ShortFest 2026 Guidebook

Festival Sponsors

Purchase Tickets

Print at home psfilmfest.org 760-778-8979

Box Office Hours

6/16 – 6/21: 10 AM - 5 PM

6/23 - 6/29: Opens 1 hour before first show and closes 30 min. after last show.

SCREENING LOCATION AND

BOX OFFICE

Festival Theaters 789 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way Palm Springs

PICKING UP TICKETS & PASSES

Tickets may be picked up at the Festival box office during the above listed operating hours. Please visit psfilmfest.org for up to date pass pick up information.

PRINT-AT-HOME TICKETS

& Party $70

Night Program & Party

Festival Policies

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

By attending the festival, you agree to abide by the Terms and Conditions, which can be found at at psfilmfest.org/ about/terms-and-conditions.

REFUSAL OF SERVICE

The PSIFS reserves the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason. We enforce this policy to ensure a secure, professional and convenient environment for all of our customers.

SCANNING

All tickets and passes will be scanned upon entering each screening and party.

FESTIVAL ETIQUETTE

Saving space in line or seats in the auditorium for other guests or between shows is not permitted.

No outside food or beverages permitted in auditoriums.

If you need to leave the auditorium for any reason, take your Ticket Stub or Festival Pass with you and pick up a RE-ENTRY pass from the volunteer at the door before you leave. No one will be re-admitted without a Ticket Stub/ Festival Pass AND the Re-Entry pass.

Avoid the box office and print your tickets at home. Tickets are attached to your order confirmation email in PDF form. Simply open the PDF, print and present your tickets at the screening upon entry. Help the environment – you may also present the PDF on your mobile device. Tickets are individually bar-coded, allowing only one scan per use so any attempts to duplicate, alter or sell any copies of the print-at-home tickets will result in admittance being refused to the event. Tickets and/or Vouchers purchased through a third party will not be accepted.

No recording equipment is permitted in the theatre auditorium.

Please turn off all cell phones and other electronic devices during the film presentation.

For the pleasure of all guests, there is no talking or texting permitted during the film presentation and no late seating. Those arriving late will be seated in between films.

Please complete and return your ballot immediately following each program.

To expedite theatre cleaning and seating please discard your trash and exit promptly after your screening.

All theatre auditoriums are cleared between show times. Any personal items discovered during the cleaning process will be kept in the Lost & Found at the Box Office.

Many lines are outside of the theatres. Please dress appropriately for comfort, as it can get very warm during the day, and theatres may get chilly.

The fine print: All sales are final. Ticket holders must be in their seats at least 15 minutes before show time to be guaranteed a seat. All films are unrated and may contain adult subject matter. Viewer discretion is advised. All films are presented in their original language with English subtitles unless otherwise noted.

Filmmaker & Industry Lounge*, Forums†

Hilton Palm Springs

400 E Tahquitz Canyon Way

Palm Springs

Tuesday - Sunday, 9am - 5pm

*LOUNGE ACCESS IS LIMITED

Check your badge for access

† View Forum schedule for dates & times- pg.13

Festival Gear & More

Pop up shops at FESTIVAL THEATERS and Downtown Palm Springs at Destination Palm Springs Shop

170 North Palm Canyon Dr. and online at DestinationPSP.com

Board of Directors

On behalf of the Board of Directors, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the 32nd Annual Palm Springs International ShortFest.

For more than three decades, ShortFest has brought together filmmakers, industry professionals, and film lovers from around the world to celebrate the art of short-form storytelling. Each year, we are inspired by the creativity, passion, and diverse perspectives that make this festival one of the most respected showcases of short cinema anywhere.

Whether you are here to premiere a film, discover emerging talent, connect with fellow creatives, or simply enjoy exceptional filmmaking, we hope you will take full advantage of all that ShortFest has to offer. From screenings and conversations to networking opportunities and unforgettable moments, this festival reflects the power of film to connect us across cultures and experiences.

Welcome From the Chairman Welcome From the Executive Director

Sincerely,

Nachhattar Singh Chandi Chairman

Welcome to the 32nd Annual Palm Springs International ShortFest!

Thank you to our filmmakers, attendees, sponsors, donors, volunteers, and staff for making ShortFest possible. Most importantly, thank you for being part of our audience.

It is my pleasure to welcome you to ShortFest 2026—my first as Executive Director of the Palm Springs International Film Society. I am honored to be part of this remarkable organization and to help celebrate the filmmakers, industry professionals, and audiences who make this festival so special.

This year, our dedicated screening team reviewed more than 7,000 submissions from around the world and selected over 300 exceptional films to be presented in thoughtfully curated screening programs. Under the leadership of our Artistic Director, Lili Rodriguez, and Directors of Programming, Jesse Knight and Céline Roustan, this year’s lineup showcases the creativity, diversity, and innovation that have made ShortFest one of the premier short film festivals in the world.

Thank you for joining us. Enjoy the films, discover new voices, and have a wonderful ShortFest!

Warmly,

Toni Merrihew Executive Director

My sincere thanks to our hardworking staff and extraordinary volunteers whose dedication makes this festival possible.

Welcome Short Festers!

We started as a little celebration of short films. Today, we are a gathering place for filmmakers, audiences, students, and curious movie-lovers from all over the world, all united by a belief in the power—and straight-up enjoyment—of short-form storytelling. Short form rules here, and I love that for all of us.

ShortFest is a filmmaker's festival, an audience's festival, and a community's festival all at once. The films bring us together, but so does the Forum, the parties, the chance encounters that turn into future collaborations formed poolside. For one week every June, it becomes a kind of summer camp for movie lovers.

This year, we’re especially excited about the ways we’re expanding our educational and community programs. We launched our first-ever Curator Fellows program, inviting young adults with programming aspirations to help curate our Valley Visions program (page 17). We’ve also partnered with the Boys & Girls Club of Cathedral City for our Kids’ Choice Award, bringing the films directly to local students and giving them the opportunity to select this year’s winner from the Shorties program (page 32).

Every festival is a labor of love, so a huge thank you to our staff, volunteers, Board of Directors, sponsors, and supporters who make this festival possible year after year. And of course, at the center of it all are the films and the stories that stay with us long after the credits roll.

Thank you for being part of ShortFest. Now go watch some shorts!

Lili Rodriguez Artistic Director

Letter from Our Directors of Programming

For our first year as directors of programming, it was as important to curate a lineup that captured the current—while hinting at the future—moment of cinema as keeping the joyous and celebratory essence of ShortFest alive!

Across the 50 programs in the festival, expect a grab bag of genres, styles, and perspectives. What we love most about short filmmakers is how they are empowered to break rules and surprise the audience, free from conventions and expectations, allowing for pure artistic expression. Year after year we continue to be surprised and elated by all the new and different ways filmmakers invent and reinvent. It’s like discovering new colors. Our aim was to recreate that experience of discovery for the ShortFest audience.

We hope these films entertain, spark conversation, and inspire other filmmakers in the audience to keep searching, keep digging, and keep revitalizing cinema in ways nobody has ever seen.

Enormous thank you to our phenomenal team of programmers whose dedication and boundless curiosity led directly to this year’s expansive and eclectic lineup. And endless gratitude to our artistic director Lili Rodriguez, whose leadership, support, and expert fashion sense over the years have inspired us to keep striving to be better, more thoughtful, and more stylish programmers. We hope we’ve made you proud.

And lastly, thank you to you, the audience. Whether returning or attending for the very first time, we hope you have the best festival of your life!

Jesse Knight and Céline Roustan Directors of Programming

Directors of Programming

Jesse Knight

Jesse has been a film curator since 2014, serving on teams at Seattle International, AFI Fest, SFFILM, Palm Springs International, Olympia Film Society, Sundance Institute, and beyond. Also a creative producer, story consultant, and mentor, he is passionate about guiding filmmakers toward fostering their singularity. On roller skates, he is 5’11”.

Programmers

Robert John Torres

Robert John Torres is an LA-based film programmer. He has previously worked Tribeca, DOC NYC, PBS, OUTFEST, Nashville Film Festival, Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, and more.

Associate Programmers

Neha Aziz

Neha Aziz is a Pakistani-born writer, director, film programmer, and podcaster living in Austin, TX. She currently works as the Artistic Director for Austin Asian American Film Festival, and as a Film Programmer for Big Sky Documentary Film Festival and Palm Springs ShortFest.

Darcy Wytko

Darcy Wytko is an LA-based writer and filmmaker with rodeo roots, and a soft spot for baby goats and the Velvet Underground. She is a graduate of the American Film Institute, and a programmer for ShortFest and the Seattle International Film Festival.

Youth and Local Programming

Jennifer Van Camp

Programming Manager

Jennifer manages year-round programming both Palm Springs International Film Festival & ShortFest. Working closely with the festival’s programmers, she contributes to the curation & presentation of films across festivals while supporting the development of the lineups. Beyond the festivals, she manages the Society’s year-round community screening programs, connecting audiences with diverse stories and filmmakers.

Céline Roustan

Programmers

After starting at ShortFest in 2018, Céline is now co-director of programming. Senior writer/curator for Short of the Week, her festival programming experience includes SXSW Film & TV, TIFF ShortCuts, IDFA, the Short Films Competition of the Festival de Cannes. There, she also coordinates the short film industry event SFC | Rendez-vous industry, she also leads the acquisitions at OUAT Media, and is a regular mentor for the Doha Film Institute.

Rachel Walker

Rachel Walker has worked in the film industry for almost 20 years, sits on the advisory boards for Vidiots and Overlook, and is a member of both the Producers Guild and the Publicists Guild. She has done over 100 escape rooms and would like to peer pressure you into escaping one with her this week.

Daniel Crooke

Daniel Crooke is an LA-based film programmer. Beyond ShortFest, he also programs for Palm Springs International Film Festival and produces the filmmaker retreats. He serves as Senior Programmer at Outfest and Associate Programmer for shorts at AFI Fest.

Nichole Young

Nichole Young is the Shorts Programmer at the American Film Institute’s AFI FEST. Her programming background includes Palm Springs ShortFest, Big Sky Documentary, Nashville, and Seattle International Film Festival. She holds a BFA in Broadcast Journalism from Chapman University and a Master’s in Film & Media Studies from ASU.

Natali Hopkins

Educational Programs Manager

Natali is a producer and project manager with 14+ years of experience in storytelling, education, and social impact. She previously led Innovative Programs at the American Film Institute, overseeing the Directing Workshop for Women+ and Cinematography Intensive. Her television and digital production work includes FOX, MTV, Bravo, and National Geographic, and she was recognized as a 2017 Webby Honoree.

Celeste Wong

Celeste Wong is a lifelong film and performing arts enthusiast based in Oakland. This is her third year programming for ShortFest. She has also worked for various film festivals nationwide, including Tribeca, SXSW, Atlanta Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival, Mill Valley Film Festival, and San Francisco DocFest.

Taylor Lomax

Taylor Lomax (he/they) is an LA-based writer and film programmer. In addition to ShortFest, he programs at the Nashville Film Festival. Their writing can be found in places like PAPER, Vulture, The A.V. Club, Feeld, Paste, and Grindr.

Screening Team

Gilbert Khoury

James Munn

Craig Parish

Mike Simonyi

Barbara Sisto

Lara Ramdin

OPENING NIGHT POOL PARTY JUNE 23, TUESDAY 8:30 PM - THE HILTON PALM SPRINGS

COACHELLA KARAOKE PARTY JUNE 24, WEDNESDAY 10:00 PM - THE SAGUARO

GAYLA PARTY JUNE 25, THURSDAY 10:00 PM - THE SONORAN

IT'S TIME TO GLOW PARTY JUNE 26, FRIDAY 10:00 PM - ALTITUDE PALM SPRINGS

COWABUNGA PARTY JUNE 27, SATURDAY10:00 PM - PALM SPRINGS SURF CLUB

CLOSING NIGHT PARTY JUNE 28, SUNDAY 8:30 PM - LULU’S CALIFORNIA BISTRO

JUNE 23, TUESDAY

11:00 AM Under the Spotlight

11:30 AM Thicker than Water

12:00 PM Close-Ups

2:00 PM Valley Visions

2:30 PM Communication Breakdowns

3:00 PM Acts of Defiance

6:30 PM Opening Night Screening

JUNE 26, FRIDAY

11:00 AM Father Figures

11:30 AM Truth Be Told

12:00 PM Welcome to the Neighborhood

2:00 PM Face the Music

2:30 PM Growing Pains

3:00 PM Friends Like These

5:00 PM Like & Subscribe

5:30 PM Strictly Business

6:00 PM The Things We Do For Love

8:00 PM Thrills & Chills

Program Schedule

JUNE 24, WEDNESDAY

11:00 AM Power Plays

11:30 AM All About My Mother

12:00 PM Amazing Animation

2:00 PM On the Job

2:30 PM Sibling Stories

3:00 PM It Takes Two

5:00 PM 7 Deadly Sins

5:30 PM Outsiders & Underdogs

6:00 PM Rebel Yell

8:00 PM Getting It On

JUNE 27, SATURDAY

11:00 AM Parables, Fantasies and Fables

11:30 AM Shorties

12:00 PM Beneath the Surface

2:00 PM High Anxiety

2:30 PM Days of Youth

3:00 PM Cast Adrift

5:00 PM Coupling & Uncoupling

5:30 PM Art Attack

6:00 PM Crossroads

8:00 PM Late Night

JUNE 25, THURSDAY

11:00 AM A Dose Of Reality

11:30 AM Animal Instincts

12:00 PM Parental Control

2:00 PM Social Animals

2:30 PM Brief Encounters

3:00 PM A Sense of Place

5:00 PM Modern Romance

5:30 PM Life of the Party

6:00 PM Unbound Visions

8:00 PM Gayla

JUNE 28, SUNDAY

1:00 PM The Kids Are Alright

1:30 PM The Shape I’m In 2:00 PM Cons & Consequences 6:30 PM Closing Night Screening

JUNE 29, MONDAY BEST OF FEST

10:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 2:00 PM 4:00 PM, 6:00 PM, 8:00 PM

Educational Programs

HIGH SCHOOL FILMMAKER BOOTCAMP

JUNE 25, THURSDAY

10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

HILTON PALM SPRINGS

PRESENTED BY THE PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM SOCIETY

Join us for High School Filmmaker Bootcamp at Palm Springs International ShortFest and learn the core elements of filmmaking - from writing and storyboarding to cinematography, sound and editing - in a supportive, creative environment. All FREE and hosted at one of the biggest short film festivals in the world, and in your own backyard.

