Category: ARFF Amsterdam 2024 – Best Student Film

Original Film Title: I Dream of Women

Director’s Name: Bence Simon

Writer’s Name: Bence Simon

Producer: Luca Somlyai

Country of Origin: Netherlands

Country of Filming: Netherlands

Language: English

Runtime: 12 minutes 17 seconds

Film Description:

Adrian struggles to maintain a life he could be proud of. His days pass by him in a blur and his nights are spent alone. He works at his father’s restaurant but he is no good at it. But Adrian lives another life in his dreams, where he meets a woman by the name of Alice. What would happen if the borders of dream and reality became blurred? And how will Adrian keep the correct balance?

Original Film Title: My Rockstar

Director’s Name: Stephanie Williams, Graham Northrup

Writer’s Name: Stephanie Williams

Producer: Stephanie Williams, Graham Northrup

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: English

Runtime: 12 minutes 49 seconds

Film Description:

“My Rockstar” is a gripping short film based on true events. It follows Amanda (aka “Eva” from the band Eva Under Fire) on her quest to become a rockstar while navigating her father’s battle with opiate addiction. The narrative delves into the complexities of familial relationships, highlighting the profound impact addiction has on loved ones. Themes of perseverance, hope, and forgiveness intertwine in Amanda’s emotional journey, leaving viewers profoundly moved and inspired.

Original Film Title: The Unstealable Bike

Director’s Name: Rozh Surchi

Writer’s Name: Rozh Surchi

Producer: Rozh Surchi

Country of Origin: Netherlands

Country of Filming: Netherlands

Language: Dutch

Runtime: 14 minutes 5 seconds

Film Description:

A stylistic mockumentary that unveils the intriguing life of Floris, a renowned figure on Amsterdam’s streets for his bike-stealing prowess. In a city where 80,000 bikes vanish yearly, Floris emerges as a key player in this clandestine cycle. However, he’s not alone – the market thrives on stolen bikes. Through deadpan humour and unexpected revelations, Floris provides a unique insight into the intricate gears that keep Amsterdam’s bike theft machine in motion.

Original Film Title: Help me help you

Director’s Name: Stéphanie Sassen

Writer’s Name: Stéphanie Sassen

Producer: The Arctic University of Norway

Country of Origin: Belgium

Country of Filming: Namibia

Language: English, Other

Runtime: 35 minutes 28 seconds

Film Description:

Help me help you is about young people motivated to help in Namibia’s Kalahari Desert, a place that has attracted much outsider help for many decades. Armed with cameras and participatory video training given by an overseas NGO, a group of young Ju/’hoansi become activists. “It’s not good to sit without doing something”. As they are making a film on the roots of educational marginalisation, the film they are in weaves together joint challenges and contrasts good intentions with power dynamics.

The youngsters turn the camera on school children. The filmmaker turns the camera on the youngsters. Through a microphone, they are opening up a space to speak across generations and continents in their quest to help. But what does help mean?

Original Film Title: Lupita

Director’s Name: Angela Alvarado

Writer’s Name: Angela Alvarado

Producer: Angela Alvarado

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: Spanish

Runtime: 4 minutes 21 seconds

Film Description:

We all lose something, and today, young Luna searches for her dear friend Lupita.

Original Film Title: 《 War and Peace of the 29Team 》

Director’s Name: Ma Wen ting

Writer’s Name: Ma Wen ting

Producer: Ma Wen ting

Country of Origin: China

Country of Filming: China

Language: Chinese

Runtime: 21 minutes 47 seconds

Film Description:

The villagers living in Team 29 are Chinese and overseas Chinese who were expelled from Vietnam and returned to China during the Sino-Vietnamese conflict in 1978, and three generations tell their understanding of their cultural identity.