Several of the selected filmmakers this year also feature in other IFFR sections. The world premiere of The Worldly Cave is a new work by Chinese artist Zhou Tao, to whom IFFR also dedicates an artist profile in its Deep Focus section. In the world premiere of his film Glimpse, Polish artist Artur Żmijewski allows images of refugees speak for themselves; IFFR also presents a comprehensive retrospective on Żmijewski’s often thought-provoking films. Tree Identification for Beginners by Yto Barrada seamlessly connects with the PACT theme programme focusing on Pan-Africanism in cinema. And filmmaker Maryam Tafakory is represented with Absent Wound, but also screens two other short films in IFFR’s Bright Future section.

This year’s line-up seems decidedly politically engaged. Monira Al Qadiri, the only Kuwaiti filmmaker shortlisted, combines childhood drawings, aliens and the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in her imaginative The Craft. And British filmmaker Heather Phillipson takes on the patriarchy in her dazzling and provocative animated film WHAT’S THE DAMAGE.

The jury for the Ammodo Tiger Short Competition consists of Chinese filmmaker Ying Liang, Dutch graphic designer Mieke Gerritzen and Kenyan filmmaker Jim Chuchu, founder of The Nest Collective.

But the Ammodo Tiger Short Competition isn’t the only place at IFFR to get your short film fix. The Bright Future Short and Voices Short programmes also contain a wide variety of short films. They are screened ahead of feature films, in short film compilations and in the annual short film marathon in KINO.

IFFR’s Tiger Short Competition was recently renamed after its new partner Ammodo, an organisation supporting art and science. The awards will be presented on Sunday 28 January 2018.

A complete overview of short films at IFFR 2018 will be released later this week.

Full selection for the Ammodo Tiger Short Competition

• Absent Wound, Maryam Tafakory, 2017, Iran, UK, international premiere
• Between Relating and Use, Nazlı Dinçel, 2018, Argentina, USA, world premiere
• The Craft, Monira Al Qadiri, 2017, Kuwait, Lebanon
• Dangerous on the Way, Mel O'Callaghan, 2018, Australia, Indonesia, world premiere
• The Drift, Maeve Brennan, 2018, Lebanon, UK, world premiere
• Eight Images from the Life of Nastya Sokolova, Alina Kotova, Vladlena Sandu, 2018, Russia, world premiere
• Glimpse, Artur Żmijewski, 2018, Poland, Germany, world premiere
• Interregnum, Adrian Paci, 2017, Albania
• Je suis un monstre/I Am a Monster, Tanguy De Donder, 2017, Belgium, international premiere
• Maskirovka, Tobias Zielony, 2018, Ukraine, Germany, world premiere
• Mirage My Bros, Diogo Baldaia, 2017, Portugal, international premiere
• Momentum 142310, Manuel Knapp, 2018, Austria, Japan, world premiere
• more than everything, Rainer Kohlberger, 2018, Germany, world premiere
• Mountain Plain Mountain, Araki Yu, Daniel Jacoby, 2018, Spain, Japan, Netherlands, world premiere
• Outpost, Wim Catrysse, 2018, Belgium, world premiere
• Painting with History in a Room Filled with People with Funny Names 4, Korakrit Arunanondchai, 2018 USA, Thailand, South Africa, UK, world premiere
• The Remembered Film, Isabelle Tollenaere, 2018, Belgium, world premiere
• Rose Gold, Sara Cwynar, 2017, USA, European premiere
• Tree Identification for Beginners, Yto Barrada, 2018, USA, world premiere
• View from Above, Hiwa K, 2018, Germany, world premiere
• WHAT'S THE DAMAGE, Heather Phillipson, 2017, UK
• The Worldly Cave, Zhou Tao, 2017, China, European premiere