Today is Day 1 of the 2026 edition of SXSW Film & TV. The fest has expanded to editions in Sydney and London, but the OG in Austin commands our loyalty. While the festival is a couple of days shorter than it used to be, the line-up is still full of delicious dishes. As usual, the ones cooked by members of the Short of the Week family are those we are the most excited about! 

The sheer abundance of work that catches our eye, especially at this scale of fest, makes SXSW pretty much unmatched, and the announcement of the lineup is a highly anticipated event at S/W HQ. We’ve combed the listings to track names familiar to our shorts-loving audience, so if you’re looking for a starting point to build your watchlist, look no further!

Below is a list of all S/W alums with new films at the festival. An insane 17 directors featured on Short of the Week are bringing a new short to the festival! This includes fresh work from current Oscar® nominee Sam Davis, and from Alyssa Loh, whose prior SXSW short, Let, has been viewed 23M times on YouTube. 13 additional directors from our alum community are presenting a feature, including debuts from prior Short of the Year winner Graham Parkes, as well as Caleb J Phillips, whose short, Other Side of the Box, is a 7M view viral smash on YT. 

Shorts

This year, you will find in the shorts program 16 films that are directed by S/W alums! This record number obviously fills us with joy, with films in the Animation, Documentary, Narrative, and Texas competitions 

• A New Inferno by Nita Blum‑Reddick & Jonathan Pickett
  S/W Films (Jonathan Pickett): Chicken Stories
  Synopsis: Set during a record Phoenix heatwave, paramedics use radical ice immersion therapy to save heatstroke victims, racing against the searing temperatures.
  Section: Documentary Short Competition

• A Wolf in the Suburbs by Amélie Hardy
  S/W Films: Hello Stranger
  Synopsis: In suburban Mississauga, one man’s wildly overgrown lawn becomes a catalyst for chaos, challenging rigid neighborhood norms and expectations.
  Section: Documentary Short Competition

• Copy, Save by Alyssa Loh
  S/W Films: Let
  Synopsis: Two teenage sisters uncover each other’s secret online money‑making schemes and must confront the murky ethics of their digital hustles.
  Section: Narrative Short Competition
  

Copy, Save by Alyssa Loh

• He’s Out There by Kurt Andrew Schneider & Sam Davis
  S/W Films (Kurt Andrew Schneider): Notice Me, Higher Power
  S/W Films (Sam Davis): (SHn(y)o͞of), Are You Still There?, You Know Where to Find Me
  Synopsis: A documentary capturing the journey of an autistic Bigfoot enthusiast as he connects with his heroes and explores his passion for the unknown.
  Section: Documentary Short Competition

• I Saw You In The Flood by Kevin Xian Ming Yu
  S/W Films (as Cinematographer): Nun’s Beach, Breadwinner
  Synopsis: The film follows Kai, a genderqueer Chinese-American, and their mother, Li, as they deal with the effects of a heavy storm on their basement apartment in Queens. Zhou, Kai’s grandfather, is dying in Northeast China. During this sleepless night, a familiar spirit visits Kai and mistakes them for Li. 
  Section: Narrative Short Competition

• Imago by Ariel Zengotita
  S/W Films: Flick
  Synopsis: When Ana’s mother begins transforming into a bug, their codependent relationship reaches a breaking point.
  Section: Narrative Short Competition

Imago by Ariel Zengotita

• Im Auto Tapes und Butterbrot by Kiana Naghshineh
  S/W Films: Augenblicke – a blink of an eye
  Synopsis: As her body begins to fade into stardust, Shari reflects on what truly matters in her life and confronts her own impermanence.
  Section: Animation Short Competition

• In The Beginning by Ala Nunu
  S/W Films: Ahead
  Synopsis: A surreal animated odyssey featuring a space probe, legless birds of paradise, and odd creatures as humanity tries to make sense of the cosmos and its own place in it.
  Section: Animation Short Competition

