Film Fests
Brooklyn Horror Film Festival 2025: Home Invasion 1 Shorts Block
Short films are the cornerstone of any good film festival. Sometimes shorts are packed before and after an accompanying feature, sometimes they get their own blocks. Whatever the case is, I’ll show up. Rarely does a film festival program its shorts to be nearly as great as the feature films; Brooklyn Horror Film Festival does.
The Binding // Written and directed by Ryan Kennedy
Stephen (Mike Houston) is a grieving father. Parker (Mel House) is (basically) a demon bounty hunter for hire. Can these righteous individuals beat the ticking clock and bind the demon to a human conduit?
This was the very first film I had the opportunity to see at Brooklyn Horror Film Festival. To say this set the bar for my entire festival experience would be an understatement. Religious horror/possession horror rarely ever works for me. I find these types of stories often overjustify unbelievable story beats because, well, demon. (Said like Giorgio Tsoukalos.) The Binding was quite the surprise.
Writer/director Ryan Kennedy takes an overdone subgenre and makes it feel new and exciting. Sure, stories like this have been told in broader ways, but Kennedy’s telling of this tale adds a humanistic layer to it. Gone are the Warren and Bagans-like characters who know the answers. Kennedy’s idea to make the main characters a grieving father and a demon bounty hunter ups the stakes while grounding the overall story.
Y.M.G. // Written and directed by Alexandra Warrick
A boyfriend (Joe Gallagher) breaks the fourth wall to tell the audience all of the things he loves about his girlfriend. From there, I don’t really know how to explain what happens except that the (potentially dead) girlfriend (Meg Spectre) gives a haunting musical performance.
Throughout the first few minutes of Y.M.G., I couldn’t figure out what the angle was. Why was this guy telling us all of these “my girlfriend” statements? How is this horror? And then we arrived at his apartment. One of the best things about short films is that there is no structure they need to stick to, no real rules to abide by. If you want to put a full three (and a half?) minute-long musical break into it…you can!
Alexandra Warrick’s blood-soaked epic takes an experimental turn in a way I don’t think I’ve seen before. Something about it feels like it shouldn’t work as well as it does, but I can’t help how many times I’ve thought about this film since I’ve seen it. The unattributed quote of “When words aren’t enough, you sing,” (no, it wasn’t Stephen Sondheim) couldn’t be more accurate than with Y.M.G..
The more I sat on the underlying idea of Y.M.G., the more it became apparent. How many times have you seen a true crime documentary or TV news interview where people say, “He was so nice, I never would have suspected him of this”? The boyfriend IS supposed to come off as a nice, wholesome guy when, in reality, a sinister being lurks behind the thousand-dollar smile. It’s to highlight the fact that no matter what you think, there’s a good chance you may not know what you think you know about your partner. Y.M.G. is a chilling film that provides an incredibly deep story with beautifully haunting visuals.
Brian Won’t Wear Condoms // Written and directed by Genna Edwards
(Please note, I wasn’t able to find many names regarding the cast/crew.)
Abby is a wellness influencer whose boyfriend, Brian, refuses to wear condoms. His refusal leads to Abby trying out a new form of contraception. Abby’s best friend doesn’t quite know how to feel about it, but wants to be there for Abby. What follows is a grotesquerie of epic proportions. (Yes, I’m talking about that scene.)
After reading an interview between Odd Critic and filmmaker Genna Edwards, one thing became clear: we have the same sex-ed experience. I’m from a town in Pennsylvania where you had to travel about one mile into the forest for high school. That should explain enough.
My middle school sex-ed teacher was a macho, dark black bottle-dyed, ex-military man who regularly arrived at school with dried deer blood in the back of his pickup truck. I come from a red-leaning purple town, but sex-ed was definitely not at the front of my school board’s mind. All of that is to say, I empathize with why and how Genna feels about how many (most?) men view their pleasure in sex.
Brian Won’t Wear Condoms exemplifies the struggle (I think) many people face in heterosexual relationships. Because Brian refuses to do the bare minimum, Abby takes charge in her own way. Unfortunately for Abby, that doesn’t come without consequences. I’ve heard people say things along the lines of their birth control (mainly IUDs, but also the pill) making them suicidal. If you truly loved your partner, wouldn’t you want to do the easiest step you could take to make them a bit more comfortable?
