Palm Springs ShortFest remains one of the most exciting showcases for emerging filmmakers, a place where intimate stories, bold experimentation, and global perspectives collide. This year’s programme is rich with emotional depth and stylistic invention, and these ten standout selections capture the breadth of what short‑form storytelling can achieve. From lyrical documentaries to sharp‑witted comedies and deeply personal dramas, each film offers a distinct window into the human experience.
1. The Price Of The Story
Director: Lukáš Masner. A rich Czech tourist comes to an Inuit shaman, an Angakkoq, willing to pay a lot of money to hear him tell a legendary encounter between his own ancestors and those of the Angakkoq.
2. Estel·la & Sofia
Director: Patricia M. Félix. In the summer of 1980, inseparable friends Estel.la and Sofia share games and secrets in their last days before returning to school. Between innocence and farewell, they discover the intensity of a friendship that will forever mark Estel.la’s memory.
3. Them That’s Not
Director: Mekhai Lee. Drea, a down-on-her-luck poet, sticks out like a sore thumb at her grandmother’s repass with her larger-than-life family – she’s introspective, queer, artistic, and proudly Deaf. Her visit is further complicated by the arrival of her estranged father.
4. Ackee And Saltfish
Director: Jasmin Nunes. Hilda, an immigrant Caribbean-raised mother, prepares her two boys for a life in a new country. While combating the struggles of single-motherhood, she attempts to sustain their cultural roots seeded deeply in Jamaican culture.
5. 1981
Director: Carolyn and Andy London. It’s 1981 in suburban Long Island, New York. The mullets are long, the metal is heavy, and 14-year old Douglas gets a birthday surprise that will change his life forever.
6. The Lone Piper
Director: Matthew Kravchuk. In the midst of the Seven Years’ War, a company of hardened soldiers force their young bagpipe player into battle, only to discover that their enemy is not what they expected.
7. Borderline
Director: Johannes Vang. A Norwegian customs officer, a Finnish poacher, and a mysterious Swedish woman meet at the border between their homelands, becoming entangled in a conflict over laws, language, and prejudice. Confronted with their own secrets, they must find an unconventional solution.
8. My Brother Lyosha And I
Director: Lena Tronina. In North Kazakhstan in the mid-’90s, two young siblings navigate the silence and the chaos of a home plagued by cycles of violence. Can they break free from the patterns they’ve inherited, or is it already too late?
9. General Admission
Director: Kaily Morgan Smith. Determined to move on from her cheating, narcissistic ex, a woman shows up to a support group, desperate for a fresh start.
10. Villa 187
Director: Eiman Mirghani. One day, Sudanese filmmaker Eiman Mirghani’s phone buzzed with a message: her father had lost his job. As the family packs up the Doha house they called home for decades, the shock cracks open a flood of memories.
Palm Springs ShortFest continues to champion filmmakers who push boundaries and illuminate the world through fresh, resonant storytelling. These ten films spanning continents, genres, and emotional registers represent the festival’s spirit at its finest. Whether you’re attending in person or following from afar, they’re essential viewing for anyone passionate about the future of short cinema.
