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
Learn more about the 8 nominees for Best Short of January 2026, contenders for the special jury awards of this season. Winners across all competition categories will be officially announced soon.
Benitro, Petra, and Russel decide to repair a cannon in under an hour for the sake of community service! What
A mysterious object known as 3I Atlas, expected to pass harmlessly through space, suddenly changes course and impacts the Moon—destroying
A multi-generational family is threatened with deportation by ICE. Then everyday Americans–including heroes and survivors–come to the rescue with lessons
A team of elite officers is sent on a high-pressure mission: recover a vanished treasure that’s already on the move.
Directed by Kenneth King (USA)
During a weekend getaway in the desert, Kira, a young woman haunted by social anxiety and alienation, struggles to fit
In a neon soaked hotel room, a woman surrenders to a sensuous reunion with a past lover, but as the
A man isolated with an advanced social AI succumbs to cabin fever despite the AI’s ability to mimic human case-scenarios.
In an unreal real world, a three-year-old girl is murdered. The death of an innocent is not the problem, but