No experience necessaryjust bring your passion and curiosity!

For more information, call 760-969-7557

OTHER PROGRAMS

CURATOR FELLOWSHIP

The Palm Springs International Film Society proudly introduces the inaugural 2026 ShortFest Fellowship cohort, an immersive program for emerging film enthusiasts ages 18–25. Fellows collaborated with the ShortFest Programming Team to screen and evaluate shorts, engage in industry conversations, and explore festival curation—culminating in a specially curated film block presented at the 2026 festival.

The 2026 Curator Fellows:

Keys Dunbar, Jessica Lam, Lupita Quelix, Julian Vargas

YOUTH & LOCAL JURIES

The Youth and Local Jury Programs invite community members of all ages to engage with film through shared viewing and discussion. Kids’ Choice Jury at the Boys & Girls Club of Cathedral City selects a favorite Shorties film, while Young Cineastes (high school students) and Desert Views (adult nonprofessional film fans) present awards recognizing youth perspective and neighborliness.

Education Sponsors

JUNE 26, FRIDAY

ASK ME ANYTHING: FESTIVALS

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

A Forum favorite! Meet programmers from festivals around the country for a candid and eye-opening conversation. Learn about how selection processes work, dos and don’ts for submissions, and how to make the most of your film festival experience. Bring all your questions and don’t be shy as the audience will be the moderators!

PITCH PERFECT: A MASTERCLASS*

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

REGISTRATION REQUIRED IF PITCHING

Your favorite interactive panel returns—join a group of seasoned executives and filmmakers to discuss the dos and don’ts of the pitching process, how to polish your delivery, and what a memorable pitch looks like. Submit your idea ahead of time for the chance to pitch live to the audience and receive feedback from the panel! Three pitches will be pre-selected and confirmed prior to the panel. Panel is open to all, advance registration required for those wanting to pitch.

YOU, ME, AND THE AI WE KNOW

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

AI is rapidly changing the filmmaking landscape—but what does that actually mean for shorts filmmakers working with limited budgets, small crews, and ambitious ideas? This panel explores the future of AI in the shorts filmmaking landscape. Panelists will discuss real-world applications, lessons learned, guardrails we should consider, and where the line between efficiency and artistry lives. Whether you’re AI-curious or already experimenting, this conversation is designed to unpack its impact, and understand how we might use it to expand creative possibilities while staying grounded in authentic voice and vision.

PRODUCERS ON PRODUCING

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Join us as we dive into the producing side of the short filmmaking process, offering a practical roadmap for finding new producing collaborators and turning ideas into completed films. Producers will demystify their roles on and off set and share insights on budgeting, fundraising, crew-building, festival planning, and navigating creative challenges on limited resources.

ONE ON ONES: SESSION 1

COLLABORATOR MATCHUP

4:45 PM - 5:45 PM

Are you a director seeking a producer for your new project? An actor looking for the writer that will have your next meaty role? Whatever hat(s) you might wear in the filmmaking process, let us step in and help you find your next great collaborator through these informal, general meetings. Advance sign-up not required—come with an open mind and you may just meet your next creative partner!

JUNE

27, SATURDAY

YOU’VE MADE A SHORT ...NOW WHAT?!

10:00 AM - 11:15 AM

Join a mix of veteran industry and filmmaker guests as they answer the question that’s top of mind after you wrap up your shoot: what’s next? From the transition to features filmmaking to figuring out how to leverage exposure with the short you just made, hear guidance and ideas for the future.

ONE ON ONES: SESSION 2

INDUSTRY EXECUTIVE MENTORS*

12:00 PM - 1:15 PM

REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Don’t miss the chance to meet in person with an industry professional as part of our One on Ones. These general meetings are designed to allow you the opportunity to ask burning questions about areas of the industry you are interested in working in or learning more about, general career advice, or ways to best position yourself and your work as you move forward. Limited seating - advance sign-up required.

ONE ON ONES: SESSION 3 FILMMAKER MENTORS*

2:30 PM - 3:45 PM

REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Don’t miss the chance to meet in person with an established filmmaker as part of our One on Ones. These general meetings give you the opportunity to ask burning questions about their careers, aspects of filmmaking you are interested in learning more about, general advice, or ways to best position yourself and your work as you move forward. Limited seating - advance sign-up required.

Forum

JUNE 28, SUNDAY

ROUNDTABLE MEET & GREET: REPRESENTATIVES AND DEVELOPMENT

12:30 PM - 1:30 PM

Our signature roundtable event returns! In an intimate group setting, hear directly from development executives, agents, and managers about how they build relationships with the filmmakers they work with, what they look for, and how your work can stand out from the crowd. Bring your questions—we’ll rotate every 20 minutes, so you’ll be able to meet with three speakers total. This event is first-come, first-served with limited seating so we recommend arriving early.

ROUNDTABLE MEET & GREET: PROGRAMMERS AND ARTIST SUPPORT

2:30 PM - 3:30 PM

In an intimate group setting, hear directly from programmers and institutions running artist support programs about how they select projects, what they look for when programming, and what opportunities exist for your project. Bring your questions—we’ll rotate every 20 minutes, so you’ll be able to meet with three speakers total. This event is first-come, first-served with limited seating so we recommend arriving early.

One on One Sessions and Roundtables are Filmmaker-only Events

*Registration required for Mentor One on One sessions and for those wanting to pitch during Pitch Perfect: A Masterclass

Awards

OSCAR® QUALIFYING

Best of the Festival Award

$5,000 cash prize; awarded to an animated, documentary or live-action short film

Best Live-Action Short Over 15 Minutes

$1,000 cash prize; awarded to a live-action short film with a running time of 15:01 and over

Best Live-Action Short

15 Minutes and Under

Sponsored by: SAGIndie

$1,000 cash prize; awarded to a live-action short film with a running time of 15:00 and under

SPECIAL JURY

Best International Short

OFFICIAL AWARD PROVIDER

LOCAL JURIES

Desert Views

Best Animated Short

$1,000 cash prize; awarded to an animated short film

Best Documentary Short

$1,000 cash prize; awarded to a documentary short film

$1,000 cash prize; awarded to a short film from outside of the United States

Best U.S. Short

$1,000 cash prize; awarded to a short film from the United States

Best Comedy Short

$1,000 cash prize

Best LGBTQ+ Short

$1,000 cash prize

Best Midnight Short

$1,000 cash prize

Vimeo Staff Pick

$1,000 cash prize; awarded by a local jury of adults to a short film that, in the spirit of neighborliness, promotes understanding and acceptance between people

Young Cineastes Award

$1,000 cash prize; awarded by a local youth jury composed of high school students

Kids’ Choice

$1,000 cash prize; awarded by a local youth jury composed of Boys & Girls Club of Cathedral City students

AUDIENCE

Best Animated Short

$5,000 Honoring one outstanding short film with a cash prize, a guaranteed Vimeo Staff Pick, and featured promotion across Vimeo’s platform and channels.

$1,000 cash prize

Best Documentary Short

$1,000 cash prize

STUDENT

Best Student Animated Short

$1,000 Cash Prize

Best Student Documentary Short

$1,000 Cash Prize

Best Student International Short

$1,000 Cash Prize

Best Student U.S. Short

$1,000 Cash Prize

Best Live-Action Short

$1,000 cash prize

Best Student Short

Sponsored by: US Bank

$1,000 cash prize

UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT

TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 11:00 AM 91 MINUTES

Whether for the camera or for an audience, for family, friends, or complete strangers, this collection of films digs into what it takes to mount a memorable performance.

BAD IDEAS

Poland, Jan Bujnowski, 12 min.

Is there any connection between sunglasses, high school friends, and diminutive names? And could it have something to do with sombrero hats?

BENEATH THE NIGHT

Germany, Maximilian Karakatsanis, 14 min.

A metro driver with colorful hair is unexpectedly chosen as the face of a public transport advertising campaign, blurring the line between the visible and hidden.

CRISIS ACTOR

USA, Lily Platt, 13 min.

Fired from her day job, an impulsive actress crashes a support group and spirals into a chaotic night that forces her to face her addiction to drama.

FLORENTIA

Taiwan, Yen-Ju Lee, 25 min.

Three weeks before opening night of a classic tragedy, a Chinese opera star discovers she’s pregnant by her ex-husband. Caught between the roles she’s expected to play onstage and at home, she begins to sense another ending may be possible.

STALIN BOYS

USA, Ora DeKornfeld, Bianca Giaever, 22 min.

Four middle-school boys in a Texas border town have developed an unusual obsession: Joseph Stalin. When they hear about the Texas State History Fair, they write a play about the Soviet dictator and his efforts to destroy all who opposed him.

THE UNDYING PAIN OF EXISTENCE

Germany, Oscar Jacobson, 5 min.

A nude model poses with statuesque stillness for an elite drawing class—until an unfortunate mosquito bite challenges his self-control.

THICKER THAN WATER

TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 11:30 AM 95 MINUTES

Across war, distance, and time, these films explore the connective tissue and complicated dynamics of bloodlines

NEVERLANDEX

Poland, Agata Kapuścińska, 23 min.

Allergy-stricken, death-fearing Peter lives with his overprotective father who treats him like a child, bombarding him with terrifying stories. One day, Peter stumbles upon an old crossword puzzle that sets him on a journey toward independence.

NOT SCARED, JUST SAD

Lebanon, Isabelle Mecattaf, 18 min.

Turning the camera on her family and surroundings in Beirut during the recent Israeli bombings, filmmaker Isabelle Mecattaf captures the jarring coexistence of regular life with the relentless shock and grief of living on the periphery of war.

PANKAJA

USA, Anooya Swamy, 14 min.

Pankaja and her daughter desperately navigate the city slums and bureaucracy of Bangalore in a quest to locate her missing husband.

TO THE WOODS

France, Agnès Patron, 15 min.

A sister reflects on her childhood connection with her brother and their enigmatic escape into the forest.

VILLA 187

Qatar, Eiman Mirghani, 10 min.

One day, Sudanese filmmaker Eiman Mirghani’s phone buzzed with a message: her father had lost his job. As the family packs up the Doha house they called home for decades, the shock cracks open a flood of memories.

WINTER CEREMONY

USA, Sidi Wang, 15 min.

In a Texas winter, a long-divorced Chinese couple reunites for their daughter’s college graduation.

CLOSE-UPS

TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 12:00 PM 95 MINUTES

These documentary portraits offer an intimate look into the lives of fascinating individuals, capturing their stories with beauty, humor, and depth.

GOLD MAN

India, Rishi Chandna, 14 min.

A satirical exploration of society’s obsession with the opulent through a few days in the life of a local celebrity, the ‘Gold Man of Bihar’.

LET THE KIDS KNOW

Germany, Moritz Geßner, 16 min.

After years of fighting the system, climate activist Judith now faces legal consequences. Between countless court hearings and everyday moments with her family, she fights against the fading memory of her protest and for the future of her children.

PLUMPED

USA, Faye Tsakas, Nora DeLigter, 13 min.

In an ode to Les Blanks’ Gap-Toothed Women, women speak candidly about their experience with lip filler.

SEA SONG

USA, An-Phuong Ly, 18 min.

The last remaining South Vietnamese naval officers reunite in California for the final time. Finding solace in the shared experience of their youth, they reconnect with the few people in the world who understand the complexities that shape them.

SOLE

USA, Haneol Lee, 13 min.

A Korean American cobbler in Nashville, Tennessee finds peace in his simple life.

