London screening
Programme 1: FAFF 2025
GIGI
Director: Cynthia Calvi
Duration: 13:55
France
From the tormented little mermaid to the fulfilled woman she is today, Gigi tells us about her gender transition with humor and sensitivity.
Romina
Director: Paola Mendoza
Duration: 05:36
USA
Romina tells the true story of a 14-year-old girl facing an unplanned pregnancy in a state in the USA where abortion is banned. Despite the legal barriers, a community rallies around her, ensuring she can access the abortion she desired.
Voicemail
Director: Holly Rivers Aguirre
Duration: 01:44
United Kingdom
In this animated documentary, I revisited the South West coast path and the local beach where I was sitting when I found out my father had died in 2023. Rotoscope drawings are paired with snippets of my father’s voice, taken from voicemails that he left me a few years prior to his death.
Warp and Weft
Director: Isolda Milenkovic
Duration: 03:46
United Kingdom
Warp and Weft is an animated documentary short about traditional textile crafts.
A love letter to the act of hand-making, traditional craft practices, and the people who love them. Stemming from the fear of these artforms slipping away in a society that no longer values the human labour behind them.
Desi Oon
Director: Suresh Eriyat
Duration: 07:03
India
The film explores the deep connection between Deccani wool, the land, and its people, highlighting its cultural, spiritual, and ecological significance. It delves into the resilience of the Deccani sheep, the traditions of shepherding, and the sacred role of wool in daily life. 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?
Inside, The Valley Sings
Director: Nathan Fagan
Duration: 14:59
Ireland
Secluded in 6×9 cells year after year with little or no human contact, three individuals in prisons across the United States experience the tedium, loneliness and psychological despair of long-term solitary confinement. Over time, they begin to construct elaborate fantasy worlds to escape their daily reality.
Through vivid, hand-drawn animation, ‘Inside, The Valley Sings’ tells their remarkable real-life stories and paints an unforgettable portrait of the power of the human imagination.
Funded by the Arts Council of Ireland / An Chomhairle Ealaíon
Percebes
Directors: Alexandra Ramires, Laura Gonçalves
Duration: 11:30
Portugal
With the sea and the urban Algarve as a background, we follow a complete cycle of the life of a special shellfish called PERCEBES, goose barnacle. From their formation, to the dish, in this journey, we cross different contexts that allow us to better understand this region and those who live there.
D4 or E4?
Director: Umang(mango) Mankodiya
Duration: 02:45
India / United Kingdom
Experience the artistry of chess in ‘D4 or E4?’, an experimental short documentary that blurs the lines between game and art. Watch as the chessboard transforms into a canvas of abstract shapes and lines, reflecting the players’ inner turmoil and triumphs.
Within the constraints of its 64-box grid, chess emerges as a captivating game, an intricate dance of rules and strategies. Yet, it defies its physical boundaries, unlocking a world of boundless possibilities and artistic expression. A game of chess is an art form unto itself, a masterpiece woven through calculated moves and the symphony of endless combinations.
Read the full description
This film is born from an unyielding desire to conquer the game, an exploration of the path to complexity and triumph. It unveils the enchanting realm of chess preparations, delving into the depths of calculations and the intricate thinking of countless grandmasters. Their unique perspectives, shaped by probabilities and strategic choices, form the backbone of this visual journey.
In this captivating short animation, I aim to unravel the workings of my own mind, laying bare the vulnerable tapestry of my thoughts. It is a visual symphony, where conversations and game analyses intertwine with the profound wisdom found within the pages of grandmasters’ books. This collaboration extends to the esteemed GM Daniel King, an alliance that breathes life into this artistic endeavor.
Using the medium of ink on paper, I will render the essence of my thought process, exploring the delicate interplay between my own thinking and the external forces that shape and manipulate it. The lines and strokes, carefully crafted, will mirror the intricate patterns of chess moves, inviting the audience into a world where intellect and strategy intertwine.
