Category: BEST SHORT FILM ARFF Paris 2022

Original Film Title: The Four Walls of Charlotte Moreland

Director’s Name: Joe Benedetto, Alison Stover

Writer’s Name: Joe Benedetto, Alison Stover

Producer: Cecilio Davis, Rissa Davis, Joe Benedetto, Alison Stover

Country of Origin: USA

Country of Filming: USA

Language: English

Runtime: 22 minutes 44 seconds

Film Description:

Based on a true story, The Four Walls of Charlotte Moreland takes you on a journey into the gaslighting and confusion of life post abusive relationship. In the aftermath Charlotte is agoraphobic. Panic and depression overwhelm her as she can’t remember the girl she once was and is now redefined by lies and by the messages of her abuser. There is hope, and Charlotte emerges as a stronger version of herself through small but significant moments, and the kindness of people who have not given up on her. Healing is possible and contrary to popular belief it takes time. This film intends to illuminate the long, arduous healing process, have an impact in terms of the perception of healing, create a discussion, and engender empathy around this subject. We are hoping to be the voice for those who are too afraid to speak up.

Original Film Title: Aure de Lola

Director’s Name: Gregor Hvastja

Writer’s Name: Barbora Benoni, Veronika Andrejsková

Producer: Gregor Hvastja, Vladana Terčová

Country of Origin: Czech Republic

Country of Filming: Czech Republic

Language: Czech

Runtime: 19 minutes 48 seconds

Film Description:

Seemingly shy and solitary young man Adam works as a hair stylist assistant in a professional hair salon. Besides sweeping and regular cleaning, his main tasks also include preparing clients for treatments by giving them scalp massages and shampooing their hair. Though this might seem as a second-grade duty, it fulfils and thrills him. Adam is modest, with no ambitions or any other hobbies whatsoever. He lives in a small apartment with his cat. But when he is at work, he feels genuinely happy and content. There he gets to regularly meet the beautiful hairdresser Lola, who has become an object of his affection and hidden desires. Lola is attracted to Adam particularly because of his shyness. She has wanted to get to know him better for a while now. It is obvious that the two are attracted to each other and it is only a matter of time when one of them will make the first move.

Original Film Title: MEMORIES

Director’s Name: Sebastian Pink

Writer’s Name: Sebastian Pink

Producer: Sebastian Pink

Country of Origin: Germany

Country of Filming: Germany

Language: German

Runtime: 14 minutes 33 seconds

Film Description:

Sascha is an alcoholic, but doesn’t see this. He also ignores his girlfriend’s warnings. But then something terrible happens…

Original Film Title: A Witcher’s Tale – The Lost Souls

Director’s Name: Gabriel Sengès,

Writer’s Name: Thomas Bocart, Gabriel Sengès

Producer: Gabriel Sengès

Country of Origin: France

Country of Filming: France

Language: French

Runtime: 34 minutes 29 seconds

Film Description:

A Witcher from the Bear School, named Chaim, finds himself facing the collateral damages of an endless war, in a village abandoned by the Nilfgaardians, where a curse remains. This adventure will confront him to his past and his true nature.

Original Film Title: Several Of Myself

Director’s Name: Coi Belluzzo, Joaquim Haickel

Writer’s Name: Coi Belluzzo, Joaquim Haickel

Producer: Ney Bello, Joaquim Haickel

Country of Origin: Brazil

Country of Filming: Brazil

Language: Portuguese

Runtime: 11 minutes 7 seconds

Film Description:

A tormented man struggles to survive illnesses of body, mind and soul.

Original Film Title: Le Buron

Director’s Name: Léo Pons

Writer’s Name: Léo Pons

Producer: Léo Pons

Country of Origin: France

Country of Filming: France

Language: French

Runtime: 22 minutes 11 seconds

Film Description:

Winter 1943. In the town of Salers, a Wechmacht officer is in pursuit of local members of the Resistance. As night falls, he loses his way and wanders into the Auvergne mountains. The soldier finds refuge in an isolated buron, occupied by a mysterious hermit.
“Le Buron” is a short film that combines the strange and sometimes frightening legends of Auvergne with the dark period of the Nazi occupation in France. A “buron” is a rustic stone hut which served as a shelter for sheperds.
In the Auvergne mountains, things are not always what they seem…

Original Film Title: Rosa

Director’s Name: Pete Schilling

Writer’s Name: Pete Schilling

Producer: Pete Schilling, Tim Ohly

Country of Origin: Germany

Country of Filming: Germany

Language: English

Runtime: 11 minutes 23 seconds

Film Description:

While a white, middle-aged man wakes up in the basement of an isolated house with no memory, he meets his black warden who helps him discover the reason why he is imprisoned.

GEORGE THOMPSON is standing in front of a locked door, slamming against the door. He is devastated and after 2-3 additional knocks, he stops and starts strolling through the almost empty room. How long has he been there? Who captured him? He can’t remember.

His thoughts are interrupted by a person saying his name on the other side of the door: “George. How are you?“. It’s the voice of TRAVIS ANDERSON. He is not the cold-blooded serial killer, that we thought he were. As the conversation progresses, we learn that Travis’ sister is in a coma. George is being accused of having tried to rape and beaten her. He denies the accusations, but we cannot be sure that he is telling the truth. Travis doesn’t want him to get away because he doesn’t trust in the police. He attacks George orally and tells him to give him a reason to believe in his innocence.

George firstly doesn’t know what to say and is trying to make sense of all this. His mind is running wild on how to escape this situation. Again he goes through his pockets to look for cues before Travis makes his final resolution.

Original Film Title: Room of her Own

Director’s Name: Jemima Burrill 

Writer’s Name: Jemima Burrill 

Producer: Jemima Burrill 

Country of Origin: United Kingdom

Country of Filming: United Kingdom

Language: English

Runtime: 18 minutes 55 seconds

Film Description:

The red haired woman walks with grace and wears flippers. Her wetsuit protects her from the tube-dwellers snickers. She is determined to get the job done. She has a magic bag and knows how to use it. The dinner must appear and be prepared with love and attention. Her whisk is her weapon as she creates a state of domesticity perfected on the run. Yes, she is one of those who does everything most of the time. But she needs to find room for pleasure, cutting a place for her own freedom, maybe echoing all our own longing to find a sense of ourselves.

Original Film Title: Dance For Emily

Director’s Name: Adellain Tsiahina

Writer’s Name: Katherine Harold, Tsion Tadesse, Rita Waszkowska

Producer: Katherine Harold

Country of Origin: France

Country of Filming: France

Language: English

Runtime: 10 minutes 5 seconds

Film Description:

A story regarding sisterly love and support and how that can make all the difference when going through some of life’s most difficult hardships.

Original Film Title: More Than I Can Say

Director’s Name: Frances Feng

Writer’s Name: Frances Feng

Producer: Vincent Liu

Country of Origin: China

Country of Filming: China, Korea, Republic of

Language: Chinese, Korean

Runtime: 15 Minutes

Film Description:

Xin Cheng, a young boy with autism, cannot communicate normally and even accidentally injured his mother Xin Jian. Faced with massive social and professional pressure, Xin Jian insists on searching high and low for a good environment for her son. She leaves the city, gives up her high-paying job, and brings Xin Cheng to a special needs school in a small seaside city, but it turns out to be disappointing. In the process, she goes through all the hardships that autistic children and their families can experience. Though the two still cannot communicate, the love and acceptance the mother and son express for each other is deeper and more profound than any “I love you” could be.