Narrative Shorts Block 2

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These narrative shorts move across time, place, and genre, from wartime folklore and dystopian futures to intimate stories of family, memory, grief, and belonging. Blending surrealism, animation, historical drama, and contemporary realism, the films explore what happens when characters confront forces beyond their control and discover unexpected ways forward.

The forest of souls by Pierre Gaffié

Mathilde is a young acoustician. Fascinated by the power of sounds, she wants to invent a new way of travelling through time and find the souls of the departed...

Director Biography - Pierre Gaffié

After some years in front of the camera, as a film reviewer for French TV channel "Canal plus", Pierre decided it was time for images to replace words and that the bravest move should be to stay behind the camera. He has directed shorts like "The dolphin skin city" or "Apocalypse notes" which try to portray human beings confronted with unexpected challenges. He teaches cinema at the Efap school in Paris and currently works on his first feature film.

MIAZEL by George Dogaru

The dystopian future depicted in "Miazel" is one in which Romania's ethnic minorities are sent to labor camps. A common citizen's life in this new society takes an unexpected turn once he is suspected of having descended from impure Romanis.

Director Biography - George Dogaru

George Dogaru, born in 1980, is a Romanian filmmaker and theatre director. He graduated with a degree in Film&TV Directing in 2002 and Theatre Directing in 2005. Over the past 20 years, he has directed a diverse body of work spanning award-winning short films, television series, feature film projects, and plays.

George Dogaru’s early short Midnight Crisis (2005) is a dark comedy-drama presenting human tension in a confined space. In 2019, his short A Normal Guy - which he directed, wrote, and produced - premiered at Palm Springs ShortFest and earned international attention. In 2022, he directed Ter Chono. A Mongolian Story and now is preparing for the premiere of his latest short film, Octopus, at TIFF 2025 – a story that delves into a boy’s imaginative world. Parallel to his shorts, Dogaru has directed popular Romanian TV comedies, such as Mondenii (2006–2014), Atletico Textila (2016–2025), Ai noștri (2017), Mangalita (2019–2020), and Brigada Nimic (2024). His work is characterized by an intimate portrayal of characters, a blend of humor and drama, and strong visual storytelling. Underlying themes often explore humannature, identity, and subtle societal commentary. George Dogaru also brings theatrical sensibilities into his screen work, reflecting his background in theatre directing. With a career spanning formats and genres, he continues to develop projects that combine emotional nuance and visual creativity.

The Lone Piper by Matthew Kravchuk

In the midst of the French and Indian War, a company of hardened soldiers force their young bagpipe player into battle, only to discover that their enemy is not what they expected.

Set in 1759, The Lone Piper follows a Scottish bagpipe player and an Algonquian girl as they struggle to cope with the horrors of war. Using folklore as a medium, this period project discusses the ever-present themes of colonialism and xenophobia.

Director Biography - Matthew Kravchuk

As a first time writer and director, Matthew Kravchuk learned his trade through osmosis, by working on major film and television productions in New York City. Since his career began in 2018, he has worked on productions such as: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, West Side Story, Black Rabbit, and more. Kravchuk currently works as a director/producer assistant in New York City.

The Golem's Return by Nathan Meltz

In a world of automatons and stylized mechanical plants and architecture, a malevolent beast causes chaos and destruction. A survivor of violence summons a golem to battle the beast in this moody, stop-motion animation.

Director Biography - Nathan Meltz

Nathan Meltz uses printmaking, animation, sculpture, and performance to comment on the infiltration of technology into every facet of life, from politics and food, to family and war.

Spiral by Abbey Paccia

In her film Spiral, Abbey Paccia contemplates existential thoughts that slip through the margins of her days. The consideration of mollusk shells as containers of memory leads to the awe of small life and the connection of all beings. The poetic narrative slips between Paccia’s relationship with other life forms, drifting visions of her own memories, and reflections on living in this changing planet as a finite being.

Director Biography - Abbey Paccia

Abbey Paccia is an animator, illustrator, and educator. Much of her work in visual art plays with the shifting perception of natural forms; the process of directing attention toward the insignificant, the overlooked, and bits of small wonder. Her thoughts tend to materialize as drawings, short films, and mixed media images. Educated at Sheridan College and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Paccia is now an Assistant Professor of Animation and Illustration at the State University of New York at Fredonia.

I don't know if I'll have to say everything again by Vitória Fallavena, Thassilo Weber

Fernando meets his mother weekly at a café. Today, he's gonna tell her he's getting married. Ana, who suffers from Alzheimer's, has trouble remembering that her son is gay. Does she really forget, or would she rather not remember?

Director Biography - Vitória Fallavena, Thassilo Weber

Vitória Fallavena is a Brazilian director and screenwriter based in Rio de Janeiro. She holds a degree in Acting and a teaching certification in Theatre from UNIRIO. Her work spans theatre, film, and audiovisual productions, with experience as an assistant director on projects for Globo and Netflix. She made her directorial debut with the short film I Don’t Know If I’ll Have to Say Everything Again, which has been selected for over 60 international film festivals, including the Bengaluru International Film Festival, Mill Valley Film Festival, and the Havana Film Festival. The film has received several awards, including Best Short Film (Audience Award) at the Rio LGBTQIA+ Festival, an Honorable Mention at the Mix Festival Internazionale di Cinema LGBTQ+ (Italy), and Best Screenplay at the Trancoso Film Festival. She is currently developing her first feature film, We’re Not Dead Yet, which has been selected for major international labs such as TorinoFilmLab (Next Feature 2026), the Taller Internacional de Guion at Bolivialab, and ProjetoLab – Conexão Brasil CineMundi (Tiradentes Film Festival).

