Skip the Sundance queues: Festival shorts you can see right now

Ian Durkin is a filmmaker and former curator at Vimeo.
Ian Durkin
Illustration of a farmer in a field with tees and cows

The 2016 Sundance film festival is in full swing. Over the past seven days, industry hot shots, filmmakers, and film buffs alike have lined up to check out the 72 short films that are being screened. With incredible short films from all genres and awards going to some of the most inventive and bold films we’ve seen to date, the yearly pilgrimage to Park City has yet again proved to be worth the snowy trek.

But for those of you who stayed at home, getting a taste for the action is as easy as reclining on your couch and pressing play. Check out seven outstanding shorts from this year’s festival that have already found themselves on Vimeo.


Field of Vision – Peace in the Valley’ from Field Of Vision

Eureka Springs, Arkansas is home to a seven-story Christ statue and the largest outdoor Christian Passion Play in the United States. In this documentary from directors Michael Palmieri and Donal Mosher, we witness a town divided as an important vote on LGBT rights comes to the fore. Each side holds on to their beliefs and how they hope the vote will shape the future of their home town.


‘The Saint of Dry Creek’ from Julie Zammarchi

Julie Zammarchi worked with StoryCorps to bring to life the story of Patrick Hagerty, the gay son of a dairy farmer who grows up in the late-50s in rural Washington. As Patrick begins to learn more about his own identity, he finds support and guidance from a place he did not expect.


THE CHICKENING’ from Nick DenBoer

From the Midnight Shorts program comes Nick DenBoer‘s wild mashup of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining and well, chickens. With an amazing technical display of 3D compositing, the Overlook hotel and Jack, Shelley, and Danny are warped into a chicken-themed world that may in fact be scarier than the source material itself.


Entrapped’ from The Intercept

Director Razan Ghalayini brings us the unsettling story of three brothers sentenced to life in prison for planning a terrorist attack. With access to FBI informant video footage and first-hand witnesses, the documentary investigates whether it was a win for the war on terror, or if there was a conspiracy of entrapment at play.


A Reasonable Request’ from Andrew Laurich

A festival favorite and a runner-up from our Top Videos of 2015 list in the Narrative category, Andrew Laurich‘s surprising comedy will leave you laughing and squirming when a hypothetical joke becomes a little too real.


OVER’ from Jorn Threlfall

As a crime scene reveals itself in reverse order, director Jorn Threlfall allows the viewer to consider the clues and attempt to piece together the tragedy that is unfolding. With somber suspense and a shocking stranger-than-fiction ending, ‘OVER’ is a must see.


Want more?

To find heaps more inventive, cutting-edge videos from the Vimeo community, dig through the archive of our best of Staff Picks.


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