Ambivalence
Maan Chandravanshi
India. 2025. 29 min

Yugal, a quiet and emotionally closed man, returns to his childhood home after nearly twenty years. The empty house brings back memories of his father, his stepmother, and a childhood shaped by silence and emotional distance. Through his cousin Pankaj, Yugal slowly uncovers hidden truths about his family and why he was sent away. In the present, Yugal begins repairing his father’s old tractor, believing the act will help him rebuild his own life. He becomes drawn to his neighbors—a widow named Dipti and her young son, Pintu. Dipti’s strict love reminds Yugal of his stepmother, blurring the line between past and present. As feelings grow, Yugal realizes he is standing in the same emotional position his father once faced, with one chance to choose differently.

Sacred Sal Tree
Mansingh Baskey
India. 2025. 15 min

The film highlights the conflict between tribal life and the formal justice system. Tibru Munda, a poor tribal villager, is arrested for carrying firewood taken from a fallen tree and is charged under forest laws. In court, his honest explanation is ignored due to rigid legal procedures and deep-rooted prejudice. His refusal to swear on the Gita, and his choice of the sacred Sat tree instead, reveals the cultural gap between tribal beliefs and state institutions. Through Tibru’s struggle, the film questions the idea of justice, ownership of forests, and the survival of indigenous identity.

Where do the Trees go
Mansingh Baskey
India. 2025. 15 min

Eight-year-old Sagen is brought to live with his uncle and aunt after his mother remarries following his father’s death. The sudden change leaves him withdrawn, struggling to feel at home in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people. Though his uncle and aunt try to make him feel welcome, the house remains just a house—never quite a home. As they argue over legal guardianship and his schooling, Sagen seeks solace in the forest, the only place that feels free. But over time, small moments start to break the ice.
A quiet understanding grows, and one day, Kisku joins them at the dining table—something he once refused to do. Just as he begins to find the warmth of a family, his mother returns for one final goodbye before leaving forever. Standing before her, Sagen feels nothing—or perhaps too much. He doesn’t speak, doesn’t move closer, doesn’t hug her, unaware that this might be the last time he’ll ever see her. His uncle, witnessing their meeting, is furious. The argument that follows fills the house with fear, and once again, Sagen runs—terrified of losing the home he was just beginning to find. But will his new parents bring him back? Or will he be lost once more?