Category: BEST SHORT FILM – 2025 ARFF AMSTERDAM

(Finalist)

Original Film Title: Genesis Installed

Director’s Name: AI Machina

Writer’s Name: AI Machina

Producer: AI Machina

Country of Origin: Canada

Country of Filming : Canada

Language: English

Runtime: 5 minutes

Film Description:

The Lab pushes the boundaries of AI development by embedding the Bible into next-gen androids for memory testing. What begins as an experiment in cognition spirals into a profound exploration of belief, ethics, and the unintended consequences of mixing ancient scripture with bio-machine logic.

(Finalist)

Original Film Title: The Truth Seekers

Director’s Name: Nick Fuller

Writer’s Name: Nick Fuller

Producer: Nick Fuller

Country of Origin: United Kingdom

Country of Filming : United Kingdom

Language: English

Runtime: 12 minutes 5 seconds

Film Description:

Meet Marissa Rawlings, a reasoned alternative voice or an extremist in moderate’s clothes? She’s taking on a face of the established news media, Stephen Yardley.

Both apparently seek to deliver the truth and both claim to represent balanced views. But do they really?

Nowadays delivery and charisma can be more persuasive than words themselves so we’d better be ready with our own filters. The only side to be on is our own.

(Finalist)

Original Film Title: Don’t Call Me ‘Miss’

Director’s Name: Alessio Petrillo

Writer’s Name: Alessio Petrillo

Producer: Marco Gentili, Letizia Fabbri, Alessandro Canini, Camilla Rabitti, Federico Colicchio

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming : Australia

Language: English

Runtime:20 minutes

Film Description:

‘Mrs Lawrence’ is the oldest still-serving teacher in the history of Wesley College. She has strong opinions on respect, passion, and the way we ‘should’ communicate with each other.

This short film examines whether her ideals—and the subject of Speech and Drama itself—are becoming irrelevant in the face of technology or remain vital in the fight for preserving in-person connection.

(Honorable Mention)

Original Film Title: Agape

Director’s Name: Alessio Petrillo

Writer’s Name: Alessio Petrillo

Producer: Marco Gentili, Letizia Fabbri, Alessandro Canini, Camilla Rabitti, Federico Colicchio

Country of Origin: San Marino

Country of Filming : Italy

Language: Italian

Runtime: 7 minutes 56 seconds

Film Description:

The weekend marking two years of their relationship becomes a defining moment for a young couple.

(Finalist)

Original Film Title: FISHED

Director’s Name: Shaneye Ferrell

Writer’s Name: David H Hickey

Producer: Hammy O’Hickey

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming : United States

Language: No Dialogue

Runtime: 12 minutes

Film Description:

A Man (Cleat) goes out for the big catch and finds himself caught in the throws of himself and his willingness to be the catch.

(Finalist)

Original Film Title: No Coriander for Alexander

Director’s Name: Don van Andel

Writer’s Name: Don van Andel

Producer: Don van Andel

Country of Origin: Netherlands

Country of Filming : Netherlands

Language: Dutch

Runtime: 20 minutes

Film Description:

he film begins with Alexander sitting defeated, dirty and injured on the ground against a tree. ‘It all got a bit out of hand. Just because I don’t like coriander.’

We then see a well dressed gentleman getting a blow to the back of his head. His invitation to a mystery dinner is taken away and Alexander, also well dressed, puts it in his inside pocket. He goes to a place where there are 2 other well dressed people. A passenger van arrives and the 3 people are blindfolded. We see Alexander wearing a hidden camera in a button of his jacket.
The blindfolds come off when they are inside the venue. The well dressed group now consists of 6 people. There is security. The guests take their seats at a laid table. The chef and host, Gaston Pierre de la Pontneuf explains that there is only 1 rule. You have to eat everything.
The first dish is Tartare of Koala with coriander. Alexander takes a bite in horror. He has to gag. Alex removes the coriander from the tartare and hides it in a napkin. A fellow guest looks at him suspiciously. The 2nd course is a Terrine of Indus River Dolphin. He cannot take out the coriander here and takes another bite. Now it is worse and he throws up a little, but hides it. He crams his whole mouth full, and spits it out in the toilet. The 3rd course is flambéed Javanese Rhino steak.
Gaston joins Alexander; he knows Alex doesn’t eat everything. He wants to force him to eat this last dish with the help of security. During the struggle, the camera button comes undone and he is exposed. The chef is furious and they proceed to force-feed him the coriander.

Alexander tears himself away and runs out the door into a forest. Inside, on the table lies a weapon for each guest.
The next course is PETA secret agent. The 5 guests hunt for Alexander in the forest. Alexander slams into a tree and cannot continue, too injured. He sits defeated against a tree and says ‘Pfff, coriander sucks.’. A crossbow is in the picture firing an arrow. We see Alexander falling over, presumably dead.

(Finalist)

Original Film Title: Ilhéus (Islanders)

Director’s Name: Manu Sobral

Writer’s Name: Manu Sobral, Joel Caetano

Producer: Mariana Zani

Country of Origin: Brazil

Country of Filming : Brazil

Language:

Runtime: 14 minutes 58 seconds

Film Description:

Ilhéus (Islanders) tells the story of Esther, a girl, inhabitant of an island, who acquires specials skills, after being rescued from a accident at sea.

(Honorable Mention)

Original Film Title: The Side That No One Sees

Director’s Name: Jonah Emilião, Danton Cesar, Tavares Pinto

Writer’s Name: Jonah Emilião, Danton Cesar, Tavares Pinto

Producer: Danton Cesar, Tavares Pinto

Country of Origin: Brazil

Country of Filming : Brazil

Language: Panjabi

Runtime: 29 minutes 54 seconds

Film Description:

25 years old and the peak of his career is already over. From successful skateboarder to retiree about to hit rock bottom with his personal life, like that, real quick!

Control addictions, be productive at work, be social at parties, smile, appear normal.

Meanwhile, inside your head, your internal monsters that appear in the form of your skateboarding idols give different advice and guesses about your life…

Does it seem easy to you?

(Finalist)

Original Film Title: Lox

Director’s Name: Dan Pavlik

Writer’s Name: Dan Pavlik, Leo Eigen

Producer: Leslie Karaffa, Bettina Devin

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming : United States

Language: English

Runtime: 13 minutes 30 seconds

Film Description:

In the span of time it takes to order bagels & lox, Ruth Gold meets, remembers, and ultimately forgets a young man in a bittersweet story of fading memory.