Uninvited
Ekaterina Ganzhela
Russia. 2024. 20 min
A couple arrives unannounced to visit their adult son, who is celebrating his birthday. However, upon arriving home and not finding their son, the parents discover a tied-up, exhausted hostage. Now they face a dilemma: whom to save – the unknown victim or their beloved son, who is a maniac.
Continue reading Uninvited (Ekaterina Ganzhela) RussiaBurul
Adilet Karzhoev
Kyrgystan. 2024. 14 min
A rural high school student Burul is interested in wrestling. The wrestling coach won’t let her train at the boys’ gym, so she trains at home alone. Burul’s father believes that wrestling is not for girls and forbids her to do it. One guy from a neighboring village kidnaps Burul to marry her after several unsuccessful attempts to talk to Burul.
ADILET KARZHOEV
Adilet Karzhoev was born in 1988 in Kyrgyzstan. In 2011, he received a Bachelor’s degree from the Kyrgyz-Turkish University Manas; department of Radio, TV and Cinema. In 2019, he received a Master’s degree from American University in Central Asia; a department of Journalism (concentration in cinema). Adilet produced several documentaries and fiction films, which became laureates of many international film festivals. Adilet is currently teaching in TV, Cinema and Visual Arts Department at the American University of Central Asia.
Filmography
2011 – Sary-Oy/documentary/18’
2016 – Thank you, Doctor!/documengtary/26’
2019 – Carousel/fiction/19’
2021 – Black Wagon/documentary/24’
2024 – Burul/fiction/14’
POSTER
CONTACT
submissions@festagent.com
| Script Daniyar Abdykerimov, Adilet Karzhoev Producer Adilet Karzhoev Cinematographer Zhumanazar Koichubekov Editor Karash Zhanyshov Sound Nurkyz Tungatarova Art director |
Sonata of Good Women
Mehdi Mahaei
Iran. 2024. 20 min
In a city ravaged by war, a brave woman struggles with a heart-wrenching dilemma. Torn between her deep love for her husband, a soldier on the front lines, and an intense, forbidden romance with a young woman, she finds herself caught in a whirlwind of passion and guilt. As she anxiously awaits news of her husband’s fate, she battles with secret desires that he may never return, freeing her to embrace the love that society forbids. This powerful film explores the complexities of love, loyalty, and the human heart in the darkest of times.
Continue reading Sonata of Good Women (Mehdi Mahaei) IranHiden Horizon
Yang Liang
China. 2025. 15 min
The man’s life is boring, and he worries that he’ll be stuck in this current job for the rest of his life, but he doesn’t know what else he’s good at, and the presence of a woman is nothing more than a short song with no tomorrow.
Continue reading Hidden Horizon (Yang Liang) ChinaMy Comrade
Tathagata Ghosh
India. 2025. 24 min
When a wounded rebel accidentally takes refuge in the home of a tribal villager, both the men’s lives spiral into a tense interplay of politics and forbidden love.
Continue reading My Comrade (Tathagata Ghosh) IndiaWindows
Jin Ailing, Wang Huiyuan
China. 2025. 18 min
A blind woman and a man with cancer meet in a hospital through their shared interests. The man, who has lost all hope in life, is gradually drawn to the woman’s optimism and decides to donate his corneas to her. Just then, he learnsthere might still be a chance for him to survive. What choice will he make?
Continue reading Windows (Jin Ailing, Wang Huiyuan) ChinaThursday
Maja Bresink
Germany. 2024. 16 min
A night in which father and daughter roam the streets of the city.
In search of something to eat. But actually in search of a relationship with each other.
They don’t argue. They just have nothing to say to each other.
FILMING SALMA by Kim Longinotto
Kim Longinotto is a British documentary filmmaker focusing on human rights issues in developing countries. She was the director of Shooting the Mafia … the film I posted about earlier this week. I thought she sounded very interesting and found this interview with her.
Her films that include Sisters in Law, Dreamcatcher and Pink Saris were well received at festivals around the world. Some of her works recently appeared at Prague’s One World IHRDFF as part of her retrospective and we met Kim Longinotto for this interview after her masterclass presented during the 2018 East Doc Platform in which she commented on her concepts and priorities in documentary filmmaking.
Continue reading Interview to Kim Longinotto (UK)Family Man
Kalani Gacon
Nepal, Australia. 2025. 17 min
During a storm in a remote Nepalese village, a mysterious man finds refuge in the house of a family haunted by their father’s disappearance years before. Strangely unwilling to leave, he slowly reawakens lost memories of the missing father.
Continue reading Family Man (Kalani Gacon) Nepal, AustraliaWanderer
Mikhail Shevchuk
Russia. 2024. 131 min
On the threshold of a young teacher, Anya, living in a small seaside town, one day a wanderer appears who calls himself her husband Artyom, who has gone missing. How does this man know everything that only Artyom knew?
Continue reading Wanderer (Mikhail Shevchuk) Russia
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