The Singers


The Singers is a 2025 American short musical comedy film directed by Sam A. Davis. The film featuring a cast discovered through viral videos and street casting, includes Mike Young and Judah Kelly. Based on a 19th-century Russian story by Ivan Turgenev, it depicts a downtrodden, improvised pub sing-off.
It had its world premiere in the Narrative Short Competition at the 2025 [South by Southwest Film & TV Festival] on March 8 2025. Netflix acquired the global streaming rights of the film on January 16, 2026 and will release the film for global audience.
It was nominated for the Best Live Action Short Film at the 98th Academy Awards.

Cast

The film is based on a story by Ivan Turgenev Singers published in A Sportsman's Sketches an 1852 cycle of short stories. The story was included in A Swim in a Pond in the Rain, a 2021 book of didactic literary analysis by American author and professor George Saunders, from where Sam A. Davis got the inspiration to adapt it by placing it along side modern medium. The project was shot on 35mm to create a rich look for the warm story, and the music was recorded live on set, two challenging aspects adding truth to the narrative.. Music Supervision was handled by the award winning Music Supervisor, Sean Fernald.

Release

The Singers had its world premiere at the 2025 South by Southwest Film [& TV Festival] on March 8, 2025 in Narrative Short Competition. On April 13, it was presented in Narrative Shorts Competition at the Florida Film Festival.
It had its New York Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 5, 2025.
It was presented in the Screens as part of SHORTS PROGRAM: LIVE ACTION 2 in Short Competition at the AFI Fest on October 24, 2025.
It was screened on November 9, 2025 at the Coronado Island Film Festival.

Accolades