2025 Official Selections

We would like to congratulate all the filmmakers whose films were selected for the 2025 edition of the Pensacon Short Film Festival. We are very happy that we will be screening the following films during Pensacon 2025. Please check closer to the event for the schedule of the screenings.

The selected films are as follows:

112 Steps
Animation
A South Carolina low country ghost story of a lighthouse keeper and his daughter.
Written by James Sidletsky; Directed by James Sidletsk, Bryanna C. Cantrell; Produced by Bryanna C. Cantrell
Bad Dog
Horror
A man alone in the woods must come to grips with his past…his ex. Who is also a werewolf.
Written by Huston Pardee; Directed by Huston Pardee, Cory Ricaurte
Black and Blue
Music Video
Official music video for Leah Seawrights “Black & Blue”
Written by Leah Seawright; Directed by Kevin Wayne
Bloody Marian
Animation
A bartender with a bit of an attitude comes face to face with a ghastly challenge, a customer whose thirst cannot seem to be quenched.
Written & Directed by Sommar Ashleigh Boulware
Cakewalk
Animation
When roadwork crumbles her sugary path, a rainbow-freckled girl is determined to deliver a cake on time. Unfortunately, what awaits her is anything but sweet.
Written, Directed & Produced by Lauren Best
Catch and Externimate
Animation
On a job gone wrong, spunky pest control employee Elliot finds herself in a chase with a paranormal being with a nasty bite.
Written & Directed by Summer Purks; Produed by Katie Limentato
Control
Music Video
Without missing a beat, a universe-jumping assassin lands in a cyberpunk metaverse and dances to death while battling a killer cyborg.
Written & Directed by LB Bunch; Produced by Beau Guy
Damned
Horror
When a desperate father breaks house arrest, his determined parole officer tracks him by his ankle monitor. When a demon surfaces from hell to collect the father’s soul, he becomes the target of a violent two-pronged chase.
Written by Lukas Anderson, Elio Andres; Directed by Lukas Anderson; produced by Alexus Es
Dormant
Horror
A man cares for his comatose wife at home. After a transgression, he fears something sinister has awakened in her.
Written & Directed by Niels Bourgonje; Produced by Niels Bourgonje, Jonathan Smit
Fight
Music Video
Official music video for Kurt Deimer’s ‘Fight’
Directed by Kevin Wayne
Funnel Cake
Fantasy
Upon wishing for solitude, young Janie’s desire is granted when she receives a magical emerald ring that makes everyone vanish. After a night of freedom, this solace turns to fear as she may be alone forever.
Written & Directed by Julia Messick; Produced by Amouri Edwards, Kayla Jones
Hardhead
Fantasy
A discouraged young man visits his disillusioned father at his fishing camp, before discovering that he plans to turn himself into a fish.
Written & Directed by John Mudge; Produced by Daniel Kleinpeter
High School Summoning
Horror
A horror cartoonish take on high school seniors and their attempt at summoning a demon for social media.
Directed by Halee B Dwyer
Produced in Pensacola
HOME(S)
Horror
What if your neighbor had a very personal way to keep the quiet in your town? In a quiet, seemingly empty town, a man is devouring his meal at home. Each bite brings us closer to the morbib truth…
Written & Directed by Matthieu Vidal, Alice Velle
Into the Reds Tale
Animation
An abomination mimic creature enters the story of ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ and disguises itself as her, tricking the Big Bad Wolf into walking into a trap.
Written & Directed by Alisdair Zhang
Mateo and The Toymaker
Animation
