London Lift-Off Film Festival 2020 - Network Round Shorts
Monday 4th January - Sunday 10th January
1.
Leopard
Dir. James Arden
UK
Logline: Rocky, a born-and-bred London teenager, begins to question the strict routine set by her father - as well as deeper feelings about her own identity - after meeting a free-spirited girl in a local launderette.
2.
The Call Centre
Dir. Louisa Connolly-Burnham
UK
Logline: Paige, an introverted, unassuming young woman spends her days setting up people's life insurance in a drab North London call centre. She is bored of her life, longing for intimacy and connection that she unexpectedly finds on the phone to a charming customer called David. Convinced there was something between them she decides to break the rules to go and find him. An adventure first fuelled by loneliness and lust turns into something much darker when Paige finds herself out of her depth with a total stranger.
3.
Misophonia
Dir. Bhavik C. Pankhania
UK
Logline: Misophonia. The Hatred of Sound.
A man risks losing the love of his life as he battles against the urge to destroy the source of his internal pain.
4.
Little Boxes
Dir. Olivia Hollreiser
UK
Logline: Bobby learns the importance of having a younger sister who cares for him.
5.
The Village of Kulum
Dir. Alex Felstead
UK
Logline: A short documentary exploring the issues of water scarcity in the remote village of 'Kulum' located in Ladakh, Kashmir
6.
Sweet Street
Dir. Coz Greenop
UK
Logline: Isabella, a sex worker and drug addict, struggles to survive Leeds’ red-light district. A romantic encounter offers respite, but happy endings are hard to find when you’re working on the sweet street.
7.
Valentine Jacobs
Dir. Jason Julien-Connage
UK
Logline: In the summer of '75 two lovers plan an adventure to the English countryside. They enjoy this idyllic setting glad to have escaped the mania of the city. Only it turns out they're actually on the run from the law and the girl’s police detective father. A chance encounter with a stranger in the woods threatens to bring an abrupt end to the couple's bizarre adventure as they prepare for one last heist./em>
8.
Absent
Dir. Libby Burke Wilde
UK
Logline: Absent is a short film based on multiple true stories which gives a frank portrayal of the awkwardness, sensitivity and often humiliation that characterises many early experiences of menstruation. Through a series of quotidian but emotionally charged moments, the film follows the story of a young girl, Chloe, who, sitting on a school bus, is made aware of a stain on her clothing by another boy which, much to the amusement of his friends, leaves her visibly mortified.
9.
Love War
Dir. salvatore scaduto
Italy
Logline: A video project on violence against women, entitled "Love War", exploring the perennial tension between "hate and love". Sometimes people confuse love with the idea of being able to do what they want with the person in front of them.
10.
Proslogion
Dir. Ben Allen
USA
Logline: Reclusive genius invents a machine that can record your dreams.
11.
Stockholm Syndrome
Dir. Ben Marshall
UK
Logline: A seemingly innocent phone call between a young woman and her Swedish mother slowly reveals chilling secrets that don't bode well for her Tech-Deck obsessed partner.
12.
Shoal
Dir. Tammes Bernstein
UK
Logline: In an isolated coastal town, where everyone knows everyone, Eliza works shifts at the local fish factory while her fisherman dad goes out to sea. When an apparent accident happens, rumours start spreading and Eliza's relationship with her father is put to the test.
13.
Seeing Green
Dir. Tom McNie
UK
Logline: In this silent, rite-of-passage film; a single mother grapples with the antics of her teenage son which tests their relationship. After a trying day, can a shift in perspective bring them closer together…?
14.
Radio Vanille
Dir. Jack Laurance
UK
Logline: Vanilla, a byword for boring, is anything but.When a local Madagascan journalist decided to cover Vanilla related news in his local community he discovered a world of vanilla gangs, mob justice and murder. Despite being kidnapped twice, Marino continues to expose the truth about Vanilla in Madagascar. From the vanilla gangs to the billion dollar multinational flavouring businesses, to the consumer; we are all culpable.
15.
Not A Game
Dirs. Oliver Cox, Reece Henderson
UK
Logline: When four friends mix business with pleasure, relationships will be tested.
16.
Eulogy
Dir. Mateo Willis
UK
Logline: Moments before his funeral, a father’s dark past threatens the fragile peace between two brothers.
17.
Kid Kapichi - Thugs
Dirs. James Green
UK
Logline: In an exaggerated dystopian vision of middle England, a wealthy family prepare for their annual Fox Hunt... however, this time around the family leader has plans to expand this to hunting human targets too...
18.
Guinjata Bay
Dir. Rob Murray
UK
Logline: Mozambique has one of the highest rates of childhood drowning in the world. In 2016, a local non-profit organisation, Love The Oceans decided to take action and tackle the issue and reduce the drowning statics by starting a yearly Swimming Initiative. By training local members of the community to become swimming instructors and introduce a swimming and awareness culture.