Announcing the Nominees for Short of the Year Awards 2025

We are thrilled to announce the nominees for the Short of the Year Awards 2025. This year’s selections showcase an exceptional range of voices, styles, and cinematic craft, spanning powerful documentaries, bold direction, striking visuals, razor‑sharp editing, evocative music, and meticulously written screenplays. Each nominated film has stood out for the way it tells its story in limited minutes yet lingers long after the credits, reflecting exactly what Short of the Year was created to celebrate.

Best Documentary

1. More Than A Test (The Rise of the Unsilenced Movement)
2. Death By Numbers
3. Curating Grief: Loss and Objects
4. Densho
5. Milk

Best Direction

1. The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent
2. Aicha
3. 29 Palms
4. ⁠I’m Not a Robot
5. The Axe Forgets

Best Cinematography:

1. Aicha
2. ⁠I’m Not a Robot
3. 29 Palms
4. The Axe Forgets
5. Who Are You, Nanu?

Best Editing

1. ⁠29 Palms
2. ⁠I’m Not a Robot
3. ⁠The Axe Forgets
4. ⁠The Mourning Of
5. ⁠Who Are You, Nanu?

Best Music:

1. The Singers
2. ⁠Aicha
3. ⁠In The Shadow Of The Cypress
4. ⁠The Axe Forgets
5. ⁠Hatirlama

Best Screenplay

1. Crease
2. ⁠Aicha
3. ⁠I’m Not a Robot
4. ⁠The Axe Forgets
5. ⁠Strays

Best Short Film

1. I’m Not a Robot
2. ⁠Aicha
3. The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent
4. The Axe Forgets
5. Strays

As we celebrate these outstanding nominees, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to every filmmaker whose work has made it to this stage. Your dedication, experimentation, and belief in the power of short‑form storytelling continue to push the medium forward and inspire audiences worldwide. We now look ahead to the final announcements, where we will honour this year’s winners and the teams behind them. Until then, we invite you to discover, share, and champion these nominated films as we count down to the culmination of Short of the Year Awards 2025.