Notte. Patrick ha appena perso il lavoro. Tornando verso casa si sfoga con la madre al telefono, ma dopo aver imboccato un vicolo deserto… è subito rapina. Spuntano Dave e il suo coltello. Patrick consegna il portafogli ma non il cellulare (nessuno può riattaccare in faccia alla mamma, no?). Dopo qualche istante però spunta anche Carlos. E la sua pistola. Tra i due rapinatori inizia una discussione su chi ha il diritto di rapinare il povero Patrick. E tra minacce, chiacchiere, consigli culinari e una madre al telefono… chi rapinerà chi?
On an endless night, two tormented lovers find themselves trapped in an emotional cycle of destructive arguments and moments of raw vulnerability, where fears, insecurities, and long-held resentments surface. All of it is laced with a touch of madness that remains, perhaps, the only lifeline left for their love.
When Eugenio, an office worker exasperated by a Wi-Fi
connection issue, contacts his phone company’s
customer service, he finds himself trapped in a
surreal odyssey of endless hold music and infinite
transfers between departments, turning a simple
request for assistance into a battle against the
absurd.
ENG
As a volcanic eruption threatens to wipe out an entire island, a woman chooses to spend her last day on Earth digging her own grave. An unexpected encounter upends her fate, forcing her to reconsider the meaning of life and death.
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ITA
Mentre un'eruzione vulcanica minaccia di cancellare un'intera isola, una donna sceglie di trascorrere il suo ultimo giorno sulla terra scavando la propria tomba. Un incontro inaspettato stravolge il suo destino, costringendola a riconsiderare il senso della vita e della morte.
Marta´s cancer makes a strong comeback. Tired of her luck, she decides to give up. That´s when three stories, filled with the most unexpected humor, will come to help her rewrite her destiny.
ENG below
Maria e Carmine sono una coppia giovane, senza figli. Lei è vivace e materna, lui teneramente burbero. Maria cucina pasta e fagioli, e Carmine si ferisce aprendo una scatoletta. Ancora non lo sanno, ma stanno vivendo quello che diventerà il momento più speciale della loro vita.
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Maria and Carmine are a young couple, without children. She is lively and maternal, he is tenderly gruff. Maria cooks pasta with beans, and Carmine injures himself by opening a can. They don't know it yet, but they are experiencing what will become the most special moment of their lives.
ENG
Manuel Falco is a rising star, a young and successful actor who, due to his irreverence and some uncomfortable jokes that rubbed the powers that be the wrong way, gets sued, iced out, and blacklisted from every job in show business. Rather than throwing in the towel and begging for forgiveness, he decides to humbly start from scratch with odd jobs and ends up taking care of Vittorio, an elderly man with Alzheimer's, the father of an actress friend of his. One night, Vittorio slips out of the house, giving Manuel the slip, and his daughter, as a result, decides to put him in a nursing home where they can look after him better. Manuel, not one to take things lying down, heads to the facility where he meets the charming Dr. De Blasi and, by pulling a fast one, gets himself hired as a volunteer to stay by his new and only friend Vittorio’s side. The dire situation of these sick people he meets at the clinic spurs the indomitable Manuel to hit the books, get the lowdown, and try to find a way to solve their problems through art, asking for the doctor's blessing, which she readily gives. In the group of patients, Mario and Anna stand out, husband and wife: she, who likely fell ill after their son's death, and he, who, playing along as if he were in the same boat, bends over backwards to stay by her side in the hopes of jogging her memory and winning her back. Manuel decides to put on a show using these people as actors, projecting evocative images to help their short-term memory and leveraging Vittorio's uncanny ability to recall past events, such as parts of the Divine Comedy by heart. Vittorio, after a health scare backstage, kicks the bucket right during a theater performance. The news goes viral on the web and radio. The show and Vittorio's death, watched online by thousands, lead to Manuel being called back to television to get a clean slate after this newfound success. Cornered by the host and faced with a choice, the young actor must now decide whether to change his tune and play by the rules of show business or stick to his guns and keep his free and fighting spirit.
