Still: Stand Up - Mari Sanders

Stand Up** is set to world premiere in the International Narrative Competition. It is writer-director Mari Sanders’ debut feature and is produced by The Film Kitchen, with Neda Film (Greece) and BNNVARA (NL) as co-producers. It received support from the Netherlands Film Fund and the Production Incentive.

The film follows cheerful, indecisive Vera (23), who must reinvent her life after she gets hit by a truck, looses her autonomy and is sentenced to a life in a wheelchair. This doesn’t happen until she meets Xander (22), who has been in a wheelchair since birth. Slowly, their friendship deepens and gives them a new perspective on love and friendship. This leaves Vera facing a dilemma: does she embrace her limitation, or does she work hard to become as ‘normal’ as possible?

Also selected is the short film Odessa, directed by Harald Swinkels and produced by Exosphere. Set against the stark landscapes of the Dolomites in the wake of the Second World War, the film follows a fleeing family navigating a world marked by both hidden kindness and underlying threat. At its center is Josef, a devoted father trying to protect his family not only from external dangers, but also from the weight of his past. Odessa celebrated its world premiere earlier this month at Cleveland International Film Festival.

Harald Swinkels is a Dutch writer-director and founder of Exosphere. His previous short Drawback (2024), starring Claes Bang, won 44 international awards. In 2025, he produced Beyond Silence, directed by Marnie Blok, which premiered at Tribeca, won multiple awards including at Palm Springs, and was shortlisted for the Academy Awards 2026 in the Best Live Action Short category.

Read more about Tribeca here.

**Film is supported by the Netherlands Film Fund and Production Incentive