The KCFF26 Youth Shorts Program presents unique works from filmmakers aged 18 and younger. This year’s program selections includes  comedy, drama, horror, and stop-motion animation. The lineup is an expression of youth filmmaking and creativity in this world and that of the imagination.

Please note that these films have not yet been rated; some contain violence and/or disturbing themes. 

Embalmed: Think Of Me Once In A While (d. Sid Pike-Nurse)

Trigger Warning: This film contains mention of suicide and mature subject matter

Father, Forgive Me (d. Devon Maher-Segota)

A teenage preacher’s daughter becomes overwhelmed with unnatural feelings toward herself and a girl close to her.

Sleep Talking (d. Charlotte O’Reilly)

Two struggling teens find a friend in an unlikely place when they need one the most.

Song of the Slaughterhouse (d.Sophie Zhang)

An exploration of alienation, identity, and the suffocating weight of modern existence through heavy visuals.

Stilt Man (d. Griffin Wicke & Ezra Lyon)

A parody depiction of the sort of outdoors film that might be sponsored by Patagonia. It follows an artist/athlete on his journey to protest the unsafe size of modern cars.

Stop (d. Beatriz Marcillo)

A conceptual short film about feeling paralyzed with anxiety and watching the world move around you while you can’t.

The Donut Venandi (d. Harrison Campbell)

Stop-motion animation following a group of office workers racing to reclaim their lost donuts.

Timeless Treasure (d. Samuel Finnemore)

An aging veteran returns to the historic grounds of his years at the Royal Military College, following a path he hasn’t walked since his youth. As he searches for something he left behind long ago, old memories rise to the surface — friendship, loss, and the moments that shaped his life.

Who Said Anything About Ghosts (d. Karthic Janarth)

Two boys summon a ghost out of curiosity, but the encounter leaves them with a haunting glimpse of their eternal existence they’d rather forget.

Programmer: Maddie Lachance

Runtime: 63 minutes

Content warning: violence, suicide