European BOO: Blood and Water

The four films in this section explore relationships that are as fragile and changeable as the elements to which they relate. The animated film Mother's Child captures the exhausting daily life of a mother caring for her disabled son, as well as the search for beauty in moments of utter exhaustion. ...About Twofold Floors and Heavenly Bonds balances on the border between the grotesque and the dramatic, as introverted Gregor sets off with his cousin to work in Hungary and confronts both his family's and his own limits. Fireworks combines the holiday atmosphere with the onset of adolescence, when a pyrotechnician's relationship with his daughters is disrupted by their desire for their own experiences and loves. And Sauna Day reveals the intimate space of an Estonian men's sauna, where beneath the rough surface emerges a need for closeness and sharing. Together, the films show that blood ties and fluid spaces create conditions for closeness, tension, and transformation.

Award for European short film (feature, documentary, experimental, animated). A European film is defined as a film by a European director or a film primarily produced in at least one European country. A short film is defined as a film with a running time of 30 minutes or less. The winners are selected by a professional jury composed of international experts. The competition selection combines professional films and exceptional student works – some of which resonate at major international festivals, while others are our fresh discoveries from places where bold short films are created. We focus on films intended primarily for adult audiences, but we also specifically select titles that appeal to seniors, children, or teenage audiences. The key criterion for us is quality and the search for the best films that resonate across generations and borders.