On Hold (India / Drama / 17 mins / Hindi with English subtitles)
On Hold follows Umesh Shukla, a 40-year-old salesman, on the very day he is fired from his job. Thrown in sudden uncertainty, he finds himself caught in the relentless chaos of Mumbai—crowded local trains, the metro, traffic, and constant city noise. Surrounded by this relentless noise and a series of back-to-back phone calls about mounting debt, strained relationships, and an uncertain future, he is pushed to his limits. As the day unfolds, each call reveals a new layer of his reality, deepening the pressure around him.
Key Cast: Murari Kumar
Director / Writer: Krishna Kumar Shukla
Producers: Ameet Meena
Contact: Krishna Kumar Shukla, krishnashukla015@gmail.com
Everyone Has Issues (United States / Rom-Com, Drama / 15 mins)
Sara, a neurotic and determined woman, struggles to connect with her unusual new boyfriend.
Key Cast: Christie Lynn Smith, John Fortson, Sadie Stratton
Director / Writer: Christie Lynn Smith
Producers: Christie Lynn Smith, John Frank Fortson, Morgan Lester, Abby Ryder Fortson, Erin Brown Thomas
Contact: Christie Lynn Smith, christielynnsmith@yahoo.com
Social Media: instagram.com/everyonehasissuesshortfilm
Renewal (Ukraine / Psychological Drama / 15 mins / Ukrainian with English Subtitles)
Haunted by the echoes of war and the bitterness of betrayal, a man seeks refuge in the quiet of the woods. In this simple, solitary landscape, his inner chaos meets the silence of nature. This intimate drama explores a fragile journey through vulnerability and confusion toward a path of healing and an unexpected connection.
Key Cast: Maryna Koshkina, Kateryna Kryvonos, Oleksandr Bykov
Director / Writer / Producer: Oleksandr Bykov
Contact: Oleksandr Bykov,Albykov108@gmail.com
American Fabric ( United States / Drama / 14 mins)
Two young Pakistani-American women fight prejudice while reclaiming their agency in their own ways: one is looking to remove her headscarf, while the other longs to be a hijab.
Key Cast: Carina Conti, Hana Soomro, Maytha Alhassen
Director / Writer: Nyla Hazratjee
Producers: Nyla Hazratjee, Nadia Cox
Contact: Nyla Hazratjee, ny.laproductioninc@gmail.com
Website: www.ny-la-production.org/projects
Social Media: x.com/NY_LAProduction,instagram.com/nylaproductionorg/
Jazz infernal (Canada / Drama / 17 mins / French with English Subtitles)
Koffi, a young Ivorian trumpeter, arrives in Montreal with nothing but the legacy of his father to guide him. Lost between the city’s noise and the silence of his past, he must confront his roots to finally find his own voice.
Key Cast: Ange-Eric Nguessan, Alexis Belhumeur, Kalombo Kasongo
Director/Writer: Will Niava
Producer: Zion Lipstein-Saffer, Samuel Caron
Contact: Arielle Knight, festival@travellingdistribution.com