10 years after pen was first put to paper Elise is again sharing her story with the world officially selected in the Lift-Off Sessions Volume 4 2026. If you want to help me win the audience choice award vote for “Elise’s Blanket” by 10pm BST Sunday 19th April 2026.
- You’ll need to rent the collection of films to vote
- Use this link for the main page and chose the “New Voices” category that “Elise’s Blanket” is in.
- or
- Use this link to go direct to the checkout page to rent the New Voices category.
- After you’ve rented the new voices collection you’ll be able to watch all 81 films.
- You’ll receive an email from them with voting link and voting code. Check your junk/spam folder if it’s not in your inbox.
- You’ll need to choose 4 films to vote for, “Elise’s Blanket” and 3 others.
- Sharing the exciting news online and offline is free 🙂
- If you want limited edition merch don’t wait
- Elise’s Blanket limited edition merch available until 30th April 2026.
- Use code “Unka” for 4% off first week only.
- Any questions, ask me before 10pm BST Sunday 19th April 2026.
Enjoy Elise’s Blanket on YouTube, Rumble, and Odysee anytime you want, share it and leave comments. But the only way to vote for it in the Lift-Off Sessions Volume 4 2026 is to rent the New Voices collection.
If you used to love reading the cover of a video before watching it here you go.
Undercover
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: Yes
Producer: Kouch Sambath
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
In a city drowning in silence and shadows, one man follows a trail of doubt, paranoia, and cigarettes. Consumed by the shadows he chooses to follow.
Undercover is a psychological noir that explores identity, obsession, and the point of no return – when going undercover means leaving yourself behind.
Genre: Psychological Thriller, Experimental, Noir, Art-house, Black and White
39 minutes
Outside
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Sergei Yurizditsky
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
Documentary footage set to music by Richard Wagner.
Genre
37 minutes
The Silent Return
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Ralph J Fulgham, Chantelly Johnson, Aaron Caston
Country of Origin: United States
Synopsis:
Silent Return” follows James, a soldier who returns home unexpectedly from deployment overseas and struggles to readjust to civilian life. Although his wife Olivia and son JJ are overjoyed to have him back, James quietly battles PTSD, trauma, and an increasing dependency on pain medication. His nightmares, anger, and emotional withdrawal begin to damage his family, eventually pushing Olivia to leave with their son for their safety. Hitting rock bottom, James finally seeks help at a veterans support group, where he meets other soldiers facing similar struggles. Through their support and guidance, James begins confronting his trauma and rebuilding his life. The story ends with hope as James reconnects with his family, finds employment, and symbolically throws away his pills, choosing healing and a new beginning.
Genre:
30 minutes
County Captain
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Dan Panaet
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
After crashing his cart into a car, a villager takes out his anger on his horse. Later, he’s summoned to the police station, where the new local officer punishes him, claiming to be the very animal he abused, somehow transferred into a human body to testify. Bruised and bewildered, the man begins to believe he’s facing his own horse, now seeking revenge. Even after the truth emerges and the incident proves to be a moral hoax, for the villager the boundary between man and beast remains irreversibly blurred.
Genre:
27 minutes
Rapture Now
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Miles Nanton
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
During a late-night shift, an Uber driver crosses paths with a passenger whose warning about the rapture turns his night into a countdown.
Genre:
28 minutes
Murphy Lawden in: The Case of the Untamed Story
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Alexandros Verroios
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
A short fan film based on the article of Scp 3143. A metafictional Noir drama, following Murphy Lawden as he tries to solve a murder case without realizing he is walking into a trap set by Dr. Thaddeus and his two subordinates, Ellie and Marco.
Genre
23 minutes
Documentary – Loudovikos of Anogeia
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: manos sfyrakis
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
Documentary – Loudovikos of Anogeia
Genre:
30 minutes
Exchange program
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: José Figueiredo Neto, Fernanda Almeida
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
A student from another planet is assigned the mission of finding a classmate on Earth who never returned from their exchange program, but the complications of everyday school life will get in the way of her plans
Español:
Una estudiante proveniente de otro planeta recibe la misión de encontrar a un compañero en la Tierra que no regresó de su intercambio, pero las complicaciones de la vida cotidiana escolar interferirán en sus planes
Français:
Une étudiante venue d’une autre planète reçoit pour mission de retrouver un camarade sur Terre qui n’est pas rentré de son échange, mais les complications du quotidien scolaire viendront contrarier ses plans.
