The Films

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It's all about the films.

Below you will find our official list of current selections followed by our archive directory of winning film projects and official selections from our past seasons. Although most films are still in festival-only or limited distribution mode, several past winners are available for public viewing, please scan the links below for more information.

A-Z PAIFF FILM ARCHIVE

Title	Director	Film Type	Runtime Minutes	Country/Countries	PAIFF Season	PAIFF Awards...
Okhaldhunga	Marcel Weiß	Documentary	71	Germany	Season 2 (2025)	Official Selection
Old Death	Kyle Garrett	Music Video	7	United States	Season 1 (2024)	Official Selection
Orange Cove	John Lockmer	Short	12	United States	Season 3 (2026)	Official Selection
Out of the Picture	Mary Louise Schumacher	Documentary,Feature	98	United States	Season 2 (2025)	Official Selection
Over the Moon: My Adventures Dealing with Cults	Michael A Smith, Ted E Haynes	Documentary	65	United States	Season 3 (2026)	Official Selection
Parasomnia	Daniel Noblom Gibert	Narrative Short		Spain	PAIFF Season 3 (2026)	Official Selection
PeriPerseu	Stella Brajterman	Experimental	5	Brazil	Season 3 (2026)	Official Selection
Piggy Duster	Jesse Stewart	Feature	91	United States	Season 3 (2026)	BEST FIRST FEATURE FILM,BEST VISIONARY DIRECTOR,BEST EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Planet of Rust	George Merabishvili	Short		Cyprus	Season 1 (2024)	Official Selection
Poyyamozhi	Sudhi Anna	Feature	99	India	Season 2 (2025)	Official Selection
Prayer of the Sea	Martin Gerigk	Animation,Experimental,Short,Other	7	Germany	Season 3 (2026)	Official Selection
Public Phone	Mois Roditi Haydenblit	Feature		Mexico	Season 3 (2026)	Official Selection
Quarantine		Narrative Short	20	Iran	Season 2 (2025)	Official Selection
R.d.Cane...'52 Thursdays'	R.d Cane	Documentary,Experimental,Music Video,Other	24	Canada	Season 1 (2024)	Official Selection
Rag Dolls	Amy Adler	Documentary,Short	12	Mexico,United States	Season 3 (2026)	Honorable Mention
Reflection short film	Maedeh Abdi	Feature,Short,Student,Television,Other	4	Iran	Season 2 (2025)	Official Selection
Return of the Black Madonna	KERRA BOLTON	Documentary,Short	15	United States	Season 2 (2025)	BEST DIRECTOR - DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM,BEST FIRST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM
Robofauna	Gerardo Escudero Samara	Experimental,Short,Other	4	Panama	Season 2 (2025)	Official Selection
Roswell Delirium	Richard Bakewell	Feature	110	United States	Season 1 (2024)	BEST FEATURE FILM,BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR,BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY,BEST ORIGINAL SCORE - FEATURE,BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Sahara - End Of Trip	Antonio Rodríguez Cabal	Feature	129	Spain	Season 2 (2025)	BEST FEATURE FILM,BI-MONTHLY BEST FEATURE,BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - FEATURE FILM,BEST ACTRESS - FEATURE FILM
Sargassum	Claude Barnes	Documentary	90	Canada	Season 3 (2026)	BEST ENVIRONMENTAL FILM
Saving Walden's World	James S Merkel, Deborah Shaffer	Documentary	89	United States	Season 1 (2024)	AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD
Searching For That Sea	Xavier Guàrdia	Music Video	4	Spain	Season 3 (2026)	Official Selection
Shield. The living wall of the Caribbean	Mario Cuesta Hernando	Documentary,Feature	80	Spain	Season 3 (2026)	BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - DOCUMENTARY FILM
Shot!		Lyrics Only	4	Mexico	Season 1 (2024)	BEST ORIGINAL SCORE - MUSIC VIDEO
Shrouded Destiny: A Star Wars Long Tale - Part 1 of 3	Shahbaz Sarwar	Short	30	Denmark	Season 2 (2025)	BI-MONTHLY BEST SHORT FILM,BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - SHORT FILM,BEST FIRST SHORT FILM
Sitting in the Fire	ALEC GOLDBERG, BOSON WANG	Documentary,Feature		United States	Season 1 (2024)	Official Selection
Small Things	Angela Andronache	Short	12	United States	Season 2 (2025)	Official Selection
Snakes & Ladders		Short,Student	10	Iran	Season 2 (2025)	Official Selection
Somber Tides	Chantal Caron	Documentary,Experimental,Short	12	Canada	Season 3 (2026)	Official Selection
Some Kind of Justice	Brian Jervay	Feature	109	United States	Season 2 (2025)	BEST DIRECTOR FEATURE FILM,BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Somewhere Confidential	Casey Siegel	Feature	105	United States	Season 2 (2025)	BEST ORIGINAL SCORE - FEATURE
Soraya	Maryam Rahimi	Short		Iran	Season 1 (2024)	Official Selection
Spoken For-The Movie	Jean-Yves "Jeeve" Ducornet	Animation,Experimental,Feature,Music Video,Other	56	United States	Season 3 (2026)	Honorable Mention
Spooky Crew	Erin Broussard	Short		United States	Season 1 (2024)	Official Selection
Suerte de Matar (The Act of Death)	Diego Rocha	Short	16	United States	Season 2 (2025)	Official Selection
THE Amazing Kitsuverse	Leo Neumann	Animation,Short,Student	6	Germany	Season 3 (2026)	Official Selection
Take your space	Karolína Alvarez	Documentary	77	Czechia	Season 1 (2024)	BEST DIRECTOR - DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM
The Abyss	Andres Aloi	Experimental,Short,Web / New Media	10	Argentina	Season 2 (2025)	BI-MONTHLY BEST EXPERIMENTAL SHORT
The Ale	Adrian Eppel	Experimental,Short	2	Australia	Season 3 (2026)	BEST MICRO SHORT
The Annoyed	Mehdi Fard Ghaderi	Feature	85	Iran	Season 1 (2024)	BEST VISIONARY DIRECTOR - FEATURE FILM,BEST ACTOR - FEATURE FILM
The Brattt	Valeriy Pereverzev	Feature	116	Russian Federation	Season 2 (2025)	BEST EDITING - FEATURE FILM,STEVE PHILLIPS AWARD FOR BEST SOUND DESIGN,BEST EXPERIMENTAL FEATURE FILM
The Color Of Exile	AZLARABE ALAOUI	Feature	90	Côte d'Ivoire,France,Morocco	Season 3 (2026)	BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - FEATURE FILM
The Dog, my father and us.	Pablo Arturo Suárez	Feature	90	Ecuador	Season 3 (2026)	BEST CULTURAL FEATURE FILM
The Elephants of Avalon Beach	Jae Morrison	Documentary,Experimental,Music Video,Short	4	Australia	Season 2 (2025)	Official Selection
The End was just The Beginning	Antonio Aleixo	Short	17	Portugal	Season 2 (2025)	BI-MONTHLY BEST SHORT FILM
The Escence of the Guaguancó	Jairo Valeria Mosqueira	Music Video	11	Belgium	Season 1 (2024)	BEST CULTURAL MUSIC VIDEO
The Family Photo	John Norris Ray, Maria Victoria Sanchez	Animation	9	United States	Season 3 (2026)	BEST FAMILY FILM
The Food That Fuels	Life's Interpretaion, Ed Porter	Documentary,Short	25	United States	Season 2 (2025)	Official Selection
The Fries Rebellion		Documentary,Short		United States	Season 2 (2025)	BI-MONTHLY BEST SHORT FILM,BEST DIRECTOR SHORT FILM
The Future with Us		Experimental,Short,Other	2	China	Season 3 (2026)	Official Selection
The Girl Who Faded Away	Brent Heise	Music Video,Short	6	United States	Season 1 (2024)	BEST VISIONARY DIRECTOR - MUSIC VIDEO
The Girl from the wood	Alexander Mulumbator Ovsyankin	Animation,Experimental,Short,Web / New Media	3	Russian Federation	Season 2 (2025)	Official Selection
The Graceless Age: The Ballad of John Murry	Sarah Share	Documentary	89	Ireland	Season 2 (2025)	BI-MONTHLY BEST DOCUMENTARY,BEST ORIGINAL SCORE - DOCUMENTARY FILM
The Last Day Of All	Bryan Muñoz Caballero	Narrative Short	14	Mexico	PAIFF Season 4 (2027)	Official Selection,BI-MONTHLY SUMMER BEST STUDENT FILM
The Last Gunfight... yet!	Pablo Tréhin-Marçot	Animation,Short	3	France	Season 2 (2025)	Official Selection
The Life of DAE-VEE Six - a seven sigma space story	JD McWilliams	Short	12	United States	Season 3 (2026)	Official Selection
The Little Ancestor	Alexa Tremblay-Francoeur	Animation,Documentary,Short	11	Canada	Season 3 (2026)	Official Selection
The Little Things That Run The World	Doug Hawes-Davis	Documentary,Feature,Other	105	United States	Season 3 (2026)	Honorable Mention
The Magician	Mathieu Gauvreau	Short,Student	18	Canada	Season 3 (2026)	Official Selection
The Michoacan File	Bernardo Arsuaga	Documentary	91	Mexico	Season 2 (2025)	BI-MONTHLY BEST DOCUMENTARY,BEST DIRECTOR - DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM,BEST EDITING - DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
The Mythological Serpent	Miguel Gleason	Animation,Short	2	Mexico	Season 3 (2026)	Official Selection
The Nightmare of the Running Ones	Ivan Kashlakov	Animation,Experimental,Short	2	Bulgaria	Season 2 (2025)	Official Selection
The Ninth Order	Nick John A'Hern	Feature	112	Australia	Season 2 (2025)	BI-MONTHLY BEST FEATURE
The Power of One	Alex Valdez, Pablo De la Fuente	Documentary,Feature	54	Colombia,United States	Season 2 (2025)	AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD,BEST TRAILER,BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM
The Premiere	Jon Silver	Feature	81	United States	Season 2 (2025)	Honorable Mention
The Reach	Luca Caserta	Short	28	Italy	Season 3 (2026)	BEST SHORT FILM,BEST ACTRESS - SHORT FILM
The Reencounter. 500 years Moctezuma and Cortés	Miguel Gleason	Documentary	100	Mexico	Season 3 (2026)	Official Selection
The Rivals	Fraser James MacLeod	Short	25	Sweden	Season 3 (2026)	Official Selection
The Series 10K	Dan Hertzog	Animation	6	United States	Season 3 (2026)	BEST ANIMATION SHORT
The Shell	Marco Santos	Short,Student	6	Portugal	Season 3 (2026)	Official Selection
The Silver Lining	Mikey Altoft	Short	25	United Kingdom	Season 2 (2025)	Official Selection
The Space Between Attack and Decay	Jessica Kourkounis	Experimental,Short	29	United States	Season 3 (2026)	BEST EXPERIMENTAL SHORT,BEST VISIONARY DIRECTOR - SHORT FILM,BEST ACTOR - SHORT FILM
The Story of a Colorful Day	Mahmood Arib	Experimental,Short	11	Iran	Season 2 (2025)	Official Selection
The Train & the Peninsula	Sky Richards, Andreas Kruger Foncerrada	Documentary,Feature	88	Mexico	Season 1 (2024)	BEST EDITING - DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
The Uncuttable	Aksath	Animation	7	China	PAIFF Season 4 (2027)	Official Selection,BI-MONTHLY BEST STUDENT ANIMATION
The Unfixing	Nicole Betancourt	Documentary	87	Spain,United States	Season 3 (2026)	BEST EDITING - DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
The Uvalde Love Project	Dacia Saenz	Documentary,Experimental,Short,Web / New Media	8	United States	Season 2 (2025)	Honorable Mention
The volcano and the baby	Danielle Jaeggi	Short		Switzerland	Season 1 (2024)	Official Selection
They Don't Now Im Coming	Jonathan Morales Searles	Music Video		Not Specified	Season 1 (2024)	Official Selection
This is how the Mexican Revolution began	Nurh Elizabeth Trejo Aguilar	Documentary,Student	5	Mexico	Season 3 (2026)	BEST YOUNG FILMMAKER'S AWARD
To Fly	Mohsen Khademi	Short	15	Iran	Season 3 (2026)	Official Selection
Under Cover	Guillaume Arnoulet	Short		New Zealand	Season 1 (2024)	Official Selection
Underneath	Matthew James Bissett-Johnson	Animation,Experimental	2	Australia	Season 3 (2026)	Official Selection
Unspoken	MACIEJ ADAMEK	Documentary	52	Poland	Season 2 (2025)	Official Selection
Unwind	Jake Sauve	Music Video		Canada	Season 1 (2024)	BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - MUSIC VIDEO
Vance and the Afterlife	Sam Kimbrell	Short		United States	Season 1 (2024)	Official Selection
Vas Mar	Nima Tabandeh	Short	19	Iran	Season 3 (2026)	Official Selection
Voices of the Mayan Jungle: A Battle for Life	Benjamin Soto and Carlos Samayo	Documentary Feature	50	Mexico	PAIFF Season 2 (2025)	BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM,BEST CULTURAL DOCUMENTARY
Vortex	Chris Tangey	Documentary,Music Video,Short		Australia	Season 1 (2024)	Official Selection
Welcome to Vegas	Hae Sun Hong	Feature	82	United States	Season 3 (2026)	BI-MONTHLY BEST FEATURE
What's the Deal	Constanza E. Godoy, Brett W. Vance	Music Video	3	United States	PAIFF Season 1 (2024)	BEST SOUND DESIGN - MUSIC VIDEO
Who is God?	Oscar Adan Lopez Parres	Animation,Experimental,Music Video,Short,Other		Mexico	Season 1 (2024)	Official Selection
Wild Fire	GuoKai	Narrative Short	20	China	PAIFF Season 4 (2027)	Official Selection,BI-MONTHLY SUMMER BEST NARRATIVE SHORT
Xpendable	Walter Ernest Haussner	Short	30	United States	Season 3 (2026)	BEST FILM NOIR SHORT
You Think Although You Are Not	SALAHEDDIN NOORI	Short		Iran	Season 1 (2024)	Official Selection
the transience	ipek shahbazi, ario motevaghe	Short		Iran	Season 1 (2024)	Official Selection
Żubr - Here Be Giants	GILES PITMAN	Documentary,Short	29	United Kingdom	Season 3 (2026)	BEST FIRST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM,BEST VERITE DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM

