Kino Short of the Week - Best of 2025
In 2025 our Kino Short of the Week series featured shorts of all genres ranging from drama to comedy, from fashion films to documentaries and more.
We continued to feature films on a non-exclusive basis, including distributing films via our own channel and, to help maximise viewership for filmmakers, helped support releases from Omeleto, Dust, and Directors Notes as well as those filmmakers who chose to self-distribute on their own channels.
We of course think every film we selected is worth a watch, but here’s 10 films from our online distribution platform that stood out this year!
10. MILKING THE DOG
Directed by Joe Murphy
Produced by Joe Murphy & Clare McCahery
Phil Rochester battles to conquer Manchester's toughest standup contest, revealing the relentless drive of an artist to perform - even when he's not thanked by audiences for doing so.
9. BUSY
Written & Produced by Megan Smith
Directed by Jane Moriarty
Emma-Leigh and her friends decide to put their next date in the diary, but it proves harder than they anticipate.
8. PLOP
Directed & Produced by Darius Shu
Written by Arron Blake
A desperate woman from the society of rejected singles, known as the Leftovers, takes a bold leap of faith on a revolutionary new dating app, risking everything for one last chance at love.
7. FREEDOM TO BE ALONE
Written & Directed by Alexandre Laurent
Produced by Maël Hajos
Jade opens up through a poem, sharing her story of an intense relationship with a former lover, marked by a toxic hold fuelled by stereotypes and the societal pressure to avoid being alone. Their breakup, far from being a tragic end, becomes a liberation a journey back to herself where solitude emerges as a soothing and healing remedy.
6. DECKSDARK
Written, Directed & Produced by Kane Wilson
Co-Produced by James Freeman
In a dystopian realm where consciousness is encased within neural implants, Logan, a solitary Decksdark, finds himself intertwined with an ethereal entity.
5. AMIGO
Directed by James & Harrison Newman
Written by James Newman & Tom Waterhouse
Produced by Guy Lindley
'Amigo', the rent-a-friend app has taken London by storm. An unfriendly Amigo's life comes crashing down when he finds out his life is a lie.
4. FLORESCENCE
Written and Directed by D I • A L (Alice Gatti & Diego Indraccolo)
Produced by Peter Wilson
A visually stunning and thought-provoking exploration of the cultural, biological, and symbolic roles that flowers play in our understanding of gender and sexuality. Blending elements of a fashion film, short documentary, and experimental visual essay, Florescence dismantles the simplistic, often gendered associations that flowers have been assigned throughout history.
3. CONTEMPORARY
Directed by Zaeem Asad
Produced by Emma Raz
This short documentary explores the transformative power of art through the stories of three groundbreaking UK-based artists—Denai Moore, a vegan Jamaican chef revolutionizing cuisine; Mr Cenz, a graffiti artist reshaping urban landscapes; and Bimini, a drag performer pushing the boundaries of identity and performance.
2. SATISFACTION
Directed by Bailey Tom Bailey
Written by Christopher Buckley
Produced by Marek Lichtenberg & Nathan Craig
Georgian England. A society lady raises her pistol to duel with her aristocratic mentor over a grave insult.
1. ALONE ACROSS GOLA
Written, Directed & Produced by Jude Kriwald
Edited by Christian Burnett
This gripping short documentary follows Jude’s extraordinary solo journey through Liberia's dense Gola rainforest - a landscape uncharted by roads or paths, where every step meant battling through thick undergrowth with nothing more than a bicycle and a tent.
SHORTS CLOSE TO HOME
Kino is of course run for the benefit of filmmakers, by filmmakers.
While it didn’t quite feel right patting ourselves on the back for our own work by including these in our Top 10, we’re proud of our Kino Original work from festival director & CEO Dustin Curtis Murphy, the work of our Senior Festival Programmer Gillian Harker and Festival Programmer Mark van Heusden.
