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THE SPECTER OF CHRISTMAS (USA)
SYNOPSIS: Official selection of Fantasia 2025 and voted Best Short Film at IFS/LA FilmFest 2025 The Specter of Christmas marks the fourth film in the “Old Time Radio” short film series. This time, a holiday adventure loosely based on “T’was the Night Before Christmas” narrated by Paul Giamatti.
RATINGS GUIDE: All Audiences
DIRECTOR: Joel Harlow
GENRE: Horror, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Saturday, Nov. 1st @ 2:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Academy Award-winner JOEL HARLOW is one of the most innovative makeup and special makeup artists and designers in American motion pictures. He has proven himself to be one of a very few number of artists who is able to span the world of makeup effects design and creation to the world of on set makeup application. With his company Morphology Inc., Harlow has worked on some of the industries most popular tent-pole films to date.
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THE TIME CAPSULE (USA)
SYNOPSIS: Four childhood friends reunite to dig up a time capsule after 30 years… and encounter some unexpected visitors.
RATINGS GUIDE: All Audiences
GENRE: Comedy, The Beyond/Fantastic
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday, Oct. 28th @ 11:00 AM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Michael sees the movie theater as a place where traditions are subverted–where the status quo gets turned on its head. And this is where his writing sensibilities lie–in taking an established concept or idea and finding a way to turn it into something different. From slasher films where the “sexy” girls are the most competent ones to a rom-com where the meet cute takes place during casting for a snuff film, there’s no trope he’s unwilling to push to its limit.
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THE TRAVELER (USA)
SYNOPSIS: New York, 1887 — In a remote farmhouse, a grief-stricken widow welcomes what she believes is the ghost of her late husband. But as the haunting turns violent, she’s forced to confront the terrifying truth: something far more sinister is lurking.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence
DIRECTOR: Matthew Scheffler
GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Sunday, Oct. 26th @ 1:30 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Matthew Scheffler is a writer-director with a love for genre storytelling and a knack for the unexpected. He cut his teeth at Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, where he became a scripted Field Producer, earning two Peabody Awards and crafting five EMMY-winning segments. After five seasons, he shifted focus to his own stories, spending six years moonlighting his debut short film, The Traveler, while producing acclaimed indie projects and directing commercials for brands like BMW, CBS, and Reese’s Puffs. Together with his producing partner (and wife) Meghan-Michele and their three kids, Matt’s building a filmmaking life that blends horror, heart, and just a little playground chaos.
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THE TRAVELER & THE TROLL (USA)
SYNOPSIS: A Traveler stops to rest in a haunted forest and soon learns they are not alone, and have stumbled upon the lair of a terrifying troll who demands gifts for passage. With no coin or treasure to give, the Traveler must answer three of the Troll’s riddles to survive the night and leave the forest with their soul intact.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Language, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Adam Murray
GENRE: Fantasy, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: None
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Oct. 30th @ 11:00 AM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Adam Murray was born and raised in New Jersey. After graduating from University of the Arts in Philadelphia, he moved to Los Angeles, and has worked in both live-action and animation for the past decade.
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THE VANITY (USA)
SYNOPSIS: In the near future, a young couple makes their living as influencers for a new social media platform: THE VANITY. But when THE VANITY upgrades to AI, the horrific visions it shows forces them to decide what matters most: their online following, or each other.
RATINGS GUIDE: Language, Brief Nudity, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR:
GENRE: Horror, Sci-Fi
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Oct. 30th @ 5:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Megan is a writer, actor, and feminist horror filmmaker based in Los Angeles. Her short film segments ASMR, in the micro-anthology short, FATALE COLLECTIVE: BLEED, and PLAN C, in the pro-choice feature anthology GIVE ME AN A, have played in major genre festivals like Fantastic Fest, Filmquest, Overlook, Brooklyn Horror, Fantaspoa, and can be found streaming on Amazon, Apple TV, YouTube, and Tubi. Megan’s episode “ESSENCE” for the CW series TWO SENTENCE HORROR STORIES can be found on Netflix. As an actor, Megan can be seen EVERYONE IS DOING GREAT on HULU, and countless shorts, series, and indie films. She is represented by Writ Large Management.
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THE WAKING CALL (ITALY / USA)
SYNOPSIS: A late-night radio host begins receiving a series of unsettling calls that blur the line between memory and reality. The Waking Call is a slow-burn psychological horror that explores grief, loneliness, and the quiet terrors that linger when the world is silent.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Language
DIRECTOR: Riccardo Suriano
GENRE: Horror, The Beyond/Fantastic
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday, Oct. 28th @ 5:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Riccardo Suriano is an Italian-American filmmaker from Rome, now based in California. After two decades in the U.S., he returned to Italy to collaborate as First Assistant Director on three feature films, including projects with maestro Pupi Avati. His work focuses on psychological horror and sci-fi, blending atmosphere, emotion, and unease in the tradition of elevated genre cinema. The Waking Call is his latest short, created with an all-Italian cast and crew.
