Palm Springs International ShortFest Winners – Jen Nee Lim’s Fruit Wins Best of the Festival

The 2026 Palm Springs International ShortFest honored the winners of its juried and audience award winners at the Awards Ceremony, with the Best of the Festival prize going to Fruit directed by Jen Nee Lim.

Other top prizes, including Best Animated Short, went to Fačuk directed to Maida Srabović, Best Documentary Short went to Water Cooler directed by Emma V.F., Best Live-Action Short Over 15 Minutes went to Marga en el DF directed by Gabriela Ortega, and Best Live-Action Short 15 Minutes and Under went to We Were Here directed by Pranav Bhasin.

The winners of the Best of the Festival award, along with Best Animated Short, Best Documentary Short, Best Live-Action Short Over 15 Minutes, and Best Live-Action Short 15 Minutes and Under, may be eligible to submit their short to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Oscar® consideration.

See below the complete list of winners of the 2026 Palm Springs International ShortFest

Oscar-Qualifying Awards:

The winner of these awards may be eligible to submit their short to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Oscar® consideration.

Best of the Festival Award
Winner: Fruit (Singapore), Directed by Jen Nee Lim
Special Mention: Hyena (USA/China), Directed by Altay Ulan Yang

Best Animated Short
Winner: Fačuk (Croatia/Slovenia), Directed by Maida Srabović
Special Mention for Craft: Venezia Diorama (Belgium), Directed by Nicolas Piret

Best Documentary Short
Winner: Water Cooler (USA), Directed by Emma V.F.
Special Mention: Plumped (USA), Directed by Faye Tsakas, Nora DeLigter

Best Live-Action Short Over 15 Minutes
Winner: Marga en el DF (Mexico/USA/Dominican Republic), Directed by Gabriela Ortega
Special Mention: Concrete Kids (Lithuania), Directed by Saulius Baradinska

Best Live-Action Short 15 Minutes and Under (Sponsored by SAGindie)
Winner: We Were Here (India), Directed by Pranav Bhasin
Special Mention: Captive Audience (Singapore), Directed by Kew Lin

Student Short Awards

Best Student International Short
Winner: Daddy’s Little Meatball (Australia/USA), Directed by Yael Grunseit
Special Mention: Orla (Czech Republic/Slovakia) , Directed by Marie Lukáčová

Best Student U.S. Short, Best Student Animated Short & Best Student Documentary Short

Student U.S. Short:
Winner: Pankaja (USA/India), Directed by Anooya Swamy
Special Mention: Not Valid for Travel (USA), Directed by Jiaying Lin

Student Animated Short:
Winner: The Undying Pain of Existence (Germany), Directed by Oscar Jacobson
Special Mention: Hunting (Switzerland), Directed by Lea Favre

Student Documentary Short:
Winner: Sole (USA), Directed by Haneol Lee
Special Mention: California is Burning (USA), Directed by Bennett Curran

Special Jury Awards

Vimeo Staff Pick Award
Winner: A Crime Across Four Landscapes (USA), Directed by Aidan Weaver

Best International Short
Winners: Agapito (Philippines/France), Directed by Arvin Belarmino and Kyla Romero
Special Mention: The Last Song (Spain), Directed by María Lorente-Becerra

Best U.S. Short
Winner: See You, Soon (USA), Directed by Jay Pendarvis Jr.
Special Mention for Linus the dog: XOLO (USA), Directed by Matthew Serrano

Best Comedy Short
Winners: We Were Here (India), Directed by Pranav Bhasin
Special Mention for Ensemble: Borderline (Norway/Finland/Sweden), Directed by Johannes Vang

Best LGBTQ+ Short
Winners: Delay (China), Directed by Wang Han-Xuan
Special Mention: Sandra (Brazil), Directed by Camila Márdila

Best Midnight Short
Winner: Hyena (USA/China), Directed by Altay Ulan Yang
Special Mention: Flock (United Kingdom/Wales), Directed by Mac Nixon

Local Jury Awards

Desert Views Local Jury Award
Winner: Agapito (Philippines/France), Directed by Arvin Belarmino and Kyla Romero
Special Mention: The Barbershop (Denmark), Directed by Diêm Camille

Young Cineastes Award
Winner: La Tierra del Valor (The Home of the Brave) (USA), Directed by Cristina Costantini
Special Mention: Guardian’s Grove (USA), Directed by Rachel Moss

Kids’ Choice Award
Winner: Four Square (USA), Directed by Eli Staub

Audience Awards

Best Animated Short
Winner: i have a (United Kingdom), Directed by Rory Waudby-Tolley

Best Documentary Short
Winner: I Got My Brother (USA), Directed by Victor Gabriel

Best Live-Action Short
Winner: América (Peru), Directed by Javier Arias-Stella

Best Student Short (Sponsored by U.S. Bank Foundation)
Winner: Half-Moon (Switzerland), Directed by Hae-Sup Sin