OFFICIAL SELECTION

2025

29 Nov @ 11:00 (75 mins)

New Voices Student

Short Film

29 Nov @ 14:00 (85 mins)

Unique Perspectives

Short Film

29 Nov @ 17:00 (93 mins)

Narrative

Short Film

29 Nov @ 19:30

East Anglian

Short Film

New Voices Student

Short Film

All genres of student short films were considered for this category, with the focus being on storytelling in new ways. The shortlist of 9 films features a very hard hitting UK military drama, a short wistful animation, and a multinational imagining of a world where traditional cinema is extinct. New stories from new voices.

  • A young man in military camouflage uniform sitting at a table during a class or meeting, with others around him. Several posters and signs about ammunition and safety are visible on the wall behind him.

    Eyes Front

    Set in 2007, army recruit Lewis Bailey battles with his conscience as a female peer is harassed by an idolised young man in their section.

  • A dimly lit library room with tall wooden bookshelves filled with books on both sides. In the center, there is a table with four chairs, and on the table are two green-shaded bankers lamps with brass bases, illuminating the area.

    Everything in its Right Place

    Are you paying attention?

  • Dark photo of a hanging mobile with cloud, heart, and star shapes, illuminated by a warm light.

    Ya Hanouni

     While the Mum 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?

  • A close-up of many fuzzy peaches with a pinkish-orange color and stems, spread across a flat surface.

    Round Walthamstow Way

    This short captures a Grandfather telling stories about when he was growing up in the east end of London, focusing on feelings of nostalgia and seeing the world through the playful eyes of a child.

  • A young woman in a red dress sitting at a table with bottles and glasses, looking down thoughtfully in a dimly lit setting.

    Let it Burn

    Nadia, an arrogant girl with cerebral palsy, and her tough mother Iwona, attend a lavish wedding. An emergency means Nadia must rise above her limitations, and learn to care for others.

  • Illustration of a desert landscape with a cactus and a small dinosaur on one of the cactus pads. The background features a mountain and a colorful sky with a bright star or sun.

    Like Father Like Gum

    A short comedy about a son who's car troubles can only be fixed by his mechanically adept dad. Little does the father know, his son has already had a crack at the engine, using methods that will make any parent with mechanical sympathy cringe with horror.

  • Man with short brown hair facing away, wearing a light-colored jacket, looking at a rural landscape with hills and scattered clouds in the sky.

    Second Skin

    A man wakes up in a dreamlike fantasy, with everything he’s ever wanted, until a familiar girl appears and shatters the illusion, forcing him to confront the reality he tried to escape.

  • A man dressed as a rebellious farm boy from the 1940s or 1950s, wearing a flat cap, vest, and red neckerchief, holding a rake over his shoulders, looking confidently into the distance, with a dark background and a windmill in the distance.

    On Sonder Hill

    In a 70s landscape of theatre, a charming dream-chaser, says hello to the love of his life for the first time. 50 years later, a simple hill is preventing him from saying goodbye.

  • Three people in a dimly lit room, two men and a woman, with a bulletin board covered with papers and drawings behind them. The man on the left wears sunglasses and a green jacket, the woman in the middle has short blonde hair, glasses, and a black shirt, and the man on the right has a beard, glasses, and wears a dark coat.

    Under Siege

    In the aftermath of a devastating global audiovisual war, the world is unrecognizable. The battle for content supremacy has ended with influencers, content creators, and their mindless, zombie-like followers emerging victorious. Traditional cinema is all but extinct, its champions hunted down and erased from the digital landscape. But resistance remains.

Unique Perspectives

Short Film

Films on the fringe from a diverse range of perspectives. Each film offers a fresh lens on the world, flipping the script on reality. Dance, ice skating, a deep dive into the otherworldly bog biome, moody lo-fi music and clay modelling, and a reconstruction of memories on 16mm Kodak film. This program dares you to see the world differently.

  • A person standing under a waterfall in a natural setting, arms outstretched, with water cascading from above.

    Way to Fly

    A three-minute, 31 second cinematic adventure. After trying to pin-point an epiphany, a man finds freedom after he accidentally discovers a new world full of beauty and seemingly endless possibilities.

  • Close-up of orange, red, and yellow liquids with bubbles, possibly oil or other liquids mixing or reacting

    Gates of the Green

    A short film discussing the importance of music in daily life, and the ways in which it effects everyone.

  • A woman sitting alone on a chair in a hotel room with floral patterned carpet, a window with curtains, a side table with a lamp, a small table with a vase of flowers, and a partial view of a yellow room divider.

