Lucia lives on the outskirts of Cagliari, survives on hot dogs and packaged food, runs through dark underpasses. One day, through the porthole window of the restaurant kitchen where she washes dishes, she sees a Chinese woman eating Sardinian food with a grace she has never seen before. Then she sees her again, loses her, follows her through the alleyways of the old harbor. She knows nothing about her, but begins to invent her: she draws her in her notebooks, builds her an imagined life in a kind of graphic novel.
ENG: Anna and Silvia have been best friends since their first day at university — mostly because Anna decided so. For three years, she pulled Silvia along, trying to take her everywhere, maybe forever. Until what they believe is their final exam, when something breaks.
ITA: Anna e Silvia sono migliori amiche dal primo giorno di università. Principalmente perché l’ha deciso Anna, che per tre anni si è trascinata l’amica nel tentativo di portarsela dietro per sempre. Fino a quello che credono essere l’ultimo esame di entrambe, quando qualcosa si rompe.
Il protagonista di questo cortometraggio d’arte animata è un cratere, ovvero un antico vaso, dipinto da Eufronio più di 2000 anni fa. Tale opera svela la storia del suo rapimento e la successiva diaspora, durata oltre 10.000 giorni: un viaggio al di là dell’Atlantico, attraverso una sofisticata rete di trafficanti d’arte, collezionisti e direttori di musei che ci conducono dritti nel mondo dell’art crime.
What if a work of art could tell its own story? And what if that story was a crime?"Il Cratere" (The Krater) is an animated art short film that brings an ancient masterpiece to life to reveal its dramatic journey through the world of art crime. The protagonist is a crater painted by the Greek master Euphronios more than 2,000 years ago. After being torn from its homeland, the vase itself narrates its own kidnapping and subsequent diaspora, which lasted for over 10,000 days. A journey across the Atlantic, through a sophisticated network of art traffickers, collectors, and museum directors that leads us straight into the dark heart of the illicit trade of cultural goods.
During a pandemic caused by a virus that turns humans into turkeys, two couples are trapped in the hallway of the building where they live. The conflict between Andrea, who wants to go jogging, and Marco, who tries to stop him, intensifies and involves their partners, Giulia and Anna, the couriers delivering packages, and a doctor returning from the hospital, escalating into a radical confrontation that puts their relationships and worldviews to the test.
Alpi bergamasche, 1630. L’arrivo della peste in un piccolo villaggio spezza ogni fragile equilibrio. Il morbo si impossessa dei corpi, delle case, delle relazioni, trasformando lentamente la comunità in un organismo malato dominato dalla paura e dal sospetto. Attraverso immagini simboliche e gesti ripetuti, il film osserva la disgregazione di un mondo in cui ogni legame si incrina e la natura resta indifferente alla sofferenza dell’uomo. I personaggi, sospesi tra presenza e svuotamento, sembrano abitare un confine incerto tra corpo e simulacro, accentuando la percezione di un’umanità già consumata dall’interno. Misero Soffio Misera Carne è un affresco cupo e atemporale sulla fragilità dell’esistenza e sulla violenza che emerge quando ogni ordine vacilla.
Cíntia, 35 years old, works from home and lives alone, except for the company of Janete, her robot vacuum. Upon returning to in-person work, she confronts the exhaustion and possibilities of her new routine, now filled with social interactions.
In un paese sospeso tra memoria e ombra, Lara incontra Chiara, una bambina enigmatica che gioca con monete e sassi. Seguendola, la ragazza viene condotta tra i calanchi, un paesaggio arcaico dove burattini di carta mettono in scena la storia di un’ombra perduta. Qui appaiono misteriosi pellegrini incappucciati, accompagnati dal suono di catene e dai loro lunghi aghi. Costretta a dare voce al racconto della bambina, Lara si confronta con la solitudine e con la perdita della propria identità, finché Chiara sceglie di seguire quelle figure, lasciandola sola in un ciclo che sembra destinato a ripetersi.
