FILMS
3,650 Days
(12) 7mins. dir: Nicola Peluso
Block E - SAT 7TH 4pm
Millennium Point
When Madeline and Damiens eyes meet on night out. Their paths rapidly intertwine in a whirlwind of passion. Times stops as there realities intersect. Frozen in time, their futures meld, as they dance with the chance encounter. Can two strangers find eternity in a night?
nominations: Best First Time Film maker
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4 Minutes Before Forever
(15) 14mins. dir: Yoann Zak
Block Q - TUES 10TH 8pm
Royal Cinemas Sutton Coldfield
A psychological thriller exploring surveillance, privacy and whether free will exists when algorithms know us better than we know ourselves.
n to destruction when the algorithm predicts a couple's relationship's demise with terrifying precision.
nominations: Best First Time Film maker, Best Horror/Sci-Fi Film
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8:38
(All) 9mins. dir: Imole Ladipo
Block X - SAT 14TH 10am
Millennium Point
At 8:38 pm, May wakes up in a room with no memory of how she got there. Given one lifeline call, she must piece together the truth before time runs out, but is the voice on the other end trying to save her, or seal her fate? It only takes about 8 minutes to uncover everything.
nominations: Best Horror/Sci-Fi Film
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A Birmingham Symphony
(All) 12mins. dir: Jemma Saunders
Block W - FRI 13TH 8pm
Millennium Point
A poetic exploration of Birmingham (UK), inspired by the city symphony films of the 1920s and 1930s, in which a personal place-mosaic is created through a sonic-screen collaboration between filmmaker and composer.
nominations: Best Student Film
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A Girl Called Alice
(12A) 15mins. dir: Tristan Loraine
Block A - FRI 6th
Millennium Point
synopsis
nominations: Best Stunts/Choreography
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A Hand to Hold
(18) 15mins. dir: Philip Clyde-Smith
Block L - SUN 8TH 6pm
Millennium Point
Moira, an elderly Irish woman, finds herself literally attached to her deceased husband Patrick. When his hand refuses to let go after death, it leads to increasingly grotesque events. Everyone in the couple’s orbit, from their daughter to the local doctor, a farmer, a priest, and a Satanist, all try to intervene with horrific consequences. 'A Hand to Hold' blends horror with pitch-black Irish comedy, exploring themes of grief and toxic relationships. The film features an original score by Golden Globe nominated composer Brian Byrne.
nominations: Best Special Effects, Best Hair and Make-Up, Best Horror/Sci-Fi Film
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A Healthy Diet
(All) 7mins. dir: Paloma Zhu
Block R - WED 11TH 6pm
Showcase Cinema de Lux Coventry
One man prepares the ultimate healthy smoothie, another devours a fast food feast. This is not a love story.
nominations: Best Local Film
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A Merry Wellington Rabbit Christmas
(All) 3mins. dir: Jermaine Muir
Block H - SUN 8TH 10am
Millennium Point
What a particular Christmas would be like for Wellington, an anthropomorphic and friendly rabbit.
nominations: Best Micro Short Film
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About The End Of Humankind
(12) 17mins. dir: Valentin Bolte, Georg Kästle
Block D - SAT 7TH 2pm
Millennium Point
As Earth prepares to welcome its first alien visitors, the official welcoming committee stands ready for the most important moment in the planet's history. But nothing about the encounter goes as planned...
nominations: Best Special Effects, Best Ensemble Cast
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Alienegg The Eggstraterrestrial
(All) 8mins. dir: Des Tong
Block B - SAT 7TH 10am
Millennium Point
The Alienegg is chased around the universe by a race of egglets wanting only one thing. They want to hear a story.
nominations: Best Animation, Best Special Effects
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All That Glitter
(15) 100mins. dir: Peter Lavery
Block A - FRI 6th
Millennium Point
nominations: Best Feature Film
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Amazing Grace
(15) 85 mins. dir: Ruth Carney
Block M - SUN 8TH 8pm
Omniplex Cinema, Birmingham
Walter Bird is a man on the brink, trapped in a decaying apartment, haunted by trauma, and ready to
end his life. When a moment of hesitation leads him to call a suicide helpline, he connects with Grace (Hannah Walters - Boiling
Point), a calm and compassionate volunteer whose patience becomes his lifeline.
As Walter spirals through childhood memories, drug-fuelled hallucinations, and the disruptive return of two toxic friends, Karl
(James Nelson-Joyce - This City Is Ours) and Naomi (Chanel Cresswell - This Is England), his fragile connection with Grace
becomes his only tether to hope. With each call, Grace gently helps Walter unpack years of buried abuse, parental neglect, and
self-hatred, guiding him toward a truth he's never dared to speak aloud.
Raw, intimate, and heartbreakingly human, Amazing Grace is a powerful portrait of one man’s fight to stay alive, and the
unexpected grace that can be found in a stranger’s voice."
nominations: Best Feature Film, Best Female Actor - Hannah Walters
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And the Winner is ...
(All) 13mins. dir: Piet Sonck
Block X - SAT 14TH 10am
Millennium Point
A camera assistant dreams about fame & fortune, while getting ready for her next big job, but can she really prepare for everything (on set)?
nominations: Best International Film
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Benevolence
(All) 12mins. dir: Alfie Green
Block W - FRI 13TH 8pm
Millennium Point
nominations: Best Student Film
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Bets
(12) 5mins dir: Benjamin Whiteoak
Block P - TUES 10TH 6pm
Royal Cinemas Sutton Coldfield
A young man named Al is stuck in a cycle of gambling away all of his assets, with a angry girlfriend being his main issue today he has no Idea that he’s about to pay the price for one of his bets.
nominations: Festival Favourite Award
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Between Breath & Silence
(12) 16mins dir: Nicole Pott
Block O - MON 9TH 8pm
Omniplex Cinema, Birmingham
Set across one day, Between Breath & Silence follows Tom as he sits with his dying father. Surrounded by family and the quiet presence of a palliative care worker, Tom is forced to confront the love, guilt, and unspoken truths that have shaped his relationship with his father. Inspired by a true story, the film explores how connection can exist even when words fail.
Between Breath & Silence is selected for, Best of British at the Iris Prize. It is also nominated for the Iris prize.
The film is also selected at Academy award qualifying festival Out on Film.
nominations: Festival Favourite Award
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Beyond Me
(12A) 11mins. dir: Isaac Sheriff Brain
Block B - SAT 7TH 10am
Millennium Point
A film that explores the power of childhood adventures through the lens of Super 8 film reels to inspire life in the moment, cherishing the times that shape our lives.
nominations: Best Documentary
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Beyond The Mat | The Braulio Estima Story
(All) 28mins. dir: Manpreet Singh Pabla
Block T - THURS 12TH 6pm
The Showcase, Dudley
From the streets of Brazil to the pinnacle of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Beyond The Mat follows the journey of legendary athlete Braulio Estima. Beyond titles and accolades, the film explores the unseen battles, injury, identity and the relentless pursuit of purpose. Through intimate interviews and cinematic storytelling, it reveals a man driven not just by victory, but by a deeper mission to impact lives through the art of Jiu-Jitsu
nominations: Best Documentary, Best Production Design
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Big Egg
(All) 13mins
dir: Katy Moore
Block H - SUN 8TH 10am
Millennium Point
Two friends and a postman are burdened with the responsibility of raising a man who hatches out of a massive egg.
nominations: Best Student Film, Best Special Effects
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Big Man
(All) 5mins. dir: Nisaro Karim
Block O - MON 9TH 8pm
Omniplex Cinema, Birmingham
I recently played the role of a headteacher in the short film named Big Man.
nominations: Festival Favourite Award
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Blood is Forever, Love is Forever
(15) 26mins dir: morgan tedd
Block B - SAT 7TH 10am
Millennium Point
"Blood is Forever, Love is Forever, captures the final three performances of Misery Signals, the American / Canadian metalcore pioneers whose music carved anthems of loss, resilience, and unbreakable brotherhood. Filmed between London, England and Edmonton, Canada the documentary follows the band as they close the book on two decades of shared history, catharsis, and sacrifice.
Through visceral live footage and unguarded moments off-stage, the film becomes more than a farewell tour. It is a testament to friendship forged in grief, the unrelenting bond between artist and audience, and the way music can turn suffering into communion. "
nominations: Best Documentary
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Blown It
(All) 10mins. dir: Jess Curtis
Block N - MON 9TH 6pm
Omniplex Cinema, Birmingham
Kevin is obsessed with the world’s most hated instrument: the ghastly Kazoo! After his refusal to "grow up" costs him his relationship with Lilah, Kevin must go on a journey of self-discovery to see if he can kick this Kazoo addiction, or has he blown it?
