Films

All Kinomixer

The Paragon

The winning film of the Future Gate Sci-fi Film Festival 2024. Dutch’s (the brilliant Benedict Wall) life went to pieces the moment he was hit by a car. The driver fled the scene and disappeared to who knows where. He lost his job, his wife and his house, and now spends his time mostly grumbling discontentedly. But he’s also building up anger and wants revenge. Then the mysterious Lyra (Florence Noble) approaches him and offers to teach him how to travel through time and influence events. But instead of being satisfied, Dutch soon learns the flip side of supernatural forces and sets out to find the powerful Time Crystal in time to stop the malevolent Haxan (Jonny Brugh) from taking over the world. A little bit of sci-fi, a little bit of fantasy, and a lot of comedy from Michael Duignan will take you on a fun cosmic ride.

iShorts: Short Genre Films

This year’s Kinomixer program, orchestrated by iShorts, will once again deliver a deliciously entertaining and thematically rich mix of genres! Prepare to dive into animated and live-action films that will transport you across different timelines, galaxies, generations, and countries of production. Join us for an excursion into the world of contemporary short films in the genres of sci-fi, fantasy, and even horror. www.iShorts.eu

The Forbidden Zone (USA)
Director: Zach Tolchinsky | Producer: Wood Goblin Studios | 2021 | 11 min | Animation

A killer fog has descended over the land. High in the alps, a man nurtures a potted plant as the fog laps around him until, one day, a mysterious orb appears.

Two will-they-won’t-they friends are keeping it simple this New Year’s Eve – until their house is crashed by a man from the future who tells them that the fate of the universe rests in their hands.

Rhena’s father tells a story about Atlas, a forest entity that whispers stories of the dead to its trees. That same night he disappears into this forest. Rhena does everything she can to get her father back.

When a curious child falls into a long-forgotten cave, she is confronted by a mysterious spirit and must decide whether the being is kindhearted or something more perilous.

When a family moves into a haunted house, their loyal pet dog struggles to protect them from the malevolent ghosts that only animals can see.

Les Bêtes (USA)
Director: Michael Granberry | Producer: Michael Granberry | 2024 | 12 min | Animation

A mysterious rabbit with a set of magic keys summons a host of strange creatures to entertain a wicked king and his decadent court in this dark stop-motion animated fantasy inspired by the works of Ladislas Starevich.

Cyan Eyed (Canada)
Director: Ryan Grobins | Producer: Ryan Grobins | 2021 | 8 min | Animation

Grunt the automaton attempts to rescue the young supernaturally gifted Nessa Baelin from the bounty hunter pirate Corliss Vail.

A global conflict has disrupted the functioning of life on Earth. The situation was so threatening to the planet that it led to a mutual agreement for a temporary peace. The various societies went into a state of emergency controlled by the military. Money was replaced by a form of payment in the form of electricity called WAC – Watt Credit. An electronic chip became the carrier of credits and personal data. Each participant in the system receives a monthly allotment of energy for work done. Those unable to work are removed from the system and the earning potential is limited. Offline life has become a luxury. The social life has moved to the online world where people have found a space to satisfy their needs and at the same time the possibility of extra income has been created.

Innermost (China)
Director: Chongming Cao | 2023 | 15 min | Animation

To possess an enchanted lyre, a gathering of martial-arts masters do battle with one another — and with their own tragic memories.

Total length of the screening 104 min. In original language with Czech and English subtitles.

Spermageddon

This is not a Pixar movie! Prepare for a deluge of animated… bodily fluids, dirty jokes and everything awkward about teenage sex lives. Although Spermageddon emulates the formula of mainstream animated films for children, it is ultimately an unflinching and daring comedy, but with ‘loads’ of heart. Think of it as a combination of Inside Out and American Pie. The Norwegian film builds on the typical premise of teen comedies, only from a slightly different perspective. We find ourselves in the testicles of protagonist Jens, which is managed by an organised society of sperm. Their goal in life is clear – to do everything they can to be ejaculated and find their way to an egg, rather than just ending up in the palm of Jens’s hand. In parallel, we also follow the blossoming relationship between Jens and Lisa as they discover each other’s bodies and eventually have sex for the first time. But complications soon arise for the teenage couple, and an urgent race against time begins.

Exhuma

Exhuma tells a gripping story about a mysterious curse plaguing a wealthy South Korean family living in California. For generations, the eldest male descendant has inevitably succumbed to madness. Desperate, the family seeks help from an unconventional group of specialists: a shaman and her apprentice, a feng shui expert, and his long-time partner, who owns a funeral home. Together, this charismatic team sets out to the sacred mountains of Korea to investigate the grave of the cursed family’s ancestor. However, what they uncover is far darker and more terrifying than they could have imagined.

The film excels with its striking depictions of mystical rituals and a haunting atmosphere that keeps viewers on edge from start to finish. This genre masterpiece pulls no punches, fearlessly shocking its audience with increasingly brutal scenes. Exhuma delivers two hours of relentless tension, leaving a lasting impression you won’t easily forget.

Memoir of a Snail

In 1970s Australia, Grace’s life is troubled by misfortune and loss. After their mother dies during pregnancy, she and her twin brother, Gilbert, are raised by their paraplegic-alcoholic former juggler father, Percy. Despite a life filled with love, tragedy strikes anew when Percy passes away in his sleep. The siblings are forcibly separated and thrust into separate homes. Gilbert finds himself in the care of a cruel evangelical family, while Grace, grappling with intense loneliness, gradually withdraws into her shell, much like the snails she adopts. As the years pass, and despite new disappointments and sorrows, a glimmer of hope emerges when she strikes up an enduring friendship with an elderly eccentric woman called Pinky.