HollyShorts Film Festival Announces 2026 Nominees

The HollyShorts Film Festival has announced the nominees and finalists for its 22nd annual edition, and there’s a lot to be excited about. This year’s lineup celebrates standout short-form filmmaking from emerging and established storytellers around the world who bring their unique perspectives to topics of grief, love, heartbreak, coming of age, and more.

The Oscar-qualifying festival runs August 13–23, 2026 in Hollywood, wrapping up with the annual HollyShorts Awards Gala on Sunday, August 23.

Among the nominations are the Top 10 Live Action Short Film Finalists, competing for HollyShorts’ coveted Oscar-qualifying awards, Grand Prix and Best Live Action, as well as the Best Director Award.

Here’s a list of all the nominees.

TOP 10 LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM FINALISTS
Callback
Echoes
FAUX BIJOUX
I Am the Prize
Life Goes On
Meeting Your Maker
Never Give Up
PALE SUN
Talk Me
VULTURES

BEST ANIMATION
Apart
Captives
Gauze
Saba
With Tapes and Toasts in the Car

BEST DOCUMENTARY
I Got My Brother
The Chimney Sweeper
The Second Life of Freddie Nole
The Time My Grandmother Was Held Hostage by Bank Robbers
When the Revolution Doesn’t Come

BEST DRAMA
Copy, Save
For Niko
Gobstopper

BEST COMEDY
Callback
Disc
The Oracle

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Hyena
Shutterspeed
The Kalgan Horse

BEST EDITING
A Crime Across Four Landscapes
How Brief
HYENA

BEST HORROR
Banshee
Benny’s Second Birthday
Thick Skin

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Betty St. Clair
King of the Iron Will
La Lucha de Lucia

BEST STUNTS
Floor
kaya (ᜃᜌ)
The Impression

BEST INTERNATIONAL
FAUX BIJOUX
Souvenir
VULTURES

BEST MIDNIGHT MADNESS
MORTY
Thanks to Meet You!
The Seeing Eye Dog Who Saw Too Much

BEST MUSIC VIDEO
Archbishop Harold Holmes
The Macks – Dually of Man x The Modern Grape
Weval — Open Up That Door

BEST PERFORMANCE
Down the Length
I Am the Prize
Katya

BEST PRODUCER
Bobby
Last Stand at Butte City
Laundreams

SAGINDIE AWARD
Them That’s Not
FarEye
Woman Land

SOCIAL IMPACT AWARD
AMERICA
EXTREMIST
Water Cooler
BEST SCI-FI
EUROPA
Imprint
Infinite Rifts

BEST STUDENT FILM
Crisis Actor
Pankaja
See You, Soon

HOLLYSHORTS × FILMIO STUDIOS AUDIENCE SHORT FILM DISCOVERY PARTNERSHIP
Top 10 finalists for Audience Short Film Discovery Partnership

Another Day in New York — Adam & Sean Pine
Anxiety — Vladyslav Fidryk
Christmas Angels — Remington Hoffman
DOMINO SPRINGS — Dan Hertzog
From Way Up Here — Celeste Chaney
Girl | Dad — Lianzi Fields
Jes and Lora — Patrick Coleman Duncan
Naughty Maids — Rommel Rojas
Size Queen — Kenny Fierro
The POP — Eric J. Rodriguez

KODAK AWARDS
KODAK BEST SHOT ON FILM — 35MM
It Comes in Waves
Kink
Signal

KODAK BEST SHOT ON FILM — 16MM
El Tiguere
FAUX BIJOUX
Gobstopper

BEST TV
Do I Know You From Somewhere?
Savage
Too Romantic

BEST EFFECTS
Europa
Oneiros
The Color

BEST WEB SERIES
Birth is for P*ssies
Love Bomb Squad
Why Do You Hate Me?

MADE IN LA AWARD
Aaron and His Dad Try To Find Closure & Lucy Celebrates Andie’s Birthday at Universal Citywalk Hollywood
Christmas Angels
Spill the Frijoles

BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY
Beatport x Miller Mix: Georgia
Reflections Under the Electric Sky
shut the fuck up, when WE speak

BEST SPORTS DOCUMENTARY
Miles of Life
SET PACE
Zina

BEST PODCAST
abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast
Don’t Worry, No One’s Listening
TWO THOUSAND AND LATE