Shorts Block: Narrative

A showcase of some of the most exciting and thought-provoking short films from around the world featuring stories from established filmmakers and new emerging talent.

CUT OFF
East Coast Premiere | Directed by Meg Swertlow
USA | 13 minutes | 2024

On a mission to win her overbearing mother’s approval, a free-wheeling young woman searches for a date in the unlikeliest of places—her nephew's bris.

GISELLE
East Coast Premiere | Directed by Lauren Goetzman
USA | 15 minutes | 2024

An immigrant woman living in Los Angeles denies a series of spiritual signs urging her to confront the loss of her brother, and herself.

HEART HUG
Florida Premiere | Directed by Rimma Gefen
Ukraine | 8 minutes | 2024

A deeply moving true story of love, loss, and resilience, this film explores the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine through the bond between an elderly woman, Lilia, and her loyal orange dog, Max, highlighting the power of human connection even in the darkest times.

KAREL & ARNOST
World Premiere | Directed by Simar Singh
Czech Republic | 12 minutes | 2025

A 73-year-old railway worker who has never traveled by train must confront his past as his grandson embarks on his first journey.

MALKA
World Premiere | Directed by Stacey Maltin
USA | 16 minutes | 2025

Malka, a Holocaust survivor, begins seeing visions of her past during a family seder and must find hope in the present to survive, just as she did in the past.

NEROT SHEL SHABBAT
Southeast US Premiere | Directed by Lital Mizrahi
USA | 15 minutes | 2024

An expecting Jewish couple are forced to flee the Soviet Union on Shabbat for their safety, and despite facing numerous challenges, they hold onto their faith and traditions.

THE SLEEPLESSNESS OF JUTKA
Florida Premiere | Directed by Maria Görlich-Opyd
Poland | 17 minutes | 2024

Seven-year-old Jutka, whose world shattered in the Łódz ghetto, must reclaim her childhood and follow her grandfather's advice to escape a monstrous Minotaur hunting children in her neighborhood.

THERE ONCE WAS-THERE IS NO MORE-THERE IS
Florida Premiere | Directed by Karina Paciorkowska
Poland | 15 minutes | 2024

Together with 12-year-old heroine Krysia, we embark on a journey through places and times that once were, no longer exist, and those we strive to remember.