652 miles = 0 (or the wonderful convenience of videocalling) (UK) by Giulio Gobbetti

Synopsis: During a time of quarantine, global distances contract. The 652 miles separating the director’s London home from his grandmother in Italy are not any different than the distance between her and her neighbours. As most interpersonal relationships are brought into the online world, there is no better opportunity to teach her remotely how to do video-calls. At times funny, at times deadly serious, 652 miles = 0 is a touching account of a familiar relationship. A film about family, connection, and belonging, a film that lives neither in Italy nor in the UK, but somewhere in between. Running time: 00:03:45.

Selections/awards: Lebu IFF, Visions du Réel, Lago FF, cortoLovere (Best Do and Best Overall Short), Bolton FF, New York Flash FF, Essex DocFest, Vesuvius IFF, Festival CinemaZERO, Varese IFF, and more.

About the director: Giulio Gobbetti is a London-based documentary director, editor, and sometimes producer. He worked on several short and feature documentaries, including the award-winning "Poshida", that premiered at BFI Flare 2016. Giulio's first mid-length documentary, "No Island Like Home" has been selected for the Media Library at Vision du Réel 2019, the Doc/Player at Sheffield Doc/Fest 2019, and it screened at DOCfeed 2020.

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Before the Earthquake (Sweden) by Gustav Hugo Olsson

Synopsis: A man at a restaurant tells his girlfriend a weird story about that he once in his life have had exactly the same feeling as now. That time the whole world started to shake. The girlfriend gets uncomfortable about his behaviour and the story that really doesn't make much sense. They continue their conversation and the table starts to rattle... Running time: 00:06:51.

Selections/awards: Boston Short FF.

About the director: Gustav Hugo Olsson is a Swedish award-winning director, producer, screenwriter, filmmaker and editor with over 10 years of experience in film productions in various sizes and genres.

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Chasse Galerite (USA) by Brian Hawkins

Synopsis: Chasse Galerite is a passionate hunter whose untamed desire often leads him into trouble. Set in the Illinois Country in the late 17th century, this humorous and imaginative folktale, cherished by Missouri's French Creole community, is told in the local dialect by one of its last native speakers. Running time: 00:06:19.

Selections/awards: Boston Short FF, Brussels Independent FF, and more.

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This is fine (Italy) by Gianmarco Nepa

Synopsis: The story of the human's modern addiction to natural and social's catastrophes. These events, streamed through the TV's screen, seem to not have any impact on people, as to forget about them all you need is a switch. Running time: 00:03:00.

Selections/awards: Giornate degli autori - Mostra del cinema di Venezia (Winner Bookciak Azione!), Sulmona IFF (Best "Abruzzo Short"), Très Court IFF.

About the director: Born in 1994, Gianmarco Nepa is a student at IFA Film School where he is specializing in screenwriting and directing. He worked as assistant director on some projects, but "This is fine" marks his directorial debut.

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I N T E R S T I C E (Sweden) by Oskar Willers

Synopsis: When Anders makes an indecent proposal to his younger boyfriend Micke, things take a very sudden dark turn. Running time: 00:11:21.

Selections/awards: BFI London FF, Venice Film Week, Cornwall FF, Amsterdam Independent FF, Super Shorts London, Toronto Arthouse FF, and more.

About the director: Oskar Willers has studied Filmtheory and Filmhistory at Stockholm University and went to the hands-on Film Schools: Stockholm Film School and Biskops Arnö Screenwriting School. He has worked as a commercial film- and still photographer and for the last ten years he is also a teacher at Kulturama Film School in Stockholm. I N T E R S T I C E is Oskar's directorial debut.

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Obituary (Iran) by Moein Zarrabi

Synopsis: Amirhassan, a young clergyman, is somehow forced to hold the funeral of her former beloved without prior notice. The girl’s family were against their marriage because Amirhassan was a clergy. Running time: 00:20:00.

Selections/awards: Brussels Independent FF, Sydney World FF.

About the director: Moein Zarabi was born in 1989 in Tehran. He is a director and actor, and a Graduate of filmmaking from Youth Cinema Association and Acting from Samandarian Acting School.

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Cabin Ban (Norway) by Finn Walther

Synopsis: To battle the Covid-19 outbreak the Norwegian government bans people from traveling to their countryside cabins. This gives a burglar the perfect opportunity. Running time: 00:01:09.

Selections/awards: South London FF (Winner Covid-19-inspired Short), Night of Comedy Shorts (Best Comedy), Boston Short FF.

About the director: Documentary filmmaker born and bred in Norway. Finn has made several award winning shorts and in 2019 started the production company Walther Bros with his filmmaker brother, Martin Walther.

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Celentano's Seasickness (Italy) by Saverio Cappiello

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Synopsis: Loredano, known as Celentano, due to seasickness has never been able to be a fisherman, his dream since he was a child. Now he works in a bar and waits for Alex, his nephew, who has recently started working as a fisherman, to give him a gift that initiates him into that world that is water and that he has never been able to touch. Running time: 00:12:05.

Selections/awards: Venice Film Week (Winner Best Documentary Short Film), Brussels Independent FF, Super Shorts FF London, Ghent Viewpoint Documentary FF, and more.

About the director: Saverio Cappiello (1992, Italy) graduated from Civica Scuola di Cinema Luchino Visconti (Milan). His first short film Clinamen (2015) was presented at about thirty festivals worldwide, and he's won several awards with his subsequent shorts and documentaries. He is currently working on his first feature, L’altra via.

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Mamma (Norway) by Aslak Danbolt

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Synopsis: It’s Christmas Eve, and Synnøve is searching for her drug-addicted daughter Michelle in an almost desolated city. (Synnøve and Michelle are mother and daughter in real life and play versions of themselves in a story that is very close to their own lives.) Running time: 00:15:00.

Selections/awards: Aesthetica Short FF, Brussels Independent FF, Norwegian Short FF, Ankara Accessible FF (Best Film, Best Director), Bergen IFF, Hong Kong Arthouse FF, and more.

About the director: Aslak Danbolt is a Norwegian filmmaker who lives and works out of Oslo, Norway. He studied Documentary Directing at Lillehammer University College and later attended The London Film School. His grad film 'Last Base', was selected for more than 120 festivals (including Tribeca, Chicago & Slamdance) and won numerous awards. He directed the documentary series 'Petter Uteligger – 52 dager på gata i Oslo' (2015), which was nominated for 5 Norwegian Golden Screen Awards 2016, winning Documentary Series and Audience Award.

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Where do we go from here (Italy) by Antonello Schioppa

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Synopsis: A woman's lifeless body is lying on a room's floor. A shocked man is staring at it. Beyond the closed door, someone is quietly trying to get in: he's a 9 years old child. These three are a family. Or what's left. Running time: 00:19:50.

Selections/awards: Sulmona Int Short FF (Best Abruzzo Short Film), Visioni Italiane 2020 - Cineteca di Bologna, Varese IFF, Asti FF (Best Short - Young Jury Award), Falvaterra FF (Best Actor), and more.

About the director: Author of short film and music videos. as a director Antonello begins in 2005 directing Piazza Vittorio, a music video for Fonderia, which received the audience award at 12th Capalbio Short Film Festival. In the following years he realized comedies like “Il Malato”, social commitment short films like “Oggi ho altro da fare” and “Sessanta percento” about mental illness. “Il gatto del Maine” is one of his last works, which won best short film at Roma International Film Festival.

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