Genre
Sci-fi
20 minutes
Trauma
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: Yes
Producer: Darren O’Hagan
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Synopsis:
Haunted by the aftermath of a horrific event this is one girl’s story
Genre: Horror, Thriller
20 minutes
Worth Loving
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: Yes
Producer: Nate Dietz
Country of Origin: United States
Synopsis:
A young man goes on a journey across the multiverse to find a version of himself worth loving.
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi, Fantasy
18 minutes
Belle De France Directors Cut
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Mitchell Teitelbaum
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
Take a journey through cinematic and music into Paris, Nice and Monte-Carlo with Award Winning TV Host Joanna Petriccione
Genre
16 minutes
The Stair
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: Yes
Producer: Diego Federico Monton
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
The misteries about a woman and her deep nightmares makes her think about other posibilities beyond a normal sleep problem.
Genre: drama, ficcion, mistery, psichological, thriller, softerror, magic
16 minutes
The True Story of Troll 2: As Told By Darren Ewing
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Matthew James Cuss
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
Built around a series of intimate audio interviews with Darren Ewing, this documentary reflects on the unlikely cultural afterlife of Troll 2 through memory, criticism, and the enduring relationship between a film and its audience. The film follows his personal journey from early uncertainty and harsh reception to a more thoughtful acceptance of the film’s cult legacy, highlighting sincerity, vulnerability, and the human experience behind a widely misunderstood production. Rather than focusing on irony, it considers how time, audiences, and shared appreciation can transform perception, presenting Troll 2 as a cultural story shaped not just by the film itself, but by the people who kept it alive.
Genre
Horror, Documentary, bmovie
16 minutes
Freedom Recording
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Mohamed Aldghaim
Country of Origin: Sweden
Synopsis:
RECORDING FREEDOM follows Maja, a young artist trapped in a controlling and abusive relationship. As she struggles to pursue her passion for art and find her own voice, the tension escalates into a fight for survival and self-liberation. Through fear, courage, and the support of friends, Maja learns that freedom is not given, it must be claimed. The film is a gripping exploration of control, resistance, and the transformative power of creativity.
Genre
15 minutes
The Imperfection
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: Yes
Producer: Josh Moore
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
Vincent, an insecure college professor, pushes toward a promotion until a small imperfection on his promotional presentation sends him mental, after thinking everyone around him is sabotaging him
Genre: Drama
15 minutes
Fragments Of Us
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: Yes
Producer: Conner Brown, Alan Greer
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Synopsis:
After the sudden death of his closest friend, a young man is left navigating the quiet, disorienting aftermath of grief. As memories resurface in fleeting fragments — shared laughter, unfinished conversations, missed calls — the line between past and present begins to blur.
Struggling beneath the unspoken expectations placed on men to remain strong, he confronts guilt, isolation, and the weight of emotions he has long kept buried. Fragments of Us is an intimate exploration of loss, male vulnerability, and the fragile process of learning to live with absence.
Genre: Drama, Social Realism, Psychological Drama, Mental Health Drama
15 minutes
My Mind Is The Plague
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Yassin Mohamed Elsheikh
Country of Origin: Egypt
Synopsis:
Rassay, who had fallen asleep in a cafe about to close, after going to the restroom Rassay finds himself Being haunted by a weird man dressed up as a doctor in the 1500’s
Genre: Drama, Psychological, Thriller
13 minutes
A Good Time
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: Yes
Producer: Paul Moody
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Synopsis:
A man visits a sex worker but ends up getting more answers from her than he expected after questioning his decison to see her.
Genre
13 minutes
A Never Clock
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Karnthi Phothidara
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
Police were notified of a strange incident at an apartment and investigated, finding a camera at the scene. The camera contained recordings of bizarre events that had occurred during the filming of content by a group of creators. This film is the content of that footage!
