Short Film Breaks

  • Home
  • Short Film Breaks

Short Film Breaks Short Film Breaks (SFB) is the only film festival taking place within public, non-profit and for-pro

The 14th edition of Short Film Breaks is officially taking shape, and today we’re excited to share the films that will b...
29/04/2026

The 14th edition of Short Film Breaks is officially taking shape, and today we’re excited to share the films that will be part of this year’s journey. ❤️

Every year, we’re reminded why we started this festival in the first place. To discover bold, honest, independent voices and bring them to audiences who don’t usually get access to this kind of cinema.
This new selection does exactly that.

From intimate stories to daring ideas, from familiar places to corners of the world we rarely get to see on screen.
This lineup brings together filmmakers who took risks, experimented, and told stories that stayed with us long after the credits rolled. 🌍

In the months ahead, these films will travel with us across companies, communities, and unconventional screening spaces, reaching audiences in the way Short Film Breaks has always believed in.

🏆 BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM 🏆
🌿 29TH OF FEBRUARY from Spain
🌿 32 B from Egypt
🌿 47:10':00" from Iran
🌿 A STROLL IN THE PARK from China, Iran
🌿 ALL THAT BELONGS TO US from Turkey
🌿 AND THAT'S FOR THIS CHRISTMAS from Bulgaria
🌿 AS IT WAS from Spain
🌿 ASTRONAUTA from France, Guatemala, Italy, Mexico
🌿 BEICON from Spain
🌿 BLIND SPOTS from Mexico
🌿 BLUE LAND from Spain
🌿 BLUE WEASEL from Croatia
🌿 BUNKER from Belgium
🌿 BURNING SUN from Georgia
🌿 CAPTAINS from Spain
🌿 CASTING from Spain
🌿 CITY OF PIGS from Spain
🌿 CURFEW from Ukraine
🌿 DELIVER US FROM DEVIL from Spain
🌿 DETACHABLE from United Kingdom
🌿 DÉTACHÉ from France
🌿 DETOUR from France
🌿 DON'T GO from Spain
🌿 FAITH IN LOVE from China
🌿 FATHER'S SON from Israel
🌿 FROM YOU from Poland
🌿 G.O.A.T. from Netherlands
🌿 GRANNY from Spain
🌿 HARD STUFF from Israel
🌿 HEAVEN FORBID from Canada
🌿 INHERITANCE from Kenya
🌿 IUS OF TIME from Spain
🌿 JESUS DOES NOT TREMBLE from France
🌿 JUNGLE LAW from Estonia
🌿 LA MORT from Spain
🌿 LAND OF FORGOTTEN ECHOES from United States
🌿 LIFE BEGINS from Ukraine
🌿 LITTLE LIGHT BEAM from Spain
🌿 MARUJA from Spain
🌿 MARY MOTHER OF GOD from Germany
🌿 MAUVE from Greece
🌿 MILENA from Serbia
🌿 MINE from Poland
🌿 MORÎ from Turkey
🌿 OMNI from Germany
🌿 OUR DAILY BREAD from Mexico
🌿 PAKISTANI from Cyprus
🌿 PENA'S SPECIAL HAULING from Finland
🌿 PREDATOR from Spain
🌿 SEE YOU NEXT TUESDAY from United Kingdom
🌿 SHOULD WE DO IT? from United States
🌿 SHRIMP, SWITCH, CIGARETTE BUTT & A LITTLE BOTTLE from Ukraine
🌿 SILENT NIGHT from United Kingdom
🌿 TEARFUL TIGERS from Spain
🌿 THAT SPLIT-UP PLACE from Spain
🌿 THE BAND from Spain
🌿 THE BEAT OF THE GAME from Puerto Rico
🌿 THE CLASSMATE from Spain
🌿 THE EVIL EYE from Spain
🌿 THE FORCE from Spain
🌿 THE FUGITIVE from Spain
🌿 THE HOWL OF THE SHE WOLF from Spain
🌿 THE NEW NEIGHBORHOOD from Spain
🌿 THE SAMCA FILE from Romania
🌿 THE SHOWMAN from Spain
🌿 THE SOUND from Cyprus
🌿 THE STAR from Poland
🌿 THE SURROGATE GIRL from Turkey
🌿 THEMIS IS TIRED from France
🌿 THURSDAY IN MARCH from Spain
🌿 TIME AND FORGIVENESS from Spain
🌿 UN ANGE AIMÉ from France
🌿 WE'RE STILL HERE from Brazil
🌿 WHERE TREES WEEP from Spain
🌿 YOU ARE A BOY NOW from Germany, Ukraine
🌿 YOUR OWN BOSS from Spain

