The shnit worldwide shortsfestival 2025 has officially announced this year’s nominees, showcasing the very best in global short filmmaking. Known as one of the most dynamic and international short film festivals, shnit connects audiences across continents and gives filmmakers a powerful platform for recognition.
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shnit ANNOUNCES NOMINATED FILMS 2025
shnit is more than a festival—it’s a global movement where dialogue ignites empathy, and storytelling becomes a pathway to peace.
WORLDWIDE COMPETITION 2025
The winners of the WORLDWIDE COMPETITION represent the most outstanding achievements in short filmmaking this year.
Their selection doesn’t just celebrate artistic excellence — it also carries industry impact. Each of these films will be eligible for Oscar® consideration at the 98th Academy Awards® in 2026 through an official qualifying run in in full accordance with the rules of the 98th Academy Awards®.
shnit TRIBUTE is a nomination system powered by shnit alumni, created to spotlight outstanding films from across the globe and propel them into the festival’s highest award considerations.
shnit TRIBUTE AWARD | NOMINEES
IF YOU’RE HAPPY
Phoebe Arnstein | United Kingdom | 18 Min
A woman struggles with the pressures of motherhood and uses a childish game at a local baby group to vent her fury, sparking an unexpected chain reaction.
CRUST
Jens Kevin Georg | Germany | 25 Min
In Fabi’s family, scars mark belonging. At 12, still unmarked, he must prove himself on his grandfather’s farm — no matter the cost to his skin or his soul.
THE BOY WITH WHITE SKIN
Simon Panay | Senegal, France | 15 Min
Entrusted by his father to a group of gold-miners, an albino child embodies all of their hopes.
shnit AUDIENCE AWARD | NOMINEES
In addition, three audience-nominated films from both the WORLDWIDE & INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION will also qualify for entry into the 2026 Oscars®. This unique combination of jury selection and audience voting ensures that filmmakers are championed both by industry professionals and global audiences.
AICHA
Sanaa El Alaoui | Morocco | 25 Min
HYMN OF THE PLAGUE
Ataka51 | Russia, Germany | 13 Min
In a Soviet recording studio, musicians adapting Pushkin’s A Feast in Time of Plague are unsettled by eerie phenomena — echoes of war or spirits of the past — unnoticed until it’s too late.
PUNTER
Jason Adam Maselle | South Africa | 13 Min
Brett’s birthday surprise derails in a Johannesburg betting bar, where a “harmless” wager exposes his father’s debts and shatters the image of the man he thought he knew.
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION 2025
In addition, three audience-nominated films from both the WORLDWIDE & INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION will also qualify for entry into the 2026 Oscars®. This unique combination of jury selection and audience voting ensures that filmmakers are championed both by industry professionals and global audiences.
shnit doesn’t hand out trophies for the shelf.
Year after year, shnit shorts explode onto the shortlist, score nominations, and in some cases, walk away with the statue. Most recently, I’m Not a Robot by Victoria Warmerdam, a finalist in the shnit 2024 competition, went on to win the Oscar® in 2025.
shnit TRIBUTE AWARD NOMINEES
Best film up to 10 minutes
BERLIN-LICHTENBERG
Franz Wanner | Switzerland, Germany | 7 Min
Archival 1943 Berlin home movies, with forced laborers in the background, become a haunting reflection on complicity, memory, and the political hidden within the personal.
PLAYING GOD
Matteo Burani | Italy | 9 Min
A clay sculpture comes to life in the darkness of a laboratory, surrounded by mysterious creatures…
THE SEA INSIDE HER
Alyx Duncan | New Zealand | 9 Min
A grandmother’s bedtime routine with her grandchild unravels, and her growing frustration gives terrifying shape to her deepest fears.
Best film up to 20 minutes
FACTORY DROP
Petja Pulkrabek | Germany | 15 Min
In 2118’s oppressive Factory, Mia and Juri awaken forbidden desires with a music box, forcing them to choose between execution—or one final leap into freedom.
KARATEKA
Florence Fauquet | France | 16 Min
At a karate championship final, Gabrielle’s unexpected period shifts the fight — until she and Alix realize they’re truly on the same team.
LUCID DREAMING
Emma Evelein | Netherlands | 13 Min
Lucid dreaming tells the story of a girl in a train, who loses herself in the world of a man sitting across from her.
