Announcing the Official Winners of Roswell Shorts 2025

deweypaul
Sep 28
3 min read

The inaugural season of Roswell Shorts lit up the International UFO Museum & Research Center with two nights of unforgettable screenings, conversation, and celebration. From AI-driven narratives and experimental visions to suspense thrillers, noir homages, and heartfelt documentaries, this year’s lineup showcased just how boundless short-form storytelling can be.

We are proud to announce the 2025 Roswell Shorts Official Award Winners:

🌟 Best Short Film

The Space Between Attack and Decay (USA, 29 min)Directed by Jessica Kourkounis (Philadelphia, PA)

This mesmerizing experimental short stars Boris McGiver with narration by James McAvoy. Blurring the lines between sci-fi and fantasy, it follows a solitary sailing scientist who abandons his mission to save a drowning world for the shimmering allure of a chrome figure. Bold, poetic, and unforgettable—an instant classic of the short form.

🌍 Best International Short Film

The Rivals (Sweden, 25 min)Directed by Fraser James MacLeod (Malmö, Sweden)

A subtle, nostalgic narrative about friendship, jealousy, and the shadow of memory. When Connor comes to town, William finds himself on a dark path of discovery, testing bonds and unearthing truths.

🎬 Best Director (Short Film)

Steal the Words (USA, 20 min)Directed by Amy Maki (Santa Fe, NM)

On the outskirts of a once-booming oil town, a compliant oilman struggles with bizarre, unsettling tasks to hold onto control. Maki’s direction captures a haunting tension between obedience, collapse, and the surreal.

🎸 Best Documentary Short Film

Dayton Guitars (USA, 16 min)Directed by D. Emmet Wilson (Beavercreek, OH)

The story of Dennis Rotterman is one of humble beginnings blossoming into timeless artistry. From Dayton, Ohio to crafting guitars for rock legends, this short documentary sings with connection, craftsmanship, and the eternal resonance of music.

👻 Best Horror Short Film

Night Shift at Ned’s (USA, 25 min)Directed by Hagen Mattingly (Atlanta, GA)

At a lonely southern diner, a new waitress learns “customers from Hell” isn’t just a turn of phrase. Mattingly delivers a deliciously eerie slice of late-night terror, equal parts suspense and southern gothic.

👽 Best Sci-Fi Short Film

Invaders of the Valley Saloon (USA, 12 min)Directed by Dustin Tidwell (New Mexico)

What if extraterrestrials stopped by a Wild West saloon? This student project imagines just that, blending camp, grit, and cosmic curiosity in a genre-bending salute to sci-fi and westerns.

🎭 Best Experimental Short Film

Untitled: The Lost Painting by Thomas Daley (USA, 30 min)Directed by Sean Ryan (Staten Island, NY)

A recovering gambling addict’s quest for a missing family painting spirals into debt, conspiracy, and dark comedy. Ryan crafts a fractured, unsettling puzzle of desperation and discovery.

📖 Best Adapted Short Film

The Reach (Italy, 18 min)Directed by Luca Caserta (Verona, Italy)

From the pages of Stephen King comes Stella Flanders’ haunting final crossing. Set on Goat Island in a brutal winter, Caserta’s adaptation is a poignant meditation on memory, love, and mortality.

🤖 Best A.I. Short Film

Elias AI (Mexico, 11 min)Directed by Marco Casado (Valle de Bravo, México)

Casado layers story within story, using AI to reflect on deforestation, environmental struggle, and the challenges of representing reality through artificial means. A fascinating intersection of technology and truth.

🎨 Best Animation Short Film

The Family Photo (USA, 9 min)Directed by John Norris Ray & Maria Victoria Sanchez (Willis, TX)

When an astronaut leaves a photo on the moon, its ripple effects echo decades later. This clever 3D animated short explores the butterfly effect of one small human gesture on a cosmic scale.

🕵️ Best Film Noir Short Film

Xpendable (USA, 30 min)Directed by Walter Ernest Haussner

Inspired by Evan Hunter’s The Last Spin, this darkly comic noir pits rival crime clubs against each other through chosen representatives. Age, gender, and treachery twist expectations in a taut reimagining of noir tradition.

🎶 Best Music Video

Lovely Lola Jean feat. Andrew Wiscombe (USA, 3 min)Directed by Matt McKee

Cosmic, comedic, and country all at once, this playful music video transforms Wiscombe’s hit song into a piece of short musical cinema brimming with personality and humor.

A Celebration of Visionaries

The winners of Roswell Shorts 2025 reflect not only excellence in craft but also boldness of imagination. From Sweden to Mexico, Italy to New Mexico, filmmakers embraced experimentation, cultural roots, and emotional resonance in ways that challenged and delighted audiences.

We thank all 19 official selections and their creators for making our first season a remarkable launch. Roswell Shorts has landed—and this is only the beginning.

Beyond our award winners, we extend heartfelt congratulations to all of the official selections and honorable mentions whose work lit up the screen and made Roswell Shorts’ first season unforgettable. From experimental visions and poignant dramas to playful comedies, boundary-pushing AI stories, and breathtaking animation, every film contributed to a rich tapestry of voices and styles that resonated with our audiences. Together, these filmmakers helped us create not just a festival, but a shared experience of discovery, imagination, and community here in Roswell.