A bittersweet, surrealist comedy about the noise we make to keep from being heard.
nominations: Best First Time Film maker
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Born to Dance
(All) 3mins. dir: Michał Cygan
Block X - SAT 14TH 10am
Millennium Point
Nathalie, a young dancer, trapped in a black-and-white world of discipline, battles perfectionism and self-rejection during a solo rehearsal. When she finally breaks free and embraces the full force of her identity, the world isn’t ready for it.
nominations: Best Micro Short Film, Best Stunts/Choreography
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Brunch Palace
(All) 12mins. dir: Immanuel Dube
Block R - WED 11TH 6pm
Showcase Cinema de Lux Coventry
Two candidates are in the final round of a job interview, for one position, and the pressure mounts as the night goes on.
nominations: Best Production Design
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Burnt Champagne
(All) 6mins. dir: Sherrie Edgar
Block C - SAT 7TH 12pm
Millennium Point
With attention to validation, like a tennis match with a crushing blow. Diahann enters Esther's house and confronts the way Esther displays her wealth. This scene exudes sophistication, with the wealthiest driven by a feud for power.
nominations: Best Local Film
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Cat and Curtains
(All) 10mins. dir: Robin Harvey
Block P - TUES 10TH 6pm
Royal Cinemas Sutton Coldfield
Filling in for his parents, Chris took on the cat and curtains duty at a neighbour’s house while they were away on holiday. Things took an unexpected turn when the wrong Kat turned up - who is hiding whom?
nominations: Festival Favourite Award
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Cathedral Culprits
(All) 10mins. dir: Eleanor May Ham
Block H - SUN 8TH 10am
Millennium Point
During a school trip to Lichfield Cathedral as part of their history project, students are accused of stealing a precious artefact
nominations: Best Ensemble Cast
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Children Of Albion
(All) 9mins. dir: Huxley Scott
Block B - SAT 7TH 10am
Millennium Point
London-based artist and folklorist, Ben Edge, embarks on his magnum opus - a dramatic, Bosch-inspired altarpiece tracing Britain’s evolution from prehistory to the present. As he delves into the nation’s tangled past, his search for meaning becomes personal, culminating in a manifesto of hope for a country still defining itself.
nominations: Best Documentary
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Chingona - Tamara Flores
(All) 3mins. dir: Rupert Höller
Block V - FRI 13TH 6:30pm
Millennium Point
Tamara Flores moves with fearless determination through the colourful streets of Acatlán, Mexico, the hometown of her mother. Her impossibly long braid is a living symbol of strength and empowerment. “Chingona” is a bold visual anthem about carving your own path and owning every step forward. Bursting with colour, rhythm and dance, it’s a celebration of identity and the unapologetic freedom to live life on your own terms.
nominations: Best Music Video, Best Stunts/Choreography
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Chokehold
(15) 15 mins. dir: Christopher Bevan
Block K - SUN 8TH 4pm
Millennium Point
In a desperate attempt to escape his troubled home life, a young teenage boy runs away to seek out his estranged father, a once-famed professional wrestler.
nominations: Best Young Director, Best Stunts/Choreography, Best Young Male Actor - Eddie Coates
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CITIZEN FATHER
(12) 6mins. dir: Stefan Jan Korzeb
Block 00 - SAT 14TH 4pm
Millennium Point
Mariusz is a middle-aged municipal guard from Warsaw. He is a dedicated officer, deeply committed to maintaining law and order. Mariusz strives to be a loving father and a good citizen. Unfortunately, by focusing too rigidly on rules and duties, he loses touch with reality and fails to recognise the real threats.
The film was created by students of the Warsaw Film School.
nominations: Best Student Film, Best Young Female Actor - Alicja Kumik
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Clause and Effect
(12) 20 mins. dir: Taylor Simpson
Block E - SAT 7TH 4pm
Millennium Point
Clause & Effect follows three half-siblings reunited by their father’s death and the reading of his will. Aaron, the eldest, struggles with grief and fatherhood as unresolved tensions with Isaiah and Leila resurface. What begins as a procedural moment quickly becomes an emotional reckoning, exposing long-standing neglect, cultural divides and unspoken truths. Set in London, the film explores how inheritance becomes a catalyst for confronting identity, responsibility and the possibility of reconciliation.
nominations: Best Short Film
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Coastline
(All) 13mins. dir: Ethan Nahar
Block I - SUN 8TH 12pm
Millennium Point
An estranged couple meet once a year to try and reconcile their differences. On this fifth occasion, both the man and woman understand that this inadvertent tradition must come to an end. For better or worse.
nominations: Best Local Film
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Collecting Dust - Amelie Roden
(12) 5mins. dir: Cat Davies
Block B - SAT 7TH 10am
Millennium Point
A music-driven piece that pairs intimate performance with striking production design; Cat Davies’ direction frames the song with a cinematic eye and theatrical staging that suits festival screens
nominations: Best Music Video
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Contrition
(15) 14mins. dir: Ben Damien Keenan, Marco Beyermann
Block F - SAT 7TH 6pm
Millennium Point
In a quiet town in volatile N Ireland, Damien, a man in his 40s, is haunted by a traumatic childhood event—A violent IRA hostage situation that tore his family apart. After years of searching, he finally tracks down Brendan, one of the masked men responsible, now living a life of redemption as a devoted priest.
nominations: Best First Time Filmmaker, Best Male Actor - Ben Keenan, Best Original Score
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Cricket Out of your Comfort Zone
(All) 10mins. dir: Jill Lampert
Block P - TUES 10TH 6pm
Royal Cinemas Sutton Coldfield
A cricket match between a team of visually impaired women and a team of sighted women.
nominations: Best Documentary
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Cross Stitch
(All) 14mins. dir: Zachary Haydn-Jones
Block D - SAT 7TH 2pm
Millennium Point
A single father, struggling to communicate with his son, uses sewing to try to express his love.
nominations: Best Short Film, Best Male Actor – Jason Adam
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Cuddabeena* - Nineteen97
(All) 4mins. dir: Mason Treen
Block V - FRI 13TH 6:30pm
Millennium Point
CUDDABEENA* is a sharp, self aware narrative music video with scenes of dialogue that follows nineteen97 as he tries to announce his retirement from music while everyone around him refuses to accept it. What begins as a simple press conference spirals into a frantic chase through the streets, erupting into a performance of his track ‘a * is a myth’ as reporters crowd around him. The video blends humour, frustration and surreal moments of honesty as nineteen97 moves through a world that keeps trying to pull him back in.
nominations: Best Music Video
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BOOK TICKET
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Dad?!
(All) 20mins. dir: Howard Smith
Block U - THURS 12TH 8pm
The Showcase, Dudley
In this comedy, Molly has a memorable Saturday morning in store, when she is set to meet her biological father for the first time.
nominations: Festival Favourite Award
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Dating. It's Complicated
(12) 6mins. dir: Daniely Martins, Jimena Rosas
Block X - SAT 14TH 10am
Millennium Point
After Mila runs out on what seemed like the perfect date, she races home to her roommate, Garbi. But when the man she fled from suddenly appears in their apartment, a once romantic night turns into a tense and wildly chaotic showdown.
nominations: Best International Film
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Day Release
(12A) 14mins. dir: Sam Buchanan, Lewis Jamison
Block P - TUES 10TH 6pm
Royal Cinemas Sutton Coldfield
Out on day release and constantly looking over his shoulder, Mark attempts to navigate the streets of Middlesbrough. Although set on repairing his relationships with his ex-partner and daughter, he cannot escape his past mistakes.
nominations: Best First Time Film maker, Best Male Actor - Lewis Jamison
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Dead Cute
(12) 1min. dir: Raj Joshi
Block R - WED 11TH 6pm
Showcase Cinema de Lux Coventry
Love never dies.
nominations: Best Micro Short Film
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Dead Of Fright
(15) 14mins. dir: Chris Boxwell
Block R - WED 11TH 6pm
Showcase Cinema de Lux Coventry
2 bumbling gravediggers must survive the night from a vampire, mad scientist and a hoard of zombies without losing their heads - in either sense.
nominations: Best Student Film
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Deadlift
(15) 9mins. dir: Joseph McDonagh
Block E - SAT 7TH 4pm
Millennium Point
Josh hires a personal trainer to build strength and confidence, but the trainer’s methods expose insidious motives that transcend fitness. As Josh is reshaped - physically and mentally - he must answer whether his trainer truly wants to help him succeed or just become a disturbing reflection of himself.
nominations: Best Short Film
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Dear Dorothy
(All) 6mins. dir: Eleanor May Ham
Block H - SUN 8TH 10am
Millennium Point
Infant school class take part in a pen pal project with a Care Home and realise its one of the Residents 100th birthday, so they go on a visit with a cake to celebrate
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Die A Little
(All) 4mins. dir: Elsa Léger
Block G - SAT 7TH 8pm
Millennium Point
Two strangers meet knowing the story will end. They let it happen anyway.
Die A Little is the account of that stolen moment: a desire lived at full speed, without moral calculation, guided only by instinct. Overhead, a squadron of aerobatic pilots traces the same figure again and again - something beautiful, violent and brief. What is left afterwards is not regret but a change of state. You have to die a little to learn to live again.
Filmed entirely in South Africa with the Marksmen aerobatic team, with aerial cinematography by THE AIR.Tech."
nominations: Best Music Video, Best Stunts/Choreography
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Dobrina
(12) 5mins. dir: Hannes Rall
Block X - SAT 14TH 10am
Millennium Point
"Lotte Reiniger meets Sergio Leone in this animated short,
where desire burns as bright as the desert sun. 22 awards, 6 Academy Award Qualifying Festivals, over 250 festivals (and counting) total."
nominations: Best Animation
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Don't Forget us Down Under
(All) 7mins. dir: Eleanor May Ham
Block H - SUN 8TH 10am
Millennium Point
Class teacher tells her students she is going to live in Australia, and takes them on a trip to a Lichfield Coffee Shop as a way to remember her
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Drip Drip Drip
(12) 7mins. dir: Julia Quayle
Block Q - TUES 10TH 8pm
Royal Cinemas Sutton Coldfield
A girl with depression has daydreams about connecting with a stranger.
