LA Shorts International Film Festival (July 30– August 12, 2026, Los Angeles)

Now in its 30th edition, the LA Shorts International Film Festival stands as one of the most prestigious and largest international short film festivals in the world. Founded in 1997, it is the longest-running short film festival in Los Angeles, and an official qualifying event for the Oscars®, the BAFTAs, the Goya Awards and the Canadian Screen Awards.

Over three decades, the festival’s pedigree has become hard to match: 69 LA Shorts filmmakers have earned Academy Award® nominations, and 18 have taken home the Oscar. Each year it screens close to 500 films and welcomes more than 10,000 attendees — Hollywood professionals and emerging independent voices from every corner of the globe gathering in the San Fernando Valley to celebrate the art and the business of short-form cinema.

When Italy Meets Hollywood reached out to co-directors Johnny Lambiase and Jacqueline Pantano, now in their third year at the helm, they spoke with evident pride about reaching this milestone. Both pointed back to founder Robert Arentz, who, in their words, built one of the world’s largest and longest-running short film festivals “from a couch, a projector, and a group of friends screening films.” Since 1997, they told us, the short-film landscape has transformed dramatically — through wider access to filmmaking tools, social media, global collaboration, and now AI as both a creative medium and a production tool — yet the festival’s mission has stayed the same: discovering unique international voices and strengthening the filmmaking community.

Both directors are also proud to represent Italy and the values they grew up with, above all a deep belief in the power of community. “Great art comes from strong creative bonds,” they say, “and supporting those bonds is what LA Shorts is all about” — a spirit they see year after year in the craftsmanship of Italian filmmakers alongside artists worldwide who honor their heritage while embracing innovation.

With new venues and community-building initiatives on the way, the 30th edition promises to be a celebration of where short film has been — and where it’s headed.

Visit the official website for updates: https://www.lashortsfest.com/