9FilmFest 2025 Short Film Selection
CIRCUMNAVIGATOR
China 23:00
Director – Xiaofa Li
The boy explores an abandoned railway tunnel near his new home on his own, but accidentally encounters a monster waiting to devour humans. In order to make the boy give up his life voluntarily, the monster leads the boy to experience his life in the future with much difficulty.
THE BOX
Denmark 19:20
Directors – Claes Cem Constantine, Rune Asak, Rudi Khønke
“Kassen” is a powerful reminder that truly understanding children—especially those facing trauma and neurodiversity—requires more than words; it requires patience, empathy, and the unwavering commitment to listen beyond the surface.
HUAYU
Taiwan 33:00
Director: 陳蔚慈
Huayu is an offshore island at the westernmost end of Penghu with a population of less than 100. The islanders live with solar terms and tides.
BERGUS
JAPAN 18:00
Director – Yoshimasa Higashi
Bergus is a talking rabbit. He is also an adventurer. This time, Bergus goes to: THE ANCIENT BANGKOK!
WHEEL TRACKS
SINGAPORE 13:01
Director: Ashley Wong
In Bangkok’s shifting streets, two father-son duos – one in a garage, the other on the road – pass down the Tuk Tuk legacy, blending tradition with modern energy to keep a cultural icon alive.
UNSYMPATHETIC
IRAN 4:32
Director: Hanieh Bastan
There is no escape from the pain of the world.
HOT ELEPHANT
SPAIN 12:45
Director: JORDI CALVET SAN JOSE
A young girl who aspires to become an actress goes through a casting that gradually escalates until she receives a proposal that surpasses the limits of a normal casting.
MOVING
USA 9:22
Director: NAT ROVIT
On the eve of his family’s big move, ten-year-old Carl turns to stone.
GOING HOME FOR THE NEW YEAR
MALAYSIA 10:00
Director: Alan Lai Yong Foo
A retired, tradition-bound father in Kelantan sulks silently when his only son says he won’t be coming home for the Lunar New Year. Unable to express his longing, he buries it under pride and routine. But on New Year’s Eve, a quiet homecoming bridges the emotional gap between father and son — not through words, but through presence. A tender story of generational tension, unspoken love, and the quiet power of reunion.
1 MINUTE 54 SECONDS 5:00
Directors: Zekai Wang
This film depicts the story of an athlete obsessed with sports betting who, after losing everything, decides to take his own life.
HER FATHER’S MUSIC
USA 27:30
Director: Vin Eiamvuthikorn
This short documentary film tells the remarkable story of Nina Baratoff, a Russian ballerina born a refugee in 1940s China.
RED
IRAN 8:00
Director: Shahoo Ahmadi
Red is the story of the birth of love and two mature teenagers who face the first obstacle with the utmost enthusiasm
CATS
SERBIA/SWITZERLAND 10:00
Director: Danilo Stanimirović
When eight-year-old Miša finds an abandoned kitten in the street, he tries to provoke the affection his parents are not providing.
BRIDGE
JAPAN 9:30
Director: Kazuyuki Ishihara
“I’ll bring Shiro to you.I promise!” Jin, the cat, made this promise to Mugi, who is deeply sad about losing her beloved dog, Shiro
JUST A BULLET AWAY
SPAIN 19:59
Director: JORDI CALVET SAN JOSÉ
Salva has a limited economic situation. In this context, a mysterious woman appears who offers him a large sum of money to kill the rapist of her daughter, and then rebuild her life. She is just one bullet away from changing her life, if she accepts.
DECLUTTERING
IRAN 2:53
Director: Bahar Dorabadi
A man decides to declutter.
THE RIVERSIDE GHOST WITH LONG BRAIDS
CHINA 25:00
Director: Lizixia Zhang
After her mother’s passing, Shuanghua performed a summoning ritual by the Nanmen River on a June night, hoping to retrieve her mother’s braid. A month later, the braid arrived as expected, but Shuanghua discovered it wasn’t her mother’s.
LOOKING FOR YOU
GERMANY 3:47
Director: Christian Scharfenberg
Shemp, the main character of 2021’s wonderful ‘Shots of Light’ returns to the screen as an intergalactic hero, on the search for their soulmate.
In ‘Looking for You’, Shemp is tasked with rescuing Cardboardia… and makes the discovery of a lifetime
47:10′:00″
IRAN 14:32
Director: Serna Amini
After a devastating accident, Hossein learns his wife needs a heart transplant within forty-eight hours to survive.
5/3/0
SERBIA 15:00
Director: Danilo Stanimirović
During the night, a teenage girl is taking a taxi ride to the neighboring town. After a disturbing ride, and an even worse night at a friends birthday party, she is forced to return home with a menacing taxi driver who insists on her sitting in the front seat next to him.
THE PHANTOM BOOK
USA 24:15
Director: William LiPera
A shy and reclusive young man learns that he does have courage from a phantom book sent from the heavens and finds true love, despite the efforts of his adversary.
MANUSCRIPTS
IRAN 16:40
Director: Mahdi Iravani
Isaac is a lonely bookseller who spends the strangest day of his life in his book store by hanging an advertisement on the door of his store.
Yal-championship Untold
IRAN 19:25
Director: Amir Ardalan Zanjani
“Yal” is a documentary that takes an in-depth look at the world of bodybuilding in Iran. It explores the forgotten history of the sport in the country while shedding light on the unique challenges, restrictions, and struggles Iranian bodybuilders face.
EXIST
SWEDEN 40:00
Director: Viktor Telegin, Markus Bengtsson
EXIST follows Palestinian skateboarder Aram Sabbah in the weeks leading up to the Olympic qualifications in Dubai, capturing his personal battle in leaving his homeland during the war to pursue his passion for skateboarding and carry the mantle for Palestine.
DATING IN BANGKOK
THAILAND 9:20
Director: Tyler Island
After losing the love of his life, a down on his luck Somchai takes on the questionable teachings of James, a mysterious dating coach.