Reaper’s Choice Award (People’s Choice): The Bore – Daniel C. Stewart
Devil’s Playground Award (Best Film): Manifest – Andrew Gibbs
Dark Visionary Award (Best Director): Progeny – Julianna Notten & Hayley Wong
Devil’s Ink Award (Best Screenplay): Killing Off Connor – Laurence Cohen & Suri Parmar
Scream King Award (Best Actor): Killing Off Connor – Jacob Loeb
Scream Queen Award (Best Actress): Umbra – Adriana Camarena
Dark Reel Award (Most Disturbing): Furies – Tony Le Bacq
Twisted Smile Award (Funniest Film): Most Special Hostage – Ryan Starfire, Tyler H, & Andrew Blair
Cursed Genius Award (Best Original Concept): Child’s Drawing – David Liang
Echo of Evil Award (Best Sound): Where Darkness Dwells – Sean Oakley
Blood & Guts Award (Best Gore/Makeup): Dungeon of Death – Brian Rowe & Desiree van de Laar
Butcher’s Cut Award (Best Editing): My Wife – Aaron Garcia
Feature Films
Where Darkness Dwells
Assigned to a missing person case, reporter Trish Bostwick follows the trail to a secluded asylum hidden in the New England woods. But everything changes when a knife-wielding stranger hijacks her car, plunging her into a descent of paranoia and madness. “Where Darkness Dwells” is a psychological thriller that thrusts viewers into the shadowy heart of New England lore, where Lovecraft meets Folk Horror in terrifying ways.
Director: Michael May
Writer: Michael May & Alexandra Grunberg
Producer: Ashleigh Snead
Key Cast: Katie Parker, Tara Perry, Scott Dean & Michael May
Country of Origin: United States
Runtime: 93:06 Minutes
Killing Off Connor
From Emmy-nominated producer David Cormican (Tokyo Trial, Shadowhunters, Northern Rescue): When an awkwardly intense drama student (Jacob Loeb: In Dubious Battle, Zeroville, I Am Michael) kidnaps his teaching assistant (Hannah Pearl Utt: Omni Loop, Before You Know It) and binds her to a tree in the remote woods, he subjects her to excruciating psychological games. His goal: to extract the “perfect performance” for his warped play. She’s trapped not just physically, but also within the dangerous fantasy of a mind far lost to artistic obsession.
Director: Laurence Cohen
Writer: Laurence Cohen & Suri Parmar
Producer: Laurence Cohen & David Cormican
Key Cast: Jacob Loeb & Hannah Pearl Utt
Country of Origin: Canada, United States
Runtime: 62 Minutes
Short Films
The Bore
Set in the 1950s, The Bore tells of a housewife, Ally, whose life has become dull. Her marriage has mouldered, and her sense of self has frayed. One night–coaxed by a strange figure proclaiming the perils of boredom–Ally sets out to end what bores her. But when her boredom persists, a familiar face offers a final solution.
Director: Daniel C. Stewart
Writer: Daniel C. Stewart
Producer: Rachel Martin & Cynthia Preston
Key Cast: Rob Stewart, Kate Schroder, & Kelly Penner
Director of Photography: Alfonso Navarro
Country of Origin: Canada
Runtime: 16:05 Minutes
Oz
On their anniversary, Lena, determined to please her boyfriend, reluctantly agrees to accompany him to a hypnosis show. Her irritation is clearly visible to the mesmerizing star of the show, Professor Oz… All of the sudden, she’s on stage, under his spell, revealing her darkest demons to the fascinated gaze of the audience. In a performance where entertainment flirts with the disturbing, Lena is plunged into an evening that quickly turns to nightmare.
Director: Bétina Flender
Writer: Bétina Flender
Producer: Bétina Flender
Key Cast: Élise Prévost, Willy Pevet, & Bastien Plas
Director of Photography: Nour Alexandre
Country of Origin: France
Runtime: 17:34 Minutes
A Letter of Last Resort
A man who hand-built a bomb shelter deals with the grief of losing his wife and child to nuclear warfare.
Director: Timmy Hanlon & Justice Love
Writer: Davey Parks
Producer: Timmy Hanlon, Jay Wasley, Logan Etherington, Justice Love, & Davey Parks
Key Cast: Timmy Hanlon
Associate Producer: Reeyana Singh & Mikayla Viloria
Production Designer: Davey Parks
Director of Photography: Travis Flesher
Costume Designer: Kristina McHale
Country of Origin: United States
Runtime: 7:07 Minutes
Lost In Galactic Translation
A lonely scientist finally makes contact with extraterrestrial life and eagerly awaits their arrival, dreaming of joining them.
