Familiar (2024) Drama Short Film

Experience “Familiar,” the tense new drama short film by Marco Novoa / Théodore Hugonnier (2024) watch, discover, see a haunting story of family. Beneath the surface of the familiar, a devastating secret waits. Watch now.

🕯️ Familiar (2024) — Drama Short Film by Marco Novoa / Théodore Hugonnier

Steve is rejected and expelled by his parents because of his homosexuality. Meanwhile, Caroline is grappling with the grief of her lost motherhood as she travels with Youri on tour. Through a twist of fate, these two lives—one marked by death and the other by a new beginning—are destined to intersect. “Familiar” claimed the 2025 Vimeo Staff Pick Award at SXSW, an honor that merges a festival prize with a Vimeo Staff Pick.

Some encounters feel like déjà vu, others like destiny. Familiar, directed by Théodore Hugonnier / Marco Novoa, is a short drama that explores the uncanny space between recognition and estrangement. It’s a film about identity, longing, and the strange comfort of what feels known but isn’t.

🧭 Overview

Genre: Drama / Mystery 🎭
Director & Writer: Marco Novoa, Théodore Hugonnier 🎬✍️
Runtime: ~20 minutes ⏱️
Country: France 🇫🇷
Language: French (with subtitles)
Release: 2024 (festival circuit)
Style: Minimalist, atmospheric, emotionally charged

Official Selections

SXSW
Clermont Ferrand Short Film Festival
Regard
Fantastic film festival of Gérardmer
Jeju French Film Festival
Mutoscope
Brest European Film Festival
Off-courts Trouville
Désir… Désirs
Ecrans mixtes
Séquence court-métrage

Credits

Role	Name(s)
Starring	Flora Fishbach, Le Filip, Renan Prévot
Director of Photography	Théodore Hugonnier
Music Composers	Marco Novoa, Florent Canale
Assistant Director	Mathieu Pérez
Editor	Marie-Réglisse Monsimier
Sound Recordist	Alix Clément
Costume designer	Pierre de Mones
Assistant Operator	Clément Petit
Production manager	Leïla Carpentier
Sound Editor	Olivier Voisin
Production Designer	Gaston Portejoie
Special Effects	Florent Canale, Quentin Kadlub, Thomas Espinosa
Grader	Kevin Le Dortz
Make-up Artists	Marco Roscino, Agathe Terrier
Sound mixer	Laura Chelfi

Watch the short

📖 Story in Brief

The Meeting: A young man crosses paths with someone who feels uncannily familiar.
The Pull: Their conversations blur the line between strangers and intimates.
The Conflict: Memory, desire, and fear intertwine — is this recognition real, or imagined?
The Resolution: The film closes on ambiguity, leaving viewers to decide whether “familiarity” is comfort or danger.

🎨 Creative DNA & Style

Visual intimacy: Close‑ups of faces, hands, and fleeting glances create a sense of closeness.
Muted palette: Soft lighting and subdued colors mirror the film’s quiet tension.
Sound design: Silence punctuated by whispers and ambient noise heightens the uncanny mood.
Narrative rhythm: Slow pacing allows emotions to simmer, making small gestures feel monumental.

🌟 Themes & Resonance

Memory & recognition: How we project familiarity onto strangers.
Desire & fear: Attraction complicated by uncertainty.
Identity & intimacy: The fragile line between knowing and imagining.
Ambiguity: The film thrives on unanswered questions, inviting reflection.

✅ Pros & ❌ Cons

Pros

🎯 Unique premise: Explores the uncanny feeling of déjà vu in relationships.
🎨 Atmospheric style: Minimalist visuals heighten emotional resonance.
💬 Emotional subtlety: Relies on nuance rather than overt drama.

Cons

⏳ Slow pacing: May feel too restrained for viewers seeking action.
🌀 Ambiguous ending: Leaves interpretation open, which some may find frustrating.

💡 Humanized Takeaway

Familiar is a meditation on the strange ways we connect — sometimes through memory, sometimes through imagination. Hugonnier crafts a short that feels like a whispered secret, reminding us that intimacy often begins with the simple, haunting question: “Have we met before?”