By Roman Neeson, Arts Muse Magazine
An unprecedented year of global filmmaking, distilled into the most powerful, daring, and emotionally resonant short films of the season.
Out of 207 Oscar®-qualified and awards-shortlisted films worldwide, these thirty works have risen to the top as the most artistically daring, socially urgent, and emotionally unforgettable stories of the year. Spanning continents, cultures, genres, and generations, they represent a new cinematic landscape, one shaped by courage, vulnerability, and visionary storytelling.
These films confront extremism, climate catastrophe, grief, harassment, intergenerational loneliness, displacement, memory loss, ritual, masculinity, and the most contested political issues of our time. Others find their power in small, intimate moments, unlikely friendships, surreal encounters, or deeply internal battles.
Collectively, they prove that short cinema is not a stepping stone, it is the beating heart of global storytelling, and each of these contenders has earned its place among the season’s most essential Oscar® hopefuls.
THE FILMS
WALUD (Dir. Daood Alabdulaa & Louise Zenker, Cast: Salha Nasraoui, Vera Fay, Salah Ben Salah, Graya Ahessine) – A Visually Striking Portrait of Womanhood Under Extremism
Set in rural Syria during ISIS rule, WALUD follows Amuna, whose life unravels when her husband brings home a second wife. Through infertility, isolation, and silent resistance, the film offers an intimate, harrowing look at womanhood under extremist patriarchy.
Why it deserves a place: Its emotional force and visual mastery make it one of the year’s most important global dramas.
THE TRUCK (Dir. Liz Rao, Cast: Shirley Chen, Daniel Zolghadri, Garrett Richmond) – A Post-Roe Thriller Backed by Spike Lee and Joan Chen
A Chinese American teen and her boyfriend attempt to buy the morning-after pill in a town quietly policing reproductive rights. A suspenseful, timely coming-of-age thriller unfolds.
Why it deserves a place: Few films examine post-Roe America with such honesty, urgency, and cinematic precision.
SNIPPED (Dir. Alexander Saul, Cast: Louis Bodnia Andersen, Nicolas Bro, Ellaha Lack, Imad Abul-Foul, Sami Darr, Jan Karwowski) – A Darkly Funny Meditation on Ritual, Identity, and Coexistence
In a Muslim clinic, a Jewish convert prepares for his circumcision, prompting an uneasy, absurd, and deeply human encounter exploring cultural tension and vulnerability.
Why it deserves a place: It is bold, original, and unforgettable, an exceptional work of cross-cultural storytelling.
A FRIEND OF DOROTHY (Dir. Lee Knight, Cast: Miriam Margolyes, Stephen Fry, Alistair Nwachukwu, Oscar Lloyd) – A Tender Tale of Intergenerational Loneliness and Joy
An elderly woman living alone befriends her young neighbor after an accidental encounter, forming a bond that heals them both.
Why it deserves a place: With Margolyes and Fry at their best, it is one of the year’s most heartwarming and universally resonant films.
LARGO (Dir. Salvatore Scarpa & Max Burgoyne-Moore, Cast: Zack Elsokari, Tamsin Greig, Kevin McNally) – A Refugee Boy’s Impossible Journey Toward Hope
A 10-year-old Syrian refugee builds a boat to sail home in search of his missing parents, forcing a divided town to confront its humanity.
Why it deserves a place: A deeply compassionate portrayal of displacement and resilience, told through a child’s eyes.
ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS (Dir. Franz Böhm, Cast: Oleksandr Rudynski, others) – A BAFTA-Winning Portrait of Courage in Wartime Ukraine
A teen and his father operating a makeshift frontline hospital face a devastating choice when soldiers arrive.
Why it deserves a place: Winner of Best British Short at the BAFTAs, it delivers war storytelling with rare emotional clarity.
THE SECOND TIME AROUND (Dir. Jack Howard, Cast: Hannah Onslow, Caroline Goodall) – A Rain-Soaked Sci-Fi Drama About Fate and Connection
On a stormy night, a waitress closing her café meets a mysterious older woman whose arrival shifts her understanding of reality.