THOSE WHO HEAR THE SUN

Switzerland, Maurizius Staerkle Drux, 7 min.

A deaf woman believes the sun is Earth’s loudest element. Her journey unveils how deaf people “hear” in their own imaginary world.

THE VOLUNTEER

USA, Owen Dubeck, 14 min.

Luis Yepiz has spent his life making sure others don’t go hungry. But after a near-death experience, he is pushed to reflect on his self-sacrificing lifestyle.

VALLEY VISIONS

TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 2:00 PM 98 MINUTES

A collection of films showcasing our Desert, featuring local productions and works by folks who call it home.

E.D.G.A.R. (ENHANCED DATA GATHERING ANALYSIS ROBOT)

USA, Virginia de Witt, 14 min.

In a near-future desertscape, a suicidal woman discusses life, love, and loss with an AI Android that resembles her estranged father. Meanwhile, her neighbor focuses on his passion for tap dancing.

HIGH BEAM

USA, Kaila Gutierrez, 12 min.

Nine-year-old gymnast Genna spends a day at the gym with her mother, a devoted coach whose praise is reserved for her top athletes. Desperate to catch her mom’s eye, Genna obsessively strives to make the gymnastics team.

PLAYTIME WITH DAISY

USA, Amir Aftab, Justin Aftab, 5 min.

A young woman obsessed with dolls is pushed toward adulthood by her mother, but playtime has just begun.

SH(OUT)

USA, Santiago B. Musacchio, 20 min.

After 20 years of marriage, a 43-year-old mother takes to the open road, exploring her identity, quiet courage, and the longing to be seen—not just as a parent or partner, but as herself.

SQUASH CASSEROLE

USA, Tobin Sanson, 4 min.

After an irreversible act, two sisters reckon with their lifelong dynamic that finally begins to shift.

THE TAHQUITZ MYTH

USA, Harrison Pierce, 21 min.

A Palm Springs college student sets out to disprove an ancient Coachella Valley myth—only to discover a terrifying truth.

WELCOME TO TOOL SHED

USA, Daniel Talbott, Andrew Klaus-Vineyard, 22 min.

At the long-standing Palm Springs gay bar Tool Shed—a desert oasis for leather-loving, sex-positive seniors—a generation who once faced the HIV/AIDS epidemic and decades of oppression find themselves trailblazers again as the first openly LGBTQ+ seniors.

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWNS

TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 2:30 PM 89 MINUTES

Attempts to connect—through language, technology, distance, or identity—unravel in these films, revealing how easily communication can falter and what’s at stake when it does.

AMID THE NOISE & HASTE

USA, Julie Goldstone, 16 min.

A trans woman seeks her true voice through vocal training while bracing to meet her boyfriend’s parents.

CAN I PUT YOU ON HOLD

USA, James Cutler, 12 min.

A man struggles with the crushing bureaucracy of immigration as he waits on hold with his lawyer, trying to keep hope alive for his future with his fiancée, only to face a devastating setback that forces him to reconsider everything.

GUARDIAN’S GROVE

USA, Rachel Moss, 12 min.

LIL_QUACKO and ROTTENPOTATOES98 are best friends—online. When they meet at a party, they’re forced to reckon with their relationship IRL.

THE PHONE TREE

Denmark, Daniel Kragh-Jacobsen, 13 min.

In 1990s Denmark, 12-year-old Jonathan tries to reach his best friend, Rasmus. What begins as anxious waiting for a friend who won’t answer becomes an emotional journey through a phone tree, revealing the painful truth behind a broken friendship.

THE PRICE OF A STORY

Czech Republic, Lukáš Masner, 16 min.

A rich Czech tourist comes to an Inuit shaman—an Angakkoq— willing to pay a lot of money to hear him tell a legendary encounter between his own ancestors and those of the Angakkoq.

UNAVAILABLE

Ukraine, Kyrylo Zemlyanyi, 20 min.

During the first months of the war, young Serhii moves to western Ukraine where he works as a humanitarian volunteer. The day his mother decides to leave the occupied area, they lose their telephone connection.

ACTS OF DEFIANCE

TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 3:00 PM 89 MINUTES

From quiet rebellions to public acts of resistance, these films highlight people pushing against the forces that seek to define, silence, or control them.

DRIVING LESSON

Bulgaria, Anastassya Angelova, 14 min.

In a Bulgarian village, Angel faces a dilemma: accept his grandfather’s offer to teach him to drive and conform to patriarchal norms, or refuse and risk being called weak despite staying true to his bond with his sister.

LA TIERRA DEL VALOR (THE HOME OF THE BRAVE)

USA, Cristina Costantini, 23 min.

In the summer of 2025, as ICE raids turned Los Angeles upside down, singer NEZZA stepped out into Dodger Stadium on No Kings Day and did something both simple and defiant: she sang the national anthem in Spanish.

ORLA

Czech Republic, Marie Lukáčová, 21 min.

In a magical kingdom bound by a strict hierarchy, a young maiden named Jasna sets out to break the chains of the kingdom and set its people free. A rap fairy tale of justice, told in three acts.

RELAY

Switzerland, Thilo Gundelach, 15 min.

On Montana’s Blackfeet Reservation, a 10-year-old boy watches as screens consume his family. When the lights go out, he glimpses what he’s been missing—and makes a choice that could change everything.

SO ROCK!

China, Fangbai Liu, 16 min.

In a decaying industrial town in Northern China, a 13-year-old boy trapped between bullying and a disgraced father discovers rock music—and, through its noise and defiance, finds a way to break free from silence.

Opening Night

TUESDAY, JUNE 23 6:30 PM, 85 MINUTES

Filmmakers, industry folks, and film lovers gather for a high-energy kickoff packed with bold, brilliant, bite-sized cinema. We’ve selected films that capture what ShortFest is all about — a little laughter, connection, and a whole lot of heart.

And to really kick it off ShortFest style, join us right after the screening poolside at the Hilton Palm Springs for drinks, dancing, and all the magic that makes ShortFest, well... ShortFest.

ERUCTATION

USA, Victoria Trow, 7 min.

The world record for loudest female burp is 107.3 decibels. Kaylee wants to beat it.

SABA

USA, Liron Topaz, 10 min.

In a world where gravity is reversed, a unique bond forms between a grandfather and his grandson.

NOBODY BARKS

Spain, Júlia Coldwell Serra, 20 min.

After accidentally running over her nephew’s dog, Candela decides not to confess. Instead, she invents a legend about a dog pilgrimage to a sacred tree and invites him to join her in the search.

WE WERE HERE

India, Pranav Bhasin, 11 min.

In a crumbling Indian town, three retired men protest machines replacing human jobs by pretending to be household appliances.

BORDERLINE

Norway, Johannes Vang, 12 min.

A Norwegian customs officer, a Finnish poacher, and a mysterious Swedish woman meet at the border between their homelands, becoming entangled in a conflict over laws, language, and prejudice. Confronted with their own secrets, they must find an unconventional solution.

PANTHER PAT

USA, Ashley Brandon, 12 min.

In 1970, a schoolteacher crashes into the brutal world of professional football, shattering its gender barrier.

YEAR OF THE DRAGON

Canada, Giran Findlay Liu, 13 min.

A devoted immigrant mother sets out to deliver a cake for her son’s birthday. But as the day unravels, she is forced to confront the reality of her son’s situation.

POWER PLAYS

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 11:00 AM 94 MINUTES

Tense standoffs, risky gambits, and menacing manipulations characterize these stories about the lengths we go to in order to control our own lives—and sometimes those of others.

ADMIN

USA, Shannon Sullivan, 12 min.

The relationship between a female casting director and her assistant unravels after a powerful auteur crosses a line during a meeting.

DARK SKIN BRUISES DIFFERENTLY

United Kingdom, Susan Wokoma, 11 min.

After a peculiar student spreads a lie that threatens her integrity as a teacher, Ms. Lawson finds herself in an unexpected face-off.

FAČUK

Croatia, Maida Srabović , 13 min.

In a God-fearing village, giving birth to a “fačuk”—an illegitimate child—is a mortal sin. In this narrow-minded, harsh rural environment, fear grows inside a young pregnant woman who is about to give birth at any moment.

FLOCK

United Kingdom, Mac Nixon, 20 min.

When the sheep population of a tight-knit farming community mysteriously vanishes, an elderly shepherd becomes the target of suspicion and anger when his meager flock are miraculously untouched by this freak event.

HARIKSEE

Germany, Eva Rini May, 18 min.

A couple spends their summer in the forest. He tries to catch a fish while she jollies around him, full of love and life. With more success at fishing, he would mind a lot less.

OUT OF THE BLUE

Germany, Kevin Koch, 8 min.

Two teenage hotel workers stumble upon a beguiling social-media shoot. One sees her shot at glory, the other senses a hidden threat. What begins as a fleeting temptation unravels into a battle that will test the limits of their friendship.

WATER COOLER

USA, Emma V.F., 12 min.

The Trump administration has turned immigration courts into deportation traps. As ICE agents wait to arrest their targets outside courtrooms, their banal conversations clash with the severity of their actions.

ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 11:30 AM 92 MINUTES

Across continents and generations, these stories trace the enduring emotional pull between mothers and children.

ACKEE AND SALTFISH

United Kingdom, Jasmin Nunes, 16 min.

Hilda, an immigrant Caribbean-raised mother, prepares her two boys for a life in a new country. While combating the struggles of single-motherhood, she attempts to sustain their cultural roots seeded deeply in Jamaican culture.

EVERYTHING BEGINS WITH A DREAM

USA, Tahiel Jimenez Medina, 9 min.

A migrant mother longs to see her distant son, even if only in a dream.

HALF-MOON

Switzerland, Hae-Sup Sin, 22 min.

Annette travels to Korea with her adopted son to meet his birth mother and realizes that a mother’s love can be shared.

HI MOM

USA, SM Goldberger, 4 min.

Maya struggles to find the right words to come out to her mom.

LION ROCK

New Zealand, Prisca Bouchet, Nick Mayow, 16 min.

On a beach road, a teenage boy and his mother hit something with their car. She insists it was nothing, but as the night unfolds the boy begins to doubt her story.

RED HEELS

Kyrgyzstan, Alina Baitokova, 13 min.

Five-year-old Jama lives with her grandmother in a village. One day, a mysterious woman wearing red heels enters their house.

A SMALL FICTION OF MY MOTHER IN BEIJING

China, Dorothea Zhang, 12 min.

Immersed in her craft yet haunted by absence, renowned opera artist Geng Qiaoyun wrestles with the distance between art, memory, and her estranged daughter, filmmaker Dorothea Sing Zhang.

AMAZING ANIMATION

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 12:00 PM 96 MINUTES

This unique collection of animated films runs the gamut from moving to hilarious to strange—and always visually evocative.

9 MILLION COLORS

Czech Republic, Bára Anna Stejskalová, 15 min.

The ocean is paradise for Fran the shrimp. Her deadly claws take whatever they desire. For the blind fish Milva, it’s a daily fight to survive. Can they overcome their differences?

DOG ALONE

Portugal, Marta Reis Andrade, 13 min.

After the death of its owner and its companions, a dog is left alone, howling day and night, disturbing all in the neighborhood. In the house next door, a widowed man’s granddaughter returns from London.

ONCE IN A BODY

Columbia, María Cristina Pérez González, 10 min.

While dealing with a strange being that lives inside her, a woman seeks to reconcile with her sister over an incident from their adolescence.

ORDINARY LIFE

France, Yoriko Mizushiri, 10 min.

Small moments in life repeat day after day, but they are never exactly the same.

PARADAÏZ

Canada, Matea Radic, 9 min.

Welcome to a place where the houses have holes, tomatoes are ticking time bombs, and snails wander the streets in search of a safe space.

SIGNAL

France, Mathilde Parquet, Emma Carré, 17 min.

Claudie is passionate about her job scanning the cosmos for signs of extraterrestrial life, hoping to make contact. Completely absorbed in her mission, she gradually loses touch with those around her, to the point where reality could fade away entirely.

TRADING CARDS

Australia, Radheya Jang, 15 min.

An enigmatic man journeys back in time to find his younger self, seemingly to revisit the nostalgia of trading cards.

VENEZIA DIORAMA

Belgium, Nicolas Piret, 6 min.

Through a series of animated art boards depicting a decaying Venice, a set of living postcards captures the mythical city’s final moments of fragility.

ON THE JOB

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2:00 PM

88 MINUTES

From side hustles to high-stakes callings, these films explore the strange, stressful, and sometimes surreal realities of working life

DROPPING OFF

USA, Will Mayo, Ian Scott McGregor, 14 min.

An aspiring musician gigging as a rideshare driver struggles to navigate the bizarre request of a mourning passenger.

JANE

USA, Eva Ravenal, 16 min.

Twenty-five-year-old nanny and aspiring writer Sophie can’t believe her luck when she lands a gig babysitting for the daughter of her favorite author. But not everything in this house is as it seems.