One of my favorite things about this short is how there are two ways to view it. If you’re a normal, good person, then you can see Abby’s struggle and sympathize with the physical and mental pain she’s put through. And if you’re a Brian, Genna introduces one of the most grotesque shots in horror cinema to make you SEE and FEEL Abby’s pain. Let’s just say, it’s one of the most impactful theatrical experiences I’ve had in a long time.
The Man & The Scarecrow // Written and directed by Justin Knoepfel
A man (Jacob A. Ware) struggles as he and his ex-wife (Kelly Grago) navigate a divorce. One day, while on the road, the man sees something that only he and Pearl would stop for…a scarecrow. And, like Pearl, the man forms a connection with the scarecrow.
Everyone copes differently, and Justin Knoepfel humorously navigates that topic. While Knoepfel plays into the humor of the whole situation, there’s a distinct amount of melancholy behind the whole idea. Most people have gone through a difficult breakup of sorts, and we all handle it differently. The man in this film just takes his grief a bit further than usual.
Knoepfel’s film is fairly down the middle, balancing normalcy and absurdism. On the surface, projecting your emotions onto an inanimate scarecrow is odd. And that’s really the furthest the film takes the idea. I wished it had delved a bit more into the man’s psyche to explore a wider range of emotions. But, at the end of the day, it was an enjoyable watch.
Some Dark Matter // Written and directed by Molly Fisher
A family dinner comes to a quick end after a husband/father dies of a stroke. Most are sad, except one. One daughter remains void of visible emotion. It’s not until a night alone in a hotel that she finally has to express her emotions…unless they express themselves first.
Some Dark Matter was a complete 180, lineup-wise, from the previous film. The Man & The Scarecrow had a levity to it, while Some Dark Matter is pure grief. It’s a very on-the-nose film that doesn’t have quite the bite I would hope for. Molly Fisher does a great job of slowly building the unnerving atmosphere that makes this film work as a horror property, which is obviously the most important aspect. But to me, it provides surface-level commentary on grief and loss, rather than delving deeper into the overall process.
You Have Her Eyes // Written by Lizzy Miller, Jordan Sommerlad, and Cory Stonebrook, and directed by Jordan Sommerlad and Cory Stonebrook
Elle (Lizzy Miller) and Jacob (Cory Stonebrook) are happy enough. They seem to have a wonderful relationship, a gorgeous house, and a wonderful group of friends. What more could you want?! Well, for Jacob, how about a baby? Elle is on the fence until an old, familiar face rears their head.
Oh boy, this one got me. You Have Her Eyes is a damn effective piece of psychological horror that gets right under your skin. It’s rare for a short film to pull the rug out from under you. The twist in this story by Miller, Sommerlad, and Stonebrook is a gigantic punch to the gut. And if anyone tells you they saw it coming, I can bet you a decent chunk of money that they’re lying.
Eyes takes a somber look at familial values, the human condition, and unconditional love. Elle’s slow descent into terror is done uniquely and brilliantly; it’s nearly impossible not to be chilled to your core with this film. When I tell you that the entire theater gasped at that moment, it’s no exaggeration. A film like this is a perfect example of effective storytelling in a short time.
Rebrand // Written and directed by Edoardo Ranaboldo
Leo (Adam Alpert), Alex (Xavier Clyde), Jess (Eleanor Lougee-Heimer), and Trey (Charlie McElveen) are a group of camping YouTubers. While they’ve seen great success with their channel, they’re ready to spread their wings and take on other personal tasks. But the crusade of campers isn’t alone on their final foray into the forest. A group of masked men, armed with cameras of their own, is hot on their trail.
Rebrand was clearly a crowd favorite. And, interestingly, it was the only found footage film in this entire block. Found footage is an easy go-to for short films, especially those that forgo proper permits. But Edoardo Ranaboldo didn’t pick found footage for ease or permit evasion.
Aside from Un Chien Andalou and The Big Shave, rarely does a short film define a moment in filmmaking. Rebrand has the ability not only to change found footage fundamentally but also to bring life back into a tired subgenre. Ranaboldo did everything right. His story has intrigue, stakes, emotion, [some] humor, and a HELL of a lot of blood. Moreover, the cameras and character motivations make sense, and the story is just incredibly compelling.
Rebrand is everything a short film should be. If you can’t tell, it was clearly my favorite. While it doesn’t do much on the commentary side of the conversation, that’s okay. Ranaboldo doesn’t outwardly try to make the film more than it is, and that’s okay! That’s not to say it’s a substance-less film. But, at the end of the day, Rebrand absolutely kills. And it kills incredibly well.
