Kyiv Cake (Estonia, Ukraine) by Mykyta Lyskov

The events of the movie unfold in modern Ukraine. A child is born into a poor family, the parents do everything possible to survive, but just when the crisis reaches its peak, a new danger flares up.

Running time: 00:22:10

Baab (United Arab Emirates) by Nayla Al Khaja

‘Baab’ is a dark fantasy that unfolds through the fractured mind of a woman reeling from the sudden death of her twin sister. Plagued by the eerie hum of tinnitus in her left ear, she is drawn into a surreal world where grief takes on physical form. As she descends through three visceral stages, depression, anger, and bargaining, her reality begins to distort, blurring the line between the living and the dead. Set in an isolated Emirati landscape steeped in myth and memory, Baab explores the intimate violence of grief and the unspoken bond between twins. What begins as a psychological unraveling soon reveals something more otherworldly, a doorway ("Baab in Arabic) that may lead to closure... or something far more sinister.

Running time: 01:37:00