Best film up to 40 minutes
THE COCKROACH
Mary Pat Bentel | United States | 20 Min
After a body-altering accident, a woman must find a way forward to her new reality.
ROADKILL
Louis Gering | Germany | 27 Min
A road trip detour to a friend’s villa turns into a cruel game of power that tests Marius’s pride — and his love with Dariya.
BARLEBAS
Malu Janssen | Netherlands, Belgium | 20 Min
Set in 1595, Barlebas follows Heylken, a defiant woman condemned as a witch, whose spirit and voice inspire 12-year-old Griet long after her silence.
AUDIENCE AWARD NOMINEES
GENDER REVEAL
Mo Matton | Canada | 12 Min
At their boss’s gender reveal, Rhys and their partners — a trans throuple — face unexpected challenges that push their survival skills to the limit.
THE EGGREGORES’ THEORY
Andrea Gatopoulos | Italy | 15 Min
Haunted by fading memories and an insistent melody, a man fears he has conjured an Eggrégore — a being born from thought itself.
MERCENAIRE
Pier-Philippe Chevigny | Canada | 15 Min
An ex-convict hired at a slaughterhouse battles inner violence while struggling to rebuild his life.
shnit TRIBUTE HONORABLE MENTIONS
Best North American Short Film
ENCUENTRO AMERICANO
E.T. Vazquez | United States | 11 Min
In a crowded diner during the 2024 U.S. elections, strangers’ fragile lives collide over coffee, breakfasts, and simmering tensions.
Best South American Short Film
DATA FLESH
Felipe Elgueta | Chile | 4 Min
DATA FLESH revives lost internet images, where algorithmic glitches birth haunting “zombie” visions.
Best Oceanian Short Film
PROFESSOR SLAVOJ ŽIŽEK ON THE PROBLEM WITH ONLINE DATING
Mardo El-Noor | New Zealand | 14 Min
In a surreal 16th-century Europe with online dating, Slav (voiced by Slavoj Žižek) ponders love, invention, and the ultimate question: “To match, or not to match.”
Best African Short Film
AICHA
Sanaa El Alaoui | Morocco | 25 Min
A 17-year-old girl struggles with an emotionally distant mother as her life takes a tragic turn. The mother joins a mystic ceremony to face her grief and the lost bond with her daughter.
Best Asian Short Film
DON'T BE LATE, MYRA
Afia Serena Nathaniel | Pakistan | 15 Min
Myra misses her school bus and must find her way back home alone. The short thriller takes a turn as she tries to dodge men harassing her on the streets of Lahore.
Best European Short Film
QUOTA
Job, Joris & Marieke | Netherlands | 2 Min
When every global citizen is required to have their CO2 emissions tracked, it makes little impact…that is, until they discover the consequences of reaching their designated QUOTA.
shnit worldwide shortsfestival celebrates the power of short film to transcend borders and ignite meaningful cultural dialogue. Our mission is to champion diverse storytelling, support emerging filmmakers, and foster global understanding through cinema—recognizing that open cultural exchange is essential for building a more peaceful world.
NATIONAL COMPETITIONS 2025
PLAYGROUND Buenos Aires
MADE IN ARGENTINA 2025
Best Short Film – PASOS PARA VOLAR by Nicolás Conte, Rosario Carlino
Jury Special Mention –SEÑALES NOCTURNAS by Agustín Fittipaldi
Jury Special Mention – DOBLE EXPOSICIÓN by Efrem Velasco
Special Mention “La Fragua” – LOS PANTONNE by Florencia Momo
National Showcase: DULCE DE LECHE
Special Mention – TODO LO DEMÁS SE BORRA by Julia Cohen Ribeiro, Sofian Lanaro
Student Film Showcase
Best Short Film – LA PROMESA by Lara Slaibe
PLAYGROUND Moscow
MADE IN RUSSIA 2025
Grand Prix —NOTHING HAPPENED by Dana Arsagova
Best Director — SMIRNOV FEDOT by Misha Ketov
Jury Special Mention —WANDERING PAIN by Zhenya Gorda
Jury Special Mention — SALVATION by Nikita Dobrynin
Jury Special Mention — THE RESEARCHER by Mikhail Romanov
Special Prize from Shot TV — WINTER, SPRING, SUMMER, AUTUMN… AND WINTER AGAIN by Ildar Shangarayev
Special Development Boost Award by Bosfor Pictures — THE RIDGE by Kristina Panova
Audience Award — HELLO, IT’S ME by Viktoria Belyakova
PLAYGROUND San Jose
MADE IN COSTA RICA 2025
Jury Prize — OJO DE ANIMAL by Carlo Nasisse
Jury Special Mention — JERHY by John Ortiz
Audience Award — IVÁN, LA VACA Y EL COMETA by Adriano Hunziker
shnit REALTIME (48-hour film challenge)
Jury Prize — ESPECTRO HERMOSO by Pedro Aureliano Campos Acuña & Team Perritos felices jugando en la playa
Jury Special Mention — SELVA ADENTRO by Victor Vargas & Team Destello Films
Jury Special Mention — MANUAL DE COMBATE by ernán Sánchez & Team OOO (Odd One Out)
Audience Award — SE ESCUCHAN GRITOS, PERO LA CASA ESTÁ LIMPIA by Keylor Bermúdez
🌍✨ We continue to roll out the NOMINEES — and this time, it’s all about YOU.
