Martin
Dani Zarandieta
Spain. 2021. 5 min

An unexpected call, a pending conversation and the need to find a television. A promise has guided Martin’s life for the last ten years leading up to this moment.

DANI ZARANDIETA

Dani Zarandieta (Seville, Spain, 10/19/1980). Director and screenwriter with training in Physics and a degree in Audiovisual Communication. He worked as a cameraman at Antena 3 and in 2010 he moved to New York to study at the New York Film Academy, where he shot the short films “12:26 – 12:31” and “Second Round”, both at international festivals. In 2013 he returned to Spain only to shoot his first feature film, “Found in NYC” (“Met in NYC”), which he made between his hometown and the streets of New York, also with success at festivals (Seville European Film Festival , Manhattan Film Festival). A year later, he returns to New York and continues his career as an advertising and film editor such as “Stealing Chanel” for Lifetime. At the end of 2015 he moved to Los Angeles to direct two plays and his days back and forth between the US and Spain continued in 2016 when he returned home. He currently works as an editor of television programs in Spain, advertising director and developing his own projects. “Nanny” is his eighth short as director, after “Animal” (2020), “Ley de vida” (2018), “Why” (2017), “Saras” (2012), “…Sus muertos!” (2012), “Second Round” (2012) and “12:26 – 12:31” (2011).

POSTER

CONTACT

martincortometraje@gmail.com

Dukhu Majhi, Son of Barren Land
Somnath Mondal
India. 2021. 28 min

This documentary is about an old man named ‘Dukhu Majhi‘, who lives with his family in a remote village at the foothill of the Ayodhya , about 350 km from Kolkata (India). In summer, the temperature in that area rises up to 50 degrees Celsius. This grey-haired old man has established an identity of his own. He spends most of his time planting trees and caring for them. He moves on an old bicycle with two canisters, sacks, shovels, burned wood and saplings.

SOMNATH MONDAL

Somnath Mondal has completed Bsc.(Honours) in Physics from Calcutta University and Post Graduate Diploma in Cinema (specialization with SRSE) from the Film & Television Institute of India, Pune (India) on the year 1993. He has worked as Assistant & Chief Sound Recordist in Mumbai and and Kolkata up to the year 2003. Presently, he has been working for Information Education Communication Division of Government of West Bengal, India since the year 2003. There, he has been making some TV spots /programs regarding Mass Education on Health issues. His script “Madan Veri” (a Docu feature on a dying musical instrument) got the best script writing award in the Chalachitram National Film Festival 2020.
The documentary “Dukhu Majhi – son of the barren land” his debut film. This film won the 2nd best documentary award at the Bengal International short Film festival 2022.

POSTER

CONTACT

robindas899@gmail.com

Kekee Manzil, House of Arts
Behroze Gandhy, Dilesh Korya
India. 2021. 93 min

In Kekee Manzil: House of Art a daughter journeys to find how her father catalysed the contemporary art movement in India as it achieved independence in 1947. But how did he get to this point? Back in 1941, Kekoo Gandhy came to the aid of a man whose car got stuck in the sand on Juhu beach in Bombay. A friendship started and a business partnership soon followed. The pair established Chemould Frames, which became the largest picture frame enterprise in Asia. A chance encounter, the first of many moments of serendipity helping launch the most significant Indian art movement from the city.

BEHROZE GANDHY

Behroze Gandhy is an independent producer who jointly founded the company Hindi Picture in 1982, initially distributing Hindi films for Channel Four Television. After 1989 Hindi Picture produced programmes for British television. Behroze Gandhy’s has produced numerous multicultural programmes and series for Channel Four Television. In 1996, she produced a documentary on the Indian actor Sanjay Dutt.
Behroze’s drama credits as producer include Flight, a feature for Screen Two at the BBC; and Surviving Sabu, a short film for the Arts Council of England. Behroze says: ‘From 2002, I began recording my father and mother, Kekoo and Khorshed Gandhy, as they were witness to key moments of the Indian contemporary art movement from the early 1940s, and established the first contemporary art gallery in Bombay. This period coincided with the emergence of India as an independent nation, which made a record of this period crucial. Simultaneously, I also carried out interviews with contemporaries on that journey, including Raza, Tyeb Mehta, and Krishen Khanna. After my parents passed away in 2012 and 2013, I realised that this was material for a unique documentary, which would reflect the story of Indian art from a personal point of view.

DILESH KORYA

Dilesh Korya is a British Asian filmmaker and editor based in Bristol, with a career that spans 30 years. For over 20 years he has been editing documentaries for BBC and Channel 4. Many have won awards and garnered big audiences and critical praise.
Prior to this, Dilesh had made numerous short films, both drama and documentaries. His film ‘Sari’ has been shown at festivals and awarded a number of commendations.
Dilesh is a filmmaker that works across all areas of film production. Not only did he direct and edit ‘Kekee Manzil’, but also shot many scenes, produced the graphics and co-wrote the film.
Kekee Manzil is his first feature documentary, taking nearly five years to make. He is currently finishing off a film script, researching a number of new feature documentaries, as well as editing a major new series for BBC2 about the creation of the United Kingdom, with by David Olusoga.

