Palm Springs International ShortFest

The 32nd Palm Springs International ShortFest runs June 23 through 29, 2026, in Palm Springs, California, making it one of the few film festivals in the world where you can watch a Spanish animation, a Korean documentary, and a Canadian live-action drama before noon, then be poolside by two in the afternoon.

The festival is Academy Award, BAFTA, and Goya-qualifying, which means the shorts you see here may well resurface during awards season. Each program runs about 90 minutes and bundles four to six films thematically, so you get real editorial curation rather than a random shuffle. In 2026, more than 300 films selected from roughly 60 countries screen across venues in central Palm Springs, with the ShortFest Forum panels and filmmaker lounges anchoring to the Renaissance Palm Springs at 888 E Tahquitz Canyon Way.

What separates ShortFest from a standard film festival is the unusual access it gives regular attendees to working filmmakers. The ShortFest Forum runs alongside the screenings and includes roundtables, master classes, and one-on-one conversations with directors, producers, and distributors. General admission ticket holders can attend most Forum events at no extra charge, which is rare at qualifying festivals of this size. A festival pass grants entry to every program, including Opening Night and Closing Night, without needing to reserve individual seats, which gives you the freedom to wander between venues and follow your instincts.

Evening Filmmaker Parties keep the energy going after dark, and past years have drawn a genuine mix of first-time shorts directors and seasoned industry professionals in the same room.

The 2025 Best Live Action Short winner, “I’m Not a Robot,” first screened at ShortFest before its awards run, which tells you something about the festival’s track record for spotting work before the rest of the industry catches up. Join us to find out who takes the top prize this year.