AFIN International Film Festival
Poster for Something Pointless, directed by Asa Bailey, AFIN 2026

Short Film

Something Pointless

Directed by Asa Bailey

AFIN 2026 Nominee · 5 nominations

  • 2026
  • 14m
  • UK
  • English
  • PG
  • Drama
Watch trailer View My AFIN →

Stills

6 frames

Still in the running. Winner announced at Awards Night, 19 September 2026.

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

Written by

Produced by

Starring

Cinematography

Editing

Production Design

Music & Sound

Producer

Production Company

  • Hiraeth Productions Cyf
  • Fun Republic Pictures
  • The Canadian Short Screenplay Competition

Synopsis

When a bullied young boy discovers an elderly man quietly covering a forgotten brick wall with painted eggshells, an unlikely friendship forms, and a "pointless" act becomes something transformative.

On the nomination

Three of our five nominations are for the actors. That tells you where the film's strength lies, and it tells you Asa (our director) got the performances he was after. To be recognized by a festival built around inclusion, half a world from where we shot, is something the whole team feels.

Director's Statement

asa bailey

In a world burdened by routine and silent struggles, Something Pointless unfolds as a delicate tapestry of interconnected lives seeking meaning beyond the mundane. An elderly man, ensnared in the twilight of his years, formulates a simple yet profound theory: by engaging in an utterly pointless act each day, one can rekindle an appreciation for life’s inherent purpose. Embracing this belief, he begins to affix painted eggshells onto a long, desolate wall - a quiet rebellion against insignificance. Parallel to his journey is that of a young boy, overshadowed by loneliness and the harsh realities of bullying. Drawn to the old man’s enigmatic ritual, he finds an unspoken connection and a glimmer of hope. The wall, once a symbol of decay, slowly transforms into a mosaic of colour and silent stories. When the old man passes away, his understated legacy leaves an indelible mark on the boy. Stepping into the role of the silent artist, the boy continues to adorn the wall with eggshells, each fragment a testament to resilience and newfound purpose. Through this simple act, he discovers joy in the unexpected and allows a smile to grace his face for the first time. - Something Pointless is a lyrical exploration of the human spirit, delving into themes of inter-generational connection, the search for meaning in everyday life, and the transformative power of seemingly insignificant actions. It invites audiences to reflect on the profound impact that small gestures can have on others, illuminating the beauty that lies hidden within the ordinary.

What makes this one special

  • 6 awards at other festivalsAthens International Monthly Art Film Festival 🇬🇷 🏆 · East Village New York Film Festival 🇺🇸 🏆 · Unseen Film Festival 🇺🇸 🏆 and 3 more
  • Programmed at 30 other festivalsAcross 9 countries
  • Nominated in 5 AFIN categoriesBest International Short Film · Best Director · Best Youth Performance · Best Supporting Performance · Best Lead Performance

Also selected at

6 awards, 4 nominations, 1 finalist placing, 19 official selections across 30 other festivals

