Palm Springs International ShortFest Announces Award Winners

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) — The 32nd Palm Springs International ShortFest wrapped up Sunday with its annual awards ceremony, recognizing outstanding filmmakers from around the world and distributing $30,000 in cash prizes across multiple categories.

The awards ceremony was held at the Hilton Palm Springs, where more than a dozen films and filmmakers were honored following a week of screenings showcasing 329 short films from 71 countries and territories.

The festival's top honor, Best of the Festival, and its $5,000 cash prize went to "Fruit" from Singapore, directed by Jen Nee Lim. Along with the top prize, four additional award-winning films became eligible for submission to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Oscar consideration:

• Best Animated Short: "FaCuk" (Croatia/Slovenia), directed by Maida Srabovic ($1,000)
• Best Documentary Short: "Water Cooler" (USA), directed by Emma V.F. ($1,000)
• Best Live-Action Short Over 15 Minutes: "Marga en el DF" (Mexico/USA/Dominican Republic), directed by Gabriela Ortega ($1,000)
• Best Live-Action Short 15 Minutes and Under: "We Were Here" (India), directed by Pranav Bhasin ($1,000)

Additional cash prizes were awarded in categories including Best Comedy Short, Best U.S. Short, Best LGBTQ+ Short, Best Student Short, Special Jury Awards and the Kids' Choice Award.

This year's jury featured acclaimed director Gus Van Sant, Moana 2 writer, director and producer Dana Ledoux Miller, Your Monster producer Kayla Foster and filmmaker Hayley Marie Norman.

The weeklong festival not only celebrated emerging and established filmmakers but also provided students with opportunities to learn from industry professionals while giving creatives a global platform to showcase their work.

This year's ShortFest featured 329 films, including 52 world premieres, 21 international premieres, 40 North American premieres, 30 U.S. premieres and 79 California premieres. The festival ran June 23-29 at Festival Theaters in Palm Springs.