• Marga en el DF by Gabriela Ortega
  S/W Films: Huella (Footprints)
  Synopsis: A Dominican woman’s life spirals during a surprise visit to Mexico City at 21 weeks pregnant — set against the aftermath of Selena Quintanilla’s murder.
  Section: Narrative Short Competition

In The Beginning by Ala Nunu

• Not Scared, Just Sad by Isabelle Mecattaf
  S/W Films: Beity
  Synopsis: A family in Beirut strives for normalcy as war encroaches on their suburb, balancing everyday life with the looming realities of conflict.
  Section: Documentary Short Competition

• Paper Trail by Don Hertzfeldt
  S/W Films: Ah l’amour, Everything Will be OK, The Meaning of Life, World of Tomorrow
  Synopsis: A minimalist yet profound animated portrait of a life, depicted through the simple and evocative medium of paper animation.
  Section: Animation Short Competition

• Praying Mantis by Joe Hsieh
  S/W Films: 夜車 (Night Bus)
  Synopsis: A praying mantis mutant, driven by desperation to save her child, seduces and preys on men — only to uncover hidden pasts and dark revelations along the way.
  Section: Animation Short Competition

• Souvenir by Renée Marie Petropoulos
  S/W Films: Tangles and Knots
  Synopsis: On a family vacation, a closeted teen must face her own anxieties when her girlfriend’s casual photos trigger discomfort and self‑reflection.
  Section: Narrative Short Competition

We Were Here by Pranav Bhasin

• Stalin Boys by Ora DeKornfeld & Bianca Giaever
  S/W Films (Bianca Giaever): Crush
  Synopsis: Four middle-school boys in a Texas border town have developed an unusual obsession: Joseph Stalin. When they hear about the Texas State History Fair, they write a play about the Soviet dictator and his efforts to destroy all who opposed him.
  Section: Texas Short Competition

• We Were Here by Pranav Bhasin
  S/W Films: New Year’s Eve
  Synopsis: In a deteriorating Indian town, three retired men protest machines replacing human jobs by impersonating household appliances themselves.
  Section: Narrative Short Competition

• What We Leave Behind by Jean‑Sébastien Hamel & Alexandra Myotte
  S/W Films: Un trou dans la poitrine (A Crab in the Pool)
  Synopsis: Dan wakes up with a painful memory gap — and a literal hole in his neck. To become whole again, he must return to the haunted arena of his childhood and confront what he once left behind.
  Section: Animation Short Competition

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Features

Short of the Week celebrates shorts, naturally, but we also want short filmmakers to be able to afford their rent! So we always wish them the best if and when they transition to features and are delighted when they debut full-length films on the festival circuit. Getting a spot on the SXSW lineup is no small feat, so while the entirety of the lineup makes our watchlist, we will first and foremost catch the films of our alums. 13 projects on the feature side of the program were directed by members of the S/W family, across the Narrative Feature Competition, both Narrative and Documentary Spotlights, 24 Beats, Midnighter, and Festival Favorite categories.

• Basic by Chelsea Devantez
  S/W Films: Basic
  Synopsis: After Gloria and Nick break up, Gloria takes us through Nick’s dating history, untangling his web of ex-girlfriends through details she can find online. But when she discovers Kaylinn, the hottest, most basic ex-girlfriend to ever exist, Gloria not only loses herself, she loses control of the story she’s been telling. Basic is a comedy that blends the magical realism of jealous paranoia with the magic of falling in love.
  Section: Narrative Spotlight

• Brian by Will Ropp
  S/W Films: Kodar: The Primordial God of Light and Ether
  Synopsis: An acerbic high school student prone to panic attacks runs for class president to get closer to the teacher he’s hopelessly in love with.
  Section: Narrative Feature Competition
  
  
• Downbeat by Danny Madden
  S/W Films: (Notes on) Biology, Confusion Through Sand, Frolic N’ Mae
  Synopsis: Fleeing mistakes in Atlanta, Mauro crashes on his sister’s couch in Boston. He takes to bucket drumming on the streets for a way out, but can’t stop screwing things up and drawing everyone else into his own feral shortcomings. 
  Section: Narrative Spotlight