PRESS KIT

POSTER

CONTACT

dileshkorya@gmail.com

A Night in The Cosmico
Luis de Val, Diego Herrero
Spain. 2021. 15 min

A low-class law student struggles against his destiny: failure. He has to study for an exam, and since he can’t concentrate, he goes to the Cósmico bar with the idea of having a coffee and focussing. After witnessing the breakup of the waitress with her boyfriend, the girl and the student are left alone at the bar. It is then that an intense conversation begins and teaches them something about who they are, and it will change the way each character sees life: by finding each other, they find themselves.

LUIS DE VAL

Luis de Val has cinema in his DNA. Born in 1979 in Barcelona, his father, Luis de Val Sr., was one of the most respected professionals in the industry for decades. In 1993 he founded Manga Films, one of the leading independent distributors in the sector in the 90’s and 00’s. Luis de Val Jr. started working on Manga Films, where he led the production part within the company.

In 2005 he founded the production company Media Films, with which he produced such iconic films in Spanish cinema as “Yo soy la Juani” by Bigas Luna, “Héroes” by Pau Freixes, “Katmandú, un espejo en el cielo” by Icíar Bollaín or the winner of 3 Goya awards, “El truco del manco” by Santiago Zannou. In May 2015 he founded Youplanet, an agency of representation of youtubers and influencers with a clear objective: to create a media group for Spanish-speaking audiences around the world. His latest production, “Vosotros sois mi película”, by Carlo Padial with the youtuber Wismichu, together with his cinematographic DNA, have led him to want to fulfil a dream he always had: to write and direct a short film. “A night in the Cósmico” is his first foray into film narrative.

DIEGO HERRERO

POSTER

CONTACT

alicia@yaqdistribucion.com

Desire
Hansraj Arya
India. 2021. 11 min

Desire knows no boundary. It germinates anywhere it wants and can grow into anything. “Chaah” (desire) is about one such desire that grew into 10-year-old Lekhraj’s mind but he doesn’t have the courage to ask his parents – Raju and Geeta. Raju – a laborer – understands this and promises Lekhraj to fulfill any of his desire if he scores well in exam. The result day comes and Lekhraj does get good marks. While Raju is extremely happy, he is wary of Lekhraj’s desire. What will the kid want? And will Raju be able to fulfill his desire as promised? The short film follows a simple predicament of a father struggling to fulfill his son’s desire.

HANSRAJ ARYA

Hansraj Arya is a filmmaker who hails from a small village of Tonk, Rajasthan. He completed his post-graduation in Mathematics from Central University of Rajasthan in 2019. During his college days, he scripted and directed several plays and also performed in theatre. After college, he started participating in several theatres in Jaipur and Delhi. To follow his dream passion of storytelling, Hansraj started his career in film making.
In 2019, he began his career as a script writer and director in a production house in Delhi. Later, he shifted to Mumbai to work with Laughing Colours as a writer. After working on various short films, he has finally made his directorial debut with “Chaah” (desire).

POSTER

CONTACT

aryahansraj1995@gmail.com

The Way We Are
Nihit Bhave
India. 2021. 18 min

A husband recounts the days of being in school, being different from other boys, realizing that his body reacts to men, the way other boys’ bodies react to women.

A wife realizes that she has always let other people dictate what she eats, what she wears, what she studies, who she marries, and how she has sex. She wants to be liberated. Why has she kept it all within her so far?

As the couple finds words to own their truths, they start searching for words to tell them to each other.

NIHIT BHAVE

I was a film journalist and critic with India’s leading publications, the Times of India and Hindustan Times, and I have been working as a screenwriter for the last 5 years. My screenwriting credits include Anurag Kashyap’s film, Choked, and his next film, Dobaaraa. I have also co-written the second season of the Netflix series, Sacred Games. Apart from writing, I have worked with Kashyap’s team as an assistant director and script supervisor.

DIRECTOR,S NOTE

When I decided to make a short film, I knew that it had to tackle the issue of belonging to the gay community in India. I identify as a cis gay man, and I needed to talk about men in India who don’t have the vocabulary to come out of the closet, let alone live their authentic lives. As I started writing the film, I realized that a good foil to my male protagonist would be a woman who has suppressed all her needs, desires and wishes. In my opinion, the experience of being a woman and being a closeted gay man have a lot of overlaps in a society as restrictive as India.
As an introvert, I have also often sacrificed a lot to avoid confrontation of any kind, so I knew that I had to marry these issues in The Way We Are.

A large part of the Indian society still looks at marriage as a burden, a responsibility to be checked off. Women are expected to be subservient, men have a specific toxic masculine role to play. Sometimes, as in movies, chest-thumping acceptance of self is not instantly an option. I want to tell more stories of queer people and women in India, and I hope The Way We Are is a step in the right direction for it.

