Thanks to everyone who attended the live screening: all of the filmmakers who shared their hard work with us, the event volunteers that make sure everything runs smoothly and to our fine jury of film and production professionals.
Our Winter 2026 show was sold out with a great crowd of movie lovers, indie filmmakers and all around good people.
BEST FILM ~ SMALL SHORTS
Joseph's indecision has brought his life to a standstill, until he finds a mysterious tape player that can tell the future. It seems like the answer to all of his problems, but is it?
JAMES FARRELL (LONDON, UK)
GOOD CHOICE, JOSEPH
BEST FILM ~ MICRO SHORTS
WHERE TUNA COMES FROM
LUCAS XAVIER SIMES (CHICAGO, IL)
A tuna fish leaves the comfort of its space station to enter the black hole at the edge of the galaxy.
PEOPLE'S CHOICE ~ SMALL SHORTS
Just a perfectly normal day in the park...
AJ JEFFERIES, (NORWICH UK)
DUCKS
PEOPLE'S CHOICE ~ MICRO SHORTS
This Arbor Day, celebrate as one greedy child gets taught an invaluable lesson from Shel Silverstein’s titular character.
ADAM REPP (CHICAGO, IL)
THE TAKING TREE
1
DUCKS
Small Short
AJ Jefferies
A film by:
Norwich, UK
Just a perfectly normal day in the park...
3
GODZILLA'S DAY OFF!
Small Short
Myra Sito Velasquez
A film by:
West Hurley, NY
Even monsters need to chillax!
5
Gramps
Small Short
Boris Schaarschmidt
A film by:
Los Angeles, CA
Carol wanted to meet her boyfriend in an abandoned house up the road to make out, but instead, she encounters the not-so-urban legend, Old Gramps, a dusty zombie with an appetite for flesh and no sense of humor.
7
A Cannon Full of Clowns
Micro Short
Maxwell Dorfman, Emmett Dorfman, Michael Dorfman
A film by:
Los Angeles, CA
An angry ring master holds talent auditions for a local circus.
9
Lost Track
Small Short
Luna McKee
A film by:
United States
After the end of civilization, a cassette player robot goes on a journey to find new music, gaining an unlikely friend and a new tune.
11
The Taking Tree
Micro Short
Adam Repp
A film by:
Chicago, IL
This Arbor Day, celebrate as one greedy child gets taught an invaluable lesson from Shel Silverstein’s titular character.
13
Chopsticks
Micro Short
Josephine Ryu
A film by:
Vancouver, Canada
During a team dinner filled with cultural expectations and etiquette, a young intern must impress his co-workers by proving that he is 'Asian' enough to fit in.
15
The Fangs I'm After
Small Short
Rebecca Chivers
A film by:
North Hollywood, CA
After finally being presented with the opportunity, a vampire hunter realizes killing the vampire she has been chasing all these years may not be what she wanted after all.
17
Just One Peek
Small Short
Mulan Fu
A film by:
New York, NY
A girl is pulled into her phone's whirlwind of doomscrolling, vanity, and viral chaos, struggling to escape its addictive grip.
19
Are You Still Watching?
Small Short
Stephen T. Holmes, Matthew Miner
A film by:
Exeter, Canada
Does anyone really even "watch" TV anymore??
21
All Change
Small Short
Joe Molander
A film by:
London, UK
In a simple conversation on the train, two gay men expose the regrets they have over their friendship, which – years ago – nearly became something more.
23
Anxiety
Micro Short
Sergey Shchegolkov
A film by:
Moscow, Russia
An audiovisual work that dissects and conveys the profound experience of anxiety through animation and sound.
25
Come Home
Small Short
Katelyn Park & Elle Shenkin
A film by:
Rochester, NY
While fighting on the phone with her dad, Della, a Korean-American daughter, gets sucked into an ocean of memories. Watching her younger self, Della feels the pain of the past, but gains the courage to swim back up and find closeness with her father again in the present.
27
Cracks On The Road
Small Short
Irem Koskos
A film by:
Istanbul, Turkey
A young woman in her twenties travels alone to an unfamiliar city. Caught in a series of chaotic events, she struggles with anxiety and inner burdens. By facing them head-on, she ultimately finds release and freedom.