KETCHUP

Netherlands, Tjeerd Dam, 9 min.

Andrea has an irresistible need to smear herself with ketchup in private. But when the habit crosses into her workplace, it sparks the beginning of a transformative journey.

THE LAZY ANTS

Spain, Júlia Marcó, 8 min.

When a productivity ranking is installed at the office, Nando is shocked to discover he’s in last place. Unable to accept that he works less than his colleagues, he begins an obsessive climb to the top, no matter the consequences.

A NEW INFERNO

USA, Nita Blum-Reddick, Jonathan Pickett, 16 min.

During the hottest days of Phoenix, Arizona’s summer heat wave, paramedics race to save the lives of heatstroke victims using a radical new treatment: ice immersion therapy.

OUR PANTHEONS

France, Rosalie Charrier, 11 min.

As an archaeologist digs, a crowd gathers behind her— laughing, watching, passing judgment. Soon, she is no longer just unearthing the past, but searching for answers buried in her own present.

PALM

USA, Max Drexler, 14 min.

In South Los Angeles, a palm tree caretaker faces the quiet unraveling of his work and identity.

SIBLING STORIES

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2:30 PM 92 MINUTES

From lifelong alliances to full-blown rivalries, these films capture sibling relationships in all their messy, intimate, and unpredictable forms.

AGAPITO

Philippines, Arvin Belarmino, Kyla Romero, 15 min.

It’s the last day of the month. Bowlers flock to the lanes of a bowling alley that has seen better days. Mira, the manager, decides to close early. She’s awaiting the arrival of a special visitor.

DEATH’S PEAK

United Kingdom, Willy Fair, 9 min.

Desperate for connection, David digs up his brother’s corpse. With their trusty red wagon, they ascend a treacherous mountain in pursuit of their childhood dream.

DORMANCE

Canada, Alexa-Jeanne Dubé, Fanny Migneault-Lecavalier, 18 min.

In the house belonging to their deceased grandfather, a dormant memory quietly awakens in Andy and Gabrielle, two sisters who share a trauma without knowing it.

I GOT MY BROTHER

USA, Victor Gabriel, 17 min.

Two brothers reflect on their candid and often humorous memories of surviving the foster care system and prison, realizing along the way that their path to healing has always been each other.

THE ROCKJOB

Australia, Sam Darcy, 8 min.

A Cain and Abel tale of two warring brothers and the heinous misappropriation of Missing Pet posters.

SEE YOU, SOON

USA, Jay Pendarvis Jr., 10 min.

After the death of his older brother, Amari finds himself seated across from Dominique in a quiet, late-night diner. A simple conversation slowly unfolds into something deeper, as Amari confronts the pain and guilt since his brother’s passing.

VACATION

Lebanon, Christina Khazen, 15 min.

As their parents avoid paying school tuition during a messy divorce, two young sisters confront the gap between the parents they imagined and the parents they actually have.

IT TAKES TWO

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 3:00 PM

90 MINUTES

Eternal love, cat-and-mouse mischief, and cosmic connections in these shorts reveal what can happen when two lives collide.

THE BRAVE

Portugal, Catarina Mourão, 22 min.

While vacationing on Pico Island in the Azores, a couple faces adversities as the constantly changing surrounding nature triggers arguments that conceal deeper issues kept at bay.

DADDY’S GIRL

United Kingdom, Josephine Lohoar Self, 16 min.

A precocious 12-year-old plots her stepfather’s demise, but a weekend in his presence forces her to confront the grief she’s kept hidden.

FIRST THE BLUSH, THEN THE HABIT

Italy, Mariam Al Ferjani, 15 min.

Layla and Ettore refuse to be the victims of a past they couldn’t control. Their meeting will reveal similar memories, fears, tenderness, and a desire to eternalize the youth that was stolen from them.

FORCEFIELD OF LOVE

USA, Riley Engemoen, Liz Moskowitz, 12 min.

Single in their 70s after their spouses have passed away, Dan and Doris meet on an online dating service during the pandemic and fall in love. Now married for three years, the inseparable duo disregard cultural norms for how older people should move through the world.

THE LONE PIPER

USA, Matthew Kravchuk, 10 min.

In the midst of the Seven Years’ War, a company of hardened soldiers force their young bagpipe player into battle, only to discover that their enemy is not what they expected.

TEARS BURN TO ASH

Canada, Natalie Murao, 15 min.

Returning to her homeland for one night in Tokyo, a grieving Japanese Canadian woman is haunted by her doppelgänger.

7 DEADLY SINS

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 5:00 PM

87 MINUTES

Wade into seven sinful selections that explore each cardinal vice—gluttony, lust, greed, wrath, sloth, envy, and pride—in which transgression, temptation, and the thrill of wrongdoing run rampant.

BISOU

SAUVAGE

Canada, Bahij Jaroudi, 3 min.

As world tragedies pile up, a bored couple looks for their next distraction.

COFFIN THERAPY

Kazakhstan, Zéré Turlykhanova, 18 min.

In a desperate search for validation, a self-absorbed woman stages her own funeral as part of a radical therapy trend.

I’M GONNA KILL YOU

USA, Andrew Chappelle, 14 min.

Cal and Spector have been paired to carry on humanity as we know it—even if it kills them.

KRALIK

Italy, Alessandro Marchiori Rocca, 14 min.

A father is haunted by a recurring nightmare in which his son kills him, making life on their farm increasingly difficult.

THE PIGS UNDERNEATH

United Kingdom, Charlie Dennis, 13 min.

Residents from a tight-knit working class town are forced to meet a brutal quota just to survive. If they fail to meet it, they are punished with something far worse than death

SAINT VALENTINE

Australia, Vanessa Gazy, 17 min.

Sexually frustrated teen sisters Valentine and Nora live in isolation, whiling away their days co-authoring smutty romance novels, when two handsome Mormon missionaries knock on their door.

THE SYNTHETIC AGE

Greece, Dimitris Armenakis, 8 min.

In a city where people consume cartoons, a dog reconciles with its old friends, and together, they try to escape from humans.

OUTSIDERS & UNDERDOGS

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 5:30 PM 90 MINUTES

From scrappy kids to singular eccentrics, these stories champion misfits, dreamers, and the unlikeliest of heroes.

BIG NOSE

USA, Sophia Conger, 13 min.

When lovably outrageous high schooler Tori gets mocked for her appearance, she makes a radical surgical choice that transforms her life.

CONCRETE KIDS

Lithuania, Saulius Baradinskas, 20 min.

In the courtyards of the Soviet apartment district of Lithuania, a motley crew of kids fight to survive and free themselves from the violence in the streets.

HE’S OUT THERE

USA, Kurt Andrew Schneider, Sam Davis, 19 min.

An autistic Bigfoot hunter meets his heroes.

HOW TO HIDE IT

United Kingdom, Ramla Ali, Richard A. Moore, 13 min.

Despite her strict Muslim faith forbidding gambling, Zahra, a 26-year-old British Sudanese woman, impulsively buys a lottery ticket. While working the night shift at a rundown liquor store with her colleague Danny, Zahra is shocked to learn: her ticket is a winner.

MAKE SENSE

USA, Jackson Beebe, 15 min.

Celebrity master chef Michael Bringalow’s new autumnal soup doesn’t taste right.

STONE OF DESTINY

Czech Republic, Julie Černá, 10 min.

On a path filled with mysterious encounters and hidden symbols, an anthropomorphized singing stone is driven by a desire for freedom.

REBEL YELL

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 6:00 PM 91 MINUTES

Whether quiet or chaotic, personal or political, these bold shorts give voice to those who push back, break out, or burn it all down.

CAMP OLEANDER

USA, Alyssa Aldaz, 14 min.

Camp Oleander promises transformation, but its idyllic surface masks a ritual of conversion designed to strip away memory, desire, and queerness. Parker and Laura’s connection blooms, tender and forbidden, and threatened by the camp’s most seductive rite.

THE MESSIAH’S DAUGHTER

USA, Roxy Moskowitz, 12 min.

When 14-year-old Tehila visits her dad under house arrest in the bayou, he makes a startling confession: He’s the messiah.

PITKISSER

USA, Mollie Mills, 7 min.

In the Los Angeles subculture of “girl mosh,” Syerrah and Kris are in search of redemption from violence, finding solace and body euphoria in the hot lick of the pit.

STRAY

Scotland, Morven Christie, 15 min.

On her first trip to a Glasgow nightclub, 14-year-old Eilidh has an experience that shakes her soul. She ventures out into the night alone and changed, in search of somewhere—or someone—that feels like shelter.

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, ZARINA?

Kazakhstan, Camila Sagyntkan, 27 min.

As 15-year-old Zarina secretly attempts to rid herself of an unwanted pregnancy, she becomes caught in a vicious cycle that is more difficult to escape than she thought.

WHY I AM AN ANARCHIST

USA, Sara Crow, 16 min.

In the wealthy suburbs of Arizona, an animal-rights extremist has her ideology thrown into a tailspin when she meets an unhoused teenager in the desert behind her school.

GETTING IT ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 8:00 PM 88 MINUTES

First times, false starts, and awkward advances fuel this steamy collection of titillating shorts guaranteed to raise a few eyebrows and...pulses.

DISC

USA, Blake Winston Rice, 14 min.

The story of a hookup gone too far up.

AN ENCOUNTER

USA, Abe Dassa Kaye, 11 min.

Desiring intimacy one Friday night, Eli rollerblades away from his friends to have sex for the first time with an older man he met online.

METHOD COWBOY

USA, Carlos Valdivia, 13 min.

When a struggling actor feigns being gay to land the role of a lifetime in an Oscar®-bait cowboy western, he decides to transform himself for the role, blurring the lines between reality and performance.

...OH

USA, Justin Geldzahler, 9 min.

Frustrated while sexting at the office, Sadie throws caution to the wind and sneaks away to the handicap restroom where she... wait, did anyone hear that??

PANGEA

USA, Mimi Davila, 15 min.

Rita spends her last day in New York City trying to resurrect the artist her ex-lover used to be.

SINGLE PEOPLE AT THE END OF THE WORLD

United Kingdom, the bugs, 6 min.

When a meteor strike leaves Lola with minutes to live, she declares her love to her childhood best friend. His response is… not what she expected.

TALK ME

Spain, Joecar Hanna, 20 min.

In a world where words replace intimacy, a local outsider in a Spanish village must choose between a loveless marriage and the promise of true connection with a kindred stranger.

A DOSE OF REALITY

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 11:00 AM 105 MINUTES

Transportive, sobering, and wondrous, these nonfiction accounts from across the globe exemplify the power of narrative in truth.

ANOTHER DAY SHALL COME

Palestine, Aida Kaadan, 20 min.

Anonymous voices of Palestinians are woven into scenes from historical Palestine, encapsulating 76 years of identity deprivation and marginalization.

CALIFORNIA IS BURNING

USA, Bennett Curran, 10 min.

In a poetic story of resilience, Altadena residents and first responders recall the damages and response after the Eaton Fire burned their historic community.

EMBODIED

USA, Samuel Wright Smith, 13 min.

Anecdotes, stories, and musings are shared by individuals facing the end of life with the aid of psychedelic-assisted care.

IN EXCHANGE FOR FLESH

USA, Sandro Ramani, Corey Devon Arthur, 15 min.

Corey Arthur and Sara Kielly, both incarcerated, allege that the U.S. government is sanctioning the sexual abuse of millions of Americans—practices largely hidden from the public because they take place in prison.

LIFE WITHIN

Armenia, Anna Mkrtumyan, 16 min.

During the nine-month blockade imposed by Azerbaijan on Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), the number of miscarriages and stillbirths increased fourfold. One mother whose pregnancy unfolded entirely within this siege recounts how her pregnancy progressed as the blockade steadily intensified.

SOME KIND OF REFUGE

USA, Alexandra Kern, 16 min.

On the outer banks of the Mississippi River in New Orleans, the spirit of a unique, resilient, and fading outsider community endures through its two oldest residents.

WE ALL LIVE DOWNWIND

USA, Sascha Melamed, 15 min.

After generations of families began succumbing to cancer due to radiation exposure from a Nevada nuclear testing site, two women—known as Downwinders—fight for compensation from a neglectful government.

ANIMAL INSTINCTS

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 11:30 AM

95 MINUTES

From loyal companions to wild disruptors and everything in between, fauna take center stage in these charming, curious, and sometimes unruly shorts.

AIR HORSE ONE

Canada, Lasse Linder, 21 min.

Legacy is one of the most valuable and celebrated horses in show jumping. In pursuit of victories, she is flown between competition venues across the globe—in the business class of equine air travel.

BROWN MORNING

Luxembourg, Carlo Vogele, 9 min.

From small compromises to great acts of cowardice, brown animals gradually invade households and take control. An authoritarian regime with absurd laws begins to take shape. To avoid trouble, Charly submits and comes to discover the horror of fascism.

CHICA

Brazil, João Victor Silva, Matheus Malburg, 14 min.

