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Yellowstone International Film Festival

Official selection 2025.

126 films and screenplays from 35 countries, selected for the 2025 edition of the festival.

Browse the selection YIFF 2025

Canada Egypt Estonia Bosnia and Herzegovina Croatia Cyprus Poland France Belgium United States India Puerto Rico South Korea New Zealand Morocco China Iran Greece Palestine Brazil United Kingdom Colombia Spain Mongolia Netherlands Japan Singapore Lithuania Australia Iraq Germany Slovakia Norway Switzerland Mexico Canada Egypt Estonia Bosnia and Herzegovina Croatia Cyprus Poland France Belgium United States India Puerto Rico South Korea New Zealand Morocco China Iran Greece Palestine Brazil United Kingdom Colombia Spain Mongolia Netherlands Japan Singapore Lithuania Australia Iraq Germany Slovakia Norway Switzerland Mexico

YIFF 2025

The 2025 line-up

Independent voices from across the world — fiction, documentary, animation and new writing, picked by our jury from this year’s submissions.

126Official selections

35Countries

14Competition categories

Official Selection

Every film, every category

Sorted by category. Filter by section or search for a title, country or category.

Feature Length Film

13 films

“100 Sunset” follows two young Tibetan women navigating friendship, disappearance, and a quiet economy of survival in Toronto’s Parkdale neighborhood. Shot with non-professional actors and embedded in real community locations, the film offers a rare and intimate portrait of diasporic life. Details → 100 Sunset Kunsang Kyirong Canada1h 38m

Aisha is a 26-year-old Sudanese caregiver living in a neighbourhood in the heart of Cairo where she witnesses the tension between her fellow African migrants and local gangs. Details → Aisha Can’t Fly Away Morad Mostafa Egypt2h 00m

Aurora, the daughter of a religious leader, enters into a secret extramarital affair that challenges her life arrangements. She tries to please everyone, but when it’s time for a lavish wedding anniversary celebration, an uninvited guest arrives. Secrets begin to reveal themselves at the wrong time and in the wrong place. How to find yourself and find your way back home when all the bridges have been burned? Details → Aurora Rain Tolk, Andres Maimik ★ Best Director — Feature Film Estonia1h 50m

Four close friends, Lovro (21), Nenad (20), Stevan (22), and Ivan (20), who are homosexual, fought against the Ustashas and Nazis by joining the partisans. Sixteen years later, they became renowned filmmakers. In 1957, in Communist Yugoslavia, their sexual orientation raises suspicion, and a communist party loyalist named Emir (52) is assigned to sabotage their careers and lives. The pursuit of freedom becomes a fight for survival for the artists, while Emir's beliefs are challenged Details → Beautiful Evening, Beautiful Day Ivona Juka Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Poland2h 17m

A devoted single mother dreams of a solo vacation in Italy at her friend's house, but when arrangements collapse, she must bring along her disabled teenage son on what was meant to be her private escape. Details → CARAVAN Zuzana Kirchnerová ★ Best Director — Feature Film France1h 40m

Rosita is a cheerful woman with an eager desire to have children. Those around her think it is irresponsible because she can barely take care of herself. When Rosita does become pregnant, she decides to keep it a secret. Details → Holy Rosita Wannes Destoop Belgium1h 30m

After the sudden and violent death of her estranged sister, an actor leaves Los Angeles and returns to her hometown in search of answers. Details → I’VE SEEN ALL I NEED TO SEE Zeshaan Younus United States1h 24m

Set in a small town in the hills of northeast India, Kaisi Ye Paheli (English title: A Mother, a Son, and a Murder) is a unique murder mystery about a lonely mother’s endless pursuit to bond with her disrespectful son. When a talented girl is found dead, and the case is handed to the son who is a policeman, the mother tries to crack clues to be able to help, and thus connect with him. But in her quest to do so, she dives too deep into the puzzle, putting her own life at stake. Details → Kaisi Ye Paheli Ananyabrata Chakravorty India1h 34m

At the heart of the story are four children from Lares (Mila, Ryan, Diego, and Kristian), aged 10 to 12, who have lost their way, engaging in reckless behavior such as vandalism and theft. Their actions reflect a generation growing up in a country where systemic failures—failing education, economic instability, and lack of opportunities—have left many young people disillusioned. The film uses their story to highlight how Puerto Rico’s youth, in the absence of proper guidance, can become both victims and perpetrators of the island’s cycle of decay. Details → The Second Coming Act. 1 The New for the Old Jean Carlos Díaz Sepúlveda ★ Best Director — Feature Film Puerto Rico1h 55m

Ajay and Radhika, teenage sweethearts from a small Himachal village, part ways to pursue bigger dreams—Ajay as a singer, Radhika in the corporate world. Years later, Ajay returns, his dreams unfulfilled, to find Radhika still in the village, now married and a matriarch. Their paths cross once more, reigniting old sparks and wounds. The village, with its prying nature, watches closely. Chewing Gum explores love, regret, and second chances. Details → Secret of a Mountain Serpent Nidhi Saxena India1h 47m

