab Emirates

Iraq, 2009. Little Hamoudi (10) is totally obsessed with football. Just as the rest of the world, he and his friends are eagerly looking forward to the Champions League finale FC Barcelona-Manchester United. The long awaited clash between Messi and Ronaldo. But then Hamoudi's television breaks down...

Fake Fingernails, Cash and Viagra

2012 • 13 min

A lesbian trailer park couple, transgender neighbors, and what happens when their life long relationship is tested.

I am Goda

2012 • 13 min

Goda lives in her own world, a world she does not want to let anyone into. One day, a mysterious guy comes to her shop and leaves her a gift. This gift reveals to Goda something she has never understood before.

The Most Beautiful Thing

2012 • 11 min • United States of America

A down on his luck boy finds love in the most unexpected way.

Germany at War

2012 • 47 min • Germany

In the 21st century, fairy tales have ambiguous endings. A great love that the whole city talked about — between a Bundeswehr soldier of unheard-of beauty and the fastest bicycle courier in town — becomes impossible because of her service in Afghanistan. A sad, yet not hopeless story about impossible love in times of war — and about a city where everyone knows everything and the façades of the houses are especially beautiful on Sundays.

Violin

2012 • 12 min • Germany

A privileged music student and an off-the-rails youth share an unlikely moment of intimacy with a violin.

The Proposal

2012 • 44 min • Australia

Mike has set up a video camera to capture the big moment, when he proposes to his girlfriend Abi. But it isn't too long until they realize they are not alone in the house.