Twelve-year-old Dadá is tasked with delivering a chicken to a local restaurant. Annoyed, she sets off with her younger brother, Tato. Along the way, she discovers an unexpected bond between him and the chicken, leading her to reconsider the delivery.

CHILDREN & ANIMALS

USA, Walker Kalan, 12 min.

At the Blue Hill Fair, tween Joey’s unease grows in the lead-up to the goat show, where he’ll compete alongside his best friends: 70-year-old farmer Debby and his beloved goat, Grace.

MURMURATION

Netherlands, Janneke Swinkels, Tim Frijsinger, 13 min.

An elderly man realizes he’s suddenly turning into a bird.

THE WORM

Australia, Tom Noakes, 13 min.

Kieran is convinced a telepathic earthworm is manipulating him into making bad choices. His concerned family decides to stage an intervention. The result? A bizarre showdown between reason, belief, and one very unlucky invertebrate.

XOLO

USA, Matthew Serrano, 13 min.

Realizing that Xolotl—the Aztec god of death—has come to take his owner, a little dog named Skippy leads him on a heartfelt tour of the house, showing the small, loving moments that defined their life together.

PARENTAL CONTROL

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 12:00 PM 98 MINUTES

Boundaries blur, roles shift, and authority changes hands in these stories where house rules don’t always stick.

DELAY

China, Wang Han-Xuan, 15 min.

A Chinese gay father attempts to travel to his heterosexual son’s wedding in Paris, but his trip gets unpredictably delayed.

THE FOREST IS A SPIRIT THAT BECKONS ME

USA, Jacob Cruz-Rine, 18 min.

When a CHamoru woman finds that her family curse has finally emerged, she heeds the advice of her mother and embarks on a quest deep into the forest in search of someone who may be able to stop the curse from spreading.

HOW’S ARCHIE?

Canada, Jessie Posthumus, 16 min.

After their relationship falls apart, Charlie and Mere navigate coparenting their dog, Archie.

MILLION DOLLAR MAN

USA, Riley R. Scott, 11 min.

A timid man does something by himself for once.

A SOUTH FACING WINDOW

France, Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir, 20 min.

Twentysomethings Azaa and Shagai live in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia with their six-year-old daughter. On the verge of divorce, the couple searches for lost happiness by visiting empty high-rise apartments. Stuck in the city’s infamous traffic jams, they fight it out.

WHITE MUSK

USA, Fatima Wardy, 18 min.

When teenage Hiba becomes the caregiver for her terminally ill mother, a tense role-reversal forces her to grow up too fast.

SOCIAL ANIMALS

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2:00 PM 89 MINUTES

Chaotic gatherings, uneasy reunions, and phantasmagoric courtrooms set the stage in these shorts investigating the risky business of sharing space with others.

ABORTION PARTY

Spain, Julia Mellen, 13 min.

After managing to scrape together money to pay for an abortion after her Polish exchange student boyfriend gets her pregnant, a filmmaker decides to celebrate with a party.

THE BARBERSHOP

Denmark, Diêm Camille, 11 min.

In a Copenhagen afro barbershop, 21-year-old Niels searches for belonging while facing his fears of not being “Black enough.”

I LOST MY KEYS

Belgium, Audrey Bruyninckx, 19 min.

A young woman bikes through a night of restless escapes and missed connections in Brussels, as a quiet despair slowly takes hold.

LAST MAN UP

USA, Hazel McKibbin, 12 min.

As they face the imminent foreclosure of their home. a pack of misfits race through the dangerous unraveling of a temper-flaring, hedonistic bender.

LOYNES

Belgium, Dorian Jespers, 25 min.

A Kafkaesque courtroom drama set in 19th-century Liverpool recounts the trial of a corpse that has neither name nor past. Dozens of people gather to witness the absurd procedure.

WHITE ITALIAN TRUFFLES IN BRINE

USA, Paavo Hanninen, 9 min.

Camille cooks a special meal in an attempt to reconnect with her old friend Leslie who’s just arrived in Los Angeles on a work trip.

BRIEF ENCOUNTERS

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2:30 PM 94 MINUTES

Our most profound and memorable experiences occur in the shortest of time spans. These films examine the enduring impact of terse exchanges and fleeting interactions.

BALLOON ANIMALS

USA, Anna Baumgarten, 7 min.

Two grocery store employees share a helium-fueled encounter with a late-night customer.

DRIFTING, SOUTH

Canada/China, Di Zhang, 19 min.

In the bustling Xiaobei Road in Guangzhou, three socially outcast strangers are brought together by a fireworks show.

EVERYTHING

MUST GO

USA, Tiffany So, 14 min.

Two strangers meet while sleepwalking.

K-9INE!

United Kingdom, Elliott Power, 11 min.

Roy, a recently retired police dog handler has his routine upended when he invites Tea Leaf, a shoplifting door-to-door salesman, into his home.

MR ADIDOS

Australia, Henry Stone, 17 min.

A quiet artist prone to outbursts finds himself caught in the orbit of two thrift store flipping twins—siblings whose bond is equal parts magnetic and abusive. Their strange energy turns the artist’s own thrifting mission into something far weirder.

NOT VALID FOR TRAVEL

USA, Jiaying Lin, 14 min.

To reunite with her long-distance partner in Toronto, a young Chinese woman boards a cross-border bus with a forged travel document.

SYLVIA

USA, Jessie Barr, 12 min.

Withering under the weight of her hypochondriac mother, Sylvia is waiting for her life to begin—until a stranger comes into her world and changes everything.

A SENSE OF PLACE

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 3:00 PM 93 MINUTES

From rooftops in Amman to the valleys of Colorado, these intimate stories trace the ties between people and the places that shape them.

AMBUSH

Jordan, Yassmina Karajah, 21 min.

Jana arrives—newly sober, wrestling with intimacy—in downtown Amman just as a pop-up techno club ambushes the streets of the conservative neighborhood. Across the street, Hasan watches from his family rooftop, anticipating a long-overdue encounter.

BORROWED FROM THE EARTH

USA, Zach Johaneson, 15 min.

Throughout their respective histories, both horse and Indigenous communities have been corralled. Fences put horses in pens, and the Blackfeet on reservations. But the centuries-long attempts to subdue both only strengthened the connection between horse and man.

FAREYE

United Kingdom, Hayden Mclean, 14 min.

Fleeing the chaos of home, a young Jamaican boy finds refuge within a community guided by music, spirit, and faith, awakening something deep within that will change the course of his life forever.

GATORVILLE

USA, Freddie Gluck, 19 min.

In Colorado’s forgotten valley, two siblings face alligators and the ache of leaving youth behind.

PRISONER OF LOVE

Lebanon, Yumna Marwan, 17 min.

In the aftermath of the Israeli bombardment of Beirut, a young Palestinian with the civil defense struggles to disassociate his daily life from the martyrs he retrieved during the war.

RAMÓN WHO SPEAKS TO GHOSTS

Spain, Shervin Kermani, 7 min.

After a volcanic eruption, Ramón walks the Spanish island of La Palma with his microphone, looking for ghosts.

MODERN ROMANCE

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 5:00 PM 93 MINUTES

Romance is remixed for the current and future moment in these films exploring coupling and intimacy in all its offbeat forms.

2 DINNERS

USA, Francis C. Edemobi, 5 min.

A couple shares two meals, separated by time. Their intimacy shifts in ways both subtle and irreversible.

FANTASIES OF A RESCUE DUMMY

United Kingdom, Adrian Maganza, 7 min.

Forgotten at the bottom of a pool, a rescue dummy drifts into a swirl of longing fantasies, dreaming of being lifted to the surface by a swimmer’s embrace.

FIGHT FOR THE FANTASY

USA, Marissa Goldman, 10 min.

A divorcée goes on her first date in years and immediately tries to force a love connection over chicken wings.

HOMEBODIES

USA, Rachel Olson, 12 min.

In a near future where it literally costs money to leave the house, a burnt-out woman risks fraud when she pays her live-in boyfriend’s ‘exit toll’ to get some alone time.

NORHEIMSUND

Cuba, Ana A. Alpizar, 12 min.

A girl’s long-distance romance with an older Norwegian man promises to pull her and her mother out of their austere life in Cuba. But her dreams are shaken when she discovers he isn’t as idyllic as he seems.

NOUMENA

USA, Niall Cunningham, 16 min.

Two twentysomethings who went to high school together reconnect via a dating app and meet at a bar in their hometown of Brooklyn, New York.

SELFLOVE

Germany, Nik Azad, 13 min.

A young man finally finds his soulmate: himself.

STARFLYER

Greece, Maria Hatzakou, 18 min.

Niki and Aurora meet on a winter night at Allou Fun Park, the biggest theme park in Athens. Soon they will discover that they come from the same world.

LIFE OF THE PARTY

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 5:30 PM 89 MINUTES

Wild nights and poignant moments abound in these stories devoted to the memorable times we gather to celebrate.

GROWN

USA, Audrey Cicerello, 15 min.

The decade-long friendship of three teenage girls is bloodied and bruised by their first semi-legal night out in New York City.

RECKLESS

Denmark, Gustav Werner, 27 min.

On a boys’ trip, a group of friends play Vildere, a drinking game where each challenge must be wilder than the last. What begins as harmless fun quickly spirals into a test of limits, loyalty, and morality.

RED EGG & GINGER

United Kingdom, Olivia Owyeung, 17 min.

Hannah, a half-white and half-Chinese teenager, meets her newborn half-sister for the first time at a traditional Chinese event, forcing Hannah to question her cultural identity and where she fits within her family.

SPRAY ME

United Kingdom, Christopher Chuky, 11 min.

At a chaotic Nigerian wedding, a young girl forms an unexpected bond and feels the thrill of finally being truly seen.

THEM THAT’S NOT

USA, Mekhai Lee, 19 min.

Drea, a down-on-her-luck poet, sticks out like a sore thumb at her grandmother’s repass with her larger-than-life family—she’s introspective, queer, artistic, and proudly Deaf. Her visit is further complicated by the arrival of her estranged father.

UNBOUND VISIONS

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 6:00 PM

85 MINUTES

From surreal landscapes to abstract narratives and emotional excavations, experience the boundless creativity of filmmakers pushing the limits of storytelling and perception.

BUCKSKIN

USA, Mars Verrone, 17 min.

An experimental portrait of the filmmaker’s grandfather: Carroll B. Williams, a groundbreaking African American and Indigenous forester, reflecting on his work and legacy in the twilight of his life.

EMOTION

HAZARD II

USA, Zixuan Zhou, 7 min.

In a reality no longer accessible to the dead, a spectral presence endures within the memories of the living.

Best Of Fest

Don't

EQUAL DUST

Finland, Jani Peltonen, 14 min.

November, 1983. NATO’s nuclear exercise and the entries of the Finnish Eurovision Song Contest collide one night in Helsinki.

I DON’T KNOW YOU

Chile, Sofía Vargas Rubilar, Josefa Rozas Mena, 11 min.

As she starts seventh grade, Amelia faces new insecurities about her body. She realizes that her features are not what they “should be.” Desperate to fit in, she begins tearing off parts of her body and hiding them in a drawer.

O

Portugal, Francisca Alarcão, 14 min.

For as long as she remembers, Francisca has lived with an inexplicable and uncontrollable aversion to belly buttons. When therapy isn’t enough to solve her cherished phobia, Francisca turns to other methods.

OUARDA OUARDA: YET ANOTHER FLOWER FILM Canada, Samy Benammar, 5 min.

In 2023, biologists published a study proving that plants emit sounds when subjected to various types of stress. Bursts of flowers flicker along a film strip, just before or right after the flames. You can hear them weep, shout, and resist.

SOMEONE TO STEAL HORSES WITH Italy, Dylan Pailes-Friedman, 9 min.

A horse reflects on memory, disturbing the daily routines of citizens in Los Santos, San Andreas, during the press tour for his new book.

YOU DO NOT EXIST

USA, Dwayne LeBlanc, 8 min.

In the stillness of his yard, Booker watches the sky fill and empty with passing planes. As the world moves around him, he lingers, circling a memory whose edges blur with time.

EXPLORE. PLAN. SHARE.

GAYLA

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 8:00 PM 89 MINUTES

Queer life takes center stage on the silver screen in this varied program showcasing the lives of a kaleidoscopic community.

BETTY ST. CLAIR

USA, Syra McCarthy, Kyle Casey Chu, 11 min.

A fledgling Chinese American drag queen prepares for a highstakes performance that will change her family forever.

HIPPIE HOLLOW

USA, Madeline Rose Finkel, 12 min.

Construction worker Uriel’s private escape to a nude beach takes an unexpected turn when he encounters his son Jorge there with his boyfriend.

AN INCLINATION

Ireland, Ciara Ní É, 13 min.

Peigí is discovered in a bedroom she shouldn’t be in.

I SAW YOU IN THE FLOOD

USA, Kevin Xian Ming Yu, 14 min.

Over an evening of heavy rain in a sub-basement apartment in Queens, Kai, a nonbinary Chinese American, and their mother, Li, are visited by a familiar spirit.

