Alo

Director: Xenia Glen

Year: 2024

An experimental film that recreates the experiences of dementia through spoken word, documentary, dramatic reconstruction, and never-before-seen deteriorated archival footage: 16mm films from the 1930s to the 1960s, featuring major historical events and world travel. THE MEMORY BOOM is framed from inside the mind of Pops, a hospitalised grandfather with severe dementia. The decayed footage serves as a visual exploration of Pops' memories. Pops' grandson narrates from his bedside, attempting to preserve Pops' memories while struggling to comprehend memory loss. Pops' confused thoughts rise to the surface, and he shares them with his grandson as if it were 'storytime' leading him down rivulets of muddled tales and garbled memories spanning his lifetime. Pops' Filipina nurse supports the grandson, sharing her inability to care for her own dementia-affected father in the Philippines. The film charts the trio's journeys through emotional turmoil, leading to a deeper understanding of the nuances of memory. THE MEMORY BOOM was created with documentary participants from community groups across rural England and features anonymously donated archival materials, courtesy of Exeter Phoenix. The film was made in memory of the filmmakers’ relatives who lived with dementia, and explores memory preservation and photographic consent. Official Selection PÖFF - Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2024 - World premiere

Director: Beatrice Gibson

Year: 2026

After an abortion, a woman wanders the streets of Paris, engaging in a series of silent encounters under the neon lights of Chinatown. Taking place over the course of a single night and drawing inspiration from the writings of cult literary figures Kathy Acker, Bernadette Mayer, and Alice Notley, the film intertwines dream and reality. Shot in the reddish glow of karaoke bars, cinemas, and clubs - a collective, feminist autofiction with a cast of artists, poets, and actors.

Director: David Turpin

Year:

A love story, a noir mystery and a metaphysical fable, Ancestors follows Beau as he searches 1980s London for his missing friend, Tiny. Dream, reality, memory and history entwine, forcing Beau to come face-to-face with truths beyond life and death.