THE VILLAGE OF BALLET DANCERS | Fatih Diren | 0:22:00 | Turkey

 

Synopsis:

Can ballet be a village's source of income? A few individuals becoming ballet dancers from a single village might not surprise anyone. But when 13 ballet dancers emerge from the same village, that’s when it becomes truly remarkable. This documentary unveils the extraordinary story of a seemingly ordinary village in Turkey: a tale of passion rising above poverty, social prejudice, and adversity.

 

AFTER DANCE - A CONCERT FILM | Sebastião Varela | 0:52:00 | Portugal

 

Synopsis:

A large, time-worn house sits on a towering, untouchable pedestal. The film follows individuals as they navigate their relationship with freedom, unity, and isolation within this setting. Celebrating tradition while confronting and questioning it, all against a backdrop of music that shapes the journey.

 

THE MINSTREL | Bernhard Pötscher | 1:39:40 | Austria

 

Synopsis:

Keys, buttons, individual notes and chords, descant and bass. Pulled, squeezed, rapped and sung. Elementary musical events and their creator. The film DER MUSIKANT is an introduction to the person - not just the musician - Otto Lechner. The musical universe Otto Lechner - blindly in the service of music for decades.

 

THE TUNES | Pablo Guarise | 0:25:53 | Belgium

 

Synopsis:

A café in the north of Brussels. Days are punctuated by the songs that the customers sing at all hours, to amuse themselves, to remember or to pass the time. Its songs transform the place little by little, making the film a strange musical.

 

MAESTRO: THE PATH OF THUNDER | Hüseynağa Aslanov | 0:38:52 | Azerbaijan

 

Synopsis:

This film takes us on a remarkable journey into the life of Fuad Ibrahimov. As a child, he grew up in Shusha (Karabakh), where the sounds of gunfire and helicopters were a constant backdrop, forcing him to seek refuge in basements. But despite this harsh reality, Fuad's passion for music led him to a different kind of sound—the sound of an orchestra. Today, he is not just a survivor but a celebrated conductor, leading the Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra, the Munich New Philharmonic, and the Baku Chamber Orchestra. This is the story of how one man transformed the noise of war into the harmony of music, proving that the human spirit can rise above even the most difficult circumstances.

 

BREAKING PLATES | Karen Pearlman | 0:25:00 | Australia

 

Synopsis:

Forget Wonder Woman and Doris Day. Breaking Plates revives the forgotten wild women of early cinema—funny, rebellious, and beyond male control. Working with the curators of Cinema’s First Nasty Women, the film brings these early heroines back to life. By stepping into their roles, clothes, and chaos, we rediscover humour as a powerful tool against the limitations placed on women.

 

CARTAPESTA: CARNIVAL OF FANO – THE MOVIE | Andrea Lodovichetti | 1:29:00 | Italy

 

Synopsis:

In the Italian city of Fano, home to the country’s oldest Carnival, generations of float masters bring to life stunning papier-mâché creations. A child meets Vulón, a mysterious Carnival mask, who guides him through the magic of parades, costumes, and sweets—revealing that Carnival is not just a celebration, but a spirit that unites the city. As the festivities end, new dreams begin.

 

PLAY DEAD!| Matthew Lancit| 1:20:00 | Canada, France, Portugal

 

Synopsis:

In Play Dead!, filmmaker Matthew Lancit uses humor, performance, and irony to explore life with diabetes. Filmed over five years, the documentary blends personal diary and staged scenes to portray the disease as a haunting force within his body and home. Through comedy and tenderness, it reflects on the challenges of illness and how it shapes relationships through care, frustration, and fear.