If you’re looking to binge on a curated selection of new short films from around the world, look out for the 2nd edition of the Long Distance Film Festival next week. It will be streaming a diverse mix of shorts from May 28th to May 31st ranging from Sundance-award wingers such as Bambirak and The Touch of The Master’s Hand to a one minute long iPhone film of a seagull eating a chicken wing. From the early peek we got of the festival’s ‘Future’ segment (streaming May 31st) we can definitely confirm that you’ll get an eclectic mix of shorts. It’s like a film fan’s lucky dip. Plus, the best part of the festival is that it’s all free to watch from wherever you are in the world. All you have to do is tune in to the stream at the right time.
We’ll be watching and reporting on the event. From the early previews we saw, we recommend looking out for Raspberry and Shadows in a Landscape from the Future segment and the Intimate Views special presentation. Raspberry has one of the most memorably comedic undertaker scenes in cinema, Shadows in a Landscape’s storytelling in the British midlands feels incredibly ghostly, whilst Intimate Views captures what feels like a dystopian vacation service. Just go into the screenings with an open mind as, sticking to it’s roots in supporting art and media made under quarantine’s limitations, the Long Distance Film Festival’s 2nd edition continues to support personal films made with smaller budgets and crews.
Ahead of the launch, please find more information on the films and when to watch them on the Long Distance Film Festival’s website linked above. We’ll check back in after the festival with an overview of what we saw.
There’s always a lot going on at AFI Fest, from red carpet premieres and international film festival hits to highly anticipated films from returning filmmakers. However, the short films can sometimes fly under the radar, even though it always features a wealth of talent. This year we focused on the animated offering with a couple of dashes of live action.
Here are our highlights from the short films at AFI Fest 2026.
The Best Short Films at AFI Fest 2026
Trading Cards (Australia)
The sinister nature of Trading Cards fit the week-before-Halloween timing of AFI Fest perfectly. It explores identity, mental health, and the erosion of childhood innocence through the story of a man who journeys back to encounter his younger self. The animation of the older self reminded me of the morally ambiguous villains of Studio Ghibli films that you never fully trust. He’s creepy and creatively animated, and he makes this short unique and memorable. Director Radheya Jang is one to look out for in the future.
Venezia Diorama (Italy)
Somehow Venezia Diorama manages to be both classic and fresh. The quaint pictures of Venice are elegantly detailed, giving the short a timeless feel, while the little windows where the animation occurs are uniquely captivating. These animation windows highlight movement in an otherwise still-life picture, and convey the effects of time and erosion on a city; showing Venice slowly succumbing to time.
We Were Here (India)
Silly, but pertinent, We Were Here follows three men that can’t find work and choose to become robots in a satirical play on the rise of ‘artificial intelligence’ and smart machines. The jokers in this docu-comedy emphasize both the uselessness of humans playing machines and the specificity of machines in the human realm. It’s a tongue-in-cheek protest against the current capitalist state of the world and a reminder that humans will always be more human than machines.
In The Beginning (Poland)
In The Beginning tells three quirky true stories about our treatment of animals across the ages. Each story is quite interesting and captured my attention in the same way as the science videos from Kurzgesagt. However, the beautifully vibrant coloring sets this short apart. Each story is marked by a different color, which while simple, appears dynamic and eye-catching.
Where Were We (India)
Studio Eeksaurus have dropped the most creative animated commercials of the past year in Desi Oon and The Godawan, so we weren’t surprised to find more creativity here. In Where Were We, we’re taken on a trippy dive into an anxiety laden handbag, with each item coming alive to portray different anxieties in the owners life. This short further proves the talent of Studio Eeksaurus and shows that they don’t need advertising money to make great short films.
Saba (U.S.)
Combining an emotional punch with an imaginative world in which gravity is reversed, we would not be surprised to see Saba on the Academy Awards shortlist in the not too distant future. It shows Saba, a grandfather, with his grandson living on a floating boat reminiscent of the titular castle in Howl’s Moving Castle. As they navigate storms, and Saba metaphorically ascends to heaven, the grandson transcends horizontal planes to find closure. It’s an emotional and creative hit.
Aktos (Kazakhstan)
It’s not often you see Kazakh animations on the festival circuit, so this is worth a watch just for this reason. However, more than that, you can find felt-based characters that ooze a homey warmth through their texture. The depictions of traditional Kazakh clothing and food also turn this sad tale into a heart-warming one. The flashbacks and backing soundtrack might add a bit too much melodrama, but it’s a method that almost guarantees tears in the film’s viewers.
We strongly encourage everyone to check out AFI Fest next year. Please find previous coverage of AFI Fest here and check the official AFI Fest website for news on next year’s schedule!
Just like the 2020 edition of AFI Fest, AFI Fest 2021 had some great shorts available to view on the online platform throughout the duration of the festival. This year’s mix ranged from multi-media animation featured in Love, Dad and H.A.G.S. to documentaries about death (The Death Cleaner), and travelled from Singapore (Strawberry Cheesecake) to Sudan (Al-Sit). Here are four of the Best Shorts from AFI Fest 2021. Look out for them on streaming platforms and other film festivals in the near future.
Best Shorts AFI Fest 2021
Love, Dad (Czech Republic)
In Love, Dad, the director Diana Cam Van Nguyen finds some letters of love her estranged dad wrote years ago. She uses a mix of styles to help process her emotions. The quickly narrated diary style gives the film a constantly moving stream-of-consciousness to keep her emotions flowing whilst the mixed-in animation allows her to speak about her relationship with some emotional distance. Much like last year’s winner Tiger and Ox in which a daughter identifies with her strict mother through animation, Van Nguyen manages to forgive her absent dad with the help of the comfort of animation.
Zonder Meer (Belgium)
Zonder Meer perfectly captures youthful summer holiday vibes at a Belgian camp-site. The camerawork brings us down to 5 year old Lucie’s innocent kid curiosity and the grainy colors give off a nostalgic warmth. However, the patient editing and 360 audio gradually expose us to the tragedy unfolding on the edge of Lucie’s consciousness: a boy has disappeared and may have drowned. Whilst Lucie quietly continues her explorations with other kids her age, the adults, unprotected from reality worry for the missing kid and their family.
Her Dance (Israel)
Bar Cohen’s Her Dance follows Aya, a Trans Woman, as she surprises her sister and Orthodox Jewish family at their house on Shabbat night. Because of her appearance, she’s met with scorn by her mother and sidelined by her family. However, the more she’s pushed away, the more determined she feels to stay. This lends an uneasy tension to the short which culminates in a memorable dancing scene (pictured above) and duel with her mother amongst a cheering circle of guests.
BabyBangz (U.S.)
Anastasia Ebel’s BabyBangz captures a hairdressing salon in New Orleans specializing in natural hair. While this might sound pretty mundane, this is no ordinary hairdressing salon. These hairdressers offer a complete experience, offering you world advice of a therapist and educational lessons with book recommendations in addition to a unique haircut. The tone of the movie matches the inspiring content. It features ethereal piano scales layered into the soundtrack (much like in Garrett Bradley’s Time) and an artistic mix of close ups and people living in and around the salon mimicking the style of Khalil Joseph. Both the salon and the film will inspire you to start something.
Head to our AFI Fest 2021 Hub for more reviews and short films from AFI Fest 2021.
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