• Public Spaces, Private Lives

Who we present ourselves in public isn't always who we are in private. Personal secrets, hidden desires and public personas clash in this selection of films.

Short Films

All I Know

A young man’s determination to know the whereabouts of his dear friend puts him at risk of exposing their secret. Meet the filmmaker: https://youtu.be/M3BcsZTgEm4

Green Space

Private moments become public mishaps over one day in a south London park.

File

A 6-year-old mute boy attends a pre-school health screening with his mother. At the test, a decision he makes changes everything.

Yellow

In Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, Laili walks into a chadari store in Kabul to buy her first full-body veil and face a new future. Meet the filmmaker: https://youtu.be/8solcHg2_eI

Teacups

For almost half a century, Don Ritchie would approach people contemplating suicide at the edge of a cliff 100 feet from his home. Reconciling the suicide of his best friend, Don’s surreal interactions with suicidal individuals asks: Can a simple act of kindness save a life?

Aphonia

The routine of a boarding school for deaf children is disturbed by the arrival of a new student who cannot sign and does not speak. A classmate who helps the isolated newcomer soon finds their friendship tested.

ShortFest 2023