Content warning: TBD A collection of narrative short films (in the Drama genre) in contention for official selection, nomination as Quarterfinalist for both genre and technical categories. One will win the Quarter Final and be named BEST DRAMA SHORT FILM of the 1st Quarter of 2026! Audience Choice balloting is open. Your vote counts!

While housesitting alone, Danny invites an older stranger over for a casual hookup. The charged encounter pushes Danny out of his comfort zone and into a world of confusion, forcing him to face the mismatch between who he is and who he appears to be.

A young queer man’s encounter with an older stranger exposes the cost of living in the closet.

On the one-year anniversary of their daughter’s death, Michael and Ava spend the day chasing moments of childhood joy. They race bikes, eat cheese balls, and compete to see who can swing the highest. The playfulness is real, but temporary. As the day ends, they ride to the cemetery to honor their eight-year-old daughter, Emma. The weight of the day overtakes them.

The Anniversary

The one-year anniversary of their daughter’s death.

A prisoner facing his impending execution must come to terms with what awaits him after death.

Convicted

A prisoner facing his impending execution must come to terms with what awaits him after death.

After their family bails on them, Janae is forced to take her younger brother, Henry, on a road trip to a distant relative's wedding.

Janae & the Bear

When a simple mistake leaves a young woman locked inside an empty building on Christmas Eve, she is forced to endure a long, claustrophobic night alone. What begins as an ordinary evening gradually spirals into a tense struggle for survival, as she confronts isolation, fear, and the growing desperation to find a way out.

No Way Out

A woman locked inside an empty building on Christmas Eve.

Set in 1989 Los Angeles, Ramirez follows veteran journalist Roman Devereaux, whose exclusive face-to-face interview with notorious serial killer Richard Ramirez begins as a life-defining moment but soon descends into a psychological duel. As the conversation unravels, Roman is forced to confront not only the monster across the table, but the darkness within himself.

Ramirez

An exclusive face-to-face interview with notorious serial killer soon descends into a psychological duel.

A young couple's marriage unravels under financial burden as the pressure of raising a child in poverty threatens to tear their little family apart. Pent up tensions and resentment finally culminate in a fierce argument during an evening alone. The two face irreversible change as their true feelings surface.

We Fall Apart

A young couple's marriage unravels under financial burden as the pressure of raising a child in poverty threatens to tear their little family apart. Pent up tensions and resentment finally culminate in a fierce argument during an evening alone. The two face irreversible change as their true feelings surface.

Vernon Parrish, a retired mayor of a large suburb just outside of Chicago, had moved to the small town of Livingston, Montana, for peace and solitude and to get out of the public eye. After six years, Verne's past returns to haunt him, driving him into a self-imposed exile at his cabin in the woods, hoping to ride out the media storm. While he is away, a storm of a different form rolls in, drastically changing the world as he knew it, culminating in a tale of a man who is both a victim and a beneficiary of circumstance.

Come Out, Wherever You Are

After six years, a retired mayor's, now moved to a small town in Montana, past returns to haunt him.

A couple spends a perfect day ice-skating, but beneath the surface their relationship is falling apart. She is secretly leaving to study abroad. He has just received his permanent residency. When the truth comes out, a confrontation breaks them apart, and a crack splits the ice beneath his feet.

Rift

Raj, a socially withdrawn software engineer, spends his days in routine and playing chess alone, avoiding the first move both on the board and in life. When he discovers a mysterious bracelet left beside his chessboard, it leads to an unexpected exchange of letters with an unknown girl who seems to have made the first move for him. As their conversations unfold move by move, Raj begins to question the doubts that have long held him back and must decide whether he is finally ready to step beyond the board and make a move of his own.

First Move

A socially withdrawn software engineer plays chess alone, avoiding the first move both on the board and in life.

When you keep running from yourself eventually you will get tired

You Talking To Me

When you keep running from yourself eventually you will get tired

SDSFF Narrative Short Films: Drama

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Celebrating the art of storytelling through short films, showcasing the work of talented filmmakers from around the world. From thought-provoking dramas to captivating animations, the festival presents a rich tapestry of storytelling, offering a platform for emerging and established filmmakers.

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