American Black Film Festival has revealed the five finalists for the 29th HBO Short Film Award Showcase, at the 30th Anniversary “Homecoming” edition taking place May 27 to 31, 2026, in Miami Beach.
This year’s lineup includes genre-bending Spilled Milk, produced by Oscar-winner Jordan Peele and starring J. Alphonse Nicholson (P-Valley) and Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi, along with Arsema Thomas (Queen Charlotte), Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn (Small Axe), and Jeremy Villas.
Winners will be announced during the “Best of ABFF Awards” on Saturday, May 30. The ceremony will culminate with the presentation of the HBO Short Film Award.
Past finalists and winners of the HBO Short Film Award include Frank E. Flowers (2003 Winner – Swallow), Rashaad Ernesto Green (2008 Winner – Premature), Ryan Coogler (2011 Winner – Fig), Reinaldo Marcus Green (2013 Finalist – Stone Cars), and Steven Caple, Jr. (2013 Winner – A Different Tree)
“As we mark 30 years of the American Black Film Festival, we’re honored to continue our longstanding partnership with HBO in presenting the HBO Short Film Award Showcase,” said NICE CROWD Founder and CEO, Jeff Friday. “This program has been instrumental in launching the careers of groundbreaking filmmakers, and this year’s finalists carry that legacy forward with bold, compelling work. We look forward to celebrating their achievements and the continued impact of this collaboration.”
“ABFF’s 30th anniversary and our 29‑year partnership highlight the power of investing in emerging storytellers,” says Dennis Williams, SVP, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Warner Bros. Discovery. ”Storytellers like Steven Caple Jr., Reinaldo Marcus Green, and Christine Swanson, all past winners of this award, went on to remarkable careers. Most notably, HBO Short Film Award alum Ryan Coogler now holds record‑setting Oscar nominations for a film created within our studio family. These journeys reflect the meaningful runway this award is intended to provide for bold new voices. Together, ABFF, WBD, and HBO continue to build a pipeline that opens doors, elevates talent, and expands the possibilities of storytelling.”
HBO Short Film Award Showcase Finalists
Title: Spilled Milk
Logline: What really happened to all those deadbeat dads who went to the store to get milk? A father’s innocent errand leads him to an encounter with an enigmatic figure called ‘The Milk Man,’ where things quickly go sour.
United States | 13m
Director: Jared Leaf
Writer: Jared Leaf
Producers: Jordan Peele, Win Rosenfeld, Jamal M. Watson, Kesila Childers, Kacie Lehner, Dana Gills
Cast: J. Alphonse Nicholson, Jerry O’Connell, Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi, Brandon Perea, Rodney Van Johnson, Bashir Taylor
Title: Facade
Logline: A brilliant yet closed-off architect must learn to open up after confronting her past and the plot of land where her childhood home once stood.
United States | 13m
Director: Modupe Thompson
Writer: Modupe Thompson
Producers: Kristen Vaganos, Claire Gostin, Modupe Thompson
Cast: Arsema Thomas, Matthew Elam, Grace Amaku, Camryn Kim
Title: The Truth About Space
Logline: A young man is released from prison and has to face up to the lie that his estranged daughter has been led to believe – that he was in space.
United Kingdom | 14m
Director: Jeremiah Towolawi
Writer: Jeremiah Towolawi
Producers: Emily Radakovic
Cast: Jordan Kouamé, Olivia-Rose Colliard, Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn
Title: We Had Fun
Logline: On Christmas Eve in Bordeaux, two young children left unsupervised by their older brother discover snow for the first time, a wonder that quickly turns into danger.
France | 19m
Director: Linda Lô
Writer: Linda Lô
Producers: Didar Domehri
Cast: Bybianna Vimpi, Demba Diaw, Alseni Bathily
Title: FLY
Logline: When a ballet company holds auditions for a competitive apprenticeship, a perfection-driven dancer has their world upended by a rival who rekindles their love for the craft.
United States | 14m
Director: Carlton Daniel Jr.
Writer: Carlton Daniel Jr.
Producers: Carlton Daniel Jr.
Cast: Jeremy Villas, Maxfield Haynes
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