Independent Shorts Awards

“The Return” is a story about a family of five driving home after their holiday abroad. Their car breaks down leaving them stranded in a small border town. The car repair shop is closed so the family has to stay overnight. Small disagreements get out of control, slowly tearing up the family. Every member of the family has different ideas about the situation and as they individually make their own decisions, things take a turn for the worse. The lead acting in “The Return” was done by a real family of five.
Directed by Sander Nap and Nils Vermeire (Netherlands)

Sometimes you get more than you pay for, but life advice from a self-service check out, is probably the strangest deal you’ll get in the supermarket today.
Directed by Stephen Gallacher (UK)

“Oymyakon” tells the story of the people from an isolated village located deep in the Northern Siberian taiga, known as the Pole of Cold.
Directed by Dominik Bari (Slovakia)

Heather has been tasked by insurgents from The Sanctuary to get information from Tim, the reform Marshall by becoming his pair. She has done this successfully for some time. In the process, she has fallen in love with him and now believes a soft approach might help their cause but The Sanctuary has other plans.
Directed by Israel Ekanem (Canada)

In ancient Jerusalem, fiery Binyamin is swept into the horrific Roman invasion and must learn the reality of war.
Directed by Jonathan Zsofi (Israel)

A young, happy couple comes home for the last time to enjoy each other’s company and forget everything. Ginger wants her boyfriend, Raymond, to forget all his troubles just for one night. She wants to help him draw strength from his fears, to overcome them, and ease his mind back to the way it was.
Directed by Daniel Duane (USA)

“Entre Nos” is a Spanish-language animated series about one family’s path to acceptance of their gay son. The series of short episodes (2-6 minutes) follow one Latinx family as they learn about their gay son’s sexual orientation and begin to learn more about the intersection of LGBTQ and Latinx communities. The series tackles issues of coming out, family acceptance, religion, conversion therapy, and gender.
Directed by Maritza Martinez (USA)

A girl suffering from psychosis decides to become a stripper.
Directed by Zak Ferguson (UK)

A meditative film on how the Hobby Program at Montana State Prison has been a unique opportunity offered to inmates. The film focuses specifically the inmates’ experience with horsehair hitching, by which the prison has become famous for around the globe, and how this timeless craft has aided in prisoners recovery from addiction, supplemented mindfulness therapy, and kept lifers out of trouble.
Directed by Johnny Holder (USA)

Her name is Lola. She’s an actress. Today is her 153rd commercial casting. Inspired by (several) true stories.
Directed by Jonathan Burteaux (France)

“Stalled” tells the tense story of a scummy defense attorney who finds himself trapped in a bathroom stall with an armed and desperate young man.
Directed by Landon Coats (USA)

Just when Angela thought she was done her friends had another choice.
Directed by Tina B (USA)

During an ill-fated liquor store robbery, family-tied criminals Anna and Jack are abandoned without a ride home and must figure a way of avoiding arrest. However, the weight of their actions brings out the base hatred and apathy of their nature, and their family connection is severed forever.
Directed by Alex Howat (UK)

Two men struggling with their own true identities are unknowingly brought together.
Directed by Edward William Wasser (USA)