David PADILLA – director:

Having grown up between France and Italy, David Padilla is loyal to his dual culture. With a desire to integrate this identity in his work as a screenwriter and director, he joins his passions for cinema and the fantastic to create “Cults”. It is as a seasoned set technician who has collaborated with numerous directors (Dupontel, Emilio-Siri, Gatlif, Du Welz…) that he takes on the challenge of an unconventional and ambitious project with his first short film.

César 2025 official selection - shortfilm
Méliès d’Or 2024 nomination - shortfilm

Awards & Festivals France:
. La Pépinière Festival, Paris (December 2023) - Best direction Award
. PIFFF - Paris International Fantastic Film Festival (December 2023)
. Giallo International Film Festival, Paris (January 2024) - Audience Award & Best script Award
. Paris Courts Devant Festival (January 2024)
. International Short Film Festival of Angoulême (March 2024)
. CLAP89, International short film Festival (April 2024)
. FIJA Festival (April 2024) - High school students Award
​. Festival ArtAuCine, Nogent L'Artaud (May 2204)
. Le Courtivore Festival in Rouen (May 2024)
. Oblikon Film Festival, Paris (June 2024) - Best actor Award (Calliste Dupin), Best French film Award
. Fantasy Film Festival, Paris (June 2024)
. 17th Mediterranean Short Film Festival “Les Nuits Med” (June 2024) – Best cinematography special mention
. 25th Off-Courts Trouville (September 2024)
. Le Chouette Film Festival (Sept-Oct. 2024)
. Ticket to Death Festival (October 2024)
. Gosh! Halloween Horror Show (Octobre 2024) – Best director Award

International Festivals & Awards:
. 56th SITGES International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia – Noves Visions Section (Spain, October 2023) – Méliès d’Argent Award for the best fantastic genre short film
. Ravenna Nightmare Film Fest (Italy, November 2023) – Best short film Award
. Dracula Film Festival (Romania, November-December 2023)
. FINDECOIN - Independent International Short & Feature Film Festival (Venezuela, February 2024) - Best horror short film
. Capital City Film Festival (USA, April 2024)
. Myrtle Beach International Film Festival (USA, April 2024) - Best experimental Award
. New Jersey Jewish Film Festival (USA, April 2024)
. 2024 BoneBat “Comedy of Horrors” Film Fest (USA, April 2024)
. Fisheye Film Festival (UK, April 2024) – Best short genre film Award, Best editing Award, Best cinematography Award
. 20th Fantaspoa – International Fantastic Film Festival of Porto Alegre (Portugal, April 2024)
. 9th  Horrorant Film Festival FRIGHT NIGHTS 2024 (Greece, April 2024)
. XXXIII International Palencia Film Festival (Spain, May 2024)
. 2024 Crypticon Seattle Film Festival (USA, May 2024)
. Kinofilm 19, European Short Film Festival (UK, May 2024) – Honorable Mention
. 8th FICCSUR – Southern Cone International Film Festival (Chile, May 2024) – Best Horror Short Film Award
. Fear No Film Festival, Salt Lake City (USA, June 2024)
. Festival Internacional de Cine de Tàrrega i Ponent - Galacticat (Spain, June 2024) – Best Horror Short Film Award
. 26th Mecal Pro, The Barcelona Int. Short and Animation Festival (Spain, June-July 2024)
. Festival Internacional Cine en las Montañas (Colombia, July 2024) 
. PUFA Pucela Fantástica – Festival de Cine Fantástico y de terror de Valladolid (Spain, July 2024)
. Southport FilmFest (UK, July 2024)
. Mansfield Town Film Festival (UK, July 2024) - Best international short Award
. Tokyo Horror Film Festival (Japan, July 2024) - Best cinematography Award
. Seoul Yeongdeungpo Int. Extreme-Short Image & Film Festival (South Korea, August 2024)
. ONED art/ experimental Film Festival (France & China, August 2024)
. The Quarantine Film Festival 2024 (Bulgaria, August 2024)
. Kraljevski filmski festival (Serbia, August 2024)
. 11th Festival Internacional de Cine Pequeño (Spain, August 2024)
. Sci-Fi, Terror and Fantasy Film Festival (Colombia, August 2024)
. Trash Film Festival (Croatia, August 2024)
. 35th São Paulo International Short Film Festival (Brazil, August-Sept. 2024)
. ​Semana de Cine de Lugo (Spain, August 2024)
. Festival of Nations (Austria, September 2024)
. 19th Shorts México (Mexico, September 2024)
. Lucca Film Festival 2024 (Italy, September 2024)
. Portobello Film Festival 2024 (UK, September 2024) - Best comedy Award
. Wasteland Film Festival (USA, September 2024)
. 37th Edmonton International Film Festival (Canada, Sept-Oct. 2024)
. 2024 Chelsea Film Festival (USA, October 2024)
. XII CyBorg Film Festival (Italy, October 2024)
. Horror At The Ohio Film Festival (USA, October 2024) – Best cinematography Award
. Gaiaitaliapuntocom Film Fest (Italy, October 2024) – Best director Award
. Random Acts of Terror Festival (USA, October 2024)
. 28th The American French Film Festival (USA, Oct.-Nov 2024)
. New West Film Fest (Canada, October 2024)
. Gáldar International Film Festival (Spain, October 2024)
. Tuzla Film Festival (Bosnia-Herzegovina, October 2024)
. Festival of Local Television Golden Beggar (Slovakia, October 2024)
. 8th Anatomy Crime and Horror International Film Festival (Canada, October 2024) – Best director Award & Best cinematography Award
. South African HorrorFest (South Africa Oct-Nov 2024)
. 15th Annual Saskatoon Fantastic Film Festival (Canada, November 2024)
. Macau International Short Film Festival (Macau, November 2024)
. Algeciras Fantastika International Film & Art Festival (Spain, November 2024)
. FOGFEST Horror Film Festival (Canada, November 2024)
. Post Mortem - Festival Internacional de Cine de Horror y Bizarro (Mexico, November 2024) – Best short film Award
. Spook Screen (Ireland, December 2024)

TV:
. France 2

Synopsis: Catholic boarding school, 1970. Father De Monval is supervising a film projection when a young schoolboy sees something that will turn his life upside down…

Childhood/ Fantastic – 15’ – 2K – 1,85 - Color – France 2023

Casting: Calliste Dupin, Michaël Vander-Meiren, Antony Cinturino
Direction: David Padilla
Screenplay: David Padilla
Production: Jonathan Hazan
Cinematography: Thomas Bataille
Set Design: Loïc Vanelle
Costume Design: Julie Ancel
Sound: Alix Clément
Editing: Solène Cotten
Sound Editing & Sound Mix: Sylvain Réty
Original Music: Pierre-Antoine Durand

A Les Films du Cygne production.
With the partnership of France Télévisions, and the supports of the CNC, the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regional fund, in partnership with the CNC, the Procirep and of the Angoa, and the Beaumarchais-SACD Association.