GELBES RECHTECK | Germany 2023 | Documentation | World premiere | Length: 06:07 Min | Director: Janis Schmidt

"Smoking in this station is only permitted in the designated areas" - these delimiting yellow lines open up a space for communication in which the whole of life is depicted. Gelbes Rechteck observes people travelling, smoking, and telling everyday stories but also gives deeper insights into their opinions, views and philosophies of life.

Janis Schmidt has been studying Visual Communication with a focus on film and moving images at the Kunsthochschule Kassel since 2021. His work deals with random everyday situations to approach the psychology of human behaviour. His debut short film Gelbes Rechteck was shot at Kassel Wilhelmshöhe station.

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SAIGON KISS | Germany/Vietnam/Australia 2024 | Feature film | Rhein-Main-Premiere | Length: 22:00 Min | Director: Hồng Anh Nguyễn

The queer romance Saigon Kiss unfolds in the streets of the vibrant metropolis of Saigon. Mo and Vicky meet by chance when their motorbike breaks down and discover an unexpected bond. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the city, they find solace and tenderness in each other's company.

Hồng Anh Nguyễn is a Frankfurt-born queer Vietnamese-German director and screenwriter. She works between Frankfurt am Main and Ho Chi Minh City. Her films have been shown at international festivals such as Clermont-Ferrand and BFI Flare. During her school days at Heinrich-von-Gagern-Gymnasium, she took part in workshops and seminars at the Filmhaus Frankfurt and the Wiesbaden Media Centre.

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PETRUSHKA | Germany 2023 | Animation | Length: 02:46 Min | Director: Ulrich Stöcker

Love overcomes all obstacles - as the saying often goes. In the bittersweet animated film Petrushka, presented as a Hessen Talent at the Berlinale 2024, opens the eyes of an enraptured dancer who, out of longing, gets rid of the strings of his marionette existence.

Ulrich Stöcker has been studying "Animation and Game" at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences since 2021. In his projects, he focuses on developing new formats that combine classical music with new media. The 3D animation Petrushka was realised as a semester project at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences.

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GOLEM'S BREATH | Germany/Czech Republic/United Kingdom 2023 | Experimental | Length: 16:16 Min | Director: Vincent Rabas-Kolominsky

What was it actually like back then, in Prague? The experimental film Golem's Breath follows the protagonist to Prague and explores how the medium of film can approach history - the history of a city and a family. The partly animated film is based on the story of the director's family, who fled Prague after the suppression of the Prague Spring in 1968.

Vincent Rabas-Kolominsky studied in Freiburg and Glasgow. He completed his Master's degree in Filmmaking and Media Arts at the University of Glasgow with the short film Golem's Breath. Vincent's mother's side of the family comes from Wiesbaden, where he spent much of his childhood. He has lived in Wiesbaden again since 2023 to work as a film producer. The film is about his grandmother, who lived in Frankfurt until her death in May 2023.

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MECHANICAL RESONANCE | Germany 2023 | Experimental | Rhein-Main-Premiere | Length: 04:14 Min | Director: Juejun Chen

Through the artful combination of image and sound, Juejun Chen creates a fascinating synthesis between human movement and mechanical work in her experimental film Mechanical Resonance. Film footage from Chinese dance schools, legs in tights, splayed feet, rattling, hissing, whirring: the film talks about the promise of a free body in dance and at the same time takes a critical look at the parallel of industrial efficiency.

Juejun Chen is currently studying at the Kunsthochschule Kassel. Video art is one of the many creative ways in which she uses the medium. Her work also includes painting, performance and installation.

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POLENSTRICH | Germany 2023 | Feature film | World premiere | Length: 11:50 Min | Director: Adrianna Amra Bartosiewicz

Frankfurt's "Polenstrich" in Ostend is something of an institution in the city as an openly illegal labour scene. In the short film Polenstrich, we meet Leo, a young man from Poland who tries to support himself and his mother with odd jobs.

Author and director Adrianna Amra Bartosiewicz recently completed her second degree in Motion Pictures at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences. She is currently working as a junior producer in a film production company and is honing her skills in writing and filming stories for various projects. The story of Polenstrich is inspired by true events and aims to draw attention to aspects of the labour shortage in Frankfurt.

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DER ZEIGEFINGERZEIGER | Germany 2024 | Animation | World premiere | Length: 01:52 Min | Director: Jan Riesenbeck

According to the dictionary, the index finger is the most frequently used. It bears its name because it is preferably used to point to an object or a direction. However, it can also be used to admonish, threaten, accuse or flip others the bird. Some people turn this hobby into a profession and become professional pointing fingers. But there are also other possibilities, as this charming animated film shows.

Jan Riesenbeck studied in the film class at the Kunsthochschule Kassel. His short films have been shown at festivals around the world and have won numerous awards. His current project "Mein Name ist Hase" was honoured with the Wim Wenders Scholarship and was nominated for the Hessian Screenplay Award. Der Zeigefingerzeiger was created as part of the series "Erdlinge" (AT: Modern Characters), the development of which was supported by HessenFilm und Medien. The production took place in Kassel.

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DAS NICHT GELEBTE LEBEN | Germany 2023 | Documentation | World premiere | Length: 10:16 Min | Director: Veve Kiselev

What does home mean? - a feeling, a smell, a sound, a place. In her film, Veve Kiselev takes us on a poetic journey that reveals where she comes from and where her path will lead her. 23 years ago, her family left Atbasar, Kazakhstan, to find a new home in Germany. Now she returns to discover the paths of her earliest memories and the roots of her identity.

Born in Atbasar, Kazakhstan, Veve Kiselev grew up in Wetzlar in central Hesse from the age of five. She completed her studies at the HfG Offenbach, where she specialised in video, sound and performance. Das nicht gelebte Leben is her graduation film.

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VERZERRT | Germany 2024 | Animation | World premiere | Length: 05:17 Min | Director: Kristin Garrelts

Verzerrt tells the story of Lou, who is confronted with the challenges of social interaction. Lou longs for acceptance and belonging. As he tries to fight his insecurities and integrate himself, his body becomes a manifesto of his inner conflicts.

Kristin Garrelts lives and works in Wiesbaden. She studied communication design at RheinMain University of Applied Sciences, specialising in 2D animation, illustration and editorial design. She completed her studies in early 2024 with her graduation film Verzerrt.