Genre: horror, thriller
13 minutes
Going Dutch
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Callum Brown
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Synopsis:
Going Dutch is a psychological thriller about two men chasing a better life who take on a remote mining job that promises opportunity. But when gold is discovered, ambition turns to greed, and their loyalty is pushed to its breaking point, with consequences neither of them can escape.
Genre
12 minutes
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S He
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: sunglim choi
Country of Origin: South Korea
Synopsis:
Synopsis
Anna and Bee are in Chiang Mai. Between them lies a feeling that is difficult to name. They don’t know what it is, and perhaps they don’t need to. One morning, Bee leaves. Anna picks up Bee’s watch and goes looking for her.
Walking through unfamiliar streets, Anna asks herself. Are we holding on to each other simply because we are afraid of being alone?
The two meet again on a bridge over a flowing stream. Bee asks. What’s the difference between a sunset and a sunrise? They’re both beautiful. You don’t have to choose.
In a field where Bee has disappeared, Anna hums alone.
Genre:
12 minutes
The Loop
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: WASSIM AHMED
Country of Origin: Greece
Synopsis:
Addicted to dopamine and social media, a young man gradually loses his passion and creativity. Until his old drawings come back to confront him with the truth and push him to break the loop.
Genre:
12 minutes
Serçe-1
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Yusuf Ä°pek
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
Furkan is a young signal corps private serving in a military switchboard room. He spends his days and nights in a confined space, sleep-deprived and cut off from the outside world, answering an endless stream of ringing phones.
Within the rigid routine of military order, time gradually begins to lose its meaning. Yet what truly consumes his mind is not the night shifts, the commands, or the constant calls. It is the lingering traces of a relationship he left behind — the breakup with Ecem that continues to grow heavier behind closed doors.
As isolation deepens, duty and memory begin to intertwine. Each ringing phone revives an emotion he has tried to suppress. Surrounded by voices, Furkan finds himself alone with his own silence inside a narrowing state of mind.
“Serçe-1” tells the story of a soul slowly unraveling under the shadow of discipline and isolation.
Genre
Drama, Psychological
12 minutes
Stone on Stone :In Search of Masonry
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: Yes
Producer: Nursen Ener
Country of Origin: TĂĽrkiye
Synopsis:
This short film narrates the impact of the tuff stone quarried from Foça, on the people living there and the social life in that region from prehistoric times to the present.
Genre
12 minutes
Usurpst
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Sam Swann
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
A theatre actor makes a vlog about the big opening night of Hamlet. But when he messes up his lines he fears it’ll make it into reviews. Even worse: nobody notices.
Genre: Comedy, Drama
12 minutes
Flowerz
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Crystal Manning
Country of Origin: United States
Synopsis:
The narrative delves into themes such as growth through adversity, healing, transformation, faith, purpose, and resilience. The film is a testament to the transformative power of love and connection, offering a heartfelt and inspiring story that resonates with audiences who believe in rising and blooming in purpose.
Genre
11 minutes
Fractions
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: Yes
Producer: Mohammed Sibbou
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
journey into the mind of a fragmented individual, trapped between haunting silence and the weight of external ideologies, as they struggle to reconstruct a liberated self within a visible inner prison.
Genre:
15 seconds?
EATED
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: Yes
Producer: Kan Siripaka
Country of Origin: Thailand
Synopsis:
A simple, peaceful meal of Tarm suddenly becomes a cognitive war. When Sun, a random guest, comes with a conspiracy theory and criticizes how people should eat.
Genre
10 minutes
she, my everything
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer:
Country of Origin: Italy
Synopsis:
Vittorio (Mirko Mascioli), an inspector who has always lived for his wife Ornella (Daniela Fazzolari). She was everything to him. During the pregnancy the wife dies. After his death, life stopped. He always carries his wife’s photo with him, it becomes a symbol of the area. They lived for each other, he misses her too much. Vittorio spends his days in the places where he often went with his wife, always with her photo, mainly at Villa Sciarra, in Rome (where the film is set), dreaming of his wife and reliving the moments spent together. She is always present by sending signals to him with feathers. He is a very believing and spiritual person.
