Celebrate 20 years of spellbinding cinema at the Science Fiction and Fantasy Short Film Festival (SFFSFF) this June at the SIFF Cinema Uptown, as MOPOP and the Seattle International Film Festival spotlight innovative shorts that transport audiences to new worlds.
The animated and live-action shorts are carefully curated and judged by a panel of film critics. Previous selections have transcended the screen, earning international distribution, Academy Award nominations, museum exhibitions, and more. Join us this summer for captivating screenings, a filmmaker Q&A, and an awards ceremony as we celebrate 20 years of groundbreaking cinema and fearless storytelling.
Content Warnings: Sci-Fi Gore, Animated Gore, Non-Explicit Sexual Situations, Verbal Abuse, Drinking, Blood, Violence
From his cozy library hidden inside the walls of a suburban home, a snail discusses love, loss, and change. As he begins to uncover a shocking connection between himself and the human living inside the house, he must race against the impending threat of fumigation.
In the distant future, Diego, a non-Earth-born, faces deportation to his home colony, Alpha 27. Battling bureaucratic apathy and personal anguish, he grapples with the fear of leaving a life and love he has cherished for years.
A journalist in a world of superheroes documents what it’s like to be a henchman instead of a main character. Predictably, it sucks.
A sentient humanoid VHS camera dreams of an electric cowboy as memories flash through its lens.
Two disgruntled scientists plot to steal something from the institute they work for, frolicking about in the spacecraft long past curfew.
When her detention project comes to life, Jo is taken on a whirlwind trip through history by the not-so-saintly Saint, Joan of Arc.
A Grim Reaper forms an unlikely friendship with a young girl.
Lupe doesn’t care about her abuela’s cooking lessons, she just wants to rock with her badass punk band. But when she finds herself battling an alien monster with her band, her abuela's lessons will remind her that punk rock is more than just loud music—and connecting with her Latin roots may just save their lives.
A princess’s impossible demand sparks an endless war, until a mysterious suitor emerges, claiming to be the one who can satisfy her pride. Based on a story by L.M. Montgomery.
While exploring an abandoned cabin, the Tin Woodman finds... his original head? Based on the original Oz books by L. Frank Baum, this short stop-motion film reveals the origins of the Tin Woodman and how he came to be made of tin.
The sun goes out and there are only 8 minutes and 20 seconds of sunlight left on earth. Max must race against time to reconcile with his ex-boyfriend in order for them to be together in the last moments of sun.
Fred, influenced by a salesman, falls in love with a vintage car. Inside the car, a bobblehead dog seems to want to talk to him—much to the detriment of Fred and his relationship.
A woman struggles to operate a new healthcare app when she needs it the most.
Seeking an ancient artifact, a young elf enlists the help of an unlikely ally: Mintrix Vandalore, an alluring bard with singular skills. From a silky parlor to the depths of ruined catacombs, the two race to stay ahead of a murderous cult, while a night spent together sparks a deeper bond.
A chronically distracted man undergoes an experimental eye treatment, only to face unexpected consequences that distort his reality in increasingly surreal ways.
When her father sends her on a “divine” mission, Ifelayo must confront the mystical Night Mothers next door.
Two couples vacationing at Maury Island sitting on the back porch of their cabin happen to see flying discs in the sky.
In a future where all memories are stored in the cloud, a young woman loses precious moments due to limited storage space.
During the apocalypse, a worldwide fire and an impending alien invasion causes best friends Astrid and Ivy to be stuck inside their separate homes. During a phone call when their situations have become unbearable, they decide to meet up in a virtual reality world to fulfill their last desires together.
A gay vampire wreaks havoc on an average American family after he is resurrected in Portland Oregon during an eclipse.
A mysterious rabbit with a set of magic keys summons a host of strange creatures to entertain a wicked king and his decadent court in this dark stop-motion animated fantasy inspired by the works of Ladislas Starevich.
Content Warnings: Blood, Description of Violence, Language, Gore, Animated Violence
AJ, a little monster awake past their bedtime, makes a terrifying discovery: There's a human under their bed!
A couple creates a cake so out of this world that aliens come and invade their home.
Four wacky, flower-faced cultists go on a quest to collect eight occult ingredients to summon a wish-granting demon.
We are similar and different, near and far. On the night you came, we were born.
A cyborg child dies suddenly when a piano falls on top of him. Death comes to take him to the afterlife, but he refuses to go until his final wish is fulfilled: to cause chaos at his own funeral.
After an accident, an elderly man begrudgingly accepts the help of a robot, sparking an unlikely friendship.
Halloween night in a remote town. Ramirez, a black cat, and his best friend Gordi escape their house to find treats. But everything changes when a mysterious van appears.
Far in the future, a spaceship crash-lands on a deserted Earth. Its sole survivor sends out a distress signal, only to be met with silence—until one day, a lonely stranger from the past mysteriously breaks through the static, forging a connection across time and space.
Lu finds the possibility of companionship when she meets Aini, a cloud-headed entity. Together, they go through the girl's day-to-day life, with all kinds of people coming in and out of her house.
Monsters are scary. Microplastics are scarier.
Alone on her farm, a pregnant young woman creates a magical creature for assistance, much to the chagrin of her neighbor.
Mid-wedding at a Vegas-style chapel, built as a tribute to the deceased pink poodle icon Poolvis Poodle, the celebration comes to a crashing halt when the poodle’s greedy estate steps in and shuts it down.
Aaron Douglas is best known for his portrayal of Chief Galen Tyrol on Syfy’s Battlestar Galactica. His impressive resume features over 100 other film, TV, and video game credits, including X-Men 2, iRobot, Stargate SG-1, The Bridge, Hellcats, Hemlock Grove, The Killing, The Returned, Falling Skies, The Strain, iZombie, The X-Files, Supernatural, The Flash, Once Upon A Time, Dirk Gently Holistic Detective Agency, Imposters, Motherland Fort Salem, Van Helsing, The Watchful Eye, Ubisoft’s WatchDogs, and more. Aaron is now creating and writing comic books for AfterShock and Dark Horse Comics. His first book in the Borealis series—co-created and co-written with his good friend and fellow Battlestar Galactica alum Mark Verheiden—was released in 2023.
Jill Louise Busby is the Associate Director at Northwest Film Forum. She is a writer and creative leader known for her wit and sharp perspective. She brings a unique voice to her work, blending humor with insightful commentary on human experiences. In addition to writing, Jill collaborates with artists, filmmakers, and organizations to foster meaningful creative spaces.
Julia is a queer, POC filmmaker from Brazil whose passion is bringing more diverse stories to life, highlighting underrepresented voices and perspectives that not only represent who we are, but who we can be.