Thank you for submitting to SFW: Shorts 2025!
Walk With Me Through The Fire – The Curse of KK Hammond
Spaghetti Western meets horror music video from slide blues guitarist and friends.
Director
Kris Hammond
Category
Music Video
Dressed to the Nines
A coming-of-age film about a young boy on a voyage of self-discovery in his mother’s bedroom.
Director
Madeleine Shenai, Ivana Mazza-Coates
Category
Fiction
School Principal
Three female high school students have called for street demonstrations. Recognising the students involved, the School Principal summons them to her office.
Director
Mikaeel Dayani
Category
Fiction
Rounds
When a group of teenage girls being pursued and searching for a place to hide at school, find shelter in the gym, they finally feel safe. But what of the girl they have tied up and are keeping hostage?
Director
Anna Demianenko
Category
Fiction
Immigrant
Animation about a woman who is forced to be an immigrant due to her love for her country and family.
Director
Nilram Ranjbar
Category
Artist Film; Animation
Sons of So’ton
Attitude cycles makes custom one off motorcycle builds; Bobbers, Choppers, Café Racers & Trikes, but they are more than just mechanics they are artists and the portal to a whole lifestyle for their followers.
Director
Simon Herron
Category
Documentary
Pleasure Circus
Music video for indie post-punk band ‘Plastersun’ based in Southampton.
Director
Sasha Sinkler
Category
Music Video; Regional Filmmaker
Dobrina
Lotte Reiniger meets Sergio Leone in this animated short, where desire burns as bright as the desert sun.
Director
Hannes Hall
Category
Music Video; Animation
Gentle as Moss on Stone
A poetic meditation on resilience, memory, and the quiet wisdom of nature. At the foot of a moss-covered hill he can no longer climb, a retired bryologist weaves tales of imaginary mosses for his young granddaughter. Each moss holds a secret remedy – coded strengths to help her navigate the challenges of life, long after he is gone. The fears in the film were collected during workshops with neurodiverse young people – each animated moss serves as a remedy for one of their anxieties. Through this process, the film becomes a bridge between science and emotion, where the imagined flora embody deeply personal aspirations for comfort and resilience.
Director
Vicky Isley & Paul Smith (Boredom Research)
Category
Artist Film; Animation; Regional Filmmaker
Moving Margins
Moving Margins traces Gary Krishna’s evolution from a past of addiction and crime to a poignant journey of writing and performance – from the margins of society to centre stage. Through his words, he navigates his turbulent past, while inspiring others to find solace and expression through creative writing.
Director
Esmee Goward
Category
Regional Filmmaker; Documentary
Matrescence
Heather, a first-time mother struggles to navigate the isolating reality of new parenthood with her newborn son, George.
Director
Harvey Albury
Category
Regional Filmmaker; Documentary
Future Of… (Land)
The end is near as the animal world is in revolt. The second story in the series of shorts explores a story from us living amongst rural wildlife.
Director
Scott Coello
Category
Fiction; Animation
The World Said No
“The World Said No” is a short animation based on the question, “What if nature decided to fight back?” It is an allegorical animation about ecological apathy and its consequences.
Director
Jennie E Thwing
Category
Artist Film; Animation
My Dream of Heaven
An old man reflects on his dream of heaven.
Director
Edward Lyon
Category
Artist Film; Regional Filmmaker
AWARDS UP FOR GRABS:
- Best Fiction
- Best Artist Film
- Best Documentary
- Best Music Video
- Michael Fuller Award for Best Film
- Regional Filmmaker Award
- Audience Award
- Best Animation
All shortlisted films will be eligible for the Michael Fuller Award for Best Film selected by our panel of judges and the Audience Award voted for at the screening and awards ceremony during the festival. Filmmakers from Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Surrey, West Sussex and Isle of Wight will also be in contention for the Solent University sponsored Regional Filmmaker Award.
In 2022 a new award was introduced for Best Animation. Animation can be submitted to any category and the competition has previously received outstanding animated documentary, artist film and fiction. The winner will be selected by the judging panel from all animated films submitted.
Awards are given at SFW: Shorts, one of the most eagerly awaited events at Southampton Film Week.
📅 Date: Sunday 14 November 2025
📍 Location: Mayflower Studios
Note: Selected filmmakers will have received details re: tickets for Shorts and pre-screening networking.
