Congratulations to the following filmmakers selected for this year's festival. The standard was very strong and several excellent films were unlucky to miss out on selection.
Official Selection
Film |
Running Time |
Description |
Country |
Director |
Animal Instincts
|
5 |
Animal Instincts is an action packed claymation of epic proportions. A cow and a sheep battle it out in a fight for ultimate farmyard supremacy. A fight breaks out between a cow and a sheep after the sheep steals some flowers. The cow doesn't take too kindly to the devious sheep, but the sheep isn't one to stand down from a fight no matter how far it takes them. The farmyard is transformed into a battleground as the animals use whatever they can get their hooves on as they desperately try to kill one another. | Australia |
Cameron Edser, Michael Richards |
Ayaa: A Hero's Journey
|
48 |
Ayaa: A Hero's Journey explores the connection of two individuals whose lives should have been worlds apart. A Canadian Aboriginal soldier and a Dutch child. However one brief encounter in the middle of a World War II battlefield in Holland bonded them together forever, resulting in a series of unexpected miracles. | Canada,Netherlands |
Jason Margolis |
Black Button
|
7 |
It’s premise is simple yet intriguing: if you
couldn’t get caught, would you kill a stranger for $10 million? |
Australia |
Lucas Crandles |
Bulb
|
6 |
A man realises that after changing a light bulb in his lounge the whole room has shifted to a different reality. Further changes of the bulb reveal new environments. After becoming complacent about his ability to shift through these different settings one of the bulb changes causes a woman to appear in the room. Her motives are unclear but she has a particular interest in the man's supply of light bulbs. | New Zealand |
David Collins |
Calling
|
40 |
The
Calling explores a relationship between the monotony of Western living and young men's
romantic notions of adventure and martyrdom. Exploring the mass movements that dominate
global politics today, Kershaw examines the parallels between extremist movements across
the political spectrum as he asks the question: What drives a young recruit to fanatical
obedience? Kershaw uncovers why the militant Neo-Nazi is so similar to his communist
counterpart. How the jarhead marine undergoes indoctrination like the Islamist suicide
bomber in Palestine or Kashmir. Kershaw explores the nature of fundamentalist thinking and
the death of traditional Religious value as he corners the young men willing to risk
everything for the infamy and honour of self-sacrifice.
|
Brazil, Canada,
France, India, Israel, Palestinian Territories, USA, United Kingdom |
Stuart Kershaw |
Comeback Sweetheart
|
8 |
A story about finding the balance
between freedom and constraint. The Character lost his heart and struggled to get his
heart back. Try to explore the true meaning of being a person with the desire for freedom,
but also living under some forms of constraint at the same time. |
USA |
Chang-Pei Wu |
Cry Baby
|
26 |
10-year-old Piv is introvert and having
a hard time during school. The strong and suppressing Mia is controlling her class. Mia is
bullying Piv. She is offensive and totally boundary breaking. Piv avoids the attacks and
often takes the blame.One day, Mia has been particularly offensive towards Piv. The same
evening Piv's parents have invited an old friend over for dinner. When they arrivehe has
brought his daughter. To Piv's horror Mia is the daughter. The two girls don't reveal
their true relation.The final showdown takes place after the dinner. At a forest lake Piv
wantsto show Mia something in the water. But you have to walk all they way out to the end
of a wooden log. |
Denmark |
Christina Rosendahl |
Elegy for the Elswick Envoy
|
25 |
Disabled artist Nancy Willis is in search of a home for her much loved, but aging car - the Elswick Envoy. This unique small car was designed to be driven directly from a wheelchair. As she prepares to take possession of an ultramodern adapted Renault, Nancy sets out on a mission to ensure that her Elswick will not vanish without trace from motoring history. In this personal road movie, Nancy can see her own struggle for continuing mobility mirrored in the increasingly unreliable performance of her battered old car. This witty and moving film is a fitting tribute and final farewell to a distinguished old friend. | UK |
Nancy Willis |
Evil Twin
|
4 |
A girl falls in love with a man she sees on her mother's funeral... Since that she cannot forget that man, so she starts to find out who he is. At the end she meets him again but also finds out the truth she never wants to know... | USA |
Yun Wang |
Express
|
28 |
Several hours after the closing of the offices, three men take the elevator to get to their respective cars. In turn, they are confronted by a strange deliveryman who is already inside. However, at this late hour, the deliveries are finished and this courier holds a strange parcel. This descent towards the parking which, generally take only a few minutes, will be stretched in an explosive atmosphere at the very least…! | Canada |
