20 Must-see short films from the 28th Seoul International Women’s Film Festival 2026 (Part 1)

By Asian Film Festival on August 21, 2026 • ( Leave a comment )

These are twenty short films you shouldn’t miss at the Seoul International Women’s Film Festival (South Korea) which will take place from August 20 – 26, 2026.

And So, I Climbed a Mountain with AI by Park Yuha – South Korea | 2026 – 18 minutes
Section: I-Teens

Hae-yeon, a vocational high school student doing a practicum at a call center, relies entirely on an AI named ‘Youmi’ to make her choices. Following Youmi’s suggestion, she takes a day off to go hiking. Following Youmi’s instructions blindly, Hae-yeon ends up getting lost deep in the mountains… (SIWFF 2026)

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Bora by Li Qian – China | 2025 – 40 minutes
Section: New Currents

Bora, a third-generation Korean Chinese who has lived in the U.S. for seven years, returns home for the first time in three years, feeling distant and estranged from her mother. As they travel to scatter her grandmother’s ashes in the countryside, she begins to see a more vulnerable side of her mother. Amid unspoken tensions and quiet revelations, the two reconnect—leaving Bora torn between her roots in China and her life in the U.S. (SIWFF 2026)

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Canoeing Until the End by Cho Ga-eun – South Korea | 2026 – 22 minutes | World Premiere
Section: Korean Panorama, Here & Now

Subin, who transferred to an unfamiliar rural village, meets Yooyeon, a feisty canoeist, at a school that is empty on a school trip and learns canoeing. In the face of a sudden breakup after a short meeting, the two have to choose their last moments to be together. (SIWFF)

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Cupcakes, Lonely Cats by Yang Ling – Taiwan | 2025 – 29 minutes | Korean Premiere
Section: Asian Shorts

Liu Hui is a widower whose son lives in America. She insists on living alone in the house she shared with her late husband, a calligrapher, and is surrounded by fond memories. As she gradually joins community activities, she strikes up an acquaintance with the kind and shy building caretaker who faces a quandary over a stray cat. Small moments together reveal loneliness and companionship. (SIWFF 2026)

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Dinosaurs Live in Hawaii by Han Seo-yun – South Korea | 2025 – 19 minutes
Section: I-Teens

Min-ju lies to her younger brother, Min-jae telling him their mother is in Hawaii. At school, she sees a boy confessing in a dinosaur costume and borrows it. At the park, she appears as a dinosaur to tell Min-jae the truth, but he only plays with her. Exhausted by the heat, she collapses and blurts out that their mother is not coming back. Later, Min-jae asks if their mother will ever return. Min-ju removes the costume and tearfully confesses their mother’s death. Min-jae comforts her, and they embrace. That night, Min-ju drinks her mother’s plum syrup and falls asleep in her mother’s room. (SIWFF 2026)

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Feminist-Queer-for Korean Democracy by Cho Youngsue (FDSC) – South Korea | 2026 – 29 minutes
Section: Korean Panorama, Here & Now

December 2024: Martial law is suddenly declared in South Korea. Designers rush to the impeachment plaza to join the ‘Feminist-Queer-for Korean Democracy’ coalition. The energy is electric, the stakes are high—but there’s one major problem: they have absolutely no banners or placards for the protest. (SIWFF 2026)

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Fingerbang by Kim Yeonwoo – South Korea | 2026 – 16 minutes
Section: Asian Shorts

Rejected by everyone, a woman follows a mysterious “finger” into a surreal realm, where a tender yet unsettling touch slowly begins to twist her reality. (SIWFF 2026)

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Inday Opil Goes to Heaven by chickenligaya – Philippines | 2025 – 20 minutes | Korean Premiere
Section: Asian Shorts

In this Visayan adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Inday Opil navigates the afterlife, eager to reach heaven. She must first embark on a journey untangling the weave of fate to be where she is meant to be. (SIWFF 2026)

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Kick It! by Choi Eunsoo – South Korea | 2026 – 20 minutes | World Premiere
Section: SIWFF Project

Eunjeong, a first-year high school student who loves soccer, is best friends with Sohye. One day, Sohye tells Eunjeong that she has a boyfriend. When Eunjeong hears about an interclass soccer tournament, she wants to participate, only to discover that the tournament is open to boys only. Hoping to change the rules, she asks Eunho, the class president and Sohye’s boyfriend, for help. But his response is oddly cold. (SIWFF 2026)

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