Director & Writer: James Arden
Producers: Georgiana Clark, Cleo Jackson

Country of origin: United Kingdom

Synopsis: Aurora is asked to look after her friend’s cat, but as events take a turn for the worse, she is forced to ask herself – am I a good person?

Director & Producer: Luca Gabriel Piercey

Country of origin: United Kingdom

Synopsis: An atmospheric portrait of Jo Piercey, a birth doula, mother and rebel, who is fighting to change the way we think about birth.

Director & Writer: Marta Baidek
Producers: Marta Baidek & George Fox

Country of origin: United Kingdom

Synopsis: “Out of the grey” is a sci-fi short film that tells the story of Laura, a pregnant environmental refugee who is forced to leave her haven in the hope to find medical support and safety for her unborn baby. The film touches on present day issues like the cost of living, global warming and the refugee crisis and is set in an inhospitable world.

Director & Writer: Leah Liu
Producers: Miaomiao Liu, Jianda Ma

Country of origin: China

Season Award #15 Nomination: 🏆 Best First-Time Filmmaker, Best Acting Ensemble & Best Post-Production

Synopsis: May, an orphan living in Floralville, stumbles upon an unknown secret on the day of the orphanage’s open house.

Director & Writer Jack Shepherd
Producers: Matthew Toon, Lena Buchanan

Country of origin: Australia

Season Award #15 Nomination: 🏆 Best Short Live Action Narrative & Best Cinematography

Synopsis: Riley and Luke explore around the rundown boatyards surrounding their house, Riley asks Luke why he uses smaller live fish as bait for the bigger ones. Luke’s never questioned it.

With no success at the wharf, the boys ask their father to take them to a better fishing spot but he tells them to piss off. To spite him, Luke and Riley “borrow” his tinny and motor, with their bucket full of ‘Yakka’, to a secluded bay.

Luke and Riley approach one of the seemingly empty houses, as they have done many times before but this time, Luke forces Riley to take the lead. Riley breaks in and searches the house for something to eat but is caught by the homeowner, a
bedraggled older woman, who at first is determined to call the police but then offers to cook a meal for the hungry boy. Luke, fearing for the trouble he and his brother might be in, pushes the woman into the nearby table.

As the woman lay bleeding on the ground, Luke grabs the shaken Riley and the two make a run for it back to the boat. But Riley refuses to leave, wanting to help the woman. Luke, struggling with his own guilt and fear, tries to intimidate Riley into going with him, then to physically force him. Riley fights back, pushing his brother who falls into the fishing hooks and skewers his hand. Riley finally sees his brother for what he is, just like their father, before returning to help the woman.

Directed by: Karim Souissi

Country of origin: Morocco

Season Award #15 Nomination: 🏆 Best Short Live Action Narrative & Best Acting Ensemble

Synopsis: North Africa, near future, a number of extremely violent sexual assaults causes a massive public outcry and a radical shift in the political landscape.

A new law is passed installing a curfew for women. After 9PM, any crime committed on women is no longer punishable by law. At night, gangs of teenagers roam the streets, hunting for prey.

Every morning Samira, a single mother, has to commute across the city to get to work. Every evening she has to make sure she’s back home before the curfew. Her son Nabil starts to hang out with one of the gangs, and gets drawn in by their ruthless leader who becomes a father figure.

One night, she ends up alone in the streets after the curfew. A race for survival begins for Samira to make it home.