The Palm Springs International ShortFest is the largest short film festival in North America. Its 32nd edition ran June 23–29, 2026, at the Festival Theaters in Palm Springs. According to information on their site, the festival screened “329 short films from 71 countries across 50 themed programs, including 52 world premiered. More than 7,000 films were submitted from 145 countries. Of the films selected, 41% were directed by women.”
What the numbers alone cannot capture is the feeling of the place. From the moment I arrived, there was a wonderful energy in the air — so many friendly people gathering together, most of them young, and coming from countries all over the world. Hearing different languages in the lobbies and watching filmmakers from different continents greet one another like old friends made the whole festival feel like one big international family. It was genuinely exciting to be part of it.
According to information on their site “ShortFest is recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), BAFTA, BIFA, and the Goya Awards as an official qualifying festival. Five award categories gave winners the right to submit for Oscar consideration. A total of $30,000 in cash prizes was given out, sponsored by Bennett Awards.The festival was programmed by Jesse Knight and Céline Roustan. Lili Rodriguez is the Artistic Director of the Palm Springs International Film Society, and Nachhattar Singh Chandi is the Festival Chairman. Over the years, more than 100 ShortFest alumni films have been nominated for an Oscar. Past alumni include Ava DuVernay, Denis Villeneuve, Taika Waititi, Julia Ducournau, and Chiwetel Ejiofor. The Film Society also organizes the Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) every January.”
The ShortFest Forum panels at the Hilton Palm Springs (June 26–28) brought together filmmakers and industry professionals for panels, talks, and hands-on sessions.
For me personally, as a screenwriter, taking part in this festival was an education in itself. Watching so many short films from around the world — each one telling a complete story in just a few minutes — taught me a great deal about economy, structure, and how much can be said with very little. The panels and conversations with working filmmakers, programmers, and producers gave me practical insight into how stories travel from the page to the screen, and I came away inspired, full of new ideas, and more confident in my own writing. It was a rare chance to learn directly from people at every stage of the craft.
The festival staff and volunteers deserve a special mention of their own. Everyone I encountered was warm, friendly, and genuinely willing to help — whether it was pointing the way to the right theater, answering questions about the schedule, or simply making visitors feel welcome. Their kindness, together with the youthful crowd filling the places, set the tone for the entire week.
Best of the Fest — Closing Night, June 29
The festival closed on Monday, June 29, 2026, with the Best of the Fest program — a special screening of the top award-winning films from the week. Audiences could watch the full program from start to finish, or drop in for the films that interested them most.
The closing night itself had a joyful, celebratory feeling. The audience was full of young filmmakers and film lovers, many of whom had clearly become friends over the course of the week, and the excitement in the room was contagious — a fitting way to end such a warm and welcoming festival.
Award Winners
Oscar-Qualifying Awards
Best of the Festival Award — $5,000
Jury: Dana Ledoux Miller (Moana 2), Gus Van Sant, Julia Aks (Jane Austen’s Period Drama), Kayla Foster (Your Monster)
- Winner: “Fruit” (Singapore), directed by Jen Nee Lim
- Special Mention: “Hyena” (USA/China), directed by Altay Ulan Yang
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Fruit
Best Animated Short — $1,000
Jury: John Kelly (Director, Dolphin’s Barn Pictures), Wilson Chapman (Animation Editor, IndieWire), William D. Caballero (Director/Producer, Colibri Creative Media)
- Winner: “Bastard” / Fačuk (Croatia/Slovenia), directed by Maida Srabović — the title is a Croatian dialect word meaning “bastard” (a child born outside of marriage)
- Special Mention for Craft: “Venezia Diorama” (Belgium), directed by Nicolas Piret
Best Documentary Short — $1,000
Jury: Ash Cook (Founder, Video Store•Age), Micah Gottlieb (Artistic Director, Los Angeles Festival of Movies), Rebekah Louisa Smith (Film Festival Strategist, The Film Festival Doctor)
- Winner: “Water Cooler” (USA), directed by Emma V.F.
- Special Mention: “Plumped” (USA), directed by Faye Tsakas & Nora DeLigter
Best Live-Action Short Over 15 Minutes — $1,000
Jury: Jesy Odio (Production Manager, FUJIFILM), Maura Towey (Director of Development, Love & Squalor Pictures), Talia Shea Levin (Director, Writer, Producer)
- Winner: “Marga in Mexico City” / Marga en el DF (Mexico/USA/Dominican Republic), directed by Gabriela Ortega
- Special Mention: “Concrete Kids” (Lithuania), directed by Saulius Baradinska
Best Live-Action Short 15 Minutes and Under — $1,000 (sponsored by SAGindie)
Jury: Alana Ford (Agent, Gersh), Mia McNiece (Senior Editor, Gold Derby), Peter Van Steemburg (Talent Manager, XYZ Films)
- Winner: “We Were Here” (India), directed by Pranav Bhasin
- Special Mention: “Captive Audience” (Singapore), directed by Kew Lin
Student Short Awards
Best Student International Short — $1,000
Jury: Adam Keresztes (Lead Shorts Programmer, Calgary International Film Festival), Séverine Tibi (Co-Founder/Producer, Sevana Films), Zegan Doyle (Programmer, AQUA Film Club / SXSW / Film Independent)
- Winner: “Daddy’s Little Meatball” (Australia/USA), directed by Yael Grunseit
- Special Mention: “Orla” (Czech Republic/Slovakia), directed by Marie Lukáčová
Best Student U.S. Short — $1,000
Jury: Ambriehl Turrentine (Programming Manager, Denver Film), Edda Manriquez (Program Director, Femtastia Fest), Noah Baldwin (Executive Assistant, Tremolo Productions)
- Winner: “Pankaja” (USA/India), directed by Anooya Swamy
- Special Mention: “Not Valid for Travel” (USA), directed by Jiaying Lin
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Pankaja
Best Student Animated Short — $1,000
- Winner: “The Undying Pain of Existence” (Germany), directed by Oscar Jacobson
- Special Mention: “Hunting” (Switzerland), directed by Lea Favre
Best Student Documentary Short — $1,000
- Winner: “Sole” (USA), directed by Haneol Lee
- Special Mention: “California is Burning” (USA), directed by Bennett Curran
Special Jury Awards
Vimeo Staff Pick Award — $5,000
- Winner: “A Crime Across Four Landscapes” (USA), directed by Aidan Weaver
Best International Short — $1,000
Jury: Ernie Quiroz (Film Programmer, Santa Barbara International Film Festival / The Loft Cinema / Phoenix Art Museum), Irene Suico Soriano (Short Film Programmer, Sundance Film Festival), Eleanor Wilson (Writer/Director)
- Winner: “Agapito” (Philippines/France), directed by Arvin Belarmino & Kyla Romero
- Special Mention: “The Last Song” (Spain), directed by María Lorente-Becerra
Best U.S. Short — $1,000
Jury: Steven Snyder (Producer, Cienega Films), Hayley Marie Norman (Filmmaker), Daniel Cardone (Senior Manager, Nonfiction Programs & Fiscal Sponsorship, Film Independent)
- Winner: “See You, Soon” (USA), directed by Jay Pendarvis Jr.