Downbeat by Danny Madden

• First They Came for My College by Patrick Bresnan
  S/W Films: The Rabbit Hunt, Skip Day
  Synopsis: When the Governor of Florida transforms a beloved public honors college as part of a political coup, students and professors confront a new reality: their campus is ground zero in a growing nationwide assault on academic freedom.
  Section: Documentary Spotlight
  
  
• Hokum by Damian McCarthy
  S/W Films: He Dies at the End
  Synopsis: When novelist Ohm Bauman retreats to a remote inn to scatter his parents’ ashes, he is consumed by tales of a witch haunting the honeymoon suite. Disturbing visions and a shocking disappearance force him to confront dark corners of his past.
  Section: Midnighter

• Imposters by Caleb J Phillips
  S/W Films: Other Side of the Box, Play Me
  Synopsis: After a couple’s baby boy is taken, the desperate mother learns of a way to bring him back. However, her husband begins to suspect that what she returned with isn’t their son.
  Section: Midnighter
  
  

Imposters by Caleb J Phillips

• Manhood by Daniel Lombroso
  S/W Films: American Scar
  Synopsis: Manhood follows Dallas businessman Bill Moore as he sets out to make penis enlargement as commonplace as Botox. Along the way, an OnlyFans star and a father of five put their bodies – and their insecurities – on the line.
  Section: Documentary Spotlight

• Mile End Kicks by Chandler Levack
  S/W Films: We Forgot to Break Up
  Synopsis: Grace Pine, a driven though easily distracted 23-year-old. She leaves her quirky parents’ home for a shared apartment found on Craigslist to devote herself to writing the next great book in the 33 1/3 album exploration series. Hers will be on the iconic Alanis Morissette opus Jagged Little Pill. Loft parties introduce Grace to two paramours. Unfortunately, they are members of the same rock band, Bone Patrol. And instead of sequestering herself away to complete her draft, she uses her music industry know-how to get in with the band as their publicist. Through wine-fuelled poetry readings and other ill-advised choices, Grace is in the trenches of self-discovery.
  Section: 24 Beats

• One Another by Amber Love
  S/W Films: Strikers
  Synopsis: Sometimes it takes the end of something to know what is really at stake. Joe, Giorgia, and Lorri are all grappling with the possible end of an intimate friendship at vastly different stages of life: a cross-country move, a mental health crisis, and a shift into empty-nesting have forced them each to reevaluate the support they need from those closest to them. Chronicling three different friendships over the course of three years, “One Another” brings together verite with a wealth of personal archives to intertwine their journeys as they search for what it really means for us to care for each other. The result is a story of change, heartache, and connection in this ode to platonic love.
  Section: Documentary Spotlight

Wishful Thinking by Graham Parkes

• Stages by Ryan Booth
  S/W Films: Five Star, The Heights
  Synopsis: It’s make-or-break time for Ben Garza as he embarks on his solo first tour after the collapse of his band. By his side are Rita, his former tour manager, stepping away from her stable life to help him, and Parker, a remaining bandmate who joins Ben as a utility player. However, Rita also secures Jessie Ramos as the opening act, a rising star whose sudden surge in popularity will completely destabilize Ben. Throughout this musical odyssey, Ben will face characters on the road who challenge his ideas of success, relevance, and purpose. Some encounters offer hope; others deepen his doubt. By the tour’s end, Ben must decide whether to keep chasing the life he once had—or chart a new path forward.
  Section: 24 Beats

• The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist by Daniel Roher, Charlie Tyrell
  S/W Films (Charlie Tyrell): My Dead Dad’s Porno Tapes, I Thought I Told You to Shut Up
  Synopsis: A father-to-be tries to figure out what is happening with the AI insanity, exploring the existential dangers and stunning promise of this technology that humanity has created.
  Section: Festival Favorite
  