Title	Director	Runtime Minutes	Synopsis	Current Season	Publicly Announced	Bi-Monthly Award Recipient	Selection Round	Annual Award Winner	Honorable Mention	Featured / Highlight
Okhaldhunga	Marcel Weiß	71	"Okhaldhunga" tells the story of a couple of young people coming together to build a school in the very rural area of Okhaldhunga, Nepal. However, on a deeper level, it is also a thought process to find purpose in life, to see that opening up and sharing love is only giving it back to you as well.	No	No	No		No	No	No
Old Death	Kyle Garrett	7	The music video for the highly anticipated debut single from Car Colors (the new project from Charles Bissell, formerly of The Wrens), “Old Death." “Old Death” – both the song and music video – ruminates on time, how one chooses to spend it, and what those choices cost. Set within the evocative framework of an old, detuned portable television, Charles Bissell (aka Car Colors) broadcasts a poignant exploration of music, memory, and mortality. The video captures the emotional depth and introspection of Bissell's journey, creating a powerful and solitary reflection on the passage of time.	No	No	No		No	No	No
Orange Cove	John Lockmer	12	Craig hires film restoration artist Gracey to restore precious footage shot at his late grandparents' ranch. When Craig begins recounting increasingly bizarre and strange encounters with Gracey to his coworkers and friends, those around him start to question what's really happening. As the restoration project continues, Craig must confront uncomfortable truths about himself and his past. A lighthearted story that explores how we process grief, trauma, and the stories we tell ourselves to make sense of our lives.	No	No	No		No	No	No
Out of the Picture	Mary Louise Schumacher	98	"Out of the Picture" takes us inside the lives of some of the most relevant writers on art today, thinkers who are making sense of a period of unprecedented change to art, media and society. "Out of the Picture" is the first feature-length documentary to be made in the U.S. about one of the art world’s most mysterious figures – the art critic. For more than a decade, we have turned our cameras on critics navigating rapidly changing art and media landscapes, writers such as Carolina Miranda, of the Los Angeles Times; Hrag Vartanian, of Hyperallergic; Jen Graves of The Stranger; Jeneé Osterheldt of The Boston Globe; and Seph Rodney, independent critic. We have conducted interviews with powerful art world personalities, such as artist Catherine Opie; author Sarah Thornton; and critics Roberta Smith, Jerry Saltz, and Peter Schjeldahl. We’ve also rooted our work in deep reporting. While a Nieman Fellow at Harvard, director Mary Louise Schumacher led a national survey of more than 300 arts writers across the U.S., revealing new facts about the art world’s power structures. "Out of the Picture" is poised to prompt a national conversation about the nature of art, modern life, and how meaning gets made in the 21st century.	No	No	No		No	No	No
Over the Moon: My Adventures Dealing with Cults	Michael A Smith, Ted E Haynes	65	Cults continue to ruin lives and rip families apart. This documentary - deep in post production with a mid-February completion date - highlights the personal sacrifices the subject made in the late 70s-early 80s, often at risk of death and incarceration, to kidnap and deprogram brain-washed young adults.	No	No	No		No	No	No
Parasomnia	Daniel Noblom Gibert			No	No	No		No	No	No
PeriPerseu	Stella Brajterman	5	The second part of the film trilogy "Icor " based on greek myths. PeriPerseu is a visual poem about Perseus and his mother Danae: the body of a Mother as a vessel for another life come to the world.	No	No	No		No	No	No
Piggy Duster	Jesse Stewart	91	On a rocky camping trip at 10,000 feet, a teenage girl and her step-father struggle to repair their fractured relationship when they're interrupted by a curious grizzly bear.	No	No	Yes		Yes	No	No
Planet of Rust	George Merabishvili			No	No	No		No	No	No
Poyyamozhi	Sudhi Anna	99	Poyyamozi trails Jayson, a runaway trying to find in a mysterious woods alongside Chachan. Initially given direction by Chachan, Jayson's journey takes a dark turn as Chachan unveils vengeful intents. Ultimately, Jayson confronts a startling truth, culminating in a gunshot resounding through the woods!"	No	No	No		No	No	No
Prayer of the Sea	Martin Gerigk	7	A composer recounts a dream from his youth that inspired the slow movement of his first string quartet, Prayer of the Sea. The dream, depicting a peaceful dissolution into the sea and wind, symbolized his future death. Decades later, rediscovering a drawing from the quartet's premiere - perfectly capturing the dream’s essence - revived its emotions. Now older, he reflects on the dream’s message: a serene acceptance of life’s inevitable end. Prayer of the Sea is an audiovisual elegy offering a calm perspective on the universal experience of passing.	No	No	No		No	No	No
Public Phone	Mois Roditi Haydenblit			No	No	No		No	No	No
Quarantine		20		No	No	No		No	No	No
R.d.Cane...'52 Thursdays'	R.d Cane	24	R.d.Cane is an Artist, Photographer and Musician...'52 Thursdays' is a collaboration of his talents, assembled as a distraction from a full year of Cancer treatments...It worked!!..	No	No	No		No	No	No
Rag Dolls	Amy Adler	12	Two women living with disabilities in Mexico face challenges, yet find ways to love and care for each other.	No	No	No		No	No	No
Reflection short film	Maedeh Abdi	4	A young boy becomes a few by donating his organs	No	No	No		No	No	No
Return of the Black Madonna	KERRA BOLTON	15	Black bodies rocking against splintered wood in the hull of a slave ship. Sharks following at a hungry distance. A trail of blood in the water connects Africa to the Americas. Images of her ancestors haunted independent journalist and filmmaker, Kerra Bolton, until she decided to heed their call at the bottom of the ocean. But there's one thing she had to do first -- learn to swim.	No	No	No		No	No	No
Robofauna	Gerardo Escudero Samara	4	In a world that once thrived with the vibrant symphony of nature, humans lived in harmony with animals and the natural environment. However, as time passed and society's relentless advancement continued, this harmony was shattered. Unchecked development brought environmental destruction, rampant pollution, and the mass extinction of species. Ecosystems that once flourished turned into desolate wastelands, and the primal connection between humans and nature was lost in the fog of progress. In a desperate bid to correct the mistakes of the past, humanity turned to technology and innovation, giving rise to the concept of Robo-Fauna. These robotic animals, created with advanced artificial intelligence, were designed to restore the lost balance. Robotic birds now pollinate flowers that insects can no longer reach, while robotic fish patrol the oceans, keeping marine pests at bay. In this new and fragile equilibrium, technology and nature have found a way to coexist peacefully. Robots collaborate with scientists to protect the dwindling natural resources and heal the ravaged lands. The coexistence between animals and robots is so harmonious that it is often forgotten that they belong to different worlds. The story of this world is a testament to the resilience and adaptability of life. It serves as a reminder that, although humanity may have erred, there is always hope for redemption. In this renewed world, technology and nature have joined forces to create a more sustainable and prosperous future, demonstrating that it is possible to amend the past and forge a path toward harmony.	No	No	No		No	No	No
Roswell Delirium	Richard Bakewell	110	During the 1980s the US is hit by a wave of nuclear attacks, and after the fallout those who remain pretend like everything is normal even though they are all experiencing radiation poisoning. A young girl named Mayday tries to make contact on a series of ham radios with her father who is in space on a shuttle mission. Instead of making contact she receives a intergalactic distress call from space that leads her on a journey to Spacerock, the land where Area 51 once was. She is exposed to severe levels of radiation and within days all of her organs start to fail. Knowing that medical treatment won't help her mother Wendy brings her back to Spacerock to give her to the aliens in hopes that they may be able to save her.	No	No	No		Yes	No	No
Sahara - End Of Trip	Antonio Rodríguez Cabal	129		No	No	No		No	No	No
Sargassum	Claude Barnes	90	In the vast Atlantic ocean, a mysterious and vital ecosystem floats and thrives, vital at sea but disastrous on shore—the Sargassum seaweed. Sargassum is a visually captivating 90 min documentary that uncovers the seaweed's ecological significance and the intricate relationships it holds with marine life and humanity. Experts shed light on the critical role Sargassum plays in marine biodiversity, acting as a nursery and a sanctuary in the open ocean. However, the documentary takes a poignant turn as it investigates the alarming proliferation of Sargassum, particularly in the Caribbean and southern US. Once a symbol of ecological balance, Sargassum has now become an environmental menace, overwhelming coastlines and disrupting local economies. Scientists and environmentalists discuss the factors contributing to this crisis, including climate change and nutrient pollution, which have exacerbated the growth of Sargassum. The documentary also explores innovative solutions and ongoing efforts to mitigate the problem, showcasing the resilience and ingenuity of affected communities in the Caribbean, Mexico.	No	No	No		No	No	No
Saving Walden's World	James S Merkel, Deborah Shaffer	89	“As a former engineer working on weapons, his words have a special power.” -- Howard Zinn, Historian THE FILM When a young arms dealer discovers his work is harming families in less affluent societies, he has an ethical crisis and begins a decades-long journey to redeem himself and make the world a better place. SAVING WALDEN’S WORLD is a revealing new film following Jim Merkel as he raises Walden, a budding scientist, in an off-the-grid homestead and wonders: could the very people his past-life’s work targeted, hold the keys to a sustainable planet? A journey into “enemy” territory ensues, meeting powerful women who reshape society to work for all. Far from affluent utopias, Kerala, Cuba and Slovenia offer women free college, access to contraception, maternity leave, childcare, dentistry and healthcare. Services unimaginable in much of Jim’s blue-collar America. As earth temperatures soar, the stakes couldn’t get higher. WHY THIS FILM Immerse yourself in this intimate father-son exploration of a global shift, where personal and collective decisions about procreation and consumption ripple through generations, resulting in fewer yet healthier children. Land reform and literacy movements offered a route out of poverty. Our inspiring film spotlights the dividends of decades of policies towards social justice. As population pressures ease driven by the empowerment of women and education, we encounter a stark reality. Many nations are manipulated by a fear of economic decline and attempt to coerce more consumption and births. Could this jeopardize the very progress women are making towards averting the 6th extinction?	No	No	No		No	No	No
Searching For That Sea	Xavier Guàrdia	4	The Spanish Band CRUDEZAS in a recording studio right in the midst of the creative process of Buscando ese Mar (Searching for that Sea). Main song for the soundtrack of documentary feature RUTA AL PARAÍSO.	No	No	No		No	No	No
Shield. The living wall of the Caribbean	Mario Cuesta Hernando	80	As hurricanes and droughts in the Caribbean region have become more frequent and devastating, only mangroves and coral reefs can stand against these events, saving lives and property. Unfortunately, climate change and human activity are weakening these ecosystems. Will coastal communities and scientists be able to save them before it’s too late?	No	No	No		No	No	No
Shot!		4		No	No	No		No	No	No
Shrouded Destiny: A Star Wars Long Tale - Part 1 of 3	Shahbaz Sarwar	30	500 years before the Clone Wars the Galactic Republic builds "The Citadel", which is a maximum security facility designed to keep "Rogue Jedi" imprisoned. Rogue Jedi all over the galaxy are being located and brought back. This is the story of one of these retrievals. Starring world-renowned Danish actor, Lars Mikkelsen.	No	No	No		No	No	No
Sitting in the Fire	ALEC GOLDBERG, BOSON WANG			No	No	No		No	No	No
Small Things	Angela Andronache	12	A regular day turns into a nightmare for 25-year-old struggling artist Sarah, who can't sleep because her mind is full of thoughts, worries, and ideas. Every sound seems louder, and strange noises fill her home. As her anxiety grows, she becomes both scared and curious, eventually noticing something unexpected outside her door. This mystery pushes her to face the unknown in the night, leading to one unwavering surprise. OVERALL FILM MESSAGE: "SMALL THINGS" sends a strong message about the fears that arise from our inner struggles, focusing on the loneliness, worries, and search for meaning that many of us quietly face. It also uncovers the personal conflicts and discomforts hidden behind our smiles. This short film highlights the often overlooked and annoying parts of daily life, showing how small worries can quickly grow out of proportion. Through a mix of dark humor and simple insights, it reveals how even the tiniest things can disturb us, while reminding us, to keep things in perspective. The film encourages viewers to find humor and strength in life's chaos, reminding us that not all"SMALL THINGS" truly matter.	No	No	No		No	No	No
Snakes & Ladders		10	The child who becomes the victim of Marpele play and the events that take place meanwhile	No	No	No		No	No	No
Somber Tides	Chantal Caron	12	SOMBER TIDES a cry from the species, startled into survival against the elements. One last breath before being trampled by the Earth or maybe conversely a battle to wage against winds and tides clutching on before extinction.	No	No	No		No	No	No
Some Kind of Justice	Brian Jervay	109	Gerald’s world shatters when his only child is senselessly murdered. With no witnesses and the police at a dead end, he joins forces with another grieving father to hunt down those responsible to make them pay.	No	No	No		No	No	No
Somewhere Confidential	Casey Siegel	105	"Somewhere Confidential" is a darkly comedic film noir that plunges viewers into the twisted world of detective Guthrie Hayward. As he spirals through a labyrinth of vice and deceit, his unconventional allies include a loyal dingo accountant, his drug-addled siblings, and an enigmatic Mennonite with possibly mystical abilities. With danger lurking at every corner and a cryptic conspiracy pushing society to its limits, Guthrie must navigate treacherous waters to crack the case and make a clean getaway.	No	No	No		No	No	No
Soraya	Maryam Rahimi			No	No	No		No	No	No
Spoken For-The Movie	Jean-Yves "Jeeve" Ducornet	56	Two years in the making, Spoken For is more than an album. It’s a 12-part visual odyssey, each track paired with its own ethically AI-animated film. Blending music, cinema, and generative art, the project charts a journey through inherited trauma, creative struggle, fleeting love, and ultimate rebirth.	No	No	No		No	No	No
Spooky Crew	Erin Broussard			No	No	No		No	No	No
Suerte de Matar (The Act of Death)	Diego Rocha	16	As Esteban prepares for his bullfighting induction, he must decide between his love for a flamenco dancer and his imminent glory in the arena.	No	No	No		No	No	No
THE Amazing Kitsuverse	Leo Neumann	6	An old lady gets seduced by a cunning little fox to follow him into a magical place where ANYTHING can be achieved with a clap of your hands. But doing so has unforeseen consequences. A film made by humans, trying to integrate supportive Machine Learning in the production without replacing any creative tasks.	No	No	No		No	No	No
