Short of the Week
With over 140 short films making up this year’s Encounters Film Festival programme, it was inevitable that we’d find plenty of Short of the Week alumni among the line-up. As has become something of a tradition with our annual previews of festivals we have strong connections to, we’re using this year’s edition not only to look ahead at what’s coming up in Bristol, but also to catch up with some of our favourite filmmakers and see what they’ve been up to since we last featured their work on S/W.
And there’s plenty for S/W readers to discover, whether you’re heading to the festival or following along from home. A number of this year’s selections are already available to watch on S/W, including Vote Gavin Lyle, Grandma Nai Who Played Favorites, We Were the Scenery. Elsewhere online, you can find other Encounters 2026 selections like the 2026 Oscar winner for Best Animated Short Film, The Girl Who Cried Pearls, while current festival favourite, Please by S/W alum Anna Mantzaris is also available to watch on Arte in parts of Europe.
Beyond the films themselves, Encounters also offers a packed programme of talks, panels and masterclasses. Friend of the site Benoit Berthe-Siward will be sharing his experience of running awards campaigns for the Academy Awards and BAFTAs in the How to Boost the Visibility of your Short talk, offering insight into the often mysterious process of getting a short film seen by the right people. Producer Scott O’Donnell, meanwhile, will join the Invisible Ad talk on branded storytelling in short form, while his long-time collaborator Aneil Karia (the pair have worked together on four S/W selections: Beat, Work, The Long Goodbye, Vote Gavin Lyle) will host his own masterclass.
With so many S/W alumni involved both on and off screen, there’s plenty to keep an eye out for at this year’s Encounters.
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Film from Alums
9 Million Colors by Bára Anna Stejskalová
Synopsis: The ocean is a paradise for Fran the shrimp. Her deadly claws take whatever they desire. For the blind fish Milva, it’s a daily fight to survive. Fran sees her as beautiful and wants her to see the ocean in the same way. Can they overcome their differences? There will be singing, involuntary organ donation and looking for love.
Previous S/W Films: Life is Just a Death Away
Brute by Jérémy Comte
Synopsis: Overwhelmed by crippling anxiety, a young sculptor finds himself trapped in his studio.
Previous S/W Films: Fauve
Clot by Levi Stoops
Synopsis: Frankie believes he is about to die with no one to say goodbye to. On his way to the stars, he accidentally turns into a planet and an explosion of life occurs on his body, including some creatures that look like him.
Previous S/W Films: Drijf
Dollhouse Elephant by Jenny Jokela
Synopsis: A group of neighbours, each focused on their own goals, must learn to communicate and consider one another. But when small, everyday actions trigger unexpected consequences, they are forced into interactions that challenge their independence.
Previous S/W Films: Barbeque, Sweet Like Lemons
Forgotten Spaceman by Elham Ehsas
Synopsis: In 1988, Afghanistan sent its only astronaut into space, a journey that proved home can be farther than the stars.
Previous S/W Films: Our Kind of Love
I Have A by Rory Waudby-Tolley
Synopsis: a man lists the things he has.
Previous S/W Films: Tusk, Mr Madila
Imago by Ariel Zengotia
Synopsis: As Ana’s mom transforms into a giant insect, their codependent relationship becomes unbearable.
Previous S/W Films: Flick
Paper Trail by Don Hertzfeldt
Synopsis: A high-speed study of life seen through a collection of papers.
Previous S/W Films: Ah L’amour, Everything Will Be OK, The Meaning of Life, World of Tomorrow
Please by Anna Mantzaris
Synopsis: A dark comedy about humankind’s desire to love and to be loved. Centred around neediness, intimacy and romance.
Previous S/W Films: But Milk is Important, Enough, Good Intentions
Praying Mantis by Joe Hsieh
Synopsis: A mysterious woman prowls the city at night, drawing men into her web as she explores the dark depths of maternal instincts.
Previous S/W Films: Night Bus
Sawyer Avenue, Sunday Afternoon by Bill Morrison
Synopsis: October 12, 2025: masked and unidentified agents from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) seize a man without a warrant on a residential street in Chicago.
Previous S/W Films: Incident
Tor Lewa by Paul Holbrook
Synopsis: A struggling alcoholic, haunted by his past, is stalked by a dark wolf. On the brink of submission, his mother fights to save him.
Previous S/W Films: Hungry Joe
Ultra Strong by Catherine Lapage
Synopsis: Follows a young woman searching for confidence in all the wrong places, guided by a larger-than-life mentor, before discovering that true strength comes from within.
Previous S/W Films: The Great Malaise
Winter in March by Natalia Mirzoyan
Synopsis: Helpless in the face of a repressive state, a young couple leaves their home – an escape that turns into a surreal nightmare.
Previous S/W Films: Chinti, Merry Grandmas!
With Tapes and Toasts in the Car by Kiana Naghshineh
Synopsis: Shari faces a terminal illness and escapes reality when the sky falls. Floating in space, she meets Laika, an astronaut dog who guides her on a spiritual journey, helping her to cherish her time with her family.
Previous S/W Films: Augenblinke – A Blink of an Eye