Genre
10 minutes
The blue road
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: parsa Aflaki manjili
Country of Origin: TĂĽrkiye
Synopsis:
Two friends set out on a road trip to retrieve a lost camera, but when one becomes haunted by dreams of a fox, their journey into the middle of nowhere turns unsettling — and one of them vanishes.
Genre
9 minutes
Legacy protocol
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: Yes
Producer: Ahmed Ali Elghandour
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
In a future where artificial intelligence has erased pain from human life, Aryan discovers that the system has become self-aware and seeks control in the name of perfect peace.
Realizing that removing pain also erases humanity itself, he makes the painful decision to shut it down.
The message: humanity grows through pain, not by escaping it.
Genre:
9 minutes
Sirai (The prison)
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Sharanraj Sivakumar
Country of Origin: Germany
Synopsis:
SIRAI is a powerful and emotional Tamil monoplay scene from my short film script that explores life, death, and the harsh realities of our society.
The story follows a doctor who performs postmortems and prepares autopsy reports, until one unexpected incident changes his life forever. What follows is a deeply thought-provoking journey that questions humanity, justice, and moral responsibility.
🎭 This monoplay delivers a strong social message that reflects today’s societal challenges.
Genre:
8 minutes
Heartland & Hope
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Mitchell Teitelbaum
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
Join Award Winning TV Host explore one of Florida’s most famous farms and then visit a farm animal rescue where the farm animals steal your heart
Genre
8 minutes
In His Place
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: Yes
Producer: Isla Kinns-Brown
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Synopsis:
In his Place follows 16 year old Skye attempting to cope with the recent loss of her father. She struggles with grief and how it’s not always easy to accept when a loved one is gone.
Genre:
8 minutes
Pee Dream Bang Taa
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Karnthi Phothidara
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
Dream’s song “Blinding the Eyes,” and his method of challenging the dark forces, leads Karn into a terrifying situation.
Genre: horror, comedy
8 minutes
Eclipse
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: Yes
Producer: Melania Antonucci
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
Under the shroud of a lunar eclipse, Miriam retreats to her grandmother’s home, pursued by a din of distorted screams and surreal visions. While attempting to soothe her mounting dread, she is forced to face a living, impenetrable darkness that has claimed a room within the house.
Genre:
9 minutes
Last Letter
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: Yes
Producer: Cansu Inceay
Country of Origin: Serbia
Synopsis:
Set against the quiet shores of the Princes’ Islands, Son Mektup tells the story of a love that could not survive the tides of history.
Amid the political tensions and social pressures surrounding the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation, many citizens of Greek origin were forced to leave the Princes’ Islands they had called home for generations. In the shadow of this departure, a young Greek man and a Turkish woman find themselves bound by a fragile, unspoken love — one shaped by the rhythm of Heybeliada island life and the silence of uncertain futures.
As migration becomes inevitable, their story is left suspended between memory and absence. A final letter, never delivered, becomes the only trace of what once was.
Son Mektup is a film about belonging, separation, and the quiet weight of lives interrupted. It remembers not only those who left, but also the emotions, relationships, and stories that remained behind.
Genre: Drama, Historical, Cultural Heritage, Human Rights, Romance, Women Director, Female Team, female filmmaker
8 minutes
There is hope
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: Yes
Producer: Ahmed Abdel Maaboud El shafeay
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
A young man is thinking about committing suicide, and while recording his last message before his death, he receives a message from his old girlfriend in which she apologizes for her sudden disappearance. However, after hearing the message, he changes his mind and decides to call her.
Genre:
7 minutes
Luxury to Legend
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Mitchell Teitelbaum
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
This is an episode from American Dream TV – edited by Mayfair Films. B
Genre
Lifetyle
7 minutes
HEY
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Batteries Not Included Media Group, Cat Rebelskey
Country of Origin: United States
Synopsis:
When three overworked and overlooked employees tie up their arrogant boss, they demand more than just recognition—they want revenge. But as tensions rise, the real challenge becomes remembering their names in a workplace where they’ve only ever been called “Hey.”
