What to know about 30th annual Palm Springs ShortFest: Tickets, lineup, panels
Got a craving for outlandish, sentimental or totally absurd short films? You're in luck because the 30th annual Palm Springs International ShortFest is just around the corner.
Filmmakers from all around the world will soon descend into the desert to showcase their genre-spanning and genre-bending short films. The 30th annual ShortFest will take place June 18 through 24 at the Regal Palm Springs movie theater, located at 789 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way.
Here's what movie aficionados can expect from this year's festival.
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What's on the ShortFest lineup?
The three-decade-spanning short film festival will screen 52 curated programs showcasing 310 films from 63 countries and territories, including 49 world, 15 international, 28 North American, 9 U.S. and 106 California premieres. In all, more than 6,300 short films from 130 countries and territories were submitted.
Short films are curated into approximately 90-minute programs based on themes and topics, such as coming-of-age, LGBTQ+, sibling stories, acts of defiance, high anxiety and more.
Opening Night will showcase a wide selection of films, including animated, documentary and live-action, focused on a filmmaker grappling with their cancer diagnosis, a woman taking care of a baby she claims was abandoned, two late-twentysomethings house-sitting and trying to keep a goldfish alive, a woman trying to find the light in a rainy city, a gardener in despair over missing vegetables and a young boy discovering his father's secret thanks to a pair of shoes. The opening event is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. June 18.
Audience members also will recognize a few familiar faces on screen throughout the festival. Short films featuring or directed by celebrated film and television actors include "Unsettled" directed by Bella Thorne, "Fish Out of Water" directed by Francesca Scorsese, "How Can I Help You" starring Thomasin McKenzie and directed by Eliza Scanlen, "Mog’s Christmas" voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch and Claire Foy and "The One Note Man" starring Ian McKellen.
ShortFest Forum programs, panelists announced
The ShortFest Forum will take place June 21-23 at the Renaissance Hotel Palm Springs, featuring panels, roundtables and interactive events with entertainment industry insiders, budding filmmakers and other guests. One-on-one sessions are limited to just filmmakers and require pre-registration, which is open until June 13.
This year’s Forum programs and participants include:
Short to Feature: 10-11 a.m. June 21; panelists include Jack Begert (director, "Little Death"), Laura Moss (director, "Birth/Rebirth"), Pablo Feldman (director, "Edge of Everything"), Sean Wang (director, "Dìdi"), and Sophia Sabella (director, "Edge of Everything")
Ask Me Anything: Festivals: 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. June 21; panelists include Derek Horne (distribution coordinator, USC's School of Cinematic Arts), Diana Cadavid (director of Industry Programs, LALIFF), Gabe Van Amburgh (senior manager, Film & TV Fest Programming, SXSW), Jean Anne Lauer (director of Short Film Programming, Fantastic Fest), and Katie Bignell (founder, Festival Formula)
How to Build a Career in the Film Industry: 1-2 p.m. June 21; panelists include Amman Abbasi (director, "Yasmeen’s Element"), Ina Pira (senior curator at Vimeo), Katie White, (producer, "ILY, Bye"), and Sam Bisbee (producer at Park Pictures), moderator Katcy Stephan (film reporter at Variety)
Ask Me Anything: Financing Films: 2:30-3:30 p.m. June 21; panelists include Helena Sardinha (producer at Driven Equation), Monique Avila (manager at the Sundance Institute), Olivia Mascheroni (Verve Ventures agent at Verve Talent and Literary Agency), Sarah Winshall (producer at Smudge Films) and Sav Rodgers (marketing director at Seed & Spark)
Pitch Perfect Masterclass: 10-11 a.m. June 22; Constanza Castro (co-founder at 271 Films), Diego Najera (producer), Domenica Castro (co-founder at 271 Films) and Emily Korteweg (producer), moderator Alison Foreman (features writer at IndieWire)
One-on-Ones Session 1: Industry Executive Mentors (Filmmakers only): 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. June 22 (several panelists expected)
One-on-Ones Session 2: Filmmaker Mentors (Filmmakers only): 2-3:30 p.m. June 22 (several panelists expected)
Roundtable: Development & Reps (Filmmakers only): 12:30-1:30 p.m. June 23 (several panelists expected)
Roundtable: Artist Support & Programmers (Filmmakers only): 2:30-3:30 p.m. June 23 (several panelists expected)
Plenty of awards to go around
The ShortFest Awards and cash prizes worth $25,000, including five Academy Award-qualifying awards, will be announced on June 23. The Oscar Qualifying Awards include Best of the Festival Award, Best Animated Short, Best Documentary Short, Best Live-Action Short Over 15 Minutes and Best Live-Action Short 15 Minutes and Under.
Other awards include:
Student Short Awards: Best Student Animated Short, Best Student Documentary Short, Best Student International Short, and Best Student U.S. Short
Special Jury Awards: Best International Short, Best U.S. Short, Best Comedy Short, Best LGBTQ+ Short, Best Midnight Short, Desert Views Award, Young Cineastes Award, Kids’ Choice Award, and Bridging the Borders Award presented by Cinemas Without Borders
The Best of the Fest shorts will screen on the final day, June 24, as well as virtually from July 10 through 14.
How to get ShortFest tickets, passes
ShortFest passes and tickets are currently available at www.psfilmfest.org/shortfest-2024
Passes range from $75 for at-home viewings to a $500 patron pass, which provides preferred reserved seating for all ShortFest screenings, including opening and closing nights.
Tickets for individual film programs are on sale for $15 for general admission and $12 for Palm Springs International Film Society members. Tickets for the opening night screening and reception are $70, while the closing night screening and reception costs $60. Screening-only tickets for both events cost $15.
To purchase tickets for individual programs, visit the Schedule Calendar, select which programs you want to view and reserve your spot.
Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter @ema_sasic.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: What to know about Palm Springs ShortFest: Tickets, lineup, panels
