The Kinolime Shorts Top 10 Are Here: Ten Stories, Endless Imagination
Kinolimers, the results are in and the stories are extraordinary.
After weeks of passionate voting, heartfelt debates, and some truly nail-biting tallies, the 2025 Kinolime Shorts Top 10 have officially been chosen. But before we celebrate our finalists, let’s take a moment to honor the 16 brilliant scripts that didn’t make it through this round.
Because without them, this competition wouldn’t have been nearly as fierce, inspiring, or full of imagination. They’re the reason every vote mattered, every script sparked discussion, and every story stood tall. These writers helped make this year’s Shorts Competition one for the books, and we’re sure their journeys are far from over.
Now, the spotlight turns to ten remarkable stories that captured your hearts and minds. From eerie lakes and runaway chickens to cloned Hamlets and fractured musicians, these are the storytellers pushing the boundaries of what short films can be.
THE KINOLIME SHORTS TOP 10 (2025)
AuPair – A Brazilian au pair’s pursuit of the American dream turns into a chilling study of power, privilege, and entrapment. (Drama, Thriller)
Harmony – A boy divided by his parents’ discord must quite literally piece himself back together. (Animation, Drama, Musical)
Chicken – A runaway chicken takes on Los Angeles in a soulful, feathered odyssey. (Adventure, Comedy)
Everything I Know (I Learned From My Mother) – A daughter’s Thanksgiving visit becomes a reckoning with ambition, family, and love. (Comedy, Drama, Family)
Food – In a kitchen filled with longing, one wife’s dinner table becomes her battleground for connection. (Drama)
Body of Water – A haunting legend surfaces when something—or someone—emerges from the lake. (Drama, Horror)
Pushing Daisy – A mortician’s quirky funeral home hides the raw grief she can’t bury. (Comedy, Drama)
Eighth Night – A holiday feud turns into a heartwarming miracle under one roof. (Comedy)
RESET – In a dystopian future, you either make it by 30—or get rebooted. (Comedy, Horror, Satire, Sci-Fi)
Clone Hamlet – One actress, one play, infinite egos. Shakespeare’s tragedy just got a lot messier. (Comedy, Horror, Satire)
To every writer who submitted, thank you for bringing your worlds to life and sharing them with ours.
To every voter - thank you for shaping the next wave of filmmakers.
The next chapter begins now.
Next Steps:
Round 2: Judges Panel (Oct 20 – Nov 9) – Industry pros pick the Top 3
Top 3 Announcement: Nov 10
Round 3: Final Voting (Nov 10 – Nov 23) – The community votes for the winner
Winner Announcement: Nov 24