Director: Rasmus Lindkvist
Writer: Niklas Nilsson
Key Cast: Rasmus Lindkvist
Country of Origin: Sweden
Runtime: 3:00 Minutes
THE OTHER
At 3:15 a.m., Lise is awakened by a strange noise. Dan has disappeared from the marital bed, and a disturbing clue lies on the sheet. Armed with her lantern and her courage, Lise goes to look for Dan in the apartment…
Director: Cyril Ferment
Writer: Cyril Ferment
Producer: Cyril Ferment & Pascal Sid
Key Cast: Patricia Spehar & Luis Costa
Country of Origin: France
Runtime: 3:29 Minutes
Progeny
“Progeny” is a short horror exploring religious trauma and its intergenerational effects. Haunted by his estranged mother’s abuse, David seeks answers after her mysterious death, hoping to avoid repeating the same mistakes with his unborn daughter. While doing so, he stumbles on family secrets that threaten the lives of those he loves.
Director: Julianna Notten & Hayley Wong
Writer: Julianna Notten & Hayley Wong
Producer: Julianna Notten & Hayley Wong
Key Cast: David Alexander MacDonald, Julianna Notten, Logan Doyle, Chiara Salvia, Percy Miller, Emma Merriam Beattie, & Quinton Bradshaw
Country of Origin: Canada
Runtime: 13:15 Minutes
LOVED
Take A Journey Into A Deranged Man’s Mind And Struggle To Decipher Between Fact And Fiction.
Director: David Joseph Higgins
Writer: David Joseph Higgins
Producer: Joseph A Sernio, Kevin Interdonato, Julie Robinson, Troy Ruff, & Ronald Vidor
Key Cast: Joseph Sernio, Debby Gerber, & Will Raver
Cinematagrapher: Troy Ruff
Country of Origin: United States
Runtime: 14:00 Minutes
The Hatch
A young couple move into their new home and when they go into the loft and bring down an old teddy bear they unwillingly invite a malevolent demon into their home.
Director: Suzanne Curtis
Writer: Suzanne Curtis & Thomas Campbell
Producer: Suzanne Curtis & Sydney Curtis
Key Cast: Byron Collins, Emelie Felina, & Marin Van Osch
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Runtime: 12:00 Minutes
Manifest
A struggling woman joins a research study hoping for quick money, but buried past trauma drags her into a nightmare she can’t wake up from. The deeper she falls, the more reality starts to bend.
Director: Andrew Gibbs
Writer: Andrew Gibbs
Producer: Pradeep Paga & Saj Adib
Key Cast: Amelia Mahrie & Stephen Montagna
Country of Origin: United States
Runtime: 13:59 Minutes
The Cultic Menace
Cults. A Growing scourge upon our nation. Prepare yourself by knowing the truth!
Director: Brian Clement
Writer: Brian Clement
Producer: Arinn Westendorf
Key Cast: Tatiana Alexeeva, Kelli Black, Sara Bynoe, Julian Fernandes, Meredith Fraser, Medha Gautham, Chloë Lai, Mike Li, Brad Macneil, Amanda Marier, Chelsey Moore, Dayleigh Nelson, Edwin Perez, Robin Thompson, Dakota Vegh, & Graham Robinson
Country of Origin: Canada
Runtime: 2:31 Minutes
Furies
While he receives two locksmiths after a break-in at his apartment, Frédéric speaks virtually with an Internet user.
Director: Tony Le Bacq
Writer: Tony Le Bacq
Producer: Tony Le Bacq & Sarah Amouroux
Key Cast: Benoît Chauvin, Brigitte Aubry, Katia Crivellari, & Emmanuel Martin
Country of Origin: France
Runtime: 13:30 Minutes
The Parcel
Chad’s first day on a new job takes a gut wrenching turn.
Director: Jared Tipton
Writer: Jared Tipton
Producer: Benjamin L. Brown & Jared Tipton
Key Cast: Alec Gillis & Andrew J Katers
Country of Origin: United States
Runtime: 8:24 Minutes
Lily
Two friends are faced with a difficult and terrifying decision after drunkenly hitting a girl with their car.
