Thank you to all the filmmakers who participated in the First-Time Filmmaker Sessions Volume 8!
The festival platformed hundreds of films, each project worthy of recognition and celebration. We want to extend a giant thank you to everyone who took part and a special congratulations to all the incredible talent that went into making these projects.
First-Time Filmmaker Sessions is designed to be the entry into the Lift-Off Global Network. A platform for the avant-garde, FT Sessions isn't about selecting the 'best' or most 'commercial' projects; it is about providing a screening opportunity for everyone, connecting these new and emerging voices with new audiences. An option we hope highlights and educates each month!
Jury's Overall Winner
Endless Blue
Director/Writer: Patricio Azpeitia
Writer/Producer: Ximena Almazán P.
Country of Origin: Mexico
Synopsis:
Alonzo lives trapped in a self-destructive routine, marked by guilt and fear of judgment. Unable to form real connections, he seeks refuge in casual sexual relationships until he meets Eli, someone who offers him understanding and security. When his lifestyle puts his integrity at risk, Alonzo is forced to rethink his way of living and loving.
Season Award #16 Shortlist
Audience Choice Winners
Yıkım (demolition)
Director/Writer/Producer: İbrahim Yıldız
Country of Origin: Turkey
Synopsis:
Our main character, a man, lost his pregnant wife in the earthquake and he was saved. If this can be called salvation. Our character's psychology has deteriorated in 2 months and he always sleeps in the same spot where his house was and collapsed. His clothes are dirty and he has no shoes. He wanders around the market randomly and when he walks with his wife in the market, his memories pass before his eyes like flashbacks.
Life
Director/Writer/Producer: Harry Waldman
Country of Origin: United States
Synopsis:
A day of life.
Do NOT Open
Director/Writer: Barathi Subramaniam
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Synopsis:
When a mysterious envelope labeled "Do NOT Open" arrives, a woman finds herself trapped in a one-minute time loop that leads her to the darkest corner of her backyard—and herself.
P.O.V.
Director/Writer/Producer: BRYAN SMITH
Country of Origin: United States
Synopsis:
In a rapidly digitizing world, Simone and Abe are a young couple navigating the complexities of love, ambition, and modern anxieties. Simone, a driven tech professional, thrives on her work facilitating discussions about emerging technologies, while Abe, a creative writer and academic, struggles with a deep distrust of the digital age's creeping control over personal autonomy.
NÃO TENHA MEDO
Director/Producer: Glauber Tiago Dal Paz
Country of Origin: Brazil
Synopsis:
Uma jovem precisando de dinheiro fácil para poder ir a praia com as amigas no verão, aceita o um emprego temporário de cuidadora infantil, durante o retiro de um grupo de cinéfilos, entretanto, a oportunidade de dinheiro fácil pode custar muito caro.
My Gay Demon Girlfriend
Director/Writer: Samantha Wyss
Producer: Rachel Siegel
Country of Origin: Canada
Synopsis:
Andie (Taylor Efford) brings her girlfriend Ogg (Bridget Cann) to meet her super cool, super queer friend group for the first time. For anyone, this would be an anxiety-inducing scenario. But for Ogg, things are 10 times worse because... well, she's a demon from hell.
MORTE NO BARRACÃO POLONÊS
Director/Producer: Glauber Tiago Dal Paz
Country of Origin: Brazil
Synopsis:
Epidemia de varíola irrompeu em fins de 1890 e matou, em Caxias do Sul, nos barracões que abrigavam os recém-chegados, mais de cem crianças polonesas com idade inferior a sete anos.
her prayer, my journey
Director/Writer/Producer: Inayah Bashir
Director: nana Kwadwo Osei-Ababio
Country of Origin: Ghana
Synopsis:
Aya, a celestial being sent to Earth, has lived under the quiet watch of six divine protectors who have guided her through shifting forms—family, friends, trees, the wind. As she nears the cusp of her awakening, the guides debate: Should they reveal themselves, or let her journey unfold without interference?
One fateful dawn by the river, the veil between them lifts. The divine appear in their full, formidable forms, trying to remind Aya of the promise made before her descent: that she would remember her power, her purpose, her duty to a suffering Earth. Overwhelmed, Aya struggles to hear their message, but when they begin to retreat, she chases them—determined to know. In a baptism of fire, water, air, and earth, Aya surrenders to her own becoming, stepping fully into the cosmic force she was always meant to be.
Datura (about green blindness)
Director/Writer/Producer: Laura Soledad Ferradas
Director: Rodrigo Nahuel Lopez
Country of Origin: Argentina
Synopsis:
"Datura ..." is a video performance that critically and reflectively examines our relationship with the urban plant environment. The piece aims to provoke viewers about "plant blindness," a tendency to ignore the presence and value of plants in our daily lives.
Anthropocenic venus
Director/Writer/Producer: Laura Ferradas
Director: Rodrigo Nahuel Lopez
Country of Origin: Argentina
Synopsis:
This short film arises from the creative, playful and philosophical proposal of co-creating and recording an artistic performance on the question of time and about the gaze of the Venus of Willendorf as a material icon of the total feminine in time towards our present day. global. If Willendorf's paleolithic Venus figurine was incarnated in a real body today, what would happen?