Why it deserves a place: A stunning dramatic debut blending genre, emotion, and philosophical depth.
HIGHWAY TO THE MOON (Dir. Letitia Wright, Cast: Aboulaye Touray, Sekou Toure, Victor Prescott Jr., Kenyah Sandy) – A Genre-Bending Meditation on Youth, Violence, and Healing
A young man navigates spiritual and emotional limbo following a knife crime, inspired by Wright’s personal connections to loss.
Why it deserves a place: It reimagines grief cinema with poetic ambition and cultural urgency.
MONEY TALK$ (Dir. Tony Mucci, Cast: David Mazouz, Zolee Griggs, Ethan Cutkosky, Francesca Scorsese, 24kGoldn) – A Gritty Ensemble Portrait of 1981 New York’s Violent Underworld
A $100 bill passes hand-to-hand through the streets of New York’s most violent year, revealing a web of lives bound by survival and chance.
Why it deserves a place: Its ambition, ensemble scale, and immersive world-building make it a standout crime drama.
BUTTERFLY ON A WHEEL (Dir. Trevor Morris, Cast: Curran Walters, Brielle Robillard, Michael Provost) – A Poetic Exploration of Mental Health Through Music
A gifted jazz student battles anxiety and OCD as he prepares for the performance of his life, guided by unexpected connection.
Why it deserves a place: It transforms interior struggle into lush cinematic storytelling.
TRAPPED (Dir. Sam & David Cutler-Kreutz, Cast: Javier Molina, Matt Woodward, Ethan Jones, Aedan Jayce, Joel Meyers) – A Taut Thriller About Class, Privilege, and Survival
A high school janitor encounters escalating danger during his night shift, exposing the divide between privilege and vulnerability.
Why it deserves a place: A festival powerhouse, executed with precision and thematic bite.
THE BOY WITH WHITE SKIN (Dir. Simon Panay, Cast: [provided]) – A Haunting Tale of Myth, Sacrifice, and Hope in West Africa’s Gold Mines
An albino boy becomes the voice of a mystical ritual believed to protect miners deep underground, where myth and reality blur.
Why it deserves a place: A visually arresting and culturally immersive work of rare power.
BEYOND SILENCE (Dir. Marnie Blok, Cast: Henrianne Jansen, Sigrid ten Napel, Tamar van den Dop) – A Stirring Journey Through Generational Trauma and the Power of Voice
Two women, one voiceless for decades and one just beginning to reclaim her voice, navigate inherited trauma and the courage to break silence.
Why it deserves a place: A deeply resonant, emotionally raw film confronting the cost of silence and the liberation of truth.
BOYFIGHTER (Dir. Julia Weisberg Cortés, Cast: Michael Mando, [others]) – A Brutal Yet Tender Story About Cycles of Violence and Redemption
A retired bare-knuckle fighter confronts the emotional legacy he has passed to his son, wrestling with pain, masculinity, and hope.
Why it deserves a place: Powered by Michael Mando’s gripping performance, it delivers rare emotional intensity.
OLIVE (Dir. Tom Koch, Cast: Lesley Ann Warren, Tom Koch, Marie Louise Boisnier, Jeffrey Farber) – A Poignant Tale of Love, Memory, and Alzheimer’s
A woman’s unraveling memory blurs past and present as her loved ones struggle to reach her through fragments of identity.
Why it deserves a place: Elevated by Lesley Ann Warren’s stunning performance, it is a deeply human exploration of memory and loss.
THE PEARL COMB (Dir. Ali Cook, Cast: Beatie Edney, Clara Paget, Simon Armstrong, Ali Cook) – A Mystical Medical Drama Rooted in Women’s Resilience
Inspired by the Edinburgh Seven, a fisherman’s wife becomes the first to cure tuberculosis, provoking a doctor determined to prove her place is in the home.
Why it deserves a place: A beautifully crafted feminist parable blending folklore, medicine, and magical realism.
