International short film festival and live event series based in Los Angeles
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Ziyu Gao, a 19-year-old filmmaker originally from Singapore and now based in New York, shares insights on her short film “Ways of Talking” and her journey from acting to directing.
Veronica Tullo shares the story behind her Senior Thesis film “Did My Heart Love Till Now,” a magical romance nominated for Best Romantic Short at the 7th Annual Independent Shorts Awards.
Julie Theis and Sydney Cope discuss their roles in “Dilemma,” a psychological thriller that premiered in California at the 7th Annual Independent Shorts Awards, where it competed for Best Thriller Short.
World Premiering at the 7th Annual Independent Shorts Awards and winner of Best LGBTQ Short, “Not Another Coming Out Story” reimagines queer youth narratives with honesty and heart.
Nominated for Best LGBTQ Short and Best Actress, “Argie Berman” stars Cynthia Zitter in a moving story of recovery, identity, and family, where stand-up comedy becomes a lens for truth and healing.
At its world premiere at the 7th Annual Independent Shorts Awards, “SwordPlay” flips an epic medieval duel into modern reality—an exuberant ode to imagination, nominated for Best Action Short.
At its California premiere, “For: LiLa” (USA) stars Best Actor nominee Edoardo Miranda as an immigration officer who risks everything to save a kidnapped migrant girl.