When his late father’s shop struggles to stay afloat, a young Afro-Latino toymaker pivots to making dull toys to make ends meet at the cost of his creative ambition. Now battling burnout, he must reconnect with his inner child and reignite his passion to save his business and keep his father’s memory alive.
Written by Dominique Riley; Directed by LB Bunch; Produced by LB Bunch
Nanners
Horror
A writer’s daily routine becomes haunted by the sudden appearance of a mysterious banana peel.
Written & Directed by Casey Leach; Produced by Mary Risk, Nikki Groton
Picturesque
Animation
Ruby’s self-obsession triggers chaos when she alters her portrait, setting off a chain of events that threatens her very existence.
Written & Directed by Kansas McWhirter
Recall
Science Fiction
A sci-fi anthology short about a room where guests memorialize the last phone calls before their loved one died.
Written & Directed by Vyky Saiz; Produced by Vyky Saiz, Ryn Ford
The Fire in Me
Documentary
When a horrific crash threatens his life, a downhearted, aging Muay Thai coach decides to dust off a forgotten dream, call his inner feral to life, and finally make his debut in the professional fighting ring, even though it could cost him everything.
Written, Directed & Produced by Terah K. Hensley
The Power of Ink
Science Fiction
When society divides into sectors, drones are everywhere, who can you really trust?
Written by Erika Arlee, Karen Elaine Lutz; Directed & Produced by Karen Elaine Lutz
Together Forever
Fantasy
A musical dark comedy about a newly married couple who learn how far you must go to stay together forever.
Written, Directed & Produced by Lauren Butterfield
Turkey Pinky Pants
Animation
The Turkey Pinky Pants animation series is about a cadre of anthropomorphic turkeys who live on an island after having defeated their arch enemy, Gordon the Turkey Farmer. The story follows the training and personal lives of a cadre of 6 recruits, and their personal growth and that of their leader, Turkey Pinky Pants, who leads them through a series of silly but dangerous adventures to protect the homeland, Turkeyville.
Written & Produced by Emmanuel Sampene; Directed by Brad Krause
Produced in Ghana
Vainglorious
Animation
A skilled young boxer and a determined father clash in a traditional Nigerian boxing match, their resilience and pride are put to the ultimate test, with everything they hold dear on the line.
Written & Directed by Oshiomati Gabriel Ugbodaga; Produced by Sebastien Abou-Chakra
Verflechtung
Science Fiction
In the near future, Susana’s fiancé Marco decides to have a chip implanted in his brain. Marco, who suffers from severe depression and has professional problems as a result, sees this new technology as his only chance, not to lose touch. Susana, who originally drew his attention to the chip, soon begins to have doubts, when Marco begins to change dramatically.
Written & Directed by Philip Hofmänner, Simon Jonas Pflanzer; Produced by Simon Jonas Pflanzer
Want
Fantasy
IMMORTALITY AWAITS… but alas, the Sorcerer’s beloved servant does not wish to join him. Rest assured, dear viewer, the Sorcerer shall get what he wants.
Written & Directed by Zalman Zuckerbraun; Produced by Terese Corbin
Where Are All the Gay Superheroes?
Superhero/Comic Book
Professional superheroes Sterling and Meridian have just finished saving the day (again) when suddenly, they find themselves in a rare moment alone. The suits come off, but when old tensions and old enemies return, our “heroes” learn the dark truth about who they are underneath.
Written & Directed by Tom Paul Martin; Produced by James Page
Wings
Fantasy
In a world where women learn how to waltz to get married, Odette’s true desire is to own the sky as the pilots of her family.
Written & Directed by Amanda Mergulhão Ferrari; Produced by Tyler Kirkpatrick

