YSFF SHORTS PROGRAM (2026)

BADGES ACCEPTED / DOORS 7:30

We have such an incredible collection this year to exhibit, showcasing bold new voices who have screened at some of the world’s most prestigious film festivals, as well as acclaimed Oscar-winning filmmakers (Sean Baker). It’s truly a block of unforgettable films that surprise, challenge, and inspire. Displaying extraordinary range and artistry, we can’t wait to share these contemporary Director’s artistic visions + Q&A with filmmakers Javier Cruz-Ginez, Sharona D’Ornellas, Arielle Knight, Alexander Hernandez-Maxwell and Claudia Owusu to follow.

La Esperanza

Narrated by Javi, the only family member able to cross the border, La Esperanza revisits his parents' migration story and the difficult reality that keeps them from returning home.

Panther Pat

In 1970, Pat Palinkas became the first woman to play professional football when she stepped onto the field for the Orlando Panthers. A schoolteacher with no playbook and everything to prove, she shocked the nation with her appearance and was quickly forgotten. Panther Pat resurrects this high-stakes moment in sports history, tracing how one woman challenged the gender barrier of America's game.

HOLO

When her abusive partner dies, Claire contacts HoloCorp - a controversial company specializing in artificial encounters by means of an actor and futuristic facial technology - in order to confront him, gain closure, and control her life again.

This is the House: If I Don’t See You I Love You

A Ghanaian-American father and daughter duo work through their crowded basement, uncovering family archives and navigating the fragments caused by immigration, divorce, and loss.

Sandiwara

Written and directed by Academy Award- winning filmmaker Sean Baker, Sandiwara is set against the vibrant streets and hawker centres of Penang. Starring Malaysian Academy Award-winning actress Michelle Yeoh in 5 leading roles in this bold, immersive celebration of womanhood, cultural identity, culinary heritage and the spirit of independent cinema.

The Boys and the Bees

The Boys and the Bees traces a family's journey toward freedom, nurturing their bees and their young sons amid Georgia's shifting seasons while they learn to care for the land that sustains them.

Keep my Brother

Ava fights to maintain her own family, career and health while safeguarding her younger brother, Darryl, during his prolonged manic episode.