  
• The Saviors by Kevin Hamedani
  S/W Films: In Her Place
  Synopsis: Sean and Kim Harrison are a suburban couple about to divorce. By renting their guest house to a quiet Middle Eastern brother and sister, Amir and Jahan Razi, they find a perfect solution: raise money to fix and sell their house, then separate. But when bizarre occurrences begin to add up – mysterious lights, missing animals, glimpses of unexplainable tech – in the days before the President’s upcoming visit to town, their guests’ strange behavior starts to seem suspicious and potentially dangerous. As Sean and Kim investigate their new tenants, they rediscover the emotional connection they once shared. But reconciliation may come at a significant cost in this timely and provocative thriller.
  Section: Narrative Spotlight

• Wishful Thinking by Graham Parkes
  S/W Films: Where You Are, Craig’s Pathetic Freakout, The Voice in Your Head
  Synopsis: When a volatile couple discovers their emotional state has supernatural consequences on the world around them, they must decide whether to fight for their relationship or accept that their powerful connection might be doing more harm than good. 
  Section: Narrative Feature Competition

Conversations within the film industry frequently invoke the language of community and ecosystem. These terms suggest a dynamic network of artists, institutions, and intermediaries working in dialogue with one another. Yet when examined more closely, the reality can feel considerably more fragmented. In our experience as online programmers, the short-film landscape in which we work often operates in distinct silos. Festivals provide spaces where filmmakers meet other filmmakers, exchange ideas, and build relationships. But what of the journalists, distributors, and programmers who also shape the industry? Outside of the occasional panel discussion, these figures can feel noticeably less present – or at least less accessible – within the same spaces.

If such divisions exist, the question becomes: who might address them? What would it look like if these different roles within the industry were brought into closer and more sustained dialogue? And what might that mean for the broader health of the film ecosystem?

One organisation attempting to explore these questions is the Ouray International Film Festival. Building on the intimate, community-focused ethos that has come to define the festival, its organisers have launched the Ouray Film Sabbatical – an initiative designed to bring together filmmakers, critics, programmers, and other industry participants in a shared space of reflection and exchange. Conceived as an extension of the festival’s broader values, the sabbatical seeks to foster a slower, more deliberate environment for conversation: one in which creative practice, critical thought, and professional development can intersect.

The first edition of the sabbatical took place in the mountain town of Ouray in early March 2026. Speaking with the organisers, facilitators, and fellows who participated, it becomes clear that the initiative is motivated by a broader concern about the structural pressures currently shaping the film industry – and by a desire to imagine alternative ways of relating to both the work and the people who make it.

Filmmakers, film writers and film programmers gathered in the town of Ouray, for the first ever Ouray Film Sabbatical.

Rethinking Roles Within the Film Ecosystem

A central idea behind the sabbatical is the belief that the industry often undervalues the interconnected nature of its different roles. Jake Abell, co-founder of the Ouray International Film Festival and one of the programme’s hosts, argues that the separation between creative and critical labour is frequently taken for granted. “We mistakenly think that’s inevitable,” he explains. For Abell and the sabbatical team, an important starting point was the recognition that the various participants who shape the life of a film – not only those who make it, but also those who write about, programme, and circulate it – contribute meaningfully to the cultural conversation surrounding cinema.

This perspective was echoed by fellow sabbatical host Ben Wiessner – a producer we’ve featured regularly on Short of the Week and co-creator of the Short to Feature lab with Jim Cummings – who describes early conversations about how the initiative might encourage participants to begin “having one conversation about the ecosystem with multiple different stakeholders.” In other words, the goal was not simply to gather people from different professional backgrounds, but to place them in a setting where those distinctions could temporarily soften, allowing participants to engage with one another more openly.

“What are we good at? What do we not see? What are we hearing people need?”

For the organisers behind the Sabbatical, it was clear from the outset that they wanted to develop something within the educational sphere that might help reimagine what a filmmaking community could look like. However, the project also emerged from a broader reflection on what contemporary filmmakers and industry workers appear to need. As Wiessner puts it, the organisers asked themselves a series of guiding questions: “What are we good at? What do we not see? What are we hearing people need?” These questions ultimately shaped the ethos of the sabbatical.

