A circus family encounters hard times and family strife, but is brought into the limelight through their chance encounter with a polar bear cub.

Since they were both five, Ryosuke has been stalked by Momoko – the ugliest girl in the village. Her love for Ryosuke is so boundless that she has her face surgically altered to suit his taste – but still he wants nothing to do with her. Ryosuke goes in for fleeting romance – for example, with the girlfriend of a gangster boss. But when he finds out about their affair, he has Ryosuke’s little finger hacked off. Magically, the finger falls into Momoko’s hands, and she uses it to clone Ryosuke, so she can finally have him (or almost him) for herself. And this is just the first five minutes of Lisa Takeba’s short-but-powerful feature debut. Just like in her previous short films, the director – who cut her teeth in the advertising world and as the writer of a video game – throws a lot of genres and techniques into the mix: from science fiction to gangster films, from hospital eroticism to animation. Hectic and absurd, but with its heart in the right place. © IFFR

“Someday Isles” is a Feature Film detailing the chaotic journey of PayAttenion coming to terms with his life’s purpose by embracing his destiny through self-actualization. The film is set in multiple destinations, but scenes are concentrated primarily in Hong Kong and Los Angeles. The central focus and meanings of the film are self-reflection, self-determination, and finding a greater understanding of one’s purpose by following one’s own path to bliss. PayAttention’s journey in this film is paralleled by that of a young woman named Ling Fei who is attending college in Los Angeles. Ling Fei comes from a wealthy family from Hong Kong; her family is incredibly controlling over her future, they rarely give her room to breathe.

After a drug dealer schemes against them in secret, two student gangs ignite a bitter feud that triggers a chain of violent consequences.

In the 1980s, Anna, a Czech sprinter, starts training for the Olympics. After she collapses during training, she learns she is being given steroids and decides to stop using them until her mother helps the coaches give them to her.

A lawyer takes on a case of a prison guard in South Africa who is traumatized by the executions he’s witnessed.

Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party takes place over 24 hours at the birthday pool party of 17-year-old preacher’s kid Henry Gamble. The party guests include adults and teenagers from his church, as well as Henry’s “secular” friends, including the closeted young Logan, who has eyes for Henry.

Musical prodigy, Sparkle (Jordin Sparks) struggles to become a star while overcoming issues that are tearing her family apart. From an affluent Detroit area and daughter to a single mother (Whitney Houston), she tries to balance a new romance with music manager Stix (Derek Luke) while dealing with the unexpected challenges her new life will bring as she and her two sisters (Carmen Ejogo and Tika Sumpter) strive to become a dynamic singing group during the Motown-era.

Danny Bishop is a gambling prodigy. After exiling himself to prison, he returns to his brothers home only to find himself back in the game because of a large debt for his protection in prison. He cons a group of high stakes gamblers, including his vicious rival, Alex, to a tournament. The story is a delicate balance between the tension of the game and the strained relationship with his brother.

A young and devoted morning television producer is hired as an executive producer on a long-running morning show at a once-prominent but currently failing station in New York City. Eager to keep the show on air, she recruits a former news journalist and anchor who disapproves of co-hosting a show that does not deal with real news stories.

A teenager has his Sitka Spruce tree chosen to be planted outside the White House as the new national Christmas Tree.

Four guys, best friends, have grown up together in DANCER, TEXAS POP. 81, a tiny town in West Texas. Years ago, they made a solemn vow to leave town together as soon as they graduate. Now, it’s that weekend and the time has come to “put up or shut up.” The clock is ticking and as all 81 people in the town watch, comment, offer advice and place bets, these four very different boys with unique backgrounds struggle with the biggest decision of their lives… whether to stay or leave home.