Author: Anton

Award Ceremony TAFF 2025

Ceremony where the best of TAFF 2025 are celebrated

Seremonia, jossa TAFF 2025 parhaat filmit palkitaan

No screenings between 19:00-20:00 on Saturday 23.8.

Ei näytöksiä klo 19:00-20:00 Lauantaina 23.8.

sTAFF Favourites

Favourite films of the people behind the festival.

Festivaalin taustalla olevien henkilöiden suosikkifilmit.

Films in this screening:

Suresh Eriyat:

Desi Oon

India, 2025. 7 minutes.

Through the story of Balu Mama and his revered flock, the film contrasts a rich heritage with the modern neglect of India’s native sheep and wool industry. In the face of this decline, it raises a poignant question—can the wisdom of the past inspire a future where shepherding and pastoral traditions are valued once again?

Lola Lefèvre:

Naive New Beaters & Star Feminine Band - Ye Kou Si Kuo
(Naive New Beaters & Star Feminine Band - Ye Kou Si Kuo)

France, 2024. 2 minutes.

After a wild party in their flat, three hungover friends get ready for the next one, while jamming to their favourite band.

Niko Radas:

Psychonauts
(Psihonauti)

Croatia, 2025. 8 minutes.

Leaving their human hosts, mental disorders take on anthropomorphic forms and find new refuges.

Tata Managadze:

Lights, Haze

Belgium, Finland, Georgia, Portugal, 2024. 8 minutes.

Utopian symbolic playgrounds from memories are interconnected through sharp, flickering lights. Description: Lights, Haze is a poetic documentary that explores the ambivalence of memory through the real locations on the outskirts of Tbilisi. The film uses light as a central symbolic element to express the complexity of these reflections. Crafted with a blend of 2D frame-by-frame animation—both digital and analogue—the film weaves in a cyanotype sequence, where frames were printed using real light, adding an experimental and dreamlike quality to the narrative. The film emphasizes extreme subjectivity within the genre of animated documentary.

Anni Sairio, Joonatan Turkki:

Speeding, of Course
(Vauhtipyräys)

Finland, 2025. 4 minutes.

70-year-old Timo makes the most of his short ride to work. Speeding up on a bicycle ends up in a ditch, but the adrenaline rush leaves a feeling of pleasure. The short film Speeding, Of Course combines documentary interview material, wild sound design, and exhilarating cutout animation playing with shapes into a joyful story about the charm of speed. The story offers the viewer a reminder of the simple joys of everyday life and the importance of taking pleasure in the small moments amid the ordinary days. Timo’s bicycle joyride inspires playfulness throughout life.

The Audience Choice

The most popular films as decided by our audiences. Screening will end with our Audience Award winner

Suosituimmat elokuvat yleisömme mukaan, päättyen yleisön suosikki -palkinnon voittajaan

Films in this screening:

Aline Höchli:

Caries
(Karies)

Switzerland, 2025. 10 minutes.

Eager to create a monumental work of art, a shaman remains blissfully unaware that she is painting her murals inside the mouth of a vain weather presenter.

Clémence Taveau:

Little Saints
(Jugement dernier)

France, 2024. 4 minutes.

On a school trip to Italy, three school friends share a bedroom in a convent.

Bingqing SHU, Maud LE BRAS, Jiaxin HUANG, Simin HE, Lina HAN, Loïck DU PLESSIS D’ARGENTRÉ, Sofiia CHUIKOVSKA:

The Shyness of Trees

, 2024. 9 minutes.

Hélène, 40 years old, comes to visit her aging mother in the French countryside. But her mother isn’t being her usual self. She seems to have formed a strange bond with the plants, insects, and the old oak tree at the end of her garden…

Lizzie Watts:

FRIED!

United Kingdom, 2025. 10 minutes.

As Dev drives home from a mysterious, ageing nuclear facility, he becomes stranded at an isolated emu farm run by old mystic lesbians. Suspicious of their intentions, Dev fears they will sacrifice him at the local stone circle.

Anastazja Naumenko:

Can you hear me?

Poland, 2025. 15 minutes.

Nastia, who has lived abroad for years, starts to teach her mom how to use Internet services. Different perceptions of technology become the starting point for exposing intergenerational conflicts and long-forgotten family threads. Can an intimacy regained via zoom be a turning point for the future relationship between two adults?

Marta Reis Andrade:

Dog Alone
(Cão Sozinho)

France, Portugal, 2025. 13 minutes.

A dog was abandoned in its own home at the time when my grandfather began to experience his widowhood and I was returning from London, a place where I felt lonelier than ever.

Pierre-Luc Granjon:

The Night Boots
(Les Bottes de la Nuit)

Not Specified, 2024. 12 minutes.

While his parents are welcoming friends, a child leaves home in the middle of the night and enters the undergrowth, wearing rubber boots. There, a strange beast, curious and solitary, will lead him into the heart of the forest to meet the nocturnal creatures that live there, and so as not to be alone again, will try to delay the child’s departure as long as possible.

Veera Lamminpää:

Fish River Anthology
(Mereneläviä)

Finland, 2024. 10 minutes.

The supermarket is nearing its closing time, and the last customers are queuing for their turn at the fish counter. The agonizing wait offers a chance for existential reflection and a little song.

Best of TAFF 2025

The awarded films of TAFF 2025.

TAFF 2025 palkitut elokuvat.

