Jacob Elordi just won’t slow down. After dominating the big screen with hits like Saltburn, Priscilla, and Frankenstein, the Australian actor is switching formats,but not ambition, stepping into the world of short films. His name is one of the hottest at the Movie & Short Festival 2026, a brand-new event blending global stars with auteur cinema.

The festival first edition, organized by Dailybloid, will take place in Locarno, culminating on August 9 at Spazio Elle. Among the fourteen shortlisted shorts, one is already generating buzz: Emma Zander: Bad Dream, directed by Kimberly Aboltin and featuring Elordi.

And no, this isn’t just a cameo. In recent years, Elordi has been carefully shaping a career that’s anything but predictable, choosing projects that move between mainstream success and more artistic storytelling. This short film seems to confirm that path: less comfort zone, more experimentation.

Here’s the best part: the films are already available online (http://www.movieshort.org/), and audiences can vote until July 31. In other words, you can help decide whether Elordi’s latest project makes it to the top.

The lineup is stacked, with names like Sydney Sweeney and Allegra Fulton also in the mix, but it’s hard not to keep the spotlight on Jacob Elordi, who has quickly become one of the most talked-about actors of his generation.

The Movie & Short Festival 2026 aims to highlight short films as a powerful and contemporary storytelling format, and the presence of stars like Elordi raises the stakes instantly.

So: Locarno, August, short films and… Jacob Elordi. What more do you need?