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PBS Short Film Festival 2020
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And the Winners Are...

Congrats to our winners! The voting may be over, but you can still stream and share all films. Press play!
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Family
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13m 23s
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Joyride

Winner: Most Popular | Teen Latina sisters break their grandmother out of assisted living for one last joyride.
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Family
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12m 22s
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In This Family

Winner: Juried Prize | Ten years after being outed by his teacher, a gay man revisits his family's reactions.
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Humanity
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8m 47s
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Beep

An old man spends his final days fixing machines until he finds a robot who wants to fix him.
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Humanity
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10m 11s
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All Inclusive

A pointed commentary on luxury, excess, and what some people consider fun.
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Humanity
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9m 17s
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Happy Hounds

Linda Domer facilitates Happy Hounds prison dog program at a correctional institution.
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Humanity
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5m 10s
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Sweetheart Dancers

Two-Spirit couple rewrite the rules of Native American culture.
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Humanity
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7m 10s
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The Birth of Afrobeat

Birth of Afrobeat tells how Nigerian drummers created the Afrobeat genre.
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Culture
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3m 15s
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About The Film

How Turfing Became Synonymous with Oakland

Turf dancers combine abrupt, angular movements with graceful footwork.
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Culture
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12m 12s
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About The Film

You Know the Drill

Active shooter drills help prepare some students. But do they do more harm than good?
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Environment
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15m 4s
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Standing Above the Clouds

Native Hawaiian mother-daughter activist stand to protect their sacred mountain Mauna Kea.
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Environment
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3m 29s
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One Way

A man decides he needs to get away from his overheated office to a colder climate.
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Environment
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10m 37s
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About The Film

The Seed Saver

Kristyn Leach dives into the process of growing grains and explores her Korean roots.
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Race
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8m 23s
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About The Film

We Gon' Be Alright

Jeff Chang hangs out with rapper, dancer and performer Isaiah Phillips to talk about the domino effects of gentrification.
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Race
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8m 55s
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About The Film

Embers

Two boys in trouble at school face a racist high school administration.
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Race
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7m 2s
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About The Film

A Night at the Garden

In 1939, Americans rallied in Madison Square Garden to celebrate the rise of Nazism.
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Race
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5m 1s
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About The Film

The History of White People in America

The History of White People in America examines how skin color has come to define race in our country.
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Race
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6m 29s
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About The Film

Celestia Morgan

Birmingham based conceptual photographer uses image to exercise and amplify her voice.
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Family
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12m 38s
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About The Film

To Infinity

A dying father helps his young daughter carry an imaginary mission into space.
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Humanity
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16m
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About The Film

Quilt Fever

Quilt week in Paducah, Kentucky draws all walks of life.
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Culture
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12m 15s
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About The Film

Knocking Down the Fences

The story of AJ Andrews, the first woman to win a Rawlings Gold Glove.
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Culture
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4m 55s
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About The Film

Paddle Together

Breast cancer survivors find support and friendship in a unique sport: Dragon Boat Racing.
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Race
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10m 15s
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About The Film

Preston's Gone

A veteran with mental illness is killed by police after requesting medical transport.
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Culture
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8m 50s
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Edwin

Edwin Debrow Jr. murdered a cab driver when he was 12. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
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Humanity
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4m 27s
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Do Not Disturb

Do Not Disturb touches on the dangers and possible outcomes of texting while driving.
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Family
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12m 23s
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Maria

A young woman is pushed to the edge when she returns home to care for her suicidal father.
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Explore All Films

And the Winners Are...

Congrats to our winners! The voting may be over, but you can still stream and share all films. Press play!

2020 PBS Short Film Festival Winners

The votes are in! Congrats to our 2020 winners: Joyride takes Most Popular, and In This Family earns the Juried Prize.
Watch 'In This Family' Watch 'Joyride'

Explore the Behind the Lens Blog

McKinleigh Lair Reflects on 'You Know the Drill'
McKinleigh Lair Reflects on 'You Know the Drill'
by McKinleigh Lair | July 22, 2020
In "You Know the Drill," a normal school day in Wyoming becomes combative as students flip tables, dog-pile on trainers with plastic guns, and ponder whether they could fight back in a real shooting.
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Survivorship Meets Sportsmanship Meets Filmmaking
Survivorship Meets Sportsmanship Meets Filmmaking
by Illinois Public Media | July 17, 2020
Illinois Public Media spoke with Katie Prentiss Onsager on the making of "Paddle Together."
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'The History Of White People In America,' Episode Two: How America Outlawed Interracial Marriage
'The History Of White People In America,' Episode Two: How America Outlawed Interracial Marriage
by Jackie Bruleigh | July 15, 2020
WGBH's Jackie Bruleigh spoke with art director and editor Drew Takahashi and producer Clementine Briand to learn more about the series — and this episode, in particular.
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Read All Blogs

About the Festival

The 2020 PBS Short Film Festival is a celebration of independent films and filmmaking, and a love for the craft. Each year the films highlight topics like social injustice, religion, addiction, public policy, love and all things inspiring.
Read More Meet the 2020 Jury