The American writer Joy Williams once wrote that every short story should contain “an animal within to give its blessing.” The eight short films collected here–which range from psychedelic animation to harrowing dramas to hysterical comedies–have taken that rule to heart. The animals found within this block are as eclectic as the animal kingdom itself; they are trusted companions, threats, gods, and metaphors. The only thing they have in common is brilliance.
Films
bird’s nest (the mourning dove and the cardinal)
USA | 4 MINUTES
An animated retelling of the director’s personal journey with his body, living as a transgender man in Texas.
“bird’s nest” also played the 2026 Queer West Film Fest.
Coyotes
France, Jordan, Palestine, United Kingdom | 20 MINUTES | Arabic, English, Hebrew
A Palestinian surgeon drives home after a long night shift, but little does she know that a commute through a desolate West Bank road will change her forever.
Fuck You, Dolphins
MT Connection | USA | 16 MINUTES | English
Everyone loves dolphins, but should they? No.
Join intrepid reporter Charlotte Swett as she exposes the horrifying truth: these traitors to mammalia are sleep-deprived junkies who love to murder and also do sexual abuse stuff.
Oh, Deer
MT Premiere | USA | 3 MINUTES | English
When a couple’s explosive argument is interrupted by a tragic accident, the night takes a turn they never saw coming.
Something Wild
MT Premiere | MTFF Alumni | Hungary, USA | 21 MINUTES | Hungarian
In an average Hungarian family home, a straight-A-student, yearning to be free, begins turning into a bear.
UM
8 MINUTES
Bird gods descend to Earth to save humanity from its own destruction. As their divine descendants spiral into chaos, these ancient deities must restore balance to a world teetering on the edge of collapse.
When The Tiger Roars
MTFF Alumni | MT Premiere | China, Switzerland, Malaysia | 15 MINUTES | Chinese – Min Nan
In rural China, a tiger’s escape shatters the long silence between a father and his son, with suppressed love shining through the crack.
Xolo
MT Premiere | USA | 13 MINUTES | English
Realizing that Xolotl—the Aztec god of death—has come to take his owner, a little dog named Skippy leads him on a heartfelt tour of the house, showing the small, loving moments that defined their life together.
