I’ll be honest: a cowboy stranded in Mumbai, hunting down his stolen guitar, was not on my festival bingo card. And yet Getar Hero, directed by Teddy Stern, turned out to be one of the most fun films of the whole weekend, and our jury agreed. It was named Best of the Fest at the 18th annual San Jose International Short Film Festival, our top jury award.
A Western, a Musical and a Night in Mumbai
The setup is simple and irresistible. A cowboy arrives in Mumbai, discovers his guitar and wallet have been stolen, and has just one night to get his guitar back. Shashank Arora stars, and Stern co-wrote the film with Sneha Mehta. The two make films together under the name Sneddy, which might be the best filmmaking-duo name I’ve heard in a while.
Reviewers have described it as a mashup of American Westerns and Bollywood musicals, and that’s exactly what it feels like: big, colorful and surprisingly thoughtful. Under the swagger, it’s also a look at what it means to be a man. That mix of fun and heart is exactly the kind of film I love discovering at SJSFF.
From Tribeca to San Jose
Getar Hero had its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival in June 2026, then played the Montclair Film Festival and the Virginia Film Festival before landing in San Jose. A US–India co-production, it’s a great example of the global mix of films that make this festival so much fun to attend every year.
Next Stop: Oscar Season
The film has qualified for the 99th Academy Awards in the Live Action Short Film category. The Academy announces its shortlists in December, and we’ll all be watching. It’s in good company, too: past SJSFF Best of the Fest winners Skin and I’m Not a Robot both went on to win the Oscar. Read about our winners at the Oscars.
Want to see who else took home an award this year? See all of the 2026 winners and the full lineup.