THE MOURNING OF (Dir. Merced Elizondo, Cast: Natalia Villegas, Julio César Cedillo) – A Quiet, Devastating Portrait of Grief and Unspoken Ritual
A woman secretly attends strangers’ funerals to cope with her mother’s death, until her ritual begins to unravel.
Why it deserves a place: A rare Latino-led Oscar® contender offering emotional precision and cultural authenticity.
BEFORE YOU (Dir. Lauren Melinda, Cast: Tala Ashe, Adam Rodriguez) – A Gentle, Devastating Portrait of Reproductive Loss
A couple grapples with the quiet grief that follows ending a planned pregnancy, told with restraint and deep emotional truth.
Why it deserves a place: It reframes abortion not as politics but as profoundly human experience.
AFTER DARK (Dir. Iain Forbes, Cast: Simen Bostad, Billie Barker) – A Tense Character Study Where Empathy Collides with Fear
A man walking home encounters a woman who needs help, sparking a fraught moral journey where kindness clashes with suspicion.
Why it deserves a place: A masterful psychological thriller rooted in character, not spectacle.
CAMPING IN PARADISE (Dir. Eirik Tveiten, Cast: Espen Alknes, Mona Grenne, Oddrun Valestrand, Stig Henrik Hoff) – A Nudist-Campsite Comedy-Drama About Shame and Vulnerability
A philosopher and his girlfriend are forced to spend a night at a nudist campsite, revealing buried tensions and unexpected truths.
Why it deserves a place: Tveiten’s sharp writing turns discomfort into revelation with humor and heart.
MERCY (Dir. Hedda Mjøen, Cast: [TBA]) – A Stark Moral Drama About Loyalty, Judgment, and the Cost of Standing by a Friend Accused
Guro unexpectedly reunites with her estranged best friend—now accused of rape—forcing her to confront loyalty, self-protection, and moral uncertainty.
Why it deserves a place: A fearless exploration of gray-zone ethics that few films dare to touch.
THERE WILL COME SOFT RAINS (Dir. Elham Ehsas, Cast: Olivia D’Lima) – A Groundbreaking Climate Drama Told Through Muslim Faith and Sisterhood
A British-Pakistani woman exhumes her father to escape rising sea levels, sparking a confrontation between faith, authority, and the climate crisis.
Why it deserves a place: It reframes climate storytelling through a lens rarely seen on screen, with tremendous impact.
THREE KEENINGS (Dir. Oliver McGoldrick, Cast: Seamus O’Hara, Sean Kearns, Carol Moore, Caitriona Hinds, Niall Cusack, Olivia Nash) – A Darkly Poetic Revival of a Lost Mourning Tradition
A struggling actor becomes a professional mourner on Northern Ireland’s funeral circuit, where grief, performance, and humor collide.
Why it deserves a place: Its Venice debut, cultural depth, and haunting originality make it a true standout.
DON’T BE LATE, MYRA (Dir. Afia Nathaniel, Cast: Innayah Umer), A Harrowing Childhood Survival Thriller Set in Lahore
After missing her school van, 10-year-old Myra must walk home alone, navigating escalating harassment. Drawing from Nathaniel’s own experiences, the film confronts Pakistan’s culture of silence around child endangerment with unflinching authenticity. A powerful, socially urgent Oscar®-qualified contender.
Why it deserves a place: It’s unflinching, deeply personal portrayal of childhood danger and societal silence, told with a level of emotional urgency and authenticity rarely seen in short-form cinema.
HOLY CURSE (Dir. Snigdha Kapoor) – A Fierce, Spiritually Charged Battle for Identity and Freedom
An 11-year-old child in India is subjected to coercive orthodox rituals when their family believes a curse is responsible for their gender identity. What unfolds is a haunting, intimate fight for autonomy and truth.
Why it deserves a place:
A fearless and emotionally unflinching portrait of queer identity under cultural pressure, told with striking clarity and compassion.