Take your space	Karolína Alvarez	77	The first feature-length documentary on Mexican urban art and graffiti was shot over the course of four years without any financial support from institutions. It is based on the coexistence of the community of Mexican urban artists, is independent and one hundred percent free in its expression. It also extends to the other branches of Mexican hiphop and skateboarding. The documentary familiarizes us with the development of the movement from its beginnings to the present day with a focus on its essence of rebellion and resistance. It presents urban arts as a path of freedom and independence of an individual, who is confronting the global power of the capitalist system and its attempt to invade our lives and the way we behave. The film also points to the characteristic feature of Mexican counterculture in relation to the resistance of native cultures.	No	No	No		No	No	No
The Abyss	Andres Aloi	10	Iris, a wheelchair-bound young woman, is recruited into testing a cutting-edge device that hijacks the mind and induces vivid dreams. As she assesses a prototype that is as dangerous as it is revolutionary, Iris struggles to accept her physical reality.	No	No	No		No	No	No
The Ale	Adrian Eppel	2	Heartbroken and nursing a pint in a Melbourne bar, Sam just wants to be left alone. Then his three mates show up and throw the place into chaos. It’s a mess… and exactly what he needs. A surrealist outing, inspired by the absurdity of Monty Python and the emotional honesty of beer with your mates.	No	No	No		No	No	No
The Annoyed	Mehdi Fard Ghaderi	85	Episodic Movie about Three Iranian Directors that trying to make a film about social problems and abuse against women and executions. The first director wants to emigrate, but learns that his lead actor is being executed, so decides to make a film about the execution. The second director wants to make a film about abused women but is opposed by her husband. The third director is informed by his doctor that he has cancer and wants to make the last film of his life. Each director’s story is focused on a different genre, story and covers a different generation.	No	No	No		No	No	No
The Brattt	Valeriy Pereverzev	116	A story full of twists and layers, where a couple of unlucky robbers, a general's daughter and her street artist boyfriend, and a gang of mercenaries all meet on the streets of the Russian city of Tambov. The film consists of five interwoven yet self-sufficient novellas, each with its own plot yet a part of the bigger picture.	No	No	No		No	No	No
The Color Of Exile	AZLARABE ALAOUI	90	In a remote Senegalese village, Ousmane, a young albino, faces daily insults and threats fueled by deep-rooted superstitions. Driven by the promise of a better life, they venture into the vast desert. Under a relentless sun, mother and son draw strength from their unwavering bond to keep going. With each dune they cross, new dangers arise: dehydration, exhaustion, and the growing menace of ruthless smugglers. Their journey takes them across the desert, through Moroccan spiritual brotherhoods, and into the perils of crossing into Europe. This vibrant narrative invites reflection on the human condition and on each individual’s place in a constantly evolving world, where difference can be a source of rejection or shared enrichment.	No	No	No		No	No	No
The Dog, my father and us.	Pablo Arturo Suárez	90	Sebastian, an architect going through a mid-life crisis at age 45, is fired from his job as a university professor for having a romantic relationship with a student. Unemployed, he attempts to regain control of his life which he seems to have lost long ago. In his house, the situation is chaotic: his father almost died of a heart attack and is addicted to pornography, his marriage fades into routine, his son wants to drop out of school to become a youtuber and his dog is living out his last days. When the task of putting everything in order already seems colossal, his brother arrives from a trip and asks for his inheritance, stirring old family resentments.	No	No	No		No	No	No
The Elephants of Avalon Beach	Jae Morrison	4	This is a true story. When the Circus visited Avalon Beach, their Elephants grazed on the sand dunes.	No	No	No		No	No	No
The End was just The Beginning	Antonio Aleixo	17	When Catarina finds out that she is pregnant, she questions the responsibility and consequences of bringing a child into this world and age.	No	No	No		No	No	No
The Escence of the Guaguancó	Jairo Valeria Mosqueira	11	Fernando, the singer of Skala B, comes home from a concert, at 4 o'clock in the morning. After falling asleep, Elegua, the saint that meddles with the peolple's destiny, takes him on a journey. This movie is a tribute to the Orishas from Cuba and especially to Celeste Mendoza, the best representative of the rumba and the guaguancó, the cuban rythm.	No	No	No		No	No	No
The Family Photo	John Norris Ray, Maria Victoria Sanchez	9	What happened after an Earth astronaut left a family photo on the moon fifty-plus years ago? This animated short explores the butterfly effect of such an action. How will it affect us all?	No	No	No		No	No	No
The Food That Fuels	Life's Interpretaion, Ed Porter	25	“The Food That Fuels” is a compelling short film that spotlights the San Joaquin Valley’s vital contribution to global food production. Through the voices of diverse local farmers, the film paints a vivid picture of the region's rich agricultural heritage and underscores UC Merced's deep-rooted connection to it. It calls for a forward-thinking commitment to preserving and nurturing the Valley’s legacy for future generations.	No	No	No		No	No	No
The Fries Rebellion			After moving to Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley, a teenage schoolgirl struggles with a local history report until she experiences immersive visions of the 1798-99 tax revolt first hand.	No	No	No		No	No	No
The Future with Us		2	Creative Statement The film focuses on traditional Chinese opera, Tai Chi, calligraphy, embroidery and other intangible cultural heritage, explores the inheritance dilemma in modern society, and thinks about how to balance the development of traditional culture and future technology. The film begins with a candle, which symbolizes the origin of civilization, reflecting the characters in intact traditional costumes, which is in sharp contrast with the dilapidated urban background. Although traditional culture has faded out of the mainstream vision, its spirit is still sticking. However, in the face of the wave of technological development, traditional culture gradually compromised and was eventually replaced by emotionless technology. The picture is gradually compressed and presents a sense of suffocation, which directly expresses that traditional culture has disappeared in the torrent of technology. At the end, it returns to the candle, leaving an open reflection on the future: is it extinction or hope?	No	No	No		No	No	No
The Girl Who Faded Away	Brent Heise	6	The search for love happens in a place where angels fear to tread. A man is walking on the edge of deep woods, holding an old wooden case. A white owl in the trees takes notice of him and swoops down. In a puff of smoke the owl transforms and becomes a beautiful female apparition. The “Girl” warns him against going further in these woods. The man stops and he sets his wood case on a fallen tree trunk. He opens it. Inside is an old fashioned turntable, a wind-up phonograph he cranks before carefully placing the needle on an old, black vinyl record. The music crackles and plays and a story unfolds. He experiences a vision: he is approaching an exotic country estate with its entranceway resembling an exotic, metal bird cage. He’s there and he steps in and sees the Girl waiting for him. He pursues her, but she is always one step ahead, able to disappear by magic, or secretly walking behind him, uncatchable. Finally, the man is able to engage her in just one loving dance with the song that is still playing. But the beautiful apparition suddenly pulls away, fading away into thin air. And just as the music fades she deserts him. The vision gone, there at the edge of the woods, the man, abandoned by love, begins his long trek into his lonely future, literally, into his sunset with many miles ahead of him. As he departs into the stormy dark cloud fields, the owl screeches from her nest above the man. Abandoned by the man, the owl transforms one last time to the Girl Who Faded Away. She stands where the man stood, looking at him as he journeys forever away, a tear on her cheek, and mourning forever his departure.	No	No	No		No	No	No
The Girl from the wood	Alexander Mulumbator Ovsyankin	3	“The Girl from the wood”. This AI video project was created for the social initiative "Podvigi," which tells the stories of heroic acts by ordinary people. We were inspired by the fairy tales from the series "Magical Tales of Child Heroes," based on the real-life heroic deeds of children, and created an AI-animated film. The main idea of the video is to show young children the heroic example of a 3-year-old girl who survived in the forest for 12 days: how to stay calm, fight for survival, and believe in a happy ending. This animated story is meant to warn children against impulsive actions, give them important advice, and inspire them to believe in themselves! The video is stylistically divided into two parts: a fairy tale told by a grandmother to her granddaughter and real-life events. The following AI were used in the production: Midjourney, Runway, Kling, Suno. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbu5BInr3Y0	No	No	No		No	No	No
The Graceless Age: The Ballad of John Murry	Sarah Share	89	This is the story of American singer songwriter John Murry who was on the cusp of greatness after the release of his highly acclaimed album The Graceless Age (2013) when his world fell apart. Addicted to heroin, creatively exhausted, he washed up on the shores of Ireland a broken man. Now, he is ready to retrace his steps back to Mississippi into the dark heart of American life and face his demons– a difficult childhood, traumatic assault and resulting years of opioid addiction. This documentary follows John as he embarks on a road trip that takes him from his haven in Ireland to his native Mississippi. The film culminates with John travelling to Toronto to rekindle his creative collaboration with Canadian music legend Mike Timmins, who produced his album “A Short History of Decay”. Mike helps John express himself the best way he can - through his outstanding music.This beautiful documentary charts his journey from near death to redemption and a new zest for life and art.	No	No	No		No	No	No
The Last Day Of All	Bryan Muñoz Caballero	14	Before leaving the city, Aldo decides to meet up with two old school friends on his last day of summer vacation; Hugo and Mar join him on his trip with the mission of developing a roll of film containing several memories together, facing the new and unknown people they are now, but Aldo will also finally reveal the feelings he had hidden when he reunites with Mar. STARRING ANNA DIAZ, DIEGO ALAMILLO, DAVID VACA	Yes	Yes	Yes		No	No	No
The Last Gunfight... yet!	Pablo Tréhin-Marçot	3	Over 100 International selections and prizes ! The Far West, its merciless universe, its heroes from another time... Main Street under a blazing sun. Two creatures face off in a duel under the wide-eyed gaze of bystanders and of the sheriff. It's the last gunfight... yet! "Suspenseful & Funny" The Wellington Film Festival	No	No	No		No	No	No
The Life of DAE-VEE Six - a seven sigma space story	JD McWilliams	12	In this cerebral sci-fi horror film — brought to you by GlideSpin, you could race with something else, but dont™ — a malfunctioning android stranded on a doomed planet is repeating the same 2-kilometer route while its life story is told from the human brain inside_ See it with someone you trust_ Point Zeroes not allowed in the theatre_	No	No	No		No	No	No
The Little Ancestor	Alexa Tremblay-Francoeur	11	On a windswept hill, in a place still young and devoid of all life, an ancestral house builds itself. The house comes to life and unveils its long life of one hundred and fifty years. Brick by brick and beam by beam, each action, big or small, shows life. Over the years, it leads us to feel the passage of time, the transformations of its surroundings and its vulnerability in the face of the unstoppable frenzy of our urban growth. The house evolves quietly in the heart of a growing and buzzing city that will eventually bring its end.	No	No	No		No	No	No
The Little Things That Run The World	Doug Hawes-Davis	105	THE LITTLE THINGS THAT RUN THE WORLD introduces viewers to a diverse group of scientists, nature lovers, gardeners, farmers, and general bug enthusiasts in exploring the importance of flying insects amid rapid declines in their numbers. This most numerous group of animals on the planet by far - three quarters of all species - have also been called the “glue of life” on Earth. They literally hold ecosystems together. Insects were the first animals to evolve flight nearly 440 million years ago, and they survived all five of the known mass extinctions since then. But, there is evidence that the pace of decline among insects in parts of the world today is fast approaching the levels of previous catastrophes. What this means for the rest of life on Earth, including humans, is the focus of THE LITTLE THINGS THAT RUN THE WORLD. The film documents the mysteries of the declines along side creative and heroic human efforts to change the course of evolutionary history. What is causing this extinction crisis? What can be done to reverse the trend? THE LITTLE THINGS THAT RUN THE WORLD attempts to find answers to those questions and more.	No	No	No		No	No	No
The Magician	Mathieu Gauvreau	18	A magician must save the struggling venue he works in. As he secretly posseses real magical powers, he must choose between following his passion for sleight of hands or the cheap thrills of his powers.	No	No	No		No	No	No
The Michoacan File	Bernardo Arsuaga	91	The story on how Mexican cuisine became World Heritage.	No	No	No		No	No	No
The Mythological Serpent	Miguel Gleason	2	Legends or historical facts? A group of strangers can cooperate successfully if they believe in common myths. Certainly the secret was the appearance of fiction. Yuval Noah Harari phrases. Two such different civilizations surely have different myths.	No	No	No		No	No	No
The Nightmare of the Running Ones	Ivan Kashlakov	2	"The Running Ones" is a symbiosis between art and personal stories of people fleeing terror, war, political repression and persecution.	No	No	No		No	No	No
The Ninth Order	Nick John A'Hern	112	When Jada's estranged father is found brutally murdered, her ordinary teenage life is shattered. Now 18 years old , Jada has been like any other girl, navigating fights with her mum, enduring the monotony of school, and eagerly planning a road trip with her best friends, Ashley and Grace. However, her father's mysterious death triggers a series of supernatural events that upend her world. Jada soon discovers that her father was entangled with a secretive, ancient sect known as The Ninth Order, whose origins trace back to the Knights Templar. As Jada grapples with this shocking revelation, Ashley suddenly goes missing. Determined to find her friend, Jada is drawn deeper into the clandestine world of The Ninth Order, where she uncovers hidden truths about her family's legacy. In her quest, Jada learns that her father was more than a mere mortal—he was a key figure within The Ninth Order. As she delves further into her father's secret life, she encounters a web of deception, power struggles, and centuries-old prophecies and power. With the lines between friend and foe increasingly blurred, Jada must navigate this perilous new reality. Her journey becomes one of self-discovery, as she learns about her own potential and the weight of her heritage. To rescue Ashley and uncover the true circumstances of her father's death, Jada must confront her deepest fears and embrace her destiny. "The Ninth Order" is a gripping tale of redemption and forgiveness, where a young girl must reconcile her past to forge her future, discovering that the key to saving those she loves lies in uncovering the truth about her father's legacy.	No	No	No		No	No	No
