Short Slot 5 - The Ties That Shape Us

view additional info and trailers

BIJUPIRA

Directed by Eduardo Boccaletti
Narrative Short
Brazil | 14 min | 2025

Tomé, a young boy who lives with a fisherman at sea, questions his own origins after learning about the remora, a fish that clings to the giant whale shark. In an impulsive act, he unties the rope and gets lost in the ocean. When rescued, Reinaldo carries him on his back, just like the whale shark carries the remora, revealing the bond between them.

FUNDBOX - A LOVE STORY

Directed by Miles Merritt & Gail Kempler
Narrative Short
Austria | 27 min | 2025

As his 50th wedding anniversary approaches, an elderly man returns to Vienna to honor a promise he and his wife made when they were first married. Sadly, while in Vienna, he experiences a distressing loss. Far from home, his frustration grows until he encounters a sympathetic city employee.

OCTOPUS

Directed by George Dogaru
Narrative Short
Romania | 12 min | 2025

A young boy’s imagination begins to blur the lines of reality, leaving the adults around him uncertain about what’s real. As his uncanny abilities begin to grow, they’re forced to ask: is it a gift—or a curse?

THE PERFECT TOMATO

Directed by Cristobal Abugaber
Narrative Short
Mexico | 18 min | 2024

An aging farmer refuses to leave his longstanding way of life behind at the risk of losing what truly matters to him.

WORN AND REBORN

Directed by Mykhailo Bogdanov
Documentary Short
United States | 9 min | 2025

Worn and Reborn follows a vibrant woman named Shelly who brings new life to secondhand clothes through bold colors, playful shapes, and handmade jewelry. As she reflects on her journey as a teenage mother and the joyful bond she shared with her son Lyndale, she reveals how creativity has helped her transform grief into joy. Within the aisles of resale shops, she finds not just style and self-expression but also a deep sense of resilience, community, and healing. Her story is lovingly pieced together through memory and imagination, showing that even what feels worn can be renewed with purpose and care.