Announcing Short Of The Year Awards 2025

We’re back with your favourite December tradition.

Indie Shorts Mag is thrilled to announce the Short of the Year (SOTY) Awards 2025 – our annual celebration of short films, documentaries, music videos, web series, and the storytellers who make every minute on screen count.

Over the past year, our team has journeyed through another incredible lineup of shorts from across the globe. As always, every film we’ve reviewed within the eligibility window is automatically considered for the main jury awards. Short of the Year is our way of shining a spotlight on the work that moved us, surprised us, challenged us – and stayed with us long after the credits rolled.

This year, we’re also opening the doors wider than ever before: filmmakers who have submitted their films to Short of the Month are invited to be part of the Short of the Year journey, too.

What we’re celebrating in 2025

Short of the Year Awards 2025 will recognize excellence across a wide range of categories, including:

Best Short Film (Short of the Year)
Best Documentary
Best Web Series
Best Direction
Best Cinematography
Best Editing
Best Music
Best Screenplay
Best Poster
Audience Choice Awards (Most Voted Film)

From bold experimental pieces to intimate character studies, from gripping docs to binge-worthy web series, this is where we bring them all together under one banner.

Who can be part of Short of the Year 2025?

In keeping with our core ethos, Short of the Year is not a standalone submission-only festival. It’s a celebration that grows out of the work we feature across our platforms.

For 2025:

Films reviewed on Indie Shorts Mag within the eligibility period are automatically considered for jury categories.
Filmmakers who submitted their work to Short of the Month are also part of this ecosystem. If your film has been in our pipeline via Short of the Month, this is your cue to keep an eye out for SOTY-related communication and opportunities to participate, especially in the Audience Choice Awards.

Think of it as a connected journey, submit to Short of the Month, get discovered and reviewed on Indie Shorts Mag, and then be in the running for Short of the Year.

Audience Choice Awards 2025 – your turn to decide

The Audience Choice Awards are back – and this is where the community steps in.

If your film was reviewed on Indie Shorts Mag during the eligibility period, or you’re a filmmaker who has been part of Short of the Month, you’ll be able to submit it specifically for the Audience Choice Awards (as long as it meets the visibility requirements).

Key points:

Audience Choice is opt‑in.
Films must be publicly viewable (not password‑protected or behind a paywall) so audiences can watch and vote fairly.
The winner is decided purely by the number of votes during the official voting window.

And yes, we’re keeping a favourite tradition alive: One lucky voter will win a $100 Amazon Gift Card as a thank you for supporting independent cinema.

For full details, filmmakers and viewers can head to the official SOTY site and Audience Choice page:

Key dates for Short of the Year Awards 2025

Here’s the full 2025 timeline so you can mark your calendars:

Audience Choice Submissions Open: November 30th, 2025
Submission Deadline: December 7th, 2025
Public Voting Period: December 7th – December 22nd, 2025
Nominees Announcement: December 25th, 2025
Winners Reveal: December 31st, 2025

We’ll be sharing updates, reminders, and highlights throughout the month on Indie Shorts Mag and the official Short of the Year channels.

For filmmakers (Indie Shorts Mag + Short of the Month)

If you’re a filmmaker who:

Had your film reviewed on Indie Shorts Mag, or
Submitted your film to Short of the Month,

here’s what to do next:

Watch out for our SOTY 2025 communication with details on Audience Choice submissions and any additional steps.
Make sure your film is uploaded and share-ready on your chosen platform (subject to final SOTY guidelines).
Get your artwork, trailer, and socials ready – December moves fast, and so does the voting window.
Rally your cast, crew, and audience: this is your chance to give your film one more big push before the year ends.

Short of the Year isn’t just about awards. It’s about visibility, community, and momentum for your work.

For viewers and the indie film community

If you love short films, December is your festival:

Watch a curated slate of some of the year’s standout shorts.
Vote for the stories that stay with you.
Share your favourites on social media and help these films travel further than ever.

Every view, every vote, and every share helps these films reach new audiences and opportunities.

Ready for another year of powerful short stories?

As we step into Short of the Year Awards 2025, we’re carrying forward the spirit of the incredible films that defined previous years – and making space for new voices to take the spotlight, including those who joined us through Short of the Month.

Here’s to the filmmakers who dared to tell their stories in minutes.

Here’s to the viewers who keep showing up for independent cinema.

And here’s to another unforgettable year where every minute tells a story, and every story finds its audience.