The Power of One	Alex Valdez, Pablo De la Fuente	54	A team of documentary filmmakers travel to a secret ecological sanctuary deep in the jungles of Colombia, where a conservationist planted 10,000 trees in a deforested field to rebuild an endangered ecosystem. Together, they embark on a mission to tell his inspiring story and realize his dream of turning this area into a proper nature reserve.	No	No	No		No	No	No
The Premiere	Jon Silver	81	On the night of his first movie premiere, Jacob Sanders is hounded by mounting issues and paranoid delusions appearing on the screen. Disaster looms at every turn - his family argues, audience members complain, the popcorn machine breaks, and the movie file doesn’t work. All of these problems are exacerbated by the rumored arrival of a famous Actor. Jacob struggles to overcome disaster, all while fending off criticisms, expectations, and disturbing figments of his imagination.	No	No	No		No	No	No
The Reach	Luca Caserta	28	Based on a short story by Stephen King. Featuring the song "Moonlight Motel" by Bruce Springsteen. On Goat Island, elderly Stella Flanders must confront her past and the Reach that separates the isle from the mainland, in a journey between memories and love that transcends the boundaries of life. Stella Flanders is the oldest woman on Goat Island. Throughout her life, she has never crossed the Reach that separates the isle from the mainland. She has spent her entire existence in that small, close-knit community that is almost as welcoming as a family and in which she has always had everything she needed. But as a freezing winter descends upon the island, Stella begins to see visions of those she once loved, calling her toward the Reach. Perhaps the time has come for her to embark on that journey she never wished to take...	No	No	No		No	No	No
The Reencounter. 500 years Moctezuma and Cortés	Miguel Gleason	100	Mexico is the fusion of 2 cultures represented by the Aztec emperor Moctezuma and the Spanish conqueror Hernán Cortés. The descendants met each other 500 years later, on exactly the same date and in the same place as their ancestors to give each other a reconciliatory hug. Why is there still, among certain Mexicans, a kind of resentment against the Spanish? And why is there still a kind of disdain for native peoples?	No	No	No		No	No	No
The Rivals	Fraser James MacLeod	25	A film of friendship, nostalgia and petty jealousy. When Connor comes to town, it sets William on a dark path of discovery.	No	No	No		No	No	No
The Series 10K	Dan Hertzog	6	A strange yet marvelous machine from the Orient arrives in the misty hills of Scotland, programmed to serve hot meat pies to weary workers. Every day, kind-hearted Bert receives his chicken pot pie with unfailing courtesy, while customers like Slim and Master abuse and cheat the machine relentlessly. But deep within its polished frame lies a self-protection subroutine, and the Series Ten Thousand watches, learns, and remembers everything.	No	No	No		No	No	No
The Shell	Marco Santos	6	Haunted by the world’s relentless cries, a young woman seeks solace where the sea swallows every sound.	No	No	No		No	No	No
The Silver Lining	Mikey Altoft	25	When a tech journalist uncovers the deadly truth behind a revolutionary smartphone, she must confront the powerful heiress behind the company while navigating the perilous consequences of her actions, ultimately leading to a shocking revelation that changes the course of both their lives.	No	No	No		No	No	No
The Space Between Attack and Decay	Jessica Kourkounis	29	Logline: A sailing scientist’s strict ritual fractures when a chrome apparition and a radio’s cryptic orders push him across a vast, disjointed expanse toward fragile hope. Synopsis: Under a gray, emptied sky, the sailboat Revolt Required drifts in slow breath. Its skipper, Ricki Constant, dresses in a black suit and repeats a relentless ritual: dragging a lung-like device across a vast, fractured expanse to inject the remains of tomorrow into the earth. His order collapses when Shiny Sister—a chrome apparition—flickers into view and a radio voice delivers cryptic commands. Purpose dissolves into hallucination as Ricki traverses landscapes that defy logic. Yielding to the irrational, he glimpses a fragile hope within luminous chaos.	No	No	No		No	No	No
The Story of a Colorful Day	Mahmood Arib	11	When the girl is invited to her friend's birthday, she faces a troubling problem, she has to solve it, but how?	No	No	No		No	No	No
The Train & the Peninsula	Sky Richards, Andreas Kruger Foncerrada	88	The Train and the Peninsula is an intimate portrait of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula as the controversial railway megaproject known as the "Mayan Train" is being built. A cinematic journey along the route where the train is projected that takes us on an immersive and epic journey across the peninsula. Through the fascinating stories and reflections of its inhabitants, the documentary exposes the environmental and social consequences of the development model imposed in the region. The film weaves together a collective narrative through the incisive and transparent testimonies of the inhabitants of the peninsula and reveals a human landscape full of vitality and Mayan wisdom that exposes the clash between different ways of imagining progress. An urgent film that shows the worlds that hide behind the tourist paradise that everyone knows; delving into the ideological and territorial battles that are fought in the ancestral land of the Maya.	No	No	No		No	No	No
The Uncuttable	Aksath	7		Yes	Yes	Yes		No	No	No
The Unfixing	Nicole Betancourt	87	After a surfing accident triggers inexplicable symptoms that leave Nicole unable to work or parent her children, she embarks on a quest of self-discovery. Guided by dreams, nature, and wisdom from others, she weaves an immersive diary of destruction, trauma, love, and renewal. Her journey transforms grief into a new story as she begins to see beauty and regeneration in the world around her. Nicole faces the overwhelming challenges of personal and global loss as her children inherit a world plagued by environmental crises. Her older child, Pilar, becomes gravely ill with chronic Lyme disease, a condition exacerbated by climate change. As Pilar struggles with paralysis and an inability to attend school, Nicole’s survival strategy of resilience—built on her own experience of loss—begins to unravel. Faced with mounting grief, Nicole spirals into despair, questioning her will to continue. A vision of her late father, who died of AIDS when it was poorly understood, sparks a turning point. His peace inspires Nicole to confront the heartbreak surrounding her—polluted oceans, burning forests, dying species, and her family’s health struggles. With restored spirit, Nicole hikes to an alpine lake, where a moment of connection with Wild Gray Jays fills her with awe and renewal. Accepting that she is just a small part of the planet that created her, Nicole finds the strength to embrace possibility and hope. Her sorrow transforms to a fresh narrative, one that sees loss as an opportunity to forge a future of resilience and togetherness.	No	No	No		No	No	No
The Uvalde Love Project	Dacia Saenz	8	This short documentary tells the story of the resilience and hope of the Uvalde community, as they work on a therapeutic arts engagement project led by Wanda Montemayor, LPC-S ATCS ATR-BC RPT-S (she/her) shortly after the tragic shooting at Robb Elementary. For 1 year, Wanda and a team of art therapists provided creative tile making workshops to Uvalde children, families, teachers, and community leaders, giving them a safe space to process and connect with each other as they began their healing journeys. The project resulted in a beautiful mosaic mural filled with thousands of handmade tiles, each telling a unique story. The Uvalde Love Project is a powerful example of how art therapy and community collaboration can bring hope, healing, and joy to a town in need.	No	No	No		No	No	No
The volcano and the baby	Danielle Jaeggi			No	No	No		No	No	No
They Don't Now Im Coming	Jonathan Morales Searles			No	No	No		No	No	No
This is how the Mexican Revolution began	Nurh Elizabeth Trejo Aguilar	5	This work explores the causes of the Mexican Revolution of 1910. After 30 years of Porfirio Díaz's rule, the country experienced economic progress that benefited only a minority. The central theme is to demonstrate the vast inequality and injustices suffered by the population and how this social discontent became the spark that ignited the armed uprising, marking the end of a dictatorship and the beginning of the struggle for social justice in Mexico.	No	No	No		No	No	No
To Fly	Mohsen Khademi	15	In a remote village, a girl shares a deep bond with her duck. When she learns it is in danger, she flees into the mountains, where she meets a mysterious boy who has the ability to hear distant sounds. He takes her to a mystical place called Kenareh, where she witnesses the duck take flight. a moment of both liberation and transformation.	No	No	No		No	No	No
Under Cover	Guillaume Arnoulet			No	No	No		No	No	No
Underneath	Matthew James Bissett-Johnson	2	A geometric shape chases a blob around an underground complex.	No	No	No		No	No	No
Unspoken	MACIEJ ADAMEK	52	A portrait of 26-year-old Matthew - a young man who stutters and wants to realize his childhood dream. He wants to become a Polish champion in acrobatics.	No	No	No		No	No	No
Unwind	Jake Sauve			No	No	No		No	No	No
Vance and the Afterlife	Sam Kimbrell			No	No	No		No	No	No
Vas Mar	Nima Tabandeh	19	Nowruz (Nowruz is the Iranian New Year) is near. The old man is busy doing things to welcome spring, but the old woman is desperate for life and keeps grumbling that she will die soon and why no one is with them and they are alone. But the old man says that they should live with hope as long as they are alive. One morning, when the old man was painting the fences of the porch, he had a stroke and died. Now the old woman has to decide whether to continue to live hopelessly or... she looks at the things in the house and the old man's finished and unfinished works and decides to finish the old man's unfinished works.	No	No	No		No	No	No
Voices of the Mayan Jungle: A Battle for Life	Benjamin Soto and Carlos Samayo	50	Among this year's most anticipated feature presentations is the festival premiere of Greenpeace Mexico’s groundbreaking documentary, "Voices of the Mayan Jungle: A Battle for Life" (Voces de la Selva Maya: Una Batalla por la Vida). This powerful film examines the ongoing devastation of Mexico's "green lung" — the Mayan jungle — highlighting threats from deforestation, industrial agriculture, mega pig farms, real estate development, and the controversial Mayan Train project. The documentary gives voice to Indigenous communities and environmental defenders fighting for their home and future. As Greenpeace Mexico’s campaign coordinator Carlos Samayoa states, “We want the cry of the jungle to be heard throughout Mexico and beyond its borders.” Special guests from Greenpeace Mexico and local environmental leaders will join the screening for a Q&A session, offering firsthand insight into this urgent environmental and human rights issue.	No	Yes	No		Yes	No	No
Vortex	Chris Tangey			No	No	No		No	No	No
Welcome to Vegas	Hae Sun Hong	82	Raised behind the steam of her mother’s humble soondae-guk restaurant in Korea, Sunny is a daughter of a single mother who dreams of escaping generational poverty. She sees a wealthy boyfriend as her way out—but when she becomes pregnant, he disappears. Refusing to abort, Sunny carries the child and the shame alone. And so, the cycle continues: a single mother raises another. Rejected by Korean society, she migrates to Las Vegas, hoping for reinvention. Instead, she finds herself dealing cards at a casino while her son Jonah, caught in the margins of American life, falls into gang violence and is imprisoned for ten years. When he returns, burdened by guilt, Jonah sets his sights on a high-stakes poker tournament—hoping to rebuild not just their finances, but their fractured bond. Welcome To Vegas is the debut feature of Korean-American diaspora female director Hae Sun Hong. It is a meditation on identity, survival, and intergenerational trauma—set between the pressure cookers of Korean tradition and the neon illusions of the American West. Through poetic realism and raw emotion, the film reclaims the meaning of family, home, and heritage—on both sides of the Pacific.	No	No	No		No	No	No
What's the Deal	Constanza E. Godoy, Brett W. Vance	3	In this edgy lyrical narrative, our protagonist dives into the exhilarating underworld of late-night escapades and clandestine connections. With a daring spirit, the narrator takes us on a wild ride through the neon-lit streets, introducing us to their enigmatic drug dealer, a mysterious figure with an aura of danger and a knack for turning moments into memories. As the beats drop, so does the veil of caution, revealing a protagonist unapologetically captivated by the allure of their unconventional relationship. The lyrics oscillate between warnings and irresistible temptation, creating a tension that fuels the narrative's pulse. The drug dealer, portrayed as a "bad guy," becomes the enigmatic key to a world where rebellion meets desire. Set against a backdrop of hazy smoke and pulsating beats, our narrator playfully negotiates the terms of their connection, blurring the lines between danger and desire. The lyrics weave a tale of a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde, unapologetically indulging in a lifestyle that thrives on unpredictability and thrill. The protagonist's unfiltered expression of their adventures, paired with a confident and carefree attitude, transforms this lyrical journey into an electrifying exploration of rebellion, self-discovery, and the intoxicating dance between the edges of propriety. As the music unfolds, the audience is invited to join the protagonist in a cinematic experience where every beat, every puff of smoke, and every daring encounter becomes a brushstroke on the canvas of an unapologetically vibrant life. In this world where danger and desire collide, our protagonist embraces the chaos with a wink and a swagger, making these lyrics an irresistible anthem of defiance and pleasure.	No	No	No		No	No	No
Who is God?	Oscar Adan Lopez Parres			No	No	No		No	No	No
Wild Fire	GuoKai	20		Yes	Yes	Yes	Summer	No	No	No
Xpendable	Walter Ernest Haussner	30	Inspired by Evan Hunter’s (The Birds, High and Low) early short story The Last Spin, Xpendable tells the story of a dispute between two crime organizations and the decision to settle matters with a representative from each “club”. Whereas the original story dealt with juvenile males from rival gangs, Xpendable shifts the focus to age and gender, along with a dose of black humor. Filmed in Medford and Jacksonville, Oregon, over four days during 2022 and featuring actors Preston Mead, Annette MacGregor, Adam Lewis, Jeffrey Hunter, and Johnny Whelchel, along with a production crew consisting of family and friends, Xpendable is director/producer Walter Haussner’s love letter to Film Noir and David Mamet’s view that “Old age and treachery will always beat youth and exuberance”.	No	No	No		No	No	No
You Think Although You Are Not	SALAHEDDIN NOORI			No	No	No		No	No	No
the transience	ipek shahbazi, ario motevaghe			No	No	No		No	No	No
Żubr - Here Be Giants	GILES PITMAN	29	Don, a bison ranger, embarks on a journey to the Białowieża Forest in Poland, where he uncovers how these gentle giants are transforming ecosystems. Armed with these insights, he returns to the UK with a new appreciation of what it means to live alongside wildlife, furthering his work to restore nature and reconnect the next generation through his work with Wildwood Trust.	No	No	No		No	No	No