The First Date
Director/Producer: PATO CHECHENA
Writer/Producer: LETTICIA MORAES
Country of Origin: Brazil
Synopsis:
Malu is an introspective young college student, overwhelmed by the pressures of adult life and internal conflicts that she barely understands. After a sleepless night and an anxious start to the day, she decides to accept an invitation from Bernardo, a friend she met online, to meet at the beach. Despite her fears, the conversation with her mother and the boy's promise to take care of her reassure her — at least for a moment.
A CHRISTMAS BRIDE
Director: EZEUGO C EZEUGO
Writer/Producer: PRINCE HUMBLE
Producer: ROSABELLE JEANNE IYAFOKHAI
Country of Origin: Nigeria
Synopsis:
A young real estate agent, Kate, is tasked with selling a haunted mansion, before Christmas. She encounters Daniel, the house's former owner, who is trapped in a time loop by curse.
Daniel is bound to the house by a mysterious clock, and to break the curse, a couple has to fall in love within the mansion.
As Kate and Steve, her colleague, deal with the house and its supernatural secrets, their feelings for each other grow stronger.
In the end, love prevails, and Daniel and Isabelle are finally freed from the curse.
V
Director/Writer/Producer: Ahura Azizi
Country of Origin: Islamic Republic of Iran
Synopsis:
A family from the north of the country who have just taken over the caretaker of an school in Karaj, Suddenly notices the poor condition of the family’s grandmother on the way to school and leaves their son, Jalil, alone at school and returns to the north. Jalil initially encounters a quiet and deserted school, But…
Statico
Director/Writer: Juan Carlos Hernandez
Producer: Adria Kay Hernandez
Country of Origin: United States
Synopsis:
A family struggles to survive with courage and hope in the midst of a global pandemic. Filmed in NY.
My Therapy
Director/Writer/Producer: Luca Paul Helden
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Synopsis:
My Therapy is a heartfelt drama about Thea, a therapist struggling with grief after an expected loss, whose emotional distance strains her marriage with Bill. Even more so, as she bonds with Kay, a new client facing a similar loss. The film explores the journey of healing through vulnerability, support, and the fragile balance between holding on and letting go.
AYIKA O FILME
Director/Producer: RENATA FREIRE RE
Writer: José Jorge Aparecido Barreto
Country of Origin: Brazil
Synopsis:
This is the story of three sisters: Maya, Mayte, and Melissa. There is tension between the two older sisters regarding the youngest, Melissa. Melissa, being the youngest and always spoiled by their parents, causes some jealousy in the older sisters. To make matters worse, Melissa shares all her sisters' secrets with their mother, frequently getting the older sisters into trouble. One day, Maya and Mayte are returning home from school and stumble upon a discard pile on the street. Among the abandoned items, they find a doll and remember that their younger sister is terrified of dolls due to watching the movie "Annabelle." They then devise a plan involving this doll to scare Melissa. However, the plan backfires, resulting in chaos and tension on both sides. This story is filled with suspense, emotion, and thrilling adventures in "Wicked Sisters."
American Rugby Rising: Club Rugby in Springfield, Missouri
Director/Producer: Daniel Jester
Country of Origin: United States
Synopsis:
A 2025 documentary about the Springfield Rugby Football Club in Springfield, Missouri. American Rugby Rising is a passionate, powerful, and raw story that captures the birth and growth of rugby in Springfield, Missouri. This film is about community, competition, and a group of people rewriting what it means to play rugby in the heart of America.
"Sherlock: A Study in Pink"
Director: Anjaney Baiju
Director/Writer: Syed Fouzan Quadri
Producers: Siddarth Saju, Aditya Krishnadas, Chris Joemon Joseph
Country of Origin: United Arab Emirates
Synopsis:
A gripping short film adapted from the first episode of the critically acclaimed BBC series Sherlock (2010-2017). In modern-day London, the brilliant but eccentric detective Sherlock Holmes teams up with Dr. John Watson, a war veteran, to solve a series of seemingly unrelated suicides. As the duo delves deeper, they uncover a chilling connection that leads to a high-stakes confrontation with a sinister criminal mastermind.
This fast-paced adaptation captures the essence of the original story, packed with suspense, wit, and the electrifying chemistry between Sherlock and Watson. A thrilling ride through deduction and danger awaits!
Enigma : Life With A Mental Illness
Director/Producer: Liam Connor Carroll
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Synopsis:
A grounded, gritty exploration of the reality of living with mental illness through the eyes of the people who live with it every day.
Lift-Off Season Awards #16
The Lift-Off Season Awards is an annual event that celebrates the very best of indie film. Following each Lift-Off film festival, films that have excelled in their respective category are short listed for a Season Awards Nomination. At the end of the year, once all the 12 city-based festival have taken place, the shortlisted nominated films are reviewed again by the jury and Official Nominations are designated. Click here for more information about the Lift-Off Season Awards.