An annual stop at the Belcourt, this year’s 99-minute theatrical program consists of six short films curated from the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, including three jury award-winning titles. Considered the premier showcase for short films and the launchpad for many now-prominent independent filmmakers, the Festival has supported short films by providing a platform for both established and emerging filmmakers to connect with audiences.
The Boys and the Bees / U.S.A. (Director and Producer: Arielle C. Knight, Producer: Sean Weiner) — On an idyllic farm in rural Georgia, Black beekeeping parents tenderly share their knowledge of life, love and nature with their young sons while restoring their homestead. Short Film Jury Award: Nonfiction
Crisis Actor / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Lily Platt, Producers: Sophie Seyd, Alex Bendo, Lexi Preiser) — Fired from her day job, an impulsive actress crashes a support group and spirals into a chaotic night that forces her to face her addiction to drama. Cast: Sarah Steele, Philip Ettinger. Short Film Jury Award: U.S. Fiction
Living with a Visionary / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Stephen P. Neary, Producer: Mireia Vilanova) — After 50 years of marriage, John must care for his wife while learning to live alongside her vivid hallucinations. Cast: James Cromwell, Katherine LaVictoire. Short Film Jury Award: Animation.
Marga en el DF / Mexico, U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Gabriela Ortega, Producers: Karla Luna Cantú, Natalia Gonzalez, Eugenio Valero, Carlos López Estrada, Valerie Bush, Stacy Perskie) — In the wake of Selena Quintanilla’s murder, Marga’s life takes an unexpected turn at 21 weeks pregnant during a surprise visit to Mexico City. Cast: Camila Santana, David Palacio, Xabiani Ponce de León, Andrea de Fátima.
Pankaja / U.S.A., India (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Anooya Swamy, Producers: Nakirekanti Swamy, Archana Swamy, Vindhya Gupta) — Pankaja, along with her daughter, Lalli, searches for her missing husband through the city slums of Bangalore to bring him back home. Cast: Harshini Boyalla, Padmashree G.
Sauna Sickness / Sweden (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Malin Barr) — Struggling to maintain the peace she mistakes for love, Cleo’s steamy New Year’s Eve plans fissure into a chilling nightmare. Cast: Thea Sofie Loch Næss, Adam Lundgren, Magnus Krepper, Sanna Krepper.
