San Diego Short Film Festival

07/26/2026

Another great day at Comic Con culminated in a brief chat with the amazing Kevin Smith about the great value of supporting short filmmakers. Thank you Kevin Smith for your generosity, your support and for just being COOL!

06/26/2026

watch.sdsff.org

04/08/2026

“Nondecomposable,” directed by Tobin Carter

San Diego Short Film Festival
Horror/Suspense

TRT 5:00

Deandra (Pilot Paisley-Rose), a freshly dead woman, learns something unsettling about the afterlife from an angel named Shepherd (Eric Miller). I am definitely not going to go any further in describing the plot, because you really need to go watch this right now. Go on – it’s only five minutes.

Carter’s films traditionally look like thoroughly professional productions, with interesting and better-than-competent sets and locations, costuming, sound, cinematography, writing and acting.

“Nondecomposable” is no different. Every element of the short works together in such a way that he manages to tell a complete, coherent, interesting and atmospheric story that delivers a potent message in just 5 minutes. And even that time flies by!

Paisley-Rose and Miller carry most of the film, and they both deliver a range of believable emotions efficiently and effectively. Sabrina Dunn and Shira Dina have less to do as two versions of Deandra’s friend Priscilla, but even they manage to nail the part. Carter sneaks himself into the film as, primarily, a device for receiving exposition. He has a single line, making it way too small a role to send it into self-indulgent territory – so kudos to him.

If you were ever a fan of any iteration of The Twilight Zone, you owe it to yourself to give this a watch.

04/08/2026

“Echoes Under Skin,” directed by John C. Christian and Gabriella Katsouropoulou

San Diego Short Film Festival

Drama

TRT 12:00

A man (Marcio Rosario) carries on a strained and taut conversation with a child (Gabriel Katsouropoulou) as the man remembers some difficult and complicated times in his past.

I can’t reveal too much more about what’s really going on, but I will make a recommendation. This is an extremely uncomfortable watch for the first 4 to 5 minutes (and honestly, it’s not a walk in the park after that mark, either), but I assure you that your initial understanding of what’s going on is not correct. Stick with this and you will be treated to both a fascinating twist and a powerful statement against domestic violence.

Visually, “Echoes Under Skin” is as complex as its underlying subject matter, with a striking and consistent color palate. Rosario’s character is always dressed in something blue; red conveys either a threat or reality of violence; darkness simultaneously paints the scene and the main character’s soul. None of this intentionality is distracting from the plot, which flows along as expected once that initial portion is over.

Rosario is excellent, and you might remember him from 2023’s fascinating short “Bergamota.” He has a talent for convincingly conveying danger and pain with expressions and body language, and that talent serves both of these films well. Katsouropoulou is also quite good as Rosario’s main foil, sharing some of Rosario’s intensity in a way that ends up more impressive after the reveal.

The film ends on almost a “public service announcement” vibe, but the accompanying text is compelling and the transition – while slightly abrupt – feels right when you look at “Echoes Under Skin” in its entirely. And you should.

03/27/2026

San Diego Short Film Festival’s Spring Season Online Quarterly Qualifier! Showcasing the finest short film submissions hoping to get an audience choice award and an official selection to our annual in person film festival in January 2027.

03/06/2026

https://youtu.be/BEtXv-cTjIk?si=8pfHUEwWe6-SqOQ9

01/21/2026

Such a moving film.

EVERFORWARD was the winner for Best Documentary of the Year (2025) at the San Diego Short Film Festival.TRT: 31:51Directed by Jeff MartiniOverview:Denise Gor...

01/17/2026

So excited for No Worries!

The Irish animated short film no worries wins awards at San Diego Short Film Festival.

01/16/2026