SHENESS, is an anthology of four intimate stories that unravel the unpredictable and often absurd ways in which women confront love, loss, and men. Details → SHENESS Manuraj Dubey India1h 42m

A miracle drug delivers the overnight weight loss you've always dreamed of. But will it turn you into a walking nightmare? Thinestra stars identical twins Melissa and Michelle Macedo. It’s a sweltering Christmas in LA. Penny—plagued by body dysmorphia and cycles of binge eating—impulsively takes Thinestra, a mysterious Ozempic-like drug. That night, she violently expels masses of fat in a painful and grotesque purge. But her discarded flesh returns…and like the Hyde to Penny’s Jekyll, PENELOPE is born. As her ravenous dopplegänger wreaks bloody havoc, Penny struggles to regain control. Can she overcome her hunger before it's too late? Details → Thinestra Nathan Hertz United States1h 28m

A coming-of-age story shaped by tragedy that follows 12-year-old Eya as she comes to grips with the sudden loss of her older brother Younès, with whom she shared an intense and inseparable bond. Immersed in a deeply codified and intense grieving process, she draws on her creativity, resilience, and the support of Younès’ friends to come to terms with his passing and carve out her own path toward adulthood. Details → Têtes Brûlées Maja Ajmia Zellama ★ Best Director — Feature Film Belgium1h 25m

Documentaries

20 films

Dalit Subbaiah: Voice of the Rebels is an intimate and powerful documentary tracing the life, struggles, and uncompromising spirit of Dalit Subbaiah — a fearless revolutionary artist, writer, and activist who dared to stand against oppression and caste injustice by his powerful tool of music. Details → Dalit Subbaiah - Voice of the Rebels Gridaran MKP India1h 28m

Dream Factory' is a personal essay on the power of storytelling and the magic and contradictions that is the Indian film industry. The hybrid documentary follows the precarious lives of the "below-the-line" crew of a big-budget Bollywood film, from the perspective of an Indian woman's ambivalent relationship with her culture's myth-making machinery. It is a reverie on the intensely physical, yet invisible, labor behind India's most popular art form. Borrowing Bollywood's grammar to tell the stories of its most marginalised workers, the film raises questions about the price that must be paid to manufacture dreams for a billion people – and who pays that price. Details → Dream Factory Aarushi Nigam India1h 21m

In a world where fear and trauma shape the birthing experience, Fear and Now redefines the narrative. After a far too common yet unacknowledged traumatic first birth, filmmaker Liat Ron discovers HypnoBirthing and embarks on a transformational journey, offering an unprecedented window into what birth can truly be. This trailblazing documentary reveals that safe, comfortable, enjoyable, and fear-free births are possible, even within a system that leads us to believe otherwise. Fear and Now shines a light on a birthing revolution already underway and calls on us to acknowledge and heal from the birth traumas we carry. Details → Fear and Now Liat Ron United States1h 34m

On a wintery night, Juyeon receives a call from her father. In his drunken voice, he leaves strange remarks, “Don’t become like your aunt who committed suicide.” Stunned by the family secret, she starts chasing the traces of her aunt, who resembles her strikingly. Juyeon breaks the suffocating silence and recreates her aunt’s lost voice through animation. Details → My Missing Aunt Juyeon Yang South Korea1h 18m

Curious to know if his unapologetic Grandpa had remorse or not ! Shankar goud a film student digs up his grandpa’s bad past which gave a generational trauma to his family. Details → Negative Remorse Shankar Goud India56 min

Throughout the course of the Haida basketball season, leaders of iconic rez ball team the Skidegate Saints compete for two titles - defending their All Native Basketball Championship, while battling for title to their land and waters with the government that stole it from them with the Indian Act. Details → SAINTS AND WARRIORS Patrick Shannon Canada1h 37m

A thought provoking and inspiring documentary about two men who are on a journey to parenthood. Not by adoption or surrogacy, but by Frankie, a trans man, carrying the baby. Details → Trans and Pregnant Ramon Te Wake ★ Best Director — Feature Film New Zealand58 min

Turtle Walker India1h 15m

The caste system in India is the world's oldest living system of discrimination, intentionally hidden from global awareness, affecting over 200 million Dalits (Untouchables) in India whose stories remain largely silenced. "Untouchable: Laughing Out Caste" follows Manjeet Sarkar, the first Dalit comedian to tour nationally and internationally with his groundbreaking solo show 'Untouchable'. Through stand-up comedy, personal interviews, and behind-the-scenes footage, the documentary unveils the millennia-old unspoken experiences of India’s silenced majority, centered around how Sarkar is transforming this most tabooed topic into revelations through laughter. Details → Untouchable: Laughing Out Caste Manjeet Sarkar, Mike Noone India1h 17m

