Tangle (Belgium) by Carla Hoogewijs, Frank Stevens

Tangle is a multimedia film blending vivid imagery, haunting words, and evocative soundscapes to delve into the core questions of human existence. Structured as a monologue in five chapters, it begins with a single breath of steam and culminates in the miracle of cell division, symbolizing the cycle of life and death. Through themes of chaos versus order, the yearning for self-expression, and the boundless symbolism of the sea, the film becomes an invitation to reflect on life’s tangled essence. A collaboration between Carla Hoogewijs, whose lyrical prose grapples with existential wonder, and Frank Stevens, whose striking visuals echo the mystery of the human condition, Tangle is as poetic as it is profound—a journey through the beauty and harshness of being alive.

Running time: 00:38:39

Essai 21 (France) by Florian Mauny

Exhausted by his work and routine, a person decides to suddenly break his daily life and wander in unknown places, in which he gradually sinks and gets lost.

Running time: 01:04:14

Kissing Ralph (United States) by Daniel Lewinstein

KISSING RALPH follows an anxious young man struggling to participate in social rituals.

Running time: 00:40:00

Higher Grounds (United States) by Joe Kramer

On the fateful day intelligent life arrives to destroy Earth, one slacker alien gets sidetracked when he’s smitten with a bitter barista. Suddenly, our survival depends on whether this space-schmuck can get her number, before his plucky partner blows us sky high.

Running time: 00:16:59

The Core (Romania) by Robert Obert

This short animated film illustrates a common consciousness from which materialized instances of feminine and masculine emerge, only to morph again into a single core. It is a metaphor of a love connection between two partners, fueled from the same source, but also for the power of creation that consciousness holds. This  also collects and shows sections of each partner’s transformation process, revealing and underlining that everything begins and ends from and into a single point, it shows the nucleus of narratives from each individual,  their symbiosis and eventually their exit. The author considers this animation a meta frame where we can be spectators to a process of creation and emotion.

Running time: 00:01:11

Previous Appearances (United States, United States) by Audrey Coombe

"Previous Appearances" (2024) is a collaboration between filmmaker and artist Audrey Coombe and the poet, ethicist, and chaplain Andrew McCarron. Shot in Scandinavia, the piece pairs seemingly familiar – and at times surprisingly uncanny – images with McCarron's writing from his own travels to these locations. Moving from cemeteries to amusement park rides, through six poems, "Previous Appearances" reflects on the unseen and the obscure, transcendence, and the anti-gravity. The video includes a soundtrack by the composer and pipe organist John Brockett.

Running time: 00:07:26

Terra Rara (Switzerland) by Meret Sofie Kernen

An essay film about the materialization of the cloud. Almost every action on the Internet is connected to a cloud. The cloud is omnipresent, yet invisible. Everyone uses it, but hardly anyone talks about it. Although its infrastructure affects essential parts of global systems and our daily lives, its materiality and the associated use of resources, environmental impact and power structures remain hidden from most of us. terra rara functions as a visualization of the binary world, using dance as a means of communication. The essay film serves to sensitize to the challenges of the information age and raises awareness of the problems involved. The invisible becomes visible.

Running time: 00:09:44

Hands (Portugal) by Filipe Piteira

Hands are the connection and the path between the body and soul. The mode of search and self-knowledge, which is intuitive and sensorial, with them, discovering and transcending themselves. It is the receptive and restless mind that transforms hands into instruments of grace.

Running time: 00:07:00

The Temple Returns (Brazil, Spain) by Jose Aragon

A dance video that tells the story of the internal and incessant search of human beings to discover the purpose of their lives.

It is a reflection on the issues of humanity that prevent us from evolving, such as power and subjugation, the uncontrollable hunger to fulfill desires, and the lack of empathy and sensitivity toward other beings. It is based on the study of the ten states of life from Buddhist teachings, which describe inner worlds that exist within all living beings at every moment. These states are inherently present in our lives, ranging from the lowest and most painful states to the highest and most enlightened ones. This concept offers a useful framework for understanding both the changeable nature of our moods and the fundamental tendencies of our personality.

Even more significantly, it provides a sense of the immense possibilities inherent in life at every moment.

Running time: 00:14:53