A powerhouse shorts programme showcasing some of the most extraordinary storytelling from across the globe, from Scotland and America to Sweden and Brazil. Reckonings with the past connect this year’s selection of astonishing short films, including meditative documentaries and heartbreaking queer stories. EIFF brings these remarkable films to the UK for the first time.
– Lillian Crawford
UK Premiere
Silvesterchaulsen
Dancing villagers, ornate headpieces and polyphonic yodelling. This is Silversterchlausen.
Director: Andrew Norman Wilson. Documentary Short. United States. 2025. 13min. English. Unclassified: Suitable for all.
UK Premiere
Buick
Three teenagers decide to see a latenight movie, but the evening takes an unexpectedly violent turn.
Director: Michael Godere. Narrative Short. Cast: Brody Orofino, Jarrett Austin Brown, Maliq Johnson. United States. 2024. 12min. English. Unclassified: 15+. CW: Racism, racial slurs, violence.
UK Premiere
This Is The Beginning
A father and daughter attempt to find their way through grief together.
Director: Atticus Athill. Narrative Short. Cast: Honor Swinton Byrne, Bill Nighy, Anna Wilson Jones, Allegra Marland, Hanako Footman, Lashay Anderson. United Kingdom. 2025. 13min. English. Unclassified: 15+. CW: Abuse, death and dying, mental illness, selfharm, substance abuse.
UK Premiere
The Truck
In post-Roe America, a teenage couple tries to buy the morning-after pill.
Director: Elizabeth Rao. Narrative Short. Cast: Shirley Chen, Daniel Zolghadri. United States. 2024. 13min. English. Unclassified: 15+. CW: Pregnancy and childbirth, abortion, sexual assault/violence.
UK Premiere
Deck 5B
While travelling, a mother is torn between her troublesome son and an encounter with a potential lover.
Director: Malin Ingrid Johansson. Narrative Short. Cast: Alma Pöysti. Sweden. 2024. 14min. Swedish with English subtitles. Unclassified: 12+. CW: Child abuse or neglect.
UK Premiere
Hide-and-Seek (Esconde-Esconde)
A woman conceals an intimate secret in São Paulo, unaware that her sister is following her closely.
Director: Vitória Vasconcellos. Narrative Short. Cast: Glória Maciel, Vitória Vasconcellos. Brazil. 2024. 10min. Portuguese with English subtitles. Unclassified: 15+. CW: Abortion, blood, pregnancy and childbirth, sexism and misogyny.
UK Premiere
Works and Nights
Suzanne grapples with grief on the anniversary of a loved one’s death.
Director: Luiz Afonso Morêda. Narrative Short. Cast: Ana Tolezani, Helena Bachur, João Pedro Ferreri. Brazil. 2024. 15min. Portuguese with English subtitles. Unclassified: 15+. CW: Sexual content, language.
UK Premiere
The Second Time Around
Whilst closing a cafe for the night, a waitress is confronted by a mysterious older woman.
Director: Jack Howard. Narrative Short. Cast: Hannah Onslow, Caroline Goodall. United Kingdom. 2025. 13min. English. Unclassified: Parental Guidance. CW: Suicide.
UK Premiere
I Would Never F*ck You
Ira prepares to confront an unrequited crush by practicing with miniature figurines.
Director: Alanna Murray, Mika Lungulov-Klotz. Narrative Short. Cast: Neil Fleischer, Jeffrey Grover, Ralph Feliciello. United States. 2025. 17min. English. Unclassified: 15+. CW: Homophobia and heterosexism, transphobia and transmisogyny.
UK Premiere
Neil Armstrong and the Langholmites
The unexpected bond between the world’s most famous astronaut and the Scottish town of Langholm.
Director: Duncan Cowles. Documentary Short. United Kingdom. 2025. 18min. English. Unclassified: Parental Guidance. CW: Animal cruelty or death.
