Poster for A GUEST IN MY COUNTRY, directed by John Gray, AFIN 2025

Short Film AFIN 266

A GUEST IN MY COUNTRY

Directed by John Gray

AFIN 2025 Winner

  • 2025
  • 15m
  • USA
  • English
  • M
  • Drama
View My AFIN →

Stills

3 frames

Part of this film's cast or crew? Let us know to add or correct credits, genres or details. Filmmaker sign-in opens with the claim email at Awards Night, 19 September 2026.

Credits

Synopsis

An immigrant Ubër driver takes an upscale couple across town, and the drama that unfolds among them reveals truths they all would have preferred stayed hidden.

What makes this one special

From the Judges

From the Judges

A quietly powerful drama that turns an everyday encounter into a study of how easily we misread one another, this short carries an important message without ever preaching it. They found the pacing taut and engaging, the writing sharp and clever, and the dialogue grounded in a realism that lets us understand each character and their convictions within a very short span. Vibrant, colourful cinematography and committed performances across the ensemble give the whole piece a confident, resonant craft.

Curated, anonymised highlights drawn from the judges' notes.

Director's Biography

John Gray. John Gray Director

John Gray is a New York and Massachussetts based writer-director-producer. He created the long running hit CBS series, GHOST WHISPERER, starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, as well as writing and directing many award-winning and critically acclaimed movies for television, such as MARTIN AND LEWIS, starring Sean Hayes and Jeremy Northam; the Emmy® nominated A PLACE FOR ANNIE with Sissy Spacek; the Emmy® nominated mini-series HAVEN with Natasha Richardson and Anne Bancroft; HELTER SKELTER with Clea DuVall and Bruno Kirby, and many others. Gray has directed dozens of episodes of broadcast and cable series and was also the producing director of the CBS series RECKLESS. He has written and directed several studio and independent feature films, including the award winning WHITE IRISH DRINKERS, starring Stephen Lang and Karen Allen, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Gray’s acclaimed short films have played and are currently in film festivals all over the world including FRENCH KISS, which has notched 6.3 million views to date on YouTube. His first novel, the supernatural thriller THE DESECRATED, was published in July 2022. Follow him on Twitter @JThomasGray, or Instagram @bayrdge, visit him at JohnGrayOfficial.com

Official laurels

Each recognition carries a permanent, verifiable AFIN credential - a link a filmmaker can put on a CV - plus a downloadable laurel for posters and press kits.

Nominee toolkit

Everything you need to share and credit this recognition.

Ready-made announcement

Copy this for your socials, newsletter or press kit.

A GUEST IN MY COUNTRY was Winner of Best Director and a Nominee for Best International Short Film and Best Lead Performance at the AFIN International Film Festival 2025, a Top 100 Best Reviewed and IMDb-qualifying festival.

Add it to IMDb

IMDb adds festival awards from the festival's event page, not from your film's page.

  1. Open the AFIN International Film Festival event page on IMDb and choose the 2025 edition.
  2. Choose Edit (contribute), then Awards, and add your film under the category (Best Director, Best International Short Film and Best Lead Performance) with the outcome shown on your laurels above.
  3. Submit. IMDb reviews it and publishes it to the event page and to your film's page.
Open the AFIN event on IMDb

AFIN 2026

The festival opens in 4 days

Screening 1 at Dendy Cinemas Portside, Brisbane

navigate · Enter open · Esc close