Short Script Competition of October 2025
From psychological sci-fi to poetic realism, the October 2025 Short Script Competition honors five writers redefining imagination through the cinematic lens.
Category: News
October 2025 Award Winners
Independent Shorts Awards is proud to announce the award winners for October 2025. This month’s selections were chosen from a
October 2025: The Nominees for Best Short of the Season (Special Jury Awards)
Learn more about the 8 nominees for Best Short of October 2025—contenders for the special jury awards of this season. Winners across all competition categories will be officially announced soon.
French Crime-Comedy “Spare!” Wins Best Short of September 2025
Two hapless henchmen stumble upon a box of cash in the French countryside, setting off a night of reckless chaos in “Spare!,” the wildly inventive crime-comedy crowned Best Short of September.
September 2025 Award Winners
Independent Shorts Awards is proud to announce the award winners for September 2025. This month’s selections were chosen from a
September 2025: The Nominees for Best Short of the Season (Special Jury Awards)
Learn more about the 8 nominees for Best Short of September 2025—contenders for the special jury awards of this season. Winners across all competition categories will be officially announced soon.
2025 Annual Awards Interview: Film Producer Sonia Lowe on Why Short Films Matter
Sonia Lowe, founder of Solo Films, attended the 7th Annual Independent Shorts Awards to support fellow filmmakers and share why she believes short films are an essential format for creativity, visibility, and new voices in cinema.
2025 Annual Awards Interview: Actress Kayden Tokarski, co-moderator of the Spotlight Q&A Panel
Sixteen-year-old actress and Independent Shorts Awards alumna Kayden Tokarski joined the 2025 Spotlight Q&A Panel as co-moderator, reflecting her rising career and ongoing presence in the festival community.
2025 Annual Awards Feature: Taichi Kunigami, the Japanese composer and director of “Map of Time”
Taichi Kunigami shared a moving reflection at the 7th Annual Independent Shorts Awards, presenting his debut film “Map of Time” — a deeply personal project inspired by loss and previously honored in the festival’s monthly editions.
2025 Annual Awards Interview: Film composers Anastasia Listopadova & Vikrant Muthusamy
USC Screen Scoring alumni Anastasia Listopadova and Vikrant Muthusamy attended the 7th Annual Independent Shorts Awards to stay inspired and connected through the stories shared by fellow filmmakers.
2025 Annual Awards Interview: Kalyn Wood, writer and lead actress of “Screaming Silence”
Independent Shorts Awards alumna Kalyn Wood reflects on her journey from “Screaming Silence” to new projects, sharing her growth as an actress and writer while continuing to create across London, Los Angeles, and beyond.
2025 Annual Awards Interview: Russian Director Ksenia Ishoot on the World Premiere of “Clinical Case”
Russian director Ksenia Ishoot shares insights on the World Premiere of “Clinical Case,” a psychological short exploring propaganda, instability, and the fractures of a poisoned society.
2025 Annual Awards Interview: Naosheen Ahmed, writer and lead actress of “Pandaal”
Naosheen Ahmed shares her journey in bringing to life the story of Durga — a woman confronting abuse, trauma, and justice — with “Pandaal,” nominated for Best Women Short at the 7th Annual Independent Shorts Awards.
2025 Annual Awards Interview: Pooja Batra, producer of Indian drama short “Echoes of Us”
Pooja Batra, actress, model, and Femina Miss India International 1993, shares insights on her producing debut “Echoes of Us” and her journey from acting to producing.