From candy-colored animations and heart-wrenching documentaries to a new film starring Hereditary’s Milly Shapiro, these 10 short films are not to be missed at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.
The 2025 Sundance Film Festival is just around the corner, and we’re excited to share our selection of short films screening at the festival. This year’s lineup features 57 films from 28 countries, chosen from an impressive 11,153 submissions—4,909 from the US and 6,244 from international filmmakers. As in previous years, the films are divided into several categories within eight programs: US Fiction, International Fiction, Animation, and Nonfiction. Each category will compete for a Jury Prize for Best Short Film, while all selections will vie for the festival’s highest honor, the Grand Jury Prize.
“Our Short Film Program celebrates fresh styles and unique stories. Audiences will discover much of the next generation of film talent here, with raw, exciting, and inspired filmmaking from around the world in each of our eight programs,” said Mike Plante, Senior Programmer for Short Films at Sundance.
Thirty-two of the 57 films are world premieres, with five making their international premieres. Cansu Baydar’s Almost Certainly False will make its North American premiere in Park City after competing in the Venice Orizzonti Short Competition last year, making it the only film from the 81st Venice Official Selection at Sundance this year. High-profile short films include the IDFA-winning The Flowers Stand Silently, Witnessing by Theo Panagopoulos, recently nominated for the BAFTA Awards, and Don Eblaham’s Vox Humana, which premiered at TIFF last year. Eblaham previously won the Sundance Short Grand Jury Prize for The Headhunter’s Daughter in 2022.
We’ve reviewed this year’s Sundance short film programs and selected 10 titles we’re excited to see, listed in no particular order:
HIPPOTATAMI (JJ Lin, International Fiction, Short Film Program 5)
One year after premiering his feature directorial debut Brief History of a Family, Chinese filmmaker Jianjie Lin (aka JJ Lin) returns to the festival with Hippotatami (He Ma). The short, which was shot before the feature, tells the story of a quirky girl who wants to see animals at the zoo and embarks on a ride that will forever change her perspective on life. Director JJ Lin describes the film as “a bit of an absurd comedy but with a dark undertone.”
DEADLOCK (Lucien Beucher, Mahdi Boucif, Nonfiction, Documentary Short Film Program)
French music video director Lucien Beucher ventures into documentary filmmaking, while Algerian documentary photographer Mahdi Boucif makes his directorial debut. They document two Algerian teenagers, Sifou and Mahrez, stuck in their Algiers neighborhood as they dream of escaping their circumstances and joining their brothers abroad.
LUZ DIABLA (Gervasio Canda, Paula Boffo, Patricio Plaza, Animation, Animated Short Film Program)
The collective behind Argentina’s Ojo Raro, known for their disruptive and queer South American gaze, brings the old folk legend of Luz Diabla to life. This 11-minute animated short follows a flamboyant urban raver involved in a strange car accident en route to a party in the Argentine Pampas.
WE WERE THE SCENERY (Christopher Radcliff, Nonfiction, Short Film Program 4)
This fascinating story follows Hoa Thi Le and Hue Nguyen Che, who fled Vietnam by boat in 1975 and docked in the Philippines, where they became background extras during the filming of Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now.
OUT FOR DELIVERY (Chelsea Christer, US Fiction, Short Film Program 2)
The latest from Chelsea Christer, director of Bleeding Audio, explores the story of Joanna, a terminally ill woman navigating the flawed systems of the Death with Dignity Act. Featuring Deanna Rooney and Martin Starr, this poignant film examines end-of-life decisions in a broken healthcare framework.
CARIES (Aline Höchli, Animation, Animated Short Film Program)
With eye-catching raw design and vibrant colors, this short features a shaman eager to create a monumental work of art, blissfully unaware she is painting her murals in the mouth of a vain weather presenter.
PEOPLE & THINGS (Damian Kosowski, International Fiction, Short Film Program 4)
Starring Oksana Cherkashyna (Klondike, Sundance 2022), this Polish production follows Olena as she grapples with the DNA confirmation of her husband’s death during the war. Produced by Munk Studio, the film continues the studio’s tradition of impactful storytelling, having presented Lift Lady and Bloodline at IDFA last year.
GRANDMA NAI WHO PLAYED FAVORITES (Chheangkea, International Fiction, Short Film Program 2)
Cambodian filmmaker Chheangkea tells the story of Grandma Nai, who leaves her peaceful afterlife to prevent her queer grandson from marrying a woman. This LGBTQ-focused film highlights Southeast Asian voices. Chheangkea is currently developing his first feature, Little Phnom Penh, recently selected for the Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab.
DEATH EDUCATION (Yuxuan Ethan Wu, Nonfiction, Short Documentary Program)
This documentary explores a unique death education class in China, where students bury unnamed ashes at a public cemetery to contemplate the meaning of life and death. Emerging filmmaker Yuxuan Ethan Wu specializes in character-driven documentaries and is currently pursuing an MFA at Stanford University in the Documentary Film Program. His films have been showcased at renowned international festivals, including the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival.
EM & SELMA GO GRIFFING HUNTING (Alexander Thompson, US Fiction, Midnight Short Film Program)
Alex Thompson specializes in fantastical narratives that blend myths, fairy tales, philosophical themes, aberrant psychology, strange monsters, and even stranger people. Set in Depression-era America, Em & Selma Go Griffing Hunting follows adolescent girls expected to hunt and slay a mythical beast of their mother’s choosing. The film stars Milly Shapiro, breakthrough actress from Hereditary, and scream queen Pollyanna McIntosh (The Woman, Let Us Prey).
The Film Fest Report team is an accredited media at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Expect substantial coverage from Park City, Utah, as the festival unfolds from January 23 to February 2, 2025.
