The 29th Annual Palm Springs International Shortfest kicks off

The 29th Annual International Shortfest is officially underway in Palm Springs!

A variety of films from dramas, to animated, to comedies kicked off opening night on Tuesday.

Filmmakers from 65 countries are coming together throughout the week to see their hard work on the big screen at the Palm Springs Cultural Center.

Out of more than 6,500 submissions, around 300 eclectic films were chosen to be screened at the festival.

The festival is from June 20 to June 26. It will screen 50 curated programs showcasing hundreds of films including 53 World Premiers, 10 International Premieres, 33 North American Premieres, and 18 United States Premieres.

“Most rewarding for filmmaker is to be able to show your film to the world to participate in festivals like this so you know, to get out there so people will see a film," said filmmaker Olena Lysenko.

"I Never Had Dreams of My Son" is the first-ever film for Ukrainian producer Lysenko, who said it had been years in the making.

“We started filming actually back in 2014, during the Revolution in Ukraine," she explained. "It's the story about the Ukrainian father whose son is missing at war one at one of the battles, and he believes that he's still alive in Russian captivity.”

It was different journey for Lebanese filmmakers, Gaby and Michel Zarazir, who only took a matter of months to create their dark comedy "Sisters of the Rotation."

“Maybe two months with shooting and everything," Zarazir said. "It's a dark comedy coming from Lebanon, from the Middle East and it happens in a convent of nuns. And we all agree that the Earth spins by itself. But at that convent, the Earth doesn't spin by itself.” 

Dozens of people filled the theater on opening night, where multiple films were screened including the Zarazir's film.

They say seeing their work being displayed in front of this audience is an experience like no other.

"It's a comedy so you can hear people laugh and then you know the Q&A... and we are very grateful for this," Zarazir said.

There will be a forum on June 23 to June 25 that will host roundtables and meetings that cover emerging trends and new practices when it comes to filmmaking.

You can buy passes to attend all week long or individual screening tickets.

A full list of films can be found on the Shortfest website.