Thank you to all the filmmakers who participated in the September edition of the Lift-Off Sessions!
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.
Lift-Off Sessions is designed to be the entry into the Lift-Off Global Network. A platform for the avant-garde, 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!
Jury's Overall Winner
Free Radicals
Director/Writer: Yuri Del Pino
Producer: Gabrielly Couto
Country of Origin: Brazil
Genre: Documentary
Synopsis: The name of the documentary “Radicais Livres” is provocative and invites people to think about health and sport in a different way. There is a curious contradiction in the term, as Free radicals are the substances responsible for aging, while the characters in this story are "free radicals" in the literal sense, that is, radicals in sport, in posture, in perseverance and free in what he says respect for paradigms, taboos and stereotypes that label third Age.
Season Award #15 Shortlist
Audience Choice Winners
Realm of Reminiscence
Director/Writer: Phuc Quang Vu Dao
Country of Origin: Vietnam
Synopsis:
A reunion with old classmates after two decades triggers melancholy memories of a past love. Two decades on, the man is haunted by the ghosts of his unrequited love and a failed career, leaving him with a multitude of unanswered questions.
WE HAVE TO LIVE
Director/Writer: Pelin Çelik
Country of Origin: Turkey
Synopsis:
İpek (22) is a neat, successful and cool person who grew up in a good environment. Yusuf (24), on the other hand, is a young man who grew up in one of the suburbs of the city, but worked hard to get into a good university. He cannot escape the effects of the environment in which he grew up, but at the same time, he feels that he does not belong there. They meet at university. In order to get İpek, Yusuf convinces her to become his lover, even though she rejects him many times. He gradually introduces him to the superficial environments in which his own life takes place.
GAZA
Director/Writer/Producer: Diaa lagan
Country of Origin: State of Palestine
Synopsis:
Gaza is a meditation on the mundanity of hope in the aftermath of the war on Gaza
Struggle Forever
Director/Writer/Producer: Yuan Yu
Country of Origin: China
Synopsis:
During a late Saturday night, the time when most people were resting, there were still people busy in an office, a team from a securities company. The downward securities market environment, tightening listing review situation, and poor project company quality have cooled the air in the office to a freezing point.
The Siloam
Directors/Writers/Producers: Sadegh Davari, Marziyeh Davari
Country of Origin: Islamic Republic of Iran
Synopsis:
Cinema came to lead humanity to salvation, Christ-like, akin to a wild horse... and on this path, it faced many hardships and was ultimately destroyed by the forces of evil. However, it had previously promised a second coming; this time, in a different form and on a different path...
Dinner is Ready
Director/Writer: Lili Murciano
Writer/Producer: Timothy Finley Jacobi
Country of Origin: Italy
Synopsis:
Four students are invited to a dinner party by a mutual friend -- and neither know the other. As if the aura weren't awkward enough, the host burns the lasagna she had prepared for them all and is forced to get takeaway pizza. Unsure of what to do, the four start a surreal argument that ends in tears...and popcorn on the floor.
Autoscopy
Director/Writer/Producer: Murugusundaran Nirmal
Country of Origin: Singapore
Synopsis:
A young man starts seeing a doppelganger of himself. The double mimics his actions but remains silent and expressionless. Despite attempts to communicate, the young man is left with unanswered questions. His increasingly erratic behavior at work leads to a call for a psychological assessment. Faced with a diagnosis and medication, the young man grapples with his loneliness and the nature of his doppelganger.
Heart of the Evil
Director/Writer: Hasan Ege Çalışkan
Country of Origin: Turkey
Synopsis:
A woman recounts the events that led her 12 year old son to commit the most ultimate act of evil. Inspired by true events.
Technical
Director/Writer: Jake Addison Nichols
Producer: Edwin Domachowski
Country of Origin: United States
Synopsis:
An aspiring amateur boxer tries to pursue his career out of state against the wishes of his family and their failing business.
An Animator's Odyssey
Director/Writer/Producer: Tjeerd Boersma
Country of Origin: Netherlands
Synopsis:
The concept of An Animator's Odyssey is driven by childhood fears and the urge to create art that leaves a lasting impact. The fear of death emerged from an early age, leading to a quest to use time and creativity as a means to transcend mortality. An Animator's Odyssey unfolds as an exploration of letting go of control and embracing the joy of the creative process.
Frequency Of Attraction
Director/Writer/Producer:Zeren Safi, Batuhan Yavuz
Country of Origin: Turkey
Synopsis:
We chose the theme of “Attraction” in order to reflect the uncanny nature of love. We define attraction as terms of exploring the irresistible forces that draw individuals together and the dynamics of connection and intimacy, thereby enabling a powerful bond to emerge. Our idea stems from frequency outputs. Initially, we thought we could express our thoughts symbologically with using frequencies, waves, buldges of color and symbols. Therefore we aim to place the connection between two individuals into the confines of abstract norms.
Lift-Off Season Awards #15
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.