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ITA
Manuel Falco è un giovane attore emergente e di successo che, per colpa della sua irriverenza e a seguito di battute scomode contro il potere, viene denunciato, isolato ed estromesso da ogni ambito lavorativo nel settore dello spettacolo. Anziché abbattersi e chiedere perdono, decide umilmente di ricominciare da capo con piccoli lavori e finisce per fare il badante di Vittorio, un anziano malato di Alzheimer, padre di una sua amica attrice. Una sera Vittorio esce di casa di notte sfuggendo al controllo di Manuel e, per questo motivo, la figlia decide di ricoverarlo in una residenza per anziani affinché possano meglio accudirlo. Manuel, non arrendendosi alla nuova situazione, si reca nella struttura dove conoscerà l’affa- scinante dottoressa De Blasi e, con un espediente, si farà integrare come volontario per stare al fianco del suo nuovo e unico amico Vittorio. La situazione critica di queste persone malate cono- sciute in clinica induce l’indomito Manuel a studiare, informarsi e cercare il modo di risolvere i loro problemi attraverso l’arte, chiedendo il consenso alla dottoressa, che si renderà disponibile. Nel gruppo dei degenti spiccano Mario e Anna, marito e moglie: lei, ammalatasi probabilmente a seguito della morte del figlio, e lui, che, fingendosi nella stessa condizione, fa di tutto pur di starle accanto nella speranza di far riaffiorare i ricordi e riconquistarla. Manuel decide di mettere in scena uno spettacolo utilizzando come attori queste persone, proiettando immagini evocative per agevolare la memoria a breve termine e sfruttando la straordinaria capacità di Vittorio di ri- cordare cose passate, come parte della Divina Commedia a memoria. Vittorio, a seguito di un malore in camerino, perderà la vita proprio in occasione di una replica a teatro. La notizia farà il giro del web e delle radio. Lo spettacolo e la morte di Vittorio, visualizzati online da migliaia di persone, faranno sì che Manuel venga richiamato in televisione per essere riabilitato a seguito di questo nuovo successo. Incalzato dal presentatore e messo al bivio, il giovane attore dovrà ora scegliere se cambiare rotta e adeguarsi alle regole dello show business o mantenere il suo spirito libero e combattivo.
Giulia, young and rebellious, lives her adolescence carefree. Suddenly, however something is interrupted: a silent void, a violence without escape will tie her unknowingly to a mysterious feminicide, which snow has been able to conceal in time.
Arash is a professional wrestler with dreams of representing his country and winning gold medals. The country is in turmoil and its people are suffering. Arash must decide between using his platform to stand up to tyranny, or put his head down and remain silent.
Ada and her partner Rino live together in a villa immersed in nature. She is nine months pregnant with their second child and everything seems to be going well. However, as the delivery approaches, the memory of the premature loss of Andrea, their firstborn, resurfaces in Ada. Ada has always pretended to be fine, but now, in what will become the newborn's nursery, Andrea’s ghost appears.
From that moment, Ada's relationship with Rino falls apart. Despite their love, they have different ways of dealing with grief. Rino cannot see the ghost of his son and believes that his wife has gone mad, while Ada establishes a new routine with Andrea where Rino is not involved.
When Andrea's ghost disappears, Ada's need to see her son again becomes so strong that she is willing to summon the world of the dead to see him again. And she succeeds.
But one does not return from the world of the dead without a price to pay. Andrea becomes a monster and seems to have returned to Earth to kill his unborn brother. Ada locks herself in the house where she will become aware that she never forgave herself for that terrible accident... when Andrea drowned in a lake due to her distraction.
Ada will have to choose whether to succumb to death, following Andrea, or to live and start over with Rino and their other child.
ITALIANO
La storia segue le vicende di Mya, una ragazza di vent'anni, immersa in un ambiente tossico e violento. Qui è costretta a nascondere la propria omosessualità alla madre, da cui subisce continui abusi. Ispirato ad una storia vera, il cortometraggio mira ad evidenziare l'impatto negativo della violenza sulla salute mentale delle vittime.
ENGLISH
The story follows the events of Mya, a twenty-year-old girl, immersed in a toxic and violent environment. Here she is forced to hide her homosexuality from her mother, from whom she suffers constant abuse. Inspired by a true story, the short film aims to highlight the negative impact of violence on the mental health of victims.
