You don't want to miss this.

During these life-changing times of social and political unrest, it is exceedingly difficult to feel celebratory. Through these feelings, however, we remain firm believers that "movies are the most powerful empathy machines," as Roger Ebert once called them. Watching and sharing cinema from different parts of the world, from different, diverse perspectives is especially necessary today, and that's something we must continue to do.

We are proud of the filmmakers and stories that make up our 2020 Official Selection. Curated from over 6,000 submissions, the lineup consists of 332 films from over 60 countries. In true ShortFest tradition, the films span across genres and themes – from urgent to the life-affirming, silly to serious – the spectrum.

A selection of films will be available to screen on our website from June 16-22. For a breakdown on how that will work please visit our How To Watch page. Keep an eye out for our daily newsletters with daily picks and filmmaker spotlights.

We will also be hosting our Forum with virtual classes and panels led by special industry guests. A selection of these panels will be available to the general public with registration starting June 13.

Finally, on Sunday, June 21, we will announce this year's award winners, presenting them with awards and prizes. Be sure to catch those films on our website on Monday, June 22.

ShortFest looks different this year but we remain dedicated to providing a space to facilitate connections between creators, industry, and our amazing audience. We will dearly miss the opportunity of getting together physically this summer, but we look forward to engaging with you in the coming weeks.

Thank you for your ongoing support,

Lili Rodriguez

Artistic Director