Here are the films the audience voted into the spotlight for WORLDWIDE COMPETITION 🎬🔥
Each of these films will also be eligible for Oscar® consideration at the 98th Academy Awards® in 2026. 🏆✨
Big love to the filmmakers + our global shnit fam for keeping short film alive, loud, and unstoppable. 💥
#shnit2025 #WorldwideCompetition #ShortFilmMagic #OscarQualifying
🎉 ANNOUNCING THE NOMINATIONS – SHNIT 2025 🎉
The wait is over! ✨ We’re proud to reveal the official nominations for this year’s shnit worldwide shortsfestival!
🔥 Bold. Original. Unforgettable. 🔥
These films capture the fearless spirit of short cinema—from daring experiments and raw emotion to laugh-out-loud humor and pure magic on screen.
A huge congratulations to all nominated filmmakers! 🥂 Your work pushes boundaries, sparks dialogue, and embodies everything shnit stands for: fearless, diverse, passionately creative.
💥 Now the countdown begins... who will take home the awards at #shnit2025?
#shortfilm #shortfilms #filmfestival #worldwideshortfilmfestival #cinemalovers #independentfilm #indiefilm #filmmakers #directors #storytelling #boldcinema #filmcommunity #watchshortfilms #globalcinema #creativevoices #shortfilmcompetition #internationalcinema
🎬✨ And just like that… it’s the last day of shnit worldwide shortsfestival!
We’ve laughed, cried, gone a little crazy, and been moved by stories from across the globe.
🌍❤️ Today we celebrate every filmmaker, every audience member, every wild and beautiful short that made this festival unforgettable.
One last chance to dive in, feel it all, and close this chapter with us. 🥂🎉
🎞
ROADKILL by @lou__milieu | Germany
OLDTOWN by David Vermander | Belgium
DATING A SUSPICIOUS MAN by @zaytseva_anna_igorevna | USA, Russia
HUN TUN by @_magion | Czech Republic
A PLEASURE by @soniesasi | Spain
FACTORY DROP by @petja_pulkrabek | Germany
MIDNIGHT FRIGHTS @minuitfrissons by @clotildecolson & @vers_bouteilles | Belgium
#shnit #shnit2025 #shortfilmfestival #filmfestival #lastdayvibes #festivalfinale #celebratecinema #filmcommunity #worldwidecinema
🎉 Sometimes the best moments at a festival aren’t on screen — they’re in the laughs, the chaos, and the crazy memories we make together.
Go wild, get loud, dance in the aisles, scream at the screen — shnit is about joy as much as cinema. 🥳
Let’s get crazy 🙌✨
🎬
ROADKILL by @lou__milieu | Germany
SNEEZECEPTION by @huefinder | Czech Republic
OLDTOWN by David Vermander | Belgium
MANDRAGORA by Quentin Martin Laprapde | France
BRIELLA by Emily Mazariegos | Guatemala
MARRIAGE UNPLUGGED by @nueschsisters | Switzerland, UK
#shnit #shnit2025 #shortfilmfestival #festivalvibes #getcrazy #havefun #filmfestfun #shnitvibes #celebratecinema
🎬✨ From baby groups to lucid dreams, tanning salons to slaughterhouses, and even the fires of witch trials — these shorts pull us into lives caught between pressure, longing, rage, and resilience.
