Desire delves into the complexities of human connection in the digital age, intimacy, and self-empowerment. From the quiet yearning of a remote worker’s obsession to a young man’s turmoil over exposing himself online, these films explore how desire shapes our experiences.

The programme traverses diverse narratives, from a 1980s sexual awakening at the cinema, to an Elvis impersonator navigating the increasingly blurred boundaries between subculture and self, to an Embera girl finding liberation through laughter. It’s a bold, intimate look at connection, obsession, and self-discovery.

 

The First Times, Giulia Cosentino, Perla Sardella
Italy, Spain, 16 min

Through letters and archival glimpses, two women reflect on their 1950s boarding school days, questioning the lives they dared to live.

 

Bonfire, David McShane
UK, 5 min

Exploring desire and connection in the post-social media era amid real-world pressures on Bonfire Night.
(Content Warnings: Sexual innuendo, Grooming)

 

If I Can Dream, Luis Cross
UK, 12 min

A Korean-Swedish Elvis impersonator competes in Wales, where the lines between subculture and self, past and present, begin to blur.

 

Akababuru: Expression of astonishment, Irati Dojura Landa Yagarí
Colombia, 13 min

When told the legend of Kiraparamia a young Embera girl discovers the liberating power of laughter in this stunning, folkloric animation about empowerment.

 

The Necklace, Katya Hazel Boirand
UK, 15 min

A young woman navigates intimacy and romance while coping with the challenges of a chronic autoimmune condition.

 

Max Distance, Marissa Goldman
USA, 15 min

A dry exploration of the thrill of obsession vs. the perennial dullness of remote work, when a programmer develops an unexpected fixation.

 

A Brighter Summer Day For The Lady Avengers, Birdy Wei-Ting Hung
Taiwan, 12 min

A sensual, and colourful 1980s tale of sexual awakening, sweltering summer days, watermelon juice, and celluloid fantasies at the cinema.
(Content Warnings: Sexual content, flashing images, mild bloody violence)

 

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