Short animated film competition – part III
FRIDAY, 06.03.2025, 11:20-12:30, (LOT CINEMA, POCZTOWA ST. 11)
HELLO, HEADQUARTERS
“Hello, Headquarters” a voice from the phone calls out to Mirek. Already feeling lost, Mirek only wants to report his wife, the Great Orange, missing. At every step, he collides with the brutal reality of office bureaucracy, and to make matters worse, it’s pouring rain outside.
PL, 2025, 04:57, dir. Zuzanna Heller, prod. Agata Golańska – Łódź Film School
KAFKA. IN LOVE
Franz and Milena – between them a distance, her husband and loads of letters – it is love that fills Kafka’s life with light and hope and at the same time illuminates the fears and darkness in him. Inspired by Franz Kafka’s Letters to Milena Jesenská, “Kafka. In Love” explores the multidimensional experience of falling in love.
CZE/LVA, 2024, 10:11, dir. Zane Oborenko, prod. Sabīne Andersone, Edmunds Jansons, Martin Vandas, Alena Vandasová
EBB AND FLOW
A young couple’s relationship is tested by their struggle to communicate. Set against imagery of shifting waters, the film explores their journey through conflict, emotional barriers, and moments of reconciliation, culminating in a narrative that begins and ends on tranquil blue waters.
CZE, Plimovanje, 2025, 03:16, Živa Divjak, prod. Tomáš Šimon – FAMU
BETTER MAN
„Better Man” is an animated documentary that explores the phenomenon of bodybuilding and examines the relationship fitness-oriented men have with their own bodies. Through interviews inspired by journalistic techniques, the film presents the stories of three men who use exercise as a way to cope with inner traumas.
CZE, Lepší člověk, 2025, 06:11, dir. Eliška Jirásková, prod. Tomáš Šimon – FAMU
HURIKÁN
Hurikán rushes to save his favourite beer stand from closure by fetching a new keg to impress the bartender he crushes on. In a wild Prague district, he faces robbers, cops, and his own thirst.
CZE, 2024, 13:07, dir. Jan Saska, prod. Kamila Dohnalová, Martin Vandas, Alena Vandasová, Antoine Liétout, Ivan Zuber, Juraj Krasnohorský, Mladen Đukić
STONE OF DESTINY
The journey of the anthropomorphized Stone of Destiny. On a path filled with mysterious encounters and hidden symbols, he is driven by a desire for freedom. Singing Stone is accompanied not only by a newfound freedom, but also by a fear of failure. He settles in a seaside villa, followed by shadows of doubt, but even here he finds no solace. The narrative is based on the personal experiences of author Julie Černá.
CZE, Kámen osudu, 2025, 10:00, dir. Julie Černá, prod. Kristina Husová – PURE SHORE
ZIMNY DOM
Everything is immersed in coldness and routine – including emotions, hidden in silence, and repetitive gestures. One day, a ray of sunshine comes through the window melting the ice and bringing warmth and hope for change.
PL, 2025, 08:22, dir. Alicja Liss, prod. University of Arts in Poznan
DRZWI
It’s the middle of the night, and the protagonist wakes up, disturbed by sounds coming from behind her bedroom door. In the darkness, she tries to make sense of the unsettling situation, observing the light seeping through the door and listening intently to the noises. Unable to see what is happening, she realizes that, while she is observing the unseen, something is also watching her.
PL, 2024, 02:00, dir. Paulina Woźniak, prod. University of Art in Poznań
