2025 Palm Springs International Shortfest: Award Winners Review Roundup

The 31st Palm Springs International ShortFest is now sadly over and juried awards and special mentions were handed out to a total of 37 shorts. Here at ShortStick we think they did an excellent job with their selections and are here to give our thoughts on several. Congrats to all the winners below!

Best of the Festival Award

• Winner: Retirement Plan, Directed by John Kelly

“I should exercise more”, “I should learn a foreign language”, “I should save more for retirement”, “I should have that conversation”, “I should…For many people life is filled with I-should’s. An urge to do more, to be better, to explore, and a will to do so in the distant land of another day. In John Kelly’s retirement plan this theme is explored through the eyes of Ray, voiced by Domhnall Gleeson. Ray is somewhere in the middle of his life and overstimulated while simultaneously low in motivation. He dreams of his big retirement plan, of fitting multiple lifetimes worth of activities into those twilight years. As he dreams in a poem-like manner of voiceovers, we see his dreams come to life before us. We watch him achieve small victories like inbox zero on his email or learning to play a single piano piece, to big changes like daily exercising and being as he puts it “aggressively present”. The dreams progress alongside an aging Ray that slowly moves towards his final days here on earth, filled with experiences from an endless list of I-should’s.

The balance on display here between the harsh truth of a finite lifetime and the silly little things we tell ourselves we need even though we probably do not is exceptional. It speaks to one of our most fundamental desires of achieving more with less, but do so in a way that feels like reminiscing rather than longing. It is emotionally impactful, beautiful and funny without either side overpowering the other. Perhaps you have had many of the same dreams as Ray does, or you have even achieved some and come out the other end richer in life for it, regardless of where in the films timeline you find yourself I think many of us can relate to the state of mind and the desire to break free from the endless dwelling and start accomplishing, as well as the anxiety that comes with that feeling and the irony of starting projects just for the heck of it.

Lastly I want to highlight the script from writers John Kelly and Tara Lawall specifically, the words flow so well as a standalone poem that you can close your eyes and listen, dreaming of your own version of the visuals and what they mean to you. Not to say the visuals are not good in and of themselves, but the words are so impactful at driving the momentum of the film you can easily get lost in them. This is one to get back to, as I know I will, many times over.

-Robin Hellgren

• Special Mention for Best Director: Passarinho, Directed by Natalia García Agraz

Football is a passion so strong in Latin America, it fits the stereotype. We are thoroughly obsessed with the sport. It is something that runs inside our blood. Not everyone supports it or is a fan. But every four years, people will come together to cheer for their national team in the World Cup. Based on this powerful cultural bond, Natalia García Agraz’s Passarinho narrates the story of two best friends madly in love with football. Before their idol’s last game, the incredible goalkeeper Passarinho, they go through a series of unfortunate events that will test their passion for the game.

It’s worth noting how Natalia handles the characters, who are in a critical stage of development (with one of them going through her first period). There is a whole subtext of the awakening during a match, which most parents consider a timely hobby that will soon fade away. However, many people may lower their passion for the sport, but the memories and moments stay. This is the emotional core of the film. It focuses on the building of love for the game between a mother and her child.

The mom is having a terrible day: her work is in shambles. She crashes the car on the way to the match, and her communication with her child is not ideal. Natalia concentrates the narrative on the beauty of life and the reconciliation found in relationships. It’s beautiful to watch the mother-daughter relationship unfold. The moms love for the sport starts to build as she starts to vibe with the stadium atmosphere. The cosmic climate of celebrating a goal,  communal drinking, and sharing ninety minutes of pure madness. It summarizes the Latino experience with the sport and the heat it causes on Mexicans, Brazilians, Colombians, and Argentinians. What is better than gathering with friends to watch Brazil play in the World Cup?

Before the credits roll, Natalia dedicates the film to her mom and Messi. It perfectly fits a film that homages family and the idols that make children fall in love with the sport. Messi, Vini Jr., Luis Díaz, and other idols ignite a fire inside those who love the sport, bringing together pre-teen girls and troubled moms around a football spectacle.

-Pedro Lima

• Special Mention for Best Acting: Beyond Silence, Directed by Marnie Blok

I could not agree more that Beyond Silence is a clear winner in this Best Acting sub-category. This short contains a trio of heartbreaking and gut-wrenching performances from Henrianne Jansen, Sigrid ten Napel and Tamar van den Dop, all working off a powerful script from director and writer Marnie Blok.