Season 3 Films

Total Number of Submissions = 170

93 Official Selections + 7 Honorable Mentions

List of Official Selections by category:
VIEW THE LIST BY GENRE WITH TRAILERS

ANNUAL EVENT AWARD WINNERS :

Official Awards Presented = 43

*first time award (new category)

Audience, dir. by Tom Miller, (United States)

BEST FEATURE FILM
BEST DIRECTOR FEATURE FILM
BEST ACTOR FEATURE FILM: Shamrock McShane as "Snerdly"
*BEST PRODUCERS FEATURE FILM: Alex Davidowski, Doug Waltonbaugh
AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD

Big Mama Thornton: I Can't Be Anyone But Me, dir. by Robert Clem, (United States)

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM

It's About Time, dir. by Dan Hertzog, (United States)

The Series 10K, dir. by Dan Hertzog, (United States)

BEST ANIMATION SHORT (The Series 10k)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY SHORT FILM: (It's About Time) Dan Hertzog
*BEST FIRST TIME ACTRESS: Alani Zaya Hertzog as "Justine" in It's About Time
*BEST PRODUCERS SHORT FILM: Dan Hertzog, Ganna Hertzog, In The Wee Hours

Piggy Duster, dir. by Jesse Stewart, (United States)

BEST FIRST FEATURE FILM
BEST VISIONARY DIRECTOR: Jesse Stewart
*BEST EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Gary Fieldman

Leaving Beringia, dir. by Barbara Hager, (Canada / United States / Mexico)