In a village suspended between memory and shadow, Lara meets Chiara, an enigmatic child who plays with coins and stones. Following her, Lara is led into the Calanchi, an ancient landscape where paper puppets stage the story of a lost shadow. Hooded pilgrims appear, accompanied by the sound of chains and their long needles. Forced to give voice to the child’s tale, Lara confronts solitude and the loss of her own identity, until Chiara chooses to follow those figures, leaving Lara alone in a cycle that seems destined to repeat itself.
ENG:
Eduardo is thirty and lives in a house he loves, but can’t quite inhabit. His father distracts him with football talk, his mother protects him from everything, even from pain. And yet, every gesture is charged with what is never said: Rosa, his sister, is ill. Her silent presence is the emotional center around which the entire family rotates. The only one who dares to name things as they are is “Uncle” Franco — not a real uncle, but the owner of the restaurant where Eduardo works. A direct, ironic man, who affectionately and irreverently pushes him not to drown in silence. Then there’s Cinzia, an unstable and radiant girl who forces Eduardo to lose balance and listen to his own chaos. I Wanted to Be a Gouldian Finch is the story of a young man learning to face, rather than escape, the pain that inhabits him. And like the small bird that gives the film its title, he discovers that maybe there is a way to fly — even by standing still.
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ITA:
Eduardo ha trent’anni e vive in una casa che ama, ma che non riesce ad abitare del tutto. Il padre lo distrae parlando di calcio, la madre lo protegge da tutto, anche dal dolore. Eppure, ogni gesto è carico di qualcosa che non viene mai detto: Rosa, la sorella, è malata. La sua presenza silenziosa è il centro emotivo attorno a cui ruota l’intera famiglia. L’unico che osa dire le cose come stanno è “zio” Franco — che zio non è — ma il titolare del ristorante dove Eduardo lavora. Un uomo diretto, ironico, che con affetto e irriverenza lo spinge a non annegare nel silenzio. E poi c’è Cinzia, ragazza instabile e luminosa, che costringe Eduardo a perdere l’equilibrio e ascoltare il proprio caos. Volevo essere un diamante di Gould è la storia di un ragazzo che impara ad attraversare, senza scappare, il dolore che lo abita. E come l’uccellino che dà il nome al titolo, scopre che forse esiste un modo per volare, anche restando fermi.
During a solo rehearsal, Mélanie plays the violin. The music becomes the medium through which memories of her relationship with Alban, a pianist and her life partner, resurface. From their first meeting in a music shop to the work they shared in jazz clubs, and eventually to success in theaters, Mélanie retraces the key moments of their story: the passion, the intimacy, the artistic growth, but also the conflicts, their individual ambitions, and the constant misunderstandings that ultimately led them to separate.
Giancarlo Mangiapane, a frustrated actor in his thirties, finally gets a shot at fame: the lead role in Clochard, a biopic about a fallen 1950s tap dance star. To prepare, he throws himself into the role, learning tap, drinking, imitating the homeless; until the line between his life and the character begins to blur dangerously.
ITALIAN:
Alex, un giovanotto, e Philippe, un affascinante uomo di mezza età, si incontrano per un appuntamento di sesso. Doveva essere un incontro veloce, ma le cose prendono una piega che nessuno dei due uomini avrebbe mai potuto immaginare...
ENGLISH:
A young guy, named Alex, and Philippe, a charming man in his fifties, have a date. It is supposed to be just a quick sex affair, but things will turn out unexpectedly...
