As a child, little Alya is the only survivor of a tragic Mediterranean crossing from Africa to Europe. Years later, as the leading astronaut on a pivotal lunar mission. Alya loses communication with base and is confronted with her past trauma.

It is difficult to look away from the moon shining in the starry sky, but looking away is what we do as we turn toward the tragic reality of immigration to Europe. According to United Nations data, in the last seven years, more than 30.000 men, women, and children have died or gone missing in the Central Mediterranean. The “Never again” sworn in front of the aligned coffins of the 368 people who lost their lives near Lampedusa on October 3, 2013, has remained only a declaration of intent.

We look at the moon, but we turn away when it comes to looking at the tragedy of those who cross the Mediterranean in search of a better life. Their basic human right to a home often goes unfulfilled and their search for a place to call home becomes an existential struggle. This is not just an African problem, it is the responsibility of all of Europe.

Alya comes from Africa and arrives in Europe following a dream: first a dream of her father’s and then a dream of her own. Mångata, “the road to the moon,” represents the long way to get there.

On the Moon, while communication with the base is interrupted, Alya has an encounter that helps her overcome her past trauma and make sense of her loss.

Planet Earth is both Alya’s home and the starting point of Mångata, not just for her, but for all of mankind—of which Alya, with her aspiration and resilience, is a bright symbol.

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Maja Costa
Short Film | Fiction | Drama,  Sci-Fi
15 min
Germany | Italy 2023
English | Italian | Yoruba
English | French | German | Italian | BR Portuguese | Spanish
Stefany Fruzzetti | Ayo Aloba | Afnan Ehoran
Latte Plus
NOURA Cinema | DFKI – German Research Center for AI
ESA – European Space Agency
Antonio Padovani | Mario Nuzzo
Maja Costa
Carola Rodríguez Sánchez
Barbara Toennieshen – BFS
Renato & Ronaldo Gama | Tropical Diaspora Records
Marta Pagana | Marcus Ferreira
Paola Beatrice Ruffini
Maurizio Bergmann
Joana Vieira da Costa | Ana Fernandes
Richard Tintelnot

2023

• KRAKOW INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, Krakow (POLAND) – OSCAR® qualifying festival
  • WORLD PREMIERE (June 2023)
• INTERNATIONALES FILMFEST EMDEN NORDERNEY, Emden (GERMANY)
• L.A. SHORTS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, Los Angeles (USA) – OSCAR® qualifying festival
• FLICKERS’ RHODE ISLAND INTL. FILM FESTIVAL, Providence (USA) – OSCAR® qualifying festival – Semi Finalist
• CALABRIA MOVIE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, Crotone (ITALY)
• NÒT FILM FEST, Santarcangelo di Romagna (ITALY)
• VERACRUZ ITINERANT FILM FESTIVAL, Veracruz (MEXICO)
• BUSHO FILM FESTIVAL, Budapest (HUNGARY)
• BAYELSA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, Yenagoa (NIGERIA) – Nominated for BEST SHORT FILM and BEST LEAD ACTRESS
• WIENWOCHE, Vienna (AUSTRIA)
• MOSTRA DAS MINAS, Santos, SP (BRAZIL)
• FILMFEST OSNABRÜCK, Osnabrück (GERMANY)
• MONTECATINI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, Montecatini (ITALY)
• HAWAI’I INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, Honolulu (USA) – OSCAR® qualifying festival
• TEHRAN INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL, Tehran (IRAN) – OSCAR® qualifying festival
• TRIESTE SCIENCE + FICTION FESTIVAL, Trieste (ITALY)
• BYRON BAY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, Byron Bay (AUSTRALIA)
• CYPRUS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL “GOLDEN APHRODITE”, Nicosia (CYPRUS)
• CHICAGO INTERNATIONALCHILDREN’S FILM FESTIVAL, Chicago (USA) – OSCAR® qualifying festival
• AFRICA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, Lagos (NIGERIA)
• BRIDGES INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, Corinth (GREECE)
• CORNWALL FILM FESTIVAL, Penryn (UK)
• AMARCORT FILM FESTIVAL, Rimini (ITALY)
• I AM TOMORROW FILM FESTIVAL, Brussels (BELGIUM)
• EDO STATE SHORT FILM FESTIVAL, Benin City (EDO STATE)
• NOVELLA FILM FESTIVAL, London (UK)
• AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL, Kabale (KENYA)
• 3in1 FILM FEST (Almeirim, Portugal)
• FESTIVAL DEL CINEMA INTERNAZIONALE DI SALERNO, Salerno (ITALY)
• NEAR NAZARETH SHORT FILM FESTIVAL, Nazareth (ISRAEL)
• BEIJING INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL, Beijing (CHINA)
• OSTIA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, Ostia (ITALY)
• HUMAN RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL, São Paulo (BRAZIL)