Films in this screening:

Elena Walf:

A Pain in the Butt
(Der Stachel im Po)

Croatia, Germany, 2025. 6 minutes.

The hedgehog is just about to go into hibernation when he notices that one of his spines is missing. It’s stuck in Lena’s dog’s bottom, of all places. Getting it back won’t be easy…

Jenny Jokela:

Dollhouse Elephant

Finland, 2025. 11 minutes.

In a world that demands community participation, individual desires inevitably collide. A group of neighbours, each focused on their own goals, must learn to communicate and consider one another. But when small, everyday actions trigger unexpected consequences, they are forced into interactions that challenge their independence.

Eddy Wu:

IMMATURE

Taiwan, 2024. 6 minutes.

IMMATURE is an animated documentary that explores the fluidity and complexity of gender identity through the lens of body imagery. The film delves into the evolving experiences of a transgender gay man, capturing the nuances of his self-exploration. By highlighting the beauty in the ongoing process of becoming, challenging societal norms and conventional gender frameworks. The film reflects the vulnerability, resilience, and strength involved in embracing one’s true self. It offers a fresh perspective on how gender identity and body image are intertwined, inviting viewers to rethink the relationship between body, identity and self-perception.

Marta Reis Andrade:

Dog Alone
(Cão Sozinho)

France, Portugal, 2025. 13 minutes.

A dog was abandoned in its own home at the time when my grandfather began to experience his widowhood and I was returning from London, a place where I felt lonelier than ever.

Quirijn Dees:

Pubert Jimbob

Belgium, 2024. 16 minutes.

Pubert Jimbob, a young man, enters a strange reality after getting lured away from his home by an enigmatic figure, who throws him a lighter. Jimbob meets Nadine, a lump with a mouth, and helps her.

Veera Lamminpää:

Fish River Anthology
(Mereneläviä)

Finland, 2024. 10 minutes.

The supermarket is nearing its closing time, and the last customers are queuing for their turn at the fish counter. The agonizing wait offers a chance for existential reflection and a little song.

Sasha Svirsky:

Dull Spots of Greenish Colours

Germany, 2024. 11 minutes.

War for our attention has suddenly become an actual war. Information technologies appear not just as mere means for somebody’s ends but as something having their agency, as one of the acting forces rendering possible a horrific event, which is very hard to accept and almost impossible to comprehend. We have no control over it and are doomed to scroll through the newsfeed.

Award Ceremony TAFF 2025

Ceremony where the best of TAFF 2025 are celebrated

Seremonia, jossa TAFF 2025 parhaat filmit palkitaan

Panel Discussion – TAFF Pro event

TAFF Pro ends with a Panel Discussion on the topics from the past to days. Moderating the panel is moderated by director-producer Mika Koskinen.

Panelists are director Leena Jääskeläinen, visual artist Vappu Rossi and creative designer Eesu Lehtola

TAFF Pro:n päättää Paneelikeskustelu edellisten päivien aiheiden ympärillä. Paneelia moderoi ohjaaja-tuottaja Mika Koskinen.

Panelisteina kuullaan ohjaaja Leena Jääskeläinen, kuvataiteilija Vappu Rossi sekä luova suunnittelija Eesu Lehtola.

TAFF Pro:n päättää Paneelikeskustelu edellisten päivien aiheiden ympärillä. Paneelia moderoi ohjaaja-tuottaja Mika Koskinen.

Panelisteina kuullaan ohjaaja Leena Jääskeläinen, kuvataiteilija Vappu Rossi sekä luova suunnittelija Eesu Lehtola.

Leena Jääskeläinen – TAFF Pro Lecture

Director Leena Jääskeläinen presents the use of VR technology in animation: Neverending Story – Narrative In Virtual Reality.

More info on TAFF Pro from Professionals -page

Ohjaaja Leena Jääskeläinen esittelee VR-teknologian käyttöä animaatiossa: Tarina vailla loppua, keskikohtaa ja alkua – kerronta virtuaalitodellisuudessa.

Lisätietoja TAFF Prosta löydät Ammattilaisille -sivustolta

Michaela Müller – TAFF Pro Lecture

Jury member of TAFF 2025, Michaela Müller holds a lecture on experimental animation: Eliminating the Stop in Stop Motion – Animation in a live Performance Setting.

More info on TAFF Pro from Professionals -page

TAFF 2025 tuomariston jäsen, Michaela Müller pitää luennon kokeilevasta animaatiosta: Eliminating the Stop in Stop Motion – Animation in a live Performance Setting.

Lisätietoja TAFF Prosta löydät Ammattilaisille -sivustolta

Filmverkstaden: Fragmented Light – Cinema Expanded

Note: Tickets are sold to this particular TAFF Pro event
Huom: Tähän TAFF Pro ohjelmaan on myynnissä lippuja

Filmverkstaden presents a performative lecture on expanded cinema by Britt Al-Busultan and Natalia Koziel-Kalliomäki. The lecture will showcase 2 expanded cinema performances, WARM DATA by Natalia Koziel-Kalliomäki and what comes around goes around by Britt Al-Busultan.

More info on TAFF Pro from Professionals -page

Filmverkstaden esittää Britt Al-Busultanin ja Natalia Koziel-Kalliomäen performatiivisen luennon analogisesta ja laajennetusta elokuvasta. Luennossa esitetään kaksi esitystä, Natalia Koziel-Kalliomäen WARM DATA ja Britt Al-Busultanin what comes around goes around.