JINX
EVERYTHING IS OUT TO GET ME
I UNDERSTAND
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Kino Short of the Week - Best of 2024
That’s a wrap on our Short of the Week series for 2024. If you’re looking for indie alternatives to add to your holiday watchlist, why not dip into our archives?
In 2024 our Kino Short of the Week series featured shorts of all genres ranging from horror to drama, from animation to experimental, comedy and more.
As always, to help maximise viewership for filmmakers, we featured films on a non-exclusive basis helping to support releases from Omeleto, Alter, Directors Notes, and Vimeo Staff Pick as well as supporting those filmmakers who chose to self-distribute on their own channels.
We of course think every film we selected is worth a watch, but here’s 10 that stood out.
10. SCRUTINY
Written & Directed by James Quinn
Produced by Maria Ogunyale
On a bus journey across south London, a young man’s anxiety spirals into a vortex of self-doubt and torment - causing him to question: can he trust his memories?
An illustration of the process and impact of anxiety, and the demands of city life that intensify it.
9. LONDON’S FORGOTTEN
Written & Directed by Liam Pinheiro-Rogers
PRODUCED BY Cyrus Mirzashafa & Levon Gharibian
In the urban streets of London, the stories of would-be knife crime victims are connected by a wandering drifter who has loose ends to tie.
8. VOICES
Directed by Abbie Lucas
Written by Omar Khan | Produced by Håkan Carlsson
A couple overhears a violent fight next door and must decide whether or not to get involved.
7. DEAD WHISTLE STOP
Written & Directed by Sean Mckenna
Produced by Jamie Macdonald
Daniel’s not going to the office today. A dying man asked him to deliver a letter. Though he’s not sure who the dying man was or where the person he’s delivering it to is. Or what, if anything, it has to do with his new neighbours, The Illuminated Brotherhood of the All Seeing Eye.
6. SNAKE DICK
Written, directed & Produced by David Mahmoudieh
PRODUCED by George Lako & Annalea Fiachi
Jill's got the snake. Julia's got the flute. Alone, they have nothing. But together, they have a secret weapon to fight the darkness...
5. STONES
Written, produced, & Directed by Matthew Hopper
On a trip to his old family home in the Scottish Highlands, a troubled man argues on the phone with his stoic father, forcing him to confront a dark issue in their relationship.
4. CRY LIKE A GUY
Directed by Ant Rubinstein
Written by Catherine Willoughby
Why do we cry? What’s the deal with those little droplets of emotion? Kieran Bew (HBO's 'House of the Dragon', Netflix's 'Warrior') leads us on a gruff, goofy, educational and emotional adventure through the senses into the fascinating world of tears. A feast for the feels.
3. WAVING
Written, Produced & Directed by Rolfin Nyhus & Steven Brumwell
His worst fears seemingly realised; a distraught father takes one last walk through his ruined world. For most people, being at the centre of their own world and having a loving family is a wonderful thing. For Charlie, it's literally a nightmare. A short film about OCD.
2. EVERYBODY DIES SOMETIMES
Written & Directed by Charlotte Hamblin
Produced by Leonora Darby, Charlotte Hamblin, James Harris, & Mark Lane
A dark comedy about death anxiety that follows Mara as she grapples with the belief that she has killed everybody she's gotten close to.
1. BOY IN THE BACK SEAT
Written & Directed by Scott Pickup
Produced by Jonny Ross, James Owen & Simon Marriott
1986. A young boy is left unattended in the car while his volatile dad takes care of some ‘business’ in a dodgy local pub. What could possibly go wrong?
Honourable Mentions
Even though these films didn’t make our Top 10 we still think they’re pretty great and well worth a watch.
Hold my hand
gHanimah
Submit to our Short of the Week series to be considered for our 2025 season
Kino Short of the Week - Best of 2023
That’s a wrap on our Short of the Week series for 2023. If you’re looking for indie alternatives to add to your holiday watchlist, why not dip into our archives?
In 2023 we featured 43 films in our Kino Short of the Week series. Selections were of all genres ranging from horror to drama, from fashion to animation, and more.
