The following projects — including short films, television and web series, and screenplays — have been selected as finalists for the Fall 2025 quarter, competing across 22 genre-specific categories, as well as technical categories.
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.
Categories not listed did not receive submissions that met the minimum qualifying score.
TBA categories include two or fewer qualifying entries; award winners in these categories will be announced alongside the winners of all other categories.
Fall 2025 Nominations – Technical Competitions
Best Narrative Short (Grand Jury Prize)
A Recipe For Redemption by Will Scott (USA)
Spare! by Jules Cales and Balthazar Ullmann (France)
Summerville 70 by David Boatwright (USA)
Thickly Settled by Brian D Jones and Jordan Brooks (USA)
What We Hide by Alexander Osman (UK)
Best Foreign Short (Grand Jury Prize)
Ditto by Suresh G (India)
Returnee by Prisca Ogouma (France)
Soaring Hoops by Yasheng Tao, Guanzhen Gao, and Wei Yi (China)
Best Documentary Short
Creating A Photojournalist by Erik Castro (USA)
Heart of Compton by Isabel Rose Soloaga (USA)
L.A. Crosse by Liam Edward Gaffney (USA)
The 3100 by Mark Fisher (USA)
The Port Chicago Incident by Kenneth E. Stewart (USA)
Best Comedy Short
A Film by Roland Wehap by Roland Wehap (Austria)
Salty by Josh Martin and Alex Raban (USA)
Spare! by Jules Cales and Balthazar Ullmann (France)
The Shallow End by Eddie Kisfaludy (USA)
Upside Down by Zachary Dade and Erica Dade (USA)
Best Thriller Short
Condition by Jaymin Patel (USA)
Solus by Tommy Jay Dwyer (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 Horror Short
Familiar by Julien Homère (France)
Kinfolk by Andre Dixon (USA)
Secluded by Ethan Guetta (USA)
Best Sci-Fi Short
Memoria Obscura by David Christopher Nelson and Connor Ryan (USA)
One More Day by Toby Griffin (UK)
Pro by Ray Peng (China)
Best Fantasy Short
The Feast of the Serpent by Craig M Baurley (USA)
Tim’s Turbulent Garden by CJ Stanton and Elizabeth MacLeod (USA)
When the Scales Tip by Chenyi Jiang and Wei Yi (China)
Best Animation Short
Fluff & Furious by Chieh-Chih Liao (USA)
Ocher by Chee Ho (USA)
The Family Photo by John Norris Ray and Maria Victoria Sanchez (USA)
Best Children Short
TBA
Best Newcomer Short
Behind the Door by Anna Danyi (Netherlands)
Our Last Summer by Alannah Wilson (Ireland)
Rachel’s Room by Matilde Ebeian (USA)
Best Experimental Short
La Jet by Chris Merrill (USA)
Magas (Fly) by Ashkan Nasseri (USA)
Secret by Veronica Wei (China)
Best Microfilm
Closer by Adam Courtney (Australia)
Tomb of Butterflies by Wei Yi (China)
Whisper in the Abyss by Junda Wu (USA)
Best Web Series/TV Pilot
TBA
Best Music Video
Iradoh – 3 Acts Of Brotherhood by Kaique Alves and Thiago Eva (Brazil)
My Love by Ilia Noyabrov (Ukraine)
Timeless: A Symphony in Motion by Susan Mey Lee Lim, Christina Teenz Tan, and Samudra Kajal Saikia (UK)
Best Short Script
Dog Person by James Palombo (USA)
Gators by Linda Kampley (USA)
Very Soon Now by Jeremy Heilmeier (USA)
Fall 2025 Nominations – Technical Competitions
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