Tricky Women 2025: Up & Coming 1

GIOVANNA AND THE BIG PEACOCK

Maria Zilli, 2023, IT, 3 minutes

Giovanna is a warrior. She is wandering on her horse in a colourful gummy world in search of a mysterious creature, until...a rhythmic sound shakes her. All of a sudden Giovanna wakes up in the greyness of the real world.

ISIA Urbino


COTTAGE CHEESE

Liina Luomajoki, Lena Metzger, Janina Müller, Alice Kunz, 2024, CH, 5 minutes

Only available in Austria.

When Mika sits down on the toilet, she is shocked to discover that there is something mysterious in her underpants. In search of answers, she embarks on a bizarre journey through her body.

HSLU - Lucerne




FISH | 鱼

Yingdan Lai , 2024, US and CN, 7 minutes

A girl and her pet fish share a love-hate relationship. After a conflict caused by a misunderstanding, the girl impulsively throws the fish into a river. Filled with regret and longing, she eventually returns to the water.

California Institute of Arts


DAUGHTER IN THE FAMILY PORTRAIT | 相片中的女兒

Yu-Wen Peng , 2024, TW, 3 minutes

A memory of taking a family portrait reveals the delicate relationships within a family. The daughter feels helpless when she sees her parents quarreling. The collapse of the Buddha statue symbolizes the collapse of the illusions at play.

Tainan National University of the Arts




LIMINAL ROOTS

Aliyah Harfoot, 2024, UK, 4 minutes

Combining stop-motion techniques with hand drawn animation, this film is a visceral journey through the memories of a young girl struggling to come to terms with the complexity of her mixed-raced identity.

National Film and Television School


RECORDARI

Carolina Cruz, 2024, DE, 10 minutes

Santiago, Chile, 1985. Camila and Paula, both 7 years old, are neighbors and best friends. Living amidst sweetness and bitterness, their lives, along with those of their families and their neighborhood, are shaped by the horrors of Pinochet's military dictatorship.

Film University Konrad Wolf


WORDS OF HER | MEIYU *

Charlene Xu, 2024, US, 10 minutes

Not available in North America.

A young woman navigates the tension between desire and repression as she is confronted with her mother’s sex life. Like the relentless plum rain, unfamiliar sensations consume her, pulling her into a world of voyeurism, self-discovery and the unspoken bond between a mother and daughter.

USC Cinematic Arts

*contains depictions of self-harm


THREE BIRDS | TRI TICICE

Zarja Menart, 2024, SI, 8 minutes

A wise bird woman sends three birds to guide a girl into the dark unknown landscapes of her inner world.


POPPY FLOWERS

Evridiki Papaiakovou, 2024, EE, 4 minutes

Remembering is a fluid affair. A daughter tries to reconcile with her mother through memories of their shared rituals, exposing the intricate aspects of their relationship. As the daughter matures, she begins to contemplate conventional notions of divinity.

Estonian Academy of Arts


A DAY WHEN THE SNOW MELTS

Hajar Mehrani, 2024, BE, FI, and PT, 7 minutes

A young woman faces childhood trauma in the form of a folktale, running from a black wolf until her grandmother’s advice guides her. A film about the impact of hidden secrets and the burden of silence.

Re:anima Erasmus Mundus


PEAR GARDEN | BAGHE GOLABI

Shadab Shayegan, 2024, DE, 7 minutes

Six year old Lily finds out her grandma had a mastectomy. Yet when she discovers that the shadow of her grandmother still has both breasts, she is determined to do whatever it takes to bring them back.

Filmakademie Baden-Würtemberg