After being welcomed by the organizers, the participants and the guests are invited to take part in what has become a tradition at Training Ground: the Speed Meeting. The entire group will be organised into two concentric circles which will move in opposite directions, facing each other.

During two minutes each of the participants will have a chance to introduce themselves and find out more about the person in front of them.

Scandar Copti’s Method for Working with Non-Actors

Scandar Copti’s filmmaking approach, Singular Drama, taps into the paradox of fiction - our ability to react authentically to situations we know aren’t real. Instead of coaching performances, Copti helps non-actors drop acting entirely and respond with honest, instinctive emotions. In this session, he’ll present his method and explain how he builds characters and scenes that allow non-actors to respond naturally without memorizing lines or performing rehearsed actions. The result is a film that stays true to the screenplay’s structure while unfolding through real, unscripted emotional reactions.

PUNTER | Jason Adam Maselle | USA | 14’

Young Brett must navigate the underbelly of the Johannesburg gambling world as a seemingly harmless horse racing bet jeopardizes the surprise he’s prepared for his Father’s birthday.

THEATER | Anastasia Lola | GRC, DEU | 13’

People working backstage, during a theatre play.-Alles gut?-Alles gut? They act according to time -Alright. They wait for the right time to act. Moin!The accident happens.

FUGA DEL GATO | Sélin Van Laethem | BEL | 14’

A pianist drives around a forest landscape, wandering in search of her way. A way to let go of memories. Letting go of the woman of her memories. Like a wind, they blow through her mind, mingling and enriching the music that propels her along her path. Her longing on the tip of her tongue and the end point of the journey.

POWER OF THE MIRROR | Ido Gotlib | DEU | 30’

The sexual relationship between the popular model Aster and his self-conscious Reflection gets under the threat as the prominent singer Zoe goes missing. Aster was the last one to see her.

RETRATOS DA AJUDA | Ana Rita Costa, André Vieira | PRT | 9’

The sexual relationship between the popular model Aster and his self-conscious Reflection gets under the threat as the prominent singer Zoe goes missing. Aster was the last one to see her.

DOG DAYS ARE OVER | Kinga Pudełek | POL | 23’

The morning visit from a downstairs neighbour and his atypical request, take the main character on a journey down the memory lane of a lost relationship.

Cactus Pears | Rohan Parashuram Kanawade | IND, GBR, CAN | 112'

Anand (30), a call-center employee in Mumbai, is forced to spend ten days at his ancestral village to mourn the loss of his father at the behest of his mother, Suman (50). As the mourning period begins post-cremation, he faces subtle but relentless badgering from relatives to get married so that at least his mother finds the pleasure of seeing him settled. Anand finds himself stifled, as coming out to extended family could alienate his mother from the relatives when she needs them the most. He finds solace in his childhood friend, Balya (30), as he accompanies him on his daily outings into the mountains to herd goats. Balya has been using the ‘educated girls favoring city-dwellers over farmers’ as a ruse to stay unmarried as he undergoes similar pressures relating to his sexuality from his family. To escape their pressures, the two men spend time together. Hailing from different worlds but bound by childhood memories, they connect over their common struggle. As the days pass, their intimacy blooms emotionally and physically. With the mourning period ending, will their burgeoning bond survive beyond the ten days? Sabar Bonda (Cactus Pears) explores the delicate bonds that develop under duress and the future of it.

Songs of Slow Burning Earth | Olha Zhurba | UKR | 95’

An audiovisual diary of Ukraine’s immersion into the abyss of the first two years of Russia's full invasion, made up of places, occasional characters, rare dialogues, intraframe sounds and silences which, when put together, capture the chronology of how the war became normalised. Against the backdrop of this (meta)physical landscape of collective disaster, a new generation of Ukrainians aspires to imagine the future.

FLOCKY | Esther Casas Roura |12’ | ESP

FLOCKY is an animated allegory navigating pregnancy, exploring the connection between a mother and her unborn child. Set in a melancholic and enchanting world, the film beautifully captures the essence of love, and the poignant nature of loss.

AMEN | Orphee Coutier, Bettina Demarty, Kimie Maingonnat, Laurène Perego, Louise Poulain, Avril Zundel | 7’ | FRA

A group of pigs is being raised peacefully in a monastery when one day, one of them learns the truth behind their existence. He therefore decides to free his friends.

MIRACONTOS | Catarina Pisco | 11’ | PRT

"MIRACONTOS is an animated short film depicting five different tales from Odemira’s oral tradition. Although adapted by different authors, each tale has been connected by a Fox and the melody of the Campaniça Guitar that accompanies the short film from start to end.

The first tale, “The Fox and the Farmer”, is the fusion between two different stories: “A Zorra Berradeira” (The Howling Fox) and “The Legend of Monte da Laje“ (Laje Hill). This tale tells the story of Maria da Laje, who encounters the spirit of the Howling Fox; a confrontation that was already doomed from the start.