AWARDS:
- Sicily International Short League 2024 (Italy) - BEST SHORT
- Korea Queer Film Festival 2024 (Korea) - HONORARY MENTION
- Viagrande Short Film Fest 2024 (Italy) - BEST SHORT
- Hendaia Film Festival 2024 (France) - BEST ACTOR (Tom Vallejo)
- Cine Mundo 2024 (Argentina) - HONORARY MENTION LGBT
- Festival National de la Créativité Audiovisuelle 2024 (France) - 2ND AWARD FICTION
- Via Dei Corti 2024 (Italy) - BEST SHORT
- Via Dei Corti 2024 (Italy) - BEST DIRECTOR
- Via Dei Corti 2024 (Italy) - BEST SCRIPT
- Viterbo Short 2024 (Italy) - BEST FREE SHORT
- Omovies Napoli 2024 (Italy) - SPECIAL AWARD VINCENZO RUGGIERO
- UTSAV 2024 (India) - BEST DIRECTOR
- Queer Film Festival Playa del Carmen 2024 (Mexico) - BEST FOREIGN SHORT FICTION
- Les Couleurs du Court 2025 (France) - SPECIAL MENTION
- Officine Social Movie 2025 (Italy) - AWARD "FREEDOM OF TASTE"
- Inventa Un Film - Lenola Film Festival 2025 (Italy) - AWARD "IMPORTANT MESSAGE"
- Paris Movie Awards 2026 (France) - BEST DIRECTOR
- Memorial Piero Iuvara 2026 (Italy) - CRITICS' AWARD
- Aquicorto 2026 (Italy) - BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT
A few years ago, Zhenya underwent a serious heart surgery, and since then her dreams have been haunted by a mysterious stranger. One day she sees his photo on the screen of her colleague's phone in a playlist.
Petya turns out to be a successful musician, his albums are popular, and his concerts attract hundreds of people. After he`s experienced personal tragedy in the past, his art has changed.
Zhenya decided at all costs to find the musician—and their meeting changed both of their lives completely.
ENG
Fear can be paralyzing,can make you lose control,balance , to the point of wanting to disappear. The deep love of a bond between father and daughter , that is there and always will exist, can give you the strength to emergence from the darkness and trust, because people, like events, cannot always be under our control and to breathe sometimes ...you have to let go.
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ITA
La paura può essere paralizzante, può’ farti perdere il controllo, l’equilibrio , fino al desiderio di sparire. L’amore profondo di un legame tra padre e figlia , che c’è e sempre esisterà, può darti la forza di emergere dal buio e affidarti, perché’ le persone, come gli eventi, non possono essere sempre sotto il nostro controllo e per respirare a volte …bisogna lasciare andare.
In diversi piccoli paesi e cittadine, una tradizione religiosa e culturale si tramanda ancora oggi, non solo come un ricordo sbiadito. L'atmosfera di un tempo passato, vibrante e autentica, è raccontata da centinaia di disegni, trasformando il ricordo in una presenza tangibile che continua a incantare, ieri come oggi.
Maia, sette anni, vive serenamente la sua infanzia tra Barbie, piccoli vestiti e disegni coloratissimi. Quando la mamma le compra la gonna dei suoi desideri, identica a quella di una compagna, guardandosi allo specchio scopre che non le sta bene e, per la prima volta, deve far fronte ad un’insicurezza nascosta che la rattrista, rendendola consapevole della propria fragilità.
Maia, seven years old, lives her childhood peacefully among Barbies, dresses, and drawings. When her mother buys her the skirt she had always wanted, identical to that of a classmate, she looks at herself in the mirror and realizes it doesn’t suit her as she imagined. For the first time, she is forced to face a hidden insecurity that saddens her, making her aware of her own fragility.
ITA
Giunto in Italia da clandestino, Khaled lavora in nero in un autolavaggio della città, in attesa che i trafficanti lo trasferiscano a lavorare nei campi. Nella precarietà e nello sfruttamento anche un banale problema può trasformarsi in dramma. "Le Note di Khaled" con Mones Abu Salah, Fabrizio Ferracane, Mattia Mariani e Qusai Al Ghalban.
Video con sottotitoli in italiano:
https://vimeo.com/1161775111
(premiere567584)
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ENG: "KHALED'S SONG"
Khaled arrived in Italy illegally and now works cash-in-hand at a city car wash, waiting for traffickers to move him into forced agricultural labour. In a world of exploitation and uncertainty, even a minor issue can quickly become a life-altering crisis. "Khaled's Song", featuring Mones Abu Salah, Fabrizio Ferracane, Mattia Mariani e Qusai Al Ghalban.
