Every month, we spotlight three exceptional Short Films, each striving for our award and the iconic laurels that come with it. These three contenders have made it to the final round. Your vote holds the power to decide which filmmaker will be celebrated for their outstanding achievement. Dive into the selection below and make your mark to honor the leading edge of short film excellence!

Fashion and science fiction merge into a series of visuals directed by filmmaker Tomas Kamphuis. The short film, ‘EXILES’, welcomes us into another realm. Adidas and Chinese streetwear brand, HAMCUS, launched a capsule collaboration, now presented within this short narrative across the stark backdrop of Zone 3, a celestial landscape weaving together the brands’ two distinct aesthetics.

A film by Tomas Kamphuis.

Client – Adidas x HAMCUS
Writer/Director – Tomas Kamphuis
Cinematography – Kevin Kimman
Producer – Lucia Alonso
Producer – Felipe Barros
Assistant Cinematographer – Pedro Carvalho
Art Director – Nicola Gaudenzi
Gaffer – Dick Bloemraad
Makeup – Duda Garcez
Makeup – Anne Suse de Blok
Photography – Lucia Alonso
Editing – Nikki Faberij de Jonge

A sight-restoring surgery leaves surreal distortions to a man’s vision. Efosa Osaghae directs “Locusts Beyond a Phantasia,” a fantasy-realist film where a photographer must distinguish between reality and illusion through his Polaroid camera. As he removes the blindfolds with the help of his surgeon, the photographer is informed of certain precautions and side effects that could follow the procedure. It seems to have been successful for the most part—he sits in the sun-lit park and appreciates the spectacle it offers. However, as some individuals in the park get closer, distortion occurs: a man is cloned into three, a woman’s dog stands up in human form, and an ensemble of hooded dancers configure a routine. In this romantic take on surrealism, Osaghae builds a quaintly futurist world while tenderly ruminating photo and imagery.