Clermont-Ferrand Selects

Director : JUSTINE GAUTHIER
Canada | 2023 | 16 mins
* Hong Kong Premiere

Synopsis
Lili, a rebellious ten-year-old girl, has always bathed shirtless. When her parents impose a bikini top on her for an outing to the water park, she revolts: why should she hide her non-existent breasts when her friends, all boys, don’t have to?

Director : LEO ČERNIC
Italy | 2022 | 7 mins
* Hong Kong Premiere

Synopsis
Pentola is a small, middle-aged man who leaves his wife Titti for Batman.

Director : ROMAIN ROELLET
France | 2022 | 20 mins
* Hong Kong Premiere

Synopsis
Jean is the prodigy hooker of his village’s rugby club. As his team defends its title, he falls madly in love with Ayoub, a player from the opposing team. The brotherly relationship he has with his teammates turns out to be more fragile than he thought.

Director : OLIVE NWOSU
Nigeria, United Kingdom | 2021 | 14 mins
* Hong Kong Premiere

Synopsis
On the day of the Egungun ritual, Salewa returns to Lagos to bury her mother. During the ceremony, she meets an acquaintance who forces her to deal with old wounds. A meditation on memory, identity and duty, on the many versions of ourselves that haunt and soothe us.

Director : MARCEL BARELLI
Switzerland | 2021 | 5 mins
* Hong Kong Premiere

Synopsis
In nature, a couple is a male and a female. Well, not always! A couple is also a female and a female. Or a male and a male. You may not know it, but homosexuality is not just a human story.

Director : ALEXANDRE SINGH, NATALIE MUSTEATA
France, United States of America | 2024 | 36 mins
* Hong Kong Premiere

Synopsis
An absurd tragedy that takes place in a repressive society where kissing is punishable by death and where people pay for things by being slapped in the face. Angine, an unhappy woman, makes compulsive purchases in a department store. Here, she is fascinated by an ingenuous saleswoman. Despite the ban on kissing, the two get closer, arousing the suspicions of a jealous colleague.

Post Screening Q&A Sharing

14/9/2025 (Sun) 5:30pm – PALACE ifc

Moderator : Stan Guingon
Featured Guest : Arnaud Lanuque from the Consulate General of France at Hong Kong & Macau

Join us for “Clermont-Ferrand Selects,” where the Hong Kong audience can immerse themselves in a curated collection of outstanding short films from one of the world’s premier festivals. Experience the creativity and innovation that defines this remarkable event. A representative from the French Consulate will share insights about the selected films and discuss the festival’s significance, offering a deeper understanding of its impact on the global film landscape. Don’t miss this opportunity to be inspired and engage in a lively conversation!

Post Screening Q&A Sharing

20/9/2025 (Sat) 5:05pm – PALACE ifc

Moderator : Henry Tsoi
Featured Guest : Fresh Wave Film Festival representative

After the screening of the Clermont-Ferrand Selects program, join us for a discussion with a representative from Hong Kong’s Fresh Wave Film Festival. We’ll explore how the festival has supported emerging filmmakers over the past 20 years and reflect on its growth.

Led by founder and chairman Mr. Johnnie TO, Fresh Wave Film Festival Limited proactively develops resources and channels to assist emerging filmmakers, striving towards a more dynamic local film industry. Organised by Fresh Wave, the annual Fresh Wave International Short Film Festival aims to promote and encourage local short film production, and to discover and nurture young talents by providing funding support and a platform for showcasing their work, while enhancing their technical skills and quality through training. The Festival comprises “Local Competition” and “International Selection.” On the other hand, the Festival collaborates with overseas film festivals and organisations in screening outstanding short films from around the world, so as to foster exchange between local and international film cultures and broaden the vision of local film practitioners and audience.