MUSHROOM DAD (Dir. Michael Lei) – A Sharp, Chaotic Father–Son Comedy
A young chef is forced to wrangle his Chinese-immigrant father after he accidentally eats psychedelic mushrooms on the opening night of his restaurant. A tender, funny spiral of cultural clash, responsibility, and the messy love between parent and child.
Why it deserves a place:
A fresh, heartfelt take on immigrant family dynamics delivered with humor, emotional precision, and irresistible cinematic energy.
RISE (Dir. Jessica Rowlands) – A Raw, Zimbabwe-Set Triumph of Resilience, Boxing, and Found Family
On a rubbish dump in Zimbabwe, a defiant young boy discovers purpose through boxing and forms an unexpected bond with a reluctant coach. A visceral portrait of survival, identity, and hope against the odds.
Why it deserves a place:
A powerful, ground-level portrait of hope forged in the harshest circumstances, brought to life with authentic, location-rooted filmmaking.
KEY OF GENIUS (Dir. Daniel Persitz) – A Stirring True Story of Musical Brilliance Unlocked Through Unlikely Connection
The extraordinary real story of Derek Paravicini — a blind, autistic savant — and the piano teacher who recognizes and nurtures his rare gift. A moving testament to mentorship, intuition, and human possibility.
Why it deserves a place:
A profoundly uplifting celebration of mentorship and human brilliance that resonates long after the final note.
IN THE CLOUDS (Dir. Alexandra Bahíyyih Wain) – A Haunting, Imaginative Refugee Tale Told Through a Child’s Eyes
What begins as two sisters sneaking out to explore their new London home gently unravels into a revelation of trauma, loss and isolation, as Sara’s playful imagination becomes a fragile gateway into grief. Crafted with poetic visual metaphors and remarkable performances, especially from the young cast, the film offers a sensitive, powerfully atmospheric portrait of memory, migration and the quiet resilience of healing.
Why it deserves a place:
A visually rich, emotionally precise debut that transforms refugee trauma into something tender, human and profoundly cinematic.
CLOUT (Dir. Jordan Murphy Doidge) – A Razor-Sharp Descent Into Digital Obsession and Teenage Fragility
A rebellious boarding school teen’s hunger for online fame sends him down a perilous path where impulse and algorithm collide with devastating consequences. A gripping, modern cautionary tale about identity, validation, and the darker side of going viral.
Why it deserves a place:
A bold, timely exploration of social media pressure told with urgency, style, and unforgettable impact.
A BEAR REMEMBERS (Dir. Zhang & Knight) A lyrical meditation on memory, spirit, and the unseen forces that ripple across generations.
A lyrical meditation on memory, spirit, and the unseen forces that ripple across generations. In a remote village steeped in folklore, a young boy’s uncanny discovery awakens an elderly woman’s long-buried remembrance of a legendary bear spirit, blurring the boundary between myth and reality.
Why it deserves a place:
With its poetic imagery, emotional weight, and standout performances, A Bear Remembers delivers a haunting, beautifully crafted vision from an emerging directing duo.
MERCENAIRE (Dir. Pier-Phillipe Chevigny), A Harrowing Descent Into Violence and Compassion
(Cast: Marc-André Grondin, Émile Schneider, Jean-Guy Bouchard, Sandrine Bisson, Marc Beaupré),
A festival standout and 2025 Academy Awards® qualifier, Mercenaire follows David, an ex-inmate pushed into the brutal world of a pig-slaughterhouse as part of his reintegration. As cruelty escalates around him, he must fight the violent impulses that once defined him.
Chevigny’s tense, visceral filmmaking, anchored by Grondin’s powerful performance, delivers a searing exploration of labour, incarceration, and systemic violence.
Why it deserves a place:
A gripping, morally complex drama executed with exceptional craft and emotional force.
THE FUTURE OF CINEMA IS HERE
Across continents and communities, these twenty-five films illuminate the world we live in, , and the world we wish to build. Together, they form a portrait of a generation of filmmakers unafraid to confront truth, embrace vulnerability, and reshape the possibilities of short-form storytelling.
These are not merely films.
They are signals of where cinema is going next.
Arts Muse Magazine 