OPENING NIGHT FILM
OPEN TO PUBLIC, FREE ENTRANCE, Friday, 26/09 MKC/Cinema Frosina 20:00
FOREVER WITH YOU (Io non ti lascio solo)
Italy, 2025, 110'
Director: Fabrizio Cattani
Filo and Rullo, two inseparable friends, secretly set out to look for Birillo, the dog lost by Filo's father. Their friendship is strong and nothing can stop them, not even the fear of the dark or the gruff mountain man Guelfo Tabacci, who seems to be involved in the dog's disappearance. But behind this apparent reality lie unexpected events, which will force the boys to face trials much bigger than themselves.
FEATURE FILMS IN COMPETITION
OFFICIAL SELECTION, Saturday, 27/09 MKC/Cinema Frosina 13:00
The Quiet Girl
Ireland, 2022, 95'
Director: Colm Bairéad
The setting is the early 80s. In rural Ireland, a quiet, neglected girl is sent away from her dysfunctional family to live with relatives for the summer where she blossoms and learns what it is to be loved.
OFFICIAL SELECTION, Sunday, 28/09 MKC/Cinema Frosina 13:00
Paperheart
Italy, 2025, 90'
Director: Kristina Sarkyte
Luca is a sweet and intelligent boy who tries to grow up and survive in a degraded family situation. His brutal father wants him to be more masculine. Only at his neighbors Luigi and Pietro's house, Luca feels appreciated. Will he be able to maintain his beautiful soul in a dark and limiting reality?
OFFICIAL SELECTION, Monday, 29/09 MKC/Cinema Frosina 13:00
From Scratch
Russian Federation, 2025, 90'
Director: Polina Kondrateva
Rita is a talented girl who writes poetry. She strives to find her place in this world. Hoping to fulfill her dreams and escape from her strict father after her mother’s death, Rita gets a job as a caretaker for her teacher’s disabled daughter. Her self-belief helps her to break free from circumstances and other people and move on.
OFFICIAL SELECTION, Tuesday, 30/09 MKC/Cinema Frosina 13:00
THE BEST OF THE WORST (Il Migliore dei mali)
Italy / Slovenia / Poland, 2025, 90'
Director: Violetta Rovetto
1997, Southern Italy, five kids dealing with the disappearance of a dog, in the background a chemical industry full of hidden truths. An adventure between mystery and fantasy where the mysterious events that occur around the kids and the town will lead them to clash with “the best of the worst”. The film is based on the comic book of the same name, written by the director of this film, and is inspired by the Netflix series Stranger Things.
FEATURE FILMS IN JUNIORS COMPETITION
OFFICIAL SELECTION, Saturday, 27/09, Cinematheque 10:00
The Crown Prince and the return of Tyrant
Sweden, 2025, 87'
Director: Tord Danielsson
In the small kingdom, snow is falling from a bright sky and the whole town is getting ready for the big winter wedding between Queen Lovisa and the fool Amir. Then, suddenly, the old tyrant’s mother Amalia appears with her soldiers in tow. She is determined that the throne will return to her own family. The young crown prince Ville will now become king, just as he always dreamed of. But is he really up to the task - and what are his grandmother’s motives?
OFFICIAL SELECTION, Sunday, 28/09, Cinematheque 10:00
John Vardar vs the Galaxy
N.Macedonia/Croatia/Hungary/Bulgaria, 2024, 86'
Director: Goce Cvetanovski
John Vardar is a failed actor who is abducted by an alien spaceship. John becomes a prisoner of the intergalactic "zoo" of the spaceship's captain, Zark, where he meets two evil creatures, who steal the spaceship and the most dangerous weapon in the universe, the VMK (Reality Modification Device). However, Zark secretly plants the weapon in John's head, causing everything the human says to become real.
OFFICIAL SELECTION, Monday, 29/09, Cinematheque 10:00
Tartini's Key
Slovenia, 2024, 115'
Director: Vinci Vogue Anzlovar
The action takes place in Piran, where three children meet. An SMS message was sent to the wrong number triggers a series of events in which children go through various adventures and puzzles related to Piran. The antagonists of the story are bandits who are looking for treasure, but they are overtaken by children who are more skilled in solving the keys that lead to the treasure. The children are the first to find the treasure, which is actually a collection of letters between the famous violinist Tartini and Stradivari, a violin maker who through correspondence provided him with support and advice on improving violins.
