LA-based international film festival Indie Short Fest has been a launchpad for acclaimed projects, including 2025 Academy Award-winning live-action short I’m Not a Robot (Netherlands) and Oscar-shortlisted live-action shorts Edge of Space (USA) and The Pearl Comb (UK).
Dedicated to supporting independent filmmakers and showcasing creative excellence in short films, Indie Short Fest continues to spotlight diverse voices and innovative storytelling.
Indie Short Fest is an international short film festival based in Los Angeles with monthly editions that qualify for the Annual Awards. Besides the monthly awards and the annual event, Indie Short Fest occasionally holds special screenings and Q&As with cast and crews.
Some of the films boosted by Indie Short Fest
Indie Short Fest has been boosting several projects such as as Academy award-winning live-action short I’m Not a Robot (Netherlands), Oscar-shortlisted live-action shorts Edge of Space (USA) and The Pearl Comb (UK), and multiple Oscar-longlisted works across formats — including documentaries and animations The Mortician of Manila (Philippines), A Tree Once Grew Here (USA), On/Off (Argentina), Pacemaker (UK) and Pete (USA), , as well as live-action shorts Cognition (UK), Bad Survivor (USA), Once More, Like Rain Man (USA), and Satomi (Hong Kong/Japan/USA). Other highlights include BAFTA/LA Student Film Award winner Mum’s Hairpins (Russia), DGA Student Film Award Winning Mother in the Mist (USA), Student Academy Awards nominee Incognito (USA), and One Last Last Heist (Canada) acquired by Sony.
Iconic Venues
From Burbank 1817 Film Studios to the theaters of Raleigh Studios Hollywood and then to the iconic Regal LA Live, Indie Short Fest has premiered over 550 films and welcomed in Los Angeles more than 6,000 attendees.
Some of the notable Indie Short Fest award winners
Indie Short Fest, one of the most relevant rising voices of the global indie film community with a focus on diversity and inclusion, is proud to count among its award winners Academy Award winners Jamie Lee Curtis, Joel Harlow, Robert Zemeckis, and Victoria Warmerdam, alongside nominees such as Jeremy Renner, Paul Giamatti, Eric Roberts, Graham Greene, and Waad Al-Kateab. The festival has also honored BAFTA, Emmy, SAG, Golden Globe, Teen Choice, Critics Choice, Grammy, and Sundance winners, including Kyra Sedgwick, Loretta Devine, Kristen Johnston, Jonathan Frakes, Isabelle Fuhrman, Brooklynn Prince, Gaby Moreno, and Masha Ko, as well as iconic talents like Chris Pine, Kevin Bacon, Danny Trejo, James Hong, and Pauline Chalamet.
COMPETITION
Monthly Competitions
Every month, Indie Short Fest awards a considerable number of projects in several different categories.
A MONTHLY breakdown, listed by IMDb, that allows you to be, at the same time, in a TRADITIONAL ANNUAL FESTIVAL competing for a spot among the world’s best short films of the year to be screened in Los Angeles.
Annual Awards
The top monthly award winners qualify for the annual awards. Each annual event is based in an annual cycle of 12 monthly rounds. The judging team of Indie Short Fest chose approximately 70–80 films, nominating them for Best of the Year across different genres and categories.
To learn more about the awards, events, and rules & terms, please visit our page in Filmfreeway.
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