Marc Thelosen

Branko dwells on the fringes of Belgrade society. Isolated and unable to sleep, he speaks to no-one. His only obsession seems to be his younger brother, whose muddy shoes, bloodstained sheets, and murky whereabouts unsettle him. As paranoia sets in, Branko realises his brother isn't the strange one. He is.

The 12-year-old black girl Ella is deprived of safety, opportunities, and freedom. Ella discovers that she has lived multiple lives in Ghana, Curaçao and Surinam as the immortal, extraterrestrial Xoxo. In this magical realistic feature with elements of science fiction, a paralleled world is created from where the aliens observe human thoughts and feelings.

The evocative narration of Charlotte Rampling guides a descent into the labyrinthine world of Chris Marker, the best-known author of unknown films, who spent a lifetime concealing himself behind a veil of pseudonyms and images of cats. Moving through a constellation of personal documents and film fragments, an archivist attempts to decode the man through the material traces he left behind.

ZAAD tells the autobiographical story of Dries Meddens. After the death of his mother, the care for Dries' bipolar father falls on his plate. He discovers how crudely and ruthlessly society and psychiatry treat patients. His father eventually dies in solitary confinement. While emptying his parent’s home, Dries discovers an old letter from his grandfather. The man appears to have led a busy, productive life. He is the founder of an internationally renowned seed breeding company and still has time to paint, write diaries and conduct intensive correspondence. Dries finds similarities between his grandfather, his father and himself. Slowly the fear grows that his father's psychiatric illness might be hereditary. Strolling through the family’s film and photo archives, with dramatic and sometimes hilarious finds, Dries tries to find answers. He also consults a psychiatrist. Together the consultations and reviewing of his archival material help Dries look at bipolarity with new eyes.

About 10 years ago, filmmaker Ton van Zantvoort got to know Stijn, an idealist with a cheerful, relaxed nature. Stijn is one of the last remaining Dutch shepherds working in the traditional way. We see the shepherd, his sheep and his three loyal dogs crisscrossing nature reserves and farmlands so the herd can graze the land in an eco-friendly way. But nowadays, little remains of the romance and peace that we associate with the centuries-old tradition of sheepherding. Tenders are increasingly hard to acquire—competition from big companies, cheap East European shepherds and smart machinery make Stijn the expensive choice.

Worlds collide in more ways than one in this stunning collection. Confidence is violated, classes clash and desire is concealed, yet love still triumphs regardless of the consequences. Boys On Film 14: Worlds Collide features nine new, powerful, and dramatic short films: Lee Haven Jones's "Want It" starring Jamie Cutler and Alan Turkington; Sophy Holland and Alicya Eyo's "Brace" starring Jake Graf and Harry Rundle; Mauro Mueller's "A World For Raúl" starring Alexandré Barceló and Adrián Alonso; Dennis Shinners's "Barrio Boy" starring Dennis Garcia and Dan Leonard; Darwin Serink's "Aban + Khorshid" starring Mojean Aria and Bobby Naderi; Jan-Dirk Bouw's "I ♥ Hooligans"; Christopher Bradley's "The Violation" starring Slade Pearce, Elaine Hendrix, and Shayne Topp; Rafael Aidar's "The Package" starring Jefferson Brito and Victor Monteiro; and Søren Green's "An Afternoon" starring Ulrik Windfeldt-Schmidt and Jacob Ottensten.

Who am I? What is real? How to live in the madness of the world? These are questions posed by six people who have had psychosis and speak openly about their experience. They have in common that they think deeply, and that at particular moments in their lives, they were under intense personal and social pressure.

A football hooligan feels unconditional love for his club. However, being gay, he has to hide his identity in order to survive in this world that is so precious to him.