OFFICIAL SELECTION, Tuesday, 30/09, Cinematheque 10:00
Bumblebee's summer
Croatia, 2025, 88'
Director: Daniel Kusan
A summer that promised boredom transforms into an adventure that changes the group of friends forever. One flash from the sky, one secret lighthouse - and summer turns into the greatest adventure of a lifetime. A summer that promised boredom transforms into an adventure that changes the group of friends forever.
SHORT FILMS IN COMPETITION
Saturday, 27/09, 13:00
Adia
By Alberto De Simone
Italy, 13'
Adia is a 10 years old Senegalese girl; she will find herself facing difficulties beyond her age. Even though she is so small, life has catapulted her into the so-called "grown-up world" and the only object capable of taking her away from these thoughts and making her experience what remains of her childhood is her little music box.
Sunday, 28/09, 13:00
My little girl
by Chloé Jouannet
France 15'
Alex (45), recently divorced, accompanies his daughter, Jade (15), to a twirling competition. Before long, the single father is faced with a situation he never thought he'd have to deal with before...
Monday, 29/09, 13:00
Tits
by Eivind Landsvik
Norway 12'
After an argument, best friends Jasmine and Iben lose sight of each other at the beach. Jasmine meets up with the girls. Iben hooks up with Jonas, the boy she is crazy about. Later on, the seemingly shy boy Oscar has an unpleasant run in with Iben. When both of them are left behind by their friends, one of them makes a friendly gesture and they soon realize that they are dealing with similar issues. The summer night doesn’t turn out like they had expected but leads to an experience that might be the beginning of an unexpected relationship.
Monday, 29/09, 13:00
Ya Hanouni
by Lyna Tadount, Sofian Chouaib
France 3'
While the Mom and the Dad try to put their baby to sleep, a competition arises between them: who will manage to get the baby to say the first word?
Tuesday, 30/09, 13:00
Ace
by Marco Renda
Italy 15'
A young tennis player and her coach have an unbreakable bond, capable of overcoming any obstacle.
Wednesday, 01/10, 13:00-14.45
Andromeda
by Anna Melikyan
Russian Federation 15'
A young woman climbs to the rooftop of a high-rise to end her life - but she’s interrupted by a foul-mouthed utility worker, grumbling about having to cover some kid’s graffiti. There’s no sympathy, just sarcasm and provocation. And yet, in this absurdity, a strange will to live begins to emerge.
Wednesday, 01/10, 13:00-14.45
Fantas
by Halima Elkhatabi
Canada 12'
Tania decides to take her horse Fantas to meet her friends in her working-class neighborhood. By sharing her passion, she seeks to bring together two parts of herself, two worlds that have never crossed paths before and which will collide in an urban tale with surreal overtones.
Wednesday, 01/10, 13:00-14.45
Green Desert
by Andrea Gioia Lomoroi
Italy 4'
In the scorching heart of the Ras Al Khaimah desert, a child, beside an ancient Ghaf tree, brings a drawing to life as a vivid vision envelops him. Convinced he has received a message, the child runs across the scorching desert sands to deliver it to his father, a Bedouin now shrouded in the shadows of disillusionment. While the man believes he lives in harmony with creation, the child knows he can and must do more.
Wednesday, 01/10, 13:00-14.45
For your ears
by Alexandre Isabelle
Canada 13'
While the townsfolk are celebrating the village's anniversary parade, Étienne tries the impossible: to show them how beautiful his family’s cacophony really is.
Wednesday, 01/10, 13:00-14.45
The Fight
by Antony Petrou
United Kingdom 8'
In a North London boxing gym, an 11-year-old girl trains with quiet intensity, one of the only girls in a space where the boys won’t spar her. She runs the same route each morning, pausing at a place that seems to carry something unspoken. There’s a weight in her silence, a drive that reaches beyond the ropes. One day, she takes a radical step, an act both defiant and tender, a gesture that seems aimed at acceptance but speaks to something far deeper.