- Special Mention (for Linus the dog): “XOLO” (USA), directed by Matthew Serrano
Best Comedy Short — $1,000
Jury: Max Geschwind (Media Finance Coordinator, CAA), Rika Dharmesh Bhakta (Independent Producer), Alex Huston Fischer (Writer/Director)
- Winner: “We Were Here” (India), directed by Pranav Bhasin
- Special Mention for Ensemble: “Borderline” (Norway/Finland/Sweden), directed by Johannes Vang
Best LGBTQ+ Short — $1,000
Jury: Abby Wright (Founder/Festival Director, Femme Filth Fest), Dino-Ray Ramos (Founder, Diaspora), Ro Haber (Director)
- Winner: “Delay” (China), directed by Wang Han-Xuan
- Special Mention: “Sandra” (Brazil), directed by Camila Márdila
Best Midnight Short — $1,000
Jury: Ashleigh Snead (Producer), Pip Ngo (EVP of Sales and Acquisitions, XYZ Films), Yulissa Morales (VP of Distribution and Creative, Epic Pictures / Dread)
- Winner: “Hyena” (USA/China), directed by Altay Ulan Yang
- Special Mention: “Flock” (United Kingdom/Wales), directed by Mac Nixon
Local Jury Awards
Desert Views Local Jury Award — $1,000
Jury: Kendall Balchan, Yvonne Buchanan, Craig Canestrari, Valerie Fury, Elizabeth Reyes
- Winner: “Agapito” (Philippines/France), directed by Arvin Belarmino & Kyla Romero
- Special Mention: “The Barbershop” (Denmark), directed by Diêm Camille
Young Cineastes Award — $1,000
Jury: Carolina Ava Hyatt, Lillian Lorraine Lynd, Bethany Mikrut
- Winner: “La Tierra del Valor (The Home of the Brave)” (USA), directed by Cristina Costantini
- Special Mention: “Guardian’s Grove” (USA), directed by Rachel Moss
Kids’ Choice Award — $1,000
Jury: The Boys and Girls Club of Cathedral City
- Winner: “Four Square” (USA), directed by Eli Staub
Audience Awards
- Best Animated Short: “i have a” (United Kingdom), directed by Rory Waudby-Tolley
- Best Documentary Short: “I Got My Brother” (USA), directed by Victor Gabriel
- Best Live-Action Short: “América” (Peru), directed by Javier Arias-Stella
- Best Student Short (sponsored by U.S. Bank Foundation): “Half-Moon” (Switzerland), directed by Hae-Sup Sin
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I Got My Brother
ShortFest Forum Panels (June 26–28)
The ShortFest Forum was held at the Hilton Palm Springs and brought together working filmmakers and industry professionals for panels, talks, and hands-on sessions.
Festival Programmers Panel
- Katie Bignell (Founder, Festival Formula)
- Ernie Quiroz (Film Programmer, Santa Barbara International Film Festival / The Loft Cinema / Phoenix Art Museum)
- Irene Suico Soriano (Short Film Programmer, Sundance Film Festival)
- Note: One additional panelist’s name appears in source materials as “Gabe Van…” — incomplete and needs verification
Industry & Career Development Panel
- Sue-Ellen Chitunya (Producer, 263 Reels Productions)
- Kyle Greenberg (Head of Marketing & Distribution, Utopia)
- Angela Lee (Director of Artist Development, Film Independent)
- Hayley Marie Norman (Filmmaker)
- Erin Brown Thomas (Filmmaker and Curator, Salute Your Shorts Film Festival)
- Moderator: Mia McNiece (Senior Editor, News and Awards, Gold Derby)
AI in Filmmaking Panel
- Jacob Adler (Musician and Filmmaker)
- Jeffrey Bowers (Creative & Partnerships Producer, Asteria)
- Laura Coover (R&D Lead, Orbital Studios)
- Lizz Lyons (Development Executive, Promise)
- Moderator: Aidan Kelley (News & Interview Editor, Collider)
Producing Panel
- Andrew Carlberg (Producer, The Carlberg Company LLC)
- Ebony Elaine Hardin (Producer)
- Talia Shea Levin (Director, Writer, Producer)
- Jesy Odio (Production Manager, FUJIFILM)
- Moderator: Wilson Chapman (Animation Editor, IndieWire)