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Spanish srt available
I feel you è un cortometraggio drammatico-sportivo ambientato in un campo da basket notturno, dove un ragazzo si allena ossessivamente per sfuggire al silenzio che lo divora. Ogni palleggio, ogni tiro sbagliato, diventa il riflesso di un conflitto interiore irrisolto: il dolore per l’assenza del padre-mentore, figura fondamentale nella sua crescita umana e sportiva.
What lies behind the silence of those who cannot overcome their trauma?
April 9, 2009. Alberto, a firefighter scarred by a dramatic past, walks into an empty bar while the news broadcasts images of the destruction and casualties caused by the earthquake in Abruzzo, which struck three days earlier. Haunted by the memory of a tragic event, he recognizes an old trophy as a symbol of his pain.
Arriving in the quake-stricken area, Alberto and his colleagues dig through the rubble, aided by a scent-tracking dog led by Enrico. When the dog signals something unusual, Alberto decides to investigate. That descent into the ruins becomes a personal challenge, forcing him to confront the shadow of a memory that was never truly buried.
Uno studente universitario in crisi assume l’identità di Alice99 per poter chattare con Erik_97. Quella che inizia come un’esperienza di gioco e scoperta si trasforma presto in una rete intricata di bugie e mezze verità.
Large room in a dream apartment. Unbeatable location. Ready to move in. Plenty of light.
What appears to be a normal meeting in a hotel between an escort and her client turns out to be an unusual and dangerous mission for two secret agents.
It all revolves around a pair of "special" shoes: at first glance, they appear to be ordinary women's shoes, but in reality, they hide a lethal device in their heels.
A bed. The quintessential place of the couple. A stage where life begins, is revealed, and ends.
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Il letto. Simbolo della coppia per antonomasia. Un teatro dove la vita incomincia, si rivela e finisce.
5 MINUTES VERSION here:
https://vimeo.com/1159575149
password: premiere272727
Nel silenzio di cemento di Atene, una bambina si perde nell’ombra della propria madre. Quando la luce svanisce, l’amore di una nonna diventa l’unica via d’uscita.
Vincenzo e Fiorella are two very different cops: he's unpredictable and unreliable, she's methodic and responsable. They're forced to cooperate to stop a phantom killer called the Tailor. Together, they'll try to surpass their differences and emotional blocks.
After years of separation, a young woman is forced to move back in with her ailing father, struggling to rebuild a relationship that may have never existed. A simple gesture will represent the first step toward forgiveness and reconciliation. But... "Elena" reflects on how often we realize the value of people only when it's too late.
Two androids in government service are sent to a virtually restored old house. When one of them finds an old newspaper about democracy, a yearning for freedom dawns on him.
Alice è una ragazza eccentrica, teatrale ed estremamente fuori posto nel proprio liceo. Alice vive di sogni e il suo sogno più grande al momento sembra essere Lorenzo, compagno di scuola estremamente diverso da lei. L'unica che sembra sopportarla è la migliore amica, Angelica, che la seguirà nei suoi tentativi sempre più strani ed esagerati per conquistare la sua cotta.
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"Alice Honey Milk"
Alice is quirky, dramatic and extremely out of place in her school. Alice lives off fantasies and her biggest one right now is Lorenzo, a guy who couldn’t be more different than her. The only person who seems to stand her is Angelica, her best friend; who will follow Alice in each quest she’ll put herself into to win her crush.
Gaia, a young graduate from Naples, receives a proposal for a one-year substitute teaching position at a school in Civitavecchia, near Rome. She has a single evening to decide whether to accept and to find the courage to tell her partner, Alberto), with whom she has just moved in.
An unexpected event will make Gaia realize that moving towards the future requires accepting the risk of breaking something.
