Official SDSFF T-Shirts in four exciting, nay... Cinematastic styles!
We’re gonna make you an offer you can’t refuse: the best 100% cotton tee you’ve ever tried. Pre-shrunk fabric? Check. Side-seamed construction? Check. Best fit ever? Double check.
Available in the online store. Link in the BIO but here it is anyway.
/merch
“2URDOOR,” directed by Erin Dailey and Devon Menendez
San Diego Short Film Festival
Comedy
TRT 15:00
In “2URDOOR,” a food courier (Kelsey Long) deals with a series of occupational challenges that include bike thieves, overly friendly customers and overly unfriendly customers.
“Comedy” is a broad concept. There may be subjective and time-bound best practices that one can follow, but there’s nothing akin to a rulebook when it comes to what’s generally considered funny. That said, “2URDOOR” isn’t particularly funny.
Among contemporary best practices in comedy is the concept of “punching up” – joking at the expense of those in power or with influence. That is present here, in what is probably the funniest part of the film. it opens with a commercial for the titular delivery service, and the commercial captures all of the cheese and performative joy of advertising in our app-dominated age. Unfortunately, the rest of “2URDOOR” either punches down at its protagonist or punches sideways at her bougie, stoned and tech-bro clients respectively.
Visually, this is all presented quite well. Shots are thoughtful, with generous camera movement and focal shifts that keep things kinetic. The sparse visual effects are put to good use. And there’s an interesting if slightly disturbing bit of prop comedy where we’re treated to the contents of the stoned customer’s pocket as he fishes for a tip.
Sound design is a standout, with clear dialog throughout and a jazzy, percussive soundtrack that punctuates the unpredictability of the courier’s journey. Performances are good, with many of the actors playing their roles very broadly against Long’s foil.
The situations that the actors find themselves in don’t work for me quite so well. I know that the film borrows from real-life client-service interactions, but two scenes go on for a long while when they should have both ended within 10 seconds with a simple “have a nice day.” That definitely would have been more believable. But would it have been funnier? Unfortunately, that’s an arguable point.
“Echoes Under Skin,” directed by John C. Christian and Gabriella Katsouropoulou
San Diego Short Film Festival
Drama
TRT 12:00
A man (Marcio Rosario) carries on a strained and taut conversation with a child (Gabriel Katsouropoulou) as the man remembers some difficult and complicated times in his past.
I can’t reveal too much more about what’s really going on, but I will make a recommendation. This is an extremely uncomfortable watch for the first 4 to 5 minutes (and honestly, it’s not a walk in the park after that mark, either), but I assure you that your initial understanding of what’s going on is not correct. Stick with this and you will be treated to both a fascinating twist and a powerful statement against domestic violence.
Visually, “Echoes Under Skin” is as complex as its underlying subject matter, with a striking and consistent color palate. Rosario’s character is always dressed in something blue; red conveys either a threat or reality of violence; darkness simultaneously paints the scene and the main character’s soul. None of this intentionality is distracting from the plot, which flows along as expected once that initial portion is over.
Rosario is excellent, and you might remember him from 2023’s fascinating short “Bergamota.” He has a talent for convincingly conveying danger and pain with expressions and body language, and that talent serves both of these films well. Katsouropoulou is also quite good as Rosario’s main foil, sharing some of Rosario’s intensity in a way that ends up more impressive after the reveal.
The film ends on almost a “public service announcement” vibe, but the accompanying text is compelling and the transition – while slightly abrupt – feels right when you look at “Echoes Under Skin” in its entirely. And you should.
“Nondecomposable,” directed by Tobin Carter
San Diego Short Film Festival
Horror/Suspense
TRT 5:00
Deandra (Pilot Paisley-Rose), a freshly dead woman, learns something unsettling about the afterlife from an angel named Shepherd (Eric Miller). I am definitely not going to go any further in describing the plot, because you really need to go watch this right now. Go on – it’s only five minutes.
Carter’s films traditionally look like thoroughly professional productions, with interesting and better-than-competent sets and locations, costuming, sound, cinematography, writing and acting.
“Nondecomposable” is no different. Every element of the short works together in such a way that he manages to tell a complete, coherent, interesting and atmospheric story that delivers a potent message in just 5 minutes. And even that time flies by!
Paisley-Rose and Miller carry most of the film, and they both deliver a range of believable emotions efficiently and effectively. Sabrina Dunn and Shira Dina have less to do as two versions of Deandra’s friend Priscilla, but even they manage to nail the part. Carter sneaks himself into the film as, primarily, a device for receiving exposition. He has a single line, making it way too small a role to send it into self-indulgent territory – so kudos to him.
If you were ever a fan of any iteration of The Twilight Zone, you owe it to yourself to give this a watch.
San Diego Short Film Festival’s Spring Season Online Quarterly Qualifier! Showcasing the finest short film submissions hoping to get an audience choice award and an official selection to our annual in person film festival in January 2027.
Two Palma Dorada awards for #BLURRISH, in 2025. Thank you @sandiegosff for recognizing and awarding our short film, and to the talented cast and crew that made it all possible!
Be sure to attend the online premier of a wonderful short documentary film. Seven minutes well spent.
Paste the link to watch: https://youtu.be/j82xw0X52g4?si=v35To6MMCqmdiUDg
Huge thanks to @rtejr for the article celebrating No Worries! Win in @sandiegosff Clink on the link below to read!
https://www.rte.ie/kids/2026/0113/1552976-awards-season-rte-irish-animation-no-worries-san-diego/
Director and Co-Writer Chris Dicker said: “We’re incredibly proud to see No Worries do so well on the festival circuit. From the start, we wanted to tell an honest story about how anxiety can show up, unapologetically and without warning. It doesn’t care who you are.
“If the film helps even one person through a tough moment, then we’ve done our job. And hopefully it helps keep the conversation around mental health going, a conversation PJ has so bravely started.”
