The 16th Annual Atlanta Shortsfest is your front-row seat to some of the most creative, clever, emotional, strange, hilarious, powerful, and unforgettable short films from around the world. It’s a weekend built to celebrate indie voices and bold storytelling in small doses that leave a big impression.

From comedy and drama to animation, horror, documentary, and experimental work, this is where filmmakers take risks and audiences discover something new around every corner.

What Makes Shortsfest Special:

Nonstop Variety
Every screening block is a fresh mix. You never know what’s coming next, and that’s what makes it fun. You’ll laugh, think, and maybe get a little weirded out - all in the same hour.

High Energy, No Filler
These films get right to the point and pack a punch. It’s an ideal festival for curious film lovers who want to see more in less time.

Meet the Makers
After the credits roll, stick around for Q&As with filmmakers. Whether they flew in or live down the street, they’ve got stories to tell and insights to share.

A Festival That Feels Like a Party
When the films wrap, the fun continues. Mingle with filmmakers and film fans at casual after-parties and hangouts where the conversations keep flowing  The vibe is fun, friendly, and fast-moving.

Film Festival Schedule

Saturday, June 21, 2025

12:00 PM: Shorts 1 : Please Stand By

Breakups, breakdowns, death notices, and Wonderland spirals. These shorts drop us into lives already unraveling, some funny, some heartbreaking, all a little magical.

88 min. total run time

12:30 PM: SHORTS 2: Echoes We Carry

Memories, secrets, digital ghosts. These stories stretch across time, through past lives and future anxieties. A housewife returns to the source of her pain. A child watches the stars. In old homes, rural roads, and underground artist enclaves, the past is never done with us. And the future isn’t waiting politely either.

84 min. total run time

2:15 PM: SHORTS 3: THE MOTHER LOAD

Caregivers, protectors, survivors, and cycle-breakers. These stories explore the messy, beautiful, complicated weight of motherhood. Whether you're holding on, letting go, or barely holding it together.

91 min. total run time

2:30 PM: SHORTS 4: Protection Spells

These are stories about the things we guard and the love we protect. A boy clings to a teddy bear that might be alive. A sister keeps the past sealed behind a prayer. A mother locks the door, hoping grief won’t find its way in. Each short explores the quiet power of care - and what we’re willing to face to keep someone safe.

99 min. total run time

Location: Theater 2

4:30 PM: SHORTS 5: Feelings, Man.

Big feelings, small moments. These shorts explore grief, memory, loneliness, and the quiet connections that shape us - the weird, tender ways we try to understand each other, and ourselves, when everything breaks or finally makes sense.

95 min. total run time

4:45 PM: SHORTS 6 : BAGGAGE CLAIM

People try to connect - through sex, grief, fantasy, and awkward dinner conversations - and things rarely land the way they’re supposed to. Some unpack too much. Others hold on too tight. Either way, their baggage is coming through.

92 min. total run time

Location: Theater 2

6:30 PM: SHORTS 7: Homegrown

Made by Georgia filmmakers or filmed right here at home. From awkward encounters to heartfelt reckonings, these local shorts reflect the range, voice, and talent rising out of the South.

95 min. total run time

6:45 PM: SHORTS 8: Our Queerly Beloved

From magical foxes and awkward parties to painful memories and public battles, these stories celebrate queer identity in all its humor, heartbreak, quiet strength, and full-on defiance. Some are soft. Some are loud. All of them are real.

110 min. total run time

Location: Theater 2

9:15 PM: SHORTS 9 : Things We Leave Behind

People, places, expectations. Some things slip away suddenly. Others we outgrow, abandon, or grieve in pieces. These shorts explore the quiet exits, the emotional leftovers, and the weird ways we try to move on.

120 min. total run time

Location: Theater 2

9:45 PM: SHORTS 10: Hot Mess Express

Casual hookups, killer trailers, crazy Santas, obsession with water bottles, and ventriloquist dummies with STDs. These shorts are hilarious, unfiltered, and exactly the kind of weird you need right now. All aboard!

94 min. total run time

11:30 PM: SHORTS 11 : But At What Cost

Freedom, revenge, survival. These characters break out, burn bridges, and push forward into the unknown. In the aftermath of trauma, cults, collapse, and transformation, each one is left asking the same thing - was it worth it?

108 min. total run time

11:45 PM: SHORTS 12: Dead Serious

Unhinged dates, undead influencers, forgotten cats, and slow decay. This collection dives into paranoia, monsters, and messy revenge with a mix of gore, dark humor, and eerie surprises. It's horror - but with personality.

107 min. total run time

Sunday, June 22, 2025

12:00 PM: SHORTS 13: TRIGGER HAPPY

Cowboys, assassins, debt collectors, and rivals - everyone’s armed, and everyone’s got a score to settle. These eight shorts blend western grit with meticulously choreographed action, from outlaw showdowns to brutal modern brawls. No one walks away clean.

96 min. total run time

2:00 PM: SHORTS 14: Fine Not Fine

Some say they’re okay. Others don’t even bother. In these seven sharply observed shorts, characters deal with crime, trauma, awkward parties, and emotional breakdowns. Sometimes all at once. It’s a mix of dry humor, high tension, and the quiet kind of chaos that hits close to home.

107 min. total run time

4:30 PM: SHORTS 15: BENEATH THE SURFACE

A little drama, a little dark comedy, some animation, and even a dip into documentary. These shorts explore what people bury and what bubbles up - quiet grief, awkward tension, and the strange ways truth finds a way out.

91 min. total run time

6:30 PM: SHORTS 16: OOPS, THAT GOT DARK

A boring slideshow turns sinister. An influencer's apology backfires. A nice hike? Not so nice. Some of these are funny. Some are just messed up. And a few are both. This block leans hard into dark humor, sharp turns, and characters who snap, spiral, or show up already broken. Comedy and horror shake hands - and then push each other down the stairs.

98 min. total run time

8:30 PM: Shorts 17: Audience Favorites Replay

We’re bringing back the most loved films of the weekend, chosen by you. Sit back, laugh, cry, and celebrate the standouts one more time before the curtain falls.

Followed by:

10:00 PM – Shortsfest Awards Announcements
No long speeches, just the good stuff. We’ll reveal the jury picks and audience award winners.

10:30 PM – Official After Party
Drinks with your new favorite filmmakers. Celebrate a packed weekend of short films with a proper send-off. All Pass holders welcome.

Date: June 21-22, 2025

Location: Screenings at Limelight Theater, 349 Decatur Street Southeast, Atlanta, Georgia 30312

Tickets and Passes:

On Sale Now!
- $12 per screening
- $25 One Day Pass
- $40 Two Day Pass

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