Info

Pensacon proudly presents the annual Pensacon Short Film Festival as one of its official events. As part of this convention, the films screened will celebrate science fiction, horror, fantasy, comic books, pop culture, animation, and documentaries. After each screening, there will be a short Q&A with filmmakers present.

Each Official Selection will be given two weekend passes to Pensacon (travel not included) to attend the screening, and filmmakers may participate in a Q&A session about their films immediately following the screening.

Over the past seven years, Pensacon has taken pride in screening some of the best short films from all around the world. In addition to the United States, we have had submissions from Australia, Canada, China, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, and United Kingdom.

To submit a film, go to https://filmfreeway.com/PensaconShortFilmFestival.

Entry Rules

• Films must have been produced after January 1, 2019.
• Films must have a running time no longer than 20 minutes. Films longer than 20 minutes will be disqualified.
• Categories—science fiction, fantasy, horror, superhero/comic book related, pop culture, animation, and documentary (documentaries must be related to the previously stated genres). Documentary films must have topics in the previously stated categories.
• Films may contain “R-rated” content, but no pornography.
• It is permissible to enter films that have screened at other film festivals, but not commercially distributed.
• Films cannot have been previously screened at Pensacon.
• Filmmakers must retain the rights to characters, stories, and music. Fan films (i.e. fan-made versions of established properties) are not allowed and WILL BE DISQUALIFIED WITHOUT REIMBURSEMENT OF ENTRY FEE.
• Unfortunately, Pensacon Short Film Festival is UNABLE TO OFFER FEE WAIVERS.
• Entry fees are paid for the purpose of being judged for participation in the Pensacon Short Film Festival and will not be refunded in the case of films not accepted, withdrawn, or disqualified from selection.

Selection Process

• Official Selections will be determined by Pensacon staff based on a number of factors, including but not limited to genre, content, quality of filmmaking, time allotment, and copyright ownership. All decisions are final.
• Pensacon staff and their families are ineligible to enter.
• All Official Selections will be announced via email to the filmmakers and on the Pensacon website and social media on December 11, 2021.
• Entry fees will be charged to all submissions, but do not guarantee acceptance into the film festival. Entry fees will not be reimbursed for films not selected, withdrawn, or disqualified.
• Pensacon reserves the right to change the category for submissions as deemed appropriate.

Additional Info

• It is recommended to upload the best quality of your film upon submission. However, an updated screener copy will be accepted until January 8, 2022. Resolution should be 1920×1080 with an audio bit depth of 16 bits.
• We recommend making the video file available to download, either through FilmFreeway, Vimeo, or YouTube (with password is fine). Otherwise, you will need to provide means for us to download the film such as through Dropbox or OneDrive no later than January 8, 2022.
• Publicity material such as stills and a movie poster are optional, but must be submitted no later than January 8, 2022.
• Non-English language films must be subtitled in English.
• All Official Selections of the Pensacon Short Film Festival will be shown as an official event of Pensacon during the weekend of February 26 – 28, 2020.
• Each Official Selection will be provided with two free weekend passes to Pensacon (travel not included) to attend the screening, and filmmakers may be invited to participate in a Q&A session about their films immediately following the screening.
• Admission to the screening will be free to anyone with a Pensacon weekend pass or day pass on the date of the screening.
• Due to the possible content of the films, anyone under the age of 17 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Awards

Awards include Best in Show (determined by Pensacon staff), Jury Selection (chosen by a panel of Pensacon guests), and Audience Choice (voted on by audience members during all screenings). Specific categories are also awarded, which may change from year to year depending on entries.

Past Winners

2024 Winners

Congratulations to the following winners of the 2024 Pensacon Short Film Festival:

  • Best in Show – “Blood Fury” Written, directed & produced by Inconstant Jordan.
  • Jury Selection – “Lands of Steel,” Written & directed by Cyril Vrancken; produced by BC Movies.
  • Audience Choice – “Goro Goro,” Directed by Ryotaro Sawada, Agatha Tiara Christa; produced by Gillian McDerment.
  • Best Animated Film – TIE: “Sulayman,” Written & directed by Blog Caliguia; and “Goro Goro,” Directed by Ryotaro Sawada, Agatha Tiara Christa; produced by Gillian McDerment.
  • Best Fantasy Film – “Doorway,” Written, directed & produced by Siddharth Gautam.
  • Best Horror Film – “Neon Hereafter,” Written & directed by Pacey Hansen; produced by DeMori Hawkins.
  • Best Science Fiction Film – “Grounded,” Written by Alexander Wedlock; directed by Aidan Hakwins; produced by Gbemileke Otudeko.