Lisätietoja TAFF Prosta löydät Ammattilaisille -sivustolta

Films in this screening:

Natalia Kozieł-Kalliomäki:

WARM DATA

, .

Step into the bustling streets of Toronto through the project designed as expanded cinema, where the visual narrative unfolds in layers of urban information captured entirely on 16mm black and white film to tell the story about city symphony.

Entitled “Warm Data,” it shows deep into the fabric of the metropolis, where every frame pulses with the city dynamics and offers another dimension of understanding to what is typically learned only through quantitative data, (cold data).

Britt Al-Busultan:

what goes around comes around

, .

In the wake of the green energy transition, structures of modern technology arise in the landscape. With increased electrical infrastructure consisting of for example wind turbines, power plants, transmission stations, interconnected energy systems are all around us. Smart and clean.

The belief in our salvation through the energy transition is unshaken, even if lots of nature has to be removed for it. What comes around goes around is an expanded cinema performance with 16mm projectors building up a kinetic panorama. It is a kind attempt of resistance in a world where technology, speed, youth and the triumph over nature are admired, and everything else is regarded as unwanted, slow, obsolete and backwards. An attempt in our fast paced world with smart, clean and super fast technology, to grasp the notion of time and duration which is incomplete and continuously growing, stating no beginning nor ending in a kinetic panorama.

Accompanying the images is the track Kimaltava lätäkkö from the album Yö Näkyy by Olli Aarni. Made out of tapeloops, short snippets and longer waves gradually go back and forth and slowly build up spaces to settle in. The blissful harmonies bring out the nuance from elegiac synth waves, using subtle processed environmental recordings to add texture.

Jukka Hautamäki – TAFF Pro Lecture

Media artist Jukka Hautamäki presents artificial intelligence as a tool for visual arts in his lecture Syntactic Sorcery from the Data Abyss and reflects on its ethical challenges.

More info on TAFF Pro from Professionals -page

Mediataiteilija Jukka Hautamäki esittelee luennollaan Syntaktista noituutta datan syvyyksistä tekoälyä kuvataiteen työkaluna ja pohtii sen eettisiä haasteita.

Lisätietoja TAFF Prosta löydät Ammattilaisille -sivustolta

Pyjama Films – TAFF Pro Showcase

Pyjama Films showcases the making of the animated TV -show: Belzebubs and presents the world of animation-making for international distribution.

More info on TAFF Pro from Professionals -page

Pyjama Films esittelevät animoidun TV-sarjan, Belzebubsin tekemistä ja avaavat millaista on tehdä animaatiota kansainväliseen levitykseen.

Lisätietoja TAFF Prosta löydät Ammattilaisille -sivustolta

Non-stop Screening

Free admission non-stop screening of films from the archives of AV-Arkki

Pääsymaksuton, non-stop näytös AV-Arkin teoksista.

Films in this screening:

Juha Mäki-Jussila:

Suddenly, Last Summer
(Äkkiä viime kesänä)

Finland, 2013. 4 minutes.

Leena Lehti:

Taiga

Finland, 2021. 2 minutes.

Leena Pukki:

The Time of a Slime Mold
(Limakon aika)

Finland, 2021. 10 minutes.

Niina Suominen:

Good Stuff
(Hyvä Meininki)

Finland, 2011. 8 minutes.

Playlist – Music Videos

All films that have dialogue in a language other than English, are subtitled in English.

Content warning: Nudity

Kaikki elokuvat, joissa puhutaan muuta kuin englantia, on tekstitetty englanniksi.

Sisältövaroitus: Alastomuutta

Films in this screening:

Raman Djafari:

Coldplay - feelslikeimfallinginlove

United Kingdom, 2024. 4 minutes.

Two friends, lovers, soulmates, a pair of two, searching and ultimately finding each other. This pair traveling between worlds and changing forms, expressed through 15 styles of animation, by 15 animators from across the world.

Michelle Brand:

Sky Deverel - RUN

Germany, 2025. 4 minutes.

The dreamer wakes up in abstract vastness. In this surreal space, terrain is unfixed and moves in time. As the dreamer starts running from the impermanent, they come to accept the unknown. Nothing can remain still.

Marc Teuber:

Baumarkt (DIY store)
(Baumarkt)

Germany, 2025. 2 minutes.

A lost customer is looking for help in a vast DIY store, but the seemingly only employee around tempts him into a wild chase—spiraling deeper and deeper into the maze of aisles and departments. In this music video, a snotty, punky sound crashes into a playful, DIY stop-motion-inspired aesthetic. With fast jump cuts and a breakneck pace, the video throws everything into chaos—so much that by the end, both the viewer and the customer have got a few screws loose themselves.

Mathieu Labaye:

Flowers

Belgium, 2024. 4 minutes.

In the heart of the gloomy mountains, a young woman walks alone. Arriving at the entrance of a cave, she ventures inside and heads towards a shimmering lake. Inside her body, a fierce battle is taking place between black and color, between melancholy and happiness, between death and life.

Arius Ziaee, Dave Merson Hess:

Butter Bean - Belly Ache

United States, 2025. 2 minutes.

A lactose intolerant individual regrets their recent dietary choices, in this mixed media music video for Butter Bean.

Emmanuelle Mohnblatt, Sébastien Kirszenblat, Marie Deboissy:

Lay Me Down (HMLTD)
(Lay Me Down (HMLTD))

France, 2024. 5 minutes.