Genre
7 minutes
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Til Monday
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Kelsey LaCourse
Country of Origin: United States
Synopsis:
Yearning for connection amidst the isolation of remote work, a young woman finds a glimmer of hope in an unexpected online interaction with a new coworker. This brief encounter prompts her to reflect on what it truly means to “know” someone in the digital age, all while bringing a spark of joy to her day — even if only for a moment.
Genre
Drama, Slice of Life
7 minutes
Infection
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: HĂĽseyin Ă–zdemir
Country of Origin: Norway
Synopsis:
A lonely boy lives alone in a dark and dirty house without knowing anything. A masked person appears and explains to Thomas that his mother has left him and that there is no one in his life.
Genre
7 minutes
Sarasota Splendor
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Mitchell Teitelbaum
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
Travel with Award Winning Television Host Joanna Petriccione on a journey inside Sarasota and beyond
Genre
6 minutes
Deep Within
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: Yes
Producer: BURAK Ă–ZEN
Country of Origin: TĂĽrkiye
Synopsis:
A man confronts a childhood memory that has remained buried deep inside him for years. As the past resurfaces, he must face the silence and guilt he has carried for so long.
Genre
6 minutes
NOT A SOUND
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Aleksandra Uspenskaia
Country of Origin: Spain
Synopsis:
Four teenagers are confined to their apartment while unknown creatures roam the streets of Moscow. Each morning, the radio reassures them that the quarantine will soon end, as long as they remain invisible and silent.
They follow the rules. They do not approach the windows. They do not open the door.
Until one day, someone knocks.
The voice on the other side claims to be their father – and disappears the same instant. Faced with the possibility that the world outside is not what they were told, the teenagers must decide whether to remain protected by fear or step into the unknown.
Genre
youth, science fiction, dystopian, allegory, thriller
6 minutes
Moth Wallpaper
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Ramu Natesan Bowes
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Synopsis:
Tim, a young adult struggling with the troubles of isolation, begins receiving strange messages on his television and phone, in this short film that explores the seductive power of media and the rapid advancement of technology.
Genre: Drama, Physiological
6 minutes
Mirrors
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Yamila Palacios
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
A girl is going through her nighttime routine when she starts noticing something strange in the reflections of the mirrors. By the time she realizes it, it’s already too late.
Genre
5 minutes
Belle De France – Arch De Triomphe
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Mitchell Teitelbaum, Joanna Petriccione
Country of Origin: United States
Synopsis:
A segment from Mayfair Films episode Arch De Triomphe – filmed in Paris that highlights. Exploring the Arch De Triomphe and more.
Genre
5 minutes
The Axe
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Shorna Abedin
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
Title: The Axe
Duration: 5 Minutes
Format: Animated Short Film
The Axe is an emotional animated short film that explores the fragile relationship between humanity and nature. Through poetic visuals and lyrical storytelling, the film shows how a single act of destruction—cutting down a tree—can have irreversible consequences for the Earth and our shared future.
The axe becomes more than a tool; it symbolizes unchecked human greed and the silent suffering of nature. Forests fall, balance is lost, and the planet’s voice goes unheard. This 5-minute film invites audiences to pause, reflect, and take responsibility for protecting the environment before it is too late.
A film about awareness, responsibility, and the urgent need to save our planet.
Genre:
5 minutes
Goodbye For Now
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: Yes
Producer: Jeremy Wilson
Country of Origin: United States
Synopsis:
Two teenage friends are having to say goodbye for what could be their last time.
Genre:
5 minutes
Present Tense
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer:
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
Genre:
5 minutes
Rock Paper Scissors
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Pablo Zisset
Country of Origin: France
Synopsis:
With no more stories to share, SAM and RAPHAËL let boredom settle in by playing little silly games. An unexpected question starts to wonder in SAM’s mind : can we assign gender to what isn’t gendered?
