Screening Programme – Moscow Shorts April 2022
Moscow Shorts April 2022 – DAY 1
The Kid (2021)
BEST DIRECTOR AWARD @ MOSCOW SHORTS – OCTOBER 2021
Director: Damir Miftakhov
Country: Russian Federation
Duration: 28:40
Synopsis: Fourteen year old teenager, who is in love with young pretty karate trainer, he has a crush on her. His older brother trying to help him but in a way Timur is not willing to go.
Estella Cancels Cancer (2021)
BEST EXPERIMENTAL AWARD @ MOSCOW SHORTS – DECEMBER 2021
Director: Kadriia Tuktamysheva
Country: Russian Federation
Duration: 07:48
Synopsis: The true story of a young lady. Once Estella found out she had stage 4 cancer. So she is learning how to live with it. Her life is very ordinary, but she is special, she is bright, stylish and open minded. And we can see how she gets through the challenges and what she feels about it.
Vasily. Poster. Druzhba. (2019)
BEST DOCUMENTARY AWARD @ MOSCOW SHORTS – OCTOBER 2021
Director: SERGEY MOSKVIN
Country: Russian Federation
Duration: 10:40
Synopsis: Story about russian artist from small town, who draws posters in retro soviet style for local cinema – “Druzhba”.
’91 (2021)
BEST DIRECTOR AWARD @ MOSCOW SHORTS – NOVEMBER 2021
Director: Luka Štigl
Country: Slovenia
Duration: 26:43
Synopsis: In the middle of the 10 day war for Slovenian independence (1991), two soldiers day-dream about the future of their newborn country. Ratko and Tugo are volunteers in the middle of a war, keeping post on a barricade… but not much is happening. They decide to throw a small party for Ratko’s 30th birthday. This causes them to speculate and dream about where their new country will be 30 years in the future. As they literally let their guard down, they are up for a surprise. A tale about friendship, brotherhood, an end of an era and the beginning of a new one, full of possibilities.
RRAVINGRIOT х JAZZBE – Teen (2021)
BEST MUSIC VIDEO AWARD @ MOSCOW SHORTS – NOVEMBER 2021
Director: Popov Kirill
Country: Russian Federation
Duration: 02:35
Synopsis: This is a phantasmagoria about youth.
S.O.S (2021)
BEST FILM & BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY AWARD @ MOSCOW SHORTS – DECEMBER 2021
Director: Sarah Hafner
Cinematographer: Thomas Walser
Country: France
Duration: 11:24
Synopsis: Pollution, global warming, overpopulation, for Jean-Claude and Maddy, there is only one solution: to leave the earth and ask for help from extraterrestrials. But when a little green man comes along to save them, things don’t quite go as planned.
Moscow Shorts – April 2022 – DAY 2
An ordinary wedding (2021)
BEST STUDENT AWARD @ MOSCOW SHORTS – NOVEMBER 2021
Director: Irina Khodyush
Country: Russian Federation
Duration: 18:20
Synopsis: Young poet Ivan and his fiancee Dasha has been planning their wedding for a long time. Now their plans are at risk of failure since Ivan has a brush with the law because of his poems. The escalation comes when the couple finds out that Ivan’s grandfather is gravely ill. To save the celebration Ivan needs to make the boldest move.
The Last Remaining (2021)
BEST DOCUMENTARY AWARD @ MOSCOW SHORTS – NOVEMBER 2021
Director: Ali Said AlBaimani
Country: Oman
Duration: 20:26
Synopsis: The Last Remaining” is a documentary that features some of the interesting stories of the oldest merchants of Bahla market, where the merchants recount their experiences with trade in the past and now. The movie uncovers the secret of their business survival for many decades- up to 70 years in some cases. Historically, this is a significant documentary as it highlights the status of Bahla’s traditional market in its booming era as compared to that of now. Some archival clips of the market show the vitality of life in the market previously. However, this has changed, and the market has lost its spirit. It has become a destination for meeting and sitting only. This change reflects the transformations of social life in Omani society. While life was simple and one central market was sufficient for the whole city, the requirements of modern life have become completely different. Markets have expanded and the city’s life prospered and became more complicated. The traditional, inner market that was yesterday central became traditional now. Only a small group of people, mostly old, continued to visit this place to meet acquaintances. The documentary casts light on the issue of familiarity which a person may develop in their old age. Almost all of the merchants interviewed were over the age of seventy, but they still go to the market everyday- an activity which they have continued to do for many decades. Despite the fact that their businesses may not be profitable, these old merchants rejoice over daily meetings and conversations with their fellow merchants- an act that connects the present with the past.
LEAVE TO REMAIN (2021)
BEST NARRATIVE AWARD @ MOSCOW SHORTS – OCTOBER 2021
Director: Rémy Bazerque
Country: United Kingdom
Duration: 10:45
Synopsis: Things get wild at the ‘VISA and immigration services’ when Karim, a young Iranian father living in the UK is mistakenly threatened with deportation.