Wednesday, 01/10, 13:00-14.45
Reptila
by Mirkö Lafenière
Canada 16'
In the scorching heart of the Ras Al Khaimah desert, a child, beside an ancient Ghaf tree, brings a drawing to life as a vivid vision envelops him. Convinced he has received a message, the child runs across the scorching desert sands to deliver it to his father, a Bedouin now shrouded in the shadows of disillusionment. While the man believes he lives in harmony with creation, the child knows he can and must do more.
SHORT FILMS IN JUNIORS COMPETITION
Saturday, 27/09, 10:00
The sound of a miracle
by Sabina Pariante
Italy 11'
Every morning Roberto accompanies his son Gabriele to school. After leaving him the snack money, she says goodbye and leaves. Without his father's knowledge, the child gives up his snack every day to give money to Job, a homeless man who lives on a bench in front of his school. This gesture of solidarity will bind the two deeply, finding each other in an unexpected ending.
Saturday, 27/09, 10:00
Damji
by Nazanin Chitsaz
Iran 2'
A child is gathering wasted water drops...
Sunday, 28/09, 10:00
Model Rocketry
by Zlatko Kalenikov
N.Macedonia, 18'
Eleven-year-old Kalin dreams of becoming an astronaut and being in space, admired by his younger sister, Lea who follows his dream secretly. Kalin and his friends, Neshko and Stajka, attend a young scientists' program, where they learn to assemble and launch rockets. Eager to impress their classmates, his friends push Kalin to break the rules, launching his first rocket out of class, leading him into an dangerous childish adventure.
Monday, 29/09, 10:00
Yuck!
by Loïc Espuche
France 13'
Yuck! Couples kissing on the mouth are gross. And the worst is, you can’t miss them: when people are about to kiss, their lips become all pink and shiny. Little Léo laughs at them, just like all the kids at the summer camp. But he has a secret he won’t tell his friends: his own mouth has actually begun glistening. And, in reality, Léo desperately wants to give kissing a try.
Tuesday, 30/09, 10:00
Home Cooking
by Ahmet Toğaç
Turkie 15'
Selma, a teenage girl, is looking forward to making pizza for her father’s birthday and going to the amusement park with whole the family. But the day doesn’t turn out that way, as her father doesn’t turn up. Though their father eventually finds them at the park, Selma’s joy quickly fades, leaving the siblings to quietly search for ways to fill the emptiness left by their family’s unraveling bonds.
Wednesday, 01/10 10:00
Meteora
by Michele Bucci
Italy 18'
In the microcosm of a rural family, Robertino, a 11-year-old boy,
doesn’t know the concept of death. After a tragic event, he begins to
question everything his parents have always taught him.
ANIMATION SHORT FILMS COMPETITION
Sunday, 28/09
Motherly Instincts
by Emma Zafirovska
United Kingdom 03'
An animated documentary exploring a blind mother’s early motherhood experience.
Sunday, 28/09
17 O'Clock
by Flaka Kokolli
N.Macedonia 10'
A family must live an everyday life while the world around them shatters during the armed conflict 2001. While the bombing is ongoing, two parents are torn between protecting and sheltering their children in their home, begging them to play in the sun, or allowing them to play and have a childhood.
Sunday, 28/09
Zarko, You Will Spoil the Child!
by Veljko Popovic, Milivoj Popovic
Croatia, France 14'
The film recounts the memories of a childhood in Split in the 1980s. The film is moving tribute to the love of a grandpa and grandma who did their best to keep their granddaughter smiling.
Sunday, 28/09
Have a nice dream
by Jonathan Kirkpatrick
USA 10'
A young boy looks up at the moon each night, longing to be anywhere else. When a piece of the moon comes plummeting down to Earth, he gets that chance.
Sunday, 28/09
The Refusers
by Wiep Teeuwisse
Netherlands 03'
On a street corner in the city, a heap of dumped garbage surrounds two garbage containers. An old mattress begins to speak sadly and other pieces of garbage join in, sharing the reasons why they have been discarded. Inspired, the trash begins to see itself positively, and their enthusiasm evolves into song and dance.
Sunday, 28/09
Gravity
by Robotina
Italy 09'
We are in the year two thousand Something. The Earth is a boundless bare and desolate expanse. It seems undergone an inexorable apocalypse, but the real reason is that the force of gravity has decided to change direction: instead of pointing to the ground, it pushes toward the sky.
