Austin's Independent Short Film Festival - Austin Shortsfest
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Sunday, 8/16 at Hyperreal
Austin Shortsfest
Shorts 5 - Purple Block - Sunday, 8/16 at 3:30 PM
The Purple Block explores the space where emotion and suspense collide. These eight films blend psychological tension with deeply personal stories, revealing how fear, grief, uncertainty, and resilience often exist side by side. From psychological thrillers to intimate dramas, this collection examines the difficult choices and defining moments that leave a lasting impact.
95 min. total run time
2026 Austin Shortsfest August 16 at Eastside Cinema
When You Left Me
Director Jevan Chowdhury
Drama Short, UK, 8 min.
When You Left Me is a tense short film exploring the breaking point of a father pushed to his limit. After a morning of escalating frustration, he does the unthinkable; leaving his young son behind on a London Underground platform. As the train doors close, the weight of his actions crashes down. A gripping exploration of loss of control and the thread that holds us together. How far can frustration push us before we snap?
The Bull
Director Jevan Chowdhury
Drama Short, UK, 11 min.
The Bull follows a Cantonese family who ignore a warning sign and lose their way in the English countryside. As danger looms, a father faces his worst fear, turning a winter walk into a parenting ordeal.
THE White Lobster
Director Shaun Doogan, Ciaran McCann
Narrative Short, Ireland, 17 min.
When a young lobster fisherman hauls up a white lobster from the deep, he ignores the curse his great-uncle swears it carries. He brings the creature ashore and soon begins to feel the weight of something unnatural
Reno
Directors Rob Hifle
Narrative Short, UK, 25 min.
Stranded in a remote seed bank, biotechnologist Dr Imani Njeri builds a deep companionship with her personal AGI assistant RENO, as she guards the world's most vital seeds from potential ambush.
On One
Director Emanuel Ibañez
Drama Short, USA, 8 min.
A young boy is seized by ICE agents while helping his neighbor, Coach Nathaniel Ramos. As protests erupt in a South Texas town, a private reckoning unfolds between brothers: the coach and the agent who led the raid.
Baby Sea Turtle
Directors Natalie Gonzalez and Jeremiah Alexander
Psychological Short, USA, 8 min.
A satire film following a young imperfect married couple. Exploring the different dynamics in relationships. The wife gets a rise out of startling her husband!
Insensible Loses
Director Amanda Williams
Narrative Short, USA, 8 min.
A doctor puts aside concerns about her own pregnancy as she works to care for a miscarrying patient.
Siren
Director Costantino Ciminiello
Horror Short, USA, 11 min.
Doom-scrolling on a Friday night, Rett is drawn by an enchanting blue light to his backyard pool, where his digital obsessions lead to a fatal encounter.