Village of Bastards is a socio-cultural documentary on the evil tradition of ancestral sex work prevalent in the village of Natpurwa, Uttar Pradesh, India. The documentary explores various social and cultural issues through the lens of personal experiences. Details → Village of Bastards Amritansh Shukla, Uday Thakur India51 min

In the marshlands of Southern Iraq, Ibrahim and his family live in solitude as strangers to the outside world, their lives tethered to the river, the reeds, and the buffalo they tend. Silent and withdrawn, Ibrahim finds comfort only in his buffalo, his sole companion. But as the rivers dry and the landscape withers, Ibrahim faces unrelenting forces threatening the only life he has ever known, and the only creature he has ever understood. Details → Beneath Which Rivers Flow Ali Yahya Iraq16 min

Every morning, Lucila, an 80-year-old indigenous healer, turns on the radio, contemplates the rainforest in front of her house and asks herself a question: What will happen when we die, the rainforest and I? Details → DARU/N (PASSED/MOTHER) Benjamin Hindrichs Germany, Spain15 min

This film is about public space. This film is about the destruction of culture. This film is about fountains that have had enough. What would happen if fountains could speak? Details → How to Listen to Fountains Eva Sajanová Slovakia10 min

In my hand is the story of the indigenous activist Niillas Somby, which explores the personal and historical struggles of the Sámi people. The film navigates between imprisonment, protests, and surreal encounters, providing a unique insight into one man's extraordinary journey. Details → In my hand Marja Helander, Liselotte Wajstedt Norway23 min

What remains of a mother after years of domestic violence? What remains of her body, her dignity and her strength? Surely words, memory and a few dance steps that can still be passed down. Details → Mom Dances Mégane Brügger Switzerland23 min

After losing her sister, Elaine discovers a surprising new companion in a chicken named Flapper. Now, with a flock of chooks and a mission to change how people see them, she’s become a local legend, The Mother of Chooks. Details → Mother Of Chooks Jesse Samos Leaman, Maite Martin Samos Australia19 min

In Dorothea Sing Zhang’s hybrid of fiction and documentary, her mother, renowned opera artist Geng Qiaoyun, clings to the rhythms of a solitary life—teaching students, maintaining her strict physical discipline, and rehearsing for an impending performance. Immersed in her craft yet haunted by absence, she wrestles with the distance between art, memory, and her estranged daughter. Details → A Small Fiction of My Mother in Beijing Dorothea Zhang China12 min

La Quebrada Cliff Divers in Acapulco, Guerrero, are a diverse group—including boys, girls, youths, elders, Afro-Mexicans, and natives—who earn their living by diving 100 feet into the sea from a dangerous cliff as part of a thrilling show at La Quebrada. In Voices from the Abyss, we explore the nature of their dives through slow-motion footage, personal testimonies, and an original poem recited by the divers themselves. Details → Voices from the abyss Irving Serrano, Victor Rejón Mexico23 min

Amidst the chaos of flashing lights and crazy crowds, Manoj, an established Paparazzi from Nepal, faces off against fellow photographers in a high-stakes race to capture the most sensational photos. Despite his years of experience and connections with celebrities, Manoj confronts the harsh reality of his brother's deteriorating health. Will the connections be enough to secure the funds needed for his brother's treatment, or will he find himself facing a solitary battle for survival? Details → P for Paparazzi Divya Hemant Kharnare India27 min

Experience the enchantment of Indian craftsmanship and modern technology intertwine in the creation of Natural Rugs and Throws. Join us on a visual journey through two factories in India, where the magic of handicraft meets mechanization, resulting in timeless products that transcend borders. In this Film, witness the harmonious collaboration of artisans and machines, set to a backdrop of melodious harpsichord music. Just as the harpsichord combines keys and strings, the products showcased here blend machine precision with human touch. It's a true fusion, where each element complements the other, creating a symphony of creativity and innovation. (Music Purchased with License) Details → Threads in Tune - The Melodic Magic of Hand and Loom Nakul Jain India3 min

International Live Action Short

38 films

A recreational soccer team run by a small Christian church — David and Goliath FC. For the team’s star player, Dongchan, soccer isn’t just a hobby — it’s his entire life. Fueled by an unrelenting desire to win, Dongchan throws himself into rough challenges and risky tackles without hesitation. Each time he charges across the field, the referee’s whistle pierces the air again and again, and the opposing team rarely escapes without injuries. Unable to stand by any longer, team captain Jeonghwan decides it’s time to take action. Details → Across the Waters Viv Li France15 min

A 17-year-old girl struggles with an emotionally distant mother as her life takes a tragic turn. The mother joins a mystic ceremony to face her grief and the lost bond with her daughter. Details → Aicha Sanaa El Alaoui Morocco25 min

Following a rapture-esque apocalypse, EDDIE traverses the desolate Earth searching for other survivors. After nearly a year of searching on his lonesome, he finds TONY. Initially the two are fast friends, however as time progresses, the two’s friendship quickly deteriorates into something toxic and perverse. As Eddie considers his options, he must decide if it’s better to be alone, or with someone who makes you miserable. Details → Alone Together Tobin Carter United States24 min

