THE CUT (CANADA) BY CHLOÉ CINQ-MARS

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Synopsis: Recovering from a cesarean section, Emma finally meets her newborn son. As she overcomes her unfamiliarity and slowly falls in love with him, The Cut explores the complexity of the bond between mother and child.Running time: 00:17:00.

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Selections/awards: Fantasia IFF, Montreal (Winner Best Actress And Best Editing), Vancouver IFF, Bogoshorts, 20minmax Intl Short Ff (Winner Best Short Film), Female Eye FF Toronto, Short Shorts Film Festival and Asia, Kerry IFF, Thessaloniki Intl Short FF, Hof IFF, St.Louis IFF, and more.

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About the director: Chloé Cinq-Mars wrote the screenplay of La Voce, a short film directed by David Uloth, which traveled to over 150 festivals and was awarded 54 prizes. She also wrote the feature film The Far Shore, directed by David Uloth. The Cut is her first experience as a director.

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SCARS (CANADA) BY ALEX ANNA

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Synopsis: Alex Anna’s body is a canvas: her scars come to life to tell a new story of self-harming. Live action and animation intertwine in this short and poetic documentary, both intimate and universal. Running time: 00:10:00.

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Selections/awards: Brussels Independent FF, Viewpoint Documentary FF, Toronto Arthouse FF (Best Documentary Short Film), Doc.World FF.

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About the director: Alex Anna is a director and script supervisor in love with cinematographic language and words in all their beauty. As a queer and feminist filmmaker, she signed her first short film “The Fruit of Our Womb” in 2017 (as Laurie Mannessier), and uses art as a way to fight for a better world.

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CONTACT (CANADA) BY FRÉDÉRIC DESJARDINS

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Synopsis: In a world where technology often makes it possible to do without others, a man works, lives and carries out all of his activities alone. Running time: 00:09:03.

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Selections/awards: Indie Short Fest, Offline FF (Best International Short), Venice Film Week, The Buddha Intl FF (Best Cinematographer), and more.

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About the director: Frederic Desjardins has been working as a professional director for over 20 years, working on documentaries, television ads and shorts. He was awarded a Gémeaux for best Direction in 2011. 'Contact' is fourth short movie. In this short film he soberly approaches the themes of loneliness and caring between human beings. His previous short movie L’ouvre-boîte earned him a prize in the competition Pourquoi pas un court. Frederic is currently working on his first feature film which he hopes to shoot in 2022.

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A PEACOCK DANCE (USA) BY EMILY ENG

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Synopsis: An Asian American girl attending Chinese School faces her personal obstacles fitting in with her classmates. Running time: 00:11:22.

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About the director: Emily Eng is a filmmaker based in New Jersey who is pursuing her MFA in Creative Producing at Columbia University and is set to graduate in 2023. She is a recent Rutgers University graduate where she completed her BFA in Filmmaking. Several of her short films have been showcased in the 2017 Princeton Film Festival and the 2019 Terminus Conference. Emily often builds her stories from her own personal childhood experiences and seeks to showcase a voice for the Asian American community.

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THE DAYDREAMERS (U.K.) BY THOMAS RENCKENS

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Synopsis: What if you're addicted to your own fantasy? “The Daydreamers” takes a closer look at Maladaptive Daydreaming, a psychological condition discovered by professor Eli Somer. Protagonists Agatha and Jessica meet Somer on-camera, providing a moving testimony of their experience living a life cut off from reality. Running time: 00:33:00.

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Selections/awards: Rhode Island IFF (Best Short Documentary) Brussels Independent FF, Grierson British Documentary Awards, Viewpoint Documentary FF (Best Health Film), Doc.Boston Documentary FF (Best Short Documentary), and more.

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About the director: Thomas Renckens is a Dutch documentary filmmaker based in London. A recurring theme in his films is the conflict between fantasy and reality. While at the National Film & Television School, Thomas directed the films I am never really here (2018), Taking the Plunge (2018), Jenny & The Highway Blockers (2019), and his graduation film The Daydreamers (2020). Before studying at the National Film & Television School, Thomas worked for indie prod comps such as October Films and Lion Television for 5+ years. While there, he developed documentary programmes for broadcasters such as the Discovery Channel, Channel 4, BBC, and Viceland.

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GROOVE (USA) BY MARK L MAZZEO

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Synopsis: Matt is in the zone, he's groovin'. Until the outside world intrudes. Running time: 00:01:00.

Selections/awards: One Minute Story FF (Best Film), NYC Film and Television Festival, Atlantic City Cinefest, Jersey Shore FF, Big Teeth Small Shorts FF (Best Film, Micro Short), Minute Madness, Media FF.

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About the director: Mark is a filmmaker currently based South Jersey/Philadelphia Area. He has made a variety of award winning short films, as well two feature films.

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QUEEN CROCODILE (BELGIUM) BY CHARLES HABIB-DROUOT

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Synopsis: Rayna is a Bulgarian prostitute, working in Brussels’ red light district. One night, she shares a mystical and sexual moment with an African client, who dies shortly after. That night will haunt her. Running Time: 00:30:15.

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Selections/awards: Brussels Independent FF, Boston Short FF, Super Shorts London, Amsterdam Independent FF, Independent Starfilmfest, Verona IFF, West Texas Film Festival, Bruges International FF (Best belgian Film), and more.

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About the director: After studies in literature and cinema, Charles Habib-Drouot created and ran the documentary production company Triptyque Films, before leaving to focus on his work as an auteur. Scriptwriter, director, editor, his work lies between fiction film, documentary and theater.

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