Palm Springs ShortFest Kicks Off with Magic, Mystery, and a Cat That Turns Human

ShortFest is officially underway in Palm Springs, drawing filmmakers and fans from across the globe for a week of screenings, panels, and red carpet premieres. NBC Palm Springs' Manny the Movie Guy was live from the action, where he spoke with filmmaker Lindsay Carpenter, whose short film Little One is making its Palm Springs premiere Thursday under the Power Plays banner.

Carpenter describes the film as a blend of magical realism and horror, centering on a bizarre and imaginative premise: a house cat transforms into a human and becomes the target of her owner’s obsessive fixation.

“It’s strange and fun,” said Carpenter. “It all started with the question—what happens if your cat has thumbs?”

The film is produced by Secret Beach Productions and has already screened at a dozen festivals across the country. Carpenter says Palm Springs is particularly special.

“It’s such an honor to be here. This festival has incredible programming and amazing opportunities to learn and connect,” she said.

Carpenter, who is visiting Palm Springs for the first time, will be attending screenings and participating in a mentorship one-on-one session with other filmmakers during the festival.

Little One screens Thursday at 5:30 p.m., and ShortFest continues through the weekend with more films, panels, and appearances by rising talent.

Manny will be speaking with ShortFest Artistic Director Lili Rodriguez at 6 p.m. to preview what audiences can expect from this year’s lineup.

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