(Animation, WDP: Helena Jabłonowska, 7mins, Poland)
The film presents an animated discussion on the concept of the face. It explores the theory of Professor Semir Zeki, a pioneer in the field of neuroaesthetics. The second part analyzes how viewers interpret the deformed faces portrayed in the works of British painter Francis Bacon, within the framework of the previously mentioned theory. The animation boldly combines a variety of techniques, from stop-motion animation (employing crayon, plasticine, monotype, and collage) to 3D methods.

(Animation, WDP: Hossein Moradizadeh, 3mins, Iran)

A man is walking down the street in the dark and dreaming, suddenly the wind blows. Visit the filmmaker’s website

(Short, WDP: Cyril Fleury, Patrice Goldberg, 27mins, Belgium) You may know someone who constantly forgets things, appointments, or what they've just been told. If they are often late and unable to concentrate, they might have attention deficit disorder, a unique functioning of the brain that can be detected in childhood and can also severely hinder the lives of adult sufferers.

(Short, WDP: Kevin Schreck, 50mins, USA)

"Antarctic Voyage" is a new documentary from award-winning filmmaker Kevin Schreck about a biological research expedition to the remote island of South Georgia, starring charismatic field biologist, Dr. Samantha Monier. Part modern-day adventure film, part visual tone poem, "Antarctic Voyage" sheds a light on the current state of the polar region's majestic wildlife, and the intrepid explorers who are dedicated to preserving and understanding what remains of our fragile, vital natural world, all through a refreshingly unconventional manner from the standard nature documentary genre. Visit the production website

(Animation, WDP: Anna Lindemann, 10mins, USA)
Scientific climate simulations and speculative storytelling combine to reveal the connections between our human activity and the ecosystem and environmental changes occurring in the Arctic, the region of our planet warming most rapidly due to climate change. Anna Lindemann calls herself an Evo Devo artist. Her work combines animation, music, video, and performance to explore the field of Evolutionary Developmental Biology (Evo Devo). Her work has been featured internationally at film festivals, black box theaters, planetariums, galleries, concert halls, and natural history museums. She graduated from Yale with a BS in Biology before receiving an MFA in Integrated Electronic Arts from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She is currently an Associate Professor in the Digital Media & Design Department at the University of Connecticut where she has pioneered courses integrating art and science. Visit the artist’s website

(Short, WDP: Wilder Nicholson, 34mins, USA)

Today 1 in 31 children are being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, an increase of nearly five-fold since 2000 when the CDC first began tracking the condition. While the causes of autism remain controversial, research indicates as much as 40-50% of an individual’s autism can be attributed to environmental factors. A STONE UNTURNED explores the latest research around a possible environmental trigger for autism and autism related symptoms, specifically excessive screen time exposure for children under the age of 3 years. In one of the first documentaries on the topic, we hear from parents, doctors and researchers as they try 'digital screen fasts' to help children overcome language delays, attention disorders, social withdrawal and other symptoms related to autism. Not just a film about autism though, the film shares practical steps we can all try, for building healthy screen time habits and finding joy in everyday life with family. Visit the Virtual Autism website

(Feature documentary, WDP: Jenna Elaine Bailey, 42mins, Canada)

In a captivating tale of friendship, ambition, and groundbreaking discovery, "Brainstorm: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Brain" chronicles the extraordinary journey of two lifelong friends, Drs. Ian Whishaw and Bryan Kolb, who transformed the world of neuroscience from the small town of Lethbridge, Alberta. These visionary scientists are driven by an insatiable curiosity and relentless work ethic, leading them to publish the first-ever textbook on the human brain in 1980, a monumental achievement that laid the groundwork for neuroscience education worldwide.

At the University of Lethbridge, Kolb and Whishaw not only revolutionized brain science, but they also nurtured a new generation of brilliant minds, creating a cutting-edge neuroscience research centre and establishing Canada’s first neuroscience program. As they uncover groundbreaking prevention and therapy strategies, their work brings hope to millions facing the challenges of dementia, Parkinson's Disease, stroke recovery, and developmental brain disorders. Their unwavering commitment to community wellness sparked initiatives aimed at enhancing brain health and fostering cognitive development in children.

(Short, WDP: Jonathan Brodie, 4mins, UK)

Andrea is at the crossroads of chemistry and material science, driven by a desire to apply scientific principles to practical solutions. With a deep personal interest in addressing both health and environmental challenges, she's innovating with hydrogel materials that offer groundbreaking approaches to managing diabetes and combating wildfires. Her work demonstrates how adaptable materials can not only completely change diabetes care by reducing injection frequency but also shield landscapes from the devastation of wildfires. Andrea's research shows the power of science in finding solutions that touch the lives of the people around her and the planet as a whole.