Director: Samuel DeAngelis
Writer: Samuel DeAngelis & David Padilla
Producer: Samuel DeAngelis, David Padilla, Javier Fuentes, & Masako Fukuchi
Key Cast: Max Shusterman, Pablo Causa, Heath Stevenson, David Dotterer, Rachel Ryu, Qurrat Kadwani, & Scott Bolger
Director of Photography: David Padilla
Country of Origin: United States
Runtime: 13:00 Minutes
Bibliophile
After being cancelled, a BookToker stumbles into a mysterious book store looking for a comeback.
Director: Charnstar Anderson
Writer: Charnstar Anderson
Producer: Lachlan J Maher & Alexander Purcell
Key Cast: Geena Schwartz & Gene Von Banyard
Country of Origin: Australia
Runtime: 6:59 Minutes
Lucy’s Birthday
A father tries to enjoy his young daughter’s birthday while being distracted by increasingly sinister occurrences.
Director: Peter Sreckovic
Writer: Peter Sreckovic
Producer: Gillian Fortin, Ali Mashayekhi, & Liam Siebolt
Key Cast: Abanoub Andraous, Filomena Armanious, Liam Siebolt, & Nobahar Dadui
Country of Origin: Canada
Runtime: 9:29 Minutes
Dungeon of Death
Torturer Raullin loves a work challenge, especially if that challenge involves cracking jokes while cracking bones.
Director: Brian P. Rowe
Writer: Desirée Van De Laar
Producer: Desirée Van De Laar
Key Cast: Michael Masurkevitch, Keith Busher, & Julie Mainville
Country of Origin: Canada
Runtime: 16:50 Minutes
Midnight Snack
Hunger always strikes in the dead of night.
Director: Sandra Foisy
Writer: Sandra Foisy
Producer: Sandra Foisy
Key Cast: Lanisa Dawn & Sandra Foisy
Cinematographer: René Arseneau
Country of Origin: Canada
Runtime: 1:41 Minutes
The Foot of the Bed
A man believes a dark entity is attacking him while he sleeps.
Director: Matthew Speak
Writer: Matthew Speak
Producer: Joe Janz, Marc Pyskaty, & James Andrew Oster
Key Cast: James Andrew Oster & Matt Van Winkle
Sound: René Arseneau
Graphic Artist: Michelle Speak
Country of Origin: United States
Runtime: 9:57 Minutes
My Wife
My Wife is a beautiful woman, she keeps my home in order, makes sure I make it to work on time, and is an adequate cook.
Director: Aaron Garcia
Producer: Aaron Garcia
Key Cast: Lisa Brenner & Jonathan Bray
Country of Origin: United States
Runtime: 6:00 Minutes
Most Special Hostage
A woman wakes up bound in a basement, terrified and unsure of what’s coming. As her captor’s bizarre plan unfolds, fear gives way to something far more unexpected in this darkly comedic thriller.
Director: Ryan Starfire, Tyler H, & Andrew Blair
Writer: Ryan Starfire, Tyler H, & Andrew Blair
Producer: Ryan Starfire, Tyler H, & Andrew Blair
Key Cast: Katy Moore & Nick Springthorpe
Country of Origin: Canada
Runtime: 3:11 Minutes
FLUSH
A man’s mental anguish is manifested in the form of malfunctioning plumbing in his new house.
Director: Nick Larner
Writer: Nick Larner
Key Cast: Matthew Olson
Country of Origin: United States
Runtime: 19:24 Minutes
Lavenza
When Lavenza, a 19th-century noblewoman, overhears her husband complaining about her looks, she turns herself into his ideal wife by thrifting the body parts from all the women he desires.
Director: Lauren Eden
Writer: Lauren Eden
Producer: Alex Ef
Director of Photography: Amreen Kullar
Production Designer: Anika Kew Brandstetter
Editor: Amreen Kullar
Stop Motion Animator: Akash Jones
Key Cast: Giulia Pittiglio, Celina Liu, Roberto Ercoli, & Aaron Macpherson
Country of Origin: Canada
Runtime: 10:55 Minutes
Child’s Drawing
Ever since the younger sister’s missing, the girl has been drowning in grief every night. However, she finds her younger sister’s drawing book tonight. When she opens it, she discovers that something terror in childish drawings.
Director: David Liang
Writer: David Liang
Producer: David Liang
Key Cast: Ting Yu Kuo
Country of Origin: Taiwan
Runtime: 7:34 Minutes
Umbra
Adriana, a twelve-year-old girl, waits while her mother recovers after giving birth, but the night is long and a hospital holds many secrets and countless doors to open.
Director: Pablo Otero
Country of Origin: Spain
Runtime: 10:00 Minutes