Henry meanders through Wyrmlands, the remains of England consumed by the giant worm of capitalism. Amidst his despair, he recalls an act of kindness. As a child, innocent and loving, he saved an injured worm. Perhaps salvation is possible if he can reconnect with his inner child.

Julian Gallese:

Autopollo

Costa Rica, 2024. 3 minutes.

Music video for “Autopollo” by HPTA MENDEZ

Antoine Presles:

Kawawenz

France, 2024. 4 minutes.

Two boatwomen travel to meet each other down the river

Benjamin Efrati, Balazs Turai:

My Algorithm
(Mon Algorithme à Moi)

France, 2024. 5 minutes.

One day, while scrolling through his Instagratte feed, Benjamin Efrati meets his algorithm, a giant cosmic cat in neon colors. A pure reverberation of his behaviors, the algorithm is a golden prison that reinforces his beliefs, alienates and comforts him. Mon Algorithme à Moi is a contemporary fable in the form of a psychedelic odyssey into the virtual space of social networks.

Margaux Follea, Lucas Plançon:

Grand Bleu Canap - Faubourg du temple

France, 2024. 5 minutes.

Views of a deserted Parisian apartment through time and decay.

Lola Lefèvre:

Naive New Beaters & Star Feminine Band - Ye Kou Si Kuo
(Naive New Beaters & Star Feminine Band - Ye Kou Si Kuo)

France, 2024. 2 minutes.

After a wild party in their flat, three hungover friends get ready for the next one, while jamming to their favourite band.

Adi Gelbart:

The Weeping Monolith

Germany, 2025. 5 minutes.

The Monolith sees all. How would it not be weeping?

Unexpected Worlds

Junior 3 screening. This screening is suitable for viewers older than 12 years old.

Children under the age of 16 can get to the screening for free, but adults should buy tickets or a festival pass for themselves in our online store to avoid queuing. From our online store you can also buy 0€ tickets for kids to reserve their seats in the audience.

Junior 3 -näytös. Näytös soveltuu kaksitoistavuotiaille katsojille.

Alle 16-vuotiaat pääsevät näytökseen ilmaiseksi, mutta aikuisten kannattaa ostaa liput itselleen verkkokaupastamme jonottamisen välttämiseksi. Suosittelemme varaamaan myös lapselle paikan ostamalla verkkokaupasta 0€ lipun näytökseen.

Films in this screening:

Alfredo Soderguit:

Capybaras
(Los Carpinchos)

France, 2024. 11 minutes.

Hunting season has begun. A family of capybaras seek refuge in a chicken coop, but the hens don’t trust them. The curiosity of the youngest members of the families will create a union with unexpected consequences.…

Sophia Schönborn:

NRUT

Germany, 2025. 5 minutes.

Everything spins in this movie, except Muncu. The world is dancing and Muncu is trying to keep up. Do you have to dance along or stand still to find the right beat? And if you’ve always stood still, how do you know if you’re going to get dizzy?

Sophie ROZE:

The drifting guitar
(Une guitare à la mer)

France, 2024. 30 minutes.

A weasel, whose absurd job is selling ties, roams the countryside. Considered a pest and constantly wandering, she decides to take a chance in the forest. Her fate is about to change, thanks to the unconditional help of a hedgehog.

New Beginnings

Junior 2 screening. This screening is suitable for viewers older than 6 years old.

Junior 2 -näytös. Näytös soveltuu yli kuusivuotiaille katsojille.

Films in this screening:

Jadwiga Ligeza:

Tied Down

United Kingdom, 2024. 4 minutes.

Tied Down is an embroidered stop-motion animation using old scraps of fabric found in the home attic and charity shops. It tells a story of leaving home and creating your world from scratch. While it celebrates the thrill of new beginnings, it also acknowledges the comfort found in familiar bittersweet memories.

Rémi Durin:

Sparrows
(Moineaux)

France, 2024. 12 minutes.

In a Buddhist temple, young monks begin their meditation when the master arrives. One of the children is distracted by a sparrow and follows the bird outside the monastery. Here begins a walk off the beaten paths that goes to the tour of his lifetime. When he has become an old monk, he returns back to the temple where young monks are waiting for him. One of them is distracted by a sparrow…

Carolyn Gair:

TIN TUNE

United States, 2025. 12 minutes.

When you’re three inches tall, a cluttered attic can offer a world of mystery and wonder! Zip and his friend Wheel explore the shadowy corners of a long forgotten Nursery, playing with the wooden blocks, wind-up toys, tin soldiers and jack-in-the-box. But a family of mice view their noisy presence as an invasion and launch a counter attack. Zip and Wheel retreat to a dusty music room, where more creatures and an unexpected symphony emerge from the woodwork!

Alexandra Lermer:

Freak of Nature

Germany, 2024. 8 minutes.

A shy and lonely creature is too scared to leave the old circus cage it once was trapped in until it finds a little seedling to care for. A story about personal growth and the process of overcoming fear.

Morgane Simon, Arnaud Demuynck:

The Carp and the Child
(La Carpe et l'enfant)

France, 2024. 7 minutes.

A child goes carp fishing. But he has the bad idea of bringing his little dog with him. Between the puppy, a frog and a duck, it’s not easy to catch a fish…

Curious Mysteries

Junior 1 screening. This screening is suitable for viewers of all ages, and it doesn’t contain any dialogue.

Junior 1 -näytös. Näytös soveltuu kaikenikäisille katsojille, eikä se sisällä dialogia.

