The Palm Springs International ShortFest, one of the largest showcases of short-form cinema in North America, will return for its 32nd edition from June 23-29, 2026. Sponsored by the City of Palm Springs, this year's ShortFest will be presented at the Festival Theaters in Palm Springs. The Hilton Palm Springs returns as the Official Host Hotel, serving as the primary lodging hub for filmmakers and festival guests as well as the home of the ShortFest Forum — a series of classes and panels featuring industry representatives, filmmakers, and additional guests. Awards and cash prizes worth $25,000, including five Academy Award-qualifying awards, will be announced on Sunday, June 28, with the Best of the Fest program screening on the final day, Monday, June 29.

Designated by AMPAS, BAFTA, BIFA and Goya Awards as an award-qualifying festival, the Palm Springs International ShortFest and Short Film Market is one of the most acclaimed short film showcases in the world. Last year, standout selections featured at ShortFest ranged from the Oscar-winning live action short The Singers, Oscar-nominated live action short Jane Austen’s Period Drama, Oscar-nominated documentary short The Devil Is Busy, and the Oscar-nominated animated shorts Forevergreen and Retirement Plan. Talent in attendance included Haley Joel Osmont, Hanelle M. Culpepper, Pauline Chalamet, and Ryan Simpkins, among others.

Other notable films that have screened at ShortFest include Oscar-winning documentary short The Queen of Basketball, Oscar-winning live action short The Long Goodbye with actor Riz Ahmed, Oscar-nominated documentary short Nai Nai & Wài Pó, live-action short I’m Not a Robot, and more. Over the past three decades, ShortFest has also been an early platform for famed filmmakers, with alumni such as Ava DuVernay (2006), A.V. Rockwell (2019), Bryce Dallas Howard (2006), Cary Joji Fukunaga (2005), Chiwetel Ejiofor (2014), Dee Rees (2005), Denis Villeneuve (2008), Emerald Fennell (2018), Francesca Scorsese (2024), Janicza Bravo (2015), Jason Reitman (2016), Jim Cummings (2016), Julia Ducournau (2012) Kirsten Dunst (2008), Lukas Dhont (2012), Lulu Wang (2015), Meg Stalter (2024), Taika Waititi (2004), and many others.

The Palm Springs International Film Society is a 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit organization whose mission is to cultivate and promote the art and science of film through education and cross-cultural awareness. The Film Society produces the Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) and Film Awards every January and Palm Springs ShortFest in June. In addition to curating the best in international cinema, PSIFF’s Film Awards has come to be known as the first stop on the campaign trail for the Academy Awards®, and our Oscar®-qualifying ShortFest is the largest short film festival and market in North America. Our festivals, year-round member screenings and educational programs manifest our organization’s mission by nurturing and encouraging new filmmaking talent, honoring the great masters of world cinema, and expanding audience horizons. The City of Palm Springs is the title sponsor of both festivals. 

For additional information and tickets, call the festival headquarters at (760) 778-8979 or visit the website at psfilmfest.org/shortfest. 

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