Short Film
Short Film
Fueled by artistic expression and limited only by their run time, short films transcend traditional storytelling. They are a significant and popular way artists can connect with audiences. From documentary to animation, narrative to experimental, the abbreviated form is no longer just for the novice. Shorts have and will continue to be an important part of cinema, storytelling, and culture. The Sundance Film Festival has always been proud to treat short films with the highest regard and to give a home to new (and old) projects for audiences to discover and celebrate.
Learn more about Sundance Institute’s artist development programs that support short films:
Feature Film Program
Documentary Film Program
Indigenous Program
2025 Short Film Tour
The 2025 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour is a dynamic showcase of seven standout short films from this year’s Festival, including two Festival Award–winning titles. A 100-minute program curated for theatrical audiences, the tour is a special opportunity to discover a collection of fiction, nonfiction, and animated shorts, and offers an eclectic mix of storytelling that highlights bold voices and fresh perspectives.
The Festival’s Short Film Program has long been established as a place to discover talented directors, such as past alumni Andrea Arnold, Lake Bell, Damien Chazelle, Destin Daniel Cretton, Jay and Mark Duplass, Debra Granik, Rashaad Ernesto Green, Reinaldo Marcus Green, Todd Haynes, Sterlin Harjo, Don Hertzfeldt, Sky Hopinka, Shaka King, Lynne Ramsay, Dee Rees, Joey Soloway, Taika Waititi, and many others.
The 2025 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour is presented by Vimeo.
2025 Program
Azi / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Montana Mann, Producer: Steven Snyder) — During a weekend vacation with her best friend’s family, 17-year-old Azi gets caught up in an unexpected game with another guest. Cast: Dior Negeen Goodjohn, Breeda Wool, Emma Filley, Dan Thiel. Fiction.
Hurikán / Czech Republic (Director and Screenwriter: Jan Saska, Screenwriter: Václav Hašek, Producers: Kamila Dohnalová, Martin Vandas, Alena Vandasová) — Hurikán rushes to save his favorite beer stand from closure by fetching a new keg to impress the bartender he has a crush on. In a wild Prague district, he faces robbers, cops, and his own thirst. Cast: Johana Matoušková, Patrik Velek. Animation.
We Were The Scenery / U.S.A. (Director: Christopher Radcliff, Producers: Cathy Linh Che, Jess X. Snow) — In 1975, Hoa Thi Le and Hue Nguyen Che fled from Vietnam by boat and docked in the Philippines, where they were utilized as background extras during the filming of Apocalypse Now. Nonfiction. Short Film Jury Award: Nonfiction.
Grandma Nai Who Played Favorites / Cambodia, France (Director and Screenwriter: Chheangkea, Producers: Daniel Mattes, Karen Madar) — During her chaotic family’s Qingming visit, dead Grandma Nai sneaks away from her peaceful afterlife after overhearing that her Queer grandson is about to get engaged to a woman. Cast: Bonrotanak Rith, Saroeun Nay, Sokun Theary Ty, Phalla Im, Chansophorn Buth, Ponleu Chab. Fiction. 2025 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Jury Award: International Fiction.
SUSANA / Mexico, U.S.A. (Directors, Screenwriters, and Producers: Gerardo Coello Escalante, Amandine Thomas, Producers: Mariana Tames, Fernanda Preciado, Hannah Swayze) — A middle-aged American tourist finds herself alone in Mexico City. When she encounters a group of young Americans, she jumps at the opportunity for a little adventure. Cast: Bonnie Hellman Brown, Christine Spang, Parth Shah, Keenan MacWilliam, Andrea Raggio, Richard Laite. Fiction.