Films in this screening:

Veronica Solomon:

Tuu Tuu Til

Germany, 2024. 5 minutes.

For small children the world is full of mystery and unknown and they need the help of a wiser being to navigate the challenges of every-day life. Or maybe it is the adults who, in the company of children, rediscover the magic in everyday life.

Piret Sigus, Silja Saarepuu:

Robot Leo

Estonia, 2025. 8 minutes.

Leo is a robot who lives in his cosy rusty house with a cat. On one fine day, a first guest ever, Lilleliisu, is coming to visit him. For this special event he starts to make preparations – the table needs to be set. The closer the guest gets, the greater Leo’s anxiety grows.

Annechien Strouven:

The Night tunnel
(Le Tunnel de la nuit)

Belgium, 2024. 9 minutes.

After digging a tunnel on the beach, two kids from different sides of the world meet each other. Together, they dig their way to the North Pole, where they discover a magical way to go back home.

Marika Herz:

Once Upon a Time in Dragonville
(Il était une fois à Dragonville)

France, Switzerland, 2024. 9 minutes.

Samson, a dragon bullied by the other inhabitants of Dragonville, is forced to enter Humanville. There he meets Simon, a little boy who helps him to face all the difficulties. Samson discovers a new world and, above all, a taste of friendship

Elena Walf:

A Pain in the Butt
(Der Stachel im Po)

Croatia, Germany, 2025. 6 minutes.

The hedgehog is just about to go into hibernation when he notices that one of his spines is missing. It’s stuck in Lena’s dog’s bottom, of all places. Getting it back won’t be easy…

Classics Now

Selection of films inspired by our Festival’s TAFF Pro theme; Visual Arts.

Valikoima lyhytelokuvia, jotka ovat saaneet inspiraationsa tämän vuoden TAFF Pro teemasta; Kuvataiteet.

Films in this screening:

BLU:

Muto

Italy, 2008. 7 minutes.

Joan C. Gratz:

Mona Lisa Descending a Staircase

USA, 1991. 7 minutes.

Suzan Pitt:

Asparagus

USA, 1979. 18 minutes.

Georges Schwizgebel:

Jeu

Switzerland, 2006. 4 minutes.

Theodore Ushev:

Tower Bawher

Canada, 2005. 4 minutes.

Norman McLaren:

Pas de Deux

Canada, 1968. 14 minutes.

Priit Pärn:

Breakfast on the Grass
(Eine murul)

Estonia, 1987. 24 minutes.

Palestine Animated

A selection of animation projects from Palestine. All the profits from this screening will be donated for the benefit of Palestinian people.

Content warning: themes and topics of war and human suffering

Valikoima Palestiinalaisia animaatiotöitä. Kaikki tuotot tästä näytöksestä lahjoitetaan Palestiinalaisten hyväksi.

Sisältövaroitus: teemoja ja aiheita sodan ja ihmiskärsimyksen ympäriltä

Films in this screening:

Basel Naser:

Land Day

Palestine, Almasna, 2024. 2 minutes.

In Palestine, In the month of March, In the year of the intifada, The land told us its bloody secrets”. A stark visualization of the shrinking and fragmentation of Palestinian land, capturing the enduring impact of Israeli policies.

Rami Abbas:

Hide and Seek

Palestine, Madrid, 2024. 7 minutes.

Animated short film that narrates the story of a child and his fish on their journey into the unknown, following the raid on the child’s town during the ongoing war ravaging his country. The short film captures the steps of this journey and its transformations, concluding as the child reaches one of the coasts.

Dana Durr:

Mariam

Palestine, 2020. 5 minutes.

A young woman climbs into a favorite olive tree, enjoying Palestinian traditions, to only to find her peace disrupted.

Jana Kattan:

Checkpoint

Director based in UK, 2021. 6 minutes.

Set in the occupied territory of modern-day Palestine known as the West Bank, Checkpoint follows 11 year old Leila, who wakes up before dawn every morning to try to get to school on time. Her obstacle is the military occupation of her environment- specifically, the notorious checkpoint she must cross everyday to get to her school. Despite Leila’s best efforts to prepare, she cannot control the seemingly endless queue, or the strong possibility she will be randomly denied access to the other side.

Amal Al Nakhala:

Limitless

Palestine, 2021. 5 minutes.

The harsh symbolism captures the complexities of truth in Gaza, where nothing is straightforward or easily defined.

Ahmad Saleh:

Ayny

Amman, Jordan, 2016. 11 minutes.

Two young boys run away from their mother’s protection and slackline on the danger of war to play music with the instrument they always dreamt to have.

Tariq Rimawi:

ZOO

Amman, Jordan, 2021. 8 minutes.

Wandering through the Worst Zoo in the World, a young boy SAMI is looking for his football. The loner finds more than that when he encounters the little tiger LAZIZ, who follows him on his quest to find a safe place to play. Against all odds, they become friends. But the remnants of war harbor danger.

International Panorama

All films that have dialogue in a language other than English, are subtitled in English.

Content warning: Blood

Kaikki elokuvat, joissa puhutaan muuta kuin englantia, on tekstitetty englanniksi.

Sisältövaroitus: Verta

Films in this screening:

Anastasiia Falileieva:

I died in Irpin

Czech Republic, 2024. 11 minutes.

24 February 2022 my boyfriend and I fled from Kyiv to Irpin. We spent 10 days in blockaded city and managed to escape with the last evacuation convoy. Time passed, but the feeling that I died in Irpin never left me since then. The film reconstructs this true story of survival through a personal and subjective lens.

