Solace

After the death of a loved one, Collin silences the world, hoping it will ease his grief as he searches for peace in the space between grief and connection.

A film by Austin Beaulieu of Central Connecticut State University

It Didn’t have to be worse

After Lilah is sexually assaulted on the metro, she isolates herself from her church and friends, overwhelmed by shame, guilt, and anger toward God. When she finally opens up to her pastor, she is reminded that her worth in God’s eyes remains unchanged because of a decision that was taken away from her. Choosing to rebuild her faith, Lilah turns to scripture and prayer, discovering the power of vulnerability with God, her friends, and herself.

A film by Isabella Koontz of George Mason University

Shooting the moon

“Shooting the Moon” is a stop motion paper cut out animation about a man trying to prove 'em wrong and shoot the moon. Each shot leaves quite a mess, or what we otherwise know as stars.

A film by Antonia Eve Novakovich of Concordia University

‘til death do us part

At his first day on the job as a Grim Reaper, Craig is faced with his assigned kill, Annie, whose biggest dream is to live in the world of a horror movie.

A film by Ariel Haak of Rochester Institute of Technology

Between Sentences

A senior at the University of Notre Dame waits for her father’s release on October 30, 2025 after twenty-two years of incarceration, reflecting on how life is shaped by absence and the long aftermath of prison. As she prepares to meet him again, she revisits the impact of the criminal legal system on her family, including a stepfather who spent twenty-one years incarcerated and whom she first met at thirteen. Through intimate memories and present-day anticipation, the film shows how incarceration continues to live inside a family long after a sentence is served.

A film by Robin Sanders of University of Notre Dame

Dream detective

A detective investigates a series of deaths seemingly related to sleep.

A film by Jake Silva of Fitchburg State University

Outbound

"Outbound" follows a small robot on his journey to leave a desert planet. The film was sparked from a desire to merge the limitless possibilities of computer generated animation and filmmaking with hand-crafted, real life models and sets.

A film by Eli Jeffery of Rochester Institute of Technology

He, him, her: The ultimate love story!

At Lara Sawrence College, Cat finds herself capturing the attention of two men. However, she soon finds herself stuck in a much bigger loop controlled by the Narrator themself. A parody filled with romance, comedy, and psychological horror.

A film by Caroline He of Sarah Lawrence College

Family threads

“Family Threads” weaves together the untold stories of one small Icelandic family through delicate woolen stop-motion vignettes. Each scene is stitched together with yarn to bring to life moments of love, laughs, and losses.

A film by Holly Lilja Evans of University of Texas at Dallas

The magic words

In Nazi Germany, a Jewish father gives his son “magic words,” his only shield against the horrors of war.

Password: TMWFINAL

A film by Gael Kuni of New York Film Academy

Total opposites

A light and a dark creature fighting to conquer the world from each other must learn to make peace.

A film by Felix Eyal of Ringling College of Art + Design

At a time like this

Two friends argue in the midst of the apocalypse.

A film by Evan Maiorini of University of Hartford

my friend the couch

Ethan takes his broken couch on a roadtrip for one last goodbye.

A film by Ethan Gomez-Zahnley of University of Southern California

Afterimage

Casey's curiosity is peaked, as he see's a light glowing in a nearby window. Despite having a feeling deep down that he is not meant to approach, he differs his best judgement and investigates further. Entering a room flooded with the light of a single projector, Casey finally realizes he should have listened to his gut.

A film by Leo Smith of Georgia Southern University

brothers of the apocalypse

Two radically different brothers try to survive the zombie apocalypse without killing each other.

A film by Luke Tatro of the University of Vermont

Peripheral

When a persistent leak spreads across the ceiling of an aging couple’s home, it draws the husband back to memories of a riverside tunnel they once escaped to in their youth. As his wife’s health declines, memories, dreams, and time begin to collapse.

A film by Alison Church of University of Southern California

Dogs of bishkek

On a journey home from the market, a young boy Sasha is being stalked and chased by the ruthless monster dog of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan during a cold, foggy winter night.

Password: Dogs312

A film by Viktor Niksdorf of Ringling College of Art + Design

Melodies of war

In 1944 rural China, two young musicians, trapped inside an abandoned building by enemy soldiers, share one last song together.

A film by Jiayang Liu of University of Southern California

Up Next

“Up Next” retells the creative journey of Cheryl Blaylock, from the extraordinary world of children's television to her fight against breast cancer. Her story shows that creativity is limitless, and personal struggles can be transformed into art.

A film by Olivia Benn of Pratt Institute

miguel lopez is a snake

A baby Mexican-American snake is dying to be fashionable.

Password: Snakeskin!

A film by Kati Snotherly of Rhode Island School of Design

Our last time

After a college student returns to China and his grandparents, he begins exploring the idea of death in an introspective journey to understand what it means to exist.

A film by Jiayang Liu of University of Southern California