Consciousness

Director: Emily Ng, Jay Notley

Year: 2023

A heart-warming Chinese family experience a power cut enabling the father to reminisce on his experiences growing up without Electricity.

Director: Stella Scott

Year: 2026

Sylvie is a 15-year old teenager passionate about photography. When she meets a photographer, Michael (36), taking portraits on the street, she hands her his camera and invites her to his studio. While Sylvie imagines he wants to help her, Riz, her best friend, warns that if a guy is talking to her, he’s only interested in one thing. Despite Riz’s remarks, Sylvie can’t help wondering what it might feel like to be seen through his lens. At the studio, Michael and Sylvie connect. She picks things up quickly, taking photos of him, then he takes one of her. Hesitant at first, she leans into it and starts to pose. When he turns away, seemingly uninterested, Sylvie removes her trousers. His light-touch manipulation has worked: she feels self-possessed, and in control. She leaves walking on air, already imagining the photo he took of her for his upcoming exhibition. She can’t wait to tell Riz. But at the exhibition opening, reality hits: an anonymous photo of her blood-stained knickers hangs on the wall instead. When Sylvie returns and sees Michael, she pretends everything’s Okay. And as the music swells, she seduces him and marks him with her menstrual blood.

Director: Robyn Egan

Year: 2026

Wren is interviewed for a job at Brixham Fish Market. Gary shows her around and tells her to come back tomorrow, for the night shift. A few hours into the shift and Wren is flagging, she enjoys a moment of calm whilst smoking outside - until she is confronted with Cali, who wants a lighter and a chat. The next few nights, sleepless days and awkward interactions blur into each other until Cali greets Wren with a coffee and cigarette for the usual 2am slump. Wren is disgusted when realising Cali has spiked her coffee with brandy. Steph shows Wren how to fillet. Cali rushes to help, standing behind Wren, he places his hands on hers.Wren shrinks down, motionless, allowing Cali to puppeteer her, forcing his groin into her from behind. Wren empties her locker, she’s not coming back. She leaves, only to find Cali waiting for her, unbuckling his belt. Wren waits until his trousers are down, walks over to him, without breaking eye contact and guts Cali like a fish. She makes use of the “Monster Industrial Chum Grinder”, to dismember Cali’s body, discarding the chum into the sea at sunrise. She gracefully enters the sea herself, cleansed.