FLIFF Returns

From February 20 through March 1, 2026, the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival returns for its 40th year, transforming theaters across Broward County into stages for independent film, international premieres, and the kind of intimate storytelling that rewards attention. For a city more often defined by waterfront glamour and new-build skylines, FLIFF offers something more enduring: a seat in the dark and a reason to stay there.

Founded in 1986, the festival has evolved into one of the country’s longest-running cinematic gatherings, anchoring much of its programming at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts and beloved arthouse venues throughout the region. Over the years, it has cultivated a reputation for pairing global voices with homegrown talent — and this year’s South Florida shorts underscore exactly why that matters.

Among the most anticipated local entries is (Almost) A Star, a 16-minute English-language drama set in Broward County. Directed by Keilah Ayum and written and produced by Macy Jahoda, the film follows a young dancer forced to choose between her artistic ambition and the roof over her head. It’s a tight, emotionally charged portrait of creative pursuit colliding with economic reality — a theme that resonates far beyond the rehearsal studio. Jahoda also stars, alongside Sharon Stephen, in what promises to be a performance rooted in vulnerability rather than spectacle.

Then there’s License, a seven-minute Boca Raton comedy that proves brevity can sharpen a punchline. Written, directed, and produced by Harris Sebastian, the film centers on George — a self-described “short king” — whose minor traffic stop spirals into absurdity when a police officer discovers he’s lied about his height on his driver’s license. Pedro Caballero plays George opposite Sebastian’s Officer Callahan, with Carissa Castillo-Richard as the aptly named Cat Lady. The premise is delightfully simple; the escalation, reportedly anything but.

In the documentary category, Foreverglading — winner of the festival’s South Florida Showcase — offers a different kind of intimacy. The nine-minute portrait follows mural artist Rey Jaffet as he collaborates with the Miccosukee tribe and local skate communities to create a mural on a reservation skatepark in the Everglades. Set against one of Florida’s most politically and environmentally charged landscapes, the film explores the intersection of art, culture, and conservation. It is as much about place as it is about paint.

And for those who appreciate their satire served dry, Salt! delivers eight minutes of escalating chaos inside a fine dining establishment. When a diner named Vinny asks for salt, what begins as a simple request quickly balloons into an international incident. Directed by Shay Thurmon and written and produced by Jonathan Schwartz, the comedy stars Wendy Melkonian, Vinny Verelli, and Bernard Fieré. If the logline is any indication, it’s a sharp send-up of culinary preciousness and the fragile theater of hospitality.

Together, these shorts capture what FLIFF has always done well: elevate the local without shrinking its ambition. The festival’s programming stretches from international features to student films, from documentaries that interrogate culture and politics to comedies that expose the absurdities of everyday life. Yet it is the regional showcase that often lingers longest, revealing the creative current running just beneath the surface of South Florida.

FLIFF’s return each year feels less like a red-carpet spectacle and more like a civic ritual. Filmmakers linger after Q&As. Audiences debate interpretations over late dinners on Las Olas. Strangers emerge from theaters bonded, briefly, by a shared emotional experience. In a cultural moment dominated by streaming queues and distracted viewing, the act of sitting still together feels quietly radical.

As Fort Lauderdale continues to redefine itself — polishing its arts scene as confidently as its skyline — FLIFF stands as both witness and catalyst. Forty years in, it remains proof that serious cinema can thrive by the sea, and that some of the most compelling stories are unfolding not in Hollywood, but right here in Broward County.

The lights will dim soon. Fort Lauderdale, once again, is ready for its close-up. fliff.com

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