Thank you to all the filmmakers who participated in the 2026 January Lift-Off Showcase!

We want to extend a giant thank you to everyone who took part and a special congratulations to all the incredible talent that went into making these projects.

Soulless

Director/Writer: Graham Robertson
Producers: Calum Robertson, Andrew Mackinnon
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Genre: Shorts

Synopsis: A struggling scriptwriter is confronted by temptation to make his life a little easier...

Final Transmission

Director/Writer/Producer: Sean Coleman
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Genre: Scifi, Drama, Thriller

Synopsis: Alone aboard a crippled transport drifting through deep space, Commander Elias Walker records what will become humanity’s final message. Earth is gone, and the ship, once a vessel of hope, now carries only failure and silence. As oxygen fades, Elias begins a calm mission log, clinging to duty and procedure. But as systems die around him, the truth surfaces. He isn’t just facing his own death, he’s witnessing the extinction of mankind.

Coming of Age

Director/Writer: Levi Port
Country of Origin: United States
Genre: Short

The Stolen Future

Director: Vedd V Rawtaani
Writer: Krishna K. Agrawal
Producer: Anshuman Johri
Country of Origin: India

Synopsis: This supernatural horror short explores how unpunished crimes against children linger, not only as ghosts but as stolen possibilities, haunting both the guilty and the society that ignored them.

Blade Echo

Director/Writer/Producer: Branden Arnold
Country of Origin: United States
Genre: Sci-fi, Tokusatsu, Action, Kungfu Cinema

Synopsis: Blade Echo is a gritty, tactical tokusatsu-inspired episodic series following Derek Castle, a wrongfully convicted underdog recruited to become an Echo—a government-deployed warrior equipped with an adaptive combat suit and a personal AI partner.

Underdog

Director/Writer/Producer: Madina Zhalgas
Producer: Derae Rain
Country of Origin: United States

Synopsis: Javier is an invisible man in a vast, indifferent city — a stranger even among his own. Moving through the day like a shadow, he confronts small moments of loneliness and fragile hope. Beneath his quiet exterior lives a longing to become someone who could finally be seen… and loved. “Underdog” is a minimalist portrait of a young immigrant searching for dignity and connection in a world that constantly overlooks him.

perfect take

Director/Producer: Scheanel Ness King
Writer: kaba
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Genre: Short
Synopsis: rapper gets stuck in music video and has to sign contract

Corner Stop

Director/Writer/Producer: Leo Young
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Genre: Comedy, Drama

Synopsis: They Came for Cash... and Left with Chaos!
When two broke university dropouts decide to rob their local corner shop, it doesn’t go to plan, and they have to deal with the consequences.

S.O.S.

Director/Writer: Joseph Vivens
Producer: Solange Vivens
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Genre: Thriller, Drama, Horror

Synopsis: Ambitious real estate agent Evan has always been at war with seasonal allergies—but this spring, as pollen counts soar, his sales tank at the worst possible time: just months before his wedding. Desperate for a solution, he crosses paths with a mysterious street vendor, the Rapper S.O.S., who claims to have the cure. But at what cost?

Big Red

Director/Writer: James Pyle
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Genre: Animation, comedy, horror, surreal

Synopsis: After testing a device which allows him to understand squirrel language, reporter Jimmy Benson has a day that's no walk in the park.

The Lift-Off Season Awards is an annual event that celebrates the very best of indie film. Following each Lift-Off film festival, films that have excelled in their respective category are short listed for a Season Awards Nomination.  At the end of the year, once all the 12 city-based festival have taken place, the shortlisted nominated films are reviewed again by the jury and Official Nominations are designated.  Click here for more information about the Lift-Off Season Awards.