KILORAN

BAY

USA, Michael Bruce, 13 min.

A gay man returns to Scotland with his partner after years away to attend a wedding celebration, where he confronts long-buried memories from his past.

SOCKS

New Zealand, Todd Karehana, 15 min.

In small-town New Zealand, a young Māori boy finds an unexpected bond with a Mormon missionary.

WHALE 52 - SUITE FOR MAN, BOY, AND WHALE

USA, Daniel Neiden, 11 min.

A selectively mute third-grader and a grieving 80-year-old school volunteer discover that some of the deepest conversations only require a single word.

FATHER FIGURES

FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 11:00 AM

86 MINUTES

Dads take center stage in this collection showcasing the complex spectrum of fatherhood—from adoration to outsized expectations to cheesy jokes.

CHINAMAN

United Kingdom, Rob Chiu, 13 min.

In a Chinese restaurant in the north of England in 1989, a group of hostile customers force a father and his eldest son into a confrontation that exposes everything they cannot say to each other.

DADDY’S LITTLE MEATBALL

Australia, Yael Grunseit, 14 min.

On a trip to New York, an Australian period-underwear salesman and his teenage daughter navigate the city and their strained relationship.

FENNEL

USA, Logan Fields, 10 min.

During a tense lunch, a father and son struggle to connect.

GOING HOME

USA, Emily Murnane, Alyssa Limperis, 15 min.

After a terrible day, a woman decides to go to her childhood home and visit her parents.

HOPEFULLY TOMORROW BRINGS THE SUN

Peru, Valeria Calmet, 19 min.

Seven-year-old Sofía is spending her last summer with her father, Aldo. As the days pass between seaside outings, games, and shared silences, Sofía begins to notice the absences, the decline, and the quiet presence of death slowly appearing around her.

NOT DEAD

Brazil, Alex Reis, 15 min.

The birth of a young Black couple’s first child brings happiness, but also agony. The newborn’s father experiences and expresses his dilemmas regarding the arrival, coexistence, and departure of his beloved firstborn.

TRUTH BE TOLD FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 11:30 AM 94 MINUTES

Through accelerating technology, environmental investigations, and fearless resistance, these incisive and revelatory nonfiction shorts offer striking glimpses into various corners of the globe.

FOG EATERS

USA, Kyle Baker, 19 min.

On the central coast of California, environmental toxicologist Peter Weiss-Penzias and his team of researchers find dangerously high levels of mercury in mountain lions. Tracking the pollutant down the food web, they discover that mercury is coming from the fog.

HURRY, HURRY

Spain, Claudia García de Mateos, 15 min.

A couple made up of an artist and a computer scientist debate the concept of progress—from self-checkout machines to the mechanization of the Holocaust, scams carried out using artificial intelligence, and Sofía de Borbón.

IN THE MORNING SUN

Canada, Serville Poblete, 21 min.

In a quiet Toronto apartment, a Filipino mother finds solace in her Alexa, whose simple responses to mundane questions become a magical thread connecting her to her home in the Philippines and the loved ones she left behind.

JULIA

USA, Aurora Brachman, 10 min.

Julia is a gifted Aztec dancer, a devoted counselor and advocate deeply committed to her personal and spiritual evolution. She uses her lived experience to help lift other young women out of the street economy and reach their full potential.

MEMORIES OF A WINDOW

Iran, Mehraneh Salimian, Amin Pakparvar, 19 min.

After crackdowns on street protests in Iran, a group of students and civilians turn to a new form of resistance: filming the unrest from behind their windows to create an alternative archive that challenges the state’s official records.

STILL STANDING

USA, Victor Tadashi Suárez, Livia Albeck-Ripka, 10 min.

The Altadena wildfire in January 2025 destroyed more than 9,000 homes and structures. Those remaining are toxic. Despite the hazards, insurance companies claim they are habitable, leaving residents risking their health to return home.

WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD

FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 12:00 PM 94 MINUTES

Take a peek over the fence with these films capturing the tension and allure of local community, where privacy is never guaranteed.

DOLLHOUSE ELEPHANT

Finland, Jenny Jokela, 11 min.

In a world that demands community participation, a group of neighbors—each focused on their own goals—must learn to communicate. But when small, everyday actions trigger unexpected consequences, they are forced into interactions that challenge their independence.

GRANDMA’S FOUR COLOR CARDS

Vietnam, Sally Trân, 11 min.

From her tiny house in Saigon’s District 4, 101-year-old Ngoai runs an illegal card game, a traditional Vietnamese pastime, to survive in the slums.

HAI DAVAI

Moldova, Vlad Gradescu, 16 min.

On the cusp of leaving her rural Moldovan village for a new life abroad, Nina is stopped, quite literally, by an old superstition: a black cat crosses the road. Citing bad luck, her worried grandmother refuses to let her pass.

SCRAPS

Sweden, Emily Norling, 14 min.

Three teens disguise themselves for the ritual Skråbock, a local tradition of begging for Christmas leftovers. They visit their neighbors’ houses and are let in with more or less enthusiasm. But the teens hunger for more than food.

SOMETHING GREATER THAN YOU

USA, Gordon LePage, 9 min.

After finding shelter during a winter storm, a pair of feuding raccoons receive an unexpected guest.

VISITORS

USA, Minnie Schedeen, 15 min.

When strange occurrences begin happening to the people closest to her, a young woman in the throes of early pregnancy starts questioning her own reality.

A WOLF IN THE SUBURBS

Canada, Amélie Hardy, 18 min.

Welcome to Mississauga where lawns are clipped, neighbors are watchful and no blade of grass dares misbehave. Except at Wolf Ruck’s place. His lawn grows wild, and so does the trouble.

FACE THE MUSIC

FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2:00 PM 89 MINUTES

Crank up the volume with these sonic stories exploring obsessive rhythms, fading legacies, and competitive tuning.

CAPTIVE AUDIENCE

Singapore, Kew Lin, 14 min.

Rejected by the music industry, a disenchanted musician decides to perform to a different audience—animals at the zoo.

EARWORM

Sweden, Patrik Eklund, 12 min.

Ulph Degerfors is plagued by a severe case of earworm as a single tune takes over his mind. Gradually, he spirals toward madness, as everything he experiences and hears becomes tainted by the song.

JAZZ

INFERNAL

Canada, Will Niava, 16 min.

Koffi, a young Ivorian trumpeter, arrives in Montreal with nothing but the legacy of his father to guide him. Lost between the city’s noise and the silence of his past, he must confront his roots to find his own voice.

THE LAST SONG

Spain, María Lorente-Becerra, 24 min.

After glimpsing herself on a TV show, 67-year-old former pop star Rosario begins singing in the subway, igniting a night where desire and the need to feel alive pull her into the unknown.

THE TUNERS

Poland, Pawel Piotr Chorzepa, 23 min.

In the shadows of the world’s most important piano competition, a group of expert tuners spend a month vying to achieve the perfect pitch so that the champion pianist will win on their instrument.

GROWING PAINS

FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2:30 PM 89 MINUTES

Sensitive, stirring, and spirited, these coming-of-age shorts encapsulate the delicate and diverse experiences of youth.

1981

USA, Carolyn London, Andy London, 8 min.

It’s 1981 in suburban Long Island, New York. The mullets are long, the metal is heavy, and 14-year old Douglas gets a birthday surprise that will change his life forever.

THE CHAIR

India, Triparna Maiti, 10 min.

Little Piku longs to sit on her distant grandfather’s wooden armchair. After a failed attempt that leaves her humiliated, Piku plots revenge against him.

GIRL FOUND DEAD

Canada, Molly Shears, 13 min.

After the murder of a young girl on the other side of the city, 11-year-old Angel’s friends and family become obsessed with the details, forcing her to navigate a new reality in an anxious world.

THE HARVEST

Belgium, Alice D’Hauwe, 19 min.

Since her father’s death, 15-year-old Rosie hasn’t said a word. But as the weeks pass, her silence that was once a refuge quickly becomes a poison that refuses to leave.

HIGH VOLTAGE

USA, Hannah Whisenant, 11 min.

Over the course of a single night in the Far Rockaways, two teenage girls drift toward an intimacy that neither can fully name, blurring the line between friendship and desire.

THE MAN IN THE SHOWERS

France, Hakim Ataoui, 14 min.

Taken to the neighborhood pool by his little sister’s babysitter, 11-year-old Skander enters the men’s showers for the first time— and experiences his first erotic shock.

PRIMARY EDUCATION

Cuba, Aria Sánchez, Marina Meira, 14 min.

Daniela’s voice must be fully rested before she’s able to use it again. Given the adults’ inability to handle the situation, her classmates see the perfect opportunity to silence her for good.

FRIENDS LIKE THESE

FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 3:00 PM 93 MINUTES

Motley crews, shaky alliances, and unlikely bonds fuel these stories of competition and devotion between pals.

HONEY, MY LOVE, SO SWEET

Philippines, JT Trinidad, 20 min.

In 2000s Manila, an androgynous kid named Life and their mother arrive at an old cinema facing demolition, where Life forms a close friendship with Gab, the projectionist’s son, and develops a strange fascination with Gab’s father.

NEUMAN

USA, Timothy Jacob Elledge, 16 min.

A recovering alcoholic clings to her daily routine after a well-liked newcomer disappears just days before his first sober anniversary.

ONE TWENTY-SIX

USA, Dan Lesser, 13 min.

Evan tries to outshine his best friend and prove himself to the seniors by taking them on a high-speed joy ride in his mom’s Mini Cooper.

PLASTIC FLOWERS

Germany, Ella Knorz, 11 min.

Teenagers Romy and Mio secretly go to Oktoberfest. While one of them moves like a fish in water, the other struggles with the crowded and alcoholized surroundings. But an encounter in a beer tent changes everything.

POSTER BOY

Canada, India Opzoomer, 17 min.

In the cutthroat world of 1990s boy bands, a desperate 16-yearold dancer betrays his best friend and bandmates in a misguided attempt to secure his spot in the limelight, only to discover the true cost of fame.

SCATTERBRAIN

USA, Alexander Pasquale, 16 min.

An imaginative college senior enlists his childhood best friends to help him uncover the mystery behind a cartoonish cloud in the sky only he can see.

LIKE & SUBSCRIBE

FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 5:00 PM 97 MINUTES

Dive into the swirling maelstrom of social media with these shorts exploring the drama, vanity, and the eternal quest for validation in the digital era’s labyrinth.

ATOMIK TOUR

France, Bruno Collet, 13 min.

For Hugo, visiting the forbidden area of Chernobyl is not a commemorative trip—it’s to feed his Instagram account with content. This absurd quest will lead him to discover the history that haunts The Zone.

BOILING POINT

Hong Kong, Ying Ze, 13 min.

A bar regular is forced to prove he can drink boiling water. But after a freak accident, he unexpectedly rises to citywide fame as the legendary “Hot Water Master.”

FOLLOWING

USA, Briana Pozner, 13 min.

A social outcast’s life is forever changed when he discovers Melissa Joan Hart is inexplicably “following” him.

HEADCASE

Canada, Spencer Zimmerman, 16 min.

In her reach for fame, a wannabe influencer finds herself having to lurk in the shadows after a hit-and-run threatens to derail her coveted brand partnership.

I THINK ABOUT BIRDS

USA, Johanna Gustin, 13 min.

This personal desktop documentary explores the filmmaker’s obsession with toxic online dating coaches—an obsession rooted in her existential fear of loneliness in the event that her marriage should end. It’s also about birds.

A MIGHTY POISON

Canada, Kyle Marchen, 14 min.

Wannabe pop star Angelo is pressured to share his latest hit with a coworker, just as an unexpected discovery challenges his digital facade.

PEPPA THE GREAT

USA, Dylan Joseph, 15 min.

A hustling entertainer puts her past behind her and will do anything to make it in New York City.

STRICTLY BUSINESS

FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 5:30 PM 88 MINUTES

From shop floors to corner stores to corporate showdowns, these stories prove that ambition, pressure, and a little chaos come with the job.

BUT I’M YOUR BROTHER

USA, Noah Morse, 15 min.

In a small town in Montana, Simon struggles under the pressure of working in his family’s grocery store—and the management of his younger brother, Dev.

CHOP

CHEESE

USA, Sophia Meloni, 15 min.

A 16-year-old boy reckons with his manhood while vying for the respect of his local bodega man.

PENCILS DOWN

USA, Karen Maine, 14 min.

When a woman discovers her co-worker dead at the office, she must find an immediate replacement or risk losing her own job.

THE RIGHT FIT

USA, Max Mollring, Nicolas Collins, 13 min.

With the decline of small businesses all across America, Jeans To A T is the last of its kind. No other shop in the Bay Area offers a classic pair of pants of any size and tailoring that same day.

THE TASTE OF YOUR SCALES

Canada, Rafaël Beauchamp, 17 min.

A teenager is horrified to discover the true face of his father’s fish factory.

ZERO-SUM GAME

Germany, Philip Müller, Pina Beres, 14 min.

