Claremont’s 10th annual film festival is coming soon to a theatre near you.

The hour-and-45-minute show of 11 award-winning short films, hosted by the Claremont Community College, will take place at the Claremont Laemmle Theatre at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 17.

The film topics range from speed dating to the birth of the camera phone to the 1989 Chernobyl disaster. Each film runs between six and 10 minutes.

One of the film festival’s founders, Vince Turner, said “these are really examples of the best short films in the world,” citing Irish director Juanita Wilson’s The Door as an example.

The story, which was filmed in Ukraine with Russian dialogue, follows a man reflecting on dire circumstances that led him to steal a door. The Door won an Irish Film and Television Award in 2009 and was nominated for an Academy Award in 2010.

Shown alongside it at this year’s festival will be The Butter Knife by Eshaana Sheth, who graduated from The Webb Schools in 2010.

“I feel like I’m coming full circle. I was humbled,” said the first-time filmmaker who will attend the event. “I’m interested in seeing my work juxtaposed to other pieces.”

Ms. Sheth’s six-minute movie—about the complications of modern, intercultural dating—won “Best Romantic Comedy” at the Los Angeles Film Awards this past January.

“Most people have never seen a good short film ‘cause you don’t go on TV and watch that. You don’t go to the movies to see short films,” Mr. Turner said. “So this is an opportunity to see what a short film can be.”

To ensure that audience members get the best experience possible, the Claremont Film Festival doesn’t take submissions. Instead, Mr. Turner said he spends nearly six months each year searching for “incredibly fabulous short films.”

“This is the best film festival that you can go to, simply because of that reason,” Mr. Turner added.

Discovering the best short films from around the world on one’s own might not seem like the most effective way of finding them. But the one year the Claremont Community College—a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing educational and cultural events—opened up to free submissions to the public, they received 525 entries. Mr. Turner said it was nearly impossible to watch all of them.

He encourages aspiring filmmakers and movie fanatics alike to come enjoy the work of renowned short film directors.

Interested community members can buy tickets for $15 at claremontfilmfest.com, and, for an additional $25, attend the reception at Le Pain Quotidien.

—Meghan Bobrowsky