BLACK SOIL SHORT VISIONARIES

A vibrant collection of short films from emerging filmmakers, a showcase of fresh voices, bold perspectives, and experimental forms. Curated by Claudio Montesano (New Producers Academy) and Monique Dikmoet (Rotterdam Writers Rooms), this program celebrates the power and versatility of storytelling across genres, languages, and identities.
With a special focus on the Caribbean, Black Soil Short Visionaries presents a kaleidoscope of stories rooted in resilience, creativity, and self-expression.

Program:

Hobi Director: Aramis Garcia Gonzalez | 28 min | Netherlands | Documentary | Papiamentu, Dutch (English subtitles)
In Hobi — meaning love in Papiamentu — filmmaker Aramis Garcia Gonzalez returns to the island of his childhood to explore what love means beyond words. Through the eyes of his family, friends, and his younger self, he weaves a tender reflection on belonging, intimacy, and identity. The film moves between dream and memory, blending everyday gestures with poetic imagery. Hobi is both a confession and a celebration — an ode to the quiet, transformative power of love.

Frank Curiel: A Baseball Story Director: Kristen Dania | 25 min | Netherlands | Documentary | Papiamentu, English (English subtitles)
In Frank Curiel: A Baseball Story, veteran coach Frank Curiel reflects on a lifetime devoted to the game that shaped him and his community. From dusty fields in Curaçao to international recognition, his story is one of perseverance, mentorship, and love for baseball — a universal language that unites generations.

Black Girl Magic
Director: Meron Taye | Producer: Rudina (NPA, Bonaire) | 6 min | Netherlands | Fiction | English
A short but powerful ode to the resilience and beauty of Black womanhood, seen through the eyes of a new generation of storytellers.

Toen ik klein was was ik niet bang Director: Rauwkost Collective | Netherlands | 30 min | Documentary | Dutch with English subtitles. Gershwin by Rauwkost offers an intimate portrait of multidisciplinary artist Gershwin Bonevacia, known for his poetic voice, activism, and raw authenticity. Through words, rhythm, and reflection, the film traces his creative process and his search for truth and balance as a poet navigating modern identity, fatherhood, and freedom.
A visually rich and sonically layered exploration of art as resistance — and of language as a tool for healing and self-definition.

Ticket holders for Black Soil: Short Visionaries also have access to The Cypher