Through this artistic and contemporary lens, the film seeks to transcend the boundaries of a mere board game, embracing the chessboard as a canvas for profound human expression. It captures the essence of the game’s complexity, its ability to mesmerize and challenge, and the interplay between calculation and intuition that resides within every move.
This collaboration between art and intellect, ink and paper, will breathe life into the rich tapestry of chess, inviting viewers on a visually stunning and thought-provoking journey into the depths of the mind, where the game of chess becomes a transcendent experience.
In a harmonious collaboration that transcends mediums, this artistic endeavor is further enriched by the ethereal compositions of Sobhan Afsarinmohassel. The music, a symphonic accompaniment to the visual tapestry, breathes life into the story being told. With each note, Afsarinmohassel’s compositions evoke the intensity, passion, and intricacy of the game of chess, enveloping the audience in a sonic landscape that mirrors the depth of the narrative.
Under the skillful guidance of conductor Stone Tung, the orchestra weaves Afsarinmohassel’s musical tapestry, capturing the essence of the film’s emotions and intensity. The violin section, led by the virtuosic Wilmien Janse Van Rensburg and Matilda Sacco, infuses the music with soaring melodies and poignant solos, carrying the audience through the highs and lows of the chess journey. The velvety tones of the viola, played by Kathrine Wing, add depth and richness, while the resonant cello, skillfully handled by Eddie Mead, provides a foundation of warmth and resonance.
Together, this ensemble of talented musicians brings the film to life, creating a multisensory experience that intertwines visual artistry with the power of music. The collaboration between the visual narrative and Afsarinmohassel’s evocative compositions, guided by Stone Tung’s expert direction, results in an immersive journey that captivates and transports the audience to the heart of the chessboard.
Through the combined efforts of these remarkable artists, the film becomes a symphony of creativity, where ink dances on paper, visuals harmonize with sound, and the magic of chess unfolds in a captivating and contemporary expression.
Us Four
Director: Alex Peake
Duration: 06:44
United Kingdom
In an animated dance routine, filmmaker Alex and her younger sisters reminisce about their childhood.
The C Word
Director: Serafima Serafimova
Duration: 02:44
United Kingdom
When COVID-19 struck in 2020, Alyssa – an Australian healthcare professional living in the United Kingdom with her partner – wanted to do everything she could to help. What happened next changed her outlook on life forever.
Jet Lag
Directors: Kacey Morrow, Dustin Morrow
Duration: 05:35
USA
Using frame-by-frame rotoscope animation and the stylized aesthetic of classical airline safety brochures, the short film “Jet Lag” adapts Christopher Schaberg’s acclaimed nonfiction book “Airportness: The Nature of Flight” for the screen. Using the seemingly simple concept of ‘waiting in an airport’, the film explores notions of not just modern air travel, but everyday life – how we struggle to get along with one another, manage our time, and use the space around us to maximum efficiency. Employing a tongue-in-cheek, almost stream-of-consciousness narration, the film playfully communicates the shifting complex emotions, anxieties, frustrations, and excitement that coincide with air travel. The tedium of waiting, the confusion of boarding, the nervousness of departure, the euphoria and relief of arrival. Beginnings and endings. At the airport.
The Sacred Society
Director: Benny Zelkowicz
Duration: 12:30
USA
In the end, our bodies are as fragile and ephemeral as paintings made of sand. Who will care for them when our time is over?
There is a group of volunteers in Jewish tradition who clean and prepare and dress the dead. THE SACRED SOCIETY is about these men, why they choose this work, and how it changes them. Illustrated with flowing, haunting sand animation, this documentary explores the importance of sacred ritual in helping us find meaning in our brief lives.
Funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Speeding, of Course
Directors: Anni Sairio, Joonatan Turkki
Duration: 03:57
Finland
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.