(Short, WDP: Liz Lea, Composer: Michael Solis, 5mins, Australia)
A gathering of women, under the stars, moving in formation reflection the constellation Chamaeleon. Chamaeleon is part of the Southern Sky project directed by Michael Sollis. Visit the Stellar Company site.

Dr Karl's How Things Work: Toilet Paper (Television Series, D: Rob Greig, 30mins, Australia)
The battle for bog roll during the Covid 19 years showed us just how much we Aussies value the stuff. In this episode Dr Karl lifts the lid to discover how recycled toilet paper is made at the Encore toilet paper factory.

(Short, WDP: David Hutchinson, 7mins, USA)
Energy to Spare,” a seven-minute film from Chemistry Shorts®, uses exploding batteries, bowling showdowns, and electrifying animations to give a primer on how batteries work and explore how scientists are revolutionizing battery technology for the renewable energy age. Visit the Chemistry Shorts website [https://chemistryshorts.org/]

(Short, WDP: Marcel Barelli, 3mins, Switzerland)
“When I was a child, I didn't know I was living during a mass extinction.” Marcel Barelli Inspired by cine-tracts from the 1960s and animated with water, Ex-tract is a reflection on our memory and the ongoing extinction.

(Short, WDP: Sylvie Gilman, Thierry De Lestrade, 52mins, France)
Since the broadcast 11 years ago of the film "Fasting, a new therapy?", the practice of fasting has experienced unprecedented growth. Between societal phenomenon, the emergence of "gurus," and skepticism from medical authorities, a second film is necessary. To place the practice back on scientific ground, to redefine its mechanisms, promises, and limits. Because in 10 years, research has been abundant. Diabetes, autoimmune diseases, hypertension, microbiota, longevity, ... publications confirm the promising effects of fasting. How to explain such effects on such a wide range of diseases? By triggering a metabolic switch (from sugar to fats), fasting would promote autophagy, a self-cleaning program that earned its discoverer, Ohsumi, the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2016. As an alternative to multi-day fasts, intermittent fasting is also gaining genuine enthusiasm. The principle? Food intake concentrated within 4 to 10 hours maximum each day. The practice could prove revolutionary in the treatment of many chronic diseases. For researchers, it would thus be better to count hours than calories. Therapeutic or preventive, will fasting one day become part of public health policies?

(Animation, WDP: Molly Rose Hill, 4mins, UK)

Chirpy is a bright blue bird in a nest full of grey siblings—and he sticks out in more ways than one. While the others seem to have everything figured out, Chirpy’s wild and wobbly attempts at flying usually end in a crash. From makeshift inventions to bold leaps of faith, he’ll try anything to get off the ground.

The director, Molly Hill, embraces her ADHD as a source of creativity and drew from that experience to shape Chirpy’s endless enthusiasm, unpredictable problem-solving, and refusal to give up. Her goal was to create a character that reflects neurodivergent traits in a positive, joyful light – one that children and adults can all relate to and root for. Full of heart, humour, and a whole lot of bumpy landings, First Flight explores the messy and magical path to finding your wings.

(Short, WDP: Marcio Pimenta, 14mins, Brasil) For the Licantanay, the original inhabitants of the Atacama, Hoy’ri means Earth. In the world’s driest desert, where stromatolites — the oldest fossil evidence of life on the planet — still persist, paleontologists excavate the past in search of answers about the evolution of life and the cosmos. The desert's aridity preserves primitive conditions from 3.5 billion years ago, inspiring a quest for answers that transcend time. Marcio Pimenta is an explorer, photographer, filmmaker and speaker. He is a member of The Explorers Club and National Geographic Explorer. His work is dedicated to witnessing the history of humanity, marked by conquests and losses.

(Short, WDP: Evan Luchkow, Kelly Sutherland, 5mins, Canada)

How do we influence the world around us? A fluid analysis tool ordinarily used in the laboratory offers new interpretations of human interaction and provides surprising insights about our place in the world. Read about in.flu.ence at the Labocine festival in New York.

(Animation, WDP: Roser Cusó, 7mins, Spain)

Winner Best Animated Film - SCINEMA 2025. A drop of water precipitates from a cloud and falls on a little girl who suffers the consequences of the drought. Together they embark on a journey to reach the sea, during wihch the drop sees the problems of the lack of water that endanger the life of the girl and the rest of the community. Visit the filmmaker’s website.

