Student Competition 4

1. BLOSSOM 05:41 2025
   

   Directed:	BOURDEL Youenn / BOULEY Youen / JODET Guillaume / MARTIN Zaccharie / LUSSEAU Loïs / LAUBU Lenny / LALLOUÉ TIffenn / LELOGEAIS Juliette / PONCET DALADOIRE Elouen / DEHARD Charli / BOZEC Matthis / DAYON Luc / DRUGEON Emile
   Dialogue Language:	English, French

   
   

   As Winter descends upon the forest, freezing plants and creatures alike, an old beetle awakens a young, energetic fairy. Together, they embark on a desperate flight forward, facing dangers and hostile creatures in the hope of escaping the deadly Winter.

2. Burnout 06:41 2025
   

   Directed:	Karina Zhou, Will Larsen, Lewi Thute, Batu Alpas
   Screenplay:	Karina Zhou, Lewi Thute, William Larsen
   Dialogue Language:	English

   
   

   16-year old Azel must navigate the cut-throat, class-divided city of ‘Haven’ through any means possible. Carrying the weight of her Dad's dreams, Azel wishes to become one of the greats in racing and lift herself out of the dregs of society. Soon, Azel’s desire to win turns into an unhealthy obsession when she sacrifices her life-saving medicine for a shot at stardom.

3. Time of Youth / 少年时 05:25 China 2024
   

   Directed:	Jingshuang Zeng
   Screenplay:	Jingshuang Zeng
   Production:	Jingshuang Zeng
   Dialogue Language:	Chinese

   
   

   Time of Youth is a Chinese ink animation. The story is a true portrayal of the hardworking Chinese youth of my grandfather's generation. In the era of poverty, his hardworking is for the responsibility to his family, but also for his dream. Characters and scenes of the film (except the stinger) are all painted on paper with a Chinese brush, and then adjusted and composed by computer.

4. Buscando Hojas De Maíz 04:26 Zambia 2025
   

   Directed:	Angela Zamora
   Dialogue Language:	English, Spanish

   
   

   In a world made of corn husks, Catholic nuns govern the land. A young nun discovers her true love among the corn husks after receiving a forbidden fruit. Her love blossoms for another girl, igniting a pursuit for freedom.

5. Vacant|Occupied / 자리비움|사용중 07:10 South Korea 2025
   

   Directed:	Jae-eun Park, Ji-woo Shin, Hui-jae Kim
   Screenplay:	Jae-eun Park, Ji-woo Shin, Hui-jae Kim
   Dialogue Language:	Korean

   
   

   A socially-weary man rests in the bathroom to have time alone. A tree begins to grow in the bathroom while the man is spending comfortable time in an independent space.

6. Skybound 09:17 2025
   

   Directed:	Angelina Arifin
   Screenplay:	Walitama Sang Krishnagalih
   Production:	Khumaera Adelia Hana Shafira
   Dialogue Language:	English

   
   

   In a fairytale world, a poacher lived in a cabin deep within the woods. He hunts down magical creatures that live inside the enchanted forest, with the hope that he could make a living for his poor family. One day he goes deep into the woods, tracking down a rare bird. He then finds a little fledgling, perched on a branch. He took the shot and the bird swiftly fell down to the ground. The poacher chased after it, and he was led into a clearing where he saw a young boy with wings just as white as his hair. He was bleeding and trembling in pain and fear. The poacher seeing it, hatched a plan, he knew he couldn’t sell broken merchandise, so he decided to bring the boy home and keep him until he can be sold for a higher price, but the poacher would slowly grow fond of the boy instead - little did they know, another hunter lurks just around the corner.

7. Arrogant KING / 傲慢的国王 06:55 China 2025
   

   Directed:	莫寒 龚
   Screenplay:	莫寒 龚, 雪晴 练, 添宜 张, 培莉 梁, 一华 许, 琪琪 朱, 紫萱 王
   Production:	莫寒 龚, 雪晴 练, 添宜 张, 琪琪 朱, 一华 许, 培莉 梁
   Dialogue Language:	Chinese

   
   

   In a beautiful kingdom, the little king arrogantly rewarded his people, and everyone respected and adored him. However, there was a little girl who disdained the lofty king, so the two engaged in a feud...

8. Un Elefante de Papel / Paper Elephant / Un Elefante de Papel 10:52 Ecuador 2024
   

   Directed:	Ariana Solórzano, Johanna Ortiz
   Screenplay:	Ariana Solórzano Morán, Johanna Ortiz Moreira
   Production:	Ariana Solórzano Morán, Johanna Ortiz Moreira
   Dialogue Language:	Spanish

   
   

   Our environment shapes our ideas, our dreams, and even our happiness, an unknown emotion without its eternal companions: expectations, pressure, and limitations. But how do we rediscover it? Or more importantly, how do we rediscover ourselves to uncover happiness without its companions? Perhaps it is time to meet the elephant.

