HBO® Short Film Award Showcase
A competitive section for narrative shorts directed by, or written and produced by, persons of African descent. Now in its 29th year, the HBO® Short Film Award is regarded as one of the most prestigious short film showcases in the country. Five filmmakers are selected as finalists and receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the festival. The Grand Prize winner receives a $10,000 cash award, while each of the four runner-up finalists receives $5,000. The ABFF is an Academy Award-qualifying festival for the Short Film category.
Facade
USA | 13 min
A brilliant yet closed-off architect must learn to open up after confronting her past and the plot of land where her childhood home once stood.
Director: Modupe Thompson | Writer: Modupe Thompson | Producers: Kristen Vaganos, Claire Gostin, Modupe Thompson | Cast: Arsema Thomas, Matthew Elam, Grace Amaku, Camryn Kim
FLY
USA | 14 min
When a ballet company holds auditions for a competitive apprenticeship, a perfection-driven dancer has their world upended by a rival who rekindles their love for the craft.
Director: Carlton Daniel Jr. | Writer: Carlton Daniel Jr. | Producers: Carlton Daniel Jr. | Cast: Jeremy Villas, Maxfield Haynes
Spilled Milk
USA | 13 min
What really happened to all those deadbeat dads who went to the store to get milk? A father’s innocent errand leads him to an encounter with an enigmatic figure called ‘The Milk Man,’ where things quickly go sour.
Director: Jared Leaf | Writer: Jared Leaf | Producers: Jordan Peele, Win Rosenfeld, Jamal M. Watson, Kesila Childers, Kacie Lehner, Dana Gills | Cast: J. Alphonse Nicholson, Jerry O’Connell, Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi, Brandon Perea, Rodney Van Johnson, Bashir Taylor
The Truth About Space
UK | 14 min
A young man is released from prison and has to face up to the lie that his estranged daughter has been led to believe — that he was in space.
Director: Jeremiah Towolawi | Writer: Jeremiah Towolawi | Producers: Emily Radakovic | Cast: Jordan Kouamé, Olivia-Rose Colliard, Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn
We Had Fun
FRANCE | 19 min
On Christmas Eve in Bordeaux, two young children left unsupervised by their older brother discover snow for the first time, a wonder that quickly turns into danger.
Director: Linda Lô | Writer: Linda Lô | Producers: Didar Domehri | Cast: Bybianna Vimpi, Demba Diaw, Alseni Bathily