The FILMETS Badalona Film Festival will once again be the gateway to Catalonia for the 2020 British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards (BAFTAs), which were announced on 2 February in London’s Royal Albert Hall. Thanks to its collaboration with the British Council, the FILMETS Festival is due to screen the eight short films presented at this year's BAFTA awards.This is the second consecutive year that the British Council and FILMETS have collaborated closely with one another on this initiative.
The two BAFTA-winning short films:
- Learning to skateboard in a war zone (If a you’re girl): award for the best fictional short film. This 39-minute short was directed by Carol Dysinger and produced by Elena Andreicheva. The film tells the story of an Afghan girl who learns to read, write and skateboard in Kabul. It also won the prize for best short documentary film at this year’s Oscar awards.
- Grandad was a romantic: award for the best animated short film. This 4-minute short was directed by Maryam Mohajer. In the film, a girl explains that his grandfather was a romantic. He once saw a picture of her granny and realised that she was the love of his life. One day he decided to go meet her.
The six BAFTA shorts finalists in the short film category:
- Azaar: this 21-minute film was written and directed by Myriam Raja and produced by Nathanael Baring. The film tells the tale of a tribe of women who await the return of their men from war. Azaar, one of the only remaining young people in the village, bonds with her mother, grandmother and the rest of the tribe as she learns the true cost of being a woman.
- Goldfish: this 18-minute film was directed by Hector Dockrill, produced by Harri Kamalanathan and Benedict Turnbull and written by Laura Dockrill. Following the death of her older brother, an 11-year-old girl struggles to overcome her grief. With no company other than her mother and a beautiful goldfish, her life–which had been rose-tinted up until this point–is shattered into pieces. This pain lasts until she finds a letter from a stranger, which changes everything.
- Kamali: this 24-minute film was directed and produced by Sasha Rainbow and co-produced by Rosalind Croad. Kamali is the only girl who rides a skateboard in the fishing village where she lives. Her mother, Suganthi, begins a pilgrimage in an attempt to find herself; to embark on a process of self-discovery. With mother and daughter separated for the first time, they both need to find freedom in a man’s world.
- The trap: this 32-minute film was directed by Lena Headey and produced by Anthony Fitzgerald. When a lonely woman falls in love, it’s easy to share this tender and sensual story of a shocking self-discovery with her.
- In her boots: This animated short film was directed by Kathrin Steinbacher. This 6-minute project explains how Heidi experiences some strange things. While her granddaughter is visiting her, she suddenly embarks on a journey by foot to the most remote parts of the Alps, revealing the reason behind her passion for her walking boots. This is a story of Heidi’s attempt to preserve her identity and autonomy.
- The magic boat: an animated short directed by Naaman Azhari and produced by Lilia Laurel. The film lasts 6 minutes. It is an intimate insight into the relationship between a mother and her son during the most dangerous trip of their lives.