2024

• CALIFORNIA WOMEN’S FILM FESTIVAL, Tarzana, CA (USA)
• ROTTERDAM INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, Rotterdam (Netherlands) – Special Screening / Educational Program
• TORONTO BLACK FILM FESTIVAL, Toronto (CANADA)
• SEATTLE BLACK FILM FESTIVAL, Seattle (USA)
• MOSCOW INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, Moscow (RUSSIA)
• CLEVELAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, Cleveland (USA) – OSCAR® qualifying
• NEW YORK AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL, New York (USA)
• DEEP IN THE HEART FILM FESTIVAL, Waco, TX (USA)
• FICMARC, Nueva Esparta (VENEZUELA)
• JACKSONVILLE FILM FESTIVAL, Jacksonville, FL (USA)
• BOSTON SCI-FI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, Boston, MA (USA)
• CINEMA ON THE BAYOU FILM FESTIVAL, Lafayette, LA (USA)
• SHARED VISIONS FILM FESTIVAL, Nottingham (UK)
• PALERMO INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL, Palermo (ITALY)
• FESTIVAL DU FILM MERVEILLOUX, Paris (FRANCE)
• MARTHA’S VINEYARD AFRICAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL, Vineyard, MA (USA)
• PORTOVIEJO FILM FESTIVAL, Portoviejo (ECUADOR)
• WOMEN OF THE LENS FILM FESTIVAL, London (UK)
• DAWSON CITY INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL, Dawson City (CANADA)
• MACON FILM FESTIVAL, Macon, GA (USA)
• PHILADELPHIA INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL, Philadelphia, PA (USA)
• ENNESIMO FILM FESTIVAL, Modena (ITALY)
• BUENOS AIRES INDIES SHORTS AWARDS, Buenos Aires (ARGENTINA)
• PUPILA FILM FESTIVAL, Olinda, PE (BRAZIL)
• FESTIVAL DE SANTA CRUZ, Santa Cruz, RS (BRAZIL)
• CINEFEST SÃO JORGE, São Jorge, SP (BRAZIL)
• MOSTRA LIVRE DO CINEMA, São Paulo, SP (BRAZIL)
• FESTCIMM – THE MID WORLD FILM FESTIVAL, São Paulo (BRAZIL)
• THE AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL – TAFF, Dallas, TX (USA)
• MADEIRA FANTASTIC FILM FESTIVAL, Funchal (PORTUGAL)
• 4TH DIMENSION INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, Bali (INDONESIA)
• SHORTS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, Trieste (ITALY)
• POST ALLEY FILM FESTIVAL, Seattle, WA (USA)
• VISIONI FANTASTICHE, Ravenna (ITALY)
• ÉCU – EUROPEAN INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL, Paris (FRANCE)
• AAIFF, Kigali City (RWANDA)
• OTTAWA INTERNATIONAL BLACK FILM FESTIVAL, Ottawa (CANADA)
• KRAKEN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, Milano (ITALY)
• INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY AND SHORT FILM FESTIVAL KERALA, Kerala (INDIA)
• QUIBDÓ AFRICA FILM FESTIVAL, Quibdó (COLOMBIA)
• MARATEALE SHORT FILM FESTIVAL, Maratea (ITALY)
• CINEOFF, Jesi (ITALY)
• TOPAZ FILM FESTIVAL, Dallas, TX (USA)
• FAME SHORT FILM FESTIVAL, Cape Town (SOUTH AFRICA)
• NAFPLIO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, Nafplio (GREECE)
• CAPE TOWN SQUAD INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, Cape Town (SOUTH AFRICA
• LONDON WOMEN FILM FESTIVAL, London (UK)
• EXTRA SCI-FI FILM FESTIVAL, Verona (ITALY)

• AFRICAN DIASPORA CINEMA FESTIVAL, Florence (ITALY) – Winner of BEST SHORT FILM
• CORTI IN CORTILE, Catania (ITALY) – Winner of BEST MUSIC and BEST DIRECTOR
• ORVIETO CINEMA FEST, Orvieto (ITALY) – Winner of BEST NATIONAL, BEST SHORT FILM MYMOVIES
• MONTECATINI INT’L FILM FESTIVAL, Montecatini (ITALY) – Special Mention BEST DIRECTOR, BEST STORY
• FANTASY/SCI-FI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, Los Angeles (USA) – Winner BEST SCI-FI FILM
• 3 IN 1 FILM FEST, Almeirim (PORTUGAL) – Winner of BEST SHORT FICTION FILM
• NOVELLA FILM FESTIVAL, London (UK) – Winner of BEST FEMALE NARRATIVE SHORT FILM
• I AM TOMORROW FILM FESTIVAL, Brussels (BELGIUM) – Winner of BEST VISIONARY SHORT FILM
• CORNWALL FILM FESTIVAL, Penryn (UK) – Winner BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
• BUENOS AIRES INDIES SHORT AWARDS BAISA® – Honorable Mention BEST SHORT
• TOPAZ FILM FESTIVAL – Winner of BEST SHORT FILM
• ENNESIMO FILM FESTIVAL – CRITIC’S SPECIAL MENTION
• WACO INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL – Winner of BEST FANTASY/SCI-FI SHORT FILM
• PORTOVIEJO FILM FESTIVAL – Winner of BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM WITH FEMALE DIRECTOR/li>
• PUPILA FILM FESTIVAL – Winner of BEST SHORT FILM
• CINEFEST SÃO JORGE – Winner of BEST SHORT FILM
• FESTIVAL DE SANTA CRUZ – Winner of BEST SHORT FILM
• KRAKEN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL – Winner of BEST DIRECTOR, BEST SHORT FILM ACTOR
• CAPE TOWN SQUAD INT’L FILM FESTIVAL – Winner of BEST DIRECTING, BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY, BEST SCORE
• LONDON WOMEN FILM FESTIVAL – Winner of BEST SHORT FILM