Innovative animations, creative uses of 3D and stunning cinematography distinguish this programme, offering a snapshot of some of the best cinematic storytelling talent from around the world.

130919 • A Portrait of Marina Abramovic, Matthu Placek | USA

Shot in the then-empty location that was to become the Marina Abramovc Institute in Hudson, NY, 130919 is a haunting, one-shot 3D portrait of the famous artist at once physically and mystically occupying the space, set to a hypnotic track by Serbian singer Svetlana Spajic.

German Shepherd, Nils Bergendal | Sweden

As a Jew growing up in Baltimore, David Paul’s vision of Germany (and Germans) was shaped by the stories of his Holocaust-survivor mother; later in life, he reflects on whether it is possible to overcome this history. Simple in aesthetics yet potent in philosophical introspection, this animated documentary poses difficult questions about the human capacity to forgive unimaginably evil acts.

The Goat, John Trengove | South Africa

After being subjected to a ritual circumcision intended to usher him into manhood and purge him of any homosexual desires, a young Xhosa teenager is painted white as a goat and isolated in a remote mountain hut, where his desperate desire to escape grows as his pain and panic mount.

LAVA, James Ford Murphy | USA

Inspired by the isolated beauty of tropical islands and the explosive allure of ocean volcanoes, the stunning new animated short from Disney Pixar is a musical love story that takes place over millions of years.

Listen, Hamy Ramezan, Rungano Nyoni | Denmark/Finland

A foreign woman in a burqa brings her young son to a Copenhagen police station to file a complaint against her abusive husband, but the translator assigned to her seems unwilling to convey the true meaning of her words. A tense, diamond-hard film about cultural isolation and bureaucratic ignorance.

Midfield, Pedro Amorim | Portugal

The gorgeously realized Midfield profiles an ordinary workday in the life of a stevedore, who executes his job with surprising grace and simplicity — but when Sunday comes, an altogether different man emerges.

Oh Lucy!, Atsuko Hirayanagi | Japan/Singapore/USA

Rooked into taking over her niece's English lessons, Setsuko, a fifty-five-year-old "office lady" in Tokyo, is at first taken aback by the blond wig and new identity as "Lucy" the unconventional teacher gives her — but being "Lucy" awakens desires Setsuko never knew she had. Oh Lucy! is a charmingly absurdist comedy about identity, loneliness, and the art of finding yourself.

Pineapple Calamari, Kasia Nalewajka | United Kingdom

In this quirky, colourful stop-motion story, Pineapple Calamari dreams of being a horse-racing champion — but when tragedy befalls the two inseparable women who share his love of riding, he finds his race to the roses abruptly halted.