Programme 2: Best of FAFF
Sent Away
Director: Rosa Fisher
Duration: 5:37
UK, 2019
Boarding schools can rip children out of their secure, loving homes and deposit them into a cold, unloving institution. ‘Sent Away’ looks at the psychological implications that this can have on children and in particular the effect it had on my father, Tom.
I Want To Be Bored
Director: Magda Kreps
Duration: 04:00
Germany, United Kingdom
I Want To Be Bored is a hand-drawn short film, visualising a wandering mind during the experience of doing absolutely nothing.
Teacups
Directors: Alec Green, Finbar Watson
Duration: 7:35
Australia
For almost half a century, Don Ritchie would approach people contemplating suicide at the edge of a cliff, just 100 feet from his home, his palms facing up.
Embraces & The Touch Of Skin
Director: Sara Koppel
Duration: 2:42
Denmark
“EMBRACES & the touch of skin”
is an animated poem about the vital need for embraces and contact with other beings.
Carlotta’s Face
Directors: Valentin Riedl, Frédéric Schuld
Duration: 5:00
Germany
As a child, Carlotta didn’t expect the people around here to have faces. She even doesn’t recognize her own face. Years later, she learns about a rare, untreatable deficit of her brain. It was art, after all, that offered her a way to finally recognize herself.
TIMELINE
Director: Osbert Parker
Duration: 04:43
United Kingdom
Timeline is an artist commissioned film loop created for The Migration Museum exhibition, Departures. The film uses experimental animation techniques to explore migration that triggered 400 years of emigration from Britain between 1620-2020 and beyond.
HOLE
Director: G. Goletski
Duration: 6:03
Canada
HOLE is an experimental narrative animated short about Mo, an adult with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Mo spends a lot of time in their brain. Today, a hole started following them.
Maalbeek
Director: Ismaël Joffroy Chandoutis
Duration: 15:51
France
“Maalbeek is a journey into amnesic territory, in the immemorial memory of the attacks of the 22 March 2016 in Brussels.
The visual concept is based on a hybrid montage of archive images and 3D animation that work in tandem on the motif of fragmentation.
The animation of the film, made from real shots and then transformed by various technical processes, shows an inner landscape composed of exploded views of the metro station, as if the image of these memories had also been subjected to the physical shock of the explosion. These clouds of dots reflect the mental instability that runs through the main character’s representation, sizzling, even uncertain. These layers of reality that persist throughout the animation help to immerse the spectator in the emotional experience of amnesia.”
No Body
Director: Haemin Ko
UK, 2019
A traditional charcoal animation with an autobiographical experimental animated poem.
Based on directors journals which is about her immigration experience in London, Nobody explores relationship between city and me through three emotional chapter. Excitement, frustration and hope.
The Redness of Red
Director: Emily Downe
Duration: 3:19
United Kingdom
What does it mean to be conscious in a world that is becoming increasingly artificially intelligent? Can machines really see? Based on an interview with a professor in artificial intelligence, this short experimental documentary uses analog techniques to explore the human tendency to anthropomorphise simple drawings, and how we might do the same to machines.
O Hunter Heart
Director: Carla MacKinnon
Duration: 7:07
UK, 2019
Nature and domesticity collide in a dark take of love and loss.
Uncle Thomas, accounting for the days
Director: Regina Pessoa
Duration: 13:00
Portugal
From Regina’s personal and visual memories, a tribute to her uncle Thomas, a humble man with a simple and anonymous life. This is my acknowledgment how one does not have to be « somebody” to become exceptional in our life.
Do I See What You See?
Director: Simon Ball
Duration: 7:59
UK, 2019
How do changes in the brain cause us to see differently?
Experience the world through the eyes of people living with a rare form of dementia, affecting how they process objects and tasks around them.
Everything Must Go
Director: Alisha Liu
Duration: 3:58
USA
People talk about yard sales, objects, and memories.
Voiced by Hugo Weaving, Teacups explores Don’s surreal interactions with years of suicidal individuals and his journey to reconcile the suicide of his best friend.
The film asks, can a simple act of kindness save a life?
