We present the full programme of Samizdat Film Festival’s inaugural short film competition. Spotlighting female filmmakers from Central Asia and Poland, the selection speaks to the growing awareness of the true diversity of perspectives and voices in an often misunderstood region. Featuring a sly satire on Kazakhstan’s corrupt state media, two touching, short-form dramas about the relationships between mothers and children, an atmospheric dissection of social paranoia in Poland, and a stunning hand-drawn animation about trauma and collective memory in Central Asia.