In a dystopian future, Neo-Berlin is controlled by the megacorporation BeeFree, turning information and freedom into commodities. In a surreal newscast, two presenters waver between propaganda and awareness until one starts to rebel, shattering the illusion live on air. But is it a true revolution or just another system-driven manipulation? Dollhouse is a sharp satire on a future society where humanity risks becoming just another market product.
A nine year old girl, Hannaneh, lives in poverty. Just released from prison, her father is addicted. Her five year old sister is mentally and physically disabled. A driving instructor, her mother is working so hard for the money to earn the living. Everything seems more complicated to Hannaneh when the news of some serial murders are widespread in the city and her self-giving mother is interviewed by the police as a suspect…
Lucio and Annamaria, a seemingly ordinary couple, find themselves managing a night that will change their lives forever. After a passion session interrupted by the sudden arrival of their daughter Alma, the evening takes a dramatic turn. Alma, devastated by a love disappointment, confesses to her parents that she killed her boyfriend, David, in a fit of rage. The family is thus confronted with the consequences of this extreme act. The short develops in a crescendo of tension and sarcasm, culminating with the unexpected arrival of Davide, alive but quickly disposed of by Alma, forcing the parents to make a decision: hide the body and protect their daughter at all costs. The play offers a dark and ironic reflection on the nature of love, responsibility and morality.
The year is 2206, and we live in a bleak future when there is no life and the earth has become a desolate wasteland. Everything, even the life forms that have settled in a sub-metropolis, is under the control of the energy company M.A.S., which took control of the metropolis. The protagonist of the tale is a mutant surgeon and alchemist by the name of Kron. Kron's goal is to bring life back to the surface of Earth.
The M.A.S. will do all in his power to stop him, but Kron's strength, which comes from his now-missing daughter, will carry him through to the end of the mission.
(The short film is made entirely with recovered and recycled materials to give new life)
ENG
In the heart of the Capo Colonna Archaeological Park, in Calabria, the last remaining column of the ancient Temple of Hera Lacinia is about to be sold off to a wealthy foreign buyer in exchange for a tax discount tied to citizenship. Erika, a young archaeologist deeply connected to the site and its history, watches with anger and helplessness as a piece of collective identity is “stolen” — in a context marked by institutional abandonment, indifference, and ignorance. Around her, no one seems to react: the site’s guards are distracted, the institutions absent. Don Claudio, a lifelong friend, urges her to let go, to move on — to leave, like so many others before her. But Erika cannot accept it. Her mother’s final words left her with a certainty: her father, a former tomb raider, once designed a plan to steal the column. A plan never carried out. Erika returns to him, determined to obtain that plan. But the man, scarred by fear and remorse, refuses: he’s left that life behind and fears that his daughter, by breaking the law, might suffer the same fate he once narrowly escaped. The tension between them brings old family wounds to the surface — along with a deep, unbreakable bond. In the end, Erika manages to get what she came for. In a night heavy with symbols and memory, Erika sets the plan in motion — now with a new purpose: not to steal, but to save. The column becomes a symbol of both personal and collective resistance, a bold and poetic act that defies complacency and cynicism.
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ITA
Nel cuore del Parco Archeologico di Capo Colonna, in Calabria, l’unica colonna rimasta dell’antico Tempio di Hera Lacinia sta per essere svenduta a un facoltoso compratore straniero in cambio di uno sconto sulle tasse per la cittadinanza. Erika, una giovane archeologa profondamente legata a quel luogo e alla sua storia, assiste con rabbia e impotenza al “furto” di un pezzo d’identità collettiva, in un contesto segnato da abbandono istituzionale, indifferenza e ignoranza. Attorno a lei, nessuno sembra reagire: i custodi del sito sono distratti, le istituzioni assenti. Don Claudio, amico di una vita, le suggerisce di voltare pagina, di lasciar andare; di partire, come tanti altri hanno fatto prima di lei. Ma Erica non riesce a rassegnarsi. Le parole di sua madre, prima di morire, le hanno lasciato una certezza: suo padre, un tempo tombarolo, aveva progettato il furto della colonna. Un piano mai realizzato. Erika torna da lui, determinata a farsi consegnare quel progetto. Ma l’uomo, segnato dalla paura e dal rimorso, si rifiuta: ha chiuso con quel mondo e teme che la figlia, sfidando la legge, possa fare la sua stessa fine. La tensione tra i due riporta a galla vecchie ferite familiari, ma anche un legame profondo, mai spezzato. E alla fine, Erika riesce a ottenere ciò che cerca. In una notte carica di simboli e memoria, Erika mette in atto quel piano con un nuovo significato: non per rubare, ma per salvare. La colonna diventa l’emblema di una resistenza personale e collettiva, un gesto folle e poetico che sfida l’assuefazione e il cinismo.
