First Crossings

Short films from the First Crossings section will take off for the sixth time as part of the Tribute to Vision cross-border film festival. The festival aims to present fresh, innovative and eclectic short films from a wide variety of genres, which aim to discover new film rumors. These are author's works in various forms, animation, video essays, art and music videos, video poetry, and other experimental forms of short films.

M O R E   S T O R I E S,   L E S S   B O R D E R S !

Official Competition Programme

Crossing Borders, Forging Languages: A Cinematic Expedition in the ECOC

In the unique cross-border landscape of the European Capital of Culture 2025, the 8th edition of First Crossings embarks on a deliberate expedition to the frontiers of contemporary cinema. This year's selection for "Tribute to a Vision" is curated not only for its diversity, but for its focused inquiry into how filmmakers are actively forging new languages to explore the most pressing borders of our time—be they internal, social, or geographical.

The films in this program are united by their courageous approach to form and narrative. They are linguistic experiments in the short film medium, whether through the hybrid documentary realism of Ceasefire and Kora, the poetic fiction of _Rumene zore and Upon Sunrise, or the innovative animated parables of Mother’s Child and Do You Know Where the Birds Live?. Each work challenges conventions, using the elasticity of the short form to spark meaningful dialogue and articulate nuanced, often underrepresented, perspectives.

Hailing from across Europe and beyond, these films naturally mirror the spirit of Gorizia and Nova Gorica—a region where cultures converge and dialogue is a necessity. This geographical confluence is not a mere fact but the core theme of our selection; these films are in conversation precisely because they share a mission to map uncharted cinematic territory. We present this program as a collective statement on the transformative power of art. It is an invitation to witness the future of cinematic storytelling, emerging from the heart of the European Capital of Culture.

Official Competition Programme

First Crossings for Young Audiences: A Playful Borderland of Cinema

The spirit of exploration continues in our special program for young audiences, set in the vibrant borderland of the European Capital of Culture. This selection is designed as a playful and accessible gateway to the avant-garde, demonstrating that the most exciting cinematic experiments often play by their own rules.

Here, the borders between comedy, experiment, and animation are freely crossed. The program is a journey of discovery: from the relatable anxieties of Confused and the interactive rules of Rule No. 5 to the imaginative exploration of place in The Ninth Village. It’s a proof that new film languages are not just for adults—they are a natural playground for curiosity, laughter, and fresh perspectives, perfectly captured in the brisk energy of Arachnophobia and Mediterranee.

This is where the next generation of cinephiles learns that cinema has no borders, only new worlds to explore.

Student Short Films

A selection of films from (1) the Academy of Arts, University of Nova Gorica – AU UNG, (2) DAMS, University of Udine, (3) the Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television – AGRFT, (4) the Academy of Dramatic Arts – ADU, Zagreb, and (5) the Rome University of Fine Arts – RUFA.

Highschool Student Short Films

A selection of films from (1) Nova Gorica High School, (2) R. M. Cossar and L. da Vinci Vocational Schools, and (3) the Center for Humanistic Vocational Schools – CHS, Villach.