Paris Lift-Off 2026

Network Round Shorts

Monday, 14th September- Sunday, 27th September 2026

2. One More Photo

1. HOME-STAY

Director, Writer //NGÔ THANH PHONG

Country of Origin // Vietnam

Synopsis //After spending the night in a cozy homestay, Quynh’s body grows weaker and weaker, to the point where she realizes she may no longer be able to leave this place.

2. FOXBODY

2. Mothers

Director, Writer, Producer// Choukri Rouha

Writer, Producer// Grégory Verdat

Producer// Marie-Laurence Attias

Country of origin// France

Synopsis // Sabira, a single mother of Algerian descent, receives devastating news at the hospital: her 11-year-old son has been hit by a car. The head of the department informs her that he will not survive. But the pain doesn’t come alone: she is asked if she would consent to having her child’s heart save the life of another boy, a patient in need of a transplant, who has been waiting for months in the same hospital.

2. CHAIN

3. A FRIEND OF OURS

Director, Writer, Producer// FRANCOIS RABES

Director, Writer// FELICIE DUTERTRE

Country of Origin // France

Synopsis // If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.

Vale Director: Carla Sofía López de AzúaDirector

2. CHAIN

4. Vale

Director// Carla Sofía López de Azúa

Country of Origin //Puerto Rico

Synopsis // Vale is a unique documentary shaped through a feminist, anti‑colonial Puerto Rican lens, immersing audiences in the daily reality of reproductive justice on the island. The film follows Dr. Yarí Vale Moreno across the full spectrum of her life—inside the clinic, teaching at the University Hospital, and within her roles as a daughter, wife, and community member.

2. CHAIN

5. Through Hardship (Finding The Limit – Episode 9)

Director// Simon Bonneau

Producer// Freddy Carswell

Country of Origin // United States

Synopsis // This MotoAmerica Superbike documentary follows a team’s final race of the season at New Jersey Motorsports Park, amidst personal and financial challenges. The episode details intense race preparation, including bike modifications and unexpected setbacks. Crashes and subsequent repairs create high-stakes drama throughout the weekend.

2. CHAIN

6. Oliver

Director, Writer // Andrew Strickland

Producer// Andrea L Dunne

Country of Origin // Canada

Synopsis //Renowned chef Oliver Stewart’s life takes a sharp turn when he’s bitten by a seductive vampire co-worker, rendering his beloved ingredient, garlic, off-limits. Forced to reinvent himself for a career-defining review, he faces moral dilemmas and grapples with newfound identity. ‘Oliver’ explores adaptation, reinvention, and resilience in a comedic, thoughtful tale of personal growth amid fantastical challenges

2. CHAIN

7. DAWO

Director, Writer// Diego Henao Trip

Producer// Hernando Berón Uribe

Country of Origin // Colombia, United States

Synopsis //DAWO is a 12-minute Colombian film noir with a strong emphasis on classic narrative structure. The film follows Dawo, a solitary biker who moves through Bogotá’s night delivering coded packages filled with drugs and cash. After intervening in an act of violence, he crosses paths with Sara, a young woman caught in a toxic relationship. Drawn into her desperation, Dawo becomes the pawn in a fatal scheme of deception and betrayal. Blending the fatalism of noir with the pulse of Bogotá’s urban underworld, the short film functions as a self-contained story and as a proof of concept for a feature-length noir thriller.

2. CHAIN

8. To-ma – Zaberu

Director, Writer//Timur Skripnik

Synopsis//In a minimalistic space of the future, a visual creator brings a digital goddess — TOMA — to life through a holographic interface. By controlling her form, environment, and state, he places her into a series of abstract, carefully constructed worlds where she exists as an ideal projection and an object of admiration.

Dazzling: A Timekeepers Tale Director: Jessica Gray

2. CHAIN

9. Dazzling: A Timekeepers Tale

Director, Writer // Jessica Gray

Country of Origin // United States

Synopsis// Daz, a young Timekeeper, sneaks out of class to explore Tempus, a world full of magic. He drags his best friend, Kesi, along for the adventure but they find themselves in serious trouble when Daz accidentally opens a portal to another world beyond anything he could imagine.

2. CHAIN

10. Water Meadow

Director// Marina Bye

Writer, Producer//Sam Roelandts

Country of Origin // United Kingdom

Synopsis// An infection of unknown origins haunts this new world. To reach salvation, two sisters must cross a Water Meadow.

2. CHAIN

11. What We Carry

Director, Writer // Afra AlMarar

Producer// Najat Abdulrahman

Country of Origin // United Arab Emirates

Synopsis // May and Sultan struggle to live within a home consumed by silence after a devastating loss alters their relationship forever. While Sultan clings to hope and the possibility of moving forward, May endures relentless physical pain and carries a secret she cannot bring herself to reveal. As the distance between them grows, old suspicions resurface, and the burden she bears begins to fracture the fragile foundation of their marriage.