Each bring a very unique aspect to their performance. Henrianne Jansen plays a deaf woman named Eva. She brings a nervousness to her story and a doubt that she will be understood or heard. The emotion in her signing and her frustration that she isn't understood can be deeply felt and leaves a haunting mark that will stay with you long after the short ends. Sigrid ten Napel as Anna shows intense advocacy for Eva, being the support she needs not only to translate sign language but is also there as her emotional support. It's easy to see her care for Eva, reassuring her in the moments she is most filled with doubt and constantly standing in her corner, helping her to carry on. She is a mediator, not only to Sandrine but the audience as well as she passionately gives a voice to Eva. Tamara van den Dop as Sandrine gives a understated and restrained performance, as she feels she must hold back and remain professional. This lasts until the very last moments where she gets to let out a burst of emotion. Almost the entirety of the short takes place in a single room which makes this even more impressive as it allows the engaging performances to be the focus and take the drivers seat.

"He had threads of saliva between his lips and abrasive beard,"

This is an example of just how visceral the screenwriting is. Each line details a series of events that a woman should never have to go through. We live in a reality where woman are too often abused and too rarely believed. This should never be the case.

-Brandon MacMurray

Best Animated Short

• Winner: Budō (Sweden), Directed by Amanda Aagard and Alexander Toma

With the fact that I currently own 2 cats and have fostered close to 35 cats over the past 3 years, you can probably say I am a certified cat lover. Even right now as I sit here on my couch with my laptop trying to write this I have a kitten I am fostering climbing on my arms and purring. Cats always find a way to wiggle into your heart, just like the titular cat Budo does to a lonely widow named Miho in this stop-motion animated short film. 

Budo has incredible craftsmanship in its set pieces, as the streets and Miho’s home in Tokyo are intricately planned out. Budo starts off with Miho opening a present from her late-husband, it turns out it is a new pair of shoes paired with a note to treat herself with to something tasty. On her way home from the grocery store Miho meets the stray cat named Budo and decides to take him home with her. You will soon find out that Budo not only continues to grow on Miho metaphorically, but grows physically as well, maybe a little too much. 

Budo is a quirky tale that puts charm and laughter into an emotional story of moving on from loss. Sometimes conquering loss just takes building up the strength to take one step after another in some new shoes, other times it’s meeting a new companion along the way. Or perhaps it’s actually physically moving on from the place you were, in the most unexpected of ways. 

-Brandon MacMurray

• Special Mention: The Little Ancestor (Canada), Directed by Alexa Tremblay-Francoeur

Best Documentary Short

• Winner: Shanti Rides Shotgun (USA), Directed by Charles Frank

Reviewed in an earlier Palm Springs post.

See our full review here: https://www.shortstickfilms.com/post/2025-palm-springs-review-roundup-part-1

• Special Mention: One Day I Will Hug You (Palestine/Sweden/Qatar), Directed by Mohammed Fares Al Majdalawi

Best Live-Action Short Over 15 Minutes

• Winner: Susana (Mexico/USA), Directed by Amandine Thomas and Gerardo Coello Escalante

The directing duo Amandine Thomas and Gerardo Coello Escalante began their trilogy of shorts about Mexico with Viaje de Negocios. Participating in last year's Sundance Film Festival, the film narrates the story of a boy and his brand-new, cool sneakers that his father bought for him in San Antonio, Texas. The directing partners return to the second part of this trilogy, now with Susana, which also had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. In this new film, Susana (Bonnie Hellman), a seventy-something lady, is visiting Mexico City. She is on her own in the most populous city in Latin America, where she must discover the balance between the adventurous nature of the unknown and her loneliness. 

Similar to the first effort of the trilogy, the duo decides to question the thin line between tourism and the cultural oppression by Americans on Mexican society. Viaje de Negocios personifies the imperialistic problem on a sneaker, which would cause jealousy in the other children and make the boy feel special. It is the cultural interference and the robust belief that anything from the North is better. In Susana, the duo discuss the impact of American tourists on the local environment. How does Mexico City change when hundreds of Americans visit yearly? It is the question that the young directors try to formulate into a “trip film”, an exploration of the journey of this older woman abandoned by her daughter. 

Coello Escalante and Thomas propose a contradictory nature for the leading character. She is a defenseless and lonely older woman. Yet, she is also the reason gentrification is hitting the Mexican capital so intensely. In a dialogue, she tries to offer a toy to a ten-year-old boy selling salted crickets in a square. Susana understands that he should be playing, not selling snacks in the metropolis. His response is abrasive, and he is rude towards her when she denies buying the goods. After all, Susana personifies the reason why he has to sell them. American tourists rent apartments, and the cost of living becomes more expensive. They spend their American dollars in hundreds, once the currency is favorable to the so-called global currency. 

At the same time, the film approaches the solitude of the older individuals. Those who should live their best lives during retirement, but do not find sympathy from a world they worked so hard for. Susana is alone in Mexico because her daughter bailed at the last minute. Even though she encounters a young group of friends to interact with in the city, they will do the same. The simplistic answer is the generational gap between Susana and her thirty-year-old buddies, who are in Mexico to drink Tequila and dance to traditional music. 