Among the inspirations behind the initiative were filmmaking duo the Daniels, long associated with a collaborative ethos that emphasises mutual support within creative communities. Reflecting on their influence, Wiessner notes that their example helped crystallise a key principle for the programme: that those who gain experience within the industry have a responsibility to “send the ladder back down” to others coming up behind them.

The organisers were also conscious of the wider social and political context in which cultural work now takes place. Facilitator Dr. Sabeen Ahmed emphasises that one of the sabbatical’s aims was to create an environment where participants felt “safe, cared for, and genuinely seen – not simply as filmmakers or industry members, but as creatives and storytellers navigating a ruthlessly atomized, brutally capitalist, and deeply alienating world.” Within such a context, Ahmed suggests, the opportunity to encounter others with “curiosity, generosity, and a sense of shared purpose,” can itself become a meaningful intervention.

Hosts, facilitators & fellows gather at the table of the sabbatical house in Ouray. Photo by festival co-founder and sabbatical host Jared LaCroix

Rest as a Creative Resource

Underlying the initiative is a simple but often overlooked premise: that film professionals require not only opportunity and visibility, but also community, support, and rest in order to sustain meaningful creative work. Of these three principles, it was the final one – rest – that the organisers ultimately felt was most urgently needed.

“Nobody’s talking about rest, apart from as a cry for help,” Abell observes. In response, the sabbatical deliberately resists the productivity-driven logic that often governs the film industry. Rather than prioritising measurable output or project development, the programme encourages participants to step away from the constant momentum of festival submissions, networking obligations, and production timelines.

Filmmaker and attendee Hannah Schierbeek echoes this sentiment, noting that “rest and reflection are essential for artists.” While sabbatical fellow and S/W alum Kayla Abuda Galang praised the initiative for providing “moments to step back, listen, laugh, and simply be.” She added that the space carried a lot of “heart and humanity”- qualities that can easily be lost amid “the grind and endless strategic planning required to get your stuff made.”

In practice, this philosophy shapes the rhythm of the sabbatical itself. Time in Ouray is structured around slower activities: visiting the local hot springs, speaking with students at the town’s school, walking through the surrounding landscape, or engaging in small creative exercises.

“Permission to make mistakes and not take a creative task too seriously helps you get out of your head”

The latter was something facilitator and filmmaker Anna Baumgarten felt particularly strongly about, seeing tactile crafts as an important reminder of “how important it is to play.” In an industry so often governed by deadlines and pressure, Baumgarten suggests that the freedom to “not take a creative task too seriously helps you get out of your head.” As she notes, film projects can take years to complete, so being able to create something in a few hours – and experience a sense of creative accomplishment – can be genuinely rejuvenating.

In many ways, the most productive moments of the sabbatical occur precisely when productivity is not the primary goal. Conversations about work and the state of the industry often emerge organically – during a walk through the mountains or while sitting together making bead lizards in the sabbatical house. These low-pressure environments allow participants to articulate doubts, uncertainties, and aspirations that can be difficult to voice in more professional contexts, making these conversations not only possible, but productive.

Hosts, facilitators & fellows pose in front of the ‘Switzerland of America’ lookout sign in Ouray. Photo by festival co-founder and sabbatical host Jared LaCroix

A Different Kind of Industry Gathering

Most professional gatherings in the film world are oriented toward a specific objective – pitching a project, developing a feature, or networking for career advancement. The Ouray Film Sabbatical, however, takes a different approach. Rather than centring on productivity, it provides both physical and mental space to reflect and recharge between projects. The hope behind this alternative model is twofold: to help prevent burnout and to foster open, honest conversations about the industry – how it can thrive, and how we can take care of the people who make it run.

Filmmaker Sam Osborn, who attended the programme with his creative partner Alejandra Vasquez, notes that the sabbatical differs significantly from typical industry environments. “We didn’t each go into the sabbatical with a film to workshop,” he explains. In contrast to the atmosphere on set or at festivals – where professionals often feel pressure to project competence and confidence – the residential format allowed participants to step away from what he describes as the “self-mythologizing” that can accompany creative careers.