What if the daydream is better than real life? What if she doesn't want to go back to her reality?
nominations: Best Local Film, Best Editing
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Drowning
(15) 17mins. dir: Reiff Gaskell
Block E - SAT 7TH 4pm
Millennium Point
Young nurse Elle battles her unravelling mind as she fights for her patients in a broken system.
nominations: Best Production Design, Best Sound Design, Best Young Female Actor - Elle Strange
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Echo
(12A) 4mins. dir: Andy Salamonczyk
Block P - TUES 10TH 6pm
Royal Cinemas Sutton Coldfield
On a cold Sunday morning, a teenager and her mum share a rare, heartfelt walk to the shop. But when a request for alcohol shatters the peace, the daughter is forced to confront the haunting reality of her mother’s addiction.
nominations: Best Micro Short Film, Best Special Effects
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Emoathy Rehearsal
(15) 20mins. dir: Jacopo Cullin
Block 00 - SAT 14TH 4pm
Millennium Point
Tommy is the school bully, convinced that strength and fear are the only ways to earn respect. After yet another act of aggression, the principal forces him to attend a theater workshop. There, he meets classmates he once ignored and, through acting exercises, is pushed to step into their shoes. Facing those he hurt and confronting his own vulnerabilities gradually changes how he sees himself and others. Through struggle and discovery, Tommy takes his first uncertain steps toward empathy.
nominations: Best International Film
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Endo
(All) 2mins. dir: Rebecca Head
Block C - SAT 7TH 12pm
Millennium Point
synopsis
nominations: Best Micro Short Film
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Eulogy
(All) 13mins. dir: Jonathan Lill
Block R - WED 11TH 6pm
Showcase Cinema de Lux Coventry
Eulogy is a short film about the loss of a family member and how it pulls at the threads of family connections.
nominations: Best Local Film
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Everybody Left Us On The Dance Floor - Don Kaizer
(All) 3mins. dir: Ra'ees Hamir
Block V - FRI 13TH 6:30pm
Millennium Point
The video opens in a vibrant club where people are dancing under beams of cool blue and daylight strobe lights. Kaizer, dressed in black leather and dark shades, moves through the crowd singing, surrounded by laughter and celebration.
A woman in formal attire arrives with a microphone and photographers, symbolizing media attention. Kaizer accepts shiny trophies amidst flashing paparazzi, basking in the spotlight like a moth to a flame. As more trophies appear mysteriously, confusion sets in, hinting at a deeper unrest.
The atmosphere grows toxic; Kaizer’s energy wanes as he struggles to connect with the oblivious crowd. Time slows around him, isolating him further. Eventually, a bright tungsten light reveals an exit door glowing with heavenly light. Kaizer passes on his trophy to another dancer and rushes toward the door, desperate to escape. Crossing through, the chaotic club noise fades, replaced by peaceful sounds of wind and birds in a sunlit field. He breathes fresh air, finally free from the artificial, suffocating world behind him.
nominations: Best Music Video
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Fate
(12A) 12mins. dir: Alexander Annunziato
Block P - TUES 10TH 6pm
Royal Cinemas Sutton Coldfield
Two Viking female warriors. One determined to forge her own story and defy the rule of man. The other finds comfort in a world shaped by others. Between them, they must choose their path in life.
nominations: Best Local Film, Best Costume
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Favouritism
(All) 14mins. dir: Georgia Bellett
Block C - SAT 7TH 12pm
Millennium Point
Five old school friends wake up after a night of partying on their annual trip to Gemma's country house, when crisis interrupts their hungover bliss. Their united front shatters as they slowly turn on one another and accusations reveal their complex shared history.
nominations: Best Ensemble Cast
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Finches
(15) 5mins. dir: Marco Chan
Block O - MON 9TH 8pm
Omniplex Cinema, Birmingham
When two best friends are taking a casual walk and one of them crushes a tiny finch underfoot, the weight of guilt sends him spiralling into a confrontation with his own decision-making in life.
nominations: Best Micro Short Film
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Finding The Beat
(All) 5mins. dir: Aryan Khalid
Block B - SAT 7TH 10am
Millennium Point
Finding the Beat is a short documentary following CK Sula and Chris Fanthom inside a recording studio. The film shows how music helps them express emotions, connect with others, and grow creatively. Through honest conversations and quiet studio moments, we see the effort behind the sound.
It’s a story about persistence, creativity, and why they keep making music."
nominations: Best Documentary
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FINDMY
(12) 17mins. dir: Ed Whelan
Block C - SAT 7TH 12pm
Millennium Point
A once-promising movie star’s phone is stolen, triggering a hunt to find the thief. However, his desperate search reveals the phone wasn’t what he was missing all along.
nominations: Best Cinematography, Best Sound Design
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Football Crazy
(15) 8mins. dir: Katie Harriman
Block E - SAT 7TH 4pm
Millennium Point
"Football Changes Everything.
Two women. Two lives. One story.
nominations: Best First Time Film maker
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Fox
(15) 15mins. dir: Darius Norowzian
Block E - SAT 7TH 4pm
Millennium Point
"FOX follows Scott, a working-class painter three months sober, fighting to stay afloat after losing access to his nine year old son. Grief, love and a ticking clock push him to break a court order for one stolen day together. When reality closes in, there is no redemption, only consequence.
A portrait of survival. A father choosing to keep showing up, repairing what he can, one day at a time."
nominations: Festival Favourite Award, Best Cinematography
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Full Fat
(12A) 10mins. dir: Louisa Connolly-Burnham
Block F - SAT 7TH 6pm
Millennium Point
Grace and Bels do everything together. They live together, spend every waking moment together, and have even slept together. The only problem? Grace is in love with Bels, and Bels has a new boyfriend. Something has to give.
nominations: Best Sound Design, Best Original Score
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Gan Canny
(15) 18mins. dir: Lou Burns, Aaron Burns
Block F - SAT 7TH 6pm
Millennium Point
Siblings Tyler and Paige don't agree with the way their estranged mam has arranged their Nana’s funeral, and impulsively take matters into their own hands. What follows is a clumsy grand theft hearse as the siblings decide to take Nana on one last road trip before saying their final goodbyes. What could possibly go wrong?
nominations: Best Costume, Best Hair and Make-Up, Best Female Actor - Lily Storey
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God of Mischief
(12A) 14 mins. dir: Christian Stevens
Block J - SUN 8TH 2pm
Millennium Point
When a cheeky 10-year-old boy sets his sights on playing Loki in the school play, his over-the-top confidence costs him the role, but he hatches a mischievous plan to prove he's the real god of mischief after all.
nominations: Best First Time Film maker, Best Young Male Actor - Bon Cooper
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Grilled Cheese
(12A) 16 mins. dir: Jonathan Reid-Edwards
Block D - SAT 7TH 2pm
Millennium Point
Desperate to start rebuilding her life, Audrey must contend with a world that seems to be in on all the answers she can't get.
nominations: Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Female Actor - Amy Cudden
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Heirloom
(All) 8 mins
dir: Abraham Anokwuru
Block H - SUN 8TH 10am
Millennium Point
Guided by a dying King’s vision, a lone knight journeys the earth in pursuit of the first dragon, but the path slowly leads him somewhere far more uncertain.
nominations: Best Animation
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Helen
(12) 12mins. dir: Jessica Aoife Cain
Block B - SAT 7TH 10am
Millennium Point
In 1960s Warwickshire, England, 21-year-old Irish nurse Helen Greene-Rouse became pregnant out of wedlock and was forced by the Catholic Church to give up her baby. Silenced and shamed, she endured a traumatic birth in a mother and baby home. Nearly 60 years later, Helen breaks that silence, reclaiming her voice to share a powerful story of love, loss, and resilience.
nominations: Best Documentary
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Help Me Leave
(15) 9mins. dir: Adam Petruczok
Block Q - TUES 10TH 8pm
Royal Cinemas Sutton Coldfield
After returning to her family home following the end of a relationship, Alexa struggles with shame, isolation and her lingering attachment to her ex-boyfriend. Blending emotional realism with intimate horror, Help Me Leave explores the tension between love and fear, and the complex reality of leaving an abusive relationship.
nominations: Best Local Film, Best Young Female Actor - Alexa Bryant
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Hide
(12) 16mins. dir: Brenden Hubbard
Block X - SAT 14TH 10am
Millennium Point
From the Academy Award winning team behind "Curfew." Still reeling from an incredible loss, a father (Shakey Graves) and daughter cling to a bedtime routine keeping them safe in a town where an unfathomable horror visits its inhabitants night after night.
nominations: Best International Film, Best Horror/Sci-Fi Film
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Hurt Me Again
(All) 2mins. dir: Ra'ees Hamir
Block V - FRI 13TH 6:30pm
Millennium Point
Kaizer walks through London, looking distant and heartbroken. Around him, we see moments of love between couples - holding hands, laughing, sharing food - but each moment ends with one person disappearing like a ghost, as if they were never there. These ghost-like vanishings repeat with different people, showing a cycle of connection and sudden loss.
nominations: Best Music Video
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I Spy
(15) 7mins. dir: David Yorke
Block D - SAT 7TH 2pm
Millennium Point
An innocent game of I Spy between Julie and Ethan turns into a nightmare when an unseen presence joins the game.
nominations: Best Short Film, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Design
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I Thought You Lived Round Here
(All) 6mins. dir: Sarah Stockbridge
Block C - SAT 7TH 12pm
Millennium Point
Every evening lonely oddball Stan tries to contact someone on his homemade radio. One night he gets a long awaited call...
nominations: Best First Time Film maker
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I'm Looking to Speak with Nana
(15) 5mins. dir: Liz Cartwright
Block R - WED 11TH 6pm
Showcase Cinema de Lux Coventry
A young woman attempts to communicate with her dead Nana through a psychic medium. However, Nana is a busy lady and has better things to do.
nominations: Best Micro Short Film
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If This Is It
(All) 13mins. dir: AJ Chohan
Block R - WED 11TH 6pm
Showcase Cinema de Lux Coventry
A John Hughes inspired 80s short film about a comic book artist who gets left in limbo when his girlfriend asks for space, but then Lina & The Lions come into his life.