Despite their age differences, they represent the equivalent parasitic nature of Mexican tourism and how it affects the local lives. Visually, the directors portray a young girl offering roses in the bar. Again, she should be playing and enjoying the experiences of childhood, but the wealth gap requires her to help at home. The duo frames the sadness and understanding of that young girl, and the cut back to Susana implies her comprehension of her wrongdoings in the tourism industry. 

Overall, in this second effort of a trilogy, the directors tackle the difficult balance of tourism and cultural oppression as well as the ongoing heavy gentrification of Mexico City. They also encapsulate the solitude of an older woman who finds comfort in the city's beauty. With such success in their first two efforts we at ShortStick can’t wait to see what the third short in the trilogy holds!

-Pedro Lima

• Special Mention: Nervous Energy (USA), Directed by Eve Liu

Nervous Energy is a triumph and holds the spot for my favourite short of the year so far. Its innovative and chaotic energy is both genius and hysterical. With an extremely clever screenplay and masterful editing (by Jordan Michael Blake) that is fast-paced and air-tight, it's no shock that Spike Lee saw something in this and signed on as an Executive Producer. 

Nervous Energy is anchored by two outstanding and completely unhinged performances from Lucia Zhang and Sonia Yuan who play Jay and Kiki respectively. After hearing a post-movie Q+A with a director, Jay and Kiki feel like they have hit an inflection point in their life. In the name of art, they must rid themselves of all distractions, and that starts with breaking up with their boyfriends. When one follows through and the other backs out, a battle of words and wit ensues in a cafe.

As mentioned above, the screenplay does a lot for the film. Having a narrator to calmly set the scene and guide us through the chaos is a spectacular choice. I was also completely here for the subtly hilarious moments. As the back and forth in the cafe escalates, Jay says of Kiki’s boyfriend, “ He’s passive-aggressive.” You then get a quick cut to a scene of her boyfriend passive aggresively arguing with a waitress for a straw. It's a scene that on its face may seem like an unnecessary break to the flow of their argument, but adds a lot to the humour to the short.

The cinematography by Mélanie Akoka is adept and wide-ranging throughout as it varies from a far off shot that zooms in on the girls walking through hoards of people to closeups shots of bloody noses. The use of a split screen to simultaneously show the two girls different scenarios is also a uniquely wonderful storytelling device.

“Men don’t have taste, they have confidence”

“Girls shouldn’t gamble with their lives” 

This short is a brilliant commentary on gender roles in art. How art is often seen as a hobby for women but a career for men. How women have to go to extremes to be taken seriously enough to be successful. It’s also about priorities and progress. For some people that is chasing your dreams no matter what the cost, friendships and all. For others it may look like focusing on a family. Neither are a wrong way to live, but depending on who you talk to either could be seen as a waste of potential. Overall, Eve Liu shows us her crazy level of potential with directing this gem and is a director to keep an eye out for in the future.  

Nervous Energy not only received a special mention in the Best Live-Action short over 15 minutes but won the award for Best Student U.S. Short as well.

-Brandon MacMurray

Best Live-Action Short 15 Minutes and Under

• Winner: Medusa (USA), Directed by Sarah Meyohas

• Special Mention: Made From Leakproof Plastic (Canada/United Kingdom), Directed by Anastasiya Mykhaylova

Student Short Awards: 

Best Student U.S. Short & Best Student Documentary Short

Student U.S. Short:

• Winner: Nervous Energy (USA), Directed by Eve Liu and Breastmilk (USA/Nigeria) Directed by Ifeyinwa Arinze

• Special Mention: Kisses and Bullets (USA/Iran), Directed by Faranak Sahafian

Writer director Faranak Sahafian brings us the live action drama Kisses and Bullets, in which we follow two separate but parallel stories of Iranian women attending protests in their respective countries of Iran and the US. Connected through a photo on social media, the two stories find similarities despite physically being worlds apart.

While clearly political in its messaging, Sahafian frames the stories around the beauty of love and its juxtaposition with the fear of retribution for standing up for it, making the film relatable for the viewers who may not be politically involved in the conflict. Leaning on the angle of romance in all of its beautiful forms, the film quickly draws us in as viewers and leaves a lasting impact, with lots of layers for the viewers to dissect and discuss. It leaves you with a reinforced belief that love is love no matter what form it takes on, and that fact can not and should never be political. With that in mind I would not be surprised if we see more of this film throughout the season ahead of us.

