Atlanta Film Festival 2025 (Day 3) - Shorts: Veneration

From the venue:

The Beguiling, directed by ishkwaazhe Shane McSauby, United States // 2024 // English // 15 mins

What seems to be a burgeoning romance between two Natives takes a sinister turn as one grows suspicious of the other's Indigenous heritage.

The Return (ENCHUKUNOTO) directed by Laissa MalihKenya // 2024 // Maasai, Samburu, English // 16 mins

Laissa Malih returns to her community in this deeply personal look at how the lands of her forefathers are being reshaped by climate change.

The Long Valley directed by Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck & Robert Machoian, United States // 2025 // Spanish // 13 mins 

A documentary about the hopes and dreams of the people of the Salinas Valley, one of the most productive agricultural regions in California.

If The Sun Exploded Today, directed by Kai Hartman, United States // 2025 // English // 12 mins

Inspired by African-American fables, two teenage girls encounter a deity assigned to bringing Black children to the Other Side.

Recurrence (Qutar) directed by Ali AlizadehIran // 2023 // Azerbaijani // 15 mins  

An elderly man leaves his terminally disabled son to fend for himself when a planet approaches Earth and scares away all the cows.

Why The Cattle Wait, directed by Phumi Morare, South Africa // 2024 // Xhosa // 21 mins

A folklore love story about a Nguni goddess who must convince her human lover to return to leave the earth with her, before she destroys it.