nominations: Best Costume, Best Original Score
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Immaterial
(15) 15mins. dir: Alexandra Healy
Block Y - SAT 14TH 12pm
Millennium Point
Isolated on a council estate in South London, a queer woman seeks relief from her spiralling drug addiction and PTSD in the only way she knows how.
nominations: Best Production Design, Best Female Actor – Holly Higbee
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Impunity
(15) 3mins. dir: Onat Gauthier, Aden Gauthier
Block 00 - SAT 14TH 4pm
Millennium Point
The eye of the banality of evil. Result of a sick world.
nominations: Best Micro Short Film
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Jen's Den
(15) 6mins. dir: JP Conway
Block O - MON 9TH 8pm
Omniplex Cinema, Birmingham
synopsis
nominations: Best Young Director
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Jessica's Tea Party
(15) 13mins. dir: JP Conway
Block O - MON 9TH 8pm
Omniplex Cinema, Birmingham
Jessica’s Tea Party is a horror short that plunges viewers into the eerie world of a young girl hosting a disturbingly surreal tea party. When a social worker named Craig visits her home, he finds himself trapped in a twisted domestic nightmare where mannequins breathe, tea is laced with secrets, and reality warps into madness. As Craig uncovers the truth behind Jessica’s isolated upbringing and her sinister family rituals, he becomes the unwilling guest of honour in a grotesque ceremony of control, transformation, and found family. Blending psychological tension with visceral horror, the film explores themes of indoctrination, manipulation, and the terrifying power of innocence gone wrong.
nominations: Best Young Director, Best Horror/Sci-Fi Film, Best Young Female Actor - Coco Sienna
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John Gunning: Big In Japan
(All) 8mins. dir: Nicky Larkin
Block B - SAT 7TH 10am
Millennium Point
The story of an Irishman who went to Japan and became sumo wrestler.
nominations: Best Documentary
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Judge Jury Latina Fury
(All) 15mins. dir: Leticia Bueno
Block I - SUN 8TH 12pm
Millennium Point
In Judge, Jury, Latina Fury, court-ordered anger management therapy is the only thing standing between Maria and a prison sentence that would shatter her family. But the ""fury"" isn't the problem; it’s the mask. In a high-stakes, darkly comedic bid for survival, Maria’s daughter, Ana, hijacks the therapy session, dragging her conflict-avoidant father into an emotional pressure cooker. As Maria hides behind her outbursts and Paulo buries himself in work, Ana forces a long-overdue confrontation to break the cycle of generational silence. While the ""fury"" is Latin, the suppression is universal, echoing the raw, misdirected energy found in a British pub after a lost football season finale. Deconstructing the "Spicy Latina" trope, this West London-set drama asks the audience: "What are you hiding behind your anger?"
Can one hour of forced honesty save this family, or are social masks all they have left?
nominations: Best First Time Film maker, Best Ensemble Cast
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Just Deserts
(12) 15mins. dir: Karen Finch
Block J - SUN 8TH 2pm
Millennium Point
"The English characteristics of people-pleasing and politeness serve Patty quite well. Until they don't.
Just Deserts explores the subtle comedy of relinquishing agreeableness at a tender age, when popularity means everything."
nominations: Best Costume, Best Sound Design, Best Female Actor - Katie Cannon
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Keys
(12) 15mins. dir: Benjamin Jack Williams
Block N - MON 9TH 6pm
Omniplex Cinema, Birmingham
A woman returns to her ex’s flat, where a quiet reunion begins to slip between holding on and letting go
nominations: Best Local Film
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Kidnapping Delusional Daphne
(12) 6mins. dir: Khadijah Islam
Block R - WED 11TH 6pm
Showcase Cinema de Lux Coventry
A delusional girl is kidnapped and quickly drives her captors insane, convincing them that they’re in love with her in a hilariously escalating hostage situation.
nominations: Best First Time Filmmaker
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King's Table
(15) 10mins. dir: Connor Newman
Block P - TUES 10TH 6pm
Royal Cinemas Sutton Coldfield
Two clashing personalities are forced to play a deadly card game, with only one of them expected to finish the game alive.
nominations: Best Student Film
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Kismet
(18) 8mins. dir: Danni DeLuca
Block Y - SAT 14TH 12pm
Millennium Point
Andie is happily engaged to her partner Evan, and is preparing for the eve of her wedding rehearsal dinner with her best friend and cousin Quinny. Picking up her dress, she bumps into Charlie, the love of her life and a heartbreaking past. Suddenly Andie is consumed in the fire of a crossroads with her past catching up to her future. Does she take a risk again, or follow her heart? Which is her fate?
nominations: Best First Time Film maker
-
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Last Lines
(12A) 5mins. dir: Greg McLeod
Block Q - TUES 10TH 8pm
Royal Cinemas Sutton Coldfield
On the edge of the galaxy two friends meet for their morning coffee. Using the last lines of Shakespeare's plays, they share musings about life, love, loneliness, and conflict. They ask the burning question of what is an ending and what comes afterwards?
nominations: Best Animation
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Letters
(12) 5mins. dir: Max Montoya Timperley
Block D - SAT 7TH 2pm
Millennium Point
A young woman unknowingly reunites with her estranged mother.
nominations: Best Micro Short Film
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Little Green Folk
(All) 2mins. dir: Jonathan Hawes, James Pyle
Block H - SUN 8TH 10am
Millennium Point
Struggling to perfect his latest routine, a Morris dancer receives some unexpected encouragement from a little green alien.
nominations: Best Micro Short Film
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Locked In - Stuck in Soft Play
(All) 12mins. dir: Eleanor May Ham
Block H - SUN 8TH 10am
Millennium Point
School class get locked in a soft play by their teacher where it teaches them a valuable lesson about teamwork
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Glenn Harold - Lonely Days
(All) 4mins dir: Glenn Harold
Block S - WED 11TH 8pm
Showcase Cinema de Lux Coventry
A music video telling the story of an old man at the end of his life and his subsequent passing.
nominations: Best Music Video
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Mayflies
(15) 16mins. dir: Lydia McNulty
Block K - SUN 8TH 4pm
Millennium Point
Six months after graduating, oddball Cath travels to the countryside to scatter their pet rabbit's ashes with former best friend Willow. Over one weekend, a drunken river swim leads to an unexpected kiss. But when morning comes, Cath retreats, leaving Willow awakened to feelings she never knew she had.
nominations: Festival Favourite Award
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Me & Thee
(All) 6mins. dir: Victoria Buse, Emilio Landi
Block Y - SAT 14TH 12pm
Millennium Point
Sophie is convinced her partner, Nick, is having an affair, but when Sophie finally confronts him, she uncovers a truth she never expected…
nominations: Festival Favourite Award
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Me To Be - Weak13
(12A) 3mins. dir: Nick J Townsend
Block T - THURS 12TH 6pm
The Showcase, Dudley
Music video for the single 'ME TO BE' by Birmingham & Black Country band WEAK13
nominations: Best Music Video
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Mia, Alex & Dean Make A Movie
(All) 8mins. dir: Declan Smith
Block Q - TUES 10TH 8pm
Royal Cinemas Sutton Coldfield
When three best friends accidentally hijack their own movie, they sprint through shifting genres, fourth wall breaks, and emotional chaos to answer one question: who’s the real main character, and does it even matter?
nominations: Best Ensemble Cast
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Moles Among Us
(12) 5mins. dir: Ovi Petrescu
Block R - WED 11TH 6pm
Showcase Cinema de Lux Coventry
Two undercover agents deeply infiltrated in a cartel are gathering information. A hitman is being hired by the cartel leader for a mission to hunt and terminate his targets.
nominations: Best Student Film
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Monuments
(All) 4mins. dir: Jonathan King
Block C - SAT 7TH 12pm
Millennium Point
Monuments is an experimental short film reflecting on England's diversity and history.
Filmmaker Jon King spent three years capturing images of hundreds of postboxes, all around the country.
These postboxes represent an outdated and inefficient system of communication—but they are also part of our national identity and history.
The red postbox is a symbol of Britishness, now tinged with obsolescence.
But the film isn’t just about postboxes. It’s about the people, places, stories, and diversity that surround them.
As a montage of surprising and delighting match-cuts, this film is a celebration and reflection on the UK's national identity.
nominations: Best Micro Short Film, Best Editing
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Morana
(15) 20mins. dir: Michal Vojtech, Ariel De La Garza Davidoff
Block Y - SAT 14TH 12pm
Millennium Point
In a traditional Czech village, Mathilde, a nihilistic teenager, is cursed by her sister to be delivered into the hands of Morana, the Pagan goddess of death. Mathilde is faced with a choice, to face her grief or to embrace the darkness within.
nominations: Best Young Director, Best Hair and Make-Up, Best Horror/Sci-Fi Film
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Mushrooms
(12A) 5mins. dir: James Browning
Block N - MON 9TH 6pm
Omniplex Cinema, Birmingham
Paul lives in London, with his son Robin, he longs for the country life of his past, often believing himself to be back on the farm but his dementia makes it almost impossible to adjust to the city and the 21st century.
nominations: Best Micro Short Film
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My Only Love
(15) 12mins. dir: Gabriella Master
Block W - FRI 13TH 8pm
Millennium Point
Naeve and Eiley are two days away from their sacrifice within their cult, when the truth comes out about an unexpected affair and plan to not go through with the sacrifice. Naeve is left with the decision to save herself or seek forgiveness in her first love while being chased in the woods by Eiley and her new lover. "
nominations: Best Student Film
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Nativity Scene
(12) 18mins. dir: Felipe Bibian
Block X - SAT 14TH 10am
Millennium Point
On Christmas Eve, Dejair, a former resistance fighter against the military dictatorship, gathers with his family in the backyard. A water gun gift leads Dejair to denounce the absurdity of giving a child a weapon.
