Our Best Short Film winner will receive our custom Global Shorts statuette which we ship anywhere in the world, free of charge. The award is manufactured by Society Awards, the same awards company that manufactures the Golden Globe and the Emmy. All winners will receive our Global Shorts Winner laurels in black, white, and gold.
Title: Boy Scientist: The Prequel to Forever
Runtime: 12 min
Country: USA
Director: Susan Mey Lee Lim
Placement: Best Documentary Short
Competition: September, 2026
Synopsis: “Nothing worthwhile is easy.” In 2017, from a humble lab bench, two student scientists—Christina Teenz Tan and Ron Danziger—penned a message to their future selves. It was a song of unrequited longing and the “quirky” struggle of the “Boy Scientist.’”They had no way of knowing they were sealing a prophecy in a musical time capsule.
“Boy Scientist” captures the extraordinary moment that capsule was opened, nine years later, at the legendary Abbey Road Studio One. Now Harvard-trained scientists and a married couple, Christina and Ron’s “message” is elevated into a monumental symphonic event featuring the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and London Voices.
Led by creator Susan Lim and master arranger Manu Martin, the film documents the profound irony of the recording session: as powerhouse vocalist Tom Ball channels the insecurity of the “Boy Scientist” character, the real-life protagonists are watching from the wings—already united. Featuring the original musicians who served as a guard of honor both on the wedding aisle and in the studio, the film is a sweeping tribute to a victory that was written long before it was won.