Following the death of her father, Heloise returns to his company’s headquarters. As the will is read aloud to a room full of suits each vying for control of the company, she unleashes an absurd game.

THE THINGS WE DO FOR LOVE

FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 6:00 PM 88 MINUTES

Our boldest actions are reserved for those who matter most in these stories of momentous efforts mounted in the name of devotion.

BENEATH THE RUINS

France, Nadhir Bouslama, 27 min.

Hedi returns to Tunisia for the first time since his father’s death to attend the wedding of his cousin Salma, with whom he once shared a deep bond. He confronts his unresolved grief, his cowardice, and his desire for redemption.

BLUE

USA, Ethan Romaine, 5 min. Josh runs into an old friend.

I’M GLAD YOU’RE DEAD NOW

France, Tawfeek Barhom, 13 min.

Two brothers return to the island of their childhood, where buried secrets and heavy tensions force them to confront a dark past that connects them.

LOTION

USA, Bri Rodebaugh, 10 min.

On a quiet night amidst mid-’80s suburban bliss, privileged couple Sherri and Mel suddenly face the biggest challenge they’ve ever encountered. Could this crisis be what rejuvenates, nourishes, and heals the cracks in their marriage?

MY GIRLFRIEND TURNED INTO A WORM USA, Alex Herz, 15 min.

When his girlfriend inexplicably turns into a worm, Arthur builds her a miniature utopia in an attempt to process his grief.

A PART UNWRITTEN

Finland, Arman Zafari, 18 min.

Niina, a struggling drama teacher, receives an unusual request from her boss: to deliver a eulogy at his father’s funeral in his place. Desperate for an opportunity to perform, she finds herself considering the absurd proposition.

THRILLS & CHILLS

FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 8:00 PM

97 MINUTES

Terror lurks in the most unexpected places in this collection of horror shorts—from bizarre rituals to cursed desires and darkly comic retribution, expect the unsettling, the outrageous, and the truly disturbing.

THE DYSPHORIA

Australia, Kylie Aoibheann, 13 min.

A trans woman performs a satanic ritual to obtain a vagina, but unwittingly invites a demonic presence demanding a terrible sacrifice into her home.

THE END IS AT HAND

USA, Japhet E. Velazquez, 10 min.

After hours at a cell phone repair shop, a routine fix takes a strange turn.

IMAGO

USA, Ariel Zengotita, 13 min.

As Ana’s mom transforms into a giant insect, their codependent relationship becomes unbearable.

OBEY!

USA, Jordan Wippell, 11 min.

After the tragic death of her viral dog, Max, a pet influencer is confronted by a vengeful spirit demanding an apology for a life of exploitation.

PRAYING MANTIS

Taiwan, Joe Hsieh, 18 min.

A mysterious woman prowls the city at night, drawing men into her web as she explores the dark depths of maternal instincts.

SCISSORS

USA, Hannah Alline, 12 min.

A slasher with a grudge meets his match when a group of queer friends on a weekend getaway turns his killing spree into a bloody night he never saw coming.

THE VEIL

Brazil, Gabriel Motta, 20 min.

A religious cult with fake possession rituals spirals when the pastor’s daughter is taken by a real entity, forcing her brother to choose between blind faith and a terrifying freedom.

PARABLES, FANTASIES AND FABLES

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 11:00 AM

91 MINUTES

Suspend disbelief and lose yourself in this selection of fanciful and otherworldly shorts.

THE ANIMAL INSIDE US

China, Jane Zhang, 15 min.

In a society where childless women over 30 are forced to wear pig masks, Xinyi, trapped in an oppressive life, slowly transforms into what she fears most.

FRUIT

Singapore, Jen Nee Lim, 15 min.

In a time and place where abortion is illegal, a pregnant woman’s repeated attempts to end her pregnancy fail—until she crosses paths with a strange bus driver.

A GOOD DAY

Portugal, Tiago Rosa-Rosso, 18 min.

António wakes up to find an exact replica of himself floating lifeless in the pool. With no possible explanation, he and his family try to cope with the confusion, distrust, and an overwhelming sense of grief that settles among them.

IN BETWEEN

Ireland, Hannah Mamalis, 14 min.

Anna knows her life is coming to an end. She replaced the Anna before her and another Anna will step in. But before her inevitable departure, she decides to leave a letter to her successor to pass on her worldview.

PARADISE HEIGHTS

Canada, Karl Kai, Robert Mentov, 23 min.

A seven-year-old narcoleptic girl discovers an otherworldly bond to her late mother’s past within dreams of the Burmese jungle.

THE SEA SPIRIT

Sweden, Edwin Ivemark Kihlström, 6 min.

On the beach below his house, a boy encounters a magical spirit that will grant a wish in exchange for being fed pigeons.

SHORTIES

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 11:30 AM 61 MINUTES

Films for kids and the young at heart, this mix of family-friendly fare features a variety of animated and live-action tales.

BLOOKY:

THE BOOK WHO WANTED TO BE READ

USA, Pablo Diaz De Leon Hicks, 6 min.

A brand-new little book gets lost in the vast maze of a grand library and journeys through every section in search of where he belongs.

CHIRP TALKER

Taiwan, Audrey He-Qing Cheng, 4 min.

On her city balcony, Audrey delights in the flutter of tiny birds. Their chirps sound like cheerful hellos and playful spats, inspiring her to invent a bird-language translator that unlocks their secret conversations.

FOUR SQUARE

USA, Eli Staub, 14 min.

When an act of betrayal on the playground turns two best friends against each other, they must settle things the only way they know how—on the high-stakes four square court.

LEG DAY

Brazil, João Lauro Fonte, 5 min.

A fun and heartwarming story about a hyper-focused and very dedicated penguin who refuses to skip leg day. As a matter of fact, all his days are leg days—as if his own future depended on it.

SABA

USA, Liron Topaz, 10 min.

In a world where gravity is reversed, a unique bond forms between a grandfather and his grandson.

SOMETHING GREATER THAN YOU

USA, Gordon LePage, 9 min.

After finding shelter during a winter storm, a pair of feuding raccoons receive an unexpected guest.

A PAIN IN THE BUTT

Germany, Elena Walf, 5 min.

A hedgehog is just about to go into hibernation when he notices that one of his spines is missing. It’s stuck in his dog friend’s bottom, of all places. Getting it back won’t be easy...

THEY

United Kingdom, Renée Zellweger, 8 min.

As townsfolk rage in their fog of negativity, our hero and his dog aim to encourage a return to better days! The opposite effect leads to an unexpected calamity which galvanizes the masses. They

BENEATH THE SURFACE

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 12:00 PM

96 MINUTES

What hides beneath appearances—within families, communities, landscapes, and ourselves—emerges in these films attuned to emotional undercurrents and quiet release.

GRANDMA

France, Anne-Sophie Diego, 17 min.

After another drunken night, Ady, a lost 21-year-old, learns her grandmother with Alzheimer’s has gone missing. When her grandfather’s GPS suddenly switches on, Ady follows its relentless directions, leading her to the edge of a dark forest.

MAN MADE LAKE

USA, Annie Ning, 18 min.

In the idyllic confines of a gated community in China, young Nita’s finger is bitten by something in the lake. Her French mother is hellbent on finding out what’s lurking in the waters, igniting a series of cultural clashes throughout the community.

MULTO

USA, Coleman Weimer, 17 min.

As American missionaries move into a house in the Philippines, their cleaning lady discovers an unsettling presence from the past.

NEW TREES

USA, Brian Imakura Guthmann, 12 min.

An exploration of commercial trees.

SANDRA

Brazil, Camila Márdila, 20 min.

Sandra, an insurance broker, is staying at a hotel with her team for a training session led by a famous coach. When a mysterious phone call wakes her in the middle of the night, she realizes she is being watched by a foreign guest.

SEA STAR

Canada, Tyler Mckenzie Evans, 12 min.

An elderly Black man partakes in his first swimming lesson while battling with his own hardships.

HIGH ANXIETY

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2:00 PM 95 MINUTES

Clench your jaw and whiten your knuckles with these tense, tightrope-walking shorts set in moments of peak pressure.

AGNÈS

France, Nora Arnezeder, 15 min.

Agnès, a young French actress living in Los Angeles, dreams of making it in the United States. But a quick stop at the supermarket changes everything.

BEST FRIENDS WITH THE DEVIL

USA, Hugo De Sousa, 10 min.

Lola searches for her missing best friend with the help of a stranger who may know more than he’s letting on.

EYE JAM

United Kingdom, Julia Jolliffe, 3 min.

A lonely creature desperately struggles for connection in a desolate world, no matter the cost.

FRUITS DE MERDE

Belgium, Lukas Gevaert, 14 min.

A continuous shot tracks a family during their traditional New Year’s Eve throughout the years, when on one night a winning scratch card lands on the table.

GOD IS SHY

France, Jocelyn Charles, 16 min.

During a train ride, Ariel and Paul pass the time sketching their deepest fears. Their game takes an unexpected turn when Gilda, a mysterious passenger, intrudes on their exchange.

I HATE BABIES

Canada, Sidney Leeder, Alona Metzer, Walter Woodman, 15 min.

After removing her IUD due to an undiagnosable pain, a woman must confront her fear of babies as every woman around her mutates into a Mombie.

TRANCE

Germany, Jona Schloßer, 22 min.

Yasmin’s high-pressure shift as a paramedic becomes a whole lot tougher when she’s forced to secretly take her little sister along in the ambulance.

DAYS OF YOUTH

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2:30 PM 90 MINUTES

In the turbulence of growing up, these films explore desire, confidence, and miscalculation, where every step forward is shaped as much by risk as discovery.

ALI

Bangladesh, Adnan Al Rajeev, 15 min.

In a coastal town, women are not allowed to sing. A teenager joins a singing competition for a chance to move to the city, while hiding his true voice.

BEN’S SISTER

USA, Emma Weinswig, 18 min.

In 2015, during the last weekend before graduation, Ben and his friends go overboard in their quest to win the Senior Scavenger Hunt.

JIA

USA, Sam Mandich, 14 min.

In the haze of a California summer, two best friends must reckon with their feelings for one another.

THE KALGAN HORSE

China, Zichen Zhao, 13 min.

In the borderlands of farming and herding in northern China, a Mongolian horse awaits the fate of castration, while a 10-year-old boy, determined to protect it, must confront violence and cruelty beyond his understanding.

MIRA

France, Daniella Saba, 16 min.

Mira dreams of becoming a truck driver. But as adolescence reshapes her body, the way others look at her changes, putting her dream at risk. But Mira is not ready to give up.

UNDER THE WAVE OFF LITTLE DRAGON

United Kingdom, Luo Jian, 14 min.

Caught between two worlds, a Chinese girl growing up in a Welsh fishing village rejects her mother’s folklore, until one magical encounter sheds new light on everything she knows.

CAST ADRIFT

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 3:00 PM 93 MINUTES

Across oceans, wildernesses, domestic spaces, and distant planets, these films trace lives suspended between loss and hope, isolation and connection.

AZOR HERE

France, Aliona Zagurovska, 25 min.

A Ukrainian family fleeing the war leaves their dog, Azor, behind. Time passes and drones hover overhead. Alone in the apartment, Azor dreams.

THE HOME AFTER THEM

Iran, Armin Azadian, 18 min.

Sohrab, an aging father, is left alone amid the nationwide protests in Iran, his wife’s illness, and the emigration of his children. In the silence of his home, he tries to hold on to what remains.

NAUSEA

New Zealand, Elliott Louis McKee, 11 min.

In the remote lands of New Zealand’s South Island, the desolation of land and spirit forges an unexpected connection between two isolated strangers who, unbeknownst to them, are each other’s only path to salvation.

THE OKAPI

Canada, Samir Essa, 14 min.

Deep in the wilderness, a Congolese refugee’s unresolved legal status slowly unravels his bond with his well-meaning partner.

WATER GIRL

France, Sandra Desmazières, 15 min.

Mia has spent her whole life freediving, fishing, and gliding through seaweed and rocks. Time has passed, tracing its lines on her body, and shaping the landscapes around her. Loved ones have vanished. Tonight, Mia remembers.

THE WOMAN WHOSE HEAD WAS AN ASTEROID

Luxembourg, Ganaël Dumreicher, 10 min.

In the uncharted wild west of our solar system, two young astronauts embark on a mission full of unexpected surprises, offering a glimpse into a near future shaped by space colonialism and environmentalism.

COUPLING & UNCOUPLING

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 5:00 PM 95 MINUTES

Attraction, trust, and identity are in extreme flux in these shorts charting unstable connections and transformative bonds.

CRASH SEASON

USA, Audrey Rosenberg, 14 min.

When a scar on Mari’s chin mysteriously disappears, Max begins to believe her girlfriend has been replaced by an imposter.

FOLDS

USA, Katya Skakun, 15 min.

In a town that feels pulled out of a fairy tale, physical therapist Asyaa meets and falls for a local. When uninvited guests arrive, Asya must finally trust her craft and use her hands—and body—in ways she never imagined.