In the second tale, named “Pedro das Malasartes” (Peter Bad-arts), the Fox sings the story of Pedro, a mischievous kid who earns a living playing innocuous pranks.

“The Old Woman and the Pumpkin” is the third tale. This time, the Fox plays a role in the well-known folktale, “Run pumpkin, run”, and finds herself engulfed in a colorful minimalist world.

The fourth tale, “The Fountain of Love”, tells the story of a Moorish princess and her Christian prince lover, who must keep their romance hidden from the world. The Fox witnesses their tragic fate.

The last story is titled “Our Lady of the Snows”. In this tale, some workers try to build a chapel in honor of Our Lady of the Snows, but strange things start happening. The Fox knows the reason behind these mysterious events, but do not wake her up now… She has finally settled down."

DANCING IN THE RAIN | Chao-chun Yeh | 6’ | TWN

The film starts with a little girl lying on the floor of her room. The rain starts and she falls into sleep. Her journey with mice starts in her dream world.

RISE AGE | Tatjana Theuer | 5’ | DEU

Fluorescent critter groove through a coastal world, led by a superior chorus. Their carefree crawl, however, is increasingly interrupted by the rising seas. As the water works its magic on the beaches, one by one they are swept away. But is an invisible danger worth slowing down the usual crawling routine? A rhythmic poem of cute creatures, peer pressure and the urge to move to higher ground in time.

WEAVE A DREAM | Bing-Han Chen | 6’ | TWN

A human girl lives with a furry doll, enjoying happy and warm times until she accidentally loses a button from the doll's body. Despite her efforts to repair it, the doll's cotton keeps leaking out, and its body gradually becomes tattered. Eventually, the doll's cotton runs out, disappearing from the girl's world. Our daily lives are made up of various emotions, but the tiny feelings are often easily forgotten. Therefore, we want to use the concept of capturing these tiny emotions in daily life as the animation's theme, highlighting the core issue: "When a beautiful memory comes to an end, leaving only loss and confusion, how do we face it?"

KUKELEKU | Jelle Janssen | 3’ | NLD

After discovering a squeaky toy, the voiceless rooster Nugget fakes his crow to claim the throne, but soon realizes that power isn't as fulfilling as he imagined.

CIAO PESKAO | Andrea García García, Guillermo González Fidalgo | 6’ | ESP

What does a pink cat do in a remote island? Well, starve to death, get stalked by creatures from the depths of the ocean and ride a boat five meters above the water, of course! And best of all: He does not even know he is not alone!

AI Basics: Thrills or Chills?

In this masterclass, director Martin Percy offers a personalised introduction to artificial intelligence, tailored to the world of filmmaking. Drawing on his experience using AI in documentary work, Percy explores key AI concepts and their evolving role in the art and craft of cinema, while also reflecting on the ethical, legal, and creativity questions sparked by the AI revolution. Whether you love AI, hate it, or both, this session opens a conversation on how filmmakers can navigate this rapidly shifting landscape with insight and critical awareness. No technical knowledge required — just curiosity and a critical eye.

Sit.Play.Stay. | Cecilie Flyger Hansen | SWE | 19’

A theatrical troupe is set to stage the play "Snow White." However, this troupe is not like most; in the lead roles are dogs. Snow White is played by a Collie, and the evil queen is portrayed by an Australian Shepherd. The rehearsals are a beautiful and absurd interplay that highlights the power dynamics between human and animal. Through a dog's point of view, we are encouraged to look back at ourselves and reflect on our desire to love and be loved—and how this longing is deeply intertwined with dynamics of power and control.

What if we run out of stones? | Nora Štrbová | CZE | 7’

What if everything in the world were equal, with no distinction between the value of the living and the inanimate? Matter observes, feels, perceives, judges, and suffers us. It is our silent witness, sometimes more influential than we realize. The film seeks to explore this idea through its protagonists, the stones. It extends empathy toward them and metaphorically connects with everything marginalized in our world. A short film about the life of the stones among us shot on 35 mm.

Berthe is dead but it’s ok | Sacha Trilles | FRA | 38’

Berthe, my grandmother, wants to end her life. Nothing can stop her or convince her to stay with us. So instead of resisting, why not try to support her? Let's help Berthe go, but let's do it with flair. On June 6, 2023, Berthe chose to end her life with the help of a suicide assistance organization. So, for our final moments together, we decided to create a film, like a grand finale. A short film where anything goes, where I turn my grandmother into a giant piñata, a cowboy, or a mob boss, a film where I playfully take shots at her... In essence, A celebration of life through death, where the only rule I followed was not to make a sad film.

Who Loves the Sun | Arshia Shakiba | CAN | 19’

In war-torn northern Syria, Who Loves the Sun delves into the world of makeshift oil refineries and the stark realities of life within this post-apocalyptic landscape. Mohammad is a prominent figure in these operations, navigating harsh working conditions and complex local dynamics.