(Short, WDP: Hermes David Juez, 8mins, Colombia)
A group of bird watchers find and take photos of a dead bird that apparently is a new species of tinamou for this area. Upon hearing the news, an expedition was carried out by a group of bird watchers from the municipality of Honda and ornithologists from the Tolimense Association of Ornithology in Colombia, South America; During the expedition they managed to obtain the first record of a live specimen of the Magdalena Tinamú after 238 years, the date on which José Celestino Mutis recorded it for the first time during the New Granada Botanical Expedition. Visit the Fundacion Tremarctos YouTube

(Short, WDP: Marcel Barelli, 7mins, Switzerland)

A fake documentary about a true story: An old silent documentary from the 1910s has been found and restored. It tells the story of the most abundant bird on Earth, exterminated in just a few decades by human brutality.

(Short, WDP: Page Buono, 9mins, USA)

“Mighty Microbes,” a nine-minute film from Chemistry Shorts®, explores new, self-assembling polymer coatings that help create chemical “suits of armour” for microbes, giving problem-solving scientists the ability to transport them to wherever they need to go. Visit the Chemistry Shorts website

(Animation, WDP: David Bunting, 10mins, UK) Through an animated conversation, scientists explore if everyone can live well without harming the environment and reveal how hope and creativity can inspire change. David is a British animator and former Disney Feature Animation Paris and Aardman Animations intern. Currently working as a story artist on children’s television series, he is passionate about telling bold accessible stories. This is David’s directorial debut in documentary. Visit the artist’s website

(Animation, WDP: Quinsin Nachoff, 45mins, Canada, USA)
Music, film, and physics converge in Patterns from Nature, unfolding through dynamics of flow and fracture. Conceived and directed by composer Quinsin Nachoff, it was developed with physicist Stephen Morris and four filmmakers—Tina de Groot, Lee Hutzulak, Gita Blak, and Udo Prinsen. Inspired by Morris’s insights into emergent patterns, the creative process unfolded with sound and image evolving together. Each movement—Branches, Flow, Cracks, and Ripples—translates a different shaping force through distinct visual languages and compositional logics. The score features soloists pianist Matt Mitchell, the Molinari String Quartet, percussionist Satoshi Takeishi, bassist Carlo De Rosa, clarinetist François Houle, saxophonist Quinsin Nachoff, and trombonist Ryan Keberle. The film reveals intertwining forms and leaves us with the quiet weight of an unanswered question.

00:00:32 Movement I – Branches
00:11:47 Movement II – Flow
00:21:54 Movement III – Cracks
00:32:09 Movement IV – Ripples

(Short, WDP: Markus Tischner, 15mins, Germany)
When soils are flooded, they are lacking oxygen. Then, some microorganisms "breathe" iron, causing mineral transformations. This science communication film introduces a novel research approach for investigating iron mineral transformations in soils directly in the field, which has previously been possible only in the laboratory. It demonstrates the new method step-by-step and shows how the scientists apply it in the field. The viewer also learns about the relevance of iron mineral transformations for the environment. The research is part of an ERC-funded project (IRMIDYN) conducted by the Soil Chemistry Group at D-USYS, ETH Zurich, Switzerland. Visit the project website

(Animation, WDP: Susanne Layla Petersen, 6mins, Denmark)
"There could be shadow galaxies, shadow stars, and even shadow people" – Stephen Hawking. Susanne Layla Petersen is an interdisciplinary artist and filmmaker based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Her works include video, digital art, collaborative installations, NFTs, web projects, photography, texts and sound. Visit the artist’s website

(Short, D: Jack Breedon, 12mins, Australia)

Discover how marine scientist Martina Lonati is using ROVs to study sharks on the Great Barrier Reef.

(short, WDP: Dave Croyle, 21mins, USA)
The space industry is undergoing unprecedented transformation, spearheaded by scrappy start ups, ambitious national space programs, and bold innovators. In this documentary, we explore how simulation is revolutionizing the space sector, pushing the limits of innovation, and driving mission success in an increasingly challenging and unforgiving environment. Visit the project website

(Junior, WDP: Lancey Quan, 9mins, USA)

Seven stories, through the eyes of different perspectives and colors, they see the world in.

Space Chasers (Short, WDP: Dr Steven Swancoat, 52mins, USA)
After receiving a telescope as a gift, Dr. Steven Swancoat, an Ob/Gyn, quickly became captivated by astronomy. His passion deepened into an obsession when he discovered an online community of astrophotographers, many capturing NASA-quality photos from their own backyards.