BEST INNOVATIVE CULTURAL STORYTELLING

Flowers Beyond The Dark, dir. by Iryna Pravylo, (Ukraine)

BEST CULTURAL DOCUMENTARY

The Dog, My Father And Us., dir. by Pablo Arturo Suárez, (Ecuador)

BEST CULTURAL FEATURE FILM

Sargassum, dir. by Claude Barnes, (Canada / United States / Barbados / Mexico)

*BEST ENVIRONMENTAL FILM

Class Of Her Own, dir. by Boaz Dvir, (United States)

*BEST EDUCATIONAL FILM

The Unfixing, dir. by Nicole Betancourt, (Spain / United States), Doc Feature, 87 min

BEST EDITING - DOCUMENTARY

Jailhouse To Milhouse, dir. by Buddy Farmer, (United States)

*BEST VÉRITÉ DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM

Zubr: Here Be Giants, dir. by Giles Pitman, (United Kingdom),

BEST FIRST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM
*BEST VÉRITÉ DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM

Shield. The Living Wall Of The Caribbean, dir. by Mario Cuesta Hernando, (Spain / United States / Mexico / Panama / Puerto Rico)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

The Color Of Exile, dir. by Azlarabe Alaoui, (France)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY FEATURE FILM

The Reach, dir. by Luca Caserta, (Italy)

BEST SHORT FILM
BEST ACTRESS: Jana Balkan as "Stella Flanders"

Bloodroot Reserve, Script/Screenplay by Kerra Bolton

BEST SCREENPLAY

Mutación (Mutation), dir. by Carlo Ayhllón, (Mexico)

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
STEVE PHILLIPS AWARD FOR BEST SOUND DESIGN

Food Roots, dir. by Michele Josue, (United States)

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM

The Family Photo, dir. by John Norris Ray & Maria Victoria Sanchez, (United States, Mexico)

*BEST FAMILY FILM

Xpendable, dir. by Walter E. Haussner, (United States)

*BEST FILM NOIR SHORT

Cats, dir. by Danilo Stanimirović, (Serbia / Switzerland)

BEST DIRECTOR SHORT FILM

Miami Creek, C. 1350, dir. by Walter Bender, (United States)

BEST MUSIC VIDEO

The Ale, dir. by Adrian Eppel, (Australia)

*BEST MICRO-SHORT

The Space Between Attack And Decay, dir. by Jessica Kourkounis, (United States)

BEST EXPERIMENTAL SHORT FILM
BEST VISIONARY DIRECTOR SHORT FILM: Jessica Kourkounis
BEST ACTOR SHORT FILM: Boris McGiver as "Ricki Constant"

Hide, dir. by Brenden Hubbard, (United States)

*BEST PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER SHORT FILM

Heart Failed, dir. by Diana Näcke, (Germany)

BEST DIRECTOR MUSIC VIDEO: Diana Näcke

Caminos Al Cielo (Roads To Heaven), dir. by Erik Y. Montiel, (Mexico)

BEST FIRST SHORT FILM

Aloof (Desden), dir. by Dylan Vega Aragon, (Mexico)

BEST FIRST STUDENT FILM

This Is How The Mexican Revolution Began, dir. by Nurh Elizabeth Trejo Aguilar, (Mexico)

*BEST YOUNG FILMMAKER'S AWARD

THANK YOU TO ALL OFFICIAL SELECTIONS:

Narrative Features (non-documentary over 60 min):

Audience, dir. by Tom Miller, (United States), Feature, 65 min
Piggy Duster, dir. by Jesse Stewart, (United States), Feature, 91 min
The Color Of Exile, dir. by Azlarabe Alaoui, (France), Feature, 98 min
The Dog, My Father And Us., dir. by Pablo Arturo Suárez, (Ecuador), Feature, 90 min
Welcome To Vegas, dir. by Hae Sun Hong, (United States / Korea), Feature, 82 min
Public Phone, dir. by Mois Roditi Haydenblit, (Mexico), Feature, 77 min *Previously Selected but withdrawn from screening and nominations due to distribution commitments*

WATCH TRAILERS | VIEW SCHEDULE

Documentary Features::

Big Mama Thornton: I Can't Be Anyone But Me, dir. by Robert Clem, (United States), Doc Feature, 88 min
Class Of Her Own, dir. by Boaz Dvir, (United States), Doc Feature, 87 min
Jailhouse To Milhouse, dir. by Buddy Farmer, (United States), Doc Feature, 67 min
Flowers Beyond The Dark, dir. by Iryna Pravylo, (Ukraine), Doc Feature, 78 min
Leaving Beringia, dir. by Barbara Hager, (Canada / United States / Mexico), Doc Feature, 90 min
Mutation, dir. by Carlo Ayhllón, (Mexico), Doc Feature, 60 min
Over The Moon: My Adventures Dealing With Cults, dir. by Michael A. Smith & Ted E Haynes, (United States), Doc Feature, 66 min
Sargassum, dir. by Claude Barnes, (Canada / United States / Barbados / Mexico), Doc Feature, 90 min
Shield. The Living Wall Of The Caribbean, dir. by Mario Cuesta Hernando, (Spain / United States / Mexico / Panama / Puerto Rico), Doc Feature, 80 min
The Reencounter. 500 Years Moctezuma And Cortés, dir. by Miguel Gleason, (Mexico), Doc Feature, 100 min
The Unfixing, dir. by Nicole Betancourt, (Spain / United States), Doc Feature, 87 min

WATCH TRAILERS | VIEW SCHEDULE

Documentary Shorts (up to 60 min):

Acre Wall Jumpers, dir. by Donna Hacohen & Fira, (Israel), Doc Short, 56 min
Adas Falasteen, dir. by Hamdi Khalil Elhusseini & Samar Taher Lulu, (Palestine), Doc Short, 8 min
Dayton Guitars, dir. by D. Emmet Wilson, (United States), Doc Short, 17 min
Food Roots, dir. by Michele Josue, (United States), Doc Short, 60 min
Hanging The Dead, dir. by Rahul Dholakia, (India), Doc Short, 29 min
This Is How The Mexican Revolution Began, dir. by Nurh Elizabeth Trejo Aguilar, (Mexico), Doc Short, 6 min
Zubr: Here Be Giants, dir. by Giles Pitman, (United Kingdom), Doc Short, 30 min

WATCH TRAILERS | VIEW SCHEDULE

Narrative Short Films (non-docs under 60 min):

The Ale, dir. by Adrian Eppel, (Australia), Short, 2 min
Aloof (Desden), dir. by Dylan Vega Aragon, (Mexico), Short, 12 min
Caminos Al Cielo (Roads To Heaven), dir. by Erik Y. Montiel, (Mexico), Short, 15 min
Cats, dir. by Danilo Stanimirović, (Serbia / Switzerland), Short, 10 min
Curandero (Healer), dir. by Armando Arenas, (Mexico), Short, 20 min
Diego Velazquez: A Body Of Work, dir. by Walter E. Haussner, (United States), Short, 20 min
Dream Man, dir. by Harald Takke & Steven Takke, (Germany), Short, 30 min
Dreamer, dir. by Juan Javier “Javo” Aguirre, (United States), Short, 20 min
El Búnker, dir. by Rodrigo Gil Becerra & Bruno Leal Herrera, (Mexico), Short, 14 min
Gum, dir. by Belal Albader, (Saudi Arabia), Short, 10 min
Hide, dir. by Brenden Hubbard, (United States), Short, 17 min
Homicide, dir. by Nima Tabandeh, (Iran), Short, 10 min
Invaders Of The Valley Saloon, dir. by Dustin Tidwell, (United States), Short, 12 min
It's About Time, dir. by Dan Hertzog, (United States), Short, 21 min
Man Eater, dir. by Alexander Whitrow, (Australia), Short, 25 min
Night Shift At Ned's, dir. by Hagen Mattingly, (United States), Short, 25 min
Orange Cove, dir. by John Lockmer, (United States), Short, 12 min
Parasomnia, dir. by Daniel Noblom Gibert, (Spain), Short, 11 min
PeriPerseu, dir. by Stella Brajterman, (Brazil), Short, 5 min
Somber Tides (marée noire), dir. by Chantal Caron, (Canada), Short, 12 min
The Life Of Dae-Vee Six, dir. by JD McWilliams, (United States), Short, 11 min
The Magician, dir. by Mathieu Gauvreau, (Canada), Short, 19 min
The Reach, dir. by Luca Caserta, (Italy), Short, 28 min
The Rivals, dir. by Fraser James MacLeod, (Sweden), Short, 25 min
The Shell, dir. by Marco Santos, (Portugal), Short, 7 min
The Space Between Attack And Decay, dir. by Jessica Kourkounis, (United States), Short, 29 min
To Fly, dir. by Mohsen Khademi, (Iran), Short, 16 min
Vas Mar, dir. by Nima Tabandeh, (Iran), Short, 20 min
Xpendable, dir. by Walter E. Haussner, (United States), Short, 30 min

WATCH TRAILERS | VIEW SCHEDULE

The Future With Us, dir. by Ziping Yu, (China), Animation, 2 min
Olympus Plays On, dir. by Rodyz Art, (Belgium), Animation, 5 min
Cell Buddies, dir. by Melle Windig, Hidde Alberts, Miguel Reyes, Jurgen de Smit, Arjen van der Plas, (Netherlands), Animation, 6 min
The Mythological Serpent, dir. by Miguel Gleason, (Mexico), Animation, 3 min
Underneath, dir. by Matthew James Bissett-Johnson, (Australia), Animation, 3 min
Miami Creek, C. 1350, dir. by Walter Bender, (United States), Animation / Music Video, 5 min
The Amazing Kitsuverse, dir. by Leo Neumann, (Germany), Animation, 6 min
Superschoolers 2. A Healthy Mind, dir. by Íñigo Echávarri, (Spain), Animation, 6 min
Prayer Of The Sea, dir. by Martin Gerigk, (Germany), Animation, 7 min
The Family Photo, dir. by John Norris Ray & Maria Victoria Sanchez, (United States), Animation, 9 min
Little Wings, dir. by Kyu Dong Min, (South Korea), Animation, 7 min
The Series 10K, dir. by Dan Hertzog, (United States), Animation, 7 min
Elias Ai, dir. by Marco Casado, (Mexico), Animation, 11 min
The Little Ancestor (La Petite Ancêtre), dir. by Alexa Tremblay-Francoeur, (Canada), Animation, 12 min
Deadline, dir. by Idan Gilboa, (Israel), Animation, 15 min

Darling Dark – Ma Mort, dir. by Ju Conci, (Brazil), Music Video, 3 min
“Got That Holy Spirit”, dir. by Ayanda Andiy Nxum, (Australia), Music Video, 3 min
Searching For That Sea, dir. by Xavier Guàrdia, (Spain), Music Video, 4 min
Ahorita, dir. by Simone Coppo, (Italy), Music Video, 4 min
Heart Failed, dir. by Diana Näcke, (Germany), Music Video, 4 min
Little Darling, dir. by Xavier Guàrdia, (Spain), Music Video, 4 min
Fight For Me, dir. by Juanfer Andres, (Spain), Music Video, 4 min
Darling Dark – Time Still Breaks, dir. by Ju Conci, (Brazil), Music Video, 4 min
Blue Moanin', dir. by Allen Brooks, (United States), Music Video, 5 min
A Touch of Clash, dir. by Moe Taylor (United States), Music Video, 7 min