    Memory

    An experimental documentary reimagining the childhood recollections of a Jersey inhabitant, Margaret, through the intimate lens of the director's British South Asian background by channelling his own family's generational diasporic experience and sisterhood. The cast is comprised of the director's own family reconstructing Margaret's memories on 16mm Kodak film.

  • A VHS tape with a scene from a skating video shows a female skater in a purple dress. The tape is on a textured ice rink with colorful lines and the words "Very Happy Skater" in bold pink, purple, gold, and red letters.

    Very Happy Skater

    Spanning nearly two decades of footage, Very Happy Skater follows the groove of an edge in the ice. Or is it just some videos of a girl skating?

  • A group of cartoonish clay sculptures of human faces with large eyes and dreadlocks, some showing teeth, arranged in a statuesque formation.

    The Voice

    Moody lo-fi music, puppetry and clay modelling combine in a personal and touching story of a talented young artist with imposter syndrome. Dwelling on the implications for his mental health, the artist records his struggle to contain the pressure of competing inner voices, whilst striving for a pathway out of drudgery and oppression.

  • A young man with short hair gazes out of a window in a dark setting, illuminated by soft blue and warm light.

    Fanfare for Shame

    A man with something to say finds somewhere magnificent to say it. If only someone was there to listen to him. 

    A film aiming to challenge our preconceptions and of people and places.

  • A woman with shoulder-length wavy dark hair standing against a plain white background, looking directly at the camera with a serious expression.

    Fractured Frame

    A woman's psyche is haunted and fractured by the relentless demands of the predatory industry she sought to break into.

  • A woman with dark hair tied up in a bun is looking down, illuminated by a faint light against a dark night sky.

    Godless Animal

    Stranded on a remote beach, a young woman struggles to move a lifeless body toward an unknown destination, documenting each step with her phone as the nature of her connection to the corpse slowly begins to emerge.

  • Aerial view of a dry, cracked landscape with sparse vegetation and some green trees on one side.

    Endless Thirst

    'Endless Thirst' is a deep dive into the otherworldly and misunderstood bog biome. Filmed in Canada, it draws attention to the harm inflicted on these ancient wetlands. An aerial view of a bog in its natural state suddenly sinks into the unimaginable, then appears to evaporate into ghostly images of the bog’s keystone species, Sphagnum moss, imprinted on 16mm film.

  • Glass test tube filled with clear liquid containing green plant stems and leaves.

    Tea Travel

    Through travel, sensory experiences, memories, literature and encounters, we follow a man's transformative journey seeking light and a deeper purpose in life.

  • A woman lies on her side in bed with yellow pillows, appearing to be sleeping or resting, next to a bedside table with magazines and a fork on top.

    Crave

    a lick away from love now...

    Late at night, her bed still warm from her lover leaving, a painter dips her brush into her own imperfect past & parts of her: a lost truth drips through...

  • Person leaning backward against a brick wall, wearing high-heeled boots, camouflage pants, and a blue jacket with a hood, at night on a sidewalk.

    The Children of Orpheus

    An experimental short film exploring the chaotic and unifying synthesis of music, sound, and dance within London's busy and maddening cityscape.

Narrative

Short Film

Whether it’s unspeakable comedy, gripping drama, or something entirely original that defies genre, these short films deliver unforgettable stories. Featuring the 2025 BAFTA winner based on a true story, a window into the world of precocious French poet, Arthur Rimbaud, and a graphic imagining of a hidden threat to a surgeon on her last day in theatre. These are the storytellers of the future.

  • Four people sitting at a table in a dark, industrial-style room, with guns on the table, and a bartender working behind a bar with drinks.

    Headhunter

    Four bounty hunters come together to take out a fifth

  • Close-up of a woman with glasses holding a blue object, viewed from below, with her face partially obscured.

    Plastic Surgery

    A doctor on her last day before maternity leave is thrown into chaos when a hidden threat emerges.

  • Two young men lying on a patterned rug on a wooden floor, one shirtless and the other wearing a light-colored shirt, sleeping together.

    Alchemy of the Word

    1873 - The precocious, French poet, Arthur Rimbaud, has eloped with his mentor - the older, married Paul Verlaine - to London. Despite the downward spiral of poverty and violence, it is here that Rimbaud will pen his aptly named masterpiece, “A Season in Hell.”

  • Close-up of a woman with dark hair and a surprised or concerned expression, indoors with blurred background.

    Susu

    A live in couple have an argument about bathroom habits. The argument swiftly turns into a fight and things take a turn for the worse when each of them suggest a probable solution for the problem.

