A still from “Bug Diner,” written and directed by Phoebe Jane Hart.

Every year, there’s a wide array of sensational short films screening at the BendFilm Festival, with 43 of the 68 eligible to be nominated for the Academy Awards next year.

The festival saw a record number of over 2,000 entries this year, and the quality of those selected abounds.

This year’s crop spans just about every genre and every kind of story from scenes, from an insect diner to a look at Stockholm Syndrome — everything is on the table.

As with previous years, I’ve previewed the shorts and compiled some of my favorites into this list. However, this year may have been the hardest to pare down as there were so many standouts.

Whichever short you see, whether it’s before a feature or if you decide to take in one of the various blocks presented throughout the fest, or you wait check out the few that will stream virtually in November, you will find something that stirs or inspires you.

”Single Residence Occupancy” (Narrative Short) — I want more of this story. A single mom (Kathy Wu) lives with her two kids (Lauren Mei and Darren Shen-Kao) in a tiny bachelor’s studio, desperately trying to attain something better from the San Fransisco Housing Authority. It is clear outright how much love this family has for one another, and despite their situation, they maintain that bond so carefully woven by their matriarch. The short ends with a thought of warmth that is incredibly touching for its petite runtime. Wu delivers a stellar performance, and I would love to see this world and its characters further.

”Making Babies” (Narrative Short) — As the title would suggest, this shortie is about the long journey a French-Canadian couple takes to get pregnant. We focus on the main attempts (yes, there’s a lot of skin and movement, but nothing graphic) and how much stress can stem from something that on the outside seems so easy. Writer/director Eric K. Boulianne also stars alongside Florence Blain Mbaye, both of whom can make you crack up one second, then sob the next.

”The Voice of Others” (Narrative Short) — This is a stirring look at a Tunisian interpreter (Ameria Chelib) for French immigration who translates for asylum seekers as they navigate the arduous process of applying to stay in the country. Her job is to just interpret, nothing more. But it becomes increasingly difficult to not help the people going through this process, which seems bent on finding even the slightest reason to disapprove their applications, especially as their situations echo much of her own tragic story. Chelib shines and director/co-writer Fatima Kaci deftly navigates this somber story.

”Bad Hostage” (Documentary Short) — Stockholm Syndrome is more than a punchline, and it turns out there’s far more sexism involved than the layperson might notice. For documentarian Mimi Wilcox, these ideas hit close to home when her grandmother (along with her aunts, uncle and mother) were held hostage by two men in the 1970s. Wilcox wonderfully weaves her own family history with the wider stories that we all know including Patty Hearst and the Swedish bank robbery that coined the syndrome’s name. But what they all seem to have in common doesn’t stop at sympathy for their captors but expands into how these women were treated by the authorities, the media and ultimately the public.

”A Swim Lesson” (Documentary Short) — Bill Marsh teaches kids to swim. While that may seem simplistic to center a whole short documentary on, Marsh has so much wisdom in how he treats the tots he works with and on children and parenting as a whole that it is hard not to be inspired. In a world where a far too many kids don’t know how to swim, therefore increasing the likelihood of drowning, what Marsh does in such a low-key way is vitally important.

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”Planetwalker” (Documentary/NW Short) — With cute animations and a few short re-creations, directors Dominic and Nadia Gill give this colorful story even more life as the story of John Francis’ protest turned to activism turned to policy changes in the most amazing way. Francis’ act of shirking the use of oil-based transportation after a spill off the California coast in 1971 led to his vow of silence that lasted over a decade and inspired others to take notice as he walked the West Coast and beyond. His story is nothing short of inspiring even half-a-century later.

”In the Shadow of the Cypress” (Animated Short) — A gorgeous animation style accompanies this profound story about a sea captain suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder who while refusing help, longs to be a good father to his daughter. Their relationship strains and the daughter eventually packs to move out, but her departure is delayed when a whale washes up next to their home. They then must try and save it any way they can, but the captain may need to save himself first. Told without dialogue, this short directed by Shirin Sohani and Hossein Molayemi is touching.

”Bug Diner” (Animated/Student Short) — So weird it’s wonderful. A diner in the middle of nowhere serves bugs and other critters all of whom on one particular day are super lusty. And once all these creatures give in to their desires, chaos descends.