🏆 BEST ROMANIAN FILM 🏆
🌿 ANOTHER SPRING
🌿 EXUTERO
🌿 IF I FLOAT
🌿 LOVE IS IN THE AIR
🌿 THE LITTLE CAPITAN
🌿 ON SAINT NICHOLAS' EVE
🌿 PLACE UNDER THE SUN
🌿 REMOTE
🌿 SAINT CHRISTOPHER
🌿 THE INHERITANCE
🌿 TWO WORDS, THREE LIES
🌿 VALI

🏆 BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM 🏆
🌿 A FILM CALLED BLACK: KING'S SPEECH from United States
🌿 A TAREA from Spain
🌿 ASIDE from Greece
🌿 BLUE TANGO from Canada
🌿 ÇÜRÜK from France, Turkey
🌿 DISSONANCE from Spain
🌿 EMILIA from Spain
🌿 FREE WORDS: A POET FROM GAZA from Egypt, Turkey
🌿 IMADE from Spain
🌿 IRIS GOES BERLIN from Germany
🌿 IT'S ALWAYS ABOUT PRESERVING THE SPECIES from Germany
🌿 KNOWING FROM THE INSIDE from United States
🌿 LA FENÊTRE from Spain
🌿 MARINICĂ, MY BOY from Romania
🌿 MOTHERLAND. from Germany
🌿 NOT A MOMENT WASTED from Romania
🌿 O**Y EVERY OTHER DAY from Germany, United States
🌿 SECOND CHANCE from United States
🌿 THE BODY/TRANSMUTATIONEM from Canada
🌿 THE SARDINE ROASTER from Spain
🌿 THE THIRD CHILD from Iran
🌿 YI GAO from China
🌿 MNOHAYA LITA. STOYKO from Ukraine

🏆 BEST ANIMATED FILM 🏆
🌿 113 WORDS FOR YOU TODAY from China, Taiwan, United States
🌿 BRIDGE: MY LITTLE FRIENDS from Japan
🌿 CARMEN AND THE WOODEN SPOON from Spain
🌿 CROWBOY from United States
🌿 CUBOSEE: THE SECRET GARDEN from Croatia
🌿 DEADLINE from Israel
🌿 FLAMINGO IN THE GARDEN from United States
🌿 FLOCKY from Spain
🌿 FOLLOWING THE LINE from Taiwan
🌿 FREEDOM from Netherlands
🌿 GARU & PONKI from Colombia
🌿 HOMEWORK from Spain
🌿 HOW TO COOK A SNAIL from New Zealand
🌿 IMPOSSIBLE MALADIES from Italy
🌿 IN HALF from Spain
🌿 JUS D’ORANGE from France, Poland
🌿 KOZICKY: THE LITTLE GOATS from United States
🌿 MARGO from Poland
🌿 OFF-TIME from Japan, Ukraine, United States
🌿 PARADISE BUFFET from Spain
🌿 PIETRA from Portugal
🌿 RENDEZVOUS from New Zealand
🌿 SATURDAY CLEANING from Georgia
🌿 TAILGUNNER from United States
🌿 TALAIAS from Portugal
🌿 TESTIMONY from United States
🌿 THE BOY WHO CHEATED DEATH from France
🌿 THE LITTLE GIRL WITH THE APPLE from Belgium
🌿 THE OLD MAN AND THE ROBOT from South Korea
🌿 THE ROOTS OF EFRAÍN from Chile
🌿 THE SYNTHETIC AGE from Greece
🌿 TINY LITTLE JOURNEY from South Korea
🌿 WAR from Taiwan