  1. WinnerAthens International Monthly Art Film Festival 🇬🇷 🏆• WINNER: Best Short Film · Athens, Greece · 2026
  2. WinnerEast Village New York Film Festival 🇺🇸 🏆• WINNER: Best Picture · New York, United States · 2026
  3. WinnerUnseen Film Festival 🇺🇸 🏆• WINNER - Best Narrative Short Film (Spring 2026); Nominated for the Johnny Simmons Award · Los Angeles, United States · 2026
  4. WinnerZepstone International Film & Music Festival 🇺🇸 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏅🏅🏅🏅• WINNER: Best International Short Film; • WINNER: Best Actor (Owen Teale); • WINNER: The Brightstone Award - Best Youth Actor (Leo Harris) (Tie / Shared); • WINNER: Excellence in Casting; • WINNER: Best Editing; • HONORABLE MENTION: Best Director; • HONORABLE MENTION: Best Cinematography; • HONORABLE MENTION: Best Music Score; • HONORABLE MENTION: Best Supporting Actress (Sophie Thompson) · Zepstone, United States · 2026
  5. WinnerCanadian Short Screenplay Competition 🇨🇦 🏆• WINNER: Best Screenplay · Yorkton, Canada · 2010
  6. WinnerIdeal International Film Festival (iiFF) 🏆• WINNER: Best Short Film · Sillod, India
  7. NomineeBeyond Hollywood International Film Festival 🇺🇸 🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅• Official Selection; • Finalist; • NOMINATED: Best Actor (Owen Teale); • NOMINATED: Best Director (Asa Bailey); • NOMINATED: Best Drama; • NOMINATED: Best Foreign Film; • NOMINATED: Best Short Film; • NOMINATED: Best Supporting Actor (Leo Harris); • NOMINATED: Best Supporting Actress (Sophie Thompson) · Los Angeles, United States · 2026
  8. NomineeInternational Sound & Film Music Festival (ISFMF) 🇭🇷 🏅• NOMINATED: Best Short Film · Samobor, Croatia · 2026
  9. NomineeYorkton Film Festival (YFF) 🇨🇦 🏅 (CSA eligible)• NOMINATED: Best Short Film · Yorkton, Canada · 2026
  10. NomineeCarmarthen Bay Film Festival (CBFF) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🏅 (BAFTA Cymru, BAFTA, BIFA eligible)• NOMINATED: Best Short Film Made in Wales (John Hefin Award) · Llanelli, United Kingdom
  11. FinalistUSA Film Festival 🌎• Official Selection, Finalist, Curated Schedule · Dallas, TX, United States · 2026
  12. SelectionBaarìa Film Festival 🇮🇹• Official Selection · Bagheria, Sicily, Italy · 2026
  13. SelectionBitesize Short Film Fest, presented by Riverside Studios 🇬🇧• Official Selection · London, United Kingdom · 2026
  14. SelectionCarmel International Film Festival 🇺🇸• Official Selection; • Panelist Engagement · Carmel-by-the-Sea, United States · 2026
  15. SelectionCorto e Cultura Film Festival 🇮🇹• Official Selection · Manfredonia, Italy · 2026
  16. SelectionICJ International Film Award 🇺🇦• Official Selection · Ukraine · 2026
  17. SelectionIndie Short Fest 🇺🇸 (FFA)• Official Selection · Los Angeles, United States · 2026
  18. SelectionLighthouse International Film Festival 🇺🇸• Official Selection · Long Beach, United States · 2026
  19. SelectionLong Island International Film Expo (LIIFE) 🇺🇸• Official Selection · Long Island, United States · 2026
  20. SelectionMarin County Fair International Festival of Short Film & Video 🇺🇸• Official Selection · San Rafael, United States · 2026
  21. SelectionPrescott Film Festival 🇺🇸 (FFA)• Official Selection · Prescott, United States · 2026
  22. SelectionSilverVox Film & Music Festival 🇺🇸• Official Selection · Frederick, United States · 2026
  23. SelectionSmug Llama Film Festival 🦙 🇬🇧• Official Selection · London, United Kingdom · 2026
  24. SelectionSouth Film and Arts Academy Festival 🇨🇱• Official Selection · Rancagua, Chile · 2026
The remaining 6 festivals
  1. SelectionThe Art of Brooklyn (AoBFF) 🇺🇸• Official Selection · Brooklyn, United States · 2026
  2. SelectionІІ MYTH: Social Impact Film Award 🇺🇦• Official Selection · Ukraine · 2026
  3. SelectionAthens Film Festival 🇺🇸 (FFA)Official Selection · Athens, United States
  4. SelectionChapter Movie Maker 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 (BAFTA Cymru eligible)Official Selection · Cardiff, United Kingdom
  5. SelectionFull Bloom Film Festival 🇺🇸 (FFA)Official Selection · Stateville, United States
  6. SelectionSouth West Film Fest 🇬🇧Official Selection · Standish, United Kingdom

Recorded by the filmmaker on their entry.

Director's Biography

asa bailey Asa Bailey Director

Asa Bailey is a Welsh filmmaker, director, and technology pioneer whose career sits at the intersection of cinematic storytelling and cutting-edge production innovation. Recognized internationally for leading virtual production and AI-native workflows on major series for platforms such as Apple TV+ (Silo), Netflix (100 Years of Solitude, El Eternauta), Disney/Nat Geo (When Sharks Attack 360) and more, Bailey has helped redefine how films and television are made in the 21st century. Founder of BAI-LEY Studios and creator of the .DAVE metadata standard - a system that embeds authorship, rights, and creative provenance at the point of capture - Bailey is widely credited with pioneering the Camera-to-Compute™ pipeline, uniting real-time visual effects, AI, tracking, and creative control into a single, on-set workflow. 🔗 bai-ley.com

Trailer

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.

Something Pointless was an official Nominee for Best International Short Film, Best Director, Best Youth Performance, Best Supporting Performance and Best Lead Performance at the AFIN International Film Festival 2026, 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 2026 edition.
  2. Choose Edit (contribute), then Awards, and add your film under the category (Best International Short Film, Best Director, Best Youth Performance, Best Supporting Performance 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

Is this your project?

Add your poster, stills, cast and the character each actor played, your trailer and a short statement, so we can celebrate your film beautifully.

Your form opens from a link we email you, so only you can complete this project. If you cannot find it, ask for it here and we will send it again.

AFIN 2026

The festival opens in 4 days

Screening 1 at Dendy Cinemas Portside, Brisbane

Screening tickets Read the guide

↑↓ navigate · Enter open · Esc close