A mother’s fury sparks an unexpected chain reaction. A girl on a train slips into someone else’s world. A lonely attendant finds warmth in a stranger’s voice through the walls of a tanning booth. An ex-con fights to contain the violence inside. And in 1595, a woman accused of witchcraft refuses to be silenced, leaving her spirit to inspire a new generation.
Stories of survival, desire, rebellion, and connection — raw, surreal, and unforgettable.
🎞
IF YOU’RE HAPPY by @phoebearnstein | United Kingdom
BARLEBAS by @malu_janssen | Netherlands
MERCENAIRE by @ppchevigny | Canada
LUCID DREAMING by @emmaevelein | Netherlands
SOLARIANS by @larrivoire | France
#shnit #shnit2025 #voicesofwomen #witchtrials #luciddreaming #motherhoodstories #humanconnection #rageandresilience #rawcinema #surrealstories #arthousefilm
💓 SILENT PINK + ❤️ LOVE shnit
Twisted, tender, and totally unfiltered. These blocks slip between absurdity and raw emotion: marriages patched with robots, cursed exes in magical wars, and passion sparking where love is outlawed.
Here, broken people face broken systems, longing collides with survival, and tenderness comes with sharp edges.
Surreal, volatile, unforgettable — which block will break you open?
📽 DATING A SUSPICIOUS MAN by @zaytseva_anna_igorevna | USA
MARRIAGE UNPLUGGED by @nueschsisters | Switzerland, UK
REDDENING by @sinemkayacan | Finland
LUCID DREAMING by @emmaevelein | Netherlands
#shnit #shnit2025 #shortfilmfestival #filmfestival #worldwidecinema #indiefilm #shortfilms #filmmakers
💖✨ Sometimes the shortest stories stay with us the longest.
Here’s a glimpse of the heartwarming shorts waiting for you at the shnit worldwide shortsfestival 🎬🌍
Bring your friends, bring your heart — these films will fill it. 💕
📽
KARATEKA by @florence_fauquet | France
FACTORY DROP by @petja_pulkrabek | Germany
THE COCKROACH @thecockroachfilm by Mary Pat Bentel | USA
#shnit #shortfilmfestival #heartwarmingstories #filmthatmovesyou #shortfilms #worldwidecinema #feelgoodfilm #filmcommunity
✨🎬 Tomorrow it begins.
Let’s make this unforgettable!
📽
CIRCLE CIRCLE CIRCLE CIRCLE by @kateskel & @libby_ewing | USA
DATA FLESH by @elguet_ | Chile
REDDENING by @sinemkayacan | Finland
MASKS by @andre_leb | USA
ROADKILL by Louis Gering | Germany
#shnit #shortfilmfestival #filmfestival #shortfilms #worldwidecinema #indiefilm #filmmakers #cinemalovers #filmcommunity #storytelling
🎬✨ Call for Entries 2025! 🌟 Don`t miss out on the opportunity to showcase your talent on a global stage at the shnit worldwide shortsfestival!
Submit your masterpiece now via top platforms like Festhome, Shortfilmdepot, FilmFreeway, FilmFest, Toujiang, or directly on our website shortsfestival.org. 📽️✨
Join us in celebrating the art of short films and be part of an international community of passionate filmmakers.
All links in bio 🔗
Be bold, be original, and be part of something extraordinary at the shnit worldwide shortsfestival 2025! 🌟🎥 #CallForEntries #ShortFilms #FilmFestival #shnitworldwideshortsfestival
Meet the winners of the Worldwide & International Competition of our 22nd edition! 🏆
🇨🇴 A menos que Bailemos 🎥 by Fernanda Pineda Palencia, Hanz Rippe Gabriele 🥇 Audience Award Winner Worldwide Competition 2024
🏴 The One Note Man 🎥 by George C. Siougas 🥇 Winner Audience Award International Competition 2024
Congratulations to all the short films that took part!
Don`t miss this chance to be a part of a cinematic celebration like no other! This is the final call for entries to the shnit Worldwide Shortfilmfestival 2024. 📽️
Submit your film on filmfreeway.com/shnit_worldwide
📆 Extended deadline: August 4th.
🌐 shnit.org
#shnit2024 #shnit #shortfilmfestval #callforentries
¡We extend our call for entries! 🎥
🔗 Submit your shorts film on
filmfreeway.com/shnit_worldwide
🌐 shnit.org
📅 Final Deadline: Aug 4th
#shnit #shnit2024 #shnitworldwide #shortfilmfestival
#filmfestival