Last week, the Fantasia International Film Festival wrapped up yet another stellar year of madness and mayhem after showcasing over 120 feature films and over 200 shorts from 54 different countries. At the opening ceremony, artistic director Mitch Davis enthusiastically reflected on the festival’s 30 years of cutting-edge film programming. At the festival’s inception and for many years, the programming team would seek out international films that could not secure distribution in the North American market (and those that did would often end up modified and heavily edited, something Davis called “a constant cultural crime”). Recently, streaming platforms have completely changed the game. “It’s a miracle that Fantasia has lasted the way that it has,” said Davis while praising the team of programmers for continuing to support indie genre filmmaking.
Fantasia Film Festival 2026 Round Up
One thing that remains consistent at Fantasia International Film Festival is a dedication to featuring films made by human labor in all sorts of creative ways. Practical effects reigned supreme, and audiences reacted enthusiastically to anything that challenged filmmaking norms. Here are some of our highlights from the fest that showcased those values. (For coverage of our absolute favs, check out these articles about Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, Mum I’m Alien Pregnant, Castration Movie and Corpus)
No Rest for the Wicked
This dark gothic tale from the remote Faroe Islands truly enthralled audiences. Director Kasper Kalle gave his actors plenty of space to long after one another while showcasing the stunning, dramatic landscape of the islands. The premise may be simple, but the execution is perfect, and it’s no wonder that Kalle took home the Cheval Noir award for directing (as did actor Pilou Asbaek for his performance).
Nightborn
Hanna Bergholm’s follow up to her debut Hatching (2022) stars Seidi Haarla as a new mum (alongside Rupert Grint as her husband) who moves to the Finnish countryside to restore her childhood cottage. Motherhood proves way more challenging than she expects, and her newborn child doesn’t quite match her expectations. Nightborn truly goes off the rails while blending both body and folk horror, and took home the top prize for Best Film at the festival.
Drag
Lucy DeVito and Lizzie Caplan star in this thriller about two sisters trying to break out of a mansion that they broke into. The less said the better about the plot, but it’s safe to say that the situation escalates dramatically. The construction of this story expertly uses detail to play with tension and humor, which makes it really fun to watch alongside a rambunctious crowd.
I Love Paris
This vampire mockumentary follows an ambitious Parisian wannabe pop star (who dubs herself Paris) as she tries to secure a coveted spot at an upcoming music festival with a little help from supernatural forces. Aminata Thiboult nails the titular role as she and her friends rampage across the city seeking both fame and blood.
Black Zombie
Maya Annik Bedward does an incredible job of weaving together the history of Haiti, Voodoo, and the zombie mythology in this must-see documentary. The story of what it took to get this film completed perhaps deserves its own documentary. “We started filming in LA in March 2020, so I was in LA when the whole world shut down,” Bedward told us at the premiere, adding “after that, things changed a lot.” She explained that after Haiti’s president was assassinated in 2021, “things have just become more and more difficult for people in Haiti and I’d say the majority of the people who were involved in the film – if they could leave, they’ve left.”
Colony
Director Yeon Sang-ho (Train to Busan) returns to the zombie genre with this fast-paced gonzo action-horror hybrid about a group of strangers trying to escape a horde of people who seemingly share a hive mind. It’s fun, it’s dumb, and it has a very high body count.
Buddy
What if Barney the purple dinosaur was an orange unicorn, and was also evil? That is basically the story of Buddy, a demonic beast masquerading as a beloved children’s TV show as he summons his victims to his universe. Too Many Cooks creator Casper Kelly delivers this madhouse of a film full of gorgeous sets, practical effects, and lots of fantastic gore.
Short Films Matter at Fantasia Film Festival Too!
The short film program is just as important as the features, and this year we saw some real knockouts! Sleep Through Summer stunned audiences with its eerie dystopian punishment system, and I Walked Through The Wall was notable for its creativity and acting. Needle had us all squirming and cringing through its final moments, and the sheer scope of The Pigs Underneath left an unforgettable impression.
Honorable mentions!
- Ferine was an absolutely bonkers modern giallo bloodfest with a magnificent score.
- Home Bodies, a locked room story about two siblings being raised by a disembodied voice, had the best production design of any film we saw.
- Godhead is Mark H Rappaport’s (slightly) less disturbing follow-up to his cult hit Hippo. Here he delivers another stunning visual feast.
- The Glorious Dead is the latest entry from festival favs The Adams Family. They applied their unique community style of filmmaking to an apocalyptic horror show set in a snow-covered small town, and the result will absolutely please their fans.