Within this setting, Osborn says participants could “set aside those worries and feel free to ask dumb questions, talk about day jobs, or even just spend an entire day not talking about movies at all.” For him, some of the most meaningful conversations that took place were ones he had not previously allowed himself to have.

It’s this rarity of a retreat-based model that makes the Ouray Film Sabbatical stand out. Facilitator Baumgarten points out that spaces like this are few and far between – but precisely because of that, they are vital. She highlights the “expansive conversations and creative problem-solving” that such an environment provokes, describing them as essential not only for the attendees themselves but for the future of the film industry and the “dynamic conversations” surrounding it.

“Spaces to break down the silos between different practitioners in the industry must urgently continue to be nurtured!”

Another key element of the sabbatical is its multidisciplinary approach. Bringing together professionals from across the industry in one space for four days encourages participants to reconsider the boundaries between their respective roles. Sabbatical fellow Elizabeth Rao notes that these distinctions are often more artificial than they appear, and that spaces which “break down the silos” of the industry must “urgently continue to be nurtured”.

For many of the sabbatical’s first fellows, the sense of community that emerges from this format is particularly significant. Filmmaker Hannah Schierbeek describes the experience as a reminder that moments of uncertainty within creative careers – which can often “feel isolating” – are widely shared, prompting an important reflection: “we are not alone”.

The hosts & facilitators of the Ouray Film Sabbatical gather for a picture in the snowy landscapes surrounding town. Photo by Kayla Abuda Galang

Small Experiments, Larger Possibilities

Following a series of crises in recent years, the film industry continues to exist in a state of flux, with debates about how to sustain and reshape it showing little sign of slowing. Many of the proposed solutions emphasise the need for change at every level of the ecosystem, which is precisely why initiatives like the Ouray Film Sabbatical feel increasingly significant. The filmmakers and practitioners who take part are not yet at the peak of their careers, and so the conversations and values developed in spaces like this have the potential to travel with them – informing their work and, in time, being passed on to others throughout their professional lives. Of course, Ouray is a small town and the sabbatical operates with limited resources, which naturally places limits on what it can achieve on its own.

For that reason, the organisers hope the model itself might prove influential. Abell openly describes the decision to launch the initiative as a “wager”, acknowledging the risks involved. At the same time, he believes that other “festivals, organisations, labs, [and] similar organisations” could adopt a comparable approach – bringing people together across professional boundaries as a way to foster conversation and help move the industry in a healthier direction. Abell also remains optimistic about the sabbatical’s own future, expressing excitement about welcoming more industry professionals to Ouray while also looking to “sustain the relationships built over this initial gathering”.

“More opportunities is not something solved by just money”

For fellow organiser Wiessner, the initiative also reflects a broader belief that expanding opportunities in the film industry is not simply a matter of funding. As he puts it, “more opportunities is not something solved by just money.” Instead, Wiessner argues that it is possible to “create a sense of abundance from very little” – provided that those who have already progressed within the industry recognise a responsibility to support those coming up behind them. His suggestion is to “be demanding” of those who have climbed the ladder, ensuring they actively help foster the next generation of filmmakers. It is a perspective that resonates strongly with us at Short of the Week, where we not only acknowledge our alumni as part of our continued success, but credit them with making the platform possible in the first place.

Ultimately, spaces like the Ouray Film Sabbatical matter because they offer something many of us risk losing when we become absorbed in our work: a reminder of the importance of people. Spending time with others who care deeply about filmmaking – and who are willing to speak honestly about the challenges of sustaining that passion – can itself be restorative. If the film industry often describes itself as an ecosystem, initiatives like this suggest that maintaining its health may require more than simply producing new work. It may also require cultivating the conditions in which the people behind that work can connect, reflect, and occasionally pause long enough to rediscover why they fell in love with filmmaking in the first place.

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Submissions for the 2027 Ouray Film Sabbatical will open later in 2026, if you want to submit your film to the Ouray International Film Festival you have until March 21st.