GENERAL ADMISSION

USA, Kaily Morgan Smith, 11 min.

Determined to move on from her cheating, narcissistic ex, a woman shows up to a support group, desperate for a fresh start.

MARGA EN EL DF

Mexico, Gabriela Ortega, 21 min.

In the wake of Selena Quintanilla’s murder, Marga’s life takes an unexpected turn at 21 weeks pregnant during a surprise visit to Mexico City.

TAXI MOTO

Switzerland, Gaël Kamilindi, 21 min.

A director has to reimagine his film—a love story between two men—after being banned from shooting it in his home country. In a different location, he finds a new leading actor and, together with him, a tender gesture of resistance.

THREE WORDS

Canada, Franie-Éléonore Bernier, 2 min.

A confession propels Todd into a surreal and unexpected journey.

TODAY I DID NOT MAKE SMART CHOICES

USA, Luis Figueroa Caunedo, 11 min.

After glancing at his girlfriend’s phone, Mr. Carlos struggles to keep himself together around his after-school students.

ART ATTACK

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 5:30 PM 89 MINUTES

This eclectic collection examines the risks, sacrifices, and rewards of making art, and what happens when creativity, ego, and spectacle collide.

HUNTING

Switzerland, Lea Favre, 11 min.

Lea goes searching for a subject for her documentary film. When she believes she’s finally caught her prey, the roles end up being reversed, and the hunter becomes the hunted.

HYENA

USA, Altay Ulan Yang, 21 min.

In an isolated castle, students prepare for a life-changing examination. As anticipation builds to a fever pitch, a storm strikes. Trapped within crumbling walls, their academic sanctuary becomes a prison, and minds begin to break.

LAST SHOT

Netherlands, Parham Rahimzadeh, 18 min.

When Musa, a Palestinian in the Netherlands, receives the camera of his late brother, a Gaza photojournalist, he revives the final roll of film—forcing him to confront grief, censorship, and the weight of legacy.

THE PORTRAIT

Canada, Julia Hogg, 5 min. Elma’s date really wants to draw her portrait.

A SHOT AT ART

Netherlands, Ilke Paddenburg, 16 min.

When two seasoned volunteers at an international art festival participate in a highly controversial installation, the situation spirals out of control.

STAY FOR THE Q&A

USA, hazart, 18 min.

More of a comment than a question...

CROSSROADS

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 6:00 PM 97 MINUTES

Join characters at various stages in life as they find themselves at a crucial juncture, facing pivotal decisions and life-altering moments.

BECAUSE TODAY IS SATURDAY

Portugal, Alice Eça Guimarães, 12 min.

It’s Saturday, and a woman struggles with reconciling her home life and her need to escape.

EIGHT WALLS TWO DOORS

USA, Miaochun Zhang, 23 min.

As lockdown protests erupt in China in 2022, past and present blend for a Chinese woman living in New York. Meanwhile, a leaky radiator sparks a romance between her husband and an older neighbor.

THE LIFE CYCLE OF CICADAS

Greece, Ines Perot, 14 min.

In a house by the beach, a retired man enjoys the final days of summer, shielding himself from the world beyond his yard. But when he discovers a wounded cicada on his doorstep, he is compelled by an unfamiliar tenderness.

A MIRAGE

Spain, Hector Prats, 20 min.

After inheriting her brother’s boat, a woman seeks connection with the man who last saw him alive.

NO ONE KNOWS I DISAPPEARED

China, Hanxiong Bo, 17 min.

In the shadow of China’s growing erasure of marginalized lives and the tightening state surveillance, the sudden disappearance of an elderly woman in the frigid winter propels her caregiver, Lin, on a relentless search.

THE SWIMSUIT

Germany, Amina Krami, 11 min.

Through the gift of a swimsuit on a seemingly endless summer day, young Noa is involuntarily pushed into a gender binary.

LATE NIGHT

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 8:00 PM 92 MINUTES

The absurd and the surreal converge in this playfully unhinged collection of after-dark shorts featuring a wild array of antics and abnormalities.

DEUCE PURGATORY

USA, Sydney Adams, 14 min.

When the players of a mixed doubles tennis match get stuck at 4040 for seemingly an eternity, underdog Shelly Shlop realizes that to win the match, she must find her self-worth.

DON’T PUKE

Germany, Daniel Chisholm, 9 min.

A partygoer must find her way home without puking. Along the way, she encounters numerous hurdles that will challenge her selfcontrol to the utmost.

HAND

USA, Jennifer Winterbotham, 17 min.

A heartbroken college student ignores a grotesque hand infection as she develops an obsession with stains on her carpet.

I HAVE A

United Kingdom, Rory Waudby-Tolley, 5 min.

A man lists the things that he has.

LE TOUR DE CANADA

Canada, John Hollands, 6 min.

Two rival cyclists face off in a grueling and surreal cross-Canada cycling race.

MANTIS STREAM! LIKE & SUBSCRIBE

USA, Sarah Maerten & Lincoln Robisch as CLUSTERFUCK!, 10 min.

Craig gets engaged and chokes to death on an egg—live on the internet.

UM

France, Nieto, 8 min.

The bird people have fallen into violent chaos, prey to a disturbing phenomenon: their eggs are haunted by demonic faces, and their hatching seems to herald an imminent catastrophe.

WHAT ARE GRANDCHILDREN MADE OF?

USA, Lindsey Susor, 12 min.

When a tragic accident reveals that his granddaughter has the ability to respawn upon death, an old man starts an underground organ harvesting business to keep his family afloat.

WHAT WE LEAVE BEHIND

Canada, Jean-Sébastien Hamel, Alexandra Myotte, 11 min.

Dan has a gaping hole in his neck that won’t heal, but can’t remember why. In the sinister arena of his childhood memory, he must find the part of himself he once left behind that prevents him from being whole.

THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT

SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 1:00 PM 93 MINUTES

Told through the eyes of children, these moving, perceptive, and imaginative films offer a distinctly wise take on the curiosity and confusion of growing up.

AMÉRICA

Peru, Javier Arias-Stella, 16 min.

América, a 10-year-old girl from a remote Andean village, dreams of buying a bicycle so she’ll never be late to class again.

BALL FACE

United Kingdom, Laurence Thérien, 5 min.

Terrified of sports, a middle schooler survives a chaotic game by accidentally bouncing the ball off her face, discovering an unconventional tactic that leads to victory.

ESTEL.LA & SOFIA

Spain, Patricia M. Félix, 17 min.

In the summer of 1980, inseparable friends Estel.la and Sofia share games and secrets in their last days before returning to school. Between innocence and farewell, they discover the intensity of a friendship that will forever mark Estel.la’s memory.

MY BROTHER LYOSHA AND I

Kazakhstan, Lena Tronina, 15 min.

In North Kazakhstan in the mid-’90s, two young siblings navigate the silence and the chaos of a home plagued by cycles of violence. Can they break free from the patterns they’ve inherited, or is it already too late?

NOBODY KNOWS THE WORLD

Peru, Roddy Dextre, 18 min.

On the outskirts of Lima, 11-year-old Chito tends carrier pigeons for his brother’s drug operation. When violence disrupts his young life, loss and a small act of kindness suggest a different path.

THE SKY WAS CANDY

Germany, Anh Tú Nguyen, 3 min.

A yellow and blue day in the life of a child.

ZIZOU

Egypt, Khaled Moeit, 19 min.

Zizou, an overweight 13-year-old boy, sets out to befriend the neighborhood’s most popular kid. But his relentless attempts leave him vulnerable to unexpected ridicule, stirring unresolved feelings.

THE SHAPE I’M IN SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 1:30 PM 90 MINUTES

Skin crawls, forms fracture, and identities slip in these films, where the body becomes a site of anxiety, transformation, and peculiar self-discovery.

A BODY WITHOUT A HORSE?

Brazil, Lara Fuke, 9 min.

In an attempt to identify itself, a body without a horse moves through its absences and voids.

HAND (手)

Japan, Jing Wang, 5 min.

A little girl who grew up surrounded by family and friends suddenly falls into a space that only she can enter. In the empty darkness, with nothing to hold onto, her time alone stirs an indescribable feeling within her.

THE IN-THE-HEAD FILM

Germany, Konstantin von Sichart, 11 min.

A rapidly associative animated film about life inside a neurodivergent mind: too many ideas, too little rest.

OUAIS

Switzerland, Della Miranda, 4 min.

In a bathroom of sickly perfection, a woman loses herself in a world of self-distortion, where every reflection becomes a mirror of her deepest insecurities.

¡PIKA!

Peru, Alex Fischman Cárdenas, 18 min.

A desperate man wakes up with an unbearable itch, anxious to find a cure, and embarks on a nightmarish odyssey in search of relief.

SCORCHING

China, Beidi Wang, 19 min.

As a bird flu quietly descends on suburban Guangdong, China, 13-year-old Yan experiences unsettling physical changes after visiting the chicken processing plant.

STAIRS

USA, Riley Donigan, 14 min.

A woman’s life unravels after she becomes addicted to throwing herself down flights of stairs.

WIDESPREAD

Israel, Paz Bernstein, 10 min.

A woman’s visit to the gynecologist stirs collective trauma while revealing a timeless feminine bond.

CONS & CONSEQUENCES

SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2:00 PM 88 MINUTES

Whether driven by need, impulse, or hope, the characters in these films make decisions that spiral and yield lasting repercussions.

ALL THE REAL BOYS

USA, Ohad Ira Amram, 11 min.

A group of young incarcerated men are tested during an inmate litter pickup day in Altadena, California.

A CRIME ACROSS FOUR LANDSCAPES

USA, Aidan Weaver, 7 min.

A mysterious crime unfolds across four interconnected landscapes.

FEAR NOTHING

Sweden, Tuva Björk, 15 min.

Private security guards hired to protect Johannesburg’s wealthy inhabitants face a fragile climate of inequality, paranoia, and masculinity, revealing fears and anxieties that slowly dissolve the illusion of protection.

KPOP SMOOTHIE

USA, Haneol Lee, 9 min.

A broke Korean American student walks into a KPOP-themed smoothie store and unknowingly orders an overpriced smoothie.

THE LIARS

Argentina, Eduardo Braun Costa, 19 min.

Matías and his younger brother Jaime are left to their own devices in an adult world. When Jaime is caught stealing, Matías must convince a stranger to act as their father.

THE LOOK OF GLASS

Argentina, Tomás Murphy, 11 min.

Petty smuggler Yoni strives to advance in a world that judges him by his appearance. Under the shadow of his partner and mentor, an unexpected setback during a promising business deal forces him to confront his limitations.

NAVA

Iran, Dena Rassam, 16 min.

A young Iranian singer risks everything to return from overseas to reconnect with her father and perform a secret concert. But when she’s arrested, she faces a life-altering choice: flee, or stay and fight for her art and her people.

Closing Night

SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 6:30 PM

Join us as we screen a collection of award-winning gems, reveal the crowd favorites, and bid adieu to an epic ShortFest. A grand finale not to be missed!

Closing Night Party immediately following at 8:30 PM

Hosted and sponsored by Lulu’s California Bistro 200 S Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92262

Best of Fest

Award-winning. Crowd-pleasing. Totally unmissable.

Six programs of the most talked-about shorts at ShortFest. Come for one or binge them all – this is your last chance to catch a favorite!

MONDAY, JUNE 29

Each program has a different set of films!

10:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 2:00 PM, 4:00 PM, 6:00 PM, 8:00 PM

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Film Index

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Beyond the Fest

The Palm Springs International Film Society is more than our festivals. We're a community built around a shared love of cinema, bringing audiences, filmmakers, students, and lifelong film enthusiasts together yearround. Through screenings, educational programs, and community events, we celebrate the power of film to inspire curiosity, spark discussion, and connect people across generations.

From introducing young people to the art of filmmaking to welcoming audiences into new cinematic experiences, we're committed to nurturing a vibrant film culture in the Coachella Valley and beyond.

Internships and Mentorships: The Film Society provides an immersive program where interns and mentees develop skills in their chosen fields, gain insights into nonprofit operations, and delve into the inner workings of international film festivals.

Workshops and Panels: Your support enables us to organize workshops and panels, allowing young filmmakers to learn from industry professionals, hone their craft, and develop their unique voices.

Student Screening Days: Each year, high school students gather from across the Coachella Valley for a highly anticipated program presenting 1-2 Festival films. This enriching experience exposes them to global perspectives, cultures, and diverse storytelling styles, broadening horizons.

Youth and Young Adult Programs: Your support allows us to engage with local schools, providing opportunities for students to explore the world of cinema, fostering creativity and critical thinking.

Community Screenings: We organize screenings year round of diverse films that can challenge perspectives, spark discussions, bring joy and laughter but most importantly bring our community, families and friends closer together through the power of storytelling.

Film Society: Building community through a shared love of cinema, the Film Society creates opportunities for audiences to connect through member screenings and special events that bring movie lovers together year-round.

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