8th Annual Independent Shorts Awards

Independent Shorts Awards Brings 71 Films, 28 Premieres and Four Industry Speakers to Regal LA LIVE

71 films from 27 countries. 28 premieres. Four Industry Panel speakers. The 8th Annual Independent Shorts Awards comes to Regal LA LIVE September 19.

Independent Shorts Awards International Film Festival will hold its 8th Annual Awards on Saturday, September 19, 2026, at Regal LA LIVE in downtown Los Angeles, bringing together 71 films from 27 countries for a full day devoted to independent short-form cinema.

Presented across 11 screening blocks in three auditoriums, the program includes 28 films carrying premiere status, among them eight world premieres. Screenings will run from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM, followed by an Industry Panel, cocktail reception, red carpet photocall and press interviews, and the Annual Awards Show.

The films represent narrative, documentary, animation, experimental, comedy, drama, action, fantasy, horror and other genres. Filmmakers and representatives of most of the selected projects are expected to attend, with participants traveling to Los Angeles from across the United States and countries including Bulgaria, China, Czechia, France, Germany and Latvia.

“This year’s Annual Awards reflects what Independent Shorts Awards was created to do: bring filmmakers from different countries, backgrounds and stages of their careers together around their work,” said Victor Eustáquio, Director and Head Programmer of Independent Shorts Awards. “We want the event to be more than an awards ceremony. It is a full day in which films are experienced in a cinema, filmmakers meet one another, and conversations can continue beyond the screenings.”

A GLOBAL SHOWCASE OF INDEPENDENT SHORT CINEMA

The 2026 qualifying cycle drew 3,409 submissions representing 73 countries between July 2025 and July 2026. From that field, 120 projects advanced as Annual Finalists and 71 received nominations across the festival’s award categories.

The live showcase combines films already recognized at international festivals including Tribeca, SXSW, Cinequest, DOC NYC, Aspen Shortsfest, Palm Springs International ShortFest, HollyShorts and Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia with emerging filmmakers and projects taking their first steps on the festival circuit.

Among the films screening at Regal LA LIVE are “Mr. Fleischmann,” directed by Frank Crim and featuring “Star Trek” veteran Walter Koenig; “Boatlift 9/11,” directed by Dale Fabrigar and starring acclaimed Swedish actress Sofia Helin; “Malka,” directed by Stacey Maltin and starring Tovah Feldshuh; “Satomi,” directed by Rayner Wang, which previously screened at Tribeca and HollyShorts; and “Very Prosperous Men,” directed by Josiah Walker, with an ensemble cast including Tim DeZarn, Dustin Ingram, Larry Cedar, David Sullivan and Scott Subiono.

FOUR INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS JOIN THE PANEL

The day will also feature an Industry Panel from 4:45 PM to 6:00 PM in Cinema 10, with four confirmed guest speakers representing different areas of film and television:

Susie Landau Finch — A producer, writer, director and film educator whose career includes work with Francis Ford Coppola’s American Zoetrope. She most recently served as an executive producer of “Fairyland,” produced by Sofia Coppola and American Zoetrope.

Frank Crim — An actor, writer, producer and director with more than 100 stage productions, 175 commercials and 50 television credits, including appearances in “NCIS,” “Criminal Minds,” “Bosch,” “Dexter,” “Parks and Recreation” and “Malcolm in the Middle.”

Stacey Maltin — An award-winning writer, director, producer and actor whose feature “Triple Threat” was released by Gravitas Ventures and whose short film “Malka” qualified for consideration for the 2026 Academy Awards following its award at Cinequest.

David Mahmoudieh — An award-winning film and television director whose work includes an episode of Warner Bros. and The CW’s “Superman & Lois,” commercial campaigns for Google, LEGO and Kia, and projects in development with Roddenberry Entertainment.

The speakers are also representing films in the screening program, creating a direct connection between the Industry Panel and the filmmaking work presented on screen.

FROM SCREENINGS TO THE AWARDS SHOW

Following the screenings and panel, attendees will gather for a cocktail reception, red carpet photocall and press interviews on the Regal LA LIVE mezzanine from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM.

The event will culminate with the Annual Awards Show in Cinema 8, beginning at 7:30 PM, where the winners of the 2026 Annual Awards will be revealed.

The 8th Annual Independent Shorts Awards is presented by FilmVault, the festival’s Official DCP and Prize Partner. Dehancer also supports the festival as a Prize Partner.

Festival passes, individual screening tickets and the complete program are available through the official event page:

https://independentshortsawards.com/annual-awards-2026-full-festival-schedule/

ABOUT INDEPENDENT SHORTS AWARDS

Independent Shorts Awards is a Los Angeles-based international film festival and live event series dedicated to discovering, recognizing and presenting independent short-form filmmaking from around the world. Through monthly competitions, curated screenings, filmmaker activities and its Annual Awards, the festival creates opportunities for established and emerging filmmakers to have their work evaluated, celebrated and experienced by live audiences.