Beijing Lift-Off Film Festival 2025
Network Round Shorts

1. MAMACAR
Director/Writer: WING MAN DORIS LAU
Producer: WAI CHUNG CHAN
Country of Origin: Hong Kong

Synopsis: Kelly accidentally discovered from the dashcam that her husband, Jim, was cheating on her. She took her daughter and car away, but she was still hesitant about getting a divorce. To make a living, Kelly became a ridesharing driver. However, she received several complaints from passengers about her poor driving skills, and she fell into financial difficulties due to mounting tickets. Just when she was about to give up, a few encounters with various passengers made her reconsider her decision. While Jim pursued reconciliation, Kelly faced the choice: to give Jim another chance or continue to raise her daughter alone.

2.Nettle
Director: Toni Hilgersson
Producer: Pierre Foulon
Country of Origin: Belgium

Synopsis: Some say Jeanne is mad/crazy because she doesn’t let boys push her around, which doesn’t sit well with everyone.
To protect herself, she decides to say stop. From now on, consider yourself warned, don’t touch Jeanne, she stings.

3. The Apple Picker's Son
Director: Yang Zimik
Writer: Dulguun Bayasgalan
Producer: Cathy Ni
Country of Origin: United States

Synopsis:  A 10-year-old Kashmiri boy, still discovering his supernatural powers of telekinesis learns his migrant worker father is leaving to work in the apple harvest in war-torn Kashmir. Fearing for his father’s life, he must now use his powers to keep his family together.

4. Beauty is Pain
Director/Editor: Liu Jian
Country of Origin: China

5. Seal Lullaby
Director: Xin Li
Country of Origin: China, United States

Synopsis:  This hand-painted animated music video depicts the journey of a baby seal on his own after leaving his mother, featuring Anne Akiko Meyers who performs Eric Whitacre’s Seal Lullaby with Grant Gershon leading the Los Angeles Master Chorale.

6. WHEN WE WERE ALMOST CLOSE
Director/Writer: Jiaming Li
Producer: Aaron Zhang
Country of Origin: China

Synopsis:  After the sudden loss of her friend Wenyan, Mengran spirals into her emotions and shuts herself off from the world, spending her days practicing badminton alone. Yet she cannot escape the pain—or the lingering memory of Wenyan’s unspoken feelings for her. When she stumbles upon old DV footage of their time together, Mengran finally begins to find closure, facing both her grief and the love she once turned away from. Her memories, at last, take flight like a bird in the sky.

7. Alexyz - A Multicoloured Cartoonist
Director: Kurt Fernandes
Producers: Douglas Fernandes, Kurt Fernandes
Country of Origin: United Kingdom

Synopsis:  A documentary that portrays the life of Alexyz, an Indian professional cartoonist from Goa and his achievements and positive way of life.

8. Departures
Director/Writer/Producer: Gordon (Hei Yuen) Chan
Writer: Phoebe Chan
Country of Origin: Hong Kong

Synopsis: Two biracial students walk home together for the last time as they navigate questions of language, identity, and the uncertain shape of their future.

9. The Missing Chinese Girl
Director/Writer: Emma Nan Hu
Producer: Dominic Ryan
Country of Origin: United Kingdom

Synopsis:  Aimee, a Chinese young woman navigating her post-uni life in London, learns about her best friend's disappearance and questions how she could have done things differently.

10. Astronomers
Director: Dmitry Pasichnyuk
Writer: Shirokov Mikhail
Producer: Anna Chizhova
Country of Origin: Russian Federation

Synopsis:  Only one soldier knows the secret of the ancient German cathedral. But the mystery also has its own secret.

11. Here Where The Sea Shines
Director/Writer: Giuseppe A. Modica
Producer: Manuel Mastrofini
Country of Origin: Italy

Synopsis:  A little dog named Rosy is the mascot of Marina Grande, a small port area in Sorrento. She used to go fishing every morning with her longtime male-owner, who has since passed away. Today, Rosy turns 10 and helps her new family working at the bar, watching the fishermen and the sea, preserving the traditions of the entire village. Rosy is the link between the merchants and residents of Marina di Sorrento.

12. Nada Siempre
Director: Gaby Anaid López Ruiz
Writer/Producers: Gabriela Anaid López Ruiz
Producers: Centro Diseño, Cine y Televisión, Andrea López Ruiz,Andrés Robles Lizano,Eduardo Gómez,Paulina Chi
Country of Origin: Mexico

Synopsis:  Líli, a young woman who lives in Mexico City, to get home she has to travel by subway at night to get home. On one of her endless journeys, she realizes that someone or something is chasing her. When Lilí tries to get away, she thinks that she will find protection in a convenience store.

13. Jia You!
Director/Writer:Nathan Keith Williams
Writer: Morag Hobbs
Writer/Producer: Bill Neenan
Country of Origin: China

Synopsis:  Jia You could be the only music video in history with an Olympic Gold Medal! Filmmakers Nathan, Bill and Morag were presented with a Golden Rings Award for Best Social Media and Fan Engagement, for Beijing Winter Olympics 2022. The plucky filmmakers beat NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery in the same category.

14. Ice Cream Headache
Director/Writer: Benjamin K. Dyson
Producer: Tariq H Wahr
Country of Origin: United Kingdom

Synopsis:  Jeremy is a young man who is Autistic and wants to find love for the first time. He tries online dating and is negotiating that landscape, and after a false start, he does some soul searching for the right venue, enter Jessica, could she be the one?