🏆 BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM 🏆
🌿 CLOSE THE TAP from France
🌿 EVERYTHING HAPPENS from Romania
🌿 HOW TO WRITE, AN AI GUIDE IN 4 STEPS from Italy
🌿 IN from Israel
🌿 ISLAND WITH NO ROOF from Spain
🌿 ISTANTI from Italy
🌿 SISYPHOS from Austria
🌿 TINKER TAILOR STRANGER SELF from United Kingdom
🌿 WEST from Netherlands
🌿 WHISPERS OF THE CURRENT from Estonia

🏆 BEST HUMAN RIGHTS FILM 🏆
🌿 ACTUALLY, I DIDN'T WANT TO STAY LONG from Germany
🌿 CALAIS DOVER THE ENDLESS EXILE from France
🌿 I GAZE AT THE SKY from Poland
🌿 JIMMY from Spain
🌿 RESPINA´S DRAWINGS from Iran, United States
🌿 STORIES OF SOLIDARITY, PART II: WE DANCE from Canada

🏆 BEST MENTAL HEALTH FILM 🏆
🌿 THERE ONCE WAS - THERE IS NO MORE - THERE IS from Poland
🌿 BONTLE from Belgium
🌿 CATCH YOU LATER from Portugal
🌿 CREATURES OF CHAOS from Denmark, India, United States
🌿 HOT MESS from United Kingdom
🌿 INDEPENDENCE from Ukraine
🌿 INTANGIBLE TANGIBLE from Brazil
🌿 LET THE LIGHT RISE UPON THE FOREST from Germany
🌿 THE BENEATH from Netherlands
🌿 TOUCHED from Lebanon
🌿 WOMAN IN A BOTTLE from Germany
🌿 YOU’RE THE ONE I LOVE from Spain

🏆 BEST COMEDY & FEEL GOOD FILM 🏆
🌿 3000 ELEPHANTS from Spain
🌿 AL FRESCO from Spain
🌿 FIRST TANGO from Poland
🌿 GAME OVER from France
🌿 HUMBLE PIE from United Kingdom
🌿 PEOPLE HAVE NO PRINCIPLES from Spain
🌿 THE MAN WHO KILLED TERRY GILLIAM from Spain

🏆 BEST NO DIALOGUE FILM 🏆
🌿 ALDI from Georgia
🌿 BOT GIRL from Romania
🌿 FIGLIO from Italy
🌿 HER BODY from Netherlands
🌿 SEVEN A DAY from Mexico
🌿 SMILEY from Not Specified
🌿 SNIP SNAP from United Kingdom
🌿 THE LIFE CYCLE OF CICADAS from Greece

🏆 BEST MUSIC VIDEO 🏆
🌿 ANIME SONG - YOU LIGHT THE STARS from Japan
🌿 DIVINE X KARAN AUJLA - HISAAB' from India
🌿 KUSO NAMIDA - DAMN TEARS from Romania
🌿 LVX MACHINA - THUG DELUXE from Romania, United States
🌿 VARI TSIFTETELI from Netherlands

🏆 BEST MICRO SHORT 🏆
🌿 FUTSUKAYOI from France
🌿 JUST TELL: ANOTHER WAY from Germany
🌿 LADY HENZE from United States
🌿 LENA from Romania
🌿 TEN MILLION TIMES from Germany
🌿 VOICE OF THE ARENA from Morocco

To all the filmmakers selected this year, congratulations. 🏆
And thank you for letting us be part of your film’s journey.

