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Sundance Film Festival
Short Film Tour 2026
Program repeats Fri-Sat-Sun
over two weekends
June 19 - 20 - 21 & 26 - 27 - 28
EXCLUSIVE CINCINNATI SCREENINGS
The Garfield Theatre, 719 Race St.
You will not see this program elsewhere
in the Metro area !!!
~~~~~
Jury Award Winners and Nominees presented with open captions and
post-film audience discussion.
Our twelfth annual Sundance Short Film Program is a curated 99-minute showcase of six standout short films from this year’s Festival. With three Award winners and three nominees, it's a fine mix of storytelling highlighting bold voices and fresh concepts.
Travel the world from your seat at the Garfield Theatre as this year’s filmmakers include five women and one man, with global perspectives from India, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Sweden and the USA.
Please join us for this special and exclusive opportunity to discover fiction, documentary and animated shorts filled with humor, emotion, and unforgettable characters.
Eight screenings over two weekends, offer flexibility for busy patrons. Discount dinner options and ample parking enhance convenience.
Film descriptions and event details are in the info tabs.
EVENT DETAILS
WHAT:
"The 2026 Sundance Film Festival Short Films, TRT 99 min. Not Rated (NR).
WHERE:
☀ THE GARFIELD THEATRE,719 Race St., Cincinnati 45202.
Google Map
WHEN:
☀ See the date and time grid on this webpage. Doors/box office open 30 min prior to start time.
TICKETS:
Tickets are $12.00 in advance, $16.00 at the door. Advance tickets are available online via the Tix Button, and by phone at (859) 957-3456.
ADA ACCESS & SAFETY PROTOCOLS:
The Garfield is ADA accessible, offering a direct indoor path — no ramps, no stairs — from the front door to wheelchair spaces and companion seats. Individuals using walkers, scooters or wheelchairs should call (859) 957-3456 at least 48 hours in advance to confirm your screening date and time. When notified, our staff will be standing by to assist. Additional info can be found on the CWC Policies Page.
TERMS OF PURCHASE:
Purchase of a ticket confirms acceptance by the purchaser that the presenter/host and their staff will not be liable for any loss, damage, action, claim, cost or expenses which may arise in the consequence of attendance at this event. Outside food and drink is not allowed in the theatre. Sales are final, no refunds, no exchange.
DRINKS & DINING
SHANGHAI
ON ELM
Please welcome Shanghai on Elm to the CWC film family! One-and-a-half blocks from the theatre at 7th & Elm, this friendly, fun and affordable Asian fusion eatery offers late-night hours: 5 PM-Midnight, Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday; and 5 PM-2 AM, Friday-Saturday. Closed Sunday. Also open for lunch, 11 AM – 2 PM, Monday-Friday.
Perfect for a post film drink or delicious selection from their extensive menu – big-bowl noodle soups, vegetarian and gluten-free dishes, traditional stir fry, fish/scallops/shrimp/prawn, plus all manner of wontons, dumplings, noodles, rice and homemade sauces.
CWC patrons receive a 15% discount on their order, excluding alcohol; The discount is valid only for the date of a CWC screening. Let your server know you are a CWC patron and ask for your discount. Hours and menu subject to change - check before booking.
RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED: 513-906-7000, Shanghai On Elm.
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BUTCHER
& BARREL
CWC patrons receive a 15% discount on their order, excluding alcohol; menu is on the website. Reservations are strongly recommended, especially if you are dining between weekend sessions. You should present your online confirmation or ticket from the event, and let your server know if there are time constraints. The discount is valid only for the date of ticket.
HOURS: MON, closed; TUE-WED-THS, 4-10 pm; FRI-SAT, 4-12 am; SUN, 4-10 pm. The kitchen closes one hour before the restaurant. Hours and menu subject to change - check the website before booking. RESERVATIONS REQUESTED: 513-954-8974 or thebutcherbarrel.com.
| Fri 6/19 7:00 | Sat 6/20 4:00 | Sat 6/20 7:00 | Sun 6/21 4:00 |
| Fri 6/26 7:00 | Sat 6/27 4:00 | Sat 6/27 7:00 | Sun 6/28 4:00 |
FILM DESCRIPTIONS:
CRISIS ACTOR
Crisis Actor | USA | 2025 | 13 min | Written, directed and produced by Lily Platt | Dark Comedy
Winner: 2026 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Jury Award, US Fiction
Wickedly funny and genuinely unsettling, Crisis Actor explores the absurdities of performance, lying, and seeking the most dramatic outcome in everyday life. The film follows Celine, a struggling actress whose personal life has collapsed but whose hunger for drama remains insatiably obsessive.
In the wake of a breakup, she holds her ex’s belongings hostage, cons customer service representatives for sport and impersonates patients with rare illnesses at her day job as a standardized medical actor.
THE BOYS AND THE BEES
The Boys and the Bees | USA | 2025| 19 min | Directed by Arielle Knight | Documentary
Winner: 2026 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Jury Award, Nonfiction
On an idyllic farm in rural Georgia, Black beekeeping parents tenderly share their knowledge of life, love, and nature with their young sons while restoring their homestead.
Jury citation: This film is a beautiful and bold story in which we see two young boys as they are taught what it means to be strong without disregarding feelings, to learn about oneself and our place in nature, and ultimately to understand our capacity to reimagine the lineages we pass down to our children.
PANKAJA
Pankaja | India | 2025 | 14 min | Written, directed and produced by Anooya Swamy | in Telugu with English subtitles | Drama |
Nominee: 2026 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Jury Award, Best Film, World Cinema
Pankaja, a young mother, along with her daughter Lalli, searches for her missing husband through the chaos and bureaucracy of Bangalore slulms to bring him back home. Swamy's deeply personal yet universally resonant film represents a new wave of South Indian storytelling, blending cultural authenticity with cinematic innovation, amplifying regional voices on the international stage.
Currently pursuing her MFA in Film/TV production at New York's Tisch School of the Arts, where she served as Spike Lee's assistant, she is an Ang Lee Scholar, a BAFTA Scholar, and a Sundance Ignite x Adobe fellow. Swamy describes herself as "a Bengaluru hudugi (girl), through and through". She shot in real locations in India and cast mainly non-actors after auditions in the communities she wanted to represent. With help from the city's film industry, she found production resources and much of the crew locally.
SAUNA SICKNESS
Sauna Sickness | Sweden | 2026 | 15 min | Written & directed by Malin Barr | Drama/Thriller
Nominee: 2026 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Jury Award, Best Film, World Cinema
Mistaking passion for love and locked out on a freezing New Year’s Eve, Cleo’s steamy New Year’s Eve plans fizzle into a chilling nightmare. She quickly discovers the real threat isn’t the cold — it’s the man beside her.
LIVING WITH A VISIONARY
Living with a Visionary | USA | 2025 | 15 min | Written, directed and produced by Stephen P. Neary | Animation
Winner: 2026 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Jury Award, Animation
Based on a true story. After 50 years of marriage, John must care for his wife Diana while learning to live alongside her Parkinson's Disease and vivid hallucinations.
MARGA EN EL DF
Marga en el DF | Dominican Republic / Mexico / USA | 2025 | 20 min | Written and directed by Gabriela Ortega | In Spanish with English Subtitles | Drama
Nominee: 2026 Sundance Short Film Jury Award – Best Film World Cinema
In the wake of Selena Quintanilla’s murder, at 21 weeks pregnant Marga’s life takes an unexpected turn during a surprise visit to Mexico City.
