The Ants
Jashvender Chauhan
India. 2025. 10 min
The Ants is a deeply personal exploration of resilience, hope, and the cost of dissent in a world where freedom often feels like a mirage. Inspired by the story of a dear friend, a PhD scholar imprisoned for over four years under accusations of sedition and terrorism for a speech, the film delves into the personal and political struggles of those who dare to challenge oppressive systems.
Continue reading The Ants (Jashvender Chauhan) IndiaThe Gift
Siddhant Singh
India. 2025. 10 min
The Gift is a fairytale. However, it didn’t start as one. I wanted to toy with the idea of melodrama, a sense of heightened reality which was still tethered by something genuine and true. I have always been fascinated by the artistry of drag; its multiplicity, the theater of it all. It represents such a quiet strength, to be able to live one’s truth through their art, the epitome of personal as political. A drag persona is the soul and the shield of the artist, a fragile balance.
Continue reading The Gift (Siddhant Singh) IndiaStill a Long Road
Nikhil Rajendra Shinde
India. 2025. 12 min
When we think of refugees from Afghanistan or any conflict-ridden country, we often see images of war, struggle, and survival. But beyond the headlines and hardships, there is something more. There are emotions, dreams, and silent moments of longing that often go unnoticed.
Continue reading Still a Long Road (Nikhil Rajendra Shinde) IndiaOf Curses and Betrayals
Sourav Brahma
India. 2025. 11 min
People of Pune says about Mula Mutha river that “It is not a river,it is a sewage stream”.This statement stayed with me for a long time and I wanted to explore the story behind it. I was also very much fascinated by the origin story of Mula Mutha river and I felt that the plight of Mula Mutha river is a modern day folk tale where a river’s cry for help remains unnoticed by humans and Gods. People whose livelihood were once dependant on this river are now jobless and they are almost in the same critical situation as the river. I wanted to bring forward their story who boldly tells that how this river is being killed every day.
Continue reading Of Curses and Betrayals (Sourav Brahma) IndiaA Good Day Will Come
Amir Zargara
Iran, Turkey, Canada. 2025. 25 min
Arash is a professional wrestler with dreams of representing his country and winning gold medals. The country is in turmoil and its people are suffering. Arash must decide between using his platform to stand up to tyranny, or put his head down and remain silent.
Continue reading A Good Day Will Come (Amir Zargara) Iran, CanadaBones
Luis Paredes
Spain. 2025. 14 min
After the discovery of some human bones at a site, Adela andJavier, a couple of archaeologists with years of experience, have to live with the first signs of Javier’s dementia and a new discovery, which like an echo, seems to resonate more and more in their daily life.
Continue reading Bones (Luis Paredes) SpainThe Cure
Rosendo M. Diezma
Spain. 2025. 15 min
Madrid, 1980. When Sole sees Nano come in, bloody and beaten, she already knows what to do. In an improvised infirmary, she tries to mend his son’s wounds. But Nano is getting old, and his body doesn’t heal like it used to. At his mother’s pleas, Nano offers a deal: he will retire from boxingif she, for the first time, watches one of his fights.
Continue reading The Cure (Rosendo M. Diezma) SpainUninvited
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) Iran
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