Upcoming Dates
| Venue | City | State | Date(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avon Theatre | Stamford | CT | 09/04/2024 |
| Venue | City | State | Date(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina Theatre | Durham | NC | 06/07 - 06/20/2024 |
| Riviera | Santa Barbara | CA | 06/07 - 6/13/2024 |
| IFC Center | New York | NY | 06/14/2024 - 06/21/2024 |
| Nightlight Cinema | Akron | OH | 06/15/2024 |
| Cincinnati World Cinema | Cincinnati | OH | 06/14 - 06/23/2024 |
| UCR Arts | Riverside | CA | 07/06 - 07/14/2024 |
| Dreamland Cinema | Sacramento | CA | 06/22 - 06/28/2024 |
| Guild Cinema | Albuquerque | NM | 06/23 - 06/27/2024 |
| Images Cinema | Williamstown | MA | 07/04/2024 |
| Bear Tooth Cinema | Anchorage | AK | 07/22/2024 |
| Hopkins Center for the Arts | Hanover | NH | 08/03/2024 |
| Screenland Armour | Kansas City | MO | 08/30 - 09/06/2024 |
| Avon Theatre | Stamford | CT | 09/04/2024 |
| Theatre N | Wilmington | DE | 06/15 - 06/19/2024 |
| Austin Film Society | Austin | TX | 07/04 - 07/10/2024 |
| Wexner Center for the Arts | Columbus | OH | 08/28/2024 |
| Nevada Museum of Art | Reno | NV | 08/29/2024 |
| PhilaMOCA | Philadelphia | PA | 09/26/2024 |
| Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque | Cleveland | OH | 07/26 - 07/28/2024 |
| Lark Theater | Larkspur | CA | 06/07 - 6/12/2024 |
| Space Gallery | Portland | ME | 07/21 - 07/22/2024 |
| Enzian Theater | Orlando | FL | 1/06/2025 |
| Cary Theater | Cary | NC | 08/16 - 08/21/2024 |
| Hirschfield International Film Series | Middlebury | VT | 09/26/2024 |
| Mesilla Valley Film Society | Mesilla | NM | 08/23/2024 |
| Museum of Fine Arts, Houston | Houston | TX | 09/14 - 09/15/2024 |
| Waldo Theatre | Waldoboro | ME | 10/18/2024 |
| Green Light Cinema | St. Petersburg | FL | 08/16 - 08/22/2024 |
| Belcourt Theatre | Nashville | TN | 08/16 - 08/22/2024 |
| Park Theatre | Jaffrey | NH | 08/03/2024 |
| Speed Museum | Louisville | KY | 08/30 - 09/01/2024 |
| 815HORTS | Rockford | IL | 12/13/2024 |
| Cornell Cinema | Ithaca | NY | 09/22 - 10/10/2024 |
| Palm Theatre | San Luis Obispo | CA | 09/20/2024 |
| Music Hall | Portsmouth | NH | 09/24 - 09/25/2024 |
| Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center | Lincoln | NE | 11/1/2024 |
| Historic Howell Theater | Howell | MI | 09/27 - 10/3/2024 |
| Vidiots | Los Angeles | CA | 09/27 - 10/2/2024 |
| American Cinematheque: Los Feliz 3 | Los Angeles | CA | 12/13/2024 |
| IFSOC | Colorado Springs | CO | 12/6/2024 - 12/7/2024 |
| Roxie Theater | San Francisco | CA | 1/3/2025 |
| Loft Cinema | Tucson | AZ | 1/8/2025 |
| O Cinema | Orlando | FL | 1/10/2025 |
| The Texas Theatre | Dallas | TX | 1/10 - 1/12/2025 |
| Northwest Film Forum | Seattle | WA | 1/8 - 1/26/2025 |
Upcoming Dates
Theaters, please contact Mike Plante to book a show.
Want more access to Festival shorts?
Become a member to enjoy our brand-new, exclusive Supporter Shorts series presented by Shutterstock. Each month for a full year, a film from a curated collection of shorts will arrive straight to your inbox!
Short Film at the Sundance Film Festival
Each January, the Short Film Program at the Sundance Film Festival showcases between 70 and 80 shorts, helping to support careers working in the form while also discovering new talent in filmmaking. Every type of filmmaking style is welcome: animation, documentary, narrative, and experimental stories are chosen to reflect the diversity and range of each year’s pool of submissions. The Sundance Film Festival accepts content that is 49 minutes or under for the Short Film category from any country. Learn more about submitting your short film to the Sundance Film Festival.
History
The Sundance Film Festival celebrates the short form worldwide, from the high mountains of Park City to the online realm. The Sundance Film Festival’s Short Film Program has long been established as a place to discover talented directors, such as past alumni Wes Anderson, Andrea Arnold, Debra Granik, Sterlin Harjo, Todd Haynes, Shaka King, Lynne Ramsay, Dee Rees, Joey Soloway, Taika Waititi, and many others.
Shorts Online
For nearly a decade, the Sundance Film Festival has celebrated and exhibited short films in the online arena. Over the years, we’ve worked with iTunes, Netflix, Xbox, GSM, and YouTube in helping filmmakers reach a broad audience online. From selling shorts for the filmmakers’ profit to offering them free for audiences to enjoy, we’re always on the lookout for new ways the Festival can be both a leader and pioneer of the online frontier.
