Zoë Kiani | Live-Action | 11’00’’

In one phone call between an abused woman and her manipulative girlfriend, the intense dynamics of physical and mental abuse in a relationship are revealed, as well as vulnerability and hope.

Tim Gersen | Experimental | 02’11’’

A couple is going through the miraculous process of giving birth, but what they bring into the world is not what they expected.

Rozh Surchi | Live-Action | 14’09’’

A stylistic mockumentary that unveils the intriguing life of Floris, a renowned figure on Amsterdam's streets for his bike-stealing prowess. In a city where 80,000 bikes vanish yearly, Floris emerges as a key player in this clandestine cycle. However, he's not alone – the market thrives on stolen bikes. Through deadpan humour and unexpected revelations, Floris provides a unique insight into the intricate gears that keep Amsterdam's bike theft machine in motion.

Renee Schräder | Documentary | 18’00’’

A queer filmmaker travels to rural Romania and ends up falling for a single parent who has to keep his gender identity a secret from his religious community. Their relationship evolves behind closed doors, on faraway hills and in old churches. When the villagers start to suspect that something is going on between the two, a video surfaces of the two kissing, secretly taken from behind a garden fence. Gossip grows, and family members protest to the point where the couple’s safety becomes endangered, forcing the two to leave the village behind and seek refuge elsewhere.

Roxanne Stam | Live-Action | 13’00’’

When Milany (18) is suddenly confronted on her birthday with a message from her father she never knew, her friends keep Milany going with humour, wise counsel and unconditional love for each other.

Bram van Dijk | Live-Action | 12’13’’

On their date night, Chayenne is unsure of Justin’s commitment to their relationship. Justin keeps convincing her everything is fine, but the events of the night tell her otherwise.

Jottum Kok | Live-Action | 20’00’’

Tomorrow Will Be Better is a slice-of-life short film that explores the complex relationship between a lesbian daughter and her straight mother. After an intense break-up with her ex-girlfriend, Jona (24) recently moved back in with her mother, Mirjam (55). Tensions run high on Mirjam's birthday after it becomes clear she doesn't regard Jona's queer identity with the same significance as Jona does. Where Mirjam wants to avoid conflict, Jona wants to have the last word.

Eva Bonnevits | Animation | 06’32’’

I have always feared the doctor, and now so will you. In this fever dream or rather fever nightmare, I will take you on a neverending doctor’s appointment straight out of HELL. By using warped perspectives and over-the-top scenarios, this film will leave an impression that makes your skin crawl.

Thom Lunshof | Live-Action | 20’00’’

LEAF tells the story of Nora and her son Sil, who set out to find one of the last green habitats in a future-parched Earth. But when Sil undergoes a strange physical change during their journey through the relentless heat, Nora's fear grows of what they will find on the other side of the desert.

Tasha Arlova | Animation | 04’04’’

Shamans say that our souls are made of birds. If a child gets scared, their bird may fly away. In this poetic journey, we follow a girl who has lost her beloved companion, a blue bird and is eager to return it. Now, she embarks on an adventure to find the bird and, hopefully, her true self.

Katarina Jazbec | Documentary | 20’00’’

As we face climate change, young activists, steelworkers, and a geologist come together in a time-travelling space full of nightmares and aspirations.

Finn van den IJssel | Live-Action | 09’07’’

Bente, a rising hockey player, has promised her best friend Hannah to join her at a climate protest tomorrow. But when she gets the chance to make her professional hockey debut that same day, she is faced with a choice, triggering long-suppressed emotions to come to the surface.

Nick Verkroost | Live-Action | 12’10’’

54-year-old Liesbeth is pushed to a new extreme when the men crossing her path don't seem to take her seriously.

Muck van Empel | Live-Action | 08’43’’

Luna (17) celebrates passing her final exams with her family in a karaoke bar. Here, she accidentally runs into her online flirt, Michael (37), who virtually knows her mainly as a grown-up, desirable woman. In her father’s company, Luna is still daddy’s little girl. When these on- and offline worlds unexpectedly clash in this short coming-of-age drama, Luna is confronted with the expectations she created herself. She will have to decide which woman she wants to be.

Maria Marbus, Ludo Marbus | Live-Action | 16’35’’

Mara (26) returns to her parental home a year after her mother's death to prevent her father, Simon (61), from throwing away all the things that she feels make her mother's death final. When her father finally suggests that she can sleep in the bed where her mother died, it all becomes too much for Mara.

