Stiching Lines

The current state of short fiction is marked by a rejection of rigid conventionality. Filmmakers often eschew tidy arcs in favor of elliptical narratives, inviting viewers to co-author meaning. This shift mirrors broader cultural trends toward interactivity, as seen in gaming and social media, where audiences demand agency. Yet, even within experimental works, traces of linearity persist—a testament to its enduring power to forge empathetic connections. Gilles Deleuze’s concept of the “time-image,” which privileges nonlinear, sensory-driven storytelling, finds resonance here: short films increasingly manipulate chronology not as a gimmick but as a method to evoke visceral, philosophical, or emotional truths.

This program illuminates how short fiction straddles tradition and avant-garde impulses. By juxtaposing linear narratives with fragmented forms, it asks: What do we gain—or lose—when stories abandon causality? Can non-linearity deepen engagement, or does it risk alienation? The curated films suggest that linearity is not obsolete but evolving, coexisting with experimental techniques to expand storytelling’s affective range.

HERE FOR YOU

Cezary Orłowski (Poland, 2o min)

Love, intimacy, and sexuality. These are topics that mother of Bartek, a young man with Down syndrome avoids discussing. In the somber setting of his mother’s funeral home, Bartek diligently prepares dead bodies for burial. However, when he encounters a girl who has recently arrived in his town, he embarks on a journey of first love.

ROUNDS

Anna Demianenko (Netherlands, 10 min)

When a group of teenage girls – being pursued and searching for a place to hide at school – find shelter in the gym, they finally feel safe. But safer than the girl they have tied up and are keeping hostage…

IN AND OUT

Mateusz Mirczyński (Poland, 27 min)

The Hippie Gang gives Oscar one last chance to survive. He has to pull off a big deal to buy his way out of the gangsters’ hands. It was supposed to be a quick job, but it turns out his business partner is a complete nutcase.

HAMMER, WRENCH & SCREWDRIVER

Gabriel Vilandré (Canada, 13 min)

Jonathan Cammuso, aged 16, returns to a hardware store to return stolen tools. However, events do not unfold as expected.

HERE FOR YOU

ROUNDS

IN AND OUT

HAMMER, WRENCH & SCREWDRIVER

All programmes

Animation

Anthology

Belarusian Films

Filmic Variety

Foreigners In Universe

Hidden Madness

Horror

Human & Algorithms

Leviathan’s Dream That Was Forgotten in a Moment

Solo Soul Sauna

Stiching Lines

Walls and Sounds

11th edition | 2025 | Programmes

10th edition | 2024 | Programmes

9th edition | 2023 | Programmes

8th edition | 2022 | Programmes

7th edition | 2021 | Programmes

6th edition | 2020 | Programmes

5th edition | 2019 | Programmes

4th edition | 2018 | Programmes