BxFW: May 2026

Tune in for this episode celebrating women filmmakers, showcasing bold and inspiring stories from across the globe that reflect diverse island cultures, perspectives, and voices—redefining storytelling in the film industry.

The Silent Route  | Dir. Merve Cirisoglu I UK I 8:30 Minutes
During the war years when women were kidnapped and tortured in concentration camps, a young woman was struggling to cross the border with her newborn baby and three elderly relatives. However, their ox-cart got stuck on a muddy road near the security post. While their minds were obsessed with the possibility of being apprehended by the enemy, the magic of humanity brought out something unexpected.

Essence | Dir. Wan-Yu Hung I Taiwan I 5:40 Minutes
From emptiness, a gentle breeze stirs, gathering grasses and leaves to form a creature. As It catches sight of itself, the world echoes into being, stirred by the wind. Feeling others, It is felt in return, in a rhythm where all boundaries blur into a seamless dance of harmony.

Guardian of the Sea Lions | Dir. Stephanie Guest & Shania Riethmann I New Zealand I 4:00 Minutes
A film centered around Janet Ledingham, an 83 year-old woman who voluntarily collects data on sea lions, a nationally vulnerable species, for the New Zealand Sea Lion Trust.

Blue Land| Dir. Marine Auclair March I Balearic Islands I 19 Minutes
Elionor discovers the intricacies of adulthood in 1940’s Mallorca. She lives in a remote farmhouse, from which the inhabitants have never ventured out. Everything will change with the arrival of a movie.

Anhelo | Dir. Isela Michel I Cuba I 12:56 Minutes
Adela lives with her family. She loses them in a sudden accident. Reclaiming their bodies throws her into self-destruction, while her family, in another stage of reality, continues to inhabit the home.

 

Films include subtitles.