Category: BEST SHORT FILM – 2025 ARFF BERLIN

(Finalist)

Original Film Title: Steps of Fear

Director’s Name: Maria Julia Garfinkel Lunardelli

Writer’s Name: Maria Julia Garfinkel Lunardelli

Producer: Maria Julia Garfinkel Lunardelli

Country of Origin: Brazil

Country of Filming: Brazil

Language: Portuguese

Runtime: 1 minute 30 seconds

Film Description:

Suspense short film portraying the child’s vulnerability to the environment.

(Finalist)

Original Film Title: THE HOUSE GIRL

Director’s Name: Siraje Serunjogi

Writer’s Name: Siraje Serunjogi

Producer: IMACULATE MUGANZI

Country of Origin: Uganda

Country of Filming: Uganda

Language: English

Runtime: 22 minutes 21 seconds

Film Description:

When a teenage girl arrives in the city with nothing but a plastic bag of belongings, she hopes to find work and stability. She lands a job as a maid in a middle-class household, where a strict and callous woman lives with her two children. From the start, she is met with cruelty—endless chores, harsh words, and a growing sense of worthlessness. The woman’s young son follows suit, treating her with disdain, making her existence a silent battle for dignity.

As the mistreatment continues, the maid’s emotional turmoil festers, pushing her to the edge. One evening, after a particularly harsh scolding, she reaches her breaking point. In the kitchen, she prepares drinks for the family—but this time, she considers a drastic act. As she watches the woman and her son suffering from poisoning, the horror of her actions unfolds—until a sudden noise pulls her back to reality. It was only a dark thought. Shaken and overwhelmed, she rushes away, leaving behind a scene that never happened, but one that reveals just how close she was to the edge.

Silent Cries is a gripping psychological drama that explores abuse, resilience, and the fragile boundary between victimhood and vengeance.

(Honorable Mention)

Original Film Title: Fired Up

Director’s Name: Aktham Kassam

Writer’s Name: Aktham Kassam

Producer: Ikenna Oguike

Country of Origin: Canada

Country of Filming: Canada

Language: English

Runtime: 11 minutes 50 seconds

Film Description:

Adam, a brilliant yet hot-tempered designer, loses his job after clashing repeatedly with his overbearing boss, Mark. Determined to prove himself, Adam starts his design agency, but his demanding and abrasive nature alienates potential partners and staff, leaving him on the brink of failure. Through a humbling journey, Adam learns that success requires more than talent, it requires teamwork and patience. With his friend Jack’s support,
Adam confronts his flaws and begins to change, leading to a major client win and the revival of his agency.
In a twist of fate, his former boss Mark, who once doubted him, seeks employment at Adam’s now-thriving company, a testament to Adam’s growth and redemption.

(Finalist)

Original Film Title: The Death of the Engine Inventor

Director’s Name: Roy Eventov

Writer’s Name: Roy Eventov

Producer: Roy Eventov

Country of Origin: Israel

Country of Filming: Israel

Language: English

Runtime: 8 minutes

Film Description:

In the late 19th century, a struggling inventor works obsessively in isolation, pouring his last hopes into a prototype engine. Penniless and overlooked, he receives an unexpected invitation from a secretive group of inventors—along with a ticket for a luxury cruise. Eager for recognition, he boards the ship, but the voyage takes a dark turn, forcing him to make a life-altering decision.

(Finalist)

Original Film Title: Dragonfly

Director’s Name: Siyang Liu

Writer’s Name: Siyang Liu

Producer: Han Wang

Country of Origin: China

Country of Filming: China

Language: Chinese

Runtime: 19 minutes 27 seconds

Film Description:

Great-grandson Zhou Zihang has only two memories of his great-grandmother – her funeral and a contact. Unable to remember season and weather, he only remembers the persimmons that were handed to him and the unexplained crying

(Finalist)

Original Film Title: Growing Through

Director’s Name: Valeria Starovoit

Writer’s Name: Valeria Starovoit

Producer: Maria Charnaya Menzel

Country of Origin: Germany, Russian Federation

Country of Filming: Germany

Language: Russian

Runtime: 8 minutes 26 seconds

Film Description:

What does it feel like to be the child of parents who drink? Lilia recalls her childhood in our story: a mother who always disappears, a house in which strangers sleep, a floor littered with broken bottles, and humiliation at school. But – Lilya learned to grow through all that.

Now Lilia is already an adult woman and is raising a son with autism. She has come a long way to accept her past and learn to live in the present. Listen to her story.

(Finalist)

Original Film Title: AYER OTRA VEZ

Director’s Name: Jorge Del Toro

Writer’s Name: Jorge Del Toro

Producer: Stephanie Del Toro, Joseph Blake Menzel

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: English, Spanish

Runtime: 10 minutes 50 seconds

Film Description:

A widower haunted by fading memories must confront what’s real and what’s vanishing when an unexpected visitor forces him into a fragile dance between past and present.

(Finalist)

Original Film Title: The Heaven In The Shower

Director’s Name: Gino CERIACHI

Writer’s Name: Gino CERIACHI

Producer: Gino CERIACHI

Country of Origin: Italy, Taiwan

Country of Filming: Italy, Taiwan

Language: Chinese, Italian

Runtime: 18 minutes

Film Description:

Alberto, a witty and lovable obese senior, has one true passion—finding the perfect shower. Tired small cubicles and weak water pressure, he embarks on a global adventure. As he’s about to give up, a chance encounter leads him to Taiwan.

(Honorable Mention)

Original Film Title: StreetVet

Director’s Name: Stephanie Keelan

Writer’s Name: Stephanie Keelan

Producer: Stephanie Keelan

Country of Origin: United Kingdom

Country of Filming: United Kingdom

Language: English

Runtime: 23 minutes 46 seconds

Film Description:

StreetVet is a short film that delves into the incredible work of vet Jade Statt and the StreetVet team, a dedicated UK-wide network of volunteer vets and nurses who have swapped the practice for the pavements to provide free veterinary care to the pets of those experiencing homelessness. The film explores the profound bond between humans and animals, showcasing how pets offer companionship, emotional support, and a sense of purpose for their owners. Follow the journey of StreetVet and how one act of kindness back in 2016, led to a transformative and inspiring community of veterinary professionals helping thousands of animals and their owners receive the essential care they need and deserve, changing lives all over the country.

(Winner)

Original Film Title: Ties

Director’s Name: Angelica Andersson

Writer’s Name: Angelica Andersson

Producer: Angelica Andersson, Poppy Redenström

Country of Origin: Sweden

Country of Filming: Netherlands

Language: English

Runtime: 28 minutes 37 seconds

Film Description:

After losing her mother, a devoted daughter struggles to care for her grieving father, ultimately discovering the depths of her own sorrow and the strengths to heal.