FILM BUSINESS 2026 OSCAR CONTENDER SERIES – Jack Howard’s The Second Time Around: An Oscar-Qualified Short That Lingers Long After It Ends

By Jane Fitzgerald With The Second Time Around, filmmaker Jack Howard makes a strikingly confident leap from comedy into dramatic territory, crafting a short that feels both intimate and cinematic in scope. Already Oscar and BAFTA qualified, and a recent Best Sci-Fi winner at HollyShorts, the film arrives with real awards momentum, and deservedly so. Set on a rain-drenched London night, the story pairs rising British star Hannah … Continue reading FILM BUSINESS 2026 OSCAR CONTENDER SERIES – Jack Howard’s The Second Time Around: An Oscar-Qualified Short That Lingers Long After It Ends

Philippe Grenier’s MUSCAT – a painful story of self discovery

Philippe Grenier’s Muscat is a powerful and emotionally charged short film that delves into themes of incommunicability, sexual awakening, and the harsh realities of societal taboos. Set against the backdrop of Morocco, where the persecution of LGBTQ+ individuals remains a poignant issue, the film follows 16-year-old Samir, a fisherman struggling with his emerging attraction to men. His world is turned upside down when he meets Louis, a … Continue reading Philippe Grenier’s MUSCAT – a painful story of self discovery

OSCAR SPOTLIGHT: The Delicate Sublime of SPIRIT OF PLACE directed by Jack Cooper Stimpson

Jack Cooper Stimpson’s Spirit of Place is a stunning short film that immerses its audience in a world where nature and identity collide, and where the natural world holds the power to unearth the deepest truths about ourselves. In this lyrical meditation on self-discovery, Spirit of Place gracefully examines the intimate relationship between humans and the environments they inhabit, and what happens when that connection is disrupted or altered. … Continue reading OSCAR SPOTLIGHT: The Delicate Sublime of SPIRIT OF PLACE directed by Jack Cooper Stimpson

OSCAR SPOTLIGHT: Dani Feixas’ PARIS 70 Explores Love, Loss, and Alzheimer’s Through a Son’s Eyes

In the realm of short films that delve into the complexities of caregiving, grief, and memory, Paris 70 stands out as a poignant and intimate exploration of the toll Alzheimer’s disease takes on both the person suffering from it and the loved ones who are left to navigate the slowly fading reality. Directed by Dani Feixas, whose own personal experience caring for his grandmother with Alzheimer’s served … Continue reading OSCAR SPOTLIGHT: Dani Feixas’ PARIS 70 Explores Love, Loss, and Alzheimer’s Through a Son’s Eyes

OSCAR SPOTLIGHT: The Threat of Automation in Kevin & Kelly Luu’s TECHNICIANS

In Technicians, directors Kevin and Kelly Luu explore the intersection of automation and the Vietnamese-American immigrant experience. The short film centers on David (J. Alphonse Nicholson), an automation technician tasked with installing self-service manicure stations at a nail salon. There, he meets Hoa, a Vietnamese-American nail tech whose job is at risk. The film’s understated yet powerful narrative delves into the very real struggles of immigrant … Continue reading OSCAR SPOTLIGHT: The Threat of Automation in Kevin & Kelly Luu’s TECHNICIANS