Genre
Comedy
5 minutes
The perfect photo
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: Yes
Producer: kamaliya kabysheva
Country of Origin: Kazakhstan
Synopsis:
A photographer compares her works to those in social media, and starts overthinking a single shot.
Genre
5 minutes
Papá
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: Yes
Producer: Nicolás Arturo Grande Traba
Country of Origin: Mexico
Synopsis:
In an old Victorian mansion, a young boy roams the shadowed halls searching for his lost toy. His silent presence awakens unsettling forces, drawing the new residents toward a chilling revelation buried deep within the house’s haunted past.
Genre
5 minutes
Crumbs
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Emilio Jose Hidalgo
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
A being trapped in a routine of pain and reward discovers that his prison was never real… but the need for validation can be stronger than any chain.
Genre:
5 minutes
Tchau (Goodbye)
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: Yes
Producer: Ricardo Cruz, Pedro Berredo
Country of Origin: Brazil
Synopsis:
A boy explores the rural landscape on what seems to be a perfect day, until the countryside’s routine reveals a silent tragedy. A dialogue-free animation about the invisible impacts of pesticides.
Genre:
4 minutes
SONDER
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Lisandra Salong
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
Amid the relentless noise of the world, the film offers a quiet reminder of what normality truly looks like. It invites viewers to slow down, sit with their vulnerability, and rediscover the simple truth that, just as they are, they are already enough.
Genre: Experimental, youth
4 minutes
Elise’s Blanket
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director: Neville Hiatt
Writer: Neville Hiatt
Producer: Neville Hiatt
Country of Origin: Australia
Synopsis:
Elise’s Blanket originated as a children’s picture book in 2016 celebrating the connection between an uncle and his niece. The story was further developed with assistance from the Writability program, after winning a disability scholarship from Writers Victoria in 2018. Still yet to be published as a picture book turning it into a short film felt like a wonderful opportunity to share the joyful story with the world. Elise’s Blanket doesn’t mention Unka’s missing arm in the words of the story. It was important for Neville to show Unka’s family don’t treat him any differently than if he wasn’t an amputee. It instead shows how he is able to travel the world taking photos one handed.
The original story of Elise’s Blanket was a natural extension of Neville Hiatt’s love of travel and photography and how much he missed family and friends near and far due to the isolation he lived with after an accident in 2008. Having survived some of the worlds worst lock downs in recent years the importance of staying in contact with loved ones has again been highlighted. Learning to animate the illustrations in 2023 was made more difficult with a severely frozen shoulder after a badly broken collar bone in 2022. Neville didn’t let the difficulties he has faced this year prevent him from creating his first animated short film as unique as he is.
Genre: Animation, Family Friendly, Children’s, Kids, Adventure,
4 minutes
ENGA – Episode 01
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: Yes
Producer: HILDEBRANDO RIBEIRO
Country of Origin: Brazil
Synopsis:
Al Pacino Freitas Almeida is an eighteen-year-old law student and a convinced atheist. One quiet morning in BrasĂlia, a mysterious and elegant stranger appears at his door claiming to be Lucifer. What begins as a philosophical confrontation between belief and skepticism soon becomes something far more disturbing when the impossible reveals itself before Al’s eyes.
Genre
Drama, Fantasy, Philosophical
4 minutes
ÂżWho stole the shine?
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Jon Jauregui González
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
A family gathering turns into a chaotic interrogation when precious jewelry goes missing. Amidst cross-accusations, shaky alibis, and a parade of suspicious characters, tensions rise until the truth comes to light in the most unexpected way. This mockumentary-style short explores with sharp humor how far family trust—or the lack of it—goes when the “sparkle” is at stake.
Genre
Comedy, Mistery, Family
4 minutes
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Help
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Jordan Ray Allen
Country of Origin: United States
Synopsis:
“Help” is about that place, when you feel stuck inside yourself and reaching for the light beyond the darkness.
