The Audition (2026): Cast, Story and Release Details

Prepared by Movies Dock Editorial

The Audition centers on Kim Johnson, a 50-year-old Army major, and Ace, her 13-year-old autistic, non-binary child. Their trip to a prestigious Washington, D.C., music audition becomes increasingly frantic after miscommunication sends them searching through the academy for the correct room. Brigid Maher wrote and directed the eight-minute short.

The Audition is an English-language short film about a parent and child facing pressure on an important day. Its central pair are Kim Johnson, a 50-year-old Army major, and Ace, her 13-year-old autistic, non-binary child.

Set around a prestigious music audition in Washington, D.C., the film focuses on the escalating confusion that follows a nervous pickup from school. At just eight minutes, it presents a compact story built around urgency, family coordination and a difficult search through an unfamiliar music academy.

The Audition movie details

Story without spoilers

Kim Johnson collects Ace from school before a major music audition in Washington, D.C. The event is important enough to make the journey feel high-stakes from the beginning, but the situation becomes more complicated when miscommunications disrupt their plans.

Once they arrive at the music academy, Kim and Ace must navigate a frantic search for the correct audition room. The supplied synopsis frames the short around their shared effort to reach the right place while handling the pressure surrounding the audition.

What to expect

The Audition is an eight-minute short with a focused, time-sensitive premise. Viewers can expect the story to stay close to Kim and Ace as confusion turns a routine transition from school into a stressful search inside the academy.

The film’s premise also places family dynamics and communication at the center of the action. Its Washington, D.C., audition setting provides a clear destination, while the brief runtime suggests a tightly contained narrative rather than a sprawling account of the characters’ lives.

Cast and creative team

Brigid Maher wrote and directed The Audition. The cast includes Ida L. Smith, Aidyn Ellis-Otovo and Finnick Brown. The supplied credits do not identify character names for the performers.

• Ida L. Smith
• Aidyn Ellis-Otovo
• Finnick Brown

Release and production context

The Audition is listed as a released 2026 short film with a runtime of eight minutes. Its release date is September 29, 2026. The film is in English. No country or production company is listed in the supplied information.

Movies Dock view

With its short runtime and sharply defined premise, The Audition concentrates on one stressful trip to a music audition and the confusion that follows. The film’s focus on Kim and Ace gives the story a personal center while keeping the action contained within the academy search.

Film data:
TMDB