Fading actress Celia Dalvi arranges her perfect last day on earth. It doesn't go as planned. Details → And Now I Lay Me Down Rani DeMuth ★ Best Director — Live Action Short United States25 min

Ke Ran follows his parents to his uncle’s house in the mountains to celebrate the New Year. While the adults are out, Keran loses the sheep his uncle’s family had prepared for the New Year. He and his cousin must retrieve the sheep before the adults return. Details → Baozhda Keran Abukasimu China25 min

Looking back on her first pregnancy, a woman navigates the echoes of a life-changing loss. Before You follows a couple in the wake of a decision they never thought they’d have to make: ending a planned pregnancy. Told with intimacy and restraint, the film explores the often invisible grief of pregnancy loss and centers a personal reality beyond the political frame. Starring Tony nominee Tala Ashe, Before You gives voice to the journey that often remains unspoken while inviting empathy, reflection, and healing. Details → Before You Lauren Melinda United States14 min

Bandstorm blows, waters scarce. In a remote mining town without any radio signals, a quirky teenage girl gets curious about a passing truck driver. Details → Better with Milk Ashika Srinivassan France15 min

César is 12 when his older sister Lou is sexually assaulted. In the changing rooms of the fencing classes he attends, everything is measured by the yardstick of violence. César would like to take part in every fight, but he doesn't have the weapons. Details → Changing Rooms Violette Gitton France18 min

A young girl gets the opportunity to visit her father, who is in a psychiatric hospital for a serious mental illness. Crane is based on the director’s own experience growing up with a parent with a serious mental illness. Details → Crane Aiden Keltner United States8 min

dark room Iran8 min

East Coker China20 min

Two teenagers secretly meet for sex, but something goes wrong. When the boy confesses to his mother what has happened, she takes charge and makes all further decisions. Details → Extracurricular Activity Dean Wei, Yidan Xu China22 min

Amid the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, a desperate civilian seeks a Taliban permit for his American employer, hoping it will secure his family’s evacuation. Details → I Fear Blue Skies Salar Pashtoonyar Canada12 min

Mara is a disillusioned actor dealing with the terror of time. When she’s thrown into a classroom of kids rehearsing a Disneyfied version of Chekhov's THREE SISTERS — her favorite play about existential longing — she swan dives into her own crisis of aging, nostalgia, and the loss of childhood dreams. Details → i want to go to moscow Sarah Baskin United States13 min

Two brothers return to the island of their childhood, where buried secrets and heavy tensions force them to confront a dark past that connects them. Details → I’m Glad You’re Dead Now Tawfeek Barhom France, Greece, Palestine13 min

Jean, a grumpy former soldier turned farmer, is furious when he discovers that one of his goats has run away again. Ready to do anything to teach it a lesson, Jean incurs the wrath of Jupiter. Details → Jupiter Carlos Segundo Brazil, France16 min

A Bollywood actor finds himself in the middle of a social media storm on account of a hasty tweet, the downward spiral starts when a mysterious woman offers him the chance to go back in time and fix his mistake for the sake of humanity. Details → #kalyug (Age of Darkness) Atharva Puranik ★ Best Director — Live Action Short United Kingdom26 min

At her 65th birthday, Karupy makes an unexpected announcement: she will be ending her own life that very night, sparking a whirlwind of emotions amongst her family. As she prepares for this final act, her party guests confront her regarding her decision. Details → Karupy KALAINITHAN KALAICHELVAN Canada12 min

A summer morning in the south of France. Lou, 5, detects a foreign smell in her mother’s hair: cold tobacco. When a man joins them to spend the afternoon at the river, Lou watches him and wonders: who is he, what is he doing there and why is he sticking to his mother? Details → Lou Tara Maurel France19 min

As Ramadan draws to a close, a young woman returns home, stirring up buried tensions and unspoken truths that refuse to stay in the past. Details → NANI Mainak Dhar United States10 min

In the shadow of China’s growing erasure of marginalized lives and the tightening state surveillance, a sudden disappearance of an elderly woman in the frigid winter propels her caregiver, Lin, on a relentless search. As Lin’s quest deepens, the boundaries between her and the mystery blur, entwining her fate with the vanishing she seeks to resolve. Details → No One Knows I Disappeared Hanxiong Bo China17 min

An Orphanage of Memories India21 min

After several years in the US, Tara, in the midst of her IVF process, returns to India for the funeral of her father. There, she finds a mother in denial about her sexual orientation, an ex-girlfriend who has rebuilt her life with a man, and the shadow of the paterfamilias that continues to hang over the home. Details → Places I’ve called my own Sushma Khadepaun India28 min

Prayer Beads China15 min

An Iranian girl Raha refuses to make a false confession after being arrested for joining the protest women-life-freedom movement, ends up with an unexpected punishment from the Islamic Republic authorities Details → Raha Mohammad Mozafari France15 min

