Light in Motion Competition | International Short Film Programme 1Light in Motion Competition | International Short Film Programme 1
Nerve Centre, 7-8 Magazine Street, Derry~Londonderry
Admission
£7 + £0.70 booking fee
Run Times & Intervals
1hr 35 mins
Age Guidance
TBC
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Foyle Film Festival is proud to be an Academy Award® and BAFTA qualifying festival through our Light in Motion short film competition.
Short films showcased at Foyle Film Festival qualify for further consideration at the Academy Awards® in the categories of International, Irish and Animated Short Film.
British Short Films and Animated Shorts qualify for further consideration for BAFTA awards.
Winners of the Light in Motion Short Film Competition will be announced at the Closing Night ceremony in Nerve Centre with Gala Reception on Sunday 29 November at 7pm.
Please note all films in competition have yet to receive certification. Some films may contain strong language, adult scenes and graphic content that may be upsetting. For viewers under the age of 18, parental discretion is advised.
The Light in Motion Short Film Competition is sponsored by City of Derry Crystal.
Stay in the Car
Calvin Ghaznavi | United States | 2025 | 8 mins
In the dead of night, fifteen-year-old Salem waits in her mother’s run down El Camino. She’s told again and again to “stay in the car” while her mom and her violent partner disappear into empty buildings and dark parking lots. But will she?
Sea Skin
Selena Goedeke Tort | Germany | 2026 | 14 mins | Subtitled
When a shimmering, scaly skin is washed ashore and Fiete returns to the island, Enno’s world begins to unravel. Caught between the watchful eyes of the islanders and the legend of the banished Seewief, Enno grapples with feelings he thought long buried.
The Room at the End of the Hallway
Eve Warnes | Australia | 2025 | 10 mins
Seen through the eyes of nine year old Angie, who builds a fragile world of make-believe to cope with her home life. When her classmate comes over unexpectedly, the cracks in Angie’s reality widen. Desperate to preserve her fantasy, a simple game of hide and seek manifests into something far more serious, putting both girls in real danger.
Sunday's Children
Reuben Hamlyn | United States | 2026 | 19 mins
Desperate to become a father, a man spends a weekend falling for a woman who believes God has warned her never to have children.
Gloria
Kim Blanck | United States | 2025 | 10 mins | Subtitled
Gloria, a Chinese woman in her 70s living alone and struggling with her memory, finds new purpose in teaching herself Spanish.
The Lamb in the Room
Daniel Meier | Germany | 2026 | 12 mins | Subtitled
While a second line appears on 15-year-old Zoe’s pregnancy test, her stressed-out mother Gabriella and her care-dependent grandmother Elisabeth are preoccupied with their own worries. Caught in a spiral of mutual criticism, they leave no room for Zoe’s reality.
Best Practice
Martin Strange-Hansen | Denmark | 2026 | 15 mins | Subtitled
Young locksmith Anders is called to aid the authorities on a forced removal. His job is solely to open the door, but as the situation unfolds he is faced with a dilemma: By doing his job, is he enabling a harmful situation forced upon an innocent family?
Father on Fire
Rafa Piqueras | Spain | 2025 | 15 mins | Subtitled
In this explosive black comedy, Javier has to carry his father's fiery last wishes but must face the wrath of his mother first.
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