RivCo Short Film Festival Kicks Off With Over 300 Short Films On The Schedule

PALM SPRINGS, CA — It's time once again for the 31st annual Palm Springs International ShortFest. The festival opened on Tuesday with screenings of seven films at Festival Theatres, the venue located at 789 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way.

Organizers said opening day films included "Welcome to the Neighborhood," "'Communication Breakdowns," "Art Attack," "Desert Docs," "Outsiders and Underdogs, "Social Animals and "Opening Night." The short films will be featured at the event through Sunday.

During the 2025 short film festival, 311 short films from 64 countries, representing live-action, animation, and documentary categories, will be shown. The lineup includes 45 world premieres, 10 international premieres, 36 North American premieres, 19 U.S. premieres, and 94 California premieres, according to organizers.

More than 6,000 submissions were received from 141 countries and territories, organizers said.
Notable screenings during the festival include:

• "Aria" starring Timothee Chalamet;
• "BDAY Private Dick" starring John C. Reilly and Nick Thune;
• "Blood Boys" starring Booboo Stewart;
• "Cattywampus" staring Hamish Linklater and John Carroll Lynch;'
• "Dragfox" starring Ian McKellen and Divina De Campo;
• "Learning How to Drive" starring Alicia Silverstone;
• "Main Man" starring Haley Joel Osment, Finn Wittrock and Jenny Yang; and
• "Retirement Plan" starring Domhnall Gleeson.

In addition, the festival will showcase "Paradise', whose writer and director is Hannelle M. Culpepper.

The ShortFest has long served as a platform for films that later receive Academy Award nominations.
To view the full line-up and ticket information, visit www.psfilmfest.org.