Fantastic Fest Shorts Programme 2019

Name: Fantastic Fest Shorts Programme 2019
Rating: 5

Director

VV AA

Synopsis

A selection of 17 short films from Australia, Belarus, Canada, Mexico, UK and USA, screened in the 2019’s edition of Fantastic Fest – the largest genre film festival in the US, hailed as “the wildest film festival in America” by The Guardian.

THE ORIGINAL, Michelle Garza Cervera (UK, 2018, 13')

Alana struggles to keep her relationship alive as her partner suffers with a debilitating illness. A new medical procedure offers the answer to their prayers, but not without forcing her to make one last sacrifice.

IN FULL BLOOM, Maegan Houang (USA, 2019, 11')

IN FULL BLOOM tells the story of Cecile, an older Vietnamese hoarder, whose life is upended when worms open a black hole in her house and threaten to take all her stuff.

GIRL IN THE HALLWAY, Valerie Barnhart (Canada, 2019, 10'30)

A man who bore witness to the circumstances surrounding a child's disappearance struggles with the weight of his silence and inaction. An animation based on a Slam by Jamie DeWolf.

THE COLOUR OF YOUR LIPS, Annick Blanc (Québec, Canada, 2018, 17')

In an atmosphere grown suddenly impossible to breathe, a diver and a woman appear to be the only survivors. As their reserves of air run out, will they make love or war?

FURNITURE, Anthony Pitsilos (USA, 2019, 5'53)

A young man takes accepting people as they are to a bit of an extreme, but what can it hurt to stay for a cup of tea?

SIN ULTRA, Amanda Kramer (USA, 2018, 8'30)

The deadpan employees of an industrial environment that perpetually manufactures dead women are momentarily perturbed when a corpse suddenly springs into a dance. Sublime surrealism courtesy of LADYWORLD’s Amanda Kramer.

MAGGIE MAY, Mia’Kate Russell (Australia, 2018, 14')

Two estranged sisters, Sam and Maggie, attempt to reconnect after the death of their mother. But Maggie isn’t interest in anything and that could be Sam’s worst nightmare.

MOMMIE’S PICKLE, Vadim Dozmorov (Belarus, 2019, 13'14)

A familiar domestic scenario wherein a boyfriend meets his in-law to an alarming end.

IN LUCIA’S SKIN, Mayra Hermosillo & Ángel De Guillermo (Mexico, 2018, 13'10)

Lucia, a young mom, struggles with her dark past, and her daughter Camila, is a constant reminder of it. A day at the Circus, and the images within, will help Lucia to acknowledge and begin her healing process.

YOUR LAST DAY ON EARTH, Marc Martínez Jordan (Spain, 2019, 13')

A Fox-dressed man breaks the spacetime limits with only one goal: to spend some time with his late wife. But bellow this recreational act there’s a far more complex and ambitious plan.

WAKEY WAKEY, Mary Dauterman (USA, 2019, 4')

Blood n' guts, the deep blue sea, tooth decay, and her lazy (but weirdly menacing?) boyfriend add up to a really rough night of sleep for Alex. Which results in disaster. And... more blood.

3 DAYS, Julie Sharbutt (USA, 2019, 11'32)

When three women friends sense danger on a camping trip, they keep each other laughing until a horrible revelation makes them feel more alone than ever. 3 DAYS is examination of the fears of women alone, and the power of friendship to engine through dark moments.

FATALE COLLECTIVE: BLEED, Fatale Collective (USA, 2019, 13')

In this brisk six-shooter anthology, an ensemble of women share entertainingly twisted tales that span disturbing subjects and sick styles through decidedly feminist lenses.

Fatale Collective is a group of female horror directors: Lola Blanc, Megan Rosati, Francesca Maldonado, Danin Jacquay, Natasha Halevi & Linda Chen.

LOVE IT, Pam Covington (USA, 2019, 3'25)

Two best friends go on an Instagram spree that turns from #blessed to #hell.

SALOIR, Jacob Wiebe (Canada, 2019, 28'30)

A wayward sailor put to trial for a brutal murder in a small 18th century village recounts a tale of vengeance and sorcery that challenges the beliefs of the town’s Magistrate and forces him to face the ghost of his past.

BATHROOM TROLL, Aaron Immediato (USA, 2018, 17’)

After Cassie gets tormented for not “looking like a girl” in the school bathroom, a demonic vengeance troll awakens to avenge her — only making the nightmare worse.

Audience Choice Awards for Best Short Film at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival.

THIRST TRAP, Steve Flavin (USA, 2018, 4')

As a vampire looks for his next hookup on a gay dating app, his night takes an unexpected turn.

Cast

Ariana Lebron Baez, Rebecca Layoo, Kieu Chinh, Jamie DeWolf, Alexis Lefebvre, Katia Lévesque, Clare Gillies, May Daniels, Sofía de Lara

Crew

Directors: Michelle Garza Cervera, Maegan Houang, Valerie Barnhart, Annick Blanc, Anthony Pitsilos, Amanda Kramer, Mia’Kate Russell, Vadim Dozmorov, Mayra Hermosillo, Ángel De Guillermo, Mary Dauterman, Julie Sharbutt, Lola Blanc, Megan Rosati, Francesca Maldonado, Danin Jacquay, Natasha Halevi, Linda Chen, Pam Covington, Aaron Immediato, Steve Flavin

Festivals

Fantastic Fest