  • A woman with dark hair holding a vintage camera, in profile, against a red curtain background.

    Tulips

    Student filmmaker Sophie accompanies her parents to document her grandfather’s last day in his home before being relocated due to dementia. As she films, she becomes confronted by the ethics of creating work that is too close to home.

  • Close-up of a man with blue eyes aiming a rifle through the scope.

    Rock Paper Scissors

    BAFTA 2025 Winner (Best British Short Film). Based on a true story — Ivan and his father operate a makeshift hospital at the frontline of war, but when enemy soldiers close in, Ivan faces an impossible choice to protect his father, their patients, and everything they stand for.

East Anglian Short Film Showcase

We champion local filmmaking. For this category we have discovered short films that tell East Anglian Stories, films made by East Anglian filmmakers and films that have been made in East Anglia.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers. We aim to finish by 21:30.

  • An elderly woman lying in bed holding hands with a caregiver in a cozy, dimly lit room decorated with colorful artwork and flowers.

    The Dog That Couldn't bark

    Rebecca, a woman on her deathbed is visited by a new nurse, Angelica, who seems to have an ability to draw out her hidden secrets.

  • A young man with curly dark hair, wearing a white shirt, black backpack, and a black tie with red and white pattern, standing outdoors with a surprised or concerned expression, listening to white earbuds.

    so far, so good

    After accidentally throwing a bottle through a stranger’s window, an American teenager finds himself being chased through the chaotic streets of South London by the irate British homeowner.

  • A woman with dark hair and makeup getting her makeup done by a makeup artist using a brush or sponge.

    Filthy and Wrecked

    Set in the bathroom of a 1980s punk bar, two best friends are on their weekly night out. Lisa spends the whole night obsessing over a boy while something is bothering Donna. As the night goes on Donna gets more and more frustrated with Lisa’s antics, until it’s all revealed.

  • A young woman with long blonde hair and blue eyes, wearing a green jacket and white headphones, smiling while sitting outdoors near a red and white building.

    Skelter

    Skelter is a coming of age drama that takes place over a day at a fairground. The film follows Nip as she spends her last day working at the show, leaving a wealth of memories, friends, and rides behind her.

  • A man in a black suit, white shirt, and black tie stands on the beach at sunset, holding a test tube with a liquid.

    A Smile For Her

    A dedicated husband must summon his inner strength to recover a cherished keepsake that is slipping further from his grasp.

  • A woman holding a pink cocktail at a birthday party with pastel balloons and bunting decorations, with a man nearby.

    Surprise!

    A working class mum discovers a terrifying secret at the surprise party from hell!

  • A young man with curly red hair sitting in a dimly lit room, looking intently at something off-camera. Another person is partially visible in the foreground, blurred out. The background has decorated walls with posters and various items.

    where r u mate?

    On a drug-fuelled Friday night, best friends Daniel and Tom find themselves in conflicting places. Daniel has become a recluse – smoking excessive amounts of weed in his bedroom and hallucinating that there’s a rabid dog in his wardrobe. Tom, meanwhile, is taking a leap into normality, joining a herd of lads on a night out.

  • A cartoon girl with brown hair, wearing a pink polka-dot dress and a pink bow, holding a small toy, looks up at a rocket launching into the sky among clouds.

    Abby 'n' Crabby

    Abby ‘n’ Crabby follows the adventures of the young girl Abby, and her new best friend – Crabby! Together, they explore their seaside town (based on the real life Southwold in Suffolk, England), taking in all of it’s sights and fun – before eventually, Abby learns she has to say goodbye.

  • A man with short hair, wearing a dark jacket and a cap, standing inside a store or shop with wooden shelves filled with bags, books, and decorative items behind him.

    Easy Sell

    A frugal Baz gets more than he bargains for at a charity shop when he is cornered by Phil, an odd charity shop worker, who insists he buy a dusty old wedding dress or face explosive consequences.

  • A woman with long hair, dressed in a white blouse and dark skirt, holding a white cloth over her head, standing between stone ruins at sunset.

    The Lost City

    This ‘Straight 8’ film, shot on one super8 cartridge with no editing, explores the costal town of Dunwich and the history of this location. Once a thriving city during the late 12 century a huge storm surge altered the land here forever.

  • Nighttime scene of a roundabout with directional signs and streetlights, with a blurred white car moving through.

    Last Night in Town

    A stop motion animation created to accompany Matt Shepherd’s song of the same name. Created and animated by artist and filmmaker George Farrow-Hawkins, the film is a quiet, personal response to the story told in the music, built frame by frame, by hand.