nominations: Best International Film
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Night Of The Living Rockstar
(15) 5mins. dir: Charlie Pack
Block B - SAT 7TH 10am
Millennium Point
A Wannabe Rockstar hears. That to be famous he has to perform in a hall but little did he know that being famous pays a price, as he was used as bait so that zombies could eat the audience as he has to decide between being famous and stopping the zombies
nominations: Best Young Director
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Occupied
(12) 6mins. dir: Mike Cochran
Block J - SUN 8TH 2pm
Millennium Point
A young man is forced to confront his greatest fear while trying to support his family after his grandfather's funeral.
nominations: Best Short Film, Best Male Actor - Shane Walker
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On Digbeth
(All) 12mins. dir: Tegen Kimbley
Block T - THURS 12TH 6pm
The Showcase, Dudley
This short film, directed and filmed by Tegen Kimbley, explores the textures and rhythms of Digbeth's changing landscape. Developed through an ongoing exploration of the area, this slow cinematic vignette uses observational shots to document Digbeth’s raw industrial character, alongside its transformation through redevelopment and gentrification. The film evokes a sense of nostalgia, reflecting on Digbeth's industrial heritage while capturing its changing identity. Accompanied by a poem by artist Leah Hickey, and ambient field recordings, the work is an unconventional love letter to Digbeth; an intimate reflection on place, memory, and the tension between what remains and what is being replaced.
nominations: Best Documentary
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Outreach Navigating Relationships
(All) 4mins. dir: Sib Ali
Block B - SAT 7TH 10am
Millennium Point
Beyond Labels: A Journey Through Neurodiversity.
This groundbreaking documentary takes you inside the hearts and minds of neurodivergent individuals as they navigate love, connection, and relationships in a world not built for them.
nominations: Best Documentary
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Over the Rainbow
(12A) 13mins. dir: Andrew Creak
Block C - SAT 7TH 12PM
Millennium Point
Frankie has decided to ask Gregg to be his boyfriend. However, when he trips and wakes in the Land of Oz, he finds himself caught in the middle of a magical tempest. Together alongside Queen Ozma and the Magical Monarch of Mo, Frankie must save the day and discover the strength to truly be himself.
nominations: Best Costume, Best Hair and Make-Up
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Piercing the Veil
(12A) 12mins. dir: Joe Stevenson
Block D - SAT 7TH 2PM
Millennium Point
Dr. Elena Newton is developing the Digital Ascension Project—an ambitious effort to create virtual worlds where humanity can escape an overpopulation crisis. Working alongside Dr. Myers and a government-backed AI system, Elena prepares to unveil the technology at an INVA TECH conference. But as unexplained glitches emerge inside the VR environment, reality begins to destabilise, drawing Elena into a psychological descent where control slips away and nothing is quite what it seems.
nominations: Best Special Effects, Best Editing, Best Horror/Sci-Fi Film
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Poppy
(18) 17mins. dir: Julia Schönstädt
Block L - SUN 8TH 6PM
Millennium Point
What if the greatest love of your life was also the thing destroying you?
Following a devastating loss, a grieving mother reconnects with a seductive, unpredictable figure from her past. Drawn into an increasingly obsessive relationship, she risks losing herself to the very thing she cannot bear to let go.
Poppy is a short film inspired by true events and based on the short story ‘Morph’ written by Claudia Franck.
nominations: Best First Time Film maker
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Present Company Excluded
(All) 13mins. dir: Ash Arnold
Block I - SUN 8TH 12PM
Millennium Point
Tired of carrying the weight of existence, Life meets Death at a diner, and asks for one final request.
In a quiet, out-of-the-way diner, Life and Death meet for a conversation. Tired and worn down, Life surprises Death by asking if she can finally die. Unsure at first, Death listens as she explains why she’s ready to let go. What follows is a quiet, intimate exchange between two eternal forces, exploring purpose, exhaustion, and the unexpected tenderness between Life and Death."
nominations: Best Local Film, Best Cinematography
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Punchbag
(15) 12mins. dir: Mat Johns
Block K - SUN 8TH 4pm
Millennium Point
Zoe has bills to pay and she's found herself with an unusual job title.
nominations: Festival Favourite Award
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Reliefs
(15) 18mins. dir: Juan Manuel Gonzalez Fernandez
Block 00 - SAT 14TH 4pm
Millennium Point
Carlos is approaching midlife trapped in a personal crisis that has lingered too long. Rosa, his mother, suffers from disabling pain that is only mitigated by the warm waters of hydrotherapy. One night, she offers to make the ultimate sacrifice so that they can both transit to a better place. A short film about love, hope and relief we all long for.
nominations: Best International Film
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Riptide
(15) 12mins. dir: Naresh Dalvair
Block Q - TUES 10TH 8pm
Royal Cinemas Sutton Coldfield
After a psychotic episode, Liyanna turns to a therapist to bring her mental health back from the brink...
nominations: Best Local Film
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Rise of the Rats
(15) 90mins. dir: Stephen Edward Roach
Block S - WED 11TH 8pm
Showcase Cinema de Lux Coventry
When Punk rebel Kayla joins her estranged Dad on his trip home, she finds the town of Ditchfield crawling with secrets, lies, and bloodthirsty rats. As a vengeful creature emerges from the darkness, she must quickly uncover his truth and fight to survive a nightmare born from the town's sins.
nominations: Best Feature Film, Best Special Effects, Best Hair and Make-Up, Best Horror/Sci-Fi Film
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Roadkill
(15) 7mins. dir: Madison Delmore
Block L - SUN 8TH 6pm
Millennium Point
After accidentally hitting a man with their car, three teenage girls make the desperate decision to hide the body and keep the incident a secret.
nominations: Best Student Film
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Roots
(15) 15mins. dir: Abel Connors
Block Y - SAT 14TH 12pm
Millennium Point
A black teenager falsifies a paternity test in hopes of convincing his white adoptive family that he’s their biological son.
nominations: Best Student Film
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Roses and Thorns
(15) 16mins. dir: Tiffani Walsh
Block W - FRI 13TH 8pm
Millennium Point
synopsis
nominations: Best Student Film
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Rubbers - 2D
(12) 9mins. dir: Cat Davies
Block D - SAT 7TH 2pm
Millennium Point
A neurodivergent woman who struggles to form relationships explores her private passion for stationery to unlock her explosive fantasy world. A comedy fantasy…with a dark twist, where the pen is mightier than the sword. A film by award-winning filmmaker Cat Davies, whose previous work includes films screened at Seattle International Film Festival, Nashville Film Festival, Encounters, LA Femme International Film Festival, FrightFest, Underwire, Iron Mule, British Shorts, Morbido, Knoxville, LOCO London Comedy Film Festival, San Francisco Another Hole in the Head, FilmQuest,
Festival de Cinema Europeen, and many more.
nominations: Best Production Design, Best Editing, Best Sound Design, Best Original Score
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Run Club
(12) 8mins. dir: Lauren Lyle
Block K - SUN 8TH 4pm
Millennium Point
Run Club follows Scott a young person on the run. We think towards his ex girlfriend he cheated on 6 months ago but in fact Scott is running away from the hardest thing that’s ever happened to him. The film also explores how often women are expected to solve mens problems, what if they didn't (!), and the absurd things we can be driven to do in grief.
Under the guise of a desperate cross-country run to win back a lost love, a hilariously relentless journey unravels into a frantic attempt to outrun unbearable grief and tragedy.
nominations: Best Short Film, Best Male Actor - Ruaridh Mollica
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Save Our Well: Hannah Whyte
(18) 6mins. dir: Stuart Berry, Harry Davies
Block L - SUN 8TH 6pm
Millennium Point
The villagers of Little Under Wellming rally to save their Roman well, each committee member interviewed in turn. But when wayward Hannah Whyte’s name arises, gossip and grudges take over — revealing as much about the community as about her. Save Our Well: Hannah Whyte is a short film from the satirical anthology Save Our Well.
nominations: Best First Time Film maker
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Scheduled Stop
(12) 11mins. dir: Robert George Lane
Block U - THURS 12TH 8pm
The Showcase, Dudley
nominations: Best Local Film
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Second Draft
(15) 10mins. dir: Mo Faisal
Block Y - SAT 14TH 12pm
Millennium Point
In the quiet isolation of a remote cabin, a struggling writer tries to put his life back together through his work. As the lines between memory and imagination begin to blur, the characters he invents start to take on a life of their own. Haunted by fragments of his past and overwhelmed by a truth he cannot bury, he is pulled into a dreamlike descent where obsession, guilt, and fire consume everything around him.
nominations: Best International Film
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Shudan - The Gathering
(All) 23mins. dir: Martyn Pick
Block H - SUN 8TH 10am
Millennium Point
A group of twelve young people discover that they are the inheritors of amazing powers linked to their Chinese zodiac symbol. But they are being stalked by a 5000 year old evil prince who covets their magic. The young 'Guardians' are gathered together by their immortal mentors and begin their quest to protect the world from the evil that stalks them.
nominations: Best Animation
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Small Hours
(12) 10mins. dir: Oscar Wyndham Lewis
Block J - SUN 8TH 2pm
Millennium Point
Struggling with alcohol addiction and mental illness, an artist reaches out to an old friend.
nominations: Best Animation
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Small Town
(15) 23mins. dir: Rhianna Georgia Morris
Block U - THURS 12TH 8pm
The Showcase, Dudley
In the wake of a night that leaves their relationship irrevocably altered, Dean clings to the hope of moving forward while Maisie wrestles with what staying would mean. Together, they are forced to face a defining realisation about love, forgiveness, and the things that cannot be undone.
nominations: Best Ensemble Cast
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Something Pointless
(All) 15mins. dir: Asa Bailey
Block D - SAT 7TH 2pm
Millennium Point
When a bullied young boy discovers an elderly man quietly covering a forgotten brick wall with painted eggshells, an unlikely friendship forms — and a “pointless” act becomes something transformative.
nominations: Best Short Film, Best Young Male Actor - Leo Harris
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Sometimes It Isn't Even Worth Getting Out Of Bed
(12) 5mins. dir: Mark W
Block P - TUES 10TH 6pm
Royal Cinemas Sutton Coldfield
After a particularly heavy night one woman questions whether it is even worth getting out of bed or not.
nominations: Best Micro Short Film
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Sophie's Bakes
(12A) 10mins. dir: Hugo Coelho
Block 00 - SAT 14TH 4pm
Millennium Point
Haunted by infertility and trapped in a strained marriage, a baker in her late 40s sees her world crumble when a celebratory cake commission exposes a devastating betrayal, forcing her to choose between the illusion of security and an uncertain future alone.
nominations: Best International Film
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Soppy ****!
