AUSTIN Lift-Off 2026

Network Round Shorts

Monday 27th April – Sunday 3rd May 2026

2. One More Photo

1. One More Photo

Director, Writer,Producer// Lionel Frid

Director// Andres Villaseñor

Country of Origin // Spain

Synopsis //On a quest for social media fame and fortune, two best friends set out on a tropical adventure of a lifetime to shoot their most stunning, and hopefully viral, content yet. Laced with superstition, satire and setbacks, the narrative follows the self-dubbed Two Amigas as they wrestle with themselves, their commitment to social and a hammerhead shark.

2. FOXBODY

2. Half A Star Ep.1

Director, Writer // Anthony Gholson

Producers // tyquan Gholson, Dashawn Cooper

Synopsis // Half a Star follows Lu Castro, a rising Bronx rapper whose growing popularity collides with the reality of still being a food-delivery driver. Every delivery becomes a new disaster—viral moments, embarrassing encounters, petty customers, and old drama—turning his hustle into a daily battle for respect. As clout rises and chaos follows, Lu must balance fame, friendship, and survival while trying not to lose himself in the process. higher.

2. CHAIN

3. Courageous: The Silvia Vasquez Lavado Story

Director, Writer & Producer // JOSEPH KEON

Country of Origin // United States

Synopsis // Step into the extraordinary world of Silvia Vasquez-Lavado, a woman whose life journey took her from profound struggle, self-destructive tendencies, and addiction to the pinnacle of human achievement and empowerment. Courageous tells the awe-inspiring story of one woman’s transformation from a victim of childhood sexual abuse to a beacon of resilience, healing, and hope.

2. CHAIN

4. the river knows the way home

Director // Nguyen Vu Quoc Hung

Producer // Bao Ngoc

Country of Origin // Vietnam

Synopsis // Trường (30) returns to his rural hometown carrying his mother’s urn after many years drifting in Saigon. He feels like a “tourist” lost in the very place he once called home, as the countryside has now been abandoned due to land redevelopment. Yet every time the sound of a flute echoes, the old ferry docks, the market, the deserted school… all awaken warm memories of his childhood.

2. CHAIN

5. Down The Hatch

Director/Writer // Alexandra Lukina

Producer // Dmitry Mosyagin

Country of Origin // United States
Synopsis // Down the Hatch is a 8-minute hand-drawn animated short about a young girl who discovers her mother trapped inside a wine bottle. Told from the child’s perspective, the film explores addiction, isolation, and the hope of recovery. How do you rescue someone who doesn’t want to be saved?

2. CHAIN

6. Cell Block B

Director,Writer, Producer// Jan Prušinovsk

Writer// Petr Kolečko

Producers//Michal Reitler, Filip Brouk, Ondřej Zima

Country of Origin // Czechia
Synopsis //In ten episodes of this comedy series, viewers will learn how to make a vibrator out of a toothbrush and a crossbow out of a coat hanger alongside young first-time convict David Broulík. They will also learn how to survive an intestinal epidemic, celebrate Easter, and make effective use of a visit without visual and auditory checks.

2. CHAIN

7. Bien Juntitos (Well Together)

Director// Janine Mapurunga

Director, Producer // Pedro Garcia

Writer // Janine Mapurunga

Producer // Gelli Pascual

Country of Origin // United Kingdom

Synopsis // Bien Juntitos (Well Together) shines a light on the often-overlooked experiences of Spanish-speaking immigrant elders in California. At once deeply personal and universally relatable, the film explores grief, remembrance, and the simple, urgent joy of being alive. It is a tender reminder to honor our elders and to cherish time together while we still can.

2. CHAIN

8. Little Big Sister

Director, Writer //Alaa Al-Shameri

Country of Origin // United States

Synopsis // Little Big Sister is an intimate portrait of resilience and quiet sacrifice. Set against the harsh realities of poverty and abandonment, the film follows Sophie, a teenage girl forced into adulthood as she becomes the sole protector of her younger brother, Xiaolin. With their mother gravely ill and their father absent, the siblings navigate a fragile existence shaped by hunger, uncertainty, and emotional isolation.

2. CHAIN

9. Something Else Tonight

Director,Writer,Producer // Tyler Brooks

Producers// Reneil Alcordo, Aliya Brooks

Country of Origin // United States
Synopsis // It’s a typical night of work for lonesome, by-the-book triggerman, Cade. Until he meets the lovely Billie. Then it’s not.

2. CHAIN

10. Unboxed

Directors // Jiyoung Choi, Pam Thanatrakolsri, Marci Wilson, Brian Tran, Chloe Chan, Sizhe Guo

Writers // Pam Thanatrakolsri, Brian Tran

Producer // Brian Tran

Country of Origin // United States

Synopsis // Tired of being overlooked at a vast delivery hub, a young mechanic yearns for something more than turning bolts and screws. Her world is thrown into chaos when she is suddenly entrusted with a mysterious package that seems to have a life of its own, launching her into an unintended journey across dimensions.

2. CHAIN

11. Mould – Wheeze

Director // Martyn Thomas

Country of Origin // United Kingdom
Synopsis // Animated music video inspired by the bands own artwork.

2. CHAIN

12. UNFINISHED

Director, Writer // Myles Temple

Producers// Olivia Kinoshita, Andrew Pirkle

Country of Origin // United States

Synopsis //A troubled art tutor learns to overcome the guilt surrounding the death of his father as he teaches a terminally ill boy how to paint. into an unintended journey across dimensions.

2. CHAIN

13. The Sound Behind the Sound

Director,Writer , Producer// Melissa Blanchard

Country of Origin // United States
Synopsis // Fictitious music documentary show, like Behind the Music, focusing
on contributors, whose jobs you didn’t know existed. In this episode we visit with Winter Summers who does nothing but asides in songs.

2. CHAIN

14. Gallo: Legend of the Cock Blocker

Director, Writer, Producer// Anthony Gholson

Director, Producer// Azzie Scott

Producers//Dashawn Cooper, tyquan Gholson

Country of Origin // United States

Synopsis //When two friends’ night out takes a supernatural turn, they cross paths with The Gallo—an ancient spirit banished from heaven who feeds on lust and destroys chemistry before bad decisions are made. What begins as a regular bar hookup mission spirals into a hilarious, eerie confrontation with a jealous angel cursed to eternally “cock block” mankind.

AUSTIN Lift-Off 2026

Network Round Shorts

2. One More Photo

1. One More Photo

2. FOXBODY

2. Half A Star Ep.1

2. CHAIN

3. Courageous: The Silvia Vasquez Lavado Story

2. CHAIN

4. the river knows the way home

2. CHAIN

5. Down The Hatch

2. CHAIN

6. Cell Block B

2. CHAIN

7. Bien Juntitos (Well Together)

2. CHAIN

8. Little Big Sister

2. CHAIN

9. Something Else Tonight

2. CHAIN

10. Unboxed

2. CHAIN

11. Mould – Wheeze

2. CHAIN

12. UNFINISHED

2. CHAIN

13. The Sound Behind the Sound

2. CHAIN

14. Gallo: Legend of the Cock Blocker

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