Thassilo Weber, is a director, director of photography and screenwriter from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Having read History at King's College London, Thassilo went onto work as a Director of Photography on a series of films, and made a string of short films that won awards at international film festivals in LA, Rome and London. Memories of Rio (2020), is his best known work, having won the best romance award at the Independent Film Awards in LA. He went onto work as a second assistant cameraman on large film productions such as 'Mamonas Assassinas (2023)' and 'Avassaladoras 2 (2022). He is currently one of the creative directors at Film In Produções, where he directs and acts as executive producer, for commercials and TV work.

"I don't know if I'll have to say everything again'' is the first film of the duo.

Cinco by Diego Gardo, Víctor Candela

Ruby is a young man from a working-class neighborhood in Madrid, tired of the violence and distrust that define his group of friends' daily lives.

Together with Nélson, Daniela, and Alexis, he spends the eve of Saint John's Night, where every plan and every action turns into a competition among the boys to validate their status within the group.

As night falls, Ruby finds himself at odds with his friends over an alleged theft, with the flames of the Saint John's bonfires as silent witnesses.

Director Biography - Diego Gardo, Victor Candela

Diego Gardo and Víctor Candela, both 32-year-old Madrid natives, have built their careers in the audiovisual field, specialising in different areas of film production. Diego works as a director of photography, while Víctor has established himself as a video editor.

Together, they have contributed to a wide range of projects, from fiction and advertising to documentaries and music videos. Their creative journey began in their teenage years in the Ciudad Lineal district, where they met and became part of Madrid’s underground graffiti and rap scene. Those years on the streets, shaped by artistic expression and life in the neighbourhood, sparked their interest in cinema as a tool for telling real stories and exploring themes of social class.

However, their approach is not limited to a naturalistic aesthetic; instead, they seek to combine everyday themes with a more poetic narrative, incorporating dreamlike elements.

Their interests extend beyond the audiovisual world. Víctor, for instance, studied Law before training as an editor and post-producer at the Instituto del Cine de Madrid, and he also worked for several years as a secondary school teacher on the French island of Mayotte. Diego, on the other hand, although focused on the film industry from an early age, enriches his creative vision through reading essays on politics and economics.

In recent years, Diego and Víctor have solidified their careers abroad.

For the past three years, they have shared a workspace in Berlin, a city that has influenced their artistic vision and allowed them to connect with new forms of audiovisual storytelling.

It was there that they wrote Cinco, their debut short film as screenwriters and directors, in which they draw on their youth experiences to depict the reality of Madrid’s working-class neighbourhoods over the past decade.

With this work, they aim to authentically capture the dynamics, conflicts, and emotions of those who grow up in these environments, blending their personal backgrounds with a cinematic style that is both intimate and evocative.

Through their work, Diego Gardo and Víctor Candela continue to explore stories that, while rooted in local experiences, hold universal resonance—always with a social focus and a strong visual and emotional impact. Cinco marks the beginning of their journey as filmmakers and their commitment to a cinema that portrays life with honesty and depth.

Laurel Moon by Sarah Sherman

After sharing a walk home with an unexpected companion, a grieving mother leaves all she has left so she can finally live.

Director Biography - Sarah Sherman

Sarah Sherman is a screenwriter and director whose first feature film was executive produced by Jay Duplass and Mark Duplass and debuted at the 2020 Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, Utah under the name Thunderbolt In Mine Eye. It was later acquired by HBO Max. Sherman can be seen onscreen opposite It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s Glenn Howerton in a television pilot that she wrote and acted in titled Two Dogs. In 2021 Sherman was hired to co-direct family feature Christmas, No Filter (now streaming on Tubi) and she directed short film September, which received the Critics’ Choice Award at Cinema Femme Short Film Fest in 2022. Sherman has moderated and spoken on panels for Slamdance Film Festival and was one of three narrative feature jury members for Slamdance’s 2023 Festival in Park City. Sherman has acted in Verge Theater’s production of F*cking A, as well as Northern Writes and The Boat, Providence at The Blue Slipper Theatre, and in 2024 directed writer Emily Rasmuss’ short film Laurel Moon, which was selected for a Big Sky Film Grant. Recently, Sherman has branched into directing theater, helming Lauren Gunderson’s I and You and now preparing to oversee Annie Baker's The Aliens in fall 2025. In winter 2025 she directed short film Still Proceeding (about a man processing his wife’s recent sexual assault during Christmas time) which she also wrote, in Livingston, Montana. Sherman enjoys running, writing, acting, snacking on chips and salsa and spending time with her partner Nolan and their two children, Agate and Hermann. She resides in Montana.

ACCESSIBILITY NOTICE: This screening takes place in a pop-up venue that requires stairs to enter and is not wheelchair accessible. For questions about accessibility or accommodation needs, please call Bennington Theater at 802-500-5500.