Half an hour max! American Shorts at the American Film Festival
Great cinema can be modest in length—after all, it’s not the duration that defines a film’s quality, but how it uses its time on screen. Together with CINEMAFORUM, we once again prove that short doesn’t mean lesser, and that short films can leave a lasting impression with the freshness and courage of their creators. The American Shorts section has once again made itself at home at the 16th American Film Festival (November 6–11).
“The section tells stories of loss and rebuilding, of love, attempts at understanding, and—what feels especially important today—support and compassion toward others and ourselves. With each character we meet, if only for a brief moment, we journey not just through city streets but also across different time frames. Our guides are, for the most part, young women—and it’s their voices we choose to amplify,” writes Anna Winkler, AFF program coordinator.
This year's American Shorts lineup includes:
- Debaters, dir. Alex Heller
- The Last Goodbye, dir. Kailey Wolf
- Fame and Other Four Letter Words, dir. Miranda Kahn
- Second Bedroom, dir. Beatrix Chu
- Paradise Man (ii), dir. Jordan Michael Blake
- How to Shoot a Ghost, dir. Charlie Kaufman
The section will also feature Ancestra—a singular exploration of motherhood created using AI—and the latest project from Primordial Soup, the studio founded by legendary director and producer Darren Aronofsky.
Festival passes, as well as media and industry accreditations, are on sale until October 17 (or until sold out).
Register for media accreditation
Register for industry accreditation
The 16th American Film Festival will take place November 6–11, 2025, as always at New Horizons Cinema in Wrocław. The full program will be announced on October 21, and two days later, on October 23 at noon, ticket sales and online access will open.
Before arriving in Wrocław, the American Shorts selection will also screen at the 24th CINEMAFORUM in Warsaw, taking place October 22–26.