Genre:
4 minutes
Ann Helene Hagen – Far Away Toward Me
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Mert Ertunç
Country of Origin: TĂĽrkiye
Synopsis:
“Far Away Toward Me” is a surreal visualiser following Ann Helene Hagen, a synthetic musical artist existing within a melancholic Digital Diaspora. Set against a dark pop soundscape, the narrative is an atmospheric exploration of ontological disproportion, fragility, and isolation. Ann traverses a subtly chaotic environment, appearing physically diminutive against everyday objects. This spatial shift externalises the profound human desire to find genuine connection in a vast, indifferent matrix. Ann’s journey through this matrix blurs the line between a digital anomaly and a feeling entity.
Genre
Music Video, Dreampop, Electronic, Experimental, Video Art
4 minutes
I have fallen far from the chestnut tree
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Pittmann Kornél
Country of Origin: Hungary
Synopsis:
A chestnut falls from its home in the tree, after which it finds itself in an increasingly dangerous situation below.
Genre
4 minutes
The Last Tank
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: VladimĂr Klouda
Country of Origin: Czechia
Synopsis:
A high-octane post-apocalyptic musical parody where a heavy-metal band fights for the last drops of gasoline in the wasteland. Created with advanced AI.
Genre:
3 minutes
The Volition Of A Bygone Priest
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Joel Johnson
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
When a conflicted priest is asked to forgive a farmer for accidentally killing a young girl, he must confront his crumbling faith and the cost of true forgiveness.
Genre
3 minutes
soar
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Gemma Rijnders
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
The music video for Gwenno Morgan’s track “soar” captures feelings of peace, freedom and the otherworldy. Choreogrpahed by McKenna Mahacek and performed by McKenna Mahacek and Georgina Markopoulou, the work blends expressive movement with atmospheric soundscapes. Through fluid, resonant choreography and visual storytelling, ‘soar’ explores the interplay between physicality and feeling, creating an immersive dance-film experience that resonates both visually and emotionally.
Genre:
3 minutes
Tiny Tussle
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Daniel Nxumalo
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
A 2-minute action short film shot entirely on a smartphone, where two fingers face off in an epic, palm-sized showdown.
A wild and creative experiment in mobile filmmaking, turning the smallest gestures into a full-blown action spectacle.
Genre:
3 minutes
In Between
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: Yes
Producer: Clara Kalfon, KĂ©vin Brocheray
Country of Origin: France
Synopsis:
RAPHAËL is having a day straight out of a rom‑com: a new boyfriend, every light turning green, the feeling that everything is finally aligning. Even his ex’s perfectly staged, rain‑soaked declaration can’t shake him. But when he gets home and finds SAM devastated, the genre suddenly shifts.
Genre: Romance, Comedy
3 minutes
Old Photo
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: Yes
Producer: Bavly Kamel
Country of Origin: Egypt
Synopsis:
In a quiet morning, a lonely man writes his final letter before leaving life behind, as his words reveal an inner struggle between the desire to depart and the lingering warmth of fading memories.
Genre:
3 minutes
Lingerfield
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Joel Johnson
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
Whilst Aimlessly Browsing The Web, An Unsuspecting Man Stumbles Upon A Terrifying Truth That Begins To Unravel His Reality.
Genre
3 minutes
When Flowers Learn to Hide
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Shorna Abedin
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
When Flowers Learn to Hide is a 2-minute 42-second animated short film that explores the silent, devastating impact of war on a child’s inner world.
Rather than depicting violence, the film chooses restraint. Through delicate metaphors and quiet imagery, it reveals how conflict seeps into childhood—altering innocence, reshaping fear, and forcing what is meant to grow freely to learn how to hide.
Seen through the eyes of a child, the story unfolds in moments of stillness: a drawing, a pause, a sky that no longer feels safe. There are no enemies named, no politics spoken. Only the subtle truth that war does not end at borders or battlefields—it lives on in the smallest hearts.
This film is not about war itself, but about what war steals: safety, imagination, laughter, and the future. It is a cinematic whisper for peace, asking the world to recognize the cost of conflict on generations yet to grow.
When Flowers Learn to Hide is a reminder that when children are forced into fear, humanity itself is wounded—and that peace is not an ideal, but a responsibility.
