Laughter is the Best Medicine Shorts Block | DIFF 2026

DESERTSCAPE 2026 PROUDLY PRESENTS THE "LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE" SHORTS BLOCK

There’s nothing like starting the morning off with a plethora of great big laughs, and if that’s what you’re hoping for, then this shorts block has definitely got you covered. 

*Some of these films may contain mature content (Language, Violence, Blood)

The short films in this block are as follows;

WAR | 7 Mins | U.S.A. | Utah Premiere

Directed by Danny Shepherd

Starring Mari Takahashi, Ana Lutz, Tyler Tackett

Victory lies in the palm of your hand. In a ruthless underground arena, a fighter prepares for war, but when her estranged sister shows up to challenge her path, the battlefield shifts from the ring to their fractured bond…proving the hardest battles are fought outside the ring.

For the Love of Money | 8 Mins | U.S.A. | Utah Premiere

Directed by Joseph Kowalski

Starring Joseph Kowalski, Jonathan Plon

Brian and Joe, lifelong friends, have a crisis in their friendship after Brian comes into some money.

Fan | 9 Mins | Canada | French | Utah Premiere

Directed by Philippe Berthelet

Starring Sara Montpetit, Patrick Renaud, François Ruel-Côté

Victor is Camille’s table fan. Following a rough heatwave, she decides to replace him with an air conditioner. Victor will try and surmount this act of treason.

Fireflies in the Dusk | 18 Mins | U.S.A. | Utah Premiere

Directed by Jonathan Hammond

Starring Emily Goss, Nick Ballard, Hale Appleman

A fantastical romance across time and space.

Ivar | 5 Mins | Norway | No Premiere

Directed by Markus Tangre

Starring Puppets

Noticing her husband Ivar's new scent, Anne lies awake at night with a nagging question: should she leave him?

An Afternoon Punch-Up | 15 Mins | Canada | French | Utah Premiere

Directed by Garance Chagnon-Grégoire

Starring Julie Roussel, Louis Champagne, Léokim Beaumier-Lépine

It's summer of 2002, and moving day is fast approaching for the Bouchard-Beauregard family. While Sophie, a devoted wife and mother, struggles to control the chaos in the house, a televised boxing match creates pandemonium within the already dysfunctional family.

Candy Bar | 6 Mins | Australia | No Premiere

Directed by Nash Edgerton

Starring Damon Herriman

A young girl thinks a man in the candy bar line looks like her dad.

The Stones of Dunamase Castle | 18 Mins | U.S.A. | Utah Premiere

Directed by John Gray

Starring Aoibhinn McGinnity, Desmond Eastwood, Brian Moore, Zara Burdon Yeates

In the shadow of ancient Irish ruins, the aftermath of a heist unravels into deadly betrayals as four thieves learn that trust is the most dangerous currency of all.