POSTER

CONTACT

thebhaveinbox@gmail.com

Lifeline
Abdullah Sahin
Turkey. 2021. 19 min

It is a story of Abel Cain set in modern times from a different perspective. Hayati and Saffet are two brothers who live on fishing. Saffet could not continue his education because, but he educated himself in the science of the sky, which he made a passion. While Saffet is convinced, his older brother Hayati is dealing with treasure and turning the corner as soon as possible. They sold their old car, which were their only asset, and get a treasure map in return. Thanks to Saffet’s interest in astronomy, they find the location of the treasure, but two brothers await a surprise in the treasure hunt.

ABDULLAH SAHIN

He was born in Istanbul in 1987 and graduated from the Cinema and Television Department. He is pursuing his master’s degree in the same field and preparing for his first feature movie.

Filmography
Plus One 2019
Cleats 2019
Lifeline: The Brothers Who Hold the Same Breath 2021
Tell Something 2022

POSTER

CONTACT

h.abdullahsahin@hotmail.com

Kitab
Xavi Herrero
Spain. 2021. 85 min

Ouadane and Chinguetti have the oldest and most valuable libraries in Mauritania and the Arab world, of incalculable heritage and cultural value. Some of its books, older than the Koran itself, may contain secrets linking Atlantis to the Richat structure near Ouadane.

Baba and Yoshef are two hustlers from Nouakchott who are commissioned to get wooden manuscripts that provide information about Atlantis to locate archaeological remains in the Richat. The librarians feel offended at the mere possibility of trying to buy their cultural heritage inherited from generation to generation and decide to write a collective manifesto to avoid these situations in the future.

At the same time, Zaida, an expert local guide in the area, hired by foreign expeditions in search of archaeological remains and a former Théodore Monod expeditionary, bring us closer to the mysterious structure of the Richat, for many, the geological remains of Atlantis.

XAVI HERRERO

Xavi Herrero literally grows up in a photo studio. Catalan filmmaker and producer residing in Ibiza since 2014, the year he abandoned his professional activity in Barcelona which was focused on TV-3 and other production companies such as El Terrat or Dorna among many others. In 2016 he created Ibizacinefest, the Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente de Ibiza, that he continues to direct nowadays, preparing the 5th edition. At the same time, he is producing and directing 4 feature films related to the island of Ibiza. Moonface. Una mujer en la guerra was awarded at the Festival de Màlaga 2019 with a Silver Bizanga and the Audience Award. With his fifth feature film Salka en la tierra de nadie he begins a new stage focused on 2 collaborative productions in Mauritania. He has currently finished “Kitab“. His feature films have been awarded and selected in Festivals such as Festival de Málaga, Cinespaña, Docs Barcelona, Atlantida Film Fest, Vladivostok, etc … and in industry sections such as EFM Berlinale, Visions du Réel Industry, Medimed or Spanish Screenings. Since May 2022 is member of European FIlm Acadmy whit the right to vote of European FIlm Awards.

DIRECTOR,S NOTE

Kitab is my second feature film made in Mauritania after “Salka in no man’s land”, both collaborative with the Project Hummingbird from A pencil a drawing that manages the NAD orphanage in Nouabhidou. The NAD is led by Aichetou Dyallo and she herself is in charge of the pre-production of these films in this hermetic country as unknown.
The conditions of the filming, derived from those of the country, they are completely minimalist and complicated.
Each shooting and lodging in the NAD, become experiences unforgettable moments in this attempt to document Mauritania with author documentaries, in the case of “Kitab” approaching the libraries of the desert, guided by the main musicians of the Atar region and discovering the possibility that the structure of the Richat is Plato’s Atlantis.

POSTER

CONTACT

info@ibizacinefest.com

Seabreaker
Eloy Domínguez Serén
Spain. 2022. 26 min

Santi is a teenage father who lives in a small coastal town. During the day he has a job as a fisherman, while at night he smuggles seafood. While his girlfriend Lucia takes care of their baby all by herself, Santi, absent and overwhelmed by responsibility, seeks refuge and redemption in the sea.

ELOY DOMÍNGUEZ SERÉN

After graduating from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) Eloy Dominguez Serén started his career as a film critic and co-founder and co-director of A CUARTA PAREDE Magazine. In 2010 he served on the Youth Jury of the Venice Film Festival. The following year he moved to Stockholm, where he directed two short films: PETTRING (2013) and NO NOVO CÉIO (2014). In 2014 he filmed the medium-length film JET LAG and during the following two years he completed NO COW ON THE ICE (2015) —premiered at Visions du Réel— and the short films YELLOW BRICK ROAD (2016) and RUST (2016). In 2018 he premiered the feature film HAMADA at IDFA. Having been screened at festivals such as BAFICI and the Edinburgh International Film Festival, the film won awards at the Cinéma du Réel, FIC Xixón and Porto/Post/Doc festivals. His most recent short film, THE BODIES (OS CORPOS, 2020), was premiered at IDFA.

POSTER

CONTACT

lightson@lightsonfilm.org