Los Angeles International Short Film Festival
A striking and darkly funny short, “How to Rebury Your Friend” follows two men on a simple reburial mission in rural China, only to find grief turning into a negotiation, and loyalty tested by forces far bigger than themselves.
January 2026’s Award of Excellence winners—“Breaking the Tide,” “Dog’s Life,” and “Kukuk: A Romani Soul Unbroken”—showcase three distinct cinematic voices, united by craft, ambition, and emotional impact.
Five standout short scripts explore the modern anxieties of love, power, survival, and identity: from AI-driven confession traps and corporate extraction to post-war trauma, predatory cycles, and dark domestic obsession.
Independent Shorts Awards is proud to announce the award winners for January 2026. This month’s selections were chosen from a
‘Awakening of character’, a politically charged community in the hidden corners of Athens exploring themselves and eachother with the guidance
A talented singer, Akla Bai belonging to the singing community of Rajasthan sees the dream of becoming a famous singer
After escaping tragedy, a young woman embarks on a northbound pilgrimage where she must confront her own trauma, and a
A young teenager decides to enjoy a day of fun with her crush only to return home to find her
When a passionate but incompetent hothead inherits his late father’s floundering newspaper, he bumbles into a bizarre local group of
Sadie seeks comfort from grief by eating strawberries that remind her of her dead lover. The more she consumes, the
In the depths of despair, a salesman on the brink of suicide finds hope in collecting graffiti into his notebook.
Room is inspired by a quiet but pervasive reality in many women’s lives: at different stages of growing up and
Mantras at Midnight is a psychological thriller that follows a young man named Kiro, haunted by vivid dreams of a
A wordless, symbolic film, “Your Soul Knows” explores the body as a living archive of memory and pain. Through tattooing,
Directed by Gary Russell Kaulback (Canada)
Four siblings return to their childhood home to say goodbye to their mother on the day of her doctor-assisted death
On his first night cleaning a corporate office building, Miller, a reclusive janitor struggling to make rent, discovers a dead
“A Mother’s Love” is a deeply emotional true story about sacrifice, forgiveness, and the unspoken devotion that binds a mother