ShortFest 2025
ShortFest Awards
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OSCAR® QUALIFYING
Best of the Festival Award
$5,000 Cash Prize; awarded to an animated, documentary or live-action student or non-student short film
Best Live-Action Short Over 15 Min.
Sponsored by V Channels Corp.
$1,000 Cash Prize; awarded to a live-action short film with a running time of 15:01 and over (student and non-student films are eligible)
Best Live-Action Short 15 Min. and Under
$1,000 Cash Prize; awarded to a live-action short film with a running time of 15:00 and under (student and non-student films are eligible)
Best Animated Short
$1,000 Cash Prize; awarded to an animated student or non-student short film
Best Documentary Short
$1,000 Cash Prize; awarded to a documentary student or non-student short film
SPECIAL JURY
Best International Short
$1,000 Cash Prize; awarded to a short film from outside of the United States (primary country must not be USA)
Best U.S. Short
$1,000 Cash Prize; awarded to a short film from the United States
Best Comedy Short
$1,000 Cash Prize
Best LGBTQ+ Short
$1,000 Cash Prize
Best Midnight Short
$1,000 Cash Prize
Bridging the Borders Award
Sponsored by 360 Media
$2,000 Cash Prize presented by Cinema Without Borders to a film that is most successful in bridging and connecting the people of our world closer together.
STUDENT
Best Student Animated Short
$1,000 Cash Prize
Best Student Documentary Short
$1,000 Cash Prize
Best Student International Short
$1,000 Cash Prize
Best Student U.S. Short
$1,000 Cash Prize
AUDIENCE
Best Animated Short
$600 Cash Prize, awarded to the student or non-student short animated film that scored the highest on ballots submitted by the audience
Best Documentary Short
$600 Cash Prize, awarded to the student or non-student documentary film that scored the highest on ballots submitted by the audience
Best Live-Action Short
$600 Cash Prize, awarded to the student or non-student live-action short that scored the highest on ballots submitted by the audience
Best Student Short
$600 Cash Prize, awarded to the student short that scored the highest on ballots submitted by the audience
LOCAL JURY
Desert Views
$1,000; awarded by a local jury of adults to a short film that, in the spirit of neighborliness, promotes understanding and acceptance between people
Young Cineastes
$1,000 cash prize; awarded by a local youth jury composed of high school students
Kids' Choice
$1,000 cash prize; awarded by a local youth jury composed of elementary and middle school students