On Sunday, February 22, Alameda Brewing [1] welcomed filmmakers, directors, actors, screenwriters, and cinema enthusiasts to celebrate the inaugural Alameda Shorts Fest. The event, at 1716 Park Street, combined film culture with craft beer during SF Beer Week [2] to bring a cinema experience into a new space. The curated program included two viewing blocks with seven shorts each. Submitted shorts were ten minutes or less and covered a variety of genres including drama, comedy, documentary, experimental, horror, animation, and more. All films were created within the past three years and reflected independent voices from around the Bay Area and beyond.
[3]A large open warehouse space served as the venue, which included a bar hosted by Alameda Brewing as sponsors of the event. A slow trickle of guests soon turned to standing room only as a nice crowd assembled for the viewing. A warm welcome and applause greeted each film during the viewings. Upon conclusion of the viewing blocks, representatives from each short film were invited to the front for a brief Q&A session. The collaborative and community nature of filmmaking was on display as directors waxed nostalgic about the trials and tribulations of tight shoot timelines, small budgets, volunteer crews, and other similar hurdles. Pride and joy in equal measure emanated from the group as they took their seats for the award announcements.
Winners of the 2026 Alameda Shorts Fest
The following short films were chosen as winners in five categories:
- Best Cinematography – Galaxia, directed by Jordan Skipper.
- Best Sound Design – The Haunted Saxophone, directed by Ron Campbell.
- Best Directing – Agami, directed by Francis Bautista.
- Best of Festival – Cold Hands, directed by Sam Hyatt.
- Audience Choice – The Haunted Saxophone, directed by Ron Campbell.
After the awards ceremony, I was able to chat with a couple of the directors. Evan Aubrey, director of Overkill, hails from Berkeley and is a newcomer to the world of screenwriting and directing despite being the son of a documentary filmmaker. Overkill, with hints of Tarantino-esque humor, was inspired by an article in The New York Times about the hiring of a hitman. The film explores the pitfalls of hiring a hit man and the strange characters one encounters along the way. Filmed in cooperation with cinematographer Luke Kreger, Overkill is making the rounds in the short film circuit and can also be viewed online [4].
Sam Hyatt is the writer and director of Cold Hands, a short that takes place inside a coffee shop. The familiar dynamics between a patron and barista immediately make the audience at home and open to the ensuing shenanigans. With clever quips and superb acting, Cold Hands demonstrates how a mundane request can become high stakes and the central point of conflict in a story. Sam Hyatt makes his home in San Jose and has multiple other projects hitting the screen soon, including a dramatic piece called Ornamental Horticulture and a music video at Cinequest. But comedy is his first love as he quipped about the need for “more dumb comedy films.”
Other stand-out pieces in the festival included Fortress, directed by Paul Johnstone. This short is barely over 90 seconds, yet manages to tell a complete story that connects with the audience with its basic human experience about the need to escape conflict. Also Portrait 36: Ron and Bob, directed by Joan Aguirre, is a short that features the well-known Alameda brotherly duo [5]. Their familiar faces and smiles were a big hit with the locals.
Upon receiving the award for Audience Favorite, Ron Campbell, director of The Haunted Saxophone, declared Alameda Brewing as his favorite brewery. Following the awards ceremony, the filmmakers and public exchanged congratulations and well wishes, and raised a glass or two of their favorite Alameda Brew to cinema. Event organizer Alex Solis was spotted basking in the afterglow of a successful event surrounded by happy patrons and filmmakers. Much of the crowd, including this writer, are already looking forward to next year’s edition of the Alameda Shorts Fest.
Kelly Rogers Flynt contributes reviews of theatrical productions and feature articles to the Alameda Post. Reach her via [email protected] [6]. Her writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Kelly-Rogers-Flynt [7].