Austin's Independent Short Film Festival - Austin Shortsfest
Saturday, 8/16 at Hyperreal
Austin Shortsfest
Shorts #3 - Reel Hilarious - Saturday, 8/16 at 7:30 PM
From clueless villains to botched productions, fake deaths, and awkward assassination attempts, this lineup is full of well-intentioned chaos. These comedies include time capsules, an out of hand Facebook Marketplace meetup, and a few very bad ideas that somehow get worse.
101 min. total run time
2025 Austin Shortsfest August 16 at Hyperreal
Mr. Anarchy & the Perfect Girl
Director Grace Evans
Narrative Short, USA, 5 min.
Mr. Anarchy is a villain determined to connect with the girl of his dreams. However, all his attempts to capture Sadie’s attention are foiled by Commander Valiant, the town superhero. When it seems like he might lose the girl for good, Mr. Anarchy decides to take drastic action.
swol
Director Eva Grandoni
Animated Short, USA, 5 min.
Two picnicking pals are enjoying a nice afternoon in the park when a portly bee interrupts the festivities. This unexpected guest causes one of the hungry picnickers to undergo a grotesque transformation and lose all bodily autonomy. But the question remains: will they get to finish their meal?
SIZZLE
Director Padraic Lillis
in Comedy Short, USA, 22 min.
Aviva, a lonely widow in her 50s, is pushed into online dating by her daughter before she leaves for college. As Aviva stumbles through a string of disastrous dates, she risks her job and sanity trying to move on from her late husband. Tired but determined, she holds onto hope that love might still be out there.
1 in the Chamber
Directors Annie Girard, Diana Wright
Comedy Short, USA, 7 min.
A work-obsessed assassin sent to “retire” her coworker is shocked to discover her target is pregnant and infuriated by how baby-proofed a nursery can be.
A Guest from Elsewhere
Director Ethan Anderson
Animated Short, USA, 9 min.
A stop motion 1930s fairy tale follows a monster that yearns to be a part of civilized human society. After an unfortunate mishap, the monster’s hopes of being one with the humans is put on trial.
Zapinos
Director Matt Bruggeman
Comedy Short, USA, 16 min.
In this Facebook Marketplace meetup gone wrong, Dustin finds himself being scammed into becoming friends with the owner of a rare item.
Death Pays Flora a Visit
Director Tanna Frederick
Comedy Short, USA, 12 min.
In this both dark and uplifting comedic short film, Death (Eric Roberts) pays an unsuspecting Flora (Mimi Kennedy) a visit telling her it's her time. However Flora doesn't want to go. There's still so much she needs to do. And in a surprising and satisfying turn of events, Flora wins the day.
MAMMY'S MONEY
Director Ghislaine Jean
Animated Short, USA, 5 min.
a Mystic Stop-Motion Comedy. Inspired by historical facts. We follow Mammy as she is mysteriously informed about the wealth that awaits her.
Hysterico
Director Amitai Plasse
in Music Video, USA, 3 min.
Austin animation hero Amitai Plasse brings The Harms' song, "Hysterico", to life with a modern take on an old fable, "The Scorpion and the Frog". In this frog tale, Pickles likes to have a good time, but doesn't always think about what he's getting himself into. A Jacuzzi? Nope, he's the protein for tonight's soup, just another frog in a pot. A swarm of delicious flies? Nope, he's hit by a truck (in true 8-bit style) before he can feast.
We'll Fix it in Post
Directors Clark Baird, Caleb Hernandez
Comedy Short, USA, 9 min.
A film production goes horribly wrong after the death of the director, leaving an under qualified and overwhelmed production assistant to pick up the pieces.
The Time Capsule
Director Michael Charron
Comedy Short, USA, 6 min.
Four childhood friends reunite to dig up a time capsule after 30 years... and encounter some unexpected visitors.
Audition
Director Glenn Maxwell
Comedy Short, USA, 4 min.
A man auditions for a role in a commercial, it doesn't go as he planned.