MANCHESTER Lift-Off 2026

Network Round Shorts

Monday 30th March – Sunday 5th April 2026

Festival Programme

2. CHAIN

1. STRAY

Director, Writer// Morven Christie

Producers// Lauren Dark, Jodie Caron

Country of Origin // United Kingdom

Synopsis // On her first trip to a Glasgow nightclub, 14 year old Eilidh has an experience that shakes her soul. She ventures out into the night alone and changed, in search of somewhere -or someone- that feels like shelter. Stray explores how nature can help us hold onto tenderness in a world that’s hostile towards it.

2. FOXBODY

2. Siren

Director, Writer // P.G. CARMONA

Producer // EPREA MEDIA CARMONA

Country of Origin // France
Synopsis // Paris, these days.
Murders with no apparent connection are being carried out.William, traumatized by the sirens of the emergency vehicles, is obsessed with Frédérique, a young ambulance driver, next door to their hotel. stakes are high, and bodies are piled even higher.

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2. CHAIN

3.  Punchbag

Director, Writer & Producer // Mat Johns

Writer, Producer // Emm Kenny

Country of Origin // United Kingdom

Synopsis // Zoe has bills to pay and she’s found herself with an unusual job title.

2. CHAIN

4. Football Crazy

Director // Katie Harriman

Writer // Rebecca Phillipson

Producer // Fly Girl Films

Country of Origin // United Kingdom

Synopsis // Football Changes Everything.
Two women. Two lives. One story.

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2. CHAIN

5. In The Shadows 75

Director // Zubayr Zubayr

Writer// Nichaela Farrell

Producer // King Davies Dogbe

Country of Origin // United Kingdom
Synopsis // In 1970s turbulent Libya, a weary Nigerian man and a young Cameroonian woman hide on their journey to Europe. As night falls, confessions spark connection, but a violent knock shatters fragile truths. Inspired by Dupe Okundaye’s journey.

2. CHAIN

6. Save These Fields

Director // Benjamin Gibbs

Country of Origin // United Kingdom
Synopsis // “Save These Fields” is a new documentary film about the long-running campaign to save Ryebank Fields, a rewilded community greenspace in South Manchester. Ryebank Fields, formerly owned by Manchester City Council, is now the property of Manchester Metropolitan University, who are trying to sell it to property developers to build housing on. The film is an exploration of the ensuing political issues around attacks on local democracy, struggles over the city and the privatisation of public land. It is also a portrait of an incredibly committed and tenacious community campaign that has been fighting to save Ryebank Fields for almost 30 years.

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2. CHAIN

7. Clare’s Law

Director, Writer // Phoebe Brooks

Producer // Connor Cross

Country of Origin // United Kingdom

Synopsis // A short documentary raising awareness surrounding Clare’s Law; if your partner has a history of violent or abusive behaviour, you have the right to be told.

2. CHAIN

8. Snow Bear

Director, Writer //Aaron Blaise

Writer, Producer // Nicholas Burch

Country of Origin // United States 

Synopsis // 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙖 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙥𝙤𝙡𝙖𝙧 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙘𝙖𝙣’𝙩 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙖 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙…. 𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙚.

Set in a rapidly changing world, “Snow Bear” tells the story of a polar bear in an unforgiving environment on his quest to find a friend.

This independently produced 2D hand drawn film was painstakingly created entirely by Aaron Blaise over 3 years. With Aaron’s lifelong dedication to studying, drawing, and animating animals, the adventure is infused with humor, relatability, and emotional depth in the tradition of classic animated films.

 

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2. CHAIN

9. Lullaby

Director // Oleksandr Shvets

Producer// Semen Khanin

Country of Origin // Ukraine
Synopsis // A nighttime conversation between a mother and her young son during wartime.
Through the child’s simple questions — about fear, hunger, life, and a father at the front — the fragile world of a family is revealed, held together by love, hope, and the promise of dawn. This is a story about childhood that war could not take away its most essential right: the will to live and believe in return.

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2. CHAIN

11. The Misstep

Director/Writer/Producer // Sandra Isabel Correia

Producer// Carolina Afonso

Country of Origin // Portugal
Synopsis // After a draining day, Claire, distracted by the warm scent of her takeout muffin, accidentally steps into the wrong apartment. Oblivious at first, she’s soon confronted with the unsettling truth, but instead of retreating, curiosity leads her deeper inside.
There, she discovers an artifact glowing faintly in the dim light. Drawn to its mysterious energy, she reaches out to touch it, setting off a chain of events she can’t undo.
Suddenly, the door burst open. A black-clad enforcer storms in, swiftly restraining Claire and dragging her away. Hooded, she’s thrown into darkness.

2. CHAIN

10. A PERFECT FAMILY

Directors // Teranee Fransha, Devon Jackson

Writer // Roger Yawson

Producers // Devon Jackson, Roger Yawson, Mavrk Cahyoe

Country of Origin // United States

Synopsis // When an adopted son discovers the secrets behind his adoptive family’s wealth through their anti – aging serum production, the sense of safety and love goes out the window.

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