Helen Unt:

Flow of Being
(Olemise kulg)

Bulgaria, Estonia, 2024. 11 minutes.

A person is in the flow. They make a decision and keep flowing until all becomes one.

Angel Lam:

I Screampt for my Ma

United States, 2024. 7 minutes.

Three women embrace the complicated relationships they have with their mothers while confronting ideals of maternal care.

Suresh Eriyat:

Desi Oon

India, 2025. 7 minutes.

Mélody Boulissière, Bogdan Stamatin:

Simply Divine
(Pur și simplu divin)

Romania, 2024. 14 minutes.

1939. A soldier meets a young woman. Their love story begins. The soldier is called to the front and their love dissolves in the war. 2014. During a long interview, the 91-year-old woman recounts the secrets of a forgotten time, revealed for the last time. What remains of a love story after three quarters of a century and a world war?

Vilhelmina Trost:

Humane

Sweden, 2025. 12 minutes.

An animated short film based on the sequence of events that led to the fatal shooting of the escaped chimpanzees at Furuvik Zoo on December 14, 2022.

Marie Royer, Zinia Scorier:

Mealitancy
(Plat de résistance)

Belgium, 2024. 12 minutes.

Through audio recordings taken in the field and poetic moving images, the film portrays activists who use food as a tool in their anti-consumerist struggle.

Sacha Beeley:

Robert Yoghurt

, 2024. 2 minutes.

Robert Yoghurt loves his mummy

Maze of Identity

International Competition 5

All films that have dialogue in a language other than English, are subtitled in English.

Content warning: Flashing Lights, Nudity, Mention of Child Abuse

Kaikki elokuvat, joissa puhutaan muuta kuin englantia, on tekstitetty englanniksi.

Sisältövaroitus: Vilkkuvia valoja, Alastomuutta, Maininta lapsiin kohdistuvasta pahoinpitelystä

Films in this screening:

Anne Verbeure:

The Golden Donkey
(De Gouden Ezel)

Belgium, 2024. 15 minutes.

As the people of a medieval village celebrate the beginning of summer, the Royal Family experiences an identity crisis. The King thinks he’s made of glass, the Princess dreams of becoming the king, and the Prince is trapped in the body of a donkey.

Zuzanna Zofia Heller:

Hello, Headquarters
(Halo, Centrala)

Poland, 2025. 5 minutes.

“Hello, Headquarters,” a voice from the phone calls out to Mirek. But Mirek already feels lost—he just wants to report the disappearance of his wife, the Great Orange. At every step, he crashes into the brutality of office bureaucracy, and to make matters worse, rain is pouring outside.

Tamás Patrovits:

Where Blue Meets Red
(Ahol a kék találkozik a pirossal)

Hungary, 2024. 5 minutes.

The film consisting of several dozens of original risograph prints, is an under-the-camera, straight-ahead animation improvised to the rhythm of the scores of Hungarian Barabás Lőrinc jazz trumpeter and composer.

Eglė Davidavičė:

The One Who Knows

Lithuania, 2024. 12 minutes.

Anxious teenager Ūla is taken on an unexpected adventure during her swimming practice, through which she grows-up and learns to see her body anew.

Eddy Wu:

IMMATURE

Taiwan, 2024. 6 minutes.

Jessica Poon:

Moving Mountains

Germany, 2024. 6 minutes.

Tiny people wander across an endless waterscape and move mountains.

Anastazja Naumenko:

Can you hear me?

Poland, 2025. 15 minutes.

Ivan Khanzhin:

In the belly of a snake

Russian Federation, 2025. 8 minutes.

I fell into the belly of a snake, spent the night without a dream of coming back. If serpent chose to spit what’s left of me, then at the break of dawn what will I be?

International Competition 5

All films that have dialogue in a language other than English, are subtitled in English.

Content warning: Flashing Lights, Nudity, Mention of Child Abuse

Kaikki elokuvat, joissa puhutaan muuta kuin englantia, on tekstitetty englanniksi.

Sisältövaroitus: Vilkkuvia valoja, Alastomuutta, Maininta lapsiin kohdistuvasta pahoinpitelystä

Dread of Happiness

International Competition 4

All films that have dialogue in a language other than English, are subtitled in English.

Content warning: Flashing Lights, Nudity, Body Horror

Kaikki elokuvat, joissa puhutaan muuta kuin englantia, on tekstitetty englanniksi.

Sisältövaroitus: Vilkkuvia valoja, Alastomuutta, Häiritsevää kehokauhua

Films in this screening:

Samuel Patthey:

Voiceless
(Sans voix)

Switzerland, 2024. 15 minutes.

Dan is a young man who spends a lot of time in his flat. His routine is always accompanied by electronic music pumping through his headphones. But when he steps outside, he feels disconnected from the world around him and only finds solace in nightclubs. Techno music and drugs transport him to a world where he can be himself, where he feels free. One day, he catches the eye of a baby which will change his perception of the world around him.

Maida Srabovic:

Fačuk

Croatia, Slovenia, 2025. 13 minutes.

In a God-fearing village lying between two rivers, giving birth to a fachuk — an illegitimate child — is a mortal sin. Everyone in the village recoils from the young pregnant woman who is about to give birth at any moment. In this narrow-minded and harsh rural environment, fear grows inside her.

Lizzie Watts:

FRIED!

United Kingdom, 2025. 10 minutes.

