AIFF 2026 Documentary Short Films

AIFF Documentary Short Films The New Inferno Dir. Jonathan Pickett, Nita Blum-Reddick Filmed during the hottest days of Phoenix, Arizona’s summer heatwave, A New Inferno follows paramedics as they race to save the lives of heatstroke victims using a radical new treatment: ice immersion therapy. (15 min) Fred's Basement Bijou Dir. Michael Vollmann In 1956, a young insurance agent from Racine, Wisconsin rescued a colossal 1920s Wurlitzer organ from Detroit’s Michigan Theatre. He then spent the next five decades transforming his basement into a fully functioning movie palace. Fred's Basement Bijou chronicles Fred Hermes’ remarkable dedication to preserving a piece of American cinema history—one pipe, plaster molding, and overture at a time. (15 min) The Baker's Hotline Dir. Emily Schuman, Dave Schuman A dedicated team of passionate bakers work the King Arthur Flour call center, offering expert advice and answering perplexing baking questions from an eclectic array of callers. During lockdown, calls start coming in for sourdough recipes, but really people are just looking for a connection. (13 min) Oh Whale Dir. Winslow Murdoch-Crane A dedicated team of passionate bakers work the King Arthur Flour call centeA small Oregon town, an exploding whale, and the man who made the story famous. When news anchor Paul Linnman arrived in Florence on November 12th, 1970, he had no idea that the story he was about to tell would forever define his career. (26 min)