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THE WANDERER (USA)
SYNOPSIS: An immortal woman offers a dark proposition to a dying man but struggles to persuade him to accept her curse.
RATINGS GUIDE: Language
DIRECTOR: Michael Lavine
GENRE: Fantasy, The Beyond/Fantastic
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday, Oct. 28th @ 11:00 AM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Michael Lavine is an award-winning filmmaker and acclaimed photographer, known for visually compelling narratives and striking imagery.
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THE WOMAN IN THE BED (UK)
SYNOPSIS: An elderly woman awakes to discover she is unable to speak or move. Trapped in her bed, she soon realises that she is not alone.
RATINGS GUIDE: Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR:
GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Virtual Block #1 – Horror & Thriller Shorts
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Director, producer and writer with experience in film and theatre. Royal Academy of Dramatic Art MA Text and Performance graduate. Victor is passionate about highlighting human stories within genre films (thriller, horror) such as The Woman in the Bed.
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THE WEREWOLF COMPLEX (SCOTLAND / UK)
SYNOPSIS: A moving image and sound portrait of the aura; seizures in focused parts of the brain that result in sensory, physical and emotional disturbances, sometimes acting as warnings for convulsive seizures that may occur.
RATINGS GUIDE: Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Heather E Andrews
GENRE: Fantasy, The Beyond/Fantastic
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Virtual Block #3 – Fantasy Shorts
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Heather E Andrews is an award winning experimental film maker from East Ayrshire, Scotland. Through exploration of of 16mm moving image and analogue sound making in her work, she creates sonic and image worlds intertwined with poetry and spoken word. She is also an award winning sound designer in film and television as well as regular collaborator with other experimental film makers.
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THRIFT STORE OUJI BOARD (USA)
SYNOPSIS: Three friends awaken something supernatural through a thrifted Ouija board—only to discover it’s far more interested in exposing their secrets than answering their questions. As paranoia and betrayal spiral, a deadly rift erupts between two best friends.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Strong Language
DIRECTOR: Rebecca Gruss
GENRE: Horror, Fantasy, Comedy, The Beyond/Fantastic
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday, Oct. 28th @ 11:00 AM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Rebecca Gruss is an actor who has appeared in various television shows, including The Knick, The Deuce, FBI, and Law & Order: SVU. She has also appeared in films such as Chained for Life and Back Fork. A Pennsylvania native, she currently resides in Pittsburgh with her partner and two cats. Thrift Store Ouija Board is her directorial debut.
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THUMP (USA)
SYNOPSIS: A teen girl prepares to leave for prom when a sudden thump halts her. Marked by the experience, she and her mother retreat into unspoken rituals—until the past demands a reckoning they can no longer ignore. Inspired by true events, “THUMP” is a raw, surreal descent into the unknown.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence
GENRE: The Beyond/Fantastic
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
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DIRECTOR’S BIO: Alexah Acuña (b. 1994, Chicago, IL) is an artist, production designer, and filmmaker based in Los Angeles. She holds a BA from USC’s Roski School of Art & Design and brings over a decade of experience in the film industry.As a first-generation American with Mexican roots, Acuña’s process is cathartic and personal, often referencing her own liminal feelings. She explores the uncanny, the dreamy, the nostalgic, and the mysterious- embracing what’s often considered ugly, dirty, artificial, or other.
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TIDE FOR MAGA (USA)
SYNOPSIS: n/a
RATINGS GUIDE: n/a
DIRECTOR: n/a
GENRE: n/a
PREMIERE STATUS: n/a
SCREENING DATE: Friday, Oct. 24th @ 11:00 AM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: n/a
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THE TIME EATER (CANADA)
SYNOPSIS: A grandmother suffering from undiagnosed dementia has her home invaded while she’s babysitting her granddaughter.
RATINGS GUIDE: Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTORS: Ryan Couldrey
GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: USA Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Oct. 23rd @ 6:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Based out of Toronto, Canada, Ryan Couldrey is a genre-focused director and editor who’s directed 17 short films, a cake baking web series that blends reality DIY Youtube with horror/sci-fi homage, and a feature film adaptation of the graphic novel ‘Snow’. His latest, ‘TIME EATER’ was funded by the Directors Guild Of Canada’s Ontario branch.