Iulia Voitova:

Long Distance
(Longue Distance)

France, 2025. 9 minutes.

An astronaut prepares for a flight into space, and a diver descends into the depths. The further apart they are, the closer they are.

Ieva Lība Ratniece:

Wandering dot and the blank square page universe

Belgium, Latvia, 2024. 5 minutes.

An immersive visual poem about a journey within a blank page. Is a blank page ever really empty? Where does an artwork begin or end? Are you the one directing creative flow or is it leading you? One may feel a creative impulse, but confronting daunting emptiness as a point of departure is inevitable. The only thing left to do is to make the first step, first dot, line or movement and suddenly the page transforms into something completely else and the multitudes it contains take up life on its own.

Julie Černá:

Stone of Destiny

Czech Republic, 2025. 10 minutes.

Stone of Destiny explores the beauty of finding your path, even when it’s fraught with uncertainty.

Marta Reis Andrade:

Dog Alone
(Cão Sozinho)

France, Portugal, 2025. 13 minutes.

A dog was abandoned in its own home at the time when my grandfather began to experience his widowhood and I was returning from London, a place where I felt lonelier than ever.

Grow Up!

International Competition 3

All films that have dialogue in a language other than English, are subtitled in English.

Content warning: Flashing Lights, Nudity

Kaikki elokuvat, joissa puhutaan muuta kuin englantia, on tekstitetty englanniksi.

Sisältövaroitus: Vilkkuvia valoja, Alastomuutta

Films in this screening:

Thomas Renoldner:

STAMPFER DREAMS

Austria, 2024. 11 minutes.

STAMPFER DREAMS is a homage to the scientist Simon von Stampfer, who presented his invention of the Stroboscopic Discs in Vienna in 1833. All characters and animated sequences in STAMPFER DREAMS are taken from / based on these “optical magic discs”. The film starts in the alpine region of Simon’s childhood and vaguely follows his biography. Three ‘dreams’ depict his imagination of the further evolution mankind might make, with a watermill as the starting point for an industrial revolution that will ultimately lead to our present.

Luma Flôres:

How A River Is Born
(Como Nasce Um Rio)

Brazil, 2025. 9 minutes.

Ayla wakes up in a mountainous landscape, surrounded only by vegetation and a river. Driven by curiosity and a desire to get to know the place, she goes on a journey of discovery and diving. As she discovers where she is, she also discovers herself.

Aline Höchli:

Caries
(Karies)

Switzerland, 2025. 10 minutes.

Eager to create a monumental work of art, a shaman remains blissfully unaware that she is painting her murals inside the mouth of a vain weather presenter.

Bingqing SHU, Maud LE BRAS, Jiaxin HUANG, Simin HE, Lina HAN, Loïck DU PLESSIS D’ARGENTRÉ, Sofiia CHUIKOVSKA:

The Shyness of Trees

, 2024. 9 minutes.

Emmaclaire sardoni:

Where the Car Flew

Belgium, Italy, 2024. 8 minutes.

On a summer’s afternoon, a kid is involved in a car accident and lands at a lunch party, he tries to remember what happened.

Felice Ronzon:

Esca

France, 2024. 7 minutes.

On a rainy day, two schoolgirls from opposite boarding schools meet. Under the immobile gaze of two giant statues, they begin to lose track of time, as the rain seems never to stop…

Niko Radas:

Psychonauts
(Psihonauti)

Croatia, 2025. 8 minutes.

Leaving their human hosts, mental disorders take on anthropomorphic forms and find new refuges.

Esteban Azuela:

Aferrado

Mexico, 2024. 18 minutes.

In the violent streets of Mexico City, Joel leads a double life fixing car engines by day and getting his hands dirty by night. Now, he must repair the toughest machine of all: his own shattered existence.

Natural Life

International Competition 2

All films that have dialogue in a language other than English, are subtitled in English.

Content warning: Flashing imagery

Kaikki elokuvat, joissa puhutaan muuta kuin englantia, on tekstitetty englanniksi.

Sisältövaroitus: Vilkkuvia kuvia

Films in this screening:

Janneke SWINKELS, Tim FRIJSINGER:

Murmuration
(ZWERMEN)

Netherlands, 2025. 13 minutes.

An elderly man realises he’s suddenly turning into a bird.

Sasha Svirsky:

Dull Spots of Greenish Colours

Germany, 2024. 11 minutes.

Marvin Hauck:

States of Matter

Netherlands, 2024. 7 minutes.

States of Matter is an experimental strata-cut animation crafted entirely from wax and paper. Inspired by Oskar Fischinger’s 1920s wax experiments, the film is the outcome of the director’s explorations during his postgraduate studies. The film’s name is derived from the creative process of shaping solid sculptures out of liquid wax, only to be systematically broken down and reanimated again. The resulting highly magnified “macro animations” are complemented by a tactile soundscape highlighting the materials’ intricate details, textures, and movements.

Kerem Yoruk, Yasir Atis:

Sapan

Turkey, 2025. 6 minutes.

One ordinary summer day, a child living in the Anatolian countryside kills a bird with his slingshot and is drawn into a whirlwind of intense emotions as he feels deep remorse.

Clémence Taveau:

Little Saints
(Jugement dernier)

France, 2024. 4 minutes.

On a school trip to Italy, three school friends share a bedroom in a convent.

Evridiki Papaiakovou:

Poppy Flowers

Estonia, 2024. 4 minutes.