The beach. Everything is there for everyone to enjoy. Only the ocean disagrees. Details → Red Flag Dimitri Krassoulia-Vronsky France21 min

Moha, 24, lives in the northern suburbs of Amiens and dreams of becoming a pastry chef. As a promise of employment looms, he is unwillingly drawn into a situation that could jeopardize everything. Details → Saint-Honoré Mohamed Seddiki, Christopher Caulier France18 min

As she prepares to end her nomad life and return home, a middle-aged immigrant woman who has run away from home for months is thrown off course when she encounters an underage escort stranded in a remote town. Details → Same Star Above Us Ke Liu United States19 min

If Fei finishes his summer homework on time, his mother promises he'll get the toy he's been dreaming of. Today is the last day of summer, but Fei's mother doesn't seem to be keeping her promise. Things don't go as Fei had planned. On the last day of Fei's summer, he decidesto spend the day in a different way. Details → Side A: A Summer Day Wan KinFai China22 min

Kevin is seen as a troubled boy. To be true, he tends to lose his temper when made fun of. After another incident, he is forced to participate in an all-male behavioral therapy session. Kevin should be going with his father who refuses to come. It’s Kevin’s stepfather, who looks more like his little brother, who is named to go with him. Details → A son and a father Andrés Ramírez Pulido Colombia25 min

Cebriana is sure she saw a fire at night on the mountain. There are no traces of embers or witnesses to corroborate her vision. Her grandmother, an old herbmistress, will try to make her see beyond the flames. Details → THE SORCERESS ECHO MARC CAMARDONS Spain24 min

Azaa and Shagai, a couple in their late 20s, are living in Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia) with their 6-year-old daughter. On the verge of divorce, they search for happiness in empty, high-rise buildings. Stuck in their car in the infamous city traffic, they fight it out. Details → A South Facing Window Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir France, Mongolia20 min

Rosie, a 13-year-old Chinese-American girl, embarks on a skateboarding escapade through the streets of New York with her crush and his best friend - at the cost of abandoning her little sister and never delivering a forgotten lunchbox. Details → Sunflower Girl Holly M. Kaplan United States13 min

27 years of a loving marriage. 27 years of sharing a passion for food. 27 years of celebrating it every Thursday. Thursday Special is a poignant tale of love, companionship and change. Details → Thursday Special Varun Tandon India26 min

Jane, an aspiring actress, teams up with private investigator Wolfman to find her missing childhood friend. Their search becomes a transformative journey, guided by the enigmatic spiritual leader Moon. Trinity is a poetic and dreamlike film about mysticism, transformation, and identity, inspired by René Daumal’s Mount Analogue. Blending fiction with transcendental cinema, the film becomes a visual pilgrimage. Using analogue VFX inspired by Jordan Belson, psychedelic imagery, and experimental cinematography, Trinity invites the viewer into an immersive and sensorial experience of spiritual awakening. Entirely self-produced, the film is written, directed, shot, edited, and scored by R.B. van Heesch, making it a rare example of fully author-driven cinema. Details → Trinity R.B van Heesch Netherlands20 min

After her Nanu’s (‘grandfather’ in Hindi) ceremonial cremation brings her to the Holy Ganges River in India, nine year-old oddball Isha befriends the phantom of her Nanu’s own rambunctious nine year-old self. After being told those who die end up on the Moon by her father, a sentiment from a traditional Indian lullaby, Isha and her Nanu’s ghost go there themselves, fueled by curiosity and a yearning for the connection they could never form whilst Nanu was alive. Together, they discover the journey that lies after death. Details → Who Are You, Nanu? Anjini Taneja Azhar India, United States15 min

Indian Live Action Short

23 films

Aasmaani Jhoola ★ Best Director — Live Action Short India20 min

The promise of a bigger and better life in Canada where his older brother has already settled has long inundated the dreams of Navraj, a young Punjabi man in Chandigarh. But when his long-awaited visa finally gets approved, he realizes the cost of leaving home may be far greater than he ever anticipated. More than leaving behind his friends, he cannot bear to break the news to his beloved grandmother who adoringly depends on him. Details → As Dusk Falls Jaskirat Singh India22 min

On his return home, androgynous-looking Madhu attempts to seduce Ratnakar, his rickshaw driver, who is practicing celibacy in preparation for a religious pilgrimage. Details → AUTOMAGIC Ashok Vish France, India13 min

In the small Himalayan village of Halduwala, near Dehradun, Basanti (59) runs a tailoring shop with her young granddaughter, Ginny (9). When Anupama (39), a newcomer to the village, requests Basanti to repurpose old clothes into cushion covers, bedsheets, and bags, Ginny becomes attached to a t-shirt designated for recycling. As Basanti teaches Ginny about the importance of honoring commitments and recycling, she discovers that the t-shirt belongs to Anupama’s son and is his favorite. Strugglin Details → Basanti Tailors Ajay Govind India19 min

