This season, the top honor at Cal Film Festival goes to Spare!, a sharp, darkly comedic short film written and directed by Jules Cales and Balthazar Ullmann (France). What begins as a grim assignment for two hapless henchmen ends in runaway chaos: a story about luck, desperation, and the irresistible absurdity of two men who stumble…
In addition to the top honor this season — Best Narrative Short (Grand Jury Prize) awarded to Spare! (France) — Cal Film Festival’s jury team highlights a select group of films that made a strong impression through their storytelling, craft, and creative vision. These Jury Picks are not awards — they are a recognition of distinctive filmmaking that stood out within this…
Very Soon Now by Jeremy Heilmeier (USA) Outstanding Achievement Award A sharply constructed one-night horror thriller that uses primal fears — isolation, dead phone lines, a stranger in the house — to create a terrifying countdown. Jess, a college-age babysitter, finds herself in a secluded home surrounded by dark woods, spotty cell service, and a…
California International Short Film Festival is pleased to announce the award winners for the Fall 2025 season. Fall 2025 Award Winners – Genre Competitions Fall 2025 Award Winners – Technical Competitions This quarter has submissions from 17 countries with total runtime of 21:55:34, plus the short scripts, and the following breakdowns: Official Selection: 51.1% Nominations:…
Cal Film Festival is pleased to announce the Fall 2025 award nominations. These finalists were shortlisted from an official selection pool with an acceptance rate of 51.1%, drawn from submissions representing 17 countries. The total runtime is 21:55:34, in addition to the short scripts. Nominees represent the top 28.8% of all submissions for the season. The full list…
With breathtaking visual poetry and emotional depth, Lamp by Zoe Peng has been awarded Best Narrative Short (Grand Jury Prize) of the Summer 2025 season at Cal Film Festival. Originally created as the central interlude VCR for singer Angela Zhang’s 2025 Seeking Light world tour, Lamp reaches far beyond its concert-film origins. It unfolds as a mesmerizing cinematic fable—a space where stagecraft meets storytelling and spectacle gives way to soul.…
California International Short Film Festival is pleased to announce the award winners for the Summer 2025 season. Summer 2025 Award Winners – Genre Competitions Summer 2025 Award Winners – Technical Competitions This quarter has submissions from 9 countries with total runtime of 10:12:15, plus the short scripts, and the following breakdowns: Official Selection: 51.7% Nominations:…
Cal Film Festival is pleased to announce the Summer 2025 award nominations. These finalists were shortlisted from an official selection pool with an acceptance rate of 51.7%, drawn from submissions representing 9 countries. The total runtime is 10:12:15, in addition to the short scripts. Nominees represent the top 34.1% of all submissions for the season. The full list…
A quietly brilliant and emotionally layered film, Dolldays uses surreal humor and striking originality to explore the silent crisis of men’s mental health in rural Norway. Cal Film Festival is proud to announce Dolldays, written and directed by Morten Hansen (Norway), as the recipient of the Best Narrative Short (Grand Jury Prize) for the Spring 2025 edition. This gently absurd, emotionally resonant…
California International Short Film Festival is pleased to announce the award winners for the Spring 2025 season. Spring 2025 Award Winners – Genre Competitions Spring 2025 Award Winners – Technical Competitions This quarter has submissions from 10 countries with total runtime of 9:08:52, plus the short scripts, and the following breakdowns: Official Selection: 48.5% Nominations:…
Cal Film Festival is pleased to announce the Spring 2025 award nominations. These finalists were shortlisted from an official selection pool with an acceptance rate of 48.5%, drawn from submissions representing 10 countries. The total runtime is 9:08:52, in addition to the short scripts. Nominees represent the top 33.7% of all submissions for the season. The full list…
Precision-crafted and visually gripping, “Ice Cold Ricky” delivers raw emotion with striking cinematic control.
California International Short Film Festival is pleased to announce the award winners for the Winter 2024/2025 season. Winter 2024/2025 Award Winners – Genre Competitions Winter 2024/2025 Award Winners – Technical Competitions This quarter has submissions from 14 countries with total runtime of 17:58:05, plus the short scripts, and the following breakdowns: Official Selection: 56.6% Nominations:…
Cal Film Festival is pleased to announce the Winter 2024/2025 award nominations. These finalists were shortlisted from an official selection pool with an acceptance rate of 56.6%, drawn from submissions representing 14 countries. The total runtime is 17:58:05, in addition to the short scripts. Nominees represent the top 30.1% of all submissions for the season. The full list…
California International Short Film Festival is pleased to announce the award winners of Fall 2024. Fall 2024 Award Winners: Genre Competitions Fall 2024 Award Winners: Technical Competitions This quarter season has submissions from 15 countries with total runtime of 19:26:26, plus the short scripts, and the following breakdowns: Official Selection: 45,5% Nominations: 26,3% Award Winners:…
Cal Film Festival is pleased to announce the Fall 2024 award nominations. These projects have been shortlisted from an official selection pool with 45,5% acceptance rate, based on submissions from 15 countries and total runtime of 19:26:26, plus the short scripts. The nominees are placed in the top 26,3%. The full list of finalists is available in 2 sections, plus the semi-finalists, in…