Performed by Val Cole

Performed by Val Cole

Poetry Performed by Val Cole
—-

Prelude to “Don Lost”

All maidens, far and fair—beware—
The sadist, Don John has appeared!
So, be woke, kids.
He approaches.

This pimp of prestige,
A truth-twisting tyrant,
The Baron of blackmail;
Democracy’s defilement.

Committer of incalculable
depravities.
Inheritor of capitalistic
calamities.

A child of society;
Heretical hero.
His gold is all I see,
Except for the ghetto.

His God—The Golden Carrot—
Will guide “The Don” to Hell’s eighth.
Behind his thin mask: panic,
As he flees the devil’s scythe.

Our frail constitution shan’t endure
The pale presidential pompadour.

Showcase of the best POLITICAL FILMS in the world today.

Audience Award Winners:
Best Feature Film: A Beginning for the Final Songs of a River
Best Direction: Aurora
Best Story: They
Best Short Film: Pisho
Best Documentary Short: Adas Falasteen

Adas Falasteen, 8min., Palestine

Directed by Hamdi Khalil Elhusseini, Samar Taher Lulu

“Palestine Lentils” is a documentary film that tells the story of a Palestinian chef and his role in using his hobby as a shield against the famine caused by the war on Gaza, preserving the spirit of resilience and hope within his community.

https://www.instagram.com/hamdi_husseini

Pisho, 16min., Pakistan

Directed by Aun Ul Haider

Journey of a seven-year-old girl, Ruqayya, on a mission to find her lost kitten. Suspecting her mother and neighbors, she embarks on a whimsical search. During her quest, Ruqayya stumbles upon a protest against a recent terrorist attack. Inspired by the demonstrators’ placards, she creates her own sign seeking help to find her missing kitten.

https://www.instagram.com/aunulhaider/

They, 15min., Iran

Directed by Seyed Morteza Sabzeghaba

Group of Dezfoulion people leaving the city so sadly dressed of war to return to their families, at this time jets attack them.

https://www.instagram.com/ms.sabzeghaba

AURORA, 22min., Portugal

Directed by Miguel Chichorro

Aurora seems to inhabit a parallel universe, a stage where she reinvents everyday life through the eyes of a porcelain doll, as a witness to her internal monologues and a witness to her experiences. As the story unfolds, the factual becomes intertwined with the psychological – emerging the expression of abandonment, loneliness and violence: Aurora progressively approaches the incarnation of the adult woman who one day ceased to exist. Ernesto – the man who digs an improvised grave and ends his days consuming brandy – personifies the loss of control, transforming himself into a possessive aggressor and the woman into his victim, until the premature grave. Violence emerges through sound expressions, passed backwards, tearing even innocence from chaos. Aurora watches the revelation of this discovery. Ernesto completes his irreversible decline. The Doll is a witness to what cannot be forgotten.

A Beginning for the Final Songs of a River, 70min., Germany/Iran

Directed by Meysam Oghbaei

Filmed over six years, this documentary follows the changing fate of the Zayandeh Rood river in Iran. Through the perspectives of local farmers and communities, it portrays the environmental and social challenges linked to water use and policies. With a poetic yet reflective tone, the film illustrates the river’s cycle of opening and closing as a metaphor for endurance and hope.

Showcase of the best POLITICAL FILMS in the world today.

Audience Award Winners:
Best Short Film: Fragments / Palestine
Best Story: The Shadows Left Behind
Best Direction: Da Terra
Best Cinematography: Hempman vs. the State

Da Terra, 30min., Portugal
Directed by Miguel Chichorro
Emília Pedro e Fernanda Jorge revisit childhood memories to identify over 70 land parcels inherited from their father. As physical traces fade, memory and oral tradition become the only way to ‘see’ what is no longer visible. The film captures the emotional and cultural depth of the minifúndio system, revealing how memory sustains identity, heritage, and community in rural areas.

The Shadows Left Behind, 13min., Pakistan
Directed by Aun Ul Haider
Two twelve-year-old friends, Ali and Noor, share an unbreakable bond. Noor, an Afghan refugee, faces sudden deportation. Torn between loyalty and fear, Ali promises to see him off. But what remains is a farewell that echoes in silence, and a friendship lost to the shadows left behind.

https://www.instagram.com/aunulhaider/

Fragments / Palestine, 16min., Germany
Directed by Samu Morys Cornelissen
Through a montage of sound and pictures, “Fragments / Palestine” explores the silence of German media during the genocide in Gaza.

Hempman vs. the State, 28min., Finland
Directed by Sampsa Huttunen
Hempman vs. the State is a story of a man who wants to cultivate cannabis openly and without asking for permissions. Authorities are not in favour of his endeavour, and although the fields are blooming, many obstacles stand in the way of the harvest.

https://www.instagram.com/hamppumiesleffa/

Showcase of the best POLITICAL FILMS in the world today.

Audience Award Winners:
Best Feature Film: CANADA UNPLUGGED:( Part 1) The Perfect Storm
Best Short Film: Eureka!

Eureka!, 15min., Canada
Directed by David Creighton
In this animated micro-short, a conspiracy nut finally grasps the truth.

CANADA UNPLUGGED:( Part 1) The Perfect Storm, 56min., Canada
Directed by Sangita Iyer
A bold, eye-opening documentary from Mettle Films, directed by award winning filmmaker Sangita Iyer, explores diverse Canadian voices discussing the impact of mass immigration in Canada. In this two-part series, we hear real concerns, lived experiences, and urgent questions about Canada’s immigration system, cultural cohesion, housing crisis, and economic pressures.

https://www.instagram.com/mettlefilms

Performed by Val Cole

Performed by Val Cole

Performed by Val Cole

Performed by Val Cole