In a city gripped by communal tensions, EK WAJAH tells the poignant tale of two lovers, who find themselves on opposite sides of a societal divide. Once separated by fate, their paths cross again amidst the chaos of a raging riot. As the narrative unfolds, "EK WAJAH" explores themes of love, sacrifice, identity, and the profound impact of societal divisions Details → EK WAJAH (THE REASON) Sushank Verma India28 min

A pick-pocket at a local fair, is in for a shock, when one of the stolen wallets contains a suicide note. Now, he needs to find the owner of the wallet and save her before it's too late. Details → The Giant Wheel of Life Mohammed Ali Rukadikar India20 min

A promising gay Kathak dancer, secretly suffering from a chronic skin condition, faces the dilemma when asked to perform, revealing his skin to the world, risking his love life and acceptance he longs for. Details → Greeshmaant Sagar Mashalkar India22 min

Manish, an innocent little boy struggles to catch up with the reality of his mother's untimely death. Determined to bring her back, he takes up daunting challenges which he believes will bring back his mother. Details → Knot Abhay Parveen Gupta ★ Best Director — Live Action Short India15 min

An actor who is known for his versatile acting, gets another offer to play the role of a serial killer. The director asks him about his acting process, but he doesn't reveal it. He calls him for a final screen test. The actor uses occult practices and summons a ruthless serial killer from Bangladesh who used to kill rapists, molesters. The spirit of the killer possessed him. That night, when the director goes to his room. He finds the actor sitting in his room. He gets scared. The actor comes to him and reminds him of his past casting couch sins and kills him with an iron rod. Details → Method Actor Junayed Alavi ★ Best Director — Live Action Short India17 min

One day a dog named Moti turns into a boy. Shocked and confused, Moti’s human masters take him to the hospital to find out what is wrong. Science intervenes: Moti starts to evolve. But in becoming fully human Moti loses something vital along the way: his doggy sense of smell, his canine way of navigating the world. Details → Moti Yash Saraf ★ Best Director — Live Action Short India16 min

A strange secret yearning afflicts a reclusive young nurse, dealing with abuse and trauma, only known to her sister who has Down’s syndrome. Details → Nails Triparna Banerjee India15 min

In a high-altitude Himalayan mountain village, a young girl named Nyingma lives with her family. She's very ambitious and hopes to attend school, relying on her father's promise to send her after the long, harsh winter. Due to changing weather patterns and global warming, they've had a poor farming season this year, just like last year. The weather forecast predicts La Niña, indicating a particularly harsh winter ahead, and they need to prepare for it by stocking up on food and other essentials. Details → Nyingma.. Through her eyes. Liton Paul India20 min

The film follows the journey of a Postman living in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK), trapped in a life shaped by political unrest and personal struggles. One fateful day, he receives a mysterious letter destined for him. Which changed his life in ways he could have not imagined. Details → Postman Faizan Anees Bazmee India25 min

Alok Pratap is a decorated police officer who is brought upon an opportunity to join a Special Task Force lead by Manohar Pandey. The meeting is set and the battle of right and righteousness begins. Details → PRAARAMBH Gaurav Utreja India15 min

"Raddi" is an evocative portrait of Rajesh—a man who has come to see himself as discarded, much like the very definition of "raddi." Once a spirited adventurer, he now battles the constraints of aging and the aftermath of a heart attack, feeling increasingly irrelevant. During a bustling family gathering for a cricket match, his presence seems overshadowed—until a sudden power outage plunges the room into darkness. In that pivotal moment, Rajesh, armed only with a repaired murphy radio and a resolute heart, restores not only the live commentary of the game but also the light of belonging and purpose. "Raddi" powerfully reminds us that even when life’s treasures appear forsaken, they carry an enduring value capable of illuminating our darkest. Details → RADDI Ishan Singh India15 min

18-year-old Razaa plays a violent game on her phone as she and her mother Sabeen wait at a gynaecologist’s clinic to get an abortion. Sabeen is appalled at her nonchalance. As they argue about the morality of the difficult decision they must make, Razaa's father calls. They cannot let him find out about the pregnancy... Details → RAZAA Pooja Tolani India15 min

Re-Routing is a psychological thriller. The film centers on two individuals trapped in self-centered and claustrophobic lives. Throughout one night, their chance encounter forces them to confront their inner struggles and offers the possibility of "Re-Routing" each other's lives. The story emphasizes the possibility of empathy and redemption, even in the most challenging circumstances. Details → Re-Routing Kankana Chakraborty India36 min

The Sadist explores the dark shift in society as people begin to celebrate violence and cruelty. Through the story of a prime-time news anchor, the film delves into media manipulation and its impact on collective morality. Details → The Sadist Kundan Shashiraj India30 min

