WTFF 8 – Short Films Competition
by Francesco Manzato
Fiction, Drama
Italy, Switzerland, 2024, 9’
O.v. Italian. English subtitles
November 27, 2026, 7.00 PM, Cinema Odeon – Vicenza
Synopsis Five minutes: the maximum time allowed to clean a room in a luxury hotel without being reprimanded. Amidst the mechanical and alienated movements of a maid, however, the possibility of an escape creeps in. The colours become muted, the sounds sweet, the possibility of subverting class differences seems like a dream within reach. But in this world, even dreams last only five minutes.
Director’s bio-filmography Francesco Manzato (1996) graduated in Modern Literature from the University of Milan. He has directed several documentaries and short films, among which, in 2024, A Missed Call, presented at IDFA, Dream Now Revolution Tomorrow, screened at Locarno, and Nero Argento, awarded the prize for Best Director at the Critics’ Week at the Venice Film Festival. He is working on his first feature film and a new short film, selected for the Berlinale Talents Lab 2026 development programme.
Trailer
Directed by Francesco Manzato
Screenplay, Editing Francesco Manzato
Cinematography Davide Vacca
Sound Nico Palermo
Sound Editing Silvia Brizzi
Music Wretched
Cast Camilla Koller, Maria Caggianelli Villani
Production CISA, Locarno Film Festival
Distribution Gorilla Distribution
Website gorrilladistribution.com
Social Media Instagram: @francesco__manzato