The following projects — including short films, TV and web series, and screenplays — are the finalists of the April-May round, competing across 62 categories.
These finalists were selected from an official selection pool with a 53.8% acceptance rate, drawn from submissions representing 32 countries and a combined runtime of 70:24:55, in addition to short script entries.
The nominees represent the top 22.8% of all submissions.
Unlisted categories had no submissions meeting the minimum score threshold.
Categories marked TBA had two or fewer projects qualifying for awards consideration. Winners in these categories will be announced together with the rest of the award recipients.
Follow the links below to explore other sections:
Best Indie Short
Another Day in New York by Adam Pine (USA)
One Of One by Daniel Kyle Mccartney (USA)
Perfectly Normal People by Tobias Nathan (USA)
Seed by Martin Lohse (UK)
The Listeners by Joslyn Rose (USA)
Best Drama Short
Dreamless Memories by Nestor Luiz (Brazil)
Elle by Robert Michalke (Switzerland)
Five Things to Love by Makenna Perkal (USA)
Ivanko’s Childhood by Vera Graziadei (UK)
The Settler’s Paths by José Gregorio Liz (Colombia)
Best Student Short
Clinical Case by Ksenia Ishoot (Russia)
Mother by Qinghua Wen (China/USA)
Swine by Claire Delany (USA)
The Fear of Ending by Andong Zhang (China)
The Space Between Notes by Lucie de Lint (UK)
Best Documentary Short
Fara í Víkingu by Rémi Ramecourt (France)
Kamla Devi by Suresh Joshi (India)
National Inventors Hall of Fame docuseries: A Lifetime of Inspiration: The Ted Hoff Story, Printing What’s Possible: The Chuck Hull Story, and Cultivating Solutions: The Barbara Liskov Story, by Andrew Blike; and Laser Focus: The Kumar Patel Story by Marc Haas (USA)
Só Alegria by Emma Kolb (USA)
Up Hayes, A New York City Story by Russell Dinallo (USA)
Best Comedy Short
1020 by Julie Goldstone (USA)
Fatso by Lucas Brahme (USA)
Reel Love by Chloe Wilcox (UK)
See You Next Tuesday by Whitney Moore and Marques Mallare (USA)
Trader Verdinkle: The Underpinnings Of An Understudy by Tom Everett (USA)
Best Romantic Comedy Short
TBA
Best Dark Comedy Short
Dig-Man by Kevin Strader (USA)
Grampa by Justice Smith (USA)
The Gift by Alexandra Gavillet (USA)
The Jigsaw Room by Maxine Evans (UK)
Your Excellency by Musaed Alqudifi (Kuwait)
Best Crime Short
TBA
Best Thriller Short
All the Colours by Leo De Haan (UK)
Only Me by Subho Basu (India)
Run Outs by Dhillon Shukla (UK)
Safe and Sound by Mo Almo (USA)
The Wrong Order by Salman Siddique (UK)
Best Film Noir Short
TBA
Best Horror Short
Flora by Sam Zheng (USA)
Pigmentosa by Sam Zheng (USA)
She Stole My Heart by Victor Diaz (USA)
Stretched Thin by Jeremy Greenberg (USA)
Who Goes There? by Gage Looney (USA)
Best Fantasy Short
Dor by Bob Banday Shryock (USA)
Growth by Ryan Polanco (USA)
Prospero by Tyler Orsak (USA)
Savannah’s Curse by Tamara Lisa Cook (Australia)
Wisp by Emma Ridley (USA)
Best Western Short
TBA
Best Animation Short
Burning Rope by Juan Belardi (USA)
Flamingo in the Garden by Xinhui Ma (USA)
Reflection by Daniel Robichaud (USA)
The Last Dance by Margarita Beglaryan (Armenia/USA)
Time Squares by Tim Hamilton (Australia)
Best Children Short
Captain Princess by Michael E. Peter (USA)
Darling Angel by Blay Armah (Canada)
Small Flowers by Milla Martha Kime (Australia)
Best Women Short
After You Get Back by Nikki Bullock (USA)
Call Me Crazy by Olivia Ormond (USA)
Hiraeth by Disha Rampal (India)
Shaken by Millie Rose Evans (USA)
You Don’t Say by Juliet Colyer (USA)
Best LGBTQ Short
Girlfriends Are Temporary, Exes Are Forever by Helya Salarvand (USA)
Nice Jewish Girl by Carly Brand (Australia)
Peony Fever by Charlie Hao (USA)
We Are Not the Same by Jesús Castillo (Panama)
When You See Me by Georgia Cotterill (New Zealand)
Best Experimental Short
Body Count by Malhar Abhijit Talwalkar (USA)
C.Y.N.D. by Ju Conci (Brazil)
First Breath by Hyojung Kim (South Korea)
Raven’s Room by Jawsh Ojeda (USA)
Where Light Falls by Shantanu Goswami (UK)
Best Microfilm
Despite It All by Bridget Avildsen (USA)
Just Being Nice by Jeronimo Geldart (Argentina/USA)
Liar’s Debt by Molly Gazay (USA)
Mapo Tofu by Yinhan (Louis) Zu (USA)
My Child by Kélian Robert and Caroline Nicoullaud (France)
Best Screendance Short
TBA
Best Music Video
Ducking Weeds by Remco Merbis (UK)
Love & Sugar by Met Kid Hao (France)
MerryGo by John Laww (USA)
Renegades by Ryan J Koppelman (USA)
The Deeper It Cuts by Colby Hulet and Evan Harris (USA)
Best Web Series/TV Pilot
Ancient Wisdom of Paiwan Slate House by Chih-Li Chang (Taiwan)
Classified Affairs by Michael McCrary (USA)
Cows Come Home by Katie Uhlmann (Canada)
It Takes A Village by Maggie Drahovska (Czechia/Slovakia)
The Independent Newspaper Company by Frank Muller and Dan Husted (USA)
Best Web and New Media
TBA
Best Trailer/Teaser
TBA
Best Short Script
Blood Enough by Saeid Ghasemi (Turkey)
Green Smoothie by Utku Atalay (Turkey)
The Kickback by Keshia Thomas (USA)
Tunnel by David Stepakoff (USA)
Upstate by Theo Stockman (USA)
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