9. YOU ,My Faint Star / 不会发光的你 06:10 China 2025
   

   Directed:	盈灿 汤
   Screenplay:	盈灿 汤
   Dialogue Language:	Chinese

   
   

   This narrative is adapted from my childhood experiences. The protagonist, You, possesses the ability to perceive the halos surrounding individuals. Plagued by feelings of inadequacy and unworthiness, he struggles to find his place among those radiant with significance. Only Hai Zi his friend online does not emit such luminosity. However, as their offline meeting approaches, he once again finds himself ensnared in the existential dilemma of light and shadow. The film employs a unique combination of stop-motion live-action animation and digital painting, utilizing experimental fusion techniques to express the protagonist's diverse mental states and conditions. In the conclusion, the vibrant and romantic transparent gel, the turbid and viscous crayon texture, and the simple yet clear cel animation achieve a harmonious balance and unity, forming a complete individual.

10. Philosophical-physical model of a tea bag 05:21 2025
    

    Directed:

    Natalia Shulga

    
    

    An ordinary day in the life of Shola and Pat-pat. They fish, walk and discuss the topic of existence. Shola finds the meaning of life in a tea bag, and Pat-pat completely disagrees. The heroes have to find out where is the truth and are the questions of universal philosophy so important in the face of friendship.

11. ECLIPSE 05:23 2025
    

    Directed:

    Anastasiya Zabelina

    
    

    The Boy writes the words from which the world is created, until he thinks about how to correctly write “dog”.

12. O' Bingo! 05:06 2025
    

    Directed:	Ian Kelewae
    Dialogue Language:	English

    
    

    An old lady walks her dog and a Magical plant finds canine camaraderie in midst of the chaos of human ownership.

13. PAIN PERDU 03:53 2024
    

    Directed:

    LOUIS Remi, HOMMAY Astrid, KITTEL Alexandre

    
    

    Raymond, a small chubby but energetic man, is on a rather unusual quest; he travels the world in search of the perfect bread. Throughout his adventure, he finds himself in various unusual situations from country to country, ready to do anything to achieve his goal..

14. Anemone / Anémona 05:08 2024
    

    Directed:	Edna Luís
    Screenplay:	Edna Luís
    Production:	Edna Luís, Escola Artística de Soares dos Reis

    
    

    A blind sculptor is having trouble producing. She leaves home to test her senses and encounters events that call into question her past memories and her next sculpture.

15. SYKOSE 05:18 Sweden 2025
    

    Directed:	Malin Åhlberg Olsson
    Production:	Margrethe Lundsgaard Danielsen, Celia Kaspar
    Dialogue Language:	Norwegian

    
    

    The line between imagination and reality rips as an anxious emo girl picks up a needle and thread.

16. Anemoia 05:19 Ecuador 2024
    

    Directed:	Kennia Kamila Rosales
    Screenplay:	Kennia Kamila Rosales
    Production:	Kennia Kamila Rosales, Nixon Joel Ronquillo
    Dialogue Language:	Spanish

    
    

    Year 14,327. Annick has grown up with no memory of what life on Earth was like and survives aboard the Feynman Space Station, a self-sustaining habitat where every routine is essential to preserve its fragile ecosystem. Life on the station is predictable and disciplined, until an unexpected event threatens to disrupt the delicate balance that sustains its existence.

17. The Legend 03:56 France 2025
    

    Directed:	Daria Yurishcheva
    Screenplay:	Daria Yurishcheva
    Production:	Daria Yurishcheva
    Dialogue Language:	English

    
    

    The film is a naïve account of a serious issue: torture and discrimination in Russian prisons. Minority groups - Muslims, Ukrainians, queer people, people of colour - are particularly at risk. The film is based on a true story, but such stories are unfortunately commonplace. The animated film is less frightening than the real thing, because it is an attempt to talk about violence without reproducing it on screen. The film was made as part of Masha Godovannaya's course at Smolny beyond Borders.

18. Kurgan / Курган 05:25 Belarus 2025
    

    Directed:	Prokhar Batsiushkou
    Dialogue Language:	Belarusian, Russian

    
    

    A wandering bard brings happiness and frees the city from fear. The prince, displeased, orders him to be buried alive. In memory of the happiness he brought, the villagers build a huge mound on his grave. The mound destroys the prince’s castle, freeing the city from tyranny.