-Robin Hellgren

Student Documentary Short:

• Winner: You Can’t See It from Here (USA/Colombia), Directed by Enrique Pedráza-Botero

The coastal Florida city of Miami has long been a landing sport for new arrivals in America. Often, this is associated with displacement and unrest, as migrants and refugees flee their undesirable living situations in Central and South American countries for a better life. In his incendiary documentary short film You Can’t See It from Here, director Enrique Pedráza-Botero interrogates the wealthy Colombian expats who, in response to the first left-wing president being elected in their 2022 election, are moving to Miami to buy second, third, or even fourth homes. As the sense of “having” becomes a political agenda, Pedráza-Botero investigates the space between the haves and the have-nots.

Up and coming documentarian Pedráza-Botero focuses his work on identity, memory, and the complexity of home. He’s interested in the evolution of the documentary form at the intersection of socially-conscious work and the art of filmmaking. His co-directed short Alpha Kings was acquired by The New Yorker, and You Can’t See It from Here has already played at several festivals, including the prestigious New Directors/New Films. You Can’t See It from Here was completed for Pedráza-Botero’s MFA in documentary film at Stanford University, and it is rare to have a new documentarian arrive with a voice and point-of-view already so fully established.

Pedráza-Botero takes a multimedia approach to tackle the overwhelming amount of footage he presents. Much like the people it is about, You Can’t See It from Here is suspended in the space between arriving and finding belonging; observational vignettes in contemporary Miami are juxtaposed with a collection of video and sound archives that reveal an obsession with American individualism and collective uncertainty. You Can’t See It from Here at any moment is a combination of split screen, stock news footage, vintage Miami tourism ads (“the promise of distant horizons always have called men forward” one proclaims) and strobing text straight out of a Godard film.

You Can’t See It from Here easily cuts back and forth through time and place, combining and recombining archival and new footage, from as early as the 1930s right up to the very cutting edge of these hot-button issues. Vintage film clips from Plan 9 from Outer Space, and news footage of President Kennedy’s visit to Colombia in 1961 share equal space with beautifully-shot new footage of a shipyard in the port of Miami, a high-end luxury condo tour, and an American citizenship ceremony.

You Can’t See It from Here is interested in the absurd wealth disparity created in Miami, contrasting high-priced real estate with charities and support networks like foodbanks where new arrivals are helped to start a new life. “For some we are evil,” one new arrival explains, “for others we don’t even exist.” The film ends with the surprising (and surprisingly moving) image of Latino immigrants sewing American flags, their first step in their pursuit of an American dream. The creation of You Can’t See It from Here started in 2022, borders and immigration have only become a bigger flashpoint in American politics since then, with the issues at the core of You Can’t See It from Here being more and more relevant.

-Joshua Hunt

• Special Mention: Dancing in Tomorrowland (USA), Directed by Jakob Roston

Best Student Animated Short & Best Student International Short

Student Animated Short:

• Winner: Dragfox (United Kingdom), Directed by Lisa Ott

• Special Mention: Ma Mao (Canada), Directed by Thanh Ngo

Student International Short:

• Winner: Cura Sana (Spain), Directed by Lucía G. Romero

• Special Mention: Crazy For You (Spain/USA), Directed by Greta Díaz Moreau

Special Jury Awards: 

Vimeo Staff Pick Award

• Winner: You Know You Wanna Stay (USA), Directed by Alex Heller

Best International Short

• Winners: Beyond Silence (The Netherlands), Directed by Marnie Blok and Kuchar (The Itch) (India), Directed by Vaidaangi Sharma

• Special Mention: Goodbye Sun (France), Directed by Hakim Atoui

Best U.S. Short

• Winner: Szypliszki (USA), Directed by Jordan Axelrod

• Special Mention: Ragamuffin (USA), Directed by Kaitlyn Mikayla

Best Comedy Short

• Winners: How Was Your Weekend (USA), Directed by Cam Banfield and Your Own Flavor (USA), Directed by Alisha Ketry

• Special Mention: Blood Ties (France/Belgium), Directed by Hakim Atoui

Best LGBTQ+ Short

• Winners: Chico (France/Belgium), Directed by Théo Abadie and Hold Me Close (USA), Directed by Aurora Brachman and LaTajh Simmons-Weaver

• Special Mention: It Will Always End In The End (Canada), Directed by Nancy Pettinicchio

Best Midnight Short

• Winner: Mango (United Kingdom/France), Directed by Joan Iyiola

• Special Mention: Real (France), Directed by Rodrigue Hart

Local Jury Awards:

Desert Views Local Jury Award

• Winner: Big Bass (USA), Directed by Drew Dickler

• Special Mention: The Devil Is Busy (USA), Directed by Geeta Gandbhir and Christalyn Hampton

Young Cineastes Award

• Winner: Énouement (USA), Directed by Angel Lu

• Special Mention: Dandelion (USA), Directed by Fiona Obertinca

Kids’ Choice Award

• Winner: Wednesdays with Gramps (USA), directed by Chris Copeland and Justin Copeland

• Special Mention: Forevergreen (USA), directed by Nathan Engelhardt and Jeremy Spears