ShortFest announces jury, forum lineup for upcoming festival
The festival will take place June 24 through 30 at Festival Theaters, with the ShortFest Forum running June 27 through 29 at the Renaissance Hotel.
The 31st-annual Palm Springs International ShortFest last week announced its jury members and forum programming for the upcoming festival, which will award $25,000 in cash prizes including five Academy Award qualifying honors.
The festival will take place June 24 through 30 at Festival Theaters, 789 East Tahquitz Canyon Way, with the ShortFest Forum running June 27 through 29 at the Renaissance Hotel in Palm Springs. Award winners will be announced Sunday, June 29 at an awards brunch.
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Jury members include Caroline Lindy, director of “Your Monster,” Carolina Groppa, producer of “Honk For Jesus, Save Your Soul,” and Cooper Raiff, director of “Cha Cha Real Smooth,” who will judge the Best of the Festival Award. Peter Debruge, chief film critic for Variety, will serve on the Best Live-Action Short 15 Minutes & Under jury alongside agent Julien Levesque of The Gersh Agency and filmmaker Karsten Runquist.
The festival will present awards across multiple categories including Best Animated Short, Best Documentary Short, Best Live-Action Short Over 15 Minutes, Best International Short, Best U.S. Short, Best Comedy Short, Best LGBTQ+ Short, and Best Midnight Short. Student categories include Best Student Animated Short, Best Student Documentary, Best Student International Short and Best Student U.S. Short.
Forum programming will feature panels on transitioning from short films to features, perfecting pitch techniques, and breaking into television. The “Going Viral: Lessons from the Creator Economy” session will explore how filmmakers can learn from digital content creators who have achieved online success.
One-on-one mentoring sessions will connect filmmakers with industry executives and established filmmakers. Participants include representatives from major agencies like CAA, WME and The Gersh Agency, as well as programmers from festivals including Sundance, SXSW and the American Film Institute.
The Palm Springs International Film Society produces both the January film festival and awards ceremony and the June ShortFest. The organization’s mission focuses on cultivating and promoting film through education and cross-cultural awareness.
The City of Palm Springs serves as the title sponsor for both festivals.
Details: More information, including individual ticket prices and pass sales, can be found here.
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