Pensacon Short Film Festival, the 12th annual official event as part of Pensacon, the largest pop culture convention on the Gulf Coast. As part of this convention, the films screened will celebrate science fiction, horror, fantasy, comic books, pop culture, animation, and documentaries related to the previously stated genres.

Each Official Selection will be given two weekend passes to Pensacon (travel not included) to attend the screening, and filmmakers may participate in a Q&A session about their films immediately following the screening.

Over the past dozen years, Pensacon has taken pride in screening some of the best short films from all around the world. In addition to the United States, we have had submissions from Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Germany, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, and United Kingdom.

Follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/pensaconshortfilmfestival.

Pensacon Short Film Festival 2026 Schedule
(Films are listed alphabetically in each block and don't necessarily reflect the order they will be shown.)

FRIDAY
Block #1 - Friday 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Science Fiction #1
Crab Man
Ekelbrode
Give My Regards
Overtime
We Regret to Inform You

Block #2 - Friday 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Family Friendly #1
BRIDGE -My Little Friends-
December
Happily Ever After Matchmaking, Co.
Invasion '53
Language Back
Pow!
SnowBugs
The Adventures of Captain Atom: Chapter 7

Block #3 - Friday 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
Local/Florida Films #1
Embers End
Franken Struck
Ghost Investigations - Curse of Bermudez Manor
Harper
Lovecraft In Florida: DeLand and the Barlow House
Malevolence - Chapter 1
Ragtime Follies
Stardust Bowl
The Wrongest Yard

Block #3 - Friday 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Horror #1
Backseat
He Ain't Here
Little Thieves
Next Show in 90 Minutes
The Severing
Unwound

SATURDAY
Block #5 - Saturday 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Family Friendly #2
Crab Man
Cyko KO
Dobrina
Everything Is Shattered
Little Thieves
We Regret to Inform You

Block #6 - Saturday 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
Animation for Everyone
Beyond the Score
BRIDGE -My Little Friends-
Harper
Midnight Monsters
Patchwork
Pow!
Pulled Taut
Sculpted
SnowBugs
The Adventures of Captain Atom: Chapter 7
What If?

Block #7 - Saturday 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Genre Grab Bag
December
Everything Is Shattered
Happily Ever After Matchmaking, Co.
Language Back
Lovecraft In Florida: DeLand and the Barlow House
Malevolence - Chapter 1
NAKAY: Gold & Blood
The Enamel Cartel
the fall by Ash the Ghost

Block #8 - Saturday 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Science Fiction #2
Dear Ethan
Invasion '53
Star-Crossed
The Winemaker

Block #9 - Saturday 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Animation for Adults
Cyko KO
Dobrina
Embers End
Franken Struck
He Ain't Here
Next Show in 90 Minutes
Ragtime Follies
Stardust Bowl
Unwound

Block #10 - Saturday 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Local/Florida Films #2
Beyond the Score
Midnight Monsters
Overtime
Patchwork
Pulled Taut
Sculpted
The Enamel Cartel
the fall by Ash the Ghost
Two Coins Short
What If?

Block #11 - Saturday 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Horror #2
Burnt Orange
Ghost Investigations - Curse of Bermudez Manor
Reliquary: Confession
The Wrongest Yard
Up Close

SUNDAY
Block #12 - Sunday 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Awards Ceremony & Best of the Fest Screening

Awards & Prizes

Congratulations to the 2026 Winners:

BEST IN SHOW — Frankenstruck
JURY SELECTION — We Regret to Inform You
AUDIENCE CHOICE — The Enamel Cartel
BEST ANIMATED FILM — BRIDGE -My Little Friends-
BEST DOCUMENTARY — Language Back
BEST FANTASY FILM — Happily Ever After Matchmaking, Co.
BEST HORROR FILM — Up Close
BEST MUSIC VIDEO — Everything Is Shattered

Pensacon would like to congratulate the 2026 Official Selections:

Backseat
Written, directed, and produced by Huston Pardee

Beyond the Score
Written and directed by Sara Valenzuela; produced by Rylee Rebol

BRIDGE -My Little Friends-
Written by Takahiro Nagano; directed by Kazuyuki Ishihara; produced by Makoto Mizusawa
Produced in Japan

Burnt Orange
Written and directed by Sharmila Ray; produced by Sharmila Ray, Matthew Keene Smith, Livi Nichols, Robert Javier