Eric Piccoli |
Fancy
|
6 |
Fancy is a light hearted romantic
comedy about Jen, a young inner city cafe worker with an overactive imagination. Reality
just isnt as exciting for her as what she is able to sketch in her mind about others. Except for one boy, one of her regulars. Who's perfect. But what happens to her cosy world when a new woman invades and manages to steal his affections? In persuit of happiness, Jen must learn to discover a true reality within her own imagined world, or risk losing her heart forever. |
Australia |
Luke Richardson |
Flowers of Rwanda
|
24 |
Rwanda. 14 years after the genocide
that took away the lives of more than 800.000 people. What's the current situation of the
country? What feelings prevail in the hearts of the victims? Can victims and killers live
together? What's the importance of education in a society that has lived through a
genocide? May a genocide happen again in Rwanda? Who should act when a genocide is
happening? Do we, as individuals, have any responsibility? |
Rwanda |
David Munoz |
Head, Heart & Balls... or Why I gave up smoking pot
|
16 |
A young musician named Pete must
overcome his insecurities, his overbearing parents, and a pot-induced anxiety attack in
order to get to Woodstock and lose his virginity with the girl of his dreams. Cast: Adam
Carolla, Houston Graham, Angelica Magana. |
USA |
Peter Foldy |
| Hesperia
|
24 |
A comedic film noir with a twist or
maybean hallucinatory western HESPERIA is the story of Hunter who wakes up in a bashed-up
motel room with an excruciating hang-over, then finds a corpse in thebathtub and a
mysterious woman in his bed. He can't remember a thing from whatever happened last
night... From here on it's a spiraling burlesque nightmare in which Hunter is forced to
face his worst demons.
|
USA |
Tomer Almagor |
Hunger House
|
10 |
The Hunger House is set in Germany during World War Two, when the Nazis operated Aktion T4, A programe of euthanasia aimed at exterminating disabled people. Using disabled actors, The Hunger House follows the final days of two young friends who are caught up in the Nazi death machine. | UK |
Justin Edgar |
If I had a Hammer
|
3 |
Prevented from sleeping in by noises of renovations from the
apartment above, a young man (Samuel Johnson) runs upstairs to confront who in heaven's
name has woken him up. |
Australia |
Fraser Pilkington |
In the same boat
|
7 |
In this climate of global xenophobia, two unlikely men prove that they can do what governments can not; to overcome racism through friendship.This remarkable animated film documents the true story of a racist Vietnam Veteren whose life changes after he meets an Iraqi Refugee in a Brisbane hospital. | Australia |
Emily Bissland |
In Vivid Detail
|
18 |
This unusual love story profiles Justin, an architect who suffers from faceblindness -- a neurological disorder that makes him incapable of recognizing faces. Justin and Leslie must decide whether their new relationship can overcome the obstacles ahead of them as they try to cope with this bizarre and rare diagnosis. It stars John Ventimgilia ( The Sopranos) and Piper Perabo (Coyote Ugly, Lost and Delirious, and Imagine You and Me). | USA |
Dara Bratt |
Interpersonalities
|
14 |
A psychological thriller that explores the puzzle of Multiple Personality Disorder, 'Interpersonalities' tells the story of a psychotherapy session between a psychiatrist and his patient. As the story unfolds, the viewer is pulled into the puzzle, to question what is real, and what is the creation of a troubled mind. As various personalities enter and leave the scene, we realize there is more at stake, and that what appears to be, may not exist at all. |
Canada |
Aidin Nakhai |
IntraVenus
|
11 |
IntraVenus
is a short film about the sudden intrusion of trauma into everyday life. The narrative
deals with a short period of time in which the meaning of one person’s existence is
drastically altered and her world thrown into despair, before a twist of fate reveals a
different interpretation of events. |
UK |
Max Blustin |
| Joe Mover
|
15 |
HBO’s hit television series’
“Entourage”, “The Wire” & “John From Cincinnatti”, Paul
Ben Victor, stars in this working class drama based on a true story. Joe is a
should-be-retired-bluecollar Everyman whose story unfolds in the disintegrating world of an industrial complex on Long Island. Working amidst a group of blue-collar oddballs, in a harsh reality where a better life is always almost within his reach, one day, Joe twists off a cap from a bottle of soda and wins a chance to fulfill a long-forgotten childhood dream... |
USA |
Lev Gorn & Gabe Fazio |
La Serena
|
14 |
Peter,
on his first business trip abroad, is sent to a rundown farming town which was crippled
when a deadly pig flu wiped out it’s stock. By chance Peter finds accommodation at
the La Serena Bed and Breakfast where he is welcomed in by the enigmatic landlady, Maria.