Sunday, 28/09
And I Would Be Beautiful
by Mathilde George
Feance 10'
My boobs? They're too small, even Fanny said so. My butt? I hate it! My face? In a trash can… Thanks to Muse, I could become someone else. In just 30 days, I'd have slimmer legs, higher breasts and a firmer bottom. And finally, I would be beautiful.
Sunday, 28/09
Konundrum
by Milica Puzic
Bosnia and Herzegovina 04'
Jurij drinks wine and smokes cigarettes as time passes. The ceiling begins to ripple, sucks him in, and he surfaces in a glass held by a larger version of himself. The cycle begins, where the smaller Jurij tries to call the larger one.
Sunday, 28/09
Straight and in a Circle
by Palina Ramashka
Belarus 04'
It is a touching story of a refugee forced to leave his home in search of safety, healing, and a new sense of belonging
Sunday, 28/09
In captivity of a finger+2
by Zahra Shafiei Dehaghani
Iran 04'
An illiterate scarecrow enters an economic city, the people have trusted him and elect him as manager. But the people realize that he is illiterate and he has jeopardized the economy, the people take back their votes but the scarecrow tortures the people with a whip, the people unite, the scarecrow falls.
Student Short Films Competition (High school students)
Wednesday, 01/10 15.00
Earth's Echo
by Yannis Grimm,
Janis Schweizer
Switzerland 03'
The robot Robert, who symbolizes the naive and unconscious behavior of humans, is confronted with the consequences of his actions.
Wednesday, 01/10 15.00
Tea
by Jack Marshall
United Kingdom 04'
A boy comes home to care for his mentally deteriorating mother.
Wednesday, 01/10 15.00
Do Re Mort
by Escola Cooperativa Nou Patufet students
Spain 04'
Piano can be jealous too.
Wednesday, 01/10 15.00
Enough is enough
by Johannes Brandweiner, Anna Hiltgartner
Austria 03'
‘Enough is enough’ raises the question of whether school could work with less pressure and without the fear of failure.
Wednesday, 01/10 15.00
Bytes Away From Home
by Nickolas Theofilos Tsironis
Grece 06'
When digital illusions blur the edges of reality, one woman must confront the echo of her virtual self or risk losing what's real forever.
Wednesday, 01/10 15.00
Evolution
by 3rd grade class mentor
prof. Vittorio Caratozzolo
"Giacomo Bresadola" School
Italy 04'
Once upon a time, free time was spent playing outdoors... Then there was an EVOLUTION. Your body profile is in danger!
student Short Films Competition (Primary school students)
Wednesday, 01/10 10.30
Friends and a shark
by Jan Filko, Lovro Miljenović, Teo Savić, Jan Kunder, Patrik Švarc, Ivano Antolić (FKVK Zaprešić)
Croatia
Wednesday, 01/10 10.30
The Rest
by Anastazja Jarmuż (Animatik Foundation)
Poland
Wednesday, 01/10 10.30
The big world
by 18 chidren aged to 9 years
Hainaut Cinéma
Belgium
Wednesday, 01/10 10.30
Double life
by Laura Bautista
Colombia
Wednesday, 01/10 10.30
Minute
by Film group Bartol Kasic Primary School, Marina Zlatarić
Croatia
Wednesday, 01/10 10.30
Combat de merda
by Niko Ferrari, Tainá Aragonés
Spain
FILMS OUT OF COMPETITION
ITALIAN SHORT FILMS
Monday, 29/09, 18:00
Pinocchio Reborn
by Matteo Cirillo
Italy 15'
In a world that exploits those who are honest, Pinocchio, now an adult, pays dearly for the values of goodness and sincerity he has followed. Constantly humiliated and mocked, he turns to a psychologist to try to understand whether, in a society that rewards the clever, it is worth staying good.
Monday, 29/09, 18:00
Amelìa
by Fabio Orefice, Rodolfo "Belusci" Croce
Italy 15'
Carmenia is a ten-year-old girl who is taken away from her mother to be entrusted to AMELìa, an artificial intelligence living in an ancient palace in the Calabrian hinterland. The adoption soon proves to be more difficult than expected: the adoptive mother’s attempts to win her over seem to fail. Carmenia only wants to go back home, to her real mom. And although impossible, Amelìa will have no choice but to comply.
