Remembering Walter Koenig (1936–2026)
Independent Shorts Awards pays tribute to the legendary actor, recognized as Best Actor at the festival’s 2026 Annual Awards.
Colombian Drama “Behind the Curtain” Named Best Short of September 2026 at Independent Shorts Awards
In a Colombian village, a grandmother’s daily search for water leaves her grandchildren in their uncle’s care, as unsettling silences and gestures hint at something hidden within the home.
“Child of the Rouge” and “The Third Dream” Receive September 2026 Awards of Excellence at Independent Shorts Awards
A child’s birth amid Cambodia’s historical upheaval and a dreamer’s interrogation in Iran bring two distinct visions of vulnerability and power to September’s Awards of Excellence at Independent Shorts Awards.
Brazilian Drama “The Tempest” Named Best Short of August 2026 at Independent Shorts Awards
In rural Brazil, a solitary aging farmer’s life is upended by the arrival of a trans woman fleeing violence, opening an unexpected path toward healing, reconciliation, and belonging.
“Stolen Reins” and “Table Read” Receive August 2026 Awards of Excellence at Independent Shorts Awards
An atmospheric American Western and a playful Taiwanese comedy receive the August 2026 Awards of Excellence at Independent Shorts Awards.
Red Carpet Interviews from the 8th Annual Independent Shorts Awards
Watch 24 red carpet interviews hosted by Olivia Lyle at the 8th Annual Independent Shorts Awards in Los Angeles, now available on YouTube.
Zimbabwean Drama “Rise” Leads the 2026 Independent Shorts Awards with Five Wins
Jessica J. Rowlands’ directorial debut “Rise” led the 2026 Independent Shorts Awards with 5 wins, including Best Indie Short of the Year, as “Malka” and “Boatlift 9/11” each earned 3 awards.
Int. The House
A mockumentary of a student film set where the night brings romance, high jinks, and chaos. Directed by Lidya Sezer
A Robot’s Destination
Directed by Yihan Zheng
Stay With Me
Traumatized by the loss of her son, therapist Julia has spent years trapped in grief and guilt. When a mysterious
Between Threads
Between Threads explores the fading tradition of Kantha embroidery through the women who continue to stitch it across rural West
The Stakes
Directed by Ruojin Ding
Normal Operation
After being unemployed for forty days, engineer Lin Xu joined an intelligent companion company and was responsible for calibrating the
Andromeda
Directed by Kat Dubrow (USA)
Twofold
Smrithi and Manohar had been separately living for the past 8 months. She supposes her husband having an extra marital
Dung Beetles: The Unseen Cleaners
Once a familiar sight wherever cattle grazed in Korea’s farming villages, dung beetles have quietly slipped toward extinction, now surviving
Unravel
The body parts of a female person, molded in chocolate fragments, are served to a finely set table with fruit,
and the world went silent
Three college students navigate life on campus as their peers mysteriously disappear. Directed by Erin Richard (USA)
Planet-Fall
Centuries after banishment from Earth by the Machine Lord and a month before arrival on a new planet, humanity faces
Castling
On a cold night, two men, unknown to each other, arrive at a cemetery with the same goal – to