Shorty Shorts
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Shorty Shorts ▪︎
Shorty Shorts are tiny comedy short films with no patience for long runtimes.
We pair them with Feature Films and mixed programs at NYCFF to level the playing field of funny, and you’ll often catch two before a feature starts—some vertical, some not. So, get to the theater early—you won’t want to miss the Daisy Dukes of short films.
Another Day in the West
3 minutes 18 seconds ▪︎ English
The true cycle of the West reveals itself when a cowboy steps up to defend the honor of the woman he loves.
Writer Director
Matthew Sliger
Producer
Rachel Weis
Cast
Jeff Coppage
Don DiPett
Emmy Newman
Yongjie Zeng
Cinematographer
Joshua Moody
Composer
Nicoletta Nomicou
Director
Matthew Sliger is a writer and filmmaker from Tennessee, now living in Nashville. His work, on the page or behind the camera, moves through memory, place, and the shifting edges of self-identity, all while walking the tightrope of humor and drama. He earned his MFA in Directing from the American Film Institute, where his Oscar-qualifying thesis film, Lane Five, shined a light on the children of parents with Alzheimer’s. He is currently developing his first feature film, Hewie Dink Knows. He’s also piecing together a poetry collection titled Po-uhms, which draws from his upbringing in small-town Appalachia and reflects on the quiet (and at times not-so-quiet) complexities of growing up there.
Screening:
Tuesday, Feb 17 — 3:00 PM @ Baruch College
Friday Feb 20 — 2:00 PM @ Asylum NYC
Sunday, Feb 22 — 6:00 PM @ Asylum NYC
Biological Intelligence
1 minute 24 seconds ▪︎ English
It's 2032. Videos are created by prompting. By entering cool buzzwords like "blonde" and "boobs" into a chat interface. Out comes a Perfect Video that properly highlights your brand's very sincere and heartfelt message. But let me tell you about a new concept... Biological Intelligence. It's when an actual HUMAN creates - wait for it - a video!
Writer, Editor, Director
Ellinor DiLorenzo
Director
Ellinor is an actor and filmmaker in New York and Sweden who loves to tell a good story. Dark stuff, comedic stuff, inappropriate stuff – she’s here for it. When she’s not performing, she writes, streams video games or acts out entire arguments (in her head) with her long list of enemies.
Before the pandemic, she spent most of her time on New York’s many Broadway and off-Broadway stages, either delivering gut-punching emotionally disturbing monologues (critically acclaimed, baby!) or doing standup comedy (sometimes equally as emotionally disturbing for completely different reasons…). Once it was clear that it was time to go inside for a hot sec, she started creating online content and amassed a following of nerds that helped her launch the very successful podcast The Lost Mountain Saga which was later turned into a book!
Screening:
Wednesday, Feb 18 — 5:30 PM @ Baruch College
Thursday, Feb 19 — 6:15 PM @ Asylum NYC
Thursday, Feb 19 — 3:00 PM @ Baruch College
Book Note
2 minutes 20 seconds ▪︎ English
Denise finds a life-changing note in a controversial novel
Writer, Director, Producer
Denise Taylor
Cast
Denise Taylor
Matty Litwack
Lilly Sparks
LizaBanks Campagna
Eddie Morrison
Director
Denise knew she'd be a comedian ever since a teacher called her a "ringleader" for distracting the class with jokes. Today she's a regular at venues across NYC. Before moving to the best-smelling city in the world, Denise's sardonic material, unique observations, and commanding stage presence placed her at the top of the comedy circuit in Washington, D.C. After working as a contributor for The Onion for years, Denise wrote, directed, produced, and starred in her own original web series, PAT: a coming-of-age tale about the late queen Cleopatra, which premiered at The Kennedy Center. Follow her for more sexy content @denidenitaytay.
Screening:
Tuesday, Feb 17 — 3:00 PM @ Baruch College
Saturday, Feb 21 — 2:00 PM @ Asylum NYC
Sunday, Feb 22 — 6:00 PM @ Asylum NYC
Can You Take a Photo of Us
2 minutes 54 seconds ▪︎ English
Things get very weird when two friends ask a stranger to take their photo.
Cast
Tiny Idea Members
Ann
Eva
Hrannar
Director
Tiny Idea - Ann Nelson, Eva Nemiroff, and Hrannar Björnsson - make up the New York-based comedy trio Tiny Idea. They have over 300,000 followers on TikTok (@TinyIdeaStuff) and their sketches have gotten over 50 million views. The trio has been described by an online comment as "three of the most average-looking people I've ever seen.
Screening:
Sunday, Feb 15 — 7:00 PM @ Asylum NYC
Tuesday, Feb 17 — 7:00 PM @ Baruch College
Tuesday, Feb 17 — 7:30 PM @ Asylum NYC
God Dam
2 minutes 43 seconds ▪︎ English
A mockumentary about two beavers that work in a post office
The camera crew observes a typical work day for Clint Eatswood, the energetic manager, as he attempts to clean up the mess created by his unenthusiastic employee, Humphrey Damiels.