Italy, 1918. Amid the Spanish flu epidemic, Mario, a photographer, captures with his loyal friend Otto the shattered families in their final gesture of love. The car radio delivers ever darker news. Then one day, something changes: the man who has photographed so many farewells must now confront his own…
A little girl has a dream: to give her goldfish its freedom back..In the short film The Goldfish, Rachele wants to set her little fish free in a fountain with crystal-clear waters, but instead she finds only degradation, neglect, and indifference. Determined not to give up, she involves other children in an adventure that, beneath the appearance of a game, reveals enthusiasm, hope, and a desire for change.
ENG
Eleonora is a cheerful and bright twenty-one year old girl who studies engineering at the Politecnico University of Milan. One night, she agrees to meet her classmate Gabriele, for a drink at a bar in the city center. It comes across as an entirely harmless invitation, a chance to meet outside the university. When Eleonora arrives, however, she finds out that Gabriele is not alone. Two of his friends, Matteo and Mauro, are already there. The mood is lively and carefree at first, but almost imperceptibly it begins to shift, revealing something far more calculated. As the evening unfolds, Eleonora finds herself trapped in a situation she never expected. What begins as a simple social encounter turns into a calculated pattern of manipulation and escalating violence, leaving her the victim of an abuse orchestrated by the three men.
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ITA
Eleonora è una ragazza di 21 anni, solare e brillante, che studia ingegneria al Politecnico di Milano. Una sera come tante, prende la metropolitana per raggiungere un bar nel centro della città: l’ha invitata Gabriele, un compagno conosciuto tra le aule dell’università, con la scusa di un semplice aperitivo. L’incontro, all’apparenza informale e amichevole, sembra l’occasione perfetta per conoscersi meglio. Ma una volta arrivata, Eleonora scopre che Gabriele non è solo: con lui ci sono Matteo e Mauro, due amici dal tono vivace e spavaldo. Tra chiacchiere leggere e bicchieri che si svuotano troppo in fretta, qualcosa si incrina impercettibilmente. Dietro una patina di normalità, si cela un disegno oscuro, un piano premeditato che Eleonora non può nemmeno sospettare. Quella che doveva essere una serata spensierata si trasforma lentamente in una trappola. In un crescendo di manipolazione e violenza, la protagonista diventa vittima di un abuso orchestrato dai tre ragazzi.
Marco (23) is forced by Mariano (37) to commit a murder with him on behalf of one of Mariano’s clients.
During the car ride, it is clear that Marco does not want to be there; he remains silent and prefers not to speak, whereas Mariano is calm and composed. They arrive at the designated location. They are early, so Marco steps out of the car, seeking a moment of peace. However, Mariano follows him—like a constant shadow.
They step out of the car and move a short distance away.
Mariano keeps up his rambling, incoherent talk, while all Marco wants is freedom.
Suddenly, a gunshot rings out from nowhere. Marco turns around; he is still alive. Mariano has been killed by a bullet.
Completely caught off guard, Marco throws himself to the ground and curls into a ball.
Silvia (25)—the intended victim, who turns out not to be dead—approaches him and orders him to get a shovel from the car’s trunk and dig a hole.
Hours pass, and both Marco and Silvia are utterly exhausted. Then, Marco suddenly remembers: the Galli brothers—the men they were supposed to meet—are on their way.
They devise a plan; they won't be caught unprepared.
When the two criminals arrive—far more menacing than Mariano—everything seems to be going smoothly; they approach the young man and open the car door, ready to carry out their task. However, the two men realize something is wrong, but they don't even have time to fight back before Marco and Silvia, acting in unison, take them out. After this latest bloodshed, Silvia gets out of the car and sits by the sea; Marco joins her shortly after. The two stand watching the waves as they leave their former lives behind and wait to discover what the future holds for them.
Resurrection follows Patrick Girondi, a self-made millionaire, as he fights to save his son Rocco from a rare blood disease. Moving his family to Puglia, Italy, he pursues groundbreaking gene therapy while navigating corruption, deceit, and the hope of curing thousands of children like Rocco. A cinematic, musical “day in the life,” the film blends family, music, and a father’s unwavering determination.
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.