This photo of George Gänæaard and Alin Boeru from 9 years ago is just proof of one thing: we’re still the same people, w...
27/03/2026

This photo of George Gänæaard and Alin Boeru from 9 years ago is just proof of one thing: we’re still the same people, watching films late into the night, grateful for every submission, and yes… occasionally losing sleep over them.

And that’s exactly why we owe you this update.

We know many of you are waiting for the Official Selection, and we want to thank you for your patience.

The truth is simple: we care too much to rush it.

We’ve already gone through the first two stages of the selection process, and we are now deep into the final round, re-watching the films with fresh eyes, taking the time to give each one the attention it deserves.

Every film matters to us. And we want to make sure that when we make our choices, they truly reflect the care, craft, and effort behind your work.

The Official Selection for SFB 2026 will be announced on April 30th.

Until then, thank you for trusting us with your films!

🍿🎬 "Cinema la Biblioteca" update!After an incredible 2025 season, we wanted to give something back to the libraries that...
24/03/2026

🍿🎬 "Cinema la Biblioteca" update!

After an incredible 2025 season, we wanted to give something back to the libraries that went the extra mile in bringing films to their communities.

👉 We equipped the most active libraries, based on number of screenings in 2025, with their very own popcorn machines.

And yes, they’ve already been delivered.

At Short Film Breaks, it’s not just about watching a film. It’s about creating that cinema feeling, the shared anticipation, the small rituals that turn a screening into an experience.

From now on, in these libraries, films come with popcorn included. 🍿

A small step, but one that makes these community spaces feel even more like a home for cinema.

🎥 Libraries across Romania continue to turn into small cinemas through "Cinema la Bibliotecă".Here are just two examples...
11/03/2026

🎥 Libraries across Romania continue to turn into small cinemas through "Cinema la Bibliotecă".

Here are just two examples from the 2026 season.

The first from Resita Minicipal Library, with an evening of short films, discussions, and a full cinema atmosphere with popcorn included.

And the second from Giurgiu County Library where in 2025 alone there were 51 screenings and 1,655 participants! 🍿🎬

Cazul Samca by George Gänæaard, Short Film Breaks festival director, has its premiere this evening with a full house in ...
17/02/2026

Cazul Samca by George Gänæaard, Short Film Breaks festival director, has its premiere this evening with a full house in Bucharest at Cinema City Romania. Congrats George & team!

🎬 Cinema at the Library: how local libraries became cultural hubs through filmIn 2025, Cinema at the Library, a program ...
31/01/2026

🎬 Cinema at the Library: how local libraries became cultural hubs through film

In 2025, Cinema at the Library, a program organized in partnership with Romania EduCaB, proved that meaningful cultural access doesn’t require large venues or big-city infrastructure. It requires trust, consistency, and institutions that already sit at the heart of communities.

📊 The results speak clearly:
• 574+ film screenings
• 7,000+ participants

What started as a film program became a working cultural network.

From infrastructure to real-world implementation

Most participating libraries already had the essentials:
• 75% with high-speed internet
• 89% using video projectors
• 84% equipped with projection screens
• 75% able to host audiences comfortably

This enabled real, recurring activity. Screenings were not symbolic or one-off:
• 61% of libraries organized screenings several times during the year
• 30% hosted them monthly
• some every two weeks

Where reported numerically, libraries averaged ~10 screenings each, with a maximum of 51 in a single location.

Clear reach, clearly defined audiences

Cinema at the Library primarily served young audiences:
• Children under 12 were present in 93% of libraries and were the dominant audience in 81%
• Teenagers attended in over two-thirds of locations
• Screenings were adapted to context, most lasting 30–45 minutes

In terms of attendance:
• nearly half of libraries reached 51–200 spectators per year
• several exceeded 500 participants

Engagement beyond the screen

One of the strongest indicators of success came after the screenings:
• 91% of libraries hosted post-screening discussions
• 42% developed follow-up activities for children inspired by the films
• many encouraged continued conversations within the community

As librarians themselves described the impact:
“...it strengthened the role of the library as an active space for education and cultural socialization.”
“...the library can become a cultural nucleus and bring the community together.”
“...it is a beautiful project that helps us develop the library’s services.”

