Audience Award Winners:
Best Short Film: UMBRELLA
Best Story: TELEPHONES
Best Direction JOSS
Best Performances: SHAMES
Best Micro-Short: Voight-Kampff
Best Student Film: LEVELS
Telephones, 4min,. USA
Directed by Copper Giloth
“Telephones” explores a personal journey through time, identity, and technological evolution, using a collection of telephones as a lens. Each phone, from a red Western Electric to a modern iPhone, symbolizes both moments in time – childhood, independence, life choices — as well as technical and design innovations. Tied to memories of forbidden red clothes, maternal sewing, and illegal long-distance calls, the phones embody personal and cultural shifts over many decades.
https://instagram.com/coppergilothstudio
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-telephones
UMBRELLA, 5min,. USA
Directed by Copper Giloth
After arguing with my sister over a quirky pizza-themed umbrella in Naples, I was left alone in Rome, grappling with frustration and sadness. To process my emotions, I created a personal walking tour, visiting ancient obelisks. Each step became a way to reflect — on our strained relationship, my late brother-in-law’s whimsical obelisk drawings, and my own path to peace. My journey extended beyond Rome to Amherst, New York, Paris, Aix-en-Provence and Brittany. With my playful umbrella in hand, I found solace in walking, letting memories, grief, and laughter guide me toward healing.
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-umbrella
Joss, 5min, China
Directed by Anxin
Joss, in Chinese “香火 (xiāng huǒ)“, has a double meaning: it refers to both incense offerings in temples and the continuity of family lineage. In most cases, this family lineage is traditionally believed to be passed down only through male descendants, linking “香火” to patriarchal heritage.
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-joss
Shame, 5min., USA
Directed by Kelly Lynn Warren
When a woman is sexually assaulted by a mutual friend the night before, her confrontation with her best friend leads to tragic consequences.
https://www.instagram.com/shametheshortfilm/
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-shame
Voight-Kampff, 2min., Réunion
Directed by Nicolas Gueniot
The Voight-Kampff test is a psychophysiological test that measures the subject’s involuntary emotional responses to morally or emotionally troubling questions. Lea is nervous as the test has just begun.
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-voight-kampff
LEVELS, 2min., Canada
Directed by Phuong Vu
Trapped in an elevator with a wanted individual, a timid office worker reveals his true identity as a skilled fighter, protecting a briefcase that holds more than just paperwork.
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-levels
Under 5 minute & Smartphone festival 