The following projects — including short films, TV and web series, and screenplays — are the finalists of the December monthly round, competing across 62 categories.
These finalists were selected from an official selection pool with a 55.2% acceptance rate, drawn from submissions representing 26 countries and a combined runtime of 49:41:27, in addition to short script entries.
The nominees represent the top 35.8% 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
Background by Julian DeGuzman (USA)
For My Ela by Mallika Prasad (India)
Good-Man by JM Salamone (USA)
Salem Not Salem by Omar Farooq (Bahrain)
The Banality Of Evil by Oscar Veja (Spain)
Best Drama Short
Cane Creek by Josh Coates (USA)
Dysturbian Utopia by J’kari Calixte (USA)
Papa Bear by Zara Carter (Australia)
Unruly by David Ernesto Herrera (UK)
Watching Walter by Mitch Yapko (USA)
Best Student Short
Grim by Nathaniel Demuth, Ben Scott, and Brad Waugh (USA)
Little Manly by Noah Gold (Australia/USA)
On The Other Side by Andréas Freisse Correa (France)
Quietus by Kristal Sum (UK)
The Wren in the Wood by Emma Baker (USA)
Best Documentary Short
Tarpuna: Keepers of Cacao — Part 1: Water by Pilar Egüez Guevara (Ecuador)
The 3100 by Mark Fisher (USA)
The Big Lie, Eritrea and Back by Francesca Ronchin (Italy)
The Other Roe by Wendy Eley Jackson (USA)
The Rest Are Shelters by Sophie Nation (Canada)
Best Comedy Short
Connie & Clyde by Celeste Chaney and Christopher Long (USA)
Fit For Sale by Yongmyung Yi (South Korea)
Full Metal Pizza by Johannes Küchler (Germany)
Let There Be Light by Igor Poptsov (Russia)
Mort by Larry Ziegelman and Terry Ziegelman (USA)
Best Romantic Comedy Short
TBA
Best Dark Comedy Short
Bad Fences by Luke Howe (USA)
Bad Timing by Lenni Uitto (USA)
Magas (Fly) by Ashkan Nasseri (USA)
Paranoyya by Mike Glover (UK)
The Bee by Ben Rejzer (USA)
Best Action Short
TBA
Best Crime Short
Cannibals by Hayden Ludt and Noah Campos (USA)
The Trade by Stanislav Svetlichny (USA)
Welcome Home by Matthew Morley Daniel (USA)
Best Thriller Short
Blood in the Pines by David Borges (USA)
Mesmera by Brendyn Gilbert (USA)
Thank you for the Ride, Aileen by JP Pullings (USA)
Where The Shadows Wait by Riley Robbins (USA)
You Still See Dead People by Neo Wagner (USA)
Best Film Noir Short
TBA
Best Mystery Short
TBA
Best Horror Short
Crumbs by Marco Scannicchio (Italy)
Deep Down by Piotr Matyja (USA)
Gonna Die More by Jarrod Holloway (USA)
The Sequence by Joe Bandelli (USA)
Your Presence is Requested by Nolan Lampson (USA)
Best Sci-Fi Short
Alvis Helvig Space Viking by Ethan David Henry (USA)
Feet Don’t Fail Me Now by Fuzhi Zhao (USA)
Wake Up, Dolores! by Dan James Rathke (USA)
Best Fantasy Short
In Pursuit of the Loong by Jacky Xiao (China)
Let There Be Light by Igor Poptsov (Russia)
The Forgotten Door by Anzor Mulkoev (USA)
The Missing Piece by Emanuel Fidalgo (USA)
Windward Spirits: Tides of Hope by Jaleel Sampay (USA)
Best Animation Short
Pieces of Me by Tzuyu Tung (USA)
The Ugly Resistor by James Parente (USA)
What Could Have Been by Amanda Barakat and Sam Chou (Canada)
Best Children Short
TBA
Best Women Short
Alice, Five Minutes Before Sunset (Alice, Cinco Minutos Antes do Pôr do Sol) by Davi Kinski and Rodrigo Ferraz (Brazil)
Bolbol by Lucianna Kyriacou (UK)
It’s Not Me It’s You by Cassia Price UK)
The Moon I Stole by Tinghan Zhou (China)
The Worth of Things by Jane Ballentyne (New Zealand)
Best LGBTQ Short
Cottonmouth by Ama Anane (USA)
First Wing by Alexx Simone Johnson (USA)
Meet Frankie by Steven Kunis (UK)
Best Microfilm
Afloat by Alessandra Speziali and Josh Soyombo (USA)
Ikigai by Garrett Glassell (USA)
Modena Balsamic Genius by Carlo Guttadauro (Italy)
The People, United by Ellen Gavin (USA)
Where’s Roxy? by Vaia Zaganas (USA)
Best Experimental Short
Against Interpretation by Jiyeon Park Kim (USA)
La Jet by Chris Merrill (USA)
Magas (Fly) by Ashkan Nasseri (USA)
Munchiez by Sascha Lourdes Agenor (USA)
Shatter Me Into a Thousand Pieces by Megan Rothwell and Paris Ruiz (USA)
Best Music Video
Couples Therapy by Jeremy Ryan Bracken and Adam Madrid (USA)
Oopsy! by Sijin Liu (Taiwan/UK)
Pyrrhic Victory by Brendan Young (Australia)
Single for Life – Ava Della Pietra by Luke Orlando (USA)
Unsubscribe by John Garrison (Denmark)
Best Screendance Short
TBA
Best Web Series/TV Pilot
3 To Die by Mitch Yapko and Allen Rueckert (USA)
Blood in the Pines by David Borges (USA)
How the Body Heals Itself – Episode 1 by Keith Leon S. (USA)
Tarpuna: Keepers of Cacao — Part 1: Water by Pilar Egüez Guevara (Ecuador)
The Night of the Thousand Lights by Gabor Lacza (Indonesia)
Best Web and New Media
TBA
Best Mobile Short
TBA
Best Parody Short
TBA
Best Trailer/Teaser
TBA
Best Short Script
By Some Chance by Vincent Marano (USA)
Happy Father’s Day by Anzu Lawson (USA)
Pop Up by Mark Espinola (USA)
Tiramisu by Fresna Shakur (USA)
Void by John F. McCarney (USA)
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