Selected Projects for Screening
Take a look at the selected projects heading to our next online screening, and dive into their posters, story synopses, and director perspectives from this festival edition.
THE PERFECT PALM
Directed by Ayse Altinok
Story Overview
A young man on the autism spectrum, who possesses a remarkable gift as a visual artist, encounters the corporate world at his first job interview.
Director Biography
Istanbul-born Ayşe Altınok is an award-winning director and former agency creative. Her short films have garnered the Van Gogh Award, a Mubi Award at Cannes, and multiple Best Drama honors. A D&AD Next Director nominee formerly represented by Ridley Scott Creative Group, her work has screened at the Hammer Museum. She is currently developing feature films.
Director Statement
The Perfect Palm explores the complex power dynamics between employers and employees on the spectrum. In a capitalist society that favors the ‘fastest,’ I ask: what if we focused on the sidelines? Blurring the lines between art and commerce, this film advocates for a world where everyone has the luxury to follow their dreams.
Runtime: 11:15
Imbroglio
Directed by Ian Sciacaluga
Story Overview
“Imbroglio” is set in a timeless and imaginary Italian world and is a loving nod to the arch Hollywood and European film noirs of the forties and fifties.
Giorgio Gambetti is a Tax Inspector for the ‘Giustizia Tributaria’, whose profession of expiring frauds parallels a personal quest.. to hunt down the young libertine who has corrupted his wife, Maria.
Giorgio’s private search takes him to the underbelly of a city that knows his name only too well. His pride crushed (by having to confess his wife’s infidelity during his investigation), Giorgio concludes that there is no civil way out of his suffocating predicament – his “imbroglio”. So when he finally procures to confront the young love rival in a downtown café, he finds that there is no recourse but to take a life.
Director Biography
Ian Sciacaluga is a bilingual Producer-Director specializing in factual documentaries for major broadcasters including Netflix, Disney, and Discovery. A graduate of the London International Film School, he began his career in commercials before directing extensive travelogues for Lonely Planet and Globetrekker. His narrative work includes the cult short Millennium Kids and the Raindance-nominated noir Imbroglio. A versatile filmmaker capable of shooting, editing, and storyboarding, he is currently finishing his debut feature film, Hide, while directing community projects.
Runtime: 15:32
If Not for Farming
Directed by Samuel Stacey
Story Overview
In Embu County, Kenya, declining rainfall and soil degradation have pushed many smallholder farmers to the brink. If Not for Farming tells the story of a transformative regenerative agriculture initiative, where local farmers, scientists, and private sector partners collaborate to restore soil health, strengthen resilience, and secure food for the future. Through a training model grounded in scientific research and the lived experience of farmers like Sarah, this short documentary reveals how low-cost, sustainable techniques are not only reviving land—but rebuilding confidence, community, and leadership from the ground up.
Director Biography
Samuel Stacey is a strategic communicator and co-founder of Cultivate Communications. He has led visual storytelling projects across Africa, Asia and Latin America, crafting films that elevate local knowledge, promote sustainability and support progress on the SDGs. His field experiences inform narratives that foster engagement and deliver impact.
Runtime: 9:20
Moisture
Directed by Duda Gorter
Story Overview
Brazil: In a gray city in the near future, religious sects and rats live on the prowl. It rains non-stop.
Director Biography
Francamente…(Frankly…), 2003 – Screenplay/Director
Na Madrugada (Journey into Night), 2008, Screenplay/Director
Short Film Corner – Cannes 2009
Fantasia Improviso – 1 Movimento (Fantasie Impromptu – A prologue), 2016, Screenplay Director
Short Film Corner – Cannes 2016
Runtime: 24:54
Fighting Fear
Directed by Pascal Funk
Story Overview
The short documentary Fighting Fear follows kickboxer Dario Luna from Constance (GER) during the final weeks of his fight preparation. Authentic and full of passion for the sport, the film shows how the protagonist deals with his fears.
In a boxing world full of clichés where no weakness is ever shown, Fighting Fear breaks a long-standing taboo. The personal insights shared by the kickboxers encourage viewers to confront their own fears.
Director Biography
A filmmaker telling authentic stories of real people, their motivation, and their challenges.
Runtime: 17:08
Team Nuggets – Chicken Impossible
Directed by Tor Fruergaard, Michael Hegner
Story Overview
Team Nuggets is fast paced primary school comedy starring an ambitious young chicken, Karla, and a band of very volatile and diverse classmates. Navigating school life is a huge deal for these kids, emotions run high, lessons & schoolyard games often spill into chaos which can only be calmed by working out the important stuff; like friendship, understanding and self-control.
Director Biography
Tor Fruergaard is an illustrator, animator, and storyteller with over twenty years of professional experience. He graduated from the Danish National Film School in 2010 as an Animation Director. His films Venus and Vokseværk (Growing Pains)both won Oscar-qualifying awards. He was part of the Team Nuggets project (2020–2023) and is currently working on the online graphic novel Betsy and the Mutant Scouts.
Director Statement
Children’s thoughts and worries matter. Created in close collaboration with kids and professionals, Team Nuggets turns their ideas into an absurd, warm animated world—where the audience is truly the key.
Runtime: 7:13