A dalit, trans-woman puts herself out in the dating pool of Bombay as she tries to navigate through her queer & caste identity. At a queer party Tara meets a charming young man, Aman and is instantly enamoured by his charm and comfort that he shares about her trans-identity. Tara, on the same night learns that Aman is an upper caste man and thus she decides to keep her Dalit (lower caste) identity to herself with the fear of Aman losing interest in her. What follows is Tara's struggle of discretion and coming to terms with her own identity and facing her real self at the cost of losing love. Details → Tara Ashutosh S. Shankar India23 min

As the cast & crew prepare to wrap up the shoot of an indie drama film on the final day of the filming, the central characters, portrayed by a real life married couple, are set to shoot the film's emotional climax- a scene that will define both their characters & the entire story. However, as the day progresses the divide between the fictional narrative & their real life marriage begins to fade. As the couple works through the scene, their hidden grievances, insecurities, and unspoken truths begin to surface. The line between who they are in real life and who they portray on-screen becomes indistinguishable. When they finally nail the last take — a moment of perfect cinematic catharsis — it is clear that the masks they’ve been wearing have been stripped away entirely. As the film wraps, the couple must face the raw truth of who they are — both as characters and as a married couple. Details → That’s A Wrap Sunny Hinduja, Shinjini Raval India23 min

When Azhar's brother forces him to confront the man responsible for their sister's assault, he is thrust into an agonising choice. Does he follow his deep-rooted disdain for violence, or give in to the overwhelming desire for vengeance? Torn between morality and justice, Azhar’s next move will change everything. Details → Two Sinners Samir Zaidi ★ Best Director — Live Action Short India12 min

In a Squash National Final, an athlete faces his past, fights for his future, and confronts his toughest opponent: his own self-doubt. Details → Ziddh Aryaman Adik India17 min

A shy office butler develops a bittersweet infatuation with her new boss, secretly navigating the delicate line between fantasy and reality as she grapples with unspoken feelings and the inevitable heartache that follows Details → Zoya Sayantan Mukherjee India20 min

Animated Short

14 films

I'll bring Shiro to you.I promise!" Jin, the cat, made this promise to Mugi, who is deeply sad about losing her beloved dog, Shiro. Jin loves Mugi very much and, after hearing the story of the "Rainbow Bridge" from his owner Aki, he decides to take Mugi to meet Shiro at theRainbow Bridge! Can Jin heal Mugi's sadness? With the help of nearby pigeons and squirrels, Jin's great plan is now underway! Details → BRIDGE -My Little Friends- Kazuyuki Ishihara Japan10 min

A movingly tender animation, based on Dean Atta’s eponymous poem, sees two boys (Edan, 19 and Dula, 18) on a journey of self-acceptance and love – for each other and themselves. “The whole project is an ode to belonging. And how complicated, difficult and messy that journey is. It’s an ode to love. Which is and will always be the greatest anything that life has to offer.” Details → Catfish Aurélie GALIBOIS, Aurélie MARTIN, Camille NAUD, Cristina GANUSCIAC, Hee Young PARK, Vedushi SINHA France7 min

Sam, a grumpy raccoon is stuck sharing a cell with Bob, a sweet but dim manatee. Sam hatches an escape plan. In their chaotic jailbreak Sam’s hardened edges soften as Bob’s loyalty shines. Will they escape? Maybe. But together, they’ve already cracked something bigger: trust. Details → Cell Buddies Melle Windig, Hidde Alberts, Miguel Reyes, Jurgen de Smit, Arjen van der Plas Netherlands5 min

The story is about a young couple who seem to have a peaceful life, but their relationship has deep problems. The woman suffers from a one-sided emotional relationship and makes the last effort to improve it, but he ignores her feelings, has sex with her and treats her like a servant. She becomes disappointed and depressed. He believes that he is a feminist and a defender of women’s rights. He criticizes physical violence and participates in the international Day of Violence against Women. Details → Dark Orange Zahra Azadpour Iran6 min

An extra-terestial duo crosses the universe to share technological insights with less brilliant minds. On one peculiar planet, things don't quite go as planned. Details → Eureka! Kris Borghs Belgium10 min

FLOCKY is an animated allegory navigating pregnancy, exploring the connection between a mother and her unborn child. Set in a melancholic and enchanting world, the film beautifully captures the essence of love, and the poignant nature of loss. Details → FLOCKY Esther Casas Roura Spain12 min

The twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac are celebrating and welcoming the Year of the Rabbit. They’re trying to take a photo together, but… Details → Happy New Year Saki Muramoto Japan3 min

Manoj is a simple young boy who dreams of purchasing a scooter, hoping to ride it with his crush. He dreams of having a scooter and being able to ride it in the streets. Manoj being the strong kid he is, does not want to bother his father who has a small snack shop, and decides to make efforts for his dream to come true by finding small jobs from which he could earn some money. His efforts have started to show results as he was able to collect some money but was met with the unfortunate incident of his father being met with an accident. As Manoj had been collecting money he was able to take care of his father's hospital expenses. The boy is again seen with the hope of making his dream come to life but this time his father is also a part of it without him knowing. Details → Kinavu Brigitta Varghese India5 min