Inspired, he connected a camera to his telescope and took his first astro photo—an experience that not only hooked him but also rekindled his childhood dream of becoming a filmmaker. With a camera in hand, Swancoat traveled the world, meeting top astrophotographers and capturing their unique stories. His adventure spanned from the milky way in South Africa, a life changing solar eclipse in Chile & attempting the near impossible in Time Square New York. Along the way, he learned how modern technology has made astrophotography and the universe more accessible than ever before, transforming the way enthusiasts explore the stars. Visit the Space Chasers website

Starlings next level (Short, WDP: Lutz Kayzer, 20mins, Germany) It is the multi-annual, artistic documentation of swarms of starlings that gather in autumn in the border triangle around Basel before they migrate to the warm south of Europe. They spend the nights together and exchange information. Swarms of starlings are an impressive demonstration of how many small birds united together can defend and protect themselves against larger, stronger birds, their predators. The attacker simply loses its orientation in the swarm and misses its target of picking out a single starling from the mass. There is no ‘boss starling’ who sets the direction, but rather these flocks regroup in a matter of seconds in response to danger from attackers. They fly in seemingly chaotic, but at the same time highly precise, disciplined, elegant and supple formations. Without enemies, they fly their circles almost meditatively. Swarm intelligence par excellence, in which they are completely peaceful. 

Stubborn (Animation, WDP: Anna Gawriltschuk, 2mins, Germany)

“This work explores the fine line between desire and self-control. An inner struggle triggered by the seductive power of the next cigarette. After smoking a cigarette and experiencing a deceptive calm, the craving finds its way back into the protagonist's mind and continues to burn deeper into her. Aware of its power, the hole teases her and tests once again whether she can resist the temptation.

To symbolize the craving, we chose the motif of a burned hole, as fire possesses a similarly uncontrollable nature to addiction. For this, we printed the whole film on A4 pieces of paper and burned a hole into each individual frame. This way we created an animated short film. The beginning and end of the film can be endlessly repeated to illustrate the recurring conflict between the protagonist and her desire. But will her stubbornness be enough to break the cycle and resist the craving next time? Anna Gawriltschuk.  Visit Anna’s website

(Short, WDP: Andris Gauja, 17mins, Estonia/Latvia)

Astronomers, through telescopes, and slime mold explorers, through microscopes, each in their own way, discover a mysterious pattern that repeats across every scale of the universe.

(Short, WDP: Pierre Gaffie, 5mins, France)
Mathilde is a young accoustician. Fascinated by the power of sounds, she wants to invent a new way of travelling through time and find the souls of the departed... 

(Animation/Short, WDP: Rupert Roderick, 2mins, Australia)
Imagine a Sydney without its iconic Harbour Bridge. In 1922, a bold alternative was proposed by engineer Francis Ernest Stowe: a three-armed structure connecting Goat Island to the city. This short documentary explores not just the bridge that never was, but the man whose vision almost changed Sydney forever. Francis Ernest Stowe was a pioneer. While John Bradfield became a household name, Stowe’s ambitious Anzac Isle Bridge, and the legacy that could have come with it, was largely forgotten. What might have been, if just a few decisions had gone the other way?

(Feature, WDP: Ana Fraile, Lucas Scavino, 73mins, Argentina)
An extraordinary biological invention becomes the key to unlocking the Library of All Possible things.

(Short, WDP: Phil Hart, 6mins, Australia) Stunning, evocative and world-class footage of solar eclipses in Idaho/Wyoming and the Tetons, and Exmouth, Western Australia. With a soundtrack 'Shine' by Jason Mraz that was made for this. Engineer by day, astronomer and photographer by night. Phil Hart has been enjoying and photographing the night sky for more than thirty years. His award winning photos have been published in books, magazines and popular websites around the world. He is a member of the judging panel for the David Malin Astrophotography Awards and author of the Shooting Stars eBook. Visit the Director’s website 

(Short, WDP: Georgia Arndell, 5mins, Australia)
Although a coin looks seemingly simple, the process of making one is anything but. From polishing metal with diamonds to annealing precious metal at 1500°c, come behind the scenes with the Royal Australian Mint and uncover the never-before-seen process of making a coin. Visit the Royal Australian Mint website

(Short, D: Jack Breedon, Harrison Warne, 27mins, Australia)
After the discovery of a critically endangered species of frog, that only lives around the town of Kuranda, a community comes together to make sure the species survives into the future. Honourable Mention - SCINEMA 2025.

