Netflix's Fresh Perspectives: Short Films Collection: Everything we know so far

This December, Netflix has unveiled a collection of 12 short films titled Fresh Perspectives: Short Films. These stories are by up-and-coming filmmakers in the US and Canada. The project is supported by the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity, and the streaming platform aims to promote the art of diverse and impactful storytelling through this initiative.

Before premiering on December 5, 2024, on Netflix, the short films of Fresh Perspectives: Short Films collection were showcased at prominent film festivals including the Berlin International Film Festival, Spark Animation Festival, and SXSW’s Film & TV Festival, among others.

The films in Fresh Perspectives: Short Films collection include -

The Blue Drum by Angelita Mendoza
The Braid of Time by Tamara Shogaolu
Closing Dynasty by Lloyd Lee Choi
Firecracker by Caroline Guo
Inheritance by Erin Lau
La Ciguapa Siempre by Monica Moore
Mama Retreat by Eileen Alvarez
Ostinato by Sunita Balsara and Sonia Furier
Quinceañero by Justin Floyd
The Resemblance by Derek Nguyen
Ro & The Stardust by Eunice Levis
Un Adios Para Lilí by Lorena Durán

Fresh Perspectives: Short Films collection is now streaming on Netflix

As stated, Fresh Perspectives: Short Films collection premiered on Netflix on December 5, 2024, after being screened at film festivals across the world.

The shorts were produced over the years, and Netflix provided the funding and resources for the projects through partnerships with Gold House and Tribeca Studios, the Latino Film Institute, the National Association of Latino Independent Producers, and WIA Vancouver.

The cast of Fresh Perspectives: Short Films collection

Fresh Perspectives: Short Films collection aims to bring unique perspectives to life (Image via Netflix)

The cast of the short films in Fresh Perspectives: Short Films collection are as follows -

The Blue Drum

Crystal Hernandez
Jonathan Medina
Judith Scarpone

Closing Dynasty

Milinka Winata
Maggie Law
Allen Chen
Amie Cazel
Christopher Chan
Khadijah Muhammad
Eleven Lee
Danny Chin
Joe Chan
Aimin Zhou

Firecracker

Lydia Li
Faye Nightingale

Inheritance

Aoi Takeya
Dann Seki
Jaden Murakami
Brandon Finn

La Ciguapa Siempre

Cheyenne Washington
Michael Bonini
Jilian Kinsey

Mama Retreat

Annie Gonzalez
Julianna Robinson

Quinceañero

Christian Zamudio
Oscar Balderrama
Anthony Ruballo
Heidi Mendez
Magaly Castellanos

The Resemblance

François Chau
Sumalee Montano
Tom Dang
Hanna Lee Sakakibara

Ro & The Stardust

Yolanda Nolasco
Cindy de la Cruz
Elvis Nolasco
Nadya Encarnacion

Un Adios Para Lilí

Venecia Feliz
Isabel Spencer

The Braid of Time and Ostinato are animated films in the Fresh Perspectives: Short Films collection.

Plot Summary: The complete list of Fresh Perspectives: Short Films collection

The posters of the short films (Image via Netflix)

The short films in Fresh Perspectives: Short Films collection span across a variety of genres like horror, sci-fi, drama, comedy, and romance.

The official synopsis for all films under the Fresh Perspectives: Short Films collection is:

The Blue Drum

Runtime: 16 mins

"After her father's death, Leticia comes to stay at her childhood home. A supernatural presence attaches to her and calls for her to discover secrets long ago hidden within her family home."

The Braid of Time

Runtime: 9 mins

"Since the dawn of humanity, people have protested against erasure and oppression. They have gathered energy from protectors of time, fate, and destiny. In ancient Greece, they were called the Aion, in Mexico, Calputin, and in Korea, Samgong. But where have these mythic figures derived their power from?"

Closing Dynasty

Runtime: 16 mins

"On a school day, a precocious seven-year-old girl, Queenie, hustles and schemes ways to make money on the streets of New York City."

Firecracker

Runtime: 14 mins

"On anniversary night, a young woman is confronted with a life-changing decision for the upcoming Chinese New Year."

Inheritance

Runtime: 18 mins

"A struggling nature photographer is forced to confront the pain his family has carried for generations."

La Ciguapa Siempre

Runtime: 12 mins

"Milagro just found out there is no record of her birth parents. Frustrated and feeling lost, her boyfriend takes her on a camping trip to help get her mind off things. As the trip progresses, Davis reveals he is not as wholesome as he seems, and the truth to Milagro's identity is hiding deep in the woods."

Mama Retreat

Runtime: 16 mins

"A weary mother-to-be attends an all-inclusive glamping retreat in the mountains, only to have her greatest fears about motherhood realized."

Ostinato

Runtime: 7 mins

"Nuha is a composer who sees the world as a vibrant soundscape. She is having the best and gentlest kind of morning when her playing is interrupted by a mysterious Tone. As she struggles to confine and banish it, the Tone grows larger and louder, drowning out her music. It’s only when Nuha stops fighting that she is able to discover a way to incorporate the Tone into her music and her life."

Quinceañero

Runtime: 23 mins

"Teenager Gabriel defies tradition and gender expectations to fulfill his dream of having his own quinceañeras celebration — against his father’s wishes."

The Resemblance

Runtime: 15 mins

"When a grieving couple go to a "rental family" agency to hire an actor to role-play their dead son, they discover that their evening of remembrance is more than they bargained for."

Ro & The Stardust

Runtime: 16 mins