On a personal note, it’s always a joy to immerse myself in such a crazy festival like Fantasia. Shout out to the staff and volunteers who keep the whole event running, and see you next year!
Corpus
Corrin Evans premiered her debut feature film Corpus at Fantasia Film Festival.
Corpus is a steamy thriller set in 1997 New York, which follows a group of friends who travel to a remote mansion for a party, though what they find is not quite what they expected.
Intimacy and consent are at the heart of this film. The characters often long for and lust after each other, and Evans makes sure that the audience feels every breath and every touch. The film looks exquisite, thanks in part to cinematographer Charlie Cole. Together they designed a lighting setup using either natural lighting or very hot tungsten lights (which added to the steamy aesthetic). “I just love the body,” explained Evans at the world premiere in Montreal. “I knew I wanted it to feel very visceral and flowing from the gut, like you’re really with these characters up close. I wanted to be able to feel skin and pores.”
Having worked as an intimacy coordinator for several years, Evans brought her industry experience to both the story and her directing choices. Co-writer and actor Lily Cowles (who plays Billie in the film) praised Evans for her directing style. “I’ve often thought the reason that you’re a good director is the same reason you’re a good intimacy coordinator.” Cowles continued, adding that “when you’re on set, there’s a level of safety and an openness, and you can really trust that Corrin’s going to keep you in that pocket.”
So much of Corpus was crafted by the hands of the cast and the crew. Many of the effects were done practically (including one devastating moment that we will not spoil here), and the main location – an old mansion – was dressed and designed to feel authentically lived in. Even the score, composed by VAAAL (pronounced like wall with a v), was created using an organic process. “ I’ve been wanting to work with him forever,” explained Evans about their collaboration. “He’s an insane musician.”
Corpus will leave your skin crawling in all the best possible ways.
Castration Movie Chapter iii.ii Junior Ghosts—Premorphic Drift; a fragmentary passage
Louise Weard showcased an excerpt from the third part of her anthology epic Castration Movie at Fantasia Film Festival last month.
Weard’s epic anthology film is all about exploring “trans-temporality”, as she explained to the Fantasia crowd. “Your timeline gets so skewed in an interesting way, where transition becomes this benchmark.” Her original intent was to release one long 24h film as a way to reclaim that lost time, so to speak. She uses her family’s digital camcorder to shoot everything and uses tapes of her as a child to record and re-record her footage. She writes, directs, shoots, and edits everything, often exploring very dark topics.
While this may sound intimidating on paper, Weard writes with a vicious sense of humor, and has an excellent sense of how to balance sincerity with cringe. This particular section focuses its story on a romantic couple as one partner transitions. Weard’s excerpt produced maybe the most visceral reactions of the festival, with audience members actively heckling one of the onscreen characters during the film’s final act. While previous chapters have featured both graphic and sexually explicit content, this part focused instead on a kind of deep emotional trauma that is usually left to the most toxic of internet forums.
“This movie is my parody of Lawrence Anyways,” quipped Weard (who is trans herself) as the audience was still reeling from the film. She went on to explain how often trans stories are told from the perspective of the cis gaze, that the narrative arc focuses on how a cis person feels about another person’s transness. Weard’s camera work often zooms into the cis partner’s eyes as they watch their trans partner go about their day. “We’re going to really put that gaze under the microscope, almost literally in terms of how zoomed in we are on those eyes. And I think it creates a horror atmosphere in a lot of ways.”
The full scope of Castration Movie is yet to be revealed. Castration Movie Anthology i: Traps has a daunting runtime of 4h 35m, while Castration Movie Anthology ii: The Best of Both Worlds runs 5h. The excerpt presented at Montreal’s International Fantasia Festival ran 2h 10m, though Weard plans to release the full Castration Movie Anthology iii: Year of the Hyaena later this year, and is already working on an Anthology IV and V. “I like to think of it at this point like show running. Because it’s been literally nonstop production for coming up on four years. I’ve been shooting every weekend for four years.”
Weard was working as a PA when she started shooting her film, but “unfortunately, I kept running out of money,” she laughed, and of course the 2023 writer’s strike did not help her situation. She decided to release segments of her film to raise funds so she could keep shooting. With this specific 2h segment, Weard hopes to bring more audiences into her universe. “This gets to be the easy access point where someone can demo the castration movie experience for just two hours and decide if they want to commit to the whole 24-hour endeavor,” she chuckled.