Simple, effective local promotion

The most used and most effective channels were:
• Facebook
• word of mouth
• local messaging groups
• schools and teachers

The alignment between used and effective channels shows how organically the program embedded itself locally.

Challenges and resilience

Libraries openly reported challenges: space limitations, technical constraints, language barriers, and maintaining attendance. Yet one answer appeared repeatedly when asked what should change:
👉 “Nothing. The format works.”

The takeaway

Cinema at the Library demonstrates that:
✔️ cultural programs can be implemented at scale, not just designed
✔️ libraries can successfully reach thousands of young audiences
✔️ film can function as a tool for education, dialogue, and community-building
✔️ the model is sustainable — 100% of respondents intend to continue

When libraries host cinema, film becomes more than entertainment. It becomes shared experience and communities show up. 🎥📚

The 15th Short Film Breaks welcomes everyone to submit!Share your film with us, for free, between January 3rd and 5th!ht...
03/01/2026

The 15th Short Film Breaks welcomes everyone to submit!

Share your film with us, for free, between January 3rd and 5th!

https://filmfreeway.com/ShortFilmBreaks
👀 SFB15FREEFORALL 👀

You've surely seen our SFB #13 award winner announcements during the last two weeks, but here they are, again, all in on...
30/12/2025

You've surely seen our SFB #13 award winner announcements during the last two weeks, but here they are, again, all in one message.

Congratulations everyone and thank you so much for being part of our 2025 journey!

🏆 BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM 🏆

Golden Elephant 🥇 GRASS ON YOUR CLASS directed by Claire Barrault from France
Silver Elephant 🥈 BITTER SWEETNESS directed by Zaher Samir Kusaibati from Syria
Bronze Elephant 🥉 BEYOND THE SEA directed by Hippolyte Leibovici from Belgium

🏆 AUDIENCE AWARD 🏆

Golden Elephant 🥇 A NATIONAL ODYSSEY directed by Simona Borcea from Romania
Silver Elephant 🥈 TAKEAWAY directed by Darshika Karunahara from Denmark
Bronze Elephant 🥉 AUGUST directed by Perit Jan Aydemir from Turkey

🏆 BEST ROMANIAN FILM 🏆

Golden Elephant 🥇 THE NIGHT PRACTICE directed by Bogdan Alecsandru
Silver Elephant 🥈 ALIBABA directed by Vlad Popa
Bronze Elephant 🥉 SULPHUROUS WATER directed by Iuliana Roxana Pop

🏆 BEST ANIMATED FILM 🏆

Golden Elephant 🥇 HER OWN TRUTH directed by Agnieszka Kruczek from Poland
Silver Elephant 🥈 DAMP directed by Xuan Liu, Ru-Sin Chang from Taiwan
Bronze Elephant 🥉 A NIGHT AT THE REST AREA directed by Saki Muramoto from Japan

🏆 BEST HUMAN RIGHTS FILM 🏆

Golden Elephant 🥇 YOU'RE NOT CRAZY directed by María Bestar from Spain
Silver Elephant 🥈 UNBELIEVABLE directed by César Ríos from Spain
Bronze Elephant 🥉 HEZUR BERRIAK directed by Aritz Lazkano Vendrell from Spain

🏆 BEST MENTAL HEALTH FILM🏆

Golden Elephant 🥇 CALIFORNIA directed by Albert Mariné from Spain
Silver Elephant 🥈 THESE ARE THE SOUNDS I MAKE directed by Andy Bambach, Suzanne Whiteman from Australia
Bronze Elephant 🥉 HORSEPOWER directed by Jessica London from Australia