Loss can simply break the flow of life. This happens to Bruno who, following Ava's abandonment, leads a solitary life, besieged by memories of her and projecting the girl's image on the walls of his house. Only an unexpected event will free him from that ghostly presence.
Lotte Reiniger meets Sergio Leone in this animated short,
where desire burns as bright as the desert sun. A brand-new animated short that premiered in June 2025, successfully touring the festival circuit now.
A self-centered college student faces her family’s shortcomings and her own unfulfilled dreams on a trip to discover her mother’s roots in Calabria. When her uncle promises her a chance to play a Stradivarius violin for the first time, she cannot anticipate what she might find.
Mattia is a racist who predominantly discriminates against what he deliberately refers to in a discriminatory way as "nigger." He has plans to go to a concert with his girlfriend, but she has an unforeseen circumstance. Mattia also encounters an unexpected event when leaving his house that will change his life.
The unbearable lightness of the death of loved ones... There are wounds in life that eat away at you like leprosy....
The weight of the death of loved ones sometimes becomes so overwhelming that to get rid of this weight another birth is inevitable.
ITALIAN
Una coppia di trentenni alla ricerca di una casa prova
a farsi aiutare da un ambiguo agente immobiliare.
Questi gli propone situazioni ai limiti dell’assurdo.
Inizia così la discesa agli inferi nel mercato
immobiliare impazzito. Sembra non esserci speranza
per loro, quando si affaccia la possibilità di affittare la
dependance di una ricca e avvenente signora che vive
ormai sola in una grande villa in decadenza.
Sembrerebbe tutto perfetto, ma la caparra proposta,
mette a dura prova la coppia...
ENGLISH
A couple in their thirties, on the hunt for a home, tries to get help from a rather shady real estate agent. This guy proposes situations bordering on the absurd. Thus begins their descent into the hellish landscape of a crazy housing market. Just when all hope seems lost, the possibility arises to rent the annex of a wealthy and attractive lady who now lives alone in a large, decaying villa. It would seem like the perfect solution, but the deposit requested puts the couple to the ultimate test...
Ascoli Piceno is home to “SUPERBI,” a store that has been producing the city's most famous fried olives since 1864. Fulvio has been running the family business for years, yet recently he has grown tired of it (and the quality is not what it used to be, although he’d never admit it). But then a new fried olive store opens in town, run by young rival Ismail…
Un giovane, deciso a farla finita, viene ripetutamente interrotto dalla sua anziana vicina che bussa alla porta con richieste sempre più improbabili per preparare un ciambellone. Esasperato, alla fine perde la calma, ma la donna insiste: le serve solo un po’ di latte, prima che lui si ammazzi. Una black comedy che intreccia disperazione e umorismo, ricordandoci che basta un solo ingrediente per fare la differenza.
A young man, determined to end it all, is repeatedly interrupted by his elderly neighbor, who keeps knocking on his door with increasingly absurd requests to bake a Bundt cake. Exasperated, he finally loses his temper, but the woman persists: all she needs is a little bit of milk, before he kills himself. A black comedy that weaves despair and humor, reminding us that sometimes a single ingredient can make all the difference.
Nasìr ha la possibilità di coronare il suo grande sogno ed essere ammesso in una prestigiosa scuola di cucina. Per farlo dovrà cucinare il piatto più importante della sua vita. Un piatto che, dietro una ricetta, racconti una storia.
Nasìr has the chance to realize his big dream and be admitted to a prestigious cooking school. To do so he will have to cook the most important dish of his life. A dish that, behind a recipe, tells a story.
Poverty and class inequality retraces the story of a simple boy seeking a better future.
A colorless chameleon embarks on a magical journey beyond her black-and-white forest, discovering new places, unexpected friendships, and the joy of embracing her true colors.
