Thank you to all the filmmakers who participated in the First-Time Filmmaker Sessions Volume 4!

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!

Jaded Haze

Director/Writer: Shanti Scalpello
Producer: suji naik
Country of Origin: United Kingdom

Synopsis:
One night. One Club. Infinite Truths. Susie’s first night of Summer descends into chaos in a London nightclub as relationships are tested and true colours are revealed.

The "AMEN" Club

Director/Writer: Sasha-Lee Enslin
Producer: Gavin Ross Enslin
Country of Origin:South Africa

Synopsis:
She’s never truly alone… unfortunately. Shadowed by the personified manifestation of her own spiralling thoughts, a young woman navigates a minefield of heartbreak, loneliness and quiet financial collapse. But as she pours her unfiltered prayers into a journal, her chaotic inner world begins to transform, revealing that 'Amen' is not an ending, but a cliffhanger - and she is already living in the sequel.

What Happened to Tony?

Director/Producer/Writer: Devinn Behan
Producers: Gergo Bajcsi, Jay Kosseva
Country of Origin: Ireland

Synopsis:
When Tony Lastname goes missing his two best friends decide to take the law into their own hands by using their knowledge of detective stories to solve the case

TANATOFILIA

Director/Writer/Producer: Siria Marcuccio
Country of Origin: Italy

Synopsis:
Alma lives paralyzed by the fear of death, imagining a fatal accident in every ordinary moment. A mysterious meeting with Vera at the Oida Café will force her to face her darkest obsession, revealing that death is not the enemy of life, but its greatest catalyst.

A Cobrança

Director: Naican Escobar
Writers: Pedro de Camargo, Hilton Fernandes
Producers: Pedro de Camargo, Hilton Fernandes, Gustavo Ribas, Ricardo Mineiro
Country of Origin: Brazil

Synopsis:
Anthony faces the weight of unemployment and the harshness of the streets of Porto Alegre, finding refuge only in his fighting training and his relationship with Pamela. The fragile balance of his life is shaken by life-changing news: he will be a father. Pressured by the promise of a secure future and his girlfriend's demands that he abandon his job as a debt collector for loan sharks, Anthony agrees to participate in one last job with his uncle Rodrigo. The mission is to collect a debt from Ezequiel, an arrogant coffee shop owner who refuses to pay the feared Marcelo. What begins as tactical intimidation quickly escalates into a general fight, where Anthony is forced to use his lethal boxing and wrestling skills to survive an ambush. "The Collection" is a visceral action drama that explores the cycles of urban violence and the sacrifice of a man trying to buy his way out of a world that doesn't accept resignations. While his uncle seeks ascension in crime, Anthony drives through the night in Rio Grande do Sul, carrying the relief of a duty fulfilled and the uncertainty of the price his soul paid for freedom.

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?

Someone Wants to Tell You

Director/Writer: Xu Liao
Country of Origin: China

Synopsis:
A woman found a letter in a river during the day, the contents of which could only be read by scanning a QR code inside.

Chilies

Director/Writer: Hexuan Zhang
Writer/Producer: Changhai Chen
Country of Origin: China

Synopsis:
This animated short film centers on a protagonist with a head as soft and fluffy as cotton, always impeccably dressed in the style of an old-school gentleman. He leads a rigorous and solitary life, dedicating himself year-round to nurturing two potted chili plants. His next-door neighbour is a mischievous bald man whose garden boasts an astonishing variety of flowers and plants. The subtle, lingering fragrance that often drifts from this garden captivates passersby, inviting them to pause and stay awhile.
After seeing the neighbour's dazzling floral displays attract endless admiration, the protagonist becomes entranced by a vision of beauty and romance he has never known. Consumed by doubt, the protagonist attempts to reshape his chili plants according to others’ expectations.

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.