2023 Winners

Congratulations to the following winners of the 2023 Pensacon Short Film Festival:

  • Best in Show – “Welcome Home Eugene!” Written by Noah Jorgensen, Nolan Watt; Directed by Noah Jorgensen; Produced by Samara Fitzgerald.
  • Jury Selection – “There’s Something Wrong with Paul,” Written & Directed by Mark Clauburg; Produced by Chris J Cullen, Alex Aldea, Lucille Clauburg and Gail Dehren.
  • Audience Choice – “Hellscape,” Written & Directed by Sam Sorenson; Produced by Leigh Sorenson.
  • Best Animated Film – “The Interrogation,” Written, Directed & Produced by Marisa Cohen and Peter Issac Alexander.
  • Best Comic BookSuperhero Film – “Agent Heads,” Written by Ajay Varma Nandyala and Joseph Van Landschoot; Directed by Ajay Varma Nandyala; Produced by Ajay Varma.
  • Best Doctumentary – “A Door Away,” Written, Directed & Produced by Alex H. Rafi.
  • Best Fantasy Film – “The Barmaid and the Serpent,” Written & Directed by Rose Louise Hoover; Produced by Andrew Bourne.
  • Best Horror Film – “Hellscape,” Written & Directed by Sam Sorenson; Produced by Leigh Sorenson.
  • Best Pop Culture Film – “Duplicitous Minds,” Written by Catalina Yue; Directed by Rober Rippberger; Produced by Catalina Yue.
  • Best Science Fiction Film – “Launch at Paradise,” Written by Daniel Mitura; Directed by Carrie Anne Quinn; Produced by David M. Night Maire.

2022 Winners

Congratulations to the following winners of the 2022 Pensacon Short Film Festival:

  • Best in Show – “Streamer Stalker” written by Gaelan Draper & Connor Del Rio; eirected by Gaelan Draper; produced by Matthew Brady
  • Jury Selection – “Cutter” written & directed by Dan Repp & Lindsay Young; produced by Scott Honey & Bears Rebecca Fonte
  • Audience Choice – “Woodland Cemetery” written, directed & produced by Niels Bourgonje
  • Best Animated Film – “Meanwhile, at the Abandoned Factory…” written & directed by Michael Cusack; produced by Richard Chataway
  • Best Documentary – “Sophie in Furbyland” directed by Pacey Hansen
  • Best Fantasy Film – “The Center of Physical Therapy for Questing Gentlefolk” written, directed & produced by Katherine Johnson
  • Best Horror Film – “Woodland Cemetery” written, directed & produced by Niels Bourgonje
  • Best Pop Culture Film – “Break Any Spell” written & produced by Lisi Purr; directed by Anton Josef
  • Best Science Fiction Film – “Dreamster” written & directed by Ludvig Gur; produced by Ralph D’Amato & Daniel Lagersten
  • Best Superhero or Comic Book Film – “ALiEN” written by Adrian Hargrave; directed by Shahbaz A. Khan; produced by Sarah Gambles

2021 Winners

Congratulations to the following winners of the 2021 Pensacon Short Film Festival:

  • Best in Show – “Monstrus Circus” written, directed, and produced by Jordan Inconstant
  • Jury Selection – “It’s Okay” written by Audrey Flegel; directed by Justin Giddings & Ryan Welsh; produced by Audrey Flegel, Stephen Laferriere, Heather Ensley, Rebekah Walendzak, Paul Culos, Michael Perez
  • Audience Choice – “Gone” written by Sam Siversson; directed by William Jackson; produced by Simon Daniele
  • Best Animated Film – “Hero” written and produced by Aoze Luo, Ziqian Zhao, Huaiyuan XU & Xiantao Zhu; directed by Aoze Luo
  • Best Documentary – “The Flip Side” written, directed and produced by William Stead
  • Best Fantasy Film – “Pine Mountain Overnight” written and directed by Geena Marie Hernandez, produced by William Stead
  • Best Horror Film – “Shaken” written and directed by Chayse Banks, produced by William Stead
  • Best Pop Culture Film – “The Legend of Stella” written by Maren Curtis; directed by Aileen Sheedy; produced by Molly Preston
  • Best Science Fiction Film – “Sundown Trail” written and directed by Luke Guidici; produced by Luke Guidici, Patrick Reasonover, Matthew Edwards, and Victoria Hill
  • Best Superhero or Comic Book Film – “Imperceptible” written and directed by Alexa Shackelford; produced by Alexa Shackelford and Franz Salvatierra