As always, we featured films on a non-exclusive basis helping to support releases from Omeleto, Alter, Directors Notes, Straight 8, Vimeo Staff Pick and Dust, as well as supporting those filmmakers who chose to self-distribute on their own channels. BUT… this year we started taking our own YouTube channel more seriously. Ten of the 43 films were distributed directly by us. Our YouTube channel received 44.8k views with our most popular release “Influencia” Written & Directed by Ryan Rosenheim & Patrick De Vinck receiving over 30k views.
Three of the 43 film featured were Kino Originals, so even though we love them and the filmmakers who made them, it does feel a bit like patting our own back to include them in our Top 10, so only the remaining 40 films were eligible for our Top 10.
BUT… if you’d like to watch (or rewatch) our Kino Originals we figured we’d add them below.
Thanks to our Sponsor
who will be providing the top 5 filmmakers on this list with a FREE copy of Final Draft
Kino Originals
MAMA’S WATCHING
DO NOT TOUCH
HIDDEN INSIGHT
and now for our top 10
10. Shallow
Directed & Produced by PAUL ASHTON
Written by JOE JOHNSEY
Deep in a forest, Barry and Larry indulge in conversation that is by turns light-hearted and extremely topical, revealing surprising revelations, both good and bad, along the way.
9. RoButler
Written & Directed by JAMES BUTTON
Overworked in the email department at the a local Welsh council, Cwnt Jones purchases a personalised AI assistant in order to help make his life better- the RoButler.
8. Blinkers
Written & Directed by SOPHIA CAPASSO
This short film is about the cracks we don't see splitting in the rollercoaster of modern life and how two experiences of one night can be drastically dissimilar. Blinkers touches on the complexity of mental health and female friendships.
7. Fishwife
Written, Produced, & Directed by BETH PARK
In wild 18th century Britain a lonely woman discovers that her menstrual cycle is of interest to a stranger.
6. Influencia
Written & Directed by RYAN ROSENHEIM & PATRICK DE VINCK
A despondent young influencer wakes up on the beach hungover. As he readies himself for the day, more and more of his poverty is revealed. Mourning the loss of his mother, Cesar drinks himself into a stupor, listening to his mother’s old voicemail on repeat. After sobering up enough, Cesar sneaks onto a wealthy Malibu property to film a video with a Lamborghini.
5. The Fool’s Mate
Written & Directed by CIAN LLEWELLYN
Produced by JACK POLLINGTON
A couple’s relationship is at a cross roads - as he attempts to break up, she thinks he’s about to propose. But will an impromptu chess game finally force the truth to come out?
4. No Filter
Written & Directed by NATHAN CROOKER
Prduced by MAYA KORN & NATHAN CROOKER
Insecure twenty-something Beth struggles with her digital self-image until her friend Micah introduces her to a transformative filter. The digital magic boosts her online presence and attracts new admirers, but the allure comes with a dark and insidious price.
3. Other Half
Directed by LINA KALCHEVA, Written by LAURA JAYNE TUNBRIDGE, and Produced by MICHELLE BRØNDUM
As an Individual Being in a world comprised of Merged Couples, Ren longs to find his other half and become complete.
2. Crumbs
Directed by ROBOT CHOCOLATE (GABRIELA PLAČKOVÁ, ROBERT HLOZ)
Produced by ALEXANDRA KARA MORAVČÍKOVÁ
Tired of her husband’s noisy and messy eating, a wife starts a stop-motion battle and packs her bags. CRUMBS was made entirely in-camera for Straight 8's 2020 competition on one cartridge of super 8mm film with no post-production. Find out more about their unique filmmaking process in our interview below..
1. Portrait
Directed by KEIR SIEWERT
Produced by ALIX AUSTIN
Written by KEIR SIEWERT & ANONYMOUS
Based on real accounts, a model takes matters into her own hands to expose a serial predator in the photography world.
Honourable Mentions
Even though these films didn’t make our Top 10 we still think they’re pretty great and well worth a watch.
