International Competition 18
Out of nearly 6800 short films submissions (received in 2020 and in 2021), 98 films from 36 countries will compete for the prizes in the International Competition.
In addition to the films selected in 2021, the 24th edition of the BSFF also welcomes the films selected for the International Competition in 2020 which had to be postponed.
Winners of the Grand Prix in the International Competition and National Competitions are considered for pre-selection for the Oscars® in the Best Fiction/Animation Short Film category provided that the film complies with the Academy’s rules.
PROGRAMME
Dalia | Brúsi Ólason
Iceland - Fiction - 2020 - 16'12 - Color
For a six-year-old boy, his father’s farm represents one big unknown – as does his dad. Their relationship has suffered since the divorce and neither of them knows how to find his way to the other. The father tries to introduce the boy to his world and involves him in work around the farm, but there’s a tough lesson in store: They have to put down a horse that can’t be treated.
Brûle | Elvire Munoz
France - Fiction - 2019 - 23' - Color
Maya is an apprentice in a welding workshop. She likes her boss, maybe a little too much. The day she gets hurt, she keeps quiet to preserve the business. But when she discovers that she is being manipulated, Maya decides to take justice into her own hands…
Red | Amit Shamir
Israel - Fiction - 2019 - 12'43" - Color
On the evening of the Jewish Passover, Leon, a 14-year-old girl, deals with the pain and shock of getting her period for the first time. During the Passover family meal, Leon takes a stand, challenging her Israeli-Moroccan family to confront the patriarchal traditions within their home.
El sonido de la campana | Augusto Sinay
Argentina - Fiction - 2019 - 15' - Color
A veteran boxer loses his hearing after an arranged fight. He struggles to overcome this situation while abandoned by his manager. The desperate effort to find him, the loneliness and the stabbing silence drag him to a hostile fight outside the ring.
Sagrada Família | Margarida Lucas
Portugal - Fiction - 2019 - 21'35" - Color
Sagrada Familia is a dark comedy about a family of 5 siblings, a single mom and a football fanatic grandma who all live in a small flat in the outskirts of Lisbon. Everything comes to a climax on the day Benfica's mascot (the famous eagle 'Victoria') disappears from the stadium and Benfica loses the match.
Deszcz | Piotr Milczarek
Poland - Animation - 2019 - 5' - Color
‘The Rain’ is a simple animated film on collective consciousness. It talks about how no accountability for our actions pushes us to thoughtlessly follow the crowd, which may lead to a tragedy. The film also depicts a struggle of an individual with collective hypnosis and its consequences for both the individual and the crowd.
Flagey, Brussels Short Film Festival