Matthijs Sluijs | Live-Action | 09’58’’

Three friends meet on the island where they grew up to share their grief. On a hot summer night, they revisit the places that once held their boyhood dreams. While the sky turns pink and blue, the transience of friendship, love and life becomes painfully clear to them. All three will have to learn to deal with loss and their longing to hold on to each other.

Shriejan Paudel | Live-Action | 07’40’’

The 23-year-old Jayden suffers from social phobia. He works from home and never goes outside. But then he suddenly has to go out for an appointment with his best friend Omar, whom he has previously let down. To avoid disappointing Omar again, Jayden tries to overcome his social anxiety by going out of the house after a long time.

Sebastian Mulder | Documentary | 20’00’’

There are 365 days a year, and at the end of it, millions of euros’ worth of fireworks go up in smoke in the Netherlands, as in many other parts of the world. Many people enjoy this, but New Year’s Eve is a total nightmare for animals. To make their experience tangible, Sebastian Mulder’s documentary takes an original approach. In the run-up to the big night, dogs belonging to different owners are fitted with a GoPro, and we follow their movements.

Kate Hummel & Rosa Stil | Live-Action | 15’55’’

When Zana is raped by her colleague, she is faced with an impossible question. Either she tells her girlfriend, Olivia, or she chooses to remain silent forever. Because if she keeps quiet, it might never happen.

Luca Meisters | Live-Action | 14’56’’

The world of the introverted but fiery Esra (9) has been turned upside down. Her father has become disabled after a recent motorcycle accident, and as a result, they had to move to a new place. Struggling with his limitations, Esra’s father isn’t the man she once knew. At her new school, she tells a lie that results in a lot of positive attention, but she cannot oversee the consequences. The pain, anger, and shame that boil inside of her will inevitably find their way to the surface.

Bastiaan Rook | Live-Action | 19’00’’

A community on the coast of the Netherlands have everything they would wish for. Jonah tries to escape his role as a cult leader, no matter what.

Gijs Wilbers | Documentary | 16’00’’

The parents of filmmaker Gijs Wilbers move from a large family home to a smaller apartment for two. Mother Lot has difficulty throwing things away and prefers to take everything with her. Father Lex knows that that will never fit and secretes some of the belongings to a garage rented for the occasion. But when Lot finds out, the atmosphere changes. After encouragement from his sister, Gijs decides to address the big pink elephant in the room, which everyone avoids. First with his father and then with his mother. How will she react?

Leonardo Cariglino | Live-Action | 19’00’’

The young French expat Jean lives isolated and alienated from human contact, but a dear voice message from his mother urges him to go out. He then discovers Sara behind the shelves of the FEBO snack bar, and a love story begins.

Cheyenne Goudswaard | Animation | 05’16’’

The fear of oblivion can be overwhelming, but it can also be a driving force. Ik Ben Hier / I Am Here explores the need to imprint ourselves onto the world and build a legacy.

Matthijs van Esveld | Live-Action | 20’00’’

Eight-year-old Hannah is sent to a summer camp against her wishes. When she is told the campfire story ‘The Curse of Camp Nighttime’, she tries to escape. In the middle of the night, she is confronted by the reality of the curse. With the help of new-found friendships, ghost stories and an old TV, she has to get her bear back while discovering how strong she really is.

Ilke Paddenburg | Live-Action | 6’58’’

While a large painting of a naked woman is being transported from the studio to the exhibition, she seems to fall victim to a harsh and masculine outside world.

Emma Branderhorst | Live-Action | 19'00''

Kees (17) is taking her first steps towards adulthood and has decided to take a language course in Marseille. She is impulsive and eager for adventure. But actually, the biggest reason for going so far from home is her mother. Their relationship is suffocating her; she wants to escape and make her own choices. But she still needs her mother, Lois, to take her to the south of France. During their "last" trip together, they try to enjoy themselves, but unspoken irritations and the approaching goodbye fill the air. Kees can't wait to begin her adventure while Lois struggles with their changing relationship. A film about learning to let go and the complexities of a mother-daughter relationship.

Dunya Zita | Documentary | 11'11''

Spoken and written language is one of the most important means of communication, but how do you connect when a shared language is missing? Dunya Zita went to visit her family in Morocco to explore this topic and engaged in conversations with her close family members, both in Morocco and the Netherlands. The documentary is narrated with a poetic approach, bringing together anekdotes of family members, and thoughts and observations of her own.