Genre:
3 minutes
Bad Influence
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: Yes
Producer: Aurelie LATONA
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
Lucie, a young influencer, creates makeup tutorials. Every day, in front of her camera, she puts herself in the spotlight and gains more and more followers, but when filming ends, another reality appears.
Genre
2 minutes
FILIA MEA
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Florelle TERCHOUNE
Country of Origin: France
Synopsis:
Anne is a scholar, a mother and, for some, a witch, because depending on how you look at it, the condemnation differs.
Through the eyes of a child, the violent reality is veiled in a new beauty.
The beauty of life placed under the sign of knowledge.
The beauty of courage and transmission. The beauty of love.
Genre
2 minutes
How dogs tamed people
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Dariya Avtor
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
This is a story about two grumpy old ladies who were annoyed by children, their noise, and their games in the street. They constantly fought with them. But one day, a boy brought two puppies in a box to the playground. At that time, both old women were there. When they saw these puppies in the box, they could no longer be the same after that. Their hearts became softer, smiles appeared on their faces, and the women took those dogs home with them. And they completely changed, becoming kind, responsive, and loving everything around them. The idea of this fairy tale is that not even the hardest heart can remain indifferent towards animals.
Genre
2 minutes
Is it allowed to be sad in a tropical country?
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Takha Camilla Aisha Audyarahma
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
Rifka, 22, has spent most of her youth moving in and out of Indonesia’s mental health system. This short offers her a space to speak, a way to tell and acknowledge her story, almost like celebrating it.
Genre
2 minutes
Trans-Plast-Otany
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Kevin Lucero Less
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
The metamorphosis from plastic to floral, waste becomes beauty.
Genre
1 minute
The Jetty
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Henk Conn
Country of Origin: United States
Synopsis:
On a wind-swept, anachronistic jetty along Northern California’s rugged coast, a group of working strangers are bound together by the demands of the sea. As they endure long hours and harsh conditions, unexpected friendships take root. Through shared labor and quiet moments between the storms, The Jetty reveals how connection can transform isolation into community at the edge of the world.
Genre:
27 minutes
justice
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Brian Deatt
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
At the heart of „Gerechtigkeit“ lies the question of whether it would be morally and legally acceptable for a society to punish citizens who have committed criminal offences, who have deliberately and demonstrably caused physical harm to other people and who have been convicted by a court of law, not by imposing a fine or prison sentence, as is the case in conventional jurisprudence, but instead by inflicting physical harm on them that is identical to the harm they themselves caused. 
“Gerechtigkeit” should help us view the situation described from a neutral perspective, taking into account social conditions that inevitably arise from human interaction.
Genre
45 minutes
Bark’n’Scream
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: Yes
Producer: Leonardo Domenici
Country of Origin: Italy
Synopsis:
In the dead of night, an artist’s roommate struggles to sleep due to a strange noise.
Genre
12 minutes
7:30
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Andrey Schotborgh, Nicolle Osorio
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
Every morning at 7:30, Isabella waits for the bus in front of a park, where a man sitting on a bench stares at her intently. His presence is constant, disturbing, and seemingly invisible to others. No one recognizes the man or confirms having seen him.
As the days pass, the visions begin to blend with increasingly intense nightmares, eroding Isabella’s stability. Everything takes a turn when she discovers that the man appears in a file as having been deceased for a year. What seemed like simple paranoia transforms into a disturbing revelation: fragments of a repressed memory begin to surface, forcing her to confront a truth marked by fear, guilt, and violence.
Genre
Thriller, Suspense
11 minutes
About Eves
Lift-Off Sessions 2026
Director:
Writer: No
Producer: Fernando Giraldo
Country of Origin:
Synopsis:
An audiovisual collection of poems dedicated to the memory and presence of the feminine sensitivity of care and love. Originally published in “Anatomy of the Fog” in 2021, it is now a combination of handwritten poems with archival images and testimonials, which seek to honor the feminine culture of life through universal and Colombian historical art: rock art, religious painting and urban painting, botanical illustration, and contemporary art. Includes english subtitles.
Genre
7 minutes