A Taste for Lunacy, Script/Screenplay by Andrew JP Carroll

Bloodroot Reserve, Script/Screenplay by Kerra Bolton
Lucky?, Script/Screenplay by Tom E. Nicholson
Midnite's Journey, Script/Screenplay by Beverly Horvath, Dana L. Silkiss
Modern Frankenstein, Script/Screenplay by Gabriel Jeanne
Moon Players, Script/Screenplay by Valerie Green
Notas Del Cielo, Script/Screenplay by Manuel Antonio Cantu
Red Hands, a Mary MacIntosh Novel, Script/Screenplay by Maureen Anne Meehan
Sacrament Volume I (Proof-of-Life Film Short Script), Script/Screenplay by Maxwell Highsmith
Silent Sundays, Script/Screenplay by David Michael Glahn
Silver Moon, Script/Screenplay by Lex Sverre Levin
The Magic King, Script/Screenplay by John Norris Ray
Theater 8, Script/Screenplay by John P. Martinez
Unleashed Defiance, Script/Screenplay by Val Goldenbrook
When the Veils Dance, Script/Screenplay by Tayebe Babaei

SPECIAL BONUS SCREENINGS:

All Saints Day, dir. by Matt Aaron Krinsky, (Canada), Feature, 99 min
The Weekend Sailor, dir. by Bernardo Arsuaga, (Mexico, United States), Doc Feature. 74 min

SEASON 3 (2026) HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Gentle Justice, dir. by Anneloor van Heemstra, (Netherlands), Doc Feature
MXAT.doc, dir. by Dmitry Nikolenko, (Russian Federation), Doc Feature
The Little Things That Run The World, dir. by Doug Hawes-Davis, (United States), Doc Feature
Interpreting Erik, dir. by Donald D’Haene, (Canada), Doc Short
Rag Dolls, dir. by Amy Adler, (United States), Doc Short
Spoken For – The Movie, dir. by Jean-Yves “Jeeve” Ducornet, (United States), Music Video
Sara, dir. by Ariana Andrade Castro, (Peru), Short

THE FOLLOWING FILMS HAVE BEEN WITHDRAWN FROM THE FESTIVAL AND WILL NOT BE SCREENED:

Hanging The Dead, dir. by Rahul Dholakia, (India), Doc Short, 29 min
Public Phone, dir. by Mois Roditi Haydenblit, (Mexico), Feature, 77 min
Darling Dark – Time Still Breaks, dir. by Ju Conci, (Brazil), Music Video, 4 min
Darling Dark – Ma Mort, dir. by Ju Conci, (Brazil), Music Video, 3 min
Gum, dir. by Belal Albader, (Saudi Arabia), Short, 10 min
Welcome To Vegas, dir. by Hae Sun Hong, (United States / Korea), Feature, 82 min

Season 3 Early Bird Bi-monthly Awards (2025):
ALL Official Selections remain eligible for the annual awards. These bi-monthly winners are now considered official selections and nominees for the Annual Awards, but are NOT guaranteed to win an annual award.
Announcing the 5 Early Bird Winter Bi-monthly Award-Winners*:

Winter Early Bird Award for Best Feature: Piggy Duster, dir. by Jesse Stewart (USA)
Winter Early Bird Award for Best Documentary (Music Bio): Big Mama Thornton: I Can't Be Anyone But Me, dir. by Robert Clem (USA)
Winter Early Bird Award for Best Documentary Short: ZUBR: Here Be Giants, dir. by Giles Pitman (UK)
Winter Early Bird Award for Best Short: The Reach, dir. by Luca Caserta (ITALY)
Winter Early Bird Award for Best Experimental: The Space Between Attack and Decay, dir. by Jessica Kourkounis (USA)
READ MORE ON THESE FILMS HERE.

Announcing the 5 Early Bird Fall Bi-monthly Award-Winners*:

Fall Early Bird Award for Best Feature: Welcome To Vegas, dir. by Hae Sun Hong (South Korea)
Fall Early Bird Award for Best Documentary (Personal Journey): The Unfixing, dir. by Nicole Betancourt (USA)
Fall Early Bird Award for Best Documentary (Cultural Exploration): Leaving Beringia, dir. by Barbara Hager (Can)
Fall Early Bird Award for Best Short: Gum, dir. by Belal Albader (Saudi Arabia)
Fall Early Bird Award for Best Music Video: Heart Failed, dir. by Diana Nåcke (Germany)

Announcing the 5 Early Bird Summer Bi-monthly Award-Winners*:

Summer Early Bird Award for Best Feature: Audience, dir. by Tom Miller (USA)
Summer Early Bird Award for Best Documentary: Sargassum, dir. by Claude Barnes (Canada)
Summer Early Bird Award for Best Short: Hide, dir. by Brenden Hubbard (USA)
Summer Early Bird Award for Best Animation: Deadline, dir. by Idan Gilboa (Israel)
Summer Early Bird Award for Best Music Video: Searching For That Sea, dir. by Xavier Guàrdia (Spain)

Congratulations filmmakers! These 15 Early Bird winners receive automatic official selections and nominations for our annual PAIFF awards event in March of 2026.

All remaining submissions and new entries remain eligible for our annual awards event.

Season 2 (Spring 2025)

131 Submissions

77 Selections

60 Awards *(45 Annual / 15 Early Bird)

4 Honorable Mentions

Sahara: End of Trip (Spain)
Fin de viaje Sahara
WINNER:

Best Feature Film
Best Cinematography (Feature)
Best Actress (Feature)
Winter Early Bird Winner (Best Feature)

Directed by Antonio Rodriguez Cabal
Cinematographer - Javier Salmones
Maru Valdivielso as “Florence”

Website
IMDb

Some Kind of Justice (USA)
WINNER:

Best Director (Feature)
Best Supporting Actor (Feature)

Directed by Brian Jervay
Brian Jervay as “Clyde”

Historias del Canal (Panama)
WINNER:

Audience Choice Award (Favorite Film)

Directed by Carolina Borrero, Pinky Mon, Luis Franco Brantley, Abner Benaim, Pituka Ort

IMDb

The Power of One (Colombia / USA)
WINNER:

Best Documentary Feature Film

Directed by Alex Valdez & Pablo De la Fuente

Nothing (USA)
WINNER:

Best Short Film
Best Experimental Short Film
Best Visionary Director (Short Film)

Directed by Tom Miller & Alex Davidowski

Watch the film

Vocas de la Selva Maya: Una batalla por la vida (Mexico)
WINNER:

Best Documentary Short Film
Best Cultural Film

Directed by Benjamin Soto and Carlos Samayo, presented by Greenpeace

Website

Another Round - James Downham, Amanda Kind (Canada)
WINNER:

Best Music Video

Directed by AJ Astle, Jake Sauvee

Watch the video

In-Half (Spain)
WINNER:

Best Animation Film

Directed by Jorge Morais Valle

The Michoacan File (Mexico)
WINNER:

Best Director (Documentary Feature)
Best Editing (Documentary Feature)
Summer Early Bird Winner (Best Documentary)

Directed by Bernardo Arsuaga
Edited by Christopher John Malanchen

The Brattt (Russia)
WINNER:

Best Editing (Feature)
Steve Phillips Award for Best Sound Design (Feature)
Best Experimental Film (Feature)

Directed by Valeriy Pereverzev

The Graceless Age: The Ballad of John Murry (Ireland)
WINNER:

Best Original Score (Documentary)
Winter Early Bird Winner (Best Documentary)

Directed by Sarah Share
Music by John Murry, Michael Timmons

Guardians (USA)
WINNER:

Best Actor (Feature)
Best Supporting Actress (Feature)

Directed by Rick Walker
Eric Roberts as “Rev. Willis”
Taylor Armstrong as “Dr. Renee Kennedy”

An Old Friend (USA)
WINNER:

Best Actor (Short Film)

Directed by Nuk Suwanchote
Jason Faunt as “Calvin”

Somewhere Confidential (USA)
WINNER:

Best Original Score (Feature)

Directed by Casey Siegel
Original Score by Andrew M. Edwards

Return of the Black Madonna (Mexico, USA)
WINNER:

Best Director (Documentary Short)
Best First Film (Documentary Short)

Directed by Kerra Bolton

Instagram

Mahsoo (Iran)
WINNER:

Best Actress (Short Film)
Best Sound Design (Short Film)
Best First Film (Student)

Directed by Fatemeh Mehdipoor
Sarina Rajabi as “Mahsoo”
Sound Design by Hamed Arib

Shrouded Destiny: A Star Wars Long Tale Part 1 of 3 (Denmark)
WINNER:

Best Cinematography (Short Film)
Best First Film (Short)
Fall Early Bird Winner (Best Short Film)

Directed by Shahbaz Sarwar & Erik Alejandro Gonzalez
Cinematography by Dan Stilling

The Fries Rebellion (USA)
WINNER:

Best Director (Short Film)
Summer Early Bird Winner (Best Short Film)

Directed by Dan Hertzog

JÓLAKÖTTURINN (Iceland, USA)
WINNER:

Best Cinematography (Music Video)
Best Original Score (Music Video)

Directed by Dan Hertzog

FEAR (India)
WINNER:

Best Visionary Director (Feature Film)
Summer Early Bird Winner (Best Feature Film)

Directed by Haritha Gogineni

Love Hides In The Open (UK)
WINNER:

Best First Film (Feature)

Directed by Brian Finucane

IMDb

Braiding Knowledge Through Breath, Movement, Language (Canada)
WINNER:

Best Innovative Cultural Storytelling
Best Sound Design (Documentary Film)

Directed by Jessica Barudin

Children of Icarus (USA)
WINNER:

Best Editing (Short Film)

Directed by Gary Fieldman
Edited by Chloe Deakon

IMDb

Conscious Co-Working (Mexico)
WINNER:

Best Visionary First Film

Directed by Matt Crowe

It Sparks – Robert John Hope (Germany)
WINNER:

Best Director (Music Video)

Directed by Shane Serrano

Gin Lane Revisited – Robert John Hope (Germany)
WINNER:

Best Editing (Music Video)

Directed by Merle Sibbel

KRYLA (Ukraine)
WINNER:

Best Visionary Music Video
Best Visionary Director (Music Video)

Directed by Anastasiia Lapko

Watch Video

Monarch (Mexico/USA)
WINNER:

Best Screenplay
Fall Early Bird Winner (Best Screenplay)

Written by Mauricio Herrera Manzur

IMDb

Screenshot 2025-05-16 at 11.53.19 PM.png

GIN LANE REVISITED_178e475199-poster.jpg

Screenshot 2025-05-17 at 12.23.54 AM.png

The Premiere (USA)

Honorable Mention (Feature Film)

Directed by Jon Silver

The Uvalde Love Project (USA)

Honorable Mention (Documentary Film)

Directed by Dacia Saenz

By The Sea (USA/Switzewrland)

Honorable Mention (Short Film)

Directed by Stephan Eigenmann

Secrets of the Babylonian Lottery (USA)

Honorable Mention (Screenplay)

Written by Kostiantyn Mishchenko

IMDb

Summer Early Bird Winner (Best Animation)

Mortem Obire (Mexico)

Directed by Stephan Eigenmann

The Abyss (Argentina)

Summer Early Bird Winner (Best Experimental)

Directed by Andres Aloi

IMDb

The Ninth Order (Australia)

Fall Early Bird Winner (Best Feature)

Directed by Nick John A'Hern

Escape Room (Russia)

Fall Early Bird Winner (Best Animation)

Directed by Vladislav Kovtunoskii

IMDb

Capacity In Reserve (USA)

Winter Early Bird Winner (Best Documentary)

Directed by Brandon Harrop

The End Was Just The Beginning / O Fim era Apenas o Início (Portugal)

Winter Early Bird Winner (Best Short)

Directed by Antonio Aleixo

Illuminatus! (USA)

Winter Early Bird Winner (Best Animation)

Directed by Chris Kalis

IMDb

Indefinitely (USA)

Winter Early Bird Winner (Best Student Film)

