Paris Lift-Off Film Festival 2025
Network Round Shorts
Monday, 15th September - Sunday, 21st September
1. The Replacement
Director/Writer: Ruvani Kurukulasuriya
Producer: K. S. C. Perera
Country of Origin: Sri Lanka
Synopsis: An unexpected visit from a stranger triggers a storm of emotions in Janani, resurrecting a distressing memory. Despite not being responsible for the unpleasant incident, it resonates with her. Can she navigate the turbulent waters of her emotions and memories, grappling with the guilt and the struggle to prevent her conscience from unfairly blaming her for something for which she is not accountable?
2. I Wish You Could Be Happy Again
Directors/Writers: Jordi Gueyrard, Djimili Dimou
Country of Origin: France
Synopsis: A monstrous creature attempts to celebrate its birthday alone in a fallen world.
3. OVERFLOW
Director: YEN-CHI CHEN
Producer: NAI-I CHIU
Country of Origin: Taiwan
Synopsis: The female protagonist grows up in a strict household where her life is meticulously arranged by her family—everything from her diet to clothing is tightly controlled. Over time, she begins to feel the pressure of these constraints. As she matures and leaves home to study elsewhere, she breaks free from her past and gains a newfound sense of freedom. However, she struggles to navigate social relationships and unintentionally distances herself from her peers, who feel overwhelmed by her presence.
4. Peixinho (Little Fish)
Director: Kaushiik Subramaniam
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Synopsis: In a remote coastal village in Mozambique, where the ocean is both a lifeline and a force of nature, one young man dares to rewrite the narrative of his community. Peixinho is an inspiring tale of resilience and transformation, following the journey of a local hero as he bridges generations and redefines what it means to live in harmony with the sea.
5. MICHEL
Director/Writer/Producer: Guillaume COURTY
Country of Origin: France
Synopsis: Two casting director from the TV show “I Have a Super Power” receive Michel, an accountant who is very good at mental arithmetic. Both agree to take him on the show... but not for the same reasons.
6. Madame Booty Therapy
Director/Writer/Producer: Sabrina Argoub,Lucca Fordham
Writer: Maïmouna Coulibaly
Country of Origin: France, Germany
Synopsis: The power of women's rage, told through the story of Maïmouna Coulibaly, the French-Malian artist leading the Booty Therapy dance revolution.
A survivor of FGM and childhood sexual violence, Maïmouna transformed her pain into defiance, using dance to reclaim women’s bodies and challenge deep-rooted taboos. Despite controversy, Booty Therapy remains a space of radical healing and activism, where women twerk, scream, and resist.
7. The Maximization of the Circumstance
Directors: Manu Toro,Lucas Muñoz Muñoz
Producers: Esther Castaño López,Elena Castaño López
Country of Origin: Spain
Synopsis: "The Maximization of the Circumstance" is a short documentary by Manutoro and Lucas Muñoz Muñoz that interweaves three case studies to explore how design and architecture engage with what already exists: materials, inherited legacy, and context-driven reflection. This unique case seeks to spark a universal conversation through the lenses of two disciplines — architecture and design — which are increasingly involved in issues of preservation, recycling, and circularity, both in product design and spatial projects today.
8. Chocolate
Director/Writer: Yarden Lior
Producer: Suliya Walker
Country of Origin: United States
Synopsis: Edith and Emanuel, a young African immigrant couple, spend a day navigating the subway system, selling chocolate to survive. As they move through crowded trains and indifferent faces, the weight of isolation and the ache of missing home stir quiet tensions between them. Their shared struggle prompts a deeper conversation about the future they imagined—and whether it still includes building a family of their own.
9. Bag People
Director/Writer: Valentin Classen
Country of Origin: France, United Kingdom
Synopsis: Strange events disturb the daily life of a small Spanish village. A fake documentary blending absurdity and mysticism.
10. Gravare
Director/Writer/Producer:Ilona Molnar
Country of Origin: United States
Synopsis: When seventy-year-old retired English teacher Leah is warned of their estranged daughter Marge’s sudden return, she’s unprepared for the silence that follows. Marge has locked herself in her childhood bedroom—now a cluttered storage space—reopening wounds Leah thought had long since healed. As Leah navigates the strained relationship with her non-biological daughter, she must also confront the quiet but persistent presence of her late wife Kate.
11. Wake Up
Director/Writer: Halbe-Piter Claus
Producers:Laura Oosterloo,Janjelle Ringnalda
Country of Origin: Netherlands
Synopsis: For Dieuwke, silence is golden: no sleep means no explosive breakdance moves. Yet the dog of her antisocial neighbor keeps her awake, night after night. Fatigue eats away at her relationship, her body protests, and her dreams falter — until she decides that decency has its limits too.
12. Memory of the waves
Director/Writer:Titouan Pomaré
Director: Matéo Haehnel
Writer: Abigaïl Fargue
Producers: Bruno Tanguy,Aram Hekinian
Country of Origin: France
Synopsis: During his entire life, Abel has painted legendary creatures. But lately, he finds out difficult to portray one of them : the spirit of the cliff. His young apprentice Talia tries to figure out why
13.ARTIST NATION
Director/Producer: NIGEL S THOMPSON
Country of Origin: Trinidad and Tobago
Synopsis: Artist Nation is a 12 part short documentary series from director Nigel Thompson with a focus on utilising art as an outlet and mechanism to better society in Trinidad & Tobago.
This is the second Episode of that series. (KEVIN BROWNE)
14. Fabrice
Director/Writer: Lucien Bradier
Director: Victor Jaffrès
Producer: Jeanne André
Country of Origin: France
Synopsis: Every night at closing time, Fabrice seats at Marius' bar. Melancholy man, the tranquility of those late hours allow him to play his saxophone peacefully. His head always seems full and Marius never managed to know why, until tonight
15. Scarred
Director/Writer/Producer: Roshan Krishnan
Country of Origin: Canada
Synopsis: After a life-altering event shatters his sense of strength, a man consumed by shame becomes trapped in a spiral of paranoia, hyper vigilance — as Panic and Anxiety take hold, blurring fear from reality, and threatening to destroy what’s left of his life.
16. She'll be fine
Director/Writer/Producer: Shoghufa Majdod
Country of Origin: Netherlands
Synopsis: “She’ll be fine” is an associative film about Sakura, who is determined to break the cycle of unequal treatment between men and women within her family. As she leaves her familiar surroundings for the city, she discovers how lonely life can really be. Sakura’s attempt to create distance so her mother can understand her only worsens their relationship. This, coupled with the news of her grandmother’s death, causes Sakura to emotionally collapse. However, the loss of her grandmother also fosters understanding between mother and daughter, marking the first step towards change.