(Junior SCINEMA, WDP: Juan Long, Yan Zhou, 20mins, China)
Best Film ‘Junior’ - SCINEMA 2025. As the New Year approaches, a father and his daughter return home separately, with the mother's passing becoming an emotional knot between them, stirring undercurrents of unresolved feelings. Amid the clash of old and new ideologies, their story mirrors the microcosm of a family under patriarchal society. Faced with the barren land and the desolate hometown, where should they turn next?

(Animation, WDP: Rueben Bennett, Louis Caruana, Mary Domingo, Soviola Ginat, Daze Vang, 3mins, Australia)
A young boy who lives in a civilisation forced underground by the devastating effects of a nearby Supernova hundreds of years ago finds himself to be different from the other kids living down there. Fascinated by the animals of the earth that roamed long ago, he plays with his toy bird. After his favourite toy is accidentally sent flying into a boarded up cave, he goes to retrieve it only to discover an exit to the bleak world he's known all his life, An exit that leads to a new world bursting with life and colour. He's struck by the wonder of nature's renewal in the face of an uncontrollable force of the past.

(Short, WDP: Ilona Vashkelite, 25mins, Russia)

Rinaldo Mallyamov is not just a farmer, he is a philosopher, researcher, and experimenter. His methods seem to his fellow villagers not only controversial and strange, but even unacceptable. The village has been holding a grudge against the farmer for a long time.

(Animation, WDP: Anna Gawriltschuk, 2mins, Germany)

The head and the heart, two forces so fundamentally different, come into conflict. They tug at each other, out of sync with every move. The body has no choice but to surrender like a marionette to this inner puppet play. Visit Anna’s website

(Short, WDP: Sylwia Zolkiewska, 5mins, Poland) In a world of constant swipes, glitches, and endless scrolling, Transcience 2.0 offers a pause. This experimental video piece explores the short-lived, shifting nature of digital experiences—where images vanish before we fully register them, and perception is shaped by the glow of our screens. Combining abstract visuals with a quiet, immersive soundscape, the film creates a meditative space—a digital in-between where attention drifts and presence becomes uncertain. Drawing on real user behavior and netnographic research, it looks at how mobile technologies are changing the way we see, remember, and feel. Visit the artist’s website

(Short, WDP: Nick Jordan, 15mins, UK)
Centred on sphagnum moss, Translocations highlights the mutual aid and reciprocal exchange that exists between species in the restoration of a lowland peatbog. Featuring the voice of botanist and author Robin Wall Kimmerer, and a tactile soundtrack score, the film documents the human and more-than-human life, energies and actions that are transforming an intensively farmed and damaged terrestrial environment back into a flourishing wetland habitat. The film is structured around volunteers moving ('translocating') gathered balls of sphagnum moss from replete to deplete areas of the bog, enabling a keystone species in peat formation and carbon sequestration to thrive and rejuvenate a vital part of the biosphere.

Exploring the luminous and vivid characteristics of this rewilded, transitional terrain, the film depicts the abundance of re-introduced sphagnum moss and the dynamic mosaic of co-dependent species that are now thriving both above and below the surface of the bog, from flowering cotton grasses and carnivorous sundews to dragonflies and silk-moths. View the artist’s website

(Animation, WDP: Mesa, 5mins, USA)
Dr. Lisa Spencer assigns her Santa Fe middle school students the study of water. They traveled to sites to explore the Rio Grande, drought in New Mexico, and farming in the desert by early Pueblo peoples. Interviews were conducted that include the research of New Zealand Māori Scientist, Veda Austin. This film also explores water beyond the science realm to include the emotional, historic, and spiritual power of water. It also explores water being from outer space, perhaps from asteroids, and the study of water on Mars. About 10% of the footage is from various NASA stock footage. This film won Audience Choice Award for middle school films in New Mexico.

(Short, WDP: Alyssa Stoller, 10mins, USA/Iceland) Winner Best Short Film SCINEMA 2025. Alyssa Stoller’s film is spectacular to look at, but it also stands out in showing some the downsides of research, profiling the work Stoller do at the Iceland-based whale conservation group Whale Wise. Visit the Whalewise Organisation website

(Short, WDP: Patrice Goldberg, Lena Kim, 13mins, Belgium)

For most women, pregnancy is generally a joyous experience. Feeling the baby moving and growing is magical for most of them. However, for some women, the experience is completely different. They endure severe nausea, discomfort and vomiting almost constantly, sometimes lasting for several months. They are signs of a genuine health condition with the complicated name of hyperemesis gravidarum. So what can sufferers do? While effects of hormonal changes in early pregnancy are common, how should you respond when the debilitating symptoms persist? We spoke to several sufferers of this condition who agreed to share their stories on camera.