Monday, 29/09, 18:00
Il Pezzo
by Kimberly Scarsella
Italy 12'
A self-centered college student faces her family’s shortcomings and her own unfulfilled dreams on a trip to discover her mother’s roots in Calabria. When her uncle promises her a chance to play a Stradivarius violin for the first time, she cannot anticipate what she might find.
Monday, 29/09, 18:00
L'estate Amara
by Gaetano Di Gaetano
Italy 13'
Corrado, a 12-year-old boy, experiences a pivotal moment in his childhood in Sicilia. His grandmother’s illness forces everyone to confront suffering and uncertainty. Mariella, his mother, clings to faith, seeking comfort in prayer, while Michele, his father, approaches the situation with detachment and sarcasm. Corrado wonders if God can truly heal his grandmother, as his mother believes.
Monday, 29/09, 18:00
Monster
by Sophia Lassi
Italy 15'
Francis is a troubled girl living her teenage years unhappily, especially after a fight with her best friend Vittoria, who turned her schoolmates against her. Her only safe haven is bike rides and the piano, but these manage to give her only momentary relief from the pain. She feels like a mistake, and inadequate. Is she really the monster everyone believes her to be?
Monday, 29/09, 18:00
Barefoot
by Luca Esposito
Italy 15'
Poverty and class inequality retraces the story of a simple boy seeking a better future.
FEATURE DOCUMENTARY FILMS
Monday, 29/09, 17:00
Girls Don't Cry
by Sigrid Klausmann
Germany 89'
How do girls fare in an increasingly restrictive world? In “Girls Don't Cry” we learn about the longing of 6 girls for a self-determined life in freedom, their desire to fall in love, without paternalism, without foreign power over their own bodies, with equal rights. We experience how they deal with the crisis of puberty, their self-confident decisions in difficult situations, their courageous fight against brutal traditions such as circumcision, against social constraints and pressure, against beauty mania and prejudice, even in the face of trauma and loss.
Wednesday, 01/10, 17:00
Bad Coaches (Cattivi Maestri) 2024
by Roberto Orazi
Italy 60'
Vincenzo Fuoco, thirty-five, has had an unquenchable passion for soccer since he was a boy. When he was eleven, playing for his local team, Villa d'Adda, he was bought by a professional team. It was there that he met a serial predatory sports manager, who insinuated himself into his life and his family. Today, Vincenzo has emerged from this nightmare, rediscovered his love for soccer, and decided to tell his story.
DOCUSPROUTS - Short documentary films
Sunday, 28/09, 15:45
Zhivusha
by Ksenija Dovezenska
N. Macedonia 13'
In the tranquility of the Kumanovo village of Dovezence, the married couple Zare (68) and Mirjana (62) spend their old age taking care of their livestock, as well as their garden where they grow vegetables and fruit.
Sunday, 28/09, 15:45
Tilting at Windmills
by Borjan Gagovski
N. Macedonia 24'
Art educator Biljana Dimitrova dreams of a different world – one where we are taught from an early age to create, trust ourselves and care for those around us.
Sunday, 28/09, 15:45
How did i get here?
by Roy Stefanova
N. Macedonia 11'
A self-reflection film meant to show the many struggles of the day-to-day life of an author who has struggled their whole life with writing.
SHORT FILMS FOLLOWED WITH DISCUSSION
Saturday, 27/09, 15:45
Through Xhelo's Eyes
by Besa Tusha
N. Macedonia 13'
Through the stories of Old Bazaar artisan, Xhelo we experience the past and Skopje's economic, political and social crises.
Saturday, 28/09, 17:00
For Eva
by Bojan Vasilev
N. Macedonia 14'
Eva, a seventeen year old girl, tries to face the consequences of a rash decision. For Eva, is a coming-of-age drama that explores teen pregnancy and a mother-daughter relationship dynamic.
Tuesday, 30/09, 15:45
101% - Who controls your choices?
by Serena Corvaglia
Italy 19'
Is it better to trust your instincts or an app that guides you towards the perfect choice? Is it better to have an invitation to go out in person or a little heart on a dating app? This is the dilemma of Riccardo, the classic shy and awkward teenager, who relies on a disturbing digital avatar to find his soulmate; it's also that of Teresa, his sister, who searches for the limits of love and respect in her relationship.