The exclusive trailer for AGNÈS, co-written and directed by Nora Arnezeder, has been unveiled as the Oscar-qualified short heads into awards season following its Best Live Short win at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
Produced by French production company Nolita, AGNÈS follows a young French actress pursuing her dreams in Los Angeles when an ordinary day takes a devastating turn. Exploring the frightening randomness of violence, the film asks how a seemingly insignificant decision can alter the course of a life.
The story was inspired by a real-life incident involving Arnezeder’s friend, who stopped at a liquor store on her way to the filmmaker’s home. Minutes later, Arnezeder learned that a shooting had taken place at the same store. That proximity between an everyday errand and sudden tragedy became the starting point for AGNÈS.
Arnezeder keeps the camera’s attention on the people affected by violence, exploring its unpredictability and the emotional aftermath it leaves behind. Through the experience of a young woman building a life far from home, the film considers fate, hope and the collision between the promise of the American dream and a reality that can change without warning.
Shot in Pasadena and West Hollywood, AGNÈS secured its Oscar qualification through its Santa Barbara victory. Its festival recognition also includes an Honorable Mention at Salute Your Shorts, the Prix Bande à Part and Coup de cœur des Lycéen·nes at Festival Côté Court in Pantin, and the 2026 Prix Solveig Anspach at Reykjavik International Film Festival.
The short’s international festival run includes Cinequest, Cleveland International Film Festival, Palm Springs International ShortFest, HollyShorts, Off-Courts Trouville, Slough Motion Film Festival and Giffoni Film Festival. Further selections include Festival CinéRoman, Festival International du Film de Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Hof International Film Festival and The American French Film Festival in Los Angeles.
With its exclusive trailer debut, AGNÈS offers audiences a first look at Arnezeder’s exploration of ambition, vulnerability and the fragile circumstances that shape our lives.
