The "Madman" and His Ruins (China) by Xiaolong Zhu

A middle-aged man lives in ruins, and his home has been burned down twice. After suffering from a stroke, he even refused government relief, and his neighbors called him a madman and did not want to interact with him. He lives alone, cultivates alone, eats alone, walks around alone... everything seems very primitive.

Running time: 01:36:08

Red (China) by Yichi

Zhuang, a young woman who longs to be a poet, is coerced by her auditor mother into a soul-sucking accountant job. She develops an odd vision of the color red after the death of her grandmother, the only person who believes in Zhuang’s poetic gifts. Drifting into a dream-like state, Zhuang writes more poems and jeopardizes her work performance. The morning after her mother destroys Zhuang’s notebook of original poems, Zhuang wakes to find her grandmother making her a bowl of red bean soup. Zhuang drinks the soup and makes a decision.

Running time: 00:23:49

Arcmaps (Canada) by Micah Henry, K. Bray Jorstad

Arcmaps is a visual album by San which explores a myriad of worlds that erupt forth from an artificial imagination. The images show a possible future in which humanity dissociates from the real world through digital pleasure - a doomed assembly line, building marvels only to destroy them. Start watching: https://arcmaps.world/

Running time: 00:19:30

Koi (United States) by Taige Shi

A newly-divorced Chinese immigrant and his son move to the Great Lakes area. The father, Lee Huan, starts a fishing business that catches only Asian Carp in the local river. However, the son, Lee Long, can't fit into the new environment and doesn't understand his dad's motives. With help from Uncle Kuan, a family friend and biologist, the father and son must confront their differences once and for all.

Running time: 00:17:49

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

Motherland 母懷之地 (Canada) by Alger Ji-Liang, Joshua Lam

A grieving boy moves across the liminal spaces of his memory to connect with someone he’s lost. Through this act, he must confront the tension and trauma within his body to find solace.

Running time: 00:13:14

Unspooling Wind (United States) by Jessy Dong

Unspooling Wind is a visually stunning and thought-provoking short film that invites viewers to join three ensembles - The Amiable, The Spiritual, and The Willful - on a journey of self-discovery. Through the guidance of The Medium and a ritualistic exploration of traditional Chinese kite flying and Japanese Butoh dance, the characters confront questions about their true selves and the meaning of their predetermined parts. Their journey reveilles that the answers they seek lie within themselves and creates a spiritual awakening for the viewers. The concepts of good and bad become irrelevant to help the viewers discern the importance of how we choose to approach ourselves and our internal beings.

Running time: 00:09:44

Omens (Belgium) by Maya Wuytack

In a rough, deserted no man's land, seven bodies are washed ashore. The desolate landscape reveals glimpses of an unpredictable era. When they gain consciousness they find themselves between a visible and invisible world. The poetic journey unfolds between what seems to be a dream and their dreaming bodies. In their entangled destinies they seek shelter with each other and find refuge in the caves of the rocky coast. The rough landscape reflects their existential barrenness. Exposed to the forces of nature, surrender is their only defense. In the eye of the storm, their listening bodies breathe silence. OMENS is a mystical quest for self-discovery, belonging and connection.

Running time: 00:05:58

Sheep (United Kingdom) by Shan Shen

Sheep is an experimental dance short film aimed at triggering in-depth reflection on the phenomenon of "verbal violence". It explores the impact of language on shaping us physically and mentally. The film presents "sheep" as the central subject of the video, conveying a profound message: in violent behaviour, there are no bystanders, only perpetrators and victims.

Running time: 00:04:24

Day of the Dead (Belgium) by Kris Curtiz De Meester, Peter Bracke - out of competitionn

"Day of the Dead"  is a short film that delves into the unique blend of life, death, and celebration during Mexico's Day of the Dead. The story unfolds against the backdrop of the mesmerizing migration of millions of Monarch butterflies to Mexico, believed to embody the souls of the departed. The film explores the profound Mexican tradition of not just commemorating the dead but reveling in the coexistence of life and death during these sacred days.

Running time: 00:03:11

The melody of ashes (Switzerland) by Jonathan Moratal

Being haunted by the past can lead to an inferno

Running time: 00:02:20