IN DEPTH FESTIVAL THEMES 2025

CINEMATIC VANGUARD: Forging New Frontiers in Fashion by Red Eye Magazine w/ Daniel Face & Metafari Metafari - celebrates the pinnacle of innovation and creativity in fashion filmmaking. Our spotlight is on films that defy traditional storytelling, embracing avant-garde techniques and cutting-edge technologies. From experimental cinematography to groundbreaking narratives, these films offer a glimpse into the future of fashion on screen, pushing boundaries and captivating audiences. Each entry in this category reflects the bold vision of filmmakers challenging the status quo, exploring uncharted territories in fashion storytelling. Through meticulous craftsmanship and visionary direction, these films inspire and leave a lasting impression on both viewers and the industry. “Cinematic Vanguard” showcases the endless possibilities of merging fashion, film, and innovation, paving the way for a new era in fashion filmmaking and inspiring future storytellers to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation.

BLACK SPECTRUM is a curated a program exploring the Black identity in cinema, showcasing narratives from diverse Black artists. Despite common prejudices, the program seeks to sublimate shared experiences, feelings and cognitive mechanisms distorted by narratives. Through authentic creative vision, it highlights raw beauty, idealism, and ordinary moments that mark the transition towards a more authentic world.

FASHION INTELLIGENCE curated by Alex Murray Leslie - Examines the intersection of artistic practice and fashion, positioning it as a medium of intelligence that transcends commercial boundaries to engage with social, cultural, political, and environmental narratives. Through fashion films, it highlights innovative collaborations and experimental approaches that explore aesthetics, identity, and cultural contexts while celebrating fashion as a research field. These films foster transversal dialogue, addressing complex societal issues such as sustainability and historical legacies, and showcase fashion as a platform for shared knowledge, critical engagement, and the reimagining of art, design, and theory. By evoking emotion and provoking thought, they reveal the transformative potential of collaborative and research-driven fashion narratives.

CHINESE FILMS curated by Gemma A Williams - A window into the dynamic world of Chinese film and fashion. Since the 2000s, Chinese fashion has truly flourished. From the expanding influence of large-scale domestic brands to an increasingly widespread self-exploration of individual identity through personal style at the grassroots level, fashion as culture is evolving at a dizzying speed. That transformation is being disseminated faster than ever through the county's advanced social media platforms and younger demographic. The presence of emerging designers and fledgling labels is a testament to the growing emphasis on and thirst for innovation. Together we explore a complex, multi-layered and creative world. Through film we bear witness to a cultural explosion.

AI GENERATED FILMS curated by Pedro Guez - Filmmakers and designers are invited to push creative boundaries by harnessing AI’s potential in fashion and film. Submissions should showcase innovative techniques and narratives, creating immersive experiences that transport audiences to new and exciting realms.

THE QUEER ARCHIVE curated by Konstantinos Menelaou - The Queer Archive showcases fashion films that celebrate and explore the intersection of queer identities and fashion. Through challenging gender norms, it increases visibility and acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community, providing a space for individuals to express themselves authentically in the industry.

KIDS AND TEENS CLIMATE WARRIORS - Calling all young Climate Warriors is an exciting initiative aimed at empowering the younger generation to envision and shape the future through the lens of filmmaking. This program invites both Kids 6-12 and Teens 13-16 to share their unique perspectives on the future of our planet.

CULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL REGENERATION: The role of artists in creating a more beautiful future curated by Public Good Provisions. Designers and filmmakers imagine the future every day. They play an essential role in articulating and visualizing personal, cultural and environmental transformation. They enable others to see the future and become active participants in creating the world we all desire—one with more connection, more beauty, and more abundance.

MENTAL HEALTH IN FASHION curated by Florian Müller - We are pleased to introduce a new category for our fashion film festival: "Mental Health in Fashion." This theme aims to raise awareness and destigmatize mental health issues across the fashion industry, from design studios to factory floors, and even in the consumption behavior and signals the fashion world sends to the outside.
We invite you to participate and share your unique perspectives. Florian Müller's "Mental Health in Fashion" campaign, launched in January 2023, highlights the significance of mental health awareness throughout the industry's supply chain, as well as the impact of fashion on society as a whole.

FUTURE VINTAGE curated by Gill Linton CEO BYRONESQUE - We started the idea of Future Vintage in 2015 because we can see patterns in style cycles and demand, by looking back into contemporary fashion history, (we start at punk), and what our clients buy today. A simple concept based on know-how and experience. Today, brands are self-appointing themselves as Future Vintage – that’s not how it works – and fast fashion brands are calling their, not so old, clothes vintage. It’s a sham. In 15-20 years from now, what vintage will we be buying based on today’s style and designs? It doesn’t look as good as the designers’ archives’ we are lucky to have access to now. It’s important to preserve the contemporary vintage you buy and should keep for a long time – we don’t subscribe to flip it culture, no one should – and to buy wisely from new collections. Because it’s all future vintage.

Bruce Weber, Photographer

“Here is a lady that has a film festival because she believes in people and believes in helping them and there is beauty in that.”