Opening Titles and Beyond: Visual Language in Motion

Filipe Carvalho explores the role of visual design in shaping the viewer’s first impression of a film or series. Through case studies from his work on title sequences and design-led projects in film, TV, and music, he will discuss how motion, typography, and composition work together to create meaning and mood. This session will also cover the creative and technical steps involved in building strong visual identities that extend beyond the opening seconds and into the tone of a full project.

Family Sunday | Gerardo Del Razo | MEX | 16’

In a peripheral zone of Mexico City, the collection of money from merchants and residents of the area is an everyday occurrence. On a sunny Sunday, in a housing unit located in one of these areas, a merchant has not paid his fee and the sicarios have come to give him an ultimatum.

WASSUPKAYLEE | Pepi Ginsberg | FRA | 19’

Kaylee Hord, a 17-year-old prank video influencer, is the newest member of a popular TikTok content house where she struggles to fit in and pay the rent.
But when a new and intense friendship offers the chance of viral fame, Kaylee learns how far she'll go to belong.

Radikals | Arvin Belarmino | PHI | 20’

A young rookie from a bizarre chicken-dance group faces a heckler after being the worst dancer at a performance - leading him to a series of strange events that reveal what the group does to their weakest link.

Majonezë | Giulia Grandinetti | ITA | 22’

Ersekë, Albania. Elyria lives with her family following the strict rules imposed by her father, hiding her anger with obedience. A powerful desire for rebellion grows in her day by day that will lead her to the fulfillment of a bitter, but necessary, act of revolution.

Sheep and wolves | Alex Fischman Cárdenas | PER | 15’

A mother's world shatters after her son vanishes without a trace. Set in the height of the Peruvian armed conflict, "Ovejas y Lobos" follows a mother’s suspenseful search through the perilous, vast, and unforgiving landscape that mirrors her seemingly insurmountable mission.

Why Pitching Matters: From Idea to Opportunity

Pitching is often the first step in turning an idea into a funded project. In this session, Guillermo García-Ramos and Gonçalo Galvão Teles discuss the role of the pitch in the development process and how it shapes the future of a film. Based on years of experience across funding platforms, markets and development labs, they will break down the key elements of a successful pitch and how to adapt it to different contexts. The session will include examples and practical insights relevant to filmmakers at all stages.

MARIA, MARIA | Benjamim Quadros Costa | PRT | 15’

An intimate look at Maria João Pires from her grandson Benjamin. We meet Maria, the grandmother, off-stage, through her day-to-day life in Belgais.

STRANGER | Jens Glomnes Hertzberg | NOR | 27’

The old farmer Vidar struggles to take care of his rundown farm alone, when a stranger appears and uninvited begins to help him. As the stranger proves to be very useful to Vidar, he slowly lets him into his life, which proves to challenge his existence.

AO DEUS-DARÁ | Carolina Rebelo | PRT | 20’

Maria Rita takes part in a search for something she doesn't want to be found.

IN BETWEEN STORMS | Fran Zayas | PRI | 14’

After a hurricane ravages his hometown, a grieving man breaks into an off-limits cemetery to rescue the lost remains of his brother.

CATS | Danilo Stanimirović | SER | 10’

When eight-year-old Miša finds an abandoned kitten in the street, he tries to provoke the affection his parents are not providing.

ASSIST | Maria Tsioli | GRC | 9’

In an empty city, a girl runs towards a football match. Along the way, she encounters her friend in a yellow car, who tries to make her realize the futility of the chase and the solace that can only be found in their shared companionship. The two friends are two separate universes that will only connect when a third friend will appear. The last one will bring them back to reality, uniting their separate worlds.

THREE | Amie Song | USA | 15’

Manas | Marianna Brennand | BRA, PRT | 111'

Marcielle (13 years old) lives on the banks of the Amazon with her father, mother, and three siblings. She dreams of being like her older sister, who ran away with a “good man” she met on the boats that travel through the region. As she grows up, her idealizations begin to crumble, and Marcielle finds herself trapped between two abusive environments. Worried about her younger sister and aware that the future holds few options for her, she decides to confront the violent machinery that governs her family and the women in her community. Marcielle (13 years old) lives on the banks of the Amazon with her father, mother, and three siblings. She dreams of being like her older sister, who ran away with a “good man” she met on the boats that travel through the region. As she grows up, her idealizations begin to crumble, and Marcielle finds herself trapped between two abusive environments. Worried about her younger sister and aware that the future holds few options for her, she decides to confront the violent machinery that governs her family and the women in her community.

To Close Your Eyes And See Fire | Nicola von Leffern & Jakob Carl Sauer | AUT | 98’

Beirut lies in ruins. Yet, even after the explosion at the city’s port, life goes on. But how do you clear away debris when it conceals far more than just a disaster? And how do you regain hope for a better future? TO CLOSE YOUR EYES AND SEE FIRE is a rich mosaic, portraying the lives of various people in the aftermath of the tragedy: a telephone operator working at the city’s helpline, a Syrian family living in an underground garage and planning to flee the country, and a dancer and a painter who try to process their fate through art.