Oluwale
Out of Orbit
Submit to our Short of the Week series to be considered for our 2024 season
Kino Short of the Week - Best of 2022
That’s a wrap on our Short of the Week series for 2022. If you’re looking for indie alternatives to add to your holiday watchlist, why not dip into our archives?
That’s a wrap on our Short of the Week series for 2022. Let’s take a moment to look back on some of the amazing shorts and filmmakers we featured on our online showcase.
10. SMASH AND GRAB | Written, Produced & Directed by NEIL LINPOW
Four women race a ticking clock across a bustling city, readying themselves for the ultimate Smash and Grab showdown.
9. PETRICHOR | Directed by Louis-Jack | Written by Kenneth Emson | Produced by Morgan Faverty
A washed up, former wunderkind of the snooker world has one last chance to revive his career. Battling with addiction and the ghosts of his past, there is more at stake than just the score.
8. MIDNIGHT DELIVERY | Written & Directed by Nathan Crooker | Produced by Nathan Crooker, Jake Silbermann, Mayumi Tatsuta
When a mysterious gift is delivered to an unsuspecting woman’s door at the stroke of midnight she unleashes a sinister evil from within.
8. true value | Directed and Produced by Alix Austin
| Written by Keir Siewert
A university student with an unusual part-time job collides with her tightly wound client in this beautifully dark crime thriller.
7. THANK YOU SO MUCH | Written & Directed by TOMASZ FRYMORGEN | Produced by TOMASZ FRYMORGEN & BRIANNA FERGUSON
It’s 8pm on a Thursday evening and the Clap for Carers is about to begin. Two neighbours battle it out to be the loudest, most grateful and most virtuous residents on the street - until someone finally calls them out. Will they swallow their pride and apologise, or will they silence the upstart who’s dared to embarrass them?
6. LOVE YA LIKE POISON! | Directed by Max Azulay & Rosie Yadid | Written by Rosie Yadid | Produced by Sarah Epstein & Rosie Yadid
Twenty-something Louise returns to NYC after university abroad. She is reunited with her firecracker of a Jewish mother, Nadine, and their relationship seems to pick up right where it left off.
While Nadine wants her back for good, Lou is desperately trying not to get too comfortable. When she reveals news of her engagement, old wounds are reopened as Nadine reveals secrets about her own failed marriage.
5. BULLDOG | Written & Directed by Kieran Stringfellow
| Produced by Tasha Williams
After spending the night in a cell, a rough sleeper has a score to settle.
3. VISKAR I VINDEN | Written & Directed by James Newman | PRODUCED BY James Newman & Harry Newman
Matilda is a forensic investigator gathering evidence at a crime scene, where an elderly man's body lies dead, gruesomely murdered by an unknown person.
It seems just another day on the job, and Matilda is told by the detective to get things done, though Matilda seems eager to take the detective role herself. When the corpse decides to communicate posthumously with the investigators in an unusual, decidedly earthy way, Matilda takes it upon herself to do some investigation on her own.
2. SAFEKEEPING | Written & Directed by DAVID YORKE
Produced by DAVID YORKE & PHIL BEASTALL
Young teen Jessica and her kid brother Charlie are setting out on a journey. They leave behind a dark, unsettling home life and set out into the larger world with few belongings. The countryside they travel through is idyllic, stretching out around them in a pastoral, seemingly peaceful expanse. Together, they make a stop at a place they once enjoyed in simpler, happier times. But all is not what it seems, both in the world and between the siblings, as they embark on a trip that will change their lives forever.
1. embers | Written, Produced & Directed by Tom Ganley
Alice sits alone at a restaurant, waiting for her date to arrive… Doesn’t sound like an interesting synopsis, but don’t be fooled by it. Embers is an emotionally complex film, winning multiple awards at film festival this past April for best screenplay, best performance in a drama & best first time filmmaker.
Honourable Mentions
Even though these films didn’t make our Top 10 we still think they’re pretty great and well worth a watch.
MILK
TALK RADIO
