The International Student Competition of the Drama International Short Film Festival once again opens a window onto student cinema from around the world.

Each year, we are increasingly impressed by the talent of emerging filmmakers. Indeed, the term student often feels misleading, given the remarkable artistic maturity already evident in their work.

This year’s selection brings together a generation of filmmakers who are unafraid to take risks, experiment, and challenge the conventions of cinematic storytelling. Across these two programmes, audiences will discover a rich and multifaceted blend of voices and genres: razor-sharp, brilliantly observed comedies about the chaos of shared living and the absurd lies we tell (How to Live Together, Nobody Barks); intimate stories exploring family bonds and personal identity (Delay, My Cousin’s Wedding); films that delve into the weight of grief, the search for redemption, and the fragility of life (Rotten Water, Mother of a Son, From This Day Forth); and works that carry viewers into surreal journeys through memory, inheritance, and contemporary mythology (MINOR DELUGE, Imago, Chant of the Waterway, An Impossible Word of Praise). From experimental documentaries examining the ways we appropriate nature (From Ecuador With Love) to explorations of unusual phobias (o), these filmmakers approach their stories with extraordinary confidence, imagination, and emotional depth.

Reaching the final selection was an incredibly difficult task, as we were forced to leave behind many outstanding films that we deeply admired. We are grateful to every filmmaker who entrusted us with their work, and we congratulate them on the courage and determination it takes to bring a film into the world.

It is a great honour to present these short films to you. They remind us that the future of cinema is being shaped right here—in student filmmaking.

Kostis Charamountanis
Head of the International Student Competition Programme