(15) 15mins. dir: Dominic Murphy
Block K - SUN 8TH 4pm
Millennium Point
Set over a single morning in an East London boxing gym, SOPPY ****! follows a tight-knit group of regulars in their
mid-50s to mid-60s who push through their usual drills; bag work, footwork, circuits... the kind of graft that keeps stiffness
and age at bay. Beneath the banter, noise and sweat is a web of long-standing affection they rarely acknowledge. Made in is association with OurJays Foundation Charity, when someone suddenly collapses mid-training, the room fractures. Panic surges and mistakes are made. The men attempt
CPR, call for help and hover in a charged, uncertain limbo while they wait for the ambulance. Arguments flare over what to do
next. Tough exteriors crack as fear, guilt and tenderness surface in ways none of them are equipped to deal with.
After the paramedics leave, they return to the routine because it’s what they know. It creates a framework for their friendship
and for them to process as they wait. The film leaves them carrying something they can’t yet name.
nominations: Best Ensemble Cast
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Soul Trader
(12) 19mins. dir: Geneviève Lowe
Block T - THURS 12TH 6pm
The Showcase, Dudley
A despondent soul arrives in strange place where he must confront his (mostly) inner demons.
nominations: Best Special Effects, Best Production Design
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Sparrow
(12) 23mins. dir: Jan Maes
Block X - SAT 14TH 10am
Millennium Point
Three childhood friends travel to Provence for a week of cycling and drinking. On the surface, everything feels normal, but an unease runs beneath. When a bird hits the cabin window early on, it opens a way toward confronting a trauma from months earlier. In their clumsy attempts to communicate, they keep trying to make it fun, but the silence only grows louder. The underlying tension finally pushes them toward the thing they came for — to talk about what they all sense but keep avoiding.
nominations: Best International Film
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Still
(All) 4mins. dir: Toby Love
Block R - WED 11TH 6pm
Showcase Cinema de Lux Coventry
What if we all just stood still? This short film highlights how the world breathes and translates human emotion from individualism to togetherness. How do we learn? How do we love? How do we move forward with all the negative politics happening around us?
nominations: Best Micro Short Film
-
Story Time Superstars
(All) 6mins. dir: Eleanor May Ham
Block H - SUN 8TH 10am
Millennium Point
A child disappears during story time at school
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Stray
(12) 15mins. dir: Morven Christie
Block J - SUN 8TH 2pm
Millennium Point
On her first trip to a Glasgow nightclub, 14 year old Eilidh has an experience that shakes her soul. She ventures out into the night alone and changed, in search of somewhere -or someone- that feels like shelter. Stray explores how nature can help us hold onto tenderness in a world that’s hostile towards it.
nominations: Best Cinematography, Best Young Male Actor - Frankie Corio
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Sunday Lunch
(12) 14mins. dir: Lyndon Henley Hanrahan
Block W - FRI 13TH 8pm
Millennium Point
Grace, a young lesbian from a devout Catholic family, finally summons the courage to come out to her parents—at the most sacred of battlegrounds: Sunday lunch. With her assertive girlfriend Ellie by her side, Grace navigates a minefield of family dynamics, from her competitive vegan brother to a wine-soaked priest prone to divine hallucinations. But every time Grace tries to speak her truth, her mother, Susan, deploys increasingly absurd distractions to preserve the family's picture-perfect façade. What follows is a chaotic, laugh-out-loud farce that collides faith, family, and identity in a way that’s as heartwarming as it is hilariously over the top.
nominations: Best Student Film, Best Original Score
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Surfing
(All) 11mins. dir: Duane Adamoli
Block C - SAT 7TH 12pm
Millennium Point
The life of a struggling musician, sofa surfing in Birmingham 1969, slowly unravels across three phone calls, as desperation pushes him toward a choice: how far will he go to keep his dream alive?
nominations: Best Local Film, Best Sound Design
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Sushi Sundae - The Director's Cut
(18) 2mins. dir: HAYLEIGH POWER
Block K - SUN 8TH 4pm
Millennium Point
A couple are on a romantic date but it doesn't quite go to plan. 'Sushi Sundae' is a comedy about expectation, disappointed and miscommunication. A shorter version was submitted in July 2024 as part of the Birmingham based 'Producers Forum 60 second film challenge'. A blind brief was given incorporating the use of one line of dialogue ('you're joking. Right!') one theme (somewhere to eat) and the inclusion of one prop (perfume). The deadline to location scout, cast, shoot, edit and deliver for screening and audience voting was three weeks.
nominations: Best Micro Short Film
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Sylvia
(All) 12mins. dir: Jevan Chowdhury
Block I - SUN 8TH 12pm
Millennium Point
On the anniversary of her son’s death, exhausted cleaner Sylvia plans to visit his roadside memorial. When her agency forces her back to work, she must choose between survival and grief.
nominations: Best Female Actor - Patrycja Dynowska
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Tell Me When You Get Home
(12A) 9mins. dir: Tshay Meade
Block J - SUN 8TH 2pm
Millennium Point
During a reggae house party, 15-year-old Honest Cardamom encounters the spirit of a lost loved one.
nominations: Best Animation
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Testers
(18) 6mins. dir: Francesca Costa
Block K - SUN 8TH 4pm
Millennium Point
When graduates Bianca and Noah left university, they thought that they’d walk straight into employment.
Unfortunately this was not the case. Now, in order to make ends meet, the pair have become Testers. They will test anything – Anything that pays that is...."
nominations: Best Local Film
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The Bluebird's Daughter
(12) 13mins. dir: Nathan Glendinning
Block J - SUN 8TH 2pm
Millennium Point
Inside Byker Wall, Dani looks for her missing football and absent Father. What she finds is a dark family secret that will change everything.
nominations: Best Young Female Actor - Ivy Holland
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The Carolers
(12) 20mins. dir: Regina F Pigsley
Block N - MON 9TH 6pm
Omniplex Cinema, Birmingham
A December night of carol-singing for cash sends three young bandmates headfirst into mischief, mistakes, and growing up.
nominations: Best Ensemble Cast
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The Deer Manager Pt.2
(15) 5mins. dir: Russell Dixon
Block R - WED 11TH 6pm
Showcase Cinema de Lux Coventry
The Deer Manager Pt. II is a follow-up to the 2024 short film The Deer Manager, which took viewers on a visual journey through the roe deer rut in Warwickshire.
The 2025 season proved to be an unusual one. An exceptionally hot and dry summer limited our ability to capture rutting activity during daylight hours. Nevertheless, we adapted and secured some strong footage as we worked towards capturing the defining moment of a buck answering the call, a moment that ultimately eluded us across nine outings with the cameras."
nominations: Best Documentary
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The Faithful City (Worcester Worthies)
(All) 8mins. dir: Stanley Ohikhuare, David Ohikhuare
Block N - MON 9TH 6pm
Omniplex Cinema, Birmingham
In a valley where the River Severn softly flows, a quiet city cradles a thunderous past. The Faithful City is a visually striking, short animated film that transforms historical dust into a living tapestry of human devotion.
This dramatic and surreal animated movie portrays a pivotal moment where a grieving mother confronts Vesta Tilley, forcing her to confront the tragic consequences of her patriotic performances. Vesta is stripped of her theatrical persona and must grapple with the heavy responsibility of sending young men to their deaths while finding a new, grim purpose in her art.
nominations: Best Animation, Best Original Score
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The Goldman
(12) 16mins. dir: Dan Bayliss
Block T - THURS 12TH 6pm
The Showcase, Dudley
Goldman follows a solitary, gold-painted street performer drifting through a city full of performance. Invisible beneath his metallic façade, he forms a quiet friendship with a young clown. When she is brutally attacked, the Goldman’s carefully constructed routine shatters and he is forced to step out from behind his silent persona and sets out on a path of revenge that will prove to be either his death or his awakening.
nominations: Best Student Film, Best Male Actor - Cy Ebert
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The Hate you Take
(All) 6mins. dir: Daniel Crew
Block U - THURS 12TH 8pm
The Showcase, Dudley
A schoolboy must come to terms with the hate he spreads by viewing misinformation online.
nominations: Best Animation
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The Healer
(12) 27mins. dir: Will Jewell
Block I - SUN 8TH 12pm
Millennium Point
A troubled teenager goes off the rails after the sudden death of his Dad. Beaten down by endless counselling waiting lists, his desperate Mum pushes him into equine-assisted therapy where he initially lashes out at everyone. But just as he seems to be finally finding some calm, unfinished business from his past returns to potentially de-rail everything.
nominations: Best Cinematography, Best Young Male Actor - Jason Buda
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The Hero
(15) 10mins. dir: Oliver Woolridge
Block R - WED 11TH 6pm
Showcase Cinema de Lux Coventry
At the end of the Great War, a soldier burdened with informing a mother of her son's death, faces an impossible decision... Tell her a noble lie, or the horrible truth?
nominations: Best Local Film, Best Costume, Best Cinematography
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The Ideal Self
(12) 3mins. dir: Jessica Lauren Faye Terry
Block E - SAT 7TH 4pm
Millennium Point
This film was created using the word prompt “match” within the time limit of 48 hours, so I decided to create a short film with the premise being about a young individual deciding to find a match for how society views her and her overall identity which she calls her “ideal self”.
