Ottimismo democratico

this is Mount Rinjani

At once a journey and a reckoning, this film follows 19 year old Koen's ascent of Mount Rinjani—often regarded as Indonesia’s toughest summit. What begins as a test of endurance gradually transforms into something more intimate: a dialogue between self and nature. Shot as a reflective video diary, the film holds not just the view from the summit, but the moments of insight and introspection discovered along the way.

Printemps Now!

How Montreal is transformed from winter to spring. Inspired by Berlin: Symphony of a great city, Printemps Now! is a cinematographic poem, an audiovisual symphony of the city of Montreal transitioning from winter to spring.

Ferrum

Unconventional portrayal of mining in the Swedish Lapland ore fields, a powerful image and sound symphony that can be experienced both as a documentary and symbolic work.

Transmission

An audio-visual experience through the perspective of an iPhone depicting a harmonious city during the day quickly descend into technological madness as night falls.

From the Room to the Cinema to Outside

An experimental short where a character sends a series of progressively desperate emails asking for a job.

Monstruo Obscura

Seoul, 1996. Wastewater from developed film reels is dumped into the sewers. From this toxic discharge, a monster awakens, carrying the memories of countless movies imprinted on the film reels. Burdened by a vanished past, the monster wanders the city.

o céu diante dos meus olhos nunca é cinza

Interview and Reading: Jonas Mekas

Jonas Mekas recites poems of his, both in English and Lithuanian. Exclusive Mekas interview by the poet Sparrow. The legendary poet-film critic and film diarist waxes philosophical in rare extended setting exhibiting his transcendental poetic humor. Jonas attacks the crass world of TV advertising and sell-out commercial filmmakers. Contributes zen anecdotes and filmmaking advice. Choice clips include Mekas' Film Diaries with deceivingly formalist amateur "home movie" style, but in small bursts of expression in a quick collage. Footage from Jonas' homeland as well as clips of famed pop figures John Lennon, Yoko Ono and Tiny Tim.

Hear O, Mahatma

In an open letter to the most influential modern Indian political leader, the Late Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the filmmaker sequentially narrates the stories of three distinct individuals - that of a confused filmmaker who flows with time, a dedicated social reformer who guides the stratified masses into social upliftment and a divisive and regressive politician. The juxtaposition of their disfigured trajectories provokes a pertinent question: Did Gandhi ever foresee the dehumanized shape that his legacy has now dangerously morphed into?

to the stranger who has loved you all your life

An experimental short film that traces the emotional landscape of life after heartbreak. Through intimate narration and cinematography, the film reflects on time, healing, and the rediscovery of self. A quiet yet cinematic portrait of learning to love the stranger within, and rediscovering the beauty of simply being alive.

Pride & Snide

A contrast between two kinds of attitudes to gay liberation in Adelaide.

Echo

A reframing of the classic tale of Narcissus, the director draws on snippets of conversation with a trusted friend to muse on gender and identity. Just as shimmers are difficult to grasp as knowable entities, so does the concept of a gendered self feel unknowable except through reflection. Is it Narcissus that Echo truly longs for, or simply the Knowing he possesses when gazing upon himself?

Ruin Nostalgia

A collection of urban explorations videos made by filmmaker Will Krupinsky between 2015-2017.

my life through my eyes

A short experimental film that explores one filmmaker’s journey to preserve fleeting moments before they fade. Created as a heartfelt introduction into Koen's film making journey, the film blends nostalgic visuals with inventive storytelling techniques, exploring childhood dreams, the fear of forgetting, and the impulse to document life as it unfolds. This marks Koen’s first true dive into editing and cinematography, born from years of unfinished projects, it stands as a heartfelt introduction to a lifelong pursuit of storytelling, dedicated to the child in all of us who once dreamed.

Anhell69

A hearse cruises the streets of Medellín, while a young director tells his story in this city marked by conflicts, violence and paradoxes. He remembers his childhood and the discovery of his sexuality.

Cartas de Arapuca

Darwin's Darlings

Standing near the reptile section in a zoo we can learn a lot about the animals on both sides of the separating glass.

Nothingness

The Eye explores silent landscapes where nature and absence coexist. Between the memory of places and resilience in the face of time, the film oscillates between beauty and existential vertigo, capturing what persists and what fades.

USSR (1917-1991)

Experimental short film that explores the rise and decline of the Soviet Union, from the revolutionary spark of 1917 to the challenges and sacrifices endured during World War II, until its dissolution in 1991.

The Gulf War... What Next?

The second Gulf War from 1990 to 1991 represents in the collective Arab memory a turning point in regards to the Arab nationalism’s self-perception as well as a moment of deep historical and existential insecurity. Five Arab directors discuss the events from their personal perspective.