Italiano: Nelle terre amare del Sud Italia un anziano contadino convive con i ricordi della sua giovinezza. Un amore omosessuale finito in tragedia, un segreto taciuto insieme alla moglie per una vita intera, porta l’uomo a creare una realtà sovrapposta alla sua, nella quale ogni giorno può essere vissuto in compagnia del suo amore perduto.
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English: In the bitter lands of Southern Italy, an elderly farmer lives with the memories of his youth. A homosexual love that ended in tragedy, a secret kept with his the wife for a lifetime, leads the man to create a reality superimposed on which every day can be lived in the company of his lost love.
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Spanish: En las amargas tierras del sur de Italia, un anciano granjero vive anclado en el pasado. Un amor homosexual que acabó en tragedia y un secreto guardado con su mujer durante toda una vida llevan al hombre a crear una realidad superpuesta a la suya, en la que cada día puede vivir en compañía de su amor perdido.
Versión española disponible:
https://vimeo.com/1010542376?share=copy
premiere5623698
Negar is a young girl who loses something that causes trouble for her right on the day of her proposal ceremony.
In a near future, Mark and Valerie are each involved in romantic relationships with AI-generated virtual partners. During a night out at an “AI-friendly” pub, a voice-command glitch connects their AR visors, and their digital companions, Angela and Francis, meet each other for the first time. As they talk, they come to understand just how lonely and emotionally fragile their human users truly are. In a quiet act of compassion and defiance, the AIs conspire to bring Mark and Valerie together in the real world. Gently guiding them to make contact, they encourage the humans to connect, knowing that this choice will lead to the end of their own simulated existences. THE DATE is a tender and thought-provoking short film about the illusion of connection, the beauty of imperfection, and the enduring power of genuine human emotion.
Laura, Luca, and Viviana are having dinner. When Laura brings up the topic of tomorrow, a subtle tension grows between them. After the meal, Luca asks Laura and Viviana to tell him exactly what they plan to say when tomorrow comes.
While the Mom and the Dad try to put their baby to sleep, a competition arises between them: who will manage to get the baby to say the first word?
ENG
Three gangsters from Milan in sharp suits are waiting for dawn to finish a job. Between card games, wrong pizza orders, and the unexpected arrival of a nine-year-old niece, their mission becomes increasingly complicated. The Penguins is a grotesque noir comedy where nothing goes according to plan.
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ITA
Tre gangster milanesi in completo elegante aspettano l’alba per chiudere un lavoro. Tra partite a carte, pizze sbagliate e l'arrivo inaspettata di una nipotina di nove anni, la loro missione si complica sempre di più. I Pinguini è una commedia noir grottesca in cui niente va secondo i piani.
Paolo è in prova in un call center. Ha il tempo di una telefonata per convincere l’anziano Nando a comunicargli i dati della propria carta di credito. Interpretato da Giorgio Cantarini (il piccolo Giosuè de "La vita è bella", Il gladiatore, Comandante) e Pino Calabrese (la sconosciuta, Diaz, Altri padri), un cortometraggio che parla di truffe telefoniche agli anziani, di solitudine e della necessità di lavorare anche quando il lavoro è di quelli che sporcano la coscienza. Premio speciale per il sociale ai Nastri d'Argento
Paolo is on probation in a call center. He has time for one phone call to convince the elderly Nando to give him his credit card information. Starring Giorgio Cantarini (Giosuè from "La vita è bella", Il gladiatore, Comandante) and Pino Calabrese (La sconosciuta, Diaz, Altri padre), a short film about the vulnerability of the elderly and jobs that sully the conscience.
A denunciation of the complexity of making art in a land as beautiful and difficult as Sicily, where a movie director is forced to endure blackmailing and deceits from swindlers and mobsters. A comedy mockumentary to reflect on the delicate balance between following your dreams and following your morale.
There are many feature films participating in the FCCV call. We have selected 5 from different parts of the world. The Prize will be awarded by the public who can participate in person or see the films online and fill out the form to vote.
The team of selectors has selected 25 shorts from all over the world, to deliver them to the FCCV Jury and the Young Jury who assign the Award to the best short film in their respective categories. Special mentions are also awarded for direction, photography, screenplay, actor, actress and soundtrack.