David van Delden and Juan-Carlos Goilo | Experimental | 17'15''

A deserted bus stop at the city outskirts. A woman dressed in white approaches it, waiting for a ride. She is patient and knows where she is going. She waits. A local van picks her up. She is calm and enjoys the scenery on the bus ride. The images of the places are forgotten. The transformation from the rugged city life to a greener pasture. Even though she has made this journey many times before, she is absorbed by it every single time she does it. Completely aware that it will bring her something new. A new insight, a new joy, a new end, a new beginning.

Jos van Meerveld | Live-Action | 13'51''

Scrap is a tragicomedy short film about the selfish and unself-conscious port employee Peter, who is prevented from committing suicide by the AI (artificial intelligence) of his ex-wife’s car. When the car becomes more self-aware than Peter, Peter is forced to change…

Martijn Winkler | Live-Action | 11'50''

When an aspiring stand-up comedian participates in a commercial TV show, he is thrust into memories of a traumatic past.

Jelle Tigchelaar | Documentary | 16'39''

In 'Behind the Reflection', people of different ages and backgrounds spend half an hour looking at themselves in the mirror. We see what they see as we look through the back of the mirror. They share observations about themselves and their experiences of discomfort, sadness, confrontation, and happiness.

Ronald Marinakis | Live-Action | 19'57''

When a hunter from a native indigenous tribe of Suriname is finished hunting, he gets disturbed during his bath. He comes face to face with the Dutch colonisers who have been terrorising his surrounding tribes. When the hunter becomes the hunted, he is forced to flee for his life. To prevent his tribe from the same fate, he fights against the tyranny with what he knows best… the jungle.

Daniël Bakker | Live-Action | 19'00//

Joysi Olijhoek | Experimental | 05'00''

Kees-Jan Husselman | Documentary | 12'50''

Uriël Matahelumual | Live-Action | 15'14''

Garry E. Newball Archbold | Experimental | 05'43''

Jard Struik | Live-Action | 07'47''

Natalia Boorsma | Live-Action | 14'39''

On a sunny spring day, three women, all going by the name Svetlana, are waiting at a small train station somewhere in southern Serbia. While one longs to leave Serbia, another is visiting the country as a tourist, and the last Svetlana will likely never leave Serbia, nor the train station.

Lieuwe Siebe de Jong | Documentary | 17'51''

Marjanne van Vliet works for a Dutch humanitarian aid organization in Syria—a country devastated by war, economically crippled by sanctions, half of its population has fled, and largely hidden from the world’s view as it is closed off to journalists. Then, in February 2023, an earthquake struck the border area between Syria and Turkey. Filmmaker Lieuwe Siebe de Jong closely follows Marjanne in the affected city of Aleppo. Amid the aftershocks of the earthquake, she and her team face the challenge of providing aid to the residents of Aleppo. This cinematic documentary offers a unique behind-the-scenes look at the dilemmas of aid work in an almost hopeless context.

Engel Stam | Documentary | 16'44''

"The Nest" explores filmmaker Engel Stam's resistance to becoming a mother by unravelling the complex mother-daughter relationship across three generations of women. In this family portrait, three women discuss their different views on motherhood. While one consciously chooses independence, another struggles with a strong desire for a traditional family. Three different perspectives on motherhood come together in one family of strong women, all simultaneously struggling with the deep-seated pressure of societal expectations.

Aramis Garcia Gonzalez | Live-Action | 10'00''

After a big argument with his mother and stepfather, 24-year-old Emre storms off angrily. A year later, he knocks on the door again. He wants to come back home as if nothing had happened. However, his mother doesn't just let him in, and a difficult conversation unfolds through the intercom. Emre tries everything to be let inside, but offering a sincere apology is something he can't manage.

Bart Niewenweg | Live-Action | 18'58''

It is 1946. Recently repatriated, Paula is trying to feel at home in Friesland after her experiences in a Japanese internment camp. She is taken in by a family she has never met before. Her presence as a person from colonial Indonesia is tolerated but not fully accepted. Suspicion grows among the family when, since her arrival at the potato farm, brown rot is found on one of the potatoes. Paula feels she has to survive again, but this time, she has a choice: will she stay with her assigned family or choose her path?

Anas Qadamani | Documentary | 14'09''

The Elephant & The Room is an essay film that explores themes of immigration, colonialism, and Western double standards. The story develops from the bizarre news about African elephants making their way—illegally—to Germany, which at first seems like an absurd news headline but gradually reveals a darker and more troubling reality.
Divided into four chapters, the story covers the complex colonial history between Western Europe and African elephants, leading to present-day relations. Through subtle twists and criticism in narration, the film explores the implications of Western political systems regarding immigration and the legacy of Western colonialism in the global south.