Crab Man
Written and directed by Mark Owens; produced by Christina Rosman

Cyko KO
Written and directed by Robert Feldman; produced by Justin Trevor Winters, Steve Whiskeyman, Tom Akel, Tom Defeo

Dear Ethan
Written by Alexander Haudek; directed by Alexander Haudek, Cameron Webb; produced by Dylan Gedney

December
Written by Kainen Kellum, Dalten Martin, Andrea Kellum; directed by Dalten Martin; produced by Andrea Kellum, Jeremy Kellum, Brivel Bariki

Dobrina
Written, directed, and produced by Hannes Rall
Produced in Singapore

Ekelbrode
Written by Ben Montgomery-Pierson, Sascha Montgomery-Pierson; directed by Ben Montgomery-Pierson; produced by Salem Daniel

Embers End
Written and directed by Malia Ludwick; produced by Jade Moller

Everything Is Shattered
Directed by Walter Santucci

Franken Struck
Written and directed by Sommar Boulware; produced by Kansas McWhirter

Ghost Investigations - Curse of Bermudez Manor
Written, directed, and produced by Jared Ditman

Give My Regards
Written, directed, and produced by Tony Jonick

Happily Ever After Matchmaking, Co.
Written and directed by Katherine Johnson

Harper
Written and directed by Emily Ward; produced by Keira Schehl

He Ain't Here
Written and directed by Patrick Martin; produced by Malia Ludwick

Invasion '53
Written and directed by Danielle Weinberg; produced by Danielle Weinberg, Kurt Uebersax

Language Back
Directed by Dusan Harminc; produced by Dusan Harminc, Kimberly M Blaeser

Little Thieves
Written and directed by Blake Rice

Lovecraft In Florida: DeLand and the Barlow House
Written, directed, and produced by Mike Lyddon

Malevolence - Chapter 1
Written, directed, and produced by Jared Ditman

Midnight Monsters
Written by Keely Myers; directed by Lauren Best; produced by Emma Stapel

NAKAY: Gold & Blood
Written by Fabio Cento, Marco Daeron Ventura; directed by Fabio Cento; produced by Charles Emmanuel Pellissier
Produced in Italy

Next Show in 90 Minutes
Directed by John T. Hill

Overtime
Written by TL Westgate, Christa Luzynski; directed by Trent Duncan

Patchwork
Written and directed by Karsyn Fletcher; produced by Karsyn Fletcher

Pow!
Written and directed by Joey Clift; produced by Tom Chorlton

Pulled Taut
Written and directed by Ellie Roberts; produced by Mac Muggeo

Ragtime Follies
Written and directed by Rylee Rebol; produced by Sara Valenzuela

Reliquary: Confession
Written by Michael La Breche; directed by Lindsay Morrison; produced by Michael La Breche, Lindsay Morrison

Sculpted
Written and directed by Jade Moller; produced by Ellie Roberts

SnowBugs
Directed by Jenny Schuermann; produced by Gillian McDerment

Star-Crossed
Written by Bud Myrick, Kevin Hoffer; directed by Bud Myrick; produced by Michael Greenspan, Bud Myrick

Stardust Bowl
Written and directed by Lauren Best; produced by Emma Stapel

The Adventures of Captain Atom: Chapter 7
Written and directed by Eli Hutchinson; produced by Eli Hutchinson, Samuel McKinnon

The Enamel Cartel
Written, directed, and produced by Sj Kim

the fall by Ash the Ghost
Written, directed, and produced by Katie L Haughton

The Severing
Written by Reno van Zanten, Nicholas Kaiden; directed by Nicholas Kaiden; produced by Nicholas Kaiden, Reno van Zanten
Produced in Netherlands

The Winemaker
Written and directed by Sarey Martin; produced by Daria Matza, Stephen Kaiser-Pendergrast, Sarey Martin

The Wrongest Yard
Written and produced by Daphne Lewis; directed by Nick Smith

Two Coins Short
Written by Theresa Chaze; directed by James M Myers; produced by James M Myers, Ashley Shayne Schutt, Erin Quizon, Dedee Myers

Unwound
Written and directed by Keira Grace Schehl; produced by Emily Jane Ward

Up Close
Written and directed by Lukas Hassel; produced by Lukas Hassel, Henry B. Lee

We Regret to Inform You
Written by Zina Wilde; directed by Michelle Bossy; produced by Zina Wilde, Michelle Bossy, David M. Night Maire

What If?
Written, directed, and produced by Emma Bradley Bothwell

Trophies for 2025 Best in Show, Jury Selection, and Audience Choice winners provided by GinGee Girls Art.