2020 Winners

  • Best in Show – We Got a Monkey’s Paw
  • Jury Selection – Balloon
  • Audience Choice – All Boys Die
  • Best Animated Film – Serpendipity
  • Best Documentary – Becoming Wonder Woman
  • Best Fantasy Film – Dispel
  • Best Horror Film – Can Someone Hear Me?
  • Best Pop Culture Film – Furtherance
  • Best Science Fiction Film – Infinity 7
  • Best Superhero or Comic Book Film – Capitán Kinesis

2019 Winners

  • Best in Show – “Outpost” written & directed by Justin Giddings & Ryan Welsh; produced by Cindi Rice & Lynn Thomas
  • Jury Award – “The Phantom Menace” written & directed by Charlotte Barrett & Sean Fallon; produced by Bettina Barrow & Anna Margaret Hollyman
  • Audience Choice – “The Gift of the Red Fern” written by Kevin Brackett; produced by Robyn McSheehy Hartman & Kelly Hall; directed by Robyn McSheehy Hartman
  • Best Animated Film – “Rebooted” written & directed by Sagar Arun & Rachel Kral
  • Best Comic Book Film – “The Cape” written & directed by Andrew Olson; produced by Jacob W. Gilbert & Andrew Olson
  • Best Documentary – “Cap City Video Lounge” directed by Rhea Begazo & Hunter Black
  • Best Fantasy Film – “Breaking Up” written & directed by Greg Vestal; produced by Bre Knittel
  • Best Horror Film – “Deep Dish Apocalypse” written by Trey Nichols; directed by David Codeglia; produced by Ron Morehouse & Emily Bell
  • Best Science Fiction Film – “Margaret and Gary” written & directed by Fredric Lehne

2018 Winners

  • Best in Show – “Sunny and Gerd in Spring Cleaning” written, directed and produced by DaCosta Bayley
  • Jury Selection- “The Amazing Neckbeard” written and directed by Aaron Legg
  • Audience Choice – “The Tolls” written by Wylie Herman and Liz Anderson; directed by Liz Anderson; produced by Michael Balke and Richard Southard

2017 Winners

  • Best in Show – “The Edge” (“La Lisière”) written by Tom Gobart and Simon Saulnier; directed and produced by Simon Saulnier
  • Jury Selection- “Pirate Parts” directed by Shabnam Shams, Megan Robinson, and Sara Chantland; produced by John Harden, Sheila Harden, and Don R. Lewis
  • Audience Choice – “Future Boyfriend” written by A. Vincent Ularich; directed by Ben Rock; produced by Ron Morehouse and Emily Bell

2016 Winners

  • US Best in Show – “My Luchador” written and directed by Shea Sizemore; produced by Chip White
  • International Best in Show – “Willa” (Germany) directed by Helena Hufnagel; written by Sina Flammang (based on a short story by Stephen King); produced by Helena Hufnagel and Tina Kringer
  • Jury Selection- “New” written and directed by John Harden; produced by John Harden, Sheila Harden, and Don R. Lewis
  • Audience Choice – “Expiration Date” written and directed by Jeffrey Frame; produced by Zack Kepner

2015 Winners

  • Best in Show – “Defense Mechanism” directed by Sebastian Munoz
  • Jury Selection – “E.M.M.A.” directed by Stephen Herman
  • Audience Choice- “Chondriac” directed by Austin Hermann