In the heart of Mumbai, a middle- aged Maharashtrian housewife, endures her husband's chauvinism and the tedium of her relentless chores. She finds solace in her rich fantasies. Her husband's departure for work allows her to reduce the pace of her work a little, but his return with misogynistic colleagues shatters her peace. After a particularly demeaning remark from her husband, she fantasizes about serving them " Brain pakoras" made from her brain. These flights of fancy are her only escape from the monotonous rhythm of her domestic life. These breaks are unfortunately all too brief as she has to quickly return to her daily grind, akin to the city's lifeline, the local train, enduring and unnoticed. Details → Loop Line Renuka Shahane India8 min

In a queer utopia, two couples sit in conversation at a restaurant, waiting for service that will never arrive. Details → More Than Happy Wei Keong Tan Singapore7 min

Anxious teenager Ūla is taken on an unexpected adventure during her swimming practise, through which she grows-up and learns to see her body anew. Details → The One Who Knows Eglė Davidavičė France, Lithuania12 min

As Elise moves into a new apartment with her parents, her pet cat Roger turns into a goldfish. Distraught, she goes back to her childhood home to turn him back. Details → Two Black Boys in Paradise Baz Sells United Kingdom9 min

Where bad people go cancer grows. Details → Where Darkness Grows Naomi Plasterer United States2 min

Wishes: Windows & Nests Australia, Colombia8 min

Genre & focus

9 films

A pioneer folk horror. Two plural wives receive a mysterious visitation amidst the blood red stone of Southern Utah. Details → The Angel Barrett Burgin, Jessica Burgin United States20 min

When a broke birthday party clown finds out in the middle of the gig from hell that his mother is on her death bed; he must do whatever it takes to afford a flight home to say goodbye, all the while slowly losing his grip on reality. Details → Are You Fucking Kidding Me?! Zen Pace United States12 min

Roy, a jaded Guardian Angel on celestial parole, drifts through life on Earth, wasting his divine powers on petty pranks and dodging his sacred duties. His only real companion? Breeda, a sharp-tongued demon kicked out of hell for being too soft, who delights in tempting him further off course. But when Roy stumbles upon a cosmic bombshell - the imminent apocalypse - his slacker existence is thrown into chaos. With eternity on the line, he and Breeda hatch an audacious plan: a high-stakes, otherworldly heist to clear his sentence and maybe, just maybe, cheat fate itself. Details → Guardian Asshole The Neese Twins United States19 min

Alexander Peter Lercher Details → The Manic Helm Alexander Peter Lercher Australia6 min

Two friends: one with a broken heart, the other on the brink of marriage. Together they set out on a day's journey that leads them to confront their past amidst shared grief and hopes for a brighter future. Centred around intimate friendships between men of colour, Farewell presents evolving expressions of modern masculinity. Details → Farewell Soham Kundu United Kingdom15 min

In the strawberry fields of Kashmir, hopelessly sensitive Tushar falls in love with his cooler-than-thou friend, and their ensuing summer romance transforms him. Details → Strawberry Cream Vishnu Sinha United States16 min

A fabulous, queer, Muslim beauty entrepreneur competes in a Shark Tank-like contest after suffering an untimely allergic reaction Details → PORELESS Harris Doran United States13 min

POLI" follows the story of Ajji, a hardworking matriarch who runs a puran poli business from home. She cares for Prapti, who helps with the business, and Shruti, her neighbour’s child. Shruti uses puran poli dough to make dolls, placing them on the "good" or "bad" side based on what she hears from the men in her life. Details → Poli Janvi Madabusi India5 min

An artist on an obsessive journey to give his art a meaning stumbles into the narrow lanes of a candy lane, a red light area, where he gets pulled not by lust, but by a nightingale's voice. Devi, sitting at the door step, lost in her own trance, finds our artist. She scans the man upside down, like she does every night, and realizes his mental distress. Although unintended directly, their conversation leads to an unexpected meaning to his art. And finally, like all the brilliant stories in the world, his obsession meets her art of noticing something not a usual person would. Details → Aankhon Suni Brian Benhur Dongardive India8 min

Screenplays

9 films

60 Dates in Six Months (with a Broken Neck) Screenplay

Madhur Screenplay

Red Hands, a Mary MacIntosh novel by Maureen Anne Meehan Screenplay

The Santa Situation Screenplay

The Thin Place Screenplay

Against The Tide United States

Crossroads United States

Fatima And Her Two Goats Screenplay

TRIPLE SCREW KNOT Screenplay

Congratulations

To every filmmaker selected.

See who took home the awards, watch the award night and browse the photos from YIFF 2025 — or send us your film for YIFF 2026, 30 Nov – 4 Dec 2026.

Winners 2025 Submit on FilmFreeway