Rules & Terms

Entry Rules
• Films must have been produced after January 1, 2022.
• Films must have a running time no longer than 20 minutes. Films longer than 20 minutes will not be considered for competition.
• Categories—science fiction, fantasy, horror, superhero or comic book, pop culture, animation, and documentary. Documentary films must have topics in the previously stated categories (in other words, must be related to science fiction, fantasy, horror, superheroes, comic books, pop culture, or animation).
• Films may contain “R-rated” content, but no pornography.
• It is permissible to enter films that have screened at other film festivals, but not commercially distributed.
• Films cannot have been previously screened at Pensacon.
• Filmmakers must retain the rights to characters, stories, and music. Fan films (i.e. fan-made versions of established properties) are not allowed and WILL BE DISQUALIFIED WITHOUT REIMBURSEMENT OF ENTRY FEE.
• Pensacon Short Film Festival is UNABLE TO OFFER FEE WAIVERS.
• Filmmakers musts disclose if Artificial Intelligence was used in the production of the film, both on the submission form and in the credits of the film. The use of A.I. will not disqualify the film from the selection process, but will inform the judges on the merits of the filmmaking.
• Entry fees are paid for the purpose of being judged for participation in the Pensacon Short Film Festival and will not be refunded in the case of films not accepted, withdrawn, or disqualified from selection.

Selection Process
• Official Selections will be determined by Pensacon staff based on a number of factors, including but not limited to genre, content, quality of filmmaking, time allotment, and copyright ownership. All decisions are final.
• Pensacon staff and their families are ineligible to enter.
• All Official Selections will be announced via email to the filmmakers and on the Pensacon website and social media on December 15, 2025.
• Entry fees will be charged to all submissions, but do not guarantee acceptance into the film festival. Entry fees will not be reimbursed for films not selected, withdrawn, or disqualified.
• Pensacon reserves the right to change the category for submissions as deemed appropriate.

Additional Info
• It is recommended to upload the best quality of your film upon submission. However, an updated screener copy will be accepted until January 16, 2026. Resolution should be a minimum of 1920x1080 with an audio bit depth of 16 bits.
• We recommend making the video file available to download, either through FilmFreeway or Vimeo (with password is fine). Otherwise, you will need to provide means for us to download the film such as through Dropbox or OneDrive no later than January 16, 2026.
• Publicity material such as stills and a movie poster are optional, but must be submitted no later than January 16, 2026.
• Non-English language films must be subtitled in English.
• All Official Selections of the Pensacon Short Film Festival will be shown as an official event of Pensacon during the weekend of February 20-22, 2026.
• Each Official Selection will be provided with two free weekend passes to Pensacon (travel and lodging not included) to attend the screening, and filmmakers may be invited to participate in a Q&A session about their films immediately following the screening.
• Admission to the screening will be free to anyone with a Pensacon weekend pass or day pass on the date of the screening.
• Due to the possible content of the films, anyone under the age of 17 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
• Posted schedule is subject to change.
36 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • James M Myers

    Pensacon is a top tier event. The level of attention to detail they add for their guest is on point.

    March 2026
    Helpful
  • Lukas Hassel

    Submit here, a lot of care go into this festival.

    March 2026
    Helpful
  • Danielle Weinberg

    We had a great experience with Pensacon Short Film Festival. There was good communication throughout, and even though we weren't able to attend, we always felt connected with the fest. We're very glad that the audience enjoyed INVASION '53, and we're honored to receive the award for Best Science Fiction Film.

    February 2026
    Helpful
  • Sj Kim

    The Pensacon Film Festival was one of the most joyful and well organized festival experiences. The organizers, Jeremy Branch and Stephen Wise, were personable, organized, and incredibly supportive. They were genuinely invested in filmmakers.

    What sets this festival apart from film-only festivals is its location alongside the Pensacon Festival in beautiful downtown city of Pensacola. Beyond the film screenings, you’re immersed in a vibrant pop-culture celebration: celebrity sightings, networking with accomplished actors and writers, and incredible cosplay people-watching.

    It truly felt like being transported into an ecosystem where storytelling, fandom, and filmmaking all intersect.

    Can't wait to submit and screen again!

    February 2026
    Helpful
  • John T. Hill

    This is a fun festival that is definitely a highlight for the convention. They do an incredible job of highlighting submissions, especially local productions, filmmakers and students.

    February 2026
    Helpful