Short - OBSCURAE

Short

Saint Agnes | Sweet and Short

An emotional thriller that had me on the edge of my seat, Kate Driver's debut short doesn't want to tread old ground.

Man with shaved head in brown blazer and light blue shirt holding a lit match, standing before an exposed brick wall.

Short

I Am The Prize and the Manosphere | Sweet and Short

Director Sai Karan Talwar's I Am The Prize unpicks the constructed personalities of the men behind "red pill" ideology and the Manosphere, but fails to consider the victims of it.

The film's protagonist, Anahita, kisses her girlfriend at a protest.

Reviews

Kisses And Bullets (Short) | BFI Flare 2026

Two Iranian women on opposite sides of the world are moved to protest, no matter the cost.

Isolated in her bathroom, Deniz, the film's protagonist, looks into a mirror.

Reviews

Krizalit (Short) | BFI Flare 2026

The need for connection in a big, unfriendly city drives two women to the edge in this universal, sad but hopeful short.

A car travels down a road at twilight with its headlights on, darkness surrounding it.

Reviews

COYOTES (Short) | BFI Flare 2026

A Palestinian woman in trouble, danger lurking in the darkness on the road to Ramallah, and a tire iron.

Two teenage girls, Ceren and Azra, sit across from each other at a verdant pond.

Reviews

Everything Between Us (Short) | BFI Flare 2026

A sweet short in which masculinity lingers in its absence as two girls grow closer, despite an avoidable gulf.

Six figures in headscarves stand around a staircase; the image is discoloured yellow and purple

Reviews

Daria's Night Flowers (Short) | BFI Flare 2026

Something to interpret! Colours leak, run, and flash in this experimental archival collage drawn from old Iranian films.

One of the actors representing the Palestinian interviewees looks down a Parisian street towards the sky.

Reviews

Abstraction Belongs To Us (Short) | BFI Flare 2026

Palestinian voices and perspectives echo on the capital streets of liberal democracies that ignore them.

Young girl with brown bob hair in blue shirt holds yellow pencil; behind her, person reads newspaper headlined "Government declares Martial Law"

Film

If London Were Syria (Review) | Sweet and Short

Here at OBSCURAE, we've always championed short storytelling as the hunting ground for your next favourite filmmaker – and encouraged you not to skip the shorts programme! Welcome back to our Short film review series, Sweet and Short. Back in 2014, I saw a video from the charity Save

Man in dark jacket browsing a grocery store aisle with olive oil bottles, canned tomatoes, and boxed goods on shelves.

Interview

Crafting a Dream: Director Naqqash Khalid discusses alchemising his new short film, FLINT

Suhaila dives into Khalid's process creating his award-winning short film, which is available on BBC iPlayer from February 27th -- mild spoilers ahead.

Film poster for "Agapito" showing workers sitting on bowling alley lanes, Cannes 2025 Short Films Competition selection.

Festivals

Shorts Program 01 Highlights @ TIFF 2025

Jazz Infernal First and foremost, let me get it out of the way that I just adore jazz music, so this short always had a bit of a bias in my books. Nevertheless! Bias put aside, this is still an undoubtedly cinematic jazz journey (giving "Whiplash" during certain

Woman in white blouse, black shorts, and sunglasses holding a drink beside a golf bag on a sunny golf course.

Festivals

Best of Raindance Film Festival 2025

We crown the best of the fest, as decided by...well...us!