Director, Writer, Producer
Abigail Hill
Cast
Brian Cloutier
Wesley Mills
Animators
Tamryn LeGrant
Luis Montalvo
Fabricators
Equinox Beard
Tristyn Blankenship
Abigail Hill
Tamryn LeGrant
Luis Montalvo
Supervising Sound Editor
Dylan Ramras
Director
Abigail Hill is a stop-motion filmmaker from New Jersey. Growing up, she spent lots of time hiking and camping, instilling in her a love of nature and its creatures which inspired the idea for God Dam. She found her second home in the stop-motion studio at the Savannah College of Art and Design, where she has spent the last four years pursusing animation with a focus in storytelling. Hoping to spread her love for stop-motion, she has been the co-president of the SCAD Stop-Motion Club. She hopes to continue filmmaking and spending time in nature after graduation.
Screening:
Thursday, Feb 19 — 7:00 PM @ Baruch College
Friday Feb 20 — 6:00PM @ Asylum NYC
Gun Shot in a Quiet Town
1 minute 20 seconds ▪︎ English
A therapist explains biology to his patient.
Director, Writer, Producer, Cast
Jon Ryan Sugimoto
Director
Jon Ryan is a New York- based, Los Angeles-raised comedy writer-director that keeps a close eye on the comedy scene. He is known for his gritty comedic style, garnering widespread acclaim. After premiering at the Oscar-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival, his latest short film Full Time received widespread acclaim pushing a message so strong it captured over 200 million viewers across platforms. As a half-Japanese, half-Mexican American filmmaker, he is passionate about exploring universal themes such as what it means to be an adult, existential dilemmas, and the flailing process of finding yourself.
His viral short film Out of Love, starring Bobby Lee, won Best Screenplay at the Beverly Hills Film Festival and other recent film Gut Punch earned nominations for Best Comedy Writing and Best Comedy Film at the Webby Awards, solidifying his reputation as a rising talent. His commercial work spans A24, Paramount, VISA, and Duolingo has earned him four Webby Awards and two Cannes Lion Awards. Jon wrote the feature comedy film 3 Months of Killing which had a reading at UCB and which the Blacklist called “a breath of fresh air” and “essentially flawless
Screening:
Tuesday, Feb 17 — 7:30 PM @ Asylum NYC
Friday Feb 20 — 10pm @ Asylum NYC
Lil Privilege
3 minutes 2 seconds ▪︎ English
From the mean streets of Greenwich, Connecticut, comes the hardest rapper you’ve ever heard… (Lil Privilege)
Watch him spit bars about the country club, JP Morgan, and the one thing money can't buy — an STD.
Writer, Producer, Director, Cast
Leo Gabriel
Producer
Truth
Cast
Zach Shaffer
Veronica Kelegian
Rob Kachikian
Nick Benak
Berk Özenç
Chase Filandro
Sophia Granell
Alexandra Devin
Miriam Aslam
Director
Leo Gabriel is a rising senior at NYU Tisch, with a multidisciplinary background in comedy, acting, writing, and producing across film, theatre, and digital media. He’s studied sketch writing under Saturday Night Live’s Emily Spivey for the past two years and trained with Freestyle Love Supreme—where he not only honed his skills in musical improv and character-driven storytelling, but also taught classes and began as a production intern during their Broadway run in high school, continuing to assist the company on tour.
Leo has co-written, starred in, and produced an independent film, and previously produced and performed with Friends with Dads, NYU’s sketch comedy group. He’s also created a number of comedic music videos and digital projects that explore pop culture, cinema, and music history through a satirical lens—and brings a strong sense of character to his work, with over 150 impressions in his back pocket. Whether on stage, behind the camera, or in the writer’s room, Leo Gabriel combines sharp comedic instincts with a deep love for storytelling.
Screening:
Wednesday, Feb 18 — 5:30 PM @ Baruch College
Thursday, Feb 19 — 5:00 PM @ Baruch College
Tuesday, Feb 17 — 3:30 PM @ Asylum NYC
Tantrum Tent
3 minute 59 seconds ▪︎ English
World Premiere
Being an adult is hard. Sometimes you just need to throw a tantrum.
Directors
Steven Bailey
Dinner for One Comedy
Writers
Ally Condrath
Kyle Miller
Jake Mann
Ian Wexler
Producers
Ally Condrath
Kyle Miller
Cast
Ally Condrath
Joshua Logan
Jake Mann
Director
Steven Bailey, Dinner for One Comedy
DINNER FOR ONE is an award-winning writing and filmmaking collective. With over a decade of collaboration, this four person team has created viral videos, commercials, music videos, TV series, and short films. Their work has been recognized at festivals nationwide, including “Best Comedy” at the Catalyst Content Festival and a finalist for “Best Pilot” at the NYTVF for their viral web series Life Sucks. Their projects have also been featured on MTV, Funny or Die, and Comedy Central.
