Due to the elevator being out of order in the Centre for Culture building, events taking place on the first floor and in the basement are currently inaccessible to people with limited mobility.

This year’s set of Oscar-nominated live-action short films (Live Action Short Film category) features four stories about the tensions of the modern world – identity, prejudice, intimacy, and the courage to be oneself. Each film examines interpersonal relationships in critical situations, where everyday life collides with social, political, or cultural pressures.

The set allows viewers to experience diverse, original stories and a wide range of emotions in a single viewing.

PROGRAMME:

Butcher’s Stain / directed by: Meyer Levinson-Blount / Israel / 2025 / 26’
Samir, an Arab Israeli working in a Tel Aviv supermarket, is accused of tearing down hostage posters in the break room. He sets out to prove his innocence and keep the job he desperately needs.

A Friend of Dorothy / directed by: Lee Knight / Great Britain / 2025 / 21’
A lonely widow’s quiet life is turned upside down when a teenage boy accidentally kicks a ball into her garden. The cast features the cream of the crop of iconic British humor, including Miriam Margolyes and Stephen Fry.

Jane Austen’s Period Drama / directed by: Julia Aks, Steve Pinder / USA / 2024 / 13’
England, 1813. In the midst of a long-awaited marriage proposal, Miss Estrogenia Talbot experiences her period. Her admirer, Mr. Dickley, mistakes the blood for a serious wound, and it soon becomes clear that his expensive education is lacking in certain essentials of modern medicine… The original title, “Jane Austen’s Period Drama,” is a satire of “Pride and Prejudice,” subversively exploiting the ambiguity of the words “period drama,” which, when translated, means a classic costume drama, but “period” also means menstruation, which is the starting point for the film’s joke.

Two People Exchanging Saliva / directed by: Natalie Musteata, Alexandre Singh / France, USA / 2024 / 36’
In a world where a kiss is punishable by death and slaps are the currency, the unhappy Angine escapes into compulsive shopping at a department store. There, a carefree saleswoman catches her eye. Although affection is strictly forbidden, a closeness develops between the women, arousing the jealousy of one of the employees. The narrator is voiced by renowned actress Vicky Krieps (“The Corset,” “Phantom Thread”).

The Singers / directed by: Sam A. Davis / USA / 2025 / 18’
One winter night, a lonely man finds warmth and kindness in a sleazy bar during an impromptu singing competition. Acclaimed director and cinematographer Sam Davis’s film shows how singing together can bring people closer together and transform loneliness into a moment of true community and emotional relief, giving the story a truly universal appeal that will resonate with viewers for a long time.

Running time: 116 min