Remembering is a fluid affair. A daughter tries to reconcile with her mother through memories of their shared rituals, exposing the intricate aspects of their relationship. As the daughter matures, she begins to contemplate conventional notions of divinity. The blank frames of the 35mm strip regain their function as memorabilia in the process of engraving her past onto its surface.

Edmunds Jansons:

Freeride in C

Latvia, 2024. 10 minutes.

The white tranquility of mountains is disturbed by colorful winter sports enthusiasts who enjoy downhill skiing. The short film is an audiovisual experience, an abstract dance of freedom that reflects the joy and fragility of being.

Quirijn Dees:

Pubert Jimbob

Belgium, 2024. 16 minutes.

Pubert Jimbob, a young man, enters a strange reality after getting lured away from his home by an enigmatic figure, who throws him a lighter. Jimbob meets Nadine, a lump with a mouth, and helps her.

Presented film: TBA

Outdoor screening at Brinkkala Courtyard, just next to Kino Kilta. Free admission!

Esitettävä elokuva: TBA

Ulkoilmanäytös Brinkkalan sisäpihalla, aivan Kino Killan vieressä. Ilmainen sisäänpääsy!

Finnish Gems

National Competition

All films that have dialogue in a language other than English, are subtitled in English.

Content warnings: Blood, Flashing lights

Kaikki elokuvat, joissa puhutaan muuta kuin englantia, on tekstitetty englanniksi.

Sisältövaroitus: Verta, Vilkkuvia valoja

Films in this screening:

Heta Jokinen:

Drawn in Water

Finland, 2025. 15 minutes.

We want to belong to families but how can you define one? Film is pondering the difficulty of defining things and at the same time demands to find the answers. The world around and inner dialogue meets in a fragile cutout world and in tactility of clay.

NanTung Lin:

The Peel
(褪皮以及露出來的)

Taiwan, 2025. 6 minutes.

After a flat tire leaves her stranded in the woods, a woman revisits haunting memories of her self-destructive tendencies. As she peels the skin from her fingers, each strip draws her deeper into the past. With every layer, she steps closer to the hidden child within herself.

Niina Suominen:

Diabolus ex Machina

Finland, 2024. 8 minutes.

When the capabilities of technology are pushed over the limits, beautiful devils come out. Image sequences focused on white screens of consumer electronics were shot with handheld camera. Experimental piece made in the spirit of concretism and avantgarde animation.

Anni Sairio, Joonatan Turkki:

Speeding, of Course
(Vauhtipyräys)

Finland, 2025. 4 minutes.

Jenny Jokela:

Dollhouse Elephant

Finland, 2025. 11 minutes.

Lau Rämö:

Contact

Finland, 2025. 8 minutes.

A pile of pictures from the sky appear on a phone that has been left outside. Elsewhere, slime trails shimmer in the fading evening. The animation, which progresses at the pace of a telephone conversation, deals with communication, wonder and the intersection of diverse lives.

Sanna Taikina:

Sauna People
(Saunojat)

Finland, 2024. 5 minutes.

A story about acceptance and cooperation. Clashing customs lead to disagreements, but a shared struggle, fueled by potatoes and a storm, brings understanding.

Tata Managadze:

Lights, Haze

Belgium, Finland, Georgia, Portugal, 2024. 8 minutes.

Hanneriina Moisseinen:

Photographs Not Taken
(Valokuvat, joita ei otettu)

Finland, 2025. 11 minutes.

Photographs Not Taken highlights the intergenerational chain from a female perspective. At the same time, the animation explores the invisible in history: shame, power relations and insecurity in 19th century Finland.

Veera Lamminpää:

Fish River Anthology
(Mereneläviä)

Finland, 2024. 10 minutes.

The supermarket is nearing its closing time, and the last customers are queuing for their turn at the fish counter. The agonizing wait offers a chance for existential reflection and a little song.

Shape of Colour

International Competition 1

All films that have dialogue in a language other than English, are subtitled in English.

Content warning: Flashing Imagery, Nudity

Kaikki elokuvat, joissa puhutaan muuta kuin englantia, on tekstitetty englanniksi.

Sisältövaroitus: Vilkkuvaa kuvitusta, Alastomuutta

Films in this screening:

Fabienne WAGENAAR:

Sweeter is the night
(Plus douce est la nuit)

France, 2024. 18 minutes.

In the early 1960s, at a time of independence in West Africa, a young French officer is commissioned by the metropolis to find a missing missionary priest. An investigation amid mistrust and indifference, silence and prejudice, that takes the young officer far from the light of the shores, where day and night merge.

Chihiro Yamanaka:

Veils of Landscape
(霞始めてたなびく)

Japan, 2025. 5 minutes.

The east wind begins to blow, carrying warmth into the water. Landscapes merge without boundaries, and in time, the mountains drift into slumber.

Shui Yuan:

Not Satisfied, Redo
(不满意，重做)

China, 2025. 5 minutes.

The gaming streamer, records a new game review experience.

Áron Farkas:

Magic Gulyás

Germany, 2024. 9 minutes.

Two outsiders meet at the same place again and again to be alone together. Between the monotony of everyday life and the feeling of not truly belonging anywhere.

Sara Priorelli:

My Good Boy

Hungary, 2025. 6 minutes.

A day in a life of a woman who is busy taking care of her obese dog. Her lovely show of affection towards the animal is interrupted by the arrival of her partner, who, in need of the attention of the woman, affects the cozy atmosphere of the house.