Due to technical issues involving booking out professional equipment from my university’s website, I decided to utilise an independent filmmaking method called Guerrilla filmmaking where I utilised my own limited resources to create this short film in the span of 48 hours.
nominations: Best Micro Short Film
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The Inheritance
(15) 16mins. dir: Jade Van Jaarsveld
Block W - FRI 13TH 8pm
Millennium Point
After Max inherits his late mother’s fortune, he finally sees a chance to prove himself. But when his questionable investment puts him and his estranged sister, Ana, in danger, their reunion forces Max to confront the family resentment he’s spent years running from.
nominations: Best Student Film
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The International Rubik's Cube Mixed-Youth Championship Finals
(All) 5mins. dir: Nicholas Carstairs
Block O - MON 9TH 8pm
Omniplex Cinema, Birmingham
Amber has an obsession with Rubik's Cubes, and it is tearing her relationships apart. She seeks refuge at her stepsister, Heather's house.
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The Interview
(All) 7mins. dir: Emmanuel Kolapo
Block P - TUES 10TH 6pm
Royal Cinemas Sutton Coldfield
The Interview follows Henry, a man in his early thirties who appears to be attending a conventional job interview. Dependable, hardworking and accustomed to being the person everyone turns to, Henry confidently gives the answers he has learned to give. But as the interviewer’s questions become increasingly personal, his carefully maintained composure begins to unravel.
Henry admits that he struggles to ask for help, avoids burdening his family, doesn’t talk about his feelings with friends, and copes by throwing himself into work. Eventually, he reaches the point where he can no longer maintain the façade: “I’m tired.”
Only then does the camera widen, revealing that this was never a job interview. Henry is sitting in a room prepared for a men’s support group. Other men begin entering and taking their seats, and Henry is finally given the opportunity to stay and talk.
The film ultimately explores men’s mental health, the pressure to always appear dependable, and how difficult but necessary it can be to ask for help.
nominations: Best First Time Filmmaker
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The Intimacy Coordinator
(15) 21mins. dir: Louisa Connolly-Burnham
Block F - SAT 7TH 6pm
Millennium Point
Kate is an intimacy coordinator. She is also a sex addict.
nominations: Best Short Film, Best Production Design
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The Jacket
(All) 5mins. dir: Holly Louise Psaliou
Block N - MON 9TH 6pm
Omniplex Cinema, Birmingham
A young man’s grief for his dad; after donating his dad’s possessions to charity, he believes he has made a mistake when it comes to his dad’s favourite jacket.
nominations: Best Micro Short Film
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The Last Glance
(12) 13mins. dir: Kamran Faiq
Block 00 - SAT 14TH 4pm
Millennium Point
As violence closes in on their village, Barkaat, his pregnant wife Bushra, and their young son Ahmad flee into the night with the help of a taxi driver, Yousuf. What begins as an escape becomes a test of conscience at a remote police checkpoint, where loyalty is demanded through hatred. A single refusal changes everything.
nominations: Best International Film
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The Last Goodbye
(15) 90mins. dir: Koldo Almandoz
Block Z - SAT 14TH 2pm
Millennium Point
When you own a secular funeral home. When you've had your driver's licence revoked for drunk driving. When you fall in love with an intern 25 years younger than you. When your daughter begins to realise you're not the father she thought you were. When a retired boxer you owe money to is after you. When death interests you more than life... What could possibly go wrong?
nominations: Best Feature Film
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The Meltdown
(12) 6mins. dir: Samuel Foster
Block Q - TUES 10TH 8pm
Royal Cinemas Sutton Coldfield
Set in the near future, technology has overrun the classroom and society.
There is only one survivor, but can he stay out of the system?
MAY CONTAIN FLASHING IMAGES
nominations: Best Young Director
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The Missing Award
(All) 8mins. dir: Naresh Dalvair
Block P - TUES 10TH 6pm
Royal Cinemas Sutton Coldfield
Tej’s boss expects an award on his desk tomorrow. When it goes missing, she must do everything she can to find it. Or else.
nominations: Festival Favourite Award
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The Nomophobe
(12) 25mins. dir: James Hughes
Block O - MON 9TH 8pm
Omniplex Cinema, Birmingham
A teenage girl with nomophobia endeavours to break free from her smartphone addiction to restore the close connection with her mother.
nominations: Best Special Effects, Best Original Score
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The Pretender
(18) 45mins. dir: Oliver Griffiths
Block L - SUN 8TH 6pm
Millennium Point
In 1497, Prince Richard of Shrewsbury, the youngest of the missing 'Princes in the Tower', faces both his inner demons and the forces of King Henry Tudor during the final days of his conquest for the Throne of England.
nominations: Best Costume, Best Stunts/Choreography
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The Quiet Shore
(12A) 8mins. dir: Adam Alexander Pritchett
Block P - TUES 10TH 6pm
Royal Cinemas Sutton Coldfield
The summer is long in Northern Italy and Albi and his friends don't have much to do. Hanging out by the river amongst the mountains they discover the body of a woman washed up on the shore...
nominations: Best International Film, Best Ensemble Cast
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The Shadow
(All) 9mins. dir: Kyran Townley
Block U - THURS 12TH 8pm
The Showcase, Dudley
While walking home alone one night, The Woman comes face to face with a mysterious presence intent on following her. Desperate to escape, she taps into a hidden ability — but no matter how far she runs, The Shadow remains close behind. With nowhere left to turn, she must finally confront the darkness pursuing her and uncover the truth it holds.
nominations: Best Costume, Best Special Effects, Best Original Score
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The Therapy Session
(All) 7mins. dir: Krans Nookala
Block C - SAT 7TH 12pm
Millennium Point
When three dysfunctional superheroes attend a therapy session to confront their personal demons, they lose more than their personal trauma as the therapist has a more sinister agenda.
nominations: Best Ensemble Cast
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The Wanderer
(All) 19mins. dir: Yue Shi
Block Q - TUES 10TH 8pm
Royal Cinemas Sutton Coldfield
Since his death, Fu Ci has wandered the mortal world, feeling that his life lacked meaning. Cui is tasked with guiding him to reincarnation and shows him the marks he left behind. Fu Ci realises that his years of confusion stem from his choice between his dreams and his family. Though he does not regret his decision, the home he left behind in his youth remains his lifelong obsession.
nominations: Best Production Design, Best Cinematography
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The Web We’re In
(15) 6mins. dir: Motz Workman, Damien Sung
Block U - THURS 12TH 8pm
The Showcase, Dudley
1986. West Country, England. Six women have gone missing, time is running out. DI Carter is face to face with the main suspect, Daniel Vale.
Please note that there’s an extended version, a rather different avant garde directors cut of just under 11 minutes also."
nominations: Best Sound Design
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The Witches of Pool Bottom
(12A) 7mins. dir: Ava Bounds
Block N - MON 9TH 6pm
Omniplex Cinema, Birmingham
When a teenage girl’s body-image fears become physical, she decides to destroy them.
nominations: Best Costume, Best Stunts/Choreography, Best Hair and Make-Up, Best Editing
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They listen to you
(18) 12mins. dir: Sergio Montes
Block Y - SAT 14TH 12pm
Millennium Point
They Are Listening tells the story of two siblings who, worried about their mother's emotional state after the recent loss of their father, decide to seek guidance from the figure who has always been a family role model: their grandfather. Driven by the need to help and understand how to cope with grief, the siblings embark on a journey that blends innocence, despair, and the desire to reconnect with the past; to do so, they will need to attune themselves to the afterlife.
nominations: Best International Film, Best Horror/Sci-Fi Film
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Things Between Heaven And Earth
(All) 5mins. dir: Jun Noh
Block B - SAT 7TH 10am
Millennium Point
Alone in a church, Eric prepares for a confrontation he appears to have rehearsed for some time. Images of a stage and an empty auditorium begin to overlap with the space, suggesting an effort to give form and language to something he has never fully resolved.
The sounds of his parents fighting abruptly return, drawing him into a childhood memory that culminates in an act of violence left outside the frame.
Back in the church, Eric attempts to reject the silent authority he holds responsible for what happened. Before he can complete the gesture, he notices a shadow watching him. Its movement unsettles the boundary between the presence he has come to confront and the part of the past he continues to carry.
