How does research become cinema? Gala Hernández López, this year’s Person in Focus, offers insight into her practice, which blends film, art, and science. She will show how she uses her research into social and technological phenomena to develop her own cinematic language between documentary, essay, and fiction.
What if the future has already begun – not as an event, but as an idea that shapes the way we act? Gala Hernández López is interested in stories, fantasies, and promises that circulate in digital spaces and increasingly feed back into the material world. In her films, cryptocurrencies, incels, self-optimization, cryonics, or the technological control of our dreams may initially appear like extensions of science fiction. Yet their real uncanniness lies in the fact that they are already part of our present – things we built while we were still dreaming of them.
Hernández López explores how data, algorithms, and digital platforms increasingly shape our desires, fears, and ideas of success. Algorithms, data streams, and financial markets are not abstract systems existing outside the individual. They structure desires and fears, as well as ideas of success, love, the body, and the future. The filmmaker describes the narratives emerging in online communities as shared or symptomatic fictions: stories that reveal something about the state of our society while simultaneously beginning to produce reality.
These issues run through all four of her films: In « La Mécanique des fluides», the search for an incel leads deep into the lonely and misogynistic spaces of the internet. «For Here Am I Sitting in a Tin Can Far above the World», which premiered at Berlinale Forum Expanded in 2024, connects cryptocurrencies and cryonics in a world where even the future becomes an economic resource. In «+10k», which premiered at the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes in 2025, a 21-year-old dreams of financial independence, Miami, and a monthly income of more than €10 000 – desires increasingly translated into metrics, rankings, and calculated desires. «Like Moths to Light», which premiered in the Tiger Shorts Competition in Rotterdam in 2026, addresses the technological control of dreaming and thus one of the last unexplored territories of the self. The films have also been shown at DOK Leipzig, IDFA, Clermont Ferrand, Cinéma du Réel, IndieLisboa, Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur, the Berlinische Galerie, C/O Berlin, and the Palais de Tokyo.
Gala Hernández López deliberately moves between documentary, essay film, installation, and speculative fiction. YouTube videos, screenshots, archival material, 3D images, and her own footage are removed from their original contexts and recombined. The internet is not merely a subject of her work, but also its material and its setting. Her films ask how fantasies become material infrastructures, desires influence financial markets, and visions of the future shape the present. Are we still dreaming of the future – or have the systems we live in already begun to dream for us?
John Canciani & Gala Hernández López
Masterclass: Gala Hernández López
How does research become cinema? Gala Hernández López, this year’s Person in Focus, offers insight into her practice, which blends film, art, and science. She will show how she uses her research into social and technological phenomena to develop her own cinematic language between documentary, essay, and fiction.
Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur is Switzerland’s major short film festival. For six days every November, we transform the city into a dynamic short film hub.
Kurzfilmtage offers discoveries for everyone: our thoughtfully compiled thematic programmes address current events or topics that our curators are passionate about. The competition programmes showcase the latest filmmaking from around the globe, while installations, performances, and other specials highlight the diversity of audiovisual forms. And a programme of special events including concerts, readings, and more enhance the festival experience.
The programme of the 30th Kurzfilmtage will be released on 14 October 2026.
A short film is not just a shorter film. Shorts are a distinct art form, which we showcase at our annual festival.
Short films come in all shapes and genres, and how long – or short – they are, varies quite a bit. Simpler production processes allow filmmakers to capture the zeitgeist and quickly respond to trends. Shorts can be entertaining or surprising, they can analyse society, take a political stance, or offer glimpses of worlds unknown to us.
We compile our short films into thematic programmes or specific sections, such as our competitions, paying close attention to the selection and sequence of films in each programme. All you need to enjoy short films is an open mind for new discoveries and surprises.
Competitions
Recent short films from around the world. The best shorts will be presented with awards on Sunday evening.
Hors Concours
Recent short films from Zurich, Switzerland, and around the world screened out of competition.
Focus
Films that explore a region, a social phenomenon, or an artistic trend.
Person in Focus
A spotlight on the work of a filmmaker.
Special Programmes
Short film programmes dedicated to topics that our curators are passionate about – or that are simply fun.
Family Programmes
Short film fun for young viewers aged 6+ and for the whole family.
Expanded Cinema
Installations, performances, and exhibitions present the medium of film in unfamiliar forms.
Special Events
Concerts, parties, readings, and many other events enhance the festival experience.
Talks & Panels
Moderated talks and panels after the screenings offer additional context and insight into films and themes.
Industry Events
A wide range of educational events and networking opportunities.