When he checks in he unsuspectingly becomes entangled in a treacherous mystery that is the
dark underbelly of the sleepy town. |
Australia |
Alexander von Hofmann |
Last Drinks
|
8 |
It's
an ordinary night in a downtown bar. Three priests are enjoying a laugh and a drink. But
what's really going on? The clock is ticking. The waitress seems awkward. But they've only
got one thing on their mind - one last drink. |
Australia |
Gabriel Dowrick |
Life as a Movie
|
60 |
'Life as a Movie' documents the lifestyle and adventures of action sports pros. Host and pro surfer Benji Weatherley shares with viewers the world of action sports by bringing top pros to remote destinations to experience one another's professions first hand. An all-star cast of pro snowboarders, surfers and skateboarders join together to expose the common thread within these sports that unites them. Stars Jack Johnson, Kelly Slater, Tony Hawk, Todd Richards, Tom Carroll, Shane Dorian, Ross Williams, Jake Burton, Chad Bartie, Dave Downing, and JP Walker. | Canada, Indonesia, Japan, USA |
Benji Weatherley |
Lockout
|
57 |
In 1929, in the face of collapsing demand for coal, mine owners in the Northern Coalfields of NSW, announced (with the support of the conservative State Government) that they would reduce miners' wages by 12.5 per cent and strip them of their hard won industrial rights. When their union, the Miners Federation, refused to agree to these terms the mine owners locked the gates. They were to remain closed for 15 months. 10,000 miners, pit boys and their families now found themselves without a job, forced to subsist on government handouts and charity. This story is told by the men and women who fought, against extraordinary odds, in extraordinary times, for what they believed in “a fair day's pay for a fair day's work". Lockout is presented by Australian award-winning actor, Chris Haywood. | Australia |
Jason van Genderen |
Love it like it is
|
3 |
How to deal with life's problems? | Germany |
Giulio Ricciarelli |
Long Night Drone
|
3 |
In this Sci-fi music video, a group of fashion-model scientists design and build androids to be the perfect rock band. The 'building of the perfect rock star' is chronicled from plastic parts to boxed shipments. The androids learn to sing and are programmed to move and play instruments. The perfect rock band is called 'Ten Minute Turns'. They play the song 'Long Night Drone'. | USA |
Neil Forman |
Long Wooden Tobogganist
|
5 |
Sex,
Violence and Wood... followed by hot chocolate.Such is a day in the life of this rare and
beautiful creature, the Long Wooden Tobogganist. Never before captured on film, we witness
majestic sliding, an epic fight for toboggan territory and the unique mating ritual of
this rare icon of the Canadian Prairie. |
Canada |
Andrew Wall |
Massacre at Virginia Tech
|
59 |
Early in the morning on 16 April 2007, on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Virginia Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people and wounded 23 others before turning his gun on himself. The incident became the deadliest shooting in peacetime US history. With one in five people having mental health problems, what was it that made Cho into a killer? Who was this deranged young man and what had caused him to meticulously plan and carry out this tragic event? How had Cho tipped over the edge to become a killer? | South Korea, USA |
Jonathan Hacker |
Passage
|
21 |
A chance encounter between two strangers pushes both to come to terms with past decisions made. | USA |
Angela How |
Patience
|
7 |
Patience is a moving tale set on a hospital ward and focuses on the relationship between two elderly women. In neighbouring beds but separated by a screen, Constance has a view of a park and Vera listens to her descriptions of what is happening outside. Although entertained, Vera is also envious of this view of the outside world and eventually the desire for her own window becomes overwhelming. | UK |
Robert Hackett |
Playground.
|
21 |
'Playground' is a film about the adventure of friendship. Set in the atmospheric surrounds of a building site, the location functions as a metaphor for the boys' personalities currently under construction. In this worldy 'playground' where the children are self-governing, conflict between them soon emerges. In the struggle to balance loyalties, our hero Milton draws upon the lessons learnt from his parents, while Floyd, who has been neglected by his, flounders.A powerful story of complex emotions, 'Playground' serves as an allegory for the delicate roots of aggression. | Australia |
Eve Spence |
Razorhead
|
2 |
A strange man decides his only way to
salvation is to be found through a rather brutal haircut. |
UK |
Anthony Sutcliffe |
RECOVERED Journeys Through the Autism Spectrum and Back
|
57 |
RECOVERED Journeys Through the Autism Spectrum and Back is a true, amazing story of recovery from Autism Spectrum Disorder as told by four children, their parents and the therapists who treated them. Each child received services from the Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD), including assessments, supervision, parent/teacher training and one-on-one behavioral therapy. The film presents documentation of therapy sessions along with interviews of the children who are now teenagers, their parents, therapists and the founder/executive director of CARD. Their combined stories illuminate both their struggles and triumphs while providing hope to families of newly diagnosed children that recovery is indeed possible. | USA |
Michele Jaquis |
The Road
|
5 |
Karma, condensed. A group of seemingly random people
help Karma along, passing through many hands. A five minute short starring Christopher
Michael Holley, Danton Mew, Ariele Senara, Virginia Buckner, Matt Buckner, Owen Thomas,
Kimberly Chong, and Yvonne Koenig. |
USA |
Owen Thomas |
Roller Derby Dolls
|
26 |
In the sprawling outer suburbs of Brisbane, a
revolution is brewing. A sassy group of women from all walks of life has a dream: to
resurrect the lost sport of full-contact roller derby in Australia.Led by their president
Evil Doll, and despite none having experience in business, the roller girls have set up a
roller derby league, one of 220 now dotted around the globe. Born in the United States in
the 1920s, full-contact roller derby took off around the world before fading into
obscurity in the 1980s. Thirty years later, it has sprung up again, driven by the passion
of suburban women: nurses, artists, tattooists and driving instructors' wives and mothers
by day, hell on wheels at night. Many are heavily tattooed and pierced, living lifestyles
out of step with mainstream society. Roller Derby Dolls is a story of female empowerment,
friendship and struggles - all on old-school roller skates.