29
L'Étreinte (The Embrace)
Small Short
Jan Mocka
A film by:
Cologne, Germany
He got in touch after 15 years. Just like that. Said we should leave the past in the past. After everything that had happened.
31
Not a Hero by Accident
Small Short
Adam Ansorge
A film by:
Matawan, NJ
The fatal collision with a meter maid puts a truck driver in the hands of the local community to decide his fate.
33
Choice
Small Short
Valentin Frolov
A film by:
Moscow, Russia
The modern world offers an overwhelming abundance of comforts and distractions, often leaving people unsure how to navigate it all. This film follows one day in the life of a small man in a big city who just wanted to enjoy a good cup of coffee in the morning…
2
The Musical Industrial Complex
Micro Short
Falko Seidel
A film by:
Berlin, Germany
What about producing fun instead of weapons? Film can take the role of a pioneer. A mad professor with a penchant for big bass makes a breathtaking invention.
4
One More Spin
Small Short
Maurice Victor & Shea Marelli
A film by:
Chicago, IL
In a laundromat, two strangers silently wonder what would happen if they spoke—spinning through wild, romantic, and awkward “what ifs” from both perspectives.
6
On the Clock with Devilish Intentions
Small Short
Summer Purks
A film by:
Brooklyn, NY
When a fight over a shiny new item erupts, a prissy, hot-headed demon must take responsibility or risk losing more than just her job.
8
The Knot Job
Small Short
Afrim Zenuni
A film by:
Chicago, IL
Two smart-mouthed secret agents try to bicker their way out of captivity.
10
Lola's Got The Blues
Small Short
Daniel Moreno
A film by:
Chicago, IL
In the stillness of a record store, a shy clerk’s quiet routine is transformed by a vibrant regular whose spontaneous energy and love for music invite her to take a chance on connection.
12
Security
Small Short
Max Hudetz
A film by:
Austin, TX
Security is an animated documentary capturing the hidden rhythms of a backyard ecosystem. Rotoscoped from real security footage, the film explores a hierarchy of natural motion across time, from skittish squirrels and curious birds by day to slinking cats and cautious raccoons by night.
14
My Name is Eduard Brenton
Small Short
Robert Raithby
A film by:
Edinburgh, Scotland
Eccentric loner Eduard Brenton undergoes a personal odyssey while exploring his family roots in Edinburgh, Scotland.
16
Good Choice, Joseph
Small Short
James Farrell
A film by:
London, UK
Joseph's indecision has brought his life to a standstill, until he finds a mysterious tape player that can tell the future. It seems like the answer to all of his problems, but as the device begins to dictate his every move, Joseph is forced to confront the reality of a life without free will.
18
To Have And To Hold
Small Short
Julianne Martin
A film by:
Los Angeles, CA
Two characters must grapple with the complexities of their relationship and decide whether or not to part ways.
20
OSSOBUCO
Micro Short
Jakob Bjerkesjö
A film by:
Stockholm, Sweden
During a tender anniversary dinner, a man's fragile illusion begins to crumble and a haunting reality of grief and denial is revealed.
22
Breakup Bob
Small Short
Lauren B. Leigh
A film by:
Los Angeles, CA
The feminine urge to chop off your hair after a breakup.
24
Now Boarding RF 1668
Micro Short
Brian Davis
A film by:
Cedar Rapids, IA
It’s just another day going through airport security.
26
Taco Tragedy
Micro Short
Brooks Middleton, Gray O'Connor, Ramzey Tahboub, Elijah White
A film by:
Charlottesville, VA
In a dystopian future where only one taco remains in the whole world...
28
Where Tuna Comes From
Micro Short
Lucas Xavier Simes
A film by:
Chicago, IL
A tuna fish leaves the comfort of its space station to enter the black hole at the edge of the galaxy.
30
Swim
Micro Short
Eric Yeich
A film by:
Los Angeles, CA
The unspoken parts of love unfold as a couple goes swimming.
32
Soccer Mommies
Small Short
David Bradburn
A film by:
Crystal Lake, IL
Two friends enjoy a gossip while attending a youth soccer game.