Directed by Aloha Lee

00 PAIFF 25 THE END WAS JUST THE BEGINNING.png

Katabasis (Italy)

Directed by Samantha Casella
• Official Selection

Poyyamozhi (India)

Directed by Sudhi Anna
• Official Selection

Beam You Up Scotty (New Zealand)

Directed by Hannah Samantha Simicic
• Official Selection

Chanting of the Dunes (USA)

Directed by Mokhless Al-Hariri
• Official Selection

Okhaldhunga (Germany, Switzerland, Nepal)

Directed by Marcel Weiß
• Official Selection

Out Of The Picture (USA)

Directed by Mary Louise Schumacher
• Official Selection

The Food That Fuels (USA)

Directed by Ed Porter
• Official Selection

Unspoken (Poland)

Directed by Maciej Adamek
• Official Selection

At Night Time (Iran)

Directed by Mahmood Arib
• Official Selection

Circle (Turkey)

Directed by Ferhat Ertan
• Official Selection

Doppel (Mexico)

Directed by Daniela Alejandra Hernandez Álvarez
• Official Selection

Fruitless (Portugal)

Directed by Orlando Solano
• Official Selection

MEOW! (UK)

Directed by Michal Vojtech, Ariel de la Garza Davidoff
• Official Selection

Nowhere (Iran)

Directed by Erfan Parsapour
• Official Selection

Ojichaag - Spirit Within (Canada)

Directed by Rachel Beaulieu
• Official Selection

Quarantine (Iran)

Directed by Uranus Independent Company
• Official Selection

Reflection (Iran)

Directed by Maedeh Abdi
• Official Selection

Small Things (USA)

Directed by Angela Andronache
• Official Selection

Snakes & Ladders (Iran)

Directed by Mostafa Rostampour
• Official Selection

Surete de Matar (The Act of Death) (USA)

Directed by Diego Rocha
• Official Selection

The Silver Lining (UK)

Directed by Mikey Altoft
• Official Selection

The Story of a Colorful Day (Iran)

Directed by Mahmood Arib
• Official Selection

Robofauna (Panama)

Directed by Gerardo Escudero Samara
• Official Selection

The Girl From The Wood (Russia)

Directed by Alexander Mulumbator Ovsyankin
• Official Selection

The Last Gunfight… yet! (France)

Directed by Pablo Tréhin-Marçot
• Official Selection

The Nightmare of the Running Ones (Bulgaria)

Directed by Ivan Kashlakov
• Official Selection

The Elephants of Avalon Beach (Australia)

Directed by Jae Morrison
• Official Selection

For more official selections from Season 2, please visit our Archives page here.

Season 1 (Spring 2024)

92 Submissions

62 Selections

50 Awards

Roswell Delirium (USA)
WINNER:

Best Feature Film
Best Supporting Actor - Feature: Anthony Michael Hall as “Jerry”
Best Supporting Actress - Feature: Dee Wallace as “Betty”
Best Cinematography - Feature: Carter Ross
Best Original Score - Feature: Troy Van Leeuwen

Directed by Richard Bakewell

IMDb

NOW AVAILABLE ON APPLE TV OR AMAZON PRIME

Daughters of Maguey / Las hijas del Maguey (Mexico)
WINNER:

• Best Documentary Feature Film

Directed by Francisca Siza

Website
IMDb

Lissa's Trip (USA)
WINNER:

Best Director - Feature Film: Jeffery Lando
Best Editing - Feature Film
Best Actress - Feature Film: Sofia Vassilieva as “Lissa”
Best Sound Design - Feature Film

Directed by Jeffery Lando

IMDb

NOW AVAILABLE FOR FREE ON TUBI

The Train & The Peninsula /
El Tren y La Peninsula (Mexico)
WINNER:

• Best Editing Documentary Feature Film

Directed by Sky Richards and Andreas Kruger Foncerrada

Mentawai: Souls of the Forest / Almas del Bosque (Indonesia/Germany)
WINNER:

Best Cinematography - Documentary Feature Film
Best Original Score - Documentary
Best First Documentary Feature Film

Directed by Joachim Peter

Website
IMDb

MORE AWARDS FROM SEASON 1:

PLEASE VISIT OUR ARCHIVES PAGE FOR MORE SELECTIONS & DETAILS

BEST VISIONARY DIRECTOR - FEATURE

THE ANNOYED - Directed by Mehdi Fard Ghaderi, IRAN

BEST DIRECTOR - DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

TAKE YOUR SPACE - Directed by Karolína Alvarez

AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD - FAVORITE … (TIE)

THE POWER OF ONE (work-in-progress) - Directed by Alex Valdez, USA

SAVING WALDEN'S WORLD - Directed by Jim Merkel, USA

SPECIAL JURY PRIZE -BEST INNOVATIVE CULTURAL STORYTELLING

A LATINO HOLLYWOOD NIGHTMARE - Jeff Valdez, USA/Mexico

BEST SHORT FILM

BETWEEN THE WORDS - Directed by Farid Ismail, Luxembourg

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM

MONEY MAKER - Johannes Thuermer, Martina Schuster, Germany

BEST DIRECTOR - SHORT FILM

DEATH ANNIVERSARY - Directed by Armin Keshvari, IRAN

BEST VISIONARY DIRECTOR - SHORT FILM

EXPENSES - Directed by Gary Fieldman, USA

BEST DIRECTOR - DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM

MONEY MAKER - Directed by Johannes Thuermer and Martina Schuster, Germany

BEST EDITING - SHORT FILM

Dan Hertzog - DOMINO SPRINGS - Directed by Dan Hertzog, USA

BEST EDITING - DOCUMENTARY SHORT

Nèma van Raalte - ARMED WITH A BRUSH - Directed by Nèma van Raalte, Chile, Netherlands

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - SHORT FILM

Dan Hertzog - DATING AUDREY - Directed by Dan Hertzog, USA

BEST VISIONARY CINEMATOGRAPHY - SHORT FILM

Milad Hosseini - DEATH ANNIVERSARY - Directed by Armin Keshvari, Iran

BEST ACTOR - FEATURE

Farrokh Nematia as Sepanta Shaygan in THE ANNOYED, Directed by Mehdi Fard Ghaderi, IRAN

BEST ACTOR - SHORT

Edmund C. Short as “Pete” in DATING AUDREY, Directed by Dan Hertzog, USA

BEST ACTRESS - SHORT

Dostana Nikolić as “Saska” in 5/3/0, Directed by Danilo Stanimirović, SERBIA

BEST MUSIC VIDEO

CAR COLORS - OLD DEATH - Directed by Kyle Garrett, USA

BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY

DEBS STUDIO - Directed by Miguel Octave, FRANCE

BEST DIRECTOR - MUSIC VIDEO

CAR COLORS - OLD DEATH - Directed by Kyle Garrett, USA

BEST VISIONARY DIRECTOR - MUSIC VIDEO

THE GIRL WHO FADED AWAY - Directed by Brent Heise, USA

BEST EDITING - MUSIC VIDEO

CAR COLORS - OLD DEATH - Directed and Edited by Kyle Garrett, USA

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - MUSIC VIDEO

UNWIND - JAMES DOWNHAM - Directed by Jake Sauve, CANADA

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE - MUSIC VIDEO

SHOT! - KROSSOVER, MEXICO

BEST SOUND DESIGN - DOCUMENTARY

DEBS STUDIO - Directed by Miguel Octave, FRANCE

BEST SOUND DESIGN - MUSIC VIDEO

WHAT’S THE DEAL -Directed by Constanza E. Godoy, Brett W. Vance, USA

BEST VISIONARY MUSIC VIDEO

4 Of You - LOAD -Directed by Cam Bennett, Dave Zellis, & Carrie Forsythe, CANADA

BEST CULTURAL MUSIC VIDEO

THE ESCENCE OF THE GUAGUANCO, SKALA B, MUSIC FROM CUBA - directed by Jairo Valeria Mosqueira of Belgium

BEST SCREENPLAY

THE ARCHITECT OF THE FUTURE - Written by Michael D. Eerdmans, USA

BEST TRAILER

THE POWER OF ONE - Directed by Alex Valdez, USA

BEST EXPERIMENTAL FEATURE FILM

Gulag Eros of the Russian Mind: Sex in the Soviet Union, Directed by Chad Gracia, Ukraine

BEST EXPERIMENTAL SHORT FILM

“52 Thursdays” Directed by R.D. Cane, CANADA

BEST FIRST FEATURE FILM

BUMPER - Directed by Selvakumar M, INDIA

BEST FIRST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM

ARMED WITH A BRUSH, directed by Nèma van Raalte, Netherlands

BEST VISIONARY FIRST FILM

LA PIPERA - Directed by Miguel Perez, Mexico

BEST FIRST SHORT FILM

CASH ON DELIVERY -directed by Udara Buddika Wijesinghe, Sri Lanka

BEST FIRST STUDENT FILM

BERLIN - directed by Ashley Bogley, USA

"The best kept secret in the film festival circuit!"

The Films

It's all about the films.

A-Z PAIFF FILM ARCHIVE

Season 3 Films

List of Official Selections by category:
VIEW THE LIST BY GENRE WITH TRAILERS

ANNUAL EVENT AWARD WINNERS :

THE FOLLOWING FILMS HAVE BEEN WITHDRAWN FROM THE FESTIVAL AND WILL NOT BE SCREENED:

Hanging The Dead, dir. by Rahul Dholakia, (India), Doc Short, 29 min

Announcing the 5 Early Bird Fall Bi-monthly Award-Winners*:

Announcing the 5 Early Bird Summer Bi-monthly Award-Winners*:

Season 2 (Spring 2025)

Season 1 (Spring 2024)

Roswell Delirium (USA)
WINNER:

Daughters of Maguey / Las hijas del Maguey (Mexico)
WINNER:

Lissa's Trip (USA)
WINNER:

The Train & The Peninsula /
El Tren y La Peninsula (Mexico)
WINNER:

Mentawai: Souls of the Forest / Almas del Bosque (Indonesia/Germany)
WINNER:

Sign up for the PAIFF updates.

"The best kept secret in the film festival circuit!"

The Films

It's all about the films.

A-Z PAIFF FILM ARCHIVE

Season 3 Films

List of Official Selections by category: VIEW THE LIST BY GENRE WITH TRAILERS

ANNUAL EVENT AWARD WINNERS :

THE FOLLOWING FILMS HAVE BEEN WITHDRAWN FROM THE FESTIVAL AND WILL NOT BE SCREENED:​

Hanging The Dead, dir. by Rahul Dholakia, (India), Doc Short, 29 min

Announcing the 5 Early Bird Fall Bi-monthly Award-Winners*:

Announcing the 5 Early Bird Summer Bi-monthly Award-Winners*:

Season 2 (Spring 2025)

Season 1 (Spring 2024)

Roswell Delirium (USA) WINNER:

Daughters of Maguey / Las hijas del Maguey (Mexico) WINNER:

Lissa's Trip (USA) WINNER:

The Train & The Peninsula / El Tren y La Peninsula (Mexico) WINNER:

Mentawai: Souls of the Forest / Almas del Bosque (Indonesia/Germany) WINNER:

Sign up for the PAIFF updates.

List of Official Selections by category:
VIEW THE LIST BY GENRE WITH TRAILERS

THE FOLLOWING FILMS HAVE BEEN WITHDRAWN FROM THE FESTIVAL AND WILL NOT BE SCREENED:

Roswell Delirium (USA)
WINNER:

Daughters of Maguey / Las hijas del Maguey (Mexico)
WINNER:

Lissa's Trip (USA)
WINNER:

The Train & The Peninsula /
El Tren y La Peninsula (Mexico)
WINNER:

Mentawai: Souls of the Forest / Almas del Bosque (Indonesia/Germany)
WINNER: