The Delete Machine (Dir: Charlotte Ledwidge)

A mad scientist’s latest invention works rather better than expected…

Getting to the Moon (Dir: Jacob Nicolson)

A young astronaut attempting to get to the moon meets someone with the same goal.

Visiting (Dir: Ananda Kupfer)

A young woman living alone has a vision of a ghostly presence in her apartment.

To the Brink (Dir: Hugo Docking)

Guilt, apathy, and the looming apocalypse threaten to push a young man to the brink!

Lepidoptera (Dir: Elizabeth Fijalkowski)

An old man’s consuming obsession with finding an elusive moth that haunts his memories and dreams.

Dead Red Kite (Dir: Finn Morgan-Roberts)

When a bird of prey is run over, a young girl’s insistence on giving it a funeral incites conflict.

The Tell-Tale Heart (Dir: Max Hendrickson)

A man is driven to insanity by the presence of his older companion’s pale blue eye.

A Saddle for Two (Dir: Ian Fallon)

A pathetic attempt at a robbery brings together two lonely cowboys in search of comfort in the barren desert.

Song of the Tadpole (Dir: Victor Healey)

The heart-warming life story of a girl and her pet tadpole.

I Need Space (Dir: Flavia Megna)

Rosa longs for peace and quiet, feeling homesick for a place she has never known.

Sketchbook (Dir: James Watt)

After an unsuccessful day selling sculptures on the street, a woman finds a child’s sketchbook in a stolen bag.

Mercury (Dir: Binx Kingdom & Annabel Clarke)

A lighthouse keeper’s everyday life becomes more bizarre as he suffers from chronic mercury poisoning, having strange hallucinations of circuses and strange gore.

Fairy Ring (Dir: Leonor Calaca)

An unceasing chase after a strange butterfly leads a little girl to a magical land.

The Closet (Dir: Thomas Walters & Charlotte Cousins)

Quinn finds himself in a mysterious world where he must come to terms with his biggest secret.

Mute (Dir: Hugo Fearon)

Mutual tolerance and understanding are reached after the obstacle of a haunted key is overcome.

Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice (Dir: Anoushka Agarwal)

A woman’s meticulously organised routine gets upended when her home starts to unravel, and reality starts to creep in.

Worry (Dir: Bingqi Liu)

The mother sees her child off and something small triggers a series of fantasies about worry.

Naked Came the Stranger (Dir: Rosanna Verdon-Roe)

An animator’s rendition of the game ‘Exquisite Corpse’ where the final film was a mystery to all involved.

Lacuna (Dir: Simona Vaitkeviciute)

A visual metaphor for what goes on inside the mind of a creative person.

Offerlamm (Dir: Tova Persson)

A sheep writes a letter to his sister whilst being prepared for a ritual.

The Red Ball (Dir: George Morgan)

Clinging onto his red ball, Bamike leaves the big city of London for a small town where his family can get a fresh start after a family tragedy.

Every year Cinemagic receive hundreds of entries into CINEMAGIC YOUNG FILMMAKER from young people wishing to share their stories with a wider audience. In 2023 they received over 700 short film submissions from the next generation of young creatives, from throughout the UK and Ireland, and are delighted to share with you the competition shortlists.

Content warning: This package contains flashing images which may affect viewers who are susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy.

Age Suitability: This shorts package has been given an age recommendation of 15+ due to adult themes and strong language.

Screening as part of the Cinemagic Film Festival. For more information about the festival visit cinemagic.org.uk.