|
Australia |
Phoebe Hart |
Rules of Engagement
|
13 |
After proposing to his girlfriend, a young man finds
that his fidelity is challenged by his fiancee's over protective father.
|
USA |
Michael LeBlanc |
Siren
|
11 |
A story about a young Hungarian boy and his fatal
acquaintance with a Russian soldier during the 1956 Revolution in Budapest, which leads to
an unusual trip down memory lane.. |
Hungary |
Andras Novak |
Six Seconds of Freedom
|
53 |
Six Seconds of Freedom is the story of
the Angola Prison Rodeo told through the eyes of the participants... convicted rapists and
murderers. They do not practice. When it's rodeo time they simply put on hats and spurs
and become cowboys. Often referred to Gladiators without the Lions, the Angola Prison
Rodeo pits man against beast in some of the most unusual rodeo events ever witnessed. So
hang on, it's one of the wildest rides you'll ever take. |
USA |
Jeff Smith |
Stolen Youth
|
14 |
We all start as angels... As the
inhabitants of a quiet rural village enjoy their Sunday lunch a young tear-away embarks on
a violent and destructive tour.His opportunism leads him out of the village to the
meticulous home of a single man, where he stumbles on a terrifying secret. |
UK |
Leon Chambers |
| String and girl
|
6 |
String and girl is a story about a string who wants
to get the attention of a little girl. Full of optical illusions, the film's primary goal
is to take the viewer from one scene to the next in strange and surprising ways. Whether
an entire room morphs or a simple perspective change leads to an unexpected image, String
and Girl's content mirrors the ever-changing flexibility of a string. Next door
lives a precocious little girl who only wants to jump on her bed. When the string offers
affection to the girl, through attention and gifts, will the little girl notice? |
USA |
David Bazelon |
| Surprise
!
|
18 |
As an attentive husband, Pierre has
prepared a surprise for his wife Brigitte's birthday. But a series of harmless incidents
(like a draft and a sun beam reflected off a window) brings the young next-door neighbour
into his bed just as Brigitte walks through the door... |
France |
Fabrice Maruca |
| Toyland
|
14 |
Germany 1942: In order to protect her
son Marianne Meiner tried to make him believe that the Jewish neighbours are going on a
journey to "Toyland". One morning her son has disappeared - the Jewish nighbours
too. Toyland is a film about guilt, responsibility, small and big lies. |
Germany |
Jochen Alexander Freydank |
| Tripswitch
|
2 |
A master scientist has finally finished his greatest
achievement. And now, history beckons. |
UK |
Anthony Sutcliffe |
Visitor's Tax
|
13 |
A woman walks by a department store and her view is
attracted to a piece of luggage in the window. She dreams of being on vacation on a beach
with the suitcase. Suddenly she gets torn out of the dream and as she wants to leave the
store she gets stopped by a department store detective. |
Germany |
Ulrich Witt |
Water Bearer
|
52 |
The quest for fresh water leads Indonesians of
Catholic and Muslim descent to work together, along with Quebecer Gilles Raymond, to
establish direct democracy, after thirty-two years of dictatorship. A road movie in wich
solidarity overcomes defeatism, and generosity wins over corruption. |
Indonesia |
Pascal Gelinas |
What I see when I close my eyes.
|
30 |
This short documentary looks at how
several of Phnom Penh's 20,000 street kids are being helped by Mith Samlanh / Friends
International. The children's stories range from the simple wish of a young girl to have
enough soap, to the bold dream of a teenage boy to help drug addicts kick their habit and
find work. Much of the film is told through the life-sized self portraits the children
draw of themselves-an art project inspired by the film's title: What I see when I close my
eyes. |
Cambodia |
Leslie Hope |