2. CHAIN

12. It Sucks.

Director, Producer// Sofia Delatori

Producer// Levon Sargsyan

Country of Origin // France, Mexico

Synopsis //Injured and forced to stop running, a young filmmaker sets out to understand why she keeps returning to a sport that hurts, only to discover that running is less about distance and more about identity.

Skyward Dreams Director: Pei-Zhen ZHUANG

2. CHAIN

13. Skyward Dreams

Director, Writer, Producer // Pei-Zhen ZHUANG

Producers// Qian-Hua CHEN, Lu-Chu WANG, Yi-Han CHEN, Chien-Ning HUANG, Chung-Yuan WANG

Country of Origin // Taiwan

Synopsis // This work uses the World Tree as a symbol of a class-based society, contrasting the differences in resources and freedom between mining birds and fruit-picking birds. It depicts a lower-class mining bird who bravely enters a competition in an attempt to change its fate. Although it does not win the championship, it inspires its companions to pursue their dreams through its actions, bringing change and hope.

UNSEEN LINE Director: Niklas von Klitzing

2. CHAIN

14. UNSEEN LINE

Director, Producer // Niklas von Klitzing

Director: Leo Stolz

Producer// Leo Stolz

Country of Origin // Germany

Synopsis // Along the wild Namibian coastline, where the Atlantic crushes against ancient desert, a silent crisis unfolds. Thousands of “Cape fur seals” are fighting a deadly and ever-growing threat: marine debris. Ghost nets, fishing lines and plastic waste drift silently through the ocean, ensnaring thousands of animals each year. UNSEEN LINE follows the work of Ocean Conservation Namibia (OCN), a small but fiercely dedicated NGO founded by Naude and Katja Dreyer. What began as a spontaneous rescue of a single seal has evolved into a full-time mission: a race against the increasing tide of ocean waste.

The Crow and the Hunter Director: Antoine Gary

2. CHAIN

15. The Crow and the Hunter

Director, Writer// Antoine Gary

Country of Origin // France

Synopsis //Elena and Emilie Rougelame are invited to the City of Monarchs to meet their fellow bounty hunter Yamato. In the letter he sent them, he specifies that he is on the track of a bounty hunter killer. On the day of the appointment, Yamato does not show up. Elena will try to find him while Emilie agrees to help Clara, a violinist who feels threatened by a mysterious individual.

2. CHAIN

16. AETHER

Director, Producer //Lilya Zekraoui

Director, Writer, Producer// Sara Hafid

Country of Origin // Morocco

Synopsis // Three high school students reunite in a park, revisiting the bonds they formed through “AETHER”, a teacher-led support circle within their school that became a space of confession and self-confrontation. Through a series of flashbacks, Izza, a promising boxer facing her mother’s disapproval; Amar, a withdrawn teenager destabilized by his father’s sudden return; and Tawlit, a young painter suffocated by family expectations, struggle to assert their voice. On a stormy night away from home, their shared vulnerability leads them toward a decisive turning point. More than a search for answers, their journey becomes an act of resilience — a step toward reclaiming themselves in the fragile passage from adolescence to adulthood.

2. CHAIN

15. Go see sunset!

Director, Writer, Producer// Cai-Jing CHEN

Country of Origin // Taiwan

Synopsis //Using simple lines and tones, this animation portrays the encounters a boy experiences on his way to the seaside. The story centers on the protagonist, Popotixi, who is struck up a conversation by Xiao Piao while waiting for a bus, leading to them playing ball together. Through the characters’ reactions when plans suddenly change, the film explores our complexity when facing life’s frustrations.

Paris Lift-Off 2026

Network Round Shorts

2. One More Photo

1. HOME-STAY

2. FOXBODY

2. Mothers

2. CHAIN

3. A FRIEND OF OURS

2. CHAIN

4. Vale

2. CHAIN

5. Through Hardship (Finding The Limit – Episode 9)

2. CHAIN

6. Oliver

2. CHAIN

7. DAWO

2. CHAIN

8. To-ma – Zaberu

2. CHAIN

9. Dazzling: A Timekeepers Tale

2. CHAIN

10. Water Meadow

2. CHAIN

11. What We Carry

2. CHAIN

12. It Sucks.

2. CHAIN

13. Skyward Dreams

2. CHAIN

14. UNSEEN LINE

2. CHAIN

15. The Crow and the Hunter

2. CHAIN

16. AETHER

2. CHAIN

15. Go see sunset!

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