Video game-shot social critique, fourth-wall breaks, and sharp, surreal humor – these are our Rebels With A Cause.

Across two screenings, a total of 14 "Rebels With Their Shorts" will be screened, with some of the boldest and most experimental short films from around the world.

“This year’s selection – which mixes familiar auteurs with exciting new names – plays with reality, breaking the fourth wall, interrogating the very process of filmmaking, and reflecting on the absurdity of modern societal structures with biting, surreal humour,” describes Laurence Boyce of PÖFF Shorts.

Most of the films are making their Baltic premieres. Swedish cult director Lukas Moodysson (Lilja 4-ever, Show Me Love) returns with the short We Are Not Leaving, presenting a story of job loss and rebellion. British director Mark Jenkin, whose feature Rose of Nevada premiered at the Venice International Film Festival 2025, presents I Saw The Face Of God In The Jet Wash — a poetic meditation on cinema, culture, and the sea. The Austria-based collective Total Refusal, familiar to Shorts audiences, brings its latest animation World At Stake, shot in sports video games.

For the first time in Europe, Chinese director Shaobo Chen’s short Caught In The Frame will be screened, while Latvian director Ildze Felsberga presents the international premiere of Where Does The Sun Sleep at Night?*. The competition also sees the world premiere of Olivier Heitz’s CLUB. INTERIOR. NIGHT, where the line between acting and reality blurs between an actor and their co-star.

These films participate in Rebels With a Cause competition programme dedicated to works that defy traditional filmmaking forms. Each participating short has the chance to win the Rebels With a Cause special short film award, selected by the members of the Rebels With A Cause Jury.

REBELS WITH THEIR SHORTS COMPETITION

BREAD WILL WALK – Dir. Alex Boya (Canada, 2025) – Baltic Premiere
CAUGHT IN THE FRAME – Dir. Shaobo Chen (China, 2025) – European Premiere
CLUB. INTERIOR. NIGHT – Dir. Olivier Heitz (France, 2025) – World Premiere
THE GHOST FEEL HOUR – Dir. Eero Tammi (Finland, 2025) – Estonian Premiere
GREEN GREY BLACK BROWN – Dir. Yuyan Wang (China / France / South Korea, 2024) – Baltic Premiere
I SAW THE FACE OF GOD IN THE JET WASH – Dir. Mark Jenkin (UK, 2025) – Baltic Premiere
PAY DAY – Dir. Päivi Hirsiaho (Finland, 2024) – Baltic Premiere
PRELUDE – Dir. Alina Panasenko (Ukraine, 2025) – Estonian Premiere
THE SENTRY – Dir. Jake Wachtel (Cambodia / Norway / USA, 2025) – Baltic Premiere
THE SYNTHETIC AGE – Dir. Dimitris Armenakis (Greece, 2025) – Baltic Premiere
THANKS TO MEET YOU! – Dir. Richard Hunter (UK, 2025) – Baltic Premiere
WE ARE NOT LEAVING – Dir. Lukas Moodysson (Sweden, 2025) – Baltic Premiere
WHERE DOES THE SUN SLEEP AT NIGHT? – Dir. Ildze Felsberga (Latvia, 2025) – International Premiere
WORLD AT STAKE – Dir. Susanna Flock, Adrian Jonas Haim, Jona Kleinlein (Austria, 2025) – Baltic Premiere