The following projects — including short films, TV and web series, and screenplays — are the finalists of the June-July round, competing across 62 categories.
These finalists were selected from an official selection pool with a 54.8% acceptance rate, drawn from submissions representing 38 countries and a combined runtime of 69:06:54, in addition to short script entries.
The nominees represent the top 28.1% 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
A Promiscuous Ring by Jake Billy Johnson (USA)
A View Over the Inlet by Vasco Durão (Portugal)
I Knew It by Jaden Olson (USA)
Wallace Rd by Rob Yanike (USA)
What We Keep by Kailey Wolf (USA)
Best Drama Short
21 Days to Save a Life by Ben Rawlins (USA)
Casus by William Eguienta (France)
Mr. Fleischmann by Frank Crim (USA)
Nūr by Ryan Youngblood (Congo)
Something Pointless by Asa Bailey (UK)
Best Student Short
Down The Line by Eva Solis Lindholm (USA)
Dziadzia by Thomas Kuc (USA)
I’m Sorry for Your Loss by Asha Ahn (USA)
Pink Trees by Malhar Abhijit Talwalkar (USA)
Tierra by Elena Conic (USA)
Best Documentary Short
Leaving Home by Paloma Martinez (USA)
Magic Island by Max Blue Desantis (Indonesia)
Ordinary Greatness by Michael J Gillette (USA)
The Colors of Humanity by Guillaume Charbonneau (Canada)
Ukraine – Summer 2025 by Joel Espi (Switzerland)
Best Comedy Short
Babesmilk by Elisha Mlotek (USA)
Dr. Bernanski by Mark Berbano (USA)
Heil Director by Jesse Crosby (USA)
My First Day of Yoga by Joe Michael Rosenheim (USA)
Topless by Eric Bravo (USA)
Best Dark Comedy Short
Basement Dweller by Jonas CJ Williams (Canada)
Gross Income by Josh Levinson (USA)
Journeez by Rowan Wheeler (USA)
Parental Guidance: Psychic, Ghost by Chung Ho Put (Hong Kong)
This Place Is a Sh*thole by Will Wightman (UK)
Best Action Short
Bangkok Dragons by Barret Walter Coates (Canada)
Five Stars by Demetrius Joyette (USA)
Shadow of the Fighter by Yaroslav Savchak (USA)
Best Crime Short
TBA
Best Mystery Short
TBA
Best Horror Short
A Burden to Bare by Jorge Orellana (Canada)
Everyday Dread: Code Blue by Nick Muhlbach (USA)
Heathen by Nathan Schiele (USA)
Lights Camera Carnage by Logan Weisberg (USA)
The Hat Man by Haranggad Singh (India)
Best Sci-Fi Short
Osiris 8 by Ethan Emmanuel Lopez (USA)
The Dust Winds by Caiden Pantanini (USA)
There Were Trees by Travis Stewart (USA)
Best Fantasy Short
Gardeners by Merry May Ma (USA)
La Última Lluvia by Alexander Rivera (USA)
Mr. Sandman’s Funhouse by Jax Azad (USA)
Muted by Siqi Zhang (China)
Rot by Jared Kash (USA)
Best Western Short
Last Man’s Land by Chris Cameron (USA)
The Moon Won’t Tell by Carolina Angel (USA)
Very Prosperous Men by Josiah Walker (USA)
Best Animation Short
Badge of The Dead by Hannah Brown (USA)
Big Friendly Killbots by Nathan Thomas (Canada)
Escape from the Vault by Laura Mickel and Meghan Bossert (USA)
Foujan: The Sound of Silence by Eliott Mogenet (France)
Kill Oz by Jones Au-Duke (Canada)
Best Children Short
Journey by Sevier Crespo (USA)
Rest in peace by AnLan Feng (China)
Storyboard by Olive Jane Kimbrell (USA)
The Leaf-a-teers by Stephen Hessel (USA)
Vanishing Act by Ali Roberts (Australia)
Best Women Short
Beyond Mamushi by Martin Daniels (UK)
Calamity Care by Zoe Xandra (USA)
Leyla by Murat Engiz (USA)
Rebel Flowers by Roberta Pia De Angelis (Italy)
Someone Else by Peter Hanson (USA)
Best LGBTQ Short
Number One Girl by Kar Wuen Wan (Hong Kong)
Tr(ace)y by Julia Editz (USA)
You and Me Makes Three by Emmalie El Fadli (UK)
Best Microfilm
Fiesta No Mas by Amy Pope (USA)
Lawless Entanglement by Allan Cheng (Australia)
Match by Jason Nguyen (USA)
Perfect Decay by Brendan James Sweeney (USA)
The Miracle of You by Peter Spruyt (USA)
Best Experimental Short
Almost as If It Were Fiction by Annie Scherer (USA)
Butterfly Dreams by Joyce Wenyu Yang (China)
Dickens Elderberry: A Call for Trouble by Noam Fainer (Israel)
Little Problems by Chris de Krijger (Netherlands)
Ortega by Álvaro Pita (Spain)
Best Music Video
Forward by Chad A. Rivera (USA)
Moon Child by Jaiden Hubbard (USA)
Releasing the Past by Freangel Pacheco (Venezuela)
Take It Back by Lee Daehan (South Korea)
Witness by Harvey “Frzy” Daniels (USA)
Best Screendance Short
TBA
Best Web Series/TV Pilot
TBA
Best Mobile Short
TBA
Best Trailer/Teaser
TBA
Best Short Script
Bingo Night on the Reservation by Mark Schroeder (USA)
Butterfly by Ali Hajighasem (UK/Iran)
King of Infinite Space by Stephanie M. Garrison (USA)
Murder on Mute by Quinn Katherman and Pete Johnson (USA)
Nebulous by Carlie Raymond (USA)
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