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TRACERS (USA)
SYNOPSIS: The capital’s burning. The royals are dead. On a distant planet ruled by contracts and clan codes, one fugitive prince is on the run, and every Tracer in the city wants a piece of him. But the closer he gets to escape, the clearer it becomes: he’s not being saved. He’s being delivered.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Mild Language
DIRECTOR: Sof Puchley
GENRE: Horror, Sci-Fi
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Oct. 30th @ 5:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Sof Puchley is a director, producer, and action designer whose work champions bold, female-driven storytelling through Álom Media, with credits including A Siren’s Call, DRIP, Dangerous, Gateway Drug, and the sci-fi action short ID EST. Their directorial debut TRACERS fuses high-stakes sci-fi with visceral action and emotional depth, while their latest film Pretty Boys, starring Doug Jones, explores the intimacy of father-son bonds. With a background in stunts and experience coordinating and action-directing multiple features, Sof brings a distinct physicality to their vision. A Tim Burton Visionary Award nominee, they continue to build a fearless body of work defined by uncompromising vision and fierce female characters.
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TRAD (USA)
SYNOPSIS: A struggling influencer reluctantly pivots to “tradwife” content to dig her husband out of a financial hole and soon becomes trapped by the increasingly disturbing demands of her viral persona.
RATINGS GUIDE: Strong Violence, Strong Language, Adult Content, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Dave Bekerman
GENRE: Horror, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Friday, Oct. 24th @ 5:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Dave Bekerman co-wrote the John Travolta thriller, The Fanatic, with director, Fred Durst. His first job in show business was as an office PA on Hollywood Squares, where he accidentally hung up on a call from Jerry Lewis. He finds joy at the intersection of the grindhouse and the arthouse, where filmmakers take risks and have something to say.
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TREASURE IMAGINATION (USA)
SYNOPSIS: A city boy is distraught when his beloved tablet is taken away by his mom. But when he finds a mysterious fedora left on a park bench, his temptation to place it on his head leads to adventure.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, All Audiences
DIRECTOR: Scott Rice
GENRE: Fantasy
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Oct. 30th @ 11:00 AM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Scott Rice is an Emmy-winning filmmaker and Addy-winning commercial director. He’s also a film professor at the University of Texas where he co-teaches a course with Matthew McConaughey. Scott’s work has been distributed by Comedy Central, Showtime, Hulu, Blockbuster and PBS. Follow @scottricedirector.
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TRIANGLE (SPAIN)
SYNOPSIS: A heartbroken painter develops an obsession with all kinds of triangles after an encounter with a mysterious blind woman who gives him a key.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Joseph Díaz
GENRE: Horror, Sci-Fi
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Virtual Block #1 – Horror & Thriller Shorts
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Joseph Díaz has worked on over 70 feature films and series for Disney, Netflix, HBO, and Apple TV, collaborating with directors such as J. A. Bayona, Terry Gilliam, and Alejandro G. Iñárritu. In 2022 his short film The 6 Relics of Helena Mason premiered in the Official Selection at Sitges, and he is currently developing his debut feature, Bloody Mary.
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TRIPTYCH (UK, BULGARIA)
SYNOPSIS: A high-end art dealer is haunted by a mysterious force from her past that threatens to destroy everything she’s built.
RATINGS GUIDE: Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTORS:
GENRE: Horror, Fantasy
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Virtual Block #3 – Fantasy Shorts
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Following her VMA win, Sophia works with brands and artists such as Google, the BBC, and Ellie Goulding; recently directing Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella trailer. She is recognized for a dreamy, playful nature that contrasts with more surreal undertones.
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TUSKY (UK)
SYNOPSIS: Rhubarb farmer Harry Bamford spent his working life growing and perfecting his prize-winning crop. Now long retired and under the care of his struggling wife Joyce, Harry begins to experience vivid and disturbing hallucinations.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Strong Language
GENRE: The Beyond/Fantastic
PREMIERE STATUS: USA Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Oct. 23rd @ 6:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Steven Boyle is a multi-award winning writer-director. His latest short film TUSKY is a dark drama starring BAFTA nominated Phil Davis and Felicity Montagu, currently making waves on the festival circuit. Steven is also developing several projects through his production company Little Battle.
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TWO PEOPLE EXCHANGING SALIVA (FRANCE / USA)
SYNOPSIS: In a society where kissing is forbidden and people pay for things with slaps to the face, Angine, an unhappy woman, becomes fascinated by a playful salesgirl, raising the suspicions of a jealous colleague.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Mild Language, Sensuality
DIRECTOR: Alexandre Singh & Natalie Musteata
GENRE: The Beyond/Fantastic
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Oct. 23rd @ 2:30 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Alexandre Singh & Natalie Musteata are a couple and filmmaking duo. Alexandre is a Franco-Indian visual artist whose work has been collected by the MoMA and Guggenheim Museum, New York, and CNAP, Paris. Natalie is a Romanian-American writer, curator and filmmaker, with a PhD in art history and film. They live and work in Brooklyn, New York.
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