We’re ringing in the New Year with a special selection of Cinema Sõprus favorites, shown during the very first weekend of the year. We’ll wrap up the weekend with a selection of short films from this past summer’s hottest film festival, Valga Hot Shorts. Eight films in 81 minutes, showcasing outstanding short films by creators from Estonia, our neighboring countries, and across the Atlantic. Before the screening, you’ll hear from the organizers of Valga Hot Shorts, who will introduce next year’s festival dates and themes. All films will be presented in their original languages, accompanied by Estonian and English subtitles.

She Stays (Ella se queda / Marinthia Gutiérrez / 2024 / 10' / Mexico) –  In the Mexican town of Tijuana, a young woman named Laura must figure out what she wants from life.

Darwin's Darlings (Darwin’s Darlings / Ildze Felsberga / 2025 / 13' / Latvia) – This 13-minute film takes us behind the scenes of a zoo’s reptile house, offering fresh perspectives on the animals from both behind the security glass and in front of it. It’s a story about people, perception, and our assumptions.

Sauna Babes (Bastubabes / Mirjam Kjellman / 2024 / 5' / Sweden) – A young girl sends a nude picture to her love interest, and during the long minutes that follow, she and her friend alternate between steamy giggles and sweaty despair. A sharp, humorous look at modern communication, the film earned high praise from a VHS judge: “As a father of two teenage girls, this film was surprisingly comical – one unsolicited photo says more than a thousand words.”

Girls And Dogs (Des filles et des chiens / Sophie Fillières / 1991 / 5' / France) –  Girlfriends on the street of Paris. A bicycle, laughter and a game called "would you rather..." A French short film about life in the 1990s .

Apocalypse (Apocalypse / Benoit Méry / 2024 / 14' / France) – A raw dive into the heavy metal universe – Hellfest, sweat-soaked crowds, long hair, fierce faces, mosh pits and Vader. Beneath the chaos lies a space that feels oddly safe and liberating, where people shed their limits and celebrate life.

Come Sit With Us (Ära ole uhke / Elis Rumma / 2024 / 14' / Estonia) – Lola ends up sitting on a bench with local women on Midsummer Eve. At first, all women’s troubles are alien to her, but as the evening progresses, she begins to question her own perspective…

1001 Nights (1001 noć / Rea Rajčić / 2023 / 12' / Croatia) Women in the prime of their lives spend their days watching Turkish soap operas and napping. Winner of the VHS Grand Prix “Lõke”, the film was praised for its simple yet concrete storytelling, rich in detail and humor.

The Butterfly (Leptir / Sunčana Brkulj / 2024 / 8' / Croatia, Denmark) – 
A community of garden creatures all contribute to the flow of life, using water from a fountain. When a butterfly gets stuck in the fountain, they’re faced with an unfamiliar situation. VHS judge Tristan Priimägi praised it, saying: “You can watch this animation seven times in a row and still discover something new each time.”