He leaves the candle burning.
nominations: Best Micro Short Film
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This House Has Roots
(15) 8mins. dir: Richard J Moir
Block K - SUN 8TH 4pm
Millennium Point
A man tells the story of his life and the mansion house he lives in.
nominations: Festival Favourite Award
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Throwing Fruit
(15) 16 mins. dir: Alex Bell
Block O - MON 9TH 8pm
Omniplex Cinema, Birmingham
A grotesque yet chucklesome physical manifestation of Rachel’s thoughts won’t leave her alone
nominations: Best Local Film
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To Disappear Suddenly
(All) 18mins. dir: Seán McGrail
Block I - SUN 8TH 12pm
Millennium Point
An offbeat black-and-white mystery following a sceptical detective sergeant as he investigates the unexplained disappearance of a young man last seen entering a church.
nominations: Best Editing, Best Sound Design
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To Fly or Float
(12) 15mins. dir: Charlotte Peters
Block N - MON 9TH 6pm
Omniplex Cinema, Birmingham
Birmingham, 1979. Following a family tragedy, orphaned Eva moves in with her father's estranged brother. David is steeped in tradition and unprepared for a child, whilst Eva buries her grief in daydreams. Their distance feels unbridgeable - until a new friendship leads Eva to build a kite to send a message up to her parents. As the kite takes shape, so too does the bond between Eva and David: she brings light into his world, while he introduces her to the grounding rhythm of Jewish ritual. To Fly or Float is a tender story of childhood loss, faith, and the shared language we find when words fall short.
nominations: Best Short Film, Best Costume, Best Young Female Actor - Talia Sokal
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To the Bride & Groom
(12A) 3mins. dir: Luke Furmage
Block R - WED 11TH 6pm
Showcase Cinema de Lux Coventry
Eve, silently unravels in fury during the best man's speech. Unable to escape, interrupt, or even confront them, she is trapped in a storm of politeness and rage.
nominations: Best Micro Short Film
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Toilet Boy
(15) 9mins. dir: Toby Norman
Block U - THURS 12TH 8pm
The Showcase, Dudley
Kicked out of lesson, two boys take comfort in the school toilet revealing their mutually destructive relationship.
nominations: Festival Favourite Award
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Tommy
(15) 20mins. dir: Chris Michael Fretwell
Block F - SAT 7TH 6pm
Millennium Point
A reputed fighting man gets pulled away from his violent past by his girlfriend, but his pride doesn't allow him to stay away for long.
nominations: Best Short Film, Best Stunts/Choreography
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Toms Dress
(12) 9mins. dir: Ismay Sandoe
Block N - MON 9TH 6pm
Omniplex Cinema, Birmingham
The short film is called ‘Toms Dress’ its a Social realist, Coming of Age Drama it revolves around this boy wants to pursue being a designer in commemoration of he’s passed away mother, however he feels he need to repress his identity from his abusive father.
Through out the film he secretly designs a dress for his mother , the film tackles with some pretty heavy topics like dysfunctional family dynamics, abuse, alcoholism, self acceptance, identity and toxic masculinity.
nominations: Best Short Film, Best Young Male Actor - Nathan Hackett
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Tourettes Syndrome - Public Misconceptions
(All) 13mins. dir: Anthony Williams
Block T - THURS 12TH 6pm
The Showcase, Dudley
An investigation into Tourette's Syndrome and peoples understanding of the condition.
nominations: Best Documentary
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Troll Story
(12) 10mins. dir: Oliver Smith
Block J - SUN 8TH 2pm
Millennium Point
Troll Story is a speculative fiction animation about an internet troll who only trolls other trolls. It is a social commentary that deals with misinformation, polarisation and how cutting-edge technology is threatening a post-truth world.
There are more than fifty styles of animation is this film, all of which have been made by a single artist, the director, over four years.
nominations: Best Animation
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Trust Me
(12) 16mins. dir: Marc-Antoine Turcotte
Block E - SAT 7TH 4pm
Millennium Point
Trust Me follows Emma’s journey, longing to find herself through motherhood, only to discover that her partner, Matty, has a hidden agenda .
nominations: Best First Time Film maker
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Un-Bound
(15) 12mins. dir: David Bartkiewicz
Block F - SAT 7TH 6pm
Millennium Point
When a foreign woman meets her fiancé's affluent British family for an engagement dinner at an upscale restaurant, obligated pleasantries quickly descend into psychological warfare.
nominations: Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Horror/Sci-Fi Film
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Uncle Artoo
(All) 11mins. dir: Zoë Whittaker
Block I - SUN 8TH 12pm
Millennium Point
In his later years, Nosferatu has become a foster carer for children. That seems like a good idea.
nominations: Best Short Film, Best Hair and Make-Up
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Venomous Viper
(15) 2mins. dir: Baz Kannan
Block O - MON 9TH 8pm
Omniplex Cinema, Birmingham
From a hidden safehouse in the West Midlands, British-Indian assassin Disha Das A.K.A. the Lady Viper watches her targets from the shadows. Armed with intelligence, the undercover alias Kavya Reign, and preparing for her next move, the mysterious assassin reminds us that “beauty is skin deep.” But the Viper isn't finished yet. With her targets under surveillance and her signature red pistols ready, she prepares to strike.
nominations: Best Micro Short Film
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Voices - Martha Goddard
(All) 4mins. dir: Tom Patrick Coley
Block S - WED 11TH 8pm
Showcase Cinema de Lux Coventry
Martha is out for a walk when she suddenly becomes overwhelmed by intrusive thoughts, which she refers to as the "Voices." In response, her Alter Ego emerges. She rushes into the forest, but this only worsens her mental state. The Alter Ego tries to take control of Martha's mind by altering her brain chemistry, represented by an ever-evolving liquid light show. Will Martha be able to overcome this challenge and conquer her self-doubt and fear?
nominations: Best Music Video, Best Hair and Make-Up
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Volatile Currents - Maka
(18) 4mins. dir: Shane Davey
Block L - SUN 8TH 6pm
Millennium Point
This track is inspired by my experience of Dominica, a month after it had been hit by Hurricane Maria in 2017.
nominations: Best Music Video, Best Production Design
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Weeyagale
(All) 7mins. dir: Ainslie Senfuka
Block H - SUN 8TH 10am
Millennium Point
A magical-realist drama about a young British-Ugandan girl whose classroom show-and-tell unlocks a dreamlike journey into her heritage.
nominations: Festival Favourite Award
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Wheel Gone Kid 5 - Suspicious Minds
(All) 11mins. dir: Wayne Kelly
Block C - SAT 7TH 12pm
Millennium Point
With Detective Spanners stranded on Jersey, Houdini has to rely on Tuppence’s underworld tip-off, to pursue Aki and his mum at the pair’s precarious Flamingo Club. Can going undercover in the club’s Elvis contest help Houdini and Tuppence finally catch The Wheel Gone Kid? Or will his suspicious mind leave them all shook up?
nominations: Festival Favourite Award
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When the Sugar Runs Out
(12) 10mins. dir: Lauren Sims, Luisa Rosa
Block Y - SAT 14TH 12pm
Millennium Point
When two friends visit a wealthy sugar daddy with a hidden violent past, the night takes a sudden turn when old secrets come to life and an unexpected visitor comes home.
nominations: Best Editing
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Where for Art my Lines
(All) 7mins. dir: Eleanor May Ham
Block H - SUN 8TH 10am
Millennium Point
Students on a school trip to the theatre see Romeo in the interval about to leave because he can't remember his lines. The children work together to help him and ensure he completes his performance.
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Why Are We Being Punished?
(15) 4mins. dir: Maryam Jamal
Block O - MON 9TH 8pm
Omniplex Cinema, Birmingham
A visual adaptation of an original poem exploring inequality, division, and the unnecessary hatred that continues to separate humanity, questioning why prejudice persists in a world that calls for unity.
nominations: Best Young Director
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World Alone - Tony Iommi
(All) 8mins. dir: Ryan Mackfall
Block U - THURS 12TH 8pm
The Showcase, Dudley
Trapped inside the neon-lit, industrial decay of a bleak dystopian world, a reclusive hacker code-named 'The Believer' has spent years preparing for a reckoning. Surrounded by the hum of illegal servers and a mountain of forbidden research, his isolation is broken when an unexpected delivery arrives at his doorstep. Inside is a fragmented map and a mysterious, high-tech cartridge—the final pieces of a puzzle he has risked everything to solve. With the walls closing in, he slots the cartridge into his virtual reality machine and enters into a new world. He is thrown headfirst into a nightmarish, glitch-ridden video game world designed to break his mind and kill his avatar. To survive the simulation, he must conquer a series of deadly trials, while being chased by an ominous black smoke called ’the darkness’,. If he outsmarts the system, and follows the tattered map to its final destination he might find what he’s been looking for all these years. But as the boundaries between virtual reality and real-world survival blur, he discovers what truly awaits him at the end of the simulation. He is left with one question; is salvation is worth the ultimate cost?
nominations: Best Music Video
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Wrath of the Gods
(18) 97mins. dir: Justin Hardy
Block G - SAT 7TH 8pm
Millennium Point
Young, grieving widow Anna returns to Hel Island to bury her late husband after his suicide. She is cast out by the eccentric locals for being a symbol of bad luck and evil. When children start going missing the island is forced to reckon with its dark history of familial abuse and the terrifying beast-like forces of the sea.
Shot on location in the Shetland Islands, UK and featuring a mostly street cast of locals, "Wrath of the Gods" is the first horror film to feature dialogue spoken in indigenous Shetland dialect.
nominations: Best Feature Film, Best Original Score
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Ya Hanouni
(All) 3mins. dir: Lyna Tadount, Sofian Chouaib
Block C - SAT 7TH 12pm
Millennium Point
While the Mom and the Dad try to put their baby to sleep, a competition arises between them: who will manage to get the baby to say the first word?
nominations: Best Micro Short Film
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You've Got Me
(All) 14mins. dir: Farrel Kobby Ewanena
Block W - FRI 13TH 8pm
Millennium Point
When Henley, an insecure 10-year-old learns his best friend Rory is leaving for private school, he agrees to an outrageous plan to rob a bank, so he can join Rory at private school and keep their friendship alive.
nominations: Best Student Film, Best Editing
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Your Flower Is Closing
(15) 10mins. dir: Matty Mahoney
Block K - SUN 8TH 4pm
Millennium Point
During an assassination mission, a hitman shares his unusual metaphor to describe the sensation most of his targets experience as their lives draw to a premature end.
nominations: Festival Favourite Award