Their most recent short film, 4th DEMENTIA screened at more than a dozen prestigious festivals including Santa Barbara Film Festival, Nantucket Film Festival and Hollyshorts, earning a Grand Jury Prize for “Best Screenplay” at the Oscar-qualifying Flickers’ RIIFF.
The foursome—Ally Condrath, Jake Mann, Kyle Miller, and Ian Wexler—write and produce all of their work together, bringing a unique voice as millennials navigating an increasingly chaotic world.
STEVEN BAILEY is a cinematographer and director with roots in New York and California. He’s been traveling the world shooting branded, documentary, and narrative content for well over a decade. One of his most recent projects, Together We Can, a PBS Kids series from Sesame Workshop, received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Short Form Live Action Program.
Screening:
Monday, Feb 16 — 7:00 PM @ Baruch College
Thursday, Feb 19 — 5:00 PM @ Baruch College
Tacocunr
1 minute 50 seconds ▪︎ English
NYC Premiere
One woman's valiant attempt to log into her email.
Writer, Producer, Director
Erin Brown Thomas
Producer
Elle Shaw
Cast
Shannon Gisela
Director
As a diplopic filmmaker, Erin Brown Thomas literally sees everything twice, shaping her slick, visually heightened approach.
Her 30-minute single-shot short CHASERS World Premiered at Sundance in 2025. Other films have won at Oscar-Qualifying festivals.
As Artistic Director of Salute Your Shorts, she champions other emerging filmmakers.
Screening:
Saturday, Feb 21 — 6:00 PM @ Asylum NYC
Tuesday, Feb 17 — 7:00 PM @ Baruch College
Thursday, Feb 19 — 2:00 PM @ Asylum NYC
The Substance…For Men
2 minutes 43 seconds ▪︎ English
A short form parody of The Substance
Writers
Will Hines
Jimmy Woods IV
Robyn Adams
Cast
Jimmy Woods IV
Will Hines
Phillip Wilburn
Director
Robyn Adams is a WGA, Peabody, and AFI Award-winning, Golden Globe and Emmy-nominated director/writer/producer who grew up in a working class household.
Her credits include Jury Duty, John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in LA, The Subsequent Moviefilm Special: Debunking Borat, How To With John Wilson, various Triumph The Insult Comic Dog shows, field pieces, and specials, Conan, and The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
Screening:
Sunday, Feb 15 — 7:00 PM @ Asylum NYC
Thursday, Feb 19 — 7:00 PM @ Baruch College
Monday, Feb 16 — 7:00 PM @ Baruch College
These Moms Are Cooler Than Me
2 minutes 2 seconds ▪︎ English
New York Premiere
A deadbeat son realizes his mom's friends are cool...and something else, too.
Director, Cast
Andrew Bourne
Director Biography
Andrew Bourne is based in both NYC/ATL and he is a sketch comedian as well as comedy director.
Screening:
Saturday, Feb 21 — 6:00 PM @ Asylum NYC
Thursday, Feb 19 — 3:00 PM @ Baruch College
Wet Floor
4 minutes ▪︎ English
While being dumped by his boyfriend over the phone, Sam is thrust into the middle of a life-altering corner store robbery.
Director, Writer, Actor
Paul McCallion
Producer
Amanda Distler
Ted Eschweiler
Cast
Paul McCallion
Michael Benjamin
James Tom
Gabriela Cristina Rivera
Director
Paul McCallion is an actor (Girls5Eva, Dead Ringers, The Equalizer, more), writer (Vulture, New York Magazine, Interview Magazine), and prolific tweeter (@OrangePaulp) based in Brooklyn, NY.
Screening:
Monday, Feb 16 — 11:30 PM @ Asylum NYC
Tuesday, Feb 17 — 3:30 PM @ Asylum NYC
Deadline Days
3 minutes 53 seconds ▪︎ English
A last-minute scramble to make a short film forces a filmmaker to confront their creative block—and their bad habits.
Director, Writer, Producer
Steven Sosa
Cast
Steven Sosa
Dunya Karam
Director
Steven Sosa is a filmmaker and comedian from Central Jersey (it does exist). He’s worked in the post-production world for over a decade, and has spent the last two years finally putting himself both in front of the camera and on the stage. You can see him and his films in shows and showcases all around the tristate area, as well as on social media when he’s not exhausted from doomscrolling.
Screening:
Saturday, February 21 — 11:30 PM @ Asylum NYC
Wednesday, Feb 18 — 4:00 PM @ Asylum NYC
Sunday, Feb 22 — 2:00 PM @ Asylum NYC