🏆 BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM 🏆

Golden Elephant 🥇 THE BOOK OF MARIO directed by Daniel Chamorro from Spain
Silver Elephant 🥈 SHAPE OF RITUAL directed by Lotta Emilia Taarasti from Finland
Bronze Elephant 🥉 KOUMI directed by Damianos Chrysochoidis from Greece

🏆 BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM 🏆

Golden Elephant 🥇 ACTION! directed by Arne Körner from Germany
Silver Elephant 🥈 ILLUSION OF ABUNDANCE directed by Amy MacDonald, Sofia Gorder, Christopher Lee & Alexander Lee from United States
Bronze Elephant 🥉 STALIN'S RETURN directed by Amos Chapple from New Zealand

🏆 BEST COMEDY & FEEL-GOOD FILM 🏆

Golden Elephant 🥇 A NATIONAL ODYSSEY directed by Simona Borcea from Romania
Silver Elephant 🥈 LUNCH LADIES directed by J.M. Logan from United States
Bronze Elephant 🥉 DÉVELOPPÉ COUCHÉ directed by Audrey Guibert from France

🏆 BEST MUSIC VIDEO 🏆

Golden Elephant 🥇 ANKRAMU - MAESTRO directed by Marián Vredík from Slovakia
Silver Elephant 🥈 INTERNETISLANDS - SPACECAPE directed by Haoran Chen from United States
Bronze Elephant 🥉 NEWAGE POET- THINGS I'VE DONE directed by Daniele Cernera from Australia

🏆 BEST NO DIALOGUE FILM 🏆

Golden Elephant 🥇 TANGO SIESTA directed by Dinko Bozanic from Croatia
Silver Elephant 🥈 A STEP STORY directed by Varuna Nigam from India
Bronze Elephant 🥉 HEAD IN THE CLOUDS directed by Moritz Göbel from Germany

See you in January 2026, when we'll announce our SFB #14 selection and launch the submissions for SFB #15 (2027)!

Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!

Here are our final and most prestigious awards, including a $1000 cash prize for the Golden Elephant.The 🏆 BEST INTERNAT...
21/12/2025

Here are our final and most prestigious awards, including a $1000 cash prize for the Golden Elephant.

The 🏆 BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM 🏆 awards go to:
Golden Elephant 🥇 GRASS ON YOUR CLASS directed by Claire Barrault from France
Silver Elephant 🥈 BITTER SWEETNESS directed by Zaher Samir Kusaibati from Syria
Bronze Elephant 🥉 BEYOND THE SEA directed by Hippolyte Leibovici from Belgium

Congratulations! Happy Holidays everyone!

The 🏆 AUDIENCE AWARD 🏆 is here, with another $500 prize for the Golden Elephant:Golden Elephant 🥇 A NATIONAL ODYSSEY dir...
20/12/2025

The 🏆 AUDIENCE AWARD 🏆 is here, with another $500 prize for the Golden Elephant:
Golden Elephant 🥇 A NATIONAL ODYSSEY directed by Simona Borcea from Romania
Silver Elephant 🥈 TAKEAWAY directed by Darshika Karunahara from Denmark
Bronze Elephant 🥉 AUGUST directed by Perit Jan Aydemir from Turkey

Huge congrats everyone!!

We are down to the final three awards, the ones that have also won cash prizes!We start with the 🏆 BEST ROMANIAN FILM 🏆 ...
20/12/2025

We are down to the final three awards, the ones that have also won cash prizes!

We start with the 🏆 BEST ROMANIAN FILM 🏆 and a $500 prize for the Golden Elephant:
Golden Elephant 🥇 THE NIGHT PRACTICE directed by Bogdan Alecsandru
Silver Elephant 🥈 ALIBABA directed by Vlad Popa
Bronze Elephant 🥉 SULPHUROUS WATER directed by Iuliana Roxana Pop

Huge congrats everyone!!

Address


Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Short Film Breaks posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Short Film Breaks:

Shortcuts

  • Want your business to be the top-listed Event/venue?

Share