Spitting Ibex – Dingo Jackson (2021)
BEST MUSIC VIDEO AWARD @ MOSCOW SHORTS – DECEMBER 2021
Director: Florian Kittner
Country: Austria
Duration: 08:44
Synopsis: Only a few minutes lie between guilt and innocence. Dingo Jackson’s future is now in the hands of the judge. Convincing him of his innocence seems hopeless. His opinions are too entrenched, he stands there in his gown too powerful. Guilt, prejudice, justice – three powerful words that are often interpreted differently. Spitting Ibex’ interpretation is elaborately realized as a cineesque short film called “Dingo Jackson”. To be apolitical is no solution…the raised forefinger is nevertheless looked for in vain. Critical, straightforward but with humor – they don’t presume to swing a hammer.
bath (2021)
BEST EXPERIMENTAL AWARD @ MOSCOW SHORTS – DECEMBER 2021
Director: Roma Glova
Country: Russian Federation
Duration: 01:54
Synopsis: there’s something behind the curtains.
The Fisherman (2021)
BEST STUDENT AWARD @ MOSCOW SHORTS – DECEMBER 2021
Director: FRANCOIS BALANANT
Country: France
Duration: 04:51
Synopsis: An old fisherman and his two small children live by the shore. They will undergo a terrible storm which will submerge their house and swallow everything up, but there is still a way to find their memories …
Songlines (2021)
BEST SCREENPLAY AWARD @ MOSCOW SHORTS – NOVEMBER 2021
Director: Elise McLeod
Country: France
Duration: 18:40
Synopsis: After a car accident, JFC, rock singer of Algerian origin, wakes up, lost in the French countryside with no one around to help him; he has lost his memory and doesn’t know who he is anymore. Yet in the village everyone seems to know him …
Moscow Shorts – April 2022 – DAY 3
I Used to Live Here (2021)
BEST STUDENT AWARD @ MOSCOW SHORTS – OCTOBER 2021
Director: Asaad Abboud
Country: Russian Federation
Duration: 21:33
Synopsis: Camille comes to his hometown for a day to visit his mother’s grave. He gets beaten and robbed. Destiny brings him to his former apartment where now lives Maria, a single mom. She raises a son, defends herself against drunken men and waits for her husband to be released from prison. They have one night to try living another life.
The Struggle is Real 365 (2021)
BEST NARRATIVE AWARD @ MOSCOW SHORTS – NOVEMBER 2021
Director: Flook Nielsen
Country: Denmark
Duration: 15:00
Synopsis: Daniel tries to impress his new boss in an attempt to get his life back on track.
Lost Time (2021)
BEST DOCUMENTARY AWARD @ MOSCOW SHORTS – DECEMBER 2021
Director: Jack Chapman
Country: United Kingdom
Duration: 12:20
Synopsis: When his wife dies, a 92 year old’s saving grace is the brotherhood of his local bowls club, which is forced to close during the pandemic
Bi-2 — We don’t need a hero (2021)
BEST MUSIC VIDEO AWARD @ MOSCOW SHORTS – OCTOBER 2021
Director: Max Shishkin
Country: Russian Federation
Duration: 04:40
Synopsis: An Ancient organization throughout human history killed the heroes to keep a society under uncompromising control. “Nowadays” members of the organization create the illusion of fighting for freedom’s sake: they kill national hero and then resurrect him. He assembles followers to take the organization’s headquarters by storm, but intentional punishment is waiting for them. Will evil prevails or is there still hope for freedom?
The Devil’s Avocado (2021)
BEST NARRATIVE AWARD @ MOSCOW SHORTS – DECEMBER 2021
Director: Edoardo De Luca
Country: Italy
Duration: 02:47
Synopsis: Do you know how many kilometers your avocados have to travel to reach your table? Your environmental impact while buying them? Or even how much water is needed for an avocado toast? We realized that we tend to take care of problems as long as they are covered by medias; then we forget them. This movie looks at a crucial ethical problem that’s close to us all, in a comical way.
The Warziniek’s File (2021)
BEST FILM AWARD @ MOSCOW SHORTS – NOVEMBER 2021
Director: Pierre J. Secondi
Country: France
Duration: 18:40
Synopsis: Paul Warziniek – citizen 4.815.162.342 – is living a happy life. One day, he receives a parking ticket. The only problem is: he doesn’t own a car. Paul then decides to go to the Prefecture to settle what seems to be a simple administrative formality.
The Secret of Mr. Nostoc (2021)
BEST ANIMATION AWARD @ MOSCOW SHORTS – DECEMBER 2021
Director: Patrice Seiler, Maxime Marion
Country: France
Duration: 10:55
Synopsis: Mr. Nostoc lives in an hectic city. Not stressed or pressed by time, he goes to work, and always has a new surprise under his hat. When night comes, he goes into his attic and stays there for hours. Working on his secret.
