Short Films Competition
While these films may be onscreen for mere moments, they make lasting impressions. Limited in length but never in creativity, short films have their very own energy, far removed from the financial constraints of a feature film and often the rules of cinema itself. Whether they embody the start of an idea or the crystallization of one, shorts are one of the most consistently intriguing cinematic forms, a fascinating world unto themselves.
Every short film in the Seattle International Film Festival is eligible for both the Golden Space Needle Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize. Our Shorts Competition jurors will choose winners in the Live-Action, Animation, and Documentary categories. Each Grand Jury Prize winner will receive $1,500; winners also qualify to enter their respective Short Film category of the Academy Awards® for the concurrent season without a theatrical run.
ALT Shorts
2022 | 74 min | Various
April 14 - 24, 2022
Thanks to a mix of old favorite filmmakers and new friends, ALT Shorts gives you a window into a surreal blend of man-made (and woman-made) abstractions, historical interpretations, and found-footage evocations.
Animation4Adults
2022 | 86 min | Various
April 14 - 24, 2022
This year’s animation program focuses on the “Adults” part of its title, with ten animated tales of sex, murder, and the mysteries of the flesh.
Cinematheque Infernal
2022 | 95 min | Various
April 14 - 24, 2022
Seven cinematic slices from Hell itself—these miniature masterpieces of supernatural terror and sophisticated suspense are pure nightmare fuel.
Connections – Seen and Unseen
2022 | 90 min | Various
April 14 - 24, 2022
Through traditional ways of being and contemporary expressions of existence, these short films demonstrate the dynamic intergenerational relationship between the seen and unseen—across time and space—in these global Indigenous stories.
Family Picture Show
2022 | 72 min | Various
April 14 - 24, 2022
Enjoy a wide variety of animated favorites from across the globe that will delight young and old alike.
FutureWave Shorts
2022 | 84 min | Various
April 14 - 24, 2022
We believe the children are our future. See shorts from around the world created by filmmakers under 18 who represent the next generation of cinema. Co-presented with NFFTY.
International Relations
2022 | 87 min | Various
April 14 - 24, 2022
The challenges of lives around the world are illuminated with these captivating accounts of intimacy, infatuation, and our enduring desire to interconnect.
N.W. Confidential
2022 | 86 min | Various
April 14 - 24, 2022
SIFF has scoured the cinematic “case files” of the past year and are releasing to the public (without redaction) the most meaningful, engaging, and unique short films from our creative state.
Our Body
2022 | 90 min | Various
April 14 - 24, 2022
It’s her choice. Where she lives, what skin she shows, how she makes money. Will she bring a life into this world, or will she not? It’s her body.
Out With the Norms
2022 | 87 min | Various
April 14 - 24, 2022
Whether they’re shedding light on overshadowed history, promoting more inclusive practices, enduring unexpected circumstances, or even subverting expectations, these films are reshaping the reel and real landscape while making them unapologetically queer.
ShortsFest Opening Night
2022 | 82 min | Various
April 14 - 24, 2022
It is our great pleasure to open our ShortsFest weekend with this collection of superb short films from around the world that exemplify the art of storytelling in all its variety. Comedy, drama, action—these films prove that short is truly sweet.
Welcome to the Family
2022 | 90 min | Various
April 14 - 24, 2022
Family, whether found or by birth—you have to live with them and you have to live without them.
WTF!
2022 | 96 min | Various
April 14 - 24, 2022
Buckle up for some WTF shorts with a capital Weird. Back with big-screen adventures of yummy axolotls, bunny and sushi legends, and the best family vacation ever! Or maybe the worst.