Anselm Oettel and Patty Stenger | Animation | 02'19''

When Gina suspects that her lover is seeing someone else, she draws attention with a very risky climb with which she not only puts herself in danger. For a moment, it looks like this will help her win her lover back. But love will not be forced.

Salma Chafouk Idrissi | Live-Action | 20'00''

When Lamya visits her father, who has just moved back from Morocco to Amsterdam, she literally and figuratively feels hot under her feet during a heat wave in the Netherlands. She has no attitude, and there are many awkward silences. It is, therefore, no small matter for Lamya that her father has returned with his new family after years of being away. In the meantime, they have had sporadic contact, but much of the close bond has faded and changed.

Ayla van Kessel | Live-Action | 19'40''

As brand new president, Bo puts her best foot forward at the reunion dinner of Cybele, the sorority founded by her grandmother in 1967 for women's freedom and equal rights. When Bo's best friend and fellow board member appears in a compromising video, casting Cybele in a bad light, Bo asks her to stay away from the reunion. But when grandmother and founding mother (played by Dieuwertje Blok) is told, she teaches Bo and her yearmates a great lesson about solidarity and walking your own path without fear of (online) reputation damage.

Bernou van Dijk | Live-Action | 15'08''

Juna and Noah are taking a break from the road not far from a parked motor. The two women are making a motorcycle trip to France to fulfil a promise to Zora, who died about a year ago. The longing to share the grief Noah feels for her passed away lover clashes with Juna, who feels unable to mourn her sister. Moving south through a landscape of rolling hills, stopping at gas stations and sleeping at an eerie motel, the tension between the women builds, and Juna can't escape her feelings any longer.

Niels Bourgonje | Live-Action | 09’00’’

A man cares for his comatose wife at their rundown home. After a transgression, he fears something sinister has awakened in her.

Robin Noorda | Animation | 16’00’’

The film tackles urgent earthly issues, as seen by a lonely astronaut, called Antonio, who was left behind on the moon after his coming out.
The Moon Guard, a statue of a skinned warrior rising from the moon's surface, symbolises defence against the danger of space debris from above. In addition to the climate crisis, human waste, even in space, determines our fate. Ultimately, collisions between space debris and satellites will cause a cascade of collisions that will destroy all communications. It's called Kessler syndrome. The earth ends up with a Saturn like dust ring of metal and silicon. Antonio is aware of these problems and as he put's it: “It is one small scrap by man, one giant heap by mankind.” He tries to do some terra forming on the moon and finally he meets the all knowing 'I am AI' who also happens to be the voice over.

Tom Gera | Live-Action | 07’00’’

In a world where dance shapes reality, aging virtuoso Sensei celebrates his protégé Juno's debut. As Sensei's ego flares, Juno's uncanny mirroring ignites a surreal showdown. Both dancers manipulate their surroundings, Sensei's massive, monumental creations clashing with Juno's fluid, avant-garde experiments. Trapped by past glories, Sensei struggles with fading stardom while Juno's innovative talent blooms. Their relationship evolves from mentorship to a dangerous power play, peaking in a breathtaking aerial duel. Sensei puppeteers Juno, unaware their connection goes both ways. In his attempt to control Juno, Sensei unknowingly orchestrates his own downfall. Too late, he realises he's paved the way for Juno's rise, sealing his tragic fate.

Veras Fawaz | Live-Action | 19’31’’

Meili's complicated life turns for the worse when she tries to sell her suitcase to a mysterious stranger.

Meryem Çifteci | Live-Action | 20’00’’

Eighteen-year-old student Isra embarks on a final weekend trip to Texel with her depressed father, hoping to bring him some happiness before she starts her own life. However, when his reaction to the news of her leaving is not as she had anticipated, Isra is confronted with the difficult challenge of letting go.

Zlatelina Tsokova | Animation | 03’53’’

Anxiety spirals out of control, escalating into a train apocalypse.

Wyneke van Nieuwenhuyzen | Documentary | 15’00’’

Abdulaal, originally from Sudan, travels around the Netherlands to give ‘ask me anything’ sessions. The film captures the exploratory dialogue between the natives and the refugees, both confronted with being ‘the other’. When the opportunity to ask the other anything, what would you be curious about?

Roxanne Stam | Live-Action | 20’00’’

On Saturday, NOLA (8) is picked up by her father, KURT (45), from her football club to do something fun together. However, Nola's mother, SADE (36), is not amused; Kurt is late for the umpteenth time. Nola quickly gives her father her homemade bracelet.