Best of the Year 2023
Introducing the most iconic short films of 2023. Sourced by our curation team from this year's Staff Picks selections, the Best of the Year awards brings you the crème of the crème de la crème.
Best Videos
Starfuckers
An intimate evening between a film director and a young companion is disrupted when a familiar face arrives. An unforgettable revenge thriller about Hollywood's abuse of power.Directed by Antonio Marziale
Troy
Troy has loud sex. Troy has loud sex 24/7. Troy shares a wall with Thea and Charlie. Troy is ruining their lives... or is he saving them? A witty portrait of intimacy, privacy, and urban living.Directed by Mike Donahue
When the LAPD Blows Up Your Neighborhood
Tensions rise on a busy street as news organizations and local residents witness an extremely volatile situation turn into a literal powder keg. A deft examination of class, race, and systemic stupidity.Directed by Nathan Truesdell
Thank You For Not Answering
As a man leaves a voicemail to a person from his past, AI-generated images bring to life a stunning, dream-like world that speaks to human loneliness and longing.Directed by Paul Trillo
backflip
Trying a backflip can be dangerous. The filmmaker can't do it, so he trains his digital avatar to do it instead in this thought-provoking and absurdly entertaining documentary about limits or lack thereof.Directed by Nikita Diakur
FRIMAS
With abortion criminalized, a pregnant Kara is confronted with a risky decision and possibly devastating repercussions. This dystopian reality feels dangerously close to home in Marianne Farley's profound and chilling drama.Directed by Marianne Farley
Wet
A labyrinth of sensations, bodies, and vapors awaits those who enter the spa. This dialogue-free tale is a beautifully crafted, seductive experience for all of the senses.Directed by Marianne Bergeonneau, Lauriane Montpert, Mélina Mandon, Cloé Peyrebrune, Elvira Taussac
Sugar Show
A promising prologue to love turns out to be a cruel fake. "Sugar Show" is a psychologically complex yet visually playful and surreal examination of attraction, manipulation, and toxic relationships.Directed by Liana Makaryan
The Sidewalk Artist
When concrete imprints appear on the sidewalks of a north Texas town, the community is divided. Is it art, a child, an animal, or an accident? A documentary crew follows a local contractor to get to the bottom of this hilarious mystery.Directed by David Velez , Brandon Rivera
The Hives - Bogus Operandi
The discovery of an old cassette tape unleashes sinister forces that terrorizes rock band The Hives in a cabin in the woods in this thrilling, gory, Evil Dead-inspired blast of chaotic energy.Directed by Aube Perrie
Best Branded Videos
Work Work Work
Expect genuine LOLs from this commercial portraying a few especially irksome challenges of office life in a series of surreal, witty, and amusing skits.Directed by UN Wuthisak Anarnkaporn for Kasikorn Bank
Duct Tape and Dreams
In a city whose cultural pulse has seemingly been overrun by tech giants and realty booms, this exuberant documentary reminds us that the beating heart of the San Francisco art scene is as strong as it's ever been.Directed by Ian Watts , RJ Kosineski for SFMOMA
Fomo Forever
An educational comedy about one young man's regrettable night of too much drinking, and the FOMO that followed him for 13 years after.Directed by Tore Frandsen for The Danish Cancer Society and TrygFonden
Iran-e Man (ایران من)
A sharply edited visual poem crafted from the vibrant tapestry of Iranian culture and heritage. Highlighting Pairi Daeza scarves created in collaboration with local artists, the piece advocates for the Woman Life Freedom revolution.Directed by Naghmeh Pour for Pairi Daeza
Don't Stop
Fleetwood Mac's iconic song takes on a whole new meaning in this contemporary fable about society's collective complicity in the global climate crisis.Directed by Samona Olanipekun for Greenpeace
It's handy to have a dick
Job wages should reflect what's between your ears, not between your legs. And yet, gender pay disparity in the US stood at 22% in 2022. Lionel Goldstein's satirical ad brazenly underscores the unjust dominance of men in the world.Directed by Lionel Goldstein for Equal Pay Day 2023
Stane
Stane is poised to inherit her family's construction business while facing a marriage under threat of demolition. The riveting drama that unfolds is a public reckoning between patriarchal expectations and her own pain and anger.Directed by Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović for Miu Miu
I'm Dying Inside
Gen Z roommates navigate work, relationships, quirky neighbors, and unpredictable periods in this ambitious and cheeky TikTok series.Directed by Arundati Thandur for Modibodi
Jumping Through Hoops
A vivid and visceral portrayal of the bureaucracies of today's urban dwellers, this spot brilliantly visualizes a world where one must jump through several hoops just to get through the day.Directed by Nick Ball for Tangerine
Devolver Direct: Return of Volvy
In this pop-culture mockumentary, the spotlight on a video game company's beloved DIY mascot unveils a corporate secret weapon for creating soulless yet lucrative games of the future.Directed by Joseph Pelling for Devolver Digital
